Antiquities Book 5, Chapter 3
How The Israelites After This Misfortune Grew Wicked And Served The Assyrians; And How God Delivered Them By Othniel, Who Ruled Over The Forty Years.
1. Now it happened that the tribe of Dan suffered in like manner with
the tribe of Benjamin; and it came to do so on the occasion
following:—When the Israelites had already left off the exercise of
their arms for war, and were intent upon their husbandry, the Canaanites
despised them, and brought together an army, not because they expected
to suffer by them, but because they had a mind to have a sure prospect
of treating the Hebrews ill when they pleased, and might thereby for the
time to come dwell in their own cities the more securely; they prepared
therefore their chariots, and gathered their soldiery together, their
cities also combined together, and drew over to them Askelon and Ekron,
which were within the tribe of Judah, and many more of those that lay in
the plain. They also forced the Danites to fly into the mountainous
country, and left them not the least portion of the plain country to set
their foot on. Since then these Danites were not able to fight them, and
had not land enough to sustain them, they sent five of their men into
the midland country, to seek for a land to which they might remove their
habitation. So these men went as far as the neighborhood of Mount
Libanus, and the fountains of the Lesser Jordan, at the great plain of
Sidon, a day's journey from the city; and when they had taken a view of
the land, and found it to be good and exceeding fruitful, they
acquainted their tribe with it, whereupon they made an expedition with
the army, and built there the city Dan, of the same name with the son of
Jacob, and of the same name with their own tribe.
2. The Israelites grew so indolent, and unready of taking pains, that
misfortunes came heavier upon them, which also proceeded in part from
their contempt of the Divine worship; for when they had once fallen off
from the regularity of their political government, they indulged
themselves further in living according to their own pleasure, and
according to their own will, till they were full of the evil doings that
were common among the Canaanites. God therefore was angry with them, and
they lost that their happy state which they had obtained by innumerable
labors, by their luxury; for when Chushan, king of the Assyrians, had
made war against them, they lost many of their soldiers in the battle,
and when they were besieged, they were taken by force; nay, there were
some who, out of fear, voluntarily submitted to him, and though the
tribute laid upon them was more than they could bear, yet did they pay
it, and underwent all sort of oppression for eight years; after which
time they were freed from them in the following manner:—
3. There was one whose name was Othniel, the son of Kenaz, of the tribe
of Judah, an active man and of great courage. He had an admonition from
God not to overlook the Israelites in such a distress as they were now
in, but to endeavor boldly to gain them their liberty; so when he had
procured some to assist him in this dangerous undertaking, [and few they
were, who, either out of shame at their present circumstances, or out of
a desire of changing them, could be prevailed on to assist him,] he
first of all destroyed that garrison which Chushan had set over them;
but when it was perceived that he had not failed in his first attempt,
more of the people came to his assistance; so they joined battle with
the Assyrians, and drove them entirely before them, and compelled them
to pass over Euphrates. Hereupon Othniel, who had given such proofs of
his valor, received from the multitude authority to judge the people;
and when he had ruled over them forty years, he died.
the tribe of Benjamin; and it came to do so on the occasion
following:—When the Israelites had already left off the exercise of
their arms for war, and were intent upon their husbandry, the Canaanites
despised them, and brought together an army, not because they expected
to suffer by them, but because they had a mind to have a sure prospect
of treating the Hebrews ill when they pleased, and might thereby for the
time to come dwell in their own cities the more securely; they prepared
therefore their chariots, and gathered their soldiery together, their
cities also combined together, and drew over to them Askelon and Ekron,
which were within the tribe of Judah, and many more of those that lay in
the plain. They also forced the Danites to fly into the mountainous
country, and left them not the least portion of the plain country to set
their foot on. Since then these Danites were not able to fight them, and
had not land enough to sustain them, they sent five of their men into
the midland country, to seek for a land to which they might remove their
habitation. So these men went as far as the neighborhood of Mount
Libanus, and the fountains of the Lesser Jordan, at the great plain of
Sidon, a day's journey from the city; and when they had taken a view of
the land, and found it to be good and exceeding fruitful, they
acquainted their tribe with it, whereupon they made an expedition with
the army, and built there the city Dan, of the same name with the son of
Jacob, and of the same name with their own tribe.
2. The Israelites grew so indolent, and unready of taking pains, that
misfortunes came heavier upon them, which also proceeded in part from
their contempt of the Divine worship; for when they had once fallen off
from the regularity of their political government, they indulged
themselves further in living according to their own pleasure, and
according to their own will, till they were full of the evil doings that
were common among the Canaanites. God therefore was angry with them, and
they lost that their happy state which they had obtained by innumerable
labors, by their luxury; for when Chushan, king of the Assyrians, had
made war against them, they lost many of their soldiers in the battle,
and when they were besieged, they were taken by force; nay, there were
some who, out of fear, voluntarily submitted to him, and though the
tribute laid upon them was more than they could bear, yet did they pay
it, and underwent all sort of oppression for eight years; after which
time they were freed from them in the following manner:—
3. There was one whose name was Othniel, the son of Kenaz, of the tribe
of Judah, an active man and of great courage. He had an admonition from
God not to overlook the Israelites in such a distress as they were now
in, but to endeavor boldly to gain them their liberty; so when he had
procured some to assist him in this dangerous undertaking, [and few they
were, who, either out of shame at their present circumstances, or out of
a desire of changing them, could be prevailed on to assist him,] he
first of all destroyed that garrison which Chushan had set over them;
but when it was perceived that he had not failed in his first attempt,
more of the people came to his assistance; so they joined battle with
the Assyrians, and drove them entirely before them, and compelled them
to pass over Euphrates. Hereupon Othniel, who had given such proofs of
his valor, received from the multitude authority to judge the people;
and when he had ruled over them forty years, he died.