Antiquities of the Jews — Book 8, Chapter 14

1. When the affairs of Ahab were thus, at that very time the son of
Hadad, [Benhadad,] who was king of the Syrians and of Damascus, got
together an army out of all his country, and procured thirty-two kings
beyond Euphrates to be his auxiliaries: so he made an expedition against
Ahab; but because Ahab's army was not like that of Benhadad, he did not
set it in array to fight him, but having shut up every thing that was in
the country in the strongest cities he had, he abode in Samaria himself,
for the walls about it were very strong, and it appeared to be not
easily to be taken in other respects also. So the king of Syria took his
army with him, and came to Samaria, and placed his army round about the
city, and besieged it. He also sent a herald to Ahab, and desired he
would admit the ambassadors he would send him, by whom he would let him
know his pleasure. So, upon the king of Israel's permission for him to
send, those ambassador's came, and by their king's command spake thus:
That Ahab's riches, and his children, and his wives were Benhadad's, and
if he would make an agreement, and give him leave to take as much of
what he had as he pleased, he would withdraw his army, and leave off the
siege. Upon this Ahab bade the ambassadors to go back, and tell their
king, that both he himself and all that he hath are his possessions. And
when these ambassadors had told this to Benhadad, he sent them to him
again, and desired, since he confessed that all he had was his, that he
would admit those servants of his which he should send the next day; and
he commanded him to deliver to those whom he should send whatsoever,
upon their searching his palace, and the houses of his friends and
kindred, they should find to be excellent in its kind, but that what did
not please them they should leave to him. At this second embassage of
the king of Syria, Ahab was surprised, and gathered together the
multitude to a congregation, and told them that, for himself, he was
ready, for their safety and peace, to give up his own wives and children
to the enemy, and to yield to him all his own possessions, for that was
what the Syrian king required at his first embassage; but that now he
desires to send his servants to search all their houses, and in them to
leave nothing that is excellent in its kind, seeking an occasion of
fighting against him, "as knowing that I would not spare what is mine
own for your sakes, but taking a handle from the disagreeable terms he
offers concerning you to bring a war upon us; however, I will do what
you shall resolve is fit to be done." But the multitude advised him to
hearken to none of his proposals, but to despise him, and be in
readiness to fight him. Accordingly, when he had given the ambassadors
this answer to be reported, that he still continued in the mind to
comply with what terms he at first desired, for the safety of the
citizens; but as for his second desires, he cannot submit to them,—he
dismissed them.

2. Now when Benhadad heard this, he had indignation, and sent
ambassadors to Ahab the third time, and threatened that his army would
raise a bank higher than those walls, in confidence of whose strength he
despised him, and that by only each man of his army taking a handful of
earth; hereby making a show of the great number of his army, and aiming
to affright him. Ahab answered, that he ought not to vaunt himself when
he had only put on his armor, but when he should have conquered his
enemies in the battle. So the ambassadors came back, and found the king
at supper with his thirty-two kings, and informed him of Ahab's answer;
who then immediately gave order for proceeding thus: To make lines round
the city, and raise a bulwark, and to prosecute the siege all manner of
ways. Now, as this was doing, Ahab was in a great agony, and all his
people with him; but he took courage, and was freed from his fears, upon
a certain prophet coming to him, and saying to him, that God had
promised to subdue so many ten thousands of his enemies under him. And
when he inquired by whose means the victory was to be obtained, he said,
"By the sons of the princes; but under thy conduct as their leader, by
reason of their unskilfulness [in war]." Upon which he called for the
sons of the princes, and found them to be two hundred and thirty-two
persons. So when he was informed that the king of Syria had betaken
himself to feasting and repose, he opened the gates, and sent out the
princes' sons. Now when the sentinels told Benhadad of it, he sent some
to meet them, and commanded them, that if these men were come out for
fighting, they should bind them, and bring them to him; and that if they
came out peaceably, they should do the same. Now Ahab had another army
ready within the walls, but the sons of the princes fell upon the out-
guard, and slew many of them, and pursued the rest of them to the camp;
and when the king of Israel saw that these had the upper hand, he sent
out all the rest of his army, which, falling suddenly upon the Syrians,
beat them, for they did not think they would have come out; on which
account it was that they assaulted them when they were naked 37 and
drunk, insomuch that they left all their armor behind them when they
fled out of the camp, and the king himself escaped with difficulty, by
fleeing away on horseback. But Ahab went a great way in pursuit of the
Syrians; and when he had spoiled their camp, which contained a great
deal of wealth, and moreover a large quantity of gold and silver, he
took Benhadad's chariots and horses, and returned to the city; but as
the prophet told him he ought to have his army ready, because the Syrian
king would make another expedition against him the next year, Ahab was
busy in making provision for it accordingly.

3. Now Benhadad, when he had saved himself, and as much of his army as
he could, out of the battle, he consulted with his friends how he might
make another expedition against the Israelites. Now those friends
advised him not to fight with them on the hills, because their God was
potent in such places, and thence it had come to pass that they had very
lately been beaten; but they said, that if they joined battle with them
in the plain, they should beat them. They also gave him this further
advice, to send home those kings whom he had brought as his auxiliaries,
but to retain their army, and to set captains over it instead of the
kings, and to raise an army out of their country, and let them be in the
place of the former who perished in the battle, together with horses and
chariots. So he judged their counsel to be good, and acted according to
it in the management of the army.

4. At the beginning of the spring, Benhadad took his army with him, and
led it against the Hebrews; and when he was come to a certain city which
was called Aphek, he pitched his camp in the great plain. Ahab also went
to meet him with his army, and pitched his camp over against him,
although his army was a very small one, if it were compared with the
enemy's; but the prophet came again to him, and told him, that God would
give him the victory, that he might demonstrate his own power to be, not
only on the mountains, but on the plains also; which it seems was
contrary to the opinion of the Syrians. So they lay quiet in their camp
seven days; but on the last of those days, when the enemies came out of
their camp, and put themselves in array in order to fight, Ahab also
brought out his own army; and when the battle was joined, and they
fought valiantly, he put the enemy to flight, and pursued them, and
pressed upon them, and slew them; nay, they were destroyed by their own
chariots, and by one another; nor could any more than a few of them
escape to their own city Aphek, who were also killed by the walls
falling upon them, being in number twenty-seven thousand. 38 Now there
were slain in this battle a hundred thousand more; but Benhadad, the
king of the Syrians, fled away, with certain others of his most faithful
servants, and hid himself in a cellar under ground; and when these told
him that the kings of Israel were humane and merciful men, and that they
might make use of the usual manner of supplication, and obtain
deliverance from Ahab, in case he would give them leave to go to him, he
gave them leave accordingly. So they came to Ahab, clothed in sackcloth,
with ropes about their heads, (for this was the ancient manner of
supplication among the Syrians,) 39 and said, that Benhadad desired he
would save him, and that he would ever be a servant to him for that
favor. Ahab replied he was glad that he was alive, and not hurt in the
battle; and he further promised him the same honor and kindness that a
man would show to his brother. So they received assurances upon oath
from him, that when he came to him he should receive no harm from him,
and then went and brought him out of the cellar wherein he was hid, and
brought him to Ahab as he sat in his chariot. So Benhadad worshipped
him; and Ahab gave him his hand, and made him come up to him into his
chariot, and kissed him, and bid him be of good cheer, and not to expect
that any mischief should be done to him. So Benhadad returned him
thanks, and professed that he also would remember his kindness to him
all the days of his life; and promised he would restore those cities of
the Israelites which the former kings had taken from them, and grant
that he should have leave to come to Damascus, as his forefathers had to
come to Samaria. So they confirmed their covenant by oaths, and Ahab
made him many presents, and sent him back to his own kingdom. And this
was the conclusion of the war that Benhadad made against Ahab and the
Israelites.

5. But a certain prophet, whose name was Micaiah, 40 came to one of the
Israelites, and bid him smite him on the head, for by so doing he would
please God; but when he would not do so, he foretold to him, that since
he disobeyed the commands of God, he should meet with a lion, and be
destroyed by him. When that sad accident had befallen the man, the
prophet came again to another, and gave him the same injunction; so he
smote him, and wounded his skull; upon which he bound up his head, and
came to the king, and told him that he had been a soldier of his, and
had the custody of one of the prisoners committed to him by an officer,
and that the prisoner being run away, he was in danger of losing his own
life by the means of that officer, who had threatened him, that if the
prisoner escaped he would kill him. And when Ahab had said that he would
justly die, he took off the binding about his head, and was known by the
king to be Micaiah the prophet, who made use of this artifice as a
prelude to his following words; for he said that God would punish him
who had suffered Benhadad, a blasphemer against him, to escape
punishment; and that he would so bring it about, that he should die by
the other's means 41 and his people by the other's army. Upon which Ahab
was very angry at the prophet, and gave commandment that he should be
put in prison, and there kept; but for himself, he was in confusion at
the words of Micaiah, and returned to his own house.