Antiquities of the Jews — Book 8, Chapter 9

1. Now there was a certain wicked man in that city, who was a false
prophet, whom Jeroboam had in great esteem, but was deceived by him and
his flattering words. This man was bedrid, by reason or the infirmities
of old age: however, he was informed by his sons concerning the prophet
that was come from Jerusalem, and concerning the signs done by him; and
how, when Jeroboam's right hand had been enfeebled, at the prophet's
prayer he had it revived again. Whereupon he was afraid that this
stranger and prophet should be in better esteem with the king than
himself, and obtain greater honor from him: and he gave orders to his
sons to saddle his ass presently, and make all ready that he might go
out. Accordingly they made haste to do what they were commanded, and he
got upon the ass and followed after the prophet; and when he had
overtaken him, as he was resting himself under a very large oak tree
that was thick and shady, he at first saluted him, but presently he
complained of him, because he had not come into his house, and partaken
of his hospitality. And when the other said that God had forbidden him
to taste of any one's provision in that city, he replied, that "for
certain God had not forbidden that I should set food before thee, for I
am a prophet as thou art, and worship God in the same manner that thou
dost; and I am now come as sent by him, in order to bring thee into my
house, and make thee my guest." Now Jadon gave credit to this lying
prophet, and returned back with him. But when they were at dinner, and
merry together, God appeared to Jadon, and said that he should suffer
punishment for transgressing his commands,—and he told him what that
punishment should be for he said that he should meet with a lion as he
was going on his way, by which lion he should be torn in pieces, and be
deprived of burial in the sepulchers of his fathers; which things came
to pass, as I suppose, according to the will of God, that so Jeroboam
might not give heed to the words of Jadon as of one that had been
convicted of lying. However, as Jadon was again going to Jerusalem, a
lion assaulted him, and pulled him off the beast he rode on, and slew
him; yet did he not at all hurt the ass, but sat by him, and kept him,
as also the prophet's body. This continued till some travelers that saw
it came and told it in the city to the false prophet, who sent his sons,
and brought the body unto the city, and made a funeral for him at great
expense. He also charged his sons to bury himself with him and said that
all which he had foretold against that city, and the altar, and priests,
and false prophets, would prove true; and that if he were buried with
him, he should receive no injurious treatment after his death, the bones
not being then to be distinguished asunder. But now, when he had
performed those funeral rites to the prophet, and had given that charge
to his sons, as he was a wicked and an impious man, he goes to Jeroboam,
and says to him, "And wherefore is it now that thou art disturbed at the
words of this silly fellow?" And when the king had related to him what
had happened about the altar, and about his own hand, and gave him the
names of divine man, and an excellent prophet, he endeavored by a wicked
trick to weaken that his opinion; and by using plausible words
concerning what had happened, he aimed to injure the truth that was in
them; for he attempted to persuade him that his hand was enfeebled by
the labor it had undergone in supporting the sacrifices, and that upon
its resting awhile it returned to its former nature again; and that as
to the altar, it was but new, and had borne abundance of sacrifices, and
those large ones too, and was accordingly broken to pieces, and fallen
down by the weight of what had been laid upon it. He also informed him
of the death of him that had foretold those things, and how he perished;
[whence he concluded that] he had not any thing in him of a prophet, nor
spake any thing like one. When he had thus spoken, he persuaded the
king, and entirely alienated his mind from God, and from doing works
that were righteous and holy, and encouraged him to go on in his impious
practices 25 and accordingly he was to that degree injurious to God, and
so great a transgressor, that he sought for nothing else every day but
how he might be guilty of some new instances of wickedness, and such as
should be more detestable than what he had been so insolent as to do
before. And so much shall at present suffice to have said concerning
Jeroboam.