Antiquities Book 9, Chapter 13
How Pekah Died By The Treachery Of Hoshea Who Was A Little After Subdued By Shalmaneser; And How Hezekiah Reigned Instead Of Ahaz; And What Actions Of Piety And Justice He Did.
1. About the same time Pekah, the king of Israel, died by the treachery
of a friend of his, whose name was Hoshea, who retained the kingdom nine
years' time, but was a wicked man, and a despiser of the Divine worship;
and Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, made an expedition against him,
and overcame him, [which must have been because he had not God favorable
nor assistant to him,] and brought him to submission, and ordered him to
pay an appointed tribute. Now, in the fourth year of the reign of
Hoshea, Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, began to reign in Jerusalem; and his
mother's name was Abijah, a citizen of Jerusalem. His nature was good,
and righteous, and religious; for when he came to the kingdom, he
thought that nothing was prior, or more necessary, or more advantageous
to himself, and to his subjects, than to worship God. Accordingly, he
called the people together, and the priests, and the Levites, and made a
speech to them, and said, "You are not ignorant how, by the sins of my
father, who transgressed that sacred honor which was due to God, you
have had experience of many and great miseries, while you were corrupted
in your mind by him, and were induced to worship those which he supposed
to be gods; I exhort you, therefore, who have learned by sad experience
how dangerous a thing impiety is, to put that immediately out of your
memory, and to purify yourselves from your former pollutions, and to
open the temple to these priests and Levites who are here convened, and
to cleanse it with the accustomed sacrifices, and to recover all to the
ancient honor which our fathers paid to it; for by this means we may
render God favorable, and he will remit the anger he hath had to us."
2. When the king had said this, the priests opened the temple; and when
they had set in order the vessels of God, and east out what was impure,
they laid the accustomed sacrifices upon the altar. The king also sent
to the country that was under him, and called the people to Jerusalem to
celebrate the feast of unleavened bread, for it had been intermitted a
long time, on account of the wickedness of the forementioned kings. He
also sent to the Israelites, and exhorted them to leave off their
present way of living, and return to their ancient practices, and to
worship God, for that he gave them leave to come to Jerusalem, and to
celebrate, all in one body, the feast of unleavened bread; and this he
said was by way of invitation only, and to be done of their own good-
will, and for their own advantage, and not out of obedience to him,
because it would make them happy. But the Israelites, upon the coming of
the ambassadors, and upon their laying before them what they had in
charge from their own king, were so far from complying therewith, that
they laughed the ambassadors to scorn, and mocked them as fools: as also
they affronted the prophets, which gave them the same exhortations, and
foretold what they would suffer if they did not return to the worship of
God, insomuch that at length they caught them, and slew them; nor did
this degree of transgressing suffice them, but they had more wicked
contrivances than what have been described: nor did they leave off,
before God, as a punishment for their impiety, brought them under their
enemies: but of that more hereafter. However, many there were of the
tribe of Manasseh, and of Zebulon, and of Issachar, who were obedient to
what the prophets exhorted them to do, and returned to the worship of
God. Now all these came running to Jerusalem, to Hezekiah, that they
might worship God [there].
3. When these men were come, king Hezekiah went up into the temple, with
the rulers and all the people, and offered for himself seven bulls, and
as many rams, with seven lambs, and as many kids of the goats. The king
also himself, and the rulers, laid their hands on the heads of the
sacrifices, and permitted the priests to complete the sacred offices
about them. So they both slew the sacrifices, and burnt the burnt-
offerings, while the Levites stood round about them, with their musical
instruments, and sang hymns to God, and played on their psalteries, as
they were instructed by David to do, and this while the rest of the
priests returned the music, and sounded the trumpets which they had in
their hands; and when this was done, the king and the multitude threw
themselves down upon their face, and worshipped God. He also sacrificed
seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs. He also granted
the multitude sacrifices to feast upon, six hundred oxen, and three
thousand other cattle; and the priests performed all things according to
the law. Now the king was so pleased herewith, that he feasted with the
people, and returned thanks to God; but as the feast of unleavened bread
was now come, when they had offered that sacrifice which is called the
passover, they after that offered other sacrifices for seven days. When
the king had bestowed on the multitude, besides what they sanctified of
themselves, two thousand bulls, and seven thousand other cattle, the
same thing was done by the rulers; for they gave them a thousand bulls,
and a thousand and forty other cattle. Nor had this festival been so
well observed from the days of king Solomon, as it was now first
observed with great splendor and magnificence; and when the festival was
ended, they went out into the country and purged it, and cleansed the
city of all the pollution of the idols. The king also gave order that
the daily sacrifices should be offered, at his own charges, and
according to the law; and appointed that the tithes and the first-fruits
should be given by the multitude to the priests and Levites, that they
might constantly attend upon Divine service, and never be taken off from
the worship of God. Accordingly, the multitude brought together all
sorts of their fruits to the priests and the Levites. The king also made
garners and receptacles for these fruits, and distributed them to every
one of the priests and Levites, and to their children and wives; and
thus did they return to their old form of Divine worship. Now when the
king had settled these matters after the manner already described, he
made war upon the Philistines, and beat them, and possessed himself of
all the enemy's cities, from Gaza to Gath; but the king of Assyria sent
to him, and threatened to overturn all his dominions, unless he would
pay him the tribute which his father paid him formerly; but king
Hezekiah was not concerned at his threatenings, but depended on his
piety towards God, and upon Isaiah the prophet, by whom he inquired and
accurately knew all future events. And thus much shall suffice for the
present concerning this king Hezekiah.
of a friend of his, whose name was Hoshea, who retained the kingdom nine
years' time, but was a wicked man, and a despiser of the Divine worship;
and Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, made an expedition against him,
and overcame him, [which must have been because he had not God favorable
nor assistant to him,] and brought him to submission, and ordered him to
pay an appointed tribute. Now, in the fourth year of the reign of
Hoshea, Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, began to reign in Jerusalem; and his
mother's name was Abijah, a citizen of Jerusalem. His nature was good,
and righteous, and religious; for when he came to the kingdom, he
thought that nothing was prior, or more necessary, or more advantageous
to himself, and to his subjects, than to worship God. Accordingly, he
called the people together, and the priests, and the Levites, and made a
speech to them, and said, "You are not ignorant how, by the sins of my
father, who transgressed that sacred honor which was due to God, you
have had experience of many and great miseries, while you were corrupted
in your mind by him, and were induced to worship those which he supposed
to be gods; I exhort you, therefore, who have learned by sad experience
how dangerous a thing impiety is, to put that immediately out of your
memory, and to purify yourselves from your former pollutions, and to
open the temple to these priests and Levites who are here convened, and
to cleanse it with the accustomed sacrifices, and to recover all to the
ancient honor which our fathers paid to it; for by this means we may
render God favorable, and he will remit the anger he hath had to us."
2. When the king had said this, the priests opened the temple; and when
they had set in order the vessels of God, and east out what was impure,
they laid the accustomed sacrifices upon the altar. The king also sent
to the country that was under him, and called the people to Jerusalem to
celebrate the feast of unleavened bread, for it had been intermitted a
long time, on account of the wickedness of the forementioned kings. He
also sent to the Israelites, and exhorted them to leave off their
present way of living, and return to their ancient practices, and to
worship God, for that he gave them leave to come to Jerusalem, and to
celebrate, all in one body, the feast of unleavened bread; and this he
said was by way of invitation only, and to be done of their own good-
will, and for their own advantage, and not out of obedience to him,
because it would make them happy. But the Israelites, upon the coming of
the ambassadors, and upon their laying before them what they had in
charge from their own king, were so far from complying therewith, that
they laughed the ambassadors to scorn, and mocked them as fools: as also
they affronted the prophets, which gave them the same exhortations, and
foretold what they would suffer if they did not return to the worship of
God, insomuch that at length they caught them, and slew them; nor did
this degree of transgressing suffice them, but they had more wicked
contrivances than what have been described: nor did they leave off,
before God, as a punishment for their impiety, brought them under their
enemies: but of that more hereafter. However, many there were of the
tribe of Manasseh, and of Zebulon, and of Issachar, who were obedient to
what the prophets exhorted them to do, and returned to the worship of
God. Now all these came running to Jerusalem, to Hezekiah, that they
might worship God [there].
3. When these men were come, king Hezekiah went up into the temple, with
the rulers and all the people, and offered for himself seven bulls, and
as many rams, with seven lambs, and as many kids of the goats. The king
also himself, and the rulers, laid their hands on the heads of the
sacrifices, and permitted the priests to complete the sacred offices
about them. So they both slew the sacrifices, and burnt the burnt-
offerings, while the Levites stood round about them, with their musical
instruments, and sang hymns to God, and played on their psalteries, as
they were instructed by David to do, and this while the rest of the
priests returned the music, and sounded the trumpets which they had in
their hands; and when this was done, the king and the multitude threw
themselves down upon their face, and worshipped God. He also sacrificed
seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs. He also granted
the multitude sacrifices to feast upon, six hundred oxen, and three
thousand other cattle; and the priests performed all things according to
the law. Now the king was so pleased herewith, that he feasted with the
people, and returned thanks to God; but as the feast of unleavened bread
was now come, when they had offered that sacrifice which is called the
passover, they after that offered other sacrifices for seven days. When
the king had bestowed on the multitude, besides what they sanctified of
themselves, two thousand bulls, and seven thousand other cattle, the
same thing was done by the rulers; for they gave them a thousand bulls,
and a thousand and forty other cattle. Nor had this festival been so
well observed from the days of king Solomon, as it was now first
observed with great splendor and magnificence; and when the festival was
ended, they went out into the country and purged it, and cleansed the
city of all the pollution of the idols. The king also gave order that
the daily sacrifices should be offered, at his own charges, and
according to the law; and appointed that the tithes and the first-fruits
should be given by the multitude to the priests and Levites, that they
might constantly attend upon Divine service, and never be taken off from
the worship of God. Accordingly, the multitude brought together all
sorts of their fruits to the priests and the Levites. The king also made
garners and receptacles for these fruits, and distributed them to every
one of the priests and Levites, and to their children and wives; and
thus did they return to their old form of Divine worship. Now when the
king had settled these matters after the manner already described, he
made war upon the Philistines, and beat them, and possessed himself of
all the enemy's cities, from Gaza to Gath; but the king of Assyria sent
to him, and threatened to overturn all his dominions, unless he would
pay him the tribute which his father paid him formerly; but king
Hezekiah was not concerned at his threatenings, but depended on his
piety towards God, and upon Isaiah the prophet, by whom he inquired and
accurately knew all future events. And thus much shall suffice for the
present concerning this king Hezekiah.