was twice remarkably baffled in his Attempts by the Interpofition of Heaven. He march'd with a numerous Army, in which were no less than thirty-two Kings, and fat down before Samaria, fummoning Ahab to furrender himself as his Vaffal, to acknowledge himself to be his Creature, and that all belonging to him was at his Service and Difpofal. Abab return'd a very fubmiffive Anfwer to this haughty Meffage; but not fatisfied with that, Benbadad fent again into the City to let Abab know, that the next Day he intended to fend fome Officers to fearch his Palace and the Houses of the Citizens, and to bring away all their Riches, together with their Wives and Children. The King of Ifrael, by the unanimous Advice of his People, refused to fubmit to fo unparallel'd an Indig nity; which highly exafperated Benhadad, who expected to meet with no Oppofition. He fent a third time, however, to Ahab, to try if he could threaten him into a Compliance with his Demands; but the King of Ifrael fent a very bold and wife Reply to his vain Menaces, advifing him to wait the Event of Things before he reckon'd himself fure of Success: Tell him, (fays Ahab to Benhadad's Meflengers) Let not him that girdeth on his Harness boast himself, as he that putteth it off t.

THE Army of Benhadad was hereupon order'd to inveft the City of Samaria in Form, and to make all the neceffary Preparations for an Affault. But God, who was juftly provok'd at this proud Syrian, fent a Prophet to Abab, not only to affure him of Victory, but to inftruct him in what Method he fhould obtain it. In the mean time Benhadad, who was a voluptuous Prince, and given to Drinking, being not at all apprehenfive of Danger, was indulging himfelf in the midft of his Cups, when News was brought him that

Compare Kings xx. 1. ↑ 1 Kings xx. 11. with xxii. 31.

a Par

a Party was advancing from Samaria. This, however, gave him fo little Disturbance, that in a careless Manner he only gave Orders that they fhould be brought before him alive, whether they came as Friends or as Enemies; and fo continued his Mirth and Caroufing. The Party which was fallying out of the City was a Number of chofen Men headed by Abab himself, and follow'd by a larger Body, who, depending upon the Encouragement of the Prophet, fell furiously upon the numerous Army of the Syrians, whilst they were loft in Security, and did not fo much as dream of an Attack; and fuch a Panick immediately fpread itself over all the Camp, that no one thought of any thing but faving himself by Flight; and parti cularly Benhadad mounted a Horfe, and fled precipitately with his Cavalry, instead of rallying and confirming his People. The Ifraelites purfued and made a terrible Slaughter of their flying Enemies.

THE fame Prophet, notwithstanding this Victory, gave the King of Ifrael great Caution to recruit his Army, and be upon his Guard, against the ensuing Year, foretelling that the Syrians would then pay him another Vifit, which came to pafs accordingly: For fome of Benhadad's Officers, glad of any Excuse to palliate their inglorious Flight, pretended that the Gods of the Ifraelites were Gods of the Hills, and

* Hence it appears how early the Notion of topical Deities prevail'd in the World, fome being made to prefide over whole Countries, whilst others had particular Places under their Tuition and Government; and were fome of them Gods of the Rivers, others of the Woods, and others of the Mountains. The Conceit of the Syrians, that the God of Ifrael was a God of le Hills, might proceed from

their obferving Canaan to be a mountainous Country; and it is probable they must have known, that the Jewish Laws was deliver'd on a Mountain; that the Ifraelites were remarkably fond of facrificing in high Places; and that the Temple of Jerusalem ftood upon a famous Eminence, as did Samaria, where they had fo lately receiv'd a fignal Defeat. That the Gods did not only affift with their Influence,

therefore

therefore no wonder the Syrian Army had been defeated; and affured the King, that if he could but draw the Ifraelites to an Engagement in a plain open Country, his Gods, who prefided over the Plains, would undoubtedly prevail. Benbadad hearken'd to this Representation, and having rais'd an Army of equal Force with that which he had loft the Year be fore, he march'd towards the King of Ifrael, and encamp'd near Aphek, a City of the Tribe of Aher. The Ifraelites, whofe Numbers were quite defpicable if compared with the Syrians, encamp'd over-against them; and for feven Days the two Armies continued in this Situation. On the feventh Day they came to a Battle, wherein the Syrians loft, of Foot only, a hundred thousand Men, the rest flying with Precipitation to Aphek, where twenty-thousand more of them were destroy'd by the falling of the Walls of the City.

THE King of Syria now gave all over for loft, and in Defpair conceal'd himself in fome Part of Aphek, where he thought he could not be eafily found; but his Officers, reminding him that the Kings of Ifrael had been generous Enemies, advised him to throw himself upon Abab's Mercy, and to fend Ambaffadors to him in the humbleft Manner, to make his Submiffion to the Conqueror. Ahab, overjoy'd at his Victory, was in an excellent Temper to receive them, calling Benhadad his Brother, and expreffing his Satisfaction to hear he was alive. In a Word, the Syrian Prince was brought to Abab, admitted into his Chariot, and a Peace was concluded between them on the following Conditions: That Benbadad fhould restore all the Country which his Father had wrested from Ifrael, and grant Ahab certain Privileges and Authority

but actually engage themselves Sentiment of the ancient Heain Battle in behalf of their thens. Favourites, is a well-known

in

in his Capital Damafcus, as a Token of his Homage and Subjection.

IF Benhadad adhered to his Word with Ahab in other Respects, he kept Poffeffion of Ramoth-Gilead, which was the Subject of a fresh War between them, wherein Abab was affifted by Jehoshaphat King of Judab. The two Kings marched with their Forces towards Ramoth-Gilead, where they found the Syrians prepared to receive them; but Ahab, having fufficient Reason to think that the Enemy would mark him out for Destruction, difguifed himself before the Battle in the Garb of a common Officer, advifing Jehoshaphat' to fight in his royal Robes. Ahab's Apprehenfions were not without Foundation; for the King of Syria had given particular Orders to his Captains who had Ruie over his Chariots, to direct their Arms only against the King of Ifrael. This had like to have proved fatal to Jehoshaphat, whom they mistook for Ahab, and accordingly fell upon him with great Impetuofity; but they foon defifted from purfuing him, having discover'd'that he was not the Perfon they were commanded to deftroy. Ahab's Precaution, however, could not fave him from the Fate he endeavour'd to evade, for he was mortally wounded by a random Arrow; and though he was held up in his Chariot for fome time with his Face towards the Enemy, to encourage his Soldiers, yet he died about Sunfet, and a Retreat was founded. It appears that this Battle was fierce and obftinate, and that both Armies drew off under Covert of the Night, perhaps with equal Lofs and doubtful Victory*.

SOME Years after this, we find Benhadad once more marching against Samarie, which he befieged fo clofely with all his Forces, that he reduced it to the greatest Distress, and was on the Point of taking it by Fa mine, when he was alarm'd in the Night by a Noife like that of a great Army rufhing in upon him; 1 Kings xxii. 30-36.

whereby

whereby he was fo terrified, that he raised the Siege with the utmoft Precipitation. His Army left behind them their Horfes, Affes, Tents, and every thing standing in the Camp juft as it was when they first took the Alarm; and alfo dropp'd upon the Road whatever was cumbersome to them, and retarded their Flight*.

AFTER this miraculous raifing of the Siege of Samaria, Benbadad was deterr'd from making any farther Attempts upon Ifrael; nor do we hear any more of him in the facred History, till Elifba went to Damafcus, to execute the Order of declaring Hazael King, which was originally given to his Predeceffor Elijah. Benbadad then labour'd under a Fit of Sickness, and hearing of Elisha's Arrival, to whofe Abilities he was. no Stranger, he fent Hazael to wait upon him with a very hoble Prefent, and to enquire of him whether he should recover of his Indifpofition. The Prophet told Hazael that his Mafter might recover; his Diftemper not being of itself mortal, but that he was very fure he would not; and then fixing his Eyes ftedfastly upon him, he at length burft into Tears, upon the Profpect (as he declar'd to Hazael) of the many Calamities he would bring upon Ifrael when he was advanced to the Throne of Syria, as he was affur'd he would be by Divine Revelation. Divine Revelation. Upon this Hazael return'd to his Mafter, and, concealing the Prophet's Answer, flatter'd him with Hopes of Recovery; which, however, he took care to prevent, by ftifling him the next Day with a thick Cloth dipp'd in Watert. This was the End of Benhadad, who having no Son of his own, and Hazael being a Man of great Efteem, efpecially among the Soldiery, he was without much difficulty, declar'd his Succeffor.

2 Kings vi. 24. and vii. 6, † 2 Kings viii. 7 - 15. 7, 15

VOL. III. N°. XXXIV.

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