THE HISTORY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT METHODIZ'D ACCORDING To the Order and Series of Time wherein the several things therein mentioned were transacted IN WHICH The difficult passages are Paraphras'd The seeming Contradictions reconcil'd The Rites and Customs of the Jews opened and explain'd To which is annex'd a SHORT HISTORY OF THE Jewish Affairs FROM THE End of the Old Testament to the Birth of our Saviour And a Map also added of Canaan and the Adjacent Countries very useful for the understanding of the whole History By SAMVEL CRADOCK B. D. Psal 77. v. 5. I have considered the days of old the years of ancient times Sint Castae deliciae meae Scripturae tuae Nec fallar in eis nec fallam ex eis August Confess Lib. 11. Cap. 2. Manifestis pascimur obscuris exercemur Idem Tract 45. in Joh. LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Princes-Armes in Ludgate-Street M.DC.LXXXIII THE PREFACE HAving formerly written the History of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and of his holy Apostles and a Paraphrase upon all the Apostolical Epistles I thought it would be a work not only profitable to my self but useful also to others if I should write the History of the Old Testament Accordingly humbly imploring the Assistance of God I set upon it and my design therein was as follows 1st To Methodize that Sacred History according to the order and series of time wherein the several things therein mentioned were transacted 2ly To Paraphrase and explain the difficult places and passages thereof 3ly To reconcile the seeming contradictions which are not a few 4ly To open the Jewish rites and customs which are very necessary to be known in order to a clear and full understanding thereof Lastly to add a Map of Canaan and those other adjacent Countries which were the stage on which the great things mentioned in the Old Testament were acted Pursuant hereunto I have digested the whole work into seven Chapters containing an History of the Seven Ages of the World from the Creation to the death of our Saviour The first Chapter contains the History of the first Age of the World from the Creation to the Flood comprehending a space of 1656 years The Second Chapter contains the History of the Second Age of the World from the Flood to the Promise made to Abraham in Vr of the Chaldees comprehending a space of 422 years and ending in the 2078 year of the World The Third Chapter contains the History of the Third Age of the World from the Promise made to Abraham in Vr of the Chaldees unto the Israelites departure out of Egypt comprehending a space of 430 years and ending in the 2508 year of the World Within the compass of this Age falls the History of Job whereof I have given a brief Analysis The Fourth Chapter contains the History of the Fourth Age of the world from the coming of the Israelites out of Egypt to the laying the foundation of Solomons Temple in the fourth year of his reign comprehending a space of 480 years and ending the 2988 year of the World The Fifth Chapter contains the History of the Fifth Age of the World from the laying the foundation of Solomons Temple to the destruction of it and Captivity of Judah in the 11th year of Zedekiah containing a space of 420 years Some make this space 424 years vide usserii Annales and ending in the 3408 year of the World The Sixth Chapter contains the History of the Sixth Age of the World from the destruction of Solomons Temple and the Captivity of Judah unto the liberty granted them by Cyrus for their return containing a space of seventy years and ending in the 3478 year of the World The Seventh Chapter contains the History of the Seventh Age of the World from the return of the Jews out of Babylon and the end of the seventy years Captivity to the death of Christ containing a space of 490 years signified by Daniels seventy Weeks Dan. 9. v. 24 25 26 27. and ending in the 3968 year of the World Now though this Age as to the first part of it belongs to the Old Testament yet it extends much further even to the death of Christ which takes up about 33 years of the New Testament-story for the History of the Old Testament reaches no further than the end of the Book of Nehemiah which ends in the 32th year of Artaxerxes Longimanus so that the History of the Old Testament extends but 99 years in the compass of this Age and ends 358 years before the Birth of Christ who being Crucified in the 33th year of his age those three sums viz. 99 358 and 33 make up the 490 years of this interval Now because some may be desirous to know what was the state and condition of the Jews after the end of the Old Testament during those 358 years to the Birth of Christ I have thought fit to set down 1. What Persian Kings succeeded Artaxerxes Longimanus till that Kingdom was Conquered by Alexander the Great in whom the Grecian or Third Monarchy began 2 To shew how after Alexander's death his Empire was divided into four Kingdoms viz. 1. that of Macedonia 2. of Syria 3. of Asia the less 4. of Egypt and to give a Catalogue of the several Kings that reigned successively in those Kingdoms till they were all Conquered by the Romans in whom the Fourth Monarchy began 3 To shew who were High Priests among the Jews after their return from the Babylonish Captivity wherein we have occasion to give a short History of the Maccabees till their power was swallowed up by Herod made King by the Romans in the 35th year of whose reign Christ the Saviour of the World was born As we go along in the History of the Kings we meet with several eminent Prophets whom God raised up both in Judah and Israel after the division of the Kingdom and by considering the temper and condition of those times and the several vices and disorders that then reigned and prevailed we may the better discern the scope and drift of their Prophesies And for the clearer understanding of them I have set down the time wherein they lived and prophesied and have given a brief Analysis of their Prophesies They seem to have Prophesied in this order 1. Jonah in the days of Jeroboam the Second who was Contemporary with Amaziah King of Judah 2 King 14.25 2. Isaiah who Prophesied in the days of Vzziah Jotham Ahaz Hezekiah Kings of Judah 3. Joel in the days of Vzziah 4. Hosea in the days of Vzziah Jotham Ahaz and Hezekiah Kings of Judah and seven Kings of Israel viz. from Jeroboam the Second to Hoshea who was Contemporary with Hezekiah He was sent chiefly to Israel 5. Micah in the days of Jotham Ahaz Hezekiah Kings of Judah 6. Amos lived in the same time with Hosea and was sent principally to the people of Israel 7. Nahum seems to have Prophesied in the days of Hezekiah 8. Habakkuk in
granted they acquaint him that it was their Fathers Command before he died that they should humbly beg his pardon and forgiveness of them and accordingly they did earnestly beg it at his hands and they hoped he would not deny it them seeing they were his Brethren and served the same God that He did namely the God of his Father and were truly penitent for their former hainous Transgression against Him Then falling down at his Feet they told him They were his Servants Joseph could not forbear weeping at this their behaviour towards him and pittying their Perplexity and being grieved that they should in the least doubt of his kindness towards them He told them It was true He was in great Power there yet he was under God (g) Masius sic reddit v. 19. Annon sub Deo sum under His All-seeing-Eye and bound to give an account of his actions unto Him who had forbiden him all Revenge and had wonderfully raised him up not only that he might do good to the Egyptians but especially to them that were his own Flesh and Blood And he had no cause to be offended at what they had For whatever their intent was God meant it for good both to him and them And therefore bad them be of good courage and not at all to fear any hurt from him For he would be so far from hurting them that he would nourish them and their Children And accordingly He did so for 54 years after his Fathers death All which time even unto his own death he continued his kindness to them and continued in his Authority and Government and saw his Son Ephraim's Children to the third Generation (h) To wit Shutelah and Tachon the Sons of his Son Ephraim and Haden the Son of Shutelah Numb 26.36 And Machir the Son of Manasseh and Gilead Manasseh's Grandchild From whence it is that the Greek Expositors speaking of the Families of Jacob and Joseph which were said to consist of 70 Souls Gen. 46.27 Deut. 10.22 have added thereunto these five that were born to Joseph in Egypt 1 Chron. 7.14 which reckoning Luke follows Acts 7.14 reckoning them in all 75 Persons and the Children of Machir the Son of Manasseh his other Son were also brought up upon his Knees that is he took pleasure in their Infancy to let them sit upon his Knees and to dandle them see Ch. 30.3 Joseph having now arrived at the age of an 110 and having Governed Egypt under several Kings 80 years and finding his death approaching he told his Brethren That God would surely visit them in mercy and would bring them out of that Land into Canaan which he had promised to Abraham Isaac and Jacob that He would give it them And therefore to testifie his Own and confirm their Faith concerning the Promises of Canaan which was a Type of Heaven he commanded that his body should be kept and carried into Canaan when God brought them out of Egypt and carried them thither see Heb. 11.20 He took also an Oath of them to perform it which Oath as 't is like was Recorded and transmitted to succeeding Generations that they in whose time that Deliverance should be brought to pass should perform it And accordingly his Body was embalmed and kept in a Chest until the time it might be carried into the Land of Canaan and was afterwards carried thither and buried at Shechem see Josh 24.32 Jacob's Purchase and Joseph's Inheritance And there also as 't is probable the Bodies of the other Patriarchs Jacob's Sons and Joseph's Brethren were buried see Acts 7.16 their Bodies being carried up into Canaan with His. Thus died Joseph in (i) Eusebius in his Chronicle hath this passage concerning Joseph Joseph says he was made Governour of Egypt in the 30th year of his age when his Father Jacob was 122 years old which Government he held 80 years After whose decease the Hebrews were held in Bondage by the Egyptians 144 years So that the whole time which the Hebrews spent in Egypt was 215 years reckoned from the time that Jacob and his Sons went down into Egypt the 2369th Year of the World 16 years before the Death of Levi 60 years before the Birth of Moses 140 years before the Israelites coming out of Egypt As may be gathered from Gen. 15.13 Exod. 12.41 Ch. 50. whole Chapter SECT XLIX WIth the Life of Joseph endeth the First Book of Moses's History called Genesis which containeth a space of Two thousand three hundred sixty nine years from the Creation of the World The next to it in order of time is the Book of Job as Learned Men conceive 'T is likely that Job lived when the Israelites were in Egypt and that he lived in the Land of Vz in Idumea or Arabia bordering upon it See Lam. 4.21 Where he had such bad Neighbours the Chaldeans on the one side and Sabeans on the other The Book of Job is undoubtedly a true History and accompanied fully with all the Circumstances requisite to a true History from first to last and attested so to be by the Prophet Ezekiel Chap. 14.14 Though these three men Noah Daniel and Job were in it they should deliver but their own Souls by their Righteousness saith the LORD And by the Apostle James Ch. 5.11 Behold we count them happy which endure Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy This Book is written in the judgment of the Learned in Prose to vers 3. of Chap. 3. And in Verse from thence to Chap. 42. vers 6. and then it concludes in Prose The Penman of it seemeth to be Elihu one of the Speakers in it as may be gathered from Chap. 32. vers 15. They were amazed they answered no more they left off speaking Vers 16. When I had waited for they spake not but stood still and answered no more Vers 17. I said I will answer also my part I also will shew mine Opinion So that he seemeth here to speak of himself as the Writer of this History Job was the Son of Nahor Abraham's Brother descended from him by his Son Huz Gen. 22.21 Huz his First-born and Buz his Brother c. Three of his Friends most likely were of the Posterity of Abraham viz. Eliphaz and Zophar of the Posterity of Esau Gen. 36.10 These are the Names of Esau's Sons Eliphaz the Son Adah the wife of Esau Bildad of Abraham's Race by Keturah And Elihu the fourth of the Race of Nahor Abraham's Brother The Book consists of these general Parts 1. A Description of Job's Vprightness He was an upright man fearing God and eschewing evil Vers 3. Orientalium i. e. in genere neglecto Judaeae situ ad quam erat haec austrina Regio 2. Of his Prosperity 1. He had a numerous Issue seven Sons and three Daughters 2. For Estate He was the greatest man in the East having 7000 Sheep 3000
wives yea furthered it by suffering them to build Temples for their Idols and thus his Idolatrous wives turned his heart from the Commandments of God which enjoin'd him to root out Idolatry but it seems his carnal love to them devouring his zeal for God he was so far from rooting it out that he permitted it and thereupon is said to have followed * Dicitur sequutus Deos alienos quod eorum cultum non repulcrit Debuit quatenus vir ab Idololatria uxores reprimere quatenus vero Rex ditionem suam in vero Dei cultu retinere Horum neutrum praestitit sed uxorum blanditiis dilinitus Templa Fana extruxit impensas ad Sacrificia Sacerdotes suppeditavit after Ashtaroth (e) See Judg. 2.13 the Goddess of the Zidonians and Milcom (f) Levit. 18.21 or Molech the Abomination of the Ammonites namely because he connived at the worship of these Idols And to the great aggravation of his guilt he permitted (g) V. 7. Aedificavit scil permisit ut uxores aedificarent Non increpavit eas a Temple or an Image or both to be built for Chemosh (h) Numb 21.29 the Abomination of Moab and for Molech on Mount Olivet (i) And there it seems they continued till Josiahs days 2 King 23.13 nigh unto Jerusalem even in the very face and as it were to affront the Temple of the living God And though at first possibly he granted this favour but only to two or three of his Idolatrous wives yet the rest by degrees so far wrought upon him that he was fain to gratifie all of them that sought to him for it and undoubtedly many of the people were hereby ensnar'd And thus he shewed that his heart was not so upright with God as his Father Davids was For though David was guilty of many gross sins yet he never yielded to any Idolatry but kept the worship and service of God pure all his days And a great aggravation of Solomon's guilt it was that he turned from observing the Commandments of the Lord who had in so extraordinary a manner twice appeared to him viz. once at Gibeon Ch. 3.5 and a second time at Jerusalem Ch. 9.2 and had commanded him particularly to take heed of this thing namely not to go after other Gods The Lord therefore had just cause to be angry with him for this and accordingly he sent Ahiah the Shilonite or some other Prophet to him to speak to him after this manner Thus saith the Lord Forasmuch as thou hast done this and hast not kept my Covenant (a) A Covenant when applied to God signifies a Law appointed or enjoyned to be kept and that with promise of reward to them that keep it and of penalty to such as transgress it Deut. 29.9 25. and my statutes which I commanded thee I will surely rend the greatest part of thy Kingdom from thee and will give it to thy servant But I will not do it in thy days because of my promise to David thy Father 2 Sam. 7. from v. 12 to 16. but I will rend it out of the hand of thy Son and so thou shalt be punished (b) Monentur hinc Parentes ut sancte vivant ne filiis poenas intempestive attrahant in him Yet I will not rend away the whole Kingdom from him but will give him one (c) He speaks here of one of the Tribes that belonged to the Kingdom of Israel considered as separate from the Kingdom of Judah which in regard of its eminency was reckoned apart from the rest of the Tribes See 1 Sam. 11.8 So much also of Simeon as lay within Judah was comprised under Judah See Josh 19. from 1 to 9. of the Tribes of Israel viz. Benjamin besides the Tribe of Judah See 2 Chron. 11.12 And this I will do for David my servants sake and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen for the place of my publick worship and the seat of the Kings from whom the Messiah who I have promised is to come 1 King 11. from v. 1 to 14. SECT XVI SOlomon as 't is conceived was so terrified with this threatning that he repented of his sin and as an evidence of his repentance wrote his Book call'd Ecclesiastes in which he publisheth to the world his remorse for his former sins and follies and the vanities to which he had been too intemperately addicted * Ecclesiastes or the Preaching Soul truly penitent gathering it self to the Church and by wholsome admonitions gathering others also that were going astray after vanity In this Book he reflects upon the honours pleasures and wealth he had so abundantly enjoyed the errors and miscarriages he had fallen into the observations he had made of things Natural Moral Domestical Civil Sensual and Divine and the curious enquiry he had made after true happiness And in the first six Chapters he shews wherein it doth not consist and in the six last wherein it doth And first he shews it doth not consist in knowledg either Natural or Moral 2. Not in pleasures or sensual delights 3. Not in honour greatness and power which is so far from making men happy that without the fear of God to correct and temper it it is ordinarily the occasion of much wickedness in them that have it and of much misery to others 4. Not in an outward formal religiousness 5. Not in riches and great possessions which are often snares and occasions of much hurt to the possessours who must leave them and many times they know not to whom Then he shews wherein mans happiness doth consist 1. In contentation of mind and the free and regular and joyful fruition of Gods blessings and the comforts he gives us with humility moderation and thankfulness 2. In a quiet and humble acquiescence in the will of God 3. In sincerity of heart in the worship of God and in a due care that we offend not in vows prayers and addresses unto him 4. In patience of spirit under all oppressions 5. In a composed preparedness of mind to undergo afflictions 6. In a pious and prudent behaviour towards all men that so we may preserve our names from calumny and our persons from danger 7. In meekness charity and patience towards such as offend us considering humane frailty 8. In a due deportment of our selves towards our Superiours that our lives may not be made uncomfortable to us by their dispeasure 9. In a practical prudence or wisdom rightly to judg and discern of times wherein things are to be done 10. In submission to the holy and invincible Providence of God admiring his works and adoring his judgments 11. In a conscionable industriousness in our particular Callings And lastly he concludes that in old age elegantly described by him and at death it will appear that to fear the Lord and keep his commandments is both the duty and the happiness of man and the chief thing wherein it consists And so
a deadly hatred as appears Joh. 4. 9. the main difference between them in point of Religion is briefly and clearly stated in those words of the woman of Samaria to our Saviour Our Fathers viz. Samaritans worshipped in this mountain viz. Gerizim but ye Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship Joh. 4.20 And observable it is that whereas Moses appointed an Altar to be built on Mount Ebal which Joshua accordingly afterwards erected in that place Josh 8.30 Yet the Samaritan Penteteuch maketh the same to be built on Mount Gerizim in the very place where afterwards this mock-temple stood to gain thereto the greater reputation of holiness and so they wilfully depraved the original vide Samarit Pentet in Deut. 27.4 But if besides the five Books of Moses these Samaritans had received the Books of the Prophets their testimony would have overthrown their cause for the Psalmist says expresly Psal 78. 67. He refused the Tabernacle of Joseph and chose not the Tribe of Ephraim but chose the Tribe of Judah the mount Sion which he loved But to return this Temple on mount Gerizim Antiochus Epiphanes afterwards turned into the Temple of Jupiter who is celebrated for hospitality and it was destroyed something before the time of our Saviour by John Hircanus after it had stood above two hundred years But though the Temple was taken away yet the mountain remained still in which the Samaritans continued their adoration and false worship Here Ends the Reigns of the KINGS of ISRAEL Kings of Judah The first King of Judah REHOBOAM SOlomon being dead some of the Heads and Officers of Israel immediately sent into Egypt for Jeroboam to come to them and it seems they contriv'd among themselves that before they would Crown Rehoboam King they would petition him to be eased of the Taxes his Father in the latter part of his reign had imposed on them For though he made not the Israelites bondmen Ch. 9.22 yet we read of large provisions that were gathered in the land to maintain the royalty of his Court Ch. 4.7 22 23. and of levies made for his buildings Ch. 9.15 and in his declining age especially when he was carried away by his Idolatrous wives and concubines undoubtedly heavier Taxes were laid on the people and it may be Hadad's and Rezons enmity against him might also occasion some impositions These Taxes they resolved to be eased of before they admitted him to the Government And it seems they met at Sechem a City in the Tribe of Ephraim to consult of these matters and from thence sent to Rehoboam that there they were convened to Crown him Rehoboam accordingly going thither Jeroboam and the heads of the people came to him and spake to him saying Thy Father made our yoke grievous now therefore we pray thee ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy Father and his heavy yoke that he put upon us and we will serve thee Rehoboam took three days time to consider of the matter of their petition in which alone he shewed himself wise Solomon's Son and during that time he consulted first with the old men that had been Counsellors and servants to his Father and askt them what answer he should return to the people They told him if he would be kind to them and please them for this once and yield to them and speak good words to them they would be his servants and obedient subjects for ever but if he did otherwise they would be in danger to revolt from him Rehoboam liked not their advice and therefore advised with the younger men that had been brought up with him and now attended on him and they told him that this people were not to be pleased or humoured but to be ratled and rigorously dealt with and therefore advised him to tell them that if they complained of his fathers taxes and impositions he would give them more cause to complain of his They should find that his little finger would be thicker than his Fathers loyns If his Fathers yoke that he laid upon them was heavy he would add to their yoke If his Father chastis'd them with whips he would chastise them with scorpions This is the answer they advise him to give them Accordingly on the third day Jeroboam and the heads of the people coming again to him he forsaking the counsel of the old men answered them roughly according to the words which the young men had put into his mouth Thus Rehoboam regarded not the desire and petition of the people but utterly rejected it for the thing was of the Lord who with-held the spirit of wisdom and counsel from him else he might easily have discerned what the event would be and gave him over to be misled by rash and evil counsellors and thereupon alienated the hearts of the people from him intending thereby to perform the word that he spake by Ahijah the Shilonite concerning Jeroboam This sharp and rigorous answer of the King gave such a general distaste to the people that they would no longer stay to advise upon it but ten of the twelve Tribes unanimously manifested a present and peremptory resolution to fall off from him and muttered after this manner What portion say they have we in David * See the like speech of Sheba 2 Sam. 20.1 to which possibly they allude that is What good can we expect from Davids stock or what inheritance have we in the Son of Jesse What advantage or profit can we expect from any of his posterity To your Tents †Because they of old dwelt in Tents this phrase is still continued in use among them O Israel let us no longer stay here to make our selves slaves to this Tyrant but every man look to his own house and out of our own Tribes let us choose us a King and look thou to thy own house Rehoboam who art descended of David and make much of thy own Tribe for beyond their bounds thy Kingdom is not like to extend We are resolved to take care of our selves and to choose a King from among our own Tribes Rehoboam seeing the people in such a mutiny and distemper he sends Adoram who was over the Tribute to pacifie them hoping no doubt but they would reverence so venerable an old man as he was who was not much short of an hundred years of age having enjoyed that office above sixty years viz. from the midst of David's reign see 2 Sam. 20.24 and all Solomon's until now But he being one of those who they thought promoted the laying of Impositions upon the people the very sight of him did so enrage them that in a mutinous and outragious manner they fell upon him and stoned him to death Upon this Rehoboam thought it high time for him to be gone and therefore speedily getting into his Chariot he fled to Jerusalem Things being now come to this desperate pass immediately ten Tribes fell off from Rehoboam and chose Jeroboam the