CHAP. I.

THE historie of the Hebrewes, for that it is most ancient from Hebers time the fourth from Noah, and most true, for that it is written by Moses and confirmed by the Prophets, but most of all in dignitie and honour, for that lineally from Sem which first builded Hierusalem, the Messias and Sauiour of the world according to the flesh descended, though the historie taketh no beginning but frō the calling [Page 18] of Abraham out of Chaldea into the land of Canaan, so called first, after, the land of Israel, thirdly, of Iudea, fourthly & last, called after Christ our Sauiours death, The holy land, or the land of Palestina: the inhabitants thereof were called accor­dingly, Cananites, Hebrewes, Israelites, Iewes, of whom either to speake or to write, of their lawes, their Iudges, their Kings, or of their ceremonies, or of their common wealth, it was not lawfull neither for the Graecians nor for the Romanes, and so affirmed by Iosephus, that Demetrius Phalerius did auere be­fore Philodelphus king of Alexandria, that the Greekes nor the Sabellicu [...] lib. 3. Latinists might translate, handle, or so much as to presume to write of any Hebrew historie being but prophane men, as Theopompus, Theodecta, with others, which were made blind by their arrogancie, and became mad. An other cause doeth Eusebius alleage, that neither Greekes nor Latines were in time The antiquity of Greece. to write of the Hebrues histories: for the greatest brag of the Greekes, as Iosephus saieth, and the most ancient historie of the Graecians, is Homers worke: they began to flourish in the time of Cyrus, after that the Assyrians, the Chaldeans and the Egypti­ans, and many other kingdoms of the East were decaied, and their empires lost, at which time the temple in Ierusalem was by Cyrus permitted to be reedified 80. yeeres before the last permission by Artaxerxes surnamed Longimanus: for Plato of The praise of Plato. whom Numenius the Pithagorean doth report, & is called of him Moses Attica lingua loquens, euen that learned Philoso­pher doth confesse, that the Graecians had their knowledge frō the Chaldeans and from the Egyptians, and began to be famous and great after these great kingdomes were destroyed. The seuen Sages were the first wise men knowen or commended in Greece, which was in Cyrus time, at what time Solon liued 200. yeres before Plato, which was the infancie of Greece, and The infancie of Greece. the first schoole of their Philosophie.

Now the Hebrewes being the most auncientest people, e­uen from Hebers birth vntill Christes death, which was after Christes death 2000. yeeres & odde, they inhabited the land called Syria, called likewise Phoenicia, and now in latter yeeres [Page 19] called Iudea: of this countrey doeth Iosephus write at large both of the nature of the people and of the goodnesse of the Ioseph. lib. contra. soile. Hecateus the Abederit, a good Philosopher and a great writer, flourishing in the time of Alexander the great, made a booke in describing and commending of Iudaea. I wil them to read the 16. booke of Strabo that would know the situation of Reede Stabo 16. booke. Iudea, where the Reader shall be satisfied with the ful descrip­tion of Iudea.

Iosephus a Iew borne, being taken prisoner by Vespasian the Emperor at the last destructiō of Ierusalem, at the which time he wrote a great volume containing 20. bookes of the anti­quities of the Iewes, & he wrote other 7. bookes of the warres of the Iewes, a man of great industrie, learned in the Hebrew and Greeke tongue, and very expert in the Iewish histories, saieth, that Egyptians were enuious to the children of Israel, for so were they called after Iacobs time, which by long wrast­ling with the Angel of the Lord, was named Israel: for first First He­brewes. 478 they were called Hebrewes from Hebers time vntil Iacob, which was 478. yeeres and odde: secondarily, Israel from Iacob, vntill the destruction of Samaria, at what time ten tribes of Israel were by Salmanassar king of Assyria Senacheribs father, brought cap­tiue Then Israel. 1026 vnto Assyria in the time of Osea the last king of Israel 1026. yeeres, as Bucholcerus affirmeth, and from the destruction of Sa­maria Thirdly Ie­wish. 786 vntill the last destruction of Ierusalem by Titus Vespasian they were called Iewes 786. yeeres.

Now the malice of Egypt towards Israel was such, that A egyptians most enuious to the Iewish. they kept them in bondage 430. yeeres, and euer after they were by God deliuered, they still wrought euil against them, and persecuted them with continuall hatred, disliking their The mercie of God to­wardes his people. religion, abhorring their ceremonies, disdaining and much enuying the felicitie of the Iewes, with the which the God of Israel by power and great miracles, did aduance them to the abolishing of idolatrie, and contemning of their false gods, which the Egyptians, the Chaldeans & the Assyrians did adore, and therfore the blessing of God was according to the pro­mise vpon the Hebrewes first, afterwards called Israel & Iewes, [Page 20] and continued frō Abraham, to whom the promise was made vntill the time of the Messias, the full accomplishment of the promise. So these people bathed in blisse, and being but a li­tle countrey, few people, from Dan to Berseba, and of no esti­mation, became by Gods fauour strong, mightie, & conque­rors The goodnes of God to his people. of the greatest kings of the world. So, he said (the Lord of all) out of Sion shall my Law proceed, and from Ierusalem my word. This litle citie of Ierusalem, chosen of God to be his seate, though often for sinne destroyed, and the people pla­gued, yet still comforted to the stay of Gods Church.

It is written that Dauid the second king of Israel, gaue these words to Salomon his sonne before he died. Behold, Praeparaui impensas domus Domini auritalenta centum millia, & argenti mil­le 3. Regum cap. 10 millia talentûm. And againe it is writtē in the Chronicles, that gold and siluer were as plentie in Ierusalem, as stones in the street in the time of Salomō: for there was in the temple of Sa­lomon, as Budaeus noteth 27. millions, in ready coyne. This De Asse 4. made other kingdomes to enuie the prosperitie of the He­brewes: for by iust account of Budaeus, there was left before vn­to Salomon by Dauid his father, ten times more treasures and substance in Ierusalem, then Darius the great king of Persia left Ioseph. 8. vnto Alexander the great in Babylon when he conquered it: this was the promise which God performed to Abraham, and to his seed for euer.

This godly Patriarch to whom the promise was made, was 50. yeeres of age when Noah died, 40. yeeres before So­dome Abrahams age when Noah died. and Gomorrha were destroied. At 75. yeeres was Abra­ham called from Vr a towne of Chaldea, in the last yeeres of Ninus the first king of the Assyrians. Now while Abraham o­beied Gene. 18. 20. 47. God from time to time, from place to place, exerci­sing himselfe in the obedience of GOD, famine grew in the land of Canaan, so that he with few Hebrewes were forced to flee into Egypt, where hee continued three yeeres, at what time he taught them knowledge of the starres, read Abrahams go­ing to Aegypt Astronomie, and taught in Egypt Artes and Sciences, as Iosephus saieth: for Abraham was brought vp in Astrologie [Page 21] with the Chaldeans, where hee dwelt with his father Thare in Vr, and from whence the Egyptians had their learning and knowledge: for Egypt was as yet scant in the world knowen, where some of the Hebrewes staied after Abrahams departure and multiplied, in so much that the kings of Egypt troubled, molested, and brought them in such bondage, as they were The bondage of Israel in Aegypt, 430. yeeres. Moses the fift from Abra­ham. made slaues and bondmen of the Egyptians vntill the time of Moses which was 430. yeeres after Abraham, euen then God deliuered them from their bondage by the handes of Moses, which was the fift man in discent from Abraham, for Moses was the sonne of Amri, the sonne of Cath, the sonne of Leui, the sonne of Iacob, the sonne of Isaac, the sonne of Abraham.

But to returne to Abraham, who attending the voyce of the almightie, was most diligent with care and feare of God to performe his dutie to his God: for God had blessed Abra­ham and promised also to blesse them that would blesse Abra­ham, saying, Benedicā te benedicentibus, &c. I will blesse thē that blesse thee, & I wil curse them that curse thee, for in thee all the kinreds of the earth shall be blessed. For God had promi­sed Abraham three great blessings, that is, First, the land of Canaan flowing with milke and honie: Secondly, the incar­nation of Messias tobe out of the tribe of Iuda: Thirdly, that his seede should be as the starres in the skies, or the sands in the sea. After God had blessed Abraham by the mouth of Mel­chisedech the high priest of God, saying: Blessed art thou A­braham of God most high possessor of heauen and earth: to Gene. cap. 14. this high priest Melchisedech, Abraham paied tithe of all that he had, for God was with Abraham, he defended him, and he rewarded him. About this time were the kings of Sodome The kings of Sodom and Gomorrha o­uerthrown by the king of Shinar. and Gomorrha ouerthrowen by Amraphael king of Shinar, and Lot taken prisoner, but rescued by Abraham: this was not the last destruction of Sodome.

Now raigned in Sicionia a king called Apis, of whom the countrey was afterward named Apia, and since called Pelo­ponesus, and now Morea. In Assyria raigned Ninus the hus­band of Semiramis. In Egypt this time was a forme of gouern­ment [Page 22] called Dinastia, fifteene principall magistrates to go­uerne the Egyptians. About this time Ismael was borne of A­gar the bondwoman, when Abraham was of the age of 86. Ismael borne by Agar the the bondwo­man. of whom many nations doe come. After this time Abrahams name was changed to confirme him in the promise. Cir­cumcision then was instituted, and Isaac was likewise promi­sed by the Angels that lodged with Abraham, as they went to destroy Sodome and Gomorrha, who opened to Abraham, how sinne cried vp vnto heauen for vengeance vpon the So­domites, which Abraham with his eies sawe: he saw Sodome, Gomorrha, Seboim, Adamah and Segor, fiue great cities of Cana­an burned with fire and brimstone from heauen, and all men, women and children destroied, Lot onely with his wife and Lot with his two daugh­ters escaped. two daughters saued. In that soile where these 5. cities were burned, there was left a lake of such terrible sight, being one and twentie miles long, that Strabo in his booke, and Iose­phus at large describeth, which in another place shall be spo­ken of.

But much deceiued for that they attributed vnto the ef­fects of nature, which was the worke of God whom they knew not at that time. Lots wife by disobedience, looking Iosephus lib. 1. cap. 12. backe against the commandement, became a pillar of salt, a terrible monument of Gods vengeance to all passers by: but marke how by drunkennes Lot sinned with his daughters, a horrible exāple of drūkennes whom the wickednes of Sodom could not ouercome, yet wine caused him to commit most abominable incest with his two daghters, who making their Lots incest with his two daughters. Genes. 19. father of purpose drunk, became both with child by their fa­ther, the elder bare a sonne and she called his name Moab, the first father of all the Moabites, the yonger bare a sonne, and she called his name Ammon, from whom sprang the Ammonites a people of great natiōs, who as they were born in most horri­ble incest, so were they & their posteritie vile & wicked ene­mies to God and his church. About this very time Isaac was The birth of Isaac. Isaac the child of promise borne 14. yeres after Is­mael. Ioseph. lib. 1. cap. 15. Sara died, and is buried in Hebron. A ficide doth co [...]tune 4. D [...]achmes. Lib. cap 16. borne when Agar and her sonne Ismael was cast off. For God said vnto Abraham, In Isaac thy seed shalbe called, and not in [Page 23] Ismael, for Isaac was a figure of Christ. Not long after Sara the wife of Abraham when she had liued 127. yeeres, euen iust the double yeeres of the virgin Marie. Sara was buried in Hebron, where Abraham bought a field of an Ephronit [...] for 400. sickles of siluer, where Abraham and all his posterities were after bu­ried. Abraham after Sara maried a woman named Kaetura, by whom hee had sixe sonnes prudent and very discreete men, their names you find in Iosephus, and the seueral nations that issued from them.

Now Abraham waxed olde, for he was an 100. yeere olde when Isaac was borne, and he liued after the birth of Isaac 75. yeeres, and then died, and was buried by his wife Sara in He­bron. Abraham dieth. In the time of Abraham and of the first Patriarch, the Church of God was gouerned by a state called Oligarchia, vntill Moses time, to whom the law was giuen on mount Si­nai by God, for before the law was written in the Patriarchs hearts. But first he saw his sonne maried with Rebecca, he was the 10. from Noah, as Noah was the 10. from Adam, and liued fiftie yeeres with Noah: he liued with Sem, Arphaxad, Sela, He­ber, Peleg, Regu, Serug, Nahor & Thara which was his father. He was vertuous and godly, he was blessed of God, and in his seed the whole earth was blessed after him.

Isaac had two twinnes borne together, Esau which is also Esau and Ia­cob [...] birth. called Edom, of whom the Idumeans came, & Iacob called like­wise Israel, of whom the Israelites came. Iacob was the true tipe Iacob was the true tipe of the Church of the church of God, Christ being the head therof. Esau like­wise the figure of the synagogue of Satan, ouer whom Anti­christ is the head. Isaac loued better Esau thē Iacob, but Rebecca loued Iacob, as by her coūcel, though needlesse, to Iacob to de­feat Esau of his fathers blessing appeared, being therein faul­tie to preuent the Almightie. But as Caine neuer loued Abel, so Esau neuer loued Iacob: for Iacob euer feared his brother E­sau, but God from his eternall purpose neuer changeth, but standeth to his people, & comforteth his church. The histo­rie of these two brethren you shall read in Iosephus at large, Lib. 1. cap. 18. 19. & in Genesis 27. & 28. In the time of Iacob raigned in Niniuie [Page 24] Amatrites the 9. king of the Assyrians, a voluptuous wic­ked prince. Atlas the great Astronomer, and thereby fained of the Poets to sustaine the skies vpon his shoulders, flouri­in these dayes. Osiris who is thought to bee called Mirzaim, Diodo. de fab. [...]. lib. 2. and of Berosus is named Oceanus, and Diodorus names him Me­nam the first king of the Egyptians, he gouerned Egypt, taught the people to worship their gods, instructed them in many faculties and sciences, which then few of the Egyptians knew: the daughter of Iacob named Dina, was rauished of Sichem, the sonne of Hemor, afterward she is supposed by Philo Iudaeus to Functius in ta­bula patrum. be the wife of Iob, by whom hee gate fourteene sonnes and foureteene daughters, but some thinke it an error, saying: Iob was two discents after Iacobs children, but as I sayd before, hard it is to correct an errour of such antiquitie, for where true records want, then coniectures of men doe grow.

About this time Isaac died and was buried in Hebron hard Isaac dieth and is buried in Hebron. by Rebecca his wife, hee was accepted of God and walked in his wayes vertuous and godly, he liued one hundred eightie yeeres, three yeeres longer then his father Abraham liued. Which Isaac liued

Isaac sawe the prosperitie of his sonne Esau, which gouer­ned all the land of Seir, for the appointment of GOD was, Isaac saw the prosperity of Esau and the affliction of Iacob. Maior seruiet Minori, when Iacob had no certaine place in the world, but tossed from one affliction to an other. Isaac before he died saw the trauell and triall of Iacob. About this time was Ioseph sold by his brethren, and laied in prison in E­gypt, euen then Tiphon the Egyptian conspired the death of his brother Osiris, with the helpe of certaine tyrants Busiris of Phoenicia, Antens of Lybia, Melinus of Creete, with others, hee killed the king, vsurped the kingdome, and was called there­by, [Page 25] as Berosus affirmeth, Tiphon tyrannus, but he was well re­quited, Diodo. lib. 1. and all his confederats: for they all were slaine by O­rus Magnus, Osiris sonne, in a towne of Arabia named Anteos. Iustin. lib. 36. B [...]sius lib. 1. cap 8. Rhodes was builded about this time, which was named be­fore Opheinissa: the great famine of the 7. deere yeres in Egypt, and in all the world, began likewise about the time of Isaacs death. In Assyria reigned Baleus the 11. king, a man of the Iustine lib 36. Orosius lib. 1. cap. 8. greatest fame: after Semiramis in the 41. yeere of this Kings reigne, Hercules surnamed Lybius, draue all cruell tyrants and gyants out of Italy, for he with continual warres for 10. yeres space wearied them, and subdued them, and afterward reig­ned peaceably 20. yeeres, as both Berosus and Functius doe affirme.

In the 18. Dinasteia of Egypt, began the Kings of Egypt to The 18. Dena­s [...]na of Aegypt be called Pharaones, a name of great dignitie, not proper names, but as the Romanes, Alexandrians, the Latines, with o­ther kingdomes vsed to name their kings Caesars, Siluij, Ptolo­meis, Arsaces, so like wise the Egyptians named their kings Pha­raones, which began about the latter end of Isaac. Sparta a fa­mous Sparta buil­ded. towne amongst the Lacedemonians, was builded of Pha­roneus sonne, whose name was Sparta, and therefore after his owne name named it Sparta. Alitle after this time, the going The going of Iacob vnto E­gypt. of Iacob vnto Egypt, was in the 130. yeres of his age, where he continued with his sonne Ioseph 17. yeeres in great fauour with Pharaoh, and then died, after Abrahams being in Egypt, 215. yeeres, and before Moses went to Egypt to deliuer the children of Israel out of bondage 215. yeeres. Nowe while Iacob and his familie were in Egypt with his sonne Ioseph, who was solde by his brethren, and by his father thought to be slaine, then dwelled in Iudea Hethits, Iebusites, Amorites, Cha­nanites, Amalakites, and Pheresites, this land flowed with milke and hony, fertile, and full of all plentifulnes: for after Ioseph died in Egypt, Moses was borne within 65. yeeres: and in the Ioseph died 65. yeeres before Moses was borne. fourescore yeere of Moses age, the 145. after Ioseph died, and were in the wildernesse fourtie yeeres, and after had the possession of the lande of Chanaan, as it shall bee here­after [Page 26] said. But for that the histories of the Patriarches are written in the Genesis at large, and in Iosephus, and specially Frigius Mosaicus, in his booke De historijs patrum, leaueth no­thing vntouched, I will forward to the birth of Moses.

CHAP. II.

MOses the sonne of Amri, being borne in E­gypt, in the time of Israels bondage, and throwen according to the commande­ment of Pharaoh vnto Nilus: but by the The maner of Moses birth. prouidence of God, Pharaohs daughter named Thermutis, walking for her plea­sure with her maides about the bankes of Nilus, beheld a thing houering vpon the water, commaunded her maide to see what it was: there Miria Moses sister tended to see what should become of the childe: when Pharaohs daughter sawe that it was a goodly child, she much delited in him, and caused an Egyptian wo­man to giue him dugge, which the childe refused: his sister Miria said, Ifan Hebrew woman were there, he would sucke. Thermutis willed her straight to bring one, and she brought Thermutis Pharaohs daughter. the mother of Moses: to whome the Kings daughter saide, Take this childe, and bring him vp for me. and she adopted him her sonne.

This childe grewe both goodly and godly, of whom ma­ny things are written of: while yet he was in Egypt, being but a childe in Thermutis armes, she put the Kings diademe vp­on the childes head, and he threwe it to the dirt, not estee­ming Moses threwe the diademe of Aegypt to the dirt. pompe and regall shewe. But after he grewe to be a [Page 27] man, he was made a Captaine ouer the Egyptians against the Moses made captaine ouer the Aegypti­ans against the Aethiopi­ans. Aethiopians, and he ouerthrewe the Aethiopians: where the kinges daughter of Aethiope, called Tharbis, beholding his magnanimitie, with admiration of his great actions, fell in loue with Moses, offred him mariage and to be a kings sonne, Reade Fregius of Moses life. and a king himselfe afterward of Aethiope: the condition he accepted, vpon yeelding vp of the towne to spare blood, which was done.

But enuie of the Aegyptians against Moses, disgrasing and disdaining his fortune, and threatning him to the death, af­ter the killing of the Aegyptians, fearing it should come to light, fled vnto the Madianits, wher he maried Iethroes daugh­ter, and continued fourtie yeeres, vntill the Angell appea­ring in a flaming bush, commaunded him to goe to Pharaoh, to deliuer Israel from captiuitie, with whome Aaron his bro­ther which was the first Priest after the lawe giuen, was ioy­ned Moses & Aa­ron sent by God to Ae­gypt. with Moses in commission to execute the commaunde­ments of God: for to Moses was granted wisedome, counsel, and power to doe miracles: to Aaron eloquence, learning, and power to speake what he would. Nowe by Gods mercie which to the Israelites was alwaies great, and by the which they were nowe deliuered from the handes of Pharaoh, after many miracles done which Nazianzenus setteth forth in few Greeke verses, & in Latine by Frigius Mosaicus briefly written in two lines the ten plagues of Egypt, in these wordes: The tenne plagues of Aegypt.

Euen then Moses caried the bones of Ioseph to be buried in Iosephs bones brought by Moses out of Aegypt. Hebron, by his progenitors, as Ioseph had commanded, when he prophecied of an other Pharaoh which shoulde entreate Israel euill. This singular man of God Moses, to whome the lawe in Mount Sinai was giuen, and by whome the lawe had full execution, with whome GOD talked so famili­arly, that hee alone continued with GOD fourtie dayes in Mount Sinai: the moste auncient Chronographer of the worlde, the verye light of prophane Histories, [Page 28] and the onely teacher of time, as by his 5. bookes appeare: but for that Moses must be spoken of almost in euery place, for the recourse and triall of time, I will nowe goe forward with the historie.

Nowe reigned ouer the Assyrians Ascatades the 18. king in Niniue, and in the 8. yeere of this Ascatades, Cancres Pharaoh the king of Egypt, with all his great armie were drowned in Cancres king of Aegypt drow­ned in the red sea. the red sea. In Moses time happened two great floods, the one called Deucalion flood, 784. yeeres after Noahs flood, the o­ther in Thessalia, after which followed such earthquakes in Deucalion flood. Thessalie, that many thousands of beasts, men, women and children, townes and cities, were destroied, as both Berosus and Xenophon doe agree. After which earthquake fire wasted many townes and cities in Greece, called incendium Phaeton­tis. In Moses time the kingdome of Athens beganne, wherein The king­dome of A­thens. Cecrops was the first king of Athens 350. yeeres before the de­struction of Troy. From Abraham to Moses 450. from Moses to the first building of the Temple 480. yeeres. Thus farre Bero­sus writeth, euen from the beginning of Noah out of the arke, Berosus endeth his hystory. vntil the going of the Israelites out of Egypt, yet a litle farther vntill the falling of Dathan, with 250. more which held with Abiran and Chore, for their murmuring against Moses. After this went Moses vp from the plaine of Moab to mount Nebo, where the Lorde shewed vnto Moses all the lande of Canaan, according to his promise, saying: thou shalt see the lande of Moses death. Canaan with thine eies, but thou shalt not goe ouer thither, and there Moses the seruant of the Lorde died, for whome I­srael wept 30. daies, and after whome Iosua succeeded. Moses was 120. yeeres of age when he died.

Nowe you must vnderstande that when Ioseph was dead, and the Hebrewes began to be multiplied, the Egyptians both feared and hated them, oppressed them as you heard with all toile and slauerie, and not yet contented, but a law was made Israelites toile and sla­uery. among the Egyptians, that euery male childe of the Hebrewes should be throwen to Nilus. This lawe continued from Mo­ses birth, and before, vntill their God deliuered them by Mo­ses. [Page 29] God had appointed with Moses, and after with Iosua, wise and graue men, as Elders, Iudges, Magistrates, to gouerne the Common-wealth of the Hebrewes vnder Moses, (as Iethro his father in lawe had councelled him,) the head of any tribe or of any citie, Conuocauit populos Israel, & Senatum eorum, & principes eorum, & iudices eorum, Ios. 23. Hee had also the Le­uites, the Priest, and the high Bishop: a state of Common-wealth chaunged from Oligarchia, which was in Abrahams time, into Aristocratia, by the expresse commandements of God, in all the lawes of the Hebrewes Morall and Iudiciall. And after God gaue the Ceremoniall Lawes to Moses at mount Sinai: for the Common-wealth of the Hebrewes were of all others most principally to be allowed, for that God ordeined all their lawes, ordered their Iudges, al their Kings, and their high Priestes: for these three states gouerned the Hebrewes from Moses the first Iudge, vntil the last high Priest, though by Moses other officers were appointed, as Tribunes, Centurions and Captaines, some ouer a 1000. some ouer a 100. some ouer 50. by the Greekes named Chiliarchi, Heca­tontarchi, Chiliarchi. Hecatontarchi. Pentecontarchi. Decatarchi. Pentecontarchi, Decatarchi. The offerings which were gold, siluer, and brasse, blewe silke, purple and scarlet, fine linnen, Goates haire, and Rammes skinnes coloured red, oile, spices, perfumes of sweete sauour, the Tabernacle, the Arke, the stone table, and the rod of Aaron, and Manna which were testimonies of Gods presence. Read of these Ceremo­niall lawes in Exod. 25.

About this time reigned in Egypt Ramesses: afterwards hauing vanquished his brother Danaus from Egypt, Egyptus Ramesses was surnamed E­gyptus. vsurped the kingdom of Egypt, & named it Egyptus after his owne name. Amongst the Argiues, Stelenus their 9. King, and after him succeeded Danaus, being driuen out of Egypt by the Cornelius Taci­tus lib. 2. foresaid Egyptus, his brother giuing that name to the Coun­trey of Egypt, being before named Mizraim. Nowe in Creete gouerned Axit, and in Athens the 4. king Ericthonius in these daies.

Nowe Memphis in Egypt, of one Epaphus, as Eusebius doth [Page 30] name, was builded. Dardanus builded Dardania, in the sixt yeere of this king Egyptus: this afterwarde was called Troy-Cyrene at this time was likewise builded in Libya, and Nisa a great citie in India, by Dionysius. In Niniue Amintes the 19. king of the Assyrians gouerned. It is written by Orosius, that Crosius lib. 1. cap. 11. Danaus king at this time of the Argiues, hauing fiftie daugh­ters, who being married to fiftie brethren, sonnes to his owne brother Egyptus, wrought meanes by these his daugh­ters, to requite the iniurie of his brother: they agreeing with their father, conspired the deathes of their husbandes, and slewe them all in one night. This historie is diuersly written, which I leaue to euery mans iudgement.

After that Moses had gouerned the people of God 40. yeeres in the wildernes, hee made choise of Iosua (as you heard) to be their Gouernour and Iudge: for there was no succession of Gouernors, no election of states, no Prince, no Iudge to claime right amongest the people of Israel, but the lawe of God was the Iudge that gouerned Israel. So Gedeon saide: Non dominabor vestri, nec dominabitur vestri filius meus, sed Dominus, he was the onely ruler, so they prospered all the time of good Iudges. This Iosua the second Iudge of Israel, whome God raised after Moses, was adorned with excellent giftes, as with counsell to gouerne Israel, and with strength to defend Israel: this bringeth them after all difficulties vn­to the land of Canaan: which Iosua diuided among the people, he appointed their borders, he established lawes and ordi­nances, Iosua deuideth the land of Chanaan. Iosua made or­ders & lawes. assuring them of Gods fauour, if they would obey God, and contrariwise of his plague and vengeance by dis­obedience. To this good Iosua God saide, my seruant Moses is dead, nowe therefore arise, goe ouer Iordan, thou, and all this people, vnto the lande which I gaue them: for euery place where you shall tread vpon, haue I giuen you, there shall be no man able to withstande thee all the daies of thy life: bee thou strong, and be of good courage, I will not leaue thee, nor forsake thee. This was great comfort to Iosua, to haue God to be with him, to assist him, to strengthen him, & to defend him.

[Page 31] Then Iosua commanded his hoste, with their Captaines Iosua cōman­deth his host to passe Ior­den. and officers to passe ouer Iordan, he exhorteth the Rubenites, the Gadites; and the halfe tribe of Manasses, to execute their charge, saying, the Lord your God hath giuē you this land, which was somtime in the possession of Sihon king of the A­morites, and in the hands of Og, king of Bashan, goe you for­ward, God shal go before you, and cast out the Cananites, the Hittites, the Iebusites, Girgashites, Perisites, and the Amorites: so Iordan gaue place to Iosua and to the Arke. they passed ouer Iordan drie, the water staied, and gaue them place in like sort as the red sea did. The walles of Iericho fell downe, and gaue them place, to enter vnto the citie without The walles of Iericho fell. strokes. Nowe Iericho being burned, diuers kings, countreies and cities, hearing how Iericho and Ai were destroied, gathe­red their forces together, one to helpe an other, but in vaine, for the Lorde fought for Israel: for fiue kings rose against Io­sua, which were destroied and discomfited: and as it is writ­ten in the 12. of Iosua, thirtie kings were vanquished, ouer­throwen, and slaine, whose names you may reade in Iosua. Iosua cap. 12. This godly Iosua was an other Moses, ruled Israel in all obedi­ence of the Lorde, conquered and possessed the land of pro­mise, and kept Gods people all his time in peace, liued 110. yeeres, and gouerned Israel two and thirtie yeeres. Eusebius Melanthon. saieth thirtie, and hee died two hundred yeeres after Iosephs death.

CHAP. III.

THe Hebrewes had none to gouerne them 8. yeeres after, (so long inter regnum con­tinued,) whereby the Israelites euer rebel­ling against God, cōtemned the lawes, de­spised religiō, quiteforgat Moses & Iosua, & the benefits of God toward thē: a thing almost incredible, that so soonefrō God [Page 32] they would fall, hauing tasted of his goodnes and mercie so [...] de He­bre [...]rū admin. long: for after they had entred into the lande of Canaan, and had seene the promise of God performed, (insteed of thanks for the same) they rebelled and prouoked God to anger: for The mutabi­liue of the Is­raelites. he suffered them to be vexed and tormented by tyrants, he tooke their libertie away from them, and left them destitute of all comfort and helpe: yet God raised from time to time such as should defend them, if they would be obedient and thankefull vnto God: and although the Israelites fell to ido­latrie after Iosuas death, and thereby were giuen vnto their e­nemies handes, as the tribe of Beniamin 1005. in one day slaine, and so the tribe of Dan, with others: yet God left them not for all their ingratitude, but stirred good and godly Iud­ges, as Othoniel, Ehud, Gedeon, and others, to deliuer them in extremities.

The Lorde pitied them, and raised Othoniel of the tribe of Iuda, the yonger brother of Caleb, which gouerned the Israe­lites 8. yeeres, animated them againe to goe to warre against the king of Syria, whom God deliuered to the hands of Otho­niel, and brought them to the fauour of God, that Israel had rest 40. yeeres, 32. vnder Iosua, and 8. vnder Othoniel: yet still Israel offended God, and committed wickednes before the Lord so long, vntill that Eglon king of Moab, was by God ap­pointed Eglon king of Moab affli­cteth Israel. to bee their scourge. Hee smote them and afflicted them, and kept them vnder him 18. yeeres, vntill Ehud of the tribe of Beniamin, a man whome God appointed to defende and to deliuer his people, euen he ouerthrewe the Moabites, slewe 10000. at one time, and killed Eglon the king of Moab, Ehud killeth Eglon. and caused Israel to haue rest 80. yeeres, the whole time of his gouernment. But when this good Iudge died, the chil­dren of Israel againe fell from the Lord. Then Iabin the king Iabin against Israel. of Canaan had them in his power, troubled and persecuted them extremely: for God had sold them for their wickednes vnto the handes of Iabin and Sisera his Generall, yet still his mercie continued with them: for Debora and Barach of the Debora and Barac ouer­threw him. tribe of Nephthali, were of God appointed to defend the He­brewes: [Page 33] for Israel preuailed against Iabin king of Canaan, and prospered vnder Debora and Barach, while Debora and Barach gouerned, which was fourtie yeeres. Some writers doe in­terpose Shamgar to be the thirde Iudge of Israel, compting Othoniel to be first Iudge that deliuered Israel after Iosua, E­hud Functius and R [...]fin. the seconde Iudge that killed Eglon, and then Shamgar, which slewe of the Philistims sixe hundred with an Oxe goade.

Nowe while these thinges were done amongest the Israe­lites, reigned in Niniue Pannias, in Athens reigned Pandion the 8. king of the Athenians. About this time Bithinia was buil­ded. Gedeon the first Iudge, one of the tribe of Manasses, after Gedeon. that Israel committed wickednes, was sent by God to deli­uer them from the Madianites, who at that time oppressed Israel miserably: but they alwaies in great extremities, at the Iosephus lib. 5. cap. 7. last pinch, when necessitie forced them, and miserie oppres­sed them, according to their wonted maner, cried vnto the Lorde, and he heard them, and helped them by Moses in E­gypt, and in the wildernes by Iosua, to come to the lande of Canaan, and in the lande by Othoniel, in often deliuering Isra­el from the king of Syria, by Ehud, in sauing them from Eglon Othoniel. the king of Moab, whome Ehud most boldely and zealously killed in his priuie chamber, by Shamgar, in defending them Shamgar. from the Philistims, of whome he slewe sixe hundred with an Oxe goade, by Barach and Debora from Iabin king of Canaan, Barac and De­bora. and Sisera, and nowe by Gedeon, whom God raised to defend them, and to deliuer them from the Madianites, who preuai­led much against Israel: for both the Madianites, and the A­malekites, brought Israel into so great misery, that they made The great mi­sery of Israel. them dennes in the mountaines, and caues to hide them­selues from the Madianites. After seuen yeeres oppression and affliction, then they cried vnto God, when they were most afflicted and persecuted, and not before.

But the mercie of God was with them for all their vilenes and stubbornes. Gedeon was called by God to be their aide, who ouerthrewe the Madianites, and ouercame the Amale­kites, Iudg 7. [Page 34] not by strength or force of Israel, but by the workes and wonders of God, as you may reade in the Iudges at large: for with three hundred, Gedeon slewe one hundred and twentie thousand of the Amalekites, Madianites, and Arabians. And though Ephraim murmured against Gedeon, yet he appeased them, and reuenged him selfe on them of Succoth and Penu­el. Reade the 8. of the Iudges, you shall be satisfied. By Ge­deon nowe againe Israel was restored to the former libertie and dignitie, hauing vanquished the Madianites, and slaine Oreb and Zeeb, two of their princes, and their heads brought Oreb and Zeeb 2. princes of Madianites slaine. to Gedeon beyond Iordan.

Nowe reigned Panninas in Niniue, the fiue and twentieth king of the Assyrians. Pandayon of that name the second king after Cecrops, reigned in Athens. Euristheus the first king of Euristheus. Mycena: this was that king, whose fame was great in Greece: he brought the Argiues and their kingdome subiect vnto My­cena, which kingdome continued from Iacobs birth, vntill Ge­deons time, fiue hundred and fiftie yeeres, during which time reigned foureteene kings ouer the Argiues.

About this time reigned in Troy, Ilus the fourth king: of Diuers names of Troy. Dardania. this kings name Troy was called Ilion, being first called Dar­dania by Dardanus, who first builded it, in the last yeere of As­catades the eighteenth king of Assyria, at which time Moses di­ed in the plaine of Moab. Then Tros altered the name of Dar­dania after his owne name, being the third king of Troy, and called it Troia, and nowe last of all by Ilus the fourth king, cal­led Troiae. Ilion. Dedalus, of whome the Poets fained much, flouri­shed likewise about this time, and fled with his sonne Icharus Ilion. from Greece vnto Creete, vnto king Minoes.

Mydas gouerned nowe in Phrygia. This was he, of whome the prouerbe is made, Midas eares, &c. And in Sicyonia reig­ned Polybus their second king in Gedeons time. Cadmus, who for ielousie of his wife Armonia the sister of Iasius, brought letters first into Greece from Phenicia, as Xenophon sayth, 17. Zeneph. de equiuecis. letters.

Nowe after Gedeon had gouerned Israel fourtie yeeres, he [Page 35] likewise died, hauing left behinde him three score and tenne sonnes, lawfully gotten by wedlocke, and one bastard by his concubine Druma, a woman of Sichem. This bastard was na­med Abimelek, a wicked and a cruell tyrant, full of all mis­chiefe, The tyrannie of Abimalec. and bent to all wickednes: hee slewe by his treache­rie, conferring with his mothers kinsfolkes, all his bre­thren, onely Iotham by fleeing escaped, who a little after­wards Iotham esca­peth. tolde the people of Sichem the parable of the trees, of the figge tree, and of the vine tree, and of the bramble. This Abimelek, when hee had vsurped the kingdome, and put all his brethren to death, vsing all kinde of tyrannie in such sort of wickednes, that after he had slaine all the Sichemites, and taken the Citie, and burned a thousand of men in the Towre, he then destroied the Citie, and sowed salt there­in, that it might bee vnfruitefull, and neuer serue to any vse.

Thus was Sichem destroied for their vngratitude to Gede­ons sonnes. Then Theber and Abimelech besieged it, where a woman threw a peece of a milstone vpon Abimelechs head, and slewe him, after he had vsurped three yeeres the gouern­ment.

Thus God taketh vengeance on tyrants, by such mise­rable death: for marke the calamitie that fell vpon the po­steritie of Gedeon, a man of singular fauour with God, and yet three score and tenne of his sonnes by wedlocke slaine, and his bastard the tyrant that slewe them, to succeede him. The sinne of Israel was the cause thereof, and of many more plagues.

Miletum, a towne in Miletia the Countrey of Thales, one Miletum buyl­ded. of the seuen wise men of Greece, was about this tyme buil­ded, and Tyre an other famous towne was builded in Pheni­cia: Tyre is builed. this was builded 240. yeeres before the Temple of Salo­mon was builded.

Thola of the tribe of Isachar, nowe iudged Israel three and Thola Iudge in Israel. twentie yeeres, during which tyme, the people liued in tranquillitie and peace in the beginning of the fourth [Page 36] Iubile, at which tyme flourished Orpheus the Thracian, and the great Musician. Sosarinus the 26. king of the Assyri­ans, reigned in Niniue at this time. Hercules the sonne of Am­phitrion, Hercules borne. was likewise in this age borne.

After Thola, succeeded not by succession (as I wrote be­fore) but by the election of God, (for the will of the Lorde should be a lawe to his people) Iair the Gileadite, of the tribe Iair the 8. Iudge of Is­rael. of Manasses, the 8. Iudge of Israel, vnder whom likewise the I­sraelites liued quietly all the time of his gouernment, which was 22. yeeres: who ruled Israel in prosperitie, hauing 30. Iairs 30. sonnes. sonnes that rode on 30. assecoltes, men of great authoritie: and they had 30. cities in the land of Gilead. As soone as Iair Iairs 30. sonnes posses­sed 30. Cities. died, Israel wrought wickednes in the sight of the Lord: they serued Baalim and Astaroth, the gods of Syria and Sidon: and God was angrie, and gaue them to the handes of the Phili­stims, and the children of Ammon, who vexed and oppressed Iuda, Israel oppres­sed. Beniamin, and the house of Ephraim, against whom the children of Ammon went ouer Iordan to fight with them: so that all Israel, specially they that dwelt in the lands of the A­morites beyond Iordan, were sore tormented. 1. Reg. cap. 10.

Then they cried, then they praied, then they confessed their sinnes, and sayde, they had serued Baalim. God most mercifully heard their crie, and appointed them Ieptha a va­liant Ieptha is ap­pointed their captayne. Captaine, the sonne of a stranger, and therefore was chased away by his brethren, and nowe by God appointed their Captaine: whome they reiected before as no body, nowe God hath chosen to doe these enterprises. Men of­ten desire helpe, euen of those, whome before they haue re­fused. This poore abiect, exiled and banished by his bre­thren, slewe and destroied the Ammonites, and tooke twen­tie of their cities, for the which fact, Ieptha was much enui­ed by the men of Ephraim, in the like sort as they of Sichem did enuie Gedeon: notwithstanding, he killed 42. thousand Ephramites.

Thus Ieptha ruled Israel 6. yeeres, and ended his gouern­ment Ieptha ruled 6. yeeres and died. most happily. Tantanes reigned and gouerned the [Page 37] Assyrians about this time: and Theseus the 10. king of A­thens ouercame the monster Minotaurus. The historie you Minotaurus. shall reade in Plutarch, in the life of Theseus: for the Athenians paied tribute to Minoes king of Creete, for the death of Andro­gius Androgeus sonne to Mi­noes king of Creete slaine. his eldest sonne, who was by treason slaine in the Coun­trey of Attica: for the which cause Minoes pursuing the re­uenge of his death, the Athenians by entreatie of peace, to appease Minoes wrath, sent to Minoes, which peace being granted vpon condition, that the Athenians should be bound to sende him yeerely vnto Creete 7. yong boies, and as many yong girles, some say, to feed Minotaurus the huge monster; others say they were shut within the Labyrinth, wandring vp and downe, and could get no place to come to, vntil such Theseus sayled to Creete. time as they died: some others say, that king Minoes kept these youthes of Athens as prisoners within the Labyrinth, in memorie of his sonne Androgeus. Howsoeuer it was, The­seus, after he had fortified Athens with people, to whome he gaue lawes, and coyned money, with moe things, sailed from Athens vnto Creete, and wanne the citie of Gnosus, slewe Deucalion with all his Garde and Officers, and killed Mino­taurus. Minotaurus slayne.

About this time, Hercules instituted certaine games or ma­steries, called afterwards Olympiades, in respect of Mount O­lympus, The games of Olympia. the place where these exercises were appointed. This was 430. yeeres before any Olympiade began. Likewise in the time of this Iudge Iephthe, Theseus rauished Helene Menelaus Theseus raui­shed Helen. wife, & was by Aedoneus king of the Molossians, taken and im­prisoned: but by his companion Hercules he was rescued and deliuered. Hercules tooke Ilion, killed Laomedon the king, and gaue the kingdome to Priamus his sonne.

At what time, the Amazones, a people of Scythia, mooued warres against the Thebans: here is the first mention made of them in histories, of whose originall you may reade Iustine, Iustin. lib. 2. where you shall see more. Nowe after Ieptha had gouerned I­srael 6. yeeres, obeying God in all thinges, saue in his rashe vowe, in sacrificing his daughter, he died, and was buried in [Page 38] one of the cities of Gilead.

Abesan the Bethlemite, of the tribe of Iuda, gouerned the I­sraelites Abesan suppo­sed to be Boaz the husband of Ruth. 7. yeeres. Certaine writers suppose this Abesan to be the Prophet Dauids Grandfather: for Ishai Dauids father, was borne in the time of Iair, in the which time happened in­ter regnum for 18. yeeres, whereby the Hebrewes were com­pelled to serue the children of Ammon, and the Philistims. They were in great miserie this time, vntill Israel repented, Iudic. 10. which was the onely repentance & acknowledging of sinnes we can reade of Israel, described in the Iudges at large. This Abesan had 30. sonnes, and 30. daughters, and he sent his 30. daughters to bring other 30. more for his sonnes, and when he had gouerned 7. yeeres, he died, and was buried at Beth­lehem. Then Elon came in steede of Ieptha: he was of the tribe Elon. of Zabulon, and he iudged Israel 10. yeeres, and died, and was buried in the Countrey of Zabulon. After him Abdon of the Abdon. tribe of Ephraim, iudged Israel 8. yeeres. Of these three last Iudges there is nothing left in memorie woorth the wri­ting.

During this time, in Niniue gouerned Tanteus, the 29. king of the Assyrians Mezentius gouerned the Tuscans: but be­ing driuen by the people, called Vitulones, out of his chiefe Herodot. lib. 2. citie, he fled vnto an other citie of his, called Carites, and from thence gathered a great armie, and went in armes a­gainst Aeneas with Turnus. Protheus the Egyptian, a Priest of great Ianus, flourished this time. Likewise happened this season, a great deluge in Egypt, called diluuium Pharaonicum, in Diodo. lib. 2. so much that the Isle of Pharaoh was drowned with water. A­gamemnon reigned nowe in Mycena, of whom Thucidides doth make mention in the preface of his first booke.

About this time, Helene againe was taken away by Paris: hereby the Grecians did gather a great armie for rescuing of The second rauishment of Helen. Helene: after, Messengers being sent vnto Priamus, and being denied of restoring of Helene, the Greekes prepared for warres 1210. nauies, as Dares Frigius writeth. After this greatwarre, the Latines beganne their kingdome, ouer whome Aeneas [Page 39] after Latinus time was the first king, hauing married Laui­nia, Latinus daughter. All these things were done in the be­ginning of the sixt Iubile, at which time reigned in Athens, Demophon the 12. king of the Athenians, and one Mopsus reigned in Cilicia, of whome they were named afterwarde Mopsecrenae.

Then after Abdons death, Israel had no Iudge for fourtie Eusebius. yeeres, but continued in their wickednes, and offended the Lorde, whereby they were oppressed by the Philistims, vntill the birth of Samson, of the tribe of Dan, whom God had bles­sed with many vertues, as strēgth, courage, godlines, & zeale to reuenge the people of god vpō the Philistims. This was the last Iudge of Israel: but for that the historie is written in the 13. 14. 15. and 16. of the Iudges, I will omit other things: for during the time of Samson, which was twentie yeeres, Isra­el Samson 20. yeeres. was by the Philistims much molested, and fourtie yeeres af­ter Samson, when the Israelites were gouerned vnder Ely the Elie 40. yeeres. high Priest. Nowe the Iudges of Israel ended that gouern­ment, which God deliuered them euen from Moses death, vntill the birth of Samuel, 357. yeeres, adding thereunto 40. yeeres of Moses gouernment, doeth make the continuance of the Iudges of Israel to be 380. and 17.

About this time, Orestes the sixt king of Mycena, slewe Pyr­rhus Orestes slewe Pirrhus. the sonne of Achilles, in the Temple of Apollo: for after Orestes time, there reigned no more kings in Mycena, but O­restes sonne, named Tisamenus, after whome succeeded Pen­thilus, and after him Cometes, the last king of Mycena. After this Cometes, descended the stocke of Heraclides, which after­ward Heraclides. came from Peloponesus, and tooke Mycena.

Thus ended the kingdome of Mycena, who beganne their gouernment in the time of Gedeon, at what time the king­dome of the Argiues was translated vnto Mycena, where reigned 10. kings, whose names are these.

• [Page 40] Perseus.
• Stelenus.
• Euristheus, who was ac­compted a second Her­cules for his worthines.
• After him Atreus.
• Theistes.
• Agamemnon.
• Orestes.
• Tisamenus.
• Penthilus.
• And Cometes the last king.

The continuance of these kings was from the beginning of Gedeon, vntil the beginning of Elie the high Priest, which was 157. yeeres: so long continued the kingdome of Mycena. Mycena.

Now after Samsons daies, the house of Israel began accor­ding to their vse, not to thanke God for his benefites, but stil discontented, murmuring against God, seeking newe Magi­strates, newe lawes, wearie of their gouernment and of their The vilenesse of the Iewes. Iudges, most desirous of change, stubborne people, and a wilfull nation, idolaters, rebellious and factious, alwaies by disobedience offending their God. God followed their hu­mors, they had what they would, and they did what they li­sted: Their crie for a prophet and for a king. they had Elie the high Priest for their Iudge 40. yeeres, in his time the Arke was taken by the Philistims, his sonnes slaine, and himselfe fell from his stoole, and died. After Elie the high Priest died, they had Samuel for their Prophet, but they still cried out for a king: for neither Iudge, Priest, nor Prophet might please them, but a King: and therefore God commanded Samuel to anoint Saul to be their king. But first I Samuel anoin­ted Saul. will lay downe the names of all the Iudges that iudged Israel, from the first vnto the last.

After Moses and Iosua succeeded

• 1. Othoniel of the tribe of Iuda.
• 2. Ehud of the tribe of Ephraim.
• 3. Debora of the tribe of Ephraim.
• 4. Barach of the tribe of Nephthal.
• 5. Gedeon of the tribe of Manasses.
• 6. Abimelech the bastard of Ge­deon, the tyrant that slew his 70. brethren.
• 7. Thola of the tribe of Issachar.
• 8. Iair of the tribe of Manasses.
• 9. Iephthe of the tribe of Manasses.
• 10. Elon of the tribe of Zabulon.
• 11. Abdon of the tribe of Ephraim.
• 12. Samson the last Iudge of the tribe of Dan.
• After these, Ely the Priest, and Samuel the Prophet.

[Page 41] Now God had commaunded Samuel to annoint Saul their king, saying vnto Samuel, They haue not cast thee away, but they haue cast me away euer since I brought them out of Egypt to this day, because they were not content with the order that God had appointed, but would be gouerned as the Gentiles were.

CHAP. IIII.

NOw Saul was king of Israel in the begin­ning Saul was cho­sen king of Is­rael. of the 7. Iubile, at what time Tineus gouerned the Assyrians, and Melanthus gouerned Athens: for though Saul & Sa­muel gouerned together 40. yeeres, yet Saul gouerned as a king (as both Iosephus and Ruffinus affirmed) not ten yeeres. He had good successe in the beginning of his warres, for God gaue him the spirit of strength and courage against the Moabites, Edomites, Ammonites, and against the Philistines, till Saul disobeied God in sparing of Agag, for the Saul spared Agag, and was reprooued by Samuel. which Samuel reprooued Saul, and the lord reiected Saul, and his kingdome was gluen to Dauid. For after the great victo­ries of Saul of those afore rehersed nations, he was comman­ded by Samuel to take armes against the Amalekites, & to spare neither man, woman, or child, cattell or beasts: but for sa­uing of Agag the king, and few of the fattest beasts for sacri­fice, Saul lost his kingdome: disobedience was the cause thereof.

Some may thinke the cause to be small that Saul did, to be reiected from his kingdome, the sparing of a kings life: So 50000. Beth­shemites slain forlooking in­to the Arke of the Lord. likewise may they iudge of the men of Bethshemesh, who be­cause they had looked into the Arke of the Lord, he slew 50. thousand, three score and ten men: for it was not lawfull for any either to touch the Arke, or to looke within it, saue only [Page 42] to Aaron the high priest: and to difobey GOD, and to breake Gods commaundement, is a thing most terrible. Now though Saul spared Agag, disobeying God, yet Sa­muel Samuel hewed Agag. most zealously without any further delay hewed him in pieces.

After this, Samuel returned to his house to Bethleem, where he was commaunded to annoint one of the sonnes of Ishai king of Israel: and hauing all the seuen sonnes of Ishai before him, saue the yongest which was Dauid, who kept his fathers sheepe in the fieldes, Samuel commaunded Dauid to be sent for: at whose comming the Lord said to Samuel, Arise, an­noint him: for this is hee. And Samuel tooke the horne of The first a­nointing of Dauid king of Israel. oile, and annointed him king in the middest of his brethren, and the spirite of the Lord came vpon Dauid from that time forward, and the spirite of the Lord departed from Saul. And now though Dauid was annointed king by Samuel the Prophet, yet GOD would haue Dauid to be exercised in many things before hee should haue the vse of the king­dome.

After this Samuel went to Ramah to his house, and came no more to see Saul vntill Saul died. Samuel loued Saul much, and mourned much for him, and God therefore reprooued Samuel. Samuel was a godly Iudge ouer Israel, who with great care and diligence serued God, and gouerned his people, keeping his circuite once euery yeere, from Bethel to Gal­gala, and from Galgala to Masphat, and from Masphat to all townes vpon his wayes to Ramah, where Samuel dwelt, and there hee set vp an altar vnto the Lord and iudged Is­rael. Euen so did Debora sit vnder a Palme tree betweene Deb [...]ra. Ramah and Bethel, iudging and determining causes of the people.

This Prophet gouerned Israel fortie yeeres. Saul be­ing deposed and throwen from his kingdome, hee fell vn­to great melancholie, imagining how he might compasse and bring things to passe with troubled minde: for the e­uill spirite of the Lord came vpon him, that hee often­times [Page 43] was molested and vexed with troublesome thoughts. And to ease the king of these agonies, instruments of Mu­sike, with all kind of harmonie were thought very neces­sarie of his counsell. Dauid was called and sent for by Saul Dauid sent for by Saul. to plaie vpon the harpe before Saul: for hee was skilfull in Musike: so Saul loued Dauid and made him his armour bearer.

While Saul was in this melancholie moode, the Phili­stines were againe in armes against Israel, wasted their coun­trey, destroyed their Cities, and prouoked the Hebrewes to warre. Saul made readie his hoste: but while yet they were preparing for the battell, Goliah a mightie huge man, a great Giaunt, vaunted forward from the hoste of the Philistines Goliah. by himselfe, cried and called for a combate, if any one man of the Hebrewes durst, defying Israel, and blaspheming their God.

But GOD prepared Dauids heart mightie and vali­ant, Dauid slue the great Giant Goliah. and with a sling to bee able to ouerthrowe this Gi­ant: for Dauid by the experience which hee had in time past by Gods helpe, nothing doubteth the danger of Goli­ah, sithence hee killed a Lion and a Beare before this time, being but a shepeheard in the field. Hee was fullie per­swaded by Gods spirite to haue the victorie ouer Goliah, being mooued with a feruent zeale to be reuenged vpon this blasphemer.

But true it is, Comes virtuti inuidia. Here Saul began to Sauls enuie to Dauid. enuie Dauid, and to laie snares to kill him: for great acti­ons are full of dangers. But there is no danger where God defendeth and saueth: the vertues of Dauid purchased much enuie, much daunger, which Dauid escaped by the proui­dence of God. But Saul still deuised his destruction, vsing all policies, and inuenting many stratagemes to ouerthrow Dauid, promising Dauid his daughter Michol to wife, see­king at Dauids handes nothing but valiant courage and ser­uice agaynst the Philistines. But the more victories Dauid wanne, the more danger ensued him: the greater seruice [Page 44] he did, the more he was enuied and hated: for Saul feared Dauid seeing the Lord was with him, and Ionathan the sonne of Saul told Dauid the wicked purpose of his father, so that Dauid was driuen to flee from Saul, and to hide himselfe in a Caue.

Samuel the Prophet about this time died, and was buried Samuel died at Rama in his own City. in Ramah his owne citie. Dauid being still persecuted of Saul, wandred and fled from Saul to Achis king of Gath, where hee should haue a charge vnder the king to fight against Israel, which troubled him not a litle: yet such was the infirmitie of Dauid, that he durst not denie the king. Now Saul all this 1. Sam. 2. 8. while following his wicked purpose, consulted with a witch to know of Samuels spirite the successe of his kingdome, by whom, I meane not Samuels spirit, but the spirit of Satan, he was fully certified of his ruine and of the end of his kingdom which happened to Saul and to his children: for it fell out that Saul killed himselfe, and his children were slaine in the Saul killed himselfe iu Gilboa. 1. Sam. 31. 2890 The triumph of the Phili­stines ouer Saul. battell, a cruell life hath a desperate end.

After, the Philistines found Saul, Ionathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua his three sonnes lying dead in mount Gilboa after the victorie, and the Philistines cut off Sauls head, and stripped him out of his armour, and they laied vp his armour in the house of Ashtaroth their idole, and hanged his bodie on the wall of Bethshan in token of victorie and triumph. Saul died after the deliuerance of Israel from Egypt 473. yeeres, after the calling of Ioseph into dignitie in Egypt 660. yeeres, and after the flud 1234. yeeres.

Thus the wicked in their pompe and pleasure consider not the iudgement of God. During this time raigned Dir­cillus ouer the Assyrians, the 31. king, and Aeneas Siluius the 4. king of the Latines. In Athens this time raigned Codrus the last king of the Athenians, betweene whom and the Peloponesians grew great warres, and continued vnto the last destruction of all Greece. In the time of Saul certaine people were driuen out of Thessalia called Boeotij: they found a land to inhabite, which at this day is called Boeotia, before named Cadmeia. The [Page 45] The kings of Sicyonum, called otherwise Peloponesus, ended in Sauls dayes, euen when Israel began their kingdom.

About this time the kingdom of Lacedemonia began, where first raigned Euristhenes, of whom descended Leonidas and Cleomenes, two valiant captains, which ouerthrew the Persi­ans in the great battell at Thermophila. About this time de­scended the stocke of Heraclides into Peloponesus. Read of this further in Herodotus. Homerus surnamed Chius, a great Magi­tiā, flourished in Sauls time, the kingdom of Corinth together with the Lacedemonians began a litle before the eight Iubi­lee, in the yeere of the world 2865.

But to goe forward in the historie, Saul being dead, and Dauid the last time after Sauls death a­nointed king ouer all Israel. 2. Sam. cap. 5. Dauid the last time annointed, the kingdome of Israel not yet came to Dauids handes: for some of Sauls sonnes liued and withstood Dauid, as heires to Saul, and held all the tribes of Israel saue the tribe of Iuda, ouer whom Dauid was the second time annointed king, and Dauid dwelt in Hebron 7. yeeres: Ishboseth the sonne of Saul was likewise annointed king ouer the house of Israel: hence grew great warres betweene the house of Saul and the house of Dauid: for Abner the chiefe captaine of Saul, and the master of Sauls horses, thought it not fit that any should gouerne Israel but Sauls sonne, who was right heire to the kingdome, perswading the people thereunto, and gathering force together, and would by the sword make Ishboseth king of Israel, who kept then his court at Manahim, vnder whom all the Hebrewes sauing the tribe of Iuda were ruled.

Dauid this time lying in Hebron, and hearing of Abners pre­paration to warres, consulted with the Lord, and sollicited A battaile be­tweene Abner the chiefe captaine of Saul, and Ioab the chiefe captaine of Dauid. his owne cause carefully: he appointed Ioab to be his Lieute­nant. These two great captains Abner and Ioab, full of indig­nation, and willing to trie the kingdome by battell, they met by the poole of Gibeon where Abner and Ioab fell to the sword, and the battell was exceeding sore that same day. But Abner and the men of Israel fell before Ioab, so that 360. men were slaine. Thus God would confirme Dauid in his kingdome by [Page 46] ouerthrowing of his aduersaries. These warres continued long, for Abner made all his power for the house of Saul.

But God wrought otherwise to bring his purpose to passe: while Saul liued, hee had a concubine named Rizpha, with whom Abner kept companie, and consumed more time with Rizpha then he did in the seruice of Ishboseth. The king being moued with some choler, charged Abner with his fault con­cerning his fathers concubine: this checke could not be wel disgested of Abner, and therefore he communed with the el­ders of Israel, and perswaded them to take Dauid for their king: and after that, Abner went to Hebron to Dauid, and pro­mised him that he would bring all Israel vnder his gouern­ment: and all this Abner did rather for malice & hatred that he bare to Ishboseth, then for any good will he bare to Dauid. Notwithstanding, Dauid accepted in good part his cōming to him, thogh Ioab would haue had the king to slay Abner for his priuate grudge, which was the killing of Asahel Ioabs bro­ther, which within a while after Ioab reuenged, for he killed Abner vnknowing to Dauid, whose deth Dauid lamēted much. Ioab killeth Abner.

When these newes came to Sauls sonne that Abner was dead in Hebron, he was discouraged, and all Israel was afraid 2. Sam. cap. 3. with him, and so within a while after he was slaine by Banah and Rechab, two men that were captaines of bands: this they both did in hope of lucre and fauour with Dauid, and they were rewarded, as he that slew Saul: for in as much as neither the example of him, nor dutie to their master, nor innocen­cie of the person, nor the reuerence of the place did feare them, they died for it. Now Dauid was made king ouer all Is­rael, after he had raigned seuen yeeres ouer Iuda in Hebron: he went with all his armie to Ierusalem vnto the Iebusites the in­habitants of the land at that time, and tooke the forte of Zi­on, and dwelt there, and builded round about it. Hiram king The Moabites and the Phi­listines are o­uerthrown by Dauid, and are tributaries to Israel. of Tyrus sent Cedar trees, and carpenters and masons, they builded a house for Dauid. Againe, the Philistines came vp a­gainst Dauid, and he smote them from Geba to Gazer. The arke was not yet come from the house of Abinadab in Gibeah, whi­ther [Page 47] Dauid with 3000. chosen men of Israel went, to bring 2. Sam. cap. 8. the arke to the citie of Dauid.

When Dauid had subdued the Iebusites, Philistines, & other diuers nations, as the Syrians, Phoenicians, Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites, and Mesopotamia, vntill the riuer of Euphrates, so that Dauids fame spred farre, his kingdome prospered, his people grew strong, and himselfe in all his enterprises most happy: Then Dauid ruled and raigned ouer all Israel, and executed iudgement and iustice to his people. And being at rest from his enemies with great quietnes in Ierusalē, behold, both his 2 Sam. 11. 12. fortune and his great fame forsooke him: for he committed adulterie with Bethsabe Vrias wife, and wrote his letters to Ioab Ioab was sisters sonne to Da­uid. his lieutenant, with Vrias in this sort. Put Vrias in the forefront of the battell, and cause the souldiers to recule backe from V­rias, that he may be smitten and die. Which being done, the king was glad, and tooke Vrias wife to his house, and maried her: but the Lord was angry with Dauid, and sent Nathan to Nathan the Prophet sent to accuse Da­uid of adultery and murther. accuse him of adulterie and murther. What grew of this? cru­ell dissention betweene Dauid and his children. God gaue o­uer Dauid to be afflicted and tormented on both sides, inward and outward. For Amnon defiled his sister Tamar, and Absalon killed Amnon: such was the wrath of God vpon the house of Dauid, that one wickednesse fell on the necke of another: Ab­salon fled vpon the killing of his brother, and went to Geshur, and then Absalon practised to aspire to the kingdom, and laid snares to entrap his father the king. Absalon gathered force to dispossesse Dauid, for Achitophels councell is alwayes readie A [...]hitophels councell. in matters of treason.

Now Dauid felt the anger of God for sinne, hee confessed that he had deserued this plague: for Dauid was faithful and obedient to God, and shewed himselfe contented with these afflictions. Absalon goeth forward with his armie, and Dauid fled ouer Iordan to Mahanaim: Absalon passeth likewise ouer Iordan and followed fast, as Achitophel had councelled him: so Israel and Absalon pitched in the land of Gilead. God raised fa­uorers vnto Dauid in euery place where he came: for certain [Page 48] of the Reubenites and Gadites could not beare the insolencie of the sonne against the father, and therefore with all the power they had, they ioined with Dauid, and the battell be­gan, so there was a great slaughter of Absalons side, to the nū ­ber of 2000. Israel fled before Ioab, and Absalon was caught by the haire of his head vnder a bough of an oke, where he han­ged till Ioab came and killed him, and so Dauid againe was re­stored Absalon killed. to his kingdom, being persecuted of Achitophel for his counsell, of Semei for his threatning and cursing, and of Ab­salon for his treason.

Now this warre being ended, new warres againe began betweene Iuda and the tenne tribes of Israel, more cruel then the warres of Absalon: for Sheba a man of Ephraim, he now a­gain raised Israel against Dauid, and made the Israelites to for­sake Dauid, and to follow Sheba: but his head was caried by Ioab to Dauid. After this, Dauid had foure great battels with Foure battels with the Phi­listines. the Philistines, slew them, and subdued them vnto the last.

Thus was Dauid deliuered by God from all daungers, ty­rannie and treason, and saued from Saul, Absalon and many o­thers. When Dauid had gotten by the sword peace and qui­etnesse, and brought all nations subiect vnto him, hee tooke his rest and thanked God in Psalmes, Hymnes, Odes & Ver­ses, which Dauid sang vnto God in praise of victories which God gaue him. But yet more troubles came on Dauid: The Lord so suffered Satan to tempt him, that Dauid commaun­ded Ioab nombred all Israel by the comman­dement of Dauid. 2. Sam. 24. Troubles in Israel againe. Ioab to number all Israel and Iuda, from Dan to Beersheba, which Ioab did: the people were in number of able fighting men, 1100000. Gods wrath was kindled against Israel, so that much it offended God that Dauid should trust in mē, sithence onely God had oftentimes deliuered him: and the Lord sent Gad, Dauids seer, with three things to take his choise: Pesti­lence, Gad the pro­phet sent to Dauid. Famine, or Warre. Dauid chose rather to fal to Gods mercy, then to trust to man. Then fell pestilence in Israel from the one side of the countrey to the other, and there di­ed 70000. men.

Now after this, Dauid waxed old, and hee caused Salomon [Page 49] his sonne to bee annointed king before he died, whom hee charged to walke before God vprightly, exhorting him to serue God, to vse iustice and iudgement in Israel. Dauid com­manded Dauids coun­sell to Salomon. Salomon his sonne to kill Ioab for his murthering of Abner and Amasa, and to take the like punishment of Semei which railed & cursed me, when (saith he) I was at the worst. Dauid left to his sonne more welth in Israel to build a temple to the Lorde, then Alexander the great had in Babylon by the conquest of Darius: for Iosephus doth write, that Hircanus the high priest a 1000. & odde yeeres after Dauids death, opened the graue of Dauid, and brought 3000. talents to satisfie the rage of Antiochus Demetrius sonne, who laying siege to Ierusa­lem, was contēted to returne with some of these talents with­out any harme done. And Dauid died being 70. yeres of age, Dauid dieth. after he had bene 40. yeeres king of Israel: seuen in Hebron, and 33. in Ierusalem. Dauid died 803. yeres after the death of Abra­hā, after the death of Adam 2000. after the birth of Christ 1070.

During this time of Dauid, raigned in Assyria Eupales the 32 king, in Lacedemonia Argis the second king of the Lacedemoni­ans. Now failed the state of kings in Athens, and there began a new forme of common wealth gouerned by Iudges, which The kings of Athens en­ded. now began by Codrus sonne named Medon, after whose name they were named afterward, Medontidae for a while. Latinus Sylaius raigned the 6. king ouer the Latines, & in Corinth raig­ned Ixeon the second king of Corinth. About Dauids time there was builded in Asia a citie called Magnesia, and another in I­talie called Misene, now called Cuma.

Salomon the sonne of Dauid, & the third king of Israel, of the Salomons raigne. tribe of Iuda, a man endued with singular wisdome, & in great fauour with God, as soone as he had sit on his fathers throne, he remembred the words of Dauid, and with care and zeale he followed his fathers steps in seeking to please the Lord Not­withstanding, the Israelites being froward and stubborne, e­uer reuolting from their GOD, were alwayes forgetfull of Gods benefites, as after the death of Dauid fell out: for in Dauids time, Israel flourished, and all things prospered in Iuda. [Page 50] But scant had Salomon bene annointed king, but Adoniah Sa­lomons Adoniah Salo­mons elder brother aspi­red to the kingdome. brother aspired to the kingdome secretly and subtil­lie, seeking the good will of Bethsheba Salomons mother, and by her meanes to haue Abishag, which Dauid his father loued tenderly, to wife. But his craft was found out, and his preten­sed treason spied by Nathan the prophet, and by Salomon him­selfe: who perceiuing that Adoniah was the elder brother, and Salomons sen­tence vpon Adoniah. had Abiathar the priest on his side, and Ioab who tooke Adoni­ahs part when he would haue vsurped the kingdome: Salomon hereby was mooued to make sure waies, and remembring his fathers charge before he died concerning Ioab and Semei, he executed iustice first vpon Adoniah, afterward commaunded Adoniah slaine Benaiah to fall vpon Ioab for the murthering of Abner Sauls Ioab slayne. chiefe captaine, and Amasah a nigh kinseman of Dauid, who enuying their fauour & credite with the king, slew them, and was now iustly punished for sheading of bloud.

Now Adoniah and Ioab two great enimies of the king, be­ing Abiathar the priest bani­shed. dead, Salomon banished Abiathar the priest, and called to be a priest Sadock in the roome of Abiathar: & so the office of the high priest was taken away from the house of Eli, and re­stored to the house of Phineas. After that, Salomon called She­mei, The office of the high Priest was ta­ken from E­lies house. and charged him with the breaking of his othe in passing ouer the riuer of Cedron being forbidden by the king, & char­ged him further with wickednesse against his father Dauid, in reuiling and cursing of him, and he was likewise slaine by the sonne of Iehoida called Benaia. By this meanes the kingdome of Israel was established in Salomons hands, and Salomon obeied Salomon mari­ed the daugh­ter of Pharaoh. God in all things, and then he taketh Pharaoes king of Egypts daughter to wife.

Iosephus in his eight booke and 2. chapter, saieth: that the kings of Egypt were al called Pharaones from Minaeus time that builded Memphis, vntil the time of Salomon, which was 1300. yeeres: for Minaeus raigned in Egypt many yeeres before Abra­ham came to Egypt, & this is the cause why Herodotus doth o­mit the names of the kings of Egypt, euen 330. kings. Salomon repaired the wals of Ierusalē, and went to Gibeon, to sacrifice: [Page 51] for there their tabernacle was at that time, there was no tem­ple yet builded to the Lord in Ierusalem. In Gibeon the Lord appeared by dreame to Salomon, and gaue him wisedom more Salomon flori­shed. then any prince of the world had, as by his sentence vpō the two harlots appeared.

Salomon flourished and prospered, and farre excelled all the kings of the world: for his wisedom was so abundant, as the sand that is on the sea shore: No Philosopher, no Astro­loger, no Chaldean magi, no Egyptian priest might apprehend Salomons iudgement, for God was his schoolemaster. Salomon was famous throughout the whole world: hee wrote 3000. Salomon wrote 3000. pro­uerbs and pa­rables. Prouerbes, and bookes of Odes and Verses 1000. and made fiue and twentie songs which perished in Ierusalem when Is­rael was taken captiue vnto Babylon, the temple then being burned, and the citie destroyed. He wrote of all kind of trees, He wrote of trees from the highest to the lowest, Ioseph. lib. 8. cap. 2. from the Cedar tree that is in Libanon, vnto the Hysope that groweth on the wall. He spake of beastes, fowles and fishes: He wrote of incantations and of other secret artes, which Io­sephus affirmeth at large. And there came of all countries to heare the wisedome of Salomon, and all the kings about him sent vnto him and sought his fauour.

Now coucerning the princes, rulers and officers which were vnder Salomon, the purueiance for victuals, the number of his horses, and the order of his house, they were almost vn­credible, were it not written in sacred histories. Salomon raig­ned ouer all kingdomes from the riuer of Euphrates vnto the 1. Reg. cap. 4. land of the Philistines, and vnto the border of Egypt. And to speake of the hospitalitie of Salomon, and to set it downe as it is in the Bible read, it exceeded: for euery day he had 30. mea­sures of fine floure, and 60. measures of meale for bread: he had ten fat oxen, and 20. oxen of the pastures, and one hun­dred sheepe, besides Hartes, Buckes, and other diuers fat foules. Salomon had 4000. stalles of horses & chariots, in eue­rie 40000. horses. stall tenne horses, which in all amount to 40000. and he had 12000. horsemen. This blessing had Salomon at Gods 2. Cron. 9. hand: for the which benefits he was much bound to set foorth The hospitali­tic of Salomon. [Page 52] Gods glory, which had giuen him such wisedom to gouern, such rest and peace in his gouernment, that he sent to Hiram king of Tyrus an old friend of Dauid his father for Cedar trees and Firre trees to build a temple to the Lord his God, & Hi­ram The building of the Tem­ple. 1. Reg. cap. 7. satisfied Salamon to his full desire. Salomon had 7000. men that bare burdens, & 80000. masons in the mountaine, and he had three thousand and sixtie, whom Salomon appointed officers and vnder officers of the worke. As for the forme and frame of the Temple, the height, the bredth, the length, and the deepe foundation thereof, with al things belonging thereunto, as Cherubins, caldrons, bases, cups, pillars, can­dlesticks, pots, vessels, altars, tables, bowles and basons, it is in order written in the kings. The Temple being fini­shed, the Arke was brought to the Temple, where the tenne Commaundements were written where Salomon made his praiers to God, to accept their sacrifice, to sanctifie the tem­ple, and to continue with Israel for euer. Salomon all this while The Lord ap­peared to Sa­lomon the se­cond time. followed the Lord, and therefore God appeared vnto him the second time, as he appeared vnto him first at Gibeon, pro­mised him that hee would establish the throne of Israel, and defend his people for euer, if they would walke in his wayes: in token whereof the glory of God filled the temple, fire came downe from heauen and consumed their sacrifice, and Gods presence was with Salomon. Saba.

Now the renowne of Salomon went farre, so that Saba Queene of Aethiope came to Ierusalem to heare Salomon, and to see his porte: but after, Salomon fell from God, hee loued many outlandish women which were idolaters, he followed the women of Moab, of Edom, and of Ammon, and of Sy­don, that hee had 3. hundred Queenes and Princes that were Salomon had 300. wiues, 700. concu­bines. his wiues, and 700. concubines: these women turned Salo­mons heart from GOD after the gods of the Gentiles, so that hee worshipped Ashtaroth and Milcom, the gods of the Ammonites, his God forsooke him therefore, and raised vp Salomon an Idolater. aduersaries, euen Ieroboam a seruaunt of Salomon, but an o­uerseer of his worke, whom Salomon sought by diuers [Page 53] meanes to kill. But Ieroboam fled to Egypt, where he kept him­selfe till Salomon died. Thus Salomon, whom God with so many blessings had exalted aboue all the kings of the world, left to his sonne Rehoboam whom he loued best, the kingdom of Israel to gouerne: after he had raigned in Israel 40. yeeres, he died before the natiuitie of Christ 1000. yeeres, before the Salomon died. birth of Romulus the first king of Rome, 231. before Alexander raigned king in Macedonia, 666. and before the last destructi­on of Hierusalem by Titus Vespasian, 1070.

While Salomon gouerned Israel, Laostanes the 33. king of the Assyrians raigned in Niniuie, Labotes raigned in Lacedemo­nia, What kings raigned in o­ther coun­treis. and Agesilaus in Corinth. This time gouerned the Atheni­ans, Agastus the second Iudge of Athens, and Alba Syluius raig­ned ouer the Latines the 7. king. In Salomons time was Ephesus builded by Andronicus, as Eusebius affirmeth, and in Egypt go­uerned Simendes called in the scripture Sisac, to whom Ierobo­am (as you heard) fled from Salomon for feare in the 21. Dina­steia of the Egyptians. The sonne of Hiram called Baleastartus succeeded in Tyrus, and liued but 7. yeeres. Sadock and Ahiah Salomon be­gan his king­dome in the yere of the world, 2930. were now prophets in Israel. Salomon began his kingdome in the yeere of the world, 2930. After the going of Israel out of Egypt 480. yeeres, 12. yeeres before the beginning of the 9. Iubilie, Salomon began to build the temple in the 4. yeere of his raigne, before the building of Rome, 300. yeeres, after the calling of Abraham from Chaldea, 910. yeeres. Salomon buil­ded to himselfe in Libanon a house for his pleasure, and this was in making 13. yeeres, and was finished 20. yeeres after the building of the Temple, before the monarchie of Ma­cedonia gotten by Alexander the great, 700. yeeres, and before Augustus Caesars empire 1000. yeeres. Salo­mon died before Romulus birth, 231. yeeres be­fore Christ, 1000. yeeres, and before the last destruction of Ierusalem vnder Titus Vespasian. 1070.

CHAP. V.

NOw after Salomon, raigned Roboham his sonne borne of an Ammonitish woman named Noma. Ieroboam now being in E­gypt when Salomon died, he was sent for by some of the elders of Israel: God brought it to passe, that when Ieroboam came from Egypt vnto Sichem, the people followed Ieroboam, and fled from Roboham: for hee despised the counsell of the ancient wise men which folow­ed Roboham de­spised counsel. Salomon his father, and hee onely esteemed rash and yong counsell, whereby Ieroboam being strong and stoute, and subtile amongst the people, perceiuing the nature of the people to be drawen from the sonne of Salomon, God suffe­ring Ieroboam sent for into Egypt these things to goe forward for the sinnes of Israel, Ie­roboham builded him an house in Sichem, and not long con­tented Ioseph. lib. 8. cap. 3. with that, he builded another house for his dwelling in a towne called Penuel.

Now about this time in Ierusalem, approched the feast of the Tabernacle, which Ieroboam considered of, and sawe it was dangerous to let the people to goe to Ierusalem, least the people should take pleasure with the rites and ceremonies of the Temple, with their solemne pompe and dignitie in religion, with their sacrifices and feastes, and therefore he erected two altars, the one in Bethel, the other in Dan, and caused two golden calues there to be worshipped. Here the tenne tribes of Israel committed idolatrie, forsooke their God, and they followed Ieroboam in all wickednesse. Thus Dan and Bethel with all the idolatrie of Israel, continued till Idolatry in Dan and Be­thel. Iosias time.

Roboham this while hauing but the tribe of Iuda and Ben­iamin vnder his gouernment, repaired his Cities, fortified [Page 55] his countrey, and gathered an armie of an hundreth and foure score thousand to fight against Ieroboam, and to bring Israel againe to Roboham. But they were warned by the Pro­phet Shemaiah not to fight, saying, This is done by GOD, who of his iust iudgement will punish offenders: all this happened for Salomons sinnes. Now the kingdome was de­uided The people of Israel deuided to two names: Israel which continued two hundred sixtie two yeeres, and Iuda which continued three hundred ninetie three yeeres, but both Iuda and Israel forsooke God, and followed idolatrie, vntill GOD at length by his iust iudgement destroyed them vtterly: for the rigour of Robo­ham in following of lewd counsell, made the people to re­bell, the house of Dauid against the house of Israel: hee fo­lowed women, and had eighteene wiues and threescore con­cubines, Roboham had 18. wiues, 60. concubines. hee had eight and twentie sonnes, and three score daughters.

Roboham forsooke the Lord, and therefore Susack king of Susack came vp against Ie­rusalem. Egypt came vp against Ierusalem, ransackt the Citie, spoyled the Temple, and tooke the treasures of the Citie, and of Ro­bohams house: this was the first destruction and affliction of Ierusalem: for Roboham had transgressed the commandements of God: for no calamities could come to Israel, no countrey might annoy them, no king could hurt them. But when the Lord gaue them ouer for sinne, this Susack king of Egypt Susacks armie. came in the fift yeere of Roboham, with twelue hundred cha­riots, with three score thousand horsemen, and the people were innumerable that were with him, as Iosephus saieth, foure hundreth thousand footemen came from Egypt with him, Lubins, Sukimes, people of Affrica, called also Troglo­dites, The first time that Ierusa­lem was taken by Susack. he had Aethiopians, Egyptians, with diuers other more nations, & he tooke the strong cities of Iuda, and caried their treasure to Egypt.

After the time of Roboham, who raigned 17. yeeres, suc­ceeded Roboham died. him in Ierusalem his sonne Abia: against whom Ie­roboam straight after Robohams death, came in armes with great expedition: they both prepared for the battell, the [Page 56] greatest armie that euer was in Israel. Abia had foure hundred Abia moned wars against Ieroboam. thousand chosen men: Ieroboam had eight hundred thousand men, and the battell met and fought: and for that Abia tru­sted in the Lord, who is the stay of all kingdomes, and the gi­uer The greatest battaile that euer was in field, and the greatest slaughter. of all victories, hee had such a victorie ouer Ieroboam, that Israel fled before Iuda, and God deliuered them vnto the hands of Abia being yong of yeeres, and too tender to exe­cute such a charge, and to gouerne such an armie, so that the slaughter was great, euē fiue hundred thousand chosen men slaine, so that Iudea preuailed against Israel at that time, be­cause they depended vpon the Lord of their fathers: so Ie­roboam was brought vnder at that time. Hee was so pursued by Abia, his strong Cities taken, his men slaine, himselfe hardly escaped, the Lord plagued him that he could not re­couer [...]. Cron. cap. 13. strength in Israel againe all the dayes of his life. For because God made him a king of a seruant, and he neglected the seruice of God and forgot his benefits, therefore he was iustly punished, for Dan and Bethel was the first and the grea­test cause of his fall. I neuer read in prophane histories of such a number, neither in the historie of the Church foure hundred thousand souldiers in one armie, and eight hundred thousand in the other. Ieroboā after he had raigned in Israel 22. yeres, died. See you the anger of God for idolatrie in seruing & worshipping the calues of Dan and Bethel: for God gaue Israel ouer vnto their last destruction, which was in the time of Sal­manasser Senacheribs father: for Iuda deuoured Israel, and Israel deuoured Iuda, that both at length were destroyed and ouer­throwen: Iuda by Nabuchadonosor, & Israel by Salmanasser: both Ierusalem and Samaria made euen to the ground in the time of Zedechias the last king of Iuda, and Osea the last king of Israel.

Then succeeded Ieroboham in Israel Nadab their second Ieroboam died. Nadab the 2. king of Israel. king, the naturall sonne of Ierobohā, wicked, malicious, cruel, following his fathers steps in idolatrie & all wickednes. But God stirred vp one tyrant to punish an other: for Nadab did offend in prouoking the people to commit idolatrie with his golden calues, and as hee was most busie in besieging a [Page 57] towne belonging to the Philistims, named Gibbethon: he was slaine of Baasha, according to the Oracle of God before spo­ken. The sinne of Ieroboam was great, and therefore Baasha was appointed by God to destroy all the house of Ieroboam: he slewe Nadab, and reigned in his steede.

In Iuda nowe reigned Asa, a wise, godly, and discreet man, Asa the sixt king of Iuda. an obseruer of the lawes of God, a walker in his waies: and in Israel, Baasha the 3. king reigned, & warre grewe betweene Baasha king of Israel, and Asa king of Iuda. Ramah was builded by Baasha to that purpose, that none might goe in or out to Asa king of Iuda, who followed the example of Ieroboam. But Asa assembled all Iuda, and tooke the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, and builded Mizpah and Geba, two great townes in Iuda: & the warres continued betweene the house Warres be­tweene Israel and Iuda. 2. Cron. cap. 15. of Israel, and the house of Iuda. But still the Lorde had respect to Dauid, and to his stocke: for Baasha and all his posteritie had the like ende, as Ieroboam had, and his house. But Asa wal­ked right before God, he destroied idolatrie, tooke away the altars of the strange gods, and brake downe the images, and cut in peeces the groues: hee deposed his mother Maacha from her regencie, and threwe downe her idols which she had made in a groue. Asa brake it, stampt it, and buried it at the brooke of Cedron, & commanded Iuda to seeke the Lord, and to serue him: for he knewe like a godly king, that in a­bolishing The praise of a good king. of idolatrie, and aduauncing true religion, the rest and quietnes of kingdomes stoode. For when Zareus king of Aethiopia came against him with an huge armie of ten hun­dreth Zareus king of the Aethiopi­ans great ar­mie. thousand to Maresa a towne of Iuda, Asa praied vnto God when he should goe to fight, and acknowledged all vi­ctories Asa his vi­ctory. to come from God, and therefore obtained the vi­ctorie ouer the Aethiopians, slewe them, and pursued them to Gerar, and there was no warre in Iuda vnto the 35. yeere of Asa. Yet he was reproued by the Prophet for his couenant with Benhadad king of Syria, and likewise offended God to trust in Physicions to helpe his disease, & not to seeke helpe at Gods hands.

[Page 58] About this time, Elias and Elizeus were borne in the mid­dle age of the world. Capetus Siluius nowe reigned, the 9. king ouer the Latines: Eutropius calleth this king Epidus. In Assyria Eutrop. l [...]b. 1. gouerned Ophrateus, and in Lacedemonia the fift king Doristus, at what time Smyrna was builded in Samos, in king Asas time, Nepher Cherres reigned in Egypt king, for 4. yeeres, and after him succeeded a king in Egypt, called Amenophis, who reig­ned Nepher king of Egypt. 9. yeeres. In Athens gouerned Phorbas the 5. Iudge, and in Corinth ruled Basis the 5. king, after whom their kings were called Bacidae, as the Romane Emperours were named Caesares. In these daies, Hiel the Bethelite did build Iericho, which fel be­fore Iericho reedi­fied. in the daies of Iosua, at the sounding of the trumpets, and shouting of the Israelites. But the iudgement of God follow­ed Ieroboams house, according to the Prophet, saying to Na­dab, and to Baasha that slewe Nadab, That dogges should eate Nadab slaine by Baasha. him that died in the citie, and the fowles should eate him that should die in the fielde.

After Baasha succeeded Ela his sonne, and reigned in Tirza 2. yeeres, and Zimri his seruant conspired against him: and Ela slaine by Zimri. when the people heard that Zimri had killed the king, they rose against Zimri, and made Omri their king. At that time Israel was in campe against Gibethon, and besieged Tirza, which siege continued from the time of Nadab, Ieroboams sonne, where Zimri kept him selfe in holde: and perceauing the citie should be taken by Omri, he burned him selfe, and Zimri burned himselfe. the kings house with fire.

After this, reigned Omri twelue yeeres, sixe in Tirza, and Ioseph. li [...]. 8. cap. 9. sixe in Samaria, a towne which he builded, and was the first king that was buried there, after the building of Samaria, and Omri buylded Samaria. after the burning of Tirza. After this, the seate and pallace of the kings of Israel were in Samaria, and they are often cal­led the kings of Samaria, and the kingdome of Samaria, being so called of Samarus the lorde of that soile, or rather of that mountaine, where Samaria was builded. This was the iudge­ment of God, to bring his purpose to passe, that one king should destroy an other king, vnto the last confusion of Isra­el: [Page 59] for such is the nature of idolatrie, that the elder it is, the more abominable it is, superstition doth encrease, and dan­ger doth ensue.

After that Omri was deade and buried in Samaria his owne Omri dyed. Achab his sonne succee­ded him. towne, Achab his sonne succeeded, one farre worse, and more wicked then the rest: for hee mended no euill thing in Israel, but added euill to euill, and augmented the sinnes of Israel: he married that vngodlie and wicked wretch Iezabel, by whose meanes (being wicked before) he fell to all strange and horrible idolatrie, and cruell persecution: he reared vp Melancthon. Chron. 2. groues and altars to Baal, and prouoked the God of Israel more then all the kings before him. Yet the mercie of God neuer failed the faithfull: he stirred vp good and godly men in wicked and superstitious countreyes, as Abraham and Lot, among the Chaldeans, Tobi in Niniue, Raguel and Gabel in Media, and here amongest these idolatrous and wicked I­sraelites, he raised Elias and Elizeus, Amos and Osea, faithfull Prophets to instruct his Church.

Nowe in Iuda king Afa waxed olde and died, in the time Asa king of Iuda dyed. Iosaphat a good king. of this euill and cruell king Achab, after whome succeeded his sonne Iosaphat, who gaue him selfe wholy to serue the Lorde, and therefore preuailed against Israel. God gaue him a pure heart to seeke Gods glorie, that his enemies could not execute their rage against him: for Iosaphat trusted in the Lorde, and abolished idolatrie, and he prospered. Iosaphat builded in Iuda pallaces and cities, and hee taught the peo­ple in Iuda, and all Iuda brought presents to Iosaphat. The Philistims and Arabians gaue him giftes, and brought him tribute.

But let vs leaue Iosaphat a while, and returne to Achab in Samaria, where Elias was warned of famine that should come to Samaria: of which famine, Menander in his Chronicles of Menander in his Chroni­cles of the kings of Tyre. the kings of Tyre, doeth make mention: for Elias was com­manded to depart Eastward, and to hide him selfe in some place about the riuer of Cherith against Iordan, which for want of raine became drie, & the hunger grew great in Israel.

[Page 60] This famine was 800. yeeres after the famine of Egypt, in the time of Ioseph: yet the Rauens euery day fedde Elias, and The Rauens fed Elias. brought him bread and flesh euery morning and euery eue­ning, and he dranke of the brooke Cherith; thence went Elias to Sarepta, and there mette with a poore widowe gathering stickes, of whom he asked a morsell of bread, and a little wa­ter, and the woman said, I haue but one handfull of meale in a barrel, and a little oile in a cruse, which I am about to make readie for me and for my sonne, that we may eate before we die: for there was no hope of any more sustenance: yet of The famine of Samaria. that little she had, she gaue vnto the Prophet of God some part thereof, for the which afterward the barrell was full al­waies of meale, and the cruse full of oile, vntill plentie of foode came, as Elias saide: hee restored the widowes sonne being dead, to life againe.

He was sent to Achab to shewe Gods mercie to him, and to his people in Samaria: for the famine was great, and God pitied the wicked for the godlies sake, and strengthned Elias with his spirite, to doe great miracles, by sending downe fire from heauen to burne the sacrifice, which he had prepared to his God, to reproue Baals prophets, therefore 400. of Baals 400. false pro­phets slaine. prophets were slaine by Elias, at the brooke Kishon, whome their god Baal could not helpe.

But Elias was sought therefore of Iezebel Achabs wife: she thought to reuenge the deaths of her Prophets, yet her rage and furie failed, and her purpose missed of Elias. Achab by Ie­zebels counsell, exercised all crueltie and tyrannie: Naboth was killed for his vineyarde by Iezabels counsell: and by the Wicked Ie­zebel. wickednes of his wife, Achab became a vile Idolater, a cruell murtherer, and as one that wholy gaue him selfe to serue sinne.

Nowe while Achab was in committing one euill vpon an other in Samaria, the peace ended which was made for three 1. Reg. cap. 22. Ioseph. lib. 8. cap. 8. yeeres, betweene Achab king of Israel, and Benhadad king of Sy­ria: for after that Achab had victorie ouer Benhadad king of Sy­ria, (for when Samaria was besieged by the king of Syria, and [Page 61] the hostes of the Aramites filled the countrey, yet God gaue the victorie to Achab. God before went about with signes and miracles to drawe Achab from his impietie, and nowe he giueth him victories, whereby he should acknowledge the Lord to be his God) yet still trusting to his false prophets, he ioyned the second time with Iosaphat king of Iuda, & went to Ramoth Gilead, to fight againe with the king of Syria, where Achab was slaine, and he was brought to Samaria to be buri­ed, Achab slaine and is buried in Samaria according to the Oracle of Elias.

When the king was thus slaine, the battell was ended: Io­saphat returned to Ierusalem, for Iosaphat had made affinitie with Achab: for Ioram Iosaphats sonne, had married the daugh­ter of Achab, named Athalia, a wicked woman, such as her mo­ther Iezabel was.

Thus Iosaphat walked in Dauids waies, and sought not Baa­lim: he was vertuous and godly, and followed the comman­dements of God, and forsooke the trade of Israel: he aboli­shed idolatrie from Iuda, and prospered in riches and honor, yet he was reproued and rebuked by the Prophet, for that he would helpe the wicked, and loue them that hated the Lord: for the wrath and iudgement of God is ouer all those that support the wicked. But in respect of his care and zeale The peace and quietnes in Iosaphats dayes. which he had ouer Iuda, he had happie successe in all his re­giment.

In the 25. yeere of his reigne, he called all the Elders and chiefe officers of Iuda before him, commanded them seuere­ly to walke vprightly before God, and to reade the lawes of God to the people, and to acquaint them with the true religi­on: his reward was therefore peace and quietnes within Iu­da: praemium piorum pax. For the Philistims paied their ordina­rie tribute euery yeere, and the Arabians (as Iosephus saieth) paied yeerely to Iosaphat 630. Lambes, and so many yong kids. The Lord gaue to Iosaphat victories ouer the Ammonits, Ammonites, Moabites, I­dumeans, by Iosaphat ouer­throwne. Moabites, and Idumeans: for the children of Ammon and Mo­ab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, and one slewe an other.

[Page 62] Thus God gaue vnto him marueilous victories ouer his enemies, and Iuda flourished 25. yeeres, the whole time of Iosaphats gouernment, the time of his father Asa, and the time of his Grandfather Abia, three good kings of Iuda, during the time of 69. yeeres, Iuda preuailed against Israel.

After Iosaphats daies, his sonne Ioram succeeded, who of­fended Ioram succee­ded Iosaphat his father. the Lorde, and walked in the waies of the kings of I­srael, and followed the steppes of his father in lawe Achab. Io­ram made him selfe strong, beganne in his first entring vnto the kingdome, to play the tyrant: for hee slewe all his bre­thren with the sworde, and therefore Edom rebelled against Edom rebel­led against Iuda. Iuda, because he had forsaken the God of his fathers.

The Philistims were stirred vp against Ioram, and the Arabi­ans: The Phili­stines were stirred vp a­gainst Ioram. he was cruell, and became a tyrant euen vnto those, whome by nature he ought to haue most chiefly defended. But Elias prophesied to him the rewarde and iustice of God that would ensue thereof, as Ioram afterwards felt: for as he spared no blood, but made hauocke of his brethren, and of his countrey, with the sworde: so it happened to him, to his wiues, and to his children, by the Arabians, and other barba­rous people of the Ethiopians, who inuaded his countrey, dis­possessed him of his life and liuing, & such calamities which with his eies he sawe: he died most miserably, his guttes gu­shing out, being in the displeasure of God and man.

Thus is idolatrie rewarded: one onely sonne named O­chosias, Idolatry re­warded. and that the yongest, escaped the sworde, and he suc­ceeded his father, as wicked as hee, a very Idolater, for hee could not be good, being the sonne of Ioram, borne of A­thalia, the daughter of Achab: hee followed his mothers counsell, and walked in the way of Achab, and went with Io­ram Achabs sonne, to fight against Hazael, king of Syria, and he Ioram fought against Hazael king of Siria. Iehu slue Ha­zael. was in that warre wounded, and after taken by Iehu king of Israel, who hiding him selfe in Samaria, Iehu slewe him and Ioram king of Israel, for so he was of God commaunded, and after a while he brake the necke of Iezabel Achabs wife, and Iehu brake Ie­zabels necke. reigned him selfe king in Israel, who was by God appointed [Page 63] to execute iudgement vpon the house of Achab.

This king Iehu was annointed king for that purpose: Ocho­sias liued Ochosias liued but one yere. Athalia a cru­el Queene. Athalia de­stroyed all the kings seede only I [...]as sa­ued. 2 Cron. 23. 2. The stocke of Salomon peri­shed. but one yere: which when his mother Athalia heard of, she rose & destroied all the kings seede, to the intent that there should be none to make title to the crowne, that there­by she might vsurpe the gouernment: onely Iosias was saued by Iorams daughter, who had maried Iehoiada the high Priest, and his owne sister. This time by the tyrannie of this wicked Queene, the stock of Salomon the sonne of Dauid perished, & the kingdom of Iuda fell to the posteritie of Nathan, an other sonne of Dauid, of whose house it pleased God that Messias should be borne, so that the posteritie of Salomon was altoge­ther extinguished. This Queene restored the temple of Baal, & raised vp altars, & nourished false prophets and priests to False Pro­phets nouri shed & priests to maintaine Idolatrie in Iuda. maintaine idolatrie in Iuda. This Queene reigned 7. yeeres, then was she slaine at the commandement of Iehoiada the hie Priest, the house of Baal destroied, and his altars broken, and Mattan the Priest of Baal slaine. Ioas nowe beganne to roote out all idolatrie, and to set in order all thinges in Iuda: hee Ioas began to roote out Ido­latrie. pleased God, and walked in his waies, while Iehoiada the high Priest liued, who was a faithfull Counsellor vnto him.

But after his death, Ioas wanted good councell: he follow­ed Ioas wanted good counsell, and therefore followed flat­terers. flatterers, and by them he was brought to idolatrie, and after to tyrannie, which alwaies ioyne together: for Ioas killed Zacharie the sonne of Iehoiada the high Priest, and a Prophet of the Lorde, who had saued him from the tyrannie of Athalia. Ioas killed Za­chary the sonne of Ieho­iada. This is that Zacharie of whom Christ maketh mētion in Luke, saying, that from the blood of Abel the iust, vnto the blood of Zacharie the Prophet, &c. But what came of this? The king of Aram, he came with a small company against Ioas, against Iu­da, The king of Aram came with a small company a­gainst Ioas, Iu­da and Ierusa­lem. and Ierusalem, and destroied all the princes of the people, and sent all the spoile of them vnto the king of Damascus, and Ioas him selfe was of his owne seruants slaine.

In Ioas time, Elizeus the Prophet died, and Homer liued, the first and most ancient learned amongest the Grecians. While Elizeus the Prophet died. Ioram the sonne of Achab reigned king in Israel, and Ioram [Page 64] the sonne of Iosaphat reigned king in Iuda, being ioyned in af­finitie by marriage. In other countreies reigned Persusennis Persusennis & Cheopes, kings in Egypt. king in Egypt: from this king, and from Cheopes his predeces­sor in Egypt, doeth Herodotus make mention, not of the nom­ber, but of the names of the kings of Egypt. In Athens gouer­ned Mezades 30. yeeres, the 6. Iudge, and in Corinth likewise Mezades. Agelas the 6. king. In the daies of Ioram king of Iuda, reigned ouer the Latines the 10. king Tiberinus Siluius 8. yeeres.

This king being drowned in the riuer called then Albula, Tiber first cal. Albula. afterward named Tiber, after his owne name, Agrippa Siluius succeeded him the 11. king, and he reigned 40. yeeres ouer the Latines. In Lacedemonia, Archelaus the 7. king, who reigned 60. yeeres ouer the Lacedemonians. The people of Rhodes at this time were lordes of the seas. Pigmalion reigned king in Tyre 40. yeeres: and in the 7. yeere of his reigne, his sister Dido (as Iosephus saith) builded Carthage, 143. yeeres after the Carthage buyl­ded. building of Salomons Temple, and before the building of Rome, 135. Error is in Functius, and in other, in the time of the building of Carthage.

There was about this time of Ioas, a king that reigned o­uer the Tuscans, named Felcinus: he builded the chiefe citie of the Tuscans, and named it after his owne name Felcina. The Romanes long after that, called that towne, and the countrey it selfe was called Gallia Aurelia.

Nowe to the kings of Israel and Iuda. After that Ioas had bene slaine by his owne seruants, for the stoning to death of Zacharias: Amazias Ioas his sonne succeeded him: who in the Amazias king of Iuda. beginning of his reigne shewed him selfe godly, and did exe­cute things vprightly, but not with a perfect heart, in respect of his predecessors: he was called a good king: he reuenged the death of Ioas his father, and putteth them to death that He reuenged his fathers death. slewe him: he made prouision for warres, and nombred all the men, and hired a hundreth thousand valiant men out of Israel, for an hundreth talents of siluer, though he was forbid­den by God so to doe. He ouer com­meth the E­domites.

But Amazias went forwards, and slewe the Edomites, and [Page 65] Amalekites, euen 20000. But the men of Israel requited that slaughter: they fell vpon the cities of Iuda, from Samaria vnto Bethoron, as they returned from Amazias to Samaria backe: and Amazias after the victorie he had ouer the Idumeans, He commit­teth Idolatrie. brought their gods and their idols of Seir, and set them vp to be his gods, and worshipped them.

But the gods of Edom brought Amazias to the handes of Ioas king of Israel, and he was afterwards slaine by conspira­cie, Amazias slaine by conspiracy. fleeing from Ierusalem to Lachis. While Amazias reigned in Iuda, Ioram liued in Samaria, and gouerned Israel, and Ioram also gouerned Iuda of that name, and at that time: so two Io­rams reigned together, one in Iuda, the other in Samaria: af­ter whome succeeded Ieroboam his sonne in Israel.

In the time of Amazias king of Iuda, Sardanapalus reigned Sardanapalus. in Assyria their last king, after whom the Assyrians lost their Monarchie: for Belochus had Babylon and Niniue, the two chiefe seates of the kings of Chaldea and Assyria. Arbaces helde Media and Persia vnder his gouernment. Hitherto nei­ther the Assyrians nor Chaldeans molested Israel: but after­wards God stirred them vp for his scourges, to punish Iuda and Samaria for their idolatrie, and after them, the Medes and Persians were as though they were the hammers of God, to destroy offenders.

After Amazias succeeded his sonne Vzias, named also A­zaria: Vzias. him did all the people of Iuda make king in steede of his father: he was but sixteene yeeres of age when he began to reigne in Israel. VVhile he obeied God, he prospered in 2. Cron. cap. 26. all his enterprises. Hee ouerthrewe the Philistims, brake downe the walles of Gath and Ashdod, God helped him, and prospered him against the Arabians, and the Ammonites: hee builded towres in Ierusalem, and towres in the wildernes: his fame spread to Egypt, and all the nations about Ierusalem were vnder his winges: but he waxed proude, vsurped the Priestes office, and he was punished and driuen out of the Temple, and the leprosie rose in his forehead: for he trans­gressed Vzias leprosie. against God, to presume to burne incense, which [Page 66] was the Priestes office in the Temple, being forbidden and resisted by Azaria, and foure score other Priests. Therefore he liued afterwards as a leper vnto the day of his death, in a Esai prophe­cied. house by himselfe.

Vnder this king Esai began to prophecie, and he prophe­cied 80. yeeres the fall of these great kingdomes, Egypt, Sy­ria, Assyria, Chaldea, and Tyre. Hee likewise prophecied of Kittim, and of the Macedonians. This Prophet was by Ma­nasses Kittims the Romans. king of Iuda martyred, & cut in his middle with a sawe.

Nowe during the time of this king Vzias, ruled in Israel Zachariah, the sonne of Ieroboam, being the last king of Israel that had the kingdome by succession of Iehu: for hee was the fourth in descent from Iehu: for so the Lord said to Iehu, Thy sonnes shall sit on the throne of Israel, vnto the fourth gene­ration after thee.

Shallum reigned a moneth king in Samaria, and Manahem slue him, and reigned in his stead. In the 39. yeere of Vzia, be­ganne Manahem to reigne in Samaria: he likewise sought not God, but with money sought the fauour of Phulasser king of Manahem. Ashur, the father of Salmanassar, and graundfather of Sanehe­rib infidels, and enemies of God, and therefore God was wroth, so that Manahem prospered not, and his sonne Peka­hia Pekahiah. succeeded him in Israel, and reigned two yeeres and died.

Nowe after Vzias dayes, his sonne Ioatham succeeded him in the kingdgme of Iuda, a man of great vertue, godly, and iust, and seeking to please God. Hee builded many ruinous things, by reason still of warres, and he was carefull to mend things amisse, so that Ioatham became mightie, because he di­rected Ioatham king of Iuda. his wayes before the Highest: he fought with the Am­monites and preuailed, and they paied him tribute. The Olym­piads of Greece began in the second yeere of Ioatham. The Olympi­ads began.

About which time, Romulus the first king and builder of Rome was borne: In Ioathams dayes beganne first the king­dome of Lydia. Ezechias also was borne this time: some sup­pose Ezechias and Romulus borne that in Greece Lycurgus the lawe maker of the Lacedemo­nians florished in these dayes, after whom, the kings in Lace­demonia [Page 67] failed, and the gouernement was altered.

Nowe when Ioatham had reigned sixteene yeeres, Achas succeeded in Iuda, wicked, vngodly, cruell, and a great Ido­later, like his predecessours: hee made moulten Images for Baalim, he burned his sonne, and sacrificed him vnto Idols, and deuils, and therefore the Aramites smote him, and Pe­kah 2. Reg. 16. king of Israel slue in Iuda sixe score thousand in one day, and tooke prisoners two hundreth thousands, and brought all the spoiles and treasures vnto Samaria.

Thus Iuda was destroyed, & vtterly almost ouerthrowne at that time. Achas after this great slaughter, did sende to Salmanasser king of Ashur, gaue him golde and siluer, and promised him more money, but it helped him not: for A­chas sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, and to the gods of Aram, or of Syria, which was the onely cause of his destru­ction, which Esai the Prophet had warned him of.

After hee had reigned in Iuda sixteene yeeres, hee dyed, 3215 in whose dayes Romulus and Remus beganne to build Rome. Dionysius writeth, that the walles of Rome were begunne in the one and twentieth day of Aprill, and in the first yeere of the seuenth Olympiad.

After this spoile and great slaughter of Iuda, Salmanasser king of Ashur came vp against Samaria, after that Hosea had Hosea the last king of Israel. reigned nine yeeres, of the which he payed tribute for eight yeeres, and in the ninth of his reigne he was taken prisoner, and the Citie of Samaria giuen to the Babylonians, and to the Samaria ta­ken 212. af­ter it was builded by Omri. men of Hamath, and to the men of Succoth, and to the other strangers, which the king of Ashur brought to dwell in Sa­maria in steade of the people of Israel: and the tenne tribes of Israel were caried away captiue vnto the Cities of the Medes.

Thus was Israel dispossest from glory and libertie, and caried captiue by Nabonasser, vnto Assyria, after they had Israel caried to Babylon. continued two hundred fiftie and three yeeres after Salo­mons dayes, and after the going of Israel out of Egypt seuen 262. hundred seuentie and nine yeeres, in the tenth Olympiad.

[Page 68] This last thraldome fell vpon them for idolatrie and blas­sphemie, which Israel against their God committed, hauing so often tasted of his mercie, and seene his workes in defen­ding them alwaies, euen from their going out of Egypt, where they were in slauerie and bondage 430. yeeres, vntill nowe againe they are caried captiues and bondmen from Samaria Sinne the cause of Gods wrath. their natiue countrey vnto Babylon, 779. yeeres after their go­ing out of Egypt: for they so prouoked the Lorde to wrath, euen from Ieroboams time, who builded Dan and Bethel, and e­rected golden calues therin to be worshipped, vnto the time of Osea the last king: during which time, 19. kings reigned in Israel, of the which not one walked before God sincerely, but with horrible blasphemie & most wicked idolatry, they wor­shipped idols and images, wherefore God gaue them ouer one to kill an other, and one to destroy an other, vntil Nabo­nasser, which is Salmanassers time, who caried them prisoners vnto other strange countreies, and set strangers to dwell in Samaria.

CHAP. VI.

THis time reigned in Ierusalem Ezechias, a Ezechias. godly zealous king, who destroied idols, and brake in peeces the brasen serpent, he tooke away the high places, & cut downe the groues, the altars, their images and i­dols, and walked before God vprightly, and in the 14. yeere of his reigne came Senaherib with an huge host to Iuda, spoiling and destroying Senaherib laid siege to Hierusalem. Libna, Lachis, and other cities, laide siege to Ierusalem, threat­ned the king, and blasphemed God most horribly, challen­ging the gods of the nations, and defying the God of Israel, preferring the armies of flesh, and the strength of his hoste.

But his bragging & boasting was sharply punished by the Angel of God, who slew at that time of the Assyrians an hun­dreth [Page 69] foure score and fiue thousand, and Senacherib him selfe 185. thousand slaine of the Assyrians by the Angel. Sanacharib slaine by his sonnes before his Idoll in the temple. before his idoll Niseroch, whom he worshipped & preferred before the liuing God, was slaine of his owne sonnes Adra­melech & Sarezer, the iust iudgement of God for blasphemie.

After this, Ezechias fell sicke, and was restored to health, in signe whereof God brought the Sunne 10. degrees backe in Achas diall: this good king repaired the Temple, instru­cted the Leuites in the religion: he and all his princes of Iuda frequented the Temple, sacrificed daily to their God oblati­ons of thanks giuing, and he commanded all the Nobles of Israel and Iuda, from Dan to Bersheba, to repaire to Ierusalem to keepe the Passeouer to the Lorde, which Passeouer was so great, that the like was not in Israel.

This Passeouer vnder Ezechias, was 775. yeeres after the 2. Cron. cap. 30. Ezechias Pas­seouer. Passeouer of Moses, and 775. yeeres before the Passeouer of Christ our Sauiour in the Newe Testament. Now after that Ezechias had destroied idolatrie, and had appointed Priestes and Leuites according to the commandement of God, prai­ed for his people, and prouided for the Leuites liuings, and ordained ouerseers to distribute to euery Leuite his portion: Israel prospered all the daies of Ezechias, and all things went well with Iuda.

But Ezechias being deade, Manasses his sonne succeeded Ezechias died Manasses suc­ceeded him. Manasses Ido­latrie. him, not in religion, nor in godlines: (for he followed not his father Ezechias in vertue, but his Grandfather Achas in all kinde of vices:) for this most wicked king restored idolatrie in Israel, vsed great crueltie, and he erected altars to Baal, and set vp images in groues: he practised witchcraft and sorcerie, and frequented the companie of them that had familiar spi­rits, and those that were soothsayers.

This king did much euill in the sight of God, he martyred the Prophet of God Esay, and consecrated his sonne in fire to his idoll: he shed innocent blood, and filled Ierusalem with iniquitie. Beholde, such a good father to haue such a wicked sonne. But the Lord God stretched ouer Ierusalem the line of Samaria, & the plummet of the house of Achab, and promised [Page 70] to destroy Iuda, as he had destroied Israel: so he did with Ma­nasses, and gaue him to Assur, and to his Captaines, who brought him in fetters, and bound in chaines to Babylon.

But when he was in tribulation in Babylon, he called then Manasses a­gaine restored to his king­dome. vpon God, and God heard him, and deliuered him, and resto­red him to his kingdome: so merciful is God when he is cal­led vpon: for by this God instructed him to know him selfe, and to humble him selfe before God, whome he much abu­sed. You may read in the bookes of the Kings, & in the Chro­niches, the histories of the kings of Israel at large.

Manasses died, and left behind him Amon his sonne, who Amon king of Iudah. reigned 2. yeeres in Ierusalem: he forsooke God also, & wal­ked in the waies of Achas, and he was slaine by his owne ser­uants which conspired against him in his owne house, & the people made Iosias his sonne king ouer Iuda, who beganne to Iosias king of Iudah. reigne in Ierusalem in the 8. yeere of his age, and in that age he was instructed by God to haue care ouer the people of Isra­el: he sent messengers vnto all the townes, cities, and coun­tries, & territories, to cal the Priests, the Leuits, the Nobles, and all men of what degree soeuer, to come to Ierusalem, where he him selfe read the bookes of Moses vnto the people, with oblations and sacrifices vnto God for the sinnes of Isra­el: and those Priests that were not of Aarons stocke, that ser­ued idols and images, he commanded them to be slaine: and whatsoeuer he found in Israel of the reliques of Ieroboam, he destroied, and burned the bones of the false prophets vpon the altars that Ieroboam erected: his zeale was prophesied of by Iaddo, 300. yeeres before Iosias was borne. Iaddo the Pro­phet.

Iosias hauing repaired the Temple, and hauing found the booke of the Law, he maketh a couenant with the Lord, that he and his people should walke before God vprightly and iustly. After that, he killed their Priestes, he brought downe their idols, he slew the coniurers, sorcerers, and soothsayers, and he burned the Priestes of Baal called Chemarims, whome Chemarims Baals priests. the kings of Iuda had founded to burne incense in high pla­ces; & euery place of Iuda to the Sunne, to the Moone, to the [Page 71] planets, and to all the hostes of heauen. His zeale encreased more and more, he threw downe the altars of Achas, and the altars of Manasses: hee had put also downe the horses, the charets which the idolatrous kinges had dedicated to the Sunne: he ouerthrewe the abominable idolatrie of Salo­mon 2. Reg. 23. in the mount of Oliues, called also in the Chronicles the mount of corruption, where Salomon builded vp altars and groues to Ashtaroth the idoll of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the Ashtaroth, Che­mosh and Mil­com. idol of the Moabites, & for Milchom the idol of the Ammonits.

In Iosias time all Iudea flourished with the seruice of God, and the lawes of the Countreies were put in practise: for there was in euery citie among the Hebrewes a chiefe Magi­strate, as a Prince or Iudge, to determine causes in equitie & iustice among the people. But in the Metropolitane Citie, which was Ierusalem, were 70. wise & graue men, whose court or consistorie was kept in Gazith. The Iewish Talmudists na­med these Sanhedrin: these passed both in nomber & in dig­nitie other Magistrates: these first gouerned in Silo, & after in Sanhe [...]rin. Ierusalem elected by Moses, by the expresse word of God: these Silo. were Iudges for life & death, & according to the custome & lawes of the Hebrewes, they were to condemne offendors 4. kind of waies: by running vpon a man to death, by stoning, by burning, and by strangling. That day that these iudged any offender to death, they obstained from meate. These Councellers continued vntill Herods time, and kept their Court at Gazith. Beside these Sanhedrioth, which were 71. were also twelue Princes ouer the people, of euery tribe of Israel one, which gouerned the whole twelue tribes of the people. Some write, that in euery Citie were seuen of euery tribe.

But this good king was slaine in Mageddo, by Necho king of Egypt, who went vp at that time against the king of As [...]hur, wherein Iosias did offend God, because he consulted not with the Lord, before he sought with Necho.

In Iosias time, in the 13. yere of his reigne, Ieremie began to Ieremie began to prophecie the 13. of Io­sias. prophesie the destruction of Ierusalem, & he foreshewed of [Page 72] the captiuitie of Babylon, of the miserie of the Iewes, of the fa­mine, and of the last ruine by Nabuchadonosor: and howe af­terward that king could not be quiet, but was troubled with one dreame and other, seeking soothsayers, wise men of Ba­bel, coniurers, sorcerers, to interprete his visions & dreames: his vision of the 4. beastes, of the 10. hornes, of the battel be­tweene the Ramme and the Goate, of the great image whose head was gold, &c.

In Iosias time reigned in Media Phaortes the 6. king of the Medes, and in Lidia reigned Ardis the 6. king of the Lidians: Media, Lidia, and Rome, welnigh o [...] one continu­ance. for (as I wrote before) Lidia, Media, and Rome, began welnigh together. In Babylon reigned Nabuchodonosor the first of that name, and the father of Nabuchodonosor the Great: yet some take exception against the first Nabuchodonosor, saying that there was none such, as Beroaldus affirmeth. He was the 3. king Beroald. lib 3. of the Chaldeans, after Merodachs time. In Rome gouerned Tul­lius Hostilius, their 3. king, who was now in warre with the Sa­bines, and in Macedonia, Philip the 6. king: about which time the Grecians vsed first the Oracle called Dodonium oraculum.

Nowe in Locretia reigned Zaleuchus, a famous Law maker, and more famous for the keeping of his lawes being made, euen against his owne sonne that should succeede after him king, as in an other place you may read more. Sibylla which is called Herophila, was of great fame in Samos at this time. Hero­dotus writeth, that Batius the first king of Cyrena builded Zoan, Herodot. lib. 4. and after builded Cyrenes, and furnished the same with peo­ple of Tyre, and of Greece. In the beginning of Iosias gouern­ment, florished the great Historiographer Archilochus, whose authoritie for time is with the best approued: for he wrote a booke entituled De temporibus, with whom at one time liued Simonides, and Aristoxenes the Musition. Iosias began to reigne in the 30. Olympiad, and died in the 37. Olympiad, and 16. Iubile of the Iewes.

After Iosias, Ioachim his sonne succeeded: for Necho king Iosias slaine. of Egypt, after hee had killed Iosias in Mageddo, hee gaue the kingdome to this Ioachim, called also Eliachim, paying 100. [Page 73] talents of siluer, and one talent of gold, for yeerely tribute Ioachim brought cap­tiue to Baby­lon. vnto Egypt. But Necho within a while was ouerthrowen in battell by Nabuchodonosor the great, and the tribute which the Iewes paied vnto Necho now being slayne in the field by Necho slaine by the king of Chaldea. the king of Chaldea, was paied to Nabuchodonosor. But I haue writtē of this Ioachim & of his sonne that succeeded him, cal­led also Ioachin, or Iechonia, & of Nabuchodonosor, in the histo­ries of the Chaldeans, how they were subdued by Nabuchodo­nosor, Iere. 36. Ioseph. lib. 10. c. 8. 9. whom God raised to destroy the rest of Israel the tribe of Iuda and the tribe of Beniamin. With this Iechonia was Da­niel, Ananias, Azaria and Misael, caried captiue to Babylon: of whom Nabuchodonosor had care to instruct them in the Chal­dean tongue, whereby they might serue the king and be in fa­uour. It was the kings will that they should bee of Zedechias bloud, of the best fauour, and of the best complection. Some write that this captiuitie began from the 3. yeere of Ioachim, vnto the 20. yeere of Cyrus. Some other write that it began Some varie a­bout the time of the capti­uitie. from the preaching of Ieremie, which was the 13. yeere of Io­sias, vnto the first yeere of Cyrus: and others, in the eleuenth yeere of Zedechias.

They would not heare Ieremie the Prophet, who did fore­shew the calamitie and miserie that should come vpon Ieru­salem: but they despised him, imprisoned him, and burned his bookes, vntill an huge infinite armie of the Chaldeans laid siege to Ierusalem 18. moneths, and that it was at length taken and destroied, after much famine and plague during the time of these 18. moneths, after that 21. kings of Dauids tribe raig­ned in Ierusalem for the space of 500. yeeres and odde, coun­ting 21. Kings of Israel. as Iosephus saith, beginning from Sauls raigne, which was of another tribe.

The wonders which were seene, before Ierusalem was de­stroied, Ioseph. lib. 7. cap. 12. besides the threatning of the Prophets, were such, as might well perswade the Iewes of their calamities and mise­ries not then beleeued, but afterwards felt. The first time they The first won­der. saw right ouer the citie of Ierusalem a firie burning Comete, most like a bloodie naked sword flourishing to and fro ouer [Page 74] the citie, which continued for the space of one whole yeere.

The 2. wonder was a sudden cleere shining light, as bright as day light being in the night time. This light onely shined The 2. won­der. about Salomons Temple, and about the sacrificing altars, the which the Iewes construed to be their better fortune, wherin they were deceiued.

The 3. wonder was, that an Oxe being brought to the The 3. won­der. Temple to bee slaine and sacrificed vpon a festiuall day, ac­cording to the Iewish maner, that it brought foorth against the course of nature a Lambe in the middest of the temple, which was terrible and monstrous.

The 4. wonder was, that the East brasen gate of Salomons Temple being so great and so heauie with iron barres and The 4. won­der. great brasen bolts, that Vix à viginti viris clauderetur, the very wordes of Iosephus, that 20. strong men could scant shut that gate, opened of it selfe most willingly. The barres loosed, the bolts yeelded, that some of the ignorant Iewes prognostica­ted the opening of the Temple should bee some great good thing to come.

The fift wonder was seene vpon the 21. day of May, which seemed to be an hoste of men armed running on horsebacke, The 5. won­der. and in charets, aboue the Citie in the skies, a little before Sunne setting.

The sixt wonder, when the priests went vnto the temple in the feast of Pentecost, as they were woont to do by night, to The 6. won­der. celebrate diuine seruice, they vpon a sudden felt the ground quiuer vnder their feete, and the temple shooke, and a voyce speaking, Migremus hinc, let vs depart hence.

Yet a more horrible wonder there was, the daily crying The 7. won­der. and exclaiming of a countrey man Iesus the sonne of Ananus, who for 7. yeeres and 5. moneths before the destruction, cea­sed not in euery corner of the Citie, in euery streete, and spe­cially in the temple vpon the Sabboth day, saying, Vox ab ori­ente, vox ab occidente, vox à quatuor ventis, vox in Ierosolymam & templum, & vox in omnē hunc populum, continuing still this cry, though he was punished by the magistrates, and brought be­fore [Page 75] Albinus the Roman, which was then Caesars deputie in Ieru­salem, in somuch as he was thought to be some furious foole, that he was left after whipping alone, who cried, Vae, vae ciuita­ti, vae phano, vae populo, and last of all he said, vae mihi. This Iose­phus saw with his eies, & heard with his eares, who wrote this historie. A greater wonder then all these, The true Messias The 8. won­der. Christ, 40. yeeres before told of this, & yet was not beleeued. Ierusalem (as it was oftentimes) was neuer destroied, but they were warned before by the prophets of God: but they would not know the time of their visitation, and therfore came these euils vpon the Iewes: the towne sackt and made euen to the ground, their temple burned, & themselues slaine, destroied and scattered from the face of the whole earth.

Now Ierusalem being thus destroyed, the temple burned, the people slaine, and the king Zedechia taken prisoner and brought to Babylon where he died: Nabuchodonosor like a fierce Lion proceedeth forward, inuaded Syria, subdued the Ammo­nites and the Moabites, brought his armie to Egypt, slew the king, subdued the countrey, and brought those Iewes backe to Babylon that had fled from Ierusalem to Egypt.

This was the miserie of the Iewes, and the last confusion of The misery of the Iewes. Iuda. The historie of this king concerning the last end of the Iewes, no where may be better read then with the Prophets. Nabuchodonosor had a sonne called Euilmerodach, who after the Euilmerodach. death of his father enlarged Iechonia from prison, and vsed him princely: for Iechonia in respect of Ierusalem, and the people therein being by Ieremie the prophet perswaded thereto, yel­ded himself, his wife, his children, his nobles, and all the two tribes, vnto the hands of Nabuchodonosor.

Ieremie, Ezechiel and Daniel, haue laid downe the ful histo­rie The captiuity of Babylon. of Nabuchodonosor and of Euilmerodach, and of Balthasar, the three last kings of the Chaldeans, in whose time the empire of Babylon was had away from the Chaldeans vnto the Persians by Cyrus. This was the stocke of Dauid, being 21. kings after Da­uid, lineally from his bodie descending, ended, whose names are these,

• [Page 76] 1 Salomon.
• 2 Rehoboam.
• 3 Abia.
• 4 Asa.
• 5 Iosaphat.
• 6 Ioram.
• 7 Ochosias & his mother.
• 8 Athalia.
• 9 Ioas.
• 10 Amazias.
• 11 Azaria.
• 12 Iotham.
• 13 Achas.
• 14 Ezechias.
• 15 Manasses.
• 16 Ammon.
• 17 Iosias.
• 18 Ioachas.
• 19 Eliacim.
• 20 Ioachim.
• 21 Zedechias.

The kingdome of Iuda caried cap [...]ue by Nabuchodonosor into Babylon after it had continued

• After the death of Salomon 395. yeeres.
• After the flud 1709. yeeres.
• After the natiuitie of Abra­ham, 1416.
• After the burning of Sodom and Gomorrha, and the other three Cities, 1317.
• After the departure of the Is­raelites out of Egypt, 912.
• After the destruction of Troy, 577.
• From the natiuitie of Da­uid, 505.
• From the dedicating of Sa­lomons temple, 412.
• And after the taking of Sa­maria, and the destructi­on of the ten tribes of Is­rael, 133. yeeres.

CHAP. VII.

AFter the captiuitie of the Iewes, Daniel grew in great fauour with Nabuchodono­sor, being by God instructed to expound the dreames of the king, and to vanquish Bel and all his priests, and to conuert Na­buchodonosor to acknowledge God after he saw a dreame of foure beastes which came vp from the sea one differing from another. The first was a Lion which had Eagles wings, and the wings thereof [Page 77] were pluckt off, and a mans heart was giuen him, meaning the Chaldeans and the Assyrians which were strong and fierce, The Chalde­ans and the Assyrians. and yet their power ouerthrowen by the Persians power. The second beast like a Beare, which had three ribs in his mouth betweene his teeth, meaning the Persians which were barba­rous The Medes and Persians. and cruell. The third was like a Leopard, which had vp­on his backe foure wings of a fowle: this beast also had foure heads, signifying, Alexander the great with his foure cap­tains, which after Alexanders death had the empire among them: for Cassander was king of Macedone, and Antipater after The Macedo­nians and Grecians. him. Saleucus had Babylon and Asia the great, and Antigonus had Asia the lesse, and Ptolomeus had Egypt.

The fourth beast which Daniel sawe, was fearefull and ter­rible: The fourth beast the Ro­mans. it had iron teeth, it deuoured and brake in pieces, and stampt the residue vnder his feete. This was meant by their Romane empire, a monster exceeding all kind of beasts: for the tyrannie and greedines of the Romanes excelled the rest: for that which the Romanes could not quietly enioy in other countries, they would giue it to other kings, vpon condicion to take them again when it pleased the Romanes. To this Da­niel was the vision of the 70. weekes opened by the angel Ga­briel, [...]. weekes. who enformed him and instructed him of the time of the Messias comming, saying: 70. weekes are determined vpon the people, and vpon the holy Citie, to finish the wic­kednes, to seale vp sinnes, to bring euerlasting righteousnes, and to annoint the most holy.

Now at what time the 70. weekes began, some contro­uersie there is: some from the first edict of Cyrus: some from Darius: and some from the time that Daniel spake it: and o­thers from the 7. yeere of Artaxerxes Longimanus, which was 80. yeeres after the first commandement of Cyrus.

The captiuitie of Babylon fell at that time when Tarquinius Priscus raigned in Rome, after whom the Romanes had no more The kings of Iuda, and the kings of Rome, ended almost about one time. kings after but two, so that the Iewes and the Romanes were gouerned by a state called Aristocratia of the Iewes. The 70. weekes, and the very last yeere of the captiuitie, was likewise [Page 78] the last yere of the Assyrians & Chaldeans: for euen they which saw the destruction of Ierusalem, sawe also the destruction of Babylon: and what spoile soeuer Nabuchodonosor brought from Ierusalem vnto Babylon, the same did Cyrus in the last yeere of The first re­turne of the Iewes in Cy­rus time. his raigne restore, with a commaundement giuen to all the princes that ruled vnder Cyrus, to suffer the Iewes againe frō all places where they were scattered, to returne to Iudea, to builde vp Ierusalem againe, and to repaire the temple: and if any were not able through pouertie to returne, king Cyrus commanded that they should be furnished with necessaries: for God raised vp Cyrus to bee a friend to his people, and hee called Zorobabel, who was the chiefe gouernour of the Iewes.

The nomber of them that returned from the captiuitie of Iuda, with the bountifulnes of Cyrus towardes them, you may in the booke of Esdras reade at large: For after that Cyrus was slaine by Tomiris in the warres of the Massegits, his sonne Cambyses succeeded him: who by the Samaritans complaint, commaunded the Iewes to staye from the buil­ding, Ioseph. lib. 7. cap. 3. and from their repairing of Ierusalem, which conti­nued 9. yeeres after. Cambyses returning from Egypt died at Damascus, after hee had subdued Egypt: succeeded Darius the sonne of Histaspis. Hee againe in the 2. yeere of his raigne au­thorized the Iewes to do as Cyrus had commanded them: for so Darius found in a coffer of Cyrus in Ecbatana, a booke wher­in Ecbatana the chiefe citie of the Medes. the acts of the kings of Medes & Persians were written, and the decree of Cyrus which he also established, by the meanes of Zorobabel in pleasing the king for his probleame, as it is written in Esdras. Esdras cap. 6.

But God still exercised his people with some crosses, be­cause of their stubbernes: for from the time they came home vnder Zorobabel, they had maried with the Gentiles, and offen­ded God vntill the comming of Esdras from Darius with au­thoritie to build, to repaire, and to inhabite Ierusalem: for so doth Bucholcerus in his Chronicles write, saying, that Daniel doeth comprehend in two words, Ierusalem inhabitabitur & [Page 79] aedificabitur, the whole summe of Esdras bookes. Nowe in the time of Darius, of Cambyses before him, and of Cyrus before Cambyses, God stirred vp diuers excellent men to helpe his people, to restore his Church, and to builde his city againe, as Zorobabel, Esdras, Nehemias with others, whose care, de­light, and zeale are extant in their owne bookes which they Zorobabel. wrote.

For after their returne from Babylon, there was peace and tranquilitie in Iudea vntil Ochus time, for Nehemias liued 130. yeres, and saw (being very old) a new broile, and a greater ca­lamitie of his coūtrey: for though the posteritie of Dauid cō ­tinued vntil the time of the Machabees as gouernors & Iudges of the people, not naming themselues kings, for the reue­rence and feare which they bare vnto the kings of Persia. Sala­thiels sonne first gouernor of the Iewes after the captiuitie of Babylon: Zorobabel of whom mention is made in Zacharie, ruled Israel wisely & discreetly 50. yeres. Resa Mesulla the 2. gouer­nour, in whose time Nehemias and Esdras came from Babylon to Ierusalem. After him succeeded Iohanna Benresa, the third Iudge who gouerned Israel 53. yeres. The 4. was Iudas Hirca­nus the first of that name, and thought of Melancthon to be so Melancthon lib. 2. Chron. called, for that Ochus king of Persia brought with him a nom­ber of the Iewes to Hircania, and therfore Iudas was sirnamed Hircanus. This iudged Israel when Alexander conquered Da­rius, & raigned 14. yeres. Then Ioseph the first, ruled the Iewes 7. yeeres. The 5. ruler after Ioseph came Abner to gouerne the Iewes, in whose time Ptolomeus the sonne of Lagi the first king of Egypt after Alexander the great, vnder pretence to do sacrifice vpon the Sabboth day, tooke the towne, spoiled the temple, slew & imprisoned the Iewes, and brought to Egypt infinite treasure. Now after this Abner, the 6. Iudge since the time of Alexāder, succeeded of Dauids stock, frō Abner to Ianna Hircanus the 2. who was the last of 15. gouernors ouer the Is­raelites Hircanus 2. the last of 15. go­uernours. after the captiuitie: for they cōtinued euen vnto the time of the Machabees. After this, Haman plaied his part, and thought to haue al the Iewes slaine, & cōmanded a gallowes [Page 80] to be made for Mardocheus: the historie hereof is found in the booke of Esther: for about the time of Cyrus death, the gouernment was then altered in Rome: Consuls were made after the building of Rome 244. yeres, & in the 67. Olympiad, in the beginning of the 9. Iubilie, at what time Cambises had subdued Egypt & brought them subiects to the lawes of Per­sia. After Cambises Darius went against the Getes, and ouer­threw Herodot. lib. 4. them, and his chiefe captaine Zopirus sonne Megabi­sus vanquished the Thracians, and subdued the Peonians and Cambyses went against the Getes. tooke Perinthus. During this time the Lacedemonians had warres against Policrates, the tyrant of Samos.

The Philosopher Pythagoras and Hippocrates the Phisition liued this time. While the Iewes (as you heard) were in plan­ting themselues in Ierusalem againe, the Graecians were busie one with another: Tyrants ruled Greece, and gouerned by the bloodie law of Draco: for Hipparchus and Hippias vsed ty­rannie in Athens, and were slayne both by Hermodius and A­ristogiton. Aristagoras a tyrant, reuolted and rebelled against Darius, which mooued Darius in armes against the Ionians, and ouerthrew them, and tooke their chiefe citie called Mi­letum. A litle after Miltiades the chiefe captaine of Athens, by the councel of Callimachus the famous Graecian, ouerthrewe Darius king of Persias lieutenant called Hippias, in the battell of Marathon, where he slewe 6300. Persians, as both Thucidides Herodot. 6. Thucidides 1. and Iustine doe report.

This ouerthrow of the Persians was at that very time when Tarquinius superbus made his last battel with the Romane Di­ctator Iustin. lib. 2. Posthumius, where he was put to flight, and after died in exile. Aristides surnamed the Iust, was banished this time from Greece, and Alcibiades called backe to Athens from his ba­nishment. Now Nehemia causing the law of Moses to bee read, as an ordinance to serue God, and reproouing them for their disobedience in ioining themselues with strangers, they were in some quietnesse for a time: though sometime murther and slaughter were betweene themselues commit­ted: for the which cause Bagoses the generall of Artaxerxes Ioseph. lib. 11. cap. 7. [Page 81] armie, vnderstanding that the high Priest slewe his brother in the Temple, being a deare friend to Bagoses, he plagued the Iewes againe for the space of seuen yeeres, and reuenged his death with slaughter and tribute: he placed Iaddus in the of­fice of the priesthood in his fathers place. This high priest had to his brother one named Manasses, which was sent to Samaria by Darius the last king of Persia.

A little while after this, Alexander the great, after that his Alexander the great. father Philip died, hauing brought his armie ouer the Greci­ans sea called Helespont, vnto the riuer of Granicus, hauing subdued the Lydians, Tyre besieged and taken, Thebes wasted and spoiled al Asia, he ouerthrew Darius the king of Persia, ca­rying his souldiers through Caria, inuaded Pamphilia, came ouer Euphrates vnto Syria, tooke Damascus, besieged Tyre and Sidon, and he wrote to Hierusalem to the hie Priest Iaddus, that his souldiers might haue passage without interruption, and also requiring the tribute that was paied to Darius to be paid Tribute to Alexander. to him, and to the crowne of Macedonia, for that Alexander had vanquished Darius, and had caried the Empire of Persia vnto Greece: they of Hierusalem were frighted and much ama­sed what to doe.

But cōcluding among themselues, they opened the gates, and the hie Priest came out with all the Priestes, the Elders, The solemne receiuing of Alexander the great vnto Ie­rusalem. and Nobles of the Citie in most solemne sort to meete Alex­ander out of Hierusalem, vnto a place named Sapha, and salu­ted Alexander most humbly, being in precious garments and pontifical robes, with his sacred mitre, whereupon was writ­ten the name of the God Iehoua.

The solemnitie and state whereof made Alexander to light The reue­rence of Alex­ander to the high Priest. from his horse, and to yeelde to the hie Priest more honour and reuerence, then his countreymen the Macedonians thought wel of, so great a king, so mightie a cōquerour, euen Alexander the great, to humble himselfe to a silie priest. Par­menio demaunding the cause of Alexander why he honoured the priest somuch, he answered, that he reuerenced God, whom the hie Priestrepresented at that time: for I dreamed [Page 82] of these men, euen as I behold them nowe when I was yet in Macedonia: This Priest exhorted me then to be of good cou­rage, and bade me goe forward with my armie to Persia.

Thus with great honor and solemne sacrifice was Alexan­der The benefits and good turnes of A­lexander. receiued vnto Ierusalem, where Daniels prophecies were brought vnto him, and where also it was read vnto him, that a king of Greece shoulde bring the Monarchie of Persia vnto Greece, which was himselfe. After all these things were done, Alexander shewed great courtesie, enlarged their common wealth, quieted the Samaritans their enemies, and brought all the Prouinces about vnder the Iewes. Againe hee graunted them what they woulde aske of him, permitted them to vse Alexanders be­nefits. their religion, to obserue their owne lawes, and also promi­sed that those Iewes which were scattered amongst the Calde­ans, Assyrians, and Medes, should haue such libertie to vse their religion and lawes, as they had in Ierusalem: and this continu­ed during the time of Alexander, which was but short. For when he died, the Empire was deuided betweene his No­bles: The successi­on of Alexan­der. Antigonus had Asia: Seleucus had Babylon: Lysimachus had Hellespont: Cassander had Macedonia, and Ptolomeus Lagi had E­gypt. These successors of Alexander, hauing continuall warres one with an other, which continued long, Ptolomeus king of Egypt came vpon the Sabbath day to Ierusalem, vnder pre­tence Ptolome the sonne of Lagi. to offer sacrifice to the God of Israel, tooke the towne, vsed the Citizens hardly, handled the Iewes most seuerely and sharpely, (they mistrusting him not) imprisoned them, and brought them with him in heapes to Egypt.

Thus still was Ierusalem exercised with tribulations and crosses: but God stirred vp this kings sonne Ptolome philadel­phus to them a friende, louing and beneficiall, wise, learned, Ptolome Phila. and most desirous not onely to doe them good, but also most willing to admit their lawes, their Religion to come to Egypt, and made a decree, that all the Iewes wheresoeuer they were by his father imprisoned and captiuated, shoulde be enlarged, & be set at libertie, which were aboue 100000. Iewes, as Ptolome in his Epistle written to the high Priest E­leazar doeth testifie: where lie entreateth Eleazar to send to [Page 83] Egypt, sixe of euery tribe of the best, wisest, and skilfullest men, to translate the Bible then being onely in the Hebrewe tongue, into the Greeke tōgue: for that Ptolome was most de­sirous to haue the Bible in Greeke to be in his studie, where The Bible first translated from Hebrue to Greeke. he had a hūdred & twentie thousand bookes in his Librarie.

In the dayes of this Ptoleme Lagi, florished Theophrastus the Philosopher, and Theodorus Athenaeus: he sent messengers for this purpose to Ierusalem Aristaeus, and one Andreas captaine of the Kings garde, with whome he sent 100. talents of siluer, to honour the Temple, and to doe sacrifice therein, besides viginti phialas aureas, triginta argenteas, quinque crateras, & Ioseph. lib. 12. cap. 12. mensam auream, which in Iosephus all at large are described, and set foorth worth the reading: which things being most gratefull vnto the high Priest, hee receiued them most lo­uingly, and vsed them with all humanitie and fauour, and sent with them 70. wise and discreete men which shoulde translate the Bible, as Philadelphus request was.

These seuentie men came to Alexandria, where after much welcome, long feasting, great conference, and disputations, so much he ioyed of their comming, and delighted in their company, that the king Philadelphus continued his feast 12. Polot. Philadel. dayes: where wisedome and learning were exercised, dispu­tations practised, arguments propounded, the questions whereof you may reade in a booke which Aristeus wrote on­ly Aristeus. concerning the meeting and comming togeather of these learned men. These seuentie interpreters so named, tran­slated 70. interpre­ters. the Bible from Hebrue into Greeke, in the yere of the world 3695. in the 24. Iubile, and in the 127 Olympiad, in the 12. yeere of Philadelphus reigne. About this time Megasthenes Megasthenes. Aratus. the Persian writeth his histories, & Aratus the great Astrolo­ger wrote his booke entituled Pheonomenon. Nowe when Phi­ladelphus had this sacred booke thus in Greeke translated, he reioyced much, and thought himselfe happy to haue such a booke in his Librarie: and so conferring with Demetrius, mu­sed greatly that neither Historiographers, Philosophers or Poets, had not translated this booke before.

But Demetrius tolde the cause to the king, saying, that the Demetrius. [Page 84] Heathens durst not attempt it: for diuers were punished for their rash enterprises to meddle therein, as Theopompus, who Theopompus. for writing of some sentences of the Scriptures amongst his owne prophane writings, was xxx. dayes depriued of his memorie, distracted of his minde, vntill by a vision in his sleepe, he was warned to knowe his faults, and to reconcile himself for the same. Euen so Theodecta the Poet, for putting Theodecta. a sentence of Gods booke presumptuously with his owne in a tragedie which he made, was mad for a time, and blind.

This learned king Philadelphus rewarded these 70. inter­preters The great li­beralitie of Philadelphus. at their departure in this sort: euery one of them had two talents of gold, 3. sutes of costly and rich apparell, and a standing golden cup, which wayed a whole talent, which by Budeus computation is 600. crownes, if it be golde: and A talent of gold 600. crownes. euery of them had of him a precious, costly and delicate bed, wrought with all silke. Moreouer, he sent by them to E­leazar the hie Priest 10. riche tables with siluer feete, with all things belonging thereunto, a Chalice of 30. talents, a dia­deme or a crowne ful of precious stones, two golden cuppes to be dedicated to the altar, 10. sutes of purple, with 100. ba­sens and censers of gold for sacrifice.

Thus much doth Iosephus report of this Ptolomeus Philadel­phus: but within a short time after this came Antiochus magnus, Antiochus Magnus. who had al Asia & Syria vnder his sword: he vexed the Iewes, spoiled the countrey, slue the Citizens, taketh the kingdome of Iudea, subdued Egypt: he full of all wickednes, setteth vp I­dols, altars, groues, and Chappels of Idols: he polluted the Sanctuarie, defiled the Sabbath and the feast, hee offered vp swines flesh and vncleane beastes. Antiochus thus played the part of a tyrant, that Ierusalē was desolate, the Citizens fled, the women and their children taken captiues, and Antiochus forced Israel to forsake their God, and to doe sacrifice to his The diffe­rence be­tweene the great Alex. and Antio­chus the great. Idoles, sending commissioners to all Iudea to see the execu­tion of them: so great difference was betweene two heathen kings, Alexander the great, and Antiochus the great, the one honoring the hie Priest, sacrificed in the Temple, brought [Page 85] all things vnder the Iewes againe, vsed great courtesie: the o­ther, Antiochus the great, stealed, wasted, robbed the Temple, the Citie, & all the Cities of Iuda, vntill Mattathias a godly zealous man, borne in the citie of Madis, saw how Antiochus blasphemed God, committed idolatrie in all Iudea, somed in blood, and practised al mischiefe and wickednesse.

He consulted with his fiue sonnes, Iohn, Iudas afterwarde The 5. sonnes of Mattathias. called Machabeus, Simon, Eleazar, and Ionathas, to whom hee opened the calamities of his countrey, the defacing of Moses lawes, the blasphemie and idolatrie that were vsed by Antio­chus Antiochus ty­rannie. in all Syria and Iudea: and where that their predecessours euen from Abrahams time defended the Church with their owne blood, so now it was as necessarie to stop the rage of this tirant, as Moses, Iosua, & Dauid did to the enemies of God.

CHAP. VIII.

THey tooke courage in God: they prouided Iudas Machab. to resist the violence of tyranny, and when Mattathias died after one yeeres gouerne­ment, he appointed Iudas Machabeus whom hee knewe bestable in body, and most wil­ling in mind, to be in armes with their God against this Antiochus and his idoles.

And though these brethren were not of the stocke of Da­uid, nor of the tribe of Iuda, as you may reade in the Maccha­bees, and in Iosephus: yet they ioyned their force and power together, and appointed Iudas Macchabeus chiefe captaine and ruler ouer them: for in his actes he was liks a lion, for the Apolonius and Seron 2. prin­ces of Syria slaine. wicked fled for feare of him, he killed Apollonius and Seron, two princes of Syria, and the most part of Antiochus armie, who gathered the Gentiles, and a great host of Samaria to fight against Israel, who were slaine and scattered like sheepe be­fore Iudas sworde: and Iudas goeth forward against Gorgias, doth the like, he slue their souldiers, and putteth Gorgias and the rest of his armie to flight. [Page 86] Lysias lieftenant general of Antiochus hearing of this, waxed Lisias lieuete­nant to Antio­chus the great. wroth, disdained his campe, gathered 60000. chosen foote­men, and 5000. horsemen to fight against Ierusalem, came to Iudea, & pitched his tents in Bethsura, where Iudas came with ten thousand souldiers against him: who with confidence in God, and prayers made, slue fiue thousande, and put the rest to flight, and Lysias himselfe escaped to Antiochus. Iudas ha­uing these victories ouer Antiochus the great, went vp to Ie­rusalem to repaire the Sanctuarie which lay wasted, & made a new altar (for Antiochus had erected & altar, and the Image vpon it) where they sacrificed according to the lawe, and praysed God for their good successe.

Now while Iudas had vanquished the Heathens that went about to destroy Israel, for they of Tyre and Sidon, of Ptolemais, Machab. lib. 1. cap. 5. of all Galile, of the Heathens & of the Gentiles were set in force against Israel: after that Iudas had fought with the Edumeans & Ammonites, & hearing of these newes, Iudas gaue to his bro­ther Simon 3000. souldiers to goe vnto Galile, and he tooke his brother Ionathan with him to Galaad with 8000. and they had good successe and victorie in all their warres. Antiochus in the meane season traueiling through the countrey of Per­sia, hearing of the riches and treasures of Ptolemais, besieged it, but was by the Citizens forced to flee, who died within a while after. Lysias hauing knowledge of the kings death, hee caused Antiochus Epiphanes, the 2. sonne of Antiochus the great, to be crowned king after his father: who vsed much Melancthon. 2. Chron. more extremitie in Ierusalem then his father did, killing, de­stroying the Citizens, robbing the Temple, and putting Idoles and images vpon the altar. Being slaine in Persia, his brothers eldest sonne Demetrius being at Rome, came with all haste possible to Tripolis, a Towne in Syria: and hauing possessed the most part of Syria, being their lawfull king by descent, the people brought Antiochus Eupator and Lysias before Demetrius, who commaunded them to bee killed before they came to his sight. Now when that Demetrius was set on his fathers throne, a great enemie of Iuda waxed hote [Page 87] to reuenge the slaughter which Iudas Machabeus made of his friends and fauourers, while yet Demetrius saued himselfe in Rome. Iudas perceiuing the cruell meaning of Demetrius, Iudas Macha­beus sendeth to conclude peace with the Romanes. and knowing well the power and force of the Romanes, made them his friends through peace of mutuall friendship, sen­ding messengers vnto them Eupolemus and Iason, brethrens children to Iudas Machabeus, which of the Romanes were most louingly accepted: and they sent to Ierusalem a letter written in tables of brasse, wherein they had a memoriall or monu­ment of their friendship and peace. In the meane time Deme­trius hauing heard of the death of Nichanor, sendeth his ar­mie against Iudas: in the which battell, after many ioyfull victories which Iudas had ouer his enemies, he is now slaine Iudas Macha­beus slaine. by his enemies: for he that was wont to pray & to ouercome, and now omitted to pray, trusting to his strength, and to the Romanes force, was left of God to himselfe.

Iudas nowe being dead, his brother Ionathan succeeded him, and had present battell with Bacchides, one of Demetrius Machab. lib. 1. cap. 9. 10. captaines, and with Alcimus, and put them to flight. During these broiles in Iudea, Demetrius perceiuing he coulde gaine nothing by Ionathan, desireth peace with the Iewes: which be­ing done, Ionathan gouerned Israel quietly. When Alexander the sonne of Antiochus had heard the promises which Deme­trius made to Ionathan, and also hearing of the courage, ver­tue, and manhood of Iudas, Ionathan, Simon, and of the two o­ther brethren, hee sought the fauour of Ionathan, and friend­ship of the Iewes. Then Alexander maketh warres against De­metrius, Alexanders ar­mie against Demetrius. Demetrius slaine. gathered a great host, and ioyned in battell with the armie of Demetrius, and the two kings fought it out, vntil De­metrius was slaine. Then Alexander sent his Embassadors to Ptolomeus king of Egypt, signifying vnto him howe he wanne his fathers kingdome, and sate on his throne, requesting the kings daughter in mariage, & so to be in league of amitie, & to continue perpetual friends: wherein Ptolomeus gladly con­sented, and maried his daughter Cleopatra vnto Alexander at Alexander maried Cleo­patra. Ptolomais, and they continued friends, vntil discention fel be­tweene Ptolomeus & his sonne in law Alexander: for Ptolomeus [Page 88] tooke his daughter Cleopatra, and gaue her to Demetrius the Cleopatra giuen to Demetrius. sonne of king Demetrius, which Alexander slue a little before.

When Alexander heard howe that his wife was giuen to his enemie Demetrius in mariage, hee came with an host a­gainst Ptolomeus his father in lawe: for Ptolomeus had put two crownes vpon his owne head, the crowne of Asia, and the crowne of Egypt, and had driuen Demetrius after the ouer­throwing of his army, vnto Arabia, where he had his head cut off by Zabelus, and sent to Ptolomeus to Egypt, who likewise died shortly after, and Demetrius reigned after him. All these kinges sought friendship at Ionathans hands: for as Iudas Ma­chabeus Iudas victor [...]. slue Nicanor, Apollonius and Seron, princes of Syria, ouerthrewe Lysius Antiochus generall, and his nigh cousin, and putteth Gorgias and his host to flight, as hee vanquished the heathens, and ouerthrew the Citie of Ephron, and wanne Bosorra, with many more victories which hee had of Coun­tries, cities & townes: so Ionathan prospered against Bacchides Ionathans vi­ctorie. Alcimus, against the children of Ambrie, against the princes of Demetrius, so that Demetrius the king sought the fauour of Ionathan, & Alexander entreated for friendship with Ionathan.

Thus God blessed the sonnes of Mattathias, because they were zealous in the lawes of God: for after king Demetrius Ieseph. lib. 13. cap. 3. was slaine by Alexander, and Alexander slaine againe by De­metrius sonne, named Demetrius, the Iewes all this while were quiet, and so peace in Israel continued vnder Ionathan and Simon, as in the Machabees you may reade, vntill contention grewe betweene the Samaritanes and the Iewes in Alexandria, Strife be­tweene the Iewes and the Samaritans. concerning the religion and holines of their temples: which was with great malice followed, standing one with an other in defiance, vntill the matter was to be iudged before Ptolo­meus Philometor king of Egypt, the Iewes hauing one Androni­cus a learned Iewe to open the priuiledge & authoritie of the Temple of Hierusalem, & the Samaritans had also one Sabbeus, a wise discreete man to pleade for the Temple of Samaria.

For there dwelled amōgst the Iewes at that time 3. sects of re­ligion: 3. sectes of the Iewes. the first were called Pharises, the 2. Saduces, the 3. Esseni. [Page 89] The Pharises acknowledged the iudgement of God to come, with the reward of good and euill, confessing the immorta­litie of the soule. The Saduces cleane contrary, holding an opinion stoute against the Pharises in all points. The Esseni supposed al things to be gouerned by fate, and that nothing could happen to man but by destinie. After this Ionathan Lacedemoni­ans came from Abra­ham stocke. sent to Sparta, and to Rome, to renewe the couenant betwene the Iewes and the people of Sparta: for it was founde and knowen in their Chronicles, that the Spartians came of the generation of Abraham. In the meane time one Triphon that Triphon yong Antiochus tutor. was tutor to Alexanders sonne named Antiochus, a very yong man, expected to be king in Syria in the roome of his father, considering how falsly and traiterously he was slaine by the meanes of Ptolomeus his father in lawe, and Demetrius, to whom Cleopatra his wife was wrongfully giuen in mariage.

This Triphon by the colour of this title to yong Antiochus The falshood of Triphon. Sedetes sonne to Antiochus Epiphanes, became very ambi­cious of the kingdome himselfe, layd wait to kil Ionathan and take him by deceite: and hauing also heard howe Demetrius calamities encreased by the Parthians, sawe an easie way to obteine the kingdome by killing of the yong king Antio­chus, to whome he promised faith and seruice to restore him to his kingdome, for that his father Alexander was wrong­fully deposed and slaine. For as soone as Triphon had slaine Ionathan and his two sonnes, and also king Antiochus, hee Ioseph. lib. 13. cap. 8. 9. straight wayes maketh warres vpon Simon the brother of Io­nathan, who succeeded in his roome to defend the Iewes, pro­mising to followe the steps of his father and of his brethren: for Simon was well beloued of the Iewes, and therefore in great authoritie proceeded with the like courage as his bre­thren did to warre vpon the enemies, and came in armes against Gazara, Iamnia, and Ioppa, wasted them, and spoyled them, layde siege to Ierusalem, and wanne the castle, pursued Triphon (which then vsurped the kingdome of Syria,) to the castle of Dora, from whence he secretly fled vnto Apania, a ci­tie in Phenicia, where he was slaine by Antiochus friendes, [Page 90] within 3. yeeres after he had falsly vsurped Syria.

After this, grew strife betweene Antiochus and Simon, and therefore Cendebaeus was appointed Captaine by Antiochus against Simon: but Simon preuailed in all his actions, prospe­red Ioseph. lib. 13. cap. 14. in al his warres, and conquered his enemies for the space of 8. yeeres, vntill Ptolome who maried Simons daughter con­spired against him, slewe him and his 2. sonnes at a banquet, and sent secretly to kill Iohn named likewise Hircanus the sonne of Simon. But he hauing intelligēce that his father and Simon and his two sonnes slaine. his 2. brethren were slaine, and that Ptolome had sent to slay him also, he preuented that, and slewe them, and fled to a ca­stle called Dagon.

Now Hircanus possessing the office of his father, not forget­ting the villenie and cruel murther of this Ptolomeus, thought Hircanus Si­mons sonne. to reuenge it when time would serue. In the meane season, Antiochus sirnamed Pius, being mindeful of iniuries receiued of Hircanus father Simon, came with a great hoste to Iudea in the 162. Olympiad, compassed the Citie Ierusalem with his ar­mie, kept Hircanus close within the citie, not daring to looke out: but after that Hircanus had promised 500. talents to An­tiochus Ioseph. lib. 13. cap. 16. 17. 3838 to depart in peace, hee opened the graue of Dauid, where he founde 3000. talents of siluer, of the which he sa­tisfied Antiochus, which within a short time after was slaine amongst the Parthians, in whose place succeeded his brother Demetrius Hircanus. When he had heard that Antiochus was dead, he came presently with an armie to Syria, destroyed the temple in Samaria which Alexander the great permitted to be builded, tooke Samega before called Samaria, with the citie Si­cima and many townes beside, where the nations of the Cuthe­ans dwelt, which Salmanassar brought with him to inhabite Samaria, in stead of the 10. tribes which he caried captiue a­way to Babylon: for after that Samaria was destroyed, first by Salmanasser, the Samaritans were called Chutheans, a people of Babylon and of Caldea. Now it was plagued by Hircanus & be­sieged by Aristobulus and Antigonus, the sōnes of Hircanus, that Aristobulus & Antigonus. after one yeres siege, they broght Samaria euen to the groūd, [Page 91] and caused riuers & lakes to ouerflow the place where Sama­ria Samaria the se­cond time de­stroyed. was, that no man knewe where Samaria stood, so wicked a seate, and so vngodly a towne, full of all horrible idolatrie and blasphemie: For Samaria had bene twise builded, first by Omri which was destroyed by Salmanasser king of Syria, after builded by Manasses the brother of Iaddus the hie Priest, by the meanes of his father in lawe Sanabalat chiefe gouernour vnder Darius, builded a Church to encounter with Hierusa­lem in mount Garizin at Samaria, where from Babylon and from Assyria men and women came to dwell, willing to receiue the lawes of Moses, but not to forsake their Idols. At what time Onias builded the 3. temples in AEgypt: this was the sonne of that Onias which was the hie Priest at Hierusalem, whom Antiochus Epiphanes king of Syria slewe at his ransaking Ioseph. lib 7. of Hierusalem, at what time hee destroyed the citie, spoyled the temple, and put vp the Image of Iupiter Olympus vpon the altar of the Lord: this 3. temple continued at Heliopolis in E­gypt 330. yeres. Reade more of this in the Machabees. Beside al 2. Macca. cap. 1. this (I meane the tabernacle, the hie hilles called excelsa, the 3. temples) they had certaine other meetings and seruing of God, though not in temples, yet in places that resembled the temple. Of this no mention is made, neither in the histo­rie of the Iudges, nor of the Kings, and therefore it seemeth that after the Iewes were captiuated into Babylon, and their kingdome destroyed, many of them being dispersed, some to Egypt, some to Asia, and some to Europa, met together as many as were in one citie or countrey, hauing no temples The first vse of the Syna­gogues after the captiuitie. but places by themselues, made like temples which were called after Synagogues, and so continued: for after the 70. yeeres of captiuitie, the Iewes being permitted by Cyrus to returne and to reare their temple for strangers that dwelt in other Prouinces, as at Alexandria, Silicia, Asia, and in diuers other places and yet Iewes borne, when they came to Hieru­salem, either to the feast which was thrise a yeere, or vpon any other busines of their owne, they went into the Syna­gogues appointed and made for them, and not into the [Page 92] temple which was onely for the citizens of Hierusalem, for both were frequented in our Sauiours time, proued by him­selfe, saying, I haue taught in the temple, and in so many Sy­nagogues in Galilee & Asia mentioned: so that one temple was in Hierusalem, and many Synagogues, and so many, that I finde in an Hebrew cōmentary 480. Synagogues were within the city of Hierusalem, and diuers other Synagogues dispersed through all Iudea: but God commanded that he should be but in one place worshipped, which was first in Silo in the tribe and mount of Ephraim, after in Hierusalem in mount Sion in the tribe of Iuda. Of the vse of the Tabernacle after the temple was by Salomon builded, the Talmudists write many fables which I omit to recite.

Samaria being thus the second time destroyed by Aristo­bulus Samaria the seconde time destroyed. and Antigonus, the Pharisees, corrupt, euil, and seditious men, much enuied the prosperitie of Hircanus & his sonnes, perswading the people to hate him: but Hircanus after that hee had done great seruice for the Iewes, and brought all things in quietnes, he foresawe things to come: and after he had gouerned Israel 31. yeres, leauing behinde him 5. sonnes Hircanus died. he died. All this while there was no king in Iudea since the captiuitie of Babylon 481. yeeres: but now after Hircanus time Aristobulus his eldest sonne succeeded him in gouernment, who by report of slaunderers and backbiters, caused his bro­ther Aristobulus slewe his bro­ther Antigo­nus, the first king of the Iewes after the captiuitie. Antigonus whom he loued very dearely to be killed, be­ing most falsly accused of his enemies: he left his owne mo­ther to perish for famine, and put the rest of his brethren in close prison.

But after a while his conscience did accuse him, and tor­tured him in such sort, that Aristobulus commaunded to bee brought to the place where Antigonus his brother was slaine: and being caried to the place, hee vomited blood in such a­bundance that he cried and said, O corpus impudens quousque Aristobulus death. retinebis animam, quam materni ac fraterni manes flagitant? and so with torment hee died, leauing behinde him his wife So­lome whome the Greekes call Alexandra: shee enlarged the [Page 93] sonnes of Hircanus which Aristobulus layed in prison, one of them named Iannaeus, which was also called Alexander, not Alexander the third brother. well thought of by his father, but nowe made king after his brothers death by the meanes of Alexandra Aristobulus wife: he as soone as hee had obteined the gouernement, vsed the like tricke as his brother did before him: hee caused one of his two brethren to be slaine, and the other hee esteemed with honour.

This being done, he went with an armie against the citie of Ptolomais, at what time Ptolome sirnamed Lathurus was dri­uen by his mother Cleopatra out of Egypt, and being at Cy­prus she forced him thence, so that Ptolome the sonne and Cleo­patra the mother, vsed their policie and exercised their ty­rannie The vnquiet state of the Iewes. one against another. When Cleopatra had gotten the citie Ptolomais after a long siege, her sonne againe being dri­uen out of Egypt, Alexander king of the Iewes renewed friend­ship with Cleopatra, for that her sonne Ptolome had plagued Iudea. Now being ayded by Cleopatra hee tooke Gadara, and a strong fort called Amathuta, to whome Demetrius Euserus gaue battell and discomfited his armie, and fled himselfe to the mountaines: hee straight gathered some strength, and hauing gotten 6000. souldiers againe in a readines, pursued after Demetrius, who for feare fled at that time. After this the Iewes being sundry times thus afflicted by their owne The tyranny of Alexander. crueltie and tyrannie, they conspired against Alexander, and were in armes oft times, but still ouerthrowne.

Such was Alexanders hard happe, that sixe yeeres he was molested, afflicted and persecuted of his owne nations and subiects, that hee slewe of them from time to time about 50000. and yet still moued hee them to hate him, so that be­ing demaunded by him of the people what they would haue him to doe, they with one consent saide, Hang thy selfe. Alexander hauing taken the citie Betoma, after much slaugh­ter and blood, he brought the wealthiest and chiefest men of the citie, in bandes and fetters prisoners to Ierusalem, where he commanded before his face where he sate in a high rome [Page 94] of his palace, 800. of the greatest and chiefest men to be han­ged: and before they were hāged, he likewise cōmanded that 800 of the Iewes hanged. their wiues and children should be flaine before their eyes.

While this tragedy was played at Ierusalem by Alexander, Antiochus Griphus was slaine by the falshod of Heracleon, after Antiochus Gri­phus slaine. whom succeeded his sonne Seleucus, & made warres with his vncle Antiochus sirnamed Cizicenus, whom Seleucus tooke in Seleucus his sonne. battel and slew. Alexander was at that time called of the Iewes for his tyrannie for his sirname Thracida: for while Alexander liued, 8000. Iewes liued out of their coūtrey banished & came not to Iewry during the time of Alexāder which was 27. yeres. The Iewes were miserably hādled vnder this king: for Ptolome Lamyrus slew 30000. Iewes at one time: he made the captiues Ptolomeus La­myrus slewe 30000. Iewes. and prisoners to eat the flesh of their own countreymen, be­ing slaine in the warres of Alexander. Himself slew 600. of his subiects being moued & allured to seditiō against their king by the Pharisees a sect of the Iewes, that extremely hated Alex­ander. Now his wife Alexandra called Salomine the time of her Alexandra. first husband Aristobulus, she raigned quietly after her hus­band 9. yeres. Alexander had 2. sonnes, Hircanus and Aristo­bulus: and though that Hircanus was the elder brother & heire to the crowne, yet did Aristobulus gather an army and inuaded Iudea, while yet Alexandra his mother liued. Antipater the Idu­mean, and Aretas king of Arabia, tooke part to ayde the elder Aretas king of Arabia ay [...]ed Hir [...]us. brother Hircanus. Alexander had giuen councel to his wife before hee died, to speake faire to the Pharisees, who could much perswade the people, and also to conceale his death vntill she had gotten the castle of Ierusalem, considering his life to be offensiue to the people, and to make no accompt of his burial, but let the people vse their discretion. She vsing this her husbands aduice, became in great fauour with the people: in the meane season Aristobulus fortified himselfe, (being by nature very quicke & industrious) made himselfe strong, and hauing corrupted the Romane Scaurus, then Pom­peius the great Embassadour, to be his friend to the Senators.

Hircanus againe sent to Rome, opening his iniuries, accu­sing [Page 95] and declaring the infidelitie and corruption of his Em­bassador, crauing their ayde and helpe being the elder bro­ther to haue his right. Vpon this cōplaint, Pompey being then in Armenia against Tigranes, and comming to Damascus (be­ing newly by Metellus and Lolius taken) he repared to Ierusa­lem with an hoste of souldiers, at what time Caius Anthonius restored to Hircanus the gouernment and the office of the high Priest: hee caried captiue with him to Rome, Aristobulus with his 2. sonnes Alexander and Antigonus. This furie of do­mesticall A [...]istobulus with his two sonnes caried to Rome. sedition, this tyrannie and bloodshedding of bre­thren brought all Iudea frō a kingdome to a prouince: againe by this meanes, strange magistrates gouerned them, and for­ren strength feared them, that since the time that Aristobulus Hircanus sonne became the first king after the captiuitie, no­thing prospered with him, as by the familie & stocke of Hir­canus may appeare, one brother killing another, as before you haue read. Now Alexander and Antigonus prisoners at Rome with Aristobulus their father, their fortune was thus, that Alexander hauing escaped frō Rome to Cilicia, came to Iudea, and tooke a part of Galilee, where hee thought to haue more force, he spoiled that which Pompey spared, he tooke not only the 2000. talents which was left of Pompeius, but also spoiled, robd & ransackt the temple of treasures to the value of 8000. pounds. But he was taken with Gabinius, sent to Rome, and af­ter slaine of Scipio Pompeius sonne in law in Antiochia. This was Alexander ta­ken & brought to Rome by Gabinius. the end of Alexrnder one of Aristobulus sonnes. Antigonus the other sonne, was let loose by Iulius Caesar, after the ciuil warres betwene Pompey and him, he gathered an army of the Parthi­ans & thought to recouer Iudea, the rather that Antipater was dead, and that the Iewes had rather haue Antigonus to be their king, then any of the sonnes of Antipater, he toke the old man Hircanus his vncle, to whom Antipater stood a friend while he liued, stirring the Iewes against this Antigonus father. So like­wise Hircanus had both his eares cut off by his brothers sonne Anti­gonus. the king of Arabia, Areta to whō Hircanus fled for aid, An­tigonus after he had taken his vncle, being high Priest, & had cut off both his eares, & had caried him prisoner to Parthia, [Page 96] euen hee was slaine by Marcus Antonius within 3. yeeres after Herod was made king, that was Antigonus ende. And Herod af­ter that called Hircanus from Parthia, and caused him to bee slaine being 80. yeeres of age.

This was the tragical ende of the Machabees, whome God The ende of the Macha­bees race. endued with great haps and singular fauour to rule his peo­ple: for the Iewes neuer prospered vnder kings, neither be­fore the captiuitie, at what time raigned 22. kings in Iuda, of the which nomber there were but seuen vnder whome Iuda flourished.

• Dauid,
• Salomon,
• Abia,
• Asa,
• Iosaphat,
• Ezechias,
• and Iosias.

Neither prospered they vnder kings after the captiuitie, during the time ofseuen kings, as

• Aristobulus,
• Alex. Iamnaeus,
• Hircanus,
• Aristobulus, 2.
• Antigonus the sonne of the last Aristobulus, and last of the line of the Machabees.
• Herod the great whome the Romanes crea­ted king.
• And Archelaus Herods sonne.

After the Machabees race Antipater the Idumean and his Antipater the first gouer­nour vnder the Romans. posteritie became great in Iudea, by the fauour of Iulius Cae­sar, who at that time was in Egypt with an armie of souldiers, to whome Antipater stoode in steade by good seruice at that time done vnto Caesar: for he brought Memphis the great citie, with all the countrey about to obey Caesar, and therefore Caesar gaue him the regiment of Iudea, not yet as a king, but as chiefe gouernour. The Iewes could not well disgest the go­uernement of strangers, which knewe by Moses and by the Prophets, that the tribe of Iuda should rule Israel vntill the Messias were borne: therefore they were mutinous and full ofsedition.

Antipater perceiuing the enuie and malice to strangers, Antipater poy­soned. ruled discreetely, and behaued himselfe wisely, and yet hee was poysoned by a Iewe named Malchus, whome afterwarde [Page 97] Herod the sonne of Antipater slew at Tirus: this Herod sirna­med Astalomites, grewe great in his fathers dayes, for the Iewes thought after Antipaters death, to shake off his chil­dren, and not to admit any of them to gouerne. Now they had called Antigonus Aristobulus sonne, from the Parthians to Ierusalem, but Herod ouerthrewe their purpose, and forced Antigonus to flee from Ierusalem. Marcus Anthonius returning Marcus An­thonius. from the citie Philippos, where he and Augustus ouerthrewe Brutus and Cassius the murtherers of Iulius Caesar, came to By­thinia, where Herod and Phasaelus his brother were accused Herod and Phasaelus ac­cused. Hircanus the high Priest. by the Ambassadors of Iudea, that Hircanus the high Priest gouerned as a sipher, and they as kings: yet notwithstanding Herods fortune and his brothers so encreased, that he and his brother were named by Marcus Anthonius, the Tetrarches of all Iudea, and within a while after Herod came to Rome in 185. Olympiad, where he was created king of all Iudea; and hee was Herode made king of Iurie. solemnly brought to the Capitol in the midst betwene Octaui­us and Marcus Anthonius, with al the magistrats and Consuls of Rome accompanying him.

In the 30. yeere of Herods raigne, was our Sauiour Christ borne. Herod had three sonnes, Archelaus whom he left king Her [...]ds 3. sonnes Arche­laus, Herod Antipas, and Philip. by wil to gouerne Iudea: Herodes Antipas which he appointed Tetrarche to gouerne Galilee by whome Iohn Baptist was be­headed: and Philippe which gouerned Ituria or Trachenitida. Herod after hee had raigned 37. yeeres, and had sent infinite treasure to Caesar and to his wife Iulia, died, & was with great pompe buried in a towne of his own name called Herodium. Ioseph. lib. 17. cap. 9. 10. 12. But though Herods testament was by Caesar first confirmed and pronounced, Archelaus king of Iudea afterward altered: he appointed to Archelaus, halfe Iudea for his regiment, and the other halfe betwene Herod Antipas & his brother Philip.

Now while Archelaus was a gouernour of this people, they were much offended with him, and sent to Caesar great com­plaints, with letters frō Sabinus, that he was seditious, cruel, and vnobedient to Caesar▪ which being thorowly wayed and Archelaus was banished Iudea. found true by Caesar, Archelaus was banished, and his part of [Page 98] Iudea was made a prouince for Romane magistrates, the other two brethren Herod and Philippe gouerned their Tetrarchies with some care and feare of Caesar, and therefore to get the more fauour at the Emperours hand, either of them builded a towne. Philip to flatter Caesar builded a towne and named it Caesarea, and Herod Antipas builded another and named it Ti­berias, for that the Emperours name was Tiberius Caesar, two townes for one name.

The Romanes againe brought Iudea in subiection of the Empire, and sent these deputies folowing:

When Vespatian layed siege to Ierusalem, euen the last [Page 99] ouerthrow and conquest of the Iewes, at what time Caius An­thonius & Marcus Cicero were consuls at Rome, Hierusalem was three moneths besieged by Pompey the great, but taken at last by the Romans, Cornelius Festus, Sillas sonne, and Furus Centurio entred first the Citie, and after the whole Romane armie rushed in and slew 22. thousand Iewes, spared the temple and the sacred treasures therein, defiled not the Sanctuarie: nei­ther touched Pompey the golden table, neither tooke away with him one penie of the 2000. talents which was the trea­sure of the temple. But Crassus in short time after going a­gainst the Parthians, in his voyage spared neither treasure nor the temple.

Ierusalem was builded in Iudea by Sem the sonne of Noah, and was by him first named Solima or Salem, a citie most fa­mous, and the soile it selfe most fertile, and so by God blessed and preserued from the first building in the time of Sem, vnto the last ouerthrowe of the same by Titus the Romane Empe­rour being 2177. yeeres. Iosephus doeth describe the situa­tion The continu­ance of Hie­rusalem. and building of this towne, that it was builded vpon two hilles, the one hill higher then the other: Dauid the first king of the tribe of Iuda, in whose time for that he fortified the higher hill, after his dayes it was called Castellum Dauid, the lower hil was called Acra: ouer against this hil Acra they began afterwards to drawe another hill to enlarge this citie, and to ioyne the temple within the same, for the temple was builded on a hard high rocke, for that it might the better be seene, that the state and magnificence thereof might be be­holden and seene aboue the towne, and aboue the high towres of the walles: for Hierusalem was compassed with Ioseph. lib. 6. cap. 6. de bello Iudaico. three seuerall walles, fronted one against another, with such high strong towers, that some of them were 70. cubites higher then the walles, as the tower called Psephina, like­wise the tower of Hippicos was fourescore and fiue cu­bites Hippicos the third tower. high. The second towre called Phasaelis after He­rods brothers name, was fourescore and tenne cubites high: the thirde named after his wiues name Mariannes, which [Page 100] farre excelled the rest, whose large descriptions you shall reade in Iosephus, a Iewe borne and brought vp in Ierusalem I [...]sephus a Iewe borne. vntil the destruction thereof, where he was taken prisoner by Titus: there it is set forth to the ful, the situation of the citie, the beautie of the temple, the strength of the walles, the height and largenesse of the towres, the port and state of the gates, the full description of the foure hilles which Hierusa­lem was builded on, and other things which now I omit, for the circuite of Hierusalems walles, was no more but thirtie and nine furlongs.

This towne was nothing like in bignesse to Babylon, or to Niniue, but farre greater in fame and in victories: for Hie­rusalem had triumphed and sawe the ende and last destru­ction The long con­tinuance of Ierusalem. of the Caldeans, Assyrians, Egyptians, Arabians and Per­sians: for litle Iudea endured the force and power of the three first Monarchies, which was the Assyrians, the Persians, and the Grecians, though it was before conquered fiue seuerall times by the iust iudgement of God for their transgression and sinne, yet by the mercie of God saued and preserued, as is before mentioned, vntil thirtie & eight yeres after Christs death. All that while that they serued God and followed the steppes of their forefathers, I meane Abraham, Isaac, Iaa­cob, Daniel, Iosaphat, Ezechias and Iosias, they preuailed a­gainst all nations, they conquered all Countreys, and brought all the kingdomes of the worlde to admire their vertues to feare their force, and to seeke fauour and friend­ship at their handes, though they were sometime touched for their stiffenecked stubbernes and too much iniquities, as in Egypt, in the wildernes, and after they had possessed the land of Promes: for still they offended the Lorde, for the which these seuerall fiue conquests were had ouer them.

The first was by Nabuchodonosor, the great king of Babylon: Fiue times Ie­rusalem taken and destroied. the second by Asocheus king of Egypt: the thirde time by An­tiochus the great king of Syria: the fourth by Pompeius the great: and the fift and last was by Titus Vespatian. In the which last subuersion and ouerthrowe of Hierusalem, wee [Page 101] reade in Iosephus being then a present souldier in the warres, the calamities and great miseries that then fel on the citie of Ierusalem, and on the inhabitants thereof. Their hunger and The miserie of Hi [...]rusalem. famine was so great, that one did eate an others vomite: the fathers did eate their children, and the mothers fed on their owne babes in the cradle, in so much that stinking carions and dead bodies which died for hunger in the streete, was meate of great daintines in Ierusalem. They were constrai­ned to eate beastes dung, dried leather, girdles, shoes, and skinnes which couered their shields, yea they sought their foode in Iakeses, many slewe and butchered one another in the citie. Besides this, the plague was so hote amongst them, that lodgings, houses, temples, and all the streetes in Ierusa­lem were filled with dead bodies.

The slaughter was such, as within 18. moneths siege Ioseph. lib. 7. cap. 7. 110000. were slaine within the citie, and most of them stran­gers and Gentiles which came vp to the feast, according to the custome of the Iewes, where suddenly they were taken and besieged, you must thinke by famine and by the sword. During which time 97000. were taken prisoners and cap­tiues: there were found of the Iewes in priuies and Iakeses, and hiding themselues in caues, sinkes, and holes of the earth, aboue 2000. Some sent of these to the nomber of 70. thousand to Egypt as bond slaues, there to moile like beastes in intollerable toile: some solde more cheape then dogs: for Egesippus witnesseth, that 30. Iewes were solde for a penie, and those were yong boyes vnder sixteene yeeres.

CHAP. II.

IN the last yeere of Ascatades, began Dar­danus to gouerne the Troianes, himselfe being the first king and first builder of Dardania, then Ilion, and the third time called Troy, after the flood eight hundred and thirtie yeeres: for Berosus in the last yeeres of Ascatades the eighteenth king of the Assyrians, ended his historie, and went into Athens, and read the Grecians Astronomy, instructed them in the Chalde­ans knowledge, concerning the first age before the flood: se­condly, the genealogie of Adam, and the rest vnto the flood: thirdly, of the flood and of Noah, by the name of Ianus, of his long continuance, of his traueile, lawes, and monu­ments in all Countries: fourthly, [...]ee taught the antiquitie to the Athenians, of all Kingdomes & Nations, for the which the Athenians caused his statue to be made with a tongue gil­ded in his head, and to bee put vp in the open schoole at Athens: thus was Berosus in Athens honored with a statue. I thinke it best therefore after that Berosus ended his historie of the kings of Assyria, briefely to passe them ouer, onely set­ting their names, the time of their gouernment, and the con­tinuance of the same, vntil their kingdome and Empire was taken away by the Chaldeans. I haue already from Nimrod the first king, vntil Ascatades the eighteenth king, set downe their names: & now from Ascatades vnto Sardanapalus the last king, I will likewise passe them ouer briefely.

18 Ascatades the eighteenth king of Assyria, reigned fourtie yeeres: in his time Dardanus builded Dardania, af­terwarde called Troy, whose building was after the flood eight hundred and thirtie yeeres.

[Page 118] 19 Amintes succeeded Ascatades, and reigned king of Assyria 45. yeeres: in this kings time Moses died in the land of Moab on mount Nebo, after he had brought the Israelites out of Egypt 40. yeeres.

20 After Amintes folowed Belochus Iunior, which reigned 25. yeeres in Assyria: he had a daughter named Ac­tosa, otherwise called Semiramis, who gouerned with her fa­ther 7. yeeres. The first Iubilee began in the fourth yeere of this king Bellochus after Moses: for from Moses death vnto the birth of Christ are 29. Iubilees.

21 Bellopares reigned 30. yeeres, in whose time the Is­raelites serued Eglon king of Moab 18. yeeres, vntill Ehud the sonne of Gera slue Eglon, by whose death Israel had rest 18. yeeres.

22 Lamprides the 22. king of Assyria, reigned 32. yeres, in whose time Shamgar [...]dged Israel, who slue 600. Phili­stims with an Oxe goade, so God still raised either Priest, Prophet, Iudge, or a king to defend his people.

About this time was the Leuites wife abused at Gibeah to death: for the which cause the Leuite cutteth her in 12. pie­ces, and sendeth her to the 12. tribes of Israel: for the which Lamprides 22. king of Assy­ria. Iudg. 19. villanie all the tribe of Beniamin were well nigh destroyed.

After Lamprides had reigned 32. yeeres, hee had after him a king called Sosares, in whose time (as Cassiod. doth write) the flying horse Pegasus was inuented, and so called for his swiftnesse. Debora and Barac ruled Israel foure yeeres, at what Sosares the 23. king of Assy­ria. Iudg. 4. time they fought with Iabin. Iael slue Sisera the chiefe cap­taine of Iabin king of Chanaan, and his whole armie were ouerthrowen by Barac and Debora. The historie of Ruth was likewise about this time: some suppose that Obed the sonne of Boas was borne when Sosares had reigned twentie yeeres. Lampares succeeded him, and he continued thirtie yeeres. In the fifth yeere of Lampares sell the third Iubilee after Moses Lampares 14. king of Assy­ria. 3. Iubilee. amongst the Iewes.

[Page 119] Many of the Assyrian kings might haue beene omitted for any memorie they left behinde, sauing that by the time of their gouernment, we know how euery kingdome and when euery nation began to florish: for truely they were more an­cient then the rest, and were the first kings of the worlde, and were idle without any great warre, therfore is little written of them vntill Phul Belochus time: for Herodotus, Ctesias, and Dio­dorus Siculus, wrote more liberally of the Assyrians, then ei­ther More written of the kings of Assyria then can be pro­ued. authoritie or reason warranted them therein. The grea­test bragge that Saneherib, called Sargon in some histories, could make of his predecessours the kings of Assyria, at what time he laide siege to Ierusalem, hee boasted to Ezechia king of Iuda, the victories and conquestes of the kings of Assyria in these wordes, Tu audisti O Ezechia, omnia quae fecerunt reges Assyriorum? &c. Hast thou not heard (O Ezechias) what my predecessours the kings of Assyria haue done? haue they not 2. Reg. cap. 19. conquered Gozan, Haran, and Reseph? haue they not subdued the sonnes of Eden, which dwelt in Thalassar? what is be­come of king Emath, and of king Arphad? where be the kings Sepharuaim, Hena and Iuah? are not these subdued and con­quered Beroaldus lib. 4. cap. 6. by the kings of Assyria? all these kings dwelt in Syria. All this bragge of Saneherib, who was in the most florishing time of the Assyrians Empire, their kingdome, their victo­ries, their glorie, and all these repetitions of Saneherib, ex­tended not yet as farre as Mount Taurus: and therefore Dio­nysius Halicar nassaeus, is in this to bee both beleeued and pre­ferred before either Herodotus, or Ctesias, or Diodorus and others, who wrote more largely then truely of the Assyrian kings: for hee saith, that the olde Assyrian Empire possessed Dionys. Halic. lib. 1. but a litle part of Assyria, Modicam quandam Assyriae partem obti­nuit, as Dionysius affirmeth: for during the time and gouern­ment of the first kings of Assyria, euen from Nynus the first king, vntill Sardanapalus their last king, was fabulosum tempus: the trueth of their historie and the glory of their Empire ap­peared from the time of Phul Belochus, which was father to Phul Assur, and in the sacred Scripture named Tiglat Assur.

[Page 120] This Phul Assur was father to Salmanasser, and Salmanasser was father to Senaherib. At this time it was called newe Assy­ria, whose Empire was againe after the death of Saneherib by Merodach brought into Babylon: for in Babylon the first Empire began, after translated from Babylon to Niniue, and now from Niniue to Babylon againe, where it ended in Balsaar, as it shall be shewed when the historie commeth to it.

In this kings time the Midianites preuailed much against the children of Israel for seuen yeres, and they were sore op­pressed, vntill Gedeon was sent to be their deliuerer, and to be their iudge. Then Pannias, or otherwise Pannas, was the 25. Iudg. 6. 7. Pannias 25. king of Assy­ria. king of Assyria, in whose time the kings of Argiues ended their kingdome, & their Empire was translated into Mycena, after they had gouerned as kings 540. yeeres. In this time reigned Here endeth the kingdome of Assyria. in Athens Pandion, and Mydas gouerned in Phrygia.

About which time Abimelech the tyrant vsurpeth the king­dome of Israel, and putteth seuentie of his brethren to death: Habuit mercedem: for at Thebes as Abimelech was besieging a Iudg. 9. high strong Towre, a woman did cast a piece of a milstone vpon his head, and brake his braine panne, after he had bene a iudge in Israel three yeeres. In the 24. of Pannias happened the fourth Iubilee after Moses. In this kings time likewise ru­led The fourth Iubilee. in Israel Thola, a iudge of the tribe of Isachar, and gouerned the people of Israel 23. yeres. After this reigned Sosarmus 19. yeeres in Assyria. It is written that Orpheus the Thracian, the Sosarmus 26. king of Assy­ria. most famous and most auncient musitian liued at this time. Iair the Gileadite gouerned Israel 22. yeeres: this iudge had thirtie sōnes that rode on 30. asse coltes, men of great autho­ritie: for they had thirtie Cities in the land of Gilead, and they kept the land in peace 22. yeeres. Now Faunius Iunior gouer­ned Italie, to whom Euander came from Arcadia, and had gi­uen him certaine lands in Italie, which Euander called after­ward Palatinum. Manethon writeth, that Hercules, Amphitrions sonne was borne about this time, of whom the Poets faine, that he was the sonne of Iupiter: of this man more shalbe spo­ken amongst the Grecians, when I speake of their histories.

[Page 121] But againe to the Assyrians, who had after Sosarmus a king called Mytreus the 27. king, and raigned 27. yeeres: in the latter ende of this kings raigne Hercules killed Cacus the great Hercules killeth Cacus. giant, in mount Auentine, after Hercules ouerthrew Troy, and killed the king called Laomedon, and made Priamus his sonne king of the Troyans: who againe repaired and builded vp Troy to be one of the strongest townes of the worlde. This Hercules came to Italie fiftie and fiue yeeres before AEneas comming, and gaue to the Italians lawes. Reade of this more in Halicarn. lib. 1.

In Israel after Iudge Iair died, it was 18. yeres interregnum, without a Iudge, and they wrought wickednes in the sight of The Lord pu­nisheth Israel for sinne. the Lord againe, and serued Baalim and Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and God was angrie with them, and deliuered them to the handes of their ene­mies, who vexed and oppressed them 18. yeeres, vntill the time they put away the strange gods, and serued the true God with great repentance. Ishai the father of the Prophet Ishai borne. Dauid was borne about this time, three hundreth yeere after the Israelites going out of Egypt.

Nowe with the Assyrians, Tautanes the 28. king beginneth to rule, about which time Hercules appointed the games of Tautanes the 28. king of Assyria. Olympia, where all the Grecians came to exercise feates of armes, running and wrastling, with all other kinde of exer­cise, 430. yeeres before the Olympiads began. This time hap­pened Hercules gamesat O­lympia. in Egypt in the Isle of Pharao a great deluge called Dilu­uium Pharaonicum, which did ouerflowe the whole countrey, which was seldome seene in Egypt, for that they haue no raine but onely the ouerflowing of Nilus which once a yeere hap­peneth vnto them.

By this time Iephtah was made Iudge in Israel, a valiant man: but for that hee was a bastard, sedition grewe in Israel Iudg. 12 against Iephtha by the Ephraimites, his brethren thrusted him out, and Iephtha fled to the land of Tob: but hee was made afterward captaine ouer Israel, and hee subdued the Ammo­nites [Page 122] from Aroer to Abel, 20. cities, and slew 42. thousand of the Ephraimites, and for the victorie here of he sacrificed his daughter vnto the Lord according to his vow, though it was rash & vnlawful. In this Tautanes time raigned 4. Iudges, Ieph­tha 6. yeres, Ibzan gouerned 7. yeres: some thought this to be Abesan the 10. Iudge. Boas the husband of Ruth, the grandfather of Dauid: this had 30. sonnes and 30. daughters. After him Elon of the tribe of Zabulon, iudged Israel 10. yeeres: and after Elon ruled Abdon: this Iudge had 40. sonnes, and thirtie sonnes sonnes that rode on 70. assecolts, and he gouerned Israel 10. yeres and died.

About this time Theseus rauished Helen the wife of Mene­laus, The first ra­uishment of Helen by The­seus. which being by Adoneus king of the Molosseans taken, was rescued by his felow and alwayes his companion Hercules. In the kingdome of Assyria succeeded Tautanes, who raigned 40. yeres: of which we reade nothing worth the writing. At this Tautanes the 29. king of Assyria. time Samson the sonne of Manoah of the tribe of Dan, gouer­ned Israel 20. yeeres: he plagued the Philistims who had kept Israel vnder hand for their sinnes & wickednes: for God was angrie with them: for notwithstanding all his goodnes, his mercy towardes them, and his miracles amongst them, yet they still rebelled, and moued the Lord to wrath: this Samson was the last Iudge of Israel. Then the state of the Israelites go­uernment Sams [...] the last Iudge of Is­rael. was altered, and they were vnder Ely the priest.

At this time raigned a king that gouerned the Thuscanes named Ocnus Beanor, this builded Mantua the coūtrey where Virgil was borne, which the Romans called after Hethruscanes. Ocn [...] Bianor builded Man­tua. Now that the race of the Iudges of Israel is ended which con­tinued from Moses death, vntil Samuel 357. yeres, God suffred kings to gouerne his people, and appointed his Prophets to direct his kings: this came to passe in Samuels time, who an­oynted Saul king ouer Israel, and they both together raigned 40. yeeres. By this time Tyneus the 30. king of the Assyrians raigned in Niniue 30. yeres, and in the 13. of his raigne the 7. Iubilee of the Iewes began. The kingdome of Hispane before The 7. Iubilee. Hispane deui­ded into pro­uinces. called Iberia, & before that time Celtiberia, is in this time de­uided into prouinces, into seueral gouernmēts of cities and [Page 123] countreis, hauing 24. kings by succession, which continued vntil 75. yeeres after the destruction of Troy, & continued so vntil the Carthaginians began to flourish, whom the Romanes afterward cōquered. At this time one Pypinus gouerned the Thuscanes, and raigned, as Manethon writes, 56. yeres. In the last yeres of this king Tyneus, the Prophet Dauid was borne, The birth of Dauid. 407. yeres after the children of Israels going out of Egypt, and in the 7. Iubile after Moses: then began to raigne in Assyria Der­cillus, Dercillus the 31. king of As­syria. he raigned 40. yeres. In his dayes began the kingdome of Lacedemonia, 83. yeres after Troys destruction: the first king of Lacedemonia was called Euristenes, who raigned 42. yeeres: The kingdom of Lacedemonia at this time beginneth. of him came lineally 2. noble and valiant captains, Cleomenes and Leonidas, who in their time were most famous, for they inuaded the Persians, and ouerthrew them at Thermophila.

About the same yere the Corinthians began likewise to esta­blish The begin­ning of the kingdome of Corinth. a kingdome: for the Lacedemonians and the Corinthians began at one time to raigne: the first king of Corinth was Ale­thes, and he raigned 35. yeres. In the 10. yere of king Dercillus the Arke of the Lord was taken by the Philistines, and caried vnto Ashdod, one of their fiue principal cities, & they kept the The Arke is taken away from Israel by the Phi­listines. Arke 7. moneths. For when the Israelites were ouercome by the Philistines, and the arke taken away, Ely the priest hearing that the Israelites were ouerthrowen, the arke taken, and his two sonnes slaine, fel down frō his stoole & brake his necke: for so the Lord told Samuel before what should become vpō Ely & his house. Israel stil offended God, & now not conten­ted with the gouernmēt which God appointed them, but cri­ed Saul the first king of Israel: out for a king, God cōmanded Samuel to anoint Saul their king. About this time great warres grew betwene the Pelopo­nesians and the Athenians. Codrus at that time liued, & was the last king of Athens: for after Codrus there was no king there, but gouernours called Metontidae. Codrus sonne called Medon was the first Iudge in Athens after the kings. Codrus according to the Oracle giuen, that the Athenians should haue no victo­ries Codrus the last king of Athens. vnlesse their king were slaine in the battell, he disguised himselfe like a common souldier, rushed into the midst [Page 124] of the battaile purposely to be slaine, that his countrey might haue victorie, being the last of the 17. kings, hauing ruled Athens 21. yeeres, ended his life and his kingdome.

About this time Samuel was commanded to anoint Dauid king ouer Israel, and many learned men would haue Homer a­bout Ruffin, in Com. this time to be borne: some controuersie is of Homers time: Eratosthenes thought it within 100. yeeres after the de­struction of Troy, and so saith Aristarchus, and Cornelius Ne­pos, both affirme that Homer flourished 100. yeeres before the first Olympiad. Budaeus saith, that Homer liued in the latter yeres Euphoreus lib. 4. de asse. of king Dauid, so they square about 80. yeres of Homers birth. During this time raigned ouer the Latines, AEneas Siluius their fourth king.

After this raigned in Assyria Eupales 38. yeeres, in whose time the Peloponesians againe mooued warres against the A­thenians. Now about this time the promise is made to Dauid that the continuance of his kingdome should for euer en­dure, but with crosses and afflictions: for Absalon killed his brother Amnon a litle after, and fled vnto the king of Gessur, 2. Sam. cap. 7. and taried there three yeere. By this time Salomon was borne of Bethsaba the wife of Vrias: Nathan and Gad were in those dayes Prophets of the Lord.

Now raigned in Athens Medon the first Iudge, the sonne of Codrus the last king of Athens: in Lacedemonia Argis the second Ruff. in Com. Medon the first iudge of A­thens. Arcestratus the third king of Lacedemonia. king raigned one yeere, Arcestratus succeeded the third king of Lacedemonia, and gouerned the Lacedemonians 35. yeeres: in Corinth likewise Ixon the second king raigned 37. yeeres: for both these kingdomes had one beginning, and therefore their kingdome is accordingly to be handled: for in the last yeres of the kings of Assyrians histories, the Grecians began: for this vnderstand, that the Caldeans, Assyrians, Egyptians, and all the East part of the world, which were first inhabited af­ter The antiqui­tie of the Chal­deans and As­syrians. the flood, were euen consumed with sworde and fire, before the Grecians or the Romanes were acquainted with the world, and therefore the lesse to be spoken of these olde aun­cient people for want of authorities: and had not the holy [Page 125] Ghost lightened prophane histories with true records of the Scripture, all antiquities had almost bene put to obliuion: Moses the first Historiogra­pher of the world. for all that are in trueth learned in histories, take their light from Moses: he is the grand scholemaster of all writers.

About this time Nicius Fesulanus gouerned the Thuscanes Di [...]lor. lib. 6. 47. yeres: he expelled the people called Phocenses out of Cor­sica, and Nicius builded a towne, and named it Nicea after his owne name. By this time Salomon grewe great in Gods fa­uour, 3. King. cap. 6. began to make the temple in Ierusalem, excelled all the princes of the world in wisdome & gouernment. Hiram king of Tyrus at that time sendeth to Salomon, and Salomon to him, purposing to builde the house of God: which temple began to be builded the fourth yeere of Salomons raigne, and the 12. of Hiram king of Tyre Salomons friend, who procured worke­men to worke in Libanon, and after the going of Israel out of Egypt 480. yeeres.

Some thinke that Carthage was builded by Charcedon at Carthage buil­ded. that time: some thinke of Dido: others say otherwise, both of the building of Carthage, and of the time of building, as in the building of Troy, and in the building of Rome the like contro­uersie Ioseph. contra Appionem lib. 1. is, that sub iudice lis est. Laosthenes the 33. king of the Assyrians is the next king after Eupales, and is now in hand to Laosthenes the 33. king of Assyria. be spoken of, in whose time Alba Siluius gouerned the Latines the sixt king: for the sirnames of the Latin kings were called Siluij, as the kings of Alexandria were called Ptolomei, as before The 9. Iubilee. I told you of the Caesars of Rome and Pharaos of Egypt.

About this time the kingdome of Israel for the idolatrie of Salomon was deuided, and the ten tribes caried from Rehobo­am The kingdom of Israel deui­ded. the sonne of Salomon king of Iuda, vnto Ieroboam king of Is­rael, who inuented many wicked things in Israel, idolatrie, new religion, contempt of the true God, putting vp for their god the golden calfe: thus he and his posterities continued Here the kings of Iudae beginne. from the fourth yeere of Rehoboam, vntil the 19. yeere of Na­buchodonosor, which was 390. yeeres, at what time the last de­struction of Ierusalem, and the captiuitie of Iuda was Archippus the third Iudge atthis time ruled Athens, where he gouerned [Page 126] 19. yeeres: vnder whom flourished Sextus Homerus a citizen of Athens: this man gaue new lawes to the Athenians. The Thracians were strong by this time, and became great on land and seas, & Smendes king of Egypt to whom Ieroboam fled, and with whome he staied vntil Salomon died: this Smendes is na­med 1. King. 11. 14. in Scripture Sesac: this came vp against Ierusalem the fift Functius. yere of Rehoboam, destroyed the citie, spoiled the temple; and tooke all the treasures of the kings house away. Thus was The first de­struction of Ierusalem. Iuda punished for sinne by Sesac king of Egypt a heathen man.

At Corinth gouerned Pryminas the fourth king: he raigned thirtie and fiue yeeres at Corinth. In Assyria after Laosthenes raigned Pyrithides 30. yeeres, in the 10. yeere of the tenth Iu­bilee, Pyrithides the 34. king of Assyria. which Iubilee was in the yeere of the worlde, two thou­sand nine hundreth ninetie and three. Abia the sonne of Re­hoboam raigned three yeres king of Iuda: after whom succee­ded Asa. In Tyrus raigned now a king called Ascartus, who af­ter he had raigned 12. yeeres in Tyrus, his brother Astarimus succeeded him, and gouerned Tyrus 9. yeeres, and hee was slaine by his brother called Phelletes: he raigned 8. moneths, and was likewise slaine by Ichobalus a priest of the goddesse Astarthes, of whome mention is made in the thirde booke of 3. King. 11. the kings and the 11. chapter. This goddesse Salomon honou­red much: and in Egypt ruled Pseusenses. There rose against Asa king of Iuda, Sera king of AEthiopia about this time, and Se [...]a king of AEthiopia. thought to inuade Iewrie: but he was not by Asa, but by God put to flight, and his armie scattered and slaine.

Elias and Elizeus were borne this time, men singularly be­loued Elias and Eli­zeus borne. of God in the middle age of the worlde: for so it is set downe (as Melancthon saith) by Elias himselfe, accompting The middle age of the world. the age of the world, 2000. without the Lawe, 2000. by the Law, and 2000. by grace, which are the dayes of Messias, but for sinne shortened, and by that rule to be looked for before 6000. yeere. Nadab at this time was the second king of Is­rael, Nadab the se­cond king of Israel. Baasha the third king of Israel. and began to raigne after Ieroboam, whom Baasha slew in the third yeere of Asa king of Iuda. Baasha the third king of Is­rael builded Rama, that it might bee a cause that they of the [Page 127] kingdome of Iuda might not come within the territorie of Israel, neither they of Israel might trouble Iuda, for the which Asa king of Iuda for feare of Baasha king of Israel, maketh Asa the fifth king of Iuda. couenant with Benhadad king of Aram, and therefore is re­proued by the Prophet, for that he trusted in the king of A­ram, and not in God who had giuen him victorie before ouer the AEthiopians and Lubins. At this time Achia and Sameas prophecied in Israel: and Septimus Siluius was king ouer the Latins, after whome succeeded Capis Siluius the eight king of the Latins, and raigned 28. yeeres: by this Capis was Capua Capua builded. builded. In Lacedemonia gouerned the sixt king named Age­silaus, and ouer the Corinthians Bacis the fifth king, of whome Eutropius lib. 1. The kings of Corinth after Bacis, were cal­led Bacidae. the kings of Corinth were afterward named Bacidae: the names of these kings for the most part are seldome found amongst writers, for they did nothing worth the memorie.

Now in Assyria raigned Ophrateus 20. yeres, he was the 35. king in whose dayes Zambri or Zimbri the seruant of Ela con­spired Zambri killed Ela king of Is­rael. against the king, killed him, and destroyed al the house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord to Iehu, & after­ward Zambri went to the kings house and burned the pallace of the kings, and himselfe with fire: then the people of Israel Zambri bur­ned himselfe. were deuided, some folowed Tobni to make him king, others folowed Omri, and so Omri became the sixt king of Israel. He Omri the sixt king of Israel builded Sama­ria. Nepher king of Egypt. builded first Samaria, 200. yeres before Romulus builded Rome. At this time raigned Nepher king in Egypt foure yeeres: and after him succeeded Amenophis, he raigned 9. yeres king in E­gypt, of whom I wil speake among the kings of Egypt.

Now died Asa king of Iuda after he had raigned 41. yeeres: then folowed in Israel after Omri, Achab the 7. king worse then Achab the se­uenth king of Israel. all the other kings before him, a great idolater, and a tyrant: in the fourth yere of this king Achabs raigne, began Iosaphat to raigne in Iuda. In Achabs time Elias beganne to prophecie, whose history beginneth from the 17. of the first of the kings, vntill the 3. of the 2. of the kings, where he prophecied of the famine that was at hand to come, 800. yeres after the famine Famine. in Iaacobs time. In these daies Hiel the Bethelite builded Iericho.

[Page 128] Amongst the Latins raigned a king called Tiberinus Siluius of whome the riuer Tiber is nowe named after Tiberinus name, for Tiber was called before Albula. Then was in Co­rinth T [...]ber before called Albula. Agelas, and Archelaus gouerned the Lacedemonians: Eu­sebius in his histories affirmeth, that in this time flourished Licurgus a lawmaker, and a great wise man amongst the Lace­demonians. [...]iuius lib. 1. After this raigned Ophraganeus Ascrasapes, and Sar­danapalus, in whom ended the historie of the Assyrians.

And now hauing ended the whole time of 36. kings raig­ning in Assyria, from Belus time vnto Sardanapalus, and after him from Bellochus vnto Merodach, the raigne of sixe kings, du­ring The first king­dome of Assy­ria ended vn­der Sardanapa­lus, which cō ­tinued 1350. yeeres. which time it was called the newe kingdome of Assy­ria, and from Merodach vnto Balsasar, fiue kings gouernment, which was translated from the Assyrians vnto the Chaldeans, as you shall reade more: being of two gouernements, and yet one Monarchie, sometime vnder the Chaldeans in Babylon, sometime in Niniue vnder the Assyrians, vntill both Chaldea and Assyria became subiect, first vnto the Medes and after to the Persians.

CHAP. III.

SArdanapalus being giuen to all filthie pleasures, feasting, banqueting, a most riotous glutton, a great drunkard, dis­guising him selfe amongst women in womens apparell, wading from one vice vnto another, so much subiect to beastly abuse, that his slouthfull life gaue great oportunitie to Arbaces a valiant captaine of the Medes, a man of such magnanimi­tie, being generall of all Media, consulting with Belochus the lieutenant of Babylon, a man of great experience, that both [Page 129] Arbaces and Belochus agreed, seeing such occasions offered, to ioyne both their forces together against Sardanapalus: which being done, after two great ouerthrowes giuen to The last ouer­throw of the Assyrians by Arbaces. them, and Arbaces almost slaine, and his people scattered and fled, Sardanapalus was yet too strong for them both: but the thirde time hee was found with his Assyrians so full of wine, and his armie so sleepie after drunkennesse, (according to their wonted maners) that Arbaces againe by night with all his force entred vnto their tentes, found them in their beds full of surphets, slewe them in such heapes, that Sardanapa­lus fled to his citie of Niniue, and his lieutenant was slaine: hee was then besieged in Niniue, his people forsooke him, and went to his enemies. Then he perceiuing his great dan­ger, sent his three sonnes and his two daughters to Paphlago­nia to his friend Cottus with great treasures, to auoyd the pre­sent perill he was in: being full of all desperations, he made his owne graue so gorgeous and so sumptuous, of such high The maner of Sardapalus death. building, that hee brought 150. beds made of pure golde, so many tables likewise of golde, and after much feasting and banqueting with his Queenes and concubines, and with ma­ny of his deare friends, being in the midest of their pleasures, he commaunded fire to be put to his pallace (I meane that pile of wood which he made for his graue) and so ended his life and the Empire together in fire, to escape his enemies: thus ended the monarchie of Assyria, after one thousand two hundreth and fourtie yeeres continuance.

Behold the euents of the kingdoms of the world▪ how God gaue them alwayes vp to the enemies, when they flourished most in glory, and were most in force & power. Euen so was Chaldea and Assyria the only empires of the world, which farre excelled all other kingdomes, when it was ouerthrowen by Cyrus, insomuch that the great and mightie king Nabuchodo­nosor the onely Hercules (by Megasthenes so named) of the East Nabuchodono­sor named Hercules. kingdomes, who aduanced himselfe vp vnto the heauens, who was compared for his great magnificence and glorious pompe of his huge empire, for the pride of his minde, and [Page 130] insolencie of his state, to the starre Lucifer, & for the bright­nes, beautie and glorie of his Empire: his greatnes was such, that hee had diuine honours done vnto him: but his pride and pompe was layde in the pitte. For in the time of Nabu­chodonosor, Isai. 14. the Chaldeans and Assyrians flourished: for they were kings of the Arabians, of the Egyptians, of all Syria: and for the glorie and greatnes of their kingdome, it passed all others farre: and being the first kingdome of the world, was called the golden kingdome, aureum seculum: the other three Monarchies were called Argenteum seculum: the siluer age, beganne in Cyrus time in Persia: the brasen age in Ma­cedonia in the time of Alexander: and last, the Iron age a­mong the Romanes beganne in Iulius Caesars time, described in Daniel by the foure beastes. For all Nabuchodonosors power, strength, states and kingdomes, lost all within threescore and tenne yeeres of this his great possession and power. Euen so the kings of Egypt which flourished in like strength, and clai­med the like maiestie, lost their kingdome in the midest of their glory, and were ouerthrowen by Cambyses.

To bee short, because God would bee knowen vnto his people, whom the wicked neuer confessed to bee the God of victorie, he deliuered Pharao and all Egypt into the handes of Nabuchodonosor: and for his pompe and pride herein, thin­king that it was his owne strength, his owne force and power, hee deliuered Nabuchodonosor and his posterities, with all the Empire of Assyria and Chaldea, into the handes of Cyrus, whose kingdome flourished much aboue the rest, vn­til Darius sirnamed Codomanus, whose wealth, force and king­domes were such, that he made nothing of all the world be­side, God gaue him ouer into the handes of Alexander the great, whose greatnesse continued not long, for the like vnthankefulnesse to God, for his kingdome passed to the Romanes.

Thus God appointed the weakest sometime to vanquish the strongest, and raised vp the meanest to ouercome the mightiest. Thus was Egypt subdued by the Chaldeans, the Chal­deans [Page 131] by the Persians, the Persians by the Macedonians, the Ma­cedonians by the Romanes, and the long empire of the Romans, their pompe and their glorie taken away by the Germanes, and the Germanes rather prouinces to be called then an Em­pire: so wickednesse preuailed, that Turkes, Canes, Sophies, with such infidels of long time flourished.