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and furniture of the temple. He also carried away captive all the remnant of the people, except a small number

whatever was most holy and sacred; the custody of which was entrusted to the priests alone-before which the waters of Jordan were cut off-before which Joshua fell on his face to the earth-before which the idol of Dagon miraculously fell to pieces-for looking into which 50,070 men of Beth-shemesh were smitten to death-for merely touching which, though to save it from falling, Uzzah was slain that was left 25 years at Kirjath-jearim chiefly through ap prehension-we say it is remarkable that what became of it is no where mentioned. That it never was in the second temple we know, because it was one of those six glories or excellencies, the absence of which the few pious Jews, who had seen the first temple, so deeply deplored at the consecration of the second. Ezra, iii. 12. Prid. i. 185.

The Samaritans had a tradition, that in the days of Uzzi or Ozzi, the high priest, (1 Chron. vi. 6.) the ark and the other sacred vessels were, by God's command, laid up or hidden in mount Gerizim.Joseph. iii. 65. Whereas the Jewish Rabbins are by no means agreed what became of it. The author of the second book of Maccabees tells the following tale:It is also found in the records, that Jeremy, the prophet, commanded them that were carried away to take off the fire, as it hath been signified; and how that the prophet, having given them the law, charged them not to forget the commandinents of the Lord, and that they should not err in their minds, when they see images of silver and gold, with their ornaments. And with other such speeches exhorted he them, that the law should not depart from their hearts. It was also contained in the same writing, that the prophet, being warned of God, commanded the tabernacle and the ark to go with him, as he went forth into the mountain where Moses climbed up, and saw the heritage of God. And when Jeremy came thither he found an hollow cave, wherein he laid the taber nacle, and the ark, and the altar of incense, and so stopped the door. And some of those that followed him came to mark the way, but they could not find it. Which when Jeremy perceived, he blamed them, saying; As for that place, it shall be unknown until the time that God gather his people again together, and receive them unto mercy. Then shall the Lord shew them these things, and the glory of the Lord shall appear, and the cloud also, as it was shewed under Moses, and as when Solomon also desired that the place might be honour

of the poor, whom he left to be vine dressers and husbandmen.

Nebuzaradan also took Seraiah, the chief priest, and Zephaniah, the second priest, and several of the officers, and brought them to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah, where he lay with his army, and he slew them all there.† As for the small ably sanctified.-2 Maccabees, i. 8. Other Rabbins allege that Josiah caused the ark to be placed in a vault under ground, which Solomon, foreseeing the destruction of the temple, had built for the express purpose of preserving it. The most probable conjecture may be that it was destroyed when the first temple was burned by Nebuchadnezzar, above related, as well as the other four glories or excellencies, no one of which ever graced the second temple; (Prid. i. 192.) but the glory of which still exceeded, beyond all measure, that of the former by the immediate presence of the Lord of Glory himself, who was the great Antitype of the whole, and perhaps even of the temple itself. Who is left amongst you that saw this house in her first glory? And how do ye see it now? Is it not in your eyes, in comparison of it, as nothing? Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Josiah, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord and work, (for I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts). According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you, fear ye not. For thus saith the Lord of Hosts, Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith Jehovah of Hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith Jehovah of Hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith Jehovah of Hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith Jehovah of Hosts. Haggai, ii. 3. 9. Dr. Gill on the Messiah, pp. 41. 50. See Whiston, vol. i. 215., where that author gives a curious extract from a supposed epistle, from the Jews at Jerusalem to the Jews of Egypt, in the days of Jonathan, the high priest. But see the prophecy of Jer. iii. 16, 17. and Burder, O. L. 615. * 2 Kings, xxv. 8-17. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 18-20. Jer. xxxix. S-10. lii. 12. 23.

+ 2 Kings, xxv. 18-21. Jer. lii. 24-30.

remnant of the people who were left, Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah to be their ruler.*

By the express command of his sovereign, however, Nebuzaradan having taken the holy prophet amongst the other captives as far as Ramah, said unto him, Jehovah, thy God, hath pronounced this evil upon this place. Now Jehovah hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against Jehovah, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore, this thing is come upon you. And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.

Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go. Upon which Jeremiah went to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.†

As soon as it was known that Gedaliah was entrusted with the government of the remnant of the Jews, several of the officers and princes, who had fled from the city, resorted to him, and amongst others, Ishmael, Johanan, Jonathan, Seraiah, and Jaazaniah, with their men, to whom Gedaliah sware; "Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to serve

the Chaldeans, which will come unto us: but ye, gather ye wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken." Likewise, when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan; even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.*

The degraded state to which the Jews were now reduced, could only be exceeded by that which took place at their final dispersion, more than six centuries afterwards; for Ishmael and his companions had not united themselves to Gedaliah more than a few months, when Johanan and his party informed him that Ishmael had entered into a conspiracy with Baalis, king of the Ammonites, to slay him, and offered to assassinate Ishmael privately. This Gedaliah peremptorily forbid; but disbelieving the suggestion of Johanan, most probably in consequence of the wicked proposal which accompanied it, he neglected to take any precautions for his own protection.†

Johanan's information, however, was but too correct; for in the seventh month of the government, Ishmael, who was of the seed royal, with ten of the late monarch's princes, came to Gedaliah at Mizpah; and whilst eating bread with him, probably on his own invitation, they slew him, and all the Jews that were with him, and such of the Chaldeans and men of war as happened to be at Mizpah.‡

So secretly and effectually had the work of murder been performed, that two days passed without its being

* 2 Kings, xxv. 22-24. Jer. xl. 7—12.

Jer. xl. 13-16.

Jer. xli. 1-3. 2 Kings, xxv. 25.

known, that Gedaliah was dead; when eighty persons from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria, having their beards shaven, and their cloaths rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand,* were met on their way to the house of Jehovah,† by the hypocritical assassin, who, with tears in his eyes, invited them to accompany him to Gedaliah. As soon, however, as he had decoyed them into the city, he slew seventy of them, and cast their bodies into the midst of a pit, which Asa, king of Judah, had made for fear of Baasha,+ king of Israel; but he spared ten of these people, on account of their having treasures in the field, of wheat, barley, oil, and honey.§

Having perpetrated these atrocious acts, Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, with the king's daughters, and departed to go over to the Ammonites; but Johanan and his friends, who, from dwelling in the fields or plains,|| had escaped the massacre, having heard of that transaction, immediately pursued after Ishmael, and overtook him by the great waters in Gibeon.

• "A most criminal species of idolatry, joining the worship of God and idols together." Burder, O. L. 982.

+ Viz.: at Jerusalem; for though the temple was destroyed, yet the people that were left continued to offer sacrifices, and worship there on the place where it stood, as long as they remained in the land. Prid. i. 116. This must be a house at Mizpah, which they had set apart for the present occasion. There were, it seems, some godly Jews at that time in Samaria. WALL. But see the last note.

"That is, it was a cistern, or reservoir for water, for the supply of Mizpah, when Asa expected it would be besieged by Baasha." A. CLARKE.

Jer. xli. 4-9. "In Barbary, when the grain is winnowed, they lodge it in mattamores, or subterranean repositories; two or three hundred of which are sometimes together, the smallest holding four hundred bushels. These are very common in other parts of the East, especially about Aleppo. Burder, O. C. 779.

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