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but a thankful requital; for no persuasions could suffice to make Josiah sit still, and hold himself quiet in good neutrality, when Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt passed along by him to war upon the countries about the river of Euphrates.

The last year of Josiah's reign it was, when as Necho, the son of Psammeticus, came with a powerful army towards the border of Judæa, determining to pass that way, being the nearest towards Euphrates," either to strengthen the passages of that river about Carchemish, or Cercusium, for the defence of Syria, (as long after this Dioclesian is said by Ammianus Marcellinus to have done,) or perhaps to invade Syria itself; for it seemeth that the travel of Psammeticus had not been idly consumed about that one town of Azotus, but had put the Egyptians in possession of no small part of Syria, especially in those quarters that had formerly belonged unto the Adads, kings of Damascus.

Neither was the industry of Necho less than his father's had been, in pursuing the war against Babylon. In which war, two things may greatly have availed the Egyptians, and advanced their affairs and hopes,the extraordinary valour of the mercenary Greeks, that were far better soldiers than Egypt could of itself afford, and the danger wherein Assyria stood by the force of the Medes, which, under the command of more absolute princes, began to feel itself better, and to shew what it could do. These were great helps, but of shorter endurance than was the war, as in place more convenient shall be noted. At the present, it seems, that either some preparation of the Chaldæans to reconquer, did enforce, or some disability of theirs to make resistance did invite the king of Egypt into the countries bordering upon the Euphrates, whither Pharaoh Necho ascended with nighty army.

7 2 Chron, xxxv. 20.

These two great monarchs, having their swords drawn, and contending for the empire of that part of the world, Josiah advised with himself to which of these he might adhere, having his territory set in the midway between both, so as the one could not invade the other, but that they must of necessity tread upon the very face and body of his country; now, though it were so, that Necho himself desired by his ambassadors leave to pass along by Judæa, protesting, that he directed himself against the Assyrians only, without all harmful purpose against Josiah, yet all sufficed not, but the king of Israel would needs fight with him.

Many examples there were which taught what little good the friendship of Egypt could bring to those that had affiance therein; as that of Hosea, the last king of Israel, who, when he fell from the dependence of the Assyrian, and wholly trusted to Sabacus or Sous king of Egypt, was utterly disappointed of his hopes, and in conclusion lost both his life and estate, which the Assyrian so rooted up and tore in pieces, as it could never after be gathered together or re-planted. The calamities also that fell upon Judah, in the thirteenth and fourteenth years of Hezekiah, whilst that good king and his people relied upon Sethon, and, more lately, the imprisonment of Manasseh, were documents of sufficient proof, to shew the ill assurance that was in the help of the Egyptians, who, (near neighbours though they were,) were always unready when the necessities of their friends required their assistance. The remembrance hereof might be the reason why Necho did not seek to have the Jews renew their ancient league with him, but only craved that they would be contented to sit still, and behold the pastime between him and the Assyrians. This was an easy thing to grant, seeing that the countenance of such an army,

• 2 Chron. XxAY.

as did soon after this out-face Nabulassar upon his own borders, left unto the Jews a lawful excuse of fear, had they forborne to give it any check upon the way. Wherefore, I believe, that this religious and virtuous prince, Josiah, was not stirred up only by politic respects to stop the way of Necho, but thought himself bound in faith and honour to do his best in defence of the Babylonian crown; whereunto his kingdom was obliged, either by covenant made at the enlargement of Manasseh, or by the gift of such part as he held in the kingdom of the ten tribes. As for the princes and people of Judah, they had now a good occasion to shew both unto the Babylonians of what importance their friendship was, and to the Egyptians what a valiant nation they had abandoned, and thereby made their enemy.

Some think that this action of Josiah was contrary to the advice of Jeremiah the prophet, which I do not find in the prophecy of Jeremiah, nor can find reason to believe. Others hold opinion, that he forgot to ask the counsel of God; and this is very likely; seeing he might believe, that an enterprise, grounded upon fidelity and thankfulness, due to the king of Babylon, could not be displeasing unto the Lord. But the wickedness of the people, (in whom the corruptions of former times had taken such root, as all the care of Josiah in reforming the land could not pluck up,) was questionless far from hearkening how the matter would stand with God's pleasure, and much farther from inquiring into his secret will, wherein it was determined, that their good king, whose life stood between them and their punishment, should now be taken from among them, and that in such sort as his death should give entrance to the miseries ensuing. So Josiah, levying all the strength he could make, near unto Megiddo, in the half tribe of Manasseh, encountered Necho; and there he received the stroke of death, which, lingering about him till he came to Jerusalem, brought him to the

sepulchres of his ancestors. His loss was greatly bewailed of all the people and princes of Judah, especially of Jeremiah the prophet, who inserted a sorrowful remembrance thereof in his book of Lamentations ".

SECT. II.

Of Pharaoh Necho that fought with Josiah. Of Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim kings of Judah.

Or these wars, and particularly of this victory, Herodotus hath mention among the acts of Necho. He tells us of this king, that he went about to make a channel, whereby ships might pass out of Nilus into the Red Sea. It should have reached above an hundred miles in length, and been wide enough for two gallies to row in front. But, in the midst of this work, an oracle foretold, that the barbarians should have the benefit of it; which caused Necho to desist when half was done. There were consumed in this toilsome business twelve hundred thousand Egyptians; a loss great enough to make the king forsake his enterprise, without troubling the oracle for admonition. Howsoever it were, he was not a man to be idle; therefore he built a fleet, and levied a great army, wherewith he marched against the king of Babylon. In this expedition, he used the service as well of his navy as of his land forces; but no particular exploits of his therein are found recorded, save only this victory against Josiah, where Herodotus calls the place Magdolus, and the Jews Syrians; which is a small error, seeing that Judæa was a province of Syria, and Magdolus, or Magdala, is taken to have been the same place, (though diversely named,) in which this battle was fought. After this, Necho took

9 Lament. iv. 20.

the city of Cadytis, which was perhaps Carchemish, by Euphrates, and made himself lord, in a manner, of all Syria, as Josephus' witnesseth.

Particularly we find, that the Phoenicians, one of the most powerful nations in Syria, were his subjects, and that by his command they surrounded all Africa, setting sail from the Gulf of Arabia, and so passing along all the coast, whereon they both landed, as need required, and sowed corn for their sustenance, in that long voyage which lasted three years. This was the first navigation about Africa, wherein that great Cape, now called of Good Hope, was discovered; which after was forgotten, until Vasco de Gama, the Portuguese, found it out, following a contrary course to that which the Phoenicians held; for they, beginning in the east, ran the way of the sun, south and then westward, after which they returned home by the pillars and straits of Hercules, (as the name was then called,) now the straits of Gibraltar, having Africa still on the right hand; but the Portuguese, beginning their voyage not far from the same straits, leave Africa on the larboard, and bend their course unto the east. That report of the Phoenicians, which Herodotus durst not believe, how the sun in this journey was on their right hand, that is, on the north side of them, is a matter of necessary truth; and the observation then made hereof, makes me the better to believe, that such a voyage was indeed performed.

But leaving these discourses of Necho's magnificence, let us tell what he did in matters more importing his estate. The people of Judah, while the Egyptians were busy at Carchemish, had made Jehoahaz their king, in the room of his father Josiah. The prophet Jeremiah 3 calls this new king Shallum by the name of his younger brother; alluding perhaps to the short reign of Shallum king of the ten tribes; for Shallum of Israel reigned but one month, 1 Jos. Ant. Jud. I. x. cap. 7. 3 Jer. xxii. 32.

2 Heröd. 1. iv.

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