Haec habeo quae edi, quaeque exaturata libido Hausit: at illa jacent multa et praeclara relicta.(1008)

An epitaph, says Aristotle, fit for a hog.

Arbaces, governor of Media, having found means to get into the palace, and having with his own eyes seen Sardanapalus in the midst of his infamous seraglio; enraged at such a spectacle, and not able to endure that so many brave men should be subject to a prince more soft and effeminate than the women themselves, immediately formed a conspiracy against him. Belesis, governor of Babylon, and several others, entered into it. On the first rumour of this revolt, the king hid himself in the inmost part of his palace. Being obliged afterwards to take the field with some forces which he had a.s.sembled, he at first gained three successive victories over the enemy, but was afterwards overcome, and pursued to the gates of Nineveh; wherein he shut himself, in hopes the rebels would never be able to take a city so well fortified, and stored with provisions for a considerable time: the siege proved indeed of very great length. It had been declared by an ancient oracle, that Nineveh could never be taken, unless the river became an enemy to the city. These words buoyed up Sardanapalus, because he looked upon the thing as impossible. But when he saw that the Tigris, by a violent inundation, had thrown down twenty stadia(1009) of the city wall, and by that means opened a pa.s.sage to the enemy, he understood the meaning of the oracle, and thought himself lost.(M164) He resolved, however, to die in such a manner, as, according to his opinion, should cover the infamy of his scandalous and effeminate life. He ordered a pile of wood to be made in his palace, and setting fire to it, burnt himself, his eunuchs, his women, and his treasures. Athenaeus makes these treasures amount to a thousand myriads of talents of gold,(1010) and ten times as many talents of silver, which, without reckoning any thing else, is a sum that exceeds all credibility. A myriad contains ten thousand; and one single myriad of talents of silver is worth thirty millions of French money, or about one million four hundred thousand pounds sterling. A man is lost, if he attempts to sum up the whole value; which induces me to believe, that Athenaeus must have very much exaggerated in his computation; however, we may be a.s.sured, from his account, that the treasures were immensely great.

Plutarch, in his second treatise,(1011) dedicated to the praise of Alexander the Great, wherein he examines in what the true greatness of princes consists, after having shown that it can arise from nothing but their own personal merit, confirms it by two very different examples, taken from the history of the a.s.syrians, in which we are now engaged.

Semiramis and Sardanapalus (says he) both governed the same kingdom; both had the same people, the same extent of country, the same revenues, the same forces and number of troops; but they had not the same dispositions, nor the same views. Semiramis, raising herself above her s.e.x, built magnificent cities, equipped fleets, armed legions, subdued neighbouring nations, penetrated into Arabia and Ethiopia, and carried her victorious arms to the extremities of Asia, spreading consternation and terror everywhere. Whereas Sardanapalus, as if he had entirely renounced his s.e.x, spent all his time in the heart of his palace, perpetually surrounded with a company of women, whose dress and even manners he had adopted, applying himself with them to the spindle and the distaff, neither understanding nor doing any other thing than spinning, eating and drinking, and wallowing in all manner of infamous pleasure. Accordingly, a statue was erected to him, after his death, which represented him in the posture of a dancer, with an inscription upon it, in which he addressed himself to the spectator in these words: _Eat, drink, and be merry; every thing else is nothing_: an inscription very suitable to the epitaph he himself had ordered to be put upon his monument.(1012)

Plutarch in this place judges of Semiramis, as almost all the profane historians do of the glory of conquerors. But, if we would make a true judgment of things, was the unbounded ambition of that queen much less blamable, than the dissolute effeminacy of Sardanapalus? Which of the two vices did most mischief to mankind?

We are not to wonder that the a.s.syrian empire should fall under such a prince; but undoubtedly it was not till after having pa.s.sed through various augmentations, diminutions, and revolutions, common to all states, even to the greatest, during the course of several ages. This empire had subsisted above 1450 years.

Of the ruins of this vast empire were formed three considerable kingdoms; that of the Medes, which Arbaces, the princ.i.p.al head of the conspiracy, restored to its liberty; that of the a.s.syrians of Babylon, which was given to Belesis, governor of that city; and that of the a.s.syrians of Nineveh, the first king whereof took the name of Ninus the younger.

In order to understand the history of the second a.s.syrian empire, which is very obscure, and of which little is said by historians, it is proper, and even absolutely necessary, to compare what is said of it by profane authors with what we are informed concerning it by holy Scripture; that by the help of that double light we may have the clearer idea of the two empires of Nineveh and Babylon, which for some time were separate and distinct, and afterwards united and confounded together. I shall first treat of this second a.s.syrian empire, and then return to the kingdom of the Medes.

Chapter II. The Second a.s.syrian Empire, both of Nineveh and Babylon.

This second a.s.syrian empire continued two hundred and ten years, reckoning to the year in which Cyrus, who was become absolute master of the East by the death of his father Cambyses and his father-in-law Cyaxares, published the famous edict, whereby the Jews were permitted to return into their own country, after a seventy years' captivity at Babylon.

(M165) _Kings of Babylon._(_1013_)-BELESIS. He is the same as Nabona.s.sar, from whose reign began the famous astronomical epocha at Babylon, called from his name the _aera of Nabona.s.sar_. In the holy Scriptures he is called Baladan. He reigned but twelve years, and was succeeded by his son:

(M166) MERODACH-BALADAN. This is the prince who sent amba.s.sadors to king Hezekiah, to congratulate him on the recovery of his health, of which we shall speak hereafter.(1014) After him there reigned several other kings of Babylon,(1015) with whose story we are entirely unacquainted. I shall therefore proceed to the kings of Nineveh.

(M167) _Kings of Nineveh_.-TIGLATH-PILESER. This is the name given by the holy Scripture to the king, who is supposed to be the first that reigned at Nineveh, after the destruction of the ancient a.s.syrian empire. He is called Thilgamus, by aelian.(1016) He is said to have taken the name of Ninus the younger, in order to honour and distinguish his reign by the name of so ancient and ill.u.s.trious a prince.

Ahaz, king of Judah,(1017) whose incorrigible impiety could not be reclaimed, either by the divine favours or chastis.e.m.e.nts, finding himself attacked at the same time by the kings of Syria and Israel, robbed the temple of part of its gold and silver, and sent it to Tiglath-Pileser, to purchase his a.s.sistance; promising him besides to become his va.s.sal, and to pay him tribute. The king of a.s.syria finding so favourable an opportunity of adding Syria and Palestine to his empire, readily accepted the proposal. Advancing that way with a numerous army, he beat Rezin, took Damascus, and put an end to the kingdom erected there by the Syrians, as G.o.d had foretold by his prophets Isaiah and Amos(1018). From thence he marched against Pekah, and took all that belonged to the kingdom of Israel beyond Jordan, as well as all Galilee. But he made Ahaz pay very dear for his protection, still exacting of him such exorbitant sums of money, that for the payment of them he was obliged not only to exhaust his own treasures, but to take all the gold and silver of the temple. Thus this alliance served only to drain the kingdom of Judah, and to bring into its neighbourhood the powerful kings of Nineveh; who afterwards became so many instruments in the hand of G.o.d for the chastis.e.m.e.nt of his people.

(M168) SHALMANEZER. Sabacus, the Ethiopian, whom the Scripture calls So, having made himself master of Egypt, Hoshea, king of Samaria, entered into an alliance with him, hoping by that means to shake off the a.s.syrian yoke.(1019) To this end he withdrew from his dependence upon Shalmanezer, refusing to pay him any further tribute, or make him the usual presents.

Shalmanezer, to punish him for his presumption, marched against him with a powerful army; and after having subdued all the plain country, shut him up in Samaria, where he kept him closely besieged for three years; at the end of which he took the city, loaded Hoshea with chains, and threw him into prison for the rest of his days; carried away the people captive, and planted them in Halah and Habor, cities of the Medes. And thus was the kingdom of Israel, or of the ten tribes, destroyed, as G.o.d had often threatened by his prophets. This kingdom, from the time of its separation from that of Judah, lasted about two hundred and fifty years.

It was at this time that Tobit, with Anna his wife, and his son Tobias, was carried captive into a.s.syria, where he became one of the princ.i.p.al officers of king Shalmanezer.(1020)

Shalmanezer died, after having reigned fourteen years, and was succeeded by his son:

(M169) SENNACHERIB. He is also called Sargon in Scripture.(1021)

As soon as this prince was settled on the throne, he renewed the demand of the tribute exacted by his father from Hezekiah. Upon his refusal he declared war against him, and entered into Judea with a mighty army.

Hezekiah, grieved to see his kingdom pillaged, sent amba.s.sadors to him, to desire peace upon any terms he would prescribe. Sennacherib, seemingly mollified, entered into treaty with him, and demanded a very great sum of gold and silver. The holy king exhausted both the treasures of the temple, and his own coffers, to pay it. The a.s.syrian, regarding neither the sanction of oaths nor treaties, still continued the war, and pushed on his conquests more vigorously than ever. Nothing was able to withstand his power, and of all the strong places of Judah, none remained untaken but Jerusalem, which was likewise reduced to the utmost extremity. At this very juncture,(1022) Sennacherib was informed, that Tirhakah, king of Ethiopia, who had joined his forces with those of the king of Egypt, was coming up to succour the besieged city. Now it was contrary to the express command of G.o.d, as well as the remonstrances of Isaiah and Hezekiah, that the chief men at Jerusalem had required any foreign a.s.sistance. The a.s.syrian prince marched immediately to meet the approaching enemy, after having written a letter to Hezekiah, full of blasphemy against the G.o.d of Israel, whom he insolently boasted he would speedily vanquish, as he had done all the G.o.ds of the other nations round about him. In short, he discomfited the aegyptians, and pursued them even into their own country, which he ravaged, and returned laden with spoil.

It was probably during Sennacherib's absence, which was pretty long, or at least some little time before, that Hezekiah fell sick, and was cured in a miraculous manner;(1023) and that (as a sign of G.o.d's fulfilling the promise he had made him of curing him so perfectly, that within three days he should be able to go to the temple,) the shadow of the sun went ten degrees backwards upon the dial of the palace. Merodach-Baladan, king of Babylon, being informed of the miraculous cure of king Hezekiah, sent amba.s.sadors to him with letters and presents, to congratulate him upon that occasion, and to acquaint themselves with the miracle that had happened in the land at this juncture, with respect to the sun's retrogradation ten degrees. Hezekiah was extremely sensible of the honour done him by that prince, and very forward to show his amba.s.sadors the riches and treasures he possessed, and to let them see the whole magnificence of his palace. Humanly speaking, there was nothing in this proceeding but what was allowable and commendable; but in the eyes of the supreme Judge, which are infinitely more piercing and delicate than ours, this action discovered a lurking pride, and secret vanity, with which his righteousness was offended. Accordingly, he instantly informed the king by his prophet Isaiah, that the riches and treasures which he had been showing to those amba.s.sadors with so much ostentation, should one day be transported to Babylon; and that his children should be carried thither, to become servants in the palace of that monarch. This was then utterly improbable; for Babylon, at the time we are speaking of, was in friendship and alliance with Jerusalem, as appears by her having sent amba.s.sadors thither: nor did Jerusalem then seem to have any thing to fear, but from Nineveh; whose power was at that time formidable, and who had entirely declared against her. But the fortune of those two cities was to change, and the word of G.o.d was literally accomplished.

But to return to Sennacherib.(1024) After he had ravaged Egypt, and taken a vast number of prisoners, he came back with his victorious army, encamped before Jerusalem, and besieged it anew. The city seemed to be inevitably lost: it was without resource, and without hope from the hands of men; but had a powerful protector in Heaven, whose jealous ears had heard the impious blasphemies uttered by the king of Nineveh against His sacred name. In one single night a hundred and eighty-five thousand men of his army perished by the sword of the destroying angel. After so terrible a blow this pretended king of kings, (for so he called himself,) this triumpher over nations, and conqueror even of G.o.ds, was obliged to return to his own country with the miserable remnant of his army, covered with shame and confusion: nor did he survive his defeat more than a few months, only to make a kind of open confession of his crime to G.o.d, whose supreme majesty he had presumed to insult, and who now, to use the Scripture terms, having "put a ring into his nose, and a bridle into his mouth," as a wild beast, made him return in that humbled, afflicted condition, through those very countries, which a little before had beheld him so haughty and imperious.

Upon his return to Nineveh, being enraged at his disgrace, he treated his subjects in the most cruel and tyrannical manner. The effects of his fury fell more heavily upon the Jews and Israelites, of whom he caused great numbers to be ma.s.sacred every day, ordering their bodies to be left exposed in the streets, and suffering no man to give them burial.(1025) Tobit, to avoid his cruelty, was obliged to conceal himself for some time, and suffer all his effects to be confiscated. In short, the king's savage temper rendered him so insupportable to his own family, that his two eldest sons conspired against him, and killed him in the temple,(1026) in the presence of his G.o.d Nisroch, as he lay prostrate before him. But these two princes, being obliged after this parricide to fly into Armenia, left the kingdom to Esarhaddon, their youngest brother.

(M170) ESARHADDON. We have already observed, that after Merodach-Baladan there was a succession of kings at Babylon, of whom history has transmitted nothing but the names.(1027) The royal family becoming extinct, there was an eight years' interregnum, full of troubles and commotions. Esarhaddon, taking advantage of this juncture, made himself master of Babylon, and annexing it to his former dominions, reigned over the two united empires thirteen years.

After having reunited to the a.s.syrian empire Syria and Palestine, which had been rent from it in the preceding reign, he entered the land of Israel, where he took captive as many as were left there, and carried them into a.s.syria, except an inconsiderable number that escaped his pursuit.

But that the country might not become a desert, he sent colonies of idolatrous people, taken out of the countries beyond the Euphrates, to dwell in the cities of Samaria. The prediction of Isaiah was then fulfilled;(1028) _within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be no more a people_. This was exactly the s.p.a.ce of time which elapsed between the prediction and the event: and the people of Israel did then truly cease to be a visible nation, what was left of them being altogether mixed and confounded with other nations.

This prince, having possessed himself of the land of Israel, sent some of his generals with part of his army into Judea, to reduce that country likewise under his subjection.(1029) These generals defeated Mana.s.seh, and having taken him prisoner, brought him to Esarhaddon, who put him in chains, and carried him with him to Babylon. But Mana.s.seh, having afterwards appeased the wrath of G.o.d by a sincere and lively repentance, obtained his liberty, and returned to Jerusalem.

Meantime the colonies, that had been sent into Samaria, in the room of its ancient inhabitants, were grievously infested with lions.(1030) The king of Babylon being told that the cause of this calamity was their not worshipping the G.o.d of the country, ordered an Israelitish priest to be sent to them, from among the captives brought from that country, to teach them the worship of the G.o.d of Israel. But these idolaters did no more than admit the true G.o.d amongst their ancient divinities, and worshipped him jointly with their false deities. This corrupt worship continued afterwards, and was the primary source of the aversion entertained by the Jews against the Samaritans.

Esarhaddon, after a prosperous reign of thirty-nine years over the a.s.syrians, and thirteen over the Babylonians, was succeeded by his son:

(M171) SAOSDUCHINUS. This prince is called in Scripture Nabuchodonosor, which name was common to the kings of Babylon. To distinguish this from the others, he is called Nabuchodonosor the First.

Tobit was still alive at this time, and dwelt among other captives at Nineveh.(1031) Perceiving his end approaching, he foretold to his children the sudden destruction of that city; of which at that time there was not the least appearance. He advised them to quit the city, before its ruin came on, and to depart as soon as they had buried him and his wife.

"The ruin of Nineveh is at hand," says the good old man, "abide no longer here, for I perceive the wickedness of the city will occasion its destruction." These last words are very remarkable, "the wickedness of the city will occasion its destruction." Men will be apt to impute the ruin of Nineveh to any other reason, but we are taught by the Holy Ghost, that her unrighteousness was the true cause of it, as it will be with other states that imitate her crimes.

Nabuchodonosor defeated the king of the Medes in a pitched battle,(1032) fought the twelfth year of his reign, upon the plain of Ragau, took Ecbatana, the capital of his kingdom, and returned triumphant to Nineveh.

When we come to treat of the history of the Medes, we shall give a more particular account of this victory.

It was immediately after this expedition, that Bethulia was besieged by Holofernes, one of Nabuchodonosor's generals; and that the famous enterprise of Judith was accomplished.

(M172) SARACUS, otherwise called CHYNALADa.n.u.s. This prince succeeded Saosduchinus;(1033) and having rendered himself contemptible to his subjects, by his effeminacy, and the little care he took of his dominions, Nabopola.s.sar, a Babylonian by birth, and general of his army, usurped that part of the a.s.syrian empire, and reigned over it one and twenty years.

(M173) NABOPOLa.s.sAR. This prince, the better to maintain his usurped sovereignty, made an alliance with Cyaxares, king of the Medes. With their joint forces they besieged and took Nineveh, killed Saracus, and utterly destroyed that great city. We shall speak more largely of this great event, when we come to the history of the Medes. From this time forwards the city of Babylon became the only capital of the a.s.syrian empire.

The Babylonians and the Medes, having destroyed Nineveh, became so formidable, that they drew upon themselves the jealousy of all their neighbours. Necho, king of Egypt, was so alarmed at their power, that to stop their progress he marched towards the Euphrates at the head of a powerful army, and made several considerable conquests. See the history of the Egyptians(1034) for what relates to this expedition, and the consequences that attended it.

Nabopola.s.sar finding,(1035) that after the taking of Carchemish by Necho, all Syria and Palestine had revolted from him, and neither his age nor infirmities permitting him to go in person to recover them, he made his son Nabuchodonosor partner with him in the empire, and sent him with an army to reduce those countries to their former subjection.

(M174) From this time the Jews begin to reckon the years of Nabuchodonosor, _viz._ from the end of the third year of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, or rather from the beginning of the fourth. But the Babylonians compute the reign of this prince only from the death of his father, which happened two years later.

(M175) NABUCHODONOSOR II. This prince defeated Necho's army, near the Euphrates, and retook Carchemish.(1036) From thence he marched towards Syria and Palestine, and reunited those provinces to his dominions.

He likewise entered Judea, besieged Jerusalem, and took it:(1037) he caused Jehoiakim to be put in chains, with a design to have him carried to Babylon; but being moved with his repentance and affliction, he restored him to the throne. Great numbers of the Jews, and, among the rest, some children of the royal family, were carried captive to Babylon, whither all the treasures of the king's palace, and a part of the sacred vessels of the temple, were likewise transported. Thus was the judgment which G.o.d had denounced by the prophet Isaiah to king Hezekiah accomplished. From this famous epocha, which was the fourth year of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, we are to date the captivity of the Jews at Babylon, so often foretold by Jeremiah. Daniel, then but twelve years old,(1038) was carried captive among the rest; and Ezekiel some time afterwards.

Towards the end of the fifth year of Jehoiakim died Nabopola.s.sar, king of Babylon, after having reigned one and twenty years.(1039) As soon as his son Nabuchodonosor had news of his death, he set out with all expedition for Babylon, taking the nearest way through the desert, attended only with a small retinue, leaving the bulk of his army with his generals, to be conducted to Babylon with the captives and spoils. On his arrival, he received the government from the hands of those that had carefully preserved it for him, and so succeeded to all the dominions of his father, which comprehended Chaldea, a.s.syria, Arabia, Syria, and Palestine, over which, according to Ptolemy, he reigned forty-three years.

(M176) In the fourth year of his reign he had a dream,(1040) at which he was greatly terrified, though he could not call it again to mind. He thereupon consulted the wise men and soothsayers of his kingdom, requiring of them to make known to him the substance of his dream. They all answered, that it was beyond the reach of their art to discover it; and that the utmost they could do, was to give the interpretation of his dream, when he had made it known to them. As absolute princes are not accustomed to meet with opposition, but will be obeyed in all things, Nabuchodonosor, imagining they dealt insincerely with him, fell into a violent rage, and condemned them all to die. Now Daniel and his three companions were included in the sentence, as being ranked among the wise men. But Daniel, having first invoked his G.o.d, desired to be introduced to the king, to whom he revealed the whole substance of his dream. "The thing thou sawest," says he to him, "was an image of an enormous size, and a terrible countenance. The head thereof was of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of bra.s.s, and the feet part of iron and part of clay. And as the king was attentively looking upon that vision, behold a stone was cut out of a mountain without hands, and the stone smote the image upon his feet, and brake them to pieces; the whole image was ground as small as dust, and the stone became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." When Daniel had related the dream, he gave the king likewise the interpretation thereof, showing him how it signified the three great empires, which were to succeed that of the a.s.syrians, namely, the Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman, or (according to some,) that of the successors of Alexander the Great. "After these kingdoms (continued Daniel) shall the G.o.d of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and this kingdom shall not be left to other people, but shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and shall stand for ever." By which Daniel plainly foretold the kingdom of Jesus Christ. The king, ravished with admiration and astonishment, after having acknowledged and loudly declared, that the G.o.d of the Israelites was truly the G.o.d of G.o.ds, advanced Daniel to the highest offices in the kingdom, made him chief of the governors over all the wise men, ruler of the whole province of Babylon, and one of the princ.i.p.al lords of the council, that always attended the court. His three friends were also promoted to honours and dignities.

At this time Jehoiakim revolted from the king of Babylon, whose generals, that were still in Judea, marched against him, and committed all kinds of hostilities upon this country.(1041) "He slept with his fathers," is all the Scripture says of his death. Jeremiah had prophesied, that he should neither be regretted nor lamented; but should "be buried with the burial of an a.s.s, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem:" this was no doubt fulfilled, though it is not known in what manner.

Jechonias(1042) succeeded both to the throne and iniquity of his father.

Nabuchodonosor's lieutenants continuing the blockade of Jerusalem, in three months' time he himself came at the head of his army, and made himself master of the city. He plundered both the temple and the king's palace of all their treasures, and sent them away to Babylon, together with all the golden vessels remaining, which Solomon had made for the use of the temple: he carried away likewise a vast number of captives, amongst whom was king Jechonias, his mother, his wives, with all the chief officers and great men of his kingdom. In the room of Jechonias, he set upon the throne his uncle Mattaniah, who was otherwise called Zedekiah.