to each other, we cannot with certainty determine, as they have not favoured us with any information. I should fuppofe, however, that the Bishop's, is merely a conjecture, founded upon the probability, that Ahaz would go out to meet his enemies, before they approached near enough to Jerufalem, to befiege it. And that the Dean's, is a conclufion, drawn with much latitude, from the book of Chronicles. But both conjectures must certainly fall at once, before the pofitive evidence of Jofephus. Who tells us exprefsly,

that, when the united kings had "for a long time befieged the city,

they could not accomplish their

"attempt,

attempt, on account of the strength "of the walls. But the king of

το

દ

Syria, having taken the city of Ailath, near the Red Sea, placed Syrians in it. And when he had flain, both the Jews who were "in the garrifons, and they who

were round about, and, having " fent away much booty to Damafcus, "he departed with his army." He then informs us, that the king of Judah, understanding that the Syrians had retired, and thinking himself able to encounter the men of Ifrael, led forth his troops against them, but was overcome; and that the flaughter of the many thousands, and the taking a fill greater number of prifoners,

prifoners, as before defcribed,-then enfued. All which is perfectly confiftent with the accounts, given us by the facred hiftorians, both in the fecond book of Kings, and the fecond book of Chronicles.-In the former, we are told, that, "at that

、

time, Rezin, king of Syria, re"covered Elath to Syria, and drave "the Jews from Elath, and the

"Lord his God delivered him (i. e. Ahaz) into the hand of the king

་་

་་

"

of Syria; and they fmote him,

and carried away a great multi

tude of them captives, and brought

"them to Damafcus. And he was "alfo delivered into the hand of "the king of Ifrael, who fmote "him with a great flaughter."

From hence, then, I think it is a conclufion, highly probable at least, that the affurances which the prophet Ifaiah gave Ahaz, that the united armies fhould not fucceed in their attempt against Jerufalem, was PREVIOUS to this engagement, between the men of Judah and Ifracl. For, the prophet, from his own account, feems to have been fent to Ahaz, when he and the house of David were in the utmost confternation, at the INFORMATION only of the confederacy,

confederacy, between the kings of Syria and Ifrael, to befiege Jerufalem. And the battle, which was fo fatal to the men of Judah, must have been AFTER the raising of the fiege. For, firft, it is by no means probable, that the king of Syria would depart, before he had found the impoffibility of fucceeding against Jerufalem. Secondly, had fuch a conflict happened, during the continuance of the fiege, we cannot conceive, but that fo complete a victory, must have infured fuccefs to the Ifraelites and Syrians united, in their attempt upon the city.