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1. Now Neco, king of Egypt, raised an army, and marched to the
river Euphrates, in order to fight with the Medes and
Babylonians, who had overthrown the dominion of the Assyrians,
for he had a desire to reign over Asia. Now when he was come
to the city Mendes, which belonged to the kingdom of Josiah, he
brought an army to hinder him from passing through his own
country, in his expedition against the Medes. Now Neco sent a
herald to Josiah, and told him that he did not make this
expedition against him, but was making haste to Euphrates; and
desired that he would not provoke him to fight against him,
because he obstructed his march to the place whither he had
resolved to go. But Josiah did not admit of this advice of Neco,
but put himself into a posture to hinder him from his intended
march. I suppose it was fate that pushed him on this conduct,
that it might take an occasion against him; for as he was setting
his army in array, and rode about in his chariot, from one
wing of his army to another, one of the Egyptians shot an arrow
at him, and put an end to his eagerness of fighting; for being
sorely wounded, he command a retreat to be sounded for his army,
and returned to Jerusalem, and died of that wound; and was
magnificently buried in the sepulcher of his fathers, when he had
lived thirty-nine years, and of them had reigned thirty-one. But
all the people mourned greatly for him, lamenting and grieving on
his account many days; and Jeremiah the prophet composed an elegy
to lament him, which is extant till tills time also.
Moreover, this prophet denounced beforehand the sad calamities
that were coming upon the city. He also left behind him in
writing a description of that destruction of our nation which has
lately happened in our days, and the taking of Babylon; nor was
he the only prophet who delivered such predictions beforehand to
the multitude, but so did Ezekiel also, who was the first person
that wrote, and left behind him in writing two books concerning
these events. Now these two prophets were priests by birth, but
of them Jeremiah dwelt in Jerusalem, from the thirteenth year of
the reign of Josiah, until the city and temple were utterly
destroyed. However, as to what befell this prophet, we will
relate it in its proper place.
2. Upon the death of Josiah, which we have already mentioned, his
son, Jehoahaz by name, took the kingdom, being about twenty-three
years old. He reigned in Jerusalem; and his mother was Hamutal,
of the city Libhah. He was an impious man, and impure in his
course of life; but as the king of Egypt returned from the
battle, he sent for Jehoahaz to come to him, to the city called
Hamath which belongs to Syria; and when he was come, he put
him in bands, and delivered the kingdom to a brother of his, by
the father's side, whose name was Eliakim, and changed his name
to Jehoiakim and laid a tribute upon the land of a hundred
talents of silver, and a talent of gold; and this sum of money
Jehoiakim paid by way of tribute; but Neco carried away Jehoahaz
into Egypt, where he died when he had reigned three months and
ten days. Now Jehoiakim's mother was called Zebudah, of the city
Rumah. He was of a wicked disposition, and ready to do mischief;
nor was he either religions towards God, or good-natured towards
men.
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