LITMIR.BIZ

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high places were not removed” (1 Kings xv. 14)—“the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places” (ibid. xxii. 43). Worships which Asa viewed as “abominations” continued in many parts of Judah and Benjamin, as well as in the cities won by his father from Israel (2 Chron. xiii. 19; xv. 8), during the whole of the ten tranquil years which constitute the first period of his reign. The religious reforms of Asa, though occupying so large a share of his attention, still did not entirely engross him, or prevent him from doing his duty as a sovereign in other respects. Particularly, he gave serious thought to the military position of his kingdom, which was without an ally, and surrounded on all sides by enemies. Egypt, his neighbour upon the south, was especially to be feared, as had been sufficiently proved by the expedition of Sheshonk. That prince was now dead; but he had left his crown, and his ambitious projects, to descendants in the direct line,7 and Asa seems to have felt that at any time an attack might come upon him from this quarter. Accordingly he made great efforts to place his little territory in a posture of defence. First of all, like Rehoboam (2 Chron xi. 5-11), he endeavoured to secure his frontier by carefully fortifying all the principal cities, which he strengthened with “walls and towers, gates and bars” (ibid. xiv. 7), to the best of his ability. Then, fully aware that “fenced cities”—“walls and towers” are of no avail without gallant defenders, he collected and organized an army, which is said to have numbered 580,000 men. More than half of them were “men of Judah,” well equipped with spears and large shields; while the remainder were “men of Benjamin,” who carried small round targes, and were expert in the use of the bow. The entire force was held in readiness to meet attack, and was probably disposed chiefly in the frontier towns which had been fortified with so much care. All this was done during the tranquil period of Asa’s reign, through the wise foresight of the king, who knew that national defence is far better organized when peril is remote than when immediate danger threatens.

It was not very long before the prudence of these proceedings became apparent. In the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign Judæa was suddenly invaded by “a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen” (2 Chron. xvi. 8), under the command of a leader who is called “Zerah (or Zerakh8) the Ethiopian.” The number of the invading army is estimated at “a thousand thousand” (ibid. xiv. 9), or a million of men. It was composed mainly of Ethiopians and Libyans, and it fell upon Judæa on the south or rather the south-west. There can be no reasonable doubt that the army issued from Egypt, and was sent or led by an Egyptian Pharaoh with the view of effecting conquests in Southwestern Asia. It was a sequel to the expedition of Sheshonk. As Sheshonk had attacked Rehoboam with an army chiefly composed of mercenary soldiers, Ethiopians, Libyans, and Sukkiim (2 Chron. xii. 3), so now an army almost identically composed (ibid. xvi. 8), was sent against Asa. It is impossible to determine absolutely who was the leader. The Hebrew “Zerakh” may, perhaps, represent the Egyptian “Usarkin” or “Osarkon,” and the expedition may have been conducted by Osarkon the Second in person, as that against Rehoboam was conducted by Sheshonk. Or Zerah may have been an Ethiopian general, employed by the Egyptian Pharaoh to take the command of his troops and attempt the subjugation of Judæa.9 The march appears to have lain along the usual coast route, by way of Gaza and Ascalon. This route conducted to the valley of Zephathah—the broad plain at the foot of the Judæan hills west of Zeita and Marash (Mareshah). It was here that Asa met his enemy. From the high ground, whence he commanded a full view of the hostile army, after prayer to God (2 Chr. xiv. 11), he poured down gallant bands of free Jews and Benjamites upon the mercenary host opposed to him, which was at least double his strength; and, after a short combat, gained a complete and decisive victory. The Ethiopians were smitten, and fled before Asa and before Judah (ibid. ver. 12); their host melted away, and rapidly withdrew beyond the borders of Judæa into the comparative desert south of Gaza, where was the Philistine city of Gerar, which gave a shelter to the shattered remnant. Asa pursued them up to the walls, conquered all the small towns in the neighbourhood of the city, captured a vast number of cattle, sheep, and camels (ibid. ver. 15), and returned with an immense booty to Jerusalem.

The victory had most important consequences. It put an end to Egyptian schemes of Asiatic conquest, if not for ever, at any rate for three centuries.10 It relieved Judæa from all pressure on her southern frontier, and enabled her to turn her whole attention towards the north. It so weakened the Bubastite dynasty of the Sheshonks and Osarkons, that, within a short time, they lost their hold on large portions of Egypt. Rival dynasties arose. Disintegration set in. Soon the balance of power between Egypt and Ethiopia was shifted. The swart tribes of the south began by asserting their independence, and then proceeded to claim and exercise a sovereignty over their former masters. Napata and Meroe became the centres of African power, instead of Memphis and Thebes. Egypt grew friendly towards Judæa instead of hostile, and the Israelite kingdom learnt to lean upon the Pharaohs for support11 instead of dreading their ambition.

On Asa’s return to Jerusalem he was met and congratulated by a prophet. Azariah, the son of Oded (perhaps the same as Iddo12), by Divine direction, went out to meet him as he approached the city (2 Chron. xv. 2), and assured him and his people of God’s favour, so long as they should continue His faithful servants. At the same time he exhorted them not to relax in their efforts against the enemies of true religion, but to be strong and determined (ibid. ver. 7). Asa seems upon this to have braced himself up to a fresh crusade against the “abominations,” which he cast out now “from all the land of Judah and Benjamin,” as well as from the cities which his father had taken from Israel. At the same time he “renewed the altar of the Lord” which stood before the great porch of the Temple, either because in the course of sixty-five years it had suffered some decay, or because sacrilegious hands had desecrated it.

      Not long afterwards he held a great festival. The signal victory which he had gained over Zerah caused his fame to be spread abroad, and large numbers of Israelites from the northern kingdom quitted their homes, and emigrated into Judæa, preferring to cast in their lot with the portion of their nation which was able to exhibit such manifest proofs that the Lord their God was with them (2 Chron. xv. 9). Not only Simeonites, who from their geographical position could with difficulty maintain a connection with the rest of the Ten Tribes, but men of Ephraim and Manasseh, who constituted the very heart of the Secession, left the Israelite kingdom, and “fell to Judah in abundance” (ibid.), increasing at once the military strength, and the prestige, of the Judæan state. Asa thought it advisable to attach this fluctuating population, so far as the circumstances permitted, firmly to his own community and his own religion. He therefore proclaimed a feast for the third month of his fifteenth year, directly after Zerah had retired, and offered from the spoil which he had captured an immense sacrifice—no fewer than seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep—hecatombs on hecatombs—at the same time calling upon the nation, and the newly joined foreigners, to renew the covenant with Jehovah, and bind themselves by a vow, whereof the infraction should be punishable by death (ver. 13), “to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul,” and to be faithful henceforth under all circumstances to the true religion. Enthusiasm was deeply stirred. “They sware unto the Lord (Jehovah) with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets; and all Judah rejoiced at the oath; for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire” (vers. 14, 15).

The emigration of his subjects into Judæa was highly displeasing to the reigning Israelite monarch, Baasha.13 Border warfare had continued to prevail between the rival kingdoms from the time of his accession (1 Kings xv. 16); but hitherto no important expedition had been undertaken by either country against the other since the days of Abijah (2 Chron. xiii. 3-20). Now, however, Baasha thought it necessary to assume a more aggressive attitude. Provoked by the continual movement of his people across the frontier, he determined to erect a great fortress upon his southern border, which should

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