Chapter XIX.

The crime committed by the inhabitants of Gibeah against the wife of a certain Levite is related, and from the vengeance taken it is inferred how the idea of virtue must have filled the heart of those people of old.

110. What regard for virtue our forefathers had to avenge by a war the wrongs of one woman which had been brought on her by her violation at the hands of profligate men! Nay, when the people were conquered, they vowed that they would not give their daughters in marriage to the tribe of Benjamin! That tribe had remained without hope of posterity, had they not received leave of necessity to use deceit. And this permission does not seem to fail in giving fitting punishment for violation, since they were only allowed to enter on a union by a rape, and not through the sacrament of marriage. And indeed it was right that they who had broken another’s intercourse should themselves lose their marriage rites.

111. How full of pitiful traits is this story! A man, it says,707    Judg. xix. 1–3. a Levite, had taken to himself a wife, who I suppose was called a concubine from the word “concubitus.” She some time afterwards, as is wont to happen, offended at certain things, betook herself to her father, and was with him four months. Then her husband arose and went to the house of his father-in-law, to reconcile himself with his wife, to win her back and take her home again. The woman ran to meet him and brought her husband into her father’s house.

112. The maiden’s708    Judg. 4–9. father rejoiced and went to meet him, and the man stayed with him three days, and they ate and rested. On the next day the Levite arose at daybreak, but was detained by his father-in-law, that he might not so quickly lose the pleasure of his company. Again on the next and the third day the maiden’s father did not suffer his son-in-law to start, until their joy and mutual regard was complete. But on the seventh day, when it was already drawing to a close, after a pleasant meal, having urged the approach of the coming night, so as to make him think he ought to sleep amongst friends rather than strangers, he was unable to keep him, and so let him go together with his daughter.

113. When some little progress709    Judg. xix. 10–21. was made, though night was threatening to come on, and they were close by the town of the Jebusites, on the slave’s request that his lord should turn aside there, he refused, because it was not a city of the children of Israel. He meant to get as far as Gibeah, which was inhabited by the people of the tribe of Benjamin. But when they arrived there was no one to receive them with hospitality, except a stranger of advanced age—When he had looked upon them he asked the Levite: Whither goest thou and whence dost thou come? On his answering that he was travelling and was making for Mount Ephraim and that there was no one to take him in, the old man offered him hospitality and prepared a meal.

114. And when they were satisfied710    Judg. xix. 22–26. and the tables were removed, vile men rushed up and surrounded the house. Then the old man offered these wicked men his daughter, a virgin, and the concubine with whom she shared her bed, only that violence might not be inflicted on his guest. But when reason did no good and violence prevailed, the Levite parted from his wife, and they knew her and abused her all that night. Overcome by this cruelty or by grief at her wrong, she fell at the door of their host where her husband had entered, and gave up the ghost, with the last effort of her life guarding the feelings of a good wife so as to preserve for her husband at least her mortal remains.

115. When this became known711    Judg. xx. 1 ff. (to be brief) almost all the people of Israel broke out into war. The war remained doubtful with an uncertain issue, but in the third engagement the people of Benjamin were delivered to the people of Israel,712    Judg. xx. 48. and being condemned by the divine judgment paid the penalty for their profligacy. The sentence, further,713    Judg. xxi. 1 ff. was that none of the people of the fathers should give his daughter in marriage to them. This was confirmed by a solemn oath. But relenting at having laid so hard a sentence on their brethren, they moderated their severity so as to give them in marriage those maidens that had lost their parents, whose fathers had been slain for their sins, or to give them the means of finding a wife by a raid. Because of the villainy of so foul a deed, they who have violated another’s marriage rights were shown to be unworthy to ask for marriage. But for fear that one tribe might perish from the people, they connived at the deceit.

116. What great regard our forefathers had for virtue is shown by the fact that forty thousand men drew the sword against their brethren of the tribe of Benjamin in their desire to avenge the wrong done to modesty, for they would not endure the violation of chastity. And so in that war on both sides there fell sixty-five thousand warriors, whilst their cities were burnt. And when at first the people of Israel were defeated, yet unmoved by fear at the reverses of the war, they disregarded the sorrow the avenging of chastity cost them. They rushed into the battle ready to wash out with their own blood the stains of the crime that had been committed.

135 CAPUT XIX.

Narratur admissum in levitae cujusdam uxorem a civibus Gabaa flagitium, atque ex illius ultione colligitur quam veteribus illis cordi fuerit honestatis ratio.

110. Quanta autem honestatis cura majoribus fuit, ut unius mulieris injuriam stupro illatam intemperantium bello persequerentur, et victo populo, 0176B tribus Benjamin obtestarentur in conjugium se eis proprias filias non daturos! Remanserat tribus sine ullo posteritatis subsidio, nisi fraudis necessariae accepisset licentiam. Quae tamen indulgentia congruo intemperantiae supplicio non videtur vacare, quando illis hoc solum permissum est, ut rapto inirent conjugia, non connubii sacramento. Et revera dignum fuit ut qui alienum contubernium solverant, ipsi nuptiarum amitterent solemnitatem.

111. Quam plena autem miserationis historia! Vir, inquit (Judic. XIX, et seq.), levita acceperat sibi jugalem ( quam a concubitu concubinam appellatam arbitror) quae aliquanto post quibusdam, ut fieri solet, offensa rebus, ad patrem se contult, et fuit illic quatuor mensibus. Et surrexit vir ejus, et 0176C abiit ad soceri sui domum, ut cum sua jugali repararet gratiam, et revocaret eam, ac reduceret; occurrit ei mulier, atque in domum patris sui introduxit maritum.

112. Laetatus est adolescentulae pater: venit obviam, et sedit cum eo tribus diebus; et epulati sunt, et quieverunt. Et sequenti die surrexit levita diluculo, et retentus est a socero, ut tam cito non desereret convivii jucunditatem. Et alio et tertio die non permisit pater adolescentulae proficisci generum suum, donec laetitia et gratia inter eos omnis consummaretur. Sed die septimo cum jam ad vesperum declinaret dies, post mensas et laeta convivia, cum praetexeret finitimae noctis viciniam, ut apud suos potius, quam apud extraneos requiescendum putaret, 0176D nequivit tenere, et dimisit una cum filia sua.

113. Verum ubi facta est aliqua progressio, cum vesper jam propior urgeret, et appropinquatum foret ad urbem Jebusaeorum, dicente servulo, ut ad eam dominus suus deflecteret, non acquievit dominus suus; quia non erat ea civitas filiorum Israel: sed intendit pervenire usque Gabaa, quae habitabatur a populo tribus Benjamin. Nec erat quisquam 0177A qui advenientes reciperet hospitio, nisi vir peregrinus progressa aetate. Qui cum aspexisset eos, et interrogasset levitam: Quo vadis, vel unde venis? quo respondente quod esset viator, et repeteret montem Ephraem, et non esset qui colligeret eum, hospitium ei obtulit, et adornavit convivium.

114. At ubi satietas epulandi facta est, et mensae remotae, irruerunt pestilentes viri, et circumierunt domum. Tunc senior filiam suam virginem, 136 et coaequalem ejus cum qua cubitare solita esset, offerebat viris iniquitatis, tantum ne vis irrogaretur hospiti. Verum ubi parum ratio processit, et vis praevaluit, cessit levites jugali sua: et cognoverunt eam, et tota nocte illuserunt ei. Qua atrocitate, vel dolore victa injuriae, ante ostium hospitis, quo 0177B vir suus diverterat, projecit se atque exhalavit spiritum, supremo licet vitae munere affectum bonae conjugis servans, ut exsequias saltem sui funeris marito reservaret.

115. Quo cognito (ne multis morer) omnis prope populus Israel in bellum exarsit, dubioque eventu cum anceps maneret praelium, tertia tamen praeliandi vice, traditus est populus Benjamin populo Israel, et divina judicatus sententia, poenas intemperantiae luit. Condemnatus quoque ne quis ei ex numero patrum filiam suam daret in uxorem: idque confirmatum jurisjurandi sacramento est. Sed compuncti quod tam acerbam in fratres tulissent sententiam, ita severitatem ejus temperaverunt, ut orbatas parentibus virgines in conjugium sibi adsciscerent, 0177C quorum patres pro delicto perempti forent, vel rapto copulam sociarent; quia pro tam turpis commissi facinore, qui alieni matrimonii jus violaverant, indignos se impetrando exhibuere matrimonio. Sed ne periret una populo tribus, fraudis indulta est conniventia.

116. Quanta igitur honestatis cura majoribus fuerit, hinc proditur, ut quadraginta millia virorum stringerent gladium adversus fratres suos de tribu Benjamin, dum ulcisci volunt injuriam pudicitiae; quia temeratores castitatis non sufferebantur. Itaque eo bello caesa sunt utrinque sexaginta quinque millia bellatorum, et exustae urbes. Et cum inferior primo fuisset populus Israel, tamen nec adversi metu belli percitus, vindicandae castitatis sequestravit 0177D dolorem. Ruebat in praelium, vel sanguine suo parans commissi flagitii diluere notam.