108

He put to death those from the Jews found practicing idolatry. For they were so possessed by idolatry that behind the doors they would paint the abominations of the nations and worship them, and so that they might hide from those sent by Hezekiah to search when the doors were opened. There was also a certain inscription of Solomon engraved on the gate of the temple containing a cure for every disease, to which the people paid attention and, believing they had the cures, despised God; for this reason Hezekiah also erased it, so that when they suffered they might turn to God. He made war on the foreigners as far as Gaza. And he revolted from the Assyrians, having previously been a subject, and he renewed the ruined walls of Jerusalem, placing a second wall around it, and destroying 237 the waters around the city because of the thirst of the enemies and turning only the spring of Siloam inside the city. And when Sennacherib marched against him and was sacking the surrounding cities, he asked his pardon for the apostasy, giving him also 300 talents of silver and 30 of gold. But he, having taken these things, did not withdraw, but sent Rabshakeh his general with a heavy host against Jerusalem and wrote threats to Hezekiah and blasphemies against God. Spreading the book of this writing before the Lord, he was encouraged by the prophet Isaiah not to fear the impious, as they would be terrified by God. Then an angel of the Lord at night miraculously destroyed 185,000 men of the Assyrian camp. and Sennacherib with the rest broke camp ingloriously for Assyria, having heard that the king of the Ethiopians, Barathach, was also coming to make war on him. And having come to Nineveh, he mistreated the captives of Israel, and he himself was killed by his own children. But King Hezekiah, having fallen deathly ill in the 15th year of his reign, was told by Isaiah that he would not live, and having turned and wept to God, he received an addition of 15 years of life, confirmed by the miraculous sign of the sun's return from its natural motion, going back ten steps throughout the whole world, so that that day alone was 22 hours long, without its own night. this Hezekiah, they say, practiced chastity before his illness, hoping to become immortal through it and understanding "a ruler shall not fail from Judah" in this sense. And while he was sick he prayed that upon recovering he would beget children. But Merodach-baladan, amazed at the sign of the sun's reversal, and having heard what had happened regarding Hezekiah's illness, sent envoys and gifts, congratulating him on his life. But Hezekiah, neglecting 238 to recount the powers of God, showed off the wealth in his palace. But Isaiah, rebuking him for his arrogance, prophesied as a penalty the future capture of the things shown to the enemies. Hezekiah made Jerusalem well-supplied with water. In his time Micah prophesied against Jerusalem that Zion shall be plowed as a field and Jerusalem shall be impassable, and he was not put to death by Hezekiah. In the 14th year of Hezekiah, and in the year of the world 4778, Sennacherib king of the Assyrians went up against the fortified cities of Judah and took them; and Hezekiah gave him all the silver of the house of the Lord and of the king's house. The 10th king of Israel was Jehoahaz son of Jehu, for 17 years. he became a tributary to the Syrians, but after this, he made war on them and delivered Israel. and it was the year of the world 4638. The 11th king of Israel was Joash, for 16 years. and it was the year of the world 4655. Joash king of Israel, having routed Judah in battle, captured Amaziah the king of Judah and broke down 400 cubits of the walls of Jerusalem, and having plundered it, he returned to Samaria. In these times prophesied Hosea, Amos, Jonah, Nahum, at which time Jonah also, being sent to Nineveh, flees to Tarshish and having been swallowed by a sea monster is vomited out after three days. And Africanus says that Tarshish is Rhodes and Cyprus. The 12th king of Israel was Jeroboam son of Joash, for 41 years. he restored the border

108

εὑρισκομένους εἰδωλολατροῦντας ἐξ Ἰουδαίων ἐθανάτου. τοσοῦτον γὰρ τῇ εἰδωλολατρείᾳ συνείχοντο ὥστε τῶν θυρωμάτων ὄπισθεν ζωγραφεῖν τὰ βδελύγματα τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ προσκυνεῖν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἵνα τῶν παρ' Ἐζεκίου ψηλαφᾶν πεμπομένων κρύβοιντο ἀνοιγομένων τῶν θυρῶν. ἦν δὲ καὶ Σολομῶνος γραφή τις ἐγκεκολαμμένη τῇ πύλῃ τοῦ ναοῦ παντὸς νοσήματος ἄκος περιέχουσα, ᾗ προσέχων ὁ λαὸς καὶ τὰς θεραπείας νομιζόμενος ἔχειν κατεφρόνει τοῦ θεοῦ· διὸ καὶ ταύτην Ἐζεκίας ἐξεκόλαψεν, ἵνα πάσχοντες τῷ θεῷ προσέχωσιν. Ἐπολέμησε δὲ τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις μέχρι Γάζης. Ἀσσυρίων τε ἀπέστη πρότερον ὑπήκοος ὢν καὶ τὰ διεφθαρμένα τείχη τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἀνεκαίνισεν, δεύτερον αὐτῇ περιθεὶς τείχισμα, ἀφανίσας 237 δὲ τὰ πέριξ τῆς πόλεως ὕδατα διὰ δίψαν τῶν πολεμίων καὶ μόνην ἀποστρέ ψας ἔνδον τῆς πόλεως τὴν τοῦ Σιλωὰμ πηγήν. Ἐπιστρατεύσαντος δ' αὐτῷ τοῦ Σεναχηρεὶμ καὶ τὰς πέριξ πορθοῦντος πόλεις συγγνώμην αὐτῷ τῆς ἀποστασίας ᾔτει, δοὺς καὶ τʹ τάλαντα ἀργυρίου χρυσίου τε λʹ. ὁ δὲ ταῦτα λαβὼν οὐκ ἀπέστη, ἀλλὰ Ῥαψάκην στρατηγὸν αὐτοῦ σὺν ὄχλῳ βαρεῖ κατὰ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ πέμψας ἀπειλὰς ἔγραψε πρὸς Ἐζεκίαν καὶ εἰς θεὸν βλασφημίας. τὸ δὲ βιβλίον τῆς γραφῆς ταύτης ἐνώπιον κυρίου ἁπλώσας ἐθαρρύνετο πρὸς τοῦ προφήτου Ἡσαΐου, μὴ φοβεῖσθαι δὲ τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς ὡς ὑπὸ θεοῦ πτοηθησομένους. Τότε ἄγγελος κυρίου νυκτὸς διέφθειρε παραδόξως ρπεʹ χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν τῆς τῶν Ἀσσυρίων παρεμβολῆς. καὶ Σεναχηρεὶμ σὺν τοῖς ὑπολοί ποις ἀνέζευξεν ἀδόξως εἰς τὴν Ἀσσυρίαν, ἀκηκοὼς ὅτι καὶ ὁ τῶν Αἰθιόπων βασιλεὺς Βαραθὰχ ἔρχεται πολεμήσων αὐτόν. ἐλθὼν δὲ εἰς Νινευὶ τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐκακούχει, αὐτός τε ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων ἀναιρεῖται τέκνων. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Ἐζεκίας νοσήσας πρὸς θάνατον τῷ ιεʹ ἔτει τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ ἀπηγορεύθη τοῦ ζῆν ὑπὸ Ἡσαΐου καὶ στραφεὶς καὶ δακρύσας πρὸς θεὸν ἐτῶν ιεʹ προσθήκην ζωῆς ἔλαβε διὰ τοῦ παραδόξου σημείου πιστουμένην τῆς ἐπανόδου τοῦ ἡλίου ἐκ τῆς φυσικῆς κινήσεως δέκα βαθμοὺς ἀναποδισάσης καθ' ὅλην τὴν οἰκουμένην, ὡς εἶναι τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην μόνην χωρὶς τῆς ἰδίας νυκτὸς ὡρῶν κβʹ. οὗτος Ἐζεκίας πρὸ τῆς νόσου, φασί, σωφροσύνην ἤσκει, ἀθάνατος δι' αὐτῆς ἔσεσθαι ἐλπίζων καὶ τὸ «οὐκ ἐκλείψει ἄρχων ἐξ Ἰούδα» εἰς τοῦτο νοῶν. ἐν δὲ τῷ ἀσθενεῖν ηὔξατο ἀναστὰς παιδοποιήσειν. Ὁ δὲ Μαρωδὰχ Βαλαδὰν ἐκπλαγεὶς τῷ σημείῳ τῆς ἡλιακῆς ἀναποδί σεως, ἀκούσας τε τὰ κατὰ τὴν Ἐζεκίου συμβάντα νόσον, ἀπέστειλε πρέσβεις καὶ δῶρα, συνηδόμενος αὐτῷ τῆς ζωῆς. ὁ δὲ Ἐζεκίας ἀφεὶς 238 διηγεῖσθαι τὰς δυνάμεις τοῦ θεοῦ τὸν ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις ὑπεδείκνυε πλοῦ τον. Ἡσαΐας δὲ τῆς ἀλαζονείας αὐτὸν καταμεμψάμενος ὡς ἐν ἐπι τιμίῳ τὴν μέλλουσαν τῶν ὑποδειχθέντων τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἅλωσιν προεφή τευσεν. Ἐζεκίας ὕδασι κατάρρυτον ἐποίησε τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἐπὶ τούτου Μιχαίας προεφήτευσε κατὰ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὅτι Σιὼν ὡς ἀγρὸς ἀροτριαθήσεται καὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἄβατος ἔσται, καὶ οὐκ ἀνῃρέθη ὑπὸ Ἐζεκίου. Τῷ ιδʹ ἔτει Ἐζεκίου, κόσμου δὲ δψοηʹ, ἀνέβη Σεναχηρεὶμ βασιλεὺς Ἀσσυρίων ἐπὶ τὰς πόλεις Ἰούδα τὰς ὀχυρὰς καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτάς· καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ Ἐζεκίας πᾶν τὸ ἀργύριον οἴκου κυρίου καὶ οἴκου τοῦ βασιλέως. Τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ιʹ ἐβασίλευσεν Ἰωάχαζ υἱὸς Ἰηοὺ ἔτη ιζʹ. οὗτος ὑπόσπονδος Σύροις ἐγένετο, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πολεμήσας αὐτοῖς ἐρρύσατο τὸν Ἰσραήλ. τοῦ δὲ κόσμου ἦν ἔτος δχληʹ. Τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ιαʹ ἐβασίλευσεν Ἰωὰς ἔτη ιςʹ. τοῦ δὲ κόσμου ἦν ἔτος δχνεʹ. Ἰωὰς βασιλεὺς Ἰσραὴλ τροπωσάμενος πολέμῳ τὸν Ἰούδαν συνέλαβεν Ἀμεσίαν τὸν βασιλέα Ἰούδα καὶ καθεῖλε τὰ τείχη Ἱερουσαλὴμ πήχεις υʹ,καὶ σκυλεύσας αὐτὴν ἐπανῆλθεν εἰς Σαμάρειαν. Τούτοις τοῖς χρόνοις προεφήτευσεν Ὠσηέ, Ἀμώς, Ἰωνᾶς, Ναούμ,ἡνίκα καὶ Ἰωνᾶς ἐκπεμφθεὶς εἰς Νινευὶ εἰς Θαρσεὶς φεύγει καὶ ὑπὸ κήτους καταποθεὶς τριήμερος ἀνεμεῖται. Θαρσεὶς δὲ Ῥόδον καὶ Κύπρον Ἀφρικανὸς λέγει εἶναι. Τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ιβʹ ἐβασίλευσεν Ἱεροβωὰμ ἔτη μαʹ υἱὸς Ἰωάς. οὗτοςἀπέδωκε τὸ ὅριον