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the priest having been sent, and teaching the law, "They feared the Lord," he says, "but they also served their own gods according to the judgment of the nations." Whence he removed them from there until this day. Thus they did according to their judgment from the beginning. Having said these things about the Samaritans, he moved on to the tribe of Judah, and admired Hezekiah, as one who had served the God of all in a manner similar to David. For not only did he shatter the pillars, and cut down the groves, but he also removed the high places, which no one before him had done. And he also shattered the bronze serpent, which the great Moses had made, not so that it might be worshipped, but so that it might prefigure the saving passion; "To this," he says, "the people continued to burn incense, and they called it Nehushtan." And I found this set down in the interpretation of Hebrew names, "This is brass." But the rest, Nehushtan [as] Naas. From this I think also the Ophites, and this is a most impious heresy, are called Naassenes. 80.785 QUES. 50. What is, "At the end of three years?" Three full years, he says, the siege held Samaria. QUES. 51. Why did Hezekiah promise to give gifts to Sennacherib? Ahaz his father, having called Tiglath-pileser for an alliance against the Syrians, promised to pay tribute. This he continued to provide. But Hezekiah did not pay the imposed tribute; but having seen the army, he promised to give, and gave three hundred talents of silver, and three hundred talents of gold. For the Assyrian had commanded such a tribute to be provided. QUES. 52. Why, being zealous to serve the Divine, did he provide the tribute from the sacred monies? The royal treasuries were not sufficient. It was customary, therefore, in such necessities to spend the sacred treasures also, and again to replenish them from the enemies. And necessity prepared him to melt down even the golden gates, which he himself had made, and the doorposts. For I think these were called 'supported;' so that Sennacherib, prevailing in war, would not burn both the temple and the city; and here again he who wrote the history has made it clear that they call 'high places' not only the precincts of idols, but also the altars built to the God of all in high places. "For if you say," he says, "to me, 'We have trusted in the Lord our God;' is it not he, Hezekiah, who removed his high places, and his altars, saying to Judah and to Jerusalem, 'You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?'" And the Rabshakeh said these things, being a Hebrew I think, having defected to them, or having been carried away with those already enslaved, and having been entrusted with the command as one who had shown good will to the Assyrians; for he made his speech using the Hebrew language; at once, therefore, the officials asked him to speak in Syriac, so that the people would not know what was happening. But he, learning that it vexed the officials for the people to overhear what was said, using the Hebrew language dared those impious blasphemies, likening the true God to the falsely-named gods. But the most wise king, set against his blasphemies not weapons, but prayer and tears, and sackcloth, and beseeched the prophet Isaiah to be an intercessor. And his words were also admirable. "For this day," he said, "is a day of tribulation, and of reproach, and of rebuke, and of provocation, because the children have come to the birth pangs, and there is no strength for her who is giving birth." We are set on fire, he says, and kindled with anger, having heard those unspeakable blasphemies, but we are not able to punish those impious men. Wherefore we beseech the Master who has heard those blasphemies, to teach the unholy ones that he is not one of the so-called gods. And at once the benevolent God, having received the supplication, scattered the king's fear. "For behold," he said, "I will put a spirit in him, and he will hear an evil report, and will return to his own country; and I will strike him down with a sword in their land." But the [phrase], "Behold

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τοῦ ἱερέως ἀποσταλέντος, καὶ τὸν νόμον διδάσκοντος, "Τὸν Κύριον, φησὶν, αὐτοὶ ἐφοβοῦντο, καὶ τοῖς θεοῖς δὲ αὐτῶν ἐλάτρευον κατὰ τὸ κρῖμα τῶν ἐθνῶν." Ὅθεν ἀπῴκισεν αὐ τοὺς ἐντεῦθεν ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης. Οὕτως ἐποίουν κατὰ τὸ κρῖμα αὐτῶν τὸ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς. Ταῦτα περὶ τῶν Σαμαρειτῶν εἰρηκὼς, ἐπὶ τὴν Ἰούδα μετ έβη φυλὴν, καὶ τὸν Ἐζεκίαν ἠγάσθη, ὡς τῷ ∆α βὶδ παραπλησίως τὸν τῶν ὅλων τεθεραπευκότα Θεόν. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον τὰς στήλας συνέτριψε, καὶ τὰ ἄλση συνέκοψεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ ἐξῆρεν, ὅπερ οὐ δεὶς τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ πεποίηκε. Συνέτριψε δὲ καὶ τὸν χαλκοῦν ὄφιν, ὃν ὁ μέγας Μωσῆς κατεσκεύασεν, οὐχ ἵνα προσκυνῆται, ἀλλ' ἵνα προτυπώσῃ τὸ σω τήριον πάθος· "Τούτῳ, φησὶν, ὁ λαὸς θυμιῶν διετέ λεσε, καὶ ἐκάλεσαν αὐτὸν Νεεσθάν." Τοῦτο δὲ ἐν τῇ τῶν Ἑβραϊκῶν ὀνομάτων ἑρμηνείᾳ κείμενον εὗ ρον, "Χαλκὸς αὕτη." Οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ, τὸν Νεε σθὰν Νάας. Ἐντεῦθεν οἶμαι καὶ τοὺς ὀφίτας, αἵρεσις δὲ αὕτη δυσσεβεστάτη, Ναασηνοὺς ὀνομά ζεσθαι. 80.785 ΕΡΩΤ. Νʹ. Τί ἐστιν, "Εἰς τὸ τέλος τριῶν ἐτῶν;" Τρία τέλεια, φησὶν, ἔτη ἐπὶ τῆς Σαμαρείας κατ έσχεν ἡ πολιορκία. ΕΡΩΤ. ΝΑʹ. Τί δήποτε δῶρα δώσειν τῷ Σεναχηρεὶμ ὁ Ἐζεκίας ὑπέσχετο; Ἄχαζ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ τὸν Θεγλαθφαλασὰρ εἰς συμ μαχίαν κατὰ τῶν Σύρων καλέσας, φόρον τελέσειν ὑπέσχετο. Τοῦτον ἐκεῖνος διετέλεσε παρέχων. Ὁ δὲ Ἐζεκίας τὸν ἐπικείμενον δασμὸν οὐκ ἐξέτισε· τὴν δὲ στρατιὰν θεασάμενος, δώσειν ὑπέσχετο, καὶ ἔδωκε τριακόσια τάλαντα ἀργυρίου, καὶ τριακόσια τάλαντα χρυσίου. Τοσοῦτον γὰρ ὁ Ἀσσύριος δασμὸν παρέχειν ἐκέλευσεν. ΕΡΩΤ. ΝΒʹ. Τί δήποτε τὸ Θεῖον θεραπεύειν σπουδάζων, ἐκ τῶν ἱερῶν χρημάτων παρέσχε τὸν φόρον; Οὐκ ἀπέχρων οἱ βασιλικοὶ θησαυροί. Ἔθος οὖν ἐν ταῖς τοιαύταις ἀνάγκαις καὶ τοὺς ἱεροὺς θη σαυροὺς δαπανᾷν, καὶ πάλιν αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῶν πολε μίων ἀναπληροῦν. Ἡ ἀνάγκη δὲ παρεσκεύασε καὶ τὰς πύλας χωνεῦσαι τὰς χρυσᾶς, ἃς οὗτος κατ εσκεύασε, καὶ τοὺς σταθμοὺς τῶν θυρῶν. Τούτους γὰρ ἐστηριγμένα οἶμαι κληθῆναι· ἵνα μὴ πολέμῳ κρατήσας ὁ Σεναχηρεὶμ, καὶ τὸν ναὸν καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐμπρήσῃ· καὶ ἐνταῦθα δὲ πάλιν δεδήλωκεν ὁ τὴν ἱστορίαν συγγράψας, ὅτι οὐ μόνον τὰ τεμένη τῶν εἰ δώλων ὑψηλὰ ὀνομάζουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῷ Θεῷ τῶν ὅλων ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς τόποις δεδομημένα θυσια στήρια. "Ἐὰν γὰρ εἴπητε, φησὶ, πρός με, Ἐπὶ Κύ- ριον τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν πεποίθαμεν· οὐχὶ αὐτὸς Ἐζε κίας ἀπέστησε τὰ ὑψηλὰ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ θυσιαστή ρια αὐτοῦ, λέγων τῷ Ἰούδα καὶ τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, Ἐνώπιον τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου προσκυνήσατε ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ;" Καὶ ταῦτα ἔλεγεν ὁ Ῥαψάκης, Ἑβραῖος ὢν οἶμαι, πρὸς ἐκείνους αὐτομο 80.788 λήσας, ἢ τοῖς ἐξανδραποδισθεῖσιν ἤδη συναπαχθεὶς, καὶ ὡς εὔνοιαν δείξας τοῖς Ἀσσυρίοις τὴν στρατη γίαν θαῤῥηθείς· τῇ γὰρ Ἑβραΐδι φωνῇ χρώμενος ἐποιεῖτο τοὺς λόγους· αὐτίκα γοῦν αὐτὸν οἱ ἄρχον τες διαλεχθῆναι Συριστὶ παρεκάλεσαν, ὥστε μὴ γνῶναι τὸν λαὸν τὰ γενόμενα. Ἐκεῖνος δὲ μαθὼν ἀνιᾷν τοὺς ἄρχοντας τὸ τὸν λαὸν ἐπαΐειν τῶν λεγομένων, τῇ Ἑβραίων φωνῇ χρώμενος τὰς δυσ σεβεῖς ἐκείνας βλασφημίας ἐτόλμησε, τοῖς ψευδω νύμοις θεοῖς τὸν ἀληθινὸν ἀπεικάσας Θεόν. Ἀλλ' ὁ σοφώτατος βασιλεὺς, οὐχ ὅπλα ταῖς ἐκείνου βλασ φημίαις, ἀλλὰ προσευχὴν καὶ δάκρυα, καὶ σάκκον ἀντέταξε, καὶ τὸν προφήτην Ἡσαΐαν γενέσθαι πρε σβευτὴν ἠντιβόλησεν. Ἀξιάγαστα δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ῥήματα. "Ἡμέρα γὰρ, ἔφη, θλίψεως, καὶ ὀνειδισμοῦ, καὶ ἐλεγμοῦ, καὶ παροργισμοῦ ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη, ὅτι ἦλθον οἱ υἱοὶ ἕως ὠδίνων, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἰσχὺς τῇ τικτούσῃ." Ἐμπιπράμεθα, φησὶ, καὶ ἐξαπτόμεθα τῷ θυμῷ, τῶν ἀῤῥήτων ἐκείνων βλασφημιῶν ἐπ ακούσαντες, κολάσαι δὲ τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκείνους τοὺς δυσσεβεῖς οὐ δυνάμεθα. Ὅθεν ἱκετεύομεν τὸν τῶν βλασφημιῶν ἐκείνων ἀκηκοότα ∆εσπότην, διδάξαι τοὺς ἀνοσίους, ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν εἷς τῶν καλουμένων θεῶν. Παραυτίκα δὲ τὴν ἱκετείαν δεξάμενος ὁ φιλάνθρω πος Θεὸς, ἀπεσκέδασε τοῦ βασιλέως τὸ δέος. "Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, ἔφη, δίδωμι πνεῦμα ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀκού σεται ἀγγελίαν πονηρὰν, καὶ ἀποστραφήσεται εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτοῦ· καὶ καταβαλῶ αὐτὸν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτῶν." Τὸ δὲ, "Ἰδοὺ