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that they might keep their festivals； and plough and sow； and
gather in their harvests and vintage； in due season。
（4） What our other copies say of Mount Sion； as alone properly
called the city of David； 2 Samuel 5：6…9； and of this its siege
and conquest now by David； Josephus applies to the whole city
Jerusalem； though including the citadel also； by what authority
we do not now know perhaps； after David had united them together；
or joined the citadel to the lower city； as sect。 2； Josephus
esteemed them as one city。 However； this notion seems to be
confirmed by what the same Josephus says concerning David's and
many other kings of Judah's sepulchers； which as the authors of
the books of Kings and Chronicles say were in the city of David；
so does Josephus still say they were in Jerusalem。 The sepulcher
of David seems to have been also a known place in the several
days of Hyrcanus； of Herod； and of St。 Peter； Antiq。 B。 XIII。 ch。
8。 sect。 4 B。 XVI。 ch。 8。 sect。 1； Acts 2：29。 Now no such royal
sepulchers have been found about Mount Sion； but are found close
by the north wall of Jerusalem； which I suspect； therefore； to be
these very sepulchers。 See the note on ch。 15。 sect。 3。 In the
meantime； Josephus's explication of the lame； and the blind； and
the maimed； as set to keep this city or citadel； seems to be the
truth； and gives the best light to that history in our Bible。 Mr。
Ottius truly observes； （up。 Hayercamp； p。 305；） that Josephus
never mentions Mount Sion by that name； as taking it for an
appellative； as I suppose； and not for a proper name； he still
either styles it The Citadel； or The Upper City； nor do I see any
reason for Mr。 Ottius's evil suspicions about this procedure of
Josephus。
（5） Some copies of Josephus have here Solyma； or Salem； and
others Hierosolyma； or Jerusalem。 The latter best agree to what
Josephus says elsewhere； （Of the War； B。 VI。 ch。 10。；） that this
city was called Solyma； or Salem； before the days of Melchisedec；
but was by him called Hierosolyma； or Jerusalem。 I rather suppose
it to have been so called after Abraham had received that oracle
Jehovah Jireh； 〃The Lord will see； or provide；〃 Genesis 22；14。
The latter word； Jireh； with a little alteration； prefixed to the
old name Salem； Peace； will be Jerusalem； and since that
expression； 〃God will see；〃 or rather； 〃God will provide himself
a lamb for a burnt…offering；〃 ver。 8； 14； is there said to have
been proverbial till the days of Moses； this seems to me the most
probable derivation of that name； which will then denote that God
would provide peace by that 〃Lamb of God which was to take away
the sins of the world。〃 However； that which is put into brackets
can hardly be supposed the genuine words of Josephus； as Dr。
Hudson well judges。
（6） It deserves here to be remarked； that Saul very rarely； and
David very frequently； consulted God by Urim； and that David
aimed always to depend； not on his own prudence or abilities but
on the Divine direction； contrary to Saul's practice。 See sect。
2； and the note on Antiq。 B。 III。 ch。 8。 sect。 9； and when Saul's
daughter； （but David's wife；） Michal； laughed at David's dancing
before the ark； 2 Samuel 6：16； &c。； and here； sect。 l； 2； 3； it
is probable she did so； because her father Saul did not use to
pay such a regard to the ark； to the Urim there inquired by； or
to God's worship before it； and because she thought it beneath
the dignity of a king to be so religious。
（7） Josephus seems to be partly in the right； when he observes
here that Uzzah was no priest； （though perhaps he might be a
Levite；） and was therefore struck dead for touching the ark；
contrary to the law； and for which profane rashness death was the
penalty by that law； Numbers 4：15； 20。 See the like before；
Antiq。 B。 VI。 ch。 1。 sect。 4。 It is not improbable that the
putting this ark in a cart； when it ought to have been carried by
the priests or Levites； as it was presently here in Josephus so
carried from Obededom's house to David's； might be also an
occasion of the anger of God on that breach of his law。 See
Numbers 4：15； 1 Chronicles 15：13。
（8） Josephus here informs us； that； according to his
understanding of the sense of his copy of the Pentateuch； Moses
had himself foretold the building of the temple； which yet is no
where； that I know of； in our present copies。 And that this is
not a mistake set down by him unwarily； appears by what he
observed before； on Antiq。 B。 IV。 ch。 8。 sect。 46； how Moses
foretold that； upon the Jews' future disobedience； their temple
should be burnt and rebuilt； and that not once only； but several
times afterward。 See also Josephus's mention of God's former
commands to build such a temple presently； ch。 14。 sect。 2；
contrary to our other copies； or at least to our translation of
the Hebrew； 2 Samuel 7：6； 7； 1 Chronicles 17：5； 6。
（9） Josephus seems； in this place； with our modern interpreters
to confound the two distinct predictions which God made to David
and to Nathan； concerning the building him a temple by one of
David's posterity； the one belongeth to Solomon； the other to the
Messiah； the distinction between which is of the greatest
consequence to the Christian religion。
（10） Whether Syria Zobah； 2 Samuel 3：8； 1 Chronicles 18：3…8； be
Sophene； as Josephus here supposes； which yet Ptolemy places
beyond Euphrates； as Dr。 Hudson observes here； whereas Zobah was
on this side； or whether Josephus was not here guilty of a
mistake in his geography； I cannot certainly determine。
（11） David's reserving only one hundred chariots for himself out
of one thousand he had taken from Hadadezer； was most probably in
compliance with the law of Moses； which forbade a king of Israel
〃to multiply horses to himself；〃 Deuteronomy 17：16； one of the
principal uses of horses in Judea at that time being for drawing
their chariots。 See Joshua 12：6； and Antiq。 B。 V。 ch。 1。 sect。
18。 It deserves here to be remarked； that this Hadad； being a
very great king； was conquered by David； whose posterity yet for
several generations were called Benhadad； or the son of Hadad；
till the days of Hazael； whose son Adar or Ader is also in our
Hebrew copy （2 Kings 13：24） written Benhadad； but in Josephus
Adad or Adar。 And strange it is； that the son of Hazael； said to
be such in the same text； and in Josephus； Antiq。 B。 IX。 ch。 8。
sect。 7； should still be called the son of Hadad。 I would；
therefore； here correct our Hebrew copy from Josephus's； which
seems to have the true reading。 nor does the testimony of
Nicolaus of Damascus； produced in this place by Josephus； seem to
be faultless； when it says that he was the third of the Hadads；
or second of the Benhadads； who besieged Samaria in the days of
Ahab。 He must rather have been the seventh or eighth； if there
were ten in all of that name； as we are assured there were。 For
this testimony makes all the Hadads or Benhadads of the same
line； and to have immediately succeeded one another； whereas
Hazael was not of that line； nor is he called Hadad or Benhadad
in any copy。 And note； that from this Hadad； in the days of
David； to the beginning of Hazael； were near two hundred years；
according to the exactest chronology of Josephus。
（12） By this great victory over the Idameans or Edomites； the
posterity of Esau； and by the consequent tribute paid by that
nation to the Jews； were the prophecies delivered to Rebecca
before Jacob and Esau were born； and by old Isaac before his
death； that the elder； Esau； （or the Edomites；） should serve and
the younger； Jacob； （or the Israelites；） and Jacob （or the
Israelites） should be Esau's （or the Edomites'） lord； remarkably
fulfilled。 See Antiq。 B。 VIII。 ch 7。 sect。 6； Genesis 25；9；3； and
the notes on Antiq。 B。 I。 ch。 18。 sect。 5； 6。
（13） That a talent of gold was about seven pounds weight； see the
description of the temple ch。 13。 Nor could Josephus well
estimate it higher； since he here says that David wore it on his
head perpetually。
（14） Whether Josephus saw the words of our copies； 2 Samuel
12：31； and 1 Chronicles 20：3； that David put the inhabitants； or
at least the garrison of Rabbah； and of the other Ammonite
cities； which he besieged and took； under； or cut them with saws；
and under； or with harrows of iron； and under； or with axes of
iron； and made them pass through the brick…kiln； is not here
directly expressed。 If he saw them； as is most probable he did；
he certainly expounded them of tormenting these Ammonites to
death； who were none of those seven nations of Canaan whose
wickedness had rendered them incapable of mercy； otherwise I
should be inclinable to think that the meaning； at least as the
words are in Samuel； might only be this： That they were made the
lowest slaves； to work in sawing of timber or stone； in harrowing
the fields； in hewing timber； in making and burning bricks； and
the like hard services； but without taking away their lives。 We
never elsewhere； that I remember； meet with such methods of
cruelty in putting men to death in all the Bible； or in any other
ancient history whatsoever； nor do the words in Samuel seem
naturally to refer to any such thing。
（15） Of this weight of Absalom's hair； ho