to assist him; but recollecting himself, he would not undertake any thing in this affair, without the approba tion of the Lord." Ahab thereupon assembled his prophets (prophets of the groves) and put the question to them; who unanimously answered, "Go up, for the "Lord will deliver the place into thy hands." Jehoshaphat, not satisfied with the report of these false prophets, asked Ahab if there were not a prophet of Jehovah at hand, of whom they might enquire? Ahab told him there was one, but that he never prophesied good of him. But Jehoshaphat desiring to have him produced, Ahab, unwilling to disoblige him, sent for the prophet Micaiah; who, charging Ahab's prophets with falsehood, foretold that the enterprize would be fatal to Israel, and advised the two kings to desist. Ahab refusing to give credit to Micaiah's words, ordered him to be secured in prison till his return; and being resolved to give the Syrians battle, he marches towards them. Though Jehoshaphat had heard all that passed, and could not but know Micaiah to be a true prophet, yet having engaged himself with Ahab, he accompanied him to RamothGilead. And now being in sight of the enemy, Ahab began to cool, and recollecting Micaiah's prophecy, he thought to frustrate it by a project of his own; for disguising himself, he fought in his chariot like one of his captains, but he advised Jehoshaphat to fight in his robes. The king of Syria had commanded his officers to make all their efforts against the king of Israel, who being disguised, the Syrian officers not knowing him, took Jehoshaphat for him, and pressed him very hard; but perceiving it was not Ahab, they left him. Jehoshaphat escaped at this time; but Ahab's political expedient did him no service, for he was mortally wounded by a random arrow notwithstanding which, the action growing hotter, he was held up in his chariot to encourage his soldiers but about sun-set he died, and the retreat was sounded. The body of Ahab was then conveyed to Samaria, and buried there but that the prophecy of Elijah might not go unfulfilled, his chariot being stained by the blood which flowed from his wound, it was washed in the pool

;

of Samaria, where the dogs licked up his blood, as had been foretold by the prophet.

As for Jehoshaphat, though he escaped without hurt in the battle, yet the Lord was displeased with him, and sent the prophet Jehu to meet him upon his return to Jerusalem, with directions to chide him for assisting the enemies of the Lord: but, lest he should be too much dejected, he was nevertheless assured, that God had graciously accepted him, highly approving his removal of the idolatrous groves, and because he had prepared his heart to serve him. This gentle reproof had so good an effect upon the pious Jehoshaphat, that he purged his kingdom throughout, himself going in person from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim, to bring the people back to the worship of the Lord. After this, he settled the legislature of his kingdom, and reducing all matters, public and private, under an exact economy, he assured his people, that if they did their duty, the Lord would be with them, which was soon found to be experimentally true; for the Moabites and Ammonites, with their confederates, came with a vast army, and invaded Judah, which greatly alarmed Jehoshaphat. This pious prince, however, immediately applies himself to God; and proclaiming a fast, the people were assembled from all the cities of Judah to Jerusalem, to ask help. Then Jehoshaphat, in the name of all the people, addressed himself in prayer* to the Lord, standing before the congregation in the temple. To whom God was pleased, by his servant Jehaziel, the Levite, to give a gracious answer, and assure them of success the next day. Upon which, the whole congregation having worshipped the Lord, and the Levites having praised him with a loud voice, they marched out early in the morning to the wilderness of Tekoa; where, making a halt, Jehoshaphat in a short, but pathetic speech, exhorts them to the service of the Lord, assuring them, that if they would believe him and his

Prayer. See 2 Chron. xx. 6.

prophets, they should prosper. The king then appointed singers, who were to march at the head of the army, and to sing, Praise the Lord for his mercy endureth for "ever." This chorus was to be the signal; for as they began to sing, it pleased the Lord so to confound and infatuate the ambuscades of the enemy, that they fell upon one another through mistake, the Ammonites, Moabites, and the people of Mount Seir, killing and destroying those that opposed them, and afterwards themselves; so that here was a victory gained without the people of Judah drawing a sword; for when Jehoshaphat came with his army where the enemy lay, he found nothing but dead bodies; and the spoil was so great, that it was more than they could carry off. Three days they were in gathering it, and on the fourth, meeting in the valley, they gave thanks to God for this deliverance; from which, the place was called "Berachah," or, "the Valley of Blessing."

Jehoshaphat enters Jerusalem in triumph with his victorious troops, and is received with the utmost expressions of joy by his people, who see the hand of God apparent in this defeat of their enemies; which indeed being so manifest, it struck terror into the neighbouring nations, insomuch, that Jehoshaphat enjoyed an uninterrupted peace all the rest of his reign.

On the decease of king Ahab, his son Ahaziah ascended the throne. With his father's kingdom, he inherited all his vices: yet, with this wicked prince, good Jehoshaphat was drawn into confederacy; they agreeing to fit out a fleet at their joint expence, to fetch gold from Ophir.* But God not approving of this enter

• Ophir. A variety of conjectures have been formed as to this place. It ap pears from consulting the different texts which mention Ophir, that the same ships which went to Tarshish, went also to Ophir, and that these sailed from Ezion-Geber, a port of the Red Sea; that the voyage required three years, and that the fleet returned with gold, ivory, &c.

Josephus says that Ophir is in the Indies. It is thought he meant Chersone; sus Aurea, now calied Malacca. Others say, Pegu is the ancient Ophir, and that

prize, it came to nothing; for the ships were lost in the harbour. Ahaziah, in the second year of his reign, received a hurt by a fall through a lattess* in his upper room; upon which he sent messengers to enquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether he should recover, or not. This so provoked the Lord that he sent Elijah to meet the messengers, who said to them, “Is "there no God in Israel, that you go to consult Baal"zebub,† the god of Ekron? Tell your master, the "Lord saith he shall not recover of this distemper, but "shall surely die." The messengers went no further, but returned with that account to Ahaziah, who, by the description they gave of the man they met, concluded that it must be the prophet Elijah. Whereupon he dispatches a captain with fifty men to fetch him. The captain approaching him as he sat on the top of a hill, said to him, "Man of God, come down." To whom Elijah answered, "If I am a man of God, let

its inhabitants are descended from the Jews, whom Solomon sent to work the mines of that country.

Columbus thought he had discovered it in Hispaniola. Some place it in Peru: others in Africa; and others in Spain.

Grotius thinks that Solomon's fleet did not proceed to India, but only to Aphar, a port of Arabia, to which the Indians brought their commodities.

Mr. Bruce was of opinion, that Ophir was on the eastern coast of Africa, called by the Arabians Zanguebar, and that Solomon's fleet went out of the Red Sea, and from the harbour of Ezion-Geber entered the Mediterranean Sea by a canal of communication, doubled the Cape of Guadarfui, and coasted along Africa to Sophala, the country of which Ophir is a part.

See Calmet's Dictionary.-Art. OPHIR.

* Lattess. That is, through the lattessed or chequered window of the battlement for in Palestine the upper chamber was the roof of the house, where they used to walk, sup, and sleep, and this being built round with a battlement, as the law required, Deut. xxii. 8, to prevent any one's falling, it is probable that this chequered window gave way, and Ahaziah fell through it.

+ Baal-zebub. He is called the god of Hies, because he was wont to be invoked by the people of Ekron to drive away the flies, with which that country was much infested, being very hot and moist, and near the sea.

"fire come down from heaven, and destroy thee and thy fifty men." Immediately fire fell from heaven, and consumed the captain and his men. The same happened to another captain and fifty men: but the third captain, dreading the fate of his predecessors, came trembling over their ashes, and paying a most prefound respect to the prophet, begged his life and that of his soldiers. While the captain was interceding for himself and his people, the Lord hinted to Elijah to go with the captain to Ahaziah, and fear nothing. Elijah obeyed, and delivered to him this message: "Thus saith the "Lord, Since thou hast sent messengers to inquire of "Baal-zebub, as if there were no God in Israel, thou shalt "not come down from off that bed on which thou liest, "but shalt surely die." This event soon took place, for he died in the beginning of the second year of his reign, and was succeeded by his brother Jehoram.

And now the time being at hand when Elijah was to be translated to heaven, he went to Gilgal, taking Elisha, who was to be his successor in the prophetic office, with him: from thence they went to Bethel, from Bethel to Jericho,* and from Jericho to Jordan. In the two first places Elijah would have left Elisha behind him; but he would not be shakent off. When they were come to the river's side, Elijah with his mantle divided the waters, so that they both passed over on dry ground. Elijah then asked Elisha what he should do for him before he parted from him; Elisha

Jericho. This city was rebuilt by Hiel the Bethlehite, who, according to the word of the Lord, which above five hundred years before he spake by Joshua the son of Nun, Joshua vi. 26, laid the foundation of it in Abiram his first-born,; and set up the gates thereof in his younger son Segub, 1 Kings xvi. 34.

+ Shaken, &c. The total silence of any business which Elijah had at Bethel and Jericho, may lead to a conjecture, that Elijah knowing Elisha was to be his successor, took these journies to try his zeal, faith, and constancy. But it is possible that Elijah made this circuit to the Schools of the Prophets, to give them his last advice.