are, even to this day, planted beyond the Euphrates, and prodigiously increafed in number. St. Jerom, who lived fome confiderable time in the eastern parts, about the year of Chrift 403, affures us, that even to this day (in his time) the ten tribes, which were called Ifrael, were inhabiting in the mountains and cities of the Medes and Perfians, having never been difmiffed from their captivity ". And in the twelfth century, (or between the eleventh and twelfth hundred years of Chrift) Benjamin the Jew, who travelled into many countries, on purpose to know the ftate and abode of those who were of the pofterity of Abraham, informs us, there were four tribes of the Ifraelites refiding in cities, on the mountains of Nibson in Perfia, viz. of Dan, Zebulon, Afher, and Napthali ". We are also informed of great numbers of Ifraelites in China, and the Indies, who are not called Jews, but own themfelves to be Ifraelites, and are faid, not fo much as to know the name of Jews, though they profefs the fame religion with them, and own the books of the Old Teftament ".

Which is a good argument that those who refide there, are the pofterity of the ten tribes; forafmuch as the name of Jews was impofed on the people of the kingdom of Judah, upon their return from the Babylonian captivity, as we shall fee afterwards. Upon this difperfion of the ten tribes, other people of the fubjects of the king of Affyria were brought in exchange to poffefs their country,

P. 172.

2 Hieron. on Ezek. xxvii. 15. and on Hosea i. 8. a Itiner. Varenius de diver. Gentium Regionibus, prope Initium, p. 238. which account he collected from miffionaries, and other travellers.

country, namely, from Babylon, and Cutha, and Hameth, and Sepharvaim c.

Thefe ftrangers placed themselves in the city of Samaria, and the country round about it, (being the feats of the tribes of Ephraim and Manaf feh.). As for the more northern parts, or Galilee, that is believed to have been ftill inhabited by fome of the Ifraelites, after the generality of the ten tribes were carried away: For fome made their efcape, or hid themselves ; others were old, fick, and infirm. We also read of some of the ten tribes in their own land in the days of Jofiah, Manaffeh, Ephraim, and the remnant of Ifrael. Befides, the zeal which the Galileans had for the Jewith religion, and their language, differing only in a dialect and tone, makes it feem probable that they were the remains of the Ifraelites, with Samaritans mixed with them: But the country of Samaria, the chief part of the kingdom of Ifrael, was inhabited by those strangers aforementioned, whom the Affyrians had fent thither, (among whom thofe few remnants of the Ifraelites were efteemed as nothing.)

These were called Cuthites, or Cutheans, because a great part of them came from Cutha &, which is a country of Perfia, there being a river of that name, as Jofephus informs us h And because when they came to inhabit the lands of the kingdom of Ifrael, they feized on the chief city thereof, viz. Samaria, and alfo the country of the fame name; they were alfo called Samaritans.

chap. viii.

2 Kings xvii. 24.

b

Antiq. b. chap. 14.

near the prefent Sufiana, within the limits of Perfia. Dr. Wells's Geograph. Hift. of the Old Teftament, vol. III. chap. 4.

Now when these ftrangers were fettled in Ifrael they continued their idol worship which they had obferved in their own country; upon which God fent lions among them: Hereupon, fince they thought every country had its proper god, they defired to be inftructed in the religion and worfhip of the God of Ifrael, according to the law of Mofes; whence they partly worshipped the true God, and partly their idols . But for a confiderable time before Chrift, these Samaritans were brought off from their old Heathen impieties, and worshipped the true God only, as we fhall fee afterwards'.

When the Jews in after-times, were profperous, these Samaritans would always pretend a relation to them, and that they came from the Patriarch Jacob as well as the Jews : Perhaps they fo pretended, because fome Jews came in time to mix with thofe ftrangers; particularly by the fchifm occafioned at the building of the temple on mount Gerizim, about one hundred and twentytwo years after the return from the Babylonian captivity; of which afterwards. But when the Jews were in trouble and danger, then the Samaritans difowned them, and declared themselves to be foreigners and strangers. There was always a great hatred between the Jews and thefe Samaritans ". Thus

We read the ftory of

iSee 2 Kings xviii. 33, 34. the captivity of Ifrael, and the planting of thofe ftrangers or Samaritans, in 2 Kings xvii. But the Jews observe, that the prieft who was fent to them, instructed them only in the law of Mofes, whence they owned only the Pentateuch. The Canon of Holy Scripture, comprehending the reft, being completed by Efdras, (after the return from the Babylonian captivity,) which the Samaritan's hatred of the Jews hindered them from receiving. Hottinger. Thefaurus, lib. I. chap. i. chap xx. See an inftance in Jo. iv. 12. • Jo. iv. 9.

1 In

Thus we have feen the end of the kingdom of Ifrael. Now the other kingdom mentioned before, viz. of Judah, confifting of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, though they were often oppreffed, by God's permiflion, for their fins, yet continued in fome measure an hundred and fifteen years after the destruction of the former kingdom of Ifrael by Shalmanefer o. At length God being ftill provoked, notwithflanding many warnings of his prophets, by their idolatry, and other wickedneffes, both of kings and people, decreed to remove Judah alfo out of his fight, or, as it is expreffed, to stretch over Jerufalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab; that is, dealing with them by the fame measure, utterly to destroy Jerufalem and the whole kingdom of Judah, as he had done that of Ifrael, and Samaria, the chief city thereof; and as he had threatened to do from the first time they fettled in Canaan ".

Which God was pleafed to bring to pafs, by making ufe of the following occafion. The Ba bylonians, under Nabopollafar, king of Babylon, (who was alfo king of Affyria, as he is ftiled), having, with the affiftance of the Medes, deftroyed Nineveh, the feat-royal of the ancient mo. narchs of Affyria, and being become formidable, raised the jealoufy of Pharaoh-Necho, king of Egypt, fo far as to give a check to their greatnefs, and make war against them; to which purpose he was obliged to march through part of the country of the Jews. Jofiah, king of Judah, (whether in defence of his own country, or by reafon of an alliance

• For which fee 2 Kings xviii, to xxiii. and 2 Chron. xxix, P 2 Kings xxi. 13. 9 Deut. xxviii. 33, &c,

'to xxxvi.

2 Kings xxiii, 26.

S

alliance with, or fubjection to the Affyrians, it is not mentioned,) attempting to stop him in this expedition, was flain in the valley of Megiddo which occafioned fore lamentations: But alas! a greater calamity was near; for after this, Necho proceeded with fuch fuccefs, that he brought all Syria with the Jews land, into fubjection under him: Upon which, Nabopollafar king of Babylon, being old, (about a year before his death) made his fon Nebuchadnezzar a partner in the kingdom of Babylon ", and fent him with an army, firft against the Egyptians, (who were in poffeffion of their conquefts about Euphrates) whom he fubdued; and then against the Jews. And now the time approaching for the captivity, God fent Jeremiah to forewarn them, but without effect; and Jehoiakim, king of Judah, (doing evil as others. had done), was delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, who bound him in fetters io carry him to Babylon ". But, it feems, upon his fubmiflion, he was left in his own houfe; where he lived in subjection to the Babylonians, and became tributary for three years *. The king of Babylon alfo ordered much of the rich veffels and furniture of the temple, and many of the young Jewish nobility, to be carried into Babylon; among whom was Daniel. From this entering of the king and people into the fubjection and fervice of Nebuchadnezzar, and the carrying away captive of the chief among them, are the feventy years

VOL. 1.

Oo

of

2 Kings xxiii. 29, 30. and 2 Chron. xxxv. 20, &c. t Jofeph. Antiq. book X. chap. vi, vii. Ufferii Annal. A. M. Berofus apud Jofeph. Antiq. lib. X. chap. xi. near the end, where he is called Nebuchodonofor. Vid. Uffer. ibid. A. M. 3397. ad An. 4001.

3399.

V

* 2 Kings xxiv. I.

xxxvi. 7. Dan. i. 3.

2 Kings xxiii. 37.

y 2 Chron.