From the Death of Saul to the Death of David - Flavius Josephus

Chapter 6
The War Against the Ammonites was Happily
Concluded
1. This were the honors that such as were left of Saul's and Jonathan's
lineage received from David. About this time died Nahash, the king of the
Ammonites, who was a friend of David's; and when his son had succeeded
his father in the kingdom, David sent ambassadors to him to comfort him;
and exhorted him to take his father's death patiently, and to expect that he
would continue the same kindness to himself which he had shown to his
father. But the princes of the Ammonites took this message in evil part, and
not as David's kind dispositions gave reason to take it; and they excited the
king to resent it; and said that David had sent men to spy out the country, and
what strength it had, under the pretense of humanity and kindness. They
further advised him to have a care, and not to give heed to David's words,
lest he should be deluded by him, and so fall into an inconsolable calamity.
Accordingly Nahash's [son], the king of the Ammonites, thought these
princes spake what was more probable than the truth would admit, and so
abused the ambassadors after a very harsh manner; for he shaved the one half
of their beards, and cut off one half of their garments, and sent his answer,
not in words, but in deeds. When the king of Israel saw this, he had
indignation at it, and showed openly that he would not overlook this
injurious and contumelious treatment, but would make war with the
Ammonites, and would avenge this wicked treatment of his ambassadors on
their king. So that king's intimate friends and commanders, understanding
that they had violated their league, and were liable to be punished for the
same, made preparations for war; they also sent a thousand talents to the
Syrian king of Mesopotamia, and endeavored to prevail with him to assist
them for that pay, and Shobach. Now these kings had twenty thousand
footmen. They also hired the king of the country called Maacah, and a fourth
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