From the Death of Ahab to the Captivity of the Ten Tribes - Flavius Josephus

otherwise but that Benhadad immediately recovered of his disease, as
the prophet foretold; and that Hazael, upon his being anointed to succeed
him though he ought to have staid till he died by the course of nature, or
some other way of Divine punishment, as did David for many years in
the like case, was too impatient, and the very next day smothered or
strangled him, in order to come directly to the succession.
7. What Mr. Le Clerc pretends here, that it is more probable that Hazael
and his son were worshipped by the Syrians and people of Damascus till
the days of Josephus, than Benhadad and Hazael, because under
Benhadad they had greatly suffered, and because it is almost incredible
that both a king and that king's murderer should be worshipped by the
same Syrians, is of little force against those records, out of which
Josephus drew this history, especially when it is likely that they thought
Benhadad died of the distemper he labored under, and not by Hazael's
treachery. Besides, the reason that Josephus gives for this adoration, that
these two kings had been great benefactors to the inhabitants of
Damascus, and had built them temples, is too remote from the political
suspicions of Le Clerc; nor ought such weak suspicions to be deemed of
any force against authentic testimonies of antiquity.
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