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

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2. And now <strong>the</strong> king <strong>of</strong> Assyria invaded all Syria and Phoenicia in a<br />

hostile manner. The name <strong>of</strong> this king is also set down in <strong>the</strong> archives <strong>of</strong><br />

Tyre, for he made an expedition against Tyre in <strong>the</strong> reign <strong>of</strong> Eluleus; and<br />

Menander attests <strong>to</strong> it, who, when he wrote his Chronology, and translated<br />

<strong>the</strong> archives <strong>of</strong> Tyre in<strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> Greek language, gives us <strong>the</strong> following his<strong>to</strong>ry:<br />

"One whose name was Eluleus reigned thirty-six years; this king, upon <strong>the</strong><br />

revolt <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Citteans, sailed <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>m, and reduced <strong>the</strong>m again <strong>to</strong> a<br />

submission. Against <strong>the</strong>se did <strong>the</strong> king <strong>of</strong> Assyria send an army, and in a<br />

hostile manner overrun all Phoenicia, but soon made peace with <strong>the</strong>m all,<br />

and returned back; but Sidon, and Ace, and Palsetyrus revolted; and many<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r cities <strong>the</strong>re were which delivered <strong>the</strong>mselves up <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> king <strong>of</strong> Assyria.<br />

Accordingly, when <strong>the</strong> Tyrians would not submit <strong>to</strong> him, <strong>the</strong> king returned,<br />

and fell upon <strong>the</strong>m again, while <strong>the</strong> Phoenicians had furnished him with<br />

threescore ships, and eight hundred men <strong>to</strong> row <strong>the</strong>m; and when <strong>the</strong> Tyrians<br />

had come upon <strong>the</strong>m in twelve ships, and <strong>the</strong> enemy's ships were dispersed,<br />

<strong>the</strong>y <strong>to</strong>ok five hundred men prisoners, and <strong>the</strong> reputation <strong>of</strong> all <strong>the</strong> citizens <strong>of</strong><br />

Tyre was <strong>the</strong>reby increased; but <strong>the</strong> king <strong>of</strong> Assyria returned, and placed<br />

guards at <strong>the</strong>ir rivers and aqueducts, who should hinder <strong>the</strong> Tyrians from<br />

drawing water. This continued for five years; and still <strong>the</strong> Tyrians bore <strong>the</strong><br />

siege, and drank <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> water <strong>the</strong>y had out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wells <strong>the</strong>y dug." And this is<br />

what is written in <strong>the</strong> Tyrian archives concerning Shalmaneser, <strong>the</strong> king <strong>of</strong><br />

Assyria.<br />

3. But now <strong>the</strong> Cu<strong>the</strong>ans, who removed in<strong>to</strong> Samaria, (for that is <strong>the</strong><br />

name <strong>the</strong>y have been called by <strong>to</strong> this time, because <strong>the</strong>y were brought out <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> country called Cuthah, which is a country <strong>of</strong> Persia, and <strong>the</strong>re is a river <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> same name in it,) each <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m, according <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir nations, which were in<br />

number five, brought <strong>the</strong>ir own gods in<strong>to</strong> Samaria, and by worshipping <strong>the</strong>m,<br />

as was <strong>the</strong> cus<strong>to</strong>m <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir own countries, <strong>the</strong>y provoked Almighty God <strong>to</strong> be<br />

angry and displeased at <strong>the</strong>m, for a plague seized upon <strong>the</strong>m, by which <strong>the</strong>y<br />

were destroyed; and when <strong>the</strong>y found no cure for <strong>the</strong>ir miseries, <strong>the</strong>y learned<br />

by <strong>the</strong> oracle that <strong>the</strong>y ought <strong>to</strong> worship Almighty God, as <strong>the</strong> method for<br />

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