to have come to see Solomon； than almost any where else in all
his Antiquities。
（16） That this queen of Sheba was a queen of Sabea in South
Arabia； and not of Egypt and Ethiopia； as Josephus here asserts；
is； I suppose； now generally agreed。 And since Sabea is well
known to be a country near the sea in the south of Arabia Felix；
which lay south from Judea also； and since our Savior calls this
queen； 〃the queen of the south；〃 and says； 〃she came from the
utmost parts of the earth；〃 Matthew 12：42； Luke 11：31； which
descriptions agree better to this Arabia than to Egypt and
Ethiopia； there is little occasion for doubting in this matter。
（17） Some blame Josephus for supposing that the balsam tree might
be first brought out of Arabia； or Egypt； or Ethiopia； into
Judea； by this queen of Sheba； since several have said that of
old no country bore this precious balsam but Judea； yet it is not
only false that this balsam was peculiar to Judea but both Egypt
and Arabia； and particularly Sabea； had it； which last was that
very country whence Josephus； if understood not of Ethiopia； but
of Arabia； intimates this queen might bring it first into Judea。
Nor are we to suppose that the queen of Sabaea could well omit
such a present as this balsam tree would be esteemed by Solomon；
in case it were then almost peculiar to her own country。 Nor is
the mention of balm or balsam； as carried by merchants； and sent
as a present out of Judea by Jacob； to the governor of Egypt；
Genesis 37：25； 43：11； to be alleged to the contrary； since what
we there render balm or balsam； denotes rather that turpentine
which we now call turpentine of Chio； or Cyprus； the juice of the
turpentine tree； than this precious balm。 This last is also the
same word that we elsewhere render by the same mistake balm of
Gilead； it should be rendered； the turpentine of Gilead； Jeremiah
8：22。
（18） Whether these fine gardens and rivulets of Etham； about six
miles from Jerusalem； whither Solomon rode so often in state； be
not those alluded to； Ecclesiastes 2：5； 6； where he says； 〃He
made him gardens and orchards； and planted trees in them of all
kinds of fruits： he made him pools of water； to water the wood
that bringeth forth trees；〃 and to the finest part whereof he
seems to allude； when； in the Canticles； he compares his spouse
to a garden 〃enclosed；〃 to a 〃spring shut up；〃 to a 〃fountain
sealed；〃 ch。 4。 12 （part of which from rains are still extant； as
Mr。 Matmdrell informs us； page 87； 88）； cannot now be certainly
determined； but may very probably be conjectured。 But whether
this Etham has any relation to those rivers of Etham； which
Providence once dried up in a miraculous manner； Psalm 74：15； in
the Septuagint； I cannot say。
（19） These seven hundred wives； or the daughters of great men；
and the three hundred concubines； the daughters of the ignoble；
make one thousand in all； and are； I suppose； those very one
thousand women intimated elsewhere by Solomon himself； when he
speaks of his not having found one ＇good＇ woman among that very
number； Ecclesiastes 7：28。
（20） Josephus is here certainly too severe upon Solomon； who； in
making the cherubims； and these twelve brazen oxen； seems to have
done no more than imitate the patterns left him by David； which
were all given David by Divine inspiration。 See my description of
the temples； ch。 10。 And although God gave no direction for the
lions that adorned his throne； yet does not Solomon seem therein
to have broken any law of Moses； for although the Pharisees and
latter Rabbins have extended the second commandment； to forbid
the very making of any image； though without any intention to
have it worshipped； yet do not I suppose that Solomon so
understood it； nor that it ought to be so understood。 The making
any other altar for worship but that at the tabernacle was
equally forbidden by Moses； Antiq。 B。 IV。 ch。 8。 sect。 5； yet did
not the two tribes and a half offend when they made an altar for
a memorial only； Joshua 22； Antiq。 B。 V。 ch。 1。 sect。 26； 27。
（21） Since the beginning of Solomon's evil life and adversity was
the time when Hadad or Ader； who was born at least twenty or
thirty years before Solomon came to the crown； in the days of
David； began to give him disturbance； this implies that Solomon's
evil life began early； and continued very long； which the
multitude of his wives and concubines does imply also； I suppose
when he was not fifty years of age。
（22） This youth of Jeroboam； when Solomon built the walls of
righteous and keep the laws； because he hath proposed to thee the
greatest of all rewards for thy piety； and the honor thou shalt
pay to God； namely； to be as greatly exalted as thou knowest
David to have been。〃 Jerusalem； not very long after he had
finished his twenty years building of the temple and his own
palace； or not very long after the twenty…fourth of his reign； 1
Kings 9：24； 2 Chronicles 8：11； and his youth here still
mentioned； when Solomon's wickedness was become intolerable；
fully confirm my former observation； that such his wickedness
began early； and continued very long。 See Ecclus。 47：14。
（23） That by scorpions is not here meant that small animal so
called； which was never used in corrections； but either a shrub；
furze bush； or else some terrible sort of whip of the like nature
see Hudson's and Spanheim's notes here。
（24） Whether these 〃fountains of the Lesser Jordan〃 were near a
place called Dan； and the fountains of the Greater near a place
called Jor； before their conjunction； or whether there was only
one fountain； arising at the lake Phiala； at first sinking under
ground； and then arising near the mountain Paneum； and thence
running through the lake Scmochonitis to the Sea of Galilee； and
so far called the Lesser Jordan； is hardly certain； even in
Josephus himself； though the latter account be the most probable。
However； the northern idolatrous calf； set up by Jeroboam； was
where Little Jordan fell into Great Jordan； near a place called
Daphnae； as Josephus elsewhere informs us； Of the War； B。 IV。 ch。
1。 sect。 1： see the note there。
（25） How much a larger and better copy Josephus had in this
remarkable history of the true prophet of Judea； and his concern
with Jeroboam； and with the false prophet of Bethel； than our
other copies have； is evident at first sight。 The prophet's very
name； Jadon； or； as the Constitutions call him； Adonias； is
wanting in our other copies； and it is there； with no little
absurdity； said that God revealed Jadon the true prophet's death；
not to himself as here； hut to the false prophet。 Whether the
particular account of the arguments made use of； after all； by
the false prophet against his own belief and his own conscience；
in order to persuade Jeroboam to persevere in his idolatry and
wickedness； than which more plausible could not be invented； was
intimated in Josephus's copy； or in some other ancient book；
cannot now be determined； our other copies say not one word of
it。
（26） That this Shishak was not the same person with the famous
Sesostris； as some have very lately； in contradiction to all
antiquity； supposed； and that our Josephus did not take him to be
the same； as they pretend； but that Sesostris was many centuries
earlier than Shishak； see Authent。 Records； part II。 page 1024。
（27） Herodotus； as here quoted by Josephus； and as this passage
still stands in his present copies； B。 II。 ch。 14。； affirms； that
〃the Phoenicians and Syrians in Palestine ＇which last are
generally supposed to denote the Jews＇ owned their receiving
circumcision from the Egyptians；〃 whereas it is abnudantly
evident that the Jews received their circumcision from the
patriarch Abraham； Genesis 17：9…14； John 7：22； 23； as I conclude
the Egyptian priests themselves did also。 It is not therefore
very unlikely that Herodotus； because the Jews had lived long in
Egypt； and came out of it circumcised； did thereupon think they
had learned that circumcision in Egypt； and had it not broke。
Manetho； the famous Egyptian chronologer and historian； who knew
the history of his own country much better than Herodotus；
complains frequently of his mistakes about their affairs； as does
Josephus more than once in this chapter。 Nor indeed does
Herodotus seem at all acquainted with the affairs of the Jews；
for as he never names them； so little or nothing of what he says
about them； their country； or maritime cities； two of which he
alone mentions； Cadytus and Jenysus； proves true； nor indeed do
there appear to have ever been any such cities on their coast。
（28） This is a strange expression in Josephus； that God is his
own workmanship； or that he made himself； contrary to common
sense and to catholic Christianity； perhaps he only means that he
was not made by one； but was unoriginated。
（29） By this terrible and perfectly unparalleled slaughter of
five hundred thousand men of the newly idolatrous and rebellious
ten tribes； God's high displeasure and indignation against that
idolatry and rebellion fully appeared； the remainder were thereby
seriously cautioned not to persist in them； and a kind of balance
or equilibrium was made between the ten and the two tribes for
the time to come； while otherwise the perpetually idolatrous and
rebellious ten tribes would naturally have been too powerful for
the two tribes； which were pretty frequently free both from such
idolatry and rebellion； nor is there any reason to doubt of the
truth of the prodigious number upmost： signal an occasion。
（30） The reader is to remember that Cush is not Ethiopia； but
Arabia。 See Bochart； B。 IV。 ch。 2。
（31） Here is a very great error in our Hebrew copy in this place；
2 Chronicles 15：3…6； as applying what follows to times past； and
not to times future； whence that text is quite misapplied by Sir
Isaac Newton。
（32） This Abelmain； or； in Josephus's copy； Abellane； that
belonged to the land of Israel； and bordered on the country of
Damascus； is supposed； both by Hudson and Spanheim； to be the
same with Abel； or Ahila； whence came Abilene。 This may he that
city so denominated from Abel the righteous； there buried；
concerning the shedding of whose blood within the compass of the