advantage of the enthusiasm of the moment, caused 450 of the prophets of Baal to be put to death-his abode at the brook Che'rith, where he was fed by ravens-his miracles in behalf of the widow of Zar'ephath, whose barrel of meal did not waste, and whose cruise of oil did not fail, and whose son he raised to life-his bold and voluntary appearance before Ahab, who he knew sought his life, and denouncing against him and Jezebel and their whole race, the judgments of God for their wickedness in the case of Naboth-his abode in Mount Horeb, where he was visited by tokens of the divine presence, a strong wind that rent the mountains, an earthquake, a fire, and, after all these, a still small voice—his calling down fire from heaven, which consumed the officers of Ahazi'ah, that had been sent to seize him-his anointing Eli'sha to succeed him as prophet and his translation from earth in a chariot of fire-are a few of the recorded events in the remarkable life of this eminent servant of God. The judgment he predicted upon Jezebel was fearfully fulfilled, when Jehu slew her son, and seized the government: she was thrown from a window of the palace, and devoured by dogs. 1st Kings, xvii.; 2d Kings, ii.-ix.

ELISHA, who succeeded Elijah, was also highly distinguished among the prophets of Israel. His healing the bitter waters at Jericho-his journey to Bethel, when he was mocked by the children, and two she-bears came from the wood and tare forty-two of them for their profaneness to God's prophet-his miraculous deliverance from drought of the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom, in their expedition against the Moabites, and his prediction of their success-his relief of a poor widow who was in debt, by multiplying her store of oil-his granting a son to his hostess at Shu'nem, and afterwards restoring the lad to life-his cure of Na'aman the leper, by ordering him to wash seven times in the waters of Jordan-his smiting with leprosy his servant Geha'zi, for covetousness and falsehood his foiling the stratagems of Ben'hadad, king of Syria, by revealing them to the king of Israelhis miraculous preservation from Ben'hadad's vengeance, "horses and chariots of fire round about the prophet,"

and Ben'hadad's troop smitten with blindness-his prediction of plenty when the people were perishing of famine during the siege of Samaria by the same Benhadad, and of death to the nobleman who mocked at the prediction-his revealing to Haz'ael, principal officer of Benhadad, his future crimes and enormities-and his sending to anoint Jehu to be king of Israel-are some of the events recorded of this benevolent and pious man of God. 2d Kings, ii.-ix.

The first captivity of Israel took place in the reign of Pekah, when Tig'lath-pile'ser (Ar'baces) king of Assyria, carried away the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Hoshe'a, twenty years afterwards, having formed an alliance with So, king of Egypt, with a view to shake off the Assyrian yoke, Shalmane'zer, king of Assyria, marched against him, and besieged Samaria, which was taken after a siege of three years, and reduced to ruins. He carried captive the Israelites of the ten tribes, and placed them in countries beyond the Euphrates. Thus ended the kingdom of Israel, after it had subsisted two hundred and fifty-four years.

The Assyrian victor having sent certain inhabitants of Assyria to people the places left vacant by the captive tribes carried away, these Gentiles mingled with the remnant of the Israelites that were left, and adopting the Jewish ceremonies, mixed up with much of their own idol worship, they produced a sort of spurious Judaism, which ever after rendered the Samaritans an object of peculiar dislike and hatred to their neighbours in Judah. 2d Kings, xv.-xvii.

Yrs.

VI.-Kingdom of Judah. 388 Years.

A.M. 3029-3417.

B.C. 971-583.

KINGS OF JUDAH-ONE DYNASTY.

17 Rehoboam. Temple plundered by Shishak, king of Egypt

3 Abijam, or Abijah, his son.

41 Asa, his son.

25 Jehoshaphat, his son.

4 Jehoram, his son.

1 Ahaziah, otherwise Jehoahaz, or Azariah, his son. Slain by Jehu. Athaliah, his mother, usurps the kingdom.

6

40 Joash, son of Ahaziah.

29 Amaziah, his son. Edomites defeated in the Valley of Salt. 52 Uzziah, or Azariah, his son.

Smitten with leprosy for invadin

Jehoahaz, his son, three months. Carried prisoner to Egypt. 11 Jehoiakim, his brother-name changed from Eliakim. Dies a prisoner.

Jehoiachin, his son, three months. Carried captive to Babylon. 11 Zedekiah, his uncle. Carried captive to Babylon.

Gedaliah, the governor, appointed by Nebuchadnezzar.

WHILST the kingdom of Israel was, as we have seen, the subject of continual revolution, the kingdom of Judah remained steadfast in the family of David for nineteen generations; thus affording a signal instance of the fulfilment of prophecy. In the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign, Shi'shak or Se'sac, king of Egypt, plundered the temple and laid waste the country. Rehoboam having reigned seventeen years, and his son Abi'jam three, A'sa succeeded, who purified Jerusalem from idols, and deprived his mother of her dignity, for erecting an idol to Astarte. After a long reign of forty-one years, in which he defeated the Ethiopians, and waged war with Ba'asha, he was succeeded by his son Jehosh'aphat, who reigned twentyfive years. Jeho'ram reigned four years, but his son Ahazi'ah only one, being slain by Jehu, who overthrew the house of A'hab. Athali'ah, the mother of the last king, a bold, cruel, and ambitious woman, having slain all the seed royal (her own grandchildren) except Jo'ash, who was saved by the wife of the high priest, usurped the kingdom for six years, when she was slain; and Joash, the young prince, who had been secretly brought up in the temple by Jehoi'ada the high priest, placed on the throne. This prince became tributary to Haz'ael, king of Syria. After a reign of forty-years, he was succeeded by Amazi'ah, who reigned twenty-nine years; Uzzi'ah or Azari'ah, fifty-two; Jotham, sixteen; and A'haz, sixteen years. Ahaz invited the assistance of Tiglath-pile'ser

against Rezin king of Syria and Pe'kah king of Israel, and became tributary to his too powerful ally. His son, Hezekiah, revolted from the Assyrian, and entered into a league with Egypt and Cush a part of Arabia: Sennach'erib, who had come up to reduce his refractory vassal to obedience, sustained a signal disaster in Judah, 180,000 of his army being slain in one night by the destroying angel of the Lord. Hezeki'ah was a good and pious king, and in a time of sickness had, in answer to his prayer to God, fifteen years added to his life. Having reigned twenty-nine years, he was succeeded by his son Manas'seh, when only twelve years old, and whose reign is the longest of any recorded in Scripture. 1 Kings, xiv; 2d Kings, xx.; 2d Chron. x.-xxxii.

Manas'seh set up altars to Ba'al, placed the idol Astar'te in the house of God, and filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. The king of Assyria attacked him, and carried him captive to Babylon, in the twenty-second year of his reign. There he humbled himself before the Lord; and being restored to Jerusalem he broke down the altars of Ba'al, and abolished idolatrous worship. After a reign of fiftyfive years, he was succeeded by his son A'mon, who reigned only two years, being cut off by a conspiracy. The conspirators, however, were put to death by the people, and his son Josi'ah, a boy of eight years of age, established on the throne. This prince gave early tokens of great piety, and in the eighteenth year of his reign, the book of the law having been found by Hilki'ah the priest, he caused it to be publicly read, and its commands strictly enforced. He put down idolatrous worship, defiled by turning into a burial-place To'pheth, or the pleasant valley of Hinnom, where the people had caused their children to pass through the fire to Mo'loch-profaned all the places that had been consecrated to idols-demolished the altar at Beth'el which Jerobo'am had erected for the worship of the golden calves, and held a solemn Pas'sover such as had never been kept before; so that it is recorded that no king before Josi'ah turned as he did to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his strength. Pharaoh-Ne'cho, king of Egypt, marching to attack Car'chemish on the Euphra'tes Josi'ah, who had

refused him a passage through his dominions, gave him battle at Megiddo, but received a mortal wound, of which he died at Jerusalem, after a reign of thirty-one years. His affectionate subjects long and deeply lamented their pious and virtuous sovereign. His son Jeho'ahaz reigned only three months, when he was deposed by PharaohNe'cho, who sent him in chains to E'gypt, and placed his brother Eliakim on the throne of Judah, changing his name to Jchoi'akim. 2d Kings, xxi.—xxiii.; 2d Chron. xxxiii.-xxxv.

In the fourth year of Jehoi'akim's reign, Jerusalem was besieged and taken by Nebuchadnez'zar, who carried a number of the people captive to Babylon, and among these Dan'iel the prophet. This is called the first captivity of Judah. Three years afterwards, the same monarch carried captive three thousand more; and Jehoiakim revolting a second time, was taken prisoner, and died in custody, after reigning eleven years. His son Jehoi'achin was besieged by Nebuchadnezʼzar, and after a short reign of three months and ten days, carried with part of his people captive to Babylon, Mor'decai being among the number. Zedeki'ah, uncle of the last king, was placed upon the throne; but he too having revolted, Nebuchadnezʼzar once more laid siege to Jerusalem, and Zedekiah attempting to flee, was taken, his children slain before his face, his eyes put out, and he, with the greater part of his people, carried captive beyond the Euphra'tes, the poor only being left in the land. Thus ended the kingdom of Judah after it had subsisted three hundred and eightyeight years. 2d Kings, xxiv.-xxv.; 2d Chron. xxxvi.

Of the great prophets who flourished during this period, the first in point of eloquence and sublimity is ISA'IAH, who has been styled the evangelical prophet-so copious and clear are his delineations of the Messiah's kingdom and character. He prophesied during the reigns of Uzzi'ah, Joʻtham, Aʼhaz, and Hezekiah; and we find him announcing to the last of these kings, the destruction of Sennach'erib's army, and the miraculous lengthening of Hezeki'ah's life. He is supposed to have been sawn asunder in the first year of the reign of Manas'seh. B.C 695.