Nahum

NAHUM, the seventh of the twelve lesser Prophets, a Native of Elkoshai¹, a little Village of Galilee, whose Ruins were still in Being in the Time of St. Jerome. However there are some², who think that Elkoshai is rather the Name of his Father, and that the Place of his Birth was Begabor, or Bethabara, beyond Jordan. Heretofore they used to shew the Tomb of this Prophet at a Village called Bethogabre, now called Giblin, near Emmaus. The Chaldee calls him Nahum of Beth-koshi³, or of Beth-ketzi: But the Situation of this Place is as much unknown as of that of Elkoshai. The particular Circumstances of Nahum’s Life are altogether unknown. His Prophecy consists of three Chapters, which make up but one Discourse, wherein he foretels the Destruction of Niniveh. He describes it in so lively and pathetick a Manner, that he seems to have been upon the Spot, to declare it to ‘em.

Opinions are divided as to the Time in which he prophesied. Josephus⁴ will have it, that he foretold the Fall of Niniveh one Hundred and fifteen Years before it happened, which will bring the Time of Nahum to that of King Abaz. The Jews⁵ say, that he prophesied under Manasseh: Clemens Alexandrinus⁶ puts him between Daniel and Ezekiel, and consequently during the Captivity. But we are inclined to be of St. Jerome’s Opinion, that he foretold the Destruction of Niniveh⁷ in the Time of Hezekiah, and after the War of Sennecharib in Egypt, mentioned by Berosus⁸. Nahum speaks plainly of the taking of Noamon, a Nahum iii. 8.City of Egypt, of the Haughtiness Nahum ii. 13. Nahum ii. 11. i. 9. 11. 13. 15.of Rabshakeh, of the Defeat of Sennecharib; and he speaks of ‘em as Things that were passed. He supposes that Judah was still in their own Country, and that they there celebrated their Festivals. He speaks of the Captivity, and of the Dispersion of the Ten Tribes. All these Marks convince us, that Nahum cannot be placed before the fifteenth Year of Hezekiah, since the Expedition of Sennecharib against this Prince was in the fourteenth Year of his Reign.

And as the taking of Niniveh foretold by him, cannot be the first Siege of this Place, which happened under Sardanapalus a long Time before; (that is, in the Year of the World 3257) it must be necessarily understood of the second Siege of the same City, formed by Nabopolassar and Astyages, in the Year of the World 3378, before Christ 622, before the Vulgar Æra 626, which comes to the sixteenth Year of King Josiah, under whom St. Jerome places the Destruction of Niniveh. Tobit says, that this City was taken by Nebuchadnezzar and Ahasuerus, giving the Name of Nebuchadnezzar to Nabopolassar, and to Astyages that of Ahasuerus.

This Prophet gives us a fine Description of the Destruction of Niniveh. He says that this City should be ruined by a Deluge of Waters, which should overflow it, and demolish Nahum i. 8. ii. 6. 8.its walls. Diodorus Siculus and Athenæus relate⁹, that during the Time that this City was besieged by Belesis, and by Arbaces under Sardanapalus, the River Tigris swelled in such a manner, that it overthrew twenty Furlongs of the Walls of Niniveh. But as the Siege here mentioned by Nahum happened after the taking of Niniveh under Sardanapalus, it must needs be, that the same Thing happened to Niniveh at the second and last Siege under Nebuchadnezzar and Astyages. Probably the Besiegers at this second Siege determined the Course of the Waters, and brought on the same Fate to the City, which had been so favourable at the first Siege.

Nahum thus describes the March of the Troops against the City. “ The Bucklers “ of these Warriors cast forth Flames of “ Fire, they themselves are clothed in Purple, the Bridles of their Horses sparkle “ as they march to fight, their Chiefs are “ like those whom Wine makes intrepid. “ In the City all is in Confusion; their Chariots are perplexed, they break in the “ Streets as they drive against one another. “ The Fury, Rage, and Despair, with “ which they are transported, make their “ Eyes flame like Lamps, and their Faces “ seem to dart out Thunder and Lightning. They encourage one another to “ fight, by the Remembrance of so many “ brave Soldiers, which Nineveh had produced. They shall make vain Attempts “ to defend themselves, to mount upon “ their Walls, to prepare their Engines; “ the Gates of the Tigris are unlocked, its “ Banks are burst open, its Bridges are “ thrown down, the Temple is demolished to its very Foundations. Nineveh lies “ all under Water like a great Lake, its “ Citizens fly away; it cries out, stop, stop, “ but no Body returns. O ye Conquerors, “ plunder its Silver, pillage its Gold, its “ Riches are infinite, its Vessels and costly “ Furniture are inestimable. Nineveh is “ taken, is overthrown, is torn to Pieces. Nothing can be seen there but “ Men whose Hearts melt with Fear, “ whose Knees tremble, whose Bodies “ faint away, whose Countenances are “ ghastly and disfigured.

“ Where is now that Den of Lions? “ Where is the Nursery of young Lions? “ That Cave where the Lion retired with “ her Young, where no one came to disturb her? I came to you, says the Lord “ of Hosts, I shall burn your Chariots, and “ convert them to Smoke. The Sword “ shall destroy your young Lions. I will “ take from you what you have taken from “ others, and the insolent Voices of your “ Ambassadors shall be heard no more. “ Wo to thee, thou City of Blood, full of “ Rapine, of Robbery and Injustice. I “ hear already the Whips which sound “ from afar, the Wheels which hurry on “ with a great Noise, the Horses that “ proudly neigh, the Chariots that fly like “ a Tempest, and the Horses that rush “ with full Speed. I see the Swords glitter, the Darts sparkle, a Multitude of “ Men fallen by their Swords, a bloody “ and cruel Defeat, a Slaughter that has “ no End, Heaps of Bodies fallen upon “ each other, &c.” See Nineveh afterwards.

By this Sketch the Reader may judge of the Stile of Nahum, of the Liveliness of his Figures, of the Force of his Expression, and of the Boldness of his Drawing. I cannot be persuaded, that any Thing like it is to be met with in profane Authors. The Time of his Death is not known. The Greek Meneologies, and the Latin Martyrologies, place his Festival on the first of December. Petrus Natalis however places it on the twenty fourth of the same Month, which he says was the Day of his Death; without acquainting us from whence he had learned this Circumstance.

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