Rezon

REZON, or Razon, Son of Eliadah: He revolted from his Master Hadadezer King of Zobah¹, while David made War against him, and putting himself at the Head of a Band of Robbers, he began to make Excursions into the Country about Damascus: He at last became Master of this City, and was acknowledged as King there. It should seem that he could not settle here, ‘till toward the End of Solomon’s Reign; for David made a Conquest of Damascus, as well as of the rest of Syria; and Solomon kept up his Command over all the Provinces that David had brought into Subjection. But if Rezon did not rule at Damascus ‘till towards the End of Solomon’s Reign, he must have lived a very long Time: For, from David’s War with Hadadezer, which happen’d at the Beginning of David’s Reign, about the Year of the World 2960, to the End of Solomon’s Reign, who died in 3029, must be sixtynine Years. Rezon must at least be five-and twenty or thirty Years of Age at the Time of these first Wars; since he was then a General of Hadadezer’s Army, and presently became Head to a Troop of Freebooters: So that he must have been about ninety Years of Age when he began to govern at Damascus. If this should seem hardly credible, it may be allow’d, that Rezon might have reign’d at Damascus even in the Time of David and Solomon, but tributary to these Princes; and that he did not begin to revolt ‘till towards the End of Solomon’s Reign.

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