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JERUSALEM's Captivities Lamented, &c.
Jerusalem was a principal city in Joshua’s time, when Adonzek was king, who was slain by him: yet the Jehofites held four hundred,years after, till David won it, though the inhabitants boasted that their blind and their lame should defend it. 2 S. v. 6 David strengthened it with a castle, and beautified it with
palaces; after this Solomon enlarged it, and further beautified fortified it. the palace gates and walls could not be matched in the world, and had within the walls one hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants besides women and children.
The trenches about it were sixty foot deep, cut out of a round two hundred and fifty broad. Not long after Shishak king of Egypt took it, and became master of Solomon’s riches, and all Davids spoils which he had taken from many nations, 2. K. xiv. It was again plundered and part of the wall broken down by Ioath, king of Israel, in Amazish’s reign, 2 kings xvi. long after Alez the 15th king of Judah, impoverished the terrified to present Tiglathninezer with the treasures thereof, and manages lost what remain’d 1 Chron. v.
And Nebuchadnezzar laid this glorious city, with the temple palace, Walls, and towers, even to the ground, 2 Kings xix. An eighteen months siege, in the eleventh year of Zedekiah the next day of the fourth month, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, the princes of Babylon surprized and took the brave city. presently after Nebuzaradan, general of the Babylonian army, commanded by Nebuchadonozor spoiled the temple, casting away the vessels of gold and silver, and the great saver given by king Solomon, and burned the temple first day of the month, which was twenty one days after the surprizal, 470 years, six months, and ten days after the foundation; 903 years, months and ten days after the departure of the people out of Egypt' 1760 years, and six months after the flood ; 3419 years,
months, and ten days after the creation. Thus and then was the city of Jerusalem taken, and for seventy years remain’d the Justice in this captivity.
It was built again by Nehemiah. Chron. i ii.iii. iv. The temple and city were spoiled again by Bugoses lieutenant to Artaxer then by Ptolomeus the first, then by Antiochus Epiphanes, and again by Appolonius’s deputy: after which it was taken by Ptolmeus and robbed by Crassos in his Parthian Expedition yet all losses the temple and city sustained, were repaired by Herod
the great, who enlarged the city, new built the temple, and left
