Illustration and Confirmation of Biblical History from the Assyrian Monuments - The Deliverance of Syria through

Naaman - Naaman's Leprosy and Journey to Samaria - Elisha's Message to Joram and to Naaman - Naaman's Healing

and Twofold Request - Gehazi's Deceit and Conviction - Gehazi is struck with the Leprosy of Naaman.

(2 Kings 5.)

FROM the more private ministry of the prophet the Biblical narrative next passes to an account of his public activity.188

Very significantly, it was the means of bringing Israel once more into direct contact with their great enemy, Syria ­ this

time, not in war, but in peace. And the bloodless victory which was achieved might have taught king and people how

easily the LORD could turn the hearts of their adversaries, and by the manifestation of His goodness make them fellow-

believers and fellow-worshippers with Israel. In this respect, the p resent history, as others in this section, is specially

prefigurative of New Testament times.

As the narrative proceeds on the supposition of close relations between Israel and Syria - not otherwise mentioned in

the Bible - and involves, at least indirectly, certain points of general interest, this seems a fitting opportunity for a brief

summary of what recent discoveries of ancient monuments has taught us, not only confirmatory, but illustrative and

explanatory of this period of Biblical history.189

But in so doing we must keep some considerations in view by way of caution. For first, our knowledge of what may be

called monumental history is as yet initial and fragmentary. Secondly, in any seeming discrepancy or slight divergence

in details between the inscriptions on the monuments and the records of Jewish history, it seems neither reasonable nor

safe to give absolute preference to the former. Jewish writers must have known their own history best, while, in their

slight differences from the records on the monuments, we fail to discover any adequate motives on the part of the

Jewish historians that could account for their falsifying facts. And, we need scarcely add, the same facts will assume

different aspects when viewed from opposite sides. Again, it is ad mitted on all hands that there are manifest errors on

the Assyrian monuments, and this on points where error is difficult, to account for. Thus, to mention one instance - on

the Assyrian monuments, Jehu is designated as "the son of Omri," and that by the v ery monarch to whom he is both

represented and described as bringing tribute. Further, we have to bear in mind that our knowledge of Jewish history is

also fragmentary. The Old Testament does not profess to be a handbook of Jewish history. It furnishes pro phetic or

sacred history, which does not recount all events as they happened, nor yet always in their exact succession of time, but

presents them in their bearing on the kingdom of God, of which it tells the history. Hence it records or emphasizes only

that which is of importance in connection with it. Lastly, we must remember that the chronology of the Bible is in some

parts involved in considerable difficulties, partly for the reasons just stated, partly from the different modes of

calculating time, and p artly also from errors of transcription which would easily creep into the copying of Hebrew

numerals, which are marked by letters. Keeping in view these cautions, the neglect of which has led to many false

inferences, we have no hesitation in saying, that hitherto all modern historical discoveries have only tended to confirm

the Scripture narrative.

Turning to these extraneous sources for information on the earlier history of Judah and Israel under the Kings, we have

here, first, the Egyptian monuments, especially those on the walls of the Temple of Karnak, which record the invasion

of Judah and Jerusalem by Shishak, described in 1 Kings 14:25, 26, and 2 Chronicles 12. Pictorial representations of

this campaign are accompanied by mention of the very names of the conquered Jewish cities.190

But with the death of Shishak, the power of Egypt for a time decayed. In its stead that of Assyria reasserted itself. From

that time onwards its monuments more or less continuously cast light on the history of Israel. Just as in the Biblical

narrative, so in the Assyrian records of that time, Syria occupies a most important place. It will be remembered that that

country had recovered its independence in the reign of Solomon, having been wrested by Rezon from the sovereignty

of Judah (1 Kings 11:23-25). Thus far we perceive a general parallelism in the outlines of this history. But the Assyrian

record leaves a strange impression on the mind, as we recall the importance of Omri, as having been the second if not

the real founder of the Israelitish kingdom, the builder of its capital, and the monarch who gave its permanent direction

alike to the political and the religious history of Israel. For the common designation for the land of Israel is "the land of

Omri," "the land Omri," or "the land of the house of Omri." We regard it as a further indication of the political