Book Two: On Prophecy #

Augustinus Hibernicus (655AD)

Chapter One – On Joshua, the Son of Nun, and the Parting of the Jordan During the People’s Passage #

¹ When Moses had departed, and Joshua, the son of Nun, had taken up the leadership of God’s people, strengthened by the word of the Lord, he ordered the Israelites to break camp from the plains of Moab and move toward the Jordan River. Then, as the priests, bearing the Ark of the Covenant in solemn procession, stepped into the first waves ahead of the rest of the people, the entire riverbed was immediately laid bare from the place where they stood all the way to the sea. The upper waters, which flowed from the springs, rose up into the air and formed a towering mass until all Israel had crossed the riverbed on dry ground.

² As a testimony to this miracle, twelve stones—each as large as a man could carry—were taken from the depths of the Jordan’s gravel and placed at the Israelites’ encampment. Likewise, an equal number of stones from the dry land were set in the riverbed in their place. Indeed, this sign is significant for our inquiry: how is it that the river, by its very nature, could not flow past the Ark of the Lord? The waters that continued toward the sea followed their natural course, descending gradually from higher to lower ground, as is proper for a river’s flow.

³ Indeed, we read and have heard how human ingenuity has laid bare the channels of rivers. For example, Cyrus, the emperor of the Persians, is said to have encamped his army along the Ganges River—second only to the Euphrates in size—during the same campaign in which he captured Babylon. There, a horseman, both esteemed and courageous, was persuaded by his boldness to attempt crossing the river. However, the swift current of the rushing waters dragged him under and drowned him.

⁴ When this happened, the king was seized with an incredible fury of wrath against the river, as if seeking vengeance upon an insensible creature. Determined to punish it, he divided the vast stream into 460 channels with the full might of his forces over the course of an entire year. Once the riverbed was exposed, he left it so shallow that even women could cross it, barely wetting their knees.

⁵ Later, when the same king and army were besieging Babylon during that same campaign, they were repelled by the city’s towering walls, which frustrated their efforts at conquest. Thus, they turned their attention upstream to the higher reaches of the Euphrates, which flowed through the city.

⁶ The Babylonians, having been deceived by the aforementioned strategy, diverted their course beyond the enemy’s borders. Entering the city through the dried-up riverbed beneath its walls, they captured it. What human ingenuity and effort achieved through great labor, God accomplished even more easily by His divine power.

⁷ Some may object that these two events are not the same, arguing that in Babylon’s case, trenches redirected the river through lower channels, whereas in the biblical account, the waters, while still standing, rose upward against their natural course. But is this not something that human ingenuity has also achieved? Do we not often see people, by engineering skill, force waters to rise from valleys to mountain heights, even compelling them to return to their sources?

⁸ If earthly men, working with crude materials, can perform such feats, how much more could the angels—whose duties include carrying out God’s wondrous works—achieve the same in the air? It is, after all, the natural function of the atmosphere to hold water in the clouds, which, as both the learned and unlearned alike know, it does every day by divine ordinance. Thus, at God’s command, the flow of the river was halted so that the Ark of the Covenant and the priests could cross through its waters.

Chapter 2: On the Footwear and Clothing of the Children of Israel #

¹ After a long and arduous journey, the people of Israel finally entered the Promised Land and ate the produce of the region of Canaan. At that moment, the manna that had been miraculously provided from the heavens ceased. During this long journey, one remarkable fact stands out: for forty years, not a single person among the entire people of Israel saw their shoes or clothing wear out. This was not because God created something new in their garments or sandals, but because He preserved what had already been made.

Chapter 3: On the Fall of Jericho #

¹ After crossing the Jordan River, the first city the Israelites encountered in the land of Canaan was Jericho. For seven days, they marched around the city, and as if struck with terror at the approach of the Ark of the Lord and the army of Israel, its walls suddenly collapsed. The Israelites achieved victory without relying on any weapons, for at the sound of their shouting, the walls crumbled to their very foundations.

² This event, however, was not contrary to the natural order. Scripture often speaks of earthquakes bringing down cities, as happened in the great earthquake that destroyed many cities in Libya or the one that, at the time of Christ’s Passion, caused eleven cities in Thrace to fall. Furthermore, what human effort builds up, time and the forces of destruction eventually bring down. However, in saying this, we do not attribute the fall of Jericho’s walls to mere chance. Rather, we acknowledge that, while it was not a violation of natural law like some miracles, it was nonetheless accomplished by the ministry of angels, acting at God’s command. We do not doubt that it was ultimately the will of God that brought about this event.

Chapter 4: On the Sun and Moon Standing Still at the Command of Joshua #

¹ After this, when five kings of the Canaanites united their forces to wage war against the Israelites, the battle was fiercely contested. However, victory was granted to the people of God. At that moment, Joshua, son of Nun and leader of Israel, commanded the sun to stand still at midday and the moon to remain in its place until the Lord’s people had fully defeated their enemies. And so it happened: the sun prolonged the day, and the moon did not appear for the usual duration of the night.

² In this command, it was not by human authority that the celestial bodies paused, but by the command of the Lord, to whom they owe obedience. The works of creation do not respond to the words of mere mortals, but they do fulfill what God, listening to the prayer of His servant, ordains. As Scripture records: “The sun stood still over Gibeon, and the moon stopped in the valley of Aijalon, because the Lord obeyed the voice of a man”. From this, we understand that God listens to the prayers of His servants and governs His creation according to their needs.

³ This delay of the sun and moon introduced no disorder into the natural order, even though it presented an extraordinary event in its service to divine will. Yet even in this variation, the course of the year and the reckoning of days remained unaffected, for both the sun and the moon stood still in their respective places without disrupting the harmony of creation.

⁴ If only one celestial light moved while the other rested, the usual progression of days, months, and years would be thrown into disorder. However, since both luminaries experienced this pause together, they continued their movement as if it were a regular day, reaching their usual setting points. The command was not for the moon to stop progressing in the presence of the sun simply to illuminate the battlefield, but rather to ensure that the natural order of their movements was not disrupted—so that the rest of one did not interfere with the course of the other.

⁵ We have already demonstrated clearly that the movement of the sea corresponds to the phases of the moon. Even though Scripture does not explicitly mention that the tides also paused at that time, does not the observable order of nature itself suggest it? The moon not only ceased in its station but was also unable to continue its usual cycle of waxing and waning during this period. If, while it remained still, the moon had continued to undergo its phases, this would have caused irregularities in the calculation of its cycles, surpassing even the sun’s movement. However, since that day was extended beyond its normal length without any disruption to the usual return of celestial cycles, it is evident that, when evening arrived, the moon proceeded with its daily increase as usual.

⁶ To make this even clearer, we will briefly outline the recurring cycles of the heavenly bodies, which, from the beginning of creation, return to their original positions every 532 years, with the sun and moon aligning perfectly without any obstruction, just as they did at the start.

⁷ In the fifth cycle from the beginning of the world, in the 114th year, the great flood came upon the whole earth during the time of Noah. He lived for 418 years after the flood before passing away. Following this, the sixth cycle began and concluded in the eighth year of Abraham’s life. The seventh cycle then began in Abraham’s ninth year and lasted until the 35th year after the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, ending five years before the death of Moses. After this came the eighth cycle, which began in the 36th year following the exodus and included the miraculous sign in the sun and moon. This cycle continued until the 31st year of Asa, king of Judah.

⁸ In Asa’s 32nd year, the ninth cycle began. This was the cycle in which another sign in the sun occurred during the reign of King Hezekiah (which we will discuss shortly). This cycle was completed in the 108th year after the rebuilding of the Temple, which took place under King Darius. The tenth cycle then began and was completed in the 92nd year after the Passion of the Savior, during the consulship of Alia and Sparsus. Following this, the eleventh cycle commenced from the consulship of Paternus and Torquatus, continuing up to our present time. It was during the final year of this cycle that Mani, the founder of Manichaeism, passed away among the philosophers of the Hibernians.

⁹ The twelfth cycle, now in its third year, presents itself as a guide to the understanding of future events. However, we do not know what its final outcome will be. Each of these cycles, maintaining a uniform pattern, completes itself every 532 years, seamlessly transitioning into the beginning of the next. Within each of these periods, there are precisely nineteen cycles of the 28-year solar cycle and twenty-eight cycles of the 19-year lunar cycle.

¹⁰ Following these, in the lunar reckoning, the years are structured through twelve common years and seven embolismic (leap) years. These are further calculated using the ogdoad (eight-year cycle), the hendecad (eleven-year cycle), and the lunar increment, which astronomers refer to as the “leap” in their computations. The solar reckoning, meanwhile, accounts for the additional time through carefully calculated quadrants and leap years. When these calculations are completed, the two great luminaries, the sun and the moon, align perfectly, having undergone all their prescribed courses in harmony. This results in a renewal of the cosmic order, much like the first year of creation.

¹¹ Thus, since these grand cycles of celestial motion return in perfect alignment, and since the signs of delay or reversal that occurred in the sun and moon—such as those recorded under Joshua and Hezekiah—are described as taking place without disrupting their regular cycles, it is clear that neither the pause nor the reversal caused any lasting disturbance in the usual progression of time. Rather, the sun and moon continued their paths as if it were an ordinary day, reaching their setting points after the extended duration of that long day.

¹² This suggests that the extra length of that day did not extend into the following night’s duration. Instead, just as the sun remained at rest during the day, so too did the moon, which governs the night, pause its movement, ensuring the natural balance of time remained undisturbed.

Chapter 5: Gideon and the Two Signs #

¹ After the land of Canaan was cleansed of its wicked inhabitants, the Lord granted it to His people as their inheritance. However, once they settled into a time of peace and ease, they abandoned their devotion to God and instead embraced the worship of the idols of Canaan and the surrounding nations. Because of this unfaithfulness, God repeatedly handed them over to these very nations, allowing them to be ruled by those whose gods they had chosen to serve.

² When the Israelites, suffering under harsh oppression and servitude, cried out to God in repentance, He mercifully raised up judges to deliver them. These judges, rather than ruling as kings with absolute power, acted as arbiters and leaders appointed by God to free the people from bondage.

³ During one such period of subjugation under the Midianites, the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, the son of Joash. The messenger commanded him to destroy the idolatrous practices of his people and assured him that he was chosen to lead Israel to freedom. As a sign of divine approval, when Gideon prepared an offering and poured out broth over the meat, a heavenly fire descended and consumed the sacrifice entirely.

⁴ And again, when Gideon asked for a sign, there was dryness over all the land while dew rested only on the fleece; then, when he requested a second sign, the opposite occurred—dew covered the land while the fleece remained dry. Although these events are counted among the wonders of God, they do not necessarily introduce anything entirely new within the order of creation. After all, as we have often mentioned and will mention again, heavenly fire has frequently consumed earthly things, and rain often falls in certain places while other areas remain dry.

⁵ Nevertheless, many such miracles recorded in Scripture, while not always requiring a complex explanation regarding the historical events themselves, are rich with symbolic meaning, pointing toward deeper spiritual truths. However, since the purpose of this work is to focus on the historical understanding of these events, we include them here simply as part of the record of divine wonders. Even though similar occurrences may happen naturally by the will of God, in these cases, they were manifested in a more terrifying, swift, certain, and miraculous manner, as signs governed and revealed by divine command.

⁶ Thus, in the historical account of the burnt offering, it was shown that the fire consuming the sacrifice was not of earthly origin but from heaven—signifying that the coming battle would not be won by human strength but through divine assistance. Likewise, the first sign, in which the dew appeared only on the fleece, symbolized the divine mercy that had rested upon Israel, a fragile and yielding people. Just as water extinguishes fire, so too could God’s mercy quench the burning wrath of the surrounding nations.

Chapter 6: The Strength of Samson in His Hair #

¹ Once again, when the people of Israel were under the rule of the Philistines, an angel of God appeared in the form of a prophet—first to the barren wife of Manoah, son of Saruch, from the tribe of Dan, and then to Manoah himself. The angel foretold that they would have a son and instructed them on how he should be raised: his hair was never to be cut, and he was never to drink wine, strong drink, or anything that could cause intoxication.

² Unaware that he was speaking to an angel, Manoah wished to offer him a meal. But the angel said, “I will not eat your food; but if you wish, prepare a burnt offering to the Lord.” Following the angel’s instruction, Manoah made the offering, and as the fire rose from the altar, the angel ascended into heaven before their eyes. This earthly fire rising to heaven was a sign that God had ordained the strength of their future son for the deliverance of His people.

³ When Samson was born, he was raised according to the Lord’s command, and he possessed extraordinary strength, which resided in the seven locks of his hair. This was proven beyond doubt when he lost both his hair and his strength. Samson had fallen in love with Delilah, a woman from the Philistine region in the Valley of Sorek. The Philistine rulers, whom Samson had greatly harmed, offered her a large sum of money to betray him. She persistently pressed him for the secret of his strength, and at last, he revealed that it lay in the uncut hair of his head.

⁴ And so, while Samson slept in Delilah’s lap, she called for a barber to shave his head completely. With his hair cut, the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and forced him to grind grain in prison. However, as time passed, his hair began to grow back to its former length.

⁵ Later, during a great Philistine feast, they brought Samson out to entertain them. He asked the boy guiding him to lead him to the two central pillars supporting the house so that he could lean on them. Once he grasped both pillars with his hands, he called upon God for strength. With divine aid, he shook the entire structure, causing it to collapse. The falling building crushed him along with three thousand Philistines.

⁶ This account raises a significant question for those who study nature: how could Samson’s entire bodily strength reside in something as insensible as his hair? When his hair was cut with a blade, he felt no pain, yet he lost his strength. The answer lies in God’s command, given before Samson’s birth, that his hair was never to be touched by a razor or any sharp instrument.

⁷ As long as Samson remained faithful to God’s command, he possessed immense strength through the gift of the Holy Spirit. However, when he allowed himself to be persuaded by a woman to break the Lord’s command, the divine gift of strength immediately left him. This was not because his physical power resided in the insensible substance of his hair—composed of neither bone, flesh, nor blood—but because his obedience to God’s command safeguarded the gift of strength.

⁸ Some may ask: “If his strength was not in his hair, then why did it return when his hair grew back?” The answer is that Samson did not regain his strength merely because of the length of his hair, but because, through repentance and suffering, he gradually obtained again the spiritual gift he had lost through negligence.

⁹ Moreover, in his transgression, there was at least some mitigating factor. While he did reveal the secret of his strength to Delilah when she persistently asked, he was not shorn by his own will, request, or consent. Instead, he was deceived while asleep. Because of this, after his affliction, he was able to seek and obtain God’s help more easily, for he had lost his strength not through direct defiance, but through seduction and weakness.

Chapter 7: The Ark of the Lord in the Land of the Philistines #

¹ After some time, when the children of Israel had provoked God by transgressing His commandments, the Philistines gathered their forces to wage war against them. Lacking confidence in themselves, the Israelites brought the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord into their camp, believing it would grant them victory over their enemies. However, the Ark does not protect those who transgress the Law. Instead, the Israelites were defeated, and a portion of their people was slain, while the Ark itself was captured by the foreigners.

² Rejoicing in their triumph, the Philistines carried the captured Ark back to their land. As a sign of their victory, they placed it in the temple of their god Dagon, setting it beside his idol. However, on the first day, they found Dagon fallen face down before the Ark. They set him back in his place, but on the following morning, he was discovered again, this time shattered—his head and hands broken off and lying at the threshold, with only the trunk of his body remaining. This foreshadowed the downfall of idolatry with the coming of the Lord’s law, for those who flee acknowledge their defeat by showing their backs to their pursuer.

³ Furthermore, all of Philistia was struck with a grievous plague: their bodies broke out in sores, and an overwhelming infestation of mice spread throughout the land. The Lord justly afflicted them with both punishments, according to the fitting measure of divine justice. Those who venerated wretched creatures with divine honors were, in turn, chastised by the very same wretched creatures at the coming of the Lord’s law. Likewise, those who had taken the sacred Ark of the Lord’s dwelling beyond its rightful boundaries suffered the disgrace of having their own innermost parts exposed in affliction.

⁴ For this reason, when they resolved to return the Ark, they placed it on a new cart drawn by two cows that had never been yoked, even as their young calves remained behind, calling out for them. Alongside the Ark, they set a small chest containing five golden mice and five golden tumors—symbols of their afflictions—so that they would not send the Ark back empty-handed. Yet within these details lies a profound spiritual meaning, one that requires careful study and ample time to fully discern.

Chapter 8: The Thunder from Heaven that Terrified the Philistines #

¹ Once again, the vast armies of the Philistines, as numerous as the sand on the seashore, spread across the plains of Israel. But as the prophet Samuel prayed, the Lord sent a mighty thunder from heaven, striking fear into the Philistines before the Israelites. Through this, Israel came to understand that victory was not achieved by their own strength, and their enemies recognized that God protected and aided His people.

Chapter 9: The Thunder and Rain When Saul Was Appointed King #

¹ Likewise, when the people demanded a king, and the prophet Samuel, obeying God’s command, anointed Saul, son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin, he called upon the Lord. In response, God sent thunder and heavy rain, so that the people would realize they had rejected the Lord as their king. But when the Lord saw their heartfelt repentance, He ceased the thunder at Samuel’s intercession.

Chapter 10: Saul Prophesying Among the Prophets #

¹ Saul, driven by envy and often seized by an evil spirit, sought to kill David. At that time, David was with Samuel and a company of prophets, prophesying. Saul sent messengers to capture and kill him, but as soon as they arrived, the Spirit that was speaking through the prophets took hold of them as well. Saul, determined to carry out his will, went himself after sending messengers three times. Yet, when he came among the prophets, he too began to prophesy.

² As we previously discussed regarding Balaam and his donkey, the words of the Holy Spirit are not spoken because of the worthiness of those who utter them, but by the Spirit’s own will, wherever He chooses. However, this does not increase the righteousness of those who speak if their deeds are evil, as seen in Balaam, Saul, and Caiaphas the high priest.

³ Thus, in the final judgment, certain prophets will say, “Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?” yet they will be condemned and cast into eternal fire along with the other wicked ones. Some, however, believe that Saul did not prophesy by the Spirit of God but rather by the evil spirit that often seized him, and that he continued in this state of frenzy the entire day—until David, facing the imminent danger of death, was himself taken by the Spirit and, by God’s providence, escaped. Yet how can this be understood when Scripture states, “And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and as he walked, he prophesied”? Unless, perhaps, in this passage, “the Spirit of the Lord” is to be understood in the same way as in another, where “the evil spirit from the Lord seized Saul”.

⁴ Nevertheless, Whenever Scripture refers simply to “the Spirit of God,” “the Spirit of the Lord,” “the Spirit of Christ,” or “the Spirit of Jesus,” without any additional qualifier, no one of sound mind doubts that it refers to the Holy Spirit. However, when Scripture adds “evil” to “the Spirit of the Lord,” as in the Book of Samuel, it is understood to refer to the devil—who is called the “Spirit of the Lord” because he acts as a minister of divine judgment, and “evil” because of his own wickedness.

⁵ Likewise, when Scripture speaks simply of “the spirit” without specifying “holy,” “of God,” or any other phrase indicating the Holy Spirit, it often refers to the opposing spirit—that is, the devil—or to one of his subjects, among those who serve demons.

Chapter 11: Samuel Summoned by the Medium #

¹ Later, when Saul found himself in distress, under the pressure of an advancing enemy force, and when the Lord would not answer his inquiries—neither through prophets, nor priests, nor dreams—he went to a medium, seeking to summon a spirit from the dead through her incantations. When she asked whom he wished to call forth, he requested Samuel. The apparition of Samuel then foretold Saul’s fate, saying: “At this very hour, you and your sons will be with me, and Israel will be delivered into the hands of its enemies”.

² But how can it be said that Samuel was summoned by the medium, when she was merely practicing demonic incantations and illusions? And how could Saul, who had received no answer from the living prophets of God, be granted the privilege of hearing a prophet raised from the dead? It is more reasonable to understand that this was not truly Samuel, the holy prophet, but rather the devil, who “disguises himself as an angel of light”, appearing in the form of Samuel. This is evident from his words, for he declared to the doomed Saul, “You and your sons will be with me.” If this had truly been Samuel, he would never have claimed that a wicked king would share in his own fate after death.

³ If, then, the devil reveals himself through a medium, why does Scripture say that Samuel was summoned? In many places, Sacred Scripture assigns the names of real things to what are merely appearances. For example, the staff that took the form of a serpent and the illusory serpents of the Egyptian magicians are both called serpents. Similarly, the bronze serpent in the desert is referred to as a serpent. The two cherubim are described as overshadowing the mercy seat by their likeness. The five golden mice and five golden tumors that the Philistines placed in a box alongside the Ark of the Lord are recounted as real objects. The twelve oxen under the bronze sea and the fourteen lions on Solomon’s ivory throne are likewise mentioned as though they truly existed. Additionally, the cherubim, palm trees, pomegranates, and other decorative carvings in the temple are described as if they were real beings. Yet all of these receive their names not because they are real in themselves, but because they resemble real things. Even so, Scripture refers to them directly as if they were true realities, without any hint of uncertainty.

⁴ In the same way, the apparition of Samuel is presented as if it were truly Samuel, just as the figures seen in the visions of the prophets and in the Revelation of John are described as real men.

Chapter 12: The Death of Uzzah #

¹ Shortly after David took the throne, he arranged for the Ark of the Covenant to be brought from the house of Abinadab to Jerusalem, accompanied by the king and all the people. As the ark was being transported, Uzzah, the son of Abinadab, walked alongside it. When he reached out to steady the ark, he touched it and was struck down by God, dying instantly.

² This act was condemned as reckless, for Uzzah, not being of the lineage of Aaron, had no right to touch the ark. Furthermore, the entire nation was given a sobering reminder that divine matters must be approached with reverence and care. Some believe that Uzzah’s death was not merely due to this single act, but rather that it was a punishment for an earlier, unmentioned sin. It is not uncommon for seemingly minor transgressions to bring about the consequences of prior, greater sins.

Chapter 13: David’s Census of Israel #

¹ When the people of Israel had sinned, the Lord allowed David to be incited to take a census of the nation. As a result, the people—who had already strayed—suffered punishment due to this seemingly small offense committed by their king. In response, the angel of the Lord struck down seventy thousand men across all of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and even set out to destroy Jerusalem.

² This was not because God ultimately intended to annihilate the city—though it would later be destroyed—but because the sight of the avenging angel prepared to strike Jerusalem moved David to deep repentance. From this, we understand that David’s sin was lesser than that of the people. His offense was absolved through repentance alone, whereas the sins of the people demanded the severe consequence of death upon those responsible.

Chapter 14: The Two Signs at the Altar of Bethel #

¹ After Solomon’s sin led to the division of Israel’s united kingdom, Jeroboam, son of Nebat, became king over the ten northern tribes. Fearing that his people might turn back to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, by continuing to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, Jeroboam set up idols and altars in Dan and Bethel.

² However, when the altar in Bethel was being dedicated, God sent a prophet from Judah to speak against it. As the prophet arrived, two terrifying signs were shown. First, the altar split apart at the very moment of the sacrifice. Second, the king’s own hand, which he had stretched out in defiance, withered and became useless.

³ These signs were fitting responses to Jeroboam’s actions and symbolized his offense. Just as he had divided the true worship of God—which had been centered in one temple and one altar—so too was his own altar split apart. Likewise, because he had sought to restrain the people of God from offering sacrifices to the Lord, his own hand was withered during this illicit sacrifice, demonstrating the consequences of his schismatic worship.

Chapter 15: The Three Years and Six Months of Drought #

¹ Furthermore, during the reign of Ahab, son of Omri—who was led into even greater wickedness by his wife, Jezebel—Elijah the Tishbite from Gilead, speaking in the name of the Lord, declared: “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word”.

² By his prayer, the rain was withheld for three years and six months, so that those who had provoked God through their sins would be deprived of the blessing of heaven’s mercy and the benefits of the air. Many teachers hold that this punishment affected only the land of Israel. However, it is common in Scripture for a particular region to be referred to as though it were the entire land. This is evident later when Elijah speaks with Ahab. When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?”. Elijah responded by making it clear that the guilt which had brought about this disaster lay solely upon Israel. He replied, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals”.

³ These statements together confirm that both the guilt and the punishment were confined to Israel. For if this plague had afflicted the entire world, Ahab would not have said, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” but rather, “Is it you, who trouble the whole earth?”

⁴ During the time of drought, the Lord commanded Elijah to hide in the cave by the Brook of Cherith, where he would be sustained by ravens bringing him bread and meat, and by drinking from the brook. This served a dual purpose: first, to provide him with food during the famine, and second, to shield him from the wrath of those who were eagerly seeking his life.

⁵ The fact that ravens were chosen to serve the prophet carries a symbolic meaning. These birds, which had once been negligent and untrustworthy—such as when the raven sent out by Noah failed to return—were now made faithful servants to Elijah, as if to atone for their past fault in the time of the Flood. Furthermore, this miraculous provision demonstrates how, had humanity not fallen into sin, even the most unproductive animals would have willingly served mankind’s needs.

⁶ As for where the ravens obtained the bread and meat, that is known only to the One who assigned them this task. However, it is worth considering that they may have received these provisions through the actions of certain people, whether knowingly or unknowingly, as the food they brought consisted of baked bread and prepared meat.

Chapter 16: The Widow in Zarephath of the Sidonians #

¹ When the brook dried up due to the severe drought, God commanded Elijah to go to a widow in Zarephath, where he would be provided for. This widow, despite her poverty, took him into her home and shared with him her daily sustenance. The small jar of oil and the jug of flour, which had only contained enough for a single meal when Elijah arrived, did not run empty until the Lord provided for His people again.

² This did not happen because the hand of the Lord was weak—He could have provided Elijah with water, bread, and meat by other means even after the brook dried up. Instead, the prophet was sent to Zarephath so that, through him, the good and faithful widow might also be nourished.

³ Some might wonder why this widow, dwelling in Sidonian territory, suffered alongside Israel in the same drought. After all, this was the land of Jezebel, the persecutor of the prophets, the very daughter of the Sidonian king who brought idolatry and wickedness upon Israel. Yet, this very event demonstrates that creation is governed not by new laws but by the same divine order that has existed from the beginning—just as was foretold regarding the Israelites’ sandals and garments, which did not wear out in the wilderness. In all these miracles, nature is not overturned but rather guided by the providence of God, as is often revealed in the unfolding of events.

Chapter 17: On the Only Son of the Widow Who Was Raised from the Dead by Elijah #

¹ At the time when Elijah was staying in the house of this widow, her only son became seriously ill and died. But Elijah, through his prayer, brought him back to life. The Hebrews pass down a tradition that this same boy later became the prophet Jonah, the one whom the Lord delivered from the belly of the great fish after three days. For the Lord, who is able to strike down His enemy in even the safest of hiding places, is likewise able to rescue His servant from any affliction, no matter how dire. As for the famous question concerning those who have been raised from the dead, we will leave that for later discussion, up to and including the case of Lazarus.

Chapter 18: On the Burnt Offering on Mount Carmel #

¹ After the time of drought had passed, and when the Lord intended to send rain upon the land, He commanded the prophet Elijah to go and meet King Ahab. Elijah then gathered all Israel to him on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of the idols. When they were assembled, the holy Elijah requested that two bulls be prepared—one for the Lord and the other for Baal—each to be offered in sacrifice, Elijah for the Lord and the prophets for Baal. The condition was that the God who answered by sending fire would be recognized as the true God of the people. With this agreed upon, the priests of Baal slaughtered their bull first and, morning until midday, begged Baal to consume the offering with fire. But Baal, who is himself subject to fire rather than master over it, could not send fire upon the offering. Elijah, on the other hand, cut his bull into pieces and laid them on the altar, which he had personally built and arranged. He then poured abundant water over the offering and the altar. As he prayed, fire fell from heaven and consumed the bull, the altar, the stones, and even the water. After this, Elijah seized the prophets of Baal who had been delivered into his hands and killed them in the brook Kishon. And all the people believed and confessed that the Lord is God.

² When fire descended from above, from the aerial and fiery heights, it did nothing beyond its nature. Under the command of God, who governs all things, it consumed the material that served as its fuel upon the earth. For even fire that burns on earth testifies that fire is more abundant in the upper regions, as it always seeks to ascend with intensity to those heights where its nature resides. Just as water naturally flows downward, so too is it proper for fire to strive for the heights. However, water also appears at times to rise to higher places, though not by its own nature—for its substance is heavy and tends downward—but through the lighter nature of air. This happens because tiny water droplets are drawn together in a vaporous form and ascend like smoke to the higher parts of the air. Once they gather in denser clouds, they cannot remain suspended due to the nature of the air. Instead, when the wind compacts them into a heavier mass, they fall back to the earth as rain. If frost seizes them before they fall, it hardens these droplets into hailstones, forming solid ice through the intense cold. If the cold is milder and does not fully solidify them, it produces snow. And if the freezing air does not affect them at all, they remain liquid and fall freely as raindrops, returning to the lower regions from which they ascended.

³ Just as water does not ascend by itself unless acted upon by another substance, as we have shown, so too does fire not descend unless carried downward by another substance. Thus, when the Lord rained down fiery showers upon the five cities, as we mentioned in the first book, this was accomplished through sulfur so that fire might burn within the sulfur and, by the heavier nature of sulfur, be drawn down to the earth. Therefore, in this instance, when fire descended upon the altar for the holocaust, it came down either through the air or through sulfur, since fire by itself cannot descend unless God commands it to be mixed with a heavier material.

⁴ Elijah, the servant of God, put the priests of idols to death without the guilt of murder, for he was following the Law, which states, “You shall not allow a blasphemer to live”. Indeed, no one worships an idol without also being a blasphemer against God. Therefore, in slaying the worshipers of idolatry, he was purging the land of blasphemers and sacrilegious men. And after all these things, he who had, by his prayer, withheld rain from watering the earth for three years and six months, in a short time, by that same power of prayer, obtained from God an abundant and gentle rain for the thirsty land. This rain would not have come upon the earth until he had purified it by putting the worshipers of Baal to death.

Chapter 19: On the Forty-Day Fast #

¹ Elijah, upon learning that Jezebel had threatened him with death after he had slain her prophets, fled to the land of Judah in distress. There, he sat under a juniper tree and fell asleep. An angel of the Lord touched him, woke him from his sleep, and provided him with bread and water, satisfying his hunger and quenching his thirst. Strengthened by this food, he journeyed for forty days and forty nights without eating, until he reached Mount Horeb, the mountain of God, where, after experiencing the word of the Lord, he returned to the land of Israel.

² Regarding this bread and water, given to him through the ministry of an angel, which sustained him through the hardship of hunger for forty days, we leave room for further discussion for those who seek to understand their nature. Though this bread appears to resemble that which is baked by human effort, since it was prepared, we recognize that it was not ordinary earthly bread, for a single meal could not have sustained a man for forty days. Perhaps, through the work of the angel, it was made from some earthly substance in such a way that it nourished Elijah’s soul with greater strength than ordinary bread would for other men. Yet, even if the nature of this bread remains hidden and causes the attentive reader to wonder, it nonetheless reassures us concerning the forty-day fast, showing that the prophet endured that time without food through the power of a single meal, requiring nothing else for sustenance.

Chapter 20: On the Fire Descending Upon the Captains of Fifty #

¹ After some time had passed, while the prophet himself was sitting on the mountain, the king ordered a captain with fifty men to go and bring him down. This captain, filled with arrogance and pride, said, “Man of God, come down with us, for King Ahaziah, son of Ahab, commands it.” To this, Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, let fire from heaven consume you and your men.” And immediately, fire came down and burned them up. The king then sent another captain with fifty men, who spoke in the same manner as the first, and he too met the same fate by the same divine judgment. Finally, a third captain with his men was sent, but this one, fearing for his life, fell on his knees before the prophet of the Lord and humbly pleaded with him to come before the king. Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid.” So Elijah rose and went with the humbled and supplicant man to the king, whereas the proud had perished. The fire here, just as in the previously mentioned burnt offering of God, obeyed the word spoken by the prophet and fulfilled what was commanded. In these events, as with Uzzah and the census of the people, the avenging flame punished, perhaps, a more grievous sin previously committed.

Chapter 21: On Elijah and Elisha Crossing the Jordan #

¹ When the Lord willed to take Elijah up, he and Elisha, the son of Shaphat, his servant, crossed the Jordan on dry ground after Elijah had struck the river with his mantle and divided the waters, just as we previously mentioned regarding the passage of the Israelites. The explanation of this event can be sufficiently understood from the Book of Joshua. Since these miraculous works align in many ways with what has been foretold, even if some figurative interpretations may vary, the historical understanding of these events demands a consistent explanation based on their nature. Before weaving together a collection of the wondrous deeds found throughout the divine Scriptures, it is worthwhile to present those events where further explanation is unnecessary due to their similarity to preceding ones, recounting them as they occurred. Especially since I have resolved not to omit any of the miracles recorded in the sacred Scriptures, as they appear to surpass the ordinary ministry in a unique way.

Chapter 22: On the Ascension of Elijah #

¹ After both had crossed over from the banks of the Jordan, Elijah said to his servant, “Ask what you will of me before the Lord commands me to depart from you and be taken up.” Elisha replied, “I beg you, let a double portion of your spirit rest upon me.” Elijah answered, “You have asked a difficult thing, but if you are present and see me when I am taken up, then your request will be granted”. In making this request, Elisha was not seeking to elevate himself above his master out of pride. Rather, recognizing the countless sins of the people, he foresaw that the prophet left behind would need not only Elijah’s spirit but a double portion to restrain them. Had he asked this out of a selfish desire to exalt himself, he would not have obtained it from the Lord or from Elijah.

² As they spoke, Elijah was taken up as Elisha watched, carried away in a chariot of fire as if ascending to heaven. To this day, just like Enoch, he is preserved without experiencing death, serving as a testimony for the last days. Thus, in the mouths of these two witnesses, the final testimony will be given shortly before Satan is condemned—he who wages open war to bring down the human race. It was fitting that Elijah, who burned with zealous love for God and performed many wonders through fire, should also be taken up in a fiery chariot, transformed by the Lord and raised to a higher state. Moreover, what we previously stated about Enoch in the first book can also be seen to apply to Elijah.

Chapter 23: On the Virtues of Elisha #

¹ Elisha, the sorrowful heir, gathered Elijah’s fallen garments as they dropped to the ground and, invoking the God of Elijah, crossed the Jordan on dry ground. Arriving in Jericho, he healed the bitter and barren waters by throwing salt into the spring, just as Moses had purified the waters in the wilderness with wood. This matter has already been discussed sufficiently in that place. From there, he went to Bethel, where small boys mocked him for being bald. When he cursed them in the name of the Lord, two bears came out of the forest and tore apart forty-two of the boys.

² In this instance, the prophet did not curse them out of personal anger over an insult, but as a just punishment upon the children of those who had turned away from the Lord and the Law of their fathers. These were the sons of those who sacrificed to idols in Bethel, and perhaps even these young boys themselves had been consecrated to idols, as was the custom at that time. For in Bethel, one of the two golden calves that Jeroboam, son of Nebat, had made—causing Israel to sin—had been set up. It was through these idols that the ten tribes of Israel turned away from the Lord and fell into sin. Moreover, the prophet, foreseeing what the mocking and insolent people of the Jews would suffer long after, when they derided Christ crucified on Calvary—a fate that befitted them in a figurative sense—carried out his works accordingly.

³ Then, during the expedition in which Joram, king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, and the king of Edom went out against the Moabites, when the entire army was exhausted with thirst in the desert, Elisha obtained from God a supply of water that flowed through the dry valley without rainfall. He commanded the people to dig ditches and wells for the Israelites and the Gentiles who were in the army with them.

⁴ Upon returning from that expedition to the land of Israel, a widow, the wife of one of the prophets, came to him weeping and cried out: “Behold,” she said, “my creditor wishes to take my two sons, whom I bore to your servant, my husband, as slaves, since I have nothing else to repay him with.” To this, Elisha replied, “Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

⁵ “A little oil,” she answered, “which I have stored in a vessel for anointing.” Then Elisha said, “Go and borrow many empty vessels from your neighbors, not just a few.” When she had done this, the small amount of oil miraculously increased, and she filled all the vessels. This small portion of oil, by the power of the prophet, was able to multiply beyond its natural capacity. Indeed, everything in creation grows from small beginnings, and this is especially evident in the nature of liquids. Even in the art of winemaking, certain vessels are designed to cause a small amount of liquid to overflow and increase in abundance.

⁶ Likewise, when the prophet frequently passed through the city of Shunem, he was often welcomed with generous hospitality by a wealthy woman who was barren. He foretold that she would conceive a child by her husband. However, after the child was born and nurtured, he was struck by a severe and familiar illness and, while still a boy, passed away.

⁷ However, Elisha, following a symbolic order, restored the child to life and gave him back to his mother. On another occasion, during a time of famine, the sons of the prophets unknowingly gathered wild gourds, which were deadly and extremely bitter, along with other herbs and cooked them in a stew. But when one of them tasted it, he cried out that there was death in the pot. Then Elisha, with his own hand, sprinkled a little flour into the pot, and by its power, the deadly and tasteless bitterness of the wild gourds was overcome, transforming the stew into something flavorful, pleasant, and safe to eat. He also ordered twenty loaves to be divided among a hundred men, and they were all satisfied. Moreover, the servants collected an abundance of leftover fragments. We will examine the meaning of this miracle more closely when we discuss, if the Lord permits, the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish, and again, the seven loaves and a few small fish in the Gospel.

Chapter 24: The Healing of Naaman’s Leprosy and the Punishment of Gehazi #

¹ After these events, Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Syria, who was afflicted with leprosy, learned that there was a remarkable prophet in the land of Israel who had been granted the gift of healing. Accompanied by a company of soldiers and bearing gifts and letters from his master, he first went to the king of Israel. The king, however, directed him to go to the house of Elisha. When he arrived and stood at the door, Elisha sent a servant to instruct him to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River. But Naaman, filled with pride, completely disregarded the message—until his companions persuaded him to do this simple task. Yielding to their words, he washed himself seven times in the Jordan, just as Elisha had commanded, and his skin became completely soft and smooth, like that of a child, and he was healed. In gratitude for this gift of healing, he sought to offer rewards to the man of God.

² He refused to accept payment, preferring to give freely what he had received freely. From this, as I have already said, it is clearly demonstrated that the power of the sacrament was not in the water itself but in the command of God, given through the prophet. For if Naaman had washed himself in the Jordan without the command of the prophet—indeed, without God’s command through the prophet—he would by no means have been cleansed of his leprosy so quickly.

³ But Giezi, the servant of the man of God, thought to himself that his master Elisha had spared Naaman without reason. So he took two young men with him and hurried after Naaman, pretending that he had been sent by his master. With a false story, he received money from Naaman and brought part of it back on horseback—something Elisha had refused to take entirely or keep for himself. Later, when his master asked him where he had been, Giezi falsely claimed that he had not gone anywhere.

⁴ But the prophet, exposing his hidden lie with clear judgment, said, “Was not my spirit present with you when the man stepped down from his chariot to meet you? Since your greedy thoughts deceived you into doing and saying this, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever”.

⁵ Behold, with the same power by which the prophet Elisha had removed Naaman’s leprosy from his body, he now commanded it to cling to Giezi and his household. From this, it is evident that all these miracles occur not by the properties of the things themselves but by the command of the one who gives the order. Yet in neither case is anything accomplished in a way that contradicts nature. Rather, in the perfection of these works, the very will of God—whether acting directly, through angels, or through humans—brings about those events which He has foreseen as fitting in every way to prefigure what is to come.

Chapter 25: On the Floating of Iron #

¹ At one time, while the sons of the prophets were building a place for themselves in the presence of Elisha, the iron head of an axe slipped from its handle and fell into the Jordan River. The man who had lost the iron, having borrowed it, was deeply distressed. Moved by his cry and sharing in his sorrow, Elisha sought the place where the iron had sunk. After identifying the spot, he threw in a piece of wood, and the iron rose from the depths and floated on the surface of the water. The heavy nature of iron is such that the delicate substance of water cannot naturally support it. However, just as the Lord later made the sea solid beneath Peter’s feet, so He first commanded the iron to rise from the depths.

² Although water is weaker than earth, it appears to be denser than air. This is evident because metals and stones are less supported by water than by earth, yet water can sustain the bodies of humans, animals, and floating wood more easily than air can. Even though water cannot fully support metal, it can partially sustain it when combined with other floating objects. This is proven by the fact that a stone, which two men can barely lift in the air, can be held by a single man when suspended in water by a rope. Thus, it is evident that although water does not fully support metal, it can partially bear its weight. And whatever a thing can do in part, God can command it to do completely. Therefore, the nature of water could support floating iron because God ordered it to do fully what it was already capable of doing in part.

Chapter 26: On the Victory through Elisha #

¹ During a time of war, the king of Syria repeatedly set traps for the king of Israel in various places, but the prophet Elisha always revealed them to the king of Israel, warning him to act cautiously. When the king of Syria realized for certain that Elisha was responsible for this, he sent a large army, equipped with chariots and horses, to the city of Dothan, where Elisha was. At dawn, when the prophet’s servant rose early and saw the vast army, he was struck with terror and, overcome with fear, ran to Elisha. The prophet reassured him, saying, “There are more who are with us than those who are with them.” So that the young man, frightened by the sight of so many enemies, would not be overcome by fear, Elisha prayed that he might see the host of angels, and immediately he beheld a great multitude of fiery chariots and horses surrounding Elisha on the mountain. Then Elisha went out to the enemy and asked the Lord to strike them with blindness, just as He had once done to the men at Lot’s door. The enemies were blinded, and Elisha, promising to lead them to the man they sought, guided them instead to the city of Samaria, where he then opened their eyes.

² When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha whether he should kill them or not. But the man of God did not command their execution; instead, he ordered that the enemies be given food and sent away. Thus, the people were not struck with blindness in such a way that they could not see the light of day; rather, their recognition of Elisha and the places they were walking through was hidden from their eyes. If they had been blinded to the extent that they could not see the light, they would never have been able to follow Elisha alone as he led them into Samaria. Therefore, they were struck with a kind of blindness in which, though they saw him, they did not understand who he was. Similarly, the man of God opened his servant’s eyes not so that he might see the daylight and perceive the enemies, but so that he might behold the host of angels, which he had previously not seen.

³ In this same war, Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, came into the land of Israel with an immense army, besieging Samaria for many days. The siege became so severe that those trapped inside were driven to such dire straits that mothers devoured their own children. Moved by the shame of such a horrific report, the king of Israel, filled with rage, came to Elisha’s house and, believing that the prophet had the power to bring an end to this calamity, determined to behead him.

⁴ Therefore, the Prophet himself, as if concerned for the danger of the soul, firmly replied: “Tomorrow at this same hour, a seah of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of this city”. But one of the king’s two officers, speaking with an unfaithful heart, said, “Even if the Lord were to open the floodgates of heaven, could this really happen?” To whom Elisha responded, “You will see it with your own eyes, but because of your unbelief, you will not eat of it”.

⁵ That night, the Lord caused the sound of a mighty uproar to be heard in the camp of the Syrians, a noise like the clamor of chariots and the din of an army, which threw all the enemy troops into a panic and sent them fleeing in every direction. Having discovered this, the people rushed out of the city gate in a great crowd and trampled the unfaithful officer to death. Thus, though he saw these things, he was unable to partake of them, just as Elisha had foretold.

⁶ All these wondrous deeds, which we have briefly recounted in order to preserve the marvelous origin of divine Scripture, have either been noted earlier in the first book or will be explained further in the third, where we will discuss the Gospel and the New Testament—if the Lord grants us life and strength to do so.

⁷ In the meantime, after the death of Elisha, the servant of God, there came a day when his followers were carrying a dead man for burial. Upon seeing a band of raiders, they were struck with fear and, because Elisha’s tomb was nearby, they threw the corpse into it. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came back to life and stood up on his feet.

⁸ Some say that this fulfilled the prophetic statement: “May the spirit that is in you be doubled in me”, as it was necessarily destined to come to pass. Elijah, during his lifetime, before he was taken up, is recorded to have raised one person from the dead. Likewise, we see that Elisha also performed the same miracle. But in addition, after his own death, Elisha seems to have revived another person—namely, the one who was restored to life in his tomb.

⁹ However, even in this, the doubling of grace does not seem to lie simply in the number of miracles performed. For if necessary, what Elijah did once, he could have done twice. Rather, Elisha is said to have received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit because he commanded miracles with authority, whereas Elijah obtained them through prayer and supplication.

¹⁰ Alternatively, as others suggest, the doubling of grace is seen in the fact that Elisha possessed the gift of prophecy and miraculous power while enjoying great honor and worldly status. In contrast, Elijah, though retaining the same spiritual gifts, lived as an outcast and fugitive, dwelling in mountains and caves, persecuted and rejected by men.

Chapter 27: The Captivity of the People and the Invasion of Judah by Sennacherib #

¹ For a long time, the people of Israel continuously disobeyed God’s law and rejected the words of the prophets. They turned to idol worship, showing contempt for the very God who had brought their ancestors out of Egypt. Because of this, God allowed them to fall into the hands of foreign nations. After many were slaughtered and numerous cities were destroyed or besieged, the ten tribes living in the region of Samaria were completely cast out from God’s presence.

² God delivered them into the hands of the kings of Assyria—namely Shalmaneser and Tiglath-Pileser—who took them captive and relocated them. In their place, the Assyrian kings brought in people from many different nations and cities to inhabit the land of Samaria. These new settlers were known as Samaritans, or “guardians” of the land, and were brought in to keep the land from becoming desolate.

³ However, because these new inhabitants did not fear or worship the Lord, God sent lions among them, which began attacking and killing many of them. When word of this reached King Tiglath-Pileser, he was informed that the people he had resettled in Israel were being killed by lions because they didn’t know the customs or worship of the God of that land.

⁴ In response, the king sent one of the exiled priests from the tribe of Levi back to the land. This priest taught the people how to worship the Lord. Once they began to observe the ways of God—even though they still clung to many of their own pagan traditions—the attacks by the lions stopped.

⁵ But the tribe of Judah, along with the city of Jerusalem—which the Lord had chosen—and all who belonged to them, God still preserved at that time. Their kingdom was then ruled by Hezekiah, a just king who feared God.

⁶ However, Sennacherib, king of the Assyrians, observing how his forefathers had destroyed the kingdom of Samaria and the dominion of Israel, also turned his eyes toward the land of Judah. He sent his general, Rabshakeh—whom the Hebrews say was the son of the prophet Isaiah, and a Jewish exile who had joined the Assyrians—and gathered his army, ordering him to besiege the city of Jerusalem.

⁷ But as this assault began, God—protector of His people and humbler of the proud—sent from the heavenly host a warrior, namely an angel, into the Assyrian camp, who in a single night struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand of Sennacherib’s soldiers. Thus defeated, Sennacherib barely escaped with a few men and fled back to his own city of Nineveh. There, while in the temple of his idols, he was struck down by his own sons, the very ones he had fathered.

Chapter 28: The Illness of Hezekiah and the Sign from God #

¹ Soon after the great victory, Hezekiah, king of Judah, fell gravely ill. This came as a humbling trial—perhaps to keep him from becoming proud after such triumph, or from neglecting to fully give thanks to God. In the midst of his severe sickness, the prophet Isaiah came to visit him and delivered a solemn message from the Lord: “Set your house in order, for you shall not recover—you are going to die.”

² This deeply troubling news shook the king to the core. He immediately turned his face toward the wall and poured out a tearful, heartfelt prayer to the Lord, pleading for his life before the God of all mercy and compassion.

³ It wasn’t that Hezekiah was uncertain of his standing before God—he was a faithful and upright man. But his sorrow sprang from another source: he had no heir. As a descendant of David, he feared that, should he die, his royal line would be cut off, and the promise of a future Messiah—a light on David’s throne—might seem forsaken.

⁴ But when the merciful Lord was moved to compassion by the tearful prayers of the king and his servant, He sent the prophet Isaiah, stirred by the pure inspiration of the Spirit. Isaiah, having scarcely left the middle of the palace courtyard, returned to announce that healing, continued kingship, and peace on every side would be granted to the king and to the city. By the word of God, he confirmed that fifteen more years of life would be added to the king, beginning from that very day.

⁵ However, since Isaiah had pronounced two seemingly contradictory prophecies in the same hour, it was necessary for the one that was to be fulfilled to be confirmed by a sign. Therefore, so that the king might believe without doubt what had been spoken, God reversed the course of the sun, making it go backward ten steps on the sundial—retracing its path from west to east—so that it appeared to begin its rising again, as though it were morning. By this miracle, it completed the span of an entire day, minus two hours.

⁶ During these two hours—which many believe the sun rapidly retraced from west to east—the day was renewed without the interruption of night, so that two full days seemed to be contained within a single continuous light. This, they say, was just as it had happened once before in the time of Joshua, son of Nun, when the sun delayed during a certain battle, and likewise in this case, it is believed the moon also reversed its course, so that the harmony of the heavenly cycles would not be disrupted without reason.

⁷ For this reason, it is not denied that even the movement of the sea itself was interrupted, so that henceforth it might appropriately accompany the course of the moon, as it usually does each day. For in this reversal, it was fitting that the sun did not change its nature, but rather obeyed the command of the Creator as it naturally does in all things. Just as the sun possesses light and heat as inherent to its nature, so too, whatever the Lord commands—whether to run, to stop, or to return—it does so naturally.

⁸ Fittingly, such a sign occurred in a manner most appropriate for a king who was facing death, as the Lord ordained that it should be accomplished through the sun by a suitable divine arrangement. For just as the sun, on the verge of setting, is brought back to the beginning of the day, so too the king, who stood at the threshold of death, was symbolically recalled to the joys of new life. And it was the Lord who said He would add exactly fifteen years to his life, so that, once that time had passed, the son who was to be born could be old enough to rule the kingdom of his deceased father.

⁹ As for that significant and much-discussed question—whether God had determined the end of his life to fall at that time if he had not prayed with tears—many authors have addressed it. When we speak of Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, we hope, if the Lord permits, to explain this matter more clearly based on the authority of the Gospel itself. Indeed, the same principle must be applied here, for one recalled from the threshold of death, as to those who are raised from the sleep of death but eventually die again.

Chapter 29: The Babylonian Captivity #

¹ After Josiah’s death, the kings of Judah and the remaining people increasingly fell into sin. Though the Lord warned them through the prophets that He would hand over Jerusalem—along with its kings and people—to the Chaldeans for destruction, the people as a whole ignored these warnings. In time, the events themselves confirmed the truth of the prophets’ words.

² When Pharaoh Necho, king of Egypt, came to fight against the Assyrians and Chaldeans, Josiah, the righteous king of Judah, marched out with his army to confront him on the plain of Megiddo. There, Josiah was defeated and fatally wounded in battle.

³ After Josiah’s death, his son Jehoahaz was made king by the people of Judah in his place. However, three months later, Pharaoh Necho returned to Jerusalem after defeating the Assyrians and Chaldeans—or possibly to reinforce his control over the territory he had taken—having stationed commanders in the city of Carchemish.

⁴ Displeased that Jehoahaz had been made king without his consent, Necho removed him and appointed his brother Eliakim as king instead, changing his name to Jehoiakim. He then took Jehoahaz captive, bound him in chains, and brought him to Egypt.

⁵ But after Necho died and the commanders he had left at Carchemish were defeated in battle, in the third year of Jehoiakim, king of Judah—who had remained loyal to Necho until that time—Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came and besieged Jerusalem with his army, treating it as though it were still an Egyptian outpost.

⁶ Jehoiakim surrendered voluntarily, handing over hostages: Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, along with part of the sacred vessels from the temple of the Lord. He was allowed to remain king in his own land for a time. But later, heavily burdened by servitude, he turned once again to the king of Egypt. In response, another Babylonian army was sent, and Jehoiakim was captured. Before he could reach Babylon, he was killed in the plain of Babylon in the eleventh year of his reign.

⁷ Meanwhile, as these events unfolded, the people of Jerusalem made Jehoiachin (also called Jeconiah), the son of Jehoiakim, king in his father’s place. In the third month of his reign, the Babylonian army returned and laid siege to Jerusalem. Though the prophet Jeremiah warned the people not to let the city be burned, the king, along with his mother Nehushta, all the tribal leaders, soldiers, craftsmen, and metalworkers, surrendered to the Chaldeans. They were all taken into exile, and Jehoiachin was deported with the rest of the captives to the land of the Chaldeans—that is, to Babylon.

⁸ After this, Zedekiah, Jehoiachin’s uncle and son of Josiah, was appointed king over Judah by the Chaldeans and ruled in Jerusalem. But in the ninth year of his reign, he rebelled against the Chaldeans and turned for help to the king of Egypt. This provoked Nebuchadnezzar, who, while sitting in Riblah, in the land of Hamath (modern-day Antioch), ordered his army to besiege and assault Jerusalem.

⁹ In the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign, the city was captured. The temple was burned, the city was destroyed, and many people were killed. Those who remained were taken into exile. Zedekiah’s sons were executed before his eyes, and then his eyes were put out, and he was taken in chains to Babylon.

Chapter 30: About Daniel Speaking Out in Babylon #

¹ At that time, Daniel—whom we earlier mentioned as one of the hostages taken at the beginning of the captivity—was living in Babylon, a Jew of noble descent, and was becoming well known for his great reputation. Since he was filled with the Spirit of God and had been granted the gift of prophecy, God revealed to him things that were hidden from others. This led to the following event: King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, but when he awoke, he could not remember any part of it. God revealed not only the dream itself to Daniel, but also what had happened beforehand, even the circumstances leading up to the king falling asleep. This happened so that Daniel might introduce the king to the knowledge of the Most High Creator, and so that the people, though living in bondage and captivity, might receive some small help and comfort.

Chapter 31: About the Three Young Men Who Survived the Torment of Fire Unharmed #

¹ That king—so fierce in his heart—fell into such forgetfulness of God that he erected a towering golden statue in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. He commanded that it be consecrated and worshipped as a divine image in his own name.

² For the dedication of this statue, officials and leaders from all the provinces and peoples were summoned from every direction. By royal decree, they were compelled to worship the image—whether they wished to or not. Those who refused faced immediate punishment: they would be cast into a blazing furnace, and everyone understood the severity of the threat.

³ As a result, three officials in the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—who were descendants of the Jewish people and whom we previously mentioned as having been brought to Babylon at the beginning of the exile along with Daniel, were accused by the Chaldeans. Their crime? They had refused to worship the gods of the king or bow down before the newly consecrated golden image.

⁴ To ensure this accusation was not motivated by personal malice, but arose from a legitimate complaint, the king ordered that the three men be brought before him. He questioned them personally, seeking to determine whether what he had heard was truly the case, or merely rumor fueled by envy. After interrogating them, he said: “Let what happened before be forgotten. Now, in my presence, do what you are commanded: worship the golden statue I have set up. If, however, you refuse to do what is commanded, then by necessity you must endure the burning heat of the fiery furnace.”

⁵ But they replied together with one mind, saying: “We not only refuse to worship any of your gods, but we also will by no means bow down to the statue you have recently set up before us. We worship only the heavenly Creator of the universe, and we do so freely and with united devotion, both publicly and privately. His power protects anyone who keeps their faith pure and undefiled by wicked actions, rescuing them from every kind of trouble. Therefore, O king, we are not afraid of the flames of this furnace, nor do we fear any threats or punishments that your authority may inflict upon us. For the all-powerful Maker and Ruler of all things is able to deliver His servants from the heat of the fire and from any wound your hand may cause.”

⁶ At this, the king became furiously angry and ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual, and in his rage he commanded that the strongest men in his army throw them into the fire, just as they were, fully clothed and adorned. But when they were cast into the furnace and fell into the midst of the flames, they felt no harm at all from the fire, nor did they experience its heat as an affliction in any way. For at that very hour, when the angel of God was sent, he entered the furnace together with those who had been cast into the fire. He drove out the flames and the heat from the furnace, and those who remained inside were preserved unharmed, as if covered with a gentle dew, suffering no pain at all. But the same fire consumed all the enemies around the furnace—the Chaldeans who were guilty of their condemnation and destruction.

⁷ When King Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace, he said: “Behold, I see four men, unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of God.” Then he immediately called by name the three men he had thrown into the fire, summoning them out of the furnace. All the people who saw them recognized that nothing harmful had happened to them from their time in the furnace: not only were their bodies untouched by the flames, but not even a trace of burning could be found—not on their clothes, nor even on a single hair of their heads.

⁸ In this astonishing event, the inquirer into the nature of things wonders how the fire could gently protect those enclosed within the furnace, while at the same time that very same fire—of the same substance—burned up the men standing nearby. How, then, could the fire possess gentleness in one part of itself, while in another part its fierce heat destroyed the enemies of the kingdom of God? The substance or nature of fire can only persist in water or in some kind of liquid matter, since it is understood to belong to an incorporeal nature. This is why, when fire burns in wood, it consumes everything in the wood that contains moisture; and once it has reduced it to dry ash and returned it to the earth, the lack of moisture extinguishes the fire. Likewise, the voracious heat does not completely consume the nature of liquid, but as it attempts to rise to the upper regions where that moist nature is more abundant, it is lifted into the air. That familiar vapor, when carried up into the heights of the sky, becomes condensed into a misty form and is returned again to the earth from where it came, brought down through rainfall. This is often proven by the devastation caused by scorched provinces and the way vapor from burning mountains frequently draws down showers of dew.

⁹ So then, fire continues to burn in any earthly material for as long as it either consumes all the moisture within it or sends upward into the air what remains from its fuel. But if a small flame comes across material that is too damp, it is overpowered by the greater strength of the moisture and gives way, as if weakened. Furthermore, as I said before, when fire is fed by a vaporous or watery substance, its life cannot be sustained in any way except through air. For even if it burns in oil or any other flammable substance, unless air surrounds it completely, it quickly dies out. Therefore, whenever it burns in some kind of earthly material, its life depends on both air and moisture. This is why the powerful Governor of all things chose to divide the nature of fire—giving its heat to the enemies, while changing the soft, moist substance of air and water to serve His faithful. In this way, the enemies were consumed by the burning nature of fire, while His servants experienced nothing harmful, only a gentle, watery vapor. That is why Scripture says: “The Angel of the Lord went down with Azariah and his companions into the furnace, drove the flames of the fire out of the furnace, and made the inside of the furnace as though a moist wind were whistling through it". For in that fire, He found both breath from the air and dew from the water. See how He brought about this division, just as with other wonders, through the angel who, as I said before, descended into the fire along with the servants of God.

Chapter 32: About Daniel Resting in the Lions’ Den #

¹ Daniel, a true worshipper of God—about whom we spoke at the beginning of the captivity—had been made one of the three chief governors over the kingdom of the Persians and Medes, and, by the Lord’s favor, had become especially dear to King Darius, son of Astyages. But since love is followed by honor, and great honor often stirs up envy, the other nobles of the Medes and Persians were deeply jealous of him. Unable to find any fault in him except concerning the law of his God, they devised a deceitful plan and proposed a law—under the authority of the Medes and Persians—that the king, unaware of their true intentions, agreed to. The law declared that no one could make any request of any god or human being for thirty days, except from the king. Anyone found violating this law would be thrown, without mercy or pity, into a den of lions. Once the decree had been established, they kept a close watch on Daniel and found him, as was his custom, praying to the true God three times a day in his house, kneeling before Him. Because of this, they accused him harshly, and although the king wished to rescue Daniel from their hands, he was unable to do so.

² But the law established by the Medes and Persians did not allow this. Therefore, with a sorrowful and grieving heart, the king ordered that Daniel be thrown into the lions’ den to be devoured. However, God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions so that the innocent man would not perish. After spending a sleepless night, the king came to the den early in the morning, weeping, and found Daniel lying unharmed among the lions, his mind at peace. At the king’s command, Daniel was immediately taken up out of the lions’ den, and in his place, those who had falsely accused him were thrown in and devoured at once. The lions, made hungry by Daniel’s supposed starvation, received the guilty bodies of the traitors instead.

³ In this remarkable event, the nature of the lions was not changed, but was directed by the angel from God, according to what had been instilled in them from the beginning of creation. The lions showed to Daniel the gentleness and affection they normally give to their cubs, and they displayed the savagery and fierceness they usually show to prey upon the wicked who were devoured. Therefore, it is clear that the Lord does not cause any creature to act beyond the boundaries of its nature, but He governs the roles of creatures as needed—either for the protection and comfort of those He defends or for the punishment of those He oppresses.

⁴ As for the story of the den again and of Habakkuk being transported, which is found in the tales of Bel and the Dragon, it is not included here in this order because it is not found in the authoritative books of Holy Scripture.

Chapter 33: On Ezra Restoring the Law #

¹ Meanwhile, when the time of captivity was fulfilled—just as the Lord had foretold through the Prophets—He prepared the return of His people and the end of their captivity through the mercy of King Cyrus. During that time, Ezra, a priest of God, restored the Law that had been burned by the Chaldeans and kept it in the temple archives. Indeed, he was filled with the same Spirit by which the Law had originally been written.

Chapter 34: On the Chief Wars Accomplished with the Lord’s Help #

¹ In these two books I have briefly laid out, through historical explanation, the wondrous order of the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament—that is, of the Law and the Prophets. If someone of greater insight and sharper mind should discover anything further, I am still willing to become a learner. As for the most important wars that were accomplished only with the Lord’s help, which are recorded in the text of divine Scripture, I have intentionally omitted them here. For although they are indeed worthy of admiration because of the help given from heaven, and although they contain many mysteries when understood figuratively, they leave no uncertainty in the understanding of the actual historical events.

² We know that when Moses prayed, Joshua the son of Nun overcame Amalek; and that the people of Israel killed Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan—men of great stature. Balak, the son of Zippor, king of Midian, along with Balaam, that renowned astrologer, was killed by Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, with his army. And Joshua the son of Nun struck down thirty-one kings of the land of Canaan in many battles. Gideon, the son of Joash, with only three hundred men, killed countless thousands of the Midianites using trumpets and torches. Jephthah the Gileadite freed the people from the power of the Gentiles by the right of war. Samson, that strongest of the Hebrews, tore apart a lion that came against him though he had nothing in his hands; and later he took and ate honey from its mouth and skull. He also captured three hundred foxes and, setting them alight, released them into the Philistines’ grain fields.

³ With a single blow, Samson killed a thousand men using only the jawbone of a donkey. And when the Philistines were surrounding the city where he had spent the night, he seized both doors of the city gate—along with their posts, lintel, bolts, and bars—and carried them all to the top of the mountain facing Beersheba. The entire tribe of Benjamin, except for six hundred men, was destroyed by all the people of Israel after three battles, because of a grievous crime they had committed. Jonathan, the son of Saul, and his armor-bearer struck down the Philistine outpost. David, the son of Jesse, still a young shepherd, snatched prey from the mouths of a lion and a bear, and struck them down. Later, he defeated Goliath the Philistine with a stone from his sling. And afterward, with great patience, he spared Saul—his enemy—on two occasions when he had him at his mercy.

⁴ After becoming king, David defeated the armies of the Philistines in three great battles, making them a tributary nation. In a single encounter, David himself struck down 800 men. Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, lifted his spear against 300 men and killed them. Three of David’s mightiest warriors broke through the Philistine lines to draw water from the cistern in Bethlehem, which was in the midst of the enemy, and brought it to David.

⁵ Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, killed two champions of Moab and also slew a lion in a pit on a snowy day. He also faced an Egyptian warrior who wielded a spear as large as a weaver’s beam; armed only with a staff, Benaiah wrested the spear from him and struck him down.

⁶ David’s forces also clashed with the Philistine army at Gibeon, where the battle was fierce. Beyond these, David waged many wars against the surrounding nations, often achieving victory through the Lord’s help, whether by his own hand or through his army. One notable battle took place in the forest of Ephraim, where David’s forces fought against Israelite rebels. Through this conflict, he restored the kingdom of Samaria in accordance with the covenant.

⁷ There were many shifting battles against the Syrians and the kings of Damascus, with fortunes rising and falling on either side. All these events took place through wondrous help from heaven. Yet, they cannot add anything meaningful to our present work, since they reveal nothing extraordinary in the daily governance of things—being accomplished through the actions of people and even through the ministry and strength of angels.

⁸ Even though the Books of the Maccabees contain accounts of certain marvels that would be appropriate to include in a list of wonders, we will not concern ourselves with those here. For our intent has only been to offer a brief historical reflection—though exceeding our humble abilities—on the marvels found in the Divine Canon.

⁹ Thus, let this present little book come to its conclusion here, so that the third volume, concerning the New Testament, may begin with the Gospel—starting with John and the Lord Himself.