the means of the army of Shishak, and when they besought
God to give them victory and deliverance, they could not persuade God
to be on their side. But Shemaiah the prophet told them, that God
threatened to forsake them, as they had themselves forsaken his worship.
When they heard this, they were immediately in a consternation of mind;
and seeing no way of deliverance, they all earnestly set themselves to
confess that God might justly overlook them, since they had been guilty
of impiety towards him, and had let his laws lie in confusion. So when
God saw them in that disposition, and that they acknowledge their sins,
he told the prophet that he would not destroy them, but that he would,
however, make them servants to the Egyptians, that they may learn
whether they will suffer less by serving men or God. So when Shishak
had taken the city without fighting, because Rehoboam was afraid, and
received him into it, yet did not Shishak stand to the covenants he had
made, but he spoiled the temple, and emptied the treasures of God, and
those of the king, and carried off innumerable ten thousands of gold
and silver, and left nothing at all behind him. He also took away the
bucklers of gold, and the shields, which Solomon the king had made; nay,
he did not leave the golden quivers which David had taken from the
king of Zobah, and had dedicated to God; and when he had thus done, he
returned to his own kingdom. Now Herodotus of Halicarnassus mentions
this expedition, having only mistaken the king's name; and [in saying
that] he made war upon many other nations also, and brought Syria of
Palestine into subjection, and took the men that were therein prisoners
without fighting. Now it is manifest that he intended to declare that
our nation was subdued by him; for he saith that he left behind him
pillars in the land of those that delivered themselves up to him without
fighting, and engraved upon them the secret parts of women. Now our king
Rehoboam delivered up our city without fighting. He says withal [27]
that the Ethiopians learned to circumcise their privy parts from the
Egyptians, with this addition, that the Phoenicians and Syrians that
live in Palestine confess that they learned it of the Egyptians. Yet it
is evident that no other of the Syrians that live in Palestine, besides
us alone, are circumcised. But as to such matters, let every one speak
what is agreeable to his own opinion.

4. When Shishak was gone away, king Rehoboam