s by the Greeks called--Petra. Now when
the enemies were discomfited, the Hebrews spoiled their country, and
took a great prey, and destroyed the men that were its inhabitants,
together with the women; only they let the virgins alone, as Moses had
commanded Phineas to do, who indeed came back, bringing with him an army
that had received no harm, and a great deal of prey; fifty-two thousand
beeves, seventy-five thousand six hundred sheep, sixty thousand asses,
with an immense quantity of gold and silver furniture, which the
Midianites made use of in their houses; for they were so wealthy, that
they were very luxurious. There were also led captive about thirty-two
thousand virgins. [14] So Moses parted the prey into parts, and gave one
fiftieth part to Eleazar and the two priests, and another fiftieth part
to the Levites; and distributed the rest of the prey among the people.
After which they lived happily, as having obtained an abundance of good
things by their valor, and there being no misfortune that attended them,
or hindered their enjoyment of that happiness.

2. But Moses was now grown old, and appointed Joshua for his successor,
both to receive directions from God as a prophet, and for a commander
of the army, if they should at any time stand in need of such a one; and
this was done by the command of God, that to him the care of the public
should be committed. Now Joshua had been instructed in all those kinds
of learning which concerned the laws and God himself, and Moses had been
his instructor.

3. At this time it was that the two tribes of Gad and Reuben, and the
half tribe of Manasseh, abounded in a multitude of cattle, as well as in
all other kinds of prosperity; whence they had a meeting, and in a body
came and besought Moses to give them, as their peculiar portion, that
land of the Amorites which they had taken by right of war, because it
was fruitful, and good for feeding of cattle; but Moses, supposing that
they were afraid of fighting with the Canaanites, and invented this
provision for their cattle as a handsome excuse for avoiding that war,
he called them arrant cowards, and said they had only contrived a decent
excuse for that cowardice; and that they had a mind to live in luxury
and ease, while all the rest were laboring with great pains to obtain
the land they were desirous to have; and that they were not willing to
march along, and undergo the remaining hard service, whereby they were,
under the Di