trees that bear fruit, but spare them, as considering that they
were made for the benefit of men; and that if they could speak, they
would have a just plea against you, because, though they are not
occasions of the war, they are unjustly treated, and suffer in it, and
would, if they were able, remove themselves into another land. When you
have beaten your enemies in battle, slay those that have fought against
you; but preserve the others alive, that they may pay you tribute,
excepting the nation of the Canaanites; for as to that people, you must
entirely destroy them.

43, Take care, especially in your battles, that no woman use the habit
of a man, nor man the garment of a woman.

44. This was the form of political government which was left us by
Moses. Moreover, he had already delivered laws in writing [33] in the
fortieth year [after they came out of Egypt], concerning which we will
discourse in another book. But now on the following days [for he called
them to assemble continually] he delivered blessings to them, and
curses upon those that should not live according to the laws, but should
transgress the duties that were determined for them to observe. After
this, he read to them a poetic song, which was composed in hexameter
verse, and left it to them in the holy book: it contained a prediction
of what was to come to pass afterward; agreeably whereto all things have
happened all along, and do still happen to us; and wherein he has not
at all deviated from the truth. Accordingly, he delivered these books
to the priest, [34] with the ark; into which he also put the ten
commandments, written on two tables. He delivered to them the tabernacle
also, and exhorted the people, that when they had conquered the land,
and were settled in it, they should not forget the injuries of the
Amalekites, but make war against them, and inflict punishment upon them
for what mischief they did them when they were in the wilderness; and
that when they had got possession of the land of the Canaanites, and
when they had destroyed the whole multitude of its inhabitants, as they
ought to do, they should erect an altar that should face the rising sun,
not far from the city of Shechem, between the two mountains, that of
Gerizzim, situate on the right hand, and that called Ebal, on the left;
and that the army should be so divided, that six tribes should stand
upon each of the two mountains, and with them the Levites and the
priests. And that first