but the people conducted those tribes on their
journey, and that not without tears in their eyes; and indeed they
hardly knew how to part one from the other.

26. Now when the tribe of Reuben, and that of Gad, and as many of the
Manassites as followed them, were passed over the river, they built an
altar on the banks of Jordan, as a monument to posterity, and a sign of
their relation to those that should inhabit on the other side. But when
those on the other side heard that those who had been dismissed had
built an altar, but did not hear with what intention they built it,
but supposed it to be by way of innovation, and for the introduction of
strange gods, they did not incline to disbelieve it; but thinking this
defamatory report, as if it were built for divine worship, was credible,
they appeared in arms, as though they would avenge themselves on those
that built the altar; and they were about to pass over the river, and to
punish them for their subversion of the laws of their country; for they
did not think it fit to regard them on account of their kindred or the
dignity of those that had given the occasion, but to regard the will of
God, and the manner wherein he desired to be worshipped; so these
men put themselves in array for war. But Joshua, and Eleazar the high
priest, and the senate, restrained them; and persuaded them first to
make trial by words of their intention, and afterwards, if they found
that their intention was evil, then only to proceed to make war upon
them. Accordingly, they sent as ambassadors to them Phineas the son of
Eleazar, and ten more persons that were in esteem among the Hebrews, to
learn of them what was in their mind, when, upon passing over the river,
they had built an altar upon its banks. And as soon as these ambassadors
were passed over, and were come to them, and a congregation was
assembled, Phineas stood up and said, That the offense they had been
guilty of was of too heinous a nature to be punished by words alone, or
by them only to be amended for the future; yet that they did not so look
at the heinousness of their transgression as to have recourse to arms,
and to a battle for their punishment immediately, but that, on account
of their kindred, and the probability there was that they might be
reclaimed, they took this method of sending an ambassage to them: "That
when we have learned the true reasons by which you have been moved
to build this altar, we may neither seem to have