and took away a great deal of money, and yet neither of
them came at the coffins of the kings themselves, for their bodies were
buried under the earth so artfully, that they did not appear to even
those that entered into their monuments. But so much shall suffice us to
have said concerning these matters.

BOOK VIII. Containing The Interval Of One Hundred And Sixty-Three Years.

From The Death Of David To The Death Of Ahab.

CHAPTER 1. How Solomon, When He Had Received The Kingdom Took Off His
Enemies.

1. We have already treated of David, and his virtue, and of the benefits
he was the author of to his countrymen; of his wars also and battles,
which he managed with success, and then died an old man, in the
foregoing book. And when Solomon his son, who was but a youth in age,
had taken the kingdom, and whom David had declared, while he was alive,
the lord of that people, according to God's will; when he sat upon the
throne, the whole body of the people made joyful acclamations to him,
as is usual at the beginning of a reign; and wished that all his affairs
might come to a blessed conclusion; and that he might arrive at a great
age, and at the most happy state of affairs possible.

2. But Adonijah, who, while his father was living, attempted to gain
possession of the government, came to the king's mother Bathsheba, and
saluted her with great civility; and when she asked him, whether he came
to her as desiring her assistance in any thing or not, and bade him tell
her if that were the case, for that she would cheerfully afford it him;
he began to say, that she knew herself that the kingdom was his, both on
account of his elder age, and of the disposition of the multitude, and
that yet it was transferred to Solomon her son, according to the will of
God. He also said that he was contented to be a servant under him, and
was pleased with the present settlement; but he desired her to be a
means of obtaining a favor from his brother to him, and to persuade
him to bestow on him in marriage Abishag, who had indeed slept by his
father, but, because his father was too old, he did not lie with her,
and she was still a virgin. So Bathsheba promised him to afford him her
assistance very earnestly, and to bring this marriage about, because the
king would be willing to gratify him in such a thing, and because she
would press it to him very earnestly. Accordingly he went away in hopes
of succeeding in this match. So Solomon's mo