heir petty states had
appropriated among them the greater part of the territories which were
described in the sacred record as having belonged previously to Jabin
of Hazor and the kings of Bashan. The strongest of these
principalities--that which occupied the position of Qodshu in the
Bekaa, and had Zoba as its capital--was at this time under the rule of
Hadadezer, son of Behob. This warrior had conquered Damascus, Maacah,
and Geshur, was threatening the Canaanite town of Hamath, and was
preparing to set out to the Euphrates when the Ammonites sought his help
and protection. He came immediately to their succour. Joab, who was in
command of David's army, left a portion of his troops at Babbath under
his brother Abishai, and with the rest set out against the Syrians.
He overthrew them, and returned immediately afterwards. The Ammonites,
hearing of his victory, disbanded their army; but Joab had suffered such
serious losses, that he judged it wise to defer his attack upon them
until Zoba should be captured. David then took the field himself,
crossed the Jordan with all his reserves, attacked the Syrians at
Helam, put them to flight, killing Shobach, their general, and captured
Damascus. Hadadezer [Hadarezer] "made peace with Israel," and Tou or
Toi, the King of Hamath, whom this victory had delivered, sent presents
to David. This was the work of a single campaign. The next year Joab
invested Kabbath, and when it was about to surrender he called the king
to his camp, and conceded to him the honour of receiving the submission
of the city in person. The Ammonites were treated with as much severity
as their kinsmen of Moab. David "put them under saws and harrows
of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the
brick-kiln."*

* The war with the Aramaeans, described in 2 Sam. viii. 3-
12, is similar to the account of the conflict with the
Ammonites in 2 Sam. x.-xii., but with more details. Both
documents are reproduced in 1 Chron. xviii. 3-11, and xix.,
xx. 1-3.

[Illustration: 353.jpg THE HEBREW KINGDOM]

This success brought others in its train. The Idumaeans had taken
advantage of the employment of the Israelite army against the Aramaeans
to make raids into Judah. Joab and Abishai, despatched in haste to check
them, met them in the Valley of Salt to the south of the Dead Sea, and
gave them battle: their king perished in the fight, and his son Hadad
with some of his followers took fl