son of Takelut, the Jewish monarch of the
time, Asa, the grandson of Rehoboam, shook off the Egyptian yoke,
re-established Judaean independence, and fortified himself against attack
by restoring the defences of all those cities which Sheshonk had
dismantled, and "making about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars"
(2 Chron. xiv. 7). At the same time he placed under arms the whole male
population of his kingdom, which is reckoned by the Jewish historian at
580,000 men. The "men of Judah" bore spears and targets, or small round
shields; the "men of Benjamin" had shields of a larger size, and were
armed with the bow (ib. ver. 8). "All these," says the historian, "were
mighty men of valour." It was not to be supposed that Egypt would bear
tamely this defiance, or submit to the entire loss of her Asiatic
dominion, which was necessarily involved in the revolt of Judaea, without
an effort to retain it. Osorkon II., or whoever was king at the time,
rose to the occasion. If it was to be a contest of numbers, Egypt should
show that she was certainly not to be outdone numerically; so more
mercenaries than ever before were taken into pay, and an army was
levied, which is reckoned at "a thousand thousand" (ib. ver. 9),
consisting of Cushites or Ethiopians, and of Lubim (ib. xvi. 8), or
natives of the North African coast-tract, With these was sent a picked
force of three hundred war-chariots, probably Egyptian; and the entire
host was placed under the command of an Ethiopian general, who is called
Zerah. The host set forth from Egypt, confident of victory, and
proceeded as far as Mareshah in Southern Judaea, where they were met by
the undaunted Jewish king. What force he had brought with him is
uncertain, but the number cannot have been very great. Asa had recourse
to prayer, and, in words echoed in later days by the great Maccabee (1
Mac. iii. 18, 19), besought Jehovah to help him against the Egyptian
"multitude." Then the two armies joined battle; and, notwithstanding the
disparity of numbers, Zerah was defeated. "The Ethiopians and the Lubim,
a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen" (2 Chron. xvi. 8)
fled before Judah--they were "overthrown that they could not recover
themselves, and were destroyed before Jehovah and before His host" (ib.
xiv. 13). The Jewish troops pursued them as far as Gerar, smiting them
with a great slaughter, taking their camp? and loading themselves with
spoil. What became of Zerah we are not tol