Indian that ruled him,"
(ver. 35, etc.)

This strange host marched along the Philistine plain southwards to
Idumea, which is on the south of Hebron: this being the only way for such
an army and its elephants to get at Jerusalem. Thence they swept the
land before them northwards, "and pitched against Bethsura, which they
assaulted many days, making engines of war, but they of the city came out
and fought valiantly," (ver. 31.)

Whereupon Judas desisted from his siege of the citadel--which, I may
remark in passing, must have been on Acra, not like David's citadel taken
from the Jebusites, on Zion--and hastened to attack the royal host,
mighty though it was.

Some have supposed that Bethsura is to be found at Bait Zur, near Hebron,
the Beth Zur of Josh. xv. 33; whereas this place is more than a hundred
furlongs from Jerusalem, being not much more than an hour (north) from
Hebron, and is altogether too far removed to answer the description of
Bethsura, and the operations carried on there, close to the Holy City.

The 5th verse of the 11th chapter of 2 Maccabees sets the whole question
at rest; the words are distinctly, "So he (Lysias) came to Judea and drew
near to Bethsura, which was a strong town, but distant from Jerusalem
_about five furlongs_, and he laid sore siege unto it." Again,
immediately after taking the city of Jerusalem and dedicating the temple,
Judas "fortified Bethsura in order to preserve it," (that is, Mount
Zion,) that the people might have a defence against Idumea, (I Macc. iv.
61.) And the accusation which had been formerly made to the King
Antiochus Epiphanes in Persia against Judas and his men was "that they
had compassed about the sanctuary with high walls as before, and his city
Bethsura;" also to the present king at Antioch, "that the sanctuary also
and Bethsura have they fortified," (chap. vi. 7, 26.) It is clear that
one was an outwork of the other, Bethsura being the defence of Jerusalem
against incursions from the south.

I know not how to doubt that Bait Sahhoor of the valley is the very
place. It lies upon a lofty hill across the valley not far beyond
En-Rogel. This is at present a wretched village, only inhabited for a
few weeks in the year; but the position is naturally one of great
strength. The distance from the city answers precisely the requirements
of the history,--a signal by trumpet, if not the human voice, could be
heard from one garrison to the other. I have ridden r