ylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped
against it; and they built forts against it round about. So the city
was besieged unto the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

{349}{350}

[Illustration]
GREAT STAIRWAY APPROACHING HEROD'S TEMPLE AT SAMARIA.
Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.

There are only a few ruins left to tell the story of the once proud
city of Samaria. The old temple of Baal is thus described:--

"It was of a size sufficient to contain all the worshipers of Baal
that the northern kingdom could furnish. Four hundred and fifty
prophets frequented it. In the interior was a kind of inner fastness
or adytum, in which were seated or raised on pillars the figures
carved in wood of the Phoenician deities as they were seen, in
vision, centuries later, by Jezebel's fellow-countryman, Hannibal,
in the sanctuary of Gades. In the center was Baal, the Sun-God;
around him were the inferior divinities. In front of the temple,
stood on a stone pillar the figure of Baal alone"

This city, completely destroyed by the Assyrians, was rebuilt by
Pompey. Herod, in pursuance of his commercial policy, which was
based on intercourse with the west, and of his plan of governing the
country with strongholds garrisoned by Gentile soldiers devoted to
his interests, made Samaria a strong fortress.
[End illustration]

{351}

On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was sore in the city,
so that there was no bread for the people of the land. Then a breach
was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way
of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden: and
the king escaped from the city.

But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king, and overtook him in
the plains of Jericho: and all his army was scattered from him. Then
they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to
Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. And they slew the sons of
Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound
him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

Now in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which was the
nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came
Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, an officer of the king of
Babylon, unto Jerusalem: and he burnt the house of the Lord, and the
king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house