3-78 
clarSvEb $a±vtziJo 
present a particular reason for wishing to establish (he MciP ' 
racy of Josephus In this part of his writings. In the same pa$r* 
sage he makes/allusion to a celebrated milk whiok, both from 
the account given by him of its situation, and more especially 
from the text of sacred scripture,*' seems to have contained 
the identical fountain, of whose pure and delicious water we 
were now drinking. Considered merely in point of interest, 
the narrative is not likely to be surpassed by any circumstance 
of Fagan history, it may be related with reference both to 
the words of Scripture, and to the account given by Josephus. 
David, being'a native of Bethlehem, calls to mind, during the 
sultry days of harvest,! a well near the gate of the town, of 
whose delicious water he had often tasted ; and expresses an 
eamestylesire to assuage his thirst by drinking of that limpid 
spring. “ And David longed, and said, oh that one would 
give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem 3 which 
is hy the gate!” The exclamation is overheard by “throe 
of the mighty men whom David hadby Adino, by 
Eleazar, and by Shammah.t These men, the most mighty 
of all the chiefs belonging to Davids host, sallied forth, 
and, having fought then* way through the Philistine 'gar¬ 
rison 5 at Bethlehem, “drew water from the well, that 
was by the gate,” cm the other side of the town, “ and took 
if, and brought it to David/ 5 Josephus lays the scene of ac¬ 
tion in then valley, [I calling these renowned warriors by the 
nan res of Jessaem, Eleazar, and Sebas :** he further says, that 
•us they returned back, bearing the water through the Philis¬ 
tine-camp, their enemies gazing in wonder at the intrepidity of 
the enterprise, offered them bo molestation.!! Coming into the 
presence of David, they present to him the surprising teslimo- 
SO. stadia; non Spssifc urtfem Bcilileem 'Hierosolyinia abfuisse SO.sfadiorum interval- 
Peccant itaq.ue-.verskmes quae Josepbum ita loquentepi inducunt.” Iieland, 
Rat JUu?t. ?tb. ii. r. 3. 
* 2 Sam. xxiii. 15. 
i Ibid ver. 13. 
$ Ibid, ver 8, 9, 11. 
h And the garrison of the Philistines -was then in Peth-lehem.” Ibid. ver. 14. 
"ijV Id. Joseph. Antiq.' lib. vii. 2 tom, I. p. 402. e, .12. praeced. 
Vid : . Joseph. Antiq. Hb, vii, c. 12. tom. I. p. 401 Without attempting to record 
cjle A.’iino with Jessaem, it may be observed that Sedas was probably Sernas ; the an¬ 
cient Greek b and m being, in BIS. scarcely distinguishable from each other. 
f '0? T^ IJdXaicraves y.ata 7 r\afivTds auiwv to Bpdcror xai rhv fu^uxfav, ri^ptrai, 
xat ppttv W at'Tots.TC?.jin<7at, x. 7. “ Adeo ut Palafestini, eorum audacia animi- 
■qv.e Sortitudine attcaiti, quieveriat, aib%ue In ipsos aiivi fueriot,” etc, Ibid. 
, 403 :-. 
