Itinerarium totius Sacræ Scripturæ. Or, the trauels of the holy patriarchs, prophets, iudges, kings, our sauiour Christ, and his Apostles, as they are related in the Old and New Testaments. With a description of the townes and places to which they trauelled, and how many English miles they stood from Ierusalem. Also a short treatise of the weights, monies, and measures mentioned in the Scriptures, reduced to our English valuations, quantitie, and weight. Collected out of the workes of Henry Bunting, and done into English by R.B.

The Trauels of Ezekias King of Iuda.

Ezekias (which signifies, The Champion of Iehouah) was borne when his father was but thirteene yeares of age, which made many questions whether he should succeed him as his lawfull heire in his Kingdome, because they doubted whether he was lawfully begotten. For if you doe obserue the order and course of the yeares and chronologie in the Scripture, you shall finde that from the beginning of the thirteenth yeare of the age of Ahaz, to the first yeare of the raigne of this King Ezekias, make just twenty fiue yeres. Ezekias therefore began to raigne af∣ter the death of his father Ahaz, about the end of the third yeare of Hosea King of Israel, 2 Reg. 19. Anno mun. 3222, before Christ, 746, being then about 25 yeres of age, a little before Easter, as it appeareth, 2 Chron. 29. He gouerned that Kingdome with great commendations 29 yeares. The first journey that he tooke was from Ierusalem to Gaza, which was 44 miles, there he ouercame the Army of the Philistines, and recouered all those cities which

his father Ahaz had lost, according to that in the Prophet Esay, cap. 15. 2 Reg. 18.

From Gaza hee returned to Ierusalem, which was 44 miles; there he broke downe the places for idolatry, and the brasen Ser∣pent made by Moses in the wildernesse, and called it Nehustan, a brasen thing that hath nothing in it selfe of a diuine nature, and could neither profit nor hurt, therefore ought not to be worship∣ped. This brasen serpent was kept in memory of that signe that God shewed vnto the children of Israel in the desart, when they were bitten and stung to death by fiery serpents, for looking vpon this brasen serpent they were healed. But now because of the a∣buse thereof by the Iewes, which turned it into idolatry, it was broken to pieces. Num. 21. 2 Reg. 18. So all the trauels of Ezechias were 88 miles.

In the 14 yeare of the raigne of Ezekias, and in the 38 of his age, Senacharib (that mighty Emperour of the Assirians) hauing taken many townes and cities in the Holy land, would haue also besieged Ierusalem, and for that purpose sent from Lachis (which was 20 miles distant from Ierusalem) Thartan, Rabsarim, and Rab∣sacha, three mighty Princes, Embassadors, with a great traine to attend them. These men went about the citie, to see in what part it was most subject to batterie, and might easiest begot: so when they came to the conduit of the vpper poole, which is by the path of the Fullers field, between the Fish gate and the old gate, in that place where they might easiliest be heard, they called to the King: but Eliakim the sonne of Hilkiah (which was Hezekias Steward) Shebnah the Chancellor, and Ioab the sonne of Asaph, the Recorder, went vpon the wall: then Rabsacha vttered blasphe∣mous words against the Lord: but Ezekias when hee had heard what the enemie had said, called all the Elders of Ierusalem to∣gether, and sent for Isaiah the sonne of Amos the Prophet, and they went into the temple of the Lord and praied. Wherefore the Lord heard their prayers, and sent his Angel into the Campe of the Assirians, and loe, in one night there were slaine 185000 men as they lay in their tents before Gibeah (which at this time they besieged) being distant from Ierusalem some ten miles to∣wards the Southwest. This great deliuerance hapned in the yeare

of the world 3235, and before Christ, 733. About the end of the 38 yeare of the age of Ezekiah, he fell into a dangerous disease, which so farre forth as could be gathered by all likelihoods was the plague; (for God doth oftentimes try the patience of his Saints with sundry afflictions) but yet at his feruent prayers hee was restored to health, and his daies were lengthned 15 yeares: at which time the Sunne went backe ten degrees, according to the variation of the shadow in the Dyall of Ierusalem, 2 Reg. 20. Isa. 38. 2 Chron. 32. But at the end of the 15 yeares, which was a∣bout the 54 yeare of his age, he died, and was buried with his fa∣thers.