Page:Essays ethnological and linguistic.djvu/198

186 Even before the Babylonian captivity, we learn from the book of Judith, that considerable numbers of those taken away by the Assyrians had returned to their own land, (ch. iv. v. 3); and it is but reasonable to suppose that all the captives would be glad to seize every opportunity of escaping from bondage and return to their kindred. As captives in a foreign land, their condition must have been very deplorable. They who "sat down by the waters of Babylon and wept," suffered only the same lot of bitterness to which their brethren at Nineveh had been subjected; and how grievous this was we have abundant evidences in the denunciations of the prophets to show us. When, therefore, under Cyrus and his successors, the Israelites all received not only permission, but encouragement and rewards even, to return, we may be assured that all the survivors would hasten to avail themselves of a boon extended to them with such extraordinary liberality. The "prisoners of hope," as the prophet Zechariah termed the captives, who had been promised for themselves and their children that "the Assyrian should be beaten down," that he should "fall with the sword," and they "should come who were ready to perish in the land of Assyria," could not fail to see in the downfall of their oppressors, and this monarch's liberality towards them, the fulfilment of the promised mercies. They could not fail to see then prepared the promised "highway for the remnant of the people which should be left from Assyria," "when the ransomed of the Lord should return and come to Zion with songs," and "the children of Israel be gathered one by one." (Isaiah xxxvii. v. 12.) This promise of restoration was not made to the captives of Judah, for Isaiah lived 140 years before the Babylonian captivity; and even after this event the promises of restoration were addressed by Jeremiah to "all the families of the house of Israel" conjointly. When therefore the promises were fulfilled with regard to Judah, it cannot be supposed that another fate and a longer captivity was reserved for the others.

The people carried away captive, both of Judah and Israel, were, as we have contended, only the principal personages of the land, who had led the people generally into idolatry, and into adopting the sinful practices of the heathen. These were then punished for their idolatry and sins, and were probably cut off in the course of the war or the subsequent captivity, until at length only the remnant was left, to whom the Almighty was pleased to show mercy and grant restoration to the land of their fathers. "Israel is a scattered sheep; first the King of Assyria hath devoured him, and last