'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎337] (446/496)

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from Jericho, against Ai, and sent 30,000 chosen men of valour a day
in advance to lie in ambush “ against the city, even behind the city, ,,
with the following instructions: “ Go not very far from the city, but be ye
all ready. And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach
unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us,
as at the first, that we will flee before them, (for they will come out af
ter us) till we have drawn them from the city ; for they will say, They
flee before us, as at the first; therefore we will flee before them. Then
ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city : for the Lord
your God will deliver it into yourhand. And it shall be when ye have
taken the city that ye shall set the city on fire, according to the com
mandment of the Lord.”
Joshua, having sent this detachment during the night “ to lie in
ambush” between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai, “ rose up early
the following morning, numbered the people, and marched up to Ai
with all the people of war that were with him, and pitched on the N.
side of Ai. Now there was a valley between them and Ai.” “ And he took
about five thousand men, and sent them to lie in ambush between Bethel
and Ai, on the west side of the city. And when they had set the people,
even all the host that w r as on the north of the city, and their liers in
wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of
the valley. And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they
hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against
Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the
plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him
behind the city. And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten
before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.” “ And there was
not a man left in Ai or Bethel, that went not out after Israel: and they
left the city open, and pursued after Israel. And the Lord said unto
Joshua, stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will
give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had
in his hand toward the city. And the ambush arose quickly out of their
place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand; and they
entered into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fixe.
And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold,
the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to
flee this way or that way; and the people that fled to the wilderness
turned back upon their pursuers. And when Joshua and all Isiael saw
that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city as-