Gilead had become detached from David’s domain on the south, while the Ammonites were pressing it on the east, and the Ararnaeans making encroachments upon its pasture-lands on the north.  Nahash, King of the Ammonites, being dead, David, who had received help from him in his struggle with Saul, sent messengers to offer congratulations to his son Hanun on his accession.  Hanun, supposing the messengers to be spies sent to examine the defences of the city, “shaved off one-half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.”  This was the signal for war.  The Ammonites, foreseeing that David would endeavour to take a terrible vengeance for this insult to his people, came to an understanding with their neighbours.  The overthrow of the Amorite chiefs had favoured the expansion of the Aramaeans towards the south.  They had invaded all that region hitherto unconquered by Israel in the valley of the Litany to the east of Jordan, and some half-dozen of their petty states had appropriated among them the greater part of the territories which were described in the sacred record as having belonged previously to Jabin of Hazor and the kings of Bashan.  The strongest of these principalities—­that which occupied the position of Qodshu in the Bekaa, and had Zoba as its capital—­was at this time under the rule of Hadadezer, son of Behob.  This warrior had conquered Damascus, Maacah, and Geshur, was threatening the Canaanite town of Hamath, and was preparing to set out to the Euphrates when the Ammonites sought his help and protection.  He came immediately to their succour.  Joab, who was in command of David’s army, left a portion of his troops at Babbath under his brother Abishai, and with the rest set out against the Syrians.  He overthrew them, and returned immediately afterwards.  The Ammonites, hearing of his victory, disbanded their army; but Joab had suffered such serious losses, that he judged it wise to defer his attack upon them until Zoba should be captured.  David then took the field himself, crossed the Jordan with all his reserves, attacked the Syrians at Helam, put them to flight, killing Shobach, their general, and captured Damascus.  Hadadezer [Hadarezer] “made peace with Israel,” and Tou or Toi, the King of Hamath, whom this victory had delivered, sent presents to David.  This was the work of a single campaign.  The next year Joab invested Kabbath, and when it was about to surrender he called the king to his camp, and conceded to him the honour of receiving the submission of the city in person.  The Ammonites were treated with as much severity as their kinsmen of Moab.  David “put them under saws and harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln."*

* The war with the Aramaeans, described in 2 Sam. viii. 3- 12, is similar to the account of the conflict with the Ammonites in 2 Sam. x.-xii., but with more details.  Both documents are reproduced in 1 Chron. xviii. 3-11, and xix., xx. 1-3.

[Illustration:  353.jpg THE HEBREW KINGDOM]