Joshua 10:11
Ver. 11. And it came to pass, as they fled before Israel, [and] were in the going down to Bethhoron,.... The descent of it on that side towards Azekah, and which was also a very narrow passage, of which Josephus {s} makes mention. The Jews say {t}, that the going down of Bethhoron was the place where the army of Sennacherib fell:
that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died; the Septuagint version calls them hailstones; and so they are called in the next clause; and that such sometimes have fallen as to kill men and cattle, is certain from the plague of hail in Egypt, Ex 9:19; and some in very late times {u} have been known to fall, which were from eight, nine, and twelve inches about, some bigger than the eggs of turkeys, and some half a pound weight, See Gill on "Re 16:21"; but these seem to be proper stones, such as did not melt away as hailstones do; though so called, because they fell from heaven, as they do, but remained, and still remain, according to the notion the Jews have of them; for they say {w} whoever sees these great stones, in the going down to Bethhoron, is bound to bless; and frequent mention is made by historians of showers of stones being rained. Livy {x} speaks of such a shower when King Tullus conquered the Sabines; and of another {y}, when Scipio succeeded at Carthage; and Pomponius Mela {z} relates, that when Hercules fought with the sons of Neptune, and darts failed him, he obtained of Jupiter to rains shower of stones, which lay spread in great abundance; and some {a} think it refers to this fact in Joshua's time, who is supposed to be the same with the Tyrian Hercules {b}, from hence also called Saxanus {c}; and in memory of this there are stony camps in various places, called by his name {d}:
[they were] more which died with hailstones than [they] whom the children of Israel slew with the sword; but what was the number of each of them is not said; it was doubtless very great, since there was an utter destruction and consumption of them, Jos 10:20.
{s} De Bello Jud. l. 2. c. 19. sect. 7, 8. {t} Gloss. in T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 54. 2. {u} Vid. Louthorp. Abridg. Philosoph. vol. 2. p. 144, 146. {w} T. Bab. Betacot, fol. 54. 1. {x} L. 1. p. 17. {y} L. 30. c. 30. {z} De Orbis Situ, l. 2. c. 5. {a} Vossius de Origin. Idol. c. 1. sect. 16. {b} See Gale's Court of the Gentiles, l. 2. c. 5. {c} Dickins. Delph. Phoenic. c. 4. p. 42. {d} Sanford de Descens. Christi, l. 1. sect. 20. p. 35.