Joshua 10:11

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, Exodus 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,

Revelation 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, Joshua 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.