the wars of the jews-第2部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


m；　was　called　back　to　take　the　government　upon　him；　what　signs　happened　to　him　relating　to　his　gaining　that　government；　and　what　mutations　of　government　then　happened　at　Rome；　and　how　he　was　unwillingly　made　emperor　by　his　soldiers；　and　how；　upon　his　departure　to　Egypt；　to　take　upon　him　the　government　of　the　empire；　the　affairs　of　the　Jews　became　very　tumultuous；　as　also　how　the　tyrants　rose　up　against　them；　and　fell　into　dissensions　among　themselves。

10。　Moreover；　＇I　shall　relate＇　how　Titus　marched　out　of　Egypt　into　Judea　the　second　time；　as　also　how；　and　where；　and　how　many　forces　he　got　together；　and　in　what　state　the　city　was；　by　the　means　of　the　seditious；　at　his　coming；　what　attacks　he　made；　and　how　many　ramparts　he　cast　up；　of　the　three　walls　that　encompassed　the　city；　and　of　their　measures；　of　the　strength　of　the　city；　and　the　structure　of　the　temple　and　holy　house；　and　besides；　the　measures　of　those　edifices；　and　of　the　altar；　and　all　accurately　determined。　A　description　also　of　certain　of　their　festivals；　and　seven　purifications　of　purity；　（5）　and　the　sacred　ministrations　of　the　priests；　with　the　garments　of　the　priests；　and　of　the　high　priests；　and　of　the　nature　of　the　most　holy　place　of　the　temple；　without　concealing　any　thing；　or　adding　any　thing　to　the　known　truth　of　things。

11。　After　this；　I　shall　relate　the　barbarity　of　the　tyrants　towards　the　people　of　their　own　nation；　as　well　as　the　indulgence　of　the　Romans　in　sparing　foreigners；　and　how　often　Titus；　out　of　his　desire　to　preserve　the　city　and　the　temple；　invited　the　seditious　to　come　to　terms　of　accommodation。　I　shall　also　distinguish　the　sufferings　of　the　people；　and　their　calamities；　how　far　they　were　afflicted　by　the　sedition；　and　how　far　by　the　famine；　and　at　length　were　taken。　Nor　shall　I　omit　to　mention　the　misfortunes　of　the　deserters；　nor　the　punishments　inflicted　on　the　captives；　as　also　how　the　temple　was　burnt；　against　the　consent　of　Caesar；　and　how　many　sacred　things　that　had　been　laid　up　in　the　temple　were　snatched　out　of　the　fire；　the　destruction　also　of　the　entire　city；　with　the　signs　and　wonders　that　went　before　it；　and　the　taking　the　tyrants　captives；　and　the　multitude　of　those　that　were　made　slaves；　and　into　what　different　misfortunes　they　were　every　one　distributed。　Moreover；　what　the　Romans　did　to　the　remains　of　the　wall；　and　how　they　demolished　the　strong　holds　that　were　in　the　country；　and　how　Titus　went　over　the　whole　country；　and　settled　its　affairs；　together　with　his　return　into　Italy；　and　his　triumph。＇

12。　I　have　comprehended　all　these　things　in　seven　books；　and　have　left　no　occasion　for　complaint　or　accusation　to　such　as　have　been　acquainted　with　this　war；　and　I　have　written　it　down　for　the　sake　of　those　that　love　truth；　but　not　for　those　that　please　themselves　＇with　fictitious　relations＇。　And　I　will　begin　my　account　of　these　things　with　what　I　call　my　First　Chapter。　

WAR　PREFACE　FOOTNOTES

（1）　I　have　already　observed　more　than　once；　that　this　History　of　the　Jewish　War　was　Josephus's　first　work；　and　published　about　A。D。　75；　when　he　was　but　thirty…eight　years　of　age；　and　that　when　he　wrote　it；　he　was　not　thoroughly　acquainted　with　several　circumstances　of　history　from　the　days　of　Antiochus　Epiphanes；　with　which　it　begins；　till　near　his　own　times；　contained　in　the　first　and　former　part　of　the　second　book；　and　so　committed　many　involuntary　errors　therein。　That　he　published　his　Antiquities　eighteen　years　afterward；　in　the　thirteenth　year　of　Domitian；　A。D。　93；　when　he　was　much　more　completely　acquainted　with　those　ancient　times；　and　after　he　had　perused　those　most　authentic　histories；　the　First　Book　of　Maccabees；　and　the　Chronicles　of　the　Priesthood　of　John　Hyrcanus；　etc。　That　accordingly　he　then　reviewed　those　parts　of　this　work；　and　gave　the　public　a　more　faithful；　complete；　and　accurate　account　of　the　facts　therein　related；　and　honestly　corrected　the　errors　he　bad　before　run　into。

（2）　Who　these　Upper　Barbarians；　remote　from　the　sea；　were；　Josephus　himself　will　inform　us；　sect。　2；　viz。　the　Parthians　and　Babylonians；　and　remotest　Arabians　＇of　the　Jews　among　them＇；　besides　the　Jews　beyond　Euphrates；　and　the　Adiabeni；　or　Assyrians。　Whence　we　also　learn　that　these　Parthians；　Babylonians；　the　remotest　Arabians；　＇or　at　least　the　Jews　among　them；＇　as　also　the　Jews　beyond　Euphrates；　and　the　Adiabeni；　or　Assyrians；　understood　Josephus's　Hebrew；　or　rather　Chaldaic；　books　of　The　Jewish　War；　before　they　were　put　into　the　Greek　language。

（3）　That　these　calamities　of　the　Jews；　who　were　our　Savior's　murderers；　were　to　be　the　greatest　that　had　ever　been　s　nee　the　beginning　of　the　world；　our　Savior　had　directly　foretold；　Matthew　24：21；　Mark　13：19；　Luke　21：23；　24；　and　that　they　proved　to　be　such　accordingly；　Josephus　is　here　a　most　authentic　witness。

（4）　Titus。

（5）　These　seven；　or　rather　five；　degrees　of　purity；　or　purification；　are　enumerated　hereafter；　B。　V。　ch。　5。　sect。　6。　The　Rabbins　make　ten　degrees　of　them；　as　Reland　there　informs　us。

BOOK　I。

Containing　The　Interval　Of　One　Hundred　And　Sixty…Seven　Years。　　From　The　Taking　Of　Jerusalem　By　Antiochus　Epiphanes；　To　The　Death　Of　Herod　The　Great。

CHAPTER　1。

How　The　City　Jerusalem　Was　Taken；　And　The　Temple　Pillaged　＇By　Antiochus　Epiphanes＇。　As　Also　Concerning　The　Actions　Of　The　Maccabees；　Matthias　And　Judas；　And　Concerning　The　Death　Of　Judas。　　1。　At　the　same　time　that　Antiochus；　who　was　called　Epiphanes；　had　a　quarrel　with　the　sixth　Ptolemy　about　his　right　to　the　whole　country　of　Syria；　a　great　sedition　fell　among　the　men　of　power　in　Judea；　and　they　had　a　contention　about　obtaining　the　government；　while　each　of　those　that　were　of　dignity　could　not　endure　to　be　subject　to　their　equals。　However；　Onias；　one　of　the　high　priests；　got　the　better；　and　cast　the　sons　of　Tobias　out　of　the　city；　who　fled　to　Antiochus；　and　besought　him　to　make　use　of　them　for　his　leaders；　and　to　make　an　expedition　into　Judea。　The　king　being　thereto　disposed　beforehand；　complied　with　them；　and　came　upon　the　Jews　with　a　great　army；　and　took　their　city　by　force；　and　slew　a　great　multitude　of　those　that　favored　Ptolemy；　and　sent　out　his　soldiers　to　plunder　them　without　mercy。　He　also　spoiled　the　temple；　and　put　a　stop　to　the　constant　practice　of　offering　a　daily　sacrifice　of　expiation　for　three　years　and　six　months。　But　Onias；　the　high　priest；　fled　to　Ptolemy；　and　received　a　place　from　him　in　the　Nomus　of　Heliopolis；　where　he　built　a　city　resembling　Jerusalem；　and　a　temple　that　was　like　its　temple　（1）　concerning　which　we　shall　speak　more　in　its　proper　place　hereafter。

2。　Now　Antiochus　was　not　satisfied　either　with　his　unexpected　taking　the　city；　or　with　its　pillage；　or　with　the　great　slaughter　he　had　made　there；　but　being　overcome　with　his　violent　passions；　and　remembering　what　he　had　suffered　during　the　siege；　he　compelled　the　Jews　to　dissolve　the　laws　of　their　country；　and　to　keep　their　infants　uncircumcised；　and　to　sacrifice　swine's　flesh　upon　the　altar；　against　which　they　all　opposed　themselves；　and　the　most　approved　among　them　were　put　to　death。　Bacchides　also；　who　was　sent　to　keep　the　fortresses；　having　these　wicked　commands；　joined　to　his　own　natural　barbarity；　indulged　all　sorts　of　the　extremest　wickedness；　and　tormented　the　worthiest　of　the　inhabitants；　man　by　man；　and　threatened　their　city　every　day　with　open　destruction；　till　at　length　he　provoked　the　poor　sufferers　by　the　extremity　of　his　wicked　doings　to　avenge　themselves。　　3。　Accordingly　Matthias；　the　son　of　Asamoneus；　one　of　the　priests　who　lived　in　a　village　called　Modin；　armed　himself；　together　with　his　own　family；　which　had　five　sons　of　his　in　it；　and　slew　Bacchides　with　daggers；　and　thereupon；　out　of　the　fear　of　the　many　garrisons　＇of　the　enemy＇；　he　fled　to　the　mountains；　and　so　many　of　the　people　followed　him；　that　he　was　encouraged　to　come　down　from　the　mountains；　and　to　give　battle　to　Antiochus's　generals；　when　he　beat　them；　and　drove　them　out　of　Judea。　So　he　came　to　the　government　by　this　his　success；　and　became　the　prince　of　his　own　people　by　their　own　free　consent；　and　then　died；　leaving　the　government　to　Judas；　his　eldest　son。

4。　Now　Judas；　supposing　that　Antiochus　would　not　lie　still；　gathered　an　army　out　of　his　own　countrymen；　and　was　the　first　that　made　a　league　of　friendship　with　the　Romans；　and　drove　Epiphanes　out　of　the　country　when　he　had　made　a　second　expedition　into　it；　and　this　by　giving　him　a　great　defeat　there；　and　when　he　was　warmed　by　this　great　success；　he　made　an　assault　upon　the　garrison　that　was　in　the　city；　for　it　had　not　been　cut　off　hitherto；　so　he　ejected　them　out　of　the　upper　city；　and　drove　the　soldiers　into　the　lower；　which　part　of　the　city　was　called　the　Citadel。　He　then　got　the　temple　under　his　power；　and　cleansed　the　whole　place；　and　walled　it　round　about；　and　made　new　vessels　for　sacred　ministrations；　and　brought　them　into　the　temple；　because　the　former　vessels　had　been　profaned。　He　also　built　another　altar；　and　began　to　offer　the　sacrifices；　and　when　the　city　had　already　received　its　sacred　constitution　again；　Antiochus　died；　whose　son　Antiochus　succeeded　him　in　the　kingdom；　and　in　his　hatred　to　the　Jews　also。

5。　So　this　Antiochus　got　together　fifty　thousand　footmen；　and　five　thousand　horsemen；　and　fourscore　elephants；　and　marched　through　Judea　into　the　mountainous　parts。　He　then　took　Bethsura；　which　was　a　small　city；　but　at　a　place　called　Bethzacharis；　where　the　passage　was　narrow；　Judas　met　him　with　his　army。　However；　before　the　forces　joined　battle；　Judas's　brother　Eleazar；　seeing　the　very　highest　of　the　elephants　adorned　with　a　large　tower；　and　with　military　trappings　of　gold　to　guard　him；　and　supposing　that　Antiochus　himself　was　upon　him；　he　ran　a　great　way　before　his　own　army；　and　cutting　his　way　through　the　enemy's　troops；　he　got　up　to　the　elephant；　yet　could　he　not　reach　him　who　seemed　to　be　the　king；　by　reason　of　his　being　so　high；　but　still　he　ran　his　weapon　into　the　belly　of　the　beast；　and　brought　him　down　upon　himself；　and　was　crushed　to　death；　having　done　no　more　than　attempted　great　things；　and　showed　that　he　preferred　glory　before　life。　Now　he　that　governed　the　elephant　was　but　a　private　man；　and　had　he　proved　to　be　Antiochus；　Eleazar　had　performed　nothing　more　by　this　bold　stroke　than　t