the antiquities of the jews-1-第116章

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that　when　they　should　hear　the　sound　of　the　trumpet；　they　should
then　fall　down　and　worship　the　image；　and　he　threatened；　that
those　who　did　not　so；　should　be　cast　into　a　fiery　furnace。　When
therefore　all　the　rest；　upon　the　hearing　of　the　sound　of　the
trumpet；　worshipped　the　image；　they　relate　that　Daniel's　kinsmen
did　not　do　it；　because　they　would　not　transgress　the　laws　of
their　country。　So　these　men　were　convicted；　and　cast　immediately
into　the　fire；　but　were　saved　by　Divine　Providence；　and　after　a
surprising　manner　escaped　death；　for　the　fire　did　not　touch　them；
and　I　suppose　that　it　touched　them　not；　as　if　it　reasoned　with
itself；　that　they　were　cast　into　it　without　any　fault　of　theirs；
and　that　therefore　it　was　too　weak　to　burn　the　young　men　when
they　were　in　it。　This　was　done　by　the　power　of　God；　who　made
their　bodies　so　far　superior　to　the　fire；　that　it　could　not
consume　them。　This　it　was　which　recommended　them　to　the　king　as
righteous　men；　and　men　beloved　of　God；　on　which　account　they
continued　in　great　esteem　with　him。

6。　A　little　after　this　the　king　saw　in　his　sleep　again　another
vision；　how　he　should　fall　from　his　dominion；　and　feed　among　the
wild　beasts；　and　that　when　he　halt　lived　in　this　manner　in　the
desert　for　seven　years；　（19）　he　should　recover　his　dominion
again。　When　he　had　seen　this　dream；　he　called　the　magicians
together　again；　and　inquired　of　them　about　it；　and　desired　them
to　tell　him　what　it　signified；　but　when　none　of　them　could　find
out　the　meaning　of　the　dream；　nor　discover　it　to　the　king；　Daniel
was　the　only　person　that　explained　it；　and　as　he　foretold；　so　it
came　to　pass；　for　after　he　had　continued　in　the　wilderness　the
forementioned　interval　of　time；　while　no　one　durst　attempt　to
seize　his　kingdom　during　those　seven　years；　he　prayed　to　God　that
he　might　recover　his　kingdom；　and　he　returned　to　it。　But　let　no
one　blame　me　for　writing　down　every　thing　of　this　nature；　as　I
find　it　in　our　ancient　books；　for　as　to　that　matter；　I　have
plainly　assured　those　that　think　me　defective　in　any　such　point；
or　complain　of　my　management；　and　have　told　them　in　the　beginning
of　this　history；　that　I　intended　to　do　no　more　than　translate　the
Hebrew　books　into　the　Greek　language；　and　promised　them　to
explain　those　facts；　without　adding　any　thing　to　them　of　my　own；
or　taking　any　thing　away　from　there。

CHAPTER　11。

Concerning　Nebuchadnezzar　And　His　Successors　And　How　Their
Government　Was　Dissolved　By　The　Persians；　And　What　Things　Befell
DanieL　In　Media；　And　What　PropHecies　He　Delivered　There。

1。　Now　when　king　Nebuchadnezzar　had　reigned　forty…three　years；
（20）　he　ended　his　life。　He　was　an　active　man；　and　more　fortunate
than　the　kings　that　were　before　him。　Now　Berosus　makes　mention　of
his　actions　in　the　third　book　of　his　Chaldaic　History；　where　he
says　thus：　〃When　his　father　Nebuchodonosor　＇Nabopollassar＇　heard
that　the　governor　whom　he　had　set　over　Egypt；　and　the　places
about　Coelesyria　and　Phoenicia；　had　revolted　from　him；　while　he
was　not　himself　able　any　longer　to　undergo　the　hardships　＇of
war＇；　he　committed　to　his　son　Nebuchadnezzar；　who　was　still　but　a
youth；　some　parts　of　his　army；　and　sent　them　against　him。　So　when
Nebuchadnezzar　had　given　battle；　and　fought　with　the　rebel；　he
beat　him；　and　reduced　the　country　from　under　his　subjection；　and
made　it　a　branch　of　his　own　kingdom；　but　about　that　time　it
happened　that　his　father　Nebuchodonosor　＇Nabopollassar＇　fell　ill；
and　ended　his　life　in　the　city　Babylon；　when　he　had　reigned
twenty…one　years；　（21）　and　when　he　was　made　sensible；　as　he　was
in　a　little　time；　that　his　father　Nebuchodonosor　＇Nabopollassar＇
was　dead；　and　having　settled　the　affairs　of　Egypt；　and　the　other
countries；　as　also　those　that　concerned　the　captive　Jews；　and
Phoenicians；　and　Syrians；　and　those　of　the　Egyptian　nations；　and
having　committed　the　conveyance　of　them　to　Babylon　to　certain　of
his　friends；　together　with　the　gross　of　his　army；　and　the　rest　of
their　ammunition　and　provisions；　he　went　himself　hastily；
accompanied　with　a　few　others；　over　the　desert；　and　came　to
Babylon。　So　he　took　upon　him　the　management　of　public　affairs；
and　of　the　kingdom　which　had　been　kept　for　him　by　one　that　was
the　principal　of　the　Chaldeans；　and　he　received　the　entire
dominions　of　his　father；　and　appointed；　that　when　the　captives
came；　they　should　be　placed　as　colonies；　in　the　most　proper
places　of　Babylonia；　but　then　he　adorned　the　temple　of　Belus；　and
the　rest　of　the　temples；　in　a　magnificent　manner；　with　the　spoils
he　had　taken　in　the　war。　He　also　added　another　city　to　that　which
was　there　of　old；　and　rebuilt　it；　that　such　as　would　besiege　it
hereafter　might　no　more　turn　the　course　of　the　river；　and　thereby
attack　the　city　itself。　He　therefore　built　three　walls　round
about　the　inner　city；　and　three　others　about　that　which　was　the
outer；　and　this　he　did　with　burnt　brick。　And　after　he　had；　after
a　becoming　manner；　walled　the　city；　and　adorned　its　gates
gloriously；　he　built　another　palace　before　his　father's　palace；
but　so　that　they　joined　to　it；　to　describe　whose　vast　height　and
immense　riches　it　would　perhaps　be　too　much　for　me　to　attempt；
yet　as　large　and　lofty　as　they　were；　they　were　completed　in
fifteen　days。　（22）　He　also　erected　elevated　places　for　walking；
of　stone；　and　made　it　resemble　mountains；　and　built　it　so　that　it
might　be　planted　with　all　sorts　of　trees。　He　also　erected　what
was　called　a　pensile　paradise；　because　his　wife　was　desirous　to
have　things　like　her　own　country；　she　having　been　bred　up　in　the
palaces　of　Media。〃　Megasthenes　also；　in　his　fourth　book　of　his
Accounts　of　India；　makes　mention。　of　these　things；　and　thereby
endeavors　to　show　that　this　king　＇Nebuchadnezzar＇　exceeded
Hercules　in　fortitude；　and　in　the　greatness　of　his　actions；　for
he　saith　that　he　conquered　a　great　part　of　Libya　and　Iberia。
Diocles　also；　in　the　second　book　of　his　Accounts　of　Persia；
mentions　this　king；　as　does　Philostrates　in　his　Accounts　both　of
India　and　of　Phoenicia；　say；　that　this　king　besieged　Tyre
thirteen　years；　while　at　the　same　time　Ethbaal　reigned　at　Tyre。
These　are　all　the　histories　that　I　have　met　with　concerning　this
king。

2。　But　now；　after　the　death　of　Nebuchadnezzar；　Evil…Merodach　his
son　succeeded　in　the　kingdom；　who　immediately　set　Jeconiah　at
liberty；　and　esteemed　him　among　his　most　intimate　friends。　He
also　gave　him　many　presents；　and　made　him　honorable　above　the
rest　of　the　kings　that　were　in　Babylon；　for　his　father　had　not
kept　his　faith　with　Jeconiah；　when　he　voluntarily　delivered　up
himself　to　him；　with　his　wives　and　children；　and　his　whole
kindred；　for　the　sake　of　his　country；　that　it　might　not　be　taken
by　siege；　and　utterly　destroyed；　as　we　said　before。　When
Evil…Mcrodach　was　dead；　after　a　reign　of　eighteen　years；
Niglissar　his　son　took　the　government；　and　retained　it　forty
years；　and　then　ended　his　life；　and　after　him　the　succession　in
the　kingdom　came　to　his　son　Labosordacus；　who　continued　in　it　in
all　but　nine　months；　and　when　he　was　dead；　it　came　to　Baltasar；
（23）　who　by　the　Babylonians　was　called　Naboandelus；　against　him
did　Cyrus；　the　king　of　Persia；　and　Darius；　the　king　of　Media；
make　war；　and　when　he　was　besieged　in　Babylon；　there　happened　a
wonderful　and　prodigious　vision。　He　was　sat　down　at　supper　in　a
large　room；　and　there　were　a　great　many　vessels　of　silver；　such
as　were　made　for　royal　entertainments；　and　he　had　with　him　his
concubines　and　his　friends；　whereupon　he　came　to　a　resolution；
and　commanded　that　those　vessels　of　God　which　Nebuchadnezzar　had
plundered　out　of　Jerusalem；　and　had　not　made　use　of；　but　had　put
them　into　his　own　temple；　should　be　brought　out　of　that　temple。
He　also　grew　so　haughty　as　to　proceed　to　use　them　in　the　midst　of
his　cups；　drinking　out　of　them；　and　blaspheming　against　God。　In
the　mean　time；　he　saw　a　hand　proceed　out　of　the　wall；　and　writing
upon　the　wall　certain　syllables；　at　which　sight；　being　disturbed；
he　called　the　magicians　and　Chaldeans　together；　and　all　that　sort
of　men　that　are　among　these　barbarians；　and　were　able　to
interpret　signs　and　dreams；　that　they　might　explain　the　writing
to　him。　But　when　the　magicians　said　they　could　discover　nothing；
nor　did　understand　it；　the　king　was　in　great　disorder　of　mind；
and　under　great　trouble　at　this　surprising　accident；　so　he　caused
it　to　be　proclaimed　through　all　the　country；　and　promised；　that
to　him　who　could　explain　the　writing；　and　give　the　signification
couched　therein；　he　would　give　him　a　golden　chain　for　his　neck；
and　leave　to　wear　a　purple　garment；　as　did　the　kings　of　Chaldea；
and　would　bestow　on　him　the　third　part　of　his　own　dominions。　When
this　proclamation　was　made；　the　magicians　ran　together　more
earnestly；　and　were　very　ambitious　to　find　out　the　importance　of
the　writing；　but　still　hesitated　about　it　as　much　as　before。　Now
when　the　king's　grandmother　saw　him　cast　down　at　this　accident；
（24）　she　began　to　encourage　him；　and　to　say；　that　there　was　a
certain　captive　who　came　from　Judea；　a　Jew　by　birth；　but　brought
away　thence　by　Nebuchadnezzar　when　he　had　destroyed　Jerusalem；
whose　name　was　Daniel；　a　wise　man；　and　one　of　great　sagacity　in
finding　out　what　was　impossible　for　others　to　discover；　and　what
was　known　to　God　alone；　who　brought　to　light　and　answered　such
questions　to　Nebuchadnezzar　as　no　one　else　was　able　to　answer
when　they　were　consulted。　She　therefore　desired　that　he　would
send　for　him；　and　inquire　of　him　concerning　the　writing；　and　to
condemn　the　unskilfulness　of　those　that　could　not　find　their
meaning；　and　this；　although　what　God　signified　thereby　should　be
of　a　melancholy　nature。

3。　When　Baltasar　heard　this；　he　called　for　Daniel；　and　when　he
had　discoursed　to　him　what　he　had　learned　concerning　him　and　his
wisdom；　and　how　a　Divine　Spirit　was　with　him；　and　that　he　alone
was　fully　capable　of　finding　out　what　others　would　never　have
thought　of；　he　desired　him　to　declare　to　him　what　this　writing
meant；　that　if　he　did　so；　he　would　give　him　leave　to　wear　purple；
and　to　put　a　chain　of　gold　about　his　neck；　and　would　bestow　on
him　the　third　part　of　his　dominion；　as　an　honorary　reward　for　his
wisdom；　that　thereby　he　might　become　illustrious　to　those　who　saw
him；　and　who　inquired　upon　what　occasion　he　obtained　such　honors。
But　Daniel　desired　that　he　would　keep　his　gifts　to　himself；　for
what　is　the　effect　of　wisdom　and　of　Divine　revelation　admits　of
no　gifts；　and　bestows　its　advantages　on　petitioners　freely；　but
that　still　he　would　explain　the　writing　to　him；　which　denoted
that　he　should　soon　die；　and　this　because　he　had　not　learnt　to
honor　God；　and　not　to　admit　things　above　human　nature；　by　what
punishments　his　progenitor　had　undergone　for　the　injuries　he　had
offered　to　God；　and　because　he　had　quite　forgotten　how
Nebuchadnezzar　was　removed　to　feed　among　wild　beasts　for　his
impieties；　and　did　not　recover　his　former　life　among　men　and　his
kingdom；　but　upon　God's　mercy　to　him；　after　many　supplications
and　prayers；　who　did　thereupon　praise　God　all　the　days　of　his
life；　as　one　of　almighty　power；　and　who　takes　care　of　mankind。
＇He　also　put　him　in　mind＇　how　he　had　greatly　blasphemed　against
God；　and　had　made　use　of　his　vessels　amongst　his