the antiquities of the jews-1-第132章

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overcame　the　prayers　of　the　Alexandrians　and　Antiochians；　who
were　a　very　powerful　people；　insomuch　that　they　did　not　yield　to
them；　neither　out　of　their　favor　to　these　people；　nor　out　of
their　old　grudge　at　those　whose　wicked　opposition　they　had
subdued　in　the　war；　nor　would　they　alter　any　of　the　ancient
favors　granted　to　the　Jews；　but　said；　that　those　who　had　borne
arms　against　them；　and　fought　them；　had　suffered　punishment
already；　and　that　it　was　not　just　to　deprive　those　that　had　not
offended　of　the　privileges　they　enjoyed。

2。　We　also　know　that　Marcus　Agrippa　was　of　the　like　disposition
towards　the　Jews：　for　when　the　people　of　Ionia　were　very　angry　at
them；　and　besought　Agrippa　that　they；　and　they　only；　might　have
those　privileges　of　citizens　which　Antiochus；　the　grandson　of
Seleucus；　（who　by　the　Greeks　was　called　The　God；）　had　bestowed　on
them；　and　desired　that；　if　the　Jews　were　to　be　joint…partakers
with　them；　they　might　be　obliged　to　worship　the　gods　they
themselves　worshipped：　but　when　these　matters　were　brought　to　the
trial；　the　Jews　prevailed；　and　obtained　leave　to　make　use　of
their　own　customs；　and　this　under　the　patronage　of　Nicolaus　of
Damascus；　for　Agrippa　gave　sentence　that　he　could　not　innovate。
And　if　any　one　hath　a　mind　to　know　this　matter　accurately；　let
him　peruse　the　hundred　and　twenty…third　and　hundred　and
twenty…fourth　books　of　the　history　of　this　Nicolaus。　Now　as　to
this　determination　of　Agrippa；　it　is　not　so　much　to　be　admired；
for　at　that　time　our　nation　had　not　made　war　against　the　Romans。
：But　one　may　well　be　astonished　at　the　generosity　of　Vespasian
and　Titus；　that　after　so　great　wars　and　contests　which　they　had
from　us；　they　should　use　such　moderation。　But　I　will　now　return
to　that　part　of　my　history　whence　I　made　the　present　digression。

3。　Now　it　happened　that　in　the　reign　of　Antiochus　the　Great；　who
ruled　over　all　Asia；　that　the　Jews；　as　well　as　the　inhabitants　of
Celesyria；　suffered　greatly；　and　their　land　was　sorely　harassed；
for　while　he　was　at　war　with　Ptolemy　Philopater；　and　with　his
son；　who　was　called　Epiphanes；　it　fell　out　that　these　nations
were　equally　sufferers；　both　when　he　was　beaten；　and　when　he　beat
the　others：　so　that　they　were　very　like　to　a　ship　in　a　storm；
which　is　tossed　by　the　waves　on　both　sides；　and　just　thus　were
they　in　their　situation　in　the　middle　between　Antiochus's
prosperity　and　its　change　to　adversity。　But　at　length；　when
Antiochus　had　beaten　Ptolemy；　he　seized　upon　Judea；　and　when
Philopater　was　dead；　his　son　sent　out　a　great　army　under　Scopas；
the　general　of　his　forces；　against　the　inhabitants　of　Celesyria；
who　took　many　of　their　cities；　and　in　particular　our　nation；
which　when　he　fell　upon　them；　went　over　to　him。　Yet　was　it　not
long　afterward　when　Antiochus　overcame　Scopas；　in　a　battle　fought
at　the　fountains　of　Jordan；　and　destroyed　a　great　part　of　his
army。　But　afterward；　when　Antiochus　subdued　those　cities　of
Celesyria　which　Scopas　had　gotten　into　his　possession；　and
Samaria　with　them；　the　Jews；　of　their　own　accord；　went　over　to
him；　and　received　him　into　the　city　＇Jerusalem＇；　and　gave
plentiful　provision　to　all　his　army；　and　to　his　elephants；　and
readily　assisted　him　when　he　besieged　the　garrison　which　was　in
the　citadel　of　Jerusalem。　Wherefore　Antiochus　thought　it　but　just
to　requite　the　Jews'　diligence　and　zeal　in　his　service。　So　he
wrote　to　the　generals　of　his　armies；　and　to　his　friends；　and　gave
testimony　to　the　good　behavior　of　the　Jews　towards　him；　and
informed　them　what　rewards　he　had　resolved　to　bestow　on　them　for
that　their　behavior。　I　will　set　down　presently　the　epistles
themselves　which　he　wrote　to　the　generals　concerning　them；　but
will　first　produce　the　testimony　of　Polybius　of　Megalopolis；　for
thus　does　he　speak；　in　the　sixteenth　book　of　his　history：　〃Now
Scopas；　the　general　of　Ptolemy's　army；　went　in　haste　to　the
superior　parts　of　the　country；　and　in　the　winter　time　overthrew
the　nation　of　the　Jews？'　He　also　saith；　in　the　same　book；　that
〃when　Seopas　was　conquered　by　Antiochus；　Antiochus　received
Batanea；　and　Samaria；　and　Abila；　and　Gadara；　and　that；　a　while
afterwards；　there　came　in　to　him　those　Jews　that　inhabited　near
that　temple　which　was　called　Jerusalem；　concerning　which；
although　I　have　more　to　say；　and　particularly　concerning　the
presence　of　God　about　that　temple；　yet　do　I　put　off　that　history
till　another　opportunity。〃　This　it　is　which　Polybius　relates。　But
we　will　return　to　the　series　of　the　history；　when　we　have　first
produced　the　epistles　of　king　Antiochus。

King　Antiochus　To　Ptolemy；　Sendeth　Greeting。

〃Since　the　Jews；　upon　our　first　entrance　on　their　country；
demonstrated　their　friendship　towards　us；　and　when　we　came　to
their　city　＇Jerusalem＇；　received　us　in　a　splendid　manner；　and
came　to　meet　us　with　their　senate；　and　gave　abundance　of
provisions　to　our　soldiers；　and　to　the　elephants；　and　joined　with
us　in　ejecting　the　garrison　of　the　Egyptians　that　were　in　the
citadel；　we　have　thought　fit　to　reward　them；　and　to　retrieve　the
condition　of　their　city；　which　hath　been　greatly　depopulated　by
such　accidents　as　have　befallen　its　inhabitants；　and　to　bring
those　that　have　been　scattered　abroad　back　to　the　city。　And；　in
the　first　place；　we　have　determined；　on　account　of　their　piety
towards　God；　to　bestow　on　them；　as　a　pension；　for　their
sacrifices　of　animals　that　are　fit　for　sacrifice；　for　wine；　and
oil；　and　frankincense；　the　value　of　twenty　thousand　pieces　of
silver；　and　＇six＇　sacred　artabrae　of　fine　flour；　with　one
thousand　four　hundred　and　sixty　medimni　of　wheat；　and　three
hundred　and　seventy…five　medimni　of　salt。　And　these　payments　I
would　have　fully　paid　them；　as　I　have　sent　orders　to　you。　I　would
also　have　the　work　about　the　temple　finished；　and　the　cloisters；
and　if　there　be　any　thing　else　that　ought　to　be　rebuilt。　And　for
the　materials　of　wood；　let　it　be　brought　them　out　of　Judea　itself
and　out　of　the　other　countries；　and　out　of　Libanus　tax　free；　and
the　same　I　would　have　observed　as　to　those　other　materials　which
will　be　necessary；　in　order　to　render　the　temple　more　glorious；
and　let　all　of　that　nation　live　according　to　the　laws　of　their
own　country；　and　let　the　senate；　and　the　priests；　and　the　scribes
of　the　temple；　and　the　sacred　singers；　be　discharged　from
poll…money　and　the　crown　tax　and　other　taxes　also。　And　that　the
city　may　the　sooner　recover　its　inhabitants；　I　grant　a　discharge
from　taxes　for　three　years　to　its　present　inhabitants；　and　to
such　as　shall　come　to　it；　until　the　month　Hyperheretus。　We　also
discharge　them　for　the　future　from　a　third　part　of　their　taxes；
that　the　losses　they　have　sustained　may　be　repaired。　And　all
those　citizens　that　have　been　carried　away；　and　are　become
slaves；　we　grant　them　and　their　children　their　freedom；　and　give
order　that　their　substance　be　restored　to　them。〃

4。　And　these　were　the　contents　of　this　epistle。　He　also　published
a　decree　through　all　his　kingdom　in　honor　of　the　temple；　which
contained　what　follows：　〃It　shall　be　lawful　for　no　foreigner　to
come　within　the　limits　of　the　temple　round　about；　which　thing　is
forbidden　also　to　the　Jews；　unless　to　those　who；　according　to
their　own　custom；　have　purified　themselves。　Nor　let　any　flesh　of
horses；　or　of　mules；　or　of　asses；　he　brought　into　the　city；
whether　they　be　wild　or　tame；　nor　that　of　leopards；　or　foxes；　or
hares；　and；　in　general；　that　of　any　animal　which　is　forbidden　for
the　Jews　to　eat。　Nor　let　their　skins　be　brought　into　it；　nor　let
any　such　animal　be　bred　up　in　the　city。　Let　them　only　be
permitted　to　use　the　sacrifices　derived　from　their　forefathers；
with　which　they　have　been　obliged　to　make　acceptable　atonements
to　God。　And　he　that　transgresseth　any　of　these　orders；　let　him
pay　to　the　priests　three　thousand　drachmae　of　silver。〃　Moreover；
this　Antiochus　bare　testimony　to　our　piety　and　fidelity；　in　an
epistle　of　his；　written　when　he　was　informed　of　a　sedition　in
Phrygia　and　Lydia；　at　which　time　he　was　in　the　superior
provinces；　wherein　he　commanded　Zenxis；　the　general　of　his
forces；　and　his　most　intimate　friend；　to　send　some　of　our　nation
out　of　Babylon　into　Phrygia。　The　epistle　was　this：

King　Antiochus　To　Zeuxis　His　Father；　Sendeth　Greeting。

〃If　you　are　in　health；　it　is　well。　I　also　am　in　health。　Having
been　informed　that　a　sedition　is　arisen　in　Lydia　and　Phrygia；　I
thought　that　matter　required　great　care；　and　upon　advising　with
my　friends　what　was　fit　to　be　done；　it　hath　been　thought　proper
to　remove　two　thousand　families　of　Jews；　with　their　effects；　out
of　Mesopotamia　and　Babylon；　unto　the　castles　and　places　that　lie
most　convenient；　for　I　am　persuaded　that　they　will　be
well…disposed　guardians　of　our　possessions；　because　of　their
piety　towards　God；　and　because　I　know　that　my　predecessors　have
borne　witness　to　them；　that　they　are　faithful；　and　with　alacrity
do　what　they　are　desired　to　do。　I　will；　therefore；　though　it　be　a
laborious　work；　that　thou　remove　these　Jews；　under　a　promise；
that　they　shall　be　permitted　to　use　their　own　laws。　And　when　thou
shalt　have　brought　them　to　the　places　forementioned；　thou　shalt
give　everyone　of　their　families　a　place　for　building　their
houses；　and　a　portion　of　the　land　for　their　husbandry；　and　for
the　plantation　of　their　vines；　and　thou　shalt　discharge　them　from
paying　taxes　of　the　fruits　of　the　earth　for　ten　years；　and　let
them　have　a　proper　quantity　of　wheat　for　the　maintenance　of　their
servants；　until　they　receive　bread　corn　out　of　the　earth；　also
let　a　sufficient　share　be　given　to　such　as　minister　to　them　in
the　necessaries　of　life；　that　by　enjoying　the　effects　of　our
humanity；　they　may　show　themselves　the　more　willing　and　ready
about　our　affairs。　Take　care　likewise　of　that　nation；　as　far　as
thou　art　able；　that　they　may　not　have　any　disturbance　given　them
by　any　one。〃　Now　these　testimonials　which　I　have　produced　are
sufficient　to　declare　the　friendship　that　Antiochus　the　Great
bare　to　the　Jews。

CHAPTER　6。

How　Antiochus　Made　A　League　With　Ptolemy　And　How　Onias　Provoked
Ptolemy　Euergetes　To　Anger；　And　How　Joseph　Brought　All　Things
Right　Again；　And　Entered　Into　Friendship　With　Him；　And　What　Other
Things　Were　Done　By　Joseph；　And　His　Son　Hyrcanus。

1。　After　this　Antiochus　made　a　friendship　and　league　with
Ptolemy；　and　gave　him　his　daughter　Cleopatra　to　wife；　and　yielded
up　to　him　Celesyria；　and　Samaria；　and　Judea；　and　Phoenicia；　by
way　of　dowry。　And　upon　the　division　of　the　taxes　between　the　two
kings；　all　the　principal　men　framed　the　taxes　of　their　several
countries；　and　collecting　the　sum　that　was　settled　for　them；　paid
the　same　to　the　＇two＇　kings。　Now　at　this　time　the　Samaritans　were
in　a　flourishing　condition；　and　much　distressed　the　Jews；　cutting
off　parts　of　their　land；　and　carrying　off　slaves。　This　happened
when　Onias　was　high　priest；　for　after　Eleazar's　death；　his　uncle
Manasseh　took　the　priesthood；　and　after　he　had　ended　his　life；
Onias　received　that　dignity。　He　was　the　son　of　Simon；　who　was
called　The　Just：　which　Simon　was　the　brother　of　Eleazar；　as　I
said　before。　This　Onias　was　one　of　a　little　soul；　and　a　great
lover　of　money；　and　for　that　reason；　because　he　did　not　pay　that
tax　of　twenty　talents　of　silver；　which