the antiquities of the jews-1-第135章

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Arabians；　and　slew　many　of　them；　and　took　many　of　them　captives。
He　also　erected　a　strong　castle；　and　built　it　entirely　of　white
stone　to　the　very　roof；　and　had　animals　of　a　prodigious　magnitude
engraven　upon　it。　He　also　drew　round　it　a　great　and　deep　canal　of
water。　He　also　made　caves　of　many　furlongs　in　length；　by
hollowing　a　rock　that　was　over　against　him；　and　then　he　made
large　rooms　in　it；　some　for　feasting；　and　some　for　sleeping　and
living　in。　He　introduced　also　a　vast　quantity　of　waters　which　ran
along　it；　and　which　were　very　delightful　and　ornamental　in　the
court。　But　still　he　made　the　entrances　at　the　mouth　of　the　caves
so　narrow；　that　no　more　than　one　person　could　enter　by　them　at
once。　And　the　reason　why　he　built　them　after　that　manner　was　a
good　one；　it　was　for　his　own　preservation；　lest　he　should　be
besieged　by　his　brethren；　and　run　the　hazard　of　being　caught　by
them。　Moreover；　he　built　courts　of　greater　magnitude　than
ordinary；　which　he　adorned　with　vastly　large　gardens。　And　when　he
had　brought　the　place　to　this　state；　he　named　it　Tyre。　This　place
is　between　Arabia　and　Judea；　beyond　Jordan；　not　far　from　the
country　of　Heshbon。　And　he　ruled　over　those　parts　for　seven
years；　even　all　the　time　that　Seleucus　was　king　of　Syria。　But
when　he　was　dead；　his　brother　Antiochus；　who　was　called
Epiphanes；　took　the　kingdom。　Ptolemy　also；　the　king　of　Egypt；
died；　who　was　besides　called　Epiphanes。　He　left　two　sons；　and
both　young　in　age；　the　elder　of　which　was　called　Philometer；　and
the　youngest　Physcon。　As　for　Hyrcanus；　when　he　saw　that　Antiochus
had　a　great　army；　and　feared　lest　he　should　be　caught　by　him；　and
brought　to　punishment　for　what　he　had　done　to　the　Arabians；　he
ended　his　life；　and　slew　himself　with　his　own　hand；　while
Antiochus　seized　upon　all　his　substance。

CHAPTER　5。

How；　Upon　The　Quarrels　One　Against　Another　About　The　High
Priesthood　Antiochus　Made　An　Expedition　Against　Jerusalem；　Took
The　City　And　Pillaged　The　Temples。　And　Distressed　The　Jews'　As
Also　How　Many　Of　The　Jews　Forsook　The　Laws　Of　Their　Country；　And
How　The　Samaritans　Followed　The　Customs　Of　The　Greeks　And　Named
Their　Temple　At　Mount　Gerizzim　The　Temple　Of　Jupiter　Hellenius。

1。　About　this　time；　upon　the　death　of　Onias　the　high　priest；　they
gave　the　high　priesthood　to　Jesus　his　brother；　for　that　son　which
Onias　left　＇or　Onias　IV。＇　was　yet　but　an　infant；　and；　in　its
proper　place；　we　will　inform　the　reader　of　all　the　circumstances
that　befell　this　child。　But　this　Jesus；　who　was　the　brother　of
Onias；　was　deprived　of　the　high　priesthood　by　the　king；　who　was
angry　with　him；　and　gave　it　to　his　younger　brother；　whose　name
also　was　Onias；　for　Simon　had　these　three　sons；　to　each　of　which
the　priesthood　came；　as　we　have　already　informed　the　reader。　This
Jesus　changed　his　name　to　Jason；　but　Onias　was　called　Menelaus。
Now　as　the　former　high　priest；　Jesus；　raised　a　sedition　against
Menelaus；　who　was　ordained　after　him；　the　multitude　were　divided
between　them　both。　And　the　sons　of　Tobias　took　the　part　of
Menelaus；　but　the　greater　part　of　the　people　assisted　Jason；　and
by　that　means　Menelaus　and　the　sons　of　Tobias　were　distressed；
and　retired　to　Antiochus；　and　informed　him　that　they　were
desirous　to　leave　the　laws　of　their　country；　and　the　Jewish　way
of　living　according　to　them；　and　to　follow　the　king's　laws；　and
the　Grecian　way　of　living。　Wherefore　they　desired　his　permission
to　build　them　a　Gymnasium　at　Jerusalem。　（15）　And　when　he　had
given　them　leave；　they　also　hid　the　circumcision　of　their
genitals；　that　even　when　they　were　naked　they　might　appear　to　be
Greeks。　Accordingly；　they　left　off　all　the　customs　that　belonged
to　their　own　country；　and　imitated　the　practices　of　the　other
nations。

2。　Now　Antiochus；　upon　the　agreeable　situation　of　the　affairs　of
his　kingdom；　resolved　to　make　an　expedition　against　Egypt；　both
because　he　had　a　desire　to　gain　it；　and　because　he　contemned　the
son　of　Ptolemy；　as　now　weak；　and　not　yet　of　abilities　to　manage
affairs　of　such　consequence；　so　he　came　with　great　forces　to
Pelusium；　and　circumvented　Ptolemy　Philometor　by　treachery；　and
seized　upon　Egypt。　He　then　came　to　the　places　about　Memphis；　and
when　he　had　taken　them；　he　made　haste　to　Alexandria；　in　hopes　of
taking　it　by　siege；　and　of　subduing　Ptolemy；　who　reigned　there。
But　he　was　driven　not　only　from　Alexandria；　but　out　of　all　Egypt；
by　the　declaration　of　the　Romans；　who　charged　him　to　let　that
country　alone；　according　as　I　have　elsewhere　formerly　declared。　I
will　now　give　a　particular　account　of　what　concerns　this　king；
how　he　subdued　Judea　and　the　temple；　for　in　my　former　work　I
mentioned　those　things　very　briefly；　and　have　therefore　now
thought　it　necessary　to　go　over　that　history　again；　and　that　with
great　accuracy。

3。　King　Antiochus　returning　out　of　Egypt　（16）　for　fear　of　the
Romans；　made　an　expedition　against　the　city　Jerusalem；　and　when
he　was　there；　in　the　hundred　and　forty…third　year　of　the　kingdom
of　the　Seleucidse；　he　took　the　city　without　fighting；　those　of
his　own　party　opening　the　gates　to　him。　And　when　he　had　gotten
possession　of　Jerusalem；　he　slew　many　of　the　opposite　party；　and
when　he　had　plundered　it　of　a　great　deal　of　money；　he　returned　to
Antioch。

4。　Now　it　came　to　pass；　after　two　years；　in　the　hundred　forty　and
fifth　year；　on　the　twenty…fifth　day　of　that　month　which　is　by　us
called　Chasleu；　and　by　the　Macedonians　Apelleus；　in　the　hundred
and　fifty…third　olympiad；　that　the　king　came　up　to　Jerusalem；
and；　pretending　peace；　he　got　possession　of　the　city　by
treachery；　at　which　time　he　spared　not　so　much　as　those　that
admitted　him　into　it；　on　account　of　the　riches　that　lay　in　the
temple；　but；　led　by　his　covetous　inclination；　（for　he　saw　there
was　in　it　a　great　deal　of　gold；　and　many　ornaments　that　had　been
dedicated　to　it　of　very　great　value；）　and　in　order　to　plunder　its
wealth；　he　ventured　to　break　the　league　he　had　made。　So　he　left
the　temple　bare；　and　took　away　the　golden　candlesticks；　and　the
golden　altar　＇of　incense＇；　and　table　＇of　shew…bread＇；　and　the
altar　＇of　burnt…offering＇；　and　did　not　abstain　from　even　the
veils；　which　were　made　of　fine　linen　and　scarlet。　He　also　emptied
it　of　its　secret　treasures；　and　left　nothing　at　all　remaining；
and　by　this　means　cast　the　Jews　into　great　lamentation；　for　he
forbade　them　to　offer　those　daily　sacrifices　which　they　used　to
offer　to　God；　according　to　the　law。　And　when　he　had　pillaged　the
whole　city；　some　of　the　inhabitants　he　slew；　and　some　he　carried
captive；　together　with　their　wives　and　children；　so　that　the
multitude　of　those　captives　that　were　taken　alive　amounted　to
about　ten　thousand。　He　also　burnt　down　the　finest　buildings；　and
when　he　had　overthrown　the　city　walls；　he　built　a　citadel　in　the
lower　part　of　the　city；　（17）　for　the　place　was　high；　and
overlooked　the　temple；　on　which　account　he　fortified　it　with　high
walls　and　towers；　and　put　into　it　a　garrison　of　Macedonians。
However；　in　that　citadel　dwelt　the　impious　and　wicked　part　of　the
＇Jewish＇　multitude；　from　whom　it　proved　that　the　citizens
suffered　many　and　sore　calamities。　And　when　the　king　had　built　an
idol　altar　upon　God's　altar；　he　slew　swine　upon　it；　and　so
offered　a　sacrifice　neither　according　to　the　law；　nor　the　Jewish
religious　worship　in　that　country。　He　also　compelled　them　to
forsake　the　worship　which　they　paid　their　own　God；　and　to　adore
those　whom　he　took　to　be　gods；　and　made　them　build　temples；　and
raise　idol　altars　in　every　city　and　village；　and　offer　swine　upon
them　every　day。　He　also　commanded　them　not　to　circumcise　their
sons；　and　threatened　to　punish　any　that　should　be　found　to　have
transgressed　his　injunction。　He　also　appointed　overseers；　who
should　compel　them　to　do　what　he　commanded。　And　indeed　many　Jews
there　were　who　complied　with　the　king's　commands；　either
voluntarily；　or　out　of　fear　of　the　penalty　that　was　denounced。
But　the　best　men；　and　those　of　the　noblest　souls；　did　not　regard
him；　but　did　pay　a　greater　respect　to　the　customs　of　their
country　than　concern　as　to　the　punishment　which　he　threatened　to
the　disobedient；　on　which　account　they　every　day　underwent　great
miseries　and　bitter　torments；　for　they　were　whipped　with　rods；
and　their　bodies　were　torn　to　pieces；　and　were　crucified；　while
they　were　still　alive；　and　breathed。　They　also　strangled　those
women　and　their　sons　whom　they　had　circumcised；　as　the　king　had
appointed；　hanging　their　sons　about　their　necks　as　they　were　upon
the　crosses。　And　if　there　were　any　sacred　book　of　the　law　found；
it　was　destroyed；　and　those　with　whom　they　were　found　miserably
perished　also。

5。　When　the　Samaritans　saw　the　Jews　under　these　sufferings；　they
no　longer　confessed　that　they　were　of　their　kindred；　nor　that　the
temple　on　Mount　Gerizzim　belonged　to　Almighty　God。　This　was
according　to　their　nature；　as　we　have　already　shown。　And　they　now
said　that　they　were　a　colony　of　Medes　and　Persians；　and　indeed
they　were　a　colony　of　theirs。　So　they　sent　ambassadors　to
Antiochus；　and　an　epistle；　whose　contents　are　these：　〃To　king
Antiochus　the　god；　Epiphanes；　a　memorial　from　the　Sidonians；　who
live　at　Shechem。　Our　forefathers；　upon　certain　frequent　plagues；
and　as　following　a　certain　ancient　superstition；　had　a　custom　of
observing　that　day　which　by　the　Jews　is　called　the　Sabbath。　（18）
And　when　they　had　erected　a　temple　at　the　mountain　called
Gerrizzim；　though　without　a　name；　they　offered　upon　it　the　proper
sacrifices。　Now；　upon　the　just　treatment　of　these　wicked　Jews；
those　that　manage　their　affairs；　supposing　that　we　were　of　kin　to
them；　and　practiced　as　they　do；　make　us　liable　to　the　same
accusations；　although　we　be　originally　Sidonians；　as　is　evident
from　the　public　records。　We　therefore　beseech　thee；　our
benefactor　and　Savior；　to　give　order　to　Apollonius；　the　governor
of　this　part　of　the　country；　and　to　Nicanor；　the　procurator　of
thy　affairs；　to　give　us　no　disturbance；　nor　to　lay　to　our　charge
what　the　Jews　are　accused　for；　since　we　are　aliens　from　their
nation；　and　from　their　customs；　but　let　our　temple；　which　at
present　hath　no　name　at　all　be　named　the　Temple　of　Jupiter
Hellenius。　If　this　were　once　done；　we　should　be　no　longer
disturbed；　but　should　be　more　intent　on　our　own　occupation　with
quietness；　and　so　bring　in　a　greater　revenue　to　thee。〃　When　the
Samaritans　had　petitioned　for　this；　the　king　sent　them　back　the
following　answer；　in　an　epistle：　〃King　Antiochus　to　Nicanor。　The
Sidonians；　who　live　at　Shechem；　have　sent　me　the　memorial
enclosed。　When　therefore　we　were　advising　with　our　friends　about
it；　the　messengers　sent　by　them　represented　to　us　that　they　are
no　way　concerned　with　accusations　which　belong　to　the　Jews；　but
choose　to　live　after　the　customs　of　the　Greeks。　Accordingly；　we
declare　them　free　from　such　accusations；　and　order　that；
agreeable　to　their　petition；　their　temple　be　named　the　Temple　of
Jupiter　Hellenius。〃　He　also　sent　the　like　epistle　to　Apollonius；
the　governor　of　that　part　of　the　country；　in　the　forty…sixth
year；　and　the　eighteenth　day　of　the　month　Hecatorabeom

CHAPTER　6。

How；　Upon　Antiochus's　Prohibition　To　The　Jews　To　Make　Use　Of　The
Laws　Of　Their　Country　Mattathias；　The　Son　Of　Asamoneus；　Alone
Despis