the antiquities of the jews-1-第199章

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！


himself；　found　that　he　had　nothing　to　say　besides　his　appeal　to
God；　and　saw　that　there　was　no　end　of　that；　he　bid　them　bring　the
potion　before　the　court；　that　he　might　see　what　virtue　still
remained　in　it；　and　when　it　was　brought；　and　one　that　was
condemned　to　die　had　drank　it　by　Varus's　command；　he　died
presently。　Then　Varus　got　up；　and　departed　out　of　the　court；　and
went　away　the　day　following　to　Antioch；　where　his　usual　residence
was；　because　that　was　the　palace　of　the　Syrians；　upon　which　Herod
laid　his　son　in　bonds。　But　what　were　Varus's　discourses　to　Herod
was　not　known　to　the　generality；　and　upon　what　words　it　was　that
he　went　away；　though　it　was　also　generally　supposed　that
whatsoever　Herod　did　afterward　about　his　son　was　done　with　his
approbation。　But　when　Herod　had　bound　his　son；　he　sent　letters　to
Rome　to　Caesar　about　him；　and　such　messengers　withal　as　should；
by　word　of　mouth；　inform　Caesar　of　Antipater's　wickedness。　Now　at
this　very　time　there　was　seized　a　letter　of　Antiphilus；　written
to　Antipater　out　of　Egypt　（for　he　lived　there）；　and　when　it　was
opened　by　the　king；　it　was　found　to　contain　what　follows：　〃I　have
sent　thee　Acme's　letter；　and　hazarded　my　own　life；　for　thou
knowest　that　I　am　in　danger　from　two　families；　if　I　be
discovered。　I　wish　thee　good　success　in　thy　affair。〃　These　were
the　contents　of　this　letter；　but　the　king　made　inquiry　about　the
other　letter　also；　for　it　did　not　appear；　and　Antiphilus's　slave；
who　brought　that　letter　which　had　been　read；　denied　that　he　had
received　the　other。　But　while　the　king　was　in　doubt　about　it；　one
of　Herod's　friends　seeing　a　seam　upon　the　inner　coat　of　the
slave；　and　a　doubling　of　the　cloth；　（for　he　had　two　coats　on；）　he
guessed　that　the　letter　might　be　within　that　doubling；　which
accordingly　proved　to　be　true。　So　they　took　out　the　letter；　and
its　contents　were　these：　〃Acme　to　Antipater。　I　have　written　such
a　letter　to　thy　father　as　thou　desiredst　me。　I　have　also　taken　a
copy　and　sent　it；　as　if　it　came　from　Salome；　to　my　lady　＇Livia＇；
which；　when　thou　readest；　I　know　that　Herod　Will　punish　Salome；
as　plotting　against　him？'　Now　this　pretended　letter　of　Salome　to
her　lady　was　composed　by　Antipater；　in　the　name　of　Salome；　as　to
its　meaning；　but　in　the　words　of　Acme。　The　letter　was　this：　〃Acme
to　king　Herod。　I　have　done　my　endeavor　that　nothing　that　is　done
against　thee　should　be　concealed　from　thee。　So；　upon　my　finding　a
letter　of　Salome　written　to　my　lady　against　thee；　I　have　written
out　a　copy；　and　sent　it　to　thee；　with　hazard　to　myself；　but　for
thy　advantage。　The　reason　why　she　wrote　it　was　this；　that　she　had
a　mind　to　be　married　to　Sylleus。　Do　thou　therefore　tear　this
letter　in　pieces；　that　I　may　not　come　into　danger　of　my　life。〃
Now　Acme　had　written　to　Antipater　himself；　and　informed　him；
that；　in　compliance　with　his　command；　she　had　both　herself
written　to　Herod；　as　if　Salome　had　laid　a　sudden　plot　entirely
against　him；　and　had　herself　sent　a　copy　of　an　epistle；　as　coming
from　Salome　to　her　lady。　Now　Acme　was　a　Jew　by　birth；　and　a
servant　to　Julia；　Caesar's　wife；　and　did　this　out　of　her
friendship　for　Antipater；　as　having　been　corrupted　by　him　with　a
large　present　of　money；　to　assist　in　his　pernicious　designs
against　his　father　and　his　aunt。

8。　Hereupon　Herod　was　so　amazed　at　the　prodigious　wickedness　of
Antipater；　that　he　was　ready　to　have　ordered　him　to　be　slain
immediately；　as　a　turbulent　person　in　the　most　important
concerns；　and　as　one　that　had　laid　a　plot　not　only　against
himself；　but　against　his　sister　also；　and　even　corrupted　Caesar's
own　domestics。　Salome　also　provoked　him　to　it；　beating　her
breast；　and　bidding　him　kill　her；　if　he　could　produce　any
credible　testimony　that　she　had　acted　in　that　manner。　Herod　also
sent　for　his　son；　and　asked　him　about　this　matter；　and　bid　him
contradict　if　he　could；　and　not　suppress　any　thing　he　had　to　say
for　himself；　and　when　he　had　not　one　word　to　say；　he　asked　him；
since　he　was　every　way　caught　in　his　villainy；　that　he　would　make
no　further　delay；　but　discover　his　associates　in　these　his　wicked
designs。　So　he　laid　all　upon　Antiphilus；　but　discovered　nobody
else。　Hereupon　Herod　was　in　such　great　grief；　that　he　was　ready
to　send　his　son　to　Rome　to　Caesar；　there　to　give　an　account　of
these　his　wicked　contrivances。　But　he　soon　became　afraid；　lest　he
might　there；　by　the　assistance　of　his　friends；　escape　the　danger
he　was　in；　so　he　kept　him　bound　as　before；　and　sent　more
ambassadors　and　letters　＇to　Rome＇　to　accuse　his　son；　and　an
account　of　what　assistance　Acme　had　given　him　in　his　wicked
designs；　with　copies　of　the　epistles　before　mentioned。

CHAPTER　6。

Concerning　The　Disease　That　Herod　Fell　Into　And　The　Sedition
Which　The　Jews　Raised　Thereupon；　With　The　Punishment　Of　The
Seditious。

1。　Now　Herod's　ambassadors　made　haste　to　Rome；　but　sent；　as
instructed　beforehand；　what　answers　they　were　to　make　to　the
questions　put　to　them。　They　also　carried　the　epistles　with　them。
But　Herod　now　fell　into　a　distemper；　and　made　his　will；　and
bequeathed　his　kingdom　to　＇Antipas＇；　his　youngest　son；　and　this
out　of　that　hatred　to　Archclaus　and　Philip；　which　the　calumnies
of　Antipater　had　raised　against　them。　He　also　bequeathed　。a
thousand　talents　to　Caesar；　and　five　hundred　to　Julia；　Caesar's
wife；　to　Caesar's　children；　and　friends　and　freed…men。　He　also
distributed　among　his　sons　and　their　sons　his　money；　his
revenues；　and　his　lands。　He　also　made　Salome　his　sister　very
rich；　because　she　had　continued　faithful　to　him　in　all　his
circumstances；　and　was　never　so　rash　as　to　do　him　any　harm；　and
as　he　despaired　of　recovering；　for　he　was　about　the　seventieth
year　of　his　age；　he　grew　fierce；　and　indulged　the　bitterest　anger
upon　all　occasions；　the　cause　whereof　was　this；　that　he　thought
himself　despised；　and　that　the　nation　was　pleased　with　his
misfortunes；　besides　which；　he　resented　a　sedition　which　some　of
the　lower　sort　of　men　excited　against　him；　the　occasion　of　which
was　as　follows。

2。　There　was　one　Judas；　the　son　of　Saripheus；　and　Mattbias；　the
son　of　Margalothus；　two　of　the　most　eloquent　men　among　the　Jews；
and　the　most　celebrated　interpreters　of　the　Jewish　laws；　and　men
well　beloved　by　the　people；　because　of　their　education　of　their
youth；　for　all　those　that　were　studious　of　virtue　frequented
their　lectures　every　day。　These　men；　when　they　found　that　the
king's　distemper　was　incurable；　excited　the　young　men　that　they
would　pull　down　all　those　works　which　the　king　had　erected
contrary　to　the　law　of　their　fathers；　and　thereby　obtain　the
rewards　which　the　law　will　confer　on　them　for　such　actions　of
piety；　for　that　it　was　truly　on　account　of　Herod's　rashness　in
making　such　things　as　the　law　had　forbidden；　that　his　other
misfortunes；　and　this　distemper　also；　which　was　so　unusual　among
mankind；　and　with　which　he　was　now　afflicted；　came　upon　him；　for
Herod　had　caused　such　things　to　be　made　which　were　contrary　to
the　law；　of　which　he　was　accused　by　Judas　and　Matthias；　for　the
king　had　erected　over　the　great　gate　of　the　temple　a　large　golden
eagle；　of　great　value；　and　had　dedicated　it　to　the　temple。　Now
the　law　forbids　those　that　propose　to　live　according　to　it；　to
erect　images　（6）　or　representations　of　any　living　creature。　So
these　wise　men　persuaded　＇their　scholars＇　to　pull　down　the　golden
eagle；　alleging；　that　although　they　should　incur　any　danger；
which　might　bring　them　to　their　deaths；　the　virtue　of　the　action
now　proposed　to　them　would　appear　much　more　advantageous　to　them
than　the　pleasures　of　life；　since　they　would　die　for　the
preservation　and　observation　of　the　law　of　their　fathers；　since
they　would　also　acquire　an　everlasting　fame　and　commendation；
since　they　would　be　both　commended　by　the　present　generation；　and
leave　an　example　of　life　that　would　never　be　forgotten　to
posterity；　since　that　common　calamity　of　dying　cannot　be　avoided
by　our　living　so　as　to　escape　any　such　dangers；　that　therefore　it
is　a　right　thing　for　those　who　are　in　love　with　a　virtuous
conduct；　to　wait　for　that　fatal　hour　by　such　behavior　as　may
carry　them　out　of　the　world　with　praise　and　honor；　and　that　this
will　alleviate　death　to　a　great　degree；　thus　to　come　at　it　by　the
performance　of　brave　actions；　which　bring　us　into　danger　of　it；
and　at　the　same　time　to　leave　that　reputation　behind　them　to
their　children；　and　to　all　their　relations；　whether　they　be　men
or　women；　which　will　be　of　great　advantage　to　them　afterward。

3。　And　with　such　discourses　as　this　did　these　men　excite　the
young　men　to　this　action；　and　a　report　being　come　to　them　that
the　king　was　dead；　this　was　an　addition　to　the　wise　men's
persuasions；　so；　in　the　very　middle　of　the　day；　they　got　upon　the
place；　they　pulled　down　the　eagle；　and　cut　it　into　pieces　with
axes；　while　a　great　number　of　the　people　were　in　the　temple。　And
now　the　king's　captain；　upon　hearing　what　the　undertaking　was；
and　supposing　it　was　a　thing　of　a　higher　nature　than　it　proved　to
be；　came　up　thither；　having　a　great　band　of　soldiers　with　him；
such　as　was　sufficient　to　put　a　stop　to　the　multitude　of　those
who　pulled　down　what　was　dedicated　to　God；　so　he　fell　upon　them
unexpectedly；　and　as　they　were　upon　this　bold　attempt；　in　a
foolish　presumption　rather　than　a　cautious　circumspection；　as　is
usual　with　the　multitude；　and　while　they　were　in　disorder；　and
incautious　of　what　was　for　their　advantage；　so　he　caught　no　fewer
than　forty　of　the　young　men；　who　had　the　courage　to　stay　behind
when　the　rest　ran　away；　together　with　the　authors　of　this　bold
attempt；　Judas　and　Matthius；　who　thought　it　an　ignominious　thing
to　retire　upon　his　approach；　and　led　them　to　the　king。　And　when
they　were　come　to　the　king；　and　he　asked　them　if　they　had　been　so
bold　as　to　pull　down　what　he　had　dedicated　to　God；　〃Yes；　（said
they；）　what　was　contrived　we　contrived；　and　what　hath　been
performed　we　performed　it；　and　that　with　such　a　virtuous　courage
as　becomes　men；　for　we　have　given　our　assistance　to　those　things
which　were　dedicated　to　the　majesty　of　God；　and　we　have　provided
for　what　we　have　learned　by　hearing　the　law；　and　it　ought　not　to
be　wondered　at；　if　we　esteem　those　laws　which　Moses　had　suggested
to　him；　and　were　taught　him　by　God；　and　which　he　wrote　and　left
behind　him；　more　worthy　of　observation　than　thy　commands。
Accordingly　we　will　undergo　death；　and　all　sorts　of　punishments
which　thou　canst　inflict　upon　us；　with　pleasure；　since　we　are
conscious　to　ourselves　that　we　shall　die；　not　for　any　unrighteous
actions；　but　for　our　love　to　religion。〃　And　thus　they　all　said；
and　their　courage　was　still　equal　to　their　profession；　and　equal
to　that　with　which　they　readily　set　about　this　undertaking。　And
when　the　king　had　ordered　them　to　be　bound；　he　sent　them　to
Jericho；　and　called　together　the　principal　men　among　the　Jews；
and　when　they　were　come；　he　made　them　assemble　in　the　theater；
and　because　he　could　not　himself　stand；　he　lay　upon　a　couch；　and
enumerated　the　many　labors　that　he　had　long　endured　on　their
account；　and　his　building　of　the　temple；　and　what　a　vast　charge
that　was　to　him；　while　the　Asamoneans；　during　the　hundred　and
twenty…five　years　of　their　government；　had　not　been　able　to
perform　any　so　g