against apion-及17准
梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ● 辛指欺云匈競何
!!!!隆堋響頼紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響
terly incredible拭For we Jews are always governed by the same laws察in which we constantly persevere察and although many misfortunes have befallen our city察as the like have befallen others察and although Theos EpiphanesВ察and Pompey the Great察and Licinius Crassus察and last of all Titus Caesar察have conquered us in war察and gotten possession of our temple察 yet have they none of them found any such thing there察nor indeed any thing but what was agreeable to the strictest piety察 although what they found we are not at liberty to reveal to other nations。 But for Antiochus EpiphanesВ察he had no just cause for that ravage in our temple that he made察he only came to it when he wanted money察without declaring himself our enemy察and attacked us while we were his associates and his friends察nor did he find any thing there that was ridiculous。 This is attested by many worthy writers察Polybius of Megalopolis察Strabo of Cappadocia察Nicolaus of Damascus察 Timagenes察Castor the chronotoger察and Apollodorus察。10 who all say that it was out of Antiochus's want of money that he broke his league with the Jews察and despoiled their temple when it was full of gold and silver。 Apion ought to have had a regard to these facts察unless he had himself had either an ass's heart or a dog's impudence察of such a dog I mean as they worship察for he had no other external reason for the lies he tells of us。 As for us Jews察we ascribe no honor or power to asses察as do the Egyptians to crocodiles and asps察when they esteem such as are seized upon by the former察or bitten by the latter察to be happy persons察and persons worthy of God。 Asses are the same with us which they are with other wise men察viz。 creatures that bear the burdens that we lay upon them察but if they come to our thrashing´floors and eat our corn察or do not perform what we impose upon them察we beat them with a great many stripes察because it is their business to minister to us in our husbandry affairs。 But this Apion of ours was either perfectly unskillful in the composition of such fallacious discourses察or however察when he begun somewhat betterВ察he was not able to persevere in what he had undertaken察since he hath no manner of success in those reproaches he casts upon us。 8。 He adds another Grecian fable察in order to reproach us。 In reply to which察it would be enough to say察that they who presume to speak about Divine worship ought not to be ignorant of this plain truth察that it is a degree of less impurity to pass through temples察than to forge wicked calumnies of its priests。 Now such men as he are more zealous to justify a sacrilegious king察than to write what is just and what is true about us察and about our temple察for when they are desirous of gratifying Antiochus察and of concealing that perfidiousness and sacrilege which he was guilty of察with regard to our nation察when he wanted money察they endeavor to disgrace us察 and tell lies even relating to futurities。 Apion becomes other men's prophet upon this occasion察and says that ;Antiochus found in our temple a bed察and a man lying upon it察with a small table before him察full of dainties察from the fishes of theАsea察and the fowls of the dry land察that this man was amazed at these dainties thus set before him察that he immediately adored the king察upon his coming in察as hoping that he would afford him all possible assistance察that he fell down upon his knees察and stretched out to him his right hand察and begged to be released察and that when the king bid him sit down察and tell him who he was察and why he dwelt there察and what was the meaning of those various sorts of food that were set before him the man made a lamentable complaint察and with sighs察and tears in his eyes察gave him this account of the distress he was in察and said that he was a Greek and that as he went over this province察in order to get his living察he was seized upon by foreigners察on a sudden察and brought to this temple察and shut up therein察and was seen by nobody察but was fattened by these curious provisions thus set before him察and that truly at the first such unexpected advantages seemed to him matter of great joy察that after a while察they brought a suspicion him察and at length astonishment察what their meaning should be察that at last he inquired of the servants that came to him and was by them informed that it was in order to the fulfilling a law of the Jews察which they must not tell him察that he was thus fed察and that they did the same at a set time every year此that they used to catch a Greek foreigner察and fat him thus up every year察 and then lead him to a certain wood察and kill him察and sacrifice with their accustomed solemnities察and taste of his entrails察and take an oath upon this sacrificing a Greek察that they would ever be at enmity with the Greeks察and that then they threw the remaining parts of the miserable wretch into a certain pit。; Apion adds further察that; the man said there were but a few days to come ere he was to be slain察and implored of Antiochus that察out of the reverence he bore to the Grecian gods察he would disappoint the snares the Jews laid for his blood察and would deliver him from the miseries with which he was encompassed。; Now this is such a most tragical fable as is full of nothing but cruelty and impudence察 yet does it not excuse Antiochus of his sacrilegious attempt察 as those who write it in his vindication are willing to suppose察 for he could not presume beforehand that he should meet with any such thing in coming to the temple察but must have found it unexpectedly。 He was therefore still an impious person察that was given to unlawful pleasures察and had no regard to God in his actions。 But as for ApionВ察he hath done whatever his extravagant love of lying hath dictated to him察as it is most easy to discover by a consideration of his writings察for the difference of our laws is known not to regard the Grecians only察but they are principally opposite to the Egyptians察and to some other nations also for while it so falls out that men of all countries come sometimes and sojourn among us察how comes it about that we take an oath察and conspire only against the Grecians察and that by the effusion of their blood also拭Or how is it possible that all the Jews should get together to these sacrifices察and the entrails of one man should be sufficient for so many thousands to taste of them察as Apion pretends拭Or why did not the king carry this man察whosoever he was察and whatsoever was his name察 。which is not set down in Apion's book撮 with great pomp back into his own country拭when he might thereby have been esteemed a religious person himself察and a mighty lover of the Greeks察and might thereby have procured himself great assistance from all men against that hatred the Jews bore to him。 But I leave this matter察for the proper way of confuting fools is not to use bare words察but to appeal to the things themselves that make against them。 Now察then察all such as ever saw the construction of our temple察of what nature it was察know well enough how the purity of it was never to be profaned察for it had four several courts 12 encompassed with cloisters round about察every one of which had by our law a peculiar degree of separation from the rest。 Into the first court every body was allowed to go察even foreigners察and none but women察during their courses察were prohibited to pass through it察all the Jews went into the second court察as well as their wives察when they were free from all uncleanness察 into the third court went in the Jewish men察when they were clean and purified察into the fourth went the priests察having on their sacerdotal garments察but for the most sacred place察 none went in but the high priests察clothed in their peculiar garments。 Now there is so great caution used about these offices of religion察that the priests are appointed to go into the temple but at certain hours察for in the morning察at the opening of the inner temple察those that are to officiate receive the sacrifices察as they do again at noon察till the doors are shut。 Lastly察it is not so much as lawful to carry any vessel into the holy house察nor is there any thing therein察but the altar of incenseВ察the table of shew´breadВ察the censer察and the candlestick察which are all written in the law察for there is nothing further there察nor are there any mysteries performed that may not be spoken of察nor is there any feasting within the place。 For what I have now said is publicly known察and supported by the testimony of the whole people察and their operations are very manifest察for although there be four courses of the priests察and every one of them have above five thousand men in them察yet do they officiate on certain days only察and when those days are over察other priests succeed in the performance of their sacrifices察and assemble together at mid´day察and receive the keys of the temple察and the vessels by tale察without any thing relating to food or drink being carried into the temple察nay察we are not allowed to offer su