histories-第64节

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heaven…sent　leader　that　man　who　should　first　help　them　to　be　quit　of



their　present　misery。　They　agreed；　and　in　utter　ignorance　began　to



advance　at　random。　Nothing；　however；　distressed　them　so　much　as　the



scarcity　of　water；　and　they　had　sunk　ready　to　perish　in　all　directions



over　the　plain；　when　a　herd　of　wild　asses　was　seen　to　retire　from



their　pasture　to　a　rock　shaded　by　trees。　Moyses　followed　them；　and；



guided　by　the　appearance　of　a　grassy　spot；　discovered　an　abundant



spring　of　water。　This　furnished　relief。　After　a　continuous　journey　for



six　days；　on　the　seventh　they　possessed　themselves　of　a　country；



from　which　they　expelled　the　inhabitants；　and　in　which　they　founded



a　city　and　a　temple。



　　Moyses；　wishing　to　secure　for　the　future　his　authority　over　the



nation；　gave　them　a　novel　form　of　worship；　opposed　to　all　that　is



practised　by　other　men。　Things　sacred　with　us；　with　them　have　no



sanctity；　while　they　allow　what　with　us　is　forbidden。　In　their　holy



place　they　have　consecrated　an　image　of　the　animal　by　whose　guidance



they　found　deliverance　from　their　long　and　thirsty　wanderings。　They



slay　the　ram；　seemingly　in　derision　of　Hammon；　and　they　sacrifice



the　ox；　because　the　Egyptians　worship　it　as　Apis。　They　abstain　from



swine's　flesh；　in　consideration　of　what　they　suffered　when　they　were



infected　by　the　leprosy　to　which　this　animal　is　liable。　By　their



frequent　fasts　they　still　bear　witness　to　the　long　hunger　of　former



days；　and　the　Jewish　bread；　made　without　leaven；　is　retained　as　a



memorial　of　their　hurried　seizure　of　corn。　We　are　told　that　the　rest



of　the　seventh　day　was　adopted；　because　this　day　brought　with　it　a



termination　of　their　toils；　after　a　while　the　charm　of　indolence



beguilded　them　into　giving　up　the　seventh　year　also　to　inaction。　But



others　say　that　it　is　an　observance　in　honour　of　Saturn；　either　from



the　primitive　elements　of　their　faith　having　been　transmitted　from　the



Idaei；　who　are　said　to　have　shared　the　flight　of　that　God；　and　to　have



founded　the　race；　or　from　the　circumstance　that　of　the　seven　stars



which　rule　the　destinies　of　men　Saturn　moves　in　the　highest　orbit



and　with　the　mightiest　power；　and　that　many　of　the　heavenly　bodies



complete　their　revolutions　and　courses　in　multiples　of　seven。



　　This　worship；　however　introduced；　is　upheld　by　its　antiquity；　all



their　other　customs；　which　are　at　once　perverse　and　disgusting；　owe



their　strength　to　their　very　badness。　The　most　degraded　out　of　other



races；　scorning　their　national　beliefs；　brought　to　them　their



contributions　and　presents。　This　augmented　the　wealth　of　the　Jews；



as　also　did　the　fact；　that　among　themselves　they　are　inflexibly　honest



and　ever　ready　to　shew　compassion；　though　they　regard　the　rest　of



mankind　with　all　the　hatred　of　enemies。　They　sit　apart　at　meals；



they　sleep　apart；　and　though；　as　a　nation；　they　are　singularly　prone



to　lust；　they　abstain　from　intercourse　with　foreign　women；　among



themselves　nothing　is　unlawful。　Circumcision　was　adopted　by　them　as



a　mark　of　difference　from　other　men。　Those　who　come　over　to　their



religion　adopt　the　practice；　and　have　this　lesson　first　instilled　into



them；　to　despise　all　gods；　to　disown　their　country；　and　set　at



nought　parents；　children；　and　brethren。　Still　they　provide　for　the



increase　of　their　numbers。　It　is　a　crime　among　them　to　kill　any



newly…born　infant。　They　hold　that　the　souls　of　all　who　perish　in



battle　or　by　the　hands　of　the　executioner　are　immortal。　Hence　a



passion　for　propagating　their　race　and　a　contempt　for　death。　They



are　wont　to　bury　rather　than　to　burn　their　dead；　following　in　this　the



Egyptian　cus



tom；　they　bestow　the　same　care　on　the　dead；　and　they　hold　the　same



belief　about　the　lower　world。　Quite　different　is　their　faith　about



things　divine。　The　Egyptians　worship　many　animals　and　images　of



monstrous　form；　the　Jews　have　purely　mental　conceptions　of　Deity；　as



one　in　essence。　They　call　those　profane　who　make　representations　of



God　in　human　shape　out　of　perishable　materials。　They　believe　that



Being　to　be　supreme　and　eternal；　neither　capable　of　representation；



nor　of　decay。　They　therefore　do　not　allow　any　images　to　stand　in　their



cities；　much　less　in　their　temples。　This　flattery　is　not　paid　to　their



kings；　nor　this　honour　to　our　Emperors。　From　the　fact；　however；　that



their　priests　used　to　chant　to　the　music　of　flutes　and　cymbals；　and　to



wear　garlands　of　ivy；　and　that　a　golden　vine　was　found　in　the



temple；　some　have　thought　that　they　worshipped　father　Liber；　the



conqueror　of　the　East；　though　their　institutions　do　not　by　any　means



harmonize　with　the　theory；　for　Liber　established　a　festive　and



cheerful　worship；　while　the　Jewish　religion　is　tasteless　and　mean。



　　Eastward　the　country　is　bounded　by　Arabia；　to　the　south　lies



Egypt；　on　the　west　are　Phoenicia　and　the　Mediterranean。　Northward　it



commands　an　extensive　prospect　over　Syria。　The　inhabitants　are　healthy



and　able　to　bear　fatigue。　Rain　is　uncommon；　but　the　soil　is　fertile。



Its　products　resemble　our　own。　They　have；　besides；　the　balsam…tree　and



the　palm。　The　palm…groves　are　tall　and　graceful。　The　balsam　is　a



shrub；　each　branch；　as　it　fills　with　sap；　may　be　pierced　with　a



fragment　of　stone　or　pottery。　If　steel　is　employed；　the　veins　shrink



up。　The　sap　is　used　by　physicians。　Libanus　is　the　principal



mountain；　and　has；　strange　to　say；　amidst　these　burning　heats；　a



summit　shaded　with　trees　and　never　deserted　by　its　snows。　The　same



range　supplies　and　sends　forth　the　stream　of　the　Jordan。　This　river



does　not　discharge　itself　into　the　sea；　but　flows　entire　through　two



lakes；　and　is　lost　in　the　third。　This　is　a　lake　of　vast　circumference；



it　resembles　the　sea；　but　is　more　nauseous　in　taste；　it　breeds



pestilence　among　those　who　live　near　by　its　noisome　odour；　it　cannot



be　moved　by　the　wind；　and　it　affords　no　home　either　to　fish　or



water…birds。　These　strange　waters　support　what　is　thrown　upon　them；　as



on　a　solid　surface；　and　all　persons；　whether　they　can　swim　or　no；



are　equally　buoyed　up　by　the　waves。　At　a　certain　season　of　the　year



the　lake　throws　up　bitumen；　and　the　method　of　collecting　it　has　been



taught　by　that　experience　which　teaches　all　other　arts。　It　is



naturally　a　fluid　of　dark　colour；　when　vinegar　is　sprinkled　upon　it；



it　coagulates　and　floats　upon　the　surface。　Those　whose　business　it



is　take　it　with　the　hand；　and　draw　it　on　to　the　deck　of　the　boat；　it



then　continues　of　itself　to　flow　in　and　lade　the　vessel　till　the



stream　is　cut　off。　Nor　can　this　be　done　by　any　instrument　of　brass



or　iron。　It　shrinks　from　blood　or　any　cloth　stained　by　the　menstrua　of



women。　Such　is　the　account　of　old　authors；　but　those　who　know　the



country　say　that　the　bitumen　moves　in　heaving　masses　on　the　water；



that　it　is　drawn　by　hand　to　the　shore；　and　that　there；　when　dried　by



the　evaporation　of　the　earth　and　the　power　of　the　sun；　it　is　cut



into　pieces　with　axes　and　wedges　just　as　timber　or　stone　would　be。



　　Not　far　from　this　lake　lies　a　plain；　once　fertile；　they　say；　and　the



site　of　great　cities；　but　afterwards　struck　by　lightning　and　consumed。



Of　this　event；　they　declare；　traces　still　remain；　for　the　soil；



which　is　scorched　in　appearance；　has　lost　its　productive　power。



Everything　that　grows　spontaneously；　as　well　as　what　is　planted　by



hand；　either　when　the　leaf　or　flower　have　been　developed；　or　after



maturing　in　the　usual　form；　becomes　black　and　rotten；　and　crumbles



into　a　kind　of　dust。　I　am　ready　to　allow；　on　the　one　hand；　that



cities；　once　famous；　may　have　been　consumed　by　fire　from　heaven；



while；　on　the　other；　I　imagine　that　the　earth　is　infected　by　the



exhalations　of　the　lake；　that　the　surrounding　air　is　tainted；　and　that



thus　the　growth　of　harvest　and　the　fruits　of　autumn　decay　under　the



equally　noxious　influences　of　soil　and　climate。　The　river　Belus　also



flows　into　the　Jewish　sea。　About　its　mouth　is　a　kind　of　sand　which



is　collected；　mixed　with　nitre；　and　fused　into　glass。　This　shore　is　of



limited　extent；　but　furnishes　an　inexhaustible　supply　to　the　exporter。



　　A　great　part　of　Judaea　consists　of　scattered　villages。　They　have



also　towns。　Jersualem　is　the　capital。　There　stood　a　temple　of



immense　wealth。　First　came　the　city　with　its　fortifications；　then



the　royal　palace；　then；　within　the　innermost　defences；　the　temple



itself。　Only　the　Jew　might　approach　the　gates；　all　but　priests　were



forbidden　to　pass　the　threshold。　While　the　East　was　under　the　sway



of　the　Assyrians；　the　Medes；　and　the　Persians；　Jews　were　the　most



contemptible　of　the　subject　tribes。　When　the　Macedonians　became



supreme；　King　Antiochus　strove　to　destroy　the　national　superstition；



and　to　introduce　Greek　civilization；　but　was　prevented　by　his　war　with



the　Parthians　from　at　all　imp