the wars of the jews-第31节

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e　to　defend　the　cause　of　God；　and　to　pull　down　what　had　been　erected　contrary　to　the　laws　of　their　country；　for　it　was　unlawful　there　should　be　any　such　thing　in　the　temple　as　images；　or　faces；　or　the　like　representation　of　any　animal　whatsoever。　Now　the　king　had　put　up　a　golden　eagle　over　the　great　gate　of　the　temple；　which　these　learned　men　exhorted　them　to　cut　down；　and　told　them；　that　if　there　should　any　danger　arise；　it　was　a　glorious　thing　to　die　for　the　laws　of　their　country；　because　that　the　soul　was　immortal；　and　that　an　eternal　enjoyment　of　happiness　did　await　such　as　died　on　that　account；　while　the　mean…spirited；　and　those　that　were　not　wise　enough　to　show　a　right　love　of　their　souls；　preferred　a　death　by　a　disease；　before　that　which　is　the　result　of　a　virtuous　behavior。

3。　At　the　same　time　that　these　men　made　this　speech　to　their　disciples；　a　rumor　was　spread　abroad　that　the　king　was　dying；　which　made　the　young　men　set　about　the　work　with　greater　boldness；　they　therefore　let　themselves　down　from　the　top　of　the　temple　with　thick　cords；　and　this　at　midday；　and　while　a　great　number　of　people　were　in　the　temple；　and　cut　down　that　golden　eagle　with　axes。　This　was　presently　told　to　the　king's　captain　of　the　temple；　who　came　running　with　a　great　body　of　soldiers；　and　caught　about　forty　of　the　young　men；　and　brought　them　to　the　king。　And　when　he　asked　them；　first　of　all；　whether　they　had　been　so　hardy　as　to　cut　down　the　golden　eagle；　they　confessed　they　had　done　so；　and　when　he　asked　them　by　whose　command　they　had　done　it；　they　replied；　at　the　command　of　the　law　of　their　country；　and　when　he　further　asked　them　how　they　could　be　so　joyful　when　they　were　to　be　put　to　death；　they　replied；　because　they　should　enjoy　greater　happiness　after　they　were　dead。　（48）

4。　At　this　the　king　was　in　such　an　extravagant　passion；　that　he　overcame　his　disease　＇for　the　time；＇　and　went　out；　and　spake　to　the　people；　wherein　he　made　a　terrible　accusation　against　those　men；　as　being　guilty　of　sacrilege；　and　as　making　greater　attempts　under　pretense　of　their　law；　and　he　thought　they　deserved　to　be　punished　as　impious　persons。　Whereupon　the　people　were　afraid　lest　a　great　number　should　be　found　guilty　and　desired　that　when　he　had　first　punished　those　that　put　them　upon　this　work；　and　then　those　that　were　caught　in　it；　he　would　leave　off　his　anger　as　to　the　rest。　With　this　the　king　complied；　though　not　without　difficulty；　and　ordered　those　that　had　let　themselves　down；　together　with　their　Rabbins；　to　be　burnt　alive；　but　delivered　the　rest　that　were　caught　to　the　proper　officers；　to　be　put　to　death　by　them。

5。　After　this；　the　distemper　seized　upon　his　whole　body；　and　greatly　disordered　all　its　parts　with　various　symptoms；　for　there　was　a　gentle　fever　upon　him；　and　an　intolerable　itching　over　all　the　surface　of　his　body；　and　continual　pains　in　his　colon；　and　dropsical　turnouts　about　his　feet；　and　an　inflammation　of　the　abdomen；　and　a　putrefaction　of　his　privy　member；　that　produced　worms。　Besides　which　he　had　a　difficulty　of　breathing　upon　him；　and　could　not　breathe　but　when　he　sat　upright；　and　had　a　convulsion　of　all　his　members；　insomuch　that　the　diviners　said　those　diseases　were　a　punishment　upon　him　for　what　he　had　done　to　the　Rabbins。　Yet　did　he　struggle　with　his　numerous　disorders；　and　still　had　a　desire　to　live；　and　hoped　for　recovery；　and　considered　of　several　methods　of　cure。　Accordingly；　he　went　over　Jordan；　and　made　use　of　those　hot　baths　at　Callirrhoe；　which　ran　into　the　lake　Asphaltitis；　but　are　themselves　sweet　enough　to　be　drunk。　And　here　the　physicians　thought　proper　to　bathe　his　whole　body　in　warm　oil；　by　letting　it　down　into　a　large　vessel　full　of　oil；　whereupon　his　eyes　failed　him；　and　he　came　and　went　as　if　he　was　dying；　and　as　a　tumult　was　then　made　by　his　servants；　at　their　voice　he　revived　again。　Yet　did　he　after　this　despair　of　recovery；　and　gave　orders　that　each　soldier　should　have　fifty　drachmae　a…piece；　and　that　his　commanders　and　friends　should　have　great　sums　of　money　given　them。

6。　He　then　returned　back　and　came　to　Jericho；　in　such　a　melancholy　state　of　body　as　almost　threatened　him　with　present　death；　when　he　proceeded　to　attempt　a　horrid　wickedness；　for　he　got　together　the　most　illustrious　men　of　the　whole　Jewish　nation；　out　of　every　village；　into　a　place　called　the　Hippodrome；　and　there　shut　them　in。　He　then　called　for　his　sister　Salome；　and　her　husband　Alexas；　and　made　this　speech　to　them：　〃I　know　well　enough　that　the　Jews　will　keep　a　festival　upon　my　death　however；　it　is　in　my　power　to　be　mourned　for　on　other　accounts；　and　to　have　a　splendid　funeral；　if　you　will　but　be　subservient　to　my　commands。　Do　you　but　take　care　to　send　soldiers　to　encompass　these　men　that　are　now　in　custody；　and　slay　them　immediately　upon　my　death；　and　then　all　Judea；　and　every　family　of　them；　will　weep　at　it；　whether　they　will　or　no。〃

7。　These　were　the　commands　he　gave　them；　when　there　came　letters　from　his　ambassadors　at　Rome；　whereby　information　was　given　that　Acme　was　put　to　death　at　Caesar's　command；　and　that　Antipater　was　condemned　to　die；　however；　they　wrote　withal；　that　if　Herod　had　a　mind　rather　to　banish　him；　Caesar　permitted　him　so　to　do。　So　he　for　a　little　while　revived；　and　had　a　desire　to　live；　but　presently　after　he　was　overborne　by　his　pains；　and　was　disordered　by　want　of　food；　and　by　a　convulsive　cough；　and　endeavored　to　prevent　a　natural；　death；　so　he　took　an　apple；　and　asked　for　a　knife　for　he　used　to　pare　apples　and　eat　them；　he　then　looked　round　about　to　see　that　there　was　nobody　to　hinder　him；　and　lift　up　his　right　hand　as　if　he　would　stab　himself；　but　Achiabus；　his　first　cousin；　came　running　to　him；　and　held　his　hand；　and　hindered　him　from　so　doing；　on　which　occasion　a　very　great　lamentation　was　made　in　the　palace；　as　if　the　king　were　expiring。　As　soon　as　ever　Antipater　heard　that；　he　took　courage；　and　with　joy　in　his　looks；　besought　his　keepers；　for　a　sum　of　money；　to　loose　him　and　let　him　go；　but　the　principal　keeper　of　the　prison　did　not　only　obstruct　him　in　that　his　intention；　but　ran　and　told　the　king　what　his　design　was；　hereupon　the　king　cried　out　louder　than　his　distemper　would　well　bear；　and　immediately　sent　some　of　his　guards　and　slew　Antipater；　he　also　gave　order　to　have　him　buried　at　Hyrcanium；　and　altered　his　testament　again；　and　therein　made　Archclaus；　his　eldest　son；　and　the　brother　of　Antipas；　his　successor；　and　made　Antipas　tetrarch。

8。　So　Herod；　having　survived　the　slaughter　of　his　son　five　days；　died；　having　reigned　thirty…four　years　since　he　had　caused　Antigonus　to　be　slain；　and　obtained　his　kingdom；　but　thirty…seven　years　since　he　had　been　made　king　by　the　Romans。　Now　as　for　his　fortune；　it　was　prosperous　in　all　other　respects；　if　ever　any　other　man　could　be　so；　since；　from　a　private　man；　he　obtained　the　kingdom；　and　kept　it　so　long；　and　left　it　to　his　own　sons；　but　still　in　his　domestic　affairs　he　was　a　most　unfortunate　man。　Now；　before　the　soldiers　knew　of　his　death；　Salome　and　her　husband　came　out　and　dismissed　those　that　were　in　bonds；　whom　the　king　had　commanded　to　be　slain；　and　told　them　that　he　had　altered　his　mind；　and　would　have　every　one　of　them　sent　to　their　own　homes。　When　these　men　were　gone；　Salome；　told　the　soldiers　＇the　king　was　dead＇；　and　got　them　and　the　rest　of　the　multitude　together　to　an　assembly；　in　the　amphitheater　at　Jericho；　where　Ptolemy；　who　was　intrusted　by　the　king　with　his　signet　ring；　came　before　them；　and　spake　of　the　happiness　the　king　had　attained；　and　comforted　the　multitude；　and　read　the　epistle　which　had　been　left　for　the　soldiers；　wherein　he　earnestly　exhorted　them　to　bear　good…will　to　his　successor；　and　after　he　had　read　the　epistle；　he　opened　and　read　his　testament；　wherein　Philip　was　to　inherit　Trachonitis；　and　the　neighboring　countries；　and　Antipas　was　to　be　tetrarch；　as　we　said　before；　and　Archelaus　was　made　king。　He　had　also　been　commanded　to　carry　Herod's　ring　to　Caesar；　and　the　settlements　he　had　made；　sealed　up；　because　Caesar　was　to　be　lord　of　all　the　settlements　he　had　made；　and　was　to　confirm　his　testament；　and　he　ordered　that　the　dispositions　he　had　made　were　to　be　kept　as　they　were　in　his　former　testament。

9。　So　there　was　an　acclamation　made　to　Archelaus；　to　congratulate　him　upon　his　advancement；　and　the　soldiers；　with　the　multitude；　went　round　about　in　troops；　and　promised　him　their　good…will；　and　besides；　prayed　God　to　bless　his　government。　After　this；　they　betook　themselves　to　prepare　for　the　king's　funeral；　and　Archelaus　omitted　nothing　of　magnificence　therein；　but　brought　out　all　the　royal　ornaments　to　augment　the　pomp　of　the　deceased。　There　was　a　bier　all　of　gold；　embroidered　with　precious　stones；　and　a　purple　bed　of　various　contexture；　with　the　dead　body　upon　it；　covered　with　purple；　and　a　diadem　was　put　upon　his　head；　and　a　crown　of　gold　above　it；　and　a　secptre　in　his　right　hand；　and　near　to　the　bier　were　Herod's　sons；　and　a　multitude　of　his　kindred；　next　to　which　came　his　guards；　and　the　regiment　of　Thracians；　the　Germans。　also　and　Gauls；　all　accounted　as　if　they　were　going　to　war；　but　the　rest　of　the　army　went　foremost；　armed；　and　following　their　captains　and　officers　in　a　regular　manner；　after　whom　five　hundred　of　his　domestic　servan