the antiquities of the jews-1-第1节

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The　Antiquities　of　the　Jews　（1）

by　Flavius　Josephus


Translated　by　William　Whiston







PREFACE。

1。　Those　who　undertake　to　write　histories；　do　not；　I　perceive；
take　that　trouble　on　one　and　the　same　account；　but　for　many
reasons；　and　those　such　as　are　very　different　one　from　another。
For　some　of　them　apply　themselves　to　this　part　of　learning　to
show　their　skill　in　composition；　and　that　they　may　therein
acquire　a　reputation　for　speaking　finely：　others　of　them　there
are；　who　write　histories　in　order　to　gratify　those　that　happen　to
be　concerned　in　them；　and　on　that　account　have　spared　no　pains；
but　rather　gone　beyond　their　own　abilities　in　the　performance：
but　others　there　are；　who；　of　necessity　and　by　force；　are　driven
to　write　history；　because　they　are　concerned　in　the　facts；　and　so
cannot　excuse　themselves　from　committing　them　to　writing；　for　the
advantage　of　posterity；　nay；　there　are　not　a　few　who　are　induced
to　draw　their　historical　facts　out　of　darkness　into　light；　and　to
produce　them　for　the　benefit　of　the　public；　on　account　of　the
great　importance　of　the　facts　themselves　with　which　they　have
been　concerned。　Now　of　these　several　reasons　for　writing　history；
I　must　profess　the　two　last　were　my　own　reasons　also；　for　since　I
was　myself　interested　in　that　war　which　we　Jews　had　with　the
Romans；　and　knew　myself　its　particular　actions；　and　what
conclusion　it　had；　I　was　forced　to　give　the　history　of　it；
because　I　saw　that　others　perverted　the　truth　of　those　actions　in
their　writings。

2。　Now　I　have　undertaken　the　present　work；　as　thinking　it　will
appear　to　all　the　Greeks　（2）　worthy　of　their　study；　for　it　will
contain　all　our　antiquities；　and　the　constitution　of　our
government；　as　interpreted　out　of　the　Hebrew　Scriptures。　And
indeed　I　did　formerly　intend；　when　I　wrote　of　the　war；　（3）　to
explain　who　the　Jews　originally　were；　…　what　fortunes　they　had
been　subject　to；　…　and　by　what　legislature　they　had　been
instructed　in　piety；　and　the　exercise　of　other　virtues；　…　what
wars　also　they　had　made　in　remote　ages；　till　they　were
unwillingly　engaged　in　this　last　with　the　Romans：　but　because
this　work　would　take　up　a　great　compass；　I　separated　it　into　a
set　treatise　by　itself；　with　a　beginning　of　its　own；　and　its　own
conclusion；　but　in　process　of　time；　as　usually　happens　to　such　as
undertake　great　things；　I　grew　weary　and　went　on　slowly；　it　being
a　large　subject；　and　a　difficult　thing　to　translate　our　history
into　a　foreign；　and　to　us　unaccustomed　language。　However；　some
persons　there　were　who　desired　to　know　our　history；　and　so
exhorted　me　to　go　on　with　it；　and；　above　all　the　rest；
Epaphroditus；　（4）　a　man　who　is　a　lover　of　all　kind　of　learning；
but　is　principally　delighted　with　the　knowledge　of　history；　and
this　on　account　of　his　having　been　himself　concerned　in　great
affairs；　and　many　turns　of　fortune；　and　having　shown　a　wonderful
rigor　of　an　excellent　nature；　and　an　immovable　virtuous
resolution　in　them　all。　I　yielded　to　this　man's　persuasions；　who
always　excites　such　as　have　abilities　in　what　is　useful　and
acceptable；　to　join　their　endeavors　with　his。　I　was　also　ashamed
myself　to　permit　any　laziness　of　disposition　to　have　a　greater
influence　upon　me；　than　the　delight　of　taking　pains　in　such
studies　as　were　very　useful：　I　thereupon　stirred　up　myself；　and
went　on　with　my　work　more　cheerfully。　Besides　the　foregoing
motives；　I　had　others　which　I　greatly　reflected　on；　and　these
were；　that　our　forefathers　were　willing　to　communicate　such
things　to　others；　and　that　some　of　the　Greeks　took　considerable
pains　to　know　the　affairs　of　our　nation。

3。　I　found；　therefore；　that　the　second　of　the　Ptolemies　was　a
king　who　was　extraordinarily　diligent　in　what　concerned　learning；
and　the　collection　of　books；　that　he　was　also　peculiarly
ambitious　to　procure　a　translation　of　our　law；　and　of　the
constitution　of　our　government　therein　contained；　into　the　Greek
tongue。　Now　Eleazar　the　high　priest；　one　not　inferior　to　any
other　of　that　dignity　among　us；　did　not　envy　the　forenamed　king
the　participation　of　that　advantage；　which　otherwise　he　would　for
certain　have　denied　him；　but　that　he　knew　the　custom　of　our
nation　was；　to　hinder　nothing　of　what　we　esteemed　ourselves　from
being　communicated　to　others。　Accordingly；　I　thought　it　became　me
both　to　imitate　the　generosity　of　our　high　priest；　and　to　suppose
there　might　even　now　be　many　lovers　of　learning　like　the　king；
for　he　did　not　obtain　all　our　writings　at　that　time；　but　those
who　were　sent　to　Alexandria　as　interpreters；　gave　him　only　the
books　of　the　law；　while　there　were　a　vast　number　of　other　matters
in　our　sacred　books。　They；　indeed；　contain　in　them　the　history　of
five　thousand　years；　in　which　time　happened　many　strange
accidents；　many　chances　of　war；　and　great　actions　of　the
commanders；　and　mutations　of　the　form　of　our　government。　Upon　the
whole；　a　man　that　will　peruse　this　history；　may　principally　learn
from　it；　that　all　events　succeed　well；　even　to　an　incredible
degree；　and　the　reward　of　felicity　is　proposed　by　God；　but　then
it　is　to　those　that　follow　his　will；　and　do　not　venture　to　break
his　excellent　laws：　and　that　so　far　as　men　any　way　apostatize
from　the　accurate　observation　of　them；　what　was　practical　before
becomes　impracticable　（5）　and　whatsoever　they　set　about　as　a　good
thing；　is　converted　into　an　incurable　calamity。　And　now　I　exhort
all　those　that　peruse　these　books；　to　apply　their　minds　to　God；
and　to　examine　the　mind　of　our　legislator；　whether　he　hath　not
understood　his　nature　in　a　manner　worthy　of　him；　and　hath　not
ever　ascribed　to　him　such　operations　as　become　his　power；　and
hath　not　preserved　his　writings　from　those　indecent　fables　which
others　have　framed；　although；　by　the　great　distance　of　time　when
he　lived；　he　might　have　securely　forged　such　lies；　for　he　lived
two　thousand　years　ago；　at　which　vast　distance　of　ages　the　poets
themselves　have　not　been　so　hardy　as　to　fix　even　the　generations
of　their　gods；　much　less　the　actions　of　their　men；　or　their　own
laws。　As　I　proceed；　therefore；　I　shall　accurately　describe　what
is　contained　in　our　records；　in　the　order　of　time　that　belongs　to
them；　for　I　have　already　promised　so　to　do　throughout　this
undertaking；　and　this　without　adding　any　thing　to　what　is　therein
contained；　or　taking　away　any　thing　therefrom。

4。　But　because　almost　all　our　constitution　depends　on　the　wisdom
of　Moses；　our　legislator；　I　cannot　avoid　saying　somewhat
concerning　him　beforehand；　though　I　shall　do　it　briefly；　I　mean；
because　otherwise　those　that　read　my　book　may　wonder　how　it　comes
to　pass；　that　my　discourse；　which　promises　an　account　of　laws　and
historical　facts；　contains　so　much　of　philosophy。　The　reader　is
therefore　to　know；　that　Moses　deemed　it　exceeding　necessary；　that
he　who　would　conduct　his　own　life　well；　and　give　laws　to　others；
in　the　first　place　should　consider　the　Divine　nature；　and；　upon
the　contemplation　of　God's　operations；　should　thereby　imitate　the
best　of　all　patterns；　so　far　as　it　is　possible　for　human　nature
to　do；　and　to　endeavor　to　follow　after　it：　neither　could　the
legislator　himself　have　a　right　mind　without　such　a
contemplation；　nor　would　any　thing　he　should　write　tend　to　the
promotion　of　virtue　in　his　readers；　I　mean；　unless　they　be　taught
first　of　all；　that　God　is　the　Father　and　Lord　of　all　things；　and
sees　all　things；　and　that　thence　he　bestows　a　happy　life　upon
those　that　follow　him；　but　plunges　such　as　do　not　walk　in　the
paths　of　virtue　into　inevitable　miseries。　Now　when　Moses　was
desirous　to　teach　this　lesson　to　his　countrymen；　he　did　not　begin
the　establishment　of　his　laws　after　the　same　manner　that　other
legislators　did；　I　mean；　upon　contracts　and　other　rights　between
one　man　and　another；　but　by　raising　their　minds　upwards　to　regard
God；　and　his　creation　of　the　world；　and　by　persuading　them；　that
we　men　are　the　most　excellent　of　the　creatures　of　God　upon　earth。
Now　when　once　he　had　brought　them　to　submit　to　religion；　he
easily　persuaded　them　to　submit　in　all　other　things：　for　as　to
other　legislators；　they　followed　fables；　and　by　their　discourses
transferred　the　most　reproachful　of　human　vices　unto　the　gods；
and　afforded　wicked　men　the　most　plausible　excuses　for　their
crimes；　but　as　for　our　legislator；　when　he　had　once　demonstrated
that　God　was　possessed　of　perfect　virtue；　he　supposed　that　men
also　ought　to　strive　after　the　participation　of　it；　and　on　those
who　did　not　so　think；　and　so　believe；　he　inflicted　the　severest
punishments。　I　exhort；　therefore；　my　readers　to　examine　this
whole　undertaking　in　that　view；　for　thereby　it　will　appear　to
them；　that　there　is　nothing　therein　disagreeable　either　to　the
majesty　of　God；　or　to　his　love　to　mankind；　for　all　things　have
here　a　reference　to　the　nature　of　the　universe；　while　our
legislator　speaks　some　things　wisely；　but　enigmatically；　and
others　under　a　decent　allegory；　but　still　explains　such　things　as
required　a　direct　explication　plainly　and　expressly。　However；
those　that　have　a　mind　to　know　the　reasons　of　every　thing；　may
find　here　a　very　curious　philosophical　theory；　which　I　now　indeed
shall　wave　the　explication　of；　but　if　God　afford　me　ti