the antiquities of the jews-1-第111节

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this　time　was　larger　and　finer　than　any　that　had　ever　been
brought　before；　but　let　no　one　imagine　that　these　pine　trees　were
like　those　which　are　now　so　named；　and　which　take　that　their
denomination　from　the　merchants；　who　so　call　them；　that　they　may
procure　them　to　be　admired　by　those　that　purchase　them；　for　those
we　speak　of　were　to　the　sight　like　the　wood　of　the　fig　tree；　but
were　whiter；　and　more　shining。　Now　we　have　said　thus　much；　that
nobody　may　be　ignorant　of　the　difference　between　these　sorts　of
wood；　nor　unacquainted　with　the　nature　of　the　genuine　pine　tree；
and　we　thought　it　both　a　seasonable　and　humane　thing；　when　we
mentioned　it；　and　the　uses　the　king　made　of　it；　to　explain　this
difference　so　far　as　we　have　done。

2。　Now　the　weight　of　gold　that　was　brought　him　was　six　hundred
and　sixty…six　talents；　not　including　in　that　sum　what　was　brought
by　the　merchants；　nor　what　the　toparchs　and　kings　of　Arabia　gave
him　in　presents。　He　also　cast　two　hundred　targets　of　gold；　each
of　them　weighing　six　hundred　shekels。　He　also　made　three　hundred
shields；　every　one　weighing　three　pounds　of　gold；　and　he　had　them
carried　and　put　into　that　house　which　was　called　The　Forest　of
Lebanon。　He　also　made　cups　of　gold；　and　of　＇precious＇　stones；　for
the　entertainment　of　his　guests；　and　had　them　adorned　in　the　most
artificial　manner；　and　he　contrived　that　all　his　other　furniture
of　vessels　should　be　of　gold；　for　there　was　nothing　then　to　be
sold　or　bought　for　silver；　for　the　king　had　many　ships　which　lay
upon　the　sea　of　Tarsus；　these　he　commanded　to　carry　out　all　sorts
of　merchandise　unto　the　remotest　nations；　by　the　sale　of　which
silver　and　gold　were　brought　to　the　king；　and　a　great　quantity　of
ivory；　and　Ethiopians；　and　apes；　and　they　finished　their　voyage；
going　and　returning；　in　three　years'　time。

3。　Accordingly　there　went　a　great　fame　all　around　the　neighboring
countries；　which　proclaimed　the　virtue　and　wisdom　of　Solomon；
insomuch　that　all　the　kings　every　where　were　desirous　to　see　him；
as　not　giving　credit　to　what　was　reported；　on　account　of　its
being　almost　incredible：　they　also　demonstrated　the　regard　they
had　for　him　by　the　presents　they　made　him；　for　they　sent　him
vessels　of　gold；　and　silver；　and　purple　garments；　and　many　sorts
of　spices；　and　horses；　and　chariots；　and　as　many　mules　for　his
carriages　as　they　could　find　proper　to　please　the　king's　eyes；　by
their　strength　and　beauty。　This　addition　that　he　made　to　those
chariots　and　horses　which　he　had　before　from　those　that　were　sent
him；　augmented　the　number　of　his　chariots　by　above　four　hundred；
for　he　had　a　thousand　before；　and　augmented　the　number　of　his
horses　by　two　thousand；　for　he　had　twenty　thousand　before。　These
horses　also　were　so　much　exercised；　in　order　to　their　making　a
fine　appearance；　and　running　swiftly；　that　no　others　could；　upon
the　comparison；　appear　either　finer　or　swifter；　but　they　were　at
once　the　most　beautiful　of　all　others；　and　their　swiftness　was
incomparable　also。　Their　riders　also　were　a　further　ornament　to
them；　being；　in　the　first　place；　young　men　in　the　most　delightful
flower　of　their　age；　and　being　eminent　for　their　largeness；　and
far　taller　than　other　men。　They　had　also　very　long　heads　of　hair
hanging　down；　and　were　clothed　in　garments　of　Tyrian　purple。　They
had　also　dust　of　gold　every　day　sprinkled　on　their　hair；　so　that
their　heads　sparkled　with　the　reflection　of　the　sun…beams　from
the　gold。　The　king　himself　rode　upon　a　chariot　in　the　midst　of
these　men；　who　were　still　in　armor；　and　had　their　bows　fitted　to
them。　He　had　on　a　white　garment；　and　used　to　take　his　progress
out　of　the　city　in　the　morning。　There　was　a　certain　place　about
fifty　furlongs　distant　from　Jerusalem；　which　is　called　Etham；
very　pleasant　it　is　in　fine　gardens；　and　abounding　in　rivulets　of
water；　（18）　thither　did　he　use　to　go　out　in　the　morning；　sitting
on　high　＇in　his　chariot。＇

4。　Now　Solomon　had　a　divine　sagacity　in　all　things；　and　was　very
diligent　and　studious　to　have　things　done　after　an　elegant
manner；　so　he　did　not　neglect　the　care　of　the　ways；　but　he　laid　a
causeway　of　black　stone　along　the　roads　that　led　to　Jerusalem；
which　was　the　royal　city；　both　to　render　them　easy　for　travelers；
and　to　manifest　the　grandeur　of　his　riches　and　government。　He
also　parted　his　chariots；　and　set　them　in　a　regular　order；　that　a
certain　number　of　them　should　be　in　every　city；　still　keeping　a
few　about　him；　and　those　cities　he　called　the　cities　of　his
chariots。　And　the　king　made　silver　as　plentiful　in　Jerusalem　as
stones　in　the　street；　and　so　multiplied　cedar　trees　in　the　plains
of　Judea；　which　did　not　grow　there　before；　that　they　were　like
the　multitude　of　common　sycamore　trees。　He　also　ordained　the
Egyptian　merchants　that　brought　him　their　merchandise　to　sell　him
a　chariot；　with　a　pair　of　horses；　for　six　hundred　drachmae　of
silver；　and　he　sent　them　to　the　kings　of　Syria；　and　to　those
kings　that　were　beyond　Euphrates。

5。　But　although　Solomon　was　become　the　most　glorious　of　kings；
and　the　best　beloved　by　God；　and　had　exceeded　in　wisdom　and
riches　those　that　had　been　rulers　of　the　Hebrews　before　him；　yet
did　not　he　persevere　in　this　happy　state　till　he　died。　Nay；　he
forsook　the　observation　of　the　laws　of　his　fathers；　and　came　to
an　end　no　way　suitable　to　our　foregoing　history　of　him。　He　grew
mad　in　his　love　of　women；　and　laid　no　restraint　on　himself　in　his
lusts；　nor　was　he　satisfied　with　the　women　of　his　country　alone；
but　he　married　many　wives　out　of　foreign　nations；　Sidontans；　and
Tyrians；　and　Ammonites；　and　Edomites；　and　he　transgressed　the
laws　of　Moses；　which　forbade　Jews　to　marry　any　but　those　that
were　of　their　own　people。　He　also　began　to　worship　their　gods；
which　he　did　in　order　to　the　gratification　of　his　wives；　and　out
of　his　affection　for　them。　This　very　thing　our　legislator
suspected；　and　so　admonished　us　beforehand；　that　we　should　not
marry　women　of　other　countries；　lest　we　should　be　entangled　with
foreign　customs；　and　apostatize　from　our　own；　lest　we　should
leave　off　to　honor　our　own　God；　and　should　worship　their　gods。
But　Solomon　was　Gllen　headlong　into　unreasonable　pleasures；　and
regarded　not　those　admonitions；　for　when　he　had　married　seven
hundred　wives；　（19）　the　daughters　of　princes　and　of　eminent
persons；　and　three　hundred　concubines；　and　those　besides　the　king
of　Egypt's　daughter；　he　soon　was　governed　by　them；　till　he　came
to　imitate　their　practices。　He　was　forced　to　give　them　this
demonstration　of　his　kindness　and　affection　to　them；　to　live
according　to　the　laws　of　their　countries。　And　as　he　grew　into
years；　and　his　reason　became　weaker　by　length　of　time；　it　was　not
sufficient　to　recall　to　his　mind　the　institutions　of　his　own
country；　so　he　still　more　and　more　contemned　his　own　God；　and
continued　to　regard　the　gods　that　his　marriages　had　introduced
nay；　before　this　happened；　he　sinned；　and　fell　into　an　error
about　the　observation　of　the　laws；　when　he　made　the　images　of
brazen　oxen　that　supported　the　brazen　sea；　（20）　and　the　images　of
lions　about　his　own　throne；　for　these　he　made；　although　it　was
not　agreeable　to　piety　so　to　do；　and　this　he　did；　notwithstanding
that　he　had　his　father　as　a　most　excellent　and　domestic　pattern
of　virtue；　and　knew　what　a　glorious　character　he　had　left　behind
him；　because　of　his　piety　towards　God。　Nor　did　he　imitate　David；
although　God　had　twice　appeared　to　him　in　his　sleep；　and　exhorted
him　to　imitate　his　father。　So　he　died　ingloriously。　There　came
therefore　a　prophet　to　him；　who　was　sent　by　God；　and　told　him
that　his　wicked　actions　were　not　concealed　from　God；　and
threatened　him　that　he　should　not　long　rejoice　in　what　he　had
done；　that；　indeed；　the　kingdom　should　not　be　taken　from　him
while　he　was　alive；　because　God　had　promised　to　his　father　David
that　he　would　make　him　his　successor；　but　that　he　would　take　care
that　this　should　befall　his　son　when　he　：was　dead；　not　that　he
would　withdraw　all　the　people　from　him；　but　that　he　would　give
ten　tribes　to　a　servant　of　his；　and　leave　only　two　tribes　to
David's　grandson　for　his　sake；　because　he　loved　God；　and　for　the
sake　of　the　city　of　Jerusalem；　wherein　he　should　have　a　temple。

6。　When　Solomon　heard　this　he　was　grieved；　and　greatly
confounded；　upon　this　change　of　almost　all　that　happiness　which
had　made　him　to　be　admired；　into　so　bad　a　state；　nor　had　there
much　time　passed　after　the　prophet　had　foretold　what　was　coming
before　God　raised　up　an　enemy　against　him；　whose　name　was　Ader；
who　took　the　following　occasion　of　his　enmity　to　him。　He　was　a
child　of　the　stock　of　the　Edomites；　and　of　the　blood　royal；　and
when　Joab；　the　captain　of　David's　host；　laid　waste　the　land　of
Edom；　and　destroyed　all　that　were　men　grown；　and　able　to　bear
arms；　for　six　months'　time；　this　Hadad　fled　away；　and　came　to
Pharaoh　the　king　of　Egypt；　who　received　him　kindly；　and　assigned
him　a　house　to　dwell　in；　and　a　country　to　supply　him　with　food；
and　when　he　was　grown　up　he　loved　him　exceedingly；　insomuch　that
he　gave　him　his　wife's　sister；　whose　name　was　Tahpenes；　to　wife；
by　whom　he　had　a　son；　who　was　brought　up　with　the　king's
children。　When　Hadad　heard　in　Egypt　that　both　David　and　Joab