the antiquities of the jews-1-第124节

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overcome　the　Samaritans　by　famine；　and　the　want　of　necessaries；
and　brought　his　army　upon　them；　and　besieged　the　city；　and　the
plenty　of　necessaries　was　brought　so　low　with　Joram；　that　from
the　extremity　of　want　an　ass's　head　was　sold　in　Samaria　for
fourscore　pieces　of　silver；　and　the　Hebrews　bought　a　sextary　of
dore's　dung；　instead　of　salt；　for　five　pieces　of　silver。　Now
Joram　was　in　fear　lest　somebody　should　betray　the　city　to　the
enemy；　by　reason　of　the　famine；　and　went　every　day　round　the
walls　and　the　guards　to　see　whether　any　such　were　concealed　among
them；　and　by　being　thus　seen；　and　taking　such　care；　he　deprived
them　of　the　opportunity　of　contriving　any　such　thing；　and　if　they
had　a　mind　to　do　it；　he；　by　this　means；　prevented　them：　but　upon
a　certain　woman's　crying　out；　〃Have　pity　on　me；　my　lord；〃　while
he　thought　that　she　was　about　to　ask　for　somewhat　to　eat；　he
imprecated　God's　curse　upon　her；　and　said　he　had　neither
thrashing…floor　nor　wine…press；　whence　he　might　give　her　any
thing　at　her　petition。　Upon　which　she　said　she　did　not　desire　his
aid　in　any　such　thing；　nor　trouble　him　about　food；　but　desired
that　he　would　do　her　justice　as　to　another　woman。　And　when　be
bade　her　say　on；　and　let　him　know　what　she　desired；　she　said　she
had　made　an　agreement　with　the　other　woman　who　was　her　neighbor
and　her　friend；　that　because　the　famine　and　want　was　intolerable；
they　should　kill　their　children；　each　of　them　having　a　son　of
their　own；　and　we　will　live　upon　them　ourselves　for　two　days；　the
one　day　upon　one　son；　and　the　other　day　upon　the　other；　and；〃
said　she；　I　have　killed　my　son　the　first　day；　and　we　lived　upon
my　son　yesterday；　but　this　other　woman　will　not　do　the　same
thing；　but　hath　broken　her　agreement；　and　hath　hid　her　son。〃　This
story　mightily　grieved　Joram　when　he　heard　it；　so　he　rent　his
garment；　and　cried　out　with　a　loud　voice；　and　conceived　great
wrath　against　Elisha　the　prophet；　and　set　himself　eagerly　to　have
him　slain；　because　he　did　not　pray　to　God　to　provide　them　some
exit　and　way　of　escape　out　of　the　miseries　with　which　they　were
surrounded；　and　sent　one　away　immediately　to　cut　off　his　head；
who　made　haste　to　kill　the　prophet。　But　Elisha　was　not
unacquainted　with　the　wrath　of　the　king　against　him；　for　as　he
sat　in　his　house　by　himself；　with　none　but　his　disciples　about
him；　he　told　them　that　Joram；　（10）　who　was　the　son　of　a　murderer；
had　sent　one　to　take　away　his　head；　〃but；〃　said　he；　〃when　he　that
is　commanded　to　do　this　comes；　take　care　that　you　do　not　let　him
come　in；　but　press　the　door　against　him；　and　hold　him　fast　there；
for　the　king　himself　will　follow　him；　and　come　to　me；　having
altered　his　mind。〃　Accordingly；　they　did　as　they　were　bidden；
when　he　that　was　sent　by　the　king　to　kill　Elisha　came。　But　Joram
repented　of　his　wrath　against　the　prophet；　and　for　fear　he　that
was　commanded　to　kill　him　should　have　done　it　before　he　came；　he
made　haste　to　hinder　his　slaughter；　and　to　save　the　prophet：　and
when　he　came　to　him；　he　accused　him　that　he　did　not　pray　to　God
for　their　deliverance　from　the　miseries　they　now　lay　under；　but
saw　them　so　sadly　destroyed　by　them。　Hereupon　Elisha　promised；
that　the　very　next　day；　at　the　very　same　hour　in　which　the　king
came　to　him；　they　should　have　great　plenty　of　food；　and　that　two
seahs　of　barley　should　be　sold　in　the　market　for　a　shekel；　and　a
seah　of　fine　flour　should　be　sold　for　a　shekel。　This　prediction
made　Joram；　and　those　that　were　present；　very　joyful；　for　they
did　not　scruple　believing　what　the　prophet　said；　on　account　of
the　experience　they　had　of　the　truth　of　his　former　predictions；
and　the　expectation　of　plenty　made　the　want　they　were　in　that
day；　with　the　uneasiness　that　accompanied　it；　appear　a　light
thing　to　them：　but　the　captain　of　the　third　band；　who　was　a
friend　of　the　king；　and　on　whose　hand　the　king　leaned；　said；
〃Thou　talkest　of　incredible　things；　O　prophet！　for　as　it　is
impossible　for　God　to　pour　down　torrents　of　barley；　or　fine
flour；　out　of　heaven；　so　is　it　impossible　that　what　thou　sayest
should　come　to　pass。〃　To　which　the　prophet　made　this　reply；〃　Thou
shalt　see　these　things　come　to　pass；　but　thou　shalt　not　be　in　the
least　a　partaker　of　them。〃

5。　Now　what　Elisha　had　thus　foretold　came　to　pass　in　the　manner
following：　There　was　a　law　at　Samaria　（11）　that　those　that　had
the　leprosy；　and　whose　bodies　were　not　cleansed　from　it；　should
abide　without　the　city：　and　there　were　four　men　that　on　this
account　abode　before　the　gates；　while　nobody　gave　them　any　food；
by　reason　of　the　extremity　of　the　famine；　and　as　they　were
prohibited　from　entering　into　the　city　by　the　law；　and　they
considered　that　if　they　were　permitted　to　enter；　they　should
miserably　perish　by　the　famine；　as　also；　that　if　they　staid　where
they　were；　they　should　suffer　in　the　same　manner；　…　they　resolved
to　deliver　themselves　up　to　the　enemy；　that　in　case　they　should
spare　them；　they　should　live；　but　if　they　should　be　killed；　that
would　be　an　easy　death。　So　when　they　had　confirmed　this　their
resolution；　they　came　by　night　to　the　enemy's　camp。　Now　God　had
begun　to　affright　and　disturb　the　Syrians；　and　to　bring　the　noise
of　chariots　and　armor　to　their　ears；　as　though　an　army　were
coming　upon　them；　and　had　made　them　suspect　that　it　was　coming
nearer　and　nearer　to　them　In　short；　they　were　in　such　a　dread　of
this　army；　that　they　left　their　tents；　and　ran　together　to
Benhadad；　and　said　that　Joram　the　king　of　Israel　had　hired　for
auxiliaries　both　the　king　of　Egypt　and　the　king　of　the　Islands；
and　led　them　against　them　for　they　heard　the　noise　of　them　as
they　were　coming。　And　Benhadad　believed　what　they　said　（for　there
came　the　same　noise　to　his　ears　as　well　as　it　did　to　theirs）；　so
they　fell　into　a　mighty　disorder　and　tumult；　and　left　their
horses　and　beasts　in　their　camp；　with　immense　riches　also；　and
betook　themselves　to　flight。　And　those　lepers　who　had　departed
from　Samaria；　and　were　gone　to　the　camp　of　the　Syrians；　of　whom
we　made　mention　a　little　before；　when　they　were　in　the　camp；　saw
nothing　but　great　quietness　and　silence：　accordingly　they　entered
into　it；　and　went　hastily　into　one　of　their　tents；　and　when　they
saw　nobody　there；　they　eat　and　drank；　and　carried　garments；　and　a
great　quantity　of　gold；　and　hid　it　out　of　the　camp；　after　which
they　went　into　another　tent；　and　carried　off　what　was　in　it；　as
they　did　at　the　former；　and　this　did　they　for　several　times；
without　the　least　interruption　from　any　body。　So　they　gathered
thereby　that　the　enemies　were　departed；　whereupon　they　reproached
themselves　that　they　did　not　inform　Joram　and　the　citizens　of　it。
So　they　came　to　the　walls　of　Samaria；　and　called　aloud　to　the
watchmen；　and　told　them　in　what　state　the　enemies　were；　as　did
these　tell　the　king's　guards；　by　whose　means　Joram　came　to　know
of　it；　who　then　sent　for　his　friends；　and　the　captains　of　his
host；　and　said　to　them；　that　he　suspected　that　this　departure　of
the　king　of　Syria　was　by　way　of　ambush　and　treachery；　and　that
out　of　despair　of　ruining　you　by　famine；　when　you　imagine　them　to
be　fled　away；　you　may　come　out　of　the　city　to　spoil　their　camp；
and　he　may　then　fall　upon　you　on　a　sudden；　and　may　both　kill　you；
and　take　the　city　without　fighting；　whence　it　is　that　I　exhort
you　to　guard　the　city　carefully；　and　by　no　means　to　go　out　of　it；
or　proudly　to　despise　your　enemies；　as　though　they　were　really
gone　away。〃　And　when　a　certain　person　said　that　he　did　very　well
and　wisely　to　admit　such　a　suspicion；　but　that　he　still　advised
him　to　send　a　couple　of　horsemen　to　search　all　the　country　as　far
as　Jordan；　that　〃if　they　were　seized　by　an　ambush　of　the　enemy；
they　might　be　a　security　to　your　army；　that　they　may　not　go　out
as　if　they　suspected　nothing；　nor　undergo　the　like　misfortune；
and；〃　said　he；　〃those　horsemen　may　be　numbered　among　those　that
have　died　by　the　famine；　supposing　they　be　caught　and　destroyed
by　the　enemy。〃　So　the　king　was　pleased　with　this　opinion；　and
sent　such　as　might　search　out　the　truth；　who　performed　their
journey　over　a　road　that　was　without　any　enemies；　but　found　it
full　of　provisions；　and　of　weapons；　that　they　had　therefore
thrown　away；　and　left　behind　them；　in　order　to　their　being　light
and　expeditious　in　their　flight。　When　the　king　heard　this；　he
sent　out　the　multitude　to　take　the　spoils　of　the　camp；　which
gains　of　theirs　were　not　of　things　of　small　value；　but　they　took
a　great　quantity　of　gold；　and　a　great　quantity　of　silver；　and
flocks　of　all　kinds　of　cattle。　They　also　possessed　themselves　of
＇so　many＇　ten　thousand　measures　of　wheat　and　barley；　as　they
never　in　the　least　dreamed　of；　and　were　not　only　freed　from　their
former　miseries；　but　had　such　plenty；　that　two　seahs　of　barley
were　bought　for　a　shekel；　and　a　seah　of　fine　flour　for　a　shekel；
according　to　the　prophecy　of　Elisha。　Now　a　seah　is　equal　to　an
Italian　modius　and　a　half。　The　captain　of　the　third　band　was　the
only　man　that　received　no　benefit　by　this　plenty；　for　as　he　was
appointed　by　the　king　to　oversee　the　gate；　that　lm　might　prevent
the　too　great　crowd　of　the　multitude；　and　they　might　not　endanger
one　another　to　perish；　by　treading　on　one　another　in　the　press；
he　suff