the antiquities of the jews-1-第141节

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informed　the　king　of　what　Daniel　desired。　So　the　king　bid　them
delay　the　slaughter　of　the　magicians　till　he　knew　what　Daniel's
promise　would　come　to；　but　the　young　man　retired　to　his　own
house；　with　his　kinsmen；　and　besought　God　that　whole　night　to
discover　the　dream；　and　thereby　deliver　the　magicians　and
Chaldeans；　with　whom　they　were　themselves　to　perish；　from　the
king's　anger；　by　enabling　him　to　declare　his　vision；　and　to　make
manifest　what　the　king　had　seen　the　night　before　in　his　sleep；
but　had　forgotten　it。　Accordingly；　God；　out　of　pity　to　those　that
were　in　danger；　and　out　of　regard　to　the　wisdom　of　Daniel；　made
known　to　him　the　dream　and　its　interpretation；　that　so　the　king
might　understand　by　him　its　signification　also。　When　Daniel　had
obtained　this　knowledge　from　God；　he　arose　very　joyful；　and　told
it　his　brethren；　and　made　them　glad；　and　to　hope　well　that　they
should　now　preserve　their　lives；　of　which　they　despaired　before；
and　had　their　minds　full　of　nothing　but　the　thoughts　of　dying。　So
when　he　had　with　them　returned　thanks　to　God；　who　had
commiserated　their　youth；　when　it　was　day　he　came　to　Arioch；　and
desired　him　to　bring　him　to　the　king；　because　he　would　discover
to　him　that　dream　which　he　had　seen　the　night　before。

4。　When　Daniel　was　come　in　to　the　king；　he　excused　himself　first；
that　he　did　not　pretend　to　be　wiser　than　the　other　Chaldeans　and
magicians；　when；　upon　their　entire　inability　to　discover　his
dream；　he　was　undertaking　to　inform　him　of　it；　for　this　was　not
by　his　own　skill；　or　on　account　of　his　having　better　cultivated
his　understanding　than　the　rest；　but　he　said；　〃God　hath　had　pity
upon　us；　when　we　were　in　danger　of　death；　and　when　I　prayed　for
the　life　of　myself；　and　of　those　of　my　own　nation；　hath　made
manifest　to　me　both　the　dream；　and　the　interpretation　thereof；
for　I　was　not　less　concerned　for　thy　glory　than　for　the　sorrow
that　we　were　by　thee　condemned　to　die；　while　thou　didst　so
unjustly　command　men；　both　good　and　excellent　in　themselves；　to
be　put　to　death；　when　thou　enjoinedst　them　to　do　what　was
entirely　above　the　reach　of　human　wisdom；　and　requiredst　of　them
what　was　only　the　work　of　God。　Wherefore；　as　thou　in　thy　sleep
wast　solicitous　concerning　those　that　should　succeed　thee　in　the
government　of　the　whole　world；　God　was　desirous　to　show　thee　all
those　that　should　reign　after　thee；　and　to　that　end　exhibited　to
thee　the　following　dream：　Thou　seemedst　to　see　a　great　image
standing　before　thee；　the　head　of　which　proved　to　be　of　gold；　the
shoulders　and　arms　of　silver；　and　the　belly　and　the　thighs　of
brass；　but　the　legs　and　the　feet　of　iron；　after　which　thou　sawest
a　stone　broken　off　from　a　mountain；　which　fell　upon　the　image；
and　threw　it　down；　and　brake　it　to　pieces；　and　did　not　permit　any
part　of　it　to　remain　whole；　but　the　gold；　the　silver；　the　brass；
and　the　iron；　became　smaller　than　meal；　which；　upon　the　blast　of
a　violent　wind；　was　by　force　carried　away；　and　scattered　abroad；
but　the　stone　did　increase　to　such　a　degree；　that　the　whole　earth
beneath　it　seemed　to　be　filled　therewith。　This　is　the　dream　which
thou　sawest；　and　its　interpretation　is　as　follows：　The　head　of
gold　denotes　thee；　and　the　kings　of　Babylon　that　have　been　before
thee；　but　the　two　hands　and　arms　signify　this；　that　your
government　shall　be　dissolved　by　two　kings；　but　another　king　that
shall　come　from　the　west；　armed　with　brass；　shall　destroy　that
government；　and　another　government；　that　shall　be　like　unto　iron；
shall　put　an　end　to　the　power　of　the　former；　and　shall　have
dominion　over　all　the　earth；　on　account　of　the　nature　of　iron；
which　is　stronger　than　that　of　gold；　of　silver；　and　of　brass。〃
Daniel　did　also　declare　the　meaning　of　the　stone　to　the　king　（18）
but　I　do　not　think　proper　to　relate　it；　since　I　have　only
undertaken　to　describe　things　past　or　things　present；　but　not
things　that　are　future；　yet　if　any　one　be　so　very　desirous　of
knowing　truth；　as　not　to　wave　such　points　of　curiosity；　and
cannot　curb　his　inclination　for　understanding　the　uncertainties
of　futurity；　and　whether　they　will　happen　or　not；　let　him　be
diligent　in　reading　the　book　of　Daniel；　which　he　will　find　among
the　sacred　writings。

5。　When　Nebuchadnezzar　heard　this；　and　recollected　his　dream；　he
was　astonished　at　the　nature　of　Daniel；　and　fell　upon　his　knee；
and　saluted　Daniel　in　the　manner　that　men　worship　God；　and　gave
command　that　he　should　be　sacrificed　to　as　a　god。　And　this　was
not　all；　for　he　also　imposed　the　name；　of　his　own　god　upon　him；
＇Baltasar；＇　and　made　him　and　his　kinsmen　rulers　of　his　whole
kingdom；　which　kinsmen　of　his　happened　to　fall　into　great　danger
by　the　envy　and　malice　＇of　their　enemies＇；　for　they　offended　the
king　upon　the　occasion　following：　he　made　an　image　of　gold；　whose
height　was　sixty　cubits；　and　its　breadth　six　cubits；　and　set　it
in　the　great　plain　of　Babylon；　and　when　he　was　going　to　dedicate
the　image；　he　invited　the　principal　men　out　of　all　the　earth　that
was　under　his　dominions；　and　commanded　them；　in　the　first　place；
that　when　they　should　hear　the　sound　of　the　trumpet；　they　should
then　fall　down　and　worship　the　image；　and　he　threatened；　that
those　who　did　not　so；　should　be　cast　into　a　fiery　furnace。　When
therefore　all　the　rest；　upon　the　hearing　of　the　sound　of　the
trumpet；　worshipped　the　image；　they　relate　that　Daniel's　kinsmen
did　not　do　it；　because　they　would　not　transgress　the　laws　of
their　country。　So　these　men　were　convicted；　and　cast　immediately
into　the　fire；　but　were　saved　by　Divine　Providence；　and　after　a
surprising　manner　escaped　death；　for　the　fire　did　not　touch　them；
and　I　suppose　that　it　touched　them　not；　as　if　it　reasoned　with
itself；　that　they　were　cast　into　it　without　any　fault　of　theirs；
and　that　therefore　it　was　too　weak　to　burn　the　young　men　when
they　were　in　it。　This　was　done　by　the　power　of　God；　who　made
their　bodies　so　far　superior　to　the　fire；　that　it　could　not
consume　them。　This　it　was　which　recommended　them　to　the　king　as
righteous　men；　and　men　beloved　of　God；　on　which　account　they
continued　in　great　esteem　with　him。

6。　A　little　after　this　the　king　saw　in　his　sleep　again　another
vision；　how　he　should　fall　from　his　dominion；　and　feed　among　the
wild　beasts；　and　that　when　he　halt　lived　in　this　manner　in　the
desert　for　seven　years；　（19）　he　should　recover　his　dominion
again。　When　he　had　seen　this　dream；　he　called　the　magicians
together　again；　and　inquired　of　them　about　it；　and　desired　them
to　tell　him　what　it　signified；　but　when　none　of　them　could　find
out　the　meaning　of　the　dream；　nor　discover　it　to　the　king；　Daniel
was　the　only　person　that　explained　it；　and　as　he　foretold；　so　it
came　to　pass；　for　after　he　had　continued　in　the　wilderness　the
forementioned　interval　of　time；　while　no　one　durst　attempt　to
seize　his　kingdom　during　those　seven　years；　he　prayed　to　God　that
he　might　recover　his　kingdom；　and　he　returned　to　it。　But　let　no
one　blame　me　for　writing　down　every　thing　of　this　nature；　as　I
find　it　in　our　ancient　books；　for　as　to　that　matter；　I　have
plainly　assured　those　that　think　me　defective　in　any　such　point；
or　complain　of　my　management；　and　have　told　them　in　the　beginning
of　this　history；　that　I　intended　to　do　no　more　than　translate　the
Hebrew　books　into　the　Greek　language；　and　promised　them　to
explain　those　facts；　without　adding　any　thing　to　them　of　my　own；
or　taking　any　thing　away　from　there。

CHAPTER　11。

Concerning　Nebuchadnezzar　And　His　Successors　And　How　Their
Government　Was　Dissolved　By　The　Persians；　And　What　Things　Befell
DanieL　In　Media；　And　What　PropHecies　He　Delivered　There。

1。　Now　when　king　Nebuchadnezzar　had　reigned　forty…three　years；
（20）　he　ended　his　life。　He　was　an　active　man；　and　more　fortunate
than　the　kings　that　were　before　him。　Now　Berosus　makes　mention　of
his　actions　in　the　third　book　of　his　Chaldaic　History；　where　he
says　thus：　〃When　his　father　Nebuchodonosor　＇Nabopollassar＇　heard
that　the　governor　whom　he　had　set　over　Egypt；　and　the　places
about　Coelesyria　and　Phoenicia；　had　revolted　from　him；　while　he
was　not　himself　able　any　longer　to　undergo　the　hardships　＇of
war＇；　he　committed　to　his　son　Nebuchadnezzar；　who　was　still　but　a
youth；　some　parts　of　his　army；　and　sent　them　against　him。　So　when
Nebuchadnezzar　had　given　battle；　and　fought　with　the　rebel；　he
beat　him；　and　reduced　the　country　from　under　his　subjection；　and
made　it　a　branch　of　his　own　kingdom；　but　about　that　time　it
happened　that　his　father　Nebuchodonosor　＇Nabopollassar＇　fell　ill；
and　ended　his　life　in　the　city　Babylon；　when　he　had　reigned
twenty…one　years；　（21）　and　when　he　was　made　sensible；　as　he　was
in　a　little　time；　that　his　father　Nebuchodonosor　＇Nabopollassar＇
was　dead；　and　having　settled　the　affairs　of　Egypt；　and　the　other
countries；　as　also　those　that　concerned　the　captive　Jews；　and
Phoenicians；　and　Syrians；　and　those　of　the　Egyptian　nations；　and
having　committed　the　conveyance　of　them　to　Babylon　to　certain　of
his　friends；　together　with　the　gross　of　his　army；　and　the　rest　of
their　ammunition　and　provisions；　he　went　himself　hastily；
accompanied　with　a　few　others；　over　the　desert；　and　came　to
Babylon。　So　he　took　upon　him　the　management　of　public　affairs；