the antiquities of the jews-1-第142节

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Babylon。　So　he　took　upon　him　the　management　of　public　affairs；
and　of　the　kingdom　which　had　been　kept　for　him　by　one　that　was
the　principal　of　the　Chaldeans；　and　he　received　the　entire
dominions　of　his　father；　and　appointed；　that　when　the　captives
came；　they　should　be　placed　as　colonies；　in　the　most　proper
places　of　Babylonia；　but　then　he　adorned　the　temple　of　Belus；　and
the　rest　of　the　temples；　in　a　magnificent　manner；　with　the　spoils
he　had　taken　in　the　war。　He　also　added　another　city　to　that　which
was　there　of　old；　and　rebuilt　it；　that　such　as　would　besiege　it
hereafter　might　no　more　turn　the　course　of　the　river；　and　thereby
attack　the　city　itself。　He　therefore　built　three　walls　round
about　the　inner　city；　and　three　others　about　that　which　was　the
outer；　and　this　he　did　with　burnt　brick。　And　after　he　had；　after
a　becoming　manner；　walled　the　city；　and　adorned　its　gates
gloriously；　he　built　another　palace　before　his　father's　palace；
but　so　that　they　joined　to　it；　to　describe　whose　vast　height　and
immense　riches　it　would　perhaps　be　too　much　for　me　to　attempt；
yet　as　large　and　lofty　as　they　were；　they　were　completed　in
fifteen　days。　（22）　He　also　erected　elevated　places　for　walking；
of　stone；　and　made　it　resemble　mountains；　and　built　it　so　that　it
might　be　planted　with　all　sorts　of　trees。　He　also　erected　what
was　called　a　pensile　paradise；　because　his　wife　was　desirous　to
have　things　like　her　own　country；　she　having　been　bred　up　in　the
palaces　of　Media。〃　Megasthenes　also；　in　his　fourth　book　of　his
Accounts　of　India；　makes　mention。　of　these　things；　and　thereby
endeavors　to　show　that　this　king　＇Nebuchadnezzar＇　exceeded
Hercules　in　fortitude；　and　in　the　greatness　of　his　actions；　for
he　saith　that　he　conquered　a　great　part　of　Libya　and　Iberia。
Diocles　also；　in　the　second　book　of　his　Accounts　of　Persia；
mentions　this　king；　as　does　Philostrates　in　his　Accounts　both　of
India　and　of　Phoenicia；　say；　that　this　king　besieged　Tyre
thirteen　years；　while　at　the　same　time　Ethbaal　reigned　at　Tyre。
These　are　all　the　histories　that　I　have　met　with　concerning　this
king。

2。　But　now；　after　the　death　of　Nebuchadnezzar；　Evil…Merodach　his
son　succeeded　in　the　kingdom；　who　immediately　set　Jeconiah　at
liberty；　and　esteemed　him　among　his　most　intimate　friends。　He
also　gave　him　many　presents；　and　made　him　honorable　above　the
rest　of　the　kings　that　were　in　Babylon；　for　his　father　had　not
kept　his　faith　with　Jeconiah；　when　he　voluntarily　delivered　up
himself　to　him；　with　his　wives　and　children；　and　his　whole
kindred；　for　the　sake　of　his　country；　that　it　might　not　be　taken
by　siege；　and　utterly　destroyed；　as　we　said　before。　When
Evil…Mcrodach　was　dead；　after　a　reign　of　eighteen　years；
Niglissar　his　son　took　the　government；　and　retained　it　forty
years；　and　then　ended　his　life；　and　after　him　the　succession　in
the　kingdom　came　to　his　son　Labosordacus；　who　continued　in　it　in
all　but　nine　months；　and　when　he　was　dead；　it　came　to　Baltasar；
（23）　who　by　the　Babylonians　was　called　Naboandelus；　against　him
did　Cyrus；　the　king　of　Persia；　and　Darius；　the　king　of　Media；
make　war；　and　when　he　was　besieged　in　Babylon；　there　happened　a
wonderful　and　prodigious　vision。　He　was　sat　down　at　supper　in　a
large　room；　and　there　were　a　great　many　vessels　of　silver；　such
as　were　made　for　royal　entertainments；　and　he　had　with　him　his
concubines　and　his　friends；　whereupon　he　came　to　a　resolution；
and　commanded　that　those　vessels　of　God　which　Nebuchadnezzar　had
plundered　out　of　Jerusalem；　and　had　not　made　use　of；　but　had　put
them　into　his　own　temple；　should　be　brought　out　of　that　temple。
He　also　grew　so　haughty　as　to　proceed　to　use　them　in　the　midst　of
his　cups；　drinking　out　of　them；　and　blaspheming　against　God。　In
the　mean　time；　he　saw　a　hand　proceed　out　of　the　wall；　and　writing
upon　the　wall　certain　syllables；　at　which　sight；　being　disturbed；
he　called　the　magicians　and　Chaldeans　together；　and　all　that　sort
of　men　that　are　among　these　barbarians；　and　were　able　to
interpret　signs　and　dreams；　that　they　might　explain　the　writing
to　him。　But　when　the　magicians　said　they　could　discover　nothing；
nor　did　understand　it；　the　king　was　in　great　disorder　of　mind；
and　under　great　trouble　at　this　surprising　accident；　so　he　caused
it　to　be　proclaimed　through　all　the　country；　and　promised；　that
to　him　who　could　explain　the　writing；　and　give　the　signification
couched　therein；　he　would　give　him　a　golden　chain　for　his　neck；
and　leave　to　wear　a　purple　garment；　as　did　the　kings　of　Chaldea；
and　would　bestow　on　him　the　third　part　of　his　own　dominions。　When
this　proclamation　was　made；　the　magicians　ran　together　more
earnestly；　and　were　very　ambitious　to　find　out　the　importance　of
the　writing；　but　still　hesitated　about　it　as　much　as　before。　Now
when　the　king's　grandmother　saw　him　cast　down　at　this　accident；
（24）　she　began　to　encourage　him；　and　to　say；　that　there　was　a
certain　captive　who　came　from　Judea；　a　Jew　by　birth；　but　brought
away　thence　by　Nebuchadnezzar　when　he　had　destroyed　Jerusalem；
whose　name　was　Daniel；　a　wise　man；　and　one　of　great　sagacity　in
finding　out　what　was　impossible　for　others　to　discover；　and　what
was　known　to　God　alone；　who　brought　to　light　and　answered　such
questions　to　Nebuchadnezzar　as　no　one　else　was　able　to　answer
when　they　were　consulted。　She　therefore　desired　that　he　would
send　for　him；　and　inquire　of　him　concerning　the　writing；　and　to
condemn　the　unskilfulness　of　those　that　could　not　find　their
meaning；　and　this；　although　what　God　signified　thereby　should　be
of　a　melancholy　nature。

3。　When　Baltasar　heard　this；　he　called　for　Daniel；　and　when　he
had　discoursed　to　him　what　he　had　learned　concerning　him　and　his
wisdom；　and　how　a　Divine　Spirit　was　with　him；　and　that　he　alone
was　fully　capable　of　finding　out　what　others　would　never　have
thought　of；　he　desired　him　to　declare　to　him　what　this　writing
meant；　that　if　he　did　so；　he　would　give　him　leave　to　wear　purple；
and　to　put　a　chain　of　gold　about　his　neck；　and　would　bestow　on
him　the　third　part　of　his　dominion；　as　an　honorary　reward　for　his
wisdom；　that　thereby　he　might　become　illustrious　to　those　who　saw
him；　and　who　inquired　upon　what　occasion　he　obtained　such　honors。
But　Daniel　desired　that　he　would　keep　his　gifts　to　himself；　for
what　is　the　effect　of　wisdom　and　of　Divine　revelation　admits　of
no　gifts；　and　bestows　its　advantages　on　petitioners　freely；　but
that　still　he　would　explain　the　writing　to　him；　which　denoted
that　he　should　soon　die；　and　this　because　he　had　not　learnt　to
honor　God；　and　not　to　admit　things　above　human　nature；　by　what
punishments　his　progenitor　had　undergone　for　the　injuries　he　had
offered　to　God；　and　because　he　had　quite　forgotten　how
Nebuchadnezzar　was　removed　to　feed　among　wild　beasts　for　his
impieties；　and　did　not　recover　his　former　life　among　men　and　his
kingdom；　but　upon　God's　mercy　to　him；　after　many　supplications
and　prayers；　who　did　thereupon　praise　God　all　the　days　of　his
life；　as　one　of　almighty　power；　and　who　takes　care　of　mankind。
＇He　also　put　him　in　mind＇　how　he　had　greatly　blasphemed　against
God；　and　had　made　use　of　his　vessels　amongst　his　concubines；　that
therefore　God　saw　this；　and　was　angry　with　him；　and　declared　by
this　writing　beforehand　what　a　sad　conclusion　of　his　life　he
should　come　to。　And　he　explained　the　writing　thus：〃　MANEH。　This；
if　it　be　expounded　in　the　Greek　language；　may　signify　a　Number；
because　God　hath　numbered　so　long　a　time　for　thy　life；　and　for
thy　government；　and　that　there　remains　but　a　small　portion。
THEKEL　This　signifies　a　weight；　and　means　that　God　hath　weighed
thy　kingdom　in　a　balance；　and　finds　it　going　down
already。PHARES。　This　also；　in　the　Greek　tongue；　denotes　a
fragment；。　God　will　therefore　break　thy　kingdom　in　pieces；　and
divide　it　among　the　Medes　and　Persians。〃

4。　When　Daniel　had　told　the　king　that　the　writing　upon　the　wall
signified　these　events；　Baltasar　was　in　great　sorrow　and
affliction；　as　was　to　be　expected；　when　the　interpretation　was　so
heavy　upon　him。　However；　he　did　not　refuse　what　he　had　promised
Daniel；　although　he　were　become　a　foreteller　of　misfortunes　to
him；　but　bestowed　it　all　upon　him；　as　reasoning　thus；　that　what
he　was　to　reward　was　peculiar　to　himself；　and　to　fate；　and　did
not　belong　to　the　prophet；　but　that　it　was　the　part　of　a　good　and
a　just　man　to　give　what　he　had　promised；　although　the　events　were
of　a　melancholy　nature。　Accordingly；　the　king　determined　so　to
do。　Now；　after　a　little　while；　both　himself　and　the　city　were
taken　by　Cyrus；　the　king　of　Persia；　who　fought　against　him；　for
it　was　Baltasar；　under　whom　Babylon　was　taken；　when　he　had
reigned　seventeen　years。　And　this　is　the　end　of　the　posterity　of
king　Nebuchadnezzar；　as　history　informs　us；　but　when　Babylon　was
taken　by　Darius；　and　when　he；　with　his　kinsman　Cyrus；　had　put　an
end　to　the　dominion　of　the　Babylonians；　he　was　sixty…two　years
old。　He　was　the　son　of　Astyages；　and　had　another　name　among　the
Greeks。　Moreover；　he　took　Daniel　the　prophet；　and　carried　him
with　him　into　Media；　and　honored　him　very　greatly；　and　kept　him
with　him；　for　he　was　one　of　the　three　presidents　whom　he　set　over
his　three　hundred　and　sixty　provinces；　for　into　so　man