the antiquities of the jews-1-第183节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


He　Himself　Died。

1。　Now　when　their　father　Hyrcanus　was　dead；　the　eldest　son
Aristobulus；　intending　to　change　the　government　into　a　kingdom；
for　so　he　resolved　to　do；　first　of　all　put　a　diadem　on　his　head；
four　hundred　eighty　and　one　years　and　three　months　after　the
people　had　been　delivered　from　the　Babylonish　slavery；　and　were
returned　to　their　own　country　again。　This　Aristobulus　loved　his
next　brother　Antigonus；　and　treated　him　as　his　equal；　but　the
others　he　held　in　bonds。　He　also　cast　his　mother　into　prison；
because　she　disputed　the　government　with　him；　for　Hyrcanus　had
left　her　to　be　mistress　of　all。　He　also　proceeded　to　that　degree
of　barbarity；　as　to　kill　her　in　prison　with　hunger；　nay；　he　was
alienated　from　his　brother　Antigonus　by　calumnies；　and　added　him
to　the　rest　whom　he　slew；　yet　he　seemed　to　have　an　affection　for
him；　and　made　him　above　the　rest　a　partner　with　him　in　the
kingdom。　Those　calumnies　he　at　first　did　not　give　credit　to；
partly　because　he　loved　him；　and　so　did　not　give　heed　to　what　was
said　against　him；　and　partly　because　he　thought　the　reproaches
were　derived　from　the　envy　of　the　relaters。　But　when　Antigonus
was　once　returned　from　the　army；　and　that　feast　was　then　at　hand
when　they　make　tabernacles　to　＇the　honor　of　God；＇　it　happened
that　Arlstobulus　was　fallen　sick；　and　that　Antigonus　went　up　most
splendidly　adorned；　and　with　his　soldiers　about　him　in　their
armor；　to　the　temple　to　celebrate　the　feast；　and　to　put　up　many
prayers　for　the　recovery　of　his　brother；　when　some　wicked
persons；　who　had　a　great　mind　to　raise　a　difference　between　the
brethren；　made　use　of　this　opportunity　of　the　pompous　appearance
of　Antigonus；　and　of　the　great　actions　which　he　had　done；　and
went　to　the　king；　and　spitefully　aggravated　the　pompous　show　of
his　at　the　feast；　and　pretended　that　all　these　circumstances　were
not　like　those　of　a　private　person；　that　these　actions　were
indications　of　an　affectation　of　royal　authority；　and　that　his
coming　with　a　strong　body　of　men　must　be　with　an　intention　to
kill　him；　and　that　his　way　of　reasoning　was　this：　That　it　was　a
silly　thing　in　him；　while　it　was　in　his　power　to　reign　himself；
to　look　upon　it　as　a　great　favor　that　he　was　honored　with　a　lower
dignity　by　his　brother。

2。　Aristobulus　yielded　to　these　imputations；　but　took　care　both
that　his　brother　should　not　suspect　him；　and　that　he　himself
might　not　run　the　hazard　of　his　own　safety；　so　he　ordered　his
guards　to　lie　in　a　certain　place　that　was　under　ground；　and　dark；
（he　himself　then　lying　sick　in　the　tower　which　was　called
Antonia；）　and　he　commanded　them；　that　in　case　Antigonus　came　in
to　him　unarmed；　they　should　not　touch　any　body；　but　if　armed；
they　should　kill　him；　yet　did　he　send　to　Antigonus；　and　desired
that　he　would　come　unarmed；　but　the　queen；　and　those　that　joined
with　her　in　the　plot　against　Antigonus；　persuaded　the　messenger
to　tell　him　the　direct　contrary：　how　his　brother　had　heard　that
he　had　made　himself　a　fine　suit　of　armor　for　war；　and　desired　him
to　come　to　him　in　that　armor；　that　he　might　see　how　fine　it　was。
So　Antigonus　suspecting　no　treachery；　but　depending　on　the
good…will　of　his　brother；　came　to　Aristobulus　armed；　as　he　used
to　be；　with　his　entire　armor；　in　order　to　show　it　to　him；　but
when　he　was　come　to　a　place　which　was　called　Strato's　Tower；
where　the　passage　happened　to　be　exceeding　dark；　the　guards　slew
him；　which　death　of　his　demonstrates　that　nothing　is　stronger
than　envy　and　calumny；　and　that　nothing　does　more　certainly
divide　the　good…will　and　natural　affections　of　men　than　those
passions。　But　here　one　may　take　occasion　to　wonder　at　one　Judas；
who　was　of　the　sect　of　the　Essens；　（31）　and　who　never　missed　the
truth　in　his　predictions；　for　this　man；　when　he　saw　Antigonus
passing　by　the　temple；　cried　out　to　his　companions　and　friends；
who　abode　with　him　as　his　scholars；　in　order　to　learn　the　art　of
foretelling　things　to　come？〃　That　it　was　good　for　him　to　die　now；
since　he　had　spoken　falsely　about　Antigonus；　who　is　still　alive；
and　I　see　him　passing　by；　although　he　had　foretold　he　should　die
at　the　place　called　Strato's　Tower　that　very　day；　while　yet　the
place　is　six　hundred　furlongs　off；　where　he　had　foretold　he
should　be　slain；　and　still　this　day　is　a　great　part　of　it　already
past；　so　that　he　was　in　danger　of　proving　a　false　prophet。〃　As　he
was　saying　this；　and　that　in　a　melancholy　mood；　the　news　came
that　Antigonus　was　slain　in　a　place　under　ground；　which　itself
was　called　also　Strato's　Tower；　or　of　the　same　name　with　that
Cesarea　which　is　seated　at　the　sea。　This　event　put　the　prophet
into　a　great　disorder。

3。　But　Aristobulus　repented　immediately　of　this　slaughter　of　his
brother；　on　which　account　his　disease　increased　upon　him；　and　he
was　disturbed　in　his　mind；　upon　the　guilt　of　such　wickedness；
insomuch　that　his　entrails　were　corrupted　by　his　intolerable
pain；　and　he　vomited　blood：　at　which　time　one　of　the　servants
that　attended　upon　him；　and　was　carrying　his　blood　away；　did；　by
Divine　Providence；　as　I　cannot　but　suppose；　slip　down；　and　shed
part　of　his　blood　at　the　very　place　where　there　were　spots　of
Antigonus's　blood；　there　slain；　still　remaining；　and　when　there
was　a　cry　made　by　the　spectators；　as　if　the　servant　had　on
purpose　shed　the　blood　on　that　place；　Aristobulus　heard　it；　and
inquired　what　the　matter　was；　and　as　they　did　not　answer　him；　he
was　the　more　earnest　to　know　what　it　was；　it　being　natural　to　men
to　suspect　that　what　is　thus　concealed　is　very　bad：　so　upon　his
threatening；　and　forcing　them　by　terrors　to　speak；　they　at　length
told　him　the　truth；　whereupon　he　shed　many　tears；　in　that
disorder　of　mind　which　arose　from　his　consciousness　of　what　he
had　done；　and　gave　a　deep　groan；　and　said；　〃I　am　not　therefore；　I
perceive；　to　be　concealed　from　God；　in　the　impious　and　horrid
crimes　I　have　been　guilty　of；　but　a　sudden　punishment　is　coming
upon　me　for　the　shedding　the　blood　of　my　relations。　And　now；　O
thou　most　impudent　body　of　mine；　how　long　wilt　thou　retain　a　soul
that　ought　to　die；　in　order　to　appease　the　ghosts　of　my　brother
and　my　mother？　Why　dost　thou　not　give　it　all　up　at　once？　And　why
do　I　deliver　up　my　blood　drop　by　drop　to　those　whom　I　have　so
wickedly　murdered？〃　In　saying　which　last　words　he　died；　having
reigned　a　year。　He　was　called　a　lover　of　the　Grecians；　and　had
conferred　many　benefits　on　his　own　country；　and　made　war　against
Iturea；　and　added　a　great　part　of　it　to　Judea；　and　compelled　the
inhabitants；　if　they　would　continue　in　that　country；　to　be
circumcised；　and　to　live　according　to　the　Jewish　laws。　He　was
naturally　a　man　of　candor；　and　of　great　modesty；　as　Strabo　bears
witness；　in　the　name　of　Timagenes；　who　says　thus：　〃This　man　was　a
person　of　candor；　and　very　serviceable　to　the　Jews；　for　he　added
a　country　to　them；　and　obtained　a　part　of　the　nation　of　the
Itureans　for　them；　and　bound　them　to　them　by　the　bond　of　the
circumcision　of　their　genitals。〃

CHAPTER　12。

How　Alexander　When　He　Had　Taken　The　Government　Made　An　Expedition
Against　Ptolemais；　And　Then　Raised　The　Siege　Out　Of　Fear　Of
Ptolemy　Lathyrus；　And　How　Ptolemy　Made　War　Against　Him；　Because
He　Had　Sent　To　Cleopatra　To　Persuade　Her　To　Make　War　Against
Ptolemy；　And　Yet　Pretended　To　Be　In　Friendship　With　Him；　When　He
Beat　The　Jews　In　The　Battle。

1。　When　Aristobulus　was　dead；　his　wife　Salome；　who；　by　the
Greeks；　was　called　Alexandra；　let　his　brethren　out　of　prison；
（for　Aristobulus　had　kept　them　in　bonds；　as　we　have　said
already；）　and　made　Alexander　Janneus　king；　who　was　the　superior
in　age　and　in　moderation。　This　child　happened　to　be　hated　by　his
father　as　soon　as　he　was　born；　and　could　never　be　permitted　to
come　into　his　father's　sight　till　he　died。　（32）　The　occasion　of
which　hatred　is　thus　reported：　when　Hyrcanus　chiefly　loved　the
two　eldest　of　his　sons；　Antigonus　and　Aristobutus；　God　appeared
to　him　in　his　sleep；　of　whom　he　inquired　which　of　his　sons　should
be　his　successor。　Upon　God's　representing　to　him　the　countenance
of　Alexander；　he　was　grieved　that　he　was　to　be　the　heir　of　all
his　goods；　and　suffered　him　to　be　brought　up　in　Galilee　However；
God　did　not　deceive　Hyrcanus；　for　after　the　death　of　Aristobulus；
he　certainly　took　the　kingdom；　and　one　of　his　brethren；　who
affected　the　kingdom；　he　slew；　and　the　other；　who　chose　to　live　a
private　and　quiet　life；　he　had　in　esteem。

2。　When　Alexander　Janneus　had　settled　the　government　in　the
manner　that　he　judged　best；　he　made　an　expedition　against
Ptolemais；　and　having　overcome　the　men　in　battle；　he　shut　them　up
in　the　city；　and　sat　round　about　it；　and　besieged　it；　for　of　the
maritime　cities　there　remained　only　Ptolemais　and　Gaza　to　be
conquered；　besides　Strato's　Tower　and　Dora；　which　were　held　by
the　tyrant　Zoilus。　Now　while　Antiochus　Philometor；　and　Antiochus
who　was　called　Cyzicenus；　were　making　war　one　against　another；
and　destroying　one　another's　armies；　the　people　of　Ptolemais
could　have　no　assistance　from　them；　but　when　they　were　distressed
with　this　siege；　Zoilus；　who　possessed　Strato's　Tower　and　Dora；
and　maintained　a　legion　of　soldiers；　and；　on　occasion　of　the
contest　between　the　kings；　affected　tyranny　himself；　came