the antiquities of the jews-1-第298节

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dropped　out　of　Josephus's　copies；　on　account　of　the　repetition　of
the　word　shekels；　and　that　it　ought　to　be　read　thus：　…　〃A　piece
of　gold　that　weighed　fifty　shekels；　and　one　of　silver　that
weighed　two　hundred　shekels；〃　as　in　our　other　copies；　Joshua
7：21。

（6）　I　agree　here　with　Dr。　Bernard；　and　approve　of　Josephus's
interpretation　of　Gilgal　for　liberty。　See　Joshua　5：9。

（7）　Whether　this　lengthening　of　the　day；　by　the　standing　still　of
the　sun　and　moon；　were　physical　and　real；　by　the　miraculous
stoppage　of　the　diurnal　motion　of　the　earth　for　about　half　a
revolution；　or　whether　only　apparent；　by　aerial　phosphori
imitating　the　sun　and　moon　as　stationary　so　long；　while　clouds
and　the　night　hid　the　real　ones；　and　this　parhelion　or　mock　sun
affording　sufficient　light　for　Joshua's　pursuit　and　complete
victory；　（which　aerial　phosphori　in　other　shapes　have　been　more
than　ordinarily　common　of　late　years；）　cannot　now　be　determined：
philosophers　and　astronomers　will　naturally　incline　to　this
latter　hypothesis。　In　the　mean　thee；　the　fact　itself　was
mentioned　in　the　book　of　Jasher；　now　lost；　Joshua　10：13；　and　is
confirmed　by　Isaiah；　28：21；　Habakkuk；　3：11；　and　by　the　son　of
Sirach；　Ecclus。　46：4。　In　the　18th　Psalm　of　Solomon；　yet。　it　is
also　said　of　the　luminaries；　with　relation；　no　doubt；　to　this　and
the　other　miraculous　standing　still　and　going　back；　in　the　days
of　Joshua　and　Hezekiah；　〃They　have　not　wandered；　from　the　day
that　he　created　them；　they　have　not　forsaken　their　way；　from
ancient　generations；　unless　it　were　when　God　enjoined　them　＇so　to
do＇　by　the　command　of　his　servants。〃　See　Authent。　Rec。　part　i。　p。
154。

（8）　Of　the　books　laid　up　in　the　temple；　see　the　note　on　Antiq。　B。
III。　ch。　1。　sect。　7。

（9）　Since　not　only　Procopius　and　Suidas；　but　an　earlier　author；
Moses　Chorenensis；　p。　52；　53；　and　perhaps　from　his　original
author　Mariba　Carina；　one　as　old　as　Alexander　the　Great；　sets
down　the　famous　inscription　at　Tangier　concerning　the　old
Canaanites　driven　out　of　Palestine　by　Joshua；　take　it　here　in
that　author's　own　words：　〃We　are　those　exiles　that　were　governors
of　the　Canaanites；　but　have　been　driven　away　by　Joshua　the
robber；　and　are　come　to　inhabit　here。〃　See　the　note　there。　Nor　is
it　unworthy　of　our　notice　what　Moses　Chorenensis　adds；　p。　53；　and
this　upon　a　diligent　examination；　viz。　that　〃one　of　those　eminent
men　among　the　Canaanites　came　at　the　same　thee　into　Armenia；　and
founded　the　Genthuniaa　family；　or　tribe；　and　that　this　was
confirmed　by　the　manners　of　the　same　family　or　tribe；　as　being
like　those　of　the　Canaanites。〃

（10）　By　prophesying；　when　spoken　of　a　high　priest；　Josephus；　both
here　and　frequently　elsewhere；　means　no　more　than　consulting　God
by　Urim；　which　the　reader　is　still　to　bear　in　mind　upon　all
occasions。　And　if　St。　John；　who　was　contemporary　with　Josephus；
and　of　the　same　country；　made　use　of　this　style；　when　he　says
that　〃Caiaphas　being　high　priest　that　year；　prophesied　that　Jesus
should　die　for　that　nation；　and　not　for　that　nation　only；　but
that　also　he　should　gather　together　in　one　the　children　of　God
that　were　scattered　abroad；〃　chap。　11；51；　52；　he　may　possibly
mean；　that　this　was　revealed　to　the　high　priest　by　an
extraordinary　voice　from　between　the　cherubims；　when　he　had　his
breastplate；　or　Urim　and　Thummim；　on　before；　or　the　most　holy
place　of　the　temple；　which　was　no　other　than　the　oracle　of　Urim
and　Thummim。　Of　which　above；　in　the　note　on　Antiq。　B。　III。　ch。　8。
sect。　9。

（11）　This　great　number　of　seventy…two　reguli；　or　small　kings；
over　whom　Adonibezek　had　tyrannized；　and　for　which　he　was
punished　according　to　the　lex　talionis；　as　well　as　the　thirty…one
kings　of　Canaan　subdued　by　Joshua；　and　named　in　one　chapter；
Joshua　12。；　and　thirty…two　kings；　or　royal　auxiliaries　to
Benhadad　king　of　Syria；　1　Kings　20：1；　Antiq。　B。　VIII。　ch。　14。
sect。　1；　intimate　to　us　what　was　the　ancient　form　of　government
among　several　nations　before　the　monarchies　began；　viz。　that
every　city　or　large　town；　with　its　neighboring　villages；　was　a
distinct　government　by　itself；　which　is　the　more　remarkable；
because　this　was　certainly　the　form　of　ecclesiastical　government
that　was　settled　by　the　apostles；　and　preserved　throughout　the
Christian　church　in　the　first　ages　of　Christianity。　Mr。　Addison
is　of　opinion；　that　〃it　would　certainly　be　for　the　good　of
mankind　to　have　all　the　mighty　empires　and　monarchies　of　the
world　cantoned　out　into　petty　states　and　principalities；　which；
like　so　many　large　families；　might　lie　under　the　observation　of
their　proper　governors；　so　that　the　care　of　the　prince　might
extend　itself　to　every　individual　person　under　his　protection；
though　he　despairs　of　such　a　scheme　being　brought　about；　and
thinks　that　if　it　were；　it　would　quickly　be　destroyed。〃　Remarks
on　Italy；　4to；　p。　151。　Nor　is　it　unfit　to　be　observed　here；　that
the　Armenian　records；　though　they　give　us　the　history　of
thirty…nine　of　their　ancientest　heroes　or　governors　after　the
Flood；　before　the　days　of　Sardanapalus；　had　no　proper　king　till
the　fortieth；　Parerus。　See　Moses　Chorehensis；　p。　55。　And　that
Almighty　God　does　not　approve　of　such　absolute　and　tyrannical
monarchies；　any　one　may　learn　that　reads　Deuteronomy　17：14…20；
and　1　Samuel　8：1…22；　although；　if　such　kings　are　set　up　as　own
him　for　their　supreme　King；　and　aim　to　govern　according　to　his
laws；　he　hath　admitted　of　them；　and　protected　them　and　their
subjects　in　all　generations。

（12）　Josephus's　early　date　of　this　history　before　the　beginning
of　the　Judges；　or　when　there　was　no　king　in　Israel；　Judges　19；1；
is　strongly　confirmed　by　the　large　number　of　Benjamites；　both　in
the　days　of　Asa　and　Jehoshaphat；　2　Chronicles　14：8；　and　16：17；
who　yet　were　here　reduced　to　six　hundred　men；　nor　can　those
numbers　be　at　all　supposed　genuine；　if　they　were　reduced　so　late
as　the　end　of　the　Judges；　where　our　other　copies　place　this
reduction。

（13）　Josephus　seems　here　to　have　made　a　small　mistake；　when　he
took　the　Hebrew　word　Bethel；　which　denotes　the　house　of　God；　or
the　tabernacle；　Judges　20：18；　for　the　proper　name　of　a　place；
Bethel；　it　no　way　appearing　that　the　tabernacle　was　ever　at
Bethel；　only　so　far　it　is　true；　that　Shiloh；　the　place　of　the
tabernacle　in　the　days　of　the　Judges；　was　not　far　from　Bethel。

（14）　It　appears　by　the　sacred　history；　Judges　1：16；　3：13；　that
Eglon's　pavilion　or　palace　was　at　the　City　of　Palm…Trees；　as　the
place　where　Jericho　had　stood　is　called　after　its　destruction　by
Joshua；　that　is；　at　or　near　the　demolished　city。　Accordingly；
Josephus　says　it　was　at　Jericho；　or　rather　in　that　fine　country
of　palm…trees；　upon；　or　near　to；　the　same　spot　of　ground　on　which
Jericho　had　formerly　stood；　and　on　which　it　was　rebuilt　by　Hiel；
1　Kings　16：31。　Our　other　copies　that　avoid　its　proper　name
Jericho；　and　call　it　the　City　of　Palm…Trees　only；　speak　here　more
accurately　than　Josephus。

（15）　These　eighty　years　for　the　government　of　Ehud　are　necessary
to　Josephus's　usual　large　numbers　between　the　exodus　and　the
building　of　the　temple；　of　five　hundred　and　ninety…two　or　six
hundred　and　twelve　years；　but　not　to　the　smallest　number　of　four
hundred　and　eighty　years；　1　Kings　6：1；　which　lesser　number
Josephus　seems　sometimes　to　have　followed。　And　since　in　the
beginning　of　the　next　chapter　it　is　said　by　Josephus；　that　there
was　hardly　a　breathing　time　for　the　Israelites　before　Jabin　came
and　enslaved　them；　it　is　highly　probable　that　some　of　the　copies
in　his　time　had　here　only　eight　years　instead　of　eighty；　as　had
that　of　Theophilus　of　Antioch；　Ad　Autolye。　1。　iii。；　and　this　most
probably　from　his　copy　of　Josephus。

（16）　Our　present　copies　of　Josephus　all　omit　Tola　among　the
judges；　though　the　other　copies　have　him　next　after　Abimelech；
and　allot　twenty…three　years　to　his　administration；　Judges　10：1；
2；　yet　do　all　Josephus's　commentators　conclude；　that　in
Josephus's　sum　of　the　years　of　the　judges；　his　twenty…three　years
are　included；　hence　we　are　to　confess；　that　somewhat　has　been
here　lost　out　of　his　copies。

（17）　Josephus　justly　condemns　Jephtha；　as　do　the　Apostolical
Constitutions；　B。　VII。　ch。　37。；　for　his　rash　vow；　whether　it　were
for　sacrificing　his　daughter；　as　Josephus　thought；　or　for
dedicating　her；　who　was　his　only　child；　to　perpetual　virginity；
at　the　tabernacle　or　elsewhere；　which　I　rather　suppose。　If　he　had
vowed　her　for　a　sacrifice；　she　ought　to　have　been　redeemed；
Leviticus　27：1…8；　but　of　the　sense　of　ver。　28；　29；　as　relating
not　to　things　vowed　to。　God；　but　devoted　to　destruction；　see　the
note　on　Antiq。　B。　V。　ch。　1。　sect。　8。

（18）　I　can　discover　no　reason　why　Manoah　and　his　wife　came　so
constantly　into　these　suburbs　to　pray　for　children；　but　because
there　was　a　synagogue　or　place　of　devotion　in　those　suburbs。

（19）　Here；　by　a　prophet；　Josephus　seems　only　to　mean　one　that　was
born　by　a　particular　providence；　lived　after　the　manner　of　a
Nazarite　devoted　to　God；　and　was　to　have　an　extraordinary
commission　and　strength　from　God　for　the　judging　and　avenging　his
people　Israel；　without　any　proper　prophetic　revelations　at　all。

（20）　This　fountain；　called　Lehi；　or　the　Jaw…bone；　is　still　in
being；　as　travelers　assure　us；　and　was　known　by　this　very　na