the antiquities of the jews-1-第305节

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1。　sect。　1：　see　the　note　there。

（25）　How　much　a　larger　and　better　copy　Josephus　had　in　this
remarkable　history　of　the　true　prophet　of　Judea；　and　his　concern
with　Jeroboam；　and　with　the　false　prophet　of　Bethel；　than　our
other　copies　have；　is　evident　at　first　sight。　The　prophet's　very
name；　Jadon；　or；　as　the　Constitutions　call　him；　Adonias；　is
wanting　in　our　other　copies；　and　it　is　there；　with　no　little
absurdity；　said　that　God　revealed　Jadon　the　true　prophet's　death；
not　to　himself　as　here；　hut　to　the　false　prophet。　Whether　the
particular　account　of　the　arguments　made　use　of；　after　all；　by
the　false　prophet　against　his　own　belief　and　his　own　conscience；
in　order　to　persuade　Jeroboam　to　persevere　in　his　idolatry　and
wickedness；　than　which　more　plausible　could　not　be　invented；　was
intimated　in　Josephus's　copy；　or　in　some　other　ancient　book；
cannot　now　be　determined；　our　other　copies　say　not　one　word　of
it。

（26）　That　this　Shishak　was　not　the　same　person　with　the　famous
Sesostris；　as　some　have　very　lately；　in　contradiction　to　all
antiquity；　supposed；　and　that　our　Josephus　did　not　take　him　to　be
the　same；　as　they　pretend；　but　that　Sesostris　was　many　centuries
earlier　than　Shishak；　see　Authent。　Records；　part　II。　page　1024。

（27）　Herodotus；　as　here　quoted　by　Josephus；　and　as　this　passage
still　stands　in　his　present　copies；　B。　II。　ch。　14。；　affirms；　that
〃the　Phoenicians　and　Syrians　in　Palestine　＇which　last　are
generally　supposed　to　denote　the　Jews＇　owned　their　receiving
circumcision　from　the　Egyptians；〃　whereas　it　is　abnudantly
evident　that　the　Jews　received　their　circumcision　from　the
patriarch　Abraham；　Genesis　17：9…14；　John　7：22；　23；　as　I　conclude
the　Egyptian　priests　themselves　did　also。　It　is　not　therefore
very　unlikely　that　Herodotus；　because　the　Jews　had　lived　long　in
Egypt；　and　came　out　of　it　circumcised；　did　thereupon　think　they
had　learned　that　circumcision　in　Egypt；　and　had　it　not　broke。
Manetho；　the　famous　Egyptian　chronologer　and　historian；　who　knew
the　history　of　his　own　country　much　better　than　Herodotus；
complains　frequently　of　his　mistakes　about　their　affairs；　as　does
Josephus　more　than　once　in　this　chapter。　Nor　indeed　does
Herodotus　seem　at　all　acquainted　with　the　affairs　of　the　Jews；
for　as　he　never　names　them；　so　little　or　nothing　of　what　he　says
about　them；　their　country；　or　maritime　cities；　two　of　which　he
alone　mentions；　Cadytus　and　Jenysus；　proves　true；　nor　indeed　do
there　appear　to　have　ever　been　any　such　cities　on　their　coast。

（28）　This　is　a　strange　expression　in　Josephus；　that　God　is　his
own　workmanship；　or　that　he　made　himself；　contrary　to　common
sense　and　to　catholic　Christianity；　perhaps　he　only　means　that　he
was　not　made　by　one；　but　was　unoriginated。

（29）　By　this　terrible　and　perfectly　unparalleled　slaughter　of
five　hundred　thousand　men　of　the　newly　idolatrous　and　rebellious
ten　tribes；　God's　high　displeasure　and　indignation　against　that
idolatry　and　rebellion　fully　appeared；　the　remainder　were　thereby
seriously　cautioned　not　to　persist　in　them；　and　a　kind　of　balance
or　equilibrium　was　made　between　the　ten　and　the　two　tribes　for
the　time　to　come；　while　otherwise　the　perpetually　idolatrous　and
rebellious　ten　tribes　would　naturally　have　been　too　powerful　for
the　two　tribes；　which　were　pretty　frequently　free　both　from　such
idolatry　and　rebellion；　nor　is　there　any　reason　to　doubt　of　the
truth　of　the　prodigious　number　upmost：　signal　an　occasion。

（30）　The　reader　is　to　remember　that　Cush　is　not　Ethiopia；　but
Arabia。　See　Bochart；　B。　IV。　ch。　2。

（31）　Here　is　a　very　great　error　in　our　Hebrew　copy　in　this　place；
2　Chronicles　15：3…6；　as　applying　what　follows　to　times　past；　and
not　to　times　future；　whence　that　text　is　quite　misapplied　by　Sir
Isaac　Newton。

（32）　This　Abelmain；　or；　in　Josephus's　copy；　Abellane；　that
belonged　to　the　land　of　Israel；　and　bordered　on　the　country　of
Damascus；　is　supposed；　both　by　Hudson　and　Spanheim；　to　be　the
same　with　Abel；　or　Ahila；　whence　came　Abilene。　This　may　he　that
city　so　denominated　from　Abel　the　righteous；　there　buried；
concerning　the　shedding　of　whose　blood　within　the　compass　of　the
land　of　Israel；　I　understand　our　Savior's　words　about　the　fatal
war　and　overthrow　of　Judea　by　Titus　and　his　Roman　army；　〃That
upon　you　may　come　all　the　righteous　blood　shed　upon　the　land；
from　the　blood　of　righteous　Abel　to　the　blood　of　Zacharias　son　of
Barnchins；　whom　ye　slew　between　the　temple　and　the　altar。　Verily；
I　say　unto　you；　all　these　things　shall　come　upon　this
generation；〃　Matthew　23；35；　36；　Luke　11：51。

（33）　Josephus；　in　his　present　copies；　says；　that　a　little　while
rain　upon　the　earth；　whereas；　in　our　other　copies；　it　is　after
many　days；　1　Kings　18：1。　Several　years　are　also　intimated　there；
and　in　Josephus；　sect。　2；　as　belonging　to　this　drought　and
famine；　nay；　we　have　the　express　mention　of　the　third　year；　which
I　suppose　was　reckoned　from　the　recovery　of　the　widow's　son；　and
the　ceasing　of　this　drought　in　Phmuiela　（which；　as　Menander
informs　us　here；　lasted　one　whole　year）；　and　both　our　Savior　and
St。　James　affirm；　that　this　drought　lasted　in　all　three　years　and
six　months。　as　their　copies　of　the　Old　Testament　then　informed
them；　Luke　4：25；　James　5：17。　Josephus　here　seems　to　mean；　that
this　drought　affected　all　the　habitable　earth；　and　presently　all
the　earth；　as　our　Savior　says　it　was　upon　all　the　earth；　Luke
4：25。　They　who　restrain　these　expressions　to　the　land　of　Judea
alone；　go　without　sufficient　authority　or　examples。

（34）　Mr。　Spanheim　takes　notice　here；　that　in　the　worship　of
Mithra　（the　god　of　the　Persians）　the　priests　cut　themselves　in
the　same　manner　as　did　these　priests　in　their　invocation　of　Baal
（the　god　of　the　Phoenicians）。

（35）　For　Izar　we　may　here　read　（with　Hudson　and　Cocceius）
Isachar；　i。e　of　the　tribe　of　Isachar；　for　to　that　tribe　did
Jezreel　belong；　and　presently　at　the　beginning　of　sect。　8；　as
also　ch。　15。　sect。　4；　we　may　read　for　Iar；　with　one　MS。　nearly；
and　the　Scripture；　Jezreel；　for　that　was　the　city　meant　in　the
history　of　Naboth。

（36）　〃The　Jews　weep　to　this　day；〃　（says　Jerome；　here　cited　by
Reland；）　〃and　roll　themselves　upon　sackcloth；　in　ashes；　barefoot；
upon　such　occasions。〃　To　which　Spanheim　adds；　〃that　after　the
same　manner　Bernice；　when　his　life　was　in　danger；　stood　at　the
tribunal　of　Florus　barefoot。〃　Of　the　War；　B。　II。　ch。　15。　sect。　1。
See　the　like　of　David；　2　Samuel　15：30；　Antiq。　B。　VII。　ch。　9。
sect。　2。

（37）　Mr。　Reland　notes　here　very　truly；　that　the　word　naked　does
not　always　signify　entirely　naked；　but　sometimes　without　men's
usual　armor；　without　heir　usual　robes　or　upper　garments；　as　when
Virgil　bids　the　husbandman　plough　naked；　and　sow　naked；　when
Josephus　says　（Antiq。　B。　IV。　ch。　3。　sect。　2）　that　God　had　given
the　Jews　the　security　of　armor　when　they　were　naked；　and　when　he
here　says　that　Ahab　fell　on　the　Syrians　when　they　were　naked　and
drunk；　when　（Antiq。　B。　XI。　ch。　5。　sect。　8）　he　says　that　Nehemiah
commanded　those　Jews　that　were　building　the　walls　of　Jerusalem　to
take　care　to　have　their　armor　on　upon　occasion；　that　the　enemy
might　not　fall　upon　them　naked。　I　may　add；　that　the　case　seems　to
be　the　same　in　the　Scripture；　when　it　says　that　Saul　lay　down
naked　among　the　prophets；　1　Samuel　19：24；　when　it　says　that
Isaiah　walked　naked　and　barefoot；　Isaiah　20：2；　3；　and　when　it
says　that　Peter；　before　he　girt　his　fisher's　coat　to　him；　was
naked；　John　21：7。　What　is　said　of　David　also　gives　light　to　this；
who　was　reproached　by　Michal　for　〃dancing　before　the　ark；　and
uncovering　himself　in　the　eyes　of　his　handmaids；　as　one　of　the
vain　fellows　shamelessly　uncovereth　himself；〃　2　Samuel　6：14；　20；
yet　it　is　there　expressly　said　（ver。　14）　that　〃David　was　girded
with　a　linen　ephod；〃　i。e。　he　had　laid　aside　his　robes　of　state；
and　put　on　the　sacerdotal；　Levitical；　or　sacred　garments；　proper
for　such　a　solemnity。

（38）　Josephus's　number；　two　myriads　and　seven　thousand；　agrees
here　with　that　in　our　other　copies；　as　those　that　were　slain　by
the　falling　down　of　the　walls　of　Aphek；　but　I　suspected　at　first
that　this　number　in　Josephus's　present　copies　could　not　be　his
original　number；　because　he　calls　them　〃oligoi；〃　a　few；　which
could　hardly　be　said　of　so　many　as　twenty…seven　thousand；　and
because　of　the　improbability　of　the　fall　of　a　particular　wall
killing　so　many；　yet　when　I　consider　Josephus's　next　words；　how
the　rest　which　were　slain　in　the　battle　were　〃ten　other　myriads；〃
that　twenty…seven　thousand　are　but　a　few　in　comparison　of　a
hundred　thousand；　and　that　it　was　not　〃a　wall；〃　as　in　our　English
version；　but　〃the　walls〃　or　〃the　entire　walls〃　of　the　city　that
fell　down；　as　in　all　the　originals；　I　lay　aside　that　suspicion；
and　firmly　believe　that　Josephus　himself　hath；　with　the　rest；
given　us　the　just　number；　twenty…seven　thousand。

（39）　This　manner　of　supplication　for　men's　lives　among　the
Syrians；　with　ropes　or　halters　about　their　heads　or　necks；　is；　I
suppose；　no　strange　thing　in　later　ages；　even　in　our　own　country。

（40）　It　is　here　remarkable；　that　in　Josephus's　copy　this　prophet；
whose　severe　denunciation　of　a　disobedient　person's　slaughter　by
a　lion　had　lately　come　to　pass；　was　no　other　than　Micaiah；