the antiquities of the jews-1-第312节

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this　known　inscription；　〃The　divine　brother　and　sister。〃

（7）　The　Talmudists　say；　that　it　is　not　lawful　to　write　the　law　in
letters　of　gold；　contrary　to　this　certain　and　very　ancient
example。　See　Hudson's　and　Reland's　notes　here。

（8）　This　is　the　most　ancient　example　I　have　met　with　of　a　grace；
or　short　prayer；　or　thanksgiving　before　meat；　which；　as　it　is
used　to　be　said　by　a　heathen　priest；　was　now　said　by　Eleazar；　a
Jewish　priest；　who　was　one　of　these　seventy…two　interpreters。　The
next　example　I　have　met　with；　is　that　of　the　Essenes；　（Of　the
War；　B。　II。　ch。　8。　sect。　5；）　both　before　and　after　it；　those　of
our　Savior　before　it；　Mark　8：6；　John　6：11；　23；　and　St。　Paul；　Acts
27：35；　and　a　form　of　such　a　grace　or　prayer　for　Christians；　at
the　end　of　the　fifth　book　of　the　Apostolical　Constitutions；　which
seems　to　have　been　intended　for　both　times；　both　before　and　after
meat。

（9）　They　were　rather　political　questions　and　answers；　tending　to
the　good　and　religious　government　of　mankind。

（10）　This　purification　of　the　interpreters；　by　washing　in　the
sea；　before　they　prayed　to　God　every　morning；　and　before　they　set
about　translating；　may　be　compared　with　the　like　practice　of
Peter　the　apostle；　in　the　Recognitions　of　Clement；　B。　IV。　ch。　3。；
and　B。　V。　ch。　36。；　and　with　the　places　of　the　Proseuchre；　or　of
prayer；　which　were　sometimes　built　near　the　sea　or　rivers　also；
of　which　matter　see　Antiq。　B。　XIV。　ch。　10。　sect。　9；3；　Acts　16：13。
16。

（11）　The　use　of　oil　was　much　greater；　and　the　donatives　of　it
much　more　valuable；　in　Judea；　and　the　neighboring　countries；　than
it　is　amongst　us。　It　was　also；　in　the　days　of　Josephus；　thought
unlawful　for　Jews　to　make　use　of　any　oil　that　was　prepared　by
heathens；　perhaps　on　account　of　some　superstitions　intermixed
with　its　preparation　by　those　heathens。　When　therefore　the
heathens　were　to　make　them　a　donative　of　oil；：　they　paid　them
money　instead　of　it。　See　Of　the　War；　B。　II。　ch。　21。　sect。　2；　the
Life　of　Josephus；　sect。　13；　and　Hudson's　note　on　the　place　before
us。

（12）　This；　and　the　like　great　and　just　characters；　of　the
justice；　and　equity。　and　generosity　of　the　old　Romans；　both　to
the　Jews　and　other　conquered　nations；　affords　us　a　very　good
reason　why　Almighty　God；　upon　the　rejection　of　the　Jews　for　their
wickedness；　chose　them　for　his　people；　and　first　established
Christianity　in　that　empire；　of　which　matter　see　Josephus　here；
sect。　2；　as　also　Antiq。　B。　XIV。　ch。　10。　sect。　22；　23；　B。　XVI。　ch。
2。　sect。　4。

（13）　The　name　of　this　place；　Phicol；　is　the　very　same　with　that
of　the　chief　captain　of　Abimelech's　host；　in　the　days　of　Abraham；
Genesis　21：22；　and　might　possibly　be　the　place　of　that　Phicol's
nativity　or　abode；　for　it　seems　to　have　been　in　the　south　part　of
Palestine；　as　that　was。

（14）　Whence　it　comes　that　these　Lacedemonians　declare　themselves
here　to　be　of　kin　to　the　Jews；　as　derived　from　the　same　ancestor；
Abraham；　I　cannot　tell；　unless；　as　Grotius　supposes；　they　were
derived　from　Dores；　that　came　of　the　Pelasgi。　These　are　by
Herodotus　called　Barbarians；　and　perhaps　were　derived　from　the
Syrians　and　Arabians；　the　posterity　of　Abraham　by　Keturah。　See
Antiq。　B。　XIV。　ch。　10。　sect。　22；　and　Of　the　War；　B。　I。　ch。　26。
sect。　l；　and　Grot。　on　1　Macc。　12：7。　We　may　further　observe　from
the　Recognitions　of　Clement；　that　Eliezer；　of　Damascus；　the
servant　of　Abraham；　Genesis　15：2；　24。；　was　of　old　by　some　taken
for　his　son。　So　that　if　the　Lacedemonians　were　sprung　from　him；
they　might　think　themselves　to　be　of　the　posterity　of　Abraham；　as
well　as　the　Jews；　who　were　sprung　from　Isaac。　And　perhaps　this
Eliezer　of　Damascus　is　that　very　Damascus　whom　Trogus　Pompeius；
as　abridged　by　Justin；　makes　the　founder　of　the　Jewish　nation
itself；　though　he　afterwards　blunders；　and　makes　Azelus；　Adores；
Abraham；　and　Israel　kings　of　Judea；　and　successors　to　this
Damascus。　It　may　not　be　improper　to　observe　further；　that　Moses
Chorenensis；　in　his　history　of　the　Armenians；　informs　us；　that
the　nation　of　the　Parthians　was　also　derived　from　Abraham　by
Keturah　and　her　children。

（15）　This　word〃　Gymnasium〃　properly　denotes　a　place　where　the
exercises　were　performed　naked；　which　because　it　would　naturally
distinguish　circumcised　Jews　from　uncircumcised　Gentiles；　these
Jewish　apostates　endeavored　to　appear　uncircumcised；　by　means　of
a　surgical　operation；　hinted　at　by　St。　Paul；　1　Corinthians　7：18；
and　described　by　Celsus；　B。　VII。　ch。　25。；　as　Dr。　Hudson　here
informs　us。

（16）　Hereabout　Josephus　begins　to　follow　the　First　Book　of　the
Maccabees；　a　most　excellent　and　most　authentic　history；　and
accordingly　it　is　here；　with　great　fidelity　and　exactness；
abridged　by　him；　between　whose　present　copies　there　seem　to　he
fewer　variations　than　in　any　other　sacred　Hebrew　book　of　the　Old
Testament　whatsoever；　（for　this　book　also　was　originally　written
in　Hebrew；）　which　is　very　natural；　because　it　was　written　so　much
nearer　to　the　times　of　Josephus　than　the　rest　were。

（17）　This　citadel；　of　which　we　have　such　frequent　mention　in　the
following　history；　both　in　the　Maccabees　and　Josephus；　seems　to
have　been　a　castle　built　on　a　hill；　lower　than　Mount　Zion；　though
upon　its　skirts；　and　higher　than　Mount　Moriah；　but　between　them
both；　which　hill　the　enemies　of　the　Jews　now　got　possession　of；
and　built　on　it　this　citadel；　and　fortified　it；　till　a　good　while
afterwards　the　Jews　regained　it；　demolished　it；　and　leveled　the
hill　itself　with　the　common　ground；　that　their　enemies　might　no
more　recover　it；　and　might　thence　overlook　the　temple　itself；　and
do　them　such　mischief　as　they　had　long　undergone　from　it；　Antiq。
B。　XIII。　ch。　6。　sect。　6。

（18）　This　allegation　of　the　Samaritans　is　remarkable；　that　though
they　were　not　Jews；　yet　did　they；　from　ancient　times；　observe　the
Sabbath　day；　and；　as　they　elsewhere　pretend；　the　Sabbatic　year
also；　Antiq。　B。　XI。　ch。　8。　sect。　6。

（19）　That　this　appellation　of　Maccabee　was　not　first　of　all　given
to　Judas　Maccabeus；　nor　was　derived　from　any　initial　letters　of
the　Hebrew　words　on　his　banner；　〃Mi　Kamoka　Be　Elire；　Jehovah？〃
（〃Who　is　like　unto　thee　among　the　gods；　O　Jehovah？〃）　Exodus　15：11
as　the　modern　Rabbins　vainly　pretend；　see　Authent。　Rec。　Part　I。
p。　205；　206。　Only　we　may　note；　by　the　way；　that　the　original　name
of　these　Maccabees；　and　their　posterity；　was　Asamoneans；　which
was　derived　from　Asamoneus；　the　great…grandfather　of　Mattathias；
as　Josephus　here　informs　us。

（20）　The　reason　why　Bethshah　was　called　Scythopolis　is　well　known
from　Herodotus；　B。　I。　p。　105；　and　Syncellus；　p。　214；　that　the
Scythians；　when　they　overran　Asia；　in　the　days　of　Josiah；　seized
on　this　city；　and　kept　it　as　long　as　they　continued　in　Asia；　from
which　time　it　retained　the　name　of　Scythopolis；　or　the　City　of
the　Scythians。

（21）　This　most　providential　preservation　of　all　the　religious
Jews　in　this　expedition；　which　was　according　to　the　will　of　God；
is　observable　often　among　God's　people；　the　Jews；　and　somewhat
very　like　it　in　the　changes　of　the　four　monarchies；　which　were
also　providential。　See　Prideaux　at　the　years　331；　333；　and　334。

（22）　Here　is　another　great　instance　of　Providence；　that　when；
even　at　the　very　time　that　Simon；　and　Judas；　and　Jonathan　were　so
miraculously　preserved　and　blessed；　in　the　just　defense　of　their
laws　and　religion；　these　other　generals　of　the　Jews；　who　went　to
fight　for　honor　in　a　vain…glorious　way；　and　without　any
commission　from　God；　or　the　family　he　had　raised　up　to　deliver
them；　were　miserably　disappointed　and　defeated。　See　1　Macc。　5：61；
62。

（23）　Since　St。　Paul；　a　Pharisee；　confesses　that　he　had　not　known
concupiscence；　or　desires；　to　be　sinful；　had　not　the　tenth
commandment　said；　〃Thou　shalt　not　covet；〃　Romans　7：7；　the　case
seems　to　have　been　much　the　same　with　our　Josephus；　who　was　of
the　same　sect；　that　he　had　not　a　deep　sense　of　the　greatness　of
any　sins　that　proceeded　no　further　than　the　intention。　However；
since　Josephus　speaks　here　properly　of　the　punishment　of　death；
which　is　not　intended　by　any　law；　either　of　God　or　man；　for　the
bare　intention；　his　words　need　not　to　be　strained　to　mean；　that
sins　intended；　but　not　executed；　were　no　sins　at　all。

（24）　No　wonder　that　Josephus　here　describes　Antiochus　Eupator　as
young；　and　wanting　tuition；　when　he　came　to　the　crown；　since
Appian　informs　us　（Syriac。　p。　177）　that　he　was　then　but　nine
years　old。

（25）　It　is　no　way　probable　that　Josephus　would　call　Bacchidoa；
that　bitter　and　bloody　enemy　of　the　Jews；　as　our　present　copies
have　it；　a　man　good；　or　kind；　and　gentle；　What　the　author　of　the
First　Book　of　Maccabees；　whom　Josephus　here　follows；　instead　of
that　character；　says　of　him；　is；　that　he　was　a　great　man　in　the
kingdom；　and　faithful　to　his　king；　which　was　very　probably
Josephus's　meaning　also。

（26）　Josephus's　copies　must　have　been　corrupted　when　they　here
give　victory　to　Nicanor；　contrary　to　the　words　following；　which
imply　that　he　who　was　beaten　fled　into　the　citadel；　which　for
certain　belonged　to　the　city　of　David；　or　to　Mount　Zion；　and　was
in　the　possession　of　Nicanor's　garrison；　and　not　of　Judas's。　As
also　it　is　contrary　to　the　express　words　of　Josephus's　original
author；　1　Macc。　7：32；　who　says　that　Nic