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第159章

the wars of the jews-第159章

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 and cruel; and generally hated; when Puetonius wrote about him。

(7) Since in these latter ages this Sabbatic River; once so famous; which; by Josephus's account here; ran every seventh day; and rested on six; but according to Pliny; Nat。 Hist。 31。 II; ran perpetually on six days; and rested every seventh; (though it no way appears by either of their accounts that the seventh day of this river was the Jewish seventh day or sabbath;) is quite vanished; I shall add no more about it: only see Dr。 Hudson's note。 In Varenius's Geography; i; 17; the reader will find several instances of such periodical fountains and。 rivers; though none of their periods were that of a just week as of old this appears to have been。

(8) Vespasian and his two sons; Titus and Domitian。

(9) See the representations of these Jewish vessels as they still stand on Titus's triumphal arch at Rome; in Reland's very curious book de Spoliis Ternpli; throughout。 But what; things are chiefly to be noted are these: (1。) That Josephus says the candlestick here carried in this triumph was not thoroughly like that which was used in the temple; which appears in the number of the little knobs and flowers in that on the triumphal arch not well agreeing with Moses's description; Exodus 25:31…36。 (2。) The smallness of the branches in Josephus compared with the thickness of those on that arch。 (3。) That the Law or Pentateuch does not appear on that arch at all; though Josephus; an eye…witness; assures us that it was carried in this procession。 All which things deserve the consideration of the inquisitive reader。

(10) Spanheim observes here; that in Graceia Major and Sicily they had rue prodigiously great and durable; like this rue at Macherus;

(11) This strange account of the place and root Baaras seems to have been taken from the magicians; and the root to have been made use of in the days of Josephus; in that superstitious way of casting out demons; supposed by him to have been derived from king Solomon; of which we have already seen he had a great opinion; Antiq。 B。 VIII。 ch。 2。 sect。 5。 We also may hence learn the true notion Josephus had of demons and demoniacs; exactly like that of the Jews and Christians in the New Testament; and the first four centuries。 See Antiq。 B。 I。 ch。 8。 sect。 2; B。 XI; ch。 2。 sect。 3。

(12) It is very remarkable that Titus did not people this now desolate country of Judea; but ordered it to be all sold; nor indeed is it properly peopled at this day; but lies ready for its old inhabitants the Jews; at their future restoration。 See Literal Accomplishment of Prophecies; p。 77。

(13) That the city Emmaus; or Areindus; in Josephus and others which was the place of the government of Julius Africanus were slain; to the number of one thousand seven hundred; as were the women and the children made slaves。 But as Bassus thought he must perform the covenant he had made with those that had surrendered the citadel; he let them go; and restored Eleazar to them; in the beginning of the third century; and which he then procured to be rebuilt; and after which rebuilding it was called Nicopolis; is entirely different from that Emmaus which is mentioned by St。 Luke 24;13; see Reland's Paleestina; lib。 II。 p。 429; and under the name Ammaus also。 But he justly thinks that that in St。 Luke may well be the same with his Ammaus before us; especially since the Greek copies here usually make it sixty furlongs distant from Jerusalem; as does St。 Luke; though the Latin copies say only thirty。 The place also allotted for these eight hundred soldiers; as for a Roman garrison; in this place; would most naturally be not so remote from Jerusalem as was the other Emmaus; or Nicopolis。

(14) Pliny and others confirm this strange paradox; that provisions laid up against sieges will continue good for a hundred ears; as Spanheim notes upon this place。

(15) The speeches in this and the next section; as introduced under the person of this Eleazar; are exceeding remarkable; and oil the noblest subjects; the contempt of death; and the dignity and immortality of the soul; and that not only among the Jews; but among the Indians themselves also; and are highly worthy the perusal of all the curious。 It seems as if that philosophic lady who survived; ch。 9。 sect。 1; 2; remembered the substance of these discourses; as spoken by Eleazar; and so Josephus clothed them in his own words: at the lowest they contain the Jewish notions on these heads; as understood then by our Josephus; and cannot but deserve a suitable regard from us。

(16) See B。 II。 ch。 20。 sect。 2; where the number of the slain is but 10;000。

(17) Reland here sets down a parallel aphorism of one of the Jewish Rabbins; 〃We are born that we may die; and die that we may live。'

(18) Since Josephus here informs us that some of these Sicarii; or ruffians; went from Alexandria (which was itself in Egypt; in a large sense) into Egypt; and Thebes there situated; Reland well observes; from Vossius; that Egypt sometimes denotes Proper or Upper Egypt; as distinct from the Delta; and the lower parts near Palestine。 Accordingly; as he adds; those that say it never rains in Egypt must mean the Proper or Upper Egypt; because it does sometimes rain in the other parts。 See the note on Antiq。 B。 II。 ch。 7。 sect。 7; and B。 III。 ch。 1。 sect。 6。

(19) Of this temple of Onias's building in Egypt; see the notes on Antiq。 B。 XIII。 ch。 3。 sect。 1。 But whereas it is elsewhere; both of the War; B。 I。 ch。 1。 sect。 1; and in the Antiquities as now quoted; said that this temple was like to that at Jerusalem; and here that it was not like it; but like a tower; sect。 3; there is some reason to suspect the reading here; and that either the negative particle is here to be blotted out; or the word entirely added。

(20) We must observe; that Josephus here speaks of Antiochus who profaned the temple as now alive; when Onias had leave given them by Philometer to build his temple; whereas it seems not to have been actually built till about fifteen years afterwards。 Yet; because it is said in the Antiquities that Onias went to Philometer; B。 XII。 ch。 9。 sect。 7; during the lifetime of that Antiochus; it is probable he petitioned; and perhaps obtained his leave then; though it were not actually built or finished till fifteen years afterward。







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