the antiquities of the jews-1-第128章

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man；　and　an　excellent　prophet；　he　endeavored　by　a　wicked　trick　to
weaken　that　his　opinion；　and　by　using　plausible　words　concerning
what　had　happened；　he　aimed　to　injure　the　truth　that　was　in　them；
for　he　attempted　to　persuade　him　that　his　hand　was　enfeebled　by
the　labor　it　had　undergone　in　supporting　the　sacrifices；　and　that
upon　its　resting　awhile　it　returned　to　its　former　nature　again；
and　that　as　to　the　altar；　it　was　but　new；　and　had　borne　abundance
of　sacrifices；　and　those　large　ones　too；　and　was　accordingly
broken　to　pieces；　and　fallen　down　by　the　weight　of　what　had　been
laid　upon　it。　He　also　informed　him　of　the　death　of　him　that　had
foretold　those　things；　and　how　he　perished；　＇whence　he　concluded
that＇　he　had　not　any　thing　in　him　of　a　prophet；　nor　spake　any
thing　like　one。　When　he　had　thus　spoken；　he　persuaded　the　king；
and　entirely　alienated　his　mind　from　God；　and　from　doing　works
that　were　righteous　and　holy；　and　encouraged　him　to　go　on　in　his
impious　practices　（25）　and　accordingly　he　was　to　that　degree
injurious　to　God；　and　so　great　a　transgressor；　that　he　sought　for
nothing　else　every　day　but　how　he　might　be　guilty　of　some　new
instances　of　wickedness；　and　such　as　should　be　more　detestable
than　what　he　had　been　so　insolent　as　to　do　before。　And　so　much
shall　at　present　suffice　to　have　said　concerning　Jeroboam。

CHAPTER　10。

Concerning　Rehoboam；　And　How　God　Inflicted　Punishment　Upon　Him
For　His　Impiety　By　Shishak　＇King　Of　Egypt＇。

1。　Now　Rehoboam；　the　son　of　Solomon；　who；　as　we　said　before；　was
king　of　the　two　tribes；　built　strong　and　large　cities；　Bethlehem；
and　Etare；　and　Tekoa；　and　Bethzur；　and　Shoco；　and　Adullam；　and
Ipan；　and　Maresha；　and　Ziph；　and　Adorlam；　and　Lachlsh；　and
Azekah；　and　Zorah；　and　Aijalon；　and　Hebron；　these　he　built　first
of　all　in　the　tribe　of　Judah。　He　also　built　other　large　cities　in
the　tribe　of　Benjamin；　and　walled　them　about；　and　put　garrisons
in　them　all；　and　captains；　and　a　great　deal　of　corn；　and　wine；
and　oil；　and　he　furnished　every　one　of　them　plentifully　with
other　provisions　that　were　necessary　for　sustenance；　moreover；　he
put　therein　shields　and　spears　for　many　ten　thousand　men。　The
priests　also　that　were　in　all　Israel；　and　the　Levites；　and　if
there　were　any　of　the　multitude　that　were　good　and　righteous　men；
they　gathered　themselves　together　to　him；　having　left　their　own
cities；　that　they　might　worship　God　in　Jerusalem；　for　they　were
not　willing　to　be　forced　to　worship　the　heifers　which　Jeroboam
had　made；　and　they　augmented　the　kingdom　of　Rehoboam　for　three
years。　And　after　he　had　married　a　woman　of　his　own　kindred；　and
had　by　her　three　children　born　to　him；　he　married　also　another　of
his　own　kindred；　who　was　daughter　of　Absalom　by　Tamar；　whose　name
was　Maachah；　and　by　her　he　had　a　son；　whom　he　named　Abijah。　He
had　moreover　many　other　children　by　other　wives；　but　he　loved
Maachah　above　them　all。　Now　he　had　eighteen　legitimate　wives；　and
thirty　concubines；　and　he　had　born　to　him　twenty…eight　sons　and
threescore　daughters；　but　he　appointed　Abijah；　whom　he　had　by
Maachah；　to　be　his　successor　in　the　kingdom；　and　intrusted　him
already　with　the　treasures　and　the　strongest　cities。

2。　Now　I　cannot　but　think　that　the　greatness　of　a　kingdom；　and
its　change　into　prosperity；　often　become　the　occasion　of　mischief
and　of　transgression　to　men；　for　when　Rehoboam　saw　that　his
kingdom　was　so　much　increased；　he　went　out　of　the　right　way　unto
unrighteous　and　irreligious　practices；　and　he　despised　the
worship　of　God；　till　the　people　themselves　imitated　his　wicked
actions：　for　so　it　usually　happens；　that　the　manners　of　subjects
are　corrupted　at　the　same　time　with　those　of　their　governors；
which　subjects　then　lay　aside　their　own　sober　way　of　living；　as　a
reproof　of　their　governors'　intemperate　courses；　and　follow　their
wickedness　as　if　it　were　virtue；　for　it　is　not　possible　to　show
that　men　approve　of　the　actions　of　their　kings；　unless　they　do
the　same　actions　with　them。　Agreeable　whereto　it　now　happened　to
the　subjects　of　Rehoboam；　for　when　he　was　grown　impious；　and　a
transgressor　himself；　they　endeavored　not　to　offend　him　by
resolving　still　to　be　righteous。　But　God　sent　Shishak；　king　of
Egypt；　to　punish　them　for　their　unjust　behavior　towards　him；
concerning　whom　Herodotus　was　mistaken；　and　applied　his　actions
to　Sesostris；　for　this　Shishak；　（26）　in　the　fifth　year　of　the
reign　of　Rehoboam；　made　an　expedition　＇into　Judea＇　with　many　ten
thousand　men；　for　he　had　one　thousand　two　hundred　chariots　in
number　that　followed　him；　and　threescore　thousand　horsemen；　and
four　hundred　thousand　footmen。　These　he　brought　with　him；　and
they　were　the　greatest　part　of　them　Libyans　and　Ethiopians。　Now
therefore　when　he　fell　upon　the　country　of　the　Hebrews；　he　took
the　strongest　cities　of　Rehoboam's　kingdom　without　fighting；　and
when　he　had　put　garrisons　in　them；　he　came　last　of　all　to
Jerusalem。

3。　Now　when　Rehoboam；　and　the　multitude　with　him；　were　shut　up　in
Jerusalem　by　the　means　of　the　army　of　Shishak；　and　when　they
besought　God　to　give　them　victory　and　deliverance；　they　could　not
persuade　God　to　be　on　their　side。　But　Shemaiah　the　prophet　told
them；　that　God　threatened　to　forsake　them；　as　they　had　themselves
forsaken　his　worship。　When　they　heard　this；　they　were　immediately
in　a　consternation　of　mind；　and　seeing　no　way　of　deliverance；
they　all　earnestly　set　themselves　to　confess　that　God　might
justly　overlook　them；　since　they　had　been　guilty　of　impiety
towards　him；　and　had　let　his　laws　lie　in　confusion。　So　when　God
saw　them　in　that　disposition；　and　that　they　acknowledge　their
sins；　he　told　the　prophet　that　he　would　not　destroy　them；　but
that　he　would；　however；　make　them　servants　to　the　Egyptians；　that
they　may　learn　whether　they　will　suffer　less　by　serving　men　or
God。　So　when　Shishak　had　taken　the　city　without　fighting；　because
Rehoboam　was　afraid；　and　received　him　into　it；　yet　did　not
Shishak　stand　to　the　covenants　he　had　made；　but　he　spoiled　the
temple；　and　emptied　the　treasures　of　God；　and　those　of　the　king；
and　carried　off　innumerable　ten　thousands　of　gold　and　silver；　and
left　nothing　at　all　behind　him。　He　also　took　away　the　bucklers　of
gold；　and　the　shields；　which　Solomon　the　king　had　made；　nay；　he
did　not　leave　the　golden　quivers　which　David　had　taken　from　the
king　of　Zobah；　and　had　dedicated　to　God；　and　when　he　had　thus
done；　he　returned　to　his　own　kingdom。　Now　Herodotus　of
Halicarnassus　mentions　this　expedition；　having　only　mistaken　the
king's　name；　and　＇in　saying　that＇　he　made　war　upon　many　other
nations　also；　and　brought　Syria　of　Palestine　into　subjection；　and
took　the　men　that　were　therein　prisoners　without　fighting。　Now　it
is　manifest　that　he　intended　to　declare　that　our　nation　was
subdued　by　him；　for　he　saith　that　he　left　behind　him　pillars　in
the　land　of　those　that　delivered　themselves　up　to　him　without
fighting；　and　engraved　upon　them　the　secret　parts　of　women。　Now
our　king　Rehoboam　delivered　up　our　city　without　fighting。　He　says
withal　（27）　that　the　Ethiopians　learned　to　circumcise　their　privy
parts　from　the　Egyptians；　with　this　addition；　that　the
Phoenicians　and　Syrians　that　live　in　Palestine　confess　that　they
learned　it　of　the　Egyptians。　Yet　it　is　evident　that　no　other　of
the　Syrians　that　live　in　Palestine；　besides　us　alone；　are
circumcised。　But　as　to　such　matters；　let　every　one　speak　what　is
agreeable　to　his　own　opinion。

4。　When　Shishak　was　gone　away；　king　Rehoboam　made　bucklers　and
shields　of　brass；　instead　of　those　of　gold；　and　delivered　the
same　number　of　them　to　the　keepers　of　the　king's　palace。　So；
instead　of　warlike　expeditions；　and　that　glory　which　results　from
those　public　actions；　he　reigned　in　great　quietness；　though　not
without　fear；　as　being　always　an　enemy　to　Jeroboam；　and　he　died
when　he　had　lived　fifty…seven　years；　and　reigned　seventeen。　He
was　in　his　disposition　a　proud　and　a　foolish　man；　and　lost　＇part
of　his＇　dominions　by　not　hearkening　to　his　father's　friends。　He
was　buried　in　Jerusalem；　in　the　sepulchers　of　the　kings；　and　his
son　Abijah　succeeded　him　in　the　kingdom；　and　this　in　the
eighteenth　year　of　Jeroboam's　reign　over　the　ten　tribes；　and　this
was　the　c