the antiquities of the jews-1-第158章

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creatures。　So　he　came　to　Ashpenaz；　who　was　that　eunuch　to　whom
the　care　of　them　was　committed；　（17）　and　desired　him　to　take　and
spend　what　was　brought　for　them　from　the　king；　but　to　give　them
pulse　and　dates　for　their　food；　and　any　thing　else；　besides　the
flesh　of　living　creatures；　that　he　pleased；　for　that　their
inclinations　were　to　that　sort　of　food；　and　that　they　despised
the　other。　He　replied；　that　he　was　ready　to　serve　them　in　what
they　desired；　but　he　suspected　that　they　would　be　discovered　by
the　king；　from　their　meagre　bodies；　and　the　alteration　of　their
countenances；　because　it　could　not　be　avoided　but　their　bodies
and　colors　must　be　changed　with　their　diet；　especially　while　they
would　be　clearly　discovered　by　the　finer　appearance　of　the　other
children；　who　would　fare　better；　and　thus　they　should　bring　him
into　danger；　and　occasion　him　to　be　punished；　yet　did　they
persuade　Arioch；　who　was　thus　fearful；　to　give　them　what　food
they　desired　for　ten　days；　by　way　of　trial；　and　in　case　the　habit
of　their　bodies　were　not　altered；　to　go　on　in　the　same　way；　as
expecting　that　they　should　not　be　hurt　thereby　afterwards；　but　if
he　saw　them　look　meagre；　and　worse　than　the　rest；　he　should
reduce　them　to　their　former　diet。　Now　when　it　appeared　that　they
were　so　far　from　becoming　worse　by　the　use　of　this　food；　that
they　grew　plumper　and　fuller　in　body　than　the　rest；　insomuch　that
he　thought　those　who　fed　on　what　came　from　the　king's　table
seemed　less　plump　and　full；　while　those　that　were　with　Daniel
looked　as　if　they　had　lived　in　plenty；　and　in　all　sorts　of
luxury。　Arioch；　from　that　time；　securely　took　himself　what　the
king　sent　every　day　from　his　supper；　according　to　custom；　to　the
children；　but　gave　them　the　forementioned　diet；　while　they　had
their　souls　in　some　measure　more　pure；　and　less　burdened；　and　so
fitter　for　learning；　and　had　their　bodies　in　better　tune　for　hard
labor；　for　they　neither　had　the　former　oppressed　and　heavy　with
variety　of　meats；　nor　were　the　other　effeminate　on　the　same
account；　so　they　readily　understood　all　the　learning　that　was
among　the　Hebrews；　and　among　the　Chaldeans；　as　especially　did
Daniel；　who　being　already　sufficiently　skillful　in　wisdom；　was
very　busy　about　the　interpretation　of　dreams；　and　God　manifested
himself　to　him。

3。　Now　two　years　after　the　destruction　of　Egypt；　king
Nebuchadnezzar　saw　a　wonderful　dream；　the　accomplishment　of　which
God　showed　him　in　his　sleep；　but　when　he　arose　out　of　his　bed；　he
forgot　the　accomplishment。　So　he　sent　for　the　Chaldeans　and
magicians；　and　the　prophets；　and　told　them　that　he　had　seen　a
dream；　and　informed　them　that　he　had　forgotten　the　accomplishment
of　what　he　had　seen；　and　he　enjoined　them　to　tell　him　both　what
the　dream　was；　and　what　was　its　signification；　and　they　said　that
this　was　a　thing　impossible　to　be　discovered　by　men；　but　they
promised　him；　that　if　he　would　explain　to　them　what　dream　he　had
seen；　they　would　tell　him　its　signification。　Hereupon　he
threatened　to　put　them　to　death；　unless　they　told　him　his　dream；
and　he　gave　command　to　have　them　all　put　to　death；　since　they
confessed　they　could　not　do　what　they　were　commanded　to　do。　Now
when　Daniel　heard　that　the　king　had　given　a　command；　that　all　the
wise　men　should　be　put　to　death；　and　that　among　them　himself　and
his　three　kinsmen　were　in　danger；　he　went　to　Arioch；　who　was
captain　of　the　king's　guards；　and　desired　to　know　of　him　what　was
the　reason　why　the　king　had　given　command　that　all　the　wise　men；
and　Chaldeans；　and　magicians　should　be　slain。　So　when　he　had
learned　that　the　king　had　had　a　dream；　and　had　forgotten　it；　and
that　when　they　were　enjoined　to　inform　the　king　of　it；　they　had
said　they　could　not　do　it；　and　had　thereby　provoked　him　to　anger；
he　desired　of　Arioch　that　he　would　go　in　to　the　king；　and　desire
respite　for　the　magicians　for　one　night；　and　to　put　off　their
slaughter　so　long；　for　that　he　hoped　within　that　time　to　obtain；
by　prayer　to　God；　the　knowledge　of　the　dream。　Accordingly；　Arioch
informed　the　king　of　what　Daniel　desired。　So　the　king　bid　them
delay　the　slaughter　of　the　magicians　till　he　knew　what　Daniel's
promise　would　come　to；　but　the　young　man　retired　to　his　own
house；　with　his　kinsmen；　and　besought　God　that　whole　night　to
discover　the　dream；　and　thereby　deliver　the　magicians　and
Chaldeans；　with　whom　they　were　themselves　to　perish；　from　the
king's　anger；　by　enabling　him　to　declare　his　vision；　and　to　make
manifest　what　the　king　had　seen　the　night　before　in　his　sleep；
but　had　forgotten　it。　Accordingly；　God；　out　of　pity　to　those　that
were　in　danger；　and　out　of　regard　to　the　wisdom　of　Daniel；　made
known　to　him　the　dream　and　its　interpretation；　that　so　the　king
might　understand　by　him　its　signification　also。　When　Daniel　had
obtained　this　knowledge　from　God；　he　arose　very　joyful；　and　told
it　his　brethren；　and　made　them　glad；　and　to　hope　well　that　they
should　now　preserve　their　lives；　of　which　they　despaired　before；
and　had　their　minds　full　of　nothing　but　the　thoughts　of　dying。　So
when　he　had　with　them　returned　thanks　to　God；　who　had
commiserated　their　youth；　when　it　was　day　he　came　to　Arioch；　and
desired　him　to　bring　him　to　the　king；　because　he　would　discover
to　him　that　dream　which　he　had　seen　the　night　before。

4。　When　Daniel　was　come　in　to　the　king；　he　excused　himself　first；
that　he　did　not　pretend　to　be　wiser　than　the　other　Chaldeans　and
magicians；　when；　upon　their　entire　inability　to　discover　his
dream；　he　was　undertaking　to　inform　him　of　it；　for　this　was　not
by　his　own　skill；　or　on　account　of　his　having　better　cultivated
his　understanding　than　the　rest；　but　he　said；　〃God　hath　had　pity
upon　us；　when　we　were　in　danger　of　death；　and　when　I　prayed　for
the　life　of　myself；　and　of　those　of　my　own　nation；　hath　made
manifest　to　me　both　the　dream；　and　the　interpretation　thereof；
for　I　was　not　less　concerned　for　thy　glory　than　for　the　sorrow
that　we　were　by　thee　condemned　to　die；　while　thou　didst　so
unjustly　command　men；　both　good　and　excellent　in　themselves；　to
be　put　to　death；　when　thou　enjoinedst　them　to　do　what　was
entirely　above　the　reach　of　human　wisdom；　and　requiredst　of　them
what　was　only　the　work　of　God。　Wherefore；　as　thou　in　thy　sleep
wast　solicitous　concerning　those　that　should　succeed　thee　in　the
government　of　the　whole　world；　God　was　desirous　to　show　thee　all
those　that　should　reign　after　thee；　and　to　that　end　exhibited　to
thee　the　following　dream：　Thou　seemedst　to　see　a　great　image
standing　before　thee；　the　head　of　which　proved　to　be　of　gold；　the
shoulders　and　arms　of　silver；　and　the　belly　and　the　thighs　of
brass；　but　the　legs　and　the　feet　of　iron；　after　which　thou　sawest
a　stone　broken　off　from　a　mountain；　which　fell　upon　the　image；
and　threw　it　down；　and　brake　it　to　pieces；　and　did　not　permit　any
part　of　it　to　remain　whole；　but　the　gold；　the　silver；　the　brass；
and　the　iron；　became　smaller　than　meal；　which；　upon　the　blast　of
a　violent　wind；　was　by　force　carried　away；　and　scattered　abroad；
but　the　stone　did　increase　to　such　a　degree；　that　the　whole　earth
beneath　it　seemed　to　be　filled　therewith。　This　is　the　dream　which
thou　sawest；　and　its　interpretation　is　as　follows：　The　head　of
gold　denotes　thee；　and　the　kings　of　Babylon　that　have　been　before
thee；　but　the　two　hands　and　arms　signify　this；　that　your
government　shall　be　dissolved　by　two　kings；　but　another　king　that
shall　come　from　the　west；　armed　with　brass；　shall　destroy　that
government；　and　another　government；　that　shall　be　like　unto　iron；
shall　put　an　end　to　the　power　of　the　former；　and　shall　have
dominion　over　all　the　earth；　on　account　of　the　nature　of　iron；
which　is　stronger　than　that　of　gold；　of　silver；　and　of　brass。〃
Daniel　did　also　declare　the　meaning　of　the　stone　to　the　king　（18）
but　I　do　not　think　proper　to　relate　it；　since　I　have　only
undertaken　to　describe　things　past　or　things　present；　but　not
things　that　are　future；　yet　if　any　one　be　so　very　desirous　of
knowing　truth；　as　not　to　wave　such　points　of　curiosity；　and
cannot　curb　his　inclination　for　understanding　the　uncertainties
of　futurity；　and　whether　they　will　happen　or　not；　let　him　be
diligent　in　reading　the　book　of　Daniel；　which　he