the antiquities of the jews-1-第164章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


so　great　that　they　are　obeyed。　They　command　men　to　level
mountains；　and　to　pull　down　walls　and　towers；　nay；　when　they　are
commanded　to　be　killed　and　to　kill；　they　submit　to　it；　that　they
may　not　appear　to　transgress　the　king's　commands；　and　when　they
have　conquered；　they　bring　what　they　have　gained　in　the　war　to
the　king。　Those　also　who　are　not　soldiers；　but　cultivate　the
ground；　and　plough　it；　and　when；　after　they　have　endured　the
labor　and　all　the　inconveniences　of　such　works　of　husbandry；　they
have　reaped　and　gathered　in　their　fruits；　they　bring　tributes　to
the　king；　and　whatsoever　it　is　which　the　king　says　or　commands；
it　is　done　of　necessity；　and　that　without　any　delay；　while　he　in
the　mean　time　is　satiated　with　all　sorts　of　food　and　pleasures；
and　sleeps　in　quiet。　He　is　guarded　by　such　as　watch；　and　such　as
are；　as　it　were；　fixed　down　to　the　place　through　fear；　for　no　one
dares　leave　him；　even　when　he　is　asleep；　nor　does　any　one　go　away
and　take　care　of　his　own　affairs；　but　he　esteems　this　one　thing
the　only　work　of　necessity；　to　guard　the　king；　and　accordingly　to
this　he　wholly　addicts　himself。　How　then　can　it　be　otherwise；　but
that　it　must　appear　that　the　king　exceeds　all　in　strength；　while
so　great　a　multitude　obeys　his　injunctions？〃

5。　Now　when　this　man　had　held　his　peace；　the　third　of　them；　who
was　Zorobabel；　began　to　instruct　them　about　women；　and　about
truth；　who　said　thus：　〃Wine　is　strong；　as　is　the　king　also；　whom
all　men　obey；　but　women　are　superior　to　them　in　power；　for　it　was
a　woman　that　brought　the　king　into　the　world；　and　for　those　that
plant　the　vines　and　make　the　wine；　they　are　women　who　bear　them；
and　bring　them　up：　nor　indeed　is　there　any　thing　which　we　do　not
receive　from　them；　for　these　women　weave　garments　for　us；　and　our
household　affairs　are　by　their　means　taken　care　of；　and　preserved
in　safety；　nor　can　we　live　separate　from　women。　And　when　we　have
gotten　a　great　deal　of　gold　and　silver；　and　any　other　thing　that
is　of　great　value；　and　deserving　regard；　and　see　a　beautiful
woman；　we　leave　all　these　things；　and　with　open　mouth　fix　our
eyes　upon　her　countenance；　and　are　willing　to　forsake　what　we
have；　that　we　may　enjoy　her　beauty；　and　procure　it　to　ourselves。
We　also　leave　father；　and　mother；　and　the　earth　that　nourishes
us；　and　frequently　forget　our　dearest　friends；　for　the　sake　of
women；　nay；　we　are　so　hardy　as　to　lay　down　our　lives　for　them。
But　what　will　chiefly　make　you　take　notice　of　the　strength　of
women　is　this　that　follows：　Do　not　we　take　pains；　and　endure　a
great　deal　of　trouble；　and　that　both　by　land　and　sea；　and　when　we
have　procured　somewhat　as　the　fruit　of　our　labors；　do　not　we
bring　them　to　the　women；　as　to　our　mistresses；　and　bestow　them
upon　them？　Nay；　I　once　saw　the　king；　who　is　lord　of　so　many
people；　smitten　on　the　face　by　Apame；　the　daughter　of　Rabsases
Themasius；　his　concubine；　and　his　diadem　taken　away　from　him；　and
put　upon　her　own　head；　while　he　bore　it　patiently；　and　when　she
smiled　he　smiled；　and　when　she　was　angry　he　was　sad；　and
according　to　the　change　of　her　passions；　he　flattered　his　wife；
and　drew　her　to　reconciliation　by　the　great　humiliation　of
himself　to　her；　if　at　my　time　he　saw　her　displeased　at　him。〃

6。　And　when　the　princes　and　rulers　looked　one　upon　another；　he
began　to　speak　about　truth；　and　he　said；　〃I　have　already
demonstrated　how　powerful　women　are；　but　both　these　women
themselves；　and　the　king　himself；　are　weaker　than　truth；　for
although　the　earth　be　large；　and　the　heaven　high；　and　the　course
of　the　sun　swift；　yet　are　all　these　moved　according　to　the　will
of　God；　who　is　true　and　righteous；　for　which　cause　we　also　ought
to　esteem　truth　to　be　the　strongest　of　all　things；　and　that　what
is　unrighteous　is　of　no　force　against　it。　Moreover；　all　things
else　that　have　any　strength　are　mortal　and　short…lived；　but　truth
is　a　thing　that　is　immortal　and　eternal。　It　affords　us　not　indeed
such　a　beauty　as　will　wither　away　by　time；　nor　such　riches　as　may
be　taken　away　by　fortune；　but　righteous　rules　and　laws。　It
distinguishes　them　from　injustice；　and　puts　what　is　unrighteous
to　rebuke。〃　（5）

7。　So　when　Zorobabel　had　left　off　his　discourse　about　truth；　and
the　multitude　had　cried　out　aloud　that　he　had　spoken　the　most
wisely；　and　that　it　was　truth　alone　that　had　immutable　strength；
and　such　as　never　would　wax　old；　the　king　commanded　that　he
should　ask　for　somewhat　over　and　above　what　he　had　promised；　for
that　he　would　give　it　him　because　of　his　wisdom；　and　that
prudence　wherein　he　exceeded　the　rest；　〃and　thou　shalt　sit　with
me；〃　said　the　king；　〃and　shalt　be　called　my　cousin。〃　When　he　had
said　this；　Zorobabel　put　him　in　mind　of　the　vow　he　had　made　in
case　he　should　ever　have　the　kingdom。　Now　this　vow　was；　〃to
rebuild　Jerusalem；　and　to　build　therein　the　temple　of　God；　as
also　to　restore　the　vessels　which　Nebuchadnezzar　had　pillaged；
and　carried　to　Babylon。　And　this；〃　said　he；　〃is　that　request
which　thou　now　permittest　me　to　make；　on　account　that　I　have　been
judged　to　be　wise　and　understanding。〃

8。　So　the　king　was　pleased　with　what　he　had　said；　and　arose　and
kissed　him；　and　wrote　to　the　toparchs　and　governors；　and　enjoined
them　to　conduct　Zorobabel　and　those　that　were　going　with　him　to
build　the　temple。　He　also　sent　letters　to　those　rulers　that　were
in　Syria　and　Phoenicia　to　cut　down　and　carry　cedar　trees　from
Lebanon　to　Jerusalem；　and　to　assist　him　in　building　the　city。　He
also　wrote　to　them；　that　all　the　captives　who　should　go　to　Judea
should　be　free；　and　he　prohibited　his　deputies　and　governors　to
lay　any　king's　taxes　upon　the　Jews；　he　also　permitted　that　they
should　have　all　that　land　which　they　could　possess　themselves　of
without　tributes。　He　also　enjoined　the　Idumeans　and　Samaritans；
and　the　inhabitants　of　Celesyria；　to　restore　those　villages　which
they　had　taken　from　the　Jews；　and　that；　besides　all　this；　fifty
talents　should　be　given　them　for　the　building　of　the　temple。　He
also　permitted　them　to　offer　their　appointed　sacrifices；　and　that
whatsoever　the　high　priest　and　the　priests　wanted；　and　those
sacred　garments　wherein　they　used　to　worship　God；　should　be　made
at　his　own　charges；　。and　that　the　musical　instruments　which　the
Levites　used　in　singing　hymns　to　God　should　be　given　them。
Moreover；　he　charged　them；　that　portions　of　land　should　be　given
to　those　that　guarded　the　city　and　the　temple；　as　also　a
determinate　sum　of　money　every　year　for　their　maintenance；　and
withal　he　sent　the　vessels。　And　all　that　Cyrus　intended　to　do
before　him　relating　to　the　restoration　of　Jerusalem；　Darius　also
ordained　should　be　done　accordingly。

9。　Now　when　Zorobabel　had　obtained　these　grants　from　the　king；　he
went　out　of　the　palace；　and　looking　up　to　heaven；　he　began　to
return　thanks　to　God　for　the　wisdom　he　had　given　him；　and　the
victory　he　had　gained　thereby；　even　in　the　presence　of　Darius
himself；　for；　said　he；　〃I　had　not　been　thought　worthy　of　these
advantages；　O　Lord；　unless　thou　hadst　been　favorable　to　me。〃　When
therefore　he　had　returned　these　thanks　to　God　for　the　present
circumstances　he　was　in；　and　had　prayed　to　him　to　afford　him　the
like　favor　for　the　time　to　come；　he　came　to　Babylon；　and　brought
the　good　news　to　his　countrymen　of　what　grants　he　had　procured
for　them　from　the　king；　who；　when　they　heard　the　same；　gave
thanks　also　to　God　that　he　restored　the　land　of　their　forefathers
to　them　again。　So　they　betook　themselves　to　drinking　and　eating；
and　for　seven　days　they　continued　feasting；　and　kept　a　festival；
for　the　rebuilding　and　restoration　of　their　country：　after　this
they　chose　themselves　rulers；　who　should　go　up　to　Jerusalem；　out
of　the　tribes　of　their　forefathers；　with　their　wives；　and
children；　and　cattle；　who　traveled　to　Jerusalem　with　joy　and
pleasure；　under　the　conduct　of　those　whom　Darius　sent　along　with
them；　and　making　a　noise　with　songs；　and　pipes；　and　cymbals。　The
rest　of　the　Jewish　multitude　also　besides　accompanied　them　with
rejoicing。

10。　And　thus　did　these　men　go；　a　certain　and　determinate　number
out　of　every　family；　though　I　do　not　think　it　proper　to　recite
particularly　the　names　of　those　families；　that　I　may　not　take　off
the　mi