the antiquities of the jews-1-第166章

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wrote　to　them　to　build　the　temple；　and　committed　the　gifts　and
vessels；　and　whatsoever　Nebuchadnezzar　had　carried　out　of　it；　to
Zorobabel；　and　Mithridates　the　treasurer；　and　gave　order　to　have
them　carried　to　Jerusalem；　and　to　have　them　restored　to　their　own
temple；　when　it　was　built；　for　he　had　sent　to　them　to　have　that
done　speedily；　and　commanded　Sanabassar　to　go　up　to　Jerusalem；
and　to　take　care　of　the　building　of　the　temple；　who；　upon
receiving　that　epistle　from　Cyrus；　came；　and　immediately　laid　its
foundations；　〃and　although　it　hath　been　in　building　from　that
time　to　this；　it　hath　not　yet　been　finished；　by　reason　of　the
malignity　of　our　enemies。　If　therefore　you　have　a　mind；　and　think
it　proper；　write　this　account　to　Darius；　that　when　he　hath
consulted　the　records　of　the　kings；　he　may　find　that　we　have　told
you　nothing　that　is　false　about　this　matter。〃

5。　When　Zorobabel　and　the　high　priest　had　made　this　answer；
Sisinnes；　and　those　that　were　with　him；　did　not　resolve　to　hinder
the　building；　until　they　had　informed　king　Darius　of　all　this。　So
they　immediately　wrote　to　him　about　these　affairs；　but　as　the
Jews　were　now　under　terror；　and　afraid　lest　the　king　should
change　his　resolutions　as　to　the　building　of　Jerusalem　and　of　the
temple；　there　were　two　prophets　at　that　time　among　them；　Haggai
and　Zechariah；　who　encouraged　them；　and　bid　them　be　of　good
cheer；　and　to　suspect　no　discouragement　from　the　Persians；　for
that　God　foretold　this　to　them。　So；　in　dependence　on　those
prophets；　they　applied　themselves　earnestly　to　building；　and　did
not　intermit　one　day。

6。　Now　Darius；　when　the　Samaritans　had　written　to　him；　and　in
their　epistle　had　accused　the　Jews；　how　they　fortified　the　city；
and　built　the　temple　more　like　to　a　citadel　than　to　a　temple；　and
said；　that　their　doings　were　not　expedient　for　the　king's
affairs；　and　besides；　they　showed　the　epistle　of　Cambyses；
wherein　he　forbade　them　to　build　the　temple：　and　when　Darius
thereby　understood　that　the　restoration　of　Jerusalem　was　not
expedient　for　his　affairs；　and　when　he　had　read　the　epistle　that
was　brought　him　from　Sisinnes；　and　those　that　were　with　him；　he
gave　order　that　what　concerned　these　matters　should　be　sought　for
among　the　royal　records。　Whereupon　a　book　was　found　at　Ecbatana；
in　the　tower　that　was　in　Media；　wherein　was　written　as　follows：
〃Cyrus　the　king；　in　the　first　year　of　his　reign；　commanded　that
the　temple　should　be　built　in　Jerusalem；　and　the　altar　in　height
threescore　cubits；　and　its　breadth　of　the　same；　with　three
edifices　of　polished　stone；　and　one　edifice　of　stone　of　their　own
country；　and　he　ordained　that　the　expenses　of　it　should　be　paid
out　of　the　king's　revenue。　He　also　commanded　that　the　vessels
which　Nebuchadnezzar　had　pillaged　＇out　of　the　temple＇；　and　had
carried　to　Babylon；　should　be　restored　to　the　people　of
Jerusalem；　and　that　the　care　of　these　things　should　belong　to
Sanabassar；　the　governor　and　president　of　Syria　and　Phoenicia；
and　his　associates；　that　they　may　not　meddle　with　that　place；　but
may　permit　the　servants　of　God；　the　Jews　and　their　rulers；　to
build　the　temple。　He　also　ordained　that　they　should　assist　them
in　the　work；　and　that　they　should　pay　to　the　Jews；　out　of　the
tribute　of　the　country　where　they　were　governors；　on　account　of
the　sacrifices；　bulls；　and　rams；　and　lambs；　and　kids　of　the
goats；　and　fine　flour；　and　oil；　and　wine；　and　all　other　things
that　the　priests　should　suggest　to　them；　and　that　they　should
pray　for　the　preservation　of　the　king；　and　of　the　Persians；　and
that　for　such　as　transgressed　any　of　these　orders　thus　sent　to
them；　he　commanded　that　they　should　be　caught；　and　hung　upon　a
cross；　and　their　substance　confiscated　to　the　king's　use。　He　also
prayed　to　God　against　them；　that　if　any　one　attempted　to　hinder
the　building　of　the　temple；　God　would　strike　him　dead；　and
thereby　restrain　his　wickedness。〃

7。　When　Darius　had　found　this　book　among　the　records　of　Cyrus；　he
wrote　an　answer　to　Sisinnes　and　his　associates；　whose　contents
were　these：　〃King　Darius　to　Sisinnes　the　governor；　and　to
Sathrabuzanes；　sendeth　greeting。　Having　found　a　copy　of　this
epistle　among　the　records　of　Cyrus；　I　have　sent　it　you；　and　I
will　that　all　things　be　done　as　is　therein　written。　Fare　ye
well。〃　So　when　Sisinnes；　and　those　that　were　with　him；　understood
the　intention　of　the　king；　they　resolved　to　follow　his　directions
entirely　for　the　time　to　come。　So　they　forwarded　the　sacred
works；　and　assisted　the　elders　of　the　Jews；　and　the　princes　of
the　Sanhedrim；　and　the　structure　of　the　temple　was　with　great
diligence　brought　to　a　conclusion；　by　the　prophecies　of　Haggai
and　Zechariah；　according　to　God's　commands；　and　by　the
injunctions　of　Cyrus　and　Darius　the　kings。　Now　the　temple　was
built　in　seven　years'　time。　And　in　the　ninth　year　of　the　reign　of
Darius；　on　the　twenty…third　day　of　the　twelfth　month；　which　is　by
us　called　Adar；　but　by　the　Macedonians　Dystrus；　the　priests；　and
Levites；　and　the　other　multitude　of　the　Israelites；　offered
sacrifices；　as　the　renovation　of　their　former　prosperity　after
their　captivity；　and　because　they　had　now　the　temple　rebuilt；　a
hundred　bulls；　two　hundred　rains；　four　hundred　lambs；　and　twelve
kids　of　the　goats；　according　to　the　number　of　their　tribes；　（for
so　many　are　the　tribes　of　the　Israelites；）　and　this　last　for　the
sins　of　every　tribe。　The　priests　also　and　the　Levites　set　the
porters　at　every　gate；　according　to　the　laws　of　Moses。　The　Jews
also　built　the　cloisters　of　the　inner　temple　that　were　round
about　the　temple　itself。

8。　And　as　the　feast　of　unleavened　bread　was　at　hand；　in　the　first
month；　which；　according　to　the　Macedonians；　is　called　Xanthicus；
but　according　to　us　Nisan；　all　the　people　ran　together　out　of　the
villages　to　the　city；　and　celebrated　the　festival；　having
purified　themselves；　with　their　wives　and　children；　according　to
the　law　of　their　country；　and　they　offered　the　sacrifice　which
was　called　the　Passover；　on　the　fourteenth　day　of　the　same　month；
and　feasted　seven　days；　and　spared　for　no　cost；　but　offered　whole
burnt…offerings　to　God；　and　performed　sacrifices　of　thanksgiving；
because　God　had　led　them　again　to　the　land　of　their　fathers；　and
to　the　laws　thereto　belonging；　and　had　rendered　the　mind　of　the
king　of　Persia　favorable　to　them。　So　these　men　offered　the
largest　sacrifices　on　these　accounts；　and　used　great　magnificence
in　the　worship　of　God；　and　dwelt　in　Jerusalem；　and　made　use　of　a
form　of　government　that　was　aristocratical；　but　mixed　with　an
oligarchy；　for　the　high　priests　were　at　the　head　of　their
affairs；　until　the　posterity　of　the　Asamoneans　set　up　kingly
government；　for　before　their　captivity；　and　the　dissolution　of
their　polity；　they　at　first　had　kingly　government　from　Saul　and
David　for　five　hundred　and　thirty…two　years；　six　months；　and　ten
days；　but　before　those　kings；　such　rulers　governed　them　as　were
called　judges　and　monarchs。　Under　this　form　of　government　they
continued　for　more　than　five　hundred　years　after　the　death　of
Moses；　and　of　Joshua　their　commander。　And　this　is　the　account　I
had　to　give　of　the　Jews　who　had　been　carried　into　captivity；　but
were　delivered　from　it　in　the　times　of　Cyrus　and　Darius。

9。　（7）　But　the　Samaritans；　being　evil　and　enviously　disposed　to
the　Jews；　wrought　them　many　mischiefs；　by　reliance　on　their
riches；　and　by　their　pretense　that　they　were　allied　to　the
Persians；　on　account　that　thence　they　came；　and　whatsoever　it　was
that　they　were　enjoined　to　pay　the　Jews　by　the　king's　order　out
of　their　tributes　for　the　sacrifices；　they　would　not　pay　it。　They
had　also　the　governors　favorable　to　them；　and　assisting　them　for
that　purpose；　nor　did　they　spare　to　hurt　them；　either　by
themselves　or　by　others；　as　far　as　they　were　able。　So　the　Jews
determined　to　send　an　embassage　to　king　Darius；　in　favor　of　the
people　of　Jerusalem；　and　in　order　to　accuse　the　Samaritans。　The
ambassadors　were　Zorobabel；　and　four　others　of　the　rulers；　and　as
soon　as　the　king　knew　from　the　ambassadors　the　accusations　and
complaints　they　brought　against　the　Samaritans；　he　gave　them　an
epistle　to　be　carried　to　the　governors　and　council　of　Samaria；
the　contents　of　w