the antiquities of the jews-1-第176章

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ordered　them　to　guard　that　country。

7。　Now　when　Alexander　was　dead；　the　government　was　parted　among
his　successors；　but　the　temple　upon　Mount　Gerizzim　remained。　And
if　any　one　were　accused　by　those　of　Jerusalem　of　having　eaten
things　common　（24）　or　of　having　broken　the　sabbath；　or　of　any
other　crime　of　the　like　nature；　he　fled　away　to　the　Shechemites；
and　said　that　he　was　accused　unjustly。　About　this　time　it　was
that　Jaddua　the　high　priest　died；　and　Onias　his　son　took　the　high
priesthood。　This　was　the　state　of　the　affairs　of　the　people　of
Jerusalem　at　this　time。

BOOK　XII。

Containing　The　Interval　Of　A　Hundred　And　Seventy　Years。

From　The　Death　Of　Alexander　The　Great　To　The　Death　Of　Judas
Maccabeus。

CHAPTER　1。

How　Ptolemy　The　Son　Of　Lagus　Took　Jerusalem　And　Judea　By　Deceit
And　Treachery；　And　Carried　Many　Thence；　And　Planted　Them　In
Egypt。

1。　Now　when　Alexander；　king　of　Macedon；　had　put　an　end　to　the
dominion　of　the　Persians；　and　had　settled　the　affairs　in　Judea
after　the　forementioned　manner；　he　ended　his　life。　And　as　his
government　fell　among　many；　Antigonus　obtained　Asia；　Seleucus
Babylon；　and　of　the　other　nations　which　were　there；　Lysimachus
governed　the　Hellespont；　and　Cassander　possessed　Macedonia；　as
did　Ptolemy　the　son　of　Lagus　seize　upon　Egypt。　And　while　these
princes　ambitiously　strove　one　against　another；　every　one　for　his
own　principality；　it　came　to　pass　that　there　were　continual　wars；
and　those　lasting　wars　too；　and　the　cities　were　sufferers；　and
lost　a　great　many　of　their　inhabitants　in　these　times　of
distress；　insomuch　that　all　Syria；　by　the　means　of　Ptolemy　the
son　of　Lagus；　underwent　the　reverse　of　that　denomination　of
Savior；　which　he　then　had。　He　also　seized　upon　Jerusalem；　and　for
that　end　made　use　of　deceit　and　treachery；　for　as　he　came　into
the　city　on　a　sabbath　day；　as　if　he　would　offer　sacrifices　（1）
he；　without　any　trouble；　gained　the　city；　while　the　Jews　did　not
oppose　him；　for　they　did　not　suspect　him　to　be　their　enemy；　and
he　gained　it　thus；　because　they　were　free　from　suspicion　of　him；
and　because　on　that　day　they　were　at　rest　and　quietness；　and　when
he　had　gained　it；　he　ruled　over　it　in　a　cruel　manner。　Nay；
Agatharchides　of　Cnidus；　who　wrote　the　acts　of　Alexander's
successors；　reproaches　us　with　superstition；　as　if　we；　by　it；　had
lost　our　liberty；　where　he　says　thus：　〃There　is　a　nation　called
the　nation　of　the　Jews；　who　inhabit　a　city　strong　and　great；
named　Jerusalem。　These　men　took　no　care；　but　let　it　come　into　the
hands　of　Ptolemy；　as　not　willing　to　take　arms；　and　thereby　they
submitted　to　be　under　a　hard　master；　by　reason　of　their
unseasonable　superstition。〃　This　is　what　Agatharchides　relates　of
our　nation。　But　when　Ptolemy　had　taken　a　great　many　captives；
both　from　the　mountainous　parts　of　Judea；　and　from　the　places
about　Jerusalem　and　Samaria；　and　the　places　near　Mount　Gerizzim；
he　led　them　all　into　Egypt；　（2）　and　settled　them　there。　And　as　he
knew　that　the　people　of　Jerusalem　were　most　faithful　in　the
observation　of　oaths　and　covenants；　and　this　from　the　answer　they
made　to　Alexander；　when　he　sent　an　embassage　to　them；　after　he
had　beaten　Darius　in　battle；　so　he　distributed　many　of　them　into
garrisons；　and　at　Alexandria　gave　them　equal　privileges　of
citizens　with　the　Macedonians　themselves；　and　required　of　them　to
take　their　oaths；　that　they　would　keep　their　fidelity　to　the
posterity　of　those　who　committed　these　places　to　their　care。　Nay；
there　were　not　a　few　other　Jews　who；　of　their　own　accord；　went
into　Egypt；　as　invited　by　the　goodness　of　the　soil；　and　by　the
liberality　of　Ptolemy。　However；　there　were　disoders　among　their
posterity；　with　relation　to　the　Samaritans；　on　account　of　their
resolution　to　preserve　that　conduct　of　life　which　was　delivered
to　them　by　their　forefathers；　and　they　thereupon　contended　one
with　another；　while　those　of　Jerusalem　said　that　their　temple　was
holy；　and　resolved　to　send　their　sacrifices　thither；　but　the
Samaritans　were　resolved　that　they　should　be　sent　to　Mount
Gerizzim。

CHAPTER　2。

How　Ptolemy　Philadelphus　Procured　The　Laws　Of　The　Jews　To　Be
Translated　Into　The　Greek　Tongue　And　Set　Many　Captives　Free；　And
Dedicated　Many　Gifts　To　God。

1。　When　Alexander　had　reigned　twelve　years；　and　after　him　Ptolemy
Soter　forty　years；　Philadelphus　then　took　the　kingdom　of　Egypt；
and　held　it　forty　years　within　one。　He　procured　the　law　to　be
interpreted；　and　set　free　those　that　were　come　from　Jerusalem
into　Egypt；　and　were　in　slavery　there；　who　were　a　hundred　and
twenty　thousand。　The　occasion　was　this：　Demetrius　Phalerius；　who
was　library　keeper　to　the　king；　was　now　endeavoring；　if　it　were
possible；　to　gather　together　all　the　books　that　were　in　the
habitable　earth；　and　buying　whatsoever　was　any　where　valuable；　or
agreeable　to　the　king's　inclination；　（who　was　very　earnestly　set
upon　collecting　of　books；）　to　which　inclination　of　his　Demetrius
was　zealously　subservient。　And　when　once　Ptolemy　asked　him　how
many　ten　thousands　of　books　he　had　collected；　he　replied；　that　he
had　already　about　twenty　times　ten　thousand；　but　that；　in　a
little　time；　he　should　have　fifty　times　ten　thousand。　But　be　said
he　had　been　informed　that　there　were　many　books　of　laws　among　the
Jews　worthy　of　inquiring　after；　and　worthy　of　the　king's　library；
but　which；　being　written　in　characters　and　in　a　dialect　of　their
own；　will　cause　no　small　pains　in　getting　them　translated　into
the　Greek　tongue；　（3）　that　the　character　in　which　they　are
written　seems　to　be　like　to　that　which　is　the　proper　character　of
the　Syrians；　and　that　its　sound；　when　pronounced；　is　like　theirs
also；　and　that　this　sound　appears　to　be　peculiar　to　themselves。
Wherefore　he　said　that　nothing　hindered　why　they　might　not　get
those　books　to　be　translated　also；　for　while　nothing　is　wanting
that　is　necessary　for　that　purpose；　we　may　have　their　books　also
in　this　library。　So　the　king　thought　that　Demetrius　was　very
zealous　to　procure　him　abundance　of　books；　and　that　he　suggested
what　was　exceeding　proper　for　him　to　do；　and　therefore　he　wrote
to　the　Jewish　high　priest；　that　he　should　act　accordingly。

2。　Now　there　was　one　Aristeus；　who　was　among　the　king's　most
intimate　friends；　and　on　account　of　his　modesty　very　acceptable
to　him。　This　Aristeus　resolved　frequently；　and　that　before　now；
to　petition　the　king　that　he　would　set　all　the　captive　Jews　in
his　kingdom　free；　and　he　thought　this　to　be　a　convenient
opportunity　for　the　making　that　petition。　So　he　discoursed；　in
the　first　place；　with　the　captains　of　the　king's　guards；　Sosibius
of　Tarentum；　and　Andreas；　and　persuaded　them　to　assist　him　in
what　he　was　going　to　intercede　with　the　king　for。　Accordingly
Aristeus　embraced　the　same　opinion　with　those　that　have　been
before　mentioned；　and　went　to　the　king；　and　made　the　following
speech　to　him：　〃It　is　not　fit　for　us；　O　king；　to　overlook　things
hastily；　or　to　deceive　ourselves；　but　to　lay　the　truth　open。　For
since　we　have　determined　not　only　to　get　the　laws　of　the　Jews
transcribed；　but　interpreted　also；　for　thy　satisfaction；　by　what
means　can　we　do　this；　while　so　many　of　the　Jews　are　now　slaves　in
thy　kingdom？　Do　thou　then　what　will　be　agreeable　to　thy
magnanimity；　and　to　thy　good　nature：　free　them　from　the　miserable
condition　they　are　in；　because　that　God；　who　supporteth　thy
kingdom；　was　the　author　of　their　laws　as　I　have　learned　by
particular　inquiry；　for　both　these　people；　and　we　also；　worship
the　same　God　the　framer　of　all　things。　We　call　him；　and　that
truly；　by　the　name　of　GREEK；　＇or　life；　or　Jupiter；＇　because　he
breathes　life　into　all　men。　Wherefore　do　thou　restore　these　men
to　their　own　country；　and　this　do　to　the　honor　of　God；　because
these　men　pay　a　peculiarly　excellent　worship　to　him。　And　know
this　further；　that　though　I　be　not　of　kin　to　them　by　birth；　nor
one　of　the　same　country　with　them；　yet　do　I　desire　these　favors
to　be　done　them；　since　all　men　are　the　workmanship　of　God；　and　I
am　sensible　that　he　is　well…pleased　with　those　that　do　good。　I　do
therefore　put　up　this　petition　to　thee；　to　do　good　to　them。〃

3。　When　Aristeus　was　saying　thus；　the　king　looked　upon　him　with　a
cheerful　and　joyful　countenance