the antiquities of the jews-1-第177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！



3。　When　Aristeus　was　saying　thus；　the　king　looked　upon　him　with　a
cheerful　and　joyful　countenance；　and　said；　〃How　many　ten
thousands　dost　thou　suppose　there　are　of　such　as　want　to　be　made
free？〃　To　which　Andreas　replied；　as　he　stood　by；　and　said；〃　A　few
more　than　ten　times　ten　thousand。〃　The　king　made　answer；　〃And　is
this　a　small　gift　that　thou　askest；　Aristeus？〃　But　Sosibius；　and
the　rest　that　stood　by；　said　that　he　ought　to　offer　such　a
thank…offering　as　was　worthy　of　his　greatness　of　soul；　to　that
God　who　had　given　him　his　kingdom。　With　this　answer　he　was　much
pleased；　and　gave　order；　that　when　they　paid　the　soldiers　their
wages；　they　should　lay　down　＇a　hundred　and＇　twenty　drachmas　（4）
for　every　one　of　the　slaves？　And　he　promised　to　publish　a
magnificent　decree；　about　what　they　requested；　which　should
confirm　what　Aristeus　had　proposed；　and　especially　what　God
willed　should　be　done；　whereby　he　said　he　would　not　only　set
those　free　who　had　been　led　away　captive　by　his　father　and　his
army；　but　those　who　were　in　this　kingdom　before；　and　those　also；
if　any　such　there　were；　who　had　been　brought　away　since。　And　when
they　said　that　their　redemption　money　would　amount　to　above　four
hundred　talents；　he　granted　it。　A　copy　of　which　decree　I　have
determined　to　preserve；　that　the　magnanimity　of　this　king　may　be
made　known。　Its　contents　were　as　follows：　〃Let　ail　those　who　were
soldiers　under　our　father；　and　who；　when　they　overran　Syria　and
Phoenicia；　and　laid　waste　Judea；　took　the　Jews　captives；　and　made
them　slaves；　and　brought　them　into　our　cities；　and　into　this
country；　and　then　sold　them；　as　also　all　those　that　were　in　my
kingdom　before　them；　and　if　there　be　any　that　have　been　lately
brought　thither；　…　be　made　free　by　those　that　possess　them；　and
let　them　accept　of　＇a　hundred　and＇　twenty　drachmas　for　every
slave。　And　let　the　soldiers　receive　this　redemption　money　with
their　pay；　but　the　rest　out　of　the　king's　treasury：　for　I　suppose
that　they　were　made　captives　without　our　father's　consent；　and
against　equity；　and　that　their　country　was　harassed　by　the
insolence　of　the　soldiers；　and　that；　by　removing　them　into　Egypt；
the　soldiers　have　made　a　great　profit　by　them。　Out　of　regard
therefore　to　justice；　and　out　of　pity　to　those　that　have　been
tyrannized　over；　contrary　to　equity；　I　enjoin　those　that　have
such　Jews　in　their　service　to　set　them　at　liberty；　upon　the
receipt　of　the　before…mentioned　sum；　and　that　no　one　use　any
deceit　about　them；　but　obey　what　is　here　commanded。　And　I　will
that　they　give　in　their　names　within　three　days　after　the
publication　of　this　edict；　to　such　as　are　appointed　to　execute
the　same；　and　to　produce　the　slaves　before　them　also；　for　I　think
it　will　be　for　the　advantage　of　my　affairs。　And　let　every　one
that　will　inform　against　those　that　do　not　obey　this　decree；　and
I　will　that　their　estates　be　confiscated　into　the　king's
treasury。〃　When　this　decree　was　read　to　the　king；　it　at　first
contained　the　rest　that　is　here　inserted；　and　omitted　only　those
Jews　that　had　formerly　been　brought；　and　those　brought
afterwards；　which　had　not　been　distinctly　mentioned；　so　he　added
these　clauses　out　of　his　humanity；　and　with　great　generosity。　He
also　gave　order　that　the　payment；　which　was　likely　to　be　done　in
a　hurry；　should　be　divided　among　the　king's　ministers；　and　among
the　officers　of　his　treasury。　When　this　was　over；　what　the　king
had　decreed　was　quickly　brought　to　a　conclusion；　and　this　in　no
more　than　seven　days'　time；　the　number　of　the　talents　paid　for
the　captives　being　above　four　hundred　and　sixty；　and　this；
because　their　masters　required　the　＇hundred　and＇　twenty　drachmas
for　the　children　also；　the　king　having；　in　effect；　commanded　that
these　should　be　paid　for；　when　he　said　in　his　decree；　that　they
should　receive　the　forementioned　sum　for　every　slave。

4。　Now　when　this　had　been　done　after　so　magnificent　a　manner；
according　to　the　king's　inclinations；　he　gave　order　to　Demetrius
to　give　him　in　writing　his　sentiments　concerning　the　transcribing
of　the　Jewish　books；　for　no　part　of　the　administration　is　done
rashly　by　these　kings；　but　all　things　are　managed　with　great
circumspection。　On　which　account　I　have　subjoined　a　copy　of　these
epistles；　and　set　down　the　multitude　of　the　vessels　sent　as　gifts
＇to　Jerusalem＇；　and　the　construction　of　every　one；　that　the
exactness　of　the　artificers'　workmanship；　as　it　appeared　to　those
that　saw　them；　and　which　workman　made　every　vessel；　may　be　made
manifest；　and。　this　on　account　of　the　excellency　of　the　vessels
themselves。　Now　the　copy　of　the　epistle　was　to　this　purpose：
〃Demetrius　to　the　great　king。　When　thou；　O　king；　gavest　me　a
charge　concerning　the　collection　of　books　that　were　wanting　to
fill　your　library；　and　concerning　the　care　that　ought　to　be　taken
about　such　as　are　imperfect；　I　have　used　the　utmost　diligence
about　those　matters。　And　I　let　you　know；　that　we　want　the　books
of　the　Jewish　legislation；　with　some　others；　for　they　are　written
in　the　Hebrew　characters；　and　being　in　the　language　of　that
nation；　are　to　us　unknown。　It　hath　also　happened　to　them；　that
they　have　been　transcribed　more　carelessly　than　they　ought　to
have　been；　because　they　have　not　had　hitherto　royal　care　taken
about　them。　Now　it　is　necessary　that　thou　shouldst　have　accurate
copies　of　them。　And　indeed　this　legislation　is　full　of　hidden
wisdom；　and　entirely　blameless；　as　being　the　legislation　of　God；
for　which　cause　it　is；　as　Hecateus　of　Abdera　says；　that　the　poets
and　historians　make　no　mention　of　it；　nor　of　those　men　who　lead
their　lives　according　to　it；　since　it　is　a　holy　law；　and　ought
not　to　be　published　by　profane　mouths。　If　then　it　please　thee；　O
king；　thou　mayst　write　to　the　high　priest　of　the　Jews；　to　send
six　of　the　elders　out　of　every　tribe；　and　those　such　as　are　most
skillful　of　the　laws；　that　by　their　means　we　may　learn　the　clear
and　agreeing　sense　of　these　books；　and　may　obtain　an　accurate
interpretation　of　their　contents；　and　so　may　have　such　a
collection　of　these　as　may　be　suitable　to　thy　desire。〃

5。　When　this　epistle　was　sent　to　the　king；　he　commanded　that　an
epistle　should　be　drawn　up　for　Eleazar；　the　Jewish　high　priest；
concerning　these　matters；　and　that　they　should　inform　him　of　the
release　of　the　Jews　that　had　been　in　slavery　among　them。　He　also
sent　fifty　talents　of　gold　for　the　making　of　large　basons；　and
vials；　and　cups；　and　an　immense　quantity　of　precious　stones。　He
also　gave　order　to　those　who　had　the　custody　of　the　chest　that
contained　those　stones；　to　give　the　artificers　leave　to　choose
out　what　sorts　of　them　they　pleased。　He　withal　appointed；　that　a
hundred　talents　in　money　should　be　sent　to　the　temple　for
sacrifices；　and　for　other　uses。　Now　I　will　give　a　description　of
these　vessels；　and　the　manner　of　their　construction；　but　not　till
after　I　have　set　down　a　copy　of　the　epistle　which　was　written　to
Eleazar　the　high　priest；　who　had　obtained　that　dignity　on　the
occasion　following：　When　Onias　the　high　priest　was　dead；　his　son
Simon　became　his　successor。　He　was　called　Simon　the　Just　（5）
because　of　both　his　piety　towards　God；　and　his　kind　disposition
to　those　of　his　own　nation。　When　he　was　dead；　and　had　left　a
young　son；　who　was　called　Onias；　Simon's　brother　Eleazar；　of　whom
we　are　speaking；　took　the　high　priesthood；　and　he　it　was　to　whom
Ptolemy　wrote；　and　that　in　the　manner　following：　〃King　Ptolemy　to
Eleazar　the　high　priest；　sendeth　greeting。　There　are　many　Jews
who　now　dwell　in　my　kingdom；　whom　the　Persians；　when　they　were　in
power；　carried　captives。　These　were　honored　by　my　father；　some　of
them　he　placed　in　the　army；　and　gave　them　greater　pay　than
ordinary；　to　others　of　them；　when　they　came　with　him　into　Egypt；
he　committed　his　garrisons；　and　the　guarding　of　them；　that　they
might　be　a　terror　to　the　Egyptians。　And　when　I　had　taken　the
government；　I　treated　all　men　with　humanity；　and　especially　those
that　are　thy　fellow　citizens；　of　whom　I　have　set　free　above　a
hundred　thousand　that　were　slaves；　and　paid　the　price　of　their
redemption　to　their　masters　out　of　my　own　revenues；　and　those
that　are　of　a　fit　age；　I　have　admitted　into　them　number　of　my
soldiers。　And　for