the antiquities of the jews-1-第178章

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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　such　as　are　capable　of　being　faithful　to　me；
and　proper　for　my　court；　I　have　put　them　in　such　a　post；　as
thinking　this　＇kindness　done　to　them＇　to　be　a　very　great　and　an
acceptable　gift；　which　I　devote　to　God　for　his　providence　over
me。　And　as　I　am　desirous　to　do　what　will　be　grateful　to　these；
and　to　all　the　other　Jews　in　the　habitable　earth；　I　have
determined　to　procure　an　interpretation　of　your　law；　and　to　have
it　translated　out　of　Hebrew　into　Greek；　and　to　be　deposited　in　my
library。　Thou　wilt　therefore　do　well　to　choose　out　and　send　to　me
men　of　a　good　character；　who　are　now　elders　in　age；　and　six　in
number　out　of　every　tribe。　These；　by　their　age；　must　be　skillful
in　the　laws；　and　of　abilities　to　make　an　accurate　interpretation
of　them；　and　when　this　shall　be　finished；　I　shall　think　that　I
have　done　a　work　glorious　to　myself。　And　I　have　sent　to　thee
Andreas；　the　captain　of　my　guard；　and　Aristeus；　men　whom　I　have
in　very　great　esteem；　by　whom　I　have　sent　those　first…fruits
which　I　have　dedicated　to　the　temple；　and　to　the　sacrifices；　and
to　other　uses；　to　the　value　of　a　hundred　talents。　And　if　thou
wilt　send　to　us；　to　let　us　know　what　thou　wouldst　have　further；
thou　wilt　do　a　thing　acceptable　to　me。〃

6。　When　this　epistle　of　the　king　was　brought　to　Eleazar；　he　wrote
an　answer　to　it　with　all　the　respect　possible：　〃Eleazar　the　high
priest　to　king　Ptolemy；　sendeth　greeting。　If　thou　and　thy　queen
Arsinoe；　（6）　and　thy　children；　be　well；　we　are　entirely
satisfied。　When　we　received　thy　epistle；　we　greatly　rejoiced　at
thy　intentions；　and　when　the　multitude　were　gathered　together；　we
read　it　to　them；　and　thereby　made　them　sensible　of　the　piety　thou
hast　towards　God。　We　also　showed　them　the　twenty　vials　of　gold；
and　thirty　of　silver；　and　the　five　large　basons；　and　the　table
for　the　shew…bread；　as　also　the　hundred　talents　for　the
sacrifices；　and　for　the　making　what　shall　be　needful　at　the
temple；　which　things　Andreas　and　Aristeus；　those　most　honored
friends　of　thine；　have　brought　us；　and　truly　they　are　persons　of
an　excellent　character；　and　of　great　learning；　and　worthy　of　thy
virtue。　Know　then　that　we　will　gratify　thee　in　what　is　for　thy
advantage；　though　we　do　what　we　used　not　to　do　before；　for　we
ought　to　make　a　return　for　the　numerous　acts　of　kindness　which
thou　hast　done　to　our　countrymen。　We　immediately；　therefore；
offered　sacrifices　for　thee　and　thy　sister；　with　thy　children　and
friends；　and　the　multitude　made　prayers；　that　thy　affairs　may　be
to　thy　mind；　and　that　thy　kingdom　may　be　preserved　in　peace；　and
that　the　translation　of　our　law　may　come　to　the　conclusion　thou
desirest；　and　be　for　thy　advantage。　We　have　also　chosen　six
elders　out　of　every　tribe；　whom　we　have　sent；　and　the　law　with
them。　It　will　be　thy　part；　out　of　thy　piety　and　justice；　to　send
back　the　law；　when　it　hath　been　translated；　and　to　return　those
to　us　that　bring　it　in　safety。　Farewell。〃

7。　This　was　the　reply　which　the　high　priest　made。　But　it　does　not
seem　to　me　to　be　necessary　to　set　down　the　names　of　the　seventy
＇two＇　elders　who　were　sent　by　Eleazar；　and　carried　the　law；　which
yet　were　subjoined　at　the　end　of　the　epistle。　However；　I　thought
it　not　improper　to　give　an　account　of　those　very　valuable　and
artificially　contrived　vessels　which　the　king　sent　to　God；　that
all　may　see　how　great　a　regard　the　king　had　for　God；　for　the　king
allowed　a　vast　deal　of　expenses　for　these　vessels；　and　came　often
to　the　workmen；　and　viewed　their　works；　and　suffered　nothing　of
carelessness　or　negligence　to　be　any　damage　to　their　operations。
And　I　will　relate　how　rich　they　were　as　well　as　I　am　able；
although　perhaps　the　nature　of　this　history　may　not　require　such
a　description；　but　I　imagine　I　shall　thereby　recommend　the
elegant　taste　and　magnanimity　of　this　king　to　those　that　read
this　history。

8。　And　first　I　will　describe　what　belongs　to　the　table。　It　was
indeed　in　the　king's　mind　to　make　this　table　vastly　large　in　its
dimensions；　but　then　he　gave　orders　that　they　should　learn　what
was　the　magnitude　of　the　table　which　was　already　at　Jerusalem；
and　how　large　it　was；　and　whether　there　was　a　possibility　of
making　one　larger　than　it。　And　when　he　was　informed　how　large
that　was　which　was　already　there；　and　that　nothing　hindered　but　a
larger　might　be　made；　he　said　that　he　was　willing　to　have　one
made　that　should　be　five　times　as　large　as　the　present　table；　but
his　fear　was；　that　it　might　be　then　useless　in　their　sacred
ministrations　by　its　too　great　largeness；　for　he　desired　that　the
gifts　he　presented　them　should　not　only　be　there　for　show；　but
should　be　useful　also　in　their　sacred　ministrations。　According　to
which　reasoning；　that　the　former　table　was　made　of　so　moderate　a
size　for　use；　and　not　for　want　of　gold；　he　resolved　that　he　would
not　exceed　the　former　table　in　largeness；　but　would　make　it
exceed　it　in　the　variety　and　elegancy　of　its　materials。　And　as　he
was　sagacious　in　observing　the　nature　of　all　things；　and　in
having　a　just　notion　of　what　was　new　and　surprising；　and　where
there　was　no　sculptures；　he　would　invent　such　as　were　proper　by
his　own　skill；　and　would　show　them　to　the　workmen；　he　commanded
that　such　sculptures　should　now　be　made；　and　that　those　which
were　delineated　should　be　most　accurately　formed　by　a　constant
regard　to　their　delineation。

9。　When　therefore　the　workmen　had　undertaken　to　make　the　table；
they　framed　it　in　length　two　cubits　＇and　a　half＇；　in　breadth　one
cubit；　and　in　height　one　cubit　and　a　half；　and　the　entire
structure　of　the　work　was　of　gold。　They　withal　made　a　crown　of　a
hand…breadth　round　it；　with　wave…work　wreathed　about　it；　and　with
an　engraving　which　imitated　a　cord；　and　was　admirably　turned　on
its　three　parts；　for　as　they　were　of　a　triangular　figure；　every
angle　had　the　same　disposition　of　its　sculptures；　that　when　you
turned　them　about；　the　very　same　form　of　them　was　turned　about
without　any　variation。　Now　that　part　of　the　crown…work　that　was
enclosed　under　the　table　had　its　sculptures　very　beautiful；　but
that　part　which　went　round　on　the　outside　was　more　elaborately
adorned　with　most　beautiful　ornaments；　because　it　was　exposed　to
sight；　and　to　the　view　of　the　spectators；　for　which　reason　it　was
that　both　those　sides　which　were　extant　above　the　rest　were
acute；　and　none　of　the　angles；　which　we　before　told　you　were
three；　appeared　less　than　another；　when　the　table　was　turned
about。　Now　into　the　cordwork　thus　turned　were　precious　stones
inserted；　in　rows　parallel　one　to　the　other；　enclosed　in　golden
buttons；　which　had　ouches　in　them；　but　the　parts　which　were　on
the　side　of　the　crown；　and　were　exposed　to　the　sight；　were
adorned　with　a　row　of　oval　figures　obliquely　placed；　of　the　most
excellent　sort　of　precious　stones；　which　imitated　rods　laid
close；　and　encompassed　the　table　round　about。　But　under　these
oval　figures；　thus　engraven；　the　workmen　had　put　a　crown　all
round　it；　where　the　nature　of　all　sorts　of　fruit　was　represented；
insomuch　that　the　bunches　of　grapes　hung　up。　And　when　they　had
made　the　stones　to　represent　all　the　kinds　of　fruit　before
mentioned；　and　that　each　in　its　proper　color；　they　made　them　fast
with　gold　round　the　whole　table。　The　like　disposition　of　the　oval
figures；　and　of　the　engraved　rods；　was　framed　under　the　crown；
that　the　table　might　on　each　side　show　the　same　appearance　of
variety　and　elegancy　of　its　ornaments；　so　that　neither　the
position　of　the　wave…work　nor　of　the　crown　might　be　different；
although　the　table　were　turned　on　the　other　side；　but　that　the
prospect　of　the　same　artificial　contrivances　might　be　extended　as
far　as　the　feet；　for　there　was　made　a　plate　of　gold　four　fingers
broad；　through　the　entire　breadth　of　the　table；　into　which　they
inserted　the　feet；　and　then　fastened　them　to　the　table　by　buttons
and　button…holes；　at　the　place　where　the　crown　was　situate；　that
so　on　what　side　soever　of　the　table　one　should　stand；　it　might
exhibit　the　very　same　view　of　　the　exquisite　workmanship；　and　of
the　vast　expeses　bestowed　upon　it：　but　upon　the　tabl