the antiquities of the jews-1-第185章

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to　the　city；　where　nobody　would　receive　him；　he　was　afraid　for
himself；　and　retired　beyond　the　river　Jordan；　and　there　abode；
but　obliging　the　barbarians　to　pay　their　taxes。

10。　At　this　time　Seleucus；　who　was　called　Soter；　reigned　over
Asia；　being　the　son　of　Antiochus　the　Great。　And　＇now＇　Hyrcanus's
father；　Joseph；　died。　He　was　a　good　man；　and　of　great
magnanimity；　and　brought　the　Jews　out　of　a　state　of　poverty　and
meanness；　to　one　that　was　more　splendid。　He　retained　the　farm　of
the　taxes　of　Syria；　and　Phoenicia；　and　Samaria　twenty…two　years。
His　uncle　also；　Onias；　died　＇about　this　time＇；　and　left　the　high
priesthood　to　his　son　Simeon。　And　when　he　was　dead；　Onias　his　son
succeeded　him　in　that　dignity。　To　him　it　was　that　Areus；　king　of
the　Lacedemonians；　sent　an　embassage；　with　an　epistle；　the　copy
whereof　here　follows：

〃Areus；　King　Of　The　Lacedemonians；　To　Onias；　Sendeth　Greeting。

〃We　have　met　with　a　certain　writing；　whereby　we　have　discovered
that　both　the　Jews　and　the　Lacedemonians　are　of　one　stock；　and
are　derived　from　the　kindred　of　Abraham　（14）　It　is　but　just
therefore　that　you；　who　are　our　brethren；　should　send　to　us　about
any　of　your　concerns　as　you　please。　We　will　also　do　the　same
thing；　and　esteem　your　concerns　as　our　own；　and　will　look　upon
our　concerns　as　in　common　with　yours。　Demoteles；　who　brings　you
this　letter；　will　bring　your　answer　back　to　us。　This　letter　is
four…square；　and　the　seal　is　an　eagle；　with　a　dragon　in　his
claws。〃

11。　And　these　were　the　contents　of　the　epistle　which　was　sent
from　the　king　of　the　Lacedemonians。　But；　upon　the　death　of
Joseph；　the　people　grew　seditious；　on　account　of　his　sons。　For
whereas　the　elders　made　war　against　Hyrcanus；　who　was　the
youngest　of　Joseph's　sons；　the　multitude　was　divided；　but　the
greater　part　joined　with　the　elders　in　this　war；　as　did　Simon　the
high　priest；　by　reason　he　was　of　kin　to　them。　However；　Hyrcanus
determined　not　to　return　to　Jerusalem　any　more；　but　seated
himself　beyond　Jordan；　and　was　at　perpetual　war　with　the
Arabians；　and　slew　many　of　them；　and　took　many　of　them　captives。
He　also　erected　a　strong　castle；　and　built　it　entirely　of　white
stone　to　the　very　roof；　and　had　animals　of　a　prodigious　magnitude
engraven　upon　it。　He　also　drew　round　it　a　great　and　deep　canal　of
water。　He　also　made　caves　of　many　furlongs　in　length；　by
hollowing　a　rock　that　was　over　against　him；　and　then　he　made
large　rooms　in　it；　some　for　feasting；　and　some　for　sleeping　and
living　in。　He　introduced　also　a　vast　quantity　of　waters　which　ran
along　it；　and　which　were　very　delightful　and　ornamental　in　the
court。　But　still　he　made　the　entrances　at　the　mouth　of　the　caves
so　narrow；　that　no　more　than　one　person　could　enter　by　them　at
once。　And　the　reason　why　he　built　them　after　that　manner　was　a
good　one；　it　was　for　his　own　preservation；　lest　he　should　be
besieged　by　his　brethren；　and　run　the　hazard　of　being　caught　by
them。　Moreover；　he　built　courts　of　greater　magnitude　than
ordinary；　which　he　adorned　with　vastly　large　gardens。　And　when　he
had　brought　the　place　to　this　state；　he　named　it　Tyre。　This　place
is　between　Arabia　and　Judea；　beyond　Jordan；　not　far　from　the
country　of　Heshbon。　And　he　ruled　over　those　parts　for　seven
years；　even　all　the　time　that　Seleucus　was　king　of　Syria。　But
when　he　was　dead；　his　brother　Antiochus；　who　was　called
Epiphanes；　took　the　kingdom。　Ptolemy　also；　the　king　of　Egypt；
died；　who　was　besides　called　Epiphanes。　He　left　two　sons；　and
both　young　in　age；　the　elder　of　which　was　called　Philometer；　and
the　youngest　Physcon。　As　for　Hyrcanus；　when　he　saw　that　Antiochus
had　a　great　army；　and　feared　lest　he　should　be　caught　by　him；　and
brought　to　punishment　for　what　he　had　done　to　the　Arabians；　he
ended　his　life；　and　slew　himself　with　his　own　hand；　while
Antiochus　seized　upon　all　his　substance。

CHAPTER　5。

How；　Upon　The　Quarrels　One　Against　Another　About　The　High
Priesthood　Antiochus　Made　An　Expedition　Against　Jerusalem；　Took
The　City　And　Pillaged　The　Temples。　And　Distressed　The　Jews'　As
Also　How　Many　Of　The　Jews　Forsook　The　Laws　Of　Their　Country；　And
How　The　Samaritans　Followed　The　Customs　Of　The　Greeks　And　Named
Their　Temple　At　Mount　Gerizzim　The　Temple　Of　Jupiter　Hellenius。

1。　About　this　time；　upon　the　death　of　Onias　the　high　priest；　they
gave　the　high　priesthood　to　Jesus　his　brother；　for　that　son　which
Onias　left　＇or　Onias　IV。＇　was　yet　but　an　infant；　and；　in　its
proper　place；　we　will　inform　the　reader　of　all　the　circumstances
that　befell　this　child。　But　this　Jesus；　who　was　the　brother　of
Onias；　was　deprived　of　the　high　priesthood　by　the　king；　who　was
angry　with　him；　and　gave　it　to　his　younger　brother；　whose　name
also　was　Onias；　for　Simon　had　these　three　sons；　to　each　of　which
the　priesthood　came；　as　we　have　already　informed　the　reader。　This
Jesus　changed　his　name　to　Jason；　but　Onias　was　called　Menelaus。
Now　as　the　former　high　priest；　Jesus；　raised　a　sedition　against
Menelaus；　who　was　ordained　after　him；　the　multitude　were　divided
between　them　both。　And　the　sons　of　Tobias　took　the　part　of
Menelaus；　but　the　greater　part　of　the　people　assisted　Jason；　and
by　that　means　Menelaus　and　the　sons　of　Tobias　were　distressed；
and　retired　to　Antiochus；　and　informed　him　that　they　were
desirous　to　leave　the　laws　of　their　country；　and　the　Jewish　way
of　living　according　to　them；　and　to　follow　the　king's　laws；　and
the　Grecian　way　of　living。　Wherefore　they　desired　his　permission
to　build　them　a　Gymnasium　at　Jerusalem。　（15）　And　when　he　had
given　them　leave；　they　also　hid　the　circumcision　of　their
genitals；　that　even　when　they　were　naked　they　might　appear　to　be
Greeks。　Accordingly；　they　left　off　all　the　customs　that　belonged
to　their　own　country；　and　imitated　the　practices　of　the　other
nations。

2。　Now　Antiochus；　upon　the　agreeable　situation　of　the　affairs　of
his　kingdom；　resolved　to　make　an　expedition　against　Egypt；　both
because　he　had　a　desire　to　gain　it；　and　because　he　contemned　the
son　of　Ptolemy；　as　now　weak；　and　not　yet　of　abilities　to　manage
affairs　of　such　consequence；　so　he　came　with　great　forces　to
Pelusium；　and　circumvented　Ptolemy　Philometor　by　treachery；　and
seized　upon　Egypt。　He　then　came　to　the　places　about　Memphis；　and
when　he　had　taken　them；　he　made　haste　to　Alexandria；　in　hopes　of
taking　it　by　siege；　and　of　subduing　Ptolemy；　who　reigned　there。
But　he　was　driven　not　only　from　Alexandria；　but　out　of　all　Egypt；
by　the　declaration　of　the　Romans；　who　charged　him　to　let　that
country　alone；　according　as　I　have　elsewhere　formerly　declared。　I
will　now　give　a　particular　account　of　what　concerns　this　king；
how　he　subdued　Judea　and　the　temple；　for　in　my　former　work　I
mentioned　those　things　very　briefly；　and　have　therefore　now
thought　it　necessary　to　go　over　that　history　again；　and　that　with
great　accuracy。

3。　King　Antiochus　returning　out　of　Egypt　（16）　for　fear　of　the
Romans；　made　an　expedition　against　the　city　Jerusalem；　and　when
he　was　there；　in　the　hundred　and　forty…third　year　of　the　kingdom
of　the　Seleucidse；　he　took　the　city　without　fighting；　those　of
his　own　party　opening　the　gates　to　him。　And　when　he　had　gotten
possession　of　Jerusalem；　he　slew　many　of　the　opposite　party；　and
when　he　had　plundered　it　of　a　great　deal　of　money；　he　returned　to
Antioch。

4。　Now　it　came　to　pass；　after　two　years；　in　the　hundred　forty　and
fifth　year；　on　the　twenty…fifth　day　of　that　month　which　is　by　us
called　Chasleu；　and　by　the　Macedonians　Apelleus；　in　the　hundred
and　fifty…third　olympiad；　that　the　king　came　up　to　Jerusalem；
and；　pretending　peace；　he　got　possession　of　the　city　by
treachery；　at　which　time　he　spared　not　so　much　as　those　that
admitted　him　into　it；　on　account　of　the　riches　that　lay　in　the
temple；　but；　led　by　his　covetous　inclination；　（for　he　saw　there
was　in　it　a　great　deal　of　gold；　and　many　ornaments　that　had　been
dedicated　to　it　of　very　great　value；）　and　in　order　to　plunder　its
wealth；　he　ventured　to　break　the　league　he　had　made。　So　he　left
the　temple　bare；　and　took　away　the　golden　candlesticks；　and　the
golden　altar　＇of　incense＇；　and　table　＇of　shew…bread＇；　and　the
altar　＇of　burnt…offering＇；　and　did　not　abstain　from　even　the
veils；　which　were　made　of