the antiquities of the jews-1-第219章

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ready　to　pronounce　the　sentence　of　death　upon　Herod；　he　put　off
the　trial　to　another　day；　and　sent　privately　to　Herod；　and
advised　him　to　fly　out　of　the　city；　for　that　by　this　means　he
might　escape。　So　he　retired　to　Damascus；　as　though　he　fled　from
the　king；　and　when　he　had　been　with　Sextus　Caesar；　and　had　put
his　own　affairs　in　a　sure　posture；　he　resolved　to　do　thus；　that
in　case　he　were　again　summoned　before　the　Sanhedrim　to　take　his
trial；　he　would　not　obey　that　summons。　Hereupon　the　members　of
the　Sanhedrim　had　great　indignation　at　this　posture　of　affairs；
and　endeavored　to　persuade　Hyrcanus　that　all　these　things　were
against　him；　which　state　of　matters　he　was　not　ignorant　of；　but
his　temper　was　so　unmanly；　and　so　foolish；　that　he　was　able　to　do
nothing　at　all。　But　when　Sextus　had　made　Herod　general　of　the
army　of　Celesyria；　for　he　sold　him　that　post　for　money；　Hyrcanus
was　in　fear　lest　Herod　should　make　war　upon　him；　nor　was　the
effect　of　what　he　feared　long　in　coming　upon　him；　for　Herod　came
and　brought　an　army　along　with　him　to　fight　with　Hyrcanus；　as
being　angry　at　the　trial　he　bad　been　summoned　to　undergo　before
the　Sanhedrim；　but　his　father　Antipater；　and　his　brother
＇Phasaelus＇；　met　him；　and　hindered　him　from　assaulting　Jerusalem。
They　also　pacified　his　vehement　temper；　and　persuaded　him　to　do
no　overt　action；　but　only　to　affright　them　with　threatenings；　and
to　proceed　no　further　against　one　who　had　given　him　the　dignity
he　had：　they　also　desired　him　not　only　to　be　angry　that　he　was
summoned；　and　obliged　to　come　to　his　trial；　but　to　remember
withal　how　he　was　dismissed　without　condemnation；　and　how　he
ought　to　give　Hyrcanus　thanks　for　the　same；　and　that　he　was　not
to　regard　only　what　was　disagreeable　to　him；　and　be　unthankful
for　his　deliverance。　So　they　desired　him　to　consider；　that　since
it　is　God　that　turns　the　scales　of　war；　there　is　great
uncertainty　in　the　issue　of　battles；　and　that　therefore　he　ought
of　to　expect　the　victory　when　he　should　fight　with　his　king；　and
him　that　had　supported　him；　and　bestowed　many　benefits　upon　him；
and　had　done　nothing　itself　very　severe　to　him；　for　that　his
accusation；　which　was　derived　from　evil　counselors；　and　not　from
himself；　had　rather　the　suspicion　of　some　severity；　than　any
thing　really　severe　in　it。　Herod　was　persuaded　by　these
arguments；　and　believed　that　it　was　sufficient　for　his　future
hopes　to　have　made　a　show　of　his　strength　before　the　nation；　and
done　no　more　to　it　…　and　in　this　state　were　the　affairs　of　Judea
at　this　time。

CHAPTER　10。

The　Honors　That　Were　Paid　The　Jews；　And　The　Leagues　That　Were
Made　By　The　Romans　And　Other　Nations；　With　Them。

1。　Now　when　Caesar　was　come　to　Rome；　he　was　ready　to　sail　into
Africa　to　fight　against　Scipio　and　Cato；　when　Hyrcanus　sent
ambassadors　to　him；　and　by　them　desired　that　he　would　ratify　that
league　of　friendship　and　mutual　alliance　which　was　between　them；
And　it　seems　to　me　to　be　necessary　here　to　give　an　account　of　all
the　honors　that　the　Romans　and　their　emperor　paid　to　our　nation；
and　of　the　leagues　of　mutual　assistance　they　have　made　with　it；
that　all　the　rest　of　mankind　may　know　what　regard　the　kings　of
Asia　and　Europe　have　had　to　us；　and　that　they　have　been
abundantly　satisfied　of　our　courage　and　fidelity；　for　whereas
many　will　not　believe　what　hath　been　written　about　us　by　the
Persians　and　Macedonians；　because　those　writings　are　not　every
where　to　be　met　with；　nor　do　lie　in　public　places；　but　among　us
ourselves；　and　certain　other　barbarous　nations；　while　there　is　no
contradiction　to　be　made　against　the　decrees　of　the　Romans；　for
they　are　laid　up　in　the　public　places　of　the　cities；　and　are
extant　still　in　the　capitol；　and　engraven　upon　pillars　of　brass；
nay；　besides　this；　Julius　Caesar　made　a　pillar　of　brass　for　the
Jews　at　Alexandria；　and　declared　publicly　that　they　were　citizens
of　Alexandria。　Out　of　these　evidences　will　I　demonstrate　what　I
say；　and　will　now　set　down　the　decrees　made　both　by　the　senate
and　by　Julius　Caesar；　which　relate　to　Hyrcanus　and　to　our　nation。

2。　〃Caius　Julius　Caesar；　imperator　and　high　priest；　and　dictator
the　second　time；　to　the　magistrates；　senate；　and　people　of　Sidon；
sendeth　greeting。　If　you　be　in　health；　it　is　well。　I　also　and　the
army　are　well。　I　have　sent　you　a　copy　of　that　decree；　registered
on　the　tables；　which　concerns　Hyrcanus；　the　son　of　Alexander；　the
high　priest　and　ethnarch　of　the　Jews；　that　it　may　be　laid　up
among　the　public　records；　and　I　will　that　it　be　openly　proposed
in　a　table　of　brass；　both　in　Greek　and　in　Latin。　It　is　as
follows：　I　Julius　Caesar；　imperator　the　second　time；　and　high
priest；　have　made　this　decree；　with　the　approbation　of　the
senate。　Whereas　Hyrcanus；　the　son　of　Alexander　the　Jew；　hath
demonstrated　his　fidelity　and　diligence　about　our　affairs；　and
this　both　now　and　in　former　times；　both　in　peace　and　in　war；　as
many　of　our　generals　have　borne　witness；　and　came　to　our
assistance　in　the　last　Alexandrian　war；　（17）　with　fifteen　hundred
soldiers；　and　when　he　was　sent　by　me　to　Mithridates；　showed
himself　superior　in　valor　to　all　the　rest　of　that　army；　…　for
these　reasons　I　will　that　Hyrcanus；　the　son　of　Alexander；　and　his
children；　be　ethnarchs　of　the　Jews；　and　have　the　high　priesthood
of　the　Jews　for　ever；　according　to　the　customs　of　their
forefathers；　and　that　he　and　his　sons　be　our　confederates；　and
that　besides　this；　everyone　of　them　be　reckoned　among　our
particular　friends。　I　also　ordain　that　he　and　his　children　retain
whatsoever　privileges　belong　to　the　office　of　high　priest；　or
whatsoever　favors　have　been　hitherto　granted　them；　and　if　at　any
time　hereafter　there　arise　any　questions　about　the　Jewish
customs；　I　will　that　he　determine　the　same。　And　I　think　it　not
proper　that　they　should　be　obliged　to　find　us　winter　quarters；　or
that　any　money　should　be　required　of　them。〃

3。　〃The　decrees　of　Caius　Caesar；　consul；　containing　what　hath
been　granted　and　determined；　are　as　follows：　That　Hyrcanus　and
his　children　bear　rule　over　the　nation　of　the　Jews；　and　have　the
profits　of　the　places　to　them　bequeathed；　and　that　he；　as　himself
the　high　priest　and　ethnarch　of　the　Jews；　defend　those　that　are
injured；　and　that　ambassadors　be　sent　to　Hyrcanus；　the　son　of
Alexander；　the　high　priest　of　the　Jews；　that　may　discourse　with
him　about　a　league　of　friendship　and　mutual　assistance；　and　that
a　table　of　brass；　containing　the　premises；　be　openly　proposed　in
the　capitol；　and　at　Sidon；　and　Tyre；　and　Askelon；　and　in　the
temple；　engraven　in　Roman　and　Greek　letters：　that　this　decree　may
also　be　communicated　to　the　quaestors　and　praetors　of　the　several
cities；　and　to　the　friends　of　the　Jews；　and　that　the　ambassadors
may　have　presents　made　them；　and　that　these　decrees　be　sent　every
where。〃

4。　〃Caius　Caesar；　imperator；　dictator；　consul；　hath　granted；　That
out　of　regard　to　the　honor；　and　virtue；　and　kindness　of　the　man；
and　for　the　advantage　of　the　senate；　and　of　the　people　of　Rome；
Hyrcanus；　the　son　of　Alexander；　both　he　and　his　children；　be　high
priests　and　priests　of　Jerusalem；　and　of　the　Jewish　nation；　by
the　same　right；　and　according　to　the　same　laws；　by　which　their
progenitors　have　held　the　priesthood。〃

5。　〃Caius　Caesar；　consul　the　fifth　time；　hath　decreed；　That　the
Jews　shall　possess　Jerusalem；　and　may　encompass　that　city　with
walls；　and　that　Hyrcanus；　the　son　of　Alexander；　the　high　priest
and　ethnarch　of　the　Jews；　retain　it　in　the　manner　he　himself
pleases；　and　that　the　Jews　be　allowed　to　deduct　out　of　their
tribute；　every　second　year　the　land　is　let　＇in　the　Sabbatic
period＇；　a　corus　of　that　tribute；　and　that　the　tribute　they　pay
be　not　let　to　farm；　nor　that　they　pay　always　the　same　tribute。〃

6。　〃Caius　Caesar；　imperator　the　second　time；　hath　ordained；　That
all　the　country　of　the　Jews；　excepting　Joppa；　do　pay　a　tribute
yearly　for　the　city　Jerusalem；　excepting　the　seventh；　which　they
call　the　sabbatical　year；　because　thereon　they　neither　receive
the　fruits　of　their　trees；　nor　do　they　sow　their　land；　and　that
they　pay　their　tribute　in　Sidon　on　the　second　year　＇of　that
sabbatical　period＇；　the　fourth　part　of　what　was　sown：　and　besides
this；　they　are