the antiquities of the jews-1-第228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！


whole　affair　was　no　more　than　a　stratagem；　in　order　to　get　money
of　Antigonus；　so　they　pitched　their　camp　very　near　to　Jerusalem；
and　stripped　Antigonus　of　a　great　deal　of　money；　and　then　he
retired　himself　with　the　greater　part　of　the　army；　but；　that　the
wickedness　he　had　been　guilty　of　might　be　found　out；　he　left　Silo
there；　with　a　certain　part　of　his　soldiers；　with　whom　also
Antigonus　cultivated　an　acquaintance；　that　he　might　cause　him　no
disturbance；　and　was　still　in　hopes　that　the　Parthians　would　come
again　and　defend　him。

CHAPTER　15。

How　Herod　Sailed　Out　Of　Italy　To　Judea；　And　Fought　With　Antigonus
And　What　Other　Things　Happened　In　Judea　About　That　Time。

1。　By　this　time　Herod　had　sailed　out　of　Italy　to　Ptolemais；　and
had　gotten　together　no　small　army；　both　of　strangers　and　of　his
own　countrymen；　and　marched　through　Galilee　against　Antignus。
Silo　also；　and　Ventidius；　came　and　assisted　him；　being　persuaded
by　Dellius；　who　was　sent　by　Antony　to　assist　in　bringing　back
Herod。　Now　for　Ventidius；　he　was　employed　in　composing　the
disturbances　that　had　been　made　in　the　cities　by　the　means　of　the
Parthians；　and　for　Silo；　he　was　in　Judea　indeed；　but　corrupted　by
Antigonus。　However；　as　Herod　went　along　his　army　increased　every
day；　and　all　Galilee；　with　some　small　exception；　joined　him；　but
as　he　was　to　those　that　were　in　Masada；　（for　he　was　obliged　to
endeavor　to　save　those　that　were　in　that　fortress　now　they　were
besieged；　because　they　were　his　relations；）　Joppa　was　a
hinderance　to　him；　for　it　was　necessary　for　him　to　take　that
place　first；　it　being　a　city　at　variance　with　him；　that　no　strong
hold　might　be　left　in　his　enemies'　hands　behind　him　when　he
should　go　to　Jerusalem。　And　when　Silo　made　this　a　pretense　for
rising　up　from　Jerusalem；　and　was　thereupon　pursued　by　the　Jews；
Herod　fell　upon　them　with　a　small　body　of　men；　and　both　put　the
Jews　to　flight　and　saved　Silo；　when　he　was　very　poorly　able　to
defend　himself；　but　when　Herod　had　taken　Joppa；　he　made　haste　to
set　free　those　of　his　family　that　were　in　Masada。　Now　of　the
people　of　the　country；　some　joined　him　because　of　the　friendship
they　had　had　with　his　father；　and　some　because　of　the　splendid
appearance　he　made；　and　others　by　way　of　requital　for　the
benefits　they　had　received　from　both　of　them；　but　the　greatest
number　came　to　him　in　hopes　of　getting　somewhat　from　him
afterward；　if　he　were　once　firmly　settled　in　the　kingdom。

2。　Herod　had　now　a　strong　army；　and　as　he　marched　on；　Antigonus
laid　snares　and　ambushes　in　the　passes　and　places　most　proper　for
them；　but　in　truth　he　thereby　did　little　or　no　damage　to　the
enemy。　So　Herod　received　those　of　his　family　out　of　Masada；　and
the　fortress　Ressa；　and　then　went　on　for　Jerusalem。　The　soldiery
also　that　was　with　Silo　accompanied　him　all　along；　as　did　many　of
the　citizens；　being　afraid　of　his　power；　and　as　soon　as　he　had
pitched　his　camp　on　the　west　side　of　the　city；　the　soldiers　that
were　set　to　guard　that　part　shot　their　arrows　and　threw　their
darts　at　him；　and　when　some　sallied　out　in　a　crowd；　and　came　to
fight　hand　to　hand　with　the　first　ranks　of　Herod's　army；　he　gave
orders　that　they　should；　in　the　first　place；　make　proclamation
about　the　wall；　that　he　came　for　the　good　of　the　people；　and　for
the　preservation　of　the　city；　and　not　to　bear　any　old　grudge　at
even　his　most　open　enemies；　but　ready　to　forget　the　offenses
which　his　greatest　adversaries　had　done　him。　But　Antigonus；　by
way　of　reply　to　what　Herod　had　caused　to　be　proclaimed；　and　this
before　the　Romans；　and　before　Silo　also；　said　that　they　would　not
do　justly；　if　they　gave　the　kingdom　to　Herod；　who　was　no　more
than　a　private　man；　and　an　Idumean；　i。e。　a　half　Jew；　（28）　whereas
they　ought　to　bestow　it　on　one　of　the　royal　family；　as　their
custom　was；　for　that　in　case　they　at　present　bear　an　ill…will　to
him；　and　had　resolved　to　deprive　him　of　the　kingdom；　as　having
received　it　from　the　Parthians；　yet　were　there　many　others　of　his
family　that　might　by　their　law　take　it；　and　these　such　as　had　no
way　offended　the　Romans；　and　being　of　the　sacerdotal　family；　it
would　be　an　unworthy　thing　to　put　them　by。　Now　while　they　said
thus　one　to　another；　and　fell　to　reproaching　one　another　on　both
sides；　Antigonus　permitted　his　own　men　that　were　upon　the　wall　to
defend　themselves；　who　using　their　bows；　and　showing　great
alacrity　against　their　enemies；　easily　drove　them　away　from　the
towers。

3。　And　now　it　was　that　Silo　discovered　that　he　had　taken　bribes；
for　he　set　a　good　number　of　his　soldiers　to　complain　aloud　of　the
want　of　provisions　they　were　in；　and　to　require　money　to　buy　them
food；　and　that　it　was　fit　to　let　them　go　into　places　proper　for
winter　quarters；　since　the　places　near　the　city　were　a　desert；　by
reason　that　Antigonus's　soldiers　had　carried　all　away；　so　he　set
the　army　upon　removing；　and　endeavored　to　march　away；　but　Herod
pressed　Silo　not　to　depart；　and　exhorted　Silo's　captains　and
soldiers　not　to　desert　him；　when　Caesar；　and　Antony；　and　the
senate　had　sent　him　thither；　for　that　he　would　provide　them
plenty　of　all　the　things　they　wanted；　and　easily　procure　them　a
great　abundance　of　what　they　required；　after　which　entreaty；　he
immediately　went　out　into　the　country；　and　left　not　the　least
pretense　to　Silo　for　his　departure；　for　he　brought　an　unexpected
quantity　of　provisions；　and　sent　to　those　friends　of　his　who
inhabited　about　Samaria　to　bring　down　corn；　and　wine；　and　oil；
and　cattle；　and　all　other　provisions；　to　Jericho；　that　those
might　be　no　want　of　a　supply　for　the　soldiers　for　the　time　to
come。　Antigonus　was　sensible　of　this；　and　sent　presently　over　the
country　such　as　might　restrain　and　lie　in　ambush　for　those　that
went　out　for　provisions。　So　these　men　obeyed　the　orders　of
Antigonus；　and　got　together　a　great　number　of　armed　men　about
Jericho；　and　sat　upon　the　mountains；　and　watched　those　that
brought　the　provisions。　However；　Herod　was　not　idle　in　the　mean
time；　for　he　took　ten　bands　of　soldiers；　of　whom　five　were　of　the
Romans；　and　five　of　the　Jews；　with　some　mercenaries　among　them；
and　with　some　few　horsemen；　and　came　to　Jericho；　and　as　they
found　the　city　deserted；　but　that　five　hundred　of　them　had
settled　themselves　on　the　tops　of　the　hills；　with　their　wives　and
children；　those　he　took　and　sent　away；　but　the　Romans　fell　upon
the　city；　and　plundered　it；　and　found　the　houses　full　of　all
sorts　of　good　things。　So　the　king　left　a　garrison　at　Jericho；　and
came　back　again；　and　sent　the　Roman　army　to　take　their　winter
quarters　in　the　countries　that　were　come　over　to　him；　Judea；　and
Galilee；　and　Samaria。　And　so　much　did　Antigonus　gain　of　Silo　for
the　bribes　he　gave　him；　that　part　of　the　army　should　be　quartered
at　Lydda；　in　order　to　please　Antony。　So　the　Romans　laid　their
weapons　aside；　and　lived　in　plenty　of　all　things。

4。　But　Herod　was　not　pleased　with　lying　still；　but　sent　out　his
brother　Joseph　against　Idumea　with　two　thousand　armed　footmen；
and　four　hundred　horsemen；　while　he　himself　came　to　Samaria；　and
left　his　mother　and　his　other　relations　there；　for　they　were
already　gone　out　of　Masada；　and　went　into　Galilee；　to　take
certain　places　which　were　held　by　the　garrisons　of　Antigonus；　and
he　passed　on　to　Sepphoris；　as　God　sent　a　snow；　while　Antigonus's
garrisons　withdrew　themselves；　and　had　great　plenty　of
provisions。　He　also　went　thence；　and　resolved　to　destroy　those
robbers　that　dwelt　in　the　caves；　and　did　much　mischief　in　the
country；　so　he　sent　a　troop　of　horsemen；　and　three　companies　of
armed　footmen；　against　them。　They　were　very　near　to　a　village
called　Arbela；　and　on　the　fortieth　day　after；　he　came　himself
with　his　whole　army：　and　as　the　enemy　sallied　out　boldly　upon
him；　the　left　wing　of　his　army　gave　way；　but　he　appearing　with　a
body　of　men；　put　those　to　flight　who　were　already　conquerors；　and
recalled　his　men　that　ran　away。　He　also　pressed　upon　his　enemies；
and　pursued　them　as　far　as　the　river　Jordan；　though　they　ran　away
by　different　roads。　So　he　brought　over　to　him　all　Galilee；
excepting　those　that　dwelt　in　the　caves；　and　distributed　money　to
every　one　of　his　soldiers；　giving　them　a　hundred　and　fifty
drachmae　apiece；　and　much