the antiquities of the jews-1-第249章

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not　their　fault　that　the　temple　was　no　higher；　for　they　were
Cyrus；　and　Darius　the　son　of　Hystaspes；　who　determined　the
measures　for　its　rebuilding；　and　it　hath　been　by　reason　of　the
subjection　of　those　fathers　of　ours　to　them　and　to　their
posterity；　and　after　them　to　the　Macedonians；　that　they　had　not
the　opportunity　to　follow　the　original　model　of　this　pious
edifice；　nor　could　raise　it　to　its　ancient　altitude；　but　since　I
am　now；　by　God's　will；　your　governor；　and　I　have　had　peace　a　long
time；　and　have　gained　great　riches　and　large　revenues；　and；　what
is　the　principal　filing　of　all；　I　am　at　amity　with　and　well
regarded　by　the　Romans；　who；　if　I　may　so　say；　are　the　rulers　of
the　whole　world；　I　will　do　my　endeavor　to　correct　that
imperfection；　which　hath　arisen　from　the　necessity　of　our
affairs；　and　the　slavery　we　have　been　under　formerly；　and　to　make
a　thankful　return；　after　the　most　pious　manner；　to　God；　for　what
blessings　I　have　received　from　him；　by　giving　me　this　kingdom；
and　that　by　rendering　his　temple　as　complete　as　I　am　able。〃

2。　And　this　was　the　speech　which　Herod　made　to　them；　but　still
this　speech　aftrighted　many　of　the　people；　as　being　unexpected　by
them；　and　because　it　seemed　incredible；　it　did　not　encourage
them；　but　put　a　damp　upon　them；　for　they　were　afraid　that　he
would　pull　down　the　whole　edifice；　and　not　be　able　to　bring　his
intentions　to　perfection　for　its　rebuilding；　and　this　danger
appeared　to　them　to　be　very　great；　and　the　vastness　of　the
undertaking　to　be　such　as　could　hardly　be　accomplished。　But　while
they　were　in　this　disposition；　the　king　encouraged　them；　and　told
them　he　would　not　pull　down　their　temple　till　all　things　were
gotten　ready　for　building　it　up　entirely　again。　And　as　he
promised　them　this　beforehand；　so　he　did　not　break　his　word　with
them；　but　got　ready　a　thousand　waggons；　that　were　to　bring　stones
for　the　building；　and　chose　out　ten　thousand　of　the　most　skillful
workmen；　and　bought　a　thousand　sacerdotal　garments　for　as　many　of
the　priests；　and　had　some　of　them　taught　the　arts　of
stone…cutters；　and　others　of　carpenters；　and　then　began　to　build；
but　this　not　till　every　thing　was　well　prepared　for　the　work。

3。　So　Herod　took　away　the　old　foundations；　and　laid　others；　and
erected　the　temple　upon　them；　being　in　length　a　hundred　cubits；
and　in　height　twenty　additional　cubits；　which　＇twenty＇；　upon　the
sinking　of　their　foundations　（23）　fell　down；　and　this　part　it　was
that　we　resolved　to　raise　again　in　the　days　of　Nero。　Now　the
temple　was　built　of　stones　that　were　white　and　strong；　and　each
of　their　length　was　twenty…five　cubits；　their　height　was　eight；
and　their　breadth　about　twelve；　and　the　whole　structure；　as　also
the　structure　of　the　royal　cloister；　was　on　each　side　much　lower；
but　the　middle　was　much　higher；　till　they　were　visible　to　those
that　dwelt　in　the　country　for　a　great　many　furlongs；　but　chiefly
to　such　as　lived　over　against　them；　and　those　that　approached　to
them。　The　temple　had　doors　also　at　the　entrance；　and　lintels　over
them；　of　the　same　height　with　the　temple　itself。　They　were
adorned　with　embroidered　veils；　with　their　flowers　of　purple；　and
pillars　interwoven；　and　over　these；　but　under　the　crown…work；　was
spread　out　a　golden　vine；　with　its　branches　hanging　down　from　a
great　height；　the　largeness　and　fine　workmanship　of　which　was　a
surprising　sight　to　the　spectators；　to　see　what　vast　materials
there　were；　and　with　what　great　skill　the　workmanship　was　done。
He　also　encompassed　the　entire　temple　with　very　large　cloisters；
contriving　them　to　be　in　a　due　proportion　thereto；　and　he　laid
out　larger　sums　of　money　upon　them　than　had　been　done　before　him；
till　it　seemed　that　no　one　else　had　so　greatly　adorned　the　temple
as　he　had　done。　There　was　a　large　wall　to　both　the　cloisters；
which　wall　was　itself　the　most　prodigious　work　that　was　ever
heard　of　by　man。　The　hill　was　a　rocky　ascent；　that　declined　by
degrees　towards　the　east　parts　of　the　city；　till　it　came　to　an
elevated　level。　This　hill　it　was　which　Solomon；　who　was　the　first
of　our　kings；　by　Divine　revelation；　encompassed　with　a　wall；　it
was　of　excellent　workmanship　upwards；　and　round　the　top　of　it。　He
also　built　a　wall　below；　beginning　at　the　bottom；　which　was
encompassed　by　a　deep　valley；　and　at　the　south　side　he　laid　rocks
together；　and　bound　them　one　to　another　with　lead；　and　included
some　of　the　inner　parts；　till　it　proceeded　to　a　great　height；　and
till　both　the　largeness　of　the　square　edifice　and　its　altitude
were　immense；　and　till　the　vastness　of　the　stones　in　the　front
were　plainly　visible　on　the　outside；　yet　so　that　the　inward　parts
were　fastened　together　with　iron；　and　preserved　the　joints
immovable　for　all　future　times。　When　this　work　＇for　the
foundation＇　was　done　in　this　manner；　and　joined　together　as　part
of　the　hill　itself　to　the　very　top　of　it；　he　wrought　it　all　into
one　outward　surface；　and　filled　up　the　hollow　places　which　were
about　the　wall；　and　made　it　a　level　on　the　external　upper
surface；　and　a　smooth　level　also。　This　hill　was　walled　all　round；
and　in　compass　four　furlongs；　＇the　distance　of＇　each　angle
containing　in　length　a　furlong：　but　within　this　wall；　and　on　the
very　top　of　all；　there　ran　another　wall　of　stone　also；　having；　on
the　east　quarter；　a　double　cloister；　of　the　same　length　with　the
wall；　in　the　midst　of　which　was　the　temple　itself。　This　cloister
looked　to　the　gates　of　the　temple；　and　it　had　been　adorned　by
many　kings　in　former　times；　and　round　about　the　entire　temple
were　fixed　the　spoils　taken　from　barbarous　nations；　all　these　had
been　dedicated　to　the　temple　by　Herod；　with　the　addition　of　those
he　had　taken　from　the　Arabians。

4。　Now　on　the　north　side　＇of　the　temple＇　was　built　a　citadel；
whose　walls　were　square；　and　strong；　and　of　extraordinary
firmness。　This　citadel　was　built　by　the　kings　of　the　Asamonean
race；　who　were　also　high　priests　before　Herod；　and　they　called　it
the　Tower；　in　which　were　reposited　the　vestments　of　the　high
priest；　which　the　high　priest　only　put　on　at　the　time　when　he　was
to　offer　sacrifice。　These　vestments　king　Herod　kept　in　that
place；　and　after　his　death　they　were　under　the　power　of　the
Romans；　until　the　time　of　Tiberius　Caesar；　under　whose　reign
Vitellius；　the　president　of　Syria；　when　he　once　came　to
Jerusalem；　and　had　been　most　magnificently　received　by　the
multitude；　he　had　a　mind　to　make　them　some　requital　for　the
kindness　they　had　shewn　him；　so；　upon　their　petition　to　have
those　holy　vestments　in　their　own　power；　he　wrote　about　them　to
Tiberius　Caesar；　who　granted　his　request：　and　this　their　power
over　the　sacerdotal　vestments　continued　with　the　Jews　till　the
death　of　king　Agrippa；　but　after　that；　Cassius　Longinus；　who　was
president　of　Syria；　and　Cuspius　Fadus；　who　was　procurator　of
Judea；　enjoined　the　Jews　to　reposit　those　vestments　in　the　tower
of　Antonia；　for　that　they　ought　to　have　them　in　their　power；　as
they　formerly　had。　However；　the　Jews　sent　ambassadors　to　Claudius
Caesar；　to　intercede　with　him　for　them；　upon　whose　coming；　king
Agrippa；　junior；　being　then　at　Rome；　asked　for　and　obtained　the
power　over　them　from　the　emperor；　who　gave　command　to　Vitellius；
who　was　then　commander　in　Syria；　to　give　it　them　accordingly。
Before　that　time　they　were　kept　under　the　seal　of　the　high
priest；　and　of　the　treasurers　of　the　temple；　which　treasurers；
the　day　before　a　festival；　went　up　to　the　Roman　captain　of　the
temple　guards；　and　viewed　their　own　seal；　and　received　the
vestments；　and　again；　when　the　festival　was　over；　they　brought　it
to　the　same　place；　and　showed　the　captain　of　the　temple　guards
their　seal；　which　corresponded　with　his　seal；　and　reposited　them
there。　And　that　these　things　were　so；　the　afflictions　that
happened　to　us　afterwards　＇about　them＇　are　sufficient　evidence。
But　for　the　tower　itself；　when　Herod　the　king　of　the　Jews　had
fortified　it　more　firmly　than　before；　in　order　to　secure　and
guard　the　temple；　he　gratified　Antonius；　who　was　his　friend；　and
the　Roman　ruler；　and　then　gave　it　the　name　of　the　Tower　of
Antonia。

5。　Now　in　the　western　quarters　of　the　enclosure　of　the　temple
there　were　four　gates；　the　first　led　to　the　king's　palac