the antiquities of the jews-1-第25章

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having　been　a　man　of　admirable　virtue；　and　conducting　all　his
affairs　by　the　rules　of　reason；　and　used　his　authority　with
moderation；　which　was　the　cause　of　his　so　great　felicity　among
the　Egyptians；　even　when　he　came　from　another　country；　and　that
in　such　ill　circumstances　also；　as　we　have　already　described。　At
length　his　brethren　died；　after　they　had　lived　happily　in　Egypt。
Now　the　posterity　and　sons　of　these　men；　after　some　time；　carried
their　bodies；　and　buried　them　at　Hebron：　but　as　to　the　bones　of
Joseph；　they　carried　them　into　the　land　of　Canaan　afterward；　when
the　Hebrews　went　out　of　Egypt；　for　so　had　Joseph　made　them
promise　him　upon　oath。　But　what　became　of　every　one　of　these　men；
and　by　what　toils　they　got　the　possession　of　the　land　of　Canaan；
shall　be　shown　hereafter；　when　I　have　first　explained　upon　what
account　it　was　that　they　left　Egypt。

CHAPTER　9。

Concerning　The　Afflictions　That　Befell　The　Hebrews　In　Egypt；
During　Four　Hundred　Years。　（16）

1。　Now　it　happened　that　the　Egyptians　grew　delicate　and　lazy；　as
to　pains…taking；　and　gave　themselves　up　to　other　pleasures；　and
in　particular　to　the　love　of　gain。　They　also　became　very
ill…affected　towards　the　Hebrews；　as　touched　with　envy　at　their
prosperity；　for　when　they　saw　how　the　nation　of　the　Israelites
flourished；　and　were　become　eminent　already　in　plenty　of　wealth；
which　they　had　acquired　by　their　virtue　and　natural　love　of
labor；　they　thought　their　increase　was　to　their　own　detriment。
And　having；　in　length　of　time；　forgotten　the　benefits　they　had
received　from　Joseph；　particularly　the　crown　being　now　come　into
another　family；　they　became　very　abusive　to　the　Israelites；　and
contrived　many　ways　of　afflicting　them；　for　they　enjoined　them　to
cut　a　great　number　of　channels　for　the　river；　and　to　build　walls
for　their　cities　and　ramparts；　that　they　might　restrain　the
river；　and　hinder　its　waters　from　stagnating；　upon　its　running
over　its　own　banks：　they　set　them　also　to　build　pyramids；　（17）
and　by　all　this　wore　them　out；　and　forced　them　to　learn　all　sorts
of　mechanical　arts；　and　to　accustom　themselves　to　hard　labor。　And
four　hundred　years　did　they　spend　under　these　afflictions；　for
they　strove　one　against　the　other　which　should　get　the　mastery；
the　Egyptians　desiring　to　destroy　the　Israelites　by　these　labors；
and　the　Israelites　desiring　to　hold　out　to　the　end　under　them。

2。　While　the　affairs　of　the　Hebrews　were　in　this　condition；　there
was　this　occasion　offered　itself　to　the　Egyptians；　which　made
them　more　solicitous　for　the　extinction　of　our　nation。　One　of
those　sacred　scribes；　（18）　who　are　very　sagacious　in　foretelling
future　events　truly；　told　the　king；　that　about　this　time　there
would　a　child　be　born　to　the　Israelites；　who；　if　he　were　reared；
would　bring　the　Egyptian　dominion　low；　and　would　raise　the
Israelites；　that　he　would　excel　all　men　in　virtue；　and　obtain　a
glory　that　would　be　remembered　through　all　ages。　Which　thing　was
so　feared　by　the　king；　that；　according　to　this　man's　opinion；　he
commanded　that　they　should　cast　every　male　child；　which　was　born
to　the　Israelites；　into　the　river；　and　destroy　it；　that　besides
this；　the　Egyptian　midwives　（19）　should　watch　the　labors　of　the
Hebrew　women；　and　observe　what　is　born；　for　those　were　the　women
who　were　enjoined　to　do　the　office　of　midwives　to　them；　and　by
reason　of　their　relation　to　the　king；　would　not　transgress　his
commands。　He　enjoined　also；　that　if　any　parents　should　disobey
him；　and　venture　to　save　their　male　children　alive；　（20）　they　and
their　families　should　be　destroyed。　This　was　a　severe　affliction
indeed　to　those　that　suffered　it；　not　only　as　they　were　deprived
of　their　sons；　and　while　they　were　the　parents　themselves；　they
were　obliged　to　be　subservient　to　the　destruction　of　their　own
children；　but　as　it　was　to　be　supposed　to　tend　to　the　extirpation
of　their　nation；　while　upon　the　destruction　of　their　children；
and　their　own　gradual　dissolution；　the　calamity　would　become　very
hard　and　inconsolable　to　them。　And　this　was　the　ill　state　they
were　in。　But　no　one　can　be　too　hard　for　the　purpose　of　God；
though　he　contrive　ten　thousand　subtle　devices　for　that　end；　for
this　child；　whom　the　sacred　scribe　foretold；　was　brought　up　and
concealed　from　the　observers　appointed　by　the　king；　and　he　that
foretold　him　did　not　mistake　in　the　consequences　of　his
preservation；　which　were　brought　to　pass　after　the　manner
following：　…　

3。　A　man　whose　name　was　Amram；　one　of　the　nobler　sort　of　the
Hebrews；　was　afraid　for　his　whole　nation；　lest　it　should　fail；　by
the　want　of　young　men　to　be　brought　up　hereafter；　and　was　very
uneasy　at　it；　his　wife　being　then　with　child；　and　he　knew　not
what　to　do。　Hereupon　he　betook　himself　to　prayer　to　God；　and
entreated　him　to　have　compassion　on　those　men　who　had　nowise
transgressed　the　laws　of　his　worship；　and　to　afford　them
deliverance　from　the　miseries　they　at　that　time　endured；　and　to
render　abortive　their　enemies'　hopes　of　the　destruction　of　their
nation。　Accordingly　God　had　mercy　on　him；　and　was　moved　by　his
supplication。　He　stood　by　him　in　his　sleep；　and　exhorted　him　not
to　despair　of　his　future　favors。　He　said　further；　that　he　did　not
forget　their　piety　towards　him；　and　would　always　reward　them　for
it；　as　he　had　formerly　granted　his　favor　to　their　forefathers；
and　made　them　increase　from　a　few　to　so　great　a　multitude。　He　put
him　in　mind；　that　when　Abraham　was　come　alone　out　of　Mesopotamia
into　Canaan；　he　had　been　made　happy；　not　only　in　other　respects；
but　that　when　his　wife　was　at　first　barren；　she　was　afterwards　by
him　enabled　to　conceive　seed；　and　bare　him　sons。　That　he　left　to
Ismael　and　to　his　posterity　the　country　of　Arabia；　as　also　to　his
sons　by　Ketura；　Troglodytis；　and　to　Isaac；　Canaan。　That　by　my
assistance；　said　he；　he　did　great　exploits　in　war；　which；　unless
you　be　yourselves　impious；　you　must　still　remember。　As　for　Jacob；
he　became　well　known　to　strangers　also；　by　the　greatness　of　that
prosperity　in　which　he　lived；　and　left　to　his　sons；　who　came　into
Egypt　with　no　more　than　seventy　souls；　while　you　are　now　become
above　six　hundred　thousand。　Know　therefore　that　I　shall　provide
for　you　all　in　common　what　is　for　your　good；　and　particularly　for
thyself　what　shall　make　thee　famous；　for　that　child；　out　of　dread
of　whose　nativity　the　Egyptians　have　doomed　the　Israelite
children　to　destruction；　shall　be　this　child　of　thine；　and　shall
be　concealed　from　those　who　watch　to　destroy　him：　and　when　he　is
brought　up　in　a　surprising　way；　he　shall　deliver　the　Hebrew
nation　from　the　distress　they　are　under　from　the　Egyptians。　His
memory　shall　be　famous　while　the　world　lasts；　and　this　not　only
among　the　Hebrews；　but　foreigners　also：　…　all　which　shall　be　the
effect　of　my　favor　to　thee；　and　to　thy　posterity。　He　shall　also
have　such　a　brother；　that　he　shall　himself　obtain　my　priesthood；
and　his　posterity　shall　have　it　after　him　to　the　end　of　the
world。

4。　When　the　vision　had　informed　him　of　these　things；　Amram　awaked
and　told　it　to　Jochebed　who　was　his　wife。　And　now　the　fear
increased　upon　them　on　account　of　the　prediction　in　Amram's
dream；　for　they　were　under　concern；　not　only　for　the　child；　but
on　account　of　the　great　happiness　that　was　to　come　to　him　also。
However；　the　mother's　labor　was　such　as　afforded　a　confirmation
to　what　was　foretold　by　God；　for　it　was　not　known　to　those　that
watched　her；　by　the　easiness　of　her　pains；　and　because　the　throes
of　her　delivery　did　not　fall　upon　her　with　violence。　And　now　they
nourished　the　child　at　home　privately　for　three　months；　but　after
that　time　Amram；　fearing　he　should　be　discovered；　and；　by　falling
under　the　king's　displeasure；　both　he　and　his　child　should
perish；　and　so　he　should　make　the　promise　of　God　of　none　effect；
he　determined　rather　to　trust　the　safety　and　care　of　the　child　to
God；　than　to　depend　on　his　own　concealment　of　him；　which　he
looked　upon　as　a　thing　uncertain；　and　whereby　both　the　child；　so
privately　to　be　nourished；　and　himself　should　be　in　imminent
danger；　but　he　believed　that　God　would　some　way　for　certain
procure　the　safety　of　the　child；　in　order　to　secure　the　truth　of
his　own　predictions。　When　they　had