the antiquities of the jews-1-第258章

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city　almost　we　meet　with　them　different　from　one　another；　but
natural　justice　is　most　agreeable　to　the　advantage　of　all　men
equally；　both　Greeks　and　barbarians；　to　which　our　laws　have　the
greatest　regard；　and　thereby　render　us；　if　we　abide　in　them　after
a　pure　manner；　benevolent　and　friendly　to　all　men；　on　which
account　we　have　reason　to　expect　the　like　return　from　others；　and
to　inform　them　that　they　ought　not　to　esteem　difference　of
positive　institutions　a　sufficient　cause　of　alienation；　but　＇join
with　us　in＇　the　pursuit　of　virtue　and　probity；　for　this　belongs
to　all　men　in　common；　and　of　itself　alone　is　sufficient　for　the
preservation　of　human　life。　I　now　return　to　the　thread　of　my
history。

CHAPTER　7。

How；　Upon　Herod's　Going　Down　Into　David's　Sepulcher；　The　Sedition
In　His　Family　Greatly　Increased。

1。　As　for　Herod；　he　had　spent　vast　sums　about　the　cities；　both
without　and　within　his　own　kingdom；　and　as　he　had　before　heard
that　Hyrcanus；　who　had　been　king　before　him；　had　opened　David's
sepulcher；　and　taken　out　of　it　three　thousand　talents　of　silver；
and　that　there　was　a　much　greater　number　left　behind；　and　indeed
enough　to　suffice　all　his　wants；　he　had　a　great　while　an
intention　to　make　the　attempt；　and　at　this　time　he　opened　that
sepulcher　by　night；　and　went　into　it；　and　endeavored　that　it
should　not　be　at　all　known　in　the　city；　but　took　only　his　most
faithful　friends　with　him。　As　for　any　money；　he　found　none；　as
Hyrcanus　had　done；　but　that　furniture　of　gold；　and　those　precious
goods　that　were　laid　up　there；　all　which　he　took　away。　However；
he　had　a　great　desire　to　make　a　more　diligent　search；　and　to　go
farther　in；　even　as　far　as　the　very　bodies　of　David　and　Solomon；
where　two　of　his　guards　were　slain；　by　a　flame　that　burst　out
upon　those　that　went　in；　as　the　report　was。　So　he　was　terribly
aftrighted；　and　went　out；　and　built　a　propitiatory　monument　of
that　fright　he　had　been　in；　and　this　of　white　stone；　at　the　mouth
of　the　sepulcher；　and　that　at　great　expense　also。　And　even
Nicolaus　（10）　his　historiographer　makes　mention　of　this　monument
built　by　Herod；　though　he　does　not　mention　his　going　down　into
the　sepulcher；　as　knowing　that　action　to　be　of　ill　repute；　and
many　other　things　he　treats　of　in　the　same　manner　in　his　book；
for　he　wrote　in　Herod's　lifetime；　and　under　his　reign；　and　so　as
to　please　him；　and　as　a　servant　to　him；　touching　upon　nothing　but
what　tended　to　his　glory；　and　openly　excusing　many　of　his
notorious　crimes；　and　very　diligently　concealing　them。　And　as　he
was　desirous　to　put　handsome　colors　on　the　death　of　Mariamne　and
her　sons；　which　were　barbarous　actions　in　the　king；　he　tells
falsehoods　about　the　incontinence　of　Mariamne；　and　the
treacherous　designs　of　his　sons　upon　him；　and　thus　he　proceeded
in　his　whole　work；　making　a　pompous　encomium　upon　what　just
actions　he　had　done；　but　earnestly　apologizing　for　his　unjust
ones。　Indeed；　a　man；　as　I　said；　may　have　a　great　deal　to　say　by
way　of　excuse　for　Nicolaus；　for　he　did　not　so　properly　write　this
as　a　history　for　others；　as　somewhat　that　might　be　subservient　to
the　king　himself。　As　for　ourselves；　who　come　of　a　family　nearly
allied　to　the　Asamonean　kings；　and　on　that　account　have　an
honorable　place；　which　is　the　priesthood；　we　think　it　indecent　to
say　any　thing　that　is　false　about　them；　and　accordingly　we　have
described　their　actions　after　an　unblemished　and　upright　manner。
And　although　we　reverence　many　of　Herod's　posterity；　who　still
reign；　yet　do　we　pay　a　greater　regard　to　truth　than　to　them；　and
this　though　it　sometimes　happens　that　we　incur　their　displeasure
by　so　doing。

2。　And　indeed　Herod's　troubles　in　his　family　seemed　to　be
augmented　by　reason　of　this　attempt　he　made　upon　David's
sepulcher；　whether　Divine　vengeance　increased　the　calamities　he
lay　under；　in　order　to　render　them　incurable；　or　whether　fortune
made　an　assault　upon　him；　in　those　cases　wherein　the
seasonableness　of　the　cause　made　it　strongly　believed　that　the
calamities　came　upon　him　for　his　impiety；　for　the　tumult　was　like
a　civil　war　in　his　palace；　and　their　hatred　towards　one　another
was　like　that　where　each　one　strove　to　exceed　another　in
calumnies。　However；　Antipater　used　stratagems　perpetually　against
his　brethren；　and　that　very　cunningly；　while　abroad　he　loaded
them　with　accusations；　but　still　took　upon　him　frequently　to
apologize　for　them；　that　this　apparent　benevolence　to　them　might
make　him　be　believed；　and　forward　his　attempts　against　them；　by
which　means　he；　after　various　manners；　circumvented　his　father；
who　believed　all　that　he　did　was　for　his　preservation。　Herod　also
recommended　Ptolemy；　who　was　a　great　director　of　the　affairs　of
his　kingdom；　to　Antipater；　and　consulted　with　his　mother　about
the　public　affairs　also。　And　indeed　these　were　all　in　all；　and
did　what　they　pleased；　and　made　the　king　angry　against　any　other
persons；　as　they　thought　it　might　be　to　their　own　advantage；　but
still　the　sons　of　Marianme　were　in　a　worse　and　worse　condition
perpetually；　and　while　they　were　thrust　out；　and　set　in　a　more
dishonorable　rank；　who　yet　by　birth　were　the　most　noble；　they
could　not　bear　the　dishonor。　And　for　the　women；　Glaphyra；
Alexander's　wife；　the　daughter　of　Archclaus；　hated　Salome；　both
because　of　her　love　to　her　husband；　and　because　Glaphyra　seemed
to　behave　herself　somewhat　insolently　towards　Salome's　daughter；
who　was　the　wife　of　Aristobulus；　which　equality　of　hers　to
herself　Glaphyra　took　very　impatiently。

3。　Now；　besides　this　second　contention　that　had　fallen　among
them；　neither　did　the　king's　brother　Pheroras　keep　himself　out　of
trouble；　but　had　a　particular　foundation　for　suspicion　and
hatred；　for　he　was　overcome　with　the　charms　of　his　wife；　to　such
a　degree　of　madness；　that　he　despised　the　king's　daughter；　to
whom　he　had　been　betrothed；　and　wholly　bent　his　mind　to　the
other；　who　had　been　but　a　servant。　Herod　also　was　grieved　by　the
dishonor　that　was　done　him；　because　he　had　bestowed　many　favors
upon　him；　and　had　advanced　him　to　that　height　of　power　that　he
was　almost　a　partner　with　him　in　the　kingdom；　and　saw　that　he　had
not　made　him　a　due　return　for　his　labors；　and　esteemed　himself
unhappy　on　that　account。　So　upon　Pheroras's　unworthy　refusal；　he
gave　the　damsel　to　Phasaelus's　son；　but　after　some　time；　when　he
thought　the　heat　of　his　brother's　affections　was　over；　he　blamed
him　for　his　former　conduct；　and　desired　him　to　take　his　second
daughter；　whose　name　was　Cypros。　Ptolemy　also　advised　him　to
leave　off　affronting　his　brother；　and　to　forsake　her　whom　he　had
loved；　for　that　it　was　a　base　thing　to　be　so　enamored　of　a
servant；　as　to　deprive　himself　of　the　king's　good…will　to　him；
and　become　an　occasion　of　his　trouble；　and　make　himself　hated　by
him。　Pheroras　knew　that　this　advice　would　be　for　his　own
advantage；　particularly　because　he　had　been　accused　before；　and
forgiven；　so　he　put　his　wife　away；　although　he　already　had　a　son
by　her；　and　engaged　to　the　king　that　he　would　take　his　second
daughter；　and　agreed　that　the　thirtieth　day　after　should　be　the
day　of　marriage；　and　sware　he　would　have　no　further　conversation
with　her　whom　he　had　put　away；　but　when　the　thirty　days　were
over；　he　was　such　a　slave　to　his　affections；　that　he　no　longer
performed　any　thing　he　had　promised；　but　continued　still　with　his
former　wife。　This　occasioned　Herod　to　grieve　openly；　and　made　him
angry；　while　the　king　dropped　one　word　or　other　against　Pheroras
perpetually；　and　many　made　the　king's　anger　an　opportunity　for
raising　calumnies　against　him。　Nor　had　the　king　any　longer　a
single　quiet　day　or　hour；　but　occasions　of　one　fresh　quarrel　or
another　arose　among　his　relations；　and　those　that　were　dearest　to
him；　for　Salome　was　of　a　harsh　temper；　and　ill…natured　to
Mariamne's　sons；　nor　would　she　suffer　her　own　daughter；　who　was
the　wife　of　Aristobulus；　one　of　those　young　men；　to　bear　a
good…will　to　her　husband；　but　persuaded　her　to　tell　her　if　he
said　any　thing　to　her　in　private；　and　when　any　misunderstandings
happened；　as　is　common；　she　raised　a　great　many　suspicions　out　of
it；　by　which　means　she　learned　all　their　concerns；　and　made　the
damsel　ill…natured　to　the　young　man