the antiquities of the jews-1-第274章

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son　of　Margalothus；　two　of　the　most　eloquent　men　among　the　Jews；
and　the　most　celebrated　interpreters　of　the　Jewish　laws；　and　men
well　beloved　by　the　people；　because　of　their　education　of　their
youth；　for　all　those　that　were　studious　of　virtue　frequented
their　lectures　every　day。　These　men；　when　they　found　that　the
king's　distemper　was　incurable；　excited　the　young　men　that　they
would　pull　down　all　those　works　which　the　king　had　erected
contrary　to　the　law　of　their　fathers；　and　thereby　obtain　the
rewards　which　the　law　will　confer　on　them　for　such　actions　of
piety；　for　that　it　was　truly　on　account　of　Herod's　rashness　in
making　such　things　as　the　law　had　forbidden；　that　his　other
misfortunes；　and　this　distemper　also；　which　was　so　unusual　among
mankind；　and　with　which　he　was　now　afflicted；　came　upon　him；　for
Herod　had　caused　such　things　to　be　made　which　were　contrary　to
the　law；　of　which　he　was　accused　by　Judas　and　Matthias；　for　the
king　had　erected　over　the　great　gate　of　the　temple　a　large　golden
eagle；　of　great　value；　and　had　dedicated　it　to　the　temple。　Now
the　law　forbids　those　that　propose　to　live　according　to　it；　to
erect　images　（6）　or　representations　of　any　living　creature。　So
these　wise　men　persuaded　＇their　scholars＇　to　pull　down　the　golden
eagle；　alleging；　that　although　they　should　incur　any　danger；
which　might　bring　them　to　their　deaths；　the　virtue　of　the　action
now　proposed　to　them　would　appear　much　more　advantageous　to　them
than　the　pleasures　of　life；　since　they　would　die　for　the
preservation　and　observation　of　the　law　of　their　fathers；　since
they　would　also　acquire　an　everlasting　fame　and　commendation；
since　they　would　be　both　commended　by　the　present　generation；　and
leave　an　example　of　life　that　would　never　be　forgotten　to
posterity；　since　that　common　calamity　of　dying　cannot　be　avoided
by　our　living　so　as　to　escape　any　such　dangers；　that　therefore　it
is　a　right　thing　for　those　who　are　in　love　with　a　virtuous
conduct；　to　wait　for　that　fatal　hour　by　such　behavior　as　may
carry　them　out　of　the　world　with　praise　and　honor；　and　that　this
will　alleviate　death　to　a　great　degree；　thus　to　come　at　it　by　the
performance　of　brave　actions；　which　bring　us　into　danger　of　it；
and　at　the　same　time　to　leave　that　reputation　behind　them　to
their　children；　and　to　all　their　relations；　whether　they　be　men
or　women；　which　will　be　of　great　advantage　to　them　afterward。

3。　And　with　such　discourses　as　this　did　these　men　excite　the
young　men　to　this　action；　and　a　report　being　come　to　them　that
the　king　was　dead；　this　was　an　addition　to　the　wise　men's
persuasions；　so；　in　the　very　middle　of　the　day；　they　got　upon　the
place；　they　pulled　down　the　eagle；　and　cut　it　into　pieces　with
axes；　while　a　great　number　of　the　people　were　in　the　temple。　And
now　the　king's　captain；　upon　hearing　what　the　undertaking　was；
and　supposing　it　was　a　thing　of　a　higher　nature　than　it　proved　to
be；　came　up　thither；　having　a　great　band　of　soldiers　with　him；
such　as　was　sufficient　to　put　a　stop　to　the　multitude　of　those
who　pulled　down　what　was　dedicated　to　God；　so　he　fell　upon　them
unexpectedly；　and　as　they　were　upon　this　bold　attempt；　in　a
foolish　presumption　rather　than　a　cautious　circumspection；　as　is
usual　with　the　multitude；　and　while　they　were　in　disorder；　and
incautious　of　what　was　for　their　advantage；　so　he　caught　no　fewer
than　forty　of　the　young　men；　who　had　the　courage　to　stay　behind
when　the　rest　ran　away；　together　with　the　authors　of　this　bold
attempt；　Judas　and　Matthius；　who　thought　it　an　ignominious　thing
to　retire　upon　his　approach；　and　led　them　to　the　king。　And　when
they　were　come　to　the　king；　and　he　asked　them　if　they　had　been　so
bold　as　to　pull　down　what　he　had　dedicated　to　God；　〃Yes；　（said
they；）　what　was　contrived　we　contrived；　and　what　hath　been
performed　we　performed　it；　and　that　with　such　a　virtuous　courage
as　becomes　men；　for　we　have　given　our　assistance　to　those　things
which　were　dedicated　to　the　majesty　of　God；　and　we　have　provided
for　what　we　have　learned　by　hearing　the　law；　and　it　ought　not　to
be　wondered　at；　if　we　esteem　those　laws　which　Moses　had　suggested
to　him；　and　were　taught　him　by　God；　and　which　he　wrote　and　left
behind　him；　more　worthy　of　observation　than　thy　commands。
Accordingly　we　will　undergo　death；　and　all　sorts　of　punishments
which　thou　canst　inflict　upon　us；　with　pleasure；　since　we　are
conscious　to　ourselves　that　we　shall　die；　not　for　any　unrighteous
actions；　but　for　our　love　to　religion。〃　And　thus　they　all　said；
and　their　courage　was　still　equal　to　their　profession；　and　equal
to　that　with　which　they　readily　set　about　this　undertaking。　And
when　the　king　had　ordered　them　to　be　bound；　he　sent　them　to
Jericho；　and　called　together　the　principal　men　among　the　Jews；
and　when　they　were　come；　he　made　them　assemble　in　the　theater；
and　because　he　could　not　himself　stand；　he　lay　upon　a　couch；　and
enumerated　the　many　labors　that　he　had　long　endured　on　their
account；　and　his　building　of　the　temple；　and　what　a　vast　charge
that　was　to　him；　while　the　Asamoneans；　during　the　hundred　and
twenty…five　years　of　their　government；　had　not　been　able　to
perform　any　so　great　a　work　for　the　honor　of　God　as　that　was；
that　he　had　also　adorned　it　with　very　valuable　donations；　on
which　account　he　hoped　that　he　had　left　himself　a　memorial；　and
procured　himself　a　reputation　after　his　death。　He　then　cried　out；
that　these　men　had　not　abstained　from　affronting　him；　even　in　his
lifetime；　but　that　in　the　very　day　time；　and　in　the　sight　of　the
multitude；　they　had　abused　him　to　that　degree；　as　to　fall　upon
what　he　had　dedicated；　and　in　that　way　of　abuse　had　pulled　it
down　to　the　ground。　They　pretended；　indeed；　that　they　did　it　to
affront　him；　but　if　any　one　consider　the　thing　truly；　they　will
find　that　they　were　guilty　of　sacrilege　against　God　therein。

4。　But　the　people；　on　account　of　Herod's　barbarous　temper；　and
for　fear　he　should　be　so　cruel　and　to　inflict　punishment　on　them；
said　what　was　done　was　done　without　their　approbation；　and　that
it　seemed　to　them　that　the　actors　might　well　be　punished　for　what
they　had　done。　But　as　for　Herod；　he　dealt　more　mildly　with　others
＇of　the　assembly＇　but　he　deprived　Matthias　of　the　high
priesthood；　as　in　part　an　occasion　of　this　action；　and　made
Joazar；　who　was　Matthias's　wife's　brother；　high　priest　in　his
stead。　Now　it　happened；　that　during　the　time　of　the　high
priesthood　of　this　Matthias；　there　was　another　person　made　high
priest　for　a　single　day；　that　very　day　which　the　Jews　observed　as
a　fast。　The　occasion　was　this：　This　Matthias　the　high　priest；　on
the　night　before　that　day　when　the　fast　was　to　be　celebrated；
seemed；　in　a　dream；　（7）　to　have　conversation　with　his　wife；　and
because　he　could　not　officiate　himself　on　that　account；　Joseph；
the　son　of　Ellemus；　his　kinsman；　assisted　him　in　that　sacred
office。　But　Herod　deprived　this　Matthias　of　the　high　priesthood；
and　burnt　the　other　Matthias；　who　had　raised　the　sedition；　with
his　companions；　alive。　And　that　very　night　there　was　an　eclipse
of　the　moon。　（8）

5。　But　now　Herod's　distemper　greatly　increased　upon　him　after　a
severe　manner；　and　this　by　God's　judgment　upon　him　for　his　sins；
for　a　fire　glowed　in　him　slowly；　which　did　not　so　much　appear　to
the　touch　outwardly；　as　it　augmented　his　pains　inwardly；　for　it
brought　upon　him　a　vehement　appetite　to　eating；　which　he　could
not　avoid　to　supply　with　one　sort　of　food　or　other。　His　entrails
were　also　ex…ulcerated；　and　the　chief　violence　of　his　pain　lay　on
his　colon；　an　aqueous　and　transparent　liquor　also　had　settled
itself　about　his　feet；　and　a　like　matter　afflicted　him　at　the
bottom　of　his　belly。　Nay；　further；　his　privy…member　was
putrefied；　and　produced　worms；　and　when　he　sat　upright；　he　had　a
difficulty　of　breathing；　which　was　very　loathsome；　on　account　of
the　stench　of　his　breath；　and　the　quickness　of　its　returns；　he
had　also　convulsions　in　all　parts　of　his　body；　which　increased
his　strength　to　an　insufferable　degree。　It　was　said　by　those　who
pretended　to　divine；　and　who　were　endued　with　wisdom　to　foretell
such　things；　that　God　inflicted　this　punishment　on　the　king　on
account　of　his　great　impiety；　yet　was　he　sti