the antiquities of the jews-1-第312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！


thus：　Upon　the　petition　of　king　Agrippa　and　king　Herod；　who　are
persons　very　dear　to　me；　that　I　would　grant　the　same　rights　and
privileges　should　be　preserved　to　the　Jews　which　are　in　all　the
Roman　empire；　which　I　have　granted　to　those　of　Alexandria；　I　very
willingly　comply　therewith；　and　this　grant　I　make　not　only　for
the　sake　of　the　petitioners；　but　as　judging　those　Jews　for　whom　I
have　been　petitioned　worthy　of　such　a　favor；　on　account　of　their
fidelity　and　friendship　to　the　Romans。　I　think　it　also　very　just
that　no　Grecian　city　should　be　deprived　of　such　rights　and
privileges；　since　they　were　preserved　to　them　under　the　great
Augustus。　It　will　therefore　be　fit　to　permit　the　Jews；　who　are　in
all　the　world　under　us；　to　keep　their　ancient　customs　without
being　hindered　so　to　do。　And　I　do　charge　them　also　to　use　this　my
kindness　to　them　with　moderation；　and　not　to　show　a　contempt　of
the　superstitious　observances　of　other　nations；　but　to　keep　their
own　laws　only。　And　I　will　that　this　decree　of　mine　be　engraven　on
tables　by　the　magistrates　of　the　cities；　and　colonies；　and
municipal　places；　both　those　within　Italy　and　those　without　it；
both　kings　and　governors；　by　the　means　of　the　ambassadors；　and　to
have　them　exposed　to　the　public　for　full　thirty　days；　in　such　a
place　whence　it　may　plainly　be　read　from　the　ground。　（17）

CHAPTER　6。

What　Things　Were　Done　By　Agrippa　At　Jerusalem　When　He　Was
Returned　Back　Into　Judea；　And　What　It　Was　That　Petronius　Wrote　To
The　Inhabitants　Of　Doris；　In　Behalf　。

1。　Now　Claudius　Caesar；　by　these　decrees　of　his　which　were　sent
to　Alexandria；　and　to　all　the　habitable　earth；　made　known　what
opinion　he　had　of　the　Jews。　So　he　soon　sent　Agrippa　away　to　take
his　kingdom；　now　he　was　advanced　to　a　more　illustrious　dignity
than　before；　and　sent　letters　to　the　presidents　and　procurators
of　the　provinces　that　they　should　treat　him　very　kindly。
Accordingly；　he　returned　in　haste；　as　was　likely　he　would；　now
lie　returned　in　much　greater　prosperity　than　he　had　before。　He
also　came　to　Jerusalem；　and　offered　all　the　sacrifices　that
belonged　to　him；　and　omitted　nothing　which　the　law　required；　（18）
on　which　account　he　ordained　that　many　of　the　Nazarites　should
have　their　heads　shorn。　And　for　the　golden　chain　which　had　been
given　him　by　Caius；　of　equal　weight　with　that　iron　chain
wherewith　his　royal　hands　had　been　bound；　he　hung　it　up　within
the　limits　of　the　temple；　over　the　treasury；　（19）　that　it　might
be　a　memorial　of　the　severe　fate　he　had　lain　under；　and　a
testimony　of　his　change　for　the　better；　that　it　might　be　a
demonstration　how　the　greatest　prosperity　may　have　a　fall；　and
that　God　sometimes　raises　up　what　is　fallen　down：　for　this　chain
thus　dedicated　afforded　a　document　to　all　men；　that　king　Agrippa
had　been　once　bound　in　a　chain　for　a　small　cause；　but　recovered
his　former　dignity　again；　and　a　little　while　afterward　got　out　of
his　bonds；　and　was　advanced　to　be　a　more　illustrious　king　than　he
was　before。　Whence　men　may　understand　that　all　that　partake　of
human　nature；　how　great　soever　they　are；　may　fall；　and　that　those
that　fall　may　gain　their　former　illustrious　dignity　again。

2。　And　when　Agrippa　had　entirely　finished　all　the　duties　of　the
Divine　worship；　he　removed　Theophilus；　the　son　of　Ananus；　from
the　high　priesthood；　and　bestowed　that　honor　of　his　on　Simon　the
son　of　Boethus；　whose　name　was　also　Cantheras　whose　daughter　king
Herod　married；　as　I　have　related　above。　Simon；　therefore；　had　the
＇high＇　priesthood　with　his　brethren；　and　with　his　father；　in　like
manner　as　the　sons　of　Simon；　the　son　of　Onias；　who　were　three；
had　it　formerly　under　the　government　of　the　Macedonians；　as　we
have　related　in　a　former　book。

3。　When　the　king　had　settled　the　high　priesthood　after　this
manner；　he　returned　the　kindness　which　the　inhabitants　of
Jerusalem　had　showed　him；　for　he　released　them　from　the　tax　upon
houses；　every　one　of　which　paid　it　before；　thinking　it　a　good
thing　to　requite　the　tender　affection　of　those　that　loved　him。　He
also　made　Silas　the　general　of　his　forces；　as　a　man　who　had
partaken　with　him　in　many　of　his　troubles。　But　after　a　very
little　while　the　young　men　of　Doris；　preferring　a　rash　attempt
before　piety；　and　being　naturally　bold　and　insolent；　carried　a
statue　of　Caesar　into　a　synagogue　of　the　Jews；　and　erected　it
there。　This　procedure　of　theirs　greatly　provoked　Agrippa；　for　it
plainly　tended　to　the　dissolution　of　the　laws　of　his　country。　So
he　came　without　delay　to　Publius　Petronius；　who　was　then
president　of　Syria；　and　accused　the　people　of　Doris。　Nor　did　he
less　resent　what　was　done　than　did　Agrippa；　for　he　judged　it　a
piece　of　impiety　to　transgress　the　laws　that　regulate　the　actions
of　men。　So　he　wrote　the　following　letter　to　the　people　of　Doris
in　an　angry　strain：　〃Publius　Petronius；　the　president　under
Tiberius　Claudius　Caesar　Augustus　Germanicus；　to　the　magistrates
of　Doris；　ordains　as　follows：　Since　some　of　you　have　had　the
boldness；　or　madness　rather；　after　the　edict　of　Claudius　Caesar
Augustus　Germanicus　was　published；　for　permitting　the　Jews　to
observe　the　laws　of　their　country；　not　to　obey　the　same；　but　have
acted　in　entire　opposition　thereto；　as　forbidding　the　Jews　to
assemble　together　in　the　synagogue；　by　removing　Caesar's　statue；
and　setting　it　up　therein；　and　thereby　have　offended　not　only　the
Jews；　but　the　emperor　himself；　whose　statue　is　more　commodiously
placed　in　his　own　temple　than　in　a　foreign　one；　where　is　the
place　of　assembling　together；　while　it　is　but　a　part　of　natural
justice；　that　every　one　should　have　the　power　over　the　place
belonging　peculiarly　to　themselves；　according　to　the
determination　of　Caesar；　…　to　say　nothing　of　my　own
determination；　which　it　would　be　ridiculous　to　mention　after　the
emperor's　edict；　which　gives　the　Jews　leave　to　make　use　of　their
own　customs；　as　also　gives　order　that　they　enjoy　equally　the
rights　of　citizens　with　the　Greeks　themselves；　…　I　therefore
ordain　that　Proculus　Vitellius；　the　centurion；　bring　those　men　to
me；　who；　contrary　to　Augustus's　edict；　have　been　so　insolent　as
to　do　this　thing；　at　which　those　very　men；　who　appear　to　be　of
principal　reputation　among　them；　have　an　indignation　also；　and
allege　for　themselves；　'that　it　was　not　done　with　their　consent；
but　by　the　violence　of　the　multitude；　that　they　may　give　an
account　of　what　hath　been　done。　I　also　exhort　the　principal
magistrates　among　them；　unless　they　have　a　mind　to　have　this
action　esteemed　to　be　done　with　their　consent；　to　inform　the
centurion　of　those　that　were　guilty　of　it；　and　take　care　that　no
handle　be　hence　taken　for　raising　a　sedition　or　quarrel　among
them；　which　those　seem　to　me　to　treat　after　who　encourage　such
doings；　while　both　I　myself；　and　king　Agrippa；　for　whom　I　have
the　highest　honor；　have　nothing　more　under　our　care；　than　that
the　nation　of　the　Jews　may　have　no　occasion　given　them　of　getting
together；　under　the　pretense　of　avenging　themselves；　and　become
tumultuous。　And　that　it　may　be　more　publicly　known　what　Augustus
hath　resolved　about　this　whole　matter；　I　have　subjoined　those
edicts　which　he　hath　lately　caused　to　be　published　at　Alexandria；
and　which；　although　they　may　be　well　known　to　all；　yet　did　king
Agrippa；　for　whom　I　have　the　highest　honor；　read　them　at　that
time　before　my　tribunal；　and　pleaded　that　the　Jews　ought　not　to
be　deprived　of　those　rights　which　Augustus　hath　granted　them。　I
therefore　charge　you；　that　you　do　not；　for　the　time　to　come；　seek
for　any　occasion　of　sedition　or　disturbance；　but　that　every　one
be　allowed　to　follow　their　own　religious　customs。〃

4。　Thus　did　Petronius　take　care　of　this　matter；　that　such　a
breach　of　the　law　might　be　corrected；　and　that　no　such　thing
might　be　attempted　afterwards　against　the　Jews。　And　now　king
Agrippa　took　the　＇high＇　priesthood　away　from　Simon　Cantheras；　and
put　Jonathan；　the　son　of　Ananus；　into　it　again；　and　owned　that　he
was　more　worthy　of　that　dignity　than　the　other。　But　this　was　not
a　thing　acceptable　to　him；　to　recover　that　his　former　dignity。　So
he　refused　it；　and　said；　〃O　king！　I　rejoice　in　the　honor　that
thou　hast　for　me；　and　take　it　kindly　that　thou　wouldst　give　me
such　a　d