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第328章

the antiquities of the jews-1-第328章

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(38) Of this slaughter of the Shechemites by Simeon and Levi; see
Authent。 Rec。 Part I。 p。 309; 418; 432…439。 But why Josephus has
omitted the circumcision of these Shechemites; as the occasion of
their death; and of Jacob's great grief; as in the Testament of
Levi; sect。 5; I cannot tell。

(39) Since Benoni signifies the son of my sorrow; and Benjamin
the son of days; or one born in the father's old age; Genesis
44:20; I suspect Josephus's present copies to be here imperfect;
and suppose that; in correspondence to other copies; he wrote
that Rachel called her son's name Benoni; but his father called
him Benjamin; Genesis 35:18。 As for Benjamin; as commonly
explained; the son of the right hand; it makes no sense at all;
and seems to be a gross modern error only。 The Samaritan always
writes this name truly Benjamin; which probably is here of the
same signification; only with the Chaldee termination in; instead
of im in the Hebrew; as we pronounce cherubin or cherubim
indifferently。 Accordingly; both the Testament of Benjamin; sect。
2; p。 401; and Philo de Nominum Mutatione; p。 1059; write the
name Benjamin; but explain it not the son of the right hand; but
the son of days。

BOOK 2 FOOTNOTES

(1) We may here observe; that in correspondence to Joseph's
second dream; which implied that his mother; who was then alive;
as well as his father; should come and bow down to him; Josephus
represents her here as still alive after she was dead; for the
decorum of the dream that foretold it; as the interpretation of
the dream does also in all our copies; Genesis 37:10。

(2) The Septuagint have twenty pieces of gold; the Testament of
Gad thirty; the Hebrew and Samaritan twenty of silver; and the
vulgar Latin thirty。 What was the true number and true sum cannot
therefore now be known。

(3) That is; bought it for Pharaoh at a very low price。

(4) This Potiphar; or; as Josephus; Petephres; who was now a
priest of On; or Heliopolis; is the same name in Josephus; and
perhaps in Moses also; with him who is before called head cook or
captain of the guard; and to whom Joseph was sold。 See Genesis
37:36; 39:1; with 41:50。 They are also affirmed to be one and the
same person in the Testament of Joseph; sect。 18; for he is there
said to have married the daughter of his master and mistress。 Nor
is this a notion peculiar to that Testament; but; as Dr。 Bernard
confesses; note on Antiq。 B。 II。 ch。 4。 sect。 1; common to
Josephus; to the Septuagint interpreters; and to other learned
Jews of old time。

(5) This entire ignorance of the Egyptians of these years of
famine before they came; told us before; as well as here; ch。 5。
sect。 7; by Josephus; seems to me almost incredible。 It is in no
other copy that I know of。

(6) The reason why Symeon might be selected out of the rest for
Joseph's prisoner; is plain in the Testament of Symeon; viz。 that
he was one of the bitterest of all Joseph's brethren against him;
sect。 2; which appears also in part by the Testament of Zabulon;
sect。 3。

(7) The coherence seems to me to show that the negative particle
is here wanting; which I have supplied in brackets; and I wonder
none have hitherto suspected that it ought to be supplied。

(8) Of the precious balsam of Judea; and the turpentine; see the
note on Antiq。 B。 VIII。 ch。 6。 sect。 6。

(9) This oration seems to me too large; and too unusual a
digression; to have been composed by Judas on this occasion。 It
seems to me a speech or declamation composed formerly; in the
person of Judas; and in the way of oratory; that lay by him。 and
which he thought fit to insert on this occasion。 See two more
such speeches or declamations; Antiq。 B。 VI。 ch。 14。 sect。 4

(10) In all this speech of Judas we may observe; that Josephus
still supposed that death was the punishment of theft in Egypt;
in the days of Joseph; though it never was so among the Jews; by
the law of Moses。

(11) All the Greek copies of Josephus have the negative particle
here; that Jacob himself was not reckoned one of the 70 souls
that came into Egypt; but the old Latin copies want it; and
directly assure us he was one of them。 It is therefore hardly
certain which of these was Josephus's true reading; since the
number 70 is made up without him; if we reckon Leah for one; but
if she be not reckoned; Jacob must himself be one; to complete
the number。

(12) Josephus thought that the Egyptians hated or despised the
employment of a shepherd in the days of Joseph; whereas Bishop
Cumberland has shown that they rather hated such Poehnician or
Canaanite shepherds that had long enslaved the Egyptians of old
time。 See his Sanchoniatho; p。 361; 362。

(13) Reland here puts the question; how Josephus could complain
of its not raining in Egypt during this famine; while the
ancients affirm that it never does naturally rain there。 His
answer is; that when the ancients deny that it rains in Egypt;
they only mean the Upper Egypt above the Delta; which is called
Egypt in the strictest sense; but that in the Delta 'and by
consequence in the Lower Egypt adjoining to it' it did of old;
and still does; rain sometimes。 See the note on Antiq。 B。 III。
ch。 1。 sect。 6。

(14) Josephus supposes that Joseph now restored the Egyptians
their lands again。 upon the payment of a fifth part as tribute。
It seems to me rather that the land was now considered as
Pharaoh's land; and this fifth part as its rent; to be paid to
him; as he was their landlord; and they his tenants; and that the
lands were not properly restored; and this fifth part reserved as
tribute only; till the days of Sesostris。 See Essay on the Old
Testament; Append。 148; 149。

(15) As to this encomium upon Joseph; as preparatory to Jacob's
adopting Ephraim and Manasses into his own family; and to be
admitted for two tribes; which Josephus here mentions; all our
copies of Genesis omit it; ch。 48。; nor do we know whence he took
it; or whether it be not his own embellishment only。

(16) As to the affliction of Abraham's posterity for 400 years;
see Antiq。 B。 I。 ch。 10。 sect。 3; and as to what cities they
built in Egypt; under Pharaoh Sesostris。 and of Pharaoh
Sesostris's drowning in the Red Sea; see Essay on the Old
Testament; Append。 p。 132…162。

(17) Of this building of the pyramids of Egypt by the Israelites;
see Perizonius Orig。 Aegyptiac; ch。 21。 It is not impossible they
might build one or more of the small ones; but the larger ones
seem much later。 Only; if they be all built of stone; this does
not so well agree with the Israelites' labors; which are said to
have been in brick; and not in stone; as Mr。 Sandys observes in
his Travels。 p。 127; 128。

(18) Dr。 Bernard informs us here; that instead of this single
priest or prophet of the Egyptians; without a name in Josephus;
the Targum of Jonathan names the two famous antagonists of Moses;
Jannes and Jambres。 Nor is it at all unlikely that it might be
one of these who foreboded so much misery to the Egyptians; and
so much happiness to the Israelites; from the rearing of Moses。

(19) Josephus is clear that these midwives were Egyptians; and
not Israelites; as in our other copies: which is very probable;
it being not easily to be supposed that Pharaoh could trust the
Israelite midwives to execute so barbarous a command against
their own nation。 (Consult; therefore; and correct hence our
ordinary copies; Exodus 1:15; 22。 And; indeed; Josephus seems to
have had much completer copies of the Pentateuch; or other
authentic records now lost; about the birth and actions of Moses;
than either our Hebrew; Samaritan; or Greek Bibles afford us;
which enabled him to be so large and particular about him。

(20) Of this grandfather of Sesostris; Ramestes the Great; who
slew the Israelite infants; and of the inscription on his
obelisk; containing; in my opinion; one of the oldest records of
mankind; see Essay on the Old Test。 Append。 p。 139; 145; 147;
217…220。

(21) What Josephus here says of the beauty of Moses; that he was
of a divine form; is very like what St。 Stephen says of the same
beauty; that Moses was beautiful in the sight of Acts 7:20。

(22) This history of Moses; as general of the Egyptians agai

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