the antiquities of the jews-1-第348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！


mistake　of　some　modern　chronologers　rely；　and　destitute　of　all
proper　original　authority。

（22）　These　fifteen　days　for　finishing　such　vast　buildings　at
Babylon；　in　Josephus's　copy　of　Berosus；　would　seem　too　absurd　to
be　supposed　to　be　the　true　number；　were　it　not　for　the　same
testimony　extant　also　in　the　first　book　against　Apion；　sect。　19；
with　the　same　number。　It　thence　indeed　appears　that　Josephus's
copy　of　Berosus　had　this　small　number；　but　that　it　is　the　true
number　I　still　doubt。　Josephus　assures　us；　that　the　walls　of　so
much　a　smaller　city　as　Jerusalem　were　two　years　and　four　months
in　building　by　Nehemiah；　who　yet　hastened　the　work　all　he　could；
Antiq。　B。　XI。　ch。　5。　sect。　8。　I　should　think　one　hundred　and
fifteen　days；　or　a　year　and　fifteen　days；　much　more
proportionable　to　so　great　a　work。

（23）　It　is　here　remarkable　that　Josephus；　without　the　knowledge
of　Ptolemy's　canon；　should　call　the　same　king　whom　he　himself
here　（Bar。　i。　11；　and　Daniel　5：1；　2；　9；　12；　22；　29；　39）　styles
Beltazar；　or　Belshazzar；　from　the　Babylonian　god　Bel；　Naboandelus
also；　and　in　the　first　book　against　Apion；　sect。　19；　vol。　iii。；
from　the　same　citation　out　of　Berosus；　Nabonnedon；　from　the
Babylonian　god　Nabo　or　Nebo。　This　last　is　not　remote　from　the
original　pronunciation　itself　in　Ptolemy's　canon；　Nabonadius；　for
both　the　place　of　this　king　in　that　canon；　as　the　last　of　the
Assyrian　or　Babylonian　kings；　and　the　number　of　years　of　his
reign；　seventeen；　the　same　in　both　demonstrate　that　it　is　one　and
the　same　king　that　is　meant　by　them　all。　It　is　also　worth　noting；
that　Josephus　knew　that　Darius；　the　partner　of　Cyrus；　was　the　son
of　Astyages；　and　was　called　by　another　name　among　the　Greeks；
though　it　does　not　appear　he　knew　what　that　name　was；　as　having
never　seen　the　best　history　of　this　period；　which　is　Xenophon's。
But　then　what　Josephus's　present　copies　say　presently；　sect。　4；
that　it　was　only　within　no　long　time　after　the　hand…writing　on
the　wall　that　Baltasar　was　slain；　does　not　so　well　agree　with　our
copies　of　Daniel；　which　say　it　was　the　same　night；　Daniel　5：30。

（24）　This　grandmother；　or　mother　of　Baltasar；　the　queen　dowager
of　Babylon；　（for　she　is　distinguished　from　his　queen；　Daniel
5：10；　13；）　seems　to　have　been　the　famous　Nitocris；　who　fortified
Babylon　against　the　Medes　and　Persians；　and；　in　all　probability
governed　under　Baltasar；　who　seems　to　be　a　weak　and　effeminate
prince。

（25）　It　is　no　way　improbable　that　Daniel's　enemies　might　suggest
this　reason　to　the　king　why　the　lions　did　not　meddle　with　him　and
that　they　might　suspect　the　king's　kindness　to　Daniel　had
procured　these　lions　to　be　so　filled　beforehand；　and　that　thence
it　was　that　he　encouraged　Daniel　to　submit　to　this　experiment；　in
hopes　of　coming　off　safe；　and　that　this　was　the　true　reason　of
making　so　terrible　an　experiment　upon　those　his　enemies；　and　all
their　families；　Daniel　6：21；　though　our　other　copies　do　not
directly　take　notice　of　it

（26）　What　Josephus　here　says；　that　the　stones　of　the　sepulchers
of　the　kings　of　Persia　at　this　tower；　or　those　perhaps　of　the
same　sort　that　are　now　commonly　called　the　ruins　of　Persepolis；
continued　so　entire　and　unaltered　in　his　days；　as　if　they　were
lately　put　there；　〃I　（says　Reland）　here　can　show　to　be　true；　as
to　those　stones　of　the　Persian　mansoleum；　which　Com。　Brunius
brake　off　and　gave　me。〃　He　ascribed　this　to　the　hardness　of　the
stones；　which　scarcely　yields　to　iron　tools；　and　proves
frequently　too　hard　for　cutting　by　the　chisel；　but　oftentimes
breaks　it　to　pieces。

BOOK　11　FOOTNOTES

（1）　This　Cyrus　is　called　God's　shepherd　by　Xenophon；　as　well　as
by　Isaiah；　Isaiah　44：28；　as　also　it　is　said　of　him　by　the　same
prophet；　that　〃I　will　make　a　man　more　precious　than　fine　gold；
even　a　man　than　the　golden　wedge　of　Ophir；〃　Isaiah　13：12；　which
character　makes　Xenophon's　most　excellent　history　of　him　very
credible。

（2）　This　leave　to　build　Jerusalem；　sect。　3；　and　this　epistle　of
Cyrus　to　Sisinnes　and　Sathrabuzanes；　to　the　same　purpose；　are
most　unfortunately　omitted　in　all　our　copies　but　this　best　and
completest　copy　of　Josephus；　and　by　such　omission　the　famous
prophecy　of　Isaiah；　Isaiah　44：28；　where　we　are　informed　that　God
said　of　or　to　Cyrus；　〃He　is　my　shepherd；　and　shall　perform　all　my
pleasure；　even　saying　to　Jerusalem；　Thou　shalt　be　built；　and　to
the　temple；　Thy　foundation　shall　be　laid；〃　could　not　hitherto　be
demonstrated　from　the　sacred　history　to　have　been　completely
fulfilled；　I　mean　as　to　that　part　of　it　which　concerned　his
giving　leave　or　commission　for　rebuilding　the　city　Jerusalem　as
distinct　from　the　temple；　whose　rebuilding　is　alone　permitted　or
directed　in　the　decree　of　Cyrus　in　all　our　copies。

（3）　Of　the　true　number　of　golden　and　silver　vessels　here　and
elsewhere　belonging　to　the　temple　of　Solomon；　see　the　description
of　the　temples；　chap。　13。

（4）　Josephus　here　follows　Herodotus；　and　those　that　related　how
Cyrus　made　war　with　the　Scythians　and　Massagets；　near　the　Caspian
Sea；　and　perished　in　it；　while　Xenophon's　account；　which　appears
never　to　have　been　seen　by　Josephus；　that　Cyrus　died　in　peace　in
his　own　country　of　Persia；　is　attested　to　by　the　writers　of　the
affairs　of　Alexander　the　Great；　when　they　agree　that　he　found
Cyrus's　sepulcher　at　Pasargadae；　near　Persepolis。　This　account　of
Xenophon　is　also　confirmed　by　the　circumstances　of　Cambyses；　upon
his　succession　to　Cyrus；　who；　instead　of　a　war　to　avenge　his
father's　death　upon　the　Scythians　and　Massagets；　and　to　prevent
those　nations　from　overrunning　his　northern　provinces；　which
would　have　been　the　natural　consequence　of　his　father's　ill
success　and　death　there；　went　immediately　to　an　Egyptian　war；
long　ago　begun　by　Cyrus；　according　to　Xenophon；　p。　644；　and
conquered　that　kingdom；　nor　is　there；　that　I　ever　heard　of；　the
least　mention　in　the　reign　of　Cambyses　of　any　war　against　the
Scythians　and　Massagets　that　he　was　ever　engaged　in　all　his　life。

（5）　The　reader　is　to　note；　that　although　the　speeches　or　papers
of　these　three　of　the　king's　guard　are　much　the　same；　in　our
Third　Book　of　Esdras；　ch。　3。　and　4。；　as　they　are　here　in
Josephus；　yet　that　the　introduction　of　them　is　entirely
different；　while　in　our　Esdras　the　whole　is　related　as　the
contrivance　of　the　three　of　the　king's　guards　themselves；　and
even　the　mighty　rewards　are　spoken　of　as　proposed　by　themselves；
and　the　speeches　are　related　to　have　been　delivered　by　themselves
to　the　king　in　writing；　while　all　is　contrary　in　Josephus。　I　need
not　say　whose　account　is　the　most　probable；　the　matters　speak　for
themselves；　and　there　can　be　no　doubt　but　Josephus's　history　is
here　to　be　very　much　preferred　before　the　other。　Nor　indeed　does
it　seem　to　me　at　all　unlikely　that　the　whole　was　a　contrivance　of
king　Darius's　own；　in　order　to　be　decently　and　inoffensively　put
in　mind　by　Zorobabel　of　fulfilling　his　old　vow　for　the　rebuilding
of　Jerusalem　and　the　temple；　and　the　restoration　of　the　worship
of　the　〃one　true　God〃　there。　Nor　does　the　full　meaning　of
Zorobabel；　when　he　cries　out；　3　Esd。　4。　41）；　〃Blessed　be　the　God
of　truth　；〃　and　here；　〃God　is　true　and　righteous；〃　or　even　of　all
the　people；　3　Esd。　4。　41；　〃Great　is　truth；　and　mighty　above　all
things　；〃　seem　to　me　much　different　from　this；　〃There　is　but　one
true　God；　the　God　of　Israel。〃　To　which　doctrine；　such　as　Cyrus
and　Darius；　etc。；　the　Jews'　great　patrons；　seem　not　to　have　been
very　averse；　though　the　entire　idolatry　of　their　kingdoms　made
them　generally　conceal　it。

（6）　This　strange　reading　in　Josephus's　present　copies　of　four
millions　instead　of　forty　thousand；　is　one　of　the　grossest　errors
that　is　in　them；　and　ought　to　be　corrected　from　Ezra　2：61；　1　Esd。
5：40；　and　Nehemiah　7：66；　who　all　agree　the　general　sum　was　but
about　forty…two　thousand　three　hundred　and　sixty。　It　is　also　very
plain　that　Josephus　thought；　that　when　Esdras　afterwards　brought
up　another　company　out　of　Babylon　and　Persia；　in　the　days　of
Xerxes；　they　were　also；　as　well　as　these；　out　of　the　two　tribes；
and　out　of　them　only；　and　were　in　all　no　more　than　〃a　seed〃　and
〃a　remnant；〃　while　an　〃immense　number〃　of　the　ten　tribes　never
returned；　but；　as　he　believed；　con