the antiquities of the jews-1-第354章

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priest；　John　Hyrcanus；　the　observation　of　the　Sabbatic　year；　as
Josephus　supposed；　required　a　rest　from　war；　as　did　that　of　the
weekly　sabbath　from　work；　I　mean　this；　unless　in　the　case　of
necessity；　when　the　Jews　were　attacked　by　their　enemies；　in　which
case　indeed；　and　in　which　alone；　they　then　allowed　defensive
fighting　to　be　lawful；　even　on　the　sabbath　day；　as　we　see　in
several　places　of　Josephus；　Antlq。　B。　XII。　ch。　6。　sect。　2；　B。
XIII。　ch。　1。　sect。　2；　Of。　the　War；　B。　I。　ch。　7。　sect。　3。　But　then
it　must　be　noted；　that　this　rest　from　war　no　way　appears　in　the
First　Book　of　Maccabees；　ch。　16。；　but　the　direct　contrary；　though
indeed　the　Jews；　in　the　days　of　Antiochus　Epiphanes；　did　not
venture　upon　fighting　on　the　Sabbath　day；　even　in　the　defense　of
their　own　lives；　till　the　Asamoneans　or　Maccabees　decreed　so　to
do；　1　Macc。　2：32…41；　Antiq。　B。　XII。　ch。　6。　sect。　2。

（20）　Josephus's　copies；　both　Greek　and　Latin；　have　here　a　gross
mistake；　when　they　say　that　this　first　year　of　John　Hyrcanus；
which　we　have　just　now　seen　to　have　been　a　Sabbatic　year；　was　in
the　162nd　olympiad；　whereas　it　was　for　certain　the　second　year　of
the　161st。　See　the　like　before；　B。　XII。　ch。　7。　sect。　6。

（21）　This　heliacal　setting　of　the　Pleiades；　or　seven　stars；　was；
in　the　days　of　Hyrcanus　and　Josephus；　early　in　the　spring；　about
February；　the　time　of　the　latter　rain　in　Judea；　and　this；　so　far
as　I　remember；　is　the　only　astronomical　character　of　time；
besides　one　eclipse　of　the　moon　in　the　reign　of　Herod；　that　we
meet　with　in　all　Josephus；　the　Jews　being　little　accustomed　to
astronomical　observations；　any　further　than　for　the　uses　of　their
calendar；　and　utterly　forbidden　those　astrological　uses　which　the
heathens　commonly　made　of　them。

（22）　Dr。　Hudson　tells　us　here；　that　this　custom　of　gilding　the
horns　of　those　oxen　that　were　to　be　sacrificed　is　a　known　thing
both　in　the　poets　and　orators。

（23）　This　account　in　Josephus；　that　the　present　Antiochus　was
persuaded；　though　in　vain；　not　to　make　peace　with　the　Jews；　but
to　cut　them　off　utterly；　is　fully　confirmed　by　Diodorus　Siculus；
in　Photiua's　extracts　out　of　his　34th　Book。

（24）　The　Jews　were　not　to　march　or　journey　on　the　sabbath；　or　on
such　a　great　festival　as　was　equivalent　to　the　sabbath；　any
farther　than　a　sabbath　day's　journey；　or　two　thousand　cubits；　see
the　note　on　Antiq。　B。　XX。　ch。　8。　sect。　6。

（25）　This　account　of　the　Idumeans　admitting　circumcision；　and　the
entire　Jewish　law；　from　this　time；　or　from　the　days　of　Hyrcanus；
is　confirmed　by　their　entire　history　afterward。　See　Antiq。　B。
XIV。　ch。　8。　sect。　1；　B。　XV。　ch。　7。　sect。　9。　Of　the　War；　B。　II。
ch。　3。　sect。　1；　B。　IV。　ch。　4。　sect。　5。　This；　in　the　opinion　of
Josephus；　made　them　proselytes　of　justice；　or　entire　Jews；　as
here　and　elsewhere；　Antiq。　B。　XIV。　ch。　8。　sect。　1。　However；
Antigonus；　the　enemy　of　Herod；　though　Herod　were　derived　from
such　a　proselyte　of　justice　for　several　generations；　will　allow
him　to　be　no　more　than　a　half　Jew；　B。　XV。　ch。　15。　sect。　2。　。But
still；　take　out　of　Dean　Prideaux；　at　the　year　129；　the　words　of
Ammouius；　a　grammarian；　which　fully　confirm　this　account　of　the
Idumeans　in　Josephus：　〃The　Jews；〃　says　he；　are　such　by　nature；
and　from　the　beginning；　whilst　the　Idumeans　were　not　Jews　from
the　beginning；　but　Phoenicians　and　Syrians；　but　being　afterward
subdued　by　the　Jews；　and　compelled　to　be　circumcised；　and　to
unite　into　one　nation；　and　be　subject　to　the　same　laws；　they　were
called　Jews。〃　Dio　also　says；　as　the　Dean　there　quotes　him；　from
Book　XXXVI。　p。　37；　〃That　country　is　called　Judea；　and　the　people
Jews；　and　this　name　is　given　also　to　as　many　others　as　embrace
their　religion；　though　of　other　nations。〃　But　then　upon　what
foundation　so　good　a　governor　as　Hyrcanus　took　upon　him　to　compel
those　Idumeans　either　to　become　Jews；　or　to　leave　the　country；
deserves　great　consideration。　I　suppose　it　was　because　they　had
long　ago　been　driven　out　of　the　land　of　Edom；　and　had　seized　on
and　possessed　the　tribe　of　Simeon；　and　all　the　southern　parts　of
the　tribe　of　Judah；　which　was　the　peculiar　inheritance　of　the
worshippers　of　the　true　God　without　idolatry；　as　the　reader　may
learn　from　Reland；　Palestine；　Part　I。　p。　154；　305；　and　from
Prideaux；　at　the　years　140　and　165。

（26）　In　this　decree　of　the　Roman　senate；　it　seems　that　these
ambassadors　were　sent　from　the　〃people　of　the　Jews；〃　as　well　as
from　their　prince　or　high　priest；　John　Hyrcanus。

（27）　Dean　Prideaux　takes　notice　at　the　year　130；　that　Justin；　in
agreement　with　Josephus；　says；　〃The　power　of　the　Jews　was　now
grown　so　great；　that　after　this　Antiochus　they　would　not　bear　any
Macedonian　king　over　them；　and　that　they　set　up　a　government　of
their　own；　and　infested　Syria　with　great　wars。〃

（28）　The　original　of　the　Sadducees；　as　a　considerable　party　among
the　Jews；　being　contained　in　this　and　the　two　following　sections；
take　Dean　Prideaux's　note　upon　this　their　first　public
appearance；　which　I　suppose　to　be　true：　〃Hyrcanus；〃　says　be；
〃went　over　to　the　party　of　the　Sadducees；　that　is；　by　embracing
their　doctrine　against　the　traditions　of　the　eiders；　added　to　the
written　law；　and　made　of　equal　authority　with　it；　but　not　their
doctrine　against　the　resurrection　and　a　future　state；　for　this
cannot　be　supposed　of　so　good　and　righteous　a　man　as　John
Hyrcanus　is　said　to　be。　It　is　most　probable；　that　at　this　time
the　Sadducees　had　gone　no　further　in　the　doctrines　of　that　sect
than　to　deny　all　their　unwritten　traditions；　which　the　Pharisees
were　so　fond　of；　for　Josephus　mentions　no　other　difference　at
this　time　between　them；　neither　doth　he　say　that　Hyrcanna　went
over　to　the　Sadducees　in　any　other　particular　than　in　the
abolishing　of　all　the　traditionary　constitutions　of　the
Pharisees；　which　our　Savior　condemned　as　well　as　they。〃　＇At　the
year。＇

（29）　This　slander；　that　arose　from　a　Pharisee；　has　been　preserved
by　their　successors　the　Rabbins　to　these　later　ages；　for　Dr。
Hudson　assures　us　that　David　Gantz；　in　his　Chronology；　S。　Pr。　p。
77；　in　Vorstius's　version；　relates　that　Hyrcanus's　mother　was
taken　captive　in　Mount　Modinth。　See　ch。　13。　sect。　5。

（30）　Here　ends　the　high　priesthood；　and　the　life　of　this
excellent　person　John　Hyrcanus；　and　together　with　him　the　holy
theocracy；　or　Divine　government　of　the　Jewish　nation；　and　its
concomitant　oracle　by　Urim。　Now　follows　the　profane　and
tyrannical　Jewish　monarchy；　first　of　the　Asamoneans　or　Maccabees；
and　then　of　Herod　the　Great；　the　Idumean；　till　the　coming　of　the
Messiah。　See　the　note　on　Antiq。　B。　III。　ch。　8。　sect。　9。　Hear
Strabo's　testimony　on　this　occasion；　B。　XVI。　p。　761；　762：
〃Those；〃　says　he；　〃that　succeeded　Moses　continued　for　some　time
in　earnest；　both　in　righteous　actions　and　in　piety；　but　after　a
while　there　were　others　that　took　upon　them　the　high　priesthood；
at　first　superstitious　and　afterward　tyrannical　persons。　Such　a
prophet　was　Moses　and　those　that　succeeded　him；　beginning　in　a
way　not　to　be　blamed；　but　changing　for　the　worse。　And　when　it
openly　appeared　that　the　government　was　become　tyrannical；
Alexander　was　the　first　that　set　up　himself　for　a　king　instead　of
a　priest；　and　his　sons　were　Hyrcanus　and　Aristobulus。〃　All　in
agreement　with　Josephus；　excepting　this；　that　Strabo　omits　the
first　king；　Aristobulus；　who　reigning　but　a　single　year；　seems
hardly　to　have　come　to　his　knowledge。　Nor　indeed　does
Aristobulus；　the　son　of　Alexander；　pretend　that　the　name　of　king
was　taken　before　his　father　Alexander　took　it　himself；　Antiq。　B。
XIV。　ch。　3。　sect。　2。　See　also　ch。　12。　sect。　l；　which　favor　Strabo
also。　And　indeed；　if　we　may　judge　from　the　very　different
characters　of　the　Egyptian　Jews　under　high　priests；　and　of　the
Palestine　Jews　under　kings；　in　the　two　next　centuries；　we　may
well　suppose　that　the　Divine　Shechinah　was　removed　into　Egypt；
and　that　the　worshippers　at　the　temple　of　Onias　were　better　men
than　those　at　the　temple　of　Jerusalem。

（31）　Hence　we　learn　that　the　Essens　pretended　to　have　ruled
whereby　men　might　foretell　things　to　come；　and　that　this　Judas
the　Essen　taught　those　rules　to　his　scholars；　but　whether　their
pretense　were　of　an　astrological　or　magical　nature；　which　yet　in
such　religious　Je