the antiquities of the jews-1-第39章

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on　a　vestment　of　a　blue　color。　This　also　is　a　long　robe；　reaching
to　his　feet；　＇in　our　language　it　is　called　。Meeir；＇　and　is　tied
round　with　a　girdle；　embroidered　with　the　same　colors　and　flowers
as　the　former；　with　a　mixture　of　gold　interwoven。　To　the　bottom
of　which　garment　are　hung　fringes；　in　color　like　pomegranates；
with　golden　bells　（13）　by　a　curious　and　beautiful　contrivance；　so
that　between　two　bells　hangs　a　pomegranate；　and　between　two
pomegranates　a　bell。　Now　this　vesture　was　not　composed　of　two
pieces；　nor　was　it　sewed　together　upon　the　shoulders　and　the
sides；　but　it　was　one　long　vestment　so　woven　as　to　have　an
aperture　for　the　neck；　not　an　oblique　one；　but　parted　all　along
the　breast　and　the　back。　A　border　also　was　sewed　to　it；　lest　the
aperture　should　look　too　indecently：　it　was　also　parted　where　the
hands　were　to　come　out。

5。　Besides　these；　the　high　priest　put　on　a　third　garment；　which
was　called　the　Ephod；　which　resembles　the　Epomis　of　the　Greeks。
Its　make　was　after　this　manner：　it　was　woven　to　the　depth　of　a
cubit；　of　several　colors；　with　gold　intermixed；　and　embroidered；
but　it　left　the　middle　of　the　breast　uncovered：　it　was　made　with
sleeves　also；　nor　did　it　appear　to　be　at　all　differently　made
from　a　short　coat。　But　in　the　void　place　of　this　garment　there
was　inserted　a　piece　of　the　bigness　of　a　span；　embroidered　with
gold；　and　the　other　colors　of　the　ephod；　and　was　called　Essen；
＇the　breastplate；＇　。which　in　the　Greek　language　signifies　the
Oracle。　This　piece　exactly　filled　up　the　void　space　in　the　ephod。
It　was　united　to　it　by　golden　rings　at　every　corner；　the　like
rings　being　annexed　to　the　ephod；　and　a　blue　riband　was　made　use
of　to　tie　them　together　by　those　rings；　and　that　the　space
between　the　rings　might　not　appear　empty；　they　contrived　to　fill
it　up　with　stitches　of　blue　ribands。　There　were　also　two
sardonyxes　upon　the　ephod；　at　the　shoulders；　to　fasten　it　in　the
nature　of　buttons；　having　each　end　running　to　the　sardonyxes　of
gold；　that　they　might　be　buttoned　by　them。　On　these　were　engraven
the　names　of　the　sons　of　Jacob；　in　our　own　country　letters；　and
in　our　own　tongue；　six　on　each　of　the　stones；　on　either　side；　and
the　elder　sons'　names　were　on　the　right　shoulder。　Twelve　stones
also　there　were　upon　the　breast…plate；　extraordinary　in　largeness
and　beauty；　and　they　were　an　ornament　not　to　be　purchased　by　men；
because　of　their　immense　value。　These　stones；　however；　stood　in
three　rows；　by　four　in　a　row；　and　were　inserted　into　the
breastplate　itself；　and　they　were　set　in　ouches　of　gold；　that
were　themselves　inserted　in　the　breastplate；　and　were　so　made
that　they　might　not　fall　out　low　the　first　three　stones　were　a
sardonyx；　a　topaz；　and　an　emerald。　The　second　row　contained　a
carbuncle；　a　jasper；　and　a　sapphire。　The　first　of　the　third　row
was　a　ligure；　then　an　amethyst；　and　the　third　an　agate；　being　the
ninth　of　the　whole　number。　The　first　of　the　fourth　row　was　a
chrysolite；　the　next　was　an　onyx；　and　then　a　beryl；　which　was　the
last　of　all。　Now　the　names　of　all　those　sons　of　Jacob　were
engraven　in　these　stones；　whom　we　esteem　the　heads　of　our　tribes；
each　stone　having　the　honor　of　a　name；　in　the　order　according　to
which　they　were　born。　And　whereas　the　rings　were　too　weak　of
themselves　to　bear　the　weight　of　the　stones；　they　made　two　other
rings　of　a　larger　size；　at　the　edge　of　that　part　of　the
breastplate　which　reached　to　the　neck；　and　inserted　into　the　very
texture　of　the　breastplate；　to　receive　chains　finely　wrought；
which　connected　them　with　golden　bands　to　the　tops　of　the
shoulders；　whose　extremity　turned　backwards；　and　went　into　the
ring；　on　the　prominent　back　part　of　the　ephod；　and　this　was　for
the　security　of　the　breastplate；　that　it　might　not　fall　out　of
its　place。　There　was　also　a　girdle　sewed　to　the　breastplate；
which　was　of　the　forementioned　colors；　with　gold　intermixed；
which；　when　it　had　gone　once　round；　was　tied　again　upon　the　seam；
and　hung　down。　There　were　also　golden　loops　that　admitted　its
fringes　at　each　extremity　of　the　girdle；　and　included　them
entirely。

6。　The　high　priest's　mitre　was　the　same　that　we　described　before；
and　was　wrought　like　that　of　all　the　other　priests；　above　which
there　was　another；　with　swathes　of　blue　embroidered；　and　round　it
was　a　golden　crown　polished；　of　three　rows；　one　above　another；
out　of　which　arose　a　cup　of　gold；　which　resembled　the　herb　which
we　call　Saccharus；　but　those　Greeks　that　are　skillful　in　botany
call　it　Hyoscyamus。　Now；　lest　any　one　that　has　seen　this　herb；
but　has　not　been　taught　its　name；　and　is　unacquainted　with　its
nature；　or；　having　known　its　name；　knows　not　the　herb　when　he
sees　it；　I　shall　give　such　；as　these　are　a　description　of　it。
This　herb　is　oftentimes　in　tallness　above　three　spans；　but　its
root　is　like　that　of　a　turnip　（for　he　that　should　compare　it
thereto　would　not　be　mistaken）；　but　its　leaves　are　like　the
leaves　of　mint。　Out　of　its　branches　it　sends　out　a　calyx；
cleaving。　to　the　branch；　and　a　coat　encompasses　it；　which　it
naturally　puts　off　when　it　is　changing；　in　order　to　produce　its
fruit。　This　calyx　is　of　the　bigness　of　the　bone　of　the　little
finger；　but　in　the　compass　of　its　aperture　is　like　a　cup。　This　I
will　further　describe；　for　the　use　of　those　that　are　unacquainted
with　it。　Suppose　a　sphere　be　divided　into　two　parts；　round　at　the
bottom；　but　having　another　segment　that　grows　up　to　a
circumference　from　that　bottom；　suppose　it　become　narrower　by
degrees；　and　that　the　cavity　of　that　part　grow　decently　smaller；
and　then　gradually　grow　wider　again　at　the　brim；　such　as　we　see
in　the　navel　of　a　pomegranate；　with　its　notches。　And　indeed　such
a　coat　grows　over　this　plant　as　renders　it　a　hemisphere；　and
that；　as　one　may　say；　turned　accurately　in　a　lathe；　and　having
its　notches　extant　above　it；　which；　as　I　said；　grow　like　a
pomegranate；　only　that　they　are　sharp；　and　end　in　nothing　but
prickles。　Now　the　fruit　is　preserved　by　this　coat　of　the　calyx；
which　fruit　is　like　the　seed　of　the　herb　Sideritis：　it　sends　out
a　flower　that　may　seem　to　resemble　that　of　poppy。　Of　this　was　a
crown　made；　as　far　from　the　hinder　part　of　the　head　to　each　of
the　temples；　but　this　Ephielis；　for　so　this　calyx　may　be　called；
did　not　cover　the　forehead；　but　it　was　covered　with　a　golden
plate；　（14）　which　had　inscribed　upon　it　the　name　of　God　in　sacred
characters。　And　such　were　the　ornaments　of　the　high　priest。

7。　Now　here　one　may　wonder　at　the　ill…will　which　men　bear　to　us；
and　which　they　profess　to　bear　on　account　of　our　despising　that
Deity　which　they　pretend　to　honor；　for　if　any　one　do　but　consider
the　fabric　of　the　tabernacle；　and　take　a　view　of　the　garments　of
the　high　priest；　and　of　those　vessels　which　we　make　use　of　in　our
sacred　ministration；　he　will　find　that　our　legislator　was　a
divine　man；　and　that　we　are　unjustly　reproached　by　others；　for　if
any　one　do　without　prejudice；　and　with　judgment；　look　upon　these
things；　he　will　find　they　were　every　one　made　in　way　of　imitation
and　representation　of　the　universe。　When　Moses　distinguished　the
tabernacle　into　three　parts；　（15）　and　allowed　two　of　them　to　the
priests；　as　a　place　accessible　and　common；　he　denoted　the　land
and　the　sea；　these　being　of　general　access　to　all；　but　he　set
apart　the　third　division　for　God；　because　heaven　is　inaccessible
to　men。　And　when　he　ordered　twelve　loaves　to　be　set　on　the　table；
he　denoted　the　year；　as　distinguished　into　so　many　months。　By
branching　out　the　candlestick　into　seventy　parts；　he　secretly
intimated　the　Decani；　or　seventy　divisions　of　the　planets；　and　as
to　the　seven　lamps　upon　the　candlesticks；　they　referred　to　the
course　of　the　planets；　of　which　that　is　the　number。　The　veils；
too；　which　were　composed　of　four　things；　they　declared　the　four
elements；　for　the　fine　linen　was　proper　to　signify　the　earth；
because　the　flax　grows　out　of　the　earth；　the　purple　signified　the
sea；　because　that　color　is　dyed　by　the　blood　of　a　sea　shell…fish；
the　blue　is　fit　to　signify　the　air；　and　the　scarlet　will
naturally　be　an　indication　of　fire。　Now　the　vestment　of　the　high
priest　being　made　of　linen；　signified　the　earth；　the　blue　denoted
the　sky；　being　like　ligh