the antiquities of the jews-1-第4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！


brick　erected　by　them。　Now　this　remains　in　the　land　of　Siriad　to
this　day。

CHAPTER　3。

Concerning　The　Flood；　And　After　What　Manner　Noah　Was　Saved　In　An
Ark；　With　His　Kindred；　And　Afterwards　Dwelt　In　The　Plain　Of
Shinar；

1。　Now　this　posterity　of　Seth　continued　to　esteem　God　as　the　Lord
of　the　universe；　and　to　have　an　entire　regard　to　virtue；　for
seven　generations；　but　in　process　of　time　they　were　perverted；
and　forsook　the　practices　of　their　forefathers；　and　did　neither
pay　those　honors　to　God　which　were　appointed　them；　nor　had　they
any　concern　to　do　justice　towards　men。　But　for　what　degree　of
zeal　they　had　formerly　shown　for　virtue；　they　now　showed　by　their
actions　a　double　degree　of　wickedness；　whereby　they　made　God　to
be　their　enemy。　For　many　angels（11）　of　God　accompanied　with
women；　and　begat　sons　that　proved　unjust；　and　despisers　of　all
that　was　good；　on　account　of　the　confidence　they　had　in　their　own
strength；　for　the　tradition　is；　that　these　men　did　what　resembled
the　acts　of　those　whom　the　Grecians　call　giants。　But　Noah　was
very　uneasy　at　what　they　did；　and　being　displeased　at　their
conduct；　persuaded　them　to　change　their　dispositions　and　their
acts　for　the　better：　but　seeing　they　did　not　yield　to　him；　but
were　slaves　to　their　wicked　pleasures；　he　was　afraid　they　would
kill　him；　together　with　his　wife　and　children；　and　those　they　had
married；　so　he　departed　out　of　that　land。

2。　Now　God　loved　this　man　for　his　righteousness：　yet　he　not　only
condemned　those　other　men　for　their　wickedness；　but　determined　to
destroy　the　whole　race　of　mankind；　and　to　make　another　race　that
should　be　pure　from　wickedness；　and　cutting　short　their　lives；
and　making　their　years　not　so　many　as　they　formerly　lived；　but
one　hundred　and　twenty　only；（12）　he　turned　the　dry　land　into　sea；
and　thus　were　all　these　men　destroyed：　but　Noah　alone　was　saved；
for　God　suggested　to　him　the　following　contrivance　and　way　of
escape　：　…　That　he　should　make　an　ark　of　four　stories　high；　three
hundred　cubits（13）　long；　fifty　cubits　broad；　and　thirty　cubits
high。　Accordingly　he　entered　into　that　ark；　and　his　wife；　and
sons；　and　their　wives；　and　put　into　it　not　only　other　provisions；
to　support　their　wants　there；　but　also　sent　in　with　the　rest　all
sorts　of　living　creatures；　the　male　and　his　female；　for　the
preservation　of　their　kinds；　and　others　of　them　by　sevens。　Now
this　ark　had　firm　walls；　and　a　roof；　and　was　braced　with　cross
beams；　so　that　it　could　not　be　any　way　drowned　or　overborne　by
the　violence　of　the　water。　And　thus　was　Noah；　with　his　family；
preserved。　Now　he　was　the　tenth　from　Adam；　as　being　the　son　of
Lamech；　whose　father　was　Mathusela；　he　was　the　son　of　Enoch；　the
son　of　Jared；　and　Jared　was　the　son　of　Malaleel；　who；　with　many
of　his　sisters；　were　the　children　of　Cainan；　the　son　of　Enos。　Now
Enos　was　the　son　of　Seth；　the　son　of　Adam。

3。　This　calamity　happened　in　the　six　hundredth　year　of　Noah's
government；　＇age；＇　in　the　second　month；　（14）　called　by　the
Macedonians　Dius；　but　by　the　Hebrews　Marchesuan：　for　so　did　they
order　their　year　in　Egypt。　But　Moses　appointed　that　ú　Nisan；
which　is　the　same　with　Xanthicus；　should　be　the　first　month　for
their　festivals；　because　he　brought　them　out　of　Egypt　in　that
month：　so　that　this　month　began　the　year　as　to　all　the
solemnities　they　observed　to　the　honor　of　God；　although　he
preserved　the　original　order　of　the　months　as　to　selling　and
buying；　and　other　ordinary　affairs。　Now　he　says　that　this　flood
began　on　the　twenty…seventh　＇seventeenth＇　day　of　the
forementioned　month；　and　this　was　two　thousand　six　hundred　and
fifty…six　＇one　thousand　six　hundred　and　fifty…six＇　years　from
Adam；　the　first　man；　and　the　time　is　written　down　in　our　sacred
books；　those　who　then　lived　having　noted　down；（15）　with　great
accuracy；　both　the　births　and　deaths　of　illustrious　men。

4。　For　indeed　Seth　was　born　when　Adam　was　in　his　two　hundred　and
thirtieth　year；　who　lived　：nine　hundred　and　thirty　years。　Seth
begat　Enos　in　his　two　hundred　and　fifth　year；　who；　when　he　had
lived　nine　hundred　and　twelve　years；　delivered　the　government　to
Cainan　his　son；　whom　he　had　in　his　hundred　and　ninetieth　year。　He
lived　nine　hundred　and　five　years。　Cainan；　when　he　had　lived　nine
hundred　and　ten　years；　had　his　son　Malaleel；　who　was　born　in　his
hundred　and　seventieth　year。　This　Malaleel；　having　lived　eight
hundred　and　ninety…five　years；　died；　leaving　his　son　Jared；　whom
he　begat　when　he　was　in　his　hundred　and　sixty…fifth　year。　He
lived　nine　hundred　and　sixty…two　years；　and　then　his　son　Enoch
succeeded　him；　who　was　born　when　his　father　was　one　hundred　and
sixty…two　years　old。　Now　he；　when　he　had　lived　three　hundred　and
sixty…five　years；　departed　and　went　to　God；　whence　it　is　that
they　have　not　written　down　his　death。　Now　Mathusela；　the　son　of
Enoch；　who　was　born　to　him　when　he　was　one　hundred　and　sixty…five
years　old；　had　Lamech　for　his　son　when　he　was　one　hundred　and
eighty…seven　years　of　age；　to　whom　he　delivered　the　government；
when　he　had　retained　it　nine　hundred　and　sixty…nine　years。　Now
Lamech；　when　he　had　governed　seven　hundred　and　seventy…seven
years；　appointed　Noah；　his　son；　to　be　ruler　of　the　people；　who
was　born　to　Lamech　when　he　was　one　hundred　and　eighty…two　years
old；　and　retained　the　government　nine　hundred　and　fifty　years。
These　years　collected　together　make　up　the　sum　before　set　down。
But　let　no　one　inquire　into　the　deaths　of　these　men；　for　they
extended　their　lives　along　together　with　their　children　and
grandchildren；　but　let　him　have　regard　to　their　births　only。

5。　When　God　gave　the　signal；　and　it　began　to　rain；　the　water
poured　down　forty　entire　days；　till　it　became　fifteen　cubits
higher　than　the　earth；　which　was　the　reason　why　there　was　no
greater　number　preserved；　since　they　had　no　place　to　fly　to。　When
the　rain　ceased；　the　water　did　but　just　begin　to　abate　after　one
hundred　and　fifty　days；　（that　is；　on　the　seventeenth　day　of　the
seventh　month；）　it　then　ceasing　to　subside　for　a　little　while。
After　this；　the　ark　rested　on　the　top　of　a　certain　mountain　in
Armenia；　which；　when　Noah　understood；　he　opened　it；　and　seeing　a
small　piece　of　land　about　it；　he　continued　quiet；　and　conceived
some　cheerful　hopes　of　deliverance。　But　a　few　days　afterward；
when　the　water　was　decreased　to　a　greater　degree；　he　sent　out　a
raven；　as　desirous　to　learn　whether　any　other　part　of　the　earth
were　left　dry　by　the　water；　and　whether　he　might　go　out　of　the
ark　with　safety；　but　the　raven；　finding　all　the　land　still
overflowed；　returned　to　Noah　again。　And　after　seven　days　he　sent
out　a　dove；　to　know　the　state　of　the　ground；　which　came　back　to
him　covered　with　mud；　and　bringing　an　olive　branch：　hereby　Noah
learned　that　the　earth　was　become　clear　of　the　flood。　So　after　he
had　staid　seven　more　days；　he　sent　the　living　creatures　out　of
the　ark；　and　both　he　and　his　family　went　out；　when　he　also
sacrificed　to　God；　and　feasted　with　his　companions。　However；　the
Armenians　call　this　place；　（GREEK）　（16）　The　Place　of　Descent；　for
the　ark　being　saved　in　that　place；　its　remains　are　shown　there　by
the　inhabitants　to　this　day。

6。　Now　all　the　writers　of　barbarian　histories　make　mention　of
this　flood；　and　of　this　ark；　among　whom　is　Berosus　the　Chaldean。
For　when　he　is　describing　the　circumstances　of　the　flood；　he　goes
on　thus：　〃It　is　said　there　is　still　some　part　of　this　ship　in
Armenia；　at　the　mountain　of　the　Cordyaeans；　and　that　some　people
carry　off　pieces　of　the　bitumen；　which　they　take　away；　and　use
chiefly　as　amulets　for　the　averting　of　mischiefs。〃　Hieronymus　the
Egyptian　also；　who　wrote　the　Phoenician　Antiquities；　and　Mnaseas；
and　a　great　many　more；　make　mention　of　the　same。　Nay；　Nicolaus　of
Damascus；　in　his　ninety…sixth　book；　hath　a　particular　relation
about　them；　where　he　speaks　thus：　〃There　is　a　great　mountain　in
Armenia；　over　Minyas；　called　Baris；　upon　which　it　is　reported
that　many　who　fled　at　the　time　of　the　Deluge　were　saved；　and　that
one　who　was　carried　in　an　ark　came　on　shore　upon　the　top　of　it；
and　that　the　remains　of　the　timber　were　a　great　while　preserved。
This　might　be　the　man　about　whom　Moses　the　legislator　of　the　Jews
wrote。〃

7。　But　as