the antiquities of the jews-1-第50章

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themselves；　excepting　what　came　to　them　out　of　the　sacrifices
that　were　offered　for　sins；　for　of　those　none　but　the　males　of
the　family　of　the　priests　might　eat；　and　this　in　the　temple　also；
and　that　the　same　day　they　were　offered。

5。　When　Moses　had　made　these　constitutions；　after　the　sedition
was　over；　he　removed；　together　with　the　whole　army；　and　came　to
the　borders　of　Idumea。　He　then　sent　ambassadors　to　the　king　of
the　Idumeans；　and　desired　him　to　give　him　a　passage　through　his
country；　and　agreed　to　send　him　what　hostages　he　should　desire；
to　secure　him　from　an　injury。　He　desired　him　also；　that　he　would
allow　his　army　liberty　to　buy　provisions；　and；　if　he　insisted
upon　it；　he　would　pay　down　a　price　for　the　very　water　they　should
drink。　But　the　king　was　not　pleased　with　this　embassage　from
Moses：　nor　did　he　allow　a　passage　for　the　army；　but　brought　his
people　armed　to　meet　Moses；　and　to　hinder　them；　in　case　they
should　endeavor　to　force　their　passage。　Upon　which　Moses
consulted　God　by　the　oracle；　who　would　not　have　him　begin　the　war
first；　and　so　he　withdrew　his　forces；　and　traveled　round　about
through　the　wilderness。

6。　Then　it　was　that　Miriam；　the　sister　of　Moses；　came　to　her　end；
having　completed　her　fortieth　year　（5）　since　she　left　Egypt；　on
the　first　（6）　day　of　the　lunar　month　Xanthicus。　They　then　made　a
public　funeral　for　her；　at　a　great　expense。　She　was　buried　upon　a
certain　mountain；　which　they　call　Sin：　and　when　they　had　mourned
for　her　thirty　days；　Moses　purified　the　people　after　this　manner：
He　brought　a　heifer　that　had　never　been　used　to　the　plough　or　to
husbandry；　that　was　complete　in　all　its　parts；　and　entirely　of　a
red　color；　at　a　little　distance　from　the　camp；　into　a　place
perfectly　clean。　This　heifer　was　slain　by　the　high　priest；　and
her　blood　sprinkled　with　his　finger　seven　times　before　the
tabernacle　of　God；　after　this；　the　entire　heifer　was　burnt　in
that　state；　together　with　its　skin　and　entrails；　and　they　threw
cedar…wood；　and　hyssop；　and　scarlet　wool；　into　the　midst　of　the
fire；　then　a　clean　man　gathered　all　her　ashes　together；　and　laid
them　in　a　place　perfectly　clean。　When　therefore　any　persons　were
defiled　by　a　dead　body；　they　put　a　little　of　these　ashes　into
spring　water；　with　hyssop；　and；　dipping　part　of　these　ashes　in
it；　they　sprinkled　them　with　it；　both　on　the　third　day；　and　on
the　seventh；　and　after　that　they　were　clean。　This　he　enjoined
them　to　do　also　when　the　tribes　should　come　into　their　own　land。

7。　Now　when　this　purification；　which　their　leader　made　upon　the
mourning　for　his　sister；　as　it　has　been　now　described；　was　over；
he　caused　the　army　to　remove　and　to　march　through　the　wilderness
and　through　Arabia；　and　when　he　came　to　a　place　which　the
Arabians　esteem　their　metropolis；　which　was　formerly　called　Arce；
but　has　now　the　name　of　Petra；　at　this　place；　which　was
encompassed　with　high　mountains；　Aaron　went　up　one　of　them　in　the
sight　of　the　whole　army；　Moses　having　before　told　him　that　he　was
to　die；　for　this　place　was　over　against　them。　He　put　off　his
pontifical　garments；　and　delivered　them　to　Eleazar　his　son；　to
whom　the　high　priesthood　belonged；　because　he　was　the　elder
brother；　and　died　while　the　multitude　looked　upon　him。　He　died　in
the　same　year　wherein　he　lost　his　sister；　having　lived　in　all　a
hundred　twenty　and　three　years。　He　died　on　the　first　day　of　that
lunar　month　which　is　called　by　the　Athenians　Hecatombaeon；　by　the
Macedonians　Lous；　but　by　the　Hebrews　Abba。

CHAPTER　5。

How　Moses　Conquered　Sihon　And　Og　Kings　Of　The　Amorites；　And
Destroyed　Their　Whole　Army　And　Then　Divided　Their　Land　By　Lot　To
Two　Tribes　And　A　Half　Of　The　Hebrews。

1。　The　people　mourned　for　Aaron　thirty　days；　and　when　this
mourning　was　over；　Moses　removed　the　army　from　that　place；　and
came　to　the　river　Arnon；　which；　issuing　out　of　the　mountains　of
Arabia；　and　running　through　all　that　wilderness；　falls　into　the
lake　Asphaltitis；　and　becomes　the　limit　between　the　land　of　the
Moabites　and　the　land　of　the　Amorites。　This　land　is　fruitful；　and
sufficient　to　maintain　a　great　number　of　men；　with　the　good
things　it　produces。　Moses　therefore　sent　messengers　to　Sihon；　the
king　of　this　country；　desiring　that　he　would　grant　his　army　a
passage；　upon　what　security　he　should　please　to　require；　he
promised　that　he　should　be　no　way　injured；　neither　as　to　that
country　which　Sihon　governed；　nor　as　to　its　inhabitants；　and　that
he　would　buy　his　provisions　at　such　a　price　as　should　be　to　their
advantage；　even　though　he　should　desire　to　sell　them　their　very
water。　But　Sihon　refused　his　offer；　and　put　his　army　into　battle
array；　and　was　preparing　every　thing　in　order　to　hinder　their
passing　over　Arnon。

2。　When　Moses　saw　that　the　Amorite　king　was　disposed　to　enter
upon　hostilities　with　them；　he　thought　he　ought　not　to　bear　that
insult；　and；　determining　to　wean　the　Hebrews　from　their　indolent
temper；　and　prevent　the　disorders　which　arose　thence；　which　had
been　the　occasion　of　their　former　sedition；　（nor　indeed　were　they
now　thoroughly　easy　in　their　minds；）　he　inquired　of　God；　whether
he　would　give　him　leave　to　fight？　which　when　he　had　done；　and　God
also　promised　him　the　victory；　he　was　himself　very　courageous；
and　ready　to　proceed　to　fighting。　Accordingly　he　encouraged　the
soldiers；　and　he　desired　of　them　that　they　would　take　the
pleasure　of　fighting；　now　God　gave　them　leave　so　to　do。　They
then；　upon　the　receipt　of　this　permission；　which　they　so　much
longed　for；　put　on　their　whole　armor；　and　set　about　the　work
without　delay。　But　the　Amorite　king　was　not　now　like　to　himself
when　the　Hebrews　were　ready　to　attack　him；　but　both　he　himself
was　affrighted　at　the　Hebrews；　and　his　army；　which　before　had
showed　themselves　to　be　of　good　courage；　were　then　found　to　be
timorous：　so　they　could　not　sustain　the　first　onset；　nor　bear　up
against　the　Hebrews；　but　fled　away；　as　thinking　this　would　afford
them　a　more　likely　way　for　their　escape　than　fighting；　for　they
depended　upon　their　cities；　which　were　strong；　from　which　yet
they　reaped　no　advantage　when　they　were　forced　to　fly　to　them；
for　as　soon　as　the　Hebrews　saw　them　giving　ground；　they
immediately　pursued　them　close；　and　when　they　had　broken　their
ranks；　they　greatly　terrified　them；　and　some　of　them　broke　off
from　the　rest；　and　ran　away　to　the　cities。　Now　the　Hebrews
pursued　them　briskly；　and　obstinately　persevered　in　the　labors
they　had　already　undergone；　and　being　very　skillful　in　slinging；
and　very　dexterous　in　throwing　of　darts；　or　any　thing　else　of
that　kind；　and　also　having　nothing　but　light　armor；　which　made
them　quick　in　the　pursuit；　they　overtook　their　enemies；　and　for
those　that　were　most　remote；　and　could　not　be　overtaken；　they
reached　them　by　their　slings　and　their　bows；　so　that　many　were
slain；　and　those　that　escaped　the　slaughter　were　sorely　wounded；
and　these　were　more　distressed　with　thirst　than　with　any　of　those
that　fought　against　them；　for　it　was　the　summer　season；　。and　when
the　greatest　number　of　them　were　brought　down　to　the　river　out　of
a　desire　to　drink；　as　also　when　others　fled　away　by　troops；　the
Hebrews　came　round　them；　and　shot　at　them；　so　that；　what　with
darts　and　what　with　arrows；　they　made　a　slaughter　of　them　all。
Sihon　their　king　was　also　slain。　So　the　Hebrews　spoiled　the　dead
bodies；　and　took　their　prey。　The　land　also　which　they　took　was
full　of　abundance　of　fruits；　and　the　army　went　all　over　it
without　fear；　and　fed　their　cattle　upon　it；　and　they　took　the
enemies　prisoners；　for　they　could　no　way　put　a　stop　to　them；
since　all　the　fighting　men　were　destroyed。　Such　was　the
destruction　which　overtook　the　Amorites；　who　were　neither
sagacious　in　counsel；　nor　courageous　in　action。　Hereupon　the
Hebrews　took　possession　of　their　land；　which　is　a　country　situate
between　three　rivers；　and　naturally　resembled　an　island：　the
river　Arnon　being　its　southern　；　the　river　Jabbok　determining　its
northern　side；　which　running　into　Jordan　loses　its　own　name；　and
takes　the　other；　while　Jordan　itself　runs　along　by　it；　on　its
western　coast。

3。　When　matters　were　come　to　this　state；　Og；　the　king　of　Gilead
and　Gaulanitis；　fell　upon　the　Israelites。　He　brought