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the wars of the jews-第51部分
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d not intend to do any thing on the next day; because it was the sabbath day; and would hinder his proceeding。 So he contrived to circumvent the revolters by a stratagem; and in the first place he ordered the gates of Taricheae to be shut; that nobody might go out and inform 'those of Tiberias'; for whom it was intended; what stratagem he was about; he then got together all the ships that were upon the lake; which were found to be two hundred and thirty; and in each of them he put no more than four mariners。 So he sailed to Tiberias with haste; and kept at such a distance from the city; that it was not easy for the people to see the vessels; and ordered that the empty vessels should float up and down there; while himself; who had but seven of his guards with him; and those unarmed also; went so near as to be seen; but when his adversaries; who were still reproaching him; saw him from the walls; they were so astonished that they supposed all the ships were full of armed men; and threw down their arms; and by signals of intercession they besought him to spare the city。
9。 Upon this Josephus threatened them terribly; and reproached them; that when they were the first that took up arms against the Romans; they should spend their force beforehand in civil dissensions; and do what their enemies desired above all things; and that besides they should endeavor so hastily to seize upon him; who took care of their safety; and had not been ashamed to shut the gates of their city against him that built their walls; that; however; he would admit of any intercessors from them that might make some excuse for them; and with whom he would make such agreements as might be for the city's security。 Hereupon ten of the most potent men of Tiberias came down to him presently; and when he had taken them into one of his vessels; he ordered them to be carried a great way off from the city。 He then commanded that fifty others of their senate; such as were men of the greatest eminence; should come to him; that they also might give him some security on their behalf。 After which; under one new pretense or another; he called forth others; one after another; to make the leagues between them。 He then gave order to the masters of those vessels which he had thus filled to sail away immediately for Taricheae; and to confine those men in the prison there; till at length he took all their senate; consisting of six hundred persons; and about two thousand of the populace; and carried them away to Taricheae。 (35)
10。 And when the rest of the people cried out; that it was one Clitus that was the chief author of this revolt; they desired him to spend his anger upon him 'only'; but Josephus; whose intention it was to slay nobody; commanded one Levius; belonging to his guards; to go out of the vessel; in order to cut off both Clitus's hands; yet was Levius afraid to go out by himself alone to such a large body of enemies; and refused to go。 Now Clitus saw that Josephus was in a great passion in the ship; and ready to leap out of it; in order to execute the punishment himself; he begged therefore from the shore; that he would leave him one of his hands; which Josephus agreed to; upon condition that he would himself cutoff the other hand; accordingly he drew his sword; and with his right hand cut off his left; so great was the fear he was in of Josephus himself。 And thus he took the people of Tiberias prisoners; and recovered the city again with empty ships and seven of his guard。 Moreover; a few days afterward he retook Gischala; which had revolted with the people of Sepphoris; and gave his soldiers leave to plunder it; yet did he get all the plunder together; and restored it to the inhabitants; and the like he did to the inhabitants of Sepphoris and Tiberias。 For when he had subdued those cities; he had a mind; by letting them be plundered; to give them some good instruction; while at the same time he regained their good…will by restoring them their money again。
CHAPTER 22。
The Jews Make All Ready For The War; And Simon; The Son Of Gioras; Falls To Plundering。
1。 And thus were the disturbances of Galilee quieted; when; upon their ceasing to prosecute their civil dissensions; they betook themselves to make preparations for the war with the Romans。 Now in Jerusalem the high priest Artanus; and do as many of the men of power as were not in the interest of the Romans; both repaired the walls; and made a great many warlike instruments; insomuch that in all parts of the city darts and all sorts of armor were upon the anvil。 Although the multitude of the young men were engaged in exercises; without any regularity; and all places were full of tumultuous doings; yet the moderate sort were exceedingly sad; and a great many there were who; out of the prospect they had of the calamities that were coming upon them; made great lamentations。 There were also such omens observed as were understood to be forerunners of evils by such as loved peace; but were by those that kindled the war interpreted so as to suit their own inclinations; and the very state of the city; even before the Romans came against it; was that of a place doomed to destruction。 However; Ananus's concern was this; to lay aside; for a while; the preparations for the war; and to persuade the seditious to consult their own interest; and to restrain the madness of those that had the name of zealots; but their violence was too hard for him; and what end he came to we shall relate hereafter。
2。 But as for the Acrabbene toparchy; Simon; the son of Gioras; got a great number of those that were fond of innovations together; and betook himself to ravage the country; nor did he only harass the rich men's houses; but tormented their bodies; and appeared openly and beforehand to affect tyranny in his government。 And when an army was sent against him by Artanus; and the other rulers; he and his band retired to the robbers that were at Masada; and staid there; and plundered the country of Idumea with them; till both Ananus and his other adversaries were slain; and until the rulers of that country were so afflicted with the multitude of those that were slain; and with the continual ravage of what they had; that they raised an army; and put garrisons into the villages; to secure them from those insults。 And in this state were the affairs of Judea at that time。
WAR BOOK 2 FOOTNOTES
(1) Hear Dean Aldrich's note on this place: 〃The law or Custom of the Jews (says he) requires seven days' mourning for the dead; Antiq。 B。 XVII。 ch。 8。 sect。 4; whence the author of the Book of Ecclesiasticus; ch。 22:12; assigns seven days as the proper time of mourning for the dead; and; ch。 38:17; enjoins men to mourn for the dead; that they may not be evil spoken of; for; as Josephus says presently; if any one omits this mourning 'funeral feast'; he is not esteemed a holy person。 How it is certain that such a seven days' mourning has been customary from times of the greatest antiquity; Genesis 1:10。 Funeral feasts are also mentioned as of considerable antiquity; Ezekiel 24:17; Jeremiah 16:7; Prey。 31:6; Deuteronomy 26:14; Josephus; Of the War B。 III。 ch。 9。 sect。 5。
(2) This holding a council in the temple of Apollo; in the emperor's palace at Rome; by Augustus; and even the building of this temple magnificently by himself in that palace; are exactly agreeable to Augustus; in his elder years; as Aldrich and from Suttonius and Propertius。
(3) Here we have a strong confirmation that it was Xerxes; and not Artaxerxes; under whom the main part of the Jews returned out of the Babylonian captivity; i。e。 in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah。 The same thing is in the Antiquities; B。 XI。 ch。6
(4) This practice of the Essens; in refusing to swear; and esteeming swearing in ordinary occasions worse than perjury; is delivered here in general words; as are the parallel injunctions of our Savior; Matthew 6:34; 23:16; and of St。 James; 5:12; but all admit of particular exceptions for solemn causes; and on great and necessary occasions。 Thus these very Essens; who here do so zealously avoid swearing; are related; in the very next section; to admit none till they take tremendous oaths to perform their several duties to God; and to their neighbor; without supposing they thereby break this rule; Not to swear at all。 The case is the same in Christianity; as we learn from the Apostolical Constitutions; which although they agree with Christ and St。 James; in forbidding to swear in general; ch。 5:12; 6:2; 3; yet do they explain it elsewhere; by avoiding to swear falsely; and to swear often and in vain; ch。 2:36; and again; by 〃not swearing at all;〃 but withal adding; that 〃if that cannot be avoided; to swear truly;〃 ch。 7:3; which abundantly explain to us the nature of the measures of this general injunction。
(5) This mention of the 〃names of angels;〃 so particularly preserved by the Essens; (if it means more than those 〃messengers〃 which were employed to bring; them the peculiar books of their Sect;) looks like a prelude to that 〃worshipping of angels;〃 blamed by St。 Paul; as superstitious and unlawful; in some such sort of people as these Essens were; Colossians 2:8; as is the prayer to or towards the sun for his rising every morning; mentioned before; sect。 5; very like those not much later observances made mention of in the preaching of Peter; Authent。 Rec。 Part II。 p。 669; and regarding a kind of worship of angels; of the month; and of the moon; and not celebrating the new moons; or other festivals; unless the moon appeared。 Which; indeed; seems to me the earliest mention of any regard to the phases in fixing the Jewish calendar; of which the Talmud and later Rabbins talk so much; and upon so very little ancient foundation。
(6) Of these Jewish or Essene (and indeed Christian) doctrines concerning souls; both good and bad; in Hades; see that excellent discourse; or homily; of our Josephus concerning Hades; at the end of the volume。
(7) Dean Aldrich reckons up three examples of this gift of prophecy in several of these Essens out of Josephus himself; viz。 in the History of the War; B。 I。 ch。 3。 sect。 5; Judas foretold the death of Antigonus at Strato's Tower; B。 II。 ch。 7。 sect。 3; Simon foretold that Archelaus should reign but nine or ten years; and Anti
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