友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
飞读中文网 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

the antiquities of the jews-1-第375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!



perhaps in Moses also; with him who is before called head cook or
captain of the guard; and to whom Joseph was sold。 See Genesis
37:36; 39:1; with 41:50。 They are also affirmed to be one and the
same person in the Testament of Joseph; sect。 18; for he is there
said to have married the daughter of his master and mistress。 Nor
is this a notion peculiar to that Testament; but; as Dr。 Bernard
confesses; note on Antiq。 B。 II。 ch。 4。 sect。 1; common to
Josephus; to the Septuagint interpreters; and to other learned
Jews of old time。

(5) This entire ignorance of the Egyptians of these years of
famine before they came; told us before; as well as here; ch。 5。
sect。 7; by Josephus; seems to me almost incredible。 It is in no
other copy that I know of。

(6) The reason why Symeon might be selected out of the rest for
Joseph's prisoner; is plain in the Testament of Symeon; viz。 that
he was one of the bitterest of all Joseph's brethren against him;
sect。 2; which appears also in part by the Testament of Zabulon;
sect。 3。

(7) The coherence seems to me to show that the negative particle
is here wanting; which I have supplied in brackets; and I wonder
none have hitherto suspected that it ought to be supplied。

(8) Of the precious balsam of Judea; and the turpentine; see the
note on Antiq。 B。 VIII。 ch。 6。 sect。 6。

(9) This oration seems to me too large; and too unusual a
digression; to have been composed by Judas on this occasion。 It
seems to me a speech or declamation composed formerly; in the
person of Judas; and in the way of oratory; that lay by him。 and
which he thought fit to insert on this occasion。 See two more
such speeches or declamations; Antiq。 B。 VI。 ch。 14。 sect。 4

(10) In all this speech of Judas we may observe; that Josephus
still supposed that death was the punishment of theft in Egypt;
in the days of Joseph; though it never was so among the Jews; by
the law of Moses。

(11) All the Greek copies of Josephus have the negative particle
here; that Jacob himself was not reckoned one of the 70 souls
that came into Egypt; but the old Latin copies want it; and
directly assure us he was one of them。 It is therefore hardly
certain which of these was Josephus's true reading; since the
number 70 is made up without him; if we reckon Leah for one; but
if she be not reckoned; Jacob must himself be one; to complete
the number。

(12) Josephus thought that the Egyptians hated or despised the
employment of a shepherd in the days of Joseph; whereas Bishop
Cumberland has shown that they rather hated such Poehnician or
Canaanite shepherds that had long enslaved the Egyptians of old
time。 See his Sanchoniatho; p。 361; 362。

(13) Reland here puts the question; how Josephus could complain
of its not raining in Egypt during this famine; while the
ancients affirm that it never does naturally rain there。 His
answer is; that when the ancients deny that it rains in Egypt;
they only mean the Upper Egypt above the Delta; which is called
Egypt in the strictest sense; but that in the Delta 'and by
consequence in the Lower Egypt adjoining to it' it did of old;
and still does; rain sometimes。 See the note on Antiq。 B。 III。
ch。 1。 sect。 6。

(14) Josephus supposes that Joseph now restored the Egyptians
their lands again。 upon the payment of a fifth part as tribute。
It seems to me rather that the land was now considered as
Pharaoh's land; and this fifth part as its rent; to be paid to
him; as he was their landlord; and they his tenants; and that the
lands were not properly restored; and this fifth part reserved as
tribute only; till the days of Sesostris。 See Essay on the Old
Testament; Append。 148; 149。

(15) As to this encomium upon Joseph; as preparatory to Jacob's
adopting Ephraim and Manasses into his own family; and to be
admitted for two tribes; which Josephus here mentions; all our
copies of Genesis omit it; ch。 48。; nor do we know whence he took
it; or whether it be not his own embellishment only。

(16) As to the affliction of Abraham's posterity for 400 years;
see Antiq。 B。 I。 ch。 10。 sect。 3; and as to what cities they
built in Egypt; under Pharaoh Sesostris。 and of Pharaoh
Sesostris's drowning in the Red Sea; see Essay on the Old
Testament; Append。 p。 132…162。

(17) Of this building of the pyramids of Egypt by the Israelites;
see Perizonius Orig。 Aegyptiac; ch。 21。 It is not impossible they
might build one or more of the small ones; but the larger ones
seem much later。 Only; if they be all built of stone; this does
not so well agree with the Israelites' labors; which are said to
have been in brick; and not in stone; as Mr。 Sandys observes in
his Travels。 p。 127; 128。

(18) Dr。 Bernard informs us here; that instead of this single
priest or prophet of the Egyptians; without a name in Josephus;
the Targum of Jonathan names the two famous antagonists of Moses;
Jannes and Jambres。 Nor is it at all unlikely that it might be
one of these who foreboded so much misery to the Egyptians; and
so much happiness to the Israelites; from the rearing of Moses。

(19) Josephus is clear that these midwives were Egyptians; and
not Israelites; as in our other copies: which is very probable;
it being not easily to be supposed that Pharaoh could trust the
Israelite midwives to execute so barbarous a command against
their own nation。 (Consult; therefore; and correct hence our
ordinary copies; Exodus 1:15; 22。 And; indeed; Josephus seems to
have had much completer copies of the Pentateuch; or other
authentic records now lost; about the birth and actions of Moses;
than either our Hebrew; Samaritan; or Greek Bibles afford us;
which enabled him to be so large and particular about him。

(20) Of this grandfather of Sesostris; Ramestes the Great; who
slew the Israelite infants; and of the inscription on his
obelisk; containing; in my opinion; one of the oldest records of
mankind; see Essay on the Old Test。 Append。 p。 139; 145; 147;
217…220。

(21) What Josephus here says of the beauty of Moses; that he was
of a divine form; is very like what St。 Stephen says of the same
beauty; that Moses was beautiful in the sight of Acts 7:20。

(22) This history of Moses; as general of the Egyptians against
the Ethiopians; is wholly omitted in our Bibles; but is thus by
Irenaeus; from Josephus; and that soon after his own age: …
〃Josephus says; that when Moses was nourished in the palace; he
was appointed general of the army against the Ethiopians; and
conquered them; when he married that king's daughter; because;
out of her affection for him; she delivered the city up to him。〃
See the Fragments of Irenaeus。 ap。 edit。 Grab。 p。 472。 Nor
perhaps did St。 Stephen refer to any thing else when he said of
Moses; before he was sent by God to the Israelites; that he was
not only learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians; but was also
mighty in words and in deeds; Acts 7:22。

(23) Pliny speaks of these birds called ibes; and says; 〃The
Egyptians invoked them against the serpents;〃 Hist。 Nat。 B。 X。
ch。 28。 Strabo speaks of this island Meroe; and these rivers
Astapus and Astaboras; B。 XVI。 p。 771; 786; and B XVII。 p。 82'。

(24) This superstitious fear of discovering the name w
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!