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the antiquities of the jews-1-第401章

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sea; before they prayed to God every morning; and before they set
about translating; may be compared with the like practice of
Peter the apostle; in the Recognitions of Clement; B。 IV。 ch。 3。;
and B。 V。 ch。 36。; and with the places of the Proseuchre; or of
prayer; which were sometimes built near the sea or rivers also;
of which matter see Antiq。 B。 XIV。 ch。 10。 sect。 9;3; Acts 16:13。
16。

(11) The use of oil was much greater; and the donatives of it
much more valuable; in Judea; and the neighboring countries; than
it is amongst us。 It was also; in the days of Josephus; thought
unlawful for Jews to make use of any oil that was prepared by
heathens; perhaps on account of some superstitions intermixed
with its preparation by those heathens。 When therefore the
heathens were to make them a donative of oil;: they paid them
money instead of it。 See Of the War; B。 II。 ch。 21。 sect。 2; the
Life of Josephus; sect。 13; and Hudson's note on the place before
us。

(12) This; and the like great and just characters; of the
justice; and equity。 and generosity of the old Romans; both to
the Jews and other conquered nations; affords us a very good
reason why Almighty God; upon the rejection of the Jews for their
wickedness; chose them for his people; and first established
Christianity in that empire; of which matter see Josephus here;
sect。 2; as also Antiq。 B。 XIV。 ch。 10。 sect。 22; 23; B。 XVI。 ch。
2。 sect。 4。

(13) The name of this place; Phicol; is the very same with that
of the chief captain of Abimelech's host; in the days of Abraham;
Genesis 21:22; and might possibly be the place of that Phicol's
nativity or abode; for it seems to have been in the south part of
Palestine; as that was。

(14) Whence it comes that these Lacedemonians declare themselves
here to be of kin to the Jews; as derived from the same ancestor;
Abraham; I cannot tell; unless; as Grotius supposes; they were
derived from Dores; that came of the Pelasgi。 These are by
Herodotus called Barbarians; and perhaps were derived from the
Syrians and Arabians; the posterity of Abraham by Keturah。 See
Antiq。 B。 XIV。 ch。 10。 sect。 22; and Of the War; B。 I。 ch。 26。
sect。 l; and Grot。 on 1 Macc。 12:7。 We may further observe from
the Recognitions of Clement; that Eliezer; of Damascus; the
servant of Abraham; Genesis 15:2; 24。; was of old by some taken
for his son。 So that if the Lacedemonians were sprung from him;
they might think themselves to be of the posterity of Abraham; as
well as the Jews; who were sprung from Isaac。 And perhaps this
Eliezer of Damascus is that very Damascus whom Trogus Pompeius;
as abridged by Justin; makes the founder of the Jewish nation
itself; though he afterwards blunders; and makes Azelus; Adores;
Abraham; and Israel kings of Judea; and successors to this
Damascus。 It may not be improper to observe further; that Moses
Chorenensis; in his history of the Armenians; informs us; that
the nation of the Parthians was also derived from Abraham by
Keturah and her children。

(15) This word〃 Gymnasium〃 properly denotes a place where the
exercises were performed naked; which because it would naturally
distinguish circumcised Jews from uncircumcised Gentiles; these
Jewish apostates endeavored to appear uncircumcised; by means of
a surgical operation; hinted at by St。 Paul; 1 Corinthians 7:18;
and described by Celsus; B。 VII。 ch。 25。; as Dr。 Hudson here
informs us。

(16) Hereabout Josephus begins to follow the First Book of the
Maccabees; a most excellent and most authentic history; and
accordingly it is here; with great fidelity and exactness;
abridged by him; between whose present copies there seem to he
fewer variations than in any other sacred Hebrew book of the Old
Testament whatsoever; (for this book also was originally written
in Hebrew;) which is very natural; because it was written so much
nearer to the times of Josephus than the rest were。

(17) This citadel; of which we have such frequent mention in the
following history; both in the Maccabees and Josephus; seems to
have been a castle built on a hill; lower than Mount Zion; though
upon its skirts; and higher than Mount Moriah; but between them
both; which hill the enemies of the Jews now got possession of;
and built on it this citadel; and fortified it; till a good while
afterwards the Jews regained it; demolished it; and leveled the
hill itself with the common ground; that their enemies might no
more recover it; and might thence overlook the temple itself; and
do them such mischief as they had long undergone from it; Antiq。
B。 XIII。 ch。 6。 sect。 6。

(18) This allegation of the Samaritans is remarkable; that though
they were not Jews; yet did they; from ancient times; observe the
Sabbath day; and; as they elsewhere pretend; the Sabbatic year
also; Antiq。 B。 XI。 ch。 8。 sect。 6。

(19) That this appellation of Maccabee was not first of all given
to Judas Maccabeus; nor was derived from any initial letters of
the Hebrew words on his banner; 〃Mi Kamoka Be Elire; Jehovah?〃
(〃Who is like unto thee among the gods; O Jehovah?〃) Exodus 15:11
as the modern Rabbins vainly pretend; see Authent。 Rec。 Part I。
p。 205; 206。 Only we may note; by the way; that the original name
of these Maccabees; and their posterity; was Asamoneans; which
was derived from Asamoneus; the great…grandfather of Mattathias;
as Josephus here informs us。

(20) The reason why Bethshah was called Scythopolis is well known
from Herodotus; B。 I。 p。 105; and Syncellus; p。 214; that the
Scythians; when they overran Asia; in the days of Josiah; seized
on this city; and kept it as long as they continued in Asia; from
which time it retained the name of Scythopolis; or the City of
the Scythians。

(21) This most providential preservation of all the religious
Jews in this expedition; which was according to the will of God;
is observable often among God's people; the Jews; and somewhat
very like it in the changes of the four monarchies; which were
also providential。 See Prideaux at the years 331; 333; and 334。

(22) Here is another great instance of Providence; that when;
even at the very time that Simon; and Judas; and Jonathan were so
miraculously preserved and blessed; in the just defense of their
laws and religion; these other generals of the Jews; who went to
fight for honor in a vain…glorious way; and without any
commission from God; or the family he had raised up to deliver
them; were miserably disappointed and defeated。 See 1 Macc。 5:61;
62。

(23) Since St。 Paul; a Pharisee; confesses that he had not known
concupiscence; or desires; to be sinful; had not the tenth
commandment said; 〃Thou shalt not covet;〃 Romans 7:7; the case
seems to have been much the same with our Josephus; who was of
the same sect; that he had not a deep sense of the greatness of
any sins that proceeded no further than the intention。 However;
since Josephus speaks here properly of the punishment of death;
which is not intended by any law; either of God or man; for the
bare intention; his words need not to be strained to mean; that
sins intended; but not executed; were no sins at all。

(24) No wonder that Josephus here describes Antiochus Eupator as
young; a
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