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第17章

the life of flavius josephus-第17章

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yet did the king only put him into bonds; and concealed what he
had done from Vespasian; as I have before related。 But the people
of Sepphoris met Vespasian; and saluted him; and had forces sent
him; with Placidus their commander: he also went up with them; as
I also followed them; till Vespasian came into Galilee。 As to
which coming of his; and after what manner it was ordered; and
how he fought his first battle with me near the village
Taricheae; and how from thence they went to Jotapata; and how I
was taken alive; and bound; and how I was afterward loosed; with
all that was done by me in the Jewish war; and during the siege
of Jerusalem; I have accurately related them in the books
concerning the War of the Jews。 However; it will; I think; he fit
for me to add now an account of those actions of my life which I
have not related in that book of the Jewish war。

75。 For when the siege of Jotapata was over; and I was among the
Romans; I was kept with much Care; by means of the great respect
that Vespasian showed me。 Moreover; at his command; I married a
virgin; who was from among the captives of that country (25) yet
did she not live with me long; but was divorced; upon my being
freed from my bonds; and my going to Alexandria。 However; I
married another wife at Alexandria; and was thence sent; together
with Titus; to the siege of Jerusalem; and was frequently in
danger of being put to death; while both the Jews were very
desirous to get me under their power; in order to haw me
punished。 And the Romans also; whenever they were beaten;
supposed that it was occasioned by my treachery; and made
continual clamors to the emperors; and desired that they would
bring me to punishment; as a traitor to them: but Titus Caesar
was well acquainted with the uncertain fortune of war; and
returned no answer to the soldiers' vehement solicitations
against me。 Moreover; when the city Jerusalem was taken by force;
Titus Caesar persuaded me frequently to take whatsoever I would
of the ruins of my country; and did that he gave me leave so to
do。 But when my country was destroyed; I thought nothing else to
be of any value; which I could take and keep as a comfort under
my calamities; so I made this request to Titus; that my family
might have their liberty: I had also the holy books (26) by
Titus's concession。 Nor was it long after that I asked of him the
life of my brother; and of fifty friends with him; and was not
denied。 When I also went once to the temple; by the permission of
Titus; where there were a great multitude of captive women and
children; I got all those that I remembered as among my own
friends and acquaintances to be set free; being in number about
one hundred and ninety; and so I delivered them without their
paying any price of redemption; and restored them to their former
fortune。 And when I was sent by Titus Caesar with Cerealins; and
a thousand horsemen; to a certain village called Thecoa; in order
to know whether it were a place fit for a camp; as I came back; I
saw many captives crucified; and remembered three of them as my
former acquaintance。 I was very sorry at this in my mind; and
went with tears in my eyes to Titus; and told him of them; so he
immediately commanded them to be taken down; and to have the
greatest care taken of them; in order to their recovery; yet two
of them died under the physician's hands; while the third
recovered。

76。 But when Titus had composed the troubles in Judea; and
conjectured that the lands which I had in Judea would bring me no
profit; because a garrison to guard the country was afterward to
pitch there; he gave me another country in the plain。 And when he
was going away to Rome; he made choice of me to sail along with
him; and paid me great respect: and when we were come to Rome; I
had great care taken of me by Vespasian; for he gave me an
apartment in his own house; which he lived in before he came to
the empire。 He also honored me with the privilege of a Roman
citizen; and gave me an annual pension; and continued to respect
me to the end of his life; without any abatement of his kindness
to me; which very thing made me envied; and brought me into
danger; for a certain Jew; whose name was Jonathan; who had
raised a tumult in Cyrene; and had persuaded two thousand men of
that country to join with him; was the occasion of their ruin。
But when he was bound by the governor of that country; and sent
to the emperor; he told him that I had sent him both weapons and
money。 However; he could not conceal his being a liar from
Vespasian; who condemned him to die; according to which sentence
he was put to death。 Nay; after that; when those that envied my
good fortune did frequently bring accusations against me; by
God's providence I escaped them all。 I also received from
Vespasian no small quantity of land; as a free gift; in Judea;
about which time I divorced my wife also; as not pleased with her
behavior; though not till she had been the mother of three
children; two of whom are dead; and one whom I named Hyrcanus; is
alive。 After this I married a wife who had lived at Crete; but a
Jewess by birth: a woman she was of eminent parents; and such as
were the most illustrious in all the country; and whose character
was beyond that of most other women; as her future life did
demonstrate。 By her I had two sons; the elder's name was Justus;
and the next Simonides; who was also named Agrippa。 And these
were the circumstances of my domestic affairs。 However; the
kindness of the emperor to me continued still the same; for when
Vespasian was dead; Titus; who succeeded him in the government;
kept up the same respect for me which I had from his father; and
when I had frequent accusations laid against me; he would not
believe them。 And Domitian; who succeeded; still augmented his
respects to me; for he punished those Jews that were my accusers;
and gave command that a servant of mine; who was a eunuch; and my
accuser; should be punished。 He also made that country I had in
Judea tax free; which is a mark of the greatest honor to him who
hath it; nay; Domitia; the wife of Caesar; continued to do me
kindnesses。 And this is the account of the actions of my whole
life; and let others judge of my character by them as they
please。 But to thee; O Epaphroditus; (28) thou most excellent of
men! do I dedicate all this treatise of our Antiquities; and so;
for the present; I here conclude the whole。





Autobiography Footnotes

(1) We may hence correct the error of the Latin copy of the
second book Against Apion; sect。 8; (for the Greek is there
lost;) which says; there were then only four tribes or courses of
the priests; instead of twenty…four。 Nor is this testimony to be
disregarded; as if Josephus there contradicted what he had
affirmed here; because even the account there given better agrees
to twenty…four than to four courses; while he says that each of
those courses contained above 5000 men; which; multiplied by only
four; will make not more than 20;000 priests; whereas the number
120;000; as multiplied by 24; seems much the most probable; they
being about one…tenth of the whole people; even after the
captivity。 See Ezra 2:36…39; Nehemiah 7:39…42; 1 Esdras 5:24; 25;
with Ezra 2;64; Nehemiah 7:66; 1 Esdras 5:41。 Nor will this
common reading or notion of but four courses of priests; agree
with Josephus's own further assertion elsewhere; Antiq。 B。 VII。
ch。 14。 sect。 7; that David's partition of the priests into
twenty…four courses had continued to that day。

(2) An eminent example of the care of the Jews about their
genealogies; especially as to the priests。 See Against Ap。 B。 1
sect。 7。

(3) When Josephus here says; that from sixteen to nineteen; or
for three years; he made trial of the three Jewish sects; the
Pharisees; the Sadducees; and the Essens; and yet says presently;
in all our copies; that he stayed besides with one particular
ascetic; called Banus; with him; and this still before he was
nineteen; there is little room left for his trial of the three
other sects。 I suppose; therefore; that for; with him; the old
reading might be; with them; which is a very small emendation;
and takes 

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