the antiquities of the jews-1-第116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！


used　to　be　buried　with；　moreover；　he　had　great　and　immense　wealth
buried　with　him；　the　vastness　of　which　may　be　easily　conjectured
at　by　what　I　shall　now　say；　for　a　thousand　and　three　hundred
years　afterward　Hyrcanus　the　high　priest；　when　he　was　besieged　by
Antiochus；　that　was　called　the　Pious；　the　son　of　Demetrius；　and
was　desirous　of　giving　him　money　to　get　him　to　raise　the　siege
and　draw　off　his　army；　and　having　no　other　method　of　compassing
the　money；　opened　one　room　of　David's　sepulcher；　and　took　out
three　thousand　talents；　and　gave　part　of　that　sum　to　Antiochus；
and　by　this　means　caused　the　siege　to　be　raised；　as　we　have
informed　the　reader　elsewhere。　Nay；　after　him；　and　that　many
years；　Herod　the　king　opened　another　room；　and　took　away　a　great
deal　of　money；　and　yet　neither　of　them　came　at　the　coffins　of　the
kings　themselves；　for　their　bodies　were　buried　under　the　earth　so
artfully；　that　they　did　not　appear　to　even　those　that　entered
into　their　monuments。　But　so　much　shall　suffice　us　to　have　said
concerning　these　matters。

BOOK　8。

Containing　The　Interval　Of　One　Hundred　And　Sixty…Three　Years。

From　The　Death　Of　David　To　The　Death　Of　Ahab。

CHAPTER　1。

How　Solomon；　When　He　Had　Received　The　KIngdom　Took　Off　His
Enemies。

1。　We　have　already　treated　of　David；　and　his　virtue；　and　of　the
benefits　he　was　the　author　of　to　his　countrymen；　of　his　wars　also
and　battles；　which　he　managed　with　success；　and　then　died　an　old
man；　in　the　foregoing　book。　And　when　Solomon　his　son；　who　was　but
a　youth　in　age；　had　taken　the　kingdom；　and　whom　David　had
declared；　while　he　was　alive；　the　lord　of　that　people；　according
to　God's　will；　when　he　sat　upon　the　throne；　the　whole　body　of　the
people　made　joyful　acclamations　to　him；　as　is　usual　at　the
beginning　of　a　reign；　and　wished　that　all　his　affairs　might　come
to　a　blessed　conclusion；　and　that　he　might　arrive　at　a　great　age；
and　at　the　most　happy　state　of　affairs　possible。

2。　But　Adonijah；　who；　while　his　father　was　living；　attempted　to
gain　possession　of　the　government；　came　to　the　king's　mother
Bathsheba；　and　saluted　her　with　great　civility；　and　when　she
asked　him；　whether　he　came　to　her　as　desiring　her　assistance　in
any　thing　or　not；　and　bade　him　tell　her　if　that　were　the　case；
for　that　she　would　cheerfully　afford　it　him；　he　began　to　say；
that　she　knew　herself　that　the　kingdom　was　his；　both　on　account
of　his　elder　age；　and　of　the　disposition　of　the　multitude；　and
that　yet　it　was　transferred　to　Solomon　her　son；　according　to　the
will　of　God。　He　also　said　that　he　was　contented　to　be　a　servant
under　him；　and　was　pleased　with　the　present　settlement；　but　he
desired　her　to　be　a　means　of　obtaining　a　favor　from　his　brother
to　him；　and　to　persuade　him　to　bestow　on　him　in　marriage　Abishag；
who　had　indeed　slept　by　his　father；　but；　because　his　father　was
too　old；　he　did　not　lie　with　her；　and　she　was　still　a　virgin。　So
Bathsheba　promised　him　to　afford　him　her　assistance　very
earnestly；　and　to　bring　this　marriage　about；　because　the　king
would　be　willing　to　gratify　him　in　such　a　thing；　and　because　she
would　press　it　to　him　very　earnestly。　Accordingly　he　went　away　in
hopes　of　succeeding　in　this　match。　So　Solomon's　mother　went
presently　to　her　son；　to　speak　to　him　about　what　she　had
promised；　upon　Adonijah's　supplication　to　her。　And　when　her　son
came　forward　to　meet　her；　and　embraced　her；　and　when　he　had
brought　her　into　the　house　where　his　royal　throne　was　set；　he　sat
thereon；　and　bid　them　set　another　throne　on　the　right　hand　for
his　mother。　When　Bathsheba　was　set　down；　she　said；　〃O　my　son；
grant　me　one　request　that　I　desire　of　thee；　and　do　not　any　thing
to　me　that　is　disagreeable　or　ungrateful；　which　thou　wilt　do　if
thou　deniest　me。〃　And　when　Solomon　bid　her　to　lay　her　commands
upon　him；　because　it　was　agreeable　to　his　duty　to　grant　her　every
thing　she　should　ask；　and　complained　that　she　did　not　at　first
begin　her　discourse　with　a　firm　expectation　of　obtaining　what　she
desired；　but　had　some　suspicion　of　a　denial；　she　entreated　him　to
grant　that　his　brother　Adonijah　might　marry　Abishag。

3。　But　the　king　was　greatly　offended　at　these　words；　and　sent
away　his　mother；　and　said　that　Adonijah　aimed　at　great　things；
and　that　he　wondered　that　she　did　not　desire　him　to　yield　up　the
kingdom　to　him；　as　to　his　elder　brother；　since　she　desired　that
he　might　marry　Abishag；　and　that　he　had　potent　friends；　Joab　the
captain　of　the　host；　and　Abiathar　the　priest。　So　he　called　for
Benaiah；　the　captain　of　the　guards；　and　ordered　him　to　slay　his
brother　Adonijah。　He　also　called　for　Abiathar　the　priest；　and
said　to　him；　〃I　will　not　put　thee　to　death　because　of　those　other
hardships　which　thou　hast　endured　with　my　father；　and　because　of
the　ark　which　thou　hast　borne　along　with　him；　but　I　inflict　this
following　punishment　upon　thee；　because　thou　wast　among
Adonijah's　followers；　and　wast　of　his　party。　Do　not　thou　continue
here；　nor　come　any　more　into　my　sight；　but　go　to　thine　own　town；
and　live　on　thy　own　fields；　and　there　abide　all　thy　life；　for
thou　hast　offended　so　greatly；　that　it　is　not　just　that　thou
shouldst　retain　thy　dignity　any　longer。〃　For　the　forementioned
cause；　therefore；　it　was　that　the　house　of　Ithamar　was　deprived
of　the　sacerdotal　dignity；　as　God　had　foretold　to　Eli；　the
grandfather　of　Abiathar。　So　it　was　transferred　to　the　family　of
Phineas；　to　Zadok。　Now　those　that　were　of　the　family　of　Phineas；
but　lived　privately　during　the　time　that　the　high　priesthood　was
transferred　to　the　house　of　Ithamar；　（of　which　family　Eli　was　the
first　that　received　it；）were　these　that　follow：　Bukki；　the　son　of
Abishua　the　high　priest；　his　son　was　Joatham；　Joatham's　son　was
Meraioth；　Meraioth's　son　was　Arophseus；　Aropheus's　son　was
Ahitub；　and　Ahitub's　son　was　Zadok；　who　was　first　made　high
priest　in　the　reign　of　David。

4。　Now　when　Joab　the　captain　of　the　host　heard　of　the　slaughter
of　Adonijah；　he　was　greatly　afraid；　for　he　was　a　greater　friend
to　him　than　to　Solomon；　and　suspecting；　not　without　reason；　that
he　was　in　danger；　on　account　of　his　favor　to　Adonijah；　he　fled　to
the　altar；　and　supposed　he　might　procure　safety　thereby　to
himself；　because　of　the　king's　piety　towards　God。　But　when　some
told　the　king　what　Joab's　supposal　was；　he　sent　Benaiah；　and
commanded　him　to　raise　him　up　from　the　altar；　and　bring　him　to
the　judgment…seat；　in　order　to　make　his　defense。　However；　Joab
said　he　would　not　leave　the　altar；　but　would　die　there　rather
than　in　another　place。　And　when　Benaiah　had　reported　his　answer
to　the　king；　Solomon　commanded　him　to　cut　off　his　head　there　（1）
and　let　him　take　that　as　a　punishment　for　those　two　captains　of
the　host　whom　he　had　wickedly　slain；　and　to　bury　his　body；　that
his　sins　might　never　leave　his　family；　but　that　himself　and　his
father；　by　Joab's　death；　might　be　guiltless。　And　when　Benaiah　had
done　what　he　was　commanded　to　do；　he　was　himself　appointed　to　be
captain　of　the　whole　army。　The　king　also　made　Zadok　to　be　alone
the　high　priest；　in　the　room　of　Abiathar；　whom　he　had　removed。

5。　But　as　to　Shimei；　Solomon　commanded　that　he　should　build　him　a
house；　and　stay　at　Jerusalem；　and　attend　upon　him；　and　should　not
have　authority　to　go　over　the　brook　Cedron；　and　that　if　he
disobeyed　that　command；　death　should　be　his　punishment。　He　also
threatened　him　so　terribly；　that　he　compelled　him　to　take　all
oath　that　he　would　obey。　Accordingly　Shimei　said　that　he　had
reason　to　thank　Solomon　for　giving　him　such　an　injunction；　and
added　an　oath；　that　he　would　do　as　he　bade　him；　and　leaving　his
own　country；　he　made　his　abode　in　Jerusalem。　But　three　years
afterwards；　when　he　heard　that　two　of　his　servants　were　run　away
from　him；　and　were　in　Gath；　he　went　for　his　servants　in　haste；
and　when　he　was　come　back　with　them；　the　king　perceived　it；　and
was　much　displeased　that　he　had　contemned　his　commands；　and；　what
was　more；　had　no　regard　to　the　oaths　he　had　sworn　to　God；　so　he
called　him；　and　said　to　him；　〃Didst　not　thou　swear　never　to　leave
me；　nor　to　go　out　of　this　city　to　another？　Thou　shalt　not
therefore　escape　punishment　for　thy　perjury；　but　I　will　punish
thee；　thou　wicked　wretch；　both　for　this　crime；