the antiquities of the jews-1-第117章

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therefore　escape　punishment　for　thy　perjury；　but　I　will　punish
thee；　thou　wicked　wretch；　both　for　this　crime；　and　for　those
wherewith　thou　didst　abuse　my　father　when　he　was　in　his　flight；
that　thou　mayst　know　that　wicked　men　gain　nothing　at　last；
although　they　be　not　punished　immediately　upon　their　unjust
practices；　but　that　in　all　the　time　wherein　they　think　themselves
secure；　because　they　have　yet　suffered　nothing；　their　punishment
increases；　and　is　heavier　upon　them；　and　that　to　a　greater　degree
than　if　they　had　been　punished　immediately　upon　the　commission　of
their　crimes。〃　So　Benaiah；　on　the　king's　command；　slew　Shimei。

CHAPTER　2。

Concerning　The　Wife　Of　Solomon；　Concerning　His　Wisdom　And　Riches；
And　Concerning　What　He　Obtained　Of　Hiram　For　The　Building　Of　The
Temple。

1。　Solomon　having　already　settled　himself　firmly　in　his　kingdom；
and　having　brought　his　enemies　to　punishment；　he　married　the
daughter　of　Pharaoh　king　of　Egypt；　and　built　the　walls　of
Jerusalem　much　larger　and　stronger　than　those　that　had　been
before；　（2）　and　thenceforward　he　managed　public　affairs　very
peaceably。　Nor　was　his　youth　any　hinderance　in　the　exercise　of
justice；　or　in　the　observation　of　the　laws；　or　in　the　remembrance
of　what　charges　his　father　had　given　him　at　his　death；　but　he
discharged　every　duty　with　great　accuracy；　that　might　have　been
expected　from　such　as　are　aged；　and　of　the　greatest　prudence。　He
now　resolved　to　go　to　Hebron；　and　sacrifice　to　God　upon　the
brazen　altar　that　was　built　by　Moses。　Accordingly　he　offered
there　burnt…offerings；　in　number　a　thousand；　and　when　he　had　done
this；　he　thought　he　had　paid　great　honor　to　God；　for　as　he　was
asleep　that　very　night　God　appeared　to　him；　and　commanded　him　to
ask　of　him　some　gifts　which　he　was　ready　to　give　him　as　a　reward
for　his　piety。　So　Solomon　asked　of　God　what　was　most　excellent；
and　of　the　greatest　worth　in　itself；　what　God　would　bestow　with
the　greatest。　joy；　and　what　it　was　most　profitable　for　man　to
receive；　for　he　did　not　desire　to　have　bestowed　upon　him　either
gold　or　silver；　or　any　other　riches；　as　a　man　and　a　youth　might
naturally　have　done；　for　these　are　the　things　that　generally　are
esteemed　by　most　men；　as　alone　of　the　greatest　worth；　and　the
best　gifts　of　God；　but；　said　he；　〃Give　me；　O　Lord；　a　sound　mind；
and　a　good　understanding；　whereby　I　may　speak　and　judge　the
people　according　to　truth　and　righteousness。〃　With　these
petitions　God　was　well　pleased；　and　promised　to　give　him　all
those　things　that　he　had　not　mentioned　in　his　option；　riches；
glory；　victory　over　his　enemies；　and；　in　the　first　place；
understanding　and　wisdom；　and　this　in　such　a　degree　as　no　other
mortal　man；　neither　kings　nor　ordinary　persons；　ever　had。　He　also
promised　to　preserve　the　kingdom　to　his　posterity　for　a　very　long
time；　if　he　continued　righteous　and　obedient　to　him；　and　imitated
his　father　in　those　things　wherein　he　excelled。　When　Solomon
heard　this　from　God；　he　presently　leaped　out　of　his　bed；　and　when
he　had　worshipped　him；　he　returned　to　Jerusalem；　and　after　he　had
offered　great　sacrifices　before　the　tabernacle；　he　feasted　all
his　own　family。

2。　In　these　days　a　hard　cause　came　before　him　in　judgment；　which
it　was　very　difficult　to　find　any　end　of；　and　I　think　it
necessary　to　explain　the　fact　about　which　the　contest　was；　that
such　as　light　upon　my　writings　may　know　what　a　difficult　cause
Solomon　was　to　determine；　and　those　that　are　concerned　in　such
matters　may　take　this　sagacity　of　the　king　for　a　pattern；　that
they　may　the　more　easily　give　sentence　about　such　questions。
There　were　two　women；　who　were　harlots　in　the　course　of　their
lives；　that　came　to　him；　of　whom　she　that　seemed　to　be　injured
began　to　speak　first；　and　said；　〃O　king；　I　and　this　other　woman
dwell　together　in　one　room。　Now　it　came　to　pass　that　we　both　bore
a　son　at　the　same　hour　of　the　same　day；　and　on　the　third　day　this
woman　overlaid　her　son；　and　killed　it；　and　then　took　my　son　out
of　my　bosom；　and　removed　him　to　herself；　and　as　I　was　asleep　she
laid　her　dead　son　in　my　arms。　Now；　when　in　the　morning　I　was
desirous　to　give　the　breast　to　the　child；　I　did　not　find　my　own；
but　saw　the　woman's　dead　child　lying　by　me；　for　I　considered　it
exactly；　and　found　it　so　to　be。　Hence　it　was　that　I　demanded　my
son；　and　when　I　could　not　obtain　him；　I　have　recourse；　my　lord；
to　thy　assistance；　for　since　we　were　alone；　and　there　was　nobody
there　that　could　convict　her；　she　cares　for　nothing；　but
perseveres　in　the　stout　denial　of　the　fact。〃　When　this　woman　had
told　this　her　story；　the　king　asked　the　other　woman　what　she　had
to　say　in　contradiction　to　that　story。　But　when　she　denied　that
she　had　done　what　was　charged　upon　her；　and　said　that　it　was　her
child　that　was　living；　and　that　it　was　her　antagonist's　child
that　was　dead；　and　when　no　one　could　devise　what　judgment　could
be　given；　and　the　whole　court　were　blind　in　their　understanding；
and　could　not　tell　how　to　find　out　this　riddle；　the　king　alone
invented　the　following　way　how　to　discover　it。　He　bade　them　bring
in　both　the　dead　child　and　the　living　child；　and　sent　one　of　his
guards；　and　commanded　him　to　fetch　a　sword；　and　draw　it；　and　to
cut　both　the　children　into　two　pieces；　that　each　of　the　women
might　have　half　the　living　and　half　the　dead　child。　Hereupon　all
the　people　privately　laughed　at　the　king；　as　no　more　than　a
youth。　But；　in　the　mean　time；　she　that　was　the　real　mother　of　the
living　child　cried　out　that　he　should　not　do　so；　but　deliver　that
child　to　the　other　woman　as　her　own；　for　she　would　be　satisfied
with　the　life　of　the　child；　and　with　the　sight　of　it；　although　it
were　esteemed　the　other's　child；　but　the　other　woman　was　ready　to
see　the　child　divided；　and　was　desirous；　moreover；　that　the　first
woman　should　be　tormented。　When　the　king　understood　that　both
their　words　proceeded　from　the　truth　of　their　passions；　he
adjudged　the　child　to　her　that　cried　out　to　save　it；　for　that　she
was　the　real　mother　of　it；　and　he　condemned　the　other　as　a　wicked
woman；　who　had　not　only　killed　her　own　child；　but　was　endeavoring
to　see　her　friend's　child　destroyed　also。　Now　the　multitude
looked　on　this　determination　as　a　great　sign　and　demonstration　of
the　king's　sagacity　and　wisdom；　and　after　that　day　attended　to
him　as　to　one　that　had　a　divine　mind。

3。　Now　the　captains　of　his　armies；　and　officers　appointed　over
the　whole　country；　were　these：　over　the　lot　of　Ephraim　was　Ures；
over　the　toparchy　of　Bethlehem　was　Dioclerus；　Abinadab；　who
married　Solomon's　daughter；　had　the　region　of　Dora　and　the
sea…coast　under　him；　the　Great　Plain　was　under　Benaiah；　the　son
of　Achilus；　he　also　governed　all　the　country　as　far　as　Jordan；
Gabaris　ruled　over　Gilead　and　Gaulanitis；　and　had　under　him　the
sixty　great　and　fenced　cities　＇of　Og＇；　Achinadab　managed　the
affairs　of　all　Galilee　as　far　as　Sidon；　and　had　himself　also
married　a　daughter　of　Solomon's；　whose　name　was　Basima；　Banacates
had　the　seacoast　about　Arce；　as　had　Shaphat　Mount　Tabor；　and
Carmel；　and　＇the　Lower＇　Galilee；　as　far　as　the　river　Jordan；　one
man　was　appointed　over　all　this　country；　Shimei　was　intrusted
with　the　lot　of　Benjamin；　and　Gabares　had　the　country　beyond
Jordan；　over　whom　there　was　again　one　governor　appointed。　Now　the
people　of　the　Hebrews；　and　particularly　the　tribe　of　Judah；
received　a　wonderful　increase　when　they　betook　themselves　to
husbandry；　and　the　cultivation　of　their　grounds；　for　as　they
enjoyed　peace；　and　were　not　distracted　with　wars　and　troubles；
and　having；　besides；　an　abundant　fruition　of　the　most　desirable
liberty；　every　one　was　busy　in　augmenting　the　product　of　their
own　lands；　and　making　them　worth　more　than　they　had　formerly
been。

4。　The　king　had　also　other　rulers；　who　were　over　the　land　of
Syria　and　of　the　Philistines；　which　reached　from　the　river
Euphrates　to　Egypt；　and　these　collected　his　tributes　of　the
nations。　Now　these　contributed　to　the　king's　table；　and　to　his
supper　every　day　（3）　thirty　cori　of　fine　flour；　and　sixty　of
meal；　as　also　ten　fat　oxen；　and　twenty　oxen　out　of　the　pastures；
and　a　hundred　fat　lambs；　all　these　were　besides　what　were　taken
by　hunting　harts　and　buffaloes；　and　birds　an