the antiquities of the jews-1-第167章

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epistle　to　be　carried　to　the　governors　and　council　of　Samaria；
the　contents　of　which　epistle　were　these：　〃King　Darius　to
Tanganas　and　Sambabas；　the　governors　of　the　Sainaritans；　to
Sadraces　and　Bobelo；　and　the　rest　of　their　fellow　servants　that
are　in　Samaria：　Zorobabel；　Ananias；　and　Mordecai；　the　ambassadors
of　the　Jews；　complain　of　you；　that　you　obstruct　them　in　the
building　of　the　temple；　and　do　not　supply　them　with　the　expenses
which　I　commanded　you　to　do　for　the　offering　their　sacrifices。　My
will　therefore　is　this；　That　upon　the　reading　of　this　epistle；
you　supply　them　with　whatsoever　they　want　for　their　sacrifices；
and　that　out　of　the　royal　treasury；　of　the　tributes　of　Samaria；
as　the　priest　shall　desire；　that　they　may　not　leave　off　offering
their　daily　sacrifices；　nor　praying　to　God　for　me　and　the
Persians。〃　And　these　were　the　contents　of　that　epistle。

CHAPTER　5。

How　Xerxes　The　Son　Of　Darius　Was　Well　Disposed　To　The　Jews；　As
Also　Concerning　Esdras　And　Nehemiah；

1。　Upon　the　death　of　Darius；　Xerxes　his　son　took　the　kingdom；
who；　as　he　inherited　his　father's　kingdom；　so　did　he　inherit　his
piety　towards　God；　and　honor　of　him；　for　he　did　all　things
suitably　to　his　father　relating　to　Divine　worship；　and　he　was
exceeding　friendly　to　the　Jews。　Now　about　this　time　a　son　of
Jeshua；　whose　name　was　Joacim；　was　the　high　priest。　Moreover；
there　was　now　in　Babylon　a　righteous　man；　and　one　that　enjoyed　a
great　reputation　among　the　multitude。　He　was　the　principal　priest
of　the　people；　and　his　name　was　Esdras。　He　was　very　skillful　in
the　laws　of　Moses；　and　was　well　acquainted　with　king　Xerxes。　He
had　determined　to　go　up　to　Jerusalem；　and　to　take　with　him　some
of　those　Jews　that　were　in　Babylon；　and　he　desired　that　the　king
would　give　him　an　epistle　to　the　governors　of　Syria；　by　which
they　might　know　who　he　was。　Accordingly；　the　king　wrote　the
following　epistle　to　those　governors：　〃Xerxes；　king　of　kings；　to
Esdras　the　priest；　and　reader　of　the　Divine　law；　greeting。　I
think　it　agreeable　to　that　love　which　I　bear　to　mankind；　to
permit　those　of　the　Jewish　nation　that　are　so　disposed；　as　well
as　those　of　the　priests　and　Levites　that　are　in　our　kingdom；　to
go　together　to　Jerusalem。　Accordingly；　I　have　given　command　for
that　purpose；　and　let　every　one　that　hath　a　mind　go；　according　as
it　hath　seemed　good　to　me；　and　to　my　seven　counselors；　and　this
in　order　to　their　review　of　the　affairs　of　Judea；　to　see　whether
they　be　agreeable　to　the　law　of　God。　Let　them　also　take　with　them
those　presents　which　I　and　my　friends　have　vowed；　with　all　that
silver　and　gold　that　is　found　in　the　country　of　the　Babylonians；
as　dedicated　to　God；　and　let　all　this　be　carried　to　Jerusalem　to
God　for　sacrifices。　Let　it　also　be　lawful　for　thee　and　thy
brethren　to　make　as　many　vessels　of　silver　and　gold　as　thou
pleasest。　Thou　shalt　also　dedicate　those　holy　vessels　which　have
been　given　thee；　and　as　many　more　as　thou　hast　a　mind　to　make；
and　shall　take　the　expenses　out　of　the　king's　treasury。　I　have；
moreover；　written　to　the　treasurers　of　Syria　and　Phoenicia；　that
they　take　care　of　those　affairs　that　Esdras　the　priest；　and
reader　of　the　laws　of　God；　is　sent　about。　And　that　God　may　not　be
at　all　angry　with　me；　or　with　my　children；　I　grant　all　that　is
necessary　for　sacrifices　to　God；　according　to　the　law；　as　far　as
a　hundred　cori　of　wheat。　And　I　enjoin　you　not　to　lay　any
treacherous　imposition；　or　any　tributes；　upon　their　priests　or
Levites；　or。　sacred　singers；　or　porters；　or　sacred　servants；　or
scribes　of　the　temple。　And　do　thou；　O　Esdras；　appoint　judges
according　to　the　wisdom　＇given　thee＇　of　God；　and　those　such　as
understand　the　law；　that　they　may　judge　in　all　Syria　and
Phoenicia；　and　do　thou　instruct　those　also　which　are　ignorant　of
it；　that　if　any　one　of　thy　countrymen　transgress　the　law　of　God；
or　that　of　the　king；　he　may　be　punished；　as　not　transgressing　it
out　of　ignorance；　but　as　one　that　knows　it　indeed；　but　boldly
despises　and　contemns　it；　and　such　may　be　punished　by　death；　or
by　paying　fines。　Farewell。〃

2。　When　Esdras　had　received　this　epistle；　he　was　very　joyful；　and
began　to　worship　God；　and　confessed　that　he　had　been　the　cause　of
the　king's　great　favor　to　him；　and　that　for　the　same　reason　he
gave　all　the　thanks　to　God。　So　he　read　the　epistle　at　Babylon　to
those　Jews　that　were　there；　but　he　kept　the　epistle　itself；　and
sent　a　copy　of　it　to　all　those　of　his　own　nation　that　were　in
Media。　And　when　these　Jews　had　understood　what　piety　the　king　had
towards　God；　and　what　kindness　he　had　for　Esdras；　they　were　all
greatly　pleased；　nay；　many　of　them　took　their　effects　with　them；
and　came　to　Babylon；　as　very　desirous　of　going　down　to　Jerusalem；
but　then　the　entire　body　of　the　people　of　Israel　remained　in　that
country；　wherefore　there　are　but　two　tribes　in　Asia　and　Europe
subject　to　the　Iomans；　while　the　ten　tribes　are　beyond　Euphrates
till　now；　and　are　an　immense　multitude；　and　not　to　be　estimated
by　numbers。　Now　there　came　a　great　number　of　priests；　and
Levites；　and　porters；　and　sacred　singers；　and　sacred　servants　to
Esdras。　So　he　gathered　those　that　were　in　the　captivity　together
beyond　Euphrates；　and　staid　there　three　days；　and　ordained　a　fast
for　them；　that　they　might　make　their　prayers　to　God　for　their
preservation；　that　they　might　suffer　no　misfortunes　by　the　way；
either　from　their　enemies；　or　from　any　other　ill　accident；　for
Esdras　had　said　beforehand　that　he　had　told　the　king　how　God
would　preserve　them；　and　so　he　had　not　thought　fit　to　request
that　he　would　send　horsemen　to　conduct　them。　So　when　they　had
finished　their　prayers；　they　removed　from　Euphrates　on　the
twelfth　day　of　the　first　month　of　the　seventh　year　of　the　reign
of　Xerxes；　and　they　came　to　Jerusalem　on　the　fifth　month　of　the
same　year。　Now　Esdras　presented　the　sacred　money　to　the
treasurers；　who　were　of　the　family　of　the　priests；　of　silver　six
hundred　and　fifty　talents；　vessels　of　silver　one　hundred　talents；
vessels　of　gold　twenty　talents；　vessels　of　brass；　that　was　more
precious　than　gold；　（8）　twelve　talents　by　weight；　for　these
Presents　had　been　made　by　the　king　and　his　counselors；　and　by　all
the　Israelites　that　staid　at　Babylon。　So　when　Esdras　had
delivered　these　things　to　the　priests；　he　gave　to　God；　as　the
appointed　sacrifices　of　whole　burnt…offerings；　twelve　bulls　on
account　of　the　common　preservation　of　the　people；　ninety　rams；
seventy…two　lambs；　and　twelve　kids　of　the　goats；　for　the
remission　of　sins。　He　also　delivered　the　king's　epistle　to　the
king's　officers；　and　to　the　governors　of　Celesyria　and　Phoenicia；
and　as　they　were　under　a　necessity　of　doing　what　was　enjoined　by
him；　they　honored　our　nation；　and　were　assistant　to　them　in　all
their　necessities。

3。　Now　these　things　were　truly　done　under　the　conduct　of　Esdras；
and　he　succeeded　in　them；　because　God　esteemed　him　worthy　of　the
success　of　his　conduct；　on　account　of　his　goodness　and
righteousness。　But　some　time　afterward　there　came　some　persons　to
him；　and　brought　an　accusation　against　certain　of　the　multitude；
and　of　the　priests　and　Levites；　who　had　transgressed　their
settlement；　and　dissolved　the　laws　of　their　country；　by　marrying
strange　wives；　and　had　brought　the　family　of　the　priests　into
confusion。　These　persons　desired　him　to　support　the　laws；　lest
God　should　take　up　a　general　anger　against　them　all；　and　reduce
them　to　a　calamitous　condition　again。　Hereupon　he　rent　his
garment　immediately；　out　of　grief；　and　pulled　off　the　hair　of　his
head　and　beard；　and　cast　himself　upon　the　ground；　because　this
crime　had　reached　the　principal　men　among　the　people；　and
considering　that　if　he　should　enjoin　them　to　cast　out　their
wives；　and　the　children　they　had　by　them；　he　should　not　be
hearkener　to；　he　continued　lying　upon　the　ground。　However；　all
the　better　sort　came　running　to　him；　who　also　themselves　wept；
and　partook　of　the　grief　he　was　under　for　what　had　been　done。　So
Esdras　rose　up　from　the　ground；　and　stretched　out　his　hands
towards　heaven；　and　said　that　he　was　ashamed　to　look　towards　it；
because　of　the　sins　which　the　people　had　committed；　while　they
had　cast　out　of　their　memories　what　their　fathers　had　undergo