the antiquities of the jews-1-第257章

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wherever　there　appeared　any　hopes　of　a　future　memorial；　or　of
reputation　at　present；　and　as　his　expenses　were　beyond　his
abilities；　he　was　necessitated　to　be　harsh　to　his　subjects；　for
the　persons　on　whom　he　expended　his　money　were　so　many；　that　they
made　him　a　very　bad　procurer　of　it；　and　because　he　was　conscious
that　he　was　hated　by　those　under　him；　for　the　injuries　he　did
them；　he　thought　it　not　an　easy　thing　to　amend　his　offenses；　for
that　it　was　inconvenient　for　his　revenue；　he　therefore　strove　on
the　other　side　to　make　their　ill…will　an　occasion　of　his　gains。
As　to　his　own　court；　therefore；　if　any　one　was　not　very
obsequious　to　him　in　his　language；　and　would　not　confess　himself
to　be　his　slave；　or　but　seemed　to　think　of　any　innovation　in　his
government；　he　was　not　able　to　contain　himself；　but　prosecuted
his　very　kindred　and　friends；　and　punished　them　as　if　they　were
enemies　and　this　wickedness　he　undertook　out　of　a　desire　that　he
might　be　himself　alone　honored。　Now　for　this；　my　assertion　about
that　passion　of　his；　we　have　the　greatest　evidence；　by　what　he
did　to　honor　Caesar　and　Agrippa；　and　his　other　friends；　for　with
what　honors　he　paid　his　respects　to　them　who　were　his　superiors；
the　same　did　he　desire　to　be　paid　to　himself；　and　what　he　thought
the　most　excellent　present　he　could　make　another；　he　discovered
an　inclination　to　have　the　like　presented　to　himself。　But　now　the
Jewish　nation　is　by　their　law　a　stranger　to　all　such　things；　and
accustomed　to　prefer　righteousness　to　glory；　for　which　reason
that　nation　was　not　agreeable　to　him；　because　it　was　out　of　their
power　to　flatter　the　king's　ambition　with　statues　or　temples；　or
any　other　such　performances；　And　this　seems　to　me　to　have　been　at
once　the　occasion　of　Herod's　crimes　as　to　his　own　courtiers　and
counselors；　and　of　his　benefactions　as　to　foreigners　and　those
that　had　no　relation　to　him。

CHAPTER　6。

An　Embassage　In　Cyrene　And　Asia　To　Caesar；　Concerning　The
Complaints　They　Had　To　Make　Against　The　Greeks；　With　Copies　Of
The　Epistles　Which　Caesar　And　Agrippa　Wrote　To　The　Cities　For
Them。

1。　Now　the　cities　ill…treated　the　Jews　in　Asia；　and　all　those
also　of　the　same　nation　which　lived　ill　Libya；　which　joins　to
Cyrene；　while　the　former　kings　had　given　them　equal　privileges
with　the　other　citizens；　but　the　Greeks　affronted　them　at　this
time；　and　that　so　far　as　to　take　away　their　sacred　money；　and　to
do　them　mischief　on　other　particular　occasions。　When　therefore
they　were　thus　afflicted；　and　found　no　end　of　their　barbarous
treatment　they　met　with　among　the　Greeks；　they　sent　ambassadors
to　Caesar　on　those　accounts；　who　gave　them　the　same　privileges　as
they　had　before；　and　sent　letters　to　the　same　purpose　to　the
governors　of　the　provinces；　copies　of　which　I　subjoin　here；　as
testimonials　of　the　ancient　favorable　disposition　the　Roman
emperors　had　towards　us。

2。　〃Caesar　Augustus；　high　priest　and　tribune　of　the　people；
ordains　thus：　Since　the　nation　of　the　Jews　hath　been　found
grateful　to　the　Roman　people；　not　only　at　this　time；　but　in　time
past　also；　and　chiefly　Hyrcanus　the　high　priest；　under　my　father
（7）　Caesar　the　emperor；　it　seemed　good　to　me　and　my　counselors；
according　to　the　sentence　and　oath　of　the　people　of　Rome；　that
the　Jews　have　liberty　to　make　use　of　their　own　customs；　according
to　the　law　of　their　forefathers；　as　they　made　use　of　them　under
Hyrcanus　the　high　priest　of　the　Almighty　God；　and　that　their
sacred　money　be　not　touched；　but　be　sent　to　Jerusalem；　and　that
it　be　committed　to　the　care　of　the　receivers　at　Jerusalem；　and
that　they　be　not　obliged　to　go　before　any　judge　on　the　sabbath
day；　nor　on　the　day　of　the　preparation　to　it；　after　the　ninth
hour。　（8）　But　if　any　one　be　caught　stealing　their　holy　books；　or
their　sacred　money；　whether　it　be　out　of　the　synagogue　or　public
school；　he　shall　be　deemed　a　sacrilegious　person；　and　his　goods
shall　be　brought　into　the　public　treasury　of　the　Romans。　And　I
give　order　that　the　testimonial　which　they　have　given　me；　on
account　of　my　regard　to　that　piety　which　I　exercise　toward　all
mankind；　and　out　of　regard　to　Caius　Marcus　Censorinus；　together
with　the　present　decree；　be　proposed　in　that　most　eminent　place
which　hath　been　consecrated　to　me　by　the　community　of　Asia　at
Ancyra。　And　if　any　one　transgress　any　part　of　what　is　above
decreed；　he　shall　be　severely　punished。〃　This　was　inscribed　upon
a　pillar　in　the　temple　of　Caesar。

3。　〃Caesar　to　Norbanus　Flaccus；　sendeth　greeting。　Let　those　Jews；
how　many　soever　they　be；　who　have　been　used；　according　to　their
ancient　custom；　to　send　their　sacred　money　to　Jerusalem；　do　the
same　freely。〃　These　were　the　decrees　of　Caesar。

4。　Agrippa　also　did　himself　write　after　the　manner　following；　on
behalf　of　the　Jews：　〃Agrippa；　to　the　magistrates；　senate；　and
people　of　the　Ephesians；　sendeth　greeting。　I　will　that　the　care
and　custody　of　the　sacred　money　that　is　carried　to　the　temple　at
Jerusalem　be　left　to　the　Jews　of　Asia；　to　do　with　it　according　to
their　ancient　custom；　and　that　such　as　steal　that　sacred　money　of
the　Jews；　and　fly　to　a　sanctuary；　shall　be　taken　thence　and
delivered　to　the　Jews；　by　the　same　law　that　sacrilegious　persons
are　taken　thence。　I　have　also　written　to　Sylvanus　the　praetor；
that　no　one　compel　the　Jews　to　come　before　a　judge　on　the　sabbath
day。〃

5。　〃Marcus　Agrippa　to　the　magistrates；　senate；　and　people　of
Cyrene；　sendeth　greeting。　The　Jews　of　Cyrene　have　interceded　with
me　for　the　performance　of　what　Augustus　sent　orders　about　to
Flavius；　the　then　praetor　of　Libya；　and　to　the　other　procurators
of　that　province；　that　the　sacred　money　may　be　sent　to　Jerusalem
freely；　as　hath　been　their　custom　from　their　forefathers；　they
complaining　that　they　are　abused　by　certain　informers；　and　under
pretense　of　taxes　which　were　not　due；　are　hindered　from　sending
them；　which　I　command　to　be　restored　without　any　diminution　or
disturbance　given　to　them。　And　if　any　of　that　sacred　money　in　the
cities　be　taken　from　their　proper　receivers；　I　further　enjoin；
that　the　same　be　exactly　returned　to　the　Jews　in　that　place。〃

6。　〃Caius　Norbanus　Flaccus；　proconsul；　to　the　magistrates　of　the
Sardians；　sendeth　greeting。　Caesar　hath　written　to　me；　and
commanded　me　not　to　forbid　the　Jews；　how　many　soever　they　be；
from　assembling　together　according　to　the　custom　of　their
forefathers；　nor　from　sending　their　money　to　Jerusalem。　I　have
therefore　written　to　you；　that　you　may　know　that　both　Caesar　and
I　would　have　you　act　accordingly。〃

7。　Nor　did　Julius　Antonius；　the　proconsul；　write　otherwise。　〃To
the　magistrates；　senate；　and　people　of　the　Ephesians；　sendeth
greeting。　As　I　was　dispensing　justice　at　Ephesus；　on　the　Ides　of
February；　the　Jews　that　dwell　in　Asia　demonstrated　to　me　that
Augustus　and　Agrippa　had　permitted　them　to　use　their　own　laws　and
customs；　and　to　offer　those　their　first…fruits；　which　every　one
of　them　freely　offers　to　the　Deity　on　account　of　piety；　and　to
carry　them　in　a　company　together　to　Jerusalem　without
disturbance。　They　also　petitioned　me　that　I　also　would　confirm
what　had　been　granted　by　Augustus　and　Agrippa　by　my　own　sanction。
I　would　therefore　have　you　take　notice；　that　according　to　the
will　of　Augustus　and　Agrippa；　I　permit　them　to　use　and　do
according　to　the　customs　of　their　forefathers　without
disturbance。〃

8。　I　have　been　obliged　to　set　down　these　decree　because　the
present　history　of　our　own　acts　will　go　generally　among　the
Greeks；　and　I　have　hereby　demonstrated　to　them　that　we　have
formerly　been　in　great　esteem；　and　have　not　been　prohibited　by
those　governors　we　were　under　from　keeping　any　of　the　laws　of　our
forefathers；　nay；　that　we　have　been　supported　by　them；　while　we
followed　our　own　religion；　and　the　worship　we　paid　to　God；　and　I
frequently　make　mention　of　these　decrees；　in　order　to　reconcile
other　people　to　us；　and　to　take　away　the　causes　of　that　hatred
which　unreasonable　men　bear　to　us。　As　for　our　customs　（9）　there
is　no　nation　which　always　makes　use　of　the　same；　and　in　every
city　almost　we　meet　with　them　different　from　one　another；　but
natural　justice　is　most　agreeable　to　the　advantage　of　all　men
equally；　both　Greeks　and　barbaria