the antiquities of the jews-1-第322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！


seditious　prevail　over　all　right　and　justice。

9。　Now　when　Porcius　Festus　was　sent　as　successor　to　Felix　by
Nero；　the　principal　of　the　Jewish　inhabitants　of　Cesarea　went　up
to　Rome　to　accuse　Felix；　and　he　had　certainly　been　brought　to
punishment；　unless　Nero　had　yielded　to　the　importunate
solicitations　of　his　brother　Pallas；　who　was　at　that　time　had　in
the　greatest　honor　by　him。　Two　of　the　principal　Syrians　in
Cesarea　persuaded　Burrhus；　who　was　Nero's　tutor；　and　secretary
for　his　Greek　epistles；　by　giving　him　a　great　sum　of　money；　to
disannul　that　equality　of　the　Jewish　privileges　of　citizens　which
they　hitherto　enjoyed。　So　Burrhus；　by　his　solicitations；　obtained
leave　of　the　emperor　that　an　epistle　should　be　written　to　that
purpose。　This　epistle　became　the　occasion　of　the　following
miseries　that　befell　our　nation；　for　when　the　Jews　of　Cesarea
were　informed　of　the　contents　of　this　epistle　to　the　Syrians；
they　were　more　disorderly　than　before；　till　a　war　was　kindled。

10。　Upon　Festus's　coming　into　Judea；　it　happened　that　Judea　was
afflicted　by　the　robbers；　while　all　the　villages　were　set　on
fire；　and　plundered　by　them。　And　then　it　was　that　the　sicarii；　as
they　were　called；　who　were　robbers；　grew　numerous。　They　made　use
of　small　swords；　not　much　different　in　length　from　the　Persian
acinacae；　but　somewhat　crooked；　and　like　the　Roman　sicae；　＇or
sickles；＇　as　they　were　called；　and　from　these　weapons　these
robbers　got　their　denomination；　and　with　these　weapons　they　slew
a　great　many；　for　they　mingled　themselves　among　the　multitude　at
their　festivals；　when　they　were　come　up　in　crowds　from　all　parts
to　the　city　to　worship　God；　as　we　said　before；　and　easily　slew
those　that　they　had　a　mind　to　slay。　They　also　came　frequently
upon　the　villages　belonging　to　their　enemies；　with　their　weapons；
and　plundered　them；　and　set　them　on　fire。　So　Festus　sent　forces；
both　horsemen　and　footmen；　to　fall　upon　those　that　had　been
seduced　by　a　certain　impostor；　who　promised　them　deliverance　and
freedom　from　the　miseries　they　were　under；　if　they　would　but
follow　him　as　far　as　the　wilderness。　Accordingly；　those　forces
that　were　sent　destroyed　both　him　that　had　deluded　them；　and
those　that　were　his　followers　also。

11。　About　the　same　time　king　Agrippa　built　himself　a　very　large
dining…room　in　the　royal　palace　at　Jerusalem；　near　to　the
portico。　Now　this　palace　had　been　erected　of　old　by　the　children
of　Asamoneus。　and　was　situate　upon　an　elevation；　and　afforded　a
most　delightful　prospect　to　those　that　had　a　mind　to　take　a　view
of　the　city；　which　prospect　was　desired　by　the　king；　and　there　he
could　lie　down；　and　eat；　and　thence　observe　what　was　done　in　the
temple；　which　thing；　when　the　chief　men　of　Jerusalem　saw　they
were　very　much　displeased　at　it；　for　it　was　not　agreeable　to　the
institutions　of　our　country　or　law　that　what　was　done　in　the
temple　should　be　viewed　by　others；　especially　what　belonged　to
the　sacrifices。　They　therefore　erected　a　wall　upon　the　uppermost
building　which　belonged　to　the　inner　court　of　the　temple　towards
the　west；　which　wall　when　it　was　built；　did　not　only　intercept
the　prospect　of　the　dining…room　in　the　palace；　but　also　of　the
western　cloisters　that　belonged　to　the　outer　court　of　the　temple
also；　where　it　was　that　the　Romans　kept　guards　for　the　temple　at
the　festivals。　At　these　doings　both　king　Agrippa；　and　principally
Festus　the　procurator；　were　much　displeased；　and　Festus　ordered
them　to　pull　the　wall　down　again：　but　the　Jews　petitioned　him　to
give　them　leave　to　send　an　embassage　about　this　matter　to　Nero；
for　they　said　they　could　not　endure　to　live　if　any　part　of　the
temple　should　be　demolished；　and　when　Festus　had　given　them　leave
so　to　do；　they　sent　ten　of　their　principal　men　to　Nero；　as　also
Ismael　the　high　priest；　and　Helcias；　the　keeper　of　the　sacred
treasure。　And　when　Nero　had　heard　what　they　had　to　say；　he　not
only　forgave　（22）　them　what　they　had　already　done；　but　also　gave
them　leave　to　let　the　wall　they　had　built　stand。　This　was　granted
them　in　order　to　gratify　Poppea；　Nero's　wife；　who　was　a　religious
woman；　and　had　requested　these　favors　of　Nero；　and　who　gave　order
to　the　ten　ambassadors　to　go　their　way　home；　but　retained　Helcias
and　Ismael　as　hostages　with　herself。　As　soon　as　the　king　heard
this　news；　he　gave　the　high　priesthood　to　Joseph；　who　was　called
Cabi；　the　son　of　Simon；　formerly　high　priest。

CHAPTER　9。

Concerning　Albinus　Under　Whose　Procuratorship　James　Was　Slain；　As
Also　What　Edifices　Were　Built　By　Agrippa。

1。　And　now　Caesar；　upon　hearing　the　death　of　Festus；　sent　Albinus
into　Judea；　as　procurator。　But　the　king　deprived　Joseph　of　the
high　priesthood；　and　bestowed　the　succession　to　that　dignity　on
the　son　of　Ananus；　who　was　also　himself　called　Ananus。　Now　the
report　goes　that　this　eldest　Ananus　proved　a　most　fortunate　man；
for　he　had　five　sons　who　had　all　performed　the　office　of　a　high
priest　to　God；　and　who　had　himself　enjoyed　that　dignity　a　long
time　formerly；　which　had　never　happened　to　any　other　of　our　high
priests。　But　this　younger　Ananus；　who；　as　we　have　told　you
already；　took　the　high　priesthood；　was　a　bold　man　in　his　temper；
and　very　insolent；　he　was　also　of　the　sect　of　the　Sadducees；　（23）
who　are　very　rigid　in　judging　offenders；　above　all　the　rest　of
the　Jews；　as　we　have　already　observed；　when；　therefore；　Ananus
was　of　this　disposition；　he　thought　he　had　now　a　proper
opportunity　＇to　exercise　his　authority＇。　Festus　was　now　dead；　and
Albinus　was　but　upon　the　road；　so　he　assembled　the　sanhedrim　of
judges；　and　brought　before　them　the　brother　of　Jesus；　who　was
called　Christ；　whose　name　was　James；　and　some　others；　＇or；　some
of　his　companions＇；　and　when　he　had　formed　an　accusation　against
them　as　breakers　of　the　law；　he　delivered　them　to　be　stoned：　but
as　for　those　who　seemed　the　most　equitable　of　the　citizens；　and
such　as　were　the　most　uneasy　at　the　breach　of　the　laws；　they
disliked　what　was　done；　they　also　sent　to　the　king　＇Agrippa＇；
desiring　him　to　send　to　Ananus　that　he　should　act　so　no　more；　for
that　what　he　had　already　done　was　not　to　be　justified；　nay；　some
of　them　went　also　to　meet　Albinus；　as　he　was　upon　his　journey
from　Alexandria；　and　informed　him　that　it　was　not　lawful　for
Ananus　to　assemble　a　sanhedrim　without　his　consent。　（24）
Whereupon　Albinus　complied　with　what　they　said；　and　wrote　in
anger　to　Ananus；　and　threatened　that　he　would　bring　him　to
punishment　for　what　he　had　done；　on　which　king　Agrippa　took　the
high　priesthood　from　him；　when　he　had　ruled　but　three　months；　and
made　Jesus；　the　son　of　Damneus；　high　priest。

2。　Now　as　soon　as　Albinus　was　come　to　the　city　of　Jerusalem；　he
used　all　his　endeavors　and　care　that　the　country　might　be　kept　in
peace；　and　this　by　destroying　many　of　the　Sicarii。　But　as　for　the
high　priest；　Ananias　（25）　he　increased　in　glory　every　day；　and
this　to　a　great　degree；　and　had　obtained　the　favor　and　esteem　of
the　citizens　in　a　signal　manner；　for　he　was　a　great　hoarder　up　of
money：　he　therefore　cultivated　the　friendship　of　Albinus；　and　of
the　high　priest　＇Jesus＇；　by　making　them　presents；　he　also　had
servants　who　were　very　wicked；　who　joined　themselves　to　the
boldest　sort　of　the　people；　and　went　to　the　thrashing…floors；　and
took　away　the　tithes　that　belonged　to　the　priests　by　violence；
and　did　not　refrain　from　beating　such　as　would　not　give　these
tithes　to　them。　So　the　other　high　priests　acted　in　the　like
manner；　as　did　those　his　servants；　without　any　one　being　able　to
prohibit　them；　so　that　＇some　of　the＇　priests；　that　of　old　were
wont　to　be　supported　with　those　tithes；　died　for　want　of　food。

3。　But　now　the　Sicarii　went　into　the　city　by　night；　just　before
the　festival；　which　was　now　at　hand；　and　took　the　scribe
belonging　to　the　governor　of　the　temple；　whose　name　was　Eleazar；
who　was　the　son　of　Ananus　＇Ananias＇　the　high　priest；　and　bound
him；　and　carried　him　away　with　them；　after　which　they　sent　to
Ananias；　and　said　that　they　would　send　the　scribe　to　him；　if　he
would　persuade　Albinus　to　release　ten　of　those　prisoners　which　he
had　caught　of　their　party；　so　Ananias　was　plainly　forced　to
persuade　Albinus；　and　gained　his　request　of　him。　This　was　the