the antiquities of the jews-1-第341章

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Solomon　are　still　extant　in　Fabricius's　Cod。　Pseudepigr。　Vet。
Test。　page　1054；　though　I　entirely　differ　from　Josephus　in　this
his　supposal；　that　such　books　and　arts　of　Solomon　were　parts　of
that　wisdom　which　was　imparted　to　him　by　God　in　his　younger　days；
they　must　rather　have　belonged　to　such　profane　but　curious　arts
as　we　find　mentioned　Acts　19：13…20；　and　had　been　derived　from　the
idolatry　and　superstition　of　his　heathen　wives　and　concubines　in
his　old　age；　when　he　had　forsaken　God；　and　God　had　forsaken　him；
and　given　him　up　to　demoniacal　delusions。　Nor　does　Josephus's
strange　account　of　the　root　Baara　（Of　the　War；　B。　VIII。　ch。　6。
sect。　3）　seem　to　be　other　than　that　of　its　magical　use　in　such
conjurations。　As　for　the　following　history；　it　confirms　what
Christ　says；　Matthew　12；27　〃If　I　by　Beelzebub　cast　out　demons；　by
whom　do　your　Sons　cast　them　out？〃

（5）　These　epistles　of　Solomon　and　Hiram　are　those　in　1　Kings
5：3…9；　and；　as　enlarged；　in　2　Chronicles　2：3…16；　but　here　given
us　by　Josephus　in　his　own　words。

（6）　What　Josephus　here　puts　into　his　copy　of　Hiram's　epistle　to
Solomon；　and　repeats　afterwards；　ch。　5。　sect。　3；　that　Tyre　was
now　an　island；　is　not　in　any　of　the　three　other　copies；　viz。　that
of　the　Kings；　Chronicles；　or　Eusebius；　nor　is　it　any　other；　I
suppose；　than　his　own　conjectural　paraphrase；　for　when　I；　many
years　ago；　inquired　into　this　matter；　I　found　the　state　of　this
famous　city；　and　of　the　island　whereupon　it　stood；　to　have　been
very　different　at　different　times。　The　result　of　my　inquiries　in
this　matter；　with　the　addition　of　some　later　improvements；　stands
thus：　That　the　best　testimonies　hereto　relating；　imply；　that
Paketyrus；　or　Oldest　Tyre；　was　no　other　than　that　most　ancient
smaller　fort　or　city　Tyre；　situated　on　the　continent；　and
mentioned　in　Joshua　19：29；　out　of　which　the　Canaanite　or
Phoenician　inhabitants　were　driven　into　a　large　island；　that　lay
not　far　off　in　the　sea；　by　Joshua：　that　this　island　was　then
joined　to　the　continent　at　the　present　remains　of　Paketyrus；　by　a
neck　of　land　over　against　Solomon's　cisterns；　still　so　called；
and　the　city's　fresh　water；　probably；　was　carried　along　in　pipes
by　that　neck　of　land；　and　that　this　island　was　therefore；　in
strictness；　no　other　than　a　peninsula；　having　villages　in　its
fields；　Ezekiel　26：6；　and　a　wall　about　it；　Amos　1：10；　and　the
city　was　not　of　so　great　reputation　as　Sitlon　for　some　ages：　that
it　was　attacked　both　by　sea　and　land　by　Salmanasser；　as　Josephus
informs　us；　Antiq。　B。　IX。　ch。　14。　sect。　2；　and　afterwards　came　to
be　the　metropolis　of　Phoenicia；　and　was　afterwards　taken　and
destroyed　by　Nebuchadnezzar；　according　to　the　numerous　Scripture
prophecies　thereto　relating；　Isaiah　23。；　Jeremiah　25：22；　27：3；
47：4；　Ezekiel　26。；　27。；　28。：　that　seventy　years　after　that
destruction　by　Nebuchadnezzar；　this　city　was　in　some　measure
revived　and　rebuilt；　Isaiah　23：17；　18；　but　that；　as　the　prophet
Ezekiel　had　foretold；　chap。　26：3…5；　14；　27：　34；　the　sea　arose
higher　than　before；　till　at　last　it　over　flowed；　not　only　the
neck　of　land；　but　the　main　island　or　peninsula　itself；　and
destroyed　that　old　and　famous　city　for　ever：　that；　however；　there
still　remained　an　adjoining　smaller　island；　once　connected　to　Old
Tyre　itself　by　Hiram；　which　was　afterwards　inhabited；　to　which
Alexander　the　Great；　with　incredible　pains；　raised　a　new　bank　or
causeway：　and　that　it　plainly　appears　from　Ifaundreh；　a　most
authentic　eye…witness；　that　the　old　large　and　famous　city；　on　the
original　large　island；　is　now　laid　so　generally　under　water；　that
scarce　more　than　forty　acres　of　it；　or　rather　of　that　adjoining
small　island　remain　at　this　day；　so　that；　perhaps；　not　above　a

hundredth　part　of　the　first　island　and　city　is　now　above　water。
This　was　foretold　in　the　same　prophecies　of　Ezekiel；　and
according　to　them；　as　Mr。　Maundrell　distinctly　observes；　these
poor　remains　of　Old　Tyre　are　now　〃become　like　the　top　of　a　rock；
a　place　for　the　spreading　of　nets　in　the　midst　of　the　sea。〃

（7）　Of　the　temple　of　Solomon　here　described　by　Josephus；　in　this
and　the　following　sections　of　this　chapter；　see　my　description　of
the　temples　belonging　to　this　work；　ch。　13；　These　small　rooms；　or
side　chambers；　seem　to　have　been；　by　Josephus's　description；　no
less　than　twenty　cubits　high　a　piece；　otherwise　there　must　have
been　a　large　interval　between　one　and　the　other　that　was　over　it；
and　this　with　double　floors；　the　one　of　six　cubits　distance　from
the　floor　beneath　it；　as　1　Kings　6：5

（8）　Josephus　says　here　that　the　cherubims　were　of　solid　gold；　and
only　five　cubits　high；　while　our　Hebrew　copies　（1　Kings　6；23；　28）
say　they　were　of　the　olive　tree；　and　the　LXXX。　of　the　cypress
tree；　and　only　overlaid　with　gold；　and　both　agree　they　were　ten
cubits　high。　I　suppose　the　number　here　is　falsely　transcribed；
and　that　Josephus　wrote　ten　cubits　also。

（9）　As　for　these　two　famous　pillars；　Jachin　and　Booz；　their
height　could　be　no　more　than　eighteen　cubits；　as　here；　and　1
Kings　7：15；　2　Kings　25：17；　Jeremiah　3：21；　those　thirty…five
cubits　in　2　Chronicles　3：15；　being　contrary　to　all　the　rules　of
architecture　in　the　world。

（10）　The　round　or　cylindrical　lavers　of　four　cubits　in　diameter；
and　four　in　height；　both　in　our　copies；　1　Kings　7：38；　39；　and
here　in　Josephus；　must　have　contained　a　great　deal　more　than
these　forty　baths；　which　are　always　assigned　them。　Where　the
error　lies　is　hard　to　say：　perhaps　Josephus　honestly　followed　his
copies　here；　though　they　had　been　corrupted；　and　he　was　not　able
to　restore　the　true　reading。　In　the　mean　time；　the　forty　baths
are　probably　the　true　quantity　contained　in　each　laver；　since
they　went　upon　wheels；　and　were　to　be　drawn　by　the　Levites　about
the　courts　of　the　priests　for　the　washings　they　were　designed
for；　and　had　they　held　much　more；　they　would　have　been　too　heavy
to　have　been　so　drawn。

（11）　Here　Josephus　gives　us　a　key　to　his　own　language；　of　right
and　left　hand　in　the　tabernacle　and　temple；　that　by　the　right
hand　he　means　what　is　against　our　left；　when　we　suppose　ourselves
going　up　from　the　east　gate　of　the　courts　towards　the　tabernacle
or　temple　themselves；　and　so　vice　versa；　whence　it　follows；　that
the　pillar　Jachin；　on　the　right　hand　of　the　temple　was　on　the
south；　against　our　left　hand；　and　Booz　on　the　north；　against　our
right　hand。　Of　the　golden　plate　on　the　high　priest's　forehead
that　was　in　being　in　the　days　of　Josephus；　and　a　century　or　two
at　least　later；　seethe　note　on　Antiq。　B。　III。　ch。　7。　sect。　6。

（12）　When　Josephus　here　says　that　the　floor　of　the　outmost　temple
or　court　of　the　Gentiles　was　with　vast　labor　raised　to　be　even；
or　of　equal　height；　with　the　floor　of　the　inner；　or　court　of　the
priests；　he　must　mean　this　in　a　gross　estimation　only；　for　he　and
all　others　agree；　that　the　inner　temple；　or　court　of　the　priests；
was　a　few　cubits　more　elevated　than　the　middle　court；　the　court
of　Israel；　and　that　much　more　was　the　court　of　the　priests
elevated　several　cubits　above　that　outmost　court；　since　the　court
of　Israel　was　lower　than　the　one　and　higher　than　the　other。　The
Septuagint　say　that　〃they　prepared　timber　and　stones　to　build　the
temple　for　three　years；〃　1　Kings　5：18；　and　although　neither　our
present　Hebrew　copy；　nor　Josephus；　directly　name　that　number　of
years；　yet　do　they　both　say　the　building　itself　did　not　begin
till　Solomon's　fourth　year；　and　both　speak　of　the　preparation　of
materials　beforehand；　1　Kings　v。　18；　Antiq。　B。　VIII。　ch。　5。　sect。
1。　There　is　no　reason；　therefore；　to　alter　the　Septuagint's
number；　but　we　are　to　suppose　three　years　to　have　been　the　just
time　of　the　preparation；　as　I　have　done　in　my　computation　of　the
expense　in　building　that　temple。

（13）　This　solemn　removal　of　the　ark　from　Mount　Sion　to　Mount
Moriah；　at　the　distance　of　almost　three　quarters　of　a　mile；
confutes　that　notion　of　the　modern　Jews；　and　followed　by　many
Christians　also；　as　if　those　two　were　after　a　sort　one　and　the
same　mountain；　for　which　there　is；　I　think；　very　little
foundation。

（14）　This　mention　of　the　Corinthian　ornaments　of　architecture　in
Solomon's　palace　by　Josephus　seems　to　be　here　set　down　by　way　of
prophecy　although　it　appears　to　me