the antiquities of the jews-1-第342章

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Solomon's　palace　by　Josephus　seems　to　be　here　set　down　by　way　of
prophecy　although　it　appears　to　me　that　the　Grecian　and　Roman
most　ancient　orders　of　architecture　were　taken　from　Solomon's
temple；　as　from　their　original　patterns；　yet　it　is　not　so　clear
that　the　last　and　most　ornamental　order　of　the　Corinthian　was　so
ancient；　although　what　the　same　Josephus　says；　（Of　the　War；　B。　V。
ch。　5。　sect。　3；）　that　one　of　the　gates　of　Herod's　temple　was
built　according　to　the　rules　of　this　Corinthian　order；　is　no　way
improbable；　that　order　being；　without　dispute；　much　older　than
the　reign　of　Herod。　However；　upon　some　trial；　I　confess　I　have
not　hitherto　been　able　fully　to　understand　the　structure　of　this
palace　of　Solomon；　either　as　described　in　our　Bibles；　or　even
with　the　additional　help　of　this　description　here　by　Josephus；
only　the　reader　may　easily　observe　with　me；　that　the　measures　of
this　first　building　in　Josephus；　a　hundred　cubits　long；　and　fifty
cubits　broad；　are　the　very　same　with　the　area　of　the　cart　of　the
tabernacle　of　Moses。　and　just　hall'　an　Egyptian　orout；　or　acre。

（15）　This　signification　of　the　name　Pharaoh　appears　to　be　true。
But　what　Josephus　adds　presently；　that　no　king　of　Egypt　was
called　Pharaoh　after　Solomon's　father…in…law；　does　hardly　agree
to　our　copies；　which　have　long　afterwards　the　names　of　Pharaoh
Neehob；　and　Pharaoh　Hophrah；　2　Kings　23：29；　Jeremiah　44：30；
besides　the　frequent　mention　of　that　name　Pharaoh　in　the
prophets。　However；　Josephus　himself；　in　his　own　speech　to　the
Jews；　Of　the　War；　B。　V。　ch。　9。　sect。　4；　speaks　of　Neehao；　who　was
also　called　Pharaoh；　as　the　name　of　that　king　of　Egypt　with　whom
Abraham　was　concerned；　of　which　name　Neehao　yet　we　have　elsewhere
no　mention　till　the　days　of　Josiah；　but　only　of　Pharaoh。　And；
indeed；　it　must　be　conceded；　that　here；　and　sect。　5；　we　have　more
mistakes　made　by　Josephus；　and　those　relating　to　the　kings　of
Egypt；　and　to　that　queen　of　Egypt　and　Ethiopia；　whom　he　supposes
to　have　come　to　see　Solomon；　than　almost　any　where　else　in　all
his　Antiquities。

（16）　That　this　queen　of　Sheba　was　a　queen　of　Sabea　in　South
Arabia；　and　not　of　Egypt　and　Ethiopia；　as　Josephus　here　asserts；
is；　I　suppose；　now　generally　agreed。　And　since　Sabea　is　well
known　to　be　a　country　near　the　sea　in　the　south　of　Arabia　Felix；
which　lay　south　from　Judea　also；　and　since　our　Savior　calls　this
queen；　〃the　queen　of　the　south；〃　and　says；　〃she　came　from　the
utmost　parts　of　the　earth；〃　Matthew　12：42；　Luke　11：31；　which
descriptions　agree　better　to　this　Arabia　than　to　Egypt　and
Ethiopia；　there　is　little　occasion　for　doubting　in　this　matter。

（17）　Some　blame　Josephus　for　supposing　that　the　balsam　tree　might
be　first　brought　out　of　Arabia；　or　Egypt；　or　Ethiopia；　into
Judea；　by　this　queen　of　Sheba；　since　several　have　said　that　of
old　no　country　bore　this　precious　balsam　but　Judea；　yet　it　is　not
only　false　that　this　balsam　was　peculiar　to　Judea　but　both　Egypt
and　Arabia；　and　particularly　Sabea；　had　it；　which　last　was　that
very　country　whence　Josephus；　if　understood　not　of　Ethiopia；　but
of　Arabia；　intimates　this　queen　might　bring　it　first　into　Judea。
Nor　are　we　to　suppose　that　the　queen　of　Sabaea　could　well　omit
such　a　present　as　this　balsam　tree　would　be　esteemed　by　Solomon；
in　case　it　were　then　almost　peculiar　to　her　own　country。　Nor　is
the　mention　of　balm　or　balsam；　as　carried　by　merchants；　and　sent
as　a　present　out　of　Judea　by　Jacob；　to　the　governor　of　Egypt；
Genesis　37：25；　43：11；　to　be　alleged　to　the　contrary；　since　what
we　there　render　balm　or　balsam；　denotes　rather　that　turpentine
which　we　now　call　turpentine　of　Chio；　or　Cyprus；　the　juice　of　the
turpentine　tree；　than　this　precious　balm。　This　last　is　also　the
same　word　that　we　elsewhere　render　by　the　same　mistake　balm　of
Gilead；　it　should　be　rendered；　the　turpentine　of　Gilead；　Jeremiah
8：22。

（18）　Whether　these　fine　gardens　and　rivulets　of　Etham；　about　six
miles　from　Jerusalem；　whither　Solomon　rode　so　often　in　state；　be
not　those　alluded　to；　Ecclesiastes　2：5；　6；　where　he　says；　〃He
made　him　gardens　and　orchards；　and　planted　trees　in　them　of　all
kinds　of　fruits：　he　made　him　pools　of　water；　to　water　the　wood
that　bringeth　forth　trees；〃　and　to　the　finest　part　whereof　he
seems　to　allude；　when；　in　the　Canticles；　he　compares　his　spouse
to　a　garden　〃enclosed；〃　to　a　〃spring　shut　up；〃　to　a　〃fountain
sealed；〃　ch。　4。　12　（part　of　which　from　rains　are　still　extant；　as
Mr。　Matmdrell　informs　us；　page　87；　88）；　cannot　now　be　certainly
determined；　but　may　very　probably　be　conjectured。　But　whether
this　Etham　has　any　relation　to　those　rivers　of　Etham；　which
Providence　once　dried　up　in　a　miraculous　manner；　Psalm　74：15；　in
the　Septuagint；　I　cannot　say。

（19）　These　seven　hundred　wives；　or　the　daughters　of　great　men；
and　the　three　hundred　concubines；　the　daughters　of　the　ignoble；
make　one　thousand　in　all；　and　are；　I　suppose；　those　very　one
thousand　women　intimated　elsewhere　by　Solomon　himself；　when　he
speaks　of　his　not　having　found　one　＇good＇　woman　among　that　very
number；　Ecclesiastes　7：28。

（20）　Josephus　is　here　certainly　too　severe　upon　Solomon；　who；　in
making　the　cherubims；　and　these　twelve　brazen　oxen；　seems　to　have
done　no　more　than　imitate　the　patterns　left　him　by　David；　which
were　all　given　David　by　Divine　inspiration。　See　my　description　of
the　temples；　ch。　10。　And　although　God　gave　no　direction　for　the
lions　that　adorned　his　throne；　yet　does　not　Solomon　seem　therein
to　have　broken　any　law　of　Moses；　for　although　the　Pharisees　and
latter　Rabbins　have　extended　the　second　commandment；　to　forbid
the　very　making　of　any　image；　though　without　any　intention　to
have　it　worshipped；　yet　do　not　I　suppose　that　Solomon　so
understood　it；　nor　that　it　ought　to　be　so　understood。　The　making
any　other　altar　for　worship　but　that　at　the　tabernacle　was
equally　forbidden　by　Moses；　Antiq。　B。　IV。　ch。　8。　sect。　5；　yet　did
not　the　two　tribes　and　a　half　offend　when　they　made　an　altar　for
a　memorial　only；　Joshua　22；　Antiq。　B。　V。　ch。　1。　sect。　26；　27。

（21）　Since　the　beginning　of　Solomon's　evil　life　and　adversity　was
the　time　when　Hadad　or　Ader；　who　was　born　at　least　twenty　or
thirty　years　before　Solomon　came　to　the　crown；　in　the　days　of
David；　began　to　give　him　disturbance；　this　implies　that　Solomon's
evil　life　began　early；　and　continued　very　long；　which　the
multitude　of　his　wives　and　concubines　does　imply　also；　I　suppose
when　he　was　not　fifty　years　of　age。

（22）　This　youth　of　Jeroboam；　when　Solomon　built　the　walls　of
righteous　and　keep　the　laws；　because　he　hath　proposed　to　thee　the
greatest　of　all　rewards　for　thy　piety；　and　the　honor　thou　shalt
pay　to　God；　namely；　to　be　as　greatly　exalted　as　thou　knowest
David　to　have　been。〃　Jerusalem；　not　very　long　after　he　had
finished　his　twenty　years　building　of　the　temple　and　his　own
palace；　or　not　very　long　after　the　twenty…fourth　of　his　reign；　1
Kings　9：24；　2　Chronicles　8：11；　and　his　youth　here　still
mentioned；　when　Solomon's　wickedness　was　become　intolerable；
fully　confirm　my　former　observation；　that　such　his　wickedness
began　early；　and　continued　very　long。　See　Ecclus。　47：14。

（23）　That　by　scorpions　is　not　here　meant　that　small　animal　so
called；　which　was　never　used　in　corrections；　but　either　a　shrub；
furze　bush；　or　else　some　terrible　sort　of　whip　of　the　like　nature
see　Hudson's　and　Spanheim's　notes　here。

（24）　Whether　these　〃fountains　of　the　Lesser　Jordan〃　were　near　a
place　called　Dan；　and　the　fountains　of　the　Greater　near　a　place
called　Jor；　before　their　conjunction；　or　whether　there　was　only
one　fountain；　arising　at　the　lake　Phiala；　at　first　sinking　under
ground；　and　then　arising　near　the　mountain　Paneum；　and　thence
running　through　the　lake　Scmochonitis　to　the　Sea　of　Galilee；　and
so　far　called　the　Lesser　Jordan；　is　hardly　certain；　even　in
Josephus　himself；　though　the　latter　account　be　the　most　probable。
However；　the　northern　idolatrous　calf；　set　up　by　Jeroboam；　was
where　Little　Jordan　fell　into　Great　Jordan；　near　a　place　called
Daphnae；　as　Josephus　elsewhere　informs　us；　Of　the　War；　B。　IV。　ch。
1。　sect。　1：　see　the　note　there。

（25）　How　much　a　larger　and　better　copy　Josephus　had　in　this
remarkable　history　of　the　true　prophet