the antiquities of the jews-1-第346章

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Jonah　1：3；　Josephus　understood　it　that　he　went　to　Tarsus　in
Cilicia；　or　to　the　Mediterranean　Sea；　upon　which　Tarsus　lay；　so
that　he　does　not　appear　to　have　read　the　text；　1　Kings　22：48；　as
our　copies　do；　that　ships　of　Tarshish　could　lie　at　Ezion…geber；
upon　the　Red　Sea。　But　as　to　Josephus's　assertion；　that　Jonah's
fish　was　carried　by　the　strength　of　the　current；　upon　a　nean；　it
is　by　no　means　an　improbable　determination　in　Josephus。

（20）　This　ancient　piece　of　religion；　of　supposing　there　was　great
sin　where　there　was　great　misery；　and　of　casting　lots　to　discover
great　sinners；　not　only　among　the　Israelites；　but　among　these
heathen　mariners；　seems　a　remarkable　remains　of　the　ancient
tradition　which　prevailed　of　old　over　all　mankind；　that　I
Providence　used　to　interpose　visibly　in　all　human　affairs；　and
storm；　as　far　as　the　Euxine　Sea；　it　is　no　way　impossible；　and
since　the　storm　might　have　driven　the　ship；　while　Jonah　was　in　it
never　to　bring；　or　at　least　not　long　to　continue；　notorious
judge；　near　to　that　Euxine　Sea；　and　since　in　three　more　days；
while　but　for　notorious　sins；　which　the　most　ancient　Book　of　he
was　in　the　fish's　belly；　that　current　might　bring　him　to　the　Job
shows　to　have　been　the　state　of　mankind　for　about　the　Assyrian
coast；　and　since　withal　that　coast　could　bring　him　former　three
thousand　years　of　the　world；　till　the　days　of　Job　nearer　to
Nineveh　than　could　any　coast　of　the　Mediterranian　and　Moses。

（21）　This　account　of　an　earthquake　at　Jerusalem　at　the　very　same
time　when　Uzziah　usurped　the　priest's　office；　and　went　into　the
sanctuary　to　burn　incense；　and　of　the　consequences　of　the
earthquake；　is　entirely　wanting　in　our　other　copies；　though　it　be
exceeding　like　to　a　prophecy　of　Jeremiah；　now　in　Zechariah　14：4；
5；　in　which　prophecy　mention　is　made　of　〃fleeing　from　that
earthquake；　as　they　fled　from　this　earthquake　in　the　days　of
Uzziah　king　of　Judah；〃　so　that　there　seems　to　have　been　some
considerable　resemblance　between　these　historical　and　prophetical
earthquakes。

（22）　Dr。　Wall；　in　his　critical　notes　on　2　Kings　15：20；　observes；
〃that　when　this　Menahem　is　said　to　have　exacted　the　money　of
Israel　of　all　the　mighty　men　of　wealth；　of　each　man　fifty　shekels
of　silver；　to　give　Pul；　the　king　of　Assyria；　a　thousand　talents；
this　is　the　first　public　money　raised　by　any　＇Israelite＇　king　by
tax　on　the　people；　that　they　used　before　to　raise　it　out　of　the
treasures　of　the　house　of　the　Lord；　or　of　their　own　house；　that
it　was　a　poll…money　on　the　rich　men；　＇and　them　only；＇　to　raise
？353；000；　or；　as　others　count　a　talent；　？400；000；　at　the　rate　of
？6　or　？7　per　head；　and　that　God　commanded；　by　Ezekiel；　ch。　45：8；
46：18；　that　no　such　thing　should　be　done　＇at　the　Jews'
restoration＇；　but　the　king　should　have　land　of　his　own。〃

（23）　This　passage　is　taken　out　of　the　prophet　Nahum；　ch。　2：8…13；
and　is　the　principal；　or　rather　the　only；　one　that　is　given　us
almost　verbatim；　but　a　little　abridged；　in　all　Josephus's　known
writings：　by　which　quotation　we　learn　what　he　himself　always
asserts；　viz。　that　he　made　use　of　the　Hebrew　original　and　not　of
the　Greek　version＇；　as　also　we　learn；　that　his　Hebrew　copy
considerably　differed　from　ours。　See　all　three　texts　particularly
set　down　and　compared　together　in　the　Essay　on　the　Old　Testament；
page　187。

（24）　This　siege　of　Samaria；　though　not　given　a　particular　account
of；　either　in　our　Hebrew　or　Greek　Bibles；　or　in　Josephus；　was　so
very　long；　no　less　than　three　years；　that　it　was　no　way
improbable　but　that　parents；　and　particularly　mothers；　might
therein　be　reduced　to　eat　their　own　children；　as　the　law　of　Moses
had　threatened　upon　their　disobedience；　Leviticus　26；29；
Deuteronomy　28：53…57；　and　as　was　accomplished　in　the　other
shorter　sieges　of　both　the　capital　cities；　Jerusalem　and　Samaria；
the　former　mentioned　Jeremiah　19：9；　Antiq。　B。　IX。　ch。　4。　sect。　4；
and　the　latter；　2　Kings　6：26…29。

BOOK　10　FOOTNOTES

（1）　This　title　of　great　king；　both　in　our　Bibles；　2　Kings　18：19；
Isaiah　36：4；　and　here　in　Josephus；　is　the　very　same　that
Herodotus　gives　this　Sennacherib；　as　Spanheim　takes　notice　on
this　place。

（2）　What　Josephus　says　here；　how　Isaiah　the　prophet　assured
Hezekiah　that　〃at　this　time　he　should　not　be　besieged　by　the　king
of　Assyria；　that　for　the　future　he　might　be　secure　of　being　not
at　all　disturbed　by　him；　and　that　＇afterward＇　the　people　might　go
on　peaceably；　and　without　fear；　with　their　husbandry　and　other
affairs；〃　is　more　distinct　in　our　other　copies；　both　of　the　Kings
and　of　Isaiah；　and　deserves　very　great　consideration。　The　words
are　these：　〃This　shall　be　a　sign　unto　thee；　Ye　shall　eat　this
year　such　as　groweth　of　itself；　and　the　second　year　that　which
springeth　of　the　same；　and　in　the　third　year　sow　ye；　and　reap；
and　plant　vineyards；　and　eat　the　fruit　thereof；〃　2　Kings　19：29；
Isaiah　37：30；　which　seem　to　me　plainly　to　design　a　Sabbatic　year；
a　year　of　jubilee　next　after　it；　and　the　succeeding　usual　labors
and　fruits　of　them　on　the　third　and　following　years。

（3）　That　this　terrible　calamity　of　the　slaughter　of　the　185；000
Assyrians　is　here　delivered　in　the　words　of　Berosus　the　Chaldean；
and　that　it　was　certainly　and　frequently　foretold　by　the　Jewish
prophets；　and　that　it　was　certainly　and　undeniably　accomplished；
see　Authent。　Rec。　part　II。　p。　858。

（3）　We　are　here　to　take　notice；　that　these　two　sons　of
Sennacherib；　that　ran　away　into　Armenia；　became　the　heads　of　two
famous　families　there；　the　Arzerunii　and　the　Genunii；　of　which
see　the　particular　histories　in　Moses　Chorenensis；　p。　60。

（4）　Josephus；　and　all　our　copies；　place　the　sickness　of　Hezekiah
after　the　destruction　of　Sennacherib's　army；　because　it　appears
to　have　been　after　his　first　assault；　as　he　was　going　into　Arabia
and　Egypt；　where　he　pushed　his　conquests　as　far　as　they　would　go；
and　in　order　to　despatch　his　story　altogether；　yet　does　no　copy
but　this　of　Josephus　say　it　was　after　that　destruction；　but　only
that　it　happened　in　those　days；　or　about　that　time　of　Hezekiah's
life。　Nor　will　the　fifteen　years'　prolongation　of　his　life　after
his　sickness；　allow　that　sickness　to　have　been　later　than　the
former　part　of　the　fifteenth　year　of　his　reign；　since　chronology
does　not　allow　him　in　all　above　twenty…nine　years　and　a　few
months；　whereas　the　first　assault　of　Sennacherib　was　on　the
fourteenth　year　of　Hezekiah；　but　the　destruction　of　Sennacherib's
army　was　not　till　his　eighteenth　year。

（5）　As　to　this　regress　of　the　shadow；　either　upon　a　sun…dial；　or
the　steps　of　the　royal　palace　built　by　Ahaz；　whether　it　were
physically　done　by　the　real　miraculous　revolution　of　the　earth　in
its　diurnal　motion　backward　from　east　to　west　for　a　while；　and
its　return　again　to　its　old　natural　revolution　from　west　to　east；
or　whether　it　were　not　apparent　only；　and　performed　by　an　aerial
phosphorus；　which　imitated　the　sun's　motion　backward；　while　a
cloud　hid　the　real　sun；　cannot　now　be　determined。　Philosophers
and　astronomers　will　naturally　incline　to　the　latter　hypothesis。
However；　it　must　be　noted；　that　Josephus　seems　to　have　understood
it　otherwise　than　we　generally　do；　that　the　shadow　was
accelerated　as　much　at　first　forward　as　it　was　made　to　go
backward　afterward；　and　so　the　day　was　neither　longer　nor　shorter
than　usual；　which；　it　must　be　confessed　agrees　best　of　all　to
astronomy；　whose　eclipses；　older　than　the　time　were　observed　at
the　same　times　of　the　day　as　if　this　miracle　had　never　happened。
After　all；　this　wonderful　signal　was　not；　it　seems；　peculiar　to
Judea；　but　either　seen；　or　at　least　heard　of；　at　Babylon　also；　as
appears　by　2　Chronicles　32：31；　where　we　learn　that　the　Babylonian
ambassadors　were　sent　to　Hezekiah；　among　other　things；　to　inquire
of　the　wonder　that　was　done　in　the　land。

（6）　This　expression　of　Josephus；　that　the　Medes；　upon　this
destruction　of　the　Assyrian　army；　〃overthrew〃　the　Assyrian
empire；　seems　to　be　too　strong；　for　although　they　immediately
cast　off　the　Assrian　yoke；　and　set　up　Deioces；　a　king　of　their
own；　yet　it　was　some　time　before　the　Medes　and　Babylonians
overthrew　Nineveh；　and　some　generations　ere　the　Medes　and
Persians　under　Cyaxares　and　Cyrus　overthrew　the　Assyrian　or
Babyl