the antiquities of the jews-1-第355章
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pretense were of an astrological or magical nature; which yet in
such religious Jews; who were utterly forbidden such arts; is no
way probable; or to any Bath Col; spoken of by the later Rabbins;
or otherwise; I cannot tell。 See Of the War; B。 II。 ch。 8。 sect。
12。
(32) The reason why Hyrcanus suffered not this son of his whom he
did not love to come into Judea; but ordered him to be brought up
in Galilee; is suggested by Dr。 Hudson; that Galilee was not
esteemed so happy and well cultivated a country as Judea; Matthew
26:73; John 7:52; Acts 2:7; although another obvious reason
occurs also; that he was out of his sight in Galilee than he
would have been in Judea。
(33) From these; and other occasional expressions; dropped by
Josephus; we may learn; that where the sacred hooks of the Jews
were deficient; he had several other histories then extant; (but
now most of them lost;) which he faithfully followed in his own
history; nor indeed have we any other records of those times;
relating to Judea; that can be compared to these accounts of
Josephus; though when we do meet with authentic fragments of such
original records; they almost always confirm his history。
(34) This city; or island; Cos; is not that remote island in the
Aegean Sea; famous for the birth of the great Hippocrates; but a
city or island of the same name adjoining to Egypt; mentioned
both by Stephanus and Ptolemy; as Dr。 Mizon informs us。 Of which
Cos; and the treasures there laid up by Cleopatra and the Jews;
see Antiq。 B。 XIV。 ch。 7; sect。 2。
(35) This account of the death of Antiochus Grypus is confirmed
by Appion; Syriac。 p。 132; here cited by Spanheim。
(36) Porphyry says that this Antiochus Grypus reigned but
twenty…six years; as Dr。 Hudson observes。 The copies of Josephus;
both Greek and Latin; have here so grossly false a reading;
Antiochus and Antoninus; or Antonius Plus; for Antiochus Pius;
that the editors are forced to correct the text from the other
historians; who all agree that this king's name was nothing more
than Antiochus Plus。
(37) These two brothers; Antiochus and Philippus are called twins
by Porphyry; the fourth brother was king of Damascus: both which
are the observations of Spanheim。
(38) This Laodicea was a city of Gilead beyond Jordan。 However;
Porphyry says that this Antiochus Pius did not die in this
battle; but; running away; was drowned in the river Orontes。
Appian says that he; was deprived of the kingdom of Syria by
Tigranes; but Porphyry makes this Laodice queen of the Calamans;
… all which is noted by Spanheim。 In such confusion of the later
historians; we have no reason to prefer any of them before
Josephus; who had more original ones before him。 This reproach
upon Alexander; that he was sprung from a captive; seems only the
repetition of the old Pharisaical calumny upon his father; ch。
10。 sect。 5。
(39) This Theodorus was the son of Zeno; and was in possession of
Areathus; as we learn from sect。 3 foregoing。
(40) This name Thracida; which the Jews gave Alexander; must; by
the coherence; denote as barbarous as a Thracian; or somewhat
like it; but what it properly signifies is not known。
(41) Spanheim takes notice that this Antiochus Dionysus 'the
brother of Philip; and of Demetrius Eucerus; and of two otbsrs'
was the fifth son of Antiochus Grypus; and that he is styled on
the coins; 〃Antiochus; Epiphanes; Dionysus。〃
(42) This Aretas was the first king of the Arabians who took
Damascus; and reigned there; which name became afterwards common
to such Arabian kings; both at Petra and at Damascus; as we learn
from Josephus in many places; and from St。 Paul; 2 Corinthians
11:32。 See the note on Antiq。 B。 XVI。 ch。 9。 sect。 4。
(43) We may here and elsewhere take notice; that whatever
countries or cities the Asamoneans conquered from any of the
neighboring nations; or whatever countries or cities they gained
from them that had not belonged to them before; they; after the
days of Hyrcanus; compelled the inhabitants to leave their
idolatry; and entirely to receive the law of Moses; as proselytes
of justice; or else banished them into other lands。 That
excellent prince; John Hyrcanus; did it to the Idumeans; as I
have noted on ch。 9。 sect。 1; already; who lived then in the
Promised Land; and this I suppose justly; but by what right the
rest did it; even to the countries or cities that were no part of
that land; I do not at all know。 This looks too like unjust
persecution for religion。
(44) It seems; by this dying advice of Alexander Janneus to his
wife; that he had himself pursued the measures of his father
Hyrcanus。 and taken part with the Sadducees; who kept close to
the written law; against the Pharisees; who had introduced their
own traditions; ch。 16。 sect。 2; and that he now saw a political
necessity of submitting to the Pharisees and their traditions
hereafter; if his widow and family minded to retain their
monarchical government or tyranny over the Jewish nation; which
sect yet; thus supported; were at last in a great measure the
ruin of the religion; government; and nation of the Jews; and
brought them into so wicked a state; that the vengeance of God
came upon them to their utter excision。 Just thus did Caiaphas
politically advise the Jewish sanhedrim; John 11:50; 〃That it was
expedient for them that one man should die for the people; and
that the whole nation perish not;〃 and this in consequence of
their own political supposal; ver。 48; that; 〃If they let Jesus
alone;〃 with his miracles; 〃all men would believe on him; and the
Romans would come and take away both their place and nation。〃
Which political crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth brought down the
vengeance of God upon them; and occasioned those very Romans; of
whom they seemed so much afraid; that to prevent it they put him
to death; actually to 〃come and take away both their place and
nation〃 within thirty…eight years afterwards。 I heartily wish the
politicians of Christendom would consider these and the like
examples; and no longer sacrifice all virtue and religion to
their pernicious schemes of government; to the bringing down the
judgments of God upon themselves; and the several nations
intrusted to their care。 But this is a digression。 I wish it were
an unseasonable one also。 Josephus himself several times makes
such digressions; and I here venture to follow him。 See one of
them at the conclusion of the very next chapter。
(45) The number of five hundred thousand or even three hundred
thousand; as one Greek copy; with the Latin copies; have it; for
Tigranes's army; that came out of Armenia into Syria and Judea;
seems much too large。 We have had already several such
extravagant numbers in Josephus's present copies; which are not
to he at all ascribed to him。 Accordingly; I incline to Dr。
Hudson's emendation here; which supposes them but forty thousand。
(46) This fortress; castle; citadel; or tower; whither the wife
and children of Aristobulus were new sent; and which overlooked
the temple; could be no other than what Hyrcanus I。 built;
(Antiq。 B。 XVIII ch。 4。 sect。 3;) and Herod the Great rebuilt;
and called the 〃Tower of Antonia;〃 Aatiq。 B。 XV。 ch。 11。 sect。 5。
BOOK 14 FOOTNOTES
(1) Reland takes notice here; very justly; how Josephus's
declaration; that it was his great concern not only to write 〃an
agreeable; an accurate;〃 and 〃a true〃 history; but also
distinctly not to omit any thing 'of consequence'; either through
〃ignorance or laziness;〃 implies that he could not; consistently
with that resolution; omit the mention of 'so famous a person as'
〃Jesus Christ。〃
(2) That the famous Antipater's or Antipas's father was also
Antipater or Antipas (which two may justly be esteemed one and
the same frame; the former with a Greek or Gentile; the latter
with a Hebrew or Jewish termination) Josephus here assures us;
though Eusebias indeed says it was Herod。
(3) This 〃golden vine;〃 or 〃garden;〃 seen by Strabo at Rome; has
its inscription here as if it were the gift of Alexander; the
father of Aristobulus; and not of Aristobulus himself; to whom
yet Josephus ascribes it; and in order to prove the truth of that
part of his