the antiquities of the jews-1-第356章

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yet　Josephus　ascribes　it；　and　in　order　to　prove　the　truth　of　that
part　of　his　history；　introduces　this　testimony　of　Strabo；　so　that
the　ordinary　copies　seem　to　be　here　either　erroneous　or
defective；　and　the　original　reading　seems　to　have　been　either
Aristobulus；　instead　of　Alexander；　with　one　Greek　copy；　or　else
〃Aristobulus　the　son　of　Alexander；〃　with　the　Latin　copies；　which
last　seems　to　me　the　most　probable。　For　as　to　Archbishop　Usher's
conjectures；　that　Alexander　made　it；　and　dedicated　it　to　God　in
the　temple；　and　that　thence　Aristobulus　took　it；　and　sent　it　to
Pompey；　they　are　both　very　improbable；　and　no　way　agreeable　to
Josephus；　who　would　hardly　have　avoided　the　recording　both　these
uncommon　points　of　history；　had　he　known　any　thing　of　them；　nor
would　either　the　Jewish　nation；　or　even　Pompey　himself；　then　have
relished　such　a　flagrant　instance　of　sacrilege。

（4）　These　express　testimonies　of　Josephus　here；　and　Antiq。　B。
VIII。　ch。　6。　sect。　6；　and　B。　XV。　ch。　4。　sect。　2；　that　the　only
balsam　gardens；　and　the　best　palm　trees；　were；　at　least　in　his
days；　near　Jericho　and　Kugaddi；　about　the　north　part　of　the　Dead
Sea；　（whereabout　also　Alexander　the　Great　saw　the　balsam　drop；）
show　the　mistake　of　those　that　understand　Eusebius　and　Jerom　as
if　one　of　those　gardens　were　at　the　south　part　of　that　sea；　at
Zoar　or　Segor；　whereas　they　must　either　mean　another　Zoar　or
Segor；　which　was　between　Jericho　and　Kugaddi；　agreeably　to
Josephus：　which　yet　they　do　not　appear　to　do；　or　else　they
directly　contradict　Josephus；　and　were　therein　greatly　mistaken：
I　mean　this；　unless　that　balsam；　and　the　best　palm　trees；　grew
much　more　southward　in　Judea　in　the　days　of　Eusebius　and　Jerom
than　they　did　in　the　days　of　Josephus。

（5）　The　particular　depth　and　breadth　of　this　ditch；　whence　the
stones　for　the　wall　about　the　temple　were　probably　taken；　are
omitted　in　our　copies　of　Josephus；　but　set　down　by　Strabo；　B。
XVI。　p。　763；　from　whom　we　learn　that　this　ditch　was　sixty　feet
deep；　and　two　hundred　and　fifty　feet　broad。　However；　its　depth
is；　in　the　next　section；　said　by　Josephus　to　be　immense；　which
exactly　agrees　to　Strabo's　description；　and　which　numbers　in
Strabo　are　a　strong　confirmation　of　the　truth　of　Josephus's
description　also。

（6）　That　is；　on　the　23rd　of　Sivan；　the　annual　fast　for　the
defection　and　idolatry　of　Jeroboam；　〃who　made　Israel　to　sin；〃　or
possibly　some　other　fast　might　fall　into　that　month；　before　and
in　the　days　of　Josephus。

（7）　It　deserves　here　to　be　noted；　that　this　Pharisaical；
superstitious　notion；　that　offensive　fighting　was　unlawful　to
Jews；　even　under　the　utmost　necessity；　on　the　Sabbath　day；　of
which　we　hear　nothing　before　the　times　of　the　Maccabees；　was　the
proper　occasion　of　Jerusalem's　being　taken　by　Pompey；　by　Sosius；
and　by　Titus；　as　appears　from　the　places　already　quoted　in　the
note　on　Antiq。　B。　XIII。　ch。　8。　sect。　1；　which　scrupulous
superstition；　as　to　the　observation　of　such　a　rigorous　rest　upon
the　Sabbath　day；　our　Savior　always　opposed；　when　the　Pharisaical
Jews　insisted　on　it；　as　is　evident　in　many　places　in　the　New
Testament；　though　he　still　intimated　how　pernicious　that
superstition　might　prove　to　them　in　their　flight　from　the　Romans；
Matthew　25：20。

（8）　This　is　fully　confirmed　by　the　testimony　of　Cicero；　who：
says；　in　his　oration　for　Flaecus；　that　〃Cneius　Pompeius；　when　he
was　conqueror；　and　had　taken　Jerusalem；　did　not　touch　any　thing
belonging　to　that　temple。〃

（9）　Of　this　destruction　of　Gadara　here　presupposed；　and　its
restoration　by　Pompey；　see　the　note　on　the　War；　B。　I。　ch。　7。
sect。　7。

（10）　Dean　Prideaux　well　observes；　〃That　notwithstanding　the
clamor　against　Gabinius　at　Rome；　Josephus　gives　him　a　able
character；　as　if　he　had　acquitted　himself　with　honor　in　the
charge　committed　to　him〃　＇in　Judea＇。　See　at　the　year　55。

（11）　This　history　is　best　illustrated　by　Dr。　Hudson　out　of　Livy；
who　says　that　〃A。　Gabinius；　the　proconsul；　restored　Ptolemy　of
Pompey　and　Gabinius　against　the　Jews；　while　neither　of　them　say
any　thing　new　which　is　not　in　the　other　to　his　kingdom　of　Egypt；
and　ejected　Archelaus；　whom　they　had　set　up　for　king；〃　&c。　See
Prid。　at　the　years　61　and　65。

（12）　Dr。　Hudson　observes；　that　the　name　of　this　wife　of　Antipater
in　Josephus　was　Cypros；　as　a　Hebrew　termination；　but　not　Cypris；
the　Greek　name　for　Venus；　as　some　critics　were　ready　to　correct
it。

（13）　Take　Dr。　Hudson's　note　upon　this　place；　which　I　suppose　to
be　the　truth：　〃Here　is　some　mistake　in　Josephus；　for　when　he　had
promised　us　a　decree　for　the　restoration　of　Jerusalem　he　brings
in　a　decree　of　far　greater　antiquity；　and　that　a　league　of
friendship　and　union　only。　One　may　easily　believe　that　Josephus
gave　order　for　one　thing；　and　his　amanuensis　performed　another；
by　transposing　decrees　that　concerned　the　Hyrcani；　and　as　deluded
by　the　sameness　of　their　names；　for　that　belongs　to　the　first
high　priest　of　this　name；　＇John　Hyrcanus；＇　which　Josephus　here
ascribes　to　one　that　lived　later　＇Hyrcanus；　the　son　of　Alexander
Janneus＇。　However；　the　decree　which　he　proposes　to　set　down
follows　a　little　lower；　in　the　collection　of　Raman　decrees　that
concerned　the　Jews　and　is　that　dated　when　Caesar　was　consul　the
fifth　time。〃　See　ch。　10。　sect。　5。

（14）　Those　who　will　carefully　observe　the　several　occasional
numbers　and　chronological　characters　in　the　life　and　death　of
this　Herod；　and　of　his　children；　hereafter　noted；　will　see　that
twenty…five　years；　and　not　fifteen；　must　for　certain　have　been
here　Josephus's　own　number　for　the　age　of　Herod；　when　he　was　made
governor　of　Galilee。　See　ch。　23。　sect。　5；　and　ch。　24。　sect。　7；
and　particularly　Antiq。　B。　XVII。　ch。　8。　sect。　1；　where　about
forty…four　years　afterwards　Herod　dies　an　old　man　at　about
seventy。

（15）　It　is　here　worth　our　while　to　remark；　that　none　could　be　put
to　death　in　Judea　but　by　the　approbation　of　the　Jewish　Sanhedrim；
there　being　an　excellent　provision　in　the　law　of　Moses；　that　even
in　criminal　causes；　and　particularly　where　life　was　concerned；　an
appeal　should　lie　from　the　lesser　councils　of　seven　in　the　other
cities　to　the　supreme　council　of　seventy…one　at　Jerusalem；　and
that　is　exactly　according　to　our　Savior's　words；　when　he　says；
〃It　could　not　be　that　a　prophet　should　perish　out　of　Jerusalem；〃
Luke　13：33。

（16）　This　account；　as　Reland　observes；　is　confirmed　by　the
Talmudists；　who　call　this　Sameas；　〃Simeon；　the　son　of　Shetach。〃

（17）　That　Hyreanus　was　himself　in　Egypt；　along　with　Antipater；　at
this　time；　to　whom　accordingly　the　bold　and　prudent　actions　of
his　deputy　Antipater　are　here　ascribed；　as　this　decree　of　Julius
Caesar　supposes；　we　are　further　assured　by　the　testimony　of
Strabo；　already　produced　by　Josephus；　ch。　8。　sect。　3。

（18）　Dr。　Hudson　justly　supposes　that　the　Roman　imperators；　or
generals　of　armies；　meant　both　here　and　sect。　2；　who　gave
testimony　to　Hyrcanus's　and　the　Jews'　faithfulness　and　goodwill
to　the　Romans　before　the　senate　and　people　of　Rome；　were
principally　Pompey；　Scaurus；　and　Gabinius　；of　all　whom　Josephus
had　already　given　us　the　history；　so　far　as　the　Jews　were
concerned　with　them。

（19）　We　have　here　a　most　remarkable　and　authentic　attestation　of
the　citizens　of　Pergamus；　that　Abraham　was　the　father　of　all　the
Hebrews；　that　their　own　ancestors　were；　in　the　oldest　times；　the
friends　of　those　Hebrews；　and　that　the　public　arts　of　their　city；
then　extant；　confirmed　the　same；　which　evidence　is　too　strong　to
be　evaded　by　our　present　ignorance　of　the　particular　occasion　of
such　ancient　friendship　and　alliance　between　those　people。　See
the　like　full　evidence　of　the　kindred　of　the　Lacedemonians　and
the　Jews；　and　that　became　they　were　both　of　the　posterity　of
Abraham；　by　a　public　epistle　of　those　people　to　the　Jews；
preserved　in　the　First　Book　of　the　Maccabees；　12：19…23；　and
thence　by　Josephus；　Antiq。　B。　XII。　ch。　4　sect。　10；　both　which
authentic　records　are　highly　valuable。　It　is　also　well　worthy　of
observation；　what　Moses　Chorenensis；　the　principal　Armenian
historian；　informs　us　of；　p。　83；　that　Arsaces；　who　raised　the
Parthian　empire；　was　of　the　：seed　of　Abraham　by　Chetura；　and　that
thereby　was　accomplished　that　prediction　which　s