the antiquities of the jews-1-第36章

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out　of　a　rock；　when　we　had　very　little　of　it　before；　he　by　whose
means　Adam　was　made　to　partake　of　the　fruits　both　of　the　land　and
of　the　sea；　he　by　whose　means　Noah　escaped　the　deluge；　he　by
whose　means　our　forefather　Abraham；　of　a　wandering　pilgrim；　was
made　the　heir　of　the　land　of　Canaan；　he　by　whose　means　Isaac　was
born　of　parents　that　were　very　old；　he　by　whose　means　Jacob　was
adorned　with　twelve　virtuous　sons；　he　by　whose　means　Joseph
became　a　potent　lord　over　the　Egyptians；　he　it　is　who　conveys
these　instructions　to　you　by　me　as　his　interpreter。　And　let　them
be　to　you　venerable；　and　contended　for　more　earnestly　by　you　than
your　own　children　and　your　own　wives；　for　if　you　will　follow
them；　you　will　lead　a　happy　life　you　will　enjoy　the　land
fruitful；　the　sea　calm；　and　the　fruit　of　the　womb　born　complete；
as　nature　requires；　you　will　be　also　terrible　to　your　enemies　for
I　have　been　admitted　into　the　presence　of　God　and　been　made　a
hearer　of　his　incorruptible　voice　so　great　is　his　concern　for
your　nation；　and　its　duration。〃

4。　When　he　had　said　this；　he　brought　the　people；　with　their　wives
and　children；　so　near　the　mountain；　that　they　might　hear　God
himself　speaking　to　them　about　the　precepts　which　they　were　to
practice；　that　the　energy　of　what　should　be　spoken　might　not　be
hurt　by　its　utterance　by　that　tongue　of　a　man；　which　could　but
imperfectly　deliver　it　to　their　understanding。　And　they　all　heard
a　voice　that　came　to　all　of　them　from　above；　insomuch　that　no　one
of　these　words　escaped　them；　which　Moses　wrote　on　two　tables；
which　it　is　not　lawful　for　us　to　set　down　directly；　but　their
import　we　will　declare　（10）

5。　The　first　commandment　teaches　us　that　there　is　but　one　God；
and　that　we　ought　to　worship　him　only。　The　second　commands　us　not
to　make　the　image　of　any　living　creature　to　worship　it。　The
third；　that　we　must　not　swear　by　God　in　a　false　matter。　The
fourth；　that　we　must　keep　the　seventh　day；　by　resting　from　all
sorts　of　work。　The　fifth；　that　we　must　honor　our　parents。　The
sixth　that　we　must　abstain　from　murder。　The　seventh　that　we　must
not　commit　adultery。　The　eighth；　that　we　must　not　be　guilty　of
theft。　The　ninth；　that　we　must　not　bear　false　witness。　The　tenth；
that　we　must　not　admit　of　the　desire　of　any　thing　that　is
another's。

6。　Now　when　the　multitude　had　heard　God　himself　giving　those
precepts　which　Moses　had　discoursed　of；　they　rejoiced　at　what　was
said；　and　the　congregation　was　dissolved：　but　on　the　following
days　they　came　to　his　tent；　and　desired　him　to　bring　them；
besides；　other　laws　from　God。　Accordingly　he　appointed　such　laws；
and　afterwards　informed　them　in　what　manner　they　should　act　in
all　cases；　which　laws　I　shall　make　mention　of　in　their　proper
time；　but　I　shall　reserve　most　of　those　laws　for　another　work；
（11）　and　make　there　a　distinct　explication　of　them。

7。　When　matters　were　brought　to　this　state；　Moses　went　up　again
to　Mount　Sinai；　of　which　he　had　told　them　beforehand。　He　made　his
ascent　in　their　sight；　and　while　he　staid　there　so　long　a　time；
（for　he　was　absent　from　them　forty　days；）　fear　seized　upon　the
Hebrews；　lest　Moses　should　have　come　to　any　harm；　nor　was　there
any　thing　else　so　sad；　and　that　so　much　troubled　them；　as　this
supposal　that　Moses　was　perished。　Now　there　was　a　variety　in
their　sentiments　about　it；　some　saying　that　he　was　fallen　among
wild　beasts；　and　those　that　were　of　this　opinion　were　chiefly
such　as　were　ill…disposed　to　him；　but　others　said　that　he　was
departed；　and　gone　to　God；　but　the　wiser　sort　were　led　by　their
reason　to　embrace　neither　of　those　opinions　with　any
satisfaction；　thinking；　that　as　it　was　a　thing　that　sometimes
happens　to　men　to　fall　among　wild　beasts　and　perish　that　way；　so
it　was　probable　enough　that　he　might　depart　and　go　to　God；　on
account　of　his　virtue；　they　therefore　were　quiet；　and　expected
the　event：　yet　were　they　exceeding　sorry　upon　the　supposal　that
they　were　deprived　of　a　governor　and　a　protector；　such　a　one
indeed　as　they　could　never　recover　again；　nor　would　this
suspicion　give　them　leave　to　expect　any　comfortable　event　about
this　man；　nor　could　they　prevent　their　trouble　and　melancholy
upon　this　occasion。　However；　the　camp　durst　not　remove　all　this
while；　because　Moses　had　bidden　them　afore　to　stay　there。

8。　But　when　the　forty　days；　and　as　many　nights；　were　over；　Moses
came　down；　having　tasted　nothing　of　food　usually　appointed　for
the　nourishment　of　men。　His　appearance　filled　the　army　with
gladness；　and　he　declared　to　them　what　care　God　had　of　them；　and
by　what　manner　of　conduct　of　their　lives　they　might　live　happily；
telling　them；　that　during　these　days　of　his　absence　he　had
suggested　to　him　also　that　he　would　have　a　tabernacle　built　for
him；　into　which　he　would　descend　when　he　came　to　them；　and　how　we
should　carry　it　about　with　us　when　we　remove　from　this　place；　and
that　there　would　be　no　longer　any　occasion　for　going　up　to　Mount
Sinai；　but　that　he　would　himself　come　and　pitch　his　tabernacle
amongst　us；　and　be　present　at　our　prayers；　as　also；　that　the
tabernacle　should　be　of　such　measures　and　construction　as　he　had
shown　him；　and　that　you　are　to　fall　to　the　work；　and　prosecute　it
diligently。　When　he　had　said　this；　he　showed　them　the　two　tables；
with　the　ten　commandments　engraven　upon　them；　five　upon　each
table；　and　the　writing　was　by　the　hand　of　God。

CHAPTER　6。

Concerning　The　Tabernacle　Which　Moses　Built　In　The　Wilderness　For
The　Honor　Of　God　And　Which　Seemed　To　Be　A　Temple。

1。　Hereupon　the　Israelites　rejoiced　at　what　they　had　seen　and
heard　of　their　conductor；　and　were　not　wanting　in　diligence
according　to　their　ability；　for　they　brought　silver；　and　gold；
and　brass；　and　of　the　best　sorts　of　wood；　and　such　as　would　not
at　all　decay　by　putrefaction；　camels'　hair　also；　and　sheep…skins；
some　of　them　dyed　of　a　blue　color；　and　some　of　a　scarlet；　some
brought　the　flower　for　the　purple　color；　and　others　for　white；
with　wool　dyed　by　the　flowers　aforementioned；　and　fine　linen　and
precious　stones；　which　those　that　use　costly　ornaments　set　in
ouches　of　gold；　they　brought　also　a　great　quantity　of　spices；　for
of　these　materials　did　Moses　build　the　tabernacle；　which　did　not
at　all　differ　from　a　movable　and　ambulatory　temple。　Now　when
these　things　were　brought　together　with　great　diligence；　（for
every　one　was　ambitious　to　further　the　work　even　beyond　their
ability；）　he　set　architects　over　the　works；　and　this　by　the
command　of　God；　and　indeed　the　very　same　which　the　people
themselves　would　have　chosen；　had　the　election　been　allowed　to
them。　Now　their　names　are　set　down　in　writing　in　the　sacred
books；　and　they　were　these：　Besaleel；　the　son　of　Uri；　of　the
tribe　of　Judah；　the　grandson　of　Miriam；　the　sister　of　their
conductor　and　Aholiab；　file　son　of　Ahisamach；　of　the　tribe　of
Dan。　Now　the　people　went　on　with　what　they　had　undertaken　with　so
great　alacrity；　that　Moses　was　obliged　to　restrain　them；　by
making　proclamation；　that　what　had　been　brought　was　sufficient；
as　the　artificers　had　informed　him；　so　they　fell　to　work　upon　the
building　of　the　tabernacle。　Moses　also　informed　them；　according
to　the　direction　of　God；　both　what　the　measures　were　to　be；　and
its　largeness；　and　how　many　vessels　it　ought　to　contain　for　the
use　of　the　sacrifices。　The　women　also　were　ambitious　to　do　their
parts；　about　the　garments　of　the　priests；　and　about　other　things
that　would　be　wanted　in　this　work；　both　for　ornament　and　for　the
divine　service　itself。

2。　Now　when　all　things　were　prepared；　the　gold；　and　the　silver；
and　the　brass；　and　what　was　woven；　Moses；　when　he　had　appointed
beforehand　that　there　should　be　a　festival；　and　that　sacrifices
should　be　offered　according　to　every　one's　ability；　reared　up　the
tabernacle　（12）　and　when　he　had　measured　the　open　court；　fifty
cubits　broad　and　a　hundred　long；　he　set　up　brazen　pillars；　five
cubits　high；　twenty　on　each　of　the　longer　sides；　and　ten　pillars
for　the　breadth　behind；　every　one　of　the　pillars　also　had　a　ring。
Their　chapiters　were　of　silver；　but　their　bases　were　of　brass：
they　resembled　the　sharp　ends　of　spears；　and　were　of　brass；　fixed
into　the　ground。　Cords　were　also　put　through　the　rings；　and