the antiquities of the jews-1-第46章

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any　human　levity　or　anger；　but　that　he　had　judicially　condemned
them　to　that　punishment。　Now　we　are　not　to　disbelieve　that　Moses；
who　was　but　a　single　person；　pacified　so　many　ten　thousands　when
they　werre　in　anger；　and　converted　them　to　a　mildness　temper；　for
God　was　with　him；　and　prepared　way　to　his　persuasions　of　the
multitude；　and　as　they　had　often　been　disobedient；　they　were　now
sensible　that　such　disobedience　was　disadvantageous　to　them　and
that　they　had　still　thereby　fallen　into　calamities。

3。　But　this　man　was　admirable　for　his　virtue；　and　powerful　in
making　men　give　credit　to　what　he　delivered；　not　only　during　the
time　of　his　natural　life；　but　even　there　is　still　no　one　of　the
Hebrews　who　does　not　act　even　now　as　if　Moses　were　present；　and
ready　to　punish　him　if　he　should　do　any　thing　that　is　indecent；
nay；　there　is　no　one　but　is　obedient　to　what　laws　he　ordained；
although　they　might　be　concealed　in　their　transgressions。　There
are　also　many　other　demonstrations　that　his　power　was　more　than
human；　for　still　some　there　have　been；　who　have　come　from　the
parts　beyond　Euphrates；　a　journey　of　four　months；　through　many
dangers；　and　at　great　expenses；　in　honor　of　our　temple；　and　yet；
when　they　had　offered　their　oblations；　could　not　partake　of　their
own　sacrifices；　because　Moses　had　forbidden　it；　by　somewhat　in
the　law　that　did　not　permit　them；　or　somewhat　that　had　befallen
them；　which　our　ancient　customs　made　inconsistent　therewith；　some
of　these　did　not　sacrifice　at　all；　and　others　left　their
sacrifices　in　an　imperfect　condition；　many　were　not　able；　even　at
first；　so　much　as　to　enter　the　temple；　but　went　their　ways　in
this　as　preferring　a　submission　to　the　laws　of　Moses　before　the
fulfilling　of　their　own　inclinations；　they　had　no　fear　upon　them
that　anybody　could　convict　them；　but　only　out　of　a　reverence　to
their　own　conscience。　Thus　this　legislation；　which　appeared　to　be
divine；　made　this　man　to　be　esteemed　as　one　superior　to　his　own
nature。　Nay；　further；　a　little　before　the　beginning　of　this　war；
when　Claudius　was　emperor　of　the　Romans；　and　Ismael　was　our　high
priest；　and　when　so　great　a　famine　（27）　was　come　upon　us；　that
one　tenth　deal　＇of　wheat＇　was　sold　for　four　drachmae；　and　when　no
less　than　seventy　cori　of　flour　were　brought　into　the　temple；　at
the　feast　of　unleavened　bread；　（these　cori　are　thirty…one
Sicilian；　but　forty…one　Athenian　medimni；）　not　one　of　the　priests
was　so　hardy　as　to　eat　one　crumb　of　it；　even　while　so　great　a
distress　was　upon　the　land；　and　this　out　of　a　dread　of　the　law；
and　of　that　wrath　which　God　retains　against　acts　of　wickedness；
even　when　no　one　can　accuse　the　actors。　Whence　we　are　not　to
wonder　at　what　was　then　done；　while　to　this　very　day　the　writings
left　by　Moses　have　so　great　a　force；　that　even　those　that　hate　us
do　confess；　that　he　who　established　this　settlement　was　God；　and
that　it　was　by　the　means　of　Moses；　and　of　his　virtue；　but　as　to
these　matters；　let　every　one　take　them　as　he　thinks　fit。

BOOK　IV。

Containing　The　Interval　Of　Thirty…Eight　Years。

From　The　Rejection　Of　That　Generation　To　The　Death　Of　Moses。

CHAPTER　1。

Fight　Of　The　Hebrews　With　The　Canaanites　Without　The　Consent　Of
Moses；　And　Their　Defeat。

1。　Now　this　life　of　the　Hebrews　in　the　wilderness　was　so
disagreeable　and　troublesome　to　them；　and　they　were　so　uneasy　at
it；　that　although　God　had　forbidden　them　to　meddle　with　the
Canaanites；　yet　could　they　not　be　persuaded　to　be　obedient　to　the
words　of　Moses；　and　to　be　quiet；　but　supposing　they　should　be
able　to　beat　their　enemies；　without　his　approbation；　they　accused
him；　and　suspected　that　he　made　it　his　business　to　keep　in　a
distressed　condition；　that　they　might　always　stand　in　need　of　his
assistance。　Accordingly　they　resolved　to　fight　with　the
Canaanites；　and　said　that　God　gave　them　his　assistance；　not　out
of　regard　to　Moses's　intercessions；　but　because　he　took　care　of
their　entire　nation；　on　account　of　their　forefathers；　whose
affairs　he　took　under　his　own　conduct；　as　also；　that　it　was　on
account　of　their　own　virtue　that　he　had　formerly　procured　them
their　liberty；　and　would　be　assisting　to　them；　now　they　were
willing　to　take　pains　for　it。　They　also　said　that　they　were
possessed　of　abilities　sufficient　for　the　conquest　of　their
enemies；　although　Moses　should　have　a　mind　to　alienate　God　from
them；　that；　however；　it　was　for　their　advantage　to　be　their　own
masters；　and　not　so　far　to　rejoice　in　their　deliverance　from　the
indignities　they　endured　under　the　Egyptians；　as　to　bear　the
tyranny　of　Moses　over　them；　and　to　suffer　themselves　to　be
deluded；　and　live　according　to　his　pleasure；　as　though　God　did
only　foretell　what　concerns　us　out　of　his　kindness　to　him；　as　if
they　were　not　all　the　posterity　of　Abraham；　that　God　made　him
alone　the　author　of　all　the　knowledge　we　have；　and　we　must　still
learn　it　from　him；　that　it　would　be　a　piece　of　prudence　to　oppose
his　arrogant　pretenses；　and　to　put　their　confidence　in　God；　and
to　resolve　to　take　possession　of　that　land　which　he　had　promised
them；　and　not　to　give　ear　to　him；　who　on　this　account；　and　under
the　pretense　of　Divine　authority；　forbade　them　so　to　do。
Considering；　therefore；　the　distressed　state　they　were　in　at
present；　and　that　in　those　desert　places　they　were　still　to
expect　things　would　be　worse　with　them；　they　resolved　to　fight
with　the　Canaanites；　as　submitting　only　to　God；　their　supreme
Commander；　and　not　waiting　for　any　assistance　from　their
legislator。

2。　When；　therefore；　they　had　come　to　this　resolution；　as　being
best　for　them；　they　went　against　their　enemies；　but　those　enemies
were　not　dismayed　either　at　the　attack　itself；　or　at　the　great
multitude　that　made　it；　and　received　them　with　great　courage。
Many　of　the　Hebrews　were　slain；　and　the　remainder　of　the　army；
upon　the　disorder　of　their　troops；　were　pursued；　and　fled；　after
a　shameful　manner；　to　their　camp。　Whereupon　this　unexpected
misfortune　made　them　quite　despond；　and　they　hoped　for　nothing
that　was　good；　as　gathering　from　it；　that　this　affliction　came
from　the　wrath　of　God；　because　they　rashly　went　out　to　war
without　his　approbation。

3。　But　when　Moses　saw　how　deeply　they　were　affected　with　this
defeat；　and　being　afraid　lest　the　enemies　should　grow　insolent
upon　this　victory；　and　should　be　desirous　of　gaining　still
greater　glory；　and　should　attack　them；　he　resolved　that　it　was
proper　to　withdraw　the　army　into　the　wilderness　to　a　further
distance　from　the　Canaanites：　so　the　multitude　gave　themselves　up
again　to　his　conduct；　for　they　were　sensible　that；　without　his
care　for　them；　their　affairs　could　not　be　in　a　good　condition；
and　he　caused　the　host　to　remove；　and　he　went　further　into　the
wilderness；　as　intending　there　to　let　them　rest；　and　not　to
permit　them　to　fight　the　Canaanites　before　God　should　afford　them
a　more　favorable　opportunity。

CHAPTER　2。

The　Sedition　Of　Corah　And　Of　The　Multitude　Against　Moses；　And
Against　His　Brother；　Concerning　The　Priesthood。

1。　That　which　is　usually　the　case　of　great　armies；　and　especially
upon　ill　success；　to　be　hard　to　be　pleased；　and　governed　with
difficulty；　did　now　befall　the　Jews；　for　they　being　in　number　six
hundred　thousand；　and　by　reason　of　their　great　multitude　not
readily　subject　to　their　governors；　even　in　prosperity；　they　at
this　time　were　more　than　usually　angry；　both　against　one　another
and　against　their　leader；　because　of　the　distress　they　were　in；
and　the　calamities　they　then　endured。　Such　a　sedition　overtook
them；　as　we　have　not　the　like　example　either　among　the　Greeks　or
the　Barbarians；　by　which　they　were　in　danger　of　being　all
destroyed；　but　were　notwithstanding　saved　by　Moses；　who　would　not
remember　that　he　had　been　almost　stoned　to　death　by　them。　Nor　did
God　neglect　to　prevent　their　ruin；　but；　notwithstanding　the
indignities　they　had　offered　their　legislator　and　the　laws；　and
disobedience　to　the　commandments　which　he　had　sent　them　by　Moses；
he　delivered　them　from　those　terrible　calamities　which；　without
his　providential　care；　had　been　brought　upon　them　by　this
sedition。　So　I　will　first　explain　the　cause　whence　this　sedition
arose；　and　then　will　give　an　account　of　t