the antiquities of the jews-1-第48章

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CHAPTER　3。

How　Those　That　Stirred　Up　This　Sedition　Were　Destroyed；　According
To　The　Will　Of　God；　And　How　Aaron；　Moses's　Brother　Both　He　And
His　Posterity；　Retained　The　Priesthood。

1。　When　Moses　had　said　this；　the　multitude　left　off　the　turbulent
behavior　they　had　indulged；　and　the　suspicion　they　had　of　Moses；
and　commended　what　he　had　said；　for　those　proposals　were　good；
and　were　so　esteemed　of　the　people。　At　that　time　therefore　they
dissolved　the　assembly。　But　on　the　next　day　they　came　to　the
congregation；　in　order　to　be　present　at　the　sacrifice；　and　at　the
determination　that　was　to　be　made　between　the　candidates　for　the
priesthood。　Now　this　congregation　proved　a　turbulent　one；　and　the
multitude　were　in　great　suspense　in　expectation　of　what　was　to　be
done；　for　some　of　them　would　have　been　pleased　if　Moses　had　been
convicted　of　evil　practices；　but　the　wiser　sort　desired　that　they
might　be　delivered　from　the　present　disorder　and　disturbance；　for
they　were　afraid；　that　if　this　sedition　went　on；　the　good　order
of　their　settlement　would　rather　be　destroyed；　but　the　whole　body
of　the　people　do　naturally　delight　in　clamors　against　their
governors；　and；　by　changing　their　opinions　upon　the　harangues　of
every　speaker；　disturb　the　public　tranquillity。　And　now　Moses
sent　messengers　for　Abiram　and　Dathan；　and　ordered　them　to　come
to　the　assembly；　and　wait　there　for　the　holy　offices　that　were　to
be　performed。　But　they　answered　the　messenger；　that　they　would
not　obey　his　summons；　nay；　would　not　overlook　Moses's　behavior；
who　was　growing　too　great　for　them　by　evil　practices。　Now　when
Moses　heard　of　this　their　answer；　he　desired　the　heads　of　the
people　to　follow　him；　and　he　went　to　the　faction　of　Dathan；　not
thinking　it　any　frightful　thing　at　all　to　go　to　these　insolent
people；　so　they　made　no　opposition；　but　went　along　with　him。　But
Dathan；　and　his　associates；　when　they　understood　that　Moses　and
the　principal　of　the　people　were　coming　to　them；　came　out；　with
their　wives　and　children；　and　stood　before　their　tents；　and
looked　to　see　what　Moses　would　do。　They　had　also　their　servants
about　them　to　defend　themselves；　in　case　Moses　should　use　force
against　them。

2。　But　he　came　near；　and　lifted　up　his　hands　to　heaven；　and　cried
out　with　a　loud　voice；　in　order　to　be　heard　by　the　whole
multitude；　and　said；　〃O　Lord　of　the　creatures　that　are　in　the
heaven；　in　the　earth；　and　in　the　sea；　for　thou　art　the　most
authentic　witness　to　what　I　have　done；　that　it　has　all　been　done
by　thy　appointment；　and　that　it　was　thou　that　affordedst　us
assistance　when　we　attempted　any　thing；　and　showedst　mercy　on　the
Hebrews　in　all　their　distresses；　do　thou　come　now；　and　hear　all
that　I　say；　for　no　action　or　thought　escapes　thy　knowledge；　so
that　thou　wilt　not　disdain　to　speak　what　is　true；　for　my
vindication；　without　any　regard　to　the　ungrateful　imputations　of
these　men。　As　for　what　was　done　before　I　was　born；　thou　knowest
best；　as　not　learning　them　by　report；　but　seeing　them；　and　being
present　with　them　when　they　were　done；　but　for　what　has　been　done
of　late；　and　which　these　men；　although　they　know　them　well
enough；　unjustly　pretend　to　suspect；　be　thou　my　witness。　When　I
lived　a　private　quiet　life；　I　left　those　good　things　which；　by　my
own　diligence；　and　by　thy　counsel；　I　enjoyed　with　Raguel　my
father…in…law；　and　I　gave　myself　up　to　this　people；　and　underwent
many　miseries　on　their　account。　I　also　bore　great　labors　at
first；　in　order　to　obtain　liberty　for　them；　and　now　in　order　to
their　preservation；　and　have　always　showed　myself　ready　to　assist
them　in　every　distress　of　theirs。　Now；　therefore；　since　I　am
suspected　by　those　very　men　whose　being　is　owing　to　my　labors；
come　thou；　as　it　is　reasonable　to　hope　thou　wilt；　thou；　I　say；
who　showedst　me　that　fire　at　mount　Sinai；　and　madest　me　to　hear
its　voice；　and　to　see　the　several　wonders　which　that　place
afforded　thou　who　commandedst　me　to　go　to　Egypt；　and　declare　thy
will　to　this　people；　thou　who　disturbest　the　happy　estate　of　the
Egyptians；　and　gavest　us　the　opportunity　of　flying　away　from　our
under　them；　and　madest　the　dominion　of　Pharaoh　inferior　to　my
dominion；　thou　who　didst　make　the　sea　dry　land　for　us；　when　we
knew　not　whither　to　go；　and　didst　overwhelm　the　Egyptians　with
those　destructive　waves　which　had　been　divided　for　us；　thou　who
didst　bestow　upon　us　the　security　of　weapons　when　we　were　naked；
thou　who　didst　make　the　fountains　that　were　corrupted　to　flow；　so
as　to　be　fit　for　drinking；　and　didst　furnish　us　with　water　that
came　out　of　the　rocks；　when　we　were　in　want　of　it；　thou　who　didst
preserve　our　lives　with　＇quails；　which　was＇　food　from　the　sea；
when　the　fruits　of　the　ground　failed　us；　thou　didst　send　us　such
food　from　heaven　as　had　never　been　seen　before；　thou　who　didst
suggest　to　us　the　knowledge　of　thy　laws；　and　appoint　to　us　a　of
government；　…　come　thou；　I　say；　O　Lord　of　the　whole　world；　and
that　as　such　a　Judge　and　a　Witness　to　me　as　cannot　be　bribed；　and
show　how　I　never　admitted　of　any　gift　against　justice　from　any　of
the　Hebrews；　and　have　never　condemned　a　man　that　ought　to　have
been　acquitted；　on　account　of　one　that　was　rich；　and　have　never
attempted　to　hurt　this　commonwealth。　I　am　now　and　am　suspected　of
a　thing　the　remotest　from　my　intentions；　as　if　I　had　given　the
preisthood　to　Aaron；　not　at　thy　command；　but　out　own　favor　to
him；　do　thou　at　this　time　demonstrate　that　all　things　are
administered　by　thy　providence　and　that　nothing　happens　by
chance；　but　is　governed　by　thy　will；　and　thereby　attains　its　end：
as　also　demonstrate　that　thou　takest　care　that　have　done　good　to
the　Hebrews；　demonstrate　this；　I　say；　by　the　punishment　of　Abiram
and　Dathan；　who　condemn　thee　as　an　insensible　Being；　and　one
overcome　by　my　contrivances。　This　thou　do　by　inflicting　such　an
open　punishment　on　these　men　who　so　madly　fly　in　the　face　of　thy
glory；　as　will　take　them　out　of　the　world；　not　in　an　manner；　but
so　that　it　may　appear　they　do　die　after　the　manner　of　other　men：
let　that　ground　which　they　tread　upon　open　about　them　and　consume
them；　with　their　families　and　goods。　This　will　be　a　demonstration
of　thy　power　to　all　and　this　method　of　their　sufferings　will　be
an　instruction　of　wisdom　for　those　that　entertain　profane
sentiments　of　thee。　By　this　means　I　shall　be　a　good　servant；　in
the　precepts　thou　hast　given　by　me。　But　if　the　calumnies　they
have　raised　against　me　be　true；　mayst　thou　preserve　these　men
from　every　evil　accident；　and　bring　all　that　destruction　on　me
which　I　have　imprecated　upon　them。　And　when　thou　hast　inflicted
punishment　on　those　that　have　endeavored　to　deal　unjustly　with
this　people；　bestow　upon　them　concord　and　peace。　Save　this
multitude　that　follow　thy　commandments；　and　preserve　them　free
from　harm；　and　let　them　not　partake　of　the　punishment　of　those
that　have　sinned；　for　thou　knowest　thyself　it　is　not　just；　that
for　the　wickedness　of　those　men　the　whole　body　of　the　Israelites
should　suffer　punishment。〃

3。　When　Moses　had　said　this；　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　the　ground
was　moved　on　a　sudden；　and　the　agitation　that　set　it　in　motion
was　like　that　which　the　wind　produces　in　waves　of　the　sea。　The
people　were　all　aftrighted；　and　the　ground　that　was　about　their
tents　sunk　down　at　the　great　noise；　with　a　terrible　sound；　and
carried　whatsoever　was　dear　to　the　seditious　into　itself；　who　so
entirely　perished；　that　there　was　not　the　least　appearance　that
any　man　had　ever　been　seen　there；　the　earth　that　had　opened
itself　about　them；　closing　again；　and　becoming　entire　as　it　was
before；　insomuch　that　such　as　saw　it　afterward　did　not　perceive
that　any　such　accident　had　happened　to　it。　Thus　did　these　men
perish；　and　become　a　demonstration　of　the　power　of　God。　And
truly；　any　one　would　lament　them；　not　only　on　account　of　this
calamity　that　befell　them；　which　yet　deserves　our　commiseration；
but　also　because　their　kindred　were　pleased　with　their
sufferings；　for　they　forgot　the　relation　they　bare　to　them；　and
at　the　sight　of　this　sad　accident　approved　of　the　judgment　given
against　them；　and　because　they　looked　upon　the　people　about
Dathan　as　pestilent　men；　they　thought　they　perished　as　such；　and
d