the antiquities of the jews-1-第143节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


with　him；　for　he　was　one　of　the　three　presidents　whom　he　set　over
his　three　hundred　and　sixty　provinces；　for　into　so　many　did
Darius　part　them。

5。　However；　while　Daniel　was　in　so　great　dignity；　and　in　so　great
favor　with　Darius；　and　was　alone　intrusted　with　every　thing　by
him；　a　having　somewhat　divine　in　him；　he　was　envied　by　the　rest；
for　those　that　see　others　in　greater　honor　than　themselves　with
kings　envy　them；　and　when　those　that　were　grieved　at　the　great
favor　Daniel　was　in　with　Darius　sought　for　an　occasion　against
him；　he　afforded　them　no　occasion　at　all；　for　he　was　above　all
the　temptations　of　money；　and　despised　bribery；　and　esteemed　it　a
very　base　thing　to　take　any　thing　by　way　of　reward；　even　when　it
might　be　justly　given　him；　he　afforded　those　that　envied　him　not
the　least　handle　for　an　accusation。　So　when　they　could　find
nothing　for　which　they　might　calumniate　him　to　the　king；　nothing
that　was　shameful　or　reproachful；　and　thereby　deprive　him　of　the
honor　he　was　in　with　him；　they　sought　for　some　other　method
whereby　they　might　destroy　him。　When　therefore　they　saw　that
Daniel　prayed　to　God　three　times　a　day；　they　thought　they　had
gotten　an　occasion　by　which　they　might　ruin　him；　so　they　came　to
Darius　and　told　him　that　the　princes　and　governors　had　thought
proper　to　allow　the　multitude　a　relaxation　for　thirty　days；　that
no　one　might　offer　a　petition　or　prayer　either　to　himself　or　to
the　gods；　but　that　he　who　shall　transgress　this　decree　shall　be
east　into　the　den　of　lions；　and　there　perish。〃

6。　Whereupon　the　king；　not　being　acquainted　with　their　wicked
design；　nor　suspecting　that　it　was　a　contrivance　of　theirs
against　Daniel；　said　he　was　pleased　with　this　decree　of　theirs；
and　he　promised　to　confirm　what　they　desired；　he　also　published
an　edict　to　promulgate　to　the　people　that　decree　which　the
princes　had　made。　Accordingly；　all　the　rest　took　care　not　to
transgress　those　injunctions；　and　rested　in　quiet；　but　Daniel　had
no　regard　to　them；　but；　as　he　was　wont；　he　stood　and　prayed　to
God　in　the　sight　of　them　all；　but　the　princes　having　met　with　the
occasion　they　so　earnestly　sought　to　find　against　Daniel；　came
presently　to　the　king；　and　accused　him；　that　Daniel　was　the　only
person　that　transgressed　the　decree；　while　not　one　of　the　rest
durst　pray　to　their　gods。　This　discovery　they　made；　not　because
of　his　impiety；　but　because　they　had　watched　him；　and　observed
him　out　of　envy；　for　supposing　that　Darius　did　thus　out　of　a
greater　kindness　to　him　than　they　expected；　and　that　he　was　ready
to　grant　him　pardon　for　this　contempt　of　his　injunctions；　and
envying　this　very　pardon　to　Daniel；　they　did　not　become　more
honorable　to　him；　but　desired　he　might　be　cast　into　the　den　of
lions　according　to　the　law。　So　Darius；　hoping　that　God　would
deliver　him；　and　that　he　would　undergo　nothing　that　was　terrible
by　the　wild　beasts；　bid　him　bear　this　accident　cheerfully。　And
when　he　was　cast　into　the　den；　he　put　his　seal　to　the　stone　that
lay　upon　the　mouth　of　the　den；　and　went　his　way；　but　he　passed
all　the　night　without　food　and　without　sleep；　being　in　great
distress　for　Daniel；　but　when　it　was　day；　he　got　up；　and　came　to
the　den；　and　found　the　seal　entire；　which　he　had　left　the　stone
sealed　withal；　he　also　opened　the　seal；　and。　cried　out；　and
called　to　Daniel；　and　asked　him　if　he　were　alive。　And　as　soon　as
he　heard　the　king's　voice；　and　said　that　he　had　suffered　no　harm；
the　king　gave　order　that　he　should　be　drawn　up　out　of　the　den。
Now　when　his　enemies　saw　that　Daniel　had　suffered　nothing　which
was　terrible；　they　would　not　own　that　he　was　preserved　by　God；
and　by　his　providence；　but　they　said　that　the　lions　had　been
filled　full　with　food；　and　on　that　account　it　was；　as　they
supposed；　that　the　lions　would　not　touch　Daniel；　nor　come　to　him；
and　this　they　alleged　to　the　king。　But　the　king；　out　of　an
abhorrence　of　their　wickedness；　gave　order　that　they　should　throw
in　a　great　deal　of　flesh　to　the　lions；　and　when　they　had　filled
themselves；　he　gave　further　order　that　Daniel's　enemies　should　be
cast　into　the　den；　that　he　might　learn　whether　the　lions；　now
they　were　full；　would　touch　them　or　not。　And　it　appeared　plain　to
Darius；　after　the　princes　had　been　cast　to　the　wild　beasts；　that
it　was　God　who　preserved　Daniel　（25）　for　the　lions　spared　none　of
them；　but　tore　them　all　to　pieces；　as　if　they　had　been　very
hungry；　and　wanted　food。　I　suppose　therefore　it　was　not　their
hunger；　which　had　been　a　little　before　satisfied　with　abundance
of　flesh；　but　the　wickedness　of　these　men；　that　provoked　them　＇to
destroy　the　princes＇；　for　if　it　so　please　God；　that　wickedness
might；　by　even　those　irrational　creatures；　be　esteemed　a　plain
foundation　for　their　punishment。

7。　When　therefore　those　that　had　intended　thus　to　destroy　Daniel
by　treachery　were　themselves　destroyed；　king　Darius　sent
＇letters＇　over　all　the　country；　and　praised　that　God　whom　Daniel
worshipped；　and　said　that　he　was　the　only　true　God；　and　had　all
power。　He　had　also　Daniel　in　very　great　esteem；　and　made　him　the
principal　of　his　friends。　Now　when　Daniel　was　become　so
illustrious　and　famous；　on　account　of　the　opinion　men　had　that　he
was　beloved　of　God；　he　built　a　tower　at　Ecbatana；　in　Media：　it
was　a　most　elegant　building；　and　wonderfully　made；　and　it　is
still　remaining；　and　preserved　to　this　day；　and　to　such　as　see
it；　it　appears　to　have　been　lately　built；　and　to　have　been　no
older　than　that　very　day　when　any　one　looks　upon　it；　it　is　so
fresh　（26）　flourishing；　and　beautiful；　and　no　way　grown　old　in　so
long　time；　for　buildings　suffer　the　same　as　men　do；　they　grow　old
as　well　as　they；　and　by　numbers　of　years　their　strength　is
dissolved；　and　their　beauty　withered。　Now　they　bury　the　kings　of
Media；　of　Persia；　and　Parthia　in　this　tower　to　this　day；　and　he
who　was　entrusted　with　the　care　of　it　was　a　Jewish　priest；　which
thing　is　also　observed　to　this　day。　But　it　is　fit　to　give　an
account　of　what　this　man　did；　which　is　most　admirable　to　hear；
for　he　was　so　happy　as　to　have　strange　revelations　made　to　him；
and　those　as　to　one　of　the　greatest　of　the　prophets；　insomuch；
that　while　he　was　alive　he　had　the　esteem　and　applause　both　of
the　kings　and　of　the　multitude；　and　now　he　is　dead；　he　retains　a
remembrance　that　will　never　fail；　for　the　several　books　that　he
wrote　and　left　behind　him　are　still　read　by　us　till　this　time；
and　from　them　we　believe　that　Daniel　conversed　with　God；　for　he
did　not　only　prophesy　of　future　events；　as　did　the　other
prophets；　but　he　also　determined　the　time　of　their
accomplishment。　And　while　prophets　used　to　foretell　misfortunes；
and　on　that　account　were　disagreeable　both　to　the　kings　and　to
the　multitude；　Daniel　was　to　them　a　prophet　of　good　things；　and
this　to　such　a　degree；　that　by　the　agreeable　nature　of　his
predictions；　he　procured　the　goodwill　of　all　men；　and　by　the
accomplishment　of　them；　he　procured　the　belief　of　their　truth；
and　the　opinion　of　＇a　sort　of＇　divinity　for　himself；　among　the
multitude。　He　also　wrote　and　left　behind　him　what　made　manifest
the　accuracy　and　undeniable　veracity　of　his　predictions；　for　he
saith；　that　when　he　was　in　Susa；　the　metropolis　of　Persia；　and
went　out　into　the　field　with　his　companions；　there　was；　on　the
sudden；　a　motion　and　concussion　of　the　earth；　and　that　he　was
left　alone　by　himself；　his　friends　fleeing　away　from　him；　and
that　he　was　disturbed；　and　fell　on　his　face；　and　on　his　two
hands；　and　that　a　certain　person　touched　him；　and；　at　the　same
time；　bid　him　rise；　and　see　what　would　befall　his　countrymen
after　many　generations。　He　also　related；　that　when　he　stood　up；
he　was　shown　a　great　rain；　with　many　horns　growing　out　of　his
head；　and　that　the　last　was　higher　than　the　rest：　that　after　this
he　looked　to　the　west；　and　saw　a　he…goat　carried　through　the　air
from　that　quarter；　that　he　rushed　upon　the　ram　with　violence；　and
smote　him　twice　with　his　horns；　and　overthrew　him　to　the　ground；
and　trampled　upon　him：　that　afterward　he　saw　a　very　great　horn
growing　out　of　the　head　of　the　he…goat；　and　that　when　it　was
broken　off；　four　horns　grew　up　that　were　exposed　to　each　of　the
four　winds；　and　he　wrote　that　out　of　them　arose　another　lesser
horn；　which；　as　he　said；　waxed　great；　and　that　God　showed　to　him
that　it　should　fight　against　his　nation；　and　take　their　city　by
force；　and　bring　the　temple　worship　to　confusion；　and　forbid　the
sacrifices　to　be　offered　for　one　thousand　two　hundred　and
ninety…six　days。　Daniel　wrote　that　he　saw　these　visions　in　the
Plain　of　Susa；　and　he　hath　informed　us　that　God　interpreted　the
appearance　of　this　vision　after　the　following　manner：　He　said
that　the　ram　signified　the　kingdoms　of　the　Medes　and　Persians；
and　the　horns　those　kings　that　were　to　reign　in　them；　and　that
the　last　horn　signified　the　last　king；　and　that　he　should　exceed
all　the　kings　in　riches　and　glory：　that　the　he…goat　signified
that　one　should　come　and　reign　from　the　Greeks；　who　should　twice
fight　with　the　Persian；　and　overcome　him　in　battle；　and　should
receive　his　entire　dominion：　that　by　the　great　horn　which　sprang
out　of　the　forehead　of　the　he…goat　was　meant　the　first　king；　and
that　the　springing　up　of　four　horns　upo