the antiquities of the jews-1-第147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！



CHAPTER　4。

How　The　Temple　Was　Built　While　The　Cutheans　Endeavored　In　Vain　To
Obstruct　The　Work。

1。　Now　in　the　seventh　month　after　they　were　departed　out　of
Babylon；　both　Jeshua　the　high　priest；　and　Zorobabel　the　governor；
sent　messengers　every　way　round　about；　and　gathered　those　that
were　in　the　country　together　to　Jerusalem　universally；　who　came
very　gladly　thither。　He　then　built　the　altar　on　the　same　place　it
had　formerly　been　built；　that　they　might　offer　the　appointed
sacrifices　upon　it　to　God；　according　to　the　laws　of　Moses。　But
while　they　did　this；　they　did　not　please　the　neighboring　nations；
who　all　of　them　bare　an　ill…will　to　them。　They　also　celebrated
the　feast　of　tabernacles　at　that　time；　as　the　legislator　had
ordained　concerning　it；　and　after　they　offered　sacrifices；　and
what　were　called　the　daily　sacrifices；　and　the　oblations　proper
for　the　Sabbaths；　and　for　all　the　holy　festivals。　Those　also　that
had　made　vows　performed　them；　and　offered　their　sacrifices　from
the　first　day　of　the　seventh　month。　They　also　began　to　build　the
temple；　and　gave　a　great　deal　of　money　to　the　masons　and　to　the
carpenters；　and　what　was　necessary　for　the　maintenance　of　the
workmen。　The　Sidonians　also　were　very　willing　and　ready　to　bring
the　cedar　trees　from　Libanus；　to　bind　them　together；　and　to　make
a　united　float　of　them；　and　to　bring　them　to　the　port　of　Joppa；
for　that　was　what　Cyrus　had　commanded　at　first；　and　what　was　now
done　at　the　command　of　Darius。

2。　In　the　second　year　of　their　coming　to　Jerusalem；　as　the　Jews
were　there　in　the　second　month；　the　building　of　the　temple　went
on　apace；　and　when　they　had　laid　its　foundations　on　the　first　day
of　the　second　month　of　that　second　year；　they　set；　as　overseers
of　the　work；　such　Levites　as　were　full　twenty　years　old；　and
Jeshua　and　his　sons　and　brethren；　and　Codmiel　the　brother　of
Judas；　the　son　of　Aminadab；　with　his　sons；　and　the　temple；　by　the
great　diligence　of　those　that　had　the　care　of　it；　was　finished
sooner　than　any　one　would　have　expected。　And　when　the　temple　was
finished；　the　priests；　adorned　with　their　accustomed　garments；
stood　with　their　trumpets；　while　the　Levites；　and　the　sons　of
Asaph；　stood　and　sung　hymns　to　God；　according　as　David　first　of
all　appointed　them　to　bless　God。　Now　the　priests　and　Levites；　and
the　elder　part　of　the　families；　recollecting　with　themselves　how
much　greater　and　more　sumptuous　the　old　temple　had　been；　seeing
that　now　made　how　much　inferior　it　was；　on　account　of　their
poverty；　to　that　which　had　been　built　of　old；　considered　with
themselves　how　much　their　happy　state　was　sunk　below　what　it　had
been　of　old；　as　well　as　their　temple。　Hereupon　they　were
disconsolate；　and　not　able　to　contain　their　grief；　and　proceeded
so　far　as　to　lament　and　shed　tears　on　those　accounts；　but　the
people　in　general　were　contented　with　their　present　condition；
and　because　they　were　allowed　to　build　them　a　temple；　they
desired　no　more；　and　neither　regarded　nor　remembered；　nor　indeed
at　all　tormented　themselves　with　the　comparison　of　that　and　the
former　temple；　as　if　this　were　below　their　expectations；　but　the
wailing　of　the　old　men　and　of　the　priests；　on　account　of　the
deficiency　of　this　temple；　in　their　opinion；　if　compared　with
that　which　had　been　demolished；　overcame　the　sounds　of　the
trumpets　and　the　rejoicing　of　the　people。

3。　But　when　the　Samaritans；　who　were　still　enemies　to　the　tribes
of　Judah　and　Benjamin；　heard　the　sound　of　the　trumpets；　they　came
running　together；　and　desired　to　know　what　was　the　occasion　of
this　tumult；　and　when　they　perceived　that　it　was　from　the　Jews；
who　had　been　carried　captive　to　Babylon；　and　were　rebuilding
their　temple；　they　came　to　Zorobabel　and　to　Jeshua；　and　to　the
heads　of　the　families；　and　desired　that　they　would　give　them
leave　to　build　the　temple　with　them；　and　to　be　partners　with　them
in　building　it；　for　they　said；　〃We　worship　their　God；　and
especially　pray　to　him；　and　are　desirous　of　their　religious
settlement；　and　this　ever　since　Shalmanezer；　the　king　of　Assyria；
transplanted　us　out　of　Cuthah　and　Media　to　this　place。〃　When　they
said　thus；　Zorobabel　and　Jeshua　the　high　priest；　and　the　heads　of
the　families　of　the　Israelites；　replied　to　them；　that　it　was
impossible　for　them　to　permit　them　to　be　their　partners；　whilst
they　＇only＇　had　been　appointed　to　build　that　temple　at　first　by
Cyrus；　and　now　by　Darius；　although　it　was　indeed　lawful　for　them
to　come　and　worship　there　if　they　pleased；　and　that　they　could
allow　them　nothing　but　that　in　common　with　them；　which　was　common
to　them　with　all　other　men；　to　come　to　their　temple　and　worship
God　there。

4。　When　the　Cuthearts　heard　this；　for　the　Samaritans　have　that
appellation；　they　had　indignation　at　it；　and　persuaded　the
nations　of　Syria　to　desire　of　the　governors；　in　the　same　manner
as　they　had　done　formerly　in　the　days　of　Cyrus；　and　again　in　the
days　of　Cambyses　afterwards；　to　put　a　stop　to　the　building　of　the
temple；　and　to　endeavor　to　delay　and　protract　the　Jews　in　their
zeal　about　it。　Now　at　this　time　Sisinnes；　the　governor　of　Syria
and　Phoenicia；　and　Sathrabuzanes；　with　certain　others；　came　up　to
Jerusalem；　and　asked　the　rulers　of　the　Jews；　by。　whose　grant　it
was　that　they　built　the　temple　in　this　manner；　since　it　was　more
like　to　a　citadel　than　a　temple？　and　for　what　reason　it　was　that
they　built　cloisters　and　walls；　and　those　strong　ones　too；　about
the　city？　To　which　Zorobabel　and　Jeshua　the　high　priest　replied；
that　they　were　the　servants　of　God　Almighty；　that　this　temple　was
built　for　him　by　a　king　of　theirs；　that　lived　in　great
prosperity；　and　one　that　exceeded　all　men　in　virtue；　and　that　it
continued　a　long　time；　but　that　because　of　their　fathers'　impiety
towards　God；　Nebuchadnezzar；　king　of　the　Babylonians　and　of　the
Chaldeans；　took　their　city　by　force；　and　destroyed　it；　and
pillaged　the　temple；　and　burnt　it　down；　and　transplanted　the
people　whom　he　had　made　captives；　and　removed　them　to　Babylon；
that　Cyrus；　who；　after　him；　was　king　of　Babylonia　and　Persia；
wrote　to　them　to　build　the　temple；　and　committed　the　gifts　and
vessels；　and　whatsoever　Nebuchadnezzar　had　carried　out　of　it；　to
Zorobabel；　and　Mithridates　the　treasurer；　and　gave　order　to　have
them　carried　to　Jerusalem；　and　to　have　them　restored　to　their　own
temple；　when　it　was　built；　for　he　had　sent　to　them　to　have　that
done　speedily；　and　commanded　Sanabassar　to　go　up　to　Jerusalem；
and　to　take　care　of　the　building　of　the　temple；　who；　upon
receiving　that　epistle　from　Cyrus；　came；　and　immediately　laid　its
foundations；　〃and　although　it　hath　been　in　building　from　that
time　to　this；　it　hath　not　yet　been　finished；　by　reason　of　the
malignity　of　our　enemies。　If　therefore　you　have　a　mind；　and　think
it　proper；　write　this　account　to　Darius；　that　when　he　hath
consulted　the　records　of　the　kings；　he　may　find　that　we　have　told
you　nothing　that　is　false　about　this　matter。〃

5。　When　Zorobabel　and　the　high　priest　had　made　this　answer；
Sisinnes；　and　those　that　were　with　him；　did　not　resolve　to　hinder
the　building；　until　they　had　informed　king　Darius　of　all　this。　So
they　immediately　wrote　to　him　about　these　affairs；　but　as　the
Jews　were　now　under　terror；　and　afraid　lest　the　king　should
change　his　resolutions　as　to　the　building　of　Jerusalem　and　of　the
temple；　there　were　two　prophets　at　that　time　among　them；　Haggai
and　Zechariah；　who　encouraged　them；　and　bid　them　be　of　good
cheer；　and　to　suspect　no　discouragement　from　the　Persians；　for
that　God　foretold　this　to　them。　So；　in　dependence　on　those
prophets；　they　applied　themselves　earnestly　to　building；　and　did
not　intermit　one　day。

6。　Now　Darius；　when　the　Samaritans　had　written　to　him；　and　in
their　epistle　had　accused　the　Jews；　how　they　fortified　the　city；
and　built　the　temple　more　like　to　a　citadel　than　to　a　temple；　and
said；　that　their　doings　were　not　expedient　for　the　king's
affairs；　and　besides；　they　showed　the　epistle　of　Cambyses；
wherein　he　forbade　them　to　build　the　temple：　and　when　Darius
thereby　understood　that　the　restoration　of　Jerusalem　was　not
expedient　for　his　affairs；　and　when　he　had　read　the　epistle　that
was　brought　him　from　Sisinnes；　and　those　that　were　with　him；　he
gave　order　that　what　concerned　these　matters　should　be　sought　for
among　the　royal　records。　Whereupon　a　book　was　found　at　Ecbatana；
in　the　tower　that　was　in　Media；　wherein　was　written　as　follows：
〃Cyrus　the　king；　in　the　first　year　of　his　reign；　commanded　that
the　temple　should　be　built　in　Jerusalem；　and　the　altar　in　height
threescore　cubits；　and　its　breadth　of　the　same；　with　three
edifices　of　polished　stone；　and　one　edifice　of　stone　of　their　own
country；　and　he　ordained　that　the　expenses　of　it　should　be　paid
out　of　the　king's　revenue。　He　also　commanded　that　the　vessels
which　Nebuchadnezzar　had　pillaged　＇out　of　the　temple＇；　and　had
carried　to　Babylon；　should　be　restored　to　the　people　of
Jerusalem；　and　that　the　care　of　these　things　should　belong　to
Sanabassar；　the　governor　and　president　of　Syria　and　Phoenicia；
and　his　associates；　that　they　may　not　meddle　with　that　place；　but
may　permit　the　servants　of　God；　the　Jews　and　their　rulers；　to
build　the　temple。　He　also　ordained　that　they