the antiquities of the jews-1-第148节

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may　permit　the　servants　of　God；　the　Jews　and　their　rulers；　to
build　the　temple。　He　also　ordained　that　they　should　assist　them
in　the　work；　and　that　they　should　pay　to　the　Jews；　out　of　the
tribute　of　the　country　where　they　were　governors；　on　account　of
the　sacrifices；　bulls；　and　rams；　and　lambs；　and　kids　of　the
goats；　and　fine　flour；　and　oil；　and　wine；　and　all　other　things
that　the　priests　should　suggest　to　them；　and　that　they　should
pray　for　the　preservation　of　the　king；　and　of　the　Persians；　and
that　for　such　as　transgressed　any　of　these　orders　thus　sent　to
them；　he　commanded　that　they　should　be　caught；　and　hung　upon　a
cross；　and　their　substance　confiscated　to　the　king's　use。　He　also
prayed　to　God　against　them；　that　if　any　one　attempted　to　hinder
the　building　of　the　temple；　God　would　strike　him　dead；　and
thereby　restrain　his　wickedness。〃

7。　When　Darius　had　found　this　book　among　the　records　of　Cyrus；　he
wrote　an　answer　to　Sisinnes　and　his　associates；　whose　contents
were　these：　〃King　Darius　to　Sisinnes　the　governor；　and　to
Sathrabuzanes；　sendeth　greeting。　Having　found　a　copy　of　this
epistle　among　the　records　of　Cyrus；　I　have　sent　it　you；　and　I
will　that　all　things　be　done　as　is　therein　written。　Fare　ye
well。〃　So　when　Sisinnes；　and　those　that　were　with　him；　understood
the　intention　of　the　king；　they　resolved　to　follow　his　directions
entirely　for　the　time　to　come。　So　they　forwarded　the　sacred
works；　and　assisted　the　elders　of　the　Jews；　and　the　princes　of
the　Sanhedrim；　and　the　structure　of　the　temple　was　with　great
diligence　brought　to　a　conclusion；　by　the　prophecies　of　Haggai
and　Zechariah；　according　to　God's　commands；　and　by　the
injunctions　of　Cyrus　and　Darius　the　kings。　Now　the　temple　was
built　in　seven　years'　time。　And　in　the　ninth　year　of　the　reign　of
Darius；　on　the　twenty…third　day　of　the　twelfth　month；　which　is　by
us　called　Adar；　but　by　the　Macedonians　Dystrus；　the　priests；　and
Levites；　and　the　other　multitude　of　the　Israelites；　offered
sacrifices；　as　the　renovation　of　their　former　prosperity　after
their　captivity；　and　because　they　had　now　the　temple　rebuilt；　a
hundred　bulls；　two　hundred　rains；　four　hundred　lambs；　and　twelve
kids　of　the　goats；　according　to　the　number　of　their　tribes；　（for
so　many　are　the　tribes　of　the　Israelites；）　and　this　last　for　the
sins　of　every　tribe。　The　priests　also　and　the　Levites　set　the
porters　at　every　gate；　according　to　the　laws　of　Moses。　The　Jews
also　built　the　cloisters　of　the　inner　temple　that　were　round
about　the　temple　itself。

8。　And　as　the　feast　of　unleavened　bread　was　at　hand；　in　the　first
month；　which；　according　to　the　Macedonians；　is　called　Xanthicus；
but　according　to　us　Nisan；　all　the　people　ran　together　out　of　the
villages　to　the　city；　and　celebrated　the　festival；　having
purified　themselves；　with　their　wives　and　children；　according　to
the　law　of　their　country；　and　they　offered　the　sacrifice　which
was　called　the　Passover；　on　the　fourteenth　day　of　the　same　month；
and　feasted　seven　days；　and　spared　for　no　cost；　but　offered　whole
burnt…offerings　to　God；　and　performed　sacrifices　of　thanksgiving；
because　God　had　led　them　again　to　the　land　of　their　fathers；　and
to　the　laws　thereto　belonging；　and　had　rendered　the　mind　of　the
king　of　Persia　favorable　to　them。　So　these　men　offered　the
largest　sacrifices　on　these　accounts；　and　used　great　magnificence
in　the　worship　of　God；　and　dwelt　in　Jerusalem；　and　made　use　of　a
form　of　government　that　was　aristocratical；　but　mixed　with　an
oligarchy；　for　the　high　priests　were　at　the　head　of　their
affairs；　until　the　posterity　of　the　Asamoneans　set　up　kingly
government；　for　before　their　captivity；　and　the　dissolution　of
their　polity；　they　at　first　had　kingly　government　from　Saul　and
David　for　five　hundred　and　thirty…two　years；　six　months；　and　ten
days；　but　before　those　kings；　such　rulers　governed　them　as　were
called　judges　and　monarchs。　Under　this　form　of　government　they
continued　for　more　than　five　hundred　years　after　the　death　of
Moses；　and　of　Joshua　their　commander。　And　this　is　the　account　I
had　to　give　of　the　Jews　who　had　been　carried　into　captivity；　but
were　delivered　from　it　in　the　times　of　Cyrus　and　Darius。

9。　（7）　But　the　Samaritans；　being　evil　and　enviously　disposed　to
the　Jews；　wrought　them　many　mischiefs；　by　reliance　on　their
riches；　and　by　their　pretense　that　they　were　allied　to　the
Persians；　on　account　that　thence　they　came；　and　whatsoever　it　was
that　they　were　enjoined　to　pay　the　Jews　by　the　king's　order　out
of　their　tributes　for　the　sacrifices；　they　would　not　pay　it。　They
had　also　the　governors　favorable　to　them；　and　assisting　them　for
that　purpose；　nor　did　they　spare　to　hurt　them；　either　by
themselves　or　by　others；　as　far　as　they　were　able。　So　the　Jews
determined　to　send　an　embassage　to　king　Darius；　in　favor　of　the
people　of　Jerusalem；　and　in　order　to　accuse　the　Samaritans。　The
ambassadors　were　Zorobabel；　and　four　others　of　the　rulers；　and　as
soon　as　the　king　knew　from　the　ambassadors　the　accusations　and
complaints　they　brought　against　the　Samaritans；　he　gave　them　an
epistle　to　be　carried　to　the　governors　and　council　of　Samaria；
the　contents　of　which　epistle　were　these：　〃King　Darius　to
Tanganas　and　Sambabas；　the　governors　of　the　Sainaritans；　to
Sadraces　and　Bobelo；　and　the　rest　of　their　fellow　servants　that
are　in　Samaria：　Zorobabel；　Ananias；　and　Mordecai；　the　ambassadors
of　the　Jews；　complain　of　you；　that　you　obstruct　them　in　the
building　of　the　temple；　and　do　not　supply　them　with　the　expenses
which　I　commanded　you　to　do　for　the　offering　their　sacrifices。　My
will　therefore　is　this；　That　upon　the　reading　of　this　epistle；
you　supply　them　with　whatsoever　they　want　for　their　sacrifices；
and　that　out　of　the　royal　treasury；　of　the　tributes　of　Samaria；
as　the　priest　shall　desire；　that　they　may　not　leave　off　offering
their　daily　sacrifices；　nor　praying　to　God　for　me　and　the
Persians。〃　And　these　were　the　contents　of　that　epistle。

CHAPTER　5。

How　Xerxes　The　Son　Of　Darius　Was　Well　Disposed　To　The　Jews；　As
Also　Concerning　Esdras　And　Nehemiah；

1。　Upon　the　death　of　Darius；　Xerxes　his　son　took　the　kingdom；
who；　as　he　inherited　his　father's　kingdom；　so　did　he　inherit　his
piety　towards　God；　and　honor　of　him；　for　he　did　all　things
suitably　to　his　father　relating　to　Divine　worship；　and　he　was
exceeding　friendly　to　the　Jews。　Now　about　this　time　a　son　of
Jeshua；　whose　name　was　Joacim；　was　the　high　priest。　Moreover；
there　was　now　in　Babylon　a　righteous　man；　and　one　that　enjoyed　a
great　reputation　among　the　multitude。　He　was　the　principal　priest
of　the　people；　and　his　name　was　Esdras。　He　was　very　skillful　in
the　laws　of　Moses；　and　was　well　acquainted　with　king　Xerxes。　He
had　determined　to　go　up　to　Jerusalem；　and　to　take　with　him　some
of　those　Jews　that　were　in　Babylon；　and　he　desired　that　the　king
would　give　him　an　epistle　to　the　governors　of　Syria；　by　which
they　might　know　who　he　was。　Accordingly；　the　king　wrote　the
following　epistle　to　those　governors：　〃Xerxes；　king　of　kings；　to
Esdras　the　priest；　and　reader　of　the　Divine　law；　greeting。　I
think　it　agreeable　to　that　love　which　I　bear　to　mankind；　to
permit　those　of　the　Jewish　nation　that　are　so　disposed；　as　well
as　those　of　the　priests　and　Levites　that　are　in　our　kingdom；　to
go　together　to　Jerusalem。　Accordingly；　I　have　given　command　for
that　purpose；　and　let　every　one　that　hath　a　mind　go；　according　as
it　hath　seemed　good　to　me；　and　to　my　seven　counselors；　and　this
in　order　to　their　review　of　the　affairs　of　Judea；　to　see　whether
they　be　agreeable　to　the　law　of　God。　Let　them　also　take　with　them
those　presents　which　I　and　my　friends　have　vowed；　with　all　that
silver　and　gold　that　is　found　in　the　country　of　the　Babylonians；
as　dedicated　to　God；　and　let　all　this　be　carried　to　Jerusalem　to
God　for　sacrifices。　Let　it　also　be　lawful　for　thee　and　thy
brethren　to　make　as　many　vessels　of　silver　and　gold　as　thou
pleasest。　Thou　shalt　also　dedicate　those　holy　vessels　which　have
been　given　thee；　and　as　many　more　as　thou　hast　a　mind　to　make；
and　shall　take　the　expenses　out　of　the　king's　treasury。　I　have；
moreover；　written　to　the　treasurers　of　Syria　and　Phoenicia；　that
they　take　care　of　those　affairs　that　Esdras　the　priest；　and
reader　of　the　laws　of　God；　is　sent　about。　And　that　God　may　not　be
at　all　angry　with　me；　or　with　my　children；　I　grant　all　that　is
necessary　for　sacrifices　to　God；　according　to　the　law；　as　far　as
a　hundred　cori　of　wheat。　And　I　enjoin　you　not　to　lay　any
treacherous　imposition；　or　any　tributes；　upon　their　priests　or
Levites；　or。　sacred　singers；　or　porters；　or　sacred　servants；　or
scribes　of　the　temple。　And　do　thou；　O　Esdras；　appoint　judges
according　to　the　wisdom　＇given　thee＇　of　God；　and　those　such　as
understand　the　law；　that　they　may　judge　in　all　Syria　and
Phoenicia；　and　do　thou　instruct　those　also　which　are　ignorant　of
it；　that　if　any　one　of　thy　countrymen　transgress　the　law　of　God；
or　that　of　the　king；　he　may　be　punished；　as　not　transgressing　it
out　of　ignorance；　but　as　one　that　knows　it　indeed；　but　boldly
despises　and　contemns　it；　and　such　may　be　punished　by　death；　or
by　paying　fines。　Farewell。〃

2。　When　Esdras　had　received　this　epistle；　he　was　very　joyful；　and
began