the antiquities of the jews-1-第157节

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Gerizzim。

CHAPTER　2。

How　Ptolemy　Philadelphus　Procured　The　Laws　Of　The　Jews　To　Be
Translated　Into　The　Greek　Tongue　And　Set　Many　Captives　Free；　And
Dedicated　Many　Gifts　To　God。

1。　When　Alexander　had　reigned　twelve　years；　and　after　him　Ptolemy
Soter　forty　years；　Philadelphus　then　took　the　kingdom　of　Egypt；
and　held　it　forty　years　within　one。　He　procured　the　law　to　be
interpreted；　and　set　free　those　that　were　come　from　Jerusalem
into　Egypt；　and　were　in　slavery　there；　who　were　a　hundred　and
twenty　thousand。　The　occasion　was　this：　Demetrius　Phalerius；　who
was　library　keeper　to　the　king；　was　now　endeavoring；　if　it　were
possible；　to　gather　together　all　the　books　that　were　in　the
habitable　earth；　and　buying　whatsoever　was　any　where　valuable；　or
agreeable　to　the　king's　inclination；　（who　was　very　earnestly　set
upon　collecting　of　books；）　to　which　inclination　of　his　Demetrius
was　zealously　subservient。　And　when　once　Ptolemy　asked　him　how
many　ten　thousands　of　books　he　had　collected；　he　replied；　that　he
had　already　about　twenty　times　ten　thousand；　but　that；　in　a
little　time；　he　should　have　fifty　times　ten　thousand。　But　be　said
he　had　been　informed　that　there　were　many　books　of　laws　among　the
Jews　worthy　of　inquiring　after；　and　worthy　of　the　king's　library；
but　which；　being　written　in　characters　and　in　a　dialect　of　their
own；　will　cause　no　small　pains　in　getting　them　translated　into
the　Greek　tongue；　（3）　that　the　character　in　which　they　are
written　seems　to　be　like　to　that　which　is　the　proper　character　of
the　Syrians；　and　that　its　sound；　when　pronounced；　is　like　theirs
also；　and　that　this　sound　appears　to　be　peculiar　to　themselves。
Wherefore　he　said　that　nothing　hindered　why　they　might　not　get
those　books　to　be　translated　also；　for　while　nothing　is　wanting
that　is　necessary　for　that　purpose；　we　may　have　their　books　also
in　this　library。　So　the　king　thought　that　Demetrius　was　very
zealous　to　procure　him　abundance　of　books；　and　that　he　suggested
what　was　exceeding　proper　for　him　to　do；　and　therefore　he　wrote
to　the　Jewish　high　priest；　that　he　should　act　accordingly。

2。　Now　there　was　one　Aristeus；　who　was　among　the　king's　most
intimate　friends；　and　on　account　of　his　modesty　very　acceptable
to　him。　This　Aristeus　resolved　frequently；　and　that　before　now；
to　petition　the　king　that　he　would　set　all　the　captive　Jews　in
his　kingdom　free；　and　he　thought　this　to　be　a　convenient
opportunity　for　the　making　that　petition。　So　he　discoursed；　in
the　first　place；　with　the　captains　of　the　king's　guards；　Sosibius
of　Tarentum；　and　Andreas；　and　persuaded　them　to　assist　him　in
what　he　was　going　to　intercede　with　the　king　for。　Accordingly
Aristeus　embraced　the　same　opinion　with　those　that　have　been
before　mentioned；　and　went　to　the　king；　and　made　the　following
speech　to　him：　〃It　is　not　fit　for　us；　O　king；　to　overlook　things
hastily；　or　to　deceive　ourselves；　but　to　lay　the　truth　open。　For
since　we　have　determined　not　only　to　get　the　laws　of　the　Jews
transcribed；　but　interpreted　also；　for　thy　satisfaction；　by　what
means　can　we　do　this；　while　so　many　of　the　Jews　are　now　slaves　in
thy　kingdom？　Do　thou　then　what　will　be　agreeable　to　thy
magnanimity；　and　to　thy　good　nature：　free　them　from　the　miserable
condition　they　are　in；　because　that　God；　who　supporteth　thy
kingdom；　was　the　author　of　their　laws　as　I　have　learned　by
particular　inquiry；　for　both　these　people；　and　we　also；　worship
the　same　God　the　framer　of　all　things。　We　call　him；　and　that
truly；　by　the　name　of　GREEK；　＇or　life；　or　Jupiter；＇　because　he
breathes　life　into　all　men。　Wherefore　do　thou　restore　these　men
to　their　own　country；　and　this　do　to　the　honor　of　God；　because
these　men　pay　a　peculiarly　excellent　worship　to　him。　And　know
this　further；　that　though　I　be　not　of　kin　to　them　by　birth；　nor
one　of　the　same　country　with　them；　yet　do　I　desire　these　favors
to　be　done　them；　since　all　men　are　the　workmanship　of　God；　and　I
am　sensible　that　he　is　well…pleased　with　those　that　do　good。　I　do
therefore　put　up　this　petition　to　thee；　to　do　good　to　them。〃

3。　When　Aristeus　was　saying　thus；　the　king　looked　upon　him　with　a
cheerful　and　joyful　countenance；　and　said；　〃How　many　ten
thousands　dost　thou　suppose　there　are　of　such　as　want　to　be　made
free？〃　To　which　Andreas　replied；　as　he　stood　by；　and　said；〃　A　few
more　than　ten　times　ten　thousand。〃　The　king　made　answer；　〃And　is
this　a　small　gift　that　thou　askest；　Aristeus？〃　But　Sosibius；　and
the　rest　that　stood　by；　said　that　he　ought　to　offer　such　a
thank…offering　as　was　worthy　of　his　greatness　of　soul；　to　that
God　who　had　given　him　his　kingdom。　With　this　answer　he　was　much
pleased；　and　gave　order；　that　when　they　paid　the　soldiers　their
wages；　they　should　lay　down　＇a　hundred　and＇　twenty　drachmas　（4）
for　every　one　of　the　slaves？　And　he　promised　to　publish　a
magnificent　decree；　about　what　they　requested；　which　should
confirm　what　Aristeus　had　proposed；　and　especially　what　God
willed　should　be　done；　whereby　he　said　he　would　not　only　set
those　free　who　had　been　led　away　captive　by　his　father　and　his
army；　but　those　who　were　in　this　kingdom　before；　and　those　also；
if　any　such　there　were；　who　had　been　brought　away　since。　And　when
they　said　that　their　redemption　money　would　amount　to　above　four
hundred　talents；　he　granted　it。　A　copy　of　which　decree　I　have
determined　to　preserve；　that　the　magnanimity　of　this　king　may　be
made　known。　Its　contents　were　as　follows：　〃Let　ail　those　who　were
soldiers　under　our　father；　and　who；　when　they　overran　Syria　and
Phoenicia；　and　laid　waste　Judea；　took　the　Jews　captives；　and　made
them　slaves；　and　brought　them　into　our　cities；　and　into　this
country；　and　then　sold　them；　as　also　all　those　that　were　in　my
kingdom　before　them；　and　if　there　be　any　that　have　been　lately
brought　thither；　…　be　made　free　by　those　that　possess　them；　and
let　them　accept　of　＇a　hundred　and＇　twenty　drachmas　for　every
slave。　And　let　the　soldiers　receive　this　redemption　money　with
their　pay；　but　the　rest　out　of　the　king's　treasury：　for　I　suppose
that　they　were　made　captives　without　our　father's　consent；　and
against　equity；　and　that　their　country　was　harassed　by　the
insolence　of　the　soldiers；　and　that；　by　removing　them　into　Egypt；
the　soldiers　have　made　a　great　profit　by　them。　Out　of　regard
therefore　to　justice；　and　out　of　pity　to　those　that　have　been
tyrannized　over；　contrary　to　equity；　I　enjoin　those　that　have
such　Jews　in　their　service　to　set　them　at　liberty；　upon　the
receipt　of　the　before…mentioned　sum；　and　that　no　one　use　any
deceit　about　them；　but　obey　what　is　here　commanded。　And　I　will
that　they　give　in　their　names　within　three　days　after　the
publication　of　this　edict；　to　such　as　are　appointed　to　execute
the　same；　and　to　produce　the　slaves　before　them　also；　for　I　think
it　will　be　for　the　advantage　of　my　affairs。　And　let　every　one
that　will　inform　against　those　that　do　not　obey　this　decree；　and
I　will　that　their　estates　be　confiscated　into　the　king's
treasury。〃　When　this　decree　was　read　to　the　king；　it　at　first
contained　the　rest　that　is　here　inserted；　and　omitted　only　those
Jews　that　had　formerly　been　brought；　and　those　brought
afterwards；　which　had　not　been　distinctly　mentioned；　so　he　added
these　clauses　out　of　his　humanity；　and　with　great　generosity。　He
also　gave　order　that　the　payment；　which　was　likely　to　be　done　in
a　hurry；　should　be　divided　among　the　king's　ministers；　and　among
the　officers　of　his　treasury。　When　this　was　over；　what　the　king
had　decreed　was　quickly　brought　to　a　conclusion；　and　this　in　no
more　than　seven　days'　time；　the　number　of　the　talents　paid　for
the　captives　being　above　four　hundred　and　sixty；　and　this；
because　their　masters　required　the　＇hundred　and＇　twenty　drachmas
for　the　children　also；　the　king　having；　in　effect；　commanded　that
these　should　be　paid　for；　when　he　said　in　his　decree；　that　they
should　receive　the　forementioned　sum　for　every　slave。

4。　Now　when　this　had　been　done　after　so　magnificent　a　manner；
according　to　the　king's　inclinations；　he　gave　order　to　Demetrius
to　give　him　in　writing　his　sentiments　concerning　the　transcribing
of　the　Jewish　books；　for　no　part　of　the　administration　is　done
rashly　by　these　kings；　but　all　things　are　managed　with　great
circumspection。　On　which　account　I　have　subjoined　a　copy　of　these
epistles；　and　set　down　the　multitude　of　the　vessels　sent　as　gifts
＇to　Jerusalem＇；　and　the　construction　of　every　one；　that　the
exactness　of　the　artificers'　workmanship；　as　it　appeared　to　those
that　saw　them；　and　which　workman　made　every　vessel；　may　be　made
manifest；　and。　this　on　account　of　the　excellency　of　the　vessels
themselves。　Now　the　copy　of　the　epistle　was　to　this　purpose：
〃Demetrius　to　the　great　king。　When　thou；　O　king；　gavest　me　a
charge　concerning　the　collection　of　books　that　were　wanting　to
fill　your　library；　and　concerning　the　care　that　ought　to　be　taken
about　such　as　are　imperfect；　I　have　used　the　utmost　diligence
about　those　matters。　And　I　let　you　know；　that　we　want　the　books
of　the　Jewish　legislation；　with　some　others；　for　they　are　written
in　the　Hebrew　characters；　and　being　in　the　language　of　that
nation；　are　to　us　unknown。　It　hath　also　happened　to　them；　that
they　have　been　transcribe