the antiquities of the jews-1-第162节

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out　of　Babylon　into　Phrygia。　The　epistle　was　this：

King　Antiochus　To　Zeuxis　His　Father；　Sendeth　Greeting。

〃If　you　are　in　health；　it　is　well。　I　also　am　in　health。　Having
been　informed　that　a　sedition　is　arisen　in　Lydia　and　Phrygia；　I
thought　that　matter　required　great　care；　and　upon　advising　with
my　friends　what　was　fit　to　be　done；　it　hath　been　thought　proper
to　remove　two　thousand　families　of　Jews；　with　their　effects；　out
of　Mesopotamia　and　Babylon；　unto　the　castles　and　places　that　lie
most　convenient；　for　I　am　persuaded　that　they　will　be
well…disposed　guardians　of　our　possessions；　because　of　their
piety　towards　God；　and　because　I　know　that　my　predecessors　have
borne　witness　to　them；　that　they　are　faithful；　and　with　alacrity
do　what　they　are　desired　to　do。　I　will；　therefore；　though　it　be　a
laborious　work；　that　thou　remove　these　Jews；　under　a　promise；
that　they　shall　be　permitted　to　use　their　own　laws。　And　when　thou
shalt　have　brought　them　to　the　places　forementioned；　thou　shalt
give　everyone　of　their　families　a　place　for　building　their
houses；　and　a　portion　of　the　land　for　their　husbandry；　and　for
the　plantation　of　their　vines；　and　thou　shalt　discharge　them　from
paying　taxes　of　the　fruits　of　the　earth　for　ten　years；　and　let
them　have　a　proper　quantity　of　wheat　for　the　maintenance　of　their
servants；　until　they　receive　bread　corn　out　of　the　earth；　also
let　a　sufficient　share　be　given　to　such　as　minister　to　them　in
the　necessaries　of　life；　that　by　enjoying　the　effects　of　our
humanity；　they　may　show　themselves　the　more　willing　and　ready
about　our　affairs。　Take　care　likewise　of　that　nation；　as　far　as
thou　art　able；　that　they　may　not　have　any　disturbance　given　them
by　any　one。〃　Now　these　testimonials　which　I　have　produced　are
sufficient　to　declare　the　friendship　that　Antiochus　the　Great
bare　to　the　Jews。

CHAPTER　6。

How　Antiochus　Made　A　League　With　Ptolemy　And　How　Onias　Provoked
Ptolemy　Euergetes　To　Anger；　And　How　Joseph　Brought　All　Things
Right　Again；　And　Entered　Into　Friendship　With　Him；　And　What　Other
Things　Were　Done　By　Joseph；　And　His　Son　Hyrcanus。

1。　After　this　Antiochus　made　a　friendship　and　league　with
Ptolemy；　and　gave　him　his　daughter　Cleopatra　to　wife；　and　yielded
up　to　him　Celesyria；　and　Samaria；　and　Judea；　and　Phoenicia；　by
way　of　dowry。　And　upon　the　division　of　the　taxes　between　the　two
kings；　all　the　principal　men　framed　the　taxes　of　their　several
countries；　and　collecting　the　sum　that　was　settled　for　them；　paid
the　same　to　the　＇two＇　kings。　Now　at　this　time　the　Samaritans　were
in　a　flourishing　condition；　and　much　distressed　the　Jews；　cutting
off　parts　of　their　land；　and　carrying　off　slaves。　This　happened
when　Onias　was　high　priest；　for　after　Eleazar's　death；　his　uncle
Manasseh　took　the　priesthood；　and　after　he　had　ended　his　life；
Onias　received　that　dignity。　He　was　the　son　of　Simon；　who　was
called　The　Just：　which　Simon　was　the　brother　of　Eleazar；　as　I
said　before。　This　Onias　was　one　of　a　little　soul；　and　a　great
lover　of　money；　and　for　that　reason；　because　he　did　not　pay　that
tax　of　twenty　talents　of　silver；　which　his　forefathers　paid　to
these　things　out　of　their　own　estates；　he　provoked　king　Ptolemy
Euergetes　to　anger；　who　was　the　father　of　Philopater。　Euergetes
sent　an　ambassador　to　Jerusalem；　and　complained　that　Onias　did
not　pay　his　taxes；　and　threatened；　that　if　he　did　not　receive
them；　he　would　seize　upon　their　land；　and　send　soldiers　to　live
upon　it。　When　the　Jews　heard　this　message　of　the　king；　they　were
confounded；　but　so　sordidly　covetous　was　Onias；　that　nothing　of
things　nature　made　him　ashamed。

2。　There　was　now　one　Joseph；　young　in　age；　but　of　great
reputation　among　the　people　of　Jerusalem；　for　gravity；　prudence；
and　justice。　His　father's　name　was　Tobias；　and　his　mother　was　the
sister　of　Onias　the　high　priest；　who　informed　him　of　the　coming
of　the　ambassador；　for　he　was　then　sojourning　at　a　village　named
Phicol；　（13）　where　he　was　born。　Hereupon　he　came　to　the　city
＇Jerusalem＇；　and　reproved　Onias　for　not　taking　care　of　the
preservation　of　his　countrymen；　but　bringing　the　nation　into
dangers；　by　not　paying　this　money。　For　which　preservation　of
them；　he　told　him　he　had　received　the　authority　over　them；　and
had　been　made　high　priest；　but　that；　in　case　he　was　so　great　a
lover　of　money；　as　to　endure　to　see　his　country　in　danger　on　that
account；　and　his　countrymen　suffer　the　greatest　damages；　he
advised　him　to　go　to　the　king；　and　petition　him　to　remit　either
the　whole　or　a　part　of　the　sum　demanded。　Onias's　answer　was　this：
That　he　did　not　care　for　his　authority；　and　that　he　was　ready；　if
the　thing　were　practicable；　to　lay　down　his　high　priesthood；　and
that　he　would　not　go　to　the　king；　because　he　troubled　not　himself
at　all　about　such　matters。　Joseph　then　asked　him　if　he　would　not
give　him　leave　to　go　ambassador　on　behalf　of　the　nation。　He
replied；　that　he　would　give　him　leave。　Upon　which　Joseph　went　up
into　the　temple；　and　called　the　multitude　together　to　a
congregation；　and　exhorted　them　not　to　be　disturbed　nor
aftrighted；　because　of　his　uncle　Onias's　carelessness；　but
desired　them　to　be　at　rest；　and　not　terrify　themselves　with　fear
about　it；　for　he　promised　them　that　he　would　be　their　ambassador
to　the　king；　and　persuade　him　that　they　had　done　him　no　wrong。
And　when　the　multitude　heard　this；　they　returned　thanks　to
Joseph。　So　he　went　down　from　the　temple；　and　treated　Ptolemy's
ambassador　in　a　hospitable　manner。　He　also　presented　him　with
rich　gifts；　and　feasted　him　magnificently　for　many　days；　and　then
sent　him　to　the　king　before　him；　and　told　him　that　he　would　soon
follow　him；　for　he　was　now　more　willing　to　go　to　the　king；　by　the
encouragement　of　the　ambassador；　who　earnestly　persuaded　him　to
come　into　Egypt；　and　promised　him　that　he　would　take　care　that　he
should　obtain　every　thing　that　he　desired　of　Ptolemy；　for　he　was
highly　pleased　with　his　frank　and　liberal　temper；　and　with　the
gravity　of　his　deportment。

3。　When　Ptolemy's　ambassador　was　come　into　Egypt；　he　told　the
king　of　the　thoughtless　temper　of　Onias；　and　informed　him　of　the
goodness　of　the　disposition　of　Joseph；　and　that　he　was　coming　to
him　to　excuse　the　multitude；　as　not　having　done　him　any　harm；　for
that　he　was　their　patron。　In　short；　he　was　so　very　large　in　his
encomiums　upon　the　young　man；　that　he　disposed　both　the　king　and
his　wife　Cleopatra　to　have　a　kindness　for　him　before　he　came。　So
Joseph　sent　to　his　friends　at　Samaria；　and　borrowed　money　of
them；　and　got　ready　what　was　necessary　for　his　journey；　garments
and　cups；　and　beasts　for　burden；　which　amounted　to　about　twenty
thousand　drachmae；　and　went　to　Alexandria。　Now　it　happened　that
at　this　time　all　the　principal　men　and　rulers　went　up　out　of　the
cities　of　Syria　and　Phoenicia；　to　bid　for　their　taxes；　for　every
year　the　king　sold　them　to　the　men　of　the　greatest　power　in　every
city。　So　these　men　saw　Joseph　journeying　on　the　way；　and　laughed
at　him　for　his　poverty　and　meanness。　But　when　he　came　to
Alexandria；　and　heard　that　king　Ptolemy　was　at　Memphis；　be　went
up　thither　to　meet　with　him；　which　happened　as　the　king　was
sitting　in　his　chariot；　with　his　wife；　and　with　his　friend
Athenion；　who　was　the　very　person　who　had　been　ambassador　at
Jerusalem；　and　had　been　entertained　by　Joseph。　As　soon　therefore
as　Athenion　saw　him；　he　presently　made　him　known　to　the　king；　how
good　and　generous　a　young　man　he　was。　So　Ptolemy　saluted　him
first；　and　desired　him　to　come　up　into　his　chariot；　and　as　Joseph
sat　there；　he　began　to　complain　of　the　management　of　Onias：　to
which　he　answered；　〃Forgive　him；　on　account　of　his　age；　for　thou
canst　not　certainly　be　unacquainted　with　this；　that　old　men　and
infants　have　their　minds　exactly　alike；　but　thou　shalt　have　from
us；　who　are　young　men；　every　thing　thou　desirest；　and　shalt　have
no　cause　to　complain。〃　With　this　good　humor　and　pleasantry　of　the
young　man；　the　king　was　so　delighted；　that　he　began　already；　as
though　he　had　had　long　experience　of　him；　to　have　a　still　greater
affection　for　him；　insomuch　that　he　bade　him　take　his　diet　in　the
king's　palace；　and　be　a　guest　at　his　own　table　every　day。　But
when　the　king　was　come　to　Alexandria；　the　principal　men　of　Syria
saw　him　sitting　with　the　king；　and　were　much　offended　at　it。

4。　And　when　the　day　came　on　which　the　king　was　to　let　the　taxes
of　the　cities　to　farm；　and　those　that　were　the　principal　men　of
dignity　in　their　several　countries　were　to　bid　for　them；　the　sum
of　the　taxes　together；　of　Celesyria；　and　Phoenicia；　and　Judea；
with　Samaria；　＇as　they　were　bidden　for；＇　came　to　eight　thousand
talents。　Hereupon　Joseph　accused　the　bidders；　as　having　agreed
together　to　estimate　the　value　of　the　taxes　at　too　low　a　rate；
and　he　promised　that　he　would　himself　give　twice　as　much　for
them：　but　for　those　who　did　not　pay；　he　would　send　the　king　home
their　whole　substance；　for　this　privilege　was　sold　together　with
the　taxes　themselves。　The　king　was　pleased　to　hear　that　offer；
and　because　it　augmented　his　revenues；　he　said　he　would　confirm
the　sale　of　the　taxes　to　him。　But　when　he　asked　him　this
question；　Whether　he　had　any　sureties　that　would　be　bound　for　the
payment　of　the　money？　he　answer