the antiquities of the jews-1-第168节

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five　and　twentieth　day　of　the　month　Casleu；　which　the　Macedonians
call　Apeliens；　they　lighted　the　lamps　that　were　on　the
candlestick；　and　offered　incense　upon　the　altar　＇of　incense＇；　and
laid　the　loaves　upon　the　table　＇of　shew…bread＇；　and　offered
burnt…offerings　upon　the　new　altar　＇of　burnt…offering＇。　Now　it　so
fell　out；　that　these　things　were　done　on　the　very　same　day　on
which　their　Divine　worship　had　fallen　off；　and　was　reduced　to　a
profane　and　common　use；　after　three　years'　time；　for　so　it　was；
that　the　temple　was　made　desolate　by　Antiochus；　and　so　continued
for　three　years。　This　desolation　happened　to　the　temple　in　the
hundred　forty　and　fifth　year；　on　the　twenty…fifth　day　of　the
month　Apeliens；　and　on　the　hundred　fifty　and　third　olympiad：　but
it　was　dedicated　anew；　on　the　same　day；　the　twenty…fifth　of　the
month　Apeliens；　on　the　hundred　and　forty…eighth　year；　and　on　the
hundred　and　fifty…fourth　olympiad。　And　this　desolation　came　to
pass　according　to　the　prophecy　of　Daniel；　which　was　given　four
hundred　and　eight　years　before；　for　he　declared　that　the
Macedonians　would　dissolve　that　worship　＇for　some　time＇。

7。　Now　Judas　celebrated　the　festival　of　the　restoration　of　the
sacrifices　of　the　temple　for　eight　days；　and　omitted　no　sort　of
pleasures　thereon；　but　he　feasted　them　upon　very　rich　and
splendid　sacrifices；　and　he　honored　God；　and　delighted　them　by
hymns　and　psalms。　Nay；　they　were　so　very　glad　at　the　revival　of
their　customs；　when；　after　a　long　time　of　intermission；　they
unexpectedly　had　regained　the　freedom　of　their　worship；　that　they
made　it　a　law　for　their　posterity；　that　they　should　keep　a
festival；　on　account　of　the　restoration　of　their　temple　worship；
for　eight　days。　And　from　that　time　to　this　we　celebrate　this
festival；　and　call　it　Lights。　I　suppose　the　reason　was；　because
this　liberty　beyond　our　hopes　appeared　to　us；　and　that　thence　was
the　name　given　to　that　festival。　Judas　also　rebuilt　the　walls
round　about　the　city；　and　reared　towers　of　great　height　against
the　incursions　of　enemies；　and　set　guards　therein。　He　also
fortified　the　city　Bethsura；　that　it　might　serve　as　a　citadel
against　any　distresses　that　might　come　from　our　enemies。

CHAPTER　8。

How　Judas　Subdued　The　Nations　Round　About；　And　How　Simon　Beat　The
People　Of　Tyre　And　Ptolemais；　And　How　Judas　Overcame　Timotheus；
And　Forced　Him　To　Fly　Away；　And　Did　Many　Other　Things　After
Joseph　And　Azarias　Had　Been　Beaten

1。　When　these　things　were　over；　the　nations　round　about　the　Jews
were　very　uneasy　at　the　revival　of　their　power；　and　rose　up
together；　and　destroyed　many　of　them；　as　gaining　advantage　over
them　by　laying　snares　for　them；　and　making　secret　conspiracies
against　them。　Judas　made　perpetual　expeditions　against　these　men；
and　endeavored　to　restrain　them　from　those　incursions；　and　to
prevent　the　mischiefs　they　did　to　the　Jews。　So　he　fell　upon　the
Idumeans；　the　posterity　of　Esau；　at　Acrabattene；　and　slew　a　great
many　of　them；　and　took　their　spoils。　He　also　shut　up　the　sons　of
Bean；　that　laid　wait　for　the　Jews；　and　he　sat　down　about　them；
and　besieged　them；　and　burnt　their　towers；　and　destroyed　the　men
＇that　were　in　them＇。　After　this　he　went　thence　in　haste　against
the　Ammonites；　who　had　a　great　and　a　numerous　army；　of　which
Timotheus　was　the　commander。　And　when　he　had　subdued　them；　he
seized　on　the　city　Jazer；　and　took　their　wives　and　their　children
captives；　and　burnt　the　city；　and　then　returned　into　Judea。　But
when　the　neighboring　nations　understood　that　he　was　returned；
they　got　together　in　great　numbers　in　the　land　of　Gilead；　and
came　against　those　Jews　that　were　at　their　borders；　who　then　fled
to　the　garrison　of　Dathema；　and　sent　to　Judas；　to　inform　him　that
Timotheus　was　endeavoring　to　take　the　place　whither　they　were
fled。　And　as　these　epistles　were　reading；　there　came　other
messengers　out　of　Galilee；　who　informed　him　that　the　inhabitants
of　Ptolemais；　and　of　Tyre　and　Sidon；　and　strangers　of　Galilee；
were　gotten　together。

2。　Accordingly　Judas；　upon　considering　what　was　fit　to　be　done；
with　relation　to　the　necessity　both　these　cases　required；　gave
order　that　Simon　his　brother　should　take　three　thousand　chosen
men；　and　go　to　the　assistance　of　the　Jews　in　Galilee；　while　he
and　another　of　his　brothers；　Jonathan；　made　haste　into　the　land
of　Gilead；　with　eight　thousand　soldiers。　And　he　left　Joseph；　the
son　of　Zacharias；　and　Azarias；　to　be　over　the　rest　of　the　forces；
and　charged　them　to　keep　Judea　very　carefully；　and　to　fight　no
battles　with　any　persons　whomsoever　until　his　return。
Accordingly；　Simon…went　into　Galilee；　and　fought　the　enemy；　and
put　them　to　flight；　and　pursued　them　to　the　very　gates　of
Ptolemais；　and　slew　about　three　thousand　of　them；　and　took　the
spoils　of　those　that　were　slain；　and　those　Jews　whom　they　had
made　captives；　with　their　baggage；　and　then　returned　home。

3。　Now　as　for　Judas　Maccabeus；　and　his　brother　Jonathan；　they
passed　over　the　river　Jordan；　and　when　they　had　gone　three　days
journey；　they　lighted　upon　the　Nabateans；　who　came　to　meet　them
peaceably；　and　who　told　them　how　the　affairs　of　those　in　the　land
of　Gilead　stood；　and　how　many　of　them　were　in　distress；　and
driven　into　garrisons；　and　into　the　cities　of　Galilee；　and
exhorted　him　to　make　haste　to　go　against　the　foreigners；　and　to
endeavor　to　save　his　own　countrymen　out　of　their　hands。　To　this
exhortation　Judas　hearkened；　and　returned　to　the　wilderness；　and
in　the　first　place　fell　upon　the　inhabitants　of　Bosor；　and　took
the　city；　and　beat　the　inhabitants；　and　destroyed　all　the　males；
and　all　that　were　able　to　fight；　and　burnt　the　city。　Nor　did　he
stop　even　when　night　came　on；　but　he　journeyed　in　it　to　the
garrison　where　the　Jews　happened　to　be　then　shut　up；　and　where
Timotheus　lay　round　the　place　with　his　army。　And　Judas　came　upon
the　city　in　the　morning；　and　when　he　found　that　the　enemy　were
making　an　assault　upon　the　walls；　and　that　some　of　them　brought
ladders；　on　which　they　might　get　upon　those　walls；　and　that
others　brought　engines　＇to　batter　them＇；　he　bid　the　trumpeter　to
sound　his　trumpet；　and　he　encouraged　his　soldiers　cheerfully　to
undergo　dangers　for　the　sake　of　their　brethren　and　kindred；　he
also　parted　his　army　into　three　bodies；　and　fell　upon　the　backs
of　their　enemies。　But　when　Timotheus's　men　perceived　that　it　was
Maccabeus　that　was　upon　them；　of　both　whose　courage　and　good
success　in　war　they　had　formerly　had　sufficient　experience；　they
were　put　to　flight；　but　Judas　followed　them　with　his　army；　and
slew　about　eight　thousand　of　them。　He　then　turned　aside　to　a　city
of　the　foreigners　called　Malle；　and　took　it；　and　slew　all　the
males；　and　burnt　the　city　itself。　He　then　removed　from　thence；
and　overthrew　Casphom　and　Bosor；　and　many　other　cities　of　the
land　of　Gilead。

4。　But　not　long　after　this；　Timotheus　prepared　a　great　army；　and
took　many　others　as　auxiliaries；　and　induced　some　of　the
Arabians；　by　the　promise　of　rewards；　to　go　with　him　in　this
expedition；　and　came　with　his　army　beyond　the　brook；　over　against
the　city　Raphon；　and　he　encouraged　his　soldiers；　if　it　came　to　a
battle　with　the　Jews；　to　fight　courageously；　and　to　hinder　their
passing　over　the　brook；　for　he　said　to　them　beforehand；　that　〃if
they　come　over　it；　we　shall　be　beaten。〃　And　when　Judas　heard　that
Timotheus　prepared　himself　to　fight；　he　took　all　his　own　army；
and　went　in　haste　against　Timotheus　his　enemy；　and　when　he　had
passed　over　the　brook；　he　fell　upon　his　enemies；　and　some　of　them
met　him；　whom　he　slew；　and　others　of　them　he　so　terrified；　that
he　compelled　them　to　throw　down　their　arms　and　fly；　and　some　of
them　escaped；　but　some　of　them　fled　to　what　was　called　the　Temple
of　Camaim；　and　hoped　thereby　to　preserve　themselves；　but　Judas
took　the　city；　and　slew　them；　and　burnt　the　temple；　and　so　used
several　ways　of　destroying　his　enemies。

5。　When　he　had　done　this；　he　gathered　the　Jews　together；　with
their　children　and　wives；　and　the　substance　that　belonged　to
them；　and　was　going　to　bring　them　back　into　Judea；　but　as　soon　as
he　was　come　to　a　certain　city；　whose　name　was　Ephron；　that　lay
upon　the　road；　（and　it　was　not　possible　for　him　to　go　any　other
way；　so　he　was　not　willing　to　go　back　again；）　he　then　sent　to　the
inhabitants；　and　desired　that　they　would　open　their　gates；　and
permit　them　to　go　on　their　way　through　the　city；　for　they　had
stopped　up　the　gates　with　stones；　and　cut　off　their　passage
through　it。　And　when　the　inhabitants　of　Ephron　would　not　agree　to
this　proposal；　he　encouraged　those　that　were　with　him；　and
encompassed　the　city　round；　and　besieged　it；　and；　lying　round　it
by　day　and　night；　took　the　city；　and　slew　every　male　in　it；　and
burnt　it　all　down；　and　so　obtained　a　way　through　it；　and　the
multitude　of　those　that　were　slain　was　so　great；　that　they　went
over　the　dead　bodies。　So　they　came　over　Jordan；　and　arrived　at
the　great　plain；　over　against　which　is　situate　the　city　Bethshah；
which　is　called　by　the　Greeks　Scythopolis。　（20）　And　going　away
hastily　from　thence；　they　came　into　Judea；　singing　psalms　and
hymns　as　they　went；　and　indulging　such　tokens　of　mirth　as　are
usual　in　triumphs　upon　victory。　They　also　offered
thank…offerings；　both　for