the antiquities of the jews-1-第229节

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account　of　my　regard　to　that　piety　which　I　exercise　toward　all
mankind；　and　out　of　regard　to　Caius　Marcus　Censorinus；　together
with　the　present　decree；　be　proposed　in　that　most　eminent　place
which　hath　been　consecrated　to　me　by　the　community　of　Asia　at
Ancyra。　And　if　any　one　transgress　any　part　of　what　is　above
decreed；　he　shall　be　severely　punished。〃　This　was　inscribed　upon
a　pillar　in　the　temple　of　Caesar。

3。　〃Caesar　to　Norbanus　Flaccus；　sendeth　greeting。　Let　those　Jews；
how　many　soever　they　be；　who　have　been　used；　according　to　their
ancient　custom；　to　send　their　sacred　money　to　Jerusalem；　do　the
same　freely。〃　These　were　the　decrees　of　Caesar。

4。　Agrippa　also　did　himself　write　after　the　manner　following；　on
behalf　of　the　Jews：　〃Agrippa；　to　the　magistrates；　senate；　and
people　of　the　Ephesians；　sendeth　greeting。　I　will　that　the　care
and　custody　of　the　sacred　money　that　is　carried　to　the　temple　at
Jerusalem　be　left　to　the　Jews　of　Asia；　to　do　with　it　according　to
their　ancient　custom；　and　that　such　as　steal　that　sacred　money　of
the　Jews；　and　fly　to　a　sanctuary；　shall　be　taken　thence　and
delivered　to　the　Jews；　by　the　same　law　that　sacrilegious　persons
are　taken　thence。　I　have　also　written　to　Sylvanus　the　praetor；
that　no　one　compel　the　Jews　to　come　before　a　judge　on　the　sabbath
day。〃

5。　〃Marcus　Agrippa　to　the　magistrates；　senate；　and　people　of
Cyrene；　sendeth　greeting。　The　Jews　of　Cyrene　have　interceded　with
me　for　the　performance　of　what　Augustus　sent　orders　about　to
Flavius；　the　then　praetor　of　Libya；　and　to　the　other　procurators
of　that　province；　that　the　sacred　money　may　be　sent　to　Jerusalem
freely；　as　hath　been　their　custom　from　their　forefathers；　they
complaining　that　they　are　abused　by　certain　informers；　and　under
pretense　of　taxes　which　were　not　due；　are　hindered　from　sending
them；　which　I　command　to　be　restored　without　any　diminution　or
disturbance　given　to　them。　And　if　any　of　that　sacred　money　in　the
cities　be　taken　from　their　proper　receivers；　I　further　enjoin；
that　the　same　be　exactly　returned　to　the　Jews　in　that　place。〃

6。　〃Caius　Norbanus　Flaccus；　proconsul；　to　the　magistrates　of　the
Sardians；　sendeth　greeting。　Caesar　hath　written　to　me；　and
commanded　me　not　to　forbid　the　Jews；　how　many　soever　they　be；
from　assembling　together　according　to　the　custom　of　their
forefathers；　nor　from　sending　their　money　to　Jerusalem。　I　have
therefore　written　to　you；　that　you　may　know　that　both　Caesar　and
I　would　have　you　act　accordingly。〃

7。　Nor　did　Julius　Antonius；　the　proconsul；　write　otherwise。　〃To
the　magistrates；　senate；　and　people　of　the　Ephesians；　sendeth
greeting。　As　I　was　dispensing　justice　at　Ephesus；　on　the　Ides　of
February；　the　Jews　that　dwell　in　Asia　demonstrated　to　me　that
Augustus　and　Agrippa　had　permitted　them　to　use　their　own　laws　and
customs；　and　to　offer　those　their　first…fruits；　which　every　one
of　them　freely　offers　to　the　Deity　on　account　of　piety；　and　to
carry　them　in　a　company　together　to　Jerusalem　without
disturbance。　They　also　petitioned　me　that　I　also　would　confirm
what　had　been　granted　by　Augustus　and　Agrippa　by　my　own　sanction。
I　would　therefore　have　you　take　notice；　that　according　to　the
will　of　Augustus　and　Agrippa；　I　permit　them　to　use　and　do
according　to　the　customs　of　their　forefathers　without
disturbance。〃

8。　I　have　been　obliged　to　set　down　these　decree　because　the
present　history　of　our　own　acts　will　go　generally　among　the
Greeks；　and　I　have　hereby　demonstrated　to　them　that　we　have
formerly　been　in　great　esteem；　and　have　not　been　prohibited　by
those　governors　we　were　under　from　keeping　any　of　the　laws　of　our
forefathers；　nay；　that　we　have　been　supported　by　them；　while　we
followed　our　own　religion；　and　the　worship　we　paid　to　God；　and　I
frequently　make　mention　of　these　decrees；　in　order　to　reconcile
other　people　to　us；　and　to　take　away　the　causes　of　that　hatred
which　unreasonable　men　bear　to　us。　As　for　our　customs　（9）　there
is　no　nation　which　always　makes　use　of　the　same；　and　in　every
city　almost　we　meet　with　them　different　from　one　another；　but
natural　justice　is　most　agreeable　to　the　advantage　of　all　men
equally；　both　Greeks　and　barbarians；　to　which　our　laws　have　the
greatest　regard；　and　thereby　render　us；　if　we　abide　in　them　after
a　pure　manner；　benevolent　and　friendly　to　all　men；　on　which
account　we　have　reason　to　expect　the　like　return　from　others；　and
to　inform　them　that　they　ought　not　to　esteem　difference　of
positive　institutions　a　sufficient　cause　of　alienation；　but　＇join
with　us　in＇　the　pursuit　of　virtue　and　probity；　for　this　belongs
to　all　men　in　common；　and　of　itself　alone　is　sufficient　for　the
preservation　of　human　life。　I　now　return　to　the　thread　of　my
history。

CHAPTER　7。

How；　Upon　Herod's　Going　Down　Into　David's　Sepulcher；　The　Sedition
In　His　Family　Greatly　Increased。

1。　As　for　Herod；　he　had　spent　vast　sums　about　the　cities；　both
without　and　within　his　own　kingdom；　and　as　he　had　before　heard
that　Hyrcanus；　who　had　been　king　before　him；　had　opened　David's
sepulcher；　and　taken　out　of　it　three　thousand　talents　of　silver；
and　that　there　was　a　much　greater　number　left　behind；　and　indeed
enough　to　suffice　all　his　wants；　he　had　a　great　while　an
intention　to　make　the　attempt；　and　at　this　time　he　opened　that
sepulcher　by　night；　and　went　into　it；　and　endeavored　that　it
should　not　be　at　all　known　in　the　city；　but　took　only　his　most
faithful　friends　with　him。　As　for　any　money；　he　found　none；　as
Hyrcanus　had　done；　but　that　furniture　of　gold；　and　those　precious
goods　that　were　laid　up　there；　all　which　he　took　away。　However；
he　had　a　great　desire　to　make　a　more　diligent　search；　and　to　go
farther　in；　even　as　far　as　the　very　bodies　of　David　and　Solomon；
where　two　of　his　guards　were　slain；　by　a　flame　that　burst　out
upon　those　that　went　in；　as　the　report　was。　So　he　was　terribly
aftrighted；　and　went　out；　and　built　a　propitiatory　monument　of
that　fright　he　had　been　in；　and　this　of　white　stone；　at　the　mouth
of　the　sepulcher；　and　that　at　great　expense　also。　And　even
Nicolaus　（10）　his　historiographer　makes　mention　of　this　monument
built　by　Herod；　though　he　does　not　mention　his　going　down　into
the　sepulcher；　as　knowing　that　action　to　be　of　ill　repute；　and
many　other　things　he　treats　of　in　the　same　manner　in　his　book；
for　he　wrote　in　Herod's　lifetime；　and　under　his　reign；　and　so　as
to　please　him；　and　as　a　servant　to　him；　touching　upon　nothing　but
what　tended　to　his　glory；　and　openly　excusing　many　of　his
notorious　crimes；　and　very　diligently　concealing　them。　And　as　he
was　desirous　to　put　handsome　colors　on　the　death　of　Mariamne　and
her　sons；　which　were　barbarous　actions　in　the　king；　he　tells
falsehoods　about　the　incontinence　of　Mariamne；　and　the
treacherous　designs　of　his　sons　upon　him；　and　thus　he　proceeded
in　his　whole　work；　making　a　pompous　encomium　upon　what　just
actions　he　had　done；　but　earnestly　apologizing　for　his　unjust
ones。　Indeed；　a　man；　as　I　said；　may　have　a　great　deal　to　say　by
way　of　excuse　for　Nicolaus；　for　he　did　not　so　properly　write　this
as　a　history　for　others；　as　somewhat　that　might　be　subservient　to
the　king　himself。　As　for　ourselves；　who　come　of　a　family　nearly
allied　to　the　Asamonean　kings；　and　on　that　account　have　an
honorable　place；　which　is　the　priesthood；　we　think　it　indecent　to
say　any　thing　that　is　false　about　them；　and　accordingly　we　have
described　their　actions　after　an　unblemished　and　upright　manner。
And　although　we　reverence　many　of　Herod's　posterity；　who　still
reign；　yet　do　we　pay　a　greater　regard　to　truth　than　to　them；　and
this　though　it　sometimes　happens　that　we　incur　their　displeasure
by　so　doing。

2。　And　indeed　Herod's　troubles　in　his　family　seemed　to　be
augmented　by　reason　of　this　attempt　he　made　upon　David's
sepulcher；　whether　Divine　vengeance　increased　the　calamities　he
lay　under；　in　order　to　render　them　incurable；　or　whether　fortune
made　an　assault　upon　him；　in　those　cases　wherein　the
seasonableness　of　the　cause　made　it　strongly　believed　that　the
calamities　came　upon　him　for　his　impiety；　for　the　tumult　was　like
a　civil　war　in　his　palace；　and　their　hatred　towards　one　another
was　like　that　where　each　one　strove　to　exceed　another　in
calumnies。　However；　Antipater　used　stratagems　perpetually　against
his　brethren；　and　that　very　cunningly；　while　abroad　he　loaded
them　with　accusations；　but　still　took　upon　him　frequently　to
apologize　for　them；　that　this　apparent　benevolence　to　them　might
make　him　be　believed；　and　forward　his　attempts　against　them；　by
which　means　he；　after　various　manners；　circumvented　his　father；
who　believed　all　that　he　did　was　for　his　preservation。　Herod　also
recommended　Ptolemy；　who　was　a　great　director　of　the　affairs　of
his　kingdom；　to　Antipater；　and　consulted　with　his　mother　about
the　public　affairs　also。　And　indeed　these　were　all　in　all；　and
did　what　they　pleased；　and　made　the　king　angry　against　any　other
persons；　as　they　thought　it　might　be　to　their　own　advantage；　but
still　the　sons　of　Marianme　were　in　a　worse　and　worse　condition
perpetually；　and　while　they　were　thrust　out；　and　set　in　a　more
dishonorable　rank；　who　yet　by　birth　were　the　most　noble；　they
could　not　bear　the　dishonor。　And　for　the　women；　Glaphyr