the antiquities of the jews-1-第244节

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who　pulled　down　what　was　dedicated　to　God；　so　he　fell　upon　them
unexpectedly；　and　as　they　were　upon　this　bold　attempt；　in　a
foolish　presumption　rather　than　a　cautious　circumspection；　as　is
usual　with　the　multitude；　and　while　they　were　in　disorder；　and
incautious　of　what　was　for　their　advantage；　so　he　caught　no　fewer
than　forty　of　the　young　men；　who　had　the　courage　to　stay　behind
when　the　rest　ran　away；　together　with　the　authors　of　this　bold
attempt；　Judas　and　Matthius；　who　thought　it　an　ignominious　thing
to　retire　upon　his　approach；　and　led　them　to　the　king。　And　when
they　were　come　to　the　king；　and　he　asked　them　if　they　had　been　so
bold　as　to　pull　down　what　he　had　dedicated　to　God；　〃Yes；　（said
they；）　what　was　contrived　we　contrived；　and　what　hath　been
performed　we　performed　it；　and　that　with　such　a　virtuous　courage
as　becomes　men；　for　we　have　given　our　assistance　to　those　things
which　were　dedicated　to　the　majesty　of　God；　and　we　have　provided
for　what　we　have　learned　by　hearing　the　law；　and　it　ought　not　to
be　wondered　at；　if　we　esteem　those　laws　which　Moses　had　suggested
to　him；　and　were　taught　him　by　God；　and　which　he　wrote　and　left
behind　him；　more　worthy　of　observation　than　thy　commands。
Accordingly　we　will　undergo　death；　and　all　sorts　of　punishments
which　thou　canst　inflict　upon　us；　with　pleasure；　since　we　are
conscious　to　ourselves　that　we　shall　die；　not　for　any　unrighteous
actions；　but　for　our　love　to　religion。〃　And　thus　they　all　said；
and　their　courage　was　still　equal　to　their　profession；　and　equal
to　that　with　which　they　readily　set　about　this　undertaking。　And
when　the　king　had　ordered　them　to　be　bound；　he　sent　them　to
Jericho；　and　called　together　the　principal　men　among　the　Jews；
and　when　they　were　come；　he　made　them　assemble　in　the　theater；
and　because　he　could　not　himself　stand；　he　lay　upon　a　couch；　and
enumerated　the　many　labors　that　he　had　long　endured　on　their
account；　and　his　building　of　the　temple；　and　what　a　vast　charge
that　was　to　him；　while　the　Asamoneans；　during　the　hundred　and
twenty…five　years　of　their　government；　had　not　been　able　to
perform　any　so　great　a　work　for　the　honor　of　God　as　that　was；
that　he　had　also　adorned　it　with　very　valuable　donations；　on
which　account　he　hoped　that　he　had　left　himself　a　memorial；　and
procured　himself　a　reputation　after　his　death。　He　then　cried　out；
that　these　men　had　not　abstained　from　affronting　him；　even　in　his
lifetime；　but　that　in　the　very　day　time；　and　in　the　sight　of　the
multitude；　they　had　abused　him　to　that　degree；　as　to　fall　upon
what　he　had　dedicated；　and　in　that　way　of　abuse　had　pulled　it
down　to　the　ground。　They　pretended；　indeed；　that　they　did　it　to
affront　him；　but　if　any　one　consider　the　thing　truly；　they　will
find　that　they　were　guilty　of　sacrilege　against　God　therein。

4。　But　the　people；　on　account　of　Herod's　barbarous　temper；　and
for　fear　he　should　be　so　cruel　and　to　inflict　punishment　on　them；
said　what　was　done　was　done　without　their　approbation；　and　that
it　seemed　to　them　that　the　actors　might　well　be　punished　for　what
they　had　done。　But　as　for　Herod；　he　dealt　more　mildly　with　others
＇of　the　assembly＇　but　he　deprived　Matthias　of　the　high
priesthood；　as　in　part　an　occasion　of　this　action；　and　made
Joazar；　who　was　Matthias's　wife's　brother；　high　priest　in　his
stead。　Now　it　happened；　that　during　the　time　of　the　high
priesthood　of　this　Matthias；　there　was　another　person　made　high
priest　for　a　single　day；　that　very　day　which　the　Jews　observed　as
a　fast。　The　occasion　was　this：　This　Matthias　the　high　priest；　on
the　night　before　that　day　when　the　fast　was　to　be　celebrated；
seemed；　in　a　dream；　（7）　to　have　conversation　with　his　wife；　and
because　he　could　not　officiate　himself　on　that　account；　Joseph；
the　son　of　Ellemus；　his　kinsman；　assisted　him　in　that　sacred
office。　But　Herod　deprived　this　Matthias　of　the　high　priesthood；
and　burnt　the　other　Matthias；　who　had　raised　the　sedition；　with
his　companions；　alive。　And　that　very　night　there　was　an　eclipse
of　the　moon。　（8）

5。　But　now　Herod's　distemper　greatly　increased　upon　him　after　a
severe　manner；　and　this　by　God's　judgment　upon　him　for　his　sins；
for　a　fire　glowed　in　him　slowly；　which　did　not　so　much　appear　to
the　touch　outwardly；　as　it　augmented　his　pains　inwardly；　for　it
brought　upon　him　a　vehement　appetite　to　eating；　which　he　could
not　avoid　to　supply　with　one　sort　of　food　or　other。　His　entrails
were　also　ex…ulcerated；　and　the　chief　violence　of　his　pain　lay　on
his　colon；　an　aqueous　and　transparent　liquor　also　had　settled
itself　about　his　feet；　and　a　like　matter　afflicted　him　at　the
bottom　of　his　belly。　Nay；　further；　his　privy…member　was
putrefied；　and　produced　worms；　and　when　he　sat　upright；　he　had　a
difficulty　of　breathing；　which　was　very　loathsome；　on　account　of
the　stench　of　his　breath；　and　the　quickness　of　its　returns；　he
had　also　convulsions　in　all　parts　of　his　body；　which　increased
his　strength　to　an　insufferable　degree。　It　was　said　by　those　who
pretended　to　divine；　and　who　were　endued　with　wisdom　to　foretell
such　things；　that　God　inflicted　this　punishment　on　the　king　on
account　of　his　great　impiety；　yet　was　he　still　in　hopes　of
recovering；　though　his　afflictions　seemed　greater　than　any　one
could　bear。　He　also　sent　for　physicians；　and　did　not　refuse　to
follow　what　they　prescribed　for　his　assistance；　and　went　beyond
the　river　Jordan；　and　bathed　himself　in　the　warm　baths　that　were
at　Callirrhoe；　which；　besides　their　other　general　virtues；　were
also　fit　to　drink；　which　water　runs　into　the　lake　called
Asphaltiris。　And　when　the　physicians　once　thought　fit　to　have　him
bathed　in　a　vessel　full　of　oil；　it　was　supposed　that　he　was　just
dying；　but　upon　the　lamentable　cries　of　his　domestics；　he
revived；　and　having　no　longer　the　least　hopes　of　recovering；　he
gave　order　that　every　soldier　should　be　paid　fifty　drachmae；　and
he　also　gave　a　great　deal　to　their　commanders；　and　to　his
friends；　and　came　again　to　Jericho；　where　he　grew　so　choleric；
that　it　brought　him　to　do　all　things　like　a　madman；　and　though　he
were　near　his　death；　he　contrived　the　following　wicked　designs。
He　commanded　that　all　the　principal　men　of　the　entire　Jewish
nation；　wheresoever　they　lived；　should　be　called　to　him。
Accordingly；　they　were　a　great　number　that　came；　because　the
whole　nation　was　called；　and　all　men　heard　of　this　call；　and
death　was　the　penalty　of　such　as　should　despise　the　epistles　that
were　sent　to　call　them。　And　now　the　king　was　in　a　wild　rage
against　them　all；　the　innocent　as　well　as　those　that　had　afforded
ground　for　accusations；　and　when　they　were　come；　he　ordered　them
to　be　all　shut　up　in　the　hyppodrome；　（9）　and　sent　for　his　sister
Salome；　and　her　husband　Alexas；　and　spake　thus　to　them：　〃I　shall
die　in　a　little　time；　so　great　are　my　pains；　which　death　ought　to
be　cheerfully　borne；　and　to　be　welcomed　by　all　men；　but　what
principally　troubles　me　is　this；　that　I　shall　die　without　being
lamented；　and　without　such　mourning　as　men　usually　expect　at　a
king's　death。　For　that　he　was　not　unacquainted　with　the　temper　of
the　Jews；　that　his　death　would　be　a　thing　very　desirable；　and
exceedingly　acceptable　to　them；　because　during　his　lifetime　they
were　ready　to　revolt　from　him；　and　to　abuse　the　donations　he　had
dedicated　to　God　that　it　therefore　was　their　business　to　resolve
to　afford　him　some　alleviation　of　his　great　sorrows　on　this
occasion；　for　that　if　they　do　not　refuse　him　their　consent　in
what　he　desires；　he　shall　have　a　great　mourning　at　his　funeral；
and　such　as　never　had　any　king　before　him；　for　then　the　whole
nation　would　mourn　from　their　very　soul；　which　otherwise　would　be
done　in　sport　and　mockery　only。　He　desired　therefore；　that　as
soon　as　they　see　he　hath　given　up　the　ghost；　they　shall　place
soldiers　round　the　hippodrome；　while　they　do　not　know　that　he　is
dead；　and　that　they　shall　not　declare　his　death　to　the　multitude
till　this　is　done；　but　that　they　shall　give　orders　to　have　those
that　are　in　custody　shot　with　their　darts；　and　that　this
slaughter　of　them　all　will　cause　that　he　shall　not　miss　to
rejoice　on　a　double　account；　that　as　he　is　dying；　they　will　make
him　secure　that　his　will　shall　be　executed　in　what　he　charges
them　to　do；　and　that　he　shall　have　the　honor　of　a　memorable
mourning　at　his　funeral。　So　he　deplored　his　condition；　with　tears
in　his　eyes；　and　obtested　them　by　the　kindness　due　from　them；　as
of　his　kindred；　and　by　the　faith　they　owed　to　God；　and　begged　of
them　that　they　would　not　hinder　him　of　this　honorable　mourning　at
his　funeral。　So　they　promised　him　not　to　transgress　his　commands。

6。　Now　any　one　may　easily　discover　the　temper　of　this　man's　mind；
which　not　only　took　pleasure　in　doing　what　he　had　done　formerly
against　his　relations；　out　of　the　love　of　life；　but　by　those
commands　of　his　which　savored　of　no　humanity；　since　he　took　care；
when　he　was　departing　out　of　this　life；　that　the　whole　nation
should　be　put　into　mourning；　and　indeed　made　desolate　of　their
dearest　kindred；　when　he　gave　order　that　one　out　of　every　family
should　be　slain；　although　they　had　done　nothing　that　was　unjust；
or　that　was　against　him；　nor　were　they　accused　of　any　other
crimes；　while　it　is　usual　for　thos