the antiquities of the jews-1-第290节

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here　referred　to。

（11）　This　notion；　that　the　fallen　angels　were；　in　some　sense；　the
fathers　of　the　old　giants；　was　the　constant　opinion　of　antiquity。

（12）　Josephus　here　supposes　that　the　life　of　these　giants；　for　of
them　only　do　I　understand　him；　was　now　reduced　to　120　years；
which　is　confirmed　by　the　fragment　of　Enoch；　sect。　10；　in
Authent。　Rec。　Part　I。　p。　268。　For　as　to　the　rest　of　mankind；
Josephus　himself　confesses　their　lives　were　much　longer　than　120
years；　for　many　generations　after　the　flood；　as　we　shall　see
presently；　and　he　says　they　were　gradually　shortened　till　the
days　of　Moses；　and　then　fixed　＇for　some　time＇　at　120；　ch。　6。
sect。　5。　Nor　indeed　need　we　suppose　that　either　Enoch　or　Josephus
meant　to　interpret　these　120　years　for　the　life　of　men　before　the
flood；　to　be　different　from　the　120　years　of　God's　patience
＇perhaps　while　the　ark　was　preparing＇　till　the　deluge；　which　I
take　to　be　the　meaning　of　God　when　he　threatened　this　wicked
world；　that　if　they　so　long　continued　impenitent；　their　days
should　be　no　more　than　120　years。

（13）　A　cubit　is　about　21　English　inches。

（14）　Josephus　here　truly　determines；　that　the　year　at　the　Flood
began　about　the　autumnal　equinox。　As　to　what　day　of　the　month　the
Flood　began；　our　Hebrew　and　Samaritan；　and　perhaps　Josephus's　own
copy；　more　rightly　placed　it　on　the　17th　day；　instead　of　the
27th；　as　here；　for　Josephus　agrees　with　them；　as　to　the　distance
of　150　days　to　the　17th　day　of　the　7th　month；　as　Genesis　7。　ult。
with　8：3。

（15）　Josephus　here　takes　notice；　that　these　ancient　genealogies
were　first　set　down　by　those　that　then　lived；　and　from　them　were
transmitted　down　to　posterity；　which　I　suppose　to　be　the　true
account　of　that　matter。　For　there　is　no　reason　to　imagine　that
men　were　not　taught　to　read　and　write　soon　after　they　were　taught
to　speak；　and　perhaps　all　by　the　Messiah　himself；　who；　under　the
Father；　was　the　Creator　or　Governor　of　mankind；　and　who
frequently　in　those　early　days　appeared　to　them。

（16）　This　（GREEK）；　or　Place　of　Descent；　is　the　proper　rendering
of　the　Armenian　name　of　this　very　city。　It　is　called　in　Ptolemy
Naxuana；　and　by　Moses　Chorenensis；　the　Armenian　historian；
Idsheuan；　but　at　the　place　itself　Nachidsheuan；　which　signifies
The　first　place　of　descent；　and　is　a　lasting　monument　of　the
preservation　of　Noah　in　the　ark；　upon　the　top　of　that　mountain；
at　whose　foot　it　was　built；　as　the　first　city　or　town　after　the
flood。　See　Antiq。　B。　XX。　ch。　2。　sect。　3；　and　Moses　Chorenensis；
who　also　says　elsewhere；　that　another　town　was　related　by
tradition　to　have　been　called　Seron；　or；　The　Place　of　Dispersion；
on　account　of　the　dispersion　of　Xisuthrus's　or　Noah's　sons；　from
thence　first　made。　Whether　any　remains　of　this　ark　be　still
preserved；　as　the　people　of　the　country　suppose；　I　cannot
certainly　tell。　Mons。　Tournefort　had；　not　very　long　since；　a　mind
to　see　the　place　himself；　but　met　with　too　great　dangers　and
difficulties　to　venture　through　them。

（17）　One　observation　ought　not　here　to　be　neglected；　with　regard
to　that　Ethiopic　war　which　Moses；　as　general　of　the　Egyptians；
put　an　end　to；　Antiq。　B。　II。　ch。　10。；　and　about　which　our　late
writers　seem　very　much　unconcerned；　viz。　that　it　was　a　war　of
that　consequence；　as　to　occasion　the　removal　or　destruction　of
six　or　seven　nations　of　the　posterity　of　Mitzraim；　with　their
cities；　which　Josephus　would　not　have　said；　if　he　had　not　had
ancient　records　to　justify　those　his　assertions；　though　those
records　be　now　all　lost。

（18）　That　the　Jews　were　called　Hebrews　from　this　their　progenitor
Heber；　our　author　Josephus　here　rightly　affirms；　and　not　from
Abram　the　Hebrew；　or　passenger　over　Euphrates；　as　many　of　the
moderns　suppose。　Shem　is　also　called　the　father　of　all　the
children　of　Heber；　or　of　all　the　Hebrews；　in　a　history　long
before　Abram　passed　over　Euphrates；　Genesis　10：21；　though　it　must
be　confessed　that；　Genesis　14：13；　where　the　original　says　they
told　Abram　the　Hebrew；　the　Septuagint　renders　it　the　passenger；
（GREEK）：　but　this　is　spoken　only　of　Abram　himself；　who　had　then
lately　passed　over　Euphrates；　and　is　another　signification　of　the
Hebrew　word；　taken　as　an　appellative；　and　not　as　a　proper　name。

（19）　It　is　worth　noting　here；　that　God　required　no　other
sacrifices　under　the　law　of　Moses；　than　what　were　taken　from
these　five　kinds　of　animals　which　he　here　required　of　Abram。　Nor
did　the　Jews　feed　upon　any　other　domestic　animals　than　the　three
here　named；　as　Reland　observes　on　Antiq。　B。　IV。　ch。　4。　sect。　4。

（20）　As　to　this　affliction　of　Abram's　posterity　for　400　years；
see　Antiq。　B。　II。　ch。　9。　sect。　1。

（21）　These　sons…in…law　to　Lot；　as　they　are　called；　Genesis
19：12…14；　might　be　so　styled；　because　they　were　betrothed　to
Lot's　daughters；　though　not　yet　married　to　them。　See　the　note　on
Antiq。　B。　XIV。　ch。　13。　sect。　1。

（22）　Of　the　War；　B。　IV。　ch。　8。　sect。　4。

（23）　This　pillar　of　salt　was；　we　see　here；　standing　in　the　days
of　Josephus；　and　he　had　seen　it。　That　it　was　standing　then　is
also　attested　by　Clement　of　Rome；　contemporary　with　Josephus；　as
also　that　it　was　so　in　the　next　century；　is　attested　by　Irenaeus；
with　the　addition　of　an　hypothesis；　how　it　came　to　last　so　long；
with　all　its　members　entire。　…　Whether　the　account　that　some
modern　travelers　give　be　true；　that　it　is　still　standing；　I　do
not　know。　Its　remote　situation；　at　the　most　southern　point　of　the
Sea　of　Sodom；　in　the　wild　and　dangerous　deserts　of　Arabia；　makes
it　exceeding　difficult　for　inquisitive　travelers　to　examine　the
place；　and　for　common　reports　of　country　people；　at　a　distance；
they　are　not　very　satisfactory。　In　the　mean　time；　I　have　no
opinion　of　Le　Clerc's　dissertation　or　hypothesis　about　this
question；　which　can　only　be　determined　by　eye…witnesses。　When
Christian　princes；　so　called；　lay　aside　their　foolish　and
unchristian　wars　and　quarrels；　and　send　a　body　of　fit　persons　to
travel　over　the　east；　and　bring　us　faithful　accounts　of　all
ancient　monuments；　and　procure　us　copies　of　all　ancient　records；
at　present　lost　among　us；　we　may　hope　for　full　satisfaction　in
such　inquiries；　but　hardly　before。

（24）　I　see　no　proper　wicked　intention　in　these　daughters　of　Lot；
when　in　a　case　which　appeared　to　them　of　unavoidable　necessity；
they　procured　themselves　to　be　with　child　by　their　father。
Without　such　an　unavoidable　necessity；　incest　is　a　horrid　crime；
but　whether　in　such　a　case　of　necessity；　as　they　apprehended　this
to　be；　according　to　Josephus；　it　was　any　such　crime；　I　am　not
satisfied。　In　the　mean　time；　their　making　their　father　drunk；　and
their　solicitous　concealment　of　what　they　did　from　him；　shows
that　they　despaired　of　persuading　him　to　an　action　which；　at　the
best；　could　not　but　be　very　suspicious　and　shocking　to　so　good　a
man。

（25）　It　is　well　worth　observation；　that　Josephus　here　calls　that
principal　Angel；　who　appeared　to　Abraham　and　foretold　the　birth
of　Isaac；　directly　God；　which　language　of　Josephus　here；　prepares
us　to　believe　those　other　expressions　of　his；　that　Jesus　was　a
wise　man；　if　it　be　lawful　to　call　him　a　man；　Antiq。　B。　XVIII。　ch。
3。　sect。　3；　and　of　God　the　Word；　in　his　homily　concerning　Hades；
may　be　both　genuine。　Nor　is　the　other　expression　of　Divine　Angel；
used　presently；　and　before；　also　of　any　other　signification。

（26）　Josephus　here　calls　Ismael　a　young　child　or　infant；　though
he　was　about　13　years　of　age；　as　Judas　calls　himself　and　his
brethren　young　men；　when　he　was　47；　and　had　two　children；　Antiq。
B。　II。　ch。　6。　sect。　8；　and　they　were　of　much　the　same　age；　as　is
a　damsel　of　12　years　old　called　a　little　child；　Mark　5：39…42；
five　several　times。　Herod　is　also　said　by　Josephus　to　be　a　very
young　man　at　25。　See　the　note　on　Antiq。　B。　XIV。　ch。　9。　sect　2；
and　of　the　War；　B。　I。　ch。　10。　And　Aristobulus　is　styled　a　very
little　child　at　16　years　of　age；　Antiq。　B。　XV。　ch。　2。　sect。　6；　7。
Domitian　also　is　called　by　him　a　very　young　child；　when　he　went
on　his　German　expedition　at　about　18　years　of　age；　of　the　War；　B。
VII。　ch。　4。　sect。　2。　Samson's　wife；　and　Ruth；　when　they　were
widows；　are　called　children；　Antiq。　B。　V。　ch。　8。　sect。　6；　and　ch。
9。　sect。　2　3。

（27）　Note；　that　both　here　and　Hebrews　11：17；　Isaac　is　called
Abraham's　only　begotten　son；　though　he　at　the　same　time　had
another　son；　Ismael。　The　Septuagint　expresses　the　true　meaning；
by　rendering　the　text　the　beloved　son。

（28）　Here　is　a　plain　error　in　the　copies　which　say　that　king
David　afterwards　built　the　temple　on　this　Mount　Moriah；　while　it
was　certainly　no　other　than　king　Solomon　who　built　that　temple；
as　indeed　Procopius　cites　it　from　Josephus。　For　it　was　for
certain　David；　and　not　Solomon；　who　built　the　first　altar　there；
as　we　learn；　2　Samuel　24：18；　etc。；　1　Chronicles　21：22；　etc。；　and
Antiq。　B。　VII。　ch。　13。　sect。　4。

（29）　It　seems　both　here；　and　in　God's　parallel　blessing　to　Jacob；
ch。　19。　sect。　1；　that　Josephus　had　yet　no　notion　of　the　hidden
meaning　of　that　most　important　and　most　eminent　promise；　〃In　thy
seed　shall　all　the　families　of　the　earth　be　blessed。　He　saith
not；　and　of　seeds；　as　of　many；　but　as　of　one；　and　to　thy　seed；
which　is　Christ；〃　Galatians　3：16。　Nor　is　it　any　wonder；　he　being；
I　think；　as　yet　not