the antiquities of the jews-1-第309节

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the　captivity　of　the　two　tribes　and　was　not　I　with　foreign
colonies；　perhaps　as　an　indication　of　Providence　that　the　Jews
were　to　repeople　it　without　opposition　themselves。　I　also　esteem
the　latter　and　present　desolate　condition　of　the　same　country；
without　being　repeopled　by　foreign　colonies；　to　be　a　like
indication；　that　the　same　Jews　are　hereafter　to　repeople　it　again
themselves；　at　their　so　long　expected　future　restoration。

（17）　That　Daniel　was　made　one　of　these　eunuchs　of　which　Isaiah
prophesied；　Isaiah　39：7；　and　the　three　children　his　companions
also；　seems　to　me　plain；　both　here　in　Josephus；　and　in　our　copies
of　Daniel；　Daniel　1：3；　6…11；　18；　although　it　must　be　granted　that
some　married　persons；　that　had　children；　were　sometimes　called
eunuchs；　in　a　general　acceptation　for　courtiers；　on　account　that
so　many　of　the　ancient　courtiers　were　real　eunuchs。　See　Genesis
39：1。

（18）　Of　this　most　remarkable　passage　in　Josephus　concerning　the
〃stone　cut　out　of　the　mountain；　and　destroying　the　image；〃　which
he　would　not　explain；　but　intimated　to　be　a　prophecy　of　futurity；
and　probably　not　safe　for　him　to　explain；　as　belonging　to　the
destruction　of　the　Roman　empire　by　Jesus　Christ；　the　true　Messiah
of　the　Jews；　take　the　words　of　Hayercamp；　ch。　10。　sect。　4：　〃Nor
is　this　to　be　wondered　at；　that　he　would　not　now　meddle　with
things　future；　for　he　had　no　mind　to　provoke　the　Romans；　by
speaking　of　the　destruction　of　that　city　which　they　called　the
Eternal　City。〃

（19）　Since　Josephus　here　explains　the　seven　prophetic　times　which
were　to　pass　over　Nebuchadnezzar　（Daniel　4：16）　to　be　seven　years；
we　thence　learn　how　he　most　probably　must　have　understood　those
other　parallel　phrases；　of　〃a　time；　times；　and　a　half；〃　Antiq。　B。
VII。　ch。　25。；　of　so　many　prophetic　years　also；　though　he　withal
lets　us　know；　by　his　hint　at　the　interpretation　of　the　seventy
weeks；　as　belonging　to　the　fourth　monarchy；　and　the　destruction
of　Jerusalem　by　the　Romans　in　the　days　of　Josephus；　ch。　2。　sect。
7；　that　he　did　not　think　those　years　to　be　bare　years；　but　rather
days　for　years；　by　which　reckoning；　and　by　which　alone；　could
seventy　weeks；　or　four　hundred　and　ninety　days；　reach　to　the　age
of　Josephus。　But　as　to　the　truth　of　those　seven　years'　banishment
of　Nebuchadnezzar　from　men；　and　his　living　so　long　among　the
beasts；　the　very　small　remains　we　have　any　where　else　of　this
Nebuchadnezzar　prevent　our　expectation　of　any　other　full　account
of　it。　So　far　we　knew　by　Ptolemy's　canon；　a　contemporary　record；
as　well　as　by　Josephus　presently；　that　he　reigned　in　all
forty…three　years；　that　is；　eight　years　after　we　meet　with　any
account　of　his　actions；　one　of　the　last　of　which　was　the　thirteen
years'　siege　of　Tyre；　Antiq。　B。　XI。　ch。　11。；　where　yet　the　Old
Latin　has　but　three　years　and　ten　months：　yet　were　his　actions
before　so　remarkable；　both　in　sacred　and　profane　authors；　that　a
vacuity　of　eight　years　at　the　least；　at　the　latter　end　of　his
reign；　must　be　allowed　to　agree　very　well　with　Daniel's　accounts；
that　after　a　seven　years'　brutal　life；　he　might　return　to　his
reason；　and　to　the　exercise　of　his　royal　authority；　for　one　whole
year　at　least　before　his　death。

（20）　These　forty…three　years　for　the　duration　of　the　reign　of
Nebuchadnezzar　are；　as　I　have　just　now　observed；　the　very　same
number　in　Ptolemy's　canon。　Moses　Chorenensis　does　also　confirm
this　captivity　of　the　Jews　under　Nebuchadnezzar；　and　adds；　what
is　very　remarkable；　that　sale　of　those　Jews　that　were　carried　by
him　into　captivity　got　away　into　Armenia；　and　raised　the　great
family　of　the　Bagratide　there。

（21）　These　twenty…one　years　here　ascribed　to　one　named
Naboulassar；　in　the　first　book　against　Apion；　or　to
Nabopollassar；　the　father　of　the　great　Nebuchadnezzar；　are　also
the　very　same　with　those　given　him　in　Ptolemy's　canon。　And　note
here；　that　what　Dr。　Prideaux　says；　at　the　year；　that
Nebuchadnezzar　must　have　been　a　common　name　of　other　kings　of
Babylon；　besides　the　great　Nebuchadnezzar　himself　is　a　groundless
mistake　of　some　modern　chronologers　rely；　and　destitute　of　all
proper　original　authority。

（22）　These　fifteen　days　for　finishing　such　vast　buildings　at
Babylon；　in　Josephus's　copy　of　Berosus；　would　seem　too　absurd　to
be　supposed　to　be　the　true　number；　were　it　not　for　the　same
testimony　extant　also　in　the　first　book　against　Apion；　sect。　19；
with　the　same　number。　It　thence　indeed　appears　that　Josephus's
copy　of　Berosus　had　this　small　number；　but　that　it　is　the　true
number　I　still　doubt。　Josephus　assures　us；　that　the　walls　of　so
much　a　smaller　city　as　Jerusalem　were　two　years　and　four　months
in　building　by　Nehemiah；　who　yet　hastened　the　work　all　he　could；
Antiq。　B。　XI。　ch。　5。　sect。　8。　I　should　think　one　hundred　and
fifteen　days；　or　a　year　and　fifteen　days；　much　more
proportionable　to　so　great　a　work。

（23）　It　is　here　remarkable　that　Josephus；　without　the　knowledge
of　Ptolemy's　canon；　should　call　the　same　king　whom　he　himself
here　（Bar。　i。　11；　and　Daniel　5：1；　2；　9；　12；　22；　29；　39）　styles
Beltazar；　or　Belshazzar；　from　the　Babylonian　god　Bel；　Naboandelus
also；　and　in　the　first　book　against　Apion；　sect。　19；　vol。　iii。；
from　the　same　citation　out　of　Berosus；　Nabonnedon；　from　the
Babylonian　god　Nabo　or　Nebo。　This　last　is　not　remote　from　the
original　pronunciation　itself　in　Ptolemy's　canon；　Nabonadius；　for
both　the　place　of　this　king　in　that　canon；　as　the　last　of　the
Assyrian　or　Babylonian　kings；　and　the　number　of　years　of　his
reign；　seventeen；　the　same　in　both　demonstrate　that　it　is　one　and
the　same　king　that　is　meant　by　them　all。　It　is　also　worth　noting；
that　Josephus　knew　that　Darius；　the　partner　of　Cyrus；　was　the　son
of　Astyages；　and　was　called　by　another　name　among　the　Greeks；
though　it　does　not　appear　he　knew　what　that　name　was；　as　having
never　seen　the　best　history　of　this　period；　which　is　Xenophon's。
But　then　what　Josephus's　present　copies　say　presently；　sect。　4；
that　it　was　only　within　no　long　time　after　the　hand…writing　on
the　wall　that　Baltasar　was　slain；　does　not　so　well　agree　with　our
copies　of　Daniel；　which　say　it　was　the　same　night；　Daniel　5：30。

（24）　This　grandmother；　or　mother　of　Baltasar；　the　queen　dowager
of　Babylon；　（for　she　is　distinguished　from　his　queen；　Daniel
5：10；　13；）　seems　to　have　been　the　famous　Nitocris；　who　fortified
Babylon　against　the　Medes　and　Persians；　and；　in　all　probability
governed　under　Baltasar；　who　seems　to　be　a　weak　and　effeminate
prince。

（25）　It　is　no　way　improbable　that　Daniel's　enemies　might　suggest
this　reason　to　the　king　why　the　lions　did　not　meddle　with　him　and
that　they　might　suspect　the　king's　kindness　to　Daniel　had
procured　these　lions　to　be　so　filled　beforehand；　and　that　thence
it　was　that　he　encouraged　Daniel　to　submit　to　this　experiment；　in
hopes　of　coming　off　safe；　and　that　this　was　the　true　reason　of
making　so　terrible　an　experiment　upon　those　his　enemies；　and　all
their　families；　Daniel　6：21；　though　our　other　copies　do　not
directly　take　notice　of　it

（26）　What　Josephus　here　says；　that　the　stones　of　the　sepulchers
of　the　kings　of　Persia　at　this　tower；　or　those　perhaps　of　the
same　sort　that　are　now　commonly　called　the　ruins　of　Persepolis；
continued　so　entire　and　unaltered　in　his　days；　as　if　they　were
lately　put　there；　〃I　（says　Reland）　here　can　show　to　be　true；　as
to　those　stones　of　the　Persian　mansoleum；　which　Com。　Brunius
brake　off　and　gave　me。〃　He　ascribed　this　to　the　hardness　of　the
stones；　which　scarcely　yields　to　iron　tools；　and　proves
frequently　too　hard　for　cutting　by　the　chisel；　but　oftentimes
breaks　it　to　pieces。

BOOK　11　FOOTNOTES

（1）　This　Cyrus　is　called　God's　shepherd　by　Xenophon；　as　well　as
by　Isaiah；　Isaiah　44：28；　as　also　it　is　said　of　him　by　the　same
prophet；　that　〃I　will　make　a　man　more　precious　than　fine　gold；
even　a　man　than　the　golden　wedge　of　Ophir；〃　Isaiah　13：12；　which
character　makes　Xenophon's　most　excellent　history　of　him　very
credible。

（2）　This　leave　to　build　Jerusalem；　sect。　3；　and　this　epistle　of
Cyrus　to　Sisinnes　and　Sathrabuzanes；　to　the　same　purpose；　are
most　unfortunately　omitted　in　all　our　copies　but　this　best　and
completest　copy　of　Josephus；　and　by　such　omission　the　famous
prophecy　of　Isaiah；　Isaiah　44：28；　where　we　are　informed　that　God
said　of　or　to　Cyrus；　〃He　is　my　shepherd；　and　shall　perform　all　my
pleasure；　even　saying　to　Jerusalem；　Thou　shalt　be　built；　and　to
the　temple；　Thy　foundation　shall　be　laid；〃　could　not　hitherto　be
demonstrated　from　the　sacred　history　to　have　been　completely
fulfilled；　I　mean　as　to　that　part　of　it　which　concerned　his
giving　leave　or　commission　for　rebuilding　the　city　Jerusalem　as
distinct　from　the　temple；　whose　rebuilding　is　alone　permitted　or
directed　in　the　decree　of　Cyrus　in　all　our　copies。

（3）　Of　the　true　number　of　golden　and　silver　vessels　here　and
elsewhere　belonging　to　the　temple　of　Solomon；　see　the　description
of　the　temples；　chap。　13。

（4）　Josephus　here　follows　Herodotus；　and　those　that　related　how
Cyrus　made　war　with　the　Scythians　and　Massagets；　near　the　Caspian
Sea；　and　perished　in　it；　while　Xenophon's　account；　which　appears
never　to　have　been　seen　by　Josephus；　that　Cyrus　died　in　peace　in
his　own　country　of　Persia；　is　attested　to　by