the antiquities of the jews-1-第316节

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the　coherence；　denote　as　barbarous　as　a　Thracian；　or　somewhat
like　it；　but　what　it　properly　signifies　is　not　known。

（41）　Spanheim　takes　notice　that　this　Antiochus　Dionysus　＇the
brother　of　Philip；　and　of　Demetrius　Eucerus；　and　of　two　otbsrs＇
was　the　fifth　son　of　Antiochus　Grypus；　and　that　he　is　styled　on
the　coins；　〃Antiochus；　Epiphanes；　Dionysus。〃

（42）　This　Aretas　was　the　first　king　of　the　Arabians　who　took
Damascus；　and　reigned　there；　which　name　became　afterwards　common
to　such　Arabian　kings；　both　at　Petra　and　at　Damascus；　as　we　learn
from　Josephus　in　many　places；　and　from　St。　Paul；　2　Corinthians
11：32。　See　the　note　on　Antiq。　B。　XVI。　ch。　9。　sect。　4。

（43）　We　may　here　and　elsewhere　take　notice；　that　whatever
countries　or　cities　the　Asamoneans　conquered　from　any　of　the
neighboring　nations；　or　whatever　countries　or　cities　they　gained
from　them　that　had　not　belonged　to　them　before；　they；　after　the
days　of　Hyrcanus；　compelled　the　inhabitants　to　leave　their
idolatry；　and　entirely　to　receive　the　law　of　Moses；　as　proselytes
of　justice；　or　else　banished　them　into　other　lands。　That
excellent　prince；　John　Hyrcanus；　did　it　to　the　Idumeans；　as　I
have　noted　on　ch。　9。　sect。　1；　already；　who　lived　then　in　the
Promised　Land；　and　this　I　suppose　justly；　but　by　what　right　the
rest　did　it；　even　to　the　countries　or　cities　that　were　no　part　of
that　land；　I　do　not　at　all　know。　This　looks　too　like　unjust
persecution　for　religion。

（44）　It　seems；　by　this　dying　advice　of　Alexander　Janneus　to　his
wife；　that　he　had　himself　pursued　the　measures　of　his　father
Hyrcanus。　and　taken　part　with　the　Sadducees；　who　kept　close　to
the　written　law；　against　the　Pharisees；　who　had　introduced　their
own　traditions；　ch。　16。　sect。　2；　and　that　he　now　saw　a　political
necessity　of　submitting　to　the　Pharisees　and　their　traditions
hereafter；　if　his　widow　and　family　minded　to　retain　their
monarchical　government　or　tyranny　over　the　Jewish　nation；　which
sect　yet；　thus　supported；　were　at　last　in　a　great　measure　the
ruin　of　the　religion；　government；　and　nation　of　the　Jews；　and
brought　them　into　so　wicked　a　state；　that　the　vengeance　of　God
came　upon　them　to　their　utter　excision。　Just　thus　did　Caiaphas
politically　advise　the　Jewish　sanhedrim；　John　11：50；　〃That　it　was
expedient　for　them　that　one　man　should　die　for　the　people；　and
that　the　whole　nation　perish　not；〃　and　this　in　consequence　of
their　own　political　supposal；　ver。　48；　that；　〃If　they　let　Jesus
alone；〃　with　his　miracles；　〃all　men　would　believe　on　him；　and　the
Romans　would　come　and　take　away　both　their　place　and　nation。〃
Which　political　crucifixion　of　Jesus　of　Nazareth　brought　down　the
vengeance　of　God　upon　them；　and　occasioned　those　very　Romans；　of
whom　they　seemed　so　much　afraid；　that　to　prevent　it　they　put　him
to　death；　actually　to　〃come　and　take　away　both　their　place　and
nation〃　within　thirty…eight　years　afterwards。　I　heartily　wish　the
politicians　of　Christendom　would　consider　these　and　the　like
examples；　and　no　longer　sacrifice　all　virtue　and　religion　to
their　pernicious　schemes　of　government；　to　the　bringing　down　the
judgments　of　God　upon　themselves；　and　the　several　nations
intrusted　to　their　care。　But　this　is　a　digression。　I　wish　it　were
an　unseasonable　one　also。　Josephus　himself　several　times　makes
such　digressions；　and　I　here　venture　to　follow　him。　See　one　of
them　at　the　conclusion　of　the　very　next　chapter。

（45）　The　number　of　five　hundred　thousand　or　even　three　hundred
thousand；　as　one　Greek　copy；　with　the　Latin　copies；　have　it；　for
Tigranes's　army；　that　came　out　of　Armenia　into　Syria　and　Judea；
seems　much　too　large。　We　have　had　already　several　such
extravagant　numbers　in　Josephus's　present　copies；　which　are　not
to　he　at　all　ascribed　to　him。　Accordingly；　I　incline　to　Dr。
Hudson's　emendation　here；　which　supposes　them　but　forty　thousand。

（46）　This　fortress；　castle；　citadel；　or　tower；　whither　the　wife
and　children　of　Aristobulus　were　new　sent；　and　which　overlooked
the　temple；　could　be　no　other　than　what　Hyrcanus　I。　built；
（Antiq。　B。　XVIII　ch。　4。　sect。　3；）　and　Herod　the　Great　rebuilt；
and　called　the　〃Tower　of　Antonia；〃　Aatiq。　B。　XV。　ch。　11。　sect。　5。

BOOK　14　FOOTNOTES

（1）　Reland　takes　notice　here；　very　justly；　how　Josephus's
declaration；　that　it　was　his　great　concern　not　only　to　write　〃an
agreeable；　an　accurate；〃　and　〃a　true〃　history；　but　also
distinctly　not　to　omit　any　thing　＇of　consequence＇；　either　through
〃ignorance　or　laziness；〃　implies　that　he　could　not；　consistently
with　that　resolution；　omit　the　mention　of　＇so　famous　a　person　as＇
〃Jesus　Christ。〃

（2）　That　the　famous　Antipater's　or　Antipas's　father　was　also
Antipater　or　Antipas　（which　two　may　justly　be　esteemed　one　and
the　same　frame；　the　former　with　a　Greek　or　Gentile；　the　latter
with　a　Hebrew　or　Jewish　termination）　Josephus　here　assures　us；
though　Eusebias　indeed　says　it　was　Herod。

（3）　This　〃golden　vine；〃　or　〃garden；〃　seen　by　Strabo　at　Rome；　has
its　inscription　here　as　if　it　were　the　gift　of　Alexander；　the
father　of　Aristobulus；　and　not　of　Aristobulus　himself；　to　whom
yet　Josephus　ascribes　it；　and　in　order　to　prove　the　truth　of　that
part　of　his　history；　introduces　this　testimony　of　Strabo；　so　that
the　ordinary　copies　seem　to　be　here　either　erroneous　or
defective；　and　the　original　reading　seems　to　have　been　either
Aristobulus；　instead　of　Alexander；　with　one　Greek　copy；　or　else
〃Aristobulus　the　son　of　Alexander；〃　with　the　Latin　copies；　which
last　seems　to　me　the　most　probable。　For　as　to　Archbishop　Usher's
conjectures；　that　Alexander　made　it；　and　dedicated　it　to　God　in
the　temple；　and　that　thence　Aristobulus　took　it；　and　sent　it　to
Pompey；　they　are　both　very　improbable；　and　no　way　agreeable　to
Josephus；　who　would　hardly　have　avoided　the　recording　both　these
uncommon　points　of　history；　had　he　known　any　thing　of　them；　nor
would　either　the　Jewish　nation；　or　even　Pompey　himself；　then　have
relished　such　a　flagrant　instance　of　sacrilege。

（4）　These　express　testimonies　of　Josephus　here；　and　Antiq。　B。
VIII。　ch。　6。　sect。　6；　and　B。　XV。　ch。　4。　sect。　2；　that　the　only
balsam　gardens；　and　the　best　palm　trees；　were；　at　least　in　his
days；　near　Jericho　and　Kugaddi；　about　the　north　part　of　the　Dead
Sea；　（whereabout　also　Alexander　the　Great　saw　the　balsam　drop；）
show　the　mistake　of　those　that　understand　Eusebius　and　Jerom　as
if　one　of　those　gardens　were　at　the　south　part　of　that　sea；　at
Zoar　or　Segor；　whereas　they　must　either　mean　another　Zoar　or
Segor；　which　was　between　Jericho　and　Kugaddi；　agreeably　to
Josephus：　which　yet　they　do　not　appear　to　do；　or　else　they
directly　contradict　Josephus；　and　were　therein　greatly　mistaken：
I　mean　this；　unless　that　balsam；　and　the　best　palm　trees；　grew
much　more　southward　in　Judea　in　the　days　of　Eusebius　and　Jerom
than　they　did　in　the　days　of　Josephus。

（5）　The　particular　depth　and　breadth　of　this　ditch；　whence　the
stones　for　the　wall　about　the　temple　were　probably　taken；　are
omitted　in　our　copies　of　Josephus；　but　set　down　by　Strabo；　B。
XVI。　p。　763；　from　whom　we　learn　that　this　ditch　was　sixty　feet
deep；　and　two　hundred　and　fifty　feet　broad。　However；　its　depth
is；　in　the　next　section；　said　by　Josephus　to　be　immense；　which
exactly　agrees　to　Strabo's　description；　and　which　numbers　in
Strabo　are　a　strong　confirmation　of　the　truth　of　Josephus's
description　also。

（6）　That　is；　on　the　23rd　of　Sivan；　the　annual　fast　for　the
defection　and　idolatry　of　Jeroboam；　〃who　made　Israel　to　sin；〃　or
possibly　some　other　fast　might　fall　into　that　month；　before　and
in　the　days　of　Josephus。

（7）　It　deserves　here　to　be　noted；　that　this　Pharisaical；
superstitious　notion；　that　offensive　fighting　was　unlawful　to
Jews；　even　under　the　utmost　necessity；　on　the　Sabbath　day；　of
which　we　hear　nothing　before　the　times　of　the　Maccabees；　was　the
proper　occasion　of　Jerusalem's　being　taken　by　Pompey；　by　Sosius；
and　by　Titus；　as　appears　from　the　places　already　quoted　in　the
note　on　Antiq。　B。　XIII。　ch。　8。　sect。　1；　which　scrupulous
superstition；　as　to　the　observation　of　such　a　rigorous　rest　upon
the　Sabbath　day；　our　Savior　always　opposed；　when　the　Pharisaical
Jews　insisted　on　it；　as　is　evident　in　many　places　in　the　New
Testament；　though　he　still　intimated　how　pernicious　that
superstition　might　prove　to　them　in　their　flight　from　the　Romans；
Matthew　25：20。

（8）　This　is　fully　confirmed　by　the　testimony　of　Cicero；　who：
says；　in　his　oration　for　Flaecus；　that　〃Cneius　Pompeius；　when　he
was　conqueror；　and　had　taken　Jerusalem；　did　not　touch　any　thing
belonging　to　that　temple。〃

（9）　Of　this　destruction　of　Gadara　here　presupposed；　and　its
restoration　by　Pompey；　see　the　note　on　the　War；　B。　I。　ch。　7。
sect。　7。

（10）　Dean　Prideaux　well　observes；　〃That　notwithstanding　the
clamor　against　Gabinius　at　Rome；　Josephus　gives　him　a　able
character；　as　if　he　had　acquitted　himself　with　honor　in　the
charge　committed　to　him〃　＇in　Judea＇。　See　at　the　year　55。

（11）　This　history　is　best　illustrated　by　Dr。　Hudson　out　of　Livy；
who　says　that　〃A。　Gabinius；　the　proconsul；　restored　Ptolemy　of
Pompey　and　Gabinius　against　the　Jews；　while　neither　of　them　say
any　thing　new　which　is　not　in　the　other　to　his　kingdom　of　Egypt；
and　ejected　Archelaus；　whom　they　had　set　up　for　ki