the antiquities of the jews-1-第39节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


time　appointed　for　them；　they　perform　their　sacrifices；　the
priests　distribute　them　before　God。

6。　But　if　any　one　suspect　that　his　wife　has　been　guilty　of
adultery；　he　was　to　bring　a　tenth　deal　of　barley　flour；　they　then
cast　one　handful　to　God　and　gave　the　rest　of　it　to　the　priests
for　food。　One　of　the　priests　set　the　woman　at　the　gates　that　are
turned　towards　the　temple；　and　took　the　veil　from　her　head；　and
wrote　the　name　of　God　on　parchment；　and　enjoined　her　to　swear
that　she　had　not　at　all　injured　her　husband；　and　to　wish　that；　if
she　had　violated　her　chastity；　her　right　thigh　might　be　put　out
of　joint；　that　her　belly　might　swell；　and　that　she　might　die
thus：　but　that　if　her　husband；　by　the　violence　of　his　affection；
and　of　the　jealousy　which　arose　from　it；　had　been　rashly　moved　to
this　suspicion；　that　she　might　bear　a　male　child　in　the　tenth
month。　Now　when　these　oaths　were　over；　the　priest　wiped　the　name
of　God　out　of　the　parchment；　and　wrung　the　water　into　a　vial。　He
also　took　some　dust　out　of　the　temple；　if　any　happened　to　be
there；　and　put　a　little　of　it　into　the　vial；　and　gave　it　her　to
drink；　whereupon　the　woman；　if　she　were　unjustly　accused；
conceived　with　child；　and　brought　it　to　perfection　in　her　womb：
but　if　she　had　broken　her　faith　of　wedlock　to　her　husband；　and
had　sworn　falsely　before　God；　she　died　in　a　reproachful　manner；
her　thigh　fell　off　from　her；　and　her　belly　swelled　with　a　dropsy。
And　these　are　the　ceremonies　about　sacrifices；　and　about　the
purifications　thereto　belonging；　which　Moses　provided　for　his
countrymen。　He　also　prescribed　the　following　laws　to　them：　…　

CHAPTER　12。

Several　Laws。

1。　As　for　adultery；　Moses　forbade　it　entirely；　as　esteeming　it　a
happy　thing　that　men　should　be　wise　in　the　affairs　of　wedlock；
and　that　it　was　profitable　both　to　cities　and　families　that
children　should　be　known　to　be　genuine。　He　also　abhorred　men's
lying　with　their　mothers；　as　one　of　the　greatest　crimes；　and　the
like　for　lying　with　the　father's　wife；　and　with　aunts；　and
sisters；　and　sons'　wives；　as　all　instances　of　abominable
wickedness。　He　also　forbade　a　man　to　lie　with　his　wife　when　she
was　defiled　by　her　natural　purgation：　and　not　to　come　near　brute
beasts；　nor　to　approve　of　the　lying　with　a　male；　which　was　to
hunt　after　unlawful　pleasures　on　account　of　beauty。　To　those　who
were　guilty　of　such　insolent　behavior；　he　ordained　death　for
their　punishment。

2。　As　for　the　priests；　he　prescribed　to　them　a　double　degree　of
purity　（25）　for　he　restrained　them　in　the　instances　above；　and
moreover　forbade　them　to　marry　harlots。　He　also　forbade　them　to
marry　a　slave；　or　a　captive；　and　such　as　got　their　living　by
cheating　trades；　and　by　keeping　inns；　as　also　a　woman　parted　from
her　husband；　on　any　account　whatsoever。　Nay；　he　did　not　think　it
proper　for　the　high　priest　to　marry　even　the　widow　of　one　that
was　dead；　though　he　allowed　that　to　the　priests；　but　he　permitted
him　only　to　marry　a　virgin；　and　to　retain　her。　Whence　it　is　that
the　high　priest　is　not　to　come　near　to　one　that　is　dead；　although
the　rest　are　not　prohibited　from　coming　near　to　their　brethren；
or　parents；　or　children；　when　they　are　dead；　but　they　are　to　be
unblemished　in　all　respects。　He　ordered　that　the　priest　who　had
any　blemish；　should　have　his　portion　indeed　among　the　priests；
but　he　forbade　him　to　ascend　the　altar；　or　to　enter　into　the　holy
house。　He　also　enjoined　them；　not　only　to　observe　purity　in　their
sacred　ministrations；　but　in　their　daily　conversation；　that　it
might　be　unblamable　also。　And　on　this　account　it　is　that　those
who　wear　the　sacerdotal　garments　are　without　spot；　and　eminent
for　their　purity　and　sobriety：　nor　are　they　permitted　to　drink
wine　so　long　as　they　wear　those　garments。　（26）　Moreover；　they
offer　sacrifices　that　are　entire；　and　have　no　defect　whatsoever。

3。　And　truly　Moses　gave　them　all　these　precepts；　being　such　as
were　observed　during　his　own　lifetime；　but　though　he　lived　now　in
the　wilderness；　yet　did　he　make　provision　how　they　might　observe
the　same　laws　when　they　should　have　taken　the　land　of　Canaan。　He
gave　them　rest　to　the　land　from　ploughing　and　planting　every
seventh　year；　as　he　had　prescribed　to　them　to　rest　from　working
every　seventh　day；　and　ordered；　that　then　what　grew　of　its　own
accord　out　of　the　earth　should　in　common　belong　to　all　that
pleased　to　use　it；　making　no　distinction　in　that　respect　between
their　own　countrymen　and　foreigners：　and　he　ordained；　that　they
should　do　the　same　after　seven　times　seven　years；　which　in　all
are　fifty　years；　and　that　fiftieth　year　is　called　by　the　Hebrews
The　Jubilee；　wherein　debtors　are　freed　from　their　debts；　and
slaves　are　set　at　liberty；　which　slaves　became　such；　though　they
were　of　the　same　stock；　by　transgressing　some　of　those　laws　the
punishment　of　which　was　not　capital；　but　they　were　punished　by
this　method　of　slavery。　This　year　also　restores　the　land　to　its
former　possessors　in　the　manner　following：　…　When　the　Jubilee　is
come；　which　name　denotes　liberty；　he　that　sold　the　land；　and　he
that　bought　it；　meet　together；　and　make　an　estimate；　on　one　hand；
of　the　fruits　gathered；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　of　the　expenses
laid　out　upon　it。　If　the　fruits　gathered　come　to　more　than　the
expenses　laid　out；　he　that　sold　it　takes　the　land　again；　but　if
the　expenses　prove　more　than　the　fruits；　the　present　possessor
receives　of　the　former　owner　the　difference　that　was　wanting；　and
leaves　the　land　to　him；　and　if　the　fruits　received；　and　the
expenses　laid　out；　prove　equal　to　one　another；　the　present
possessor　relinquishes　it　to　the　former　owners。　Moses　would　have
the　same　law　obtain　as　to　those　houses　also　which　were　sold　in
villages；　but　he　made　a　different　law　for　such　as　were　sold　in　a
city；　for　if　he　that　sold　it　tendered　the　purchaser　his　money
again　within　a　year；　he　was　forced　to　restore　it；　but　in　case　a
whole　year　had　intervened；　the　purchaser　was　to　enjoy　what　he　had
bought。　This　was　the　constitution　of　the　laws　which　Moses　learned
of　God　when　the　camp　lay　under　Mount　Sinai；　and　this　he　delivered
in　writing　to　the　Hebrews。

4。　Now　when　this　settlement　of　laws　seemed　to　be　well　over；　Moses
thought　fit　at　length　to　take　a　review　of　the　host；　as　thinking
it　proper　to　settle　the　affairs　of　war。　So　he　charged　the　heads
of　the　tribes；　excepting　the　tribe　of　Levi；　to　take　an　exact
account　of　the　number　of　those　that　were　able　to　go　to　war；　for
as　to　the　Levites；　they　were　holy；　and　free　from　all　such
burdens。　Now　when　the　people　had　been　numbered；　there　were　found
six　hundred　thousand　that　were　able　to　go　to　war；　from　twenty　to
fifty　years　of　age；　besides　three　thousand　six　hundred　and　fifty。
Instead　of　Levi；　Moses　took　Manasseh；　the　son　of　Joseph；　among
the　heads　of　tribes；　and　Ephraim　instead　of　Joseph。　It　was　indeed
the　desire　of　Jacob　himself　to　Joseph；　that　he　would　give　him　his
sons　to　be　his　own　by　adoption；　as　I　have　before　related。

5。　When　they　set　up　the　tabernacle；　they　received　it　into　the
midst　of　their　camp；　three　of　the　tribes　pitching　their　tents　on
each　side　of　it；　and　roads　were　cut　through　the　midst　of　these
tents。　It　was　like　a　well…appointed　market；　and　every　thing　was
there　ready　for　sale　in　due　order；　and　all　sorts　of　artificers
were　in　the　shops；　and　it　resembled　nothing　so　much　as　a　city
that　sometimes　was　movable；　and　sometimes　fixed。　The　priests　had
the　first　places　about　the　tabernacle；　then　the　Levites；　who；
because　their　whole　multitude　was　reckoned　from　thirty　days　old；
were　twenty…three　thousand　eight　hundred　and　eighty　males；　and
during　the　time　that　the　cloud　stood　over　the　tabernacle；　they
thought　proper　to　stay　in　the　same　place；　as　supposing　that　God
there　inhabited　among　them；　but　when　that　removed；　they　journeyed
also。

6。　Moreover；　Moses　was　the　inventor　of　the　form　of　their　trumpet；
which　was　made　of　silver。　Its　description　is　this：　…　In　length　it
was　little　less　than　a　cubit。　It　was　composed　of　a　narrow　tube；
somewhat　thicker　than　a　flute；　but　with　so　much　breadth　as　was
sufficient　for　admission　of　the　breath　of　a　man's　mouth：　it　ended
in　the　form　of　a　bell；　like　common　trumpets。　Its　sound　was　called
in　the　Hebrew　tongue　Asosra。　Two　of　these　being　made；　one　of　them
was　sounded　when　they　required　the　multitude　to　come　together　to
congregations。　When　the　first　of　them　gave　a　signal；　the　heads　of
the　tribes　were　to　assemble；　and　consult　about　the　affairs　to
them　properly　belonging；　but　when　they　gave　the　signal　by　both　of
them；　they　called　the　multitude　together。　Whenever　the　tabernacle
was　removed；　it　was　done　in　this　solemn　order：　…　At　the　first
alarm　of　the　trumpet；　those　whose　tents　were　on　the　east　quarter
prepared　to　remove；　when　the　second　signal　was　given；　those　that
were　on　the　south　quarter　did　the　like；　in　the　next　place；　the
tabernacle　was　taken　to　pieces；　and　was　carried　in　the　midst　of
six　tribes　that　went　before；　and　of　six　that　followed；　all　the
Levites　assisting　about　the　tabernacle；　when　the　third　signal　was
given；　that　part　which　had　their　tents　towards　the　west　put
themselves　in　motion；　and　at　the　fourth　signal　those　on　the　north
did　so　likewise。　They　also　made　use　of　these　trumpets　in　thei