the antiquities of the jews-1-第69节

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reflecting　that　he　who　had　condemned　them　to　endure　these
calamities　was　greater　than　the　ark；　and　for　whose　sake　it　was
that　this　ark　came　to　be　honored。　So　the　ark　came；　and　the　sons
of　the　high　priest　with　it；　having　received　a　charge　from　their
father；　that　if　they　pretended　to　survive　the　taking　of　the　ark；
they　should　come　no　more　into　his　presence；　for　Phineas
officiated　already　as　high　priest；　his　father　having　resigned　his
office　to　him；　by　reason　of　his　great　age。　So　the　Hebrews　were
full　of　courage；　as　supposing　that；　by　the　coming　of　the　ark；
they　should　be　too　hard　for　their　enemies：　their　enemies　also
were　greatly　concerned；　and　were　afraid　of　the　ark's　coming　to
the　Israelites：　however；　the　upshot　did　not　prove　agreeable　to
the　expectation　of　both　sides；　but　when　the　battle　was　joined；
that　victory　which　the　Hebrews　expected　was　gained　by　the
Philistines；　and　that　defeat　the　Philistines　were　afraid　of　fell
to　the　lot　of　the　Israelites；　and　thereby　they　found　that　they
had　put　their　trust　in　the　ark　in　vain；　for　they　were　presently
beaten　as　soon　as　they　came　to　a　close　fight　with　their　enemies；
and　lost　about　thirty　thousand　men；　among　whom　were　the　sons　of
the　high　priest；　but　the　ark　was　carried　away　by　the　enemies。

3。　When　the　news　of　this　defeat　came　to　Shiloh；　with　that　of　the
captivity　of　the　ark；　（for　a　certain　young　man；　a　Benjamite；　who
was　in　the　action；　came　as　a　messenger　thither；）　the　whole　city
was　full　of　lamentations。　And　Eli；　the　high　priest；　who　sat　upon
a　high　throne　at　one　of　the　gates；　heard　their　mournful　cries；
and　supposed　that　some　strange　thing　had　befallen　his　family。　So
he　sent　for　the　young　man；　and　when　he　understood　what　had
happened　in　the　battle；　he　was　not　much　uneasy　as　to　his　sons；　or
what　was　told　him　withal　about　the　army；　as　having　beforehand
known　by　Divine　revelation　that　those　things　would　happen；　and
having　himself　declared　them　beforehand；　…　for　what　sad　things
come　unexpectedly　they　distress　men　the　most；　but　as　soon　as　＇he
heard＇　the　ark　was　carried　captive　by　their　enemies；　he　was　very
much　grieved　at　it；　because　it　fell　out　quite　differently　from
what　he　expected；　so　he　fell　down　from　his　throne　and　died；
having　in　all　lived　ninety…eight　years；　and　of　them　retained　the
government　forty。

4。　On　the　same　day　his　son　Phineas's　wife　died　also；　as　not　able
to　survive　the　misfortune　of　her　husband；　for　they　told　her　of
her　husband's　death　as　she　was　in　labor。　However；　she　bare　a　son
at　seven　months；　who　lived；　and　to　whom　they　gave　the　name　of
Icabod；　which　name　signifies　disgrace；　…　and　this　because　the
army　received　a　disgrace　at　this　thee。

5。　Now　Eli　was　the　first　of　the　family　of　Ithamar；　the　other　son
of　Aaron；　that　had　the　government；　for　the　family　of　Eleazar
officiated　as　high　priest　at　first；　the　son　still　receiving　that
honor　from　the　father　which　Eleazar　bequeathed　to　his　son
Phineas；　after　whom　Abiezer　his　son　took　the　honor；　and　delivered
it　to　his　son；　whose　name　was　Bukki；　from　whom　his　son　Ozi
received　it；　after　whom　Eli；　of　whom　we　have　been　speaking；　had
the　priesthood；　and　so　he　and　his　posterity　until　the　thee　of
Solomon's　reign；　but　then　the　posterity　of　Eleazar　reassumed　it。

BOOK　VI。

Containing　The　Interval　Of　Thirty…Two　Years。

From　The　Death　Of　Eli　To　The　Death　Of　Saul。

CHAPTER　1。

The　Destruction　That　Came　Upon　The　Philistines；　And　Upon　Their
Land；　By　The　Wrath　Of　Go　On　Account　Of　Their　Having　Carried　The
Ark　Away　Captive；　And　After　What　Manner　They　Sent　It　Back　To　The
Hebrews。

1。　When　the　Philistines　had　taken　the　ark　of　the　Hebrews　captive；
as　I　said　a　little　before；　they　carried　it　to　the　city　of　Ashdod；
and　put　it　by　their　own　god；　who　was　called　Dagon；　（1）　as　one　of
their　spoils；　but　when　they　went　into　his　temple　the　next　morning
to　worship　their　god；　they　found　him　paying　the　same　worship　to
the　ark；　for　he　lay　along；　as　having　fallen　down　from　the　basis
whereon　he　had　stood：　so　they　took　him　up；　and　set　him　on　his
basis　again；　and　were　much　troubled　at　what　had　happened；　and　as
they　frequently　came　to　Dagon　and　found　him　still　lying　along；　in
a　posture　of　adoration　to　the　ark；　they　were　in　very　great
distress　and　confusion。　At　length　God　sent　a　very　destructive
disease　upon　the　city　and　country　of　Ashdod；　for　they　died　of　the
dysentery　or　flux；　a　sore　distemper；　that　brought　death　upon　them
very　suddenly；　for　before　the　soul　could；　as　usual　in　easy
deaths；　be　well　loosed　from　the　body；　they　brought　up　their
entrails；　and　vomited　up　what　they　had　eaten；　and　what　was
entirely　corrupted　by　the　disease。　And　as　to　the　fruits　of　their
country；　a　great　multitude　of　mice　arose　out　of　the　earth　and
hurt　them；　and　spared　neither　the　plants　nor　the　fruits。　Now
while　the　people　of　Ashdod　were　under　these　misfortunes；　and　were
not　able　to　support　themselves　under　their　calamities；　they
perceived　that　they　suffered　thus　because　of　the　ark；　and　that
the　victory　they　had　gotten；　and　their　having　taken　the　ark
captive；　had　not　happened　for　their　good；　they　therefore　sent　to
the　people　of　Askelon；　and　desired　that　they　would　receive　the
ark　among　them。　This　desire　of　the　people　of　Ashdod　was　not
disagreeable　to　those　of　Askelon；　so　they　granted　them　that
favor。　But　when　they　had　gotten　the　ark；　they　were　in　the　same
miserable　condition；　for　the　ark　carried　along　with　it　the
disasters　that　the　people　of　Ashdod　had　suffered；　to　those　who
received　it　from　them。　Those　of　Askelon　also　sent　it　away　from
themselves　to　others：　nor　did　it　stay　among　those　others　neither；
for　since　they　were　pursued　by　the　same　disasters；　they　still
sent　it　to　the　neighboring　cities；　so　that　the　ark　went　round；
after　this　manner；　to　the　five　cities　of　the　Philistines；　as
though　it　exacted　these　disasters　as　a　tribute　to　be　paid　it　for
its　coming　among　them。

2。　When　those　that　had　experienced　these　miseries　were　tired　out
with　them；　and　when　those　that　heard　of　them　were　taught　thereby
not　to　admit　the　ark　among　them；　since　they　paid　so　dear　a
tribute　for　it；　at　length　they　sought　for　some　contrivance　and
method　how　they　might　get　free　from　it：　so　the　governors　of　the
five　cities；　Gath；　and　Ekron；　and　Askelon；　as　also　of　Gaza；　and
Ashclod；　met　together；　and　considered　what　was　fit　to　be　done；
and　at　first　they　thought　proper　to　send　the　ark　back　to　its　own
people；　as　allowing　that　God　had　avenged　its　cause；　that　the
miseries　they　had　undergone　came　along　with　it；　and　that　these
were　sent　on　their　cities　upon　its　account；　and　together　with　it。
However；　there　were　those　that　said　they　should　not　do　so；　nor
suffer　themselves　to　be　deluded；　as　ascribing　the　cause　of　their
miseries　to　it；　because　it　could　not　have　such　power　and　force
upon　them；　for；　had　God　had　such　a　regard　to　it；　it　would　not
have　been　delivered　into　the　hands　of　men。　So　they　exhorted　them
to　be　quiet；　and　to　take　patiently　what　had　befallen　them；　and　to
suppose　there　was　no　other　cause　of　it　but　nature；　which；　at
certain　revolutions　of　time；　produces　such　mutations　in　the
bodies　of　men；　in　the　earth；　in　plants；　and　in　all　things　that
grow　out　of　the　earth。　But　the　counsel　that　prevailed　over　those
already　described；　was　that　of　certain　men；　who　were　believed　to
have　distinguished　themselves　in　former　times　for　their
understanding　and　prudence；　and　who；　in　their　present
circumstances；　seemed　above　all　the　rest　to　speak　properly。　These
men　said　it　was　not　right　either　to　send　the　ark　away；　or　to
retain　it；　but　to　dedicate　five　golden　images；　one　for　every
city；　as　a　thank…offering　to　God；　on　account　of　his　having　taken
care　of　their　preservation；　and　having　kept　them　alive　when　their
lives　were　likely　to　be　taken　away　by　such　distempers　as　they
were　not　able　to　bear　up　against。　They　also　would　have　them　make
five　golden　mice　like　to　those　that　devoured　and　destroyed　their
country　（2）　to　put　them　in　a　bag；　and　lay　them　upon　the　ark；　to
make　them　a　new　cart　also　for　it；　and　to　yoke　milch　kine　to　it
（3）　but　to　shut　up　their　calves；　and　keep　them　from　them；　lest；
by　following　after　them；　they　should　prove　a　hinderance　to　their
dams；　and　that　the　dams　might　return　the　faster　out　of　a　desire
of　those　calves；　then　to　drive　these　milch　kine　that　carried　the
ark；　and　leave　it　at　a　place　where　three　ways　met；　and　So　leave
it　to　the　kine　to　go　along　which　of　those　ways　they　pleased；　that
in　case　they　went　the　way　to　the　Hebrews；　and　ascended　to　their
country；　they　should　suppose　that　the　ark　was　the　cause　of　their
misfortunes；　but　if　they　turned　into　another　road；　they　said；　〃We
will　pursue　after　it；　and　conclude　that　it　has　no　such　force　in
it。〃

3。　So　they　determined　that　these　men　spake　well；　and　they
immediately　confirmed　their　opinion　by　doing　accordingly。　And
when　they　had　done　as　has　been　already　described；　they　brought
the　cart　to　a　place　where　three　ways　met；　and　left　it　there　and
went　their　ways；　but　the　kine　went　the　right　way；　and　as　if　some
persons　had　driven　them；　while　the　rulers　of　the　Philistines
followed　after　them；　as　desirous　to　know　where　they　would　stand
still；　and　to　whom　they　would　go。　Now　there　was　a　certain　village
of　the　tribe　of　Judah；　the　name　of　wh