the antiquities of the jews-1-第160章

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soldiers；　and　when　he　was　sent　by　me　to　Mithridates；　showed
himself　superior　in　valor　to　all　the　rest　of　that　army；　…　for
these　reasons　I　will　that　Hyrcanus；　the　son　of　Alexander；　and　his
children；　be　ethnarchs　of　the　Jews；　and　have　the　high　priesthood
of　the　Jews　for　ever；　according　to　the　customs　of　their
forefathers；　and　that　he　and　his　sons　be　our　confederates；　and
that　besides　this；　everyone　of　them　be　reckoned　among　our
particular　friends。　I　also　ordain　that　he　and　his　children　retain
whatsoever　privileges　belong　to　the　office　of　high　priest；　or
whatsoever　favors　have　been　hitherto　granted　them；　and　if　at　any
time　hereafter　there　arise　any　questions　about　the　Jewish
customs；　I　will　that　he　determine　the　same。　And　I　think　it　not
proper　that　they　should　be　obliged　to　find　us　winter　quarters；　or
that　any　money　should　be　required　of　them。〃

3。　〃The　decrees　of　Caius　Caesar；　consul；　containing　what　hath
been　granted　and　determined；　are　as　follows：　That　Hyrcanus　and
his　children　bear　rule　over　the　nation　of　the　Jews；　and　have　the
profits　of　the　places　to　them　bequeathed；　and　that　he；　as　himself
the　high　priest　and　ethnarch　of　the　Jews；　defend　those　that　are
injured；　and　that　ambassadors　be　sent　to　Hyrcanus；　the　son　of
Alexander；　the　high　priest　of　the　Jews；　that　may　discourse　with
him　about　a　league　of　friendship　and　mutual　assistance；　and　that
a　table　of　brass；　containing　the　premises；　be　openly　proposed　in
the　capitol；　and　at　Sidon；　and　Tyre；　and　Askelon；　and　in　the
temple；　engraven　in　Roman　and　Greek　letters：　that　this　decree　may
also　be　communicated　to　the　quaestors　and　praetors　of　the　several
cities；　and　to　the　friends　of　the　Jews；　and　that　the　ambassadors
may　have　presents　made　them；　and　that　these　decrees　be　sent　every
where。〃

4。　〃Caius　Caesar；　imperator；　dictator；　consul；　hath　granted；　That
out　of　regard　to　the　honor；　and　virtue；　and　kindness　of　the　man；
and　for　the　advantage　of　the　senate；　and　of　the　people　of　Rome；
Hyrcanus；　the　son　of　Alexander；　both　he　and　his　children；　be　high
priests　and　priests　of　Jerusalem；　and　of　the　Jewish　nation；　by
the　same　right；　and　according　to　the　same　laws；　by　which　their
progenitors　have　held　the　priesthood。〃

5。　〃Caius　Caesar；　consul　the　fifth　time；　hath　decreed；　That　the
Jews　shall　possess　Jerusalem；　and　may　encompass　that　city　with
walls；　and　that　Hyrcanus；　the　son　of　Alexander；　the　high　priest
and　ethnarch　of　the　Jews；　retain　it　in　the　manner　he　himself
pleases；　and　that　the　Jews　be　allowed　to　deduct　out　of　their
tribute；　every　second　year　the　land　is　let　＇in　the　Sabbatic
period＇；　a　corus　of　that　tribute；　and　that　the　tribute　they　pay
be　not　let　to　farm；　nor　that　they　pay　always　the　same　tribute。〃

6。　〃Caius　Caesar；　imperator　the　second　time；　hath　ordained；　That
all　the　country　of　the　Jews；　excepting　Joppa；　do　pay　a　tribute
yearly　for　the　city　Jerusalem；　excepting　the　seventh；　which　they
call　the　sabbatical　year；　because　thereon　they　neither　receive
the　fruits　of　their　trees；　nor　do　they　sow　their　land；　and　that
they　pay　their　tribute　in　Sidon　on　the　second　year　＇of　that
sabbatical　period＇；　the　fourth　part　of　what　was　sown：　and　besides
this；　they　are　to　pay　the　same　tithes　to　Hyrcanus　and　his　sons
which　they　paid　to　their　forefathers。　And　that　no　one；　neither
president；　nor　lieutenant；　nor　ambassador；　raise　auxiliaries
within　the　bounds　of　Judea；　nor　may　soldiers　exact　money　of　them
for　winter　quarters；　or　under　any　other　pretense；　but　that　they
be　free　from　all　sorts　of　injuries；　and　that　whatsoever　they
shall　hereafter　have；　and　are　in　possession　of；　or　have　bought；
they　shall　retain　them　all。　It　is　also　our　pleasure　that　the　city
Joppa；　which　the　Jews　had　originally；　when　they　made　a　league　of
friendship　with　the　Romans；　shall　belong　to　them；　as　it。　formerly
did；　and　that　Hyrcanus；　the　son　of　Alexander；　and　his　sons；　have
as　tribute　of　that　city　from　those　that　occupy　the　land　for　the
country；　and　for　what　they　export　every　year　to　Sidon；　twenty
thousand　six　hundred　and　seventy…five　modii　every　year；　the
seventh　year；　which　they　call　the　Sabbatic　year；　excepted；
whereon　they　neither　plough；　nor　receive　the　product　of　their
trees。　It　is　also　the　pleasure　of　the　senate；　that　as　to　the
villages　which　are　in　the　great　plain；　which　Hyrcanus　and　his
forefathers　formerly　possessed；　Hyrcanus　and　the　Jews　have　them
with　the　same　privileges　with　which　they　formerly　had　them　also；
and　that　the　same　original　ordinances　remain　still　in　force　which
concern　the　Jews　with　regard　to　their　high　priests；　and　that　they
enjoy　the　same　benefits　which　they　have　had　formerly　by　the
concession　of　the　people；　and　of　the　senate；　and　let　them　enjoy
the　like　privileges　in　Lydda。　It　is　the　pleasure　also　of　the
senate　that　Hyrcanus　the　ethnarch；　and　the　Jews；　retain　those
places；　countries；　and　villages　which　belonged　to　the　kings　of
Syria　and　Phoenicia；　the　confederates　of　the　Romans；　and　which
they　had　bestowed　on　them　as　their　free　gifts。　It　is　also　granted
to　Hyrcanus；　and　to　his　sons；　and　to　the　ambassadors　by　them　sent
to　us；　that　in　the　fights　between　single　gladiators；　and　in　those
with　beasts；　they　shall　sit　among　the　senators　to　see　those
shows；　and　that　when　they　desire　an　audience；　they　shall　be
introduced　into　the　senate　by　the　dictator；　or　by　the　general　of
the　horse；　and　when　they　have　introduced　them；　their　answers
shall　be　returned　them　in　ten　days　at　the　furthest；　after　the
decree　of　the　senate　is　made　about　their　affairs。〃

7。　〃Caius　Cqesar；　imperator；　dictator　the　fourth　time；　and　consul
the　fifth　time；　declared　to　be　perpetual　dictator；　made　this
speech　concerning　the　rights　and　privileges　of　Hyrcanus；　the　son
of　Alexander；　the　high　priest　and　ethnarch　of　the　Jews。　Since
those　imperators　that　have　been　in　the　provinces　before　me　have
borne　witness　to　Hyrcanus；　the　high　priest　of　the　Jews；　and　to
the　Jews　themselves；　and　this　before　the　senate　and　people　of
Rome；　when　the　people　and　senate　returned　their　thanks　to　them；
it　is　good　that　we　now　also　remember　the　same；　and　provide　that　a
requital　be　made　to　Hyrcanus；　to　the　nation　of　the　Jews；　and　to
the　sons　of　Hyrcanus；　by　the　senate　and　people　of　Rome；　and　that
suitably　to　what　good…will　they　have　shown　us；　and　to　the
benefits　they　have　bestowed　upon　us。〃

8。　〃Julius　Caius；　praetor　＇consul＇　of　Rome；　to　the　magistrates；
senate；　and　people　of　the　Parians；　sendeth　greeting。　The　Jews　of
Delos；　and　some　other　Jews　that　sojourn　there；　in　the　presence　of
your　ambassadors；　signified　to　us；　that；　by　a　decree　of　yours；
you　forbid　them　to　make　use　of　the　customs　of　their　forefathers；
and　their　way　of　sacred　worship。　Now　it　does　not　please　me　that
such　decrees　should　be　made　against　our　friends　and　confederates；
whereby　they　are　forbidden　to　live　according　to　their　own
customs；　or　to　bring　in　contributions　for　common　suppers　and　holy
festivals；　while　they　are　not　forbidden　so　to　do　even　at　Rome
itself；　for　even　Caius　Caesar；　our　imperator　and　consul；　in　that
decree　wherein　he　forbade　the　Bacchanal　rioters　to　meet　in　the
city；　did　yet　permit　these　Jews；　and　these　only；　both　to　bring　in
their　contributions；　and　to　make　their　common　suppers。
Accordingly；　when　I　forbid　other　Bacchanal　rioters；　I　permit
these　Jews　to　gather　themselves　together；　according　to　the
customs　and　laws　of　their　forefathers；　and　to　persist　therein。　It
will　be　therefore　good　for　you；　that　if　you　have　made　any　decree
against　these　our　friends　and　confederates；　to　abrogate　the　same；
by　reason　of　their　virtue　and　kind　disposition　towards　us。〃

9。　Now　after　Caius　was　slain；　when　Marcus　Antonius　and　Publius
Dolabella　were　consuls；　they　both　assembled　the　senate；　and
introduced　Hyrcanus's　ambassadors　into　it；　and　discoursed　of　what
they　desired；　and　made　a　league　of　friendship　with　them。　The
senate　also　decreed　to　grant　them　all　they　desired。　I　add　the
decree　itself；　that　those　who　read　the　present　work　may　have
ready　by　them　a　demonstration　of　the　truth　of　what　we　say。　The
decree　was　this：

10。　〃The　decree　of　the　senate；　copied　out　of　the　treasury；　from
the　public　tables　belonging　to　the　quaestors；　when　Quintus
Rutilius　and　Caius　Cornelius　were　quaestors；　and　taken　out　of　the
second　table　of　the　first　class；　on　the　third　day　before　the　Ides
of　April；　in　the　temple　of　Concord。　There　were　present　at　the
writing　of　this　decree；　Lucius　Calpurnius　Piso　of　the　Menenian
tribe；　Servius　Papinins　Potitus　of　the　Lemonian　tribe；　Caius
Caninius　Rebilius　of　the　Terentine　tribe；　Publius　Tidetius；
Lucius　Apulinus；　the　son　of　Lucius；　of　the　Sergian　tribe；
Flavius；　the　son　of　Lucius；　of　the　Lemonian　tribe；　Publius
Platins；　the　son　of　Publius；　of　the　Papyrian　tribe；　Marcus
Acilius；　the　son　of　Marcus；　of　the　Mecian　tribe；　Lucius　Erucius；
the　son　of　Lucius；　of　the　Stellatine　tribe；　Mareils　Quintus
Plancillus；　the　son　of　Marcus；　of　the　Pollian　tribe；　and　Publius
Serius。　Publius　Dolabella　and　Marcus　Antonius；　the　consuls；　made
this　reference　to　the　senate；　that　as　to　those　things　which；　by
the　decree　of　the　senate；　Caius　Caesar　had　adjudged　about　the
Jews；　and　yet　had　not　hitherto　that　decree　been　brought　into　the
treasury；　it　is　our　will；　as　it　is　also　the　desire　of　Publius
Dolabella　and　Marcus　Antonius；　our　consuls；　to　have　these　decrees
put　into　the　public　tables；　and　brought　to　the　city　quaestors；
that　they　may　take　care　to　have　them　put　upon　the　double　tables。
This　was　done　before　the　fifth　of　the　Ides　of　February；　in　the
temple　of　Concord。　Now　the　ambassadors　from　Hyrcanus　the　high
priest　were　these：　Lysimachus；　the　son　of　Pausanias；　Alexander；
the　son　of　Theodorus；　Patroclus；　the　son　of　Chereas；　and　Jonathan
the；　son　of　Onias。〃

11。　Hyrcanus　sent　also　one　of　these　ambassadors　to　Dolabella；　who
was　then　the　prefect　of　Asia；　and　desired　him　to　dismiss　the　Jews
from　military　services；　and　to　preserve　to　them　the　customs　of
their　forefathers；　and　to　permit　them　to　live　according　to　them。
And　when　Dolabella　had　received　Hyrcanus's　letter；　without　any
further　deliberation；　he　sent　an　epistle　to　all　the　Asiatics；　and
particularly　to　the　city　of　the　Ephesians；　the　metropolis　of
Asia；　about　the　Jews；　a　copy　of　which　epistle　here　follows：

12。　〃When　Artermon　was　prytanis；　on　the　first　day　of　the　month
Leneon；　Dolabella；　imperator；　to　the　senate；　and　magistrates；　and
people　of　the　Ephesians；　sendeth　greeting。　Alexander；　the　son　of
Theodorus；　the　ambassador　of　Hyrcanus；　the　son　of　Alexander；　the
high　priest　and　ethnarch　of　the　Jews；　appeared　before　me；　to　show
that　his　countrymen　could　not　go　into　their　armies；　because　they
are　not　allowed　to　bear　arms　or　to　travel　on　the　sabbath　days；
nor　there　to　procure　themselves　those　sorts　of　food　which　they
have　been　used　to　eat　from　the　times　of　their　forefathers；　…　I　do
therefore　grant　them　a　freedom　from　going　into　the　army；　as　the
former　prefects　have　done；　and　permit　them　to　use　the　customs　of
their　forefathers；　in　assembling　together　for　sacred　and
religious　purposes；　as　their　law　requires；　and　for　collecting
oblations　necessary　for　sacrifices；　and　my　will　is；　that　you
write　this　to　the　several　cities　under　your　jurisdiction。〃

13。　And　these　were　the　concessions　that　Dolabella　made　to　our
nation　when