the antiquities of the jews-1-第22章

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！


them；　yet　insisted　that　the　children　should　be　left　behind；　God
presently　resolved　to　punish　his　wickedness　with　several　sorts　of
calamities；　and　those　worse　than　the　foregoing；　which　yet　had　so
generally　afflicted　them；　for　their　bodies　had　terrible　boils；
breaking　forth　with　blains；　while　they　were　already　inwardly
consumed；　and　a　great　part　of　the　Egyptians　perished　in　this
manner。　But　when　the　king　was　not　brought　to　reason　by　this
plague；　hail　was　sent　down　from　heaven；　and　such　hail　it　was；　as
the　climate　of　Egypt　had　never　suffered　before；　nor　was　it　like
to　that　which　falls　in　other　climates　in　winter　time；　（26）　but
was　larger　than　that　which　falls　in　the　middle　of　spring　to　those
that　dwell　in　the　northern　and　north…western　regions。　This　hail
broke　down　their　boughs　laden　with　fruit。　After　this　a　tribe　of
locusts　consumed　the　seed　which　was　not　hurt　by　the　hail；　so　that
to　the　Egyptians　all　hopes　of　the　future　fruits　of　the　ground
were　entirely　lost。

5。　One　would　think　the　forementioned　calamities　might　have　been
sufficient　for　one　that　was　only　foolish；　without　wickedness；　to
make　him　wise；　and　to　make　him　Sensible　what　was　for　his
advantage。　But　Pharaoh；　led　not　so　much　by　his　folly　as　by　his
wickedness；　even　when　he　saw　the　cause　of　his　miseries；　he　still
contested　with　God；　and　willfully　deserted　the　cause　of　virtue；
so　he　bid　Moses　take　the　Hebrews　away；　with　their　wives　and
children；　to　leave　their　cattle　behind；　since　their　own　cattle
were　destroyed。　But　when　Moses　said　that　what　he　desired　was
unjust；　since　they　were　obliged　to　offer　sacrifices　to　God　of
those　cattle；　and　the　time　being　prolonged　on　this　account；　a
thick　darkness；　without　the　least　light；　spread　itself　over　the
Egyptians；　whereby　their　sight　being　obstructed；　and　their
breathing　hindered　by　the　thickness　of　the　air；　they　died
miserably；　and　under　a　terror　lest　they　should　be　swallowed　up　by
the　dark　cloud。　Besides　this；　when　the　darkness；　after　three　days
and　as　many　nights；　was　dissipated；　and　when　Pharaoh　did　not
still　repent　and　let　the　Hebrews　go；　Moses　came　to　him　and　said；
〃How　long　wilt　thou　be　disobedient　to　the　command　of　God？　for　he
enjoins　thee　to　let　the　Hebrews　go；　nor　is　there　any　other　way　of
being　freed　from　the　calamities　are　under；　unless　you　do　so。〃　But
the　king　angry　at　what　he　said；　and　threatened　to　cut　off　his
head　if　he　came　any　more　to　trouble　him　these　matters。　Hereupon
Moses　said　he　not　speak　to　him　any　more　about　them；　for　he
himself；　together　with　the　principal　men　among　the　Egyptians；
should　desire　the　Hebrews　away。　So　when　Moses　had　said　this；　he
his　way。

6。　But　when　God　had　signified；　that　with　one　plague　he　would
compel　the　Egyptians　to　let　Hebrews　go；　he　commanded　Moses　to
tell　the　people　that　they　should　have　a　sacrifice　ready；　and　they
should　prepare　themselves　on　the　tenth　day　of　the　month
Xanthicus；　against　the　fourteenth；　（which　month　is　called　by　the
Egyptians　Pharmuth；　Nisan　by　the　Hebrews；　but　the　Macedonians
call　it　Xanthicus；）　and　that　he　should　carry　the　Hebrews　with　all
they　had。　Accordingly；　he　having　got　the　Hebrews　ready　for　their
departure；　and　having　sorted　the　people　into　tribes；　he　kept　them
together　in　one　place：　but　when　the　fourteenth　day　was　come；　and
all　were　ready　to　depart　they　offered　the　sacrifice；　and　purified
their　houses　with　the　blood；　using　bunches　of　hyssop　for　that
purpose；　and　when　they　had　supped；　they　burnt　the　remainder　of
the　flesh；　as　just　ready　to　depart。　Whence　it　is　that　we　do　still
offer　this　sacrifice　in　like　manner　to　this　day；　and　call　this
festival　Pascha　which　signifies　the　feast　of　the　passover；
because　on　that　day　God　passed　us　over；　and　sent　the　plague　upon
the　Egyptians；　for　the　destruction　of　the　first…born　came　upon
the　Egyptians　that　night；　so　that　many　of　the　Egyptians　who　lived
near　the　king's　palace；　persuaded　Pharaoh　to　let　the　Hebrews　go。
Accordingly　he　called　for　Moses；　and　bid　them　be　gone；　as
supposing；　that　if　once　the　Hebrews　were　gone　out　of　the　country；
Egypt　should　be　freed　from　its　miseries。　They　also　honored　the
Hebrews　with　gifts；　（27）　some；　in　order　to　get　them　to　depart
quickly；　and　others　on　account　of　their　neighborhood；　and　the
friendship　they　had　with　them。

CHAPTER　15。

How　The　Hebrews　Under　The　Conduct　Of　Moses　Left　Egypt。

1。　So　the　Hebrews　went　out　of　Egypt；　while　the　Egyptians　wept；
and　repented　that　they　had　treated　them　so　hardly。　…　Now　they
took　their　journey　by　Letopolis；　a　place　at　that　time　deserted；
but　where　Babylon　was　built　afterwards；　when　Cambyses　laid　Egypt
waste：　but　as　they　went　away　hastily；　on　the　third　day　they　came
to　a　place　called　Beelzephon；　on　the　Red　Sea；　and　when　they　had
no　food　out　of　the　land；　because　it　was　a　desert；　they　eat　of
loaves　kneaded　of　flour；　only　warmed　by　a　gentle　heat；　and　this
food　they　made　use　of　for　thirty　days；　for　what　they　brought　with
them　out　of　Egypt　would　not　suffice　them　any　longer　time；　and
this　only　while　they　dispensed　it　to　each　person；　to　use　so　much
only　as　would　serve　for　necessity；　but　not　for　satiety。　Whence　it
is　that；　in　memory　of　the　want　we　were　then　in；　we　keep　a　feast
for　eight　days；　which　is　called　the　feast　of　unleavened　bread。
Now　the　entire　multitude　of　those　that　went　out；　including　the
women　and　children；　was　not　easy　to　be　numbered；　but　those　that
were　of　an　age　fit　for　war；　were　six　hundred　thousand。

2。　They　left　Egypt　in　the　month　Xanthicus；　on　the　fifteenth　day
of　the　lunar　month；　four　hundred　and　thirty　years　after　our
forefather　Abraham　came　into　Canaan；　but　two　hundred　and　fifteen
years　only　after　Jacob　removed　into　Egypt。　（28）　It　was　the
eightieth　year　of　the　age　of　Moses；　and　of　that　of　Aaron　three
more。　They　also　carried　out　the　bones　of　Joesph　with　them；　as　he
had　charged　his　sons　to　do。

3。　But　the　Egyptians　soon　repented　that　the　Hebrews　were　gone；
and　the　king　also　was　mightily　concerned　that　this　had　been
procured　by　the　magic　arts　of　Moses；　so　they　resolved　to　go　after
them。　Accordingly　they　took　their　weapons；　and　other　warlike
furniture；　and　pursued　after　them；　in　order　to　bring　them　back；
if　once　they　overtook　them；　because　they　would　now　have　no
pretense　to　pray　to　God　against　them；　since　they　had　already　been
permitted　to　go　out；　and　they　thought　they　should　easily　overcome
them；　as　they　had　no　armor；　and　would　be　weary　with　their
journey；　so　they　made　haste　in　their　pursuit；　and　asked　of　every
one　they　met　which　way　they　were　gone。　And　indeed　that　land　was
difficult　to　be　traveled　over；　not　only　by　armies；　but　by　single
persons。　Now　Moses　led　the　Hebrews　this　way；　that　in　case　the
Egyptians　should　repent　and　be　desirous　to　pursue　after　them；
they　might　undergo　the　punishment　of　their　wickedness；　and　of　the
breach　of　those　promises　they　had　made　to　them。　As　also　he　led
them　this　way　on　account　of　the　Philistines；　who　had　quarreled
with　them；　and　hated　them　of　old；　that　by　all　means　they　might
not　know　of　their　departure；　for　their　country　is　near　to　that　of
Egypt；　and　thence　it　was　that　Moses　led　them　not　along　the　road
that　tended　to　the　land　of　the　Philistines；　but　he　was　desirous
that　they　should　go　through　the　desert；　that　so　after　a　long
journey；　and　after　many　afflictions；　they　might　enter　upon　the
land　of　Canaan。　Another　reason　of　this　was；　that　God　commanded
him　to　bring　the　people　to　Mount　Sinai；　that　there　they　might
offer　him　sacrifices。　Now　when　the　Egyptians　had　overtaken　the
Hebrews；　they　prepared　to　fight　them；　and　by　their　multitude　they
drove　them　into　a　narrow　place；　for　the　number　that　pursued　after
them　was　six　hundred　chariots；　with　fifty　thousand　horsemen；　and
two　hundred　thousand　foot…men；　all　armed。　They　also　seized　on　the
passages　by　which　they　imagined　the　Hebrews　might　fly；　shutting
them　up　（29）　between　inaccessible　precipices　and　the　sea；　for
there　was　＇on　each　side＇　a　＇ridge　of＇　mountains　that　terminated
at　the　sea；　which　were　impassable　by　reason　of　their　roughness；
and　obstructed　their　flight；　wherefore　they　there　pressed　upon
the　Hebrews　with　their　army；　where　＇the　ridges　of＇　the　mountains
were　closed　with　the　sea；　which　army　they　placed　at　the　chops　of
the　mountains；　that　so　they　might　deprive　them　of　any　passage
into　the　plain。

4。　When　the　Hebrews；　therefore；　were　neither　able　to　bear　up；
being　thus；　as　it　were；　besieged；　because　they　wanted　provisions；
nor　saw　any　possible　way　of　escaping；　and　if　they　should　have
thought　of　fighting；　they　had　no　weapons；　they　expected　a
universal　destruction；　unless　they　delivered　themselves　up　to　the
Egyptians。　So　they　laid　the　blame　on　Moses；　and　forgot　all　the
signs　that　had　been　wrought　by　God　for　the　recovery　of　their
freedom；　and　this　so　far；　that　their　incredulity　prompted　them　to
throw　stones　at　the　prophet；　while　he　encouraged　them　and
promised　them　deliverance；　and　they　resolved　that　they　would
deliver　themselves　up　to　the　Egyptians。　So　there　was　sorrow　and
lamentation　among　the　women　and　children；　who　had　nothing　but
destruction　before　their　eyes；　while　they　were　encompassed　with
mountains；　the　sea；　and　their　enemies；　and　discerned　no　way　of
flying　from　them。

5。　But　Moses；　though　the　multitude　looked　fiercely　at　him；　did
not；　however；　give　over　the　care　of　them；　but　despised　all
dangers；　out　of　his　trust　in　God；　who；　as　he　had　afforded　them
the　several　steps　already　taken　for　the　recovery　of　their
liberty；　which　he　had　foretold　them；　would　not　now　suffer　them　to
be　subdued　by　their　enemies；　to　be　either　made　slaves　or　be　slain
by　them；　and；　standing　in　midst　of　them；　he　said；　〃It　is　not　just
of　us　to　distrust　even　men；　when　they　have　hitherto　well　managed
our　affairs；　as　if　they　would　not　be　the　same　hereafter；　but　it
is　no　better　than　madness；　at　this　time　to　despair　of　the
providence　of　God；　by　whose　power　all　those　things　have　been
performed　he　promised；　when　you　expected　no　such　things：　I　mean
all　that　I　have　been　concerned　in　for　deliverance　and　escape　from
slavery。　Nay；　when　we　are　in　the　utmost　distress；　as　you　see　we
ought　rather　to　hope　that　God　will　succor　us；　by　whose　operation
it　is　that　we　are　now　this　narrow　place；　that　he　may　out　of　such
difficulties　as　are　otherwise　insurmountable　and　out　of　which
neither　you　nor　your　enemies　expect　you　can　be　delivered；　and　may
at　once　demonstrate　his　own　power　and　his　providence　over　us。　Nor
does　God　use　to　give　his　help　in　small　difficulties　to　those　whom
he　favors；　but　in　such　cases　where　no　one　can　see　how　any　hope　in
man　can　better　their　condition。　Depend；　therefore；　upon　such　a
Protector　as　is　able　to　make　small　things　great；　and　to　show　that
this　mighty　force　against　you　is　nothing　but　weakness；　and　be　not
affrighted　at　the　Egyptian　army；　nor　do　you　despair　of　being
preserved；　because　the　sea　before；　and　the　mountains　behind；
afford　you　no　opportunity　for　flying；　for　even　these　mountains；
if　God　so　please；　may　be　made　plain　ground　for　you；　and　the　sea
become　dry　land。〃

CHAPTER　16。

How　The　Sea　Was　Divided　Asunder　For　The　Hebrews；　When　They　Were
Pursued　By　The　Egyptians；　And　So　Gave　Them　An　Opportunity　Of
Escaping　From　Them。

1。　When　Moses　had　said　this；　he　led　them　to　the　sea；　while　the
Egyptians　looked　on；　for　they　wer