the antiquities of the jews-1-第236章

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high　priest；　who　ruled　over　them　seven　years。　And　when　he　had
been　slain　by　the　treacherous　contrivance　of　Trypho；　as　we　have
related　some　where；　Simon　his　brother　took　the　high　priesthood；
and　when　he　was　destroyed　at　a　feast　by　the　treachery　of　his
son…in…law；　his　own　son；　whose　name　was　Hyrcanus；　succeeded　him；
after　he　had　held　the　high　priesthood　one　year　longer　than　his
brother。　This　Hyrcanus　enjoyed　that　dignity　thirty　years；　and
died　an　old　man；　leaving　the　succession　to　Judas；　who　was　also
called　Aristobulus；　whose　brother　Alexander　was　his　heir；　which
Judas　died　of　a　sore　distemper；　after　he　had　kept　the　priesthood；
together　with　the　royal　authority；　for　this　Judas　was　the　first
that　put　on　his　head　a　diadem　for　one　year。　And　when　Alexander
had　been　both　king　and　high　priest　twenty…seven　years；　he
departed　this　life；　and　permitted　his　wife　Alexandra　to　appoint
him　that　should　he　high　priest；　so　she　gave　the　high　priesthood
to　Hyrcanus；　but　retained　the　kingdom　herself　nine　years；　and
then　departed　this　life。　The　like　duration　＇and　no　longer＇　did
her　son　Hyrcanus　enjoy　the　high　priesthood；　for　after　her　death
his　brother　Aristobulus　fought　against　him；　and　beat　him；　and
deprived　him　of　his　principality；　and　he　did　himself　both　reign；
and　perform　the　office　of　high　priest　to　God。　But　when　he　had
reigned　three　years；　and　as　many　months；　Pompey　came　upon　him；
and　not　only　took　the　city　of　Jerusalem　by　force；　but　put　him　and
his　children　in　bonds；　and　sent　them　to　Rome。　He　also　restored
the　high　priesthood　to　Hyrcanus；　and　made　him　governor　of　the
nation；　but　forbade　him　to　wear　a　diadem。　This　Hyrcanus　ruled；
besides　his　first　nine　years；　twenty…four　years　more；　when
Barzapharnes　and　Pacorus；　the　generals　of　the　Parthians；　passed
over　Euphrates；　and　fought　with　Hyrcanus；　and　took　him　alive；　and
made　Antigonus；　the　son　of　Aristobulus；　king；　and　when　he　had
reigned　three　years　and　three　months；　Sosius　and　Herod　besieged
him；　and　took　him；　when　Antony　had　him　brought　to　Antioch；　and
slain　there。　Herod　was　then　made　king　by　the　Romans；　but　did　no
longer　appoint　high　priests　out　of　the　family　of　Asamoneus；　but
made　certain　men　to　be　so　that　were　of　no　eminent　families；　but
barely　of　those　that　were　priests；　excepting　that　he　gave　that
dignity　to　Aristobulus；　for　when　he　had　made　this　Aristobulus；
the　grandson　of　that　Hyrcanus　who　was　then　taken　by　the
Parthians；　and　had　taken　his　sister　Mariarmne　to　wife；　he　thereby
aimed　to　win　the　good…will　of　the　people；　who　had　a　kind
remembrance　of　Hyrcanus　＇his　grandfather＇。　Yet　did　he　afterward；
out　of　his　fear　lest　they　should　all　bend　their　inclinations　to
Aristobulus；　put　him　to　death；　and　that　by　contriving　how　to　have
him　suffocated　as　he　was　swimming　at　Jericho；　as　we　have　already
related　that　matter；　but　after　this　man　he　never　intrusted　the
priesthood　to　the　posterity　of　the　sons　of　Asamoneus。　Archelaus
also；　Herod's　son；　did　like　his　father　in　the　appointment　of　the
high　priests；　as　did　the　Romans　also；　who　took　the　government
over　the　Jews　into　their　hands　afterward。　Accordingly；　the　number
of　the　high　priests；　from　the　days　of　Herod　until　the　day　when
Titus　took　the　temple　and　the　City；　and　burnt　them；　were　in　all
twenty…eight；　the　time　also　that　belonged　to　them　was　a　hundred
and　seven　years。　Some　of　these　were　the　political　governors　of
the　people　under　the　reign　of　Herod；　and　under　the　reign　of
Archelaus　his　son；　although；　after　their　death；　the　government
became　an　aristocracy；　and　the　high　priests　were　intrusted　with　a
dominion　over　the　nation。　And　thus　much　may　suffice　to　be　said
concerning　our　high　priests。

CHAPTER　11。

Concerning　Florus　The　Procurator；　Who　Necessitated　The　Jews　To
Take　Up　Arms　Against　The　Romans。　The　Conclusion。

1。　Now　Gessius　Florus；　who　was　sent　as　successor　to　Albinus　by
Nero；　filled　Judea　with　abundance　of　miseries。　He　was　by　birth　of
the　city　of　Clazomene；　and　brought　along　with　him　his　wife
Cleopatra；　（by　whose　friendship　with　Poppea；　Nero's　wife；　he
obtained　this　government；）　who　was　no　way　different　from　him　in
wickedness。　This　Florus　was　so　wicked；　and　so　violent　in　the　use
of　his　authority；　that　the　Jews　took　Albinus　to　have　been
＇comparatively＇　their　benefactor；　so　excessive　were　the　mischiefs
that　he　brought　upon　them。　For　Albinus　concealed　his　wickedness；
and　was　careful　that　it　might　not　be　discovered　to　all　men；　but
Gessius　Florus；　as　though　he　bad　been　sent　on　purpose　to　show　his
crimes　to　every　body；　made　a　pompous　ostentation　of　them　to　our
nation；　as　never　omitting　any　sort　of　violence；　nor　any　unjust
sort　of　punishment；　for　he　was　not　to　be　moved　by　pity；　and　never
was　satisfied　with　any　degree　of　gain　that　came　in　his　way；　nor
had　he　any　more　regard　to　great　than　to　small　acquisitions；　but
became　a　partner　with　the　robbers　themselves。　For　a　great　many
fell　then　into　that　practice　without　fear；　as　having　him　for
their　security；　and　depending　on　him；　that　he　would　save　them
harmless　in　their　particular　robberies；　so　that　there　were　no
bounds　set　to　the　nation's　miseries；　but　the　unhappy　Jews；　when
they　were　not　able　to　bear　the　devastations　which　the　robbers
made　among　them；　were　all　under　a　necessity　of　leaving　their　own
habitations；　and　of　flying　away；　as　hoping　to　dwell　more　easily
any　where　else　in　the　world　among　foreigners　＇than　in　their　own
country＇。　And　what　need　I　say　any　more　upon　this　head？　since　it
was　this　Florus　who　necessitated　us　to　take　up　arms　against　the
Romans；　while　we　thought　it　better　to　be　destroyed　at　once；　than
by　little　and　little。　Now　this　war　began　in　the　second　year　of
the　government　of　Florus；　and　the　twelfth　year　of　the　reign　of
Nero。　But　then　what　actions　we　were　forced　to　do；　or　what
miseries　we　were　enabled　to　suffer；　may　be　accurately　known　by
such　as　will　peruse　those　books　which　I　have　written　about　the
Jewish　war。

2。　I　shall　now；　therefore；　make　an　end　here　of　my　Antiquities；
after　the　conclusion　of　which　events；　I　began　to　write　that
account　of　the　war；　and　these　Antiquities　contain　what　hath　been
delivered　down　to　us　from　the　original　creation　of　man；　until　the
twelfth　year　of　the　reign　of　Nero；　as　to　what　hath　befallen　the
Jews；　as　well　in　Egypt　as　in　Syria　and　in　Palestine；　and　what　we
have　suffered　from　the　Assyrians　and　Babylonians；　and　what
afflictions　the　Persians　and　Macedonians；　and　after　them　the
Romans；　have　brought　upon　us；　for　I　think　I　may　say　that　I　have
composed　this　history　with　sufficient　accuracy　in　all　things。　I
have　attempted　to　enumerate　those　high　priests　that　we　have　had
during　the　interval　of　two　thousand　years；　I　have　also　carried
down　the　succession　of　our　kings；　and　related　their　actions；　and
political　administration；　without　＇considerable＇　errors；　as　also
the　power　of　our　monarchs；　and　all　according　to　what　is　written
in　our　sacred　books；　for　this　it　was　that　I　promised　to　do　in　the
beginning　of　this　history。　And　I　am　so　bold　as　to　say；　now　I　have
so　completely　perfected　the　work　I　proposed　to　myself　to　do；　that
no　other　person；　whether　he　were　a　Jew　or　foreigner；　had　he　ever
so　great　an　inclination　to　it；　could　so　accurately　deliver　these
accounts　to　the　Greeks　as　is　done　in　these　books。　For　those　of　my
own　nation　freely　acknowledge　that　I　far　exceed　them　in　the
learning　belonging　to　Jews；　I　have　also　taken　a　great　deal　of
pains　to　obtain　the　learning　of　the　Greeks；　and　understand　the
elements　of　the　Greek　language；　although　I　have　so　long
accustomed　myself　to　speak　our　own　tongue；　that　I　cannot
pronounce　Greek　with　sufficient　exactness；　for　our　nation　does
not　encourage　those　that　learn　the　languages　of　many　nations；　and
so　adorn　their　discourses　with　the　smoothness　of　their　periods；
because　they　look　upon　this　sort　of　accomplishment　as　common；　not
only　to　all　sorts　of　free…men；　but　to　as　many　of　the　servants　as
please　to　learn　them。　But　they　give　him　the　testimony　of　being　a
wise　man　who　is　fully　acquainted　with　our　laws；　and　is　able　to
interpret　their　meaning；　on　which　account；　as　there　have　been
many　who　have　done　their　endeavors　with　great　patience　to　obtain
this　learning；　there　have　yet　hardly　been　so　many　as　two　or　three
that　have　succeeded　therein；　who　were　immediately　well　rewarded
for　their　pains。

3。　And　now　it　will　not　be　perhaps　an　invidious　thing；　if　I　treat
briefly　of　my　own　family；　and　of　the　actions　of　my　own　life　（28）
while　there　are　still　living　such　as　can　either　prove　what　I　say
to　be　false；　or　can　attest　that　it　is　true；　with　which　accounts　I
shall　put　an　end　to　these　Antiquities；　which　are　contained　in
twenty　books；　and　sixty　thousand　verses。　And　if　God　permit　me；　I
will　briefly　run　over　this　war　（29）；　and　to　add　what　befell　them
further　to　that　very　day；　the　13th　of　Domitian；　or　A。D。　03；　is
not；　that　I　have　observed；　taken　distinct　notice　of　by　any　one；
nor　do　we　ever　again；　with　what　befell　us　therein　to　this　very
day；　which　is　the　thirteenth　year　of　the　reign　of　Caesar
Domitian；　and　the　fifty…sixth　year　of　my　own　life。　I　have　also　an
intention　to　write　three　books　concerning　our　Jewish　opinions
about　God　and　his　essence；　and　about　our　laws；　why；　according　to
them；　some　things　are　permitted　us　to　do；　and　others　are
prohibited。

ANT　PREFACE　FOOTNOTES

（1）　This　preface　of　Josephus　is　excellent　in　its　kind；　and　highly
worthy　the　repeated　perusal　of　the　reader；　before　he　set　about
the　perusal　of　the　work　itself。

（2）That　is；　all　the　Gentiles；　both　Greeks　and　Romans。

（3）　We　may　seasonably　note　here；　that　Josephus　wrote　his　Seven
Books　of　the　Jewish　War　long　before　he　wrote　these　his
Antiquities。　Those　books　of　the　War　were　published　about　A。D。　75；
and　these　Antiquities；　A。　D。　93；　about　eighteen　years　later。

（4）　This　Epaphroditus　was　certainly　alive　in　the　third　year　of
Trajan；　A。D。　100。　See　the　note　on　the　First　Book　Against　Apion；
sect。　1。　Who　he　was　we　do　not　know；　for　as　to　Epaphroditus；　the
freedman　of　Nero；　and　afterwards　Domitian's　secretary；　who　was
put　to　death　by　Domitian　in　the　14th　or　15th　year　of　his　reign；
he　could　not　be　alive　in　the　third　of　Trajan。

（5）　Josephus　here　plainly　alludes　to　the　famous　Greek　proverb；　If
God　be　with　us；　every　thing　that　is　impossible　becomes　possible。

（6）　As　to　this　intended　work　of　Josephus　concerning　the　reasons
of　many　of　the　Jewish　laws；　and　what　philosophical　or　allegorical
sense　they　would　bear；　the　loss　of　which　work　is　by　some　of　the
learned　not　much　regretted；　I　am　inclinable；　in　part；　to
Fabricius's　opinion；　ap。　Havercamp；　p。　63；　61；　That　〃we　need　not
doubt　but　that；　among　some　vain　and　frigid　conjectures　derived
from　Jewish　imaginations；　Josephus　would　have　taught　us　a　greater
number　of　excellent　and　useful　things；　which　perhaps　nobody；
neither　among　the　Jews；　nor　among　the　Christians；　can　now　inform
us　of；　so　that　I　would　give　a　great　deal　to　find　it　still
extant。〃

Ant。　Book　1

（1）　Since　Josephus；　in　his　Preface；　sect。　4；　says　that　Moses
wrote　some　things　enigmatically；　some　allegorically；　and　the　rest
in　plain　words；　since　in　his　account　of　the　first　chapter　of
Genesis；　and　the　first　three　verses　of　the　second；　he　gives　us　no
hints　of　any　mystery　at　all；　but　when　he　here　comes　to　ver。　4；
etc。　he　says　that　Mos