the antiquities of the jews-1-第6章

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proved　the　truest。　Now；　seeing　he　was　to　take　Sarai　with　him；　and
was　afraid　of　the　madness　of　the　Egyptians　with　regard　to　women；
lest　the　king　should　kill　him　on　occasion　of　his　wife's　great
beauty；　he　contrived　this　device　：　…　he　pretended　to　be　her
brother；　and　directed　her　in　a　dissembling　way　to　pretend　the
same；　for　he　said　it　would　be　for　their　benefit。　Now；　as　soon　as
he　came　into　Egypt；　it　happened　to　Abram　as　he　supposed　it　would；
for　the　fame　of　his　wife's　beauty　was　greatly　talked　of；　for
which　reason　Pharaoh；　the　king　of　Egypt；　would　not　be　satisfied
with　what　was　reported　of　her；　but　would　needs　see　her　himself；
and　was　preparing　to　enjoy　her；　but　God　put　a　stop　to　his　unjust
inclinations；　by　sending　upon　him　a　distemper；　and　a　sedition
against　his　government。　And　when　he　inquired　of　the　priests　how
he　might　be　freed　from　these　calamities；　they　told　him　that　this
his　miserable　condition　was　derived　from　the　wrath　of　God；　upon
account　of　his　inclinations　to　abuse　the　stranger's　wife。　He
then；　out　of　fear；　asked　Sarai　who　she　was；　and　who　it　was　that
she　brought　along　with　her。　And　when　he　had　found　out　the　truth；
he　excused　himself　to　Abram；　that　supposing　the　woman　to　be　his
sister；　and　not　his　wife；　he　set　his　affections　on　her；　as
desiring　an　affinity　with　him　by　marrying　her；　but　not　as　incited
by　lust　to　abuse　her。　He　also　made　him　a　large　present　in　money；
and　gave　him　leave　to　enter　into　conversation　with　the　most
learned　among　the　Egyptians；　from　which　conversation　his　virtue
and　his　reputation　became　more　conspicuous　than　they　had　been
before。

2。　For　whereas　the　Egyptians　were　formerly　addicted　to　different
customs；　and　despised　one　another's　sacred　and　accustomed　rites；
and　were　very　angry　one　with　another　on　that　account；　Abram
conferred　with　each　of　them；　and；　confuting　the　reasonings　they
made　use　of；　every　one　for　their　own　practices；　demonstrated　that
such　reasonings　were　vain　and　void　of　truth：　whereupon　he　was
admired　by　them　in　those　conferences　as　a　very　wise　man；　and　one
of　great　sagacity；　when　he　discoursed　on　any　subject　he
undertook；　and　this　not　only　in　understanding　it；　but　in
persuading　other　men　also　to　assent　to　him。　He　communicated　to
them　arithmetic；　and　delivered　to　them　the　science　of　astronomy；
for　before　Abram　came　into　Egypt　they　were　unacquainted　with
those　parts　of　learning；　for　that　science　came　from　the　Chaldeans
into　Egypt；　and　from　thence　to　the　Greeks　also。

3。　As　soon　as　Abram　was　come　back　into　Canaan；　he　parted　the　land
between　him　and　Lot；　upon　account　of　the　tumultuous　behavior　of
their　shepherds；　concerning　the　pastures　wherein　they　should　feed
their　flocks。　However；　he　gave　Lot　his　option；　or　leave；　to
choose　which　lands　he　would　take；　and　he　took　himself　what　the
other　left；　which　were　the　lower　grounds　at　the　foot　of　the
mountains；　and　he　himself　dwelt　in　Hebron；　which　is　a　city　seven
years　more　ancient　than　Tunis　of　Egypt。　But　Lot　possessed　the
land　of　the　plain；　and　the　river　Jordan；　not　far　from　the　city　of
Sodom；　which　was　then　a　fine　city；　but　is　now　destroyed；　by　the
will　and　wrath　of　God；　the　cause　of　which　I　shall　show　in　its
proper　place　hereafter。

CHAPTER　9。

The　Destruction　Of　The　Sodomites　By　The　Assyrian　Wall。

At　this　time；　when　the　Assyrians　had　the　dominion　over　Asia；　the
people　of　Sodom　were　in　a　flourishing　condition；　both　as　to
riches　and　the　number　of　their　youth。　There　were　five　kings　that
managed　the　affairs　of　this　county：　Ballas；　Barsas；　Senabar；　and
Sumobor；　with　the　king　of　Bela；　and　each　king　led　on　his　own
troops：　and　the　Assyrians　made　war　upon　them；　and；　dividing　their
army　into　four　parts；　fought　against　them。　Now　every　part　of　the
army　had　its　own　commander；　and　when　the　battle　was　joined；　the
Assyrians　were　conquerors；　and　imposed　a　tribute　on　the　kings　of
the　Sodomites；　who　submitted　to　this　slavery　twelve　years；　and　so
long　they　continued　to　pay　their　tribute：　but　on　the　thirteenth
year　they　rebelled；　and　then　the　army　of　the　Assyrians　came　upon
them；　under　their　commanders　Amraphel；　Arioch；　Chodorlaomer；　and
Tidal。　These　kings　had　laid　waste　all　Syria；　and　overthrown　the
offspring　of　the　giants。　And　when　they　were　come　over　against
Sodom；　they　pitched　their　camp　at　the　vale　called　the　Slime　Pits；
for　at　that　time　there　were　pits　in　that　place；　but　now；　upon　the
destruction　of　the　city　of　Sodom；　that　vale　became　the　Lake
Asphaltites；　as　it　is　called。　However；　concerning　this　lake　we
shall　speak　more　presently。　Now　when　the　Sodomites　joined　battle
with　the　Assyrians；　and　the　fight　was　very　obstinate；　many　of
them　were　killed；　and　the　rest　were　carried　captive；　among　which
captives　was　Lot；　who　had　come　to　assist　the　Sodomites。

CHAPTER　10。

How　Abram　Fought　With　The　Assyrians；　And　Overcame　Them；　And　Saved
The　Sodomite　Prisoners；　And　Took　From　The　Assyrians　The　Prey　They
Had　Gotten。

1。　When；　Abram　heard　of　their　calamity；　he　was　at　once　afraid　for
Lot　his　kinsman；　and　pitied　the　Sodomites；　his　friends　and
neighbors；　and　thinking　it　proper　to　afford　them　assistance；　he
did　not　delay　it；　but　marched　hastily；　and　the　fifth　night　fell
upon　the　Assyrians；　near　Dan；　for　that　is　the　name　of　the　other
spring　of　Jordan；　and　before　they　could　arm　themselves；　he　slew
some　as　they　were　in　their　beds；　before　they　could　suspect　any
harm；　and　others；　who　were　not　yet　gone　to　sleep；　but　were　so
drunk　they　could　not　fight；　ran　away。　Abram　pursued　after　them；
till；　on　the　second　day；　he　drove　them　in　a　body　unto　Hoba；　a
place　belonging　to　Damascus；　and　thereby　demonstrated　that
victory　does　not　depend　on　multitude　and　the　number　of　hands；　but
the　alacrity　and　courage　of　soldiers　overcome　the　most　numerous
bodies　of　men；　while　he　got　the　victory　over　so　great　an　army
with　no　more　than　three　hundred　and　eighteen　of　his　servants；　and
three　of　his　friends：　but　all　those　that　fled　returned　home
ingloriously。

2。　So　Abram；　when　he　had　saved　the　captive　Sodomites；　who　had
been　taken　by　the　Assyrians；　and　Lot　also；　his　kinsman；　returned
home　in　peace。　Now　the　king　of　Sodom　met　him　at　a　certain　place；
which　they　called　The　King's　Dale；　where　Melchisedec；　king　of　the
city　Salem；　received　him。　That　name　signifies；　the　righteous
king：　and　such　he　was；　without　dispute；　insomuch　that；　on　this
account；　he　was　made　the　priest　of　God：　however；　they　afterward
called　Salem　Jerusalem。　Now　this　Melchisedec　supplied　Abram's
army　in　an　hospitable　manner；　and　gave　them　provisions　in
abundance；　and　as　they　were　feasting；　he　began　to　praise　him；　and
to　bless　God　for　subduing　his　enemies　under　him。　And　when　Abram
gave　him　the　tenth　part　of　his　prey；　he　accepted　of　the　gift：　but
the　king　of　Sodom　desired　Abram　to　take　the　prey；　but　entreated
that　he　might　have　those　men　restored　to　him　whom　Abram　had　saved
from　the　Assyrians；　because　they　belonged　to　him。　But　Abram　would
not　do　so；　nor　would　make　any　other　advantage　of　that　prey　than
what　his　servants　had　eaten；　but　still　insisted　that　he　should
afford　a　part　to　his　friends　that　had　assisted　him　in　the　battle。
The　first　of　them　was　called　Eschol；　and　then　Enner；　and　Mambre。

3。　And　God　commended　his　virtue；　and　said；　Thou　shalt　not　however
lose　the　rewards　thou　hast　deserved　to　receive　by　such　thy
glorious　actions。　He　answered；　And　what　advantage　will　it　be　to
me　to　have　such　rewards；　when　I　have　none　to　enjoy　them　after　me？
…　for　he　was　hitherto　childless。　And　God　promised　that　he　should
have　a　son；　and　that　his　posterity　should　be　very　numerous；
insomuch　that　their　number　should　be　like　the　stars。　When　he
heard　that；　he　offered　a　sacrifice　to　God；　as　he　commanded　him。
The　manner　of　the　sacrifice　was　this　：　…　He　took　an　heifer　of
three　years　old；　and　a　she…goat　of　three　years　old；　and　a　ram　in
like　manner　of　three　years　old；　and　a　turtle…dove；　and　a　pigeon
（19）　and　as　he　was　enjoined；　he　divided　the　three　former；　but　the
birds　he　did　not　divide。　After　which；　before　he　built　his　altar；
where　the　birds　of　prey　flew　about；　as　desirous　of　blood；　a
Divine　voice　came　to　him；　declaring　that　their　neighbors　would　be
grievous　to　his　posterity；　when　they　should　be　in　Egypt；　for　four
hundred　years；　（20）　during　which　time　they　should　be　afflicted；
but　afterwards　should　overcome　their　enemies；　should　conquer　the
Canaanites　in　war；　and　possess　themselves　of　their　land；　and　of
their　cities。

4。　Now　Abram　dwelt　near　the　oak　called　Ogyges；the　place　belongs
to　Canaan；　not　far　from　the　city　of　Hebron。　But　being　uneasy　at
his　wife's　barrenness；　he　entreated　God　to　grant　that　he　might
have　male　issue；　and　God　required　of　him　to　be　of　good　courage；
and　said　that　he　would　add　to　all　the　rest　of　the　benefits　that
he　had　bestowed　upon　him；　ever　since　he　led　him　out　of
Mesopotamia；　the　gift　of　children。　Accordingly　Sarai；　at　God's
command；　brought　to　his　bed　one　of　her　handmaidens；　a　woman　of
Egyptian　descent；　in　order　to　obtain　children　by　her；　and　when
this　handmaid　was　with　child；　she　triumphed；　and　ventured　to
affront　Sarai；　as　if　the　dominion　were　to　come　to　a　son　to　be
born　of　her。　But　when　Abram　resigned　her　into　the　hand　of　Sarai；
to　punish　her；　she　contrived　to　fly　away；　as　not　able　to　bear　the
instances　of　Sarai's　severity　to　her；　and　she　entreated　God　to
have　compassion　on　her。　Now　a　Divine　Angel　met　her；　as　she　was
going　forward　in　the　wilderness；　and　bid　her　return　to　her　master
and　mistress；　for　if　she　would　submit　to　that　wise　advice；　she
would　live　better　hereafter；　for　that　the　reason　of　her　being　in
such　a　miserable　case　was　this；　that　she　had　been　ungrateful　and
arrogant　towards　her　mistress。　He　also　told　her；　that　if　she
disobeyed　God；　and　went　on　still　in　her　way；　she　should　perish；
but　if　she　would　return　back；　she　should　become　the　mother　of　a
son　who　should　reign　over　that　country。　These　admonitions　she
obeyed；　and　returned　to　her　master　and　mistress；　and　obtained
forgiveness。　A　little　while　afterwards；　she　bare　Ismael；　which
may　be　interpreted　Heard　of　God；　because　God　had　heard　his
mother's　prayer。

5。　The　forementioned　son　was　born　to　Abram　when　he　was　eighty…six
years　old：　but　when　he　was　ninety…nine；　God　appeared　to　him；　and
promised　him　that　he　Should　have　a　son　by　Sarai；　and　commanded
that　his　name　should　be　Isaac；　and　showed　him；　that　from　this　son
should　spring　great　nations　and　kings；　and　that　they　should
obtain　all　the　land　of　Canaan　by　war；　from　Sidon　to　Egypt。　But　he
charged　him；　in　order　to　keep　his　posterity　unmixed　with　others；
that　they　should　be　circumcised　in　the　flesh　of　their　foreskin；
and　that　this　should　be　done　on　the　eighth　day　after　they　were
born：　the　reason　of　which　circumcision　I　will　explain　in　another
place。　And　Abram　inquiring　also　concerning　Ismael；　whether　he
should　live　or　not；　God　signified　to　him　that　he　should　live　to
be　very　old；　and　should　be　the　father　of　great　nations。　Abram
therefore　gave　thanks　to　God　for　these　blessings；　and　then　he；
and　all　his　family；　and　his　son　Ismael；　were　circumcised
immediately；　the　son　being　that　day　thirteen　years　of　age；　and　he
ninety…nine。
CHAPTER　11。

How　God　Overthrew　The　Nation　Of　The　Sodomites；　Out　Of　His　Wrath
Against　Them　For　Their　Sins。

1。　About　this　time　the　Sodomites