the antiquities of the jews-1-第84章

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promises　O　son；　will　be　firm；　and　come　to　a　happy　end；　if　thou
showest　thyself　to　be　a　religious　and　a　righteous　man；　and　an
observer　of　the　laws　of　thy　country；　but　if　not；　expect　adversity
upon　thy　disobedience　to　them。〃

9。　Now　when　the　king　had　said　this；　he　left　off；　but　gave　the
description　and　pattern　of　the　building　of　the　temple　in　the
sight　of　them　all　to　Solomon：　of　the　foundations　and　of　the
chambers；　inferior　and　superior；　how　many　they　were　to　be；　and
how　large　in　height　and　in　breadth；　as　also　he　determined　the
weight　of　the　golden　and　silver　vessels：　moreover；　he　earnestly
excited　them　with　his　words　to　use　the　utmost　alacrity　about　the
work；　he　exhorted　the　rulers　also；　and　particularly　the　tribe　of
Levi；　to　assist　him；　both　because　of　his　youth；　and　because　God
had　chosen　him　to　take　care　of　the　building　of　the　temple；　and　of
the　government　of　the　kingdom。　He　also　declared　to　them　that　the
work　would　be　easy；　and　not　very　laborious　to　them；　because　he
had　prepared　for　it　many　talents　of　gold；　and　more　of　silver；
with　timber；　and　a　great　many　carpenters　and　stone…cutters；　and　a
large　quantity　of　emeralds；　and　all　sorts　of　precious　stones；　and
he　said；　that　even　now　he　would　give　of　the　proper　goods　of　his
own　dominion　two　hundred　talents；　and　three　hundred　other　talents
of　pure　gold；　for　the　most　holy　place；　and　for　the　chariot　of
God；　the　cherubim；　which　are　to　stand　over　and　cover　the　ark。　Now
when　David　had　done　speaking；　there　appeared　great　alacrity　among
the　rulers；　and　the　priests；　and　the　Levites；　who　now　contributed
and　made　great　and　splendid　promises　for　a　future　Contribution；
for　they　undertook　to　bring　of　gold　five　thousand　talents；　and
ten　thousand　drams；　and　of　silver　ten　thousand　talents；　and　many
ten　thousand　talents　of　iron；　and　if　any　one　had　a　precious　stone
he　brought　it；　and　bequeathed　it　to　be　put　among　the　treasures；
of　which　Jachiel；　one　of　the　posterity　of　Moses；　had　the　care。

10。　Upon　this　occasion　all　the　people　rejoiced；　as　in　particular
did　David；　when　he　saw　the　zeal　and　forward　ambition　of　the
rulers；　and　the　priests；　and　of　all　the　rest；　and　he　began　to
bless　God　with　a　loud　voice；　calling　him　the　Father　and　Parent　of
the　universe；　and　the　Author　of　human　and　divine　things；　with
which　he　had　adorned　Solomon；　the　patron　and　guardian　of　the
Hebrew　nation；　and　of　its　happiness；　and　of　that　kingdom　which　he
hath　given　his　son。　Besides　this；　he　prayed　for　happiness　to　all
the　people；　and　to　Solomon　his　son；　a　sound　and　a　righteous　mind；
and　confirmed　in　all　sorts　of　virtue；　and　then　he　commanded　the
multitude　to　bless　God；　upon　which　they　all　fell　down　upon　the
ground　and　worshipped　him。　They　also　gave　thanks　to　David；　on
account　of　all　the　blessings　which　they　had　received　ever　since
he　had　taken　the　kingdom。　On　the　next　day　he　presented　sacrifices
to　God；　a　thousand　bullocks；　and　as　many　lambs；　which　they
offered　for　burnt…offerings。　They　also　offered　peace…offerings；
and　slew　many　ten　thousand　sacrifices；　and　the　king　feasted　all
day；　together　with　all　the　people；　and　they　anointed　Solomon　a
second　time　with　the　oil；　and　appointed　him　to　be　king；　and　Zadok
to　be　the　high　priest　of　the　whole　multitude。　And　when　they　had
brought　Solomon　to　the　royal　palace；　and　had　set　him　upon　his
father's　throne；　they　were　obedient　to　him　from　that　day。

CHAPTER　15。

What　Charge　David　Gave　Tohis　Son　Solomon　At　The　Approach　Of　His
Death；　And　How　Many　Things　He　Left　Him　For　The　Building　Of　The
Temple。

1。　A　Little　afterward　David　also　fell　into　a　distemper；　by　reason
of　his　age；　and　perceiving　that　he　was　near　to　death；　he　called
his　son　Solomon；　and　discoursed　to　him　thus：　〃I　am　now；　O　my　son；
going　to　my　grave；　and　to　my　fathers；　which　is　the　common　way
which　all　men　that　now　are；　or　shall　be　hereafter；　must　go；　from
which　way　it　is　no　longer　possible　to　return；　and　to　know　any
thing　that　is　done　in　this　world。　On　which　account　I　exhort　thee；
while　I　am　still　alive；　though　already　very　near　to　death；　in　the
same　manner　as　I　have　formerly　said　in　my　advice　to　thee；　to　be
righteous　towards　thy　subjects；　and　religious　towards　God；　that
hath　given　thee　thy　kingdom；　to　observe　his　commands　and　his
laws；　which　he　hath　sent　us　by　Moses；　and　neither　do　thou　out　of
favor　nor　flattery　allow　any　lust　or　other　passion　to　weigh　with
thee　to　disregard　them；　for　if　thou　transgressest　his　laws；　thou
wilt　lose　the　favor　of　God；　and　thou　wilt　turn　away　his
providence　from　thee　in　all　things；　but　if　thou　behave　thyself　so
as　it　behooves　thee；　and　as　I　exhort　thee；　thou　wilt　preserve　our
kingdom　to　our　family；　and　no　other　house　will　bear　rule　over　the
Hebrews　but　we　ourselves　for　all　ages。　Be　thou　also　mindful　of
the　transgressions　of　Joab；　（26）　the　captain　of　the　host；　who
hath　slain　two　generals　out　of　envy；　and　those　righteous　and　good
men；　Abner　the　son　of　Ner；　and　Amasa　the　son　of　Jether；　whose
death　do　thou　avenge　as　shall　seem　good　to　thee；　since　Joab　hath
been　too　hard　for　me；　and　more　potent　than　myself；　and　so　hath
escaped　punishment　hitherto。　I　also　commit　to　thee　the　son　of
Barzillai　the　Gileadite；　whom；　in　order　to　gratify　me；　thou　shalt
have　in　great　honor；　and　take　great　care　of；　for　we　have　not　done
good　to　him　first；　but　we　only　repay　that　debt　which　we　owe　to
his　father　for　what　he　did　to　me　in　my　flight。　There　is　also
Shimei　the　son　of　Gera；　of　the　tribe　of　Benjamin；　who；　after　he
had　cast　many　reproaches　upon　me；　when；　in　my　flight；　I　was　going
to　Mahanaim；　met　me　at　Jordan；　and　received　assurances　that　he
should　then　suffer　nothing。　Do　thou　now　seek　out　for　some　just
occasion；　and　punish　him。〃

2。　When　David　had　given　these　admonitions　to　his　son　about　public
affairs；　and　about　his　friends；　and　about　those　whom　he　knew　to
deserve　punishment；　he　died；　having　lived　seventy　years；　and
reigned　seven　years　and　six　months　in　Hebron　over　the　tribe　of
Judah；　and　thirty…three　years　in　Jerusalem　over　all　the　country。
This　man　was　of　an　excellent　character；　and　was　endowed　with　all
virtues　that　were　desirable　in　a　king；　and　in　one　that　had　the
preservation　of　so　many　tribes　committed　to　him；　for　he　was　a　man
of　valor　in　a　very　extraordinary　degree；　and　went　readily　and
first　of　all　into　dangers；　when　he　was　to　fight　for　his　subjects；
as　exciting　the　soldiers　to　action　by　his　own　labors；　and
fighting　for　them；　and　not　by　commanding　them　in　a　despotic　way。
He　was　also　of　very　great　abilities　in　understanding；　and
apprehension　of　present　and　future　circumstances；　when　he　was　to
manage　any　affairs。　He　was　prudent　and　moderate；　and　kind　to　such
as　were　under　any　calamities；　he　was　righteous　and　humane；　which
are　good　qualities；　peculiarly　fit　for　kings；　nor　was　he　guilty
of　any　offense　in　the　exercise　of　so　great　an　authority；　but　in
the　business　of　the　wife　of　Uriah。　He　also　left　behind　him
greater　wealth　than　any　other　king；　either　of　the　Hebrews　or；　of
other　nations；　ever　did。

3。　He　was　buried　by　his　son　Solomon；　in　Jerusalem；　with　great
magnificence；　and　with　all　the　other　funeral　pomp　which　kings
used　to　be　buried　with；　moreover；　he　had　great　and　immense　wealth
buried　with　him；　the　vastness　of　which　may　be　easily　conjectured
at　by　what　I　shall　now　say；　for　a　thousand　and　three　hundred
years　afterward　Hyrcanus　the　high　priest；　when　he　was　besieged　by
Antiochus；　that　was　called　the　Pious；　the　son　of　Demetrius；　and
was　desirous　of　giving　him　money　to　get　him　to　raise　the　siege
and　draw　off　his　army；　and　having　no　other　method　of　compassing
the　money；　opened　one　room　of　David's　sepulcher；　and　took　out
three　thousand　talents；　and　gave　part　of　that　sum　to　Antiochus；
and　by　this　means　caused　the　siege　to　be　raised；　as　we　have
informed　the　reader　elsewhere。　Nay；　after　him；　and　that　many
years；　Herod　the　king　opened　another　room；　and　took　away　a　great
deal　of　money；　and　yet　neither　of　them　came　at　the　coffins　of　the
kings　themselves；　for　their　bodies　were　buried　under　the　earth　so
artfully；　that　they　did　not　appear　to　even　those　that　entered
into　their　monuments。　But　so　much　shall　suffice　us　to　have　said
concerning　these　matters。

BOOK　8。

Containing　The　Interval　Of　One　Hundred　And　Sixty…Three　Years。

From　The　Death　Of　David　To　The　Death　Of　Ahab。

CHAPTER　1。

How　Solomon；　When　He　Had　Received　The　KIngdom　Took　Off　His
Enemies。

1。　We　have　already　treated　of　David；　and　his　virtue；　and　of　the
benefits　he　was　the　author　of　to　his　countrymen；　of　his　wars　also
and　battles；　which　he　managed　with　success；　and　then　died　an　old
man；　in　the　foregoing　book。　And　when　Solomon　his　son；　who　was　but
a　youth　in　age；　had　taken　the　kingdom；　and　whom　David　had
declared；　while　he　was　alive；　the　lord　of　that　people；　according
to　God's　will；　when　he　sat　upon　the　throne；　the　whole　body　of　the
people　made　joyful　acclamations　to　him；　as　is　usual　at　the
beginning　of　a　reign；　and　wished　that　all　his　affairs　might　come
to　a　blessed　conclusion；　and　that　he　might　arrive　at　a　great　age；
and　at　the　most　happy　state　of　affairs　possible。

2。　But　Adonijah；　who；　while　his　father　was　living；　attempted　to
gain　possession　of　the　government；　came　to　the　king's　mother
Bathsheba；　and　saluted　her　with　great　civility；　and　when　she
asked　him；　whether　he　came　to　her　as　desiring　her　assistance　in
any　thing　or　not；　and　bade　him　tell　her　if　that　were　the　case；
for　that　she　would　cheerfully　afford　it　him；　he　began　to　say；
that　she　knew　herself　that　the　kingdom　was　his；　both　on　account
of　his　elder　age；　and　of　the　disposition　of　the　multitude；　and
that　yet　it　was　transferred　to　Solomon　her　son；　according　to　the
will　of　God。　He　also　said　that　he　was　contented　to　be　a　servant
under　him；　and　was　pleased　with　the　present　settlement；　but　he
desired　her　to　be　a　means　of　obtaining　a　favor　from　his　brother
to　him；　and　to　persuade　him　to　bestow　on　him　in　marriage　Abishag；
who　had　indeed　slept　by　his　father；　but；　because　his　father　was
too　old；　he　did　not　lie　with　her；　and　she　was　still　a　virgin。　So
Bathsheba　promised　him　to　afford　him　her　assistance　very
earnestly；　and　to　bring　this　marriage　about；　because　the　king
would　be　willing　to　gratify　him　in　such　a　thing；　and　because　she
would　press　it　to　him　very　earnestly。　Accordingly　he　went　away　in
hopes　of　succeeding　in　this　match。　So　Solomon's　mother　went
presently　to　her　son；　to　speak　to　him　about　what　she　had
promised；　upon　Adonijah's　supplication　to　her。　And　when　her　son
came　forward　to　meet　her；　and　embraced　her；　and　when　he　had
brought　her　into　the　house　where　his　royal　throne　was　set；　he　sat
thereon；　and　bid　them　set　another　throne　on　the　right　hand　for
his　mother。　When　Bathsheba　was　set　down；　she　said；　〃O　my　son；
grant　me　one　request　that　I　desire　of　thee；　and　do　not　any　thing
to　me　that　is　disagreeable　or　ungrateful；　which　thou　wilt　do　if
thou　deniest　me。〃　And　when　Solomon　bid　her　to　lay　her　commands
upon　him；　because　it　was　agreeable　to　his　duty　to　grant　her　every
thing　she　should　ask；　and　complained　that　she　did　not　at　first
begin　her　discourse　with　a　firm　expectation　of　obtaining　what　she
desired；　but　had　some　suspicion　of　a　denial；　she　entreated　him　to
grant　that　his　brother　Adonijah　might　marry　Abishag。

3。　But　the　king　was　greatly　offende