the antiquities of the jews-1-第150部分

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！


necessity；　betray　it；　but　to　become　such　sons　as　are　worthy　of
me；　to　be　above　all　force　and　necessity；　and　so　to　dispose　your
souls；　as　to　be　ready；　when　it　shall　be　necessary；　to　die　for
your　laws；　as　sensible　of　this；　by　just　reasoning；　that　if　God
see　that　you　are　so　disposed　he　will　not　overlook　you；　but　will
have　a　great　value　for　your　virtue；　and　will　restore　to　you　again
what　you　have　lost；　and　will　return　to　you　that　freedom　in　which
you　shall　live　quietly；　and　enjoy　your　own　customs。　Your　bodies
are　mortal；　and　subject　to　fate；　but　they　receive　a　sort　of
immortality；　by　the　remembrance　of　what　actions　they　have　done。
And　I　would　have　you　so　in　love　with　this　immortality；　that　you
may　pursue　after　glory；　and　that；　when　you　have　undergone　the
greatest　difficulties；　you　may　not　scruple；　for　such　things；　to
lose　your　lives。　I　exhort　you；　especially；　to　agree　one　with
another；　and　in　what　excellency　any　one　of　you　exceeds　another；
to　yield　to　him　so　far；　and　by　that　means　to　reap　the　advantage
of　every　one's　own　virtues。　Do　you　then　esteem　Simon　as　your
father；　because　he　is　a　man　of　extraordinary　prudence；　and　be
governed　by　him　in　what　counsels　be　gives　you。　Take　Maccabeus　for
the　general　of　your　army；　because　of　his　courage　and　strength；
for　he　will　avenge　your　nation；　and　will　bring　vengeance　on　your
enemies。　Admit　among　you　the　righteous　and　religious；　and　augment
their　power。〃

4。　When　Mattathias　had　thus　discoursed　to　his　sons；　and　had
prayed　to　God　to　be　their　assistant；　and　to　recover　to　the　people
their　former　constitution；　he　died　a　little　afterward；　and　was
buried　at　Modin；　all　the　people　making　great　lamentation　for　him。
Whereupon　his　son　Judas　took　upon　him　the　administration　of
public　affairs；　in　the　hundred　fbrty　and　sixth　year；　and　thus；　by
the　ready　assistance　of　his　brethren；　and　of　others；　Judas　cast
their　enemies　out　of　the　country；　and　put　those　of　their　own
country　to　death　who　had　transgressed　its　laws；　and　purified　the
land　of　all　the　pollutions　that　were　in　it。

CHAPTER　7。

How　Judas　Overthrew　The　Forces　Of　Apollonius　And　Seron　And　Killed
The　Generals　Of　Their　Armies　Themselves；　And　How　When；　A　Little
While　Afterwards　Lysias　And　Gorgias　Were　Beaten　He　Went　Up　To
Jerusalem　And　Purified　The　Temple。

1。　When　Apollonius；　the　general　of　the　Samaritan　forces；　heard
this；　he　took　his　army；　and　made　haste　to　go　against　Judas；　who
met　him；　and　joined　battle　with　him；　and　beat　him；　and　slew　many
of　his　men；　and　among　them　Apollonius　himself；　their　general；
whose　sword　being　that　which　he　happened　then　to　wear；　he　seized
upon；　and　kept　for　himself；　but　he　wounded　more　than　he　slew；　and
took　a　great　deal　of　prey　from　the　enemy's　camp；　and　went　his
way。　But　when　Seron；　who　was　general　of　the　army　of　Celesyria；
heard　that　many　had　joined　themselves　to　Judas；　and　that　he　had
about　him　an　army　sufficient　for　fighting；　and　for　making　war；　he
determined　to　make　an　expedition　against　him；　as　thinking　it
became　him　to　endeavor　to　punish　those　that　transgressed　the
king's　injunctions。　He　then　got　together　an　army；　as　large　as　he
was　able；　and　joined　to　it　the　runagate　and　wicked　Jews；　and　came
against　Judas。　He　came　as　far　as　Bethhoron；　a　village　of　Judea；
and　there　pitched　his　camp；　upon　which　Judas　met　him；　and　when　he
intended　to　give　him　battle；　he　saw　that　his　soldiers　were
backward　to　fight；　because　their　number　was　small；　and　because
they　wanted　food；　for　they　were　fasting；　he　encouraged　them；　and
said　to　them；　that　victory　and　conquest　of　enemies　are　not
derived　from　the　multitude　in　armies；　but　in　the　exercise　of
piety　towards　God；　and　that　they　had　the　plainest　instances　in
their　forefathers；　who；　by　their　righteousness；　exerting
themselves　on　behalf　of　their　own　laws；　and　their　own　children；
had　frequently　conquered　many　ten　thousands；　…　for　innocence　is
the　strongest　army。　By　this　speech　he　induced　his　men　to　contenm
the　multitude　of　the　enemy；　and　to　fall　upon　Seron。　And　upon
joining　battle　with　him；　he　beat　the　Syrians；　and　when　their
general　fell　among　the　rest；　they　all　ran　away　with　speed；　as
thinking　that　to　be　their　best　way　of　escaping。　So　he　pursued
them　unto　the　plain；　and　slew　about　eight　hundred　of　the　enemy；
but　the　rest　escaped　to　the　region　which　lay　near　to　the　sea。

2。　When　king　Antiochus　heard　of　these　things；　he　was　very　angry
at　what　had　happened；　so　he　got　together　all　his　own　army；　with
many　mercenaries；　whom　he　had　hired　from　the　islands；　and　took
them　with　him；　and　prepared　to　break　into　Judea　about　the
beginning　of　the　spring。　But　when；　upon　his　mustering　his
soldiers；　he　perceived　that　his　treasures　were　deficient；　and
there　was　a　want　of　money　in　them；　for　all　the　taxes　were　not
paid；　by　reason　of　the　seditions　there　had　been　among　the　nations
he　having　been　so　magnanimous　and　so　liberal；　that　what　he　had
was　not　sufficient　for　him；　he　therefore　resolved　first　to　go
into　Persia；　and　collect　the　taxes　of　that　country。　Hereupon　he
left　one　whose　name　was　Lysias；　who　was　in　great　repute　with　him
governor　of　the　kingdom；　as　far　as　the　bounds　of　Egypt；　and　of
the　Lower　Asia；　and　reaching　from　the　river　Euphrates；　and
committed　to　him　a　certain　part　of　his　forces；　and　of　his
elephants；　and　charged　him　to　bring　up　his　son　Antiochus　with　all
possible　care；　until　he　came　back；　and　that　he　should　conquer
Judea；　and　take　its　inhabitants　for　slaves；　and　utterly　destroy
Jerusalem；　and　abolish　the　whole　nation。　And　when　king　Antiochus
had　given　these　things　in　charge　to　Lysias；　he　went　into　Persia；
and　in　the　hundred　and　forty…seventh　year　he　passed　over
Euphrates；　and　went　to　the　superior　provinces。

3。　Upon　this　Lysias　chose　Ptolemy；　the　son　of　Dorymenes；　and
Nicanor；　and　Gorgias；　very　potent　men　among　the　king's　friends；
and　delivered　to　them　forty　thousand　foot　soldiers；　and　seven
thousand　horsemen；　and　sent　them　against　Judea；　who　came　as　far
as　the　city　Emmaus；　and　pitched　their　camp　in　the　plain　country。
There　came　also　to　them　auxiliaries　out　of　Syria；　and　the　country
round　about；　as　also　many　of　the　runagate　Jews。　And　besides　these
came　some　merchants　to　buy　those　that　should　be　carried　captives；
（having　bonds　with　them　to　bind　those　that　should　be　made
prisoners；）　with　that　silver　and　gold　which　they　were　to　pay　for
their　price。　And　when　Judas　saw　their　camp；　and　how　numerous
their　enemies　were；　he　persuaded　his　own　soldiers　to　be　of　good
courage；　and　exhorted　them　to　place　their　hopes　of　victory　in
God；　and　to　make　supplication　to　him；　according　to　the　custom　of
their　country；　clothed　in　sackcloth；　and　to　show　what　was　their
usual　habit　of　supplication　in　the　greatest　dangers；　and　thereby
to　prevail　with　God　to　grant　you　the　victory　over　your　enemies。
So　he　set　them　in　their　ancient　order　of　battle　used　by　their
forefathers；　under　their　captains　of　thousands；　and　other
officers；　and　dismissed　such　as　were　newly　married；　as　well　as
those　that　had　newly　gained　possessions；　that　they　might　not
fight　in　a　cowardly　manner；　out　of　an　inordinate　love　of　life；　in
order　to　enjoy　those　blessings。　When　he　had　thus　disposed　his
soldiers；　he　encouraged　them　to　fight　by　the　following　speech；
which　he　made　to　them：　〃O　my　fellow　soldiers；　no　other　time
remains　more　opportune　than　the　present　for　courage　and　contempt
of　dangers；　for　if　you　now　fight　manfully；　you　may　recover　your
liberty；　which；　as　it　is　a　thing　of　itself　agreeable　to　all　men；
so　it　proves　to　be　to　us　much　more　desirable；　by　its　affording　us
the　liberty　of　worshipping　God。　Since　therefore　you　are　in　such
circumstances　at　present；　you　must　either　recover　that　liberty；
and　so　regain　a　happy　and　blessed　way　of　living；　which　is　that
according　to　our　laws；　and　the　customs　of　our　country；　or　to
submit　to　the　most　opprobrious　sufferings；　nor　will　any　seed　of
your　nation　remain　if　you　be　beat　in　this　battle。　Fight　therefore
manfully；　and　suppose　that　you　must　die；　though　you　do　not　fight；
but　believe；　that　besides　such　glorious　rewards　as　those　of　the
liberty　of　your　country；　of　your　laws；　of　your　religion；　you
shall　then　obtain　everlasting　glory。　Prepare　yourselves；
therefore；　and　put　yourselves　into　such　an　agreeable　posture；
that　you　may　be　ready　to　fight　with　the　enemy　as　soon　as　it　is
day　tomorrow　morning。〃

4。　And　this　was　the　speech　which　Judas　made　to　encourage　them。
But　when　the　enemy　sent　Gorgias；　with　five　thousand　foot　and　one
thousand　horse；　that　he　might　fall　upon　Judas　by　night；　and　had
for　that　purpose　certain　of　the　runagate　Jews　as　guides；　the　son
of　Mattathias　perceived　it；　and　resolved　to　fall　upon　those
enemies　that　were　in　their　camp；　now　their　forces　were　divided。
When　they　had　therefore　supped　in　good　time；　and　had　left　many
fires　in　their　camp；　he　marched　all　night　to　those　enemies　that
were　at　Emmaus。　So　that　when　Gorgias　found　no　enemy　in　their
camp；　but　suspected　that　they　were　retired；　and　had　hidden
themselves　among　the　mountains；　he　resolved　to　go　and　seek　them
wheresoever　they　were。　But　about　break　of　day　Judas　appeared　to
those　enemies　that　were　at　Emmaus；　with　only　three　thousand　men；
and　those　ill　armed；　by　reason　of　their　poverty；　and　when　he　saw
the　enemy　very　well　and　skillfully　fortified　in　their　camp；　he
encouraged　the　Jews；　and　told　them　that　they　ought　to　fight；
though　it　were　with　their　naked　bodies；　for　that　God　had
sometimes　of　old　given　such　men　strength；　and　that　against　such
as　were　more　in　number；　and　were　armed　also；　out　of　regard　to
their　great　courage。　So　he　commanded　the　trumpeters　to　sound　for
the　battle；　and　by　thus　falling　upon　the　enemies　when　they　did
not　expect　it；　and　thereby　astonishing　and　disturbing　their
minds；　he　slew　many　of　those　that　resisted　him；　and　went　on
pursuing　the　rest　as　far　as　Gadara；　and　the　plains　of　Idumea；　and
Ashdod；　and　Jamnia；　and　of　these　there　fell　about　three　thousand。
Yet　did　Judas　exhort　his　soldiers　not　to　be　too　desirous　of　the
spoils；　for　that　still　they　must　have　a　contest　and　battle　with
Gorgias；　and　the　forces　that　were　with　him；　but　that　when　they
had　once　overcome　them；　then　they　might　securely　plunder　the
camp；　because　they　were　the　only　enemies　remaining；　and　they
expected　no　others。　And　j