the antiquities of the jews-1-第6部分

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Abram　in　his　seventieth　year。　Nahor　begat　Haran　when　he　was　one
hundred　and　twenty　years　old；　Nahor　was　born　to　Serug　in　his
hundred　and　thirty…second　year；　Ragau　had　Serug　at　one　hundred
and　thirty；　at　the　same　age　also　Phaleg　had　Ragau；　Heber　begat
Phaleg　in　his　hundred　and　thirty…fourth　year；　he　himself　being
begotten　by　Sala　when　he　was　a　hundred　and　thirty　years　old；　whom
Arphaxad　had　for　his　son　at　the　hundred　and　thirty…fifth　year　of
his　age。　Arphaxad　was　the　son　of　Shem；　and　born　twelve　years
after　the　deluge。　Now　Abram　had　two　brethren；　Nahor　and　Haran：　of
these　Haran　left　a　son；　Lot；　as　also　Sarai　and　Milcha　his
daughters；　and　died　among　the　Chaldeans；　in　a　city　of　the
Chaldeans；　called　Ur；　and　his　monument　is　shown　to　this　day。
These　married　their　nieces。　Nabor　married　Milcha；　and　Abram
married　Sarai。　Now　Terah　hating　Chaldea；　on　account　of　his
mourning　for　Ilaran；　they　all　removed　to　Haran　of　Mesopotamia；
where　Terah　died；　and　was　buried；　when　he　had　lived　to　be　two
hundred　and　five　years　old；　for　the　life　of　man　was　already；　by
degrees；　diminished；　and　became　shorter　than　before；　till　the
birth　of　Moses；　after　whom　the　term　of　human　life　was　one　hundred
and　twenty　years；　God　determining　it　to　the　length　that　Moses
happened　to　live。　Now　Nahor　had　eight　sons　by　Milcha；　Uz　and　Buz；
Kemuel；　Chesed；　Azau；　Pheldas；　Jadelph；　and　Bethuel。　These　were
all　the　genuine　sons　of　Nahor；　for　Teba；　and　Gaam；　and　Tachas；
and　Maaca；　were　born　of　Reuma　his　concubine：　but　Bethuel　had　a
daughter；　Rebecca；　and　a　son；　Laban。

CHAPTER　7。

How　Abram　Our　Forefather　Went　Out　Of　The　Land　Of　The　Chaldeans；
And　Lived　In　The　Land　Then　Called　Canaan　But　Now　Judea。

1。　Now　Abram；　having　no　son　of　his　own；　adopted　Lot；　his　brother
Haran's　son；　and　his　wife　Sarai's　brother；　and　he　left　the　land
of　Chaldea　when　he　was　seventy…five　years　old；　and　at　the　command
of　God　went　into　Canaan；　and　therein　he　dwelt　himself；　and　left
it　to　his　posterity。　He　was　a　person　of　great　sagacity；　both　for
understanding　all　things　and　persuading　his　hearers；　and　not
mistaken　in　his　opinions；　for　which　reason　he　began　to　have
higher　notions　of　virtue　than　others　had；　and　he　determined　to
renew　and　to　change　the　opinion　all　men　happened　then　to　have
concerning　God；　for　he　was　the　first　that　ventured　to　publish
this　notion；　That　there　was　but　one　God；　the　Creator　of　the
universe；　and　that；　as　to　other　＇gods＇；　if　they　contributed　any
thing　to　the　happiness　of　men；　that　each　of　them　afforded　it　only
according　to　his　appointment；　and　not　by　their　own　power。　This
his　opinion　was　derived　from　the　irregular　phenomena　that　were
visible　both　at　land　and　sea；　as　well　as　those　that　happen　to　the
sun；　and　moon；　and　all　the　heavenly　bodies；　thus：　…　〃If　＇said　he＇
these　bodies　had　power　of　their　own；　they　would　certainly　take
care　of　their　own　regular　motions；　but　since　they　do　not　preserve
such　regularity；　they　make　it　plain；　that　in　so　far　as　they
co…operate　to　our　advantage；　they　do　it　not　of　their　own
abilities；　but　as　they　are　subservient　to　Him　that　commands　them；
to　whom　alone　we　ought　justly　to　offer　our　honor　and
thanksgiving。〃　For　which　doctrines；　when　the　Chaldeans；　and　other
people　of　Mesopotamia；　raised　a　tumult　against　him；　he　thought
fit　to　leave　that　country；　and　at　the　command　and　by　the
assistance　of　God；　he　came　and　lived　in　the　land　of　Canaan。　And
when　he　was　there　settled；　he　built　an　altar；　and　performed　a
sacrifice　to　God。

2。　Berosus　mentions　our　father　Abram　without　naming　him；　when　he
says　thus：　〃In　the　tenth　generation　after　the　Flood；　there　was
among　the　Chaldeans　a　man　righteous　and　great；　and　skillful　in
the　celestial　science。〃　But　Hecatseus　does　more　than　barely
mention　him；　for　he　composed；　and　left　behind　him；　a　book
concerning　him。　And　Nicolaus　of　Damascus；　in　the　fourth　book　of
his　History；　says　thus：　〃Abram　reigned　at　Damascus；　being　a
foreigner；　who　came　with　an　army　out　of　the　land　above　Babylon；
called　the　land　of　the　Chaldeans：　but；　after　a　long　time；　he　got
him　up；　and　removed　from　that　country　also；　with　his　people；　and
went　into　the　land　then　called　the　land　of　Canaan；　but　now　the
land　of　Judea；　and　this　when　his　posterity　were　become　a
multitude；　as　to　which　posterity　of　his；　we　relate　their　history
in　another　work。　Now　the　name　of　Abram　is　even　still　famous　in
the　country　of　Damascus；　and　there　is　shown　a　village　named　from
him；　The　Habitation　of　4bram。〃

CHAPTER　8。

That　When　There　Was　A　Famine　In　Canaan；　Abram　Went　Thence　Into
Egypt；　And　After　He　Had　Continued　There　A　While　He　Returned　Back
Again。

1。　Now；　after　this；　when　a　famine　had　invaded　the　land　of　Canaan；
and　Abram　had　discovered　that　the　Egyptians　were　in　a　flourishing
condition；　he　was　disposed　to　go　down　to　them；　both　to　partake　of
the　plenty　they　enjoyed；　and　to　become　an　auditor　of　their
priests；　and　to　know　what　they　said　concerning　the　gods；
designing　either　to　follow　them；　if　they　had　better　notions　than
he；　or　to　convert　them　into　a　better　way；　if　his　own　notions
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；