TRANSLATED BY MURPHY.
"Being now to relate the progress of a siege that terminated in the destruction of that once celebrated1 city [Jerusalem], it may be proper to go back to its first foundation, and to trace the origin of the people. The Jews we are told were natives of the Isle2 of Crete. At the time when Saturn3 was driven from his throne by the violence of Jupiter, they abandoned their habitations, and gained a settlement at the extremity4 of Libya. In support of this tradition, the etymology5 of their name is adduced as a proof. Mount Ida, well known to fame, stands in the Isle of Crete: the inhabitants are called Id?ans; and the word by a barbarous corruption6 was changed afterwards to that of Jud?ans. According to others they were a colony from Egypt, when that country, during the reign8 of Isis,
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overflowing9 with inhabitants poured forth10 its redundant11 numbers under the conduct of Hierosolymus and Juda. A third hypothesis makes them originally Ethiopians, compelled by the tyranny of Cepheus, the reigning12 monarch13, to abandon their country. Some authors contend that they were a tribe of Assyrians, who for some time occupied a portion of Egypt, and afterwards transplanting themselves into Syria, acquired in their own right a number of cities, together with the territories of the Hebrews. There is still another tradition, which ascribes to the Jews a more illustrious origin, deriving15 them from the ancient Solymans, so highly celebrated in the poetry of Homer. By that people the city was built, and from its founder16 received the name of Hierosolyma.
"In this clash of opinions, one point seems to be universally admitted. A pestilential disease, disfiguring the race of man, and making the body an object of loathsome17 deformity, spread all over Egypt. Bocchoris, at that time the reigning monarch, consulted the oracle18 of Jupiter Ammon, and received for answer that the kingdom must be purified by exterminating19 the infected multitude as a race of men detested20 by the gods. After diligent21 search, the wretched sufferers were collected together, and in a wild and barren desert abandoned to their misery22.
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sunk in deep despair, Moses, one of their number, reminded them, that by the wisdom of his counsels they had been already rescued out of impending25 danger. Deserted26 as they were by men and gods, he told them that if they did not repose27 their confidence in him, as their chief by divine commission, they had no resource left. His offer was accepted. Their march began they knew not whither. Want of water was their chief distress. Worn out with fatigue28 they lay stretched out on the bare earth, heart-broken, ready to expire; when a troop of wild asses29, returning from pasture, went up the steep ascent30 of a rock covered with a grove31 of trees. The verdure of the herbage round the place, suggested the idea of springs near at hand. Moses traced the steps of the animals, and discovered a plentiful32 vein33 of water. By this relief the fainting multitude was raised from despair. They pursued their journey for six days without intermission. On the seventh they made a halt, and having expelled the natives took possession of the country, where they built their city and dedicated34 their temple.
"In order to draw the bond of union closer, and to establish his own authority, Moses gave a new form of worship, and a system of religious ceremonies, the reverse of every thing known to any other age or country. Whatever is held sacred by
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the Romans, with the Jews is profane35: and what in other nations is unlawful and impure37, with them is fully38 established. The figure of the animal that guided them to refreshing39 springs is consecrated40 in the sanctuary41 of their temple*. In contempt of Jupiter Hammon they sacrifice a ram42. The ox worshiped in Egypt for the god Apis is slain43 as a victim by the Jews. From the flesh of swine they abstain44 altogether. An animal subject to the same leprous disease that infected their whole nation, is not deemed proper food. The famine with which they were for a long time afflicted45, is frequently commemorated46 by a solemn fast. Their bread, in memory of their having seized a quantity of grain to relieve their wants, is made without leaven47. The seventh day is sacred to rest, for on that day their labours ended; and such is their natural propensity48 to sloth49, that in consequence of it every seventh year is devoted50 to repose and sluggish51 inactivity. For this septennial custom some account in a
* Conformably to this, see what Diodorus Siculus says (in
the extract given from him, p. 49.): Josephus denies that
Diodorus Siculus to the contrary. For Antiochus when he
subdued the Jews might have found the image of this animal
in their temple; but in the time of Josephus the ass might
not have been consecrated by them.
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different manner: they tell us that it is an institution in honour of Saturn; either because the Id?ans, expelled, as has been mentioned, from the Isle of Crete, transmitted to their posterity53 the principles of their religious creed54; or because among the seven planets that govern the universe, Saturn moves in the highest orbit, and acts with the greatest energy. It may be added that the period in which the heavenly bodies perform their revolutions is regulated by the number seven.
"These rites55 and ceremonies, from whatever source derived56, owe their chief support to their antiquity57.
They have other institutions, in themselves corrupt7, impure, and even abominable58; but eagerly embraced, as if their very depravity were a recommendation. The scum and refuse of other nations, renouncing59 the religion of their country, flocked in crowds to Jerusalem, enriching the place with gifts and offerings. Hence the wealth and grandeur60 of the state. Connected amongst themselves by the most obstinate61 and inflexible62 faith, the Jews extend their charity to all of their own persuasion63, while towards the rest of mankind they nourish a sullen64 and inveterate65 hatred66. Strangers are excluded from their tables. Unsociable to all others, they eat and lodge67 with one another only; and though addicted68 to sensuality, they admit no intercourse69 with women
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from other nations. Among themselves their passions are without restraint. Vice70 itself is lawful36. That they may know each other by distinctive71 marks, they have established the practice of circumcision. All who embrace their faith, submit to the same operation. The first elements of their religion teach their proselytes to despise the gods, to abjure72 their country, and forget their parents, their brothers, and their children. With the Egyptians they agree in their belief of a future state; they have the same notion of departed spirits, the same solicitude73, and the same doctrine74. With regard to the Deity75 their creed is different. The Egyptians worship various animals, and also symbolical76 representations, which are the work of man: the Jews acknowledge one God only, and him they adore in contemplation; condemning77 as impious idolaters all who, with perishable78 materials wrought79 into the human form, attempt to give a representation of the Deity. Their priests made use of fifes and cymbals80; they were crowned with wreaths of ivy81, and a vine wrought in gold was seen in their temple. Hence some have inferred that Bacchus, the conqueror82 of the East, was the object of their adoration83. But the Jewish forms of worship have no conformity84 to the rites of Bacchus. The latter have their festive85 days which are always celebrated with mirth and carousing86 banquets. Those of the Jews are a gloomy ceremony,
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————
"Ch?remon *, professing88 to write the history of Egypt, says, that under Amenophis and his son Ramessis two hundred and fifty thousand leprous and polluted men were cast out of Egypt. Their leaders were Moses the scribe, and Josephus, who was also a sacred scribe. The Egyptian name of Moses was Tisithen, of Joseph Peteseph. These coming to Pelusium, and finding there 380,000 men left by Amenophis, which he would not admit into Egypt, making a league with them, they undertook an expedition against Egypt. Upon this Amenophis flies into Ethiopia, and his son Messenes drives out the Jews into Syria, in number about 200,000, and receives his father Amenophis out of Ethiopia. I know Lysimachus** assigns another king and another time in which Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, and that was when Bocchoris reigned89 in Egypt; the nation of the Jews, being infected with leprosies and scabs and other diseases, betook themselves to the temples to beg their living, and many being tainted90 with the disease, there happened a dearth91 in Egypt. Whereupon Bocchoris consulting
* Joseph, lib. i. contra Apionem.
** Idem.
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with the oracle of Ammon, received for answer that the leprous people were to be drowned in the sea, in sheets of lead, and the scabbed were to be carried into the wilderness92; who choosing Moses for their leader, conquered that country which is now called Jud?a."—Greaves Pyramidograpkia, p. 26.
点击收听单词发音
1 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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2 isle | |
n.小岛,岛 | |
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3 Saturn | |
n.农神,土星 | |
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4 extremity | |
n.末端,尽头;尽力;终极;极度 | |
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5 etymology | |
n.语源;字源学 | |
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6 corruption | |
n.腐败,堕落,贪污 | |
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7 corrupt | |
v.贿赂,收买;adj.腐败的,贪污的 | |
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8 reign | |
n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势 | |
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9 overflowing | |
n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的,充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
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10 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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11 redundant | |
adj.多余的,过剩的;(食物)丰富的;被解雇的 | |
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12 reigning | |
adj.统治的,起支配作用的 | |
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13 monarch | |
n.帝王,君主,最高统治者 | |
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14 ass | |
n.驴;傻瓜,蠢笨的人 | |
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15 deriving | |
v.得到( derive的现在分词 );(从…中)得到获得;源于;(从…中)提取 | |
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16 Founder | |
n.创始者,缔造者 | |
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17 loathsome | |
adj.讨厌的,令人厌恶的 | |
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18 oracle | |
n.神谕,神谕处,预言 | |
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19 exterminating | |
v.消灭,根绝( exterminate的现在分词 ) | |
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20 detested | |
v.憎恶,嫌恶,痛恨( detest的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21 diligent | |
adj.勤勉的,勤奋的 | |
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22 misery | |
n.痛苦,苦恼,苦难;悲惨的境遇,贫苦 | |
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23 distress | |
n.苦恼,痛苦,不舒适;不幸;vt.使悲痛 | |
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24 herd | |
n.兽群,牧群;vt.使集中,把…赶在一起 | |
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25 impending | |
a.imminent, about to come or happen | |
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26 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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27 repose | |
v.(使)休息;n.安息 | |
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28 fatigue | |
n.疲劳,劳累 | |
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29 asses | |
n. 驴,愚蠢的人,臀部 adv. (常用作后置)用于贬损或骂人 | |
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30 ascent | |
n.(声望或地位)提高;上升,升高;登高 | |
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31 grove | |
n.林子,小树林,园林 | |
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32 plentiful | |
adj.富裕的,丰富的 | |
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33 vein | |
n.血管,静脉;叶脉,纹理;情绪;vt.使成脉络 | |
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34 dedicated | |
adj.一心一意的;献身的;热诚的 | |
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35 profane | |
adj.亵神的,亵渎的;vt.亵渎,玷污 | |
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36 lawful | |
adj.法律许可的,守法的,合法的 | |
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37 impure | |
adj.不纯净的,不洁的;不道德的,下流的 | |
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38 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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39 refreshing | |
adj.使精神振作的,使人清爽的,使人喜欢的 | |
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40 consecrated | |
adj.神圣的,被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣,给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 );奉献 | |
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41 sanctuary | |
n.圣所,圣堂,寺庙;禁猎区,保护区 | |
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42 ram | |
(random access memory)随机存取存储器 | |
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43 slain | |
杀死,宰杀,杀戮( slay的过去分词 ); (slay的过去分词) | |
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44 abstain | |
v.自制,戒绝,弃权,避免 | |
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45 afflicted | |
使受痛苦,折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46 commemorated | |
v.纪念,庆祝( commemorate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47 leaven | |
v.使发酵;n.酵母;影响 | |
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48 propensity | |
n.倾向;习性 | |
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49 sloth | |
n.[动]树懒;懒惰,懒散 | |
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50 devoted | |
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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51 sluggish | |
adj.懒惰的,迟钝的,无精打采的 | |
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52 testimony | |
n.证词;见证,证明 | |
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53 posterity | |
n.后裔,子孙,后代 | |
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54 creed | |
n.信条;信念,纲领 | |
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55 rites | |
仪式,典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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56 derived | |
vi.起源;由来;衍生;导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 );(从…中)得到获得;源于;(从…中)提取 | |
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57 antiquity | |
n.古老;高龄;古物,古迹 | |
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58 abominable | |
adj.可厌的,令人憎恶的 | |
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59 renouncing | |
v.声明放弃( renounce的现在分词 );宣布放弃;宣布与…决裂;宣布摒弃 | |
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60 grandeur | |
n.伟大,崇高,宏伟,庄严,豪华 | |
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61 obstinate | |
adj.顽固的,倔强的,不易屈服的,较难治愈的 | |
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62 inflexible | |
adj.不可改变的,不受影响的,不屈服的 | |
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63 persuasion | |
n.劝说;说服;持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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64 sullen | |
adj.愠怒的,闷闷不乐的,(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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65 inveterate | |
adj.积习已深的,根深蒂固的 | |
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66 hatred | |
n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨 | |
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67 lodge | |
v.临时住宿,寄宿,寄存,容纳;n.传达室,小旅馆 | |
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68 addicted | |
adj.沉溺于....的,对...上瘾的 | |
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69 intercourse | |
n.性交;交流,交往,交际 | |
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70 vice | |
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的 | |
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71 distinctive | |
adj.特别的,有特色的,与众不同的 | |
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72 abjure | |
v.发誓放弃 | |
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73 solicitude | |
n.焦虑 | |
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74 doctrine | |
n.教义;主义;学说 | |
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75 deity | |
n.神,神性;被奉若神明的人(或物) | |
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76 symbolical | |
a.象征性的 | |
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77 condemning | |
v.(通常因道义上的原因而)谴责( condemn的现在分词 );宣判;宣布…不能使用;迫使…陷于不幸的境地 | |
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78 perishable | |
adj.(尤指食物)易腐的,易坏的 | |
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79 wrought | |
v.引起;以…原料制作;运转;adj.制造的 | |
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80 cymbals | |
pl.铙钹 | |
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81 ivy | |
n.常青藤,常春藤 | |
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82 conqueror | |
n.征服者,胜利者 | |
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83 adoration | |
n.爱慕,崇拜 | |
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84 conformity | |
n.一致,遵从,顺从 | |
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85 festive | |
adj.欢宴的,节日的 | |
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86 carousing | |
v.痛饮,闹饮欢宴( carouse的现在分词 ) | |
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87 sordid | |
adj.肮脏的,不干净的,卑鄙的,暗淡的 | |
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88 professing | |
声称( profess的现在分词 ); 宣称; 公开表明; 信奉 | |
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89 reigned | |
vi.当政,统治(reign的过去式形式) | |
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90 tainted | |
adj.腐坏的;污染的;沾污的;感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 );使污染;败坏;被污染,腐坏,败坏 | |
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91 dearth | |
n.缺乏,粮食不足,饥谨 | |
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92 wilderness | |
n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等,荒漠 | |
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