第 5 节
作者:风雅颂      更新:2021-02-19 00:22      字数:9321
  raised banks at the eastern parts of the city; and enlarged it; he also joined the temple of Jupiter Olympius; which stood before in an island by itself; to the city; by raising a causeway between them; and adorned that temple with donations of gold。 He moreover went up to Libanus; and had timber cut down for the building of temples。 They say further; that Solomon; when he was king of Jerusalem; sent problems to Hirom to be solved; and desired he would send others back for him to solve; and that he who could not solve the problems proposed to him should pay money to him that solved them。 And when Hirom had agreed to the proposals; but was not able to solve the problems; he was obliged to pay a great deal of money; as a penalty for the same。 As also they relate; that one淎bdemon; a man of Tyre; did solve the problems; and propose others which Solomon could not solve; upon which he was obliged to repay a great deal of money to Hirom。〃 These things are attested to by Dius; and confirm what we have said upon the same subjects before。
  18。 And now I shall add Menander the Ephesian; as an additional witness。 This Menander wrote the Acts that were done both by the Greeks and Barbarians; under every one of the Tyrian kings; and had taken much pains to learn their history out of their own records。 Now when he was writing about those kings that had reigned at Tyre; he came to Hirom; and says thus: 〃Upon the death of Abibalus; his son Hirom took the kingdom; he lived fifty…three years; and reigned thirty…four。 He raised a bank on that called the Broad Place; and dedicated that golden pillar which is in Jupiter's temple; he also went and cut down timber from the mountain called Libanus; and got timber Of cedar for the roofs of the temples。 He also pulled down the old temples; and built new ones; besides this; he consecrated the temples of Hercules and of Astarte。 He first built Hercules's temple in the month Peritus; and that of Astarte when he made his expedition against the Tityans; who would not pay him their tribute; and when he had subdued them to himself; he returned home。 Under this king there was a younger son of Abdemon; who mastered the problems which Solomon king of Jerusalem had recommended to be solved。〃 Now the time from this king to the building of Carthage is thus calculated: 〃Upon the death of Hirom; Baleazarus his son took the kingdom; he lived forty…three years; and reigned seven years: after him succeeded his son Abdastartus; he lived twenty…nine years; and reigned nine years。 Now four sons of his nurse plotted against him and slew him; the eldest of whom reigned twelve years: after them came Astartus; the son of Deleastartus; he lived fifty…four years; and reigned twelve years: after him came his brother Aserymus; he lived fifty…four years; and reigned nine years: he was slain by his brother Pheles; who took the kingdom and reigned but eight months; though he lived fifty years: he was slain by Ithobalus; the priest of Astarte; who reigned thirty…two years; and lived sixty…eight years: he was succeeded by his son Badezorus; who lived forty…five years; and reigned six years: he was succeeded by Matgenus his son; he lived thirty…two years; and reigned nine years: Pygmalion succeeded him; he lived fifty…six years; and reigned forty…seven years。 Now in the seventh year of his reign; his sister fled away from him; and built the city Carthage in Libya。〃 So the whole time from the reign of Hirom; till the building of Carthage; amounts to the sum of one hundred fifty…five years and eight months。 Since then the temple was built at Jerusalem in the twelfth year of the reign of Hirom; there were from the building of the temple; until the building of Carthage; one hundred forty…three years and eight months。 Wherefore; what occasion is there for alleging any more testimonies out of the Phoenician histories 'on the behalf of our nation'; since what I have said is so thoroughly confirmed already? and to be sure our ancestors came into this country long before the building of the temple; for it was not till we had gotten possession of the whole land by war that we built our temple。 And this is the point that I have clearly proved out of our sacred writings in my Antiquities。
  19。 I will now relate what hath been written concerning us in the Chaldean histories; which records have a great agreement with our books in oilier things also。 Berosus shall be witness to what I say: he was by birth a Chaldean; well known by the learned; on account of his publication of the Chaldean books of astronomy and philosophy among the Greeks。 This Berosus; therefore; following the most ancient records of that nation; gives us a history of the deluge of waters that then happened; and of the destruction of mankind thereby; and agrees with Moses's narration thereof。 He also gives us an account of that ark wherein Noah; the origin of our race; was preserved; when it was brought to the highest part of the Armenian mountains; after which he gives us a catalogue of the posterity of Noah; and adds the years of their chronology; and at length comes down to Nabolassar; who was king of Babylon; and of the Chaldeans。 And when he was relating the acts of this king; he describes to us how he sent his son Nabuchodonosor against Egypt; and against our land; with a great army; upon his being informed that they had revolted from him; and how; by that means; he subdued them all; and set our temple that was at Jerusalem on fire; nay; and removed our people entirely out of their own country; and transferred them to Babylon; when it so happened that our city was desolate during the interval of seventy years; until the days of Cyrus king of Persia。 He then says; 〃That this Babylonian king conquered Egypt; and Syria; and Phoenicia; and Arabia; and exceeded in his exploits all that had reigned before him in Babylon and Chaldea。〃 A little after which Berosus subjoins what follows in his History of Ancient Times。 I will set down Berosus's own accounts; which are these: 〃When Nabolassar; father of Nabuchodonosor; heard that the governor whom he had set over Egypt; and over the parts of Celesyria and Phoenicia; had revolted from him; he was not able to bear it any longer; but committing certain parts of his army to his son Nabuchodonosor; who was then but young; he sent him against the rebel: Nabuchodonosor joined battle with him; and conquered him; and reduced the country under his dominion again。 Now it so fell out that his father Nabolassar fell into a distemper at this time; and died in the city of Babylon; after he had reigned twenty…nine years。 But as he understood; in a little time; that his father Nabolassar was dead; he set the affairs of Egypt and the other countries in order; and committed the captives he had taken from the Jews; and Phoenicians; and Syrians; and of the nations belonging to Egypt; to some of his friends; that they might conduct that part of the forces that had on heavy armor; with the rest of his baggage; to Babylonia; while he went in haste; having but a few with him; over the desert to Babylon; whither; when he was come; he found the public affairs had been managed by the Chaldeans; and that the principal person among them had preserved the kingdom for him。 Accordingly; he now entirely obtained all his father's dominions。 He then came; and ordered the captives to be placed as colonies in the most proper places of Babylonia; but for himself; he adorned the temple of Belus; and the other temples; after an elegant manner; out of the spoils he had taken in this war。 He also rebuilt the old city; and added another to it on the outside; and so far restored Babylon; that none who should besiege it afterwards might have it in their power to divert the river; so as to facilitate an entrance into it; and this he did by building three walls about the inner city; and three about the outer。 Some of these walls he built of burnt brick and bitumen; and some of brick only。 So when he had thus fortified the city with walls; after an excellent manner; and had adorned the gates magnificently; he added a new palace to that which his father had dwelt in; and this close by it also; and that more eminent in its height; and in its great splendor。 It would perhaps require too long a narration; if any one were to describe it。 However; as prodigiously large and as magnificent as it was; it was finished in fifteen days。 Now in this palace he erected very high walks; supported by stone pillars; and by planting what was called a pensile paradise; and replenishing it with all sorts of trees; he rendered the prospect an exact resemblance of a mountainous country。 This he did to please his queen; because she had been brought up in Media; and was fond of a mountainous situation。〃
  20。 This is what Berosus relates concerning the forementioned king; as he relates many other things about him also in the third book of his Chaldean History; wherein he complains of the Grecian writers for supposing; without any foundation; that Babylon was built by Semiramis; (14) queen of Assyria; and for her false pretense to those wonderful edifices thereto buildings at Babylon; do no way contradict those ancient and relating; as if they were her own workmanship; as indeed in these affairs the Chaldean History c