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sins intended; but not executed; were no sins at all。
(24) No wonder that Josephus here describes Antiochus Eupator as
young; and wanting tuition; when he came to the crown; since
Appian informs us (Syriac。 p。 177) that he was then but nine
years old。
(25) It is no way probable that Josephus would call Bacchidoa;
that bitter and bloody enemy of the Jews; as our present copies
have it; a man good; or kind; and gentle; What the author of the
First Book of Maccabees; whom Josephus here follows; instead of
that character; says of him; is; that he was a great man in the
kingdom; and faithful to his king; which was very probably
Josephus's meaning also。
(26) Josephus's copies must have been corrupted when they here
give victory to Nicanor; contrary to the words following; which
imply that he who was beaten fled into the citadel; which for
certain belonged to the city of David; or to Mount Zion; and was
in the possession of Nicanor's garrison; and not of Judas's。 As
also it is contrary to the express words of Josephus's original
author; 1 Macc。 7:32; who says that Nicanor lost about five
thousand men; and fled to the city of David。
(27) This account of the miserable death of Alcimus; or Jac…mus;
the wicked high priest; (the first that was not of the family of
the high priests; and made by a vile heathen; Lysias;) before the
death of Judas; and of Judas's succession to him as high priest;
both here; and at the conclusion of this book; directly
contradicts 1 Macc。 9:54…57; which places his death after the
death of Judas; and says not a syllable of the high priesthood of
Judas。 How well the Roman histories agree to this account of the
conquests and powerful condition of the Romans at this time; see
the notes in Havercamp's edition; only that the number of the
senators of Rome was then just three hundred and twenty; is; I
think; only known from 1 Macc。 8:15。
(28) This subscription is wanting 1 Macc。 8:17; 29; and must be
the words of Josephus; who by mistake thought; as we have just
now seen; that Judas was at this time high priest; and
accordingly then reckoned his brother Jonathan to be the general
of the army; which yet he seems not to have been till after the
death of Judas。
(29) That this copy of Josephus; as he wrote it; had here not one
thousand; but three thousand; with 1 Macc 9:5; is very plain;
because though the main part ran away at first; even in Josephus;
as well as in 1 Macc。 9:6; yet; as there; so here; eight hundred
are said to have remained with Judas; which would be absurd; if
the whole number had been no more than one thousand。
BOOK 13 FOOTNOTES
(1) This Alexander Bala; who certainly pretended to be the son of
Antiochus Epiphanes; and was owned for such by the Jews and
Romans; and many others; and yet is by several historians deemed
to be a counterfeit; and of no family at all; is; however; by
Josephus believed to have been the real son of that Antiochus;
and by him always spoken of accordingly。 And truly; since the
original contemporary and authentic author of the First Book of
Maccabees (10:1) calls him by his father's name; Epiphanes; and
says he was the son of Antiochus; I suppose the other writers;
who are all much later; are not to be followed against such
evidence; though perhaps Epiphanes might have him by a woman of
no family。 The king of Egypt also; Philometor; soon gave him his
daughter in marriage; which he would hardly have done; had he
believed him to be a counterfeit; and of so very mean a birth as
the later historians pretend。
(2) Since Jonathan plainly did not put on the pontifical robes
till seven or eight years after the death of his brother Judas;
or not till the feast of tabernacles; in the 160th of the
Seleucidm; 1 Macc。 10;21; Petitus's emendation seems here to
deserve consideration; who; instead of 〃after four years since
the death of his brother Judas;〃 would have us read; 〃and
therefore after eight years since the death of his brother
Judas。〃 This would tolerably well agree with the date of the
Maccabees; and with Josephus's own exact chronology at the end of
the twentieth book of these Antiquities; which the present text
cannot be made to do。
(3) Take Grotius's note here: 〃The Jews;〃 says he; 〃were wont to
present crowns to the kings 'of Syria'; afterwards that gold
which was paid instead of those crowns; or which was expended in
making them; was called the crown gold and crown tax。〃 On 1 Macc。
10:29。
(4) Since the rest of the historians now extant give this
Demetrius thirteen years; and Josephus only eleven years; Dean
Prideaux does not amiss in ascribing to him the mean number
twelve。
(5) It seems to me contrary to the opinion of Josephus; and of
the moderns; both Jews and Christians; that this prophecy of
Isaiah; 19:19; etc。; 〃In that day there shall be an altar to the
Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt;〃 etc。; directly foretold
the building of this temple of Onias in Egypt; and was a
sufficient warrant to the Jews for building it; and for
worshipping the true God。 the God of Israel; therein。 See
Authent。 Rec。 11。 p。 755。 That God seems to have soon better
accepted of the sacrifices and prayers here offered him than
those at Jerusalem; see the note on ch。 10。 sect。 7。 And truly
the marks of Jewish corruption or interpolation in this text; in
order to discourage their people from approving of the Worship of
God here; are very strong; and highly deserve our consideration
and correction。 The foregoing verse in Isaiah runs thus in our
common copies; 〃In that day shall five cities in the land of
Egypt speak the language of Canaan;〃 'the Hebrew language; shall
be full of Jews; whose sacred books were in Hebrew;' 〃and swear
to the Lord of hosts; one〃 'or the first' 〃shall be called; The
City of Destruction;〃 Isaiah 19:18。 A strange…name; 〃City of
Destruction;〃 upon so joyful occasion; and a name never heard of
in the land of Egypt; or perhaps in any other nation。 The old
reading was evidently the City of the Sun; or Heliopolis; and
Unkelos; in effect; and Symmachus; with the Arabic version;
entirely confess that to be the true reading。 The Septuagint
also; though they have the text disguised in the common copies;
and call it Asedek; the City of Righteousness; yet in two or
three other copies the Hebrew word itself for the Sun; Achares;
or Thares; is preserved。 And since Onias insists with the king
and queen; that Isaiah's prophecy contained many other
predictions relating to this place besides the words by him
recited; it is highly probable that these were especially meant
by him; and that one main reason why he applied this prediction
to himself; and to his prefecture of Heliopolis; which Dean
Prideaux well proves was in that part of Egypt; and why he chose
to build in that prefecture of Heliopolis; though otherwise an
improper place; was this; that the same authority that he had for
building this temple in Egypt; the very same he had for building
it in his own prefecture of Heliopolis also; which he desired to
do; and which he did accordingly。 Dean Prideaux has much ado to
avoid seeing this corruption of the Hebrew; but it being in
support of his own o