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o be rebuilt; and after which rebuilding it was called Nicopolis; is entirely different from that Emmaus which is mentioned by St。 Luke 24;13; see Reland's Paleestina; lib。 II。 p。 429; and under the name Ammaus also。 But he justly thinks that that in St。 Luke may well be the same with his Ammaus before us; especially since the Greek copies here usually make it sixty furlongs distant from Jerusalem; as does St。 Luke; though the Latin copies say only thirty。 The place also allotted for these eight hundred soldiers; as for a Roman garrison; in this place; would most naturally be not so remote from Jerusalem as was the other Emmaus; or Nicopolis。
(14) Pliny and others confirm this strange paradox; that provisions laid up against sieges will continue good for a hundred ears; as Spanheim notes upon this place。
(15) The speeches in this and the next section; as introduced under the person of this Eleazar; are exceeding remarkable; and oil the noblest subjects; the contempt of death; and the dignity and immortality of the soul; and that not only among the Jews; but among the Indians themselves also; and are highly worthy the perusal of all the curious。 It seems as if that philosophic lady who survived; ch。 9。 sect。 1; 2; remembered the substance of these discourses; as spoken by Eleazar; and so Josephus clothed them in his own words: at the lowest they contain the Jewish notions on these heads; as understood then by our Josephus; and cannot but deserve a suitable regard from us。
(16) See B。 II。 ch。 20。 sect。 2; where the number of the slain is but 10;000。
(17) Reland here sets down a parallel aphorism of one of the Jewish Rabbins; 〃We are born that we may die; and die that we may live。'
(18) Since Josephus here informs us that some of these Sicarii; or ruffians; went from Alexandria (which was itself in Egypt; in a large sense) into Egypt; and Thebes there situated; Reland well observes; from Vossius; that Egypt sometimes denotes Proper or Upper Egypt; as distinct from the Delta; and the lower parts near Palestine。 Accordingly; as he adds; those that say it never rains in Egypt must mean the Proper or Upper Egypt; because it does sometimes rain in the other parts。 See the note on Antiq。 B。 II。 ch。 7。 sect。 7; and B。 III。 ch。 1。 sect。 6。
(19) Of this temple of Onias's building in Egypt; see the notes on Antiq。 B。 XIII。 ch。 3。 sect。 1。 But whereas it is elsewhere; both of the War; B。 I。 ch。 1。 sect。 1; and in the Antiquities as now quoted; said that this temple was like to that at Jerusalem; and here that it was not like it; but like a tower; sect。 3; there is some reason to suspect the reading here; and that either the negative particle is here to be blotted out; or the word entirely added。
(20) We must observe; that Josephus here speaks of Antiochus who profaned the temple as now alive; when Onias had leave given them by Philometer to build his temple; whereas it seems not to have been actually built till about fifteen years afterwards。 Yet; because it is said in the Antiquities that Onias went to Philometer; B。 XII。 ch。 9。 sect。 7; during the lifetime of that Antiochus; it is probable he petitioned; and perhaps obtained his leave then; though it were not actually built or finished till fifteen years afterward。
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