第 4 节
作者:风雅颂      更新:2021-02-19 00:22      字数:9322
  on was styled Hycsos; that is; Shepherd…kings: for the first syllable Hyc; according to the sacred dialect; denotes a king; as is Sos a shepherd; but this according to the ordinary dialect; and of these is compounded Hycsos: but some say that these people were Arabians。〃 Now in another copy it is said that this word does not denote Kings; but; on the contrary; denotes Captive Shepherds; and this on account of the particle Hyc; for that Hyc; with the aspiration; in the Egyptian tongue again denotes Shepherds; and that expressly also; and this to me seems the more probable opinion; and more agreeable to ancient history。 'But Manetho goes on': 〃These people; whom we have before named kings; and called shepherds also; and their descendants;〃 as he says; 〃kept possession of Egypt five hundred and eleven years。〃 After these; he says; 〃That the kings of Thebais and the other parts of Egypt made an insurrection against the shepherds; and that there a terrible and long war was made between them。〃 He says further; 〃That under a king; whose name was Alisphragmuthosis; the shepherds were subdued by him; and were indeed driven out of other parts of Egypt; but were shut up in a place that contained ten thousand acres; this place was named Avaris。〃 Manetho says; 〃That the shepherds built a wall round all this place; which was a large and a strong wall; and this in order to keep all their possessions and their prey within a place of strength; but that Thummosis the son of Alisphragmuthosis made an attempt to take them by force and by siege; with four hundred and eighty thousand men to lie rotund about them; but that; upon his despair of taking the place by that siege; they came to a composition with them; that they should leave Egypt; and go; without any harm to be done to them; whithersoever they would; and that; after this composition was made; they went away with their whole families and effects; not fewer in number than two hundred and forty thousand; and took their journey from Egypt; through the wilderness; for Syria; but that as they were in fear of the Assyrians; who had then the dominion over Asia; they built a city in that country which is now called Judea; and that large enough to contain this great number of men; and called it Jerusalem。 (9) Now Manetho; in another book of his; says; 〃That this nation; thus called Shepherds; were also called Captives; in their sacred books。〃 And this account of his is the truth; for feeding of sheep was the employment of our forefathers in the most ancient ages (10) and as they led such a wandering life in feeding sheep; they were called Shepherds。 Nor was it without reason that they were called Captives by the Egyptians; since one of our ancestors; Joseph; told the king of Egypt that he was a captive; and afterward sent for his brethren into Egypt by the king's permission。 But as for these matters; I shall make a more exact inquiry about them elsewhere。 (11)
  15。 But now I shall produce the Egyptians as witnesses to the antiquity of our nation。 I shall therefore here bring in Manetho again; and what he writes as to the order of the times in this case; and thus he speaks: 〃When this people or shepherds were gone out of Egypt to Jerusalem; Tethtoosis the king of Egypt; who drove them out; reigned afterward twenty…five years and four months; and then died; after him his son Chebron took the kingdom for thirteen years; after whom came Amenophis; for twenty years and seven months; then came his sister Amesses; for twenty…one years and nine months; after her came Mephres; for twelve years and nine months; after him was Mephramuthosis; for twenty…five years and ten months; after him was Thmosis; for nine years and eight months; after him came Amenophis; for thirty years and ten months; after him came Orus; for thirty…six years and five months; then came his daughter Acenchres; for twelve years and one month; then was her brother Rathotis; for nine years; then was Acencheres; for twelve years and five months; then came another Acencheres; for twelve years and three months; after him Armais; for four years and one month; after him was Ramesses; for one year and four months; after him came Armesses Miammoun; for sixty…six years and two months; after him Amenophis; for nineteen years and six months; after him came Sethosis; and Ramesses; who had an army of horse; and a naval force。 This king appointed his brother; Armais;; to be his deputy over Egypt。〃 'In another copy it stood thus: After him came Sethosis; and Ramesses; two brethren; the former of whom had a naval force; and in a hostile manner destroyed those that met him upon the sea; but as he slew Ramesses in no long time afterward; so he appointed another of his brethren to be his deputy over Egypt。' He also gave him all the other authority of a king; but with these only injunctions; that he should not wear the diadem; nor be injurious to the queen; the mother of his children; and that he should not meddle with the other concubines of the king; while he made an expedition against Cyprus; and Phoenicia; and besides against the Assyrians and the Medes。 He then subdued them all; some by his arms; some without fighting; and some by the terror of his great army; and being puffed up by the great successes he had had; he went on still the more boldly; and overthrew the cities and countries that lay in the eastern parts。 But after some considerable time; Armais; who was left in Egypt; did all those very things; by way of opposition; which his brother had forbid him to do; without fear; for he used violence to the queen; and continued to make use of the rest of the concubines; without sparing any of them; nay; at the persuasion of his friends he put on the diadem; and set up to oppose his brother。 But then he who was set over the priests of Egypt wrote letters to Sethosis; and informed him of all that had happened; and how his brother had set up to oppose him: he therefore returned back to Pelusium immediately; and recovered his kingdom again。 The country also was called from his name Egypt; for Manetho says; that Sethosis was himself called Egyptus; as was his brother Armais called Danaus。〃
  16。 This is Manetho's account。 And evident it is from the number of years by him set down belonging to this interval; if they be summed up together; that these shepherds; as they are here called; who were no other than our forefathers; were delivered out of Egypt; and came thence; and inhabited this country; three hundred and ninety…three years before Danaus came to Argos; although the Argives look upon him (12) as their most ancient king Manetho; therefore; hears this testimony to two points of the greatest consequence to our purpose; and those from the Egyptian records themselves。 In the first place; that we came out of another country into Egypt; and that withal our deliverance out of it was so ancient in time as to have preceded the siege of Troy almost a thousand years; but then; as to those things which Manetbo adds; not from the Egyptian records; but; as he confesses himself; from some stories of an uncertain original; I will disprove them hereafter particularly; and shall demonstrate that they are no better than incredible fables。
  17。 I will now; therefore; pass from these records; and come to those that belong to the Phoenicians; and concern our nation; and shall produce attestations to what I have said out of them。 There are then records among the Tyrians that take in the history of many years; and these are public writings; and are kept with great exactness; and include accounts of the facts done among them; and such as concern their transactions with other nations also; those I mean which were worth remembering。 Therein it was recorded that the temple was built by king Solomon at Jerusalem; one hundred forty…three years and eight months before the Tyrians built Carthage; and in their annals the building of our temple is related; for Hirom; the king of Tyre; was the friend of Solomon our king; and had such friendship transmitted down to him from his forefathers。 He thereupon was ambitious to contribute to the splendor of this edifice of Solomon; and made him a present of one hundred and twenty talents of gold。 He also cut down the most excellent timber out of that mountain which is called Libanus; and sent it to him for adorning its roof。 Solomon also not only made him many other presents; by way of requital; but gave him a country in Galilee also; that was called Chabulon。 (13) But there was another passion; a philosophic inclination of theirs; which cemented the friendship that was betwixt them; for they sent mutual problems to one another; with a desire to have them unriddled by each other; wherein Solomon was superior to Hirom; as he was wiser than he in other respects: and many of the epistles that passed between them are still preserved among the Tyrians。 Now; that this may not depend on my bare word; I will produce for a witness Dius; one that is believed to have written the Phoenician History after an accurate manner。 This Dius; therefore; writes thus; in his Histories of the Phoenicians: 〃Upon the death of Abibalus; his son Hirom took the kingdom。 This king raised banks at the eastern parts of the city; and enlarged it; he also joined the temple of Jupiter