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1 Now it is found in the descriptions of Jeremias the prophet, that he commanded them that went
into captivity, to take the fire, as it hath been signified, and how he gave
charge to them that were carried away into captivity.
2 And how
he gave them the law that they should not forget the commandments of the
Lord, and that they should not err in their minds, seeing the idols of gold,
and silver, and the ornaments of them.
3 And with
other such like speeches, he exhorted them that they would not remove the law
from their heart.
4 It was
also contained in the same writing, how the prophet, being warned by God,
commanded that the tabernacle and the ark should accompany him, till he came
forth to the mountain " where Moses went up, and saw the inheritance of
God.
5 And when
Jeremias came thither he found a hollow cave: and
he carried in thither the tabernacle, and the ark, and the altar of incense,
and so stopped the door.
6 Then
some of them that followed him, came up to mark the place: but they could not
And it.
7 And when
Jeremias perceived it, he blamed them, saying: The
place shall be unknown, till God gather together the congregation of the
people, and receive them to mercy.
8 And then
the Lord will shew these things, and the majesty of
the Lord shall appear, and there shall be a cloud as it was also shewed to Moses, "and he shewed
it when Solomon prayed that the place might be sanctified to the great God.
9 For he
treated wisdom in a magnificent manner: and like a wise man, he offered the
sacrifice of the dedication, and of the finishing of the temple.
10 And as
Moses prayed to the Lord and fire came down from heaven, and consumed the
holocaust: so Solomon also prayed, and fire came down from heaven and
consumed the holocaust.
11 And
Moses said: Because the sin offering was not eaten, it was consumed.
12 So
Solomon also celebrated the dedication eight days.
13 And
these same things were set down in the memoirs and commentaries of Nehemias: and how he made a library, and gathered
together out of the countries, the books both of the prophets, and of David,
and the epistles of the kings. and concerning the
holy gifts.
14 And in
like manner Judas also gathered together all such things as were lost by the
war we had, and they are in our possession.
15 Wherefore
if you want these things, send some that may fetch them to you.
16 As we
are then about to celebrate the purification, we have written unto you: and
you shall do well, if you keep the same days.
17 And we
hope that God who hath delivered his people, and hath rendered to all the
inheritance, and the kingdom, and the priesthood, and the sanctuary,
18 As he
promised in the law, will shortly have mercy upon us, and will gather us
together from every land under heaven into the holy place.
19 For he hath delivered us out of great perils, and hath
cleansed the place.
20 Now as
concerning Judas Machabeus. and his brethren, and
the purification of the great temple, and the dedication o the altar:
21 As also
the wars against Antioch the Illustrious, and his son Eupator:
22 And the
manifestations that from heaven to them, that behaved themselves manfully on
the behalf of the Jews, so that, being but a few, they made themselves
masters of the whole country, and put to flight; the barbarous multitude :
23 And
recovered again the most renowned temple in all the world, and delivered the
city, and restored the laws that were abolished, the Lord with all clemency shewing mercy to them.
24 And all
such things as have been comprised in five books by Jason of Cyrene, we have
attempted to abridge in one book.
25 For
considering the multitude of books, and the difficulty that they find that
desire to undertake the narrations of histories, because of the multitude of
the matter,
26 We have
taken care for those indeed that are willing to read, that it might be a
pleasure of mind: and for the studious, that they may more easily commit to
memory: and that all that read might receive profit.
27 And as
to ourselves indeed, in under- taking this work of abridging, we have taken
in hand no easy task, yea rather a business full of watching and sweat.
28 But as
they that prepare a feast, and seek to satisfy the will of others: for the
sake of many, we willingly undergo the labour.
29 Leaving
to the authors the exact handling of every particular, and as for ourselves,
according to the plan pro- posed, studying to be brief.
30 For as
the master builder of a new house must have care of the whole building: but
he that taketh care to paint it, must seek out fit
things for the adorning of it: so must it be judged for us.
31 For to
collect all that is to be known, to put the discourse in order, and curiously
to discuss every particular point, is the duty of the author of a history:
32 But to
pursue brevity of speech, and to avoid nice declarations of things, is to be
granted to him that maketh an abridgment.
33 Here
then we will begin the narration: let this be enough by way of a preface: for
it is a foolish thing to make a long prologue, and to be short in the story
itself.
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1- قد جاء في السجلات ان ارميا
النبي امر اهل الجلاء ان ياخذوا النار كما ذكر و كما امر النبي اهل الجلاء.
2- اذ اوصاهم ان لا ينسوا وصايا الرب و لا
تغوى قلوبهم اذا راوا تماثيل الذهب و الفضة و ما عليها من الزينة.
3- و حرضهم بمثل هذا الكلام على ان لا يزيلوا
الشريعة من قلوبهم.
4- و جاء في هذه الكتابة ان النبي بمقتضى وحي
سار اليه امر ان يذهب معه بالمسكن و التابوت حتى يصل الى الجبل الذي صعد اليه
موسى و راى ميراث الله.
5- و لما وصل ارميا وجد كهفا فادخل اليه
المسكن و التابوت و مذبح البخور ثم سد الباب.
6- فاقبل بعض من كانوا معه ليسموا الطريق فلم
يستطيعوا ان يجدوه.
7- فلما اعلم بذلك ارميا لامهم و قال ان هذ
الموضع سيبقى مجهولا الى ان يجمع الله شمل الشعب و يرحمهم.
8- و حينئذ يبرز الرب هذه الاشياء و يبدو مجد
الرب و الغمام كما ظهر في ايام موسى و حين سال سليمان ان يقدس الموضع تقديسا
بهيا.
9- اذ اشتهر و ابدى حكمته بتقديم الذبيحة
لتدشين الهيكل و تتميمه.
10- فكما دعا موسى الرب فنزلت النار من السماء
و افنت الذبيحة كذلك دعا سليمان فنزلت النار من السماء و افنت المحرقات.
11- و قال موسى انما افنيت ذبيحة الخطيئة
لانها لم تؤكل.
12- و كذلك عيد سليمان للتدشين ثمانية الايام.
13- و قد شرح ذلك في السجلات و التذاكر التي لنحميا و كيف انشا مكتبة جمع
فيها اخبار الملوك و الانبياء و كتابات داود و رسائل الملوك في التقادم.
14- و كذلك جمع يهوذا كل ما فقد منا في الحرب
التي حدثت لنا و هو عندنا.
15- فان كانت لكم حاجة بذلك فارسلوا من ياخذه
اليكم.
16- و اذ قد ازمعنا ان نعيد عيد التطهير كتبنا
اليكم و انكم لتحسنون الصنع اذا عيدتم هذه الايام.
17- و الله الذي خلص جميع شعبه و رد على
الجميع الميراث و الملك و الكهنوت و المقدس.
18- كما وعد في الشريعة نرجو منه ان يرحمنا
قريبا و يجمعنا مما تحت السماء الى الموضع المقدس.
19- فانه قد انقذنا من شرور عظيمة و طهر
الموضع.
20- ان الحوادث التي وقعت ليهوذا المكابي و
اخوته و تطهير الهيكل العظيم و تدشين المذبح.
21- و الحروب التي وقعت مع انطيوكس الشهير و
ابنه اوباطور.
22- و الايات التي ظهرت من السماء في حقل
الذين تحمسوا لدين اليهود حتى انهم مع قلتهم تسلطوا على البلاد بجملتها و طردوا
جماهير الاعاجم.
23- و استردوا الهيكل الذي اشتهر ذكره في
المسكونة باسرها و حرروا المدينة و احيوا الشرائع التي كادت تضمحل لان الرب عطف
عليهم بكثرة مراحمه.
24- تلك الامور التي شرحها ياسون القيرواني في
خمسة كتب قد اقبلنا نحن على اختصارها في درج واحد.
25- و لما راينا تكاثر الحوادث و
الصعوبة التي تعترض من اراد الخوض في اخبار التاريخ لكثرة المواد.
26- كان من همنا ان نجعل فيما كتبناه فكاهة
للمطالع و سهولة للحافظ و فائدة للجميع.
27- فلم يكن تكلفنا لهذا الاختصار امرا سهلا و
انما تم بالعرق و السهر.
28- كما ان الذي يعد مادبة و يبتغي بها منفعة
الناس لا يكون الامر عليه سهلا غير انا لاجل مرضاة الكثيرين سنتحمل هذا النصب عن
طيبة نفس.
29- تاركين التدقيق في تفاصيل
الحوادث لاصحاب التاريخ و ملتزمين في الاختصار استقراء اهم الوقائع.
30- فانه كما ينبغي لمن يهندس بيتا جديدا ان
يهتم بجميع اجزاء البنيان و لمن يباشر الوسم و التصوير ان يتطلب اسباب الزينة
هكذا ما نحن فيه على ما ارى.
31- فان التبحر و الكلام على كل
امر و البحث عن جزء فجزء من شان مصنف التاريخ.
32- و اما الملخص فمرخص له ان يسوق الحديث
باختصار مع اهمال التدقيق في المباحث.
33- و ههنا نشرع في ايراد الحوادث مقتصرين من
التمهيد على ما ذكرناه اذ ليس من الاصابة الاطناب فيما قبل التاريخ و الايجاز في
التاريخ
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