,,an ,,extract ,,out ,,of ,,josephus',s 
,,discourse ,,to ,,the ,,greeks         
,,concerning ,,hades  ,by ,flavius      
,josephus   ,translated by ,william     
,whiston    #a4 ,now as to ,hades1      
wherein the souls of the good things    
they see1 and rejoice in the righteous  
and unrighteous are detained1 it is     
necessary to speak of it4 ,hades is a   
place in the world not regularly        
finished2 a subterraneous region1       
wherein the light of this world does not
 shine2 from which circumstance1 that in
 this region the light does not shine1  
it cannot be but there must be in it    
perpetual darkness4 ,this region is     
allotted as a place of custody for      
souls1 ill which angels are appointed as
 guardians to them1 who distribute to   
them temporary punishments1 agreeable to
 every one's behavior and manners4  #b4 
,in this region there is a certain place
 set apart1 as a lake of unquenchable   
fire1 whereinto we suppose no one hath  
hitherto been cast2 but it is prepared  

for a day afore-determined by ,god1 in  
which one righteous sentence shall      
deservedly be passed upon all men2 when 
the unjust1 and those that have been    
disobedient to ,god1 and have given     
honor to such idols as have been the    
vain operations of the hands of men as  
to ,god himself1 shall be adjudged to   
this everlasting punishment1 as having  
been the causes of defilement2 while the
 just shall obtain an incorruptible and 
never-fading kingdom4 ,these are now    
indeed confined in ,hades1 but not in   
the same place wherein the unjust are   
confined4  #c4 ,for there is one descent
 into this region1 at whose gate we     
believe there stands an archangel with  
an host2 which gate when those pass     
through that are conducted down by the  
angels appointed over souls1 they do not
 go the same way2 but the just are      
guided to the right hand1 and are led   
with hymns1 sung by the angels appointed
 over that place1 unto a region of      
light1 in which the just have dwelt from

 the beginning of the world2 not        
constrained by necessity1 but ever      
enjoying the prospect of the good things
 they see1 and rejoice in the           
expectation of those new enjoyments     
which will be peculiar to every one of  
them1 and esteeming those things beyond 
what we have here2 with whom there is no
 place of toil1 no burning heat1 no     
piercing cold1 nor are any briers there2
 but the countenance of the and of the  
just1 which they see1 always smiles     
them1 while they wait for that rest and 
eternal new life in heaven1 which is to 
succeed this region4 ,this place we call
 ,the ,bosom of ,abraham4  #d4 ,but as  
to the unjust1 they are dragged by force
 to the left hand by the angels allotted
 for punishment1 no longer going with a 
good-will1 but as prisoners driven by   
violence2 to whom are sent the angels   
appointed over them to reproach them and
 threaten them with their terrible      
looks1 and to thrust them still         
downwards4 ,now those angels that are   

set over these souls drag them into the 
neighborhood of hell itself2 who1 when  
they are hard by it1 continually hear   
the noise of it1 and do not stand clear 
of the hot vapor itself2 but when they  
have a near view of this spectacle1 as  
of a terrible and exceeding great       
prospect of fire1 they are struck with a
 fearful expectation of a future        
judgment1 and in effect punished        
thereby3 and not only so1 but where they
 see the place or choir of the fathers  
and of the just1 even hereby are they   
punished2 for a chaos deep and large is 
fixed between them2 insomuch that a just
 man that hath compassion upon them     
cannot be admitted1 nor can one that is 
unjust1 if he were bold enough to       
attempt it1 pass over it4  #e4 ,this is 
the discourse concerning ,hades1 wherein
 the souls of all men are confined until
 a proper season1 which ,god hath       
determined1 when he will make a         
resurrection of all men from the dead1  
not procuring a transmigration of souls 

from one body to another1 but raising   
again those very bodies1 which you      
,greeks1 seeing to be dissolved1 do not 
believe their resurrection4 ,but learn  
not to disbelieve it2 for while you     
believe that the soul is created1 and   
yet is made immortal by ,god1 according 
to the doctrine of ,plato1 and this in  
time1 be not incredulous2 but believe   
that ,god is able1 when he hath raised  
to life that body which was made as a   
compound of the same elements1 to make  
it immortal2 for it must never be said  
of ,god1 that he is able to do some     
things1 and unable to do others4 ,we    
have therefore believed that the body   
will be raised again2 for although it be
 dissolved1 it is not perished2 for the 
earth receives its remains1 and         
preserves them2 and while they are like 
seed1 and are mixed among the more      
fruitful soil1 they flourish1 and what  
is sown is indeed sown bare grain1 but  
at the mighty sound of ,god the         
,creator1 it will sprout up1 and be     

raised in a clothed and glorious        
condition1 though not before it has been
 dissolved1 and mixed with the earth4   
,so that we have not rashly believed the
 resurrection of the body2 for although 
it be dissolved for a time on account of
 the original transgression1 it exists  
still1 and is cast into the earth as    
into a potter's furnace1 in order to be 
formed again1 not in order to rise again
 such as it was before1 but in a state  
of purity1 and so as never to be        
destroyed any more4 ,and to every body  
shall its own soul be restored4 ,and    
when it hath clothed itself with that   
body1 it will not be subject to misery1 
but1 being itself pure1 it will continue
 with its pure body1 and rejoice with   
it1 with which it having walked         
righteously now in this world1 and never
 having had it as a snare1 it will      
receive it again with great gladness4   
,but as for the unjust1 they will       
receive their bodies not changed1 not   
freed from diseases or distempers1 nor  

made glorious1 but with the same        
diseases wherein they died2 and such as 
they were in their unbelief1 the same   
shall they be when they shall be        
faithfully judged4  #f4 ,for all men1   
the just as well as the unjust1 shall be
 brought before ,god the word3 for to   
him hath the ,father committed all      
judgment3 and he1 in order to fulfill   
the will of his ,father1 shall come as  
,judge1 whom we call ,christ4 ,for      
,minos and ,rhadamanthus are not the    
judges1 as you ,greeks do suppose1 but  
he whom ,god and the ,father hath       
glorified3 ,concerning ,whom ,we ,have  
,elsewhere ,given ,a ,more ,particular  
,account1 ,for ,the ,sake ,of ,those    
,who ,seek ,after ,truth4 ,this person1 
exercising the righteous judgment of the
 ,father towards all men1 hath prepared 
a just sentence for every one1 according
 to his works2 at whose judgment-seat   
when all men1 and angels1 and demons    
shall stand1 they will send forth one   
voice1 and say1 ,just ,is ,thy          

,judgment2 the rejoinder to which will  
bring a just sentence upon both parties1
 by giving justly to those that have    
done well an everlasting fruition2 but  
allotting to the lovers of wicked works 
eternal punishment4 ,to these belong the
 unquenchable fire1 and that without    
end1 and a certain fiery worm1 never    
dying1 and not destroying the body1 but 
continuing its eruption out of the body 
with never-ceasing grief3 neither will  
sleep give ease to these men1 nor will  
the night afford them comfort2 death    
will not free them from their           
punishment1 nor will the interceding    
prayers of their kindred profit them2   
for the just are no longer seen by them1
 nor are they thought worthy of         
remembrance4 ,but the just shall        
remember only their righteous actions1  
whereby they have attained the heavenly 
kingdom1 in which there is no sleep1 no 
sorrow1 no corruption1 no care1 no      
night1 no day measured by time1 no sun  
driven in his course along the circle of

 heaven by necessity1 and measuring out 
the bounds and conversions of the       
seasons1 for the better illumination of 
the life of men2 no moon decreasing and 
increasing1 or introducing a variety of 
seasons1 nor will she then moisten the  
earth2 no burning sun1 no ,bear turning 
round the pole1 no ,orion to rise1 no   
wandering of innumerable stars4 ,the    
earth will not then be difficult to be  
passed over1 nor will it be hard to find
 out the court of paradise1 nor will    
there be any fearful roaring of the sea1
 forbidding the passengers to walk on   
it2 even that will be made easily       
passable to the just1 though it will not
 be void of moisture4 ,heaven will not  
then be uninhabitable by men1 and it    
will not be impossible to discover the  
way of ascending thither4 ,the earth    
will not be uncultivated1 nor require   
too much labor of men1 but will bring   
forth its fruits of its own accord1 and 
will be well adorned with them4 ,there  
will be no more generations of wild     

beasts1 nor will the substance of the   
rest of the animals shoot out any more2 
for it will not produce men1 but the    
number of the righteous will continue1  
and never fail1 together with righteous 
angels1 and spirits of ,god1 and with   
his word1 as a choir of righteous men   
and women that never grow old1 and      
continue in an incorruptible state1     
singing hymns to ,god1 who hath advanced
 them to that happiness1 by the means of
 a regular institution of life2 with    
whom the whole creation also will lift  
up a perpetual hymn from corruption1 to 
incorruption1 as glorified by a splendid
 and pure spirit4 ,it will not then be  
restrained by a bond of necessity1 but  
with a lively freedom shall offer up a  
voluntary hymn1 and shall praise him    
that made them1 together with the       
angels1 and spirits1 and men now freed  
from all bondage4  #g4 ,and now1 if you 
,gentiles will be persuaded by these    
motives1 and leave your vain            
imaginations about your pedigrees1 and  

gaining of riches1 and philosophy1 and  
will not spend your time about          
subtleties of words1 and thereby lead   
your minds into error1 and if you will  
apply your ears to the hearing of the   
inspired prophets1 the interpreters both
 of ,god and of his word1 and will      
believe in ,god1 you shall both be      
partakers of these things1 and obtain   
the good things that are to come2 you   
shall see the ascent unto the immense   
heaven plainly1 and that kingdom which  
is there4 ,for what ,god hath now       
concealed in silence will be then made  
manifest1 what neither eye hath seen1   
nor ear hath heard1 nor hath it entered 
into the heart of man1 the things that  
,god hath prepared for them that love   
him4  #h4 ,in whatsoever ways ,i shall  
find you1 in them shall ,i judge you    
entirely3 so cries the ,end of all      
things4 ,and he who hath at first lived 
a virtuous lift1 but towards the latter 
end falls into vice1 these labors by him
 before endured shall be altogether vain

 and unprofitable1 even as in a play1   
brought to an ill catastrophe4          
,whosoever shall have lived wickedly and
 luxuriously may repent2 however1 there 
will be need of much time to conquer an 
evil habit1 and even after repentance   
his whole life must be guarded with     
great care and diligence1 after the     
manner of a body1 which1 after it hath  
been a long time afflicted with a       
distemper1 requires a stricter diet and 
method of living2 for though it may be  
possible1 perhaps1 to break off the     
chain of our irregular affections at    
once1 yet our amendment cannot be       
secured without the grace of ,god1 the  
prayers of good men1 the help of the    
brethren1 and our own sincere repentance
 and constant care4 ,it is a good thing 
not to sin at all2 it is also good1     
having sinned1 to repent2 as it is best 
to have health always1 but it is a good 
thing to recover from a distemper4 ,to  
,god be glory and dominion for ever and 
ever ,amen4