the wars of the jews-第114部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　the　largeness　of　their　several　stones；　and　the　exactness　of　their　joints；　as　also　how　great　was　their　breadth；　and　how　extensive　their　length；　he　expressed　himself　after　the　manner　following：　〃We　have　certainly　had　God　for　our　assistant　in　this　war；　and　it　was　no　other　than　God　who　ejected　the　Jews　out　of　these　fortifications；　for　what　could　the　hands　of　men　or　any　machines　do　towards　overthrowing　these　towers？〃　At　which　time　he　had　many　such　discourses　to　his　friends；　he　also　let　such　go　free　as　had　been　bound　by　the　tyrants；　and　were　left　in　the　prisons。　To　conclude；　when　he　entirely　demolished　the　rest　of　the　city；　and　overthrew　its　walls；　he　left　these　towers　as　a　monument　of　his　good　fortune；　which　had　proved　his　auxiliaries；　and　enabled　him　to　take　what　could　not　otherwise　have　been　taken　by　him。　　　　2。　And　now；　since　his　soldiers　were　already　quite　tired　with　killing　men；　and　yet　there　appeared　to　be　a　vast　multitude　still　remaining　alive；　Caesar　gave　orders　that　they　should　kill　none　but　those　that　were　in　arms；　and　opposed　them；　but　should　take　the　rest　alive。　But；　together　with　those　whom　they　had　orders　to　slay；　they　slew　the　aged　and　the　infirm；　but　for　those　that　were　in　their　flourishing　age；　and　who　might　be　useful　to　them；　they　drove　them　together　into　the　temple；　and　shut　them　up　within　the　walls　of　the　court　of　the　women；　over　which　Caesar　set　one　of　his　freed…men；　as　also　Fronto；　one　of　his　own　friends；　which　last　was　to　determine　every　one's　fate；　according　to　his　merits。　So　this　Fronto　slew　all　those　that　had　been　seditious　and　robbers；　who　were　impeached　one　by　another；　but　of　the　young　men　he　chose　out　the　tallest　and　most　beautiful；　and　reserved　them　for　the　triumph；　and　as　for　the　rest　of　the　multitude　that　were　above　seventeen　years　old；　he　put　them　into　bonds；　and　sent　them　to　the　Egyptian　mines　（31）　Titus　also　sent　a　great　number　into　the　provinces；　as　a　present　to　them；　that　they　might　be　destroyed　upon　their　theatres；　by　the　sword　and　by　the　wild　beasts；　but　those　that　were　under　seventeen　years　of　age　were　sold　for　slaves。　Now　during　the　days　wherein　Fronto　was　distinguishing　these　men；　there　perished；　for　want　of　food；　eleven　thousand；　　some　of　whom　did　not　taste　any　food；　through　the　hatred　their　guards　bore　to　them；　and　others　would　not　take　in　any　when　it　was　given　them。　The　multitude　also　was　so　very　great；　that　they　were　in　want　even　of　corn　for　their　sustenance。　　　　3。　Now　the　number　（32）　of　those　that　were　carried　captive　during　this　whole　war　was　collected　to　be　ninety…seven　thousand；　as　was　the　number　of　those　that　perished　during　the　whole　siege　eleven　hundred　thousand；　the　greater　part　of　whom　were　indeed　of　the　same　nation　＇with　the　citizens　of　Jerusalem＇；　but　not　belonging　to　the　city　itself；　for　they　were　come　up　from　all　the　country　to　the　feast　of　unleavened　bread；　and　were　on　a　sudden　shut　up　by　an　　army；　which；　at　the　very　first；　occasioned　so　great　a　straitness　among　them；　that　there　came　a　pestilential　destruction　upon　them；　and　soon　afterward　such　a　famine；　as　destroyed　them　more　suddenly。　And　that　this　city　could　contain　so　many　people　in　it；　is　manifest　by　that　number　of　them　which　was　taken　under　Cestius；　who　being　desirous　of　informing　Nero　of　the　power　of　the　city；　who　otherwise　was　disposed　to　contemn　that　nation；　entreated　the　high　priests；　if　the　thing　were　possible；　to　take　the　number　of　their　whole　multitude。　So　these　high　priests；　upon　the　coming　of　that　feast　which　is　called　the　Passover；　when　they　slay　their　sacrifices；　from　the　ninth　hour　till　the　eleventh；　but　so　that　a　company　not　less　than　ten　（33）　　belong　to　every　sacrifice；　（for　it　is　not　lawful　for　them　to　feast　singly　by　themselves；）　and　many　of　us　are　twenty　in　a　company；　found　the　number　of　sacrifices　was　two　hundred　and　fifty…six　thousand　five　hundred；　which；　upon　the　allowance　of　no　more　than　ten　that　feast　together；　amounts　to　two　millions　seven　hundred　thousand　and　two　hundred　persons　that　were　pure　and　holy；　for　as　to　those　that　have　the　leprosy；　or　the　gonorrhea；　or　women　that　have　their　monthly　courses；　or　such　as　are　otherwise　polluted；　it　is　not　lawful　for　them　to　be　partakers　of　this　sacrifice；　nor　indeed　for　any　foreigners　neither；　who　come　hither　to　worship。　　　　4。　Now　this　vast　multitude　is　indeed　collected　out　of　remote　places；　but　the　entire　nation　was　now　shut　up　by　fate　as　in　prison；　and　the　Roman　army　encompassed　the　city　when　it　was　crowded　with　inhabitants。　Accordingly；　the　multitude　of　those　that　therein　perished　exceeded　all　the　destructions　that　either　men　or　God　ever　brought　upon　the　world；　for；　to　speak　only　of　what　was　publicly　known；　the　Romans　slew　some　of　them；　some　they　carried　captives；　and　others　they　made　a　search　for　under　ground；　and　when　they　found　where　they　were；　they　broke　up　the　ground　and　slew　all　they　met　with。　There　were　also　found　slain　there　above　two　thousand　persons；　partly　by　their　own　hands；　and　partly　by　one　another；　but　chiefly　destroyed　by　the　famine；　but　then　the　ill　savor　of　the　dead　bodies　was　most　offensive　to　those　that　lighted　upon　them；　insomuch　that　some　were　obliged　to　get　away　immediately；　while　others　were　so　greedy　of　gain；　that　they　would　go　in　among　the　dead　bodies　that　lay　on　heaps；　and　tread　upon　them；　for　a　great　deal　of　treasure　was　found　in　these　caverns；　and　the　hope　of　gain　made　every　way　of　getting　it　to　be　esteemed　lawful。　Many　also　of　those　that　had　been　put　in　prison　by　the　tyrants　were　now　brought　out；　for　they　did　not　leave　off　their　barbarous　cruelty　at　the　very　last：　yet　did　God　avenge　himself　upon　them　both；　in　a　manner　agreeable　to　justice。　As　for　John；　he　wanted　food；　together　with　his　brethren；　in　these　caverns；　and　begged　that　the　Romans　would　now　give　him　their　right　hand　for　his　security；　which　he　had　often　proudly　rejected　before；　but　for　Simon；　he　struggled　hard　with　the　distress　he　was　in；　fill　he　was　forced　to　surrender　himself；　as　we　shall　relate　hereafter；　so　he　was　reserved　for　the　triumph；　and　to　be　then　slain；　as　was　John　condemned　to　perpetual　imprisonment。　And　now　the　Romans　set　fire　to　the　extreme　parts　of　the　city；　and　burnt　them　down；　and　entirely　demolished　its　walls。

CHAPTER　10。　　　　　　　That　Whereas　The　City　Of　Jerusalem　Had　Been　Five　Times　Taken　Formerly；　This　Was　The　Second　Time　Of　Its　Desolation。　A　Brief　Account　Of　Its　History。　　　　1。　And　thus　was　Jerusalem　taken；　in　the　second　year　of　the　reign　of　Vespasian；　on　the　eighth　day　of　the　month　Gorpeius　＇Elul＇。　It　had　been　taken　five　（34）　times　before；　though　this　was　the　second　time　of　its　desolation；　for　Shishak；　the　king　of　Egypt；　and　after　him　Antiochus；　and　after　him　Pompey；　and　after　them　Sosius　and　Herod；　took　the　city；　but　still　preserved　it；　but　before　all　these；　the　king　of　Babylon　conquered　it；　and　made　it　desolate；　one　thousand　four　hundred　and　sixty…eight　years　and　six　months　after　it　was　built。　But　he　who　first　built　it。　Was　a　potent　man　among　the　Canaanites；　and　is　in　our　own　tongue　called　＇Melchisedek＇；　the　Righteous　King；　for　such　he　really　was；　on　which　account　he　was　＇there＇　the　first　priest　of　God；　and　first　built　a　temple　＇there＇；　and　called　the　city　Jerusalem；　which　was　formerly　called　Salem。　However；　David；　the　king　of　the　Jews；　ejected　the　Canaanites；　and　set…tied　his　own　people　therein。　It　was　demolished　entirely　by　the　Babylonians；　four　hundred　and　seventy…seven　years　and　six　months　after　him。　And　from　king　David；　who　was　the　first　of　the　Jews　who　reigned　therein；　to　this　destruction　under　Titus；　were　one　thousand　one　hundred　and　seventy…nine　years；　but　from　its　first　building；　till　this　last　destruction；　were　two　thousand　one　hundred　and　seventy…seven　years；　yet　hath　not　its　great　antiquity；　nor　its　vast　riches；　nor　the　diffusion　of　its　nation　over　all　the　habitable　earth；　nor　the　greatness　of　the　veneration　paid　to　it　on　a　religious　account；　been　sufficient　to　preserve　it　from　being　destroyed。　And　thus　ended　the　siege　of　Jerusalem。

WAR　BOOK　6　FOOTNOTES

（1）　Reland　notes　here；　very　pertinently；　that　the　tower　of　Antonia　stood　higher　than　the　floor　of　the　temple　or　court　adjoining　to　it；　and　that　accordingly　they　descended　thence　into　the　temple；　as　Josephus　elsewhere　speaks　also。　See　Book　VI。　ch。　2。　sect。　5。

（2）　In　this　speech　of　Titus　we　may　clearly　see　the　notions　which　the　Romans　then　had　of　death；　and　of　the　happy　state　of　those　who　died　bravely　in　war；　and　the　contrary　estate　of　those　who　died　ignobly　in　their　beds　by　sickness。　Reland　here　also　produces　two　parallel　passages；　the　one　out　of　Atonia　Janus　Marcellinus；　concerning　the　Alani；　lib。　31；　that　〃they　judged　that　man　happy　who　laid　down　his　life　in　battle　；〃　the　other　of　Valerius　Maximus；　lib。　11。　ch。　6；　who　says；　〃that　the　Cimbri　and　Celtiberi　exulted　for　joy　in　the　army；　as　being　to　go　out　of　the　world　gloriously　and　happily。〃

（3）　See　the　note　on　p。　809。

（4）　No　wonder　that　this　Julian；　who　had　so　many　nails　in　his　shoes；　slipped　upon　the　pavement　of　the　temple；　which　was　smooth；　and　laid　with　marble　of　different　colors。

（5）　This　was　a　remarkable　day　indeed；　the　seventeenth　of　Paneruns。　＇Tamuz；＇　A。D。　70；　when；　according　to　Daniel's　prediction；　six　hundred　and　six　years　before；　the　Romans　〃in　half　a　week　caused　the　sacrifice　and　oblation　to　cease；〃　Daniel　9：27。　For　from　the　month　of　February；　A。D。　66；　about　which　time　Vespasian　entered　on　this　war；　to　this　very　time；　was　just　three　years　and　a　half。　See　Bishop　Lloyd's　Tables　of　Chronology；　published　by　Mr。　Marshall；　on　this　year。　Nor　is　it　to　be　omitted；　what　year　nearly　confirms　this　duration　of　the　war；　that　four　years　before　the　war　begun　was　somewhat　above　seven　years　five　months　before　the　destruction　of　Jerusalem；　ch。　5。　sect。　3。

（6）　The　same　that　in　the　New　Testament　is　always　so　called；　and　was　then　the　common　language　of　the　Jews　in　Judea；　which　was　the　Syriac　dialect。

（7）　Our　present　copies　of　the　Old　Testament　want　this　encomium　upon　king　Jechoniah　or　Jehoiachim；　which　it　seems　was　in　Josephus's　copy。

（8）　Of　this　oracle；　see　the　note　on　B。　IV。　ch。　6。　sect。　3。　Josephus；　both　here　and　in　many　places　elsewhere；　speaks　so；　that　it　is　most　evident　he　was　fully　satisfied　that　God　was　on　the　Romans'　side；　and　made　use　of　them　now　for　the　destruction　of　that　wicked　nation　of　the　Jews；　which　was　for　certa