and to enter their Camp whiles it was dark which they did and slew very many of the best of the Grecians about 4000. preparing neverthelesse for the Field against the morrow where also the Israelites did beat down many of the Greeks In that Battel was slain Eleazar son of Mattathias the Kings brother For when he espied one with a golden sword upon the Elephant he thought him to be King Opiter who had 20. Elephants in his Army therefore he took heart to him and beat down the souldiers of the Greeks on both sides were they never so strong till he came to the Elephant And because the Elephant was so high that he could not reach them that sate upon him he thrust his sword into the belly of the beast to overthrow the King whereat the Elephant shrunk together and fell upon Eleazar that he died there for whose sake all Israel mourned and made great lamentation But Opiter hearing this straightway made suite to King Iudas for peace and a League to be made between them which after Iudas had consented unto he returned home into Greece again and by the way fell into the hands of his enemies that slew him After him succeeded Demetrius his enemy who was the cause of his death There were at that time certain evil disposed persons of the Jews that served the King of the Grecians in his Wars namely one Alkimus who went to the King of the Greeks at that time lying at Antiochia and stirred him to move War upon Israel and King Iudas By whose suggestion Demetrius sent against Iudas a Captain called Nicanor with a strong Army Hâ—… now coming to Jerusalem let Iudas understand thaâ—… he bare him good will and was desirous to make peace and to enter into a League with him Therefore as Iudas came forth accompanied with his brethren the sons of Chasmoname Nicanor met him in the way imbraced him and kissed him after that led him to his pavillion and set him upon his pavillion and set him upon his seat of Honour King Iudas aâ—…so after he returned from the Camp made unto Nâ—…canor a great feast calling him and his Noble men with him into Jerusalem where they eat and drank at the Kings Table King Iudas was yet unmarried wherefore Nâ—…canor moved him to take a Wife that he might have issue and not loose his succession whose counsel Iudas allowed This done the â—…ewd pick thank Alkimus declared to King Demetrius the League that Nicanor had made with King Iudas whereat Dâ—…metrius being wroth writ unto Nicanor that he had intel igence of his traiterous practises Nicanor was in Jerusalem when this Letter was delivered him When Iudas heard of the contents of the Letter he fled out of Jerusalem into Samaria where he sounded a Trumpet and gathered Israel together Nicanor upon these letters entred the House of the Lord to seek Judas but he found him not Then he examined the Priests who sware they knew not what was become of him After he had now sought him in every corner throughout Jerusalem aud could not find him in a fume he sware he would beat down the Temple and gathering together all his Host He made speed against Judas When he heard of Nicanors coming he issued out of Samaria to met him and after they had joyned battel Judas slew of the Greeks to the number of eighteen thousand Horsemen took Nicanor alive and was intended to kill him But Nicanor besought pardon of him alledging that the King knew well enough that he began not this battel with his good will but left he should transgresse the Commandment of the King his Master Wherefore saith he I humbly beseech your Majesty not to kill me and I will sweare unto you that I will never bear Arms against you nor annoy you any more Upon this the King made a League with him and dismissed him So he returned to the King his Master with shame enough After this Demetrius died and Lysia his son raigned in his stead yet the wicked men ceased not but moved against King Lysia to make a voyage in his own person with a puissant Army against Judas but having the overthrow of King Judas he fled unto Asdotum till he had strongly repaired again his Army Then came he the second time upon Judas in which conflict the Israelites were put to flight King Judas notwithstanding fled neither one way nor other but called to his men and exhorted them to return and stick to him yet they would not obey him So he abod alone with his drawn sword in his hand unto whom none of his enemies durst approach nigh but with chariots and horsemen they environed him and Archers shot at him wounding him sore till he fell down dead upon the ground and they that were about him were taken alive The time that he reigned over Israel was six years Many of the Greeks Captains were slain also in that battel and the King himself so wounded that he was fain to get him into his Country to be cured of his wounds After he had recovered his health he returned again came to Jerusalem and to all the Cities of Israel with the power of the Greeks wherewith he so afflicted them at that time for the space of four moneths after the death of Judas that the like tribulation was never seen in Israel In the mean season the Israelits resorted to Ionathas the son of Mattathias and made him King in Iuda's stead and were sworn unto him This Ionathas fought dâ—…vers great battels against the Greeks having the aid of one Samnus of the kindred of Alexander the first who had made a League with Ionathas and took his part against Grecia wasted and spoiled it sore till at length the King of the Grecians slew Ionathas by a train His reign over Israel was six years Then was Simeon his brother King in his stead against him came Antiochus the second King of the Grecians came to war but Simeon met him and laid first and an ambush to entrap the Greeks and then ordered his battel in array against Antiochus After that he with his whole Host made a face faining as they fled and retired till they perceived Antiochus who pursued them to be within their danger then the ambush brake forth upon the Greeks made a very great slaughter After this Simeon returned to Jerusalem with great joy Then sent Ptolomee King of Egypt an Embassage to Simeon King of Israel offering him his daughter in marriage To this request when King Simeon had consented Ptolomee came to Jerusalem where was made him a great Feast and they were allyed together Whereupon Antiochus King of the Grecians writ to Ptolomee King of Egypt privily to murther Simeon King of Israel Whom Ptolomee durst not but obey for at that time the King of Egypt was in subjection to the Greeks Therefore when Simeon came into Egypt to see his father in law Ptolomee he was received with great feasting but in the same
therefore he hired false witnesses to say they saw Alexander the Kings Son upon a cerâ—…ain night with his sword drawn before the Kings Palace minding to murther Antipater He suboâ—…ned also certain of the Kings servants to witness against Alexander that he should give them great rewards to allure them to his pleasure and to abuse them in unnaturaâ—…l venery which they refused Moreover that he desired them to poyson the King which they would not agree also to do Whereupon the King was sore displeased towards him commanding not only him but all that took his part or defended his integrity to be apprehended and put in prison that execution might be done upon them Then Alexander writ â—…nto Archelaus his Father in Law desiring him to come to Jerusalem to his Father Herod This Archelaus was a very wise man and a Noble Counsellor when he was come to Jerusalem Herod was very glad of his coming and demanded what matters brought him thither at that pâ—…esent he answered I have heard that Alexander thy Son and my Son in law hath attempted to rebell against thee It is not possible but my daughter his Wife should be accessary of this thing and yet she hath not shewed it unto thee wherefore â—…utterly detest her as one that hath conspired against thee yet neverthelesse I know well that for the love thou bearest unto me thou wouldest spare her for this cause I am come unto thee that when thou hast put him to death I also may slay my Daughter for it is better that we should make them away than they us Herod hearing this was very glad and gave credit to his friendship when Archelaus perceived that Herod had a good opinion of him he altered his communication saying to the King First let us diligently examine and well try the cause forasmuch as there are many false witnesses and lying persons in the world and let us not shed innocent blood upon any uncertainty For Archelaus had a great suspiâ—…ion that Herod had given too leight credit knowing how ready he was to hear an evil tale which was the cause of the mischief that befell upon the people of his house Wel Herod thought his counsel good One of them that accused the kings children was Pheroras the kings brother and to say the truth he was the chief of all Herod loved Archelaus the king of Cappadocia as himself Archelaus perceiving turned his tale to rebuke the king saying Thou art now waxen old well stricken in years thou sufferest these backbiters to rule thee who stir thee to work all these mischiefs in thy house yea Pheroras thy brother hath falsely provoked thee against thy sons When Pheroras heard these words he was sore afraid for indeed he had seduced the king Therfore came Pheroras to Archelaus and besought him to save his life Archelaus answered him If thou wilt obtain pardon for thy wickedness come and fall before his feet and confess that thou hast spoken falsely against his sons then will I promise thee that he shall be merciful unâ—…o thee and to his sons Pheroras did so confessed that he had falsely accused the kings Sons Then Archelaus besought the king for pardon and he granted it after that he entreated him that the young men might be delivered out of prison which the king aâ—…so commanded to be done The young men therefore came before the king and fell down at his feet and the king was loving to them and embraced them kindly He made great joy also that Archelaus came in so good an hour unto him to whom he gave for a gift seven hundred pound weight of Gold with many precious Stones and Concubines and dismissed him But Antipater again suborned false accusers and writ counterfeit letters in the name of the kings sons to one of the Captains declaring how they would conspire and kill the king and by such means he encreased the enmities between them and their father many wayes that the king commanded them to be put in prison and most strong irons to be laid upon them Besides this Antipater had surprized and won the hearts of the kings chief Rulers and servaâ—…ts that they procured his Barber to bear false witnesse against Alexander how he hired him to kill the king at such time as he should shave his beard When the king heard his Barber speak he was much troubled in his mind insomuch that he said I am weary of my life to hear these pick-thanks that open my eares to fill my head with tales I can do no way better than to give charge that whosoever brings me any such accusations hereafter of any body he shall suffer death for it wherefore he commanded the Barber to be slain and his two sons to be brought forth and hanged upon Gallowses shedding their innocent blood Then rejoyced Antipater supposing himself to be as sure of the kingdom as though it were in his hands when he was not aware that although he were never so high aloft yet was there one higher than he who considered his doings Alexander had two sons Thigarus and Aristobulus And Aristobulus had three sons Herod Agrippa and Alexander When the King returned to Jerusalem for he was in Samaria by the Lake side when his sons were put to death he commanded that his nephews should be brought to the Court and taking pity on them imbraced and kissed them weeping very sore both he and all his servants for it greatly repented him for the hainous deed that he had done But when the time of mourning was past he called the chief of Israel together and said unto them I am now grown in age and waxen gray-headed uncertain how shortly I shall die I see here before me these little fatherlesse children which I never can behold without great anguish of mind for when I look upon them I call to remembrance what great dammage I have done unto their father in my furious outragiousnesse Now therefore I would commit them to the tuition and custody of some man that might be a Patron and as a Father unto them to succour them continually to his power All the people answered that he had well spoken He spake therefore unto his brother Pheroras Thou shalt be their Patron and Defender and shalt give thy Daughter to Thigarus Alexanders Son He also commanded his Son Antipater to give his Daughter to Herod Son of Aristobulus And the Marriages were knit and composition made in the Kings presence When Antipater marked the love that the King bare towards the Nephews he began to be in great care for Thigarus Alexanders Son had a Grand-father by the Mothers side a King of great power namely Archelaus King of Capadocia He falls down therefore at the Kings feet to dissolve and break the friendship that he bare towards his Nephews and to leave speaking in their cause as he had done but he prevailed not Therefore he left his father and went to Pheroras the kings brother made a confederacy with
man at that same time for at the commandment of Eleazar the Priest chief of the seditious he set first foot within the Romans camp Then began the Jewish warriours to be famous after they had once so manfully incountered with the Romans This done Castius and Agrippa sent their Embassadours once again to Jerusalem to Eleazar the son of Anani the Priest chief of the rebells that were in Judea and Jerusalem requiring peace and to come in league with Eleazar lest the people of the Jews should be utterly destroyed by the Romans incursions and invasions on every side But Eleazar refused to hear the Legates and slew one of them because he made too many words in perswading the peace and league Upon this Eleazar assembled the Priests and people together to go out and fight with Castius Castius perceiving how Eleazar and the people were affected and what minds they were of how they had utterly conspired to destroy the Romans that were there and to consume them clean having a sufficient trial also of the force and valiantness of the rebels he determined fully to go to Rome for he perceived he was not able to match with the seditious neither his own power to be compared with theirs Wherefore he would go see what end should come of the wars and what counsel Caesars Majesty would give Taking his journey therefore to the City Japho he found there letters of the Romans for thither was their army come From thence went he with them and his own army to Rome and made report to Caesar of such things as have chanced whereat Nero was much abashed and not only he but all the people of Rome were sore astonied to hear of the great puissance and valiantness of the Jews For which cause the Wars ceased for that year so that the Land of Judea was at great rest and quietnesse that year through Eleazers means the head Râ—…bel especially from the hands of wicked Castius that had sworn to revenge the Romans to extinguish the Jews and that he would destroy all the race of them as none should be left alive Therefore these are they that delivered Israel in the time of the second Temple out of the hands of their enemies what time as wars were moved against the Jews and their Country what time also commotions and tumults began in Israel The first War was made by Antiochus the wicked King of Macedonia who had determined not to leave one man in Israel His mischievousnesse proceeded so far that he slew the people of God the Sages and Wisemen Princes Elders and young men children great and small Israelits Levites also and Priests until all the chief men of Judea cast their heads together and went to Matthathias son of Jochanan the High Priest in the Mount of Modiit where he hid himself for the iniquity of Antiochus and his Rulers crying upon him and saying Deliver at this season the people of the Lord and never think to escape thy self whiles the most wicked enemy rangeth thus and runneth upon thy people and sheddeth thy blood For the blood of all Israel What is it but thy blood and the eyes of every man are fixed on thee hoping that thou should'st assist and aid them in this calamity that they may finde deliverance by thy means Matthathias hearing this wept bitterly and said Fear ye not nor let these Macedonians dismay you the Lord shall fight for you Be ye only quiet So then was Matthathias stirred and delivered Israel out of the hands of Antiochus and after he had overcome him he was high Priest for one year and then died In whose room succeeded Judas his son who executed the office in the Temple six years and was slain in battel Then his brother Jochanan was chief in the Temple eight years and died likewise in battel Afterward his brother Simeon was Ruler eighteen years whom Pâ—…olomy his Wifes father poisoned at a Banquet Then Jochanan his son succeeded his father in the office this is he that was named Hircanus first of that name so called because he vanquished a King of that name He reigned 31. years and died After him reigned Aristobulus one year he was called the great King because he first put the Royall Crown upon his head and turned the dignity of the high Priesthood into a Kingdom unhollowing and staining the holinesse thereof 480. years and 3. moneths after the returning of Israel from Babylon He being dead his brother Alexander reigned 27. years After whose death Alexandra his wife held the kingdom nine years and then died In whose stead succeeded her son Aristobulus and reigned 3. years In his time Pompey a Roman Captain came against Jerusalem wan it and apprehended Aristobulus bound him in irons and carried him captive to Rome in whose place he ordained Hircanus his brother to succeed who reigned forty years During his reign rebelled Antigonus son of Aristobulus Hircanus brother and with the aid of an Army of the Persians incountred with Hircanus took him prisoner and sent him to Babylon cutting off his eares that he should never after be meet either for the Priesthood or for the Kingdom Antigonus reigned three years In his dayes Herod fled and joyned himself with the Romans by whose help he slew Antigonus the third year of his reign and reigned after him 32. years and then died After Herod succeeded Archelaus his son who was taken by the Romans the ninth year of his reign laid in bonds and ended his life at Rome Next to him reigned Antipater his brother who changed his name and called himself Herod he reigned full ten years overcame and wasted Spain because the King of Spain had ravished and taken away his brothers Wife and there died After him followed Agrippa son of Aristobulus that was his brothers son he reigned three and twenty years after whose death his son Agrippa reigned twenty years This is that Agrippa of whom we now speak of and of the calamity that befell in his time upon Israel For all the while he reigned the Wars between the Romans and Israel never ceased until the people of Judea were led captive into the Province of the Romans at that time also the Temple was desolate I mean the desolation of the second Temple which we saw with our eyes builded and destroyed The 20. year of the reign of King Agrippa the 9. day of the 5. moneth that is called Ab viz. July Nero Caesar sent a Present for a burnt-offering to be offered in the Temple at Jerusalem requiring peace of the Elders and Sages of Judea and Jerusalem and that they would receive him into league with them saying My request is that you would offer my present to the Lord your God for his service and religion liketh me very well so that I desire you to joyn in league with me according as you have done with the Emperours of Rome my Predecessors in time past I have heard what Castius the Captain of mine Army hath
or new matters chanced His off-spring was not out of the Children of Israel but of those Romans which chanced to be vanquished and become subject under the dominion of the Israelits being but strangers and of no Noble house in Israel He had foure Sonnes Joseph the Eldest the next Pâ—…silus the third Herod and the fourth Pheroras these had also a sister called Salumith Antipater favoured Hircanus so entirely for his justice and uprightness sake that he opened unto him his brother Aristobulus and the Saduces intent giving him counsell to flye to Hartam King of Arabia but Antipater himself went before to break the matter to Hartam of whose coming Hartam was very glad Then Antipater declared to him how Harcanus was in mind to flye unto him because of Aristobulus his Brother If thou wâ—…lt help him saith he and lend him speedy aid thou shalt easily set Aristobulus beside the Kingdom for all Israel is inclined to Hircanus and favour not Aristobulus Hartam answered I am afraid of the Jews and their craftiness Alexander his Father put me thrice to the foil in battel by his subtilty and took my dominions from me Then Antipater swore unto him He shall be saith he thy true and trusty friend to do whatsoever thy heart desireth Thus Hartam was perswaded and they made a league together Then Antipater turned to Jerusalem caused Hircanus to flye in the night and they both went together to the King of Arabia who much rejoyced at Hircanus coming and received him honorably When they came together to intreat of the league Hartam demanded restitution of such Cities as Hircanus Father had taken from him to whom Hircanus consented in all things Wherefore Hartam raised all the people of Arabia and led them to Jerusalem to war upon it To Hircanus also came all the men of Juda save only they that dwelt at Jerusalem so betwixt them they beset the City round about It fortuned that in the solemnity of the Paâ—…seover they could not have their service of the solemnity in the holy place because of the wars whereupon a certain just and perfect man of the Town called Honyauriga brake out privily into the Camp of Hircanus and Antipater his counseller and besought them with much prayer and tears that they would grant a truce unto Jerusalem while the feast of sweet bread lasted that they might execute the service of solemnity in the Holy place To whom Hircanus said Thou art a just man and often when thou hast prayed the Lord hath heard thee pray now therefore unto the Lord to deliver Aristobulus into our hands and that Israel may rest Honyauriga answered Am I a God or able to remove battels that be stirred up for many mens iniquities Thus when he seemed to be unwilling to pray Hircanus men compelled him drawing their swords and saying it thou wilt not pray thou shalt dye for it Therefore as he saw his life in jeopardy he cryed unto the Lord O Lord everlasting which hast chosen thy people Israel out of all people and hast set thy Name in his house may it please thy Majesty to plant among the children of Israel friendship and brotherhood take away from â—…mong them this hatred which is risen of nothing and let not the one of these factions prevail against the other seeing they all be thy Servants and children of thy Covenant When the servants of Hircanus heard him say so they ran upon him with their swords and killed him But God deferred not his vengeance for he struck the host as well of the Arabians as of Hircanus with a grievous pestilence CHAP. II. AT the same time came from Rome a famous Captain called Pompeius to war against the country of Armenia This Pompeius sent one of his chief men to Damasco of whom as Aristobulus thus besieged had heard and that an Army of the Romans was come to Damasco he sent him a present of four hundred pound weight in gold desiring him to remove the Army of the Arabians from him and to raise the siege In those daies all the world obeyed the Romans That Captain therefore writ unto Hartam King of Arabia in this wise Depart from Jerusalem if not thou shalt understand thou hast broke thy league with the Senate of Rome and the whole Army of the Romans shall shortly invade thy Land Hartam on the sight of this letter raised his fiege and departed from Jerusalem Hircanus also and Antipater departed with shame and reproach Aristobulus upon that gathered a power and pursued after them gave the Arabians and Israelites that took Hircanus part a great overthrow and after returned to Jerusalem with much joy Shortly after Pompeius came to Damasco where Aristobulus presented him with a Vine of gold marvellous artificially wrought The roots of the Vine leavs clusters and Grapes that were upon it were pure gold the weight whereof was five hundred pound Pompeius was very gâ—…ad thereof and sent it to Rome to the Consul And the whole bench of the Senate which was of the number of three hundred and twenty Senators wondered at the cunning and wit of him that made it and with great joy they bare it into the Temple of their gods placing it in the presence of the great Idol Jupiter so called after the planet Jupiter Pompeius writ his Letters to Aristobulus with great thanks and commendation for the same assuring him how both he and the whole Senate favoured him and that he should have a friend of him to speak in his cause as long as he lived Hircanus hearing of this was clean dashed and in despair But Antipater comforted him saying let not the friendship that is betwixt Pompeius and thy brother dismay thee I will go to him and make him thy friend Upon that he went to Pompeius and perswaded his mind to hate Aristobulus and to favour Hircanus informing him thus If thou saith he defend Hircanus all Israel will be content to be under thy protection for they love him every man but if thou defend Aristobulus the people will not obey thee for they hate him Pompeius charged him that no man should be made privy to their communication For I quoth he will send for Aristobulus to come to me to Damasco and then I will cause to be laid hands upon him and deliver him bound to his brother restoring the Kingdom to him Aristobulus upon the sight of Pompeius letters resorted unto him Hircanus also came from the rock of the wilderness and as they appeared together before Pompeius Antipater desired him that he would do justice betwixt Hircanus the King and Aristobulus his brother that rebelled against him and took his Kingdom from him without cause whose sayings a thousand of the Elders of Israel stood up and witnessed to be true Aristobulus answered I never strove with him for the Kingdom untill such time as I saw all these that made Hircanus King to run in great obloquie and to sustain much reproach because he was
without mistrusting any harm the Romans joyned with the Syrians in great number entred the Wood and slew the Jews all that ever they could find to the number of thirteen thousand Schimeon himself with his father and their families had pitched their tents nigh unto a fair fountain that was in the Wood to whom when their enemies came to slay them and destroy their whole families Schimeon ran upon them with his drawn sword made a great slaughter of them and constrained them to retire But when a great multude environed him and he perceived all the rest of the Jews were slain he with the houshold only remaining neither saw he any way to escape he stept upon a little hill with his naked sword saying Hearken unto me ye Syrians and Romans and ye that dwell in Scithopolis I will speak unto you a few words full of lamentation Now I perceive that justly and not without a cause ye make war against me without any favour or consideration that I delivered you from the hosts of the Jews and never suffered them to do any displeasure to you your wives and children nor to your City as they had done to other Cities of Syria For I am he that for your sakes have warred against my Countrymen tâ—… please you withal yea both their blood and mine have I pledged unto you and have kept inviolated the love of strangers hating my own people of whom for your pleasures I have slain oft both the fathers and the children and now ye render evil for the good I have done unto you But indeed God of his just judgment hath stirred you up to reward me in this sort to murther me that hath so often preserved you Now therefore ye shall bear me witness that I shall sufficiently and sharply enough take vengeance of my own life not without rage and fury most severely because I have slain my fellows and friends I will therefore slay my self to be avenged of my self for my brothers blood that I have shed and so shall I be revenged of their blood and ye shall well perceive me to be of that courage that rather than ye shall slay me and after boast and brag how ye have killed Schimeon I will bereave my self of my life and punish the shedding of my brothers blood no otherwise than the Law punisheth a murtherer and man killer When he had spoken this his eyes were filled with blood and his face with rage and so inflamed with fury laying apart all pity ran and caught hold of his father haled him out of the Wood and slew him Then slew he his mother lest she should intreat him for the children and be sorry for their sakes That done his wife came running of her own accord and held her neck down to the sword lest she should be constrained to see her children dye Yea Schimeons children came and offered themselves to be slain lest they should see the death of their father or remain after him to be delivered to the enemies After this he slew all his whole family that not one of his should come into the hands of their enemies Finally he gathered their bodies together into one place like a valiant stout warrior and then boldly goared himself on his own sword lest any man else should impair his strength or boast that he had killed him All this Schimeon did with a great courage to take punishment of himself because he had bestowed his love rather upon strangers than upon his own people and to declare his force and manhood So he died an abominable and detestable death save only it was an argument of his haughty mind and great courage as it is said before Now when the Jews had thus rebelled against the Romans and slain their souldiers and Captains King Agrippa went to Rome and recounted unto Nero Caesar the Emperor of Rome all that was hapned whereupon Nero sent Captain Cassius that was at that time in Syria and had made war upon the King of Persia and vanquished him and all his power and subdued his dominions to the Romans and with him a puissant Army of the Romans commanding him to go into Judea to offer peace unto the people to comfort them and to bring them again into league with the Romans if it might be Cassius therefore took his journey towards Judea Agrippa met him in the way and informed him what had hapned unto him concerning the Jews how he had offered them peace and they would have none of it how also they had burnt his Palace and sacked it Cassius hearing that was very glad that he had gotten such an occasion to revenge the blood of the Romans and Syrians which the Jews had shed Wherefore he levied a mighty Army and came to Caesarea and wheresoever he did espy the goodliest buildings those caused he to be burnt From thence went he to the City Japho which he besieged both by land and Sea and at length wan it where he slew in the streets 84000 men After that he came to Jades where he first burnt all the Country about it and whomsoever he caught without the Town he slew them But the Citizens of Zippory went out to meet Cassius and besought him for peace whom he spared he came not nigh their Town nor slew any that dwelt in their Countrey The seditious Jews that were in the City of Zippory hearing of Cassius coming fled unto the mountains but in the way they lighted upon part of Cassius Army whereof they slew 200 men and woun ded their Captain Glaphira yet at length the seditious were put to flight and many of them-Glaphira with his horsmen pursued overthrew and destroyed the rest fled to the mountains Then Glaphira Captain of Cassius Army went to Cesarea that was subdued to the Romans there to cure his wounds that the Jews had given him Thence went he to Antipire which as he would have assaulted he perceived it to be furnished with a great power of the Iews and seditious These hearing Cassius also was coming they went purposely to fight with him but perceiving that Cassius power was very great they determined to encounter with him in the plain of Gibeon fifty miles from Ierusalem whereupon the Jews with their companies fained themselves to flye to the intent they might draw the Romans after them And within six daies they came to Gibeon and there rested Cassius pursued after them with all his hoast till he came to Gibeon which he besieged and assaulted also It chansed then upon one of the Sabbaths in the morning watch the Jews armed at all points issued out of the Town to give their enemies a Camisado so after they had given a token of war they marched toward the hoast of Cassius whereof they slew 515 horsmen and footmen twenty seven thousand with the loss of only 22. of their own company In that battell did well appear the valiantness of Mugbas a Captain of the Jews Army One Baudius also played the
Anani the high Priest seeing the wicked to be fled to the Temple wiâ—…ed the people to cease their fighting with them in the Temple of the Lord left they should pollute it with the blood and dead caâ—…kasses of those wicked persons The people therefore left off the fight Then Anani beset the Temple round about with 6000. of the choisest and ablest men of the people well armed all of them with jackes and sallets and as well weapon'd with every man a sword a target and a spear or pike to keep the Temple that they should not come forth Moreover Anani cast in his mind that besides the invading them in the Temple which were nowaies seemly it should also be as great a damage if the people of the Lord should assault one another in that place For these causes he sent Embassadors to Jehochanan the Galilean chief Captain of the seditious and thieves offering him peace but Jehochanan refused it For the seditious had sent for the Edomites to come and aid them The Edomites had been ever from their first beginning very valiant and warlike-men yet they were subject to the Jews For Hircanus King of Juda had conquered them and caused them to be circumcised binding such of them as were the best Warriours to this service to stand in arms and keep watch and ward upon the walls of Jerusalem day and night and the rest of them to pay tribute to the Jews Upon a certain night came two and twenty thousand of these Edomites all good men of War against Jerusalem When Anani the Priest and the people that were with him heard the noise of the Edomites Army he went upon the walls and demanded of them what they were from whence they came and whither they would They answered We are Edomites and came out of Idumea to visit the Lord God and his Temple and to see in what case his people standeth for thus we come according to our accustomed manner as ever heretofore Anani answered You are dissemblers and not as your words do shew neither come ye to seek God and his Sanctuary nor yet to aid his people but rather to the supporting of Jehochanan grand Captain of Thieves Were it not better for you to assist the Sanctuary of God than these sinfull seditious persons that covet nothing els then to lay waste the House of God and to destroy his People They in the most holy City of God do shed the blood of Just Godly and Innocent men through whose wickedness the Romans have the upper hand of us because we have civil wars at home with the Seditious and external with the Romans Yea the wickedness of the Seditious is grown so far that the most part of us had rather be slain by the Romans than of our brethren the Jews If so be ye be come to maintain them ye shall understand that ye offend our Lord God exceedingly to help sinners and murtherers that tread the people of God under their feet like as men tread grapes in a wine-press and make the Temple of the Lord a dwelling-place of man-killers and wicked persons Ye say Ye come to seek the Lord how is it then that ye are thus in Arms after the manner of war Ye shall understand we shut not the gates of the Town because of you lest ye should come in after your accustomed manner but because of your armour and weapons that you have with you whâ—…ch are instruments of destruction a very unmeet fashion to come and visit the Lord You should rather have comeâ—…with offerings sacrifices confession and praise Notwithstanding if ye will enter into the Town for devotion sake ye are welcome but ye must lay away your weapons and so enter in peaceably The Edomites answered We marvell not a little at thee which art the high Priest our Lord and mediator and at the rest of the Priests of the Lord with the Elders and Judges of the people that be present with thee and your woâ—…ds seem strange in our ears For we understand you take us for your enemies and thereupon you stop us of our entrance into the City to visit the Lord God after our accustomed manner In that we be armed as ye object unto us Do ye not know that Vespasian draweth nigh to come to this holy City This we hearing of was the cause that we took our weapons with us to come to ayd you and keep the Town as we have been wont these many years But how should ye gather this that we come to support the wicked and seditious that be with you when as from the first day that ever we and our fathers were circumcised we never swarved fâ—…om the Law and commandments of the Lord Tell us if there be any commandmeâ—…t in the Law that biddeth a man to strengthen and maintain the power of the wicked to the which we are bound to hearken and to ayd these God forbid we should do this for we all both that be here and the other Edomites also be servants of the Lord and his people to maintain and defend the Law the people and the house of the Lord. Whiles they were thus talking together there arose up a great cloud and lightnings were seen with fire and darkness with mighty thunderâ—…claps and showers of hail that all that saw it were wonderfully afraid Wherefore the people fled wholly left not only the walls but Anani also for they could not abide to tarry any longer But Anani took heart unto him and abode it to mark those horrible signs of heaven which did appear that he might judge what they betokened The Figure of a fearful Comet And he gave his Judgment indeed but not according to the truth that the thunder and hail with darkness signified Gods help by the hope whereof they should defend the Sanctuary of the Lord. So likewise judged all the Elders that were with him without perceiving that all these signs betokened the evils that should come upon Jerusalem and all Israel When they that were shut in the Temple perceived that they that kept the Watch before the gate of the Temple were fled also for fear of the tempest they went and opened the doors of the Temple and in that darkness which although it was so great that one could not see another for the thickness thereof neither durst any of the Town once look out of his doors they were so afraid of those terrible signs of the Element yet came those desperate fellows the Seditious out of the Temple drew toward the walls without all fear with saws and other instruments to cut asunder the barrs of the gates And when the crashing of the thunder and hail was greatest then laboured they hardest in wresting asunder the locks and bolts of the gates lest they should be perceived And ever when the thunder clap was past then stayed they and left off till it came again Thus plaid they till they had broken and opened the gates and let the Edomites
thou hold thy hand and not execute thine anger against these transgressours of thy will which when Schimeon heard of he commanded them to be apprehended and killed them with his own hands Eleazar the son of Anani the Priest seeing the malice and wickednesse of Schimeon to be great and that he destroyed the just and godly men of the City and that there was no hope left he betook himself to the Tower of Jerusalem remained in it and kept it with his Jehudas also a Captain over a thousand men which kept a Turret that Schimeon had made to put just and good men in got him upon the top of the walls and cryed to the Romans if peradventure they would deliver him and the rest that were at Jerusalem Wherefore he went about to escape with his one thousand men that he had with him and came towards the Romans But the Romans trusted them not thinking he had spoken this for deceit wherefore they came not to help him Schimeon upon this killed Jehudas and the thousand men which he had with him and commanded their bodies to be tumbled over the walls in the sight of the Romans Then Schimeon cryed to the Princes and Captains of the Romans saying Lo these are Jehudas company these would have come forth unto you take their carcases to you and revive them again if you can or else deliver the rest which yet live out of our hands Gorion the Priest father of Joseph the Priest who wrot this Book to the Israelites was at that time in bonds and prison in a certain Turret a man of great age being a hundred and thirty and no man could come unto him nor from him Joseph therefore went to the Turret where his father was kept to understand how he did He beheld also the Turret afar off if he might espv his father and comfort him And as he passed by looking up to the Turret the Seditious hurled a stone at him which hit him on the head that it overthrew him The Seditious seeing Joseph cast out of his Chariot determined to go down unto him but when Titus had knowledge thereof he sent a great strength to help him up again and to defend him that his enemies did him no wrong The Seditious going about to take Joseph sounded a Trumpet very loud which when Josephs mother that was kept in Schimeons house heard being now 87 years of age asked what was the cause of the hurly burly they told her that the Seditious issued out at that shout against Joseph to take him When she heard that by and by she run out of the house that she was kept in and climbed up the walls as lustily as thâ—…ugh she had been a young girle of 14 years old â—…ore her hair and cryed out weeping and saying before all them that were present Is my hope then come to this Could I ever have looked that I should have overlived my son and that I should not be suffered to see him and to bury him I had trusted he should have buried me and that he should have been a help to me in mine age and when my whole Family by the Seditious was almost made away and extinguished yet I said This shall comfort me Now therefore what shall I do when I have none left to comfort me of all my children that I bare for between the Seditious and the Gentiles our enemies they have slain 18. sons that I had and what shall I do now from henceforth but covet death for I desire not to live now any longer And how should I receive any consolation when I see my son dead and I cannot bury him Lord that I might dye by and by for I cannot live any longer since my son Joseph is now dead She went up yet further upon the walls till she came to the Turret where her husband was in prison and stretch't out her hands towards heaven crying with a loud voyce O my son Joseph my son Where art thou come and speak unto me and comfort me The Seditious hearing her laught her to scorn but the Romans when they heard her and understood by Joseph that it was his mother they wept and lamented her case and many of the Jews also that were in Jerusalem but they were fain to refrain it lest they should be perceived of Schimeons cruell cut-throats Then Josephs mother said to the Seditious that were with her upon the walls Why do ye not kill me also which bare Joseph my son and nurst him with these breasts Ye enemies of the Lord have murdered him with other just men Why kill ye not me also God be Judge betwixt me and you who have killed my son guiâ—…tlesse The Seditious answered her Canst thou not if thou list tumble down over the wall and die we will give thee leave When thou hast done so the Romans shall take thee up and bury thee honourably because that thou art Josephs Mother who is their friend She answered How shaâ—…l I do this evil unto my self to kill my self and constrain my soul to go forth of my body before that â—…od doth call it if I should do so I should have no hope left in the World to come for no body will bury them whom they perceive to have killed themselves These and such like while she reasoned wisely the Seditious heard and mocked her wherefore she wept the more abundantly so that the Romans and some godly men hearing her wisdom could not abstain from weeping Joseph when he heard the voice of his Mother got on armour and approached to the wall accompanied with most valiant Romans to defend him from the arrows of the Jews and spake to his Mother Fear not my dear Mother nor take any thought for me for I have escaped the hands of the Seditious God hath not suffered me to come into their hands wherefore I have heard the words of these wicked counsellours that advised thee to kill thy self and thine answer to them which before thou gavest them I knew thou wouldest answer God forbid say I God forbid that Josephs Mother and the Wife of Gorion should consent to the counsel of the wicked Wherefore my dear Mother be content and bear the yoke of the Seditious patiently and humble thy self before them Neither strive against the miseries and calamities of this time which thou caust not alter nor remedy For they shall perish but we shall stand and continue There were certain men of Jerusalem at that time that came to the Gates overcame the Ward and got out with their Wives and Children and so escaped to the Romans because they could no longer abide the famine and the iniquity of the Seditious They were faithful Citizens and of great authority whom when Joseph heard of he so prevailed that Titus spared them and received them to mercy For Joseph bare witnesse and reported of them that they were Noble men of Jerusalem wherefore the Romans received them and gave them food and sustenance but
certain of them could not brook nor take it because of their great hunger wherewith they had been long pined and when the meat descended down into their bellies they died straight Their little Children also when they saw bread they fell upon it and received it indeed with their teeth but they were not able to chew it and died holding the bread between their teeth Titus seeing them die when they tasted the meat had pity and compassion upon them and was very sorry saying unto Joseph What shall I do for thy people which assoon as they begin to eat die straightway Joseph answered My Lord I remember I have seen this experience that they which fast long and after would take meat first they must drink a little sodden milk or else eat of a certain corn called Simel sodden in milk wherewith they strengthen their bowels before they take meat especially such as walked through wildernesses whose bowells were long empty when they came to places inhabited and found meat they were wont to use this means Therefore Titus commanded his men to do as Joseph bad them whereby many of the Jews recovered and many died of the flux These Jews which escaped thus out of Jerusalem to the Camps of the Romans had swallowed their Gold Silver and precious Stones to hide them lest they should be found of the Seditious They therefore which recovered and brooked meat when they would satisfie Nature they went alone out of the Camp and after sought their Gold and Silver and precious Stones which were digested in their excrements and so did they every day At length certain Aramites and Arabians espying the Jews to use this fashion told it amongst their fellows one to another and made a conspiracy to lay wait for the Jews and whomsoever they got they ript their bellies to find the Gold and other Jewels which the Jews had hid there And by this means the Aramites and Arabians had murthered two thousand Jews But when Titus heard of this he was wonderful wroth and commanded them to be apprehended that had done this wicked deed and to be put to death whose goods were given to the Jews that remained alive They that were put to death for this fact were two thousand Aramites and Arabians together After this Titus espyed the Princes and Captains to have decked their Armour with Gold and Silver some of them also to wear Golden Scepters and some Scepters of Silver with other Ornaments upon their heads he called them together and said unto them Lay away this vain ostentation these things are they that provoked the Aramites and Arabians to work this wickedness against these poor miserable Jews which fled forth unto us that they might live under our protection The captains therefore and Princes of the Romans hearing Titus commandment were obedient and straight laid away from them those Ornaments of Gold and Silver Titus also gave commandment that the rest of the Arabians and Aramites shou d be banished the Camp and that no man hereafter should commit any such haynous deed against the Jews Notwithstanding when as any Aramite or Arabian could get any Jew far out of the Camp that no man might see it he killed him Of the Romans in the Camp no man either did or said any evil unto the Jews save certain ungodly Ruffians which had learned of the Aramites and Arabians those evil and wicked pranks for they also when they chanced to meet with any Jew out of the Camp if there were no man by they killed him and took away his Gold and Silver that lay hid in his bowels When this came to Titus's ear he commanded to make Proclamation in this wise Whosoever he be that hath seen heard or known any thing of this horrible deed which is committed of certain Romans upon the Jews or whosoever hath done any such thing himself let him come and make relation unto Titus which if he do the matter shall be forgiven him if not he shall bear the burden of his own wickednesse and stand at his peril if any thing be proved against him hereafter Therefore certain Romans who were conscious to themselves that they had committed the deed and being afraid of Titus reasoned with themselves thus If we do not confesse unto him the truth he will by his wisdom search out these offenders and punish them to death Wherefore trusting unto Titus's words of the Proclamation they came all whosoever had either done it himself or known other to do it and declared it to Titus saying This have I done This have I known This was I accessary unto and have not hitherto made thee privy thereunto There were of them in number 320â—… men that made this Confession All those Titus commanded to be cast into hot Ovens and to be burned This done the Jews were more safe ever after in the Romans Camp without any jeopardy no man hurting them either in word or deed yea if any Roman found a Jew abroad wandring he conducted him gently and peaceably into the Camp There was a certain Scribe of Jerusalem at that time a faithful man whose name was Menachen son of Seruk the Scribe whose Ancestours had served Esdras the Scribe of worthy memory in Babylon and being a keeper of the East gate which was in Jerusalem upon that side towards the Brook Kidron noted the number of the dead that were carried forth to burying by that Gate and found they came to 115. thousand eight hundred and eight persons which were all of the Nobles and Gentlemen or at least of the substantiallest men of the Jews Titus upon a time Joseph being present asked the question of those Princes of the Jews which were fled unto him saying I charge you upon your fidelity to shew me how many Jews be dead in the Town since the time I besieged it to this day They gave him the number therefore every man as far as they knew of the dead that were carried forth at all the gates to be buried and the sum amounted to 700575. besides them that every where lay dead in the houses and streets and besides them also that were slain in the Temple and they that lay here and there unburied Which when Titus heard he marvelled greatly and said It is well known to the Lord God of heaven that I am not the cause of these evils for I desired to be at peace with them oftner than once but the Seditious evermore would have nothing but War War CHAP. III. AT that time the hunger began to wax very great in the Town ' amongst the Seditious who never lackt before for they took it alwaies from other men by force till now at length they were distressed with hunger themselves so that after they had eaten up all their horses they ate also their dung and the leather of the Chariots neither was there left any green Boughes on the trees nor any herbs that the Seditious might get to eat For the Romans had hewed down
And the only cause why we make War upon you is your stubborn stiffe-neckednesse that you will not submit your selves to us whom God hath given the Dominion unto whose will ye labour in vain to disappoint Either therefore if ye will fight no more humble your selves under our subjection that ye may save your lives or else if ye be determined still desperately to fight with us then get you forth from hence and let us go into the fields there to set our battels in aray Why wil you defile your Sanctuarie and hinder the worshipping of your God Much more besides this spake Titus partly blaming their stubbornnesse in that they had defiled their Temple and yet ceased not to pollute it more and more partly with fair words and gentleness exhorting them to yeild admonishing them not to resist so mighty an Army when as they could not do it without danger of utter destruction These and many other things Joseph expressed in Hebrew to the people as Titus willed him but the Jews answered never a word for Jehochanan had given charge that no man should speak Then Captain Jehochanan answered Titus himself saying We can offer no kind of sacrifice more acceptable to God than to devote hazard and abandon our own bodies and blood for his Names sake Wherefore we will die free-men in this our Town and will never come in bondage to serve you Titus made him answer by Joseph saying This your City I grant is a holy City and your Temple is most holy which no man doth deny but ye have grievously sinned in that ye have polluted the Temple of the Lord your God by shedding in it innocent blood of Saints and the Priests of God with other most godly and holy men By what reason can ye then say that ye shall be accepted for sacrifices and offerings before God yea rather God abhorreth and detesteth you utterly when as he requireth in his sacrifices that they should have no default nor spot but ye are all bespotted so that no sound place is left in you For tell me I pray you if there be any more abominable spot in man than sin when he transgresseth the Law of God as ye have done Neither is there any wisdom or intelligence in you For wise men would wisely bear with the calamities of times and know the courses of things How then are ye so foolish to say that ye are an acceptable and well pleasing sacrifice to God when as ye resist the will of God so proudly But thou Jehochanan and the rest of the Seditious Captains that are with thee Tell me Art thou not a mortal man subject unto the griefs and vexations of this life and worms meat as we be Should he not displease thee that should take away and violate a Table or such like thing prepared to the honour of thee and wouldst thou take it in good part and hold him excused that should so do unto thee Why then hast thou taken away the sacrifices of thy God out of his Temple and hast stuffed it with innumerable dead bodies Who can see or hear this and abstain from weeping when he shall know so many Israelites to have suffered death by thee and Schimeon and Eleazar thy fellows Neither canst thou yet apply thy mind to cease and leave off thy malice and yet neverthelesse perswadest thy self that God is with thee and that thou with thy fellows art an acceptable and well-pleasing sacrifice unto God nothing perceiving that your sins separate you and keep you asunder more strongly than any brasen wall It is true I confesse that it becometh every valiant man to stand stoutly in the defence of his people City and Country For it is better to die valiantly than to come into the subjection of his enemy that goeth about to pluck him from his Religion and drive him out of his Country But I came not hither for that intent to draw you from your Religion nor to banish you out of your Land or else to destroy it and your Cities but this is the cause of my coming hither to offer you peace and to make a League with you that ye should take upon you our yoke and be our subjects as ye were before Where did you ever hear of a people in all the World that hath shewed themselves so merciful and gentle both towards other and towards you as we have done Hannibal the Captain of the Carthaginians after he had wasted our Country and at length was taken by us Was he not had in great honour and reputation of us and with such civility handled that we made him King of his people And so dealt we with Antiocbus the Macedonian and other Kings that we took prisoners Ye brag that ye keep the Vigils and Feasts of your God Why then follow ye not the example of Jechoniah your King who to save the Temple of your God from destruction and lest your people also should be led away into bondage or be destroyed with the sword yielded himself and his house into the hands of the King of the Chaldeos Why spare you not your own lives your City and Sanctuary Now therefore hearken unto me and I will make a League with you before the God of this House who shall be a witnesse betwixt me and you by whom I swear that I will never break this League neither do you any harm nor spoil your goods nor lead you away captive nor yet constitute any Ruler over you but a Jew of your own Nation even Joseph the Priest which is with me shall be your Prince if you think it good and all the faithful men also which are with me shall return home again ye shall inhabite your own Land ye shall have the use of the fruits thereof with peace and quietnesse without any corruption or alteration of the service of your God wherefore credit me and make a League with me And that you may trust me the better ye shall have pledges Joseph a Noble-man of your own Country and other Princes and Noblemen of the Romans Come forth therefore and treat a peace with us bow your shoulders and humble your necks to serve us like as all other Nations do and as you have done your selves in the time of Nero Caesar that ye may live and not be destroyed keeping your Religion safe and sincere Joseph the Priest hearing the words of Titus and his clemency in that he was minded to spare the Jews burst out aloud and wept in the presence of the Captains and of the Seditious very bitterly but they nothing regarded it Joseph therefore seeing that Titus could do nothing with the Seditious said unto their Princes I marvel nothing that this City tends to desolation and destruction for I know the end of it is at hand But this is it that I marvel most that ye have read in the Book of Daniel and understand it not which is now fulfilled in all points and yet never a one of