temple had on a garmente of .iiii. coloures Skarlet Violet Bisse and Purple Skarlet in respecte of the heanens that be aboue the firmamente Violet and Bisse coloures whiche be made of flaxe because of the earthe of which they come finally purple in respect of the sea where purple is gotten Therfore when as the priest came into the temple to minister apparailed in these .iiii. colours he saide before the almighty God I come to presente my self here in thy sighte O Lorde of the world in .iiii. kindes of coloures that do represent the partes of thy worlde and in suche wise do I appeare before theâ— as though I shoulde bring all the hole world into thy sight Moreouer the foresaid apparail was garnished with pure gold and precious stones after the likenesse of the tribes of the sonnes of Iacob who was called Israell that in that garment he might haue the souerainty before the angels that be aboue and by them preuail to bringe the vertue of the holy ghost by the which they should obteine wisdome that dwell in thee and prospere in their study and faith that they mighte haue wisdome and vnderstandinge together Hys loines also were girded with linnen sloppes wherewith he couered his secrete partes for it becommeth priestes most of al other persons to be shamfast and bashful specâ—ally when he should minister in the two sanctuaries For there are .ii. sanctuaries the vtter and thinnar which is the sanctum sactoruÌ„ or the holiest of all In the vtter the priestes minister as the hie priest commauÌ„deth theÌ„ but into the inner that is the sanctuÌ„ sanctoruÌ„ entreth no maÌ„ saue the bie priest only that but once a yeare For in it was the arcke of the couenaunt of the Lord in the which were laid vp the .ii. tables of thecouenaunt the God made with the people of Israell in the mount Sinai There is also the rod of Aaron that florished broughte forth leaues All these were in the first temple whiles it was yet standing Ouer against that saÌ„ctuary were .xiiii. stairs or steppes vpon the which apeared the miracle to kinge Chiskiahu And thou Ierusalem at that time was stronger then other cities Lady of al prouinces for greate kinges and princes builded thee Kinge Herode much exalted thee raising thy walles on height besides that also defenced thee with an other wall Antochia that he named Antochia of Antiochas a Romain who liberally gaue much mony toward the repairinge of the ruines decaies that were in thée How commeth it to passe therfore that thou art broughte thus lowe the gentils haue the rule ouer thee now and besiege thee racing thee casting thee down yea they are now in the midst of thee Wo be to vs for our sinnes for the hautines of thy strength is dashed thy sanctuary is troden vnder the fote and made a sinck of the bloud of slain persons Drinke now of thy cup O Ierusalem with thy daughter Sion drinke I say the cup of veration and grief together with her for yet the time shall come that visions shall be reueiled and redemption also it selfe that thy children shal retourne to their coastes with the healthe of their redeamer Then shal be the time of frendshippe and then shalt thou drincke the cuppe of health and consolation After this Titus wente to vewe what waye he might best assault the citye and as he deuised with him self he espied a plain on that side where the sepulchre of Iochanan the hie priest was whereas he staied a while and sent one of his captaines that were there with him called Nikanor to common with the Iewes that were vppon the walles to moue them to peace willing him to say thus vnto them Frendes my Lord Titus is desirous to spare you and to make a league with you that ye mighte be at quiet and oute of this daunger of desiruction And if you be so disposed to consent thereunto Titus shall make a league with you yet before night Nikanor wente and spake with the people in such wise as Titus hadde willed him The Iewes gaue him no word to answer but held their peace wherfore Nikanor spake vnto them againe and as he was talkynge vnto them one froÌ„ the walles stroke him with an arrowe and killed him Wherat Titus was exceadyng wrathe that they should shout at his captaine offerynge theim peace and his death grened him marueilously Wherfore he commaunded ladders brakes slynges yron rammes and other engins of warre to be brought to assaulte the towne So the souldiours brought an yron Ramme to batter the walle and planted it vppon a mounte accordynglye The Iewes seinge that were soore afrayed wherfore the three capitaynes of the sedicious sell at one and openynge the gates issued out and beat the Romaynes from their pieces and engyns that were nowe ready addressed settynge fire on them and burnyng them the ram slings al thother engines a few excepted which Titus his men saued from the fire In this coÌ„flicte the men of Alexandria that serued Titus behaued them selues like tall fellowes in the rescuinge of the slinges from the Iewes yet the Iewes preuailed and gate the vpper hand of them till Titus came with a stronge power of picked men to succoure the Alexandrians whereas twelue of the stoutest Iewes were slaine In the same skirmishe Iehochanan a captain of the Edomites that came to aide the Iewes was slain by an Arabian that came behinde him and stroke him with an arrowe whiles he was talkinge with the Romains that had entreated him to come vnto them For whome the Edomites mourned and lamented sore for he was a good man of warre The nexte nighte certaine of the seditious chieflye of Iehochanan and Schimeons companye issued oute and came to the three wodden towers that Titus hadde crected before the Walles and sette a greate Garrison of valiaunt Souldiours aboute theim to defende theim and to viewe also the toune oute of them to see what the Iewes dyd And whosoeuer were nye the touâ—es those the Iewes slew the other fled to Titus campe But the Romayns that were within the towers wiste nothing of the matter trustinge to them that were set about the toures for theyr sauegarde and therfore slept all the night The Iewes after they had slayne the Romayne watche and put them to flyght they came to the toures wyth sawes and cut the feyt a sonder so that they fell sodenly together wyth them that were wythin them whyche were very manye and slewe them euery one Titus hearynge the alarme and the crasshing of the fallynge of the towres was sore afrayed and all hys hole armye and not knowing what the matter was they durst not sturre toward it so the Iewes returned clere into the toune On the morowe Titus brought his hole power to the walles and whyles the Iewes were at their coÌ„tenciones in the toune he addressed an other Iron Ramme wherwith he sodenlye strake the vtter wall and battered it through whervppon
of reines very thicke powdred with precious stones cristal amethists and very many saphyres Then all his chief men of warre went about him in their coates of fence drawen swordes in their handes with helmes on their heades as in time of warre After theÌ„ came Archelaus his sonne that was made king Then folowed him all the people There were fiftie of his seruauntes that wente aboute the beare with euery man a chafing dishe of gold in his hande wherin they burnt swete woodes and perfumes euery foote casting vpon the herse pure miâ—rhe as many as went aboute hym He was borne by certayne great lordes noble meÌ„ of Israel vpoÌ„ their sholders going leasurably and with a maiestie til they came to ErodioÌ„ where they buried him with great honour that like was neuer done to any king These thinges done there resorted together suche as hated him were wery of their owne liues whiles Herode liued reioysyng that they hadde scaped his haÌ„des saying we haue loked till our eies bleared waytinge for the death of Herode that tirant and bloud sheder that oppressed vs with such heauy yokes left vs nothing to liue on for the great tributes taxes that he layd vpon vs. Yet now Archelaus his sonne is worse then he Wherfore thei coÌ„sulted together cast their mindes good willes toward Antipater the sonne of Salumith the kinges sister one of the bloud of Chasnonani and went with him to Oct. Augustus requesting him to translate the kingdom from Archelaus to Antipater but he woulde not graunt theÌ„ their sewte Yea rather he coÌ„firmed assured the kingdom to Archelaus Who wrought wickednes in the sight of the Lord for he maried his brother Alexanders wife that had children by Alexander coÌ„mitted other many great offences The .ix. yeare of Archelaus reigne it chaunced vpon a night he dreamed a dreame Him thought he saw .ix. eyres of corne very good full grow vpon one stalke theÌ„ came a great oxe and slopt them vp all at once at one bit by and by he waked and perceiued it was a dreame Therfore calling one of the Sages or Pharisies vnto him he shewed them his dreame The wise man said This is the interpretacioÌ„ of it The nine eyres freshe and ful be the .ix. yeres which hither to thou hast raigned The great Oxe is the great kinge Octauian Augustus This yeare thou shalt be remoued from thy kingdoÌ„ because thou hast neglected the worde of God hast maried thy brothers wife To this Archelaus answered him neither good nor bad Within fiue dayes after Octauian came toward IerusaleÌ„ and when Archelaus weÌ„t to mete him he put him in prison deposed him from his kingdom of Israel made Antipas his brother kinge in his stede He turned his name also called him Herode That done he returned to Rome whiles Antipas was king died themperor Octauian Augustus the .lvi. yere of his reigne Tiberius Cesar succeded him This Antipas also wroughte wickednesse and sundry abominations more then any that was afore him for he toke his brother Philips wife froÌ„ him which had al redy childreÌ„ by Philip. For this shamful deds rabbi Ihon the hie priest rebuked him Ihon baptist wherfor Antipas put him to death There was at that time one Iesus a wise man if it be lawful to cal him a man Iesus Christ for he was a worker of woÌ„derful straunge workes a teacher of such meÌ„ as gladly did heare the truth had many disciples both of the Iewes also of the geÌ„tils This maÌ„ was Christ whoÌ„ after he was accused of the chiefe rulers of our natioÌ„ condeÌ„ned bi Pilate to be crucified thei neuerthelesse ceased not to loue which loued him euen froÌ„ the beginning To these he appeared the. 3. day aliue according as the prophets by deuine inspiratioÌ„ had told before aswel of this as also of many other woÌ„derful thinges which should be done by him And eueÌ„ vnto this day the christiaÌ„ sect which toke their name of him doth coÌ„tinue Against this maÌ„ Antipas of whom we spake before came Tiberius Emperour of Rome to whoÌ„ whan Antipas resorted he appreheÌ„ded him laid him in irons sent him into Spaine where he died Archelaus also that was deposed before died in the time of this Tiberius reign TheÌ„ Tiberius made Agrippa the soÌ„ne of Aristobulus whoÌ„ Herode put to death Antipas brother king in his stede The time that Antipas reigned ouer Israel was .xi. yeres In Agrippas time died Tiberias Cesar Caius succeded him This Caius called him selfe a god and would suffer no man to worship anye thing in his empire but him self He coÌ„tinued not loÌ„g in his digniti but decaied died After him succeded Claudius Claudius beinge deade Nero Cesar was emperor Agrippa reigned ouer Israel xxiii yeares In his time Nero sore oppressed Israel by setting cruel presideÌ„ts ouer theÌ„ left them nothing to liue vpoÌ„ besides that punished theÌ„ with diuers tormentes vntill at lengthe they were constrayned to rebell agaynste the Romaine Empire and Nero Cesar to rid them selues from vnder his subiection And aboue all other one Pilus president and captaine of the Romain armye mooste greuouslye oppressed the Iewes and had done many things very wickedlye For not only had he shed innocent bloude rauished at his pleasure wifes and deflored maides in the cities of Iuda but also robbed with great cruelty euery man of his goodes It chaunced that Beronice king Agrippas sister came at that time to Ierusalem of deuotion to visit the holy place She seing Pilus violently to oppresse the people and for paiment of exacttoÌ„s and tollage to flea many of them euen at the entrance of the temple she came forthe wepinge vnto Pilus besechinge him to be fauourable spare the people for she pitied them very greatli Yet Pilus relented nothing but wheÌ„ she was departed from him he flouted mockt her although she were the kings sister that in the temple of the Lord. There was present at that time a valeant yoÌ„g man Eleasar sonne of Ananie the hie priest He whiles his father was executing his office could not abide to se the Israelites so ordered at Pilus handes but being enkindled with a ferueÌ„t zele souÌ„ded a troÌ„pet wherby there asseÌ„bled about him forthwith diuerse coÌ„panies bandes of yong meÌ„ good warriours by whose aid he raised a great coÌ„mocion encountred with Pilus the Romainsouldiours of whome he made a great slaughter preuailing much and getting at length thupper haÌ„d of Pilus ouerthrew al his host so that Pilus was constrained to fle alone out of IerusaleÌ„ vnto Egipt In the way as he fled he chaunsed to mete with kinge Agrippa coÌ„ming from Rome from Nero Cesar and going home into Iudea to whome Pilus declared what had happened him thorow the youth of the Iewes at Ierusalem And as Agrippa had passed Egipt and drue toward Ierusalem his sister Beronice directed her letters vnto him
maner that whan the ennemies marched to ioyn battail the Iewes he wold run vpon them with such force make slaughter of them that spite of their hartes he woulde driue them to retire and by that meanes his body was full of skarres of wounds and his face and his head wonderfullye mangled with the woundes that he had reâ—eiued in battails that he had ben in for the people of the Lord. Yet now because he wold not folow the most cruel villaines minde Iehochanan and take his parte Iehochanan commaunded him to be apprehended and broughte before him and when he was come said thus vnto him Make thy wil set thy house in a stay confesse thy self vnto the Lord for ther is no way with the but deathe and so they led him out of the town to kil him there least there shoulde be anye businesse about his death if they had put him to death within the towne for all the citizens of Ierusalem loued him he likewise loued them When they wer come to the place of execution Gorinion fel downe afore theÌ„ besoughte them with teares in this wise Seing ye haue so determined the ye wil nedes slea me when as notwithstandinge I haue committed no crime nor anye thinge offended and that ye will in no wise spare me although I be innocent as you know wel inough your selues yet I beseche you let me obteine this one thing at your haÌ„ds that you wold do so much at the least wise at mi request as to bury my body other fauour I desire not They made him answer If the hadst not spokeÌ„ vnto vs therof we had thought to haue done it for so we were determined with our selues But now seing thou art so bolde as to demaunde this of vs we wil flea thee but buriall gettest thou none thy body shal be cast forth vnto the beasts of th earth fouls of thair Gorion yet besoughte them to the contrary vntil the most cruel Iehochanan stroke him siue him and after threwe out his bodye to the beastes of the field this done they retourned into the city VAspasian in the meane season drue nâ—e IerusaleÌ„ for he had pitched his tentes at Cesaria where he vitailed his army and paide his souldioures greate wages wherefore they taried in that city manye daies for when Vaspasian vnderstode of the ciuill warres in Ierusalem he said vnto his people let vs make no haste to besege Ierusalem til suche time as they haue slaine one an other amongste them selues and so at length their pride will be pulled down when as they see them selues waste awaye with ciuil warres hunger and thurst For Vaspasian was a wonderful wise man in all affaires of warres and his wisdome neuer tourned him to more commoditye then in this denise onlye So he soiourned at Cesaria with his men many daies The people of Ierusalem made warre vpon Iehochanan and his complices vntill innumerable of them were destroied some of them were slain with swordes some the seditious stickte with shorte daggers For certaine of the sedicious caried short daggers secretly vnder their garmentes wher with they wold come sodenly vpon an honest and iust man thrust him to the hart that he shold faldown dead in the place without know ledge who stroke him So by thys meanes what with swordes in open fraies what with daggers secretlye very manye of the people were flaine and far mo that way then by the Romaines in so much that now very few citizens were lefte aliue Thus whan Iehochanan had gotten the vpper haÌ„d of the city he made an army out of Ierusalem to go and take the cities that had made peace with Vaspasian whiche they sacked and raced to the grouÌ„d and who so euer they founde in them Romaines or Iewes they flue them Yea Iehochanan went with them him self to aid the spoiling and cariyng away al the richesse that they founde in them They toke also the city Gerara that stode beyonde Iordane where as they remained Then the inhabitants of Ierusalem both priestes elders and the reast of the people seÌ„t embassaders to Vaspasian to desire peace with hym and succoures againste Iehochanan his wicked rabble which dailye in the towne flue very many of the people of God The citizens also of Gerara sente embassadours vnto Vaspasian saiyng If thou wilt be Lord ouer the lande of Iudea and the citye of Ierusalem and desierest to assure the rule thereof and establishe it vnto thee theÌ„ harken vnto our counsaile and come vnto vs without delaye to deliuer vs from the handes of Iehochanan and the wicked sedicious persones that with all their might endeuour to spoile al our goods and to get the dominion ouer vs oure wiues and children to none other purpose then by that meanes to distroy vs vtterly that no remnaunt of vs should be left If so be it thou wilte come and valiauntlye withstande them with thy power wee will also fight agaynste them within the towne till they be all flaine and then thou shalt be our Lord. And that done thou maiest go to Hierusalem without anye impediment or hinderaunce of any man for they also of that citie desire the same and would gladlye become Subiectes to the Romains When as therfore Vaspasian hearde the peticions of the Citizins of Gerara he tooke his iourney thither to succour them and deferred to go to Ierusalem But Iehochanan heard of his That done he retourned to Cesaria to take muster of his hole army and prepare to go to besiege Ierusalem But in the meane season came purseuants from Rome and brought him worde the Nero the Emperoure was deade and how that as he was a huntinge in the country the fire of the lord came down from heauen and fel vpon him that he died of it After whome reigned Galba not one half yeare for afore it was fully ended he was slaine by the noble meÌ„ of Rome and Vitellius created in his stede a fole yet a sore cruel man much geuen to drunkennesse so that he was in all points vnworthy of the Romain empire The noble men of Rome that were with Vaspasian hearinge this greatly disdained at the matter said Was there neuer a noble maÌ„ of Rome left to be placed in the Empire but ye muste chuse a dronken wine souffer Why did ye not rather elect the mighty prince Vaspasian that is here with vs a sage and wise man therto also moste valeaÌ„t one that coÌ„quered many cities and vanquished many nations those moste fearce What puissante kinges hathe he subdued vnder the Romaine empire howe farre and wide hathe he enlarged the dominioÌ„s of the Romains And now wheÌ„ as the empire ought to haue bene bestowed vppon Vaspasian or some one like vnto him and none such could be founde amongst you ye bestowed it vpoÌ„ a fole and a blowbole dronkard wherein ye haue done verye vndiscretely Well thempire of Rome shall haue a better emperour one day and God saye Amen
Warres at Hierusalem encreased yet styll and muche bloude was shedde thorowe the wyckednesse of Iehochanan Capitayne of Thieues a lymme of the Deuyll and throughe the cut-throate murtherers that were wyth hym who had all euen sworn the vtter destruction of the citye of the Lorde and the deathes of hys people There was also an other cutthroate a noble manne of Iudea at Hierusalem aboute the same tyme called Schimeon who begā also to follow Iehochanans manners in sleainge innocentes and robbynge and reauing in Hierusalem for asmuche as Anani the hye Prieste hadde once appointed him Prince and chiefe Capitaine of Hierusalem and afterwardes findynge hym an ennemye banished hym the Citye Wherefore Schimeon wente and gate hym a route of Vnthriftes murtherers and thieues castynge in hys minde and saiynge Excepte I ioyne my selfe vnto suche good felowes I shall neuer bee able to be reuenged of Anani and his assistauntes that haue thus bannished mee oute of Hierusalem into exyle wrongfullye vnto my greate dishonoure Shall I that haue bene in suche estate now be caste out of my dignitie and be constrained to wander here and there as a banished manne He wente therfore throughe all the cities of Iudea and Galile causinge to be proclaimed in the stretes and market places and sente his letters where he coulde not come him selfe in this manner and fourme Who so euer listeth to be ridde from the bondage of his master or hathe had anye iniurye in his countrye or what seruaunte so euer desireth to be sette at libertye or who so can not abide the rule of his father or his master all that be in debte and stande in feare of their creditours or feare the iudges for sheadinge any innocente bloude and therfore lurketh solitarilye in woodes or mountaines if there be anye man that is accused of anye notorious crime and in any daunger therefore to be shorte who so euer is disposed to robbe and reaue to do iniurye and wronge to haunt hores to steale to murther to eat and drinke at other mennes coste withoute laboure of his handes let him resorte to me and I will deliuer him from the yoake and daunger of the lawes I will finde him his fill of booties and spoiles There assembled vnto hym aboute twentye thousande men al murtherers theues rebelles lawlesse persones wicked and sedicious menne Then began Schimeon also to vexe the Israelites to tourne all vppe side downe where so euer he came When the citizens of Ierusalem the priestes elders and Anani the hie priest hearde tidinges of Schimeons dispitefull wickednesse howe he helde on still oppressinge the people of God they were verye pensiue and saide nowe will this felowe more trouble vs than Iehochanan be he neuer so cruel They consulted therefore and agreed secretelye to sende a power against him that might sodenlye fall vpon him and ouerrunne him perauenture saye they they may flea him or take him aliue before his wickednesse grow to further inconuenience and ioyne him selfe with oure foes then shall they assaile vs bothe within the towne and without They made oute therefore agaynste hym a greate armye of Israelites and Iewes with Charettes and horsemenne and footemenne in greate number whiche came where his campe laye and found him in the corne fieldes distroiynge of the graine pullinge downe of barnes and burninge all bothe corne and Oliue trees Then the Ierosolimites deuided their armie and set vppon Schimeons tentes sodainelye smote downe his tentes and made a greate slanghter vppon the sedicious But shortelye after Schimeon gate the vpper hand of the people of GOD for he came vpon them in the nighte season and made a soore slaughter amongest them Then they that remained tooke theim selues to flighte towardes Hierusalem and Schimeon pursued them killinge them vnto the harde gates of Hierusalem so that mauye of them were slaine in the waye and verye fewe escaped After this Schimeon went and moued warre vpon the Edomites to subdue them vnto him selfe whiche before were vnder the dominion of the Hierosolimites And first the came to the Citye Asa otherwise called Gaza for it was the firste Citye wythin the borders of Edome as menne come from Hierusalem But the Edomites met hym in the fielde in greate noumber and ioyned wyth hym but nether part hadde the vyctorye wherefore at lengthe they retired bothe Then was Schimeon in so greate a rage when as he coulde not ouercome these Edomites that he wishte him selfe out of his lyfe So he ceassed fightynge a whyle and encamped hym selfe in the borders of the Lande of Edome ryght agaynste it and there abode thynkynge to sette vppon theim at an other tyme. And as hee was deuisynge howe to order all thynges there came vnth hym an Edomite called Iacob one of the chiefest menne amongste them and a warrioure He hearinge of Schimeons proclamation was moned to come and enter in league wyth him therupon sayd vnto hym Neuer let it discomfort thee that thou couldest not ouercome the Edomites at the firste battail If thou wilte be rulled by my counsell thou shalt winne all the cities in the whole lande and I will deliuer thē into thy handes Schimeon desired to knowe how therfore sayde he let vs here thy counsell and shewe vs how it may be brought about and when it is come to passe then wil we honour thee and rewarde thee accordinglye Iacob said geue me the one halfe of thine armie which I will lead with me into an ambushe then shalte thou in the mornyng betimes set thy men in araye againste the Edomites for a stale and when thou shalte perceiue them come againste thee then make as thoughe thou fledst vntill thou hast staled them out of the towne into the feldes to pursue thee Then will I with my menne come out of our ambushe and make spede to the gates where wee shal kill the Warders and fodainely enter the towne likewise kill all that wee finde there and set vp a flagge vpon a tower of the town Then ▪ when the Edomites shal see that their heartes wil be done and deade for sorowe then maiest thou turne again vpon them and beat them downe at thy pleasure Or if thou like not this deuise heare yet another way I haue bene a captaine amongst theim a longe while therefore I will returne in the night season into the towne if the watche examine mee from whence I come I will tell theim I come from Schimeons campe whither I went as a spie Then will I go to the elders of the towne and will thē to let me haue a companie of the best souldiours and I wil bringe Schimeon into their handes if he sette vppon vs againe For I haue vewed his campe and his power and vnderstande that hee entendes to morow to entermeddle with vs which thou shalt doe in dede And when thou seest me to issue against thee thou shalt set thy staffe in the reste and come towardes me then will I take me to flight and caste a feare
him and kissed him after that ledde him to his pauilion and set hym vpon his seate◠of honour Kinge Iudas also after he returned from the campe made vnto Nicanor a greate feaste callyng him and his noble men with him into Hierusalem where they eate and dranke at the kinges table Kynge Iudas was yet vnmaried wherfore Nicanor moued him to take a wife that hee might haue issue and not lose his succession whose counsaile Iudas alowed This done the lewde pickethanke Alkimus declared to kynge Demetrius the league that Nicanor hadde made wyth king Iudas Whereat Demetrius being wrothe writ vnto Nicanor that he had intelligence of his traiterous practises Nicanor was in Hierusalem when this letter was deliuered him When Iudas hearde of the contentes of the letter he fled out of Hierusalem into Samaria where he sounded a trumpet gathered Israel together Nicanor vpō these letters entred into the house of the lord to seeke Iudas but he founde him not Then he examined the Priestes who sware they knewe not where he was become After he had now sought him in euerye corner throughout Hierusalem and could not finde him in a fume he sware he woulde beate downe the temple And gathering together ai his hoste he made spede againste Iudas When he hearde of Nicanors cōming he issued out of Samaria to mete him and after they hadde stroke the battail Iudas slewe of the Grekes to the number of .xviii. thousande horsemen toke Nicanor aliue and was minded to kyll him But Nicanor besought him of pardon alledgynge that the kinge knewe well inough that he beganne not this battaile with his good will but lest he shoulde traunsgresse the commaundement of the king his maister Wherefore saieth he I humblye beseche your maiestie not to kill mee and I sweare vnto you that I wyll neuer beare armour againste you nor anoye you in any wise Vpon this the kynge made a league with hym and dimissed him So he returned to the king his master with shame inough After this Demetrius dyed and Lisia his sonne raigned in his stede Yet the wicked men ceased not but moued againe Kinge Lisia to make a voyage in his owne Persone with a puissant armye againste Iudas but hauinge the ouerthrowe of kynge Iudas he fled vnto Asdotum till he had repaired againe his armye strongelye Then came he the seconde time vppon Iudas in whiche conflicte the Israelites were put to flight King Iudas notwithstandinge fled nother one waye nor other but called to his men exhorted them to returne and sticke by him yet they would not obeye him So he abid alone with his drawen sworde in hys hand vnto whom none of his enemies durst approche nie but with charettes and horsemen they enuironned hym and archers shot at him woūding him sore till he fell downe deade vppon the ground and they that were about him were taken alyue The tyme that he raigned ouer Israel was .vi. yere Manie of the Grekes captains were slaine also in that battaile and the king him selfe so wounded that he was faine to get him into his countreye to be cured of his woundes After he hadde recouered his health he returned again came to Hierusalem and to all the cities of Israell wyth the power of the Grekes wherwith he so afflicted them at that tyme for the space of foure monethes after the death of Iudas that the like tribulation was neuer sene in Israell In the meane season the Israelites resorted to Ionathas the sonne of Mattathias and made him king in Iudas stede and were sworne vnto hym This Ionathas foughte diuers greate battails against the Grekes hauynge the aide of one Sauinus of the kinred of kyng Alexander the first who had made a league with Ionathas toke his part againste Grecia wasted and spoyled it sore till at length the king of the Grecians slewe Ionathas by a traine His raigne ouer Israel dured .vi. yere Then was Schimeon his brother king in his stede Against him Antiochus the secōd kinge of the Grecians came to warre But Schimeon met him and laied first an ambushe to entrapte the Grekes then ordered his battayles in araye against Antiochus After that he wyth his whole hoste made a face fayninge as though they fledde and retired tyll thei perceiued Antiochus who pursued them to be within their daunger then the ambushe brake foorthe vppon the Grekes made a very great slaughter After this Schimeon returned to Ierusalē with great ioye Then sent Ptolome king of Egipt an imbassage to Scimeō king of Israel offering him his daughter in mariage To his request when king Schimeon had cōsented Ptolome came to Ierusalē where was made a great feast they were alied together Whereupō Antiochus king of the Greciās writ to Ptolome king of Egipt priuily to murder Schimeō king of Israel Whō Ptolomee durst not but obey for at that time the king of Egipt was in subiection to the Grekes Therefore when Schimeon came into Egipt to se his father in lawe Ptolomee he was receiued with greate feastinge but in the same he had poyson geuen him that he died thereof Besides this also his sonne which came with him Ptolome cast in prisō These things iustly chaūced vnto Schimeon for that he hadde traunsgressed the worde of the Lorde that forbade all aliance with the Gentiles The time that he raigned ouer Israel was .xviii. yeres Then Iohn his sonne raigned in his steede who was called Hircanus in the Greke tongue The same Ptolomee king of Egipt inuaded Israel with al the power that he coulde make But Iohn the sonne of Schimeon mette him and the Lorde ouerthrewe Ptolomee wyth his whole hoste that they were slaine of the Israelites and pursued to the citye Dagon about the whiche the Israelites made trenches and beseged it Nowe within the towne thei had the mother of kyng Hircanus whom Ptolomee caused to be sette vppon the Walles and to bee scourged with whippes in the sight of her sonne When Hircanus sawe the great affliction of his mother he wold haue raised his siege and departed frō Ptolomee But his mother called vnto him and said My deare sonne Iohn regarde not my tribulation for all chasteninges come from GOD. Procede manfully with thy siege againste thys citye for it is in great distresse and reuenge me thy father and brother murdered by Ptolomee The king folowed her aduise manfully raysed a mount from the which he battered the walles with engynes of yron like charrettes till it began to shake Wherfore many of the souldiours of the towne fledde and their companies began to scatter Ptolomee seinge this commaunded to afflict hys mother yet more and to encrease her scourgynges vntill the entrails of Hircanus was moued that he could abide no lenger to see his mother so cruelly handled but left the siege let Ptolomee escape who neuerthelesse killed his mother and fled into Egipt In the fourth yeare of kinge Hircanus raigne Pius king Grece came and besieged
Ierusalem with a great power and strength whom Hircanus was not able to mete encouÌ„ter within the field suffered him selfe to be closed vp in the Citye The Kinge of the Grecians therfore raysed great Towers against the citye aparte from the wall digged a trench cast vp a mount TheÌ„ planted their engins named Rams against the gates so that the citie was hard besieged for they beat downâ—one of the turrets the stode vpon the wall wherat all Israel was afraied agreed togither to issue out skirmishe with theÌ„ whatsoeuer should come theron life or death Which although Hircanus liked not yet thei so did and slewe many of their enemies put theim also to flighte that thei were coÌ„strayned to encampe them selues furder of from Ierusalem Then the Israelites came to the towers that the Grekes had builded and raced theÌ„ to the grounde Thus they issued oute daiely skirmishynge with Pius vntill the feast of the tabernacles Then sent kyng Hircanus to Pius desierynge him that he would graunt them truice and let them be in peace while the feast lasted His request Pius graunted sent a fatte Oxe to be offered to the God of Israel coueryng his hornes with beaten golde and dressynge hym with fillets of Cristall other precious stones Clad him also in a garment of purple and diuers other precious clothes He sent moreouer plate bothe of siluer and golde full of diuers kinde of spices all to be offered vnto the Lorde When king Hircanus sawe this he went out vnto Pius and after he had made peace with him he made him and his chiefe men of warre a great feast and offred him a present of .ccc. pounde weight of golde After that he went to war with Pius in his armye to aide him againste the king of Persia that rebelled against him But sone after he was come with in the laÌ„d of Persia that time of Pentecost was at hande Wherfore kyng Hircanus and the hoste of Israel retourned but Pius and his armye of the Grecians proceaded Whom the king of the Persians met in the fielde slewe Pius hym selfe and vainquished the residue that almost none remained Whereof when tidynges came to Hircanus he was verye glad and returned to Hierusalem with peace and ioye After this Hircanus made manye great battails with the nacions aboute him and had euer the victorye He also came to the mount of Gorizim where he wanne a forte of the Sectaries and Samaritans raced downe the temple that the Sectaries hadde there as their house of Sanctuarye whiche they builded by the licence of Alexander the first king of the Grekes He that builded it was Manasse the priest brother to Schimeon the iust But Hircanus the hye priest pulled it downe .cc. yere after it was builded From thence he went to the citye of Samaria and besieged it This was the mother citye of the Samaritans and Sectaries which was brought to suche distresse by the long siege of Hircanus that they within were faine to eate the carcases of dogges The feast of Propiciation then beinge at hande Hircanus made spede to Ierusalem to execute his office in that feaste for he was the hye priest appointing for generalles of his army Aristobulus his eldest sonne and his second son Antigonus In the mean season they within the towne writ to the kinge of Grece to come to succoure theÌ„ which he did with a great power But these .ii. yong men the kings sons went to meete them with the strength of the Israelites and gaue them the ouerthrow killing them vp almost euery one to the noÌ„ber of .xxi. M. fightyng meÌ„ the rest fled That done the yong men returned to the siege of Samaria King Hircanus their father had tidings of the coÌ„ming of the Grecians against his sons so that he perceiued they shoulde haue the GreciaÌ„s of th one side of them the Samaritans Sectaries of thother But he knew nothing what was hapned for that victory chauÌ„ced the .ix. day of Tisre Septembre His hart therfore was careful for his sons for Israel Notwithstanding he proceded in his office according as the feast required So as he entred into the house of SanctuÌ„ sactoruÌ„ or the most holiest to offer inceÌ„ce to cal for mercy for his childreÌ„ for the army he heard a voice speaking vnto him Neuer trouble thy minde with thy childreÌ„ with the host of Israel for yesterday the lord of his mercy heard theÌ„ according to the greatnes of his goodnes for thi fathers sakes Let thy heart therfore be right thy haÌ„d pure So the king going out of the saÌ„ctuary declared if to the people WherupoÌ„ the next day they seÌ„t post to Samaria had word again that this was true Wherfore king Hircanus was manified greatly of all Israel for thei knewe that the blessed Lord accepted his doings inspiryng him with the holy gost and increasyng his kingdome priesthode After this he tooke his iourney to Samaria besieged it a whole yere and at length wan it slewe all also that bare life within it He raced the walles the palaice and burnt vp the citye He had warres also with the Romains and the Arabians and God prospered all that euer he toke in hande So shortly after God gaue him rest and quietnes from all that dwelt about him and from all his enemies so that Israel rested boldlye in peace tranquilitie al his time On a tyme the kinge made a feaste to all the sages of Israel that they might make good cheare with hym And being merily disposed he said I am your scholar and what so euer I do that do I bi your aucthoritie Wherfore I pray you if you see any faulte in me or if I do not as it becometh me tell me of it that I maye reforme mine euill waye Then euery man greatly extolled and commended hym saiynge Who is like vnto thee our Lorde kyng so worthye of the kingdome and priesthode so notable in good workes whose woorkes be done for the God of heauen which hast also done so much good to Israel The king was very well pleased with their aunswere and reioysed greatlye Yet was there one amongest them an vndiscrete manne called Eleaser who spake vnaduisedlye to the king And it please your maiestie it were sufficient for you to haue the crown of the kingdome ye might leaue of the crowne of â—he priesthode to the sede of Aaron forasmuch as your mother was captiue in the mount Modiit Incontinente the king was moued and soore displeased against the Sages whiche certaine of his seruauntes that hated the Sages and smelled somewhat of sectes perceiuyng one of them inâ—ourmed the king that what so euer that vndiscrete person had spoken it was not without the aduise of the Sages Whereupon the king demaunded of the Sages What law shal that man haue that in the dispiâ—e of the kinge speaketh thinges in his reproche They made answere he is worthy to be whipt Then
euer geue them any answere But when thei perceiued the kinge to be incensed against them and by that meanes the matter mighte redounde to their owne harme after consultation had they went to the king of Grece whose name was Demetrius shewed him what Hircanus and Alexander his soÌ„ne had done vnto the Phariseis and all the Israelites that bare them good will and folowed their traditions and how thei also hated Alexander for the mischiefe that hee hathe wrought them So that if any manne would come and reueng the malice of Alexander they would be ready to aide him Demetrius folowed their aduise and assembling together all his people to the number of .xl. thousand horsemeÌ„ and fotemen without number He toke his iourney and encamped against Sichem Then kinge Alexander waged .vi. thousand horsemen to aid him But the king of the Grecians writ priuilye to the auncientes of the Sectaries that they shold not aide Alexander To the mercinary souldiours also that Alexander had hired he sent rewardes golde and siluer that they returned home to their couÌ„trey aided not Alexander Wherupon he was not able to withstande Demetrius Therfore hearing that Demetrius was remoued froÌ„ Sichem toward IerusaleÌ„ entending to take him in the citie he fled by nighte with a fewe of his men to the mountains and lurked there When the menne of Israel that were in Iudea heard the king was fled out of Hierusalem and that the citye was in hasarde to come into the haÌ„des of the Grecians they gathered them selues together stode for their liues as thoughe all had bene one man to the number of .x. thousand and set vpoÌ„ Demetrius Campe killed all his beste men of warre and spoyled his whole host that he fled from them returned home into his couÌ„trey with shame dishonour This done the king toke hart vnto him returned to his kingdom but the Pharises fled to Betshemes streÌ„gthning theÌ„ selues against the king Who hauing intelligeÌ„ce therof gathered an army went against theÌ„ wan the city and toke viii.c of the chiefest Pharisies bound theÌ„ in chains brought them to IerusaleÌ„ Then baÌ„queted he al his seruants vpon the roufe of his palaice in a very hie place where the chiefe learned men eat dranke vntil he and thei were dronke And in his merye mode he commaunded those viii.c Pharisies prisoners to be brought forth to be haÌ„ged euery man of theÌ„ vppon gallowes before him at which sight he dronke laughed hartely After this he fel sick the xxiiii yere of his raigne of a greuous disease a quartan ague that held him thre yere yet for all this he shronke not nor letted to go to the war to encounter fight with his enemies what nation so euer they were of round about him as though he had ben a hole man In the xxvii yere of his raign which was the third of his sicknes he made an expeditioÌ„ into the land of Moab against a certain city called Ragaba to get it bi force At which time he was very sicke and weake wherfore his wife Alexandra the Quene wente with him fearinge least he shuld die by the waye And as be encamped him self against the city and vrged it sore with assaultes his sicknesse increased vpon him more and more Wherfore his wife perceiuinge that he was like to die wept bitterly before him said To whoÌ„ shal I be so bold as to shew my face wheÌ„ thou art once dead seing thou haste wroughte such mischief vpon the pharisies whoÌ„ all the lande fauoureth and foloweth their traditions obeiyng their institucions If they shal be disposed to wreke them selues vppon me and thy yonge children they shal haue aid of all that dwel in the laÌ„d The king answered Wepe not nor shew any reseÌ„blance of peÌ„sifnes I wil tel the what thou shalt do if thou wilt folow my counsell thou shalt prosper and raigne thou and thy children as thou woldest desire Be it that I die there is no man in the world nede know therof Tel thou euery maÌ„ therfore that aske for me that I am sick wil not that ani maÌ„ shal come at me In the meane while anointe season me with balmes fight with a courage against this city til thou win it then return to Ierusalem with ioy and beware thou put on no mourninge apparail nor weepe but bringe me into Ierusalem and laye me vpon a bedde like a sicke man and after call together the chiefe of the Phariseis bryng them where I am and speake vnto them gentilly in this sort Alexander hath bene euer your enemy I knowe it very wel wherefore take him if ye list and cast him into the fire or to the dogges or bury him it shal be at your choise I knowe wel they are pitifull men and so ful of merci that they wil bury me honorably and shall apointe some one of my sonnes whoÌ„ they like best to be king The Quene did therfore as she was instructed of the king Whan she had won Ragaba she ioyfully returned to Ierusalem after that gathered together the elders of the Pharisies and spake to them as the king had aduised her The Pharisies hearing the king was deade and that his bodye was in their handes to do withal what they liste they answered the Quene God forbid we shoulde do this vnto our Lorde the annointed of God He was the king and hie prieste what though he were a sinner yet his deathe shal be an expiation for him of al his iniquities Therfore we wil bewaile him and mourne for him yea we wil cary his coffen our selues vpon our neckes and burye him as it becommeth a kinges magnificence and so they did The time that he reigned was .xxvii. yeares After him reigned his wife Alexandra in his stede for the Pharisies after they had finished the .vii. daies of the mourning they comitted the kingdoÌ„ vnto her She had .ii. sons by the king the elder was called Hircanus the other Aristobulus Hircanus was a iust man righteous but Aristobulus was the warrioure man of prowes besides that of a familier louing countenance He fauored also the learned men folowed their instruction But Hircanus his elder brother loued the Pharisies On a time therfore when the Quene sate in the throne of her kingdom she called the auncients of the Pharisies before her honoured them commaunded to release set at liberty al such Pharisies as the king her husband her father in lawe had cast in prison and taking the pharisies by the handes she commaunded all Israel to obey their ordinaunces TheÌ„ made Hircanus her sonne hie prieste and Aristobulus lieueteuaunte of the warres She sent also to al the landes that her husbande and father in lawe had subdued and demaunded the nâ—ble mennes sonnes for pledges which she kept in IerusaleÌ„ So the lord gaue vnto the Quene quietnesse froÌ„ al that were vnder her subiection She gaue also the Pharisies
Darius the other Philippus with sixe thousand men to succour those elders and sages that were desirous of peace These preuailed against Eleasar and the sedicious that tooke his parte made a great slaughter of them skirmishing for the space of seuen daies together and at the length put them to flight and pursewed them to the temple From that time forthe the warres incresed more more betwene Eleazar and his complices and Agrippas with his hoste and the Sages elders princes that toke their parte Vppon a time when the captaines of Agrippas entred the temple certaine cut throte murtherers waged by the sedicious mixte theÌ„ selues amongst the kinges bandes and getting behinde their backes wounded them with short daggers that they had hid vnder their iackes so that the kinges souldioures hauing launces and great armed swordes in their handes such as they vse in the warres could not weld them in the prease by this meanes many of them were slain and the seditious gate the victory Thus Darius Philippus with the Romaine army were put to flight the elders with the Sages that were desirous of peace departed out of the towne and fled to kinge Agrippas Then had Eleasar and the seditious the hole rule of the city and that to al their great damage For the fury of the seditious increased to such outrageousnes that thei set a fire king Agrippas house that he had in HierusaleÌ„ spoiled al his treasure al that was any thing worth thei deuided amongst theÌ„ Thei burnte his bokes of accompts billes of debts euerychone that were in his palaice Beronices house also the kings sister thei set on fice and thei slue al the cunning artificers that were masters of the kings works So their rule and power in the citie grewe euery daye more and more greuous then other IN those dayes dwelt the Iewes Aramites together in all the Cities of Siria amongst whom also warre was moued for the Cesarians brought the Romaines into the towne againste the Iewes slue theÌ„ as mani as thei could finde in the towne The Damascians also conspired together to distroy al the Iewes that dwelt amongst theÌ„ which thing thei kept secrete froÌ„ their wiues bicause for the most part thei fauoured the Iewes religion Therfore the Aramites vppon a certaine night armed for the purpose beset all the waies and entrances into the towne the houses also and slue about .x. M. of the Iewes commynge vppon them at vnwares when they were in their beddes nothinge mistrustynge any such matter WheÌ„ the Iewes of Hierusalem heard howe the Aramites had dealt with the Iewes in their countrey sodainly they put them selues in armes and in a fury and rage like as it hadde bene Lions beares that had lost their whelps they ranne to Damasco burnt their holdes slew the Damascians with the sword man woman childe eueÌ„ the very sucking babes yea their oxeÌ„ shepe camels asses with all other cattell leauinge none aliue And thus they dealt wyth many cities of the Sirians sleing and killynge them not sparyng either olde or yonge male or female but distreyinge all in most cruell wyse euen the the verye infantes and sucklyngs they haled from their mothers breastes and murthered them in so muche that all the whole Lande was full of stenche of the deade bodyes that were slayne for there was no man left to burye the carcases So the Iewes wasted all the laÌ„d of the Aramits had destroied it had not Castius a captaine of the Romains deliuered Siria the countrey of Zofa The people therfore departed wholly froÌ„ Aram to return into Iudea in the waie thei came bi Scithopolis a citie of Siria entending to besiege it for it was yet left vntouched was verie strong At that time also Iewes and Aramites dwelt together in it The Iewes therfore that were without offred peace to the Iews the dwelt in the town but thei refused it and defied them railinge at them and for their frendly offer acquited them with opprobrious wordes with inâ—uries also For those Iewes that dwelt in the foresaid citie with the Aramits loued together like brethren and for the more parte thei were of the Leuitical tribe stoute men and hardy The hoste of the Iewes without the citie saide vnto them Wee come frendly vnto you and would aide you The other Iewes within annswered Wee will neither your frendship nor aide The armie of the Iewes hearing that coÌ„sented and agreed to raise their siege to goe to Hierusalem and there to remaine For thei had a huge bootie of goulde and siluer that they had gotten together of the spoiles of Siria After this the Sirians that dwelt in Scithopolis saide one to another Putcase the Iewes returne agayne make warre vpon vs surelye if they shoulde so do these Iewes that dwell amongest vs would ioine with them and deliuer vp the Citye into their handes and then woulde they be reuenged vpon vs and distroy vs as they haue done the other cities of Siria Therfore they agreed to saye vnto the Iewes that inhabited the citye with them Wee vnderstand your countrey men will inuade vs again and make warre vpon vs wherfore departe ye forthe of the citie wyth your wiues and children and lodge in the woode nie vnto the citye till their armye be gone againe and then you shal return vnto vs. The Iewes were content to fulfil their mindes weÌ„t out of the citye and placed them selues in the woode There was amongst them a certaine yonge man named Schimeon a good man of watre fearce bigge made and verye stronge withall he in fauoure of the gentiles had slaine manye of the Iewes and solde muche of the people of God For duringe the time that the Iewes besieged Sithopolis he issued oute continuallye and skirmished with the host of the Iewes many times puttinge them to flighte and neuer would suffer them to waste the towne or to do anye harme to the inhabitauntes thereof Nowe as this Schimeon with his father Saule an honest old man and the reast of the people of the Iewes that dwelte in Scithopolis remained all together boldly in the woode withoute mistrustinge anye harme the Romaines ioyned with the Sirians in greate nomber entred the woode and slew the Iewes all that euer they could finde to the nomber of .xiii. thousande Schimeon him selfe with his father and their families had pitched their tentes nie vnto a faire fountain that was in the woode to whome when their ennemies came to slea them and to destroye their hole families Schimeon ranne vpon them with his drawne sweard made a great slaughter of theim and constreyned them to retire But when as a huge multitude inuironed him and he perceiued that all the reaste of the Iewes were slaine and he with his housholde onlye remained nether sawe he anye waye to escape he stepte vppon a little hyll wyth hys naked swearde sayinge Harken vnto me ye Sirians and Romaines and ye that dwell
in suretye of my life as longe as I am in thy company and thy sonnes seing Agrippas his sonne innocently put to death by you Gaesar answered Holde thy peace Ioseph I neuer loked for anye goodnesse of Arippas and hys sonne Thou knowest not what they had wrought against my maiestie and how thei wente about to rebell Thou hast brent their bones with thy hands Doest thou not know how I honoured him and his sonne in Iewrye howe I woulde not suffer mine armye to annoy anye of his Cities I aunswered Yes I knowe it was so as your maiestie saieth Then saied he but for all this hath Agrippas requited me again with euill For what time as the nobles of Rome in Iewry went about to make me emperour thinking me somwhat more mete to rule thempire then Vitellius Agrippas persuaded wyth thē that they should not make me Emperoure affirmynge that there was nothinge in me worthye wherefore they shold promote me to that dignitie And after when he came to Rome he wente from one bishop to an other and caused them go to the hye bishop to accuse me of suche crimes as in my conscience I knewe nothinge at all By this I perceiued that Agrippas heart was ful of rancour and rebellion therefore I iudged him to death For vvhere as vvickednes is there it is mete that condigne punishment should not be slackinge And I put his sonne to death likewise For the sonne of a traytoure ought not to liue vppon the earth because that in his hart remaineth the vvorke of his father being conceiued and borne of a rebellious sede But I haue founde thee alwaies faithful and true and therfore I commend my sonne to thy wisdome With this he commaunded my yrons to be taken away from me and beinge released and at libertie he set me honorably amongst the Princes and Senatours Then saied I vnto him Is not this a great dishonour vnto me that I shoulde be deliuered from my bondes and neuertheles the Israelites that be with me to be kept in prison still Now therefore if I haue founde fauoure in thy sighte and if thou wilte do any◠thinge at my sute loose the bonds like wise of al the rest of the Israelits that be with me set them at libertye also and thou shalt be assured that I wil be thy faithfull counselloure while my life lasteth and an ennemye to thy foes to make warre vppon them that assaile thee Vaspasian graunted Iosephe his request and willed them to be let at libertye as manye as were prisoners with Ioseph Shortlye after sente he Ioseph to his sonne Titus that abode at that presente at Alexandria in Egipt to whome he writte concerninge Ioseph in this wise I send vnto thee here my beloued sonne Ioseph a prince of the Iewes a manne of experience trained in warre in whome is greate wisdome he shal be thy father and faithfull counselour thou shalt not do against his counsel nether one way nor other for he is a wise man Wherfore thou shalt reuerence and honoure him accordinge as he is worthye for the Lorde his God is with him and beleue not rashly anye man that shall defame Ioseph vnto thee Yea rather put him to deathe streighte waye that will accuse him for Ioseph is a faithfull man and a good counselloure and who so is ruled by his counsell shall haue prosperous successe in that he goeth aboute Therefore when Ioseph shall come vnto thee after he hathe refreshed him selfe a fewe daies of the laboures and trauailes of the sea then shalt thou prepare to take thy iourney againste Ierusalem to besiege it And if the Iewes receiue the peaceably and wil submit them selues vnder the Romain empire then beware thou endamage them in nothing but rather repair their cities let them be fre frō altribute for the space of .ii. yeares yet of this condition that thrise euery yere they sette a flagge with the armes of the Romaines vppon their wals that is to say at their thre solempne feastes when as all the Israelites are wonte to resort to Hierusalem to appeare before the Lorde their God Moreouer they shall offer for vs euery feast a sacrifice vpon the most holy alter that is in Hierusalem And if they refuse to make peace with thee thou shalt vtterly race their townes and whosoeuer is left aliue and escape the sworde those shalt thou leade away captiue If so be it they desire to haue Ioseph to be their king we are content therwith In any wise remember to be ruled by Iosephs counsaile he shall be thy father thou his sonne After this Ioseph departed from Rome and came to Alexandria to Titus who hearinge of Iosephs arriual was wonderous glad and al the auncient and wise men with him For Iosephe was full of the spirite of wisedome vnderstandyng counsaile valiauntnes knowledge and feare of God Wherfore he went forth to mete hym accompanied with the captaines of the Romains armye receiued him with great honour Then Ioseph deliuered to Titus his fathers letters Whiche Titus hauinge red saide vnto Ioseph What so euer my father hathe written in these letters I would haue done thē by mine own accord but now that my father admonisheth me of the same I ought to do it the more Wherefore remaine here with me and I will be thy sonne and thou shalt be my father to rule and gouerne me with thy counsel So Ioseph abode with Titus at Alexandria a hole moneth after he came from Rome Then consulted they together to go to Ierusalem and besiege it for Ioseph vnderstode wel inoughe that this came of the Lorde and that his vvorde could not be letted nor hindered Titus therfore and Ioseph with him departed from Alexandria withal their army and pitched their tentes at Nicopolis from thence they came by water to Thanisa so forthe to Iraclea and leauinge that came to Pelisis From thence they trauailed through the desert to Baale Iouim after that to Dicron so to Gaza next to Askelon then to Inboam after to Iapho and so to Cesarea In these iourneis he wan Asam Askalon Iapho withall their townes and castels lying about them THe first yeare of the reign of Vaspasian December the tenthe moneth and senenth daye of the same came Titus with Ioseph and his armye to Cesaria a famous citye built by king Herod In this city he soiourned vntil his hole host were come together as wel of Romaines as of other natione that were vnder the dominion of the Romaines and came to aide them in the siege of Ierusalem Therefore Titus armye was wonderful huge and puissant wherewith he aboade at Cesarea til the could of winter was paste and the moneth of Af drewe nye Iulye The same yeare the ciuil warres grew and encreased in Ierusalem for the Citizens slue one an other withoute anye truce reaste or quietnesse no not in winter when as warres were wonte to cease but sommer and winter both the warres neuer
almost semed to couer the earth This done he toke his iourney from Caesaria with his power and came to Samaria where the Citizins receiued him with great ioye and did him much honoure Wherefore he spared them and did them no harme From thence he came Aielona xxx furlonges from Hierusalem there he pitched his tentes and leauynge them there toke sixe hundreth horsmen with him and came to Hierusalem to viewe the towne to knowe what height the walles were what strength there was in the towne speciallye of the sedicious of whom euerie where great rumoure was finallye to receiue peaceablye all such as were desierous of peace So as he came to the wall he saw no manne nether go out nor in for the gates wer shut vp the sedicious had laied an am bush without the toune to trappe Titus who went somewhat before accompanied with a fews the rest folowynge a pretye way behinde Whiles therfore he was in vewing the walles the sedicious issued out of their ambushe that they had layed nye vnto Aielonia and set vpon the back of Titus men behind Then issued an other forte out of the towne so that they had Titus betwene them and runnynge vpon him seperated him from his men and enuironed him on euerye side where they slue lx of his men and might haue slaine him also saue that they coueted to take him aliue Titus seinge him selfe beset and forsaken of his own men that thought it was impossible for him to escape perceiuyng also that they went not about to kyll him but to take him aliue more ouer that he could in no wise escape except he woulde make an irruption and runne through their bandes he toke a good hearte vnto him and valiauntly brake throughe sleaynge whomsoeuer came in his waye to laye holde of him and so escaped If they had entended to haue slaine him they might haue done it but beinge desierous to take him aliue as is saied they absteyned from strikynge him and so they loste hym And GOD woulde not deliuer hym into their handes that by hym hes myght scourge Israel But the Iewes seinge hym to be thus escaped repented fore that they hadde not killed him saiynge one to another What meant we that we killed hym not whyle wee might it is yll handeled of vs. Therfore they pursued him hurlinge and shootinge after hym with engines of Warre but they coulde not ouer take him for God preserued him that he◠might afterwarde deliuer Hierusalem into his hands So he returned to Aielona and perceiued the heartes of kinges to be in the handes of GOD. The nexte morowe brought Titus all hys armie to Hierusalem determininge to encampe hym selfe vpon the mount Oliuet wherefore he firste spake vnto his souldiours in this wise This daye ye go to fyght against a most mightye nation whose warriers be strong as lions valiant as liberdes and nimble as townes that run in the mountaines to ouerturne chariots and such as sit vppon thē Now therfore take good harts vnto you and be couragious for so it standes you in hande Dooe not thinke theim to be like the nations that heretofore ye haue had to do withall I my self haue experience otherwise of their dalianntnes and sleightes of warre This saied he marched in araye moste strongly that they shold not be scatred asunder and gaue them charge speciallye to the vawarde to take heede of stumbling vppon Welles or Cesterns whereby they might be hindred for as yet the daie was scarce broken and besides that Titus had knowledge howe the Iewes fearing of his comming had digd secrete trēches pitfals Wherfore to auoid thē he led his host by the mount Oliuet in which place it neuer came in their mindes to digge Therfore when he came to the mount Oliuet he encamped there againste Hierusalem ryght ouer agaynste the Brooke Cedron that ran betwene the citie and the hyll and many times ranne very shalowe Titus campe was about sixe furlongs from the towne The next morow thei of the towne seing Titus to be encamped vpon the mount Oliuet the capitaines of the sedicious with their companies assembled together and fell at agrement euerye man wyth an other entendynge to turne their crueltye vppon the Romains confirmyng and ratifiynge the same attonement and purpose by swearyng one to an other and so became peace amongst them Wherfore ioynyng together that before were three seuerall partes they set open the Gates and all the best of them issued out with an horrible noyse and shoute that they made the Romayns afrayed withall in suche wise that they fled before the sedicious which sodainlye did set vpon them at vnwares But Titus seinge his men flee rebuked them saiinge Are ye not ashamed of this timerious cowardnes when ye are so many and a hundreth for one of thē What ignominye is it so manye to be repulsed of so few Wherwithal Titus staied them and brought theim manfullye to withstand the Iews so that very many were slayne on bothe sides But the Romaynes were not able longe to abide the force of the Iewes albeit that Titus wyth his elect and most valeant Souldiours did manfullye keepe their grounde and neuer reculed Titus also laboured to encourage the rest to fyght but they were so dismayed that they wiste not what to do For to forsake Titus they were ashamed and to resist the vyolence of the Iewes they were not able Notwithstandyng Titus and his companye made their partye good against the Iewes who at length left the fielde and withdrewe them selues toward the towne Then Titus being wroth with his souldiers that they had fled frō the Iewes saied vnto thē Shal I not be auenged of these Iewes shall so fewe of them put vs to flight not able to stande in their handes and will ye flee or recule seinge mee abide by it The next daye Titus toke all his at my saue a few that he lest in his campe to kepe the baggage and wente downs the Mount Oliuet settinge his men in battaile ray euen against the gates of the city Then exhorted he thē to plays the men and although they were come downe the hil yet they should not fear the Iewes for their cāpe that they had left behind them for the broke Cedron saithe he is betwene oure campe and the Israelites with these wordes they were encouraged and determined to encounter with the Iewes vnder the walles hard at the gates of the citye trusting to the sauegarde and defence of the brooke Cedron The captaines of the seditious likewise vsed pollicye For they deuidinge their men sente one company to passe sodenli the broke Cedron to inuade and spoile the Romaine campe that were lefte in the Mounte Oliuet These therfore wente and foughte with the Romaines vppon the Mounte and droue them oute of their campe Titus lokinge behinde him and perceiuinge that the Iewes had gotten ouer the broke and were in hande with his menne he was wonderfullye afraide seinge him selfe so enuironned with
all quarters for to ayds the Romaynes by whose healpe they preuayled agaynste the Iewes at suche tymes as they issued oute of the Towne and constrayned them to wythorawe them selues within the walles Yet Titus pitiynge the miserable state of the Citye Temple and people of the Lorde at that tyme commaunded hys people to wythdrawe theim selues from the walles and to leaue of the assaulte for a whyle that he myghte offer peace vnto the Iewes to see if they woulde nowe be contente to submitte theim selues vnto the Romayns to haue quiet and rest wythout daunger of distruction Wherfore he gaue them truce for fiue dayes And vpon the fift daye he came to the gate of the citie whereas he straightway espied Schimeon and Iehochanan together preparing fire to distroye the Romains engyns of warre for all the Iewes had agreed together with one accorde and one minde still to withstande the Romayns Wherfore Titus perceiuynge the Iewes to be so desperatlye set that they hadde euen vowed their lyues to deathe he began to offer and propose vnto them cōdicions of peace sharply to reproue and blame their obstinate stubburnnes saiyng I haue now won two of your wals and ye haue but one left Therfore if you will continue stil in this selfe willed frowardnes what wyl ye dooe most miserable creatures when as I shall atchiue also the thirde wall and quite distroy your citye pullynge downe your Temple and all Why dooe ye not rather fauoure and spare your own liues your wiues and children But the Iewes set vppon a solemne obstinacie would in no wyse heare Titus speake Therefore Titus sent Iosephe to declare his minde vnto them in Hebrue that they might safely credite his promises and the peace that was offered Iosephe therefore went and stode ouer agaynst the gate képynge hym selfe alofe of for he was afrayed to come nie the wall knowyng that the people hated hym bicause he had yelded him self to the Romains He called therefore vnto theim aloude Hearken all ye Hebrues and Iewes I will declare vnto you that that shal be to your profite Then the People gaue eare vnto Ioseph who spake vnto them in this wise An oration of Iosephus to the Citisins of Hierusalem YOu shoulde ere this good people of Ierusalem haue fought so earnestlye whiles your Cities were yet standynge and your Lande repienished with people ere euer this mischefe had lighted vpon you Now after that with murders and slaughters amongst your selues you haue distroyed one another and poluted the temple of the sanctuarye with the bloude of the murthered neither haue spared your owne liues You are become fewe in noumber a small sorte of you is lefte what hope haue you then to preuayle Agayn you haue stirred here and prouoked a valiant Nacion whiche is ruler ouer all people and hath subdued all other landes whiche also hath those nacions in subiection vnder them which somtime raigned ouer you Besides this you wage battail with the Romains without all wit or wysdome without any remors of this moste famous Citye without any reuth of the sanctuary of the Lord without any pitye of your owne liues Nether yet do you sorsake your purpose for I perceyue you to cōtinue in this same self will to withstand the Romaines stil which is nothing else then to sprede abroad this calamity further both vpon the people of God vpon his holy tēple Al bett I am not afraied only for this holy tēple moste renoumed City leest it shulde be raced and distroied but for the sacrifices burntoffringes leest they shuld cease as the dayly facrifice is ceassed And why For we haue sinned against our Lord God wherfore his shadowe is departed frome vs bycause that in this same tēple we haue kept warres whyche hath ben an habytacion of wicked a tabcrnacle of seditious persones yea euen the ministers and holy men of God haue ye murthered within the walles of the tēple haue ye shed innocēt bloud without measure See now deare brethren marke what ordinaunce what engins what instrumentes of destruction are addressed to beate downe the Temple the fire is alreadye kindeled to set a fire the sanctuarye And loe euen your verye enemies are sorie for your temple that thei woulde not haue it defaced But you deare brethren and frendes why are you led with no remorse of your selues that your enemies maye once remoue from you these engines of warres What haue you nowe left to trust vnto when as two of your walles are alreadye battered downe and one onelye remayneth You will saye peraduenture we put not our trust in our wals but in our God Are ye not aware that your God hath longe agone geuen you ouer and hath turned him to your enemies because they haue with greater honour and reuerence worshipped his name then we which rebelliously are fallen awaye from him Wherefore God assisteth not vs but our enemies in so muche that except it be in suche countreys whereas either for extreme colde of the one side or exceadyng heat on the other no man is able to abyde all landes all nacions are vnder their dominion Tell me I pray you what expectation haue you seinge GOD hath made them a terrour vnto all nacions vpō the earth who serueth theim Why wil not you obey them that you may liue and not perishe Doe you not consider it is come to their turn to rule ouer all that God hath committed dominion vnto theim and ayded theim with his assistāce Remember you not how God in times past ayded the Egiptians in so much that thei obteined the dominion ouer all the hole worlde but afterwarde departed from theim and assisted you to get the soueraintye ouer other nacions After that forsoke you againe and gaue the empire vnto the Chaldeis Assirians and Persians whyche raigned farre and wyde ouer manye countreys Nowe also hathe geuen theim ouer and helpeth the Romaynes these manye yeares so that they beare rule ouer all If you wyll obiect and say To what entent should God geue the dominion vnto the Romaynes or other Nacions ouer the worlde and ouer his enheritaunce and people also whiche is an holy temple a peculier and speciall Nacion of all the earth Shoulde you not be ashamed to saie this with what discretion can you wonder at this knowing that all mākynde one and other are the handy-worke of God who exalteth whom he list whom he list he thrusteth doune Ye say ye be the children of God his proper possessiō and ye aspire to the soueraintie therfore it can not be the God should determine any thing vpon you by chaunce fortune or sodaine anger displeasure I graunt but wot ye what The shadow or protection of the Lorde hath forsakē you bicause of your sinnes and transgressions againste the tēple his holy ministers Howe then can you staye vpon his helpe when as he hath withdrawen his louynge countenance from you and your synnes haue made a deuorce betwene
assault this citie hereafter for they haue burnte all our engines of war wherwith we haue subdued al other kingdoms so that now of fifty yron rāmes whiche we brought with vs we had but fyue left and the seditions Iewes haue burnte thre of thē what shal we now do how shall we batter the walles hereafter The Iewes vpon the walles hearing their wordes flouted them and lough them to scorne Wherfore Titus incēsed with anger commaunded thother three Rāmes to be addressed in the place of that which was brente In the meane season whiles the Romaines were at work .iiii. yong men moued with a great zeele whose names were first Thopatius Galilaeus then Megarus Chebronita the thirde Iorminus Schomronita the fourth Arius Ierosolimita these all armed issued out into the camp of the Romains that then stoode about their thre engines yrō rās diuising how to batter the walles of the city of whom some those yong mē killed the other fled Then .ii. of thē stod at defence to kepe of all thē the approched nye the engine while the other two Ierosolimitanus Schomronita daubed the timber with a certain mater which they had prepared to make it take fire streight way set fyre vpō thē so the sodenly the rames were on a light fire Then they al iiii ioyned together withstood the Romains that they shuld not come at the engins to quenche the fyre Schortly the rams fel doune and the Romaines stood a louf hurling stones and shooting thick at thē for they were afraid to come nye them bicause of theyr great fearcenes although they were thre thousand mē the kept the rams yet these four set nothing by thē nor neuer wēt of the groūd til the rams were clene brent vp shot the Romaines neuer so thick at them Titus hearing of the valeātnes of these yong men the harmes that they had done vnto the Romains made spede with his hole hoste to saue the rams frē the fyre to apprehēd those yōg mē Then fortwith issued out Schimeō Iehochanā Eleasar captaines of the seditious with their souldiors soūding their trōpetes made the Romains retyre that thei could not come nie the fire and so rescued the four yong men from the Romains that had enuironed them round aboute In that skirmish were killed ten thousand men and fiue hundreth Then gathered together al the whole armye of the Romains to assault the Iewes at once approching hard to the walles of Ierusalem there thei cryed vnto the Iewes saiyng What are ye Oren or goates that you fight on this fashion vpon the walles Will ye be taken in the midste of the citye like as oxen and goates are taken in their foldes If ye be menne come forth and let vs trie our manhode here in this plaine But you by stealth and at vnwares set vppon theim that kepe our engines snatching theim vp lyke as it were wolues shoulde snatch shepe then run away into the towne as the wolues run to the wode If there he any manhod in you behold we are redy here come forth to vs so many for so manye and then wee shall see what end will come therof When the captaynes of the seditious heard that they spake vnto the warriours that were in Hierusalem Whiche of you will go out with vs to these dogges to shewe our force and stomackes for the sanctuary and citye of the Lorde Then fiue hundreth tal felowes of their owne accorde issued out vpon the Romains sodainely slew .viii. M. men and compelled the reste to recule from the walles The Romaines then wist what valeantnes the Iewes had for the Romaines were in nūber forty thousand fighting men and the Iewes were onely fyue hundred wherof not one of them was killed in that skirmish The Romaines a far of shot at the Iewes and hurled stoones to whome the Iewes said come hither to vs are not you thei the called vs forth prouoked vs to come to you Why come ye not nowe neare You go about to driue vs awaye with arowes and stones What do ye think vs to be dogs and that we are afraied of your stones Are we not men Yea we are your maisters betters for ye runne away from vs as seruantes flee from theyr masters when they folow them to beat them TItus seing his army part to be fled and part to be slain he cryed to his people saing is it not a shame for you ye Romains a wonderful great dishonour to flee frō the Iewes so hūgar beatē famished almost dead for thirst beseged Alas how shal ye put away this your rebuke ignominy whē as al nations whiche heretofor ye haue most valeātly subdued shall here the ye flee frō these dead Iewes whose hole land we haue in possession so that they haue nothing left but this onely toun whiche we haue also so batterd that they haue but one onelye walle to defend them Besydes this they are very few we are innumerable they haue no nation to ayde them we haue help of al landes why then do ye flee from theyr sight lyke as the smale impotent birdes flee frō the egle What though the Iewes vowe and hassard them selues desperatly for theyr temple and land why do not you the same also in these warres to get you a renowne of valeantnes Thus the Iewes preuayled that day and had the vpper hand wherfore they returned into the toune wyth great glory hauing put the Romains to so great a foyle Titus commaunded his to addresse and prepare the two other rammes that were left to batter the walles of Ierusalē withall Wherfore the Romane carpēters caste a trenche to prepare and sette vp the Rams wythin it in suche place as Titus had assigned them The Iewes were ware of it well enough but winked at the matter as yet vntyll they had planted the master bemes betwene the standinge postes So when the worke was fynished euen to the hangyng vp of the engynes betwixt the standynge postes to shake the walle wythall the Romaynes beynge secure nothing mystrustinge that the Iewes would sturre bycause they had ben quiet a few nightes neuer issued forth of the citie Vpon a certain night a prety while before daye the thre principall capitaines of the sedicious came and cast their heades together to deuise what they shoulde dooe Eleasar gaue this counsaile and saied You two the laste tyme issued oute burnte three Rammes and gate you renoune and I kepte the gates the whyle now kepe ye the gates and I wyll issue out with my menne againste the Romaynes to get me a name also The other answered Go then a Gods name vnto them the Lord God of the sanctuary whicke is in Hierusalem shall be present with thee but beware thou be not slaine and in any wise thou be not takē aliue To whom he aunswered the Lorde God shall kepe me for vpon the trust of the rightuousnesse of my father Anani the hie prieste and his
was hard harted and wolde not be intreated for it was Gods will that Amittai shuld be punished bycause he was the bringer of Schimeon into Ierusalem therfore fel he into his handes which for good rewarded him with euill Schimeon commaunded a sorte of murtherers to place Amittai vpon the walles in the syght of the Romaynes and sayde vnto hym seest thou Amittai why doo not the Romaynes delyuer and rescue the oute of my handes the I say whyche woldest haue fled away vnto them Amittai answered nothing to thys but still besought hym that before hys death he might kisse hys sonnes bid them fare wel but Schimeon vtterly denied hym Wherfore Amittai wept a loude sayng to hys sonnes I brought deare chyldren I brought thys thiefe into thys toun wherefore I am counted nowe for a thiefe my selfe all thys mischyefe whyche is comed vpon me and you it is myne own doynge bycaufe I brought this seditious villain into this holy City I thought then perauenture he wil be a helpe to the toune but it is nowe proued contrarye for he hathe bene a moste cruell enemy of the same It was not enough for vs to kepe one seditious person Iehochanan I mean whyche tooke vnto hym Eleasar the fyrste begynner of sedition but I muste bringe in also thys wycked Schimeon whyche is ioyned to oure fooes to destroye vs. In deed I neuer brought him in for any loue that I bare vnto hym but all the Priestes and the hoole multitude of the people sent me to fetche hym notwithstanding I am worthy of this iuste iudgement of God bycause I tooke vpon me suche an ambasage What shoulde I speake of thee thou moste wycked Schimeon for whyther so euer thou turnest thee thou bringst all thinges out of frame In deed thou dealest iustly with me bicause I haue sinned vnto God to his people and his citye in that I haue brought the in to be a plage to it Wherefore I were worthy to be stooned notwithstanding it had bene thy parte thou wycked murtherer to deliuer me and my sonnes frome the haÌ„des of the other seditions for I haue wrought them displeasure but to thee haue I done good Howbeit our God will not altar nor chaunge his iudgmentes whyche is that I shuld fall into the sword of thy hand for that I made thee to enter into this city wher in I offended God greuously If euer I had purposed to flee vnto the Romaynes could I not haue done it before euer I brought in thee for at that tyme barest thou no rule ouer vs. And before we called in thee Iehochanan with his sedition was an offence vnto this city wherfore wee perswaded all the anuncient of the toun that thou shuldest be an ayde vnto vs to dryue out our foes but thou in whom we put our trust arte become our enemye yea thou haste been worse then they for the other put men to death pryuily thou doest it openly Who is he that hath strengthened the power of the Romains art not thou he which hast killed the souldiers of God in the middest of thys citye Ierusalem for fewe haue bene slayn wythoute Titus woulde haue made peace with vs taking pitie vpon vs but that same didest thou let and hinder euery daye mouing new warres and stiring new battailes Titus gaue charge to hys souldiâ—rs to laye no handes vpon the temple but thou hast polluted and defyled the temple of the Lorde sheding bloud without measure in the middes thereof Titus went back from vs vpon the holy daye of the Lorde and ceased from fighting saying go and obserue your holy feastes in peace but thou vnhalowedst the feast of the Lord and leshedst out the continuall fyre wyth innocent bloud Al these euilles which thou hast committed thou murtherer at imputed vnto me bicause I brought the into the toune Now therfore this bengeaunce is appointed to mine age of the lord God and by thy haÌ„des shall I goo to my graue with sorow bicause I by my foolishnes was a doar in this mischief that is wrought by thee Albeit now thou wicked Schimeon in this that thou killest me before mine eyes may see the burnynge of the temple it pleaseth me very well but whanedeth thee thou murtherer to put my sonnes to death before my face whye doest thou not spare mine age Would God that like as I shall not se the burning of the temple so also I might not see the bloud of my children shed before my face But what shal I dooe when God hath deliuered me into the hands of a most wicked man Wee that were the auncients of Hierusalem abhorreâ— Iehochanan because he murthered olde men without al reuerence but he slew no yonge men thou destroyest â—ld and yonge greate and small without anye pitte or mercye Iehochanan mâ—uâ—ned for the dead and buried them also thou playest vpon instrumentes at their burials singest to the Lute and seundest the trumpet Then spake he to Schimeons seruaunte who was ready with a swerde in his hande and an are to kyll hym and to cutte of his heade saiynge Goe to nowe and execute Schimeons thy masters commaundement be head Sonnes in sighte of their father and let mee heare the voyce of cruelrye in my sonnes whyche notwithstandynge I forgeue thee For as I shall see and heare that againste my wyll so I dare saye thou killest them not willynglye Woulde God that Schimeon woulde suffer mee to kysse my Sonnes and whyles I am aliue to embrace theim or they dye But thou gentle minister in one thinge shewe thy pitie towards me that when thou hast put my soÌ„nes and mee to execution seperate not our bodies nether ley in sunder their corses from mine but so that my bodye mayâ— lye vppermost and couer theirs to defende them from the foules of the ayre lest they deuour my sonnes bodyes for it maye fortune they maie be buried I beseche thee also that my mouth and tongue when I am deade may â—ouche my sonnes faces that so I maye both embrace and kysse theim But what do I delay or tarye any lenger seynge the enemy denyes me this to kisse theÌ„ whyles we are yet aliue See thou therefore that our bodies be not seuered and if Schimeon will not permit this that our bodies may be ioyned in this world yet can he not let our souls to be ioyned for after I shal be once dead I doubt not but I shall see the lyght of the Lord. His sonnes hearing their fathers wordes began to wepe very sore with theyr father who sayd vnto them Alas my sonnes why wepe ye what auayleth teares why doo ye not rather go before me and I wil folow as I maye for what should I do now seyng God hath geuen me into the handes of a moste cruel tirant who spareth nether mine age nor youre youthe But I truste we shall lyue together in the light of the lord and although I can not be suffred now to see you enough yet when we shall come
that intent to draw you from your lawe or to banish you out of your lande or els to destroye it and your Cities but this is the cause of my commynge hither to effer you peace and to make a league with you that you shoulde take vppon you our yoke and be our subiectes as ye were â—â—ore Where did you euer heare of a people in al the worlde that hath shewed them selues so mercifull gentle both towardes other towards you as we haue done Hanniball the captain of the Garthaginianâ— after he had wasted our couÌ„trey at loÌ„gth was taken by vs was he not had in greate honor reputatioÌ„ of vs with such humanity haÌ„dled the we made him king of his people And so delt we with Antiochê° the MacedoniaÌ„ other kings the we toke prisoners â–ª Ye â–ª brag the ye kepe the watch of â—our god Why theÌ„ folow ye not the exaÌ„ple of Iechaniah your kinge who to saue the teÌ„ple of your god froÌ„ destructioÌ„ left your people also shold be led away into bondage or be destroyed with the sworde yelded him selfe and his house into the hands of the king of the Chaldeis Why spare you not your owne liues your citie and sanctuary Nowe therefore hearken vnto me â–ª and I wil make a leage with you before the God of this house who shal be a witnes betwixt me and you by whom I sweare that I will neuer breake this league neither do you anye harme nor spoyle your goodes nor leade you away captiue nor yet set any ruler ouer you but a Iewe of your owne nacion euen Ioseph the priest whiche is with me shall be your prince if you think it good and all the faithfull menne also whiche are with me shall returne to you home againe ye shal inhabite your own land ye shal haue the vse of the fruites therof with peace and quietnesse without any corruption or alteration of the seruice of your God Wherfore credite 〈◊〉 â—o make a leage wyth you and that yâ— may trust me the better ye shall haue pledges Iosephe a noble man of your countrey and other princes and noble men of the Romaynes Come forthe therefore and intreate a peace with vs bowe your shoulders and humble your neckes to serue vs like as all other nacions do as you haue done your selfes in the time of Nero Caesar the ye may liue not be distroied keping your religion safe sound Ioseph the priest hearing the wordes of Titus his clemency in that he was minded to spare the Iewes burste out aloude and wept in the presence of the capitaynes of the sedicious verye bitterlye but they nothinge regarded it Iosephe therfore seinge that Titus coulde do nothinge wyth the sedicious said vnto their princes I maruaile nothing thoughe this citie tende to desolation destruction for I know the ende of it is at hande But this is it that I maruaile moste that ye haue redde the boke of Daniel and vnderstaÌ„d it not which is now fulfilled in al thinges and yet neuer a one of you dothe marke it The continual sacrifice is already ceased a good while agoe the annoynted Prieste is cut awaye and put downe These things although thei be most manifest yet your herts caÌ„ not be leue theÌ„ And mani other words spake Ioseph full of admonition consolatioÌ„ but the Iewes refused to heare him WheÌ„ as he had made an end therfore and the Sedicious hadde so hardened their neckes Titus turned him and departed out of Hierusalem saiynge Let vs get vs hence least their synnes destroye vs. Wherefore he pitched hys tentes without the Citye in the same place where he encamped at the firste For he was afrayed both for him selfe and his armie lest they shoulde be circuÌ„uented and closed in and slaine cruellye in so great a Citye as that was Certaine of the priestes at that tyme of the nobles of the towne with other Godlie men did wisely se to theÌ„ selues â–ª came forth to Titus submittyng theÌ„ selues to his mercye were receiued of him peceably wyth great honor WhoÌ„ Titus coÌ„maunded to be coÌ„ducted into the land of Goschen where in tymes past the Israelites dwelt in the daies of Iacob their father Ioseph Lord of Egypte Thither sent he them gaue it theÌ„ in possession to theim and to their heires for euer commaundynge a companye of the Chaldeis to safe conducte theim til they came to the lande of Goschen Titus directed hys Letters also to the Romayne Presidente whyche was set ouer Egypt to take pitie of the Iewes that he hadde placed in the Lande of Goschen to sustayn and succour them and to see that no Romaine or other shoulde do them harme or anoye them by anye meanes Manye other also of the Iewes coueted to go forthe of Hiâ—rusalem but they were letted of the Sedicious that they coulde not dooe as they intended And who can tell whether they were intangled wyth their owne synnes and destenyed to destruction wyth theyr Sediciousse brethren when as their handes also were polluted wyth the crueltye and iniquitye of the Sedicious Wherfore the Sedicious closed vp all the waies about the temple that none of the Iewes which were in Hierusalem might get out to Titus When Titus knew that many of the Iewes wer desierous to flee vnto him and coulde not because of the sedicious he wente agayne to the place where heâ— was afore and Iosephe with him Whom when the people sawe to be there with Titus they fel a wepynge and said vnto him We acknowledge our synnes and the traunsgression of our fathers wee haue all swarued out of the waye against the lord our God for we know the mercye and gentlenes of Titus the sonne of Caesar and that he taketh pity vpon vs but what can we do when it is not in our power to flee vnto hym bicause of the cruelty of the sedicious The sedicious hearing theim talkyng with Ioseph in presence of Titus that they spake reuerently of him honored hys father callyng him Lorde they ranne vpon them with their drawen swordes to kill them Then cried they vnto Titus deare Lorde and maister rescue vs. The Romayns therfore made spede to deliuer theÌ„ out of the haÌ„des of the sedicious So risse there a fray in the midst of the temple betwene the Romayns and the Iewes The Romains fled into the place called Sanctum sanctorum which was the holiest of all and the Iewes folowed after and slewe theim euen there Titus standinge without cryed vnto Iehochanan and saide vnto hym Hearest thou thou Ichochanan is not thy wickednes yet great inough Wilt thou neuer make an ende of thy mischiefe Where is the honoure of thy God Is it not written in the lawe of your God of the Sanctum sanctorum that no straunger ought to come at it but onelye the hye prieste and that but once a yeare because it is the holiest of al And now how darest thou be so
for meat which she had not to geue him she said vnto him What shal I do my soÌ„ne for the wrath of God hath enuironed the whole city in euerye corner therof famin reigneth without the citie the sword killeth vp all within we stand in feare of the sedicious our ennemies preuail without in the towne are fires burnings and ruines of houses famine pestilence spoiling and destroying so that I can not fede thee my sonne Nowe therefore my sonne if I shoulde dye for hunger to whoÌ„ shoulde I leaue thee beinge yet a childe I hoped once that when thou shouldest come to maÌ„s state thou shouldest haue susteined mine age with meat drinke and cloth and after when I shuld dye to bury me honorablye like as I was mineded to bury thee if thou shouldest haue died before me But now misoÌ„ne the art as good as ded al redi for I haue no meat to bringe thee vp withall because of this great famin and crueltye of the enemies both within and without If thou shuldest die now amongst other thou shouldest haue no good nor honourable tombe as I woulde wishe thee Wherfore I haue thoughte good to chuse that a sepulcher eueÌ„ mine own body least thou shouldest die dogges eate thee in the stretes I will therfore be thy graue thou shalt be my fode And for that that if thou hadst liued growen to maÌ„s state thou oughtest by right to haue nourished me now feede me with thy fleshe and with it sustein mine age before that famine deuoure thee and thy body be consumed Render therfore vnto thy mother the whiche she gaue vnto thee for thou câ—mmest of her and thou shalte returne into her For I will brynge thee into the selfe same shop in the whiche the breathe of life was breathed into thy nosethrilles forasmuch as thou art my welbeloued sonne whom I haue loued alwayes with al my strength be therfore meate for thy mother an ignominy reproch to the Sedicious that by violence haue taken awaye our fode Wherefore my sonne heare my voice and susteine my soule and my life and go to th end that is determined for thee by my handes thy lot be in the gardein of Eden and Paradise be thou meate for me a rebuke and shame to the Sedicious that they maie be compelled to saie Loe a woman hath killed her sonne and hath eaten him So wheÌ„ she had thus spokeÌ„ to her sonne she toke the child and turning her face awaye lest she should see him dye she killed him with a sword after cut his body into certaine pieces wherof some she rosted some she sodde when she had eaten of them she laâ—ed vp the reste to kepe The sauoure of the flesshe rosted when it came out into the streates to the People they saied one to an other see here is a smell of coste meate whiche thinge came vnto the knowledge of the Sedicious 〈◊〉 lengthe who wente into the house of the woman and spake roughlye vnto her whye shouldest thou haue meate to liue with and wee dye for hongâ—r â–ª The woman made theim aunswerâ— and saide vnto theim Be not dispeased I beseche you wyth youre handemaide for this for you shall see I haue kepte parte for you Sit you downe therefore and I will bringe it you that ye maye taste thereof for it is verye goodimeate And by and by shee layed the Table and set before theim parte of the childes fleshe saiyâ—ge Cate I pray you here is a childes hand se here his fote and other parts and neuer report that it is any other womans child but mine owne onelye Sonne that ye knewe with me him I bare and also haue eaten part and part I haue kepte for you Whiche when she hadde spoken she burst out and wepte saiyngeâ— Oh my sonne my sonne howe swete waste thou to mee whiles thou yet liâ—edst and now at thy death also thou art sweter to me then honye for thou hast not onely sed me in this most grâ—â—ous famin but thou hast defended me from the wrath of the sedicious wherwith they were incensed towards me when the smell of the meate broughte theim into my house Nowe therefore are they become my frendes for they sit at my table and I haue made them 〈◊〉 feast with thy fleshe After she turned her to the sedicious and bade them eat and satisâ—ie them selues for why saith she shoulbe ye abhorre my meat which I haue set before you I haue satisfied my selfe therwith why therfore do you not eat of the flesh of mi son Tast and se how swete my sonnes flesh is I dare saye ye wil saye it is good meat What neadeth pitie ought ye to be more moned therewith then a womanne If yâ— will in no wyse eate of the Sacrifice of my Sonne when as I haue eaten therof mi self Shal not this be a shame for you that I shold haue a better hart and greater courage then you Behold I haue prepared a faire Table for you most valiant men why eat ye not Is it not a good feast that I haue drest for you and it was your wil that I should make you this feaste It hadde bene my parte rather to haue bene moued with pitie of my sonne then yours and how chaunceth it therfore that ye are more mercifull then I Are not ye they thâ—â— spoiled my house and lest me no kinde of sode for me and my sonne Are 〈◊〉 ye thei that coÌ„strained me to make you this feast notwithstandinge the greate bonger that I haue Why then â—at yâ— not therof wheÌ„ as ye were the auct◠〈◊〉 and the causers that I did this dedâ— The Iewes hearynge this matter were wonderfullye smitten into â—â—dnesse yea euen the gouernourâ— of the sedicious beganne to stoupe when they hearde of this so that they all in a manner desiered deathe they were so amased at this horrible Acte Manye therefore of the common people stale out in the nighâ—e forthe of Hierusalem with al their substance to the Romainê campe and shewed Titus of this who wepte thereat and was sorie for the matter exceadinglye holdynge vp his bandes to heauen and criynge Thou Lorde God of the worlde God of this house to whom al secrets are knowen whiche also knowest my hearte that I came not againste this Citie as desierous of Warres but rather of Peace whiche I euer offered them but yet the citizins thereof euermore refused it although I often times intreated theim and when they distroied one another by their ciuil dissention I would haue deliuered theim but I founde theim alwaies like moste fierce cruel beastes nothinge sparinge theim selues this mischiefe is come nowe so farre that a woman hathe eaten her owne flesshe beinge driuen therunto by moste extreame necessitie I haue hearde and my forefathers haue tolde mee all the power that thou hast exercised in times past towardes them and their fathers how thy name dwelt amongst theÌ„ For thou broughtest theim out of Egypte with
to dye And woulde God we had bene dead before the we might not haue seene in thee thy reproch or who would bring to passe the we might lacke eyes that we shuld not be compelled to see these mischeues the are in the mids of thee And behold we liue a most sorowful life for our enemies eueÌ„ now afore we be dead cast lots vpon our sonnes daughters to deuide theÌ„ amoÌ„gst theÌ„ to be their seruaÌ„tes handmaids When Eleasar had ended this lamentacion he spake to the people that was w e him thus NOw therfore brethreÌ„ frends take pitye of your selues your wiues children with old men which he with you let theÌ„ not be led into boÌ„dage with out al merci the they be not coÌ„streined to mourn vnder the haÌ„ds of their enemies for if ye do this ye leese withoute all doubte all places that are prepared for you in the world of rightousnesse neither shall ye haue any part in the light of life But rather with your owne handes kil them thus if ye wil do they shal be couÌ„ted as sacrifices most accdptable vnto God and that done we wil after issue out vpon oure enemies and fight against them till we vse valeaÌ„tly for the glory of the lord for we wil nener suffer them to bind vs with boÌ„des and cheins as bond slaues in the handes of the vncircumcised Nether wil we se our aunciente men to be haled by the berdes before our eyes most miserably nor yet oure maides wifes and doughters to be vnhalowed and defloured nor oure sonnes criynge to vs and we can not helpe them for what shal oure life auaile vs after that our land is desolate our sanctuary pulled downe the Romains rauishe our wiues doughters before our eyes and oppresse oure sonnes with a most greuous and hard yoke Nowe therfore it is better for vs to kil al our wiues and childreÌ„ whose bloud God shal accepte thankfullye as the blud of burnt offerings after â–ª we wil issue out vpon the Romains fight til we be al destroyed die for the glory of the Lord our God These menne therfore wente and gathered together their wiues and doughters embrased 〈◊〉 and kissed them saying is it not better for you to die in your holy country honorabli then to be led away into houdage with great ignomini shame into the landes of your ennemies and be compelled to die before the idols of the gentiles These saiynges wheÌ„ the people had beard thei droue forth that night in great sorow and pensifenesse weping and makinge great lamenâ—â—cion but they all confest with one accorde that they had rather chuse to die then liue Therefore assone as it was daye â–ª Eleasars companions killed their wines and children caste their bodies into the â—esterns and welles that were in Mezirah couering and stepving theÌ„ with earth Afterward issued Eleasar the priest forth of the town withal his meÌ„ and â—orced a battel vpon the Romains of wheÌ„ the Iewes killed a great forte and fought so long till they al died maÌ„fully for the Lord God BUt Titus left a remnaunt of Israel in the citye Iafnah and the villages thereabout and in the estye Bitter and Aossa their villages in whiche place Rabban Iochanan sonne of Sakkai was appointed chief Bonian the priest yonger brother to Iosephe the Prieste was put in authority by Titus for Iosephs sake ouer al the Iewes which were at Ierusalem At the same time was Rasch bag a prince of Israel put to â—â—ath â–ª and Ischmael soÌ„ne of Elischa the 〈◊〉 priest Moreouer Titus was minded to haâ—â— put Rabban Gamaliel father of Raâ—chbag to deathe but Rabban Iochanan sonne of Sakkai made sute for him and obteined to saue his life This Rabban Iochanan was he that came forthe of Ierusalem in the beginning wheÌ„ Vaspasian father of Titus came firste against Ierusalem whoÌ„ Vaspasian honoured greatly in so much as when he returned to Rome he commended this Rabban Iochanan to his sonne Titus comaunding him to honor him for he perceiued he was a verye wise man Titus reigned two yeares after he had taken Ierusalem and died He was a very eloquent man expert in the Latin and Greke tong writ diuers workes in both the tonges He loued moste intirely iustice and equitye for he wasted the city of Ierusalem against his wil being compelled therunto Yea all the mischiefe that came vpon it happened through the malice and noughtinesse of the sedicious as we haue touched before And thus far of the warres of the second house ¶ Thus endeth the destruction of Ierusalem Nn. ii ⧠The ten Captiuities of the Ievves i. THE Israelites were ten times led into captiuitie foure times by the handes of Sanherib and foure times by Nabuchadnezar once by Vaspasian and once bi supersticious Adrian First inuaded them Sanherib â—â—ennache â—â—b and traunsposed the Rubenites the Gadites and the halfe tribe of Manasse He toke awaye also the golden calfe whiâ—he Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat had made He ledde them into Halah Habur to the floud of Gozan and to the cities of the Medes This captiuitie was in the time of Pekah the sonne of Remaha ii The second Captiuitie Hoscha the sonne of Ela remained and slew Pekah the sonne of Remalia Afterwarde he became the seruant and subiect of Sanherib seuen yeares Then came Sanherib the seconde time and caried awaye the tribes of Aâ—ar Isachar Zebulon and Naphtali of whom he let go free onely one of euery eight He tâ—ke away also an other calf that was in Bethel iii. After the death of Ahaz raigned Hiz kiahu his soÌ„ne in his steede four yeres Hezekia the fourth yere of whose rain Sanherib came and entrenched Samaria beseging it .iii. yeares and at lengthe roke it in the vi yeare of the raigne of Hiskijahu So led he awaye the Israelites that were in Samaria the tribe of Ephraim and Manasse This is the .iii. captiuity iiii When Nabuchadnezar had reigned viii yeares Sanheriâ— perauenture he made warres againste Ierusalem bringynge wyth hym the Chuteans heretikes out of Babilon E. thiopia Hemates Auim and Sepharuauim and as he warred vpon Iudea he toke in that countrye a. C and. l. cities in the which there were .ii. tribes Iuda and Simeon whome he toke with him caused them forthwith to be led into Halah Habur vntil the king of the Ethiopians rebelled againste him whose kingdoÌ„ was on the hinder parts of Egipt Then taking Iuda Simeon with him he made war with the king of Ethiopia So the holye and blessed God placed them in darke mountains He re was foure captiuities whereby ten tribes went into crile by Sanherib There remained yet of Iuda Cx. thousand and of Beniamin Cxxx. thousand in Ierusalem ouer whoÌ„ raigned Hizkiahu Moreouer Sanherib came out of Ethiopia againste Ierusalem the fifte time leading with him Cx. thousand but the holye Lorde ouerthrewe hym there as it is written And the angell of the