with the people in Mount Sinai There is also the Rod of Aaron that flourished and brought forth leaves All these were in the Temple whiles it was yet standing Over against the Sanctuarie were fourteen stairs or steps upon the which appeared the miracle to King Ceskiahu And thou Jerusalem at that time wa st stronger than other Cities Lady of Provinces for great Kings and Princes builded thee King Herod much exalted thee raising thy walls high and besides that also defended thee with other walls that he named Antochia of Antochias a Roman who gave liberally much monie toward the repairing of the ruines and decayes that were in thee How cometh it to passe therefore that thou art brought thus low and the Gentiles have the rule over thee now and besiege thee rasing thee and casting thee down yea they are now in the midst of thee Wo be to us for our sins for the heavinesse of thy strength is dashed thy Sanctuarie is troden under foot and made a sink of the blood of slain persons Drink now off thy cup O Jerusalem with thy Daughter Sion drink I say the cup of vexation and grief together with her for yet the time shall come that visions shall be revealed and redemption also it self that thy Children shall return to their Coasts with the health of their Redeemer Then shall be the time of friendship and then shalt thou drink the cup of health and consolation After that Titus went to view what way he might best assault the City and as he devised with himself he espied a plain on that side where the Sepulcâ—…er of Jehochanan the high Priest was Where he stayed a while and sent one of his Captains that were there with him called Nicanor to parly with the Jews that were upon the walls to move them to peace willing him to say thus unto them Friends my Lord Titus is desirous to spare you and to make a League with you that you might be at quiet and out of this danger of destruction and if you be so disposed to confent thereunto Titus shall make a League with you before it be yet night Nicanor went and spake with the people in such wise as Titus had willed him The Jews gave him no word of answer but held their peace wherefore Nicanor spake to them again and as he was talking to them one from the walls shot him with an arrow and killed him Whereat Titus was exceeding wroth that they should shoot at his Captain offering them peace and his death grieved him marvellously Wherefore he commanded Ladders Brakes Slings battering-Rams and other Engins of War to be brought to assault the Town So the souldiers brought a battering Râ—…n to batter the walls and planted it upon a Mount accordingly The Jâ—…ws seeing thaâ—… were sore afraid wherefore the three Seditious Captains joyned themselves in friendshâ—… and forthwith opening the gates issued out and beat the Romans from their Pieces and Engins that were now ready addressed setting fire on the Ram slings and all the other engins a few excepted which Titus and his men saved from the fire In this conflict the men of Alexandria that served Titus behaved themselves like tall fellows in the rescuing of the slings from the Jews yet the Jews prevailed and got the upper hand of them till Titus came with a strong power of choise men to succour the Alexanderians where twelve of the stoutest Jews were slain In the same skirmish Jehochanan a Captain of the Edomites that came to aid the Jews was slain by an Arabian that came behinde him and shot him with an arrow whiles he was talking with the Romans that intreated him to come to them For whom the Edomites mourned and lamented sore for he was a good man of war The next night certain of the Seditious chiefly of Jehochanans and Schimeons company issued out and came to the three woodden Towers that Titus had erected before the walls to view out of them the Town and to see what the Jews did within which were placed and without also a strong party of able souldiers for their defence Upon those without fell the Jews and slew many the other fled to Titus Camp The Romans that were in the Towers knowing nothing of the matter and trusting to them that were set about the Towers for their safe-gard slept all the night After the Jews had thus slain the Romans watch and put them to flight they came to the Towers with saws and cut the feet asunder so that they fell suddenly together with them that were within which were very many and slue them every one Titus hearing the alarum and the crashing of the falling of the Towers was sore afraid and all the whole Army and not knowing what the matter was they durst not stir toward it so the Jews returned safe into the Town On the morrow Titus brought his whole power to the walls and while the Jews were at contention in the Town he addressed another Ram wherewith he suddenly struck the outer wall and battered it through whereupon the people that warded that wall were forc'd to withdraw themselves within the safe-gard of the second wall Then Titus commanded his souldiers to raze to the ground that wall that he had pierced and to carry away the stones thereof that there should be no let nor hinderance to his men This was the most substantiall and strongest wall of all thicker than both the other and was builded by Herod The Romans labouring earnestly in the defacing of the outer wall were slain in great number by the Jews from the middle wall before they could finish their purpose The chief of the Jews perceiving that Titus had not only taken but also quite pulled down the utter wall and how there was now but two walls left about the Town it went to their hearts and made them look about them Therefore the Seditious began now earnestly to think of unity and concord among themselves so that they divided the Town amongst them into three wards Jehochanan was appointed to that ward that is on the North part of the Temple beside the Antochia that part of the Town that was toward the Tomb of Jehochanan the high Priest was assigned to Schimeon to Eleazar was committed the keeping of the wall These exhorting one another to play the men did valiantly resist the Romans so that the conflicts then began to be sore and hard The Romans for their renown and fame laid on stoutly and the Jews again stuck stiffely to their defence seeing their end at hand if they were slack Titus now and then exhorting his souldiers to play the men promising them that would valiantly make any enterprise upon the Jews abundance of gold and silver and much honour withall Then stept forth one of his souldiers named Longinus and put himself amongst the routs of the Jews that were issued out of the Town where he slew a couple of the chief of them and presently recovered himself again within
unto the Sages whom his father and grandfather slew and the injury commiâ—…ted to Honyauriga might return upon his head and be reyenged so that no remnant of the house of 〈◊〉 no name no residue no kinsman oâ—… posterity should be left alive Hircanus therefore took his journey toward Jerusalem and Herod came forth to meet him eâ—…mbraced him aâ—…d kissed him after brought him to his house and feasted him daâ—…y calling him his father before all men albeit in his heart he conspired to kill him which Alexandra his daughter and Mother in law to Herod knew well enough who opened it unto Hircanus but he would not credit her at the first till on a time he perceived the matter clear to be so then devised he how to flye to Maloc King of Arabia he sent therefore to Maloc to send him horses and a Chariot to flye withall but the Messenger dealt unfaithfully and lewdly with him for he brought Hircanus letters privily unto Herod who rewarded him well for his labour and bad him go to Maloc and to let him know what answer Maloc gave The Messenger upon this went and delivered the letters to Maloc who fulfilled Hircanus request sent him horses and a Charlot writing in this sort I have sent thee horses and horsemen come therefore unto me and whatsoever thy heart desireth I will do it for thy sake So the Messenger brought the answer secretly to Herod whereupon he sent straight to the place in which he understood Malocs men to lurk waiting for Hircanus and caused to apprehend them alive Then Herod commanded to call together the Elders before whom he willed also Hircanus to be brought and of him the King demanded tell me whither thou hast written any letter to Maloc King of Arabia he answered I writ none Then was Ristius the Messenger brought in as his acuser and the men of war also of Arabia that were apprehended who declared the whole matter before the Council so that Hircanus was quite dashed Then the King commanded him to be put to death and so was the kingdom established unto Herod The time that Hircanus raigned was 40. years and 6. moneths After the death of his mother he raigned 3. years and Aristobulus his brother removed him making him Priest Again 3. years after he returned to his kingdom and raigned 40. years Then Antigonus son of Aristobulus deposed him cutting off his ear and banished him out of the holy City So after when Herod his servant came to the kingdom he returned to Jerusalem and Herod shed his blood guiltless yet notwithstanding he had delivereâ—… Herod from the hands of the Elders who would have put him to death for the death of Hizkias From that time Hircanus wrought no evil in the sight of the Lord nor offended him in any great matter save only in this that he bare too much with Herod in shedding the innocent blood wherefore his own life went for the other Therefore happy is he that never forgetteth any part of his duty Marimi the daughter of Alexander the son of Aristobulus the Wife of Herod had a brother whose name was Aristobulus him Herod would in no wise promote to the high Priesthood because he feared the children of Chasmonany although his wife made earnest suite and lay sore upon him for the matter But the King made high Priest one that was nothing of the kindred of Chasmonany whose name was Haniel Notwithstanding when he had once dispatched Hircanus his wives Progenitors father of Alexandra his mother in law then he deposed Haniel the high Priest and preferred his wifes brother Aristobulus to the dignity who although he were but a child yet he was wise and of good understanding and beautifull withall so that in all Israel was not a goodlier nor hansomer young man than he was And this Haniel was the first that ever was deposed from that office of the high priest-hood for never did King of Israel attempt the like afore Herod who did this to quiet his wife and to fulfill his mother in laws mind notwithstanding this Alexandra his wives mother was not content nor satisfied for the death of her Father was such a grief but alwaies spake snappishly to the King that he committed her to ward Then she writ to Cleopatra Queen of Egypt wife unto M. Antonius a Noble man of Rome declaring unto her all the mischief that Herod had done to the posterity of Chasmonany and desiring of her aid to whom Cleopatra made this answer if thou canst find the means to come to me secretly thou shalt perceive what I shall do for thee When Alexandra had read the Letter she sent to Aristobulus her son the high Priest shewing him that she would flye to the Sea Japho and from thence would take shipping into Egypt perswading him also to flye with her We will saith she make two Coffers one for me and another for thee and we will with rewards allure our Servants to carry out us privily whereby we may flye to save our lives This their device was perceived of one of Herods Servants who forthwith made the King privy unto it The King commanded his Servant that bewrayed them that when they did convey the Coffers they should bring them to him which the servant did So when the Coffers were brought to the Kings presence he caused them to be opened and took out Alexandra and her son Aristobulus to whom the King spake sharply and rebuked them sore But Alexandera answered him again as short insomuch that the King moved with anger flung away from her into his chamber saying It is better to fit solitary in a corner of the house than with a brawling and scolding woman in an open place The King dissembled the matter and shewed no great displeasure a year after As Aristobulus the high Priest apparralled in his Pontificial vestures stood in the temple nigh unto the Altar to offer sacrifices the Israelits beheld his beauty his wisdom and behaviour in the ministery whereat every man rejoyced praising God that had not taken all away but left one to revenge the injuries done to the house of Chasmonany The King hearing this was sore afraid and not a little displeased thinking to himself the Israelits would restore the Kingdom of their fathers unto him He perceived every mans heart to be enclined towards him Wherefore he deliberated a while and in the feast of the Tabernacles he removed to Jericho with all his houshold whereas he made a great feast to all his nobles and servants placing them every one after hiâ—… degree before him Aristobulus the high Priest he seâ—… upon the right hand And as they eat drank and made merry certain of the Kings servants were disposed to go swim in Jordan To these the King had given secret commandment that they should desire Aristobulus to go and bath with them in Jordan and then to drown him So when they were going they came to Aristobulus and moved him to keep them
Gold and Silver as chaffe and stones he kept Israel in peace from all his enemies he buiâ—…ded also a fairer Temple than King Solomon but he made the yoke of tribute and exaction in Israel more heavy and gave open ear to evâ—…l tongues He was a cruel blood-shedder of poor and innocent persons and Archelaus his son reigned in his room He willed before his death that they should bury him in the City of Erodion two dayes journey and a half from Jerusalem So they put him in a Coffin covered with Gold set here and there with precious stones The Bed under him was wrought with Gold and full of precious stones likewise upon his head was a cloth of Rayes powdred with precious stones and upon that a Royal Crown made fast to the left side of the Coffin and on the right side was a Regal Scepter upon the Bier was also a cloth of Rayes very thick powdred with precious stones Crystal Amethysts and very many â—…aphirs Then all the chief men of War went about him in their coats of fence and drawn swords in their hands with helmets on their heads as in the time of war After them came Archelaus his son that was made King then followed him all the people There were fifty of his servants that went about the Bier every one having a chaffindish of Gold in his hand wherein they burnt sweet woods and perfumes continually as many as went about him casting upon the Hearse pure Myrrhe He was born by certain great Lords and Noblemen of Israel upon their shouldders going leisurely and with a majesty till they came to Erodion where they buried him with great honour the like was never done to any King These things done there resorted together such as hated Herod and were weary of their own lives whiles he lived rejoycing that they had escaped his hands saying We have looked till our eyes bleared waiting for the death of Herod that Tyrant and bloodshedder that oppressed us with such heavy yokes that left us nothing to live on for the tributes and taxes that he laid upon us yet now Archelaus his son is worse than he Wherefore they consulted together and cast their minds and good will toward Antipater the son of Salumith the Kings Sister one of the blood of Chasmonany and went with him to Octavian Augustus requesting him to translate the kingdom from Archelaus to Antipater but he would not grant them their suite yea he rather confirmed and assured the kingdom to Archelaus who wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord for he married his brother Alexanders Wife that had children by Alexander and committed many great offences The ninth year of Archelaus's raign it chanced upon a night he dreamed a dream He thought he saw nine eares of corn very good and full grown upon one stalk then came a great Oxe and did eate them up all at one bit by and by he awaked and perceived it was a dream therefore calling one of the Sages of Israel unto him he shewed him his dream The wise man said this is the interpretation of it The 9. eares fresh and full be the 9 years which thou hast raigned The great Oxe is the great King Octavian Augustus This year thou shaâ—…t be removed from thy kingdom because thou hast neglected the word of God and hast married thy brothers wife to this Archelaus answered him neither good nor bad Within five dayes after Octavian came towards Jerusalem and when Archelaus wenâ—… to meet him he put him in prison deposed him from the kingdom of Israel and made Antipas his brother King in his stead he turned his name also and called him Herod that done he returned to Rome Whiles Antipater was King died the Emperour Octavian Augustus the 56. year of his raign and Tiberius Caesar succeeded him This Antipas also wrought wickedness and sundry abominations more than any that was before him for he took his brother Philips Wife from him which had already children by Philip for this shameful deed Rabbi John Baptist the high Priest rebuked him wherefore Antipas put him to death There was at that time one Jesus a wise man if it be lawful to call him a Man for he was a worker of wonderfull works and a teacher of such men as gladly did hear the truth and had many Disciples both of the Jews and also of the Gentiles This man was Christ. who after he was accused of the chief Rulers of our Nation and condemned by Pilate to be crucified was nevertheless much beloved by them who loved him even from the beginning To these he appeared the third day alive according as the Prophets by Divine inspiration had told before aswell of this as also of many other things which should be done by him And even to this day the Christian sect which took their name of him continueth Against this man Antipas before named came Tiberius Emperour of Rome to whom when Antipas repaired he apprehended him laâ—…d him in irons and sent him into Spain where he died Archelaus also that was deposed before died in the time of this Tiberius raign Then Tiberius made Agrippa the son of Aristobulus whom Herod put to death Antipas brother King in his stead The time that Antipas raigned over Israel was 11. years In Agrippas time died Tiberius Caesar and Caius succeeded him This Caius called himself a God and would suffer no man to worship any thing in his Empire but himselfe he continued not long in this dignity but decayed and died After him succeeded Claudius Claudius being dead Nero Caesar was Emperor Agrippa raigned over Israel 23 years In his time Nero sore oppressed Israel by setting cruel presidents over them which left them nothing to live upon and besides that he punished them with divers torments until at length they were constrained to rebel against the Roman Empire and Nero Cesar to rid themselves from under his subjection And above all other one Florus president and Captain of the Roman Army most grievously oppressed the Jews and had done many things very wickedly For not onely he shed innocent blood ravishing at his pleasure wives and deflouring maids in the Cities of Juda but also robbed with great cruelty every man of his goods he polluted the Temple and upon the beams thereof he hung those that he took displeasure at It chanced that Beronice King Agrippa's sister came at that time to Jerusalem out of devotion to vifit the holy place She seeing Florus violently oppress the people and for payment of exactions and tallage to slay many of them even at the entrance of the Temple she came forth weeping unto Florus beseeching him to spare the people for she pitied them very greatly Yet Florus relented nothing but when she was departed from him he flouted and mockt her though she were the Kings sister and that in the Temple of the Lord. There was present at that time a valiant young man Eleasar the son of Anani the high Priest
into the City who being once come in wandred here and there for that night devising how they might set upon the Citizens of the Town and utterly destroy them They call'd out first their confederates that remained in the Temple brought them thence and joyned together with the Edomites swearing one to another that they should be one people and one Army And forthwith being so confedâ—…ate together they slew the same night 8500. of the people of God all good men of God all good men of War besides innumerable other that they killed of the common people In the morning they laid hands on the rich men haled them before the Judges and lxx Elders which otherwise is called Sanhedrim whom they called together And there wicked Jehochanan the Galilean spake unto them in this wise Why condemn ye not these rich Cobs that have made a conspiracy with the Romans and determine to betray this holy City i to their hands namely one Sechariahu a just man a perfect godly and vertuous one that feared the Lord and loved both God and man but for his riches only which were great this Jehochanan Captain of the Seditious apprehended him willing the Elders to condemn him to death for that he had joyned with their enemies as he said to betray the City to them The Priests Elders and Judges hearing his words and perceiving that both he and the rest of his bloody band desired nothing else than to make this man away although they knew him to be most innocent they wept and fighed greatly Jehochanan seeing them weep for Sechariahu and that they would not condemn him respecting his justice and integrity What quoth he do you begin to mourn before there be any corpse present I would I should never come where God hath to do but if ye order it thus in your judgments ye shall be the first that we will lay hold of and we will sit in judgment our selves to discern the matter for the people of God according as we shall think good Then laying apart all shame with an obstinate mind tâ—…e wicked sort hoysed away Sechariahu carried him out of the place of judgment and brought him up to the top of a high Tower at the East end of the Town from whence they cast him down headlong and he died at the walls side in the vale of Jehoschaphat The Priests therefore were sore afraid fâ—…r their own parts and the Judges also with the Elders seeing the wickedness of Jehochanan and the rest of the Seditious For Jehochanan had given them warning and said Except ye give sentence on every man that we shall bring unto you accoâ—…ding to our minds be ye assured all ye shall go the same way that Sechariahu is gone before you After that they 〈◊〉 a just man and a rich that was beloved of all the â—…own whose name was Gorâ—…nian surnamed 〈◊〉 and he was a valiant man indeed most expert in wars thereto wise and wâ—…y and a man of a pure and perfâ—…ct life one that was ever the formost in bâ—…ell whensoever they had any conflict against the Gentiles that beâ—…ged Jerusalem And this was his accustomed manner when the enemies maâ—…ched to joyn battel witâ—… the Jews he would run upon them with all his might and make such â—…laughter of them that in spighâ—… of their hearts he would force them to retire and by that means his body was full of skars his face and head wonderfully mangled with the wounds that he had received in the battels that he had been in for the people of the Lord yet now because he would not follow the villanous mind of Jehochanan and take his part Jehochanan commanded him to be apprehended and brought before him and when he was come said thus unto him Make thy Will and set thy house in order and confess thy self unto the Lord for there is no way with thee but death And so they led him out of the Town to kill him there lest there should be any business about his death if he had been put to death within the Town for all the Citizens of Jerusalem loved him and he likewise loved them When they were come to the place of execution Gorinian fell down before them and besought them with tears in this wise Seeing ye have so determined that ye will needs slay me when as notwithstanding I have committed no crime nor any offence and that ye will in no wise spare me although I be innocent as you know well enough your selves yet I beseech you let me obtain this one thing at your hands that you would do so much at least wise at my request as to bury my body other favour I desire not They made him answer If thou hadst not spoken to us thereof we had thought to have done it for so we were determined with our selves but now seeing thou art so bold as to demand this of us we will slay thee but buriall gettest thou none thy body shall be cast forth unto the beasts of the earth and fowls of the ayre Gorinion yet besought them to the contrary untill the most cruell Jehochanan struck him and slew him and after threw out his body to the beasts of the field This done they returned into the City Vespasian in the mean season drew nigh to Jerusalem for he had pitched his tents at Cesarea where he relieved his army and paid his souldiers great wages wherefore they tarried in the City many daies For when Vespasian understood of the wars in Jerusalem he said unto his people Let us make no haste to besiege Jerusalem till such time as they have slain one another among themselves and so at length their pride will be pulled down when as they see themselves waste away with cruell war hunger and thirst For Vespasian was a wonderfull politick man in all feats of war and his wisdom never turned him to more commodity than by this device only So he sojourned at Cesarea with his men many daies In the mean season the people of Jerusalem made war upon Jehochanan and his complices till innumerable of them were destroyed Some of them were slain with swords some the Seditious killed with short daggers For certain of the Seditious carried short daggers secretly under their garments wherewith they would come so suddenly upon an honest and just man and thrust him to the heart that he should fall down dead in the place without knowledge who struck him So by this means what with swords in open fraies and what with daggers secretly many of the people were slain and far more that way than by the Romans insomuch that now very few Citizens were left alive Thus when Jehochanan had gotten the upper hand of the City he sent an Army out of Jerusalem to go and take the Cities that had made peace with Vespasian which they sacked and razed to the ground and whomsoever they found therein Romans or Jews they slew Yea Jehochanan went with them himself spoyling and carrying
away all the riches that they found in them They took also the City Gerara that stood beyond Jordan whereas they remained The inhabitants of Jerusalem both Priests Elders and the rest of the people sent Embassadours to Vespasian to desire peace of him and succour against Jehochanan and his wicked rabble which daily in the Town slew very many of the people of God The Citizens also of Gerara sent Embassadours unto Vespasian saying If thou wilt be Lord over the Land of Judea and the City of Jerusalem and desirest to assure the rule thereof and establish it unto thee then hearken unto our counsell and come unto us without delay to deliver us from the hands of Jehochanan and the wicked seditious persons that with all their might endeavour to spoyl all our goods and to get the dominion over us our wives and children to none other purpose than by that means to destroy us utterly that no remnant of us should be left If so be thou wilt come and valiantly withstand them with thy power we will also fight against them in thâ—… Town till they be all slain and then thou shalt be our Lord And that done thou mayest go to Jerusalem without any impediment or hinderance of any man for they also of that City desire the same and would gladly become subjects unto the Romans When as therefore Vespasian heard the petitions of the Citizens of Gerara he took his journey thither to succour them and deferred to go to Jerusalem But Jehochanan heard of his repair wherefore he slew the chief Governour of Gerara and got him out of the Town with his companions and took them to their feet determining to flee into a certain wood Vespasian having knowledge thereof made after them sending out Poligorus who overtook them and made a great slaughter of them And in his return toward Gerara upon Jordan side he light upon much people going to Jerusalem that they might escape together with the Seditious Them Poligorus drove back to the River where he slew 13. thousand of them the rest leaped into Jordan and were drowned to the number of 91. thousand men women and children with much Cattell that were all drowned together in the River insomuch that the channell of Jordan was so stuffed and stopt with dead bodies that the waters rose and ran over the banks here and there into the fields and plains yet at the length the waters increased and bare the carkases down the River as far as the sea of Sodom which is the sea of Pitch otherwise called the salt-Sea and all the banks of Jordan lay full of dead bodies After this Vespasian took his journey from thence and went into the land of Edom where he won two strong Cities the one called Legarith the other Cephar Toco and slew ten thousand of the people thereof leading the rest away in bondage Thence he dislodged and came to a Town call'd Chamath Gedi which he subdued In this City were wel-springs of hot waters from whence the hot baths of Tiberias have their Originall The natural Philosophers and Astronomers of that Country held an opinion that these are the heads of all the hot Wel-springs in that whole Country Departing from thence he came to Samaria and won it Then repaired he again all the Towns that he had subdued and made up their walls placing Garrisons therein to ayd him what time he should besiege Jerusalem That done he returned to Cesarea to take muster of his whole Army and prepared to go to besiege Jerusalem But in the mean season came Messengers from Rome and brought him word that Nero the Emperour was dead and how that as he was a hunting in the Country the fire of the Lord came down from heaven and fell upon him that he died of it After whom reigned Galba not one whole year for afore it was fully ended he was slain by the noble men of Rome and Vitellius created in his stead a fool yet a sore cruel man much given to Drunkenness so that he was in all points unworthy of the Roman Empire The Noble men of Rome that were with Vespasian hearing this greatly disdained at that matter and said Was there never a Noble man in Rome left to be placed in the Empire but ye must choose a drunken wine-sucker why did ye not rather elect the mighty Prince Vespasian that is here with us a Sage and a Wise man thereto also most valiant one that conquered many Cities and vanquished many Nations and those most fierce What puissant Kings hath he subdued under the Roman Empire How far and wide hath he enlarged the Empire of the Romans And now when as the Empire ought to have been bestowed upon Vespasian or some one like unto him and none such could be found amongst you ye bestow it upon a fool and a blowbole drunkard wherein ye have done very undiscreetly Well the Empire of Rome shall have a better Emperour one day and God say Amen Whereupon the Princes that were there laid their heads together and decreed to make Vespasian Emperour Therefore with one consent they went unto Vespasian and said unto him Thou shalt be our head for the Empire belongeth to such a one and thou shalt have Dominion over us But Vespasian refused to take it on him and would in no wise consent to them Notwithstanding they compelled him and placed him upon the Throne of Majesty setting an Imperiall Crown upon his head which he would have put away and pulled off with his hand because he would not be Emperour Wherefore the Roman Captains drew out their swords and said Thou shalt be Emperour and reign over us therefore refuse it not if thou do thou shalt dy upon our swords Vespasian therefore seeing himself constrained being afraid of his life he was content to suffer himself to be proclaimed Emperour Then all the Army was sworn unto him and he sate upon the royall seat as Emperour and King of Kings The civil wars at Jerusalem encreased more and more and much blood was shed through the wickedness of Jehochanan Captain of the theeves a limb of the divel and through the cut-throat murtherers that were with him who had all even sworn the utter destruction of the City of the Lord and the deaths of the people There was also another cut-throat Ruffian of a noble house of Judea and Jerusalem about the same time called Schimeon who began also to follow Jehochanans manners in slaying innocents and robbing and raving in Jerusalem For Anani the High Priest had once appointed him Prince and chief Captain of Jerusalem and afterwards finding him an enemy banished him the City Whereâ—…ore Schimeon went and gaâ—… him a rout of unthrifts murtherers and theeves casting in his mind and saying Except I joyn my self with such good fellows I shall never be able to be revenged of Anani and his assistants that have thus banished me out of Ierusalem into exile wrongfully unto my great dishonour Shall I that
appointing of his men some to be spies and some to keep watch and ward about the Temple of the Lord. But Jehochanan who because of the great resort of the people unto him was stronger than Eleazar he took the market place and streets and the lower part of the City Then Schimeon the Jerusolemite took the highest part of the Town wherefore his men annoyed Jehochanans part sore with Slings and Cross-bows Between these three there was also most cru el battel 's in Jerusalem for the space of four daies without ceasing or any breathing and every day were very many slain so that the blood of the Jews that were then slain ran in every place most abundantly through the Market-places and streets yea even to the Temple of the Lord like unto a flood that had come of great showres and unto the thresholds of the gates of the Temple the dead bodies overwhelmed one another by heaps for no man buried them Jehochanan having the middle part of the Town had Schimeon on the one side of him and Eleazar on the other But Schimeon had the best place from whence he might annoy both Jehochanan and Eleazar Eleazar did also what he could to endamage Schimeon And Jehochanan that was in the middest encombered them both notwithstanding to little purpose For Schimeons company flung stones and shot at them sore but when as Jehochanans part flung likewise at them the stones rebounded back upon themselves Thus amongst these three the battel was sore and encreased every day that all men were in great terrour and fear thereof Then assembled to the Temple much people of the Priests and Elders beseeching these Intestine and Domesticall enemies not to pollute and defile the Temple with their slaughters and were almost all slain for their labour The same day was slain the Priest Anani Joshua a Priest both of the chiefest Priests Sechariahu also the most faithfull Prophet of the Lord. Then had the continuall Sacrifice ceased 36. daies for ever until that time was there some good men or other of Jerusalem that offered alway sacrifice to the Lord. But now when they would have continued it and the Priests laid the sacrifice upon the Altar the Seditious would run upon them and kill them so that the Priests bodies and their cattel that they would have sacrificed should fall dead to the ground together They that resorted also out of the Country of Ierusalem for devotions sake the Seditious slew and utterly destroyed them that almost no one of them was left alive Moreover the dead bodies of men lay cast in the Temple and that without number troad under feet yea the dead body of the Priest that was offering sacrifice lay upon the earth together with his offering And when any man would offer any sacrifice straight way one or other of the Seditious would step to him and kill him that the blood of the sacâ—…ifice and sacrificer should be mingled together In somuch that the pavement of the Temple being all of marble was made so slippery with the blood and fat of them that were slain that no man could go upon it without falling And the Priest should no sooner lay hands on the sacrifice but he was slain and straight another dead body should fall upon him stranger or other they spared none So thus the dead bodies of the good and bad clean and unclean wicked and vertuous theef and true man lay one upon another and their blood mixt together in the midst of the Temple without respect of any man of what degree or condition soever he were Wherefore the fight and slaughter waxt great both in the Town and in the Temple Nay whomsoever the Seditious overcame they set fire on their houses also whereby the fire took into the great men's houses that were nigh the Temple and into the store-houses whereas against times of necessity and besieging of the Town were laid up in store corn wine and oyl to the number of a thousand and four hundred store-houses all filled full of victuals For the Elders and other godly men what time as Vespasian was in Galilee they made up the doors of those Garner-houses and laid in victuals into them sufficient for two hundred thousand men twenty years and now in this one battel of the Seditious they were burnt every one stick and stone which was a speedy cause of famine and hurger in Ierusalem At the same time also the Seditious pulled down and razed all the fair houses and goodly buildings that there should be no monument of any noble house left to any in the City of Ierusalem So thus you see at that time the Lord visited the Citizens of Ierusalem with four kind of plagues sword pestilence hunger and fire besides this a fift was added the ruine and decay of all beautifull and glorious buildings And wheresoever a man turned him there was nothing but desolation pollution namely of the Temple and all holy things uproars without all rest and refuge no help no succour but every corner of Ierusalem was full of howling and yelling wailing and weeping sobbing and sighing of women and children Here should ye hear the roaring groaning of wounded men not yet thorough-dead there the mourning and lamentation of the Elders younger children crying out for hunger to be short most sorrowfull oppression of them that lived done by the Seditious Such lamentations were made every where that happy and fortunate was he that before this day died and unhappy and in a wofull case were all such as remained alive to see this day All these things when I Joseph heard tydings of I tore my hair with my hands and cast ashes on my beard sitting in great sorrow on the ground bewailing the misery and calamity of Jerusalem And this lamentation made Joseph upon Jerusalem How is the City quoth he laid wast that was wont to be more happy and more renowned than all the Provinces upon the earth How is the City that was heretofore in such highness and dignity now brought under the foot through the sons of the Citizens thereof Whereas sometime was the dwelling place of the faithfull now bear rule there such men as provoke and stir Gods wrath against it and turn it away from their God wasting it as theeves In the which sometime remained the brightness of the Godhead it is now become a by-word and mocking-stock to the enemies replenished with blood of wounded and slain men Instead of mirth gladness rejoycing harps and psalteries is sorrow sighing heart-breaks mourning and pensiveness come in place Even as heretofore the priests executed the service of the Lord in offering sacrifices so likewise now seditious persons murthered godly and faithfull men where was wont to be the dwelling place of most wise and prudent men now it is made a common hostry of wicked murtherers theeves O Lord God of Israel have not Angels in time past come down from heaven to earth to fight thy battels Have not the
in the flesh it is as it were a slave in most hard and grievous bondage under a hard Master Therefore when it departeth from the body it is glad because it must go to the Garden of Paradise Thus ye see that in this life the soul is compared to a bond servant and slave Much more than this did he discourse of the immortality and blessedness of the Soul before them which we have omitted here And making then a Digression from that he lamented and wept most bitterly for the case of the City of Jerusalem saying Where is now â—…e City of Jerusalem that great and populous City Where is that most beautiful City of Sion and that holy City which rejoyceth the whole Earth O thou worship of Israel the miâ—…h of our hearts whither is thy glory come Where is thy magnificence O Jerusalem Where be the hillâ—… of the daughter of Sion Where be her Kings and Princes Where be the Kingâ—… that were accustomed to come to enquire of her welfare in her gates Where are her Sages and Elders her young and most valiant men which were jocund and merry in her streets upon her Sabbaths and Festival dayes Where is her famous Sanctuary the Dwelling of the Almighty God Where is the House of Sanctum Sanctorum the habitation of holiness wherein no man might set his foot but the high Priest which he never but once a year entred into but in thee O Jerusalem thou wa'st once replenished with people and renowâ—…ed amongst Kings beloved of God in thee was established the seat of the Kingdom of Justice and Judgement whose Streets were paved with most precious Marble whose walls glistred and shineâ—… with the same Stone whose Gates were every one plated with Gold and Silver whose Walls were builded with great Sâ—…ones most honourablâ—… whose Priests in the midst of the Sanctuary like to Angels of God and Princes of Holinesse with Sacrifices and burnt-offerings made the Lord loving to thee and thy people How art thou now full of slain men and carcâ—…ses which have perished some by the sword some by famine and how are thy sons that dwelt in thee and the strangers also that resorted to thee to honour thy Feasts brought to ruine now in thee How art thou fallen from the height of thy pride and how art thou set afire and burnt even unto thy foundations and art left desolate and solitary What eye is so hard that can behold thee What heart so stony that can endure to see thee How art thou become a burying place of carcases and how are thy streets made void and destitute of living creatures and they which heretofore were replenished with living are now stuffed with dead How hath the ashes of the fire covered thee that the Sun cannot come at thee How do the ancient men which in times past did fit in midst of thee in the seat of wisdom judgement and justice now fit by the carcases of their children to drive away Crows and beasts from them having their hoary heads besprinkled with dust and ashes instead of their glory and those women thy daughters that are left they remain in the houses of them that made thee desolate not that they may live but be unhallowed and polluted Who shall see all these things in thee and shall desire to live rather than to die Who knowing the magnificence thou hadst of laâ—…e and now shall see thine ignominy and dishonour of the same will not chuse to die And would God we had been dead before that we might not have seen in thee this thy reproach O that we were without eyes that we mâ—…ght not be compelled to see these mischiefs that are in the midst of thee And behold we live a most sorrowful life for our enemies even now afore we be dead cast lots for ouâ—… sons and daughters to divide them amongst them to be their servants and handmaids When Eleazar had ended this lamentation he spake to the people that was with himâ—… thus Now therefore Brethren and friends take compâ—…ssion of your selves your wives and children with the old men which be with you Let them not be led into bondage without all mercy that they be not constrained to mourn under the hands of their enemies For if you do this ye lose without doubt all places that are prepared for you in the world of righteousnessâ—… neither shall ye have any part in the light of liâ—…e Yâ—…a rather with your own hands kill tâ—…m For if â—…e will do so they shall be counted as sacrifiâ—…s most acceptable unto God And that done we will after issue out upon our enemies and fight against them till we die valiantly for the glory of the Lord. For we will never suffer them to bind us with bonds and chains as bondslaves in the hands of the uncircumcised Neither will we see our ancient men to be haled by the beards before our eyes most miserably nor yet our maids wives and daughters to be prophaned unhallowed and defloured nor our sons crying to us and we cannot help them Forwhat shall our life avail us after that our land is desolate our Sanctuary razed the Romans will ravish our wives and daughters before our eyes and oppress our sons with a most grievous and hard yoke Now therefore it is better for us all to kill our wives and children whose blood God shall accept thankfully as the blood of burnt offerings and after we will issue out upon the Romans fight till we be all destroyed and die for the glory of the Lord our God These men therefore went and gathered together their wives and daughters embraced them and kissed them saying Is it not better for you to die in your holy Country honourably than to be led away into bondage with great ignominy and shame into the Land of your enemies and be compelled to die before the Idols of the Gentiles These sayings when the people had heard they broke forth that night in to great sorrow and pensivenesse weeping and making great lamentation but they all confest with one accord that they had rather die than live Therefore as soon as it was day Eleazars companions killed their wives and children and cast their bodies into cesterns and wells that were in Mezirah covering and stopping them with earth Afterward issued Eâ—…eazar the Priest forth of the Town with all his men and forced a battel upon the Romans of whom the Jews killed a great nâ—…mber and fought so long till they all died mâ—…nfully for the Lord God But Titus left a remnant of Israel in the City Jafnah and the villages thereabout and in the City Bitter and Aâ—…ssa and their villages in which place Rabby Jochanan son of Sakkai was appointed chief Bonian the Priest younger bâ—…other to Jâ—…seph the Priest was put in authority by Titus for Josephs sake over all the Jews which were at Jerusalem At the same time was 〈◊〉 a Prince of Israel put to death and Ischmael son of Elischa â—…he high
Priest Mâ—…reover Titus was minded to have put Rabby Gamaliel father of Râ—…hbag to death but Rabby Jochâ—… son of 〈◊〉 made suice for him and obtained pardon for his life This Râ—…bby Jochanan was he that came forth of Jerusalem in the beginning when Vâ—…spasian father of Titus came first against Jerusalem whom Vespasian honoured greatly insomuch that when he returned to Rome he commended this Râ—…bby Jochanan to his son Titus commanding him to honour him for he perceived he was a wise man Titus râ—…igned two years after he had taken Jerusalem anâ—… died He was a very eloquent 〈◊〉 expert in the Laâ—…ne and Greek Tongue and writ divers Works in both Tongues He loved most intirely justice and equity for he wasted the City of Jerusalem against his will and being compelled thereunto â—…ea all the mischief that came upon it hapned through the malice and naugâ—…ness of the Seditious as we have touched before THE Ten Captivities OF THE JEWES THe Israelites were Ten times led into Captivity Four times by the hands of Sanherib and Four times by Nabuchadnezzar Once by Vespasian and Once by superstitious Adrian First invaded them Sanherib and transporthe Rubenites the Gadites and the half tribe of Manosseh He took away also the golden Calf which Jeroboam the son of Nebat had made He led them into Helah Habor to the River of Gozan and to the â—…ities of the Medes This Captivity was in the time of Pekah the son of Remaliah The second Captivity Hosea the son of Ela remained and slue Pekah the son of Remalâ—…h After he became the servant and subject of Sanherib seven years Then came Sanherib the second time and carried away the tribes of Asar Isachar Zebulon and Nephtali of whom he let go free only one of every eight He took away also another â—…alf that was in Bethel After the death of Ahaz raigned Zedekia his son in his stead four years The fourth year of whose raign Sanherib came and intrenched about Samarâ—…a besieging it three years and at length took it in the sixt year of the raign of Hizkiahu So led he away the Israelites that were in Samaria the tribe of Ephraim and Mannasse This is the third Captivity When Nebuchadnezzar had raigned eight years he made wars against Jerusalem bringing with him the Chutean Hereticks out of Babylon Ethiopia Hemates Avim and Sepharvavim and as he warred upon Judea he took in that Country a hundred and fifty Cities in the which there were two tribes Juda and Simeon whom he took with him and caused them forthwith to be led into Halah and Habar untill the King of the Ethiopians rebelled against him whose kingdom was on the hinder parts of Egypt Then taking Juda and Simeon with him he made war with the King of Ethiopia So the holy and blessed God placed them in the dark mountains Here was four Captivities whereby ten tribes went into exile by Sanherib There remained yet of Juda one hundred and ten thousand and of Benjamin one hundred and thirty thousand in the City of Jerusalem over whom raigned Hizkiahu Moreover Sanherib came out of Ethiopia against Jerusalem again leading with him one hundred and ten thousand but the holy Lord overthrew him there as it is written And the Angel of the Lord issuing forth smote in the house of Asar 175 thousand men His people therefore was slain and no man left but Sanherib and his two sons and Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuzaraden this slaughter was in the fourteenth year of Hizkâ—… From which overthrow untill the time that Nebuchadnezzar invaded the Jews in the raign of Jehojakim were a hundred and seven years The fourth year of Jehojakim came Nebuchadnezzar the first time and carried away three thousand and twenty and three of the tribes of Juda and Benjamin and of other tribes seven thousand all the able men and all their power binding them with chains This is the fift captivity Seven years after this Captivity came Nebuchadnezzar another time unto Dophna a City of Antioch from whence he led four thousand and six hundred of the tribe of Juda and of Benjamin fifty thousand of the other tribes seven thousand This transmigration made he in Babylon which is the sixt Captivity Furthermore betwixt the sixt bondage and the seventh were nine years of the raign of Zidkiahu When Nebuchadnezzar had raigned nineteen years he came the third time unto Jerusalem and overcoming Zidkiahu he burnt the Temple and took away the Pillars the brazen Sea and the furnitures that Solomon made and all the vessels of the house of the Lord and the â—…reasures of the house of the King which was in Jerusalem all the vessels he sent to Babylon He slew also of the Israelites nine hundred and one thousand besides them that were slain to revenge the blood of Zacharias The Levites stood singing a song whiles â—…laughter was made of them but they were not able to finish it before the enemies entred the Temple and found them standing in their place with harps in their hands Therefore he carried away in this Captivity the Levites which were of the seed of Moses six hundred thousand whom when the Gentiles had brought unto the Rivers of Babylon they demanded of the Jews Sing us a song of Sion And by and by they gnawed off the tops of their fingers with their teeth saying How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange Land And the blessed Lord seeing that they would not sing a song he enlarged them and placed them on the further side of Sambatia Moreover he translated and carried away eight hundred and thirty two thousand which were all of the tribe of Juda and Benjamin whereof he left in Jerusalem six thousand setting over them for their Ruler Gedalia the son of Ahikam who was slain after by Ishmael the son of Natania whereupon the Isrâ—…elites being afraid fled from their Country into Egypt This is the seventh transmigration and 〈◊〉 The 27. year of the raign of Nebuchadnezzar he â—…ook Egypt and Tyre drowned the Jews that were therein and the Nations which descended of Amon and Moab and of the Land bordering upon Israel and led Jeremy and Baruch with them into Egypt This is the eighth Captivity Then the Israelites that remained alive in Egypt departed unto Alexandria and remained in it untill they grew and increased unto many thousands and who so saw not their glory saw no glory in his time For there was in it the Sanctuary the Altar the offerings incenses the ordinance of bread of faces the houses of studies and schools without number men of great substance riches and power But wicked Troganus made war upon them and slew very many of them After came Alexander against them who slew also many of them These are the eight Captivities or bondages which befell in the first House and time of the first Temple After the desolation of the first House seventy years Cyrus the son of Esther sent unto Nehemiah Zerubbabel
Baruch and his whole society and they builded the second House Then after four years of the reign of Cyrus after the House was destroyed Ezra went from Babylon with forty thousand in his company and the Israelites were afflicted and vexed under Cyrus for the space of 33. years Then came Alexander the King of Macedonia and slew Cyâ—…us and when he had reigned tvvelve years he died After him came four Usurpers vvhich afâ—…licted the Israelites 158. years But after that the sons of Hasmonani came and slevv those Usurpers and taking the Dominion from them reigned themselves 103. years Then reigned one Herod the Servant to Chasmonani vvho killed his Masters and their vvhole family save one Maâ—…d vvhom he loved But she climbed up to the top of an house and said There is no body left alive of my fathers house but I alone so she cast her self headlong from the top of the house and died Herod did lay her in honeâ—… and preserved her for the space of seven years There vvere that said he had carnal copulation vvith her after she vvas dead Herod and Agrippa his son and Monazab his nephevv possessed the Kingdom one hundred and three years So hast thou four hundred and three years of the second House Then came Vespasian Caesar and Titus his wives son and wasted the second House carrying away Israel unto Rome This is the ninth transmigration Moreover Bitter remained after the desolation and wasting of the Temple fifty two years After that Aâ—…rianus who used superstition with bones made wars upon them and transported Israel from their Country after he had spoiled it conveying them into Spain This is the tenth Captivity This Adrian vanquished the Jews which rebelled the second time against the Romans with a final and utter destruction forbidding and not suffering them in any wise to enter into Jerusalem which he had began to fortify with very strong walls and caused it to be called Helius after his own name He caused also a Sow to be graven over the chief gate of the City and a Jew under her feet carved in stone in token of their subjection A Corollary THus the ancient Nation of the Jews which in former times might have been called the Favorite of God Almighty was utterly destroyed and their City demollished the famous City of Jâ—…rusalem which had been five times surprized and sacked before First Asocheus King of Egypt after him Antiochus then Pompey And after him Herod with Sosius took it yet did they not dismantle much less destroy it But before them the Kings of Babylon ruin'd it after they had possessed it 1300 years eight months and â—…ix daies after the building of it The first founder of it was one of the Princes of the Cananites â—…called in his own Language the just King and indeed he was so for he was the first Priest that sacrificed to God and dedicated a Temple there calling the City Solyma But David King of the Iews having driven out the Cananites gave it unto his people to be inhabited and after 464 years and 3. months it was destroyed by the Babyâ—…nians And from King David who was the first Iew that raigned there unâ—…ill the time that Titus destroyed it were 1179 years And from the time that it was first Erected unâ—…ill it was thus râ—…ed were 2177 years yet neither the Antiquiâ—…y nor riches nor fame thereof then spread over the world nor the glory of Religion did any thing avail to hinder this hard destiny Such was the end of besieging Ierusalem when there were none left to kill more or any thing remaining for the souldiers to get or whereon they should exercise their courage for they would have spared nothing that they could have spoiled Titus câ—…mmanded â—…hem to destroy the City and Temple only leaving standing certain Towers that were more beautifull and stronger then the rest viz Phasclus Hippiâ—…os and Mariamne with the wall that stood on the west side intending to keep a Garrison there and these were left to stand for Monuments of their strength and the Roman valour which had overcome a City so well fortified All the rest of the City they so flatted that they who had not seen it before would not believe it had ever been inhabited Eheu quà m tenui pendent Mortalia filâ—… And now for an upshot of all that hath been said take a short view of the whole Matter Together with a true Character of the JEWS as they are at this day With the hopes and desires of all good Men for their Conversion WHen the Jews had made the full measure of their sins run over by putting to death the LORD of LIFE Gods judgements as they deserved and our Saviour foretold quickly overtook them For a mighty Army of the Romans beâ—…ieged and sackt the City of Jerusalem wherein by Fire Famine Sword Civil discord and Forrein force eleven hundred thousand were put to death An incredible number it seemeâ—… yet it cometh within the compasse of our belief if we consider that the siege began at the time of the Passâ—…over when in a manner all Jâ—…ea was inclosed in Jerusalem all private Synagogues doing then their duties to the Mother-Temple so that the City then had more guests than Inhabitants Thus the Passeover first instituted by God in mercy to save the Israelites from death was now used by Him in justice to hasten their destruction and to gather the Nation into a bundle to be cast into the fire of his anger Besides those who were slain ninety seven thousand were taken captives And they who had bought our Saviour for thirty pence were themselves sold thirty for a peny The General of the Romans in this action was Titus son to Vespasian the Emperour A Prince so good that he was styled the Darling of mankind for his sweet and loving nature and pity it was that so good a stock had not been better grafted So vertuously disposed that he may justly be counted the glory of all Pagans and shame of most Christians He laboured what lay in his power to have saved the Temple and many therein but the Jews by their obstinacy and desperateness made themselves uncapable of any mercy Then was the Temple it self made a Sacrifice and burnt to ashes And of that stately Structure which drew the Apostles admiration not a stone left upon a stone The walls of the City more shaken with the sins of the Jews deâ—…ending them than with the baâ—…tering Raâ—…s of the Romans assaulting them were levelled to the ground only three Towers left standing to witnesse the great strength of the place and greater valour of the Romans who conquered it But whilest this storm fell on the unbelieving Jews it was calm amongst the Chrians who warned by Christ's predictions and many other prodigies fled betimes out of the City to Pâ—…lla a private place beyond Jordan which served them instead of a little Zâ—…ar to save them from the imminent destruction Threescore years after
Titus Vespatianus Emperour of Rome Conquerour of Ierusalem Surnamed the delight of mankind w.s. sc. THE WONDERFUL AND MOST Deplorable HISTORY OF THE LATTER TIMES OF THE JEWS With the Destruction of the City of Jerusalem Which History begins where the Holy Scriptures do end By JOSEPHVS BEN GORION Whereunto is added a Brief of the ten Captivities with the Pourtrait of the Roman Rams and Engines of Battery c. As also of Jerusalem with the fearful and presaging Apparitions that were seen in the air before her Ruines Moreover there is a Parallel of the late Times and Crimes in London with those in Jerusalem London Printed for John Sims at the Sign of the Kings Head at Sweethings Alley end in Cornhil next the Royal Exchange 1671. To the Honorable Sir JOHN ROBINSON Knight and Baronet Lievtenant of the TOWER and Alderman of the CITY of LONDON Honorable Sir THIS rare and remarkable Piece of History as it was Dedicated before to the City of London in generall because of the quality of the Subject Treating of the ruine of one of the most famous Cities upon Earth So upon this Review and new Edition I take the boldness of Dedicating it to You alone who are one of the Eminent Members and Ornament thereof as also being Governor of that Place wherein lies her chiefest security It was formerly Dedicated to this City in the highest brunt of the late civill Confusions And the Noble Author of the following Epistle thought it very seasonable to do so out of an express design to awaken and warn Her of her desperate condition at that Time And it produced so happy effects that it made such impressions upon the spirits of many of the best Citizens that they began to recollect themselves and see their Error The said Author representing unto them that the same Crimes and Crying sins which raigned in Jerusalem before her last and utter destruction were very rife then in London which were the spirit of Sedition instable and stubborn Rebellious hearts their murmurings at Government and an itch after Innovations As also the defiling of their Temple the Irreverence and comtempt of the Priests the violation of the Tombs of the dead with other acts of Prophaness and Sacriledge But principally the Crucifying of the Lord of Life The City of London was guilty at that time of all these ugly and enormous Crimes and may be said to be lead all along by a true Jewish spirit And concerning the last viz. the Crucifixion of our Saviour though no Comparison may be made without a high prophaness yet the manner of murthering CHARLES the first may be humbly said to bear a kind of analogy and resemblance with it Nay the Jews whereof there are swarms now in this City will not stick to say that it was a Murther beyond theirs for what they did they did it out of blindness and ignorance for they neither knew nor acknowledged Him to be King of the Jew But the English did accuse and arraign they did condemn and murther King CHARLES by the name of their own King the King of England God Almighty avert those further judgments which hang over us as prayeth Honorable Sir Your most humble servant and Fellow-Citizen J. S. TO Englands Imperial Chamber THE Renowned City of LONDON To the Right Honorable the Lord Mayor the Right worshipfull the Sheriffs Mr. Recorder with the Court of Aldermen and Common Councel c. AS among men so there is a resemblance and a kind of affinity among Cities which are the Mansions of men and a reverence due to some more then to others Carthagena in Spain doth acknowledge old Carthage in Africk to be her Mother Leyden in Holland doth glory that she is allyed to Lions in France both of them bearing the name of Lugdunum Saragosa in Aragon confesseth her self daughter to Syracusa in Sicily and London by some Antiquaries is called Troynovant as having been first founded by the Trojans But of all the Cities upon the earthly Globe Jerusalem deserves most reverence in regard our Salvation was wrought and consummated in Her In regard that grand Prepitiatory Sacrifice for humâ—…ne souls was offered in her Therefore under favour I held it not improper to Dedicat the History of this once so famous Metropolis to the flourishing City of London In the holy Bible the most authentick Patent of saving Faith there is a Text which reflected upon the â—…ncient Nation of the Jews and aymed only at their Câ—…ntry viz. In Jury God is known c. Psal. 76. He was known indeed in that Land by the multitude of his Mercies but afterwards by the severity oâ—… his Judgments That race of people partly because they were not co-labourers at the building of that Mount of humane pride the Tower of Babel were for many ages the objects of his favour till they made themselves afterwards the subjects of his fury And as the Philosopher tels us Corrupâ—…o optimi est pessima or as we find that the sweetest wines become the tartest vineger so those heavenly indulgences turn'd to heavy indignations those silver showers of extraordinary benedictions became black stoâ—…ms of vengeance It is the method of divine Justice to correct first wâ—…th rods then with scourges and if that will not do with â—…corpions The Jews felt all the three degrees and never was any people upon earth made greater examples of wrath thâ—… his own chosen Inheritance a peculiar people that migâ—… have â—…m'd the right hand of primogeniture among the reâ—… of mankind Now whosoâ—…ver desires to make reserches into the grounds of these sad dysasters will find it was their sediâ—…ious proud spirits their instable and stubborn rebellious hearts which did them more mischief then the Roman Râ—… or any other destructive Engines the defiling â—…f their Temple the violation of the Tombs of the dead with other acts of profaneness and sacriledg but principally the rejecting and crucifying of the Lord of life For never any thing did thrive with them afterwards insomuch that if there were no other motive for the Jews convâ—…sion the length of these beavy judgments under which they groan to this day were â—…nough to do it And t is observed the length of these judgments doth often puzzle their intellectuals and put them at a stend Fâ—…r some of their Rabbies will stare and shrink-in their shoulders at it and sometimes break out into a kind of confession that their judgments could not last so long but for crucifying one that was more then a man Besides the punctuall accomplishment of our Saviours predictions were sufficient to convâ—…nce any rationall creature For not long after their Land became a stage of blood and all kind of barbarisms Their so renowned City their Temple and Sanctum Sanctorum so fam'd all the earth over was made level to the ground And observable it is that these judgments fell upon their Temple at the highest time of holiness at their Passover or Jubilee so that one might
and to enter their Camp whiles it was dark which they did and slew very many of the best of the Grecians about 4000. preparing neverthelesse for the Field against the morrow where also the Israelites did beat down many of the Greeks In that Battel was slain Eleazar son of Mattathias the Kings brother For when he espied one with a golden sword upon the Elephant he thought him to be King Opiter who had 20. Elephants in his Army therefore he took heart to him and beat down the souldiers of the Greeks on both sides were they never so strong till he came to the Elephant And because the Elephant was so high that he could not reach them that sate upon him he thrust his sword into the belly of the beast to overthrow the King whereat the Elephant shrunk together and fell upon Eleazar that he died there for whose sake all Israel mourned and made great lamentation But Opiter hearing this straightway made suite to King Iudas for peace and a League to be made between them which after Iudas had consented unto he returned home into Greece again and by the way fell into the hands of his enemies that slew him After him succeeded Demetrius his enemy who was the cause of his death There were at that time certain evil disposed persons of the Jews that served the King of the Grecians in his Wars namely one Alkimus who went to the King of the Greeks at that time lying at Antiochia and stirred him to move War upon Israel and King Iudas By whose suggestion Demetrius sent against Iudas a Captain called Nicanor with a strong Army Hâ—… now coming to Jerusalem let Iudas understand thaâ—… he bare him good will and was desirous to make peace and to enter into a League with him Therefore as Iudas came forth accompanied with his brethren the sons of Chasmoname Nicanor met him in the way imbraced him and kissed him after that led him to his pavillion and set him upon his pavillion and set him upon his seat of Honour King Iudas aâ—…so after he returned from the Camp made unto Nâ—…canor a great feast calling him and his Noble men with him into Jerusalem where they eat and drank at the Kings Table King Iudas was yet unmarried wherefore Nâ—…canor moved him to take a Wife that he might have issue and not loose his succession whose counsel Iudas allowed This done the â—…ewd pick thank Alkimus declared to King Demetrius the League that Nicanor had made with King Iudas whereat Dâ—…metrius being wroth writ unto Nicanor that he had intel igence of his traiterous practises Nicanor was in Jerusalem when this Letter was delivered him When Iudas heard of the contents of the Letter he fled out of Jerusalem into Samaria where he sounded a Trumpet and gathered Israel together Nicanor upon these letters entred the House of the Lord to seek Judas but he found him not Then he examined the Priests who sware they knew not what was become of him After he had now sought him in every corner throughout Jerusalem aud could not find him in a fume he sware he would beat down the Temple and gathering together all his Host He made speed against Judas When he heard of Nicanors coming he issued out of Samaria to met him and after they had joyned battel Judas slew of the Greeks to the number of eighteen thousand Horsemen took Nicanor alive and was intended to kill him But Nicanor besought pardon of him alledging that the King knew well enough that he began not this battel with his good will but left he should transgresse the Commandment of the King his Master Wherefore saith he I humbly beseech your Majesty not to kill me and I will sweare unto you that I will never bear Arms against you nor annoy you any more Upon this the King made a League with him and dismissed him So he returned to the King his Master with shame enough After this Demetrius died and Lysia his son raigned in his stead yet the wicked men ceased not but moved against King Lysia to make a voyage in his own person with a puissant Army against Judas but having the overthrow of King Judas he fled unto Asdotum till he had strongly repaired again his Army Then came he the second time upon Judas in which conflict the Israelites were put to flight King Judas notwithstanding fled neither one way nor other but called to his men and exhorted them to return and stick to him yet they would not obey him So he abod alone with his drawn sword in his hand unto whom none of his enemies durst approach nigh but with chariots and horsemen they environed him and Archers shot at him wounding him sore till he fell down dead upon the ground and they that were about him were taken alive The time that he reigned over Israel was six years Many of the Greeks Captains were slain also in that battel and the King himself so wounded that he was fain to get him into his Country to be cured of his wounds After he had recovered his health he returned again came to Jerusalem and to all the Cities of Israel with the power of the Greeks wherewith he so afflicted them at that time for the space of four moneths after the death of Judas that the like tribulation was never seen in Israel In the mean season the Israelits resorted to Ionathas the son of Mattathias and made him King in Iuda's stead and were sworn unto him This Ionathas fought dâ—…vers great battels against the Greeks having the aid of one Samnus of the kindred of Alexander the first who had made a League with Ionathas and took his part against Grecia wasted and spoiled it sore till at length the King of the Grecians slew Ionathas by a train His reign over Israel was six years Then was Simeon his brother King in his stead against him came Antiochus the second King of the Grecians came to war but Simeon met him and laid first and an ambush to entrap the Greeks and then ordered his battel in array against Antiochus After that he with his whole Host made a face faining as they fled and retired till they perceived Antiochus who pursued them to be within their danger then the ambush brake forth upon the Greeks made a very great slaughter After this Simeon returned to Jerusalem with great joy Then sent Ptolomee King of Egypt an Embassage to Simeon King of Israel offering him his daughter in marriage To this request when King Simeon had consented Ptolomee came to Jerusalem where was made him a great Feast and they were allyed together Whereupon Antiochus King of the Grecians writ to Ptolomee King of Egypt privily to murther Simeon King of Israel Whom Ptolomee durst not but obey for at that time the King of Egypt was in subjection to the Greeks Therefore when Simeon came into Egypt to see his father in law Ptolomee he was received with great feasting but in the same
time he had poison given that he died thereof Besides this also his son which came with him Ptolomee cast in prison These things justly chanced unto Simeon for that he had transgressed the word of the Lord that forbad all alliance with the Gentiles The time that he reignover Israel was eighteen years Then John his son reigned in his stead who was called Hircanus in the Greek Tongue The same-Ptolomy king of Egypt invaded Israel with all the power that he could make But John the son of Simeon met him and the Lord overthrew Ptolomy with his whole Host that they were slain of the Israelites and pursued to the City Dagon about which time the Israelites made trenches and besieged it Now within the Town they had the mother of king Hircanus whom Ptolomy caused to be set upon the walls and to be scourged with whips in the sight of her son When Hircanus saw the great affliction of his mother he would have raised his siege and departed from Ptolomy But his mother called unto him and said My dear son John regard not my trouble for all chastenings come from God Proceed manfully with thy siege against this City for it is in great distresse and revenge me thy father and brother murthered by Ptolomy The king followed her advise and manfully raised a Mount from the which he battered the walls with Engines of Iron like Chariots till they began to shake Wherefore many of the souldiers of the Town fled and their companies began to shatter Ptolomy seeing this commanded to afflict his mother yet more and to increase her scourgings until the entrails of Hircanus was moved that he could not abide longer to see his mother so cruelly handled but leave the siege and let Ptolomy escape who neverthelesse killed his mother and fled into Egypt In the fourth year of king Hircanus reign Pius king of Greece came and besieged Jerusalem with a great power and strength whom Hircanus was not able to meet and encounter withal in the field but suffered himself to be closed up in the City The king of the Grecians therefore raised great towers against the City apart from the wall digged a trench and cast up a mount Then planted they their Engins named Pâ—…ams against the gates so that the City was hard besieged for they beat down one of the Turrets that stood upon the wall whereat all Israel was afraid and agreed together to issue out and skirmish with them whatsoever should come thereon life or death Which although Hircanus liked not yet they did so and slew many of their enemies and put them also to flight that they were constrained to encamp themselves further off from Jerusalem Then the Israelites came to the towers that the Greeks had builded and razed them to the ground Thus they issued out daily skirmishing with Pius until the Feast of the Tabernacles Then sent Hircanus to Pius desiring him that he would grant them Truce and let them be at peace while the Feast lasted His request Pius granted and sent a fat Oxe to be offered to the God of Israel covering his horns with beaten gold and dressing him with fillets of christal other precious stones clad also in a garment of Purple and divers other precious cloaths He sent moreover plate both of silver and gold full of divers kinds of spices all to be offered unto the Lord. When Hircanus saw this he went out unto Pius and after he had made peace with him he made him and his chief men of War a great Feast and gave him a Present of Iâ—…I C. pound weight of Gold He went also with Pius to aid him against the King of Persia that at that time rebelled against him But he tarried there not long because the time of Pentecost was at hand Wherefore Hircanus and the Host of Israel returned but Pius and his Army of the Grecians proceeded Whom the king of the Persians met in the field slew Pius himself and vanquished the residue that almost none remained VVhereof when tydings came to Hircanus he was very glad and returned to Jerusalem with peace and joy After this Hircanus made many great Battels with the Nations about him and had ever victory He also came to the Mount of Corizim where he won a fort of the Sectaries and Samaritans and razed the Temple that the Sectaries had there as their house of Sanctuary which they builded by the licence of Alexander the first king of the Greeks He that built it was Manasse the Priest brother to Simeon the just But Hircanus the high Priest pulled it down two hundred years after that it was builded From thence he went to the Gity of Samaria and besieged it This was the mâ—…ther City of the Samaritans and Sectaries which was brought to such distresse by the long siege of Hircanus that they within were fain to eat the carcases of Dogs The feast of Propitiation then at hand Hircanus made speed to Jerusalem to execute his office at that feast for he was high Priest appointed for Generals of his Army Aristobulus his eldest son and his second Antigonus In the mean season they within the Town writ to the king of Greece to come to succour them which he did with a great power But these two young men the kings sons went to meet them with the strength of the Israelites and gave them the overthrow killing them up almost every one to the number of twenty one thousand fighting men and the rest fled That done the young men returned to the siege of Samaria King Hircanus their father had tidings of the coming of the Grecians against his sons so that he perceived they should have the Grecians of the one side of them and the Samaritans and Sectaries of the other but he knew nothing what was hapned for that victory chanced the ninth day of Tisre or September His heart therefore was careful for his sons and for Israel notwithstanding he proceeded in his office according as the feast required as he entred into the house of Sanctum Sanctorum or the Most Holiest to offer incense and to call for mercy for his children and for his Army he heard a voice speaking unto him Never trouble thy mind with thy children and with the Host of Israel for yesterday the Lord of mercy heard them and according to the greatnesse of his goodness for thy Fathers sakes Let thy heart therefore be right and thy hands pure So the King going out of the Sanctuary declared it to the people Whereupon the next day he sent post to Samaria and was assure dry certified again that this was true VVherefore King Hircanus was magnified greatly of all Israel for they knew that the blessed Lord accepted his doings inspiring him with the holy Ghost and increasing his kingdom and Priesthood After this he took journey to Samaria besieged it a whole year and at length wan it slew all also that bare life within He razed the walls the palace and
burnt up the City He had wars also with the Romans and the Arabians and God prospered all that ever he took in hand Shortly after God gave him rest and quietnesse from all that dwelt about him and from all his enemies so that Israel rested boldly in peace and tranquility all his time On a time the King made a Feast to all the Sages of Israel that they might make cheer with him And being pleasantly disposed he said I am your Scholler and whatsoever I do that do I by your Authority Wherefore I pray you if you see any fault in me or if I do not as becometh me tell me of it that I might reform my evil way Then every man greatly extolled and commended him saying who is like unto thee our Lord King so worthy of the Kingdom 〈◊〉 Priesthood so notable in good works whose works be done for the God of heaven which hast also done us so much good in Israel The King was well pleased with their answer and rejoyced greatly Yet was there one among them an undiscreet man called Elezaar who spake unadvisedly to the king And it please your Majesty it were sufficient for you to have the Crown of the Kingdom ye might leave the Crown of the Priesthood to the seed of Aaron for as much as your mother was Captain in mount Modiit Incontinent the King was moved and sore displeased against the Sages which certain of his servants that hated the Sages and smelled somewhat of Sects perceiving one of them informed the King that whatsoever that undiscreet person had spoken it was not without the advise of the Sages Whereupon the King demanded of the Sages what law shall that man have that in despight of the King speaketh things to his reproach They made answer he is worthy to be whipt Then said one of the Saducees the matter is plain that according to the minds of the Sages and at their bidding he upbraided thee and therefore they would not award him to die Whereat the King held his peace and gave never a word to answer so all the joy was turned into sadnesse The next day at the commandment of the King proclamation went to all the Cities in the Kings Dominions that they should stand to the ordinance of Saboch and Bithus and whosoever should refuse to follow their Decrees or would observe the Traditions of the Sages and obey their will should suffer death This was John the high Priest which had the Priesthood forty years and in the end became a Saducee Notwithstanding the Israelites obeyed not the kings commandment but rather privily followed the ordinances of the Sages The king himself and all his servants followed the Traditions of the Saducees making Inquisition for them that stuck to the constitutions of the Sages and putting to death as many as he could get knowledge of By this means he drew much people of Israel into this opinion The time that Hircanus ruled over Israel was 31. years and then he died After him reigned his son Aristobulus for he had three sons Aristobulus Antigonus and Alexander This Alexander was hated of his Father and banished out of his presence He went therefore and made War upon Tyre and Sidon subdued them and compelled them to be circumcised Aristobulus regarded not the high Priest-hood but set light by it wherefore he would not execute the office thereof but took the Kingdom upon him and set the Crown upon his head and was called the great King Besides this he banished his mother and Alexander her son his younger brother and would not suffer them to dwell in Jerusalem But he loved his brother Antigonus and made him Lieutenant General of all his Wars setting him forward into the Wars against his enemies Wherein the young man Antigonus had good fortune and prospered in all things that he took in hand and returned safe to Jerusalem where he entred into the house of the Sanctuary to pray for his brother the King which at that time was grievously sick and also to acknowledge before the Lord God his goodnesse and mercy towards him in that he aided him against his enemies Then came a certain wicked person unto the King and informed him with this tale Thy brother saith he returning from the wars inquired of thy health and when it was told him thou wast sick he said I will go to him to day and rid him out of the world When the King heard this he was wroth toward the Sages and commanded his brother to be apprehended and carried to the place of Starton there to be kept in prison till he had made further inquisition of this matter In the mean space the Queen the Kings wife commanded him to be put to death there without knowledge of the Kings mind But when the King heard that his brother was killed he cryed out and wept bitterly smiting his breast in such sort with his hand that he swouned and much blood issued out of his mouth He reigned over Israel two years After him his brother Alexander reigned who was also called King Janai being brought out of Prison where his brother had put him and made King of Israel He was a mighty man and valiant in all his wars against his enemies prevailing against them He had wars with the Philistims namely Asam and Ascalon whom he put to the worse and overcame them This man refused not the Priesthood but was high Priest It chanced on a time when he stood at the Altar to offer sacrifice one of the sages cast a Cedar tree on him whereat he lifted up his right hand upon the Altar crying give me my sword Then the Sages kneeled down before him and sware they did t not of any contempt but rather say they that we thus sporting before the Lord would be merry upon the High solemn day But the Kings servants answered roughly again saying although ye play and rejoyce yet it is not the manner of the country to use any such despightfull custome with the King The contention waxed hot against them till at length the Sages spake evil of the King casting in his teeth that he was an unhallowed and suspended person and that his Grand-mother on the fathers side was a Captain in mount Modiit whereby her seed was stained The King was sore moved at that insomuch that he commanded all the Sages to be slain Therefore wheresoever they found them in the Sanctuary or in the streets of Jerusalem they killed them forthwith Then the King commanded that every man should obey the governance and traditions of the Saducees So in those daies had the Sages great tribulation some fell on the sword some fled away and some tarried at home with great dishonor After these matters the King made an expedition into Arabia entred the country as far as the rock of the Wilderness against Hattam King of Arabia and subdued his land After that he warred on Medaba and the whole Land of Moab vanquished them and bringing
them under tribute and so returned with honor to Jerusalem When he had after this well bethought him of his doings it repented him of his evil waies wherefore he altered his mind and began to make much of the Sages submitting him to their ordinance and esteemed their traditions There was at that time a kind of Sect that were called Pharisees of whom such as had escaped the King sent to call them home again and when they came into his presence he spake unto them words of comfort saying My brethren ye shall understand that the thing which is once done must needs be tearmed as it is and cannot be revoked And truth it is you cannot excuse the reproach that ye did me nor I cannot call again the blood that I have shed Notwithstanding I confess my fault unto you and have changed my indignation to love praying you to put out of your heart all rancor and malice lay away all your mourning and sorrowfulness of your minds rejoycing in your reconciliation and atonement with me and be of good cheer But they made him answer we will not lay away our hatred and enmity for thou speakest but deceitfully and we speak that is truth Furthermore thou hast killed our chief men and Elders neither hast thou only done us this injury but as Hircanus thy father began this mischief so thou hast holden on and continued it Wherefore this hatred between thee and us hath taken some root neither can we leave our lamentation till thou dye and God take vengeance on thee for our sakes Then shall we rejoyce when we see vengeance So they departed from his presence neither did the King give them any answer at all But when they saw the King to be incensed against them and by that means the matter might redound to their own harm after consultation had they went to the King of Greece whose name was Demetrius shewed him what Hircanus and Alexander his son had don to the Pharisees and all the Israelites that bare them good will and followed their traditions and how they also hated Alexander for the mischief that he had wrought them so that if any man will come and revenge the malice of Alexander they would be ready to aid him Demetrius followed their advice and assembling together all his people to the number of 400000. horsemen and footmen without number he took his journey and encamped against Sichem The King Alexander raised six thousand horsemen to aid him But the King of the Grecians writ privily to the Antients of the Sectaries that they should not aid Alexander to the souldiers also that Alexander had hired he sent rewards gold and silver that they returned home to their country and aided not Alexander whereupon he was not able to withstand Demetrius Therefore hearing that Demetrius was removed from Sichem toward Jerusalem intending to take him in the City he fled by night with a few of his men to the mountains and lurked there When the men of Israel that were in Judea heard that the King was fled out of Jerusalem and that the City was in fear to come into the hands of the Grecians they gathered themselves together and stood for their lives as though all had been one man to the number of ten thousand and sâ—… upon Demetrius Camp killed all his best men of war and spoiled all his Host that he fled from them and came home into his Country with great dishonor This done the King took heart to him and returned to his Kingdom but the Pharisees fled to Bethshemes fortifying themselves against the King who having intelligence thereof gathered aâ—… Army and went against them won the City and took 800 of the chiefest Pharisees bound them in chains and brought them to Jerusalem Then banqueted he all his servants upon the roof of his Pallace in a high place where his learned Peers did eat and drink till they were drunk And in his merry mood he commanded those eight hundred Pharisees prisoners to be fetcht forth and to be hanged every man of them upon gallowses before him at which sight he drunk and laughed heartily After this he fell sick in the four and twentieth year of his Reign of a grievous disease a Quartain Ague that held him three years and for all this he shrunk not nor letted to go to the war to encounter and fight with his enemies what nation soever they were round about him as though he had been a whole man In the 27. year of his Reign which was the third of his sickness he made an expedition into the Land of Moab against a certain City called Rabaga to get it by force At which time he was very sick and weak wherefore his wife Alexandra the Queen went with him fearing least he should dye by the way And as he encamped himself â—…gainst the City and urged it sore with assaults his fickness increased upon him more and more Wherefore his wife perceiving that he was like to dye wept bitterly for him and said to whom shall I be so bold as to shew my face when thou art once dead seeing thou hast wrought such mischief against the Pharisees whom all the Land favoureth and following their traditions obey their instructions if they shall be disposed to revenge themselves upon me and thy young children they shall have aid of all that dwell in the Land The King answered Weep not nor shew any resemblance of pensiveness I will tell thee what thou shalt do and if thou wilt follow my counsell thou shalt prosper and Raign thou and thy children as thou wouldest desire put case I dye there is no man in the world need know thereof tell thou every man therefore that ask for me that I am sick and will not that any man shall come at me In the mean while anoint and season me with balms fight with courage against this City till thou win it and then return to Jerusalem with joy and beware thou put on no mourning apparrell nor weep but bring me unto Jerusalem and lay me on a bed like a sick man and after call together the chief of the Pharisees bring them where I am and speak unto them gently in this sort Alexander hath been ever your enemy I know it very well wherefore take him if ye list and cast him into the fire or to the dogs or bury him it shall be at your choise I know well they are pitifâ—…ll men and so full of mercy that they will bury me honorably and appoint some one of my sons whom they like best to be King The Queen did therefore as she was instructed of the King And when she had won Rabaga she joyfully returned to Jerusalem after that gathered together the elders of the Pharisees and spake to them as the King had advised her The Pharisees hearing that the King was dead and that his body was in their hands to do withall what they list they answered the Queen God forbid we should do
Agrippa and slew them their men and all the multitude that was with him in Jerusalem and Judea The Elders in Judea with the wisest and goodliest Israelites seeing what was done departed from Jerusalem fearing Nero and the cruelty of the Romans therefore they took the Town of Sion and remained there for they would not be taken of the Romans to be of the same confederacy with the other The seditious hearing that took the Temple of the Lord so sedition and civil wars fell between the Seditious and the Ancients For when Eleasar heard that the Elders and the heads of the people were fled to the Mount Sion he and his company set upon them prevailed against them and slew a great many of them Agrippa perceiving the power of the seditious grew apace he sent out of his camp where he lay without the Town two valiant Captains one named Darius the other Philippus with 6000. men to succour those Elders and Sages that were desirous of peace These prevailed against Eleasar and the seditious that took his part made a great slaughter of them skirmishing for the space of seven daies together and at length put them to flight and pursued them to the Temple From that time forth the wars increased more and more between Eleasar and his complices and Agrippa with his hoast and the Sages Elders and Princes that took their part Upon a time when the Captains of Agrippa entred the Temple certain cut-throat murderers raised by the seditious mixt themselves amongst the Kings bands and getting behind their backs wounded them with daggers that they had under their kets so that the Kings souldiers having Launces and great arming swords in their hands such as they use in the wars could not wield them in the press by this means many of them were slain and the seditious got the victory Thus Darius and Philippus with the Roman Army were put to flight and the Elders with the Sages that were desirous of peace departed out of town and fled to King Agrippa Then had Eleasar and the seditious the whole rule of the City and all to their great damage for the fury of the seditious increased to such outragiousness that they set a fire King Agrippa's house that he had in Jerusalem spoiled all his treasure and all that was any thing worth they divided amongst themselves They burnt the books of accounts and bills of debts every one that were in his Palace Beronice's house also the Kings sister they set on fire and they slew all the cunning Artificers that were Masters of the Kings works so their rule and power in the City grew every day more and more grievous then other CHAP. V. IN those daies dwelt the Jews and Aramites together in all the Cities of Syria amongst whom also was war waged for the Caesarians brought the Romans into the Town against the Jews and slew them as many as they could find in the Town The Damascians also conspired together to destroy all the Jews that dwelt amongst them which thing they kept secret from their wives because for the most part they favoured the Jews religion Therefore the Aramites upon a certain night armed for the purpose beset all the waies and entrances into the Town and houses also and slew about ten thousand of the Jews coming upon them unawares when they were in their beds nothing mistrusting any such matter When the Jews of Jerusalem heard how the Aramites had dealt with the Jews in their Countrey suddenly they put themselves in arms and in a fury and rage like as it had been Lions and Bears that had lost their whelps they ran to Damasco burnt their holds put the Damascians to the sword men women and children even the very sucking babes yea their Oxen Sheep Camels and Asses with all other Cattle leaving none alive And thus they dealt with many Cities of the Syrians slaying and killing them not sparing either old or young male or female but destroyed all in most cruel wise even the very Infants and sucklings they haled from their mothers breasts and murthered them insomuch that all the whole land was full of the stink of the dead bodies that were slain for there was no man left to bury the Carkases So the Jews wasted all the Land of the Aramites and had destroyed it had not Castius a Captain of the Romans delivered Syria and the Country of Zapha The people therefore departed wholly from Aram to return into Judea and in the way they came to Scithopolis a City in Syria intending to besiege it for it was yet left untouched and was very strong At that time also the Jews and Aramites dwelt together in it The Jews therefore that were without offered peace to the Jews that dwelt in the Town but they refused it and defied them railing at them and for their friendly offer requited them with approbrius words and with injuries also For those Jews that dwelt in the aforesaid City with the Aramites loved together like brethren and for the most part they were of the Leviticall tribe stout men and hardy The host of the Jews without the City said unto them We come friendly unto you and would aid you The other Jews within answered We will neither your friendship nor ayd The army of the Jews hearing that consented and agreed to raise their siege to go to Jerusalem and there to remain for they had a great booty of Gold and Silver that they had gotten together of the spoiles of Syria After this the Syrians that dwelt in Sithopolis said to one another put case the Jews return again and make war upon us surely if they should so do these Jews that dwell among us would joyn with them and deliver up the City into their hands and then would they be revenged upon us and destroy us as they have done the other Cities of Syria Therefore they agreed to say unto the Jews and inhabitants of the City with them We understand your country men will invade us again and make war upon us wherefore depart ye forth of the City with your wives and children and lodg in the wood nigh unto the City till their army be gone again and then you shall return unto us The Jews were content to fulfil their minds went out of the City and placed themselves in the wood There was amongst them a certain young man named Schimeon a good man of war fierce big-made and very strong withall he in the favour of the Gentiles had slain many Jews and destroyed much of the people of God For during the time that the Jews besieged Scithopolis he issued out continually and skirmished with the host of the Jews many times putting them to flight and never would suffer them to waste the Town or to do any harm to the inhabitants thereof Now as Schimeon with his father Saul an honest old man and the rest of the people of the Jews that dwelt in Scithopolis remained altogether bodily in the Wood
Jehochanan took Eleazars part and defended him For Eleazar was alwayes Jehochanan's friend and aided him His father was high Priest and bare a great rule in Jerusalem wherefore Eleazar was of a great estimation and authority with the Elders so that they durst not apprehend him and his father also looked negligently unto him and let him do what he list because he had no more sons but him So he was the first that assembled naughty persons together and held ever on Jehochanans side from his first coming to Jerusalem And for his sake fell division and dissention between Jehochanan and Schimeon so that they became enemies and warred the one upon the other ever after as we shall declare hereafter CHAP. I. IN this while Vespasian had sent Antony and Mankiminus two Noble men and of his Council to Rome against Vitellius that they might make him out of the way and then would he come to Rome to receive the Imperial Crown there These two Captains went therefore and raised an Army by whose aid they set upon Vitellius and â—…w him not without much ado for there were slain that day at Rome 80. thousand good men of war When Vespasian had word that he was dispatched he made speed to Rome to his Coronation dividing first his Army into two parts whereof he took the one with him to Rome as a safegard for himself whatsoever should happen and the other he left with Titus his son to besiege Jerusalem withall So departing he left his son Titus at Alexandria commanding him to remain there till such time as he should signifie unto him otherwise by his Letters and shew him what he should do and that in no wise he should attempt the siege of Jerusalem in the mean space Titus answered I shall do dear Father according unto your commandment for to you it belongeth to command and unto me to obey Vespasian took with him King Agrippa and Munabas his son he fearing lest they would rebell and me Joseph Priest and prisoner also fast bound in chains for so had his Council moved him saying We cannot say the contrary but that we have found no sign of rebellion in Joseph hitherto neither think we that he hath gone about any but Who can tell when we are gone hence whether he will not flee to Jerusalem and help â—…o set them at unity and concord then they make him their King and after he be the sorer enemy unto us Besides this you shall have need of him in this journey he being a man of such great prudence and wisdom that whosoever followeth his coâ—…sel shall bring his matters to good and fortunate successe Vespasian liked well their advice and took him prisoner with him together with King Agrippa and his son albeit they had no irons upon them neither on hand or foot but only had their Keepers appointed them that they should not step aside And as Vespasian drew nigh Rome all the Citizens came forth to meet him and received him with great joy and mighty Shews Then he commanded that I should be put in prison but Agrippa and his son he let go at liberty The next day assembled all the Senate of Rome to create Vespasian Emperour after the manner of the Romans with whom was Agrippa and his son I also intreated the Jaylor to let me have Keepers with me and so to bring me to the place where he should be Crowned Caesar which the Jaylor granted me and went with me himself to the place and brought me where I might see all that was done Within few dayes after Vespasian took displeasure with Agrippa upon the information of certain evil disposed persons that had slandered him and perswaded Vespasian that he went about to rebell and how he had sent letters unto Jerusalem concerning the same matter wherefore Vespasian put both him and his son Munabas to death This befel three years and a half before the destruction of Jerusalem Moreover before this deed the continual Sacrifice ceased for a thousand two hundred and ninety dayes as it is written in Dan. Chap. 22. And from the time that the continual Sacrifice shall be taken away and abomination shall be put into desolation a thousand two hundred and ninety dayes The same year and moneth that Agrippa was put to death God moved the minde of Vespasian to remember me with his mercy wherefore he commanded that I should be fetched out of prison and brought to his presence And as I stood in irons before him Caesar bad me welcome and spake comfortably unto me saying Thou knowest very well that I have loved thee from the day I first saw thee and though I have kept thee continually in durance do not think I did it of any ill will or malice toward thee but rather thou mayest perswade thy self I did it lest the Roman Princes should disdain at thee and say See here is a fellow that in our wars hath endamaged us so greatly yet now goeth he check-mate with us in as great favour as we Let us kill him and put him out of the way But my friend Joseph be of good chear I will deliver thee from these iron-bands and thou shalt be with me in no worse case than one of my chief Princes I will send thee into Jewry to my son Titus to whom thou shalt be as a father and a counsellour Thou knowest Titus was he that took pity on thee and would not suffer thee to be put to death Yea he hath sundry times moved me to release thee of thy bonds and to honour thee which I have deferred to do only for this cause that I shewed thee I made him answer But how can I be quiet or in surety of my life as long as I am in thy company and thy sons seeing Agrippa and his son were suddenly put to death by you Caesar answered Hold thy peace Joseph I never looked for any goodnesse of Agrippa and his son Thou knowest not what they had wrought against my Majesty and how they went about to rebel thou hast born their bones with thy hands Doest thou not know I honoured him and his son in Jewry how I would not suffer any of my Army to annoy any of his Cities I answered Yes I know it was so as your Majesty saith Then said he But for all this hath Agrippa requited me again with evil For what time as the Nobles of Rome in Jewry went about to make me Empeperour thinking me somewhat more meet to rule the Empire than Vitellius Agrippa perswaded them that they should not make me Emperour affirming that there was nothing in me worthy wherefore they should promote me to that dignity And after when he came to Rome he went from one Bishop to another and caused them to go to the Bishops to accuse me of such crimes as in my conscience I knew nothing at all of By this I perceived that Agrippa's heart was full of rancour and rebellion and therefore I judged him
he took a good heart unto him and valiantly brake through slaying whomsoever came in his way to lay hands on him and so he escaped If they had intended to have slain him they might have done it but being desirous to take him alive as he said they abstained from striking him and so they lost him And God did not deliver him into their hands that by him he might scourge Israel But the Jews seeing him to be thus escaped repented sore that they had not killed him saying one to another What meant we that we killed him not while we might it was ill done of us Therefore they pursued him huâ—…ling and shooting after him with Engins of war but they could not overtake him for God preserved him that he might afterward deliver Jerusalem into his hands So he returned to Ajelona and perceived the hearts of Kings to be in the hands of God The next morning brought Titus all his Army to Jerusalem determining to encamp himself upon the Mount Olivet wherefore he first spake unto his souldiers in this wise This day ye go to fight against a mighty Nation whose warriours be as strong as Lions valiant as Libards and nimble as Fawns that run in the Mountains to overturn Chariots and such as sit upon them Now therefore take good hearts unto you and be couragious for it behoves you Do not think them to be like the Nations that heretofore ye have had to do withall I my self have experience otherwise of their valiantnesse and sleights of war This said he marched in aray most strongly that they should not be scattered asunder and gave them charge especially to the Vangard to take heed of stumbling upon Wells and Cisterns whereby they might be hindred for as yet the day was scarce broken and besides this Titus had knowledge how the Jews fearing of his coming had digged secret trenches and pitfalls Wherefore to avoid them he led his host to Mount Olivet in which place it never came in their minds to dig Therefore when he came to the Mount Olivet he encamped there against Jerusalem right over against the Brook Cedron that ran between the City and the Hill and many times ran very â—…hallow Titus Camp was about six furlongs from the Town The next morning they of the Town seeing Titus to be encamped on the Mount Olivet the Captains of the Seditious with their Companies assembled together and fell to agreement every man with another intending to turn their cruelty upon the Romans confirming and ratifying the same attonement and purpose by swearing one to another and so there was peace amongst them Wherefore joyning together that before were three several parts they set open the gates and all the best of them issued out with an horrible noise and shout that they made the Romans afraid withall in such wise that they fled before the Seditious which suddenly did set upon them at unawares But Titus seeing his men flee rebuked them saying Are ye not ashamed of this timourous cowardliness when ye are so many and a hundred for one of them Whar ignominy is it so many to be repulsed of so few Wherewithall Titus stayed them and brought them manfully to withstand the Jews so that very many were slain on both sides But the Romans were not able long to abide the force of the Jews albeit that Titus with his choiâ—…est and most valiant souldiers did manfully keep their ground and never retreated Titus also laboured and encouraged the rest to sight but they were so dismayed that they wist not what to do For to forsake Titus they were ashamed and to resist the violence of the Jews they were not able Notwithstanding Titus and all his Company made his party good against the Jews who at length left the field and withdrew themselves towards the Town Then Titus being wroth with his souldiers that they had fled from the Jews said unto them Shall I not be revenged of these Jews Shall so few of them put us to flight not able to stand in their hands and will ye flee or retreat seeing me abide by it The next day Titus took all his Army save a few that he left in his Camp to keep his baggage and went down the Mount Olivet setting his men in battel aray even against the gates of the City Then exhorted he them to play the men and although they were come down the hill yet they should not fear the Jews concerning their Camp that they had left behinde them for the Brook Cedron saith he is between our Camp and the Israelites With these words they were encouraged and determined to encounter with the Jews under the walls hard to the gates of the City trusting to the safegard and defence of the Brook Cedron The Captains of the Seditious likewise used policy for they dividing their men sent one company to passe suddenly the Brook Cedron to invade and spoil the Roman Camp that was left in the Mount Olivet These therefore went and fought with the Romans upon the Mount and drove them out of their Camp Titus looking behind him and perceiving that the Jews had gotten over the Brook and were in hand with his men he was wonderfully afraid seeing himself environed with battels on every side They within the Town when they saw their fellows once at the Mount Olivet they opened the gates issued out with all their power that was left in the Town and encountred with Titus where he had set his men in array over against the gate where they made a great slaughter of the Romans which desirous to avenge the shame gotten the day before fled not but stoutly withstood their force Also the Jews took heart to them fought manfully and beat down the Romans so that at length they betook them to flight toward Mount Olivet and in their flight many of them were slain by the Jews that pursued the chase Upon this divers of Titus souldiers seeing themselves beset both before and behinde counselled Titus to flee with them to the Mountains to save his life lest he should be slain by the Jews and they all together with â—…m For thou say they art a great Lord of many Kingdoms and God shall one day bring thee to the Imperial Crown of our Lord thy father Now therefore if thou shouldest be slain of the Jews we are all but dead and what good should thy death do either to thy self or to others to be slain like one of us Titus would not be ruled by them nor receive their counsel but kept his ground boldly without once turning his face saying I will choose rather to die with honour than to live with shame And with that he rushed upon the Jews that were nigh him and compelled them to recoyl When the Jews that had environed the Roman Camp saw that they left the Romans and came flocking about Titus by routs assailing him on every side indeavouring also with all their might to overcharge him Where in
the array of the Romans but the Jews shrunk not from the Romans for they were in a fervent rage and wonderfull disdain and to further their courage Schimeon came to his men and cryed unto them with a loud voyce saying For the reverence of God friends flee not this day whosoever doth flee let him be sure he shall dye for it and his house be destroyed Titus also admonished his to keep their array and not to give back to Schimeon Then went he himself to that part of the Town where Jehochanans ward was there he caused a battering Ram to be planted and bent against the wall for there was a very large Plain There was at that time in Jerusalem one called Kantor who got to him a company of the Seditious and shot from the walls into the Romans Army where he slew very many and compelled the rest to retire This Kantor with nine other tall fellows whereof he was the Decurion defended one part of the Town Now as the Romans bended the Ram to batter the wall Kantor cryed unto Titus I beseech thee my Lord Titus be mercifull unto this most famous City that is almost beaten down already do not deface it utterly but take pitty of the Sanctuary that is in it and destroy not the habitation of the Lord God Titus at his request commanded his men to stay and to leave off battering the wall Then said he to Kantor Come forth hither to me and thou shalt save thy self I will pardon thee thou shalt not be destroyed Kantor answered I will see if I can perswade these my fellows to come with me But he did it upon colour for none other cause than craftily to trifle out time whereby he miâ—…ht cause Titus to leave off the assault for a while So he spake unto his fellows which knew his mind that the Romans might hear Let us go down and flee to the Roman Army Then they drew out their swords as though they would kill him and striking upon his harness he fell down to the ground in the sight of the Romans which were ignorant of his deceit Then one of the Romans let flye an arrow that wounded Kantor upon the face and glauncing from him slew another that stood by him Then Kantor cryed out What do ye will ye shoot at us that desire to be at peace with you which ye granted your selves and now will break your promise that ye made unto us Is this the reward my Lord Titus that thou renderest me for going about to flee unto thee that thy souldiers should shoot at me hearing me require conditions of peace Now therefore my Lord may it please thee to send hither some man of honour to whom I may come down and receive assurance of thy promise to be as one of thine own men Titus thinking he meant good faith spake unto Joseph willing him to go and make peace with the Jews in his name then to bring him unto him that he might find safe-gard of his life from the common destruction Joseph answerd Why wilt thou send me What have I offended thee Have I not ever done thee true and faithfull service Therefore if thou bear me any good will or favour send me not unto him whom I cannot trust For Joseph mistrusted some subtilty knowing Kantor afore So Titus sent one Captain Jiarus who said unto Kantor Come down and let us go together to Caesars son Kantor desired him to hold abroad his cloak lap that he might hurl him down his money that he had there lest the Jews perceiving it would take it from him and then he would come down And as Jiarus held up his lap to receive the money that Kantor spake of Kantor with all his might cast down a great stone which Jiarus espying lept aside and avoided but it lighted upon one of his fellows and slew him Titus was wonderfull wroth at this and forthwith planted yet another Ram against the wall and at length laid it flat upon the ground Then commanded Titus to make fires about the Wall where the Jews should think to escape Kantor seeing that would have fled and as he made haste to escape the fires the weight of his armour bare him down into the fire and there he died more desirous of death than life Then entred the Romans within the second wall against whom the Seditious issued and â—…ought with such vehement foâ—…ce that they prevailed against their enemies slue many of the Romans and forced the rest to retire unto the first wall that they had beaten down afore In this skirmish Titus himself took a bow and shot at the Jews in such wise that not one of his arrows were spent in vain but that it did some annoyance unto the Jews The Jews notwithstanding gave them the repulse from the Town and they were not able to make their party good with them Within four daies after came unto Titus a new supply of souldiers out of all quarters for ayd to the Romans by whose help they prevailed against the Jews at such time as they issued out of the Town and constrained them to withdraw themselves within the walls Yet Titus pittying the miserable state of the City Temple and People of the Lord at that time commanded his people to withdraw themselves from the walls and to leave off the assault for a while that he might offer peace to the Jews to see if they would now be content to submit themselves unto the Romans to have quietness and rest without danger of destruction Wherefore he gave them truce for five daies and upon the fift day he came to the gate of the City where he straightway espyed Schimeon and Jehochanan together preparing fire to destroy the Romans Engins of war for all the Jews had agreed together with one mind still to withstand the Romans Wherefore Titus perceiving the Jews to be so desperately bent that they had even vowed their lives to death he began to offer and propose unto them conditions of peace and sharply to reprove and blame their obstinate stubborness saying I have now won two of your walls and ye have but one left Therefore if yeâ—… will continue still in this self willed frowardness what will ye do most miserable creatures when as I shall gain also the third wall and quite destroy your City pulling down your Temple and all Why do ye not rather favour and spare your own lives your wives and children But the Jews set upon a sullen obstinacy would in no wise hear Titus speak Therefore Titus sent Joseph to declare his mind unto them in Hebrew that they might safely credit his promises and the peace that was offered Joseph therefore went and stood over against the gate keeping himself aloof off for he was afraid to come nigh the wall knowing that the people hated him because he had yielded himself to the Romans He called therefore unto them aloud Hearken all ye Hebrews and Jews I will declare unto you that
stones and shooting thick at them for they were afraid to come nigh them because of their great fierceness although they were three thousand men that kept the Rams Yet these four set nothing by them nor yet never went off the ground till the Rams were clean burnt up shot the Romans never so thick at them Titus hearing the valiantness of these young men and the harms they had done unto the Romans made speed with his whole Hoste to save the Rams from the fire and to apprehend those young men Then forthwith issued out Schimeon Jehochanan and Eleazar Captains of the Seditious with their souldiers sounding their Trumpets and made the Romans retire that they could not come nigh the fire and so rescued the four young men from the Romans that had environed them round about In that skirmish were killed ten thousand and five hundred men Then gathered together all the whole Army of the Romans to assault the Jews at once approaching hard to the walls of Jerusalem where they cryed unto the Jews saying What are you Oxen or Goats that you fight on this fashion upon the Walls Will you be taken in the midst of the City like as Oxen and Goats are taken in their folds If ye be men come forth and let us try our manhood here in this Plain But you by stealth and at unawares set upon them that keep our Engins snatching them up like as it were wolves should snatch sheep then run away into the Town as the wolves run into the Wood If there be any manhood in you behold we are ready here come forth to us so many for so many and then we shall see what end will come thereof When the Captains of the Seditious heard that they spake unto the warriours that were in Jerusalem Which of you will go out with us to these dogs to shew our force and stomachs for the Sanctuary and City of the Lord Then five hundred tall fellows of their own accord issued out upon the Romans suddenly and slue eight thousand men and compelled the rest to retreat from the walls The Romans then felt what valiantness the Jews had for the Romans were in number fourty thousand fighting men and the Jews were only five hundred whereof not one of them was killed in that skirmish The Romans a far off shot at the Jews and hurled stones to whom the Jews said Come hither to us are you not they that called us forth and provoked us to come to you why come ye not now nearer you go about to drive us away with arrows and stones What do you think us to be dogs and that we are afraid of your stones Are we not men yea we are your Masters and betters for you râ—…n away from us as servants flee from their Masters when they follow them to beat them Titus seeing his army to be part of them fled and part to be slain he cried to his people saying Is it not a shame for you ye Romans and a wonderfull great dishonor to flee from the Jews so hunger beaten famished almost dead for thirst and besieged Alas how shall ye put away this your rebuke and ignominy When as all Nations which heretofore ye have most valiantly subdued shall hear that ye flee from these dead Jews whose whole Land we hâ—…ve in possession so that they have nothing left but this only Town which we have all battered that they have but one only wall to defend themselves Besides this they are very few we are innumerable they have no Nation to aid them we have help of all Lands Why then do ye flee from their sight like as small impotent birds flee from the Eagle What though the Jews vow and hazard themselves desperately for their Temple and Land why do you not the same also in these wars to get you a renown of valiantness But the Jews prevailed that day and had the upper hand wherefore they returned into the Town with great glory having put the Romans to so great a foil Titus commanded his to address and prepare the other two Rams that were left to batter the walls of Jerusalem withall Wherefore the Roman Carpenters cast a trench to prepare and set up the Rams in such places as Titus had assigned them The Jews were aware of it well enough but winked at that matter as yet untill they had planted the master beams between the standing posts So when the work was finished even to the hanging up of the Engins betwixt the standing posts â—…o shake the wall withall the Romans being secure and void of care nothing mistrusting that the Jews would stir because they had been quiet a few nights and never issued forth of the City Upon a certain night a pretty while before day the three principall Captains of the Seditious came and cast their heads together to devise what they should do Eleazar gave this counsell and said You two the last time issued out and burnt three Rams and got you renown and I kept the gates the while now keep ye the gates and I will issue out with my men against the Romans to get me a name also The other answered Go then on Gods name unto them the Lord God of the Sanctuary which is in Jerusalem shall be present with thee but beware thou be not slain and in any wise thou be not taken alive to whom he answered The Lord God shall keep me for upon the trust of the righteousness of my father Ananias the high Priest and his sincere service unto God I will set upon them Eleazar therefore chose 100. valiant souldiers and with them he issued out of the Town before day The same night the Romans had made fires about their Engines where they watched because of the cold The Artificers and souldiers that kept the watch and ward about the Romans were in number a hundred and fifty The day was the 27. of the month of September which was the ninth month that Titus had besieged Jerusalem Eleazar and his company thus being issued out came and found some of the Romans snorting about the fires other watching in their wards and killed them all that not one remained Then some of Eleazars Company set fire upon the Rams burnt the standing posts ropes chains and other instruments of war the Artificers that were there they apprehended alive and burnt them so that no man escaped When it was day Titus observed the smoak of the fire mounting up very foul and stinking of the wood and men together he drew towards the place therefore with his Host to see what the matter was Eleazar in the mean season and his company took as they might get every man a piece of the Engins out of the fire or some of their heads that they had killed and returned with great joy flouting the Romans and laughing them to scorn by the way till they came to the gates of Jerusalem where they were received of Schimeon and Jehochanan with great honour Soon
into the City Therefore Schimeon sent certain to fetch Amittai and his four sons unto him They that were sent brought Amittai and but three of his sons for one was fled to the Romans and came to Joseph When Amittai with the other were brought to Schimeons presence he besought him he might not live but to be put to death by and by lest saith he I should live to see the death of my children But Schimeon was hard-hearted and would not be intreated for it was Gods will that Amittai should be punished because he was the bringer of Schimeon into Jerusalem and therefore fell he into his hands which for good rewarded him with evil Schimeon commanded a sort of murderers to place Amittai upon the walls in the sight of the Romans and said unto him Seest thou Amittai Why do not the Romans deliver and rescue thee out of my hands thee I say which wouldest have fled away unto them Amittai answered nothing to this but still besought him before his death he might kisse his sons and bid them farewell but Schimeon utterly denied him Wherefore Amittai wept aloud saying to his sons I brought dear children I brought this thief into this Townâ—… wherefore I am counted now for a thief my self All the mischief which is come upon me and you it is mine own doing because I have brought this seditious villain into this holy City I thought then Peradventure he will be a help to the Town but it is proved contrary for he hath been a most cruel enemy to the same It was not enough for us to keep one seditious person Jehochanan I mean which took unto him Eleazar the first beginner of sedition but I must bring in also this wicked Schimeon which is joyned to our foes to destroy us Indeed I never brought him in for any love that I bare unto him but all the Priests and the whole multitude of the people sent me to fetch him notwithstanding I am worthy of this just judgement of God because I took upon me such an embassage What should I speak of thee thou most wicked Schimeon for whithersoever thou turnest thee thou bringest all things out of frame Indeed thou deaâ—…est justly with me because I have sinned unto God to his people and his City in that I have brought thee in to be a plague to it wherefore I am worthy to be stoned Notwithstanding it had been thy part thou wicked murderer to deliver me and my sons from the hands of the other Seditious for I have wrought them displeasure but to thee have I done good Howbeit our God will not alter nor change his judgements which is that I should fall into the sword of thy hand for that I made thee to enter into this City wherein I offended God grievously If I had purposed to flee unto the Romans could I not have done it before I brought in thee for at that time bearedst thou no rule over us and before we called in thee Jehochanan with his sedition was an offence unto this City Wherefore we perswaded all the Ancients of the Town that thou shouldest be an aid unto us to drive out our foes but thou in whom we put our trust art become our enemy yea thou hast been worse than they for the other put men to death privily thou dost it openly Who is he that hath strengthened the power of the Romans Art not thou he which hast killed the Souldiers of God in the midst of the City of Jerusalem for few have been slain without Titus would have made peace with us taking pity upon us but thou didst lett and hinder it every day moving new Wars and stirring new battels Titus gave charge to his souldiers to lay no hand upon the Temple but thou hast polluted and defiled the Temple of the Lord shedding blood without measure in the midst thereof Titus went back from us upon the holy day of the Lord and ceased from fighting saying Go and observe your holy Feasts in peace but thou unhallowedst the Feasts of the Lord and puttedst out the continual fire with innocent blood All these evils which thou hast committed thou murderer are imputed unto me because I brought thee into the Town Now therefore this vengeance is appointed to mine age by the Lord God and by thy hands shall I go to my grave with sorrow because I by my foolishnesse was an actor in this mischief that is wrought by thee Albeit now thou wicked Schimeon in this that thou killest me ere that mine eyes may see the burning of the Temple it pleaseth me very well But what needest thou murderer to put my sons to death before my face Why doest thou not spare mine age would God that as I shall not see the burning of the Temple so also I might not see the blood of my children shed before my face But what shall I do when God hath delivered me into the hands of a most wicked man We that were the ancients of Jerusalem abhorred Jehochanan because he murdered old men without all reverence but he slew no young men thou destroyest old and young great and small without any pity or mercy Jehochanan mourned for the dead and buried them also but thou playest upon instruments at their burials singest to the Lute and soundest the Trumpet Then spake he to Schimeons servant who was ready with a sword in his hand and an axe to kill him and to cut off his head sâ—…ying Go to now and execute Schimeon thy Master's commandment Behead the sons in the sight of their father and let me hear the voice of thy cruelty in my sons which notwithstanding I forgive thee for as I shall hear and see that against my will so I dare say thou killest them not willingly Would God that Schimeon would suffer me to kisse my sons and whiles I am yet living to embrace them ere they die But thou gentle minister in one thing shew thy pity towards me that when thou hast put my sons and me to Execution separate not our bodies neither lay their corps asunder from mine but so that my body may lie uppermost and cover theirs to defend them from the fowls of the air lest they devour my sons bodies for it so may come to passe that they may be buried I beseech thee also that my mouth and lips when I am dead may touch my sons faces that so I may both embrace and kisse them But what do I delay or linger any longer seeing the enemies deny me this to kisse them vvhiles vve are yet alive See thou therefore that our bodies be not severed and if Schimeon will not permit this that our bodies may be joyned in this world yet can he not lett our Souls to be joyned for after I shall be once dead I doubt not but I shall see the Light of the Lord. His sons hearing their fathers words began to weep very sore with their father who said unto them Alas my sons Why weepye What
you doth mark it The continual sacrifice is already ceased a good while ago the annointed Priest is cut away and put down These things though they be most manifest yet your hearts cannot believe them And many other words spake Joseph full of admonition and consolation but the Jews refused to hear him When he had made an end therefore and the Seditious had so hardened their necks Titus turned him and departed out of Jerusalem saying Let us go hence lest their sins destroy us Wherefore he pitched his Tents without the City in the same place where he encamped at first For he was afraid both for himself and his Army lest they should be circumvented and closed in and slain cruelly in so great City as that was Certain of the Priests of that time and of the Nobles of the Town with other godly men did wisely provide for themselves and came forth to Titus submitting themselves to his mercy and were received of him peaceably with great honour whom Titus commanded to be conducted into the land of Goshen where in times past the Israelites dwelt in the dayes of Jacob their Father and Joseph Lord of Egypt Thither sent he them and gave it them in possession to them and to their heirs for ever after commanding a company of the Chaldees safely to conduct them till they came to the land of Goshen Titus directed his letter also to the Roman President which was set over Egypt to take pity of the Jews that he had placed in the land of Goshen to sustain and succour them and to see that no Roman nor other should do them harm or annoy them by any manner of means Many other also of the Jews coveted to go forth of Jerusalem but they were disappointed by the Seditious that they could not do as they intended And who can tell whether they were entangled with their own sins and destined to destruction with their seditious brethren when as their hands also were polluted with the cruelty and iniquity of the Seditious Wherefore the Seditious closed up all the walls about the Temple that none of the Jews which were in Jerusalem might get out to Titus When Titus knew that many of the Jews were desirous to flee unto him and could not because of the Seditious he went again to the place where he was before Joseph with him Whom when the people saw to be there with Titus they fell a weeping and said unto him We acknowledge our sins and the transgression of our fathers we have swerved out of the way against the Lord our God for we see now the mercy and gentlenesse of Titus the son of Caesar and that he taketh pity upon us but what can we do when it is not in our power to flee unto him because of the cruelty of the Seditious The Seâ—…itious hearing them talking with Joseph in the presence of Titus and that they spake reverenâ—…ly of him and honoured his father calling him Lord they ran upon them with their drawn swords to kill them Then crâ—…ed they unto Titus Dear Lord and Master rescue us The Romans therefore made speed to deliver them out of the hands of the Seâ—…itious So rose there a fray in the midst of the Temple between the Romans and the Jews The Romans fled into the place called Sanctum Sanctorum which was the holiest of all and the Jews followed after and slew them even there Titus standing without cryed unto Jehochanan and said unto him Hearest thou Jehochanan Iâ—… not thy 〈◊〉 yet great enough Wilt thâ—…u never make an end of mischief Where is the honour of thy God Is it not written in the Law of thy God of the Sanctum Sanctorum that no Stranger ought to come at it but only the high Priest and that but once a year because it is the holiest of all And now how darest thou be sâ—… bold to kill those that are escaped unto it And how dare you â—…ed the blood of the uncircumcised therein whom ye abhor and yet mix their blood with yours The Lord your GOD is my witnessâ—… that I would not have this House destroyed but your own wicked works and your own hands do pull it dâ—…wn And would God you would receive your peace which if it were once done we would honour this House of the Sanctuarie and Temple of the Lord yea we would depart away from you But your hearts are hardned like Iron and your necks and foreheads are become obstinate as Brasse to your own undoing For ye shall carrie your own sins and die in the Land of the Romans I and my fathers house are innocent and guiltlesse of your death as the Lord and his Temple in whose presence we stand shall bear us witnesse this day But when he saw that none of the Seditious gave any regard to his words he chose out of the Romans thirty thousand valiant fighting men and gave them commandment to take and occupy the entry of the Temple which is a holy Court and determined to go with them himself but his Nobles would not suffer him but willed him to remain upon a high place where he might behold his souldiers fight and when they see thee afar off their hearts shall be comforted and they shall fight according as thou wilt wish them but come not at the entry of the Temple thy self lest thou be destroyed amongst other Titus followed the counsel of his Captains and went not out at that time with his men to the battel He made chief Captains of that host of thirty thousand one Karilus and Rostius two great Commanders who had order to set upon the Jews that night when they should be asleep with wearinesse The Romans therefore doing after his commandment set upon the Jews but the Jews having intelligence of the matter kept diligent watch and withstood the Romans all the night But the Romans were not hasty to fight in the dark fearing lest it might turn to their own harm As soon therefore as it was day the Jews divided themselves and bestowed their Companies at the gates of the entrance and fought like men Karilus and Rostius beset the Temple round about that not one of the Jews might escape out and so the battel encreased between them for the space of seven dayes sometimes the Romans getting the upper hand of the Jews driving them within the entrance sometime the Jews encouraging themselves made the Romans retire and pursued them to the walls of the Antochia in this manner fought they these seven dayes Afterward the Romans turned back from the Jews and would not fight hand to hand with them any more Then Titus commanded the walls of the Antochia to be pulled down further that there might be place for all his host to enter The famine in the mean season grew more grievous so that no food was left For the Jews began now to issue out and steal Horses Asses and other beasts whatsoever they could catch even out of the Romans
his place where he lurked and came to Titus fell down before him and kissed his feet saying Save me O Lord King Titus commanded him to be fetâ—…ered with iron chains and when he had caused him to be carryed about the Camp so bound and to be mâ—…cked of all men by the space of seven dayes he commanded to hang him and so got he a just end and fit reward for his cruelty Afterward came Schimeon also forth of his den being driven to it with famine He had put on Kingly apparel and shewed himself afar off to the Roman host who seeing him were afraid to go to him but he called unto them and askt for some Captain Then one came forth and said unto Schimeon Tell me who thou art and I will not kill thee Schimeon answered therefore and told him I am Schimeon that Seditious Cap-tain of the. Jews which have made you so much ado now I beseech thee shew me so much favour as to bâ—…ing me to Titus thy Master which he did Titus therefore when he saw Schimeon he commanded him to be fast bound and to be led about the whole host that he might be derided and mockt Afterward he was put to a sore death first his head was striken off then he was cut in many pieces and cast unto dogs So he died an abominable death being punished for his iniquity The number of the Jews as well Citizens as others that came unto the Feast to Jerusalem which were slain partly by the Romans partly by the Seditious during the whole time of these Wars was known to be eleven hundred thousand besides them whose number was not known only they were counted which were slain and buried Besides them they also were not reckoned that after the death of Jehochanan and Schimeon died with Eleazar the son of Anani the Priest They that were led prisoners by Titus to Rome were sixteen thousand men So Titus with Joseph went to Rome leaving Bonian Josephs brother at Jerusalem who was appointed to be the chief Priest of them that abode there for Joseph did request it of Titus which he performed The Seditious were all slain in the battel which they took in hand for the peoples sake and the Temple of the Lord those also that Titus took prisoners were put to vile deaths for he reserved many to be mocking stocks in every City where he passed by in the way to Rome and in every Town he commanded some of them to be brought forth and cast unto the Lions till they were all consumed CHAP. V. THere were certain people at that time dwelling amongst the Mountains of Ararat that were called Alanites whose power Alexander King of Macedonia fearing closed them on every side This people although they had no knowledge of the use of Iron nor Armour yet this was their manner That one of them with a great pole burnt a little at the end would put to flight a hundred good souldiers were they never so well appointed and armed Until this year they were alwayes shut in but now being oppressed with a great dearth and famine throughout all the land they sent Embassadors to the people of Hurkan their neighbours requiring them that they would open thestraights of the Mountains that they might come forth with their wives children to seek them food The Hurkans granted their requests and opened them the entrances of the Mountains So they came forth wandering here and there spoiling divers Countries till at length they took their journey toward the Mountains of the Land of Madai where they found horses namely in the Desart of Madai amongst the people of Ararat They got those horses leapt upon them and â—…ntred the land of Madai The President oâ—… Ruler of the Country hearing thereof fled into the highest hills leaving his wife and children behind him for haste he was so afraid of the Alanites knowing their valiantnesse Straightway he sent unto them Embassadours to make peace with them and he would let them have victuals upon this condition that they would not spoil his Country They made answer If so be he would maintain them and let them have food for the space of one moneth till the corn in their own Country were ripe they would return home again at the moneths end for we desiâ—…e not say they thy gold or silver being men separaâ—… from all entercourse in traffick wiâ—…h other people nor any thing else than food do we seek This their request the Ruler granted them and let them have a certain Grain called Mill sodden with one kind of flesh or other The number of them was seven thousand one hundred and fifty and five thousand one hundred and forty persons When the moneth was ended and the Aâ—…anites understood the corn in their own Country was ripe they departed out of the land of Madai according as they had sworn and returned toward their own Country And as they were in their way homeward Mithridates King of Aâ—…arat came against them to annoy them minding to drive them from his coasts lest they should waste his Country Therefore while they marched through this Country going toward their own Mithridates made War upon them but his men were beaten down by the Alanites like as grasse falls upon the ground when a strong man treads upon it Then one of the young men of the Alanites in despight put a rope about Mithridates's neck and drew him after him unto his great shame Mithridates gat out his sword and cut asunder the rope and fled To whom the Alanites looking back said Go thy way get thee home and make no more war upon us hereafter for we were not minded to waste thy Land â—…or yet to kill thy people For if we had ever intended it Could we not have done it long ago when as nothing is betwixt us and you but the Mountains of Ararat But we were of this mind that we should greatly offend to kill men of our own shape and likenesse See now how Alexander which went about to subdue the whole earth and to declare his power closed us up within our land Why because he was afraid we should come out upon him But we laught him to scorn when he did it If we had listed we could have letted him from shuâ—…ting us in and to make no peace with him but we made no reckoninâ—… of his doings For it is our custom to keep us within our own Country we seek no other Land when as our own Land is better than any other It pleased us well that he inclosed us that the cruel wild beasts which are in the Mountains of Ararat could have no passage to us The cause we came out now was nothing else then that we were oppressed with a great dearth and we determined to be no longer from home then till our own fruits were ripe then to return as you see we do If we had been minded to win your Land had we not been able utterly to have
Adrian the Emperour re-buâ—…lt the City of Jerusalem changing the situation somewhat â—…westward and the name thereof to Aeliâ—… To despight the Christians he built a Temple over our Saviours grave with the Images of Jupiter and Venus another at Bethlehem to Adonis her Minion Anâ—… to enrage the Jews did engrave Swine over the Gates of the City Who storming at the proâ—…ation of their Land brake â—…o open Rebellion but were subdued by Julius Severus the Emperour's Lievtenant an experienced Captain and many thousands slain with Bencochab their counterfeit Messias for so he termed himself that is the son of a Star usurping that Prophesie Out of Jacob shall a Star arise thougâ—… he proved but a fading Comet whose Blazing portended the ruine of that Nation The Captives by order from Adrian were transported into Spain the Country laid waste which parted with her people and fruitfulnesse both together Indeed Pilgrimes to this day here and there light on parcells of rich ground in Palestine which God may seem to have left that men may taste the former sweetnesse of the Land before it was soured for the peoples sins and that they may guesse the goodness of the cloth by the â—…inenesse of the shreds But it is barren for the generality The streams of Milk and Honey wherewith once it flowed are now drained dry and the whole face of the Land looketh sad not so much for want of dressing as because God hath frowned on it Yet great was the over-sight of Adrian thus totally to unpeople a Province and to bequeâ—…th it to Foxes and Leopards Though his memory was excellent yet here he forgot the old 〈◊〉 â—…le who to prevent desolations where they â—…ooted out the Natives planted iâ—… Colonies of their own people And surely the Country recovered not a competency of Inhabitants for some hundred years aâ—…ter For though many Pilgrims came thither in after-ages yet they came rather to visiâ—… than to dwell And such as remained there moâ—… embracing single liveâ—… were no breeders for posterity If any say that Adrian did wilfully neglect this Land and prostitute it to ruine for the rebellion of the people yet all account it small policy in him in punishing the Jews to hurt his own Empire and by his vastation to leave fair and clear footing for forrein enemies to fasten on this Country and from thence to invade the neighbouring Dominions as after the Persians and Saracens easily over ran and dispeopled Palestine And no wonder if a thick Medow were quickly mown But to return to the Jews Such stragglers of them not considerable in number asescaped this banishment into Spain for few hands reap so clean as to leave no gleanings were forbidden to enter into Jerusalem or so much as to behold it from any rise or advantage of ground Yet they obtained of the after-Emperours once a year namely on the tenth of August whereon their City was taken to go in and bewail the destruction of their Temple and people bargaining with the Souldiers who waited on them to give so much for so long abiding there and if they exceeded the time they conditioned for they must stretch their purses to a higher rate So what St. Hierom noteth they who bought Christs blood were then glad to buy their own tears Thus the main Body of the Jews was brought into Spain and yet they stretched their out-limbs into every Country So that it was as hard to find a populous City without a common sink as without a company of Jews They grew fat on the barest pasture by Usury and Brokage though often squeezed by those Christians amongst whom they lived counting them Dogs and therefore easily finding a stick to beat them And alwaies in any tumâ—…lt when any fence of order was broken the Jews â—…ay next harmes as at the 〈◊〉 of Richard the first when the Eâ—… â—…de great Feasts but the pillaged Jews paid the shot At last for their many villanies as falâ—…fying of â—…oin poisoning of Springs crucifying of Christian children they were slain in some places and finally banished out of others Out of England Anno 1291. by Edward the First France 1307. by Philip the Fair Spain 1492. by Ferdinand Portugal 1497. by Emmanuel But had these two later Kings banished all Jewish blood out of their Countries they must have emptied the veins of their best Subjects as descendedâ—… from them Still they are found in great numbers in Turky chiefly in Salomiâ—…i where they enjoy the freest slavery and they who in our Saviours time so scorned Publicans are now most employed in that offiâ—… to be the Turks Toll-gatherers Likewise iâ—… the Popish parts of Germany in Polaâ—…d 〈◊〉 Pantheon of all Religions and Amsterdan may be forfeited to the King of Spain wheâ—… she cannot shew a pattern of this as of all other Sects Lastly they are thick in the Popeâ—… Dominions where they are kept as a â—…estimony of the truth of the Scriptures and foyl to Christianity but chiefly in pretence to convert them But his Holinesse's converting faculty worketh the strongest at the greatest distance For the Indians he turneth to his Religion and these Jews he converteth to his Profit Some are of opinion of the general Calling of the Jews And no doubt those that dissent from them in their judgements concur in their wishes and desires Yet are there three grand hinderances of their Conversion First the offence taken and given by the Papists amongst whom they live by their worshipping of Images the Jews being zelots of the second Commandment Secondly because on their conversion they must renounce all their goods as ill gotten and they will scarce enter in at the door of our Church when first they are to climbe over so high a threshold Lastly they are debarred from the use of the new Testament the means of their salvation And thus we leave them in a state most pitiful and little pitied To give you then a right Character in brief They are a people that know how to comply with the times and the condition which they live in especially if their profit be concerned in it reviled like dogs and used like slaves yet never shew so much as an angry countenance A Nation which will thrive wheresoever they come yet most by Usury and Brokage not lending any thing but on pawns and those once forfeited never more redeemable The best of both Sexes are said to have an unsavorâ—… ranknesse not incident if not caused by 〈◊〉 â—…o other people from whom they are as different in their habit as in their Religion And â—…s or that they retain still Circumcision as the badg â—…gnisance of their Nation but mâ—…ngled with many Ceremonies not prescribed by the Law nor observed by the Antients placing a void chair for the Prophet Elias whom they believe to be present though unseen at the Solemnity And upon this they are so besotted that they conceive the Female Sex uncapable of eternal life because not capable of Circumcision And
years after the death of Christ Titus son to Vespasian sack't the City and destroyed it leaving it only a garrison for the Roman souldiers Sixty five yearâ—… after that the Jews falling into rebellion Hadrian the Emperour of Rome utterly destroyed what Titus left standing and commanded salt to be sown where the City stood And thus was fulfilled what was spoken by our Saviour touching the Temple that there should not be left one stone upon another Hurcan or Hurcania a region in the greater Asia having on the East the Caspian sea on the South Armenia upon the North Albania on the West Iberia I â—…buam or Jamnua a â—…illage of the upper Gaâ—…ee standing upon a very â—…eep ground which Joseâ—…hus being Governour of Galilee fortified against the Romans â—…ericho A city in the south part of the Land of Canaan situated in a fruitful soil where grew balm roses sugar-canes and abundance of dates whence it was called the City of Palms Joppe or Japho a sea town and port of Judaea built on a high Promontory from whence materials of Timber and Stones were brought to the building of Solomons Temple from Mount Libanus or Lebanon Jordan in Hebrew Jorden the fairest and biggest river in all Palestina springing up at the foot of Mount Libanus running on the South of Canaan passing by many famous places at length falls into the Lake of Sodom Jorpata or Jatopatae an exceeding strong city of Jerusalem standing all well-nigh upon a Rock accessible only upon the North side K KAtiim or Cittim the Nations of the Greeks so called in Gen. 10. and in Balams prophesie Kittim saith he shall afflict Ashur and Eber. L LAgarith a City of Edom won by Vespasian M MAcedonia a Country lying in Greece in the western part of it it was the country of King Philip Alexander his son which wan to the Greeks the Persian Empire Maidai or Media a country having upon the South Pâ—…rsia upon the North the Hyrcanian-sea on the West Armenia Syria on the East Hyrcania and Parâ—…hia which country took its name from Madai one of the sons of Japhet Mesopotamia a Country which lyeth betwixt the Rivers Tigris and Euphrates from which situation it was so called as lying in the midst of Rivers Moriah a Mountain joyning very near to Jerusalem upon the East side of that City a very steep rockie place in this place Abraham offered to sacrifice his son Isaac and afterward upon this Mountain was Solomons Temple built Moâ—…nt Olivet So called from the plenty of Olives whiâ—…h grew here lying on the East side of Jerusalem and separated from the higher city by the valley of Cedron Into this Mountain our Savâ—…our Christ often repaired and offered up his prayers here unto his Father N NIcopolis a City of the Holy Land otherwise called Emaus S SAmaria a City standing in the tribe of Ephrâ—…im which after that the ten Tribes fell off from the tribe of Judah was made the Metropolis of the ten revolting Tribes called Sebaste in honour of Augustus the Emperour Scythopolis a city in Syria Sennaar The land of Chaldea where the Tower of Babel began to be builded Seleucia a city on the farther side of Jordan in the country called Gualonitis so named from Seleucus King of Syria Sichem a country near He bron belonging to Hamoâ—… the Father of Sichem from whence it is though he gave the name of hâ—… son to that country of which he was Prince and by some it is thought to be the name of that city called in the Gospel Sichar a city of refuge peculiar to the Levites a principal City of Samaria Sodom a city which stood in the Land of â—…anaan where now is the Dead-sea destroyed by fire from heaven for their sins Sidon a Haven and Mart Town of Phoenicia being the border of the Land of promise toward thenorth and in the Lot of the tribe of Zabulon although it was never conquered nor possest by them Sinai The Mountain otherwise named Horeb upon which the Almighty gave the Law to Moses by the ministery of Angels It was called Sinai from the word in the Holy Tongue signifying a Bush because God appeared there to Moses in a Bush in a flame of fire the Bush not consumed Sion The Hill and City built on that Hill called the City of David taken by him from the Jebusites lying on the North side of the City of Jâ—…rusalem upon which the Temple was built Siloe a Fountain rising out at the foot of Mâ—…unt Sion in the West part of the valley of Jehosaphat a very clear sweet and large Spring it runs into the brook Cedron Schiloh or Silo The highest Mountain of all that are about Jerusalem Or higher than any other Mountain in the Holy Land likewise the name of the City that stands upon that Hill where the Ark continued a long time with the Tabernacle of the Covenant till it was taken by the Philistines for which cause the people of Israel used to meet at this place and offer sacrifices until the time of Samuel the Prophet Afterward for the sins of the Israelites the City was destroyed and the Altar demolished T TIarva a city in Galilee which Vespasian took razed and put all the men to the sword and sold their wives and children Tiberias A city so named in honour of Tiberius Caesar by Herod the Tetrarch standing near the Lake of Gennezaret called also the Sea of Tiberias it is the utmost bound of the lower Galilee Eastward Tyre a city renowned in holy Scripture built upon a rock and upon all sides incompassed by the sea wherefore the Prophet cals her the city in the heart of the sea a city of incredible riches by the abundance of her merchandise by the speâ—…ial appointment of God and foretellings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prophets Isaiah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made a prey to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King of Babylon and afterward to Alexander son of Philip King of Maceâ—… 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 in the that part of the sea whicâ—… ran betwixt the maiâ—… land and the city witâ—… stones earth and timber and made it continent tâ—… the land first Nebuchadâ—…nezzar but in short timâ—… after that city was rebuilt and the bar of thâ—… sea quite demolished sâ—… the city restord to its former strength but Alexander stopt up the sea again sackt the city and crucified many of thâ—… chief men of the city tâ—… this day that little whicâ—… remains of it is annexed firmely to the Continent It stood in the territory 〈◊〉 the tribe of Ashur bâ—… had Kings of her own haâ—… ving never been in thâ—… hands of the Israelits A short view of the whole Matter By Th. F. A true Character of the Jews as they are at this day With the Hopes and Desires of all good men for their Conversion A Prayer unto God for their Conversion FINIS Tho Fuller D D. late Preacher at S. Mary Savoy Westm.