advanced towards Euphrates with an intent to repulse Nabuchodonosor H But he was overcome in battel The year of the World 33â—6 before Christ's Nativity 928. and lost divers thousands of his men Whereupon the Babylonian passing Euphrates seized all Syria as far as Pelusâ—um Judea only excepted The fourth year that Nabuchodonosor reigned over these conquered Countries and in the eighth year of the Reign of Joachim over the Hebrews the Babylolonian led forth his Army against the Jews with a mighty power threatning them to use all hostility 2 Kings 24. 11. ad 20. except Joachim would pay him Tribute Joachim fearing his threats bought his peace with silver and payed for three years space the Tributes that were imposed on him Joachim payeth Nabuchadnezzar tribute But in the third year understanding that the Egyptian was up in Arms against the Babylonian he denied the payment of the Tribute notwithstanding he was frustrated of his hope for the Egyptians were not so hardy as to make War All which the I Prophet Jeremy daily foretold him signifying unto him That he built his hope in vain upon the Egyptians and that it would fall out that the City should be overthrown by the King of Babylon Hedio Ruffinus cap. 8. and Joachim himself should be delivered Prisoner into his hands But because there was no means for them to escape this justice all that which he said Joachim revolteth from the King of Babylon was nothing available For notwithstanding the People and Governors heard thereof yet made they no reckoning of the same but were displeased with those counsels which he proposed unto them accusing Jeremy as if he took pleasure to utter and publish ominous and adverse Presages against the King they likewise called him in question before the Kings Council and requir'd that he might be condemn'd Whereupon some of them gave sentence against him But others took a more discreet course and persuaded them to cause K the Prophet to depart out of the Kings house forbidding his Adversaries to do him any mischief since that he had not only foretold the future calamities of the City but that many before him had done the like as Micheas and divers others and yet that no one of them had suffer'd any evil by the Kings of their time but that contrariwise Micheas had been honour'd as a Prophet sent from God By these words they appeased the People and deliver'd Jeremy from the death intended against him This man wrote all his Prophesies Jeremy foretelleth the destruction of Jerusalem and read them to the People in their Fasts when they were assembled in the Temple in the ninth month of the fifth year of the Reign of Joachim which book he had composed touching that which should happen unto the City the Temple and the People When the Governors heard the same Jer. 22. 24. they took the book from him and commanded L that both he and his Secretary Baruch should withdraw themselves out of the sight of men and they took the book and presented it unto the King who in the presence of his Friends commanded his Secretary to read the same and after he had heard the contents thereof he waxed wroth and renting it in pieces cast it into the fire intending that it should never be seen He sent out likewise a strict Commission to seek out Jeremy and his Secretary Baruch and to lead them out to be punished But they were already fled that they might prevent his indignation CHAP. VII M Nabuchodonosor putteth Joachim to death and establisheth Joachin in the Kingdom NOT long after this Nabuchadnezzars entertainment into the city and cruelty he went out to meet the King of Babylon who was marched out to make War against him and being incredulous and careless of the Prophets Predictions he opened the gates unto him supposing that he intended him no evil But when the Babylonians were entered into the City the King observed not his promises but put all such to death as were in the flower and strength of their years 2 Kings 24. 1 ad 11. and spared none of the Inhabitants of Jerusalem Joachin of Jochonias King of Juda. with them also he slew their King Joachim and caused his body to be cast from the top of the walls and vouchsafed him no Sepulchre establishing Joachin his son King of the Countrey and of the City Moreover he took 3000 of N the most honourable Citizens of Jerusalem Prisoners and led them to Babylon with him amongst whom was the Prophet Ezekiel at that time very young in years This was the end of King Joachim who lived 36 years and reigned 11. Joachin that succeeded him in the Kingdom was the son of Nosta of Jerusalem and reigned three months and ten days O CHAP. VIII The year of the World 3346. before Christ's Nativity 618. A Nabuchodonosor changeth his purpose and besiegeth Joachin and receiveth him upon composition AS soon as the Babylonian had bestowed the Kingdom of Judea on Joachin he was seized with a sudden fear Hedio Ruffinus cap. 9. which made him suspect lest Joachin remembring himself of the injuries he had done unto him by the murther of his father might draw the Countrey into rebellion 2 King 25. 27. and revolt against him For which cause he sent out certain Forces and besieged Joachin in Jerusalem who being a man of a good nature and of an upright B heart was loth to forsake the City in that danger without a Governor considering that it was for his cause that the Common-weal was in that hazard For which cause taking his wife and his nearest akin with him he delivered them into the hands of the Captains that were sent against him Nabuchodonosor a Truce-breaker receiving an oath from them that neither they nor the City should receive any harm But this promise continued not a year for the King of Babylon observed it not but commanded his Captains to imprison all the youth and artificers that were in the City and to bring them bound unto him The number of them was 10832 persons besides Joachin his Mother and his near Allies whom they took Prisoners CHAP. IX C Sedechias is made King over Jerusalem by the Babylonians INstead of Joachin he appointed Sedechias his Uncle King of Jerusalem whom he bound by an oath that he should govern the Countrey without any innovation 2 King 24. 17. and that he should hold no intelligence with the Egyptians Sedechias King of Jerusalem seduced by his Courtiers and false Prophets giveth no ear to Jeremy This Sedechias was 21 years old at such time as he came unto the Kingdom and was Joachims brother by the mothers side he was a contemner of all laws and a preverter of ordinances For the young men that were about him were without the fear of God and all the people under his dominions D committed whatsoever
when Baracs Soldiers came to her she shewed them his dead body Thus a Woman according as Debora had foretold was the Author of this Victory But Barac A leading his Army to Asor Barac governeth the Israelites 40 years defeated and slew Jabin who came out against him with an Army razed his City to the ground govern'd the Israelites for the space of Forty years CHAP. VII How the Amalekites overcoming the Israelites destroyed their Countrey for the space of seven years B AFter the death of Barac and Debora The year of the World 2654. before Christ's Nativity 1310. which hapned almost about the same time the Midianites accompanied with the Amalekites and Arabians armed themselves against the Israelites and encountring them in open field overcame them in a great Battel and destroying their Fruits and Harvest carried away great Booty They continued these their incursions for the space of seven years and compelled the Israelites to forsake the Champain Hedio Ruffinus cap. 10. and flie to the Mountains where digging themselves Caves and Houses under the earth Judg. 6. 1 2 3. they kept secretly hidden all which they had reserved from the fury of the Enemy The Midianites confederate with the Amalekites overcome the Israelites in a great Battel For the Midianites having taken their Harvest in the Summer time permitted them to Till their Lands in the Winter to the intent they might gather the fruits of their labour afterwards Thus lived they in perpetual famine and want neither was there any other hope or succor left them but onely by prayers and supplications C unto God CHAP. VIII How Gideon delivered the Israelites ABout that time as Gideon the Son of Joas God commandeth Gideon to deliver the Israelites from the Midianites one of the chiefest of the Tribe of Manasses was grinding some sheafs of Corn which he had secretly conveyed into his Press for he durst not do it openly for fear of the Enemy An Angel appeared to him in the form of a young man and told him That he was happy and beloved of God D 'T is a fair sign Judg. 6. 11 12 13. answer'd Gideon when I am forc't to use a Press instead of a Grange The Angel exhorted him to be of good courage and to endeavor to recover his Countries liberty Gideon answer'd That it was impossible by reason that the Tribe whereof he was descended had very few Men in it and that he was too young and incapable of affairs of that consequence God will supply all these defects said the Angel and under thy conduct will give the Israelites victory These things Gideon communicated to certain young men Judg. 7. 2 3 4. who willingly believing the Oracle answer'd That for the present they had Ten thousand Soldiers in readiness God commandeth Gideon to choose a few men to attempt any thing for their liberty But God appeared to Gideon in a dream and told him That Men being so vain that they are willing to owe nothing but to themselves and attribute their Victories to their own strength instead of attributing E them to his assistance The Victory is to be attributed to God he would make them know that 't was to him alone that they were indebted for them To which end he commanded him That about the mid-time of the day at such time as the heat was most vehement he should conduct his Army to the River and there diligently observe those that bowed themselves to drink which he might esteem for Men of Valor but all those that drank hastily and with noise should be marked as Men timerous and afraid of the Enemy Gideon did as God commanded and there were found but Three hundred Men that lifted water to their mouths with their hands without fear and trouble God commanded him to assail the Enemy with those Three hundred promising to give him the Victory At this time were they encamped upon the Bank of Jordan ready to pass the Ford the next Morning But Gideon F was troubled by reason that God had bid him assail the Enemy by night But God willing to deliver him of his fear commanded him to take one of his Soldiers with him and go to the Camp of the Midianites to see what pass'd there He obeyed and for his better assurance took with him one of his servants Now as he drew nigh a certain Tent Ver. 13 14. he perceived that they that were within the same were awake and heard one of them with a loud voice tell his Companion the dream which that Night he had had Gideon repaireth to the Enemies tents and by them is confirmed by a dream which was thus He thought he saw a Barley Cake which lookt as if not worth the taking up it rowled thorow all the Camp and first overthrew the Kings Tent and afterwards the Tents of all his Soldiers This dream answer'd his Companion signifi'd the loss of our whole Army The reason is that of all sorts of Corn Barley is G most contemptible and amongst all the Nations of Asia there are not at this day any People more contemned than the Israelites and in this respect they resemble Barley Now you know that they have gather'd Troops and form'd some design under the conduct of Gideon And whereas this Cake turned to overthrow our Tents I fear lest it H be a sign that God hath given the Victory to Gideon Gideon having overheard this Discourse conceived good hope and presently commanded his Followers to arm themselves after he had told to them the Dream of their Enemy Whereupon they speedily prepared themselves at his Command being encourag'd by so happy a presage to attempt any thing Ver 16 17 22. About the latter Watch of the Night Gideon led forth his Army and divided it into three Bands Gideon with 300 attempteth the fight and in every Band he put an Hundred Men all of these bare in their hands empty Pots in which were hidden burning Torches in such sort that the Enemy could not discover them when they sallied out Moreover they bare Rams Horns in their right hands which they used in stead of Trumpets The Enemies Camp took up much ground by reason they had a great number of Camels and though distributed I by Nations were all of them comprehended in one inclosure The Hebrews having had instructions from their Captain what to do at such time as they approached near their Enemies and the sign of the Battel being given they sounded their Horns and broke their Pots and with their flaming Lights fell into the Enemies Camp crying Victory Victory by the assistance of God and the strength of Gideon Trouble and Fear surprized the sleeping Enemy for this action was in the Night-time and God disposed all things to this issue that few of them fell by the Hebrews Sword but they themselves slew one another in great numbers by reason that they
happy and after that he began to serve God 1 Chron. 34. 1. ad 14. he invited many to the imitation of his virtues After he had lived 67 years he dyed in the 55th year of his Reign and was buried in his garden His kingdom came into the hands of his son Amon the son of Emalsema of the City of Jabath who imitating the Impieties to which his father addicted himself in his youth was slain in his own house by a conspiracy plotted by his own houshold-servants after he had lived 24 years and reigned two After his death the people slew his murtherers and he was buried with his father and the kingdom was given to his son Josias who was eight years old CHAP. IV. E The History of Josias THE Mother of Josias King of Juda was of the City of Bosceth and was called Jâ—da Josias King of Juda. This Prince was by nature so excellently disposed to all virtue that during the whole course of his life he proposed to himself no other example but that of his Predecessor King David 2 Chron. 34. 8. When he grew to be twelve years old he gave a manifest proof of his piety and justice Josias restoreth the true service of God for he drew the people to a conformable course of life and to the detestation and abolishing of Idols that were no gods and to the service of the onely and true God of their forefathers And considering the actions of his Predecessors he began to rectifie them in that wherein they were deficient with no less circumspection than if he had been an old man and that which he found to be advisedly F done by them he did promote and imitate And besides this wisdom which was innate to him he made use also of the advice and counsel of the Elders for following the laws 2 Kings 22. v. 4 24. both in respect of publick policy as also in religion he walked uprightly in that by observing them he could not err He made a particular inquiry both in Jerusalem Josias rooteth out Idolatry and the Countrey round about for those places where they had set up the worship of false gods and overthrew their altars and all those gifts that had been offered to them by his Predecessors were defaced and in this manner caused he the people to return to the service of God and to forsake the honour they did unto Idols He offered likewise the ordinary sacrifices and burnt-offerings upon the altar and established Judges and Magistrates to determine publick debates and to do each man right charging them G to have no less respect of equity than they had of their own lives He sent also thorow all the Countrey commanding that all those that would be Contributers either in gold or H silver The year of the World 332â— before Christ's Nativity 643. towards the reparation of the Temple should bring in their benevolence according to their abilities And when all the money was gathered together he appointed Superintendents both over the Temple as also over the charges that were defrayed in the reparation thereof namely Amasias who was Governor of the City and Saphan the Secretary and Joata who was over the Registers with the High-Priest Elcia who with all expedition and diligence provided workmen 2 Chron. 34. 9. ad 14. and all that which was requisite for the building The zeal of the people in the reparation of the Temple and began the work This sudden and speedy reparation of the Temple gave a manifest testimony of the Kings piety who when he had attained to the 18th year of his age sent Elcia the High-Priest and caused him to melt down the remainder of the money that was given towards the building of the Temple and to make vessels cups and I ewers for the service of the Altar He commanded also that all the gold and silver that was in the Treasury 2 Kings 22. 8. should be brought forth and employed after the like manner in cups and other vessels 2 Chr. 14. 15. Now whil'st the High-Priest search'd the Treasury he found the sacred Books of Moses in the Temple Moses sacred books found in the Temple which he brought and deliver'd to the Scribe Saphan who after he had perused the same presented them unto the King giving him to understand 2 King 32. 13. that all that which he had commanded was accomplished besides that he read the Books unto him 2 Chr. 34. 21. which when the King heard Olda thâ— Prophetess sent unto by Josias he rent his cloaths and called Elcia the High-Priest unto him and the Scribe Saphan with certain other of his inward friends 2 King 22. 15. ad finem and sent them unto the Prophetess Olda the wife of Sallum a man in high dignity and famous for his Nobility commanding them That when they came unto her they K should endeavor to appease Gods wrath 2 Chron. 34. 23. ad 28. and labour to recover his favor because it was to be feared The Prophecy of the Jews miseries that by reason that their ancestors had transgressed the Laws of Moses they should be in danger to be dispossessed of their Countrey and abandoned by all men should at length perish miserably When the Prophetess had heard the Kings commandment she willed those that were sent unto her to return unto the King and to certifie him from her That God had given sentence against them which might not be revoked by any prayers whatsoever namely that since they had transgressed the Law of Moses the people should perish and should be cast out of their Countrey and deprived of all their goods because they had not repented of the violation of his most holy Laws notwithstanding the Prophets had exhorted them to repentance and had foretold L the punishment of their impieties which should happen unto them to the end that they might believe that God is God and that he fails not in any thing that he hath foretold by his Prophets Furthermore she said That he forbore as yet to send these afflictions upon them for Josias sake who was a virtuous man but that after his decease God would pour out his wrath upon the people This Prophecy of the Woman they signifi'd unto the King who sent into all parts and assembled the People in Jerusalem commanding the Priests and Levites and generally all men 2 Chron. 34. 29. ad finem without distinction of age or person to be present in that Convention Now when they were assembled A lively image of a godly Prince he first of all caused the sacred books to be read and afterwards standing aloft upon his Throne he caused all the people to swear and promise that they should serve God and keep Moses Laws Whereupon all of them did willingly M approve of whatsoever he said promising to do that whereunto they were exhorted And therewithall
hers that were privy to her design to carry them out in the night time and to go directly towards M the Sea where there was a Bark in readiness prepared to convoy them into Egypt But Esop one of her houshold servants declared this enterprize of hers to Sabbion on of Alexandras friends supposing that he had been made privy thereunto who had no sooner inkling thereof but for that beforetimes he was Herods enemy by reason he was suspected to have been one of those that sought to poyson Antipatar he resolved by discovery of this secret flight to convert Herods hatred into friendship and presently discovered Alexandras secret enterprize to the King Who dissembling the matter until it was upon the point of execution surprized her at such time as she thought to fly and yet notwithstanding he pardoned her that fault in that he durst not decree any punishment against her though he could have found in his heart to have used severity N for that Cleopatra would not have contained her self had she but had such an occasion offered her to express her hatred against Herod Herod contriveth Aristobulus death For which cause under the colour of a high and magnanimous spirit he made shew to pardon her of his meere clemency yet inwardly resolved to destroy young Aristobulus yet not rashly upon the instant lest the act should grow apparent and palpable Now the feast of Tabernacles was at hand which was one of those that was ceremoniously and solemnly celebrated among us for which cause he concealed his intents during the festival dayes intending both in himself and in the presence and company of the people to follow all kind of pleasure and delight yet his envy incited him to hasten the execution of his will Aristobulus was at that time some seventeen O years old who when he approached the Altar to offer sacrifices according to the law apparelled in the High Priests Ornaments to perform the ceremonies he who for amiable countenance and good stature surpassed the tenderness of his years expressing in his countenance the dignity and Nobility of his Race The year of the World 39â—1 Before Christ's Nativity 33. drew the eyes and good affections A of all the people unto him so that they openly called to remembrance the noble actions of Aristobulus his Grand-Father All the people being therefore surmounted by their affections and at that present time being all of them overjoyed they brake out by little and little into acclamations mixt with wishes and prayers so that the good will the people bare to Aristobulus discovered it self openly and they manifestly although too hastily in such a Kingdom declared what evils they generaly endured For all which causes Herod concluded to execute that which he had plotted against Aristobulus As soon therefore as the feast was over-passed he went into Jericho where Alexandra entertained him In that place he used Aristobulus with all kindness to draw him to secure some place playing with him and counterfeting to sport after the fashion B of the young men to gratifie him Now the place where they sported being too hot they quickly wearied left their sport and went out together to take fresh air and finding a pleasant shade under certain Arbours and near certain fish-pools which were largely spred round about they beheld certain of their Servants and Friends that swom therein with whom not long after Aristobulus began to swim being perswaded thereunto by Herod Whereupon Herods confederates who were deputed to execute the murther laid hands on him and thrust him under the water pretending to duck him in sport and never gave him over untill such time as they had stifled him in the water This hapned about the evening and after this manner died Aristobulus after he had lived in all for the space of eighteen years and administred the Priest-hood one whole C year Aristobulus is drowned by Herods direction Ananel restored to the Priest-hood and after this Ananel presently recovered his former dignity When this accident was reported to the women all of them burst out in tears and were transported with strange lamentations which they uttered over the dead body All the City also was mightily troubled neither was there any private family that thought not it self touched by this inconvenience but imagined the loss in particular to concern himself and no other But above all when Alexandra had notice of this wicked deed she was more passionate and perplexed than any other being so much the more discomforted for that she knew how all things had hapned But the fear of a far greater mischief constrained her to repress her passion so that divers times she was ready to bereave her of her own life The lamentation for Aristobulus death and dispatch her self out of misery with her own hands D But she contained her self to the end that surviving and living after her son who was so fraudulently destroyed and prolonging her own life without giving any suspition or shadow that she might with more opportunity expect the occasion to revenge her self For which cause she dissembled all things concealed her grief and made shew that she knew nothing of that which was either intended or had hapned As for Herod he laboured by all means to perswade the strangers that this death had befallen Aristobulus without his knowledg and did not only prepare that which was requisite for the funeral but made shew to be truly sorrowful and it may be that in remembrance of Aristobulus beauty and flourishing young years he was realy touched with compassion notwithstanding Herods counterfeit sorrow that he imagined that his death should be a means of his own security E demeaning himself in all things circumspectly with intent to purge himself of that crime But especially he shewed his great magnificence in the interring of his body both in the furnishing and preparation of the Herse as in the perfumes and other things thereunto belonging in such sort as the grief which the Ladies had conceived was pacified after this manner of consolation F G H CHAP. IV. The year of the World 393â— before Christ's Nativity 165. Herod is obliged to repair to Antonius to clear himself from Aristobulus's death he winneth him with Presents He gave order before his way-going to his Brother-in-Law Joseph to put Mariamne to death if Antonius should condemn him to die Joseph revealed it imprudently to this Princess and Herod put him to death for being jealous of him and Mariamne Cleopatra's unsatiable ambition and avarice BUT none of all these things could either move or mollifie Alexandra but daily more and more she increased her sorrow and in the height of her tears kindled her wrath with a desire of revenge Alexandra certifieth Cleopatra of Herods Treasons and her sons traiterous murther She therefore acquainted Cleopatra by her private I Letters of Herods Treasons and her sons most miserable and untimely
a great Army All which I did to the end that by this rumor I might restrain the fury of the Galileans and save the City of Sephoris And this policy took good effect For when they heard this news they were afraid and forsook their pillage to trust to their heels because I who was their General did the like For I made a shew that I believed the rumor to be I true as well as they and by this stratagem the City Sephoris was saved beyond all hope Tiberias also hardly escaped from being spoiled by the Galileans Tiberias in danger of ruine through this occasion which ensueth The chiefest of their Council writ to the King to desire him to come and take possession of their City The King promised to satisfie them very shortly and deliver his Letters to one of his chamber called Crispus a Jew born to carry the same to the Tiberians The Galileans took this messenger on the way and brought him unto me which when the common people understood of meer spleen they fell to Arms and the next day divers of them assembled themselves from all parts and came to the City of Asoch where I made my abode and made great exclamations calling the Tiberians traitors and the Kings friends and demanding of me K liberty to repair to Tiberias and raze it to the ground being as much displeased against the Tiberians as they were against the Sephorites Which when I heard I stood in great doubt how to deliver the Tiberians from that displeasure which the Galileans had conceived against them for I could not deny but that the Tiberians had written and sent for the King for the answer which he made them Joseph consulteth with himself did evidently express the same Having along while debated the matter with my self I said unto them I know as well as you that the Tiberians have offended neither will I hinder you from spoiling their City but you must proceed to the execution thereof with some prudence For the Tiberians alone do not betray the publick liberty but others also who are more accounted of in the Countrey of Galilee Stay L therefore until such time as I am throughly informed who they be that are Authors of this Treason and then you shall have them all under your hands with all such you paticularly think worthy punishment By this discourse I appeas'd the People who departed from me contented The Galileans wrath pacified conceived against the Tiberians As for the messenger that was sent by the King I caused him to be imprisoned having respect to an urgent necessity of mine own which constrained me to depart out of the Kingdom within a little while And calling Crispus secretly unto me I charged him to make the Soldier drunk who had the charge of him to the end that he might in all security flie back to the King Thus Tiberias being ready to be destroyed the second time by my government and providence avoided a great and fatal danger M At the same time Justus the son of Pistus fled to the King without my knowledge the cause of which flight I will orderly express As soon as the Romans had begun the War against the Jews Justus desireth to command Galilee the Tiberians concluded to obey the King and in no sort to rebel against the Romans But Justus persuaded them to take Arms thirsting after alteration and hoping to usurp the Government of Galilee and of his own Countrey but his hope failed him for the Galileans being enviously bent against the Tiberians for those injuries they had suffered at their hands before the War would not allow Justus to be their Governor My self also whom the People of Jerusalem put in trust with the Government of Galilee was oftentimes so much moved that I failed little of killing Justus so intolerable was his perfidiousness He therefore fearing least my displeasure should shorten his days went N to the King supposing that he might live more freely and securely with him The Sephorites beyond their expectation having escaped this first danger writ to Cestus Gallus the second time desiring him to come to them to the end he might seize their City or else send them Forces to withstand the incursions of their enemies And they wrought so much that Gallus sent them a Body of Horsemen and after them Footmen who came by night and were received into their City But seeing that the Country round about was but in poor estate by reason of the Roman Horsemen I drew my Forces together and came to Garizim where I encamped some twenty stades from Sephoris and by night I approached the same Joseph assailed the walls of Sephoris and set Ladders to the wall with which I entred a great number of my Soldiers and became Master of the better part of the City from O whence notwithstanding we were afterwards constrained to retire because we knew not all the ways killing before our departure twelve Roman Footmen and two Horsemen A with some Sephorites with the loss of one of ours Afterwards a Fight hapning between us and their Horsemen in open field we fought for a long time with disadvantage For the Romans having invironed me on all sides my Reerward through the fear they conceived began to retire In this skirmish I lost one of my Guard called Justus who in times past had served in the very same place under the King Silas Captain of the King's Guard After this the King's Forces both of Horse and Foot came thither under the Government of Silas Captain of the Guard who encamping some five stades off from Julias beset the Highways that lead towards Cana with Men of War and the Fort of Gamala to hinder the Inhabitants from receiving any Commodities from the Countrey of Galilee As soon as I received News hereof I sent out two thousand Soldiers under the command B of Jeremy who lodging themselves within a stade of Julias near the River Jordan offered nothing else but light skirmishes until such time as I had gathered three thousand Soldiers more and came to them The next day having planted an Ambush in a certain Trench near the enclosure of their Camp I touled out the King's Soldiers to skirmish having first forewarned my Soldiers to feign a flight till they had drawn their Enemies as far as the Ambush which they cunningly executed But Silas supposing that our Men fled for Cowardice set forward to follow them as fast as he could but they that lay in Ambush charged him on the back Joseph putteth the King's Soldiers to flight and discomfited his Army and I presently turning and making head against them constrained the King's Forces to trust to their heels and I should have got a signal Victory had not Fortune cross'd my C success For the Horse whereon I rode falling into a certain Bog cast me on the ground whereby my hand being put out of joint about
had four sons Elein Gunnes Sares and Hellim Dan had onely one son called Vsis Now if these be added to the abovenamed they make up the number of Fifty four But Gad and Asser were born by Zelpha Leah's handmaid Gad was attended by seven sons Zophonias Vgis Sunis Zabros Erines Erodes and Ariel Asser had one daughter Ver. 30. and six sons Jacob almost deceased for joy whose names were Jomnes Essus Juba Baris Abars Melmiel These D fifteen being added to the foresaid Fifty four make up the number Seventy together with Jacob. Gen. 47. 2. But Joseph understanding that his father was at hand for Juda posted before to give him notice thereof went out to meet him Joseph with his five Brethren and did so near a Town called Heros Jacob was fill'd with such extreme and unexpected joy that he had almost expired and that of Joseph was little less He desir'd his father to march onwards by easie journies and taking with him his five brethren hasted unto the King signifying unto him that his father with all his family were arrived The King no sooner understood it but he joyfully asked Joseph in what employments he took delight who answer'd him that his exercise was in keeping of Cattel and that he had no other Trade This answer he made to the intent they might not be divided one from another but that living E all together they might take care of their father another reason was lest emulation should happen betwixt them and the Egyptians if so be they should be conversant in the same profession Ver. 3 ad 10. whereas this people had little experience in the keeping of Cattel Jacob talketh with Pharaoh and is appointed to inhabit Heliopolis Now when Jacob was brought into the King's presence and had done him reverence and pray'd God for the prosperity both of him and his Realm Pharaoh ask'd him how old he was and he answer'd that he was an hundred and thirty years old at which when the King admir'd he added that his Ancestors had lived far longer Then Pharaoh appointed him and his sons to dwell in Heliopolis where also the King's shepherds had their pastures But the Famine increased in Egypt and the calamity was without remedy The famine in Egypt by reason that Nilus did not overflow the earth after its usual manner and on F the other side God rained not upon the earth Moreover in that the sterility was foreseen it was more grievous especially to the Commonalty who had laid up nothing neither did Joseph give them Corn without ready money Ver. 16 17 20. which when they began to want A great profit redounded to the King by this famine they exchang'd their Cattel and Slaves for Corn and they that had Lands sold a portion thereof unto the King for their provision And when by this means all these possessions came into the King's hands they went to inhabit here and there as they could to the end that the King might be more assured of the possession of their Land the Priests onely were excepted to whom the Lands which they had remained intire Finally this necessity reduced both the minds and bodies of the whole Nation into servitude after such a manner that they esteemed no labour or means unseemly that G might serve them towards their sustenance But when the Famine ceas'd and the earth water'd by the overflow of the River began to recover her former fertility Joseph visiting every City of the Kingdom and assembling the multitude in every one of them restored them the possession of those Lands which they had sold to the King The year of the World 2311. before Christ's Nativity 1653. and exhorted H them to manure the same in no worse manner than they would do their own on condition to pay the fifth part unto the King which was due unto him by his Prerogative and Kingly right The People rejoycing at this unexpected restitution earnestly intended and prosecuted their Tillage Joseph commanded them to pay the fifth part of their profits to the King and by this means not only Joseph's authority but also the Peoples hearts were not a little tyed unto the King and the inheritance of the fifth part of the profits remained with the Kings that succeeded and all their Posterity But Jacob after he had lived 17 years in Egypt ended his life in the arms of his Sons having first prayed God to give them prosperity and abundance and prophesied that every one of their posterities should attain to the possession of a part of the Land of Canaan Hedio Ruffinus cap. 8. as in process of time it came to pass Besides praising his Son Joseph for that forgetting I the injuries done unto him he had bestowed divers benefits on his Brethren yea and such as well beseemed his Benefactors he commanded his Sons that they should admit Joseph's Sons Gen. 49. 33. Ephraim and Manasses Jacob dyed when he was 147 years old into their number at such time as they should divide the Land of Canaan as hereafter it shall be declared Last of all he prayed them to bury him in Hebron He liv'd 150 years wanting three being second to none of his Ancestors in piety Gen. 50. 13. and obtain'd the same blessing Jacob is buried in Hebron in that he was a man adorned with equal virtues Joseph by the King's permission transported his Fathers body to Hebron and there buried it very magnificently But his Brothers fearing to return with him into Egypt in that they suspected lest their Father being dead he should be revenged on them in that they had not any Friend left alive under whose favor they might hope for pardon he K commanded them that laying their suspitions aside they should fear no evil and having brought them back again with him he gave them great possessions neither did he ever cease to entertain them with brotherly kindness Joseph dyeth when he was 110 years old But he likewise dyed when he had lived 110 years a man endowed with admirable virtue prudent in all Affairs and moderate in his Government by which means it came to pass that neither his Foreign Birth nor his Calamities whereof we have spoken did any ways hinder him but that he was exalted and continued in high dignity Gen. 50. 22 ad 26. The rest of his Brothers also having spent their lives in happiness dyed in Egypt whose bodies their Sons and Nephews transported and buried in Hebron Joseph's Bones translated into Canaan but Joseph's bones were afterwards translated by the Hebrews into Canaan at such time as they departed out of Egypt into Canaan for hereunto had he L bound them by an Oath But being oblig'd to declare this and other actions of this Nation I will first of all shew the cause why they departed out of Egypt CHAP. V. Of the affliction which the
was not delivered from his suspicion but desired him to relate to him all that he had signified to his Wife The Angel answered that it sufficed that she knew it whereupon he asked him what he was to the end that when his Son should be born he might give him presents and thanks The Angel answered that he had no need thereof by reason that he had not brought the good news of the birth of his I Son for any necessity that he had Manoah entreated him to stay and receive some token of kindness but he would not consent Finally being instantly pressed to abide and receive some gift Manoah kill'd a Kid and commanded his Wife to roast it And when all things were in readiness the Angel commanded them to lay the Bread and Flesh upon a Rock without dishes which being done he touched the Flesh with a wand which he had in his hand and suddenly a flaming fire consumed both the Bread and Flesh and the Angel was seen to ascend up into Heaven in the Smoke as it were in a Chariot Manoah was in great fear lest some inconvenience should happen unto him because they had seen God but his Wife comforted him assuring that God had appeared to them for their good Shortly after she became big with child and observed K all that had been commanded her v. 24. and when the Infant was born Samsons birth she called his name Samson which is as much as to say strong who soon grew to be of excellent beauty both of mind and body wearing his Hair unshorn and using sobriety in his diet whereby he gave some signs of what had been foretold concerning him It hapned on a day that there was a solemnity celebrated in Thamna a City of the Philistines whither Samson resorted with his Father and Mother and being surprised with love of one of the Damsels of that place he desired his Father and Mother that this maid might be given him in marriage which they refused alledging that she was not of the same Lineage Judg. 14. 5 6. and that God would provide him a match to the good and profit of his Nation Samson teareth a Lion in peices with his hands but in the end he prevailed so much that he espoused the Maiden L Now as he ordinarily walked to her Parents it happened one day that being disarmed he met with a Lion upon the way whom he grasped and strangled with his hands and having slain him he cast the body of the Beast into a Wood not far distant from the high way Another day returning in like sort to the Damsel he found a swarm of Bees which made their honey in the breast of the same Beast Samson marrieth one of the Daughters of the Philistines and he took three hony-combs which he carried with other presents to his intended Wife After this lie invited the Thamnites to the celebration of his marriage who for that they feared his strength under colour of doing him honour chose out thirty strong and valiant young men v. 1 2 3. to be seemingly his companions but in effect his Guardians to the end he might not attempt any commotion in the midst of the festivity Samson said M to his companions I will propose a question to you which if you can resolve I will give each of you a fine Linnen Shirt v. 12 13 14. and other vestments They being very desirous both to be reputed wise Samson propoundeth a riddle to the Thamnites and to gain the reward proposed pressed him to propound his question which he did in these terms He that devoureth all hath been himself the food of others and how terrible soever he was this food hath been no less sweet and agreeable They employ'd three dayes to find out the sense thereof but they could not and therefore they desired Samson's Spouse to get the secret from her Husband and disclose the same to them which if she refused they threatned to burn her to death Samson at the first notwithstanding her flatteries and sollicitations denied to tell it her at last she urged him so instantly and shed so many tears telling him that if he N did not expound the question to her she would take it for a certain sign that he hated her that at last he told her he had slain a Lion and how in him he had found the three honey-Combs which he brought to her v. 18. and not distrusting either fraud or guile he related the whole story to her Samsons Wife discovereth the riddle to the Thamnites and she afterwards reported the same to those that had employed her in the discovery When the seventh day was come and the question was to be decided the young men assembled themselves together about Sun-set and said There is nothing more terrible than a Lion nor any thing more pleasant to taste than honey v. 19 20. Whereunto Samson replied Samson killeth certain Ascalonites and his Wife marrieth with another you should adde that there is not any thing more dangerous than a woman for she it is that hath betray'd me and reported my words to you Notwithstanding all this he delivered that which he had promised them out of the booty O which he had taken from certain Ascalonites whom he encountred upon the way But he would not pardon his Wife and the woman seeing her self despised married A one of his friends The year of the World 2791 before Christ's Nativity 1173. who had in his behalf first sollicited the marriage Samson being more incensed by this injury resolved to revenge himself both on her and the whole Nation For which cause in the Summer time when the Corn was ready to be reapt he took three hundred Foxes to whose tayls having fastned flaming Torches he drove them into the Philistines fields of Corn Judg. 15. 4 5 c. consuming by this means all their hope of Harvest The Philistines understanding that Samson had done this and conceiving the reason that induced him to it Samson burned the Philistines fruit sent a party of Soldiers to Thamna and burnt this woman alive with all her kindred as the cause of the loss that had hapned to them After Samson had slain divers Philistines in the Countrey he went and dwelt at Etam which is a strong Rock in the Tribe of Juda. For which cause the Philistines assailed that Tribe who B represented to them that there was no reason why they should suffer for those offences which were committed by Samson and especially since they payed them tribute The Philistines replied that unless they would be maintainers of his act of unjustice they must deliver Samson unto them They desirous that the Philistines might have no cause of quarrel against them came to the Rock to the number of 3000 men and there blamed Samson for those actions which he had done against the Philistines because they were a
more v. 21. he stole away from the presence of those men over whom he was to command Sauls modesty and temperance in undertaking the Government and obliged them to seek after him and labour to find him out Whilest therefore they carefully sought and knew not what was become of Saul the Prophet prayed God that he would shew them where he was and bring him into their presence which having obtained he sent out certain messengers to conduct him thither v. 22. and as soon as he came amongst them Saul hideth himself from the presence of the people Samuel placed him in the midst of the people Now he was taller than any of the company by the shoulders F and had a Kingly and goodly shape and appearance Then spake the Prophet after this manner v. 23. God hath given you this man to be your King behold how he surpasseth you all and shews himself worthy to be your Prince Saul of a high stature But assoon as the people had cried God save the King v. 24. the Prophet who had reduced into writing all those mischiefs that should befall them Saul saluted by the people for their King read the same to them in the hearing of the King and put the book into the Tabernacle of God for a perpetual testimony to posterity of those things which in future ages should succeed v. 26 27. according as he had prophesied which done Samuel dismissed the people and returned to the City of Ramath Divers attend on Saul othersome contemn him which was his Countrey But Saul departing to Gabatha divers worthy men gave their attendance on him and paid him the honour that appertained to a King But divers seditious and loose companions who set him at naught G both mocked them Hedio Ruffinus chap. 5. and those things which he did neither brought they any presents unto Saul 1 Sam. 11. â— ad 4. nor seemed either in affection or in word to respect their King A month after this installment there fell a War betwixt him and Nahas King of the Ammonites which brought him great reputation This Nahas had offered divers outrages to those H Jews that dwell on the other side of Jordan For he had passed the River with a great Army levied against them and had taken divers of their Cities And to the intent they might not revolt to deliver themselves from his subjection he used this subtilty and prevention To all that surrendred themselves to his mercy or that were taken Captives in the wars he plucked out their right eyes and this he did to the end that when they would defend themselves they might have their left eyes covered with their Bucklers and by that means unable to use their Armor Sauls War against the Ammonites The King of the Ammonites having after this manner dealt with those on the other side of Jordan he led his Army against the Galaadites and encamped near their chief City called Jabehs 1 Sam. 11. 3 4 5 6. to which he sent Heralds to summon the inhabitants to surrender on these conditions either to suffer their right eyes I to be pulled out or else by enduring the siege to see the final overthrow both of themselves and of their City requiring them to chuse which they lik'd either to lose a little part of their body Nahas King of the Ammonites offereth unjust conditions of peace to the Galaadites or hazard both their Fortunes and lives together The Galaadites terrified with this dreadful election knew not what to resolve upon but asked truce for seven dayes to the end that sending their messengers to those of their Nation they might crave their aid which if they could obtain they would War otherwise they promised to submit themselves unto the enemy on what conditions were best pleasing unto him The Ambassadours of the Galaadites to the Israelites Nahas made no difficulty to grant them what they demanded so much he contemned the Israelites and he permitted them likewise to crave assistance at all their hands who were their associates Whereupon they presently sent messengers K from City to City and certified the Israelites of all that Nahas had done unto them and the extremity whereunto they were reduced The Israelites understanding in what estate they of Jabesh were greatly lamented their condition but their fear suffered them to assist their friends in no other manner than by commiseration Yet as soon as their messengers arrived in the City where Saul was and that they had recounted to him the dangers wherewith the Jabesites were oppressed the people were also moved with unprofitable compassion But Saul at his returning from the field into the City perceiving the inhabitants drowned in tears and enquiring for what cause they were so dejected he no sooner understood it but he was stirred up by the Spirit of God and sent the Ambassadors back again to those that sent them promising that within three L days he would succour them v. 7 8 9. and that he would have the upper hand of the enemy before Sun-rise Saul promiseth assistance to the Jabesites to the end that the rising Sun might behold them victorious and delivered from all fear In the mean time he commanded some of them to stay with him to the intent they might guide him in the way CHAP. VI. The Combat and Victory of Saul over the Ammonites SAul desirous Sauls serious exhortations and command for War by the fear of punishment to incite the people to take arms immediatly and make War upon the Ammonites cut the hams of his own oxen and threatned M all those whom he met with to do the like to theirs except the next day they presented themselves with their Arms upon the bank of Jordan to follow the King and the Prophet Samuel whither they would conduct them The fear of this penalty published among the Tribes made them gather to a body about the same time so that all the parties of the people were mustred in the City of Bala In this survey besides those of the Tribe of Juda were numbred seven hundred thousand men and of the Tribe of Juda in particular 1 Sam. 11 v. 11 12. there were seventy thousand Saul having passed Jordan and marched all night came before Sun-rise to the place where he intended to conduct them Ten Shâ—oeni or Cables length of Nilus so called by the cords that draw the Ships by Nilus make 37 Italian miles and dividing his Army into three parts he attaqued the enemy on every side who suspected no such encounter and fighting valiantly against them he N slew divers and amongst the rest Nahas King of the Ammonites This victory made Sauls name famous amongst the Hebrews so that he was wonderfully praised and honoured for his valour and if before any contemned him now they changed their opinions and honoured him and accounted him the
all which had hapned But when his grief was abated and he returned to himself he lifted up his heart unto God and B commanded the High-Priest Abiathar to put on the Ephod and ask counsel of God and that done Ver. 7 8 9. to declare unto him how he might overtake the Amalekites if he should pursue them David taketh counsel of God whether he will assist him to recover his Wives and Goods out of the hands of the Amalekites and whether he should recover his Wives and Children that they had led away and revenge himself of his Enemies As soon as the High-Priest had certified him that he might pursue them he sallied out with 600 Soldiers and pursued the Enemy and drawing near unto the River he found a certain stragler an Egyptian by Nation very faint and feeble through want and famine having for three dayes space wandered in the Desart without any sustenance whom after he had refreshed with meat and drink he asked to whom he belonged and what he was The Egyptian told him his Countrey and how he had been left in that place by his Master because that through his weakness it was C impossible for him to follow them He confessed likewise that his Master was one of the number of those that had burned and sacked Ver. 11 ad 19. not only other quarters of Judea but Siceleg also David guided by an Egyptian slave overtaketh the Amalekites David taking this Man for his Guide overtook them finding some of them lying on the ground others banquetting and debauching and almost sensless by overmuch drink wherefore being not in a condition to defend themselves he fell upon them and slew so great a number that scarce 400 Men escaped for the slaughter continued from Noon until the Evening David assaileth the Amalekites makes a great slaughter of them and recovereth the whole prey So recovered he all that which the Enemy had ransackt and released both his own Wives and those of his Companions Whereupon they returned to the place where they had left the other 200 which could not follow them because they were appointed to guard the Baggage To these the 400 would not grant a part D of the Booty because they had not as they said followed the Enemy with them but shewed themselves slack in the pursuit alledging that they ought to content themselves with the recovery of their Wives But David thought the sentence pronounced against them to be unjust Ver. 20 ad 25. for since they had defeated their Enemies all of them deserved to partake of profit David compromitteth the debate betwixt those that pursued the chase and those that kept the Baggage touching the pillage which ought equally to be divided both amongst those that fought and amongst those that stayed behind to guard the Baggage And from that day forward this Law hath been firmly observed amongst them that they that guard the Baggage should have an equal part of the prey with those that go out to Battel But when David was returned to Siceleg he sent unto his Friends of the Tribe of Juda apart of the spoil In this manner was Siceleg sacked and burned and thus were the Amalekites discomfited E But the Philistines fought a bloody Battel with Saul wherein they got the Victory and slew a great number of their Enemies Saul King of Israel with his Sons fought valiantly and seeing that there was no hopes of conquering they endeavoured to die as honourably as they could 1 Sam. 31. 1 2 3. For since the Philistines bent all their Forces against them they could not make good their Retreat Saul and his sons seeing their Army overcome by the Philistines are desperately dismayed and slain so that incompassed by them they died in the midst of them and yet before their death slew a great number of their Enemies There were there present Sauls three sons Jonathan Aminadab and Melchi who being defeated the Hebrew Army turned their backs so that being closely pursued by the Enemy there was a great slaughter made Saul with those about him retreated in good order And although the Philistines drew out against him a multitude of Archers that shot many F Darts and Arrows at him yet were they all but a very few repulsed and although he had fought very bravely having received divers wounds yet being unable any longer to support himself he commanded his Esquire to draw his Sword and to thrust it through his Body 1 Sam. 31. 4 c. before he should be taken alive by his Enemies which he refused not daring to lay hands upon his Master Saul striveth to kill himself and being unable useth the assistance of a young Amalekite Whereupon Saul drew his own Sword and setting it to his Breast cast himself thereon but unable to force it home enough he looked back and saw a young man behind him whom he asked What he was and hearing that he was an Amalekite he requested him That he would kill him that he might not fall alive into the hands of his Enemies which he did and having taken from him the Gold which he had about his arms and the Royal Crown he fled The Esquire seeing Saul G dead presently slew himself Not one of all the Kings Guard escaped but they were all slain near unto the Mountain Gilboa When they that inhabited the Valley on the other side of Jordan and in the Plain had intelligence that Saul and his sons were dead and with them a great number of their Nation was slain The year of the World 2891 before Christ's Nativity 1073. they abandoned their Cities H and fled to others that were better fortified The Philistines finding these Cities destitute of Inhabitants seized on them The next day whil'st the Philistines spoiled the dead they found the bodies of Saul and his sons which they spoiled and beheaded sending their Heads round about the Countrey â—a Ver. 7 ad 10. to make it known that their Enemies were defeated They offered up their Arms also in the Temple of Astaroth and their Bodies they hung on the Walls of the City of Bethsan The Hebrews that inhabit the Valley beyond Jordan leaving their towns flie to defenced cities at this day called Scythopolis When they of Jabes a City of Galaad understood how the Philistines had cut off the Heads of Saul and his sons they were enraged and thought it became them not to be unconcerned whereupon the most valiant amongst them went out and marched all night till they came to Bethsan and approaching near the Walls they took down the Bodies of I Saul and his sons Ver. 9. and carried them unto Jabes without any opposition of the Enemy These men of Jabes lamented over the dead Bodies The Philistines hung up the bodies of Saul and his Sons and buried them in the best part of their Countrey called Arar Thus they mourned both Men
Women and Children beating their Breasts and lamenting for the King and his sons and tasting neither meat nor drink Ver. 11 12 13. This was the end of Saul according as Samuel had foretold him because he disobeyed God in his War against the Amalekites The Citizens of Jabes rescue the bodies of Saul and his sons and both bury and lament them and because he had slain Abimelech and all the Sacerdotal Race and destroyed the City of the Priests He Reigned during the life of Samuel the space of 18 years and 22 years after his death K L M N O A The Seventh Book of the Antiquities of the JEWS Written by FLAVIVS JOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the Seventh Book 1. David is created King of one Tribe in Hebron over the rest Saul's Son obtaineth the Sovereignty 2. Ishboseth is slain by the treachery of his Servants and the whole Kingdom cometh unto B David 3. David having surprized the City and Citadel of Jerusalem driveth the Canaanites from thence and causeth the Jews to inhabit it 4. David assailed by the Philistines obtaineth a famous victory against them near unto Jerusalem 5. David overcometh the neighbouring Nations and imposeth tribute on them 6. They of Damascus are overcome by David 7. David overcomes the Mesopotamians 8. How through the intestine Wars of his family David was driven out of his Kingdom by his Son C 9. Absolon marching out with his Army against his Father is overthrown 10. The happy estate of David restored again unto his Kingdom 11. David in his life-time anointeth his Son Solomon King 12. The death of David and what he left his Son towards the building of the Temple CHAP. I. David is created King of one Tribe in Hebron over the rest Saul's Son obtaineth the Sovereignty D THis Battel was fought on the same day that David returned Conqueror to Siceleg after he had subdued the Amalekites But about three days after his return he that slew Saul and had escaped from the Battel having his garment rent and ashes upon his head came and cast himself prostrate before David and being asked from whence he came he answered from the Battel of the Israelites and certified David of the unhappy event 2 Sam. 1. v. 1 ad 12. telling him that many thousands of the Hebrews were slain and that Saul himself and his Sons were fallen in the conflict He likewise related how he himself retreated amongst the Hebrews An Amalechite certifieth David of Sauls death and in testimony thereof presenteth his bracelets and Crown when the King fled confessing that he had slain him that he might not fall alive into the hands of his enemy For said he Saul E having cast himself upon the point of his sword was so weak by reason of the agony of his wounds that he could not dispatch himself Thereupon he produced the bracelets and the Royal Crown which he took from him David perceiving no cause whereby he should doubt of his death whereof he had most evident and infallible testimonies rent his garments v. 12 and spent the day in weeping and lamenting with his companions but he was the more grieved for the loss of his dear friend Jonathan David lamenteth Saul and Jonathans death whom he acknowledged to be the preserver of his life And so affectionate shewed he himself towards Saul that although he had oftentimes been in danger to have been slain by him yet was he much troubled at his death v. 13 14 15. and not only so David commandeth the Amalâ—chite to be slain that killed Saul but he likewise put to death him that slew him telling him that he himself had accused himself for slaying the King and shown himself F by that parricide to be a true Amalekite He composed likewise Lamentations and Epitaphs in the praise of Saul and Jonathan which are yet extant After that he had thus honoured the King and performed his Lamentations and Obsequies he asked counsel of God by the Prophet 2 Sâ—m 2. 1 ad 7. What City of the Tribe of Juda he would give him to inhabit in David by Gods commandment cometh and dwelleth in Hebron and is declared King of the Tribe of Juda. who answered him That he would give him Hebron For which cause he forsook Siceleg and came and dwelt in Hebron and brought thither his Wives and his Army All the people of the Tribe resorted thither unto him and proclaimed him King where understanding how the Jabesins had buried Saul and his Sons he sent Ambassadors unto them both to praise and approve their actions assuring them that he allowed their act and would recompense that kindness which they had shewed to the dead giving them likewise G to understand David praiseth the Jebafines for burying Saul and his Sons that the Tribe of Juda had chosen him for their King But Abner the Son of Ner General of Sauls Army a man of great courage and a noble disposition understanding that Saul and Jonathan and his two other Brothers were dead came into the Camp The year of the World 2891. before Christ's Nativity 1873. and bringing with him the only Son of Saul that was left whose name was H Isboseth he passed to the other side of Jordan and proclaimed him King He appointed likewise for his Royal seat and place of residence a certain Countrey called in Hebrew Machare that is to say the Camp From thence he went with a select band of soldiers with a resolution to encounter those of the Tribe of Juda because they had chosen David for their Kings Against him marched out Joab the Son of Suri and of Sarvia Davids Sister General of his Army to encounter him accompanied with his Brothers Abisai and Azael v. 8 ad 12. and all Davids soldiers and arriving near a Fountain in Gabaa he drew up his Army in that place Abner the Son of Ner crowned Jeshboseth Sauls Son Abner proposing that before they joyned Battel they should try some of the soldiers of each party it was agreed between them that twelve of either side should be chosen out to decide the quarell Abner leadeth out his Army against the Tribe of Juda. These men marched out into a I certain place betwixt both Armyes and having darted their Javelins the one against the other came at last to their Swords and one taking his enemy by the hair they all of them slew one another v. 13. upon the place Hereupon the Armyes met and after a cruel Battel Abner with his followers were discomfited Joab with all Davids Army issueth out to meet him and flyng in great haste were pursued by Joab who incouraged his soldiers to follow them close without suffering any of them to escape But amongst the rest Joabs Brothers were hot upon the Chase and the youngest of them called Azael v. 15. gave special testimony of his
his protestation lest being deceived he should fall into some remediless inconveniency Nahas King of the Ammonites supposing that his Governors spake nothing but truth unworthily affronted the Ambassadors that were sent unto him for causing the half of C their Beards to be shaven close by the chin and cutting away the half of their Vestments he sent them back again v. 5. 6. Which when David saw he was much displeased and protested that he would not suffer that injury so easily to be digested David is sore displeased with the injury offered to his Ambassadors intending revenge but that he would make War on the Ammonites and revenge those indignities that were offered to his Ambassadors The Friends and Governors of Nahas considering how they had violated and broken the Peace and how for that occasion they deserved to be punished prepared for that War and sent a thousand talents to Syrus King of Mesopotamia desiring him that he would be their confederate in that War The Ammonites hire their confederates and prepare for the War against David and receive their pay they requested the like of Subas these Kings had 20000 footmen in pay They hired also with their mony the King of the Countrey called Michas and the fourth called Istob which two brought D with them twelve thousand Men. CHAP. VII How David overcame the Mesopotamians BUt David being nothing discouraged v. 7 8. either with the confederacy or force of the Ammonites David sendeth out Joab with the choisest flower of his Army against the Ammonites but trusting in God since he was satisfied that his cause was just persisted to the revenge of those outrages which he had received from them Having therefore mustered under Joab the flower of his whole Army he commanded him to depart and make War upon them who came and incamped himself before their chief City E called Aramath which when the Enemies perceived they came forth and ranged themselves in battel not in one body but two several parties For their confederates and allies were incamped apart in the Plain and the Ammonites stood in battle-array near unto their City gate to make head against the Hebrews Joab perceiving this took this course Joab and Abisaies Armies that he might meet them without any disadvantage for he chose out the ablest and stoutest of his men to serve under him against Syrus v. 9 10 11. and the other Kings confederate with him and gave the rest to his brother Abisai commanding him to oppose himself against the Ammonites whilest he charged the rest and appointing him that if he perceived that the Syrians were stronger than he and did put him to the worst that he should come to succour him promising to do the like if he perceived him to be oppressed F by the Ammonites When therefore he had exhorted his Brother to behave himself valiantly he sent him before to charge the Ammonites and he on the other side assailed the Syrians who valiantly resisted him for a little space but Joab having slain many of them constrained them at length to turn their backs Which when the Ammonites perceived who were afraid of Abisai and his people retreated likewise v. 12 13 14. and following the example of their allies Joabs victory they took their flight into the City By which means Joab having defeated his Enemies returned in triumph and with victory unto the King to Jerusalem Yet were not the Ammonites wholly weakned by this loss for although they had by experience a certain knowledg that the Hebrews were stronger than themselves yet would G they by no means hearken to a Peace They sent unto Chalama King of the Syrians on the other side of Euphrates whose confederacy they attained by bribes and huge sums of money This King had one called Sobac for his Lieutenant-General and under him fourscore thousand foot The year of the Woâ—ld 2910. before Christ's Nativity 1540. and ten thousand horse David understanding that the Ammonitâ—s drew H to an head and intended to assault him again he surceased to send his Lieutenants but went himself in Person and meeting them he overcame them and killed fourty thousand of their Foot and seven thousand Horse he hurt Sobac also Chalamas Lieutenant so that he died of his wounds Hereupon the Mesopotamians yielded themselves unto David 15 16 17 18 19. and gave him many great and magnificent Presents He therefore by reason of the Winter The Syrians with the Ammonites assembled themselves against David retired to Jerusalem but at the Spring he sent out his Lieutenant Ioab once more to make War upon the Ammonites who overrunning their Countrey utterly spoiled it and shut them up in Aramath their principal City which he besieged and took About this time it so fell out that David notwithstanding he were a just man and one that feared God The Mesopotamians submit themselves to David and an exact observer of all the Laws and ordinances of his forefathers I fell into a great sin and offended God For as he walked on the top of his Royal Palace in the evening he discovered a Woman of incomparable Beauty whose name was Bethsabe bathing her self Aramath besieged His passion became forthwith so impetuous that he could not resist it whereupon he sent for her and kept her with him till she conceived She desired him to bethink himself of some means whereby her shame might be concealed Hedro Ruffinus chap. 7. and her life which was in hazard 2 Sam. 11. 1 2 3 4 c. by the Law for her Adultery might be preserved Who thereupon sent for Vrias Bethsabes Husband and one of Joabs Captains who at that time was at the siege of Aramath and enquired of him upon his arrival touching the state of the siege Davids adultery and of the Army who answering him that all things were fallen out according to his wish v 5. David took a part of his own supper and gave it him Bethsabe certifieth the King that she is with child willing him K to repair unto his own house and repose himself with his Wife But Vrias slept among his fellow-souldiers near unto the person of the King Which when David understood he asked him wherefore he repaired not to his own house v. 6 7 8. according to the custome of Husbands that had been long absent David sendeth for Urias and willeth him to repair home unto his Wife which he doth not and why he visited not his Wife from whom he had been so long parted Vrias replied That it became him not either to repose or take pleasure with his Wife whilest his companions and General lay upon the ground in the Enemies Countrey Which said David commanded him to sojourn there all the day long to the end that on the next morrow he might send him back again to Joab That night the King invited him to supper
Army and the place of General he might send him to make War upon the Son of Bochri Joab by reason of Amasa's delay is sent out against Siba by David After that Amasa was departed and had employed his time in gathering up his Army the King seeing that he failed to return upon the third day told Joab that it was dangerous to permit Siba to gather a greater head by N delay and thereby breed more trouble and molestation than Absalon had done For which cause said he stay thou not but take unto thee those forces which thou hast in readiness and my six hundred men with thy brother Abisai and pursue thou the Enemy and in what place soever thou meetest him by all means endeavour to give him the Battel Haste therefore and overtake him lest he seize some of our strongest Cities and thereby create us a greater trouble Joab with all expedition obeyed his commandment and took with him the six hundred with his Brother Abisai and commanded all the forces that were in Jerusalem to follow after him and marched in good order after Siba When he came unto Gabaon a Village about forty furlongs distant from Jerusalem Amasa met him with great forces Joab having his Sword girt by his â—ide v. 9 10. whilst Amasa came onward to salute him he on purpose O let his Sword slip out of his sheath Joab killeth Amasa and taking it up from the ground with one hand he drew near unto Amasa under pretence to salute him and taking him by the beard he H thrust the Sword that was in his other hand into his belly and slew him Which action of his was hainous and detestable proceeding from a jealousie he had conceived against a virtuous young man one of great merit and of great hopes being his near Relation who had in no sort offended him but only by accepting the place of General which the King had conferred on him and because David had equalled him in honour with him for which very cause heretofore he had slain Abner Notwithstanding that act of his seemed in some sort more excusable by reason of the wrong which he had pretended to be done unto his Brother Azael v. 9 10. yet was not this a sufficient colour to excuse the murther of Amasa Joab killeth Amasa When this was done he pursued Siba and left a certain man to wait upon the body of Amasa who had commandment given him to proclaim with a loud voice I thorow the whole army that he was justly and deservedly slain commanding those that favored the Kings title to follow their General Joab and his Brother Abisai whilest his body lay thus in the way and all the multitude as it is usual in such like accidents flocked round about it he that had charge of the body took it up and bare it into a certain place out of the way and covered it with a Garment which done all the people followed Joab Now whilest he pursued Siba thorow all the Region of the Israelites he told him that he had retired himself into a certain strong City called Abelmacha where he no sooner arrived but that he begirt the City and entrenched it round about commanding his Soldiers to undermine and overthrow the walls for he was much incensed because they had shut the gates against him Joab besiegeth and shutteth up Siba within Abelmachaea But a certain prudent woman seeing her countrey in extreme K peril she went up to the top of the walls and called unto Joab who coming forth unto her she spake after this manner God hath ordained Kings and Generals of Armies to the end they might destroy the Enemies of the Hebrews and plant amongst them an universal and perpetual peace v. 16. ad 22. but you enforce your selves to destroy one of the chief Cities of Israel A woman rebuketh Joab for seeking the subversion of the City which he rather ought to protect that hath in no sort offended you Joab declared that far from any such design he wished them all happiness and prosperity and said that for his own part it was not his meaning that any one of the City should die neither his pretence to raze and deface so famous a City his intent only was that if Siba the Son of Bochri and the Kings adversary were delivered into his hands to do justice on him he would raise the siege and cause his Army to retire from thence When the woman heard what Joab had said Joabs conditions of peace proposed to the besieged she prayed him to stay a little while promising him L very speedily to cast his head over unto him Whereupon she came down amongst the assembly of the Citizens to whom she spake after this manner Wretched men that you are The punishment of Siba will you miserably suffer your Wives and Children to be slain for a wicked mans cause and a stranger whom ye know not will you admit him in the place of David your King from whose hands you have received so many benefits v. 23. ad finem think you that one only City can resist so vast an Army Officers distributed by David After this manner persuaded she them to cut off Sibas head and to cast it into Joabs camp which done Joab commanded the retreat to be sounded and raised the siege and returning back unto Jerusalem was once more declared General of all the people The King also appointed Benaja Captain of his Guards and of six hundred Soldiers Adoram was made Treasurer to gather in the Tributes Sabath and Achilaus had M the charge of Registers Hedio Ruffinus cap. 2. Susa was made Secretary Sadoc and Abiathar were made the High-Priests 2 Sam. 21. 1. 2. After this it hapned that the Countrey was afflicted with a famine For which cause David besought God that he would have compassion on his people A famine inflâ—cted on the Israelites for breach of oath and that it might please him to manifest not only the cause but also the remedy of the malady The Prophets answered him that God would be revenged of the wrong done to the Gibeonites whom King Saul had deceived and traiterously slain without respect of the oath which the Governour Josuah and the Elders made unto them If therefore he would suffer the Gibeonites to revenge the death of their slaughtered friends according to their desire God had promised to be appeased and to deliver the people from their imminent and present evils As soon as he understood by the Prophets what God required he sent N for the Gibeonites and asked them what it was which they required who wished him to deliver into their hands seven of Sauls Sons to take their revenge on them whereupon the King made search after them only sparing and protecting Mephiboseth the Son of Jonathan v. 7 9. When the Gibeonites had laid hold of these seven
further hereafter Now when the feast of Tabernacles which hapned in the seventh month was at hand he himself intended to celebrate in Bethel after the same manner as the two other Tribes had feasted in Jerusalem and erected an Altar before the Calf and was himself the High Priest ascending up to the Altar being assisted by the Priest Now at such time as he was about to sacrifice and to offer up burnt-offerings in the sight of the people there came a Prophet and stood by him called Jadon sent from O Jerusalem by the commandment of God who standing up in the midst of the people and in the hearing of the King turned himself towards the Altar and spake after this manner Thou Altar thou Altar thus saith the Lord there shall a man rise of the Tribe of David called Josias he shall kill upon thee the false Prophets of his time and shall burn the bones A of the deceivers and seducers upon thee And to the intent that each man may believe that this Prophecy is true it shall be confirmed by a Prodigy This Altar shall suddenly break and the fat of the Sacrifices that are laid thereon shall be poured on the ground Jeroboam displeased with these words of the Prophet 1 Reg. 13. 1 2 3. stretched out his hand commanding them to lay hold on him But the hand that he stretched out became instantly wither'd so that he could no more draw it back again to himself The Prophecy against the Altar in Bethel but held it hanging down astonished and mortified On the other side the Altar cleft in twain and all that was thereon fell down according as the Prophet had foretold The Prophecy is confirmed by a miracle The King perceiving that the man had a true and divine spirit of Prophecy besought him to pray unto God that his hand B might be restored to him again in its full strength and vigor Ver. 4. and he prayed and his hand was restored Jeroboams withered â—and restored wherewith Jeroboam being well-pleased invited the Prophet to dine with him But Jadon answer'd him and said That he neither might enter into his house nor taste any bread or water within the City because God had prohibited him furthermore he told him That it was not lawful for him to return the same way that he came But the King admiring at the continency of the man Hedio Ruffinus cap. 9. began the more seriously to suspect his estate and conjecturing by those things which he had both seen and heard he divined the assured disaster of his estate and fortunes There dwelt in that City a certain false Prophet whom Jeroboam held in great honour in that he soothed him up in whatsoever was best pleasing to his ears This man lay at that time sick upon his Bed being feeble through age and when he was informed by his son that there was a Prophet come from C Jerusalem and what wonders he had wrought and how Jeroboam by his prayers recovered again his withered hand he fearing lest the King should make more account of this stranger than of himself commanded his sons presently to saddle his Ass and to have him in a readiness against his departure Which when they had performed he mounted thereon and went after the Prophet whom he overtook where he rested himself under a thick shadowy Oak and upon the first encounter saluted him and afterwards expostulated why he had not visited him Ver. 7 ad 10. neither accepted of that hospitality which he willingly would have afforded him The Prophet is brought back by the subtilty and fâ—â—ud of the false Prophet Jadon answer'd him That God had forbidden him and charged him not to taste any kind of sustenance in any mans house that dwelt within the City Truly said the other with me thou mightest eat for I also am a Prophet and honour the same D God that thou doest and now also come I unto thee by his commandment to conduct thee back again unto my house and to entertain thee with a friendly dinner These words of the false Prophet made Jadon credulous so that he turned back again with him But as they sate at their Banquet and were making merry together God appeared unto Jadon and said unto him That since he had broken his commandment he should suffer punishment for the same and withall expressed unto him the manner which was That in his return homewards he should be torn in pieces by a Lyon Ver. 19 ad 23. and that he should not be buried in the monument of his fathers This thing hapned in my opinion by the Will of God The disobedience of the Prophet his punishment and burial to the intent that Jeroboam should not respect Jadons words who had been found a lyar As therefore Jadon returned back to Jerusalem a Lyon met him on the way and tore him in pieces from his Ass E and slew him yet offered he no violence to the Ass that bare him which he preserved with the body of the Prophet standing fast by the same until such time as certain passengers beholding the spectacle brought news thereof into the Town unto the false Prophet who sent his sons to bring back the body which by their assistance he honourably buried charging them that after his death they should bury his body by him assuring them that all that which he had prophesied against that City against the Altar the Priests and false Prophets was very true And as touching himself he commanded that after his decease they should bury him by him because that being buried with him there might no difference be made betwixt their bones Jadons Prophecy is detracted to Jeroboam by the false Prophet and his Tomb might be honoured When therefore he had interred the Prophet and given his son these things in charge being other F ways a most wicked and impious man he addressed himself to Jeroboam and said unto him Why art thou troubled at the words of this mad man The King told him all that which had hapned about the Altar and his hand and assured him that he accounted him a true and divine Prophet and one sent by God But the false Prophet began most maliciously to weaken his belief and disguise the truth of that which hapned by his persuasive words For he told him that what had hapned to his hand was only occasioned through weariness and the pains he had taken in bearing the Sacrifices and after that he had a little rested that it came into his own natural state again and that the Altar being newly built and divers great Sacrifices laid thereupon it cleft in twain and fell down through the weight of what was laid on it Consequently he declared unto him the death of him that had foretold these signs that were to come and how G he had been slain by a Lyon for which cause he persuaded him to think
impiety in that sort to thrust a stranger into that manifest perdition whose life had been committed to their trust But since the storm more and more increased and grew so vehement that they wanted very little of being shipwrackt and being besides that incited by K Jonas himself and likewise by the fear they conceived to lose their lives they cast him into the Sea Jonah 2. per totum whereupon suddenly the storm ceased It was likewise said that being swallowed up by a great fish for the space of three days and three nights Jonâ—s cast into the Sea is devoured by a Wâ—ale and cast upon the coaâ—t of Ninivie foretelleth them of the loss of their Empire he was at the last vomited out and cast by the same fish on shore of the Euxine Sea alive and without any maim in any of his members There besought he God that he would pardon him the sin which he had committed and afterwards he went to the City of Ninivie where going up to a place from whence he might be heard he published with a loud voice unto them that they should lose the Empire of Asia which after he had pronounced he returned back again This recital have I made according as I have found it registred in writing L King Jeroboam having passed all his life time in prosperity and reigned for the space of forty years departed his life and was intombed in Samaria and Zachary his Son succeeded him in this Kingdom At the same time Ozias the Son of Amasias reigned in Jerusalem over the two Tribes 2 Reg. 14. 23. after that Jeroboam had already reigned fourteen years his Mother was called Achia Jeroboams death and was of the City of Jerusalem He was a man of good nature Ozias King of Juda. and such an one as loved justice of a noble courage and very laborious in providing for all occasions he made War against the Philistines and after that he had overcome them in battel he took Ita and Amnia two of their strong Forts and razed them This exploit being past he set upon the Arabians that bordered upon Egypt and after that having built a City upon the Red Sea he planted a Garison M therein He afterwards discomfited the Ammonites constraining them to pay him tribute and subdued all as far as the marshes of Egypt Ozias expedition and the repairing of the City After that he began to provide for the City of Jerusalem for he built it anew and repaired the walls thereof that had been beaten down or decayed either by continuance of time or by negligence of those Kings who were his predecessors 2 Chron. 26. 1 2 3 4 5. he repaired those also which the King of Israel had beaten down at such time as having taken Amasias prisoner he rode in triumph into the City Besides this he erected a number of Towers each of them one hundred and fifty Cubits high These inclosed he with walls to set Garisons therein and in divers barren places he caused divers fountain-heads to be made Ozias riches and Army for he had an infinite multitude of beasts of carriage and other cattel v. 8 9 10. in that the Countrey was fit for pasture N He took pleasure also in tillage for which cause he was often busied about his Land in sowing and planting the same He had about him a chosen Army to the number of three hundred and seventy thousand fighting men whose Generals Conductors and Captains were valiant and invincible men and were in number two thousand He taughâ— his soldiers to march in square battel in manner of the Macedonian Phalanx arming each of them with Swords Targets and Corselets of Brass with Arrows and Darts He made also great preparation of divers Engins to batter Cities and to shoot Stones and Darts besides divers hookes and other such like instruments But whil'st he was intent on these studies and preparations he grew insolent and proud and being puffed up with arrogance v. 6. he contemned that which endureth for ever that is O piety towards God and the observation of his commandments For which cause he was overthrown by his prosperity and fell into his fathers sins through the happiness and greatness of his estate wherein he could not moderately contain himself So that upon a certain solemn Feast-day The year of the World 3120. before Christ's Nativity 944. wherein all the People were assembled together he A attired himself in the High-Priests vestments and entered into the Temple to offer sacrifice unto God upon the golden Altar notwithstanding the High-Priest Azarias accompanied with fourscore Priests forbade him telling him That it was not lawful for him to sacrifice in that it was onely allowed in those that were of the posterity of the High-Priest Aaron Whil'st after this manner Azarias expostulated with him commanding him to go out of the Temple Ver. 17 18 19. and not to contradict the ordinances of God the King waxed wroth and threatned to take his life from him except he kept himself quiet Whereupon there fell a great trembling and earthquake and the Temple cleft in twain and a great light B of the Sun entered thereinto Ver. 20 21. and reflected on the Kings face in such manner that all his body was instantly covered with a leprosie Ozias transgresseth his vocation and is punished with a leprosie and compelled to depart out of the City and before the City in a place called Eroge the half of a Mountain that stood to the Eastward brake and fell and removed for the space of four stadia towards the Oriental Mountain where it rested so that the publick wayes were shut up and choaked and the Kings gardens of pleasure were wholly ruinated and disfigured When the Priests beheld the Kings face covered with a leprosie they told him what inconvenience had hapned unto him and enjoined him to depart out of the Town according to the custom of Men that were polluted Whereupon he wholly confused at so grievous an accident and having no more courage to speak obeyed the commandment that was given him enduring a lamentable punishment for his pride and for that he committed such impiety against God He therefore C remained without the City for a certain time and led a private life and his son Jotham succeeded him in the kingdom Finally he dyed through grief and discontent after he had accomplished 68 years whereof he reigned 52 and was buried in his Garden Zachary Jeroboams son having reigned six Months over the Israelites was slain by Treason complotted against him by a familiar friend of his called Sellum 2 Kings 25. 7 8 9. the son of Jabes who possessing the kingdom after him Zacharias slâ—ughter enjoyed not the same above 30 dayes For the General Manahem being at that time in the City of Tharsa and understanding of that which had hapned to Zachary departed thence with all
Timotheus's Soldiers perceiving that it was Machabeus whose valor and good fortune they had already experienced to their great loss they without delay betook themselves to flight But Judas with his Army followed after them and slew about 8000 of them and marching toward Malla A a City of the enemies he surprized it and slew all the men therein and afterwards consumed it with fire After this departing thence he took and destroyed Chaspoma Bosor and divers other places in Galaad Shortly after Timothy's Soldiers slain Timothy levied another great Army and drew out with him all his Allies to his succor and a number of Arabians whom he had hired with this Army of his passed he the River Malla taken and burnt and encamped near unto a Town called Rapha exhorting his Soldiers to behave themselves like valiant men against their Enemies the Jews Chaspoma and Bosor taken and to hinder their passage because all their hopes of victory depended upon the securing of that Pass Judas understanding that Timotheus was prepared to fight Timothy gathereth new Forces and is overcome by Judas took with him all his Forces and marched hastily against the Enemy so that having passed the River he set upon them B killing divers of them that resisted and terrifying the rest who casting away their Arms were constrained to flie There were some of them who saved themselves by their swiftness and some by retreating into a Temple called Carnain where they were in hope to be secured and so to escape but after that Judas had taken the City where the Temple was he slew them and burnt it and caused all his Enemies to perish either by the sword or by fire After this overthrow he led away with him from Galaad all the Jews their wives and children The Jews are brought out of the Countrey of Galaad into Judea and substance and brought them with him unto Judea When as therefore he drew near unto the Town of Ephron which was scituate directly in his way so that it was impossible for him to march any other wayes in his return home without going very much about and putting himself to great inconveniencies he sent Messengers C to the Inhabitants Ephron besieged and burnt to pray them to open their gates and to grant him free passage through their City for they had made barricadoes of stones to cut off the passage But when therefore the Ephronites would give no ear unto him he besieged their City for a day and nights space and took and burnt it and slew all the men that were therein and afterwards went onward on his way and so great a number was there of those that were slain that he marched upon the bodies of dead men After they had past Jordan An admirable victory of Judas Machabeus who in all these conflicts lost not one man they came into a great Plain wherein the City of Bethsan by the Greeks called Scythopolis stood from whence they departed and came into Judea with joy and gladness singing and praising God and using their accustomed pastimes and songs of victory This done he offer'd up sacrifices of Thanksgiving for their happy D success and the safety of his Army especially since in all those battels and encounters he had not lost one Jew Joseph and Zachary overcome by Gorgias lose 2000 Soldiers In the mean while two Captains to wit Joseph the son of Zachary and Azarias who were left for the guard of Judea whil'st Simon went into the Countrey of Galilee against those of Ptolemais and Judas and Jonathan his brother were in Galaad against the Ammonites desirous also to obtain the honour and reputation of valiant men by some notable exploit marched with the Forces under their command towards Jamnia Against these came forth Gorgias who was Governor in that place and charg'd them in that manner that the Jews lost 2000 men and fled as far as the Marches of Judea This mischief fell upon them because they had disobey'd Judas's commandment who had prohibited E them to fight with any before his return And this gives us just cause more and more to admire the providence and excellent conduct of this great Captain of the Jews Judas and his brethren making War against the Idumeans Chebron and Marissa besieged gave them no respite but continually charging them on every side they took also the City of Chebron and destroyed all the fortifications thereof and burnt the Towers spoiling all the Countrey of the enemies and razed the City of Marissa likewise Afterwards coming to Azor they took and spoiled it and carried away a great quantity of booty from thence and returned back into Judea in safety F G H CHAP. XIII King Antiochus Epiphanes being forced shamefully to raise his siege from before Elymais a Town in Persia where he designed to pillage a Temple consecrated to Diana and troubled for the defeat of several of his Captains which he sent against the Jews dyeth for grief AT this time Antiochus passing through the upper Provinces of his Kingdom understood that there was a very wealthy City in Persia called Elymais Hedio Ruffinus cap. 13. in which I there was a Temple dedicated to Diana 1 Mac. 6. full of all sorts of Presents wherein also he was inform'd Antiochus desirous to spoil Diana's Temple besiegeth Elymais and is shamefully repulsed to Babylon that the shield and Cuirasse of Alexander was kept who was Philip King of Macedons son Hereupon he resolv'd to make himself Master of the place and forthwith besieg'd it And the Inhabitants thereof being neither affrighted with his approach nor terrifi'd with his siege made a stout resistance so that he failed of his purpose For they drave him from their City and sallying out upon him they pursu'd him so hotly that he fled back to Babylon and lost a great number of his men After this defeat Antiochus Epipiphanes burden'd with cares falleth sick and frustration of his hope news was brought him of the overthrow of his Captains whom he had left to War against the Jews and how they of Jewry were now the stronger and had the upper hand This trouble seconding his former discontent K touched him so nearly Polybius Megalopolitane of the cause of Antiochus sickness that he fell sick and his disease aggravated with other accidents increasing he knew well that he should die and therefore he call'd for his most familiar friends and told them That his sickness was violent and desperate and that he deserv'd this affliction because be had persecuted the people of the Jews and destroyed their Temple committed horrible Sacriledge and contemned that God which they adored And whil'st he thus spake unto them he gave up the ghost So that I wonder at Polybius the Megalopolitane who is in other things a good Historian who writeth That Antiochus died because he would have spoiled the Temple of Diana
composition Whereupon he grievously rebuked Hircanus that being forgetful of divers good offices which he had received by him The year of the World 3924. before Christ's Nativity 40. he had given aid unto his enemies For Malichus's brother being at that time A revolted planted Garisons in divers Fortresses and namely in Masada which was the strongest of them all As soon as Herod had recovered his health he drew forth his forces against him and dipossessed him of divers places that he held and after suffered him to depart with his life and goods CHAP. XXI Antigâ—nus Aristobulus's son gets an Army Herod overcometh him and returneth triumphing to Jerusalem Hircanus promiseth him his Grand-daughter Mariamna daughter of Alexander Aristobulus's son B ANtigonus Ptolomey Mennaeus adopteth Antigonus Aristobulus 's son Aristobulus's son got an Army together and hired Fabius Ptolomey Mennaeus adopted Antigonus for being of his near relations He was also assisted by Marion whom Cassius had made Governor of Tyre and tyrannized over Syria having put Garisons in several places of it and had taken possession of three places in Galilee which bordered with his Countrey Herod expelleth Antigonus out of Jewry Herod also marching forth against him dispossessed him of them all and graciously dismissed those Tyrians that had the keeping thereof bestowing Presents on some of them for the love he bare unto their City And that done he came and encountred with Antigonus and fought him and overcame him before he had scarcely entred on the marches of Judaea and drove him from thence C Being come in triumph to Jerusalem Herod marrieth Mariamne Hircanus's niece by his daughter Hircanus and all the People honoured him with Crowns For Hircanus look'd upon him as one of his Family because he was to marry Mariamna daughter of Alexander son of Aristobulus and of Alexandra Hircanus's daughter on whom he begat three sons and two daughters Before her also had he married a Wife of his own Nation Doris Herod's wife who was called Doris on whom he begat Antipater his eldest son CHAP. XXII After Cassius's defeat near the City of Philippi Antonius cometh into Asia Herod obtaineth D his friendship by great Presents Antonius's Edicts in favor of Hircanus and of the Jewish Nation ANtonius and Caesar having overcome Cassius near unto the City of Philippi Caesar went from thence into France and Antonius into Asia And being in Bithynia The Judge corrupted with monâ—â— Embassadors resorted to him from all parts Thither also repaired certain principal Men among the Jews to accuse Phasaelus and Herod saying that Hircanus had onely the name but he the authority of the Kingdom But Antonius greatly honoured Herod Hircanus's Embassadors present Antonius with a Crown of Gold and require the captive Jews liberty sold by Cassius who came unto him to answer those accusations that they had imposed on him for which cause they that were his adversaries could obtain no Audience for E Herod had bought that priviledge from them with his Money As soon as Antonius was arrived in Ephesus Hircanus the High-Priest and all our Nation presently sent an Embassador unto him with a Crown of Gold requiring him that he would write unto the Provinces that the Jews whom Cassius had taken Prisoners contrary to the law of Arms might be set at liberty and that their Countrey which was taken from them in Cassius's time might be restored Antonius supposing that the demands which the Jews had proposed were reasonable wrote back presently to the High-Priest Hircanus and the Jews and sent an Edict also to the Tyrians ta this effect Marcus Antonius Emperor to Hircanus High-Priest and Prince of the Jews Health F Lysimachus the son of Pausanias and Joseph the son of Mennaeus and Alexander the son of Theodore your Ambassadors came unto me to Ephesus and have renewed the same Embassage which they heretofore brought to Rome 〈…〉 and at this present likewise they have duly and faithfully acquitted themselves of the Embassage which they present in the behalf of you and your Nation by giving us to understand what affection you bear towards us so that I esteem you for our friend since I understand how friendly you have behaved your self towards us both in words and deeds For when our adversaries and enemies of the Roman Nation spoiled all the Countrey of Asia and without regard of their Oaths spared neither Cities nor Temples we have opposed our selves against them not onely for our private G respect but in the quarrel of the Common-weal to punish the authors of such offences committed against Men and of such impieties perpetrated against God for which we suppose H that the Sun hath in a manner obscured himself by beholding with unwilling eyes what an hainous offence was committed against Caesar But we have gotten the upper hand of their impious enterprizes which are fallen upon Macedonia as on the Countrey and Air from whence proceed such detestable designs and we have likewise cut off the course of their desperate resolution which made them encounter us near to Philippi a City of Macedonia where we seized their places fortified by nature and enclosed with mountains as if it were with walls as far as the Sea so that the passage was barred up as it were with a gate had not the gods given us way by resisting their unjust exploits and furthering ours Brutus is likewise compelled to flie to Philippi where being besieged by us he suffered with his Consort Cassius and since they have been punished as they deserved we hope for the I future to enjoy peace and tranquility and that Asia shall be delivered from all the miseries of War and as for your part you may assure your selves that both you and your Countrey shall have your share in this happiness because we have so great a kindness for you to lose any opportunity to procure your advantage and all the body thereof seems to be relieved from a grievous malady by means of our victory We have already sent Letters from City to City to the intent that if any one among you either captive or free-man have been sold to the utmost by Caius Cassius or any of that Army they may be set at liberty And our will is that you reap the fruits of all the favors that we and Dolobella have granted you forbidding the Tyrians to molest you and commanding them to restore all that which they have taken from the Jews in goods or possessions As for the Crown which you sent me I accept K of it Marcus Antonius Emperor Marcus Antonius writeth to the Magistrates of Tyre to restore Hircanus and the Jews their Lands Goods and Liberties to the Governors Senate and People of Tyre Health I have been informed in Ephesus by Hircanus's Embassadors who is High-Priest and Prince â— the Jews that you have seized on their Countrey and spoiled the same when our adversaries held that
do the like for himself for he built a Castle on a Mountain near Arabia having on one O side a strong place of defence Herodium and this Castle he called Herodium after his own name By the same name also he called a Mount sixty stades from Jerusalem artificially made A in manner of a woman's Dug which he adorned on the top with round Turrets and round about it he built Princely houses gallantly adorned both within and without He also brought water from a great distance with great cost and charges and made a pair of stairs of pure White Marble to go up which had two hundred steps For the whole Hill was made by Art and was of an exceeding height At the foot thereof likewise he built another Palace and houses to receive his Friends and their Carriages Herodium a Castle resembling a City so that this Castle for the abundance of all necessary Lodgings seemed a City and yet was all the King's Palace Having erected thus many Buildings he shewed his great mind in strange Cities likewise for at Tripolis and Damascus and Ptolemais Herod's bounty to all men he built publick Colledges for instructing Youth He built the Wall of Byblis B and Seats Porches Temples and Markets at Berytus and Tyre At Sidon and Damascus he built a Theatre and a Water-conduit at Laodicea a Sea-town At Ascalon he built Fountains or Lakes very sumptuous and Baths with Pillars that for greatness and good work were miraculous To other places he gave Forrests and Ports and to many Cities added Fields as though they had been Fellow-cities of his Kingdom And to others as to Coos he gave Annual Revenues for ever to the end they might never lose the remembrance of the obligation they had to him Moreover he gave all poor people Corn and he often and in sundry places lent the Rhodians money to build a Navy of Ships Herod famous through the World At his own proper cost he repaired the Temple of Apollo Pythius which had been burnt What shall I say of his liberality towards them C of Lycia and Samos or his magnificent Gifts towards all the people of Jonia Nay and the Athenians The year of the World 3954. before Christ's Nativity 8. Lacedemonians Nicopolites and the Citizens of Pergamus and Mysia received very many benefits at his hands He paved also a large Street in Antioch of Syria which was in length twenty stades and that with fair Marble This Street before that time was so full of dirt that no man could go thorough it And all along it he built Galleries that people might go dry thorough it in rainy weather Some may say that these benefits thus bestowed were for the proper use of those people on whom he bestowed them but no man can deny but that which he did for the Citizens of Elis was not only common to those of Achaia but to all the World where the Games called Olympica Certamina were solemnized For Herod seeing D them decay only for want of maintenance and that this was the only remainder of all the ancient Monuments of Greece he not only in his person at that time became one of the proposers of rewards in that Olympiade in which he went to Rome but also gave a yearly stipend to maintain the same lest for want they should be left off It is not to be told what Debts and Tributes he remitted for he delivered the Phasaelites and Balaneotes and other Towns of Cilicia from the payment of a yearly Tribute yet was he not so liberal to them as he would have been fearing lest the envy of some might accuse him of some further meaning if he should be more bountiful to the Cities than those that were the owners thereof Herod a great hunter He exercised his body likewise in exercises fit for so valiant a mind for he was a very skilful hunter wherein he had always his E purpose by reason of his skill in riding so that in one day he killed forty Wild Beasts That Countrey hath many Boars but it hath more store of Harts and Wild Asses He was such a Warrier that no man was able to encounter with him so that many were astonished to see him with what force and exactness he cast the Dart and drew the Bow Herod besides the vertue of mind and body had the blessings of Fortune Besides the Vertue both of his mind and body he had also good Fortune for very seldom the event of War was otherwise than he expected if it sometimes fell out contrary it was not through his fault but through the rashness of his Soldiers or else through Treason F CHAP. XVII Of the disagreement between Herod and his Sons Alexander and Aristobulus BUt his private and domestical sorrows troubled his publick felicity Ant. lib. 1â— cap. 3 8. lib. 16. cap. 13. and most adverse fortune befel him through the means of a woman whom he loved as himself For being now made King he put away his Wife which he first married a Lady born in Jerusalem Herod expelleth Antipater out of the City and killeth Hircanus his Wife's Uncle whose name was Doris and married Mariamne the Daughter of Alexander the Son of Aristobulus which caused troubles in his house both before but especially after his return from Rome For he banished his eldest Son Antipater G whom he had by Doris out of the City only for his Children's sake that he had by Mariamne licencing him only at Festival times to come to the City in regard of some suspicion of Treason intended against him And afterwards he slew Hircanus his wifes Uncle notwithstanding that he returned out of Parthia unto him because he H suspected that he intended some treason against him Barzapharnes after he had taken all Syria had carried him away prisoner with him But his own Countreymen that dwelt beyond Euphrates in commiseration redeemed him from thraldom and had he been counselled by them and not come to Herod he had not been killed but the marriage of his Niece caused his death for for that cause and especially for the love of his native soil he came thither That which moved Herod to kill him was not for that he sought the Kingdom but because he had right to the Kingdom Herod's children by Mariamne Herod had five Children by Mariamne two Daughters and three Sons The youngest was sent to Rome to study where he died The other two he brought up like Princes both for their Mothers Nobility and for that they were born after he I was King But that which above all was most prevalent in their favour was the love he bare to Mariamne which from day to day tormented him more violently in such sort that he seem'd insensible of those griefs which this his best beloved caused to him For Mariamne hated him as much as he loved her and having a just cause and colour of
fought with them and killed one Arius a Centurion and forty of the most valiant amongst them upon the place the rest being in like danger through the help of Gratus with the Soldiers of Sebaste escaped The End and 〈◊〉 of the War After they had done many things in this manner against their own Countrey-men O as well as strangers at last three of them were taken the eldest by Archelaus and the two other who were eldest after him fell into the hands of Gratus and A Ptolomey and the fourth yielded himself to Archelaus upon Composition Such was the success of the bold Enterprize of these five men But at that time a War of Thieves filled all Judaea with Troubles and Robberies CHAP. â— Varus Governour of Syria for the Romans represses the Insurrections in Judea WHen Varus had Ant. lib. 17. cap. 16. by the Letters of Sabinus understood the danger wherein the B whole Legion was Varus assisteth the Romans against the Jews being besieged in Jerusalem he hasted to succour them But first he went to Ptolemais with two other Legions and four Cornets of Horse where he had appointed the King's Forces and the other Auxiliary Troops to meet him As he passed by Beritus the Inhabitants gave him fifteen hundred men Also Aretas the King of Arabia for the hatred he bare to Herod sent him a great number both of Horse and Foot As soon as the Host was assembled Varus incontinently directed part of his Army into Galilee adjoyning to Ptolemais and appointed a friend of his the Son of Caius their Governour who presently put all to flight against whom he was sent and having taken the Castle of Sephoris he fired it and made all the Inhabitants thereof Slaves Varus taketh divers Cities and Castles of Judaea Varus with the rest of the Army went to Samaria and C took it yet he did the City no harm because he found that amidst all these Tumults they had been quiet When he had pitched his Tents at a Village called Arus which belonged to Ptolomey the Arabians sacked it for they hated those that loved Herod From thence they went to Sampho another strong Burrough which they in like manner sacked and destroyed without sparing any thing All was filled with the slaughter and fires which the Arabians made Emmaus burnt there was no end nor hindrance of their Avarice Also Varus commanded Emmaus to be burnt being angry for the death of Arius and the rest that were slain there and the Inhabitants thereof abandoned it every one by flight seeking to save himself Varus cometh to Jerusalem with his Army and with his only Presence dismayeth the Jews From thence he went to Jerusalem and at his approach the Jews that besieged the Roman Legion fled and scattered themselves D some here some there all about the Countrey They that remained in the City excused themselves that they were not consenting to the Tumult but that for the Celebration of the Feast they permitted those Seditious to come into the City affirming that they had rather have been besieged together with the Romans than have joyned with those of the Sedition and so they laid the cause of that Tumult upon others But first Josephus The year of the World 3966. after Christ's Nativity 4. Archelaus's Cousin with Gratus and Rufus went to meet him leading the King's Army and the Sibastians and the Roman Soldiers adorned in their accustomed Apparel Sabinus durst not be seen by Varus and therefore got him out of the Town before and went to the Sea-coast Varus divided his Army and sent some Parties into the Countrey Varus crucified two thousand of the Seditious to seek the Authors of the Tumult And those that E were brought to him who were in less fault he committed to Prison those who were the chiefest he crucified to the number of two thousand And understanding that in Idumaea there yet remained ten thousand men in Arms he presently sent the Arabians home because he perceived that they did not serve as they that came to help him but as they themselves pleased wasting the Countrey against his Orders and so accompanied with his own Army he hastned against the Enemies But they without any fight through Achiab's Counsel yielded themselves to Varus And he pardoned the Common Soldiers and sent the Captains to Caesar to answer the matter Varus's mercy and bounty to the Idumeans Who pardoning most of them yet punished some that were of Herod's Kindred because they had rebelled against their own King Varus having F thus quieted the Estate of Judea and Jerusalem left in the Fortress of Jerusalem the same Legion that was there before and departed to Antioch CHAP. IV. H How the Jews had an Ethnarch constituted over them The year of the world 3966. after Christ's Nativity 4. NOw Archelaus met a new obsâ—acle at Rome Ant. lib. 17. cap. 17. for the Jews who before the Sedition with the lieve of Varus were gone to Rome to crave the liberty of their Countrey Ethnarcha Ruler or Governour Those who went as Ambassadours in their Countrey 's behalf were fifty in number and they were assisted by more than eight thousand Jews that lived at Rome The Jews call Archelaus in question Whereupon Caesar called a Council of the Nobility of Rome in the stately Temple of Apollo which he had built on Mount Palatine The whole Body of the I Jews appeared with the Legats against Archelaus and his friends Archelaus's Kindred neither came with him nor with the rest of the Jews with him they would not joyn for envy and with the Jews they durst not for shame Amongst them also was Philip the Brother of Archelaus whom Varus sent in courteous manner to assist his Brother or to the end that if it should please Caesar to divide Herod's Kingdom among his Children he might have a part The Ambassadours spoke first and began to declaim against Herod's Memory First of all they said that they found him not a King but the most cruel Tyrant that ever was and that he had murthered many and those whom he left alive endured such misery as they thought themselves far more unhappy than those that were so butchered A bitter Accusation of the Jews against Herod and his Sons For said they he was not only contented K to tear his Subject's bodies with torments but also defaced and ruined the Cities of his own Countrey to adorn and beautifie the Cities of Strangers And he permitted Forreigners to massacre the Jews without revenge And instead of their ancient and wonted happiness which Judea enjoyed by a Religious observation of the Laws the Countrey was by him made so poor and so wasted with Injustice that within these few years that Herod reigned they have suffered more Murthers and Massacres than all their Ancestors had from the time of their departure out of Babylon in the Reign of Xerxes
at Caesarea and in all Syria AT the same hour on the self-same day it happened as it were by God's Providence that the Inhabitants of Caesarea massacred the Jews that dwelt among I them so that at one time above twenty thousand were slain and not one Jew left alive in all Caesarea For those that escaped Florus took and brought them forth bound to the people The Jews spoil the Villages and burn the Cities of Syria After this Massacre done at Caesarea the whole Nation of the Jews was enraged And dividing themselves into Companies they wasted and destroyed in short time all the borders of Syria and the Cities thereabout to wit Philadelphia and Gebonitis Gerasa Pella and Scythopolis Also they took by force Gadara Hippon and Gaulanitis pulling down some places and firing others From thence they marched towards Cedasa a City of the Tyrians and Ptolemais Gaza and Caesarea and neither Sebaste nor Ascalon could resist them but they also were consumed with fire Likewise they destroyed Anthedon with Gaza And most places belonging to K these Cities were sacked to wit the Fields and Villages and a mighty slaughter was made of them that were taken in these Towns The Syrians made as great a Massacre of the Jews as this among them for all the Jews inhabiting among them were murthered not only for an old grudge but also to render their own danger less by diminishing the number of their enemies By this means all Syria was in a most deplorable condition and every City was exposed to the disorders and violences of two several Armies each of which placed their safety in making a great Effusion of Blood The days were spent in blood-shed and the nights in fear worse than death it self For though they only pretended to destroy the Jews yet were they drawn to suspect other Nations that followed the Jews Religion and because they were as it were L Neuters the Syrians thought it not good to destroy them but on the other side for their agreeing in Religion with the Jews they were constrained to hold them as enemies Many of the contrary part who before seemed modest were now through Avarice incited to meddle in this Murther so that every one took the Goods of them that were slain All Syria full of miserable calamities and carried them to other places as Conquerors He was most renowned that had stolen most or killed most There might you see in several Cities the dead bodies of all Ages unburied old men and children and women lying in most shameful manner their secret parts being uncovered Briefly all the Countrey was filled with exceeding great calamity and the fear of yet greater misery to come was unspeakable M These were the Conflicts between the Jews and Strangers Jews against Jews But afterwards making incursions upon the Borders of Scythopolis the Jews there dwelling became their enemies For they conspiring with the Citizens of Sythopolis and preferring their own Commodity and Security before Kindred and Consanguinity joyned with the Gentiles against the Jews and yet for all that they were suspected for their forwardness For the Scythopolitans fearing that they would assault the City by night and excuse their revolting by their great misery commanded all the Jews that if they would shew themselves trusty to the Gentiles they with all their Children should go into a Wood hard by The Jews forthwith did as they were required suspecting nothing and the Scythopolitans were quiet for two days after and did nothing But the third N night they sent forth Scouts to see what they were doing The Scythopolitans kill thirteen thousand Jews who finding most of them asleep they surprized them in a moment and killed them all who were in number thirteen thousand and afterwards took their Goods Here I think it not amiss to speak of the death of Simon who was the Son of Saul whose Race was very Noble He was a man of great courage and strength of body both which he used to the great hurt of his own Nation Simon daily killeth many of his Countrey-men in Scythopolis for he daily killed many Jews who dwelt near Scythopolis and often scattered divers Companies and put whole Armies to flight but at length he had an end worthy of his deeds and the murther of his Countrey-men For when the Scythopolitans had compassed the Wood about so that none could escape their hands they killed the Jews in every part thereof Simon not drawing his Sword made O no resistance to any of his enemies for he saw that it was bootless to strive against such a multitude But pitifully crying out I receive O Scythopolitans a worthy reward for A that which I have done who to shew my fidelity towards you have killed so many of mine own Countrey-men And it is a just Plague that a strange Nation should be false to us who impiously forsook our own Brethren I am not worthy to receive death from the hands of my enemies and therefore I will kill my self with my own and this death will be a sufficient Punishment for my Offences and a full Argument of my magnanimity that none of my enemies may boast of my death nor insult over me When he had thus said he beheld all his Family with compassion and rage mixt together as his Wife and Children and aged Parents Simon kills his Parents his Wife and Children and at last himself And first taking his Father by the hair of the head he stood upon him and thrust him thorough after him he killed his Mother who was willing to die after them his Wife and Children every one of them as it were offering their bodies to the B Sword and desirous to prevent the enemies When he had slain all his Kindred himself remaining alive he stretched forth his arm that they might see what he would do and thrust his Sword into his own body up to the Hilts. A young man who for his magnanimity and strength of body was worthy to be pitied yet he had a just and deserved end for uniting himself to Strangers against his own Countrey CHAP. XX. Cruelties exercised against the Jews in divers other Cities and particularly by Varus C AFter this so great A Massacre of the Jews at Scythopolis Another Slaughter of the Jews other Cities also where they inhabited rose against them and two thousand five hundred were slain at Ascalon The Cities in Arms against the Jews and two thousand at Ptolemais and the Tyrians killed divers and put more in Prison Likewise they of Gadara and Hippon slew the most valiant and those of least courage they cast into Prison Also all other Cities who either feared or hated the Jews rose up against them Only they of Antioch Sidon and Apamea spared those that dwelt with them and neither killed nor imprisoned any of them perhaps they stood in no fear of them if they should have risen because their City
and for that the Enemies pursued them they fled into the Tower of a Town called Bezedel Antonius knowing it to be in vain to stay about the Tower that was invincible and yet loth to let the General of the Enemies escape set fire on the N Walls and so departed triumphing with the thought that Niger had been burnt But he leapt into a deep Vault in the Castle and so escaped and three dayes after he shewed himself unto his Souldiers who sought for him weeping that they might have his body for they thought him dead whom against all expectation seeing alive they were very glad as though by Gods providence he had escaped to be still their Leader Vespasian being arrived with his Army at Antioch 〈…〉 which is the mother-mother-City of Syria for greatness and other advantages doubtless the third in the whole World and finding that King Agrippa there expected his coming he hasted with all his Forces from thence to Ptolemais 〈…〉 the Romans At this place there came to him the Citizens of Sephoris a City of Galilee who had no thought at all of Rebellion these both provident for their own O safety and well-knowing the Forces of the Romans before Vespasian came submitted A themselves to Cestius Gallus and received from him a Garrison of Souldiers and now also courteously entertaining Vespasian offered their help against their Country-men Vespasian at their request gave them a Guard of Horse and Foot so great as he thought was able to resist the force of their Enemies if the Jews should attempt any thing against them For he thought it would be a great help to him in the future War to have Sephoris on his side the greatest City of Galilee scituate in a strong place and which otherwise might be a safeguard to the whole Country CHAP. II. B The Description of Galilee Samaria and Judaea THere are two places named Galilee The Description and Scituation of the higher Galilee one called high Galilaea and the other low Galilee and they are both compassed with Phoenicia and Syria On the West Ptolemais with the limits of its Territory borders them as also does Mount Carmel which in time past belonged to Galilee but now to the Tyrians Unto which adjoyneth Gabaa which signifieth the Horsmens City so called because King Herods Horsmen were sent thither to inhabit The length and breadth of the lower Galilee On the South part it joyneth to the Samaritanes and Scythopolitanes as far as Jordan On the East part it bordereth upon Hippene Gadaris and Gaulanitis which are the Borders of King Agrippa's Country On the North it C bordereth upon Tyria The length of lower Galilee reacheth from Tiberias to Zabulon near which is Ptolemais by the Sea-Coast In breadth it reacheth from the Village Xaloth scituate in a great Plain to Bersabe where also begins the breadth of high Galilee and reacheth to the Village called Baca bordering upon the Tyrians and the length thereof is from a Village near Jordan named Thella to Meroth And though of such bigness and environed with so many Nations yet they alwayes resisted Forreign Forces For the Galileans are from their Child-hood Warlike and never daunted by fear or penury For their Country is most fruitful and abounding with all manner of Trees notwithstanding the Inhabitants take small pains in tilling the ground and there is no waste ground D The Cities are many and in every place there are Villages populous and rich so that the least Village there hath in it above 15000 inhabitants And although Galilee be less in compass than the Region beyond the River The Description of the Country beyond the Flood yet it is more populous fertile and rich than that For it is all tilled and all beareth fruit But that beyond the water though it be bigger yet it is not all inhabited for there are many Desarts and barren Places unfit to bear fruits for the nourishment of Men. Peraea hath a good soil and large plain beset with divers trees especially Olives Vines and Palm-trees and it is abundantly water'd with Brooks running from the Mountains and Springs that continually stream forth during the greatest heats of Summer The Length of this place is from Macheran to Pella The Description of the Region of Samaria the Breadth from Philadelphia E to Jordan This Town Pella lieth on the North part and Jordan on the West and the Countrey of the Moabites bordereth on the South and on the East Arabia Silbonitis Philadelphia and Gerasis Samaria is seated between Judaea and Galilee beginning at a Town called Ginea and endeth in the Toparchy of Acrabatena nothing differing in nature from Judea For both of them are full of Mountains and have rich plains and good for Tillage The Description of Jury whose middle part is Jerusalem full of Trees abounding with wild Apples and others Though they are of their nature dry yet they have rain enough and have many sweet waters and abundance of goods grass and great store of milch-Beasts and which is a great argument of wealth both places are very populous On the confines of these Countries stand Anauth a Village otherwise called Borceos which lieth on the North part of F Judaea The South part of Judaea if you measure the length extends to the Village of the Arabians called Jordan the breadth reacheth from Jordan to Joppe in the midst thereof is situate Jerusalem so that some call that City the navel of the Countrey Judaea also bordereth on the Sea-Coast The division of Judaea even unto Ptolemais It is divided into eleven portions the first is Jerusalem Head and chief of all and above all the rest as the Head is above the Body and the rest are Toparchies Gophua is the second after that Acrabatena then Thamna afterward Lydda also Emmaus Pella Idumea Engadda Herodium and Jericho besides these Jamnia and Joppa command the places adjoyning Moreover there is Gamala Gaulanitis Batanea and Trachonitis which are portions belonging to King Agrippa's Kingdom This Country beginneth at Mount Libanus G and the Fountains of Jordan and reacheth in breadth to the Lake near Tiberias And in length it reacheth from Julias to Arphas and the Inhabitants are partly Jews and partly Syrians H CHAP. III. How Aid was sent to the people of Sephoris and of the military Discipline of the Romans I Have spoken of Judaea as briefly as might be Vespasian sendeth help to the Sephorites but filleth Galilee with sword and fire and with what Countries it is environed Now Vespasian sent help to the Inhabitants of Sephoris to wit one thousand Horse and six thousand foot Placidus the Tribune being their Leader The Horsemen divided themselves into two Companies and lodged in a great Plain and the Footmen were in Garrison in the City to defend it as the Horsemen did without These I Horsemen made excursions one every side and greatly molested Joseph although he
upon dry matter with Brimstone and Pitch wonderfully increased so that in one hours space it consumed all the works that the Romans had made with so great labour There was an action of a Jew one Samson of Eleazar which deserves eternal memory the man was born at Saab in Galilee He took up a great stone and cast it down with such force upon the Ram Eleazar's strength and courage that he brake off the head thereof and nothing fearing leapt down amongst the midst of his Enemies and brought the head away to the foot of the Wall where being unarmed and as it were a mark for his enemies to shoot at he received in his body five Arrows and as though he had not felt them he got up the Wall again where that all might see him he boldly stood still till through grief of his O wounds having the head of the Ram in his arms he fel down Next to him two brethren of A Ramath in Galilee shewed themselves valiant named Netiras and Philip who assaulted the tenth Legion of the Romans with such violence that they broke their ranks and put all to flight that endeavour'd to withstand them At the same time Joseph and a good number with him took fire and burnt the Engins Works and Huts of the fifth and tenth Legions Netiras and Philips valour against the Romans and those that followed him destroyed all Engines and other matter that was left In the evening the Romans again erected the Ram against that part of the City which before they had beaten and one of the Jews shot an Arrow from the Wall and wounded Vespasian in the sole of the foot yet the wound was not great for that the force of the Arrow was spent before it came to him having come a great way off B This fact greatly troubled the Romans Vespasian wounded in the sole of the Foot by an Arrow who seeing Vespasian bleed presently spread the news through the whole Army and almost all of them came running to see their General and especially Titus who feared his fathers danger But Vespasian presently freed the Army from all perturbation and his Son Titus from fear For the dissembling grief of the wound he shewed himself to all that were sorrowful for him and incited them to fight against the Jews more earnestly than before Whereupon every one as it were to revenge their General despised all danger and assaulted the Walls exhorting one another The War renewed against the Jews Joseph and his associates notwithstanding many of them were killed with Shot Darts and Arrows yet forsook not the Walls but with Fire and Sword and Stones fiercely assaulted them that being defended with Hurdles battered C the Walls with the Ram but to little purpose for they were continually killed by their Enemies because they could not see them But their Fire made such a light as though it had been day so that the Romans easily perceived whither to direct their shot And for that their Engines were not perceived afar off the Jews could not defend themselves from the Arrows and Stones that were shot against them by which means many of them were slain and the tops and corners of the Towers beaten down And many that were behind were slain by force of those stones so that any man may know of what force that Engine is by that which hapned that night For one that stood neer Joseph upon the Wall was struck with a Stone and his head carried from his body by violence of the blow three furlongs off as though it had been D cast out of a sling and the next day a Woman great with Child was struck on the belly with one of those stones and the Child carried forth of her from the place where she was struck three furlongs so great was the force of this Engine Thus the violence of the Engines was most terrible The force of the Roman Darts and likewise the noise of Darts Arrows and other shot Many were slain on every side and the bodies of those that were killed being dasht against the Wall made a great noise and within the City was heard a pitiful lamentation and weeping amongst the Women and without a heavy mourning and cry of them that were wounded to death and all that part of the Wall where the fight was flowed with Blood so that now the multitude of dead bodies had so filled the ditch before the Wall that the Romans might easily pass over into the City and E the Mountains about Eccho'd with the cries of the Citizens and all that night long nothing wanted that either might by the Eye or Ear move terrour Thus many stoutly fighting for Jotapata died most valiantly many also were sore wounded and notwithstanding the Wall was continually battered yet it was almost Morning before it fell being all night long beaten with the Ram. And then they of Jotapata repaired the breach with in defatigable labour before the Romans could set up a Bridge to enter it F CHAP. X. How Jotapata was again assaulted THe next day in the Morning Vespasian brought his Army to enter the breach Vespasian leadeth on his Army to enter the City having given them but little rest after their whole nights labour and desirous to make the Jews that defended the breach forsake their Station before such time as he entred he took the most valiant of his Horsemen and unhorsed them being armed from Head to Foot and placed them in three ranks that they being so armed might besiege round that part of the Wall that was battered having long Pikes in their hands G so that as soon as the Bridges were set they might first enter the breach After them he placed the strongest of his Foot the rest of his Horse he set round about the City upon the Mountain to the end that none might escape After the Footmen he commanded H Archers to follow with their Arrows ready in their hands and them that used slings also and other Engines for shot And he caused others to scale the Walls where they were not battered to the intent that the Townsmen busied in resisting them might leave the breach unmanned and the rest being wearied and opprest with the thickness of the shot might be forc'd to forsake their standing But Joseph perceiving his intent Joseph's subtil Policie placed the old Men and Children and those that were already wearied upon those parts of the Walls that were not battered and himself with the stoutest of the City went to defend the breach and he placed six men before them whom he chose out himself being one of them to sustain the first brunt of the enemies assault commanding them likewise to stop their Ears to the end that they might not I be terrified with the cries of the Army and to cover themselves with their shields against the Darts and Arrows and give back a little till such time
Waves others suffered shipwrack some killed themselves rather than to be drowned many with the Waves were stricken against the Rocks so that the Sea was bloody and all the shore covered with dead Bodies and whosoever escaped the Sea and got to shore the Roman Souldiers there standing ready killed them Four thousand and two hundred bodies cast out Four thousand and two hundred dead Bodies were cast upon the shore So the N Romans having without any fight taken the City destroyed it and thus was Joppa taken and twice destroyed by the Romans in a short time Vespasian built there a Castle Vespasian taketh Joppa and encampeth in the Castle and placed in it some few Horsemen and Footmen to the end that none of the Jews might come thither again to play the Pirates and that the Footmen might keep the Castle and in the mean time the Horsemen might go forth and spoil all the Towns and Villages and Territories belonging to Joppa which also they did When the news of the destruction of Jotapata was brought to Jerusalem many gave small credit to it partly for the greatness of the Calamity partly for that no man could say he had seen the destruction of the City for none escaped the Massacre to carry the news â—ame it self declareth the destruction of Jotapata but only report thereof was spread abroad But at the last it was confirmed to O be true by those that dwelt near the place and then they believed it Many things also which were false were reported as true For it was bruited that Joseph was slain A in the destruction of the City All Jerusalem was so afflicted his for death that whereas others were lamented only by their Kindred all the City bewailed his supposed Death They mourned for him thirty days and hired Musicians to sing Funeral Songs for him At last truth discovered it self and the true news of the destruction of Jotapata with the accidents there Joseph is said to be slain in Jerusalem also how Joseph was not slain but was living in the hands of the Romans and that the Romans honoured him more than a Captive could expect The hatred malice and wrath in Jerusalem against Joseph Then the Jews began as much to hate him now living as before they had mourned for him when they supposed him dead Some said he was a Coward others that he was a Traitour to his Country and the whole City vented reproachful speeches against him These heavy tydings encreased their rage and their adversity which to wise B men had been a warning to provide lest the like should befal themselves made them more outragious so that always the end of one mischief was the beginning of another To be short now they were more incensed against the Romans than before in the thought that by revenging themselves of them they might also be revenged of Joseph And this was the Estate of the Citizens of Jerusalem CHAP. XVI C How Tiberias was yielded VEspasian was desirous to see the Kingdom of Agrippa for the King had intreated him to go thither Vespasian cometh unto Agrippas Kingdom and recreateth himself there and feasteth twenty days partly to the intent to feast him and his whole Army partly that he might repress some troubles arising in his Kingdom in the time of his absence And so he departed from Cesarea upon the Sea-coast and went to Caesarea Philippi where he stayed and refreshed his Souldiers twenty dayes and himself also feasted giving God thanks for his prosperous success in the War This done he had Intelligence that Tiberias and Tarichea were revolted both which Cities belonged to Agrippa's Kingdom whereupon determining utterly to destroy the Jews which inhabited thereabouts D he thought good to lead his Army against these two places especially that he might reward Agrippa for his good entertainment by surrendring these Cities to him In order whereunto he sent his Son Titus to Caesarea to bring the Souldiers there to Scythopolis which was the greatest City of all Decapolis and was near Tiberias whither himself being come he expected his Son's coming and departing from thence with three Legions he pitched his tent in a place called Enabris where the seditious people of Tiberias might behold his Army this place was thirty Furlongs from Tiberias From thence he sent Valerianus a Captain to exhort them to peace Valerianus peaceably speaks to the Townsmen and he sent fifty Horsmen to accompany him for he understood that the people desired peace and against their will were forced to War by some of the Seditious amongst E them Valerianus coming near the City Walls lighted from his Horse and commanded all his Company to do the like that they of Tiberias might not think that they came to fight The seditious sally out and put the Romans to flight but in peaceable manner before he spoke a word the boldest of the seditious persons issued out against him having one Jesus the Son of Tobias who had been a Captain of Thieves for their Leader Valerianus not presuming to fight without Authority from his General although he had been certain of the Victory and considering that it was great danger for so few to fight against a whole multitude and withal terrified with the boldness of the Jews contrary to his expectation he fled away on Foot accompanied only with five other leaving his Horse and the rest behind him whom Jesus and his followers took and brought into the City rejoycing F as though they had taken them in fight and not by treachery But the Senators and chief of the City The Citizens of Tiberias prostratet themselves before Vespasian and obtain pardon fearing what might ensue upon this fact went to King Agrippa who presented them to Vespasian they prostrated themselves at his feet beseeching him to have compassion on them and not to think the whole City partakers with those few wicked persons that so had merited his displeasure but to spare the people who always had honoured the Romans and only punish the Authors of that revolt and misdemeanour who also had with-held the whole City till now from yielding it self to the Romans Vespasian moved by their entreaties pardoned the City though he was exasperated against them all for taking of Valerianus Horse and because he perceived Agrippa was Solicitous for fear that the City should be destroyed and G so Vespasian promised the Citizens pardon Then Jesus and his associates thinking it not safe for them to abide there fled to Tarichea The next day Vespasian sent be-before before him Trajanus with certain Horsemen into the Castle to see if all the people desired H peace and finding them to be peaceably despos'd he with his whole Army came to the City The Inhabitants opening the Gates of the City went to meet him with great joy all crying out that he was the Author of their welfare and Benefactor and wishing him all
Genezareth Besides the temperature of the Air it is also watered by a plentiful Fountain called Capernaum Many think it to be an Arm of Nilus because it hath Fishes like the Corbe bred only in a Lake near Alexandria The length of this E Country along the Lake bearing the same Name is thirty Furlongs and the breadth twenty CHAP. XIX A Sea-Fight in which Vespasian defeats in the Lake of â—â—nezareth all those that had saved themselves at Tarichea VEspasian having built his Ships A Sea-Fight against the Taricheans and furnished them with as many men as he F thought sufficient against those whom he was to pursue he embarqued upon the Lake and himself also went against them The Taricheans could not possibly make any escape by Land although they would and they were not able to fight hand to hand with the Romans for their small Pyrate Boats could not withstand their Enemies great Vessels and besides they were not sufficiently manned so that they feared to encounter the Romans who pressed altogether upon them yet notwithstanding sometime they came about the Roman Ships and cast Stones at the Romans afar off and sometimes also they came near and skirmished with them yet they themselves always had more harm than the Romans for their Stones which they cast did only rattle G against the Romans Armour but hurt them not and they were killed by the Romans H Arrows and if at any time they were so bold as to come near the Romans they were slain before they could do them any harm or else sunk with their Boats And as many as attempted to assault the Romans were slain with their Javelins and Swords the Romans leaping into their Boats and many were taken with their Boats the Ships meeting one another Vespasian's Victory in the Lake of Genezareth against the Taricheans They that were in the water and lift up their heads to swim were kill'd with Arrows or over-taken with Roman Boats and if in desperation they came swimming towards their Enemies their Hands or Heads were presently cut off Thus some perished one way The end of the Battel by Sea wherein died 6500 men some another till at last they fled and arrived upon the shoar where their Ships were compassed round about So the Romans kill'd many upon the Lake and many upon the Land and one might then have seen all the Lake stained I with blood Vespasian consults with his Chieftains about the Jews and full of dead Bodies for not one escaped alive A few dayes after these dead Bodies corrupted the Air by their stench in such sort that the whole Country was annoyed with it and this spectacle was so hideous that it caused horror not only in the Jews but even in the Romans themselves who had been the cause of it And the Shores were all full of Boats that had suffered Ship-wrack and dead Bodies swollen in the water And this was the end of that War by water The number of them that perished here and in the City was 6500. The Fight being ended Vespasian sate in a Tribunal Seat and separated the Strangers from the Inhabitants for that the former seem'd to be the Authors of that War Yet he deliberated with the Captains and Governours whether he should likewise pardon them but they told him that their lives K might endamage him for said they if you send those men away and let them live they cannot live peaceably because they want abiding places and they are able to disturb and disquiet those to whom they shall fly Vespasian for this cause judged them unworthy to live presuming that if they were let go they would fight against them who pardoned their Lives it remained to consider what death to put them to But he thought with himself the Inhabitants would not patiently abide so many to be massacred who had fled to them for succour wherefore he sought to use no violence to them because he had promised them security But at last he was overcome by the perswasion of his Friends who told him that all things against the Jews were lawful and that profit was to be preferred before honesty seeing both could not be had so Licence being L granted to them to depart they suspecting nothing were commanded to take only that way that leadeth to Tiberias They willingly obeyed as they were commanded not misdoubting the safety of their goods or money But the Romans had placed themselves on every side the way even to Tiberias to the intent that none might escape and so shut them all in the City Presently after came Vespasian and enclosed them all in an Amphitheater and so killed 1200 persons who were all old men or young and unable for service The Destruction and sale of the Jews Of the rest that were all strong young men he sent 6000 to Nero to work at Istmos near Corinth The rest of the multitude he sold in number 30400 besides others that he gave to Agrippa whom also he permitted to do what he would with those that were of his Kingdom But Agrippa sold all those that were given him M The rest of them were fugitives and seditious persons of Trachonitis Gaulanitis and Hippenis and many of Gadara whose contempt of Peace procured the War They were taken the sixth of the Ides of September N O The FOURTH BOOK H Of the WARS of the JEVVS Written by Flavius Josephus I The Contents of the Chapters of the Fourth Book 1 HOw Gamala was besieged 2 How Placidus took Itaburium 3 How Gamala was destroyed 4 How Titus took Gischala 5 Of the beginning of the Destruction of Jerusalem 6 Of the coming of the Idumaeans to Jerusalem and of their deeds 7 Of the Massacre of the Jews by the Idumeans K CHAP. I. How Gamala was Besieged AFter that Tarichea was taken The Victory of the Romans against the Jews all those Cities that from the time that Jotapata was surprized till this instant had revolted from the Romans did now again unite themselves unto them so that the Romans L had now gotten into their hands all Castles and Towns of Galilee Giscala only excepted and Itaburium a Mountain so called With these two rebelled Gamala a Town over against Tarichea and scituate upon the Lake belonging to the Kingdom of Agrippa and also Sagane and Seleucia which two last belong'd to Gaulantis Sagane to the higher part called Gaulana Semeachonitis a Lake and Gamala to the lower Selucia unto the Lake Semechonitis which is thirty furlongs in breadth The Fountain of Jordan and threescore large whose Marshes reach even to Daphne which Country is very pleasant of it self The scituation of Gamala and famous for that it entertaineth the stream called little Jordan and at the foot of the Golden Mountain drives it into the great Jordan M Agrippa in the beginning of the Revolt had made a Treaty with Sagane and Seleucia but
who came at their request to help them But the wiser sort disswaded the rest from this seeing both a stronger Watch placed to keep them in and the City Walls diligently guarded because of the Idumeans and moreover they could not think that Ananus was careless but went up and down first from one Watch and then to another yet this night he did not so The watchmen are oppressed with sleep not for slothfulness but because that the Destinies had so decreed that thereby both he and the Watchmen should perish For about midnight the storm E increasing the Watchmen fell into a deep sleep Then the Zealots determined to file the Bars and Bolts of the Gates asunder to effect which they took the Instruments which were consecrated to the Temple and this attempt was much furthered by the great Wind and Thunder which made such a noise that they could not be heard So issuing out of the Temple they went privily to the Walls The Idumeans by the means of the Zealots enter by night and opened that Gate near which the Idumeans lay and suspecting that Ananus would make some resistance they first of all drew their Swords and then together with the Idumeans came in and if at that time they had assaulted the City they had without any let or hindrance destroyed all the People therein so great was their rage at that time But first of all they hastened to assist their fellows whom they left besieged F and requested the Idumeans not to leave them in danger for whose succour they were come nor permit them to incur greater damage for having first surprised the Watchmen it would be more easie for them to assault the City which if they did not but first set upon the Citizens The Idumeans joyâ— themsâ—lâ—es with the Zealots in the Temple they would presently assemble together and oppose themselves against them and not permit them to ascend up into the Temple The Idumeans consented to this and so they passed thorow the City into the Temple and the Zealots remaining in the Temple impatiently expected their coming at whose arrival they took Courage and joyning with the Idumeans came out of the inner Temple and set upon the Watch and some being slain who were fast asleep the rest were awak'd by the cries of others and so betook themselves to their Arms to defend G themselves being yet amazed And at first thinking that they were only the Zealots that gave the Alarm they hoped only by their multitude to suppress them but seeing others without the Temple also assailing them they judg'd that the Idumeans were broken H in so the greater part of them being dismayd laid down their Weapons and cryed out and only a few of them young men well armed and of good courage encountred with the Idumeans and for a good space defended their idle fellows others went and advertised the Inhabitants what was done yet none durst come to help them because they now knew that the Idumeans were got in but every one lamented their hard fortune and the Women made great lamentation when the Watchmen were slain The Zealots also answered their cries with the like The immanity of the Idumeans and Zealots against the Citizens of Jerusalem and the Tempest and Thunder made all more dreadful The Idumeans spared none because they were naturally cruel and fierce to shed blood and angry that they were so beaten with the Tempest they used them most cruelly by whose means they were shut out of the City sparing neither I those who requested favour nor those who made resistance for they slew many as they were intreating them to remember that they were of their own blood and requesting them to spare them for reverence of the Temple There was no way to flie nor any hope of escape and being driven up in a narrow room they hurt themselves more than the Enemies did by crouding and treading one upon another for there was no place to flie and their Enemies ceased not to kill them Being in this desperate estate not knowing what to do they cast themselves headlong into the City and so died a more miserable death than those that died by the Enemies sword The next day there was found slain eight thousand and five hundred and all the outer Temple flowed with blood Yet this Massacre sufficed not the Idumeans rage but turning themselves K against the City they robbed and spoiled all Houses and kill'd all they met making no account of the lives of the multitude Ananus and Jesus the high Priest executed They made diligent search for the Priests and many laid violent hands upon them and killed them and standing upon their dead bodies sometime they upbraided Ananus with the Peoples favour towards him sometime Jesus with the words he spake upon the Wall to them and they were so impious that they cast away their dead Bodies unburied notwithstanding the Jews in this point are so religious that after Sun-set they take down the dead bodies of Malefactors who by sentence have been adjudged to the Cross and bury them I think I shall not greatly miss the mark if I affirm Ananus his death to have been the beginning of the destruction of the City Ananus death the first cause of the destruction of the City that the Walls of Jerusalem were overthrown L and the Common-wealth of the Jews perished in that day when this their High Priest and Governour was so cruelly massacred in the midst of the City The praise of Ananus the high Priest He was of a laudable and just Life and though Great in Dignity Birth and Reputation yet would he not exalt himself above any one were he never so base He was a man who thirsted to preserve Liberty to his Country and Authority to the Common-wealth He continually preferred the Publick Interest before his own Private Gain and was alwayes desirous of Peace because he foresaw that the Romans could not be withstood and that if the Jews did not quickly accord with them their Ruine was inevitable and I doubt not but if Ananus had lived he had succeeded in his design For he was an eloquent Orator and could perswade admirably and he had already reduced to extremity M those false Zelots who caused the War and if the Jews had had him for their Captain against the Romans it had not been so easie for the Romans to have Conquered them He was seconded by Jesus who next him excelled all the rest But I think Almighty God having decreed the total ruine of the City which was now polluâ—ed and filled with Iniquity and meaning by fire as it were to purifie the holy Temple which was prophaned he first took up the Defenders thereof and those that loved it most dearly So they who a little before were cloathed with the sacred apparel and reverenced of all that from the furthest parts of the World came to Jerusalem
who intended to have fled to the Romans Yet if any one fee'd the Watch-men with money he escaped away safely and he that did not was counted as a Traitor so that only rich men could escape and the poor were left to the slaughter The multitude of the dead bodies that lay on heaps together was innumerable and through the horror of which sight many of those who had fled to the Romans The Zealots tyrannize both over the living and the dead returned again into the City choosing rather to die there for the hope they had to be buried in their native soil made death there seem more tolerable But the Zealots became so cruel that they neither permitted them who were slain within nor them without the City to be buried But like men that had now determined together with their County-Laws to abolish the Law of Nature yea and by I their impiety to defy God himself let the dead Bodies rot above ground and whosoever attempted to bury any of them that were slain whether Friend or Kinsman he was presently put to death and left unburied and to give Sepulchre to another was crime enough to deserve it To be brief nothing so much increased their indignation as Mercy for the wicked People were herewith provoked to wrath their displeasure and cruelty was extended from the living to the dead and from the dead to the living And such fear fell upon the whole City that those that were left alive deemed them happy that being dead were at rest and free from those miseries and they that were in Prison in respect of the torments they endured thought themselves more unhappy than they who lay unburied K All humane Justice was perverted and they scorned and mocked at all divine and holy things and proudly derided the Oracles of the Prophets esteeming them as Fables and Jests But having now contemned all Laws established by their fore-fathers for the punishment of Vice and increasing of Virtue at last they found that true which was fore-told concerning the Destruction of themselves and their Country For there was an old Prophesie that when Sedition reigned amongst them and their own hands had violated the Temple of God and holy things then their City should be destroyed by War and their holy Places burned with fire according to the manner and custom of War L CHAP. III. How Gadara was yielded and of the Massacre there BUt John who long ago aspired to be Tyrant over all the rest could not endure that others should partake in Authority with him Johns Pride and Ambition wherefore by little and little he divided himself from their union and fellowship after he had drawn to himself such as by their impious life were capable of the greatest crimes so that now every M one perceived in that he always neglected what others commanded and imperiously commanded what himself thought good that he affected Principality Many joyned to him for fear some for favour for he had a smooth tongue able to perswade to what he would many also followed him thinking it better that all the impiety before committed were laid to one mans charge in particular than upon them all Moreover being a valiant man of his hands and one able to give politick counsel he wanted not followers not withstanding that many of the contrary faction left him envying that he who before was their equal should now be their Master and Commander The greater part of the contrary faction fall from John Fear also terrified them from living under the Government of one man for they thought that if he once prevailed he could not easily be overcome and again if he N were deposed that he would pick quarrels against them in the end because that they resisted him in the beginning So every man determined rather to suffer all misery in War then to submit himself and become a Slave Thus the parties were divided and John was chief of one Faction so between them they appointed Guards in every place and if by chance they combated together they did little or no hurt to one another but the chief contention was who should bear most sway amongst the People and who should have the greatest part of the Spoil Thus the City at one time was vexed with three intolerable mischiefs and evils The tempest of of three misaries assailed Jerusalem at once to wit War Tyranny and Sedition and yet the War seemed a less evil than the rest to the Commonalty Wherefore many leaving their native soil fled to strangers for succour and found among the O Romans safety who with their own Nation lived in continual danger There was A also added a fourth evil which wrought the ruine of the whole Nation Not far from the City there was a Castle called Massada built by the ancient Kings of Jerusalem very strong to lay up their treasure and munition for War and to retire themselves thereunto in time of need for the safety of their persons This Castle was taken and kept by that sort of Thieves that were called Sicarii by reason of their smal number durst Rob no more openly These Thieves seeing the Roman Army now idle and the people in Jerusalem at civil War and Sedition among themselves took courage and again fell to their Villanies Of those desperate Rebels that kept â—he Castle of Massada And so on that day which is the Feast of unleavened Bread which the Jews keep holy in memory of their deliverance from the Aegyptian Captivity deceiving the Watchmen they seized upon a Fort called Engaddi B and before the Townsmen could arm and unite themselves together they were by these persons driven out of the Town who also killed them that could not flie to wit Women and Children to the number of more than seven hundred and so sacking the Houses and taking the Fruits that were now ripe they carried all to Massada and so they wasted all the Villages and whole Country round about them many wicked persons daily flocking unto them and joining with them and by their example other Thieves that a while had been quiet now robbed again and spoiled in every part of Judea Slaughter and desolation thorow Jurie And as in a body if the principal member thereof be sick all other parts of it are afflicted so Jerusalem being filled with tumults and discord those that were without the City found licence to rob and spoil and all those that had C their Towns destroyed where they were wont to inhabit went into the Wilderness where assembling and uniting themselves together not so many as an Army yet more than a Company of Thieves A similitude they broke into the Towns and Temples and as in War it cometh to pass the Country people purposed to assault them by whom they had suffered such injury but they were prevented for the Thieves understanding their coming fled with the spoil they had gotten And there was
they be watered with Water drawn before Sun-rise The cause why the ground about Jericho is fruitful by the blowing of a mild and temperate wind it is refreshed and it receives a contrary nature In Winter-time it is almost luke-warm and temperate to them that go into it The Air here is so temperate The Air temperate and Warm that when it snoweth in other parts of Judea and is extreme cold the Inhabitants in this place only wear a linen Garment This Country is distant from I Jerusalem a hundred and fifty Furlongs and threescore from Jordan and all the ground betwixt it and Jerusalem is desart and stony and so likewise between it and Jordan and Asphaltites though it be lower ground than the other Thus we have sufficiently declared the fertility of Jericho CHAP. V. The Description of the Lake Asphaltites IT is worth the labour to describe the Lake Asphaltites An admirable property of the Asphaltite Lake which is Salt and uncapable K of feeding Fish yet what ever is cast into it how weighty soever it be it swimmeth above the Water so that one though he would on purpose cannot sink to the bottom Vespasian coming thither to see it took men who could not swim and caus'd their hands to be bound behind them and cast them into the midst thereof and all of them came up to the Top of the Water as if some Wind had forc'd them from the bottom Moreover it is admirable how this Lake thrice in every day changeth colour and shineth diversly according as the beams of the Sun sundry ways fall upon it And in many places it casteth up pieces of black Bitumen in greatness and shape like a Bull without a head and these float above the Water They that get L their living upon this Water by gathering this Bitumen draw it to their Boats and it is so tough and clammy that having filled their Boats herewith it is not easie for them to get them away but their Boat is as it were fastened and hangeth upon the rest of that mass of bituminous matter till it be separated from it by the terms or urine of a Woman This bitumenous matter is good to close the rifts of Ships and also to cure many diseases The Land of Sodom is near unto the Lake Asphaltites This Lake is five hundred and eighty Furlongs long extending to Zoar which is in Arabia and it is a hundred and fifty Furlongs broad Near this Lake is the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah sometime both fertil and rich now all burnt having been for the impiety of the Inhabitants consumed with lightning and thunder To be short one may here behold as it were the reliques of that M fire that by Gods appointment destroyed the place for one may yet see some remainders of those five Cities and Trees and Fruits springing up in the ashes which fruit to the Eye seemeth like other fruits but if you handle them they fall into ashes and smoak Teâ—tul Apolog c. 39. And so the History of the destruction of Sodom is verifi'd to the Eye of them that behold it CHAP. VI. How Gerasa was destroyed of Nero's Death and of Galba and Otho N VEspasian desirous to besiege Jerusalem on every side built Castles at Jericho and Adida and left there Garisons of the Souldiers that came to assist him and also Romans with them L. Annius taketh Gerasa And he sent L. Annius to Gerasa with a Body of Foot and Horse who at the first assault took the City and slew a thousand young men who had not time to flie and made whole Families Slaves giving the Souldiers the spoil of their goods and so firing their Houses he went to other places adjoyning They who were able fled and the weaker sort who could not flie were slain and whatsoever came in their way they consumed with fire Thus all places both Mountains and Plains O being wasted and ruined with War the Inhabitants of Jerusalem had no whither to go A when they desired to flie from the Zelots by whom they were kept in The year of the World 4033. after the Nativity of Christ 71. And they themselves who were against the Romans were also kept in the City being on every side enclosed and encompassed with the Roman Army After Vespasian was returned to Cesarea and with all his Army purposed to go to Jerusalem Vespasian hath tydings of Nerâ—es death news was brought him that Nero was slain having reigned thirteen years and eight dayes Touching whom I will not recount how he dishonour'd the Empire committing the whole sway of all the Common-wealth to two most wicked men to wit Nimphidius and Tigillinus who were of least worth amongst all his Freed-men and how being betrayed by these two men he was forsaken of all his Guards and so fled only with four trusty Freed-men into the Suburbs and there kill'd himself And how that B sometime after they that deposed him were punished for that offence And how the Wars ended in Gallia Galba and that Galba being created Emperour returned to Rome out Spain and how he was accused of Cowardize by the Souldiers and by them killed in the Market-place Otho as one of base condition Vitellius and how Otho was declared Emperour and led his Souldiers against Vitellius also Vitellius his troubles and his fight before the Capitol and how Antonius Primus and Mutianus slew Vitellius and so appeased the German Troops and the Civil War Of all these I have forborn to speak because I presume both the Greeks and Romans have written these things at large yet I have briefly recapitulated this to continue my History After Vespasian heard this news Vespasian deferreth his siege at Jerusalem he deferred the Siege of Jerusalem expecting who C should be created Emperour after Nero. And when he was certified that Galba reigned he determined to do nothing but lie quiet till such time as he should write to him his mind whether he would have him proceed in the War against the Jews And he sent to him his Son Titus both to salute him and also to know his pleasure concerning the Jews Likewise King Agrippa went with Titus for the same cause to Galba But as they were passing by Achaia with long Ships in Winter time as the Custome is news was brought that Galba was slain having reigned seven Months and seven dayes After whom succeeded Otho who governed the Empire three Months Agrippa not dismayed with this alteration still kept on his Journey to Rome But Titus as God would have it returned from Achaia to Syria Galba is slain and Otho governeth and so to Caesarea to his Father They D both were in suspence what would ensue and who should be be Emperour the Empire being so full of trouble and so they neglected the War against the Jews fearing for their own Country and therefore thinking it an unfit
Simon having obtained this place from hence invaded all Idumea and not only robbed and spoiled all the Towns and Cities thereof but also wasted and destroyed much of the Country for besides his Army there followed him fourty thousand men so that he could not find Victuals for such a Multitude Moreover besides this Calamity that he brought upon Idumea he exercised great Cruelty and Out-rage upon the Country and caused great spoil therein And as after great swarms of Locusts the Trees and O Woods are dispoiled so wheresoever Simon had been all the Country was left desolate A And either by fire or by ruinating places where he came or else by treading upon the Corn-Fields with the feet of his Army or by destroying such as they found they left nothing standing or growing either in Field or Town and only by passing thorow fertile places he made the fields harder than barren ground and left no sign in places which he had destroyed that ever they had been tilled Hereat the Zealots were again animated against him Simon spoiled all Idumea yet durst they not fight with him in open field The Zealots take Simons Wife but placing Ambushes in the way he was to pass they took Simons Wife and many of her Servants and so came again into the City rejoycing as though they had taken Simon himself For they perswaded themselves that Simon would presently lay down Arms and come in humble manner to entreat them to restore B him his Wife But Simon was not moved with compassion for the loss of his Wife but with fury and coming to the Walls of Jerusalem like a cruel Beast that had been wounded and could not come to them that hurt him he killed all he met And taking them that went out of the City to gather Herbs and Wood he caused them to be whipt to death whether they were young or old This cruelty seemed only wanting in him that he did not eat the flesh of the dead Bodies Also he took many and cut off their hands and so sent them into the City thereby to terrifie his Enemies and to cause the People to abandon the Zealots and he bad them tell the Citizens that except they presently restored his Wife to him he swore by God who governed all that he would break down their Walls and use all he found in the City after that fashion and that he would spare no age nor respect the innocent more than the guilty C These his threats did not only terrifie the People The Zealots send back Simons Wife but also the Zealots insomuch that they sent him his Wife again and so his anger being somewhat asswaged he ceased a while from his Murders CHAP. VIII Of Galba Otho Vitellius and Vespasian D NOT only in Judea Sedition thorow the whole Roman Empire but also in Italy at this time was Civil War for Galba was slain in the midst of Rome after whom Otho was created Emperour and fought against Vitellius who affected the Empire being chosen Emperour by the German Legions The Battel was fought near Bebrias a Town in Gallia Cisalpina the first day Otho got the Victory against Valens and Cecinna the Generals of Vitellius his Army But the day following they overcame Otho and so many being slain on both parts and news being brought that Vitellius his Army had gotten the Victory Otho being at Brixels slew himself when he had held the Empire three Months and two days Otho's Souldiers turned to Vitellius his Captains and joyned with them and so Vitellius came E to Rome with his Army Vespasian once more invades Judea In the mean time Vespasian the fifth day of June departed from Cesarea and went to those parts of Judea which were yet unconquered and first of all he went into the high Countrys and subdued the two Toparchies of Acrabatena and Gophnitis and after them two Towns called Bethel and Ephrem and placed Garisons in them and so went to Jerusalem killing many that he found in the way and taking many Captives One of his Captains called Cerealis with a party of Horse and Foot wasted all the higher Idumea Gaphâ—â—mitts 〈◊〉 and in the way as he went he took Caphetra a Castle and burnt it and besieged another called Capharis enclosed with a strong Wall by reason of which he deemed he should have made long abode there but contrary to his expectation the F Inhabitants opened the Gates to him and yielded themselves Cerealis buâ—â—eth the anciâ—â— City of Hebron beseeching him to be good to them When he had overcome them he went to Hebron an antient City and set it on fire this Hebron as I have already said was scituated upon the Mountains and near Jerusalem and breaking into it by force he slew all them that he found there and fired the City And having subdued all places save only three Castles to wit Herodium Massada and Macheron which were kept by the Thieves now only Jerusalem remained to be Conquered G CHAP. IX H Of Simons Acts against the Zealots AFter Simon had recovered his Wife from the Zealots he went into Idumea to rob and spoil that which was left and chasing the Inhabitans up and down at last he forced them to flie to Jerusalem and he himself pursued them thither and at the foot of the Walls The Zealots fill the whole City with iniquity he killed all the People he took that returned out of the fields from their labour Thus Simon without the City was more terrible to the People I than the Romans and the Zealots within the City crueller than them both being incouraged and incited thereto by the counsel of the Galileans For they had put John in Authority and John in reward thereof permitted all things to be done as they requested There was no end of robbing and spoiling rich mens Houses and of slaughtering both of Men and Women and to kill Men and Women was but a Pastime And having with blood bedew'd their prey and without all fear gotten what they liked they now began to lust after Women yea they became effeminate and lascivious they curl their Hair and clothed themselves in Womens Apparel and anointed themselves with sweet Ointments that their beauty might be pleasing and alluring they now not only imitate the Attire of Prostitutes but also their impudency and became so shameless K that they thirsted after unnatural pleasures as though Jerusalem were become a Stews and so profaned the whole City with their execrable impurities Yet though they effeminated their Faces their Hands were prone to blood-shed and though they lived in ignominious manner as People given over to pleasure yet could they quickly become Warriors and in the habits of Women drawing their Swords they killed whomsoever they met Whosoever escaped Johns hands Simon the more cruel murthered and whosover escaped the Tyrant within the City The way of flight was quite cut off
Titus repairs to Jerusalem news was brought to him of what was done at Rome And Embassadors came to him from all parts of the World to congratulate him And although next after Rome this City was the greatest in the World yet was it scarcely able to receive the people that came thither to him Vespasian being now established Emperour of all the World and the Common-wealth of the Romans being contrary to his expectation freed from troubles he now began to think upon the reliques of Judea Titus comes to Cesaeea and gathers his â—orces there And he himself winter being ended prepared to go to Rome and in the mean time he hasted to dispose of all things at Alexandria Moreover he sent his Son Titus N with his best Troops to destroy Jerusalem Titus departed by land from Alexandria to Nicopolis which is distant from it 20 furlongs and there he ship'd his men and sailed along the River Nilus by Medensia to Thumin here landing his men he came to the City called Tanis The second place he rested in was the City Heraclea and the third Pelusium where having refresh'd his Souldiers two days space the third day he past the borders of Pelusium and having gone one days journey through the wilderness he pitcht his Camp at the Temple of Jupiter Cassian and the next day at Ostracine where there is no water but all that the Inhabitants use they have from other places After this he rested at Rhinocolura and from thence in four dayes he went to Raphia where begin the borders of Syria and the fifth day he lodged at Gaza and from thence going to Ascalon O and so to Jamnia and Joppa he arrived at Caesarea purposing to gather some other Forces there A The SIXTH BOOK Of the WARS of the JEVVS The year of the World 4034. after the Nativity of Christ 72. B Written by Flavius Josephus The Contents of the Chapters of the Sixth Book 1 OF Three Seditions in Jerusalem 2 How Titus went to Jerusalem to see their strength and how he was in danger 3 How the Jews did issue out upon the Romans pitching their Tents C 4 Of the fight within the City upon the Feast of Unleavened-Bread 5 Of the deceit of the Jews used against the Romans 6 The Description of Jerusalem 7 The Jews refuse to yield and assault the Romans 8 Of the fall of the Tower and how two of the Walls were won 9 How Castor the Jew did flout the Romans 10 How the Romans did twice get the second Wall 11 Of the Mounts raised against the third Wall and a long Oration of Joseph perswading the Jews to yield and of the Famine within the City 12 Of the Jews that were Crucified and how the Towers were burnt 13 How the Romans in three dayes space built a Wall about Jerusalem D 14 Of the Famine in Jerusalem and how they built another Tower or Mount 15 Of the Massacre of the Jews both within and without the City 16 Of the Sacriledge about the Temple and the dead Bodies that were cast out of the City and of the Famine CHAP. I. E Of the three sorts of Sedition in Jerusalem TItus being thus come out of Aegypt by the Desart into Syria he departed for Caesarea purposing there to set his Army in order And whilst he was with his Father Vespasian at Alexandria disposing of the Empires that God had given him it happened that the Sedition at Jerusalem divided into three parts and fought one against another and well it was they were so equally divided We have already sufficiently declared who were the Authors of the Faction of the Zealots A threefold Sedition in Jerusalem whose tyranny over the City was the ruine thereof and this may be said to F be a Sedition out of a Sedition which like a hungry wild Beast wanting his prey turned his cruelty against his own bowels So Eleazar the Son of Simon who was the first that in the Temple divided the Zealots from the People faining himself to be displeased with that which John every day did yet in Truth for that he envied that a greater Tyrant than himself should be Ruler desirous to be Chief and make himself Mighty he revolted from the rest and with him Judas the Son of Chelcias and Simon the Son of Ezron two of the most potent amongst them Besides them was also Ezechias the Son of Chobarus a Nobleman all of which had many of the Zealots following them and possessing themselves of the inner part of the Temple they set a Guard in the entrance and in the sacred Gates presuming upon the fulness of their Stores for there was great quantity of sacred Provision which they thought it no impiety to make G use of yet fearing their small number they permitted many of the Company that were killed to remain in the places where they were slain John was superiour in number but inferiour in the quality of the place for having his Enemies above his head he H could not without danger make incursions yet his Rage would not suffer him to forbear infesting his Enemies though thereby his party had more harm than those of Eleazars and he still assaulted them to his own cost Thus many Assaults were continually made and many Darts cast and the Temple was prophaned with murders Simon the Son of Giora incited by the People to be their Leader in hope he would have assisted them having in his hands both the higher part of the City and greater part of the lower did now more boldly than before assault John and his followers because they were assailed by those above yet he being as it were beneath John and his party sustained as much loss at their hands The fight between John and Eleazar as John himself did from them who were above him Thus John was doubly engaged with Eleazar who infested him from above and I Simon from below But Simons assaults from below were easily repulsed and it was not a little mischief he did those who gaul'd him with their Darts from above Simon and John skirmish in the Temple by certain Engines that he invented by which he cast Stones and Darts among them and slew several both of their Souldiers and Priests as they were offering Sacrifice to their God For though they were generally too prone to all manner of wickedness yet those that would were permitted to offer Sacrifice watching and diligently guarding those of their Nation For Strangers which came thither for devotion were not mistrusted But after these wicked People had permitted them to Sacrifice when they had finished their devotions Great slaughter in the Temple they were made a prey and consumed by this Sedition For Darts and other shot with force of the Engines came into the Temple and Altar and slew the K Priests at the Altar And many who came from the uttermost parts of the World unto that holy place
were slain as they offered sacrifice and imbrued the Altar with their blood which all the Greeks and barbarous People did reverence The strangers and Priests were forced to remain promiscuously among the dead Bodies and the place about the Altar was full of Blood O miserable City What didst thou suffer at the Romans hands to be compared to this although they set thee on fire to purge thee from Iniquity Now thou wert separate from the service of God and couldst not subsist long being made a Sepulchre of thine own Inhabitants and thy Temple by thy Civil Wars become a Grave of dead Bodies Nevertheless It is not impossible but thou mayst be restored to thy former Estate if first thou appease Gods wrath that hath made thee desolate But I must not give place unto sorrow L and write a Lamentation of my miserable Country seeing I have undertaken to write a History of all things that past there Wherefore I will recount the rest of the Impieties of these Seditious The seditious People being divided into three Companies John assaulted on both sides Eleazar and his followers who had the keeping of the holy first-fruits and all the sacred Oblations came against John when they were drunk And they who followed John spoiling the People assaulted Simon who was succoured by the City Wherefore when John was assaulted on both sides he turned some of his Souldiers against Simon and the rest against Eleazar against Simon he used Darts to cast from the Porches of the Temple and against Eleazar he used Engines for shot And alwayes so often as they above his head ceased as M often they did They of Jerusalem had wel-nigh burnt all their Corn. being either weary or drunken he fiercely assaulted Simon and his men Also as far as he drave them into the City so far did he fire all and burnt Houses full of Corn and other Necessaries and that which he left unburned Simon at his return when John was gone into the Temple set on fire as if on purpose to give the Romans an advantage they had consumed all their Provisions for the Siege To be short all was consumed with fire about the Temple and the City was levelled and made plain ground to fight in and the Corn burnt that might have sufficed for many years A wretched calamity in Jerusalem by which means they were reduced by a Famine of their own making which could not have been brought upon them had they not caused it themselves The Citizens were in every place a prey to those that were Seditious on one side and to them N that besieged them on the other and like a great Body torn in pieces betwen these two The old Men and Women astonished with these Calamities prayed for the good success of the Romans and desired their forreign Enemy might deliver them from their Civil Dissentions This was the occasion of great fear and terrour among them all and the more because it was no time now to consult and no hope left of accommodation or flight to them that desired it For all places were kept and the Rebels within kill'd whoever they perceived well-wishers to the Romans or did endeavour to fly to them as common Enemies However these wicked persons agreed in this to put the just Men to death who best deserved to live Day and night nothing could be heard but the noise of them O that fought one against another yet the condition of them that lived in perpetual A fear was far more â—â—â—able who every day had new causes and occasions of sorrow given them yet durst they not publickly lament for fear and so not daring to shew their grief they secretly sorrowed no man observed any reverence to them that were alive amongst them nor took any care to bury the dead The cause of both which was Lamentation and mourning in Jerusalem that every man despaired of himself For whosoever were not joyned with the Seditious grew to be careless of all things as making account presently to die a thousand deaths But the Seditious gathering the dead bodies upon heaps continued their fighting and trod upon them and as it were encouraging themselves by the dead under their feet The cruelty of the Seditious in Jerusalem they became more cruel still devising new stratagems one against another and immediately executing whatsoever they devised without any B commiseration omitting no kind of Murther and leaving no cruelty unpractised so that John prophan'd the holy things of the Temple and made them Engins of War For formerly the Priests and People had determined to underprop the Temple and build it twenty Cubits higher and King Agrippa with great labour and expence had sent them in Timber for that purpose from Mount Libanus Which being put off by the Wars John made use of the Wood that was kept for holy uses to make Engines of John took the Timber and made use of it for that design he erected a Tower to fight against those that assaulted him from off the Temple and this Tower he built along the Wall over against the Chapter-house that standeth on the West side of the Temple for he could build it in no other place so conveniently And having thus impiously furnished himself with Engines he hoped hereby to have destroyd C his Enemies But God made his labour in vain and before he could prevail against them brought the Romans against the City For after that Titus had gathered together part of his Army The order of Titus Army and ordered the rest to meet him at Jerusalem he departed from Caesarea having three Legions that lately under the conduct of his Father Vespasian had wasted all Judea and the twelfth Legion that sometime under Cestius were overcome and put to flight by the Jews who being valiant enough of themselves were impatient to be imploy'd again against the Jews to revenge themselves of their former disgrace Titus commanded the fifth Legion to meet him at Jerusalem and to march by Emmaus and the tenth Legion by Jericho the rest he took with himself accompanied with the Kings forces that came D to help him having been reinforced with considerable Supplys out of Syria Titus also brought forces with him to supply the number that was wanting which forces were sent by Vespasian under Mutianus into Italy for he brought two thousand select men from the Legions at Alexandria and three thousand followed him from Euphrates together with Tiberius Alexander his cheifest friend and one next him in Authority who before was Governour of Egypt and thought a fit man to be Governour of the Army for that he was the first that entertain'd the Emperour being new elected and joyn'd faithfully with him before he knew what success he should have he was present with him in all his affairs as his chiefest Counsellor and was renowned both for his Wisdom and Experience E CHAP. II. How Titus went to
it what he could upon intelligence that their rapine and plunder in the Town being not sufficient to supply their necessities the Jews were forc'd to seek out into the Valleys for food he disposed certain parties of Horse and other select men in Ambush to intercept them for though their exigences were very great yet being for the most part poor people with Families in the City they durst not run over to the Romans lest their Wives and Children should be murdered in their absence wherefore they were forc'd to make private excursions in the night to conceal themselves from the Enemy and having fallen unexpectedly into this Ambuscade they fought it couragiously as knowing it too late to expect mercy after such untractable obstinacy but they were defeated N many of them taken and tortur'd and afterwards crucified before the Walls of the City Titus crucifieth many Jews before the Walls Titus looked upon their condition as very deplorable for scarce a day past in which there were not 500 Jews taken and served in that manner by those partys of Horse yet he thought it inexpedient to remove them because they were a great security to the rest of his Army But his great design was by the cruelty of that spectacle to terrifie the City and hasten its surrender Wherefore the Souldiers in hatred to our Nation crucified all they took one after one fashion and another after another in derision And the multitude of the Captives was become so great there was left no space for the crosses nor indeed crosses for their bodies to be crucified upon But the seditious Jews within the City were so far from relenting by this massacre that rather their hearts were more hardned so that herewith they terrified the rest of the multitude O for they * The Jews carried the kindred of those that were fled out of the City to the Romans and shewed them the tortures they suffered carried the relations of those who were taken by the Romans to the Walls A that they might see how those were used that fled to the Romans the same sight they also shewed unto them that desired peace affirming that they whom the Romans had so used were those that fled unto them for succour and not captives by them taken This deterred many who would otherwise have fled to the Romans till such time as the truth hereof was known Yet some there were that ventured to the Enemy as preferring Death and Torment at their hands before the Miseries and Famine which they endured at home Hereupon Titus cut off many of the Captives hands and sent them into the City to Simon and John that their Calamity might testifie them to be Captives and not such as had fled voluntarily to the Romans willing them to admonish their Friends to yield B and not compel him to destroy the City and to assure them that in so doing they might still save their lives their Country and Temple which had not the like in the whole World and he continually went about the Rampires hastning the workmen in their business as though he presently meant to effect that in deeds which in words he had spoken The Jews both curse Caesar and is Father The Jews that stood upon the Walls reviled both him and his Father affirming that they contemned Death and would chuse rather to die than become slaves That whilest they lived they would to their power defend themselves against the Romans without any care either of themselves or their Country which Caesar sent them word were both in imminent danger Moreover they said that the whole World was a Temple dedicated to God far more excellent than theirs C which notwithstanding should be conserved by him that dwelt in it whose help they hoped to enjoy and did therefore deride all his threatnings as things that could never come to pass without his divine permission Thus did they opprobriously abuse the clemency of the Romans At this time arrived also Antiochus Epiphanes and with him a considerable supply of Men among which there was a company called the Macedonians of equal years and little older than young men all trained up in Martial Discipline and armed after the Macedonian manner from whence they took their name yet for the most part they did not answer the expectation that men had of the Macedonians For the King of Comagne was the most fortunate and happy of all Kings that were subject to the Roman Empire D till such time as he felt the frown of Fortune who in his old age proved that none ought to be accounted happy before his death whilest Comagne was in prosperity his Son said he marvelled that the Romans did delay to assault the City and enter the battered Walls for this young Man was a great Warriour and of exceeding strength to the which he trusting too much did many things rashly Titus smiled and answered The insolence of Antiochus and the Souldiers that that was a work too great for the Romans Upon which young Antiochus accompanied with his Macedonians assaulted the Wall and himself with his strength and dexterity avoided the darts of the Jews and cast his darts at them but his whole Party a few excepted were there slain for obliged by their extravagant boasting they continued longer in â—ight than it was expedient for them at last many E being wounded retired perceiving that the Macedonians to win a Victory had need of Alexanders fortune The Romans iu seventeen days build four huge bulwarks The Romans the twelfth day of May began to build their Rampires and labouring seventeen whole days with much ado they ended them the nine and twentieth of the said Month. For they builded four vast Rampires one of them over against Antonia which was built by the fifth Legion opposit to the midst of the Struthian Waters another was built by the twelfth Legion twenty Cubits distant from the other But the tenth Legion which was of more account than the two former erected a Mount opposit to the Pond called Amygdalon on the North-side and the fifteenth Legion made the fourth thirty Cubits distant from the other over against the Monument of the High Priest John F The Mounts being thus finished John undermined that which was over against Antonia and underpropped it with posts of Wood and filling the Mine with Wood Bitumen and Pitch he fired it so the posts that held it up being burnt the Mine fell and the Mount also with a hideous noise fell into it and first of all there arose a great smoak and dust for the Mines covered the flame at last the fire having consumed the matter that covered it the flame appeared The Romans at this sudden and unexpected exploit were much amazed and disordered so that thereby those who before made account of the victory as certain began now to dispair Two days after Simon and his associates set upon the other Rampires for thereon were planted
amongst them but the Souldiers also strove who should first effect their part and every Souldier laboured to please his Decurio The Romans with ceasless labour build the Wall the Decurio to content the Centurion and Centurion C the Tribune and the Tribune to please the chief Commander and he to please Caesar who every day went round about and beheld the Work and so beginning at the place called the Assyrians Camp where he was encamped he drew a Wall all about even to the new City and from thence by Cedron and Mount Olivet and so turned toward the South and enclosed the Mountain with the Rock called Peristereonos and the Hill next adjoyning thereunto which hangeth over Siloa and from thence bending his Work to the West he brought it down all along the Valley of the Fountain from whence ascending to the Monument of Ananus the High-Priest where Pompy pitched his Tents he brought it about by the North side of the City and coming along to the Village called Erebinthonicus he compassed the Monument of Herod towards the East D and so joyned the Wall to his Camp One Wall of 39 Stounds whereof one containeth 8 Furlongs or thereabout where he began This Wall was nine and thirty furlongs about Without this Wall he built also thirteen Forts every one ten furlongs in compass And all this whole work was finished in three days space which yet required Months to have been built in so that the celerity in the building thereof makes it scarcely credible The Romans plant their courts of guard in several Castles The City being thus encompassed with a Wall and Gaurds placed in every Fort Titus himself continued to go round the first Watch to see all things in good order the second Watch he allotted to Alexander and the third to the Captains of the Legions and the Watchmen appointed every one his turn to sleep and so all night long some of them went about the Castle E CHAP. XIV Of the Famine in Jerusalem and of the building of the second Rampire by the Romans THe restraint of liberty to pass in and out of the City took from the Jews all hope of safety and the Famine now increasing consumed whole Housholds and Families The houses and ways full of dead men the Houses were full of dead Women and Infants and the Streets of the Carcases F of elder Men and the young Men pale like Ghosts walked about the Market-place and fell down dead where it happened And now the multitude of dead bodies was so great that they that were alive could not bury them nor indeed cared they for burying them being now uncertain what should betide themselves And many endeavouring to bury others The dead lie unburied in the streets fell down themselves dead upon them as they were burying them Many being yet alive went into their Graves and there died Yet for all this Calamity was there no weeping nor lamentation for the Famine overcame all affections And they who were yet living without tears beheld those who being dead were now at rest before them There was no noise heard within the City and the still night found all full of dead bodies and which was most miserable of all G the Thieves at night came and took away that which covered the dead bodies nakedness went laughing away and in their bodies they proved their Swords and upon pleasure only thrust many through The year of the World 4034. after the Nativity of Christ 72. yet breathing Yet if any desired them to kill H him or to lend him a Sword to kill himself that so he might escape the Famine they denied him And every one that died as he was dying fixed his Eyes upon the Temple and beheld it with grief leaving the Seditious behind them But they no longer able to endure the stink of the dead bodies that lay corrupted on the ground The cruelty of the Thieves against those that lie a dying first commanded that all such should be buried at the charges of the City and at last finding no place wherein to bury them all they threw them over the Walls into the Ditch When Titus going about the Walls beheld all the Ditch filled with dead mens bodies Titus lifting up his hands to heaven calleth God to witness that the fault is not his he lamented and lifting up his hands to Heaven called God to witness that it was not his doing Such was the estate of the City But the Romans when none of the Seditious durst make any more excursions passed their time in I joy and mirth for they neither suffered Famine nor sorrow having abundance of Corn and all other necessaries out of Syria The Romans shew the Jews their abundance of victuals and the Provinces adjoyning and many standing before the Walls aud shewing their abundance of Victuals to the Jews did so much more increase their misery Yet were not the Seditious people moved at these Calamities wherefore Titus pitying the reliques of the Nation and minding at least to save them that were left alive Titus pitying the remainder of the Nation laboureth to save them hasted to take the City and so he begun anew to build Mounts though he scarcely found matter to do it withal For all the Wood neer the City was consumed in the first works so that now the Souldiers were forced to fetch more Wood ninety furlongs off and only against Antonia were erected in four places four Mounts greater than the former Caesar went about and hastened K the Workmen and now shewed the Thieves that were fallen into his hands Yet for all this The blindness of the Jews they would not repent and being as it were deprived of the exercise of their Wits and Bodies they used both as though borrowed and not their own For neither did any affection move their minds nor any grief there bodies for they rent and tore the dead Bodies like Dogs and filled the prisons with weak and languishing people CHAP. XV. L Of the Massacre of the Jews both within and without the City AT last Simon 's cruelty against Matthias and his Sons Simon having tormented Matthias put him to death notwithstanding that by his means he had obtained the City This Matthias was the Son of Boethus a Priest whom the people for his fidelity towards them greatly esteemed he seeing the outrages of the Zealots towards the people after John was joyned with them perswaded the people to call in Simon to help them conditioning nothing with him before for that they misdoubed no evil And when he was come into the City he held him for his Enemy as well as the rest notwithstanding that by his only advice he was received into the City as though Matthias had only done it through weakness M Wherefore calling him before the people he accused him that he favoured the Romans and so condemned him to die not
suffering him to clear himself And he put to death likewise his three Sons with him for the fourth was before this time fled to Titus Matthias requested Simon that he might be put to death before his Sons but Simon in regard that by his means he had gotten the City caused him to be executed last of all And so he was killed upon the murthered bodies of his Sons in a place where the Romans might behold him for so Simon commanded Ananus his Executioner who was the Son of Bamadus This man was the most cruel of all Simon 's followers Ananus one of the cruellest Souldiers about Simon who even when he was to kill Matthias derided him asking whether they could now help him to whom he sought to fly and he permitted not their bodies N to be buried After them Ananias a Priest the Son of Masbalus a Nobleman and chief Secretary to the Council Ananius the Priest with fifteen of the noblest people slain a valiant strong man born at Emaus and with him fifteen of the chiefest men in the City were put to death They took also Joseph's Father and kept him in prison and with the publick voice of a Crier proclaimed that no man should talk with him Josephs Father taken nor visit him pretending fear of Treason and whosoever bewailed his estate Jâ—das consultation with his companions he was put to death without any Tryal It happened that a certain man called Judas the Son of Judas who was one of Simon 's Captains and Governour of one of the Towers of the City being moved with compassion towards these that perished without desert and more with fear of his own life assembled together ten of his most trusty Souldiers and said to them How long shall we endure O these Calamities or what hope have we of life in being obedient to the most impious of all A Famine consumes our City the Romans are almost within our Walls and Simon is cruel and faithless even towards these that have well deserved at his hands and we are in daily fear of his cruelty On the contrary the Romans keep their Faith inviolably Wherefore let us deliver this Tower to them and so save our selves and our City And what punishmnt c an Simon suffer which he ha's not deserved The ten men to whom in this manner he brake his mind agreed hereunto and so he in the morning sent the rest of his Souldiers under his command into divers places that they might not perceive his intent and at the third hour of the day standing upon the Tower he called the Romans and told them his design But some of the Romans proudly contemned the offer others scarcely believed them and the rest made no speed to come In the mean B time while Titus with certain armed men came unto the Wall Simon had notice of the matter Joseph wounded in the head with a stone the Rumour is spread through he City and speedily got to the Tower and slew those that were within in the sight of the Romans and cast down their bodies over the Wall Joseph going about the Wall and coming thither for he never ceased requesting the Jews to remember their desperate estate was struck on the head with a stone and so amazed with the blow that he fell down whereupon presently the Jews made a Salley out of the City and had carried him away prisoner into the City had not Titus sent men to defend him and whilst they fought Joseph was carried away scarcely knowing what was done The Seditious with loud cries rejoyced as having slain him whose death they chiefly desired and so they reported within the City Hereupon the people C were most sorrowfull verily believing him to be slain by whose intercession they had confidence of favour from the Romans When Josephs Mother who was in prison heard this she said to those of Jotapata that were her Keepers that she had no hope ever to see her Son again and with many tears lamenting to her Maidens Is this the benefit said she of my having born a Son Joseph recovereth of his wound that I shall not bury him by whom I hoped to have been buried my self But this false report did not long grieve her nor comfort the Thieves for Joseph was quickly healed of his wound and recovered and shewing himself he cryed out to them That ere long they should find he would be revenged on them for his wound And he ceased not to exhort the people to remain faithful to the Romans But the D Seditious seeing him alive were astonished Many that fled from Famine at home met with more speedy death among the Romans and the people conceived good hope Many present necessity urging them leapt over the Wall and fled to the Romans divers with stones going forth under pretence to fight with the Romans yielded themselves but they had worse Fortune there than within the City being now more harmed by plenty of Victuals which they found amongst the Romans than with the Famine they suffered in the City for being become by Famine all swollen as though they had the Dropsie upon the sudden filling of their empty Bodies they burst and so all died save only those who being wary did by little and little accustom their bodies to food which they had long wanted Yet they who thus escaped fell into another grievous misfortune for one of the Jews that fled to the Romans was found E amongst the Syrians gathering Gold out of his own dung which he had swallowed as is before said for that the Seditious did search all and take that they could find from them and there was very great store of Gold in the City so that that was sold for twelve Atticks which before was worth twenty five This device being discovered in one presently a report was spread all over the whole Camp that the Jews that fled from the City came full of Gold Whereupon the Arabians and Syrians ript up the Bellies of their poor suppliants to see if they could find any Gold or Silver within them And I am perswaded that there was no greater calamity befell the Jews than this Two thousand Jews imbowelled in one night Titus displeased at this cursed act for in one night the Bellies of two thousand Jews were ript up Titus hearing of this cruelty resolved to cause the Authors hereof to be compassed round with Horsemen F and slain with Darts and he had done it had not the multitude of offenders much exceeded that of the Jews that were so murthered Wherefore he called together the Leaders of these Auxiliary Troops and the Roman Captains for some of the Romans also had committed this fault and said to them in anger Is it possible that any amongst your Souldiers are so barbarous to commit such horrid Acts for uncertain gain and are not ashamed to enrich themselves after so execrable a manner what shall the
Arabians in these Wars against Strangers do what they please and presently cause the infamy of their vile Facts to redound to the Romans by committing such murthers and exercising such cruelty against the Jews for now all that bare Arms under him were defamed with this vile report He declared to them That such as G hereafter were found in that guilt should be put to death Also he commanded his own Legions to make enquiry who were suspected among them for this matter and to bring him word thereof But avarice is not terrified by fear of punishment cruel H people have naturally a desire of gain and no passion can be compared to the desire of wealth though sometimes it is bridled and restrained for fear But now God who hath given over the people to Perdition suffered all things to be turned to their destruction Avarice is not terrified with any punishment for that which Cesar did so strictly forbid was still secretly commited upon the poor Jews that fled for mercy to the Romans So that now whosoever fled out of the City the Souldiers first looking about them left any of the Romans should see them ript up their Bellies and so got an ungodly and impious booty yet in very few did they find that they sought for for the most of them that were slain had no Gold nor Silver found within them And this mischief caused many that had fled to the Romans to return again into the City I CHAP. XVI Of the Sacriledge committed about the Temple and the dead Bodies cast out of the City and of the Famine WHen John could rob no more John falleh to Sacrildge and taketh away many Presents out of the Temple nor get any spoil from the Citizens whom he had robbed of all they had he presently fell to Sacriledge and took away many of the gifts that had been offer'd to God in the Temple and of the Sacred Vessels K appointed for Divine Service as Cups Plates Tables and the Cruets of Gold that Augustus and his Wife had sent thither Thus a Jew robbed and spoiled the Temple of those tokens of respect wherewith the Roman Emperours and other Nations had honoured it and he had the boldness to affirm to his Associates that without fear they might use the Holy things of the Temple seeing they sought for God and the Temple Moreover he dar'd to share amongst them the Holy Wine and Oyl which the Priests kept for Divine Sacrifice in the inner part of the Temple I will not cease to speak that which grief compelleth me I verily think that had the Romans forborn to have punished so great Criminals either the Earth would have swallowed the City up or some deluge have drowned it or else the Thunder and Lightning which L conâ—umed Sodom would have light upon it for the people of the City were far more impious than the Sodomites In brief their wickedness and impiety were the cause that the whole Nation was extinguished What need I recount every particular misery Mannaeus the Son of Lazarus flying to Titus out of the Gate that was committed to his custody and yielding himself to him related to Titus that from the time that the Roman Army encamped near the City from the fourteenth day of April until the first of July were carried out of that Gate he kept a hundred and fifteen thousand eight hundred and fourscore dead bodies and nevertheless he had reckoned only those the number of whom he was obliged to know by reason of a Publick Distribution of which he had the charge For others were buried by their Parents and this was their M burial Six hundred thousand dead carcases cast out of the City to carry them out of the City and there let them lie And certain Noblemen flying to Titus after him reported that there were dead in the City six hundred thousand poor people which were cast out of the Gates and that the others that died were innumerable and that when so many died that they were not able to bury them that then they gathered the Bodies together in the greatest houses adjoyning and there shut them up And that a bushel of Corn was sold for a Talent which is six hundred Crowns and that since the City was compassed with a Wall by the besiegers they could not go out to gather any more herbs so that many were driven to that necessity that they raked Sinks and privies to find old dung of Oxen to eat and even the dung that was loathsome to behold Cow-dung and dirt gathered together is the Jews food was their meat The Romans hearing this were moved N to compassion yet the Seditious within the City who beheld this miserable sight were nothing moved nor repented but suffered them to brought to this Calamity for their hearts were so blinded by God that they perceiv'd not the precipice into which they were going to fall with all this miserable City O A The SEVENTH BOOK Of the WARS of the JEVVS B Written by Flavius Josephus The Contents of the Chapters of the Seventh Book 1 OF the breach made in the Walls and how the Mounts were fired and how Sabinus assaaulted the Wall 2 How the Romans assaulted Antonia and were repulsed by the Jews 3 Of the exceeding valour of Julian a Roman Souldier 4 Joseph's speech perswading the Jews to yield their City and how the Jews fled to the C Romans 5 Of another Battel the Rampiers being again built and of the excursions of the Jews 6 How the Romans were by a device of the Jews destroyed with fire 7 Of the Famine amongst the Jews 8 Of a Woman that for hunger did eat her own Son 9 How the Walls were taken and the Temple burnt 10 How the Temple was set on fire against Titus his will 11 Of the Priests the Treasure-house and the Porch 12 Of the Signs and Tokens which appeared before the destruction of the City 13 Of Titus his Rule and Government and how the Priests were sâ—ain D 14 Of the prey of the Seditious and the burning of the inner part of the City 15 How the higher part of the City was assaulted and how some of the Jews fled to Titus 16 How the rest of the City was taken 17 Of the number of the Captives and of those that were slain 18 A brief History of the City of Jerusalem 19 How the Souldiers were rewarded 20 Of Vespasians sayling away and how Simon was taken and of the spectacles and shews made upon Vespasians birth-day 21 Of the calamity of the Jews amongst the Antiochians 22 How Vespasian at his return was received by the Romans E 23 Of Domitians acts against the Germans and Frenchmen 24 Of the River Sabbaticus and of the famous triumph of Vespasian and Titus 25 How Herodium and Machera were taken by Bassus 26 Of the Jews that were slain by Bassus and how Judea was sold 27 Of the death
of King Antiochus and how the Allans broke into Armenia 28 How Massada the strongest Castle of all was taken and destroyed 29 Of the death of the Sicatâ—i or murtherers that fled into Alexandria and Thebes 30 How the Temple which Onias built at Alexandria was shut up 31 Of the Massacre of the Jews at Cyrene F CHAP. I. Of the breach made in the Walls and how the the Mounts were burned and how Sabinus assaulted the Wall THE misery of Jerusalem every day increased the Seditious being by reason of their misery more and more incited against the people For now the Famine was not only amongst the People but amongst them also And it was a miserable G sight to see the multitude of dead Bodies heaped together in the City from which came a pestilent and infectious smell so that they hindred the Souldiers from making excursions For they were forced to tread upon dead bodies as though H there had been a Battel fought within the Walls But the hardness of their hearts was such that so hideous a spectacle did not affect them nor make them consider that very shortly themselves should increase the number of those whom they trampled on with so great inhumanity The multitude of Carcasses heaped in the City is hideous to behold After having in a Domestick War embru'd their hands in the Blood of those of their own Nation they thought of nothing but imploying them against the Romans in a foreign War wherein they seemed to reproach God for delaying to punish them since it was no longer hope of overcoming but despair which inspir'd them with this Boldness The Jews upbraided God in that he so long delayed to punish them The Romans though much troubled to get Wood to build withal yet in one and twenty days finisht their Mounts having cut down all the Woods near the City for ninety Furlongs It was miserable to behold that Country I and place Judea a desart and desolate formely all beset with Trees and Fertile plants now lying plain like a Desart neither was there any stranger that before-time had seen Judea and the beautiful Suburbs of Jerusalem who now beholding it could abstain from tears and not lament so woful a change For this War extinguished utterly all signs of beauty neither could one coming suddenly know the place which he well knew before When the Mounts were finisht The Jews and Romans are equally afraid both the Romans and the Jews greatly feared the Jews for that except they were destroyed their City would be presently taken the Romans for that if these were overthrown they knew not how to erect more wanting matter and now their bodies were wearied with labour and their K minds discouraged with many incommoditis But the Romans were more grieved at the calamity of the City than the Citizens within for the Jews notwithstanding these miseries The Romans most of all fear the desperateness of the Jews did nevertheless stoutly defend their Walls but the courage of the Romans failed when they saw that the Jews policy made their Mounts unprofitable that the strength of the Wall resisted the Engines that the Jews boldness overcame their strength in fight and especially seeing that the Jews having endured such Calamity Famine and Misery were still more couragious than before so that they deemed their strength not possible to be overcome and that their minds were invincible being hardned and encouraged by misery What would they do said they if Fortune were favourable to them since even now she is contrary to them all that she does L to abate their courage serves onely to confirm them in their resolutions Wherefore the Romans made a stronger Watch about their Mounts But Johns followers who were in the Castle Antonia fearing what might ensue if the Wall were battered endeavoured to prevent it what they could before the Rams were set up and taking fire-brands in their hauds The Jews with fire-brands set upon the Engines but losing their hope return back again they assaulted the Mount but deceived with a vain hope they were forc'd to retreat For first of all they seemed to disagree among themselves so that they came from their Walls one after another in little parties and by consequence softly and fearfully and briefly not after the manner of the Jews but with less courage then they were wont On the other side they found the Romans better prepared and more couragious than of late The valour and violence of the Jews decreaseth who so defended their Mounts with their Bodies and M Weapons that it was not possible for the Jews to come and fire them and every one was fully determined not to shrink out of his place till he was flain For besides that if this work were destroyed they had no hope left to build more they all accounted it a shame that their vertue should be overcome by surprize or their valour by rashness and temerity or their skill by a multitude or the Romans by the Jews Also they had Engines to cast Darts at them as they came down their Walls And when any one of the Jews that was slain fell down The Jews retire arguing one another of cowardize he hindred them that followed and the danger of him that went before terrified those that came after They also that rashly adventured within the shot of a Dart either were terrified with the discipline and multitude of their Enemies or else wounded with their Darts and so they all retired N one accusing another of cowardliness having atchieved nothing The first day of July the City was assaulted The assault of the City the first day of July and the Jews being now retired the Romans set up their Rams notwithstanding that they were assaulted from Antonia with stones fire and Sword and whatsoever their Enemies in that extremity could find For though the Jews had great confidence in their Walls that they could not be battered yet would they not permit the Romans to place their Rams against them And the Romans being perswaded that the Jews so laboured because they knew their Walls to be weak and lest Antonia by the breach of the Wall should be hurt the Romans resolutely and undauntedly notwithstanding that many Darts were cast at them from off the Walls persisted to beat the Wall with their Rams But when they saw O that their Rams though uncessantly playing could make no breach they resolved to A undermine the Wall and accordingly covering themselves with their bucklers against the Stones thrown by the Jews upon them some with their hands pulled the stones out of the Wall some digged under the foundation thereof till four stones of the Tower with much labour were broken and shaken But the night hindered both parties from doing any more at that time but soon after the Wall shaken with the Ram in the place which John had undetermined to destroy the Mounts fell
them thereto fire the holy Temple But their malice against the Romans encreasing they fell to railing against those that had fled to them and planted all their Engines to cast Stones Darts and Arrows upon their Holy-Porches So that all the void space about the Temple was filled with dead bodies like a Burying-place Titus willeth John to come out to fight lest with him the City and Temple should perish also and the Temple it self resembled a Citadel and they now with their Weapons having their hands imbrewed with the blood of their Country-men presumed to enter into the Sanctuary where none ought to come and they became so injurious against their own Laws that what indignation the Jews ought to have conceived against the Romans if they had so prophaned the Holy-places the same they caused the Romans to have against them for doing B the like For there was not one amongst the Roman Souldiers that did not with reverence behold the Temple John raileth against Joseph and adore it and that did not heartily wish that the Thieves would repent themselves before it was too late Moreover Titus pittying the Seditious once again spoke to John and his adherents saying O ye impious people have not your Ancestors invironed the Temple about with a Ballester and erected Pillars whereon are engraven Greek and Roman Letters forbidding all men to enter into those limits and Did not we licence you to kill any man that should pass them though he were a Roman What rage then is it which carryes you wicked wretches to pollute the Temple with the blood not only of strangers but of your Country-men I call my Country Gods to witness and him who sometime dwelt in this Place I say sometime for now I am perswaded there C is none Titus in despight of the Jews Strives to save the Temple I call also my Army to witness and protest to the Jews that are with me and to your selves That I have no share in this profanation but that if your Army will depart this Holy-place that then no Roman shall come into the Sanctuary nor commit any thing of contumely of them but I will preserve this famous Temple for you against your wills CHAP. V. Another assault given by the Romans to the Jews who defended the Temple D TItus having spoken thus and caused Joseph to tell them in Hebrew what he said to them the Seditious thinking that the same proceeded not of good will but of fear began to be more proud thereupon Then Titus seeing they neither pitied themselves nor the Temple determined again to use force though very loth so to do yet could he not bring all his Army against them the Room was so little Wherefore out of every Company he made choice of thirty of the strongest among them Titus chose thirty out of every hundred most strong and able men and bids them charge the besieged and over every thousand he apointed a Tribune and made Cerealis their Captain or General commanding him at the ninth hour of the night to assault the Guard of the Enemy Also he himself would have gone with them but his friends and the E Captains about him considering the great danger he might fall into would not permit him but represented to him that he might do more good by staying in Antonia and encouraging the Souldiers that fought then if he should go and endanger himself for every man being in the view of the Prince would fight more couragiously Titus was herewith perswaded and told the Souldiers that the only cause he went not with them was this that he stayed behind to view and judg of every ones valour to the intent that none that behaved himself valiantly might go away unrewarded nor any Coward escape unpunished but that he himself might be a beholder of every mans vertue Having thus spoken he commanded the assault to be given Then he went up a Watch-Tower in Antonia from whence he beheld what was F done Titus beholds from a window in Antonia what his Souldiers performe But they whom Titus sent did not find the Guards asleep as they hoped but with a great shout they received the Romans that came against them and at this noise they awaked their fellows who came in whole Companies to assist them and made a Salley upon their Enemies So the Romans sustained the violence of their first Companies but the second that came fell upon their own fellows and used them like Enemies for no man could know one anothers voice for the noise neither could one see another by reason it was night and moreover some were blinded with fury some with anger some with fear so that every one struck him that met him without any respect The Romans received small damage thereby because that they were defended with their Shields and remembred one anothers Watch-word G But the Jews fell on every side shewing themselves rash as well in the charge as in their rallying so that many times one of them took the other to be his Enemy And falling upon those that rallyed as though they had been Romans assaulting them in H the dark Briefly more were wounded by their fellows than by their Enemies till day breaking every one knew his companion and then falling into ranks they betook themselves to their Darts and Arrows Neither part gave back nor was wearied with labour but many Romans together and apart did in the view of the Prince shew their courage every man accounting that day the beginning of his preferment if he behaved himself valiantly The Jews fought stoutly both for that they feared their own Imminent danger if they were overcome and the destruction of the Temple and John standing by encouraged them to fight some with blows and others with threatnings They fought almost all with handy blows yet fortune often changed for neither part had either far to fly or any space to follow those that fled I The Romans in Antonia cried to their fellows that fought the Battel The events of Battle are changed very shortly Now for the Victory encouraging them to stand to it when they began to give back so that Antonia was as a Theatre for this Battel for Titus and they with him beheld all that was done At last in the fifth hour of the day the fight ceased having continued from the ninth hour of the night neither party forsaking the place where first they began Battel nor any part having the Victory Many Romans there fought couragiously and amongst the Jews these that follow Judas the Son of Merton Simon the Son of Josias and Jacob and Simon Idumeans this the Son of Cathla but Jacob the Son of Sosa these were of Simons company And of Johns followers Gipthaeus and Alexas and of the Zealots Simon the Son of Jairus But on the seventh day the Romans K pulling down the Foundations of Antonia made a large entrance for the rest of the
the second year of the Reign of King Cyrus unto the destruction thereof were six hundred thirty nine years and five and forty days G CHAP. XI H A horrible slaugher continued in the Temple of the Priests the Treasure-house and the Porch WHen the Temple was thus consumed with fire whatsoever the Souldiers found there they carried away and put all to the Sword that were in it which were an infinite number they shewed pity neither to old age nor infants but old young Priests and common People all were slain without respect and all sorts of persons tasted I the calamity of War whether they resisted or entreated for mercy And now the flame increasing grieved even those that were yielding up the Ghost and by reason of the height of the Hill and the Building together one would have thought the whole City had been on fire The cry and howling of the murthered Jews Then a most lamentable cry was raised betwen the Roman Legions and the Seditious now invironed with fire and sword and the people that were taken in the higher part of the City and had fled to the Romans lamenting their calamity They of the City answered the cryes and tears of those in the Hill and many whose Eyes death by Famine had almost closed took strength a while to bewail the Temple which they now beheld on fire The Country beyond Jordan and the Mountains about did eccho to their Lamentations and yet the Calamities surpassed all expression For K one would have judged the Hill whereon the Temple was situate The Temple filled with fire and blood to have been burnt up by the roots it was so all over fire Yet the great quantity of Blood-shed seem'd to contend with the fire Many that were slain were covered with those that slew them and all the ground was over-spread with dead bodies so that the Souldiers ran upon the dead bodies to pursue those that fled At last the Thieves having driven the Romans without the Temple ran into the City and the rest of the People that were left fled into the outward Porch And many of the Priests used Spits of the Temple in stead of Darts and threw their Seats made of Lead instead of Stones against the Romans at last nothing at all prevailing and the fire falling upon them they got to the Wall which was eight Cubits broad Two Noblemen cast themselves into the fire and there stayed a while Yet two of the principal when they might L either have fled to the Romans and have been saved or else have endured like Fortune with the rest cast themselves into the fire and so were burnt with the Temple One of them was named Meierus the Son of Belga the other Joseph the Son of Daleus The Romans thought it in vain to spare the Buildings about the Temple seeing the Temple was already consumed and so they set fire on them all the Porches Galleries and Gates two only excepted one on the East-side and the other on the South-side both which afterwards they razed to the ground They also put fire to the Treasury which was full of an incredible quantity of Riches as well in money as in rich clothing and other things of great price and indeed all the Jews treasure for the richest of the City had brought all their wealth thither There came into the Porch that was M left standing many Men Women and Children to the number of six thousand And before Caesar and the Captains determined any thing what should be done with them Six thousand in the Porch consumed by fire the furious Souldiers fired the Porch wherein they were and so they all perished in the flames save a few who leaping down to avoid the fire were slain in the fall so that not one escaped of all that multitude A certain false Prophet was cause of their deaths who the same day preached in the City and commanded them to go into the Temple where he assured them they should that day receive the effects of Succour from God for many false Prophets were then suborned by the Tyrants False prophets suborned by the Seditious to perswade them to expect Gods help thereby to hinder them from flying to the Romans and to cause the Souldiers to fight more valiantly to defend their City Men easily believe and are credulous in N adversity so that if any deceitful person promise deliverance out of Calamity he that suffereth misery becomes full of hope thereupon O A CHAP. XII Of the strange Signes and Tokens that appeared before the Destruction of Jerusalem THese miserable People were thus easily perswaded by Impostors who abused the Name of God The blindness of the people yet would they not believe The first Prodigy nor give any ear or regard unto certain Tokens and Signs of the ruine of their City A Comet like unto a Sword but as it were blinded neither having B Eyes nor Souls they counterfeited themselves not to see what God foreshewed them One while there was a Comet in form of a fiery Sword The second prodigy was that a bright light shined about the Altar and Temple by night which for a year together hung over the City Another time before the first Revolt and War the People being gathered together to the feast of Unleavened-Bread which was the eighth day of April at the ninth hour of the night there was so much Light about the Altar and Temple as though it had been bright day The third prodigy was a Cow that brought forth a Lamb in the midst of the Temple and it remained half an hour This the ignorant People interpreted as a good Sign but they that were skilful in holy Scripture presently judged what would ensue before it came to pass At the same Festival a Cow led to be sacrificed at the Altar brought forth a Lamb in the middest of the Temple and the inner Gate of the Temple on the East-side being of massie brass and which at night C had alwayes at least twenty men to shut it The fourth the brazen gate of the Temple opened it self and was bound with Locks of Iron and barred with bars the ends whereof went into Mortice holes in the stones on either side the door the foresaid stones being on each side one whole Stone was seen at the first hour of the night to open of its own accord which being presently related to the Magistrate by the Keepers of the Temple he himself came thither and could scarcely shut it This also to the ignorant seemed a good sign as if God opened to them the Gate of his blessings but the wiser sort judged that the defence of the Temple would fail of its own accord and that the opening of the Gate foretold that it should be given to the Enemies and that this sign signified Desolation A little while after the Feast dayes on the one and twentieth day of
Justice and the fire came to Queen Helens Palace which was scituate in the midst of Acra also the houses and streets of the City full of dead Bodies were set on fire The same day the Sons and Brethren of King Izates and with them many Persons of quality assembled together Caesar constan in his resolution and supplicated Caesar to pardon them G and he though incensed against them all yet not changing his manner received them to mercy and put them all in Prison and afterward carried that Kings Sons and Kinsmen to Rome there to remain as Hostages CHAP. XIV The year of the World 4034. after the Nativity of Christ 72. H The Seditious get into the Palace pillage it and kill there 8400 of the People who had fled thither for refuge THE Seditious went to the Kings Palace where many had left their wealth because it was a strong place The Seditious resorting to the Kings house take away the treasure and driving the Romans from thence they slew all the people there assembled amounting to the number of 8400 and carried away all the Money and they took there two Roman Souldiers alive one a Horseman and the other a Footman I and they slew the footman and drew him all along the City as it were in the Body of that one revenging themselves upon all the Romans But the Horseman affirming that he had something to say to them which would greatly profit them and save their lives The punishment of a Roman Souldier taken by the Jews he was carried to Simon and not having there any thing to say Simon delivered him to one of his Captains called Ardala to be slain and he brought him where the Romans might behold him with his hands bound behind him and a veil before his eyes meaning there to behead him but he whilst the Jew drew out his Sword escaped to the Romans Titus would not put him to death because he had escaped from the Enemies yet deeming him unworthy to be a Roman Souldier who suffered himself to be taken alive he took from him his arms and discharged him from bearing them any more K which to a man of Courage was worse than Death The next day the Romans putting the Seditious to flight that were in the lower City fired all as far as Siloa rejoycing that the Town was destroyed yet they got no booties because the Seditious had already robbed and spoiled all The Jews are arrogant in the midst of their calamity and carried it into the higher City For they nothing repented them of their wickedness but were as arrogant as though they had been in prosperity so that with joy they beheld the City on fire and said That they desired death for that the People being slain the Temple destroyed the City on fire they should leave nothing to their Enemies Yet Joseph in this extremity laboured to save the Reliques of the City The Jews refuse to submit themselves to the Romans yet are they unable to wage war with them much inveighing against their cruelty and earnestly exhorting them to save themselves but he nothing profited by all this being only derided for his labour for neither L would they yield to the Romans for their Oaths sake nor were they able to fight with the Romans being now as it were besieged round by them yet their accustomed murthers encouraged them to more Thus dispersed all over the City they lurked in the ruines lying in wait for those that sought to flee to the Romans many of them were taken and slain for Famine had so weakned them that they could not flie and any death was more elegible than Famine So that many fled to the Romans having no promise nor hope to be spared by them and feared not to expose themselves to the fury of the Seditious who never ceased from murther The Tyrants uttermosâ— hope was in their Vaults And now there was no place in the whole Câ—â—y void but was fill'd with dead bodies who either perished by Famine or Cruelty But the Tyrants and M factious Thieves placed their last refuge in the Vaults where they hoped whatsoever hapned to hide themselves that they could not be found and so after the City was destroyed to escape which was only their vain fancy For they could neither be hid from God nor the Romans yet at that time they trusted in those Caves from whence they fired the City more than the Romans Rapine and slaughter in the Vaults and cruelly murdered those that having escaped the flames fled into secret places and spoiled them also if in any place they found any meat though all bloody yet they took it and eat it and now they fell to fight one with another about the spoil they got And I doubt not but if they had not been prevented by the destruction of the City their cruelty would have been such that they would have eaten the bodies of dead men N O A CHAP. XV. How the higher part of the City was assaulted and how some of the Jews fled unto Titus TItus perceiving that the higher part of the City could not be won without Mounts being situate in a soil round about which were high and deep Precipices on the twentieth day of August he set all his Souldiers on work and the carrying of Wood for B that purpose was very painful all Trees within 100 furlongs off the City being already cut down and used in the former Work as is before-said So the four Legions raised a Mount on the West side of the City and the Auxiliaries made a Mount against the Porch The Idumeans consult in their assembly about their submission Bridge and Tower which Simon during his War with John had built About this time the Captains of the Idumeans assembling together deliberated to yield themselves and sent five of their Company to Titus beseeching him to receive them to mercy and he hoping that the Tyrant would yield after them who were the greatest part of his Army with much difficulty granted them Life and so sent them back to their fellows But Simon having notice of their design presently slew those five that were sent to Titus and taking the Captains the chief of whom was James the Son of C Sosa he put them in Prison and carefully watcht the Idumaeans who now having no chief Commanders knew not what to do But the Guard could not hinder them from fleeing for although many of them were killed yet divers fled and escaped and were all received by the Romans Titus's courtesie being such that he remembred not his former Orders to the contrary And now the Souldiers abstained from murthers and minded only the getting of Wealth the common People they sold with their Wives and Children for a small price many being exposed to sale and few coming to buy them Titus having published that none should flie unto him without their families
yet now received those also that came alone appointing some to enquire who had deserved punishment and to inflict it on them So an infinite number was sold and D more than 40000 of the People were saved Forty thousand of the people saved whom the Emperour dismissed and permitted to go whither they pleased At the same time a certain Priest Jesus a Priest the son of Thebathus Jesus the Son of Thebathus was promised pardon on condition he would deliver certain holy things belonging to the Temple and so he came and brought out of a Wall two Candlesticks like to those that were in the Temple Tables Goblets Cups all made of solid and massie Gold also the Veil and the Ornaments of the Priest Phineas the Treasurer of the Temple takâ—n some precious Stones and many Vessells made for sacrifice Moreover the Keeper of the holy Treasure called Phineas brought forth the Garments and all things that belonged to the Priests and much Purple and Scarlet which were laid up in store to make Tapestry or Hangings among which also was some Cinnamon Cassia E and many other odoriferous things whereof were compounded sweet Odours to be offered to God He also delivered him much wealth of other mens and much sacred Treasure for which although he was taken by force yet he was pardoned as those were that fled to Caesar CHAP. XVI F How the rest of the City was taken THE seventh day of September the Mounts being finished Some of 〈◊〉 seditious kept in Acra the â—est in the vaults of the City which was the Eighteenth day after they were begun the Romans planted their Rams and Engines for battery whereupon some of the Seditious despairing to keep the City left the Walls and fled to the Mountain Acra others hid themselves in Vaults but the most resolute endeavoured to hinder the Romans from placing the Rams against the Walls The Romans besides that they were more in number had their Courage encreased by Victory But on the contrary The fear and amazement of the seditious the Jews being now all dis-heartned and sorrowful so soon as any part of the Wall was broken down or shaken by the force of the Rams straightways fled and the Tyrants were surprized with greater Fear than needed For even before such time G as the Enemies had entered the Wall they stood in doubt whether to flee or no and they who a little before were so proud and arrogant now trembled and quaked so that it was pittiful to see such a change in them though they were wicked persons But in order to H save themselves they endeavoured to assail the Wall that Titus had built to compass the whole City withall but seeing themselves forsaken of all those that were wont to be trusty to them every one fled whither necessity drove him In the mean time news was brought that all the West-wall of the City was beaten down The Tyrants enâ—eeble themselâ—es and of their own accord forsake the Towers from whence by no means but famine they might be driven others affirmed that the Romans had entred and that they had seen the Enemy in the Towers fear troubling their Judgment and making them think they saw things which were not whereupon they bewailed their misfortune and as though they had been lame they stood still and sought not to flie From whence one may plainly perceive Gods justice towards the impious and the Romans Fortune for the Tyrants deprived themselves of their strong holds and voluntarily departed out of their Towers wherein they could I never have been taken but by Famine and the Romans having so much laboured at the lower Walls now by Fortune took these which their Engines could never have shaken for there were three inexpugnable Towers that could not be battered with the Engines whereof before we have made mention So the Tyrants having forsaken these or rather being by Gods will driven from thence they fled towards the Valley of Siloa where after the fear was past they again took heart and attaqued the new Wall that was in that place yet not using such courage and vigor as need required they were beaten off by the Guards that defended it The Romans enter the town and obtain the Victory their strength now failing and being wearied with labour fear famine and calamity Some were driven one way and some another and they were forced to hide themselves in Vaults and Sinks The Romans having K obtained those Towers placed their Colours upon them and clapping their hands and shouting for joy they cryed Victory finding the end of the War nothing so terrible as the beginning The houses and families of best reckoning are 〈◊〉 full of dead bodies Yet they did not believe that this was the end because they got the Wall without any bloodshed but they admired that no man offered to resist them Whereupon issuing into every Street they slew whomsoever they found without any respect and fired Houses and kill'd all the People that had fled into them and where they entered to get prey they found whole Families dead and houses full of Carâ—ases consumed by Famine Thus terrified with the heavy sight they departed not taking any thing away yet for all that they pittied not those that were left alive but slew whomsoever they met whereby they filled the narrow streets so full of dead bodies that none L could pass that way for them all the whole City flowed with blood so that many places set on fire were quenched with the blood of those that were slain At evening they ceased from killing but all night long the fire encreased and so in the morning which was the eighth of September all was set on fire the City in the time of the Siege having endured more misery and calamity than ever it received joy and happiness from the time of the first foundation notwithstanding that the same had been so great that all Cities might justly envy it and it no wise deserved to be so oppressed with such misery save only for that it fostered and bred such impious persons as wrought the overthrow thereof Titus entering into the City amongst the rest admired the strong holds thereof and the M rocky Towers of which the Tyrants like mad-men deprived themselves and seeing the height firmness bigness and the joyning of the Stones together and their breadth and heigth These munitiâ—â—s of the City and deâ—â—nce of the Tower which the Tyrants abandoned for fear 〈…〉 monument he said Surely God hath assisted us in this War and he it was that drove the Jews from these Fortresses For what could mens hands and Engines prevail against them And having spoke much to this effect to his Friends he set those at liberty whom the Tyrants had left prisoners in the Towers and when he destroyed the rest of the City and Walls he left those Towers standing as a Monument of his good
〈◊〉 Nabonidus from Babylon who was fled thither But Nabonidus M not abiding the event of War yielded himself unto Cyrus who dealt mercifully with him and gave him a Territory in Carmania but expelled him out of Babylon so Nabonidus led the rest of his life in that Province This History agreeth with ours for in our writings we find that Nabuchodonosor in the eighteenth year of of his reign destroyed our Temple and that it so remained threescore and ten years also that in the second year of King Cyrus the foundations thereof were laid again and was finished and reâ—edified in the second year of King Darius's reign This done I will also relate the Histories of the Phoenicians The testimony of the Phoenicians touching the Jews Antiquity to re-inforce what we say for they make their computation after this manner In the reign of King Ithobalus Nabuchodonosor besieged Tyre thirteen years after whom Baal reigned ten years next him Judges were appointed N towit they that follow Eâ—nibalus the Son of Balachus judged two Months Chelbis the Son of Abdaeus ten Months Abbarus the High-Priest three Months Mytomus and Gerastus Sons of Abdilimos judged six years after whom Balatorus reigned one year and after his death the Tyrians called Merbalus from Babylon and made him King and he reigned four years and he then dying they sent also to Babylon for his Brother Iromus who reigned twenty years in whose reign Cyrus obtained the Persian Empire so that this whole time is fifty four years and three Months for Nabuchodonosor began to besiege Tyre in the seventh year of his reign and in the fourteenth year of King Iromus his reign Cyrus was made Emperour of Persia O A Wherefore both the Chaldean and Tyrian Historigraphers agree with us concerning our Temple The Chaldees and Tyrians agree with the Jews History So that the Antiquity of our Nation above mentioned is now made manifest and without all controversie And that which is already alledged to this end may be sufficient for them who are not purposely contentious To satisfie therefore such as believe the Writings of other Nations of little or no Authority and will give credit to nothing but what is transmitted from the Greeks I shall produce Testimony from such of them as have been acquainted and writ of our Laws Pythagoras a Samian born a person of great Antiquity and Reputation above the rest of the Philosophers for Wisdom and Holiness of Life was not only conversant in our Laws but observed them in many things as is testified particularly by Hermippus B an eminent and exact Historian Herimippus writings and testimony of Pythagoras who in his first Book of Pythagoras gives us an account That a Crotonian called Calliphon a great friend of Pythagoras being dead his Soul accompanied Pythagoras night and day inculcating and pursuing him with Instructions and among the rest That he would be careful how he passed by a place where his Ass had stumbled That he would drink none but pure Water and that he would be cautious of speaking ill of any Body following therein the Customes of the Greeks and Thracians and what that Author said is most true for it is certain a great part of his Phylosophy was deduc'd from the Laws of the Jews Our Nation in times past was well known to divers Cities so that many of them do now observe our Customs and others esteem them worth the imitation as Theophrastus C doth witness in his Book intituled De Legibus Theophrastus for he saith that the Tyrian Laws forbid to swear by any strange God Corban the gift of God and amongst these prohibited Oaths he reckoneth the Oath called Corban which is used only amongst the Jews and in our Language signifieth the Gift of God Herodotus of Halicarnassus knew our Nation also Herodotus the Halicarnassian touching the Jews Circumcision and in a manner maketh mention of it for speaking of the Colchians he saith thus in his second Book The Colchians Egyptians and Aethiopians only amongst all other Nations did use Circumcision of old for the Phoenicians and Syrians living in Palestina do confess themselves to have learned this Custom from the Egyptians and the Syrians living near unto Thermodoontes and the River Parthenius and their Neighbours the Macronians are reported but lately to have learnt it of D the Colchians and these are they only that use Circumcision and they do like unto the Egyptians but I am not able to say whether the Egyptians or Aethiopians learn'd it of the other Herodotus therefore affirmeth the Syrians in Palestina did use Circumcision and it is manifest that of all the Inhabitants of Palestina the Jews only use it which he knowing writeth so of them Cherilus also an ancient Poet maketh mention of our Nation Cherilus an ancient Poet his Testimony of the Jews and affirmeth that our Country-men warred under Xerxes against the Greeks and enumerating the Nations which followed him at last he speakes thus of ours E A People strange followed this Royal throng Their-Language was th' unknown Phoenician tongue In th'hills of Solymus their dwelling was Near to a Lake for greatness which did pass Their heads were shav'd and for their heads attire They wore an Horse-skin dried at the fire It is evident as I think that he speaketh of the Jews Asphaltites the Lake for the Mountains of Solymus are in our Country and that Lake also called Asphaltites which is the greatest and vastest of all Lakes that are in Syria And that the Jews were not known only of the Greeks F but also admired of them is easire to prove not out of the obscurest Writers but by the Testimony of their wisest Philosophers The testimony of Clearchus disciple of Aristotle touching the Jews For Clearchus disciple unto Aristotle and the best amongst all the Peripateticks in his first Book De somno brings in a certain Dialogue his Master Aristotle discoursing of a Jew that he knew in this manner It would be too long to entertain you about the whole Nation I shall content my self to give you a hint only of this mans admirable wisdom Hyperochides told him He could not do them a greater favour I will begin then said Aristotle according to the Rules of Rhetorick with what relates to his Nation He was born a Jew in the lower Syria whose present Inhabitants are descended from the Philosophers of the Indians who among them are called Calani but among the Syrians Jews as living in Jewry whose principal City is G called Jerusalem and very hard to be pronounced This man entertained many strangers who came from the higher Country down unto the Sea-Coast was very eloquent and couragious As I was travelling one time with some af my Disciples in Asia this person made us a visit H and in his Conference with us we found that much was to be learned by his Conversation Thus far
to speak for them whereas he should rather admire the Roman magnanimity and modesty who compel not their Subjects to violate their ancient Laws and Religion but content themselves with such honours as the giver may with piety and equity give them For they account not of forced M honours which come of compulsion The Greeks and divers others think it not amiss to erect Statues for they delight to have the Pictures of their Ancestors Wives and Children and some of their beloved Servants also what marvel then if they accord to yield the like honour to Princes and Emperors The Jews may have no Imagâ—s But our excellent Law-maker forbad all kind of Images as well of inanimate as animate Creatures not having at that time the least thought or prospect of the Roman Empire because our God being incorporeal and spiritual could not be reduced to humane representation How Emperors and Magistrates ought to be honoured without great inconvenience nevertheless he did not forbid us from paying honour and respect to such great persons as being next in their places may deserve N the next honour to what is due to the Gods and such is the reverence that we pay to the Emperours and People of Rome and as a testimony of it a day doth not pass in which we do not offer up Sacrifice at our own expence for their safety and prosperity which is more than we do for any other Prince or Nation in the World And let this suffice to answer that which Appion alledgeth against the Jews of Alexandria yet can I not but admire at them who gave him this occasion namely Posidonius and Apollonius Molon The lye of Posidonius and Apâ—llâ—niuâ— concerning the Jews confuted who accuse us for not worshipping the same gods that others do although they lye all alike slandring our Temple most absurdly and yet for all this they do not believe that they herein commit any impiety whereas it is a most ignominious thing for any free-man to lye upon any occasion much more of a Temple famous over O A all the world for sanctity For Appion affirmeth that the Jews in that sacred Temple place the head of an Ass and worshipped it most religiously And this quoth he was manifestly known at such time as Antiochus Epiphanes spoiled that Temple who found that Asses head being of massie gold and of great value To this first slander I answer An answer to the objection of the Asses head That were that true which he reporteth yet an Egyptian ought not to have spoken against us for it seeing that an Ass is of no less worth than a Goat and other bruit beasts that they honour for Gods Is it possible he should be so blind as not to perceive that never any fable was more evidently absurd every body could tell him that we have constantly used the same Laws without the least change or alteration Nevertheless though Jerusalem has had her B misfortunes as well as other Cities and has been taken by Antiochus Pompey Crassus and at length by Titus and our Temple been in the possession of all of them yet what is it they ever found there but great piety and devotion Upon which subject I do not think it necessary to enlarge in this place And as touching Antiochus many Writers of good credit report that he never had any just cause to spoil our Temple but that he was drawn unto this fact for want of money Not that he was our Enemy but for that as from his friends and fellows he sought supply and found nothing in that place that was worthy of derision and thus do Polybius Megapolitanus Strabo the Cappadocian Nicholas Damascene Timagenes Castor the Chronicler and Apollodorus avow who all do witness that Antiochus wanting money brake C the League he had with the Jews and rob'd and spoil'd their Temple being full of gold and silver Appion ought to have considered this Who are accounted Asses among the Jews and other wise men had he not had an Asses heart and a Dogs impudency which he and his Country-men worship for gods As for us we do neither honour nor reverence Asses though the Egyptians do their Crocodiles and Aspes esteeming them that are bitten by Aspes and devoured by Crocodiles to be happy and fit for God For Asses are imployed among us as they are in all places where a rational use is made of them only in carrying burthens and doing such things as are necessary about Agriculture and when they are lazy or trespass upon their neighbours Corn we do not scruple to give them correction D But Appion was either the greatest Ass that ever was in telling a lye or else having begun to do it he could not compass his enterprizes in that he found not any just cause of detraction against us He addeth another Fable of the Greeks to our detraction Certain Historiographers endeavour to cover and hide Antiochus his perjury and sacriledge to the which I will make only this reply That it is more commendable and agreeing to piety and less uncleanness to pass through the Temple than for Priests to come and feign impious words and speeches which they not respecting laboured rather to excuse the sacrilegious Kings than to write the truth of us and our Temple endeavouring to curry favour with Antiochus and to cover and hide his Sacriledge used against our Nation for that he wanted money E Appion with reflection upon the rest saith That Antiochus found a Bed in our Temple and in it a Man lying and a Table set before him furnished with all fowles belonging either to the Sea or Land that the Man was astonished to see him And that so soon as Antiochus came into the Temple the man adored him as though he hoped for great help from the King falling down at his feet and with a stretched out arm craving licence to speak which the King granting willed him to declare what he was why he dwelt in the Temple and the cause of his meats before him the man with sighs and tears unto Antiochus bewailed his Calamity saying He was a Grecian and that traveling in the Country to get his living he was suddenly seized upon by certain Out-landish men and brought unto the Temple and shut up therein and that no man might see him and that F he was there fed or fatted with all dainties that could be provide an that at first this dainty fare made him joyful but afterward he began to suspect it and lastly he was hereat amazed and then demanding of a Jew that administred unto him for what cause he was there kept he understood the Jews purpose and Law not to be revealed for the fulfilling whereof he was there nourished and that the Jews were wont to do the like every year upon a day appointed That the Jews ought onâ—â—â—â— year to sacrifice a Grecian and to take a Grecian stranger and feed
thousand men are no one of them all met him Did he in the time of War find the Towns and Villages by which he past without any Watch-men Well to pass the rest The B gates of our Temple were threesore Cubits high The gates of the Temple twenty Cubits broad all covered with Gold yea almost all of clean Gold and these Gates every day were shut by two hundred men and it was too impious a thing to leave them open Is it then credible that this Candle-bearer could easily open them who alone was judged to have the Asses head So that now it remaineth doubtful whether Zabidus did bring back again the Asses head or else Appion took it of him and brought it again to our Temple that there Antiochus might find it and so Appion might have another occasion of lying Appions lye concerning the oath is confuted He also belieth us concerning the oath which he saith we Jews do take swearing by the God of Heaven and Earth and Sea never to favour any stranger and especially the Greeks This lyar might better have said not to favour any stranger and C especially the Egyptians and so his former lyes and these should have better corresponded if our Ancestors had been expelled by their Predecessors out of Egypt not for their wickedness but for their calamity But we are so far from the Greeks that we scarcely ever think of them so that no man can say that there is any emnity between us and the Greeks But contrariwise many of them have embraced our Religion and some of them therein persevered others again have forsaken it yet none of them will say that he heard this oath spoken of among us but it should seem that only Appion heard of it in that he himself forged it Truly his wisdom and great providence is worthy to be admired as shall hereafter appear for he to prove these his lyes to be true saith that it is a certain testimony that the Laws we observe D are most unjust and that we worship not God as we ought to do in that we are subject to divers Nations Appion upbraideth the Jews with captivity and our City endured many calamities Whereas touching themselves they are of a City that flourisheth in absolute Authority accustomed to govern from the foundation thereof and not to serve the Romans In effect who can resist their valour Truely no man but Appion would ever have flouted us herewith seeing that few Cities so flourish and reign over other that they again at no one time have been brought into subjection for many Nations are subject to others only the Egyptians are freed from the Captivity of such as rule Europe and Asia for that as they say the gods fleeing into their Country were saved by entring into the bodies of Beasts Yet have they not indeed had one days liberty since the beginning of E the World neither under the Government of their own Princes nor under strangers I will not stand to reckon how often the Persians have wasted their City destroyed their Temples and slain their supposed Gods For it is not decent that I should imitate herein Appions foolishness neither am I calling to memory what befel the Athenians and Lacedemonians the last of which are recorded to have been most valiant and the first to have been most devout and Religious neither will I reckon up those most godly Kings amongst whom Crâ—esus was one who notwithstanding fell into great calamities Moreover I will not recount how the Castle of Athens was set on fire and the Temples of Ephesus and Delphos likewise and many others There is now F one Appion a new accuser of the Jews who upbraideth them with their calamities forgetting the misery that hath befallen his Country-men the Egyptians but he was blinded with the fable of Sesostris whom he saith to have been King of Egypt David's and Solomon's power We could report and boast of our Kings David and Solomon who subdued many Nations unto them but it is not fit here to speak of them But Appion was ignorant of that which all the World knoweth to wit that the Egyptians have served first the Persians and afterwards the Macedonians and that as bond-slaves whereas we remaining in free liberty reigned over all the Cities about us 120 years even unto the time of Pompey the Great and when all the other Kings were subdued by the Romans only our Kings for their fidelity and friendship towards them were dear unto them O but G this sticketh upon Appions Stomach that we have not had any famous men of our Nation who have invented Arts and Sciences and been excellent in wisdom such as Socrates Zeno Appion praiseth himself Cleanthes and others whom he setteth down and which is most to be H admired Appion puts himself into the number of these famous men and saith that Alexandria is blessed and happy that hath deserved to have such a Citizen as he is and great reason that he should testifie that of himself which all men else perceive in him to wit that he is an impudent deceitful fellow both of corrupt life and manners So that the Alexandrians had just cause to be sorry that they ever had any better opinion of him But that our Nation had men equal at least unto those whom he mentioneth all men know that please to read the Book of our Antiquity The rest that his accusation containeth it is not amiss to let pass without answer for that it rather impeacheth the Egyptians his own Country-men than us for he doth complain of us for Sacrificing ordinary Beasts and abstaining from Swines flesh and laughed I at our Circumcision Why the Jews do Sacrifice common beasts and do not eat Swines flesh Touching the Sacrificing of Beasts we do as all Nations else do and Appion inveighing against our sacrificing sheweth himself to be an Egyptian for were he either a Grecian or a Macedonian he would not be herewith offended for both Greeks and Macedonians do vow to Sacrifice Hecatombs to their gods and use Priests in their banquets and yet for all this the World is not desolate of living creatures as Appion â—eareth But were all men so mad as the Egyptians it would indeed be desolate of men and filled with cruel Beasts which they supposing them to be gods do diligently nourish If any man shall ask of Appion whom of all the Egyptians he judged to be a wise man and most religious towards their gods The Egyptian Priests circumcised and eat no Swines flesh no doubt he would answer the Priests For K they say that their first Kings in the beginning gave them these two commandements in charge first to seek wisdom and next to worship the gods they also are all of them circumcised and abstain from Swines flesh and no other Egyptian Sacrificeth with them unto their gods Appion therefore was surely blind when instead of detracting
e. Ochozias King of Israel reproved and why 235 n o. his soldiers consumed ibid. m. 236 b. his death foretold 236 c. Ochozias King of Judah 241 n. visiteth Joram 242 c. slain ibid. g. Office of Judges 112 l m. of an Historiographer 359 g. of the Priests 70â— a. Off-spring of Noah Abraham c. look progeny Og King of Galadine 105 b. is slain with his army ib. b. his high stature and great strength ibid. b. Oil in the pot multiplyed 226 d. 237 o. Scalding Oil thrown on the Romans 668 m. Olda the Prophetess 259 l. Old man killeth his wife c. 387 k. Old and weak Jews slain 758 n. One sacred City one Temple and one Altar 111 b. Onias high Priest 296 b Onias high Priest 307 l. paid not his tribute ibid. Onias high Priest's son 323 i. wins the favour of Ptolomy 332 g. buildeth a Temple in Egypt 333 h. 777 n. Onias stoned to death 361 b. Ophni son of Eli 143 e. his impiety and wickedness ib. e. is slain 144 n. Opinion of the Esseans and Grecians of the soul 614 k l. Opinion of the Pharisees and Sadduces 477 b c. Opinion of the wisest Greeks c. 807 f. Oppression of the Israelites 133 a o. ibid. m. 135 b. 1 8 m. 139 f. of the Jews 631 e f. 622 h c. 623 a b. c. Oracle of God to Joshuah 124 h. Oracles of the Prophets to be reverenced 233 l. Oration of Abraham 41 b. of Ruben 56 m and 59 o. of Juda 59 b. c. of Joseph 60 i k. of Moses to the people 79 b. to the seditious 100 i c. of Zambrias 110 h. of Moses before his death 107 g. of the Gabeonites 124 n. of Josuah c. 127 b. of Phinees 127 g. of Samuel 148 i. 151 b. of Saul 165 f. of Abias 223 k. of Herod 401 b. 402 a c. 581 b. 582 l. of Nicholaus 424 i. 425 k. 456 m. 587 f. of Agrippa 626 g. of Joseph 640 i. 672 k c. of Titus 676 m. 684 l. of Ananus 687 e c. of Jesus 691 a. of Caesar c. 717 b. of Joseph to the Jews 728 n. 729 a. of Titus to the Jews 754 n. c. of Eleazar 773 f. Orchards 701 f. Order of the Romans 660 n. Order of the superior bodies 30 i. Order of the Army c. 95 a b. Order of the Carpenters Masons c. 207 d e. Order of the Cities of Galilee 638 m n. Order of Titus's Army 711 d e. Ordinance of Artaxerxes 287 n o. 291 l m. Ordinance of the Fathers transgressed 107 â— Oreb slain 136 l. Original of the Hebrews 35 b. Original of the Troglodytes 42 h. Original of the Israelites mischiefs 253 n. Original of the Grecian laws 807 e. Original of the Jews laws 815 b. Ornaments of the high Priest 87 a b c c. Ornaments of Solomon's Palace 213 c. Oronna or Orphana a Jebusite spared 179 g. giveth David his floor 198 i k. Oseas King of Israel overcome 252 o. made tributary ibid. c. taken prisoner 253 m. his subjects transported and why ibid. n o. Oath how in time past taken 42 k. Oath taken to observe the law 119 b. 259 m. Oath how and when to be kept 132 i. Oath of Jonathan to David 164 k l. Oath of Sâ—nacharib falsified 255 m. Oath observed 452 m. Otho Emperor 705 f. slain ibid. Overthrow of the Sodomites 33 a b. of the Amorites 104 m. of the Hebrews 98 n. and 173 f. of Antony 403 m. Outrages of Elies sons 143 f. of Naas offered the Israelites 152 h. of Azael 245 m. 246 f g. of Florus Soldiers 623 c. Outward Court of the Temple c. 721 d. Oxen seven what do signifie 55 e. how many taken at once 109 a. not to be muzled 113 f. Ox that striketh 117 b Oza suddenly strucken dead 180 n. and why ibid. Ozias King of Juda's warlike exploits 249 l m. acts and studies ib. n o. stricken with a leprosie and why 250 b. enjoyned to depart the City ib. and 250 b. his death and burial 250 c. P. Pacorus sendeth horsmen to Antigonus 380 f. 572 i. his perswasion to Phaselus 381 i. his treason and subtilty ib. k l. 572 m. Pageants built 766 l. Painters cause multitude of gods 813 â— Palestine whence took his name 34 m. Philistines overcome the Israelites 139 f. 144 m. invade the Israelites 144 i. are overcome 155 c d. 160 m. 180 i k. Palace in Tiberias burned 943 a. Palace built in Jerusalem 414 b. Palace of Solomon 212 g. Palace of the King 719 d. burned ibid. e. Palm-trees 701 d f. Pamphilian Sea divided it self 72 n. Pappus beheaded 389 k. 5780. Paradise 28 i. where situate ibid. k. adorned with all sorts of plants ibid. l. Parents compelled to murder their children 63 a. Paricide a publick injury 457 d. Paricides 256 f. Parthians restore Antigonus 380 f. 373 f. complâ—t treachery against Phasaelus 381 k l. surprize him and Hircanus ibid. n. lay a plot for Herod 382 a. lose Armenia 483 d. Parts of the Temple 209 i. Pascha or Passover of the Hebrews 70 i k. celebrated 253 h. 269 a. 281 k. Passage of the Isralites over Jordan 122 l m. Passages stopped up from the Hebrews 71 d. Patience of Joseph 54 k. Pauliâ—â— deceived and defiled 481 c d. Peace bought 245 n. 250 e. Peace of the Israelites 206 i. of the Jews 231 n. Peace better than War 691 d. A Penalty most cruel 61o c. Penalty of a woman married for a Virgin c. 114 m. Penalty published 15â— d. what it wrought ibid. Pensioner to Saul David 159 b. Penitent obtain mercy 731 a. Penury of water 582 â— see want People of Israel afflicted 62 m. 63 a b. 67 a. 68 i k. departed out of Egypt 71 b. exhorted to put their trust in God ibid. f g. and to obey the will of God 110 i k. c. drive away the Cattel of the Amalechites 157 b. require mitigation of their burthen 218 d. revolt from Roboam 219 i. are transported and why 253 n. fly with their money 731 c. People enjoyned by oath to serve God 245 k. 259 m. People of Judah bless God 235 k l. and why ibid. l. Peoples love to Joseph 18 h. People permit not Pilate to alter their laws 615 d. People exclaim against Florus 624 h. die for want c. 727 â— Perfection of mind respected 158 l. Perjury of Florus 622 k. Peroration of Herod 581 e. of Joseph 672 o. Perplexity of the Israelites 71 d. Perswasion of Jeroboam to Idolatry 219 m. Perswasion of false Prophets dangerous 233 l m. Perswasion of Rapsaces 255 o. Pestilence one of the Plagues of Egypt 69 e. Pestilence destroyeth Senacherib's Army 256 f. Pestilence a great affliction 253 k. Petra a City of Arabia 573 d Petronius's charge for placing Caius's statue 494 l. c. executeth it not and why 494 m n. certifieth the
Caesar Governour of Syria 372 c. writeth in Herod's behalf ib. f. selleth the President 's place 373 l. slain 376 b. Sheep-shearing of Nabal 168 n. of Absolon 180 o. Shews at Caesarea 761 e. Ships of Solomon 216 k. of Josâ—phat c. 235 m. Shipwrack of Josephus 2 h. Siba manureth Mephiboseth's lands 183 b. accuseth him and getteth his goods 189 b. Siba son of Bochri incenseth the people to Rebellion 194 l. by Joab 195 k. his punishment ib. l. Sybils Prophesie of Babel 33 d. Sicarians 771 c. besieged 772 a. authors of new calamity 777 i. taken ibid. k. Sichima Josuah's habitation 128 m. Sichem defloureth Dina 49 b. desireth to marry her ib. m. is slain ib. Sichemites slain 49 c. Sichemites constitute Abimeleck their ruler 137 b. banish him ib. d. are slain and their City sackt ib. g h. Sickness of Jeroboam's son 222 d. Sickness of Ochozias 235 n. Sickness of Joram 241 l m. Sickness of Adad 240 f. Sickness of Ezechias 257 i. Sickness of Herod 409 k l. Sicle 89 a. Siege of Jerusalem 179 c. 255 m. deferred 703 c. Signs of the law 112 k. Sign of Ezechias's recovery 257 k l. Signs before the destruction of Jerusalem 753 b c d e. Sign of a true history 782 h i. Signification of the golden-head 269 k. Silas Captain of the King's guard 522 a. Silas groweth into hatred 522 k. Silon corrupted with money 386 a. Silva besiegeth Massada 772 a. Simei pardoned 193 c. punished 204 m. Simeon the son of Jacob 46 n. why so called ib. m. he and Levi slew the Sichemites 49 c. left as a pledge with Joseph 57 c. his sons 61 b. Similitude 137 b. 672 l. Simon succoureth the Galileans 319 n. taketh Bethsura 338 e. declared high Priest 342 d. animateth the people against Tryphon ibid. e. his authority 342 e. razeth the Castle of Jerusalem 3â—2 f. maketh war against Antiochus 343 f. trayterously slain 344 b. 559 d. Simon degraded 454 i. Simon affecteth the Crown 468 m. 608 m. Simon 's counsel against Joseph 640 n o c. Simon killeth many of his countrey-men 632 o. his parents and wife c 633 a b. Simon the son of Giora committeth rapines and murders 642 m. Simon of Garasa 703 e. assembleth the thieves ibid. spoileth Idumaea 705 a b. assaulteth the Temple 70â— o. his camp 722 o. apprehended 759 e. 761 f. kept for the triumph ibid. drawn thorough Rome with an halter 767 b. Singing look song Single Combat 159 d. Sin escapes not unpunished 169 d. Sins of the Jews against the law 730 l. Sin cannot escape God's justice 169 e. 761 g. Sisara Captain of Jabin's host 134 k. put to flight and slain ibid. n. Scituation of the land of the Amorites 105 b. Scituation of the higher Galilee 659 b. Scituation of Jotapata 6â—4 b. Scituation of Gamala 680 m. Scituation of Massada 772 b. Six thousand Jews consumed with fire 752 m. Skirmish of the Romans with the Jews 608 i. Skirmish between the Galileans and the Romans 669 f. Skirmish of Simon and John 712 i. Slaughter one of another 136 i. 155 b. 235 l. Slaughter on the Sabbath day 632 h. Slavery of the Hebrews see servitude Slaughter of Achimelech and his Family 166 k. Slaughter of Ochozias's servants 243 m. Slaughter of Baal's Priests 244 a. Slaughter of Azarias 420 g. Slaughter of the Tapsians 250 e. of the Army of Juda 251 l. Slaughter of the Moabites 181 e. of Antigonus's faction 382. of the Jews 624 m. in the Temple 712 k. 751 c. in the vaults 756 n. Slanders touching the Jewish nation answered 791 f g c Sleep of Abner and his souldiers reproved 169 g. Sodom once a goodly City 36 o. her destruction foretold 38 o. burnt 39 b. Sodomites overcome by the Syrians 33 a b. taken and rescued ibid. d. their sins 39 a b. stricken with blindness ib. c. destroyed ib. b. Sohemus discovereth the King's secrets 406 f. advanced 407 m. put to death 408 l. Soil of Peraea 659 d. Souldiers ought to obey their Captains 677 b. Souldiers take meat out of the Citizens mouths 730 f. Souldiers rewarded 460 n. 761 b. Souldier sheweth his privy members 533 e. Souldiers require a Monarch 517 f. repair to Claudius 518 k. Souldiers dismissed and why 247 n. Souldiers of the Romans obey their Captains 661 a b. Souldiers that came unto David numbred 179 a b. Souldiers with their Captains consumed 236 b c. A Souldier's filthy fact 618 n. A Souldier burneth the book of the Scripture 534 h. is punished 619 a. Solemnity of the Passover 70 k. 92 k. Solemnity of the new Moon 164 m. Solemnity of transporting the Ark 180 m n o. Solyma the place where Melchisedech was King 37 e. after called Jerusalem ib. and 179 e. Song of praise and thanksgiving of the Israelites 72 n. Song of Moses 72 n. Song of the women and maidens of Israel 160 n. Son of Vision 46 n. Sons of Noah 32 o. Sons of Abraham 40 h i. and 43 d. Sons of Isaac 50 k. Sons of Esau 50 l. Sons of Jesse 158 m. Sons of Saul slain 173 f. Sons of David 179 g. Sons of Jacob hate their brother Joseph 50 o. go inâ—â— Aegypt for to buy corn 56 k l. 57 f. imprisoned and accused of theft 56 o. and 58 k l. carry Presents with them 57 f. depart into Aegypt with their Father 61 b. Sorceress of Eâ—dor 171 c. raised Samuel's ghost ib. c. Three Sorts of sedition 711 f. Sosius hath charge of the Army 388 c. leadeth an Army against Jerusalem 390 b. taketh Antigonus 579 e. Soveraignty to be given 158 m. Soul immortal 672 m. 784 m. tyed to a mortal body ibid. n. Spear of Goliah the Philistine 159 c. Spectacle of compassion 731 e. Spies sent into Canaan 96 i. sent to Jericho 121 d. survey the City ib. f. promised Rahab to save her and all that was hers 122 h. Spirit of God forsaketh Saul 258 o. and an evil spirit troubleth him ib. o. Spirit of God entred into David 158 o. Spoils gotten in war 77 c. Spoils dedicated to God 123 d. 225 m. Spoil of the Temple 246 d. Spoils committed in the day 686 l. Spoils c. carried in triumph 772 e f. Sports of Olympus 431 b. Stars made 27 e. their end courses and motions ib. State of Jerusalem troubled 642 l m. Statue of gold erected 269 m. commanded to be worshipped ibid. m. Statue of Caius 494 l. Statue of divers metals 269 m. beaten to powder ib. Statues of Caesar 480 i k. Jews refuse to admit them ib. Stature of Og 105 b. Stature of Saul 151 f. Stature of Goliah 159 c. Sterility fore-shewed 55 e f. Stock of Basa destroyed 225 m. Stone taken out of the mountain 269 i. Store of the Priest where kept 419 l. Store of provision 772 f. Store of all sorts of moveables 124 l. Store of Corn gotten 240 d e. Store of victuals 576 h i. Store of engines