fall vpon the Israelites that there is not any tongue that may expresse the same or man that may beleeue it The sonnes of Eli shall die and the Priesthood shall be transported into the family of Eleazar For Eli hath more loued his children then my seruice and more then was expedient for them Eli inforced the Prophet by imprecations to declare vnto him that which he had heard But Samuel for feare he should discomfort him would not disclose the same vnto him which made him the more assured of the intended and imminent death of his sonnes And because that which Samuel prophecied in effect proued true his reputation increased daily more and more In that time the Philistines leading out their armie against the Israelites incamped neere vnto the Citie of Amphec and for that the Hebrewes were negligent to withstand them they passed further into the countries thereabout so that in fighting with their enemies the Philistines at last got the vpper hand and slew the Hebrewes and had them in chace for the space of foure miles pursuing the rest of those that fled euen vnto their owne tents Whereupon the Hebrewes grew iealous and affraid of their whole estate and therefore sent they to the councell of the Elders and the high Priest praying them to bring the Arke of God with them to the end that hauing it in presence with them they might strike the battell and ouercome their enemies But they bethought them not that he that had pronounced the sentence of their calamitie against them was greater then the Arke which was made for him The Arke then was brought and the sonnes of Eli attended it whom their father had expresly commaunded that if it so fell out that the Arke were taken they should neuer more come before his presence except they would die Now Phinees executed the office of the high Priest by the permission of his father by reason he was verie aged The Hebrewes because of the presence of the Arke conceiued very great hope and assurance that they should haue the vpper hand of their enemies The Philistines likewise were sore amazed fearing the presence of the same but the issues were not answerable according to the one or the others expectation For when they ioyned battell the victorie which the Hebrewes hoped should be theirs fell vnto the Philistines the losse which the Philistines feared fell vpon the Hebrewes who at last perceiued that they had reposed their confidence on the Arke all in vaine For as soone as their enemies and they fought pell mell with them they turned their backs and lost about thirtie thousand men amongst whom the sonnes of the high Priest were slaine and the Arke was taken and carried away by the enemie CHAP. XII Eli vnderstanding of the losse of his sonnes fell from his seate and died AS soone as the newes of this ouerthrow was brought into Silo and that it was certainly knowne that the Arke was taken for a young Beniamite who was at the execution was come to bring tidings thereof all the Citie was filled with sorrow and Eli the high Priest who sate in one of the gates on a high throne vnderstanding the lamentation and iudging that some desaster had befallen his people sent to seeke out this young messenger by whom he was aduertised of that which had hapned This accident of his sonnes and the army he bare with great moderation because that before that time he had vnderstood by God what should happen for those aduersities which are least suspected do more grieuously oppresse vs at such time as they happen But when he knew that the Arke was surprised and in the enemies hands by reason that it hapned beyond his expectation he was in such sort attainted with griefe that he suffered himselfe to fall from his throne vpon the ground where he died he liued ninetie and eight yeares in all and had spent fortie of them in the gouernment of the people The same day died the wife of Phinees the sonne of Eli who had no more power to liue when she vnderstood of the misfortune of her husband for she was with child at such time as the message of this his death was brought vnto her and she brought forth a sonne in the seuenth month which liued and was called Ichabod which signifieth ignominie by reason of the infamie receiued at that time by the armie Eli was the first that gouerned among the successours of Ithamar one of the sonnes of Aaron for before that time the house of Eleazar was possessed of the Priesthood the sonne receiuing it from his father Eli transferred it to Phinees after him Abiezar his sonne occupied the place and left it to his sonne Boci whose sonne called Ozes receiued it after whom Eli of whom we speake at this present tooke the same whose posteritie retained that dignitie till the time of the raigne of Salomon for at that time the posteritie of Eleazar were reinstalled THE SIXTH BOOKE OF THE ANTIQVITIES OF THE IEWES WRITTEN BY FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the 6. booke 1 How the Palestines compelled by pestilence and famine sent the Arke of God backe againe vnto the Hebrewes 2 The victorie of the Hebrewes vnder the conduct of Samuel 3 How Samuel when his strength failed him thorow age committed the administration of the affaires to his sonnes 4 How the people being offended with the manners of Samuels sonnes required a King that might rule ouer them 5 Saul by Gods commaundement was annointed King 6 Sauls victorie against the Ammonites 7 The Palestines assailing the Hebrewes are ouercome by them in battell 8 The victorie of Saul against the Amalechites 9 Samuel translateth the Royall dignitie vnto Dauid 10 The expedition of the Palestines against the Hebrewes 11 Dauids single fight with Golias and the slaughter of the Palestines that succeeded 12 Saul admiring Dauids fortitude giueth him his daughter in marriage 13 How the King sought Dauids death 14 How Dauid oftentimes hardly escaped from the kings treasons yet hauing him twice in his power how he would not hurt him 15 The Hebrewes are ouercome in a great battell by the Palestines wherein Saul the king and his sonnes fighting valiantly are slaine CHAP. I. How the Palestines compelled by pestilence and famine sent backe the Arke of couenant vnto the Hebrewes AFter that the Philistines had gotten the victorie ouer the Hebrewes and taken the sacred Arke as we haue before this declared they brought it with other their spoiles vnto the City of Azot and placed it in maner of a trophee in the Temple of Dagon their Idoll But on the next day after when earely in the morning they came and entred into the Temple to adore their god they found him fallen from that base or pillar that sustained him and lay along vpon the ground his face vpward before the Arke whereat being fore moued they tooke and fastned him in his former place
twenty and three yeers olde who raigned in Ierusalem his mothers name was Ametala he was a man full of impietie and of a malignant and peruerse nature The King of Aegypt returning from the warre sent vnto Ioaz commanding him to meet with him in Samath a Citie of Syria where he was no sooner arriued but he kept him prisoner committing the kingdome to Eliacim his brother on the fathers side who was his elder brother likewise He changed his name also and called him Ioachim he imposed atribute also on Iudaea of one hundreth talents of siluer and a talent of golde which Ioachim paid And as touching Ioaz hee led him into Aegypt where he finished his daies after he had been king three moneths and ten daies Now Ioachims mother was called Zabuda of the Citie of Abuma He was a wicked person and of a malignant nature hauing neither pietie towardes God nor respect of equitie towardes men CHAP. VI. Nabuchodonosors army commeth into Syria IN the fourth yeere of his raigne a certaine man called Nabuchodonosor possessed the kingdome of Babylon who at that time went out with a great army against Carchabesa a Citie scituate neere vnto Euphrates resoluing with himselfe to fight against Nechao king of Aegypt vnder whose power all Syria was subiect Nechao vnderstanding of the Babylonians intent and how great his army was made verie little account thereof but with a huge army addressed himselfe towards Euphrates with an intent to repulse Nabuchodonosor But he was ouercome in battell and lost diuers thousands of his men Whereupon the Babylonian passing Euphrates seazed all Syria as far as Pelusium Iudaea onely excepted The fourth yeere that Nabuchodonosor raigned ouer these conquered countries the eight yeere of the raigne of Ioachim ouer the Hebrewes the Babylonians led forth his army against the Iewes with a mightie power threatning them to vse al hostility except Ioachim would pay him tribute Ioachim fearing his threats bought his peace with siluer and paid him for three yeers space the tributes that were imposed on him But in the third yeere vnderstanding that the Aegyptian was vp in armes against the Babylonian he denied the paiment of the tribute notwithstanding he was frustrated of his hope for the Aegyptians were not so hardy as to make warre All which the Prophet Ieremy daily foretold him signifying vnto him that he builded his hope in vaine vpon the Aegyptians and that it would fall out that the Citie should be ouerthrowne by the king of Babylon and Ioachim himselfe should be deliuered prisoner into his hands But because there was no meanes for them to escape this iustice all that which he said was nothing auailable For notwithstanding the people and gouernours heard thereof yet made they no reckoning of the same but were displeased with those counsailes which he proposed vnto them accusing Ieremy as if he tooke pleasure to vtter and publish ominous and aduerse presages against the king they likewise called him in question before the kings counsaile and required that he might be condemned Whereupon some of them gaue sentence against him the rest reproouing the aduise of the elders that were thus addicted tooke a more discreete course and caused the Prophet to depart out of the kings house forbidding his aduersaries to doe him any mischiefe they protesting that he had not only foretolde the future calamities of the city but that many before him had done the like as Micheas and diuers others yet that no one of them had suffered any euill by the kings of their time but that contrariwise Micheas had been honoured as a Prophet sent from God By these words they appeased the people and deliuered Ieremy from the death intended against him This man wrote all his prophecies and red them to the people in their fasts and assembled them in the temple in the ninth moneth of the fifth yeere of the raigne of Ioachim which booke he had composed touching that which should happen vnto the Citie the temple and the people When the gouernours heard the same they tooke the booke from him and commanded that both he and his secretarie Baruch should withdraw themselues out of the sight of men and they tooke the booke and presented it vnto the king who in the presence of his friends commanded his secretarie to reade the same and after he had heard the contents thereof he waxed wondrous wroth and renting it in pieces cast it into the fire intending that it should neuer be seene He sent out likewise a strickt commission to seeke out Ieremy and his secretarie Baruch and to lead them out to be punished But they had preuented his indignation CHAP. VII Nabuchodonosor putteth Ioachim to death and establisheth Ioachin in the kingdome NOt long after this he went out to meete the king of Babylon who was marched out to make warre against him and being incredulous and carelesse of the Prophets predictions he opened the gates vnto him supposing that he intended him no euill But when the Babylonians were entred into the Citie the King obserued not his promises but put all such to death as were in the flower and beautie of their yeeres and spared none of the inhabitants of Ierusalem with them also he slew their king Ioachim and caused his body to be cast from the toppe of the wals and vouchsafed him no sepulture establishing Ioachin his sonne King of the countrey and of the citie Moreouer he tooke three thousand of the most honourable Citizens of Ierusalem prisoners and led them to Babylon with him amongst whom was the Prophet Ezechiel at that time very yoong in yeers This was the end of king Ioachim who liued thirty six yeeres and raigned eleuen Ioachin that succeeded him in the kingdome was the sonne of Nosta of Ierusalem and raigned three moneths and ten daies CHAP. VIII Nabuchodonosor changeth his purpose and besiegeth Ioachin and receiueth him vnder composition AS soone as the Babylonian had bestowed the kingdome of Iudaea on Ioachin he was seazed with a sodaine feare which made him suspect least Ioachin remembring himselfe of the iniuries he had done vnto him by the murther of his father might draw the countrey into rebellion and reuolt against him For which cause he sent out certaine forces and besieged Ioachin in Ierusalem who being a man of a good nature and of an vpright heart was loth to forsake the Citie in that danger without a gouernour considering that it was for his cause that the common weale was in that hazard For which cause taking his wife and his neerest akin with him he deliuered them into the hands of the captaines that were sent against him receiuing an oth from them that neither they nor the Citie should receiue any harme But this promise continued not a yeere for the King of Babylon obserued it not but commanded his captaines to imprison all the youth and artificers that were in the Citie and to bring
regard of their league of friendship continued with the Romanes and contracted and ratified by Senius Gallus Gouernour of Syria But I deliuered them all of that feare and appeased the common people by permitting them to send at all times when they pleased their hostages to Gessius who lay at Do◅a a Citie of Phoenicia I found likewise that the inhabitants of Tiberias were already in armes vpon this occasion following There were in that Citie three different factions the one of the nobilitie whose chief◅aine was Iulius Capella and all those that accompanied him that is to say Herode the sonne of Miarus Herode the sonne of Gamalus and Compsus the sonne of Compsus for Crispus his brother who in times past had been gouernour for Agrippa surnamed the Great was amongst his possessions on the other side of Iordan all these I say gaue counsell at that time to subscribe to the Romans authoritie and to obey their king But Pistus would no waies accord to this aduice in regard of his sonne Iustus for naturally he was vainglorious The second faction was of the common sort who concluded vpon war Iustus Pistus sonne who was the ringleader of the third faction carried himselfe very doubtfully as touching the warre yet notwithstanding he sought and thirsted after innouation hoping that by a change he should encrease his power Presenting himselfe therfore in the midst of the multitude he enforced himselfe to perswade the common sort that their Citie had alwaies belonged to Galilee and that during the daies of Herode the Tetrarch who founded the same it was the chiefest Citie whose pleasure it was that the Citie of Sephoris should yeeld obedience to that of Tiberias Furthermore he auowed that they had not lost that preheminence in the time of king Agrippa the father but had continued the same till Foelix obtained the gouernment of Iudaea But for the present wherein they had been giuen by Nero to the younger Agrippa they had fallen and lost their superioritie For the Citie of Sephoris obtained the soueraigntie of Galilee after that she acknowledged the Roman gouernment who had abolished the table royall and publike registers By these words and others of like nature inforced against king Agrippa he incited the people to rebellion signifying vnto them that the opportunitie inuited them to take armes to the end that being associated with the Galileans they might make themselues Lords for that all of them would willingly ioyne themselues with them thorow the hatred they ◅are to the Sephorites on whom they would reuenge themselues with great force because they continued in their allegiance which they promised to the Romans And by these words he woon the peoples hearts vnto him for he was a man that was verie eloquent and by his subtiltie and politike discourse easily ouerthrew all that which his aduersaries produced against him For hee was not ignorant of those sciences that are knowne vnto the Greekes but trusting to his wisedome and good discourse hee began to discouer howe all things had past at that time to the intent that by such colourable insinuations he might smother the truth But in the processe of our discourse we will declare that he was a man of a dissolute life and that by his and his brothers meanes he wanted little of vtterly ouerthrowing his countrey When as therefore this Iustus had perswaded the Citizens of Tiberias to take armes and had constrained diuers men likewise who were of the contrarie opinion to do the like he issued out with them and burned the villages of the Gadarenians and Hippenians that are scituate in the confines of Tiberias and Scythopolis In this estate was Tiberias and as touching Gischala their estate and affaires were brought to this issue Iohn the sonne of Leui seeing some of the Citizens waxen proud by meanes of their reuolt from the Romans laboured to restraine them and required them to continue in their allegiance but notwithstanding all his perswasion and diligence he could not containe them For the nations round about them as the Gadarenians Gabaraganeans and Tyrians assembled a great army and with the same assailed Gischala and tooke it by force and after they had consumed it by fire and vtterly destroied the same they returned euerie one to their dwelling places Iohn being sore displeased with this act armed all those that were with him and set vpon these abouenamed nations and hauing obtained the victorie he reedified Gischala in farre better so◅ then it was before inclosing it with a wal to the intent it might be the better fortified against future inuasions But those of Gamala perseuered in their faith towards the Romans for the occasion that ensueth Philip the sonne of Iacim who gouerned vnder king Agrippa escaping beyond all opinion and flying to the royall pallace in Ierusalem at such time as it was besieged fell into another great danger to wit to be slaine by Manahem and those theeues that were with him but certaine Babylonians his kinsmen being at that time in Ierusalem hindered the theeues from executing their purpose at that time When as therefore Philip had soiourned there for the space of foure daies on the fift he fled away disguizing himselfe in a false haire for feare he should be discouered And as soone as he was arriued in one of those villages which was of his owne possession scituate neere vnto the mount Gamala he sent for certaine of his subiects to make their repaire vnto him But God would not permit it but for Philips greater good he crossed the scope of his intent which otherwise had been the ruine of many for being surprised by a sodain feuer he committed certaine letters of his written to Agrippa and Bernice who were yet but young to one of his free-men comman̄ding him to deliuer them to Varus who was put in trust by the king and Queene to administer the affaires of their kingdome for that they were gone to Beryth to meete with Gessius As soone therefore as he had receiued Philips letters and vnderstood that he was escapt he tooke it verie hardly for that he thought it would be said that the king and the Queene had no vse of him since Philip was arriued He ◅refore brought him that had the carriage of these letters into the peoples presence obiecting against him that he had forged that writing alleadging that he falsely lied in that he reported that Philip was in Ierusalem making warre with the Iewes against the Romans and for that cause he commanded him to be executed Philip being ignorant of the cause why his free-man did not returne sent another with letters to the intent he might discouer what was become of his first messenger and for what cause he staied so long But Varus accusing this second messenger also verie falsely commanded him to be executed as he had done the first For the Syrians that inhabite Caesarea had made him proud insomuch that he aspired
encountred with a vision in which he wrastled with an apparition and hee became victor Now this vision spake vnto him exhorting him to reioice at that which had hapned vnto him assuring him that he had not atchieued an easie matter but that he had surmuonted an Angell of God which was a signe of great good which should befortune him and that his posteritie should be inuincible and that neuer man whatsoeuer he were should ouercome him commanding him to call his name Israel that is to say according to the Hebrewes a resister of an Angell These things were foretold vnto Iacob vpon his request who perceiuing also that hee was an Angel of God prayed him to informe him of that which should happen vnto him which the vision did and afterwards vanished Iacob tooke great pleasure thereat and called the place Phanuel that is to say the face of God and for that in w◅astling he had hurt his broad nerue he afterwards abstained from eating of the same and by reason thereof our nation doe neuer feede thereon Now when he had intelligence that his brother neerely approched him he commanded his wiues that they should march forward euery one with their handmaidens to the end that they might from a farre behold the fight of the men if so be that his brother should assaile them But himselfe he hūbled in reuerencing his brother who drew neere vnto him without intent of circumuention and Esau saluted him and enquired of him as touching the companies of women and children and after he vnderstood how all went he was desirous to lead them to his father But Iacob excused himselfe by reason of the wearines of his cattell and Esau retired to Sa◅r where he made his aboade and had imposed that name on that countrey by reason of his thicke haire Iacob also retired himselfe to a place which at this day also is called the Tents and from thence into Sichem a citie of the Chanaanites Now at such time as the Sichemites celebrated their feast Dina which was Iacobs only daughter went into the Citie to see the brauerie of the women of that countrey But Sichem the sonne of king Emmor rauished her and deflowred her and being surprised with her loue he besought his father that he might take her to wife who listning there unto went vnto Iacob praying him to ioine Dina his daughter in lawfull marriage with his sonne Sichem Iacob nor daring to contradict him by reason of his authoritie and qualitie and on the other side not thinking it to be either a thing lawfull or conuenient to match his daughter with a stranger required at his hands a time of deliberation to consult thereupon Hereon the king departed hoping that Iacob would listen to the mariage But Iacob hauing discouered vnto his sonnes the rauishment of their sister and the request of Emmor desired them to deliberate amongst themselues what thing was to be done ◅n the matter whereupon some held their peace not knowing what to say but Simeon and Leui the brothers of the same wombe with their sister complotted togither this practise In as much as it was a festiuall and that the Sichemites intended nought but pleasure and banquetting they issued by night vpon their first guards and killed them that were a bed and from thence entring into the Citie they killed all the males and with them the king and his son but to the women they offered no violence Which being executed without the knowledge of their father they brought their sister backe againe Iacob was verie much astonished at this accident so strangely executed and was wroth with his children but God appeared vnto him and comforted him and commanded him that he should purifie his tents and accomplish those sacrifices which he had vowed to performe at such time when first he went into Mesopotamia and the vision appeared vnto him Whilest then he cleansed those which followed him he found the Gods of Laban which beside his knowledge Rachel had stolne and hid them in Sichem in the earth vnder an Oake Afterwards departing from thence he sacrificed in Bethel where he had seene the vision at such time as he first of all tooke his iourney into Mesopotamia and as he trauailed in the land of Ephrata Rachel died in child-bed and was buried there and she onely hath not enioyed the honour which is done in Hebron to those of her parentage After he had made great lamentation he named the child which she bare at that time Beniamin by reason of the dolours which hapned vnto his mother These are all the children of Iacob twelue males and one daughter of whom eight were begotten on his lawfull wiues sixe of Lea and two of Rachel and on their chamber-maides foure two of each of them whose names I haue heretofore recorded From thence went Iacob to Hebron a Citie of Chanaan where Isaac made his aboade and they liued but a small time together because Rachel was dead and departed from him CHAP. XX. Isaac dieth and is buried in Hebron ISaac died a little time after the arriuall of his sonne and was buried with his wife by his sonne in Hebron among their fathers This Isaac was a man beloued of God and guided by his especiall prouidence After the decease of Abraham he liued a long time and after he had passed his life in all vertue for the space of 185. yeares he deceased THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE ANTIQVITIES OF THE IEWES WRITTEN BY FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the 2. booke 1 How Esau and Iacob Isaacs sonnes deuided their habitations and how Idumaea fell to Esaus lot and Chanaan to Iacobs 2 How Ioseph the yongest of Iacobs sonnes by reason of his dreames which foretold his future felicitie incurred his brothers enuie 3 How Ioseph was sould by his brethren into Egypt and grew in great authoritie in that countrey and how at length he had his brothers vnder his power 4 How Iacob with all his progenie came vnto his sonne 5 Of the affliction of the Hebrewes in Egypt for the space of 400. yeares 6 How vnder the conduct of Moses they forsooke Egypt 7 How the redde sea diuided it selfe and gaue the Hebrewes a passage at such time as they fled out of Egypt CHAP. I. How Esau and Iacob Isaacs sonnes deuided their inheritance and how Idumaea fell to Esaues lot and Chanaan to Iacobs BVT when Isaac was dead the sonnes deuided their habitations among themselues and were neither of them content with that which they inherited by their father but Esau leauing the Citie of Hebron to his brother went and dwelt in Seir and was Lord of the countrey of Idumaea which he named by his name for it was surnamed Edom for the occasion which followeth He being verie yong returned one day sore wearied trauailed and hungrie from hunting and finding his brother dressing for himselfe a messe of lentill pottage which were verie red in colour and
to any god Let no man weare a garment wouen of linnen and woollen for it belongeth onely to the Priests Euerie seuenth yeare when the people shall be assembled together in the sacred Citie to sacrifice vpon the feast of Tabernacles at such time as the feast approcheth the high Priest from a high pulpit from whence he may be heard by the whole multitude shall read the law vnto all of them so that neither women nor children shall be exempted from the hearing of the same no not the verie slaues and bondmen For it is requisite that they retaine the perpetuall memory thereof alwaies imprinted in their minds for so shall they sinne the lesse in that they vnderstand what is decreed in the law The lawes likewise shall be of more force in the consciences of those that shall offend whilest they infixe in the minds of those that heare them their doctrines intermingled with menaces so that the wil to performe the law shal neuer be inwardly extinguished besides that the remembrance wil liue in thē how many plagues they incur by contempt therof Let children in especiall learne the lawes then which discipline there is not any more honest neither more conducible vnto felicitie Twice in the day in the morning in the euening about bed time let God be honoured for his benefit of our deliuerance out of Egypt For it is a thing in ◅ture reasonable to giue thanks vnto God as well in acknowledgement of the goods which we haue before time receiued as in expectation of his future mercies The chiefe of these also are to be written ouer our doores and worne on our armes and those things which declare his power and beneficence are to be borne about written on the head and armes that euerie way Gods bountie may be seene towards his people In euerie Citie or township let there be seuen gouernours such as are approued in vertue and famous for their iustice let each one of these magistrats haue two ministers of the tribe of Leui. Let those that are appointed Iudges in the Cities be held in high reputation so that in their presence no man presume either to vrge contumelies or iniurious speeches for so shall it come to passe that men accustomed to doe reuerence shall also exercise themselues in pietie and grow so much the farther from contempt of God and his power Whatsoeuer seemeth good to the Iudges to decree let that be held inuiolable except it be apparant that they be corrupted with money or that they may be manifestly conuicted of a wrongfull iudgement They ought likewise to iudge without respect of lucre or dignitie and preferre iustice before all other things for this iniurie sorteth out to Gods contumelie as if it were to be supposed that he is to be suspected to be weaker then they for whose sake they wrest the law contrarie to equitie for Gods power is iustice he therefore that giueth iudgement in fauour and partialitie of great men he maketh them greater then God himselfe And if the Iudges cannot determine of the matter in question as it oftentimes falleth out let them referre the cause to the sacred Citie and then shall the high Priest and the Prophet with the assistance of the Senate determine that which shall be conuenient The testimonie of one witnesse shall not be receiued but of three or at leastwise of two whose testimonie shall be made good by the examination of their behauiour and life As for women it is not lawfull for them to beare any witnesse by reason of the leuitie and temeritie of that sexe Neither is it lawfull for a man seruant to bring in testimonie by reason of his degenerate and ignoble mind for it is to be suspected that either for lucre sake or for feare he will depose an vntrue testimonie And if any false witnesse shall fortune to be beleeued and he afterwards be conuicted of periurie let him be subiect to that penaltie which he should haue endured that should haue beene cast by his false accusation If manslaughter be committed in any place and the offender may not be found out neither there appeare any likelihood that the man is slaine of malice let there be a diligent and carefull inquisition made with rewards prefixed to the discouerer but if no probabilities or coniectures may be gathered then let the magistrates of the next Cities that adioyne the place where the slaughter is committed and the ancients of the same assemble together and measure from the place where the dead bodie lieth and let the township that is found to be neerest and the inhabitants thereof buy a Heifer which they shall bring into a place vnlaboured and vnplanted where they shall after they haue cut the nerues of the necke kill it and the Priests the Leuites and ancients of the Citie shall wash their hands in the bloud then shall they lift vp their hands ouer the head of the said Heifer and crie out with a loud voice that they haue their hands cleane frō that homicide the which they haue not done neither were they present at such time as it was perpetrated and they shall call vpon the mercie of God beseeching him not to permit that any such grieuous accident euer fall out in their countrey The gouernment of the Peeres is the best kind of regiment of all other sorts of gouernment take you therefore heed that you desire no other forme of pollicy but retaine and continue the same hauing no other superiours but the lawes and managing your affaires by your selues For it sufficeth you that God is your Prince Yet notwithstanding if you shall grow in desire to haue a King see that you elect one of your owne nation that he in all things be studious to procure iustice and all other vertues perswading himselfe that God and the lawes are most vpright Let him not vndertake any thing without the aduice of the high Priest and the counsell of the elders Let him not haue diuers wiues neyther let him hunt after huge treasures nor multitudes of horse for feare least possessing them he become so insolent as that he raise his power and will aboue the lawes and if you see him affectioned vnto these things beware least he grow more puissant then is expedient for you It is not lawfull for any man to remoue the land markes neither of his owne land or any other mans whatsoeuer for by this meanes is the peace conserued Let each one therefore forbeare to remooue them because they are as the voyce of God assured for euer For warres and soldiers are raised thereby when such as would augment their inheritance striue alwaies to enlarge the bounds of their dominion And they that are so hardie to remooue the same are not farre from contempt of the lawes He that shall plant a peece of ground and the trees begin to fructifie before the fourth yeare the first fruits
vessels which were destinated for sacrifice Then followed the whole multitude distinguished in their Tribes hauing inclosed within their battels the women children whereby they might be the more secure from the force of the floud But when as the Priests had marched formost and found the riuer passible and that the water was decreased and that the current thereof was not so violent neither the billowes so incensed but that in the bottome there was good footing for that the grauell and sand was not quicke but setled then all of them without feare passed ouer the foord finding all things assuredly perfourmed vnto them which God had both foreprophesied and promised vnto them but the Priests kept them in the midst of the channell vntill the multitude were past ouer and were in securitie and when as euerie one had go◅en the other banke the priests issued out permitting the riuer to flow according to his free and ordinarie course which pleasantly flowing grew to that greatnesse and swiftnes which it retained at the first Now when the Hebrewes had marched fiftie furlongs they incamped themselues some ten furlongs from Hiericho But Iesus building an Altar of stones which euery one of the Princes of the tribes had gathered out of the channell of Iordan according as the Prophet had commaunded to the end it might be a monument of the prodigious restrainment of the floud and on the same he sacrificed vnto God and the solemnity of the Paschal was celebrated in that place and at that time they who in times past were in great necessitie were largely furnished with all plentie and aboundance for they did reape the corne of the Chanaanits which at that time was ripe caried away the rest for a pray In the same season likewise their nourishment of Manna failed thē wheron they had fed for the space of forty yeers And whereas the Israelites did all these things with securitie and freely and the Chanaanites neuer sallied out against them but appauled with feare shut themselues vp within their wals Iesus decreed and resolued to besiege them in their cities so that on the first day of the feast the Priests bearing the arke and garded on euerie side with troupes of armed men drew neere vnto the Citie sounding their seuen hornes and exhorting their soldiers to behaue themselues manfully they walked about and inuironed the walles round about being attended both by the Senate and Elders neither did they any other thing but blow their hornes and so returned backe into their campe Which when they had done for the space of sixe daies on the seuenth Iosuah assembled the armie and all the people bringing them ioyfull newes of the Citie which that day should be surprised without labour the walles falling downe of their owne accord and without mans hand and yeelding them free passage and entrance into the Citie and he encouraged them to kill all those whom they met withall and not to giue ouer the slaughter of their enemies although they were wearie neither to be moued with compassion nor allured from the slaughter and execution by desire of pray or to permit the enemie in any sort to flie but that they should extinguish and roote out all that which breathed and had life reseruing nothing for pray or priuate profit He commaunded likewise that all that which was found either of gold or siluer should be brought into one place reserued to be the first fruites of the happie works of God and after the surprisall first of the Citie that onely Rahab with her kinred should be saued by reason of the othes which the spies had sworn vnto her This said he arranged his host and made them approch the Citie then did they once more walke round about the City the Arke marching before them and encouraging the armie to valour by the sound of their Cornets And after they had enuironed the wals seuen times and had a little reposed themselues the walles fell whereas then neither the Hebrewes had enforced any engine against them or vsed any other violence So that they entring into the Citie slue all those that were therein who were alreadie discomforted by the sodaine and vnexpected ouerthrow of their walles and thorow their sodaine feare made vnapt to fight so that they were slaine amidst their streets finding neither refuge nor reliefe to succour them yea so were they fleshed in the slaughter that they neither spared women nor children but filled the Citie with dead carcasses which at length being set on fire serued them for a funerall flame to consume them in and with equall furie rauaged and burnt the fields Only Rahab and her houshold who kept themselues within her hostrie were saued by the spies who brought to Iosuahs presence he gaue her thanks for sauing his spies and promised her that he would reward her courtesies and anone after gaue her possessions and euer after held her in great honour All that of the Citie which the fire spared the sword consumed And Iosuah pronounced curses against those who should afterward endeuour to erect that which he had ruinated namely that he that should lay the first foundation should be depriued of his first begotten sonne and he that should finish the worke might lose his yongest sonne neither pleased it God that this imprecation of his should be frustrate as hereafter it shall be spoken At the surprise and sacke of this Citie there was gathered an infinite quantitie of gold siluer and brasse so that no man brake the Edict or sought any pray or lucre thereby for himselfe These spoiles Iesus deliuered vnto the Priests to be laid vp in the treasurie and after this manner was the citie of Iericho destroied But Achar the sonne of Zebed of the tribe of Iuda hauing gotten a royall pall altogether embrodered with gold with an ingot of gold of three hundreth sicles in waight and thinking in himselfe that it were a verie fond thing that the profit he had made by the hazard of his life should be taken from him and presented vnto God who had no need thereof digged a deepe pit in his tent and buried his spoiles therein thinking by this means to defraud God and deceiue his companions At that time their tents were pitched in a place which was called Galgal which signifieth Enfranchized because that hauing past the riuer Iordan they knew that they should be delmered from the affliction of Egypt and the penurie of the desart But some few daies after the destruction of Iericho Iosuah sent out three thousand armed men against Ainan a Citie scituate a little aboue lericho who encountring with the Ainites in battell and by them put to flight lost thirtie and sixe of their company The newes of which disaster being brought into the campe the Israelites were seased with exceeding griefe not onely for the men they had lost which were all of them valiant men and worthie of honour but also by
assault and exp◅gnation he thought good that they who had beene drawne from out the countrey scituate beyond Iordan to be associates in this common cause of conquest and by reason of affinitie had made themselues copartners and companions in their perils should be sent backe into their owne countrey with all complement of thankes and gratuitie Afterwards that some one of each tribe of approued vprightnes and loyalty should be pickt out who leuying out and suruaying the countrey might faithfully and without fraud report the greatnes thereof This sentence was approued by the whole multitude and thereupon diuers men were sent accompanied with such as were skilfull in Geometry who in respect of their science could neither erre nor be deceiued to measure out the land according to the goodnes thereof For the nature of the land of Chanaan is such that there are great plaines very fruitfull and which being compared with other places might be esteemed happy and fruitfull in all sorts of fruit but if they be compared with the other countries of Iericho and the land about Ierusalem they seeme to be nothing worth for although in generalitie the whole countrey be small and for the greater part mountainous yet in respect of the aboundance bountie and incredible beautie of the fruits thereof it is second to no other whatsoeuer For this cause he thought good that the portions should rather be estimated according to their value thē their measure by reason that oftentimes one plow land was worth one thousand other Those which were sent were ten in number who hauing trauailed ouer the whole countrey and suruaied the same returned againe to Siloe at the end of sixe moneths where the Arke was kept Then Iosuah taking vnto him Eleazar with the Elders and Princes of the tribes deuided the Region amongst nine tribes and the halfe part of the tribe of Manasses hauing an vnpartiall respect of the greatnes of euery tribe and when as each mans lot was cast there fell to Iudahs part all the higher Iudaea which extendeth it selfe in length euen vnto Ierusalem and in breadth to the lake of Sodome to which likewise were annexed the cities of Ascalon and Gaza The tribe of Simeon which was the second obtained a part of Idumaea confining vpon Aegypt and Arabia The Beniamites had that countrey which extendeth from Iordan vnto the sea in length and in breadth vnto Ierusalem and Bethel and this portion was verie small by reason that the countrey was good for it contained the Cities of Iericho and Ierusalem The tribe of Ephraim was allotted his portion in length from Iordan vnto Gadera and in bredth from Bethel vnto the great plaine The halfe tribe of the Manassites was valued from Iordan to the citie of Dor in length and in bredth vnto Bethsan which is at this day called Scythopolis After them Isachar had the mount of Carmel and the floud of Iordan for their limits and termes of his length and the mountaine Itabir for the bounds of his bredth The Zabulonites were allowed that countrey which stretcheth out as farre as Genazereth and that abutteth on the mountaine Carmel and the sea The countrey which is betwixt Carmell and Sidon was adiudged to the Asserites in which portion was comprised the Citie of Arce which is also called Actipus The Nephthalites possessed that quarter that stretcheth out from the East vnto the Citie of Damascus and the lower Galilee as farre as the mountaine of Libanus and the head of Iordan that issueth from the same on that side where are the borders of the Citie of Arce on the North side To them of Dan was assigned the valley that is extended to the Westward and is terminated by the Cities of Azoth and Dor that containeth all the countrey of Iamnia and Gitta from Abaron euen vnto that mountaine where beginneth the tribe of Iuda After this manner did Iesus deuide the countrey of the sixe nations bearing the name of Chanaan and gaue it in possession to nine tribes and a halfe For Amorrhaea so called by one of the sonnes of Chanaan had beene alreadie taken by Moses and assigned by him to two tribes and a halfe as I haue alreadie heretofore declared But all the quarter of Sidon of the Aruceans Amatheans and Aritheans were not comprised in this deuision neither was it tilled But Iesus seeing himselfe ouerburdned with yeares and vnfit to execute in his owne person those counsels which he had concluded vpon and foreseeing that the Gouemours of the people which should succeed after him would be negligent in procuring the common profit commaunded euery seuerall tribe in particular that when they should possesse the countrey thus distributed amongst them they should not suffer any one of the race of the Chanaanites to liue For Moses had before time told and perswaded them that their securitie and the maintenance of the customes of their forefathers consisted in that one point which he had likewise leamt by his owne experience Further that they should deliuer vnto the Leuites thirtie and eight Cities because they had alreadie ten in their possession within the land of Amorrhea three of which were ordained for Cities of refuge to those that fled for he aduised them with all consideration and care to omit nothing of that which Moses had commaunded them of the tribe of Iuda Hebron of that of Ephraim Sichem and of Nepthali Cedesa which is a place in higher Galilee Moreouer he distributed vnto them the surplusage of the pray which was verie great so that not onely in publike but in priuate they got no small quantitie of substance for there was so much gold and rayment and household stuffe and so great store of cattell and horses as the number may not be comprehended After which he assembled the whole armie and to those that were planted on the other side of Iordan who had borne armes with the rest and were in number no lesse then fiftie thousand he spake after this manner Since God the father and master of our Hebrew nation hath giuen this countrey into our possession and hath promised that at such time as it shall be conquered that he will continue and conserue the same in our possession and since likewise you haue willingly and forwardly asassisted vs in all our necessities and daungers according to Gods commaund and direction it is requisite at this present since there remaineth not any further matter wherein we haue neede to employ you that we dismisse you and abuse not your forwardnesse and readinesse any further by reason we are assured that if hereafter we shall haue need of you you will with no lesse endeuour and willingnes be as industrious to do vs kindnes We therfore yeeld you heartie thanks for that you haue vouchsafed to be companions in our perils and we require you that you will perseuere in this your mutual beneuolence remembring you of your friends and how you haue gotten
of the assembly gaue this answere in defence of the common cause Men and brethren neither will we neglect our kinred neither innouate any thing in that religion of which we make a reuerend account we know that there is one God cōmon vnto all the nation of the Hebrewes and acknowledge also his brasen Altar which is before the Tabernacle and no other but that shal receiue our sacrifices As for that which we haue now erected and that breedeth in you at this present a cause of suspition we built it not to the intent to pacific God by sacrifices but that it might remaine as a perpetuall argument of our friendship and might admonish vs of our countrey religion not to the end you should suspect it were an induction toward the violating of religion And that this was the onely cause which allured and induced vs to build the same we onely challenge God for our faithfull witnesse for which cause hereafter conceiue a better opinion of vs and God forbid you should suppose vs to be so besotted in that sinne of which whosoeuer of Abrahams posteritie is guiltie and whosoeuer shall degenerate from the maners and customes of his forefathers may not expiate that crime without a capitall punishment As soone as Phinees had heard these things and praised their constancie he returned vnto Iesus and declared all those things vnto the people who reioycing in that they had no occasion to leuie men nor cause of ciuill warre or bloudshed offered vnto God their sacrifices of thankgiuing and presently dissoluing the assembly each man returned vnto his owne home but Iesus chose his habitation in Sichama Twentie yeares after Iosuah being extremely old calling vnto him the most honourable of euery Citie and both the Elders and Magistrates and as many of the people as might commodiously be assistant spake vnto them after this maner First he called vnto their remembrance the diuers benefites which God had bestowed vpon them by meanes whereof from their poore and afflicted estates they had attained to so great riches and glorie then exhorted he them that they should endeuour themselues hereafter in such sort as God might hold and continue his mercifull hand ouer them since they knew that his beneuolence could be allied vnto them by no other meanes but by their good indeuours he further alledged that it was his dutie before he departed out of this life to admonish them of their duty last of all he required them that they should accept of that his good admonition and should be perpetually mindfull of the same After this his oration he paid the due of nature and died in the hundreth and tenth yeere of his life whereof he spent fortie as minister vnder Moses their magistrate and after his death gouerned the common-weale twentie fiue yeares a man of incomparable both prudence and eloquence Moreouer strong and expedite in matter of gouernement and both good and profitable in affaires of peace finally most exact in all sorts of vertue he was buried in a Citie called Thamna belonging to the Tribe of the Ephraimites About the same time likewise died Eleazar the high Priest leauing the inheritance of the Priesthood to Phinees the monument laid on his sepulcher is extant in the Citie Gabatha After their deaths Phinees being demaunded by the people what Gods pleasure was and to whose charge the affaires and warres against the Chanaanites should be committed answered them that God commaunded them to giue the gouernment to the tribe of Iuda which by election chosing Simeon and his they for their associates vndertook the warre vnder this condition that when they had vtterly rooted out the remnant of the Chanaanites out of their owne dition they should likewise employ themselues to extinguish all the reliques of that race amongst the other tribes CHAP. II. How the Israelites after the death of their Emperour forgetting the religion of their forefathers fell into extreme calamities and how thorow a ciuill warre raised amongst them therewere onely 600. of the tribe of Beniamin left aliue BVt the Chanaanites whose estate at that time was in sufficient securitie expected them with a great host about the Citie of Bezeca hauing their army conducted by the king of that place called Adoni-Bezec which name signifieth Lord of the Bezecenites for Adoni in the Hebrewe tongue is as much to say as Lord now these men promised vnto themselues the vpper hand by reason that Iosuah was deceased Against these of whom I haue forespoken the two tribes sought verie valiantly and slaying ten thousand of them whilest they pursued the rest they tooke Adoni-Bezec captiue who hauing his hands and feete cut off acknowledged the diuine iustice for he confessed that he had vsed seuentie and two kings before times after the same maner In this plight they conducted him neere vnto Ierusalem where departing out of this life they buried him Then ouerranne they the countrey sacking and taking the Cities and after they had diuers of them in their possession they besieged Ierusalem and entring the lower Citie thereof they put all the inhabitants to the sword But the higher towne was verie hard to be assaulted by reason of the fortresses and strength of the walles and the naturall and strong scituation of the place which was the cause that they leuied their campe to goe and besiege Hebron which they tooke slew all those that were therin In that time there were some remainder of the race of Giants who in that they were greater in stature vnlike vnto other mē were horrible to behold and terrible to be heard Their bones are to be seene as yet at this day which for their highnes surpasse all credulitie or conceit This Citie was giuen in way of honour to the Leuites with two thousand cubits of land or there abouts and as touching the rest of the countrey it was freely giuen to Caleb according as Moses had commaunded it this was one of those spies which Moses sent to ouerlooke the land of Chanaan They gaue lands and possessions likewise to Iethro the Madianites posteritie who was father in law to Moses for that they had forsaken their owne territories and annexed themselues to the Israelites and had beene with them in the desart The tribe of Iuda and Simeon tooke those Cities of the mountainous countrey of Chanaan and those that were in the plaine neere vnto the sea coast namely Ascalon and Azoth But as touching Gaza and Accaron they escaped for these Cities being in the plaine and defenced with a great number of chariots repulsed those that assaulted the same to their disaduantage So these two tribes hauing had good successe in warres retired themselues into their Cities and laid aside their weapons As touching the Beniamites to whom Ierusalem appertained they receiued the inhabitants thereof as their tributaries so that all of them being in peace and the one ceasing from slaughter and the other
assured from daunger both of them imployed themselues in manuring the countrey The rest of the tribes did the like conforming themselues according to the example of the Beniamites and contenting themselues to receiue their tributes they suffered the Chanaanites to liue in peace The tribe of Ephraim besieging the Citie of Bethel could not see such an end of their desseigne as the length of time and the trauels they had taken in the siege required and although they were very much toyled and wearied with the same yet desisted they not the continuance of the siege At last they tooke one of the Citie who issued forth to find out certaine necessarie things that he wanted whom they assured that if he would deliuer them the Citie they would saue him and grant life and liberty likewise to all them that were of his linage who sware vnto them that he would deliuer the Citie into their hand which when he had performed both he and his were wholy warranted but all the rest of the inhabitants were put to the sword From that time forward the Israelites behaued themselues more mildly towards the enemie and imployed them in tillage of their lands and husbanding their fruits and being growen in riches they followed the delights and pleasures of the world yea in such sort grew they dissolute that they had no mind neither of their pollicy nor the lawes of their forefathers Whereupon God was grieuously incensed against them who gaue them to vnderstand first of all that contrarie to his commaund they had spared the Chanaanites afterwards that those Chanaanites in time to come should exercise great cruelties against them And although they were astonished at that which was declared vnto them yet notwithstanding they tooke no pleasure in feats of armes both for that they had receiued many profits by the Chanaanits as also for that being effeminate thorow delights they were vnapt for labour It hapned thē at such time as their Aristocratical gouerment was corrupted and that they respected not their elders or any other magistrates before time ordained and were extremly addicted vnto gaine infinitely tooke pleasure therein that amidst their greatest securitie a grieuous mutinie and commotion was once more raysed amongst them so that at length they fell at oddes one with another on that occasion which ensueth A certaine Leuite and one of them of the common sort that dwelt within the dominions of the Ephraimites tooke a wife that was borne in the Citie of Bethleem which pertaineth to the tribe of Iuda whom by reason of her incomparable beautie he most intirely loued and found himselfe much aggrieued for that he found not her affection answerable to his loue at last his passion so much preuailed with him as they grew at ods and fell into contentious mislikes whence at last it fell out that the woman tired with disquiet forsooke her husband and went and dwelt with her father The husband sore aggrieued thereat by reason of the loue which he bare her came vnto her fathers house and appeased the differents and was reconciled vnto her There abode he for the space of foure daies being friendly intreated and intertained by his wiues father and mother On the fift day he thought good to returne to his owne dwelling and both of them departed about mid-day by reason that the father and the mother gaue them a loth farewell and consumed the better part of the day in entertainement They had a seruant which followed them an asse likewise on which the woman was mounted Now when they had traueled the space of thirty Stadia or furlongs that they drew neere the citie of Ierusalem their seruant counselled them to take vp their lodging in some place for feare least by their late trauell they might fall into some disaster the rather for that they were not farre from the enemies countrie and that the present time was such as might make those things that were most assured suspected But this opinion of his pleased not his maister who would not lodge amongst those of a forraine nation for the citie pertained to the Chanaanites but his intent was to passe further and trauell yet twentie furlongs more to take vp his lodging in one of their cities This aduise of his being allowed they came to Gaba of the Tribe of Beniemin when it was late and whereas they found no man in the market place that might lodge them at length a certaine old man returning out of the countrey to his house who was by birth an Ephraimite and dwelt in that Citie meeting with him asked him what he was and for what cause so late as it was hee sought for his supper He answered that he was a Leuite and that he brought his wife with him from her father and mother and was returning to his house which was amongst the Tribe of Ephraim The old man hauing regard vnto parentage by reason that he was of the same tribe and that by good hap they had after that maner met the one with the other lodged him in his owne house But certaine yong men amongst the Gabeonites perceiuing the woman in that place were rauished in admiration of her beautie and good graces and getting some notice afterwards that she had beene brought thither as a guest they set light by him by reason of his weakenes and age and the smal retinue that he had in his house and came knockt at his doore The old man required them to depart and that they should offer him no violence nor to her outrage But contrariwise they importuned him to deliuer them his guest and that done they promised him in no sort to procure his further molestation But although that the old man alleaged that she was of his parentage and that her husband was a Leuite and that they should commit an hainous offence in sinning for their corrupt pleasures sake against the lawes yet had they no regard of equitie but mocked him menacing him likewise to murther him because he hindred them from satisfying their lust Finally he was driuen to that exigent that to the intent they should not offer violence to his guest and a stranger he abandoned and prostituted vnto them his owne daughter supposing it to be a lesse inconuenient to let them satisfie their vnbridled concupiscence on her then that his guest should suffer any villany at leastwise he made this account that by this meanes he should not be guiltie of any iniurie done vnto them Notwithstanding all this they intermitted not to sollicit and vrge the deliuerie of the woman being incēnsed in vnbridled lust towards her Contrariwise he besought them that they would not be so audacious as to violate the lawes but they seconded their disordinate desires with extreme violence and rauished her perforce and led her to their owne lodgings Afterwards when as during all the night time they had lewdly appeased their lusts on her they thrust her
cause calling vnto him some fewe companions of his perils who were discontented with their present estate and desired a change he first of all discomfited the garrison which Schisart had placed ouer them and so much was he furthered with his first successe that the number of his followers increased more and more so that they seemed sufficient to equall the enemy in open field whereupon encountring him in one battaile they ouercame him and recouered their libertie and the rest of the scattered and confused army retyred themselues toward Euphrates Now after that Cenizus had by this effect giuen proofe of his valour he receiued the gouernment at the peoples hands and exercised the office of iudge fortie yeares at the end whereof he died CHAP. V. How the people were againe made subiect to the Moabites and how by Iodes they were exempt from seruitude AFter whose death the gouernment and seate being voide the affaires of the Israelites began againe to fall to ruine and the rather for that they neither yeelded due honour vnto God neither obedience to the lawes whence it came to passe that Eglon king of the Moabites seeing the disorder of their pollicie set them at nought so that he waged warre against them and ouercame them many times And for that he was a prince of greater forecast then any of his predecessors he fought against them and weakened their forces and constrained them to pay tribute This man translating his court to Iericho and proud in his victories omitted no meanes whereby he might vexe and molest the people so that they liued for the space of 18. yeares in great miserie But God being moued with their calamities and supplications deliuered them from their intolerable thraldome after this manner Iodes the sonne of Gera of the tribe of Beniamin a yong man both addressed by valour of minde and strength of hand to attempt any worthy action dwelt at Iericho This man insinuated himselfe into Eglons familiaritie and by presents and gifts entertained and courted him in such sort as he was well beloued and esteemed amongst all those courtiers that were neerest about the king It chanced one day that bearing certaine presents vnto the king attended by two of his houshold seruants he secretly girt a dagger to his right thigh at such time as he entred into the king now it was about midsommer and mid-day likewise whereby the watch was growne the more carelesse and slothfull partly by reason of the heate and partly for that the guard were occupied about their dinner The yong man therefore offering his presents vnto Eglon who at that time disported himselfe in a certaine sommer chamber began to discourse with him Now they were both alone by reason that the king resoluing to talke familiarlie with Iodes had sent away his guard and sate him downe in a seate but Iodes fearing least failing to stab home enough he should not giue him a fatall and deadly wound required him to rise telling him that he had a dreame to report vnto him by the commandement of God Whereat he reioicing very much leapt from his seate whereupon Iodes stabd him to the heart and leauing the poiniard sticking in his wound he escaped and locked the doore after him the guard making no noise at all supposing that the king had laide him downe to rest But Iodes giuing priuate notice hereof to them of Iericho offered himselfe to be their leader in the recouerie of their former libertie who willingly accepting thereof presently tooke armes and sent trumpets to publish the same thorow the whole countrey for after that manner were they woont to assemble the people They that were about Eglon were wholy ignorant of that which had hapned but about the eeuen-tide fearing least some mishap had befallen him they entred into the place where he was found him dead wherat they were greatly astonished so as they knew not what to doe For before they had assembled their forces togither the Israelites fiercely charged them and some they killed instantly the rest that were ten thousand in number betooke then selues to flie vnder hope to recouer their countrey of Moab but the Israelites hauing before that laide and fortified the passages of Iordan pursued them and slew them so that diuers of them perished in the Ferrie and not one of them remained that escaped their hands By this meanes the Israelites were deliuered from the seruitude of the Moabites and for this cause Iodes was aduanced to the gouernment of the people Finally after he had liued for the space of fourescore yeares he died A man besides the act of late rehearsed worthy of praise in all other things After him Sanagar the sonne of Anath was elected gouernour and in the first yeare of his raigne he left this life to partake the fruition of another CHAP. VI. How the Israelites were brought vnder the subiection of the Chanaanites and raunsomed from seruitude by Barac BVt the Israelites in no sort reclaimed or reconciled by their forepassed calamities fell againe into their former impietie and disobedlence and before they had sufficiently shaken off the seruitude of the Moabites were subiected vnto Iabin king of the Chanaanites This man kept his residence imperiall at Asor a Citie scituate on the lake of Sachonites he had in pay thirtie thousand foore and ten thousand horse and besides these hee had three thousand warlike Chariots Ouer all this huge army commanded Sisares an especiall man amongst the kings fauourites who encountring with the Israelites brought their affaires into so desperate an estate that they willingly for their owne securitie sake accepted seruitude and paied tribute whereunto they were inforced through the austeritie of their subiection almost for the space of twentie yeares not daring to lift vp their heads all which fell vpon them by the will of God to the end he might punish the too great contumacie and ingratitude of that nation Who at length repenting themselues and acknowledging the cause of their calamities namely that it proceeded from the contempt of their lawes they repaired to a certaine Prophetesse called Debora which name in the Hebrew toong signifieth a Bee beseeching her that by her prayers she would endeuour to prouoke God vnto mercie to the intent he should not suffer them so to be oppressed by the Chanaanites Hereupon God being inclined to take compassion on them granted them helpe and appointed Barac to be their gouernour a man of the tribe of Nephthali whose name signifieth lightning Debora therefore sending for Barac commandeth him to picke out and muster ten thousand chosen men and lead them foorth against the enemy alleadging that they were sufficient to obtaine the victorie which God had promised by his Oracle But Barac denying to vndertake the gouernment except she also would administer the same with him she moued therewith spake thes Wilt thou said she surrender the dignitie which God hath giuen thee
and was renowmed for his good and godly life to his house directed they the Arke as to a place agreeable vnto God because there dwelled in the same a man of so much vertue His sonnes had the charge of the Arke and continued in that seruice for the space of twenty yeares during which time it remained in Cariathiarim after it had only remained 4. moneths with the Philistines During the time that the Arke was in the Citie of Cariathiarim all the people conuerted themselues vnto God with prayers and sacrifices shewing great deuotion and forwardnesse in his seruice The Prophet Samuel perceiuing this their readinesse in courage and supposing he had got a fit occasion to exhort them vnto libertie and those profits which consequently follow the same and applying his speech vnto the oportunitie time affaires spake vnto them such words as sounded to this effect Yee men of Israel since at this present the Philistines cease not to molest you and God beginneth to shew himselfe mercifull and fauourable vnto you it behooueth you not only to be touched with a desire to recouer your libertie but also to endeuour your selues to purchase the same in effect Beware therefore least thorow your owne manners you make your selues vnworthy thereof and let each one of you endeuour to follow iustice and expulsing all sinne out of your mindes conuert your selues in all puritie vnto God and perseuer constantly in his seruice For in doing these things you shall shortly obtaine all felicitie and especially purchase vnto your selues a new libertie and an assured victorie against your enemies which neither by armes neither by the strength of your bodies neither by the multitude of your armies you were able to obtaine for God hath not proposed rewards for these things but for vertue and iustice who trust me will not deceiue your expectation nor faile in the execution of his promises When he had spoken after this manner all the people testified their consent in good words shewing the pleasure they had conceiued by his discourse promising to doe that which should be well liking and agreeable vnto God Whereupon Samuel assembled them the second time in the citie of Maspha which word signifieth conspicuous there erected they an altar and sacrificed vnto God and after they had fasted for a daies space they publikely addressed them to call vpon the name of God The Philistines in the mean space who were assembled togither in the same place had an inckling of that which the Hebrewes did and being certified of this assembly came with a great army and many forces intending to intrap the Hebrewes who neither expected or were prepared for them This sodaine attempt of theirs sore dismaied and troubled the Hebrewes so that they repairing and running vnto Samuel told him that their hearts failed them thorow feare and their mindes were troubled thorow the remembrance of those precedent losses which they had receiued For which cause they ought to hold themselues in quiet for feare least the enemy should inforce his power against them Whilest said they thou hast led vs hither to pray acrifice offer vp our vowes vnto God they are encamped nere vnto vs being ready to surprise vs that are naked and disarmed we haue no other hope therefore of our security but that proceedeth from thee and God who being moued by thy prayer may giue vs meanes to escape from their hands Samuel in way of answere wished them to be of good cheere promising them that God would yeeld them some testimony of his assistance whereupon sacrificing a sucking lamb for the people he besought God that it might please him to stretch forth his right hand for them in this battell against the Philistines and that he would not permit them to fall this second time into the enemies hands To these prayers of his God listned with intentiue eares and accepted their humble hearts and dutifull obseruance smiling vpon their offering and promising them both force and victorie But before the sacrifice was wholy consumed with flame and the ceremonies performed the enemies arranged their battels in the Israelites sight supposing that the day was already theirs in that they had intercepted the Iewes who were vnprepared for the fight who were not onely disappointed but also assembled in that place to no such end But the matter fell out farre contrarie to that which they expected and had they beene foretold the same they had scarcely beleeued it For first of all by Gods commandement the earth trembled vnder their feet and with vncertaine pace they knocked their heads the one against the other some likewise were sodainly swallowed vp by the earth-quake at length astonished by often flashes and hauing both their eies and hands halfe blasted and burned by the firie lightnings that fell so that they could not wield nor mannage their weapons they reposed all their hope and confidence in flight But Samuel seeing them in this sort dismaied sodainly set vpon them and killing many of them he ceased not to pursue the rest as farre as a place called Corraeus where he fixed and erected a stone or trophee as a marke both of his owne victorie and the enemies flight and called the same the strong rocke as a witnesse of the force that God had giuen him against the Philistines who after they receiued this ouerthrow sallied not out any more against the Israelites But remembring themselues of their feare and those accidents that fell vpon them they remained in peace offering no further inuasion for the confidence which the Philistines had before that time conceiued and gotten against the Hebrewes translated it selfe and remained with the Hebrewes euer after this victorie And Samuel led forth his army against them and slew a great number of them and for euer abased their pride taking from them that countrey which before times they by conquest had cut off from the inheritance of the Iewes which countrey extendeth it selfe from the frontire of Geth to the Citie of Accaron and the rest of the Chanaanites at that time had peace with the Israelites CHAP. III. Samuel weakned by reason of his olde age cannot any longer gouerne the estate and committeth it to the administration of his sonnes NOw when the Prophet Samuel had reduced and brought the people to a good forme of gouernment he assigned them a Citie whither they might appeale and decide those differents that might fall out amongst them and as touching himselfe he trauailed twice euerie yeare from citie to citie to administer iustice vnto them and continued the maintenance of this pollicie for a long time But as soone as he perceiued himselfe to be ouerburdened with yeares and vnapt to execute his ordinarie offices he reserued the gouernment and superintendence of the people to his sonnes the elder of whom was called Ioel and the yonger Abia and he commanded that the one of them should make his seat
his absence Whilest then he arriued neere vnto the Citie of Ramatha the seruant that followed him certified him that there dwelt a Prophet in that place to whose foresight the knowledge of the truth was subiect towards whom he counsailed him to addresse himselfe with assurance and confidence that by him he should vnderstand what was become of his Asses Saul replied that he had no meanes lest to recompence the Prophet by reason they had consumed all the money they had brought foorth with them in their iourney His seruant told him that he had as yet the fourth part of a sicle which they might giue him but they were both of them deceiued in that they were ignorant that the Prophet was not to be bribed When as therefore they drew neere vnto the gates of the Citie they met with certaine maidens that went out to fetch water of whom they demaunded where the Prophet dwelt who gaue them directions telling them that they were to make haste before that he were set downe to supper by reason he at that time entertained diuers guests and he himselfe was first wont to sit downe at the vpper end of the table Samuel had inuited this company by reason that all the day long he had instantly besought God that he would declare vnto him who it was that should be established king and God also gaue him to vnderstand that he would informe him the next day after and that about the same houre he would send a yoong man vnto him of the tribe of Beniamin For this cause Samuel sat in his house expecting the assignation which being come he came downe vnder pretence to go to supper and in the way he met with Saul At that verie instant God signified vnto Samuel that it was he whom he should elect Prince and gouernour ouer the people Saul addressing himselfe vnto Samuel besought him that he would shew him the Prophets lodging by reason that he was a stranger and knew it not Samuel told him that himselfe was the man to whom hee spake and led him to the banquet assuring him that his Asses in search of whom he had trauailed so long were in safetie and that all mens goods were at his commaund Saul answered My Lord I am too base to hope or expect so much and further my family is the least of all the families you therefore iest and mocke at me in speaking of such things as surpasse my condition The Prophet tooke him by the hand and brought both him and his seruant to the table and placed him aboue all those that were inuited who were to the number of seuentie Samuel commanded that the royall portion should be set before Saul and when the houre of bed time came all the rest arose and departed to their houses but Saul and his seruant lodged that night with the Prophet and as soone as it was day Samuel awaked Saul and departing with him out of towne he commanded him to send his seruant before and to remaine himselfe with him behind because he had certaine things to impart vnto him in priuate Hereupon Saul sent away his seruant and Samuel taking a cruet with oyle poured the same vpon the yong mans head and embracing him said Be thou King elected by God against the Philistines and for the defence of the Hebrewes Thou shalt haue this signe which I now shall informe thee of of thy future honour When thou shalt bee parted from hence thou shalt ouertake three men in the way who trauell to Bethel to adore and sacrifice vnto God the first of which thou shalt see bearing three loaues the second shall beare a goate and the third shal follow carrying a glasse of wine These shall embrace thee and caresse thee they shall giue thee two loaues and thou shalt receiue them And from thence shalt thou depart vnto that monument that beareth the name of Rachel where thou shalt meet with a messenger that shall certifie thee that the Asses are found From thence comming vnto Gabatha thou shalt finde the Prophets assembled in their congregation and being rauished by the spirit of God thou shalt prophecy amongst them so that whosoeuer shall behold thee shall be rauished in admiration and shall say whence commeth it to passe that the sonne of Cis hath attained to so good fortune and when thou hast had these signes know that God shall be with thee salute thy Father and thy kinsmen in my behalfe Hereafter thou shalt repaire and be sent vnto me vnto Galgal to ofter sacrifices of thankes giuing vnto God Hauing in this manner told and foretold him that which is forespoken he gaue him licence to depart and all these things hapned vnto Saul according as the Prophet Samuel had prophecied vnto him When Saul was arriued at Abenars house who was his vnckle whom he loued aboue all the rest of his other familiars Abner questioned with him about his voiage and as touching those things which had chaunced vnto him and Saul hid nothing from him but point by point informed him of all that which had hapned vnto him during his being and aboad with the Prophet Samuel and how he had declared vnto him the recouery of his Asles but as touching the royaltie and those things that concerned the same he concealed them supposing that if it should be made knowen it would not be beleeued but that he should reape hate thereby For although he were both his friend and cousen yet thought he it more secure and conuenient for him to burie the same in silence reputing as I suppose in himselfe the infirmitie of mans nature that no man is constant in loue but although by manifest assistance from God felicitie fall vpon any man yet other men do grieue repine that any one should be preferred before them After this Samuel assembled the people in the Citie of Maspha where he framed his speech in such sort as he certified them of those things which he had receiued from God namely that he hauing procured their libertie and brought their enemies in subiection vnder them next how they were forgetfull of so many benefits and had degraded God of his royaltie as if they were ignorant that the greatest good that might happen vnto men is to be gouerned by him that is the soueraigne good how they had determined to haue a man to their King who according to his pleasure appetite or according to the vnbridled bent of his passion would vse them like slaues made subiect vnto him and would vsurpe vpon their goods without forbearing any thing whatsoeuer that men are not so studious to maintaine their handie works and labours as God who hath an inestimable care of those whom he hath created Notwithstanding saith he since you haue thus determined and are after this manner resolued and that the outrage which you haue enterprised against God preuaileth with you set your selues all of you in order according to your tribes
to be presented before him to the end they might consult togither what should be done with him Hereunto the Prophet answered That God tooke no pleasure in sacrifices but such as were good and iust and such said he are they that are according to his will and commandement since no action may be reputed good but in respect of the reference it hath to Gods will for God refuseth not him that sacrificeth not but him that disobeyeth him For he willingly accepteth not those sacrifices that are offered vnto him by those that submit not themselues vnto him and offer not vnto him the true and onely offering yea though they present diuers and many great sacrifices and bring him sundrie Iewels of gold and siluer but reiecteth such things and respecteth them not as pledges of pietie but testimonies of wickednesse But he taketh pleasure in those onely that obserue that which he hath pronounced and commanded making choise rather to die then any waies to infringe the same not seeking that sacrifices should be offered vnto him but if they be offered although of small and no valew yet are they more acceptable vnto him in pouertie and obedience then all those which the richest hand or strongest fortune can affoord him any waies Know thou therefore said he that thou hast incurd Gods displeasure in that thou hast contemned and neglected his commandements for how canst thou thinke that he will regard thy sacrifices with a gracious eie which hee himselfe hath adiudged to vtter perdition and ruine except thou thinke that to offer such thinges vnto God be in effect no lesse then to seeke out death Be assured therefore of the losse both of thy kingdome and power which hath in such sort transported thee that thou hast contemned God who bestowed the same vpon thee But Saul confessed that he had sinned and done amisse in that hee had not obeyed the words of the Prophet yet alleadged he that he was compelled to doe the same in that he durst not restraine the souldier who was whet and kindled vpon the pray but said he be fauourable and mercifull vnto me for her after I will take heede least I fall into the like sinne and he besought him that he would stay with him so long whilest he might offer a peace offering in his behalfe But he that foresaw and knew that God would be mooued by no sacrifice began to depart CHAP. IX Samuel proclaimed Dauid King BVt Saul willing to retaine Samuel tooke hold of his garment and for that the Prophet hastily withdrew himselfe he tore away a part thereof by reason that Samuel violently withdrew himselfe from him To whom the Prophet sayd that in like sort his kingdome should be rent from him and that another who was more honest and vpright should take possession therof for God continued in his determination intended against him because that to change varie opinion is humane passion and not diuine puissance Saul answered that he had grieuously sinned but that it was impossible for him to recal that which was done he notwithstanding besought him that in the presence of the people he would as yet doe him honor at such time as he should walke with him cast himself before the presence of God which Samuel condescended vnto and went with him to adore God After this Agag the king of the Amalechites was brought before Samuel who heard him lament and complaine that death was verie bitter and tedious to whom he answered in this manner following As thou hast caused diuers mothers amongst the Hebrews to weepe and lament the losse of their children so shalt thou cause thy mothers sorrow and torment for thy death which said he presently commanded that he should be put to death in Galgal as for himselfe he returned backe againe to the city of Ramath But the king perceiuing in himself into how many mischiefs he had fallen by his offences committed against God departed to his chiefe city called Gaba which name signifieth a hillock and from that day forwards he neuermore came into the prophet Samuels presence who was hartily sory for his fall But God commanded him to giue ouer his care that taking with him the sacred oile he should repaire to the city of Bethleem to Iesse the son of Obed and that there he should annoint one of his sons for king according as he had cōmanded him when as the Prophet said that he was afraid lest Saul getting notice therof should either by treason or opē force seeke to slay him being incouraged assured in his attempt he came to the forenamed town In that place was he saluted with great concourse of people each of thē inquired of him to what intent he repaired thither who answered them that he came to offer sacrifice vnto God Now when the oblations were performed he inuited Iesse and his sonnes to banquet with him and beholding the eldest of them to be faire and well proportioned he coniectured by his stature and seemelines that it should be he that was to be elected king but in this matter he attained not the scope of Gods prouidence For demanding whether he should annoint that young man whom in admiration he thought so worthie of the kingdome it was answered him that men saw not in such manner as God doth For thou said he beholding the beautie of the young man supposest him worthie of the kingdome but I prise not royaltie and gouernment of estate by the beauties of the bodie but by the vertues of the soule and him require I that is perfectly furnished herewith and hath his mind beautified with pietie iustice obedience and fortitude Vpon these words Samuel commaunded Iesse to bring all his other sonnes into his presence who presented him with fiue others the eldest of which was called Eliab the second Aminadab the third Sala the fourth Nathaneel the fift Rael and the sixt Asam. Now when the Prophet beheld these likewise no lesse beautifull men then was the eldest he asked of God which of them he should choose for king he answered him that he should choose neither of them for which cause he enquired of Iesse whether he had any other sons besides them who told him that he had one which was called Dauid who had the care and custodie of his flockes Him did the Prophet sodainly commaund him to send for alledging that it was impossible for them to sit downe to the banquet except he were present Now when Dauid was arriued according as his father had commanded him Samuel seeing him faire in colour quicke in eye and otherwaies answerable to his naturall ornaments This is he said he in priuate to himself who is accepted and elected by God to be our king This said he sat downe at the table and made the young man sit aboue him and both Iesse his father and his other brethren Afterwards taking the cruet of oyle in the presence of the
and to that intent he sent his sonne Adoram vnto him to testifie and expresse what contentment he had receiued for that he had defeated Adarezer his enemy and to contract with him amitie and confederation He seht him presents also namely vessels of antique worke of gold of siluer and of brasse whereupon Dauid made a league with Thani for so was the king of Amath called and receiued the presents that were sent vnto him and afterwards dismissed his sonne with conuenient honor both for the one and the other and consecrated that to God which he had sent him togither with the gold and siluer which he had taken from other cities and nations that were subiect vnto him For God did not only so farre fauour him as to make him victorious and happy in his owne wars but hauing also sent Abisai Ioabs brother the lieutenant of his army against the Idumeans he likewise granted him victorie for Abisai slew in the battell about eighteene thousand of them and filled all Idumaea with garrisons challenging a tribute throughout the countrey by the pole This king loued iustice of his own nature and exercised iudgement according to veritie He had for his lieutenant generall in all his armies Ioab and appointed Iosaphat the son of Achilles chiefe ouer the Registers After Abiathar he established Sadoc of the house of Phinees for high priest who was his friend Sisa was his secretarie Banaia the sonne of Ioiada was captaine ouer his guard and all the elders were ordinarily about him to guard and attend him He remembring himselfe also of the conuentions and oathes that were past twixt him and Ionathan the sonne of Saul and of 〈◊〉 â—…itie and affection that had been betweene them for besides all other graces which he had he most freshly retained them in memorie from whom in times past he had receiued any friendship He caused a search to be made if any one of the house and family of Ionathan were left-aliue to the intent he might remunerate the friendship which he had receiued at Ionathans hands Where upon a certaine man was brought vnto him who was enfranchised by Saul that might enforme him what one of his race was aliue who asked him if he could name him any of Ionathans sons then liuing whom he might make partaker of those curteous fauors graces which in times past he had receiued by Ionathan Who answered him that he had one sonne remaining whose name was Mephiboseth who was lame of his legs for that at such time as the newes came that both his father and grandfather were slaine in the battell his nurse fearfully snatching vp the child and flying suffered him vnfortunately to fal from her shoulders and so hurt him When as then he was aduertised where and with whom he was brought vp he sent vnto the citie of Labath to Machir with whom Mephiboseth was kept commanded him to be brought vnto him Now when he came to Dauids presence he cast himselfe prostrate on his face to do him reuerence but the king exhorted him to be of good courage and to hope hereafter for better fortune and gaue him his fathers house with all the possessions that were purchased by Saul his grandfather appointing him to sit and feed with him at his owne table yea to eate of his royall prouision not letting one day slip wherein he accompanied him not at meales The yong man did him reuerence humbly thanking him for the gratious words and roiall offers be had made vnto him At that time Dauid called for Siba and certified him how he had giuen Mephiboseth his fathers house and all Sauls purchases commanding him to manure and husband his possessions and to haue care of all things and to returne the reuenew to Ierusalem for that Mephiboseth was euery day to take his refectioÌ„ at his table charging both him his 15. sons and 20. seruants to doe him seruice After the king had thus disposed of him Siba did him reuerence and after he had protested to performe whatsoeuer he had giuen him in charge he departed and Ionathans sonne remained in Ierusalem where he liued at the kings table and was entertained and tended as carefully as if he had beene his owne sonne he had a sonne also called Micha These were the honors that those children which suruiued after Ionathan and Sauls death receined at Dauids hands About the same time died Naas king of the Ammonites who during his life time was Dauids friend and his sonne succeeded him in his kingdome to whom Dauid sent embassadors to comfort him exhorting him to disgest his fathers death with patience assuring him that he would expresse no lesse loue towards him then he did vnto his father But the gouernours of the Ammonites entertained this embassage verie contumeliously and not according as Dauid had kindly intended it and murmured against their king telling him that they were but spies sent by Dauid to seeke into his forces and discouer the strength of his countrey vnder a pretext of humanitie counselling him to stand vpon his guard and not to giue eare to his protestation least being deceiued he should fall into some remedilesse inconuenient Naas king of the Ammonites supposing that his gouernors spoke nothing but truth outraged the embassadors that were sent vnto him with great iniuries for causing the halfe of their beards to be shauen close by the chin and cutting away the halfe of their vestments he sent them back againe returning their answeres not in words but in deeds Which when Dauid saw he was grieuously displeased and made it knowne that he would not suffer that mockerie and iniurie so easily to be disgested but that he would make warre on the Ammonites and reuenge those indignities that were offered to his embassadors The friends and gouernors of Naas considering how they had violated and broken the peace and how for that occasion they deserued to be punished prepared for the war and sent one thousand talents to Syrus king of Mesopotamia requiring him that he would be their consederate in that warre and receiue their pay they requested the like of Subas these kings had 20000. footmen in camp They hired also with their mony the king of the countrey called Michas and the fourth called Istob which two had with them 12000. thousand souldiers CHAP. VII How Dauid ouercame the Mesopotamians BVt Dauid was no whit amated neither with the confederacie nor force of the Ammonites but trusting in God resolued that the cause of his warre was iust for which cause he continued in reuenge of those outrages which he had receiued by them Hauing therefore mustered vnder Ioab the flower of his whole army he commanded him to depart and make warre vpon them who came and incamped himselfe before their chiefest Citie called Aramath which when the enemies perceiued they issued foorth and arranged themselues in battell not altogether but in two seuerall parts For their confederates and allies were
you confident Truly the force of many thousands is of no value whereas the army fighteth in an vniust quarrell For in onely Iustice and pietie towards God consisteth the most assured hope of obtaining victory ouer a mans enemies which must needs be on our side who obserue at all times the ordinances and seruices of our God whom mens hands haue not fashioned of corruptible matter nor the subtiltie of a cunning king could not forge to deceiue a communaltie but such a one whose worke is the beginning and ending of all things I therefore aduise you that presently you repent your selues and that taking a better way you desist from your warre and acknowledge the lawes of your forefathers finally those ordinances which haue aduanced you to so great felicitie Thus spake Abias to the people But whilest he yet continued his discourse Ieroboam sent certaine of his soldiers by by-waies to inclose Abias within two strieghts before his followers could discouer them Now when Abias was thus inclosed in the midst of his enemies his army began to be discomforted and to lose their courage but he incouraged them and exhorted them to put their trust in God who could not be enclosed by his enemies so that all together hauing called vpon God to assist them and after that the Priests had sounded the trumpet they thrust in amongst their enemies with a great shout and God so blinded the vnderstanding and abated the force of Ieroboams soldiers that they fled and those on Abias side had the vpper hand Neuer was there warre recorded by the historians eyther amongst the Greekes or Barbarians that was pursued with so great a slaughter as the armie of Ieroboam whereby it appeared that this wonderful and admirable victorie came from God For they discomfited fiue hundreth thousand of their enemies and tooke their most defenced places by force and spoyled them Bethel and Ithan also with their â—…ds and signiories belonging vnto them so that as long as Abias liued Ieroboam was neuer after of force to raise any power since the losse he receiued Abias suruiued after this his victorie onely for the space of three yeeres and was buried in Ierusalem in the Sepulchre of his auncestors leauing twenty two sons and sixteene daughters behind him all which he begat on sixteene women His sonne Asa succeeded him in the kingdome whose mother was called Maacha vnder his gouernment the countrey of Israel enioyed a firme peace for the terme of ten yeeres This is that which we haue obserued of Abias sonne of Roboam the sonne of Salomon Ieroboam the King of the ten Tribes died likewise after he had raigned twenty two yeeres and Nadab his sonne succeeded him at such time as Asa had already raigned two yeeres The sonne of Ieroboam gouerned two yeers resembling his father in impietie and wickednesse During these two yeeres he made warre against Gabaa a Citie of the Philistines and encamped thereabout to surprise it by force but being betraied by the trecherie of a certaine friend of his called Baasa the sonne of Machil he died This Baasa taking possession of the kingdome exterminated all the posteritâ—… of Ieroboam and it came to passe that they of Ieroboams race that died in the Citie were torne in pieces and deuoured by dogs and they that were in the fields were made a pray vnto birds according as Gods prophet had pronounced By this meanes the house of Ieroboam suffered a deserued punishment for their impietie and wickednesse CHAP. VI. The Aethiopians besiegde Ierusalem during the raigne of Asa and are ouercome BVt Asa King of Ierusalem was a man of vpright and honest life and such a one as feared God neither did he or enterprised he any thing that had not a naturall relation to pietie and the prescript of the lawes He corrected whatsoeuer was vitious and irregular in his kingdome redressing whatsoeuer was erronious in the same and purging it from all impietie He had an army of three hundreth thousand men of the Tribe of Iuda armed with bucklers and iauelins and two hundreth and fiftie thousand of the Tribe of Beniamin bearing bucklers and bowes After he had raigned ten yeeres Zaraeus King of Aethiopia came out against him with a great army of nine hundreth thousand footmen and one hundreth thousand horsemen with three hundreth chariots and destroied all the land as farre as Maresa a Citie of Iuda in which place Asa came and met with him and opposed army against army in the valley of Saphath not farre from the Citie Where seeing the great number of the Aethiopians he besought God that he would giue him the victorie and slaughter of diuers thousands of his enemies for he said that he came out against Zaraeus not assuring himselfe in any other thing except onely of Gods assistance who had the power to make a handfull of men superiours ouer many and the feeble to ouercome the mightie Whilest Asa praied thus vnto God a certaine signe of viâ—…orie was giuen him so that reioyced and confirmed in that God had giuen him a token 〈◊〉 he would assist him he assailed his enemies and slew a great number of the Aethiopians as for the rest that were put to flight he pursued them as farre as the countrey of Gerar and after they had conquered their enemies they sacked the Citie of Gerar and brought from thence a great masse of gold and a huge quantitie of bootie with Camels dromodaries and herds of diuers kinds of cattell When Asa and his had thus by this meanes obtained at Gods hands such a victorie and so great riches they returned backe againe to Ierusalem and when they drew neere vnto the Citie the prophet Azarias came out to meete them who staied them and began after this manner to speake vnto them That since they had obtained from God so notable a victorie they ought to behaue themselues like vertuous men and such as feared God conforming themselues vnto his will in all things protesting that if they persisted in the same God would giue them the continuall victorie ouer their enemies and besides that happy life but if they forsooke the seruice of God that all things should fall out contrarie vnto them That the time should come when neither true prophet or priest should be found amongst them that should instruct them in righteousnesse when their Cities should be ouerthrowne and their nation should be scattered ouer the face of the whole earth and liue like wanderers and vagabonds In the meane while therfore while they had time he counselled theÌ„ to liue vprightly wishing them that they would not depriue themselues of that fauour which God bare vnto them When the King and all the people heard these words they were very ioyfull and euery one both in generall and particular were carefull to serue God The King also sent out certaine deputies ouer the countrey who were charged to see the lawes duely obserued and executed
them daily in complotting worser wickednesse For he imitated all their impieties and wickednes but especially the apostasie of Ieroboam for he adored those calues that were erected by him and besides that he added farre worse impieties then the former He tooke to wife Iezabel the daughter of Ithobal King of the Tyrians and Sidonians of whom he learned to adore the gods of her nation for she was a busie and audacious woman and of such immeasurable madnesse that she feare not to build a temple in honour of Bel the god of the Tyrrians and to plant a wood furnished with all kinde of trees and to ordaine priests and false prophets also in honour of that God The king also tooke delight to haue these kindes of men oftentimes about him exceeding all other kings before him in madnes and malice To him came a certaine prophet sent by the Almighty God that was borne in Thesbon in Galaad telling him that he foreprophecied that neither dew nor raine should fal on the earth a long time vntil that himselfe who was prepared to depart frō him should appeare again vnto him and binding the same with an oath for the better confirmation thereof he retired himselfe to the Southward where he liued by a certain riuer from whence he fetcht his drinke for his meat was daily brought him by certaine Crowes Now when the riuer thorow want of raine was waxen drie God commanded him to repaire vnto Sareptha a Citie not farre from Sidon and Tyre and scituate in the midst betweene them both where he should finde a widow woman who should furnish him with food As soone therefore as he drew neere vnto the gate he saw a woman that liued by her labour gathering of sticks and God gaue him to vnderstand that it was she who should nourish him Wherupon he came vnto her and saluted her praying her that she would bring him some water to coole his thirst and as she was ready to depart he called her backe againe and willed her to bring him some bread also Whereupon she swore that she had nothing in her house but a handfull of flower and a little oyle and that she was come forth to gather sticks to the end she might bake the same and make bread for her selfe and her sonne and when they had eaten the same they must needly perish thorow famine because they had not any thing more left them Go said the prophet and be of good courage and conceiue better hopes and when thou hast prepared meate for me bring it me for I tell thee that thy pitcher of meale shall neither faile nor thy pot of oyle be emptie vntill that God send raine vpon the earth When the Prophet had spoken thus she approched neere vnto him and performed that which he commanded and shee her selfe had sufficient to feede vpon and shee gaue the rest vnto her son and to the prophet so that they wanted nothing so long as the drougth continued Menander maketh mention of this default of raine in the acts of Ithobal king of the Tyrians speaking after this manner In his time there was a season without raine from the moneth of October vntill October in the next yeare after but vpon his supplication and request there fell great store of thunder He builded the Citie of Botris in Phenicia Auzate in Libya Doubtlesse he expressed herby the drougth that hapned in Achabs time for about that time Ithobale raigned ouer the Tyrians as Menander testifieth in his historie This woman of whom we haue spoken heretofore that nourished the Prophet seeing her sonne fallen sicke lying senseles as if he had beene alreadie dead or yeelding vp of the ghost wept brake out into such passionate laments as were answerable to her desolate estate said that the cause of her misfortune was in that the Prophet was come into her house and had discouered her sinnes and that for the same cause her sonne was dead But he recomforted her and willed her to be of a good courage and commanded her to bring the child vnto him assuring her that he would restore him to life Now when she had brought him he tooke the child and bare him into his lodging where he remained and laid him on his bed cried out vnto god saying that he had but slenderly recompenced her that had receiued and nourished him if so be her sonne should be taken from her hee therefore besought him that he would returne the soule into the bodie restore life vnto the infant Whereupon God hauing compassion on the mother and being willing to gratifie the Prophet and to the intent that no man might suppose that he came vnto her to endomage her he restored the child to life beyond all expectation For which the mother gaue thanks vnto the Prophet saying that by this meanes she was thorowly perswaded that God had spoken vnto him Not long after hee sought out Achab according as God had commaunded him to let him vnderstand that he should haue raine At that time the famine raigned ouer the whole country and there was great want of necessarie victuals so that men did not onely faint for want of bread but the earth also for want of raine could not bring forth that which was requisite for the sustenance of horses and other cattell The king therefore calling Obediah vnto him who was the master of his heards he commaunded him that he should each way seeke out for fountaines and brookes willing him that if he found out any grasse he should mow the same and giue it to his cattell for their sustenance And whereas by his commaund the Prophet Elias was sought in diuers places and could not be found he willed Obediah also to follow him So taking both of them seuerall waies the king followed one and the master of the cattell an other This Obediah was a godly and vertuous man who when the Prophets were put to death hid one hundreth of them in dens and sustained them with bread and water After this man was departed from the king Elias met with him and asked him what he was which when he had certified him he humbled himselfe on his face before him Elias commaunded him to repaire vnto the king and to certifie him that he was hard at hand Obediah asked him wherein he had offended him that he would make him a minister and messenger vnto him who had sought to kill him and had by-laid the countrey to apprehend him For there was not any streight whither he sent not some of his men to find out Elias with charge that if they found him they should put him to death Now it may so be said he that whilest I repaire vnto the king the spirit of God wherewith thou art fulfilled will carry thee away and the king not finding thee here and frustrate of his desire will reuenge himselfe on my head Be thou not therefore so secure by
my danger whereas thou maist know how carefull I am of such holy men as thou art who haue deliuered a hundreth Prophets from Iezabels furie and now at this time conceale and sustaine them in secret places Notwithstanding all these words Elias commaunded him to repaire vnto the king and to cast off all feare swearing vnto him by an oth how that day he would make himselfe seene and knowne vnto Achab. When Obediah had certified the king that Elias was at hand Achab went out to meete him and being fraught with indignation said vnto him Is it thou that heapest so much mischiefe on the Hebrewes heads Art thou the man that art the cause of this sterilitie To whom Elias replied without flattering him any waies that it was he and his race that were the occasions of these mischiefes because they had brought strange Gods into their countrey whom they adored and had forsaken the true God who was and is onely to be worshipped He therefore willed him presently to assemble all the people on the mount Carmel bring with him his wife and her prophets whose number he reckoned vp the Prophets likewise of the woods who were in number foure hundreth Whenas therefore all of them being summoned by the king were gathered togither in that place Elias stood vp in the midst of them and said How long will you liue thus hauing both your soules and opinions dismembred and deuided For if you thinke that the Hebrewes God is the true and onely God why follow you him not and why keepe you not his commaundements But if you thinke that the honour belongeth not to him but to forraine gods follow you them When Elias perceiued that the people replied nothing hereunto he praied them in confirmation of that infinite and distinct power of God from that of straunge Gods that whereas he was but one only Prophet of the true God at that time present and the other were foure hundreth that worshipped the false that he might take an Oxe and kill the same and lay it vpon wood without putting any fire thereto to consume the sacrifice and that they also might doe the like and call vpon their gods and beseech them to send downe fire to consume their sacrifice which if they should doe and confirme the same by miracle that then the true nature of their gods should be knowne This counsell of his was generally allowed Whereupon Elias commaunded the false Prophets first of all to choose themselues an Oxe and to kil the same and afterwards to call vpon the assistance of their gods and when it manifestly appeared that their prayer and inuocation was of no force Elias began to mocke them saying why call you not out vpon your gods with a loud voice for it may be they are on some voyage or else happily they sleep Whilest thus they had inuocated from the morning vntil mid-day cutting themselues with kniues and launces according to the custome of their countrey Elias that was to make his sacrifice commaunded the false Prophets to stand aside willing the people to draw neere vnto him and obserue for feare least secretly he should conuey fire vnder the wood When the people were approched he tooke 12. stones according to the number of the twelue tribes of Israel and made an Altar and digged a deepe trench round about the same and afterwards heaping wood vpon the Altar and laying his sacrifice thereupon he commaunded them to fill foure tuns with fountaine water and to power it vpon the Altar in such sort as the trench might receiue drinke vp the water Which done he began to pray and call vpon God beseeching him that it might please him to manifest his power vnto his people who had so long time runne astray no sooner had he finished his prayer but fire fell from heauen vpon the Altar in the sight of all the people and consumed al the sacrifice so that the water was consumed the place dried vp Which when the Israelites beheld they fel down on their faces vpon the earth adoring one only God cōfessing him to be the most mighty only true God and auowing that al other were but forged names and fruits of an euill and truthles opinion and laying hands themselues vpon their false Prophets they slew them by the commaundement of Elias He willed the king also to depart and take his refection and to take care for nothing because he should very shortly see that God would send him raine and thus departed Achab from him But Elias ascended the top of the mount Carmel and sate him downe on the earth leaning his head vpon his knees whilest thus he sate he commaunded his seruant also to get vp vpon a certaine rocke and to looke towards the sea and to tell him if he saw any clouds arise in any part for till that time the ayre had beene alwaies cleere His seruant hauing often ascended the rocke and returned him answere that he sawnothing at length mounting vp the seuenth time in descending he returned him this newes that he saw some black appareance in the ayre not much vnlike vnto a mans footstep When Elias vnderstood this he sent vnto Achab wishing him to retire himselfe within the Citie before the raine fel who had no sooner recouered the Citie of Iezrael but that the ayre was presently clouded and couered with a shower and a vehement wind intermixed with raine fell vpon the earth and the Prophet seased by the spirit of God ranne with the kings chariot as farre as Iezrael a Citie of Asser. When Iezabel Achabs wife had notice what wonders Elias had performed and how he had slaine her Prophets she was sore displeased and sent messengers vnto him threatning him in like sort to reuenge her selfe on him as he had slaine her Prophets Which for that Elias feared he fled into the Citie of Bersabe which is vpon the borders of the tribe of Iuda bounding vpon Idumaea in which place he left his seruant and retired himselfe into the desart where whilest he praied God that he would take him out of the world by reason he was not better then others for which cause he should desire to liue after them he fell asleepe vnder a certaine tree and after that some one had awakened him he arose and found bread and water readie prepared by him Whenas therefore he had eaten and was recomforted he went vnto the mount Sinai where it is said that Moses receiued the lawes from God where finding out a hollow caue he entered into it and remained therein And being demaunded by a certaine voice which spake vnto him he knewe not from whence wherefore he remained in that place and forsooke the Citie he answered for that he had slaine the Prophets of the false gods and for that he had perswaded the people that there was but one onely God who ought to be honoured by all men and that for
telling her that he had neither graunge nor presse whereby he might any waies supply her necessitie The woman answered him that she had no need thereof and that she was not troubled for want of food but onely desired that hee would determine a debate betwixt her and an other woman Whereupon he commanded her to expresse and declare what she required Hereupon she said that she had made an accord with an other woman her neighbour and friend that since the famine and scarcitie was such as they could find no redresse for the same that they should kill their children for each of them had one and in this sort should nourish one another euery day As for my selfe said she I haue first of all strangled mine and we haue both of vs yesterday eaten thereof but now she will not doe the like but breaketh the accord betwixt vs and concealeth her childe Ioram was grieuously tormented to heare these words and rent his garments and cried out with a loud voice and afterwards wholy enraged against the Prophet he deuised in his heart to put him to death because he praied not vnto God to grant him meanes to escape those euils that inuironed them round about so that he sent a man presently to cut off his head who prepared himselfe with all expedition to the slaughter But Elizeus was not ignorant of this resolution of the kings for sitting at home with his disciples in his house he told them that Ioram the murtherers sonne sent a man to take away his head but said he when as he that hath the matter in charge shall come hither suffer him not to enter but make him attend and stay at the gate for the king will follow him and will resort vnto me in his owne person hauing altered his resolution and they according as they were commanded shut him out of the doores whom the king had sent Ioram repenting himselfe of that displeasure which he had conceiued against the Prophet and fearing least he that had the commission to murther him should speedily execute the same hasted himselfe all that he might to hinder the slaughter and saue Elizeus When as therfore he came into his presence he accused him for that he had not besought God to deliuer them from those many euils which they suffered considering that he himselfe was an eie-witnesse they were miserably consumed by them Elizeus promised him the next day about the same houre that the king came vnto him that he should haue so great aboundance of victuals that two measures of barley should be sold in the market for a sicle and a measure of flower for a sicle By these wordes of his the king with all his attendants were wonderfully comforted and made no difficultie to beleeue the Prophet because that before time they had beene ascertained by their experience of the truth of his prophecies and the expectation of this day was the cause that the necessitie and miserie of the present was more patiently endured But a certaine friend of the kings and the gouernour of the third part of his army on whose shoulder the king at that time hapned familiarly to leane spake vnto him after this manner Prophet thou tellest vs incredible matters for as it is impossible that God should raine downe heapes of barley and flower from heauen so cannot that which thou speakest come to passe To whom the Prophet replied Thou thy selfe said he shalt see the issue hereof but shalt partake no part thereof Which prediction of his had a most certaine effect according as hereafter it appeareth It was a custome in Samaria that they that were defiled with a leprosie should liue without the Citie walles for feare least their conuersation might infect others And at that time also there were some who for this cause had their dwelling without the gate These for that by reason of the extreme famine that raigned within the Citie they receiued no reliefe or sustenance out of the same and whether they had licence to returne into the Citie or whether they contained themselues in their houses they knew that they should assuredly perish by famine decreed amongst themselues to submit themselues to the enemies mercie to the end that if they spared them they might liue and if it hapned otherwaies that they might die with lesse torture Now hauing resolued vpon this deliberation amongst themselues they repaired by night vnto the enemies campe At that time God began to terrifie and trouble the Syrians and to fill their eares with a noise of chariots and armes as if an army had violently charged them Wherupon they grew suspitious and were so moued that they forsooke their tents and ranne vnto Adad and told him that Ioram King of the Israelites had entertained the king of Aegypt and the king of the Isles for his confederates whom he led out against them and how already they had heard the noise of them that approched to bid them the battell Adad whose eares wâ—… filled with no lesse rumour then those of the people was amated and amazed at their sayings so that all of them abandoned their campe their horses beasts of cariage and riches and betooke them to flight with disorder and confusion Those leapeâ—…s that were retired from Samaria into the enemies campe and of whom we haue hertofore made some mention being neere vnto the camp perceiued that there was great silence in the same and no lesse aboundance of all things for which cause approching the same and entring into a tent they found no body therein for which cause they fell to eating and drinking and that done to beare away a quantity of rayment and gold which they hid without the campe Afterward resorting to an other tent they bare away likewise that which was therin and did the like by foure others without any encountrie or contradiction of any man and coniecturing therby that the enemies were retired they began to accuse themselues because they had not giuen notice thereof to Ioram and the inhabitants of Samaria For which cause drawing neere vnto the walles of the Citie they cried out vnto the watch giuing them to vnderstand in what state they had found the enemies campe who signified no lesse to Iorams guard so that at last it came vnto his eares Whereupon he presently sent for his friends and captaines and told them that the departure of the Syrians made him suspect some stratageme or ambush for they said he hauing lost their hope to surprise vs by famine are retired vnder an intent that when we shall issue and fall a spoiling of their campe they may come vpon vs and kill vs and afterwards take our Citie without any stroke strooken For which cause said he I aduise you to keepe good guard within the Citie and let this retreat of our enemies make vs the more considerate Some one of his counsaile praised this aduise of his and allowed his foresight aduising him to
I haue found it registred in writing King Ieroboam hauing passed all his life time in prosperitie and raigned for the space of fortie yeeres departed this life and was entombed in Samaria and Zacharie his sonne succeeded him in his kingdome At the same time Ozias the sonne of Amasias raigned in Ierusalem ouer the two tribes after that Ieroboam had already raigned foureteene yeeres his mother was called Achia and was of the Citie of Ierusalem He was a man of a good nature and such a one as loued iustice of noble courage and very laborious in prouiding for all occurrences he made warre against the Philistines and after he had ouercome them in battell he tooke Ita and Amnia two of their strong forts and raced them This exploit done he set vpon the Arabians that neighboured vpon Aegypt and after that hauing built a Citie vpon the red sea he planted a garrison therein He afterwards discomfited the Ammonites constraining them to pay him tribute and subdued all as farre as the marshes of Aegypt After that he began to prouide for the Citie of Ierusalem for he built it a new and repaired the walles thereof that had been beaten downe or decaied either by continuance of time or by the negligence of those kings who were his predecessors hee repaired those also which the King of Israel had beaten downe at such time as hauing taken Amasias prisoner he rode in triumph into the Citie Besides this he erected a number of towers each of them one hundreth and fiftie cubits hie These inclosed he with walles to set garrisons therein and in diuers barren places he caused diuers fountaine-heads to be made for he had an infinite multitude of beasts of carriage and other cattell in that the countrey was fit for pasture He tooke pleasure also in tillage for which cause he was often busied about his land in trimming sowing and planting the same He had about him a chosen army to the number of three hundreth and seuenty thousand fighting men whose generals conductors and captaines were valiant and inuincible men and were in number two thousand He taught his souldiers to march in a square battell in manner of the Macedonian Phalanx arming each of them with swords targets and corselets of brasse with arrowes and darts He made also great preparation of diuers engins to batter Cities and to shoote stones and darts besides diuers hookes and other such like instruments But whilest he was intent on these studies and preparations he grew insolent and proud and being puffed vp with mortall arrogance he contemned the immortall force which endureth for euer which is pietie towards God and the obseruation of his commandements For which cause he was ouerthrowne by his prosperitie and fell into his fathers sinnes thorow the happinesse and greatnesse of his estate wherein he could not moderately containe himselfe So that vpon a certaine solemne feast day wherein all the people were assembled togither he attired himselfe in the hie priests vestments and entred into the temple to offer sacrifice vnto God vpon the golden altar which notwithstanding the hie Priest Azarias accompanied with fourescore Priests inhibited him the same telling him that it was not lawfull for him to sacrifice in that it was onely allowed in those that were of the posteritie of the hic Priest Aaron Whilest after this manner Azarias expostulated with him commanding him to go out of the temple and not to contradict the ordinances of God the king waxed wrath and threatned to take his life from him except he kept himselfe quiet Whereupon there fell a great trembling and earthquake and the temple cleft in twaine and a great light of the funne entred thereinto and reflected on the kings face in such manner that all his body was instantly couered with a leprosie and before the Citie in a place called Eroge the halfe of a mountaine that stood to the Eastward brake and fell and rowled and remoued for the space of foure stadia towards the orientall mountaine where it rested so that the publique waies were shut vp and choaked and the kings gardens of pleasure were wholy ruinated and disfigured When the Priests beheld the kings face couered with a leprosie they told him what inconuenient had hapned vnto him and enioined him to depart out of the towne according to the custome of men that were polluted Wherupon he wholy confused at so grieuous an accident and hauing no more audacitie to speake obeied the commaundement that was giuen him enduring a pitifull and lamentable punishment for being elate and proud more then became humanitie and for that he committed such impietie against God He therefore remained without the Citie for a certaine time and led a priuate life and his son Iotham succeeded him in the kingdome Finally he died thorow griefe and discontent after he had accomplished threescore and eight yeares whereof he raigned fiftie two and was onely buried in his garden Zachary Ieroboams sonne hauing raigned sixe moneths ouer the Israelites was slaine by treason complotted against him by a familiar friend of his called Sellum the sonne of Iabes who possessing the kingdome after him enioyed not the same aboue thirtie daies For the generall Manahem being at that time in the Citie of Tharsa and vnderstanding of that which had hapned to Zachary departed thence with all his force and came to Samaria and in a battell which hee fought he slue Sellum And afterwards obtaining the crowne he went from thence towards the Citie of Tapsa the inhabitants whereof locked and barred their gates against him and would not receiue him in reuenge whereof he spoiled all the countrey round about and tooke the Citie by force being highly incensed against the Tapsians for their insolence he put thē all to the sword not sparing their little children which was an incredible barbarous cruelty in him Manahem raigned in this manner for the space of ten yeares continuing a most cruell and vnbridled tyranny ouer the people Afterwards being assailed by Phul king of the Syrians he went not out against him neither practised to resist him but procured his peace for the summe of a thousand talents of siluer which in way of composition he paid vnto him The people furnished Manahem with this summe in way of contribution paying fiftie drachmes a peece Anon after he died and was buried in Samaria leauing behind him a sonne to succeede him in the kingdome whose name was Phaceias who imitating his fathers crueltie possessed the soueraigntie but two yeares for he was slaine at a feast in the middest of his friends by a treason practised against him by Phaceias the son of Romelias who enioyed the kingdome for the space of twentie yeares addicting himselfe to all impietie and wickednes But Teglaphalassar king of Assyria led forth his army against the Israelites and spoiled all the countrey of Galaad and that beyond Iordan and Galilee Cydida and
Asor also and led all the inhabitants thereof prisoners and transported the kingdome to himselfe This is that which we haue thought good to write as touching the king of Assyria Iotham the sonne of Ozias raigned in Ierusalem ouer the tribe of Iuda he was the sonne of a daughter of Ierusalem called Ierasa There was no vertue deficient in this king for he was deuout towards God iust towards men and careful to repaire the Citie for he willingly imployed himselfe in restoring that which had need of reparation and ornament He built galleries and porches about the temple and repaired the wals that were fallen downe hee erected huge and impregnable towers in a word he restored all that which was deficient in his kingdome He made warre vpon the Ammonites and ouercomming them in battell he made all their nation tributarie constrained them to pay him yeerly a hundreth talents and ten thousand Cores of wheat and as many of barley and his kingdome in such sort increased that he was redoubted abroad and happy at home Now about the same time there liued a certaine Prophet called Naum who prophecied the ouerthrow of the Assyrians and of the Citie of Niniue and spake to this effect All the people thereof shall be tossed and troubled and be put to flight and shall say the one vnto the other Stay and abide take gold and siluer and there shall be none that will receiue it For they shall haue more care to saue their bodies then their goods for there shall be a great debate amongst them with lamentation their members shal lose their vigor their faces shall be altogether swart thorow feare where shal the repaire of the lions be or where shal the mother of the lions whelpe rest her Niniue God saith vnto thee I will destroy thee neither shall the lions that issue from thee gouerne the world any more To this effect did he prophecy spake many other things to this intent which it concerneth not to repeat For I haue omitted it purposely because I would not be troublesome to the readers But all those things which he forespoke as touching Niniue came to passe one hundreth and fifteene yeares after But this is sufficient for the manifestation of this matter CHAP. XII Rasin King of Damasco maketh warre against Ierusalem Achaz sendeth for the King of Assyria to assist him AFter that Iotham had liued one and fortie yeares and raigned sixteene he died and was buried in the sepulcher of the kings after him the kingdome fell to Achaz his sonne who was a contemner of God and a transgressour of the ordinances of his forefathers and conformed himselfe to the customes of the kings of Israel for he erected Altars in the Citie of Ierusalem and sacrificed vnto Idols offering vp his owne sonne vnto them after the manner of the Chanaanites and perpetrated diuers such like offences During these impious idolatries of his Rasin King of Syria and Damasco and Phaceias King of Israel made warre against him for these two were confederates leading therefore both their armies against Ierusalem they besieged it a long time yet profited nothing by reason the walles were verie strong But the King of Syria hauing seazed the Citie of Elath neere vnto the red sea and slaine all the inhabitants thereof planted Syrians therein putting all the garrisons likewise to the sword and all the Iewes round about and carried away with him a great bootie into Damasco and afterwards returned home with his armie The King of Ierusalem vnderstanding that the Syrians were retired and supposing himselfe to bee sufficient to fight against the king of Israel led forth his forces against him and was ouercome in battell because that God was incensed against him for his wickednesses which were both detestable and infinite For in that battell the Israelites slue about sixescore thousand men amongst whom was Zacharias the sonne of Achaz whom the generall of the armie of the Israelites called Amias slue with Ericam the gouernour of the whole Realme and he tooke Elcan the generall of the tribe of Iuda prisoner also They led away likewise a great number of women and children with a great bootie and afterwards returned vnto Samaria At that time there was a certaine Prophet liuing in Samaria whose name was Obel who comming out to meete the armie cried with a loud voice vnto the people that the victorie which they had did not happen vnto them thorow their valour but by reason of the wrath of God conceiued against Achaz king of Iuda He furthermore reproued them for that not contenting themselues with the good happe of that victorie they had so farre presumed as to hold them of Iuda and Beniamin prisoners who were of their owne alliance he therefore counselled them to send them backe vnto their houses without any iniurie by vniustice offered vnto them threatning them that if they did the contrarie they might be assured that God would punish them After this admonition the Israelites assembled themselues together to consult vpon this matter at which time Barachias one of the principall gouernours of the state and three others with him alleaged that it was not lawfull for the Citizens to lead their prisoners into the Citie for feare as they said that God should vtterly extinguish them all For those sinnes said they which we haue alreadie committed and against which the Prophets haue exclaimed are cause enough to incense God so that we haue no cause to annexe newe impieties to the precedent When the soldiers heard these words they permitted them to execute all that which they held conuenient to be done For which cause the aboue named tooke the prisoners and discharged them and entertained them courteously and gaue them meanes and money to furnish them in their iourney and sent them home without offence and besides that these foure persons conducted them onwards of their iourney as farre as Iericho and when they drewe neere vnto Ierusalem they returned backe to Samaria CHAP. XIII The King of Assyria taketh Damasco by force killeth their king translateth the people into Media and planteth new colonies in Damasco WHen king Achaz had receiued this ouerthrow by the Israelites he sent vnto Theglaphalasar king of Assyria requiring him to assist him in the warre which he intended against the Israelites Syrians them of Damasco promising to giue him great sums of money and at that present also he sent him verie bountiful presents Who after he had considered on the embassage came forth with his army to assist Achaz and spoyling Syria and sacking Damasco he slew Rases their king also and transported them of Damasco into the higher Media and sent certaine people of Assyria into Damasco He wrought much mischiefe likewise in the countrey of Israel and led away a great number of prisoners from thence After that the Syrians had been subdued and weakned after this manner Achaz tooke all the gold
them bound vnto him The number of them was ten thousand eight hundreth thirtie and two persons besides Ioachin his mother and his neere allies whom they tooke prisoners CHAP. IX Sedechias is made King ouer Ierusalem by the Babylonian IN steed of Ioachin he appointed Sedechias his vncle king of Ierusalem whom hee bound by an oth that he should gouerne the countrey without any innouation or partiall fauour towards the Aegyptians This Sedechias was one and twentie yeeres olde at such time as he came vnto the kingdome and was Ioachims brother by the mothers side he was a contemner of all lawes and a peruerter of ordinances For the yoong men that were about him were without the feare of God and all the people vnder his dominions committed whatsoeuer outrages were best liking vnto them For this cause the Prophet Ieremy came vnto him protesting oftentimes against him and denouncing that if he renounced not all those impieties and iniquities he vsed and addicted not himselfe to that which was iust but gaue eare vnto his gouernours amongst which there were many wicked men and to those false Prophets that misled him trusting that the Babylonians should not make warre against his Citie but that the Aegyptians should leuie an army and ouercome them that then he should incurre much miserie for said he they haue no truth in their sayings and those things also which they pronounce are not to be spoken Whilest Sedechias gaue eare to these discourses of the Prophet he was perswaded and acknowledged al that to be true which he had spoken very profitable both for him his people but anon after his friends corrupted him diuerted him according to their own opinions Ezechiel also at the same time had prophecied in Babylon all those calamities which were to fall vpon the tēple sent notice to Ierusalem of that which he had receiued frō God Notwithstanding Sedechias gaue no credit to his prophecies by reason that all the Prophets were accustomed to accord in all things the one with the other as touching the surprisal of the city and the imprisonment of Sedechias but Ezechiel differed in this that he said that Sedechias should not see Babylon notwithstanding that Ieremy had prophecied that the king of Babylon should lead him away prisoner in bonds because therefore these two accorded not in their sayings he concluded that the matter wherein they agreed was of no consequence Notwithstanding all things hapned vnto him according as the Prophets had pronounced as we will declare in a conuenient place After that he had continued his alliance and friendship with the king of Babylon for the space of eight yeers he brake the league that was between them and confederated with the Aegyptians vnder hope that they should ouercome the Babylonians Which when the king of Babylon vnderstood he led forth his army against him and destroied his countrey to the vttermost so that after he had taken his Cities of defence he finally planted his army and besieged Ierusalem The Aegyptian perceiuing the estate wherein his allie Sedechias was leuied a huge army and came into Iudaea with an intent to raise the siege Whereupon the Babylonian withdrew his army from Ierusalem to encounter with the Aegyptian and fought with him and ouercame him in battell and pursued him with such alacritie that he put him to flight and droue him altogither out of Syria As soone as the Babylonian was dislodged from Ierusalem the false prophets deceiued Sedechias telling him that the Babylonian should neuer more returne to make warre either against him or his nation and that he should neuer any more depart from his house in Babylon and that they who had beene led away captiues should returne home againe loaden with those vessels of the temple which the king of Babylon had taken from them But the Prophet Ieremie presenting himselfe before the king prophecied the contrary to these impostures assuring both him and the people that no profit could befall them by meanes of the Aegyptians for that the Babylonians should ouercome them and should returne and encampe before Ierusalem and besiege the same and destroy the people by famine and lead them away prisoners that were remaining and carry away all their substance that after they were seazed of the riches of their temple they should finally burne the same As for the Citie they should race it and said he they shall keepe vs captiue for the space of seuentie yeares And from this seruitude the Persians and Medes shall deliuer vs at such time as they haue gotten the Empyre out of the hands of the Babylonians then shall they send vs backe againe into our countrey and we shall build our temple anew and establish the Citie of Ierusalem Diuers men gaue credit to these words of Ieremie but the gouernours and contemners of God intreated him verie cruelly as if he had beene a man transported out of his sense And whereas he had an intent to visit his natiue countrey Anathoth some twentie stounds off of Ierusalem one of the magistrates encountring him in his iourney laying hold on him retained him loading him with this slander that he went stole away to submit himself to the Babylonians But Ieremy answered that he was falsely accused that he repaired only to the place where he was borne This Prince giuing him no credit arrested him and brought him before the iudgement seat where he sustained all sorts of outrages torments and was shut vp in prison to be punished remained there for a time suffering the extremitie of wrong and iniurie The ninth yeare of the raigne of Zedechias and on the tenth day of the ninth moneth the King of Babylon came and encamped the second time before Ierusalem and entrenched himselfe round about the same for the space of eighteene moneths and laid batterie and siege thereto with as great spleene as might be possible And they that were besieged therein were encountred with two most hainous afflictions famine and most grieuous pestilence At this time the Prophet Ieremy being in prison held not his peace but cried with a loud voice and preached and exhorted the people willing them to entertaine the Babylonians and to open their gates vnto them because that in so doing they might warrantize themselues with all their families whereas otherwaies they were assured of destruction He foretold them also that if any one remained in the Citie he should most assuredly either perish by famine or the enemies furie but if so be they submitted themselues to the enemies mercy they should escape from death But those gouernours that heard him speake after this sort gaue him no credit in that they were not as yet pressed with the danger for which cause they came vnto the king and after a despitefull manner told him all that which had beene spoken accusing Ieremy and reprouing him for a mad man vrging this that he had abated their courage and by
confirmed by the kings seale should not any waies contradict the execution of the same Whereupon he sent for his secretaries of estate commanding thē to write vnto the magistrates of al the nations as touching the Iewes and to the princes and gouernors of one hundreth twenty and seuen prouinces from India as farre as Aethiopia The contents of which letters were these Artaxerxes the great King to the gouernours and those that faithfully rule vnder vs Health Many men being puffed vp with pride by reason of the many and mighty benefits and honours which they receiue thorow the too lauish liberalitie of their benefactors do not onely exercise their pride towards their inferiours but also are not affraid to wax insolent against them who are the authors of their benefits extinguishing as much as in them lieth all gratuitie that hath euer been amongst men and being corrupted with vnexpected felicitie abuse those graces against them by whom they haue gotten the same in effect no waies fearing God whose power they suppose they can deceiue On the other side other some enhanced to the administration of the common weale and giuing place to the hatred they haue conceiued against some particular men deceiue their princes and by false accusations and detractions prouoke and kindle their wrath against those who haue not done amisse whence it commeth to passe that they are sometimes in extreame danger to lose their life The proofe whereof appeareth not onely in ancient histories the knowledge whereof we haue onely obtained by hearsay but by that likewise which hath been audaciously attempted before our eies so that hereafter we ought not to giue credit to detractions and accusations nor to such things as men inforce themselues to perswade but it behooueth euery man to iudge according to the truth of that he knoweth and to punish that which is faulty and to pardon that which requireth pardon in considering the actes and not the words that are spoken For it is most notorious vnto all men that Aman the Amadathite an Amalechite by nation and by that meanes a stranger and not of the Persian bloud but entertained by vs hath in all things enioyed the fruit of our bountie hitherto so that he hath been called our father honoured by all men and obtained amongst all men and in all things the second place of honour after vs yet could he not equally make vse of his good hap neither with prudent aduice entertaine the greatnesse of his felicitie but hath sought the means to depriue Mardocheus of his life who preserued mine seeking by his fraud and malice to practise the ruine of Esther the companion of our life and kingdome and by this meanes striuing to dispossesse me of my most faithfull friends he determined to transferre the kingdome vnto others Touching my selfe in that I know that the Iewes who are by this wretch destinated to die are no wicked men but such as liue vnder a well pollicied gouernment praying God continually that it would please him to continue the kingdome in vs and our successours I absolue them not onely of that penaltie contained in my former letters sent by Aman which by these presents I vtterly disanull but my pleasure likewise is that they be had in all honour As for him that practised these things against them I haue caused him and all his race to be hanged before the gates of Susan according to the iust iudgement of God inflicted on them for their offences My will and pleasure therefore is that the copy of this letter be sent thorow all the countries of our obeisance to the intent that the Iewes be suffered to liue according to their owne lawes in peace and that assistance may be giuen them to the end they may reuenge themselues of those who haue offered them outrage in their aduersitie And I commaund that this be done the thirteenth day of the twelth moneth called Adar which is the day that God ordained for their preseruation when as they were appointed to be slaine which day I desire to fal out fortunate to those that loue vs and a monument of reuenge on those that pretended our ruine My pleasure likewise is that all men cities and nations should know that whosoeuer shall neglect thorow obstinacie to fulfill the tenor of this my mandate he shall be pursued with fire and sword and let these copies be set vp thorowout all our dominions and let each man of the Iewes vpon the prefixed day prepare himselfe to be reuenged on his enemies As soone as the Poasts had receiued these letters they presently mounted on horsebacke and road each of them his appointed way and Mardocheus being cloathed in a royall habite and adorned with a crowne of gold on his head and a chaine of gold about his necke issued forth and the Iewes of Susan seeing him thus honoured by the king supposed that his good hap was an assurance of their owne and when the kings letters were published a ioy as it were a bright beam of consolation enuironed the Hebrew nation as wel those that were in the citie of Susan as they that were amid the countrey so that diuers men of other nations circumcised themselues for feare they had of the Iewes supposing that in so doing they should be in securitie For the thirteenth day of the twelfth moneth by the Hebrewes called Adar and by the Macedonians Distre the Poasts that carried the kings letters certified them thatthey should exterminate their enemies on that very day whereon they themselues were in danger to be exterminated The gouernours likewise of the prouinces the lords kings and secretaries did honour to the Iewes for the feare they had of Mardocheus constrained them to moderate themselues and after the kings letters were published thorow all the countrey it came to passe that the Iewes slew about fiue hundreth of their enemies But after the king had declared vnto Esther the number of the dead that perished in the Citie suspecting with himselfe what might happen thorow the whole countrey and had likewise questioned with her if she requested any further matter promising her that he would see it executed she besought him that it might bee lawfull for the Iewes to reuenge them yet once more the next day vpon their enemies and to hang Amans ten sonnes vpon the gibbet which the king being loath to contradict Esther permitted the Iewes to doe they therfore returning the fourteenth day of the moneth Distre slew about three hundreth more of their enemies yet aliened they not in any sort the smallest portion of their goods Furthermore the Iewes slew in the Champion countrey and in the Cities about seuentie fiue thousand of their enemies whom they dispatched the thirteenth day of the moneth and solemnized the day following The Iewes that were at Susan assembled themselues likewise on the fourteenth day of the moneth and banquetted the whole day Whence it commeth to passe that all the Iewes which are thorowout
same and saw that which was not lawful to be beheld by any other but the high priests only But although he found a table of gold and a sacred candlesticke with diuers other vessels and odoriferous drugs in great quantitie and whereas beside that there was about two thousand talents of siluer in the sacred treasurie in the temple yet touched he nothing thereof thorow the reuerence he had of God and herein he behaued himselfe answerably to his other vertues The next day hee commaunded those that had the charge of the temple to purge the same and to offer sacrifices vnto God according to the law committing the high Priesthood to Hircanus hands both for that he had stood him in great steed in many things as for that he had hindred the Iewes that were of the countrey from ioyning themselues with Aristobulus After this he beheaded the authors of this warre and honoured Faustus and the rest with condâ—…gne gifts who with great courage had first attempted and ascended the wall As for Ierusalem he made it tributarie to the Romanes taking away from the Iewes those Cities they had conquered in Coelesyria and assigning them a proper and peculiar gouernment After this he inclosed the nation within certaine limits whereas before time their dominions were of a large extent Not long after this he repaired Gadara that not long before was destroyed all which he performed in fauour of Demetrius the Gadarenian his late seruant and bondman And as touching Hippon Scythopolis Dion Samaria Marissa Azot Iamnia and Arethusa he restored them to the auncient inhabitants thereof all which were scituate in the heart of the land besides Gaza Ioppe Dora the tower of Straton cities scituate vpon the sea coast and ruinated before times with diuers warres he set at liberty and annexed them vnto the prouince As for the tower of Straton it was magnificently builded by Herode and decked with gates and faire temples and the name thereof was chaunged and called Caesarea Thus Hircanus and Aristobulus thorow their dissensions and ciuill broiles were the cause of that seruitude and misery that fell vpon the Iewes For we haue lost our liberty and haue beene subdued by the Romanes Besides that we haue beene inforced to surrender vp those cities vnto the Syrians which we before time by force of armes had conquered and gotten from them And that which is to be lamented the Romans in a little time haue drawn from vs more then ten thousand talents and the roialty which before time was an honour reserued for those that were of the race of the high priests hath been bestowed on men of obscuritie and communitie whereof we will speake in place conuenient After that Pompey had giuen Ceelesyria to Scâ—…urus from Euphrates as farre as to the frontires of Aegypt with two legions of the Romans he went into Cilicia and from thence drew towards Rome leading with him Aristobulus in bonds and his children who were two sonnes and two daughters one of which called Alexander escaped by flight and as touching Antigonus who was the younger he was led to Rome with his sisters CHAP. IX Scaurus maketh warre against Aretas SCaurus led forth his army against Petra a Citie in Arabia and for that the Citie might verie hardly be besieged he spoiled all the countrey round about When as therefore his army was pressed with famine Antipater by the commandement of Hircanus furnished him with come and all other necessaries out of Iewry Who being sent Embassadour to Aretas from Scaurus in that he had sometime soiourned with him perswaded him to contribute a certaine summe of siluer to warâ—…antize his countrey from pillage and he himselfe also became pledge for three hundreth talents This done Scaurus finished the warre according to his desire and with no lesse contentment to Aretas and his countrey CHAP. X. Alexander ouercome by Gabinius retireth himselfe into a Castle wherein he is shut vp and besieged NOt long after this Alexander Aristobulus sonne made diuers inroads into Iewry for which cause Gabinius came from Rome into Syria and besides other things worthy of memorie which he atchieued he led forth his army against Alexander for that Hircanus had not as yet sufficient power to resist him being otherwise exercised in building the wals of Ierusalem that were beaten downe by Pompey notwithstanding the Romans that were in Iewry hindred him from performing the same This Alexander trauailing thorow the whole countrey assembled diuers Iewes so that in short time hauing gotten togither ten thousand footmen and fifteene hundreth horse with good munition he fortified the castle of Alexandrion neere vnto the Citie of Coreas He fortified Machaeron also in the mountaines of Arabia Gabinius therfore came forth against him hauing sent before him Marcus Antonius accompanied with other chiefetaines of warre who armed the Romans of their traine and the Iewes that were vnder their obedience whose captaines were Pitholaus and Malichus They tooke also those allies whom Antipater had hired and in this equipage came they to make head against Alexander Gabinius also seconded them with his troupes Hereupon Alexander drew more neere with his army towards Ierusalem where waging battell with the Romans he lost about three thousand of his followers and the like number of his men were led away prisoners After this Gabinius repaired to Alexandrion and inuited those that held the same to depart promising them pardon for the rebellion they had begun And where as many of his enemies had encamped themselues before the fort the Romans charged them in which conflict Marcus Antonius was adiudged to haue behaued himselfe verie valiantlv in that he slew diuers of his enemies Gabinius left a part of his army in that place to the end that during the siege thereof he might go and visit tâ—… countrey of Iudaea he commanded therefore that all those Cities which in his iourney he â—…und either desolate or destroied to be repaired so that Samaria Azot Scythopolis Anthedon Raphia Dora Marissa and Gaza with diuers others were new builded so that thorow the obedience that was giuen to Gabinius commaund it came to passe that the Cities were safely inhabited which had laine long time before desart And after Gabinius had behaued himselfe in this manner in the countrey he returned to Alexandrion Whilest therefore he thus insisted about the siege Alexander sent Embassadours vnto him demaunding pardon at his hand for his offences and restoring into his hands the Castles of Hircania and Machaeron and finally that of Alexandrion which Gabinius leuelled with the ground And whereas Alexanders mother came vnto him who fauoured the Roman faction and whose husband and children were kept prisoners in Rome she obtained all that which she requested at his hands and after he had carefully and friendly disposed of her affaires he led Hircanus to Ierusalem to take charge of the temple and priesthood He ordained also fiue
Caesar hauing ouercome Cassius neere vnto the Citie of Philippi Caesar went from thence into France and Antonius into Asia And being in Bithynia Embassadours resorted vnto him from all parts Thither also repaired certaine principall men among the Iewes to accuse Phasaelus and Herode saying that Hircanus had onely the name but he the authoritie of the kingdome But Antonius greatly honored Herode who came vnto him to answere those accusations that they had imposed on him for which cause they that were his opposites could obtaine no audience for Herode had bought that priuiledge from them with his money As soone as Antonius was arriued in Ephesus Hircanus the high priest and all our nation presently sent an Embassadour vnto him with a crowne of gold requiring him that hee would write vnto the prouinces that the Iewes whom Cassius had taken prisoners contrarie to the lawe of armes might be set at libertie and that their countrey which was taken from them in Cassius time might be restored Antonius supposing that the demaunds which the Iewes had proposed were reasonable wrote backe presently to the high priest Hircanus and the Iewes and sent an edict also to the Tyrians to this effect Marcus Antonius Emperour to Hircanus high Priest and Prince of the Iewes Health If you are well all goeth well I and mine army are in perfect estate Lysimachus the sonne of Pausanias and Ioseph the sonne of Mennaeus and Alexander the sonne of Theodore your Embassadors came vnto me to Ephesus and haue renued the same Embassade which they heretofore brought to Rome and at this present likewise they haue duely and faithfully acquited themselues of the Embassade which they present in the behalfe of you and your nation by giuing vs to vnderstand what affection you beare towards vs so that I esteeme you for our friend sith I am giuen to vnderstand how friendly you haue behaued your selfe towards vs both in words and deeds since we haue had any knowledge of your good and honest conuersation and pietie For at such time as our aduersaries and enemies of the Romane nation spoiled all the countrey of Asia and without regard of their othes spared neither cities nor temples we haue opposed our selues against them not onely for our priuate respect but in the quarrell of the commonweale to the intent to punish the authours of such offences committed agaiust men and of such impieties perpetrated against God for which wee suppose that the sunne hath in a manner obscured himselfe by beholding with vnwilling eies what an hainous offence was committed against Caesar. But wee haue gotten the vpper hand of their impious enterprises which are fallen vpon Macedonia as on the country and ayre from whence proceed such detestable and vngracious desseignes and wee haue likewise cut off the course of their desperate resolution which made them encounter vs neere to Philippi a citie of Macedonia where we seazed their places fortified by nature and enclosed with mountaines as if it were with wals as far as the sea in such manner as the passage was barred vp as it were with a gate had not the gods giuen vs way by resisting their vniust exploits and furthering ours Brutus likewise compelled to fly to Philippi where being inclosed by vs he suffered the like ruine with his consort Cassius and since they haue been punished as they deserued me seemeth that we are seazed of peace and that Asia hath had repose from warre and all the bodie thereof is relieued from a grieuous maladie by the meanes of our victory For which cause remembring vs of you and your nation to the end to increase your good fortunes we will bethinke vs of that which shall be commodious for you and we haue alreadie sent letters from citie to citie to the intent that if any one among you eyther captiue or free man haue beene sold to the vtmost by Caius Cassius or any of that army they may be set at liberty And our will is that you make vse of the bountie which we bestow vpon you both in our selfe as in Dolabellas right forbidding the Tyrians to molest you and commaunding them to restore all that which they haue taken from the Iewes in goods or possessions As for the crowne which you sent me I accept the same Marcus Antonius Emperour to the gouernours Senate and people of Tyre Health I haue been informed in Ephesus by Hircanus embassadours who is high priest and prince of the Iewes that you haue seazed their countrey and spoyled the same at such time as our aduersaries held that prouince But in as much as we haue vndertaken the warre for the Empire and that in defence of right pietie we haue punished these in gratefull disloyall and perfidious persons our will is that you suffer our allies to liue in peace and as touching that which you haue obtained by our aduersaries our pleasure is that you restore the same to those that are dispossessed For no one of them hath obtained either prouince or army by the consent of the Senate but haue rauished them by force and afterwards bestowed them on those who haue beene ministers of their impieties and iniustice But since they haue beene punished according to their deserts we require that our allies may enioy their owne without any impeachment and if you hold any places at this present which belong to Hircanus prince of the Iewes that were seazed since the time that Caius Cassius by vniust warre inuaded our prouinces restore them vnto him without offer of any violence to hinder him from the possession of his owne And if you haue or pretend to haue any right in them at such time as I shall repaire to those places it shall be lawfull for you to debate your right and wee will so iudge as that our allies shall receiue no wrong Marcus Antonius Emperour to the gouernours Senate and people of Tyre Health I haue sent you my edict which my pleasure is that you carefully looke vnto and that you register it amongst your publike records in Romane and Greeke letters and set it vp in writing in an open place to the end that it may be red by all men Marcus Antonius Emperour and Triumuir in the presence of the Tyrians assembled for their publike affaires hath declared that Caius Cassius during the troubles by the assistance of his soldiers hath rauished another mans prouince and hath in like sort spoiled our allies and hath ransackt the nation of the Iewes who are friends to the people of Rome and for that by our valour we haue repressed his insolence by our edicts and iudgements we will correct his offences to the end that all things may be restored to our allies and that all whatsoeuer hath beene sold appertained to the Iews whether they be prisoners or possessions be restored to their masters to the end that each man may be at liberty as he was before and that each mans possessiō may be
passe that the souldiers had all sorts of necessaries at commandement he reedified also the fort of Alexandrion which had been laide desolate About that time Anthony soiourned in Athens and Ventidius was in Syria who hauing sent for Silon to accompany him against the Parthians did first of all charge him to assist Herode in that warre and afterwards to excite the prouinciall confederats to further his warre But Herode dismissing Silon and his company to follow their destinated wars with Ventidius did in his owne person lead out his souldiers against those theeues that liued in dens Now these cau◅ were s◅uare in the most highest and inaccessible mountaines impregnable thorow narrow paths enuironed with sharpe rockes wherein the robbers inhabited secretly with all their families King Herode caused a certaine number of cofers to be made fastned to yron chaines which he caused to be let downe by an engine from the top of the mountaine because it was neither possible by reason of the steepinesse of the hill to ascend the same from beneath neither from aboue to creepe downward against them These chests were filled with soldiers armed with great hookes to draw these theeues vnto them and to breake their necks headlong from the height to the bottome But the vse of these cofers was dangerous for it was necessarie to let them downe an infinite depth into the caues especially for that the theeues had necessary munition among thē notwithstanding when they had gotten downe none of the theeues durst peepe out of the mouthes of their caues but ◅enre constrained them to hold themselues quiet But a certaine souldier hauing girt his sword by his side and taken hold of the chaine with both his hands whereto the cofer was fastned ◅de downē as farre as the entrie of the caue and being displeased that no one issued out he shot diuers arrowes at those that were within and wounded them and after that with his hooke he drewe those vnto him who resisted him and tumbled them downe headlong from the steepy rocke which done hēe rushed in vpon those that were within the caue and slew many of them and afterwards returned and rested himselfe in his cofer Diuers hearing the grones of those that were wounded were surprised with feare and despaire of their life but the nights approch was the cause that the matter was not fully atchieued and many of them receiuing notice of the kings free pardon by a herauld submitted themselues The next day they renued and continued the same manner of fight and diuers issued out of their cofers to fight vpon the outward entrances of the caues into which they cast fire which for that there was great quantitie of wood in the caues did quickly burne Within these caues there was a certaine olde man apprehended with his wife and seuen sonnes who being required by them that he would suster them to go and submit themselues to their enemies tooke vp the entrie of the caue and as his sonnes aduaunced themselues to issue out he slew them vntill such time as he had inassacred them all and after them his wife and finally when he had cast their dead bodies downe the rockes he threw himselfe downe headlong after them preferring death before seruitude Yet before his death he reuiled Herode in bitter words and vpbraided him of his obscuritie and ignoble race and although Herode who saw all that which had happened stretched out his hand vnto him and promised him pardon yet would he not respect him and by this meanes were all these caues entered and the theeues therein taken Now when the king had established Ptolomey captaine ouer the souldiers in that region he retired himselfe into Samaria with six hundreth horsemen and three thousand footmen with a resolution to fight with Antigonus so to end their quarrel But Ptolomey had but very slender successe in his gouernment for they that before time had troubled the countrey of Galilee sallied out vpon him and ouerthrew him After which execution they fled into the Marishes and vnaccessible places where they robbed and spoiled all the countrey But Herode returning and setting vpon them punished them for he slew some of them and the rest were constrained to flie into strong places where he besieging them and entring their fortresses perforce slew the men and destroied their fortifications and hauing brought this rebellion to an end he condemned the Cities to pay him the summe of one hundreth talents Meane while Pacorus was slaine in warre and the Parthians were discomfited with him which was the cause that Ventidius sent Machaeras to succor Herode with two legions and 1000. horse and that by the commandement of Antonius But Machaeras was drawn by Antigonus who corrupted him with mony and notwithstanding Herodes contradiction and disswasion yet resorted he vnto him alleadging that he did it to looke into his actions But Antigonus suspecting his sodaine approch intertained him not but caused him to be darted at and driuen thence giuing him to vnderstand by his entertainment what opinion he had of him and how he was affected towards him who at that time perceiued plainly that Herode had giuen him good counsaile and that himselfe had misdone in misbeleeuing his aduice for which cause he returned to the Citie Emaus and slew all those Iewes whom he met withall in the way whether friends or enemies so highly displeased was he at that which had hapned Herode sore mooued hereat came to Samaria resoluing with himselfe to post vnto Antonius to complaine of these agrieuances considering that he had no need of such associates who did him more harme then his enemies whereas of himselfe he was able to make good his warre against Antigonus But Machaeras hasted after him requiring him to stay and to trauell no further on that iourney or if he might not be diuerted he praied him to leaue his brother Ioseph behind him who might with them make war against Antigonus By these perswasions and instant intreaties of Machaeras he was some what appeased so that he left his brother Ioseph behinde him with an army charging him no waies to hazard his fortune or to fall at ods with Machaeras As for himselfe he hasted toward Anthony who at that time besieged Samosata a Citie scituate neere vnto Euphrates hauing with him an army of his associates both horsmen and footmen When Herode was arriued in Antioch he found diuers men assembled there who were desirous to go seeke out Anthony but they durst not set forward on the way for fear least certaine Barbarians should set vpon them and kill them in their iourney these did Ierode assure and offered himselfe to be their guide vpon the way Now when they came to their second bait some two daies iourney off of Samosata the Barbarians laid an ambush for them and had barred vp the way with hurdles and had likewise hidden certaine horsemen thereabouts who should lie
in couert vntill such time as the passengers had recouered the plaine Now when the formost were past the ambush consisting of about some fiue hundreth horsemen sodainly charged Herode who was in the rereward when as therefore they had broken the former ranks whom they had met Herode with his troupe that was about him incontinently repulsed them and after he had encouraged his followers and whetted them on to the fight he wrought so much that he made those that fled to turne their faces and to fight so that the Barbarians were put to the sword on all sides The king also pursued them so long vntill at last he recouered that which had been taken by them which was a certaine number of sumpter horses and slaues But being charged afresh by others and they in greater number then those who encountred him at first he likewise rallying his forces togither charged and ouercame them and killing diuers of them he secured the way to those that followed after who al of them acknowledged him for their preseruer and guide When he drew neere vnto Samosata Anthony sent out his army in goodly array to meete and honour him and with all to succour him in that he had heard that the Barbarians had assailed him As soone as he came to Anthonies presence he entertained him kindly and after he had heard that which had befallen him in the way he embraced him in admiration of his vertue and did him great honour as to him whom a little before he had raised to royall dignitie Not long after this Antiochus surrendred the fort of Samosata to Anthony and vpon this occasion the warre was ended Whereupon Anthony committed the prouince with the army to Sosius and after he had commanded him to succour Herode he departed into Aegypt Sosius therefore sent two legions of souldiers before into Iudaea to succour Herode and afterwards hee followed with the rest of his army In the meane while Ioseph died in Iewry on this occasion that ensueth For forgetting his brother Herodes commandement which he gaue him at such time as he repaired to Anthony hee tooke to him fiue companies of souldiers which Machaeras had left him and marching towards Ierico to gather in the fruits of the field he pitched his tents vpon the mountaines And for that the Roman troupes were but newly leuied consisted of those men who were vntrained in the wars and for the most part were gathered out of the countrey of Coelesyria the enemies hauing aduertisement hereof assailed and surprised him in certaine places of disaduantage where there was a hot skirmish betweene them in which Ioseph died fighting valiantly and all his army was discomfited for six companies of them were slaine After that the dead bodies were at Antigonus command he cut off Iosephs head which Phaeroras his brother ransomed for the price of fiftie talents Which done the Galileans reuolting from their gouernours drowned Herodes partakers in the lake so that diuers commotions and troubles were raised in Iewry Machaeras he fortified the Castle of Geth This misfortune of Iosephs was reported to the king in a certaine suburbe of Antioch called Daphne who before the tidings had already conceiued some suspition and feare grounded vpon certaine dreames which gaue him certaine intelligence of his brothers death Departing therefore from thence with all expedition hee arriued neere to the mount Libanus where he tooke about 800. men with him and a Roman legion which he had and from thence came to Ptolemais from whence he departed with his army by night and crossed Galilee with them Wherupon the enemies came forth against him and were ouercome by him and shut vp in a fort from whence they were departed but the day before where Herode assailed them by breake of day But being vnable to offer them any preiudice by reason of the indisposition of the weather he led his men into the villages neer adioyning But when Antonius second legion was come and annexed to his forces they that were within the forte were dismaied and forsooke the same by night So that Herode marched with all diligence to Iericho with an intent to reuenge his brothers death and being encamped neere vnto the same hee banquetted and entertained the chieftaines of his armie and after the feast was ended and he had dismissed his companie hee withdrewe himselfe into his lodging In vvhich place it appeared how much God loued the king for the roofe of the house where hee had solemnized his feast fell downe vvithout hurt to any one vvhomsoeuer for no man was left vvithin it Whence it came to passe that each one perswaded himselfe that Herode vvas beloued by God considering hee had auoyded so great and vnexpected a perill The next day sixe thousand of his enemies came downe from the toppe of the mountaines to fight with him who affrighted the Romanes and their forelorne hope chased Herodes soldiers with darts and stones who was himselfe also hurt in the thigh with an arrow Antigonus sent a captaine to Samaria whose name was Pappas with some soldiers intending thereby to signifie vnto his enemies that he had more men of warre then he needed Pappus drew neere to Machaeras the Romane captaine and as touching Herode he tooke fiue cities by force and put some two thousand of them that were in garrison to the sword and afterwards hauing set the houses on fire he went out to encounter Pappus who was encamped in aborough called Isanas Diuers that came from Iericho Iurie submitted themselues to Herode who drawing neere the enemie who marched forward with great hardines fought with him and ouercame him and being inflamed with a great desire that he had to reuenge his brothers death he pursued them that fled and slue them euen within their borough The houses were incontinently filled with men of war and diuers fled hid themselues vpon the tops therof who were at last taken for the roofes of the houses were beaten downe and he saw that all was filled with soldiers whereby diuers were slaine by stones that were darted at them from aboue and afterwards cast and kild them by heapes which was the most grieuous spectacle of all those that had hapned in those warres to see an infinite number of bodies hidden one vnder another amidst the roumes of the houses This exploite of Herode did verie much abate the courage of his enemie who hereafter expected farre more worse fortune at his hands For a man might haue seene them flie away in heapes and had not a sodaine and forcible tempest fallen vpon them the triumphant army of Herode had incontinently entered Ierusalem with assurance of victory which had made a finall end of all that warre For Antigonus each day bethought him how to fly away and to forsake the citie But for that it was alreadie growen darke Herode commaunded his soldiers to refresh themselues and for that he himselfe was wearie
and delight At the foote of this hill there are two houses worthie the sight for diuers their singularities namely by reason of those conduits of water which although they spring or in that place yet notwithstanding are they brought from farre with great cost and expence The plaine that adioyneth vpon it is all full of buildings after the manner of a citie and the top of the castle commaundeth all the plaine As soone as therefore he had disposed all his affaires according to his hearts desire he possessed his kingdome in great quietnes for that he made his subiects obediēt vnto him both by feare in shewing himselfe inexorable when it concerned him to punish and by liberality whereby he prouided for their publike necessities he therefore tooke an especiall care of himselfe as if the life and safetie of his person had beene the securitie of his people He behaued himselfe officiously and fauourably towards all forraine cities he entertained the princes by presents which according to his occasions he sent vnto them to insinuate himselfe into their fauours being in his owne nature magnificent and fit to gouerne so that all his fortunes increased and all things fell out happily according to his hearts desire True it is that the care which he imployed in honouring Caesar and other mightie magistrates of Rome caused him to outstrip his customes and to falsifie diuers ordinances of his countrey in building cities and erecting temples in honour of them although he builded them not in the land of Iury for the Iewes would not haue endured it because we are forbidden to honour Images and figures formed according to the likenes of a man as the Greekes are accustomed to do but he did this in the countrey and forraine cities and excused himselfe to the Iewes saying that he did it not of his owne head but performed that according to the charge and commaundement which he had from others who were greater then himselfe and in the meane while gratified Caesar and the Romanes in that he respected their honour more then he did the ordinances of his countrey although in all things he had a respect to his particular aduantage and determined with himselfe to leaue behind him after his death large and ample testimonies of his power and greatnes which was the cause that he builded cities with great charge and expence CHAP. XIII The building of the Citie of Caesarea WHen as therefore he had found out a fit and conuenient place vpon the sea coast to build a citie on which of long time had beene called the tower of Straton he both magnificently designed and set downe the modell and forme thereof and made many sumptuous buildings both of royall pallaces and of other priuate lodgings not builded after a sleight manner or of weake and fading matter but of marble stone But the greatest and busiest worke of all was the hauen which he made exempt and free from stormes and tempests that in greatnes resembled that of Piraeus and was so spacious that it was able to receiue many great ships into the road and had diuers roumes and warehouses to lay vp the merchandize therein And the more admirable was this pile because the stuffe that was fit to finish this so great work was not gathered or gotten in that place but must needly be brought from another place vpon great charge and expence This citie is seated in Phoenicia vpon the coast in the way to Aegypt betweene Ioppe and Dora certaine villages scituate vpon the sea coasts vnfit either for landing or harbour by reason of the Affricke wind that driuing the sand of the sea vpon the shore giueth not any quiet road vnto the ships but that the marchants are enforced for a long time to ride at ancor To correct this incommoditie of the place he made the circuit round about the port so spacious that it was able to receiue a great fleet and he cast downe to the bottome thereof which was about some twentie fathoms deepe certaine huge stones that for the most part were fifty foot long eight foot broad and nine foot high some more and some lesse The pile that was erected vpon this to affront the sea was a pane of two hundreth foot the halfe whereof was opposed against the waues to breake the fury of the streame and for this cause was called in the Greeke tongue Procymation that is to say Before floud The other halfe serued as a foundation to beare vp a wall of stone fortified with diuers towers the chiefest whereof was a faire pile or building which was called Drusus in memorie of Drusus Caesars sonne in law who died very young it had also diuers retreats or hostries in the same into which the mariners were receiued and lodged The descent being hard by encompassed all the portlike a round platforme that serued for a pleasant walking place for whom soeuer listed The entrance and mouth of the hauen was toward the north which is a wind that of all other most purifieth and cleanseth The supporter and strength of all the circuit on the left hand vpon the entrance to the port was an ample and huge tower to fasten it the more strongly and on the right hand were two huge pillars of stone more higher then the tower that stood opposite against them erected and fastned togither All round about the hauen there were certaine buildings abutting one vpon another of pollished marble and in the midst there was a little hillocke on which there was a certaine monument placed in honor of Caesar which presented it selfe to their sight who sayled to the port in which there were the figares of the Citie of Rome and of Caesar. This citie also was called Caesarea as much to be wondred at for the matter whereof it was built as for the arte whereby it was erected and no lesse cunning was there shewed in the vaults and conduits vnder ground then in those buildings that were aboue them some of them were conuaied toward the port and discharged themselues into the sea by certaine compassed spaces but there was one that went athwarts that comprehended all the rest to the end that there by the raine-water and the clensings of the Citie might be conuaied into the sea and that when the sea should flow it might wash and cleanse all the citie He erected also a Theater of stone and behinde the same to the Southward an Amphitheater that was able to receiue a great number of men and so pleasantly and fitly scituated that stom the same a man might discouer the sea This Citie was finished at the end of twelue yeers during which time the king was neither wearied by intending the worke nor negligent in furnishing the necessarie charges After this perceiuing that the Citie of Sebaste was already inhabited also hee resolued to send his two sonnes Alexander and Aristobulus to Rome to present them vnto the Emperour Caesar who no sooner
lay by their armes and kept them safely bound as I had commanded them Hereof Leui who had the charge of this quarter certified me by his letters for which cause dissembling the matter for some two daies I sent letters to the Tiberians by which I counselled them that laying their armes aside they should dismisse euery one to his own dwelling place But they returned me an iniurious answer for they supposed that Ionathan and his traine were alreadie arriued in Ierusalem But I setting light by their iniuries resolued to circumuent them by this cunning stratageme For I thought it a dangerous matter to kindle warre against the Citizens Being therefore verie willing to draw them out of their wals I chose out ten thousand of my best souldiers whom I distributed into three bands and lodged one companie of them secretly at Dora to lie there in ambush I encamped also an other thousand in a certaine burrough scituate in a mountainous place some foure stades distant from Tiberias commanding them that as soone as I gaue them a watchword or signe they should breake forth as for my selfe I withdrew my selfe and kept in the open field and sate me downe on the grasse Which when the Tiberians perceiued they made continuall excursions towards me vsing many bitter and iniurious taunts against me and so great folly possessed them that they spred a magnificent couch in the open plaine and marching round about the same they scornfully seemed to lament me as if I had lien therein whilest in the meane time I tooke pleasure to laugh and looke vpon their follies But being verie desirous to surprise Simon by some pollicie and Ioazar also with him I sent vnto them req◅ring them that they would march forth a little without their walles attended by their friends and guard for their securitie sake For that I was determined to conferre with them vpon a peace and to confirme the one halfe of the gouernment vnto them Hereupon Simon deceiued by his follie and ouercome and blinded with greedie desire came forth with all expedition but Ioazar suspecting some stratageme would not aduenture without the wals As soone as I saw Simon attended by his friends and guard I went out to meete him and embraced him kindly giuing him thankes for that he was come downe anon after walking along with him as if I intended to communicate somewhat with him in secret I withdrew him from his friends and laying hands on him I deliuered him to my friends to lead him into the burrough and gaue a signe vnto my souldiers that they should come downe and with them I assaulted the Citie of Tiberias There was a sharpe skirmish on both sides and the Tiberians had welnie gotten the victorie For my souldiers began to flie but perceiuing how the matter went I animated those of my companie and with them gaue a valiant onset on the Tiberians who almost had the better and chased them into their Citie and sent an other company by the lake to set fire on those houses which they should first fall vpon Hereupon the Tiberians thought that their Citie was taken by force and cast downe their weapons for feare praying me to haue compassion of their wiues and children and to pardon their Citie For this cause being mooued with compassion I restrained the furie of my souldiers and for that it was late I retired my selfe with my souldiers both to the intent I might spare the Citie and relieue my wearie and wounded souldiers Hereupon I sent for Simon to come and banquet with me and comforted him in his misfortune promising him to send him to Ierusalem and to assure him in his iourney homeward and to furnish him for his ordinarie expences with all things necessary The next day I assembled tenne thousand souldiers and presently made mine entrie into Tiberias and hauing assembled the chiefest citizens in the horse race I commaunded them to discouer vnto me who they were that were the authors of that rebellion who hauing satisfied me I laid hands on them and bound them and sent them incontinently to Iotapata As for Ionathan and his consortes I set them at liberty and gaue them money for their charges and sent thē backe to Ierusalem with Simon Ioazar and fiue hundreth souldiers for their guard Hereupon the Tiberians reassembled themselues before me beseeching me to pardon their misdeeds promising me to recompence by their future fidelitie their forepassed and foule faults beseeching me also to restore those goods vnto the citizens which in way of pillage were taken from them Whereupon I gaue a present commaund that all the pray should be brought and laid before me and whereas the souldiers delaid to performe the same I spying one of those souldiers that stood by me better apparelled then he was wont to be asked him where he had gotten that garment who confessing that he had taken it in the spoile of the citie I chasticed him with strokes and threatned a worser punishment to all those that would not restore that which they had taken away whereby recouering a great part of the pray togither I gaue euery citizen that which he knew to be his owne In this place I cannot chuse but in some sort I must reprehend Iustus who wrote vpon this argument and others who promising a historie are not afraid in contempt of truth either for fauour or hatred to commit lies to their posteritie For they differ nothing from counterfaiters of euidences and racers of records But for that these men are more corrupted by impunitie For he to the end he might seeme to imploy his time well vndertaking to set downe the euents of this warre hath belied me in many things and hath not beene ashamed to belie his owne countrey For which cause I am necessarily inforced in this place to discouer that which hitherto I haue concealed to reproue that which he hath falsely testified of me neither is it to be wondered at that I haue so long time deferred the performance therof For whosoeuer writeth a historie ought of necessitie to speake the truth yet is it not lawfull for him to inueigh against the wickedder sort too vehemently not for that they are worthie of this fauour but for his owne modesties sake Tell me therefore Iustus for thou desirest to be held for the man of greatest note amongst all other historians and art not ashamed to vaunt and boast thy selfe of that title tell me I pray thee in familiaritie for I must so talke with thee as if thou wert present before me how I and the Galileans haue beene the authors of that rebellion which thy countrey began both against the Romans and their King For before I was chosen gouernor of Galilee by the people of Ierusalem both thou and all the Tiberians were not onely vp in armes but had alreadie made warre against the ten cities of Syria Thy selfe hadst burnt their villages and one of thy seruants
librarie and caused them to be published being subscribed with his owne hand As for king Agrippa he sent me seuentie two Epistles testifying the truth of my bookes whereof two of them are vnderwritten to the end that the truth may appeare thereby King Agrippa to his deere friend Ioseph Health I haue with great contentment ouer-red thy booke wherein thou seemest in my opinion to haue handled this matter more exactly then any other For which cause I pray thee send me the rest Fare well my deere friend King Agrippa to Ioseph his deere friend Health I perceiue by thine owne writing that thou needest no intelligence from me how matters haue passed from the beginning yet when wee meet next I will betweene me and thee certifie thee of certaine things which thou knowest not Thus was he a witnesse of the truth of my accomplished historie not flattering me for it became him not neither deriding me as you perhaps may obiect for farre was it from so noble a minde to be subiect to so seruile a folly but only to this end that the truth of my writings might be commended to the reader by the worth of his testimonie And thus much haue I thought good to set downe in way of answere to Iustus Now as soone as I had pacified these troubles in Tiberias and had established a councell of such as were well affected towards me I bethought my selfe of that which concerned me to doe in respect of Iohn All they of Galilee were of the opinion that I should arme them all and that in battell array I should march against Iohn and doe iustice vpon him as he that had beene the author of all this mischiefe But for mine owne part I misliked their counsels for that my desire was to extinguish these troubles without bloudshed and for that cause I incited them with all diligence that was possible to learne the names of all those who serued vnder him which being done and I made priuie what they were I published a proclamation by which I promised both safetie and pardon to all those that would forsake Iohn assigning them the terme of twentie daies to determine of that which seemed best for their owne securitie and I threatned to set fire on their houses and confiscate their goods except they gaue ouer their armes They hearing these things were greatly troubled and forsooke Iohn and after they had laid downe their weapons they came vnto me to the number of foure thousand so that onely fifteene hundreth men remained with Iohn or thereabouts either of Citizens or strangers of Tyre When Iohn perceiued that he was circumuented by this policie he euer after remained quiet in his country in great feare At that time the Sephorites grew so bold that they tooke armes vnder the confidence and strength of their wals and for that they saw me distracted with other businesse They therefore sent to Cestius Gallus gouernour of Syria praying him to repaire vnto them with all expedition to take possession of their Citie or to send them a garrison of men at the least Gallus promised to come vnto them but he set downe no certaine time of his approch whereof when I was aduertised I tooke the men of warre that I had and marched against the Sephorites and tooke their Citie by force The Galileans verie glad of this opportunitie and supposing the time was come wherein they might satisfie the insatiable hatred that they bare against that Citie marched on with that intent as if they would haue wholy ruinated the Citie with all the inhabitants They therefore trauailed the streetes and set fire on the houses which they found wholy desolate For the inhabitants were fled away for feare and were retired into a fortresse They therefore ransackt all things and left nothing vnspoiled neither was there any kinde of miserie which they inflicted not on their countrimen Which when I sawe I was sore griened and commanded them to giue ouer signifying vnto them that it was impietie in them to shew themselues so sauage towards their countrimen And seeing that neither by anie praier or commaund that I made I could draw them to obedience for that their hatred surpassed my counsels I commanded those that were about me and whom I most trusted to spred a rumour that the Romanes charged vs on the other side of the Citie with great force All which I did to the ende that by this rumour I might pacifie the furie of the Galileans and saue the Citie of Sephoris and this policie took good effect For when they heard this newes they were affraid and forsooke their pillage to trust to their heeles in especial for that I who was their general did the like For I made a shew that I beleeued the rumour to be as true as they belieued it and by this stratageme the Citie Sephoris was saued beyond all hope And hardly escaped Tiberias from being spoiled by the Galileans thorow this occasion which ensueth The chiefest of their councell wrote vnto the king that he should come vnto them and take possession of their Citie The king promised to satisfie them verie shortly and answered them by his letters and deliuered them to one of his chamber called Crispus a Iewe borne to carrie them to the Tiberians The Galileans knowing this messenger tooke him and brought him vnto me which when the common people vnderstood of meere spleene they fell to armes and the next daie diuers of them assembled themselues from all parts and came to the Citie of Asoch where I made my aboad and made huge exclamations calling the Tiberians traitours and the kings friends and demaunding of me licence and libertie that they might repaire to Tiberias and race 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 I might deliuer the Tiberians from that displeasure which the Galileans had conceiued against them for I could not denie but that the Tiberians had written and sent for the king for the answere which he made them did euidently expresse the truth And hauing a long while debated the matter with my selfe I said vnto them I know as well as you that the Tiberians haue offended neither will I hinder you from spoiling their Citie yet must you proceede to the execution thereof with some iudgement For the Tiberians alone doe not betray our libertie but others also who are more accounted of in the countrey of Galilee Stay therfore vntil such time as I am thorowly informed who they be that are authors of this treason and then shall you haue them all vnder your hands with all those amongst them whom you may particularly thinke woorthy punishment By these perswasions I woon the people who departed from me wholy contented and pacified As for the messenger that was sent by the king I caused him to be imprisoned hauing respect to an vrgent
any grudge and when men fell downe dead they amongst the rest complained of this wickednes By this deceitfull meanes they were a long time vnsuspected vnknowen And first of all they killed Ionathas the high priest after him euery day some were slaine and the citie was put in a feare worse then death it selfe for each man euery moment expected death as though it had beene amidst open warres likewise euerie one cast a diligent eye vpon those that came neere him also no man trusted his familiar friends and yet were they murthered whilst they were looking about them to escape daunger So cunningly did these theeues couer and conceale their actions Moreouer there arosean other sort of mischieuous people who did not so much harme with their hands as the first but with their impious counsell more and did no lesse trouble the quiet estate of the citie then did the theeues These people being vagabonds and iuglers desiring alteration vnder pretence of religion made the people as it were madde for they went into the wildernes affirming that there God would shew them tokens of their liberty Felix perceiuing that their action tended to rebellion sent an army of horse and footmen against these people and killed a great many of them But a certaine Aegytian a false Prophet caused a farre greater massacre among the Iewes then that was for being a Magician he came into the countrey and calling himselfe a Prophet he gathered vnto him almost thirtie thousand Iewes who were by his magicke artes seduced and leading them from the wildernes to mount Oliuet he determined from thence to goe to Ierusalem and to driue backe the forces of the Romans to vse his authoritie ouer the people He had for his guard those that came to follow him Felix foreseeing his intent met him with his legions of armed Romans whom the other Iewes assisting and fighting against him the Aegyptian with a few fled and many that were with him were taken and committed to prison and the rest of the multitude dispersed themselues euerie one in his countrey These being thus repressed the other part as it hapneth in a sicke bodie began to rise for some of the Magitians and the theeues being gathered togither they brought many vnto miserie and as it were exhorted them to libertie threatning present death to those that obeyed the Romans so that they forced them who were contented with their subiection to the Romans to disobey them These people being dispersed al ouer the countrey robbed and sacked Noblemens and rich mens houses moreouer killed them and fiâ—…ed the villages so that all Iudaea was in extreame feare ofthem and euerie day their crueltie increased At this time arose another tumult at Caesarea by a sedition raised betweene the Iewes that dwelt there and the Syrians The Iewes challenged the citie to be theirs because it was founded by Herod who was a Iew. But the Syrians denying not but that the builder of the citie was a Iew yet they affirmed that it belonged to the Gentiles for said they it had not been lawfull for the founder to haue placed in it shrines and statuaes if he had meant that it should haue belonged to the Iewes So that hereupon there arose a great controuersie amongst the Iewes and Syrians in so much as the one fought against the other and euerie day those that were the hardiest of both parts fought together For the elder sort of the Iewes could not restraine those of their nation from being seditious and the Greeks scorned to giue place vnto the Iewes The Iewes ouercame them in riches and strength of bodie and the Graecians ouercame the Iewes by helpe of souldiers for a great companie of the Roman armie came thither out of Syria and they were ready to assist the Syrians because they were as it were of their kinred consanguinitie The captaines of the souldiers endeuoured to appease the tumult and tooke those that were most seditious on both parts and beat them and cast them in prison But the punishment of those that were apprehended did not terrifie the rest nay they were here by made more seditious When Felix saw this by a streight edict he banished those who were most seditious out of the Citie those that obeyed not he sent souldiers and slew them suffering their goods to be taken by the souldiers The sedition being still on foot he sent the Nobilitie on either part to Nero to plead their right and title Festus succeded Felix who diligently persecuted them that troubled the countrie and destroyed manie theeues CHAP. II. Of Albinus and Florus Presidents of Iudaea BVt Albinus who succeeded Festus followed not his steps for there was no iniquitie so great wherein he was not plunged Furthermore he did not onely take away by force mens goods from them vnder colour of iustice and at his owne pleasure exact a greater tribute but also freed and let loose anie one whom either the souldiers of the Citie tooke or his predecessors had left in prison so that their friends would giue a peece of money and they only who were not able to giue mony were imprisoned as most hainous offenders At this time they in Ierusalem that desired alteration began to take courage those which were rich among them feed Albiâ—…s with mony to permit them to be seditious the common people that could not bee in quiet ioyned themselues with Albinus fauourites and euerie one of them had a troupe of theeues after him But Albinus himselfe was ouer them all as a tyrant and prince of theeues and he vsed the helpe of his guard to rob the meaner sort so they whose houses were sacked and spoyled were glad to hold their peace and they who yet had escaped were glad to be verie officious towards those who deserued death for feare they should suffer the like In general no man could trust one another there were then many tyrants and from that time the seedes of captiuitie which after befell began to take roote Notwithstanding that Albinus was of such behauiour yet Gessius Florus who succeeded him so behaued himselfe that in comparison of him Albinus might haue beene thought a good Gouernour For Albinus did all things secretly and craftily but Gessius committed anie iniquitie how great soeuer so openly as though he gloried in his impietie and behaued himselfe nor as a ruler of the countrie but as a hangman sent to execute malefactors omitting no manner of theft nor anie meanes whereby he might afflict the people Where he ought to haue shewed pitie there was he a tyrant and where he ought to haue beene ashamed there lice shewed himselfe shamelesse No man euer could inuent more meanes to obscure truth deuise more waies to do harme then he for it sufficed him not for his owne gaine to abuse men one by one at his pleasure but he wasted and spoyled whole cities at once and destroyed
seruice of the rest that were all strong young men he sent six thousand vnto Nero at Isthmos neere Corinth The rest of the multitude he sould in number thirtie thousand and foure hundreth beside others that he gaue vnto Agrippa for he permitted him to do what he would with those that were of his kingdome But Agrippa sould also those who were giuen him The rest of them were fugitiues and seditious persons of Trachon Gaulanitis and Hippenis and many of Gadara whose contempt of peace iustly procured these warres They were taken the sixt of the Ides of September THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE WARRES OF THE IEWES WRITTEN BY FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the 4. booke 1 How Gamala was besieged 2 How Placidus tooke Itaburium 3 How Gamala was destroyed 5 How Titus tooke Giscala 5 Of the beginning of the destruction of Ierusalem 6 Of the comming of the Idumaeans vnto Ierusalem and of their deeds 7 Of the Massacre of the Iewes by the Idumaeans CHAP. I. How Gamala was besieged AFter that Tarichea was conquered all those that from the time that Iotapata was surprised til this instant had reuolted from the Romans did now againe vnite themselues vnto them so that the Romans had now gotten into their hands all Castles and townes Giscala only excepted and Itaburium a mountaine so called With these two rebelled Gamala a towne ouer against Tarichea and situated vpon the lake belonging to the kingdome of Agrippa and also Sogane and Seleucia and these two last were both belonging vnto Gaulanitis and Sogane appertained to the higher part called Gaulana and Gamala vnto the lower Seleucia vnto the lake Semechonitis which is thirtie furlongs in breadth and threescore large whose marishes reach euen vnto Daphne which Countrie is verie pleasant of it selfe and famous for that it entertaineth the streame called little Iordan and at the foote of the golden mountaine deriueth it into great Iordan Agrippa in the beginning of the rebellion vnited Sogane and Seleucia vnto himselfe but Gamala by reason of the situation apt to resist did not yeeld vnto him for it is farre stronger then Iotapata For from an exceeding high mountaine there descendeth a hill verie difficult for any to passe rising high in the middest and then descendeth lower and lower both before and behind so that it representeth the figure of a Camel which the Hebrewes call Gamal and so thereof it tooke the name though the Inhabitants doe not keepe that exact signification Before it and on either side there are deepe vallies into the which a man can hardly descend onely it may be taken and assaulted on that side where it ioyneth vnto the mountaine which also the Inhabitants haue made inaccessible by cutting out there a deep ditch In that place the Citie was verie well inhabited on the descent of the hill and towards the South part it stood on so steepe a hill that it seemed as though it would haue fallen euerie houre and the South hill serued the Inhabitants in steed of a Castle being vnwalled for it was an exceeding high rocke and reached downe euen vnto the bottome of the valley in the towne and at the wals thereof there was a fountaine Although this Citie were of his owne nature inuincible yet Ioseph compassing it with a wall and with ditches and mines made it more strong Wherefore the Inhabitants of this place put farre more confidence in their wals then they of Iotapata did yet were they fewer in number and not so warlike people as they but for the situation of the Citie they esteemed themselues more then their enemies for the Citie was full of men that fled thither by reason of the strength of the place so that for seuen moneths they resisted them that were sent by Agrippa to besiege them Vespasian departed from Ammaus and pitched his Tents before Tyberias and so went vnto Gamala Ammaus is interpreted hot waters for there is a fountaine of hot water which cureth many diseases and the Citie was so situate that he could not besiege 〈◊〉 round about wherefore he placed men to keepe watch in such places as it was passible and obteined the highest mountaine where his souldiers pitching their Tents lastly intrenched themselues On the East part of the Citie in the most eminent place there was a Castle where the fifteenth and fifth legions laboured against the towne and the â—…th legion filled vp the ditches and vallies King Agrippa went vnto the wals and spake vnto them that defended them willing them to yeeld vnto the Romanes but one of them with a sling stroke him on the right arme and hurt him his familiar friends came about him to defend him Then the Romans for anger that the king was hurt and for feare of such mischances to themselues made them earnest to assault the towne perswading themselues that they would vse strangers and their enemies hardly if it lay in their lot seeing they had so euill entreated one of their owne nation for perswading them vnto that was profitable for them Hauing quickly intrenched themselues by reason of the multitude that laboured in that businesse and by reason that they were accustomed vnto such like worke they began to place the engine against the towne wals Chares and Ioseph were two of the most potent men in the towne they therefore animated and armed their Citizens and brought them vnto the wals who trembled for feare And although they well perceiued that the Citie could not long hold out seeing they wanted water and many other things necessarie to withstand a siege yet notwithstanding they exhorted the townes men to be valiant and so brought them vnto the wals and a while they resisted notwithstanding the shot but at last they were therewith so terrified that leauing the wals they fled into the Citie Then the Romans did batter the wals with Ramms in three seuerall places and where the wall fell there they issued in with trumpets and a great noyse and cries and fought with the townes-men who in the first conflict so valiantly resisted them that they permitted them not to enter any further into the towne at last being ouercome both in strength and number they all fled into the highest part of the Citie and from thence they turned againe vpon the Romanes who pursued them and draue them downe into the vallies and killed many and diuers in that streight passage were troden to death by their fellowes The Romans seeing that they neither could flie nor resist their enemies aboue their heads fled into their houses which adioyned vnto the plaine and so filled them that being ouercharged they fell downe and lighted vpon other houses beneath them which did beare them downe also and they likewise others situated beneath them Many of the Romanes this way perished for being amazed and not knowing what to do they fled into other houses notwithstanding they did see them shak and
totter and many seeking to escape were maimed by some part of the ruines that fell vpon their bodies and many were choaked in the dust The Citizens of Gamala reioyced thereat thinking that this aide was sent from God and not regarding their priuate commodities they ceased not to compell the Romans into their houses and if any were in the narrow streetes them they slew with darts from aboue out of the high places Thus the ruines affoorded them stones enough and their slaine enemies swords and armour which they tooke from them being now halfe dead and vsed them against themselues many died who cast themselues headlong from off the houses being readie to fall and those that sought to flie could not easily escape for being ignorant of the wayes and there being such a dust that one could not see another one of them killed another And so with much adoe finding passage they went out of the Citie Vespasian who was alway amongst the middest of these hurlyburlyes was greatly moued to see the buildings fall so vpon his fouldiers and forgetting his owne safetie hee secretly retired himselfe with onely a few into the higher part of the Citie where he was left in great danger hauing verie few about him for Titus his sonne was not there being before this time sent vnto Mutianus in Syria and now he could not flie safely nor yet had it beene for his honour if hee could Wherefore remembring all that hee had done euen from his child-hood and his owne vertue he encouraged his men and with them ioyned armes and couered themselues with their shields and so as it were moued with some diuine motions defended themselues from all darts arrowes and stones which were cast from aloft vpon them and so remained there not terrified either by the number or might of his enemies till at last they wondring at his diuine vertue and courage asswaged their furie And now perceiuing his enemies to assault him but faintly he retired backe till at such time as he got without the Citie wals Many Romanes perished in that fight and amongst the rest Ebutius a Decadarch who not onely in that fight shewed himselfe valiant but also in many warres before and had done the Iewes much harme Also in that fight a certaine Centurion named Gallus accompanied with ten souldiers hid himselfe in a house and at supper time he heard the people of that house talke what the Citizens of Gamala were purposed to doe against the Romans this Gallus and they with him were Syrians and in the night time he slew them all and after escaped safe vnto the Romans Vespasian perceiued all his armie sorrowfull for that mischance and so much the more for that they neuer as yet had so bad a breakfast and especially for that they had forsaken their generall and left him in danger and distresse wherefore hee thought it good to comfort them nothing speaking conceming himselfe least hee should seeme to find fault with some in the beginning of his speech Wherefore hee told them that it behooued them patiently to abide that which was common to all men affirming that there was no victorie without bloudshed and that fortune was mutable and that he had alreadie slaine many thousand Iewes and now had paide a small bribe for his happie successe vnto aduerse fortune And that as it did not become any but vaineglorious people to boast in their prosperitie so it behooued none but cowards to feare and tremble in aduersitie For said he fortune is verie mutable both to the good and bad and hee is a valiant man that is not moued by aduersitie for hee hauing all his wits about him can euen in the middest of his troubles see where any fault is amend it Yet quoth he this hath not befallen vs throgh the weaknesse of our courage or the valour and prowes of the Iewes but the difficultie of the place was the cause that they should ouercome vs and we be ouercome Wherefore one may well reprehend the too much rashnesse of your spirits for when you saw your enemies flie into the higher places you should then haue held your hands and not to haue pursued them with so manifest danger to your selues as euerie one might foresee in this pursuite so you hauing gained the lower part of the Citie you might in time haue drawne them to a sure and safe conflict but you being eager of the victorie you did not respect your owne safetie It is not the manner of the Romanes rashly and vnaduisedly to fight who are woont to doe all thinges orderly and aduisedly for the other is fit for barbarous people and as you see proper to the Iewes Wherefore let vs call our owne vertues to minde and rather bee angrie for this that hath happened and so incite our selues to reuenge then sorrowfull And let euerie valiant soldier with his owne hand comfort himselfe so shall we both reuenge the deaths of our friends and be reuenged of them by whom they were slaine and I my selfe as also now I did will expose my selfe to all dangers with you and go first to fight and come last from fight With these and such like speeches he comforted his souldiers The people of Gamala were of great courage and much emboldened with their prosperous successe which notwithstanding did not happen through their valour but presently perceiuing that now all hope of pardon was taken away and that there was no way to escape they were verie sorrowfull and their hearts relented for now victuals failed them yet they omitted not to prouide for their owne safetie wherein they could for the most valiant amongst them kept the breach and the rest other strong places about the walles which were yet vnbattered The Romans againe builded mounts and attempted to assault the Citie and many of the Citizens fled by the vallies where no guard was and by secret vaults vnderneath the ground and they who for feare least they should be taken remained in the Citie perished for hunger for all the victuals were reserued for them that fought And they still continued in this calamitie CHAP. II. How Placidus tooke the mountaine Itaburium DVring this siege Vespasian made another expedition against them who kept the mountaine Itaburium scituated betweene the great field and Scythopolis which is thirty furlongs high and inaccessible on the North side In the verie top of this mountaine there is a plaine twentie furlongs ouer enclosed with a wal all which wal being of so huge a compasse Ioseph had built in 40. daies they receiued all necessarie prouision from beneath for they had only raine water Vnto this place a huge multitude were gathered and Vespasian sent Placidus against them with sixe hundreth horsemen who could no waies get vpon the mountaine wherefore he exhorted many of them to peace putting them in hope of pardon likewise diuers of the Iewes came downe vnto him as it were to entrap him
and assault him at vnawares Placidus for the nonce gaue them faire speeches hoping to get them downe into the plaine they as though they would haue obeyed him followed him thither meaning when they came there sodainly to assault him yet Placidus his deuise tooke place For when the Iewes assaulted him he fained himselfe to flie and the Iewes hauing pursued him a great way from the mountainne he turned againe vpon them and wounded many on the backes as they fled and killed some and hindred the rest of the multitude from ascending the mountaine so the rest left Itaburium and fled vnto Ierusalem and the inhabitants now water failing them yeelded vnto Placidus and deliuered the mountaine vnto him CHAP. III. How Gamala was destroied NOw the most presumptuous amongst the Gamalians fled and hid themselues the weaker sort did perish through famine yet the most couragious that were left amongst thē defended the wall till the seuen and twentith day of October Vpon which day three souldiers of the fifteenth legion towards breake of the day vndermined the highest tower in their quarter and entred into it those that kept it neither perceiuing them when they came in nor when they went out for it was in the night time These souldiers being warie least any noise should be made remooued fiue of the greatest stones and presently leapt away and incontinently the tower fell with a hideous noise and with the fal killed those that kept it and many that kept watch in other quarters fled being sore afraid and those who sought to escape the Romans were killed amongst whom one Ioseph was stroken with a dart frō a part of the wal that was fallen downe and there died They who were within the Citie were terrified with the noise hereof and ranne vp and downe as though all the enemies were already entred into it And Chares Iosephs companion being sicke yeelded vp the ghoast feare increasing his disease and helping to shorten his life The Romans remembring the bad successe at the last assault did not enter the Citie till the three and twentith day of the foresaid moneth Then Titus as it were vexed at the misfortune of the Romans in his absence accompanied with two hundreth horsemen and certaine chosen footmen entred the Citie no man resisting him and he being passed into the same the watchmen then first perceiuing it cried to armes Those within the citie fearing that Titus was entred some tooke their children some their wiues and fled into the castle with pitifull cries and weeping others met Titus and were all put to the sword and they that could not get into the castle not knowing what to doe fell amongst the Roman watchmen then the skies were filled with the cries of men dying and the lower places of the Citie flowed with bloud Vespasian led his whole army against those that were fled into the castle which was of a huge height and scarcely to be come vnto being all of stone and full of ditches and deepe dens and compassed with steepie rockes so the Iewes did driue downe the Romans that offered to come vp vnto them partly with dartes partly with stones which they rouled downe vpon them and they were so high that the Romans arrowes could not reach them But at last as it were by Gods prouidence who would haue it so a whirlewinde arose which carried the Romans arrowes amongst them into the castle and the Iewes arrowes from the Romans and the winde was so violent that it was not possible for them to stand vpon those high places and so not being able to stand nor to see those that came against them the Romans ascended and tooke the Castle some resisting for their defence others yeelding themselues The Romans now called to minde their fellowes who perished in the first assault and so became more cruell Many despairing of their liues cast their wiues their children and themselues headlong downe those high places into the deepe vallies vnderneath So that the crueltie that the Romans shewed against the people of Gamala was not so great as that which they vsed against themselues for there were only four thousand that perished by the Romans sword and the number of them who so cast themselues downe was found to be fiue thousand and not one escaped but two women that were sisters and daughters vnto Philip who was sonne vnto Ioachimus a woorthy man and gouernour ouer all Agrippas army vnder him and these two were saued onely because at such time as the citie was taken they hid themselues for they spared not infants but many tooke them and cast them downe from the castle And thus was Gamala destroied the 23. day of October which began to rebell the 21. day of September CHAP. IIII. How Titus tooke Giscala NOw all the Cities and strong places of Galilee were taken Giscala onely excepted the inhabitants whereof desired peace for that they were husbandmen and their riches consisted in the fruits of the earth but there were many theeues in the Citie to which vice also many of the Citizens were addicted These people were incited to rebell by one Iohn a witch and a deceitfull person sonne vnto one Leuias who was of strange manners and bold to presume any thing and wonderfully atchieuing all he tooke in hand and he was known vnto all men for one that desired warre to make himselfe mightie This man was ringleader of the seditious persons in Giscala and for feare of them the people who perhaps otherwise would haue sent legates to the Romans to request peace were hindred and forced to stay till the Romans came to warre against them Against these people Vespasian sent Titus and with him a thousand horsemen and the tenth legion towards Scythopolis and he with the rest went to Caesarea to refresh them after their great labour at the charges of the townes adioyning iudging it necessarie to comfort their bodies and encourage their mindes to sustaine manfully the wars that were to ensue for he foresaw that he should haue much adoe to winne Ierusalem both for that it was woont to be the kings seate and also because it was the chiefe and head Citie of all the nation And his care in this point was so much the more encreased for that he perceiued that many out of all parts fled thither and that it was naturally strong and also compassed with almost inuincible walles and beside this the boldnesse and desperate courage of the inhabitants who although that they had no walles at all yet had been scarcely to be conquered and therefore he thought it necessarie to comfort his souldiers before the fight like champions who ought to enter the field and fight couragiously Titus comming on horseback vnto Giscala perceiued that it might easily be taken yet knowing that if it were taken by force all the people should be destroyed by the Romans and now he was wearie of bloudshed he
compassionating the wel disposed people which were otherwise like to perish togither with the wicked attempted to take it by condition Wherefore the wals being full of people amongst whom were many of the seditious he told them that he maruailed what helpe they had or expected or by whose aduise all other cities being now taken they alone would abide the last brunt of the Roman forces especially when as they had already seene many townes farre stronger then theirs ouerthrowne at the first assault and contrariwise those who had yeelded themselues vnto the Romans liued in peace and peaceably enioyed all that was theirs Which offer said he I now also make vnto you and am not yet incensed against you because that which you doe is for your libertie but if quoth hee you doe still perseuere in this impossible course my displeasure shall be kindled against you And if so be that they refused his kind offer they should presently perceiue the Roman sword to be sharpned for their destruction and incontinently should find that their wals were but a mockery and no waies able to resist the Romane engines where contrariwise if they yeelded themselues and trusted vnto the fidelitie of the Romans they should be the most happie people of all Galilee None of the townsmen were admitted to make any aunswere not to come vnto the wals for the theeues were masters of them and a guard was placed at euerie gate least any one should go forth to submit themselues or any horsemen should be receiued into the citie Then Iohn made answere that he liked well of the conditions offered and that he would either perswade or compel the inhabitants to accept of them yet he requested that that day might be granted vnto the Iewes for it was the seuenth day wherein it was not lawfull for them to entreat of peace nor make warre For as the Romans knew the Iewes euerie seuenth day ceased from all worke and which if they prophaned they who caused it to be so abused though it were Titus himselfe were as great offenders as they who were forced to it Moreouer so short time could not preiudice the Romans to wit one ◅ghts space for nothing he could effect in that time to endomage them except onely by flying out of the citie which Titus might preuent by placing a strong guard and watch in euerie place thereabout and that he thought it a great priuiledge to be suffered to keepe the custome of his countrey and that it was his part who offered peace and safetie to them that expected it also to keepe their lawes whose safetie he graunted With these and such like speeches Iohn sought to delude Titus being not so religious about the keeping of the Sabboth as carefull for his owne safetie for he feared that the citie would presently be taken and he left alone so he determined in that night to flie as the onely way to saue his life Truly God would haue it so that Iohn should then escape to be the ouerthrow of Ierusalem and that Titus should not onely grant him the time he requested to deliberate but also that night should pitch his tents neere Cydaessa by the higher part of the towne which is the strongest village of al that are in the heart of the Tyrian soile which the Galileans alwaies hated In the night time Iohn perceiuing no Romans to keepe watch about the towne hauing now opportunitie fled not onely with the armed men about him but also with many of the chiefe of the citie and whole families whom he promised to conduct vnto Ierusalem But Iohn fearing captiuitie and carefull for his owne safetie hauing caried them twentie furlongs out of the citie forsooke them vvho being so left desolate began grieuously to lament For euerie one thought himselfe as neere his enemies as he was fa◅◅rom the citie and his friends and still euerie steppe they thought their enemies at hand readie to take them and euer they looked backe as though their enemies heard the noise they made as they went and so came against them insomuch that many rushed forward on heapes and many were killed in the way vvith the prease of them that followed so that vvomen and infants did perish miserably or if they spake any thing onely it vvas entreating their parentes or their kinsfolke to stay for them But Iohns exhortation tooke effect vvherein he cried vnto them to saue themselues and hasten vnto such a place vvhere they might be safe and reuenge themselues of the Romans for the outrages vvhich they that remained behind were like to endure and so the multitude that fled euery one as he was able dispersed themselues Titus earely in the morning came vnto the wals to know whether they accepted of his offer Then the people set open the gates and with their wiues and children came to meet him all crying that he was their safetie and vvorker of their welfare and that he had deliuered their citie out of captiuitie also they certified him how Iohn vvas fled and besought him to pardon them and execute iustice vpon those malefactors that remained in the citie And at their request he sent certaine horsemen to pursue Iohn but they could not take him for before they came he had gotten into Ierusalem yet they slew almost two thousand of them that fledde with him and brought backe againe three thousand women and children Titus was angrie that he suffered Iohns deceit to escape vnpunished yet his anger vvas something appeased for that hee perceiued Iohns purpose preuented in that so manie of his companie vvere slaine and so many brought backe for captiues Thus he peaceably entred the citie commaunding the souldiers to breake downe a little peece of the wall as it were to take possession of it and so punished the seditious rather with threats then torments For he thought that many were accused only for priuate hatred so were in daunger to suffer being innocent he thought it better to let the wicked liue in feare thē with them to destroy the guiltlesse Thinking moreouer that hereafter they would be more quiet either for feare of punishmēt or for shame of their former offence for the which they were pardoned that if any man suffered vnworthily he could not afterward complain Then he placed there a garrison both to represse the seditious and also to confirme them that desired peace And thus was Galilee conquered after it had much toyled the Romans CHAP. V. Of the beginning of the destruction of Ierusalem SO soone as Iohn was entered into Ierusalem all the people flocked about him and those that came with him enquiring what calamitie had be fallen them without the citie Some of them being yet out of breath and not able to speake by signes discouered their necessitie yet amidst these their miseries they boasted that it was not the Roman power that forced them to flie but that they of their owne accord fled thither to
warre against the Romans in a safer place then that from whence they fled was for none but vnaduised and rash headed men would fight for such a citie as Giscala and other places that were not able to resist seeing that it behooued them all to reserue their vigour and strength to defend the Metropolitane citie They also signified vnto them how Giscala was taken by the Romans and that they departed in good sort away though some reported that they fled The people of Ierusalem hearing what these men reported and how many were captiues vnto the Romans they fell into a great feare as though that which they told did portend their ruine But Iohn nothing ashamed in that he had so shamefully forsaken them of Giscala who fled with him went first to one and then to another enciting them all to warre vnder a vaine hope alleaging the weakenes of the Romans and extolling their own puissance deceiuing the simple people perswading them that though the Romans sought to reuenge yet could they neuer enter the wals of Ierusalem who had so much adoe and endured such afflictiō in entering the little burges and villages of Galilee against whose wals they had broken all their engines These words of his encited many young men to sedition but all the wiser sort foresaw what was like to ensue and euen now mourned their lost citie And in this case were they of Ierusalem yet before this sedition in the citie the countrey people began to be at discord amongst thēselues For Titus departed from Giscala vnto Caesarea Vespasian went from Caesarea to Iamnia Azotus and took them both leauing there garrisons he returned to Caesarea bringing with him a huge companie of them who had yeelded vnto him All cities were at ciuill wars amongst themselues so that when the Romans did not war vpon thē one part of the Iewes in euerie citie fought against the other there was a great dissension between those that desired peace the seditious people and at first this discord began only in priuate houses but in the end euerie one ioyning with them that were of their mind they now beganne in companies to rebel openly Thus euerie place was troubled with ciuill discord and euery where rash young men who desired wars preuailed against wise and graue olde men who foreseeing the calamitie like to ensue desired peace At first the inhabitants one by one robbed and spoiled what they could but at last in whole troups they ioined togither robbed openly and wasted all the countrey about and they in their robberies shewed such crueltie that the harme and iniurie they did vnto their owne countreymen was altogither equal to the miseries which befel them by the means of the Romans they who by these miscreants were spoiled wished rather to haue fallen into the Romans hands But they who kept the citie either because they were loath to wearie themselues or else for that they hated the citizens or people did nothing or very little succour thē that fel into theeues hands At last the theeues assembled themselues togither from all places and ioyning companies they brake into Ierusalem This citie had no gouernour and according to the custome of that countrey receiued all that came thither that were their countreymen and so much more willingly at that time because they that thought that they came thither came of good will to helpe them which onely was afterward the cause that the citie was destroyed setting aside the ciuil dissension For a great multitude of people vnapt for fight being there cōsumed the victuals that would haue sufficed for the fighting men beside the wars they brought also vpon it famine ciuil dissensiō Then other theeues came out of the fields thereabout ioyning themselues with those that were within the citie omitted no kind of villanie for not content to rob and spoile they also attempted to commit murders not onely priuily or in the night vpon meane men but euen on the day time they publikely set vpon the chiefest of the nobilitie For first of al they tooke Antipasse who was borne of the bloud royall a man so eminent amongst them that the publike treasure was committed vnto his charge and custodie and put him in prison and after him they tooke Sopha a worthie man and sonne to Raguel and Laeuia both of them of the kings houshold and after them all that seemed to beare any sway or were in authoritie amongst the people Great feare fell vpon the Inhabitants and euerie one prouided to saue himselfe as though the Citie were euen now surprised by the enemies But these people were not content thus to haue imprisoned those potentates neither did they thinke it safetie for themselues any longer to detaine such men aliue for many came dayly vnto them to visit them and vnto their houses who were able to reuenge their iniuries and moreouer they feared that the people would make a head against them being moued with their iniquitie Wherefore they determined to kill them and to effect their purpose they sent one Iohn a cruel murderer who was the sonne of Dorcas he accompanied with ten more all hauing swords went vnto the prison and slew as many as they found there To excuse this cruell fact of theirs they alleaged this to wit that all they who were slaine in prison had conference with the Romans concerning the betraying of the Citie into their hands and that for this cause they had slaine them being traytors to their Countrie they also boasted that this fact of theirs had preserued the Citie and that therefore they had well deserued of it The people was brought vnto such slauerie and terror that the chusing of the high Priest was in their hands to elect whom they pleased so much was their insolence increased Thus they not respecting the families out of which it was onely lawfull to chuse the high Priest they now elected straungers and base persons to that sacred dignitie and such as would be partakers of their villanies and impieties for they who not deseruing it attained to such dignitie were as it were obliged vnto their will in all things by whom they were so exaited They also deuised many lies to make those that were in authoritie one at variance with another thereby as it were to hold them occupied who were able to refist their enterprises til that being now satisfied with the bloud of the Citizens they began to commit impietie against God himselfe and with prophane and vnpure feete to enter into the sanctuarie Then the people was incited against them by Ananus his meanes who was one of the priests and the most auncient and wisest of them all who perhaps had laued the Citie had he escaped the hands of these miscreants But they vsed the Temple as a Castle and defence of themselues against the people and made the Sanctuarie a place for them to exercise tyrannie in
Zelous and there was nothing decreed by the people but he gaue the theeues intelligence thereof before it was put in practise yet he seemed to be verie dutifull vnto Ananus and the rest of the nobilitie hereby hoping to conceale his treacherie But it fell out contrarie to his expectation for this his too much reuerence caused him to be suspected because they noted him to play the parasite and for that vncalled he daily intruded himselfe into their consultations he was misdoubted to bewray their secrets For Ananus perceiued that the enemies knew all their secrets and Iohns deeds did carrie suspition of treason yet could they not easily remooue him his craft was such beside this he was boulstred out by many noble men who were emploied in these affaires Wherfore they thought it good to request of him an oath of friendship which he denied not but added moreouer that he would be true vnto the people and neither disclose any deede or secret counsell of theirs vnto the enemies and that he with hart and hand would truly endeuour to suppresse the rebels So Ananus did no more mistrust him because of his oath and admitted him afterward to all their counsels nothing suspecting him Nay they now trusted him so far that they sent him for an Embassadour vnto the Zelous to perswade them to peace for they were verie carefull least the temple through their deeds should be defiled and prophaned or that any of the Iewes should there be slaine But he as though he had sworne vnto the Zelous and not vnto the Citizens entred boldly amongst them and standing in the middest of them he recounted vnto them that he had often for their sakes vndergone great danger in suffering none of the townesmens secrets to be concealed from them but declared vnto them all that euer Ananus and his confederates determined against them and that euen now he was like togither with them to fall into extreame danger except it pleased God as it were miraculously to assist them For said he now Ananus without delay will send vnto Vespasian and he wil send his army in all haste and take the citie and that he had appointed the next day following for purification to purifie the people that so vnder pretence of piety he might let them into the Citie or els they might enter in by force and that he could not see how either they were able to endure a long siege or to encounter with so huge an army adding moreouer that it was Gods prouidence that he should be sent vnto them to make a peace when Ananus purposed so soone as they were vnarmed to set vpon them Wherefore if they had any care of themselues they should either intreat the watchmen that besieged them to be good vnto them or els get some succour from some place without the temple For said he he that amongst you hopeth for pardon if you be ouercome doth not remember what hath past and what he hath done but let them perswade themselues they that haue been iniured will not forget and forgiue so soone as he that iniured them is sorie for his fact Nay many times the repentance of malefactors maketh them more hated then before and the wrath of men that are iniured is increased by authoritie and licence to doe what they please And they might be sure that the friends and kinsfolks of them that were slaine would alwaies lay waite to requite the iniuries and that all the people were incensed against them for breaking the lawes so that although some few would take pitie vpon them yet the greater companie being most in number would preuaile With these such like speeches Iohn terrified the Zelous yet durst he not openly tell them what he meant by forraine help notwithstanding he meant the Idumaeans And that he might more enflame the theeues he went vnto the chiefest of them and secretly told them that Ananus was cruelly bent against them and breathed out many threatnings against them in particular CHAP. VI. How the Idumeans came vnto Ierusalem and what they did there AMongst the Zelous there were two principall Eleazar the sonne of Simon who aboue all the rest was thought most fit to giue counsell and to execute that which was consulted vpon and Zacharias the sonne of Amphicalus who both descended from the line of the priests These two vnderstanding that beside the generall threatnings their deaths were especially vowed and that the faction of Ananus to get him into authoritie had sent to call the Romans for this Iohn had fained deliberated with themselues what to doe hauing so short time to prouide For they supposed that presently the people would assault them and they bethought themselues that now it was too late to seeke for forraine helpe for they might endure all calamitie before they could giue notice hereof vnto any that would helpe them Yet at last they determined to call the Idumaeans to aide them and so they wrote a briefe Epistle vnto them letting them vnderstand how Ananus hauing seduced the people meant to betray the mother citie of their nation vnto the Romans and that they fighting for their libertie were by him besieged in the temple that the time wherein they expected safetie was verie short that if they did not presently send succour they were like to fall into Ananus and their enemies hands and the Citie to be brought in subiection vnder the Romans and also committed many things to be spoken by word of mouth vnto the rulers of Idumaea For which purpose were chosen two principall men eloquent and apt to perswade and that which was in this case required swift of foot for it was certaine that the Idumaeans would presently aide them it being a clownish rude nation and prone to sedition and alteration much reioycing therein and by flatterie easily entreated to warres making as much haste to them as if they went to some festiuall solemnitie so that there onely was required two speedie messengers Which two were readie and quicke men for such an exploit and were both called by the name of Ananias These presently came vnto the gouernours of Idumaea they reading the Epistle and hearing that which the messengers were to say vnto them like mad men assembled all the people togither in post haste and proclaimed wars so the people in an instant gathered themselues togither were all armed to fight for the libertie of their mother citie and twentie thousand being assembled togither vnder the gouernment of foure captains came with all speed to Ierusalē the names of them were these Iohn and Iames sonnes of Sosa and Simon the sonne of Cathla and Phineas the sonne of Clusoth Ananus and his watchmen knew not of the going of those two messengers nor of the watches in the citie but they vnderstood of the Idumaeās comming so shut the gates and placed watchmen vpon the wals yet they thought it not good
slaine whether hee were friend or kinsman were presently put to death and left vnburied as men forsaking their citie and flying to the enemie To be breefe nothing so much increased their calamitie as mercie for the wicked people were herewith as it were prouoked to wrath whose displeasure and crueltie was extended from the liuing vnto the dead and from the dead vnto the liuing And such feare fell vpon the whole citie that those that were left aliue deemed them happie 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 themselues vnhappier then they who lay vnburied All humane iustice was by them peruerted and they scorned and mocked at all diuine and holy things and proudlie derided the oracles of the prophets esteeming them as fables and iests But hauing now contemned all lawes established by their forefathers for the punishment of vice and increasing of vertue at last they found that true which by them was foretold concerning the destruction of themselues and their countrey For there was an olde prophecie that when sedition raigned amongst them and their owne hands had first violated the temple of God and holy things that then their citie should be destroied by warre their holy places should be burned with fire according to the vse and custome of warre And the Zealous giuing credite vnto this prophecie made themselues the ministers of this action CHAP. III. How Gadara was yeelded and of the massacre there BVt Iohn who long agoe desired to bee in chiefe authoritie as tyrant ouer all the rest thought it not sufficient to bee in as great reputation as his fellowes wherefore by little and little ioyning vnto himselfe the most impious of all the Zelous he diuided himselfe from their vnion and fellowship So that now euerie one perceiued in that hee alwayes neglected what others commaunded and imperiously commanded what himselfe thought good that he affected principalitie and many ioyned to him for feare some for fauour for hee had a smooth tongue able to perswade them vnto what he would many also followed him thinking it better that al the impietie before cōmitted were laid to one mans charge in particular then vnto all men in generall Moreouer being a valiant man of his hands and one able to giue politicke counsell hee wanted not followers notwithstanding that many of the contrarie faction left him enuying that he who before was their equall should now be their Lord and commander Feare also terrified them from liuing vnder the gouernment of one only man for they thoght that if he once preuailed hee could not easily be ouercome and againe if he were deposed that he would picke quarrels against thē in the end because that they resisted him in the beginning So euerie man determined rather to suffer all miserie in warre then to submit himselfe and perish like a slaue Thus the sedition was deuided and Iohn was chiefe of the faction against the Zelous so betweene them they appointed garrisons in euerie place and if by chance they combatted together they did little or nothing hurt one another but their chiefe contention was who should beare most sway amongst the people and they did striue on both parts who should h◅e the greatest part of the spoyle Thus the Citie at one time was vexed with three vntolerable mischiefes and euils to wit warre tyrannie and sedition and yet warre seemed a lesse euill then the rest vnto the communaltie In briefe many leauing their natiue soyle fled vnto straungers for succour and found amongst the Romanes safetie who with their owne nation liued in continuall danger There was also then begun the fourth euill which wrought the ruine of the whole nation Not farre from the Citie there was a Castle called Massada builded by the ancient Kings of Ierusalem verie strong to lay their treasure in and their munition for warre and to retire themselues thereunto in time of need for the safetie of their persons This Castle was taken and kept by that sort of theeues that were called Sicarij who for feare durst robbe no more These theeues seeing the Romane armie now idle and the Iewes in Ierusalem at ciuill warres and sedition amongst themselues they tooke courage and againe fell to their villanies And so vpon that day which is the feast of vnleauened bread which the Iewes doe keepe holy in memorie of their deliuerance out of the Aegyptian captiuitie deceiuing the watchmen they seased vpon a Fort called Engaddi and before the townes-men could arme and vnite themselues together they were by these persons driuen out of the towne who also killed them that could not flie to wit women and children to the number of more then seuen hundreth and so sacking the houses and taking the fruites that were now ripe they carried all vnto Massada and so they wasted all the villages and whole Countrie round about them many wicked persons daily flocking vnto them and ioyning with them and by their example other theeues that a while had beene quiet now robbed againe and spoyled in euerie part of Iudaea And as in a bodie if the principall member thereof bee sicke all other parts of it are afflicted so Ierusalem being filled with tumults and discord those that were without the Citie found licence to robbe and spoyle and all they that had their townes destroyed where they were wont to inhabite went into the wildernes Then they assembling and vniting themselues together not so many as an armie yet more then a companie of theeues they brake into the townes and temples and as in warre it commeth to passe they purposed to assault them by whome they had suffered such iniurie but they were preuented for the theeues vnderstanding of their comming fled with the spoyle they had gotten And there was no part of Iudaea that did not perish together with Ierusalem their mo◅her Citie Those that fled vnto the Romans certified Vespasian hereof for although the seditious persons did keepe and obserue all passages and kill them that offered to flie yet many secretly stole away from them and besought Vespasian both to help the oppressed citie and to take compassion vpon the relikes of their nation affirming that many had beene butchered for wishing well to the Romans and many being yet aliue were yet in great danger And Vespasian moued to compassionate their calamities came with his armie neerer Ierusalem as though he would haue besieged it but in deed his intent was to deliuer it from the siege hoping in the meane time to conquer that part of the Countrie that was yet vntoucht and so to leaue nothing to hinder him when hee should begin the siege Wherefore comming vnto Gadara the strongest place and mother Citie of all the Countrie beyond the riuer hee entered into it the fourth day of March for the chiefest of the Citie vnknowne vnto the seditious people had sent Ambassadors to
that Titus was likewise fled for had they thought that he had staied by it they neuer would haue forsaken their quarters yet being now terrified they knew not wherfore some fled one way and some another without anie order till some seeing the Emperour in the midst of the battaile and fearing the mischance that might beâ—…ide him they with loud cries signified it vnto the whole legion Then the Romans turning againe for shame and accusing themselues guiltie of a great offence in forsaking their Emperour amidst such daunger came with all the violence they could vse against the Iewes and driuing them downe the mountaine forced them to retire yet the Iewes fought flying and seeing the Romans to haue the vpper hand of them because they were vpon higher ground they departed into the valley Titus assaulted them that were opposite against him and so commaunded the rest to goe and finish their trenches And he with those that before were with him to defend the workemen did now also keepe the Iewes from molesting them So if I may speake without â—…atterie or enuie Caesar himselfe did twise preserue the whole legion from destruction and gaue the souldiers opportunitie to entrench themselues CHAP. IIII. Of the fight within the Citie vpon the feast of vnleauened bread DVring the intermission of the forrain 〈◊〉 they fel to their former sedition againe which caused ciuillwars amongst them And against the feast of vnleuenedbread which is the fourteenth day of Aprill for vpon this day the Iewes say that they were deliuered out of the bondage of Aegypt Eleazar and his companions opened the gats to the intent 〈◊〉 all that would might come in to adore and do their deuotion But Iohn vsed this festiuall day as a means to effect his deceit and caused many of his companie that â—…vere vnknowne to enter in amongst the people with weapons vnder their garments giuing them charge whâ—… they were within to get possession of the temple and so soone as they were within they cast off thâ—… garments and shewed themselues to be in armour Presently a great tumult arose within the â—…ple for all the people that were not of the sedition thought themselues betraied and the Zealous thought this â—…reason onely practised to preiudice them and so leauing the gate which before they kept and leaping downe from the towers they neuer offering â—…o fight fled into the vaults about the temple And the people flocking about the altar and others who were driuen into the temple were killed with clubs and swords and so troden vpon And many were slaine vpon priuate hâ—…ed vnder pretence to be partakers with the enemies And whosoâ—…er before time had offended any of those traitors he was put to death as though he had beene one of the Zealous But they who had cruelly raged against the innocent let the wicked haue leasure to escape out of those caues whereby they had no harme and hauing gotten the â—…inner part of the temple and all belonging thereunto they did now more confidently then before fight aganst Simâ—… and thus the sedition that was before deuided into three parts was now brought onely into two Titus being desirous to bring his armie neerer the citie sent a certaine number of horsemen foot which he thought sufficient to hinder all excursions of the Iewes from Scopos and another companie he sent to plaine all the grounds betwixt him and Ierusalem who â—…ting downe all hedges and pales and fences and wood though they were fruit trees filled the vallies and made it all plaine ground and hewing downe all stones that standing vp made the ground vnequall they plained all that ground from Scopos euen vnto Herodes monument which adioyned to the â—…ake of Serpents called sometime Bethora CHAP. V. Of the deceit the Iewes vsed against the Roman souldiers ABout this time the Iewes deuised this stratageme against the Romans The most couragious amongst the seditions people went out vnto the places called the womens towers and counterfaited themselues to be driuen thither by them within the city that desired peace and for that they feared the Romans they were come thither to hide themselues one behind another others standing vpon the wals and counterfaiting themselues to be the citizens with loud cries desired peace and a league of friendship promising to set the citie gates open and inuiting the Romans to enter and crying thus they also cast stones against their countrimen before spoken of as though they did driue them from the gates and they made as though they would by force breake through the people come to the gates partly by force partly by entreating the people to permit them And making many offers to goe vnto the Romans they turned againe like men troubled in mind and studying what to doe The Roman souldiers did not percâ—…e their subtill meaning who seeing the seditious readie to fall into their hands that so they might punish them and seeing the people as they thought readie to open the gates vnto them would in post haste haue gone vnto the citie But Titus inspected some deceit coloured with this kind inuiting him to enter because he did not see any reason for it For the day before hauing by Ioseph offâ—…red them a peace he vnderstood that theâ—… minds were farre from any peaceable cogitations wherefore he now commaunded the souldiers to keepe their quarters and not to remooue yet some of them appointed to worke in the trenches taking their weapons ranne vnto the gates and the Iewes who seemed to be driuen out of the citie first fled at last when they came vnto the gates of the towers they inclosed the Romans round about and assaulted them vpon their backs and they that were vpon the wals did cast all kind of darts and stones vpon them so that they slew many and wounded verie many for it was not easie to escape from the wals others being behind them and offering them violence Moreouer they were ashamed that their Captaines had so offended and in feare for their offence committed both which caused them still to perseuer in it And after a long conflict receiuing many wounds and giuing as many at last they put them to flight that enclosed them and so the Iewes departed and followed them vnto Helens monument pursuing them with darts And then the Iewes returned reioycing in their good fortune and deriding the Romanes for being so deceiued lifted vp their shields and bucklers shouting and reioycing The Romane souldiers were receiued of their Captaines with threatnings and of Caesar with this speech The Iewes lead onely with desperation doe al things with aduise and counsell deuising deceites and fortune fauoureth their practises because they are ordered and trustie to one another And now the Romanes whom for their obedience and discipline fortune was wont to fauour doe contrariwise offend herein and for their rash and vnaduised fighting are ouercome which is worst of al in Caesars presence
graues and there died Yet for all this calamitie was there no weeping nor lamentation for famine ouercame all affections And they who were yet liuing without teares beheld those who being dead were now at rest before them There was no noyse heard within the Citie and the still night found all full of dead bodies and which was most miserable of all the theeues at night came and tooke away that which couered the dead bodies nakednesse and went laughing away and in their bodies they proued their swords and vpon pleasure onely thrust manie thorough yet breathing Yet if any haue desired them to kill him or to lend him a sword to kill himselfe that so he might escape the famine they denied him And euerie one that died as he was dying fixed his eyes vpon the Temple and beheld it now with griefe leauing the seditious behind them The seditious now not able to endure the stincke of the dead bodies that lay corrupted aboue the ground first commaunded that all such should be buried at the charges of the Citie at last finding not place wherein to burie them all they threw them ouer the wals into the ditch When Titus going about the wals beheld all the ditch filled with dead mens bodies hee lamented and lifting vp his hands to heauen he called God to witnesse that it was not his doing Such was the estate of the Citie Now the Romanes when none of the seditious durst make any more excusions passed their time in ioy and myrth for they neither suffered famine nor sorrow hauing aboundance of Corne and all other necessaries out of Syria and the prouinces adioyning and many standing before the wals and shewing their aboundance of victuals vnto the Iewes did so much more increase their famine Yet were not the seditious people moued at these calamities wherefore Titus pitying the reliques of the nation and minding at least to saue them that were left aliue hasted to take the Citie and so he began anew to build mounts although he scarcely found matter to doe it withall For all the wood neere vnto the Citie was consumed in the first workes so that now the souldiers were forced to fetch more wood nintie furlongs off and onely against Antonia were erected in foure places foure mounts greater then the former Caesar went about and hastned the workmen and now shewed the theeues that they were fallen into his hands Yet for all this they would not repent and now as it were depriued of their wits and bodies they vsed both as though borrowed and not their owne For neither did any affection moue their minds nor any griefe their bodies for they rent and tore the dead bodies like dogges and filled the prisons with weake and languishing people CHAP. XV. Of the massacre of the Iewes both within and without the Citie AT last Simon hauing tormented Matthias put him to death notwithstanding that by his meanes he had obtained the Citie This Matthias was sonne vnto Boethus a Priest whom the people for his fidelitie towards them greatly esteemed of who seeing the outrage of the Zelous towards the people Iohn being now ioyned with them perswaded the people to call in Simon to helpe them conditioning nothing with him before for that they misdoubted no euil And when he was come into the Citie hee held him for his enemie as well as the rest notwithstanding that by his onely aduice hee was receiued into the Citie as though Matthias had onely done that of simplicitie Wherefore calling him before the people he accused him that hee did fauour the Romanes and so condemned him to die not suffering him to cleare himselfe and put to death likewise his three sonnes with him for the fourth was before this time fled vnto Titus Matthias requested Simon that he might bee put to death before his sonnes but Simon in regard that by his meanes he had gotten the Citie caused him to be executed last of all And so hee was killed vpon the murdered bodies of his sonnes in a place where the Romanes might behold him for so Simon commaunded Ananus his executioner who was the sonne of Bamadus This man was the most cruell of all Simons followers who euen when he was to kill Matthias derided him asking what they could now helpe him to whom hee sought to flie and not permitted their bodies to be buried After them Ananias a Priest the sonne of Masbalus a nobleman and chiefe secretarie to the councell a valiant strong man and borne at Emaus and with him fifteene of the chiefest men in the Citie were put to death They tooke also Iosephs father and kept him in prison and with the publike voice of a crier proclaimed that no man should talke with him nor visit him pretending feare of treason and whosoeuer bewailed his estate were put to death without any triall It happened a certaine man called Iudas the sonne of Iudas who was one of Simons Captaines seeing this who also kept a tower that Simon committed vnto his charge perhaps moued with compassion towards them that perished without desert yet rather fearing his owne life assembled together ten of his most trustie companions said How long shal we endure these calamities Or what hope haue we of life in being trustie to a most impious man Behold now famin doth take our Citie The Romanes are almost within our wals and Simon is cruell and faithlesse euen towards them that haue wel deserued at his hands with him we are in feare of punishment if we flie vnto the Romans we shall assuredly bee receiued into fauour Wherefore let vs deliuer the wall vnto them and saue our selues and our Citie Neither can Simon hereby sustaine any great losse in being punished a little sooner then otherwise hee should be being now desperate of his owne health and saftie The ten men to whom in this maner he brake his mind agreed herevnto and so he in the morning sent the rest of the souldiers vnder his rule into diuers places that they might not perceiue his intent and he at the third hower of the day standing vpon the tower called the Romans But some of the Romans proudly contemned their offer and other scarcely belieued them and the rest made no speede to come In the meane time while Titus with certaine armed men came vnto the wall Simon had notice of their intent so speedily got the tower and slew thē that were within in the sight of the Romans cast down their bodies ouer the wal And Ioseph going about the wal and comming thither for he neuer ceased from requesting the Iewes to remember their estate he was strook vpon the head with a stone so amazed with the blow fell down who being fallen down presently the Iewes made excursion out of the Citie and had carried him away into the citie had not Titus sent men to defend him and whilest they fought Ioseph was carried away scarcely knowing what was
their oths sake neither were they able to fight with the Romans being now as it were besieged round by them yet their accustomed murthers did encourage them to stand out Thus dispersed all ouer the Citie they lurked in the ruines lying in wait for those that sought to flie vnto the Romans and many of them were taken and all of them were slaine for famine had so weakned them that they could not flie and they cast their dead bodies vnto dogs And any death were easie in respect of famine So that many fled vnto the Romans hauing no promise no nor hope to be pardoned by them and vpon purpose fell into the hands of the seditious who neuer ceased from murther and now there was no place in the whole Citie voide but was filled with dead bodies who either perished by famine or sedition But the tyrants and factious theeues put their last refuge in the vaults where they hoped whatsoeuer hapned to saue themselues hoping that there they could not be found and so after the Citie was destroied to escape which was only their vaine phantasie For they could neither be hid from God nor the Romans yet at that time they trusted in those caues from whence they fired the Citie more then the Romans and cruelly murthered them that hauing escaped the flames came and fled into secret places and spoiled them also if they in any place found any meate though all bloudy yet they tooke it and did eate it and now one of them began to fight with an other about the spoile they gotte And I verily perswade my selfe that had they not beene preuented by the destruction of the Citie their crueltie would haue beene such that they would haue eaten the bodies of dead men CHAP. XV. How the higher part of the Citie was assaulted and how many Iewes fled vnto Titus Caesar perceiuing that the higher part of the Citie could not be woon without mounts being scituate in a soile round about the which were high and deepe places on the twentith day of August he set all his souldiers on worke and the carrying of wood for that purpose was verie painfull all trees within a hundreth furlongs off the Citie were already cut downe and vsed in the former worke as is before said So the foure legions raised a mount on the West side of the Citie and all the rest made a mount against the porch bridge and tower which Simon during his warres with Iohn had built About this time the captaines of the Idumaeans assembling togither deliberated to yeeld themselues and sent fiue of their companie vnto Titus beseeching him to confirme a peace vnto them and he hoping that the tyrants would yeeld after them who were the greatest part of his army with much ado granted them life and so sent them vnto their fellowes but Simon had notice of their departure and presently slew those fiue that were sent vnto Titus and taking the captaines the noblest of whom was Iames the son of Sosa he put them in prison and also kept and guarded the Idumaeans who now hauing no gouernours knew not what to do yet the guard could not hinder them from flying for although many of them were killed yet diuers fled and escaped and all were receiued by the Romans Titus curtesie being such as that he remembred not his former edict to the contrarie and now the souldiers hoping for gaine and hauing already gotten sufficient abstained from murthers for leauing onely the common people they solde the rest with their wiues and children for a small price many being exposed to sale and few comming to buy them so that he hauing made an edict that none should flie vnto him alone intending thereby to bring their families with them yet he now receiued them also appointing some to enquire who had deserued punishment and to inflict it on them And an infinite number was solde and more then fortie thousands of the people were saued whom the Emperour dismissed and permitted to go whither they pleased The same time a certaine priest the sonne of Thebathus named Iesus was promised pardon vpon condition that he should deliuer certaine holy things giuen vnto the temple and so he came and brought out of a wall two candlesticks like vnto them that were in the temple tables goblets cuppes all made of solide and massiue golde also the veile and the ornaments of the priests and the precious stones about them and many vessels made for sacrifice Moreouer the keeper of the holy treasure called Phineas brought forth the garments and all things that did belong vnto the priests and much purple and scarlet which were laid vp in store to make tapestrie or hangings amongst which also was some Cinamon Cassia and many other odoriferous things whereof were compounded sweet odors to be offered to God He also deliuered him much wealth of other mens and much sacred treasure for the which notwithstanding that he was taken by force yet he was pardoned as they were that fled vnto Caesar. CHAP. XVI How the rest of the Citie was taken THe seuenth day of September the mounts being finished which was the eighteenth day after they were begun some of the Romans placed theie rammes and engines to batter them some of the seditious who now despaired to keepe the citie left the wals and fled into Aâ—…a others hid themselues in certaine vaults and many hindred the Romans and resisted them for placing their rammes against the wals who were ouercome by them being both more in number then they were and also stronger and more valiant The Iewes being now all discouraged and sorrowfull so soone as any part of the wall was broken downe or shaken with the force of the rammâ—…s straight waies fled and now the tyrants were surprised with a greater feare then needed For euen before such time as the enemies had entred the wall they stood in doubt whether they might flie or no and they who a little before were proud and arrogant malefactors did now â—…emble and quake so that it was pitifull to see such a chaunge in them though they were wicked persons And they endeuored to assaile the vvall that Titus had built to compasse the whole citie vvithall but seeing themselues forsaken of all those that vvere vvont to be trustie vnto them euerie one fled vvhether necessitie did driue him Presently newes vvere brought them that all the west vvall of the citie was beaten downe others affirmed that the Romans had entred and that they had seene the enemies in the towers feare daseling their eies and prostrate vpon the ground they bewailed their misfortune and as though they had beene lame they stood still sought not to flie From vvhence one may chiefely perceiue Gods iustice towards the impious and the Romans fortune for the tyrants depriued themselues of their strong holds and voluntarily departed out of their towers vvherein they could neuer haue beene taken but
to Athens and Polycrates to Lacedaemon and the Author that writ Tripoliticum for it was not Theopompus as some suppose vsed the Citie of Thebes verie hardly and Timaeus in his Histories of the foresaid places doth many times detract both them and others And this they doe calumniating the most excellent that are in something or other some for enuie and malice others that their fond babling may make them famous and so indeede it doth amongst fooles that are knowne to haue no sound iudgement but wise men will condemne their malice To bee short this is the cause of so many slaunderous reports forged against our nation Some to gratifie the Aegyptians haue attempted to depriue the truth and so haue neither reported the veritie concerning our auncestors comming into Egypt nor touching their departure from thence and they haue had many causes of malice and enuie vrging them hereto And chiefely for that our progenitors in their countrie waxed mightie and so departing to their owne Countrie were made happie and fortunate Secondly the diuersitie of our two religions made great discorde and variance amongst vs our religion so farre excelling theirs in pietie as the diuine essence of God excelleth vnreasonable creatures for they commonly worshippe such bruite beastes for gods and euerie one worshipeth diuers kinds vaine and foolish men who from the beginning haue beene accustomed to such sottish opinions as would not permit them to imitate vs in our diuine religion and conformable to reason and yet seeing many fauour and followe our religion they were hereby incited to such hatred that to derogate from vs they feared not to falsifie their owne auncient Recordes not considering that in so doing they were led through a blind passion to wit against themselues Moreouer I will proue all I haue now spoken to bee true by one mans words whom a little before being a famous Historiographer we haue produced as a witnesse of our antiquitie Manethon therefore who professeth himselfe to haue gathered the Egyptian Historie out of their holy writings hauing by way of a Preface recounted how our predecessors came into Egypt with many thousands and there conquered the Inhabitants hee afterwards confesseth that loosing all their possessions in Egypt they got that Countrie which is now called Iewrie and in it builded a Citie named Ierusalem and a Temple and thus farre hee imitateth auncient writers And then vsurping to himselfe authoritie to lie protesting that hee will inâ—…ert into his Historie â—…aine reports diuulged amongst the common people hee reporteth things of the Iewes all together incredible intending to mixe with our nation the Lepers of the Egyptians and other sicke people of other Countries who as he saith being abhominable to the Egyptians made an escape froÌ„ thence affirming also that they had a King named Amenophis which is a fained name and therefore he durst not presume to speake determinately of the time of his reigne whereas hee speaketh exactly of the reigne of all other kings Hereupon also he addeth certaine fables forgetting himselfe that he reported the shepheards departure out of Egypt to Ierusalem to haue beene almost fiue hundred and eighteene yeeres before his time for king Themusis reigned when they departed out of Egypt from whome the time that other kings did reigne vntill the two brethren Sethâ—… and Hermeus accomplisheth the terme of three hundred fourescore and thirteene yeeres Hee also saith that the eldest of these two Sethon was called Egyptus and the other Hermâ—…as was called Danaus whome his brother Sethon expelled and afterward reigned fiftie â—…ne yeeres and after him Rampses his eldest sonne reigned threescore and sixe yeers Hauing therfore confessed our auncestors to haue departed out of Egypt so many yeeres beâ—…e now lastly hee addeth that Amenophis was their king who was a contemplator of the gods as Orus their king before him was and that one Amenophis a Priest the soâ—…e of Papius did in all things most excellently accomplish his desire which Priest seemed to participate of some â—…ne nature for he excelled in wisedome could foretell things to come and that he gaue the king his surname that he might also see the gods if so be he would 〈◊〉 to clense the countrey from Lepers and other vncleane people Wherat the king reioycing gathered togither all the impotent people of his land amounting to the number of foure score thousand and sent them and other Aegyptians appointed to this worke into the East part of Nilus there to hew and square stones And that amongst them there were also certaine learned priests infected wich leprosie also that this diuine priest Amenophis greatly feared least the indignation of the gods would fall vpon the king and himselfe who had perswaded and councelled the king to doe violence vnto the foresaid Lepars likewise that he said that because he vsed the helpe of vncleane persons they should obtaine dominion ouer Aegypâ—… for thirteene yeeres yet durst he not presume to signifie this vnto the king but he killed himselfe leauing this written in a booke where men might finde it and the king hauing notice hereof fell into great sorrow and heauinesse This done he speaketh as followeth So the king being requested for their quietnesse and defence to assigne them a Citie to inhabite he appointed vnto them a desolate place called Auaris which had been the shepheards Citie this Citie the auncient diuines call Triphonis but they hauing gotten the possession of this place fit for rebellion they made choice of one of the priests of Heliopolis to be their captaine whose name was Osarsiphus and bound themselues with an oath to obay him in all things and he presently made a law that they should neither worship the gods of the Aegyptians nor that they should abstaine from those beasts which the Aegyptians count holy and that they should marrie with none but such as they iudged to be their friends Hauing ordained this and many things els contrarie to the Aegyptians religion he commanded them wiâ—…h great labour to enuiron their Citie with a wall and to make preparation to warre against king Amenophis and he himselfe making choice of some priests and a few other vncleane persons sent to Ierusalem to the shepheards which were driuen out of Aegypt by king Themusis declaring vnto them their owne and their fellowes iniuries and requesting them to leuie an army to fight with them against Aegypt promising them free entrance into Auaris the countrey where their forefathers inhabited and that he would furnish them with all necessaries telling them that they should now fight in so happy a time as that without all doubt they might conquer the countrey The shepheards hereat reioycing all of them armed themselues to the number of two hundred thousand and leauing their Citie they came to Auaris But Amenophis king of Aegypt hearing of their inuasion and remembring what Amenophis the sonne of the priest Papius had left in writing was in great feare and
the Magistrates The yeare of the world 2493. before Christes Natiuity 1471. The Israelites are commanded to kil their enemies and destroy their idols Moses deliuereth the Iâ—…raelites a booke wherein their lawes and maner of life was written â—…awes made by Moses Ruâ—…finus ch 7. The excuse of the Writer of this Historie why he innouated the order of the lawes Item the Israelites shall liue in the land of Canaan A sacred citie and Temple in Canaan Blasphemie against God Leuit. 4. Deut. 16. Thrise in the yeare the Hebrewes ought to meete The yeare of the world 2493. before Chriâ—…s Naâ—…tie 1571. Tenths Deâ—… 18. The hire of a harlot Other gods Deut. 22. Linnen and woollen Deut. 11. The booke of the law is to be read on the feaâ—…t of the Tabernacles Children shall learne the law Deut. 6. Thâ—… signes of the law The seuen Pâ—…dents Honour to the Magistrate The office of Iudges Iustice is Gods power Deut. 19. The punishment of a falle witnesse Deut. 21. Of homicide committed The yeare of the world 2493. before Christs birth 1471. Aristocracie the best kind of gouernment Deus 17 Of the election of a king Deus 19. The bounds of lands are not to be remoued Leuiâ—… 25. The plants that are not of foure yeares grouth are prohibited Vines to 〈◊〉 planted The law of the plough Som gleanings are to be left for the poore in the field The yeare of the world 2493. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 1571. Deâ—… 25. Oxen â—…eading or gâ—…inding Trauelleâ—…s aâ—…e not to be dâ—…uen away from ripe fruits Thirtie ninâ—… stripes The tenth for the pooâ—…e The first fruits Deuâ—… 26. Of marriage Free men ought not to marry seruaÌ„ts The marriage of an harlot The penaltie of a woman married for a virgin and not found so Deuâ—… 24. The yeare of the world 2493. before Christes Natiuity 1471. Deut 21. The first begotten should hold his right The punishment of adulterie or rather rauishing Deut. 22. The deflouring of a virgin Leuit. 25. The wife of the dead brother married Marriage with a bondman Deut. 21. The lamentation mour ning of thirtie daies Deut. 21. Disobedience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The yeare of the world 2493. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 1571. Enemies to be buried Deut. 23. That which is borrowed must be paid Deut. 24. A pledge Theft An Hebrew slaue is to be set at liberty after seuen yeares Goods that are sound The yeare of the world 2493. before Christes Natiuity 1471. Deut. 22 The law of violence Poyson Talions law Of an Oxe striking with his horne Deut. 21. A pit Deut. 24. In the same place Hire Children are not to be punished for their parents offences The yeare of the world 2493. before Christs Natiuitie 1471. Eunuches The lawes of warre Deut. 20. Heraulds to be sent Fruitfull trees are not to be cut downe The Chanaanites are wholy to be extinguished Deut 30. 31. 32 33. 34. Moses song and blessing The yeare of the world 2493 before Christs birth 1471. The Amalechites to be punished Deut. 29. Moses bindeth the Hebrewes by an oth to keepe the law Moses exhorteth Iosuah The yeare of the world 2493. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 1471. Deut 31. Deut. 33. 34. The Hebrewes lamentation at Moses death Moses when he died was 120 yeares old Amongst the Hebrewes Adar is the 12. month but amongst vs it is called March Moses was a good gouernour and a great prophet The yeare of the world 2494. before Christes Natiuity 1470. Iesus sendeth spies into Iericho Iesus calleth to memory reckoneth vp what the tribes of Gad. Ruben and Manasses had promised Moses Num 13. The spies suruay Iericho The yeare of the world 2494. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 1470. Rachab hideth the spies Iosuh 3. Iesus passeth Iordan with his armie Iosuah 4. 3 The yeare of the world 2494. before Christs birth 1470. Iesus buildeth an Altar on the other side of Iordan The Israelites celebrate Easter enioy the fruites of the earth and cease to feede on Manna Iosuah 6. Iesus with his army walketh about the citie Iesus commaÌ„deth that none but Rahab and hirs should be saued The wals of Iericho fall downe of themselues Iericho is takeÌ„ the men slain the citie destroyed and burnt Rahab and hers reserued The yeare of the world 2494. before Christs birth 1470. Ios. 7. 8. Achar hideth certaine parts of the pray contrary to Gods commandement Galgal signifieth liberty Iosuah 5. The Israelites are put to flight by the Ainites Iosuahs praier vnto God Gods answere to losuahs praier Achar found out by Lot and punished Ainan sackt and burnt The pray distributed amongst the people The yeare of the world 2494. before Christs Natiuitie 1470. Iosua 9. The Gabeonites send Embassors to Iesus The Gabeonites oration to the Hebrewes Iesus maketh a couenant with the Gabeonits The Gabeonites are appointed to publike ministeries Iosuah 10. The king of Ierusalem moueth warre against the Gabeonites Iesus driueth them of Ierusalem to flight The Sun stood still Fiue kings slaine Iosuah 11. The yeare of the world 2494. before Christs Natiuitie 1470. The kings of the Chanaanites moue warre against the Hebrewes The huge army of the Chanaanites All the kings of the Chanaanites slain Iosuah spoyleth the whole land of Chanaan Iosuah deuideth his armie into parts The yeare of the world 2499. before the birth of Christ. 1465. Hedio Ruffinus ch 3. Ios. 13. 14. 18. Iosuah commandeth the deuiding of the countrey counselleth that the two tribes and a halfe should be dismissed Iosuah sendeth certaine men to measure and deuide the land The yeare of the world 2499. before Christs Natiuitie 1465. Iosuah 9. Iosuah deuideth the Region of ChanaaÌ„to thenine tribes and the halfe tribe of Manasses Iosua 16. 17. 18 Supra lib. 4. chap. 7. Num. 32. Iosuah 13. Iesus seuerally commaundeth euerl tribe to root out the race of the Chanaanites The eities of refuge Num. 35. Deut 4. Iosuah 20. The distribution of the pray Iosuahs oration to those that dwelt on the other side of lordan and had serued with the rest The yeare of the world 2499. before Christs birth 1465. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 4. Iosuah 22 The Israelites after they had past ouer lordan builded an Altar on the banke thereof The embassage of the ten tribes to the rest of the Israelites Phinees oration to the Rubonites The yeare of the world 2499. before Christes Natiuity 1565. The Rubenites answer Iosuah dwelt in Sichama Iosuahs exhortation at his death to the magistrates and Elders amongst the Hebrewes Iosuh 23. 24. Iosuahs death Eleazars death The yeare of the world 24â—… before the Natiuitie of Christ. 14â—…5 Iudg. 1. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 5. al. 2. Ten thousand Chanaanites flame and Adoni-Bezec taken The yeare of the world 2525. before the birth of Christ. 1439. Ios. 11. Iethroes posteritie who was the father of Moses possested of lands The Israelites ouercame 〈◊〉 the Chanaanites at one time The Ephraimites recouer Bethel by
Citizens exhort the people to reuenge The yeere of the world 4032. after Christs birth 70. The Zelous the most wretched occasiō of these violences Ananus sharpe inuectiue against the Zelous Ananus twitteth the Iews with their feare The crueltie of the theeues The Temple the strongest fortres of the Citie Warres are intended for libertie The comparison of the Romans and Iews and their properties The yeare of the world 4032. after the birth of Christ. 70. An answere to their contrarie opinion who obiect the number and boldnesse of the enemy The Epilogue of Ananus Oration to the people Ananus disposeth his souldiers against the Zelous The fight of the Citizens and Zelous in the temple The yeare of the world 4032 after Christs birth 70. Iohnful of deceit and a betraier of the citizens Iohn sweareth to be faithfull to the people Iohn contrarie to his oath reuealeth their secrets to the Zelous Iohn stirreth vp the Zelous against the Citizens Eleazar one of the Zelous causeth the Idumaeans to besent for The yeare of the world 4032. after Christs birth 70. The Zealous require helpe from the Idumaeans The nature and manners of the Idumaeans Twentie thousand Idumaeās come to Ierusalem Iesus oration and exhortation to the Idumaeans The disproofe of the Zealous fiction who intended the ouerthrow of the citie and obiected the betraying thereof The yeare of the world 403◅ after Christs birth 70. Peace is better then death Iesus exhorteth the Idumaeans that since they are come they should oppose themselues against the Zealous Iesus requireth the Idumaeans to iudge the differents betweene the Zealous and them The end of Iesus oration to the Idumaeans The yeare of the world 4032. aftter Christs Naiuitie 70. Simons answer to Iesus oration The Idumaeans are displeased because the Citie gates were lockt against them The reproches the Idumeans obiect against the high priests and Citizens The Idumaeans pitch their tabernacles neer the wals A huge storme The Zelous consult to breake open the gates to assaile the watch and let in the Idumaeans The yeere of the world 4032. after Christs birth 70. The watchmen are oppressed with sleepe The Idumaeans by the meanes of the Zelous enter by night The Idumaeans ioyne themselues with the Zelous in the Temple The immanitie of the Idumaeans and Zelous against the Citizens of Ierusalem Ananus and Iesus the high Priests executed Ananus death the first cause of the destruction of the Citie The praise of Ananus the hie priest The yeare of the world 4032. after the birth of Christ. 70. The yeare of the world 4032. after Christs birth 70. The crueltie of the Idumaeans the Zelous Twelue thousand of the nobilitie executed Zacharie condemned to death by the Zelous Seuentie iudges absolue and acquite Zacharie Zacharie slaine in the midst of the temple One of the Zelous discouereth their crueltie and barbarous dealing to the Idumaeans The yeare of the world 4032. after Christs Natiuitie 70. The Idumaeans depart out of Ierusalem Gorions death and Niger Peraita Nigers praiers tooke effect as the end testified The souldiers incite Vespasian to resort to Ierusalem The yeere of the world 4032. after Christs birth 70 Vespasian expecteth victory by the ciuill dissension of his enemies Many citizens to flie the Zealous resorted to Vespasian The Zealous tytannize both ouer the liuing and the dead The yeere of th◅ world 4032. after Christs birth 70. Iohns pride and ambition The greater part of the con trarie faction fall from Iohn The tempest of three miseries assailed Ierusalem at once Of those desperate rebels that kept the Castle of Massada Slaughter and desolation thorow Iurie A Similitude The sugitiue◅ beseech Vespasian to assist the Citie and reserue ◅he rest of the people The ye◅re of the world 4032. after Christs birth 70. The Gadarensian◅ entertain Vespasian with ioy and acclamations Placidus con◅ct with the fugitiues Placidus taketh and burneth Bethenabris Placidus victorie ouer the fugitiues The yeare of the world 4032. after the birth of Christ. 70. Placidus maketh vse o◅ his good fortune against the Iewes Troubles in France Vespasian visiteth all Iudaea Vespasian commeth to Iericho The grea◅ field Two lakes Asphaltite and y e Tiberian lake A large fountaine neere Iericho The yeare of the world 4032. after Christs birth 70. A miracle wrought by Helizaeu◅ Fruitfull and pleasant gardens about Iericho The cause why the ground about Iericho is fruitfull The ayre temperate and warme An admirable propertie of the Asphaltite lake The land of Sodom is neer vnto the lake Asphaltite The yeere of the world 4032. after Christs birth 70. Ter◅ul in Apologet cap. 39. L. Annius taketh Gerasa Vespasian hath tidings of Neroes death Galba Otho Vitell◅ Vespasian de◅erreth his siege at Ierusalem Galba is slaine and Otho gouerneth The ye◅re of the ◅ld 4033. after Christs birth 71. Simon of Gerasa resorteth to the theeues Simon assemble◅ all robbers in the mountainous places The fight betweene Simon the Zealous Eleazar Simōs fellow casteth himselfe headlong into the trench and presently dieth Iames of Idumaea the betraier of his countrey The yeare of th◅ world 4033. after Christs birth 71. Simon beyond all expectation entreth Idumaea without bloudshed Hebron an ancient Citie where Abrahams house was A Turpentine tree that hath continued since the creation of the world Simon spoyled all Idumaea The Zelous take Simons wife Simons immanitie cruelty The Zelous ◅nd backe Simons wife Sedition thorow the whole Romane Empi◅e Vespasian onc◅ more inuadet◅ Iudaea The yeare of the world 4033. after Christs birth 71. Capharis submits to Cerealis Cerealis burneth the ancient Citie of Hebron The Zelous fill the whole Citie with iniquitie The way of flight was quite cut off The discord betweene the Zelous and the Idumaeans The fight of the Zealous with the Idumaeans in the Temple Simon entreth the Citie with a great army The yeare of the world 4033. after the birth of Christ. 71. Simon assaulteth the temple wherin the Zelous kept The office of the priests to sig◅e the beginning of the seuenth day by the sound of a ◅umpet Vitellius incampeth his army in Rome Vespasiā knew both how to gouerne and how to obey The captaines consult with the souldiers openly of a change Vespasians shame◅astnesse and modestie The yeare of the world 4033. after Christs birth 71. The causes that mooued the people to elect Vespasian Emperour The souldiers elect Vespasian Emperour The bounds of Aegypt The length and breadth of Aegypt A most high tower in the Island Pharos giuing light to those that faile three hundreth stounds off Tiberius Alexander gouerneth Alexandria Aegypt The yeare of the world 4033. after Christs birth 71. Vespasian by common voice is created Emperour and crowned Vespasian consulteth with his captains about Iosephs liberty Ioseph discharged out of bonds and rewarded Vespasian bethinketh himselfe to returne to Rome Caecinna perswadeth the souldiers to forsake Vitellius and honour Vespasian The yeere of the world 4033.
dissension betwixt Iohn and Simon was for rule their concord was in wickednesse The poore peoples miserie Titus crucifieth many Iews before the wals The Iewes catried the kinred of those that were fled out of the Citie to the Romans and shewed them the tortures they suffred The yeare of this world 4034. after Christs birth 72. The Iewes both curse Caesar and his father The insolence of Antiochus and the souldiers The Romans in 17. daies build foure huge bulwarks Three valiant Iewes The Romans inuironed with fire lose the mounts they had built The yeere of the world 4034. after Christs birth 72. A most bitter law among the RomaÌ„s against those that forsooke their places Titus accuseth his souldiers of negligence The Iewes retire within the citie Titus consulteth with his captains The yeere of the world 4â—…34 after Christs birth 72. Titus determineth to inclose the Citie with a wall The Romans with ceasles labour build the wall One wall of 39 stounds wherof one containeth eight surlongs or there about The Romans plant their courts of guard in seuerall Castles The houses wayes full of dead men The dead liâ—… vnburied in the streetes The crueltie of the the eues against those that lie a dying The yeare of the world 4034. after Christs birth 72. Thus lifting vp his hand to heauen calleth God to witnes that the fault is not his The Romans shew the Iewes their aboundance of victuals Titus pitying the remainder of the nation laboureth to saue them The blindnesse of the Iewes Simons crueltie against Mat thias and his sonnes Ananus one of the cruellest souldiers about Simon Ananias the Priest with fifteene of the noblest people slaine Iosephs father taken Iudas consulta tion with his companions Iudas with his companions is slaine by Simon The yeare of the world 4034. after the birth of Christ. 72. Ioseph wounded in the hed with a stone and the rumor is spred thorow the citie Ioseph recouereth vpon his wound Many that fled from famine at home mette with more speedy death among the Romans Two thousand Iewes embowelled in one night Titus displeased at this cursed act Auarice is not terrified with any punishment The yeare of the â—…ld 4034 after Christs birth 72. Iohn falleth to sacrilege and taketh away many presents out of the temple Six hundreth thousand dead carcasses cast out of the city Cow dung and durt gathered togither is the Iewes food The yeare of the world 4034. after Christs birth 72. The multitude of carcasses heaped in the citie is hideouâ—… to behold The yeere of the world 4034. after Christs birth 72. The Iewes vpbraided God in that he so long delayed to punish them Iudaea desert and desolate The Iewes and Romans are equally afraid The Romans most of al feare the desperatnes of the Iewes The Iewes with firebrands set vpon the engines but losing their hope returne backe againe The valour violence of the Iewes decreaseth The Iewes retire arguing one another of cowardize The assault of the citie the first day of Iuly The Romans vndermine the wall The yeare of the world 4034. after Christs birth 72. No man dare ascend the wal that Iohn built Titus exhortation to the most valiant strongest The patient minds of the-Iewes their constancie in misfortunes The wrath of God against the Iewes is the Romanes furtherance Titus speaketh of the life to come after a poeticall maner The reward of valiant men The yeere of the world 4034. after Christs birth 72. Sabinus a man of low stature but valiant both in hand and heart Sabinus with cleauen men Approcheth the wall The power of fortune Sabinus with three companions slaine The Romans inuade Antonia A most stout fight about the entrance of the inner Temple The streightnesse of the place was incommodiuâ—… for the fight The yeare of the world 4034. after the birth of Christ. 72. Iulians famous fortitude Iulian running falleth vpon the pauement Iulians death Valiant souldiers among the Iewes Titus willeth Iohn to come out to fight least with him the citie and temple should perish also Iohn raileth against Ioseph The yeare of the world 4034 after Christs birth 72. Iechonias sustained a voluntarie banishment in Babylon The Citie by the ordinance of fate Gods will was to be ouer throwne Iosephs speeches interrupted with sighs Some of the nobilitie amoÌ„g the Iewes escape to the Romans Caesars humanitie towards the Iewes Those Iewes that were sled besought the besieged with 〈◊〉 sighes to submit themselues The temple after the manner of a Castle Titus speaketh to Iohn and his companions The yeare of the world 4034. after Christs birth 72. Titus in despite of the Iewes striueth to saue the temple Titus chose thirtie out of euery hundreth most strong and able men biddeth them charge the besieged Titus beholdeth from a window in Antonia what his souldiers performe The euents of battails are chaunged very shortly The yeâ—…re of the world 4034. after Christs birth 72. Foure mounts raised neere vnto the teÌ„ple The Iewes surprise the Romans horses The fight of the Ieweâ—… and Romans neere vnto the mouÌ„t â—…lcon Pedanius a strong and expert horsman The captiue punished The Iewes burnt y e porches of the temple The Iewes are too slacke in putting out the fire Ionathan prouoketh the stoutest RomaÌ„ to a single coÌ„bate The yeere of the world 4034. after Christs birth 72. Pudens fighting with Ionathan is slaine by him Priscus the Ceâ—…urion killeth Ionathan with an arrow The Iewes fill the voide part of the East porch with drie wood sulphure and bitumen The Romans calamitie in the fire Caesar hath compassion of the Romans that were in the fire Longus killeth himselfe Lucius dieth but Artorius saueth himself by a stratagem The porch of the Temple fired The yeâ—…re of the world 4034. after Christs birth 72. The intestino warres of the Iewes that were welnie famished with hunger The Iews eate their owne girdles shoes the leather of their Targets old â—…ay The â—…thers speach before shee slew her sonne The seditious challengâ—… the meate which the desolate mother had dressed The calamitie recounted to the Romans The yeare of the world 4034. after the birth of Christ. 72. 4. Reg 6. Ant. lib. 9. cap. 4. The Iewes ouercome the Romans and â—…eaze their ensignes Two of Simons guard reuolt from him Titus promise restraineth his wrath None of the sewes goeth about to extinguish the fire Titus calleth the chieftainâ—… before him The yeare of the world 4034. after Christs birth 72. Titus counsail as concerning the temple Titus with his chosen horsmeÌ„ commeth to rescue the Romans The temple was burnt by the Romans the tenth of the moneth of August on which day before time it was burned by the king of Babylon A soldier contrarie to Caesars will burned the teÌ„ple The burning of the temple Great slaughter in the temple The yeere of the world 403â—… after Christs birth 72. Titus striueth to saue the inward temple How many yeeres