The strife between the High Priests and the Priests to seize the Tenths that were due unto the Priests whereby it came to pass that some poor Priests died for want so much did the violence of the Seditious at that time prevail ahove all right CHAP. VII I Festus succeeds Foelix in the Government of Judaea The Inhabitants of Caesarea obtain of Nero to have the Jews Freedom recalled King Agrippa causeth an Apartment to be built from whence all that was done about the Temple might be seen the people of Jerusalem cause a high Wall to be built to hinder it by the Emperour's Authority AFter that Portius Festus had been sent by Nero to succeed Foelix in the Government K of Judaea Alias 19. the chiefest of those Jews that inhabited Caesarea Foelix accused repaired to Rome to accuse Foelix and without all doubt he had been punished for the injuries he had committed against the Jews if Nero had not pardoned him upon his Brother Palas's submission and entreaty who importuned him and was at that time in great reputation with him Hedio Rufffinus cap. 14. Furthermore two of the chiefest amongst the Syrians wrought Berillus who had sometimes been Nero's Master and at that time was Secretary of Estate in the Greek Tongue by mighty Bribes to beg of Nero the revocation of the Right and Title which the Jews enjoyed in the Government and Administration of the Commonweal For which cause Berillus solicited the Emperour and obtained a Letter from him which was the cause of those mischiefs that afterwards happened in our Nation for the Jews of Caesarea understanding what Commission the Syrians had gotten L were so much the more encouraged to make War Therefore The Cut-throats among the Jews as soon as Festus was arrived in Judaea he found the Countrey grievously afflicted with Robberies and the whole Countrey was ruined with Fire and Sword The Thieves likewise at that time encreased mightily they used short Swords after the manner of a Persian Cymetre and crooked like the Roman Faulchion with which they killed divers For thrusting themselves into the press of the people that came in great multitudes on the Festival days to celebrate God's service they killed those very easily whom they pleased and oftentimes repairing to their enemies Villages Festus discomfiteth a great deceiver with all his followers they spoiled and burnt them But Festus sent divers Forces M both of Horse and Foot against certain Jews that were seduced by an Enchanter who had promised them to free them from all their troubles if they would follow him into the Desart they killed both the deceiver and the deceived that followed him At that time King Agrippa erected a stately Building within the Palace at Jerusalem Hedio Ruffinus chap. 15. near unto the Porch alias chap. 10. This Palace in times past appertained to the Asmoneans and was scituate in a high place with a fine Prospect from whence they might with pleasure behold the City of Jerusalem wherein the King took great delight and beheld from thence that which was done in the Temple The chiefest men of Jerusalem stop up the Prospect of Agrippa's house The chiefest men of Jerusalem seeing this Building were very much displeased for neither doth our Custom or Law permit that any one should look on that which is done in the Temple and especially N forbiddeth that any man should behold the Sacrifices and Oblations They therefore builded a high Wall upon the Gallery which was within the Temple on the West side which did not only hinder the sight of the Royal Chamber but also that of the Gallery without the Temple on the West side where the Romans kept Guard near unto the Temple on the Festival days Herewith was King Agrippa highly displeased and the Governour Festus far more than he who commanded them to pull down the Wall But they besought him that he would give them Licence to send their Ambassadours to Nero to this intent alledging that it was impossible for them to live if any part of their Temple should be beaten down Which being granted them they sent ten of their chiefest Nobility and with them Ismael the High O Priest and Chelcias the Treasurer of the Temple unto Nero who no sooner heard their suit but he pardoned them not only for that they had done but he commanded A that the building should remain as it was All which he did in favour of his Wife Poppea who was entreated by the Jews she being a devout Princess to sue for them She therefore commanded the ten Ambassadours to return and kept Chelcias and Ismael for Pledges with her The King understanding how all things had past gave the High Priesthood to Joseph Joseph Cabi the Son of Simon made High Priest surnamed Cabi which was the Son of Simon who in times past had been High Priest CHAP. VIII B Albinus succeeds Festus in the Government of Judaea and King Agrippa giveth and taketh away often the High Priesthood Ananus the High Priest causeth Saint James to be put to death Agrippa enlargeth the City of Caesarea and calleth it Neronias The Favours he granted to the Levites The List of the High Priests since Aaron CAesar being advertised of Festus's death Albinus Governour of Judaea sent Albinus to govern Judaea But King Agrippa commanded Joseph to lead a private life and advanced in his stead a certain man called Ananus Ananus the Son of Ananus High Priest the Son of Ananus who was reported to have been most happy for he had five Sons all which supplied the place of the High Priest after himself C had long time before them enjoyed it the like whereof hath never happened to any of our Priests Hedio Ruffinus chap 16. The younger Ananus who as we said was advanced to this place was a rash and head-strong man that followed the Sect of the Saducees who as we have already declared were amongst all other the Jews Alias 21. the most severe in executing Justice Ananus had five Sons that succeeded him in the Priesthood Whereas therefore Ananus was of this disposition he thought that he had a fit occasion offered him to do what he pleased after Festus's death and whilst Albinus was as yet upon his way He therefore ascended and sat down in the Tribunal assisted by the Judges and caused James the Brother of JESUS who was called CHRIST The year of the World 4025. after Christ's Nativity 63. to appear before him with certain others and accused them for transgressing the Law and Blasphemy against God and caused him to be stoned to death They D that were men of upright Conscience within the City and diligent observers of the Law were very much displeased with this Act and sent secretly to the King beseeching him to prohibit Ananus James the Brother of our Lord stoned that hereafter he
it would cost much time and expence he denied their request permitting them nevertheless to pave their City with broad Stone Matthias the Son of Theophilus High Priest He took the Priesthood from Jesus the Son of Gamaliel and gave it to Matthias the Son of Theophilus in whose time the Wars betwixt the Romans and the Jews began But I think it not amiss Hedio Ruffinus chap. 18. but very answerable to the course of this present History N to speak of the High Priests The Succession and number of the High Priests among the Jews and to shew how they had their beginning and to whom this honour may be lawfully communicated and how many they were in number until the end of the War The first of them was Aaron Moses's Brother after whose death his Children succeeded him and from that time forward the honour hath continued with their Successors For it is a Law observed by our Ancestors that no man should be admitted to the Priesthood There were eighty three High Priests in all except he be of Aaron's Posterity for albeit he were a King if so be that he were of another Line it was impossible for him to obtain the Priesthood All the Priests after Aaron who as we have said was the first until Phanasus whom the Seditious created Priest in the time of the War have been in number eighty three whereof thirteen have executed the Office from the time that O Moses erected God's Tabernacle in the Desart until such time as arriving in Judaea King Solomon builded a Temple to God For in the beginning the High Priesthood continued A with the Possessors for term of life but afterwards although the Priests were yet alive yet were there other Successors put in their rooms These thirteen were of Aaron's Posterity and obtained this degree in succession the one after the other Their first Government was Aristocracy which is the Government of the Nobility afterwards a Monarchy and at last a Royal Government The number of years wherein these thirteen flourished were six hundred and twelve years from the day that our Fathers departed out of Egypt under the conduct of Moses until the building of the Temple in Jerusalem by King Solomon After these thirteen High Priests there were eighteen others who after Solomon's time succeeded one after another until the time that Nabuchodonozor King of Babylon B having encamped before the City took it and burned the Temple and transported our Nation into Babylon and led away the High Priest Josedech Prisoner The time of the Priesthood and continuance of these eighteen was four hundred sixty years six months and ten days so long as the Jews have had the Royal Government After the surprizal of Jerusalem by the Babylonians until such time as Cyrus King of Persia dismissed the Jews and gave them leave to return from Babylon into their own Countrey with permission to re-edifie their Temple there are seventy two years and at that time the Captives being returned Jesus the Son of Josedech took upon him the High Priesthood who with those of his Posterity to the number of fifteen have governed in a Democracy or Popular Government until the time of Antiochus surnamed C Eupator for the space of four hundred and fourteen years This Antiochus was the first who with his General Lysias displaced Onias surnamed Menelaus of his Priesthood commanding him to be killed at Berith and after he had driven his Son out of the Succession he established Jacim High Priest who notwithstanding was of Aaron's Race but not of his Family For this cause Onias the Son of Onias and Nephew to the deceased Onias retired himself into Egypt Where growing familiar with Ptolomey Philometor and Cleopatra his Wife he perswaded them to build a Temple in the Confines of Heliopolis not unlike to that of Jerusalem and to create a High Priest in the same of which Temple in Egypt we have made very oftentimes mention After that Jacim had held the Priestood for the space of three years he died without D Successor so the City remained seven years without a High Priest Again the Asmoneans recovered the Government of their Nation and after they had made War against the Macedonians they established Jonathan High Priest who exercised the Office seven years but afterwards he was killed in an Ambush and Treason conspired against him by Tryphon as we have declared elsewhere After him Simon his Brother undertook the Priesthood who was not long after killed treacherously by his Son-in-Law at a Banquet After him succeeded his Son Hircanus who enjoying this Dignity for the space of thirty one years died when he was very old leaving behind him Judas surnamed Aristobulus who dying left his Brother Alexander his Heir both of the Kingdom and High Priesthood After that Aristobulus had obtained the E Royal Government he enjoyed both Dignities one whole year For this Judas surnamed Aristobulus was the first that set the Diadem on his head causing himself to be called a King the which Alexander did continue for he also joyned the Kingdom with the High Priesthood and reigned twenty seven years And feeling himself draw near to his death he left in Alexandras his Wife's hands to dispose of the Priesthood as she pleased She therefore bestowed it on Hircanus and as for the Kingdom she kept it in her own hands nine years and afterwards died Her Son Hircanus was High Priest for so long time For after Alexandra's death his Brother Aristobulus made War against him and having overcome him he took the Kingdom from him and not only seized on the Crown but the Priesthood After he had reigned three F years and as many months Pompey repaired to Jerusalem and took it perforce and laying hold of Aristobulus sent him bound unto Rome with his Children After which he restored the Priesthood once more to Hircanus committing the Government of the Nation unto his hands forbidding him in the mean space to wear the Diadem Besides the first nine years Hircanus governed twenty and four But Barzapharnes and Pacorus Princes of the Parthians passed Euphrates and made war against Hircanus and took him alive Prisoner and made Antigonus Aristobulus's Son King But after he had governed three years and three months Sosius and Herod took him alive perforce and Antonius sent him to Antioch where he was beheaded After that Herod was created King by the Romans there was never any High Priest created of G the Posterity of the Asmoneans for he gave the High Priesthood to certain men of obscure and base extraction who were of the Order of Priests Aristobulus only excepted This Aristobulus was Hircanus's Nephew who was a Prisoner among the Parthians and having given him the Priesthood he married Mariamne his Sister to the intent H to continue himself in the good liking of the people in remembrance of Hircanus But afterwards fearing lest all of them should turn to Aristobulus's
sequestred them for the space of seven days after which it was lawful for them to converse with Men. The like decreed he of those that had assisted at the burial of a dead Man whom he permitted not to converse with the other till seven days were expired It was also decreed by Law that he that had a flux of seed beyond seven days should sacrifice two Wethers one of which should be sacrific'd and the other given to the Priests Also that he that hath unnatural pollution should wash himself with cold water Goâ—orrhaâ— The like must Husbands do after they have had use of their Wives Of Lepers He likewise order'd that the Leprous should be separated for ever not permitting them to frequent any Mans company but esteeming them as little differing from the dead And if any one by his prayers made unto God was delivered D from this disease and his skin reduced to its native colour such an one presented himself before God with divers oblations and sacrifices Against them that object against Moses and his Followers that they fled out of Egypt for Leprosie of which we will speak hereafter Whence it appears how ridiculous a fable it is that Moses fled out of Egypt because he was a Leper and that all the Hebrews whom he conducted with him and brought into the Land of Canaan was troubled with that disease For if that were true Moses would not have made these ordinances to his own shame and if any other had proposed them he would have opposed himself against them especially since among divers other Nations there are Lepers who are held in great honour and who are so far from disdainand contempt that they have been made Generals of Armies and elected for Governors of Common-wealths having liberty to enter the Temples and to be present at the sacrifices E What therefore hindred Moses if he had been infected with this malady to make such Laws and ordain such Statutes among those People who honoured and obeyed him whereby such as were therewith infected might be preferred By which it is manifest that those things that are objected against him are rather of malice than probability But Moses being clean from such sickness and conversing amongst his Countrey-men which were untainted made these ordinances for them that were sick having regard to the honour of God But of these things let each Man censure as best liketh him He forbad women to enter into the Temple soon after their deliverance Hedio Ruffinus cap. 14. or to assist at the sacrifice until forty days were expired if they had been brought a-bed of a Son The Laws of Women that are brought a-bed but if it were a Daughter he appointed that the number of the dayes should be F doubled and that when they should enter they should present their offerings to God whereof one part was consecrated and the other belonged to the Priests And if any one suspected that his Wife had committed adultery Numb 5. v. 15. ad finem he brought an Assar of Barly Meal and cast an handful thereof upon the Altar The Laws of adultery and jealousie and the rest was reserved for the maintenance of the Priests and then the Priest placing the Woman in the porch which is right over against the Tabernacle and taking the cover from her head writeth the name of God upon a Parchment and maketh her swear that she hath not violated her faith to her Husband and wish if she had transgressed the bounds of chastity that her right thigh might be put out of joynt her belly burst and death follow thereupon but if her Husband had been inconsiderately drawn into that suspition through excess of love then it pleased G God at the end of ten months to give her a Son And after such an oath ministred unto her the Priest dippeth in water the Parchment on which the name of God was written and then taking some of the earth of the Temple according as he findeth it and having mingled the same giveth it to the Woman to drink and if she had been H unjustly accused she became with child and brought forth happily but if she had falsified her faith to her husband and forsworn her self before God then dyed she a shameful death in the manner above mentioned You see what Laws Moses provided for the sacrifices and purifications Of adultery and incest He furthermore made these Laws which ensue He generally forebad Adultery judging it to be a great felicity if Men demeaned themselves honestly in Marriage and that both in politick Estates and private Families Exod. 22. it was a thing most profitable Deut. 17. that children should be born in Lawful Matrimony Levit. 18. 20 21 29. He condemn'd also as a horrid crime for a Man to have the use of his Mother or his Fathers Wife his Aunt or his Sister or his Sons Wife and detesteth it as a most I heinous and hideous offence He prohibited also the use of a Woman when she hath her monthly sickness also the lying with Beasts or boys by reason that such affections are abominable and against the transgressors of these Laws he established Capital punishments He willed also that the Priests should be more chaste than the rest for he not onely forbad them that which he prohibited others but moreover he enjoyned them not to marry Women that had been cast off or Slaves or Prisoners or Victualers and Taverners forsaken by their Husbands for any occasion whatsoever And touching the High-Priest Lev. 21. 7 8 9 he permitted him not to match with a Widow although it were Lawful for the other Priests and granted him onely liberty to take a Virgin to his Wife What Wife the High-Priest might marry with and to keep her The said High-Priest is also forbidden to approach a dead Man K although the other Priests are not forbidden to approach their Brothers Fathers and Mothers and children deceased Requiring that they should be sincere and true in all their words and actions He likewise ordained that the Priest which had any bodily defect should be maintained by the other Priests but in the mean time that he should not approach the Altar nor enter into the Temple willing that not onely they should be pure in that which concerned the divine service but also that they should study and endeavour to be so in all the actions of their life to the end that no Man might reproach them For which cause when they wore the habit of Priests besides their general obligation to be always pure and sober they were forbidden to drink Wine and they were to offer up entire L sacrifices and no ways maimed These Statutes did Moses make in the Desart and caus'd to be observ'd during his life Levit. 25. v. 2. ad 8. Afterwards he made others also which both the People might practise in that place The
Enemy the Canaanites hoping that God would be their Guide Ver. 43. so as they needed not the assistance of their Lawgiver The Canaanites put the Hebrews to flight When this sentence was approv'd by a general consent they flock out in multitudes against their Enemies who neither affrighted by their boldness nor multitude valiantly resisted them who desperately charg'd them so that the better part of the Hebrews being slain they pursued the rest enforced shamefully to turn their backs even unto their Camp This overthrow hapning besides all mens opinion wondrously dejected the minds of the multitude so that they grew desperate of all future good fortune concluding that God had sent and inflicted that plague upon them because without his counsel and order O they had enterpriz'd the Battel But when Moses saw that his Countreymen were dismay'd with the overthrow which they had receiv'd and the Enemy grown proud with A their late Victory fearing likewise lest not content with their present success they should attempt further he determined to retire his Forces back again into the Desart And whereas the People promised thenceforward to be obedient to him being taught by their own misery that nothing would fall out prosperously unto them without the counsel and conduct of their Guide they disincamping themselves Moses retireth the people into the Desart retired into the Desart with this resolution that they would no more attempt a Battel against the Canaanites till they received a sign of their good success from Heaven But even as in a great Army it accustomably falleth out especially in time of trouble that the common multitude wax head-strong and disobedient to their Governors so did the like also happen amongst the Jews For whereas they were in number 600000 and even in their better B Fortunes sufficiently disobedient to their Governors so much the more were they exasperated by their wants and misfortunes Sedition against Moses both amongst themselves and against their Governor For which cause there arose so great a Sedition as neither among the Greeks or Barbarians the like was ever heard Which things without doubt had overthrown them being brought into so desperate an estate had not Moses forgetting the injury he had received which was no less than a purpose to stone him to death succoured and relieved their distressed Fortunes Neither did God utterly abandon the care of them but although they were contumelious against their Lawgiver and transgressed also against the Laws which he had delivered them by Moses yet delivered he them out of that danger of which without his special Providence there could be expected no C other but a lamentable issue This Sedition as also how Moses governed the estate when the troubles were ended we will now declare having first expressed the cause thereof CHAP. II. The Sedition raised by Chore against Moses and his Brother for the Priesthood CHore a Man noble by Birth Numb 16. 1. ad 4. and famous for his wealth amongst the Hebrews and endowed with a certain kind of popular Eloquence seeing Moses placed in the highest place of Authority Chore endeavoureth to persuade the multitude to mutiny against Moses was filled with jealousie and envy thereat For although he were of the same Tribe and Kindred yet he thought it a great indignity to himself to D be held his inferior being both more potent in Riches and his equal in Parentage For which cause he began to murmur and complain to the Levites which were of the same Tribe with him and his Kinsmen telling them That it was not to be suffered that Moses under a pretext of Communication with God should by ambitious policy to other mens prejudice onely study his own glory having of late against all sort of reason given the Priesthood to his Brother Aaron and distributed other dignities at his own pleasure like a King without the suffrage and approbation of the People That this injury done by him was not to be endured by reason that so covertly he had insinuated himself into the Government that before it could be observ'd the People would be brought into servitude For he that knoweth himself to be worthy of a Government endeavors to obtain the same by the consent of the People and not E by force and violence but they that despair by good means to attain thereunto do notwithstanding abstain from force lest they should lose the opinion of their goodness and honesty yet endeavor they by malicious subtilties to attain thereunto That it concerned the Commonweal to check the attempts of such Men lest of private they at last grow publick Enemies For what reason said he can Moses give why he hath bestowed the High Priesthood on Aaron and his Sons If God had decreed that this honour should be bestowed on one of the Tribe of Levi there were more reason that I should have it who am of the same Kindred with Moses and who surpass him both in riches and age On the contrary If this honour appertain to the most ancient of the Tribes that of Reuben ought by right to enjoy it namely Dathan and Abiram and Phalal Alias Baâ—â—â— who are the most ancient of that Tribe and the most powerful in riches These things F spake Chore under colour and pretence of the good of the Commonwealth but in effect only to raise a Tumult amongst the multitude and intrude into the office of the High Priest Ver. 35. Which discourse of his passing by little and little from one ear to another Two hundred and fifty men follow Chore's Faction amongst the multitude and multiplied by the envious and such as maligned Aaron at last brought all the Tribes into a mutiny so that 250 of the chiefest Nobles grew at length to be partakers of Chore's Conspiracy and all of these conspir'd together to take away the Priesthood from Moses's Brother and to transfer it to him The People likewise were in such sort incensed They cry out to stone Moses that they sought to stone Moses and ran all of them confusedly with noise and uproar crying out before the Tabernacle of God that the Tyrant was to be cut off and the People delivered from thraldom who under pretext G of Religion had insupportable thraldom imposed on them For if it were God that had chosen him to be High Priest he would have preferred such an one to the dignity who had been worthy and would not have confer'd it on those who were far inferior to others That if he had decreed to bestow it on Aaron he would have remitted the election H to the People and not left the disposition thereof to his Brother Although Moses was inform'd of Chore's treacherous Calumnies and saw the People highly incensed yet was be nothing at all abashed thereat but being satisfi'd in his Conscience that he had governed the estate uprightly and well assured that his Brother obtained the Priesthood not
night In like manner ought they to be buried who for any occasion whatsoever are condemned and executed by Justice Let the Enemy also be interred after the same manner Enemy to be buried and let no dead man lye unburied after such time as he hath been judged and hath satisfied the Laws It is not lawful for any Hebrew to lend upon Usury neither money nor meat or I drink Deut. 23. for it is an unjust thing to make profit of the misery of those of our Nation but it is better to succour their necessities That which is borrowed must be paid and expect Gods retribution as a gain to them Exod. 22. 14. who practice such kind of benefits But they that have borrowed either money or any fruit dry or moist when by the favour and assistance of God they shall reap their own harvest and gather their fruit let them make a willing restitution to those that have lent them as if they had laid them up for themselves to possess at such time as they had need of them But if there be any so shameless as they will not make satisfaction yet let not the Creditor enter into their house to take a Pawn before the Judges have given order A pledge that the pledge be demanded at their door and then the debtor without contradiction shall bring it to him Deut. 24. 11 12 13. because it is not lawful K for him to oppose him that comes arm'd with the Law If he of whom the Pledge is taken have sufficient ability the Creditor may retain the Gage till such time as he be paid but if he be poor he shall restore him his Pawn before the Sun-set and especially if it be Garments with which he may cover himself in the night for God hath compassion on those that are Poor It is not lawful to receive in way of Gage either a Mill or ought else that belongeth thereunto lest any Debtor should be deprived of the necessary Instruments to provide his Victuals with and endure any misery through want of the means to get his living Let him that retaineth a Free-man in Bondage be punished with death Theft but he that hath stoln either Gold or Silver let him restore it two-fold If any man kill such as break into houses to rob L or that break their walls let not such an one be punished Whoso shall steal a Beast shall restore four times the value for it except it be an Ox for which he shall satisfie five-fold Exod 21. 2. ad 7. and if the Thief want means to pay this penalty let him be their slave against whom he hath trespassed An Hebrew slave is to be set at liberty after seven years and at whose suâ—e he is condemned If any one be sold unto one of his own Tribe let him serve him six years and in the seventh year he shall depart with liberty But if during the time that he remaineth with the buyer he beget any Child upon a female fellow slave and that he be willing to serve by reason of the good affection that he bareth unto the house Deut. 15. 12. ad 19. in the year of Jubile which hapneth every fiftieth year let him be set at liberty Goods that are â—ound leading away with him his Children and Wife with freedom If any man find Money or Gold by the M way let him seek out him that hath lost it and make known the place where he found it to the intent he may restore it knowing that the profit is not good which cometh by another man's injury The like is to be done with Beasts for if any man find them strayed in the Desart and find not out the owner let him presently keep them by him taking God to witness that he has no design to detain with him another man's goods If any man find another mans Beasts myred or bog'd let him not pass further but succor them and help to save them as if they were his own Let each man direct the ignorant Traveller in his way and set him in the right path if he wander Deut. 22. without deluding him or hindring him in his necessity or mis-leading him in his journey The Law of violence Let no man speak ill of him that is either absent or deaf If N any man be strucken in a quarrel and it be not with a weapon let him that struck him be presently punished by receiving the like number of blows as he hath given But if he be carried into his house and lye sick upon it divers dayes and in the end dye thereof he that struck him shall not be punisht as a Murderer And if he escape and during the time of his sickness hath been greatly hindered and charged then let him that struck him pay all the charges he hath been at during the time he kept his Bed and satisfie the Physitians He that with his foot shall strike a woman with Child if the woman miscarry he shall be by the Judges amerced in a summe of money for that he hath lessened the number of the people by the loss of him that is dead in his Mothers Womb. Let him likewise be condemned to pay a summe of money unto O the Husband but if the woman dye of the stroke he that offered the violence shall be punisht with death because the Law justly requireth that Life be satisfied with Life A Let not any one among the Israelites use any mortal Poyson or Drug that may do hurt to any man and if any be found with such things about him let him dye because it is just that he suffer the evil which he had prepared for another Whoso hath maimed any man or pull'd out his eye let him in like manner be maimed and blinded being deprived of the same member of his body whereof he hath deprived another man except he that is maimed had rather have a pecuniary amends for the Law remitteth it to the election of the offended Poyson to estimate his injury and if he will be more severe Exod. 21. 23. he may Levit. 24. 20. If any one have an Ox that striketh with his horn let him kill him Talions Law and if the same Ox striketh and killeth any man in the Field or Mow let him be stoned to death Deut. 19. 21. and let no man eat the flesh thereof And if it be proved B that the Master hath heretofore known the quality of the Beast and hath not taken order he should do no harm Of an Ox striking with his horn let him also be put to death as being the author of the murther committed by the Ox. But if the said Ox kill a slave either Male or Female he shall be stoned Exod. 11. 28 29 32. and the owner thereof shall pay thirty Sicles to the Master of the slave that is slain If one Ox be strucken
could speak they would accuse you that without cause they are ill treated against all right and that if they had the power to depart from thence they would transplant themselves into L another Countrey But when the Battel is ended and the day is yours kill all those Enemies that resisted you in the Fight Deut. 20. 15 16 17. the rest reserve as your tributaries except the people of the Land of Canaan The Canaanites are wholly to be extinguished for they with all their Families are to be exterminated Beware also but especially in War that neither a Woman use a Mans apparel nor a Man that of a Womans These are the Laws which Moses left Deut. 30. 31 32 33 34. He gave them likewise certain Institutions which he had written forty years before whereof we will speak in another Treatise Some few dayes after for he assembled the people six days together he gave them his blessing and pronounced his maledictions against those which should not live according M to his Laws but should transgress the determinations thereof He read also unto them a Canticle of six measures which he had registred in the holy book containing a prediction of things to come according to which all things have and do fall out without varying any ways from the truth These Volumes and the Ark he gave to the Priests in which he also placed the ten Commandments written in the two Tables Deut. 25. 19. He committed also unto them the custody of the Tabernacle He likewise exhorted the people that when by force they had conquered the promised Countrey The Amalechites to be punished and were planted therein they should not forget the injury which the Amalechites had done them but that they should lead forth their Army against them and take vengeance of the wrongs they had done them at such time as they were in the Desart And N he commanded them that as soon as they had taken the Countrey of Canaan they should exterminate and extinguish all the people He commanded them also to erect an Altar towards the East not far from the City of Sichem between the two Mountains Garizim on the right hand and the other called Gebal on the left and that distributing the people into two parts six Tribes in every part they should place them on these Mountains And he commanded that the Levites and Priests should be with them and that they that were upon the Mountain of Garizim should pray to God to multiply his blessings upon them that are zealous of his service and careful of the conservation of his Laws which had been given them by Moses The six other also were appointed to answer them and when these six O last had prayed the six first were to answer them and confirm that which they had pronounced This done they pronounced maledictions against the transgressors each one A answering the other in ratification of that which had been spoken He reduced also into writing these blessings and curses to the intent that the memory thereof might never be suppressed or extinguished by time which he also being near his death caused to be written on the Altar on the two sides thereof and permitted the people to come near it onely that day and there to offer burnt offerings which is forbidden to them by the Law These ordinances did Moses establish and these the Hebrew Nation observe inviolably even unto this day On the next morning he re-assembled all the people with their Wives and Children he likewise commanded Deut. 29 1 ad 10. the slaves should be present binding them by an oath to maintain and keep the Laws Moses bindeth the Hebrews by an oath to keep the Law and that diligently tying themselves to the will of God they B should not so much esteem either their kindred or means or perils or any other cause whatsoever as thereby to be driven to neglect the Laws or depart from the ordinances thereof but whether any one of their kindred or any City whatsoever should seek to alter and disturb the same or strive to weaken the authority thereof that both in particular and publick they should expose themselves and endeavour to punish them and if they should fortune to take such a City they should raze and utterly deface the same and if it were possible not leave one stone upon another but destroy the foundation But if they were too feeble to take such a revenge yet that they should make it known that they were not consenting to their impiety Hereunto the whole multitude consented and promis'd with an oath He afterwards told them how the people should C know when the Sacrifices were agreeable unto God and how they ought to march out to Battel taking a sign from the stones of the High Priest's Rational of which I have fore-spoken Josua likewise during the life and in the presence of Moses Prophesied whatsoever he intended to perform for the profit of the people either abroad in the administration of War or at home in prescribing Laws and preparing them to that order of life which was newly prescribed them he told them that by instructions from God he Prophesied that if they violated their Countrey Religion they should not escape destruction their Countrey should be filled with Foreign Arms their Cities Sackt their Temple Burnt and themselves sold under the Spear and that they should serve a D Nation Deut. 33. 23. which would not be moved or touched with commiseration of their afflictions and miseries and at length they should too late and unprofitably repent of their error yet that God their establisher would restore the Cities to the ancient Citizens and the Temple to his people Deut. 34. 9. And that this should come to pass not onely once but also many times Moses exhorteth Josua Then did Moses also appoint Josua to lead his Army against the Canaanites promising him that God would be assisting to his actions and wishing all sort of happiness to the people Seeing that saith he I go unto mine Ancestors and God hath prefixed this day for my departure it is very just that living as yet and standing in your presence I give him thanks for the care and providence which he hath hitherto had of your affairs not onely in delivering E you from so many evils but also in largely imparting his blessings unto you and for that he hath alwayes favourably helpt me whilest I endeavoured by my labour and care to reduce your fortunes to a better state Deut. 3. 13. 23. for it is he which hath given both the beginning and the accomplishment Deut. 34. 9. making use of me but as his Minister and Servant in all that good which hath been done to his people For all which things I have thought requisite in departing from you to bless the goodness of God who in time to come shall have the care and charge of you
and to acquit my self of that debt I leave you this in remembrance which is that you ought to serve and honour him and reverence the Ordinances which he hath given you whereby continuing his favour towards you he will grant you grace to preserve and keep this excellent gift Truly a Law-giver that were no more than a man would be greatly displeased with F those who should violate his Ordinances and set them at nought do not you therefore tempt God who is provoked unto anger when those Laws which he himself hath established and given you shall be contemned and neglected Whilst Moses pronounced these his last words and fore-told to the Tribes their several destinies Deut. 34. 8. and wish'd them a thousand blessings The Hebrews lamentation at Moses death the whole Multitude brake into tears and the women beating their Breasts shewed the sorrow they resented for his death The Children likewise lamented because that in their tender years they had understood the virtue and famous acts of Moses and betwixt the elder and younger sort there was as it were a conflict who should weep most bitterly for the one understanding of how worthy a Governor they were deprived lamented the time to come and the G other were perplexed because they should then lose him they before had sufficiently tasted and made tryal how great his virtue was But how great the compassion and complaint of the people was may be conjectured by this that then befell the Prophet For although he were assuredly persuaded that a man is not to lament at the instant of his H death because it happens to him both according to the Will of God and the Law of Nature yet beholding the affection of the People he could not restrain himself from tears After which he walkt towards the place where he was to dye and they all followed him weeping Then did Moses beckning with his hand warn them from afar off that they should stand still and keep their places and he desir'd them that were nearest him by word of mouth not to afflict him any longer by following him with so many testimonies of affection Accordingly to obey him they stood still and all together bewailed their calamity in so great and so general a loss only the Senators xEleazar the High Priest and the chief Captain Joshua accompanied him And when he was arrived on the Mountain called Abarim which is very high and scituate near Jericho I from whence he might discover the greater part of the Land of Canaan he dismissed the Elders and whil'st with mutual embraces he took his last leave of Eleazar and Joshua and discoursed with them a Cloud suddenly environed him and he was carried away into a certain Valley but the Holy Books which he left us say that he dyed fearing lest for the excellency of his virtue they might report that he was taken up into Heaven The whole time of his Life was 120 years the third part whereof wanting a month he spent in government of this great People Moses when he dyed was 120 years old Amongst the Hebrews Adar is the 12 month but amongst us it is called March He dyed the last month of the year and the first day of that month which the Macedonians call Dystros and our Countreymen Adar He was of all Men that ever liv'd the wisest and who in execution of his good counsels had no man to equal him Moreover in eloquence he was incomparable and K in dexterity and grace to entertain and persuade the People he had no second and so were his passions always govern'd by his wisdom that he seemed utterly to want them and only to know the names of those passions of which he saw the effects in other men Ver. 10. His skill in War may give him a rank amongst the greatest Captains Moses was a good Governor and a great Prophet and no man ever had the gift of Prophecy in so high a degree for his words seem'd so many Oracles and that as inspir'd to him by God himself The People mourned for him 30 days nor were they ever seized with so extreme grief as they were at this time when the Prophet dyed neither did he only leave behind him a present desire of him but a great estimation amongst all men who have ever chanced to read and examine his Writings and by them estimated his virtues And these are the things which I thought good to say of the L death of Moses M N O A The Fifth Book of the Antiquities of the JEWS Written by FLAVIVS JOSEPHV'S The Contents of the Chapters of the Fifth Book 1. How Joshua General of the Hebrews having overcome and slain the Canaanites divided their Land amongst the Tribes by lot 2. How after the death of the General the Israelites neglecting the Ordinances of their Forefathers fell into extreme Calamities and through a Civil War that was raised B amongst them there were but 600 of the Tribe of Benjamin left alive 3. How for their impiety the People of Israel were delivered by God into Captivity under the Assyrians 4. Their Liberty by Cenez 5. How the People were once more overcome by the Moabites and exempt from servitude by Jodes otherwise called Ehud 6. How they were brought under the subjection of the Canaanites and restored to their liberty by Barac 7. How the Amalekites having entred the Countrey of the Israelites and conquered them possessed and spoiled the same for the space of seven years C 8. How Gideon delivered the People 9. How some Successors of Gideon waged War against the Neighbor Nations round about them 10. Of Samsâ—â—'s strength and what mischiefs he did in Palestine 11. How the Sons of Eli the Prophet were slain in Battel by the Palestines 12. How Eli hearing of the death of his Sons and the loss of the Ark fell down from his Seat and dyed CHAP. I. D How Joshua General of the Hebrews having overcome and slain the Canaanites divided their Land amongst the Tribes by lot Josh 2. AFter Moses was taken from amongst Men in the manner which I have declared the last duties were paid to him The year of the World 2494. before Christ's Nativity 1470. and the time of mourning was pass'd Joshua commanded the People to prepare themselves and to march forward to Battel He sent Spies likewise to Jericho who might both sound their minds Joshua sendeth Spies into Jericho and discover their Forces Soon after he dislodged and encamped in the open field intending with all expedition to pass the River of Jordan as soon as any opportunity offered it self Josh 2. 1 2 3. Then assembled he the Princes of the Tribes of Reuben E and Gad Joshua calleth to memory and reckoneth up what the Tribes of Gad Reuben and Manasses had promised Moses and of the half Tribe of Manasses for to this half Tribe the Countrey of the
limitted the weight of those vessels that were to be fashioned either of Gold or of Silver M exhorting him to imploy all his care and diligence in performing the same He incouraged likewise the governors and the Tribe of Levi to assist him both because his years were not yet come to maturity as also because by Gods divine providence he was elected King and appointed to build the Temple assuring them that the building would be very easie and no wayes laborious considering that he had prepared a great number of talents of Gold and far more of Silver and Wood besides a great multitude of Carpenters and hewers of Sone a great quantity likewise of Emeraulds and other sort of precious Stones Lastly he told them that now also for the present he would bestow on them to that use other three thousand talents of pure Gold 1 Chron. 29. 5 ad 9. out of his own treasury to adorn the holy place and the chariot of God and the Cherubins that should stand upon the Ark and cover it with their wings N This speech of the Kings was received with great joy by all the Governours The Princes of the people gave a huge summe of Gold Silver Brass and precious Stone towards the building of the Temple Priests aud Levits who shewed a greater readiness and voluntarily proffered to contribute towards the carrying on of this holy work five thousand talents of Gold and ten thousand stateres of Silver an hundred thousand and of Iron many thousand talents and if any one of them had a precious Stone he brought it and delivered it into the Treasurers custody who was called Jalus being one of Moses posterity This thing pleased all the people and David seeing the affection and readiness of the Governours and Priests and in general of all the rest began to bless God with a loud voyce calling him the Creator and Father of this whole World the fashioner both of divine and humane things and the President and Governour of the Hebrews whose Kingdom he had committed O into his hands After this he prayed for all the people that God would be pleased to continue his favors unto them and to inrich the heart of his Son Solomon with all Princly virtues He commanded the people likewise to sing praises unto God which they performed and prostrated themselves upon the earth and afterwards gave thanks A unto David for all those benefits they had received during the time of his Government The next day as a sacrifice to God they offered up a thousand Calves a thousand Rams and a thousand Lambs for a burnt-offering and for peace-offerings they slew many thousand other Beasts 1 Paral. 29. The King celebrated a feast all that day with the whole people and Solomon was anointed with Oyl the second time The sacrifices and festival solemnized upon Solomons Coronation and proclaimed King Sadoc also was established High Priest of all the people and Solomon was conducted into the Kings house and placed in his Fathers Throne and from that day forward they obeyed him CHAP. XII The last instructions of David to Solomon his death and the magnificence of his funeral B NOT long after this Hedio Ruffinus cap. 16. David failing through age and knowing that he should depart out of this world he called for Solomon his Son and spake unto him after this manner 1 King 2. 1. ad 4. My Son I must now depart and sleep with my Fathers and enter the common way which both they that now live Davids last counsel to Solomon and those which come after shall tract from whence we shall not return nor behold and revisit those things that are done in this life For which cause whilest I yet live and draw onward to my death I earnestly exhort thee as heretofore I have counselled thee that thou behave thy self justly towards thy Subjects and piously towards God that hath honoured thee with this kingdom charging thee to keep his precepts and laws which he hath given us by Moses and to take heed lest either surprized by flattery or mis-led by favour or seduced by covetousness or any other sinister affection thou be drawn to neglect C and forsake the same for thou canst by no means continue in Gods favour except thou keep his laws for otherwise he will withdraw his providence from thee But if according to the obligation which lieth on you you shall follow my counsel and diligently perform your duty thou shalt establish the Kingdom in our family and no other house at any time but our own shall obtain the dominion over the Hebrews Remember likewise the iniquity of Joab who through emulation v. 5. slew two good and just Generals Abner the Son of Ner and Amasa the Son of Jethram David willeth Solomon to punish Joab punish him as thou thinkest meet for hitherto he hath escaped punishment because he was stronger and more powerful than my self I commend also unto thee the Sons of Berzillai the Galaadite v. 7. whom for my sake advance to honour and dignity Nor would I have thee esteem the kindness which thou shalt shew them to be any courtesie David commendeth Berzellai's Sons to Solomon but only a recompence and D requital of the obligations which I have received from their Father in the time of my banishment and for which he made us indebted to him As touching Simei the Son of Gera of the Tribe of Benjamin v. 8. who during the time of my flight How Simei should be punished and at such time as I retired my self into my Camp injured and reviled me and afterwards came out to me near unto Jordan and took assurance of me that for that time I should not punish him I leave him to you to be punished according as you shall find an opportunity After he had thus exhorted his Son and had communicated with him all his affairs both touching his friends v. 10 11. and those whom he thought worthy of punishment he gave up the ghost after he had lived seventy years The years of the age and Raign together with the vertues of David and Reigned in Hebron a City of Juda for the space of seven years and an half and thirty three in Jerusalem over the whole Nation E He was a just man adorned with all vertue requisite in a King that should govern so many Nations For he was valiant beyond comparison and in those battels which he fought for his Subjects he was the first that thrust himself into danger and exhorted his Souldiers to behave themselves valiantly not commanding them like their Governour but fighting with them as their fellow-soldier He was very well qualified by his knowledg and experience to make the best use of the present and to manage his future occasions he was moderate and just courteous and favourable to those that were afflicted which are those ornaments which are
which hapned to the Israelites according to the prophecy of Elizeus which he foretold unto Azael at such time as he prophecied unto him that he should reign over the Syrians and them of Damascus after that he had murthered his master Ioachas being in this extremity had his recourse to God in prayer and supplication beseeching him that it might please him to deliver him from the hands of Azael and not suffer him to be under subjection and thraldom unto him God that regardeth the penitent as if they had been innocent and that gently chastiseth those whom he might utterly exterminate if he so pleased gave him assurance against the War and danger so that the Countrey having obtained peace recovered her former state and prosperity When Ioachas was dead his Son succeeded him in the G government and began to reign over the Israelites in Samaria in the 37 year of Joas King of Juda. For this King of Israel was called Joas as well as he that reigned in H Jerusalem The year of the World 3089 before Christ's Nativity 875. he governed the Kingdom sixteen years He was a good man and was not like unto Ioachas his Father About this time Elizeus the Prophet was very old and fell sick the King of Israel came to visit him and finding him in the extremity and past hope of recovery he began to weep and lament calling him his Father and his armour because that during his life he had never occasion to use the sword against the Enemy Joas King of Israel and Samaria but that by means of his predictions he had alwayes the upper hand of them without fighting that now he departed this life and left him disarmed to the mercy of the Syrians and other his enemies so that he was not secure of liberty nor life but that he rather wished to die with him than live in those dangers Elizeus being moved with these complaints Elizeus foretelleth that Joas should overcome the Syrians thrice comforted the King that lamented in this I sort and commanding him to draw his Bow that he brought with him for the King had bent the same Elizeus said unto him 2 King 13. 20 21. Draw and he shot three Arrowes and gave over at the fourth Oh said Elizeus if thou hadst shot more Arrows thou hadst utterly ruined the Kingdom of the Syrians Elizeus death and the raising of a dead man to life that was cast into his Tombe and since thou hast contented thy self with shooting thrice only thou shalt overthrow the Syrians in three battels which thou shalt fight against them and shalt recover the Countrey they have taken from thy Father After the King understood these things he departed and not long after the Prophet died who was renowned for his justice and beloved of God who shewed miraculous and incredible works by his prophecies and such as the Hebrews ought to keep in perpetual remembrance and was buried magnificently according as it behoved a man who was so highly favoured K by God It chanced about that time 2 Chron. 25. 18 ad 25. that certain thieves having cast the body of a man that was murthered by them Joas trâ—bble victory upon the body of the Prophet where he lay buried the dead body returned to life Which made it appear that God had given him a power of working miracles not only in his life time but also after his death After the death of Azael King of Syria Adad his Son obtained the Kingdom against whom Joas King of Israel made War and having overcome him three times he recovered all that Countrey and those Cities and Towns that Azael his Father had conquered before him All which came to pass according as Elizeus had prophecied After that Joas was dead the Kingdom fell to Jeroboam his Son L CHAP. X. Amasias making War against Joas King of Israel is overcome THe tenth year of the reign of Joas King of Israel Hedio Ruffiâ—â—s chap. 9. Amasias reigned over the Tribe of Juda in Jerusalem his mother was called Judah and was a Citizen of Jerusalem Amasias King of Jerusalem He was very careful to maintaine justice notwithstanding he was very young 2 King 14 1 2. And having taken upon him the Government of the Kingdom he resolved with himself that he ought first of all to revenge the death of his father Joas who was traiterously slain by his friends he therefore laid hands on them and put them M all to the sword yet extended he not his displeasure to their children but conformed his actions according to the Laws of Moses 2 King 14. which faith that it is not lawful to punish their children for their Fathers offences Deut. 24. 16. He afterwards levied an Army of the Tribes of Juda and Benjamin and chose such as were in the flower of their years and about twenty years of age the number of which amounted to three hundred thousand men whom he divided into Centuries He sent also to the King of Israel and hired an hundred thousand of his armed men for an hundred talents of Silver because he intended to make War upon the Amalechites Idumaeans and Gabelites Now whilest he made this preparation and was in a readiness to undertake this exploit a certain Prophet counseled him to dismiss the Israelites that he had with him because they were wicked men N signifying unto him from God that if he were followed by them in that War he should be overcome and on the other side that he should have the upper hand over his Enemies if he fought with a few men according to Gods direction Hereupon the King was moved because he had already paid the Israelites their wages but the Prophet ceased not to exhort him to do that which was pleasing in Gods sight The dismission of the Isâ—aelites who would give him silver in abundance Hereupon he dismissed them telling them that he freely gave them their pay and he with the forces of his owne Kingdom marched out against those Nations 2 Chron. 25. 11 12 13. and fought with them and overcame them and slew ten thousand of them and took no less number of Prisoners whom he afterwards caused to be led to a high Rock that bounded upon Arabia Amasias vâ—ctory over the â—malechites and from thence cast them down headlong and O from all these Nations he recovered a great booty and brought home much riches Whilest Amasias stood upon these terms the Israelites that had taken wages of him and were cashiered by him conceived a displeasure against him supposing themselves to be injured by him The year of the World 3106. before Christ's Nativity 858. as if he had dismissed them for want of courage For which A cause they invaded his Country and spoiled it as far as Bethsemer and carried away a great quantity of Cattel and slew three thousand men But the victory
offering up Sacrifices unto God they besought him to shew himself favourable and merciful towards them The King likewise commanded the High-Priest that if there were any vessels in the Temple which were made by his Predecessors in honour of Idols and strange gods he should cast them out and after that a great number were found therein all of them were gather'd together and burnt and the ashes afterwards were scatter'd abroad And as touching the Priests that appertained to Idols that were not of the Race of Aaron he put them to death The truth of the divine oracles When these things were thus executed in Jerusalem he came afterwards to the plain Countrey and all that which Jeroboam had erected there in honour of Idols 1 Kings 13. 1. ad 4. he utterly defaced it and the bones of N the false Prophets were burnt upon the Altar that Jeroboam had built This had the Prophet foretold that came to Jeroboam at such time as he offered Sacrifice and told him in the presence of all the people all that which should happen namely That one of Davids posterity called Josias should do thâ—se things which Prophecy took effect 361 years after After this King Josias applied himself to the Israelites who had avoided the captivity and servitude of the Assyrians and persuaded them to forsake their impieties and the services they had performed to strange gods and to honour the sovereign and true God of their fathers and to cleave unto him He made a search also thorow every house borough and city fearing lest as yet there should be an Idol hidden He likewise sought out the Chariots that were made by his ancestors in honour of the Sun O and all that which was adored whatsoever it were and utterly abolished the same After he had in this sort purged the Countrey he assembled all the people in Jerusalem where he celebrated the Feast of unleavened bread which we call Easter Towards the performance whereof The year of the World 23â—â— before Christ's Nativity 643. he gave the people young kids and lambs to the number of 30000 A and 3000 Bullocks for burnt-offerings and the chief among the Levites distributed amongst the other Levites 500 Lambs and 500 Bullocks Having therefore such an abundance of Beasts they sacrificed according to the Law of Moses the Priests taking charge thereof 2 Kings 23. â— 11. and confirming the rest of the people by their example Neither was there ever such a solemnity kept by the Hebrews since the time of Samuel the Prophet because all things were done according to the Laws and the ancient Customs Tâ—e celebration of the Pâ—sseover which were observed in the time of their Fathers After this Josias lived in peace riches honour and estimation amongst all men Ver. 21 c. and thus ended his life Hedio Ruffinus cap. 9. 〈◊〉 cap. 5. CHAP. V. B Divers Exploits of Nechao Nechao The Eâ—yptians 〈…〉 King of Egypt having gathered great Forces conducted his Army towards the River Euphrates to war against the Medes and Babylonians who had destroyed the Empire of Assyria for Nechao affected the government of all Asia Now when he drew near unto the City of Mende which was under Josias subjection King Josias denied him passage and would not suffer his Army to march thorow his Countrey For which cause Nechao sent an Herald unto him to let him understand That it was not against him that he made War 〈…〉 but that he bent his course towards Euphrates for which cause C he wished him in no sort to hinder his intended journey 2 Chrâ—n â—5 22 23 24. lest thereby he should be constrained to make War upon him An Epitâ—ph written by Jeremy on Josiâ—â— But Josias regarded not this demand of his but resolved himself to hinder his passage thorow his Countrey And I am persuaded that his evil Genius put him upon making this resistance to the end that he might have some occasion to do something against Nechao Ver. 25. For whil'st he set in order his Army and rode from one Band to another Which was the 〈…〉 being mounted upon his Chariot he was strucken with an Arrow that was shot by a certain Egyptian which put a stop to his proceedings For feeling himself oppressed with pain 〈…〉 by reason of his wound he commanded his Army to retire and returned himself to Jerusalem where he dyed of his wound and was buried with his Fathers with great magnificence after he had lived 39 years and reigned 31. For him D the people mourned with great heaviness 〈…〉 lamenting for many days The Prophet Jeremy also made an Elegy upon him in verse 〈…〉 which is as yet extant even in these days This Prophet foretold in writing those evils which should afterwards happen unto the City and the Captivity wherewith we are intangled at this present 〈…〉 and the surprisal of Babylon 〈…〉 Neither hath he alone foretold the same but the Prophet Ezekiel hath likewise done the like who first left two Books written of the same Argument These two Prophets were of the race of the Priests â—span â— But Jeremy kept in Jerusalem from the 14th year of the Reign of Josias 〈…〉 until the destruction of the City and Temple as in time and place convenient we will declare setting down those occurrences that hapned to this Prophet After the death of Josias hitherto mentioned his son Joaz succeeded him E in the Kingdom at such time as he was 23 years old he reigned in Jerusalem and his mothers name was Ametala he was a man full of impiety and of a malignant and perverse nature The King of Egypt returning from the War sent unto Joaz commanding him to meet him in Samath a City of Syria where he was no sooner arrived but he kept him Prisoner committing the Kingdom to Eliachim his brother on the Fathers side who was his elder brother likewise He changed his name likewise and call'd him Joachim he impos'd a Tribute also on Judea of 100 Talents of silver and a Talent of gold which Joachim paid and as touching Joaz he led him into Egypt where he finished his days after he had been King three months and ten days Now Joachims mother was called Zâ—buda of the City of Abuma He was a wicked person and of a malignant nature F having neither piety towards God nor respect towards men CHAP. VI. Nabuchodonosors Army cometh into Syria IN the fourth year of the Reign of Joachim 〈…〉 a certain man called Nabuchodonosor possessed the Kingdom of Babylon who at that time went out with a great Army against 〈◊〉 a City scituate near unto Euphrates resolving with himself to fight against Nechao King of Egypt under whose power all Syria was subject Nechao understanding G of the Babylonians intent and how great his Army was made very little account thereof but with a huge Army
Temple of God 3. In what estimation the Jews were with the Kings of Asia and how the freedome of those Cities which they built was granted them 4. Joseph the Son of Tobias driveth away the Jews imminent calamity by reason of his friendship with King Ptolomey 5. The friendship and society between the Lacedaemonians and Onias the High Priest of the Jews 6. The Jews distracted by seditions call Antiochus to their assistance 7. How Antiochus leading his Army to Jerusalem and taking the City spoyled the Temple K 8. Antiochus forbiddeth the Jews to use the Laws of their forefathers the Son of Asmonaeus called Matthias contemned the King and put his Captains to flight 9. Mathias being dead Judas his Son succeeded him 10. Apollonius a Captain of Antiochus is overcome in Jewry and slain 11. The overthrow and death of Lysias and Gorgias sent out against the Jews 12. How dividing their Armys Simon overcame the Tyrants and Ptolomaidans and Judas the Ammonites 13. The death of Antiochus Epiphanes among the Persians 14. Antiochus Eupator overthrowing the Army of the Jews besieged Judas in the Temple 15. Antiochus giving over his siege plighteth a league of friendship with Judas L 16. Bacchides a Captain belonging to Demetrius being sent with his Army against the Jews returneth back to the King without success 17. Nicanor elected Captain after Bacchides and sent out against the Jews is slain with his whole Army 18 Bacchides sent out once more against the Jews overcometh them 19. How Judas being overcome in battle is slain CHAP. I. After the death of Alexander the Great his Army is divided amongst his Captains M Ptolomey one of the chife of them makes himself Master of Jerusalem by surprise sends several Colonies of Jews into Egypt and puts great confidence in them continual Wars betwixt the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and the Samaritans ALexander King of Macedon having overcome the Persians and establisht the state of the Jews according as hath been related departed this life The death of Alexander and the Wars of his succssors Whereupon his Dominions and Kingdoms fell into divers mens hands Antigonus made himself Governor of Asia Seleucus of Babylon and the bordering Nations Jerusalem surprized by policy and the Jews lead way captive Lysimachus had the Hellespont Cassander Macedon and N Ptolomey the Son of Lagus held Egypt Now when these men were at discord amongst themselves whilest each of them affected the soveraignty and fought the one against the other they raised divers great and bloody Wars which ruined many Cities and destroyed great numbers of their Inhabitants Syria had sufficient experience of all these miseries under the Government of Ptolomey the Son of Lagus surnamed Soter a Title which he little deserved He it was that seized on Jerusalem by a stratagem for he entred the City upon a Sabbath day under pretext to offer sacrifice and whilst the Jews suspected nothing but spent the day in ease and idleness he surprised the City without resistance and made the Citizens captives Agatharchides the Cnidian who wrote the Acts of Alexanders successors testifieth the same reproaching us of superstition as if by that means we lost our City O He writeth to this effect There is a certain Nation which are called Jews who inhabit a City which is call'd Jerusalem both strong and mighty They suffered it to fall into Ptolomeys hands because they would not stand upon their guard and through their unseasonable superstition they permitted themselves to be subdued by a Tyrant conquerour The year of the World 3634. before Christ's Nativity 321. See A here what Agatharchides saith in this place of our Nation But Ptolomey leading away with him divers prisoners from the better quarters of Judaea and the places near unto Jerusalem of Samaria and mount Garzim sent them into Egypt to inhabit there and being assured that those of Jerusalem were most firm in maintaining their oaths and promises according as it appeared by their answer made to Alexander when after the discomfiture of Darius he sent Ambassadors unto them he put divers of them into his Garrisons giving them the same priviledges in the City of Alexandria which the Macedonians had After he had received their oath that they should be faithful unto him and his successours in memory of the great trust and favours he had bestowed on them many of the other Jews likewise of their own accord went into Egypt partly B allured thereunto by the plenty of the countrey Sedition betwixt the Jews and Samaritans as touching the Temple partly by the liberality of Ptolomey towards their Nation Yet were there continual quarels betwixt their posterity and the Samaritans because they would keep and maintain the customes and ordinances of their forefathers whereupon divers wars arose amongst them For they of Jerusalem said that their Temple was the true Sanctuary of God and would have the offerings and sacrifices sent thither the Samaritans on the other side commanded them to be brought to the mount Garazim CHAP. II. Ptolomey Philadelphus caused the Laws of the Jews to be translated into C the Greek tongue and dismissing many Captive Jews dedicateth many presents to the Temple of God AFter the death of Ptolomeus Soter his Son Ptolomeus Philadelphus succeeded in the Kingdom of Egyptt Hedio Ruffinus chap. 2. and held it for nine and thirty years space he it was that translated the law into the Greek tongue and delivered the Jews from that servitude wherein they were inthralled in Egypt to the number of sixscore thousand upon this occasion 〈◊〉 library of Ptolomey Phyladelphus Demetrius Phalereus Master of the Kings Library endeavoured to make a collection of all sorts of Books that were in the world and brought all which he thought would be agreeable to the King who was very curious in his collection of Books D The Kings demanding one day how many thousands of Volumes he had already gathered he answered him that he had already gott about two hundred thousand Volums but that shortly he hoped to have to the number of five hundred thousand Besides he told him that he had been lately informed that there ware divers Volumes among the Jews wherein many things touching their Laws and policies were written which were worthy to be known and deserved a place in so memorable and famous a Liberary but that it would be very difficult to translate them into the Greek tongue for their characters seem to have some relation to the Syriack and their pronunciation likewise is not much different from it notwithstanding they have their phrase proper and peculiar unto themselves But nevertheless he believed it might be done since his Majesty would E not think much of any charge the King approved of this proposal and wrote unto the High Priest of the Jews to help him to these books In the mean time a certaâ—n man called Aristaeus who was intirely beloved by
for they who kept it defended it valiantly For against every Engine the King built and raised up against them they erected a contrary Engine They only wanted victuals because their old provision was consumed and the ground had not been manured that year because it was the seventh in which according to the Law the Countrey ought not to be tilled which was the cause that divers of those that were besieged fled away privately for want of victuals insomuch that very few remained for the defence of the Temple In this condition were they who were besieg'd in the Temple But when King Antiochus and Lysias the General had received notice Antiochus hearing news of Philips intent to invade Persia giveth over his siege to meet him that Philip coming out of Persia intended to make himself Lord of the Countrey they concluded to give F over the siege for that time and to march forwards against Philip without giving any notice thereof to his Soldiers He only commanded that Lysias should call a Council of his Captains and without discovering of his design against Philip to tell them That he raised the siege because the place was very strong and his Army began to want victuals and the publick affairs required his presence in other parts of his Dominions Furthermore he thought it expedient to capitulate with the besieged and contract friendship with all the Nation of the Jews promising them the free exercise of their Religion because they rebelled only that they were deprived of it and he was assured that having the grant thereof they would live peaceably and he might safely return into his own Countrey When Lysias had declared these Reasons all the Army and the Captains approved thereof G H CHAP. XV. King Antiochus Eupator makes peace with the Jews but contrary to his promise he demolisheth the Wall that encompassed the Temple He cuts off the head of the High-Priest Onias sirnamed Menelaus and confers that honour upon Alcim Onias the Nephew of Menelaus retires into Egypt where the King and Queen Cleopatra his Wife permit him to build a Temple at Heliopolis in imitation of that at Jerusalem IN pursuance of this resolution Antiochus maketh peace with Judas King Antiochus sent a Herald to Judas and those that I were besieged with him promising them peace with permission to live according to their Religion The wall of the Temple defaced Which conditions they willingly embrac'd and having taken an oath of assurance from the King they surrendred up the Temple Whereupon Antiochus entred into it Onias otherwayes called Menelaus led away Prisoner and seeing it to be a place so well fortifi'd he contrary to his oath commanded his Army to level the Wall that inviron'd it even with the ground which done he return'd to Antioch leading away with him the High-Priest Onias who was called Menelaus For Lysias had counselled the King to murther Menelaus if he intended that the Jews should live in peace and the rather because it was he only who was the Author of all those evils by reason of the counsel he had given to Antiochus his father to inforce the Jews to forsake their Religion The King for that cause sent Menelaus unto Beraea K a City of Syria where he commanded him to be put to death after he had enjoy'd the High-Priesthood ten years Alcim or Jacimus made High-Priest He was a wicked man and to raise himself to that great honour and authority had caused several of our Nation to violate our most holy Laws As soon therefore as Menelaus was dead Alcim was made High-Priest who was called Jacimus Now when Antiochus found that Philip had already conquer'd a great part of his Countrey he fought with him and taking him Prisoner he put him to death But Onias the son of the High-Priest Philip slain by Antiochus whom as we have heretofore declared was left an Orphan in his infancy seeing that the King had slain his Uncle Menelaus Onias the High-Priests son built a Temple in Egypt resembling that at Jerusalem and given the Priesthood to Alcim who was not of the race of the Priests and had transferred this honour into another family at the persuasion of Lysias he fled unto Ptolomy King of L Egypt where being honourably entertained by the King and his Queen Cleopatra he obtained a place at Heliopolis where he built a Temple like unto that which was at Jerusalem whereof we shall hereafter have a more fit opportunity to speak CHAP. XVI Demetrius the son of Seleucus escapes from Rome comes into Syria and causeth himself to be crowned King and puts to death King Antiochus and Lysias He sends Bacchides with an Army into Judea to exterminate Judas and his party and to establish Alcim in the High-Priesthood he proceeds with great cruelty but Judas compels M him to retire to Demetrius for fresh supplies AT that time Demetrius the son of Seleucus fled from Rome Hedio Ruffinus cap. 15. and took possession of Tripolis in Syria and after he had set the Diadem upon his own head and had levied and hired certain Soldiers 1 Machab. 7. he invaded the kingdom Demetrius seizeth Tripolis and other Cities of â—yria and killeth Antiochus and Lysias where he was received to the general content of all men who submitting themselves unto him laid hold on the King Antiochus and Lysias and brought them alive unto him but he forthwith commanded that they should be put to death after that Antiochus had reigned two years To this new elected King divers Jews banish'd for their impiety and with them the High-Priest Alcim resorted Alcim the High-Priest with Apostates accuseth Judas before Demetrius who in general accused their own Nation and principally Judas N and his brethren objecting against them that they had slain his friends and all such as were on his side and that among all those that were in the kingdom and expected his coming some of them were slain and the rest being driven from their native Countrey were banish'd into other places Wherefore he desired him that he would send some one of his friends to take notice of the outrages committed by Judas and his brethren Demetrius was much moved by these reports and for that cause sent Bacchides who was in times past much esteemed by Antiochus Epiphanes for his valor and to whose government at that time all Mesopotamia was committed To whom he gave an Army joining with him the High-Priest Alcim with Commission to kill Judas and his Confederates Bacchides departing from Antioch with his Army came into Judea and sent an Herald unto Judas O and his brethren to treat with him upon certain Articles of Peace because his intent was to surprize them by some treachery But Judas suspecting his design gave little heed unto him for in that he came thither with so great an Army he easily conjectured that he intended no Peace
good seeing himself so much honour'd by us Let this suffice to express the honours bestow'd on Hircanus by the People of Rome and the Citizens of Athens After that Caesar had given order for the affairs of Syria Hedio Ruffinus cap. 18. he returned back by Sea And as soon as Antipater had accompanied Caesar out of Syria Caesar departeth out of Syria he returned into Judea and suddenly built up the Walls of Jerusalem which Pompey had beaten down and in riding a Circuit about the Countrey he pacified the troubles not only by threatnings but by good advice also Antipater pacifieth all occasion of commotion in Judea which he gave every one to live in peace assuring them That if they submitted themselves to Hircanus their Prince they should live happily and enjoy their possessions without any trouble and that if they hoped to advance themselves by any new commotion M supposing by that means to benefit themselves they should feel that instead of a Governor they had a Master and instead of a King they should find Hircanus a Tyrant and instead of the Romans and Caesar to be their Governors they should find them to be their most hateful Enemies for they would not suffer that any thing should be altered that they had established By these and such like admonitions he kept and continued all the Country in peace N O CHAP. XVII The year of the World 3921. before Christ's Nativity 43. A Antipater gaineth great repute by his virtue His eldest son Phasaelus is made Governor of Jerusalem and Herod his second son is made Governor of Galilee Herod causeth to be executed several Robbers Some great mens jealousie against Antipater and his children They made Hircanus accuse Herod for those that he had put to death He compareth in judgment and then retireth He cometh to besiege Jerusalem which he had taken if Antipater and Phasaelus had not hindred him Hircanus reneweth his alliance with the Romans The testimony of the Romans esteem and affection for Hircanus and the Jews Caesar is B murther'd in the Capitol by Cassius and Brutus ANtipater perceiving that Hircanus was slow and idle he declared and appointed Phasaelus his eldest son Alias cap. 20. Governor over Jerusalem and the Countrey thereabout As for Herod who was very young Antipater maketh Phasaelus Governor in Jerusalem and Herod in Galilee for he was not at that time above 15 years old he committed Galilee unto his charge who although young in years yet he was ripe in courage and conduct which he witnessed in apprehending Ezechias who was the chief of those Thieves who ranged over all Syria he put him to death with divers of his Complices Which act of his got him esteem and credit among the Syrians for by that means he freed their Countrey of all those Robbers according as they desir'd He was therefore praised thorow the Villages and Cities for this action Herod executeth Ezekias and his followers for robberies as he that had given them peace C and assured possession of their Estates For this cause he was made known to Sextus Caesar who was Uncle to Caesar the Great Furthermore his brother Phasaelus was encouraged to follow his noble actions and inforced himself to obtain no less reputation than he had Sextus Caesar Governor of Syria for which cause he strove to get the good will of the common People in Jerusalem and govern'd the City with such discretion that he acted all things to every mans content The form of Phasaelus's government and abused not his power to any private mans injury which was the cause that Antipater was honour'd by the whole Nation with no less respect than if he had been their only Lord and Soveraign Antipater notwithstanding his high authority was alwayes faithful to Hircanus Yet did not this eminency of estate so far distract him that he forgot the love and duty he ought to Hircanus as in such like occasions it oftentimes falleth out notwithstanding divers of the greatest amongst the Jews seeing D Antipater and his sons so highly advanced both by the publick favor of the whole Nation as also by the Revenues that they drew both out of Jewry as also by the employment of Hircanus's money were grievously incensed against them Antipater winneth the Romans hearts by Hircanus's money and draweth the Jews into hatred For Antipater had made friendship with the Emperors of Rome and having persuaded Hircanus to send them money he had appropriated the same unto himself sending it not in Hircanus's name but in his own which though Hircanus knew yet he was not moved therewith but rather well contented But that which most of all terrifi'd the Princes of the Jews was to behold the violent and audacious nature of Herod who govern'd after a tyrannical manner The Jews accuse Antipater and Herod before Hircanus For this cause they address'd themselves to Hircanus and accus'd Antipater openly How long said they will you dissemble and wink at those things that are daily practised E See you not that Antipater and his sons possess in effect the Royal Power and Authority of the Kingdom and that you have only the name Assure your self that you are not out of danger in contemning thus both your self and your Kingdom For Antipater and his sons are not now your Substitutes neither intend they your profit or your Countries good whatsoever your opinion is of them they are publickly acknowledg'd Lords and Masters For Herod Antipater 's son hath already put Ezechias and his Confederates to death and thereby transgressed our Laws which forbid to take away any mans life how wicked soever he be except he be first of all condemned to death by the Council Herod called in question appeareth with a great train and notwithstanding this he hath been so bold as to do justice without your authority When Hircanus heard this he grew angry for their mothers whom Herod had slain had incensed him by their continual Exclamations in the Temple F exhorting the King and People to call Herod to account before the Council of that which he had done So that Hircanus moved by these Women called Herod to answer unto those accusations which were objected against him Who made his appearance forewarned by his father not to present himself after the manner of a private person but well attended and accompanied to withstand all inconveniencies Sextus Caesar writeth to Hircanus to discharge Herod After he had taken order for the affairs in Galilee according as he thought fit and that he himself was sufficiently accompanied to make his Voyage with such a Guard as neither might terrifie Hircanus with number nor leave himself unsecured in danger he resorted to Jerusalem Moreover Sextus Caesar Governor of Syria wrote unto Hircanus to absolve him adding G threats to his persuasions if so be he should perform the contrary which gave Hircanus
occasion to deliver Herod in despite of the Council the rather also for that he loved him as intirely as his son Therefore when Herod presented himself before the Council H with his retinue The year of the World 3922. before Christ's Nativity 42. all of them were astonished and none of those that accused him in his absence durst open their mouths to speak one word but all of them kept silence not knowing what do Now whilst they stood upon these terms a certain man called Sameas who was of upright dealing and for this cause was not daunted arose and spake to this purpose Sameas one of the Judges foretelleth Hircanus and his counsellers of their imminent death by Herods means Dread King and you honourable assistants I could never yet remember that ever any man which was called in question to defend his cause before us hath appeared in this equipage and I suppose that none of you can say that the like hath ever hapned but whosoever cometh into this place to receive judgment he presented himself with humility and fear with a countenance prepared to implore mercy having his hair long and his garment black but this gallant Herod accused of murther and this for occasion called before I us who could imagine that he should appear before us in a purple robe having his hairs trimmed and besides that a guard of armed men about him with an intent that if we condemn him according to Law he may put us to death without Law that after he hath violated all right Herod honoureth Sameas he may escape and save himself But I blame not Herod in this action for that he hath a more inward regard of his particular profit than of the Law but I accuse both you and the King Herod admonished by Hircanus saveth himself by flight and appeareth no more in judgment who have given him such assurance Know therefore that there is a soveraign God that will one day punish both you and the King and him whom you will deliver by the Kings means And so fell it out as he had said For as soon as Herod had obtained the Kingdom he put all those of the council to death and Hircanus himself likewise onely Sameas was exempted for he esteemed him mightily because of his wisdom and K justice and because when the City was besieged by Herod and Sosius Sameas perswaded the people to receive Herod telling them that by reason of their sins and offences they could not escape from him whereof we will speak in time and place Hircanus perceiving that the Judges were inclined to condemn Herod deferred the sentence till the next day and sent secretly unto Herod counselling him to flie out of the City assuring him that there was no other means to save his life Thus he posted to Damascus as if he had fled from the Kings presence and presenting himself before Sextus Caesar after he had assured his person he resolved with himself that if the council should call him once more to answer he would not obey them But after his departure the council was displeased with Hircanus and endeavoured to perswade him L that all these things tended to his destruction which he perceived yet knew not what to do Alias chap. 11. Sextus Caesar selleth his Presidents place to Herod for ready money he was so negligent and void of foresight When Sextus had made Herod Governor of Coelosyria which estate he sold unto him for ready money Hircanus was afraid lest Herod should make War against him neither passed there long time before the effect grew answerable to his fear For Herod marched forth against him with a great Army supposing himself to be much wronged by the assignation he had sent him and in that he was summoned to give a reason of his actions before the council Herod marcheth against Hircanus with a great Army and is disswaded from War by his father Antipater and his brother Phasaelus But his father Antipater and his brother Phasaelus came forth against him to hinder his approach towards Jerusalem striving to appease his fury and counselling him not to attempt any thing by way of action but that contenting himself that he had threatned and affrighted Hircanus he should not attempt M any thing further against him who had raised him to that high degree They told him also that it became him not onely to remember that he was cited to answer but that he was absolved also and permitted to depart without danger or any violence Moreover that he ought to think that God governeth the ballance of War and that the issues of battels are uncertain and for that cause he ought not to expect the victory if he made War against the King who was his familiar and from whom he had received far more kindness Hedio Ruffinus chap. 10. and no displeasure who though he made some appearance and shadow of severity Hircanus Embassadors to Caesar touching the accusation intended against him yet notwithstanding it proceeded not so much from him as from his evil counsellers Herod in some sort pacified by these perswasions The Jews much honoured by the Kings of Europe and Asia Julius Caesar testifieth in a brazen Pillar that the Jews were free citizens of Alexandria obeyed his father supposing that it sufficed him in regard of his N future hopes that he had given the people so large a testimony of his power This was the state of the Jews at that time But Caesar arriving at Rome prepared himself to set sail towards Affrick with an intent to make War against Scipio and Cato Hircanus sent Embassadors to him beseeching him to confirm the amity and alliance that he had with him But now I think it very convenient to declare all the Prerogatives and alliances that the Romans and theâ—â— Emperors made with those of our Nation to the end that all other people might know that the Kings of Asia and Europe have been well affected towards us and have made great account of our valor and fidelity And although divers men ill affected to wards us Julius Caesars Decree as touching the honours immunities and priviledges granted to the Jews believe not that which the Macedonians and Persians have written of us because the same matters are not extant in all places neither set down in publick writings O but onely amongst our selves and some Barbarians yet it is manifest that they cannot contradict the declarations made by the Romans which are manifestly affixed in publick places in Cities as likewise at this present they are engraven in the Capitol in brazen pillars Julius Caesar in like manner in a brazen pillar erected by him hath declared unto the Jews that inhabited Alexandria The year of the World 3922. before Christ's Nativity 24. that they were free Citizens therein A and to the intent that these things may more manifestly appear I will propose the decrees
their opinions and receive Herod yet this opinion of his was not answerable to equity For notwithstanding whatsoever violence he did devise yet could they not be induced to call him King in so high esteem and account held they their former King But Antony supposed that that infamy would obscure his renown and lessen the general hatred they bare to Herod See here what Strabo writeth As soon as the High-Priest Hircanus who was Prisoner among the Parthians heard that Herod had taken possession of the Kingdom Hedio Ruffinus câ—ap 2. he returned back unto him Hircanus hearing tydings that Herod had obtained the Kingdom returneth unto him being deliver'd after this manner following Barzapharnes and Pacorus Princes of the Parthians had taken Hircanus who was first High-Priest and afterwards King and with him Phasaelus Herods brother and led them away Prisoners with them into their own Countrey Phasaelus I not able to endure the dishonour of imprisonment and preferring an honourable death before a reproachful and ignominious life murther'd himself as I have heretofore declar'd CHAP. II. Phraates King of the Parthians letteth his Prisoner Hircanus return into Judea Herod to make sure of him contributeth hereunto and giveth the High-Priesthood to a man of no account Alexandra Herod's mother-in-Mother-in-law and Aristobulus's Mother addresseth her self to Cleopatra to obtain this function for her son through Antonius's means Herod K discovereth it gives that employment to Aristobulus and feigneth to be reconciled to Alexandra PHraates Hircanus heighly honoure in Babylon by the Jews King of Parthia understanding how nobly Hircanus was descended who was brought Prisoner unto him entertain'd him graciously and for this cause drew him out of Prison permitting him to converse in Babylon in which place there were a great number of Jews who honour'd Hircanus very much and no less than their High-Priest and King The like also did all they of that Nation inhabiting as far as Euphrates which did not a little content Hircanus But after that he was advertised that Herod was possessed of the Kingdom Hircanus leaving his Countrey expecteth favor at Herods hands he transferred his hopes another way being of his own nature tenderly L affected towards his friends expecting that one day Herod would requite him for that he had deliver'd him from death whereunto he was condemned and in danger likewise of the penalty and punishment He began therefore to consult with the Jews about his journey who in way of duty and love came to visit him and who prayed him and importuned him to continue with them offering him all service and honour assuring him that he should in no less manner be respected among them than their High-Priest and King yea in far higher regard than he might any wayes be in his own Countrey by reason of the maim he had in his body through Antigonus's tyranny alledging that Kings do not ordinarily call to their remembrance those pleasures that they have received in their mean condition because that with their estates they change both their manners M and inclinations But notwithstanding all these or such like Allegations yet could not Hircanus be withdrawn from the desire he had to repair homeward Herod also wrote unto him That he should require Phraates and the Jews that inhabited his Kingdom in no sort to envy his felicity in that he should partake with him both in dignity and royalty alledging that the time was now come wherein he might acknowledge the kindness he had received by being heretofore nourished and preserved by him Samaralla Herods Ambassador to Phraates With these Letters he sent Samaralla likewise in quality of an Ambassador to Phraates furnish'd with great and rich Presents endeavouring by that means to win him that he in no wayes should hinder his good intent towards one that had so highly deserved it at his hands yet his protestations were not answerable to his pretence For insomuch as he governed not with that uprightness N which became a just King he feared lest some alteration might befall him according to his demerits for which cause he sought to get Hircanus under his power or at least wise to dispatch him out of his life which he afterwards performed When therefore Herod had persuaded the Parthian to dismiss Hircanus Herod highly honoureth Hircanus and the Jews to furnish him with money sufficient to bear his expence in his journey he received him with all honour In common Assemblies he gave him alwayes the highest place and in the time of Festivals he made him alwayes sit down before him and the more closely to deceive him he called him brother Herod giveth the High-Priesthood to Anâ—nel endeavouring by all means wholly to take away all colour and suspition of treachery neither omitted he any other stratagems whereby he might any ways further or promote his cause and yet by these means occasioned no small sedition in his O own family For fearing lest any one among the Nobility should be established High-Priest he sent to Babylon for a certain man of a base extraction called Ananel and gave him the Priesthood For which cause Alexandra grew suddenly displeased not being able to endure that afront The year of the World 3934. before Christ's Nativity 34. This woman was Hircanus daughter and Alexanders wife A who was King Aristobulus son who had two children by her husband the one very beautiful who was called Aristobulus the other was Mariamne who was likewise fair and married to Herod She was highly displeased to see her son so much undervalued that during his life another was called to the honor of High-priesthood for which cause she wrote unto Cleopatra by the means of a certain Musician beseeching her to beg the High-Priesthood at Antonius hands for her son Alexandra solliciteth Antonius by Cleopatras mediation for the High Priesthood for her son Which Cleopatra did most willingly but Antonius made little reckoning of those suits A certain friend of his called Gellius who was come into Jewry about certain of his affairs and who had seen Aristobulus fell in love with him by reason of his beauty and admiring likewise his tall stature and allured by Mariamnes admirable beauty he openly protested that he accounted Alexandra B a happy Mother in her children and discoursing to this effect with her he perswaded her to send the pictures of her two children to Antonius for that if he should but behold them he would refuse him nothing wherein he should request his friendship Alexandra perswaded by these words â—ent their pictures unto Antonius Gellius also made the matter more wonderful telling him that the children seemed rather to be ingendred of no mortal strain Antonius requireth Aristâ—bulus at Herods hands but by some divine power endeavoring as much as in him lay that Antonius might be allured to affection them Who supposing it to be a matter ill beseeming him to send for Mariamne who was married
hers that were privy to her design to carry them out in the night time and to go directly towards M the Sea where there was a Bark in readiness prepared to convoy them into Egypt But Esop one of her houshold servants declared this enterprize of hers to Sabbion on of Alexandras friends supposing that he had been made privy thereunto who had no sooner inkling thereof but for that beforetimes he was Herods enemy by reason he was suspected to have been one of those that sought to poyson Antipatar he resolved by discovery of this secret flight to convert Herods hatred into friendship and presently discovered Alexandras secret enterprize to the King Who dissembling the matter until it was upon the point of execution surprized her at such time as she thought to fly and yet notwithstanding he pardoned her that fault in that he durst not decree any punishment against her though he could have found in his heart to have used severity N for that Cleopatra would not have contained her self had she but had such an occasion offered her to express her hatred against Herod Herod contriveth Aristobulus death For which cause under the colour of a high and magnanimous spirit he made shew to pardon her of his meere clemency yet inwardly resolved to destroy young Aristobulus yet not rashly upon the instant lest the act should grow apparent and palpable Now the feast of Tabernacles was at hand which was one of those that was ceremoniously and solemnly celebrated among us for which cause he concealed his intents during the festival dayes intending both in himself and in the presence and company of the people to follow all kind of pleasure and delight yet his envy incited him to hasten the execution of his will Aristobulus was at that time some seventeen O years old who when he approached the Altar to offer sacrifices according to the law apparelled in the High Priests Ornaments to perform the ceremonies he who for amiable countenance and good stature surpassed the tenderness of his years expressing in his countenance the dignity and Nobility of his Race The year of the World 39â—1 Before Christ's Nativity 33. drew the eyes and good affections A of all the people unto him so that they openly called to remembrance the noble actions of Aristobulus his Grand-Father All the people being therefore surmounted by their affections and at that present time being all of them overjoyed they brake out by little and little into acclamations mixt with wishes and prayers so that the good will the people bare to Aristobulus discovered it self openly and they manifestly although too hastily in such a Kingdom declared what evils they generaly endured For all which causes Herod concluded to execute that which he had plotted against Aristobulus As soon therefore as the feast was over-passed he went into Jericho where Alexandra entertained him In that place he used Aristobulus with all kindness to draw him to secure some place playing with him and counterfeting to sport after the fashion B of the young men to gratifie him Now the place where they sported being too hot they quickly wearied left their sport and went out together to take fresh air and finding a pleasant shade under certain Arbours and near certain fish-pools which were largely spred round about they beheld certain of their Servants and Friends that swom therein with whom not long after Aristobulus began to swim being perswaded thereunto by Herod Whereupon Herods confederates who were deputed to execute the murther laid hands on him and thrust him under the water pretending to duck him in sport and never gave him over untill such time as they had stifled him in the water This hapned about the evening and after this manner died Aristobulus after he had lived in all for the space of eighteen years and administred the Priest-hood one whole C year Aristobulus is drowned by Herods direction Ananel restored to the Priest-hood and after this Ananel presently recovered his former dignity When this accident was reported to the women all of them burst out in tears and were transported with strange lamentations which they uttered over the dead body All the City also was mightily troubled neither was there any private family that thought not it self touched by this inconvenience but imagined the loss in particular to concern himself and no other But above all when Alexandra had notice of this wicked deed she was more passionate and perplexed than any other being so much the more discomforted for that she knew how all things had hapned But the fear of a far greater mischief constrained her to repress her passion so that divers times she was ready to bereave her of her own life The lamentation for Aristobulus death and dispatch her self out of misery with her own hands D But she contained her self to the end that surviving and living after her son who was so fraudulently destroyed and prolonging her own life without giving any suspition or shadow that she might with more opportunity expect the occasion to revenge her self For which cause she dissembled all things concealed her grief and made shew that she knew nothing of that which was either intended or had hapned As for Herod he laboured by all means to perswade the strangers that this death had befallen Aristobulus without his knowledg and did not only prepare that which was requisite for the funeral but made shew to be truly sorrowful and it may be that in remembrance of Aristobulus beauty and flourishing young years he was realy touched with compassion notwithstanding Herods counterfeit sorrow that he imagined that his death should be a means of his own security E demeaning himself in all things circumspectly with intent to purge himself of that crime But especially he shewed his great magnificence in the interring of his body both in the furnishing and preparation of the Herse as in the perfumes and other things thereunto belonging in such sort as the grief which the Ladies had conceived was pacified after this manner of consolation F G H CHAP. IV. The year of the World 393â— before Christ's Nativity 165. Herod is obliged to repair to Antonius to clear himself from Aristobulus's death he winneth him with Presents He gave order before his way-going to his brother-in-Brother-in-Law Joseph to put Mariamne to death if Antonius should condemn him to die Joseph revealed it imprudently to this Princess and Herod put him to death for being jealous of him and Mariamne Cleopatra's unsatiable ambition and avarice BUT none of all these things could either move or mollifie Alexandra but daily more and more she increased her sorrow and in the height of her tears kindled her wrath with a desire of revenge Alexandra certifieth Cleopatra of Herods Treasons and her sons traiterous murther She therefore acquainted Cleopatra by her private I Letters of Herods Treasons and her sons most miserable and untimely
circumstances that he conceived a deadly hatred against his Son which also without further delay he did make manifest Eurycles by craft got money of Archelaus for he rewarded Eurycles for his pains with fifty Talents Which he having received went unto Archelaus and speaking well of Alexander acquainted him how instrumental he had been in reconciling him unto his Father and receiving of him also a summ of money he departed before his malice was discovered and returned into his Countrey and using the like shifts there also he was at last by his Countreymen banished from Lacedemonia Hedio Ruffinus chap. 10. Furthermore Herod not content now as before to hear only that which was told him of Alexander and Aristobulus Herod doth give ear unto the accusers of Alexander and Aristobulus did himself also C conceive a proper hatred against them observing all things and making diligent enquiry though no man accused them and permitting all men to speak what they pleased against them And amongst the rest Evaratus of Cous had conspired with Alexander and he seemed now to hear no talk more willingly than this and such like But then greater misfortunes than all the rest befell the two Princes false accusations never ceasing to be forged against them and every one as it were striving to accuse them of some crime or other unto the King pretending the care they had of his safety Herod had two Champions Jucundus and Tyrannus confess that Alexander did solicite them to kill Herod as he was a hunting Jucundus and Tyrannus both acceptable unto him for their strength and tall stature and bigness of body These two for some offence were banished the Court and received into Alexander's service and placed amongst D his Guards and for that they were very active he bestowed many gifts and much money upon them Whereat the King presently conceiving suspicion began to torture them and after many torments they confessed that Alexander had hired them to kill Herod as he was a hunting wild Beasts for so it might easily be bruited abroad that he falling off his horse fell upon his own Lance and so was killed which once before had almost happened unto him They also declared unto him that certain gold was hidden and buried in the stable And they also accused Herod's chief Huntsman that at Alexander's command he had given Alexander's Servants the King's Lances and his Armour After them the Governour of the Castle of Alexandrium was taken and examined upon tortures and it was objected against him that he promised to receive E them into the Castle and deliver unto them the King's Treasure there But he denying it his own Son affirmed all to be true and brought forth Letters to testifie the same How Alexander writ unto the Captain of Alexandrium to receive him resembling Alexander's hand written to this effect So soon as by God's assistance we have done that which we intend to do we will presently come unto you be careful therefore that according to your promise you do receive us into your Castle Herod having had a view of these Letters did now without any doubt believe that indeed some treacherous practice was plotted against him by his Sons Diophantus the Scribe doth counterfeit other men's hands But Alexander affirmed that Diophantus the Secretary had counterfeited his hand and that the Letter was Antipater's device For Diophantus was accounted cunning in such matters and afterward being taken with the like he was therefore put to death And the King F produced them that had been tortured at Jericho before the people to accuse his Sons where they were stoned to death and the people hereat moved would also have killed Alexander and Aristobulus with the same death But Herod by the means of Ptolomeus and Pheroras did restrain them Alexander and Aristobulus are imprisoned and Aristobulus warneth his Mother in law and commanded the young Princes to be cast into prison and there to be kept so close that no man was admitted unto them but many â—pies were set who should narrowly mark all their actions and words and now they were accounted as condemned men both by other men's opinions and also by their own One of them to wit Aristobulus for grief inviting his Aunt and Mother in Law to compassionate his present calamity and to hate him that was the Author hereof affirmed that she also was in great danger being accused in hope to G marry with Syllaeus to have signified unto him by Letters all that past in Herod's Court. Which words the woman presently came and told to her Brother Herod The King no longer able to bridle his fury commanded them both to be bound and kept in several places The year of the World 3960. before Christ's Nativity 4. one from another and each of them to write what they had plotted against H their Father And being thus commanded they wrote that they neither prepared Treason nor yet thought of any Treason against him only they purposed to fly because they perceived that they could no longer live here because they were so suspected Alexander confesseth to Herod that he purposed to fly to Archelaus and in continual care At that time a Prince of Cappadocia came Ambassadour from Archelaus named Mela who was one of the greatest Lords of the Countrey And Herod desiring to shew his Son's malice he sent for Alexander out of prison commanding him to relate how and after what order or whither they meant to fly he answered unto Archelaus who had also promised them to send them to Rome Mela Ambassadour of Archelaus King of Cappadocia but that they had no further intent or purpose to effect any unlawful practice against their Father and that all other accusations were false And that he requested I that Tyrannus and the rest might have been better examined but Antipater prevented that who by his own forged rumours spred amongst the people did cause them to hasten their deaths Which being said Herod commanded both him and Mela to be led unto Glaphyra Claphyra Alexander's wife is demanded if she knew of any Treason against Herod that she might be asked whether she were any way privy to the conspiracy against Herod And coming unto her the woman seeing her husband bound presently tore her hair and being amazed with great compassion cried out The young man's cheeks were also bedewed with tears so that a long time after those that were present amazed and moved to compassion at this miserable sight could neither speak nor do the King's command At last Ptolomeus to whose charge Alexander was committed desiring him to speak whether his Wife was privy to his intent he K answered How could it be otherwise who is dearer unto me than mine own life being Mother of my Children then she answered crying out aloud that she was privy to nothing that was any harm yet quoth she if it will avail
done before And in the mean while he sent certain Messengers with Letters to Caesar to accuse his Son and to declare wherein Acme had been his Confederate producing the Copy of the Letters These Ambassadours therefore repaired to Rome instructed in those things they were to answer to those Interrogatories that should be offered them and with them he sent these Letters C CHAP. VIII The Golden Eagle that Herod had consecrated and fixed on the Portal of the Temple is pulled off The severe Punishment that he inflicteth for it The King 's terrible Sickness and the cruel Orders that he giveth to his Sister Salome and to her Husband D WHilst Herod's Ambassadours were on their Journey to Rome with his Orders Hedio Ruffinus chap. 8. he fell sick and made his Will appointed his youngest Son to succeed him in the Kingdom for through Antipater's instigations Herod falling sick maketh his Will and leaveth the Succession of his Kingdom with his other Goods to his Friends and Kinsfolks Herod impatient in his old age and wondrous wayward he had conceived a hatred against Archelaus and Philip. He sent also a thousand Talents unto Caesar and five hundred to his Wife and to his Children Friends and Free-men He bestowed also Money Rents and Lands upon his own Children He gave his Sister Salome an ample Possession because she had always persevered in loving him and had never offended him And having lost all hope of recovery for that he was about 70 years old he became very touchy and froward in whatsoever his affairs The cause hereof was that opinion he had conceived that he grew contemptible and that the whole Nation took pleasure in those mis-haps which befel him which some of those who were favoured by the people made him the rather believe upon this occasion which ensueth Amongst those that were most learned among the Jews Judas the Son of Sariphaeus and Matthias the Son of Margalothus the E most excellent Interpreters of the Laws and Ordinances of the Countrey and for this cause were in greatest esteem amongst the people by reason that they instructed and trained up the Youth for all those that desired to obtain Vertue spent all their time with them understanding that the King's sickness was dangerous The year of the World 3963. after Christ's Nativity 1. they incensed the younger sort counselling them to overthrow all those works that the King had caused to be made contrary to the Law and Custom of the Countrey to the end that they fighting for Piety might obtain the reward that attendeth the same For in that the King had undertaken and done many things contrary to the Law divers unaccustomed miseries had befallen him and namely that sickness wherewith he was detained For Herod had done divers things contrary to the ancient Law against which Judas and Matthias exclaimed openly A Golden Eagle upon the greatest Gate of the Temple For he had erected over the Portal of the great Temple an Eagle of Gold of great value Now the Law prohibiteth that they who pretend to live according to the same should in any sort erect any Image or represent any Figures of living Creatures F whatsoever For this cause these Doctors counselled them to pull down that Eagle telling them that although the matter seemed very dangerous Contempt of death yet ought they to prefer an honest death before a pleasant life if so be it be employed for the defence of their countrey-Countrey-laws and Religion For in so doing they should obtain immortal praise for the present and a memorable and eternal glory in time to come neither that they should protract the execution thereof for fear of danger since death was a thing that could not be avoided so that since by the general course of Nature they must needs die it should become them bravely to forsake their lives with praise and honour in embracing Vertue For to die in the execution of some noble exploit which cannot be atchieved without hazard of danger their Children should be richly rewarded with the fruits thereof and their other Parents that should outlive them of what Sex soever should reap the fruits of that glory which was honourably atchieved by them In these or such like words they encouraged the young men About that time there was a rumour spread that the King was dead which gave very great furtherance G to the Doctors resolution For at Noon they went up into the Temple they pulled and hewed down the Eagle with their Axes in the sight and assembly of a great number of people that were in the Temple Now when the tidings hereof came unto the ears of the King's Captain he fearing H lest some further and more fatal tumult might be raised drew out a strong Company of Souldiers with him to repulse those that were assembled to hew down the Eagle and charging the rude and disarmed multitude who were gathered together he easily killed and dispersed the most as for those forty young men that valiantly prepared themselves to resist he apprehended them and with them the Authors of Sedition The young men pulling down the golden Eagle hew it in pieces with their Axes Judas and Matthias who scorned to submit themselves and led them to the King who demanding of them how they durst deface the sacred Image They answered that long before that time they had resolved it and that now according as they had resolved they had like valiant men performed the same For we said they maintain the honour of God and the Doctrine of our Law whereof we are Disciples neither ought you to admire that with contempt of your Ordinances we have preferred the Laws of our Forefathers which Moses hath left us in writing according as he was suggested and taught them by God Judas and Matthias with forty other young men being brought to the King's presence justifie their actions with joy and the King sendeth them bound to Jericho Neither do we refuse any death or punishment which thou shalt inflict upon us being assured in our Consciences that we suffer not for Impiety but Piety's sake Thus spake they all I of them continuing the like constant boldness in their answers as they had shewed in their actions being also ready constantly to endure any punishment for that which they had attempted Hereupon the King commanded them to be bound and sent them to Jericho Then calling before him those principal Jews who had the Government under him and being brought into their Assembly upon his Pallat by reason of his weakness he recited unto them the numberless toils he had endured for their sakes in like manner how upon his great charges he had repaired and re-edified the Temple whereas the Asmoneans for the space of 125 years wherein they reigned could not perform such a Building to the honour of God Moreover he signified unto them how he had adorned the same with precious Gifts
desire he had of long life hath after this sort dealt with those of his Blood And it may be conjectured by these his last Commands that he had nothing in him that savoured of any humanity for that departing out of the World he had such a mind that all C the Nation and all such as were most affectionate towards him should be driven to sorrow and desolation commanding that in every house one should be killed yea such as had not in any sort offended him and were not accused of one mis-deed committed against any other whereas they that have any vertue finding themselves at that state have been accustomed to lay aside the hatred which they have before born unto their enemies D CHAP. IX Augustus referreth it to Herod to dispose of Antipater as he pleaseth Herod falling into a relapse of his Torments desireth to kill himself Achiabus one of his Grand-children hindreth him It is reported that he is dead Antipater endeavoureth in vain to bribe his Keeper to set him at liberty as soon as Herod heareth of it he sendeth one to kill him WHilst he delivered these instructions to his Kindred Letters are sent from Rome that Acme was executed by Caesar's Command and that he had Authority to use he received Letters from those Ambassadours which he had sent to Rome unto Caesar the effect whereof E was that Acme was put to death by Caesar's Command who was displeased with her for that she had been of Antipater's Conspiracy who was remitted to Herod's pleasure like a King and Father to use him as best pleased him either to exile and banish him or if it please him to put him to death Herod receiving these News recovered his Spirits a little through the pleasure he received in the Contents of those Letters Antipater as his pleasure both of Acme's death and of the power that was granted him to punish his Son But being assailed afresh by grievous Dolours and urged with a desire to eat Herod calling for a Knife an Apple intendeth to stab himself he called for an Apple and a Knife for he was accustomed to pare his Apples himself and cut a little and afterwards to eat it When as therefore he had gotten hold of the Knife he looked round about him determining to give F himself a mortal Wound therewith and had certainly done it had not Achiabus his Grand-child hastily stept within him Achiabus with holdeth his hand and stayed his hand and called for assistance At that time the sorrow and lamentation was renewed in all the Palace as if the King had been already dead Antipater thinking his Father to be dead dealeth with his Keeper for his delivery which Herod hearing of commandeth him to be slain And Antipater certainly believing that his Father was departed began to hope and confirmed no less in his words that being delivered out of Prison he should obtain the possession of the Kingdom without any difficulty and treated with the Jaylour concerning his deliverance offering him great Presents both in hand and hereafter as if there had been no other question but of that But so far was the Jaylour from obeying that which Antipater demanded that he went and acquainted the King what his intent was and what offers he made him Herod who had already conceived G a sinister opinion of his Son hearing what the Jaylour had said began to exclaim and to beat his head although he was at the uttermost gasp and lifting himself up upon his elbows he commanded that one of his Guards should presently go kill him and that done he should be buried in the Castle of Hircanion without H any honour CHAP. X. Herod altereth his Will declareth Archelaus his Successor he dieth five days after Antipater Herod's glorious Funeral ordained by Archelaus the peoples great acclamation in favour of Archelaus I AFter this Hedio Ruffinus chap. 10. having changed his mind he made a new Testament For he appointed Antipas Tetrarch of Galilee and of Peraea Herod's Will is changed whereas before he had instituted him for his Successor in the Kingdom He created Archelaus King he gave the Provinces of Gaulonites Trachonites Batanea and Paneade to Philip his Son and Archelaus's Brother by the Mother's side to be Tetrarch over those places He gave his Sister Salome Jamnia Azot and Phaselis with fifty thousand Crowns of Gold He provided also for his other Kins-men all whom he left rich in money which he gave them and revenews which he assigned them His Legacy to Caesar and Julia his Wife He gave Caesar ten Millions of Drachmes in Silver amounting to the summ of eleven hundred thousand Francks besides a great quantity K of Gold and Silver Plate and of precious Moveables To Julia Caesar's Wife and to certain others he bequeathed five millions of Drachmes amounting to five hundred and fifty thousand Francks Herod's death or thereabout After he had in this manner disposed all things some five days after he had caused Antipater to be executed he departed this life having reigned after Antigonus's death for the space of thirty and four years and thirty and seven years after he was elected and approved King by the Romans A man without respect cruel and severe towards all men Slave to his wrath Lord of the Laws yet so favoured by fortune as no man more for from a private man he became a King and being environed with many dangers he always happily escaped and he lived also a very long time Herod's mutable strange Fortune And as concerning his Family and Children in his L own opinion he was happy in that he overcame his enemies but in my opinion he was most unfortunate Before the King's death was thorowly known Salome and Alexas after the King's death dismiss the Jews that were shut up in the Hippodrome Salome and Alexas discharged those that were locked up in the Hippodrome and sent every one of them home unto his own house telling them that the King commanded them to depart and follow their houshold Affairs and till their Land wherein they performed a most noble action and benefitted the whole Nation with an especial good turn After the King's death was bruted abroad Salome and Alexas caused all the Army to be assembled in the Aâ—phitheatre in Jericho and first of all they caused Herod's Letters to be read which were addressed to the Souldiers Hedio Ruffinus chap. 11. in which he gave them thanks for the fidelity and M good will which they had expressed towards him Herods thanksgiving to his Army and testament read Archelaus is applauded by the people praying them to continue the same to Archelaus his Son whom he had appointed to be their King after him That done Ptolomey to whom the King had committed the custody of his Seal recited his Testament which was to take no effect except that Caesar approved the
bringing with him his Images Which when the people understood in great multitudes they resorted to Caesarea beseeching him for many days that he would transport those Images into some other place But when Pilate denied them to perform their request because the matter would redound to Caesar's dishonour and the Jews also ceased not to sollicite him some six days after commanding his Soldiers to lie in Ambush in a readiness The year of the World 3997. after Christ's Nativity 35. he sate him down in the Tribunal within the Hippodrome making use of the opportunity of the place for that it was most fit for a Stratagem K There being urged once more about the same business he gave a sign to his Souldiers to beset them threatning them with death except they would presently give over their suit and repair every one of them with all speed to their own houses But they prostrating themselves upon the earth and offering their naked throats told him that they rather desired to die than to see their Laws violated Pilate amazed at the constancy they shewed in the conservation of their Laws suddenly caused Caesar's Images to be transported out of Jerusalem Pilat seeking to draw certain Springs of Water to Jerusalem stireth up a Rebellion into Caesarea And not long after he intended to take Money out of the Sacred Treasury to cause water to be brought into the City through Conduits from a Fountain more than two hundred Furlongs off which the people took so ill that divers thousands of men assembled themselves exclaiming against L Pilate endeavouring thereby to make him give over his Enterprise Some of them also uttered divers injurious speeches against him as it ordinarily falleth out amongst an unbridled multitude The year of the World 3998. after Christ's Nativity 36. But he caused them to be encompassed by a great number of his Soldiers attired in popular habit with cudgels as soon as they began to exclaim against him he gave a sign to his Soldiers they as it was before commanded them made use of their cudgels and without distinction of persons fell on all those whom they had encompassed and so unmercifully laid on them who were naked and disarmed that some of them were killed others grievously hurt and after this manner was the Tumult and Sedition appeased At that time was JESUS Hedio Ruffinus chap. 6. Alias cap. 9. a wise man if it be lawful to call him a man For he was M the performer of divers admirable works and the instructer of those who willingly entertain the truth and he drew unto him divers Jews and Greeks to be his followers This was CHRIST who being accused by the Princes of our Nation before Pilate and afterwards condemned to the Cross by him Jesus Christ crucified by Pilat yet did not those who followed him from the beginning forbear to love him for the Ignominy of his death For he appeared alive to them the third day after according as the Divine Prophets had before testified the same and divers other wonderful things of him And from that time forward the Race of the Christians who have derived their name from him hath never ceased At that time also there fell out another accident Hedio Ruffinus chap. 7. alias chap. 10. which very sorely troubled the N Jews and in the Temple of Isis at Rome there were many shameful acts committed But I will first of all relate the accident in the Temple of Isis and then will I declare that which befell the Jews There was in Rome a Lady called Paulina renowned both for the Nobility of her house as also through her study and exercise of Virtue Besides this she was very rich and with her Riches beautiful and in her flourishing years and notwithstanding a very Mirrour of chastity She was married to a certain Noble man called Saturnine that equalled her in all those her excellent perfections A certain young man called Decius Mundus one of the Knights of greatest account at that time fell in love with her But she was of that disposition that it was impossible for him to corrupt her by Presents and the more she refused those infinite O Presents which he sent unto her the more was Mundus's heart enflamed with ardent affection so that to enjoy her but one only night he offered her two hundred thousand A Drachmes amounting in our English money to some six thousand pound yet for all this he could not overcome her For which cause being unable to endure this violent passion he thought best to pine himself away for want of food thereby to deliver himself from the Tyranny of that Passion wherewith he was afflicted But there was a certain Free-woman that belonged to Mundus's Father whose name was Ida expert in all sorts of subtilties who being sore grieved to behold the young man's resolution whom she saw wholly addicted to a desperate death she addressed her self unto him and encouraged him with hope promising him to bring him to Paulina's speech by the means of a certain Bribe which she intended to offer He rejoycing very much at her motion demanded what summ should serve her who requiring nothing more B than fifty thousand Drachmes to obtain Paulina he furnished her presently When by this means she had quickened the young man's spirit and received all that which she demanded she steered not the same course which others had kept that had the solicitation of the matter before seeing she saw that money would not tempt her but knowing that she was deeply devoted to the service of Isis she practised this subtil and unexpected policy She addressed her self to certain Priests of the Temple and upon great hopes and offer of great Presents and paying them down at present twenty and five thousand Drachmes and promising them as much more upon the performance of the bargain she disclosed unto them the passionate love which the young man bare unto Paulina exhorting them to work so wisely that he might enjoy her They C bewitched with this huge Present they had and hoped to receive promised her to work the feat Whereupon the eldest among them resorted to Paulina and having free access unto her presence he required that he might have conference with her in secret which when he had obtained he told her that he was sent unto her by God Anubis in that the God was surprised with her love and desired that she would come unto him Paulina took great pleasure in this his discourse and told her Familiars how she had been honoured with the amorous solicitation of a God and certified her Husband how God Anubis would lie with her Whereunto he consented knowing how great his Wife's chastity was She therefore repaired to the Temple and after she had supt and the time was come wherein she was usually accustomed to lay her down to D rest and the Gates were lockt up by the Priests that were
his own but the Emperour's intent who would shortly have them taste his displeasure and enforce them to bear the burthen of his indignation who were so bold as to contradict him For himself it necessarily concerned him that since by the Emperour's favour he had received so great honour he should not commit any thing contrary to his Command I hold it said he a matter most just to employ my life and honour for you to the end that so huge a number of men should not be drawn into the danger of death and I will respect the excellency of the Laws of your Fathers for which you think you ought to undergo a War and danger neither is it lawful to suffer the Temple of God to be defiled F by the Authority of Princes I will therefore write to Caesar and acquaint him with your minds and in all that I may I will assist you to obtain your Request God whose power surpasseth all industry and humane force vouchsafe to conduct you and make you constant in the observation of your Laws and grant that he through excessive desire of humane glory commit not any thing that may offend God And if Caius be displeased and enforce his inevitable displeasure against me I will undertake all danger and endure all torments both in body and spirit to the end that I may not behold so many vertuous men as you are perish in your good and juct actions Go therefore each of you and ply your work and till your Lands I will send to Rome and will employ both my Friends and my self for you After he had spoken this he dismissed the Assembly praying the chiefest amongst G them to encourage the Husbandmen to ply their business and to confirm the rest of the people in their good hope he himself also ceased not to encourage them And truly God shewed his assistance to Petronius and assisted him in all his affairs For as soon as he had finished his discourse to the Jews there suddenly fell a great rain beyond all H humane expectation for the day was very fair neither was there any appearance of rain in the Air and all that year long there was an extream Drought so that men were past hope to have any moisture notwithstanding that sometime there appeared certain Clouds in the Heavens After a long and continual Drought there fell a sudden shower At that time therefore the water fell in great abundance and besides the expectation and opinion of men the Jews conceived hope that Petronius soliciting their cause should not be repulsed But Petronius was more amazed than all the rest seeing evidently that God undertook the affairs of the Jews and gave them testimony of his manifest assurance so that they that were their professed Adversaries Petronius writeth to Caius had no power to contradict them as he himself wrote to Caius at large with inductions and exhortations to the end he should not draw so many thousand I men into a desperate resolution and unhappy death for without War it was impossible for him ever to make them forsake their Religion Moreover that he would not cut off and lose the Revenue which he received of that Nation and would not erect a Trophy of an everlasting Curse and Malediction against himself Adding moreover what the power of their God was which he had so clearly declared that no man ought to doubt but that his merciful hand was over them This is the Contents of Petronius's Letters On the other side Agrippa honoureth Caius in Rome in reward thereof Caius willeth him to demand somewhat who desireth nothing else than that Petronius's Commission to erect the Statue be revoked King Agrippa who at that time was at Rome grew more and more in favour with Caius having entertained him at a Banquet wherein he was very desirous to exceed all others as well in sumptuousness as in all other sorts of delights K and pleasures yea he entertained him so nobly that not only others but also the Emperour himself could not attain to such magnificence so much he endeavoured to surpass all others through the great desire he had to content and satisfie Caesar in all things Caius was amazed at his courage and magnificence seeing Agrippa so willing to constrain himself above his power and means to abound in Silver and all this to the intent to please him For which cause Caesar in requital of his kindness intending to honour Agrippa to his uttermost power in granting him that which he most desired being one day warm with Wine invited him to drink a Carouse adding these words Agrippa I have heretofore known the honour thou hast shewed towards me and thou L hast expressed the earnest affection that thou bearest me in hazarding thy self in divers dangers into which thou hast been drawn during Tiberius's life time and hast omitted nothing no not in that which exceedeth thy power to shew thy affection towards me For which cause I think it should be a great shame for me if I should suffer my self to be overcome by thee in kindness without some answerable correspondence I will therefore put that in practice which I have heretofore omitted for all those things that hitherto I have bestowed on thee are of no reckoning My will is that thy merits should at this time be requited by such means as might for ever make thee happy Now he spake after this manner hoping that Agrippa would beg some great Province at his hands or the Revenues of some Cities M But although he had already prepared his demand yet he did not discover his intent but gave Caius this answer that whereas he had served him to the dislike of Tiberius it was not for the gain he expected heretofore and for the present also he did nothing under hope to be rich contenting himself that he was in the Emperour 's good favour That the benefits he had received of him were great yea exceeding all that which he durst ever have hoped For said he although they be but small in comparison of your Greatness yet in respect of my self who have received them and in my conceit they are very great Caius admiring his generosity insisted to press him to ask whatsoever he had a mind to being ready to grant it Whereupon Agrippa said Dread Prince since it is your good pleasure to think me worthy to be honoured by your Presents I N will not request any thing at your hands that may tend to enrich me for that by those goods you have already given me I am greatly honoured But I beseech and request one thing at your hands which will purchase you the reputation of Piety and will procure God to be propitious unto you in all your actions and which also will breed me much glory among those who shall hear that I have not been refused in my demand which concerneth me more than the necessities of this life I therefore beseech
the wrongs he had done to the Estate of the Parthians Never said the King will I give my consent to betray a man who hath committed himself to my protection and hath given me his hand and who buildeth upon the Oath I have past unto him in the name of the Gods But if thou be a valiant man in feats of Arms thou hast no need to make me forswear my self but when his Brother and he shall depart from hence assail him and overcome him by thy valour provided that I be not privy to thy attempt And afterwards calling Asinaeus to him in the morning It is time said he that thou return homeward for fear thou provoke divers of the Captains of my Court which Artabanus committeth the Territories of Babylon to Asinaeus's charge and dismisseth him with Gifts contrary to my will will endeavour to kill thee I commit the Countrey of Babylon E to thy protection and guard which by thy care and vigilancy shall remain exempt from all Robberies and other such Calaemities Reason it is that I procure thy good because I have engaged mine Honour and Faith irrevocably unto thee not upon any light matter but for things that importane thee as nearly as thy life This said he gave him certain Presents and presently dismissed him Now as soon as he returned home to his own Fortress he fortified the places both those which were already secured and the other which as yet no man had attempted to fortifie And in short time he grew to that greatness that no man of so obscure Fortune and beginning attained before him Neither contented with the Honours of the Babylonians he was also held in great account by the Captains of the Parthians who were sent to govern in the neighbouring Provinces F yea so much encreased his Authority with his Power that all Mesopotamia was at his Command In this Felicity and encreasing Glory of his he continued for the space of fifteen years which never began to decay until such time as neglecting the ancient Study of Virtue and contemning the Laws of his Fore-fathers both he and his factious followers being drowned in pleasure yielded themselves Captive to Foreign Lust It fortuned that a certain Governour of those Parthians came into that Countrey accompanied with his Wife not only endowed with other Perfections but also admired for her incomparable Comliness and Beauty whom Anilaeus killeth a Noble man of the Parthians and leadeth away his Wife without ever seeing her only by report of her Beauty Anilaeus Asinaeus's Brother loved entirely and when as by no one of his allurements he could obtain G her favour neither had any other hope to enjoy the Lady he could not bridle his unruly Lust but he made War against her Husband and killing the Parthian in their first Conflict his Wife became his both in subjection and Bed-service which thing was the Original of many mighty Calamities both to himself and to H his Brother For when having lost her former Husband she was led away Captive she carried with her the Images of the Gods of her Countrey which she highly esteemed according as it was the custom of those that inhabited that place to have their Gods whom they adore in their houses whom when they travel into a Foreign Countrey they carry about with them She therefore brought them with her and used them according to the fashion of her Countrey at the first secretly but after she was known for Anilaeus's Wife then she adored them according to the custom and with the same service which she used during her first Husband's days sacrificing to her Gods Their chiefest friends seeing this Anilaeus being reproved for his Wife's Idolatry killeth one of his Friends first of all reproved them for that Anilaeus committed I such things that were no ways used among the Hebrews and altogether repugnant to their Laws for that he had married a woman of a Foreign Nation that contradicted and violated their accustomed Religion for which cause they advised him to beware lest in submitting themselves too much to their unbridled pleasures they should lose the honour and power they had received from God even until that present But seeing their perswasions profited nothing and that Anilaeus likewise had villanously killed one of his dearest Friends who had somewhat too freely reproved him who at such time as he lay a dying being touched with the zeal of the Laws of his Ancestors and with grief against his Murtherer wished that Asinaeus and Anilaeus and all their Associates might die the like death they for that they were transgressors of the Law the other K for that they succoured not themselves in that oppression which they suffered for the maintenance of their Laws They were sore displeased yet notwithstanding they contained themselves calling to their remembrance that their felicity proceeded from no other cause but from the valour of those Brethren But when they understood that the Parthian Gods were adored by this woman they bethought them that it behoved them not any more to bear with Anilaeus in contempt of their Laws for which cause addressing themselves to Asinaeus in great Assemblies they exclaimed against Anilaeus saying that he ought although at first he had no power to dispose of himself yet now at last to correct this errour before it should redound to their publick Plague For that both the Marriage was dis-allowed L in all men's eyes as altogether contrary to their Laws and that the superstitious observance of the Gods which the woman presumed to use was an apparent injury offered to the true God Anilaeus is accused before his Brother Asinaeus but he winketh at his fault But he although he knew that his Brother's fault would breed some great inconvenience both to himself and his followers yet being overcome with Brotherly affection he easily pardoned his Brother ascribing his errour to the violence of his unbridled passion But whereas daily more and more he was tired with exclamations and greater reproofs at length he admonished his Brother of the matter chiding him for that which was past and desiring him to amend the errour hereafter by sending home the woman unto her Kindred Yet this admonition of his took no effect with him Asinaeus poysoned by the Parthian woman for the woman perceiving that the rumour that was M raised among the people was for her sake and being afraid lest for her love sake Anilaeus should incurr some danger she poysoned Asinaeus to the end that her love being in Authority she might more freely practise her impiety Now when Anilaeus had gotten the Government into his own hands he drew out his Forces against certain Villages belonging to Mithridates one of the chiefest among the Parthians and Artabanus's Son in Law which Villages he spoiled and carried away men sheep and other riches When Mithridates who at that time was resident in those Quarters understood of the spoil of his
was Emperor to exact that superiority on the Sea which was answerable to his soveraignty on the Land betwixt one Cape of the Sea unto another for the space of thirty furlongs or stades betwixt which the Gulf had his course he caused a Bridge to be built on which he commanded himself to be drawn in a Charriot as if that way were answerable to the dignity of his deity He left not one Temple in Greece whatsoever that he spoiled not of those excellent pictures that were in them Cajus spoiled all the Temples of Greece Giving a Comission that all Statues and whatsoever ornaments or gifts and presents that were dedicated in any Temple should be brought unto him saying that such things as were admirable should be reserved for a place of admiration such as was the City of Rome with these spoils of the Temples he adorned his Palace and Gardens and generally K all his houses and Palaces that he had in Italy Cajus commandeth Memmius Regulus to tranâ—fer Jupiter Olympus to Rome He was so impudent also as to give direction that Jupiter Olympius Statue which the Greeks had in great estimation and which Phidias the Athenian Satuarian had made should be transported to Rome But Memmius Regulus to whom he directed this commission executed it not because the Masons informed him that without spoiling it they could not remove it from the place It is reported also that he was hindred from this execution by such prodigies that are almost incredible which he assured Cajus of giving him to understand what the occasion was that had moved him to disobey him therein and whilst he was in danger of death for his delay the sudden and successful death of Cajus warranted him from the same Yea so far stretched his unbridled fury that having a daughter newly L born he caused her to be carried into the Capitol and laid at the feet of the Image of Jupiter Cajus compareth himself with Jupiter saying that the child was common betwixt him and Jupiter leaving the judgment to all men which of the two parents was the greatest And notwithstanding all these his misdemeanours yet did men tolerate him He gave liberty to slaves also to accuse their Masters of whatsoever crimes they would which was so much the more hateful because all things were done by Caesars authority and to his good liking so that Pollux who was Claudius bondman durst accuse him Cajus gave slaves free liberty to accuse their Masters and countenanced Pollux to accuse his Master Claudius and Cajus the Emperour was contented among the Judges to hear his Uncle brought in question for his life hoping although it fell out otherwise to pick out an occasion to put him to death For having filled all the Countries of his Empire M with false accusations and all sorts of mischiefs and giving slaves a prerogative above their Masters their Lords devised many conspiracies against him some for spite and with an intent to be revenged of those injuries they had received others pretending by his death to prevent those inconveniences that threatned them In a word his death concerned the security of the Laws Many conspiracieâ— against Cajus and the safety of all men and had he not been speedily cut off our nation had almost been utterly exterminated For which cause I thought good to make an exact and ample declaration of every occurrent namely for that the knowledge thereof maketh very much towards the manifestation of Gods power and will which brings consolation unto those who are in adversity and keep them within the bounds of modesty who suppose that their prosperity should N continue always firm and although they neglect virtue think that no evil may befal them Three several Conspiracies were intended against him to ease the world of this burthensome Tyrant All of them were attempted by men of great account For Aemilius Regulus Three conspiracies against Cajus who was born in Corduba in Spain was fully resolved to kill him himself or to make him away by the means of his Confederates Chaereas Cassius Colonel over a thousand men was the conductor of another Band Aemilius Regulus Cassius Chaereas Annius Minucius and Annius Minucianus was in no less readiness to do his uttermost herein The cause that moved them to combine thus altogether in hatred against Cajus was that in respect of Regulus he was by nature a detester of all iniquity for he was a very generous man and so free that he dissembled not any of his designs but communicated them with many who were either O his friends or valiant men fit for execution And as touching Minucianus he was induced to seek his revenge through the desire he had to do justice to Lepidus who had A been one of his especial friends and one of the rarest men that were ever found among the Roman Citizens whom Caius had put to death through the fear he had conceived of him knowing well that all they against whom Caius was incensed could not escape with less punishment than loss of life As for the third man Chaereas he could not endure the shame and reproach of cowardise that Caius had objected against him but feared besides that his friendship and inward familiarity with Caius would draw him into manifest dangers for which cause and his own security and honours sake he resolved to dispach him Generally all of them were resolved to rid the world of Caius and bring an end to his pride and tyrannical power for their hope was that their attempt having good success their Countrey and Common-weal should reap the B fruits thereof for whose security and safety it became them to hazard themselves though it were with loss of their lives But above all the rest Chaereas was egged on with a desire he had to grow famous and through the facility and convenient means he had to do it The Circensian Games because his Colonels room gave him most secure access unto him About that time the Circensian Games were solemnized which is a kind of Pastime which the Romans very willingly behold Caius causeth divers to be murthered who request mitigation of their exactions and to this intent they resort to the place of these exercises and the common people is wont to demand somewhat from the Emperour which they desire to obtain and after having examined their requests do never refuse them Now they required with instant and importunate supplications that Caius would discharge them of their taxations and moderate the excessive tributes C which they payed but he would give no ear unto them and caused those to be apprehended who called upon the matter most earnestly sending his Guard some of them one way some of them another to put them to the sword After he had given this order and they who received it had fully executed it a great number of men were killed The people seeing this ceased to exclaim any
many wounds adding that he admired the impudent boldness of Antigonus who being Son to an enemy of the Romans and a fugitive from Rome and as inclinable as his Father to Rebellion dar'd to accuse before the Roman Emperour others that had been always faithful to him and that in stead of accounting himself happy in having his I life preserv'd hop'd to obtain such favours and assistance as he had no need of and which he desir'd not but to make use of the same to raise seditions against those to whom he should be beholding for them Which when Caesar heard Caesar createth Hircanus Highâ— Priest and to Antipater he giveth the Government of Judea he said that Hircanus was most worthy to be High Priest and bad Antipater name what Charge he would have who leaving that to the pleasure of the giver he was made Governour of all Judaea And moreover he obtained lieve to re-edifie the razed walls of his Country and Caesar commanded that this Decree should be engraven in Tables of Brass and in the Capitol that it might be a memorial in time to come of Antipaters's justice and vertue Ant. lib. 14. cap. 16. Antipater having attended Caesar out of Syria first of all repaired the ruined walls of his Country which Pompey K had razed Antipater repaireth the walls of his Country and going throughout all the Country he threatned the obstinate and perswaded the seditious to obedience admonishing them that if they obeyed Hircanus they might live in wealth and peace and enjoy happiness but if they suffered themselves to be led away with the vain hopes of those Antipater chargeth his Subjects to obey Hircanus who for their private commodity sought alteration then they should find him in stead of a Governour a severe Master and Hircanus instead of a King a Tyrant and the Romans and Caesar instead of friends deadly enemies for that they would not suffer his power to be overthrown whom they themselves had established King Antipater in speaking thus considered himself and the need of providing for the safety of the State Phasaelus and Herod Antipater 's Sons because he well knew the sloth an stupidity of Hircanus He made Phasaelus L his eldest Son Governour of the Army and of Jerusalem and of the whole Province Herod's fortitude and sent Herod his youngest Son to govern Galilee although he was very young who being by nature valiant and ambitious sought out occasion to shew his brave mind Herod banisheth the thieves out of Syria He took Ezechias Captain of a troop of Thieves who as he understood were wont to prey upon the confines of Syria with a great multitude and put him to death with many other Thieves which thing was so grateful to the Syrians that in all Towns and Villages they made songs of Herod as though he had restored them to peace and to their Possessions This action also made his merit known to Sextus Caesar who was Caesar the Emperour's Kinsman and Governour of Syria Phasaelus obtained the favour of the people of Jâ—rusalem Phasaelus also striving to exceed the vertue and gallantry of his Brother us'd M all his endeavours to win to himself the good will of the Inhabitants of Jerusalem so that during the time he governed the City he did nothing insolently or by force For which cause the people honoured Antipater no less than if he had been their King yet was his fidelity and affection never the less towards Hircanus But it is impossible that any man that liveth in prosperity should not be envied For Hircanus although before-time he were moved something at the glory of the Father and the young men Hircanus animated by envious men against Antipater and his Sons and especially with the prosperous success of Herod yet in particular he was stirred up by many envious person who use to haunt the Courts of Princes who were grieved that Antipater and his Sons ruled without offence These men told Hircanus that he only enjoyed the bare name of a King and that Antipater and his Sons ruled N all and that he would so long permit and wink at them till at the last they would make themselves Kings for they now did no more pretend themselves to be Ministers but leaving that Title they acted as Lords and Soveraigns without any regard or reverence towards him as appeared in Herod who had put to death a great multitude of Jews against the Law whereas neither by word of mouth nor by writing the King had given him any such authority and that Herod if he were not a King but a private person was to be brought into judgment there to answer the matter and shew the King a reason and satisfie the laws of his Countrey which permit no man to be put to death before by Law he be convicted By these perswasions Hircanus grew angry Herod called to his answer before the Councel so that not concealing his wrath he caused Herod O to be sent for to answer the matter who both for that his Father advertised him thereto and because he trusted to the equity of his cause first leaving a Garrison A in Galilee The year of the World 3922. before Christ's Nativity 4â— he repaired to the King accompanied with a sufficient Guard not so great as to give jealousie to Hircanus nor so small as to expose him to the attempts of his Adversaries Sextus Caesar who lov'd the young man much and feared lest any evil should betide him amongst his enemies sent to Hircanus warning him to absolve Herod from the crimes of which he was accus'd Hircanus absolveth Herod Hircanus once more incited by the wicked Which Hircanus who also loved Herod made no difficulty to do But Herod supposing he had done it unwillingly went to Damascus to Sextus purposing not to appear if hereafter he were sent for Hereupon Hircanus was once again incited against Herod by his enemies who certified him that he was gone away in a rage with design to enterprize something against him which Hircanus believing knew not what to do seeing his enemy B more potent than himself Shortly after Sextus Caesar proclaimed him General of the Army both in Syria and Samaria Herod gathering a great Army cometh to Jerusalem to depose Hircanus so that now he was greatly to be feared by Hircanus not only for that he was highly in favour with the Commonalty but also for the forces which he commanded Hereupon Hircanus fell into extreme fear verily perswading himself that Herod with his whole Army would presently come against him Neither was his suspicion vain Herod disswaded by Antipater from attempting against Hircanus for Herod angry at the pretended crime whereof he was accused came with a great Army to Jerusalem intending to depose Hircanus which he had effected had not his Father and Brother gone forth to meet him and pacified him intreating him that he would
discontent and moreover being emboldened by the love which he bare her Mariamne hatefully upbraideth Herod with Hircanus's death she every day upbraided him with that which he had done to Hircanus her Uncle and to her Brother Aristobulus For Herod spared him not although he was a Child but after he had made him High Priest in the seventeenth year of his age he presently put him to death after he had so honoured him who when he came to the Altar clothed in sacred attire upon a Festival day all the people K wept for joy which caused so great a jealousie in Herod that the same night he sent him to Jericho to be drowned in a Lake by the Galatians who had received commission to perform the murther These things did Mariamne daily cast in Herod's teeth and upbraided both his Mother and Sister with very sharp and reproachful words Herod's Mother and Sister do falsly accuse Mariamne to him yet he so loved her that notwithstanding all this he held his peace But the women were set on fire and that they might the rather move Herod against her they accused her of adultery and of many other things which bare a shew of truth objecting against her that she had sent her picture into Egypt to Antonius and that through immoderate lust she did what she could to make her self known unto him who doted upon womens love and was of sufficient power to do what wrong L he pleased Hereat Herod was much moved Herod secretly chargeth Joseph to kill his wife especially for that he was jealous of her whom he loved bethinking himself upon the cruelty of Cleopatra for whose sake King Lysanias and Malichus King of Arabia were put to death and now he measured not the danger by the loss of his wife but by his own death which he feared For which cause being drawn by his affairs into the Country he gave secret commandment to Joseph his Sister Salomes husband whom he knew to be trusty and one who for affinity was his well-willer to kill his wife Mariamne if so be Antonius should have killed him But Joseph not maliciously but simply to shew how greatly the King loved her disclosed that secret unto her and she when Herod was returned and amongst other talk M with many Oaths sware that he never loved woman but her Indeed said she it may well be known how greatly you love me by the commandment you gave to Joseph whom you charged to kill me Herod's suspicion betwixt Joseph and his wife Herod hearing this which he thought to be secret was like a mad man and presently perswaded himself that Joseph would never have disclosed that commandment of his except he had abused her so that hereupon he became furious and leaping out of his bed he walked up and down the Palace whereupon his Sister Salome having fit opportunity confirmed his suspicion of Joseph For which cause Herod growing now raging mad with jealousie commanded both of them to be killed Which being done his wrath was seconded by Repentance and after his anger ceased Herod commandeth both Joseph and Mariamne to be slain the passion of love was presently renewed yea so great was N the power of his affection that he would not believe she was dead but spake unto her as though she were alive until in process of time being ascertained of her funeral he equalled the affection he bare her during her life by the vehemency of his passion for her death Mariamnes Sons inheritors of her displeasure Mariamnes Sons succeeded their Mother in her hatred and recogitating what an impious act it was they accounted their Father as a mortal enemy both before and after they went to study at Rome and especially after they returned again into Judea The year of the World 3956. before Christ's Nativity 6. For as they grew in years so did the violence of their revenge increase And being now marriageable one of them married the Daughter of their Aunt Salome who accused their Mother the other married the Daughter of Archelaus King of Cappadocia And now to their hatred was joyned a liberty to speak O more freely against their Father and by this occasion of their boldness many were animated to calumniate them so that some did openly tell the King that both his A Sons sought to work treason against him and that the one of them prepared an Army to help the other to revenge the death of their Mother and that the other to wit he that was son-in-Son-in-law to Archelaus purposed to flee and accuse Herod before Caesar Herod giving ear to those calumniations sent for Antipater whom he had by Doris Herod's debate with those Sons he had by Mariamne to the end he might defend him against his two Sons and sought to advance him above them But they thought this alteration intolerable seeing one whose Mother was but a private woman so preferred and they exalted with their own Nobleness of Birth could not contain their indignation but upon every occasion shewed themselves offended Ant. lib. 16. cap. 4. by reason of which imprudence they were every day less accounted of As for Antipater he wrought himself into favour for he B knew how to flatter his Father Antipater by disgracing his Brothers is declared his Fathers heir and raised many slanders on his two Brethren partly invented by himself partly divulged by some of his Favourites whom he set awork about the matter till at last he put his Brethren out of all hope of having the Kingdom For he was now by the Kings Will and testament declared King so that he was sent as a King to Caesar in a Kingly habit and pomp only he wore no Crown and in time he so prevailed that he wrought his Mother into Mariamnes stead Herod accuseth Alexander before Caesar and with flatteries and calumniations so moved the King that he began to deliberate about putting his Sons to death For which cause he conducted his Son Alexander with him to Rome and accused him before Caesar that he had given him poyson But he with much ado having obtained lieve to plead his own cause and that before C a Judge more wise than Herod or Antipater he modestly held his peace in all things his Father had offended in and first of all he cleared his Brother Aristobulus from that crime in which he was involved with himself And afterwards he inveighed against Antipater's subtilty and complained of those injuries which had been offered him having beside the equity of his cause sufficient eloquence to acquit himself for he was a vehement Orator and knew well how to perswade Last of all he objected that his Father having a desire to put both him and his Brother to death A reconciliation between Herod and his Sons had laid an accusation upon him whereat the whole Audience wept and Caesar was so moved that not regarding the accusations that
Another proof against Antipater contained many invectives against Herod and many accusations But these Letters were feigned by Antipater who for money had perswaded Acme to write them in her own name as the Letter that she writ to Antipater evidently shewed for she writ as followeth I have writ to your Father as you requested me and sent also other Letters and I assure D my self he will not spare his sister if he do but read the Letters You may do well seeing I have performed all your requests to be mindful of your promise This Letter against Salome and others being found to be counterfeited the King began to doubt that Alexander was made away by such counterfeited Letters and he remember'd that he had almost put his Sister to death through Antipater's device Wherefore he resolved no longer to delay to punish him for all yet was he hindred by a great sickness from accomplishing his purpose Herod intendeth Antipater's punishment and therefore blotteth his name out of his Testament He only sent Letters to Caesar concerning Acme's treachery and false accusation of Salome and changed his Testament and blotted out the name of Antipater and in his room writ Antipas leaving out Archelaus and Philippus who were the elder Brethren because Antipater had render'd them odious to him E He bequeathed to Augustus a thousand Talents beside many other rich gifts and to his Wife the Empress and Children and Kindred and Freed men about five hundred he also gave great gifts to others either in land or money and left to his Sister Salome great riches CHAP. XXI Of the Golden Eagle and of Antipater's and Herod's death F HErod's disease increased partly through age and especially by his grief and sorrow Ant. lib. 17. cap. 8. for he was now threescore and ten years old and his mind was so troubled for the death of his Children that though he were in health yet he took no pleasure in any thing and his sickness was so much the more grievous to him because that Antipater was yet alive but he purposed to put him to death as soon as he was recovered of his sickness To increase his calamity there arose a tumult among the people There were in the City two Doctors reputed very skilful in our country-Country-laws One of them was named Judas the Son of Sariphaeus the other was called Matthias the Son of Margalote These two were followed by a great number of young men so that when they expounded the Law they had an assemby like a great Army G And hearing that the King partly by grief and partly by his disease was very like to die they told their acquaintance that now it was a fit time to revenge the injury which God received by those profane works which were made against his express Commandment The year of the World 3963. after Christ's Nativity 1. which forbids to place the Images or likeness of H any living thing in the Temple This they said because the King had set a Golden Eagle upon the chief Porch of the Temple which they exhorted the young men to take away saying that it was meritorious although danger might ensue thereon yea Judas and Matthias perswade the people to pull down the Golden Eagle even to die for their Countrey-laws For they that died for such a cause should enjoy everlasting life and glory And that many unwise men ignorant of that Doctrine so loved their lives that they chose rather to die by sickness than to spend their lives in so glorious an enterprize Whilst they spoke thus there was a rumour spread that the King was now at the last gasp whereby the young men being encouraged about Noon when many were walking in the Temple they let themselves down from the top of the Temple with great ropes and so with hatchets cut down the Eagle I Whereof the Captain of the Soldiers being advertised The young men that pulled down the Eagle are brought before Herod and are examined he went with a great many Soldiers speedily to the Temple and took almost forty of the young men and carried them to the King Who asked them if that were true that they were so bold as to cut down the Golden Eagle They confessed they had done it Then he demanded by whose Commandment They answered by the Commandment of the Law After this it was asked them why they who were presently to die were so joyful They answered Because after death they hoped to enjoy Eternal Bliss The King hereat was so greatly moved with anger that for all his disease he went forth and made a Speech to the people wherein he inveighed against these persons as Sacrilegious who under pretence and colour of their countrey-Countrey-laws and Religion attempted some great matter K and he adjudged them as impious people worthy of death The people fearing that he would torture many to learn who had favoured the act requested him that only the Authors and Actors of that Crime might receive punishment and that he would remit the offence to all the people besides The young men with the Ring leaders condemned to die The King with much ado entreated caused the young men that let themselves down with Cords and the two Doctors to be burned and the rest which were taken in the act to be beheaded After this the King's sickness spread over his whole body and he was afflicted with most grievous pains The King troubled with many diseases For he had a great Fever and an Itch over all his body which was intolerable and a dayly Collick and his feet were swelled as though he had the Dropsie Ant. l. 17. c. 9. His belly also was swelled and his privy members putrified so that the worms L bred in the putrified places He was also grievously tormented with difficulty of breath and a Convulsion of the whole body so that some said that this was a punishment laid upon him Herod seeketh remedy in his sickness at the hot Baths for the death of the two Doctors Herod notwithstanding he was afflicted with so many and grievous sicknesses yet he was desirous to live and sought remedy in hope of health At last he passed over Jordan where he used the warm Waters of Calliroe which run into the Lake of Asphaltites and are so sweet that men use to drink of them There the Physicians caused his body to be bathed in hot Oyl and he was therewith so weakened that his sense failed and he was as though he were dead whereat those that were about him being troubled with their cries they caused him to look up and now despairing of life he caused fifty Drachmes M to be distributed to every Soldier and great Summs of money to the Captains and his friends As he returned Herod full of melancholy When he came to Jericho he was in a very great likelihood to die and his melancholly put into his head a wicked
who intended to have fled to the Romans Yet if any one fee'd the Watch-men with money he escaped away safely and he that did not was counted as a Traitor so that only rich men could escape and the poor were left to the slaughter The multitude of the dead bodies that lay on heaps together was innumerable and through the horror of which sight many of those who had fled to the Romans The Zealots tyrannize both over the living and the dead returned again into the City choosing rather to die there for the hope they had to be buried in their native soil made death there seem more tolerable But the Zealots became so cruel that they neither permitted them who were slain within nor them without the City to be buried But like men that had now determined together with their county-County-Laws to abolish the Law of Nature yea and by I their impiety to defy God himself let the dead Bodies rot above ground and whosoever attempted to bury any of them that were slain whether Friend or Kinsman he was presently put to death and left unburied and to give Sepulchre to another was crime enough to deserve it To be brief nothing so much increased their indignation as Mercy for the wicked People were herewith provoked to wrath their displeasure and cruelty was extended from the living to the dead and from the dead to the living And such fear fell upon the whole City that those that were left alive deemed them happy that being dead were at rest and free from those miseries and they that were in Prison in respect of the torments they endured thought themselves more unhappy than they who lay unburied K All humane Justice was perverted and they scorned and mocked at all divine and holy things and proudly derided the Oracles of the Prophets esteeming them as Fables and Jests But having now contemned all Laws established by their fore-fathers for the punishment of Vice and increasing of Virtue at last they found that true which was fore-told concerning the Destruction of themselves and their Country For there was an old Prophesie that when Sedition reigned amongst them and their own hands had violated the Temple of God and holy things then their City should be destroyed by War and their holy Places burned with fire according to the manner and custom of War L CHAP. III. How Gadara was yielded and of the Massacre there BUt John who long ago aspired to be Tyrant over all the rest could not endure that others should partake in Authority with him Johns Pride and Ambition wherefore by little and little he divided himself from their union and fellowship after he had drawn to himself such as by their impious life were capable of the greatest crimes so that now every M one perceived in that he always neglected what others commanded and imperiously commanded what himself thought good that he affected Principality Many joyned to him for fear some for favour for he had a smooth tongue able to perswade to what he would many also followed him thinking it better that all the impiety before committed were laid to one mans charge in particular than upon them all Moreover being a valiant man of his hands and one able to give politick counsel he wanted not followers not withstanding that many of the contrary faction left him envying that he who before was their equal should now be their Master and Commander The greater part of the contrary faction fall from John Fear also terrified them from living under the Government of one man for they thought that if he once prevailed he could not easily be overcome and again if he N were deposed that he would pick quarrels against them in the end because that they resisted him in the beginning So every man determined rather to suffer all misery in War then to submit himself and become a Slave Thus the parties were divided and John was chief of one Faction so between them they appointed Guards in every place and if by chance they combated together they did little or no hurt to one another but the chief contention was who should bear most sway amongst the People and who should have the greatest part of the Spoil Thus the City at one time was vexed with three intolerable mischiefs and evils The tempest of of three misaries assailed Jerusalem at once to wit War Tyranny and Sedition and yet the War seemed a less evil than the rest to the Commonalty Wherefore many leaving their native soil fled to strangers for succour and found among the O Romans safety who with their own Nation lived in continual danger There was A also added a fourth evil which wrought the ruine of the whole Nation Not far from the City there was a Castle called Massada built by the ancient Kings of Jerusalem very strong to lay up their treasure and munition for War and to retire themselves thereunto in time of need for the safety of their persons This Castle was taken and kept by that sort of Thieves that were called Sicarii by reason of their smal number durst Rob no more openly These Thieves seeing the Roman Army now idle and the people in Jerusalem at civil War and Sedition among themselves took courage and again fell to their Villanies Of those desperate Rebels that kept â—he Castle of Massada And so on that day which is the Feast of unleavened Bread which the Jews keep holy in memory of their deliverance from the Aegyptian Captivity deceiving the Watchmen they seized upon a Fort called Engaddi B and before the Townsmen could arm and unite themselves together they were by these persons driven out of the Town who also killed them that could not flie to wit Women and Children to the number of more than seven hundred and so sacking the Houses and taking the Fruits that were now ripe they carried all to Massada and so they wasted all the Villages and whole Country round about them many wicked persons daily flocking unto them and joining with them and by their example other Thieves that a while had been quiet now robbed again and spoiled in every part of Judea Slaughter and desolation thorow Jurie And as in a body if the principal member thereof be sick all other parts of it are afflicted so Jerusalem being filled with tumults and discord those that were without the City found licence to rob and spoil and all those that had C their Towns destroyed where they were wont to inhabit went into the Wilderness where assembling and uniting themselves together not so many as an Army yet more than a Company of Thieves A similitude they broke into the Towns and Temples and as in War it cometh to pass the Country people purposed to assault them by whom they had suffered such injury but they were prevented for the Thieves understanding their coming fled with the spoil they had gotten And there was
ought not to have expected any admonition thereunto nor to have made any L delay to do it The ancient customes which have endured ever since men had reason the divine doctrine of our Nation which hath continually been confirmed by the deeds of our predecessours do instruct us that it is miserable to live and not to die For Death dismisseth our Souls from prison to their most pure and proper place where never after they shall be touched with calamity A Soul tied in a mortal body But whilst they are bound in a mortal body and participate of his miseries they may in a manner be affirmed to be dead The power of the Soul For there is no proportion between two things one whereof is Divine and the other Mortal True it is that our Souls can do much being joyned to our bodies which they use as their instruments secretly producing in them motion and many other actions passing the Nature of Mortal things But when the Soul is loosed from that heavy burthen which weighs it down to the Earth and hath recovered its proper M habitation then it injoyeth free and perfect felicity and remaineth invisible to mortal Eyes as God himself is as likewise it is in our bodies For it cometh secretly into them and so departeth from them again that no man can perceive it being of a nature incorruptible and yet causing great changes in our bodies For whatsoever the Soul toucheth that presently liveth and flourisheth and what is forsaketh that incontinently withereth and dyeth Sleep the Argument of the immortality of the Soul so much doth it participate of immortality Sleep may be an evident argument to you of this which I speak in which the Soul not being distracted taketh a most pleasant and sweet repose and communicating with God it foreseeth many future events Wherefore then should we fear death who love the rest that we have in sleep were he not a mad man that for a short life would hinder himself of that which is enternal It is necessary that we who are instructed N in the Law of our Nation The professors of wisdom among the Indians burn themselves should give example to others to despise and contemn Death But if we seek confirmation hereof from strangers let us see the examples of the wiser sort of Indians for they being just men tolerate this life as a necessary office of nature for a certain time though against their wills yet do they even in perfect health hasten to unloose the Soul bound in this Mortal Body though not urged thereunto by any calamity or necessity but only for desire of immortality and solemnly take leave of their Friends neither doth any one seek to hinder them but esteeming them most fortunate they send by them commendations and other messages to their Friends departed so firm is their belief that the Souls of the dead have Communion and conversation together And thus having all instruction what to say to the Souls departed they with great applause leap into the fire that thereby their Souls may O be purified and separated from their Bodies And their Friends go more joyfully with them A when they go to their death than any doth that bringeth his Friend on the way when he is to go a great journey and they bewail only themselves and not those who are dead and have attained immortality Shall not we then be ashamed not to believe so firmly as the Indians do despising through our own sloth our Country-laws which are to be reverenc'd of all men Nay supposing that by our law we had been instructed contrariwise to wit that to live in this life is bliss and to die is calamity yet notwithstanding this present necessity this present time had been a sufficient motive to cause us to embrace death rather than life seeing that the will of God and necessity oblige us thereunto For who can doubt that God to punish us for having made ill use of life ha's long since resolv'd to deprive us of it and that it is not to our own forces or the clemency of the Romans that we are beholding for not being all slain in this B War An exhortation to contemn death drawn from the time and place But a more potent cause hereof there was which made them conquerours Were they the Romans that slew the Jews that inhabited at Caesarea whom the Inhabitants thereof upon the Sabboth-day they being assembled in one place together with their Wives and Children massacred notwithstanding that they had no intent to revolt from them nor ever lifted up their hand in their own defence nothing fearing the Romans who only accounted those of our Nation their Enemies that revolted from them But some may object the Jews at Caesarea and the Inhabitants thereof were always at variance and that now they revenged their old quarrel having gotten opportunity What then shall we say of the Scythopolitans who bare Arms with the Grecians against us and denied to assist their own kindred against the Romans Example taken from the Jews that were slain in Caesarea What profit did they receive by this their good will and fidelity for they were C altogether with their whole Families cruelly slain and this was the reward they had for their labour for having withstood us from doing the like to them It were too long to recount particularly all things to this effect For as ye know there is no City in all Syria that hath not massacred the Jews inhabiting in it and that is not more an Enemy than the Romans were They of Damascus although they could not devise any probable cause for it yet massacred all the Jews living among them The calamity of the Jews in Scythopolis amounting to the number of eighteen thousand beside their Wives and Children And is it not for certain reported that the number of the Jews slain by the Egyptians were above 60000 18000 Jews slain in Syria and 60000 in Egypt It may be that finding no assistance in a strange Country they were martyred by their enemies but they that in their own Country fought against the Romans wanted nothing that might have caused perfect hope of a full victory over the Romans D they had Weapons Armour Walls and strong holds inexpugnable and resolution to shun no danger for the sake of liberty in a word nothing that might put us into a condition to resist But for how long time did this suffice For our fortresses all were taken and subdued by the Enemies as though they had been built to make their victory more Famous and not to do us service And we may justly deem those happy who were slain in the War for they died in liberty Yet who doth not pity the multitude of those that fell into the Romans hands or who would not hasten to die rather than endure the like misery that they suffered Some of them were tortured with stripes
them We ought indeed to grant the Superiority to the Grecians in all that concerneth Eloquence and the Ornament of Language but not in that which appertaineth to Antiquity or Truth of History and especially in what concerneth the truth of ancient History and what hath passed in every Country Wherefore as the Egyptians and Babylonians long since used all diligence in writing because their Priests were hereunto enjoyned who did most curiously treat of all such matters the same also did the Chaldees amongst the Babylonians and the Phoenicians also inhabiting amongst the Greeks taught them to use Registers both concerning publick K and private affairs which because all men confess I will omit to speak off I let pass also to recount what care our Nation hath had of this point no doubt greater than those Nations above mentioned had charging our High Priests and Prophets to execute this Office which Custom hath been observed even until this Age and if I may presume so far will be observed in all succeeding Ages as by my ensuing discourse I will endeavour to make manifest For our Nation did not only depute this Office to the most virtuous and religious men amongst them in the beginning and to such as were consecrated to the Service of God but they also provided to preserve the Line and Descent of Priests from all impurity and from being intermingled with others For no man amongst us can be a Priest who is not born of a Woman descended from the same L Line Neither in this case is any respect made either of Riches or Honours but the party who claimeth the dignity of Priesthood must by many Witnesses prove his Genealogy and that he is descended from Priests This Custom is not only of force in Judea but wheresoever else any of our Nation inhabit A custom which the Priests observed as in Egypt and Babylon and in any other place where continually the Priests in their Marriages have this respect not to marry with any Woman that is not of their own Line they send to Jerusalem the Name and Pedigree of the Woman whom they have married and all the Testimony hereof which they can deduce from her Ancestors Now if War molest our Nation as often it hath in the time of Antiochus sirnamed Epiphanes of Pompey the Great Quintilius Varus and especially in this our Age then M those Priests who survive make new Genealogies and Pedigrees out of the ancient Registers for those that remain of the Sacerdotal Race And they marry none that have been Captives for fear they may have had commerce with strangers What more evident token can there be of the Priests integrity than that every Priest during the revolution of two thousand years is Registred together with the Names of their Fathers The Priests amongst the Jews are every one registred with the name of their Fathers and this custom contiuued two thousand years and if any one do erre or falsify any of the things before-said he is then interdicted from the Altar and from exercising any Priestly function So that in the Writings of such men all things must of necessity be true and as they ought to be for that neither all men are permitted to write nor yet any dissonance and disagreement is found in their Writings For such things as past in ancient times beyond the memory of men were only written by N our Prophets who had the knowledge thereof by inspiration from God himself but other things of latter time are only recorded by those who lived in the Age wherein the things they writ of were done The Books amongst us containing the Histories of all Ages are neither infinite nor one repugnant to another Two and twenty Books of holy Writ for all our Chronicle is contained in 22 Books to which Books it is impiety to deny credit Five of these Books were written by Moses comprehending Genealogies and the beginning of mankind with such notable events as hapned even from the beginning of the World til his death which is little less than three thousand years After the death of Moses till the time wherein Artaxerxes lived who was King of the O Persians and Son to Xerxes every one of the Prophets of our Nation wrote the History A of his time wherein be lived so that of these mens Writings we have thirteen Books the four other Books which make up the Number already mentioned are known to contain holy Hymns made to the praise of God and wholsome Precepts for mans life and conversation All things which from Artaxerxes until our time have hapned are also set down in writing yet the Books wherein they are registred do not deserve so much credit as the former of ancient times for that there was no certain succession of Prophets in that Age. Moreover it is evident that to the former works we give as great credit as to things which we our selves write and notwithstanding they have been so long written yet in all that time no man durst presume either to alter or to blot out any thing therein contained For all Jews even from their Cradle do believe these B Books to be sacred and divine and therefore give all credit possible unto them yea and would willingly suffer death rather than do the contrary Many Captives of our Nation have been cruelly tormented and divers ways put to death in open Theaters The Jews and Grecians are compared together only for that they would not commit any thing either in word or deed against their Laws nor violate the writings of their fore-fathers Now who amongst the Greeks did ever sustain the like Nay they are so far from doing it that none can be found among them who would suffer any loss in his goods or fortunes to preserve all the writings of their Nation from destruction and the reason hereof is because every one esteemeth the verity of their Histories to depend upon the will of the Writer And this they do also concerning their most ancient Historians and not C without cause for they every day see men of their own times writing Histories of matters long before past in former ages Some others have written of â—he Wars of the Jews wherein neither themselves were present neither yet do they vouchsafe to credit the writings of such as were then eye-witnesses thereof yea some among them have divulged Histories of such things as of late befel our Nation when themselves never have been in the place where such matters past as they writ of nor have lived in any neighbour place where they might have probable report how matters past but only compiling a few broken stories they most impudently arrogate to their patcht stuff the name of a History I my self have composed a most true History of the last War Joseph was present in all the Wars of the Jews and of every particular thing there done as well I might having been present
us he speaketh ill of them to gratifie whom he took all this pains For the Egyptians do not only use those customs which Appion in us disalloweth Appions death but also do teach others to circumcise themselves as Herodotus reporteth So that I verily think that Appion was justly punished for blaspheming his country-Country-Laws and Religion For being forced to circumcise himself to avoid a great disease The defence of Moses against Appollonius and Lysimachus he was hereby nothing helped but for all this his privy member rotting he in extream grief and misery L gave up the Ghost For wise men ought to persevere in their Country-Laws in all piety and not to deride and detract others but Appion forsook his own Religion and slandered and belied ours And this was Appions end and here also should end this Book but that Appollonius Molon and Lysimachus and certain others partly for ignorance partly for madness have most injuriously belied our Law-maker Moses and the Laws he made detracting him as a deceitful Magician and Author of all the malice and impiety amongst us and for such as teacheth no vertue nor goodness at all I will therefore as far as in me lieth declare both our Conversation in general M and in particular For if my Judgment be any thing our Laws are most forcible both to piety and to all humanity in general as also to Justice pains-taking and contempt of death I only request this favour of the Reader that he will not with a prejudicate or malicious opinion peruse these Writings for I do not write this as a praise and vain ostentation of our Nation but as a just Apology refuting the slanderous reports that some have used against us Appollonius doth not continually inveigh against us as Appion doth Wherein Apollonius accuseth the Jews but only here and there sometimes affirming us to be hated both of God and man sometimes to be Cowards sometimes contrariwise complaining of our Nations Boldness Saying moreover that we are more sottish than any barbarous Nation and that therefore we only have had none of our Nation founders of Arts or Sciences which N are profitable for mans life all which objections are easily refuted if we shew the contrary to all these by him reported both that we have obeyed our Laws and lived in all integrity If therefore I be forced to shew that other Nations have made contrary Laws The lovers of order and common laws are excellent in meekness and vertue not I but they are to be blamed who comparing ours with them of other Nations affirm ours to be the worse neither of which can charge us eitheir that these Laws which I will briefly set down are not ours or else that we have not persisted in them as we ought Making therefore this beginning I affirm that they who have framed themselves to live together under certain Rules and Ordinances and kept them inviolate and were the first founders of them were more to be commended O for humanity and vertue than they who live under no Rule nor Ordinance A at all and every Law-maker endeavoureth so to attribute Antiquity to their own Ordinances as that they may not be thought to imitate others but to be themselves the first Authors thereof and guides to direct other mens lives Which being so it is the duty of a good Law-maker to make choice of that which is best and most convenient for them who are to obey their Laws and to satisfie them as much as may be Moses more ancient than all other Law-makers in proving their Laws to be good and right and both in wealth and wo calamity and felicity to remain in them neuer changing nor altering them I therefore aver 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word Law is not in Homer that our Law-maker is more ancient than any Law maker mentioned For Lycurgus and Solon and Seleuchus of Locris and those the Greeks admire are modern and of late times in in respect of him as is well known For the Greeks B themselves confess that in times past they wanted the name of Law This Homer can witness who in his whole Works never mentioneth this word Law for the people of those times were not governed by Laws but by indefinite sentences and the Princes pleasure The life of Moses using customs but not written and altering and changing them also as occasion served But our Law-maker being very ancient for this is every way manifest even by our adversaries own confessions shewed himself both a good Prince and Counsellor unto his people for making Laws to direct and govern mens lives he perswaded them voluntarily to imbrace them and firmly to persist in them with all wisdom C And first of all let us consider the works of his greatness For he undertaking the conduct of many thousand of our fore-Fathers out of Egypt into our own Country delivered them from many calamities almost impossible to be avoided for they being to pass through a place wherein was no Water and a very sandy ground being also to War and preserve their Wives and Children and goods from the variable event of Wars he in all these shewed himself a most wise and prudent Counsellor and a true Patron and Guide unto them all For he made all the multitude so to depend upon him Moses maketh God his guide and Counsellor that he might perswade them to what he pleased and yet in none of all these did he usurp any Authority over them and in that time and place wherein all men of Authority assume D power unto themselves and exercise tyranny at such time as the people do oftentimes offend and live in all manner of impiety at the same time he being in Authority did contrariwise use all lenity and mildness to the intent that he might be a pattern of vertue and justice to all the rest giving all those that willingly followed him most assured safety using in all accidents most strange works For which cause he rightly deemed God to be his Captain and Counsellor and first examining himself and finding all the Laws he had set down were agreeable to the will and pleasure of God the chiefest care he had was how to perswade his people to the same which he himself now knew for they who direct their Lives according to the will of God avoid all sins as our Law-maker did being neither Magician E nor deceiver The origin of Laws amongst the Greeks as his Enemies injuriously report but such a one as the Greeks do boast Minos and others after him to have been for some of them affirmed their Laws to be made by Jupiter others by Apollo and Delphos Oracle either so believing themselves or else thinking that the people would be easily so perswaded Now who of all the Law-makers made the best Law and who did most rightly think of God he that compareth all their Laws together may easily
which may any wise impugn the same For who B can take away any tittle thereof or add better in their stead Or who is he that can transfer and carry us from the observance of them and ordain for us better Laws to govern our Common-wealth Or what Law can be more just and better than that which the Wisdom of God who is Lord of all things hath established He first of all permitted the disposing of all principal affairs to the Priests in general and most wisely constituted a high Priest as their head neither were they chosen to this dignity by our Law-maker who either excelled in nobility of birth or riches but he appointed such to sacrifice unto God who were known to excel others in wisdom and sanctity these do both keep our Laws and observe all other things belonging to their Office with all integrity for our Priests are appointed Overseers of all things and to judge all strifes and C controversies and to punish offenders What Monarchy then or Kingdom can be more holy than this What sort of People are to be made Priests Or how can God be better honoured than amongst us where all people are prepared to piety and the Priests commanded so to rule and govern the Common-wealth as if they were celebrating some festivity And whereas other Nations are weary of celebrating their Mysteries which they term Sacrifices in a few days we with joy pleasure and immutable wills do celebrate our Sacrifices continually without intermission It resteth now that I set down our Precepts and Laws as Arguments of that which I have said The first is of God Of God and of the divine Providence of whom our Law saith God comprehendeth all things he is most D perfect most blessed he is sufficient both for himself and all things else he is the beginning midst and ending famous amongst all things for his works and benefits more manifest than any thing else but his shape and greatness is to us unspeakable all matters how precious soever being compared with his excellent beauty are nothing worth and all Art compared with his Invention is un-artificial we can neither see conceive nor imagine any thing like him He is holy The works of God for we see his Works the Light the Heaven and the Earth the Sun the Moon Rivers and Sea so many different shapes of living Creatures and encrease of Fruits All these God himself made not with hands or labour nor as one needing any to help him but he seeing them to be good they were presently made He is to be followed E of all men who oughâ— to worship him by the exercising of Virtue for this is the most holy way to please him We have one Temple as also one God which Temple is common to all men as he is the common God of all men Our Conformity is pleasing to him and with that our Priests do constantly adore him and he amongst them hath the first place who by birth is the chiefest He it is who first sacrificeth to God seeth the Laws observed judgeth Controversies and punisheth those that are convicted by the Law whosoever disobeyeth him shall be punished as one that rebels against God himself The sacrifices of the old Testament He offereth sacrifices not of gluttony or drunkenness for God is not pleased with such sacrifices but rather F injured and superfluous expences are thereby made But God loveth them that are temperate and orderly and of good behaviour and especially requireth in us that sacrifice and inviolable chastity In our sacrifices offered for our common good we first of all pray in common and then every one for himself because we are all fellows and he that delighteth herein more than in his own life is most acceptable to God We pray and vow unto God not requesting riches of him for he of his own accord bestoweth them upon every one and left them amongst us but we pray that we may have part of them and having gotten them may keep them Our Law hath also appointed purifications and abstinence from carnal copulation Purifications used in sacrifice and many other things which are too long to rehearse And this is our speech and opinion G of God who himself is our Law And as concerning Marriage Our Law only alloweth natural copulation between Man and Wife done to the intent to get Children But that men should abuse one another H against nature it altogether disalloweth and punisheth such offenders with death It commandeth us to marry Of marriage not respecting the dowry neither must we take Women violently and by force nor allure them by deceitful perswasions but that we rather obtain the good will of the Parent and use ordinary means to perswade It also appointeth that the Woman shall be in all things inferiour to the Man neither is she to obey in committing wickedness but as one under Government For it is God that gave man this authority With her the Husband only may lawfully accompany and it is abomination for her to make trial of another man The punishment for one that doth â—aviâ—h a Virgin and whose attempteth this can no ways avoid death the like penalty attendeth him if he offer violence to a Virgin espoused unto another man or if by perswasions he overcome a married Woman or I other that hath Children and all this our Law commandeth It hath also interdicted all Women from concealing their Children being born or otherwise to destroy them for so she should be a Child-killer destroy Souls and mankind Whoso therefore useth carnal copulation and corruption is unclean by our Laws The purification for the body and Women after lawful copulation must wash themselves judging that a part of their Soul was by this act defiled and she being puffed up was wounded in her body and therefore our Law ordained water of purification for them Neither is it lawful for them to feast and banquet at their Childâ— birth whereby an occasion of drunkenness may grow but that their beginning should be tempetate they are likewise commanded to train up their Children in learning that they may learn the Law and actions of their fore-fathers and imitate K them that so being trained up in the Law they may not sin nor transgress them by ignorance Our Law hath also provided for the burial of the dead Of the funerals of the dead that our Funerals should neither be pompous nor our Sepulchres gorgeous commanding every Houshold to perform all necessaries touching the burial of their dead permitting all men at any ones death to assemble themselves together and bewail the dead It also commandeth every one yea even the dead mans own family to purify themselves after the burial and to go afar off as seeming to be unclean It also appointeth punishment for them that have committed murder either willfully or against their will L It bindeth every man to obey
his parents next after God and commandeth that those Children that do not shew themselves grateful unto them The honour due to Parents or in any thing do grieve them that they should be stoned to death It also commandeth all young men to reverence old Men because God is Elder to us all It permitteth not friends to conceal any impiety for God is not their friend who doth not disclose them And if friends fall out that do know one anothers secrets yet they are commanded not to bewray them If any Judge take a bribe he is to be punished with death for omitting Justice and assisting the guilty Against theft and usury No man must take any thing away that he himself placed not and no man must take that which is not his own No man for lending must take usury M and many such like things our Law commandeth concerning cause of Communion between us and others It is also not amiss to recount how our Law-maker provided for the entertaining of strangers amongst us For he seemeth so to have provided that to our knowledge we neither corrupt our own Laws nor deny to impart them to others but he entertaineth all liberally that will come and live under our Laws judging the community of mans life not so much to consist in the Nation whereof we come as in the unity of our minds and conversation He forbiddeth others that are strangers and come not with that intent to be admitted to our solemnities yet he commanded us to exhibit unto them all other things necessary and that we should give unto all men fire water meat and bury N them being dead He hath also most mildly determined how we ought to deal with our Enemies that we neither destroy their Country with fire nor cut down their Fruit-trees We are also forbidden to rob and spoil those that are slain in fight and deal injuriously with our Captives How we ought to 〈…〉 Enemies and especially if they be Women yea he so endeavoured to teach us humanity and mildness that he provided that we use even unreasonable beasts courteously and only employ them to serve our lawful need and no further for he forbiddeth us to kill any tame thing bred in houses and that we should not kill the old birds and their young together and because many wild Beasts enemies to mankind do assist us in our labours he commanded to spare them also And in every point he O established humanity and mildness amongst us using as is beforesaid Laws to direct A us therein enacting also other how they who infringe the foresaid Laws may be with all severity punished For the punishment allotted to the violaters hereof is for the most part death As if any man commit Alultery ravish a Virgin use the sin against nature with another or suffer himself to be so abused We also have Laws concerning our Servants A repetition of the precepts of the Law and our Measures and Weights and unlawful bargains and sales or deceit if either one take any thing that is another mans or which is not his own all these are to be punished not as other Nations punish them but much more grievously But whosoever either injureth his Parents or committeth impiety against God he shall presently be destroyed But they that observe this Law are rewarded not with gold or silver nor with a Crown beset with precious stone but B every one having his Conscience to witness doth greatly profit and gain Eternity as both our Law-maker prophesieth and God himself doth most assuredly promise to them that observe them The reward of such as keep the Law And if it chance that we be forced to suffer death for them yet do we joyfully go to execution nothing doubting but that we shall so exchange this Life for a better I should be loth to report this if our deeds did not make it manifest for many of our forefathers only for that they refused to speak against our Laws or otherwise than our Laws permitted have most manfully and constantly endured all torments and death it self If our Nation were unknown to all the world and that this our voluntary observaâ—ion C of our Laws were not manifest to all the people if any man should report unto the Greeks that either he had read this which I have declared or else that he had found People in a strange Land such as we be having so pious and honest opinions concerning God and who had for many ages persevered therein I doubt not but they would all admire and wonder hereat considering the great mutability amongst themselves To be short The continuance of the Laws amongst the Jews there are some who stick not to deride them who have lately written of the Government of Common wealths and Laws as though they had written things fabulous and altogether impossible And to speak nothing of other Philosophers who have written of this Argument that divine Plato amongst the Greeks a man who in honest life Plato admired amongst the Greeks virtuous speech and sound Philosophy excelled all others this man is D almost continually scoffed at by them who in their own conceit are skilful in civil affairs and brought in to their Comedies Whereas whosoever considereth his Writings with diligence shall often and easily find matter agreeable with most mens manners yea this Plato himself confesseth that he dare not by reason of the common peoples ignorance set down the true opinion of God But many think Plato's words full of vanity Lycurgus the Law-mâ—ker amongst the Lacedemonians and licentiousness and admire Lycurgus and the City of Sparta for that it so long time persevered in his Laws It is therefore an evident demonstration of Virtue to remain in their Laws But if those who so admire the Lacedemonians do compare them with us and the time during the which their Laws were in force with the time of our Common-wealth they shall find that ours hath E continued more than two thousand years They shall also find that the Lacedemonians did only perfectly observe their Laws during such time as they were in prosperity and liberty and that when their Fortune changed they then became unmindful of their Laws But we who have felt many thousand mis-haps by reason of the often change of Princes in Asia have not in these our last miseries and evils forsaken our Law Neither can any man say that liberty and licentious Life is the cause why we so diligently observe them The Jews compared with the Lacedemonians seeing that whoso please may see sufficient proof that they tye us to more strict Life and laborious than those of the Lacedemonians did them For they neither tilled the Earth nor used any handy-craft but ceasing from all labours and pains-taking F lived in their City fat and in fair liking having both their meat and all other necessaries provided and prepared for them by others
also some are desolate others newly erected as men please Whereas contrariwise they ought most constantly to keep their opinion of God and his Religion Apollonius Molon was one of these proud Fools but those Grecians that followed the B true Philosophy were not ignorant of what I have said of the Nature and Essence of God but agreed with us in our Opinions and laughed at these ridiculous Fictions Which Plato well seeing Plato decreed that no Poet should be permitted in a Common-wealth affirmeth that Poets are not to be permitted in a Common-wealth and sendeth Homer away very honourably crowned and anointed lest that he with his Fables should destroy or deprave the true opinion of God For Plato of all others especially imitated our Law-maker as he did herein also commanding his Citizens that all of them should perfectly learn his Laws and that for no casualty any strange forreign Custom should be admitted into their City but that their Common-wealth should be pure and they persist in the observation of their Laws But Apollonius Molon not respecting this inveigheth against us for not receiving into our society C men of strange opinions in Religion whereas not only we do so but commonly all Greeks yea and the most prudent amongst them The Lacedemonians expelled all strangers The Lacedemonians did expel all strangers and did not permit their Citizens to travel into other Countries fearing that both wayes their Laws might be corrupted They therefore are to be spoken against rather than we seeing they neither admit strangers to converse with them nor to inhabit amongst them nor impart their Religion unto them but we though not desirous to learn the Religion of other Nations yet do we not deny to impart ours to strangers who desire to embrace it which if I be not deceived is a token of magnanimity and clemency in us but this shall suffice concerning the Lacedemonians D Apollonius was ignorant how matters stood with the Athenians The Athenians manners who boast that their City was free to all Nations But they did most severely and without all mercy punish those that did but speak any word against their God For what was the cause of Socrates his death he neither betrayed the City to Enemies nor destroyed their Temples but only swore by a strange Oath which as he said whether in jest or in earnest a Devil taught him and for this offence he was put to death by drinking Hemlock his Accusers alledging that he corrupted young men and contemned the Laws and Religion of his Country Socrates a Citizen of Athens Anaxagoras And this Socrates sustained being a Citizen of Athens Anaxagoras was of Clazomenia and for that he affirmed the Sun which the Athenians worshipped for God to be a fiery stone he was by the sentence of some few condemned E to dye They also proclaimed that whosoever would kill Diagoras of Melus should be rewarded with a talent for his labour A talent is 600 Crowns only for that this Diagoras was said to deride their mysteries Protagoras also had been by them taken and put to death had he not escaped only for that they supposed him to have written certain doubts of the Athenian gods And what wonder is it that they used their men at this rate when they practised the same cruelty upon their Women one of their she Priests being put to death for worshiping a strange God their Laws appointing that who ever brought a strange God into their City should be punished with death It is therefore evident that they who enacted such strait Laws believed not the gods of other Nations for had they believed in them they would not have deprived themselves of the benefit of many F gods The very Scythians who delighted in man slaughter so much The Scythians that they very little differed from bruit Beasts yet did they think themselves bound to maintain their own Laws as best so that they slew Anacharsis a famous Greek that came unto them only for that he seemed to attribute too much unto the Grecian gods yea thou mayest find many among the Persians who for this cause have been tortured And it is evident that Apollonius approved the Persian Laws The Persians manners for when the Greeks admired their fortitude and concord of opinions concerning God I mean the fortitude they shewed at the burning of their Temples this Apollonius in all things imitated the Persians violating other mens Wives and putting out their Childrens Eyes whereas our Laws adjudg him G to death that so useth unreasonable beasts And neither the fear and terrour of Potentates nor the favour of them whom all men reverence could ever cause us to forsake or abandon these Laws The Jews constancy in their Laws neither do we exercise fortitude to deprive other men of their H goods and fortunes by War but to keep our own Laws and we who patiently put up all other injury yet if any man do in our Religion provoke us we presently seek revenge not respecting our own ability yea though thereby we work our own utter ruine and calamity What therefore should move us to imitate the Laws of other Nations when they that made those Laws yea even the Law-makers themselves did transgress them or how can the Lacedemonians avoid reproach for their inhospitality and neglecting marriage Against the Law-makers of the Gentiles Or the Elians and Thebans for accompanying with men contrary to the Law of Nature which fact most shameful they deemed good and necessary Yea not content to do so themselves they also ascribed the like unto their gods to be done by them which the Greeks also now of late have done and for this cause they I refused to marry with their own Women judging their satisfaction to be contrary to the prescript of Nature The injustice of Law-makers But I will speak no more of punishment neither how great malefactors those first Law-makers freed from punishment being bribed with money and how unjust they were in the Laws appertaining to Wedlock It is long to examine what great occasions of Impiety they gave For many have already long ago forsaken their Laws The Jews strict observation of the Law which cannot be said of us who for our Laws have suffered loss of our Cities Fortunes and Lives we keeping and persisting in our Laws even unto death and if any Jew be in a strange Country where there is a Tyrant King yet doth not he so fear him that he would for his command in any jot transgress our Laws If therefore we do valorously endure thus much for our Laws all men must needs K grant our Laws to be very good But if they say we suffer all these Calamities to maintain wicked or naughty Laws what punishment are they not worthy of who having as they say better Laws than we do so easily forsake them whereas we do maintain ours even with our Lives
He also commanded him as he hung to be pricked with awls that so the heat might pierce into the holes they made in his flesh Whilst thus he was tormented much blood like froth gathered about his head and face and he then spake in this manner O noble fight O valiant War O strife between piety and impiety These men have past their Agonies whose Crown of Martyrdom is the punishment of their persecutors I do most willingly B follow my brethren that as by blood I am conjoyned unto them so by death I may not be separated from them Devise O Tyrant some new Torment for these I have already overcome O master of cruelty Enemy of piety persecuter of justice we six Brethren have conquered the Kings power and what his Kingdom or the whole world could afford Thy fire is cold and heateth not The sixth brother sharply reproves Antiochus and the Kings weapons are bended and blunted in our bodies our God giveth us more courage to suffer than thou hast to punish and so the precept of God remaineth firm in us And as he thus spake one took hold of his tongue with a hot pair of tongs and so with the same torments that his brethren had suffered being fryed in a pan he gave up the Ghost C Six of the Brethren being now dead by diversity of torments only one of the seven remained alive with his mother named Jacob younger in year but not in constancy of mind than the rest of his brethren He presenting himself before the Tyrant moved him to compassion both for that he was left alone and the last of his brethren and also that he was to perish wherefore he called the child unto him and into a place where no instruments of torments were Jacob the seventh brother brought to torments and taking him by the hand he said thus unto him hoping to win him by fair speeches By thy brethrens calamity thou now well hast learned what is prepared for thee if thou disobey me deliver thy self therefore from these torments and I will give thee what honour my kingdom can afford thou shalt be a Magistrate and General of my Army and one of my Counsellors D But perceiving himself not to prevail he caused the young man's Mother to be called unto him who coming and standing near her Son the Tyrant said thus unto her Where are now O worthy woman all thy Children Behold of such a number if thou please the destiny affords thee one advise therefore thy Child and mollifie his obstinate mind by wholsom counsel The Mother having heard what the King said made her reverence to the King which done that the King might not understand her she spake in Hebrew to her Child as followeth Pitty thy Mother O son and comfort thy sorrowfull Mother who bare thee nine months in my E womb and gave thee suck three years and with great industry have brought thee up to this age I pray thee dear son consider the Heaven and Earth and all that in them is and know that God created them all of nothing who also of nothing created Mankind Fear not this Ethnick's pains and torments but imitate thy brethren and contemn death that in the day of mercy I may receive thee and thy brethen again in Heaven As his mother thus admonished him he in the Hebrew tongue requested to be unbound for that he had a secret to disclose to the King who being unfettered he presently ran to the torments prepared for there was a Frying-pan red hot that was prepared for such as were to suffer unto the which the Child coming remembring his brethren and beholding also the King he said unto him Cruel tyrant I now know thee not only to have been cruel against my brethren but even cruelty it self Wretch that thou F art who gave thee this purple and who exalted thee to this Kingdom and dignity even he whom thou in us dost persecute whose servants and worshippers thou killest and tormentest for which thy wickedness thy self shall suffer eternal fire and torments which shall have no end Thou art of higher dignity and authority in this world than other men yet he that made other men made thee also of the same nature that they are for all men are born and must die alike He that kills another sheweth that he himself may be killed thou tearest and tormentest thy own picture and image in vain thou in thy fury killest him whom not long since God created like thy self and according to the same law thou thinkest all lawful which thy Kingly power can command thou pullest out our tongues and tearest our bodies with flesh-books and consumest with fire but they who have already suffered this have received everlasting G joy for their reward and thou shalt answer for all the punishments inflicted upon them Think not that I expect any favour at thy hands I will follow my brethren and remain constant H in our Law The Tyrant hearing this was wroth and caused him to be tormented but his Mother in his torment comforted him and with her kind hands held his head when with violence of the tortures blood issued out of his mouth nose and privy parts the tormentors not ceasing till life in him was almost spent but they by Gods appointment gave over and so he took strength again to endure more than any of his brethren had done at last his Hands and Arms being cut off he lifted up his Eyes to Heaven and cryed O Adonai O Sabaor be mercifull unto me and receive me into the company of my brethren The death of the youngest brother let thy wrath now cease and grant them mercy who by us do make intercession to thee Having said thus his tongue being pulled out he of his own accord went into the fiery I Frying pan and so to the great admiration of Antiochus died Behold how evident it is that reason can rule our affections seeing that Children hereby shewed more constancy Reason Mistress of our affection than the Tyrant could shew cruelty For it was reason's force that wrought in them that determination to suffer all torments rather than to forsake the way of Salvation These constant young men do fitly resemble inexpugnable Towers and them who after a great tempest and shipwrak do safely enter the harbour of Salvation A similitude of the waves who guiding their course amidst the boysâ—etous waves at last obtain the wished shore For every one of them strengthened the other by advice and good counsel The seven brethren exhort one another to suffer death manfully and none of them was so effeminate as to decline his Martyrdom None used delay herein but K one followed anothers example Let us therefore dy for our Law and imitate the three Children whom the Asyrians fury condemned to the fiery Furnace whose patience spread their fame even unto Heaven Whilst thus one of them exhorted the other
the three Children with the fiery Furnace as this woman was afflicted at the death of all her Children before she came to her own Agony What would another woman and Mother have done in this Case but wept and with pitiful lamentations have cryed Ah wretch thas I am most unhappy and miserable of all that breath who therefore bare so many Children into this World that their several deaths might be so many several occasions of my grief and sorrow she would have commemorated her frequent labours the pains she endured in her ten Months bearing them she would have bewailed her ill fortune who brought forth her sons to so many deaths and dangers she would have recounted the milk wherewith she fed them and their meat she had prepared for them the F pains she had taken with them how she had carried them in her Arms and sung to them and taught them to speak her cares her watchings her fear lest any mis-hap should betide them and with weeping tears would have said Shall I never be a Grandmother and embrace your Children who a while ago was a fruitful mother my self but am now deprived of you all If this day I dy I have none to bury me But this handmaid of God forgot all these complaints that another mother would have made and with an Adamantine sence more impenetrable than the never-yielding Rocks did neither forsake her Children in their torments nor in their death but rather compelled them to perish and never sorrowed thereat For being apprehended together with her seven Sons she considering Eleazar's Martyrdom did thus exhort them in the Hebrew G tongue O my most dear and loving Children The mothers speech exhorting her seven Sons to suffer let us hasten to that Martyrdom which may make us a H credit to our Nation and gain of God an everlasting reward let us without fear present our selves unto those torments which Eleazar's aged body endured calling to mind our Father Abraham of worthy memory who having but one only Son did sacrifice him being willed by God so to do and seared not to bring him to the Altar though he was the fruit and only comfort of his age Isaac also was willing to be sacrificed by his father knowing that God was to be obeyed in all things the like may be said of Daniel and the three Children believe me we are rather tried than tormented For whatsoever this World affordeth is mortal and transient Thus did this mother arm her Childrens minds with fortitude A Golden saying of the mother of her seven Children and though a woman infused courage and constancy into men And when her Children were all dead she I a worthy mother of so many Champions kneeling down in the place of torment be sought God to put an end to her life protesting that she had not for love of life so long deferred to dye The mother followed her Sons in torments but only for her Childrens sake and that now she had seen them all seven triumphing Whereupon the rage of Antiochus grew hot and he commanded this noble person to be tormented and accordingly as the Tyrant willed she was striped naked and hanged up by the hands and most cruelly whipped her dugs and paps were pulled off and she put into the red-hot Frying-pan being most willing to follow her Childrens steps in torment and lifting up her Eyes and hands to Heaven she prayed for all women with Child and so yielded her chast Soul to God But Antiochus was striken with fire from Heaven O thou mistress of justice who followed'st K thy triumphing Children O Conquerer of Tyrants and a Looking-Glass for all Martyrs O example of patience not only to women but to all men that shall be after thee reverenced of them that now are and to be worshiped of them that are to come and to be admired not only of our Nation The light of the just but of all other people Thy light obscureth the bright shining Moon 1. Cor. 15. and though she fill the World with her brightness yet is she not comparable to thy shining light Seven lights inviron thee about dazling the brightness of the seven Planets Could any Painter express or any hand in writing declare the torments which you suffered none could with dry eyes read or behold them All people would flock about to see it All people would praise and esteem him to have offered a great gift who to God's glory had painted so incomparable a picture L And if any skilful workman should engrave this Tragedy upon a Sepulchre or in his house doubtless he should be freed from all plague and misfortune But where could a stone be found able to contain so many torments Therefore the old man Eleazar the Mother and her seven Sons are for their Nobility graced with a Sepulchre and a great reverence is done unto them of all men yea even by men that are not of our Religion and there is a constellation of eight stars ordained as an argument of their justice and Angels did execute their Funerals The Tyrant himself was astonished to see the constancy of such godly minds And thus have they found such favour in the sight of God that they have obtained remission of the sins of our Nation For presently after the Tyrant was destroyed and Israel was freed from his Tyranny M But Antiochus Antiochus leavied an Army of Footmen from amongst the Hebrews seeing the greatness of their Faith and their contempt of death gathered an Army of Foot out of the Hebrews by whose help he terrified his Enemies and got great Renown O blessed seed of Abraham behold what benefit the Sufferings of the Mother and her seven Sons brought to us their Country-men let us persist in this piety that so we may be like our Forefathers behold the death of a few did end all the miseries and sins of our whole Nation and you by your Country-mens hands vanquished their persecutors Enemies Antiochus died stinking exceedingly after that victory our sins were remited last of all Antiochus being mad and his entrails devoured with Worms he smelling like Carrion gave up the Ghost 2. Mac. 9. and was ever after death punished for his offence For when he could not make the Citizens of Jerusalem to forsake their Law he made War against N the Persians and there received that which he deserved It now remaineth An Epitome of the life of the seven Sons and their mother that we briefly repeat all that is before said For in her Agony this sacred mother said thus unto the standers by Whilest it was lawful for me I kept my self a Virgin and then I married and lived a Chast Wife and forsook not my own house I brought forth such Sons as I need not be ashamed of and though dounted with my Husbands death yet I did not forsake my Faith This and many things else she recounted And
to manage the Helm It is your office to look to the good conduct of this incomparable vessel fraughted with the welfare of all mankind and as so noble an office is aboue all estimation you ought not to take pleasure in any thing so much as in rendring so many Nations as are under your dominion happy by your benefits 'T is true they may be oblig'd by particular persons but it is from their Prince only they are to expect L this excellent conduct by which he showrs down his bounty upon them with full hands reserving only such things as in prudence are necessary for the remedying of such accidents as cannot be foreseen Thus it was that this unfortunate Counsellor advis'd Caius with designe to have made him better But his wicked nature turned his remedies into poison made a mock of his counsel and became much worse in so much as when Macro came towards him one time he said to those who were then about him Do you see that impertinent Schoolmaster that ridiculous Pedagogue he would take upon him to give instructions not only to a Child but to a person wiser than himself He prates as if a subject was to command an Emperour and an Emperour that is not ignorant in the art of Governing and he M believes himself excellent in that science But I would fain know where he learned it For my part I was brought up to it from my Cradle receiving continual instructions from my Father Brothers Uncles Cousins Grand-Father Great-Grand-Father and many other great Princes from whom I am descended both by the Father and Mother without so much as mentioning the seeds of vertue which Nature mingles with the blood of those she designs shall command For by the same reason as Children are observed to resemble their Parents not only in the lineaments of their face and the qualities of their mind but in their very gestures inclinations and actions by the same reason those who proceed from a Race accustomed to dominion do receive with their existence a disposition that makes them capable of all the impressions necessary for the formation of a great Prince I therefore may say that when my Mother N carried me in her womb and even before I was brought into the World I was instructed in the art of Governing and yet a private person whose thoughts have nothing in them that is noble and sublime has the confidence to give me Counsel in the Conduct and Regiment of my Empire which to him is an impenetrable mystery In this manner Caius conceiv'd every day more and more aversion to Macro endeavouring to charge him with false crimes but such as might at least carry in them some appearance of truth and of this sort he believed he had found one by these words which fell from Macro upon a time The Emperour is of my making and has no less obligation to me than to those who brought him into the World Three times by my prayers and contrivances have I rescued him from the O fury of Tiberius who would have put him to death and when Tiberius who would have A put him to death and when Tiberius dyed I caus'd him to be declared Emperour by the Guards which were under my Command remonstrating and inculcating to them that the only way to keep the Empire entire was to pay obedience but to one person Many people approved this discourse in Macro as knowing it was true and not yet understanding the inconstancy and dissimulation of Caius But not many days after the unfortunate Macro and his wife were put to death which was all the recompence that the ingratitude of Caius afforded to the fidelity of his servant for having secur'd him against death and advanc'd him to the Empire Some say Macro was compelled to kill himself and that his wife did the same though it was more than suspected Caius B had been kinder to her formerly But what is more unconstant than love by reason of the frequent exceptions and disgusts that happen where the affection is irregular Nay so insatiable was the cruelty of Caius that he put to death the whole family of Macro leaving not so much as one of his Servants alive CHAP. V. Caius caused his Father in Law Marcus Syllanus to be slain for giving him wise Counsel and the Murder of him was followed by the Execution C of several others WHEN this perfideous Prince had in this manner quitted himself of his Competitor in the Empire and of a person to whom he ought both his authority and life there was a third design that remained to be executed to the perpetration of which he imploy'd his utmost address His Father in Law Marcus Syllanus who was a person of great Generosity and of illustrious extraction after the death of his Daughter who died very young continued to Caius the affection of an own Father rather than of a Father in Law believing that though the D Princess was dead he could not but have the same sentiments for him Upon this score he spake to him with great liberty about the measures which he was to take by his actions to answer the hopes which were conceived of him But Caius being so vain an Opiniaster that instead of owning or mending his faults he flattered himself with a Fancy that he was excellent in all kinds of virtues look'd upon those as his Enemies who gave him good counsel he perverted the good Counsel of Syllanus reputed it an insolence grew insupportable towards him and could not endure any longer to have him an impediment to the irregularity of his passions After this he banish'd as well out of his thoughts as his heart the remembrance of his wife and by more than barbarous Cruelty caused him to be put to death for Treason from whom she had received life and who ought to have been respected by him as an own Father The noise of E this murder which was followed by the execution of several others the most considerable in the Empire was spred all over the World every body spake of it with horrour but in private their fear obstructing the publication of their resentment Nevertheless the people being easily deluded and not without difficulty to be perswaded that a Prince who had appeared so good and so gentle should be so suddenly changed it was said in his excuse That as to the death of the young Tiberius the Soveraign power could not admit of a Partner That he was only prevented by Caius for if his age would have permitted he would have treated him in the same manner That it was perhaps by the Providence of God and for the benefit of the whole World that Tiberius lost his life to secure the Empire from Civil and Forreign Wars which would have devided into factions F by the several great persons who would have espoused the interest both of the one and the other That nothing is more disirable than peace That
Peace cannot subsist but by good conduct in the Provinces and that a Province canot be well govern'd unless the Government be in a single person whose authority maintains all things in quiet and repose That as to Macro he was grown so sawcy and proud that in appearance he had quite forgot that excellent direction of the Oracle at Delphos Nosce teipsum which is a thing so necessary that with the knowledg of ones self one cannot fail to be happy nor avoid being unhappy when it is not attained That it was insupportable for Macro to set himself up above the Emperour as if it was not his office to command and the subjects to obey In this manner it was that the ignorant either out of flattery or folly interpreted the wholesome counsels of Macro and as for G Syllanus it was said that it was ridicuculous in him to pretend to as much power over his Son in Law as a Father has over his own Son seeing those Fathers who are but Citizens do submit without trouble to their own Children when they are advanced to any dignity or office and H that it was imprudently done in him to imagine that being but his Father in Law he should have a right to interpose in publick affairs without considering that his allyance with the Emperour was extinguished by the death of his Daughter Marriages being but outward ligaments which though they joyn Families together at present yet they are broken upon the death of either of the parties This was the discourse which was used in some of their assemblys to excuse the Emperour's cruelty for there having been none of his predecessors of whose meekness and bounty they had conceived a better opinion they could not as I have said imagine he should be so changed in a Moment I CHAP. VI. Cains requires the veneration of one of the Gods THese horrid and criminal actions passed in the mind of Caius for so many victories obtain'd against the most considerable person of his Empire For his fury had extinguished the lustre of the Imperial Family in the blood of his Cousin young Tiberius whom he ought in justice to have taken into the partnership of the Government His K abominable inhumanity had exasperated the Senat by the death of Syllanus his Father in Law who was one of their greatest ornaments and his horrible ingratitude had taken away the life of Macro a person of the first Rank in his Court and to whom he was oblig'd particularly for the Grandeur to which he was advanc'd Having perpetrated these great things he believed that there being no body left who durst oppose himself against his pleasure he ought not to be satisfied with the greatest honors that could be confer'd upon man but that he might expect and challeng what was given to the Gods and it is reported that to perswade himself to so strange an extravagance his argument was thus As those who conduct and have the care of Heards of Cattel whether Oxen or Sheep or L Deer are neither Oxen nor Sheep nor Deer themselves but men of a nature infinitely more excellent than the nature of those animals so they who have the command of all the men and Creatures in the World ought to be considered as more excellent than men and receive reverence like Gods Having admitted this ridiculous fancy into his head and taken the boldness to publish it he came by degrees to the effects He began first to desire to be reverenced as one of the demy-Gods such as Bacchus Hercules Castor and Pollux Tryphon Amphiarus Amphilocus and others but he laugh'd at their Oracles and Ceremonies and ravish'd them from them that they might be attributed to himself He changed his habit and dress like a player Sometimes to personat Hercules he wore M a Lions skin about his shoulders and a Club in his hand sometimes he wore a Hat like Castor and Pollux and sometimes in imitation of Bacchus he wore the skin of a young Hind But in this point he differed from those pretended deities that whereas they were contented with their respective and particular Ceremonies without envying what was confer'd upon the rest he required them all that he might be accounted above them Nevertheless that which contracted the great throng of spectators was not that he had three bodies like Gerion but because he transformed himself into as many different shapes as Proteus who as Homer describes changed himself into several Elements Animals and Plants N But Caius this vain resembance with these Demy-Gods was not the thing you ought to have affected you were rather to have imitated their actions and virtue Hercules by his glorious labours delivered both Land and Sea from such Monsters as troubled the repose of mankind Bacchus who was the first that planted the Vine brought a liquor into the World so pleasant and comfortable both to the body and mind of man that it made them forget their sorrows exhilarated and fortified their hearts in such manner that the effects of it are still seen in the dances and festivities not only of the most civiliz'd but of the most barbarous Nations As to Castor and Pollux the two Sons of Jupiter is it not said that one of them being immortal and the other mortal he who had the advantage of immortality not being able to think that his brother should O die would needs equal and debase himself to the condition of his Brother by communicating A to him part of his immortality and in some measure subjecting himself to death which was the greatest expression of kindness that could be imagined These Heros then who were the admiration of their own ages and are still the wonder of ours were not adored and reverenc'd as Gods but for their benefits and good actions to man But Caius what have you done in imitation that may in courage you to such an exaction To begin with Castor and Pollux have you imitated the perfect friendship that was between those two Brothers and made them so glorious you without compassion to the youth and tenderness of him who ought to have been to you as a Brother and with whom you were in justice obliged to have shar'd the whole Empire you I say have cruelly embrued your hands in his blood and sent his sisters B into Exile to reign with the more security and quiet your self Have you imitated Bacchus and diffus'd an universal joy and chearfulness over the whole Earth by any admirable invention you who being to be considered no otherwise but as a publick Plague have found out nothing but new inventions to turn that joy into sorrow that chearfulness into sadness and make peoples lives a burden You who in recompence of the infinite wealth and advantages which flow in to you dayly from all parts of the World do with your insatiable avarice crush aâ—d depress your people with the weight of so many new Tributes and Impositions that you
one indeed without the loss of his Life have remonstrated against so great an impiety Let us dye then said we among our selves seeing nothing can be more honourable than to lay down our Lives in defence of our Laws But our Death not being able to produce any good effect and being Embassadors as we are may it not be to augment the affliction of those who sent us and give advantage to such of our own Nation as have no friendship for us to say that to deliver our selves from some present inconvenience we deserted the Interest of the Publick though the lesser Interests are alwayes to give place to the greater and Private to Publick For in the subversion of Government all the Laws by which its Grandure and Consistance was maintained do for the most part suffer the same O Fate and are abolished with it A May it not be imputed to us likewise as a crime to abandon the Jews in Alexandria by abandoning an affair in which their Safety or Ruine is involved and the Safety or Ruine of our whole Nation and leave them in fear that a Prince of his Violence and Cruelty will entirely destroy them If it be Objected That seeing which way so ever we resolve no Success is to be expected why should not we think of retiring in safety I Answer That to do so we must have either no hearts or no knowledge in our divine Laws God perhaps will make use of this opportunity as a tryal of our Virtues and to see how we are disposed to comport under affliction Rather in stead of placing our safety in the uncertain succours of B Man let us put our whole confidence in God with a firm Faith that he will assist us as he has assisted formerly our Fore-fathers when their Perils were in appearance beyond all Remedy Thus it was we endeavoured to comfort our selves under so great and unexpected a Calamity flattering our selves with hopes of seeing happier times When we had remained silent for a time we said to him who brought us the first ill News Why do you content your self by having thrown an unhappy word among us to have kindled an universal trouble in our minds which as a single Spark will grow to a Flame and do not tell us what it is that hath transported the Emperour to so extravagant a resolution Every body knows replied the person that he would be reverenced as a God and because he is perswaded that the Jews are the only persons who will not acknowledge him for such C he believes he cannot any way afflict and punish them more than by dishonouring the Majesty and profaning the sanctity of their Temple which he knows is the most beautiful in the World decorated and enriched with the Presents of so many Ages which no doubt but his boldness and impiety will tempt him to seize Capito a Commissioner for the receipt of the Tributes in Judea has irritated him likewise against us by Letters which he has writ This Capito having little or no fortune before he was sent into this Province and having feathered his Nest well by his exaction since he came he has a mind to prevent by his Calumnies the just Complaints which he apprehended the Jews would make against him and he has made use of the occasion aforesaid Jamnia is one of the most populous Towns in Judea and all its Inhabitants are Jews except some few Strangers who unhappily for us are come thither to acquaint themselves with D the neighbouring Provinces Their aversion for our Manners and Customs is so great that they cease not to do us all the mischief that they are able to do and understanding that Caius was inslamed with an idle passion to be worshipped as a God and that on that account he had conceived a mortal hatred against us they thought they could never hope for a fairer opportunity to destroy us Wherefore they erected an Altar of Brick upon no other design but because they were sure we would never suffer the Laws of our Ancestors to be violated in that manner and their malice and cunning has had the effect which was intended For the Jews having pull'd down their Altar they who set it up made complaint immediately to Capito who was the contriver of the plot on purpose to ruine their fellow Citizens This wicked man transported as it were to have succeeded so far failed not to write to Caius exaggerating every thing and E adding much to the truth to provoke him the more The violent and audacious Emperour no sooner had the news but he commanded that in stead of an Altar of Brick they should set up a Statue of him as big as a Colossus which was to be Guilt over with Gold and placed in the Temple of Jerusalem in which resolution he had two principal Councellors Helico that notorious Buffoon and Apelles the famous Comedian who as is reported having prostituted himself and exposed his beauty for money when he was young was now got upon the Theater in his old age and the modesty of that profession every man knows By these excellent qualities these two excellent persons were got to be of Caius his Counsel With the one he consulted in matters of Railery and Wit and with the other how such a speech was to be pronounced upon the Stage not so much as concerning himself with the Peace and Tranquility of the Empire F Helico being an Egyptian bit us like an Asp and Apelles being of Ascalon was no kinder than he Every word that this person spoke was like a dagger at our hearts but these two wicked Counsellors were not long without their Reward For Caius caused Apelles to be clapt in irons for other Crimes and tortured him upon the Wheel but with several intervals to increase and spin out his punishment and Claudius succeeding Caius in the Empire he put Helico to death for other considerable Reasons G H CHAP. XIII Petronius his great trouble about executing the Order which he had received from Caius to set up his Statue in the Temple of Jerusalem because he was sensible of the injustice of it and foresaw the ill Consequences CAIuS wrote then that his Statue should be consecrated and set up in our Temple and omitted nothing that might injoyn the Execution of that Order He I commanded Petronius Governour of Syria to take half the Army which was disposed along the Euphrates to defend those Countries against the Kings and People of the East and to cause them to attend the Statue not that they were to add to the Solemnity of its Consecration but to cut those Jews in pieces who should have the boldness to oppose him Is it so then most cruel Prince that fore-seeing these poor people will sooner expose themselves to death than suffer the violation of their Laws and the profanation of their Temple you declare War against them and send a formidable army to consecrate your
Statue by the blood of so many innocent Victims without sparing either Women or Men This Order gave Petronius much trouble by reason that on the one side he knew K Caius could not endure the least delay in his obedience and on the other side he saw the execution of his Commands very difficult because the Jews would suffer a thousand deaths rather than suffer any violation of their Religion For though all other people are tender of their Laws yet it comes far short of the bigottry of the Jews who look upon theirs as Oracles given by God himself They were brought up in it from their youth They have it ingraven in their hearts They forbear not to admire it They receive into the number of their Citizens such Strangers as imbrace it Look upon those as Enemies who despise it And have so great a horror for every thing that contradicts it that there is neither grandeur nor fortune nor any temporal felicity able to tempt them to violate it Nor is there any greater evidence of their Respect and Veneration for their L Temple than that it is certain death for any of them to dare to enter into the Sanctuary But for the rest entrance is free to all those of their Nation of what Province soever Petronius revolving these things in his mind found the Enterprize so dificult that he made no hast to put it in execution and the more he considered this affair the more he was perswaded not to touch upon our Religion as well because Justice and Piety obliged him to alter nothing therein as because of the danger he was like to encounter not only from the Judgement of God but from the Resistance of the Jews who by that action would be driven to despair He considered likewise the numerousness of that Nation which is not like the rest crowded up in one Province but dispersed in so great numbers almost quite over the World both upon the Continent and in the Islands that M they are well nigh equal in number to the Natives And this gave him occasion to apprehend that assembling together from all parts they should kindle a War that could not easily be extinguished seeing they were already very strong in Judea no less Politick than Valiant and ready to dy with their Swords in their hands with invincibe Courage rather than abandon the Laws of their Fathers so excellently Just though their Enemies would needs have them to be Barbarous This wise Governour was apprehensive likewise of such of that Nation as inhabited beyond the Euphrates in Babylon and those Provinces for he knew for certain as having seen it with his Eyes that they sent every year to the Temple under the Title of First-fruits the money which they called Holy without considering the danger of the ways N how great soever it was and all because prompted by a principle of Devotion So that he believed and not without reason that as soon as the Jews should have notice of the Consecration of this Statue they would put themselves instantly into the Field and block him up on every side These thoughts detained him for some time but it put his mind into great agitation and trouble when he considered he had for his Master a young Prince who knew no other Justice than his Will who could not endure to be disobeyed let his Commands be never so unequal and whose pride and presumption transported him to that excess of folly that causing him to forget his Humanity he would needs pass for a God So that he could neither execute nor decline the execution of his Orders without manifest danger O of his Life only there was this difference he might save it perhaps in the War A where the events are uncertain where as it was impossible to escape if he refused obedience to his unmerciful Prince CHAP. XIV Petronius gave Order for this Statue but it went on but slowly He endeavoured in vain to perswade the Jews to receive it The Jews forsake the Towns and the Country to wait upon him and begg of him not to execute an Order that would B be more insupportable to them than death but to give them leave to send their Deputies to the Emperour THE Roman Officers who with Petronius had the greatest charge in the affairs of Syria were all for a War because knowing the fury of Caius they doubted not but if they declin'd it he would discharge his indignation upon them in confidence that they must needs be accessory in this disobedience But by good fortune it hapned that they had time to deliberate whilst the Satue was making for there was none sent out of Italy which I suppose God in his mercy so ordered for the safety of his People as also that there was no direction to take the hansomest and best wrought that could be found C in Syria for without that the War had broke out so suddainly that no remedy could have been found for so great a mischief Petronius having concluded to have a Statue made caused the ablest Statuaries in Phenicia to be sent for furnished them with materials and appointed Sydon to be the place as the most proper for such a business Having done so he sent for the Chief Priests and Magistrates of the Jews declared to them the Emperor's Command and exhorted them to submit and not run themselves into Calamity and Troubles which would be otherwise unavoidable for the greatest part of the Army in Syria had Orders to proceed with fire and sword in case of disobedience And Petronius did not doubâ— but if he could have prevail'd with them they could have perswaded the rest of the People but he D found himself mistaken for this discourse went so near them that after for a while they had stood still as immovable they brake out into Rivers of Tears tore their beards and their hair and cry'd out with a voice interrupted with sighs Have we then lived to this hour to see what our Ancestors never beheld But how can we possibly see it who will choose rather to lose our Eyes and our Life than be spectators of so horrible an impiety This report being spread abroad in Jerusalem and in all Judea the Jews left their Houses and Fields as it had been by consent and repaired to Phenicia to wait upon Petronius Their innumerable multitude made those People believe who were ignorant how populous a Country Judea was that it was a great Army marching against Petronius of which they gave him immediate advice but they had no other Arms then their sighs and their E cryes which fill'd the Air with such a noise that it ceased not when they laid them by and had recourse to their Prayers which the excess of their sorrow put into their mouths They were distributed into six Classes three on the one side the Antient the Young Men and the Children and three on the other the old Women the young
gave to him There was a person named Isidorus a great and dangerous Calumniator who perceiving Caius to be infinitely well pleased with his Flatteries and Cajolments said to him Sir You would abhor these people much more and those who sent them did you know their malice against you They are the only People who refuse to offer Sacrifice for your safety and generally the whole Nation is guilty of the same stubbornness At which words we were not able to contein but cryed out that it was false for we sacrificed Hecatombs to that purpose and having washt our Altars with the blood of our Victims we did not devour the flesh B our selves like several other Nations but burned all together in that sacred fire and this we have done more than once or twice for we did it three times First upon your advancement to the Throne Next when you recovered of your great fit of sickness which was an affliction to the whole World And the third time when we made it our solemn prayer to God Almighty to give you success in your Enterprizes in Germany 'T is true the furious Emperour reply'd you offered Sacrifices but it was to another not to me and therefore What honour did I receive by it We could perceive at those horrid words our blood to freeze in our veins In the mean time Caius passed from one appartment to another finding fault where any thing was amiss and giving order how it should be mended We followed him jostled C and derided by our Adversaries who abus'd and mock'd us like Mimicks on a Stage and indeed our whole negotiation might have passed for a Comedy having nothing in it but appearance of Truth For he who ought to have been our Judge was our Accuser and our own party animated him against us Having him therefore for an Enemy and such an Enemy what could we do but be silent And being silent is a kind of defence especially where nothing can be said that would have been pleasing to him and the fear of his violence upon our Laws had shut up our mouths When he had given direction about his buildings he demanded seriously and with great gravity of us Why we were so scrupulous in eating of Hogs-flesh Upon which our Adversaries to Cajole him with their flatteries fell out into so immoderate and undecent D a laughter that some of the Prince's Officers which were about him could scarce brook so great disrespect and it was so much the greater by how much his humor was such there was not any but his Privado's and Intimates that could without danger take the liberty upon them of but smiling in his presence We replyed most humbly to the Emperour That the Customs of People were different and that as among us there were some things forbidden so there were others prohibited to other Nations And one of our Company instancing in those who eat no Lamb the Emperour laught reply'd They have no reason for the flesh is not good These raileries augmented our trouble very much but at length in some kind of heat he asked us upon what grounds we founded our freedom We began to lay before him our grounds and he foreseeing E well that they would be reasonable and that we had many more to corroborate them he rose up on a suddain and ran into a great Chamber causing his servants to shut the Windows whose glass was contrived so as to let in the Light but keep out the Wind and was as clear as Chrystal We followed and he came to us again and demanded of us very moderately what we had more to say We would have gone on with our Reasons but in stead of hearing them he ran again in great speed into another Hall where he had commanded several ancient Pictures to be brought for him to see so that finding our selves so often interrupted in our affairs and in such different manner supposing we were to expect nothing but death we addressed our selves in our extremity to the true for protection against the counterfeit God and it pleas'd him to F have compassion on us and by his infinite goodness to moderate the fury of Caius who commanded us to withdraw and went away himself only saying to those who were next him These People are not so bad as unfortunate and besotted not to believe me to be of Divine nature In this manner we departed not only from his Judgment but from his Theater and Prison for what was it but a Theater where we were laughed at and derided And the rigors of a Prison are they comparable to the torments we endured from so many Blasphemies against God and so many Menaces from an enraged Tyrant against us Because ours forsooth was the only Nation that obstructed his being owned for a God G Upon this we desisted and respited for a while not out of love to our Lives for could our death have been servicable to the conservation of our Laws we would have embrac'd it with joy as conducting us to a happy Eternity But because besides this it would H have been destructive to our Laws and offensive to those who sent us for as much as the management of such things are usually judged by their success we comforted our selves in some measure that we had escaped such a danger yet not without continuing in great apprehensions what judgment the Emperour would give For how could he be informed of the Equity of our Cause when he vouchsafed not so much as to hear us And what could be more cruel than to see the safety of our whole Nation depend upon the manner after which we five who were Embassadors should be treated For if Caius should declare in favour of the Alexandrians what other Town would let the Jews live in quiet What other Town would forbear them What other would not destroy their Oratories What other would not refuse them the Exercise of their Religion I So that the abolition of all their Priviledges and the entire Ruine of the whole Nation were before us and the thoughts of them overwhelmed us with sorrow and the more because we could see no resort nor refuge from our miseries For those who before seemed to favour our Affairs began now to despair of our safety and retired not daring to assist us any farther though we sent to importune them so little expectation had they of Bounty or Justice from a Man who would make himself a God FINIS THE TABLE The TABLE of the CHAPTERS IN THE Embassie of PHILO TO THE Emperour CAIUS CALIGULA THE Preface of Philo upon the blindness of Man and the incomprehensible grandeur of God Pag. 828 CHAP. I. In what Incredible felicity the People lived the first seven months in the Reign of Caius Caligula pag. 829 CHAP. II. The Emperour Caius having Reigned but seven Months falls into a desperate fit of sickness The marvelous affliction that all the Provinces exprest for it and their inexpressible
joy for his recovery pag. 829 CHAP. III. Caius abandons himself to all kind of Debauchery and with horrible ingratitude and dreadful cruelty constrains Tiberius Grandson to the Emperour Tiberius to kill himself pag. 830 CHAP. IV. Caius puts to death Macro Colonel of the Pretorian Guards to whom he was obliged both for his Empire and Life pag. 831 CHAP. V. Caius puts to death Marcus Syllanus his Father in Law because he gave him wise Counsel And that Murder is followed by many others pag. 833 CHAP. VI. Caius requires to be reverenc'd as a Demi-God pag. 834 CHAP. VII The folly of Caius increasing he requires to be worshiped as a God and imitates Mercury Apollo and Mars pag. 835 CHAP. VIII Caius enraged against the Jews because they would not reverence him as a Demi-god like other People pag. 837 CHAP. IX The Inhabitants of Alexandria take advantage of the displeasure of Caius to commit great cruelty and outrage upon the Jews They destroy most part of their Oratories and set up the Emperors Statues though no such thing had ever been attempted in the Reigns of Augustus or Tiberius The Praises of Augustus ibid. CHAP. X. Caius being already incensed against the Jews of Alexandria is much exasperated by the Calumnies of Helico formerly an Egyptian Slave but now in great favour with the Emperour pag. 840 CHAP. XI The Jews of Alexandria send Embassadors to Caius to represent their grievances of which number Philo was chief Caius receives them kindly in appearance but Philo judg'd very well that he was not to be trusted pag. 841 CHAP. XII Philo and his Collegues are informed that Caius had sent Orders to Petronius Governour of Syria to cause his Statue to be set up in the Temple of Jerusalem p. 842 CHAP. XIII Petronius being sensible of the Injustice and ill Consequences of it is much troubled about the execution of that Order pag. 844 CHAP. XIV Petronius Orders a Statue to be made but very slowly he endeavours to perswade the Jews to admit it but in vain The Jews assemble from all places unanimously conjuring him against the Execution of that Order and to give them leave to send Embassadors to the Emperour pag. 845 CHAP. XV. Petronius affected with their Reasons and thinking it unsafe to run them into despair writes to Caius on purpose to gain time Caius is inraged but dissembles it in his Answer to Petronius pag. 846 CHAP. XVI King Agrippa comes to Rome and finding from Caius his own mouth his design of Erecting his Statue in the Temple of Jerusalem He falls into fainting fits being recollected be writes to the Emperour pag. 848 CHAP. XVII Caius relents upon Agrippa's Letter writes to Petronius to alter nothing in the Temple but repents immediately He causeth a Statue to be made privately in Rome and sent as privately to Jerusalem when he was to go to Alexandria he continues his resolution to be owned there as a God His Injustice and Cruelty pag. 851 CHAP. XVIII The Passion wherewith Caius treated Philo and the rest of the Embassadors pag. 852 A TABLE of the Chiefest and most Memorable Things which are handled in This WORK A. AAron Moses brother 67. G. cometh to meet him ibid. 1. holdeth up Moses hands 77. A. elected High Priest 88. M. his sons 89. A. High Priesthood confirmed to him 102. K. giveth his Priestly Ornaments to Eleazar 104. I. his death ibid. K. Aarons Rod fructifieth 103. A. Abdon Judge of Israel 139. E. renowned for his issue ibid. F. Abel second son of Adam 29. B. is commended ibid. C. is slain by his brother and why ibid. C. Abias levieth an Army 223. I. overcometh Jeroboam ibid. N. dieth ibid. O. his issue ibid. Abiathar escapes Sauls hands 166. L. telleth David of his Families slaughter ibid. asketh counsel of God 173. B. dispossessed of the Priesthood 104. I. helps Adonias 199. D. Abigail pacifieth David 169. B. C. after married to David ibid. E. Abibu Aarons son burned 89. G. and why ibid. G. Abimelech King of Geraer enamoured of Sara 39. E. plagued for taking her ibid. E. made a covenant with Abraham ibid. G. expelleth Isaac his Country 43. F. after makes a league with him 44. I. Abimelech Gideons bastard son 137. B. killeth 69 of his brethren and usurpeth ibid. B. practiseth against the Sichemites ibid. E. slayeth him and sacketh their City ibid. G. burned the Sichemites fled to the rock 138. H. taketh Tabez ibid. K. is wounded and slain ibid. K. Abiram rebellious 101. C. he and those that were with him swallowed up 102. H. Abisai overcometh the Idumaeans 182. L. sent against the Ammonites 183. E. Abisaei's valour 197. A. Abisag nourisheth David 199. C. Abner Sauls Uncle 151. B. questioneth with Saul ibid. B. General of his Army 164. M. maketh Isboseth King 176. H. revolteth from Isboseth ibid. O. Killeth Azael ibid. K. perswadeth the Governours to create David King 177. B. is slain 177. D. E. Abraham son of Thares 35. C. tenth from Noe ibid. C. taught the Egyptians Religion and Arts 36. M. first Preacher of the word 35. F. his wisdom ibid. an Astronomer 36. M. and an Arithmetician ibid. M. his house 36. I. oppressed by Famine ibid. K. divided the Land with Lot 36. K. rescueth Lot from the Sodomites 37. E. son promised him ibid. F. foretold his progeny to be evil entreated 38. H. circumcised himself and Ismael 38. L. entertaineth Angels and entreateth for the Sodomites ibid. N. intended to offer his son 41. B. C. marrieth Chetura ibid. G. provideth a wife for his son 42. K. dieth 43. D. is commended ibid. Absence of David excused 164. L. Absalon killeth Amnon 186. O. fled to Gessur 187. C. revoked from banishment and how ibid. F. affecteth the Kingdom 188. K. proclaimed King ibid. L. passeth over Jordan 191. B. his overthrow 191. E. slain by Joab ibid. F. Abundance foretold 61. G. Abundance of Silver 216. M. Abundance of victuals foreshewed 239. M. affected 240. E. Abundance of victuals shewed 736. I. Acclamation of the people 463. A. Accusation of Laban against Jacob 47. D. of Jacob against him ibid. F. of Putifars wife against Joseph 54. H. of Doeg against Achimelech 166. I. of Aristobulus and Hircanus 362. E. F. of Antipater against his brethren 592. M. of Nicolaus 601. B. of Antipater against Archelaus 606. M. of the Jews 610. K. Achab. son of Amri King of Israel 225. N. followeth impieties ibid. took to wife Jezabel 226. B. seeketh Elias 227. H. covets Naboths vineyard 228. F. his repentance 229. K. twice overcometh the Syrians 213. C. D. reproved for dismissing Adad 231. K. imprisoneth Michaias and why 233. H. rejected his advice ibid. I. wounded dieth ibid. K. Achabs seventy sons 243. K. Achar stole the spoils dedicated to God 123. E. hid them in his tent ibid. found guilty and put to death 124. I. Achaz King of Judah sacrificeth his son 251. I. serves Idols ibid. overthrown in battel ibid. O. hireth Theglaphalasar ibid.
a. fleeth to Raguel and why 66 k. marrieth his daughter ib. sent to deliver the Israelites 67 d. confirmed in his calling ibid. a b perswadeth Pharaoh to dismiss the Israelites 68 i. worketh miracles ibid. k l m. instituteth the Passover 70 i k. conducteth the Israelites 71 b c. exhorteth them ib. f. prayeth to God 72 i. leadeth them thorow the red sea ib. k. praises God ib. n. sacrificed to God in Sinai ib. o beseecheth God to sweeten the waters 73 g. putteth the people in mind of God's benefits â—4 m. imploreth God's help ibid. o. striketh the Rock bringeth out water 75 f. encourageth the Israelites 76 l. lifting up his hands c. 77 a. ascendeth Sinai 78 m. how long remaineth there 80 h. fasted ib. asketh counsel of God c. 90 o. numbreth the people 94 o. sendeth spies to search the land 96 i. retires the people into the desart 99 a. sendeth forces against the Madianites 108 m. appointeth to Joshuah his successor 109 b. exhorteth the people to obedience 110 l. sweareth them to keep the law 119 b. exhorteth Josuah ibid. d. dieth 119 f g. Mother eateth her child 239 i. 748 o. Mother of the seven brethren 824 n. 825 b. 826 h i c. Mourning of Ruben for Joseph 52 l. of the Romans 637 b. of them in Jerusalem 711 a. Mourning for thirty days 115 e. Mourning for Moses's death 119 g. for Saul and his sons 174 f. for Abner's 177 g. for Herod's 462 n o. Mountain of Sinai 66 n. 77 e. Mounts builded lost 734 h. Mounts raised near the Temple 746 k. Multiplication of Jacob's posterity 63 d. Multitude of business 77 g. of dead carcasses 740 h. Mundus deâ—ileth Paulina 481 d c. banished ibid. Murmure of the Israelites 74 i. 96 m. Murther of Simeon and Levi 49 c. Murther of Azael 176 k. of Abner 177 e. of Joram's brethren 241 l. of infants foretold 240 g. Murther of Saul punished 175 e. of Isboseth 178 l. Musick by whom invented 29 g. Mutability of fortune 682 h i. Mutiny in Chore and his complices 99 d e c. Mutiny about the golden Eagle 460 h. Mutiny against Archelaus 463 f g c. N. Nahas King of the Ammonites 152 i. his outrages offered the Israelites ib. 1. proposed hard conditions of peace 151 i k granteth to the Inhabitants of Jabes a truce ib. k. is slain 152 o. Nabal's flock spared 168 m. his currish answer to David's men ibid. n. died for grief 169 â— Nabathaea the countrey of Ismael's posterity 40 l. Nabathaeans spoiled 3â—0 b. Naboth falsly accused 228 f. stoned to death ibid g. Nabuchadonosor King of Babylon 260 g. vanquisheth Nechao ib. 261 h. exacteth tribute and slayeth Joachim 261 h. establisheth Joachin King ib. n. besiegeth and destroyeth Jerusalem 264 d. 265 h. dreameth a dream 268 d. erecteth an Idol 269 m. conversed with beasts ib. o. conquereth the rebels 78â— e. builded a palace 788 i. besiegeth Tyre ibid. n. his death 270 a. Nadab Aaron's son burned and why 90 i. Nadab Jeroboam's son 224 h. his impiety and death ibid. i. Name of Saul famous 152 o. Naming of the creatures 28 h. Names of Regions and Nations 33 f. Naomi her sorrow 142 n. returneth into her countrey 143 n. her counsel to Ruth 143 b. Norbanus for the Jews 432 l. Narration of the Arabian wars 443 a. Nathan the Prophet 18â— b. forbiddeth David to build the Temple ibid. c. reproved David 185 â— Nativity of Jacob and Esau 43 i. two Nations proceed of them ibid. â— Nation of the Jews mixed with all people 747 b. Nations whence descended 33 g c. Nature forbids a man to kill himself 672 l. Nature of the Idumaeans 690 m. Navy of Solomon 215 b. Naum the Prophet 250 g. foretelleth the overthrow of the Assyrians ibid. g. Nazarites 103 e. Nechao his exploits 260 c. is overcome ibid. g. 261 h. 262 f. Necessity a sharp weapon 663 f. Neglect of God's service cause of all evil 219 n. Negligence of Saul's guard 169 f g. Nehemiah his sadness and why 284 e. inciteth the people to build the walls 285 i. his ardent care in building them 285 k. his death ibid n. Nemrod 33 a b. son of Chus 34 m. Nephanes and Sabach David's Captains 196 b c. Nephews of Jacob 61 b. of Herod 594 m. Nephthalim the son of Jacob 46 n. his sons 61 b. Nero proclaimed Emperour 536 k. his murthers ibid. l. 620 h. amazed at the acts of the Jews 657 â— sendeth Vespasian to govern Syria 657 f. Nicanor laboureth to surprise Judas 324 â— slain 325 i. Nicanor known to Joseph 671 m. Nicanor wounded 723 c. Nicaule Queen of Aethiopia 215 c. resorteth to Solomon ibid. d. wondereth and praiseth Solomon's wisdom 215 d e. giveth him presents ibid. f. Nicholaus's Oration 424 i. Nicholaus the Historiographer reproved 433 c Nicholaus accuseth Syllaeus excuseth Herod 442 n. prosecuteth the King's accusation 456 m. excuseth Archelaus 466 k. 607 b. defendeth Herod and Archelaus 459 b. 607 b. Nicon the Romans great Ram 725 c. Nigar slain c. â—97 b. Nilâ—s 28 k. maketh Egypt fertile 61 f. how far navigable 694 k. Nineveh admonished 249 k. her destruction prophesied 250 f. effected 251 h. Nisan a month with the Hebrews 70 i. Noah the son of Lamech 30 o. admonisheth the wicked ibid. l. buildeth the Ark n. saved with all his houshold ibid. o. sendeth out a Crow and a Dove 31 e. the tenth from Adam 30 o. sacrificeth to God 31 e. prayeth to God 32 i. is heard ib. k. God's covenant with him ib. k. his age 31 l. his three sons 32 o. his kind of life 34 o. was drunken and derided 34 o. Nob a City of the Priests burnt 169 c d Nobility slain by the thieves 686 m. 12000 slain 695 f. Nobility of the Jews fly to the Romans 744 n. Nobles repair to David 178 o. Nobles shut up by Herod 460 n. 602 n. released 462 m. 603 b. Nothing attempted by the Romans rashly 661 d 682 k. Number of the children of Israel 70 l. from twenty to fifty years of age 89 b. of David's souldiers 179 a. of workmen 207 d e. of Jews that returned from captivity 275 f l. of high Priests 540 n. of the captives and slain in Jerusalem 759 b c. Nuptial feast 46 l. O Obed-Edom's felicity 180 n. Obed begat Jesse 143 eâ— Obed a King of Arabia 354 b. discomfits Alexander ibid. Obediah hideth the Prophets 227 i. Obedience of Abraham 40 o. Obedience to Magistrates 110 l m. Obedience of the Roman soldier 661 a b. Obimes Jeroboams son 222 d. falleth sick and dyeth ibid. g. Obodas King of Arabia 435 b. given to idleness ibid. â— 438 o. Obsequies of Herod 462 n Observers of God's Laws rewarded 26 i. Occasion of the Jews war 623 a. Occasion of victory what 661 f. Occasion of violences 687 e f. Occurrences of Kingdoms and Commonweals 25 f. and 106 m. Occurrences of Jeremy 260 d