and because he would not be thought rashly to haue committed his sonne to prison he caused the most noble and eminent of all Alexanders welwillers to be tortured and they confessing no such matter as he expected he put them to death Whilest thus all the court did resound with feare torments and contentions a certaine man accused Alexander to haue sent letters to his friends at Rome to entreate them to cause him to be sent for by Caesar thither that he might accuse his father of certaine conspiracies against Caesar and how he more esteemed the friendship of Mithridates king of the Parthians then the friendship of the Romans affirming also that he had poison ready prepared at Ascalon Herod hearing this was comforted by the parasites about him as hauing not done any thing rashly and so he gaue now full credite vnto all yet the poison was diligently sought for but could not be found Alexander being now oppressed with this calamitie he yet tooke courage and because he would more incite his fathers displeasure against him he did not deny it perhaps meaning to make his father ashamed of himselfe for giuing credite so easily vnto forged tales or at least if he could not effect that entangle all the court and him too in calamitie and miserie Which that he might the better doe he writ foure little bookes and sent them vnto his father telling him that it was needlesse to vse any more torments for indeed treason was intended against him and that Pheroras and his most trustie friends were herein conspirators And that in the night time Salome came secretly vnto him and as it were forced him to lie with her and that all of them aymed at this mark to haue him made away that so they might enioy their wished liberty He also accused Ptolomeus and Sapinnius of this conspiracie who were more faithful vnto the king then all others so that now these men who before were most friendly one to an other began like madde men to rage one against another and punishment so hastily pursued euerie one that they had not leisure giuen them to speake in their owne defence neither was their punishment deferred till their cause was tried and the truth knowne that some were bound and imprâ—…oned othersome presently put to death other laughed in their sleeues to see that day yet discontented for that any delay was vsed for their punishment so that the kings court was now greatly defaced with sorrow and heauinesse wherewith the wonted felicitie thereof was destroyed Herode himselfe amidst these calamities could not but be wearie of his life who not daring trust himselfe in any bodies hand he was tormented with a daily and hourely feare of some vntimely death that would befall him and many times perswaded himselfe that he did see his sonnes before him with a drawne sword ready to kill him and this was his cogitation night and day so that herewith he almost ranne madde CHAP. XII How Archelaus king of Cappadocia reconciled Alexander vnto his father WHilest Herode was thus troubled in his minde Archelaus king of Cappadocia carefull for his daughter and the young man his sonne in law and pitying his friend Herode entangled in such calamities he thought it his duetie to make a iourney vnto him And finding him so affected as it was reported vnto him before his comming he thought it an vnfit way to argue him of too much credulitie and rashnesse perceiuing that thereby he would bee rather exasperated so much the more labouring to excuse himselfe Wherefore Archelaus deuised an other way to appease these troubles Wherefore he counterfaited indignation against the young man approouing all the kings actions for good affirming that he would breake the band of wedlocke betweene his daughter and Alexander and that if she knew of the conspiracie and did not informe the king thereof himselfe would punish her Then Herode contrarie to his expectation seeing Archelaus so angry for the offence committed against him began to remit his anger and now with iust consideration waighing what he had done by little and little he began to haue a fatherly affection and to be hereby mooued to compassion yet so oft as any one sought to excuse the young man he grew to be verie angrie thereat But when Archelaus also began to accuse him then Herods hart relented and he with teares besought Archelaus not to yeeld too much to anger nor for the young mans offence breake off the marriage Then Archelaus perceiuing him to relent began to turne the matter against Herods friends as the causers of all this mischiefe who had corrupted the young man who of himselfe was voide of malice and especially he aggrauated the matter against Pheroras the kings brother Pheroras hauing now incurred the kings displeasure perceiued that none could so soone reconcile him vnto the king as Archelaus wherefore cloathed in blacke and making other signes as though he despaired of his life he went vnto him who did not denie to helpe him what he could yet he tolde him that it was no easie matter for him to pacifie the king so highly offended perswading him rather himselfe to go vnto the king his brother and craue pardon of him confessing himselfe to haue beene cause of all this mischiefe by which confession of his the kings wrath would be greatly appeased and so he also should haue better occasion to entreat for him Pheroras followed his counsell which fell out happily for them both for the young man contrarie to any ones expectation was freed from all his troubles and Archelaus made Pheroras and Herode friends and he himselfe hauing now gotten great friendship of the king in those his aduerse and troublous times of his he returned ioyfull into Cappadocia being rewarded with rich gifts and being accounted of as Herodes chiefest friend They also agreed amongst themselues that Herode should go to Rome because he had already written vnto Caesar concerning this matter and they both went togither vnto Antiochia and there Herode reconciled Titus the president of Syria vnto Archelaus and so he returned into Iudaea CHAP. XIII How the Trachonites reuolted WHilest Herode going to Rome was absent from his kingdome the Arabian wars began hereby taking an occasion The inhabitants of Trachon whose countrey Caesar taking from Zenodorus gaue it vnto Herode being forbidden and hindered from stealing were now forced to frame themselues to liue like husbandmen in more ciuilitie then before but this kinde of life pleased them not neither did their countrey yeeld fruits worth their labours yet at first Herode compelling them thereunto they abstained from iniuring the inhabitants bordering vpon them which did greatly redound vnto Herodes credite by whose diligence they were brought vnto it But when Herode was sayled into Italy to accuse Alexander and to commend Antipater vnto Caesar the Trachonites hearing a bruite of his death reuolted and turned to their accustomed robberies Yet were
preuaile against it but rather made it more stronger then before by ramming the morter together Silua perceiuing this iudged that he might sooner destroy the wall with fire then with his engine and so he commaunded the souldiers to cast vpon it many â—…uming firebrands and the fire did quickly take hold of the wall because it was for the most part built with wood and easily also peâ—…ced through it by reason it was not cleane wrought together and there was a great flame At the verie beginning of the fire the North wind did greatly annoy the Romans for the fire blowing furiously from aboue against them that were Romanes it did driue it extreamely vpon them so that they were in great dispaire fearing their engines would be burnt and presently the wind chaunging and blowing from the South as it were by Gods prouidence it turned the fire againe vpon the wall and now all of it euen vnto the foundation thereof was there most cruelly on fire And the Romanes hauing Gods assistaunce returned againe vnto their Campe ioyfully purposing the next morning betimes to assaile their enemies and that night to place stronger watches least any of the enemies should escape But Eleazer thought not to flie neither would hee permit any one of his companie so to doe And seeing now the wall was fierd and not knowing any way else to helpe himselfe considering likewise what the Romanes would doe vnto their wiues and children if they should take them hee deliberated of all their deaths which he in that extremitie iudged to bee the best way they could take And so hee assembled the most valiaunt of all his companie and exhorted euerie one of them thereunto after this manner Valiant companions we long agoe resolued our selues neither to serue the Romanes nor any other saue onely God for he alone is the true and iust Lord of all men Behold the time is now come that exhorteth you to shew your resolute minds let vs not therefore dishonour our selues and besides our slauerie suffer also intollerable torments if we bee taken aliue by the Romanes For we were the first that reuolted from them and the last that warre against them And I verily thinke that God hath giuen vs this benefit that wee may die well and in our owne libertie which he denied to others who were ouercome contrarie to their expectation We are certaine to bee conquered as soone as it is day light but to die valiantly with our dearest friends is a glorious resolution vnto valiant men and of this our enemies cannot debarre vs who doe labour to take vs aliue and carrie vs away captiues and wee are not able to vanquish them in fight For truely at the first when we who coueted libertie suffered all miserie at the hands of our owne Countriemen and worse at the hands of our enemies we should haue considered that God who was some time fauourable vnto the nation of the Iewes had now condemned them vnto perdition for had he yet beene fauourable vnto vs or had he beene but lightly offended at vs hee would not haue permitted so many men to haue perished and haue deliuered his holy Citie into the hands of the enemies to bee consumed with fire And we onely amongst all our nation hoped to liue in libertie as though wee had no wayes offended the diuine maiestie nor beene guiltie of any offence who indeede taught others iniquitie So you see how we are checked for longing after vaine hope being brought into greater extremitie then we expected Neither hath our Castle by nature in expugnable any thing profited vs to our preseruation but wee hauing store of victuals and armour and all other necessaries haue lost all hope of safetie God himselfe openly taking it from vs. For the fire that once was carried against our enemies did not of it selfe returne against vs and vnto the wall wee built But it was the punishment of our offences who furiously raged against our own nation For the which I request you let vs not be punished by the Romans whose forces are inuincible but by our selues let vs satisfie the ire of God and so it will bee more tollerable for vs euen by that meanes our wiues shall die vndefiled and our children shall not taste of seruile captiuitie After whose deathes wee will one helpe another to die with credite conseruing our libertie which is the best sepulture of all yet let vs first fire our Castle and burne our treasure for it will be no small griefe vnto the Romanes if they neither get our bodies aliue nor can finde any one iot of our riches for recompence of their labour Let vs onely leaue our victuals as sufficient testimonie that famine did not at any time cause vs to be conquered but that we as at the first wee resolued preferred also death before bondage Eleazer hauing thus spoken they that were present did not all accord vnto him for some ioyfully hasted to execute his aduise thinking it so glorious a death But they who mooued with compassion towards their wiues and families were some thing effeminate or else abhorred to kill themselues One looking vpon another with teares did shew his mind to disagree from that which Eleazer perswaded Which when Eleazar perceiued and that his counsell through feare was defeated fearing also that they who couragiously had accorded thereunto should be with drawne by the teares of the others hee did not so end his exhortation but standing vp and with a vehement spirit he began to speake vnto them of the immortalitie of the soule and fixing his eyes vpon them that wept he vsed a vehement exclamation saying How much am I deceiued who thought that valiant men fighting for their libertie would rather chuse to die then liue but yee doe shew your selues nothing to excell any ordinarie men who feare to die notwithstanding that thereby you may escape great miserie and calamitie when in this point you ought not to haue expected any admonition thereunto noâ—… to haue made any delay to doe it The auncient customes which haue endured euer since men had reason the diuine doctrine of our nation which hath continually been confirmed by the deeds of our predecessors doe instruct vs that it is miserie to liue and not to die For death freeth our soules from prison vnto their most pure proper place where neuer after they shall be touched with any calamitie Which whilest they are bound in a mortall body and doe participate of his miseries may probably be affirmed to be dead For it is an vnseemly coniunction for that which is diuine to be coupled and connexed vnto that which is mortall True it is that our soules can do much being ioyned to our bodies for they vse the bodies as their instruments secretly producing in them motion and many other actions passing the nature of mortal things But when the soule is loosed from that heauy burthen which doth weigh
it downe euen vnto the earth which hangeth vpon it and hath receiued his proper habitation then it enioyeth free perfect 〈◊〉 and remaineth inuisible to our mortall eies as God himselfe is neither is it visible in our bodies For it commeth secretly into them and so departeth from them againe that no man can perceiue it hauing onely a nature incorrupt and causing a change in our bodies For whatsoeuer the soule toucheth that presently liueth and flourisheth and what it forsaketh that incontinently withereth and dieth so much doth it participate of immortalitie The sleepe may be an euident argument vnto you of this which I speake where the soule not distracted taketh a most pleasant and sweete repose and â—…ommunicating with God it is with him present in euene place by reason of affinitie and foretelleth many future euents Wherefore should we then feare death who loue the rest that we take in sleepe were not he a mad man that for a short life would hinder himselfe of eternall life It were necessarie that we who are instructed in the law of our nation should giue example to other to despise and contemne death But if we seeke confirmation hereof from strangers let vs see the example amongst the wiser sort of the Indians for they being iust men doe tolerate this life as a necessarie office of nature for a certaine time though against their wils yet do they hasten to vnloose the soule bound in this mortall body though not vrged thereunto by any calamitie or necessitie but onely for desire of immortalitie telling others that they will depart out of this life neither doth any one seeke to hinder them but all men esteeming them most fortunate send by them commendations and other messages vnto their friends departed so firme is their beliefe that the soules of them that are dead haue communion and conuersation togither And so they hauing all instruction what to say to the soules departed doe with great applause leape into the fire that thereby their soules may be purified from their bodies And their friends go more ioyfully with them when they go to their deaths then any doth that bringeth his friend on the way when he is to go a great iourney and they bewaile themselues not those who are dead and haue attained immortalitie Shall not we then be ashamed not to beleeue so firmly as the Indians do despising through our own sloath our countrey lawes which are to be emulated of all men Nay supposing that by our law we had bin instructed contrariwise to wit that to liue in this life is blisse and to die is calamitie yet notwithstanding this present necessitie this present time had been a sufficient motiue to cause vs to embrace death rather then life seeing that by Gods appointment and of necessitie we must now die In times past it appeateth God so prouided that he shortned their daies of our owne nation that would not vse their life as they ought to haue done I dare not ascribe it vnto the Romans nor report of our selues that their warres consumed vs all For this did not happen through their forces but a more potent cause hereof there was which made them conquerours Which of the Romans slew the Iewes that inhabited at Caesarea whom the inhabitants thereof vpon the Sabaoth day they being assembled in one place togither with their wiues and children did massacre notwithstanding that they had no intent to reuolt from them nor neuer lifting vp their hands in their owne defence nothing fearing the Romans who onely accounted them of our nation their enemies that reuolted from them But some may obiect the Iewes at Caesarea and the inhabitants thereof were alwaies aâ—… variance and that now they reuenged their olde quarrel hauing gotten opportunitie What then shall we say of the Scythopolitans who bare armes with the Graecians against vs and denied to assist their owne kinred against the Romans What profit did they receiue by this their goodwill and fidelitie for they were altogither with their whole families cruelly slaine and this was the reward they had for their labour for hauing with stood vs to haue done the like vnto them it were too long to recount all things seuerally to this effect For as ye know there is no Citie in all Syria that hath not massacred the Iewes their inhabiting being more our enemies then the Romans were where they of Damascus although they could not deuise any probable cause for it yet did they massacre all the Iewes liuing amongst them who amounted to the number of eighteene thousand beside their wiues and families And as we haue heard it reported the number of the Iewes slaine by the Aegyptians were aboue three score thousand It may be that finding no aduersitie in a strange countrey they were put to death by their enemies But they that in their owne countrey fought against the Romans wanted nothing that might haue caused a perfect hope of a full victorie ouer the Romans they had weapons armour wals and strong holds inexpugnable their valorous courage in fighting for libertie shunned no danger and encouraged men to reuolt which all hauing a while serued their turnes at last was a cause of their greater miserie For all were taken and subdued by the enemies as though they had been built and made to make their enemies victorie more famous and not to doe them seruice And we may iustly deeme them happy who were slaine in the warre for they died in libertie Yet who doth not pitie the multitude of them that fell into the Romans hands or who would not hasten to die rather then endure the like miserie that they suffered Some of them being tortured and some with fire and stripes perished and others halfe eaten of wilde beasts were reserued aliue for their second foode and they are most miserable of all that are yet aliue who often wish for death and cannot finde it Where is now that gorgeous Citie where is it that was once the mother Citie of all the nation of the Iewes so strengthened with such strong wals so fortified with towers and castles to defend the wals scarcely able to containe the prouision made for warre hauing in it so huge a multitude of men to fight for it what is it now become wherein God himselfe was thought to dwell It is now razed downe euen vnto the verie foundations and no other memorie or reliques thereof is left standing their campe is destroied onely a few olde men and vnhappy suruiue who sate amongst the ashes of the temple and a few women whom their enemies reserued to satisfie their filthie lust And will any amongst vs considering all these things desire to behold the light of the sunne although he could liue without molestation Who is such an enemy to his natiue soile who is so effeminate or desirous of his life that doth not grieue to haue liued till this time Would God we had all been
it desired For example sake reason cannot hinder thee from being angrie but it can so worke that thou commit no impietie when thou art angrie in like manner it cannot hinder thee from desiring filthy pleasure yet can it cause thee not to yeeld vnto it Reason therefore cannot vtterly extinguish vice but onely bridleth it Witnesse in this the example of holy Dauid who fighting against strangers with great successe and being at euening wearie and faint he came vnto his princely tabernacle that was guarded by his souldiers where he found them all at meate yet himselfe being thirstie durst not drinke notwithstanding water was hard by onely for that religion disswaded him for he had vowed not to drinke before he had conquered his enemies He also forbad his men to drinke so that they might fight more couragiously if not for that they were valiant at least for that they might so haue drinke Whilest thus his thirst encreased three young men of strong bodies armed themselues and taking with them a vessell to put water in they went vnto the enemies campe and there assaulted the watchmen who for feare of death fled and so they past thorow the campe till such time as they came where the water was and taking some from thence they brought it to the king But holy Dauid so bridled his humane appetite that by reason he quenched his desire and shewed an excellent token of patience teaching how the feare of God was to be preferred before all things For taking the water he had much wished for and which had been gotten with such danger he presently powred it on the ground as a sacrifice to God chusing rather to die for thirst then to offend the diuine maiestie yet reason is not so forcible that it is able without due consideration to represse the inordinate motions of the minde and mitigate the griefe of the bodie But it is now time to come to our historie yet is not this former discourse to be thought impertinent for that it is somewhat appertaining to the matter ensuing Such was the wisedome and fidelitie of our forefathers that Seleucus king of Asia enriched our priests and being a man of another religion did ascribe all his actions and worthy deedes to the religion and faith of our auncestors But wicked mens madnesse could not herewith be satisfied For one Simon hating the high priest Onias and finding no waies or meanes to be reuenged of him in his owne countrey he went vnto Appolonius Gouernour of Syria Phoenicia and Cilicia and before him in a publike assembly tolde him that he could helpe the king to an infinite treasure for quoth he there is hidden in Ierusalem an infinite deale of golde and siluer which by right belongeth vnto king Seleucus Appolonius hearing this praised and commended Simon and confiscated the golde and siluer to the treasure house of Seleucus and hauing authoritie from the king to get it he leuied an army and so accompanied with Simon came vnto our country purposing if any violence were offered to vse the defence of his souldiers When the treasure house of our temple was now a sacking Onias wept bitterly and said that it was a heauy sight to them to whom this treasure was committed to see it or any part of it taken away But Appolonius neither respecting the teares and entreaties of the olde men women nor children pressed into the temple they all praying God to punish him and to defend their temple Being now with a great guard of armed men entred into the holy temple there appeared certaine angels on horsebacke with weapons in their hands and shining with a fierie flame about them and they daunted the courage of this infidell Appolonius who presently fell downe flat vpon his face and lying so a great while at last he came a little to himselfe and rising vp he leaned vpon his shoulder who kept the temple not being able to stand alone he was so terrified with the vision he had seene When he came a little to himselfe and was in some hope of recouerie he stretched both his hands towards heauen and himselfe despairing to obtaine pardon for his offence committed hee besought the Hebrewes to spoile whose temple he came to make intercession for him himselfe with teares crauing pardon for his offence and not onely acknowledging his fault but also confessing himselfe to haue deserued death and all punishment possible Holy Onias seeing this and fearing also that if Appolonius should then die the Hebrewes would be suspected to haue made him away he made prayers to God for him and so obtained his enemies life Appolonius presently hasted to Seleucus to let him vnderstand what had happened but when he came he found Seleucus dead and Antiochus raigning in his steed a man of tyrannous nature who bare an auncient grudge to Onias the high priest and therefore made Iason his brother high priest in his steed Iason promising Antiochus in lieu of this good turne to pay him three thousand six hundreth and threescore talents of siluer euerie yeere This Iason being now made high priest and chiefe amongst all the nation of the Iewes hee presently forced all the people to impietie and to forsake religion so that to build bathes he hindred the defence and building of the temple and all Doctors of our nation conspired with him in this iniquitie But hereat God was presently wroth who being displeased it was not needfull to seeke forraine enemies for Antiochus himselfe was incited to rage against them Who warring against Ptolomaeus king of Aegypt he heard it reported that the Iewes did deeme him to be dead yet was he verie gallantly entertained by the inhabitants of Ierusalem and presently after the fight he made an edict that who so amongst the Iewes refused to offer sacrifice to the gods that he should presently die vpon the wheele But the godly minded of our nation did little esteeme this edict yea the women circumcising their infants as our lawe requireth did afterward cast themselues downe headlong to the end that they might so obtain a present death without longer delay Antiochus perceiuing that the seueritie of his edict could not compell the Hebrewes to forsake their religion but that men voluntarily did chuse death he sitting in an eminent place from whence all the Iewes might behold him calling all of them togither he caused swines flesh to be sacrificed vpon the altar and to be offered to euerie Hebrew to eate Amongst this whole multitude assembled from all places was one Eleazar a priest well instructed in learning and the feare of God a man of aged yeeres and of a verie reuerent countenaunce one that was knowne to all men and famous for his vertue To this man Antiochus said thus Be aduised by me holy olde man to eschew those torments prepared for such as are obstinate preserue thy reuerent age and contemne not the benefit of this life take
most odoriferous drugge the halfe of the said waight and he caused all these to be beaten and infused in a Hin of oyle of oliue others write palme this Hin is one of our measures contayning two Choas of Athens all which he mixed boyled together according to the art of perfumers and he made thereof a most odoriferous oyntment which he tooke and annoynted the priest withall and all that which belonged to the Tabernacle to the intent to purifie them offering many and sundrie sorts of beasts of great price to sacrifice within the Temple vpon the Altar of gold whereof I forbeare to speake any further for feare I should grow offensiue and tedious to the readers Twice a day before the sunne rise and sunne set they were to burne incense and purifie the oyle and refresh the lampes whereof three ought to burne euerie day vpon the sacred Candlesticke in honour of God and the rest were lighted in the euening Amongst them that wrought and finished these things Beseleel and Eliab were the most excellent and expertest workemen for whatsoeuer had been enterprised by others they in their art polished and perfected and they of themselues found many new things of their owne inuention yet was Beseleel iudged the most excellent of them two All the time employed in this worke was seuen months and at that time was the yeare accomplished which began at their departure out of Egypt In the beginning of the second yeare in the month which the Macedonians call Xanthicus and the Hebrewes Nisan vpon the new moone they dedicated the Tabernacle with all things belonging thereunto according as I haue made mention And God presently testified that both their gifts were gratious in his eyes and the Hebrewes labors fruitfull and pleasant in his sight testifying his presence in that Temple after this manner Whereas the heauen was otherwaies cleere and faire ouer the Tabernacle only there was a cloud not wholy thicke like a winter storme nor obscure and yet not so thin as a man could see thorow the same from whence there descended a dewe that gaue testimonie of Gods presence vnto them that had will and beliefe Moses honoured the workemasters that made the worke with such rewards as appertained vnto them by desart and sacrificed according as God had commanded him in the doore or porch of the Tabernacle a Bull a Ramme and a Kid for their sinnes but with what ceremonie these things are done I will declare when I intreat of sacrifices as also what offerings are to be burned by fire and according to the law are allowed to be fed vpon and with the blood of the slaughtred beasts he besprinkled the vestment of Aaron and purified both him and his children with fountaine water and the pretious oyntâ—… 〈◊〉 to the end they might be sanctified to God And for seuen daies space he consecrated both themselues and their vestments and the Tabernacle with those things which appertained thereunto with that oyle whereof I haue before time foretold you with the bloud of Buls and Rammes slaine euery other day after their kind But on the eight day he proclaimed a holy day and festiuall to all the people and decreed that euery one of them should particularly sacrifice according to his abilitie and they with emulation striuing to exceed one another obeyed him and offered vp their sacrifices according as it was commaunded them Whilest thus the sacrifices were vpon the Altar sodainly there issued a fire from them which kindled of it selfe the flame whereof resembled the light or brightnes of lightning and consumed all that which vvas vpon the Altar At that time there happened an inconuenient to Aaron which although it somewhat moued and amated his fatherly patience yet digested he it with a constant and generous mind for he was a man of much constancie and such a one as knew that nothing could befal him without the prescience and prouidence of God For of those foure sons which I told you that he had the two elder brethren Nadab and Abihu bringing sacrifices vnto the Altar not such as were appointed by Moses but of that sort they were accustomed to offer before times were burned by the violent flame that issued from the Altar seasing both their breasts and faces in such a sort as by no meanes possible that might be extinguished so that at length they died Moses commaunded both their father and brothers to take their bodies and carry them out of the host and burie them sumptuously all the people wept and were amased verie much at this their death so straunge and vnsuspected But Moses ordained that neither the father nor his sonnes should lament but that they should rather make estimate of Gods honour then of their owne misfortune for Aaron was alreadie inuested in the sacred robe But as touching Moses he refused all honours which were offered him by the people neither applied he himselfe vnto any other thing but to the seruice of God neyther did hee ascend any more vp to the mountaine of Sinai but entred into the Tabernacle to take counsaile at Gods hands in those things whereof he had neede to be informed He demeaned himselfe like a priuate man not onely in his apparrell but in all other things and liued verie popularly perseuering in that familiar and ciuill course of life and challenging no priuiledge aboue anie man but onely in those things which pertayned to the administration of the common weale Besides these he reduced vnder writing both the lawes and ordinances as touching Policie in due performance whereof if they should liue they should bee both agreeable to God and liue without cause of controuersie the one against the other And all this established he following those directions which God had instructed him in But now will I returne and bend my stile to discourse vpon that which I haue omitted in the ornament of the high priest for this apparrell of theirs leaueth not any occasion to false prophets to execute their wicked impostures and if there be any such as dare intermeddle with that which appertaineth to Gods maiestie this habite maketh them know that it is in Gods power to be present with the sacrificers at such time as it pleaseth him and to be absent when him listeth which God would haue made knowne not onely to the Hebrewes but to all those straungers who by any occurrence might be eye witnesses of the same For of those stones which the high Priest bare or his shoulders which were Sardonixs whose nature is so notorious to all men that it were vnnecessarie to reueale it the one shined at such times as there was any offering that other which was fastened on his right shoulder shined verie cleerely at such time as God was present at the sacrifice and cast his raies a farre off that it might be perceiued by those that beheld the same both contrarie to his nature and custome which truly
altar and to conduct him to the iudgement seat that he might in that place iustifie his actions But Ioab said that he would neuer abandon the Temple but that he had rather die in that place than in another When Banaia had certified the king of this his answer he commanded him to cut off his head in the same place according as he required and that in that sort he should be punished by reason of the two murthers which he had cursedly committed vpon the persons of Abner and Amasa commanding that his bodie should be buried in the same place to the end that his sinnes should neuer depart from his race and that both Dauid and Salomon might be held guiltlesse of the death of Ioab This commaund of his Banaia executed and was afterward made generall of all the men of warre Moreouer the king established Sadoc soly in the place of Abiathar whom he had deposed He commanded Semei also to build him a house in Ierusalem and to keepe himselfe therein without passing the floud of Cedron for if he chanced to breake that commaundement the penaltie which he should incurre should be no lesse then death and to the more serious performance of this his iniunction he tied him by a solemne oath Semei thanked Salomon for the charge he had imposed on him and swore that he would fulfill the same so that forsaking his owne countrey he came and dwelt in Ierusalem where after he had soiourned for the space of three yeeres it hapned that he had newes that two of his fugitiue slaues had fled and retired themselues in Geth whereupon he went to finde them out and no sooner returned he backe againe with them but that the king had intelligence that he had neglected his commandement and that which is more that he had broken that oath which he made vnto God wherewith he was wroth For which cause calling him vnto him he spake after this manner Hast thou not sworne said he that thou wilt no waies abandon or issue out of this Citie to depart into an other Truely thou shalt not escape the penalty of thy periurie but I will see iustice done vpon thee for the same and for those outrages thou didst offer vnto my father during his flight at which time thou didst shew thy selfe to be a wicked man in all things to the end that thou maiest vnderstand that the wicked receiue no priuiledge although that their punishments be for the present deferred but at such time as they suppose themselues to be assured because they haue suffered no punishment their punishment is augmented and made more grieuous then it had been if they had presently beene executed for their offences Whereupon Banaia slew Semei according as he was commanded From that day forward Salomon had his royall estate secured and after that his enemies had receiued condigne punishment he tooke to wife the daughter of Pharao king of Aegypt and afterwards builded the walles of Ierusalem farre greater and more stronger then they were before and all the rest of his life he gouerned his common-weale in peace so that his youthly yeeres hindred him not from the obseruation of iustice and the maintenance of lawes neither excluded the remembrance of that which his father had charged him at the houre of his death but behauing himselfe in all things exactly he executed the affaires of his kingdome with that circumspection that such as excelled him in yeeres and were aduanced in prudence could not surpasse him CHAP. II. Of the wisedome prudence and riches of Salomon and how first of all he builded the Temple in Ierusalem AS soone as he came to Hebron he determined to pay his vowes vnto God on that brazen altar which was erected by Moses and sacrificed thereon in burnt offrings a thousand head of cattell which honourable deuotion of his was most acceptable vnto God For the very same night after he had appeared vnto him in a dreame he commaunded him to aske whatsoeuer blessing as he imagined sufficient to recompence this his pietie But Salomon required a most high and excellent thing which God doth most liberally bestow and men in like sort very happily receiue For he demanded neither gold nor siluer nor any otherkind of riches such as a youthly man would require for these are onely affected by the common sort when the other are onely worthy of the diuine magnificence But giue me said he O Lord a ripe iudgement and a good vnderstanding to the intent that by these meanes I may administer iustice to this people with truth and equitie With this demaund of his God was greatly delighted and promised him to giue him all other things wherof he had made no mention namely riches and glorie and aboue all these such an vnderstanding and wisedome as no one man either king or priuate hath had before him Moreouer that he would continue the kingdome in his family for many ages if so be that he continued in the waies of iustice and obeyed God in all things and walked in his fathers waies in imitating his chiefest vertues After that Salomon had receiued these blessings from God and was made happy by these promises he forsooke his bed and worshipping God returned vnto Ierusalem where he offered great sacrifices before the Tabernacle and magnifically feasted all those of his houshold About the same time a verie difficult iudgement was brought him to decide the resolution whereof was very hard to bee discouered And I haue thought it necessarie to declare the occasions whereon at that present the debate was grounded to the end that the readers may vnderstand the difficultie of the cause in question and that if they happen at any time to be assistant in such like affaires they might draw as it were from the counterfeit of this kings wisedome a perfect modle whereby they may directly shape an answere to such demaunds as shall be offered them Two women of loose and lustfull conuersation came vnto him one of which who seemed to haue suffered the iniurie began after this manner I O king said she and this woman dwell togither in one chamber but so it fortuned that both of vs on one day and at the same houre bare each of vs a sonne some three daies after we were brought a bed this woman lying by her infant hath in sleepe ouerlaid it and stifled it and hath taken my childe from betweene my knees and laid it by her and setled the dead childe whilest I slept in my bosome Now on the morrow when I thought to offer the teate vnto mine infant I found not mine owne but perceiued that her child lay dead by me for I knew it because I had exactly marked it This my childe I haue redemaunded at her hands and because I could not recouer it I haue made my recourse vnto your maiesties iustice O king for in that we were sole women and she is obstinate and feareth not to be
priests or Leuites for I will elect some such among you to the intent you haue no more need of the Tribe of Leui or the sonnes of Aaron Whosoeuer therfore amongst you would be a priest let him offer calues and muttons vnto God which as it is reported Aaron the first priest did By such like speeches seduced he the people and caused them to fall from their forefathers religion and transgresse the ordinances of their countrey and this was the beginning of all those mischiefes that afterwards fell vpon the Hebrewes by which meanes being ouercome in war they fell into captiuitie and subiection of strangers whereof we wil intreat further in place conuenient Now when the feast of Tabernacles which hapned in the seuenth moneth was at hand he himselfe intended to celebrate in Bethel after the same maner as the two other tribes had feasted in Ierusalem and erected an altar before the calfe and was himselfe the high priest ascending vp to the altar being assisted by the priests Now at such time as he was about to sacrifice and to offer vp burnt offrings in the sight of the people there came a Prophet and stood by him called Iadon sent from Ierusalem by the commandement of God who standing vp in the midst of the people and in the hearing of the king turned himselfe towards the altar and spake after this maner Thou Altar Thou Altar thus saith the Lord there shall a man rise of the Tribe of Dauid called Iosias he shall kill vpon thee the false prophets of his time and shall burne the bones of the deceiuers and seducers vpon thee And to the intent that each man may beleeue that this prophecie is true it shall be confirmed by a prodigie This Altar shall sodainly breake and the far of the sacrifices that are laid thereon shall be powred on the ground Ieroboam displeased with these words of the Prophet stretched out his hand commanding them to lay hold on him But the hand that he stretched out became instantly withered so that he could no more draw it backe againe to himselfe but held it hanging downe astonished and mortified On the other side the altar cleft in twain and all that was thereon fell downe according as the Prophet had foretold The King perceiuing that the man had a true and diuine spirit of Prophecie besought him to pray vnto God that his hand might be restored him againe in his full strength and vigor which he performed so that his hand recouered againe his naturall abilitie wherewith Ieroboam was verie much contented and inuited the Prophet to dine with him But Iadon answered him and said that he neither might enter into his house nor taste any bread or water within the Citie because God had prohibited him furthermore he told him that it was not lawfull for him to returne the same way that he came But the King admiring at the continencie of the man began the more seriously to suspect his estate and coniecturing by those things which he had both seene and heard he diuined the assured disaster of his estate and fortunes There dwelt in that Citie a certaine false prophet whom Ieroboam held in great honour in that hee soothed him vp in whatsoeuer was best pleasing to his eares This man at that time lay sicke vpon his bedde being faint thorow age and when he was enformed by his sonne that there was a prophet come from Ierusalem and what wonders he had wrought and how Ieroboam by his prayers recouered againe his withered hand he fearing least the King should make more account of this stranger then of himselfe commanded his sonnes presently to saddle his Asse and to haue him in a readinesse against his departure Which when they had hastily performed hee mounted thereon and went after the prophet whom hee ouertooke where he rested himselfe vnder a thicke and shadowy Oake and vpon the first incountry saluted him and afterwards expostulated with him for that he had not visited him neither accepted of that hospitalitie which he willingly would haue affoorded him Iadon answered him that God had interdicted and charged him not to taste any kinde of sustenance in any mans house that dwelt within that Citie Truely said the other with me thou mightest eate for I also am a prophet and honour the same God that thou doest and now also come I vnto thee by his commandement to conduct thee back again into my house to entertaine thee with a friendly dinner These words of the false prophet made Iadon credulous so that he returned backe againe with him But as they sate at their banquet and were making merie togither God appeared vnto Iadon and said vnto him that since he had broken his commandement he should suffer punishment for the same and withall expressed vnto him the manner which was that in his returne homewards he should be torne in pieces by a Lyon and that he should not be buried in the monument of his fathers This thing hapned in my opinion by the will of God to the intent that Ieroboam should not respect Iadons words who had been found a liar As therefore Iadon returned backe to Ierusalem a Lyon met him on the way and tore him in pieces from his Asse and slew him yet offered he no violence to the Asse that bare him which he preserued with the body of the prophet standing fast by the same vntill such time as certaine passengers beholding the spectacle brought newes thereof into the towne vnto the false Prophet who sent his sonnes to bring backe the body which by their assistance he honourably buried charging them that after his death they should burie his body by him assuring them that all that which he had prophecied against that Citie against the altar the priests and false prophets was verie true And as touching himselfe he commaunded that after his decease they should burie him by him because that being buried with him there might no difference be made betwixt their bones and his tombe might bee more honoured When as therefore he had interred the prophet and giuen his sonne these things in charge being other waies a most wicked and impious man he addressed himselfe vnto Ieroboam and said vnto him Why art thou troubled at the words of this mad man The King told him all that which had hapned about the Altar and his hand and assured him that he accounted him a true and diuine prophet and one sent by God But the false prophet began most maliciously to ouerthrow his opinion disguise the truth of that which had hapned by his perswasiue words For he inforced himselfe to inferre that his hand was astonished thorow the trauel he had taken in bearing the sacrifices and that after he had a little rested that it came into his own naturall estate againe that the altar being freshly built and diuers great sacrifices loaded thereupon it cleft in twain fel down
vnto him that he should raigne ouer the Syrians and them of Damasco after that he had murthered his master Ioachas being in this extremitie had his recourse to God in praier and supplication beseeching him that it might please him to deliuer him from the hands of Azael and not to suffer him to be vnder subiection and thraldome vnto him God that respecteth the repentant as if they had been innocent and that gently checketh those whom he might vtterly exterminate if he so pleased gaue him assurance against this warre and daunger so that the countrey hauing obtained peace recouered presently her former estate and prosperitie When Ioachas was dead his sonne succeeded him in the gouernment and began to raigne ouer the Israelites in Samaria in the seuen and thirtith yeare of Ioas king of Iuda For this king of Israel was called Ioas as well as he that raigned in Ierusalem he gouemed the kingdome sixteene yeares He was a good man and had no correspondence with his father in disposition About this time Elisaeus the Prophet was very olde and fell sicke to him resorted the king of Israel to visit him and finding him in the extremitie and past hope of recouery he began to weepe and lament himselfe calling him his father and his armour because that during his life he had neuer occasion to vse the sword against the enemy but that by meanes of his predictions he had alwaies the vpper hand of them without stroke striking that now he departed this life and left him disarmed to the mercy of the Syrians other his enemies so that he had neither security of libertie not life but that he rather wished to die with him then to liue in those daungers Elizeus being moued with these his complaints comforted the king that lamented in this sort and commanding him to draw his bow that he had brought with him for the king had bent the same Elizeus said vnto him draw and he shot three arrowes and gaue ouer at the fourth Oh said Elizeus if thou hadst shot more arrowes thou hadst vtterly ruinated the kingdom of the Syrians and since thou hast contented thy selfe with three shoots only thou shalt ouerthrow the Syrians in three battels which thou shalt fight against them and shalt recouer the countrey they haue taken from thy father After the king vnderstood these things he departed and not long after the Prophet died who was renowmed for his iustice and manifestly beloued of God who shewed miraculous and incredible works by his prophecies and such and so worthy as the Hebrewes ought to keepe them in perpetuall remembrance and was buried magnificently according as it behooued a man who was so highly fauoured by God as himselfe It chanced about that time that certaine theefes hauing cast the bodie of a man that was murthered by them vpon the bodie of the Prophet where he lay buried the dead bodie returned to life This is all that which we haue to speak as touching Elizeus both in respect of his prophecies during his life time as of that which hapned after his death in witnesse of his diuine power After the death of Azael king of Syria Adad his sonne obtained the kingdome against whom Ioas king of Israel made warre and hauing ouer come him three times he recouered all that countrey those cities and townes of the countrey of Israel that Azael his father had conquered before him All which came to passe according as Elizaeus had prophecied After that Ioas had forsaken this world for another the kingdome fell to Ieroboam his sonne CHAP. X. Amasias making warre against Ioas king of Israel is ouercome THe tenth yeere of the raigne of Ioas king of Israel Amasias raigned ouer the Tribe of Iuda in Ierusalem his mother was called Iudan and was a citizen of Ierusalem He was wondrously carefull to maintaine iustice notwithstanding he was verie yoong And hauing taken vpon him the gouernment of the kingdome he resolued with himselfe that he ought first of all to reuenge the death of his father Ioas who was traiterously slaine by his friends hee therefore laid hands on them and put them all to the sword yet extended he not his displeasure to their children but conformed his actions according to the lawes of Moses which saith that it is not lawfull to punish the children for their fathers offences He afterwards leuied an army of the Tribes of Iuda and Beniamin and chose the men that were in their flowring yeeres and about twentie yeeres of age the number of whom amounted to three hundreth thousand men whom he diuided into Centuries He sent also to the king of Israel and waged a hundreth thousand of his armed men for a hundreth talents of siluer because he intended to make warre vpon the Amalechites Idumaeans and Gabelites Now whilest he made this preparation and was in a readinesse to vndertake this exploit a certaine prophet counselled him to dismisse the Israelites that he had with him because they had no pietie in them signifying vnto him from God that if he were followed by them in that warre he should be ouercome and contrariwise that he should haue the vpper hand ouer his enemies if he fought with a few men according to Gods direction Hereupon the King was sore moued because he had already paied the Israelites their wages but the prophet ceased not to exhort him to doe that which was pleasant in Gods sight who would giue him siluer in aboundance For this cause he dismissed them telling them that he freely gaue them their pay and he with the forces of his kingdome marched out against those nations and fought with them and ouer came them and slew ten thousand of them and tooke no lesse number of prisoners aliue whom he afterwards caused to be led to a high rocke that bounded vpon Arabia and from thence cast them downe headlong and from all these nations he recouered a great bootie and brought home much riches Whilest Amasias stood vpon these termes the Israelites that had taken wages of him and were cashierd by him conceiued a displeasure against him supposing themselues to be iniured by him as if he had dismissed them for men of smal resolution For which cause they inuaded his countrey and spoiled it as farre as Bethsemer and carried away a great quantitie of cattell slew three thousand men This victorie and prosperitie made Amasias proud so as he began to forget God who was the author thereof and continued the honour of those gods which he brought from the countrey of the Amalechites For which cause a prophet came vnto him and said that he wondred that he should esteeme them for gods who had so little auailed them who honored them and had deliuered them into his hands so that diuers of them were put to death and diuers led away prisoners which they themselues had brought vnto Ierusalem according to the custome of warre These
and fraudulent man who during the siege of the Citie had retired himselfe to Bathal king of the Ammonites and had soiourned with him during all the troubles Who being in this sort assembled before him Godolias counselled to remaine in that countrey without any feare of the Babylonians promising that in manuring their land they should incurre no inconuenience All which he confirmed vnto them by an oth adding further that if any disturbance were offered to any man he would readily assist him He gaue each one this aduise likewise to inhabite any Citie that best liked them promising them to send them thither with such things as appertained to them to build them houses and furnish their habitations promising them that when time serued hee would make their prouision of corne wine and oyle for their maintenance during the winter time which when he had proposed these conditions vnto them he gaue them leaue to depart and inhabite the countrey wheresoeuer they best liked Now when the rumour ran amongst the people of Iudaea that Godolias had thus curreously entertained those that were fugitiues and how he had permitted them to inhabite and till the countrey prouided that they paid their tribute to the Babylonian diuers of them repaired incontinently to him and inhabited the countrey And Iohn and the other gouernours being with him and assured both of his clemencie and courtesie begā intirely to loue him For which cause they told him that Bathal king of the Ammonites had sent Ismael to murther him by some treacherie that by that meanes he might haue the dominion ouer the Israelites that remained in that he was of the bloud royal Assuring him that the means of his deliuerance from that treason was if so be he would commaund them to kill Ismael in secret assuring him on the contrarie side that they feared that if Ismael should happen to kill him their whole nation that remained was like to fall to vtter ruine But Godolias tolde them plainly that these stratagems they intended were practized against a man that had receiued pleasure at his hands and that it was not likely that he whom he had succoured during the time of his necessitie would be so wicked or impious against his benefactor as to attempt to murther him whom in any occasion or necessitie he could not but to his great shame and indignitie either flie or forsake Yea said he although those things are true which you informe me of yet had I rather die then oppresse a man that hath committed his life to my trust For which cause Ihon and the rest seeing their perswasions were in vaine departed from him Some thirtie daies after Ismael accompanied with ten men came to Masphath to Godolias who receiued them with presents and magnificent entertainment so that to expresse to Ismael and his companions how hartily they were welcome Godolias drunke so hard that he was somwhat ouerseene with wine Now when Ismael perceiued him to be in that key and ouerloaden with drinke and sleepe he stept vnto him with his ten associates cut both his throat and theirs who kept him company at the banquet after which murther he issued out by night and slew all the Iewes that were left in the citie those Babylonian soldiers also that were left in garrison in that place The next day there came fourescore men of the countrey to Godolias with presents being vtterly ignorant of that which had hapned Ismael knowing them called them vnto him as if he intended to bring them to Godolias and as soone as they were entred he locked the court and slew them and afterwards cast their bodies into a deepe ditch to the intent they might not be discouered Of this number there were some that escaped who besought him that they might not be put to death before they had deliuered certaine moueables garments and corne that they had hidden in the field which when Ismael vnderstood he spared them But he kept them prisoners that were in Masphath with their wiues and children in the number of whom were the daughters of Sedecias whom Nabuzardan had left with Godolias This done he retired backe againe to the king of the Ammonites Iohn and the gouernours of his company vnderstanding of the actes committed by Ismael in Masphath and aboue all of the murther of Godolias they were wonderfully displeased so that each of them assembling his priuate force issued forth to pursue and persecute Ismael whom they ouertooke neere vnto a fountaine in Hebron The prisoners that were with Ismael seeing Iohn his confederates tooke courage supposing that it was some succours that came to helpe them and forsooke him that led them and began to ioyne with Iohns followers and thus fledde Ismael with his eight men to the king of the Ammonites Iohn gathering togither all those whom he had rescued from Ismaels hands both Eunuches women and children retired into a certaine place called Mandra where he soiourned all that day resoluing from thence to depart into Aegypt fearing least the Babylonians should put him to death if they should remaine in Iudaea for that they would be displeased with the death of Godolias whom they had planted in the gouernment Being thus plunged and perplexed with these deliberations they addressed themselues to the Prophet Ieremy beseeching him to enquire of God and to certifie them what it behooued them to do in this their doubtfull estate binding themselues by an oth to doe that which Ieremy should commaund them Hereupon the Prophet promised that he would aske counsell of God for them and some ten daies after God appeared vnto him and willed him to certifie Iohn the gouernours and the rest of the people that if they inhabited Iudaea he would assist them and haue care of them and keepe them so as the Babylonians whom they feared should doe them no harme but if they departed into Aegypt he would abandon them and would be so incensed against them that he would thrall them in the like miserie as their brethren had indured in times past Whilest the Prophet thus warned them from God they would not beleeue him in that he commanded them to remaine in that place by Gods prescript ordinance but they imagined that vnder a false pretext of Gods commaund he had counselled them thereto but that in effect he spake in fauour of his disciple Baruch perswading them to stay there to the end they might be consumed by the Babylonians contemning therefore the counsell which God gaue them by the Prophet both Iohn and the rest of the multitude went into Aegypt and led with them both Baruch and Ieremy Whither they were no sooner come but God told the prophet that the Babylonian should lead his army into Aegypt for which cause he willed him to foretel the people that Aegypt should be destroyed and that they should partly be slaine in that place and partly led captiue to Babylon Which came in like manner to passe for
in the fift yeere after the destruction of Ierusalem which was the three and twentith yeere of the raigne of Nabuchodonosor Nabuchodonosor in his owne person led his army into Coelosyria and hauing conquered the same he made warre vpon the Ammonites and Moabites And after he had brought these nations vnder his obeisance he went and sought against the king of Aegypt and ouercame him and after he had slaine their king that gouerned at that time and planted an other in his place he afterwards tooke the Iewes that he found in that countrey and carried them prisoners into Babylon By this means we haue learned that the state of the Hebrewes being brought to this point hath bin translated twise to the other side of Euphrates For the people of the two tribes were captiued by the Assyrians during the raigne of Oseas and consequently that of the two tribes vnder Nabuchodonosor king of the Babylonians and Chaldees vpon the taking in of Ierusalem True it is that Salmanazar after he had displaced the Israelites planted the Chutheans in their place who beforetime inhabited the innermost of the countries of Persia and Media and were called Samaritanes according to the name of the place which they inhabited but the Babylonian hauing led the two tribes prisoners hath not planted any other people in their places For this cause Iudaea Ierusalem and the temple remained desert for the space of seuentie yeeres and all the time that passed betweene the captiuitie of the Israelites vntill the destruction of the two tribes was a hundreth and thirtie yeeres six moneths and ten daies But Nabuchodonosor chose the most noblest yoong men amongst the Iewes and such as were allied to king Sedecias and esteemed likewise for the good disposition and faire proportion of their bodies and faces and committed them to masters to be instructed commaunding that euery one of them should be gelded according as they were accustomed to deale with yoong children of other nations whom he subdued by force He allowed them victuall from his owne table and they were taught and instructed in the disciplines of the countrey and in the Chaldeetoong These were verie apte to learne wisedome and for that cause he commanded that they should be trained vp in the exercise thereof Of these there were foure of Zedechias kindred faire in body and vertuous in nature who were called Daniel Ananias Misael and Azarias whose names the Babylonian changed and willed them to be called by other names distinct and different from their own Daniel was called Balthasar Ananias Sidrach Misael Misach and Azarias Abdenago These did the king esteeme very highly for their excellent nature and for the great affection that they had to attaine vnto learning and wisedome wherein they profited greatly and were for that cause highly reckoned of by him And whereas Daniel and his kinsemen thought good to liue austerely and to abstaine from those meates that came from the kings table and in generall from all things that had life they went vnto Askenas the Eunuch who had the care and charge ouer them beseeching him to conuert those meates to his owne vse which were sent them from the kings table and to allow them herbes and dates and such things as had no life because they intended to hold that course of life and to forsake all other Askenas told them that he was ready to condescend vnto their demaunds but that he feared least being called for by the king they should be found to be leane in body and discoloured in face for without doubt in following that diet they must needly lose their colours and be lesse dispost in comparison of others which might be the cause to bring him into hazard of his head They perceiuing that Askenas intended nought els but his securitie perswaded him to allow them but ten daies of approbation vnder condition that if by that regiment of diet their habitude of body should not be any waies altered they might continue in that fashion of life and diet which they had intended from that day forwards but if they should be found leane and weake and lesse proportionable then they that sed vpon the kings allowance that then they should returne to their accustomed diet Now it so fell out that not onely their bodies were better in growth but they seemed rather better fed and of a taller statute then the rest so that they that liued vpon the kings ordinarie seemed leane and wearish where as Daniel and his companions made shew as if they had beene nourished with dainties and brought vp in aboundance From that time forward Askenas tooke all that which was allowed the foure yoong men from the kings table and boldly kept it to himselfe giuing them in steed thereof the diet that they chose and delighted in They hauing their spirits more pure and subtill to comprehend their masters instructions and their bodies more strong to endure labour for their spirits were not charged with diuersitie of meates nor their bodies effeminated for the same cause attained the more readily to all that doctrine that was taught them by the Hebrewes and Chaldees Daniel especially hauing profited in wisedome studied the interpretation of dreames and God appeared vnto him Two yeeres after the surprisall of Aegypt king Nabuchodonosor dreamed a wonderfull dreame the issue whereof God made him see in a dreame but he forgat the same when he arose out of his bed And for that cause sent he for his Chaldees and diuines telling them that he had dreampt a dreame but that he had forgot the same commanding them to declare vnto him what the dreame was and the signification thereof also Whereunto they answered that it was impossible for men to sound out the secret thereof notwithstanding they promised him that if he would declare his vision vnto them they would cause him to vnderstand the signification thereof Hereupon Nabuchodonosor threatned them with death except they represented his dreame vnto him and they protesting that they could not fulfill his request he commanded them all to be slaine But Daniel hearing how the King had condemned all the sages to death and knowing that both he and his companions had part in that danger addressed himselfe to Ariochus the captaine of the Kings guard requiring him to informe him for what cause the king had adiudged the Chaldees and sages to be put to death And hauing intelligence what had hapned as touching the dream how the king by forgetting the same had charged them to informe him therin how they had answered that it was impossible for them to performe the same and how thereby they had prouoked the king to displeasure he besought Ariochus to go vnto the king and to procure one nights repriue in the behalfe of the Aegyptians and Chaldees in that he hoped during that night time to beseech God and intreat from him both the dreame and the signification thereof Hereupon Ariochus told the king what Daniel had requested
mounts Carmel and Itabyr and herewith Scythopolis Gadara Gaulanitis Seleucia Gabala and of Moab Essebon Medaba Lemba Orona Telithon and Zara Antona of Cilicia and Pella This last Citie was raced by them because the inhabitants would not promise to conuert themselues to the religion of the Iewes with diuers other of the principall Cities of Syria also which were conquered by them After this king Alexander fell sicke by the meanes of his surfeit and drunkennesse and for the space of three yeeres he was trauailed with a quartane ague This notwithstanding he was alwaies in the campe vntill such time as being wearied with trauels he died in the marches of the countrey of the Gerasens at such time as he besieged Ragaba which is a Castle scituate on the other side of Iordan The Queene perceiuing that he was at deaths dore and that there remained neither hope of life nor recouerie she began to weepe and lament and to beate her breasts because both she and her children were likely now to be left desolate and in these words she bemoaned her selfe vnto him To whom wilt thou leaue both me and thy children in the estate wherein we be or why should we suruiue or liue one after another considering that thou assuredly knowest that the hearts of thy people are estranged from vs Hereupon the king comforted her gaue her this counsaile that if she would assure the kingdome both vnto her and her children she should behaue her selfe according to his direction which was first to conceale his death and not to suffer his men of warre to haue notice thereof vntill such time as she had taken this Castle Which done he aduised her to repaire to Ierusalem in pompe and triumph and that being there she should bestow some authoritie vpon the Pharisees who should recount her praises and obtaine her fauour amongst the people For said he these kind of men are in great estimation and credit with the people and can doe much hurt vnto those they hate and further them 〈◊〉 like sort very mightily towards whom they are well affected For the people easily beleeueth them when they vrge ought against any man notwithstanding it be of enuy and that he himselfe also had incurd the displeasure of the people for their sakes in that hee had offended them When as therefore said he thou shalt arriue in Ierusalem send thou for the chiefest amongst them and pray them to come vnto thee and after you haue shewed them my dead body vse the most plausible speech that you can and giue them permission to dispose of my body how they list whether it be their pleasure to interdict and deny me funerall in that they haue receiued many indignities by me or whether in aâ—…ngment of their displeasure they will offer any ignominy to my body and promise you them that you will doe nothing in the administration or gouernment of the kingdome but by their aduise If in this sort you shape both your manners and discourse towards them it will come to passe that I shall be buried by them with great magnificence which otherwise I could not be by any other meanes because they will offer no outrage to my bodie no although you should permit them and besides that you shall raigne in more assurance and quiet After he had giuen his wife these aduertisements he gaue vppe the ghost after hee had raigned seuen and twentie yeeres and liued for tie and nine CHAP. XXIIII After Alexanders death his wife Alexandra gouerneth the kingdome AFter that Alexandra had taken the Castle of Ragaba she conferred with the Pharisees according to her husbands counsaile and committed vnto their discretion not onely that which concerned her husbands obsequies but also the gouernment of the kingdome whereby she not only appeased the displeasure which before time they had conceiued against Alexander but also obtained their good will and amitie They therefore came and declaimed amongst the people making an oration of the acts and gests of Alexander complaining euery where that they had lost a good king and by the inforced praises that they vsed they incited the people to great griefe and lamentation so that they buried him with more magnificence then any king that raigned before him This Alexander left two sons behinde him the one called Hircanus the other Aristobulus and by his testament committed the gouernment of the kingdome to Alexandra his wife For Hircanus was incapable to manage affaires and rather delighted in peace and quiet and Aristobulus who was the younger was both actiue and fit for gouernment The people were well affected towards Alexandra because she had manifestly expressed how greatly she misliked her husbands misgouernment She appointed Hircanus high priest both in regard of his age as also for that by nature he was composed to peace and quiet and committed all things to the disposition of the Pharisees commanding the people to obey and obserue them She also renued and confirmed that which Hircanus had disanulled and the Pharisees according to the customes of their forefathers had introduced so that she bare the name and the Pharisees the authoritie roiall For they restored such as were banished to their estates and deliuered prisoners and in all things they demeaned themselues like great Lords Alexandra also for her part vndertooke the care of the common weale and kept a great number of souldiers in pay and increased her power in such sort that the tyrants round about her feared her and deliuered her hostages and pledges of peace All the countrey was in quiet onely the Pharisees troubled the Queene perswading her to put those to death who had counsailed king Alexander to put those eight hundreth to death of whom we haue forespoken and they themselues afterwards slew one that was called Diogenes and after him diuers others one by one vntil such time as those in authoritie came vnto the royall pallace accompanied with Aristobulus who seemed to be displeased with that which had hapned and who if the occasion were offered made shew that he would not permit his mother to gouern after that manner and told her that which had hapned and in what dangers they had been to expresse their duety and loyaltie which they ought to their deceased master and how for that cause they had been greatly honoured by him requiring her that she would not vtterly frustrate them of their hopes which they expected in lieu of their seruice that now they that had escaped froÌ„ the danger of their forrain enemies were in their houses murthered like beasts by their priuate maligners without any reliefe or succours from any one They furthermore vrged that if their aduersaries would content themselues with those they had slaine they would endure their misfortunes patiently by reason of the sincere affection they bare vnto their lords but if they must needly as yet suffer the like they required that they might haue licence to depart For that they
passe that the souldiers had all sorts of necessaries at commandement he reedified also the fort of Alexandrion which had been laide desolate About that time Anthony soiourned in Athens and Ventidius was in Syria who hauing sent for Silon to accompany him against the Parthians did first of all charge him to assist Herode in that warre and afterwards to excite the prouinciall confederats to further his warre But Herode dismissing Silon and his company to follow their destinated wars with Ventidius did in his owne person lead out his souldiers against those theeues that liued in dens Now these cau◅ were s◅uare in the most highest and inaccessible mountaines impregnable thorow narrow paths enuironed with sharpe rockes wherein the robbers inhabited secretly with all their families King Herode caused a certaine number of cofers to be made fastned to yron chaines which he caused to be let downe by an engine from the top of the mountaine because it was neither possible by reason of the steepinesse of the hill to ascend the same from beneath neither from aboue to creepe downward against them These chests were filled with soldiers armed with great hookes to draw these theeues vnto them and to breake their necks headlong from the height to the bottome But the vse of these cofers was dangerous for it was necessarie to let them downe an infinite depth into the caues especially for that the theeues had necessary munition among thē notwithstanding when they had gotten downe none of the theeues durst peepe out of the mouthes of their caues but ◅enre constrained them to hold themselues quiet But a certaine souldier hauing girt his sword by his side and taken hold of the chaine with both his hands whereto the cofer was fastned ◅de downē as farre as the entrie of the caue and being displeased that no one issued out he shot diuers arrowes at those that were within and wounded them and after that with his hooke he drewe those vnto him who resisted him and tumbled them downe headlong from the steepy rocke which done hēe rushed in vpon those that were within the caue and slew many of them and afterwards returned and rested himselfe in his cofer Diuers hearing the grones of those that were wounded were surprised with feare and despaire of their life but the nights approch was the cause that the matter was not fully atchieued and many of them receiuing notice of the kings free pardon by a herauld submitted themselues The next day they renued and continued the same manner of fight and diuers issued out of their cofers to fight vpon the outward entrances of the caues into which they cast fire which for that there was great quantitie of wood in the caues did quickly burne Within these caues there was a certaine olde man apprehended with his wife and seuen sonnes who being required by them that he would suster them to go and submit themselues to their enemies tooke vp the entrie of the caue and as his sonnes aduaunced themselues to issue out he slew them vntill such time as he had inassacred them all and after them his wife and finally when he had cast their dead bodies downe the rockes he threw himselfe downe headlong after them preferring death before seruitude Yet before his death he reuiled Herode in bitter words and vpbraided him of his obscuritie and ignoble race and although Herode who saw all that which had happened stretched out his hand vnto him and promised him pardon yet would he not respect him and by this meanes were all these caues entered and the theeues therein taken Now when the king had established Ptolomey captaine ouer the souldiers in that region he retired himselfe into Samaria with six hundreth horsemen and three thousand footmen with a resolution to fight with Antigonus so to end their quarrel But Ptolomey had but very slender successe in his gouernment for they that before time had troubled the countrey of Galilee sallied out vpon him and ouerthrew him After which execution they fled into the Marishes and vnaccessible places where they robbed and spoiled all the countrey But Herode returning and setting vpon them punished them for he slew some of them and the rest were constrained to flie into strong places where he besieging them and entring their fortresses perforce slew the men and destroied their fortifications and hauing brought this rebellion to an end he condemned the Cities to pay him the summe of one hundreth talents Meane while Pacorus was slaine in warre and the Parthians were discomfited with him which was the cause that Ventidius sent Machaeras to succor Herode with two legions and 1000. horse and that by the commandement of Antonius But Machaeras was drawn by Antigonus who corrupted him with mony and notwithstanding Herodes contradiction and disswasion yet resorted he vnto him alleadging that he did it to looke into his actions But Antigonus suspecting his sodaine approch intertained him not but caused him to be darted at and driuen thence giuing him to vnderstand by his entertainment what opinion he had of him and how he was affected towards him who at that time perceiued plainly that Herode had giuen him good counsaile and that himselfe had misdone in misbeleeuing his aduice for which cause he returned to the Citie Emaus and slew all those Iewes whom he met withall in the way whether friends or enemies so highly displeased was he at that which had hapned Herode sore mooued hereat came to Samaria resoluing with himselfe to post vnto Antonius to complaine of these agrieuances considering that he had no need of such associates who did him more harme then his enemies whereas of himselfe he was able to make good his warre against Antigonus But Machaeras hasted after him requiring him to stay and to trauell no further on that iourney or if he might not be diuerted he praied him to leaue his brother Ioseph behind him who might with them make war against Antigonus By these perswasions and instant intreaties of Machaeras he was some what appeased so that he left his brother Ioseph behinde him with an army charging him no waies to hazard his fortune or to fall at ods with Machaeras As for himselfe he hasted toward Anthony who at that time besieged Samosata a Citie scituate neere vnto Euphrates hauing with him an army of his associates both horsmen and footmen When Herode was arriued in Antioch he found diuers men assembled there who were desirous to go seeke out Anthony but they durst not set forward on the way for fear least certaine Barbarians should set vpon them and kill them in their iourney these did Ierode assure and offered himselfe to be their guide vpon the way Now when they came to their second bait some two daies iourney off of Samosata the Barbarians laid an ambush for them and had barred vp the way with hurdles and had likewise hidden certaine horsemen thereabouts who should lie
was vpon the point of execution surprised her at such time as she thought to flye and yet notwithstanding he pardoned her that fault in that he durst not decree any punishmēt against hir though he could haue found in his heart to haue vsed seueritie for that Cleopatra vvould not haue contained her selfe had she but had such an occasiō offered her to expresse her hatred against Herod For which cause vnder the colour of a high and magnanimous spirit he made shewe to pardon her of his meere clemencie yet inwardly resolued hee to make young Aristobulus away yet not rashly and vpon the instant least the act should growe apparant and palpable Now the feast of Tabernacles was at hand which was one of those that was ceremoniously and solemnly celebrated among vs for which cause he concealed his intents during the festiuall daies intending both in himselfe and in the presence and companie of the people to follow all kinde of pleasure and delight yet did his enny incite him to hasten the execution of his will Aristobulus was at that time some seuenteene yeere olde who at such time as he approched the altar to offer sacrifices according to the lawe apparelled in the high priests ornaments to performe the ceremonies he who for amiable countenance and goodly stature surpassed the young and tendernesse of his yeeres expressing in his countenance the dignitie and nobilitie of his race drew the eies and good affection of all the people vnto him so that they openly called to remembrance the noble actions of Aristobulus his grandfather All the people therfore being surmounted by those their affections and at that present time being all of them troubled with the ioy they conceiued they brake out by little and little into happy acclamations mixed with wishes and praiers so that the good will the people bare to Aristobulus discouered it selfe openly and they manifestly although too hastily in such a kingdome declared what euils they generally endured For all which causes Herode concluded to execute that which he had heretofore complotted and conceited against Aristobulus As soone therefore as the feast was ouerpassed he soiourned in Iericho where Alexandra entertained him In that place he vsed Aristobulus with all kindnesse to the end to draw him into some place where he feared nothing playing also with him and counterfaiting to sport after the fashion of the young men to gratifie him Now for that the place where they disported themselues was by nature too hoat they quickly wearied left their sport and went out togither to take the fresh aire and recouering a pleasant shade vnder certaine arbors and neere certaine fishpooles which were largely spread round about they beheld certain of their seruants and friends that swomme therein with whom not long after Aristobulus began to swim being perswaded thereunto by Herode Whereupon Herodes confederates who were deputed to execute the murther laid hands of him and thrust him vnder the water pretending to duck him in sport and neuer gaue him ouer vntill such time as they had stifled him in the water This hapned about the euening and after this manner died Aristobulus after he had liued in all for the space of eighteene yeeres and administred the priesthood one whole yeere and after this Ananel presently recouered his former dignitie Now when this accident was reported to the women all of them were sodainly deuoured in teares and transported with strange lamentations which they spent ouer the dead body All the Citie also was marueilously amated neither was there any priuate family that thought not it selfe touched by this inconuenient but imagined the losse in particular to concerne himselfe and no other But aboue all when Alexandra had notice of this wicked deede she was more passionate and perplexed then any other being so much the more discomforted for that she knew how all things had hapned But the feare of a farre greater mischiefe constrained her to represse her passion in such sort that diuers times she was ready to bereaue her of her owne life and dispatch her selfe out of miserie with her owne hands But she contained her selfe to the end that suruiuing and liuing after her sonne who was so traiterously and fraudulently slaine and prolonging her owne life without giuing any suspition or shadow that she supposed her sonne to be thus cursedly murthered she might with more opportunitie expect the occasion to reuenge her selfe For which cause she dissembled all things gouerned her griefe and made shew that she knew nothing of that which was either intended or had hapned As for Herode he laboured by all means to perswade the strangers that this death had befallen Aristobulus without his knowledge and did not onely prepare that which was requisite for the funerall but vext himselfe likewise made shew of a man truely deuoured in his sorrow and it may be that in remembrance of Aristobulus beauty and flourishing young yeeres he was truely touched with compassion notwithstanding that he imagined that this death of his should be a means of his intire securitie demeasning himselfe in all things very circumspectly with intent to purge himselfe 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 griefe which the Ladies had conceiued was pacified after this manner of consolation CHAP. IIII. Cleopatra thirsting after the kingdomes of Arabia and Iewry laboureth to beg a part of them at Anthonies hands BVt none of all these things could either mooue or mollifie Alexandra but that daily more and more she increased her sorrow and in the heart of her teares kindled her wrath and heate with a desire of reuenge She therefore certified Cleopatra by her priuate letters of Herodes treasons and her sonnes most miserable and vntimely death Cleopatra long before that time desirous to assist her and hauing compassion of her miserie vndertooke the matter and ceased not to incite Anthony to reuenge Aristobulus death telling him that it was an vnpardonable errour that Herode being created king in such a state whereunto he had no right should be suffered to practise such conspiracies against the true and lawfull kings Anthony perswaded by these her words as soone as he came vnto Laodicea sent for Herode to the end that making his appearance he might answere that which might be obiected against him as touching Aristobulus death for he disliked the act notvvithstanding that Herode himselfe had attempted it But although Herode vvas affraid of this accusation and did not a little suspect Cleopatraes displeasure for that she ceased not continually to prouoke Anthony against him yet obeyed he this commandement and transported himselfe thither the rather for that he durst not otherwise do notwithstanding he left his vncle Ioseph behind him committing the gouernment both of the kingdome his priuate
are we ouermuch afflicted neither as some thinke hath this miserie befallen vs thorow Gods displeasure but these are the casualties of fortune And if by the will of God these things are come to passe it is maruell if by the same will our calamitie cease not and that our punishment should not satisfie his displeasure But that this present war is approued by him for iust he himselfe hath euidently declared For whereas diuers thorow the whole region haue been oppressed by the earthquake none of you that bare armes haue incurred any mischiefe but all of you haue beene preserued which is a manifest token of the will of God and if your children and wiues had generally followed the warres as you doe none of you should haue beene wanting When as therfore you shall haue bethought your selues of these things and moreouer in regard that God hath at all times an especiall care ouer you faile not to pursue this iniurious nation with a iust warre that neither respecteth the lawes of friendshippe nor keepeth the league of couenant valiunt in murthering sacred Embassadours and abiect and villanous where things are to be attempted by valour These perswasions of his did not a little encourage the Iewes to the battell and made them more forward then before As for Herode after he had offered sacrifice according to the custome he drewe his army foorth and led them with great confidence against the Arabians and passing Iordan he encamped neere vnto the enemy with an intent to surprise a fort scituate betweene them both making his account that it would further him much either if vpon the present he should be drawne forth to fight or if it concerned him to march onward for that this place would serue him to encampe in with more securitie The same resolution also had the Arabians for which cause they fell to skirmish in that place wherein the first on both sides that gaue the charge and afterwards some other followers were slaine so that those of the Arabians side being ouercome betooke them to retreat This successe of theirs bred no little hope in the Iewes who seeing the enemies army addressed to attempt any thing rather then to fight waxed the more hardie to assaile the Arabian in his trenches and beate him from his campe They being forced by these assaults drew forward to their defence in great disorder bringing neither courage nor hope of victorie with them yet notwithstanding they defended themselues both in regard of their great number as also in respect of that necessitie whereunto they were inforced by the Iewes The skirmish on both sides was hot and diuers on either party were put to the sword but in the end the Arabians being put to the worst turned their backes The slaughter was so great that they not onely perished by their enemies swords but they themselues also murthered one another in the prease and disorderly flight in which they were troaden vnder foote and lay slaughtered in a manner by their owne weapons So that in that discomfiture there died some fiue thousand the rest hastily fled on the other side of the rampire But being ouerpressed with want of victuals and in especiall with lacke of water they had not any ground or assurance to escape After them posted the Iewes and being vnable to recouer the fortresse with them they begirt the campe with a siege and shut vp all the passages that no succour could come vnto them and tooke from them all opportunitie to escape although they should affect flight When as therefore they saw themselues reduced into such extremitie they sent Embassadours vnto Herode first of all to demaund a truce and afterwards for that they were oppressed with thirst to craue some remedy for their present necessities But he neither respected the Embassadours neither the profered raunsome for the captiues nor any other whatsoeuer reasonable demaund desiring earnestly to reuenge himselfe of those iniurious treacheries they had practised against his Embassadours Being therfore inforced by thirst which amongst other plagues most grieuously afflicted them many of them forsooke their trenches and offered themselues to bonds and to be led away captiues so that within fiue daies space foure thousand of them yeelded themselues prisoners On the sixt day all the rest determined to sally out and assaile the enemy rather making choise of assured death then thus lingeringly and ignominiously to pine away When as therefore they had all concluded hereupon they incontinently brake out of their trenches but like vnapt souldiers for a skirmish decaied not onely in body but in minde reputing their death for an aduantage to escape thereby their extreme misfortunes For which cause vpon the first onset about some seuen thousand of them were slaine and thus the fiercenesse of this nation being alaied by this ouerthrow they submitted themselues to Herode whom to their owne sorrow they had approoued to be a valiant souldier CHAP. IX Herode constrained to repaire vnto Augustus Caesar putteth Hircanus to death HErode puffed vp with his succesfull good fortune returned backe into his owne country hauing obtained great estimation and reputation by his valour and vertue But at such time as he supposed his state to be most assured he grew in danger both to lose his dignitie and life by reason of that victorie that Caesar obtained against Anthony in the Actian war For at that time he not onely supposed himselfe to be vtterly ouerthrowne but both his friends and enemies that were round about him lost their hopes for that it was vnlikely that he should escape vnpunished who had beene so inwardly vnited in friendship with Anthonie Whereby it came to passe that his friends in no sort concealed their despaire and his enemies vnder their colourable and dissembled griefs couered their ioy promising themselues thereafter a better and more pleasing administration of the common weale Hereupon Herod perceiuing that except Hircanus there was not any one of the bloud royall aliue determined to cut him off resoluing with himselfe that if he hapned to escape the danger that a man who at that time was more worthier the kingdome then himselfe should not entermeddle amongst his affaires and if anie misfortune should be fall him in regard of Caesar he desired to dispossesse Hircanus of the kingdome in regard of the enuy which he bare him for that he was the onlie man who deserued to be aduanced to that dignitie Whilest thus he was tormented and trauelled in his thoughts he had an occasion offered him by Hircanus owne followers to execute his intention For Hircanus being of a mild and gentle nature during all his life time forbare to entermeddle with state affaires committing all things to fortune and contenting himselfe with whatsoeuer condition it pleased her to alot him But Alexandra being an ambitious woman and vnable to conceale with modestie the hope she conceiued of change sollicited her father that he should not any longer endure
and ripped vp the outrage that was done vnto his daughters as it hath beene declared ascribing the same to the pride of this woman obiecting it for a crime against her for thereby she had iniued his honour Besides this he accused her that she had of set purpose stirred vp mutinies and by all meanes possible both in word and in effect contrarie to all law of nature shee stirred vp debate betwixt him and his brother and that the fine that he had imposed vpon his aduersaries was satisfied at her charge so that no ◅ot of that conspiracy was contriued without her priuitie and consent For which causes said he brother Pheroras it shall not be amisse for you of your owne accord to driue such a wretched woman from you before you be requested and the sentence be prouounced against her otherwise she will be the cause to kindle a warre betwixt you and me For if at this present you will continue the friendship and brotherhood betwixt you and me separate your selfe from her in so doing I will account you for my brother and you shall lose nothing by the affection which I beare vnto you For the bond of brotherly loue cannot continue safe and vnuiolate vnlesse you put her away Now although Pheroras was moued with the importance and waight of this discourse yet said he that for the loue he bare vnto his wife he would forget nothing of that dutie which consanguinitie required at his hands in regard of his brother but that he had rather die then to liue without her company whom he loued more deerely then his life Herode although he tooke this answere of his brothers for a most gricuous iniurie yet forbare he to discouer his displeasure towards him he onely forbad Antipater and his mother and in like manner Pheroras to frequent the one with the other any more He commaunded the women likewise that they should giue ouer their familiar entertainments the one with the other which all of them promised to performe Yet this notwithstanding vpon fit opportunities and occasions they visited one another and Antipater and Pheroras feasted one another by night The report also went that Antipater had the company of Pheroras wife and that his mother was the meanes and minister of their priuie meetings CHAP. IIII. Herode sendeth Antipater vnto Caesar. ANtipater suspecting his fathers dislikes and fearing least his hatred should by increase bring him into hazard he wrote vnto his friends in Rome requiring them to write their letters vnto Herod requesting him to send Antipater vnto Caesar with al expedition as was possible Which being brought to passe Herode sent him thither with diuers royall presents and gaue him his testament and will with him wherein he had bequeathed the kingdome to Antipater And if it should happē that Antipater should die before him then bequeathed he the same to his son Herod whom he had by the high Priests daughter About the same time Syllaeus the Arabian repaired to Rome notwithstanding he had neglected those things that Caesar had giuen him in charge Him did Antipater accuse before Caesar for the same defaults wherewith he was charged by Nicholaus Syllaeus also was accused by Aretas for murthering diuers of the best account in the citie of Petra contrarie to his mind amongst the which was Sohemus a man of much vertue and honour and Phabatus Caesars seruant of which crimes Syllaeus was accused vpon that occasion which ensueth There was a certaine man of Corinthus who was one of the kings gard and such a one as he putvery great trust in him did Syllaeus perswade by store of money and bribes to kill Herode which he promised to performe Phabatus made priuie to Syllaeus mind he presently told it to the king who caused him to be apprehended and tortured who confessed the whole matter He laid hands also on two Arabians perswaded by this Corinthians confession one of which was a man of commaund in his countrey and the other was Syllaeus chiefest friend They being examined confessed that they came thither to solicite and egge forward with many exhortations the Corinthian to execute the murther and to assist him if he stood in need of them Which being fully approued by Herode before Saturnine he sent them to Rome there more amply to be proceeded against and so to be punished CHAP. V. Pheroras death HErode perceiuing that his brother Pheroras did constantly continue his affection towards his wife he commaunded him to retire himselfe into his owne dominion whereupon he willingly departed to his Terrarchy protesting by many solemne othes that he would neuer more returne into the citie vnlesse he were assured that Herode was dead Not long after it hapned that the king falling sicke he was sent for to receiue certaine secret instructions as from the mouth of a dying man but Pheroras would not obey him in regard of his oth This notwithstanding Herode dealt more kindly with him and continued his loue and affection towards him for he came vnto Pheroras as soone as he heard of his first sicknes and being vnsent for also and after he was deceased he sent his bodie to Ierusalem and honourably entombed him in that place and grieously lamented his death This was the beginning of all Antipaters mishaps who at that time was departed to Rome For it was Gods pleasure that at last he should be punished for the murther of his brethren This matter will I discourse of at large that it may serue for an example vnto many kings how they ought to practise and follow vertue in all their actions CHAP. VI. Pheroras wife is accused and Herode is aduertised of Antipaters conspiracies AFter Pheroras death two of his freemen who were Taphnites by birth and such as Pheroras in his life time both inlie trusted and dearely loued came vnto Herode requiring him not to suffer his brothers death to passe vnpunished but to make diligent enquirie of that vnfortunate and vnexpected misaduenture Herode lent a willing care vnto their suite perceiuing that the matters they importuned him in were likely and verie credible Whereupon they told him that Pheroras the day before his vnexpected sicknesse had supt with his wife and that hauing receiued an vnaccustomed poison with his meate he was dead That this poison had been brought thither by a woman of Arabia who in her speech protested that it was some potion to increase loue but in effect it was to bring Pheroras to his end For the women of Arabia amongst all others are skilfull in poisons and are great sorcerers and she that was charged with this fact was esteemed a great freind and sauourer of Syllaeus best beloued That Pheroras mother and his wifes sister went into those quarters vpon purpose to buy that poyson and returned backe and brought this woman with them the day before the supper The king mooued by these words of theirs tortured both those
many good things and eternall blisse The king hereat greatly moued with anger ouercame his disease and vvent forth and made a speech to the people vvherein he inueighed against them as Church-robbers and that vnder pretence and colour of their country lawes and religion they attempted great matters and adiudged them as impious people worthie of death The people fearing that he would torture many to learne who fauoure that act requested him that first the authors of that crime then those that were found guilty therein should receiue punishment that he would remit the offence to all the people besides The king with much ado entreated caused the yong men that let themselues down in cords and the Sophisters to be burned the rest which were taken in that act to be beheaded After this the kings sicknesse spred ouer his whole bodie and he vvas afflicted with most grieuous paine for he had a vehement ague and an itch ouer all his whole bodie which was intolerable and a daily colicke and his feete were swollen as though he had the dropsie his belly was swollen and priuie members putrified so that vvormes bred in the putrified places He was also short winded and he vvas grieuously tormented with difficultie of breath and a conuulsion of the whole body so that some said that this was a punishment laid vpon him for the death of the two Sophisters Herod notwithstanding he was afflicted with so many grieuous sicknesses yet was he desirous to liue and sought remedie whereby he hoped for health At last he passed ouer Iordan where he vsed the vvarme vvaters of Calliroe which runne into the lake of Asphaltites and are so sweet that men vse to drinke of them There the Physitions caused his bodie to be bathed in hot oyle and it was therewith so dissolued that his sight failed and he was as though he were dead whereaâ—… those that were about him being troubled with their cries caused him to looke vp now despairing of life he willed fiftie Drachmes to be distributed vnto euery souldier and great summes of money to the captains and his friends As he returned when he came to Iericho he was in verie great likelihood to die of melancholie and there he deuised a wicked fact for he caused the chiefe men of euerie towne and village in all Iudaea to be assembled together and then he shut them vp in a place called the Hippodrome and calling vnto him Salome his sister and Alexas her husband I know quoth he that the Iewes will make feasts for ioy of my death yet if you will do my command I shall be mourned for and I shal haue a princely funeral Therefore so soone as I haue giuen vp the ghost cause souldiours to compasse these men whom I haue here in hold and kill them all for so all Iudaea and euerie houshold thereof shall against their will bewaile my death As thus he commanded this to be done the Legates came which he had sent to Rome bringing him letters wherein was shewed how Acmes Iulia her maid was by Caesars command put to death and Antipater condemned to die yet Caesar writ that if his father had rather banish him he would condiscend thereunto also Herod with this newes was something refleshed yet presently with paine he was ouercome for he both was troubled with a vehement cough and almost pined with fasting to that he thought to hasten his owne death and taking no apple in his hand he called for a knife for hee was accustomed to cut the meat which he did eare and then looking about him least any standing by might hinder him he lifted vp his arme to strike himselfe But Achiabus his cousin raâ—… hastily vnto him and stayed his hand and presently there was made great lamentation throughout the kings pallace as though the king had beene dead Antipater hauing speedy newes hereof was glad and tooke courage and promised the keepers a peece of money to let him go But the chiefest of them did not only denie to do it but also went presently to the king and told him all what Antipater requested Herod hearing this lifted vp his voice with more strength then was meete for a sicke man and commaunded his guard to go and kill Antipater and burie him in the Castle called Hyrcanium And then againe he altered his testament and writ Archelaus his eldest sonne who was brother to Antipas for king and appointed Antipas for Tetrarch Fiue dayes after the death of his sonne Antipater Herod died â—…hauing reigned thirtie and foure yeares after he slew Antigonus and thirtie seuen yeares after that the Romans had declared him king And in all other things he was as fortunate as any man for he being but a priuate person got the crowne and kept it and left it vnto his posteritie but in his houshold affaires hee was most infortunate Salome before it was knowne that the king was dead went forth with her husband and released all those that were in hold whom the king commanded to be slaine saying that the kings mind was now altered and therefore he gaue them all licence to depart and after their departure the kings death was made known to the souldiers who together with the other multitude were assembled in the Amphitheater at Iericho Where Ptolemaeus keeper of the kings seale made a speech vnto them and began to say that Herod was now happie and comforted the multitude and so he read vnto them a letter which the king left wherein he earnestly requested the souldiers to fauour and loue his successour After the Epistle read he recited the kings testament wherein Philip was appointed heire of Trachon the places therunto adioyning Antipas designed Tetrarch and Archelaus king Him also he commanded to beare his ring vnto Caesar and withall notice and intelligence of the estate of the kingdome whereof he had beene gouernor fast sealed in writing for he appointed Caesar to be ouerseer of all his ordinances vnto whose pleasure he left the performance of his testament This was no sooner reade but presently the skies were filled with the voyces and cries of the people who did congratulate Archelaus and the souldiers and the people came in companies vnto him promising their fauor and furtherance and desired God alwayes to assist him This done euerie one was busied about the kings funerals where Archelaus spared no cost but buried the King with all royall pompe possible The Beere wheron he was carried was adorned with gold and precious stones vpon it lay a bed wrought with purple whereupon was laid the dead corps of the King couered also with purple with a crowne on his head and a diademe of pure gold and a scepter in his right hand About the Beere were his sonnes and kinsfolke and the guard bands of Thracians Germans and Gauls all went before in order as though they had gone to warres The rest of the
notwithstandinding the holinesse of the day departed But he accompanied with his mother Popla Ptolemaeus and Nicholaus his friends went vnto the sea coast leauing Philip for Gouernour of the kingdome and ouer his houshold with them departed Salome and her children and the kings brethren and kinred vnder pretence to assist Archelaus to the crowne but indeed it was to informe Caesar of that which was done in the Temple against the law When they came to Caesarea they met with Sabinus Gouernour of Syria who was comming toward Iudaea to take into his custodie Herods treasure whom Varus forbad to go anie further being sent for by Archelaus and Ptolemie requesting him thereunto And so Sabinus for the loue of Varus neither entred the Castles nor shut vp Herods treasure from Archelaus but promised that he would let all alone till Caesar vnderstood thereof But so soone as one of them that hindered him was gone to Antiochia and the other to wit Archelaus to Rome he still remaining at Casarea now hasted vnto Ierusalem and tooke the kings pallace where calling for the chiefe of the guard and the Purueyors he exacted of them an account and sought to take into his custodie the Castles and strong holds But the Captaines of the garrison mindfull of the charge which Archelaus gaue them kept vnto themselues the custodie of all affirming that they kept them more for Caesar then Archelaus At this time Antipas made a claime to the crowne alleaging that Herods first testament was of more force then the last and that he in the first was declared king and both Salome and many more of his kinred who sayled with Archelaus promised him their aid He tooke with him his mother and Ptolemaeus brother vnto Nicholaus perswading himselfe that they for their trustinesse and loyaltie vnto Herod would stand him in great steed for this Ptolemaeus was Herods dearest friend He had also great confidence in Irenaeus his orator because he had an excellent grace in pleading in so much as he refused the counsell of them who sought to perswade him to yeeld vnto Archelaus both for his age and for the last testament of his father Now he was well beloued of all his kin◅ed at Rome because they hated Archelaus and especially those that desired to liue at libertie and either to be gouerned by the Romans or else to haue Antipas for their king And to further him the more he vsed Sabinus letters vnto Caesar wherein Archelaus was accused and Antipas commended Therefore Salome and the rest of their accomplices brought the accusations vnto Caesar. And after them Archelaus deliuered all that which he had done in writing withall his fathers ring by Ptolemeus the reasons of that which he had done he sent inclosed vnto Caesar. Caesar pondering with himself what both parties alleaged and the greatnesse of the kingdome and large reuennes and number of Herods children reading also the letters of Varus and Sabinus he called the chiefe of the Romans to councell Wherein Caius the sonne of Agrippa and his daughter Iulia by his assignment sate in the first place this Caius was Caesars adopted sonne and so he licensed the parties to plead their rights Then Antipater Salomes sonne being the most eloquent of all Archelaus aduersaries offered himselfe to be his accuser for that Archelaus seemed now in words to contend for the kingdome which he had alreadie possest himselfe of and that hee did now trouble Caesars eares with vaine cauillations whom he would not wish to iudge of his lawfull succession For after Herods death he suborned some to put a diademe vpon his head and then sitting in a throne of gold in kingly maner he partly changed partly aduaunced the orders of the souldiers and granted vnto the people their requests which could not be effected but by a king He had also set at libertie maniemen who for great crimes were imprisoned by his father and hauing done all this he came now vnto Caesar to craue the shadow of the kingdome the substance and bodie whereof he already occupied so that herein he left nothing vnto Caesar but a bare title Moreouer he alleaged that Archelaus did but counterfeit sorrow for his fathers death faining himselfe to mourne on the day time and in the night he would be drunke and rioted Finally he said that the sedition of the people came by hatred thereof But the force and drift of his speech was altogether bent to declare the multitude slaine about the Temple for he said that they only came against that festiuall day to offer sacrifice and that they themselues were sacrificed as they were offering their sacrifices which they brought and that there were such heapes of dead bodies in the Temple as neuer by anie forraine warres were slaine the like Therefore Herod foreseeing his crueltie neuer iudged him worthy of the kingdome till such time as his memorie fayled him and that now being more sicke in mind then body hee knew not whom he named his successour in his last will especially for that he had nothing wherein he could blame him whom in his former will he appointed his successour when he was in health both of mind and bodie Yet quoth he put case Herod in his extremitie knew what he did yet said he Archelaus hath depriued himselfe of all kingly dignitie hauing committed manie things against the lawes For said he what will he be after he hath receiued authoritie from Caesar who before hee receiued any hath murdered somanie Antipater hauing spoken much to this effect and at euerie accusation taking witnesse of his kinred that stood by ended his speech Then Nicholaus stood vp and first of all he shewed that the slaughter of them in the Temple was necessarie For they for whose death Archelaus was now accused were not only enemies of the kingdome but also of Caesar and for other crimes obiected he shewed how that they were done euen by the counsel and perswasion of the aduersaries He also requested that the second testament might be of force for that therein Herod requested Caesar to be a confirmer of his successour For he who had such remēbrance as to leaue the performance of his will to the discretion of him who was Lord of all did neither mistake himself in appointing his heire nor yet was depriued of his senses seeing he knew by whom he should be established When Nicholaus had ended his speech and declared all that he thought might make for Archelaus Archelaus comming into the middest of the Councell prostrated himselfe at Caesars feet whom Caesar curteously taking from the ground shewed that he was worthie to succeed his father Yet did he not pronounce a definitiue sentence but the same day the Councell being dismissed he deliberated with himselfe according to the euidence he knew whether anie of those nominated in the two wils should succeed their father in the kingdome or that the kingdome should be
the Temple with so many dead bodies Wherfore they who had escaped that massacre had iust occasion to consider their calamitie and after the law of armes to turne their faces to them who wounded them and beseech the Romans that they would thinke the remnant of the Iewes worthie of compassion and not to abandon and expose the residue of their nation as a pray vnto theÌ„ by whom they should be most cruelty 〈◊〉 but that it might please them to adioyne their country to the borders of Syria to let 〈◊〉 be ruled by the Romans and so they should find that the Iewes who now were accounted 〈◊〉 and rebellious vnder peaceable and quiet gouernours to be a peaceable nation and with this petition the Iewes ended their accusation After this Nicholaus stood vp against them and first of all acquited the kings of the crimes laid to their charge and then reproued his countrey-men for that they would not be easily gouerned and by their owne nature would not except they were forced obey their kings and he also blamed the kinsmen of Archelaus who ioined with his accusers Caesar hauing heard what both parts could say dismissed the Assembly And within a few dayes after he gaue Archelaus halfe of the kingdome vnder the title of an Ethnarch promising him moreouer to make him king if he behaued himselfe well the other halfe he deuided into two Tetrarchies and gaue them to the rest of Herods sonnes one vnto Philip the other vnto Antipas who contended with Archelaus for the crowne Antipas his part lay from Galilee beyond the riuer Iordan the reuenues whereof was two hundreth talents a yeere And Philip had Batanaea and Trachons and Auranitis and part of Zeno his house neere Iamnia the reuenues whereof amounted to one hundred talents a yeere Archelaus had in his Ethnarchie Idumaea and all Iudaea and Samaria which was freed from the fourth part of their tribute because they rebelled not with the rest And these Cities were giuen him ouer which he was Lord Stratons tower Sebaste Ioppe and Ierusalem The rest Gaza and Gadara and Hippon Caesar tooke from the kingdome and ioyned them to Syria Archelaus yearely reuenues amounted to foure hundreth Talents a yeere Caesar also beside that which Herod left her made Salome Ladie of Iamnia Azotus and Phasaelis and the Pallace at Ascalon all which amounted to threescore talents a yeere But Caesar made her house subiect vnto Archelaus his Ethnarchie And hauing distributed vnto the rest of Herods kinred that which in his testament he left them he gaue his two daughters that were virgins ouer and aboue fiue hundreth thousand drachmes of siluer and married them vnto Pheroras sonnes and hauing deuided Herods patrimonie amongst them hee also distributed that which Herod bequeathed vnto him amounting vnto a thousand talents leauing himselfe onely some iewell of small value which he reserued in honour and remembrance of the dead CHAP. V. Of the false supposed Alexander and how he was taken AT the same time a certaine young man a Iew borne brought vp by a Libertine of Rome in the towne of Sidonia being verie like vnto Alexander whom Herod put to death went to Rome hauing one of his countrimen for his companion who knew verie well all the estate of the kingdome by whom he receiuing instructions affirmed that they who should haue put him and Aristobulus to death being moued to compassion let them goe and tooke two others in their roome like them With this tale he deceiued manie Iewes liuing in Creete where he was honourably receiued and from thence hee failed to Melos where he was yet entertained with greater pompe and enriching himselfe he vsed such means that he got his oasts which gaue him entertainment to saile with him to Rome and after arriuing at Dicaearchia he receiued all maner of rich gifts of the Iewes which dwelled there and there by his fathers friendes was honoured as a king For hee was so like vnto Alexander that they that had seene Alexander and knew him well would haue sworne he had beene Alexander Wherefore all the Iewes at Rome desired to see him so that an infinite multitude followed him whithersoeuer he went in the streetes and they so doted vpon him that they carried him in a horslitter and at their owne proper cost and charges prepared for him a royall traine But Caesar well remembred Alexanders visage for Herod accused him before him and although before he saw him he iudged that it was some that presumed because of his likenesse vnto Alexander to say that hee was the same yet he made as though he beleeued all and sent one Celadus who knew Alexander well to will this yong man to come vnto him Who no sooner beheld him but forthwith he perceiued the difference betwixt them and especially when he felt his hard flesh and seruile shape he presently vnderstood the whole matter But he was greatly moued with his bold speeches for when they demaunded of him what was become of Aristobulus hee answered that he was aliue yet he vpon purpose â—…aried behind and liued in Cyprus fearing some treason for they being asunder could not so easily bee intrapped Celadus taking him apart from the rest of the companie told him that Caesar would saue his life if he did trulie confesse by whose counsell he fained himselfe to be Alexander He accepting of this offer followed him to Caesar and declared himselfe to be a Iew who for â—…re sake being verie like him counterfeited himselfe to be Alexander affirming that 〈◊〉 had receiued such great gifts of the Cities by which he passed that he thought if Alexander had beene aliue he should not haue receiued the liâ—…e Caesar laught at this iest and made false Alexander for the abilitie of his bodie a galley-slaue and put him to death who induced him thereto And as for the Iewes of Milo he thought that they had punishment sufficient if they lost all that which they had laid out and bestowed vpon him CHAP. VI. Of the banishment and death of Archelaus ARchelaus being now made Prince remembred the discord past and in reuenge thereof he tyrannized not onely ouer the Iewes but also ouer the Samaritans and in the ninth yeere of his raigne the Iewes and Samaritans sent Embassadours against him vnto Caesar and finally hee was banished and sent to Vienna a Citie of Gallia and â—…ll his patrimonie was confiscate vnto Caesar. Before hee was summoned to appeare before Caesar hee reported that he had a maruellous dreame for he saw nine great eares full of corne deuoured by oxen and presently sending for Prophets and Chaldaeans he demanded what that dreame betokened Some interpreted it one way and some another but one Simon an Essean told him that the eares of corne betokened yeares the oxen signified the changes mutations of this world for as much as in labouring the land they turned vp and altered it and therefore he
any grudge and when men fell downe dead they amongst the rest complained of this wickednes By this deceitfull meanes they were a long time vnsuspected vnknowen And first of all they killed Ionathas the high priest after him euery day some were slaine and the citie was put in a feare worse then death it selfe for each man euery moment expected death as though it had beene amidst open warres likewise euerie one cast a diligent eye vpon those that came neere him also no man trusted his familiar friends and yet were they murthered whilst they were looking about them to escape daunger So cunningly did these theeues couer and conceale their actions Moreouer there arosean other sort of mischieuous people who did not so much harme with their hands as the first but with their impious counsell more and did no lesse trouble the quiet estate of the citie then did the theeues These people being vagabonds and iuglers desiring alteration vnder pretence of religion made the people as it were madde for they went into the wildernes affirming that there God would shew them tokens of their liberty Felix perceiuing that their action tended to rebellion sent an army of horse and footmen against these people and killed a great many of them But a certaine Aegytian a false Prophet caused a farre greater massacre among the Iewes then that was for being a Magician he came into the countrey and calling himselfe a Prophet he gathered vnto him almost thirtie thousand Iewes who were by his magicke artes seduced and leading them from the wildernes to mount Oliuet he determined from thence to goe to Ierusalem and to driue backe the forces of the Romans to vse his authoritie ouer the people He had for his guard those that came to follow him Felix foreseeing his intent met him with his legions of armed Romans whom the other Iewes assisting and fighting against him the Aegyptian with a few fled and many that were with him were taken and committed to prison and the rest of the multitude dispersed themselues euerie one in his countrey These being thus repressed the other part as it hapneth in a sicke bodie began to rise for some of the Magitians and the theeues being gathered togither they brought many vnto miserie and as it were exhorted them to libertie threatning present death to those that obeyed the Romans so that they forced them who were contented with their subiection to the Romans to disobey them These people being dispersed al ouer the countrey robbed and sacked Noblemens and rich mens houses moreouer killed them and fiâ—…ed the villages so that all Iudaea was in extreame feare ofthem and euerie day their crueltie increased At this time arose another tumult at Caesarea by a sedition raised betweene the Iewes that dwelt there and the Syrians The Iewes challenged the citie to be theirs because it was founded by Herod who was a Iew. But the Syrians denying not but that the builder of the citie was a Iew yet they affirmed that it belonged to the Gentiles for said they it had not been lawfull for the founder to haue placed in it shrines and statuaes if he had meant that it should haue belonged to the Iewes So that hereupon there arose a great controuersie amongst the Iewes and Syrians in so much as the one fought against the other and euerie day those that were the hardiest of both parts fought together For the elder sort of the Iewes could not restraine those of their nation from being seditious and the Greeks scorned to giue place vnto the Iewes The Iewes ouercame them in riches and strength of bodie and the Graecians ouercame the Iewes by helpe of souldiers for a great companie of the Roman armie came thither out of Syria and they were ready to assist the Syrians because they were as it were of their kinred consanguinitie The captaines of the souldiers endeuoured to appease the tumult and tooke those that were most seditious on both parts and beat them and cast them in prison But the punishment of those that were apprehended did not terrifie the rest nay they were here by made more seditious When Felix saw this by a streight edict he banished those who were most seditious out of the Citie those that obeyed not he sent souldiers and slew them suffering their goods to be taken by the souldiers The sedition being still on foot he sent the Nobilitie on either part to Nero to plead their right and title Festus succeded Felix who diligently persecuted them that troubled the countrie and destroyed manie theeues CHAP. II. Of Albinus and Florus Presidents of Iudaea BVt Albinus who succeeded Festus followed not his steps for there was no iniquitie so great wherein he was not plunged Furthermore he did not onely take away by force mens goods from them vnder colour of iustice and at his owne pleasure exact a greater tribute but also freed and let loose anie one whom either the souldiers of the Citie tooke or his predecessors had left in prison so that their friends would giue a peece of money and they only who were not able to giue mony were imprisoned as most hainous offenders At this time they in Ierusalem that desired alteration began to take courage those which were rich among them feed Albiâ—…s with mony to permit them to be seditious the common people that could not bee in quiet ioyned themselues with Albinus fauourites and euerie one of them had a troupe of theeues after him But Albinus himselfe was ouer them all as a tyrant and prince of theeues and he vsed the helpe of his guard to rob the meaner sort so they whose houses were sacked and spoyled were glad to hold their peace and they who yet had escaped were glad to be verie officious towards those who deserued death for feare they should suffer the like In general no man could trust one another there were then many tyrants and from that time the seedes of captiuitie which after befell began to take roote Notwithstanding that Albinus was of such behauiour yet Gessius Florus who succeeded him so behaued himselfe that in comparison of him Albinus might haue beene thought a good Gouernour For Albinus did all things secretly and craftily but Gessius committed anie iniquitie how great soeuer so openly as though he gloried in his impietie and behaued himselfe nor as a ruler of the countrie but as a hangman sent to execute malefactors omitting no manner of theft nor anie meanes whereby he might afflict the people Where he ought to haue shewed pitie there was he a tyrant and where he ought to haue beene ashamed there lice shewed himselfe shamelesse No man euer could inuent more meanes to obscure truth deuise more waies to do harme then he for it sufficed him not for his owne gaine to abuse men one by one at his pleasure but he wasted and spoyled whole cities at once and destroyed
any one haue cause to rebell it is the Frenchmen whose countrie is by the nature of the place strong being on the East side compassed with the Alpes on the North with the ryuer of Rhene on the South with the Pirenaean mountaines on the West with the Ocean Who notwithstand hauing amongst them three hundreth and fiue nations who haue amongst them as it were the verie fountaine offelicitie and with their goods and commodities enrich the whole world yet doe they pay tribute vnto the Romans and account their happinesse to be builded vpon the felicitie of the Romans that neither for want of courage nor Nobilitie of bloud who fourescore yeeres long fought for their libertie admiring the Romans and fearing them who still gained more by fortune then they did by warres and now obey a thousand and two hundreth Souldiers hauing almost against euerie Souldiour a Citie Neither could the Spaniards though gold grew in their Countrie keepe themselues from being subiect to the Romans Nor the Portugal◅s and the warlike Cantab◅ians for all the distance of sea and land betweene them and Rome The Ocean whose waues beating against the shoare terrifieth the inhabitants adioyning could not stay them but they past it and carried an armie beyond the pillers of Hercules and passed the tops of the Pyrenaean mountaines which reach vnto the cloudes and so made also those people subiect vnto them and for all that they were so warlike a nation and so farre from Rome they left onely one legion for garrison Which of you haue not heard of the multitude of the Germaines whose vertue and mightie bodies I thinke you haue often seene For in euerie Countrie the Romanes haue them for captiues yet they whose countrie is so large hauing hearts farre bigger then their bodies and soules that contemne death who are more cruel then bruite beasts yet are they now limited by the riuer Rhene and kept in subiection by eight legions of Romanes and those that were taken were made slaues and the rest chose rather to saue themselues by flight then fight And you who haue such confidence in the wals of Ierusalem consider the wals of Britanie whose countrie though compassed with the Ocean and almost as great as our whole world the Romanes sayling into it haue conquered and foure legions keepe that Iland so populous What should I say more when the Parthians a most warlike people who lately reigned ouer so many nations and abound in so much wealth are now compelled to send pledges to Rome Nay you may see al the nobilitie of the East at Rome who with peace shadow their captiuitie and almost all the nations vnder the Sun trembling and dreading the Romane puissance will you onely war against them Doe you not consider what befell the Carthaginians who boasting themselues of that great Hanniball sprung from the noble race of the Phaenicians at last were destroyed by Scipio Neither could the Cyrenaeans who tooke their beginning from the Lacedemonians nor all the race of the Marmaridans which is extended as farre as the Deserts which are verie scarce of waters nor the Syrtes nor the Nasamonians nor the Moores nor the innumerable multitude of the Numidians haue beene able to resist the power of the Romanes who by force of armes haue conquered the third part of the world the nations whereof can hardly be numbred which from the Sea Atlanticke and Hercules pillers vnto the red Sea containeth an infinite companie of Aethiopians and innumerable habitations of them who besides that they pay so much fruites and Corne vnto the Romanes as for eight monthes in euerie yeere wil keepe and sustaine all the people of Rome doe also pay tribute and moreouer assist them any way they can and neuer murmur at it as you doe and there is only one legion left to keepe them in obedience But what should I need to tell you of forraine examples to signifie vnto you the power of the Romanes seeing you may well perceiue it by that which they did in Aegypt hard by which reaching vnto Aethiopia and rich A◅abia and bordering vpon India hauing vnder it seuen hundreth and fiftie millions of people besides the inhabitants of Alexandria which is easie to be counted by the tribute which is paide of euerie person by the Poule liuing in their country yet disdaine not to liue vnder the dominion of the Romans notwithstanding that they haue a great entisement to rebel to wit Alexandria which is both populous very rich in length 30. furlongs in breadth ten payeth more tribute in a month then you doe in a whole yeere and besides their mony find all Rome with Come foure monthes in the yeere and it is on euerie side compassed about either with a wast wildernesse by which no◅an passe or the fierce sea which is boundlesse or with great and strong ryuers or muddie and durtie quagmires and marish grounds all which little auailed them to withstand the force of the Romans For two legions onely placed in the Citie keepe all the great countrie Aegypt and the Nobilitie of Macedon in awe What sociates will you haue from some Countrie not inhabited to aide you against the Romans For all those that at this day dwel in any place of the world that is inhabited obey the Romans Except peraduenture some of you hope for helpe from beyond Euphrates thinking that your Countrimen of Adiabena wil helpe you but they will not intangle thēselues in these dangerous warres for an vnreasonable cause nor if they would consent to so dishonest a deede the Parthians will not suffer them For they are carefull to maintaine their league with the Romans and would thinke it violated if any vnder their dominions should warre against them It remaineth then that you must onely trust that God will helpe you but God doth a◅sist the Romans for it is vnpossible that such an Empire should continue without the helpe of God Consider that this contempt of Religion although you were to warre against farre weaker then your selues yet were it hard to be dispensed withall and it may so come to passe that that whereby you hope to make God your partaker thereby you may make him your enemie for if you obserue the custome of Sabaoths and in them doe nothing it will not be hard to conquer you For so your auncestors haue made experience by ◅peius who euer deferred all his enterprises vntill that day wherein his enemies were idle ◅de no resistance Now if in warre yee transgresse your countrie lawes I know not then for what you should rebel For truely all of you at this time are of that mind that your Countrie lawes shal not be changed And I pray you how will you request helpe at Gods hands if wilfully yee breake his lawes All that begin warre either trust in humane riches or diuine succour and they that warre hauing no probabilitie to hope for
whole armie and almost all of them came running to see their generall and especially Titus who feared his fathers death so that the whole armie partly for the loue of their generall and partly for the feare of Titus his sonne were greatly troubled but Vespasian presently freed the armie from al perturbation and his sonne Titus from feare For the griefe of the wound being past he shewed himself to all that were sorrowful for him and incited them to fight against the Iewes more earnestly then before and now euery one as it were to reuenge their generall despised all danger and assaulted the wals one exhorting another Ioseph and his associates notwithstanding that many of them were killed with shot darts and arrowes yet they forsooke not the wals but with fire and sword and stones fiercely assaulted them that being defended with hurdles battered the wals with the Ramme but to little purpose for they were continually killed being in the sight of their enemies and for that they could not see them presently were stroken downe For their fire did make such a light as though it had beene day so that the Romans easily perceiued whither to direct their shot and for that their engines were not perceiued a farre off the Iewes could not defend themselues from the arrowes and stones which were shot against them by which meanes many of them were slaine and the tops and corners of the towers beaten downe And there was no man so wel guarded but he was slaine by force of these stones so that any man may know of what force that engine is by that which hapned that night For one that stood neere Ioseph vpō the wal was strokē with a stone his head caried frō his body by violence of that blow three furlongs as though it had been cast out of a sling the next day a woman great with child was stroken on the belly with one of those stones and the child caried forth of her from the place where she was stroken three furlongs so great was the force of this engine Therefore the violence of the engines was more terrible and likewise the noise of darts arrowes and other shot And many were slaine on euerie side and the bodies of those that were killed stroken against the vvall made a noise and within the citie was heard a pitifull lamentation and weeping among the women without a heauy mourning and crie of them that were wounded to death and all that part of the wal where the fight was flowed with bloud so that now the multitude of dead bodies had so filled the ditch before the wall that the Romanes might easily passe ouer them into the citie and the mountaines about did eccho with the cries of the citizens and all that night long nothing vvanted that either might by the eie or eare moue terror And many stoutly fighting for Iotapata died most valiantly many also vvere sore vvounded and notwithstanding the vvall was continually battered yet it vvas almost morning before it fell being all night long beaten with the Ramme And then they of Iotapata repaired the breach vvith their bodies and armour before the Romans could set bridges to enter it CHAP. X. How Iotapata was againe assaulted IN the morning Vespasian brought his armie to enter the breach hauing giuen them but little rest after their whole nights labour and desirous to make the Iewes that defended the breach to forsake their place before such time as he entred hee tooke the most valiant of his horsemen and vnhorsed them being armed from the head vnto the foote and placed them in three rankes that they being so armed might besiege round that part of the wall that was battered and to take long pikes in their handes so that as soone as the bridges were set they should first enter the breach After them hee placed the strongest of his footemen the rest of his horsemen hee set round about the Citie vpon the mountaine to the end that none might escape thereout after the footemen he commaunded archers to follow with their arrowes readie in their hands and them that vsed slings also and other engines for shot And he caused other to scale the wals where they were not battered to the intent that the townesmen busied in resisting them might leaue the breach vnmanned and the rest being wearied oppressed with the thicknesse of the shot should of force forsake their standing But Ioseph perceiuing his intent placed old men and children and those that were alreadie wearied vpon those parts of the wals that were not battered and himselfe with the stowtest in the Citie went to defend the breach and placed sixe men before them whom he choose out himselfe being one of them to sustaine the first brunt of their enemies assault commaunding them likewise to stop their eares to the end that they might not be terrified with the cries of the armie He willed them also to defend themselues with shields against the darts and arrowes and giue backe a little till such time as the Archers quiuers were emptied and if so bee that the Romans should offer to make bridges that then they with their instruments should resist and that euerie one now should fight not to defend his Countrie but as it were to recouer it being in a manner alreadie lost and imagine that they now did see their aged men murdered with their children and their wiues almost taken by their enemies and now to reuenge themselues vpon those that hereafter would massacre their whole Citie and thus he appointed men in both places The weaker multitude women and children seeing the Citie compassed about with three ranckes of horsemen and that the Romans with swords drawne preased against the breach that all the mountaines about did shine and glitter with their weapons that were placed there and certaine Arabians to serue the Archers with arrowes they cried out as though the Citie were now taken so that a man would haue iudged them alreadie amidst their enemies swords and not onely in danger to fall into their hands Wherefore Ioseph commaunded the women to their houses least their cries should effaeminate his souldiers mindes willing them likewise to keepe silence and threatned them if they did not and so hee marched vnto the breach which place fell vnto his lot and gaue no heede to them that sought to scale the wals but onely beheld a farre off the force of the arrowes When all the trumpets began to sound and the ayre to bee obscured with the multitude of arrowes Iosephs companions remembring the charge giuen them stopped their eares and armed their bodies against the shot of arrowes And so soone as the bridges were set against the wal presently they ran before the Romans could enter vpon them they got them into their hands resisted them that sought to come vpon them shewing great prowesse and strength and themselues no way inferiour vnto the Romans though
in heauen and from thence after a reuolution of the heauens departing are againe commanded to dwel in chast bodies And that they who haue vvrought their owne death goe vnto darke hell and that God punisheth this their offence vpon all their posteritie Hence it is that God is displeased therewith and it is forbidden by our most wise lawmaker For if any amongst vs kill themselues it is decreed that till the sunne go downe they shall lie vnburied yet we hold it lawfull to burie our enemies Other nations cause their right hands to be cut off who haue killed themselues iudging that as the soule thereby was made a straunger to the bodie euen so by that fact was the hand made a straunger vnto it Wherefore O companions thinke on that which is decent and not to adde to our humane misery impietie against God who created vs. If vve desire to be saued let vs saue our selues for it is no disgrace to receiue our liues at their hands vvho are witnesses of so many valiant deeds of ours If we desire to die let vs die by their hands that haue ouercome vs. I will not go into my enemies campe to be a traitor against my selfe For I beare not their mind who forsake their owne company to flie vnto their enemies for they flie vnto them to saue their liues but I go vnto them to worke mine owne death euen the death of my selfe And I would to God that the Romans would breake promise with me for if they kil me after they haue promised to saue my life I shall willingly die and with great courage hauing their breach of promise and periurie for a comfort of the last victorie Ioseph spake much to this effect to disswade his companions from killing themselues But they stopping their eares with desperation wherewith they had armed themselues to die came furiously towards him with their swords drawne vpbraiding him that he was a coward and euerie one was readie to strike him Then Ioseph calling one by his name and looking vpon another with a countenance like a gouernour holding anothers hand and intreating the rest distracted in such daunger at last escaped from being killed at that instant for stil as one came neere him to strike him he turned his face vpon him like some cruell beast and some of them who remembred how he had beene their captaine in their extremitie with reuerence of his personage trembled so that their swords fel out of their hands and many lifting vp their armes to strike him of their owne accord let their weapons fall Ioseph notwithstanding his desperate estate yet was he not voide of counsell but assisted by Gods prouidence he hazarded his life and spake vnto them as followeth Seeing quoth he that ye are all determined to die let vs cast lots who shall kill one another and he vnto whom the lot falleth shall be killed by him who next ensueth and so the lots shall be cast vpon euerie one of vs so that none of vs shall be forced to kill our selues For it were iniustice that when some of vs be slaine the rest should repent themselues and so escape They all liked well of this and alwaies he vpon whom the lot fell was slaine by him that followed as though they were now to die with their captaine for death was more acceptable because they thought Ioseph should die with them Now it hapned by the prouidence of God that Ioseph remained aliue only with one other and then perswaded him who was left aliue to liue and not seeke death for feare the lot should fall vpon himselfe and for that if he suruiued he should be polluted with the murther and slaughter of his owne nation Thus Ioseph deliuered both from the warres of the Romans and also of his owne nation went with Nicanor vnto Vespasian All the Romans came about him to see him and pressing about their generall they made a great noyse some reioycing that he vvas taken others crying out to punish him others striuing to come neere to behold him better and they who were a farre off cried to kill their enemie but those that vvere neere him and beheld him remembring his prowesse vvere astonished to see that chaunge And there was no captaine nor ruler but although before they were all moued against him yet now beholding him they all began to pitie him and especially Titus who being of a gentle disposition admited Iosephs vaiour his constancy in aduersitie and his age and thereby was moued to take compassion vpon him remembring what a manner of man he had beene during the wars and vvhat he now was being fallen into his enemies hands calling also to mind the force and power of fortune and how small a stay the chance of warres had and that no humane affaires had any stay or hold in them wherefore he drew many mens minds to pitie him so that Titus vvas the chiefe author of Iosephs life yet Vespasian caused him to be carefully kept as though he meant to send him to Caesar. Which Ioseph hearing requested that he might speake a vvord or two with him alone then all but his sonne Titus departing and two of his friends Thou O Vespasian quoth he thinkest onely that thou hast Ioseph for thy captiue but I am a messenger vnto thee of greater matters from God otherwise I knew my countrey lawes and how it behooued the generals of our nation to die and not to be taken aliue by their enemies Wilt thou send me to Nero Wherefore As though Nero should still liue and thou not succeed him Thou O Vespasian art Caesar and the Emperour of Rome and Titus also thy sonne and keepe me in bonds with thee for thou art not onely my Lord but Lord of all the world and sea and land and all mankind And if I now faine these things in this state that I am of my owne mind against God let me be reserued vnto a greater punishment After hee had thus spoken Vespasian gaue small credit vnto his words and onely thought that Ioseph feined these things of himselfe to saue his life yet by little and little hee began to giue credit vnto him because God put it in his mind to hope for the Empire and foretelling his reigne by many signes and tokens he also found Ioseph to tel the truth in other matters For one of Vespasians friends answered that it was marueile that hee knowing that could not prophecie the euent of the warres against Iotapata and what was like to befall himselfe that so he might haue auoided those euils Ioseph answered that he foretold the Citizens of Iotapata that after seuen and fortie dayes they should be destroyed and that the Romans should keepe him aliue in hold Vespasian secretly enquired of these matters and finding by the relation of the captiues that it was true he began to giue more credit vnto that which Ioseph had told him concerning himselfe
And that which increased the sorrow of the citizens was that amidst these calamities their religion was also contumeliously abused for these theeues to trie of what strength and courage the people were and their owne forces did elect by lot a high Priest contrarie to their law which as we haue alreadie said requireth that the high Priest shall be chosen by succession This deed of theirs they coloured with an auncient custome alleaging that in time past the high Priest was chosen by lot But indeed this their fact was an abrogation of the most firme custome that was amongst the people and was onely a deuise to get all gouernment into their hands by establishing magistrates at their pleasure Then calling one of the holy tribes named Eniachin they cast lots and it so fell out that the lot fell vpon one whereby their iniquitie was discouered this man whose lot it was to be high Priest was named Phanes who was the sonne of Samuel a man not onely vnworthie of that dignitie but who had been so rudely brought vp that he neuer knew what the high Priest meant this Phanes was borne in a village called Aphthasis Him against his will they fetcht out of the field and as it had beene in a stage-play they graced him with another mans person and presently gaue him instructions how hee should behaue himselfe putting vpon him the sacred attire of the high Priest as though that so great impietie had beene but a sport The rest of the priests beholding a far off the holy lawes to be scorned scarcely contained themselues from teares and euen groaned for sorrow that their sacred dignities were so abused The people could no longer endure this their tyrannie but now euery one addressed himselfe to depose these tyrants And those that were most earnest herein were Gorion Iosephs sonne and Simeon the sonne of Gamaliel who went about the Citie to euerie one in priuate and then in a publike assembly exhorted the people to be reuenged vpon those tyrants who tooke from them their libertie and to addresse themselues to purge the holy Temple from such vile and vncleane persons Likewise the best disposed amongst the priests to wit Iesus the sonne of Gamala and Ananus the sonne of Ananus often in publike Sermons reprehended the people and vpbrayded them with their slouth in that they made no more haste to destroy those Zelous people for so those wretches termed themselues as though they had beene deuout followers of goodnesse and not impious malefactors The people being all assembled together euerie man grieued to see the holy place so kept for a denne of theeues and of their robberies and murders which they committed yet did they not goe about to reuenge thinking themselues too weake to deale with these Zelous as in deed they were Then Ananus stood vp amongst the middest of them and hauing often turned his eyes to the Temple and beholden it till the teares ran downe his cheekes Oh said hee how farre better were it for me to die then to liue to see the house of God thus filled with impietie and the Sanctuarie wherein none should come but me high Priest prophaned with the wicked feete of impious persons being cloathed in Priests apparell and beare the name of the most authoritie amongst all names and doe I yet liue and doe I to saue my life and to bee gray-headed abstaine from dying a glorious death Nay rather I alone will goe against these murderers and as though I were in a wildernesse where there were no man beside my selfe I alone will goe and offer my soule for Gods sake For what doth it auaile me to liue amongst a people that hath no feeling of their owne calamitie and which seeketh not to redresse their own present miseries for you being robbed and spoyled beare all patiently and being beaten you hold your peace and there is none amongst you that dare openly mourne for them that are most cruelly murdered O tyrannous gouernment But why should I exclaime against the tyrants Did not you your selues make them great and nourish their power and authoritie by your patience did not you by despising those who before were in authoritie being but a few make all these who are many in number tyrants ouer your selues haue not you keeping your selues quiet they being armed turned their swords vpon your owne heads and as then it behooued you to resist their enterprises when first they iniured your kinred you by suffering haue made them theeues because at first you made no account when they destroyed houses and whole families And this was the cause that at last the rulers and potentates themselues were set vpon and none would succour them when they were drawne through the middest of the Citie and these murderers butchered them in prison whom you thus betrayed I will not recount what men they were and of what birth but I say they being neither accused nor condemned hauing no man to heare them they were most cruelly murdered as wee haue seene any for they were before our faces led to bee slaine as the fattest amongst a whole herd of beasts all wee beholding this and yet no man opening his mouth nor lifting vp his hand And will you also endure will you suffer the holy Sanctuarie to bee prophaned before your eyes and will you hauing so emboldned these miscreants as yee see now your selues stand in feare of them assure your selues they would if they could deuise how commit greater impietie then this is They keepe against you the strongest place in the whole Citie called a Temple but now in deed it is a fortresse or Castle of defence What doe yee now thinke such a tyrannie being established ouer you and your enemies being euen vpon you what do you deliberate to doe Doe you expect the Romans to come and helpe you to saue the Temple and sacred mysteries Our Citie is now at that stay and we haue so behaued our selues that our verie enemies pittie vs. O yee wretches will you not arise and as the verie bruit beastes doe will you not reuenge your selues vpon them that haue thus wounded you Will not euerie one of you call to mind the massacre of his friends and what calamitie he himselfe hath suffered and so encourage your selues to be reuenged For ought I can see you haue all lost that sacred and sweete and naturall desire of libertie and now we imbrace bondage as though we had learned to be bondmen euen from our ancestors But they endured many and hard warres to liue in libertie and yeelded neither to the power of the Aegyptians nor Medes because they would not be at their commaund What need is it to recount vnto you the warres of our predecessors To what end doe we enterprise this warre against the Romanes bee it commodious for vs or to our disaduantage if not to obtaine our libertie And we who cannot indure to bee subiect vnto the Lords of
vp and downe first from one watch and then to another yet that night hee did not so not for slouthfulnesse but because that the destinies had so decreed that thereby both he and the watchmen should perish For about midnight the storme increasing the watchmen fell into a sound sleepe Then the Zelous determined to file the barres and bolts of the gates in sunder to effect this they tooke the instruments which were consecrated to the temple this attempt was much furthered by the huge wind and thunder which made such a noyse that they could not bee heard so issuing out of the Temple they went priuily to the wals and opened that gate neere vnto which the Idumaeans lay and suspecting that Ananus would make some resistance they first of all drew their swords and then together with the Idumaeans came in and if at that time they had assaulted the Citie they had without any let or hinderance destroyed all the people therein so great was their rage at that time But first of all they hastned to asist their fellowes whome they left besieged and requested the Idumaeans not to leaue them in danger for whose succour they were come nor permit them to incurre greater domage for hauing first surprised the watchmen it would be more easie for them to assault the Citie which if they did not but first set vpon the Citizens they would presently assemble together and oppose themselues against them and not permit them to ascend vp vnto the Temple The Idumaeans consented vnto this and so they passed thorough the Citie into the Temple And the Zelous remaining in the Temple carefully expected their comming at whose arriual they tooke courage and ioyning with the Idumaeans came out of the inner Temple and set vpon the watch and some being slaine who were fast a sleepe the rest were awaked by the cries of others and so betooke themselues to their armes to defend thēselues being yet amazed And at first thinking that they were only the Zelous that gaue the assault hoped onely by their multitude to suppresse them but seeing others without the Temple also aslailing them they perceiued that the Idumaeans were broken in so the greater part of them being dismaide laide downe their weapons and cried and onely a few of them young men well armed and of good courage encountred with the Idumaeans and for a good space defended their idle fellowes others went and aduertised the Inhabitants what was done yet none durst come to helpe them because they now knew that the Idumaeans were got in but euerie one lamented their hard fortune and the women made great lamentation when any of the watchmen fell into danger The Zelous also answered their cries with the like and then the tempest and thunder made all more dreadfull The Idumaeans spared none because that they were naturally cruell and fierce to shed bloud and angrie that they were so beaten with the tempest they vsed them most cruelly by whose meanes they were shut out of the Citie sparing neither those who requested fauour nor them who made resistance for they slew many euen as they were intreating them to remember that they were of their owne bloud and requesting them to spare them for reuerence of their Temple There was no way to flie nor any hope of escape being driuen vp into a narrow roome they hurt themselues more then the enemies did by crowding and treading vpon one another for there was no place to flie nor their enemies ceased not to kill them Being in this desperate estate not knowing how to doe they cast themselues head-long downe into the Citie and so died a more miserable death in my mind then they that died by the enemies sword The next day there was found slaine eight thousand and fiue hundreth and all the vtter Temple flowed with bloud Yet this massacre sufficed not the Idumaeans rage but turning themselues against the Citie they robbed and spoyled all houses and killed all they met making no account of the death of the rest of the multitude They made diligent search for the Priests and many laide violent hands vpon them and killed them and standing vpon their dead corps sometime they vpbrayded Ananus with the peoples fauour towards him sometime Iesus with the words he spake vpon the wall vnto them and were so impious as that they cast away their dead bodies vnburied notwithstanding that the Iewes in this point are so religious that after sunne set they take downe the dead bodies of malefactors who by sentence haue beene adiudged vnto the crosse and burie them I thinke I doe not greatly misse the marke if I affirme Ananus his death to haue beene the destruction of the Citie and from that time foorth the walles of Ierusalem to haue beene ouerthrowne and the common wealth of the Iewes to haue perished in that day when they behelde their priest and Gouernour slaine euen in the middest of the Citie He was a man that led a laudable and most iust life and being in great dignitie honour and reputation yet would he not exalt himselfe aboue any one were he neuer so base He was a man who thirsted after libertie and bare the rule and gouernment of the common wealth He continually preferred the publike commoditie before his owne priuate gaine being alwaies desirous of peace for he foresaw that the Romans could not be withstood and that if the Iewes did not quickly accord with them their ruine was at hand briefly I say that had Ananus liued they had yeelded with him vnto the Romans For he was an eloquent Orator and could perswade admirably whereby he had now gained vnto his side those that hindred him and caused the warres whom if they had had for their captaine against the Romans it had not been so easie for the Romans to haue conquered them With him was ioyned Iesus inferiour to Ananus yet excelling all the rest So that I thinke Almightie God hauing decreed the totall ruine of the Citie being now violated and filled with iniquitie and meaning by fire as it were to purifie the holy temple which was now defiled and prophaned he first tooke away the defenders thereof and those that loued them most deerely So they who a little before were cloathed in sacred apparell and reuerenced of all those that from the furthest parts of the world came to Ierusalem now lay murthered and naked in the open streetes left as it were a pray to be torne in pieces with dogges or wilde beastes who earst were the authors of pietie and religion I thinke that Vertue it selfe wept to see wickednesse so preuaile THE FIFTH BOOKE OF THE WARRES OF THE IEWES WRITTEN BY FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the 5. booke 1 Of another massacre and of the returne of the Idumaeans and the crueltie of the Zelous 2 Of the ciuill discord amongst the Iewes 3 Of the yeelding of Gadara and the massacre there
and presently leauing the citie they went vnto Simon of whom we will speake hereafter and so they departed home Their departure was against the expectation of both parts for the people not knowing that the Idumaeans were penitent for that they had done reioiced as now deliuered from their enemies and the Zelous grew more insolent and proud as though they neuer had needed helpe but now were deliuered from them in reuerence of whom they abstained from villanie So now they vsed no delaie to effect their impietie for they spent not much time in taking aduise but whatsoeuer seemed best vnto them presently without any delay they put it in practise But chiefly they murthered those men that were strong and valiant for they enuied the nobilitie for their vertue And they thought it a principall point first to be effected not to leaue any one man of account aliue Wherefore they slew amongst the rest Gorion a noble man of great birth and dignitie one who loued the people and was verie bountifull and a louer of libertie so that there was none amongst the Iewes like him who for desire of libertie and his other vertues was put to death But neither could Niger Peraita escape their hands a man who in the warres against the Romans had shewed himselfe â—…aliant who although he often cried out and shewed the scars of his wounds receiued in defence of his country yet they ceased not for all this most shamefully to drag him through the citie and being led out of the citie despairing of life he entreated that he might be buried But the barbarous people denying his request slew him Who at his death besought God that the Romans might come and reuenge it vpon them and that plague and famine and ciuill discord might light vpon their citie Whose praiers God heard sending all vpon them which he did iustly require and first of all they were plagued with ciuill warres amongst themselues Niger being thus slaine they were freed from the feare that they had of him how that he would resist their wickednes There was no part of the common people who were not by some forged tale or other put to death For some were slaine for that long since they had borne armes against their owne citizens and they who were innocent in all points were put to death for some occasion deuised in the time of peace and they who did not conuerse with them were murthered as such that contemned them and they that did freely and friendly conuerse with them were slaine as men that sought to betraie them and the greatest offenders and the least offenders were all punished alike to wit with death for no man escaped except he was either poore or of verie base condition CHAP. II. The ciuill discord amongst the Iewes IN the meane while the Romans addressed all their courage against the citie of Ierusalem and seeing them at great variance amongst themselues thought this to be for their great aduantage Vpon this they incited Vespasian their generall affirming that it was Gods prouidence who fought for them that the Iewes should be at ciuill wars amongst themselues and that therefore he should not ouerslip so good an opportunitie for the Iewes would quickly be friends againe one with another either by the wearines of ciuill wars or else repenting themselues of that which they had done To whom Vespasian answered that they were ignorant what was to be done being rather desirous as it were in a theater to shew their forces strength then with him to consider what was profitable and expedient For said he if we presently assault them our comming will make concord amongst our enemies and so we shall bring vpon our selues their forces yet firme and strong but by expecting alittle while they should haue lesse adoe to conquer them their chiefest forces being destroied by their owne ciuill wars And that God was more their friend then they were aware of who without their labour and paine deliuered the Iewes into their hands and will giue vs the victorie without indaungering of our armie And that therefore it was rather their parts to be as it were beholders of that tragedie then to fight against men desirous of death and troubled with the greatest euill that possiâ—…le could be to wit domesticall sedition and ciuill wars And if anie thinke that the victorie is not famous being gotten without fight let him know and consider the vncertaine euent of wars and that it is better if it be possible to get a victorie without bloudshed then therewith to hazard the victory For they who by counsell and aduice do any worthie act deserue no lesse praise then they who by force of armes atchieue a victorie Moreouer in the meane time that the enemie one destroied another his souldiers might take rest and so be stronger and better able to fight when need should require Beside that it seemed not that there was so much haste required to get the victorie for the lewes neither prepared armes or engines of warre nor leuied any forecs nor sought for aide and so by delaie no domage could insue but that they would plague one another more by ciuill wars then his armie would by taking them and their citie And therefore whether they considered it best to abstaine from assaulting them who fought with one another for securitie sake or else for vaine glorie thought the honour of the victorie diminished thereby yet he held it not meet to fight against them who were at ciuill wars amongst themselues for so it would be iustly said the victorie was not to be imputed to vs but to their discord The captaines all consented and thought this aduise of Vespasians best And presently it appeared how profitable his counsell was For euerie daie manieâ—…led vnto him to escape the hands of the Zealons yet it was hard dangerous to â—…ie because all the waies were garded with watchmen And if anie man vpon anie occasion whatsoeuer were taken vpon the waie he was presently killed as one who intended to haue fled vnto the Romans yet he that feed the watchmen with monie escaped awaie safelie and he that did not was counted as a traitor so that onely richmen could escape and the poore were left to the slaughter The multitude of dead bodies that lay on heapes togither was innumerable and manie of them who â—…d fled vnto the Romans returned againe into the citie chusing rather to die there for the hope they had to be buried in their natiue soile made death there seeme more tolerable But they became so cruell that they neither permitted them who were slaine within nor them without the citie to be buried But like men that had now determined togither with their countrey lawes to abolish the law of nature yea and by their impietie to pollute the sacred diuinitie with iniustice let the dead bodies rot aboue the ground and whosoeuer attempted to burie anie one of them that were
graues and there died Yet for all this calamitie was there no weeping nor lamentation for famine ouercame all affections And they who were yet liuing without teares beheld those who being dead were now at rest before them There was no noyse heard within the Citie and the still night found all full of dead bodies and which was most miserable of all the theeues at night came and tooke away that which couered the dead bodies nakednesse and went laughing away and in their bodies they proued their swords and vpon pleasure onely thrust manie thorough yet breathing Yet if any haue desired them to kill him or to lend him a sword to kill himselfe that so he might escape the famine they denied him And euerie one that died as he was dying fixed his eyes vpon the Temple and beheld it now with griefe leauing the seditious behind them The seditious now not able to endure the stincke of the dead bodies that lay corrupted aboue the ground first commaunded that all such should be buried at the charges of the Citie at last finding not place wherein to burie them all they threw them ouer the wals into the ditch When Titus going about the wals beheld all the ditch filled with dead mens bodies hee lamented and lifting vp his hands to heauen he called God to witnesse that it was not his doing Such was the estate of the Citie Now the Romanes when none of the seditious durst make any more excusions passed their time in ioy and myrth for they neither suffered famine nor sorrow hauing aboundance of Corne and all other necessaries out of Syria and the prouinces adioyning and many standing before the wals and shewing their aboundance of victuals vnto the Iewes did so much more increase their famine Yet were not the seditious people moued at these calamities wherefore Titus pitying the reliques of the nation and minding at least to saue them that were left aliue hasted to take the Citie and so he began anew to build mounts although he scarcely found matter to doe it withall For all the wood neere vnto the Citie was consumed in the first workes so that now the souldiers were forced to fetch more wood nintie furlongs off and onely against Antonia were erected in foure places foure mounts greater then the former Caesar went about and hastned the workmen and now shewed the theeues that they were fallen into his hands Yet for all this they would not repent and now as it were depriued of their wits and bodies they vsed both as though borrowed and not their owne For neither did any affection moue their minds nor any griefe their bodies for they rent and tore the dead bodies like dogges and filled the prisons with weake and languishing people CHAP. XV. Of the massacre of the Iewes both within and without the Citie AT last Simon hauing tormented Matthias put him to death notwithstanding that by his meanes he had obtained the Citie This Matthias was sonne vnto Boethus a Priest whom the people for his fidelitie towards them greatly esteemed of who seeing the outrage of the Zelous towards the people Iohn being now ioyned with them perswaded the people to call in Simon to helpe them conditioning nothing with him before for that they misdoubted no euil And when he was come into the Citie hee held him for his enemie as well as the rest notwithstanding that by his onely aduice hee was receiued into the Citie as though Matthias had onely done that of simplicitie Wherefore calling him before the people he accused him that hee did fauour the Romanes and so condemned him to die not suffering him to cleare himselfe and put to death likewise his three sonnes with him for the fourth was before this time fled vnto Titus Matthias requested Simon that he might bee put to death before his sonnes but Simon in regard that by his meanes he had gotten the Citie caused him to be executed last of all And so hee was killed vpon the murdered bodies of his sonnes in a place where the Romanes might behold him for so Simon commaunded Ananus his executioner who was the sonne of Bamadus This man was the most cruell of all Simons followers who euen when he was to kill Matthias derided him asking what they could now helpe him to whom hee sought to flie and not permitted their bodies to be buried After them Ananias a Priest the sonne of Masbalus a nobleman and chiefe secretarie to the councell a valiant strong man and borne at Emaus and with him fifteene of the chiefest men in the Citie were put to death They tooke also Iosephs father and kept him in prison and with the publike voice of a crier proclaimed that no man should talke with him nor visit him pretending feare of treason and whosoeuer bewailed his estate were put to death without any triall It happened a certaine man called Iudas the sonne of Iudas who was one of Simons Captaines seeing this who also kept a tower that Simon committed vnto his charge perhaps moued with compassion towards them that perished without desert yet rather fearing his owne life assembled together ten of his most trustie companions said How long shal we endure these calamities Or what hope haue we of life in being trustie to a most impious man Behold now famin doth take our Citie The Romanes are almost within our wals and Simon is cruell and faithlesse euen towards them that haue wel deserued at his hands with him we are in feare of punishment if we flie vnto the Romans we shall assuredly bee receiued into fauour Wherefore let vs deliuer the wall vnto them and saue our selues and our Citie Neither can Simon hereby sustaine any great losse in being punished a little sooner then otherwise hee should be being now desperate of his owne health and saftie The ten men to whom in this maner he brake his mind agreed herevnto and so he in the morning sent the rest of the souldiers vnder his rule into diuers places that they might not perceiue his intent and he at the third hower of the day standing vpon the tower called the Romans But some of the Romans proudly contemned their offer and other scarcely belieued them and the rest made no speede to come In the meane time while Titus with certaine armed men came vnto the wall Simon had notice of their intent so speedily got the tower and slew thē that were within in the sight of the Romans cast down their bodies ouer the wal And Ioseph going about the wal and comming thither for he neuer ceased from requesting the Iewes to remember their estate he was strook vpon the head with a stone so amazed with the blow fell down who being fallen down presently the Iewes made excursion out of the Citie and had carried him away into the citie had not Titus sent men to defend him and whilest they fought Ioseph was carried away scarcely knowing what was
possible to come and fire them and euerie one was fully determined not to shrinke out of his place till he were slaine For besides that if so be that worke were destroyed they had no hope left to build more they also accounted it a shame that their vertue should be ouercome by subtiltie or their weapons by rashnes and temerity or their skil by a multitude or the Romans by the Iewes Also they had engines to cast darts at them as they came downe their wals And when any one of the Iewes that was slaine fell downe he hindred them that followed and the daunger of him that went before terrified them that came after They also that rashly aduentured within the shot of a dart either were terrified with the discipline and multitude of their enemies or else wounded with their darts and so they all retired one accusing another of cowardlines and atchieued nothing The first day of Iuly the citie was assaulted and the Iewes being now retired the Romans set vp their Rammes notwithstanding that they were assaulted from Antonia with stones fire and sword and whatsoeuer their enemies in that extremitie could finde For though the Iewes had great confidence in their wals as that they could not be battered yet did they not permit the Romans to place their Rammes against them And the Romans being perswaded that the Iewes so laboured because they knew their wals to be weake and least Antonia by the breach of the wall should be hurt did striue to place thē against the wals But the wal would not yeeld vnto the Ram yet did the Romans safely without danger notwithstanding that many darts were cast at them from off the wals persist to beat the wal with their Rams who being below and seeing the stones broken with the force of their engines they shielded themselues with their bucklers and so some with their hands pulled the stones out of the wall some digged vnder the foundation thereof and when foure stones with much labour were broken and shaken the night hindred both parties from doing any more at that time and in it the wall now shaken with the Ramme in the place which Iohn had vndermined to destroy the mounts the mine setling fell downe So that fell out otherwise then either part expected For the Iewes who indeed had cause to be sorrowfull for the mine of the wall and for that they did not preuent that mischance were ioyfull and couragious as though Antonia did yet remaine firme and ◅ong And the Romans reioycing for this vnexpected fall were againe dismaied seeing the other wall that Iohn had built within yet they iudged it easier to be taken then the former but no man durst ascend it for that he who first assaulted it was certaine to die Titus thinking that by hope and perswasion his souldiers might be encouraged and knowing many times promises and exhortations made men forget daunger and sometime to contemne death it selfe hee called together the most valiant of all his souldiers and spake thus vnto them as followeth Fellow souldiers it is manifest cowardlinesse to exhort men to enterprise a thing without danger both in them that are exhorted and in him that exhorteth for exhortations are onely to be vsed in doubtfull affaires wherein it is praise worthie for euerie man to aduenture himselfe So that I confesse it is hard for you to ascend the wall yet will I shew you that it is a glorious death to die in such a fight and especially it becommeth them that are desirous to winne honour and that they that first aduenture valiantly to doe it shall not goe away vnrewarded And first let this moue you which terrifieth others to wit the patient mind of the Iewes and their constancie in aduersitie For it is a shame for the Romane souldiers who in time of peace practise themselues in warlike feares and are accustomed in warre to get the victorie now to be ouercome by the Iewes and that in the end of the victorie wee hauing also God to helpe vs for all our harmes proceede from the Iewes desperation and their destruction and calamitie by Gods fauour and your valour is euerie day increased For what else is betokned by their sedition amongst themselues their famine the fall of their wals without our engines to batter them and the siege it selfe then the wrath of God towards them and his fauour towards vs Wherefore it is vnseemely for you either to giue place to your inferiours or to betray Gods fauour and furtherance It is not a shame that the Iewes who were they conquered sustained no great reproch as being accustomed to serue obey others should so valiantly contemne death least they should hereafter suffer or endure the like and many times boldly to aduenture make excursions euen amongst the midst of vs not for hope they haue to ouercome vs but onely to shewtheir valour and that we who haue conquered almost the earth and sea to whom it is an infamie not to be victorious to lie idle and neuer make any valiant assault vpon our enemies but being thus armed to expect till fortune and famine deliuer them into our hands Especially seeing that by vndergoing a little danger all will be ours If we get into Antonia we haue taken the Citie For suppose that we were then to fight against them that are within the Citie which I doe not thinke we hauing gotten the highest part of the Citie being aboue our enemies head are then assured of a perfect victorie ouer them I omit now their commendations who haue beene slaine in warres and their immortalitie whom Martiall furie hath depriued of this life and those that doe not so thinke I pray that they may die of some euill death in peace whose soules are condemned to be enterred with their bodies For what valiant man knoweth not that the soule of him that dieth in warre is presently receiued into the most pure ayrie element and from thence carried and placed amongst the sta◅es of heauen and the good and valiant ghosts doe alwayes assist his posteritie And that all that in peace doe die of some disease and sicknesse their soules are kept in the bowels of the earth in darknesse notwithstanding that they bee most iust and pure and presently they are forgotten and their life and memorie together with them extinguished Seeing therefore that we are all certaine to die and that to die by the sword is a more easie death then to die by any disease why should wee depriue ourselues of this opportunitie seeing that at last we must necessarily forgoe our liues as due debt vnto the destinies And this I haue spoken as though it were vnpossible to escape with life you doing your endeuours yet they that beare the minds of men can find meanes to saue themselues euen in the greatest dangers For first of al that part of the wall that is fallen may easily be entred and the
Yet did that destinie befal him which no man can escape for hauing his shooes full of sharpe nailes as other souldiers haue running vpon the pauement he slipt and fell down his armour in the fall making a great noise whereat his enemies who before fled now turned againe vpon him Then the Romans in Antonia fearing his life cried out but the Iewes many at once strooke him with swords and speares And he defended many blowes with his shield and many times attempting to rise they strooke him down againe yet as he lay he wounded many neither was he quickly slaine because that all parts of his body which being wounded might cause present death were armed and shrunke in his necke a long time til the rest of his body being cut off no man helping him his strength failed Caesar was verie sorrowful to see a man of so great force and fortitude slaine in the sight of such a multitude and that the place wherein he was hindred him from helping Iulian and others that might haue helped him durst not for feare At last when Iulian had a long time striuen with death and wounded many of them that slewe him he was with much ado killed leauing behind him a renowmed memorie not only amongst the Romans and Caesar but also amongst his enemies Then the Iewes tooke his dead body and did beate backe the Romans and shut them in Antonia In this battell one Alexas and Gyphthaeus two of Iohns companie fought valiantly and of Simons companie Malachias and Iudas the sonne of Merton and Iames the sonne of Sosa captaine of the Idumaeans and two brethren of the Zelous the sonnes of Iairus Simon and Iudas CHAP. IIII. Iosephs speech perswading the Iewes to yeeld their Citie and how many of them fled vnto the Romans AFter that Titus had commanded his souldiers to pull downe the foundations of Antonia and make an easie entrance for the whole army He called Ioseph vnto him for he vnderstood that day being the seuenteenth of Iuly that the Iewes were woont to celebrate a certaine feast to God which they called Entelechismus and that it was not solemnized for want of men so that the people greatly mourned therfore and againe commanded him to tell Iohn that whereof before he had sent him word to wit that if he desired to fight he should haue libertie to come with what multitude he pleased so that the Citie and the temple might not both perish with him willing him now to desist from prophaning the holy place and not from sinning against God sending him also word that if he so pleased he would grant him leaue to celebrate the festiuitie which had been now long time omitted and that by what companie he pleased Ioseph to the intent that not onely Iohn might heare this offer of Titus but also the rest of the people he stood in an eminent place from whence he might be heard and in the Hebrew tongue he recounted vnto the Iewes Caesars pleasure earnestly requesting them to spare their countrey and forbid the fire now ready to take holde of their temple and to offer the accustomed sacrifices vnto God When he had thus said the people were verie sorrowfull and euerie one held his peace not knowing what to say But the tyrant Iohn hauing vsed many railing speeches against Ioseph at last he answered that he need not feare the destruction of the temple and Citie seeing that it belonged to God Then Ioseph with a lowd voice cried out true it is you haue kept it pure and vnprophaned for God and the holy things you haue kept inuiolate neither hast thou committed any iniquitie against him from whom thou expectest helpe but hast offred solemne sacrifice vnto him If any man should take from thee thy daily food no doubt thou wouldest account him thy enemy canst thou then hope that God whom thou hast depriued of daily sacrifice wil assist thee in these wars Doest thou impute these offences to the Romans why they euen now doe defend our religion and commaund sacrifice to be offered which thou hast forbidden Who doth not bewaile this vnexpected change and lament our Citie strangers and enemies correct thy impietie and thou a Iewe borne and brought vp in our lawe art more cruell then they But consider Iohn it is no shame to repent thy wickednes in extremitie and at the last cast if thou be desirous to saue thy countrey thou hast a good example of Iechonias sometime king of the Iewes who when the Babylonians warred against him of his owne accord went out of the Citie before it was taken and willingly endured captiuitie with all his family and kinred only least he should betray these holy places vnto his enemies and behold the temple fired And for this act of his he is of sacred memorie amongst the Iewes and hath thereby gained immortall credit amongst all his posteritie This is a good example O Iohn although danger be at hand and I wil promise thee also pardon from the Romans onely remember that I thy countriman admonish thee and promise this vnto the Iewes behold who is the author and counsellor hereof God forbid that euer I should so liue a captiue that I should not liue according to the lawes of our countrey Yet againe art thou incensed against me and exclaimest vpon me and cursest me But true it is I deserue worse then this who seeke to perswade contrarie vnto the determination of Gods prouidence and striue to saue them whom his sentence hath condemned Who is ignorant of the writings of the auncient prophets and their prophecies now hanging ouer this wretched citie For then it is foretold by them to be destroied when we murther our owne nation and now not onely the citie but also the temple is full of your dead bodies Certainly it is God God it is that togither with the Romans bringeth in fire to purge this citie filled with iniquitie Ioseph thus crying with teares and lamentations he could speake no more for sobbing And the Romans compassionating his sorrow and affliction were astonished But Iohn and his confederates were so much the more incited against the Romans and sought to take Ioseph yet his speech did mooue many of the nobles and diuers fearing the seditious watchmen remained still where they were making full account both of their owne destruction and the subuersion of the Citie Yet some there were who finding opportunitie fled vnto the Romans amongst whom were two priests Ioseph and Iesus and three sons of Ismael the priest who was beheaded at Cyren and foure sonnes of Matthias the priest and one of the other Matthias who escaped vnto the Romans before his father was put to death by Simon Giora with his three sons as is before said and many other nobles reuolted with the priests whom the Emperour receiued verie curteously and then sent into Gophna knowing that it was a griefe for them to conuerse amongst
their oths sake neither were they able to fight with the Romans being now as it were besieged round by them yet their accustomed murthers did encourage them to stand out Thus dispersed all ouer the Citie they lurked in the ruines lying in wait for those that sought to flie vnto the Romans and many of them were taken and all of them were slaine for famine had so weakned them that they could not flie and they cast their dead bodies vnto dogs And any death were easie in respect of famine So that many fled vnto the Romans hauing no promise no nor hope to be pardoned by them and vpon purpose fell into the hands of the seditious who neuer ceased from murther and now there was no place in the whole Citie voide but was filled with dead bodies who either perished by famine or sedition But the tyrants and factious theeues put their last refuge in the vaults where they hoped whatsoeuer hapned to saue themselues hoping that there they could not be found and so after the Citie was destroied to escape which was only their vaine phantasie For they could neither be hid from God nor the Romans yet at that time they trusted in those caues from whence they fired the Citie more then the Romans and cruelly murthered them that hauing escaped the flames came and fled into secret places and spoiled them also if they in any place found any meate though all bloudy yet they tooke it and did eate it and now one of them began to fight with an other about the spoile they gotte And I verily perswade my selfe that had they not beene preuented by the destruction of the Citie their crueltie would haue beene such that they would haue eaten the bodies of dead men CHAP. XV. How the higher part of the Citie was assaulted and how many Iewes fled vnto Titus Caesar perceiuing that the higher part of the Citie could not be woon without mounts being scituate in a soile round about the which were high and deepe places on the twentith day of August he set all his souldiers on worke and the carrying of wood for that purpose was verie painfull all trees within a hundreth furlongs off the Citie were already cut downe and vsed in the former worke as is before said So the foure legions raised a mount on the West side of the Citie and all the rest made a mount against the porch bridge and tower which Simon during his warres with Iohn had built About this time the captaines of the Idumaeans assembling togither deliberated to yeeld themselues and sent fiue of their companie vnto Titus beseeching him to confirme a peace vnto them and he hoping that the tyrants would yeeld after them who were the greatest part of his army with much ado granted them life and so sent them vnto their fellowes but Simon had notice of their departure and presently slew those fiue that were sent vnto Titus and taking the captaines the noblest of whom was Iames the son of Sosa he put them in prison and also kept and guarded the Idumaeans who now hauing no gouernours knew not what to do yet the guard could not hinder them from flying for although many of them were killed yet diuers fled and escaped and all were receiued by the Romans Titus curtesie being such as that he remembred not his former edict to the contrarie and now the souldiers hoping for gaine and hauing already gotten sufficient abstained from murthers for leauing onely the common people they solde the rest with their wiues and children for a small price many being exposed to sale and few comming to buy them so that he hauing made an edict that none should flie vnto him alone intending thereby to bring their families with them yet he now receiued them also appointing some to enquire who had deserued punishment and to inflict it on them And an infinite number was solde and more then fortie thousands of the people were saued whom the Emperour dismissed and permitted to go whither they pleased The same time a certaine priest the sonne of Thebathus named Iesus was promised pardon vpon condition that he should deliuer certaine holy things giuen vnto the temple and so he came and brought out of a wall two candlesticks like vnto them that were in the temple tables goblets cuppes all made of solide and massiue golde also the veile and the ornaments of the priests and the precious stones about them and many vessels made for sacrifice Moreouer the keeper of the holy treasure called Phineas brought forth the garments and all things that did belong vnto the priests and much purple and scarlet which were laid vp in store to make tapestrie or hangings amongst which also was some Cinamon Cassia and many other odoriferous things whereof were compounded sweet odors to be offered to God He also deliuered him much wealth of other mens and much sacred treasure for the which notwithstanding that he was taken by force yet he was pardoned as they were that fled vnto Caesar. CHAP. XVI How the rest of the Citie was taken THe seuenth day of September the mounts being finished which was the eighteenth day after they were begun some of the Romans placed theie rammes and engines to batter them some of the seditious who now despaired to keepe the citie left the wals and fled into Aâ—…a others hid themselues in certaine vaults and many hindred the Romans and resisted them for placing their rammes against the wals who were ouercome by them being both more in number then they were and also stronger and more valiant The Iewes being now all discouraged and sorrowfull so soone as any part of the wall was broken downe or shaken with the force of the rammâ—…s straight waies fled and now the tyrants were surprised with a greater feare then needed For euen before such time as the enemies had entred the wall they stood in doubt whether they might flie or no and they who a little before were proud and arrogant malefactors did now â—…emble and quake so that it was pitifull to see such a chaunge in them though they were wicked persons And they endeuored to assaile the vvall that Titus had built to compasse the whole citie vvithall but seeing themselues forsaken of all those that vvere vvont to be trustie vnto them euerie one fled vvhether necessitie did driue him Presently newes vvere brought them that all the west vvall of the citie was beaten downe others affirmed that the Romans had entred and that they had seene the enemies in the towers feare daseling their eies and prostrate vpon the ground they bewailed their misfortune and as though they had beene lame they stood still sought not to flie From vvhence one may chiefely perceiue Gods iustice towards the impious and the Romans fortune for the tyrants depriued themselues of their strong holds and voluntarily departed out of their towers vvherein they could neuer haue beene taken but
in our graues before we had seene that sacred Citie fired by a hostile hand before we beheld the holy temple destroied by impietie and seeing that the hope we had to be reuenged vpon our enemies is now vanished away and that we are left alone in miserie and necessitie let vs hasten to die well and take compassion vpon our selues our wiues and children and that whilest we haue time to compassionate our selues For both we are borne to die and all that are begotten by vs and the strongest men liuing cannot auoid it but iniurie and bondage and to see our wiues and children abused before our faces is no necessitie proceeding from mans nature but they onely are forced to endure it who when they might haue died without it did refuse for feare We first of all trusting to our strength rebelled against the Romans nowe lastly they exhorting vs to obedience we denied which of them then will not be enraged against vs if they can take vs aliue Most miserable shall those young men be whose strength will endure many torments and those olde men will mooue compassion whose aged yeeres cannot suffer tortures one shall see his wife carried away from him and another his sonne hauing his hands bound behind him crie vnto his father for helpe who now whilest they are free from the thraldome of their enemies may gloriously assist vs with their swords Let vs with our wiues and children die freemen let vs altogither depart out of this life This our religion commandeth this our wiues and children perswadeth God himselfe hath driuen vs vnto this necessitie for this purpose The Romans would haue it otherwise who feare least any of vs should perish and not fal into their hands aliue Let vs therefore hasten that in steed of their expected hope whereby they verily perswaded themselues to take vs aliue we may contrarie to their expectation daunt them with asodain admiration of our glorious deaths Whilest Eleazar was yet speaking and desirous still to continue his exhortation they all interrupted him euerie one now in a furie bent to follow his aduice made haste to effect it and as though they had been vrged by some bad spirit thereunto euerie one laboured to preuent one another in the execution thereof iudging him to shew most valour and fortitude that first dispatched himselfe They were also desirous to kill their wiues and their children with themselues And which is most strange their mindes were nothing altered when they came to effect this bloudy worke but with the same resolution that they had when they heard Eleazars speech euerie one retained his good affection towards his friends yet permitting reason to take no place and perswading themselues that thus they had well prouided for their children they all at once embraced their wiues and children for their last farewell and tooke their leaues of them kissing them with teares and then at once slew them as though it had been done by the hands of other men and not their owne comforting themselues being forced so to doe in that hereby they should escape the tyranny and crueltie of their enemies Finally no man was so cowardly who durst not presume to this action so euerie one of thē killed his deerest friends O miserable people whom necessitie forced to slay their wiues and children accounting the action thereof to be the verie least of all their miseries Wherefore now not enduring the griefe that ensued vpon this fact and thinking that in liuing any while after them they should iniure them whom they had slaine they with all speed possible gathered all their riches togither and set them on fire which done they elected ten by lot who should slay the rest euerie one prostrating himselfe vpon his wife and children embracing them in his armes and was was so slaine willingly by them that executed that wretched office who hauing without feare dispatched them they cast lots whose fortune it was to kill all the rest and he vpon whom the lot did fall should kill the other nine and lastly himselfe vpon them all euerie one so encouraging one another that there was no difference betweene them that were to be killed and them that were to kill and so the rest offered themselues to death which done one who was the last of all being yet aliue went amonst the dead bodies and searched to see if none liued that needed his hand in so great a multitude of slaine people and finding all of them dispatched he went and fired the pallace which done he with all his force thrust his sword into his owne bodie vp to the hilts and so fell downe by his deerest freinds In this maner they died thinking they had left no one aliue to haue fallen into the Romās hands but one certaine olde woman another that was Eleazars cosins who in learning wisedome surpassed all other women fiue children who all hid themselues in a caue wherein water was reserued to drinke whilest the rest were busied in this massacre who were in number 900. and 60 beside women and children This calamitie hapned the fifteenth day of Aprill In the morning the Romans expecting that the Iewes would fight with them made bridges from their mounts vnto the wals and so assaulted the wals and seeing none of their enemies appeare but all the wals wasted and on fire and deepe silence in euerie place they could not coniecture what was done and at last they made a crie at once as though they had beene beating the wals with a Ramme thereby to see if they could make any enemies come out The women in the vaults heard this crie and comming forth they declared vnto the Romans all that had hapned one of them relating vnto them the euent of all the whole matter yet for all this the Romans did not easily beleeue her words by reason of the greatnesse of that fact but they endeuored to quench the fire and passing through it they presently came into the pallace where they beheld all the dead bodies yet they did not insult ouer them as their enemies but admired that so many should be so obstinately minded to despise death CHAP. XXIX Of the death of the Sicarians that were fled vnto Alexandria and Thebes THe Castle being thus taken the generall of the Romans leauing a garrison there went vnto Caesarea for there was no one enemie left in all that countrey but now all Iudaea was destroyed through continuance of long wars and many of that nation though far distant from it tasted of those troubles for it so fell out that afterward many Iewes perished in Aegypt at Alexandria for those Sicarians who had escaped thither were not content to be safe and free from daunger but there also they attempted alteration and to defend their liberty against the the Romans esteeming themselues nothing inferiour vnto them and that onely God was their Lord. And some of the nobler race of the Iewes
these speeches he ioyfully yeelded vp the Ghost It is most true therefore which we at first affirmed to wit that the enduring of paines and torments is wrought by our reasons lore which once determined and resolued maketh a prosperous suffering of paines with all patience who wisely aduising men to that which is best doth settle confirme our opinions to follow it If therefore reason and the inferiour powers be at variance we must subiect them to reason if we will make a perfect victorie With this guide of reason our father Eleazar was most safely directed neither to be ouercome with paines nor to giue place vnto vnlawfull enticements and allurements he saued the ship of his bodie from all shipwracke that might arise by the tempestuous stormes of vanitie and suffered himselfe with no contrarie winde to be driuen from the right course yea though it was tossed vpon the waues of tyrannie yet did it remaine sound and vnbroken and keeping a direct course arriued in the hauen of saluation Neuer any man did seeke so valiantly to defend his Citie from an enemie as this holy olde man did his soule who amongst stripes crosses and flames was still the same man he was before For as the toppe of a high rocke standeth sase and resisteth the waue without any domage vnto it selfe euen so did the rocke of reason in this man beat backe the rage of those tempestuous waues that did beat against his bodie not permitting them to breake in and pierce the celestiall and diuine power of the soule O happie olde man more blessed then all of thy age O priest more sacred then all other priests who didst not pollute thy sacred lips with prophane meats impietie found no entrance that way from whence so many praiers to God had proceeded The tyrants cruelty could not preuaile against thee thou therfore art made an example for all priests of God to imitate Such a one behooued it a priest to be more strong then torments more able to suffer then the torturers to inflict punishment more forcible then princes commands yea and more potent then the fire wherein thou didst perish and finally thou wast ordained to be crowned with the lawrell of martyrdome for thy sufferance Thou hast surpassed all antiquitie thou shalt be an example to all posterity If then feeble olde age wherein al strength and heat of bodie was extinguished now vnfit to suffer torments as being alreadie broken with age could by the aduice of reason endure so many torments so many miseries who dare denie reason to be the chiefe cause of our sufferance We haue seene that all cruelty hath beene ouercome by a determination to persist in the seruice and feare of God yet many affirme that not all men who vse the aduice of reason are able to vndergoe such agonies but their assertion is vaine and of no force for most euident it is that he onely is ouercome by paine whom wisedome hath not armed with patience And no maruaile if he who rashly enterprise so waightie a matter and with due consideration do at last forsake and repent himselfe of that which he so vnaduisedly vndertooke But if we with due aduice and deliberation arme ourselues it is not an easie matter to remoue vs by any misfortune from our determination when we make account that misfortune will betide vs we are not easily dismaied thereat when it doth beride for that nothing befell vs that we expected not Therefore he that is wise and valiant is able to conquer his passions for that he doth well deli berate and when he commeth to his agony can put his determination in execution Neither is the wisedome of this olde man so much to be admired seeing children and as it were infants haue so deserued commendations in this point that they did worke astonishment in their tormentors for the courage and crueltie of Antiochus being ouercome by the wisedome of old age was now the more increased and by wicked counsell caused seuen worthie children of the Hebrews to be brought vnto Antioch out of their Castle Sosandrum who being young in yeeres and so as hee thought weake and vnable to suffer torments his hope was that either by perswasions or terror of tortures he might force them to renounce their religion He therefore commaunded these seuen together with their mother Salomona who now grew well in yeeres to bee brought before him so they according to his commaund were brought being of excellent beautie and worthie children of so vertuous a mother yea they resembled angels their faces shining like the cleare light of the Sunne their eyes sparkled in most comely and decent maner as testifying that they surpassed in vertue al other of humane race and condition Shee was descended of most vertuous and noble parentage and so shee her selfe had continued and liued but that excellent feature of body enriched with nobilitie of bloud and dignitie was now also made more noble by vertue and fortitude wherein shee passed all other things that could bee said in her commendations The tyrant beholding them and their mother amongst them with merrie and gladsome countenance hee thus craftily spake vnto the children I wish your good O admirable young-men for so both your beautie of body and noble parentage perswade me doe not therefore like mad men resist my commaund auoide not onely torments but death also For I desire not onely to exalt you vnto honour but also to increase your riches and possessions contemne the superstitious and superfluous beliefe of your Countrimen and imbrace our religion Which if you refuse to doe as I hope you will not I will deuise all torments whereby I may by a lingering and paineful death consume you And to the end to terrifie them the more he commaunded all instruments of torment to bee presented vnto their view and eye-sight So wheeles roddes hookes rakes rackes caudrons cagâ—… gridirons were brought forth and engines to torment the fingers and hands gauntlets awles bellowes brazen pots and frying pans for these are the names which we find For that which I terme bellowes was a thinne plate of yron to kindle or blow the fire with like a fanne and farre more horrible deuises of torments were shewed vnto them too long to rehearse whereof they hauing had a sight Antiochus said Consent vnto me O prudent young men for if that I commaund you to commit a sinne yet doe you not offend in doing it seeing you commit it onely vpon compulsion But the young youthes inflamed with a diuine spirit and sense contemned so many kinds of torments and despised the tyrants threates and flatteries and most godly for they gaue him no iust occasion they did driue the tyrant into a greater rage And by this it is euident how reason is maister ouer passion for if any slouthful man not before trained vp to it should of a sodaine come to such a push at the verie sight of such torments
instructed vs we are all of one mind and all alike affected doe therefore no longer prolōg the time in vaine I came hither for to suffer not to speake vse all your tyrannie possible against this bodie for you haue no power at all ouer my soule The tyrant hereat moued to see this third nothing relent by his brothers death he deuised more crueltie thē humane wit alone could inuēt Wherefore he commaunded a globe to be brought and tied the holy martyr about it in such sort that all his bones were set out of ioynt and displaced whereat the holy martyr was nothing dismaid The skin also of his head and face was pulled off and then he was put vpon the wheele but he could not be racked any worse for that all his bones were displaced and did hang one separated from an other in most pitifull manner and when bloud issuing from him aboundantly he was depriued of the vse of his hands and feete but perceiuing his life to be spent he spake thus and died We O tyrant endure this torment for the loue of God and thou the author of such iniust crueltie shalt suffer euerlasting paine Then his tongue being cut out of his mouth he was put into a frying panne and so amidst those torments yeelded vp the Ghost Next after followed Iudas the fourth brother whom all the people perswaded and entreated to obey the king but he contemning their praiers and exhortations said thus with all constancie Your fire shall neither separate nor seuer me from the law of God nor from my brethren who in steed of this mortall life enioy life euerlasting I denounce vnto thee O tyrant destruction and ouerthrow but to such as beleeue saluation make triall of me therefore thou cruell wretch and see if God will forsake me who hath with open and stretched out armes receiued my three brethren that are gone before me and whom the wombe of so holy a mother at seuerall times brought forth vnto glorie The cruell tyrant hearing this was much moued and lept downe from his chaire to torment this martyr himselfe that so he might ouercome him and in his furie commaunded his tongue to be cut forth but he hereat not terrified said vnto Antiochus This crueltie will nothing auaile thee neither shalt thou hereby tyrannt as thou supposest conquer me Our God needs not by voice to be awakened but rather by secret cogitation to be praied vnto to helpe his seruants he prouideth for them that hold their peace and heareth the praiers of such as doe call vpon him if they deserue to be heard and onely requireth puritie of soule For our God knoweth all things before we aske and before we our selues enter into cogitation thereof he vnderstādeth our necessitie cut out my toong thou canst not cut out my mind while my life remaineth Those praiers which by it I haue vttered to Almightie God haue taught it to suffer would God thou wouldest so sanctifie all parts of my body by punishing them for thou therein inflictest punishment vpon thy selfe and reward vpon me thinke not that thou shalt thus escape long vnpunished When he had thus spoken his tongue was cut out of his mouth and he bound to a stake and there he was beaten with ropes ends and he did patiently endure this notwithstanding the colour of his face became dead and wanne Being loosed from thence he was put vpon the wheele and then praying for his countriemen he by death went vnto the rest of his brethren Then Achas the fifth brother before he was haled to torments spake in this manner Behold thou tyrant I come to be punished before thou commaund me hope not therefore any iot to alter his mind who as thou seest desireth to be tormented The bloud of my foure innocent brethren which thou hast shed hath condemned thee to hell fire I am to make them vp the number of fiue that by it thy paines may be encreased Tell me bloudie wretch for what offence by vs committed dost thou thus punish vs for what impietie dost thou so persecute vs what villany haue we committed what wickednesse what naughtinesse haue we attempted This is all thou canst alleage against vs that we honour God our creator liue iustly in obedience of his lawes and therefore do not esteeme thy punishments but they are to vs honour and saluation and not punishment we shall be greatly rewarded by God if no part of vs be left free from torment Whilest thus he spake his executioners by the kings commaund tooke him and cast him into a brasen pot and was prest downe in it his head to his feet and afterward he suffered all other torments which his brethren had indured yet not amazed hereat he sodainly started vp and thus bitterly inueighed against the tyrant Cruel tyrant how great benefits dost thou against thy will bestow vpō vs yea the more thou art incensed against vs the more acceptable to God shalt thou make vs yea I should be sory if thou shouldest shew mercie vpon me This short affliction gaineth vs life euerlasting if this tēporall death should not beride me euerlasting life could not befall me And thus he finished his agonie and died When the tormentors laid hands vpon the sixt brother who was called Areth whom the tyrant permitted either to chuse honour or else punishment but he agrieued at this offer said Although tyrant I be younger in yeeres then my martyred brethren yet my constancie of minde to theirs is not inferiour for we were all nourished vp togetheraltoger her instructed and we will all die together in the feare of God Hasten therfore to thy deuised torments that time which thou couldest spend in exhorting me spend it in deuising tortures for me Antiochus hereat confounded commaunded him to be bound to a pillar with his head hanging downe in such wise as humours running into it might cause ach and this done he caused a fire to be made so far Off him that it could not burne him but rost him He also commaunded as he hung to be pricked with awles that so the heat might pierce into the holes that they made in his flesh Whilest thus he was tormented much bloud like froth gathered about his head and face and he then spake in this manner O noble fight O valiant war O strife betweene pietie and impietie These men haue past their agonies whose crowne of martyrdome is the punishment of their persecutors I do most willingly follow my brethren that as by bloud I am conioyned vnto them so by death I may not be separated from them Deuise O tyrant some new torment for these which thou hast alreadie deuised are alreadie ouercome O master of crueltie enemie of pietie persecutor of iustice we sixe worthie young men haue conquered the kings power what his kingdome or the whole world could offorde Thy fire is cold and heateth not and the kings weapons are bended and blunted in our bodies
vnspeakable None of you were terrefied with feare but you so hastened to your deaths as though you had onely beene to go to blisse and felicitie you were truely brethren who euen by death were linked together God hath greatly in you magnified our nation and in you shewed vs all an example of fortitude whom therefore I thinke he caused to be so many in number as were the daies wherein he created the world so that seuen brethren may resemble the seuen daies wherein in all things were made And why should we so admire this fortitude in these young men when a woman armed her selfe with contempt of death who indeed is not to be called a mother but to be honoured with a higher title then humane frailtie can afford who bare into this world so many triumphs For the mother seeing her children dead was with a kind and godly zeale inflamed also to suffer and no maruaile seeing that the verie bruit beasts if they perceiue violence offred to their young do oppose themselues to perils in their defence and protect them with their wings teeth and talents yea and euerie one that is any way able to make resistance opposeth her selfe to the enemie to defend her young And not onely bruit beasts doe this but euen Bees doe defend not onely their young but also their honie threatning their sting to them that offer to taste thereof and more esteeming the good of their young then their owne liues But this zealous mother directed by the spirit of God and reasons loare hasted that her children might die before her who not being to liue depriued of her children chose rather to see them die ioyfully then to perish in care and sorrow Therefore when al her family had suffered she then the last glorie of them al came to her agony despising the tyrants threats and offering her motherly breast to those torments which her children had suffered O blessed stocke and blessed encrease of the selfesame wombe Why should I not affirme that in all lineaments and feature of the bodie you are like your mother and if this be a commendation in them that beside the shape of bodie receiue nothing else of their mother I will say more of you that you are like your mother in fortitude vertue and religion and that you so in all things resemble her that you are euerie way equall vnto her saue onely herein that she with her eies beheld the immanitie of your torments being also as constant in her owne martyrdome as you in yours She therefore herein excelled you that she suffered seuen torments before she came to suffer in her owne person and feared in euerie one of them least she should be ouercome But O thou example of all women I cannot tel whether thou bare these children in thy wombe or created them who could with drie eies looke vpon them whilst they were torne in peeces yea I say little affirming that thou with patience didst behold these sights for euen thou thy selfe didst exhort them thereunto thou reioycedst to see one of them torne in peeces with fleshhookes the other to be racked vpon the wheele and the third to be bound and beaten thou ioyfully admiredst the others burning and exhortedst the rest not to be terrified herewith and although whilest thou beheldest their torments thy griefe was greater then that which thou hadst in childbirth yet didst thou frame a lightsome and merry countenance as though it had beene one trumphing While they were a killing thou didst laugh and seeing onely one of all thy children left hereat thou didst nothing relent Can I describe how euerie one perished seeing thou their mother didst laugh at their deaths when their sinewes were cut in two their heads fleane their tongues pulled forth by the roots their hands broken their bodies in the fire and cast vpon yron plates red hotte and vpon wheeles and their ribs pulled in sunder and many other torments for the which we want names Neuer was any swanne which by the report of antiquitie sung so sweet a note before her death sweeter then the most melodious harmonie and the most pleasant voice was the funerall verses of those thy children that perished You children were not ouercome by the fabulous Syrens enchauntments who to honour God doubted not to leaue your mother without children And she sprung of noble stocke chose rather to want you all for a short time then to incurre eternall damnation wishing rather that the bodies of her children should be tormented then their soules Well she knew that nothing was more fraile infirme then our bodies which though persecutiō be wanting are often killed with agues and aboundance of blould or fluxes And who is ignorant of shipwracke incident to sailers hazard of life vnto them that trauaile and sodaine death to those that liue in ease Sodaine casualtie by fire and by the hands of theeues and a thousand other waies to dispatch our liues seeing then that our morrall bodies are subiect to so many miseries to bring vs to our ende who would not make choise of a quicke dispatch whereby we loose the goods of this world and gaine life euerlasting O thou most reuerent of all women the credit of thy nation and honour of our religion who like the Arke of Noe didst persist inuiolate amongst such stormie waues for as it withstood the force of the Deluge and being built strongly with firme bords did not suffer any thing within it to perish so thou sufferedst not the tyrant to ouercome the holy Ghost which thou hadst receiued in thy heart Behold of what force and efficacie reason is which often time maketh vs men inferiour to women For neither was Daniel so terrified at the sight of the Lions nor the three children with the firie furnace as this woman was grieued at the death of euery one of her children before she came to her owne agonie What would another woman mother haue done in this case but wept with pitiful lamentations haue cried Ah wretch that I am most vnhappie and miserable of all that breath who therefore bare so many children into this world that their seueral deaths might be so many seueral occasions of my griefe and sorrow she would haue iterated her frequent births and her toyle in her ten moneths bearing them she would haue bewailed her haplesse fortune who brought forth so many deaths and daungers she would haue recounted the milke wherewith she fed them and their meat she had prepared for them the paines she had taken with them how she had caried them in her armes and sung to them and taught them to speake her cares her watchings her feare least any mishap should betide them And with weeping teares would haue said shall I a grandmother embrace your children who a while agoe was a too fruitfull mother and am now depriued of you all If this day I die I haue none to burie me But this handmaide of
corrupted 520. i. banisned 521. a. Cunning of Dauid in playing on the haipe 141. e. Cups of gold 197. b. Curse against him that builds Iericho 102. l. Custome of the countrey 24. g. Custome obserued in sacrifices 68. l m. Custome of warre 97. c d. Custome in Samaria 228. l. Custome laudable in a king 280. l. Custome to punish slaiers of themselues 659. f. Custome of the Romans 711. d. Custome of the Priests 766. i l. c. Cutthroates among the Iewes 523. c. Cyprus a Castle 588. g. Cyrenaeus taxeth Iudaea 462. l. Cyrus lung of Persia 26â—… b. ouerthroweth Balthazar and taâ—…th Babylon 262. h. dismisseth the Iewes 265. a b c. permitteth to build Câ—…e and Temple 265. b c. his decree touching the temple 271. c d. Cyzicenus king of Syria see Antiochus D Dagon fell downe 127. c. Dares of creasion six 3. d e. the seuenth sanctified ibid. e. the day lengthened 104. m. Dalila foundeth Sampson 123. a. betraieth him ibid. b c. Darâ—…aseens kill 10000. Iewes 639. c d. N. Damascenus testimonie of Abraham 12. k. Damasco countrey of Abraham â—…2 k. Damsels intice the Hebrewes to idolatrie 8â—…9 d. 86. g. Dan the sonne of Iacob 24. k. what it signiseth ibid. k. his issue 40. g. Daniels austere life 258. g h. expounds Nauchodonosors dreame 259. c d. aduaunced to honour ibid. 262. g f e. his fellowes cast into the furnace 259. f. interpreteth the writing 262. g. cast into the Lyons dentie 262. l. his vision of the Ram and Goat 263. d 〈◊〉 his predictions of the Roman Empire 264. h Datius king of the Medes 261. b. surpriseth Babylon 262. h. causeth Daniels enemiâ—… to be cast to the Lyons 263. a. Darius son of Hystaspis maketh a vow 263. a. performeth it 268. l m. propoundeth three questions 267. b. his letters for building the temple c. 268. m. 269. a. he restoreth the vessels c. ibid. b. his Epistle to the prefects of Syria 171. c. Darius king of Persia ouerthrowne 285. 2. Darknesse separated c. 3. d. Darknesse of Aegypt 49. a b. Dart of Saul 153. c d. Darts profit not the Iewes 709. d. Dathan rebellious 79. a. he with his companio were swallowed vp 80. g. Daughters of Salpades inheritance 88. c. Daughters of the Madianites 85. d. allure the Hebrewes to Idolatrie 86. g. Dauid annointed king 141. b c. seased with Gods spirit 141. d. caseth Sauls vexation ibid. d e f. killeth a Lyon and a Beare 142. k. m. ouercommeth Goliab 143. c d. killeth six hundreth l'hilistines and marrieth Michol 144. k. l. vanquisheth the Palestines 145. d. discouereth Sauls affection towards him 146. h. complaineth to Ionathan 146. k l. receieth Goliahs sword 148 g h. counterfaiteth madnesse and why 148. i. his care of his parents ibid. k. defendeth Cilla 150. h. flieth to the Ziphians 150. k. escapeth Sauls hands and how 151. a. twise saueth Sauls life 151. b c. 153. c d. testifieth his innocencie ibid. c. 154. g. spareth Nabals flocks 152. g. incensed against Nabal and why ib. i. is appeased ibid. l. m. vpbraideth Abner 153. d e. dwelleth at Siceleg and spoilet the Satrites c. 154. i. recouereth his vites and slaieth the Amalechites 157. b c. lamenteth Saul and Ionathan c. 159. c f. chosen king by one tribe c. 160. g. requireth Michol 161. b c. purgeth himselfe of Abners death 162. i. k l. surpriseth Ierusalem 164. h i. vanquisheth the Palestines 165 b c. transporteth the Arke and how ibid. c e. intended to build a temple 166. h. gaue God thankes ibid. k. reuengeth his Embassadours 169. b c d. marrieth Bethsabe 170. l. repenteth his sinne 171. b. mourneth for his sonne 171. ibid. c d. expelled his kingdome 177. b. his entertainment at Mahanaim 177. c. commandeth to spare his sonne 177. f. bewaileth Absalons death 179. a. granteth Amasa pardon 179. c. his concubines sequestred 181. c. distributeth offices 182. b. deliuered out of perill ibid. l. perswaded to abstaine from warre ibid. lus 38. champions 183. c. c. sendeth Ioab to muster the people 184. h. of three punishments offered chooseth the plague 184. k. prayeth for the innocent people ibid. l. commanded to build an Altar ibid. m. gathereth store of yron c. 185. d. counselled Salomon to honour God ibid. f. groweth olde and numbe 186. h. numbreth the Leuites 187. e. confirmeth the kingdome of Salomon ibid. commendeth Salomon to the tribes 188. h. his counsell to Salomon 189. c. willeth Salomon to punish Ioab 189. d. commendeth Berzillais sonnes to Salomon 189. his age raigne and vertues ib. f. Dauncing of the maidens of Israel 243. e. of Dauids before the Arke 165. e f. Daunger of the Israelites 50. i k l. 51. d. c. of Dauid 144. m. 145. c f. 150. i k l m. 151. a b. of the Sephorites 534. a. of â—…cims sonne 532. g. of Ioseph 537. c. 538. g. 539. a. 641. c d. of Herode 577. c. of Titus 700. h. Dead â—…e vnburied 721. d. c. Dead bodie raised 236. m. Dealing of Laban with Iacob 25. d c. Dealing of Saul with Dauid colourable 144. g h i. Death of the fathers 6. k. 7. a c. Death of the seuen brethren 800 k l. 801. a. 802. g. 803. c. Death of Abraham 20. l. of Isaac 27. d. of Rachel ibid. c. of Iacob 40. m. of Ioseph 41. a. of Moses 99. b c. of Samuel 151. f. of Salomon 206. g. Death of the first begotten 49. d. Death of the leader discomfort to the souldier 222. h. Dearth of victuals prophecied 214. k. Debate compâ—…itted 157. d. c. Debate of the Iewes and Samaritanes 322. m. 323. 2. Debate of Herode with his sonnes 590. b. Debate betwixt the Ladies 598. m. Debora a prophetesse 115. a. encouraged Barac ibid. c. Decease of Herode 605 i k. Declamation of Sentius 499. a b. Deceit of Florus 624. k. of Iohn 676. g. of the Iewes 702. l m. Deciding of hard controuersies referred to Moses 58. i. Decree of the Romans 315. c. of Cyrus 271. c d. Decree of destinie 714. g. Dedication of the Tabernacle and Priests 66. l. Defence of Moses c. 790. i k. Defence of Nicholaus 609. c. 613. a. 459. b. Defie of the enemie 142. i. 145. b. Deflouring of Dina 26. m. of Thamar 172. i. k. Deflouring of a Virgine 94. i. Deliuerance of the Israelites out of Egypt 50. g. l. from danger 51. d e. f. Deluge or floud 6. i. the cause thereof ibid. when it hapned 7. a b. destroyed all saue those in the Arke 6. decreased 7. d. Demetrius exhortatorie letter 290. g. Demetrius Seleucus slaieth Lysias and Antiochus 313. d. maketh himselfe king ib. d. sendeth Nicanor against Iudas 314. i. sendeth Bacchides against Ionathan 319. b. maketh peace with Ionathan 320. i. 321. b. fighteth with Alexander and is slame 321. c. Demetrius Nicanor ouercommeth Alexander 326. g. obtaineth the kingdome ibid. incurreth the â—…tred of his souldiers ibid.
to make a league with them ibid. h i. appointed to publike ministeries ibid i k. Gabinius ouercommeth Alexander 356. l. 569. c d. repaireth Cities in Iurie ibid. taketh Aristobulus c. 357. ouercommeth the Nabathaeans ibid. f. 569. e. Gad the sonne of Iacob 24. k. what it signifies ibid. k his children 40. g. Gadara besieged and taken 650. i. Gadareans accuse Herode 407 a. entertaine Vespasian 686. h. Gaal assisted the Sichemites to gather their fruits 118. h i. banished out of Sichem ibid. k. Galaad a pillar 25. f. Galaadites besieged by Naas 134. g h. succoured by Saul ibid. i k l. Galba foretold to be emperour 477. c slaine 691. c. a Galilean slaine 221. c. his death cause of a tumult ibid. c. Galilaeans murthered 519. f. reuenge themselues 520 g. theirfaith and loue toward Ioseph 534. k. desire to inuade Tiberias 535. b. entreat Ioseph to stay 541. e. their testimonie of Ioseph 544. flocke to Ioseph 642. k. Galilee described 646. k. the length and breadth thereof ibid. l. Galley built by Herode 577. c. Gamala faithfull to Rome 532. g. 533. a. how situated 667. c. inexpugnable ibid. c d. taken 670. g h. Games Circensian 490. i. Ganges called also Phison 4. h. Gardens c. about Iericho 688. h. Garden of pleasure 4. d. Adam placed thâ—…in ibid. g. Garment of Ioseph 32. h. Garment of linnen and woollen 91. b. Garment of the Priests 197 c. Garment of the high Priest 707. e f. Garrison of the Philistines wonne 136. h. Garrison placed in Syria 167. d. in Idumaea ibid. c. Gedeon called and encouraged 116. h i k. his men and meanes ibid. k l m. obtaineth the victorie and how 117. a. killeth Oreb and Zeb and pacifieth Ephraim ibid. b c. Gehon a riuer of Paradice 4. h. called also Nilus ibid. h. Germans Caesars guard 496. g. resort to the Theatre 497. c. their furie pacified ibid. Germanicus poisoned 466. h. Genealogie of Noah 6. m. of Abraham 11. e. of Eli 127. a of Sadoc 191. d e. of Alexander and Aristobulus 620. l. Generals of armies 100. k. 147. c 160. h. 191. f 245 c. 255. b. 283. f. Genezar the lake described 665. c. the length and breadth therof ibid. d e. Gerson Moses sonne 46. m. Ghost of Samuel 155. b. certifieth Saul of his end ibid. c. Giants ingendred 6. k. horrible to looke on 109. c. Giants extinguished 13. e. Gifts of the princes of the Tribes 67. f. of the kings to Salomon 199. f. Gifts of Herode 588. i k. 594. m. of Antipater 597. e. f. 601. d e. Gimona Prophet 213. a. foretelleth the miseries of Basa and his race ibid. b. Gischala burned 531. f. Gladnes of Anna 125. e. Glaphyra wife of Alexander 424. k. Archelaus daughter ibid. increaseth suspition 592. h. examined 431. f. sent backe to her father 437. c d. 597. e. her dreame 461. c. Gleanings to be left for the poore 92. m. Gluttonie of Vitellius 696. i. God created the world 3. c. resteth the seuenth day ibid. 〈◊〉 speaketh to Adam 4. k. punisheth him Euah and the Serpent 4. l. m. sendeth the Deluge 6. k. 8. h i. willeth the Earth to be inhabited g h. appeareth to Iacob 39. d. his prouidence in sauing Moses 42. l. m. 43. a b appeared to Moses 46. a. feedeth the Israelites c. 55. a. comforteth Samuel 131. a. certifieth him whom to create king 132. i. sendeth him to Bethlem 140. m. appeareth twice to Salomon 198. h. 199. c. speaketh to Elias 226. l. Gods fauour to the Romans 630. h. 714. k. knoweth when to reuenge 716. i. k. Godlines of Ancestors remembred 42. g. Gods of Laban digged vp 27. b. Gods of other countries 91. b. Godolias Captaine of the fugitiues 256. g. slaine 256. k. Gold in great quantitie 57. b. 87. e f. 102. m. 103. f. 106. sold for halfe the price 734. d. Golden statue erected 259. c. Golden Eagle 447. f. Golden chaine 507. e. Goliah the Philistine 142. h. chalengeth a single combat ibid. h i. encountred and slaine 143. c d. Gomar Iaphets sonne 10. h. his progenie ibid. h. i. Gonorrhaea a running of the raines 70. k. Good deserts not to be forgotten 145. c. Goodlines of personage not respected 141. a. b. Goods that are found 95. f. Goods of mind bodie and fortune 199. a b 200 g h. 589. a. Goods of Archelaus confiscate 614. h. i. common 614. m. of Aman 282. g. Goâ—…ons death c. 683. c. Gouernment of the Romans how farre c. 649. a b. Gouernment of the tribe of Iuda 109. a. of Gouernments the best kind 92. h. Gouernments of the Hebrewes distinct 135. b. Gouernment of the Iewes chaunged 569. a b. what Gouernours to be chosen 58. h. 91. d. the Gouernour Moses commended 99. e. f. Gouernours of Salomon 193. d e. Gouernour of both Galilees who 639. c. Grapes not to be forbidden the gatherers 93. a. Grashoppers one of the plagues of Egypt 48. m. Gratuitie of Salomon 201. a. Gratulation of the Iewes scorned 625. a. Gratulation of the Bethsamites 128. m. of Herode 586. i. of the people 451. c. Gratus conflict 456. l. see fight Graues of concupiscence 73. c. Griefe causeth or hindreth passion 801. a. Ground about Iericho fruitfull 688. i. H Habit or forme of Elias 224. l. Habitations of Isaacs sons 28. g. Haile one of the plagues of Egppt 48. m. Hall for assemblies 290. i. Hand of Moses 46. k. Hand of Ieroboam withered 207. e. restored ibid. f. Handmaids of Iacobs wiues 24. h i. m. Harbours 405. d. ill Haruest of the Egyptians destroyed 49. a. Hatred of Iosephs brethren 28. l. of the Egyptians to the Hebrewes 41. b. of Saul against Dauid 143. 〈◊〉 of Absalon against Amnon 172. m. of the souldiers against Demetrius 326. l. of sonnes to the father 425. f. Hauen of Caius 501. c. Hauen described 517. d. Heauen created 3. c d. and how placed ibid. Hebrew slaue when to be freed 95. e. Hebrewes Originall 11. 〈◊〉 of whom so called ibid. e. their insupportable seruitude 41. c. 46. g. l. 47. e. chiefest of them meet Moses 47. a. perswaded to obey ibid. a b. celebrated their Passeouer 49. c d. departed out of Egypt ibid. d. 50. g. go thorow the red sea 51. d. sing songs of praise 52 g. h. fight with the Chanaanites 76. a i k. ouerthrow the Amorites 8â—… l. m. possesse their land 83. b. reuok from the lawes of their fathers 86. g. ouercome the Madianites 87. b. bound by oth to keepe the law 98. k. ouerthrow the Canaanites 105. b. bring the Arke into battell 126. i. feed on bloudie flesh 138. g. see Israelites Hebron a place of buriall 19. a. 20 l. 27. d. 28. g. 40. m. Hebron the citie taken 109. c. Dauids royall fear 164. i. Hecataeus 12. k. writ a volume of Abraham ibid. k. Height of the mountaine Itaburium 669. c d. Heires of Dauid 166. i. Helena Queene of Adiabena 513. f.
all his houshold ibid. m. sendeth out a Crowe and a Doue 7. d 〈◊〉 the tenth from Adam 6. m. sacrificeth to God 7. c. praieth to God 8. g is heard ibid. h. Gods couenant with him ibid. i k. his age 7. c. his three sonnes 9. a. his kinde of life 11. c. was druâ—…ken and derided ibid. c. Nob a Citie of the priests burnt 149. c d. Nobilitie slaine by the theeues 673. a. 12000. slaine 682. i. Nobilitie of the Iewes flie to the Romans 730. i. Nobles repaire to Dauid 163. d. Nobles shut vp by Herod 449. c. 605. c f. released 450. m. 606. h. Nothing attempted by the Romans rashly 648. l m. 669. a. Number of the children of Israel 49. f. from twentie to fiftie yeeres of age 66. b. of Dauids souldiers 163. c f. of workmen 195. b c. of Iewes that returned from captiuitie 266. g. 269. d. of high priests 526. g. 527. a. of the captiues and slaine in Ierusalem 744. i k c. Nuptiall feast 24. g. O Obed Edoms felicitie 165. c. Obed begat Iesse 125. a. Obeda king of Arabia 344. k. discomsits Alexander ibid. Obediah hideth the prophets 215. d. Obedience of Abraham 17. c. Obedience to magistrates 89. d c. Obedience of the Roman souldier 648. i k. 649. a b. Obimes Ieroboams sonne 210. i. falleth sicke and dieth ibid. i k. Obodas king of Arabia 425. c. giuen to idlenesse ibid. c. 428. m. Obsequies of Herod 451. a. Obseruers of Gods lawes rewarded 2. i k. Occasion of the Iewes warres 625. a. Occasion of victorie what 649. a b. Occasion of violences 674. g. Occurrences of kingdomes and common weales 2. g. 85. a. Occurrences of Ieremy 250. k. Ochozias king of Israel reprooued and why 224. k l. his souldiers consumed ibid. m. 225. a. his death foretolde ibid. b. Ochozias king of Iuda 231. a. visiteth Ioram 232. g. slaine ibid. i. Ode of praise 52. g. Office of Iudges 91. d e. of an Historiographer 390. h i. of the priests 693. a. Ofspring of Noah Abraham c. looke progenie Og king of Galadine 83. b. is slaine with his arâ—…y ibid. c. his high stature and great strength ibid. c. Oile in the pot multiplied 214. l m. 226. l m. scalding Oile throwne on the Romans 655. c f. Olda the prophetesse 249. b. Olde man killeth his wife c. 377. c. Olde and weake Iewes slaine 744. g. h. One sacred Citie one temple and one Altar 90. l. Onias high priest 286. m. Onias high priest 297. paid not his tribute ibid. Onias high priests sonne 313. c. wins the fauour of Ptolomey 322. m. buildeth a temple in Aegypt ib. l m. 559. a. Onias stoned to death 351. f. 352. g. Ophni sonne of Eli 125. b. his impietie and wickednesse ib. b. is slaine 126. k. Opinion of the Esseans and Grecians of the soule 616. l m. Opinion of the Pharisees and Sadduces 617. b c. Opinion of the wisest Greekes c. 791. c. Oppression of the Israelites 113. d. 114. g. ibid. m. 115. e f. 119. c d. 120. l. of the Iewes 623. e f. 624. g h. c. 625. a b. c. Oracle of God to Iosuah 103. c d. Oracles of the Prophets to be râ—…uerenced 222 i. Oration of Abraham 18. h. of Ruben 34. m. 35. a. of Iuda 37. c. c. and 38. g h. of Ioseph 37. a b. of Mâ—… to the people 59. b. to the seditious 77. f. 78. g. c. of Zambrias 86. k. of Moses before his death 89. a. c. of the Gabeonites 104. h. of Iosuah c. 106. m. of Phinces 107. c. of Samuel 129. c. 133. b. of Saul 148. l m. of Abias 211. c. of Herod 391. c. 392. g c. 584 i. 585. c. of Nicholaus 414. i. 415. 444. k. 590. m. of Agrippa 627. c. of Ioseph 641. c. 659. b. c. of Titus 663. d. 671. a. of Ananus 674. g. c. of Iesus 677. c. of Caesar c. 703. d. of Ioseph to the Iewes 714. i. 715. a. c. 716. g. of Titus to the Ieweâ—… 740. g c. of Eleazar 758. h. Orchards 688. h. Order of the Romans 648. h. Order of superiour bodies 6. h. Order of the Army c. 72. l m. Order of Carpenters Masons c. 195. b c. Order of the Cities of Galilee 640. i k. Order of Titus army 699. c e f. Ordinance of Artaxerxes 278. g. 280. g h. Ordinances of the fathers transgressed 86. h. Oreb slaine 117. b. Original of the Hebrewes 11. c. Original of the Troglodytes 19. b. Original of the Israelites mischiefes 243. f. Original of the Grecian lawes 791. c d. Original of the Iewes lawes 798. k l. Ornaments of the high priest 63. f. 64. g h c. Ornaments of Salomons pallace 200. k. Oronna or Orphona a Iebusite spared 164. k l. giueth Dauid his floore 185. a b. Oseas king of Israel ouercome 24â—… h. made tributarie ibid. i. taken prisoner 243. c. his subiects transported and why ibid. e f. Oth how in time past taken 19. d. o th taken to obserue the law 98. k. 249. d. Oth when and how to be kept 112. k. Oth of Ionathan to Dauid 147 a b. Oth of Senacherib falsified 245. b. o th obserued 440. l Otho Emperour 691. f. slaine ibid. Ouerthrow of the Sodomites 13. d e. of the Amorites 82. m l. of the Hebrewes 76. g k. 157. f. of Antonie 393. f. Outrages of Elies sonnes 125. b. of Naas offered the Israelites 133. e f. of Azael 235. b. 236. g h i. of Florus souldiers 625. c. Outward court of the temple c. 707. c. Oxen seuen what doe signifie 33. f. how many taken at once 87. c. not to be muzled 93. a. oxe that striketh 96. i. Oza sodainly stroken dead 165. d. and why ibid. Ozias king of Iudaes warlike exploits 239. b c. acts and studies ibid. c d. striken with a leprosie and why 239. e f. enioyned to depart the Citie ibid. 240. g. his death and buriall 240. g. P Pacorus sendeth horsemen to Antigonus 370. l. 575. a. his perswasion to Phasaelus 371. his treason and subtiltie ibid. b c d. 575. d. Pageants built 751. a. Painters cause multitude of gods 796. k. Palestine whence tooke his name 11. a. Palestines ouercome the Israelites 120. l. 126. h. inuade the Israelites 136. i. are ouercome 137. d e. 143. d e. 16â—… b c Pallace in Tiberias burned 533. c. Pallace built in Ierusalem 404. k. 〈◊〉 Pallace of Salomon 200. h. Pallace of the king 705. c. burned ibid. c. Palme trees 687. f. 688. h. Pamphilian sea deuided it selfe 52. h. Pappus beheaded 582. g. Paradice 4. g. where scituate ibid. g. h. adorned with all sortes of plants ibid. g. Parents compelled to murther their children 41. 〈◊〉 Paricid a publike iniurie 445. l. Parricides 246. k. Parthians restore Antigonus 379. l. 576. complot trecherie against Phasaelus 371. c. surprise him and Hyrâ—…anus ibid. f. lay a
asked counsel of God The yeare of the world 2890. before Christs birth 1074. Saul repaireth to Endor to aske counsaile of a 〈◊〉 Saul commandeth the witch to raise Samuels ghost Saul complaineth him of his miseries to Samuel and asketh his aduise Samuels ghost certifieth Saul of the euent of his battell against the Philistines Saul through sodain sorrow sel in a swoun The enchantres intreateth him to refresh himselfe and take some refection An example of courtesie and liberalitie in the enchantresse The yeare of the world 2890. before Christs Natiuitie 1074. Iosephus praiseth Saul for a worthy and valiant king in that foreknowing his daunger and death he exposed himselfe to assuredperil 1. Reg. 29. Achis leadeth out Dauid with him against the Hebrewes and is reproued by the chiâ—…taines of the Palestines for so doing Achis dismisseth Dauid The yeare of the world 2890. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 1074. The Amalechites in Dauids absence spoile and burne Siceleg and cary away the pray Dauid taketh counsell of God whether he will assist him to recouer his wiues and goods out of the hands of the Amalechites Dauid guided by an Egyptian slaue ouertaketh the Amalechites Dauid assaileth the Amalechites and maketh a great slaughter of them and recouereth the whole pray Dauid compâ—…mitteth the debate betwixt those that pursued the chace and those that keptt he baggage touching the pillage 1. Reg. 31. Saul and his sons seeing their army ouercome by the Philistines are desperately dismaid and slaine The yeare of the world 2890. before Christes Natiuity 1074. Saul striueth to kil himselfe and being vnable vseth the assistance of a young Amalechite The Hebrewes that inhabit the valley beyond Iordan leauing their townes fly to defenced cities The Palestines hung vp the bodies of Saul and his sons The Citizens of Iabes rescue the bodies of Saul and his sons and both bury and lament them The yeare of the world 2891. before Christs birth 1073. 2. Reg. 1. An Amalechite certifieth Dauid of Sauls death and in testimony thereof presenteth his bracelets and crowne Dauid lamenteth Saul and Ionathans death Dauid commandeth the Amalechite to be slaine that killed Saul The yeare of the world 2891 before Christs birth 1073. Dauid by Gods commaundement commeth and dwelleth at Hebron and is declared king of the tribe of Iuda Dauid praiseth the Iabesines for burying Saul and his sonnes Abner the son of Neâ—… crowneth Isboseth Sauls sonne Abner leadeth out his army against the tribe of Iuda Ioab with all Dauids army issueth out to meet him Twelue soldiers fight and kill one another and Abners side are ouerthrowne Azael Ioabs brother pursueth Abner Abner in his flight killeth Azael Ioab Abisai pursued Abner till sunne set Ioab sounding a retreat restraineth his soldiers How many on each side died in the battell 2 Reg 3. The beginning of ciuill warre amongst the Hebrewes The yeare of the world 2891. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 1073. Dauid had sixe sonnes borne in Hebron Abner bridled and gouerned the multitude so that along time they were subiect to Isboseth Abner sendeth embassadours to Dauid in Hebron to â—…e a couenant with him Dauid requireth his wife Michol at Abners hands Abner consulteth with the â—…lders and gouerners of the army to reuolt to Dauid The elders captaines perswaded by Abner â—…llow Dauid The Beniamites accord with Abner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Dauid and certifieth him there oâ—… Abner being kindly intertained by Dauid is friendly ly dismissed The yeare of the â—…orld 2899. before Christs Natiuity 1065. Men inclined to ambition and auarice date al things Dauid with the whole people bewaile Abner and honour his funerals Dauid salueth his honour and auoideth the suspition of Abners death The yeare of the world 2899. before Christs Natiuitie 106 5. Hedio Ruffinus â—…hap 〈◊〉 2 Reg 4. Isboseth hand is brought to Dauid Dauids sharpe inuectiue against then urtherers of Isboseth and their punishment 2. Reg. 5. The nobles of the Hebrewes retaire to Dauid to Hebron and declate him king Dauid entertained the nobles kindly The armed soldiers that came to Dauid The yeare of the world 1899. before Christs Natiuitie 1065. Hediâ—… Ruffinus chap. 3. The siege of Ierusalem vndertaken by Dauid Dauid surpriseth the lower towne Dauid gettâ—…th the vâ—…per towne The valour of Dauids soldiers in especiall of Ioab Daâ—…id expelleth the Iebusâ—…tes out of the towne and citie of Ierusalem The league of â—…hip betwâ—…â—…iram Daâ—…id How Ierusalem was called Solyma and what mention Homâ—… made therof The years since Ioâ—…uaâ—…s conquest to this time 515. Oâ—…phon a Iebusite friend to Dauid 2. Reg. 24. Dauids sonnes borne in Ierusalem Hedio Ruffinus chap. 4. The yeare of the world 2899. before Christâ—…â—…rth 1065. The Palestines mouing warre against Dauid are partly staine or put to â—…light The Palestines inuaded the Hebrewes with a mightie army gathered out of sundry nations The Palestines flight 2. Reg. 6. Dauids commaund as touching the traÌ„sportation of the Arke Oza stretching out his hand to stay the Arke is sodainly stroken dead Dauid placeth the Arke in Obed. Edomes house who prospereth there through in all felicitie The Arke transported into Dauids house and placed in a tabernacle Dauid is mocked by his wife Michol The â—…re of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beâ—… Chriâ—… bâ—… 10â—…4 2. Reg. 7. Dauid decree eth to build a temâ—…le vnto God God certifieth Dauid by Nathan that Salomon should build the teÌ„ple Dâ—…uid giueth Gâ—…d thanks â—…or the blessings which were promised him by NathaÌ„ Hedio Ruffâ—…us chap. 5. Dauid warreth against the Palestines and â—…keth a great part of the inâ—…eritance from them 2. Reg 8. A greate slaughter of the Moabites Dauid ouercommeth the king of Sophona The yeare of the world 2904. before Christs Natiuitie 1064. Adad king of Damasco and Syria is ouercome by Dauid in battell Nicholaus the historiographer maketh meÌ„tion of king Adads warre with Dauid Of an other king of Syria that spoyled Samaria 3. King 20. Dauid imposeth tribute on the Syrians whom he subdued 2. Reg. 8. Ierusalem spoiled by Syâ—…ac king of Egypt 3. Reg. 14. The pray thaâ—… was made in the warre 2. Reg. 8. The king of the Amatheâ—… requireth a league at Dauids hands Dauid â—…ompelled the Idumeans to pay tribute by the pole The distribution of offices 2. Reg. 9. The yeare of the world 2900. before Christs Natiuitie 1064. Dauid maketh an enquirie if any of Ionathans kinred were left aliue Dauid giueth Mephiboseth his father Ionatâ—…ans house Sauls inheritance Dauid committeds the disposing of Mephiboserhs lands to Siba and commaundeth him to make the returne of his reuenues in Ierusalem Hedio Ruffinus chap. 6. 2. Reg. 10. Dauid sendeth embassadors to comfort the sonne of the king of the Ammonites who are basely abused Dauid is sore displeased with the iniury offered to his embassadors intending reuenge The Ammonites hire their confederates and prepare for the warre against Dauid Dauid sendeth out Ioab with the choisest flower
thorow extreame thirst are inforced to yeeld to thâ—… Iewes Ant. lib. 〈◊〉 cap. 7. Herods oration to Augustus Caesar. Herode speaketh freely before Câ—… The yeare of the world 3934. before Christs birth 30 Caesars anâ—… to Herod Herods gratulation toward Caesar. Caesar increaseth Herodes Dominion Herode made gouernour of Syria The yeâ—…re of the world 3947. before Christs birth 17. Ant. lib. 15. cap. 10. 12. 13. 14. Herodes buildings The yeare of the world 3947. before the birth of Christ. 17. The fountaine head of Iordan Herod maketh a greater port then that of Piraeum An apt description of a haueÌ„ The yeere of the world 3947. before Christs birth 17. Caesarea in time past called the tower of Straton Ant. lib. 15. ca. 10. 12. lib. 17. cap. 5. Agrippium Antipatris Cyprus Phasaelus tower Herodium Herodium a castle resembling a citie Herods bountie to all men Herod famous thorow the world The yeare of the world 3954 before Christs birth 10. Herode a great hunter The yeare of the world 3954. before Christs Natiuitie 8. Herod besides the vertue of mind and body had the blessings of fortune Ant. lib. 15. cap. 3. 8. lib. 16. cap. 13. Herod expelseth Antipater out of the citie and killeth Hyrcanus his wiues grandmother Herods children by Maririamme Mariamme hatefully vpbraideth Herode with Hyrcanus death Herods mother and sister do falsely accuse Mariamme to him Herod secretly chargeth Ioseph to kill his wife Herodes suspition betwixt Ioseph and his wife The yeare of the world 3954. before Christs birth 10. Herode commandeth both Ioseph and Mariamme to be slaine Mariammes sons inheritor of her displeasure The yeare of the world 3956. before Christs birth 8. Herods debate with those sons he had by Mariamme Ant lib. 16. cap. 4. Antipater by disgracing his brothers is declared his fathers heire Herod accuseth Alexander before Caesar. A reconciliation betweene Herode and his sonnes Archelaus kindly entertaineth Herod and his sonnes Herods worthy oration to the people wherein he distributeth honours to his three sonnes The yeare of the world 3956. before the birth of Christ. 8. Herod giueth not the kingdome to his sons but the honours of the kingdome Herode conuerteth his speech to his sonnes Herod by his words did not vtterly extinguish the hatred betweenâ—… his sonnes Antipaters treason against his brother Alexander By whatmeans Antipater corrupted his brother Alexanders friends Anupater whetâ—…eth Herode and his courtiers against Alexander The yeare of the world 3956 before Christs birth 8. Glaphyra Alexanders wiâ—…e increased his conceiued suspition by her words Aristobulus obiecteth to his wife her base birth Ant. lib. 16. cap. 7. Alexander and Aristobulus often times bewaile their mother and by that meanes prouoke their father The two brothers excuse themselues before their father Herod The yeare of thâ—… world 3956. before Christs Natiuitie 8. Alexander corrupteth his fathers Eunuches and telleth them â—…e 〈◊〉 to succeed in the kingdome Herod seareth his sonne Alexander Ant. lib. 17. cap. 8. Hrods cruelty Herode casteth Alexander into prisoâ—… and tortured his friends Alexander during his imprisonment wrote â—…oure bookes against his enemies Archelaus king of Cappadocia The yeare of the world 3956. before Christs birth 8. Archelaus and Herode consulte vpon Alexanders bookes Herode is incensed against his brother Pheroras Pheroras attired in a mourning garment with teares falleth before Herodes 〈◊〉 and craueth pardon Pheroras by Archelaus meanes pacifieth Herode Archelaus compelleth Herode of his owne accord to be intreated for Alexander Herod dismisseth Archelaus and his friends with great presents Ant. lib. 16. cap. 11. Eurycles the Lacedemonian secretly accuseth AlexaÌ„der to his father and is the cause of his death The yeare of the world 3956. before Christs birth 8. Eurycles by fained friendship deceiueth Alexander Another false accusation of Alexander his brother moueth Herod to indignation The yeere of the world 3956. before Christs birth 8. Diophanrus the kings notary writeth fained letters in Alexanders name Cous Euaratus Ant. lib. 16. cap. 12. Herode by Salomes counsaile imprisoneth his sons The yeare of the world 3961. before Christs birth 3. Ant. lib 16. cap. 13. Herode gathereth a councell against Alexander Aristobulus Herode accuseth his sonnes in open iudgement Herodes sentence against his sonnes The yeare of the world 3961. before the birth of Christ. 3. Tiro an olde souldier exclameth against Herodes crueltie Tyro with his sonne are by the kings command laid hands on Ant. lib. 16. cap. 13. Another false accusation against Tyro Herode commaundeth his sonnes to be strangled and to be buried with Alexander their mothers vncle Ant. lib. 17. cap. 21. Anupater striueth by gifts and bribes to creepe into mens fauours The yeare of the world 3961 before Christs birth 3. Herode grieuously bemoned his sons expressing the same by his â—…ation toward their children Herode betrotheth his nephewes Herodes children by his seuen wiues Herode is perswaded by Antipaters flatteries to breake off the mariages Ant. lib. 17. cap. 3. Antipater buildeth vpon the kingdome Adebaâ—… betwixt the Ladies in y t court The yeare of the world 3961. before Christs birth 3. Ant. li. 17. ca. 4. Herode forbiddeth Antipater of his brothers company or to haue conference with his wife Fabatus Caesars gouernor discouereth Syllaeus secrets Herod banisheth his brother Pheroras and and his wife Pheroras died and was buried in Ierusalem Ant. lib. 17. cap. 5. The yeare of the world 3961. before Christs birth 3. A witch of Arabia The confession oâ—… the women in their tortures Doris Antipaters mother is spoyled of her Iewels and thrust out of the pallace Pheroras wife freely confesseth what was become of the poyson The yeare of the world 396â—… before Christs Natiuitie 3. Gods iustice leaueth nothing vnpunished Antipaters treasons against Archelaus and Philip his brothers Antipater giueth a great summe of money to those that counterfait letters against his brothers Ant. lib. 18. cap. 8. Antipater is solicited By Herode with many kind words to hasten his returne The yeare of the world 3961 before Christs birth 3. Antipater hated in Caesarea Antipaters entertainment at his fathers hands Antipater is iudged before Varus Herods accusation against Antipater The years of the world 3961. before Christs birth 3. Herodes kindnes towards his children Herode loued Antipater aboue the rest and bestowed many benefits on him Antipaters answer and excuse Antipater calleth Rome and Caesar to witnesse The yeere of the world 3â—…61 before Christs birth 3. Nicholaus by the kings commaund beginneth a most hainous and bitter accusation against Antipater Nicholaus peroration The venome tried vpon a condemned man An other proofe against Antipater Herod intendeth Antipaters punishment therefore blotteth his name out of his Testament Ant. lib. 17. cap. 8. The yeare of the world 3963. before Christs Natiuitie 3. Iudas and Matthias perswade the people to pul downe the golden Eagle The yong men that puld downe the Eagle are brought before Herod
flieth with his wife into Cilicia Epiphanes flieth to Vologesus the king of Parthia Antiochus taken The yeare of the world 4037. after Christs birth 75. Antiochus reconciled to Caesar. The Alans enter Media to spoile the same Armenia wasted The yeare of the world 4038. after Christs birth 76 The time among the Iewes which was most fruitful in all manner of impiety Iohn Giscala The yeere of the world 4038. after Christs birth 76. Simon sonne of Giora The Idumaeans The Zealous The end of the Iewes answerable to their liues Silua the captaine of the Romans besiegeth Massada The scituation of Massada The iourney by the rock called the Snake The top more fruitfull and fatter soile the the plaine Herods pallace The yeere of the world 4038. after Christs birth 76. A â—…ower to the Westside Great store of prouision in the Castle Fruit for a hundreth yeeres kept vncorrupt Herode suspecting a double perill builded this place for a refuge There was but one place about Massada to raise a mount to batter one The Citie battered with a large Ramme and by Siluas appointment Firebrands daâ—…â—…ed against the walâ—… The North wind diuerting the flame turneth it vpon the Romanâ—… The yeare of the world 4038. after Christs birth 76. Eleazars Oration to his companions Eleazar conteâ—… Gods wrâ—…t â—…o bee kâ—…led against tâ—…e people The punish 〈◊〉 â—…ese 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 â—…es â—…n 〈◊〉 attempâ—… agâ—…inst the â—…es 〈◊〉 graue 〈◊〉 â—…en lâ—… 〈◊〉 maintained Eleazars Oraâ—…n as touchâ—…g the immor talitie of the soule The yeare of the world 4038. after Christs birth 76. A soule tied in a mortal body The power of the soule Sleepe the argument of the immortalniâ—… of the soule The professors of wisedome among the indians burne themselues An exhortation to contemn death drawne from the time and place Example taken from the Iews that were staine in Caesâ—…a The Calamitie of the Iewes in Scithopoliâ—… The yeare of the world 4038. after Christs birth 76. Eighteen thousand Iews slain in Syria and threescore thousand in Aegypt The calamitie of those Iewes who were taken by the Romans Ierusalem the Metropolitane citie razed froÌ„ the foundations We are borne to die and the most strongest cannot auoid the same Eleazar telleth the Iewes of the Romans tyrannie It is a happines among the Iewes to die free The yeare of the world 4â—…38 after Christs birth 76. The Iewes gathering all their goods togither cast theÌ„ into the fire Ten chosen by lot to kill the rest of the Iewes The Romans expect the fight The Romans admire at the Iewes fortitude and obstinate contempt of death The murtherers authors of new calamitie The Iewes assemble and consult about the murtherers The yeere of the world 4038. after Christs birth 76. Diuers sorts of torments and tortures inflicted on them who reâ—…use Caesars soueraintie Onias by Ptoâ—…es consent buildeth a citie and temple in Egypt Onias temple built in Egypt Lupus shutteth the Iewes out of the temple The yeare of the world 4038. after Christs birth 76 A part of Ionathans companions were taken and slaine the rest kept captiue aliue and brought to Catullus Three thousand Iewes slaine by Catullus Ioseph by Catullus perswasion is accused by Ionathas Ionathas being first beaten is burnt aliue The conclusion of the seuen bookes of the warres of the Iewes The historie of the antiquitie containeth the euents of fiue thousand yeers The causes that moued him to write this book All things among the Greekes are moderne but such things as were done among the Egyp tians Chaldies and Phaenicians are of happie memorie and venerable antiquitie Innumerable corruptions inuaded Greece The Phoenicians and Cadmus the first inuentors of letters Among the Greekes there is not any writing more ancient then Homers poem Thucidides writ a most exact historie of his time The causes of discord among the Iewes Another cause of their discord recorded by the Graecian Historiographers The signe of a true historie A custome which the priests obserued The priests amongst the Iewes are euerie one registred with the name of their fathers and this custome hath continued 2000 yeers Two and twentie bookes of holy writ The Iewes and Greeks are compared together Some others haue written of the wars of the Iewes Ioseph was present in all the wars of the Iewes Ioseph did write the historie of the Iewes wars being at Rome Ioseph sold his bookes to many Some do derogate from Iosephs historie Two things which Ioseph entendeth The Iewes careto bring vp their â—…heildreÌ„ The ancient Iewes had no need to trafficke with the Graecians The Romans were lately knowne to the Greekes Certaine Historiographers report Spaine to be onely one citie Arguments to proue the Iewes of more antiquitie then the Greeks Manethon an Egyptian writer Saltis subdued the Egyptians Kings shepheards Sethosis king of Egypt made his brother Ar mais Gouernour of his Countrie Where upon Egypt tooke his name Manethon sheweth the Iewes comming into Egypt and their departure Salomon built a â—…emple in 〈◊〉 143. yeeres and eight months before the Tyrians builded Carthage The friendship of the Tyrian king and oâ—… king Salomon Problemes of Hiramus and Salomon The testimony of Menander the Ephesian The Genealogie of king Hiramus Carthage built in Affricke by Dido Pigmalions sister Berosus the Historiographer a Chaldean Nabulassarus father to Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon and Chaldea Nabuchodonosor conquered the rebels Nabuchodonosor succeedeth in his fathers kingdome Nabuchodonosor builded a pallace Semiramis did not build Babylon The king of Babylon excelled Hercules in strength and noble valorous deeds The wals of Babylon built of bricke and bytumen Cyrus expelled Nabodâ—…us from Babylon The testimony of the Phoenicians touching the Iewes Antiquitie Nabuchodonozor besieged Tyre The Chaldaeis and Tyrians agree with the Iewes historie Hermippus writings and testimony of Pythagoras Theophrastus Corban the gift of God Herodotus the Halicarnassian touching the Iewes circumcision Chaerilus an ancient Poet his testimonie of the Iewes Asphaltites the lake The testimony of Clearchus disciple of Aristotle touching the Iewes Hecataeus Abderita brought vp with king Alexander A thousand fiue hundreth priests receiue the Iewes tenths The Iewes constancy against Alexander The largnes of Iurie Fiftie stounds are almost sixe Germaine miles The Priests do dwell in the Temple and drink no wine Agatarchides his testimonie of the Iewes The Iewes Sabaoth Why certaine writers omit to speake of the Iewes The last part against certain detractions â—…aunders The cause of malice betweene the Egyptians and Iewes The Egyptians Idolatrie Manethon an Egyption Historiographer Manethons fabulous reports of the Egyptian Lepers Osarsiphus captâ—…ine of Auaâ—…is The warre of the banished against the Aegyptians The Aegyptian king fled into Aethiopia and was by the Aethiopian king courteously entertained Osarsiphus was afterwards called Moses Manethons lies are confuted Manethons words repeated A conâ—…utation of Manethons words alleadged The Epiloge that the Iewet came not of the Egyptians An answere vnto Manethous slanders touching
slaine whether hee were friend or kinsman were presently put to death and left vnburied as men forsaking their citie and flying to the enemie To be breefe nothing so much increased their calamitie as mercie for the wicked people were herewith as it were prouoked to wrath whose displeasure and crueltie was extended from the liuing vnto the dead and from the dead vnto the liuing And such feare fell vpon the whole citie that those that were left aliue deemed them happie that being dead were at rest and free from those miseries and they that were in prison in respect of the torments they endured thought themselues vnhappier then they who lay vnburied All humane iustice was by them peruerted and they scorned and mocked at all diuine and holy things and proudlie derided the oracles of the prophets esteeming them as fables and iests But hauing now contemned all lawes established by their forefathers for the punishment of vice and increasing of vertue at last they found that true which by them was foretold concerning the destruction of themselues and their countrey For there was an olde prophecie that when sedition raigned amongst them and their owne hands had first violated the temple of God and holy things that then their citie should be destroied by warre their holy places should be burned with fire according to the vse and custome of warre And the Zealous giuing credite vnto this prophecie made themselues the ministers of this action CHAP. III. How Gadara was yeelded and of the massacre there BVt Iohn who long agoe desired to bee in chiefe authoritie as tyrant ouer all the rest thought it not sufficient to bee in as great reputation as his fellowes wherefore by little and little ioyning vnto himselfe the most impious of all the Zelous he diuided himselfe from their vnion and fellowship So that now euerie one perceiued in that hee alwayes neglected what others commaunded and imperiously commanded what himselfe thought good that he affected principalitie and many ioyned to him for feare some for fauour for hee had a smooth tongue able to perswade them vnto what he would many also followed him thinking it better that al the impietie before cōmitted were laid to one mans charge in particular then vnto all men in generall Moreouer being a valiant man of his hands and one able to giue politicke counsell hee wanted not followers notwithstanding that many of the contrarie faction left him enuying that he who before was their equall should now be their Lord and commander Feare also terrified them from liuing vnder the gouernment of one only man for they thoght that if he once preuailed hee could not easily be ouercome and againe if he were deposed that he would picke quarrels against thē in the end because that they resisted him in the beginning So euerie man determined rather to suffer all miserie in warre then to submit himselfe and perish like a slaue Thus the sedition was deuided and Iohn was chiefe of the faction against the Zelous so betweene them they appointed garrisons in euerie place and if by chance they combatted together they did little or nothing hurt one another but their chiefe contention was who should beare most sway amongst the people and they did striue on both parts who should h◅e the greatest part of the spoyle Thus the Citie at one time was vexed with three vntolerable mischiefes and euils to wit warre tyrannie and sedition and yet warre seemed a lesse euill then the rest vnto the communaltie In briefe many leauing their natiue soyle fled vnto straungers for succour and found amongst the Romanes safetie who with their owne nation liued in continuall danger There was also then begun the fourth euill which wrought the ruine of the whole nation Not farre from the Citie there was a Castle called Massada builded by the ancient Kings of Ierusalem verie strong to lay their treasure in and their munition for warre and to retire themselues thereunto in time of need for the safetie of their persons This Castle was taken and kept by that sort of theeues that were called Sicarij who for feare durst robbe no more These theeues seeing the Romane armie now idle and the Iewes in Ierusalem at ciuill warres and sedition amongst themselues they tooke courage and againe fell to their villanies And so vpon that day which is the feast of vnleauened bread which the Iewes doe keepe holy in memorie of their deliuerance out of the Aegyptian captiuitie deceiuing the watchmen they seased vpon a Fort called Engaddi and before the townes-men could arme and vnite themselues together they were by these persons driuen out of the towne who also killed them that could not flie to wit women and children to the number of more then seuen hundreth and so sacking the houses and taking the fruites that were now ripe they carried all vnto Massada and so they wasted all the villages and whole Countrie round about them many wicked persons daily flocking vnto them and ioyning with them and by their example other theeues that a while had beene quiet now robbed againe and spoyled in euerie part of Iudaea And as in a bodie if the principall member thereof bee sicke all other parts of it are afflicted so Ierusalem being filled with tumults and discord those that were without the Citie found licence to robbe and spoyle and all they that had their townes destroyed where they were wont to inhabite went into the wildernes Then they assembling and vniting themselues together not so many as an armie yet more then a companie of theeues they brake into the townes and temples and as in warre it commeth to passe they purposed to assault them by whome they had suffered such iniurie but they were preuented for the theeues vnderstanding of their comming fled with the spoyle they had gotten And there was no part of Iudaea that did not perish together with Ierusalem their mo◅her Citie Those that fled vnto the Romans certified Vespasian hereof for although the seditious persons did keepe and obserue all passages and kill them that offered to flie yet many secretly stole away from them and besought Vespasian both to help the oppressed citie and to take compassion vpon the relikes of their nation affirming that many had beene butchered for wishing well to the Romans and many being yet aliue were yet in great danger And Vespasian moued to compassionate their calamities came with his armie neerer Ierusalem as though he would haue besieged it but in deed his intent was to deliuer it from the siege hoping in the meane time to conquer that part of the Countrie that was yet vntoucht and so to leaue nothing to hinder him when hee should begin the siege Wherefore comming vnto Gadara the strongest place and mother Citie of all the Countrie beyond the riuer hee entered into it the fourth day of March for the chiefest of the Citie vnknowne vnto the seditious people had sent Ambassadors to