bethinking them on their imminent perill supposing that they had trauailed this long iourney all in vaine for that they saw their accusation must be answered Ruben the eldest of them began after this maner to plead their cōmon cause Neither are we come hither said he as spies neither vnder pretence to indomage the king but dire famine whose furie we seeke to preuent hath cōpelled vs to come into this countrey grounding our selues on your humanitie who as we haue heard haue not onely made offer of sale of come and meanes of sustenance to your citizens but also vnto all straungers And that we are brothers and borne of the same father our verie countenances testify no lesse in that they varie not very much the one from the other Our father by name is Iacob by nation an Hebrew who begat vs his twelue sonnes on foure women who while they all were in safety our affaires were fortunate and prosperous but one of them being dead whose name was Ioseph our domesticall fortunes began to grow to ruine Our father languisheth in continuall lamentations whose teares do no lesse afflict vs then in times past the vntimely death of our dearest brother did affect vs. Now are we come to buy corne hauing left in our fathers custody the youngest of our brothers called Beniamin That thus it is if so thou please to send any one vnto our house thou maist be assured Thus spake Ruben both on his owne and his brothers behalfe whereby he might exempt from Ioseph his sinister opinion of them who knowing that both his father and brother were in health commaunded them to be shut in prison vnder pretence to call them to further examination vpon his better leasure Some three daies after calling them before him he began thus Since saith he you protest that you came not hither into this kingdome on purpose either to preiudice the King or worke treasons towards the state and that you pretend your selues to be the sonnes of one father you shall induce me to beleeue that your allegations be true if leauing some one with me as pledge of your loyalties who shall be well entertained you beare hence your desired corne vnto your father and returne againe vnto me bringing with you your brother whom as you say you left behind you for this shall be an argument that you faine not Amased at these words and supposing that their extreame calamitie was at hand they lamented their fortunes oftentimes expostulating amongst themselues that the dire reuenge of their brother oppressed with vndecent tyranny was fallen vpon them Moreouer Ruben reprehended their too late and vnprofitable penitencie saying that those afflictions which God the iust reuenger of innocencie had inflicted on his impious brothers were constantly to be borne After this manner spake they one vnto another supposing that no man was present who vnderstood the Hebrew tongue and they all lamented being inwardly touched with the words of Ruben and condemned their perpetrated wickednes as if they had not beene the authors of the fact for which at that time they thought that God did most iustly punish them Ioseph beholding them in this perplexitie vnable to dissemble any longer his brotherly loue in that the teares alreadie began to burst out of his eyes which at that time he desired to conceale he departed from among them Not long after returning againe vnto them he retained Simeon with him who in the meane time should remaine as pledge with him vntil their backe returne and giuing them licence to buy their corne he commaunded them to depart giuing withall a speciall commaundement to one of his seruants that the money which they had brought to buy corne should secretly be shut vp into their sackes and they permitted to depart all which his seruant performed But Iacobs sons returning into Chanaan told their father all that which had happened vnto them in Aegypt and how they were attached for spies and traitors to that countrey and that when they protested that they were brethren and that the eleuenth was left at home with their father they would not beleeue them moreouer that Simeon was left pledge with the gouernour vntill Beniamin came thither to giue testimony of their truth whereupon they desired their father that without contradiction or sinister conceit to send their yonger brother with them But Iacob was displeased with that which his sonnes had done and whe◅as he was not a little grieued that Simeon was left behind he thought it worse then death also to be depriued of Beniamin and neither could Ruben with his praiers offering his sonnes for pledges that if any sinister fortune should fall vpon Beniamin by the way the Grandfather might reuenge him on his children perswade Iacob to yeeld consent but they vncertaine what to do were more and more terrified in that they found their money inclosed in their sackes of corne Now when corne began alreadie to faile them Iacob being compelled by force of famine determined to send Beniamin with his other brothers for it was vnlawfull for them to returne into Aegypt except they kept their couenant And whereas necessitie pressed them daily more and more and his sonnes ceased not instantly to call vpon him yet as yet was he doubtfull and vnresolued at last Iuda a man vehement by nature began more liberally to reproue his father in that he was too carefull of his brother to whom nothing might happen without the will of God whether it were abroad or at home and that without reason he had care of his sonne Beniamin in such sort as it was not possible for them to get ought out of Pharaos countrey which was necessarie for their nourishment that he ought also to haue care of the life of Simeon least whilest he dallied and delayed to send Beniamin on the iourney Simeon in the meane time should be slaine by the Aegyptians Moreouer he exhorted him to commit the care of his sonne vnto God promising to bring him backe againe in safetie or else to die together with him Moreouer he said that certaine giftes gathered from the profits of Chanaan as the iuice of Mirabolans Stacte Terebinth and Hony should be sent as presents vnto Ioseph together with the double price of their come Thu◅ shedding teares on both sides they depart from their father leauing him miserably tormented for the health of his sonnes contrariwise suspecting with themselues least thorow his absence their father should be slaine with sorrow In this perplexitie spent they a whole day At last the old man remained in his house wholy afflicted and they trauailing into Aegypt did mitigate their present griefe with the hope of better fortune where no sooner were they atriued but they repaired vnto Ioseph being sore afraid least it should be laid to their charge that vnder colour of fraud and deceit they had caried away with them the price of their former come which presently before Iosephs
out of doores from them vpon the breake of day But she being wholy desolate and discomforted by this desaster returned to her lodging and both by reason of the agonie which she had suffered as also for the shame that hindered her from appearing before her husband who would be incredibly and extremely tormented with that accident she fell downe and gaue vp the ghost Her husband supposing that she was onely seased with some sound sleepe not suspecting any other inconuenient thought to awake her with that deliberation to comfort her because she had not willingly condescended to their violences and lusts but maugre her resist was rauished by them and taken out of his lodging But so soone as he perceiued that she was dead he moderated his affections considering the extremitie of his euils and laying the dead bodie vpon his Asse he caried it to his house where he no sooner arriued but that he deuided and cut the same into twelue pieces which he sent to the twelue tribes of Israel commaunding them that bare the same to tell euerie tribe who they were that were the authors of the death of his wife and what villany they had practised against her The tribes were verie much discontented at that which they both saw and heard hauing neuer before that time heard of any the like aduenture and incensed with extreme displeasure and yet iust they assembled themselues in Siloe and being arraunged before the Arke they resolued sodainly to take armes and to assaile the Gabeonites as their capitall and mortall enemies But the elders with-held them declaring vnto them that they ought not after that manner enterprise a headlong warre against their brethren before they had conferred and debated the cause with them and examined the crimes whereof they were accused the rather for that the law permitteth not any warre no not against straungers before an enterparle embassage which might reclaime those that were held culpable reduce them to reason For which cause they told them that they should conforme themselues both according to the letter of the law and the bond of brotherhood to send certaine messengers to the Gabeonites to demaund at their hands the authors of that villanie to the end that when they were deliuered they might take their satisfaction by their punishment but if they should not regard that which was demaunded then that it was lawfull for them to assaile them with open warre Hereupon they sent certaine messengers to the Gabeonites to accuse those yong men that had perpetrated that indignity against the woman to demaund them at their hands to the intent they might suffer condigne punishment by death for the breach they had made of the law But the Gabeonites would not yeeld vp the young men supposing it to be an indignity for them for feare of warre to be obedient to other mens commaundements by reason that they thought themselues no waies inferiour vnto others in feats of warre both in respect of their number and the courage both in the one and the other The rest of the tribe also made great preparation by reason they were all of thē resolued vnited together mutually to defend thēselues against whosoeuer should assaile them After that the report of the Gabeonites answer was brought vnto the Israelites they sware an oth the one vnto the other that none of thē would giue their daughters in mariage to a Beniamite promising each of them to issue make warre against them against whom they were more incensed then our predecessors haue bin animated against the Chanaanites as we haue bin giuen to vnderstand They speedily therfore leuied led into the field an armie of 400000 men against them The Beniamites host consisted of 26000. armed men and 600. others fiftie of which were expert in shooting and fighting with the left hand The field was fought neere to Gaba wherein the Beniamites put the Israelites to flight who were slaine to the number of twentie two thousand and more of them had bin slaughtered that day had not the night sodainly ouertaken them and ended the skirmish Thus did the Beniamites ioyfully returne vnto their cities the Israelites were discomforted thorow their vnexpected calamitie The next day they once more renewed the battel and the Beniamites had the vpper hand once againe so that the Israelites lost eighteene thousand men more and by that meane forsooke their campe thorow feare and retired to Bethel which was not farre off from the place The day after they fasted and besought God by the mediation of Phinees the high Priest that it would please him to appease his wrath against them and that contenting himselfe with the two ouerthrowes which he had sent them he would now at last both giue them victorie and valour to encounter their enemies All which God promised them by the prophecy of Phinees Whereupon they deuided their army into two parts and laid the one thereof in ambush neere vnto the Citie In the meane time whilest the other halfe that made head against the Beniamites retired themselues to the intent their enemies should assault them the Beniamites sodainly issued and set vpon them that orderly retired and the more they retired vnder purpose to draw them the further from the towne the more eagerly the enemie insisted so that all they likewise who thorow age and weaknes were left in the Citie sallied out as companions and sharers in the future pray But when as they were drawne farre enough from the Citie the Hebrewes staied made head and fought against them Then gaue they a signe to those that were in ambush in such sort as was accorded amongst them who sodainly issuing out together rushed in vpon their enemies with a huge crie Who seeing themselues so sodainly surprised knew not what to doe but retiring themselues into certaine Baricadoes they defended themselues with arrowes but all of them were slaine except it were sixe hundreth who making head and closely filletted and embattailed together thrust themselues desperately into the midst of their enemies and by this meanes escaped they into the mountaines hard by where they encamped All the rest to the number of twentie fiue thousand or thereabouts were slaine And the Israelites burned Gaba vtterly slew both the women and children They exercised no lesse iustice on the other cities of Beniamin so much were they fleshed and transported with furie And for that Iabes a Citie of Galaad would not ioyne with them in battell against the Beniamites they sent twelue thousand chosen men out of their companies to destroy the same who slew all those that might beare armes with their wiues and children except foure hundreth virgins So much griefe and furie had they conceiued thorow the accident that chaunced to this woman and the despight they had conceiued against the Beniamites for prouoking them vnto armes which furie when it was somewhat appeased they repented themselues reputing themselues to be depriued of one
law at such time as he made the similitudes of beasts of brasse to vnderprop the vessell called the great sea and those of Lyons which he caused to be set vnto his throne For that action of his ill beseemed him who had a most excellent and domesticall example of vertue in the person of his father besides the glorie that he had left him by being a faithfull seruant of God whence it came to passe that by neglecting to followe his steppes notwithstanding that God had exhorted him thereunto by appearing vnto him at two seuerall times he died most ignominiously There came therefore vnto him a prophet sent from God telling him that his sinnes were manifest and notorious in Gods sight threatning him that ere long he should repent the wickednesse he had committed Yet notwithstanding the realme should not be taken from him during his life because God had promised Dauid that he should be his successor in the same but after his decease his sonne should beare the penalty of the same not so as all the people should reuolt but that he would giue ten tribes vnto his seruant and leaue two vnto the grandchild of Dauid because he had loued God and by reason of the Citie of Ierusalem where it pleased him to make his habitation When Salomon heard these things he sorrowed and was sore troubled in that all his felicitie for which he toforetime was admired began to decline Neither passed there long time after this denunciation of the Prophet but that God so pleasing there rose vp an enemie against him who was called Ader by nation an Idumaean and of the princely stocke who vpon this occasion grounded his rebellion and insurrection For at such time as Ioab generall of Dauids army had conquered Idumaea and in the space of sixe moneths defeated all the youth and those that were capable to beare armes he fled vnto Pharao king of Aegypt who entertained him verie courteouly and gaue him an house and lands for his maintenance and loued him deerely when he came to mans estate so that he maried him with Taphines his wiues sister on whom he begat a sonne who was brought vp with the kings children who hauing intelligence in Aegypt of Dauid and Ioabs death addressed himselfe vnto Pharao and besought him to giue him leaue to repaire into his owne countrey The King asked him what he wanted or what the cause was that moued him to be so hastie to forsake him Notwithstanding therefore that he importuned and requested him diuers times yet preuailed he nothing with him for that time But when Salomons fortunes began to decline by reason of his iniquities aboue mentioned and the wrath of God prouoked against him Ader by Gods permission came into Idumea after he was licēsed by Pharao to depart But being vnable to moue the people to reuolt from Salomon by reason of the strong garrisons he held and knowing that without hazard of his owne person he could moue no alterations or innouation in that place he departed from thence went into Syria where cōfederating himself with a certaine man called Raas who was fled from his master Adarezar king of Sophene and liued like an outlaw in that Region he contracted friendship with him and a great sort of outlawes and theeues that were his followers and went into Syria and taking seazure of that countrey proclaimed himselfe king thereof From whence making excursions into the lands of the Israelites he spoyled and pillaged the same during Salomons life time Thus were the Hebrewes enforced to sustaine these outrages at Aders hands Moreouer a certaine man called Ieroboam the sonne of Nabat by nation a Iewe rebelled against Salomon and raised his hopes aboue his estate perswaded thereunto by a prophecie that concerned him and incited him vnto the action For being left verie young by his father and carefully instructed by his mother as soone as Salomon perceiued him to be of a noble and couragious spirit he made him commissarie ouer the building of the wals at such time as he immured and fortified Ierusalem In this office he behaued himselfe so well that the king thought very well thereof and in way of recompence gaue him the estate of Generall ouer the tribe of Ioseph Towards which whilest he trauelled from Ierusalem a certaine Prophet met him vpon the way who was of the Citie of Silo called Achias who approching neere vnto him and saluting him drew him out of the way into a place where none but thēselues were present there renting the garment which he wore vpon his backe into twelue peeces he commaunded Ieroboam to take ten telling him that God had so decreed and how he would rent the gouernment from Salomon and reserue only one tribe vnto his sonne with that other which was annexed vnto it by reason of the promise made vnto Dauid and to thee said he he giueth the other tenne because Salomon hath offended God and addicted himselfe to the loue of straunge women and the seruice of forraine gods Now since thou knowest the cause wherefore God hath alienated the kingdome from Salomon be thou iust and obserue thou the lawes for if thou behauest thy selfe in such sort as thou knowest Dauid did a great reward of thy pietie and recompence of thy obseruance attendeth thee so that thou shalt become as mightie as Dauid hath beene before thee Ieroboam confirmed in great hopes by these words of the Prophet being by nature haughtie in yeares young and besides that desirous of authoritie he tooke no rest but being possessed of the place of generall and remembring himselfe of that which had beene told him by Achias he presently beganne to perswade the people to reuolt from Salomon and to choose him for their king Salomon hearing newes of this his deliberation and enterprise sought the meanes to lay hands on him and to put him to death but Ieroboam preuenting him fled vnto Susac king of Egypt with whom hee remained vntill the death of Salomon And thus for that time escaped he punishment and thus was hee reserued to the fortune of a kingdome CHAP. III. After the death of Salomon the people reuolte from Roboam his sonne and proclaime Hieroboam king of the tenne tribes BVt when Salomon was very olde he died after he had raigned fourescore yeares and liued nintie foure and was buried in Ierusalem of all kings the most happy rich and prudent except that sinne wherunto he was drawen by women in his olde age of whom and those calamities that presently after befell the Hebrewes we haue sufficiently spoken After the death of Salomon as soone as his sonne Roboam whom he begat vpon an Ammonitish woman called Nooma succeeded him in the kingdome the gouernours of the people sent certaine messengers into Aegypt to recall Ieroboam who arriuing in the Citie of Sichem Roboam came thither also resoluing himself in that assembly of the Israelites to take the
of righteousnes The yeare of the world 2941. before Christs Natiuitie 1023. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 5. Salomons pallace finished in thirteene yeares The haule The tribunall The Queenes house and other pallaces of pleasure The ornameÌ„ts of Salomons pallace Chambers of pleasure with household stuffe of gold 3. Reg. 10. Salomons throne made of Iuory 3. Reg. 5. The yeare of the world 2941. before Christs birth 1023. Salomons gratuitie to Hiram for the benefits he receiued 3. Reg. 9. 3. Reg 5. Salomon interpreteth certaine hidden questions sent vnto him by Hiram Menander the Historiographer maketh meÌ„â—… of HiraÌ„ and Salomon Dius maketh mention of Hiram Dius of Salomon Salomon repaireth the wals of Ierusalem and erecteth towers Hedio Ruffinus chap. 6. Salomon buildeth certaine cities Azor Magedon Gaza Betachor Baleth Thadamor or Palmyra Why the Egyptian kings were called Pharaohs The yeare of the world 2953. before Christs birth 1011. The Egyptian kings called Pharaohs Ptolemei Caesares Herodotus writeth not the names of the EgyptiaÌ„ kings Nicaule queen of Egypt and Ethiop commeth to Salomon 3. Reg 10. Salomon compelleth the remainder of the Chananites to pay tribute The thraldom of the Chananites 3. Reg. 10. The queene of Egypt and Ethiope reforteth to Salomon The queene of Ethiope wondreth at Salomons wisdome The yeare of the world 2953. before Christs Natiuitie 1011. The queene of Ethiope praileth Salomons wisedome The Queene giueth Salomon many sumptuous presents Salomon remunerateth the Queens bountie Hedio Ruffinus chap. 7. The precious timber that was brought to Salomon SalomoÌ„s ships spent three yeares in their iourney Many kings present Salomon with sundry presents The horses and other gifts presented to Salomon The yeare of the world 2953. before Christs Natiuitie 1011. Ittan The waies about Ierusalem paued with flint The cities of Chariots The aboundance of siluer in Solomons time Egyptian horses 3. Reg. 11. Solomon marrying straunge women is seduced by theÌ„ The reare of the world 2964. before Christs birth 1000. The punishment inflicted on Salomon far honouring strange gods The yeare of the world 2964. before Christs birth Aooo Ider enemie to Salomon Ader fled into Egypt Ader beseecheth Pharao to dismisle him that he might returne into his countrey Ader returneth into Idumaea and from thence departeth into Syria Raas and Adet enemies to Salomon IeroboaÌ„ rebelleth against Salomon Achias the Prophet sore-telleth that he should be king ouer the ten tribes Ieroboam flieth into Egypt and remaineth there vntil Salomons death The yeare of the world 2964. before Christs Natiuity 1000. The death of Salomon Hedio Ruffinus chap. 8. al. 4. 3. Reg. 12. The people require RoboaÌ„ to mitigate their burthen The holsome aduise of the elders The yeare of the world 2971. before Christs birth 993. Roboam reiecteth the aduise of the elders and followeth the counsaile of the yonger The Israelites moued with their â—…pulse reuolt from Roboam The yeare of the world 2971. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 993. Roboam intéding to make waâ—…e on those tribes that â—…uolted is inhibited The court and pallace of Ieroboam Why IeroboaÌ„s calues were made Ieroboam perswadeth the people to Idolatrie The neglect of Gods seruice is the cause of all euill 3. Reg. 13. The prophecie against the Altar in Bethel The prophecie is confirmed by a miracle Ieroboams withered hand restored The yeare of the world 2971. before Christs Natiuitie 993. Hedio Ruffinus ch 9. The Prophet is brought backe by the subtilty and fraud of the false Prophet The disobedience of the Prophet his punishment and buriall Iadons prophecy is detracted to Ieroboam by the false Prophet Hedio Ruffinus chap. 10. Roboams defenced cities 〈◊〉 Paral. 11. The yeare of the world 29â—…1 before Christs birth 993. The godly Israelites returne to Roboam Roboams wiâ—…es and children Regiâ—… ad exempium totus compâ—…itur orbis Alias chap. 5. Susac inuadeth Iudea with great forces Ierusalem besieged Samaeas the Prophet reprehendeth the Iewes of their impietie 2. Paral. 2. Samaeas comforteth the people Ierusalem and the temple are spoyled 3. Reg 1â—… What Herodotus wrote of this expeditioÌ„ The yeare of the world 2975. before Christs Natiuity 989. Roboam for the golden shields and bucklers maketh new of beasse Roboam dieth and Abias raigneth after him The yeare of the world 29â—…8 before Christs birth 976. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 11. 3. Reg. 14. Ieroboams impietie Ieroboams son falleth sicke his mother is sent to Achias the Prophet The punishmeÌ„t of Ieroboam and the misery of the people foreprophecied The yeare of the world 2988. before Christs Natiuitie 976. Alias chap. 6. The expedition of Ieroboam against Abias king of Iuda Abias leuied an army against Ieroboam Abias oration to the Hebrewes wherein he vpbraideth them of their superstition and forsaking of their religion The yeare of the world 2988. before Christs birth 976. The death of Abias 3. Reg. 15. Asa king of Iuda The yeare of the world 2991. before Christs natiuitie 973. The yeare of the world 2992. before Christ birth 972. The yeare of the world 2993. before Christs birth 971 Hedio Ruffinus chap. 12. al. 8. Asas pietie 3. Reg 15. The EthiopiaÌ„s warre against Asa. 2. Paral. 14. The yeare of the world 3000. before Christs birth 964. Asas victorie The exhortation of Azarias the Prophet 2. Paral 15. The yeare of the world 3000. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 964. Religion renewed in Israle Basaes impietie 3. Reg. 16. A prophecy against Basa Basa surprised Ramath and fortifieth it The yeare of the world 3006. before Christs birth 958. Asa inciteth those of Damasco to inuade Bala The yeare of the world 3016. before the birth of Christ. 948. Alias chap 9. The death of Basa The yeare of the world 3017. before Christs birth 947. Basaes stocke destroyed The yeare of the world 3017. before Christs Natiuitie 947. Diuers factioÌ„s of the people Amri king of Israel The yeare of the world 3021. before Christs birth 943. Amri dieth and Achab his sonne succeedeth him The yeare of the world 3028. before Christs birth 9â—…6 Alias chap. 10. Asa dieth Iosophat succeedeth him The yeare of the world 3031. before the birth of Christ. 933. Iezabel 3. Reg. 17. The dearth of victuals prophecied to the Israelites The yeare of the world 3037. before Christs birth 927 Crowes feed Elias The widow of Sareptha entertaining Elias neither flowre not oyle faile Menander of the famine during the time of Elias The yeare of the world 3037. before Christs Natiuitie 927. Elias restoreth the wâ—…wes sonne to lâ—…e 3. Reg. 18. Elias is sent by God to prophecy fault to Achab. The yeare of the world 3040. before Christs birth 924. Achab seeketh for Elias Obediah coÌ„cea leth and sustaineth a hundreth prophets Achab accuseth Elias of impietie Elias reproueth the superstition of the people The yeare of the world 3040 before Christs birth 924. Elias doctrine and office confirmed by miracle Fire from heauen deuoureth the sacrifice Bels priests slains
Elias foreprophecieth raine 3. Reg. 10. Elias flieth from Iezabel Gods care for his seruants God speaketh to Elias in the desart The yeare of the world 3040. before Christs birth 924. lehuking of Israel Elizeus calling Hedio Ruffinus chap. 14. al. 11. 3. Reg. 21. The story of Naboth who was stoned to death for denying Achab his vineyard Elias prophecieth what reuenge God wil take of Achab and Iezabel Achabs repentance The yeare of the world 3040. before Christ Natiuity 924. 3. Reg. â—…0 Adads warre against Achab The Syrians emballage to Achab. His answere to the Legates A ladâ—… confidence in his soldiers The Israelites God promiseth victory against the Syrians The yeare of the world 3040. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 9â—…4 Achabs victory against the Syrians Adads second expedition against the Israelites The yeare of the world 3041. before Christs birth 923. Adad is receiued into fauour by Achab and dismissed vpon conditioÌ„ The yeare of the world â—…041 before Christs Natiuitie 923. Achab was reproued for dismissing Adad The reward of learned preachers The yeare of the world 3042. before Christs birth 924. Iosaphats pietie 3. Paral. 17. The peace in Iosaphats time Iosaphats armie Iosaphats expedition with Achab against the Syrian 〈◊〉 3. Reg. 22. The yeare of the world 3047. before Christs birth 917. The false prophets prophecie plausibly Micheas the true prophet Hedio Ruffinus chap. 15. 3. Reg. 22. al. 〈◊〉 Achab and Iosaphats warre against the Syrian The yeare of the world 3â—…47 before Christs Natiuity 917. Achab wounded by an arrow in the battell dieth The dogs licke Achabs bloud according to Elias prediction The Oracles of the Prophers are to be reuerenced The matchles necessitie of fate The yeare of the world â—…048 before Christs Natiuitie 916. 4. Reg 3. 2. Pâ—… 19. 20. Iehu the Prophet reprehendeth Iosaphat for helping Achab. Iosaphat reneweth the true seruice of God Iosaphat placed Iudges and Magistrates in euery citie The Moabites and Ammonites warre against Iosaphat Iosaphats praier in the temple of Ierusalem for victory Iaziel the prophet assureth theÌ„ of victorie The yeare of the world 3048 before Christs birth 916. The manner and weapons whereby Iosaphat ouercame his enemies The Ammonites and their confederates kill one another The spoiles of the Ammonites The fame and praise of Iosaphat in euerie place Hedio Ruffinus chap. 2. Ochozias Achabs sonne king of Israel 4. Reg. 1. Ochozias hauing a grieuous fall seeketh to be informed of a false Oracle and is reproued by Elias Elias forme and habit Ochozias soldiers fear to fetch Elias are consumed with lightning The yeare of the world 3048. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 916. The yeare of the world 3049. before the birth of Christ. 915. Ochozias dying without issue â—…am his brother raigned in his steede Elias according as Enoch was taken froÌ„ the sight of men Hedio Ruffinus chap. 3. 4. Reg. 3. Eliâ—…aeus Ioram asketh aâ—…d against the Moabites Want of wâ—… in the Hebrew army The kings seeke for counsell at Elizaeus hands Elizaeus fore-prophecieth store of water and their victory The yeare of the world 3049. before Christs Natiuitie 915. A wonderfull blindnes of the enimy grouÌ„ded on the rednes of the water that flowed The victory of the Hebrewes against the Moabites The king of the Moabires sacrificeth his owne sonne Iosaphats death The yeare of the world 3050. before the birth of Christ. 914. Ioram Iosaphats sonne king of Ierusalem 4. Reg. 4. Elizaeus commandeth the widow to fill her empty vessels with oyle The yeare of the world 3050. before Christs Natiuitie 914. Elizeus aduiseth Ioram to auoid Adads ambush who lay in wait to kill him 4. Reg 6. Elizaeus is besieged in Dothaim by his enemie The Angels about Elizaeus the prophet Elizeus leadeth the Syrians blinded into Samaria where by his perswasion they are courteously entertained and presented by Ioram and sent home Hedio Ruffinus chap. 4. Samaria besieged by the Syrians The yeare of the world 3050 before Christs birth 914. The famine so great in Samaria that women eate their owne children Ioram threatneth Elizaeus death 3. Reg. 7. 4. Reg. 7. The enemies flight by reason of a terror that God sent among them The yeare of the world 3050. before Christs birth 914. The lepers certifie the Samaritanes of the flight of their enemies Spies sent abroad The enemies campe spoiled by the Samaritanes The truth of Gods oracles The punishment of incredulitie 4. Reg. 8. Elizeus is senâ—… vnto by Adad to enquire counsell of him as touching his sicknes The yeare of the world 3055. before Christs Natiuity 909. The prophecy of Adads death and Azaels gouernment Hedio Ruffinus chap. 5. 4. Reg. 8. Iorams impietie The yeare of the world 3057. before Christs birth 907 The Idumaeâ—…s reuolt Iorams wickednes reproued by Elias letters The expedition of the Arabians against Ioram 2. Paral. 21. The yeare of the world 3060. before Christs birth 904. Iorams death The yeare of the world 3060. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 904. Hedio Ruffinus chap 6. Iorams expedition against Ramath 4 Reg. 9. Iehu by Gods commandement annointed king The yeare of the world 3060. before Christs Natiuitie 904. Iorams slaughter The truth of Eâ—…ias prophecy The death of Ochozias king of Ierusalem and his burial A famous example of Gods iudgement 4. Reg. 10. Achabs 70. children slaine in Samaria The yeare of the world 3060. before Christ birth 904. The roting out of Achabs line The slaughter of Ochozias seruants Ionadab The slaughter of Baals priests Baal God of the Tyrians The kingdome promised to Iehus posteritie Hedio Ruffinus chap. 7. 4. Reg. 11. Athalia rooteth out all the royall bloud onely Ioas Ochozias Ion is saued The yeare of the world 3060. before Christs Natiuity 904. Ioas by Ioiadas meanes who was the high Priest is createdding The yeare of the world 3067. before Christs birth 897 Athalias punishment The king and the people ioyned by oth to serue God The restoring of Gods seruice Ioas piety during Ioiadas time The yeare of the world 3067. before Christs Natiuitie 897. 4. Reg. 12. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 8. 4. Reg 12 13 The warre betweene Azael and Iehu The yeare of the world 3089. before Christs birth 875. The restoring of the temple Ioas im pie tie after Ioiadas death and how he was reproued by the Propher 2. Paral. 28. Zachary stoned to death The yeare of the world 3089. before Christs birth 875. The spoile of the temple Ioas death The yeare of the world 3105. before Christs birth 859. 4. Reg. 14. Amasias king of Ierusalem The forces of Israel weakned and restored by God The yeare of the world 3089. before the birth of Christ. 875. Ioas king of Israel and Samaria The yeare of the world 3103. before Christs birth 861. Elizâ—…us foretelleth that Ioas should ouercome the Syrians thrise Elizâ—…us death and the raising of a dead man to life that was cast into his tombe
houses The yeare of the world 3929. before Christs natiuitie 35. Herode being alone and naked in his house escaped vnhurt amoÌ„gst many armed enemies Herode sendeth Pappus head to his brother Phaeroras Herode besiegeth IerusaleÌ„ Herode repaireth to Samaria to marrie Alexanders daughter The yeare of the world 3929. before Christs birth 35. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 26. al. 27. Sofiâ—…s and Herode lead a mightie army against Ierusalem Herode preuenteth the dearth The Iewes without feare resist those that besieged them The outward part of the temple and the lower citie taken The Iewes flye to the vpper citie and the temple IerusaleÌ„ taken The yeare of the world 3929. before Christs birth 35. Antigonus submitteth himselfe to Sosius Herode sore troubled in pacifying the straungers The spoile of the citie hindred When Ierusalâ—… was taken Herode bribeth Antonius with money to make away Antigonus The end of the Asmonean family and the extinction of their priest hood The yeare of the world 3930. before Christs Natiuitie 3 4. Herode preferreth his fauorites and killeth his enemies The Pharisees honoured by him Pollio fore-prophecied Herodes tyrannie The slaughter of them that were of Antigonus â—…action The yeare of the world 3930. before Christs birth 34. Antigonus beheaded Strabo of Antigonus Hedio Ruffinus chap. 〈◊〉 Hircanâ—… heating â—…idings that Herode had obtained the kingdome returneth vnto him Hircanus highly honoured in Babylon by the Iewes Hircanus leauing his country expecteth fauour at Herodes hands Saramalla Herodes embasdour to Phraates Herode highly honoureth Hircanus The yeare of the world 3930. before Christs Natiuitie 34. Herode giueth the high priesthood to Ananel Alexandra soliciteth Antonius by Cleopatras mediation for the high priesthood for hir sonne Antonius requireth Aristobulus at Herods hands The causes why Aristobulus was not sent Herode inueieth against Alexandra for pretending to vsurpe the kingdome Alexandra excuseth herselfe and hauing promise of the priesthood for hir sonne is reconciled to Herode The yeare of the world 3930. before Christs birth 34. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 3. Herode taketh the Priesthood from Ananel The Priesthood taken from three Alexandra suspected by Herode is spied and watched and her actions obserued Alexandra pretending to flie into Egypt is betraied by her seruant Herode contriueth Aristobulus death The yeare of the world 3932. before Christs birth 33. Aristobulus is drowned by Herodes direction Ananell restored to the priesthood The lamentation for Aristobulus death Herodes counterfait sorrow The yeare of the world 3931. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 33. Alexandra certifieth Cleopatra of Herodes treasons and her sonnes traiterous murther Herode readie to repaire vnto Antony commaundeth Ioseph to whose charge he coÌ„mitted the kingdome to kill his wife A foolish rumour of Herodes death Herode appeaseth Anthony by presents and certifieth his friends by letters of his health The yeare of the world 3932. before Christs Natiuitie 32. Ioseph and Mariamme accused before Herode Mariamme excuseth purgeth hir selfe before the king and is reconciled Herode commandeth that Ioseph should be slaine and imprisoneth Alexandra Hedio Ruffinus chap. 4. Cleopatra verie couetous Cleopatra murthereth her brother and sister The yeare of the world 3932. before Christs birth 32. Cleopatra contrieth Lysanias death Antonius giueth Cleopatra a portion deducted out of Iury and Arabia Cleopatra coÌ„meth to Herode who enstateth hir in that the part of Arabia these reuenewes of lericho that were giuen her An intemperate woman giuen to lust Herode goeth about to put Cleopatra to death and is disswaded by his â—…riends Antonius conquereth Armenia Herode bringeth Cleopatra onward off her way towards Egypt The yeâ—…e of the world 3933. before Christs birth 31. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 5. Herode leuieth an army to assist Antonius against Octauian Herode is incited by letters to the Arabian warre Herodes battels and conquests The yeare of the world 3934. before Christs birth 30. Cleopatras chieftaine ouerthroweth Herode The Arabians returning to the barrell kill those that flie and cake the campe The yeare of the world 3935. before Christs birth 29. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 6. An earthquake in Iudaea killeth ten thousand men The Arabians kill the Embassadours of the lewes Herode comforteth the Iewes that were out of heart for their former losses Herode comforteth and exhorteth his soldiers The cause of warre against the Arabians The yeere of the world 3935. before Christs Natiuitie 29. Legates inuiolable With whom soeuer Iustice is there is God also The yeare of the world 3935. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 19. The Arabians are ouercome by Herode The Arabians enforced by thirst require truce at Herodes hands Hedio Ruffinus chap. 7. Herode dismaied at Antonius ouerthrow The yeare of the world 3935. before Christs Natiuitie 29. Herode determineth to make away Hircanus Alexandra solliciteth Hircanus her father to require assistance at Malchus haÌ„ds Three hundreth furlongs containe nine Germaine miles Hircanus by Herodes commaund is put to death Hircanus dieth guiltlesse Hircanus life The yeare of the world 3935. before Christs birth 29. Herodes disposition of his affaires before he repaired to Caesar. Herode commeth to Caesar and declareth vnto him what pleasures he had done Antony promising him no lesse dutie and loue if so be he might be receiued into his fauour The yeare of the world 3935. before Christs Natiuitie 29. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 8. Caesar confirmeth Herodes authoritie Herode conducteth Caesar toward Egypt and presenteth him with many sumptuous gifts Herode inter taineth both Caesar and his at my verie heroically Herode giueth Caesar eight hundreth talents Mariamme and Alexandra displeased with Herode The yeare of the world 3935. before Christs birth 29. Sohcmus discoueteth the kings secrets Herode but coldly entertained by his wife MariaÌ„me Herodes sorrowes to see his wiues affections distracted and chaunged Hrodes siâ—…t 〈◊〉 and his mother incense the king by slaunderous reports against Mariamme Antony and Cleopatra slain Caesar Lord of Egypt Sohemus honoured by Horod with dignities Hedio Ruffinus chap. 9. Caesar enlargeth Herodes dominions The yeare of the world 3935. before Christs birth 29. Mariamme a froward womaÌ„ The yeare of the world 3936. before Christs birth 28 Sohemus suspected by Herode in Mariammes behalfe is put to death Mariamme is accused by Herode and condemned and imprisoned Mariamme by Salomes instigations is led to execution The yeare of the world 3936. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 28. Alexandra vndecently striueth to acquit her selfe of Mariammes treason Herods miserable estate moane after the death of his wife A plague inuadeth IerusaleÌ„ Herode falleth grieuously sicke Alexandra in Herodes absence seeketh to get the possession of the castles The yeare of the world 3936. before Christs Natiuitie 28. Herodes councellors certifie him of Alexandras intent Alexandra put to death Costabarus whom Herode had matched with his sister Salome vsurpeth in Idumaea Costabarus preserued by his wiues intercession Costabarus Lysimachus Antipater
The yeare of the world 4014 after Christs birth 52. The souldier executed that burned the Bible A Galilean slaine in Samaria Eleazar and Alexander two princes of the Iewes exercise much crueltie Conspiracy in robbery Quadratus gouernour of Syria heareth the Samaritanes Iewes Quadratus giueth sentence betwixt the Iewes and Samaritanes The yeere of the world 4014. after Christs birth 52. Claudius sentence against some Samaritanes Cumanus and Celer Claudius dieth and Nero succeeded him The yeare of the world 4015. after the Natiuitie of Christ. 53. Nero killeth his brother his mother and wife The yeare of the world 4018. after Christs natiuitie 56. Ant. lib. 20. cap. 1â—… Felix surpriseth Eleazar the captaine of the theeues and many others and sendeth them bound to Rome Another sort of theeues who at 〈◊〉 daies went about the city to murther men Ionathas the high priest with many others slaine Ant. lib. 20. cap. 12. An Egyptian Prophet gathereth welny â—…0000 men Felix ouerthroweth the Egyptian The theeues and magitians work much mischiefe to many men The yeare of the world 4020. after the 〈◊〉 of Christ. 50. Ant lib. 20. cap. 13. A fight betweene the Iewes and Syrians about Caesarea Sedition and slaughter among the Iewes The yeare of the world 4024. after Chrisâ—… 〈◊〉 62. Ant lib. 20. cap 11. Albinus president of Iudaea full of all wickednes The seditious bribe Albinus to winke at their robberies The yeare of the world 4028. after Christs birth 66. Ant. lib. 20. cap. 16. Gessius Florus succeeded Albinus and proued worser then Albinus The couetousnes of Florus spoileth whole cities The yeare of the world 4018. after Christs birth 66. Cestius Gallus appeaseth the people and requireth a mitigation of Florus seueritie The beginning of the warre of the Iewes the 12. yeare of Neros raigne Ant. lib. 20. cap. 15. The causes of the warre of the Iewes The yeare of the world 4030. after Christs birth 68. Florus periury and decoit toward the Iewes The conflict of the Iewes with the Caesareans Florus imprisoneth twelue of the chiefest Iewes in Caesarea Another cause of warre raised by Florus The yeare of the world 4030. after Christs Natiuitie 68. Another occasion of the war Florus scorneth the gratulation of the Iewes Florus in his tribunal requireth them to be yeelded vnto him who had spoken ill of him The outrage of Florus soldiers Florus soldiers kill 630. Iewes in one day Berenice requi reth Florus to pacifie his displeasure against the Iewes The furie of the souldiers against Beroâ—… nice The people exclaime against Floruâ—… The yeare of the world 4030 after Christs birth 68. Florus renueth the discontents of the people Florus subtiltie and treason The exhortation of the priests and princes to the people The euent sheweth Florus intent counsel The slaughter of the Iewes The seditious for 〈◊〉 least Florus should seâ—…se their spoiles flie to the temple Florus taketh the spoiles and entreth the temple Florus seeing the Iewes inexpugnable in the temple surceaseth his violence and leauing a band behind him goeth to Caesarea The yeare of the world 403â—… after Christs birth 68. Cestus Gallus president of Syria coâ—…ulteth with the princes what were bestro be done Politianus is sent to Ierusalem and meeteth with Agrippa The multitude of the people go out to meet Agrippa and Politianus Politianus assembleth the people and inciteth them to peace and after returneth to Cestius The Iewes require the king y t there might be some embassadors sent to Rome to conplaine of Florus to Nero. Agrippas oration to the Iewes Agrippa striueth to make the common sort flexible attentiue The yeâ—…re of the world 4030. after Christs birth 68. It be hooueth to honour the magistrate and not to prouoke him by iniury Agrippa excuseth Caesar and the Romanes Depulsion of the Iewes libertie which they so vehemently seeke forâ—… The exaÌ„ple of the Athenians others who obey the Romane empire The Lacedemonians The Macedonians The comparison of the Romans force with the Iewes weaknes The Romans haue brought the whole world vnder their gouernment haue â—…ought another world beyond the Ocean The 〈◊〉 of the world 4030. after Christs Natiuitie 68. Fiftie Cities of Asia obey the Romans The defence of France The Spaniards subiect to the Romans The Germains mulâ—…de vertue and huge stature The Britaines subiect to the Romans The Parthians The Carthaginians made subiect by Scipâ—…os hands The Romans gouerne the Moores The yeare of the world 4030 after Christs birth 68. Alexandria acknowledgeth the power of the Romans Gods fauour towaâ—…ds the Romans The last argument that proueth the Iewes destitute of Gods mans helpe and vnapt to make warre Whilest the ship is yet in the Port it is good to preuent the â—…uture tempest Agrippas prophecie of the Iewes future miserie Agrippâ—… protesteth that hee hath omit ted no counsel that he thoght expedient for the Iewes The yeare of the world 4030. after the birth of Christ. 68. Agrippa the king is by the people driuen out of the citie with stones The Iewes refuse Caesars sacrifices for the prosperitie of the Romanâ—… Against those who refuse forrain sacrifices None of the seditious gaue eare to those that were in authoritie Embassadours sent to Florus and Agrippa against the seditious The yeare of the world 4030. after Câ—…sts birth 68. Warre in Ierusalem between thâ—… seditious and those that â—…auored peace Xylophoria aâ—…east The kings souldiers are ouercome The Iews take Antonia and burne it Manahemus the chiefe of y t rebels giues the kings faction and friends licence to depart The Romans forsaking the Stratopedon flie into the Kings sortes The yeare of the world 4030. after Chrâ—…sts birth 68. The death of Ananias the high priest and Ezechias his brother Eleazars followers assault Manahem in the Temple Manahem with the princes slaine The Romans vnable any â—…on ger to resist yeeld themselues The Romanâ—… against all couenant law are all slaine saue Metiliâ—… Slaughter on the Sabaoth day The yeere of the world 4030. after Christs birth 68. The Iewes spoyle the villages and burn the Cities of Syria Al Syria full of miserable calamities Iewes against Iewes The Scythopolitans kill thirteene thousand Iewes Simon daily killeth many of his countrimen in Scythopolis The yeare of thâ—… world 4030. after the birth of Christ. 68. Simon killeth his parents his wife and children and at last himselfe An other slaughter of the Iewes The cities in armes against the Iewes Varus killeth 70. Iewes in in their iourney The Romans yeeld vp theiâ—… castle in Marichunte to the Iewes Sedition in 〈◊〉 betweene thâ—… Greeks and Ieweâ—… The yeere of the world 4030. after Christs birth 68. Tiberius Alexander exhorteth the seditious Iewes to keepe peace A cruell victorie wherein 〈◊〉 thousand Iewes are slaine Huge companies of the Romans Zâ—…bulon 〈◊〉 strong Citie of Galilee spoiled and burnt The Iewes kill two thousand Syrians The Romans take Ioppe and burne it and kill eight thousand and foure hundreth 〈◊〉 â—…nd
touching Euphrates and Tygris they flow into the redde sea Euphrates is called Phora that is to say dispersion or flower Tygris is called Diglat which signifieth streight and swift Gehon runneth by the countrey of Aegypt and signifieth as much as comming from the East the Greekes call it Nilus Now God commanded Adam and his wife to eate of the fruites of all other plantes and that they should abstaine from that of science telling them that at what time soeuer they should taste of the same they should die the death Whereas then at that time all liuing creatures were at accord one with another the Serpent conuersing with Adam and his wife was inflamed with enuie for that he sawe they should be happy if they continued in the obseruation of Gods commandements and that contrariwise they should cast themselues headlong into ruine and destruction if they should disobey the same He therefore maliciously perswaded the woman to taste the fruit of the tree of intelligence giuing her to vnderstand that the knowledge of good and euill was in the same and that as soone as they had tasted thereof they should lead a life no lesse happy then Gods and by this meanes he caused the woman to fall which tooke no regard of the ordinance of God For hauing her selfe tasted of this fruit and finding it pleasant and delicious in taste she perswaded her husband also to taste the same at which time they vnderstood that they were naked and sought meanes to couer themselues for this fruit had in it selfe the vertue to giue vnderstanding and to quicken the thought Then couered they themselues with fig leaues which they put before their priuities esteeming themselues more happy then they were before in that they had found out that which they wanted But when as God came into the garden Adam who before times was accustomed familiarly to talke with him finding himselfe guiltie of sinne hid himselfe from his presence but God wondring hereat asked him for what cause he fled and shunned him at that time whereas before time he had taken pleasure to talke familiarly with him Adam knowing that he had transgressed the ordinances and commandements of God answered him not a word but God spake vnto him after this manner I had prouided for you the meanes whereby you might haue led your life without sufferance of any euill or sense of any miserie so that all whatsoeuer was requisite for necessitie or pleasure might happen of it selfe vnto you by my onely prouidence without any trauell or care on your parts which if you had well vsed age had not so soone ouertaken you but that you might haue liued many yeares but thou hast scorned this mine ordinance and broken my commandement For in that thou art silent at this time it proceedeth not of vertue but of euill of which thou findest thy selfe culpable wherefore both old age shall quicklier come vpon thee and the daies of thy life shall be shortened Adam excused his sinne and required at Gods hands that he would not be incensed against him laying the fault of that which had happened on his wife alleadging that he had offended by reason he was suborned by her and the woman accused the Serpent But at that time God punished him because he had suffered himselfe to be ouercome by the counsaile of a woman that the earth thence forward neuer more of her owne accord should bring foorth fruit but that when they had trauailed and almost deuoured themselues in labour it should sometimes giue them foode and at other times refuse to sustaine them And as touching Eue he chastised her with child-bearing and throwes in trauell for that being her selfe deceiued by the Serpent she had drawne her husband by the same meanes into extreame miserie He tooke also from the Serpent his voice and was displeased against him * by reason of the malice he had conceiued against Adam and he put venome on his tongue declaring him an enemie both to man and woman whom he commanded to bruise the head of the Serpent as well for that the euill which chanced vnto men consisted in the head as also â—…at being assaulted in that part he is most easily done to death Moreouer hauing depriued him of his feete he condemned him to slide and traile himselfe along the earth And after that God had ordained them to suffer those punishments he translated Adam and Eue out of the garden into another place CHAP. III. Of the Posteritie of Adam and of the ten ages euen vnto the Deluge BVt Adam and Eue had two male children the first whereof was called Cain which signifieth acquisition and the second was called Abel which is as much to say as mourning they had also daughters These brothers addicted themselues each one of them to their particular exercises Abel the younger honoured iustice and supposing that God was present in all his actions he alwaies and wholy fixed his thoughts on vertue and his exercise was keeping of sheepe But Cain being the wickedest man amongst men and addicted to vnsatiable desire of profit was he that first found out the vse of the Plough and who killed his brother for the cause which ensueth Hauing concluded among themselues to sacrifice vnto God Cain offered the fruites of his labour and planting Abell presented milke and the firstlings of his folde which sacrifice of his was more acceptable to God in that it rather consisted of things produced of themselues by the order of nature then that which a couetous man had forcibly in a manner extorted from nature Hereupon Cain being wroth because his brother Abell was more honoured by God then himselfe slewe his brother and hauing hidden his bodie out of sight he thought that such a murther should be concealed But God knowing well this fact appeared to Cain and questioned with him as concerning his brother what might become of him for that many daies since he had not seene him when as heretofore he had alwaies seene him conuersant before him Cain being troubled and ignorant what aunswere he should make vnto God said first that he wondered what was the cause his brother was so long time absent and finally aggreeued in that God continued the quest and did more exactly seeke after him he said he was â—…ot his brothers keeper or bound to take care of his affaires Then God reproued and conuicted Cain of murthering his brother and spake vnto him after this manner saying that he wondered he should denie the knowledge of his brothers death whereas he himselfe had slaine him notwithstanding he acquited him of the punishment deserued for this murther by reason that Cain had done sacrifice and made request vnto God that it might please him to remit somewhat of the seueritie of his iustice against him yet did God curse him and threaten to punish his successors to the seuenth generation Then did he driue him his wife out of
obedient to his omnipotent will and for that cause that honor and thanksgiuing should wholy be ascribed to him For which causes and counsailes of his seeing the Chaldeans and Mesapotamians began to mutiny against him he thought it expedient to forsake that countrey and following the will and fauour of God he went and dwelt at Chanaan where beâ—…ng seated he builded an aultar and sacrificed vnto God Berosus amongst other things maketh mention of our father Abraham although he nameth him not when he speaketh after this manner After the Deluge and during the tenth generation there dwelt among the Chaldeans a most iust excellent and vpright man and exercised in the knowledge of the celestiall bodies But Hecataeus made more then a mention of him for he hath left a volume which he hath written of him And as touching Nicholaus Damascenus heare what he saith of him in the fourth booke of his Histories Abraham raigned in Damasco where he was a stranger whether he arriued with his army from a countrey scituate aboue Babylon called Chaldaea who a little while after departing out of that region went and dwelt with his people in a countrey at that time called Chanaan and at this day Iudea and his posteritie multiplied therein In an other treatise I will recite that which is reported of him The name of Abraham euen at this day is honourable in the countrey of Damasco aâ—…d there is a village to be seene which beareth his name and is called Abrahams house CHAP. IX Abraham oppressed by famine departeth into Egypt where staying a while at last he returned backe againe AFter this when famine had inuaded the land of Chanaan Abraham had intelligence that the Egyptians abounded in all plentie and decreed with himselfe to retire himselfe towards them as well to conferre with their priest and discourse with them of diuine things and their knowledge as touching God as also to follow them if they were more grounded in vnderstanding or reconcile them if his iudgement were more assured then theirs he led with him his wife Sara and vnderstanding that the Egyptians were much addicted vnto women to the end the King should not put him to death of purpose that he might enioy his wife Sara who was very beautiful he deuised this excuse to say that she was his sister charging her that if the matter came in question she should not faile but confirme the like But no sooner came he into Aegypt but the like fortune encountred tâ—…m as Abraham had before time suspected for the beawtie of his wife was sodainly published in euery place For which cause Pharao the King of that Nation desirous to see that with his eies 〈◊〉 which he had heard with his eares he sought for sent and lusted after her but God withstood this his vnbridled lust by afflicting the Kings subiects with a plague and his affaires by sedition Whereupon taking counsell of the Priests what remedie might be vsed and meanes might be sought to appease the diuine maiesty they answered him that this was the cause of their afflictions for that he thought to haue done violence to the straungers wife whereat being much affrighted the King first questioneth with the woman what she was and who her companion should be and at last resolued of the trueth he satisfied Abraham saving he supposed her to be his sister not his wife and that his purpose was not to offer iniury but seeke alliance so giuing him a great summe of money hegaue him leaue to conferre with the most excellentest learnedest Priests among the Egyptians Whence it came to passe that he grew into great estimation in regard of his vertues for whereas that Nation was deuided into different sects and opinions thorow mutuall contempt diuision were incensed the one against the other he declared that their opinions different and confuted by themselues in respect of religion were most vaine and deuoide of all trueth For these his disputations he was held in great regard amongst them and esteemed for a man most wise and a personage most exccellent not onely in well conceiuing but also in expressing and perswading that which he vndertooke to teach to these most gratiously imparted he the science of Arithmetike and the obseruation of the celestiall bodies For before that Abraham came into Aegypt the Aegyptians vvere altogether ignorant of those sciences but he transported them from Chaldaea into Aegypt and from thence are they deriued to the Greekes As soone as he returned into Chanaan he deuided the countrey with Lot and for that there grew a contention betwixt their shepheards as touching the bounding of those pastures where they fed their cattel he gaue Lot the choise and election of the countrey vvhich best pleased him reâ—…aining vnto himselfe that which was left Thus pitching his tents neere the mountain in a Citie called Hebron which is by seuen yeares more auncient then Tanis in Aegypt he dwelled there But Lot chose the plaine neere to the floud of Iordane not farre from Sodome vvhich in those daies vvas a goodlie Citie but at this present by the diuine iustice and vvrath of God is vtterly defaced so that no memorie remayneth thereof The causes of which iudgemenâ—… shall bee expressed hereafter CHAP. X. The ouerthrow of the Sodomites by the Syrians AT that time when the Assyrians were Lords ouer all Asia the estate of Sodome flourished in all affluence increased in great riches and mulâ—…itude of gallant youthes and the countrey was gouerned by fiue Kings these were Ballas Bareas Senabarus Symoborus and Balin each one particularly seased of his prouince and kingdome Against these the Assyrians incamped themselues and hauing deuided their armie into foure parts vnder the conduct of foure gouernours they waged battell with them in which the Assyrians attayning the day they imposed a tribute on the Kings of Sodome who after they had for twelue yeares space performed their duety and paid their tribute in the thirteenth yeare reuolted from them Whereby it came to passe that the Assyrians leuied a new armie against them vnder the conduct and commaund of Marphad Arioch Chodollogomor Thargal who sacked all Syria and extinguished the posteritie of the Giants And drawing neere to Sodome they encamped neere to the bituminous pits for at that time there were pits in that place but as soone as Sodome was destroyed there arose a lake in that place which by reason of the bituminous matter that flowed in the same was called Asphalâ—…ites that is to say bituminous of this lake hereafter we wil speake somewhat But the Sodomites encountering with the Assyrians there was a dangerous skirmish fought wherein many perished on both sides and the most were eyther staine or taken amongst whom was Lot led away captiue who came thither to assist the Sodomites CHAP. XI Abraham pursueth the Assyrians and returneth victorious ABraham hearing of these things and moued both
them For they were inioyned by them to cut Nilus into diuers trenches and to e◅iron their Cit◅es with walles and to build fortifications and banks whereby the inundations of the floud might be diuerted They also vexed our nation in building their hie and vaine Pyramides compelling them to learne diuers artes and to accustome themselues to endure labour and in such afflictions led they their liues for the space of 400. yeares the Aegyptians studying nought else but to tire the Israelites with continuall labour our country men endeuouring themselues alwaies to performe farre more then was expected from thē Liuing thus in this estate there grew afterwards an other occasion which instigated them the more to seeke the ruine and desolation of our Nation For one of the sacred secretaries to whose predictions those kind of people do very much attribute foretold the King that about that time there should be one bred and borne amongst the Israelites that in time to come should grieuously afflict the estate of the Aegyptians and wonderously enhance the good hap of the Israelites who should su◅passe all other in vertue and purchase to himselfe immortal glory if so be he should attaine to ◅ns estate Wherewith the King being greatly terrified he published an edict by the aduise of this secretary that whatsoeuer male child should be borne amongst the Israelites he should be cast into the floud to be drowned he commaunded likewise the Aegyptian midwiues diligently to obserue the time when the Hebrew women trauelled with child carefully to keepe marke their children at such time as they were deliuered For it was enioyned thē that they should be brought to bed by such midwiues who by reason of consanguinitie with that Nation should not transgresse the king◅ commaundement He enacted also a law with a penaltie that if any should be so bold to conceale their children both they and all their family should be done to death Great was this their calamity not onely in that respect because they were depriued of their children and for that the parents themselues were made the ministers to murther their owne children but foreseeing also the future time they were intolerably dismayed expecting nought else but the certaine and fatall ex◅pation of their wholenation by reason that when the children were s◅ine the parents themselues not long after were ass◅ed to die thus conceited they in themselues into what extreame misfortune they were fallen But no man whosoeuer although he complot neuer so many stratagems can resist the wil of God For both the child of whom the sacred secretary had fore prophecied was secretly brought vp vndiscouered by the kings spies and approued by the euents of his life that he was no false Prophet Amarames an Hebrew borne a noble man amongst his Nation fearing both the pub like perill least the wholenation should be brought to nothing thorow the want of issue and his owne priuate misfortune whose wife at home was big with child and readie to lye downe was troubled in his mind and vncertaine what to doe For which cause he made his recourse vnto God beseeching him that at the length he would haue mercy on those men of whom onely he had beene perpetually honoured and that it would please him to bring to end the present affliction which threatned the whole nation with vtter ruine and destruction But God being moued vnto mercy by his most humble prayer appeared to him in a dreame and recomforted him commaunding him to be confident telling him that he had in memory the pietie of his auncecestors and that he would for euer remunerate them euen as in times past he had beene gratious to their forefathers For it was he that had increased their posteritie and multiplied them to so mighty a nation that by his fauor Abraham departing alone out of Mesopotamia into Chanaan besides other felicities had issue by his wife that was before time barren and left ample possessions to his successors to Ismael Arabia to Chaeturas children Troglottida and to Isaac Chanaan Neither can you euer forget without note of impietie and ingratitude the attempts also which were happily atchieued in warre by my meanes but Iacobs name also is renowmed amongst forraine nations both in respect of the felicitie wherein he liued also for that prosperitie which by hereditarie right happened vnto his posteritie who taking their originall from 70. men that accompanied their father into Egypt are now increased to the number of sixe hundreth thousand know therefore now also that I inwardly and heartily affect your publike securitie and priuately thy glory For this child for feare of whose natiuitie the Egyptians haue condemned all your children vnto death shall be borne vnto thee he neither shall be discouered by the constituted spies and after he hath escaped beyond all expectation shall he be brought vp and in his time shall he deliuer the Hebrewes from the thraldome of the Egyptians and shall obtaine an eternall memorie for this his famous action not onely amongst his owne nation but also amongst straungers for this fauour will I extend vnto thee and on thy posteritie that followeth after thee he shall also haue such a brother who shall deserue both in himselfe and in his posteritie to inherite the priesthood for euer After these things were declared in a vision vnto Amram he awaked and told it to his wife Iochabel and by reason of the prediction of this dreame their suspition and feare the rather increased more and more for they were not onely pensiue in respect of their child but also by reason of the future great good fortune that was promised them But anone after the woman being brought a bed gaue credit to the Oracle who had so easie and gentle a labor that she beguiled the ouerseers spies in that she felt none of those throwes which do commonly afflict such as are in labor so that she nourished the infant three moneths secretly in her house without being in any sort discouered But afterwards Amram fearing to be surprised sore doubting least he should incurre the kings displeasure if the matter were discouered whereby both he and the child should be made away and Gods promises should be frustrate he had rather wholy commit the safety of his sonne to his prouidence supposing that if the boy were hidden which notwithstanding would be hard to effect yet that it would be troublesom vnto him to liue in continuall perill both of his owne and his sonnes safetie moreouer he thought that God would puruey some meanes of assurance to the intent that nothing of that which he had foretold might be proued false Grounding himselfe on this resolution they prepared and made a cradle of sedge after the manner of a couch so great as it was sufficient to lay the child in at ease and hauing pitched it on euery side least the water should pierce the same they put the child into it and
bread of twentie foure Assars of flower and those loaues they baked two by two the day before the Sabboth and the day of the Sabboth in the morning they bring it and set it on the sacred Table opposing sixe to sixe the one against the other and vpon them are imposed two platters full of incense and these things remaine after this maner till the next Sabboth and then set they new in the place of the first which are giuen to the Priests for their maintenance The incense is cast into the sacred fire in which the burnt offerings are consumed and in place thereof there is new incense put The Priest also sacrificeth on his owne charge flower mingled with oyle and a little baked by fire and this doth he twise euerie day and bringeth to the fire halfe an Assar of flower in the morning and the other halfe in the euening But I will entreat hereof more expresly hereafter for the present me thinks I haue sufficiently spoken already Moses separated the tribe of Leui and exempted them from the other people to the end they might be consecrated vnto God and he purified them with liuing fountaine water and purged them with solemne sacrifice and committed the Tabernacle to their charge with all the holy things pertaining therunto and all the rest which had bin made for the couer of the Tabemacle to the end they might be ministers to the Priests their superiours who were already consecrated to God After this he distinguished the beasts also namely those that were to be eaten froÌ„ those which were to be forborne and abstained from of which we will speak at such time as occasion is offered vs and will bring proofes and the reason which induced him to ordaine that some were proper to feede vpon and for what cause he would that we should abstaine from other some He hath generally interdicted all vse of bloud in meates esteeming the bloud to be the soule and spirit of beasts He hath also generally prohibited to eat the flesh of those beasts that died by theÌ„selues likewise the caule and fat of goates of sheepe and oxen He thrust them likewise out of the company and conuersation of men who were leprous such as were troubled with the fluxe of their seed And as touching women that haue their sicknesse he sequestred them for the space of seuen dayes after which it was lawfull for them to conuerse indifferently the one with the other The like decreed he of those that had assisted the buriall of a dead man whom he permitted to conuerse with other after seuen dayes were expired It was a thing also decreed by law that he that was surprised with vncleannesse and vnpurified beyond the number of those dayes he should sacrifice two Wethers one of which should bee purified and the other giuen to the Priests The like sacrifice is made for him that hath had vnnaturall pollution who first washeth himselfe in cold water The like must they offer that haue vse of their lawfull wiues Hee altogether droue the leprous out of the citie not permitting them to frequent any mans companie but esteeming them as men little differing from the dead And if any one by his prayers made vnto God was deliuered from this disease and his skin reduced to his natiue colour such a one presented himselfe before God in diuers oblations and sacrifices of which wee will speake hereafter For which cause they are worthy to be laughed at who say that Moses fled out of Aegypt because he was a leper and that he conducted with him other such as were trauelled with that disease and brought them into the land of Canaan For if that were true Moses had not made these ordinances to his owne preiudice which if other had proposed it behooued him to haue opposed himselfe against them especially since amongst diuers other nations there are lepersâ—… who are held in great honour and who are so far from disdaine and contempt as that they haue beene made Generals of most notable armies and elected for Gouernours of common-weales hauing libertie to enter the Temples and to be present at the sacrifices What therefore hindred Moses if he had beene polluted with the like hatefull sicknesse to make such lawes and ordaine such statutes among those people who honoured and obeyed him whereby such as were therewith infected might be preferred By which it is manifest that those things that are obiected against him are rather of malice then probability But Moses being cleane from such sickenesse and conuersing amongst his countrimen which were vntainted made these ordinances for them that were sicke hauing regard to the honour of God But of these things let each man censure as best liketh him He forbad that women should enter into the Temple after their deliuerance or to assist the sacrifice vntill fortie dayes were expired if they had beene brought a bed of a sonne but if it were a daughter he willed that the number of the dayes should be doubled and that when they should enter they should present their offerings vnto God and to the Priests that offered them And if any one suspected that his wife had committed adultery hee brought an Assar of grinded barley and cast a handfull thereof before God and the rest was reserued for the maintenance of the Priests and then the Priest placing the woman in the porch which is right ouer against the Temple and taking the couer from her head writeth the name of God vpon a skinne and maketh her sweare that she hath not plaid false with her husband and wish if she had transgressed thè bounds of chastity that her right thigh might be put out of ioint her womb might rot and that death might follow thereupon but if through entire loue and iealousie proceeding therefro her husband had beene inconsiderately drawne into that suspition that she might within ten moneths bring forth a male child And after such an oath ministred vnto her the Priest wipeth out the name of God that was written on the skinne and wringeth it into a viall and then taking of the earth of the Temple according as he findeth it and hauing mingled the same giueth it the woman to drinke and if she hath beene vniustly accused she continueth with child and beareth her fruit her full time but if she hath falsified her faith to her husband forsworn herselfe before God then dieth she a shameful death for her thigh is nummed her wombe growes full of water See here how Moses hath prouided for these sacrifices at the purifying of a woman He furthermore made these lawes which ensue He generally forbad adulterie iudging it to be a great good hap if men demeaned themselues honestly in mariageÌ„ that both in politique estates and priuate families it was a thing most profitable that children should be borne in lawfull matrimonie The law also forbiddeth a man to haue the
vp with great care and diligence sparing nothing that might appertaine to their sustenance or instruction Now therfore shall they say surely the follies of youth are to be pardoned let this suffice you that hitherto you haue forgotten your duetie for which cause remember your selfe and grow wise thinking with your selfe that God is grieuously offended against those who disobey or disdaine their parents by reason that he himselfe is the father of all mankind who seemeth to be preiudiced in himselfe in that dishonour which is done vnto those that beare his name at such time as they receiue not such dutie from their childrens hands as he commaundeth The law likewise inflicted an meuitable punishment against such which thou oughtest with all prouidence to preuent and not incurre If by these medicines the vnbridled irregard of youth may be healed let no man either impute or reproch him in his submission for in so doing the law-maker shall be accounted mercifull and the parents shall be held to be happie when as they see that their sonne or daughter is exempt from punishment But if such speeches and instructions of the father are set light by the sonne let the lawes be irreconciliable enemies against such continuall outrages committed by the children against their parents and let them drag them out of the Citie in the sight and presence of all the people and there let him be stoned to death and after the offender hath lien there a whole day in the sight of the people let him be interred and buried by night In like manner ought they to be buried who for any occasion whatsoeuer are condemned and executed by iustice Let the enemie also be enterred after the same manner and let no dead man lye vnburied after such time as he hath beene iudged and hath satisfied the lawes It is not lawfull for any Hebrewe to lend vpon vsurie whether it be meat or drinke for it is an vniust thing to make profit of the forumes of the tribes but it is better to succour their necessities and impute their thanksgiuing and Gods retribution to be a gaine vnto them which are wont to follow such kind of benefits But they that haue borrowed either money or any fruit either drie or moist when as by the fauour and assistance of God they shall reape their owne haruest and gather their fruit let them make a willing restitution to those that haue lent them as if they laid them vp for themselues to possesse them at such time as they had need of them But if there be any so impudent as they will not make satisfaction let no man enter into their houses to take a pawne before the iudges haue giuen order that the pledge should be demanded before their doore and the debter without contradiction shall bring it vnto him being assisted by the maiestie of the law If he of whom the pledge is taken haue sufficient abilitie the creditor may retaine the gage till such time as he be paid but if he be poore he shall restore him his pawne before the sunne set and especially if it be any garment whereon he is accustomed to sleepe for God doth naturally bestow his mercy on those that are poore It is not lawful to receiue in way of gage either a mill or ought else that belongeth thereunto least any debter should be depriued of the necessarie instruments to prouide his victuals with and he should endure any euill thorow pouertie Let him that committeth any theft be punished with death but he that hath stolne either gold or siluer let him restore it twofold If any man kill such as breake into their houses to rob them or they that breake their walles let not such a one be punished Who so shall steale a beast shall restore foure for it except it be an Oxe for which one shall satisfie fiuefolde and if the thiefe want meanes to pay this penaltie let him be their slaue against whom they haue trespassed and at whose suit they are condemned If any one be sold vnto one of his owne tribe let him serue him seuen yeares and at the seuen yeares end he shall depart with libertie but if during the time that he remaineth with the buyer he beget any child vpon a female fellow slaue and that he be willing to serue by reason of the good affection and great amitie that he beareth vnto the house in the yeare of lubile which happeneth euerie fiftith yeare let him be set at liberty leading away with him his children wife with their freedom If any man find money or gold by the way let him seeke out him that hath lost it and make knowne the place where he found it to the intent he may restore it knowing that the profit is not good which commeth and accrueth by an other mans iniurie The like is to be done with beasts for if any man find them straied in the desart if he find not out the owner let him presently keepe it by him taking God to witnesse that he will not detaine with him an other mans goods If any man find an other mans beasts bemired or bebogd let him not passe further but succour them or if he find them trauailed with foule weather let him indeuour himselfe to saue the same and helpe him that is the owner not sparing or making nice of any labour Let each man direct the ignorant trauailer in his way and set him in the right path if he wander without deluding him or hindering him in his necessities or misleading him in his iourney Let no man speake ill of him that is either absent or deafe If any man be stroken in a quarrell and it be not with a weapon let him that stroke him be presently punished in receiuing the like outrage as he hath offered him But if he be caried into his house and lie sicke vpon it diuers daies and in the end die thereof he shall be exempt of the penaltie But if he escapeth and during the time of his sicknes hath beene greatly hindred and charged then let him that stroke him pay all the charges he hath beene at during the time he kept his bed and satisfie the Phisitions He that with his foot shall strike a woman with child if the woman miscarry he shall be by the Iudges amerced in a summe of money for that he hath lesned the number of the people by the losse of him that is dead in his mothers wombe Let him likewise be condemned to pay a summe of money vnto the husband But if the woman die of the stroke he that offered the violence must die the death also by reason that the law iustly ordaineth that life should be satisfied with life Let not any one among the Israelites vse any mortall poyson nor any drugge that may do hurt vnto any man and if any man be found with such things about him let him die dying that death which he
at length they should too lately and vnprofitably repent them of their errour yet that God their establisher should restore Cities to the Citizens and a Temple to his people And that it should come to passe that they should not lose this only one time but also very many times Then did Moses also exhort Iesus that he should lead his army against the Chanaanits promising him that God would be assistant in his actions prophecying besides much good hap vnto the people Since that saith he I go vnto mine ancestors and that God hath prefixed this day and time of my departure I protest before you that liuing as yet and standing in your presence I giue him thanks for the care and prouidence which he hath hitherto had of your affaires not onely in propulsing your aduersaries but also in largely imparting his blessings vnto you and for that he hath alwaies fauourably helpt me whilst I indeuoured by my labour and care to reduce your fortunes to a better state And that which is more it is he that hath giuen both the entrance and the issue making vse of me but as his committee and seruant in all that good which he would should be done vnto his people For all which things I haue thought it requisite that in departing from you I should blesse the power of God who in time to come shall haue the care and charge of you And to acquit my selfe of that debt I leaue you this in remembrance which is that you ought to serue and honour him and reuerence the ordinances which he hath giuen you whereby continuing his fauours towards you he will grant you grace to conserue and keepe this excellent gift Truly that law-maker that were no more then a man would be greatly displeased and highly discontented with those men who should violate his ordinances and should set them at noughts doe not you therefore tempt God who is prouoked vnto anger when those lawes which he himselfe hath established and giuen you shall be contemned and neglected Whilest Moses pronounced these his last words and discoursed vnto the tribes their seuerall destinies the whole multitude brake into teares and the women beating their breasts shewed and expressed the sorrow they had conceiued at his death The children likewise lamented making it knowne that they could not be masters of their owne sorrow because that in their tender yeares they had vnderstood the vertue and famous acts of Moses and betwixt the elder and younger sort there was as it were a conflict who should weepe more bitterly for the one vnderstanding of how worthie a gouernour they were depriued lamented the time to come and the other were perplexed because they should then forsake him before they had sufficiently tasted and made triall how great his vertue was But how great the compassion and complaint of the people was a man may make coniecture by this that then befell the Prophet For although he were assuredly perswaded that a man was not to lament vpon the instant of his death in that it chanced vnto him both according to the will of God and the law of nature yet he beholding the affection of the people could not temperate and restraine himselfe from teares And whilest he was borne thither where he vanished out of their sight all of them followed him wetting their faces and bosomes with flowing teares Then did Moses beckening with his hand warne them from a farre off that they should stand stil and keep their places exhorted them that were neerest him by word of mouth that they should not follow nor prosecute him any further with teares for feare least they should make his departure tragicall and lamentable Onely the Senate led him forth and Eleazar the high Priest and the chiefetaine Iesus And when he was arriued vpon the mountaine called Abarim which is verie hie and scituate neere vnto Iericho and from whence he might discouer the greater part of the land of Chanaan he dismissed the elders and whilest with mutuall embraces he tooke his last leaue of Eleazar and Iesus and discoursed with them a cloud sodainly enuironed him and he was taken away into a certaine valley but in the scripture he writeth that he died fearing least for the excellencie of his vertue they might report that he was rauished and taken away by God The whole time of his life was one hundreth and twentie yeares the third part whereof he spent in gouernment one month onely exempted He died the last month of the yeare the first day of that month which the Macedonians call Dystrus and our countrimen Adar Of all men the wisest that euer was and who in execution of his good counsels had no man to equall him Moreouer in eloquence he was incomparable and in dexteritie and grace to intertaine and perswade the people he had no second and so were his affections alwaies leuelled and limited by his wisedome that he seemed vtterly to want them and that onely he knew the names of those passions which he perceiued to be too actiue in other men In his gouernment he was matchlesse in his prophecies peerlesse so that all the orations that he made seemed to be Oracles For which cause the whole multitude mourned for him during the terme of thirtie daies neither were the Hebrewes euer seased with so extreme griefe as they were at that time when the Prophet died neither did he onely leaue behind him a present desire of him but a great estimation amongst all men who haue euer chanced to read and examine his writings whilst by them they make estimate of his vertues And these are those things which I thought good to be spoken of the death of Moses THE FIFTH BOOKE OF THE ANTIQVITIES OF THE IEWES WRITTEN BY FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the 5. booke 1 How Iesus Generall of the Hebrewes hauing ouercome and slaine the Chanaanites deuided their land amongst the Tribes by Lot 2 How after the death of the Generall the Israelites neglecting the ordinances of their forefathers fell into extreme calamities and thorow a ciuill warre that was raised amongst them there were but 300. of the tribe of Beniamin left aliue 3 How for their impietie the people of Israel were deliuered by God into captiuitie under the Assyrians 4 Their libertie by Cenizus 5 How the people once more were ouercome by the Moabites and exempt from seruitude by Iodes otherwise called Ehud 6 How they were brought vnder the subiection of the Chanaanites and restored to their libertie by Barac 7 How the Amalechites hauing entred the countrey of the Israelites and conquered them possessed and spoyled the same for the space of seuen yeares 8 How Gedeon deliuered the people 9 How some successors of Gedeon waged warre against the neighbour nations round about them 10 Of Sampsons strength and what mischiefes he did in Palestine 11 How the sonnes of Eli the Prophet were slaine in battell by
cause calling vnto him some fewe companions of his perils who were discontented with their present estate and desired a change he first of all discomfited the garrison which Schisart had placed ouer them and so much was he furthered with his first successe that the number of his followers increased more and more so that they seemed sufficient to equall the enemy in open field whereupon encountring him in one battaile they ouercame him and recouered their libertie and the rest of the scattered and confused army retyred themselues toward Euphrates Now after that Cenizus had by this effect giuen proofe of his valour he receiued the gouernment at the peoples hands and exercised the office of iudge fortie yeares at the end whereof he died CHAP. V. How the people were againe made subiect to the Moabites and how by Iodes they were exempt from seruitude AFter whose death the gouernment and seate being voide the affaires of the Israelites began againe to fall to ruine and the rather for that they neither yeelded due honour vnto God neither obedience to the lawes whence it came to passe that Eglon king of the Moabites seeing the disorder of their pollicie set them at nought so that he waged warre against them and ouercame them many times And for that he was a prince of greater forecast then any of his predecessors he fought against them and weakened their forces and constrained them to pay tribute This man translating his court to Iericho and proud in his victories omitted no meanes whereby he might vexe and molest the people so that they liued for the space of 18. yeares in great miserie But God being moued with their calamities and supplications deliuered them from their intolerable thraldome after this manner Iodes the sonne of Gera of the tribe of Beniamin a yong man both addressed by valour of minde and strength of hand to attempt any worthy action dwelt at Iericho This man insinuated himselfe into Eglons familiaritie and by presents and gifts entertained and courted him in such sort as he was well beloued and esteemed amongst all those courtiers that were neerest about the king It chanced one day that bearing certaine presents vnto the king attended by two of his houshold seruants he secretly girt a dagger to his right thigh at such time as he entred into the king now it was about midsommer and mid-day likewise whereby the watch was growne the more carelesse and slothfull partly by reason of the heate and partly for that the guard were occupied about their dinner The yong man therefore offering his presents vnto Eglon who at that time disported himselfe in a certaine sommer chamber began to discourse with him Now they were both alone by reason that the king resoluing to talke familiarlie with Iodes had sent away his guard and sate him downe in a seate but Iodes fearing least failing to stab home enough he should not giue him a fatall and deadly wound required him to rise telling him that he had a dreame to report vnto him by the commandement of God Whereat he reioicing very much leapt from his seate whereupon Iodes stabd him to the heart and leauing the poiniard sticking in his wound he escaped and locked the doore after him the guard making no noise at all supposing that the king had laide him downe to rest But Iodes giuing priuate notice hereof to them of Iericho offered himselfe to be their leader in the recouerie of their former libertie who willingly accepting thereof presently tooke armes and sent trumpets to publish the same thorow the whole countrey for after that manner were they woont to assemble the people They that were about Eglon were wholy ignorant of that which had hapned but about the eeuen-tide fearing least some mishap had befallen him they entred into the place where he was found him dead wherat they were greatly astonished so as they knew not what to doe For before they had assembled their forces togither the Israelites fiercely charged them and some they killed instantly the rest that were ten thousand in number betooke then selues to flie vnder hope to recouer their countrey of Moab but the Israelites hauing before that laide and fortified the passages of Iordan pursued them and slew them so that diuers of them perished in the Ferrie and not one of them remained that escaped their hands By this meanes the Israelites were deliuered from the seruitude of the Moabites and for this cause Iodes was aduanced to the gouernment of the people Finally after he had liued for the space of fourescore yeares he died A man besides the act of late rehearsed worthy of praise in all other things After him Sanagar the sonne of Anath was elected gouernour and in the first yeare of his raigne he left this life to partake the fruition of another CHAP. VI. How the Israelites were brought vnder the subiection of the Chanaanites and raunsomed from seruitude by Barac BVt the Israelites in no sort reclaimed or reconciled by their forepassed calamities fell againe into their former impietie and disobedlence and before they had sufficiently shaken off the seruitude of the Moabites were subiected vnto Iabin king of the Chanaanites This man kept his residence imperiall at Asor a Citie scituate on the lake of Sachonites he had in pay thirtie thousand foore and ten thousand horse and besides these hee had three thousand warlike Chariots Ouer all this huge army commanded Sisares an especiall man amongst the kings fauourites who encountring with the Israelites brought their affaires into so desperate an estate that they willingly for their owne securitie sake accepted seruitude and paied tribute whereunto they were inforced through the austeritie of their subiection almost for the space of twentie yeares not daring to lift vp their heads all which fell vpon them by the will of God to the end he might punish the too great contumacie and ingratitude of that nation Who at length repenting themselues and acknowledging the cause of their calamities namely that it proceeded from the contempt of their lawes they repaired to a certaine Prophetesse called Debora which name in the Hebrew toong signifieth a Bee beseeching her that by her prayers she would endeuour to prouoke God vnto mercie to the intent he should not suffer them so to be oppressed by the Chanaanites Hereupon God being inclined to take compassion on them granted them helpe and appointed Barac to be their gouernour a man of the tribe of Nephthali whose name signifieth lightning Debora therefore sending for Barac commandeth him to picke out and muster ten thousand chosen men and lead them foorth against the enemy alleadging that they were sufficient to obtaine the victorie which God had promised by his Oracle But Barac denying to vndertake the gouernment except she also would administer the same with him she moued therewith spake thes Wilt thou said she surrender the dignitie which God hath giuen thee
three yeares space liued hidden amongst the mountaines flying the power of Abimelech Neither did there many daies ouerpasse but that the Sichemites being moued with compassion and iust reuenge in respect of the murther which was committed vpon the sonnes of Gedeon banished Abimelech out of their Citie and the whole tribe Whereupon he resolued to do some mischief to both the Citie and Citizens and for that their vintage was at hand they durst not gather the fruit fearing least they should receiue some iniury at the hands of Abimelech By good hap about that time a certaine Prince called Gaal retired thither with a troupe of soldiours and his kinred him did the Sichemites beseech that he would grant them a conuoy whilest they had gathered in their haruest which request of theirs being accepted by Gaal they issued out with their forces being seconded by him and his and securely brought in their fruits and feasting one with another in companies they were so bold as to scoffe at Abimelech and the chiefest of his followers and the chiefest of those straungers among them that came into the city to their assistance surprised by Ambuscado diuers of Abimelechs people slew them But Zebel one of the Sichemites and Abimeleches host signified vnto him by a messenger how Gaal incited the people against him inuiting him to lie in wait for him neere about the Citie promising him that he would bring Gaal thither to the end that he might easily reuenge him of that iniurie which his enemie had offered him Which done he promised to worke so wisely that he would reconcile him to the peoples fauour againe and whenas Abimelech had chosen a place fit to lie in ambush and Gaal with Zebel too carelesly liued and walked in the suburbes at length he sodainly espying certaine armed men cried out to Zebel that he had discouered the enemie whereunto Zebel replied that they were the shadowes of rocks but Gaal drawing more neere vnto them and perceiuing apparantly who they were answered Zebel that they were no shadowes but ambushes of men Whereunto Zebel replied dost not thou obiect cowardise to Abimelech why therefore shewest thou not thy great valour in fighting with him Gaal confusedly amazed assailed the soldiours of Abimelech in which conflict certaine of his followers were slaine and he himselfe fled into the Citie giuing example vnto the rest to follow him Hereupon Zebel laboured that Gaal might be expulsed out of the Citie accusing him of his cowardly encountry with the soldiers of Abimelech Now when as the same Abimelech had afterwards gotten certaine intelligence that the Sichemites would issue anew to gather to their vintage he laid an ambush neere vnto the Citie And no sooner were they issued but that the third part of his troopes surprised and seazed the gates to cut them off from their returne that thought to reenter the rest ranne after those that were scattered here and there so that there was a great slaughter on euerie side and the Citie was ruinated euen vnto the verie foundations for they could not withstand the siege and they sowed salt vpon the ruines thereof Thus perished all they that were in the Citie of Sichem But they that escaped thorow the conntrey and had auoided the daunger assembled and fortified themselues vpon a strong rocke and there incamped and began to defence the same But as soone as Abimelech had notice of their intention he hasted thither with his forces and inuironed the place with fagots of dry wood carying them thither in his owne person and encouraging thereby those of his armie to doe the like so that the rocke was incontinently compassed with wood Whereunto he set fire round about and in an instant it flamed and burned vehemently so as none of them were saued but all of them perished with their wiues and children to the number of fifteene hundred men besides many other of the weaker sort This calamitie hapned to the Sichemites in so grieuous a measure that there is not any griefe sufficient to deplore it were it not that that so horrible misfortune fel vpon them by reason of their ingratitude they had shewed to so vpright a iudge and so gratious a benefactor Abimelech alaid the courage of the Israelites by this encounter and conquest of the Sichemites and gaue sufficient testimonie that he aspired more higher and that he would neuer terminate his violence vntill he had vtterly extinguished them He therefore led forth his army against the Tebeans and their Citie which he tookè but in that towne there was a great tower whither all the people had retired themselues and whilest he prepared himselfe to besiege the same and approched likewise neere vnto the gates a certaine woman cast a peece of a milstone at him and hit him on the head which was the cause that Abimelech called at that time for his squier commaunding him to dispatch him to the intent it might not be reported that he died by the hands of a woman His squier did according as he had commaunded him and reuenged on Abimelech by putting him to death the crueltie he had committed against his brethren and the tyranny executed vpon the Sichemites on whom all these misfortunes fell according as Iothan had foretold them As soone as Abimelech was slaine all the armie was dispersed and euery one returned vnto his dwelling place and Iair the Galeadite of the tribe of Manasses tooke vpon him the gouernment Amongst other conditions of this man these were of the greatest note that he was rich and had thirtie worthie sonnes all expert vpon horse backe and exercised the magistracie in the countrey of Galaad he after he had gouerned the people for the space of twentie yeares died when he was very old and was honourably intombed in Chamon a citie of Galaad From this time forward the pollicie and estate of the Hebrewes grew more and more disordered and the lawes began to be neglected Whence it came to passe that the Ammonites and Philistines setting light by them destroyed all their countrey with a great army during which time they occupied all the land on this side Iordan and so much were they heartned as that they pressed further and possessed the better part on the other side of the riuer and conquered the same Wherupon the Hebrewes being brought to more moderation by these their aduersities had their recourse vnto God by praiers and sacrifices requiring him that it might please him to moderate his wrath and that hauing regard and respect of their supplication he would be pleased to stay his heauie hand ouer them This submission of theirs preuailed with God who inclined himselfe to assist them Whilest therefore the Ammonites led their armie into Galaad they of the countrey arose to meete and fight with them being disfurnished of a gouernour to conduct them Now there was a certaine man called Ieptha of great estimation as well for the
answere his hart more more failed him in that he manifestly perceiued what sinister successe would betide him if God should not assist him in the conflict He therfore commāded that they should search him out some Pythonissa or cunning enchantresse who inuocated and raised the spirits of the dead to the end that by her meanes he might know if his warres should haue that successe which he pretended for the diuiners which giue answere by the belly which the Greekes call Engastrimythes declare their aduentures to those that aske them And when as by the report of a certaine familiar friend of his he was aduertised that there was such a one at Endor vnwitting to his whole arme and laying aside his royall habites and attended onely by two whom he esteemed for his most faithfull seruants he repaired to Endor to this woman requiring her to diuine and raise vp the spirit of him whom he should name The woman denied and said that she ought not contradict the kings edict who had driuen out of his realme all such sort of soothsaiers telling him that he did not well that hauing receiued no wrong at her hands he should thus sound her and seeke to bring her in lapse of the kings lawes cause her to be punished But Saul swore vnto her that no man should knowe thereof and that he would not discouer her diuination to others briefely that shee should incurre no daunger thereby After then that by his othes and protestations he had perswaded her that she should haue no cause to feare he commanded her to raise the spirit of Samuel She not knowing what Samuel was called him from hell and he sodainly appeared But when she perceiued that it was an honourable man and of diuine semblance she was sore troubled and being wholy discomforted with this vision she turned and said vnto the king art not thou Saul for Samuel had certified her no lesse Saul confessed that it was he and asked her for what cause she seemed to be so much troubled she answered that she saw a man ascend that resembled God Saul commanded her to declare vnto him his shape habite and age and she gaue him to vnderstand that he was a reuerend olde man attired in the vestment of a high priest By these markes Saul knew that it was Samuel whereupon prostrating himselfe on the earth he adored and saluted him The spirit of Samuel asked him for what cause he had troubled and raised him To whom he complained and lamented that he was inforced thereunto by necessitie for that a grieuous host of his enemies were at hand and that void of counsaile he was forsaken by God hauing from him no prediction either by prophecie or dreame for which cause said he I made my recourse vnto thee who hast alwaies had care both of me and my fortunes But Samuel foreseeing that the kings death was hard at hand answered him that it was in vaine for him to question with him as touching those things that should happen since thou knowest that thou art forsaken by God Know therfore said he that Dauid shall possesse the kingdome and that it is he that shall establish the estate by armes but as concerning thy selfe thou shalt lose both thy kingdome and thy life because thou hast disobeyed God in thy warre against the Amalechites and hast not obserued his commandements according as I foretold thee at such time as I was aliue Know therefore that thy people and host shall be discomfited by the enemy and that both thou and thy sons shall be to morrow slaine in the battell and be with me When Saul vnderstood these things he became speechlesse thorow the sorrow wherewith he was seased and fell downe on the pauement either for that his forces failed him thorow sodaine griefe or for his want of meat because that neither that night nor the day before he had vouchsafed his body any refection or sustenance At length hardly recouering himselfe out of his swoun the woman importuned him to receiue some sustenance beseeching him to doe her that fauour in recompence of her vnexpected diuination which though interdicted she had aduentured to performe for his sake before she were ascertained that it was he that had forbidden them in consideration wherof she prayed him that sitting downe at the table he would refresh himselfe with some sustenance to the end he might be the more able to returne vnto his army And although he resisted and vtterly refused to eat in that he had no appetite and was vtterly desperate yet so effectually importuned she that finally she perswaded him to receiue some little nourishment And whereas shee had but one calfe which she bred vp in her house with some particular care for she was but a poore woman and had no other riches yet spared she not to kill it and dresse the flesh for Saul his seruants Thus refected Saul returned backe againe into his campe The curtesie of this woman deserueth to be praised for although she knew that the king had prohibited her art whereby both she and her family sufficiently maintained themselues and although before that time she had neuer seene Saul yet so it is that without remembring her that it was he by whom her art had bin condemned she entertained him not as a stranger or like the man she had neuer seene before but had compassion of him and comforted him exhorting him to eate although he refused it and presented him willingly and hartily with that little which she had in her pouertie All which she did not vnder hope of recompence or expected preferment knowing well that Saul should shortly lose his life nor according to the ordinarie course of men that naturally honour those that haue bestowed some dignitie vpon them and become seruiceable to those from whom they pretend to draw some profit hereafter She therefore ought to be imitated and in her appeareth an excellent example of bountie approuing that there is nothing more worthie praise then to relieue those that are in necessitie neither any thing more becomming men or whereby we may obtaine Gods fauour and graces better then by it Thus much sufficeth at this present in respect of this woman But now methinketh I shall do vvell if I insert in this place and in these my vvritings another eaxmple both profitable to people and nations and in especiall an incitation to noble men and such as are borne vnto glory to follow vertue vvhich also shall expresse vvhat honour is and exemplifie how a man may eternize his memorie vvhich ought to engender in the hearts of kings of nations and of gouerners of commonweales a singular desire and affection to addict themselues to noble actions and to encourage them to entertaine dangers yea death it selfe and teach them to endure all difficulties vvhatsoeuer for their countries cause To vvhich intent the historie of Saul the king of the Hebrewes yeeldeth me matter
a seruile fearefull maner being all his life time enemy to Ieroboam He died after he had liued fiftie seuen yeares wherof he raigned 17. He was a haughtie and vndiscreete man who lost his estate because he would not giue credit to his fathers friends He was buried in Ierusalem in the sepulcher of the kings and his sonne Abias succeeded him in his raigne at such time as Ieroboam had alreadie raigned eighteene yeares ouer the tenne tribes Thus were these things terminated It behooueth now at this present to declare that which Ieroboam did afterwards and how he died He obseruing no meane or end of his impietie imployed himselfe continually in making of Altars and high places and presumed to ordaine common sacrificers But God withheld not long time to heape the punishment of those his impieties on the head of him and of all his posteritie Whereas therefore his sonne Obimes was sicke about that time he commaunded his wife to lay aside her royal garment and to apparrel her selfe like a common woman and afterwards to go to Achias the Prophet assuring her that he was admirable for his knowledge in foretelling things to come and had foretold him that he should be king for which cause he willed her to repaire vnto him after the manner of a straunger and enquire of him if her sonne should escape that sicknes Whereupon she disguised her selfe according as her husband had commaunded her came vnto the Citie of Silo where Achias dwelt as she was vpon entring his house notwithstanding hee had lost his sight thorow age God appeared vnto him and certified him in these two points first that Ieroboams wife came vnto him and next all that he should answere to her demaund At such time therefore as she entred into his house after the guise of a common and straunge woman Achias cried with a loud voice Enter thou wife of Ieroboam wherefore hidest thou thy selfe Thou canst not hide thy selfe from God who hath certified me of thy comming and hath informed me what aunswere I shall giue vnto thee He therefore said vnto her that she should returne vnto her husband and certifie him of Gods answere to this effect Of little and nothing that thou wert I haue made thee great and hauing dismembred the kingdome from Dauids posteritie I haue giuen it vnto thee but thou hast forgotten the same hauing forsaken my seruice hast molten downe new gods whom thou honourest so also will I exterminate thee and abolish all thy posteritie and cast them off for a pray vnto dogs and fowles of the ayre For I wil constitute a king ouer my people that shall leaue no one of Ieroboams race aliue The people also shall haue part of this punishment and shall be depriued of this their fruitfull countrey and be scattered among the regions on the other side of Euphrates because they haue followed the impieties of their king and adoring those gods that were forged by him haue giuen ouer my sacrifice And as concerning thy selfe O woman haste thee and certifie thy husband of these things For thou shalt find thy sonne dead for no sooner shalt thou enter into the Citie but he shall finish his daies He shall be buried with the lamentation of the whole people in generall For he onely was good of all the race of Ieroboam When Achias had finished his prophecie the woman started backe sore troubled and dismaide thorow the daunger of her sonne and went lamenting onward on her way wounded with the future death of him and by reason of her so earnest affection she was afflicted with incredible torments The haste which she vsed was importunate because of her sonne whom she should see dead by so much the sooner she hasted homeward but it behooued her to vse expedition in the behalfe of her husband Whenas therefore she was arriued she found her sonne expiring as the Prophet had foretold her and recited the rest vnto Ieroboam CHAP. V. Ieroboams expedition against the sonne of Roboam the ouerthrow of his armie and how Basanes rooted out the whole posteritie of Ieroboam and made himselfe king BVt Ieroboam was nothing moued herewith but leuied a great armie with an intent to make warre against Abias the sonne of Roboam who had obtained his fathers kingdome ouer the two tribes For he despised him because he was young in yeares This notwithstanding the young king was no whit dismaide although he vnderstood of Ieroboams comming but with greater wisedome then was incident to his yeares and beyond all expectation of his forward aduersarie he leuied an armie of two tribes with which he encountred Ieroboam at the mountaine of Samaria where incamping his host neere vnto him he prouided all things in a readinesse that were requisite for the battell and had with him foure hundreth thousand fighting men but Ieroboam had twise as many Now when the armies were arranged and expected to giue the allarum and charge Abias stood vp in a certaine high place from whence he might be seene and heard making a signe with his hand he required that Ieroboam and the people would first of al heare him peaceably which granted to him each one attēding in silence he brake out into these words There is none of you but knoweth that God hath promised the kingdome to Dauid and his posteritie for euer I therefore greatly admire how you haue reuolted from my father to submit your selues to Ieroboam his seruant whom at this present you accompany to warre against those whom God hath ordained to raigne and to take the kingdome from them the greater part whereof Ieroboam vsurpeth iniustly euen at this day and which as I suppose he shall not enioy long time For he shall be punished by God and shall cease to contradict his lawes and to dishonour them as he doth continually in perswading you to do the like You haue receiued no iniurie at my fathers hands but by reason that he was misled by the sinister counsails of certaine wicked persons spake vnto you certain words which in apparance seemed vnfitting in your eares you haue forsaken him in your displeasure but in effect you haue separated your selues from God and his commaundements Truly you should haue pardoned a young man vntrained and vntaught in oratorie not only for the rude words which he vsed but although his youth and ignorance should haue moued him to commit some churlish and indiscreet action or errour yet should you haue endured the same For the fathers demerites ought to serue and satisfie the childrens defects But you haue had no regard of all this neither then nor at this present but leade forth a great army against vs. But whereupon ground you the hope of your victorie Is it on your calues of gold is it on your Altars on the mountaines which are witnesses of your impietie and irreligion Is it your great number that surpasseth ours by farre that maketh
his wofull predictions had weakned the hearts of the people which were otherwaies readie to fight for him and their countrey by reason that he flying vnto the enemie menaced them with the surprisal and vtter ruine of their Citie But the king in regard of the naturall humanitie and iustice that was in him was not any waies whetted in respect of his owne interest yet to the intent he might not seeme to be vtterly opposed to the gouernours by contradicting them he deliuered the Prophet into their hands to deale with him howsoeuer they pleased Who hauing obtained this libertie from the king entred the prison on the sodaine and laying hold on Ieremy they let him downe into a pit full of mud to the intent he might die in that place and be strangled by the ordure in effect he was set therein vp to the necke But one of the kings seruants an Aethiopian by nation certified the king of the Prophets affliction assuring him that his friends and gouernours did not iustly so to thrust and burie the Prophet in the mud and cursedly to conspire against him tyring him with bonds and tortours worse then death For which cause the king hearing this newes was sorie that he had deliuered the Prophet to the gouernours and commaunded the Aethiopian to take thirtie men of his court with him with cords and such other things necessary as might concerne the safetie of the Prophet charging him with all expedition to deliuer him from that captiuitie Hereupon the Aethiopian furnished with men and necessarie meanes drew the Prophet out of the mud and dismissed him without any gard That done the king sent for him in secret demaunding of him if he had any message to deliuer him from God praying him to let him vnderstand what soeuer he knew as touching the successe of the siege The Prophets answere was that although he should tel him yet it would not be beleeued that if he should exhort him he would not giue eare or listen vnto him But said he O king thy friends haue condemned me to death as if I had beene a most wretched malefactor But where are they now at this present that haue deceiued thee and bore thee in hand saying that the Babylonian would not come and besiege thee Now will I take heed how I tell thee the truth for feare least thou condemne me to death Hereupon the king swore vnto him that he should not die neither that he would deliuer him into the hands of the gouernours for which cause Ieremie grounding himselfe vpon the faith which he had plighted vnto him counselled the king to yeeld vp the Citie to the Babylonian because that God had willed him to signifie vnto the king that if he would saue his life and auoid the imminent daunger and saue his Citie from vtter ruine and preserue the temple from burning he should submit or otherwise that none but he should be the cause of all these euils that should happen vnto the Citie and Citizens and of that calamitie that should confound both him and all his familie When the king heard this he told him that he would doe according as he had counselled him and performe whatsoeuer he thought necessarie to be done but that he feared his friends who were alreadie of the Babylonian faction least being accused by them he should be deliuered by their meanes and the kings displeasure vnto death But the prophet encouraged him telling him that his feare was in vaine assuring him that he should suffer no euill if so be he yeelded vp the Citie and that neither his wife nor children nor the sacred temple should either endure desaster death or ouerthrow Vpon these words the king dismissed Ieremy charging him to communicate the counsell that was held betweene them to no one of the Citizens no not to the princes if so be they should light on any inckling of their conference or aske of him whether the king had sent for him aduising him to answere if so be they were inquisitiue that he resorted to the king to request him that he might be no more imprisoned all which the Prophet performed for they instanced him verie much to know for what cause the king had sent for him CHAP. X. Ierusalem is taken and the people carried into Babylon by Nabuchodonosor MEane while the Babylonian continued his violent siege against the Citie of Ierusalem and hauing raised towers vpon certaine bulwarks he droue away by this meanes all those that approched neere vnto the walles he raised also round about the circuit of the Citie diuers platformes that equalled the walles in height Meane while the Citie was as valiantly and couragiously defended by the inhabitants for neither pestilence nor famine plucked down their spirits And although that within the Citie they were tormented with these scourges yet were not their resolutions distracted by the warre neither did the enemies inuentions astonish them nor their engines affright them but that they inuented new countermines so that all the battel betwixt the Babylonians and Iewes seemed to be a trial both of valour art whilest these by the one doe assuredly hope to surprise the Citie and the other thought their safetie consisted herein if they ceased not by new inuentions to frustrate their enemies endeuours And in this estate continued they both for the space of eighteene moneths vntill they were consumed by famine and by the darts that were shot against them by those that shot from the towers At length the Citie was taken by the princes of Babylon in the eleuenth yeare of the raigne of Zedecias the ninth day of the fourth moneth who were put in trust by Nabuchodonosor to performe the siege For touching his owne person he made his aboad in the Citie of Reblata Now if any man be desirous to know the names of them that had commaundement at such time as Ierusalem was surprised these they be Nergelear Aremantus Emegar Nabosar and Echarampsar The Citie being taken about midnight the princes of the enemies armie entered into the temple which when Zedecias vnderstood he tooke his wiues and his children with the princes and his friends and fled thorow a great valley by the desart which when the Babylonians vnderstood by certaine Iewes that were reuolted and had submitted themselues vnto them they arose earely in the morning to pursue them and ouertooke and surpised them neere vnto Iericho Whereupon those princes and friends of Zedecias that had taken their flight with him seeing the enemies neere vnto them forsooke him scattering themselues heere and there concluded each of thē to saue himselfe When as therefore the enemies had apprehended him who was attended by a few followers only and accompanied by his children wiues they brought him vnto the kings presence who no sooner beheld him but he called him wicked and perfidious and vpbraided him with breach of his promise and contempt of his maiestie to whom he had
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
restored to his first owner And my pleasure is that whosoeuer disobeieth this ordināce he may be punished And he that shall be conuicted to haue disobeyed the same he shall be punished according to his demerit He wrote to the like effect to the Sidonians Antiochians and Arabians all which we wil insert in a cōuenient place to testifie what accoūt the Romans made of our nation CHAP. XXIII Antonius arriuing in the prouince of Syria maketh Herode and Phasaelus Tetrarches AFter this Antonius retired himselfe into Syria and Cleopatra came forth to meet him neere vnto Cilicia and entangled him in her loues At that time also one hundreth of the chiefest reckoning among the Iewes came once againe in embassade to him to accuse Herode his adherents who to this end had chosen out the most esteemed Orator that might be found Messala likewise vndertooke the defence of the young men that were accused and made them answere Hircanus also was there in person who was alreadie by marriage allied vnto them After that Antonius had heard both the one and the other in the citie of Daphen he demaunded of Hircanus which of both the parties gouerned the common-weale best who returned him answere that they who were on Herods side were most studious of the weale publike Antonius who long since had borne good affection towards them by reason of the auncient hospitalitie that he had receiued with their father during the time that Gabinius was in Iudaea established them both for Tetrarches committing to their hands the affaires in Iudaea And to this effect wrote he his letters and committed fourteene of their enemies to prison whom had not Herode besought for their liues he had condemned them to death This notwithstanding as soone as they returned from their embassade they could not containe themselues in quiet but resorted once more vnto Antonius to the number of one thousand to the citie of Tyre where Antonius soiourned But Antonius alreadie corrupted by store of money by Herode and his brother who commaunded in that place ordained that the Embassadours of the Iewes should be punished for that they had attempted and affected some innouation where contrariwise he confirmed Herodes gouernment At that time Herode who walked by the sea side came vnto them aduising both them and Hircanus who at that present was with them to giue ouer their appeale for feare least some grieuous misfortune should befall them Whereunto since they gaue no regard certaine Iewes and inhabitants of that citie all at once ranne vpon them who slue some of them and hurt other some and the rest taking their flight towards their countrey euer afterwards contained themselues and liued in quiet thorow the feare they had conceiued But when the people ceased not to exclaime and protest against Herode Antonius was in such sort displeased that he commaunded all those whom he held prisoners should be slaine The yeere after Pacorus the kings sonne and Barzapharnes a prince among the Parthians inuaded and seazed Syria And about this time died Ptolomey the sonne of Mennaeus and his sonne Lysanias raigned in his steed who plighted friendship with Antigonus the sonne of Aristobulus who obtained this fauour at his hands by the counsaile and solicitation of a certaine prince of great authoritie and credit with him CHAP. XXIIII The Parthians make warre in Syria to restore Antigonus sonne of Aristobulus to his kingdome AFter this Antigonus promised the Parthians to giue them one thousand talents of siluer and fiue hundreth women if so be they would depriue Hircanus of the kingdome and restore it vnto him and withall put Herode and his friends to death Yet did he not deliuer them that he promised notwithstanding the Parthians led their army into Iury to restore Antigonus to wit Pacorus by the sea coast and Barzapharnes to the landward The Tyrians locked their gates against Pacorus but the Sidonians and Ptolemaidans receiued him into their citie He sent a troupe of horsemen into Iury to discouer the estate of the countrey and to giue succours to Antigonus The chieftaine of these horsemen was the kings butler who in like sort was called Pacorus But for that certaine Iewes inhabiting about the mount Carmel ioyned themselues with Antigonus were prepared with him to inuade his enemies he conceiued some hope that he might by their meanes reduce a certaine part of the region vnder his gouernment which is called Drymae and certaine of his wel-willers meeting him in the way perswaded him to presse forward as farre as Ierusalem where being seconded by others and his followers alreadie much increased in number they addresse themselues to assault the kings pallace And whereas those of the faction of the brethren brought present supplies and the skirmish was maintained in the market place the young men repulsed the enemy and droue him into the temple Which done they sent certaine armed men into the houses neere adioyning to guard them but the people rushing in vpon them and seeing they were destitute of aide burned both them and the houses wherein they were But this iniquitie of theirs was presently reuenged by Herode who in a skirmish that he had with them slew a great number of them And whereas there were daily assaults betweene both parties the enemies expected vntill such time as the people assembled from all parts of the countrey should repaire to Ierusalem to celebrate the feast of Penticost Which being come many thousands of men assembled about the temple both armed and vnarmed who seazed both the temple and the Citie except the kings house onely which Herode made good with a few men of war The wall thereof did Phasaelus his brother keep But Herode with a companie of his followers sallied out vpon the enemy who were planted in the suburbes and fighting valiantly against them he put diuers thousands of them to flight whereof some retired themselues into the Citie other some into the temple the rest into a certaine bulwarke neere at hand In this battell also Phasaelus shewed no little valour But Pacorus conductor of the Parthians came into the Citie with some few horsemen at Antigonus request making shew that he came to appease the sedition but the effect and scope of his comming was to obtaine the soueraigntie for Antigonus Furthermore after that Phasaelus was come out to meete with him and had curteously entertained him in his house Pacorus perswaded him to go Embassadour with him to Barzapharnes laying a baite vnder this pretence to surprise him He suspecting no treacherie was easily perswaded notwithstanding that Herode misliked the course who knowing the perfidious manners of the Barbarians exhorted him rather to assaile Pacorus and to assault and oppresse his forces when they were come vnto him Naithelesse Hircanus and Phasaelus vndertooke this embassade and Pacorus leauing with Herode two hundreth horsemen and ten of those whom they call free men conducted the Embassadours Now
burrough of Idumaea Ioseph his brother came forth to meete him and to consult with him as touching their whole estate and to know of him what should become of that great multitude that followed them considering that they had no souldiers in pay and the Castle of Massada whither he pretended to flie was too little to hold all the people for which cause he sent away many to the number of nine thousand willing them to disperse themselues here and there in the countrey of Idumaea and for the better dispatch of their iourney he furnished them with victuals As for himselfe he tooke with him his most able souldiers and inward friends and repaired to the Castle of Massada in which place he left the women and their traine to the number of eight hundreth or thereabouts and furnishing the place with corne water and other prouisions necessarie he went vnto Petra the chiefest Citie of Arabia As soone as it was day the Parthians sacked all that which appertained to the Citizens of Ierusalem and amongst other things they spoiled the palace notwithstanding they medled not with Hircanus money which amounted to some three hundreth talents They left diuers other things behind them also that appertained to Herode and especially that which had been transported into Idumaea by his mature prouidence Neither were the Parthians content with the spoile of the Citie but they forraged all the countrey round about and raced Marissa a verie rich Citie Thus Antigonus brought backe into his countrey by the king of the Parthians receiued Hirtanus and Phasaelus that were prisoners yet was he vehemently displeased because the women had escaped whom according to his promise he intended to haue deliuered with the money and fearing least Hircanus thorow the fauour of the people should be reestablished in his kingdome who was then prisoner in the custody of the Parthians he cut off both his eares depriuing him by that meanes from enioying the priesthood any more by reason of that maime because the law commaundeth that they who are in that dignitie should be sound in all their members But Phasaelus is to be admired for his great courage at this time for vnderstanding that hee must needly die he was no waies dismaied with death but that which he held most miserable and dishonourable was that he must needs die by the hands of his enemy Seeing therefore that he could not dispatch himselfe by other meanes because he was bound and chaiâ—…ed he knockt out his owne braines against a stone and so ended his life with as great honour as may be imagined in such a desperate estate depriuing his enemy of that power which he intended to practise in tyrannizing ouer him at his pleasure It is said that the wound being very deepe Antigonus sent priuily surgeons to cure him and that vnder colour of healing him they should put poison into the same wherethrough he might die But before Phasaelus gaue vp the ghost he vnderstood by a certaine woman that his brother Herode had escaped from his enemies for which cause he endured his death with far greater cheerfulnesse and constancie seeing that he left behind him such a man as would reuenge his death and punish his enemies But Herode was no waies discomforted with the greatnesse of those aduersities which enuironed him round about but was the more whetted on to find out new inuentions and to aduenture dangerous attempts For he went vnto Malchus king of the Arabians to whom before time he had shewed much curtesie hoping to receiue the like of him in this time of his great necessitie and to draw some money from him either by loane or gift according as he had often and verie bountifully pleasured him For being ignorant of his brothers death he endeuoured himselfe to raunsome him speedily from his enemies by paying his raunsome which amounted to three hundreth talents and for that cause he led with him the sonne of Phasaelus who was onely seuen yeeres olde to leaue him in pledge amongst the Arabians for the summe that was demaunded But certaine messengers came vnto him from Malchus who charged him in the kings behalfe to retire backe againe for that the Parthians had enioyned him that he should neither receiue nor retaine Herode And this colourable pretence vsed he because he would not pay his debts and hereunto was he perswaded by the aduice of the greatest in authoritie among the Arabians who pretended thereby to make themselues masters of that treasure that Antipater had committed to their custody Herode answered them that he repaired not into their countrey to giue them cause of any trouble but onely to consult with him about certaine matters of great importance touching his owne estate and that afterwards he was resolued to depart and withdraw himselfe into Aegypt as secretly as might be possible He returned therefore to a certaine temple where he had left diuers of his followers and the next day hee came to Rhinocura in which place he heard tidings of his brothers death But afterwards Malchus repented himselfe of his in gratitude and speedily sent after Herode but he could not ouertake him for he had gotten farre onward of his way and was already arriued in post neere to Pelusium where being denied his passage to Alexandria in those ships that were there he addressed himselfe to the magistrates of the place who highly respected and honoured him and sent him to the Citie where Cleopatra was who entertained him kindly yet notwithstanding could she not perswade him to remaine with her Whereupon he repaired towards Rome notwithstanding the winter and those grieuous troubles that at the verie same time afflicted Italie as it was reported Embarking himselfe therefore to saile into Pamphilia he was tossed with a most cruell storme so that with great danger at last he arriued in Rhodes hauing been inforced in the tempest to cast into the sea a good part of his substance There met he with Sappinas and Ptolomey two of his indeered friends He found also that the Citie of Rhodes had suffered much miserie by Cassius warres and although his meanes were very scant yet profited he them in what he might and caused their walles to be repaired notwithstanding that by so doing he greatly hindred himselfe After that he caused a little frigote to be built and embarked himselfe with his friends to repaire into Italy and arriued at Brundusium and from thence went to Rome The first to whom he discouered his misfortunes was Marcus Antonius to whom he reported all the occurrences in Iudaea and how his brother Phasaelus was taken by the Parthians and slaine and how Hircanus was imprisoned with him The manner also how they had established Antigonus king vnder promise to giue them one thousand talentes and fiue hundreth of the fairest women whom hee intended to choose out of his owne race Lastly how he stole away by night and rescued them and escaping his enemies hands
for that he would not haue discouered those things which had been spoken to him in secret except they had greatly trusted the one the other and in this emotion or rage of iealousie hardly contained he himselfe from killing his wife But the force of loue ouercame him so much that he bridled his rage notwithstanding it were irkesome and grieuous vnto him Yet gaue he order that Ioseph should be slaine without either audience or iustification of his innocencie and as touching Alexandra who was the cause of al these troubles he kept her prisoner About the same time there grew certaine troubles and alterations in Syria for that Cleopatra continually sollicited and importuned Anthony and whetted on his displeasure against all perswading him to remooue all from their gouernments and to bestow the same on her selfe And for that Anthony loued her extremely she was in great estimation and credit with him and being in her owne nature inclined to couetousnesse shee abstained from no kinde of corrupt dealing and wickednesse For knowing that the kingdome should descend vnto her brother she caused him to be poisoned when he was but fifteene yeeres olde as for her sister Arsinoe she caused her to be slaine by Anthonies meanes at such time as she made her prayers in the temple of Diana in Ephesus Moreouer in what place soeuer she vnderstood that there was any hope to get money whether it were in robbing of temples or in breaking open sepulchers she would be possessed thereof neither was there any religious place so sacred from whence she tooke not away the ornaments Furthermore there was not any thing so prophane and interdicted which she laid not hands on to satisfie her vnbridled auarice Neither was the whole world sufficient enough to content this magnificent Ladie who was made slaue to her owne desires and her disordinate appetite was such that all the riches in the world were not able to to saciate and fill the same For this cause she incessantly importuned Antonius to take from others to be liberall towards her and therefore intring into Syria with him she presently bethought her selfe how she might get it into her possession For she caused Lysanias Ptolomeies sonne to be put to death obiecting against him that he had priuate intelligence with the Parthians She begged Iury also at Antonius hands and required him besides that to dispossesse the kings of Arabia He was in such sort possessed by this woman that he seemed not only to be bewitched with her words but also inchāted by her poisons to obey her in whatsoeuer she thought meet yet was he ashamed to cōmit so manifest an iniquity for feare least being so farre ouerruled by her he should happen to offend in matters of more consequence Least therefore either by denying her he should draw her to discontent or by condiscending to her demands he should seeme to be the wickeddest man aliue he deducted a seuerall portion of both their dominions presented her with the same He gaue her likewise those cities that are scituate between the floud Eleutherius Aegypt except Tyre and Sydon which he knew to be free cities of long continuance although by earnest sollicitation she sought to be seazed of these also CHAP. V. Cleopatras progresse into Iudaea AFter that Cleopatra had obtained all these things and had accompanied Antonius as farre as Euphrates who at that time went to make warre in Armenia she returned backe againe and by the way visited Apamea and Damasco and at last tooke her progresse into Iury Where King Herode met with her and assured that portion which had beene giuen vnto her in Arabia with all the reuenewes of Iericho vnto her This countrey bringeth forth that balme which of all other oyntments is the most precious and onely groweth in that place and no other to the bignes of great Dates Being arriued in that place and growen inwardly familiar with Herode she fought to allure and draw him to her lust being of her selfe naturally addicted to such pleasures and intemperance and happily also being somewhat touched with loue or rather as it seemeth most likely she in this sort laid the foundation to intrap him vnder colour to reuenge her selfe of some outrage by that meanes But in effect she generally manifested that she was ouercome by her desire and sensuall lust But Herode was not ouer kindly bent towards Cleopatra knowing of long time how badly she was enclined towards al men and at that time he conceiued the greater hatred against her because by that intemperance of hers she pretended to destroy him and although that from the beginning he had reiected her sollicitations yet determined he to reuenge himselfe on her if so be by these her subtill vnderminings she should prosecute and continue her subtil pollicies to betray him He asked counsaile also of his friends whether hauing her in his possession he should put her to death For in so doing all those should be deliuered from diuers euils whom either in time past she had molested or hereafter s◅d bring in trouble Moreouer that it would be profitable for Antonius also whom without all doubt she would forsake if any occasion or necessitie should enforce him to make triall of her friendship But whilest he debated and discoursed vpon this resolution his friends restrained and disswaded him assuring him that it was a great indignitie for him who was a Prince of high thoughts and hautie resolutions to cast himselfe into manifest perill beseeching him to attempt nothing rashly For that Antonius would not endure the same notwithstanding it might be approued that it stood with his profit nay rather that by this meanes he should increase his desire for that by force subtilty he might seeme to haue lost her Further that no on colour of excuse should be left him in that she was the woman of greatest note nobility of that time that what soeuer profit might redound vnto him by her death should be annexed with Antonius iniurie Wherby it most euidētly appeared how great remediles domages would befall both to the kingdome the kings family also whereas nothing letted him by repulsing her vnlvwfull demand to dispose allthings for the present state with great discretion By these such like reasons and probable coniectures they deterred and disswaded him from aduenturing vpon his apparant daunger and attempting so hainous an act so that contrariwise they induced him to offer Cleopatra many rich presents and to conduct her onward on her way towards Aegypt As soone therefore as Antonius was seazed of Armenia he sent Artabazes Tigranes sonne with all his children who were great princes prisoners into Aegypt and presented them to Cleopatra with all those precious Iewels likewise which were taken by him or found in the kingdome But Artaxias his elder sonne who at that time had saued himselfe by flight raigned in Armenia whom Archelaus and Nero the
was poisoned by Piso whereof he died as it is declared in another place CHAP. IIII. The rebellion of the Iewes against Pontius Pilate PIlate Gouernour of Iudâ—… led his army from Caesarea to Ierusalem where he wintered them with an intent to bring in Caesars statues and standards into the Citie in contempt of our lawe which forbiddeth vs to make images For which cause those Gouernours that were before him were wont to make their entries into the Citie without such pictures or paintings Pilate was the first who vnawares and by night entered Ierusalem bringing with him his images Which when the people vnderstood in great multitudes they resorted to Caesarea beseeching him for many daies that he would transport those images into some other place But when as Pilate denied them to performe their request because the matter would redound to Caesars dishonour and the Iewes also ceased not to sollicite him some sixe daies after commanding his souldiers to lie in ambush in a readinesse he sate him downe in the Tribunall within the Hippodrome making vse of the oportunitie of the place for that it was most fit for a stratageme There being vrged once more about the same businesse he gaue a signe to his souldiers to beset them threatning them with death except they would presently giue ouer their suite and repaire euerie one of them with all speed to their owne houses But they prostrating themselues vpon the earth and offering their naked throats tolde him that they rather desired to die then to see their lawes violated which were with so great iudgement and reason proposed vnto them Pilate amazed at the confidence they shewed in the conseruation of their lawes sodainly caused Caesars images to be transported out of Ierusalem into Caesarea and out of the sacred treasurie he made certaine conduits of water that had their fountaine heads more then two hundreth stades off But the people tooke no pleasure in those conduits and diuers thousands of men assembled themselues exclaiming against Pilate endeuouring thereby to make him giue ouer his enterprise Some of them also vttered diuers iniurious speeches against him as it ordinarily falleth out amongst an vnbridled multitude But he causing them to be hemmed in by a great number of his souldiers attired in a popular habite as soone as they began to exclaime against him gaue a signe to his souldiers they as it was before time commanded them made vse of their maces and without distinction either of the persons or the offenders fell on all those whom they had encompassed And so vnmercifully laid on them who were naked and disarmed that some of them were slaine othersome grieuously hurt and after this manner was the tumult and sedition appeased At that time was IESVS a wise Man if it be lawfull to call him a Man For he was the performer of diuers admirable workes and the instructer of those who willingly entertaine the truth and he drew vnto him diuers Iewes and Greekes to be his followers This was Christ who being accused by the princes of our nation before Pilate and afterwards condemned to the Crosse by him yet did not those who followed him from the beginning forbeare to loue him for the ignominie of his death For he appeared vnto them aliue the third day after according as the diuine Prophets had before testified the same and diuers other wonderfull things of him and from that time forward the race of the Christians who haue deriued their name from him hath neuer ceased At that time also there fell out another accident which verie sore troubled the Iewes and in the temple of Isis at Rome there were many shamefull acts committed But I will first of all recount the accident in the temple of Isis and then will I declare that which befell the Iewes There was in Rome a Ladie called Paulina renowmed both for the nobilitie of hir house as also thorow her studie and exercise in vertue Besides this she was verie rich and with her riches beautifull and in her flowring yeeres and notwithstanding a verie mirrhor of chastitie She was married vnto a certaine noble man called Saturnine that equald her in all those her excellent perfections A certaine young man called Decius Mundus one of the knights of greatest account at that time fell in loue with her But she was of that disposition that it was impossible for him to corrupt her by presents And the more she refused those infinite presents which he sent vnto her the more was Mundus heart inflamed with ardent affection so that to enioy her but onely one night he offered her two hundreth thousand drachmes amounting in our English money to some sixe thousand pound yet for all this he could not ouercome her For which cause being vnable to endure this his vnfortunate loue he thought best to pine himselfe away for want of sustenance thereby to deliuer himselfe from the tyrannie of that passion wherewith he was afflicted Finally that he confidently resolued he constantly put in execution Now there was a certaine free woman that belonged to Mundus father whose name was Idâ—… expert in all sorts of subtilties who being sore aggrieued to behold the young mans resolution whom she saw wholy addicted to a desperate death she addressed her selfe vnto him and encouraged him with hope promising him to bring him to Paulinas speech by the meanes of a certaine bribe which she intended to offer He reioycing verie much at her motion demanded what summe would serue her who requiring nothing more then fiftie thousand drachmes to obtaine Paulina he furnished her presently When as by this means she had quickened the young mans spirit and receiued all that which she demanded she shaped not the same course which others had kept that had the sollicitation of the matter before seeing she saw that money would not tempt her but knowing that she was deepely deuoted to the seruice of Isis she practised this subtill and vnexpected policie She addressed her selfe to certaine priests of the temple and vpon great hopes and offer of greater presents and paying them downe vpon the present twentie and fiue thousand drachmes and promising them as much more vpon the performance of the bargaine she disclosed vnto them the passionate loue which the young man bare vnto Paulina exhorting them to worke so wisely that he might enioy her They bewitched with this huge present they had and hoped to receiue promised her to worke the feat Whereupon the eldest among them resorted to Paulina and hauing free accesse vnto her presence he required that he might haue conference with her in secret which when he had obtained he tolde her that he was sent vnto her by God Anubis in that the God was surprised with her loue and desired that she would come vnto him Paulina tooke great pleasure in this his discourse and tolde her familiars how she had been honoured with the amorous solicitation of a God and certified
which there sate an owle One of those prisoners vvho vvas by nation a Germane beholding that bird asked the soldier that was fettered with him who he vvas that vvas apparrelled in purple and vnderstanding that his name vvas Agrippa and that he vvas a lew and one of the nobilitie of that nation hee required the souldier who to the end to guard him was chained with him to suffer him to draw neere vnto Agrippa and to haue a little conference with him for that he had a great desire to aske him of certaine things concerning the customes of his countrey Which when he had obtained and hauing got neere him he certified him by an interpreter of that which followeth Young man said he the sodaine change that hath befallen thee at this present afflicteth and oppresseth thee with great and grieuous torment neither wilt thou easily beleeue that thou shalt escape from thy miserie yet so doth the diuine prouidence dispose all things that thou shalt shortly be deliuered Know therefore and I sweare vnto thee by the Gods both those of mine auncestors and those also who haue residence and presidence in this place and who haue procured vs this yron chaine that I will tell thee all not to yeeld thee pleasure by my vaine discourse or to entertaine thee with fruitlesse consolation knowing well that when these predictions shall happen to faile they will breede thee more sorrow then if thou hadst neuer heard speech of them But I haue thought it good yea although it were with mine owne danger to declare vnto thee the predictions of the gods It cannot otherwaies be but that shortly thou shalt be deliuered from these bonds and shalt be aduanced to great honour and power so that those who at this day haue compassion of thy calamitie shal beare enuie to thy glorie and thou shalt depart this life in great felicitie and shalt leaue thy children mightie possessions But beare this in thy remembrance that when thou shalt see this bird once more thou must needly die within fiue daies after These are those things which the gods thinke meete to foretell thee by this bird As for my selfe I haue supposed that I should doe thee wrong if I should conceale this prediction from thee hauing the foreknowledge thereof I haue therefore thought good to impart this ioy vnto thee wherby thorow hope of thy future profit thou maiest more easily indure thy present misfortune for which cause I beseech thee that as soone as thou shalt be partaker of this thy felicity thou wilt indeuour thy selfe to deliuer vs also from these aduersities This presage of the Germane seemed so ridiculous to Agrippa as it afterwars deserued most mightie admiration But Antonia being sore grieued at the young mans calamitie thought it not onely a difficult matter for her to intreat Tiberius for him but altogither vnprofitable in regard she should be repulsed yet wrought she so much with Macron that he was committed to the custodie of such souldiers who were of more reconciled behauiour and had a Centurion appointed to keepe him that suffered him to vse his daily bathings and gaue his friends and seruants leaue to visit him by whose seruice and kindnesse his necessities might be relieued His friend Silas also was admitted to speake with him and amongst his free-men Marsias and Stichus who brought him in such meates as he was delighted withall and couerings vnder colour to sell them which by the permission of the souldiers who had no lesse direction from Macron they spred by night for him to take his rest vpon See here the estate wherein Agrippa liued in prison for the space of six moneths But Tiberius being returned to Capreas began at first to bee attainted with a certaine lingring disease and for that his sicknesse increased more and more he began to conceiue a sinister hope of himselfe and commanded Euodus whom he most honoured amongst all his free-men to bring him his sonnes because he intended to talke with them before he died But the sooth is that he had not any children of his own but had adopted them For Drusus who was his onely childe was alreadie dead and had left behind him a sonne called Tiberius surnamed Gemellus He had Caius also his brother Germanicus sonne who was in the flower of his age and had trauailed verie diligently in good disciplines To him also the people ascribed verie much in remembrance of the vertues of his deceased father and as touching himselfe he was of a sweet conuersation and so modest that he was familiar and conuersant with all men Whereby it came to passe that not onely the people but the Senate also held him in great estimation as also all the subiects in euerie seuerall prouince For they that spake with him were drawne partly by his affabilitie partly by the fidelitie that they saw in him so that when he was dead all of them mourned not counterfaitly lamenting his losse but with vnfained sorrow for that there was not any one that supposed not his death to be euery mans particular losse He therefore demeaned himselfe so modestly towards all men that his sonne after his death was highly aduanced thereby For among the rest the men of warre made their reckoning that although it should cost them their liues to get him the Empire they would not refuse the hazard After that Tiberius had charged Euodus to bring him the two young men the next morrow by breake of day he besought the Gods of that place to giue him an euident signe whereby he might know who should succeed him For although he desired to leaue the Empire to his sons sonne yet made he more account of that which God should make manifest vnto him He therefore conceiued a presage that he who the next day should enter first to salute him it should be he who in the Empire should necessarily succeede him And hauing settled this thing in his fantasie he sent vnto his little sonnes Master charging him to bring him vnto him by breake of day supposing that God had ordained that the Empire should be his but the matter fell out quite contrarie to his expectation For being in this thought he commanded Euodus that as soone as he might and as soone as the day should arise he should suffer him of the two young princes to enter in vnto him who should arriue the first He walking out met with Caius before the chamber doore for Tiberius was not there who being ignorant of that wich his grandfather thought was busie about his breakfast and said vnto him That the Emperour his father called for him and with all suffered him to enter When Tiberius beheld Caius he sodainly began to consider vpon the power of God who depriued him of the meanes to dispose of the Empire according as he had determined with himselfe for that it lay not in his power and he lamented greatly not so much for that he sawe his
Agrippa had not beene in Rome For he seeing that the matter was handled to the disaduantage of the Iewes besought Agrippina the Emperours wife that she would labour her husband in such sort that he would be pleased to take full knowledge of that which was done and that afterwards he should execute due iustice on those whom he found guiltie of that sedition Claudius fauourably gaue eare to this request and hearing the whole matter he found that the Samaritanes were the first authors of all those mischiefes and caused them to be put to death who came before him to pleade and banished Cumanus he gaue order also that captaine Celer should be sent backe to Ierusalem and that there in sight of all the people he should be dragged about the Citie vntil he died Furthermore he sent Claudius Foelix Pallas brother to gouerne Iudaea In the twelfth yeere of his raigne he gaue Agrippa Philips Tetrarchy with Batanea and besides that annexed thereunto Trachonitis and Abila which in times past appertained to Lysanias Tetrarchy taking from him the prouince of Chalcis which he had gouerned for the space of foure yeeres After that Agrippa had obtained this gift at Caesars hands he married his sister Drusilla to Azizus king of the Emesenians who consented to be circumcised because Epiphanes king Antiochus sonne would not giue care vnto the marriage for that he refused to entertaine the religion of the Iewes although in times past he had promised his father no lesse He gaue Mariamme also to Archelaus Chelcias sonne who by her fathers consent was before time promised him on whom he begat a daughter called Bernice A little after this the marriage of Azizus and Drusilla was broken off on this occasion following At such time as Foelix gouerned Iewrie he saw Drusilla and was surprised with her loue for that she surpassed all other women in beautie He therefore sent her a certaine Magician called Simon who was borne in Cypris and one of his greatest friends among the Iewes who perswaded her to forsake her first husband and to marrie with Foelix giuing her to vnderstand that she should be happy if she refused not this match She vnaduised and resolued to rid her selfe from the enuious affection which her sister Bernice bare towards her who hated her in regard of her beautie and for this occasion ceased not to iniurie her she condiscended to forsake the religion of the Iewes and to marrie with Foelix by whom she had a sonne who was called Agrippa His death hereafter will I declare and how in the Emperour Tiberius time he died and was burned in the fire of the mountaine Veâ—…ius with his wife Bernice remained a widow verie long time after Herodes death who was both her vncle and her husband and the report was that she had the company of her brother Finally she wrought so much that Polemon king of Cilicia caused himselfe to be circumcised to the end he might espouse her purposing by that means to make it knowne how falsely she had been accused Wherunto Polemon gaue eare because she was rich But this marriage continued not any long time For Bernice thorow her impudencie as it is reported abandoned Polemon who giuing ouer that marriage forsooke also the religion of the Iewes At the same time Mariamme hauing refused Archelaus her husband married with Demetrius one of the chiefest Iewes that were in Alexandria both in regard of his descent as also his riches who at that time also exercised the office of Alubarcha that is to say the gouernour of Arabia She caused the sonne she had by him to be called Agrippinus But of all this will I speake more exactly hereafter The Emperour Claudius died after he had raigned thirteene yeeres eight moneths and twentie daies Some say that he was poisoned by Agrippina his wife the daughter of Germanicus Claudius brother which was first married to Domitius Oenobarbus one of the greatest men of Rome after whose death and long widowhood she was finally married to Claudius into whose house she brought her sonne called Domitius by his owne fathers name Claudius had before time put Messalina his wife to death for the iealousie that he had of her although he had had children by her namely Britannicus and Octauius He had Octaâ—…ia also by his first wife Paetina which was elder then her brethren and was married to Nero whom Claudius so named and adopted for his sonne Agrippina fearing least Britannicus growing to mans estate should succeed his father in the Empire and desirous to make her owne sonne Emperor as it is reported she left nothing vnattempted that might bring her husband to his death and presently sent Bâ—…rrus who was generall of the army with certaine other captains and those of greatest power amongst his freemen to bring Nero into the field and to proclaime him Emperour He being thus established in the Empire caused Britannicus to be secretly poisoned and not long after this he openly caused his mother to be put to death yeelding her this recompence not onely for that she had borne him in her wombe but also for that by her pollicies he had obtained the Empire He likewise murthered Octauia his wife and diuers other noble men vnder colour of some conspiracie intended against him But I will no further prosecute this matter for that there are diuers who haue composed Neros historie of whom some haue had no regard of the truth but haue spoken at their pleasure for that he had been their benefactor othersome transported with hatâ—…ed and despite against him haue not been ashamed to publish such impudent lies against his renowne as they deserue to be condemned Neither doe I wonder that they haue inuented so many lies against Nero considering that in those histories which they wrote as touching the precedent Emperours they haue not studied to speake truth although they had not any occasion to hate them considering that they liued a long time after their death But let these contemners of truth write as them listeth for that they seeme to take delight in that licence For mine owne part I am intended to write nothing but the truth neither stand I much on that which concemeth not the matter which I intreat of purposing in all truth and diligence to declare that which hath befallen our nation of the Iewes without omitting of either their misfortunes or follies that haue proceeded with them I will therefore returne to the discouerie of our affaires Azizus king of Emesene being dead the first yeere of the Emperour Neros raigne his brother obtained the kingdome Aristobulus the sonne of Herode king of Chalcis had the gouernment of the signiorie of the lesser Armenia from Neros hands Caesar gaue Agrippa a certaine portion of Galilee commanding those of Tiberias and Tarichaea to liue vnder him Besides this he gaue him Iulias scituate beyond Iordan with fourteene burroughs neere adioyning thereunto CHAP.
the Iewes how he came how he fought against me the first time neere to the Citie of Taricheaâ—…how I departed from thence to repaire to Iotapata my taking my deliuerance and all my actions and fortunes during the warres of the Iewes and the siege of the Citie of Ierusalem But now me seemeth that it is necessarie that I describe other things exploited by me during my life time in other places then in the warres of the Iewes After the siege of Iotapata was ended I was prisoner with the Romans and kept verie carefully yet notwithstanding Vespasian did me much honour For by his commandement I married a virgin that was one of those that had been taken captiue in Caesarea But she remained not long time with me for after I was set at libertie and that I followed Vespasian she retired her selfe to Alexandria After which I married another woman in Alexandria from whence I was sent to Titus to the siege of Ierusalem where I was oftentimes in danger of death For the Iewes laboured what they might to take and punish me and the Romans supposing that as many and oftentimes as they were repulsed it was by my treason cried out continually to the Emperour to execute me for a traitor But Titus well experienced in the changes of warre pacified the violence which his souldiers intended against me by his silence And after the Citie of Ierusalem was taken Titus often solicited me to take that which I liked among the ruines of Ierusalem promising to giue it me But I making but small account of any thing after the ruine of my countrey besought him that he would giue me certaine free men and the sacred Bible which I receiued for a great consolation in my miseries All which he gratiously granted me Not long after hauing begd my brother and fiftie other of my friends they were giuen me and I was refused in nothing Entring into the temple by Titus permission I found a great number of prisoners shut vp therein and all those women and children of my friends and familiars whom I knew I deliuered them to the number of one hundreth and ninetie without paying any raunsome and I restâ—…d them to their former free condition Being sent with Cerealis and one thousand horse into the Citie of Thecoa by the Emperour Titus to espie if the place were fit for a campe in returning from thence I saw diuers prisoners who were on the gibbet amongst which were three of my familiars whereat I was grieued in my soule and I came and signified the same vnto Titus with teares who incontinently commaunded thâ—… they should be taken downe and as carefully drest and cured as might be two of which died notwithstanding the vtmost diligence of the Phisitions and the third suruiued After that Titus had appeased the troubles of Iudaea coniecturing with himselfe that the possessions which I had in Ierusalem would yeeld me but little profit by reason of the Roman garrison that should be placed there he planted me in a possession in a champion countrey and intending to embarke himselfe to depart for Rome he tooke me with him in his owne ship and did me great honour As soone as we came to Rome Vespasian had great care of me for he lodged me in his owne house where he kept before he was Emperour and honoured me with the title of a citizen of Rome and gaue me an annuall pension in money and as long as he liued continued his good affection towards me forgetting no kind of bountie which he might vse towards me Whereupon I was so much enuied that I grew in daunger thereby to lose my life For a certaine Iew called Ionathan hauing stirred vp a sedition in Cyrene gathered about him some two thousand inhabitants of the countrey was the cause of their ouerthrow and as touching himselfe being bound by the gouernour of that countrey and afterwards sent vnto the Emperour he said it was I that had sent him armes and money But Vespasian knew his falshood and condemned him to death and commaunded him to be executed After this mine enemies obiected diuers crimes against me in regard that I was in good reputation but God so wrought that I escaped them all Moreouer I receiued in gift from Vespasian an ample possession in Iudaea and at that verie time I forsooke my wife because her manners pleased me not although she were the mother of my three children of whom two are deceased and the third who was called Hircanus is yet aliue After this I maried a wife that was borne in Candie and was by nation a Iew and by birth noble and one of the greatest reputation amongst the inhabitants endowed with as laudable manners as any other vertuous woman whatsoeuer as her after life most plainly expressed By her I had two sonnes Iustus who was the eldest and Simonides who was also surnamed Agrippa Thus farre as touching my domesticall affaires That bountie which I receiued from the hands of the Caesars hath alwaies continued mine For after Vespasians death Titus who succeeded him in the Empire continued the same fauour which his father had shewed me For although I were oftentimes accused yet were not mine aduersaries beleeued Domitian who succeeded him augmented mine honours For he punished those Iewes that accused me and gaue order that the Eunuch and slaue whom I kept to teach my sonne and by whom I was accused should be punished He granted me extemption also from all the tributes of Iudaea which is one of the most greatest honours that a man may receiue And as touching Domitia the Emperours wife she alwaies continued her good affection towards me Behold heere the short recitall of my whole life whereby let each man coniecture of my manners as him listeth But O thrice excellent Epaphroditus after I haue giuen and offered thee all this ancient history of our nation I will for this present pause in this place THE LAMENTABLE AND TRAGICALL HISTORIE OF THE VVARS AND VTTER RVINE OF THE IEWES Comprised in seuen Bookes by Flauius Iosephus the Sonne of Matthias And newly translated out of the Latin and French into English by Tho. Lodge D. M. P. Printed at London on Bread-street hill at the signe of the Starre 1602. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL HIS esteemed friend M. Anthony Palmer Esquier SIR my affection that had rather be an actor then an orator doe well then speake well hath pickt you out to be the patron of this tragicall historie of the wars of the Iewes The reasons that draue me herevnto are neither the expectance of worldlie benefits nor the fruitlesse vp-shot of ostentation but your virtue which is not beloued respectiuelie but onely for it selfe hath created this good conceit in me which if you so please your acceptance may continue Now since as the Philosopher supposeth it is an action worthy a good man to do good vnto his friend so is it no lesse commendable to accept
when they fled into the temple without respect of age or womanhood For although the king intreated the souldiers to spare the people yet for all that they neuer restrained their cruell hands but like mad men they raged against all men women and children At that time also Antigonus neither respecting his former condition nor his present estate came and prostrated himselfe at Sosius hi◅ feete beseeching him to be mercifull vnto him but Sosius nothing compassionating his calamitie cruelly derided him and called him Antigona yet did he not permit him to depart free as a woman but put him in prison Now when Herode had conquered his enemies he endeuoured to the vttermost to appease the furie of the souldiers for all the whole multitude were desirous to see the temple and the holy vessels therein but he resisted them appeasing some by threatnings reclaiming others by force and the rest by entreaties supposing that it had been better for himselfe to haue been conquered then by obtaining the victorie to minister a meanes whereby those things should be discouered which were not lawfull to bee reueiled He therefore presently repressed the souldiers from sacking the citie inueying much against Sosius and obiecting against him that the Romans would desolate the Citie both of men and money and leaue him king of a place without subiects adding further that he esteemed not the empire of the whole world to be a recompence for such a massacre of his Citizens Hereunto Sosius replied that in equitie the souldiers were to haue the sacking of the towne in recompence of that labour they had spent in the siege But Herode gaue him this answere that he had rather recompence euerie man out of his owne treasurie and by this means he redeemed as it were the reliques of his desolate countrey and in the end performed that which he had promised For he bountifully rewarded euerie souldier and captaine according to his merit and gaue Sosius a kingly reward so that no man went away without money This done Sosius dedicated a golden crowne vnto God and so departed leading Antigonus captiue with him to the intent to present him vnto Antonius This man desirous to continue his life and entertaining himselfe with this cold hope euen vntill the last receiued in the end that reward which his faint heart desired and was beheaded Herode being now king made a distinction betweene the Citizens and those who had fauoured him he vsed verie honourably and put those to death who had followed Antigonus and when money failed he distributed all his kingly ornaments and sent them to Antonius and his companie Yet did not he quite redeeme himselfe from all annoiances for Antonius being now captiuate through Cleopatra her loue in all things yeelded vnto her desire and Cleopatra hauing raged so against her owne kindred that she had not left one of them aliue now turned her furie vpon strangers and accusing the nobilitie of Syria vnto Antonius she perswaded him to put them to death that she might thereby the easier obtaine their possessions Afterward her couetous minde sought to effect the like against the Arabians and the Iewes also in so much as she secretly went about to cause the kings of those places Malichus and Herode to be put to death Antonius made a shew as though he would haue granted her request yet he thought it great impietie to kill good men and so great kings yet notwithstanding he no more accounted them his friends but tooke a great quantitie of ground from the limits of both their countries and a vineyard in Iericho where balme grew and gaue her all the Cities on this side the riuer Eleutherus Tyre and Sydon onely excepted Now when she had obtained the dominion of these Cities she followed Antonius vnto Euphrates who set forward to make warre against the Parthians and afterward by Apamia and Damascus she came into Iudaea where Herode hauing something pacified her angrie minde with great gifts obtained to pay her yeerely two hundreth talents for that part of his countrey which Antonius had giuen her and seeking by all meanes possible to get himselfe an interest in her fauour he conducted her vnto Pelusium and not long after Antonius returned out of Parthia and brought Artabazes the sonne of Tigranes captiue and gaue him vnto Cleopatra for all the money and riches which he had got and the captiue likewise were bestowed on her CHAP. XIIII Of the treacherous practise of Cleopatra against Herod of Herods warre against the Arabians and of a verie great earthquake ABout such time as the Actiacum war was on foot Herode prepared himselfe to attend Antonius for that for the time present all troubles were pacified in Iudaea and he had already gotten the castle of Hyrcanion which Antigonus sister had in her possession But Cleopatra c◅aftily preuented him in this his iourny so that he could not go with Antonius for she desiring the ruines of both the kings as was before mētioned perswaded Antonius that he should ◅se Herod to make warre against the Arabians whom if he ouercame then she should be made Queene of Arabia and if so be he himselfe were ouercome then she should be Queene of iudaea intending hereby that one of these potentates should ruinate the other But this practise of hers was greatly to Herods gaine For first of all making head against those of Syria that were his enemies with all the power of horsemen he could make which was verie many and meeting them at Diospolis he ouercame them although they valiantly resisted who hauing the ouerthrow stirred vp a mightie armie of the Arabians to helpe them so that an infinite company was gathered togither about Coelesyria expecting the Iewes neere vnto a citie called Canatha Where king Herode meeting them purposed not to fight vnaduisedly but to compasse his owne armie round about with a wall but his armie remembring their former victorie would not be counselled but violently assaulted the Arabians and at the first onset put them to flight Herode pursuing his enemie was greatly endaungered by the treason of the inhabitants of Canatha who were set on by Athenio that vvas one of Cleopatras captaines vvho had alwaies borne him ill vvill for the Arabians encouraged by their helpe returned againe to battel and they two ioyned their forces togither and set vpon Herode in stonie and difficult places and put his armie to flight and killed many of them those that escaped fled vnto a little village hard by called Ormiza vvhere the Arabians compassing them about took both the men their tents with al their furniture Not long after this ouerthrow of Herods souldiers he came and brought helpe but too late and to little purpose but the cause hereof was for that the captaines of his army would not obey his commaundement for if they had beene obedient Athenio had not had the opportunitie to worke him that iniury yet
but after he had made him high Priest in the seuenteenth yeere of his age he presently put him to death after he had so honoured him who when he came to the Altar clothed in sacred attire vpon a festiuall day all the people wept and the same night was he sent to Iericho and drowned in a lake by the Galatheans who had receiued commission to performe the murther These things did Mariamme daily cast in Herodes teeth and vpbraided both his mother and sister with verie sharpe and reprochfull words yet he so loued her that notwithstanding all this he held his peace But the women were set on fire and that they might the rather moue Herode against her they accused her of adulterie and of many other things which bare a shew of truth obiecting against her that she had sent her portraicture into Aegypt vnto Antonius and that through immoderate lust she did what she could to make her selfe knowen vnto him who doted vpon womens loue and was of sufficient power to do what wrong he pleased Hereat Herode was sore moued especially for that he was iealous of her whom he loued bethinking himselfe vpon the crueltie of Cleopatra for vvhose sake king Lysanias and Malichus king of Arabia were put to death and now he measured not the daunger by the losse of his wife but by his owne death which he feared For which cause being drawen by his affaires into the countrey he gaue secret commaundement vnto Ioseph his sister Salomes husband whom he knew to be trustie and one who for affinitie was his well-willer to kill his wife Mariamme if so be Antonius should haue killed him But Ioseph not maliciously but simply to shew her how greatly the king loued her disclosed that secret vnto her and she when Herode was returned and amongst other talke with many oaths sware that he neuer loued woman but her indeed quoth she it may well be knowne how greatly you loue me by the commaundement you gaue to Ioseph whom you charged to kill me Herode hearing this which he thought to be secret was like a mad man and presently perswaded himselfe that Ioseph would neuer haue disclosed that commaundement of his except he had abused her so that hereupon he became furious and leaping out of his bed he walked vp and downe the pallace vvhereupon his sister Salome hauing fit opportunitie confirmed his suspition of Ioseph For which cause Herode growing now raging mad with Iealousie commanded both of them to be killed Which done his wrath was seconded by repentance and after his anger ceased the affection of loue was presently renewed yea so great was the power of his affection that he would not beleeue she was dead but spake vnto her as though she were aliue vntill in processe of time being assertained of her funerall he equalled the affection he bare her during her life by the vehemencie of his passion for her death Mariammes sonnes succeeded their mother in her wrath and recogitating what an impious act it was they accounted their father as a mortall enemie both before and after they went to studie at Rome and especially after they came againe into Iudaea For as they encreased in yeeres so did the violence of their mind encrease And they being now mariageable one of them maried the daughter of their aunt Salome who accused their mother the other maried the daughter of Archelaus king of Cappadocia And now to their hatred was there ioyned a libertie to speake more freely against them and by this occasion of their boldnes many were animated to calumniate them so that some did openly tell the king that both his sonnes sought to worke treason against him and that the one of them prepared an army to helpe the other to reuenge the death of their mother and that the other to wit he that was sonne in law to Archelaus purposed to flie and accuse Herode before Caesar. Herode giuing eare vnto those calumniations sent for Antipater whom he had by Doris to the end he might defend him against his two sons and sought to aduance him aboue them But they thought this alteration intolerable seeing one whose mother was but a priuate woman so preferred and they moued with their owne noblenes of birth could not containe their indignation but vpon euerie occasion shewed themselues offended yet were they euery day lesse accounted of As for Antipater he wrought himselfe into fauour for he knew how to flatter his father and raised many slaunders vpon his two brethren partly inuented by himselfe partly diuulgated by some of his fauorites whom he set a worke about that matter till that at last he put his brethren out of all hope of hauing the kingdome For he was now by the kings Will and Testament declared king so that he was sent as a King vnto Caesar in a kingly habit and pompe only he wore no Crowne and in time he so preuailed that he wrought his mother into Mariammes steed and with flatteries and calumniation so moued the king that he began to deliberate about the putting to death of his sonnes For which cause he conducted his sonne Alexander with him to Rome and accused him before Caesar that he had giuen him poyson But he with much adoe hauing obtained libertie to plead his owne cause and that before an vnskilfull Iudge yet more wise then Herode or Antipater he modestly held his peace in all things that his father had offended in and first of all he purged his brother from daunger of that crime and taking the vvhole matter vpon himself he in verie good sort acquited himselfe therof And afterwards he inueighed against Antipaters subtiltie complained of those iniuries which had been offered him hauing besides the equitie of his cause sufficient eloquence to acquit himselfe for he was a vehement orator and knew wel how to perswade Last of al he obiected that his father hauing a desire to put both him and his brother to death had laid an accusation vpon him where at the whole audience wept and Caesar was so moued that not regarding the accusations that were laid vnto them he presently made Herode and them friends vpon these conditions that they in all things should be obedient vnto their father and that their father should leaue the kingdome to whom he pleased Hereupon Herode returned from Rome and though he seemed to haue forgiuen his sonnes yet laid he not his iealousie and suspition aside For Antipater stil vrged his argument to make Herod hate his other two sonnes though for feare of him that reconciled them he durst not openly shew himselfe an enemie vnto them Afterward Herode sailed by Cilicia and arriued at Elaeusa where Archelaus receiued him verie courteously thanking him for the safetie of his sonne in law and verie ioyfull for that they were made friends for he wrote vnto his friends at Rome with all speede possible that they should be
periurie for they esteeme him condemned for a lyer who is not beleeued without he call God to witnesse They studie diligently ancient Writers chiefly gathering out of their writings what is most conuenient for the soule and the body Out of them they learne remedies for diseases and medicinable hearbes and what is the proper effect of euerie stone Those who are desirous to be of their order do not straightway conuerse with them but for a yeare before they liue out of their Colledge and haue the same diet giuing them also a little hatchet and such a girdle as is before spoken of and a white garment But at the yeares end if they perceiue him to be continent then they take him into their refectorie and he is made partaker of purer waters to the end he may continue chast yet is hee not admitted in common amongst them for two yeares after this his triall they obserue his life and manners and at last when he is thought worthy then is he admitted to their common company And before he be receiued to the common table first he protesteth with great and solemne oaths that he will worship God and obserue iustice fidelitie towards all men and neither willingly hurt any man nor iniure any one for another mans command but that he wil alwaies hate the wicked and assist the good and euer keepe his faith to all but especially to his superiours For no man can obtaine the power of principality without the will and good pleasure of God and that if he be put in authoritie ouer others he neuer will abuse it to the preiudice of those that are vnder him and neither exceed the rest in apparrell nor in any other ambitious pompe that he will alwaies loue the truth and euer endeuour to confute liers and that he will keepe his hands from stealing and his soule pure from all vniust gaine and that he will not conceale any mysteries or secrets from his companions nor reueale them to any straungers although he should be thereto compelled by death Adding moreouer that they will neuer deliuer any doctrine saue that which they haue receiued and that they will auoide theft and diligently keepe the bookes of their doctrine and the names of Angels And with these oaths they trie and as it were arme those who enter into their order Those of their congregation who shall be condemned they thrust out of their companie and whosoeuer is so punished for the most part dieth a miserable death for hauing once taken this oath it is not lawfull for him to take meat of any straunger so that feeding on grasse like beasts at last he perisheth through famine For which cause oftentimes they moued with compassion receiue many into their order againe euen readie by famine to yeeld vp the ghost iudging them to haue endured penance inough for their offences who with famine were almost brought vnto deaths doore They are verie seuere and iust in their iudgement and to decide any matter there is neuer fewer of them then a hundreth and that which by them is agreed vpon is an irreuocable sentence Next after God they reuerence the lawmaker insomuch as if any one reuile him they forthwith condemne him to death They greatly reuerence olde men and a multitude so that if ten of them sit togither no man of them must speake without he be licenced thereto by nine of the companie They also must not spit in the midst of the assembly nor on the right hand And they are more seuere then anie other Iewes in obseruing the Sabboths And they do not onely abstaine from dressing meat vpon that day but also they may not remoue anie vessell out of his place nor go to the priuie Vpon other daies they dig a pit a foot deepe into the ground with the hatchet which as we before said euerie one at his entrance into their order hath giuen him and then couering themselues diligently with their garment least they should doe iniurie to the light of heauen in that pit they ease themselues and thē couer their ordure with the earth they took out of the pit this they do in most secret places And although this purging of their bodies be naturall yet do they by washing purifie themselues after it as after great vncleannes Furthermore they amongst themselues are deuided into foure orders according to the times which they haue taken to follow this exercise of life and they who are iuniors are so farre different from the seniors that if they do but touch one of them they presently purifie themselues as though they had beene prophaned by a straunger They are long liued so that most of them liue a hundreth yeeres which I iudge is by reason of their well ordered diet and their temperancie They contemne aduersitie and by counsell and discretion ouercome torments They preferre an honourable death before life And the warres which the Iewes made against the Romans shewed what courage and hardines they haue in all things For being then compelled by breaking of the members of their bodies and firie torments all kind of tortures which were laid vpon them to reuile the lawmaker and to eate any meate forbidden yet could they not be forced to any of these neither wold they entreat the torturers nor shew any sorrow amidst their torments Nay in the verie midst of their griefes and paines they scoffed at their tormenters and laughing ioyfully yeelded vp their soules as though they hoped to receiue them againe For it is an opinion amongst them that the bodie is corruptible and that the matter thereof is not perpetual but yet the soule remaines for euer immortall who passing out of a most pure and subtile ayre wrap themselues in bodies as in prisons being as it were drawen thereunto by a naturall inclination And when they are deliuered cut of these carnall bonds then presently as freed from a long bondage they ioyfully mount aloft And of the good soules they say as did the Grecians that they liue beyond the Ocean seas in a place of pleasure where they are neuer molested with raine nor snow nor heat but haue alwaies a sweet and pleasant ayre comming out of the Ocean But the wicked soules as they say go into a place very tempestuous where there is alwaies as it were winter weather alwaies ful of lamentations of those who for euer are to be punished But I iudge that the Greekes are of this opinion when they say there is an Isle for the vertuous whom they call Heroes and halfe-gods and that the soules of the wicked go to a place in hell where as it is fained some to be tormented as Sysiphus Tantalus Ixion Tytius Which they did first inuent for this purpose because those who are of good disposition are made better in this life by hope of some reward in the life to come and the wicked are as they thought hereby restrained for feare of eternall
one of them tumbling vpon another There was a great throng in the gates of the citie for euery one hastning and striuing to get in hindered themselues and others Many died most miserably in that throng and some were stifled and some prest to death being troden vpon so that their neighbours comming to bury them could not know them The souldiers also cruelly assaulted them killing all that they could come vnto and forced the people to go in by the entrance called Bezetha who desired to recouer the temple and the castle called Antonia Florus taking the souldiers with him pursued them thither striuing to get the castle yet did he not preuaile for the people made resistance and threw down stones from the house top and killed many of the Romans who being ouercome with darts cast from aloft and could not resist the people who on euery side came against them retired themselues vnto the rest of the armie at the kings pallace Those that were seditious fearing that Florus would againe assault them and by the castle Antonia make an entrance into the temple they got vpon the galleries that reached from the porch of the temple vnto Antonia and beat them downe hereby to represse the couetousnes of Florus Who greedilie gaped after the sacred treasure and striued to enter by Antonia into the temple to take them but seeing the porches beaten downe he offered no more violence And calling togither the high priests and nobilitie he said that he was content to depart out of the citie but he would leaue them as great a garrison as they would request Whereunto they answered that nothing should be altered if he would leaue one companie to keepe all quiet so he left not that which a while before did fight against the people because that the people would not easily brooke them for that which they had suffered at their hands So Florus as he was requested changing the garrison with the rest of the army departed to Caesarea CHAP. XVI Of Politianus the tribune and how Agrippa made a speech vnto the Iewes exhorting them to obey the Romanes FLorus yet deuised an other way to stirre the Iewes to rebellion for he reported vnto Cestius that the Iewes were reuolted impudently belying them to haue committed that which indeed they endured at his hands The nobles of Ierusalem and Berenice certified Cestius of all that Florus had done he receiuing letters from both partics deliberated with his nobles what to do Some cosisailed Cestius to go into Iudaea with an army punish the Iewes if they were reuolted and if they were not then to confirme them in their obedience Yet it pleased him better to send some about him thither before to bring him true newes of their estate and what had hapned So he sent Politianus the tribune who in his way met with Agrippa about Iamnia as he returned from Alexandria and told him all for what and from whom he was sent Where also were present the Priests and chiefe of the Iewes to welcome Agrippa And hauing saluted him as courteously as they could they presently bewailed the misery which had befallen their nation the cruelty of Florus Which although Agrippa disallowed yet made as if he were angry with the Iewes whō he greatly pitied purposing hereby to bridle their affections that they perswaded that they had had no iniury might abstaine from reuenge So that all the better sort who for their lands and liuings desired quietnes well perceiued that the kings reprehension was not of malice but for their good The people of Ierusalem went out to meete them threescore furlongs off and receiued Agrippa and Politianus verie courteously yet the women lamented the death of their husbands slaine and with their teares moued the whole multitude to sorrow who besought Agrippa to haue compassion on their nation intreating also Politianus to go into the citie and behold what Florus had done And so they shewed him the market place desert and the houses destroyed and by the meanes of Agrippa perswaded Politianus to go round about the citie as farre as Siloa onely with one man and behold with his eies what Florus had done and that they were obedient to the Romanes in all things and onely were enemies vnto Florus who had vsed them so cruelly Politianus hauing gone about the whole citie ascended into the temple well perceiuing many arguments of the Iewes fidelitie towards the Romanes and calling the people there togither he praised their loyaltie and exhorted them still to continue in like obedience and worshipped God and his ◅ites as farre as the law permitted him and so he returned vnto Cestius The multitude of the Iewes came to Agrippa and the high Priests requesting them to send Embassadors against Florus vnto Nero and not to giue an argument of rebellion by not complaining of such murthers for Florus would make him beleeue that they had rebelled except they went vnto him to shew that Florus gaue first occasion and it was certaine that the multitude would not be quieted if any one hindred that Embassage Hereupon Agrippa thought that it would be an hatefull matter to send Embassadours to Rome to accuse Florus and on the other part he perceiued that it was to no purpose to contradict the Iewes who were readie now to rebell wherefore calling the people togither he made a speech vnto them and seated his sister Berenice in an eminent place in the house of the Asmonaeans The porch wherin he called thē togither was in such a place that it ouerlooked all the higher part of the Citie for there was onely a bridge betweene it and the Temple which ioyned the Temple and it togither and there spake he vnto the Iewes in manner following If I had perceiued that you were bent to fight against the Romans or that the better part of the people were not enclined to peace neither would I haue come vnto you nor haue presumed to haue counselled you in any thinge For it is in vaine to giue counsell of such thinges as are expedient where all the auditors are alreadie determined to followe that which is contrarie to the counsell giuen them But for that some are ignorant what miserie wars induce because by reason of their young yeeres they haue not knowne it others are moued with a rash and vnaduised desire of their libertie others are drawne by auarice and hope of gaine in that hurlyburlie I thought it good to assemble you all togither and declare vnto you what meanes is to be vsed to restraine such people that the good may the better knowe howe to resist and ouercome the practises of the wicked But let no man frowne if he heare that which displeaseth him and I will tell you nothing but that which seemeth expedient for you For they that are so bent to rebellion that they will not be recalled may for all my words continue in the same minde still And I wil
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
were partakers of this calamitie who assembled themselues togither in mount Garizin which they account a sacred place But both their assembly their courage did portend their warres and not vvarned by their neighbours harmes nor with any aduise or iudgement considering their ovvne infirmitie and the Romans power began to be tumultuous Vespasian foreseeing this thought it good to preuent them and although all the region of Samaria had garrisōs in it yet for all the great multitude assembled it was thought that the garrisons were able to keepe thē vnder Wherefore he sent thither Caerealis the Tribune of the fift legion with sixe hundreth horsemen and three thousand footmen Caerealis thought it not the best way to goe vnto the mountaine and fight with the whole multitude because a great many of their enemies were vpon it wherefore he commanded his souldiers to beleger the mountaine about at the foote thereof and so keepe them there all the whole day There happened at that time a vehement heate and the Samaritans wanted water for it was then sommer and the people had not prouided themselues of victuals so that many in one day onely for want of drinke dyed of thirst the rest preferred death before the miserie they endured and so fled vnto the Romans of whom Caerealis learned that those that yet remained on the mount were euen dismayed by the miserie they endured Wherefore hee ascended the mountaine and compassing about the enemies with his armie he first exhorted them to yeeld willing them to saue themselues promising them all their liues if they would cast downe their weapons but nothing preuailing with them he set vpon them and killed them all in number eleuen thousand and six hundreth and this was done the seuen twentith day of Iune and these were the miseries that befell the Samaritans CHAP. XIII Howe Iotapata was taken THe Citizens of Iotapata endured this hard siege contrarie to all expectation and in the seuen and fortith day the Romans mounts were raised higher then their walls on this same day one of the Citie fled vnto Vespasian and tould him in what case the citie stoode and how fewe citizens were left and that with dayly watchings and fighting they were far spent whereby they were not able to resist any more and that they might be taken by pollicie if they were followed for in the last part of the night being wearie they ceased from their labour and slept vntill the morning wherefore hee perswaded Vespasian to assault them at that time But Vespasian knowing how faithfull the Iewes were one vnto another how they contemned all punishment gaue little credite vnto this run-away for a little before one of Iotapata being taken could not by any torments be compelled to confesse or disclose the estate of the Citie whom the fire nothing moued so at last he was crucified laughing scorning death yet a probable coniecture which he had perswaded him to giue credite somwhat vnto this traitors words for that he knew no great harme could befall him if he so assaulted the Citie as the traitor willed he cōmanded the man to be kept and made all his armie in readinesse to assault the towne So at the hower appointed hee made towards the walles with silence Titus being the first accompanied with one Domitius Sabinus a Tribune a few of the fifteenth legion who killing the watchmen entred into the citie and after thē Sextus Caerealis and Placidus with their companies so the Castle was taken and the enemies were in the middest of the towne and it was faire day light and yet the townes men knewe nothing being now fast a slepe after their great labours watchings and they that did watch could see nothing there was so thicke a mist by chance that morning the rest neuer wakened till death was at their dore and that they perceiued their calamitie and destruction The Romans mindfull of all that had befallen them in the time of the siege did neither spare nor pitie any one but driuing the people out of the higher part of the citie into the lower part thereof they massacred them all where they that would could not fight for the narrownesse of the place so being cumbred for want of roome sliding downe the bāks for haste their enemies still pursuing them they were easily slaine Many of Iosephs guarde seeing this that they could not fight gathered themselues together in a corner of the citie and slew themselues that the Romans might not kill them But some of the watchmen who first perceiued the citie to be taken fled into a tower and resisted a while this tower was scituate on the North side of the citie and at last being enuironed with their enemies towards euening yeelded and offered themselues to be slaine And the Romans might haue boasted that that victorie had beene without bloudshed on their part had not Antonius a centurion been slaine trecherously For one of them who fled into the caues as many did requested Antonius to giue him his hande in token that he might come out safe and without danger which he doing vnaduisedly straightway the Iewe with a speare smote him in the flancke whereof he presently dyed The Romans that day slew all people that they found and the dayes following they searched all secret places and drewe those out of caues dennes that had fled thither and slew all but women infants so that they tooke away a thousand and two hundreth Captiues and the number of them who were slaine during the siege and at such time as the citie was taken amounted vnto fortie thousand And Vespasian commanded the citie to be destroyed and the castles to bee burned and so Iotapata was taken the thirteenth yeare of Nero his raigne in the first of Iuly CHAP. XIIII How Ioseph was taken and howe he redeemed his life with deedes and wordes BVt especially aboue all others the Romans made diligent search for Ioseph both for the hatred they bare him and also because Vespasian greatly desired to get him for that he◅ being taken the greatest part of the wars were then ended so they sought him amongst the dead and amongst those that were hid but he fortune fauouring him when the citie was taken escaped from the middest of his enemies and lept into a deepe Well which had a large caue on the one side the which they aboue could not perceiue where he founde fortie principall men who had prouision for many dayes The enemies being in euery place hee in the day time lay hid and in the night he went forth to see if he could escape and perceiuing that all places about were diligently watcht for to take him he returned againe into the caue and lay there two daies the third day a certaine woman that had been with them in the caue was taken and so he was descried Then Vespasian sent two tribunes to him to promise
receiued a peece of money to saue the Citie did not regarding his oth seeke to destroy the same The Romanes doe onely request the tribute that our auncestors were wont to pay vnto them which if they haue they will neuer destroy the Citie nor touch our holy things They will also permit you to enioy freely your families and possessions and suffer our lawes to remaine inuiolate It is altogether madnesse for you to hope that God will so punish iust men as he did sinners and impious persons who knoweth to punish at his pleasure To be short hee destroyed the Assyrians the first night that they encamped before the Citie And if he purposed also to deliuer you and punish the Romans he would then haue done it when Pompey and Sosius came against the citie or when Vespasian wasted Galilee or lastly now when Titus came to assault it But neither Pompey nor Sosius suffered any harme yet both of them tooke the Citie Vespasian so gained by warring against vs that he hath hereby got the whole empire And the fountaines which before gaue you no water yeeld it to Titus in great aboundance You know that before his comming the fountaines without the Citie and Siloa were so dried vp that water was sold by measure yet now they flow so plentifully that they doe not onely serue all the armie their cattell also but besides that do water all the gardens about What this wonder foretelleth you haue already experience When the king of Babylon came with his armie and destroyed the citie who tooke it and fired it and the Temple notwithstanding that as I am perswaded the Iewes of that time were nothing so wicked as you are Wherfore I thinke that God hath forsaken this holy place and is now gone to them that doe besiege you Wil not a good man flie a wicked house and hate the impious that dwell therein And doe you then thinke that God will abide your impietie who beholdeth all secrets and knoweth al things that are hid But what is secret amongst you Or what doe you seeke to hide Nay what doe you that your enemies doe not know All your iniquities are disclosed to all men and you euerie day striue one with another who shall bee most impious And you doe as greatly labour to shew your selues vicious as others doe to shew themselues vertuous Yet for all this there is time to amend and Gods wrath will be appeased if yee acknowledge your sins be penitent for your offences Cease from armes be ashamed of your Countrie now ruined through your owne meanes Turne your eyes and behold the beautie of the place whose ruine you seeke How braue a Citie how gorgious a Temple how rich with the giftes of all nations Who would fire these who would desire the ruine of these Or what is there in the world that better deserueth to bee serued then these O hard hearted people and more blockish then stones If you doe not pittie these yet let your families moue you euerie one of you looke vpon your children wiues and parents who shall all presently be consumed either with sword or famine I know that together with you shall perish my family and wife and house which sometime were of no small account And perhaps some of you doe thinke me therfore to speake this vnto you but kill them and take my bloud for recompence of your welfare and liues I my selfe am also prepared to die if after my death you would remember your selues Ioseph crying thus vnto them with teares trickling downe his cheekes the seditious were nothing mooued but told him that it was not safetie for them to yeeld But the people were perswaded to flie and some selling their possessions and that they had for smal prices they did swallow downe the gold for feare the theeues should take it from them And so when they had escaped vnto the Romans they emptying their bellies found it againe and so had money to buy them necessaries Titus also permitted many to go away whither soeuer they pleased which thing caused diuers to flie seeing that thereby they were deliuered out of their calamitie which in the citie they aboad and were not forced to serue the Romans But Iohn and Simon were as diligent to stop the waies least the Citizens should escape as they did hinder the Romans from entring into the Citie so that whosoeuer did but giue any suspition of flight he was presently by them put to death The richer sort whether they staid or fled were slain for their wealth and possessions The famine of the citie and the desperation of the theeues both increased alike euerie day more and more so that now there was no more corne found Wherfore the seditious persons brake into the houses and searched euerie corner for to find corne and if after their search they found any then they did beat the owners for denying it at the first and if they found none they tortured the housholders as hauing more cunningly hidden it And whosoeuer was yet strong of body and well liking him they presently kild for hereby they deemed him to haue store of food or els he should not haue bin in so good plight of body as he was And they that were pined with famine were by these barbarous seditious people slain who esteemed it no offence to kil them who would shortly after die though they were left aliue Many both rich and poore secretly exchanged all that they had for one bushell of corne and presently shutting themselues in the secretst roome of their house some of them did eate the corne as it was vnground others made bread therof as necessitie and feare required No man in the whole Citie sate downe to eat his meate on a table but greedily taking it not boiled from the fire they euen rawe as it was did eat it Most miserable was this manner of liuing and a spectacle which none without tears was able to behold for the strongest still got the most and the weakest bewailed their miserie for now famine was the greatest calamitie they endured And nothing doth arme men more then shame for during this famine no reuerence was had towards any man for wiues tooke the meate euen out of their husbands mouths and children from their parents and mothers euen from their infants which was the most lamentable thing of all No body had now any cōpassion neither did they spare their dearest infants but suffered them to perish euen in their armes taking from them the verie drops of life Yet could they not eate thus in such secrecie but presently some came to take away from them that whereon they fed For if in any place they saw any doore shut presently hereupon they coniectured that they in the house were eating meat and forthwith breaking downe the doores they came in and taking them by the throat they tooke the meat out of their mouths already chewed
good counsell and warning to reprehend and quiet you And whereas if he had come to destroy your nation hee ought first to haue cut downe the verie roote and to haue come vnto this Citie and destroyed it with the Inhabitants hee rather chose first to waste Galilea and the places adioyning that in the meane time you might repent you and consider of your estate But this his mercie towards you was held for cowardlinesse and infirmitie in him and by our long suffering you were emboldned against vs and when Nero was dead you did as treacherous subiects are wont to doe taking occasion by our ciuill dissension to reuolt from vs and whilest my father and I were gone into Aegypt you prepared your selues to war against vs neither were you ashamed to trouble them that were designed Pinces whō notwithstanding you had found most gentle Captaines vnto you At last when the Empire fell vnto vs and all things being now quieted all nations with gifts and presents came to congratulate vs Behold againe the Iewes shewed themselues our enemies and you sent an Ambassador beyond Euphrates onely to nourish your rebellion walling fortifying your townes a new and contending like seditious and tyrants one with another set abroach ciuill warres al which none but impious people would haue committed Wherefore being commanded by my father who was now vrged thereunto I came against this Citie with a heauie charge yet did I reioyce when I heard that the people desired peace Before I warred against you I exhorted you to peace after warre was begun I desisted awhile from vsing seueritie I spared all them that of their owne accord fled vnto me and kept my promise vnto them pitying those that were captiues I with strokes restrained them that hasted the warre against you against my will and euen forced so to doe I set the Romans against your wals and alwayes restrained my souldiers so much desirous of your bloud How often did I ouercome you so often did I exhort you to peace as though I had beene vanquished Againe when I approched vnto the Temple I willingly omitting the law of armes requested you to spare your Temple and holy things offering you leaue to depart and promising you safetie or else I gaue you leaue to fight another time in another place if so you thought good Al these my offers you refused with your own hands fired your temple And now you wicked wretches prouoke me to parly with you What thing can you now preserue so excellent as that which is already perished what pardon can you expect seeing your temple is destroied nay euen now yo◅ stand armed not so much as counterfeiting submission in the last cast O wretches with what hope Is not your people dead is not your temple destroied your citie now in my hands yea your liues also But do you thinke death the renowne of fortitude I will not striue with your obstinacie yet if you will cast downe your weapons and yeeld your bodies I will spare your liues And like as in priuate house I wil shew my selfe vnto you a gentle maister and after I haue punished that which otherwise is incurable I will reserue the rest for my selfe To this they answered that they could not receiue pardon at his hands hauing vowed the contrarie wherfore they requested licence to depart with their wiues and children by the camp which he had enuironed with a wall and so to go into the wildernesse and leaue the Citie vnto the Romans Titus was hereat greatly enraged that they being in a manner captiues should impose vpon him conditions as though they were victors and commaunded a crier to tell them that hence foorth they should not flie vnto him nor hope that he would pardon them for hee would spare nothing willing thē with all their forces to fight and saue themselues as they could for he would now in all things vse the law of armes and so he permitted the soldiers to sack the Citie and set it on fire And that day they did nothing but the next day following they fired the councell-house the pallace Acra and Ophla and the fire came vnto Queene Helens pallace which was scituate in the midst of Acra also the houses and streets of the Citie full of dead bodies were set on fire The same day the sons and brethren of king Izates and with them many nobles of the people assembled togither befought Caesar to pardon them and he though incensed against them all yet not changing his manner receiued them to mercie and put them all in prison and afterward carried them bound to Rome for hostages that were the kings sonnes and kinsmen CHAP. XIIII Of the pray of the seditious and how the inner part of the Citie was fired THe seditious went vnto the kings pallace where many had left all their wealth because it was a strong place and driuing the Romans from thence they slew all the people there assembled amounting to the number of eight thousand and foure hundreth and carried away all the money and they tooke there two Roman souldiers aliue one a horseman and another a footman and they slew the footman and drew him all along the Citie as it were in the body of that one reuenging themselues vpon all the Romans But the horseman affirmed that he had something to say vnto them which would greatly profit them and saue their liues who was carried vnto Simon and not hauing there any thing to say Simon deliuered him to one of his captaines called Ardala to be slaine and he brought him where the Romans might behold him with his hands bound behinde him and a veile before his eies meaning there to behead him but he whilest the Iew drew out his sword fled vnto the Romans And Titus would not put him to death because he had escaped from the enemies yet deeming him vnworthy to be a Roman souldier who suffred himselfe to be taken aliue he tooke from him his armes and discharged him from bearing them any more which to a wiseman was worse then death The next day the Romans putting the seditious to flight that were in the lower Citie they fired all vnto Siloa reioycing that the towne was destroied yet they got no booties because the seditious had already robbed and spoiled all and carried it into the higher Citie For they nothing repented them of their wickednesse but were as arrogant as though they had been in prosperitie so that they with ioy beheld the Citie on fire affirming that they desired death for that the people being slaine the temple destroied and the Citie on fire they should leaue nothing vnto their enemies Yet Ioseph in that extremitie laboured to saue the reliques of the Citie much inueighing against their crueltie earnestly exhorting them to saue thēselues yet he nothing profited in al this but was derided for his labour for neither would they yeeld vnto the Romans for
earth nor vsed any handy craft but ceasing from all labours and paines taking liued in their Citie far and faire-liking hauing both their meate and all other necessaries prouided and prepared for them by others and esteemed that onely their felicitie to doe or endure any thing so that they might preuaile against those against whom they enterprised warres and that they failed also herein I omit to rehearse For not onely one or two of them at once but oftentimes whole companies of them forgetting their owne lawes yeelded themselues to their enemies And can anie one tell of I say not so many but of one or two of vs that euer was treacherous to his own lawes or that feared to die for them I meane not a common death such as souldiers are subiect vnto but such a death as is effected by all torments and tortures that can be deuised Which I think those that preuailed against vs imposed vpon vs not for hatred but that they desired to see so admirable a matter and to see if we being but men and such who esteemed it the greatest impietie possible to doe it could be compelled by them to speake or doe any thing contrarie to our lawes Yet it is no wonder that we for our law doe die with such constancie rather then any other nation for other nations cannot abide to endure that which we account a triflle to wit labour and simple fare and that no man eate whatsoeuer or what he desireth or lie with them whom he ought not or be idle except he be of noble birth or go gallantly attired and we are alwaies carefull that when we fight against our enemy we obserue our lawes concerning our meats And thus we take pleasure to obserue and keepe our lawes and to exercise fortitude in obeying them Let now Lysimachus or Molonus passe and such as they be wicked lying writers and Sophisters deceiuers of young men and detracters of our owne nation as though we were the wickedest people liuing As for me I will not examine the lawes of other nations for it is our custome to keepe and obserue our owne not to detract others yea and our law-maker openly prohibited vs from blaspheming such as other nations hold for gods onely for the name of God attributed vnto them yet may we not leaue the obiections of our accusers vnanswered seeing that which wee are to speake against them is not our owne deuice but many before vs haue spoken it Who then of all the wise Greekes will not condemne the most famous Poets and especially the law-makers who at first brought and setled such vaine opinions of the gods amongst the cōmon people affirming the number of them to be so many as they thought good and to be borne at diuers times one of another allotting to euerie one his proper place as vnto other liuing creatures some to be vnder the earth others in the sea and the ancientest amongst them in Hell fettered and bound and those whom they place in heauen in words they do terme him a father but in deeds they shew him to be a tyrant and for this cause they report that his wife his brother and his daughter whom they affirme to haue been borne of his braine conspired against him to binde him and hang him as they report him also to haue dealt by his father Against these vanities all excellent and wise men doe worthily inueigh who beside this already rehearsed too in derision adde how some of the gods are young and some olde and some infants others are gods of artes and sciences and one is a Smith another a Weauer another a Pilgrime and is at variance with mortall men others delight in musicke others in shooting moreouer that they are at variance one with another amongst themselues and that they fall our one with another in mens behalfe and that not onely one of them laieth violent hands vpon the other but that also they are wounded by mortall men and sorrow feele griefe for the wounds and that which is most abominable of all do vse carnall copulation with mankind and that most vndecently that their vnbridled lust is extended both to men and women Then that their chiefe God of all whom they call father contemned and drowned certaine women whom he himselfe had deceiued and gotten with childe and that he could not deliuer the children borne of these women from calamitie for that destinie had obliged him not see their deaths without teares This is all good stuffe as also is that which followeth to wit adulteries committed in heauen so openly and impudently amongst the gods that some professe themselues to enuie their fellow gods and goddesses tied togither in such filthinesse And what should the rest of them doe when as their king and the most auncientest amongst them could not refraine his lustfull licentiosnesse from the company of women Moreouer some of them became seruants vnto men and some built houses for money and others became shepheards others like malefactors were chained in hell What man then that euer was accounted wise would not blush at these follies and reprooue the inuentors thereof and the foolish beleeuers also Others presumed to feigne both terror and feare and madnes and such simplicitie as that they might be deceiued and all other naughty passions to be found in the nature of their gods haue perswaded whole cities to offer sacrifices to the most noble amongst them And they are in great perplexitie thinking that some of the gods are the giuers of all good things others again to be their enemies and so seeke to please them with gifts as they would doe wicked men and they are verily perswaded that they shall sustaine great domage by their meanes except they doe daily pacifie their wrath by frequent gifts What is the cause of this shamefull ignorance and erronious iniquitie concerning God Truely I am perswaded for that their first law-makers were themselues herein to seeke and ignorant of the nature of God and that they did not faithfully deliuer vnto their common wealth so much as themselues knew concerning this point but as thought it had bin a thing of least moment did wilfully let it passe giuing licence to Poets and permitting them to deifie and make gods whom they pleased and that the Orators should write of the common wealths affaires and tell what them liked of strange gods Moreouer the painters and image-makers amongst the Greeks had a great hand in making of gods it being lawfull for them euerie one to frame what shape he list and how he list some of earth others in colours and the chiefest godmakers amongst them vse iuorie and gold to make their gods of a true argument of their mutable noueltie And then the auncient gods whom they first so honoured and reuerenced as they could possibly deuise being now withered with age are out of credit and other youngsters possesse their places and honours their
temples also some are desolate others newly erected as men pleased Whereas contrariwise they ought most constantly to keepe their opinion of God and his religion Appolonius Molon was one of these prowd fooles but those Grecians that followed true Philosophie knew all that is already said and the colde reasons of this allegorie and therefore did iustly despise them and agreed with vs in the true and decent opinion of gods nature Which Plato well seeing affirmeth that Poets are not to be permitted in a common wealth and sendeth Homer away verie honourably crowned and annointed least that he with fables should destroy or depraue the true opinion of God For Plato of all others especially imitated our law-maker as he did herein also commanding all his Citizens that all of them should perfectly learne his lawes and that for no casualtie any strange forraine custome should be admitted into their Citie but that their common wealth should be pure and they persist in the obseruation of their lawes But Appolonius Molon not respecting this inueigheth against vs for not receiuing into our societie men of strange opinions or religion whereas not onely we doe so but commonly all Greekes yea and the most prudent amongst them The Lacedemonians did expell all strangers and did not permit their Citizens to trauell into other countries fearing that by both these waies their lawes might be corrupted They therefore are to be spoken against rather then we seeing they neither admit strangers to conuerse with them nor to inhabite amongst them no nor impart their religion vnto them but we though not desirous to learne other nations religigion yet doe we not denie to impart ours to strangers that desire to embrace it which if I be not deceiued is a token of magnanimitie and clemencle in vs but this shall suffice concerning the Lacedemonians Apollonius was ignorant how matters stood with the Athenians who boast that their citie is free for all nations for they did most seuerely and without all mercy punish those that did but speak any word against their God For what was the cause of Socrates his death he neither betraied the city to enemies nor destroyed their temples but onely swore by a strange oath which as he said whether in iest or in earnest a diuell taught him and for this offence was he put to death by drinking hemlocke his accusers alledging that he corrupted young men and contemned the lawes and religion of his countrey And this Socrates sustained being a citizen of Athens Anaxagoras was of Clazomenia and for that he affirmed the sunne which the Athenians worshipped for God to be a fierie stone he was by the sentence of some few condemned to die They also proclaimed that whosoeuer would kill Diagoras of Melus should be rewarded with a talent for his labour onely for that this Diagoras was said to deride their misteries Protagoras also had beene by them taken and put to death had he not made quicke escape onely for that they supposed him to haue written certaine doubts of the Athenian Gods And what wonder is it that they so vsed these famous men who spared not to vse the like crueltie vpon women For they killed a priest for that some accused her to worship straunge Gods and their law appointed that who so did introduce straunge Gods into their citie should be punished with death It is therefore euident that they who enacted such streight lawes did not beleeue the Gods of other nations to be Gods for had they beleeued in them they would not haue depriued themselues of the benefit of many Gods The verie Scithians who delight in manslaughter so that they verie little differ from bruit beasts yet do they thinke themselues bound to maintaine their owne lawes as best so that they slew Anacharsis a famous Greeke that came vnto them onely for that he seemed to attribute too much vnto the Grecian Gods yea thou maist find many amongst the Persians who for this cause haue beene tortured And it is euident that Appolonius approued the Persian lawes for when the Greeks admited their fortitude and concord of opinions concerning God I meane the fortitude they shewed in the burning of their temples this Appolonius in all things imitated the Persians violating other mens wiues and putting out their childrens eies Whereas our lawes adiudge him to death that so vseth vnreasonable beasts And neither the feare and terrour of potentates nor the fauour of them whom all men reuerence could euer cause vs to forsake or abandon these lawes neither do we exercise fortitude to the end to depriue other men of their goods and fortunes by warre but to keepe our owne lawes and we who patiently put vp all other iniurie yet if any man do in our religion prouoke vs we presently seeke reuenge not respecting our owne abilitie yea though thereby we worke our owne vtter ruine and calamitie What therfore should moue vs to imitate the lawes of other nations when they that made those lawes yea euen the lawmakers themselues did transgresse them Or how can the Lacedemonians auoid reproch for their inhospitalitie neglecting mariage Or the Elians and Thebans for accompaning with men contrarie to the law of nature which fact most shamefull they deemed good necessary Yea not content to do so themselues they also ascribed the like vnto their gods to be done by them which the Greeks also now of late haue done for this cause they refused to marry with their own women iudging their satisfaction to be contrarie to the prescript of nature But I wil speak no more of punishment neither how great malefactors those first lawmakers freed from punishment being bribed with mony how vniust they were in the lawes appertaining to wedlock It is long to examine how great occasions of impietie they gaue For many haue alreadie long ago forsaken their lawes which cannot be said of vs who for our lawes haue suffered losse of our cities fortunes and liues we keeping and persisting in our lawes euen vnto death if any Iew be in a straunge countrey where there is a tyrant king yet doth not he so feare him that he would for his commaund any iot transgresse our lawes if therefore we do valorously endure thus much for our lawes all men must needs grant our lawes to be verie good but if they say we suffer all these calamities for to maintaine wicked or naughtie lawes what punishment are they not worthie of who hauing as they say better lawes then we do so easily forsake them whereas we do maintaine ours euen with our owne liues But seeing antiquitie of lawesis the greatest argument to prone their goodnes I will set downe of what antiquitie our lawes are together with our law-makers opinion of the Dietie if therefore any one compare our lawes with the lawes of all nations he shall find that ours are of more antiquitie then theirs
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
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
presence d. accused by Eutichus 474 h m. 475. a. b. imprisoned ibid. hateth Tiberius 618. h. getteth Caius friendship ibid. his happy fortune foretold 476. g. h. certified of Tiberius death 498. g. departeth to his kingdome ibid. l. his request of Caius 482. i. his speech to the Senate 504. h. 619. f 620. g. hangeth vp his golden chaine 507. d. his acts 509. a b c c. 510. 511. c. saluted for a God 510. in his death 511. c. 610 k. his children ibid. d. Agrippas request to the Empresse 5 ac m. obtaineth Philips tetrarchie 52â—… a. getteth a portion of Galilee 522. g. deposeth Ioseph 524. i inlargeth the citie of Caesarea 525. a. his kindnes to the Berytians c. f 525. b. c. his Epistles to Ioseph 550 m. Agrippa excuseth Caesar c 628. h. his oration 627. c. 628. 629. 630. driuen out of the citie 631. b. And that came to the Romans 6 7 c f. Aid of the Idumaeans 677. a b c. Ainan or Aitaken and burnt 103. e. f. Ainites discomfit three thousand Israelites and slew 36. 103. a. after put to flight and slaine by Iosuah ibid. c. Aire temperate 688 i. Albirius gouernour of Iudaea 524 i. full of wickednes 623. d. pacifieth the countrey 524. l. executeth malefactors 525. c. Alcimus high Priest 313. accuseth Iudas and his brethren ibid. c. his popularitie 314. g h. killeth of all Iudas faction ibid. h. dieth sodainly 315. d. Alexander Polyhistor 19. c. Alexander King of Macedonia 284. i. ouerthroweth Darius armie ibid. subdueth Darius 285. a. marcheth toward Ierusalem ibid. e f. honourably receiued by the high Priest and the rest 2â—…5 f. 286. g. his sacrifice in the temple ibid. h. i. adoreth the high Priest 286. g. his death and successors 287 e f. Alexander warreth against Demetrius 320. g. laboureth to win Ionathan ibid. l m. slaieth Demetrius 321. f. marieth Ptolomies daughter 323. d. sendeth presents to Ionathan 325 a. discomfited and slaine 326 g. Alexander Zebina obtaineth the kingdome 337. b. slaine ibi b. Alexander king of the Iewes 341. a. 563. a. besiegeth Ptolemais ibid. c. his ouerthrow 342. k. besiegeth Gaza 343. c. sedition raised against him 563. c. 344 h. ouercome ibid l. 563. f. citions cast at him 341. h. crucifieth 800. Iewes 345. a. 564. b. his sicknes and aduise to his wife 346. i k l. 564. l. his death and funerall 347. a b. Alexander sonne of Aristobulus 356. i. ouercome ibid. l. 668. l. beheaded 359. b. Alexander Herodes sonne 413. b. marrieth Glaphyra ibidem his defence 418. k. 419. a b c c. reconciled to his father 419. e. 427. f. bribeth the Eunuches 593. b. imprisoned 427 a. 593. b. accused of treason ibid. 431. g h c. writeth bookes 593. c. condemned 434. h. 596. m. strangled 435. c. 597. d. false Alexander c. 460 g. 613. d. condemned to tug at an oare 460. g. 614. f. g. Alexander exerciseth crueltie 261. d. Alexandra gouerneth the kingdome 347. f. imprisoneth Aristobulus wife and children 564. l. committeth charge to the Iewes 348. g. her embassage to Tigranes 348. h. her death ibid. 565. d. Alexandra solliciteth Antonius and why 384. h. excuseth her selfe ibid. suspected by Herode c. 385. b. pretending to flie is betraied ibid. c. certifieth Cleopatra of Herodes trechery 387. b. striueth to acquit her selfe 398 m 399. a. seeketh to get Herods castles 399 c. put to death 400. g. Alexas marrieth Salome 437. c. dismisseth the Nobles 450. m. Alliance of Abraham with his wife 16. l. of lacob with Laban 23. c. 25. f. of Saul and Ionathan with Dauid 145. b of Iuda with the Israelites 241. d. Allowance of Micheas 221. f. Allusion of Ionathan 147. f. Alacritie of the Romans 702. m. Alleageance renounced 748. l. Altar of incense 63. b. Altars of Idolators to be destroyed 90. h. one Altar to be erected c. and why 90. l. Altar builded by Iosuah 102. g. Altar erected by the two tribes and halfe 107. c. why 108. i. Altar of gold and of brasse where placed 198. g. h. Altar in Bethel 207. claue in twaine ibid f. Altar erected by Dauid 185. b. Amalechites warre against the Israelites 56. gh ouercome by the Israelites 57. b c spoiled and their vtter ruine foretold ibid d 98. g. ouercome the Israelites 115. f. are destroyed 139. b c. d. burne Siceleg 157. a. Aman honoured by all but the Iewes 278. h i. his petition for the Iewes ruine ibid. k. his hatred against Mardoche 282. k. his trecherie discouered 281. e f. iudged to the gallowes ibid f. his goods bestowed on Mardoche 282. g. Amarames Moses father see Amram Amasias king of Iuda 236. h. reuengeth his fathers death 237. c. ouercommeth the Amalechites ibid. c d. reproued and why 237. d e. commaundeth Ioas to yeelde him homage ibi f. his armie flies and he taken prisoner 283. g. is slaine ibid. h. Amaza slaine 181. c. Amazement of the seditious 743. a b. Ambition 162. h. of Adonias 185. i. of Iohn 685 a. of Eleazar 697. c. f. An Ambush laid for the Ainites 103. e. Abushes of Saul for Dauid 144. g h c. 145. d e f. 146. g. h. of Adad for Ioram 227. a. Ammon Lots sonne 16. h. Amnon deflowreth Thamar 172. i k. Ammonites oppresse the Israelites 119. b c. and are ouercome ibid. f. iniute Dauids Embassadours 168. k. reuenge wrought on them 169. b c d. warre against Iosaphat 223. e. kill one another 224. h. Amorites ouercome 82. l. their countrey possessed by the Hebrewes 83. b. Amos a wicked King 248. i. is slaine ibid. Amphitheater built by Herode 401. c. 406. h. Amram Moses father 41. m. praieth to God 42. g. casteth Moses into the riuer 42. k l. and why ibid. Amri King of Israel 214. g. slew Thaman ibid. his impictie and death ibid. Ananias death 633. a. Ananus high Priest 524 i. had fiue sons his successors ibid. Ananias high Priest 524. l. Ananias high priest slaine 722. i. Ananus stoneth Iames 524. k. Ananus gouernor of Ierusalem 639. d. his iruectiue against the Zealous 674. h. disposeth this soldiers c. 675 c d. slain 680. l. Ananus a cruel souldier 722. k. Achimelech entertaineth Dauid 148. g h. deliuereth him Goliahs sword ibid. h. accused to Saul 149. a. and slaine ibid. c. Ancestors conceale not honest things 〈◊〉 h. Angels guarded Elizeus 227. c. Angels i. sonnes of God c. 6. k. Angell resisteth Balaam 84. g. Angels promise Abraham a sonne 13. d. e. enter Lots house ibid. f. foretell the destruction of Sodome 15. e. Angell appeared to Agar 14. m. 17. b c d. to Iacob 22. k. l. 26. g h i k. to Manoach his wife 120. m. foretelleth hir Sampsons birth ibid. m. worketh a miracle 121. c. 227. c. Angersee wrath Anilaeus receiueth charge from Artabanus 485. c d. killeth a noble man 486. h. reproued and accused ibid. h i. taketh Mithridates prisoner 487. a Anna
Antiochus grew mighty and strong and feared to be punished by him for his executions done against the Arabians he slew himselfe with his own hands and Antiochus enioied all his goods CHAP. VI. A mutinie of the rich Iewes the one against the other ONias the high Priest being dead about this time Antiochus gaue the priesthood to Iesus his brother For that sonne vnto whom Onias had left the succession was as yet verie yoong of whom we will speake in conuenient time and place This Iesus Onias brother was depriued of the priesthood thorow the kings displeasure conceiued against him who gaue it shortly after to his yonger brother called Onias For Simon had three sonnes who as we haue declared successiuely possessed the priesthood this Iesus caused himselfe to be called Iason as his other brother caused himselfe to be called Menelaus whereas his name was Onias But Iesus who had first of all been established in the place of the high priest arose against Menelaus who was elected in the place after him The people therefore were deuided into factions and Tobias sonnes were on Menelaus side but the greater number of people followed Iason so that Menelaus and the sonnes of Tobias being grieuously vexed by them retired themselues to Antiochus giuing him to vnderstand that it was their intent to forsake the religion and ordinances of their fathers and to follow that of the kings and to liue after the manner of the Greeks exhorting him to giue them licence to erect a place of Exercises in Ierusalem Which when Antiochus had granted them they so demeaned themselues that there appeared no more signe of Circumcision in them so that at such time as they were naked there was no difference betweene them and the Greekes and neglecting all the ordinances and customes of their countrey they conformed themselues to the behauiour and manners of other nations Antiochus hauing all things in his kingdome according to his hearts desire resolued to make warre in Aegypt desiring to be possessed of the same both for that he contemned Ptolomeies sonnes age who were as yet weake as also for that they were not as yet capeable to manage their so mighty estates Arriuing therfore neer to Pelusium with a great power he circumuented by a subtil pollicie the yong Ptolomey Philometor and subdued Aegypt for after he had besieged Memphis and taken the same he came to Alexandria with an intent to besiege the Citie and to lay hold of the king who was therein But he was driuen not onely from Alexandria but also out of all Aegypt by the sommons that was sent him in the name of the Romans who commaunded him to depart and dislodge his army out of that countrey as we haue heretofore declared in an other place Now will I more largely and particularly discourse the actes and gests of this king who ouercame Iudaea and spoiled the temple For hauing onely made a briefe mention of him in my former workes I thinke it necessarie in this place to make a more exact recitall of his Historie CHAP. VII Antiochus leadeth out his army against Ierusalem taketh the Citie and spoileth the Temple AFter that King Antiochus was returned out of Aegypt and for the feare of the Romans had forsaken that countrey he led his army against Ierusalem and encamped before the Citie and surprised it by surrender in that the gates of the Citie were set open vnto him by those of his faction all which hapned in the hundreth fortie and third yeere of the raigne begun by Seleucus Now when he faw himselfe Lord and master of Ierusalem he slew diuers of the contrarie faction and after he had gathered togither many great and rich spoiles he returned backe to Antioch This misfortune hapned some two yeeres after the surprisall of the Citie in the hundreth fortie and fiue yeere of the raigne of that family on the fiue twentith day of that moneth which we call Chasleu and the Macedons Apellaeus the Romans December in the hundreth fiftie three Olympiade at which time he neither spared them who gaue him peaceable entrance and opened him the gates and effected him the means to spoile the inestimable riches of the temple with greater freedome but being no lesse tyrannous to the friend then to the offender he spared neither For hauing seene what quantity of gold was in the temple and how huge a number of presents and precious ornaments were in the same he was so ouercome with couetousnesse that he brake and violated all conuentions and conditions After therefore he had spoiled the temple and carried away the vessels dedicated vnto God the golden candlesticke the golden altar the table of shew bread the censors and pulled downe the curtaines made of fine linnen and scarlet after he had emptied the treasures that were hidden and left nothing behind him of any valew he drowned all the Iewes in grieuous lamentations For he inhibited and forbad them to offer their vsuall and daily sacrifice vnto God according to the prescript order of the law and after he had spoiled the whole Citie he slew a part of the inhabitants and carried away the rest of them into captiuitie with their wiues and children to the number of ten thousand Furthermore he burned the fairest buildings of the Citie and rased the walles and raised a fortresse in the lower Citie For the temple was as it were a high cittadel commaunding the rest For this cause hauing inclosed it â—…ith high walles and towers he planted a garrison of Macedonians therein with whom remained the rabble and skumme of the wicked Apostate Iewes who were giuen ouer to all impieties and who also afflicted their fellow Citizens with many and mischieuous iniuries The King also commaunded that an Altar should be erected in the temple on which he caused swine to be slaughtered offering sacrifice contrary to the religion and ordinance of the Iewes He constrained them likewise to forsake their deuotion towards God and to adore those Idols whom he reuerenced for Gods building in euery Citie and Burrough both Temples Altars on which he ordinarily caused swine to be offered He forbadde them likewise to circumcise their children threatning to punish him whosoeuer he were that was found to do the contrary Moreouer he chose certaine ouersecrs that should constraine them to fulfill his commandement so that a great number of Iewes some of their owne accord othersome for feare of the threatned punishment endeuoured themselues to satisfie the kings decree But those men who were of vpright hearts and valiant minds little respected these menaces For hauing more respect to their lawes and customes then to the torments wherewith they were menaced if they performed not the edict they were beaten and exposed to most cruell punishment for many daies amidst the which they yeelded vp the ghost For after they were whipt and maimed in their bodies they were crucified and tortured aliue they strangled the women also
with their circumcised children whom according to the Kings commaund they hung about the neckes of their parents who were crucified And if in any place they found any sacred scripture they defaced burnt it and they with whom it was found were put to a most cruell death The Samaritanes seeing this affliction of the Iewes claimed them no more for their kinsmen and called their temple of Garizim no more the temple of God but as we haue heretofore declared they shewed their own corrupt and vnconstant natures and chalenged their descent from the Medes and Persians as in effect they were for which cause they sent embassadours to Antiochus with letters to this effect To King Antiochus the mightie God the suggestion of the Sidonians that dwell in Sichem Our ancestors enforced by the continuall pestilence that raunged in their countrey and induced by a certaine auncient superstition haue beene accustomed to obserue that day as festiuall which the Iewes call their Sabbath and hauing builded on the mount of Garizim a temple and dedicated it vnto a god who hath no name haue offered vp in the same diuers and solemne sacrifices But since that you haue inflicted punishment on the Iewes according as their wickednes deserueth the commissaries of the King supposing that we were tied to their customes by reason of some alliance betweene vs couple vs with them and charge vs with the same accusations whereas we are borne Sidonians as it appeareth by the rowles of our commonweale We therefore beseech you who are our benefactor and Sauiour to commaund your gouernour Apollonius and your steward Nicanor not to molest vs any more by charging vs with those accusations which appertaine vnto the Iewes who neither are tied vnto vs by alliance neither accord with vs in maners but that our temple which hath not hitherto born the name or title of any God may now be called the temple of Iupiter of Greece by which meanes we shall be deliuered from all trouble and being at libertie to intend our affaires we may the easier and more willingly pay you greater tributes To this request of the Samaritanes the King answered sending them backe their owne letter King Antiochus to Nicanor Health The Sidonians of Sichem haue sent vs this suggestion which wee annexe vnto these our letters Since therefore they who were sent vnto vs to this intent haue sufficiently approoued both to vs and our counsel of friends that they are vtterly strangers vnto those crimes wherewith the Iewes are charged and are desirous to liue according to the lawes of the Graecians we absolue them in as much as concerneth this cause and their temple which hereafter shall be called by the name of Iupiter of Greece we haue written to the like effect also to Apollonius our Magistrate Giuen the fortie and sixe yeere and the eleuenth of the Moneth Hecatombaeon which signifieth August CHAP. VIII Antiochus forbiddeth the Iewes to vse their lawes onely Matthias the sonne of Asmonaeas contradicteth him and obtaineth the victory against Antiochus captaines AT that same time there dwelt a certaine man in Modin a village of Iury whose name was Matthias who was the sonne of Iohn and who was the sonne of Simon the sonne of Asmonaeus a Priest of the ranke of Ioarib borne in Ierusalem This Matthias had fiue sons Iohn called Gaddis Simon called Matthes Iudas called Machabaeus Eleazar named Auran and Ionathas called Apphus This Matthias oftentimes complained vnto his sonnes as touching the miserable estate of their commonweale the sacke of their Citie the sacriledge of the temple and the miseries of the people telling them that it were better for them to die for the law then to liue in ignominie When as therefore the commissaries deputed by the King came vnto the Borough of Modim to constraine the Iewes to performe that which was enioyned them and to commaund them to sacrifice according to the ordinance requiring Matthias who surpassed the rest in honour and other qualities but in especiall in excellency of descent and nobilitie to begin first of all to offer sacrifice to the end that the rest might follow him and be induced by his example promising him that in so doing the King would honour him greatly Matthias answered thereunto that he would in no sort commit that idolatrie assuring them that notwithstanding al other nations of the world either in respect of loue or for feare of iustice should obey the edicts of Antiochus yet that neither he nor any of his children could or would be induced to forsake their fathers religion Now as soone as he had returned this answere and held his peace a certaine Iew stepped forth to offer sacrifice according to Antiochus ordinance wherewith Matthias was in such sort displeased that both he and his sonnes fell vpon him and with their swords hewed him to peeces He slew Apelles the kings captaine likewise with certaine other soldiers who would haue withstood him And not content herewith he ouerthrew the Altar crying out with a loud voice If said he any one be affectioned to the lawes of his fathers and the seruice of God let him follow me and this said he sodainly retired himselfe into the desart with his sons leauing the borough vtterly dispossessed The rest doing the like retired themselues into the desart with their wiues and children and made their habitation in certaine caues The Kings captains hauing intelligence hereof gathered those forces that were at that time in the Cittadel of Ierusalem and pursued the Iewes into the desart And hauing ouertaken them they laboured first of all to make them submit themselues and to make choice of that which stood with their profit rather then to indaunger themselues and inforce them to chastice their disobedience with bloud in warre But the Iewes respected them not a whit but contradicted them in their demands who had alreadie concluded and resolued among themselues rather to die then commit such an impietie For which cause they who omitted no oportunitie assailed the Iewes on a Sabbath day and burned them within their caues who neither resisted their enemies nor so much as closed vp the mouths of their caues And therefore abstained they from all defence by reason of the day resoluing with themselues in no sort to violate the Sabbath day for we are commaunded to cease from all labour on that day There were therefore about some thousand stifled in their caues accounting both men women and children Yet notwithstanding diuers escaped who ioyned themselues with Matthias whom they appointed likewise for their captaine who declared vnto them that they ought to fight on the Sabbath daie assuring them that if they did it not but scrupulously obserued the law they themselues should be enemies vnto themselues if perhaps the enemy should assaile them that day and should not stand vpon their garde for by that meanes they should be destroyed without resist By these words he perswaded them to doe as he
enuironed it round about with vallies so deepe that the bottome thereof cannot bee descried neither could one passe ouer them nor fill them vp for that which is on the West part is threescore stounds large and endeth at the lake Asphaltites and on this side Macherus hath a verie high prospect and it is inuironed on the North and South with vallies of the like measure that the former is whereby it is impossible to winne the Castle but that vallie which is on the East side is at least a hundred cubits deepe and it endeth vpon a mountaine neer vnto Machaerus King Alexander seeing the nature of the place did there build a Castle which afterward Gabinius in the warre against Aristobulus destroyed But Herode when he was King iudged this place worthie to be fortified as a principall defence against the neighboring Arabians For it was aptly situate vpon a mountaine where one might behold their borders wherefore making a large wall he builded a Citie there in the place that men doe enter vnto the Castle he also compassed the verie top thereof with another wall and in the corners he placed towers that were threescore cubites high and in the verie middest of all he built a pallace for largenesse and beautie admirable and made many Cesterns to receiue water in conuenient places which serued the people aboundantly as it were striuing with nature that the places which he had made inexpugnable he by Art might make places more strong then that was He also laid vp there in store arrowes and engines and made all prouision wherewith the Inhabitants might bee able to hold out a great siege In the Kings pallace there grew the herb called Rue which was verie admirable for the greatnesse for there was no figge tree taller or broader then it and it was reported that it had continued euer since Herods time and had endured longer had not the Iewes Inhabitants of the place cut it downe In the vallie that lieth on the North side of the Citie there is a place called Baaras where also groweth a roote of the same name the colour whereof resembleth the flame and it shineth at night like the Sunne beames and is not easie to bee pulled vp till that one cast vpon it the vrine of a woman or her flowers which done whosoeuer toucheth it is sure to die except he carrie the roote hanging on his hand It is also gathered another way without daunger after this manner They digge all round about it so that they leaue a verie little of the roote couered with earth and then they tie a dog vnto it which striuing to follow his master who maketh as though he would goe away he easily pulleth vp the roote and the dogge presently dieth as it were in his stead that seeketh to get it so that afterward none that handleth it or taketh it neede to stand in any feare therof This herb notwithstanding al this danger is diligently sought out for the vertue it hath Fo◅ it driueth away diuels which are the spirits of wicked men out of mens bodies if it be but applied vnto them whereas otherwise if they had no helpe these diuels possessing their bodies would kill them Out of that place also doe spring certaine hot waters verie different in taste one from another for some are bitter some sweete there are also sources of could waters one neere vnto another in a plaine but which is most admirable there is a caue hard by not very deepe enuironed with an eminent rocke aboue from the which their cōmeth as it were two dugges or paps hard by one another and out of the one of them their floweth verie cold water out of the other verie hot which mingled together make a pleasant bath and serue to cure many diseases and especially helpeth all paines of the sinnewes In the same place also are mines of Sulphure and Alume Bassus hauing viewed this place on euerie side resolued to besiege it and endeuoured to fill vp the valley that was on the East side and so make away vnto it which he began to doe hastening to raise a verie high mount and so make it easie to be taken Those that were inhabitants constrained Iewes that were strangers to go into the lower citie iudging them an vnprofitable multitude and so caused them to endure the first brunt of the enemies and they themselues kept the Castle both for that it was strong and also to preserue themselues hoping that by yeelding the place vnto the Romans they might obtaine pardon of them yet first they purposed to make triall if they could auoide the siege and therefore verie couragiously euerie day they made excursions and fought with them they found and many were slaine on both parts Fortune and opportunitie sometime caused one to be victors sometime another for the Iewes got the best when they could assault the Romans at vnawares and the Romans ouercame when they were aware of the Iewes comming and armed themselues But the siege was not ended by these skirmishes yet a chance befell that forced the Iewes to yeelde their Castle Amongst them that were besieged was one Eleazar a young man and verie hardy and bold in any enterprise who oftentimes made excursions and sought to hinder the Romans worke who alwaies in euerie fight did greatly endomage the Romanes and by his valour and aduenturous courage he gaue them that were his fellowes opportunitie to assault the Romans and to flie againe and retire in safetie himselfe being alwaies the last that so retired It happened one day that the fight being ended and both parts parted he as it were contemning all men and thinking that none of his enemies durst vndertake to combate with him staied without the gate speaking to them that were vpon the wall giuing great attention vnto them Then one Rufus an Aegyptian one of the Roman army espying this opportunitie ranne vpon him so suddenly that he at vnawares tooke him all armed as he was and they vpon the wals stood amazed whilest Rufus led him vnto the Romans campe Then the General of the Romans caused him to be led into a place where they in the citie might see him there to haue all his cloathes taken off him and whipped and the misfortune of this young man did greatly discourage the Iewes and all the citie was resolued into teares for the calamitie of that one man Bassus seeing this he deuised this councell against them for he sought to mooue them so to compassion that for to saue him they should yeeld their castle which fell out as he desired For he presently commanded a crosse to be erected as though he would presently haue crucified Eleazar which sight greatly mooued them in the Castle to sorrow so that now with lowd cries they lamented saying that this calamitie was insupportable Then Eleazar besought them not to despise him who was now to die a most miserable death and
moreouer to prouide for their owne safetie in yeelding the castle vnto the Romans vertue and fortunate successe Then they mooued with his words and many also within the Citie intreating for him for he came of a great parentage and had many kinsfolks though contrarie to their natures compassion tooke place in them and so sending some of their companie speedily they desired to parley affirming that they would yeeld their castle vpon condition that they might safely depart away and Eleazar might be likewise restored vnto them Which offer of theirs the Romans accepted and the Iewes in the lower part of the Citie hauing intelligence of this couenant resolued themselues to flie away in the night but so soone as they had opened their gates those that had agreed with Bassus gaue him intelligence thereof either enuying that their countrimen should escape or els fearing that Bassus would punish them for their flight yet for all this the most valiant of them that sled escaped who were gone before the rest and the rest were slaine to the number of a thousand and seuen hundreth men for the women and children were made bondslaues And Bassus thinking it meete to keepe his promise vnto them of the castle permitted them safely to depart and restored Eleazar vnto them CHAP. XXVI Of the Iewes that Bassus slew and how he sold Iudaea THis done he prepared to carrie his army into the pasture called Iardes for he had notice that many Iewes were there assembled togither who had escaped from Ierusalem and Machaera during the siege So comming vnto the place and finding it to be as it was reported vnto him he first of all enuironed it with horsemen that if any one of the Iewes sought to escape the horsemen might withstand them and he commanded the footmen to cut downe the wood into the which they fled to hide themselues And so through necessitie they were constrained to fight hoping by a couragious fight to find opportunitie to flie wherefore they altogither with a crie violently assaulted them by whom they were inuironed and they did valiantly withstand them and by their valour and the Iewes desperation the fight endured a long time yet the euent of the warre was not like vnto the rest of the fight for onely twelue Romans were slaine and verie few wounded and all the Iewes were slaine in that fight being in number three thousand and their captaine Iudas the sonne of Iairus of whom we haue already made mention who during the siege of Ierusalem was commaunder of a companie there hid himselfe in a certaine caue and secretly escaped from thence At that time Caesar writ vnto Liberius Maximus his Gouernour and vnto Bassus to sell Iudaea for he did not build in all the countrey any Citie but appropriated it vnto himselfe leauing there onely eight hundreth souldiers and giuing them a place to dwell in called Emaus thirtie stounds distant from Ierusalem and he imposed a tribute vpon all Iewes vvheresoeuer they liued commanding euerie one of them euerie yeere to bring two drachmes into the Capitole according as in former times they weere woont to pay vnto the temple of Ierusalem and this was the estate of the Iewes at that time CHAP. XXVII Of the death of King Antiochus and how the Alanes inuaded Armenia IN the fourth yeere of Vespasians raigne it happened that Antiochus king of the Comagenes with all his family fell into great miserie vpon this occasion Cesennius Petus gouernour of Syria either for enuie or for that indeed it was so for it is not wel knowne sent letters vnto Caesar declaring vnto him that Antiochus was determined to reuolte from the Romans togither with his sonne Epiphanes and had made a league with the king of the Parthians and that therefore it was necessarie to preuent them in time least that if they first began to reuolt openly they might trouble all the Roman Empire with warres Caesar did not neglect these newes for that the neerenesse of both the kings countries one to another seemed to require that they should be quickly preuented for Samosata the greatest Citie of Comagena is scituate vpon Euphrates which might both easily receiue the Parthians and be a strong hold for them and also there they might easily passe ouer the riuer Wherfore Vespasian beleeuing it permitted him to doe what he thought expedient and he forthwith Antiochus thinking nothing suddenly entred into Comagene with the sixt legion and certaine other companies of footmen and troupes of horsemen accompanied with Aristobulus king of Chalcidis and Sohemus king of Emesa who came to assist him So they entred the countrey without any fight for none of the inhabitants offered to resist Antiochus daunted with these vnexpected newes did not so much as thinke of any warre against the Romans wherefore he determined to leaue the whole kingdome in that estate that then it was in and with his wife and children depart from thence hoping hereby to cleare himselfe vnto the Romans from that which they suspected of him and going almost a hundreth and thirtie stounds from the Citie into a field there he placed a tabernacle And Petus sent men vnto Samosata to take it and left them to keepe the Citie and he with the rest of the souldiers purposed to go against Antiochus But for all this the king though by necessitie vrged thereunto yet would he not fight against the Romans but bewailing his misfortune enduted patiently all whatsoeuer but his sonnes being Iustie strong young men and skilfull in martiall affaires could not easily abstaine from fight in that their distresse Wherefore Epiphanes and Callinicus his two sonnes had recourse vnto their forces and in a great fight that dured a whole day they shewed their valour and departed receiuing no losse But Antiochus after this fight would not any longer abide in his countrey but taking his wife and daughters he fled into Cilicia and thereby discouraged his souldiers who despairing to keepe the kingdome for him reuolted vnto the Romans But Epiphanes and the rest were forced to seeke to saue themselues before such time as they were left destitute and so accompanied with ten horsmen he passed the riuer Euphrates and thus being out of daunger they came to Vologesus of whom they were receiued not as fugitiues but with great honor and according to their degree as though they yet possessed their auncient dignitie And Petus comming to Tarsus of Cilicia he sent a Centurion to carrie Antiochus bound vnto Rome But Vespasian permitted not a king to be so brought vnto him thinking it meete to consider the olde friendship betweene them then to perseuer in danger and not to be pacified by reason of vvarre Wherefore he commaunded that in the way as he came he should be vnbound and a while to liue at Lacedemon and leaue his iourney towards Rome allowing great store of mony sufficient to maintaine a kingly dignitie Epiphanes and they
the sacrifice and eate of the swines flesh for it is contrarie to all wise mens aduice to credit the Iewes opinions and to refuse that meate which nature hath as well ordained for mankind as any other Wee shew our selues vngratefull for Gods benefits who contemne his graces and make difference where nature hath made none or what reason is there to shew that this beast is more abhominable then others Either all beasts are to be eaten or else all to be eschewed it is superstition and idlenesse to barre our selues from any thing by a law when we haue no other for it but our will Set apart those vaine and sottish opinions and at least in this venerable age chaunge thy opinion into better Or suppose your lawes are forcible and to be obserued yet will they excuse thee seeing thou dost not sinne voluntarily but by compulsion Eleazar being permitted to speake thus replied to Antiochus who both exhorted and forced him to breach of his lawes Wee Antiochus do not follow a vaine report but we obserue the veritie of religion which our fathers kept and feare of torments cannot make vs embrace an other religion and forsake our owne yea suppose our religion deliuered to vs by our forefathers had no firme grounds yet would I in nothing no not compelled by torments forsake it Do not esteeme it a small matter to eate impious meat and to taste of that which is sacrificed to the Idols for it is a prophane thing to touch things that are prophane Our law condemneth your philosophie wherein he is most ignorant that thinketh himselfe most wise We are taught to embrace sobrietie to subdue in vs all inordinate appetite to keepe our bodies chast and to suffer with patience whatsoeuer for Gods sake is inflicted vpon vs and not to denie the truth iustice or pietie or God who alone is true and thefore I refuse this prophane meat well knowing what I ought to eate as warranted therein by the precept of Almightie God whose lawes I haue learned to obey and eschew all meats sacrificed vnto Idols and embrace with all my force that which is expedient for the soule it is open tyranny to compell any one to that which religion forbiddeth and to commaunde that which is contrarie to iustice Doe what thou wilt mocke at thy pleasure yet shalt thou be more derided then thou thy selfe deridest I will persist in the holy steps of my forefathers notwithstanding thou therefore with tyrannous hands plucke out mine eies and with a sharpe knife rip vp my entrailes thou shalt neuer conquer me I will die safe and sound and patient in the loue of God neither flatter thy selfe for that I am aged and that my bodie is now feeble if need be that I must be sacrificed for Gods sake thou shald finde me in these yeeres as lustie as a child as constant as a young man yea most ioyful in torments and prepare an extraordinarie fire for me or what else soeuer thou shalt find me more constant midst torments then now I am before I came to them O sacred religion I will neuer violate thee the foundation of my saluation the defence of the beleeuer the ground of faith neuer will I lift vp my hands contrarie to thy precepts neuer will I beleeue any thing to be iust which is repugnant to that which thou hast taught me I wil not loose the merit of so many yeers nor relinquish the faith I haue hitherto embraced The chast pure deuout company of fathers shall receiue me into their number where I shall not feare O impious king thy threats But thou hast changed the name of king to tyrāt yet thou shalt neuer alleage against me my deed my consent my word Whilst Eleazar full of constancie and libertie spake thus the souldiers that stood there about hailed him to be tortured and stripping him naked they hanged him vp and whipped him and whilst on either side he was beaten a crier with an impious voice still cried vnto him obey the kings pleasure and commaund But worthie Eleazar was not ouercome by torment but suffered all tortures as though he had beene in rest and sleepe and did manfully and without feare endure all torments and fixing his venerable eies vpon heauen he knew in whom he beleeued and to whom he sacrificed his soule and beholding the flesh on each side rent and torne from his bodie and the bloud issuing out in great aboundance he admired his owne patience and thanked God the author thereof At last feeling in himselfe the frailtie of all flesh which is scarcely able to endure so sharpe torments he fell vpon his face which with stripes was all rent and torne still glorifying God as he did before his fall Then one of the souldiers to gratifie the king did like a mad man spurne and tread vpon him thereby to increase his torments more But Eleazar both strong in bodie and mind did like a right champion of the true God neuer shrinke at those paines but this patient olde man did by patience ouercome the crueltie of his tormentors so that euen the torturers thēselnes admired that he endured so many torments Then the kings officers comming vnto him said how long Eleazar wilt thou neglect to obey the king to free thy selfe from torments eate of the flesh of swine redeeme thy selfe from all thou endurest Eleazar although in this martyrdome he had beene silent yet could he not without answering endure to heare so prophane counsaile but as tormented with this speach he cried out We sonnes of the Hebrewes are not so effeminate as to forsake the way of our saluation wherein we haue walked euen vntil our olde age neither are we taught for the auoiding of contumelie which will not long continue to giue others example and occasion to sinne it is but a while that this life is to continue so that we forsake but a smal trifle yet hope we for that which is of great moment Wilt thou tyrant esteeme of vs if we should yeeld vnto thee nay thou mightest iustly reprooue our inconstancie We will therefore die and resigne our soules O venerable father Abraham into thy bosome The souldiers seeing his constancie did by the kings commaund cast him into the fire and powred stincking and loathsome liquors into his nostrils All which this reuerent olde man did most willingly suffer and so was consumed with the flame yet when nature began to faile hee spake after this manner lifting vp his daseled eies to heauen Thou art he O God from whom life and saluation proceedeth behold I die for obseruing thy lawes be mercifull vnto this thy nation and do not forsake them whom thou hast hitherto protected euen in thy bosome and vnder the shadow of the wings of thy clemencie let my death ende all miserie and pacifie thy wrath bent against our whole nation for their offences receiue me for them all and bestow them all vpon me And amidst
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