worthiest of them all For he was not satisfied to redeem and deliver those of Jabeâ—s Saul kills the Ammonite and Naahs their King but he entred the Countrey of the Ammonites also and ravaged the same with his Army and after he had obtained a great booty both he and his Army Victoriously returned to their dwelling places The people highly pleased with this noble action atchieved by Saul Saul made his name famous amongst the Hebrews rejoyced that they had demanded a King and exclaimed against those that said it would be discommodious and unprofitable for the Common-wealth saying where are now these murmurers let them be put O to death Saul is praised by the people with other such like words that a people besotted with good success is wont to speak against them that oppose the same Saul commended the affection of A the people The year of the World 2810. before Christ's Nativity 1084. but swore that none should be put to death that day because it would not seem agreeable that the victory given them by God should be sullied with the blood of their Brethren but rather that it was more proper the time should be spent in feasting and jolity After this Samuel told them that they ought to confirm the Kingdom of Saul by a second Election Sauls lenity against his adversaries and to that end they assembled together in the City of Galgal according as he commanded them and there in the sight of all the people Samuel anointed Saul the second time with the consecrated Oyl v. 12 13. and proclaimed him King Thus was the Aristocracy and Government of the better sort amongst the Hebrews v. 14 15. turned into a Monarchy For under Moses and his successor Joshua Saul once more anointed King by Samuel who was General of the Army the form of the Commonwealths was Aristocratical After their death for the space of eighteen B years The distinct Governments of the Hebrews the people was without Government The Common-wealth not long after resumed its first form of Government and the supreme authority was given to him that was esteemed the most valiant in War and the most upright in doing Justice During which time such Magistrates were called Judges After this the Prophet Samuel assembled the people and spake to them after this manner 1 Sam. 12. 3 4. I conjure you by that great God that sent those two admirable Brothers Moses and Aaron to deliver our forefathers from the Egyptians Samuels justification of himself in the presence the people and their tyranny that without any consideration either of fear or favour or of any other passion you truly testifie whether I have committed any injustice either for interest avarice or affection Declare it If I have taken away any mans Calf or sheep ar any other thing whatsoever but that which I might lawfully take for C my relief and sustenance and at such hands as willingly offer me the same or if I have employed any Beasts to my service or use his cattel to my profit and his hinderance in these and such like if I have offended any man let him now accuse me in the presence of the King All of them cryed out with one voyce that no such fault had been committed by him but that he had Governed their Nation in Holiness and Justice After the people had thus publicky testified in behalf of Samuel he said unto them Since you have freely protested that you have no cause of wrong to charge against me v. 7. ad 16. hear I pray you wherewith I can justly accuse you Samuel expostulateth with the people and objecteth their sins and ingratitude You have griveously offended against the Majesty of God in that you have required a King at his hands you should have rather remembred that your old Father Jacob accompanied onely with his 70 Sons came into Egypt constrained thereunto by famine and D that in that Countrey divers thousands of persons issued from his loynes whom the Egyptians kept in captivity doing them extream outrages And when your fathers called upon God he wonderfully delivered them from the distresses wherein they were without giving them any King but sending them two Brothers Moses and Aaron who brought and conducted them into this Countrey which you possess at this present And although you participated these benefits from the hands of God yet you forget his religion and neglected piety This notwithstanding at such time as you have been conquered by your enemies he hath set you free assisting you first of all with the overthrow of the Assyrians and their forces then giving you victory over the Ammonites and Moabites and finally over the Philistines Now these great exploits were performed by you not under the conduct of a King but by the direction of Jephta E and Gedeon What folly therefore hath bewitched you to flie from God and to seek to live under the subjection of a King But I have named such an one unto you Whom God hath chosen to be your Governour Notwithstanding to the intent that I may give you a manifest testimony that Gods wrath is provoked against you because you have desired a King I will desire of God that he will make you see in this place and in the heart of Summer such a storm that there is not any one of you that hath ever seen the like Scarce had he spoken the words but suddenly there appeared great Lightning Thunder and Hail in confirmation of what the Prophet had said v. 16 17 18. so that amazed and confounded with fear A huge tempest falleth upon Samuels prayer all of them confessed that they had offended and desired the Prophet that with a good and fatherly affection he would beseech God to appease his wrath towards them and forgive them F this offence which they had committed through ignorance as he had pardoned their other negligences whereby they had transgressed his holy will All which Samuel promis'd them do to and be sought God that it would please him to pardon them the error which they had committed in this matter and to be appeased by his prayers After this he exhorted them to live uprightly and to keep in continual remembrance what evils had hapned unto them v. 20. ad finem for that they had forsaken the way of virtue and what wonders God had done An exhortation to the consideration of Gods assistance and benefits bestowed on the Israelites and what Laws he had given by Moses all which they ought to meditate on if they desired to be in safety and live happily with their King But if they failed herein he foretold them that both themselves and their Kings should be grievously punished Samuel having prophesied these things to the Hebrews dismissed them to G their own dwellings after he had confirmed the Kingdom to Saul the second time CHAP. VII The
it what he could upon intelligence that their rapine and plunder in the Town being not sufficient to supply their necessities the Jews were forc'd to seek out into the Valleys for food he disposed certain parties of Horse and other select men in Ambush to intercept them for though their exigences were very great yet being for the most part poor people with Families in the City they durst not run over to the Romans lest their Wives and Children should be murdered in their absence wherefore they were forc'd to make private excursions in the night to conceal themselves from the Enemy and having fallen unexpectedly into this Ambuscade they fought it couragiously as knowing it too late to expect mercy after such untractable obstinacy but they were defeated N many of them taken and tortur'd and afterwards crucified before the Walls of the City Titus crucifieth many Jews before the Walls Titus looked upon their condition as very deplorable for scarce a day past in which there were not 500 Jews taken and served in that manner by those partys of Horse yet he thought it inexpedient to remove them because they were a great security to the rest of his Army But his great design was by the cruelty of that spectacle to terrifie the City and hasten its surrender Wherefore the Souldiers in hatred to our Nation crucified all they took one after one fashion and another after another in derision And the multitude of the Captives was become so great there was left no space for the crosses nor indeed crosses for their bodies to be crucified upon But the seditious Jews within the City were so far from relenting by this massacre that rather their hearts were more hardned so that herewith they terrified the rest of the multitude O for they * The Jews carried the kindred of those that were fled out of the City to the Romans and shewed them the tortures they suffered carried the relations of those who were taken by the Romans to the Walls A that they might see how those were used that fled to the Romans the same sight they also shewed unto them that desired peace affirming that they whom the Romans had so used were those that fled unto them for succour and not captives by them taken This deterred many who would otherwise have fled to the Romans till such time as the truth hereof was known Yet some there were that ventured to the Enemy as preferring Death and Torment at their hands before the Miseries and Famine which they endured at home Hereupon Titus cut off many of the Captives hands and sent them into the City to Simon and John that their Calamity might testifie them to be Captives and not such as had fled voluntarily to the Romans willing them to admonish their Friends to yield B and not compel him to destroy the City and to assure them that in so doing they might still save their lives their Country and Temple which had not the like in the whole World and he continually went about the Rampires hastning the workmen in their business as though he presently meant to effect that in deeds which in words he had spoken The Jews both curse Caesar and is Father The Jews that stood upon the Walls reviled both him and his Father affirming that they contemned Death and would chuse rather to die than become slaves That whilest they lived they would to their power defend themselves against the Romans without any care either of themselves or their Country which Caesar sent them word were both in imminent danger Moreover they said that the whole World was a Temple dedicated to God far more excellent than theirs C which notwithstanding should be conserved by him that dwelt in it whose help they hoped to enjoy and did therefore deride all his threatnings as things that could never come to pass without his divine permission Thus did they opprobriously abuse the clemency of the Romans At this time arrived also Antiochus Epiphanes and with him a considerable supply of Men among which there was a company called the Macedonians of equal years and little older than young men all trained up in Martial Discipline and armed after the Macedonian manner from whence they took their name yet for the most part they did not answer the expectation that men had of the Macedonians For the King of Comagne was the most fortunate and happy of all Kings that were subject to the Roman Empire D till such time as he felt the frown of Fortune who in his old age proved that none ought to be accounted happy before his death whilest Comagne was in prosperity his Son said he marvelled that the Romans did delay to assault the City and enter the battered Walls for this young Man was a great Warriour and of exceeding strength to the which he trusting too much did many things rashly Titus smiled and answered The insolence of Antiochus and the Souldiers that that was a work too great for the Romans Upon which young Antiochus accompanied with his Macedonians assaulted the Wall and himself with his strength and dexterity avoided the darts of the Jews and cast his darts at them but his whole Party a few excepted were there slain for obliged by their extravagant boasting they continued longer in â—ight than it was expedient for them at last many E being wounded retired perceiving that the Macedonians to win a Victory had need of Alexanders fortune The Romans iu seventeen days build four huge bulwarks The Romans the twelfth day of May began to build their Rampires and labouring seventeen whole days with much ado they ended them the nine and twentieth of the said Month. For they builded four vast Rampires one of them over against Antonia which was built by the fifth Legion opposit to the midst of the Struthian Waters another was built by the twelfth Legion twenty Cubits distant from the other But the tenth Legion which was of more account than the two former erected a Mount opposit to the Pond called Amygdalon on the North-side and the fifteenth Legion made the fourth thirty Cubits distant from the other over against the Monument of the High Priest John F The Mounts being thus finished John undermined that which was over against Antonia and underpropped it with posts of Wood and filling the Mine with Wood Bitumen and Pitch he fired it so the posts that held it up being burnt the Mine fell and the Mount also with a hideous noise fell into it and first of all there arose a great smoak and dust for the Mines covered the flame at last the fire having consumed the matter that covered it the flame appeared The Romans at this sudden and unexpected exploit were much amazed and disordered so that thereby those who before made account of the victory as certain began now to dispair Two days after Simon and his associates set upon the other Rampires for thereon were planted
was requisite for necessity or pleasure 12. Adam asketh pardon might have hapned of it self unto you by my only providence without any travel or care on your parts which if you had well used your life would have been very lovely and very happy Adam's punishment but you have scorned this mine Ordinance and broken my Commandments 13. Eves punishment For in that thou art silent at this time it proceedeth N not of respect but of evil of which thou findest thy self culpable Adam excuseth his sin as well as he could 17 18. The Seed of the Woman that is Christ shall bruise the Serpent's head and prayed God not to be incensed against him laying the fault of that which had hapned upon his Wife alledging that he had offended by reason he was deceived by her and the Woman accused the Serpent But God for his punishment because he had suffer'd himself to be overcome by the counsel of a Woman declared that the earth thenceforward never more of its own accord should bring forth fruit but only when they till'd it with the sweat of their countenance Gen. 3. 14 15. nor should it always yield all that was expected from it The Serpent's punishment And as touching Eve he chastised her with Child-bearing and throes in Travel for that being her self deceived by the Serpent she had drawn her Husband by the same means into extreme misery He took also from the Serpent his speech and O was displeased with him * Joseph's ignorance in understanding this place of Scripture by reason of the malice he had conceived against Adam and he put venom on his tongue declaring him an enemy both to Man and Woman whom A he commanded to bruise the head of the Serpent as well for that all the evil which chanced unto Men 14. proceeded from his head as also in that being assaulted in that part he is most easily put to death The year of the World 1. before Christ's Nativity 3963. Moreover having deprived him of his feet he condemned him to slide and trail himself along the earth After God had ordained them to suffer these punishments he drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden of delights into nanother place CHAP. II. Cain kills his Brother Abel God banishes him for it His Posterity is as wicked as himself The virtues of Seth the other Son of Adam B BUt Adam and Eve had two male-children Hedio Ruffinus cap. 2. the first whereof was called Cain which signifies acquisition and the second was called Abel which signifies mourning they had also three Daughters Gen. 4. v 1 2. These Brothers were of very different inclinations Of Cain and Abel Brethren Abel the younger honoured justice and supposing that God was present in all his actions he always and wholy fixed his thoughts on virtue and his exercise was keeping of sheep But Cain being a wicked Man 2. The year of the World 70. before Christ's Nativity 894. and addicted to unsatiable desire of profit was he that first found out the use of the Plough He killed his Brother for the cause which ensueth Having concluded among themselves to sacrifice unto God Cain offered the fruits of his labour and planting Abel presented milk and the firstlings of his fold which sacrifice of his was more acceptable to God in that it rather consisted of things produced of themselves by the order of nature 3. The sacrifice of Cain and Abel than that which Cains covetousness C had forcibly in a manner extorted from nature Hereupon Cain being enrag'd because his Brother Abel was more honoured by God than himself slew his Brother and having hidden his body out of sight 4. Weak reason in Josephus he thought the murder would be concealed But God well knowing the fact appeared to Cain and questioned him concerning his Brother what was become of him 5 6 7. Cain slew his Brother Abel for that for some days he had not seen him whereas before they had been always together Cain being troubled and ignorant what answer to make unto God said at first that he wondred what was the cause his Brother was so long absent 8. The talk betwixt God and Cain but afterwards being troubled that God continued the question and more closely press'd him he said he was not his Brothers keeper nor bound to take care of his affairs 9. 10 11 12. Then God reproved and convicted Cain of murthering his Brother D and ask'd him how he dar'd deny the knowledge of his brothers death where as he himself had slain him Notwithstanding God forbare to inflict upon him the punishment deserved for this murther by reason that Cain offer'd sacrifice and made request unto God that it would please him to remit somewhat of the severity of his justice against him Yet did God curse him and threaten to punish his Posterity to the seventh Generation Cain's banishment Then did he drive him and his Wife out of that Countrey whereat Cain being affrighted for fear of being encountred and devour'd by some Savage Beasts God commanded him to suspect no dangerous event for that cause 14. assuring him that he might safely travel thorow all Regions 15. without being either assaulted or seized by Savage Beasts and having set his mark upon him by which he E might be known he commanded him to depart the Countrey After that Cain accompanied with his Wife had travelled thorow divers Regions he made his abode at Nais 16. Cain is not bettered by Gods chastisements and in that place had several Children But he made not use of this chastisement for his better amendment but rather became worse and worse for he abandoned himself to all sensual pleasures making it his sport to outrage those with whom he conversed filling his house with riches gotten by rapine and violence and gathering together other wicked and debauch'd Men he taught them to commit all sorts of crimes and impieties he destroy'd that simplicity which Men before that time had used in their mutual societies Measures and Waights found out by Cain by the inventions of Measures and Weights the ignorance whereof was the cause that the life of Man was estranged from deceit but instead F and place of free and plain sincerity Enos the first City he introduced fraud and deceit He it was that first bounded the fields and built the first City and made a Wall and a rampire enforcing his Followers to dwell therein This City he named Enos by the name of Enos his first begotten Son Jared was the Son of Enos of Jared issued Malaleel whose Son was Methusala 1â— 18 20. who begot Lamech who had 77 Children by his two Wives Sella and Ada amongst whom Jobel the Son of Ada was the first that made Tents and took delight to lead a pastoral life contenting himself with the same Jubal his
were drowned Nota. but that they themselves by their own wickedness had procured those punishments due upon themselves Hedi Ruffinus cap. 8. Man is the author of his death not God For had he desired that they should be extinguished he would not have brought them into the World For better it is not to grant life than to destroy those to whom it is given But said God through their contempt of my service and graces Gods covenant with Noah they have inforced me to destroy them with the rigor of this vengeance hereafter I will not so severely pursue and punish their iniquities K in my displeasure The year of the World 2007 before Christ's Nativiâ—y 1949. especially for thy sake And if hereafter at any time I shall send any tempest fear not how great and hideous soever the storms be for there shall be no more Deluge of water upon the earth In the mean time I command you to keep your hands innocent from murther and all man-slaughter and to punish those that commit wickedness The Rainbow the sign of atonement between God and Noah Gen. 9. 11 12 14. 15. I leave the use of all other living Creatures to your sustenance or service in as much as I have made you Lords over them all as well those that breathe upon the face of the earth as those that swim in the waters and such as inhabit and flie in the air but you shall not eat any blood in as much as therein consisteth the soul and life of living Creatures Hedio Ruffinus cap. 8. And I declare unto you that I will forbare to draw the shafts of my displeasure against Men And I will give you the Rainbow for a sign of the L promise which I make to you Noahs age 950. years Noah lived after the Deluge 350 years and having spent all the rest of his life in happiness he died after he had lived in the world nine hundred and fifty years Neither is there cause why any Man comparing this our present age and the shortness thereof with the long life of the Antients should think that false which I have said neither followeth it that because our present life extendeth not to such a term and continuance of years therefore they of the former World attained not the age and long life which we publish of them For they being beloved of God and newly created by him using also a kind of nutriment agreeing with their natures and proper to prolong their lives it is no absurd thing to suppose that their lives were of that continuance M Why they in timâ—s past lived longer than we do considering that God gave them long life to the end that they should teach virtue and should conveniently practice those things which they had invented the Sciences of Astronomy and Geometry the demonstrations whereof they never had attained except they had lived at the least six hundred years For the great year is accomplished by that number of years The great year whereof all they bear me witness who either Greeks or Barbarians have written antient Histories For both Manethon who hath written the History of Egypt and Berosus who registred the acts and affairs of the Chaldeans together with Mochus Hestiaeus Hierom of Egypt who writ those of the Phoenicians and others accord with me in that which I have said Hesiodus also Hecataeus Hellanicus and Acusilas Ephorus and Nicolaus do declare that they of the first World lived one thousand years Notwithstanding N let every man judge of these things Gen. 9. 18 19. as best liketh him CHAP. IV. Of the Tower of Babylon and the change of Tongues NOah had three Sons Thâ— year of the World 1790 before Christ's Nativity 2174. Sem Japhet and Cham born one hundred years before the Deluge Gen. 10. per totum These first descended from the Mountains into the Plains and there made their habitation which when other Men perceived who for fear of the Deluge had fled the Plains Nâ—ah's three Sons and for that cause were loth to forsake the Mountains they gathered courage God commanded the posterity of Noah to inhabit the â—â—â—th and persuaded themselves to do the like and the Plain where they dwelt was called Sâ—â—â—ar And whereas they were commanded by God that by reason of the O increase and multitude of Men they should send Colonies to inhabit divers Countries of the World to the end no quarrels might grow betwixt them but A contrariwise in labouring and tilling a great quantity of ground they might gather great store of fruits they were so ignorant that they disobeyed God and falling into great calamities suffered the punishment of their offence Now God seeing their number continually increase he commanded them again to divide themselves into Colonies But they forgetting that the Goods which they possessed proceeded from him and his bounty and presuming that their force was the only cause of their abundance did not obey him Ver. 8 9. but rather suspected that God sought to betray them to the end that being thus divided he might the more easily destroy them Nimrod the Grandson of Cham one of Noah's Sons incited them in this sort to mock and contemn God He put them in the head that they should not believe that their prosperity proceeded from God but that they ought to attribute B it to their own valor which furnish'd them with so much riches so that in a little space he reduced their estate to a tyranny supposing by this onely means that he might make Men revolt against God if he might persuade them to submit themselves to his Government Chap. 11. 2 3 4. giving them to understand that if God should once more threaten a Deluge he would protect them against him and to that end build a Tower to whose top the water should not reach and also revenge the death of their Predecessors The stupid People gave ear to these persuasions of Nimrod supposing it to be pusillanimity in themselves if they should obey God For which cause they began to build the Tower with their uttermost industry neither was there any one idle in all that work yea so great was the number of Labourers that in a little time the work was raised to a height beyond all expectation C The thickness of it was so great that it obscured the height and it was built of burnt Brick 〈◊〉 and cimented and joined with a bituminous morter to the end that it might become the stronger God seeing their madness yet condemned them not to a general extermination by reason that they had made no profit by their example The confusion of Tongues who perished in the first Deluge but made them mutiny the one against another by changing of their tongue Ver. 6 7 8. so that by reason of their diversity of language they could not understand one another The place
34. 1 2 3 4. he desir'd his Father that he might have her to Wife who listening thereunto went himself unto Jacob praying him to give Dina his Daughter in lawful Marriage to his Son Sichem The year of the World 2206 before Christ's Nativity 1758. Jacob not daring to refuse him by reason of his authority and quality and on the other side not thinking it to be either a thing lawful or convenient to match his Daughter with a stranger desired some time for deliberation Hereupon the King departed hoping that Jacob would listen to the Marriage But Jacob having discover'd unto his Sons the ravishment of their sister and the request of Emmor desir'd them to consider amongst themselves what was fit to be done in the matter C Ver. 21. 25. whereupon some held their peace not knowing what to say but Simeon and Levi the Brothers of the same womb with their sister complotted together this practice Simeon and Levi kill the Sichemites It was now a Festival of the Sichemites who intended nothing but pleasure and banquetting and the two Brethren taking this opportunity by night fell upon their first guards and killed them as they slept and from thence entering into the City they killed all the Males and with them the King and his Son but to the Women they offered no violence Gen. 35. 1 2. Which being executed without the knowledge of their Father Jacob digging up Laban's gods goeth and sacrificeth at Bethel they brought their sister back again Jacob was very much astonished at this accident so strangely executed and was greatly displeas'd with his Children but God appeared unto him and comforted him and commanded him to purifie his Tents and offer those Sacrifices which D he had vowed when first he went into Mesopotamia Ver. 16 17 18. and the Vision appeared unto him As he cleansed those which followed him Rachel dieth in Childbed he found the gods of Lâ—ban which Rachel had stoln Hedio Ruffinus cap. 28. and hid in Sichem in the earth under an oak without his knowledge Afterwards departing from thence he sacrificed in Bethel where he had seen the Vision at such time as he first of all took his journey into Mesopotamia and as he travelled in the Land of Ephrata Rachel died in Childbed and was buried there and she alone enjoyed not the honour of being buried in Hebron with those of her Parentage After he had made great lamentation he nam'd the Child which she bare at that time Benjamin by reason of the Pangs which kill'd his Mother These are all the Children of Jacob twelve Males and one Daughter of whom eight were born by his lawful Wives six of E Lea and two of Rachel and of their Maids four two of each of them whose names I have heretofore mention'd From thence went Jacob to Hebron a City of Canaan where his Father Isaac dwelt but he lost him also shortly after CHAP. XIX Isaac dieth and is buried in Hebron Gen. 35. 29. JAcob had not the comfort to find Rebecca his Mother still living The year of the World 2230 before Christ's Nativity 1734. and Isaac died in a little time after the arrival of his Son and was buried with his Wife by his Son Esau and Jacob in Hebron among their Fathers This Isaac was a man beloved of God and F guided by his special providence after the decease of Abraham and after he had passed his life in all virtue for the space of 185 years Isaac dieth 185 years old Gen. 35. he died O The Second Book of the HISTORY of the JEWS H Written by FLAVIVS JOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the Second Book 1. How Esau and Jacob Isaac's Sons divided their habitations and how Idumaea fell to Esau's lot and Canaan to Jacobs 2. How Joseph the youngest of Jacob's Sons by reason of his Dreams which foretold his future Felicity incurred his Brothers envy 3. How Joseph was sold by his Brethren into Egypt and grew in great authority in that I Countrey and how at length he had his Brothers under his power 4. How Jacob with all his Progeny came unto his Son 5. Of the affliction of the Hebrews in Egypt for the space of 400 years 6. How under the conduct of Moses they forsook Egypt 7. How the Red Sea divided itself and gave the Hebrews a passage at such time as they fled out of Egypt CHAP. I. How Esau and Jacob Isaac's Sons divided their inheritance and how Idumaea fell to Esau's lot and Canaan to Jacobs K AFter Isaac's death The year of the World 2238 before Christ's Nativity 1734. his two Sons divided their inheritance among themselves and neither of them remain'd in that same place which they had chosen before to make their abode but Esau leaving the City of Hebron to his Brother went and dwelt in Seir and was Lord of the Countrey of Idumaea which he named by his name calling it Edom for the occasion which followeth Isaac's Sons departed their habitations He being very young returned one day sore wearied with Travel and hungry from Hunting Gen. 36. 6 7. and finding his Brother dressing for himself a mess of Lentil-pottage which were very red in colour and further encreased his appetite Gen. 25. 53. 27. 36. he desir'd them at his hands that he might eat them But he taking the opportunity and occasion of his Brother Esau's hunger constrained him to forsake him Birth-right Esau the first begotten felleth his birth-right and to sell him the same on condition he L should give him them to eat Esau then press'd with Hunger resigned unto him his Birth-right Esau called Edom. and confirm'd it with a solemn Oath Hereupon his equals in age in way of mockery called him Edom by reason of his red meat for Edom in Hebrew signifieth red His Countrey likewise was hence called Edom. Gen. 36. per tot Esau's Sons and Posterity But the Greeks to the end they might make the name more agreeable called it Idumaea He became the Father of five Children of whom he had three by his Wife Alibama whose names were Jaus Jolam and Chore of the other two Aliphates was the Son of Ada and Raguel of Mosametha these Children had Esau Aliphates had five legitimate Children Theman Omar Opher Jotham Cenez for Amelech was illegitimate born by one of his Concubines whose name was Thesma These dwelt in the part of Idumaea which is called Gobolitis M and in that part which by reason of Amelech is called Amalechitis For Idumaea being in times past a Land of great extent continued the name of Idumaea thorow the whole Countrey and the particular Provinces of the same kept the names of those that first inhabited them CHAP. II. Joseph the youngest of Jacob's Children is envied by his Brothers Gen. 37. BUt Jacob attained to that felicity The year of the World
deliver his Brother Judah's Oration unto Joseph for Benjamin whereupon he addressed himself to Joseph and spake thus My Lord said he we confess that we are all B ready to suffer punishment though we have not all of us committed the offence but onely the youngest and though we suppose his life to be almost desperate yet our onely hope rests in your goodness and clemency We beseech you therefore that you will have compassion of us and be pleased to take counsel not of your just indignation but your native goodness since 't is proper to great minds as yours is to surmount those passions to which onely vulgar Souls give way and are wont to submit Consider I pray you whether it stand with your dignity to kill those who present themselves to be punished and desire in no sort to live except it be by the benefit of your mercy Suffer not your self to be deprived of this honour after you have delivered us from Famine and liberally furnished us with Corn to carry to our Family labouring under the same calamity For 't is one and the same bounty to continue them in life who are afflicted C with Famine and not to take it from them who have merited death And you shall save those whom you have fed and that life which you would not suffer to fail by Famine restore and give again whereby your clemency will be more commendable whil'st you give both life and those things likewise whereby life is maintained Moreover I think that God himself hath given you this occasion to declare your virtue that it may appear that you set lighter by the injuries offered unto you than by your will to do good and that you are not only liberal to them who are poor and innocent but merciful to those that are guilty For although it be a glorious thing to yield succor in adversities yet is a Prince no less honoured by his clemency especially in a cause that concerneth his particular interest for if they that remit small offences are followed by deserved praise what is it to restrain a Man's anger in a capital Crime Doth it not D very near approach the Divine clemency And had I not good experience by Joseph's death how grievously my Father taketh the want of his Children I would not so earnestly intreat for his safety who is so dear to him or if I did it should be only to contribute to the praise of your clemency The year of the World 2237 before Christ's Nativity 1726. and were there not some to whom our death would bring both grief and discontent we were willing all of us to suffer punishment But now whereas we have not so much commiseration of our selves though as yet we are but young and have not much tasted the pleasures of life as of our disconsolate Parent who is oppress'd not only with Age but Grief we beseech you not for our own sakes but for his to grant us life though at this day we are under your justice for our offence Assuredly he is a good Man and hath omitted nothing to render us like himself worthy he is never to taste or be tryed by any such calamity who now through our absence is discruciated E with care and sorrow Now if he should receive tydings of our death and the cause thereof he will not endure any more to live the infamy of our deaths will shorten his days and make his death by this means more unhappy yea rather than hear the rumor of our shame he would desire to die beforehand All these things considered although you are justly moved by this offence remit the revenge unto our Father and rather let your pity towards him than our iniquity towards you prevail Grant this favor to his old age since if deprived of our presence he neither will nor can desire to live yea grant it to the very name of a Father wherewith you are honoured your self so God the Father of all men will bless you in that name and prosper your Family whom also you shall honour if in respect of that common name you take compassion of our Father in considering the sorrow that he shall endure if he be deprived of F his children It now lieth in your power to give us that which you may deprive us of by that power which God hath given you and in doing us this favour you shall imitate the Nature of God Power given to save and in this respect become like unto him For since it lieth in your power to do both the one and the other it were better you did good than evil and contenting your self with your power not remember then to urge your revenge but only think that your power was given you to keep and preserve men and that the more mercy you extend towards many the more honour you redouble on your own head Now it lieth in your power by forgiving our Brothers error to give us all life For neither can we be safe except he be saved neither may we return home unto our Father except he return but here must we suffer whatsoever our Brother suffereth Neither do we crave any other mercy at your hand if we be repulsed in this but that you will iâ—flicâ— G one and the same punishment on us in no other manner than 〈◊〉 if we had been partakers of the Felony for this were better for us than that we our selves through â—orrow should offer â—â—â—lence to our own Souls I will not alledge or urge his youth or judgment as yet unripe neither will I alledge that pardon is usually granted to such but here will I make an end That whether we H be condemned in that I have not sufficiently pleaded his cause or whether we be absolved we may wholly ascribe this grace to your favour and clemency to whose praise this likewise shall be added That not only you have saved us but also in pardoning us the punishment which we have justly deserved you have had more care of us than we our selves If therefore it be your pleasure to adjudge him to die let me suffer for him and send him back unto our Father or if it please you to retain him for your slave I am more fit than he to do all sorts of services as you may perceive and I am ready to suffer all that which may be inflicted on me When Juda had spoken thus he humbled himself at Joseph 's feet endevouring as much as in him lay to mollifie and appease his anger in like sort also all the other Brothers prostrated themselves offering themselves to die for Benjamin I But Joseph moved with pity Gen. 45. 1 2. ad 16. and unable any longer to personate a displeased Man sent away all those that were present Joseph maketh himself known to his Brethren and being alone with them discovered himself unto his Brothers and in this sort to them only he disclosed himself
City and the Elders and Magistrates and as many of the People as might commodiously be present and spake unto them First he called unto their remembrance the many benefits which God had bestowed upon them by means whereof from a poor and afflicted condition they had attained great riches and glory Then he exhorted them to observe his Commandments most Religiously to the end God might continue his merciful hand over them since they knew that his favour could be kept to them N by no other means but by their obedience He further told them that he thought himself oblig'd before he departed out of this life to admonish them of their duty Last of all Josh 24. 39. he desired them to accept well of that his good admonition and to be perpetually mindful of the same Joshuah's death As he ended these words he gave up the Ghost and dyed in the 110 year of his age whereof he spent 40 as Minister under Moses their chief Magistrate and after his death governed the Commonwealth 25 years A Man of incomparable prudence and eloquence wise and diligent in matters of Government and equally capable of the most important affairs of Peace and War in a word the most excellent Captain Governor of his time Ver. 33. He was buried in a City called Thamna belonging to the Tribe of Ephraim Eleazar's death About the same time likewise dyed Eleazar the High O Priest leaving the Priesthood to Phinees's Son his Sepulchre is seen at this day in the City Gabatha After their deaths Phinees being demanded by the People what God's A pleasure was The year of the World 2525. before Christ's Nativity 1439. and to whose charge the Wars against the Canaanites should be committed answered them that God commanded to give the Government to the Tribe of Judah which choosing that of Simeon for their Associates undertook the War with this condition that when they had utterly rooted out the remnant of the Canaanites out of their own Tribe Judg. 1. they should likewise employ themselves to extinguish all the Reliques of that Race amongst the other Tribes CHAP. II. How the Israelites after the death of their Emperor forgetting the Religion of their Forefathers fell into extreme Calamities and how through a Civil War raised amongst B them there were only 600 of the Tribe of Benjamin left alive BUt the Canaanites whose estate at that time was very potent expected them with a great Host about the City of Bezec Hedio Ruffinus cap. 5. al. 2. having their Army conducted by the King of that place Judg. 1. 1 2 ad 5. called Adoni-Bezec which name signifieth Lord of the Bezecenities for Adoni in the Hebrew Tongue is Lord and these Men promised themselves the Victory by reason that Joshua was deceased Ten thousand Canaanites slain and Adoni-Bezec taken ver 6 7. Against these the two Tribes of Judah and Simâ—on fought very valiantly and slaying 10000 of them in the pursuit they took Adoni-Bezec Captive who having his hands and feet cut off acknowledged the divine justice for he confessed that he had used 72 Kings before times after the same manner In this condition C they conducted him near Jerusalem where departing out of this life they buried him Then they over-run the Countrey sacking and taking the Cities and after they had divers of them in their possession they besieged Jerusalem and entring the lower City they put all the Inhabitants to the Sword But the higher Town was very hard to be assaulted by reason of the Fortresses and strength of the Walls and the naturally strong situation of the place which was the cause that they rais'd their Camp to go and besiege Hebron which they took and slew all that were therein Amongst whom there were some of the Race of the Gyants whose stature was so prodigious their aspect so terrible and their voice so dreadful that it can scarce be believ'd their Bones are still to be seen at this day This City being very considerable was given to the Levites with 2000 D Cubits of Land round about the rest of the Countrey was freely given to Caleb according as Moses had commanded he having been one of those Spies which Moses sent to view the Land of Canaan Jethro's posterity who was the Father of Moses possessed of Lands They gave lands and possessions likewise to the posterity of Jethro the Madianite who was Father-in-law to Moses for that they had forsaken their own Territories and join'd themselves to the Israelites and been with them in the Desart The Tribes of Judah and Simeon took those Cities of the mountainous Countrey of Canaan and also those that were in the Plain near the Sea-coast namely Ascalon and Azoth But they could not take Gaza and Accaron for those Cities being in the Plain and defended with a great number of Chariots repelled those that assaulted the same to their disadvantage So these two Tribes having had good success in Wars retired E to their Cities to enjoy in peace the spoils which they had taken As for the Benjamites Ver. 16. to whom Jerusalem appertained The Israelites overcame not the Canaanites at one time they received the Inhabitants thereof as their Tributaries so that all being in peace and the one ceasing from slaughter and the other assured from danger they employed themselves in manuring the Countrey The rest of the Tribes did the like conforming themselves according to the example of the Benjamites Av. 22. ad 26. and contenting themselves to receive their Tributes they suffered the Canaanites to live in peace The Ephraimites recover Bethel by a stratagem The Tribe of Ephraim having long besieged the City of Bethel could not see such an end of their design as the length of time and the Travels they had taken in the Siege required and although they were very much toyled and wearied with the same yet they continued the Siege At last one of the Inhabitants F who was carrying Provisions thither fell into their hands whom they promis'd that if he would let them into the City they would save him and grant life and liberty likewise to all his Family He was persuaded and by his means they became Masters of the place he and his were spared but all the rest of the Inhabitants were put to the Sword From that time forwards the Israelites ceas'd to make War and employed themselves in Tillage of their Lands and husbanding their Fruits and being grown rich they followed the delights and pleasures of the World in such sort as they became dissolute and had no regard either of their ancient Discipline or the Laws of their Forefathers Whereupon God was highly incensed against them Hedio Ruffinus cap. 6. â—l 3. and he gave them to understand that contrary to his Command they had spared the Canaanites and that those Canaanites in G time to come Judg. 2. 1 ad
when Baracs Soldiers came to her she shewed them his dead body Thus a Woman according as Debora had foretold was the Author of this Victory But Barac A leading his Army to Asor Barac governeth the Israelites 40 years defeated and slew Jabin who came out against him with an Army razed his City to the ground govern'd the Israelites for the space of Forty years CHAP. VII How the Amalekites overcoming the Israelites destroyed their Countrey for the space of seven years B AFter the death of Barac and Debora The year of the World 2654. before Christ's Nativity 1310. which hapned almost about the same time the Midianites accompanied with the Amalekites and Arabians armed themselves against the Israelites and encountring them in open field overcame them in a great Battel and destroying their Fruits and Harvest carried away great Booty They continued these their incursions for the space of seven years and compelled the Israelites to forsake the Champain Hedio Ruffinus cap. 10. and flie to the Mountains where digging themselves Caves and Houses under the earth Judg. 6. 1 2 3. they kept secretly hidden all which they had reserved from the fury of the Enemy The Midianites confederate with the Amalekites overcome the Israelites in a great Battel For the Midianites having taken their Harvest in the Summer time permitted them to Till their Lands in the Winter to the intent they might gather the fruits of their labour afterwards Thus lived they in perpetual famine and want neither was there any other hope or succor left them but onely by prayers and supplications C unto God CHAP. VIII How Gideon delivered the Israelites ABout that time as Gideon the Son of Joas God commandeth Gideon to deliver the Israelites from the Midianites one of the chiefest of the Tribe of Manasses was grinding some sheafs of Corn which he had secretly conveyed into his Press for he durst not do it openly for fear of the Enemy An Angel appeared to him in the form of a young man and told him That he was happy and beloved of God D 'T is a fair sign Judg. 6. 11 12 13. answer'd Gideon when I am forc't to use a Press instead of a Grange The Angel exhorted him to be of good courage and to endeavor to recover his Countries liberty Gideon answer'd That it was impossible by reason that the Tribe whereof he was descended had very few Men in it and that he was too young and incapable of affairs of that consequence God will supply all these defects said the Angel and under thy conduct will give the Israelites victory These things Gideon communicated to certain young men Judg. 7. 2 3 4. who willingly believing the Oracle answer'd That for the present they had Ten thousand Soldiers in readiness God commandeth Gideon to choose a few men to attempt any thing for their liberty But God appeared to Gideon in a dream and told him That Men being so vain that they are willing to owe nothing but to themselves and attribute their Victories to their own strength instead of attributing E them to his assistance The Victory is to be attributed to God he would make them know that 't was to him alone that they were indebted for them To which end he commanded him That about the mid-time of the day at such time as the heat was most vehement he should conduct his Army to the River and there diligently observe those that bowed themselves to drink which he might esteem for Men of Valor but all those that drank hastily and with noise should be marked as Men timerous and afraid of the Enemy Gideon did as God commanded and there were found but Three hundred Men that lifted water to their mouths with their hands without fear and trouble God commanded him to assail the Enemy with those Three hundred promising to give him the Victory At this time were they encamped upon the Bank of Jordan ready to pass the Ford the next Morning But Gideon F was troubled by reason that God had bid him assail the Enemy by night But God willing to deliver him of his fear commanded him to take one of his Soldiers with him and go to the Camp of the Midianites to see what pass'd there He obeyed and for his better assurance took with him one of his servants Now as he drew nigh a certain Tent Ver. 13 14. he perceived that they that were within the same were awake and heard one of them with a loud voice tell his Companion the dream which that Night he had had Gideon repaireth to the Enemies tents and by them is confirmed by a dream which was thus He thought he saw a Barley Cake which lookt as if not worth the taking up it rowled thorow all the Camp and first overthrew the Kings Tent and afterwards the Tents of all his Soldiers This dream answer'd his Companion signifi'd the loss of our whole Army The reason is that of all sorts of Corn Barley is G most contemptible and amongst all the Nations of Asia there are not at this day any People more contemned than the Israelites and in this respect they resemble Barley Now you know that they have gather'd Troops and form'd some design under the conduct of Gideon And whereas this Cake turned to overthrow our Tents I fear lest it H be a sign that God hath given the Victory to Gideon Gideon having overheard this Discourse conceived good hope and presently commanded his Followers to arm themselves after he had told to them the Dream of their Enemy Whereupon they speedily prepared themselves at his Command being encourag'd by so happy a presage to attempt any thing Ver 16 17 22. About the latter Watch of the Night Gideon led forth his Army and divided it into three Bands Gideon with 300 attempteth the fight and in every Band he put an Hundred Men all of these bare in their hands empty Pots in which were hidden burning Torches in such sort that the Enemy could not discover them when they sallied out Moreover they bare Rams Horns in their right hands which they used in stead of Trumpets The Enemies Camp took up much ground by reason they had a great number of Camels and though distributed I by Nations were all of them comprehended in one inclosure The Hebrews having had instructions from their Captain what to do at such time as they approached near their Enemies and the sign of the Battel being given they sounded their Horns and broke their Pots and with their flaming Lights fell into the Enemies Camp crying Victory Victory by the assistance of God and the strength of Gideon Trouble and Fear surprized the sleeping Enemy for this action was in the Night-time and God disposed all things to this issue that few of them fell by the Hebrews Sword but they themselves slew one another in great numbers by reason that they
permit him to be present Ver. 3. and that upon good consideration for they said That if they should be defeated in his company Davids friends dissuade his presence in the battel they should utterly lose all hope but if one squadron C should be overcome the rest might have recourse unto him who might unite and reinforce the rather for that the enemies would alwayes think it likely that he had some other recruits with him This counsel pleased him for which cause he remained within the City But at such time as he sent out his friends unto the battel he besought them that in remembrance of all the benefits and favors he had bestowed on them they would both shew themselves couragious in the fight Ver. 4 5. and that having obtained the victory David commandeth them to spare his son they would spare his son for fear least his death should increase and redouble his discontents Thus praying God to give them victory he dismissed them to the battel But when Joab had placed his Army right over against the enemy and had extended them on the Plain having a Wood upon their backs Absalon also drew out his Army against him so that D encountring one another Ver. 6 7. they performed many notable actions on both parts the one hazarding themselves in all dangers The battel betwixt Joab and Absalon and employing all their affections to the intent that David might recover his Kingdom the others neither refusing to do or endure any thing so that Absalon might not be deprived or exposed to his fathers punishment and displeasure for his insolent attempt Besides that they held it an indignity for them that being so great in number as they were they should be overcome by such a handful of people as followed Joab thinking it an utter disgrace unto them that being so many thousands of them in Arms they should be discomfited by Davids followers But Joab and his men being more skilful and trained in feats of Arms than the rest Ver. 8 9. discomfited and brake Absolons Army The flight and overthrow of Absalons Army so that they fled through Woods and into strong E places Davids Soldiers pursuing after them took some and slew others so that both in flight and fight a great number of them were put to the Sword for there fell that day about 20000 Men. But all Davids Troops freshly set upon Absalon who was easily known by his beauty and stature he fearing to be surprized by his enemies mounted upon a swift Mule and fled in great haste But by the swift motion of his body his locks being scattered abroad his bush of Hair was intangled in a thick and branchy Tree where he hung after a strange manner and his Mule ran onward with great swiftness as if she had as yet born her master on her back but he hanging by the Hair amidst the branches suddenly fell into his enemies hands This when a certain Soldier perceived he brought news thereof unto Joab who promised him to give him 50 sicles if he would kill him F The Soldier answered That if he would give him 2000 he would not commit such a murther on the son of his Sovereign the rather for that in the presence of them all David had requested them to spare him Hereupon Joab commanded him to shew him the place where he had seen Absalon hang who had no sooner discovered him but thrusting a Javelin to his heart he slew him A ver 9 ad 15. That done Joabs Esquires surrounded the Tree took him down Joab killeth Absalon and cast him into a deep Pit they overwhelmed him with stones so that in appearance it seemed to be a Tomb or Monument After this when Joab had sounded a retreat he withdrew his Soldiers from pursuit as thinking it unnatural for one Countrey-man to imbrue his hands in the blood of another Absalon had erected in the Royal Valley Ver. 17 18. two furlongs distant from Jerusalem a Marble Pillar with an Inscription upon it to G the intent that if his Race should be extinct Absalons marble pillar his memory might be preserved by that Monument which he had erected Now he had 3 sons and a daughter called Thamar who was married to Roboam Davids Nephew and had by him a son called Abia who succeeded his father in the Kingdom of whom we shall speak more at large CHAP. X. H The happy state of David being restored unto his Kingdom The year of the World 2920. before Christ's Nativity 1044. AFter that Absalon was slain Ver. 21 ad 32. all the people returned privately to their own houses but Achimaas Chusai sent to certifie David of the victory the son of the High Priest Sadoc drew near unto Joab requiring his leave to repair unto David and to certifie him of the victory and how by Gods help and providence he had vanquished his enemies This did the General deny him telling him That it was not convenient that he who heretofore was wont to bring joyful news should now certifie the King of his sons death He therefore commanded him to stay and calling Chusai to his presence he gave him commission to certifie the King of that I which he had seen Achimaas requested him the second time that he would suffer him to go promising him that he would make no mention but of the victory and that as touching Absalons death he would not utter any thing whereupon he dismissed him also who choosing the shorter way outstripped Chusai Now as David sate in the gate of the City expecting some messenger that might certifie him of the success of the battel one of the Sentinels perceiving Achimaas that came running hastily and not being able to distinguish who it was told David that he saw a messenger coming towards him who answered that it was some one that brought joyful news Anon after he told him that a certain other messenger followed to whom David answered likewise that it was one that brought glad tydings And when the Watchman perceived that it was Achimaas K Sadoc the High Priests son and that he was near at hand he ran first of all and certified David Ver. 33. who was very glad thereof saying That he brought some good and desirable news touching the event of the battel David hearing of Absalons death by Chusai grievously bewaileth him and no sooner had the King spoken the word but Achimaas entred and fell down upon his face before David to whom he reported that his Army had the victory Being afterwards demanded what was become of Absalon He answered That he incontinently departed from the Camp as soon as the enemies were put to flight but that a great number of Soldiers pursued Absalon and further then that he knew nothing because by Joabs commandment he was speedily sent away to bring tydings of the victory When Chusai was come and had humbled
Sauls Grandchild came out to meet him cloathed in mean apparel having E his Hair hanging down in a neglected and sorrowful manner For since the time that David fled and forsook the City he had been so afflicted that he neither had trimmed his Hair nor changed or cleansed his garment supposing this calamity to touch him as nearly as it did the King A v. 24 ad 33. and he was the rather grieved that Siba his steward had unjustly detracted from him Mophibosheth purgeth himself of Siba's slanders and accused him to the King After he had prostrated himself and adored the King David asked him For what cause he forsook him in his troubles and offered not himself to accompany him in his flight Who answered That it was the wickedness of Siba who was the cause thereof for he said he being commanded to prepare my necessaries for that journey neglected the execution thereof contemning both me and it as if I had been some abject slave otherwise had I had the use of my feet and the means to have waited F on thee in thy journey I had never endured to have forsaken thee Neither was he contented to hinder me from performing my duty and to give your Majesty a testimony of my affection and loyalty but furthermore he hath maliciously incensed your Majesty against me yet know I well that your wisdom will not give credit to his detractions both for that you are just as also for that GOD and Truth which you onely aspire to are onely beloved by you For whereas during my Grandfathers dayes you were alwayes conversant amongst the greatest dangers and persecuted by him and whereas all our posterity by that means deserved to be utterly extinguished yet have you used moderation and meekness in forgetting those indignities when it was in your power to revenge them And notwithstanding all these things you have entertained me like your Friend feasted me at your Table and dignified me with no less Honours than if I had G been one of your nearest Kinsmen When David heard these things he thought neither good to punish Mephibosheth not to examine whether Siba had wrongfully accused him but after he had certified him that he had given Siba all his Goods yet did he pardon him and promise him the restitution of half his possessions Whereunto Mephibosheth H replied Let Siba possess the whole it only sufficeth me that I see your Maiesty restored again to your Kingdom After this David invited Berzillai the Galaadite a virtuous man and of great authority and by whose bounty during the time of his War he was assisted David pardoneth Mephibosheth and restoreth him to the half of his possessions and who had attended him as far as Jordan to accompany him unto Jerusalem promising him to make no less account of him than of his Father and assuring him that he would allow him all things that were suitable to his age and quality But he being desirous to live in private besought his Majesty to dismiss him from the Court because as he said his age was so great as it made him unfit for pleasures v. 31 ad 37. considering that he had attained to the age of fourscore years Berâ—illai excuseth himself and will not resort to Jerusalem alledging that it beter became him to think of I death and his departure out of this World For which cause he besought David to favour him so much as that he might govern himself according to his own desire because that by reason of his age he neither knew how to savour meat nor drink besides for that his hearing was lost so that he could not distinguish or discern the sound of instruments wherein they who converse in Kings Courts do most usually take such delight To this David replied since said he thou dost so earnestly request me to give thee leave to depart from me I dismiss thee but leave thou thy Son Achimaas with me that I may express that kindness unto him which thou hast deserved Hereupon Berzillai left his Son with him and taking leave of the King with prayer that God would grant him the fulness of his desires he returned to his own house v. 41 42 43. But David went unto Gilgal K having already the half of the people with him The Tribe of Judas accusation and excuse for that without the knowledg of the other Tribes they had gone out to meet the King and the whole Tribe of Juda. Thither resorted then unto him the chief governors of that countrey attended by a great multitude of people complaining unto the Tribe of Juda for that unwitting to the rest they had resorted to him when as by a mutual consent they should all of them have met him together But the Princes of the Tribe of Juda requested them in no sort to misinterpret their prevention of them For that by reason of their alliance and being of the same Tribe with the King they were obliged to shew him a more particular respect neither for that diligence of theirs received they any reward 2 Sam. 20. 1 ad 8. whereby they that came after should think themselves prejudiced Siba a seditious person incenseth the people to rebel against the King This answer of theirs the Princes of the Tribes took not in good part but spake thus unto their brethren We wonder said they L that you only challenge the King to be your kinsman as if he were not to be accounted an Ally unto us all whom God hath equally placed to be Governour over us all when as therefore the whole people consisteth of eleven parts you only are but one besides we are your elders so that you have not dealt uprightly Davids concubines whom Absalon had deflowred are sequestred from â—im in that you have secretly sought out the King without giving us notice of your design Whilst the Governours after this manner debated the matter a certain wicked seditious person called Siba the Son of Bochri of the Tribe of Benjamin standing up in the midst of the people began to cry out with a loud voice and exclaim after this manner We have no part with David nor inheritance with the Son of Jessâ—e This said he sounded a Trumpet and proclaimed War against the King so that all men followed him and forsook David Only the tribe of Juda remained with M him and established him in the Royal Throne in Jerusalem upon his first coming thither he removed his Concubines which his Son Absalon had known out of his Palace and never after that time had any company with them After this he declared Amasa General of the Army and placed him in the same degree which Joab had near unto the Person of the King commanding him that he should assemble what forces he could out of the Tribe of Juda and that within three dayes he should return unto him to the end that having delivered him both the
limitted the weight of those vessels that were to be fashioned either of Gold or of Silver M exhorting him to imploy all his care and diligence in performing the same He incouraged likewise the governors and the Tribe of Levi to assist him both because his years were not yet come to maturity as also because by Gods divine providence he was elected King and appointed to build the Temple assuring them that the building would be very easie and no wayes laborious considering that he had prepared a great number of talents of Gold and far more of Silver and Wood besides a great multitude of Carpenters and hewers of Sone a great quantity likewise of Emeraulds and other sort of precious Stones Lastly he told them that now also for the present he would bestow on them to that use other three thousand talents of pure Gold 1 Chron. 29. 5 ad 9. out of his own treasury to adorn the holy place and the chariot of God and the Cherubins that should stand upon the Ark and cover it with their wings N This speech of the Kings was received with great joy by all the Governours The Princes of the people gave a huge summe of Gold Silver Brass and precious Stone towards the building of the Temple Priests aud Levits who shewed a greater readiness and voluntarily proffered to contribute towards the carrying on of this holy work five thousand talents of Gold and ten thousand stateres of Silver an hundred thousand and of Iron many thousand talents and if any one of them had a precious Stone he brought it and delivered it into the Treasurers custody who was called Jalus being one of Moses posterity This thing pleased all the people and David seeing the affection and readiness of the Governours and Priests and in general of all the rest began to bless God with a loud voyce calling him the Creator and Father of this whole World the fashioner both of divine and humane things and the President and Governour of the Hebrews whose Kingdom he had committed O into his hands After this he prayed for all the people that God would be pleased to continue his favors unto them and to inrich the heart of his Son Solomon with all Princly virtues He commanded the people likewise to sing praises unto God which they performed and prostrated themselves upon the earth and afterwards gave thanks A unto David for all those benefits they had received during the time of his Government The next day as a sacrifice to God they offered up a thousand Calves a thousand Rams and a thousand Lambs for a burnt-offering and for peace-offerings they slew many thousand other Beasts 1 Paral. 29. The King celebrated a feast all that day with the whole people and Solomon was anointed with Oyl the second time The sacrifices and festival solemnized upon Solomons Coronation and proclaimed King Sadoc also was established High Priest of all the people and Solomon was conducted into the Kings house and placed in his Fathers Throne and from that day forward they obeyed him CHAP. XII The last instructions of David to Solomon his death and the magnificence of his funeral B NOT long after this Hedio Ruffinus cap. 16. David failing through age and knowing that he should depart out of this world he called for Solomon his Son and spake unto him after this manner 1 King 2. 1. ad 4. My Son I must now depart and sleep with my Fathers and enter the common way which both they that now live Davids last counsel to Solomon and those which come after shall tract from whence we shall not return nor behold and revisit those things that are done in this life For which cause whilest I yet live and draw onward to my death I earnestly exhort thee as heretofore I have counselled thee that thou behave thy self justly towards thy Subjects and piously towards God that hath honoured thee with this kingdom charging thee to keep his precepts and laws which he hath given us by Moses and to take heed lest either surprized by flattery or mis-led by favour or seduced by covetousness or any other sinister affection thou be drawn to neglect C and forsake the same for thou canst by no means continue in Gods favour except thou keep his laws for otherwise he will withdraw his providence from thee But if according to the obligation which lieth on you you shall follow my counsel and diligently perform your duty thou shalt establish the Kingdom in our family and no other house at any time but our own shall obtain the dominion over the Hebrews Remember likewise the iniquity of Joab who through emulation v. 5. slew two good and just Generals Abner the Son of Ner and Amasa the Son of Jethram David willeth Solomon to punish Joab punish him as thou thinkest meet for hitherto he hath escaped punishment because he was stronger and more powerful than my self I commend also unto thee the Sons of Berzillai the Galaadite v. 7. whom for my sake advance to honour and dignity Nor would I have thee esteem the kindness which thou shalt shew them to be any courtesie David commendeth Berzellai's Sons to Solomon but only a recompence and D requital of the obligations which I have received from their Father in the time of my banishment and for which he made us indebted to him As touching Simei the Son of Gera of the Tribe of Benjamin v. 8. who during the time of my flight How Simei should be punished and at such time as I retired my self into my Camp injured and reviled me and afterwards came out to me near unto Jordan and took assurance of me that for that time I should not punish him I leave him to you to be punished according as you shall find an opportunity After he had thus exhorted his Son and had communicated with him all his affairs both touching his friends v. 10 11. and those whom he thought worthy of punishment he gave up the ghost after he had lived seventy years The years of the age and Raign together with the vertues of David and Reigned in Hebron a City of Juda for the space of seven years and an half and thirty three in Jerusalem over the whole Nation E He was a just man adorned with all vertue requisite in a King that should govern so many Nations For he was valiant beyond comparison and in those battels which he fought for his Subjects he was the first that thrust himself into danger and exhorted his Souldiers to behave themselves valiantly not commanding them like their Governour but fighting with them as their fellow-soldier He was very well qualified by his knowledg and experience to make the best use of the present and to manage his future occasions he was moderate and just courteous and favourable to those that were afflicted which are those ornaments which are
Earth This Amri dyed in Samaria and Achab his Son was his Successor Hereby a Man may easily perceive what care the Divine Majesty hath of humane affairs and how he loveth the virtuous and utterly rooteth out the vicious For the Kings of Israel through their impiety in a short and successive course the one after the other O were cut off and confounded with all their Families But Asa King of Jerusalem and the two Tribes living happily in the favor of God for his piety and justice attained to a reverend and old age and after he had reigned one and forty years he dyed a good death The year of the World 3028. before Christ's Nativity 936. and after his death Jehoshaphat his son whom he begat on his wife Abida succeeded A him who in all things that concern'd piety or fortitude seem'd to emulate and equal his Grandfather David according as it shall be declar'd hereafter But Achab King of Israel made his abode in Samaria and govern'd the Kingdom for the space of 22 years without any alteration of those ordinances which his progenitors Kings of Israel had established alias chap. 10. but that he exceeded them daily in wickedness For he imitated all their impieties Asa dieth Jâ—hoshaphat succeedeth him but especially the Apostasie of Jeroboam for he adored those Calves that were erected by him and besides that 〈◊〉 far worse impieties than the former 2 Chron. 17 1 2. He took to wife Jezabel the daughter of Iâ—â—obal King of the Tyrians and Sidonians of whom he learnt to adore the gods of her Nation for she was a busie and audacious woman â— Kings 16. 30 31. and so insolent that she feared not to build a Temple in honour of Bell the god B of the Tyrians and to plant a Grove furnish'd with all kind of Trees and to ordain Priests and false Prophets also in honour of that god The King also took delight to have these Men oftentimes about him exceeding all other Kings before him in madness and malice Jezabel To him came a certain Prophet named Elias 1 Reg. 17. 1 ad 4. sent by Almighty God that was born in Thesbon in Galaad telling him that he fore-prophesied That neither dew nor rain should fall on the Earth a long time The dearth of victuals prophesied to the Israelites until that himself who was prepar'd to depart from him should appear again unto him and binding the same with an oath for the better confirmation thereof he retir'd himself to the Southward where he liv'd by a certain River from whence he fetcht his drink for his meat was daily brought him by Ravens C Now when the River through want of rain was grown dry God commanded him to repair unto Sareptha a City not far from Sidon and Tyre and scituate in the midst between them both where he should find a Widow-woman who would furnish him with food Ver. 4 5. As soon therefore as he drew near unto the gate Crows feed Elias he saw a woman that lived by her labour gathering of sticks and God gave him to understand that it was she to whom he was sent Ver. 9 ad 16. Whereupon he came unto her and saluted her praying her that she would bring him some water to cool his thrist The widow of Sareptha entertaing Elias neither flowre nor oyl fail and as she was ready to depart he called her back again and willed her to bring him some bread also Whereupon she sware unto him that she had nothing in her house but an handful of flowre and a little oyl and that she was come forth togather sticks to the end she might bake the same and make bread D for her self and her son and when they had eaten the same they must needs perish through famine because they had not any thing more left Go said the Prophet and be of good courage and conceive better hopes and when thou hast prepared meat for me bring it for I tell thee that thy flowre shall not fail nor thy pot of oyl be empty until God send rain upon the earth When the Prophet had spoken thus she approach'd unto him and performed that which he commanded and she herself had sufficient to feed upon and she gave the rest unto her son and to the Prophet so that they wanted nothing so long as the drought continued Menander maketh mention of this great drought in the acts of Ithobal King of the Tyrians Menander of the famine during the time of Elias speaking after this manner In this time there was a season without rain from the E Month of October until October in the next year after whereupon the Prince caused prayers and supplications to be made which were follow'd with great store of Thunder He built the City of Botris in Phoenicia and Auzate in Lybia Doubtless he expressed hereby the drought that hapned in Achab's time for about that time Ithobal reigned over the Tyrians as Menander â—â—stifieth in his History The woman of whom we have spoken heretofore that entertained the Prophet seeing her son fallen sick and lying sensless as if he had been already dead or yielding up the ghost wept and brake out into so great a passion that she forbore not to say that the cause of her misfortune was in that the Prophet was come into her house and had discover'd her sins and that he had been the cause that God for her punishment had taken away her onely son But he F comforted her and willed her to be of good courage and commanded her to bring the child unto him assuring her that he would restore him to life Now when she had brought him he took the child and carried him into his lodging and laid him on his bed 1 Kings 17. 17. ad finem and cryed unto God saying That since the loss of her onely son seem'd to be but an unequal recompence unto her that had so charitably received him he therefore besought him Elias restoreth the widows son to life that he would command the soul to return into the body and restore life unto the Infant Whereupon God having compassion on the mother and being willing to gratifie the Prophet and to the intent that no man might suppose that he came unto her to prejudice her he restored the child to life beyond all expectation For which the mother gave thanks unto the Prophet saying That by this means she was thorâ—wly persuaded G that God had spoken unto him Not long after he sought out Achab according as God had commanded him to let him know that he should have rain At that time the famine H reigned over the whole Countrey The year of the World 3040. before Christ's Nativity 924. and there was great want of necessary victuals so that Men did not only faint for want of bread but the Earth also for want of rain could not bring
led thence and kept Prisoner with Achmon the Governor of the City allowing him nothing but bread and water for his sustenance Thus marched these two Kings with their Armies against Ramath which is in Galaad Hedâ—o Râ—ffinus cap. 15. which when the King of Syria understood he drew his Army into the field and came out to meet them and encamped near unto Ramath 1 Kings 22. 28 ad 38. Now it was concluded betwixt these two confederate Kings that Achab should enter the battel in a private habit 2 Chron. 18. 28 ad fin and Jehoshaphat should be invested with the Royal ornaments and supply Achabs place to the intent that Micheas prediction might be made frustrate Achab and Jehosaphat War against the Syrians But notwithstanding this disguise Gods justice prevented him for Adad King I of Syria commanded his Army that they should put no one of the Enemy to the sword but only the King of Israel As soon as the battel was begun the Syrians perceiving Jehoshaphat in the front of the Army and conjecturing that it was Achab they made head all together against him and having invironed and pressed him very nearly they perceived that it was not he for which cause they retired back again But although they had fought from the morning until the evening Ver. 34. and had the upper hand yet slew they no man because they sought after no other but Achab to put him to the sword whom notwithstanding they could by no means meet withall Achab wounded by an arrow in the battel dyeth At length one of Adads servants called Aman shot at random amongst the Enemies and hurt Achab in the breast and shot him thorow the lungs K This hurt of his concealed he from his Soldiers for fear lest they should be discomforted For which cause he commanded his servant to drive his Chariot out of the battel for that he felt himself mortally wounded Ver. 38. and although he were in much pain yet sate he in his Chariot until Sun-set The dogs liâ—â— Achabs blood according to Elias prediction at which time he gave up the ghost When night came the Syrian Army withdrew themselves into their Camp and receiving tydings by an Herald that Achab was dead every one retired home unto his house but Achabs body was conveyed to Samaria and interred in that place As for his Chariot it was washed in the fountain of Jezrael 1 King 22. 28. because it was bloody by reason of the Kings hurt whereby the truth of Elias Prediction was ratified and confirmed 2 Chron. 18. 27. for the Dogs lickt his blood and from that time forward The oracles of the Prophets are to be reverenced the common Women continually washed themselves in that L fountain he dyed also in Ramath according as Micheas had prophesied Whereas therefore all things fell unto Achab according as two Prophets had foretold him it appeareth that we ought to honour and magnifie the Majesty of God and to reverence his Prophesies and to ascribe always more credit unto them than to the vain and plausible speech of flatterers and no less to respect them than things of infinite profit since by them we are divinely admonished what we ought to take heed of It behoveth us also to consider what force the Decree of God is of by examining those things which befell Achab. For it is impossible to avoid what God has fore-ordain'd notwithstanding that Men flatter themselves with vain hopes which inveigle them so far that finally they are overtaken in the snares thereof The matchless necessity of fate For this careless inconsideration was fatal to King Achab M in that he believed not his death which was foretold him but being deceived by the flattering persuasions of false Prophets ran headlong upon his own danger and ruine After him succeeded his son Ochozias N O The Ninth Book of the Antiquities of the JEWS The year of the World 3048. before Christ's Nativity 916. A Written by FLAVIVS JOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the Ninth Book 1. Joram Achabs Son overcometh the Moabites in battel 2. Joram King of Jerusalem obtaining the Crown killeth his brothers and his fathers friends 3. Jorams Army is overthrown by his Enemies and his Sons are slain only one excepted at B length he himself dieth a miserable death 4. The King of Damascus warreth against the King of Israel 5. Joram with all his posterity is slain by Jehu Ochozias King of Jerusalem is slain also 6. Jehu reigneth amongst the Israelites in Samaria and his posterity after him till the fourth generation 7. Athalia reigneth five years in Jerusalem and is slain by the High Priest Joas Ochozias Son is Proclaimed King 8. Azael King of Damascus gathereth an Army first against the Israelites and afterwards against Jerusalem 9. Amasias King of Jerusalem maketh War against the Idumaeans and Amalechites and obtaineth the victory C 10. Amasias making war against Joas King of the Israelites is overcome 11. Ozias overcometh the Nations round about him 12. Rasin or Rabe King of Damascus vexeth the inhabitants of Jerusalem with War Achar their King is compelled to call the King of Assyria to assist him 13. The King of Assyria taketh Damascus by force and slayeth the King and translateth the people into Media and planteth other Colonies in their City 14. Salmanazar taking the King of Israel captive translateth ten of the twelve Tribes into Media and causeth the Cuthaeans to inhabit their Countrey D CHAP. I. Joram Achabs Son overcometh the Moabites in battel AS soon as King Jehosaphat was returned back again to Jerusalem from the War wherein he had assisted Achab against Adad the King of Syria 2 Chron. 19. 2 v. 2. as we have before related the Prophet Iehu in his return came forth and met him Jehu the Prophet reprehended Jehosaphat for helping Achab. and reproved him because he had given Achab who had been an impious man his assistance assuring him that God was displeased with that his confederacy yet notwithstanding that he of his goodness had delivered him from his Enemies Jehosaphat reneweth the true service of God although he had provoked him to anger After this admonition Jehosaphat E began to offer sacrifices and thanksgivings and peace offerings unto God Which done he rode in progress about those Countries that were under his dominion v. 5. giving order that the people should be instructed in those ordinances which were delivered from God by the hands of Moses Jehosaphat placed Judges and Magistrates in every City aud exhorted his Subjects to the practice of piety He placed Judges likewise in every City commanding them to execute justice without respect of persons He charged them likewise that they should not be corrupted with rewards or seduced by dignity riches or Nobility but that they should do justice indifferently to all men knowing that God seeth
Horse to encounter the like number which shall be drawn out of our Army But alas it is not to be expected since you are not able to raise so great a Force Why therefore delay you Why yield you not to those that are too strong for you and are able even in spight of your resistance to ransack your City whereas you know that a willing submission is alwayes secure contrariwise whereas duty is enforced there wanteth no peril of calamity When both the Ambassadors and the People had heard what the Assyrian had spoken B 2 Kings 19. 1 2. they reported the same to Ezechias who incontinently cast his royal garments off and cloathed himself in sackcloth Ezechias in adversity hath recourse to God he is comforted by Esay discovering his trouble and sorrow in his countenance and casting himself prostrate upon the earth after the manner of their Countrey he besought God to be assistant unto him since all other hope was vain He sent also certain of his friends and some Priests unto the Prophet Esay requiring him to pray unto God That since Sacrifice was offered unto him for publick security it might please him to frustrate the enemies hopes and to have pity and compassion on his people When the Prophet had performed what was required he received an answer from God by which he assured the King and all that were about him foretelling them that the enemies should be overcome without stroke strucken and should retire with shame and not with that advantage which they promis'd to themselves at present because God had already determined C how they should be overthrown He foretold also that Senacherib himself the King of Assyria should fail of his enterprize in Egypt and that upon his return to his own Court he should be slain At that very time the Assyrian wrote Letters to Ezechias in which he called him fool and mad-man to think that he could secure himself from being his slave yea his in especial who had conquered divers and far greater Nations threatning him with utter ruine at such time as he should surprize the City if he opened not the gates of Jerusalem willingly to entertain his Army When Ezechias had read these Letters he set light by them by reason of the confidence he had in God and having opened them he spread them in the Temple And whil'st he renewed his prayers unto God for the salvation of the City and his Subjects Esay the Prophet told him That his D prayer was heard that hereafter likewise they should manure their lands in peace and security and should enjoy their possessions without fear Not long after the King of Assyria having but cold success in his expedition against Egypt turned back again without doing any thing for this cause that ensueth He had lost much time in the siege of Pelusium and at such time as he had already raised certain Bulwarks as high as the Wall so that he wanted nothing but to give the assault News was brought him that Thargises King of Ethiopia A v. 20. ad fin brought an Army to rescue the Egyptians with an intent to take his way thorow the Desart Herodotus of Senacherib and suddenly to charge the Assyrian Army Senacherib troubled with these tydings speedily departed thence with his Army But Herodotus saith That he made War with Vulcans Priests for so he stileth this King of Egypt because he was a Priest of that E false god and moreover addeth Hedio Ruffinus cap. 11. That besieging Pelusium for this cause he gave over the siege The King of Egypt called to his God for assistance by whose power the Arabians suffered much misery But in this also he erreth in that he setteth down the Arabian for the Assyrian There came one night so great a number of Rats into the Army that they gnawed to pieces all their Bowe-strings and made the rest of their Arms unserviceable whence it came to pass that the King being disarmed Ver. 35 36 37. withdrew his siege from Pelusium But Berosus a Writer among the Chaldees The punishment of Senacherib for displeasing God maketh mention of Senacherib and how he reigned among the Assyrians and troubled both Asia and Egypt with War and declareth the manner in these words But Senacherib returning from the Egyptian War came before Jerusalem and received the Army that F was there at the hands of the Governor Rabsake and God caused a pestilent sickness to fall upon his Army which was so violent that the first night of the siege there dyed an hundred fourscore and five thousand men with the Governors and Chieftains With which loss he was so affrighted Paâ—â—icides and troubled that fearing to lose his Army he fled with those that remained and retired himself into his Kingdom to the City called Nineve where after he had lived for a time he was trayterously slain by Adramelech and Selenar his two elder sons and being dead was carried into his own Temple called Arusche and his children were driven out of the Kingdom for committing the murther and retired themselves into Armenia and Asseradochus his youngest son succeeded Senacherib Such was the end of the Assyrian Army that came before Jerusalem G CHAP. II. The year of the World 3241. before Christ's Nativity 733. H Ezechias having for a time remained in peace dieth and leaveth his son Manasses to succeed him KIng Ezechias being in this sort beyond all hope delivered from his fears offered thanksgiving and sacrifices unto God Hedio Ruffinus cap. 3. with all the people acknowledging that there was no other cause that had slain part of his enemies 2 Kings 20. 1 ad 11. and put the rest to mortal fear nor delivered Jerusalem from thraldom but only Gods succour and assistance And whilest he altogether intended and was occupied about the service of God he fell sick I of a grievous disease so as the Physicians despaired of his health and his friends expected nothing but his death But that which occasioned the greatest trouble was that he had no children and saw that he was now to depart the world and to leave his house without a successor Ezechias sickness and the prolongation of his life assured by miracle and his kingdom desolate In this affliction he besought God That it would please him to lengthen his life a little time until he had children to succeed him and that he would vouchsafe that his soul might not be taken from him before he were the father of a son Hereupon God taking compassion of him and the rather because he was not grieved for that the pleasures of his kingdom were taken from him but for that he sought for a lawful heir to succeed him he sent the Prophet Esay unto him to assure him that after three days he should be recovered of his sickness and that after he had lived K some fifteen years more he should
by reason that he flying unto the enemy M menac'd them with the surprizal and utter ruine of their City The King in regard of the natural humanity and justice that was in him was not any wayes hereby provoked against Jeremy Jer. 39. 11 12. yet to the intent that he might not seem utterly to oppose the Governors The reward of godly Preachers in this life he deliver'd the Prophet into their hands to deal with him howsoever they pleased Who having obtained this liberty from the King entred the Prison on the sudden and laying hold on Jeremy they let him down into a Pit full of mud to the intent he might die in that place and be strangled by the filth in effect he was set therein up to the neck But one of the Kings servants an Ethiopian by Nation certifi'd the King of the Prophets affliction assuring him That his Friends and Governors did not justly so to thrust and bury the Prophet in the mud and cursedly to conspire against him N tiring him with bonds and tortures worse than death Whereupon the King hearing this was sorry that he had deliver'd the Prophet to the Governors and commanded the Ethiopian to take 30 men of his Court with him with cords and such other things necessary as might concern the safety of the Prophet charging him with all expedition to deliver him from that captivity Hereupon the Ethiopian furnish'd with men and necessary means drew the Prophet out of the mud and dismiss'd him without any guard That done the King sent for him in private demanding of him If he had any message to deliver him from God Zedechias neglecteth the Prophets good counsel for fear of the Governors praying him to let him understand whatsoever he knew as touching the success of the siege The Prophets answer was That although he should tell him yet it would not be believed and that if he should exhort him he would not give ear or listen unto him O But said he O King thy friends have condemned me to death as if I had been a most wicked Malefactor But where are they now at this present that have deceived thee and born thee in hand The year of the World 3354. before Christ's Nativity 610. saying That the Babylonian would not come and besiege thee Now will I take heed how A I tell thee the truth for fear lest thou condemn me to death Hereupon the King swore unto him That he should not die neither that he would deliver him into the hands of the Governors For which cause Jeremy grounding himself upon the faith which he had plighted unto him counselled the King to yield up the City to the Babilonians because that God had willed him to signifie unto the King that if he would save his life and avoid the imminent danger and save his City from utter ruine and preserve the Temple from burning he should submit or otherwise that none but he should be reputed to be the cause of all those evils that should happen unto the City and Citizens and of that calamity that should confound both him and all his family When the King heard this he told him B That he would do according as he had counselled him and perform whatsoever he thought necessary to be done but that he feared that his Subjects who were already gone over to the King of Babylon would do him ill offices with that King and that by their means he might be accused and deliver'd unto death But the Prophet encourag'd him telling him That his fear was in vain assuring him that he should suffer no evil if so be he yielded up the City and that neither his wife nor children nor the sacred Temple should suffer any mischief Upon these words the King dismissed Jeremy charging him to communicate the counsel that was held between them to no one of the Citizens no not to the Princes if they should ask of him wherefore the King had sent for him advising him to answer if so be they were inquisitive That he resorted to the King to request him that he might be no more imprisoned all which the Prophet performed but they pressed him very much to know C for what cause the King had sent for him CHAP. X. Jerusalem is taken and the People carried into Babylon by Nabuchodonosor MEan-while the Babylonian continued his violent siege against the City of Jerusalem 2 Kings 25. 1. c. and having raised Towers upon certain Bulwarks Jerusalem besieged eighteen months and at length taken he drave away by this means D all those that approached near unto the walls he raised also round about the City divers platforms that equalled the walls in height Mean-while the City was as valiantly and couragiously defended by the Inhabitants for neither Pestilence nor Famine plucked down their spirits And although that within the City they were tormented with these scourges yet were not their resolutions broken nor did the enemies inventions astonish them nor their engines afright them so that all the battel betwixt the Babylonians and Jews seem'd to be a tryal both of valor and art whil'st these do assuredly hope to surprize the City Ver. 5 6 7. and the other thought their safety consisteth herein Zedechias flieth by night and is surprized by the enemy if they ceased not by new inventions to frustrate their enemies endeavors And in this state continu'd they both for the space of 18 months until they were consumed by Famine E and by the darts that were shot against them by those that shot from the Towers At length the City was taken by the Princes of Babylon in the eleventh year of the Reign of Zedechias the ninth day of the fourth month who were put in trust by Nabuchodonosor to manage the siege for he himself made his abode in the City of Reblata Now if any man be desirous to know the names of them that had command at such time as Jerusalem was surpriz'd these they be Nergelear Aremantus Emegar Nabosar and Echarampsor The City being taken about midnight the Princes of the Enemies Army entred into the Temple which when Zedechias understood he took his wives and his children with the Princes and his friends and fled thorow a great valley by the desart which when the Babylonians understood by certain Jews that were revolted and had submitted themselves F unto them they arose early in the morning to pursue them and overtook and surprized them near unto Jericho Whereupon those Princes and friends of Zedechias that had taken their flight with him seeing the Enemies near unto them forsook him and scattering themselves here and there endeavour'd each of them to save himself When therefore the Enemies had apprehended him attended by a few followers only and accompanied by his children and wives they brought him unto the Kings presence who no sooner beheld him but he called him wicked and perfidious and upbraided him
the four Winds of the World He hath written also that from them there shall arise another little one also which as God L who presented the Vision to him told him being grown to perfection should war against the whole Nation of the Jews and take the City by force and confound the Estate of the Temple and hinder the Sacrifices for one thousand two hundred ninety and six days Daniel writeth that he saw these things in the field of Susa and hath declared that God himself told him what that Vision signified which was that the Ram signified the Kingdoms of the Persians and the Medes His Horns signified the Kings that were to Reign in those Kingdoms and that the last Horn signified the last King who should surpass all the rest in Riches and Glory That the Goat signified that there should come a certain King among the Greeks who should fight at two several times with the Persian M and should overcome him in War and afterwards possess the whole Government And that by the great Horn that grew in the forehead of the Goat the first King was represented and how that after he was taken away four other should spring out of it And whereas every one of these turned themselves towards the four corners of the World it was a signe that after the death of the first he should have four successors that should part the Kingdom between them who neither should be his Allies or Children yet such notwithstanding as should command the world for many years That from them there should arise a certain King that should oppose himself against the Hebrew Nation and their Laws and should overthrow their policy spoil their Temple and be a lett that for three years space the Sacrifices should not be solemnized Now so hath it N happened that our Nation hath been so handled under Antiochus the famous as Daniel had foreseen and hath written divers years before all that which should happen At the same time Daniel wrote concerning the Empire of the Romans Daniels Predictions of the Roman Empire how it should destroy our Nation and hath left all these things in writing according as God declared them unto him so that they who read and consider those things that have happened Dan. 9. per totum admire Daniel for the Honour God dignified him with and find thereby that the Epicureans are mistaken who exclude all Divine Providence from intermedling with the concerns of humane life and affirm that God Governeth not the affairs of the World or that the World is ruled by a happy and incorruptible Essence which causeth all things to continue in their Being but say that the world is managed by O it self by casualty without any Conductor or such a one that hath care thereof For if it were so The Epicures error convicted and that it were destitute of a Soveraign Governor as we see Ships destitute of their Pilots to be drowned by the Winds and Chariots that have no Drivers to conduct them The year of the World 3416. before Christ's Nativity 538. to beat one against another even so should it perish and ruinate A it self by such an irregular motion By these things therefore that Daniel hath foretold I judge that they are far estranged from the Truth that affirm that God hath no care of humane affairs for if we see that all things happen casual then happen they not according to his Prophecy The Epicures error convicted But I have written hereof according as I have found and read and if any one will think otherwise let him continue his opinion as long as he pleaseth The Eleventh Book of the Antiquities of the JEWS Written by FLAVIVS JOSEPHVS B The Contents of the Chapters of the Eleventh Book 1. Cyrus King of Persia dismisseth the Jews from Babylon and permitteth them to return into their Countrey and contributeth towards the reparation of the Temple 2. The Kings Governours hinder the building of the Temple C 3. Cambyses commandeth the Jews that they should not build the Temple 4. Darius Hystaspis Son buildeth a Temple for the Jews 5. The bounty of Xerxes Darius Son toward the Hebrew Nation 6. How during Artaxerxes Reign the whole Nation of the Jews were almost extinguished through Amans treachery 7. Bagoses General of Artaxerxes the younger's Army doth much injury to the Jews 8. How bountiful Alexander of Macedon was unto the Jews CHAP. I. D Cyrus King of Persia dismisseth the Jews from Babylon and permitteth them to return into their Countrey and contributeth towards the building of the Temple THE first year of the Reign of Cyrus which was the 70 after that our Nation was translated from Judea to Babylon God had compassion on the captivity and calamity of his afflicted People The end of the Babylonian captivity after 70 years and accomplish'd that which he had foretold by the Prophet Jeremy Ezra 1. per totum before the destruction of the City The Edict of Cyrus King of Persia viz. That after they had served Nabuchodonosor and his posterity E for 70 years he would again restore them to their native Countrey where they should build a Temple and enjoy their former felicity For he awakened the Spirit of Cyrus and put it into his heart to write Letters throughout all Asia to this effect Thus saith King Cyrus since Almighty God hath made me King of the whole world I am perswaded that it is he whom the Jewish Nation do adore for he hath declared my name by his Prophets before I was born and hath said that I should build his Temple in Jerusalem which is in the Countrey of Judea Now Cyrus knew these things by Reading of a Book of Prophecies Esay Chap. 44. Ver. 5. ad 10. written by Esay two hundred and ten years before his time For he saith that God did secretly reveal these things unto F him Chap. 45. Ver. 1. ad 8. speaking to this effect I will that Cyrus whom I have declared King over many Nations shall send my people back into their Countrey of Judea and shall build my Temple Prophecy of Cyrus These things did Esay foretell one hundred and forty years before the ruine of the Temple Cyrus in reading these things being ravished in admiration of the Majesty of God was carried on with a great affection and zeal to finish that which was written He therefore called for all the Men of greatest account among the Jews that were in Babylon and told them that he gave them Licence to return into their Countrey Ver. 3. and to repair the City of Jerusalem Cyrus permitteth the Jews to return into their Countrey to build their Temple and City and to rebuild the Temple of God promising them that he himself would assist them And to that effect he wrote unto his Governnours and Princes of those Countreys that confined upon Judea charging them to
presently from thence to the other side of Jordan Josephs death where he past his life in receiving and gathering the tributes of the Barbarians Onias and after him Simon his Son High Priest In that time Seleucus sirnamed Soter the Son of Antiochus the great reigned in Asia At that time also died Joseph Hircanus Father who was a man of good repute and great courage who established the people of the Jews in a lasting Peace Hedio Ruffinus chaâ— â— and freed them from poverty and many disasters and collected the Tributs of Syria Phoenica and Samaria for the space of twenty two years His Uncle Onias died also about the same time leaving the Priest-hood to his Son Simon after G whose death his Son Onias was made High Priest to whom Arius King of Lacedemon sent an Embassage and letters the copy whereof heareafter ensueth CHAP. V The year of the World 3780. before Christ's Nativity 144. H Arius King of Lacedemon writes to Onias the High Priest to contract an Alliance with the Jews pretending that the Lacedemonians were descended from Abraham Hircanus builds a magnificent Paliace and kills himself for fear of falling into the hands of Antiocus Arius King of Lacedemon The Letter of the King of Lacedemon to the High Priest of the Jews to Onias Health WE have found out a certain writing wherein it is recorded that the Jews and Lacedemonians are of the same race 1 Mac. 12. and both of them desended from Abraham It is I therefore requisite that since we are brethren you let us know wherein we can serve you that we may have one common interest Demoteles our messenger bringeth you our letters written on a square leafe the seal whereof is an Eagle holding a Dragon in her talons Sedition among the people after Joseph's death These were the contents of the Lacedemonians letters After the death of Joseph it came to pass that the people began to mutinie in the quarrel of his Children For the elder brethren made War against Hircanus who was the younger by means whereof the People were divided The greater part of them followed the Elder faction Hircanus afflicteth the Arabians with continual war and the High Priest Simon also by reason of his affinity with them followed their party Whereupon Hircanus resolved to repair no more unto K Jerusalem but fixing his habitation on the other side of Jordan he made continual War against the Arabians Hircanus buildeth a strong Tower slaying a great number of them and taking many prisoners He built an huge Tower of white Marble from the bottome to the top and on it he placed the figures of many living Creatures in sculpture of greatheight About the same he cut a deep trench of water and having hewed the front of the Rock that stood over against the bulding he made divers caves therein many furlongs long He also made divers chambers therein Antiochus Epiphanes King of Syria both to eat and sleep and dwell in He drew thither likewise currents of springing water in so great abundance that it gave much delight to those that dwelt there The Sons of Ptolomey Epiâ—hance philometor and Physcon and great ornament to the whole bulding The mouth of every Cave was so little that but one only man could enter at once which he therefore L made so narrow because they might the better serve for his security and refuge that if so be he were at any time assaulted by his bretheren Hircanus killeth himself he might avoyd the danger of surprisal Moreover he built within his Castle many large halls which he adorned with great and goodly Gardens Hedio Ruffinus chap. 6. and this place thus built was called by him Tyre and is scituate between Arabia and Judaea 1 Mac. 1. on the other side of Jordan not far from the Countrey of Essedon He commanded in this Countrey seven years all that time that Seleucus reigned in Syria After whose death his brother Antiochus sirnamed Epiphanes obtained the Kingdom Ptolomey also King of Egypt who was likewise called Epiphanes died and left two children very young behind him of whom the eldest was called Philometer and the younger Phiscon But when Hircanus perceived that Antiochus grew very powerful M he feared to be punished by him for his incursions made upon the Arabians whereupon he slew himself with his own hands and Antiochus enjoyed all his goods N O H CHAP. VI. The year of the World 3790. before Christ's Nativity 174. Onias sirnamed Menelaus seeing himself excluded from the High-Priesthood retires to Antiochus and renounceth the Religion of his forefathers Antiochus enters Egypt and being ready to make himself Master of it the Romans force him to retire ONias the High-Priest being dead about this time Antiochus gave the Priesthood to Jesus sirnamed Jason his brother For that son unto whom Onias had left the succession Onias sirnam'd Menelaus substituted in his place was as yet very young of whom we will speak in convenient time and I place This Jesus Onias brother was deprived of the Priesthood through the Kings displeasure conceived against him who gave it shortly after to his younger brother called Onias The Wars betwixt Jason and Menelaus For Simon had three sons who as we have declared successively possessed the Priesthood this Jesus caused himself to be called Jason as his other brother caused himself to be called Menelaus Apostates from the Jewish Religion whereas his name was Onias But Jesus who had first of all been established in the place of the High-Priest arose against Menelaus who was elected into the place after him So that the People were divided into Factions and Tobias sons were on Menelaus side but the greater number of the People followed Jason so that Menelaus and the sons of Tobias being much troubled by them retired to Antiochus telling him that they intended to forsake the Religion and Ordinances of their fathers K and to follow that of the King and to live after the manner of the Greeks exhorting him to give them licence to erect a place of Exercises in Jerusalem Which when Antiochus had granted them they so behaved themselves that there appeared no more sign of Circumcision in them so that at such time as they were naked there was no difference between them and the Greeks and neglecting all the ordinances and customs of their own Countrey they conformed themselves to the behaviour and manners of other Nations Antiochus having all things in his kingdom according to his hearts desire resolved to make War upon Egypt he contemned Ptolomy's son age who were not as yet capable to manage their affairs Arriving there near to Pelusium with a great power he circumvented by a stratagem the young Ptolomy Philometor and subdued Egypt for after L he had besieged Memphis Antiochus enforced to depart out of Egypt and taken it
of the Sabbath-day to set upon him hoping that he would not defend himself on that day because of the prohibition of the Law But he contrary to his expectation encouraged his Soldiers and declared unto them how it concerned their lives to be valiant for that it was impossible for them to escape because they were shut up in the midst betwixt the River and the Enemy for they had the Enemy before them and the River on their backs As soon therefore as he had made his Prayer unto his God That it might please him to grant him the victory he set upon the Enemy with great resolution and slew a great number of them and perceiving how Bacchides assaulted him with great fierceness he stretched out his right hand to strike him but he preventing the stroke by stepping aside Jonathan and his companions leapt into the River and so saved E themselves by swimming over to the other side of Jordan because the Enemy durst not pass the Water to pursue them Whereupon Bacchides returned incontinently to the Castle of Jerusalem after he had lost about 2000 of his men After this he fortifi'd divers Cities which were before ruinated namely Jericho Emaus Bethoron Bethella Thamnata Pharathon Techoa and Gazara and built in every of them certain Towers and great and strong Walls and afterwards he planted Garisons therein to sally out upon the Jews and vex them but especially he fortifi'd the Cittadel of Jerusalem in which he kept for hostages the children of the principal men of Judea About that time there came a certain man to Jonathan and his brother Simon bringing them news The Castle of Jerâ—salem 〈◊〉 that the sons of Amareus would solemnize their Nuptials and were to lead F the Bride which was daughter to one of the noblest amongst the Arabians from the City of Gabatha and it was intended that she should be conducted with great magnificence and pomp Jonathan and his brother supposing that a fit opportunity was offer'd them to revenge their brothers death Simon revengeth his brother Johns blood on the sons of Amaraeus and to punish the Medabanes for the wrongs they had done unto their brother they took with them the greatest Forces that they could and marched towards Medaba where they lay in ambush under the side of an hill But when they saw them that led the Bride and accompanied the Bridegroom and a great Troop of their Friends likewise according to the manner of Marriages they brake out of their ambush and put them all to the sword and after they had seized their jewels and all the other booty of that company that follow'd them they retired back again joyfully G having accomplish'd their design and thus revenged they the death of their brother John upon the sons of Amareus For not only these alone but their friends that accompanied H them with their Wives and Children The year of the World 3880. before Christ's Nativity 156. were all of them slain to the number of 400. And in this manner Simon and Jonathan returned into the marshes aforesaid and abode there But Bacchides having fortified all the Garisons of Judea returned back unto the King And at that time the state of the Jews was in peace for the space nigh two years But the wicked Demetrius by the sollicitation of the fugitives sendeth Bacchides against Jonathan with an Army and such as were revolted from the Religion of the Jews seeing that Jonathan and his followers conversed in the Countrey with great assurance by reason of the Peace they sent certain Ambassadors unto King Demetrius requiring him to send them Bacchides who might apprehend Jonathan declaring that it might easily be done and that in one night breaking in upon them he might murther them all before they I were aware When Bacchides by the King's commandment came into Jewry he wrote unto all his Friends Bacchides displeased with the Apostates for that they could not surprize Jonathan killeth 50 of them both Jews and also his other Allies requiring them to lay hold on Jonathan but when by no policy nor prowess of theirs they were able to apprehend him for that Jonathan having notice of their ambushes stood upon his guard Bacchides the Macedonian was displeased with the Apostates and Fugitives objecting against them that they had deceived both the King and him and laying hold on fifty of the principal of them he put them to death But Jonathan and his brother with those of their company Jonathan and his brother besieged in Bethalaga retired themselves into Bethalaga a certain village in the desart for fear of Bacchides in which place he built Towers and Walls to keep his Garison in more security Bacchides having notice of it took the Army that he had with him and those K Jews that were his Confederates and marched forward against Jonathan and approaching those fortifications that were made by him he besieged him for many dayes But Jonathan Jonathan stealing out of the City assaileth Bacchides by night for all his siege and violence was not a whit terrifi'd but stood out valiantly and leaving his brother Simon in the City to make head against Bacchides he secretly stole out and gather'd a great number of Soldiers that favor'd his proceedings and in the night-time couragiously brake into Bacchides Camp and after he had there slain a number of his men Bacchides revengeth himself on the fugitives and is enforced to retreat he gave his brother Simon notice of his coming who as soon as he heard the noise in the Enemies Camp hastily issued forth with his Soldiers and burnt all the Macedonians Engines and made a great slaughter of them Bacchides seeing that he was circumvented by his Enemies and that both before and behind he was pressed L by them being astonished at this so unexpected an encounter was almost out of his wits so much was he troubled at the issue of his siege that fell out altogether contrary to his expectation for which cause he discharged all his choler upon those Apostates supposing he was abused by them who had sent unto the King and had caused him to be sent thither so that he thought of nothing now but raising the siege and returning home with as little dishonour as he could CHAP. II. Jonathan constraineth Bacchides to make peace with the Jews and to depart out of the M Countrey WHen Jonathan knew his intentions 1 Mac. 9. he sent an Ambassador unto him to conclude a Peace betwixt them Bacchides maketh peace with Jonathan with this condition That they should each of them deliver up those Prisoners that were taken on either side Bacchides judging the Proposal to be honourable Jonathan liveth at Macâ—mas punishing the wicked and that a fit occasion was now offered him whereupon he might raise his siege without any disgrace promised Jonathan his friendship so that both of them swore from that time forward
the Jews and their Princes Hircanus and Aristobulus who were at odds the one against the other Aristobulus and Hircanus accused by the Jews before Pompey concerning their particular interests the Jews complained against Hircanus and Aristobulus both and alledged that they would not be governed by Kings because their custom was to obey Gods Priests whom they honoured affirming that these G two brethren who were descended of the race of Priests endeavoured to draw their Nation under a different form of government and to reduce them under slavery Hircanus H complained The year of the World 3902. before Christ's Nativity 62. that being the elder born he had been deprived of his inheritance by Aristobulus and had only but a small portion of the Countrey alotted him because Aristobulus had seized the rest by force He complained likewise of those incursions that both by Land and Sea Aristobulus's followers had endamaged their Frontiers with For the people had not revolted if he had not been a violent and turbulent man To this accusation of his Aristobulus's Apology before Pompey a thousand of the principallest of the Jews drawn on by Antipater's persuasion subscribed But Aristobulus answered That Hircanus was dispossessed of the Kingdom by reason of his incapacity and natural defects alledging for himself That the government was forced on him of necessity lest it should be transported to others he protested that he challenged no other title than that which his father Alexander I had had He brought in also for his Witnesses certain arrogant young men who were hated for their pomp purple Robes their curiosity in painting and curling their Hair and other braveries which they presented not like men that intended to hear a Case decided but rather to shew their vanity After that Pompey had heard them he condemn'd Aristobulus's violence but for that time he dismiss'd them after some favorable and gracious conference promising them that he would come into their Countrey Hedio Ruffinus cap. 6. and determine their differences after he had seen the Region of the Nabatheans commanding them in the meanwhile to live in peace He used Aristobulus likewise very kindly fearing lest he should incense the people and shut up his passage which notwithstanding came to pass For Aristobulus came into the City of Delion and from thence K went into Judea without regarding what Pompey had commanded him CHAP. VI. Pompey is offended at Aristobulus's retreat He marcheth against him Their several meetings without taking any effect POmpey hearing this was very much displeased and taking with him his Army which he had prepared against the Nabatheans with the supplies he had in Damascus and the rest of Syria Pompey marcheth out against Aristobulus besides the other Roman companies that he had he marched forth L against Aristobulus when he had passed Pella and Sâ—â—hopolis he came to Coreas which is the entrance into Judea drawing toward the heart of the Countrey There he found a strong Castle situate upon the top of a mountain called Alexandrion Aristobulus descendeth from his Fortress to confer with Pompey whither Aristobulus was retired He sent to invite him to come and parley with him who persuaded by the counsel of many of his best friends by no means to make War against the Romans Aristobulus delivereth the Fortresses to Pompey's hands came down to him and after he had debated his title with his brother concerning the Kingdom Pompey permitted him to return again into his Castle And this he did two or three times alwayes flattering Pompey through the hope he had of the Kingdom Hedio Ruffinus cap. 7. Meanwhile he retired himself and fortified the place and made preparation for the War lest Pompey should alot the Kingdom to Hircanus Pompey commanded him to M deliver up the fortresses that he held Mithridates King of Pontus slain by his son Pharnaces and to write with his own hand to the Captains of the Garisons who otherwise would not have obeyed him Aristobulus submitted but was so displeased that he repaired to Jerusalem on purpose to make preparations for War Immediately after Pompey marched towards him with his Army and a messenger coming from Pontus brought him news of Mithridates's death who was slain by his son Pharnaces N O CHAP. VII The year of the World 3903. before Christ's Nativity 61. H Aristobulus repents cometh to Pompey and treateth with him But his Soldiers refusing to deliver the money that he had promised and to receive the Romans into Jerusalem Pompey keepeth him Prisoner and besiegeth the Temple where Aristobulus's men were retired POmpey having encamped near Jericho where there was a number of Date-trees and where also groweth that balm which is the most precious Gabinius coming to receive the money Aristobulus had promised hath the City Gates shut against him of all other ointments distilling from a little shrub which is opened and slit by a sharp cutting stone the next morning he marched towards Jerusalem Aristobulus being sorry for his misbehavior came unto him offering him money and promising him to receive I him into Jerusalem he intreated him to lay aside all quarrels and to order all as he thought fit without coming to War Whereupon Pompey pardon'd him and condescended to his request Hedio Ruffinus cap. 8. and sent Gabinius with his Soldiers both to receive the money as also to enter the City Pompey besiegeth Jerusalem but could do neither for Aristobulus's Soldiers would not permit that any promise should be perform'd which Pompey took so ill that after he had committed Aristobulus to Prison he went in person against the City which was strongly fortified on every side except toward the quarter that extendeth Northward which was easie to be beaten down for this side is invironed with a large and deep Valley compassing the Temple which is inclosed with a very strong stone Wall K CHAP. VIII Pompey after a three months siege took the Temple of Jerusalem by assault and forbeareth plundering of it He lessens the Jews power He leaveth Scaurus to command his Army carrieth Aristobulus Prisoner to Rome with Alexander and Antigonus his two sons and his two daughters Alexander maketh his escape out of Prison IN the mean time the City of Jerusalem was divided for some thought good to yield up the City to Pompey Jerusalem partly betrayed partly besieged by Pompey others that were of Aristobulus's faction counselled that the gates should be kept shut and preparation for War should be made because the Romans L detained Aristobulus Prisoner The last prevailing seized the Temple and breaking down the bridge which was betwixt it and the City resolved to stand on their defence But the others not only deliver'd the City into Pompey's hands but the Royal Palace also who sent Piso his Lieutenant thither with his Forces to take possession thereof and to plant his Garisons therein
from angle to angle On the inside and near unto the top there was another wall of stone extended along the Eastern side having a double porch of equal greatness with that of the wall and placed in the midst of the Temple and openeth right upon the gates thereof which the Kings formerly had adorned Round about the L Temple were planted those spoils which were taken from the Barbarians which King Herod had placed there with all those spoils which he had taken from the Arabians In a corner on the North side there stood a very strong Fortress builded by the Asmonians who were Herods predecessours and had been both Kings and High Priests and had imposed a name on that Tower which was Baris in which they kept the Priestly Vesture wherewith the High Priest was wont to be adorned at that time only when he was to offer sacrifice King Herod kept the same in that place and there remained it after his death until the time of Tiberius Caesar under whom Vitellius Governor of Syria came unto Jerusalem where he was entertained by all the people with as great magnificence as was possible and being desirous to acknowledge the favour that he had received M at their hands being requested by them that they might have the keeping of the High Priests Ornaments he wrote unto Tiberius Caesar to grant them that favour and till the death of King Agrippa the Jews had the same in their possession But after that Agrippa was dead Cassius Longinus that governed Syria and Cuspius Fadus Lieutenant of Judaea commanded the Jews to return the same into the Fortress Antonia saying That the Romans ought to be Lords thereof as they had been in times past For which cause the Jews sent Embassadors to Claudius Caesar to request his favour therein who arriving at Rome found the young King Agrippa there who besought the Emperor that it might be lawful for him to have the keeping of the habit who commanded Vitellius the Governour of Syria to deliver it into his hands It was formerly kept under the N seal of the High Priest and the custody of the Treasurers and on the Eve of a certain solemn Feast the Treasurers went up to the Captain who kept the Fortress for the Romans and after they had opened their seal they took the habit and after the Feast was past they returned it back again unto the same place and shut it up under the same seal in the presence of the Captain After that Herod had in this manner builded this strong Tower for the security and guard of the Temple The Tower of Antonia he called it Antonia for the love of Antonius his friend and one of the chiefest men in Rome In the Western part of this porch there were four gates whereof the one opened upon the Kings Palace to which there was a direct way thorow the midst of the valley the two others led unto the suburbs and the fourth O opened upon the rest of the City and gave open passage unto the same by the means of a number of stairs by which men might descend to the foot of the valley and from thence there was an ascent by other stairs to ascend upwards For the City was scituate opposite to the Temple after the manner of a Theater which ended at this valley on the South side The year of the World 3955. before Christs Nativity 9. where on the very front of this square there was also another A gate in the middle equally distant from both corners and a stately Tripple Gallery the length whereof extended from the oriental valley as far as the Western It was impossible to extend it any further for it took up all the space This work was one of the most famous pieces that was ever seen under the Sun For the depth of the valley was so great that it was impossible for a man to see the bottom if he looked downward from the higher part and notwithstanding on the same he erected this porch of so great a height The porch builded aloft above the valley that but to look from the top thereof and to consider the depth as well of the Valley as the height of the Porch it would make a man giddy and his eye could not pierce unto the bottom of the same Those Galleries B were supported by four ranks of Pillars equally distant and a strong stone wall filled up the spaces that were between the pillars of the fourth rank the thickness of the pillars was such that one was as much as three men could fathom holding one another by the hand for each of them was twenty and seven foot about with a double base at the bottom The whole number of them was one hundred sixty and two they were engraven and damaskt with Corinthian work so that it moved admiration in those that beheld it Betwixt these four ranks of pillars there were three Porches containing in breadth each of them thirty foot and in length a stade or furlong and more than fifty foot in height That in the midst was in breadth once and half as much as these two and in height twice as much The floor was made of rare planks C engraven with divers figures and the roof thereof was far higher than any of the rest in which were certain huge beams morteised on which there were certain pillars builded united and joyned so together that it is incredible to those that have not seen it The inward court into which and no further the Jews might enter and admirable to him that beholdeth it for all the work seemed to be but one stone Such was the fashion of the circuit of the first Porch In the midst and not far off from the other stood the second whereunto there was an ascent made with few steps It was inclosed with a separation of stone with an Inscription forbidding any stranger to enter the same upon pain of death This inward porch both to the Southward and the Northward had three gates in rank equidistant the one from the other and toward the eastward had one great gate by which those D men entred who were cleansed with their wives For beyond that place it was not lawful for the women to have access But the third inward space was onely accessible by the Priests In it was the Temple and within it the Altar on which they were wont to offer up sacrifices unto God But Herod durst not enter into the interiour Sanctuary because he was not a Priest he committed that Fabrick to the Priests care which they accomplished in a year and a halfs time Herod had been eight years about the rest The dedication of the Temple The people were replenished with the fulness of joy and every one gave thanks unto God for that the whole Work was finished so speedily and wished all happiness to the King for his cost and diligence in the execution and
advertised of Antipater's Conspiracies AFter Pheroras's death Hedio Ruffinus chap. 5. two of his Freemen who were Taphnites by birth and such as Pheroras in his life time Pheroras's Free-men accuse his Wife for poysoning him both only trusted and dearly loved came unto Herod requiring him not to suffer his Brother's death to pass unpunished but to O make diligent enquiry of that unfortunate and unexpected disastre Herod gave ear to their suit perceiving that the matters they importuned him in were likely and very A credible Whereupon they told him that Pheroras the day before his unexpected sickness had supt with his Wife and that having received an unaccustomed Poyson with his meat he was dead That this Poyson had been brought thither by a woman of Arabia who in her speech protested that it was some Potion to encrease love but in effect it was to bring Pheroras to his end For the women of Arabia amongst all others are skilful in Poysons and are great Sorcerers and she that was charged with this fact was esteemed a great friend and favourer of Syllaeus's best beloved That Pheroras's Mother and his Wife's Sister went into those Quarters on purpose to buy that Poyson and returned back and brought this woman with them the day before the Supper Herod tortureth the Ladies Bond-women and soundeth out Antipater's and their secrets The King moved by these words of theirs tortured both those Maid-servants B of theirs who were their Bond-women as also certain other of their free servants Now when the fact could not be extorted by reason that none of them confessed it at length she that was last of all put to her tryal overcome by the pains she endured said nothing else but that she prayed God that Antipater's Mother might feel the like torments since she was the cause of all these mischiefs which they endured These words of hers made Herod the more eager and inquisitive so that by force of tortures he wrought out all the secrets of these women their Banquets their secret Assemblies and those very words that Herod had spoken apart betwixt his Son and himself which had been reported unto the women that Pheroras entertained namely C that he would give him one hundred Talents provided that he would use no conference with Pheroras Moreover they reckoned up the hatred that Antipater bare unto his Father the complaints that he made unto his Mother of the too long life and continuance of his Father for that in regard of himself he was already grown old so that although the Kingdom should fall into his hands presently yet he could receive but very little contentment thereby Moreover he alledged that divers Brothers and Brothers Children were brought up together with him so that he might not securely hope for any thing for that already if he should fortune to die the Kingdom was to descend not to his Son but to his Brother Besides this he was accustomed to accuse the King of divers cruelties committed by him and of that murther which he executed D upon the persons of his Children That for fear lest he should practice his Tyranny against those that remained Antipater had found out the device to be summoned to Rome and Pheroras withdrew himself into his Tetrarchy These words which as he knew had reference to that which his Sister had often informed him of were not by him held incredible so that being pressed with the malice of Antipater Herod thrusted Doris Antipater's Mother out of his Palace he sequestred Doris his Mother from his presence robbing her before her departure of all her Jewels which were valued at many Talents and from that time forward he shewed himself more favourable towards those women of Pheroras's houshold But nothing did more whet Herod's displeasure against Antipater than did a certain Samaritan Antipater the Samaritan declareth how Antipater the King's Son had provided Poyson for his Father who was also called Antipater who had the ordering of E the Affairs of Antipater the King's Son For he being brought in question and tortured declared among other things that Antipater had mixed a mortal Poyson and delivered the same to Pheroras his Uncle commanding him to practice the King's death in his absence and by that means least suspected That this Poyson was brought out of Egypt by one called Antiphilus Antipater's friend That it was sent to Pheroras by one called Theudion Antipater's Mother's Brother That this Poyson was kept by Pheroras's Wife Pheroras's Wife confesseth that she hath the Poyson and casts her self down headlong from the Roof and was committed by her Husband to her custody She being examined by the King hereupon confessed no less and hasting forth as if she intended to fetch the same she cast her self down headlong from the top of the house yet she did not kill her self because she fell upon her feet After she was recovered out of her swoun and the King F had promised all security both to her self and her Family if so be she would discover the truth and contrariwise threatned her with extreme torments if she obstinately continued in concealing these Treasons She sware she would discover all things according as they were acted and as many men thought at that time she told nothing but the truth That Poyson said she was brought by Antiphilus out of Egypt and bought there by the means of a Brother of his who was a Physician After this Theudion brought it to our house and I having received it from Pheroras 's hands kept the same but bought by your Son Antipater to poyson you that are his Father Now therefore after that my Husband fell sick and you in kindness came to visit and comfort him he being moved with compassion and conquered by your brotherly kindness G and by your good affection and loving care in giving order for his health called me unto him and said Oh Wife Antipater hath circumvented me whilst by his pestilent counsels and poysoning practices he desireth to cut off his Father and deprive me of a kind Brother Now therefore since I perceive there is no part of my Brother's love and H natural affection diminished towards me wherewith he was wont to entertain me and that my last hour of life approacheth God forbid that being ready to sleep with my Fore-fathers I should present them with a Ghost soil'd and sweltered in my Brother's blood Dispatch therefore and burn this poyson before mine eyes Hereupon said she I presently brought it forth according as my Husband commanded me and burnt the greatest part of the Poyson and the rest I have reserved that if after my Husband's death your Majesty should use me unkindly it might serve me to escape those extremities that would betide me After she had spoken thus she brought forth before them the Poyson and the box wherein it was kept The year of the World 3962. before Christ's Nativity 2. After her
that by detesting their malice thou mightest insinnate N thy self into the favour of their Father and thine that afterwards thou mightest more cunningly and securely bring him to his end which at length thou hast attempted to perform For whilst thou adjudgest thy guilty Brothers to death and sparest their Confederates thou makest it manifest in all men's eyes that thou hast a kindness for them whose assistance thou mightest hereafter use in oppressing thy Father Thou hast therefore enjoyed a double pleasure the one openly as if rejoycing and glorying that by thy Brother's death thou hast atchieved a matter of honour the other secretly with endeavouring by greater wickedness but more secret fraud to make an end of thy Father the revenger of whose injuries thou pretendest to be For if thou hadst truly detested their malice thou hadst never esteemed the same to be worthy of thy imitation for thou hadst not cut them off for committing O such Capital offences as were answerable unto thine but for that they had a more just Title to succeed in the Kingdom than thou hast And thou hast thought good to mix the A murther of thy Father with the massacred bodies of thy Brothers lest thou shouldst be suddenly convinced in thy conspiracies against them and to the end that the punishment that thou well deservest to suffer should light upon thy infortunate Father projecting with your self such a parricide and so unusual and hainous a murther that to this day the like thereof hath not been heard of amongst men For thou being his Son hast practised these Treasons not only against thy Father but against him that loved thee above measure and did thee good beyond expectation with whom thou hast actual participation of the Government of the Kingdom and who had appointed thee his Heir in the same being no ways hindered either for the present or in times past to participate the pleasure of Soveraignty and being assured of the hope of Succession both by the will and writing of thy B Father But you have measured the course of your affairs not according to Herod's virtue but according to your own appetite and malice intending to deprive such a Father of his part who granted you the whole and seeking in effect to murther him whom in words you pretended heretofore to protect from injury And not content your self to practise these treacheries you have infected your Mother also with no less corruption and instead of love that should have been amongst Brethren you have filled your Family with mutinies and hatreds And besides all these things thou hast been so audacious as to call thy Father beast being of thy self more malignant than those beasts which are most venomous using thine own venom against thy dearest friends and such as have best deserved at thy hands strengthening thy self with his Guard and divers treacheries both of men and C women against one old man as if thy cursed mind alone were not sufficient to satisfie thy hatred And now after so many men and women Slaves and Freemen tortured for thy cause after the open and manifest testimonies of thy parties in the conspiracy thou art so impudent as yet to contradict the truth and thou that lately hopedst to deprive thy Father of his life doest now as much as in thee lieth endeavour to abolish that Law that was instituted against Malefactors in thy kind and herewithal O Varus equity and all whatsoever is Justice in the world Dost thou therefore accuse them of falshood who were examined in torments to the end thou mightest endanger their credit who were the preservers of thy Fathers life Shall we believe thee more than them in their torments Wilt thou not O Varus deliver the King from the injury of those who are his own flesh and D blood Wilt thou not put this wicked beast to death who hath murthered his Brothers to pretend a love towards his Father and who hath at last been discovered to be the most mortal enemy of them all to the intent that at one instant he might establish the Kingdom in himself Thou knowest that Parricide is no private crime Parricide that publick injury of life and nature but a publick injury to life and nature which is no less loathsome in the thought than it is in the act which whoso punisheth not is of himself guilty of an injury offered to our common mother nature After these Speeches he added certain points concerning Antipater's Mother which through feminine frailty had been blabbed out by her to wit that she had asked counsel of Soothsayers and Conjurers to whom the Kingdom should befall and E that she had offered Sacrifices and made Prayers for the death of the King And moreover he declared what lascivious pranks Antipater had played with Pheroras's women in banqueting and amorous and wanton dalliances The informations likewise that were presented by such as were tortured with sundry testimonies of divers men some suborned the other found out to be immediately produced and confirmed For each man seeing that Antipater was exposed to the accusations of those men who had the Government in their hands and that the good fortune that had long accompanied him had openly delivered him into the hands of his enemies they immediately discovered the insatiable hatred which they had conceived against him whereas before the fear that they had of him enforced them to be silent yet he F was not so much burdened with other mens hatreds as with his own wickedness namely his deadly hatred against his Father his breach of amity amongst his Brethren whereby he filled the Kings Houshold with seditions and murthers of some complotted and acted by others neither giving place to hatred according to Justice nor to amity according to good affection but according as it might stand with his profit Which because divers men perceived long before that time they judged of events according as they had reason and the rather because that being void of hatred they spake but their opinions And whereas heretofore they had cried with a loud voice against him at such time as they were shut up at this time when they were deprived of their fear they declared all things that they knew And whereas there G were produced divers of the mischiefs committed by him Antipater accused by all men yet there seemed nothing to be feigned for that the accusers neither spake in favour of the King neither concealed any thing for fear of danger but condemned all Antipater's wicked actions and judged him worthy of death and punishment The year of the World 3962. before Christ's Nativity 1. not so much for his Fathers security as H for his own demerit Neither did they only accuse him who were by justice tied thereunto but divers voluntary witnesses also brought in their evidence so that although he was a very cunning dissembler and colourer of his lies and most impudent in their assertions yet he
you that it will please you to give order that that Statue which you have charged Petronius to erect in the Temple of the Jews may never be put there This was Agrippa's request to the Emprour knowing very well how dangerous a matter it was and as much as concerned his life to demand any such thing at Caius's hands that was not answerable to his humour Caius on the one side moved O with the service Agrippa had done him and on the other side seeing how great an indignity it should be for him if before such an Assembly of Witnesses he should deny A that which he had so instantly pressed Agrippa to request as if suddenly he had repented himself and admiring Agrippa's virtue who having an opportunity in a moment to augment his particular Estate either by Revenues or other Commodities had preferred the Common Cause the Laws of his Countrey and Piety before all these he granted him his Supplication and wrote to Petronius praising him for that he had used such diligence in assembling his Army as also for all that whereof he had given him notice adding these words If said he you have already erected the Statue which I commanded you let it remain in the place but if it be not done be thou no more troublesome to the Jews but dismiss thine Army and repair thou in person to that place whither I have sent thee For I urge no more the erection of the Statue for the desire that I have to B gratifie Agrippa whom I entirely honour and in such sort as it is impossible for me to contradict any thing whatsoever that either he hath need of or shall require These were the Contents of those Letters which Caius wrote to Petronius before he understood that the Jews were like to revolt for they made it known that rather than they would endure the Statue they would hazard a War against the Romans Which when Caius understood he was extreamly troubled and being a man addicted to all villany and averse to all honesty and who gave place to no good counsel after he had conceived a displeasure against any man and who likewise thought it a great happiness for him to accomplish all that whatsoever he pleased he wrote again to Petronius Caius writeth to Petronius charging him to murther himself for neglecting his Command to this effect Since the Presents which the Jews have given thee have more prevailed C with thee than my Commands have done so that to please them thou hast despised that which I have enjoyned thee I make thy self the Judge how much thou hast deserved to incurr my displeasure to the end that thou mayest serve for an example to all those who shall come after thee that an Emperour's Commands ought not in any sort to be neglected Although this Epistle was both written and sent yet Petronius received it not during Caius's life time for they that carried it were stayed with cross Winds so that Petronius received those Letters that assured him of Caius's death before he received the other For God would not forget Petronius who exposed himself to great dangers for the love of the Jews and the honour of God And Caius being taken out of the world by God's wrath being kindled against him by reason that he affected Divine D honour received his reward and Petronius obtained favour both at Rome and through all the whole Government and especially among the principal Senators against whom Caius was accustomed to vomit up his cholerick Revenges He died a little after he had written the Letter to Petronius by which he threatned and denounced him death Hereafter I will declare the cause why he was taken out of this world and the manner how Treason was plotted against him Petronius receives Letters of Caius death before those whereby he was commanded to kill himself The Letter that brought the tidings of Caius's death was delivered to Petronius first and presently after he received that wherein he enjoyned him to kill himself He highly rejoyced at this his good luck and Caius's death and admired God's Providence who speedily and happily had rewarded him both for the honour that he bare unto his Temple and also for having E assisted the Jews Behold how Petronius escaped from death by an unexpected Providence CHAP. XII Two Jews called Asinaeus and Anilaeus both Brothers and of a mean extraction become so powerful near Babylon that they give enough to do to the Parthians Their Actions their Death The Grecians and Syrians who lived in Seleucia F unite against the Jews and kill fity thousand of them unawares IN those days there happened a grievous Commotion amongst those Jews that inhabited Mesopotamia and Babylon Hedio Ruffinus chap. 16. alias cap. 20. and such Slaughters and Calamities as never the like hath been declared in our former Narrations A grievous Commotion among the Jews in Mesopotamia and Babylon which in regard I intend to report both particularly and seriously I will rip up the whole cause thereof from its first Original There was a City called Nearda belonging to Babylon stored with Inhabitants and enriched with many fruitful Possessions sufficient to sustain so great a multitude Moreover it was such as might be hardly invaded by the Enemy both for that the River Euphrates surrounded it and also for that it was fortified with G very strong Walls Upon the same River also there stood another City called Nisibis in which the Jews in respect of the strength of the place kept their Dragma which they were accustomed to offer unto God and the rest of their Votive money These two Cities therefore served them for two Store-houses The year of the world 4003. after Christs Nativity 41. and from thence according H as time required they sent the money they had gathered to Jerusalem and committed the Convoy thereof to divers thousands of men for fear it should be taken away by the Parthians who at that time had the Soveraignty in Babylon Among these Jews lived Asinaeus and Anilaeus two Brothers born in Nearda whose Father being dead Asinaeus and Anilaeus born in Nâ—arda retire into a certain place and great Companies flock unto them their Mother bound them to the Weavers trade for amongst those Nations it was accounted no indignity to follow that trade for both men and women exercise themselves therein It happened that their Master with whom they learn'd their occupation beat them one day for that they came somewhat late unto their work They taking this chastisement of his as if a great injury had been done unto them betook themselves to their weapons whereof there were great store in that I house and retired themselves into a place where the River divideth it self into two parts which naturally aboundeth with excellent pastures and such fruits as were reserved for the winter To these men there flocked a number of needy persons whom they armed
long time before any of them premeditated the same after what sort it should be attempted and he also was the first that durst boldly impart it unto others and who after they had allowed of his resolution assembled them and when every one was to speak his opinion he concluded the same very discreetly and had always done far more than the rest so that by his earnest and honourable perswasions he encouraged those that were faint-hearted since at such time as the opportunity presented it self to set hand to the execution M he was the first that attempted it and who valiantly struck and made an easie way to the rest who found Caius calm enough for he was almost dead For which cause it is necessary that all which others have done should be ascribed to Chaereas advice vertue and diligence Thus died Caius being struck with many mortal wounds Now when Chaereas and his Companions had dispatched him they perceived well that it would be impossible for them to save themselves if so be they should return by the way that they came so much were they ravished with that which they had done For they drew themselves into no small danger by murthering an Emperour who was cherished and beloved through the folly of the common people and whose death the Soldiers would not N leave unpunished Now in that the ways were narrow where the murther was done and they themselves also were hindred by reason of the great number of people and Officers and Soldiers that gave their attendance that day in guarding the Emperour they took another way Chaereas with his Confederates retireth into Germanicus house and retired themselves into Germanicus's lodging who was Caius's Father whom they had lately killed This house adjoyned unto the Palace For although the Palace was but one yet consisted it of divers lodgings which were builded by several Emperours whose names whether they had begun or finished the works were imposed upon the same Buildings When therefore they had escaped from the press they were in safety as long as the inconvenience that had befallen the Emperour was yet hidden The Germans Caesars Guard The first report of his death came to the Germans O who were of his Guard being a Company chosen out of that Nation named the Celtique Band for the preservation of the Emperours Person These men A are very prone unto wrath and amongst all other Barbarians it is a rare thing in them to examine the causes of their execution otherwise they are men strong in body and who in the Wars always give the first onset yielding great advantage to those on whose side they fight They having notice of Caius murther were vehemently grieved thereat for that it is their manner to censure all things not according to right but as they were answerable to their own profits Caius especially was dearly beloved by them for he had obtained their favour by bestowing much money upon them Their Captain was one called Sabinus who was not advanced to that dignity either for his virtue or for the Nobility of his Ancestors for he was but a Fencer but for his mighty strength and huge body They therefore ran about with B their naked swords searching for Caesars murtherers from house to house Sabinus with his German Souldiers seeketh for those that slew 〈◊〉 and meeting with Asprenas at first whose Gown as we have said was bebloodied with the blood of the sacrifice which was a presage that boded him but little good fortune they hewed him in pieces The second was Norbanus who for his Nobility and Ancestors might derive his Titles from the noblest Citizens amongst whom were divers Generals of Armies who seeing they made no reckoning of his Dignity Asprenas cut in pieces and being of himself endowed with great force and strength Norbanus he took a sword from one of them which first assailed him with whom he grapled and made them know that he intended they should buy his blood very dearly â—nd indeed so had he done but that being environed by divers who assailed him at once he was beaten C down Anteius and struck with many deadly wounds The third was Anteius one of the number of the Senators who with some others met not with these men by chance as the two other had done but to shew the hatred that he bare unto Caius and the pleasure that he took to see him lye dead was come out of his house being egged on with envy to feed his eyes with that spectacle For Caius had banished Anteius Father whose name likewise was Anteius and not content therewith he had sent his Souldiers to kill him He therefore with great pleasure beheld the carcase of this Tyrant but hearing the uproar that was raised in every part of the house he thought good to hide himself yet could he not avoid the narrow search of the Germans who were so displeased that they killed all they met whether they were D guilty or guiltless of the fact Thus were these three made away But after the rumour of Caius death was heard in the Theatre What sort of people they were that lamented Caius death every one was amazed and could scarcely believe it For although divers of them were very glad that he was taken out of the world perswading themselves that it would highly profit them yet did their fear hinder their belief On the other side there were some who desiring not that any such mishap should befal Caesar and conceiving in their thoughts that it was impossible to be done for that there was no men so bold as to attempt it they supposed the report to be altogether false Of this mind were certain women and children slaves and souldiers These by reason they received wages at his hand tyrannized with him being his ministers in all those abuses that he E offered to many good Citizens in partaking the booty and other advantages that Caius drew unto him As for the Women and Children they were of that opinion by reason that such kind of people take delight in Plays Jests Donations of flesh and other such Pastimes which Caius in word pretended to do to gratifie the common people but in effect it was to have means to satisfie his rage and cruelty He was also gracious among the servants and slaves for that by him they had liberty to accuse and contemn their Masters and were therein countenanced by Caius For when they falsly accused their Masters they were easily believed and when they discovered their Masters treasures in recompense of their discovery they were not only made free by him but also sent home with rich and ample rewards For the reward that F was assigned them was the eighth part of those goods that were confiscated As for certain of the Nobility although the matter seemed true to some of them for that before they were privy to that which the rest intended and notwithstanding
acts and gests of Monobazus during his reign But during Fadus Government in Judaea Theudas perswadeth the people that with a word he will cause Jordan to divide it self yield them passage he with his followers are slain a certain Magician called Theudas perswaded a great number of the people to take all their goods and substance and to follow him to the River of Jordan for he said he was a Prophet and told them that the River should divide it self into two parts upon his commandment and yield them free passage By these words of his he deceived divers of them But Fadus sent some troops of Horse who charged them on the sudden and killed a great number of them and took divers of them Prisoners alive amongst whom was Theudas O whose head was stricken off and was afterwards carried to Jerusalem This is that which befel the Jews under Fadus's Government A CHAP. III. The year of the World 4010. after Christ's Nativity 48. Tiberius Alexander succeeds Fadus in the Government of Judaea and Cumanus succeeds Alexander Herod King of Chalcis's death his Children Claudius the Emperour giveth his Dominions to Agrippa AFter Fadus Hedio Ruffinus chap. 5. alias chap. 8. succeeded Tiberius Alexander the Son of that Alexander who had been Governour of Alexandria a man of as great Riches as any one of his time and place Tiberius Alexander Governour of Judaea who surpassed likewise his Son Alexander in piety who forsook the Religion B of his Forefathers At that time there hapned a great Famine in Jewry during which Queen Helena sent huge summs of money into Egypt and bought Corn and distributed the same to those that were in want James and Simon the Sons of Judas of Galilee crucified according as I have said before At the same time James and Simon the Sons of Judas of Galilee who had busied themselves to incite the people to resist the Government of the Romans were put to death at such time as Cyrenius valued each man's Goods as we have heretofore declared These did Alexander command to be crucified The year of the World 4011. after Christ's Nativity 49. Herod King of Chalcis took away the Sovereign Priesthood from Joseph the Son of Camydas and transferred it to Ananias the Son of Nebedaeus After Tiberius Alexander succeeded Cumanus The died Herod who was Brother to King Agrippa the Great in the eighth year of Claudius Caesar He left behind C him three Sons Aristobulus whom he had by his first Wife Bernicianus and Hircanus by Bernice his Brother's Daughter Claudius Caesar gave this Kingdom to Agrippa the younger During the time that Cumanus governed there happened a Sedition in Judaea whereby divers Jews miscarried The cause of all which accidents I will rip up from the Original CHAP. IV. The horrid Insolence of a Roman Soldier causeth the death of twenty thousand Jews D Another Soldier 's Insolence AT the time of the Feast of Pascha during which time the Jews are accustomed to feed on unleavened bread a great number of people assembled themselves from all parts Hedio Ruffinus chap. 9. to the City of Jerusalem Alias 10. Whereupon Cumanus fearing lest by this occasion there should arise some Commotion he gave order that a Company of his Souldiers should be armed and should keep their Guard in the Porches of the Temple to the end if any trouble should happen they might repress it Those Governours who had been his Predecessors had done the like in such manner of Assemblies It came to pass In the Feast of Pascha a certain Soldier shewing his Privy Members moveth a Sedition among the people whereby twenty thousand Jews lost their lives on the fourth day of the Feast that a certain Soldier discovering those Privities E which were undecent to be seen shewed them before the people wherewith they that beheld the same were much displeased and provoked saying that the dishonour was not done to them but to God And some of the boldest of them uttered certain speeches against Cumanus saying that the Soldier was set on by him which when Cumanus understood he was in like manner grievously offended in regard of those injuries yet exhorted those whom he saw too forward to keep the Peace for fear lest a Sedition should arise during the time of the Feast And seeing they would no ways obey him but contrariwise they ceased not to injure and revile him he commanded that all the Forces he had should be in Arms and retire themselves into the Fort of Antonia that was near unto the Temple as we have heretofore declared F The people seeing the armed Soldiers were afraid and began to fly and because the places thorough which they issued were but narrow they imagined that they were pursued by their enemies so that they thrust on one another in their flight and divers of them were thronged to death Stephen Caesar's Servant robbed in his Journey for which cause Cumanus spoileth the Villages near to the place where the Robbery was done In this mutiny there died twenty thousand men and after this instead of a Feast there was nothing but mourning and without bethinking themselves of their Prayers and Sacrifices all of them began to weep and lament So great a mischief sprung from the insolence of one Soldier This first lamentation was scarcely finished before a second succeeded the same For some of those who had a part in this Mutiny being about a hundred stades from the City robbed one Stephen that was Caesar's Servant in the High way and took from him all that G which he had Which when Cumanus understood he presently sent some of his Soldiers to spoil those Villages which were nearest to the place where the Fact was committed and to bring the chiefest Inhabitants thereof in Bonds unto him In this pillage a certain Soldier found a Book of the Law of Moses in one of those Villages which he H took and brought and before them all tore it in pieces with horrid Blasphemies and vile speeches against the Law and whole Nation The Jews understanding hereof suddenly assembled themselves in great numbers and ran to Caesarea where Cumanus kept for that present A certain Soldier teareth the Books of Moses's Law and therefore is beheaded by Cumanus's commandment requiring him that he would revenge not their cause but God's whose Law was on that sort dishonoured signifying unto him that it was impossible for them to live so long as their Law was thus contemned Cumanus fearing lest a second mutiny and uproar should be raised among the people by counsel of his Friends cut off the Soldier 's head who had committed that Crime against the Law and by this means appeased the Sedition that was ready to take head I CHAP. V. A great Quarrel between the Jews of Galilee and the Samaritans who bribe Cumanus Governour of Judaea Quadratus Governour of Syria
due justice on those whom he found guilty of that sedition Claudius favourably gave ear to this request and hearing the whole matter he found that the Samaritans were the first Authors of all those mischiefs and caused them to be put to death who came before him to plead and banished Cumanus he gave order also that Captain Celer should be sent back to Jerusalem and that there in sight of all the people he should be dragged about the City until he died He sent Claudius E Foelix Pallas Brother to govern Judaea In the twelfth year of his Reign Hedio Ruffinus cap. 2. aliàs 13. he gave Agrippa Philip's Tetrarchy with Batanea and besides that added thereunto Trachonitis and Abila which in time past appertained to Lysanias Tetrarchy Claudius Felix Governour of Judea taking from this the Province of Chalcis which he had governed for the space of four years After that Agrippa had obtained this gift at Caesar's hands he married his sister Drusilla to Azizus King of the Emessenians who consented to be circumcised Drusilla because Epiphanes King Antiochus Son would not give ear unto the marriage for that he refused to entertain the Religion of the Jews although in times past he had promised his Father no less Mariamne He gave Mariamne to Archelaus Chelcias Son who by her Fathers consent was formerly promised him on whom he begat a F Daughter called Bernice A little after this the Marriage of Azizus and Drusilla was broken off on this occasion following Felix getteth Drusilla from her husband When Felix governed Jewry he saw Drusilla and fell in love with her she surpassing all other women in Beauty He therefore sent a certain Magician called Simon who was born in Cyprus and one of his greatest friends among the Jews who perswaded her to forsake her first Husband and to marry Felix giving her to understand that she should be happy if she refused not this match She unadvised and resolved to rid her self from the hatred which her Sister Bernice bare towards her who hated her in regard of her beauty and for this cause ceased not to injure her condescended to forsake the Religion of the Jews and to marry Felix by whom she had a Son called Agrippa whose death hereafter I will G declare and how in the Emperour Titus's his time he died and was burned in the fire of the Mountain Vesuvius with his Wife Bernice remained a Widow very long after Herod's death who was both her Uncle and her Husband and the report was that she had the company of her Brother At length she wrought so much that H Polemon King of Cilicia caused himself to be circumcised to the end he might marry her purposing by that means to make it known how falsly she had been accused Whereunto Polemon gave ear because she was rich But this Marriage continued not any long time Polemon King of Cilicia marrieth Bernice For Bernice through her impudency as it is reported abandoned Polemon who giving over that Marriage forsook also the Religion of the Jews At the same time Mariamne having forsaken Archelaus her Husband married Demetrius one of the chiefest Jews that were in Alexandria Mariamne scorning Archelaus marrieth Demetrius 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 Governour of Arabia She caused the Son she had by him to be called Agrippinus But of all this I will speak more exactly hereafter I The Emperor Claudius died after he had reigned thirteen years Hedio Ruffinus cap. 10. aliàs 15. eight moneths and twenty days Some say that he was poysoned by Agrippina his wife the daughter of Germanicus Claudius's Brother She was first married to Domitius Aenobarbus one of the greatest men of Rome after whose death and long Widowhood she was at length married to Claudius Agrippina Messalina and Paetina Claudius 's Wives into whose house she brought her Son called Domitius by his own Fathers name Claudius had put Messalina his wife to death for the jealousie he had of her although he had had children by her namely Britannicus and Octavia And for his daughter Antonia who was eldest of all his children and begotten on Paetina one of his former Wives she was married to Nero whom Claudius so named and adopted for his Son Agrippina fearing lest Britanicus growing to mans K estate should succeed his Father in the Empire and desirous to make her own Son Emperour as is reported she left nothing unattempted that might bring her Husband to his death an presently sent Burrus who was General of the Army with some other Captains Nero Emperor and those of the greatest power among his free-men to bring Nero into the field and to proclaim him Emperour He being thus established in the Empire caused Britannicus to be secretly poysoned and not long after this he openly caused his Mother to be put to death yielding her this recompence not only for that she had born him in her womb but also because by her means he had obtained the Empire The year of the World 4019. after Christ's Nativity 57. He likewise murthered Octavia his wife the Emperor Claudius's daughter and divers other Noble men under colour of some Conspiracy intended against L him But I will not prosecute this matter for that there are divers who have writ Nero's History Nero a tyrant of whom some have no regard of the truth but have spoken at their pleasure Nero's tyranny for that he had been their Benefactor others transported with hatred and despite against him having not been ashamed to punish such impudent lies against his renown that they deserve to be condemned Neither do I wonder that they have invented so many lyes against Nero considering that in those Histories which they wrote of the former Emperours they have not studied to speak truth although they had not any occasion to hate them considering that they lived a long time after their death For my own part I am resolved never to deviate from the truth contenting my self to touch only by the way those things that concern my M purpose neither will I treat in particular but of what relateth to my Country without dissembling our own faults any more than the afflictions that they brought upon us I will therefore return to the discovery of our affairs Azizus King of Emesene being dead the first year of the Emperour Nero's reign his Brother obtained the Kingdom Aristobulus the son of Herod King of Chalcis had the Government of the lesser Armenia from Nero who gave Agrippa a certain portion of Galilee commanding those of Tiberias and Tarichaea to live under him Besides this he gave him Julias situate beyond Jordan with fourteen Burroughs near adjoyning thereunto N CHAP. VI. Foelix Governour of Judaea causeth Eleazar the High Priest to be murthered and his
The strife between the High Priests and the Priests to seize the Tenths that were due unto the Priests whereby it came to pass that some poor Priests died for want so much did the violence of the Seditious at that time prevail ahove all right CHAP. VII I Festus succeeds Foelix in the Government of Judaea The Inhabitants of Caesarea obtain of Nero to have the Jews Freedom recalled King Agrippa causeth an Apartment to be built from whence all that was done about the Temple might be seen the people of Jerusalem cause a high Wall to be built to hinder it by the Emperour's Authority AFter that Portius Festus had been sent by Nero to succeed Foelix in the Government K of Judaea Alias 19. the chiefest of those Jews that inhabited Caesarea Foelix accused repaired to Rome to accuse Foelix and without all doubt he had been punished for the injuries he had committed against the Jews if Nero had not pardoned him upon his Brother Palas's submission and entreaty who importuned him and was at that time in great reputation with him Hedio Rufffinus cap. 14. Furthermore two of the chiefest amongst the Syrians wrought Berillus who had sometimes been Nero's Master and at that time was Secretary of Estate in the Greek Tongue by mighty Bribes to beg of Nero the revocation of the Right and Title which the Jews enjoyed in the Government and Administration of the Commonweal For which cause Berillus solicited the Emperour and obtained a Letter from him which was the cause of those mischiefs that afterwards happened in our Nation for the Jews of Caesarea understanding what Commission the Syrians had gotten L were so much the more encouraged to make War Therefore The Cut-throats among the Jews as soon as Festus was arrived in Judaea he found the Countrey grievously afflicted with Robberies and the whole Countrey was ruined with Fire and Sword The Thieves likewise at that time encreased mightily they used short Swords after the manner of a Persian Cymetre and crooked like the Roman Faulchion with which they killed divers For thrusting themselves into the press of the people that came in great multitudes on the Festival days to celebrate God's service they killed those very easily whom they pleased and oftentimes repairing to their enemies Villages Festus discomfiteth a great deceiver with all his followers they spoiled and burnt them But Festus sent divers Forces M both of Horse and Foot against certain Jews that were seduced by an Enchanter who had promised them to free them from all their troubles if they would follow him into the Desart they killed both the deceiver and the deceived that followed him At that time King Agrippa erected a stately Building within the Palace at Jerusalem Hedio Ruffinus chap. 15. near unto the Porch alias chap. 10. This Palace in times past appertained to the Asmoneans and was scituate in a high place with a fine Prospect from whence they might with pleasure behold the City of Jerusalem wherein the King took great delight and beheld from thence that which was done in the Temple The chiefest men of Jerusalem stop up the Prospect of Agrippa's house The chiefest men of Jerusalem seeing this Building were very much displeased for neither doth our Custom or Law permit that any one should look on that which is done in the Temple and especially N forbiddeth that any man should behold the Sacrifices and Oblations They therefore builded a high Wall upon the Gallery which was within the Temple on the West side which did not only hinder the sight of the Royal Chamber but also that of the Gallery without the Temple on the West side where the Romans kept Guard near unto the Temple on the Festival days Herewith was King Agrippa highly displeased and the Governour Festus far more than he who commanded them to pull down the Wall But they besought him that he would give them Licence to send their Ambassadours to Nero to this intent alledging that it was impossible for them to live if any part of their Temple should be beaten down Which being granted them they sent ten of their chiefest Nobility and with them Ismael the High O Priest and Chelcias the Treasurer of the Temple unto Nero who no sooner heard their suit but he pardoned them not only for that they had done but he commanded A that the building should remain as it was All which he did in favour of his Wife Poppea who was entreated by the Jews she being a devout Princess to sue for them She therefore commanded the ten Ambassadours to return and kept Chelcias and Ismael for Pledges with her The King understanding how all things had past gave the High Priesthood to Joseph Joseph Cabi the Son of Simon made High Priest surnamed Cabi which was the Son of Simon who in times past had been High Priest CHAP. VIII B Albinus succeeds Festus in the Government of Judaea and King Agrippa giveth and taketh away often the High Priesthood Ananus the High Priest causeth Saint James to be put to death Agrippa enlargeth the City of Caesarea and calleth it Neronias The Favours he granted to the Levites The List of the High Priests since Aaron CAesar being advertised of Festus's death Albinus Governour of Judaea sent Albinus to govern Judaea But King Agrippa commanded Joseph to lead a private life and advanced in his stead a certain man called Ananus Ananus the Son of Ananus High Priest the Son of Ananus who was reported to have been most happy for he had five Sons all which supplied the place of the High Priest after himself C had long time before them enjoyed it the like whereof hath never happened to any of our Priests Hedio Ruffinus chap 16. The younger Ananus who as we said was advanced to this place was a rash and head-strong man that followed the Sect of the Saducees who as we have already declared were amongst all other the Jews Alias 21. the most severe in executing Justice Ananus had five Sons that succeeded him in the Priesthood Whereas therefore Ananus was of this disposition he thought that he had a fit occasion offered him to do what he pleased after Festus's death and whilst Albinus was as yet upon his way He therefore ascended and sat down in the Tribunal assisted by the Judges and caused James the Brother of JESUS who was called CHRIST The year of the World 4025. after Christ's Nativity 63. to appear before him with certain others and accused them for transgressing the Law and Blasphemy against God and caused him to be stoned to death They D that were men of upright Conscience within the City and diligent observers of the Law were very much displeased with this Act and sent secretly to the King beseeching him to prohibit Ananus James the Brother of our Lord stoned that hereafter he
Fortresses of their Captives The Romans triumph over the Jews Finally how Titus travelling thorough the whole Countrey established a Form of Government and afterward returning into Italy triumphed with much honour All these things I have comprehended in seven Books endeavouring as much as in me lieth The cause why he wrote this History to avoid all occasion of reproof from those men who know these Affairs and were Actors in the War Which I have done for their sakes who love truth And according to that Order and Form I promised I will begin my History A THE FIRST BOOK Of the B WARS of the JEWS Written by FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS The Contents of the Chapters of the First Book 1. The Destruction of Jerusalem by Antiochus King of Syria The overthrow of the Syrians by Matthias Maccabaeus and his Sons C 2. The Succession of Princes from Jonathan to Aristobulus 3. Of Aristobulus Antigonus Judas Essaeus Alexander Theodore and Demetrius 4. Of the War of Alexander King of the Jews with Antiochus and Aretas and of Aristobulus and Hircanus 5. Of the War between Hircanus and the Arabians and of the taking of Jerusalem 6. Of the War of Alexander with Hircanus and also of Aristobulus 7. Of the death of Aristobulus and the War undertaken by Antipater and Mithridates 8. How Antipater was accused before Caesar of the Priesthood of Hircanus and how Herod made War 9. Caesar's death Cassius comes into Syria Herod ingratiates with him Malichus poysons D Antipater who had sav'd his life For which Herod causes him to be slain 10. How Herod was accused and set free 11. Of the War of the Parthians against the Jews and of Herod's Flight and Fortune 12. Of Herod's War for the recovering of Jerusalem after his return from Rome and how he warred against the Thieves 13. Of the death of Joseph How Herod besieged Jerusalem and how Antigonus was slain 14. Of the treacherous practices of Cleopatra against Herod Herod's War against the Arabians and of a very great Earth-quake 15. How Herod was confirmed in the peaceable Possession of the Kingdom of Judaea by Augustus E Caesar 16. Of the Cities and Monuments repaired and builded by Herod and of his felicity and liberality towards strangers 17. Of the disagreement between Herod and his Sons Alexander and Aristobulus 18. Of Antipater's Conspiracy against his Father Herod 19. How Herod should have been poysoned and how the Treason was discovered 20. How Antipater's malicious practices against Herod were discovered and punished 21. Of the Golden Eagle and of Antipater's and Herod's death F CHAP. I. The Destruction of Jerusalem by Antiochus King of Syria The Overthrow of the Syrians by Matthias Maccabaeus and his Sons AT such time as Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes made War against Ptolomey the Sixth King of Egypt The year of the World 3800. before Christ's Nativity 162. for the whole Dominion of Syria those of the chiefest Authority and Nobility among the Jews were divided into two Parties And that of Onias the High Priest being become the G strongest expelled the Sons of Tobias out of the City who fleeing to Antiochus for refuge besought him in all humility that he would lead his Forces into Judaea offering themselves to be his Guides in the Expedition Antiochus who had long desired such an occasion easily condescended to their request H and levying a great Army he entred their Countrey took Jerusalem and slew most part of them who favoured Ptolomey He gave his Soldiers liberty to sack the City spoiled the Temple of the great Riches which were in it and for the space of three years and six months forbad the Sacrifices Ant. l. 12. c. 6. which before time were accustomed to be offered every day to God in that place Antiochus being stirred up by Tubias's Sons invadeth Judaea and surpriseth Jerusalem Whereupon Onias the High Priest fled to Ptolomey of whom having obtained the grant of a piece of Land within the Liberties and Precincts of Heliopolis he built a Town and Temple there resembling the City and Sanctuary of Jerusalem of which we shall speak in due place But Antiochus not satisfied with the unexpected surprize of the City nor with the pillage and slaughter of the Citizens Ant. l. 15. c. 4. was so far transported by his passions and incenssed I with the remembrance of those toyls which he had sustained during this War The High-Priest Onias flieth to Ptolomey that he compelled the Jews to renounce their Religion to forbear the Circumcision of their Children and to immolate Swine upon the Altar The abhorrence which the chiefest and honestest amongst them Ant. l. 12. c. 7. could not refrain to declare against these Abominations Antiochus altereth the Customs of the Jews cost them their lives For Bacchides who was Governour of all the Garisons of Judaea by the appointment of Antiochus being naturally very cruel omitted no occasion to execute his wicked Orders insomuch that he particularly tormented such as were of Noble Birth and Quality Bacchides's cruelty towards the Jews and every day represented to them the fresh face and memory of the desolation of their City But at length a Tyranny so insupportable animated those that suffered it to attempt the means of freeing themselves K from it Ant. l. 1. c. 8. and of executing revenge upon the Authors Matthias or Mathathias Maccabaeus the Son of Asmoneus Matthias confederated with others maketh War against Antiochus one of the Priests who dwelt in a Village called Modin accompanied with his five Sons and his own houshold armed with Swords slew Bacchides and fearing the power and multitude of the enemy's Garrisons presently retired himself into the Mountains Thither resorted divers of the people unto him by which conflux growing more confident and couragious he descended from the Mountains and overcoming the Captains of Antiochus drave them out of the Borders of Judaea By many instances of such happy success he became so renown'd that he was by common consent of the people whom he had delivered from the subjection of strangers made their Ruler And when he died he left his eldest Son who was called L Judas to succeed him in the Government This brave Son of so brave a Father could not doubt of the endeavours which Antiochus would use to revenge the losses he had received and therefore he gathered together an Army of his own Countrey-men and was the first among the Jews that made a League with the Romans Antiochus failed not as he had foreseen to enter into Judaea with a powerful Army and this great Captain repell'd him with a great Overthrow And whilst the remembrance of this Victory was yet fresh in men's minds he assaulted the Garrison of Jerusalem which as yet was entire in which Conflict he forced them to forsake the high Town which is called Holy and betake themselves to the lower part And having recovered the
that if Antigonus came armed they should kill him himself then lodging in a certain Castle which in times past was called Bari and afterwards Antonia by Herod in honour of Antonius with this Commission that if Antigonus came unarmed they should let him pass if otherwise they should kill him He sent certain Messengers also to Antigonus requiring him to repair unto him dis-armed But the wicked Queen prevented this good intent of his by a subtil stratagem complotted by those that with her conspired against him The Queen 's cunning Stratagem against Antigonus for she perswaded those that were to carry this message to discover nothing of what the King had commanded them but to tell Antigonus that his Brother having intelligence that he had brought very goodly Armour with other C fair Furniture for War from Galilee desired him to come to him arm'd as he was that he might have the pleasure to see him in his Warlike Ornaments Antigonus suspecteth not his Brother Which when Antigonus understood who by reason of his Brother's affection suspected no mischief he armed himself and resorted to him intending to content him with his appearance But no sooner arrived he in the strait which is called the Tower of Straton but the Guard of Aristobulus set upon him and slaughtered him yielding by this means a demonstrative testimony that Detraction is able to destroy all good nature and friendship and that there is no union of affection so great as it can always resist the attempts of envy to ruine it In this Occurrence there happened a thing which cannot be too much admired Judas the Prophet foretelleth Antigonus's death D One Judas who was of the Sect of the Esseans had so certain a knowledge of the Future that his Predictions were never found false This man beholding Antigonus pass thorough the Temple cried out to his familiars who attended him in no small number as ordinarily divers of his Disciples did Ah how happy were it for me at this present if I were dead since truth is dead before me and one of my Predictions is found faulty For behold Antigonus yet liveth who should this day have died in the Tower of Straton which is distant from this place six hundred furlongs and 't is now the fourth hour of the day now therefore is the time wherein my Divination shall be falsified Having spoken to this effect the old man sat down being altogether disconsolate and pensive within a while after it was told him that Antigonus was slain in a place under E ground called the Tower of Straton being of the same name with that at Caesarea which is scituate upon the Sea-coast which conformity of names was the cause that Judas staggered in his Divination The sorrow which incontinently seized Aristobulus Aristobulus through the grief he conceived at his Brother's death falleth sick for committing this hainous Murther augmented his sickness in such sort that his Soul was continually troubled with the thought of his sin and his body through extream heat of passion became dried up and the grief that he felt was so vehement that his Entrails became exulcerated so that he voided blood in great abundance And it so fell out by God's Providence that one of his Servants who was deputed to that Office bearing out that blood which came from him A Servant spilleth blood in the same place where Antigonus was slain missed his way and came to that place where Antigonus had F been slain where still there appeared some signs and stains of the blood of Antigonus on which he poured out the blood of the Murtherer Aristobulus Which when they perceived who stood hard by imagining that the Servant had purposely spilled the blood in that place as it were in Sacrifice to the Ghost of that Prince they cryed out so loud that Aristobulus hearing their cry demanded the cause thereof and the more that each man feared to discover the same to him the more instantly he desired to understand the truth so that at length after he had used threats he was certified of what had passed Whereupon his eyes were suddenly filled with tears and in vehement agony of mind The eye of God discovereth every sin he cryed out and said How could I hope but that the great eye of the Divine Majesty should see my wicked acts and the sudden vengeance of my Brother's blood G pursue and overtake me Aristobulus dieth miserably How long O thou miserable Body wilt thou detain my Soul from being sacrificed to the vengeance of my Mother and Brother's death Why do I thus lingeringly languish in offering a part of my blood unto them Let them take it all at once and let not the Divine Vengeance laugh any longer to see the effusion of mine Entrails The year of the World 3862. before Christ's Nativity 100 H This said he died after he had only reigned one year His Wife after his death delivered his Brother Alexander from Prison and established him King who was both the eldest and seemed to be the most moderate among the rest of his Brethren Ant. l. 13. c. 9 But growing by this means both proud and potent he put one of his Brethren to death Alexander advanced to the Kingdom useth much cruelty for aspiring after the Kingdom but spared the other alive for that he contented himself with a private and contemplative life He made War also against Ptolomey that was called Lathyrus who had surprized the City of Asoth and put a great number of his enemies to the Sword nevertheless Ptolomey's side obtained the Victory But retiring himself into the Countrey of Egypt by reason that his Mother Cleopatra pursued him with open War Alexander forcibly entred the City I of Gadara Alexander is overthrown by Theodore and the Fort of Amath one of the greatest of all those that were beyond Jordan in which place Theodore Zeno's Son had hoarded up his chiefest and most precious moveables which he took but enjoyed not long for Theodore suddenly setting upon him recovered all that which was his and furthermore laid hands on the King's Carriage in seizing which he slaughtered many Jews to the number of ten thousand But Alexander after he had recovered this loss invaded the Frontire Towns upon the Sea-coast and won Rapha Gaza and Anthedon which afterwards by King Herod was called Agrippias The Sedition of the Jews against Alexander upon a Festival day But after he had conquered these places the common sort of the Jews raised a mutiny against him during a certain solemn and holy Feast as Mutinies and Seditions are commonly raised at Banquets and it is K thought that he could not have prevailed against those Rebels had he not been assisted by the Pisidians and Cilicians whom he hired to help him for the Syrians he refused to hire by reason of their natural hatred they bare against the Jews Having therefore slain
many wounds adding that he admired the impudent boldness of Antigonus who being Son to an enemy of the Romans and a fugitive from Rome and as inclinable as his Father to Rebellion dar'd to accuse before the Roman Emperour others that had been always faithful to him and that in stead of accounting himself happy in having his I life preserv'd hop'd to obtain such favours and assistance as he had no need of and which he desir'd not but to make use of the same to raise seditions against those to whom he should be beholding for them Which when Caesar heard Caesar createth Hircanus Highâ— Priest and to Antipater he giveth the Government of Judea he said that Hircanus was most worthy to be High Priest and bad Antipater name what Charge he would have who leaving that to the pleasure of the giver he was made Governour of all Judaea And moreover he obtained lieve to re-edifie the razed walls of his Country and Caesar commanded that this Decree should be engraven in Tables of Brass and in the Capitol that it might be a memorial in time to come of Antipaters's justice and vertue Ant. lib. 14. cap. 16. Antipater having attended Caesar out of Syria first of all repaired the ruined walls of his Country which Pompey K had razed Antipater repaireth the walls of his Country and going throughout all the Country he threatned the obstinate and perswaded the seditious to obedience admonishing them that if they obeyed Hircanus they might live in wealth and peace and enjoy happiness but if they suffered themselves to be led away with the vain hopes of those Antipater chargeth his Subjects to obey Hircanus who for their private commodity sought alteration then they should find him in stead of a Governour a severe Master and Hircanus instead of a King a Tyrant and the Romans and Caesar instead of friends deadly enemies for that they would not suffer his power to be overthrown whom they themselves had established King Antipater in speaking thus considered himself and the need of providing for the safety of the State Phasaelus and Herod Antipater 's Sons because he well knew the sloth an stupidity of Hircanus He made Phasaelus L his eldest Son Governour of the Army and of Jerusalem and of the whole Province Herod's fortitude and sent Herod his youngest Son to govern Galilee although he was very young who being by nature valiant and ambitious sought out occasion to shew his brave mind Herod banisheth the thieves out of Syria He took Ezechias Captain of a troop of Thieves who as he understood were wont to prey upon the confines of Syria with a great multitude and put him to death with many other Thieves which thing was so grateful to the Syrians that in all Towns and Villages they made songs of Herod as though he had restored them to peace and to their Possessions This action also made his merit known to Sextus Caesar who was Caesar the Emperour's Kinsman and Governour of Syria Phasaelus obtained the favour of the people of Jâ—rusalem Phasaelus also striving to exceed the vertue and gallantry of his Brother us'd M all his endeavours to win to himself the good will of the Inhabitants of Jerusalem so that during the time he governed the City he did nothing insolently or by force For which cause the people honoured Antipater no less than if he had been their King yet was his fidelity and affection never the less towards Hircanus But it is impossible that any man that liveth in prosperity should not be envied For Hircanus although before-time he were moved something at the glory of the Father and the young men Hircanus animated by envious men against Antipater and his Sons and especially with the prosperous success of Herod yet in particular he was stirred up by many envious person who use to haunt the Courts of Princes who were grieved that Antipater and his Sons ruled without offence These men told Hircanus that he only enjoyed the bare name of a King and that Antipater and his Sons ruled N all and that he would so long permit and wink at them till at the last they would make themselves Kings for they now did no more pretend themselves to be Ministers but leaving that Title they acted as Lords and Soveraigns without any regard or reverence towards him as appeared in Herod who had put to death a great multitude of Jews against the Law whereas neither by word of mouth nor by writing the King had given him any such authority and that Herod if he were not a King but a private person was to be brought into judgment there to answer the matter and shew the King a reason and satisfie the laws of his Countrey which permit no man to be put to death before by Law he be convicted By these perswasions Hircanus grew angry Herod called to his answer before the Councel so that not concealing his wrath he caused Herod O to be sent for to answer the matter who both for that his Father advertised him thereto and because he trusted to the equity of his cause first leaving a Garrison A in Galilee The year of the World 3922. before Christ's Nativity 4â— he repaired to the King accompanied with a sufficient Guard not so great as to give jealousie to Hircanus nor so small as to expose him to the attempts of his Adversaries Sextus Caesar who lov'd the young man much and feared lest any evil should betide him amongst his enemies sent to Hircanus warning him to absolve Herod from the crimes of which he was accus'd Hircanus absolveth Herod Hircanus once more incited by the wicked Which Hircanus who also loved Herod made no difficulty to do But Herod supposing he had done it unwillingly went to Damascus to Sextus purposing not to appear if hereafter he were sent for Hereupon Hircanus was once again incited against Herod by his enemies who certified him that he was gone away in a rage with design to enterprize something against him which Hircanus believing knew not what to do seeing his enemy B more potent than himself Shortly after Sextus Caesar proclaimed him General of the Army both in Syria and Samaria Herod gathering a great Army cometh to Jerusalem to depose Hircanus so that now he was greatly to be feared by Hircanus not only for that he was highly in favour with the Commonalty but also for the forces which he commanded Hereupon Hircanus fell into extreme fear verily perswading himself that Herod with his whole Army would presently come against him Neither was his suspicion vain Herod disswaded by Antipater from attempting against Hircanus for Herod angry at the pretended crime whereof he was accused came with a great Army to Jerusalem intending to depose Hircanus which he had effected had not his Father and Brother gone forth to meet him and pacified him intreating him that he would
revenge and so abated the pride of the Arabians that they took him for their Protector K CHAP. XV. How Herod was confirmed in the peaceable Possession of the Kingdom of Judaea by Augustus Caesar THe joy of this prosperous success 〈…〉 was soon abated by the news of the Victory of Augustus over Antonius at Actium and his love for the latter made him apprehend the worst that could be imagined from the former Yet was he more afraid than L hurt by this his suspicion for Caesar counted not Antonius fully conquered so long as Herod kept to his Party Wherefore the King timely foreseeing those dangers that might ensue went to Rhodes where at that time Caesar resided and in the habit of a private man without a Crown but with a Kingly Majesty he presented himself before him Herod 's Oration to Augustus Caesar and with great constancy spake to him in this manner I was O Caesar made King of Judaea by Antonius his means and I cannot deny but that had not the Arabians hindred me I had with all the Power I could have made seconded and assisted Antonius against thee Yea although personally I could not go yet did I what I could to help him Herod speaks freely before Caesar and sent him many thousand Measures of Corn. Nay though he had the Overthrow at Actium yet did not I forsake him who had deserved well at my hands and although I M was not able to assist him with force of Arms yet I gave him the best counsel I could inculcating oftentimes unto him that the only way to redress his affairs was to put Cleopatra to death which if he would do I promised him to assist him with money Strong holds and an Army yea and with mine own person against thee But the love of Cleopatra and God who had already designed the Empire of the World to thee stopped his ears By this means O Caesar I find my self conquered with Antonius and have forsaken my Crown and Dignity with his Fortunes and I am come unto thee without grounding the hope of my safety upon any thing but my own Vertue and the experience which thou mayest make of my fidelity to my Friends Caesar's Answer to Herod Herod having spoken in this manner Caesar answered Live in safety and reign now with greater security than before for thou deservest to rule others N who with such constancy didst defend and maintain thy friendship Hence forward endeavour to continue faithful towards them that are more fortunate than Antonius for for my part I have conceived a great hope and expectation of thy Valour and Prowess I cannot blame Antonius in that he rather hearkened to Cleopatra than to thee since by his imprudence I have obtained thy friendship That thou hast begun to do well it hereby appeareth because Ventidius hath signified unto me that thou hast sent him succours against his enemies For which cause by this my present Decree be thou established in thy Kingdom and I will shortly give thee such proofs of my Amity that thou shalt have no cause to bewail the loss of Antonius After this speech Augustus put the Crown upon Herod 's head and made a Decree and sealed it testifying how he had remitted all things O done by Herod and confirmed him in his Kingdom and rehearsing many things greatly tending to Herod 's praise After that Herod had made great Presents to Caesar he A requested him to pardon Alexander one of Antonius his friends who earnestly and in humble manner desired the same But Caesar being much incensed against him answered that he for whom he entreated had greatly and many times offended and so he repelled Herod with this answer When Caesar travelled into Egypt through Syria Herod's gratulation toward Caesar he was entertained by Herod with all Royal Pomp possible And that was the first time that he shewed himself to take part with Caesar when near Ptolemais he took a view of the Soldiers with Caesar and made a Banquet for him and all his friends and feasted the whole Army And in as much as he travelled to Pelusium thorough a dry Countrey when they returned again he provided water for them and furnished the Army with all necessaries so that both Caesar B and the Soldiers thought the Kingdom a small recompence for his deserts Caesar encreaseth Herod's Dominion For which cause after he came into Egypt and that Antonius and Cleopatra were now dead he did not only encrease his honour but also restored to him that portion of his Countrey which was taken away by Antonius and given to Cleopatra And besides that Gadara and Hippon and Samaria and other Cities about the Sea-coast to wit Gaza and Anthedon and Joppa and Straton's Tower and moreover gave him four hundred Galatians which before were Cleopatra's Guard Nor did Caesar's Liberality stop here but to shew how far his esteem of this Prince's merit proceeded he added to his Dominion Trachonitis and Batanaea and Auranitis upon this occasion Zenodorus who for money had hired the Lands of Lysanias continually sent people out of Trachonitis to C rob the people of Damascus who in humble manner went to Varus who was at that time Governour of Syria entreating him to inform Caesar of their calamity Caesar understanding the same writ back again commanding him to exterminate those Thieves Whereupon Varus with an Army Herod made Governour of Syria went to those places which were most infested and rid the Countrey of the Thieves and confiscated the Territory from Zenodorus which Caesar lest it should again be a refuge for Thieves to spoil Damascus gave to Herod and made him Ruler over all Syria Ten years after Caesar returning to this Countrey commanded the Governours to do nothing without Herod's counsel And after Zenodorus's death he gave him all the Countrey between Trachonitis and Galilee But that which Herod esteemed above all the rest was that Caesar loved him best of all next to D Agrippa and that Agrippa loved him most of all men next to Caesar When he was arrived to this pitch of Felicity he shewed the greatness of his Soul by the greatest and most holy enterprize that can be imagined CHAP. XVI Of the Cities and Monuments repaired and builded by Herod and of his felicity and liberality towards strangers E IN the fifteenth year of his Reign he repaired the Temple The year of the world 3947. before Christ's Nativity 15. and enclosed twice as much ground as was before about the Temple with a strong Wall whereon he bestowed great costs and charges to beautifie it as the great Porches will testifie which he built about the Temple and the Castle on the North part thereunto adjoyning which he built even from the foundation The Castle was so rich and sumptuous that it was equal to the King's Palace Ant. lib. 15. c. 10. 12 13 14. and in honour of Antonius he named it
was said he mocked So that in every thing he found his Father's affection turned from him and that he was only favourable to Antipater so that he would die with all his heart if he failed of his purpose If he killed him his Father-in-law Archelaus would afford him safety to whom he might easily flee And after he would go to Caesar who as yet knew not Herod's manners and he would not stand before him then as he did L before terrified because his Father was present neither would he only speak of his own wrongs but of the wrongs of the whole Nation who were oppressed by exactions even to the death And then he would lay open on what pleasures and after what sort the money gotten with Blood was consumed and who and what kind of men they were that were thereby enriched and what was the cause of the affliction of the City and there he would bewail the death of his Unkle and his Mother and unfold all Herod's wickedness which being once made manifest to the World no man would account him a Murtherer of his Father Eurycles having falsly reported this of Alexander to Herod fell presently to praise and extol Antipater affirming that he only loved his Father and hindred such practices M The King Another false Accusation of Alexander and his Brother moves Herod to indignation yet not throughly appeased for that which was past grew into exceeding fury and Antipater again suborned other false Witnesses against him who affirmed that they were wont to have secret talk with Jucundus and Tyrannus who sometimes were Officers of the King's Cavalry and now displaced for some offence they had committed Whereupon Herod being very angry presently tortured them and they affirmed Diophantus the King's Notary writeth feigned Letters in Alexander's name that they were ignorant of all that which was laid to their charge But there was found and brought to the King a Letter pretended to be written by Alexander to the Governour of the Castle of Alexandrium requesting him that he would receive him and his Brother Aristobulus into the Castle when he had killed his Father and to assist them both with Arms and other Necessaries Alexander affirmed N that this Letter was counterfeited by Diophantus the King's Secretary who was both malicious and could counterfeit any one's hand and who afterwards having counterfeited many was at last for the same put to death Herod caused the Governour of the Castle to be tortured but he confessed nothing that was laid against him and although he had no good proof of any thing yet he commanded his two Sons to be kept in hold He likewise termed Eurycles who was the Incendiary of his house and the breeder of all the mischief Author of his safety and one who had well deserved at his hands and gave him fifty Talents Who departing from Judaea before matters were well known went to Archelaus and feigning that he had reconciled Alexander and Herod he received there a piece of money O From thence he went into Achaia and spent that which he had evilly got in as bad manner as he had got it Lastly he was accused to Caesar that he had caused dissension A in all Achaia and spoiled the Cities for which cause he was banished And this was the punishment that was inflicted upon him for his treachery to Alexander and Aristobulus It is not amiss here in this place to compare Avaratus of Cous unto this Eurycles who being a dear friend to Alexander Cous Evaratus and arriving about the same time that Eurycles did being put to his Oath sware that he heard the young men say nothing though indeed his Oath nothing prevailed nor profited them for Herod would only hear and give ear to Accusations and he highly esteemed them that would believe them with him and shew themselves moved thereat Moreover Ant. lib. 16. cap. 12. Salome encreased his rage against his Sons for Aristobulus minding to B engage her to assist him being his Mother-in-law and his Aunt sent to her to look to her self as though the King was minded to put her to death because it was reported to him that she purposed to marry with the King's enemy Syllaeus the Arabian to whom she privily revealed the King's Secrets This was the utter ruine of the young men Herod by Salome's counsel imprisoneth his Sons wherewith they were overthrown as it were with a violent Tempest For presently Salome went to the King and told him of what Aristobulus had admonished her And he becoming outrageous caused both his Sons to be bound and imprisoned in several places Then he he sent Volumnius General of his Army and Olympus one of his familiar Friends The year of the World 3961. before Christ's Nativity 1. to Caesar to carry the Informations against his Sons in writing who sailing to Rome after their arrival delivered the King's Letters And Caesar was very sorry C for the young men yet he permitted the Father to do what he would to his Children and so writ to him that he should have license to do what he thought good Yet he signified to him that he should do better to call his Nobles together and let them make enquiry concerning the Treasons and then if he found them guilty of those things whereof they were accused to put them to death Hereupon Herod Ant. lib. 16. cap. 13. according to Caesar's direction went to to Berytum and there gathered an Assembly to sit in Judgment Herod gathereth a Council against Alexander and Aristobulus the chief in that Judgment were the Governnours that Caesar in his Letters appointed Saturninus and Pedanius presided and with them Volumnius Intendant of the Province next the King's Kindred and Salome and Pheâ—oras and then the Nobility of Syria Archelaus only excepted who D because he was Father-in-law to his Son Herod suspected him to be partial But he suffered not his Sons to come into Judgment for he knew that the very sight of them would have moved all men to compassion And moreover if they were permitted to speak for themselves that Alexander would easily have acquitted them both For which cause they were kept in Platan Herod accuseth his Sons in open Judgment a Village of Sidonia The King beginning his Oration was as vehement as though they had been present against whom he spake But he was half afraid to object any Treason against them because he had no proof thereof and therefore he aggravated their opprobrious words injuries and offences which they had committed against him which he affirmed to be more unsufferable than death E At last when no man contradicted him he began to complain of their silence Herod's sentence against his Sons which seemed to condemn him and thereupon requested every one to give their verdict And first of all Saturninus condemned his Sons but not to die saying that he had three Sons present and he
Letters before mentioned he then made great haste homeward When he came to Celenderis he began to reflect more upon his Mothers A disgrace his mind as it were presaging some sinister fortune And the wiser sort of his friends about him counselled him not to go to his Father till such time as he were certain for what cause his Mother was banished and divorced For it was to be feared that he would be accused also of the same Crime that was laid to his Mothers charge But the more imprudent being rather desirous to see their Country than to contrive what was expedient for Antipater pressed him to make haste lest his long delay should breed any suspicion in his Father and lest thereby he should give occasion to malignant people to raise slanders For said they if any thing had passed against you it was in your absence and were you in presence no man durst do or speak against you and it were a very unwise part for uncertain suspicions B to deprive himself of certain felicity and not to return speedily to his Father and receive a Crown from his hands which he could place upon no other head but his This counsel as his ill fortune would have it Antipater followed and so arrived in the in the Haven of Caesarea Antipater hated in Caesarea having passed Sebaste where contrary to his expectation he was much surpriz'd that all men eschewed his company and no man came near him For although he was always hated yet before they durst not shew their hatred But now they abstained from coming to him for fear of the King because the rumour of those things which Antipater had done was known in every City and to every man only Antipater himself was ignorant thereof For there was never any man brought thither with greater pomp than he when he was to sail to Rome C and never man more basely entertained at his return And now apprehending the danger at home he craftily made himself ignorant thereof and notwithstanding that he was almost dead for fear yet in his countenance he counterfeited confidence For he could not now possibly make any escape nor rid himself out of the present danger and yet he heard no certain news of matters at Court because the King by an Edict had forbidden all men to give him notice thereof So that many times he comforted himself thus that either all matters concerning him were yet secret or if any thing was come to light that he by policy and impudence could acquit himself thereof for those two were his only weapons Being thus determined he went to the Kings Palace alone without any of his friends and followers who at the very D first gate were most contumeliously repulsed By chance Varus the Ruler of Syria was there and then boldly going into his Father's presence he advanced boldly near him Antipater's entertainment at his Fathers hands to salute him But Herod putting him back with his hands and shaking his head cried out What thou that hast attempted to murther thy Father darest thou yet presume to offer to embrace me being guilty of so many treasons Mayest thou perish wretch as thy crimes deserve Come not near me till thou hast cleared thy self of all that is laid to thy charge for thou shalt have justice and Varus shall be thy Judge who is by good fortune now here Go and premeditate how to acquit thee against to morrow which is all the time I will give thee to do it Hereat Antipater was so astonished with fear that he was not able to reply any E thing but silently went away Presently his Mother and his Wife came to him and told him all the proofs of treasons against him then he considered with himself how to answer every point The next day the King called an assembly of his friends and kindred Antipater is judged before Varus and to them admitted Antipater 's friends and he and Varus sitting in judgment commanded all proofs to brought and the witnesses to appear amongst whom were certain of Antipater 's Mothers servants lately apprehended who had Letters from her to carry to him to this effect Forasmuch as all things are known to thy Father beware that thou return not unto him before thou hast obtained some warrant of thy safety from Caesar These and others being brought in Antipater also came in after them and prostrating himself before his Fathers feet he said I beseech you F Sir bear no prejudicate opinion against me and lend me an open ear whilest I purge my self for if you please to give me lieve I will prove my self guiltless Herod commanding him to hold his tongue spake thus unto Varus I know well Varus that you or any other just and indifferent Judge Herod's accusation against Antipater will find Antipater to have deserved death But I fear lest you conceive an aversion against me and think me worthy so great afflictions for having been so unfortunate as to have brought such children into the world And yet this should move you to pity me Herod's kindness towards his children who have been so merciful to and careful for such wicked caitifs For I had already appointed those young men that are dead to be Kings and brought them up at Rome and gotten them Caesar's favour but they whom I had so much honoured and exalted to the Crown became traytors against my life Their death G was very advantageous to Antipater whose security I sought thereby because he was a young man and the next that should succeed me but this cruel beast hath discharged his rage upon my self and thinks my life too long and is grieved that I live to be old and hath attempted to make himself King The year of the World 3961. before Christ's Nativity 1. no other way but by murthering his Father For H which I know no other reason but that I called him out of the Country where he lived abscurely and casting off those Sons whom I had begotten of a great Queen appointed this to be heir of my Kingdom I confess my error that I incited them against me by having for Antipater's sake deprived them of their right Herod loved Antipater above the rest and bestowed many benefits on him For wherein had I so well deserved of them as of Antipater unto whom during my life-time I committed the sway and rule of my Kingdom and openly in my Will and Testament declared him my successor Besides other gratifications I bestowed upon him the yearly revenue of fifty Talents And lately when he was to sail to Rome I gave him three hundred Talents and commended him to Caesar as the only Son of all my house who had regard to his Fathers life And what was the offence of the others compared with Antipaters what proofs were produced I against them equal to those that have shewed me more clearly than the day the conspiracy framed against me by
of the World 3979. after Christ's Nativity 17. or to eat meats forbidden They could not be forced to any of these neither would they entreat the Torturers nor shew any sorrow amidst their torments Yea in the midst of their pains they scoffed at their Tormentors and joyfully yielded up their souls as though they hoped to pass to a better life For it is an Opinion amongst them The Esseans esteem the soul immortal but they believe not the Resurrection of the dead that the body is mortal and corruptible but the souls remain ever immortal and being of a most Pure and Etherial Substance wrap themselves in bodies as in prisons being drawn thereunto by some natural inclination But when they are delivered out of these Carnal Bonds then presently as freed from a long Bondage they joyfully mount into the Air. And of the good souls they say as did the Grecians The Grecians opinion of the soul of man that they live beyond the Ocean in a place of Pleasure where they are L never molested with rain nor snow nor heat but have always a sweet and pleasant Air. But the wicked souls as they say go into a place very tempestuous where there is always Winter weather always lamentations of those who for ever are to be punished For I judge that the Greeks are of this opinion when they say there is an Isle for the vertuous whom they call Heroes and half-gods and that the souls of the wicked go to a place in Hell where it is feigned that some are tormented as Sysiphus Tantalus Ixion and Titius These Esseans also believe that they are created immortal that they may be induced to Virtue and averted from Vice that the good are rendred better in this life by the hope of being happy after death and that the wicked who imagine they can hide their evil actions in this world are punished for them in the other with M eternal torments This is the Esseans Opinion touching the excellency of the soul from which we see very few of those depart The Esseans prophesie who have once embraced it There are also some among them who promise to foretel things to come which faculty is obtained as well by the studying of Holy Books and Ancient Prophecies as by the care they take of sanctifying themselves And their predictions seldom fail There is another sort of Esseans There is a Colledge of the Esseans that differeth from the former in the point of Marriage agreeing with the former both in apparel diet and kind of life and observance of the same Laws and Ordinances only they differ in the matter of Marriage Affirming that to abstain from Marriage tends to abolish mankind For say they if all men should follow this opinion presently all mankind would perish Notwithstanding these people use such moderation that for three N years space they observe the women they intend to marry and then if they appear sound enough to bear Children they marry them None of them lie with their Wives when they are with child to shew that they do not marry to satisfie Lust but to have Children When their Wives wash themselves they are covered with a Garment as the men are and this is the manner and custom of this Sect. Of the two former Sects The second Sect of the Pharisees the Pharisees are said to be most skilful in Interpreting the Laws The chief Article of their belief is that all things are to be attributed to God and Fate yet so that every man may in many things of his own power do good or ill though destiny may help much therein And that the souls of men are all incorruptible but only the souls of good men go into other bodies and the souls of wicked men are sent O into everlasting pain The third of the Sadducees But the Sadduces deny Fate and affirm that as God is the Author of no evil so he takes no heed to what men do that a man hath power to do A well or ill and every man may chuse whether he will be good or bad and they generally deny both pains and rewards for souls after this life The Pharisees are as sociable and loving one to another as the Sadduces are at discord among themselves living like savage beasts and as uncourteous to their own Sect as to strangers This is all which I have to speak concerning the Philosophers among the Jews Now I will return to my purpose CHAP. VIII B Of the Cities which Philip and Herod built and of Pilates Government ARchelaus his Ethnarchy being now made a Province Ant. l. 18. c. 7. the rest of his Brethren to wit The year of the World 3997. after Christ's Nativity 35. Philip and Herod who was surnamed Antipas continued to govern their Tetrarchies And Salome dying left Julia by her Testament the Toparchy which she ruled as also Jamnia and a ground set with Palm-trees in Phasaelis When Tiberius the Son of Livia upon the death of Augustus after he had reigned seven and fifty years six months and two days was made Emperour of Rome Philip built a City near the head of Jordan in the Country of Paneade and called it Caesarea and another he built in the lower part of Gaulanitis and named it Tiberias and another in C Paerea on this side Jordan which he named Julias Pilate being sent by Tiberius to be Governour over the Jews caused in the night some Ensign on which was the Image of Caesar to be brought into Jerusalem which thing within three days after caused a great tumult among the Jews for they who beheld this action were astonished and consider'd it as a violation of the Law of their Country which forbids expresly any Picture or Image of men or other creatures to be brought into the City At their lamentation who were in the City The people would not condescend to Pilate to alter their Country-laws there was gathered together a great multitude out of the villages adjoyning and they went presently to Pilate then at Caesarea beseeching him earnestly that the Images might be taken away out of Jerusalem and that the Laws of their Countrey might remain inviolated When Pilate denied their suit D they prostrated themselves before his house and there remained lying upon their faces for five days and nights without moving On the sixth day Pilate sitting in his Tribunal-seat call'd all the Jews together before him as though there he would have given them an answer but on the sudden a company of armed Soldiers for so it was provided compassed the Jews about on all sides The Jews were hereat amazed Pilate admiring the constancy of the Jews in their Religion sent the Statues from Jerusalem seeing that which they expected not Then Pilate told them that except they would receive the Images of Caesar he would kill them all and to that end made a sign unto the Soldiers to draw
their swords The Jews as if they had agreed together fell all down at once and offered their naked necks to the stroke of the sword crying out that they would rather lose their lives than suffer their Religion to be prophaned E Then Pilate admiring the constancy of the people in their Religion presently commanded the said Ensigns to be taken out of the City of Jerusalem After this he caused another tumult among them for they have a sacred Treasure called Corban The year of the World 3998. after Christ's Nativity 39. which Pilate resolv'd to make use of to bring water into the City four hundred furlongs off for this cause the people murmured so that when Pilate came to Jerusalem they flocked about his Tribunal to make their complaint Pilate foreseeing a tumult caused Soldiers secretly armed to mingle themselves among the people in private apparrel Pilate beateth the seditious with clubs and commanded them not to use their swords but to beat those with clubs whom they saw make such clamours And when he had thus plotted F the matter sitting in his Tribunal he gave a sign unto the Soldiers and presently the Jews were beaten and many of them partly with blows and partly trodden upon by the multitude The year of the World 4001. after Christ's Nativity 36. died miserably The multitude amazed at the calamity of those that were slain held their tongues For this cause Agrippa Son of Aristobulus whom Herod the King his Father put to death Agrippa Aristobulus's Son hateth Tiberius and insinuateth himself into Caius Caligula's friendship went to Rome and accused him to Caesar Tiberius not admitting his accusation he remained still at Rome and sought the favour of other great men there and especially he courted Caius the Son of Germanicus he being yet a private person and upon a certain day having invited him to a banquet he stretched forth his hands and openly pray'd Almighty God in stead of Tiberius Caesar he might see him Lord of all the world Tiberius having notice hereof by one of his familiar friends caused Agrippa to be imprisoned where G he endured hard and strait imprisonment till the death of Tiberius which was six months after Tiberius reigned 22 years six months and 3 days After he was dead having reigned two and twenty years six months and three days Caius Caesar who succeeded him in the Empire freed him from prison The year of the World 4001. after Christ's Nativity 39. and gave him the Tetrarchy of Philip who was newly deceased and the title H of King When Agrippa came into his Kingdom Herod the Tetrarch began to envy his estate and Herodias his wife still urged him forward in hope that he should be made a King also for said she thou wantest that dignity only through slothfulness because thou wouldest not go to Caesar Caius Caesar giveth the Tetrarchy to Agrippa 〈◊〉 's Son and maketh him a King for if Agrippa be made a King being before but a private man how canst thou doubt to be made a King who art already a Tetrarch Herod herewith perswaded went to Caius Caesar who greatly reproached his ambition insomuch as he fled into Spain for Agrippa had followed him to Rome to accuse him before Caesar and Caius gave him Herod's Tetrarchy And so Herod remained in Spain with his wife till his death Ant. l. 18. 〈◊〉 Herod and his wife remain in Spain I CHAP. IX The Emperour Caius orders Petronius Governour of Syria to constrain the Jews by arms to receive his Statue into the Temple The year of the World 4002. after Christ's Nativity 40. Petronius forbears to do it The death of Caius saves him from punishment CAius Caesar so abused his Authority Ant. lib. 18. c 15. that he would be thought to be a god and so called Caius Caesar calleth and reputeth himself a God Also he put many Noble men of his Country to death by his cruelty which he likewise extended even to Judaea for he sent Petronius with an K army to Jerusalem commanding him to set his Statues in the Temple and if the Jews refused to receive them The fear the Jews had of Petronius's Army that those who withstood him should be put to the sword and the rest led away captive Almighty God did otherwise dispose this proud commandment But Petronius accompanied with three Legions and many assistants out of Syria came with all speed from Antioch to Judaea many of the Jews would not believe any war towards notwithstanding that they heard a general report thereof and they that believed it could not bethink themselves of any means to resist Suddenly all were in a great fear for the Army was now come to Ptolemais The description of Ptolemais which City is situate by the Sea-shoar in Galilee in a fair Field and on the East-side it is compassed with Mountains distant from it threescore furlongs L which belong to Galilee on the South-side it is invested with Mount Carmel which is distant an hundred and twenty furlongs on the North-side it is environed with an exceeding high Mountain which the Inhabitants call the Tyrians Ladder this Mountain is an hundred paces distant from the City Two miles from this City there is a River running by called Pelus a very little one near which is the admirable Sepulchre of Memnon Sand like Glass near Memnon's Sepulchre which is a hundred cubits high and of a concave form In this place is seen a sort of Sand as transparent as Glass which many ships carry away for Balast but though they empty the place of it yet that place is presently after covered with the like sand again For there are winds which as it were on purpose carry this sand from the higher places round about it thither and this M sand being put into the furnace is presently changed into Chrystal or Glass And that which in my opinion is more to be wondred at is that the sand being so turned into Glass if afterward any part thereof be cast upon the brink of this place it is again turned into ordinary sand And this is the nature of that place Now the Jews with their wives and children gathered themselves together in the field where the City Ptolemais is situate and humbly besought Petronius not to violate their Country-laws but to have compassion on them Petronius seeing the multitude that humbly sued to him and how earnestly they sought his favour left Caesar's statues at Ptolemais and himself went from thence to Galilee and at Tiberias called all the Jews and Nobility together Petronius certifieth the Jews of the Romans power and Caesar's threats he represents to them the power of the N Romans and how dreadful Caesar's threatnings ought to be to them adding moreover that the Jews supplication was indeed a contumely seeing all Nations under the dominion of the Romans the Jews only excepted had
already placed Caesar's Statues in their Temples among those of their gods and herein they did as it were revolt from the Emperour and affront him their Governour who represented his person They answered it was against the Laws and Customs of their Country for it was not lawful for them to have the Image of God much less of a man and that they were not only forbidden by the Law to have an Image in the Temple but also to have it in any prophane place Petronius replied if you observe your Laws so religiously I must also observe my Lord's command for if I do not but spare you O I shall be justly punished and 't is not to me but to him you must make your addresses for I my self as well as you am subject to him At these words the whole A multitude cried out together that before they would see their Religion violated they would willingly expose themselves to any danger When the noise of the people was ceased Petronius said Are ye then prepared and minded to fight against Caesar The Jews answered No we every day offer sacrifices for Caesar and the Romans But if Caesar must needs place his Image in the Temple he must first kill us all with our wives and children The constancy of the Jews Hereat Petronius greatly marvelled and was moved to compassion when he beheld the constancy of the Jews in their Religion and so great a multitude prepared to die for it And for that time they departed nothing being done The next day following he assembled only the Nobility of the Jews Petronius once more assembleth the Jews and threatens them and spoke to them both generally and one by one exhorting them to obey B Caesar's command and sometime admonishing them otherwhile threatning them and putting them in mind of the power of the Romans and Caesar's indignation and that he must of necessity do as he was commanded But they were moved by none of these Whereupon Petronius fearing the ground would be left untilled for it was now seed-time and all the people had remained idle in the City for fifty days space calling them together he said that he would go about a thing which might greatly endanger him self Petronius sendeth to Caesar and signifieth the Jews supplication For said he I will either God assisting me appease Caesar's wrath or else I will lose mine own life to save such a multitude as you are And dismissing the people who made daily prayers to God for him he led his Army from Ptolemais to Antioch from whence he presently sent to Caesar in all haste recounting C to him with how great an Army he went into Judea and that all the whole Nation made supplication to him whose request and humble suit if he denied he must utterly destroy the men and their Country for they remained resolute in their Countrey-religion and vehemently resisted any new Law Caius writ an answer of these Letters to Petronius threatning him that it should cost him his life because he made no more haste to execute his command The messengers that brought these Letters were tossed in a tempest upon the Sea three whole months together Petronius receives letters of Caesar's death but others coming after them to bring news of Caius's death had a prosperous wind so Petronius received the Letters of Caius Caesar's death twenty seven days before the other threatning Letters came D CHAP. V. The Roman Army declares Claudius Emperour Of the Reign and Death of Agrippa CAius Caesar being assassinated The year of the World 4005. after Christ's Nativity 43. after he had reigned three years and six months Claudius was made Emperour by the Army which was at Rome The Senate by the instigation of the Consuls Sentius Saturninus and Pomponius Secundus commanded three Legions of Soldiers to keep the City during the Council holden in the E Capitol Ant. lib. 19. cap. 3. and abhorring Caius Caesar's cruelty they determined to fight against Claudius and to reduce the Empire to the ancient Government that as before-time so for ever after Caius reigned three years and six months those should rule that the Senate judged worthy It chanced that at this time Agrippa came to Rome and the Senate sent to him requesting him to come and take place in their Council Claudius also desired him to take part with the Army intending to use his help where need required Agrippa is chosen both betwixt the Senate and Claudius for an arbiter Agrippa perceiving that Claudius was in a manner already Emperour for his power he took part with him who presently sent him as Ambassadour to the Senate to tell them his purpose how that first of all the Soldiers whether he would or no set him in that dignity and it had been in him an undiscreet part to have forsaken such an offer from the Soldiers who F did it for good will that if he had refused it his life had been in danger and it was sufficient danger that he had been elected Emperour Moreover he purposed to rule not as a Tyrant but as a good Prince for he would be contented only with the Title of Emperour and do nothing without the common consent of them all And although he was not naturally inclined to modest and courteous behaviour yet he had a sufficient example to beware that he abused not his authority by Caius Caesar's death The Senates answer to Agrippa Agrippa carried this message to the Senate who answered as though they trusted to their Soldiers and the Justice of their Cause that they would not thrust themselves into voluntary bondage Claudius receiving this answer sent Agrippa again to tell them that nothing could cause him to abandon them by whom he was made Emperour G and that he was forced to make war against them with whom he was very loath to contest and therefore willed them to chuse a place out of the City for the battel to be fought in for it stood with no reason to deface the City with civil wars and Massacres for the obstinacy of some few Agrippa did this message also to the Senate H and one of the Soldiers that were for the Senate drew his Sword and said Fellow Soldiers what should move us to massacre our Friends and Kindred and Parents who follow Claudius especially seeing we have an Emperour with whom we can find no fault unto whom we should rather go forth with Congratulations than with Arms. When he had said this he passed thorough the midst of the Court and all the Soldiers followed him The Senate The Senate follow the Soldiers to Claudius being thus left desolate and abandoned by their Forces began to be in great fear and seeing it was no standing out for them they followed the Soldiers and went to Claudius Before the City Walls there met them some that endeavour-to shew themselves dutiful to Claudius for his Fortunes sake who
having their Swords I drawn had killed the formost before Caesar understood any thing of their coming had not Agrippa hastened to advertise him of the matter He told him that if he did not presently appease the Soldiers fury now raging against the Citizens all the Nobility would presently be destroyed and he should be left Emperour of a desolate place When Claudius heard this Claudius honourably entertains the Senate he repressed the Soldier 's fury and very honourably received the Senate into his Camp and went forth presently with them and offered Sacrifice to God as the manner is for the good Estate of the Empire and to give him thanks for that Sovereignty which he held of him Agrippa's Kingdom Also he presently made Agrippa King of all his Father's Dominions giving him likewise all that Augustus had given Herod The year of the World 4008. after Christ's Nativity 46. to wit Trachonitis and Auranitis and besides them another Countrey called K the Kingdom of Lysania and published this his Gift by Edict to the people and commanded the Senate to engrave that Donation in Brazen Tables and to place it in the Capitol Moreover he gave the Kingdom of Chalcis to his Brother Herod who was become also his Son-in-law by the marriage of Bernice his Daughter Agrippa now received greater Revenues of his Kingdom than he could desire which he spent not vainly but in building such a Wall about Jerusalem as had he finished it the Romans could never have taken it Ant. lib. 19. cap. 5. But before he could end that work he died in Caesarea having reigned three years with the Title of King Agrippa after he had reigned three years in Caesarea dies and other three years before with that of Tetrarch He left behind him three Daughters which he had by Cypris Bernice Mariamne and Drusilla and one Son by the same Wife named Agrippa who L because he was very young Claudius reduced the Kingdom into a Province and made Cuspius Fadus Governour thereof After whom succeeded Tiberius Alexander who nothing violating the Laws of the Nation Herod after he had reigned in Chalcis dieth ruled them in Peace After this Herod King of Chalcis died leaving behind him two Sons which he had by his Brother's Daughter Bernice to wit Bernicianus and Hircanus and by his first Wife Mariamne Ant. lib. 19. cap. 7 8. Aristobulus His other Brother also Aristobulus died a private person leaving one Daughter Jotapa And these were the Posterity of Aristobulus Son of King Herod by Mariamne Alexander and Aristobulus 's Genealogy whom he put to death But his elder Brother Alexander's Posterity reigned in the greater Armenia M CHAP. XI Of divers Tumults in Judaea and Samaria AFter the death of Herod who reigned in Chalcis Claudius created Agrippa the Son of the former Agrippa The year of the World 4011. after Christ's Nativity 49. King of Chalcis his Unkle's Kingdom And Cumanus was made Ruler of the other Province after Tiberius Alexander under whom many new tumults and calamities befel the Jews For when they were assembled together at the Feast of Unleavened bread in Jerusalem the Roman Soldiers standing in the Porch of N the Temple for always armed men kept that place upon Festival days A filthy fact and speech of a Soldier against the Jews on a Festival day lest the people gathered together should make any tumult one of the Soldiers taking up his coat turned his bare buttocks against the Jews faces speaking words as unseemly as was his gesture At which insolence the whole multitude began to murmur and they flocked about Cumanus requesting him to punish the Soldier for his misdemeanour And some of them rash young men and prone to Sedition began to revile the Soldiers and threw stones at them Cumanus feareth the people's 〈◊〉 Cumanus fearing that the whole multitude of the Jews would violently move against him called to him many armed Soldiers and sent them to seize the Gates of the Temple Some ten thousand men thronged to death The Jews being in great fear fled and left the Temple and there was such a throng that as they hasted to flee above ten thousand people O were prest and trodden to death So that this Festival day was turned into woful lamentations and mournings in every place This calamity was followed soon after by A another The year of the World 4014. after Christ's Nativity 52. for near Bethoron one Stephanus Servant to Caesar carrying some rich houshold-stuff was robbed of it in the High-way But Cumanus sending for those in the Villages next adjoyning in order to discover the Thieves commanded them to be bound and brought to him because they had not taken the Thieves In one of which Villages a certain Soldier finding the Book of the Holy Scripture A Soldier cuts the Book of the Holy Scripture in pieces and burneth it cut it in pieces and burnt it Hereupon all the Jews of this Countrey gathered themselves together from all places being no less incensed than if they had seen their Countrey set on fire and carried by zeal for their Religion they forthwith went to Caesarea to Cumanus there beseeching him that the Soldier who had affronted God and their Law might not escape unpunished The Soldier executed that burned the Bible Cumanus perceiving that the Jews would not be appeased without B some satisfaction condemned the Soldier to death and sent him to Execution in their presence which done they all departed At the same time there arose a great difference between the Galileans and Samaritans A Galilean slain in Samaria for at a Village called Geman scituate in the great Plain of Samaria a certain Galilean of the number of the Jews that came to the Feast was slain For which fact many Galileans joyned together to be revenged of the Samaritans And the Principal of the Countrey went to Cumanus requesting him before any more harm were done to go into Galilee and punish the Authors of this Murther But Cumanus being busied in greater Affairs sent them away without granting their request When this murther was known in Jerusalem all the multitude left the solemnity of the Festival C and went to Samaria Eleazar and Alexander two Princes of the Jews exercise much cruelty refusing to be restrained by the Magistrates Of this their Tumult and Sedition the Son of Dinaeus called Eleazar and one Alexander were Captains who with violence entring the Borders of the Countrey of Lacrabatana killed man woman and child and burnt the Towns When Cumanus heard this he took the Cavalry of Sebaste and went to help them that were thus oppressed and he killed and made Prisoners many of them who took part with Eleazar Now the Magistrates of Jerusalem went out to the rest of the Jews which so wasted Samaria clothed in sack-cloth and ashes upon their heads and beseeched them not to seek revenge
to fix the seat of his Dominion over the people He chose for his Guard a good number of his followers Foelix overthroweth the Egyptian Foelix foreseeing his intent met him with his Legions of Romans and a great number of other Jews and fighting against him the Egyptian being defeated fled and many that were with him were taken and committed to Prison and the rest of the multitude dispersed themselves into their Countrey These N being thus repressed The Thieves and Magicians work much mischief to many men another part as it happeneth in a sick body began to rise For some Magicians and Thieves being gathered together exhorted the people to shake off the Roman Yoke and threatned present death to those that continued to suffer so shameful a Servitude so that they forced them who were contented with their subjection to the Romans The year of the World 4020. after Christ's Nativity 58. to disobey them These people being dispersed all over the Countrey robbed and sacked rich men's houses killed them and fired the Villages so that all Judaea was in extream fear of them and every day their cruelty encreased At this time arose another tumult at Caesarea Ant lib. 10. cap. 13. between the Jews that dwelt there and the Syrians The Jews challenged the City to be theirs because it was founded by O Herod who was a Jew But the Syrians denying not that the builder of the City was a Jew yet affirmed that it ought to pass for a Greek City for said they the A Founder would not have placed in it Shrines and Statues if he had meant that it should have belonged to the Jews Hereupon there arose a great controversie among the Jews and Syrians so that the matter came to blows and every day those that were the hardiest of both parts fought together For the wiser sort of the Jews could not restrain those of their Nation from being seditious A Fight between the Jews and Syrians about Caesarea and the Greeks scorned to give place to the Jews The Jews surpassed them in Riches and strength of body and the Grecians trusted to the help of the Roman Soldiers for a great many of the Roman Army being levied in Syria were ready to assist the Syrians because of Kindred and Consanguinity Sedition and Slaughter among the Jews The Officers that commanded them endeavoured to appease the Tumult and took those that were most seditious and beat them and cast them into Prison B But the punishment of those that were apprehended terrified not the rest on the contrary they were hereby more tumultuous Foelix finding them at blows as he passed into the great Market-place commanded the Jews who had the advantage to retire and because they obeyed not he sent for Soldiers who slew them and plundered their Goods The Sedition being still on foot he sent some of the Nobility on either Part The year of the World 4024. after Christ's Nativity 62. to Nero to plead their Cause before him Festus succeeded Foelix who vigorously persecuted them that troubled the Countrey and destroyed many Thieves C CHAP. XIII Of Albinus and Florus Presidents of Judaea ALbinus Ant. lib. 20. cap 15. who succeeded Festus followed not his steps for there was no mischief so great Albinus President of Judaea full of all wickedness which he was not guilty of For he not only took away by force men's Goods from them under colour of Justice and at his own pleasure exacted a greater Tribute but also freed and let loose any one whom either the Magistrates of the City took or his Predecessors had left in Prison so that their Friends would give a piece of money and they only who were not able to give money were imprisoned D as most hainous Offenders The Seditious bribe Albinus to wink at their Robberies At this time they in Jerusalem that desired alteration began to take courage and those that were rich among them feed Albinus with money to have his Protection and the common people that loved not to be in quiet were much pleased with Albinus's Government and each of the most wicked had a Troop of Thieves after him But Albinus himself was over them all as chief of the Thieves whom he used as his Guard to rob the meaner sort They whose houses were sacked and spoiled were glad to hold their peace and they who yet had esscaped were glad to be very officious towards those who deserved death for fear they should suffer it In general no men could trust one another Every one trembled under the Rule of so many Tyrants And all these mischiefs were the Seeds of the Servitude E which after befel this miserable City Notwithstanding that Albinus was of such behaviour The year of the World 4028. after Christ's Nativity 66. yet Gessius Florus who succeeded him so behaved himself that in comparison of him Albinus might have been thought a good Governour For Albinus did all things secretly and craftily but Gessius committed any iniquity how great soever so openly as though he gloried in mischief Ant. lib 20. cap. 16. and behaved himself not as a Ruler of the Countrey but as a hangman sent to execute Malefactors omitting no manner of Theft nor any means whereby he might afflict the people Gessius Florus succeeded Albinus and proved worse than Albinus Where he ought to have shewed pity there he was a Tyrant and where he ought to have been ashamed there he shewed himself shameless No man ever could invent more means to betray the truth and devise more subtil ways to do F harm than he for it sufficed him not for his own gain to abuse men one by one at his pleasure The Covetousness of Florus spoileth whole Cities but he wasted and spoiled whole Cities at once and destroyed the people in great multitudes He was not ashamed by the publick voice of a Cryer to proclaim it thorough the whole Countrey lawful for any one that would to rob and steal so that they would bring him a part of their Booty In brief his Avarice was such that the Countrey was almost left desolate people forsaking their own native home and fleeing into strange Lands And all the time that Cestius Gallus was Governour of Syria no man durst go to him to make any complaint against Florus But when at the Feast of Unleavened Bread Gallus came to Jerusalem there met him a multitude of the Jews above three hundred thousand all beseeching him to help and succour their G afflicted Countrey and banish Florus who was the very Pest of their Nation Yet Florus was so impudent that being with Gallus and hearing these Out-cries against him he was no whit moved but laughed at it Cestius for that time appeased the people promising that hereafter he would make Florus more gentle unto them and H so returned to Antioch Florus conducted him to Caesarea and justified
he repulsed the Jews with Darts and Arrows with the help of Domitius Sabinus who in that fight proved himself a stout Warriour and continued fighting with the Jews till all his fellow-Souldiers were got off Thus the Romans having got the second Wall The Jews courage encreaseth were beaten from it again and the Citizens so encouraged they were as it were drunk with their good fortune thinking the Romans durst no more attempt upon the City and that they themselves were invincible when they were prepared to fight God because of their Iniquity had darkned E their understanding so that they never considered the Roman Forces were far greater than those they had encountred and the Famine that hung over their heads for as yet they lived upon the destruction of the People The People in want and many die for hunger and drank the blood of a City but the good People did even suffer Famine already and many of them perished for want of food yet the Seditious did rejoyce at the death of the Citizens as though thereby they were eased of a great burthen only desiring they might live that bear rebellious minds and would joyn with them against the Romans rejoycing at the death of the rest and this was the affection they bare unto their Citizens In this manner they armed themselves and resisted the Romans who now again did attempt to enter the Breach whilst the Jews threw down Stones and part of the Wall upon them as they came up Titus once more getteth the second wall F drave them back again and valiantly sustained them for three dayes But the fourth day being unable to withstand Titus his assault they were forced to retire as before and he having gotten the Wall destroyed all the North part thereof and placed a Garrison in the Towers and Fortresses of the South part CHAP. XI H Of the Mounts raised to batter the third Wall A long Oration of Jesephus to perswade the People to yield and of the Famine in the City TITUS now determined to batter the third Wall conceiving the Siege would be now but short He thought it convenient to give the Seditious some time to bethink themselves to see that if either by the taking of the second Wall or terrified with Famine they would repent For there was little or nothing left in the City to I supply them and he was posted as he desired And the time being come for every Roman Souldier to receive his proportion of Victuals Titus surceasing the Siege commandeth mony to be distributed to all his Souldiers Titus caused them to be led every one in order into a place where the Jews in the City might behold them he caused his Captains to distribute money to every one and the Souldiers as their Custom is all armed and drawing their Swords out of their sheaths marched along the Horsemen leading their Horses in great Pomp and a great part of the Suburbs glistered with gold and silver This spectacle was grateful to their own Souldiers and terrible to the Jews for all the old Walls and the North part of the City and many Houses were filled with the multitude of them who came to view this sight and there was no part of the City that was not filled with People to behold it This Spectacle struck a great K fear upon the very boldest among the Jews and perhaps would have caused the Seditious People to have relented had they not despaired to have found mercy and pardon at the Romans hands for their offences committed wherefore they thought it better to be slain fighting than to be put to death shamefully if they desisted from fight That Destiny hindred this resolution Destiny had decreed that the innocent should perish with the nocent and the City with the Seditious it being decreed that the innocent should perish with the wicked and the City with the Seditious hereupon for four dayes space they distributed necessaries to the Souldiers and on the fifth day Titus perceiving the Jews were still obstinate divided his Army into two parts and about Johns Tomb he began to raise Mounts and against Antonia hoping by them to take the higher part of the City and by Antonia to seize the Temple which except he could effect he could not safely take L the City Against either of these places he raised two Mounts each Legion making one The Jews and Simons followers opposed the work that was begun before Johns Tomb The Romans in their labour are hindred by the Jews and John likewise with a great number of the Zealots hindred them that made the Mounts over against Antonia who not only fought with the advantage of the higher ground but had learned also the use of Engines for continual use by little and little made them skilful and they had 300 Engines called Balistaes and 40 Engines to cast Stones wherewith they greatly annoyed the Romans and obstructed them in their work Titus foreseeing that Fortune would favour him Titus bounty towards the Jews and that the City would be taken M pressed it what he could never ceasing to perswade the Jews to yield adding many Arguments to his importunity for he knew that many times words prevail more than violence wherefore he exhorted them to save themselves and yield the City unto him referring them to Joseph who should make a speech to them in their own Language and he hoped they would hear their own Country-man Then Joseph keeping himself out of the danger of their shot Josephs Oration to the Jews called out unto them to commiserate themselves the City the Temple the People and not be more hard-hearted unto them than strangers For the Romans had a reverence for the Holy-places notwithstanding they had no society or portion in them That till that very day they had abstained from violating of them whereas they who were brought up among them and might save them N did wilfully cause their destruction He advised them to consider that their strongest Walls were battered down and only the weaker remaining unbattered He willed them to consider how they were not able to withstand the Roman Forces and that it was no novelty to the Jews to be subject to the Romans For although it be a good and commendable thing to fight for Liberty yet that was to have been done in the beginning for he that was once subject and rebell'd having a long time lived under the obedience of the Romans seemed rather to be desirous of a shameful Death than an honourable Liberty Moreover he reproached them that they should choose rather to be subject to a base People than to them whom the whole World obeyed For saith he What habitable place is it that the Romans have not Conquered They themselves may perceive how Fortune has still favoured them and that God had O setled the Universal Monarchy in Italy That by the Law of Nature and the Example of
on condition that they might safely depart away and Eleazar might likewise be restored to them Which offer of theirs the Romans accepted and the Jews in the lower part of the City having intelligence of this agreement resolved likewise to fly away in the night but so soon as they had opened their Gates those that had agreed with Bassus B gave him intelligence thereof either envying that their Country men should escape or else fearing that Bassus would punish them for their flight yet for all this the most valiant of those that fled who got out before the rest escaped the rest were slain to the number of one thousand seven hundred men 1700 Jews slain by the Romans the Women and Children were made bondslaves And Bassus thinking it meet to keep his promise to them of the Castle permitted them safely to depart and restored Eleazar to them C CHAP. XXVI Of the Jews that Bassus slew and how the Emperor caused the Lands of Judea to be sold THis done Bassus prepared to carry his Army into the Forrest called Jardes Jardes a wood invironed by the Romans where he had notice that many Jews were assembled together having escaped from Jerusalem and Machera during the Siege So coming to the place and finding it to be as it was reported to him he first of all invironed it with Horsemen that if any of the Jews sought to escape the Horsemen might dispatch them and he commanded the D Footmen to cut down the Wood into which they had fled to hide themselves So through necessity the Jews were constrained to fight in hope by a couragious Charge to make a passage for themselves Wherefore with a great Cry they violently assaulted those by whom they were invironed and the Romans valiantly received them and by their valour and the Jews desperation the fight endured a long time yet the event of the Battle was favourable to the Romans of whom only twelve were slain and very few wounded 3000 Jews slain but all the Jews were slain in the fight being in number three thousand and also their Captain Judas the Son of Jairus of whom we have already made mention and who during the siege of Jerusalem was Commander of a Company there and hid himself in a certain Cave and secretly escaped from thence At that time Caesar E writ to Liberius Maximus his Governour A tribute imposed by Caesar on all the Jews and to Bassus to fell all the Lands of Judea for he would not build any more Cities but appropriated it to himself leaving there only eight hundred Souldiers and giving them a place to dwell in called Emaus thirty furlongs distant from Jerusalem and he imposed a Tribute upon all Jews wheresoever they lived commanding every one of them every year to pay two Drachms to the Capitol according as in former times they were wont to pay to the Temple of Jerusalem and this was the miserable estate of the Jews at that time F G CHAP. XXVII H Of the Death of King Antiochus and how the Alans invaded Armenia IN the fourth year of Vespasian's Reign it hapned that Antiochus King of Comagenaâ— with all his family fell into great misfortune upon this occasion Cesennius Petus President of Syria accuseth Antiochus before Caesar Cesennius Petus Governour of Syria either for envy or for that indeed it was so for it is not well known sent Letters to Caesar declaring to him that Antiochus was determined to revolt from the Romans together with his Son Epiphanes that he had made a League with I the King of the Parthians and that therefore it was necessary to prevent them in time lest if they first began to revolt openly they might trouble all the Roman Empire with War Caesar did not neglect this news for that the nearness of both the Kings Countries one to another seemed to require that they should be quickly prevented for Samosata the greatest City of Comagena is situate upon Euphrates and so might both easily receive the Parthians and be a strong Hold for them and also there they might easily pass over the River Wherefore Vespasian sent word to Petus That he permitted him to do what he thought expedient and he forthwith Antiochus thinking nothing suddenly entred into Comagena with the sixth Legion and certain other Companies of Foot and K some Troops of Horse accompanied with Aristobulus King of Chalcis and Sohemus King of Emesa who came to assist him They entred the Country without any fight for none of the inhabitants offered to resist Antiochus is suddenly invaded by Cesennius Antiochus though surprised with this unexpected news yet did not so much as think of any War against the Romans but determined to leave the whole Kingdom in that estate that then it was in and with his Wife and Children to depart from thence hoping hereby to clear himself to the Romans from that which they suspected of him and going almost a hundred and thirty furlongs from the City into a Plain there he encamped Petus sent men to Samosata to take it as they easily did and were left to keep the City whilst he with the rest of the Souldiers purpose to go against Antiochus But the King though by necessity urged thereto yet would L not fight against the Romans but bewailing his misfortune endured patienrly all whatsoever But his two Sons being lusty strong young men and skilfull in martial affairs could not easily abstain from fight in this their distress Wherefore they had recourse to their forces and in a great fight that endured a whole day they shewed their Valour and came off with little loss Antiochus chuseth rather to depart out of his Country with his Wife and Children than to fight with the Romans Yet Antiochus after this fight would not any longer abide in his Country but taking his Wife and Daughters he fled into Cilicia and thereby discouraged his Souldiers who dispairing to keep the Kingdom for him revolted to the Romans But Epiphanes and the rest were forced to seek to save themselves before such time as they were left destitute and so accompanied with ten Horsemen they passed the River Euphrates And so being out of danger they went to Vologesus by whom they were received Antiochus flieth with his wife into Câ—licia not as Fugitives but with great honour and according to their degree M as though they yet possessed their ancient dignity Petus coming to Tarsus of Cilicia sent a Centurion to arrest and carry Antiochus bound to Rome Epiphanes flieth to Velogeâ—us the King of Parthia But Vespasian permitted not the King to be so ill treated considering more the old Friendship between them than the offence which he believed had given occasion to this War Wherefore he commanded that in the way as he came he should be unbound and stay a while at Lacedemon and forbear his journey towards Rome allowing him money sufficient to
his parents next after God and commandeth that those Children that do not shew themselves grateful unto them The honour due to Parents or in any thing do grieve them that they should be stoned to death It also commandeth all young men to reverence old Men because God is Elder to us all It permitteth not friends to conceal any impiety for God is not their friend who doth not disclose them And if friends fall out that do know one anothers secrets yet they are commanded not to bewray them If any Judge take a bribe he is to be punished with death for omitting Justice and assisting the guilty Against theft and usury No man must take any thing away that he himself placed not and no man must take that which is not his own No man for lending must take usury M and many such like things our Law commandeth concerning cause of Communion between us and others It is also not amiss to recount how our Law-maker provided for the entertaining of strangers amongst us For he seemeth so to have provided that to our knowledge we neither corrupt our own Laws nor deny to impart them to others but he entertaineth all liberally that will come and live under our Laws judging the community of mans life not so much to consist in the Nation whereof we come as in the unity of our minds and conversation He forbiddeth others that are strangers and come not with that intent to be admitted to our solemnities yet he commanded us to exhibit unto them all other things necessary and that we should give unto all men fire water meat and bury N them being dead He hath also most mildly determined how we ought to deal with our Enemies that we neither destroy their Country with fire nor cut down their Fruit-trees We are also forbidden to rob and spoil those that are slain in fight and deal injuriously with our Captives How we ought to 〈…〉 Enemies and especially if they be Women yea he so endeavoured to teach us humanity and mildness that he provided that we use even unreasonable beasts courteously and only employ them to serve our lawful need and no further for he forbiddeth us to kill any tame thing bred in houses and that we should not kill the old birds and their young together and because many wild Beasts enemies to mankind do assist us in our labours he commanded to spare them also And in every point he O established humanity and mildness amongst us using as is beforesaid Laws to direct A us therein enacting also other how they who infringe the foresaid Laws may be with all severity punished For the punishment allotted to the violaters hereof is for the most part death As if any man commit Alultery ravish a Virgin use the sin against nature with another or suffer himself to be so abused We also have Laws concerning our Servants A repetition of the precepts of the Law and our Measures and Weights and unlawful bargains and sales or deceit if either one take any thing that is another mans or which is not his own all these are to be punished not as other Nations punish them but much more grievously But whosoever either injureth his Parents or committeth impiety against God he shall presently be destroyed But they that observe this Law are rewarded not with gold or silver nor with a Crown beset with precious stone but B every one having his Conscience to witness doth greatly profit and gain Eternity as both our Law-maker prophesieth and God himself doth most assuredly promise to them that observe them The reward of such as keep the Law And if it chance that we be forced to suffer death for them yet do we joyfully go to execution nothing doubting but that we shall so exchange this Life for a better I should be loth to report this if our deeds did not make it manifest for many of our forefathers only for that they refused to speak against our Laws or otherwise than our Laws permitted have most manfully and constantly endured all torments and death it self If our Nation were unknown to all the world and that this our voluntary observaâ—ion C of our Laws were not manifest to all the people if any man should report unto the Greeks that either he had read this which I have declared or else that he had found People in a strange Land such as we be having so pious and honest opinions concerning God and who had for many ages persevered therein I doubt not but they would all admire and wonder hereat considering the great mutability amongst themselves To be short The continuance of the Laws amongst the Jews there are some who stick not to deride them who have lately written of the Government of Common wealths and Laws as though they had written things fabulous and altogether impossible And to speak nothing of other Philosophers who have written of this Argument that divine Plato amongst the Greeks a man who in honest life Plato admired amongst the Greeks virtuous speech and sound Philosophy excelled all others this man is D almost continually scoffed at by them who in their own conceit are skilful in civil affairs and brought in to their Comedies Whereas whosoever considereth his Writings with diligence shall often and easily find matter agreeable with most mens manners yea this Plato himself confesseth that he dare not by reason of the common peoples ignorance set down the true opinion of God But many think Plato's words full of vanity Lycurgus the Law-mâ—ker amongst the Lacedemonians and licentiousness and admire Lycurgus and the City of Sparta for that it so long time persevered in his Laws It is therefore an evident demonstration of Virtue to remain in their Laws But if those who so admire the Lacedemonians do compare them with us and the time during the which their Laws were in force with the time of our Common-wealth they shall find that ours hath E continued more than two thousand years They shall also find that the Lacedemonians did only perfectly observe their Laws during such time as they were in prosperity and liberty and that when their Fortune changed they then became unmindful of their Laws But we who have felt many thousand mis-haps by reason of the often change of Princes in Asia have not in these our last miseries and evils forsaken our Law Neither can any man say that liberty and licentious Life is the cause why we so diligently observe them The Jews compared with the Lacedemonians seeing that whoso please may see sufficient proof that they tye us to more strict Life and laborious than those of the Lacedemonians did them For they neither tilled the Earth nor used any handy-craft but ceasing from all labours and pains-taking F lived in their City fat and in fair liking having both their meat and all other necessaries provided and prepared for them by others
He also commanded him as he hung to be pricked with awls that so the heat might pierce into the holes they made in his flesh Whilst thus he was tormented much blood like froth gathered about his head and face and he then spake in this manner O noble fight O valiant War O strife between piety and impiety These men have past their Agonies whose Crown of Martyrdom is the punishment of their persecutors I do most willingly B follow my brethren that as by blood I am conjoyned unto them so by death I may not be separated from them Devise O Tyrant some new Torment for these I have already overcome O master of cruelty Enemy of piety persecuter of justice we six Brethren have conquered the Kings power and what his Kingdom or the whole world could afford Thy fire is cold and heateth not The sixth brother sharply reproves Antiochus and the Kings weapons are bended and blunted in our bodies our God giveth us more courage to suffer than thou hast to punish and so the precept of God remaineth firm in us And as he thus spake one took hold of his tongue with a hot pair of tongs and so with the same torments that his brethren had suffered being fryed in a pan he gave up the Ghost C Six of the Brethren being now dead by diversity of torments only one of the seven remained alive with his mother named Jacob younger in year but not in constancy of mind than the rest of his brethren He presenting himself before the Tyrant moved him to compassion both for that he was left alone and the last of his brethren and also that he was to perish wherefore he called the child unto him and into a place where no instruments of torments were Jacob the seventh brother brought to torments and taking him by the hand he said thus unto him hoping to win him by fair speeches By thy brethrens calamity thou now well hast learned what is prepared for thee if thou disobey me deliver thy self therefore from these torments and I will give thee what honour my kingdom can afford thou shalt be a Magistrate and General of my Army and one of my Counsellors D But perceiving himself not to prevail he caused the young man's Mother to be called unto him who coming and standing near her Son the Tyrant said thus unto her Where are now O worthy woman all thy Children Behold of such a number if thou please the destiny affords thee one advise therefore thy Child and mollifie his obstinate mind by wholsom counsel The Mother having heard what the King said made her reverence to the King which done that the King might not understand her she spake in Hebrew to her Child as followeth Pitty thy Mother O son and comfort thy sorrowfull Mother who bare thee nine months in my E womb and gave thee suck three years and with great industry have brought thee up to this age I pray thee dear son consider the Heaven and Earth and all that in them is and know that God created them all of nothing who also of nothing created Mankind Fear not this Ethnick's pains and torments but imitate thy brethren and contemn death that in the day of mercy I may receive thee and thy brethen again in Heaven As his mother thus admonished him he in the Hebrew tongue requested to be unbound for that he had a secret to disclose to the King who being unfettered he presently ran to the torments prepared for there was a Frying-pan red hot that was prepared for such as were to suffer unto the which the Child coming remembring his brethren and beholding also the King he said unto him Cruel tyrant I now know thee not only to have been cruel against my brethren but even cruelty it self Wretch that thou F art who gave thee this purple and who exalted thee to this Kingdom and dignity even he whom thou in us dost persecute whose servants and worshippers thou killest and tormentest for which thy wickedness thy self shall suffer eternal fire and torments which shall have no end Thou art of higher dignity and authority in this world than other men yet he that made other men made thee also of the same nature that they are for all men are born and must die alike He that kills another sheweth that he himself may be killed thou tearest and tormentest thy own picture and image in vain thou in thy fury killest him whom not long since God created like thy self and according to the same law thou thinkest all lawful which thy Kingly power can command thou pullest out our tongues and tearest our bodies with flesh-books and consumest with fire but they who have already suffered this have received everlasting G joy for their reward and thou shalt answer for all the punishments inflicted upon them Think not that I expect any favour at thy hands I will follow my brethren and remain constant H in our Law The Tyrant hearing this was wroth and caused him to be tormented but his Mother in his torment comforted him and with her kind hands held his head when with violence of the tortures blood issued out of his mouth nose and privy parts the tormentors not ceasing till life in him was almost spent but they by Gods appointment gave over and so he took strength again to endure more than any of his brethren had done at last his Hands and Arms being cut off he lifted up his Eyes to Heaven and cryed O Adonai O Sabaor be mercifull unto me and receive me into the company of my brethren The death of the youngest brother let thy wrath now cease and grant them mercy who by us do make intercession to thee Having said thus his tongue being pulled out he of his own accord went into the fiery I Frying pan and so to the great admiration of Antiochus died Behold how evident it is that reason can rule our affections seeing that Children hereby shewed more constancy Reason Mistress of our affection than the Tyrant could shew cruelty For it was reason's force that wrought in them that determination to suffer all torments rather than to forsake the way of Salvation These constant young men do fitly resemble inexpugnable Towers and them who after a great tempest and shipwrak do safely enter the harbour of Salvation A similitude of the waves who guiding their course amidst the boysâ—etous waves at last obtain the wished shore For every one of them strengthened the other by advice and good counsel The seven brethren exhort one another to suffer death manfully and none of them was so effeminate as to decline his Martyrdom None used delay herein but K one followed anothers example Let us therefore dy for our Law and imitate the three Children whom the Asyrians fury condemned to the fiery Furnace whose patience spread their fame even unto Heaven Whilst thus one of them exhorted the other
it came to pass that none of them offended but each one resolute in his Religion took example of the virtue courage and constancy of their fore-father Isaac who understanding that it was God's will that he should be Sacrificed refused not to submit his body to his Fathers Sword Let us said they yield our Souls to him of whom we receied both Soul and Body It is a small matter for us to suffer loss of these members seeing that we shall in lieu of them receive everlasting bliss Abraham Isaac and Jacob do joyfully expect us as L Co-heirs of their Kingdom let us glorifie that womb wherein we were for ten months space let none of us be more coward than the other nor none of us degenerate from the other True brotherhood we that were all begotten of one Father and sucked of one milk must in all things resemble one another we had one teacher and one law inviolate And in this golden bond of concord were these brethren linked together and none of them mourned to see the other tormented but all rejoyced at the others death O Children whose dignity surpasseth the Royalty of Kings and Princes whose glory and virtue is unspeakable None of you were terrified with fear but you so hastened to your deaths as though you had been to go to bliss and felicity you were truly brethren who even by death were linked together A pledge and sign of brotherly amity God hath greatly in you magnified our Nation in you M shewed us all an example of fortitude whom therefore I think he caused to be so many in number as were the days wherein he created the World so that these seven brethren may resemble the seven days wherein all things were made And why should we so admire this fortitude in these young men when a woman armed her self with contempt of death Who indeed is not to be called a Mother but to be honoured with a higher title than humane frailty can afford who bare into this World so many triumphs For the Mother seeing her Children dead was with a kind and godly zeal inflamed also to suffer The mothers grief and no marvel seeing that the very brute beasts if they perceive violence offered to their young do expose themselves to perils in their defence and protect them with their wings teeth and tallons yea and every one that is any way able to N make resistance opposeth herself to the Enemy to defend her young And not only brute Beasts do this but even Bees do defend their young and their honey threatning their Stings to them that offer to tast thereof and more esteeming the good of their young than their own lives But this zealous mother directed by the Spirit of God and the dictates of reason incouragd her Children to dy and being to dy after them chose rather to be a spectator of their death than otherwise When all her family had suffered she as the last and glory of them all came to execution despising the Tyrants threats offering her motherly brest to those torments which her Children had suffered O blessed stock and blessed increase of the self same womb Why should I not affirm that in all lineaments and feature of O the body you are like your mother and if this be a commendation in them that beside A features of the body receive nothing 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 every way equal unto her save only herein that she with her Eyes beheld the immanity of your torments and was afterward as constant in her own Martyrdom as you in yours She therefore herein excelled you that she suffered seven torments before she came to suffer in her own person The mother suffereth seven torments before she was tormented feared in every one of them lest she should be overcome But O thou example of all women I cannot tell whether thou barest these Children in thy womb or createdst them who couldst with dry Eyes look upon them whilst they were torn in pieces yea I say little affirming that thou B patiently didst behold those sights for even thou thy self didst exhort them thereunto thou rejoycedst to see one of them torn in pieces with Flesh-hooks the other to be racked upon the Wheel the third to be bound and beaten thou joyfully admiredst the others burning and exhortedst the rest not to be terrified here with and although whilst thou beheld'st their torments thy grief was greater than that which thou hadst in Child-birth yet didst thou bear a lightsome and chearful countenance as though it had been one triumphing While they were a killing thou didst laugh and seeing only one of all thy Children left hereat thou didst nothing relent Can I describe how every one perished seeing thou their mother didst laugh at their deaths and when their sinews were cut in two their heads flaid their tongues pulled forth by the Roots their C hands broken their bodies in the fire and cast upon Iron plates red-hot and upon Wheels and their ribs pulled in sunder and many other torments for which we want names Never was any Swan which if you will believe antiquity Sings sweetest before her death comparble to the Funeral notes of thy dying Children And you blessed ofspring were not overcome by that Syren's enchantments but to honour God scrupled not to leave your Mother without Children And she being as pious brave on her side chose rather to want you for a time than to incur eternal damnation wishing rather that the bodies of her Children should be tormented than their Souls Well she knew that nothing was more frail and infirm than our bodies which though persecution be wanting are often killed with Agues and other Maladies Who is D ignorant that shipwrack is incident to Sailers disasters to them that travel sudden death to those that live at ease sudden casualty by fire and by the hands of Theives and a thousand other ways to dispatch our lives Seeing then that our mortal bodies are subject to so many miseries to bring us to our end who would not make choice of a quick dispatch A similitude from the Deluge whereby we lose goods of this World and gain life everlasting O thou most reverend of all women the credit of thy Nation and honour of our Religion who like the Ark of Noe didst persist inviolate amongst such stormy Waves for as the Arke withstood the force of the deluge and being built strongly with firm boards did not suffer any thing within it to perish so thou sufferedst not the Tyrant to overcome the holy Ghost which thou hadst received in thy heart Behold of what force and efficacy Reason is which oftentimes maketh men inferiour E to women For neither was Daniel so tortured at the sight of the Lions nor
the three Children with the fiery Furnace as this woman was afflicted at the death of all her Children before she came to her own Agony What would another woman and Mother have done in this Case but wept and with pitiful lamentations have cryed Ah wretch thas I am most unhappy and miserable of all that breath who therefore bare so many Children into this World that their several deaths might be so many several occasions of my grief and sorrow she would have commemorated her frequent labours the pains she endured in her ten Months bearing them she would have bewailed her ill fortune who brought forth her sons to so many deaths and dangers she would have recounted the milk wherewith she fed them and their meat she had prepared for them the F pains she had taken with them how she had carried them in her Arms and sung to them and taught them to speak her cares her watchings her fear lest any mis-hap should betide them and with weeping tears would have said Shall I never be a Grandmother and embrace your Children who a while ago was a fruitful mother my self but am now deprived of you all If this day I dy I have none to bury me But this handmaid of God forgot all these complaints that another mother would have made and with an Adamantine sence more impenetrable than the never-yielding Rocks did neither forsake her Children in their torments nor in their death but rather compelled them to perish and never sorrowed thereat For being apprehended together with her seven Sons she considering Eleazar's Martyrdom did thus exhort them in the Hebrew G tongue O my most dear and loving Children The mothers speech exhorting her seven Sons to suffer let us hasten to that Martyrdom which may make us a H credit to our Nation and gain of God an everlasting reward let us without fear present our selves unto those torments which Eleazar's aged body endured calling to mind our Father Abraham of worthy memory who having but one only Son did sacrifice him being willed by God so to do and seared not to bring him to the Altar though he was the fruit and only comfort of his age Isaac also was willing to be sacrificed by his father knowing that God was to be obeyed in all things the like may be said of Daniel and the three Children believe me we are rather tried than tormented For whatsoever this World affordeth is mortal and transient Thus did this mother arm her Childrens minds with fortitude A Golden saying of the mother of her seven Children and though a woman infused courage and constancy into men And when her Children were all dead she I a worthy mother of so many Champions kneeling down in the place of torment be sought God to put an end to her life protesting that she had not for love of life so long deferred to dye The mother followed her Sons in torments but only for her Childrens sake and that now she had seen them all seven triumphing Whereupon the rage of Antiochus grew hot and he commanded this noble person to be tormented and accordingly as the Tyrant willed she was striped naked and hanged up by the hands and most cruelly whipped her dugs and paps were pulled off and she put into the red-hot Frying-pan being most willing to follow her Childrens steps in torment and lifting up her Eyes and hands to Heaven she prayed for all women with Child and so yielded her chast Soul to God But Antiochus was striken with fire from Heaven O thou mistress of justice who followed'st K thy triumphing Children O Conquerer of Tyrants and a Looking-Glass for all Martyrs O example of patience not only to women but to all men that shall be after thee reverenced of them that now are and to be worshiped of them that are to come and to be admired not only of our Nation The light of the just but of all other people Thy light obscureth the bright shining Moon 1. Cor. 15. and though she fill the World with her brightness yet is she not comparable to thy shining light Seven lights inviron thee about dazling the brightness of the seven Planets Could any Painter express or any hand in writing declare the torments which you suffered none could with dry eyes read or behold them All people would flock about to see it All people would praise and esteem him to have offered a great gift who to God's glory had painted so incomparable a picture L And if any skilful workman should engrave this Tragedy upon a Sepulchre or in his house doubtless he should be freed from all plague and misfortune But where could a stone be found able to contain so many torments Therefore the old man Eleazar the Mother and her seven Sons are for their Nobility graced with a Sepulchre and a great reverence is done unto them of all men yea even by men that are not of our Religion and there is a constellation of eight stars ordained as an argument of their justice and Angels did execute their Funerals The Tyrant himself was astonished to see the constancy of such godly minds And thus have they found such favour in the sight of God that they have obtained remission of the sins of our Nation For presently after the Tyrant was destroyed and Israel was freed from his Tyranny M But Antiochus Antiochus leavied an Army of Footmen from amongst the Hebrews seeing the greatness of their Faith and their contempt of death gathered an Army of Foot out of the Hebrews by whose help he terrified his Enemies and got great Renown O blessed seed of Abraham behold what benefit the Sufferings of the Mother and her seven Sons brought to us their Country-men let us persist in this piety that so we may be like our Forefathers behold the death of a few did end all the miseries and sins of our whole Nation and you by your Country-mens hands vanquished their persecutors Enemies Antiochus died stinking exceedingly after that victory our sins were remited last of all Antiochus being mad and his entrails devoured with Worms he smelling like Carrion gave up the Ghost 2. Mac. 9. and was ever after death punished for his offence For when he could not make the Citizens of Jerusalem to forsake their Law he made War against N the Persians and there received that which he deserved It now remaineth An Epitome of the life of the seven Sons and their mother that we briefly repeat all that is before said For in her Agony this sacred mother said thus unto the standers by Whilest it was lawful for me I kept my self a Virgin and then I married and lived a Chast Wife and forsook not my own house I brought forth such Sons as I need not be ashamed of and though dounted with my Husbands death yet I did not forsake my Faith This and many things else she recounted And
to manage the Helm It is your office to look to the good conduct of this incomparable vessel fraughted with the welfare of all mankind and as so noble an office is aboue all estimation you ought not to take pleasure in any thing so much as in rendring so many Nations as are under your dominion happy by your benefits 'T is true they may be oblig'd by particular persons but it is from their Prince only they are to expect L this excellent conduct by which he showrs down his bounty upon them with full hands reserving only such things as in prudence are necessary for the remedying of such accidents as cannot be foreseen Thus it was that this unfortunate Counsellor advis'd Caius with designe to have made him better But his wicked nature turned his remedies into poison made a mock of his counsel and became much worse in so much as when Macro came towards him one time he said to those who were then about him Do you see that impertinent Schoolmaster that ridiculous Pedagogue he would take upon him to give instructions not only to a Child but to a person wiser than himself He prates as if a subject was to command an Emperour and an Emperour that is not ignorant in the art of Governing and he M believes himself excellent in that science But I would fain know where he learned it For my part I was brought up to it from my Cradle receiving continual instructions from my Father Brothers Uncles Cousins Grand-Father Great-Grand-Father and many other great Princes from whom I am descended both by the Father and Mother without so much as mentioning the seeds of vertue which Nature mingles with the blood of those she designs shall command For by the same reason as Children are observed to resemble their Parents not only in the lineaments of their face and the qualities of their mind but in their very gestures inclinations and actions by the same reason those who proceed from a Race accustomed to dominion do receive with their existence a disposition that makes them capable of all the impressions necessary for the formation of a great Prince I therefore may say that when my Mother N carried me in her womb and even before I was brought into the World I was instructed in the art of Governing and yet a private person whose thoughts have nothing in them that is noble and sublime has the confidence to give me Counsel in the Conduct and Regiment of my Empire which to him is an impenetrable mystery In this manner Caius conceiv'd every day more and more aversion to Macro endeavouring to charge him with false crimes but such as might at least carry in them some appearance of truth and of this sort he believed he had found one by these words which fell from Macro upon a time The Emperour is of my making and has no less obligation to me than to those who brought him into the World Three times by my prayers and contrivances have I rescued him from the O fury of Tiberius who would have put him to death and when Tiberius who would have A put him to death and when Tiberius dyed I caus'd him to be declared Emperour by the Guards which were under my Command remonstrating and inculcating to them that the only way to keep the Empire entire was to pay obedience but to one person Many people approved this discourse in Macro as knowing it was true and not yet understanding the inconstancy and dissimulation of Caius But not many days after the unfortunate Macro and his wife were put to death which was all the recompence that the ingratitude of Caius afforded to the fidelity of his servant for having secur'd him against death and advanc'd him to the Empire Some say Macro was compelled to kill himself and that his wife did the same though it was more than suspected Caius B had been kinder to her formerly But what is more unconstant than love by reason of the frequent exceptions and disgusts that happen where the affection is irregular Nay so insatiable was the cruelty of Caius that he put to death the whole family of Macro leaving not so much as one of his Servants alive CHAP. V. Caius caused his Father in Law Marcus Syllanus to be slain for giving him wise Counsel and the Murder of him was followed by the Execution C of several others WHEN this perfideous Prince had in this manner quitted himself of his Competitor in the Empire and of a person to whom he ought both his authority and life there was a third design that remained to be executed to the perpetration of which he imploy'd his utmost address His Father in Law Marcus Syllanus who was a person of great Generosity and of illustrious extraction after the death of his Daughter who died very young continued to Caius the affection of an own Father rather than of a Father in Law believing that though the D Princess was dead he could not but have the same sentiments for him Upon this score he spake to him with great liberty about the measures which he was to take by his actions to answer the hopes which were conceived of him But Caius being so vain an Opiniaster that instead of owning or mending his faults he flattered himself with a Fancy that he was excellent in all kinds of virtues look'd upon those as his Enemies who gave him good counsel he perverted the good Counsel of Syllanus reputed it an insolence grew insupportable towards him and could not endure any longer to have him an impediment to the irregularity of his passions After this he banish'd as well out of his thoughts as his heart the remembrance of his wife and by more than barbarous Cruelty caused him to be put to death for Treason from whom she had received life and who ought to have been respected by him as an own Father The noise of E this murder which was followed by the execution of several others the most considerable in the Empire was spred all over the World every body spake of it with horrour but in private their fear obstructing the publication of their resentment Nevertheless the people being easily deluded and not without difficulty to be perswaded that a Prince who had appeared so good and so gentle should be so suddenly changed it was said in his excuse That as to the death of the young Tiberius the Soveraign power could not admit of a Partner That he was only prevented by Caius for if his age would have permitted he would have treated him in the same manner That it was perhaps by the Providence of God and for the benefit of the whole World that Tiberius lost his life to secure the Empire from Civil and Forreign Wars which would have devided into factions F by the several great persons who would have espoused the interest both of the one and the other That nothing is more disirable than peace That