of euery kind and of some of them seuen couples The sides of this Arke were strong and the couer also so that no water could pearce the same and whatsoeuer storme might come it was able to resist it Thus was Noe by succession of nature the tenth from Adam saued with all his household for he was the son of Lamech whose father was Methusala the sonne of Enos the sonne of Iared the sonne of Maleel who with diuers other brethren were begotten of Cainan by Enos who was the son of Seth the sonne of Adam This destruction happened the sixe hundreth yeare of Noahs age and the second moneth which was called Dius by the Macedons and by the Hebrewes Marsomane foâ—… so haue the Aegyptians distinguisht the yeare but Moses set downe Nisan for the first moneth in his Chronicles which is Zanthicus among the Macedons for that in this moneth he brought the Israelites out of the thraldome of the Aegyptians He made this law therefore that all things which appertaine to diuine seruice should take their beginning and reckoning from this moneth but in respect of the times and termes of buying and selling and all other trafficke he obserued the first pollicie of the yeare beginning in December Moses wrote that the Deluge began the seuen twentith day of the aboue named moneth which was the yeare two thousand sixe hundreth fiftie and fixe after the creation of the first man Adam which time is carefully calculated in holy writ in which the birth and death of great personages of that time are most exactly set downe At such time then as Adam was 230. yeares old his sonne Seth was borne vnto him and the said Adam liued 930. yeares Seth about the age of 250. yeares begat Enos who after he had liued 905. yeares left the gouernment of his affaires to his sonne Cainan whom he had begotten about the 190. yeare of his age After that Cainan had liued 910. yeares he had his sonne Maleel begotten by him the 170. yeare of his age The said Maleel hauing liued 195. yeares died leauing his sonne Iared who about the age of 162. yeares engendered Enoch who liued 962. yeares After Enoch succeeded his sonne Mathusala begotten about the age of 162. yeares at such time as the said Enochs father was yet aliue and after that Enoch had liued 365. yeares he was taken vp vnto God whence it commeth to passe that his decease hath not beene exemplified in writing Mathusala the sonne of Enoch in the yeare of 〈◊〉 â—…ge 187. yeares haâ—… Lamech for his sonne who liued 782. yeares to whom he left the soueraintie hauing heâ—…d the same 969. yeares And Lamech after he had gouerned 707. yeares declared his sonne Noe for gouernour at such time as the said Lamech had liued 182. yeares which Noe gouerned for the space of 900. yeares All these yeares calculated into one sonne accomplish the time aboue written Yet to perfect this accompt we ought not to seeke out the decease of these personages for they liued in the same time that their children and successors did but the onely thing we are to obserue is their birthes As soone then as God had giuen the signe and that it began to raine for the space of whole fortie daies the water fell and ouerflowed the whole earth fourteene cubits hie which was the cause that diuers could not escape because there was no means of â—…ight or place of refuge But as soone as the raine was ceased the water began to decrease by little and little for the space of one hundreth and fiftie daies about the 27. day of the seuenth moneth Noe perceiuing then that the Arke was on ground vpon the top of a certaine mountaine of the countrey of Armenia he opened the same and seeing the earth did a little discouer it selfe round about the same he conceiued some better hope and held himselfe satisfied Some fewe daies after when the water was ebbed somewhat more he sent out a Crow desiring to know if the rest of the earth were deliuered from the waters and whether without danger he might issue out of the Arke but the Crow finding the earth bebayned in water returned vnto Noe who the seuenth day after sent out a Pigeon to finde out the estate of the earth which returned bemired and bearing in his neb an Oliue braunch whereby Noe perceiued that the earth was deliuered from the Deluge and hauing as yet expected seuen daies more he â—…et at libertie all liuing creatures that were in the Arke But as soone as himselfe his wife and his family forsooke it he offered sacrifice vnto God and feasted and reioyced both he and al his houshold The Armenians in their language haue called the place where Noe descended by a name Aprobaterion which signifieth as much as discent and in that place euen at this present the inhabitants of that countrey shewe some remnants and memories of the same All those that haue written strange histories haue made mention of this Deluge and of the Arke among the number of whom is Berosus the Chaldean who setting downe occurrences of this Deluge writeth after this manner Some say likewise that a certaine part of this Arke is in Armenia neere to the mountaine of the Cordaeans and that some men haue brâ—…ght from thence some part of the pitch wherewith it was calked which the men of that place are wont to vse in stead of a preseruatiue against inchantment Hierome the Aegyptian also who hath written the antiquitie of the Phenicians hath made mention of this mâ—…tter as also Mnaseus with diuers other Nicholas of Damas likewise in his nintie sixe booke speaketh heereof after this manner Aboue the Region of Mineans there is a great mountaine in Armenia called Baris in which it is reported that diuers retyred themselues for safetie during the time of the Deluge and there escaped they and that a certaine man borne on an Arke arriued vpon the highest top of that mountaine and that certaine timbers of that bottome had beene kept a long while and it may be that this is that whereof Moses the law-maker of the Iewes maketh mention But Noe fearing least God hauing condemned all men to a generall perdition should euery yeare ouerflow the earth after this manner offered burnt sacrifice vnto God beseeching him that hereafter he would entertaine the auncient order and that no so great calamitie might succeede by which all liuing creatures should come in daunger to be vtterly extinct and extermâ—…nated but that inflicting deserued punishment on the reprobate he would spare the innocent whom in his mercie he had preserued from daunger otherwise they should be more miserable and condemned by a harder censure if they were not wholy warranted but should be reserued to be swallowed vp by an other Deluge and hauing suffered the feare and sight of the first to perish by the second He praied him therefore that he would be
that their auncestors had transgressed the lawes of Moses they should be in danger to be dispossessed of their countrey and abandoned by all men should at length perish miserably When the prophetesse had heard the kings commandement she willed those that were sent vnto her to returne vnto the king and to certifie him from her that God had giuen a sentence against them which might not be reuoked by any praiers whatsoeuer namely that since they had transgressed the law of Moses the people should perish and should be cast out of their countrey and depriued of al their goods that they had and for that they haue not grown to amendment in so long time notwithstanding the prophets had exhorted them to repentance and had foretold the punishment of their impieties which should happen vnto them to the end that they might beleeue that God is God and that he faileth not in any thing that he hath foretold by his prophets Furthermore she said that he forbore as yet to send these afflictions vpon them for Iosias sake who was a vertuous man but that after his decease God would poure his intended punishments vpon the people This prophecie of the woman they signified vnto the king who sent into all parts and assembled the people in Ierusalem commanding the Priests and Leuites and generally all men without distinction of age or person to be present in that conuention Now when they were assembled he first of all caused the sacred bookes to be read and afterwards standing aloft vpon his throne he caused all the people to sweare and promise that they would serue God and keepe Moses lawes Whereupon all of them did willingly approoue whatsoeuer he said promising to doe that whereunto they were exhorted And therewithall offering vp present sacrifices vnto God they besought him to shew himselfe fauourable and mercifull towards them The king likewise commanded the hie priest that if there were any necessarie in the temple which were made by his predecessors in honour of Idols and strange Gods he should cast it out And after that a great quantitie was found therein all of it was gathered togither and burnt and the ashes afterwards were scattered here and there And as touching the Priests that appertained to Idols that were not of the race of Aaron he put them to death When these things were thus executed in Ierusalem he came afterwards to the plaine countrey and all that which Ieroboam had erected there in honour of Idols he vtterly defaced it and the bones of the false Prophets were burnt vpon the altar that Ieroboam had builded This had the prophet foretold that came to Ieroboam at such time as he offered sacrifice and told him in the presence of all the people all that which should happen namely that one of Dauids posteritie called Iosias should doe these abouenamed things which prophecie tooke effect three hundreth sixtie and one yeere after After this King Iosias transported himselfe to the Israelites who had auoided the captiuitie and seruitude of the Assyrians and perswaded them to forsake their impieties and the seruices they had performed to strange Gods and to honour the soueraigne and true God of their fathers and to cleaue vnto him He made a search also thorow euerie house borough and citie fearing least as yet there should be any Idol hidden Hee likewise sought out the chariots that were made by his auncestors in honour of the sunne and all that which was adored whatsoeuer it were and vtterly abolished the same After hee had in this sort purged the countrey he assembled all the people in Ierusalem where he celebrated the feast of vnleauened bread and the solemnitie of Easter Towards the performance whereof he gaue the people young kiddes and lambes to the number of thirtie thousand and three thousand bullocks for burnt offrings and the chiefe amongst the Leuites distributed amongst the other Leuites fiue hundreth lambs and fiue hundreth bullocks Hauing therefore such an abundance of beasts they sacrificed according to the law of Moses the priests taking charge thereof and confirming the rest of the people by their example Neither was there euer such a solemnitie kept by the Hebrewes since the time of Samuel the Prophet because all things were done according to the lawes and auncient customes which were obserued in the time of their fathers After this Iosias liued in peace riches honour and estimation amongst all men and thus finished his life CHAP. V. Diuers exploits of Nechao NEchao King of Aegypt hauing gathered great forces conducted his army towards the floud Euphrates to warre against the Medes and Babylonians who had destroied the empire of Assyria for Nechao affected the gouernment of all Asia Now when he drew neere vnto the Citie of Mende which was vnder Iosias subiection King Iosias denied him passage and would not suffer his army to march thorow his countrey For which cause Nechao sent a Herauld vnto him to let him vnderstand that it was not against him that he made warre but that he bent his course towards Euphrates for which cause he wished him in no sort to hinder his intended iourney least thereby he should be constrained to make warre vpon him But Iosias respected not this demaund of his but resolued himselfe to hinder his passage thorow his countrey And truely I suppose that the destinies pricked him forward to this arrogance to the end he might haue some occasion to doe something against Nechao For whilest he disposed his army and rode from one band to an other being mounted vpon his chariot he was strooken with an arrow that was shot by a certaine Aegyptian which cooled and tempered the spleene he had in warre For feeling himselfe sorely ouerpressed with paine by reason of his wound he commanded his army to retire and returned himselfe to Ierusalem where he died of his wound and was buried with his fathers with great magnificence after he had liued nine and thirtie yeeres and raigned thirtie and one For him the people mourned with great heauinesse lamenting and sorrowing for many daies The Prophet Ieremy also made a deploration ouer him in lamentable verse which is as yet extant euen in these daies This Prophet left in writing those euils that should afterwards happen vnto the citie and the captiuitie wherewith we are entangled at this present and the surprisall of Babylon Neither hath he alone foretold the same but the Prophet Ezechiel hath likewise done the like who first left two bookes written of the same argument These two Prophets were of the race of the Priests But Ieremy kept in Ierusalem from the fourteenth yeere of the raigne of Iosias vntill the destruction of the Citie and temple as in time and place conuenient we will declare setting downe those occurrences that hapned to this Prophet After the death of Iosias heretofore mentioned his sonne Ioaz succeeded him in the kindome at such time as he was
entrance of my history I haue answered those obiections so that I haue openly protested that I will onely faithfully translate the Hebrew Histories into the Greeke tongue according to my promise relate that which is contained therin without adding any thing of mine owne or concealing ought of an other mans After that Nabuchodonosor had raigned fortie three yeares he died he was a man of execution and more happie then any of his predecessors Berosus maketh mention of his actes in the third booke of his Chaldaique historie where he speaketh thus His father Nabuchodonosor hauing notice that the gouernour whom he had appointed ouer Aegypt the neighbouring parts of Coelosyria Phaenicia was reuolted from him being at that time in himselfe vnable to endure the troubles of warre committed a part of his forces vnto his son Nabuchodonosor who was in the flower of his age and sent him forth against him who encountring the rebell and fighting with him ouercame him and brought the countrey vnder his subiection Meane while Nabuchodonosor the father died of a sicknes in Babylon after he had raigned one and twentie yâ—…ares Nabuchodonosor the sonne hauing notice of his fathers death gaue order to the affaires of Aegypt and the rest of the countrey and committing the care and transportation of the Iewes Syrians Aegyptians and Phaenicians to his friends to bring them to Babylon with his army and carriage he with a fewe men made hastie iourneies thorow the desaâ—…t And when he had taken the administration of the kingdome vpon him which in his absence was in the hands of the Chaldees and by their chieftaine was reserued vntil his returne vnto his vse he became Lord of all his fathers Empire When his prisoners were arriued he assigned them conuenient dwelling places in the countrey of Babylon and with the spoiles of the warre he magnificently repaired and decked the Temple of Bel other places He enlarged the olde Citie and repaired beautified it with other buildings by meanes wherof they that would besiege the same were hindred from cutting off of the currant of the riuer to the preiudice of the inhabitants He enuironed it inwardly with a treble wall and outwardly with as migâ—…tie and as many enclosures and made all of burnt bricke The wals were magnificently builded the gates brauely adorned in maner of temples He caused a pallace to be builded neere vnto his fathers auncient pallace the magnificenâ—… and ornament wherof I am too weake witted to expresse onely this thing most memorable 〈◊〉 â—…ue thought good to note downe that these huge great and pompous buildings were finished in fifteene daies In this pallace he had vaultes raised so high that in outward appearance they seemed to bee mountaines on which all sorts of trees were planted He deuised and prepared also a goodly garden and called it the hanging garden because his wife hauing beene brought vp in the countrey of Media desired to haue a place conformable to that of her birth Megasthenes in the fourth booke of his Indian Historie maketh mention of this garden in that place where he inforced himselfe to proue that this King surpassed Hercules in valour and execution of worthie actions For he said that Nabuchodonosor ouercame the chiefe Citie of Libya and a great part of Spaine Diocles in the second booke of his Persian Historie and Philostratus in his Phaeâ—…ician and Indian Historie make mention of this King saying that he ouercame the Citie of Tyre at the end of thirteene yeeres at such time as Ithobal raigned ouer the Tyrians This is the summe of all that which the Historiographers write as touching this King CHAP. XI Nabuchodonosors successors the destruction of Babylon by Cyrus King of Persia. AFter Nabuchodonosors death his sonne Euilmerodach obtained the kingdome who incontinently deliuered Iechonias king of Ierusalem out of prison and held him in the number of his most esteemed friends and gaue him presents and committed the gouernment of the pallace of Babylon into his hands For his father had not kept his promise with Iechonias when he surrendred himselfe his wife children and friends into his hands in the behalfe of his countrey and to the intent that the Citie of Ierusalem should not be rased by those that besieged it as we haue heretofore declared Euilmerodach died in the eighteenth yeere of his raigne and Niglisar his sonne obtained the kingdome which hee possessed fortie veeres and afterwards died After him the succession of the kingdome came vnto his sonne called Labosardach which continued in him but for the space of nine moneths and after his death it came vnto Balthasar who by the Babylonians was called Naboandel Against him Cyrus king of Persia and Darius king of Media made warre and at such time as he was besieged in Babylon there hapned a meruailous and prodigious spectacle Balthasar sate vpon a certaine festiuall in a royall chamber where he was serued with great store of vessell fit for his maiestie and royaltie and with him at the banquet there sate his concubines and most intirest friends At which time to shew his magnificence he caused those vessels to be brought out of the temple of his God which Nabuchodonosor his predecessor fearing to employ to his owne vse had stoared vp in his Idols temple But Balthasar was so puffed with pride that he dranke out of them and employed them to his vses Now so came it to passe that whilest he quaffed and blasphemed the name of God he sawe a hand issuing from a wall which wrote in the same certaine syllables by which vision being somewhat terrified he assembled his Magitians and Chaldees and all that sort of people who amongst those barbarous nations made profession to interprete prodigies and dreames to the intent they might signifie vnto him the meaning and vnderstanding of that writing Now when these Magitians had told him that they could in no sort sound or vnderstand the same the king was sore vexed and toubled at this vnexpected vision whereupon he caused it to be proclaimed thorow his countrey that whosoeuer should read that writing and declare the meaning thereof he would giue him a golden chaine and a purple robe such as the king of Chaldees wore and besides all this the third part of his Empire After this proclamation the Magitians assembled togither with greater concourse and were farre more diligent and inquisitiue to finde out the signification of the writing but they were no lesse grounded therein then they were at the first Meane while the kings grandmother seeing him wholy amated in minde began to comfort him and to tell him that there was a certaine man amongst the prisoners of Iuda led thither at such time as Nabuchodonosor destroied Babylon whose name was Daniel a man wise and expert in searching out of things that were impossible and only knowne vnto God who euidently expounded that which Nabuchodonosor required at such time as no other man
betweene the Romanes and the Iewes CHAP. XVIII Bacchides is sent once againe into Iudaea and obtaineth a victory WHen as Nicanors death and the discomfiture of his army was reported to Demetrius he sent a new army into Iudaea vnder the conduct of Bacchides who departing from Antioch and repairing to Iudaea encamped in Arbela a city of Galilee where hauing inforced conquered and taken a great number of those that were retired into caues he departed from thence and repaired in all haste to Ierusalem And vnderstanding that Iudas was encamped in the village of Berzeth he marched out against him with twentie thousand footmen and two thousand horsemen Now Iudas had not on his side in all aboue two thousand men who perceiuing the multitude of Bacchides soldiers were afraid so that some of them forsaking their camp fled away by which meanes there remained no more with Iudas but eight hundreth men Seeing himselfe therefore abandoned by so many of his men and pressed by his enemies who gaue him neither truce nor time to reassemble his forces he resolued to fight with those eight hundreth which he had whom he exhorted to be of good courage and to fight valiantly but they answered that they were insufficient to make head against so huge an army and counsailed him to retire and to stand on his guard for that time vntill he had gathered forces that might be able to confront the enemy But Iudas replied to this effect God forbid said he that the sunne should see me turne my backe vpon mine enemies And if by this meanes I meete with my death and that I must needes spend ◅y last bloud in this battell I will neuer soile so many notable actions so worthily atchieued nor staine so much glorie obtained with so great vertue by one ignominious flight And hauing in this sort exhorted the small remnant of those souldiers that were with him he commanded them that without any apprehension of danger they should bend themselues altogither against the enemy CHAP. XIX Iudas ouercome in the battell dieth BVt Bacchides drew out his army and arranged them in battell placing the horsemen on both the wings his light armed souldiers and archers in the front of the army and after these a strong band called the Macedonian Phalanx and he himselfe led the right wing of the battell And in this array he approched Iudas campe and caused the trumpets to be sounded commanding all his souldiers to giue a great shoute to charge their enemies Iudas did the like and encountred Bacchides so that on both sides there was a most cruell conflict which continued vntill the sunne-set And when as Iudas perceiued that Bacchides and the flower of his army fought in the right wing he chose out a certaine number of his most resolute followers and drew towards that quarter and setting vpon them he brake their squadron and afterwards thrusting into the midst of them he forced them to flie and pursued them as farre as the mount Aza They of the left wing perceiuing the flight of those in the right went after Iudas and enclosed him on the backpart He being vnable to flie and seeing himselfe enclosed by his enemies resolued with his souldiers to fight it out When as therefore he had slaine a great number of his enemies and being enfeebled more through wearinesse then by the woundes receiued of them he fell to the ground and was himselfe at last slaine likewise adding this honourable manner of death to his former notable and valiant exploites His souldiers seeing him dead and hauing no gouernour of respect left amongst them after the losse of so valiant a captaine betooke them all to flight Simon and Ionathan his brothers vpon intreatie recouered his body and carried it to Modim a place where his father was buried there was he interred by all the people who wept for him diuers daies and honoured him publikely according to the custome of their countrey Such was Iudas end who was a valiant man a great warriour and verie respectiue of the commandements of his father Matthias hauing done and suffered all that he might for the libertie of his countrey Being therefore after this manner adorned with vertue he hath left behinde him a perpetuall renowne of his worthy actes and an honourable memorie of himselfe obtained by the libertie in which hee reestablished his nation retyring them from the seruitude of the Macedonians who died also after he had discharged the office of the high priest for the space of three yeeres THE XIII BOOKE OF THE ANTIQVITIES OF THE IEWES WRITTEN BY FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the 13. booke 1 Ionathan after his brother Iudas death succeedeth him in the gouernment 2 Ionathan hauing wearied Bacchides by warre compelleth him to draw to a league and to depart away with his army 3 Alexander the sonne of Antiochus Epiphanes maketh warre vpon King Demetrius 4 Demetrius sendeth an embassador to Ionathan with presents perswading him to be of his faction 5 Alexander by greater proffers then Demetrius did offer and by offering the high Priests place to Ionathan draweth him to fauour his faction 6 Of the temple of God builded by Onias 7 How Alexander after the death of Demetrius highly honoured Ionathan 8 Demetrius the sonne of Demetrius ouercomming Alexander possesseth the kingdome and plighteth friendship with Ionathan 9 Tryphon Apamenus after he had ouercome Demetrius reserueth the kingdome for Antiochus Alexanders sonne who receiueth Ionathan into fauour 10 Demetrius being ouercome by the Parthians Tryphon breaketh his couenant of peace and laying hold on Ionathan traiterously killeth him and afterwards assaulteth Simon his brother 11 How the nation of the Iews cōmitted both the priesthood the gouernment of the army to Simon 12 Simon driuing Tryphon into Dora besiegeth him and entreth friendship with Antiochus surnamed Pius 13 A debate arising betweene Antiochus and Simon Cendebaeus the kings captaine is driuen out of the countrey 14 How Simon was traiterously slaine at a banquet by Ptolomey his father in law 15 How Prolomies endeuours being made frustrate Hircanus obtained the gouernment 16 How Antiochus surnamed the Iust leading an army against Hircanus for three hundreth talents is both reconciled and tied in league of friendshippe 17 Hircanus expedition into Syria 18 How Antiochus Cyzicenus assisting the Samaritanes is both conquered and enforced to flie 19 Aristobulus was the first that set the Diademe on his head 20 The actes of Alexander King of the Iewes 21 The victorie of Ptolomey Lathurus against Alexander 22 Demetrius Eucaerus ouercommeth Alexander in battell 23 The expedition of Antiochus Dionysius into Iewry 24 Alexander being dead his wife Alexandra succeeded him in the kingdome CHAP. I. Ionathan after the decease of his brother Iudas succeedeth him in the gouernment WE haue declared in our former booke how the nation of the Iewes after they had been vnder the subiection of the Macedonians recouered their liberty we
Agrippa had not beene in Rome For he seeing that the matter was handled to the disaduantage of the Iewes besought Agrippina the Emperours wife that she would labour her husband in such sort that he would be pleased to take full knowledge of that which was done and that afterwards he should execute due iustice on those whom he found guiltie of that sedition Claudius fauourably gaue eare to this request and hearing the whole matter he found that the Samaritanes were the first authors of all those mischiefes and caused them to be put to death who came before him to pleade and banished Cumanus he gaue order also that captaine Celer should be sent backe to Ierusalem and that there in sight of all the people he should be dragged about the Citie vntil he died Furthermore he sent Claudius Foelix Pallas brother to gouerne Iudaea In the twelfth yeere of his raigne he gaue Agrippa Philips Tetrarchy with Batanea and besides that annexed thereunto Trachonitis and Abila which in times past appertained to Lysanias Tetrarchy taking from him the prouince of Chalcis which he had gouerned for the space of foure yeeres After that Agrippa had obtained this gift at Caesars hands he married his sister Drusilla to Azizus king of the Emesenians who consented to be circumcised because Epiphanes king Antiochus sonne would not giue care vnto the marriage for that he refused to entertaine the religion of the Iewes although in times past he had promised his father no lesse He gaue Mariamme also to Archelaus Chelcias sonne who by her fathers consent was before time promised him on whom he begat a daughter called Bernice A little after this the marriage of Azizus and Drusilla was broken off on this occasion following At such time as Foelix gouerned Iewrie he saw Drusilla and was surprised with her loue for that she surpassed all other women in beautie He therefore sent her a certaine Magician called Simon who was borne in Cypris and one of his greatest friends among the Iewes who perswaded her to forsake her first husband and to marrie with Foelix giuing her to vnderstand that she should be happy if she refused not this match She vnaduised and resolued to rid her selfe from the enuious affection which her sister Bernice bare towards her who hated her in regard of her beautie and for this occasion ceased not to iniurie her she condiscended to forsake the religion of the Iewes and to marrie with Foelix by whom she had a sonne who was called Agrippa His death hereafter will I declare and how in the Emperour Tiberius time he died and was burned in the fire of the mountaine Veâ—…ius with his wife Bernice remained a widow verie long time after Herodes death who was both her vncle and her husband and the report was that she had the company of her brother Finally she wrought so much that Polemon king of Cilicia caused himselfe to be circumcised to the end he might espouse her purposing by that means to make it knowne how falsely she had been accused Wherunto Polemon gaue eare because she was rich But this marriage continued not any long time For Bernice thorow her impudencie as it is reported abandoned Polemon who giuing ouer that marriage forsooke also the religion of the Iewes At the same time Mariamme hauing refused Archelaus her husband married with Demetrius one of the chiefest Iewes that were in Alexandria both in regard of his descent as also his riches who at that time also exercised the office of Alubarcha that is to say the gouernour of Arabia She caused the sonne she had by him to be called Agrippinus But of all this will I speake more exactly hereafter The Emperour Claudius died after he had raigned thirteene yeeres eight moneths and twentie daies Some say that he was poisoned by Agrippina his wife the daughter of Germanicus Claudius brother which was first married to Domitius Oenobarbus one of the greatest men of Rome after whose death and long widowhood she was finally married to Claudius into whose house she brought her sonne called Domitius by his owne fathers name Claudius had before time put Messalina his wife to death for the iealousie that he had of her although he had had children by her namely Britannicus and Octauius He had Octaâ—…ia also by his first wife Paetina which was elder then her brethren and was married to Nero whom Claudius so named and adopted for his sonne Agrippina fearing least Britannicus growing to mans estate should succeed his father in the Empire and desirous to make her owne sonne Emperor as it is reported she left nothing vnattempted that might bring her husband to his death and presently sent Bâ—…rrus who was generall of the army with certaine other captains and those of greatest power amongst his freemen to bring Nero into the field and to proclaime him Emperour He being thus established in the Empire caused Britannicus to be secretly poisoned and not long after this he openly caused his mother to be put to death yeelding her this recompence not onely for that she had borne him in her wombe but also for that by her pollicies he had obtained the Empire He likewise murthered Octauia his wife and diuers other noble men vnder colour of some conspiracie intended against him But I will no further prosecute this matter for that there are diuers who haue composed Neros historie of whom some haue had no regard of the truth but haue spoken at their pleasure for that he had been their benefactor othersome transported with hatâ—…ed and despite against him haue not been ashamed to publish such impudent lies against his renowne as they deserue to be condemned Neither doe I wonder that they haue inuented so many lies against Nero considering that in those histories which they wrote as touching the precedent Emperours they haue not studied to speake truth although they had not any occasion to hate them considering that they liued a long time after their death But let these contemners of truth write as them listeth for that they seeme to take delight in that licence For mine owne part I am intended to write nothing but the truth neither stand I much on that which concemeth not the matter which I intreat of purposing in all truth and diligence to declare that which hath befallen our nation of the Iewes without omitting of either their misfortunes or follies that haue proceeded with them I will therefore returne to the discouerie of our affaires Azizus king of Emesene being dead the first yeere of the Emperour Neros raigne his brother obtained the kingdome Aristobulus the sonne of Herode king of Chalcis had the gouernment of the signiorie of the lesser Armenia from Neros hands Caesar gaue Agrippa a certaine portion of Galilee commanding those of Tiberias and Tarichaea to liue vnder him Besides this he gaue him Iulias scituate beyond Iordan with fourteene burroughs neere adioyning thereunto CHAP.
for the foresaid women that are not deuoured by the furie of war For they come vnto these women not fearing the companie of strangers amongst whom they li◅e yea this is an euident token of the priests integritie that euerie priest during the reuolution of two thousand yeers are registred togither with the names of their fathers and if any one doe erre or falsifie any of the things beforesaid he is then interdicted from the altar and from exercising any priestly function So that in the writings of such men all things must of necessitie be true and as they ought to be for that neither all men are permitted to write nor yet any dissonance and disagreement is found in their writings For such things as past in auncient times quite beyond the memorie of men were onely written by our Prophets who had the knowledge thereof by inspiration from God himselfe but other things of latter time are onely recorded by those who liued in the age wherein the things they writ of were done The bookes amongst vs containing the histories of all ages are neither infinit nor one repugnant to another for all our Chronicle is contained in two and twentie bookes to which bookes it is impietie to denie credit Fiue of these bookes were written by Moses comprehending Genealogies and the beginning of mankind and such notable euents as hapned euen from the beginning of the world vntill his death which is little lesse then three thousand yeeres After the death of Moses vntill the time wherein Artaxerxes liued who was king of the Persians and sonne to Xerxes the Prophets of our nation euerie one writ the historie of his time wherein he liued so that of these mens writings we haue thirteene bookes the foure other bookes which make vp the number alreadie mentioned are knowne to containe holy Hymnes dedicated vnto God and wholsome precepts for mans life and conuersation All things which from Artaxerxes vntill our time haue hapned are also set downe in writing yet the bookes wherein they are registred do not deserue so much credit as the former of auncient times for that there was no certaine successor of Prophets in this age Moreouer it is euident that to the former works we giue as great credite as to the things we our selues write and notwithstanding they haue been so long written yet in all that time no man durst presume either to alter or to blot out any thing therein contained For all Iewes euen from their cradle do beleeue these bookes to be sacred holy and diuine and therefore do giue all credite possible vnto them and so would willingly suffer death rather then to doe the contrarie Many captiues also of our nation haue alreadie been cruelly tormented and diuers waies put to death in open theaters only for that they would not cōmit any thing either in word or deed against their lawes nor violate the writings of their forefathers Now who amongst the Greekes did euer sustaine the like nay they are so farre from doing it that none can be found amongst them who would any losse in his goods or fortunes thereby to preserue all the writings of their nation from perdition and the reason hereof is that euerie one esteemeth the veritie of their Histories to depend vpon the will of the writer And this they do also of their most ancient Historiographers and not without cause for they euery day see men of their owne times writing Histories of matters past long before in former ages wherin neither themselues were present neither yet vouchsafe they to credit the writings of such as were then eye witnesses thereof yea some amongst them haue diuulged Histories of such things as of late befell our nation when themselues neuer haue beene in the place where such matters past as they did write of warre nor haue liued in any neighbour place vvhere they might haue probable report how matters past but onely making a few centones or broken newes they most impudently arrogate vnto therr patcht stuffe the name of a Historie I my selfe haue composed a most true Historie of those vvars and of enerie particuler thing there done as well I might hauing beene present in all those affaires For I was captaine of the Galileans amongst our nation so long as any resistance could be made againg the Romans and then it so fell out that I was taken by the Romans and being prisoner vnto Titus and Vespasian they caused me to be an eye witnesse of all things that past First in bonds and fetters afterward freed from them I was brought from Alexandria with Titus vvhen he went to the siege of Ierusalem So that nothing could then passe whereof I had not notice For beholding the Roman armie I committed to writing all things with all possible diligence My selfe also did onely manage all matters disclosed vnto the Romans by such as yeelded themselues for that I only did perfectly vnderstand them Lastly being at Rome and hauing now leasure all buisines being past I vsed the helpe of some for the puritie of the Greeke tongue and so I published a historie of all that had hapned in the foresaid wars which Historie of mine is so true that I feare not to call Vespasian and Titus Emperors in those wars to witnesse for them I first gaue a copie of that booke to them afterwards to many noble Romans who also were present in those warres I solde also many of them to our owne nation to such as vnderstood the greeke language amongst whom were Iulius Archilaus Herode the honest and the most worthie king Agrippa who all doe testifie that my historie containeth nothing but truth Who would not haue beene silent if in any thing either for ignorance or flatterie I had chaunged or omitted any particuler yet notwithstanding all this some ill disposed persons endeuour to discredit my historie as though they were disputing pro and contra amongst children in schooles being sometime on a sodaine too for a feined accusation and otherwise to feine a slaunderous and sodaine detraction neuer considering that he who promiseth other men a true relation of matters past must either be priuie vnto them by his owne knowledge as hauing beene present in the affaires or else haue that which he speaketh from other mens mouthes by report of them who know them both which I haue done For I gathered my other bookes of Antiquitie out of holy Scripture being my selfe a Priest and skilfull in our law and the historie of our wars I haue written my selfe being an agent in many matters therein contained and an eye witnesse of the rest so that nothing was said or done whereof I had not notice How then can any man excuse them from impudencie and malice who labour against me to proue my relation false They perhaps alledge that they haue read the commentarie containing the Emperours acts yet for all this they were not present in any action repugnant to that
Iewes and in our language signifieth the gift of God Herodotus of Halicarnassa knew our nation also and in a manner maketh mention of it for speaking of the Colchains he saith thus in his second booke The Colchians Aegyptians and Aethiopians onely amongst all other nations did vse circumcision in the beginning for the Phaenicians and Syrians liuing in Palestina do confesse themselues to haue learned this custome from the Aegyptians and the Syrians liuing neere vnto Thermodoontes and the riuer Parthenius and their neighbours the Macronians are reported lately to haue learned it of the Colchians and these are they onely that vse circumcision and they doe like vnto the Aegyptians but I am not able to say whether the Aegyptians or Aethiopians learned it of the other Herodotus therefore affirmeth the Syrians in Palestina to vse circumcision and it is manifest that of all that inhabite Palaestina the Iewes onely vse it which he knowing writeth so of them Chaerilus also an auncient Poet maketh mention of our nation and affirmeth that our countrimen warred vnder Xerxes against the Greeks and numbring them of the countries that followed him he lastly spake thus of our nation A people straunge followed this royall throng There language was th◅vnknowne Ph◅nician tongue In the hils of Solymus theirs dwelling was Neere to a lake for greatnesse which did passe Their heads ware shau'd and for the heads attire They ware an hors-skin dried at the fire It is euident as I thinke that he speaketh of the Iewes for the mountains of Solimus are in our countrey and that lake also called Asphaltites which is the greatest and vastest of all lakes that are in Syria and thus Chaerilus maketh inention of vs. And that the Iewes were not knowne only to the Greeks but also admired of them it is easie to proue not out of the obscurest writers but by the testimonie of their wisest Philosophers For Clearchus disciple vnto Aristotle and the best amongst all the Peripateti◅kes in his first booke de somno saith that his master Aristotle spake thus of a certaine ◅ew and reporting Aristotles words he saith thus It were too tedious to recount all things else which he alleageth but I will set downe that onely that may cause the man to be admired Hyperochides answered that they all were verie desirous to heare it then quoth Clearchus according to Aristotles precepts in his Rhethoricke I will first recount of what nation the man was least I seeme to oppose my selfe to him set downe the foresaid precept doe so quoth Hyperochides if so you please then he said this man before mentioned was by nation a Iew borne in Coelesyria one of the sect of the Indian Philosophers they are called as I heere reported amongst the Indians Calani and amongst the Syrians Iewes taking their name from the place where they inhabite called Iurie the name of their citie is hard to pronounce for they call it Ierusalem This man entertained many straungers and he came from out of the higher countrey downe vnto the sea coast and he was verie cloquent and of great courage We at that time liued in Asia when this diuine man came vnto the place where we were and began to conferre with vs and with other Philosophers making triall of their knowledge and for that many learned men were assembled about him he at last for this cause more willingly imparted some of his knowledge vnto them Thus farre Aristotle in Clearchus recounting moreouer at large the admirable abstinence of the foresaid Iew from meat and his chastity all which they that are desirous to know may read in Clearchus for I am loath to write any thing superfluous So now it is euident how Clearchus by the way of a digression speaking of an other matter maketh mention of vs. But Haecateus Abderita a Philosopher and one brought vp with king Alexander and dwelling with Ptolomaeus of Lagus did not onely briefly make mention of vs but also writ a whole booke of our nation the Iewes out of the which I will briefly note some few points that occurre but first I wil shew of what antiquity he is For he recordeth the time whē Ptolomaeus neere vnto Gaza faught with Demetrius which hapned the eleuenth yeere after Alexanders death in the hundreth and seuenteenth Olympiade as Castor writeth who speaking of this Olympiade saith that in this time Ptolemaeus Lagus ouercame Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus at Gaza in fight which Demetrius was called Polior◅etes and all men confesse that Alexander died in the hundreth and fourteenth Olympiade so that it is euident that at that time wherein Alexander liued our nation flourished And Hecataeus saith that after that battaile fought at Gaza Ptolomaeus was made Lord of the places bordering about Syria and that many men hearing of the clemencie of Ptolomaeus followed him into Aegypt and conuersed with him amongst the which one was called Ezechias the Iewes high priest a man about threescore and sixe yeeres olde and of cheifest notice and dignitie of all his nation and most prudent and ◅loquēt one also who in all affaires had more experience then any man else he likewise reporteth that the number of the Iewes priests who receiue their tenths rule al in general is a thousand fiue hundred or there about and againe making mention of the same Ezechias he saith this man being in this reputation and honour and conuersing with vs by the helpe of some about him declared all things wherein we and his nation differ and shewed vnto vs the place of his dwelling and the maner of his conuersation which he had in vvriting After this Hecataeus sheweth what maner of people we are how religious in our lawes how that we rather will sustaine all torments and death it selfe then violate them in any thing and that we account it a worthy thing so to do adding moreouer that being much hated of our neighbors and hauing suffered all contumelies both at the hands of the Persian kings and their officers yet that we could not be forced to chaunge our opinions but that we are continually exercised to to giue a reason thereof He also recordeth an example of our constant minds for Alexander quoth he being at Babylon and purposing to reedifie the temple of Bell he commaunded all his souldiers to carie timber to the building hereof and the Iewes onely disobeyed his commaund for the which they endured many stripes and torments till such time as the king freed them from it and they quoth he returning to their owne countrey destroyed all the temples and altars that they found there and some of them were by the officers therefore punished other escaped free adding that we may iustly be admired for these things and that our nation is exceeding populous likewise that many of vs were caried captiues into Babylon and there serued the Perfians Moreouer that many more were dispersed into Aegypt after Alexanders death for
Aristobulus Alexanders sonnes Hircanus high Priest The Pharisees admitted to the administration of the commonweale are greedie of reuenge Aristobulus his followers accuse the Pharisees of tyranny The yeare of the world 3890. before Chrâ—… 〈◊〉 74. Alexandra coÌ„mitteth the custody of the Castles to the Iewes Aristobulus iâ—… sent to 〈◊〉 against Ptolomy Tigranes inuading Syria heareth 〈◊〉 of Lucullus pursuit of Mithridates and returneth home The yeare of the world 3893. before Christs birth 71. The yeare of the world 3894. before Christs birth 70. Alexandras sicknes and Aristobulus attempt The yeare of the world 3897 before Christs birth 67. Aristobulus seazeth the castles and great coÌ„ course of people resort to him Hircanus and the elders informe the Queene and accuse Aristobulus Alexandras death The yeare of the world 3899. before Christs birth 65. The yeare of the world 3899. before the 〈◊〉 of Christ 65. Alexandras family in cuâ—… much trouble The yeere of the world 3899. before Christs Natiuitie 65. The office and duty of an Historiographer Aristobulus and Hircanus striue for the kingdome The peace betwixt Hircanus and Aristobulus Hedio Ruffinus chap. 〈◊〉 Antipater the Idumaean Hircanus friend Antipater of Iudaea as Nicholas Damascenus impliâ—…th first called Antipas The yeare of the world 3899. before Christs birth 65. Antâ—…er incenâ—… the princes of the lewes against Aristobulus The yeare of the world 3900. before Christs natiuitie 64. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 3. Aretas maketh warre against Aristobulus and enforceth him to flie to Ierusalem The Arabian besiegeth Aristobulus in the temple The Iewes flye into Egypt The yeare of the world 3900. before Christs birth 64. Onias contradicting the Iewes petition is stoned to death Breach of faith and the reuenge therof Hedio Ruffinus chap. 4. Hircanus and Aristobulus embassadours vnto Scaurus Scaurus is presented Aristobulus maketh warre against Aretas and Hircanus Pompey commeth into Syria and Aristobulus sendeth a royal present vnto him The yeare of the world 3900. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 64. Antipater for Hircanus and Nicodemus for Aristobulus come as embassadors to Pompey Hedio Ruffinus chap. 5. A castle destroyed in Apamea Ptolomey MeÌ„naeus fined at a great summe of money The yeare of the world 3902. before the birth of Christ. 62. Aristobulus Hircanus accused by the Iewes before Pompey Aristobulus Apology before Pompey Hedio Ruffinus chap. 6. Pompey marcheth out against Aristobulus Aristobulus descendeth from his fortresse to con ferre with Pompey The yeâ—…re of the world 3902. before Christs Natiuitie 62. Aristobulus deliuereth the fortresses to Pompeis haÌ„ds Hedio Ruffâ—…s chap. 7. Mithridates king of Pontus slaine by his sonne Pharnaces Gabinius comming to receiue the money Ariâ—…obulus had promised hath the citie gates shut against him Hedio Ruffinus chap. 8. Pompey besiegeth IerusaleÌ„ The yeare of the world 3903. before Christs birth 61. Ierusalem partly betraied partly besieged by Pompey Pompey maketh preparation to besiege the temple The yeare of the world 3903. before Christs birth 61. The Iewes intermitted not their sacrifice notwithstanding the siege The taking of the temple Twelue thousand Iewes slaine Pompey entering the temple neither toucheth or taketh away any thing Alias cap. 9. Pompey â—…estoweth the Priesthood on Hircanus Ierusalem tributary to Româ—… Gadara restored Cities taken from the Iewes The yeare of the world 3903. before Chriâ—…s Natiuitie 61. Stâ—…rus president of Coelesyria Hedio Ruffinus chap. 9. The yeare of the world 3904 before Christs birth 60. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 10. al. 11. Castles fortiâ—…ed Gabinius causeth dâ—…ers cities in Iury to be repaired that were defaced Hedio Ruffinus chap. 11. al. 11. Alexandrion other castles raâ—…ed The yeare of the world 3904. before Christs birth 60. Fiue presidiall â—…eidges in Iury. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 12. al. 13. Aristobulus returning 〈◊〉 Roâ—…e 〈◊〉 to reestablish Alexandrion Aristobâ—…s ouercome in battell by the Romans Aristobulus sent backe again prisoner to Rome with his son Antigonus Aristobulus sons discharged Antipater releeueth Gabinius in his iourney to Egypt to install Ptolomey Alexander Aristobulus son vsurpeth the Monarchie Alexander ouercome by Gabinius The conquest of the Nabatheans Mithridares and Orsanes The yeare of the world 3904. before Châ—…s birth 60. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 13. al. 14. Marcus Crassus in his expedition against the Parthians taketh the treasure out of the temple of Ierusalem The yearâ—… of the world 3911. before Christs birth 53. Crassus breaketh his oth Whence the temple of Ierusalem grew so rich Sâ—…abo of Cappadocia Crassus slaine in Paâ—…thia Cassius resisteth the Parthians The yeare of the world 3911. before Christs birth 53. Antipaters wife and children The yeare of the world 3917. before Christs birth 47. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 14. al. 15. Aristobulus deliuered out of prison iâ—… poysoned Hedio Ruffinus chap. 15. al. 16. The slaughter of Aristobulus sonne Hedio Ruffinus chap. 16. al. 17. Antipater gathereth soldiers out of Syria for Caesars seruice Antipater helpeth Mithridates to take Pelusium The Iewes 〈◊〉 Onias countrey are confederated with Caesar. Memphis in Egypt The yeare of the world 3917. before Christs Natinitiâ—… 47. The conflict of the Egyptians with Mithridates at Delta Alias cap. 18. Mithridates commendeth Antipaters seruice to Caesar Caesar confirmeth Hircanus in the priesthood and maketh Antipater a citizen of Rome Strabo Aâ—…nius Hypâ—…rates The yeare of the world 3919. before Christs birth 45. Antigonus Aristobulus sonne accuseth Hircanus and Antipater before Caesar. Antipaters answere to his obiection Antipater made gouernour ouer Iudaeâ—… Hedio Ruffinus chap. 17. al 18 Hircanus by Caesars permission repâ—…ireth the wals of Ierusalem The Senates decree as touching their league with the Iewes The yeare of the world 3919. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 45. Hircanus honoured by the Athenianâ—… Hedio Ruffinus chap. 18. Caesar departeth out of Syria Antipater pacifieth all occasion of commotion in Iudaea The yeare of the world 3921. before Christs birth 43. Alias chap. 20. Antipater maketh Phasaelus gouernour in Ierusalem and Herode in Galilee The yeere of the world 392â—… before Christs Natiuitie 43. Herode executeth Ezechias and his followers for robberies Sextus Caesar gouernour of Syria The forme of Phasaelus his gouernment Antipater notwithstanding his high authority was alwaies faithfull to Hircanus Antipater winneth the Romans hearts by Hircanus money and draweth the Iewes into hatred The Iewes accuse Antipater and Herode before Hircanus The yeare of the world 3922. before the birth of Christ. 42. Herode called in question appeareeth with a great traine Sextus Caesar writeth to Hircanus to discharge Herode Same as one of the Iudges foretelleth Hircanus and his counsailers of their imminent death by Herodsmeans The yeare of the world 3922. before Christs birth 42. Herode honoured Sameas Herode admonished by Hircanus saueth himselfe by flight and appeareth no more in iudgement Alias chap. 21. Sextus Caesar selleth his presidents place to Herode for ready money Herode marcheth
his pouerty requireth her assistance Agrippa dwelleth at Tiberias Herode taunteth Agrippa with his pouerty The yeare of the world 4001. after Christs birth 39. Agrippâ—…â—…ieth himselfe to Flaccus Aristobulus draweth Agrippa into Flaccus disfauour Agrippa by Marsias meanâ—… borroweth mony of Protus Agrippa whilst HereÌ„nius Capito 〈◊〉 money at his hands fâ—…ieth to Alexandria by night Agrippa borroweth money at Alexandria Agrippa arriueth at Puteol is admitted to Caesars presence Agrippa borroweth 300000 siluer drachmes of Antonia Germanicus and Claudius mother Caius commended to Agrippas chargâ—… Allius Caesars freeman lendeth Agrippa money The yeare of the world 4001. after Christs Natiuitie 39. Hedio Ruffinus cap. 13. Eutychus Agrippas freemaÌ„ bethâ—…keth him to accuse Agrippa to the Emperour For what cause Tiberius changed not his gouernours Why Caesar would not giue audience to his prisoners Agrippa soliciteth Antonia to bring Eu â—…ychus to his answere Antonia verie much honoured by Tiberius Antonia discouereth Seianus conspiracie to Caesar. The yeare of the world 4001. after the Natiuitie of Christ. 39. Agrippa vrgeth Eutychuâ—… triall and for certaine speeches of his is cast into bonds Thaumastus Caius seruant giueth Agrippa drink whom he promiseth to procure his freedome The yeare of the world 4001. after Christs birth â—…9 A certaine Germane foretelleth Agrippa of his happie fortunes to come and the manner of his death Agrippa liued six moneths in prison Tiberius salleth sicke and sendeth for his sonnes Tiberius Gemellus the son of Drusus Caius the gracious Germanicus sonne Tiberius by an Augury vnderderstandeth Caius successe and succession before his death The yeare of the world 4001. after Christs birth 39. Tiberius addicted to the Mathemaâ—…kes He foretelleth Galbas succession in the empire Tibetius recommendeth the Romane empire and Tiberius his grandchild to Caius Caius killeth Tiberius Caius Caligula the foâ—… Romane emperour Tiberius a tyrant The yeare of the world 4001 after Christs Natiuitie 39. Marsias Agrippas freeman certifieth him of Tiberius death The rumour was spred in Rome that Tiberius was aliue Caius certifyeth the Senate and Piso of Tiberius death and his succession and willeth that Agrippa should be lent to his owne lodging Tiberius funerall Caius createth Agrippa king and giueth him two tetratchies Agrippa departeth into his kingdome The yeare of the world 4002. after Christs naâ—…uitie 40. Hedio Ruffinus cap. 14. Alias cap. 16. Herodias Agrippas fister enuieth hir brothers happines and inciteth her husband to seeke 〈◊〉 kingdome The yeare of the world 4002. after the Natâ—…tie of Christs 40. He rode with Herodias repaire to Rome Agrippa sendeth Forunatus with letters and presents after him Baiae are certaine hathes in Campanis not farre from Puteol Herode is accused for fauouring Artabanus the Parthian Herode is perpetually banished and confined in Liâ—…ons in Fraheâ—… and Agrippa is made Lord of his lands and goods and Herodias despising Caesars bounty accompanieth him in exile Caius at the first gouerned the common-weale verie happily but after wards vsurped diuine honours The yeare of the world 4002. after Christs birth 40. Hedio Ruffinus cap. 15. al. cap. 17. Appion prince of the Alexandrians embassage accuseth the Iewes because they ascribed not diuinitie to Caefar Philo Iudaeus for the Iewes is shut out and can get no audience committeth the cause to God Alias cap. 19. Caesar sendeth Petronius into Syria and coÌ„maundeth him in spight of the Iewes to plant his statue in Gods temple The Iewes repaire to Prolemais beseeching him that he would not bring his statues into the holy citie The yeare of the world 4002. after Chriss birth 40. The Iewes meet Petronius at Tiberias Beseeching him not to violate the sacred citie with his images Aristobulus king Agrippas brother and Elcias the high Priest intreat Petronius in the Iewes behalfe Petronius promiseth the Iewes to write vnto Caius in their behalfe and exhorreth them to follow their husbandry The yeare of the world 4002. after Christs Natiuitie 40. After a long continuall draught there fell a sodaine shower Petronius writeth to Caius Agrippa honoureth Caius in Rome and in rewarde thereof Caius willeth him to demand somewhat who desireth nothing else then that Petronius coÌ„mission to erect the statue should be reuoked The yeare of the world 4002. after Christs birth 40. Caius writeth to Petronius charging him to murther him selfe for neglecting his commaund Petronius receiueth letters of Caius death before those whereby he was commanded to kill himselfe Hedio Ruffinus cap. 16. al. cap. 20. A grieuous commotion among the Iewes in Mesopotamia and Babylon The yeare of the world 4003. after Christs Natiuitie 41. Nearda Nisibis two cities of Babylon Asinaeus and Anilaeus boris in Nearda retire into a certaine place and great companies flocke vnto them Asinaeus and his companions be set by the gouernors and princes of Babylon Asinaeus after he had incouraged his soldi ers putteth his enemies â—…o flight The yeare of the world 4003. after Christs birth 41. Asinaeus and Anilaeus are sought vnto by Artabanus for friendship Abdagasiâ—… would haue slaine Asinaeus but Artabanius will not permit him Artabanus committeth the territories of Babylon to Asinaeus charge and dismisseth him with gifts The yeare of the world 4003. after Christs Natiuitie 41. Anilaeus killeth a noble man of the Parthians and leadeth away his wife Anilaeus being reprooued for his wifes idolatrie killeth one of his friends Anilaeus is accused before his brother Asinaeus but he winketh at his Fault Asinâ—…us poisoned by the Parthian woman Anilaeus draweth his forces into Mithridates countrey and spoileth his villages and taketh him prisoner The yeare of the world 4003. after the Natâ—…tie of Christ. 41. Anilaeus dismisleth Mithridates A great number of dissolute persons flocke â—…o Anilaeus with whoÌ„ he spoyleth certaine boroughs of the Babylonians The Babylonians require Anilaeus that they may punish him they assaile â—…ay him The yeare of the world 4003. after Christs birth 41. The Iewes afflicted by the Babylonians repaire to Seleucia Fiftie thousand Iewes slaine in Seleucia The Iewes that were saued repaire to Câ—…phon The Iewes retire into Neâ—…da Nisibis The yeare of the world 4004. after Christs birth 42. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 1. Caius tyranny towards the Iewes Caius tyranny towards the Senators and Patricians Caius calleth himselfe Iupiters brother Caius spoyled al the temples of Greece Caius commaundeth Memmius Regulus to transferre Iupiter Olympius to Rome Caius compareth himselfe with Iupiter Caius gaue slaues â—…ree liberty to accuse their masters counteaÌ„nced Pollux to accuse his master Claudius Many conspiracies against Caius The yeere of the world 4004. after Christs Natiuitie 42. Three conspiracies against Caius Emilius Regulus Cassius Chaereas Annius Minucianus The Cireensian games Câ—…ius câ—…useth diuers to be murthered who request mitigation of their exactioÌ„s Chaereas for many causes is incited against Caius The yeare of the world 4004. after the Natiuitie of Christ. 42. Popedius is accused of a crime by Timidius vnto Caesar.
The yeare of the world 4014 after Christs birth 52. The souldier executed that burned the Bible A Galilean slaine in Samaria Eleazar and Alexander two princes of the Iewes exercise much crueltie Conspiracy in robbery Quadratus gouernour of Syria heareth the Samaritanes Iewes Quadratus giueth sentence betwixt the Iewes and Samaritanes The yeere of the world 4014. after Christs birth 52. Claudius sentence against some Samaritanes Cumanus and Celer Claudius dieth and Nero succeeded him The yeare of the world 4015. after the Natiuitie of Christ. 53. Nero killeth his brother his mother and wife The yeare of the world 4018. after Christs natiuitie 56. Ant. lib. 20. cap. 1â—… Felix surpriseth Eleazar the captaine of the theeues and many others and sendeth them bound to Rome Another sort of theeues who at 〈◊〉 daies went about the city to murther men Ionathas the high priest with many others slaine Ant. lib. 20. cap. 12. An Egyptian Prophet gathereth welny â—…0000 men Felix ouerthroweth the Egyptian The theeues and magitians work much mischiefe to many men The yeare of the world 4020. after the 〈◊〉 of Christ. 50. Ant lib. 20. cap. 13. A fight betweene the Iewes and Syrians about Caesarea Sedition and slaughter among the Iewes The yeare of the world 4024. after Chrisâ—… 〈◊〉 62. Ant lib. 20. cap 11. Albinus president of Iudaea full of all wickednes The seditious bribe Albinus to winke at their robberies The yeare of the world 4028. after Christs birth 66. Ant. lib. 20. cap. 16. Gessius Florus succeeded Albinus and proued worser then Albinus The couetousnes of Florus spoileth whole cities The yeare of the world 4018. after Christs birth 66. Cestius Gallus appeaseth the people and requireth a mitigation of Florus seueritie The beginning of the warre of the Iewes the 12. yeare of Neros raigne Ant. lib. 20. cap. 15. The causes of the warre of the Iewes The yeare of the world 4030. after Christs birth 68. Florus periury and decoit toward the Iewes The conflict of the Iewes with the Caesareans Florus imprisoneth twelue of the chiefest Iewes in Caesarea Another cause of warre raised by Florus The yeare of the world 4030. after Christs Natiuitie 68. Another occasion of the war Florus scorneth the gratulation of the Iewes Florus in his tribunal requireth them to be yeelded vnto him who had spoken ill of him The outrage of Florus soldiers Florus soldiers kill 630. Iewes in one day Berenice requi reth Florus to pacifie his displeasure against the Iewes The furie of the souldiers against Beroâ—… nice The people exclaime against Floruâ—… The yeare of the world 4030 after Christs birth 68. Florus renueth the discontents of the people Florus subtiltie and treason The exhortation of the priests and princes to the people The euent sheweth Florus intent counsel The slaughter of the Iewes The seditious for 〈◊〉 least Florus should seâ—…se their spoiles flie to the temple Florus taketh the spoiles and entreth the temple Florus seeing the Iewes inexpugnable in the temple surceaseth his violence and leauing a band behind him goeth to Caesarea The yeare of the world 403â—… after Christs birth 68. Cestus Gallus president of Syria coâ—…ulteth with the princes what were bestro be done Politianus is sent to Ierusalem and meeteth with Agrippa The multitude of the people go out to meet Agrippa and Politianus Politianus assembleth the people and inciteth them to peace and after returneth to Cestius The Iewes require the king y t there might be some embassadors sent to Rome to conplaine of Florus to Nero. Agrippas oration to the Iewes Agrippa striueth to make the common sort flexible attentiue The yeâ—…re of the world 4030. after Christs birth 68. It be hooueth to honour the magistrate and not to prouoke him by iniury Agrippa excuseth Caesar and the Romanes Depulsion of the Iewes libertie which they so vehemently seeke forâ—… The exaÌ„ple of the Athenians others who obey the Romane empire The Lacedemonians The Macedonians The comparison of the Romans force with the Iewes weaknes The Romans haue brought the whole world vnder their gouernment haue â—…ought another world beyond the Ocean The 〈◊〉 of the world 4030. after Christs Natiuitie 68. Fiftie Cities of Asia obey the Romans The defence of France The Spaniards subiect to the Romans The Germains mulâ—…de vertue and huge stature The Britaines subiect to the Romans The Parthians The Carthaginians made subiect by Scipâ—…os hands The Romans gouerne the Moores The yeare of the world 4030 after Christs birth 68. Alexandria acknowledgeth the power of the Romans Gods fauour towaâ—…ds the Romans The last argument that proueth the Iewes destitute of Gods mans helpe and vnapt to make warre Whilest the ship is yet in the Port it is good to preuent the â—…uture tempest Agrippas prophecie of the Iewes future miserie Agrippâ—… protesteth that hee hath omit ted no counsel that he thoght expedient for the Iewes The yeare of the world 4030. after the birth of Christ. 68. Agrippa the king is by the people driuen out of the citie with stones The Iewes refuse Caesars sacrifices for the prosperitie of the Romanâ—… Against those who refuse forrain sacrifices None of the seditious gaue eare to those that were in authoritie Embassadours sent to Florus and Agrippa against the seditious The yeare of the world 4030. after Câ—…sts birth 68. Warre in Ierusalem between thâ—… seditious and those that â—…auored peace Xylophoria aâ—…east The kings souldiers are ouercome The Iews take Antonia and burne it Manahemus the chiefe of y t rebels giues the kings faction and friends licence to depart The Romans forsaking the Stratopedon flie into the Kings sortes The yeare of the world 4030. after Chrâ—…sts birth 68. The death of Ananias the high priest and Ezechias his brother Eleazars followers assault Manahem in the Temple Manahem with the princes slaine The Romans vnable any â—…on ger to resist yeeld themselues The Romanâ—… against all couenant law are all slaine saue Metiliâ—… Slaughter on the Sabaoth day The yeere of the world 4030. after Christs birth 68. The Iewes spoyle the villages and burn the Cities of Syria Al Syria full of miserable calamities Iewes against Iewes The Scythopolitans kill thirteene thousand Iewes Simon daily killeth many of his countrimen in Scythopolis The yeare of thâ—… world 4030. after the birth of Christ. 68. Simon killeth his parents his wife and children and at last himselfe An other slaughter of the Iewes The cities in armes against the Iewes Varus killeth 70. Iewes in in their iourney The Romans yeeld vp theiâ—… castle in Marichunte to the Iewes Sedition in 〈◊〉 betweene thâ—… Greeks and Ieweâ—… The yeere of the world 4030. after Christs birth 68. Tiberius Alexander exhorteth the seditious Iewes to keepe peace A cruell victorie wherein 〈◊〉 thousand Iewes are slaine Huge companies of the Romans Zâ—…bulon 〈◊〉 strong Citie of Galilee spoiled and burnt The Iewes kill two thousand Syrians The Romans take Ioppe and burne it and kill eight thousand and foure hundreth 〈◊〉 â—…nd
bethinking them on their imminent perill supposing that they had trauailed this long iourney all in vaine for that they saw their accusation must be answered Ruben the eldest of them began after this maner to plead their cōmon cause Neither are we come hither said he as spies neither vnder pretence to indomage the king but dire famine whose furie we seeke to preuent hath cōpelled vs to come into this countrey grounding our selues on your humanitie who as we haue heard haue not onely made offer of sale of come and meanes of sustenance to your citizens but also vnto all straungers And that we are brothers and borne of the same father our verie countenances testify no lesse in that they varie not very much the one from the other Our father by name is Iacob by nation an Hebrew who begat vs his twelue sonnes on foure women who while they all were in safety our affaires were fortunate and prosperous but one of them being dead whose name was Ioseph our domesticall fortunes began to grow to ruine Our father languisheth in continuall lamentations whose teares do no lesse afflict vs then in times past the vntimely death of our dearest brother did affect vs. Now are we come to buy corne hauing left in our fathers custody the youngest of our brothers called Beniamin That thus it is if so thou please to send any one vnto our house thou maist be assured Thus spake Ruben both on his owne and his brothers behalfe whereby he might exempt from Ioseph his sinister opinion of them who knowing that both his father and brother were in health commaunded them to be shut in prison vnder pretence to call them to further examination vpon his better leasure Some three daies after calling them before him he began thus Since saith he you protest that you came not hither into this kingdome on purpose either to preiudice the King or worke treasons towards the state and that you pretend your selues to be the sonnes of one father you shall induce me to beleeue that your allegations be true if leauing some one with me as pledge of your loyalties who shall be well entertained you beare hence your desired corne vnto your father and returne againe vnto me bringing with you your brother whom as you say you left behind you for this shall be an argument that you faine not Amased at these words and supposing that their extreame calamitie was at hand they lamented their fortunes oftentimes expostulating amongst themselues that the dire reuenge of their brother oppressed with vndecent tyranny was fallen vpon them Moreouer Ruben reprehended their too late and vnprofitable penitencie saying that those afflictions which God the iust reuenger of innocencie had inflicted on his impious brothers were constantly to be borne After this manner spake they one vnto another supposing that no man was present who vnderstood the Hebrew tongue and they all lamented being inwardly touched with the words of Ruben and condemned their perpetrated wickednes as if they had not beene the authors of the fact for which at that time they thought that God did most iustly punish them Ioseph beholding them in this perplexitie vnable to dissemble any longer his brotherly loue in that the teares alreadie began to burst out of his eyes which at that time he desired to conceale he departed from among them Not long after returning againe vnto them he retained Simeon with him who in the meane time should remaine as pledge with him vntil their backe returne and giuing them licence to buy their corne he commaunded them to depart giuing withall a speciall commaundement to one of his seruants that the money which they had brought to buy corne should secretly be shut vp into their sackes and they permitted to depart all which his seruant performed But Iacobs sons returning into Chanaan told their father all that which had happened vnto them in Aegypt and how they were attached for spies and traitors to that countrey and that when they protested that they were brethren and that the eleuenth was left at home with their father they would not beleeue them moreouer that Simeon was left pledge with the gouernour vntill Beniamin came thither to giue testimony of their truth whereupon they desired their father that without contradiction or sinister conceit to send their yonger brother with them But Iacob was displeased with that which his sonnes had done and whe◅as he was not a little grieued that Simeon was left behind he thought it worse then death also to be depriued of Beniamin and neither could Ruben with his praiers offering his sonnes for pledges that if any sinister fortune should fall vpon Beniamin by the way the Grandfather might reuenge him on his children perswade Iacob to yeeld consent but they vncertaine what to do were more and more terrified in that they found their money inclosed in their sackes of corne Now when corne began alreadie to faile them Iacob being compelled by force of famine determined to send Beniamin with his other brothers for it was vnlawfull for them to returne into Aegypt except they kept their couenant And whereas necessitie pressed them daily more and more and his sonnes ceased not instantly to call vpon him yet as yet was he doubtfull and vnresolued at last Iuda a man vehement by nature began more liberally to reproue his father in that he was too carefull of his brother to whom nothing might happen without the will of God whether it were abroad or at home and that without reason he had care of his sonne Beniamin in such sort as it was not possible for them to get ought out of Pharaos countrey which was necessarie for their nourishment that he ought also to haue care of the life of Simeon least whilest he dallied and delayed to send Beniamin on the iourney Simeon in the meane time should be slaine by the Aegyptians Moreouer he exhorted him to commit the care of his sonne vnto God promising to bring him backe againe in safetie or else to die together with him Moreouer he said that certaine giftes gathered from the profits of Chanaan as the iuice of Mirabolans Stacte Terebinth and Hony should be sent as presents vnto Ioseph together with the double price of their come Thu◅ shedding teares on both sides they depart from their father leauing him miserably tormented for the health of his sonnes contrariwise suspecting with themselues least thorow his absence their father should be slaine with sorrow In this perplexitie spent they a whole day At last the old man remained in his house wholy afflicted and they trauailing into Aegypt did mitigate their present griefe with the hope of better fortune where no sooner were they atriued but they repaired vnto Ioseph being sore afraid least it should be laid to their charge that vnder colour of fraud and deceit they had caried away with them the price of their former come which presently before Iosephs
bread of twentie foure Assars of flower and those loaues they baked two by two the day before the Sabboth and the day of the Sabboth in the morning they bring it and set it on the sacred Table opposing sixe to sixe the one against the other and vpon them are imposed two platters full of incense and these things remaine after this maner till the next Sabboth and then set they new in the place of the first which are giuen to the Priests for their maintenance The incense is cast into the sacred fire in which the burnt offerings are consumed and in place thereof there is new incense put The Priest also sacrificeth on his owne charge flower mingled with oyle and a little baked by fire and this doth he twise euerie day and bringeth to the fire halfe an Assar of flower in the morning and the other halfe in the euening But I will entreat hereof more expresly hereafter for the present me thinks I haue sufficiently spoken already Moses separated the tribe of Leui and exempted them from the other people to the end they might be consecrated vnto God and he purified them with liuing fountaine water and purged them with solemne sacrifice and committed the Tabernacle to their charge with all the holy things pertaining therunto and all the rest which had bin made for the couer of the Tabemacle to the end they might be ministers to the Priests their superiours who were already consecrated to God After this he distinguished the beasts also namely those that were to be eaten froÌ„ those which were to be forborne and abstained from of which we will speak at such time as occasion is offered vs and will bring proofes and the reason which induced him to ordaine that some were proper to feede vpon and for what cause he would that we should abstaine from other some He hath generally interdicted all vse of bloud in meates esteeming the bloud to be the soule and spirit of beasts He hath also generally prohibited to eat the flesh of those beasts that died by theÌ„selues likewise the caule and fat of goates of sheepe and oxen He thrust them likewise out of the company and conuersation of men who were leprous such as were troubled with the fluxe of their seed And as touching women that haue their sicknesse he sequestred them for the space of seuen dayes after which it was lawfull for them to conuerse indifferently the one with the other The like decreed he of those that had assisted the buriall of a dead man whom he permitted to conuerse with other after seuen dayes were expired It was a thing also decreed by law that he that was surprised with vncleannesse and vnpurified beyond the number of those dayes he should sacrifice two Wethers one of which should bee purified and the other giuen to the Priests The like sacrifice is made for him that hath had vnnaturall pollution who first washeth himselfe in cold water The like must they offer that haue vse of their lawfull wiues Hee altogether droue the leprous out of the citie not permitting them to frequent any mans companie but esteeming them as men little differing from the dead And if any one by his prayers made vnto God was deliuered from this disease and his skin reduced to his natiue colour such a one presented himselfe before God in diuers oblations and sacrifices of which wee will speake hereafter For which cause they are worthy to be laughed at who say that Moses fled out of Aegypt because he was a leper and that he conducted with him other such as were trauelled with that disease and brought them into the land of Canaan For if that were true Moses had not made these ordinances to his owne preiudice which if other had proposed it behooued him to haue opposed himselfe against them especially since amongst diuers other nations there are lepersâ—… who are held in great honour and who are so far from disdaine and contempt as that they haue beene made Generals of most notable armies and elected for Gouernours of common-weales hauing libertie to enter the Temples and to be present at the sacrifices What therefore hindred Moses if he had beene polluted with the like hatefull sicknesse to make such lawes and ordaine such statutes among those people who honoured and obeyed him whereby such as were therewith infected might be preferred By which it is manifest that those things that are obiected against him are rather of malice then probability But Moses being cleane from such sickenesse and conuersing amongst his countrimen which were vntainted made these ordinances for them that were sicke hauing regard to the honour of God But of these things let each man censure as best liketh him He forbad that women should enter into the Temple after their deliuerance or to assist the sacrifice vntill fortie dayes were expired if they had beene brought a bed of a sonne but if it were a daughter he willed that the number of the dayes should be doubled and that when they should enter they should present their offerings vnto God and to the Priests that offered them And if any one suspected that his wife had committed adultery hee brought an Assar of grinded barley and cast a handfull thereof before God and the rest was reserued for the maintenance of the Priests and then the Priest placing the woman in the porch which is right ouer against the Temple and taking the couer from her head writeth the name of God vpon a skinne and maketh her sweare that she hath not plaid false with her husband and wish if she had transgressed thè bounds of chastity that her right thigh might be put out of ioint her womb might rot and that death might follow thereupon but if through entire loue and iealousie proceeding therefro her husband had beene inconsiderately drawne into that suspition that she might within ten moneths bring forth a male child And after such an oath ministred vnto her the Priest wipeth out the name of God that was written on the skinne and wringeth it into a viall and then taking of the earth of the Temple according as he findeth it and hauing mingled the same giueth it the woman to drinke and if she hath beene vniustly accused she continueth with child and beareth her fruit her full time but if she hath falsified her faith to her husband forsworn herselfe before God then dieth she a shameful death for her thigh is nummed her wombe growes full of water See here how Moses hath prouided for these sacrifices at the purifying of a woman He furthermore made these lawes which ensue He generally forbad adulterie iudging it to be a great good hap if men demeaned themselues honestly in mariageÌ„ that both in politique estates and priuate families it was a thing most profitable that children should be borne in lawfull matrimonie The law also forbiddeth a man to haue the
him whom you your selues haue chosen surpassing all the rest in valour For whereas there are diuers commanders it falleth out that that which ought necessarily and readily to be executed is hindered and commonly the issue is vnfortunate where there are diuers commanders Let your army be generally leuied of men that are strong in body and hardie in courage and sequester from your armie him that is fearefull least such men hapning to flie when they ought to fight do giue your enemies the aduantage Let them also be free from warre who hauing built them a new house haue not enioyed the same for a yeares space as also he that hath planted a vineyard and hath not gathered the fruit thereof and besides these he that hath wedded a wife and hath not as yet brought her home to his house least being transported with the desire of these things and reseruing themselues to their forsaken pleasures in the behalfe of their wiues they fight but faintly and coldly But when you haue brought your army into the field take heed you commit no outrage and when you shall assault any Cities if you fortune to haue any need of matter to make engins of grub not the land neither see you cut downe the fruitfull trees but spare them remembring you that they are planted for the good of men and that if they could speake they would accuse you alledging that without cause of warre they are ill intreated against all right and that if they had the power to depart from thence they would dislodge and remoue into another countrey But when the battell is ended and the day is yours kill all those enemies that resisted you in the skirmish the rest reserue as your tributaries except the people of the land of Chanaan for they with all their families are to be ruinated Beware also but especially in warre that neither a woman vse a mans apparrell neither a man a womans raiment These are the lawes which Moses left He gaue them likewise certaine institutions which he had written fortie yeares before that time whereof we will speake in an other treatise Some few daies after for he assembled the people sixe daies one after the other he gaue them his blessing and pronounced his maledictions against those which should not liue according to his lawes but should transgresse the determinations thereof He red also vnto them a Poeme of sixe measures which he had enregistred in the holy booke contayning a prediction of things to come according to which all things haue and doe fall out without varying any waies from the truth and veritie These volumes and the Arke gaue he vnto the Priests in which he also placed the ten commaundements written in the two tables He committed also vnto them the custodie of the Tabernacle He likewise exhorted the people that at such time as by force they had conquered the promised countrey and were planted therein they should not forget the iniurie which the Amalechites had done vnto them but that they should lead forth their army against them and take vengeance of the wrongs they had done them at such time as they were in the desart And commaunded them that as soone as they had taken the countrey of Chanaan they should exterminate and extinguish all the people He willed them also to erect an Altar toward the rising of the sunne not farre from the citie of Sichem betweene two mountaines the one Garizim on the right hand and the other called Gebal on the left and that distributing the people into two parts sixe tribes in euery part they should plant them on the mountaines And he commaunded that the Leuites and Priests should be with them to the intent that they first of all that were vpon the mountaine of Garizim should beseech God that he would multiply his blessings vpon them that should be zealous of his seruice and carefull of the conseruation of his lawes without diuerting from that which Moses had commaunded The sixe other also were appointed to answere the like and when as likewise these six last had praied the sixe first were to answere them and confirme that which they had pronounced This done they pronounced maledictions against the transgressors each one answering other in ratification of that which had beene spoken He reduced also vnder writing these blessings and curses to the intent that the memorie thereof might neuer be suppressed or extinguished by time which he also being neere vnto his death caused to be written in the Altar on the one side thereof in that part which extended it selfe toward the place where the people stood at such time as they sacrificed and offered burnt offerings Since which day there were no more sacrafices offered in that place because it was contrarie to law Thus did Moses establish and these the Hebrewe nation obserue continually and vnuiolably euen vnto this day On the next morrow he reassembled all the people themselues their wiues and children he likewise commaunded that the slaues should be there present binding them by an oth that they should maintaine keepe the lawes and that diligently tying themselues to the will of God they should not so much esteeme either their kinred or meanes of perils or any other cause whatsoeuer as that thereby they should be driuen to neglect their lawes or depart from the ordinances thereof but whether it were any one of their kinred or any Citie whatsoeuer that would seeke to alter and disturbe the same or striue to weaken the estate thereof that both in particular and in publike they should expose themselues and endeuour to punish them and if they should fortune to take such a Citie that they should race and vtterly deface the same and if it were possible not to leaue one stone vpon another but to destroy the foundation But if they were too feeble to take such a reuenge yet that they should make it knowen that they were not consenting to their impietie Hereunto the whole people subscribed and sealed it with an oth He afterwards told them how the people should know when the sacrifice were agreeable vnto God and how they ought to march out to battell taking a signe of the stones of which I haue forespoken Iosuah likewise during the life and in the presence of Moses foreprophecied whatsoeuer he intended to performe for the profit of the people either abroad in the administration of warre or home in prescribing lawes and preparing them to an order of life which was newly prescribed them he told them that by instructions from God he foreprophecied that if they violated their countrey religion they should not escape their destruction for that both their country should be filled with forraine armes and their Cities sackt and their Temple burnt that they themselues should be sold vnder the speare that they should serue a nation which would not be moued or touched with commiseration of their afflictions and miseries and that
at length they should too lately and vnprofitably repent them of their errour yet that God their establisher should restore Cities to the Citizens and a Temple to his people And that it should come to passe that they should not lose this only one time but also very many times Then did Moses also exhort Iesus that he should lead his army against the Chanaanits promising him that God would be assistant in his actions prophecying besides much good hap vnto the people Since that saith he I go vnto mine ancestors and that God hath prefixed this day and time of my departure I protest before you that liuing as yet and standing in your presence I giue him thanks for the care and prouidence which he hath hitherto had of your affaires not onely in propulsing your aduersaries but also in largely imparting his blessings vnto you and for that he hath alwaies fauourably helpt me whilst I indeuoured by my labour and care to reduce your fortunes to a better state And that which is more it is he that hath giuen both the entrance and the issue making vse of me but as his committee and seruant in all that good which he would should be done vnto his people For all which things I haue thought it requisite that in departing from you I should blesse the power of God who in time to come shall haue the care and charge of you And to acquit my selfe of that debt I leaue you this in remembrance which is that you ought to serue and honour him and reuerence the ordinances which he hath giuen you whereby continuing his fauours towards you he will grant you grace to conserue and keepe this excellent gift Truly that law-maker that were no more then a man would be greatly displeased and highly discontented with those men who should violate his ordinances and should set them at noughts doe not you therefore tempt God who is prouoked vnto anger when those lawes which he himselfe hath established and giuen you shall be contemned and neglected Whilest Moses pronounced these his last words and discoursed vnto the tribes their seuerall destinies the whole multitude brake into teares and the women beating their breasts shewed and expressed the sorrow they had conceiued at his death The children likewise lamented making it knowne that they could not be masters of their owne sorrow because that in their tender yeares they had vnderstood the vertue and famous acts of Moses and betwixt the elder and younger sort there was as it were a conflict who should weepe more bitterly for the one vnderstanding of how worthie a gouernour they were depriued lamented the time to come and the other were perplexed because they should then forsake him before they had sufficiently tasted and made triall how great his vertue was But how great the compassion and complaint of the people was a man may make coniecture by this that then befell the Prophet For although he were assuredly perswaded that a man was not to lament vpon the instant of his death in that it chanced vnto him both according to the will of God and the law of nature yet he beholding the affection of the people could not temperate and restraine himselfe from teares And whilest he was borne thither where he vanished out of their sight all of them followed him wetting their faces and bosomes with flowing teares Then did Moses beckening with his hand warne them from a farre off that they should stand stil and keep their places exhorted them that were neerest him by word of mouth that they should not follow nor prosecute him any further with teares for feare least they should make his departure tragicall and lamentable Onely the Senate led him forth and Eleazar the high Priest and the chiefetaine Iesus And when he was arriued vpon the mountaine called Abarim which is verie hie and scituate neere vnto Iericho and from whence he might discouer the greater part of the land of Chanaan he dismissed the elders and whilest with mutuall embraces he tooke his last leaue of Eleazar and Iesus and discoursed with them a cloud sodainly enuironed him and he was taken away into a certaine valley but in the scripture he writeth that he died fearing least for the excellencie of his vertue they might report that he was rauished and taken away by God The whole time of his life was one hundreth and twentie yeares the third part whereof he spent in gouernment one month onely exempted He died the last month of the yeare the first day of that month which the Macedonians call Dystrus and our countrimen Adar Of all men the wisest that euer was and who in execution of his good counsels had no man to equall him Moreouer in eloquence he was incomparable and in dexteritie and grace to intertaine and perswade the people he had no second and so were his affections alwaies leuelled and limited by his wisedome that he seemed vtterly to want them and that onely he knew the names of those passions which he perceiued to be too actiue in other men In his gouernment he was matchlesse in his prophecies peerlesse so that all the orations that he made seemed to be Oracles For which cause the whole multitude mourned for him during the terme of thirtie daies neither were the Hebrewes euer seased with so extreme griefe as they were at that time when the Prophet died neither did he onely leaue behind him a present desire of him but a great estimation amongst all men who haue euer chanced to read and examine his writings whilst by them they make estimate of his vertues And these are those things which I thought good to be spoken of the death of Moses THE FIFTH BOOKE OF THE ANTIQVITIES OF THE IEWES WRITTEN BY FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the 5. booke 1 How Iesus Generall of the Hebrewes hauing ouercome and slaine the Chanaanites deuided their land amongst the Tribes by Lot 2 How after the death of the Generall the Israelites neglecting the ordinances of their forefathers fell into extreme calamities and thorow a ciuill warre that was raised amongst them there were but 300. of the tribe of Beniamin left aliue 3 How for their impietie the people of Israel were deliuered by God into captiuitie under the Assyrians 4 Their libertie by Cenizus 5 How the people once more were ouercome by the Moabites and exempt from seruitude by Iodes otherwise called Ehud 6 How they were brought vnder the subiection of the Chanaanites and restored to their libertie by Barac 7 How the Amalechites hauing entred the countrey of the Israelites and conquered them possessed and spoyled the same for the space of seuen yeares 8 How Gedeon deliuered the people 9 How some successors of Gedeon waged warre against the neighbour nations round about them 10 Of Sampsons strength and what mischiefes he did in Palestine 11 How the sonnes of Eli the Prophet were slaine in battell by
out of doores from them vpon the breake of day But she being wholy desolate and discomforted by this desaster returned to her lodging and both by reason of the agonie which she had suffered as also for the shame that hindered her from appearing before her husband who would be incredibly and extremely tormented with that accident she fell downe and gaue vp the ghost Her husband supposing that she was onely seased with some sound sleepe not suspecting any other inconuenient thought to awake her with that deliberation to comfort her because she had not willingly condescended to their violences and lusts but maugre her resist was rauished by them and taken out of his lodging But so soone as he perceiued that she was dead he moderated his affections considering the extremitie of his euils and laying the dead bodie vpon his Asse he caried it to his house where he no sooner arriued but that he deuided and cut the same into twelue pieces which he sent to the twelue tribes of Israel commaunding them that bare the same to tell euerie tribe who they were that were the authors of the death of his wife and what villany they had practised against her The tribes were verie much discontented at that which they both saw and heard hauing neuer before that time heard of any the like aduenture and incensed with extreme displeasure and yet iust they assembled themselues in Siloe and being arraunged before the Arke they resolued sodainly to take armes and to assaile the Gabeonites as their capitall and mortall enemies But the elders with-held them declaring vnto them that they ought not after that manner enterprise a headlong warre against their brethren before they had conferred and debated the cause with them and examined the crimes whereof they were accused the rather for that the law permitteth not any warre no not against straungers before an enterparle embassage which might reclaime those that were held culpable reduce them to reason For which cause they told them that they should conforme themselues both according to the letter of the law and the bond of brotherhood to send certaine messengers to the Gabeonites to demaund at their hands the authors of that villanie to the end that when they were deliuered they might take their satisfaction by their punishment but if they should not regard that which was demaunded then that it was lawfull for them to assaile them with open warre Hereupon they sent certaine messengers to the Gabeonites to accuse those yong men that had perpetrated that indignity against the woman to demaund them at their hands to the intent they might suffer condigne punishment by death for the breach they had made of the law But the Gabeonites would not yeeld vp the young men supposing it to be an indignity for them for feare of warre to be obedient to other mens commaundements by reason that they thought themselues no waies inferiour vnto others in feats of warre both in respect of their number and the courage both in the one and the other The rest of the tribe also made great preparation by reason they were all of thē resolued vnited together mutually to defend thēselues against whosoeuer should assaile them After that the report of the Gabeonites answer was brought vnto the Israelites they sware an oth the one vnto the other that none of thē would giue their daughters in mariage to a Beniamite promising each of them to issue make warre against them against whom they were more incensed then our predecessors haue bin animated against the Chanaanites as we haue bin giuen to vnderstand They speedily therfore leuied led into the field an armie of 400000 men against them The Beniamites host consisted of 26000. armed men and 600. others fiftie of which were expert in shooting and fighting with the left hand The field was fought neere to Gaba wherein the Beniamites put the Israelites to flight who were slaine to the number of twentie two thousand and more of them had bin slaughtered that day had not the night sodainly ouertaken them and ended the skirmish Thus did the Beniamites ioyfully returne vnto their cities the Israelites were discomforted thorow their vnexpected calamitie The next day they once more renewed the battel and the Beniamites had the vpper hand once againe so that the Israelites lost eighteene thousand men more and by that meane forsooke their campe thorow feare and retired to Bethel which was not farre off from the place The day after they fasted and besought God by the mediation of Phinees the high Priest that it would please him to appease his wrath against them and that contenting himselfe with the two ouerthrowes which he had sent them he would now at last both giue them victorie and valour to encounter their enemies All which God promised them by the prophecy of Phinees Whereupon they deuided their army into two parts and laid the one thereof in ambush neere vnto the Citie In the meane time whilest the other halfe that made head against the Beniamites retired themselues to the intent their enemies should assault them the Beniamites sodainly issued and set vpon them that orderly retired and the more they retired vnder purpose to draw them the further from the towne the more eagerly the enemie insisted so that all they likewise who thorow age and weaknes were left in the Citie sallied out as companions and sharers in the future pray But when as they were drawne farre enough from the Citie the Hebrewes staied made head and fought against them Then gaue they a signe to those that were in ambush in such sort as was accorded amongst them who sodainly issuing out together rushed in vpon their enemies with a huge crie Who seeing themselues so sodainly surprised knew not what to doe but retiring themselues into certaine Baricadoes they defended themselues with arrowes but all of them were slaine except it were sixe hundreth who making head and closely filletted and embattailed together thrust themselues desperately into the midst of their enemies and by this meanes escaped they into the mountaines hard by where they encamped All the rest to the number of twentie fiue thousand or thereabouts were slaine And the Israelites burned Gaba vtterly slew both the women and children They exercised no lesse iustice on the other cities of Beniamin so much were they fleshed and transported with furie And for that Iabes a Citie of Galaad would not ioyne with them in battell against the Beniamites they sent twelue thousand chosen men out of their companies to destroy the same who slew all those that might beare armes with their wiues and children except foure hundreth virgins So much griefe and furie had they conceiued thorow the accident that chaunced to this woman and the despight they had conceiued against the Beniamites for prouoking them vnto armes which furie when it was somewhat appeased they repented themselues reputing themselues to be depriued of one
cause calling vnto him some fewe companions of his perils who were discontented with their present estate and desired a change he first of all discomfited the garrison which Schisart had placed ouer them and so much was he furthered with his first successe that the number of his followers increased more and more so that they seemed sufficient to equall the enemy in open field whereupon encountring him in one battaile they ouercame him and recouered their libertie and the rest of the scattered and confused army retyred themselues toward Euphrates Now after that Cenizus had by this effect giuen proofe of his valour he receiued the gouernment at the peoples hands and exercised the office of iudge fortie yeares at the end whereof he died CHAP. V. How the people were againe made subiect to the Moabites and how by Iodes they were exempt from seruitude AFter whose death the gouernment and seate being voide the affaires of the Israelites began againe to fall to ruine and the rather for that they neither yeelded due honour vnto God neither obedience to the lawes whence it came to passe that Eglon king of the Moabites seeing the disorder of their pollicie set them at nought so that he waged warre against them and ouercame them many times And for that he was a prince of greater forecast then any of his predecessors he fought against them and weakened their forces and constrained them to pay tribute This man translating his court to Iericho and proud in his victories omitted no meanes whereby he might vexe and molest the people so that they liued for the space of 18. yeares in great miserie But God being moued with their calamities and supplications deliuered them from their intolerable thraldome after this manner Iodes the sonne of Gera of the tribe of Beniamin a yong man both addressed by valour of minde and strength of hand to attempt any worthy action dwelt at Iericho This man insinuated himselfe into Eglons familiaritie and by presents and gifts entertained and courted him in such sort as he was well beloued and esteemed amongst all those courtiers that were neerest about the king It chanced one day that bearing certaine presents vnto the king attended by two of his houshold seruants he secretly girt a dagger to his right thigh at such time as he entred into the king now it was about midsommer and mid-day likewise whereby the watch was growne the more carelesse and slothfull partly by reason of the heate and partly for that the guard were occupied about their dinner The yong man therefore offering his presents vnto Eglon who at that time disported himselfe in a certaine sommer chamber began to discourse with him Now they were both alone by reason that the king resoluing to talke familiarlie with Iodes had sent away his guard and sate him downe in a seate but Iodes fearing least failing to stab home enough he should not giue him a fatall and deadly wound required him to rise telling him that he had a dreame to report vnto him by the commandement of God Whereat he reioicing very much leapt from his seate whereupon Iodes stabd him to the heart and leauing the poiniard sticking in his wound he escaped and locked the doore after him the guard making no noise at all supposing that the king had laide him downe to rest But Iodes giuing priuate notice hereof to them of Iericho offered himselfe to be their leader in the recouerie of their former libertie who willingly accepting thereof presently tooke armes and sent trumpets to publish the same thorow the whole countrey for after that manner were they woont to assemble the people They that were about Eglon were wholy ignorant of that which had hapned but about the eeuen-tide fearing least some mishap had befallen him they entred into the place where he was found him dead wherat they were greatly astonished so as they knew not what to doe For before they had assembled their forces togither the Israelites fiercely charged them and some they killed instantly the rest that were ten thousand in number betooke then selues to flie vnder hope to recouer their countrey of Moab but the Israelites hauing before that laide and fortified the passages of Iordan pursued them and slew them so that diuers of them perished in the Ferrie and not one of them remained that escaped their hands By this meanes the Israelites were deliuered from the seruitude of the Moabites and for this cause Iodes was aduanced to the gouernment of the people Finally after he had liued for the space of fourescore yeares he died A man besides the act of late rehearsed worthy of praise in all other things After him Sanagar the sonne of Anath was elected gouernour and in the first yeare of his raigne he left this life to partake the fruition of another CHAP. VI. How the Israelites were brought vnder the subiection of the Chanaanites and raunsomed from seruitude by Barac BVt the Israelites in no sort reclaimed or reconciled by their forepassed calamities fell againe into their former impietie and disobedlence and before they had sufficiently shaken off the seruitude of the Moabites were subiected vnto Iabin king of the Chanaanites This man kept his residence imperiall at Asor a Citie scituate on the lake of Sachonites he had in pay thirtie thousand foore and ten thousand horse and besides these hee had three thousand warlike Chariots Ouer all this huge army commanded Sisares an especiall man amongst the kings fauourites who encountring with the Israelites brought their affaires into so desperate an estate that they willingly for their owne securitie sake accepted seruitude and paied tribute whereunto they were inforced through the austeritie of their subiection almost for the space of twentie yeares not daring to lift vp their heads all which fell vpon them by the will of God to the end he might punish the too great contumacie and ingratitude of that nation Who at length repenting themselues and acknowledging the cause of their calamities namely that it proceeded from the contempt of their lawes they repaired to a certaine Prophetesse called Debora which name in the Hebrew toong signifieth a Bee beseeching her that by her prayers she would endeuour to prouoke God vnto mercie to the intent he should not suffer them so to be oppressed by the Chanaanites Hereupon God being inclined to take compassion on them granted them helpe and appointed Barac to be their gouernour a man of the tribe of Nephthali whose name signifieth lightning Debora therefore sending for Barac commandeth him to picke out and muster ten thousand chosen men and lead them foorth against the enemy alleadging that they were sufficient to obtaine the victorie which God had promised by his Oracle But Barac denying to vndertake the gouernment except she also would administer the same with him she moued therewith spake thes Wilt thou said she surrender the dignitie which God hath giuen thee
answere his hart more more failed him in that he manifestly perceiued what sinister successe would betide him if God should not assist him in the conflict He therfore commāded that they should search him out some Pythonissa or cunning enchantresse who inuocated and raised the spirits of the dead to the end that by her meanes he might know if his warres should haue that successe which he pretended for the diuiners which giue answere by the belly which the Greekes call Engastrimythes declare their aduentures to those that aske them And when as by the report of a certaine familiar friend of his he was aduertised that there was such a one at Endor vnwitting to his whole arme and laying aside his royall habites and attended onely by two whom he esteemed for his most faithfull seruants he repaired to Endor to this woman requiring her to diuine and raise vp the spirit of him whom he should name The woman denied and said that she ought not contradict the kings edict who had driuen out of his realme all such sort of soothsaiers telling him that he did not well that hauing receiued no wrong at her hands he should thus sound her and seeke to bring her in lapse of the kings lawes cause her to be punished But Saul swore vnto her that no man should knowe thereof and that he would not discouer her diuination to others briefely that shee should incurre no daunger thereby After then that by his othes and protestations he had perswaded her that she should haue no cause to feare he commanded her to raise the spirit of Samuel She not knowing what Samuel was called him from hell and he sodainly appeared But when she perceiued that it was an honourable man and of diuine semblance she was sore troubled and being wholy discomforted with this vision she turned and said vnto the king art not thou Saul for Samuel had certified her no lesse Saul confessed that it was he and asked her for what cause she seemed to be so much troubled she answered that she saw a man ascend that resembled God Saul commanded her to declare vnto him his shape habite and age and she gaue him to vnderstand that he was a reuerend olde man attired in the vestment of a high priest By these markes Saul knew that it was Samuel whereupon prostrating himselfe on the earth he adored and saluted him The spirit of Samuel asked him for what cause he had troubled and raised him To whom he complained and lamented that he was inforced thereunto by necessitie for that a grieuous host of his enemies were at hand and that void of counsaile he was forsaken by God hauing from him no prediction either by prophecie or dreame for which cause said he I made my recourse vnto thee who hast alwaies had care both of me and my fortunes But Samuel foreseeing that the kings death was hard at hand answered him that it was in vaine for him to question with him as touching those things that should happen since thou knowest that thou art forsaken by God Know therfore said he that Dauid shall possesse the kingdome and that it is he that shall establish the estate by armes but as concerning thy selfe thou shalt lose both thy kingdome and thy life because thou hast disobeyed God in thy warre against the Amalechites and hast not obserued his commandements according as I foretold thee at such time as I was aliue Know therefore that thy people and host shall be discomfited by the enemy and that both thou and thy sons shall be to morrow slaine in the battell and be with me When Saul vnderstood these things he became speechlesse thorow the sorrow wherewith he was seased and fell downe on the pauement either for that his forces failed him thorow sodaine griefe or for his want of meat because that neither that night nor the day before he had vouchsafed his body any refection or sustenance At length hardly recouering himselfe out of his swoun the woman importuned him to receiue some sustenance beseeching him to doe her that fauour in recompence of her vnexpected diuination which though interdicted she had aduentured to performe for his sake before she were ascertained that it was he that had forbidden them in consideration wherof she prayed him that sitting downe at the table he would refresh himselfe with some sustenance to the end he might be the more able to returne vnto his army And although he resisted and vtterly refused to eat in that he had no appetite and was vtterly desperate yet so effectually importuned she that finally she perswaded him to receiue some little nourishment And whereas shee had but one calfe which she bred vp in her house with some particular care for she was but a poore woman and had no other riches yet spared she not to kill it and dresse the flesh for Saul his seruants Thus refected Saul returned backe againe into his campe The curtesie of this woman deserueth to be praised for although she knew that the king had prohibited her art whereby both she and her family sufficiently maintained themselues and although before that time she had neuer seene Saul yet so it is that without remembring her that it was he by whom her art had bin condemned she entertained him not as a stranger or like the man she had neuer seene before but had compassion of him and comforted him exhorting him to eate although he refused it and presented him willingly and hartily with that little which she had in her pouertie All which she did not vnder hope of recompence or expected preferment knowing well that Saul should shortly lose his life nor according to the ordinarie course of men that naturally honour those that haue bestowed some dignitie vpon them and become seruiceable to those from whom they pretend to draw some profit hereafter She therefore ought to be imitated and in her appeareth an excellent example of bountie approuing that there is nothing more worthie praise then to relieue those that are in necessitie neither any thing more becomming men or whereby we may obtaine Gods fauour and graces better then by it Thus much sufficeth at this present in respect of this woman But now methinketh I shall do vvell if I insert in this place and in these my vvritings another eaxmple both profitable to people and nations and in especiall an incitation to noble men and such as are borne vnto glory to follow vertue vvhich also shall expresse vvhat honour is and exemplifie how a man may eternize his memorie vvhich ought to engender in the hearts of kings of nations and of gouerners of commonweales a singular desire and affection to addict themselues to noble actions and to encourage them to entertaine dangers yea death it selfe and teach them to endure all difficulties vvhatsoeuer for their countries cause To vvhich intent the historie of Saul the king of the Hebrewes yeeldeth me matter
incamped apart in the plaine and the Ammonites stood in battell aray neere vnto their Citie gate to make head against the Hebrewes Ioab perceiuing this vsed this stratageme to counteruaile their complot for he chose out the ablest and stoutest of his men to serue vnder him against Syrus and the other kings confederates with him and gaue the rest vnto his brother Abisat commaunding him to oppose himselfe against the Ammonites whilest he charged the rest willing him that if he perceiued that the Syrians were stroâ—…er then he was and did put him to the worst to displace his squadron and to succour him promising to do the like if he perceiued him to be ouerpressed by the Ammonites Whenas therefore he had exhorted his brother to behaue himselfe valiantly and vertuously and to take heed least he should light on some dishonour he sent him before to charge the Ammonites and he on the other side assailed the Syrians who valiantly resisted him for a little space yet notwithstanding Ioab slew many of them and finally constrained them to turne their backs Which when the Ammonites perceiued who were afraid of Abisai and his people they retreated likewise and conforming themselues according to the example of their allies they tooke their flight into the Citie By which meane Ioab hauing obtained the vpper hand ouer his enemies returned in triumph and with victorie vnto the king to Ierusalem Yet were not the Ammonites wholy weakned by this losse for although they had by their lamentable experience a certaine knowledge that the Hebrewes were stronger then themselues yet would they by no meanes listen after peace They therefore sent vnto Chalama king of the Syrians on the other side of Euphrates whose confederacie they attained by bribes and huge sums of money This king had one who was called Sabecus for his lieutenant generall and vnder him fourescore thousand footmen and ten thousand horsemen Dauid vnderstanding that the Ammonites drew to head and intended anew to beare armes against him he surceased to prosecute the war against them by his lieutenants himself in person with al his forces passed ouer the riuer of Iordan and went out against them and at last meeting and fighting with them ouercame them killing welny fortie thousand of their footmen and seuen thousand of their horsemen he hurt Sabecus also Chalamas Lieutenant who likewise died of that wound The issue of this combate being thus the Mesopotamians yeelded themselues vnto Dauid and gaue him many great and magnificent presents He therefore by reason of the winter retired himselfe for that time to Ierusalem but incontinently vpon the spring time he sent out his Lieutenant Ioab once more to make warre vpon the Ammonites who ouerrunning their countrey vtterly spoyled it and shut them vp in Aramath their principal citie which he ouercame entred About this time it so fel out that Dauid notwithstanding he were a iust man one that feared God an exact obseruer of all the lawes and ordinances of his forefathers fell and offended God most greeuously For as he walked on the top of his royall pallace from the time of mid-day vntill the euening for betwixt these times he vsed accustomably to walke he perceiued a woman of incomparable beautie and supassing perfection whose name was Bethsabe who in her house bathed her selfe in a cleere and pleasant fountaine and being deuoured and rauished with her beautie he could not refraine his concupiscence but sending for her tooke the spoile of her beautie and chastitie and by that meanes got her with child Which when she perceiued she sent vnto the king beseeching him to bethinke himselfe of some meanes whereby her shame might be concealed and her life which was in hazard by the law for her adulterie might be preserued Who thereupon sent for Vrias Bethsabes husband and one of Ioabs soldiers who at that time was at the siege of Aramath and questioned with him vpon his arriuall as touching the estate of the siege of the armie who answering him that all things were fallen out according as he could wish Dauid tooke a portion of his owne supper and gaue it him willing him to repaire vnto his owne house and repose him selfe with his wife But Vrias did nothing lesse but slept amongst his fellow soldiers neere vnto the person of the king Which when Dauid vnderstood he asked him wherefore he repaired not to his owne house according to the custome of husbands that had beene long time absent vpon a long voiage and why he entertained not his wife from whom he had beene sequestred so many daies Vrias replied that it became him not either to repose or take pleasure with his wife whilest his companions and generall lay vpon the bare ground in the enemies countrey Which said Dauid commaunded him to soiourne there all the day long to the end that on the next morrow he might send him backe againe to Ioab That night the king inuited him to supper and although he were made drunke thorow the aboundance of wine he receiued which the king had purposely caused to be giuen him yet notwithstanding he slept at the kings gate without any desire to repaire home vnto his wife Herewith the king was much despited so that he wrote vnto Ioab commaunding him to punish Vrias because he had offended him and to the end that this intent of his should not be discouered he suggested him both in the meanes and manner of the prosecution of his death enioyning him to place him in the ranke of greatest danger and in face of the enemie to the intent that in the fight his person might be endaungered abandoned and left alone whilest they that fought next vnto him retired when they sawe him charged Whenas he had thus written and sealed vp the letter with his owne seale he deliuered it to Vrias to beare vnto Ioab who receiuing the same and conceiuing the kings pleasure placed Vrias in that quarter where he knew the enemies would fight most desperately appointing him out certaine of his best soldiers to second him with purpose that he would come and succour them with all his power to the end he might breake thorow the wall and enter the Citie Vrias who was a noble soldier and for his valour had gotten great honour by the king and reputation amongst all those of his tribe and tooke delight to be employed in hazardous attempts and refused no daunger valiantly accepted the execution But Ioab gaue priuate intelligence to those that were ranked next vnto him that when they should see the enemie sally out with greatest fury they should abandon Vrias When as therefore the Hebrewes drew neere vnto the Citie the Ammonites feared least the enemie should speedily scale and enter the Citie on that side where Vrias was ranked for which cause they picked out a squadron of the most resolute men amongst them and setting open their gates sodainly with swift course force
this cause he was sought for by the kings wife that he might be done to death The voice replied againe and commaunded him to shew himselfe openly assuring him that he should vnderstand that which it behooued him to performe Hereupon as soone as it was day he forsooke the caue he heard an earthquake and saw a light and after all things were appeased the heauenly voice which proceeded he knew not from whence willed him that he should in no waies be discomforted with that which he saw for that no one of his enemies should haue power to hurt him charging him to return vnto his house to the intent to proclaime Iehu the son of Nimsi king of the people and Azael of Damasco king of the Syrians certifying him that in his place Elizeus of the citie of Abela should be prophet and that the wicked people should be destroied the one by Azael the other by Iehu When Elias had heard these things he returned into the countrey of the Hebrewes and met Elizeus the son of Saphat at the cart and with him diuers others driuing before them twelue couple of oxen him did he approch and cast vpon him his garment who instantly began thereupon to prophetize so that forsaking his oxen he followed Elias Yet required he him that before his departure hee might take leaue of his parents which licence when he had obtained he committed them vnto God and followed Elias attending on him during all the terme of his life like his disciple and seruant This issue had the affaires of this so excellent a Prophet But a certaine Citizen called Naboth of the Citie of Azar had a vineyard neere vnto the lands of Achab who required him that he would sell him the same at what price he thought conuenient at his owne election to the intent he might annex the same to his owne lands and make them all but one possession wishing him that if he would not sell it him for siluer to choose in exchange thereof any one field of his that best liked him Naboth answered him that he would not doe it but that he intended to gather the fruit of his owne land himselfe which he had receiued as an inheritance from his father The King no lesse tormented then if he had lost his owne inheritance in that he might not bee master of an other mans patrimony would neither wash nor receiue any sustenance For which cause Iezabel his wife questioned with him as touching the cause of his discontent and how it came to passe that he neither washt dinde nor supt who told her of Naboths rude behauiour and how hauing vsed al iust and reasonable composition vnto him in abasing himselfe more then his royall authoritie permitted he had been outraged by him in that he obtained not the thing which he requested at his hands Hereupon Iezabel willed him to be of good cheer aduising him that dismissing his displeasure he should continue his ordinarie entertainment because she her selfe would take vpon her to reuenge him on Naboth Wherupon she presently sent letters in Achabs name to the gouernours of the countrey whereby she enioyned them to celebrate a fast and to assemble the people charging them that in that place Nabotl should haue a seat prepared for him by reason of his birth nobilitie willing them afterwards that suborning three impudent and false witnesses to depose against him that he had blasphemed against God and the king they should by this meanes and for this occasion cause him to be stoned and put to death by the people All which was performed according as the Queene had written and Naboth conuinced by false witnesse for scandalizing both God and the King was stoned by the people and put to death When Iezabel had tidings hereof she repaired to the kings presence and told him that he should enioy Naboths vineyard and disburse nothing for the same But God displeased with this her wickednesse sent the Prophet Elias purposely to meete with Achab in Naboths ground and to tell him that he iniustly possessed the lawfull inheritance of a legitimate heire whom he had done to death As soone as the King perceiued that he came vnto him supposing it to be vnseemely for a king to be reproued he first of all confessed the fault and offered him to make restitution according to his arbitrement Then did the prophet foretel him that in the same place where Naboths carkasse was consumed by dogs that both his and his Queenes bloud should be shed and that all his race should be destroied for that they durst commit such an impietie and so wickedly slaughter against all law so good and guiltlesse a Citizen At length Achab vpon these words was seazed with displeasure repented for the offence he had committed so that apparelling himselfe in sackcloth and walking barefoote he tasted not any meate but confessed his sinnes vnder hope to appease Gods wrath For which cause God certified him by the Prophet that during his life time the punishment of his race should be deferred because he had repented him of his misdeeds but that the threats and menaces should take effect in his sonnes time all which Elias signified vnto the king CHAP. VIII Adad King of Damasco and Syria fighteth at two seuerall times with Achab and is ouerthrowne by him WHilest Achabs affaires were after this manner disposed the sonne of Adad that raigned ouer the Syrians and those of Damasco assembled the forces of his whole countrey and associated with himselfe two and thirtie other kings with whom he came and made warre against Achab. Who being farre inferiour to him in forces came not out into the open field to bid him battell but closing vp his souldiers in his strongest cities he himselfe retired into Samaria which was begirt with a very strong wall and generally very hard to be surprised For which cause the Syrian taking his army with him resorted to Samaria and incamping before the same intended to scale and batter the Citie But first of all he sent a Herauld to Achab to require him to giue audience to his embassadours which he would send vnto him by whom he should be certified what his resolution was As soone as the King of Israel had granted them free accesse the embassadours came and according to the kings directions required that Achabs goods his children and wife should be at Adads command which if he would confesse and suffer him to seaze so many of them as best liked him he would leuy the siege and batter the Citie no more Achab gaue the embassadours commission to certifie the King of Syria that both himselfe and all whatsoeuer was his was at his commaund Vpon which answere the King sent a second message vnto Achab enioyning him the next day to admit such of his seruants as hee should send vnto him to search his royall pallace and the houses of his friends and kinsmen and take from
his wofull predictions had weakned the hearts of the people which were otherwaies readie to fight for him and their countrey by reason that he flying vnto the enemie menaced them with the surprisal and vtter ruine of their Citie But the king in regard of the naturall humanitie and iustice that was in him was not any waies whetted in respect of his owne interest yet to the intent he might not seeme to be vtterly opposed to the gouernours by contradicting them he deliuered the Prophet into their hands to deale with him howsoeuer they pleased Who hauing obtained this libertie from the king entred the prison on the sodaine and laying hold on Ieremy they let him downe into a pit full of mud to the intent he might die in that place and be strangled by the ordure in effect he was set therein vp to the necke But one of the kings seruants an Aethiopian by nation certified the king of the Prophets affliction assuring him that his friends and gouernours did not iustly so to thrust and burie the Prophet in the mud and cursedly to conspire against him tyring him with bonds and tortours worse then death For which cause the king hearing this newes was sorie that he had deliuered the Prophet to the gouernours and commaunded the Aethiopian to take thirtie men of his court with him with cords and such other things necessary as might concerne the safetie of the Prophet charging him with all expedition to deliuer him from that captiuitie Hereupon the Aethiopian furnished with men and necessarie meanes drew the Prophet out of the mud and dismissed him without any gard That done the king sent for him in secret demaunding of him if he had any message to deliuer him from God praying him to let him vnderstand what soeuer he knew as touching the successe of the siege The Prophets answere was that although he should tel him yet it would not be beleeued that if he should exhort him he would not giue eare or listen vnto him But said he O king thy friends haue condemned me to death as if I had beene a most wretched malefactor But where are they now at this present that haue deceiued thee and bore thee in hand saying that the Babylonian would not come and besiege thee Now will I take heed how I tell thee the truth for feare least thou condemne me to death Hereupon the king swore vnto him that he should not die neither that he would deliuer him into the hands of the gouernours for which cause Ieremie grounding himselfe vpon the faith which he had plighted vnto him counselled the king to yeeld vp the Citie to the Babylonian because that God had willed him to signifie vnto the king that if he would saue his life and auoid the imminent daunger and saue his Citie from vtter ruine and preserue the temple from burning he should submit or otherwise that none but he should be the cause of all these euils that should happen vnto the Citie and Citizens and of that calamitie that should confound both him and all his familie When the king heard this he told him that he would doe according as he had counselled him and performe whatsoeuer he thought necessarie to be done but that he feared his friends who were alreadie of the Babylonian faction least being accused by them he should be deliuered by their meanes and the kings displeasure vnto death But the prophet encouraged him telling him that his feare was in vaine assuring him that he should suffer no euill if so be he yeelded vp the Citie and that neither his wife nor children nor the sacred temple should either endure desaster death or ouerthrow Vpon these words the king dismissed Ieremy charging him to communicate the counsell that was held betweene them to no one of the Citizens no not to the princes if so be they should light on any inckling of their conference or aske of him whether the king had sent for him aduising him to answere if so be they were inquisitiue that he resorted to the king to request him that he might be no more imprisoned all which the Prophet performed for they instanced him verie much to know for what cause the king had sent for him CHAP. X. Ierusalem is taken and the people carried into Babylon by Nabuchodonosor MEane while the Babylonian continued his violent siege against the Citie of Ierusalem and hauing raised towers vpon certaine bulwarks he droue away by this meanes all those that approched neere vnto the walles he raised also round about the circuit of the Citie diuers platformes that equalled the walles in height Meane while the Citie was as valiantly and couragiously defended by the inhabitants for neither pestilence nor famine plucked down their spirits And although that within the Citie they were tormented with these scourges yet were not their resolutions distracted by the warre neither did the enemies inuentions astonish them nor their engines affright them but that they inuented new countermines so that all the battel betwixt the Babylonians and Iewes seemed to be a trial both of valour art whilest these by the one doe assuredly hope to surprise the Citie and the other thought their safetie consisted herein if they ceased not by new inuentions to frustrate their enemies endeuours And in this estate continued they both for the space of eighteene moneths vntill they were consumed by famine and by the darts that were shot against them by those that shot from the towers At length the Citie was taken by the princes of Babylon in the eleuenth yeare of the raigne of Zedecias the ninth day of the fourth moneth who were put in trust by Nabuchodonosor to performe the siege For touching his owne person he made his aboad in the Citie of Reblata Now if any man be desirous to know the names of them that had commaundement at such time as Ierusalem was surprised these they be Nergelear Aremantus Emegar Nabosar and Echarampsar The Citie being taken about midnight the princes of the enemies armie entered into the temple which when Zedecias vnderstood he tooke his wiues and his children with the princes and his friends and fled thorow a great valley by the desart which when the Babylonians vnderstood by certaine Iewes that were reuolted and had submitted themselues vnto them they arose earely in the morning to pursue them and ouertooke and surpised them neere vnto Iericho Whereupon those princes and friends of Zedecias that had taken their flight with him seeing the enemies neere vnto them forsooke him scattering themselues heere and there concluded each of thē to saue himselfe When as therefore the enemies had apprehended him who was attended by a few followers only and accompanied by his children wiues they brought him vnto the kings presence who no sooner beheld him but he called him wicked and perfidious and vpbraided him with breach of his promise and contempt of his maiestie to whom he had
that the gouernment which she enioyed during her life time was after her death distracted with infinite troubles and calamities wherewith her family was replenished And notwithstanding her regiment after this manner yet during her life time she kept the kingdome in peace And thus died Alexandra THE XIIII BOOKE OF THE ANTIQVITIES OF THE IEWES WRITTEN BY FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the 14. booke 1 How after the death of Alexandra her youngest sonne Aristobulus made warre against his brother Hircanus for the kingdome who obtaining the victorie compelled Hircanus to flie into a castle in Ierusalem And how after it was agreed and concluded between them that Aristobulus should be king and Hircanus liue as a priuate man without dignitie 2 Of the race of Antipater and how he purchaseth renowme great power and authoritie both to himselfe and his children and of the flight of Hircanus to Aretas king of Arabia 3 Aristobulus being vanquished is pursued as farre as Ierusalem 4 Hircanus and Aristobulus send Embassadours to Scaurus to request his aid and succour 5 Aristobulus and Hircanus present themselues before Pompey to debate their titles touching the kingdome 6 Pompey is seazed of the fortresses by a warlike stratageme 7 They of Ierusalem shut their gates against the Romans 8 Pompey taketh the Temple and lower part of the citie by force 9 Scaurus maketh warre against Aretas and by the perswasion sollicitation of Antipater maketh aleague with him 10 Alexander being ouercome by Gabinius retireth himselfe into a castle where he is shut vp and besieged 11 Aristobulus escaping out of prison flieth from Rome who being taken againe in Iudaea by Gabinius is sent backe prisoner to Rome 12 Crassus warring against the Parthians passeth through Iewrie and spoyleth the Treasurie of the Temple 13 Pompey retireth into Epirus and Scipio commeth into Syria 14 Caesars voyage into Egypt wherein the Iewes do him faithfull seruice 15 Antipaters valiant acts and the amitie betwixt him and Caesar. 16 Caesars letters and the Senates decree as touching the friendship betwixt the Iewes and Romans 17 Antipater committeth the gouernment of Galilee to his sonne Herod and that of Ierusalem to Phasaelus his other sonne and how Sextus Caesar aduāced Herode to great honour and dignitie 18 Cassius afflicteth Iurie and exacteth eight hundreth talents 19 Malichus poisoneth Antipater 20 Herode putteth Malichus to death by Cassius commandement 21 Antigonus the sonne of Aristobulus seeking to recouer his fathers kingdome by the aide of the King of Tyre is discomfited and driuen out of Iudaea by Herod 22 Herod meeting Antonius in Bithynia winneth his fauour with a great summe of money to the intent he should giue no ◅are to his accusers 23 Antonius arriuing in the prouince of Syria establisheth Herode and Phasaelus for Tetrarches 24 The Parthians make warre in Syria to restore Antigonus the sonne of Aristobulus to the kingdome 25 The Parthians take Hircanus and Phasaelus prisoners and lead them away 26 Herode at Rome is declared King of Iury by the Senate 27 Herode returneth from Rome and fighteth against Antigonus 28 Antigonus is discomfited by Sosius and Herode CHAP. I. How after the Contention betweene the two brethren touching the kingdome it was agreed that Aristobulus should be king and Hircanus liue as a priuate man WE haue alreadie intreated in our former Booke both of the actes and death of Queene Alexandra it now remaineth at this present to prosecute and continue the sequell of our History to the end that we neither omit any thing thorow ignorance or burie ought in forgetfulnes For they that make profession to write Histories and to recite such things as are obserued by antiquitie ought not onely studiously to conforme their stile but also to beautifie the same with the ornaments of eloquence to the intent the reader may conuerse in their writings with the more delectation But aboue all things they must haue an especiall care so exactly to set downe the truth that they who know not how these things came to passe may be the more duely and fitly informed When as therefore Hircanus had taken vpon him the high Priesthood in the third yeere of the hundreth seuentie and seuenth Olympiade and in the yeere that Q. Hortensius and Q. Metellus called the Cretensian were consuls at Rome Aristobulus sodainly vndertooke the warre against Hircanus and fought with him neere vnto Iericho where a great number of Hircanus followers submitted themselues of their owne accord to Aristobulus Thorow which accident Hircanus was inforced to fly to the fortresse of the higher citie wherein Alexandra Aristobulus mother had imprisoned both his wife and children as before this it is specified The rest of his faction for feare of his brother who had gotten the victory retired themselues within the enclosure of the temple where they were besieged and taken After this a peace was intreated of betwixt both the brethren and their different was accorded in this manner that Hircanus should passe the remnant of his life without entermedling with affaires of estate but should onely intend his security and peace and Aristobulus should commaund the kingdome This league was ratified betweene them in the temple and confirmed with othes coniunction of hands and embraces in the sight of all the people which being finished Aristobulus retired himselfe into the pallace and Hircanus to Aristobulus lodging to lead a priuate and quiet life CHAP. II. Of the race of Antipater and how he is aduanced to high estate and how Hircanus flieth to Aretas King of Arabia BVt acertaine friend of Hircanus by nation an Idumaean and by name Antipater being wel monied and by nature both factious and industrious and thorow ambition but badly affected toward Aristobulus the rather for that he affected Hircanus faction began to stir much trouble True it is that Nicholas Damascene writeth of this man that he was descended from the noblest amongst those Iewes who returned from out of Babylon into Iury but this he did of set purpose to gratifie Herode Antipaters sonne who by a casualtie became afterwards King of the Iewes as we will expresse hereafter in time and place conuenient This Antipater was at the first called Antipas according to his fathers name who as it is reported was made gouernour of all Idumaea by king Alexander and his wife and afterwards made a league with the Arabians Gazeans and Ascalonites corrupting them and insinuating himselfe into their fauours by diuers great presents bestowed vpon them This young Antipater considering with himselfe what Aristobulus power was and fearing least some mischiefe might be fall him thorow the hatred the young king had conceiued against him he communicated with certaine of the greatest reckoning amongst the lewes and secretly and cunningly incensed them against Aristobulus telling them that they had done amisse both to see and suffer Aristobulus to detaine the kingdome vniustly in his hands and to dispossesse
and Anthony and Caesar the younger Wherupon Malichus mightily fearing Antipaters power determined to make him away and hauing corrupted Hircanus butler with money with whom both of them celebrated a feast hee made him away by poyson and afterwards assembling many men of warre about him he made himselfe master of the Citie When Herode and Phasaelus vnderstood of the traiterous conspiracie attempted against their father they were grieuously incensed against Malichus But hee denied all and in especiall abiured the intent or practise of the murther Thus died Antipater a iust and vertuous man and such a one as deerely loued his countrey But Herode who was his younger sonne incontinently resolued to reuenge his fathers death and came forth with an army against Malichus But Phasaelus who was the elder determined to circumuent him by policie for feare least he should raise a ciuill warre He therefore accepted of Malichus iustifications and made a shew that he supposed that he had in no such sort sought Antipaters death and only intended his fathers monument and funerals Meane while Herode resorting to Samaria and finding it in desperate estate restored the same and pacified the dissensions that were amongst the inhabitants Not long after by reason of a feast he came to Ierusalem with his men of warre Wherupon Malichus being affraid of this his accesse perswaded Hircanus that he should not permit him to enter into the Citie whereunto Hircanus condescended alleadging for pretext of his defence that amongst the holy people it was not lawfull to intermixt a troupe of polluted men But Herode made small reckoning of them that brought him this newes and notwithstanding this commaund entred the Citie by night whereat Malichus was much amazed Whereupon according to his wonted dissimulations he openly wept and bewailed the death of Antipater as his especiall friend but vnder hand he prepared a guard for his owne safetie Notwithstanding it was thought meet by Herodes friends to take no notice of this his dissimulation but to make a shew for their parts that they were wel affected towards Malichus CHAP. XX. Herode at the commaund of Cassius killeth Malichus by policie HEreupon Herode certified Cassius of Antipater his fathers death who knowing very well of what conuersation Malichus was wrote backe vnto Herode that he should reuenge the death of his father besides he sent secret letters to the captaines that were in Tyre commanding them to aide and assist Herode in that so iust execution which he intended After therefore that Cassius had taken Laodicea and the inhabitants of the countrey came togither bringing with them crownes and siluer to present him Herode expected that Malichus in that place should receiue his punishment but he entring into suspition of some like practise at such time as they drewe neere vnto Tyre in Phoenicia attempted farre greater things For whereas his sonne was an hostage in Tyre he entred the Citie with an intent to draw him thence and afterwards to returne into Iudaea After this vsurping vpon that oportunitie which he had by reason of Cassius troubles who hastily marched forward to meet with Anthony he determined to draw the people to an insurrection and to make himselfe Lord of the countrey but God disappointed his vniust purposes For Herode being a man of ripe iudgement incontinently discouered his pretence and sent one of his seruants before as if vnder purpose to prepare a banquet because he had told him before time that he would entertaine all his followers but in effect he sent him to the captaines to command them to issue out with their daggers and to meet Malichus who marching forth and meeting him neere vnto the shore of the Citie vpon the sea coast stabbed him in that place with their daggers Which act did so much astonish Hircanus that thorow amaze he waxed speechlesse and finally being much mooued he demaunded of Herodes men what accident had happened and who it was that had slaine Malichus Whereof when they certified him and how nothing was done without Cassius commaund he answered that all things were well done for that Malichus was a wretched man and a traitour to his countrey See here how Malichus was iustly punished for the wickednesse he committed against Antipater When Cassius was departed out of Syria there arose a new tumult in Iudaea for Faelix who was left in Ierusalem with an army marched forth against Phasaelus and all the people were in armes For which cause Herode speedily repaired to Fabius gouernour of Damasco and intending to succour his brother was preuented by a sicknesse so that Phasaelus obtaining the victory by his owne forces against Faelix enclosed him vp in a tower whence afterwards he dismissed him vnder composition Whereupon he presently and grieuously rebuked Hircanus for that being forgetfull of diuers benefits which he had receiued by him he had giuen aide vnto his enemies For Malichus brother being at that time reuolted planted garrisons in diuers fortresses and namely in Masada which was the strongest of them all As soone as Herode therefore had recouered his health he drew forth his forces against him and dispossessed him of diuers places that he held and after suffered him to depart with his life and goods CHAP. XXI Herode discomfiteth Antigonus the sonne of Aristobulus and driueth him out of Iudaea seeking to recouer his fathers kingdome by the aide of the prince of Tyre PTolomey Mennaeus drew vnto him by force of his money Aristobulus sonne the young Antigonus who had gathered a power and hired Fabius and was likewise drawne by Ptolomey vnder titles of consanguinitie and adoption With him ioyned Marion whom Cassius had made Gouernour in Tyre For this man hauing occupied Syria by tyrannie kept garrison therein Marion also inuaded Galilee which confined his countrey and hauing seazed three strong fortresses therein he kept garrisons in the same Herode also marching forth against him dispossessed him of them al and gratiously dismissed those Tyrians that had the keeping thereof bestowing benefits on some of them for the loue he bare vnto their citie And that done he came and encountred with Antigonus and fought with him and ouercame him before he had scarcely entred on the marches of Iudaea and droue him from thence When hee was come to Ierusalem Hircanus and all the people honoured him with crownes for already was he inserted into Hircanus family for that by promise hee was his sonne in lawe by which meanes he had more willingly vndertaken his defence for that he was to marrie Alexanders the sonne of Aristobulus daughter who was Hircanus neece on whom he begat three sonnes and two daughters Before her also had he married a wife of his owne nation who was called Doris on whom he begat Antipater his eldest sonne CHAP. XXII Herod meeting with Antonius in Bithynia giueth him a great summe of money to the ende he should not giue â—…are to those that would accuse him ANtonius and
restored to his first owner And my pleasure is that whosoeuer disobeieth this ordināce he may be punished And he that shall be conuicted to haue disobeyed the same he shall be punished according to his demerit He wrote to the like effect to the Sidonians Antiochians and Arabians all which we wil insert in a cōuenient place to testifie what accoūt the Romans made of our nation CHAP. XXIII Antonius arriuing in the prouince of Syria maketh Herode and Phasaelus Tetrarches AFter this Antonius retired himselfe into Syria and Cleopatra came forth to meet him neere vnto Cilicia and entangled him in her loues At that time also one hundreth of the chiefest reckoning among the Iewes came once againe in embassade to him to accuse Herode his adherents who to this end had chosen out the most esteemed Orator that might be found Messala likewise vndertooke the defence of the young men that were accused and made them answere Hircanus also was there in person who was alreadie by marriage allied vnto them After that Antonius had heard both the one and the other in the citie of Daphen he demaunded of Hircanus which of both the parties gouerned the common-weale best who returned him answere that they who were on Herods side were most studious of the weale publike Antonius who long since had borne good affection towards them by reason of the auncient hospitalitie that he had receiued with their father during the time that Gabinius was in Iudaea established them both for Tetrarches committing to their hands the affaires in Iudaea And to this effect wrote he his letters and committed fourteene of their enemies to prison whom had not Herode besought for their liues he had condemned them to death This notwithstanding as soone as they returned from their embassade they could not containe themselues in quiet but resorted once more vnto Antonius to the number of one thousand to the citie of Tyre where Antonius soiourned But Antonius alreadie corrupted by store of money by Herode and his brother who commaunded in that place ordained that the Embassadours of the Iewes should be punished for that they had attempted and affected some innouation where contrariwise he confirmed Herodes gouernment At that time Herode who walked by the sea side came vnto them aduising both them and Hircanus who at that present was with them to giue ouer their appeale for feare least some grieuous misfortune should befall them Whereunto since they gaue no regard certaine Iewes and inhabitants of that citie all at once ranne vpon them who slue some of them and hurt other some and the rest taking their flight towards their countrey euer afterwards contained themselues and liued in quiet thorow the feare they had conceiued But when the people ceased not to exclaime and protest against Herode Antonius was in such sort displeased that he commaunded all those whom he held prisoners should be slaine The yeere after Pacorus the kings sonne and Barzapharnes a prince among the Parthians inuaded and seazed Syria And about this time died Ptolomey the sonne of Mennaeus and his sonne Lysanias raigned in his steed who plighted friendship with Antigonus the sonne of Aristobulus who obtained this fauour at his hands by the counsaile and solicitation of a certaine prince of great authoritie and credit with him CHAP. XXIIII The Parthians make warre in Syria to restore Antigonus sonne of Aristobulus to his kingdome AFter this Antigonus promised the Parthians to giue them one thousand talents of siluer and fiue hundreth women if so be they would depriue Hircanus of the kingdome and restore it vnto him and withall put Herode and his friends to death Yet did he not deliuer them that he promised notwithstanding the Parthians led their army into Iury to restore Antigonus to wit Pacorus by the sea coast and Barzapharnes to the landward The Tyrians locked their gates against Pacorus but the Sidonians and Ptolemaidans receiued him into their citie He sent a troupe of horsemen into Iury to discouer the estate of the countrey and to giue succours to Antigonus The chieftaine of these horsemen was the kings butler who in like sort was called Pacorus But for that certaine Iewes inhabiting about the mount Carmel ioyned themselues with Antigonus were prepared with him to inuade his enemies he conceiued some hope that he might by their meanes reduce a certaine part of the region vnder his gouernment which is called Drymae and certaine of his wel-willers meeting him in the way perswaded him to presse forward as farre as Ierusalem where being seconded by others and his followers alreadie much increased in number they addresse themselues to assault the kings pallace And whereas those of the faction of the brethren brought present supplies and the skirmish was maintained in the market place the young men repulsed the enemy and droue him into the temple Which done they sent certaine armed men into the houses neere adioyning to guard them but the people rushing in vpon them and seeing they were destitute of aide burned both them and the houses wherein they were But this iniquitie of theirs was presently reuenged by Herode who in a skirmish that he had with them slew a great number of them And whereas there were daily assaults betweene both parties the enemies expected vntill such time as the people assembled from all parts of the countrey should repaire to Ierusalem to celebrate the feast of Penticost Which being come many thousands of men assembled about the temple both armed and vnarmed who seazed both the temple and the Citie except the kings house onely which Herode made good with a few men of war The wall thereof did Phasaelus his brother keep But Herode with a companie of his followers sallied out vpon the enemy who were planted in the suburbes and fighting valiantly against them he put diuers thousands of them to flight whereof some retired themselues into the Citie other some into the temple the rest into a certaine bulwarke neere at hand In this battell also Phasaelus shewed no little valour But Pacorus conductor of the Parthians came into the Citie with some few horsemen at Antigonus request making shew that he came to appease the sedition but the effect and scope of his comming was to obtaine the soueraigntie for Antigonus Furthermore after that Phasaelus was come out to meete with him and had curteously entertained him in his house Pacorus perswaded him to go Embassadour with him to Barzapharnes laying a baite vnder this pretence to surprise him He suspecting no treacherie was easily perswaded notwithstanding that Herode misliked the course who knowing the perfidious manners of the Barbarians exhorted him rather to assaile Pacorus and to assault and oppresse his forces when they were come vnto him Naithelesse Hircanus and Phasaelus vndertooke this embassade and Pacorus leauing with Herode two hundreth horsemen and ten of those whom they call free men conducted the Embassadours Now
were taken from the Barbarians which king Herode had placed there with all those spoiles which he had taken frō the Arabians In a corner on the north side there stood a verie strong and defenced fortresse builded by the Asmonians who were Herods predecessors and had beene both kings and high priests and had imposed a name on that tower which was Baris in which they kept the priestly vesture where with the high priest was wont to be adorned at that time onely when he was to offer sacrifice King Herode kept the same in that place and there remained it after his death vntill the time of Tiberius Caesar vnder whom Vitellius gouernour of Syria came vnto Ierusalem where he was entertained by all the people with as great magnificence as was possible and being desirous to acknowledge the fauours that he had receiued at their hands being requested by them that they might haue the keeping of the high priests ornaments he wrote vnto Tiberius Caesar to grant them that fauour til the death of king Agrippa the Iewes had the same in their possessiō But after that Agrippa was dead Cassius Longinus that gouerned Syria Cuspius Fadus lieutenant of Iudaea commaunded the Iewes to return the same into the fortresse Antonia saying that the Romans ought to be Lord therof as they had beene in times past For which cause the Iews sent embassadors vnto Claudius Caesar to request his fauour therin who arriuing at Rome found the young king Agrippa there who besought the Emperour that it might be lawfull for him to haue the keeping of the habit who commaunded Vitellius the gouernour of Syria to deliuer it vnto his hands Before time it was kept vnder the seale of the high priest and the custodie of the tresurers on the eeue of a certaine solemne feast the tresurers went vp to the captain who kept the forttesse for the Romans and after they had opened their seale they tooke the habit and after the feast was past they returned it backe againe vnto the same place and shut it vp vnder the same seale in the presence of the captaine All which we haue thought good to lay open to make the diuersitie knowne that was vsed in that care After that Herode had in this sort builded this strong tower for the securitie and guard of the temple he called it Antonia for the loue of Antonius his friend and one of the chiefest men in Rome In the westeme part of this porch there were foure gates whereof the one opened vpon the kings pallace to which there was a direct way thorow the midst of the valley the two others led vnto the suburbes and the fourth opened vpon the rest of the citie and gaue open passage vnto the same by the meanes of a number of staires by which men might descend to the foot of the valley and from thence there was an ascent by other staires to ascend vpwards For the citie was scituate neere vnto the temple after the manner of a theater and was bended to the southward by a deepe valley As touching the fourth side turned toward the south it had likewise certaine gates in the midst thereof and vpon the same there was a triple gallery verie royall and princely the length whereof extended from the orientall valley as farre as the westerne For it was impossible to extend it any further This worke was one of the most famous peeces that was euer seene vnder the sunne For the depth of the valley was so great that it was impossible for a man to see the bottome if he looked downward from the higher part and notwithstanding on the same he erected this porch of so great a height that but to looke from the toppe thereof and to consider the depth as well of the valley as the height of the porch it would make a man giddie and his eye could not peirce vnto the immesurable bottom of the same It had in length foure rankes of pillars opposed the one right ouer against the other for the fourth pane of the wall was fortified with a wall of hewen stone the thicknesse of the pillars was such that it was as much as three men could fadome holding one an other by the hand and the length was of twentie and seuen foote with a double base at the bottome The whole number of them was one hundreth sixtie and two and they had Chapters engrauen and damaskt with Corinthian worke All this building was so huge that it mooued admiration in those that beheld the same Betwixt these foure rankes there were three porches whereof two were on either side containing in breadth each of them thirtie foote and in length a stade or furlong and more then fiftiē foote in height That in the midst was in breadth once and a halfe as much as these two and in height twise as much For it surpassed the rest by farre The floore was made of goodly plankes engrauen with diuers figures and the roofe thereof was farre higher then any of the rest in which certaine huge beames were morteised on which there were certaine pillars builded vnited and annexed so fitly togither that it is a matter incredible to those that haue not seene the same and admirable to him that beholdeth it Such was the fashion of the circuit of the first porch In the midst and not farre off from the other stood the second whereunto there was an ascent made with few steppes It was inclosed with a separation of stone with an inscription forbidding any stranger to enter the same vpon paine of death This inward porch both to the southward and the northward had three gates in ranke equidistant the one from the other and toward the eastward had one great gate by which those men entred who were cleansed with their wiues For beyond that place it was not lawfull for the women to haue accesse But the third inward space was onely accessible by the Priestes In it was the Temple and before the same the altar on which they were woont to offer burnt sacrifices vnto God But Herode durst not enter the interior sanctuarie from whence prophane men were excluded by the lawe but by the mediation of the priests he intended the structure and building of the inward porch and finishing in eight yeeres space the rest of the edifice at length also he finished the Temple it selfe by the indeuours of the same priests within the terme of one yeere and six moneths By which meanes the people were replenished with the fulnesse of ioye and euerie one gaue thankes vnto God for that the whole worke was finished so speedily and wished all happinesse to the king for his cost and diligence in the execution and finishing thereof and they celebrated a great feast in honour of the restauration of the Temple Then did the king offer vp three hundreth oxen vnto God and the rest of them each one according to his abilitie offered
before the people and the people throwing any thing that came to their hands at them they slew them euery one And Alexander and Aristobulus were caried vnto Sebaste there by their fathers command were strangled and their bodies buried by night in the castle Alexandrium where their grandfather by the mothers side and many of their progenitors lay buried But perhaps some will nothing maruaile that a hatred so long a breeding should in the end so preuaile that it ouercame naturall affection But one may iustly doubt whether the fault were in the yong men who exasperated by a hard father so long time fell into such hatred of him or whether it is to be imputed vnto his vnkindnes immoderate desire of honour rule who could not abide any to be his equal but rather chusing to do all at his owne pleasure Or rather vnto fortune whose power the wisest liuing is not able to resist Wherefore I am perswaded that fortune hath predestinated all humane actions so that they must haue a necessary euent And this ineuitable force we cal fate or fatal destinie for that there is nothing which it effecteth not But it sufficeth briefly to haue touched this high matter which is of it selfe very difficult which attributeth some thing vnto our actions and examineth the causes of the varietie of our actions which speculation is alreadie comprised in the two volumes of our law Furthermore as touching the yong mens fault we may accuse their youthly arrogancy the free kingly pride which was in them who did giue too great eare vnto their fathers accusers for that they were vniust serchers into his life actions and that they maliciously suspected him could not rule their tongues but hereby gaue double occasion vnto their aduersaries and matter vnto those tale bearers that sought to get the kings fauor But their fathers shamefull fault cānot be excused who suffered himselfe so to be ouerruled with passion that he put thē to death that were begotten of his own body without any proof or argumēt of the crimes laid vnto their charge yea two yong men of excellent feature of body not only beloued of their owne nation but also of strangers not slouthfull in hunting cōmendable in military affaires eloquent in ciuil discourses For in all these things they were excellent especially Alexander the eldest of them It had bin enough for him suppose he had condemned them either to haue kept thē in perpetual prison or to haue banished them into some far country seeing that he was assured of the Roman power vnder whose protectiō he neither needed to haue feared inuasion nor secret treason against him For so soone to put them to death only to satisfie his owne furious will what other thing doth it betoken but only an impious liberty casting off all fatherly humanity kindnes especially seeing that he was aged whose yeeres could neither plead ignorance not that he was deceiued For neither was he the more excused by the delay he vsed nay it had beene a lesse offence if amazed with some sudden newes he had beene incited vnto so hainous an offence but after so long delay deliberation at last to effect such a matter betokeneth a bloudie mind obdurate in wickednes as he well shewed himselfe afterward to haue not sparing the rest whō before time he held most deere who although they were lesse to be pitied in that they iustly suffered yet was it an argument of his like cruelty in that he abstained not from their deaths also but we will speake hereof hereafter THE XVII BOOKE OF THE ANTIQVITIES OF THE IEWES WRITTEN BY FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the 17. booke 1 Of Antipaters malice who was Herodes sonne 2 Of Zamaris the Babylonian Iew. 3 Of Antipaters treacherous practises against Herode his father 4 How Herode sent Antipater vnto Caesar. 5 Of Pheroras death 6 How Pheroras wife was accused for intending to poyson the king and how Herode knew Antipaters practises against him 7 How Antipater was condemned to die and imprisoned 8 Of Herodes sicknesse and the sedition amongst the Iewes 9 Of Antipaters death 10 Of Herodes death his testament and funerall 11 How the people began a sedition against Archelaus 12 Of the sedition of the Iewes against Sabinus and how Varus punished the authors thereof 13 How Caesar ratified Herodes testament 14 Of the false Alexander 15 How Archelaus being againe accused was banished vnto Vienna CHAP. I. Of Antipaters malice who was Herodes sonne AFTER that Antipater had made away his brothers thorow the extreme impietie and vnbridled furie wherewith Herode their father was incensed and whetted against them yet incontinently obtained he not that which vndoubtedly he hoped for For being deliuered and discharged of that feare he conceiued least his brethren should be partakers with him in the kingdome he found it a difficult and dangerous matter for himselfe to finde the meanes how he might obtaine the kingdome so strange and hainous a hatred had all the nation conceiued against him On the other side in shewing himselfe proud and loftie he more and more whetted and encreased that hatred which the souldiers had fore conceiued against him in whom notwithstanding the securitie of the kingdome consisted if it should fortune so to fall out that the people should attempt any alteration All which mischiefes were begotten by his owne sinnes and the vnnaturall murther of his brothers Naithelesse he gouerned the kingdome with his father liuing in no lesse authoritie then himselfe Herode also reposed more confidence in him euen in those things for which he was worthie to lose his head For the king conceiued that in confirmation of his good affection towards him Antipater had accused his brethren as vnder resolution to continue his father in securitie and not for any hatred he bore as well vnto them as to his father though indeed he hated them for his fathers sake being transported with furie But all these were but as it were many subtill stratagemes to insinuate himselfe into Herodes counsailes and sauours and these did he craftily make vse of to cut off the occasion least any should preuent or accuse him of that which he pretended to doe and that Herode might be depriued of all meanes and manner of reliefe if so be Antipater should bend his forces against him For the treason he complotted against his brothers proceeded from the hatred he bare vnto his father but at that time was he the more egged on to prosecute his intended purposes without any delay or procrastination For if Herode should happen to die it was a matter most assured that the kingdome should be his and should his life conti◅ any longer time and the practise Antipater went about should be discouered seeing himselfe inuironed with these dangers he should be inforced to make his father his enemy For which cause he vsed verie
maidseruants of theirs who were their bondwomen as also certaine other of their free seruants Now when the fact would not be extorted by reason that none of them confessed the same at length shee that was last of all put to her triall ouercome by the paines shee endured said nought else but that shee praied God that Antipaters mother might feele the like torments since shee was the cause of all those mischiefes which they endured These words of hers made Herode the more eager and inquisitiue so that by force of tortures he wrought out all the secrets of these women their banquets their secret assemblies and those verie words that Herode had spoken apart betwixt his sonne and himselfe which had beene reported vnto the women that Pheroras entertained namely that he would giue him one hundreth talents prouided he would vse no conference with Pheroras Moreouer they reckoned vp the hatred that Antipater bare vnto his father the complaints that he made vnto his mother of the too long life and continuance of his father for that in regard of himselfe he was already waxen olde so that although the kingdome should fall into his hands presently yet could he receiue but verie little contentment thereby Moreouer hee alleadged that diuers brothers and brothers children were brought vp togither with him so that he might not securely hope for any thing for that already if he should fortune to die the kingdome was to descend not to his sonne but to his brother besides this he was accustomed to accuse the king of diuers cruelties committed by him and of that murther which he executed vpon the persons of his children That for feare least he should practise his tyrannie against those that remained Antipater had found out the deuise to be summoned to Rome and Pheroras withdrew himselfe into his Tetrarchy These words which as he knew had reference vnto that which his sister had often informed him of were not by him held incredible so that being pressed with the malice of Antipater he sequestred Doris his mother from his presence spoiling her before her departure of all her iewels which were valued at many talents and from that time forward he shewed himselfe more fauourable towards those women of Pheroras household But nothing did more whet Herods displeasure against Antipater then did a certaine Samaritane who was also called Antipater who had the ordering of the affaires of Antipater the kings sonne For he being brought in question and tortured declared amongst other things that Antipater had mixed a mortall poison and deliuered the same to Pheroras his vncle commanding him to practise the kings death in his absence and by that meanes least suspected That this poison was brought out of Aegypt by one called Antiphilus Antipaters friend That it was sent to Pheroras by one called Theudion Antipaters mothers brother That this poison was kept by Pheroras wife and was committed by her husband to her custodie She being examined by the king hereupon confessed no lesse hastning forth as if she intended to fetch the same she cast her selfe downe headlond from the toppe of the house yet did she not murther her selfe because she fell vpon her feet Now after she was recouered out of her swoune and the king had promised all securitie both to her selfe and her family if so be she would discouer the truth and contrariwise threatned her with extreme torments if she obstinately continued in concealing these treasons she sware that she would discouer all things according as they were acted and as many men thought at that time she tolde nothing but the truth That poison said she was brought by Antiphilus out of Aegypt and bought there by the meanes of a brother of his who was a physition After this Theudion brought it to our house and I hauing receiued it from Pheroras hands kept the same but bought by your sonne Antipater to poison you that are his father Now therefore after that my husband fell sicke and you in kindnesse came to visit and comfort him he being mooued with compassion and conquered by your brotherly kindenesse by your good affection and louing care in giuing order for his health called me vnto him and said O Wife Antipater hath circumuented me whilest by his pestilent counsailes and poisoning practises he desireth to cut off his father and depriue me of a kinde brother Now therfore since as I perceiue there is no part of my brothers louing and naturall affection diminished towards me wherewith he was wont to entertaine me and that my latest houre of life approcheth God forbid that being ready to sleepe with my forefathers I should present them with a ghost soiled and sweltred in my brothers bloud Dispatch therefore and burne this poison before mine eies Hereupon said she I presently brought it forth according as my husband commaunded me and burnt the greatest part of the poison and the rest I reserued that if after my husbands death your grace should vse me vnkindly it might serue me to escape those extremities that would betide me After she had spoken thus she brought forth before them all the poison and the box wherein it was kept After her another of Antiphilus brothers and the mother to them both confessed no lesse being constrained thereunto by force and violence of torture and acknowledged the box The kings wife also who was the daughter of the high priest was accused for confederacie and concealement of all these treasons For which cause Herode put her away from him and raced his sonnes name out of his testament wherein he had bequeathed him the kingdome after his decease He displaced also his father in law Simon the sonne of Boëthus from the priesthood and placed Matthias the sonne of Theophilus who was borne in Ierusalem in his steed In the meane space Bathillus Antipaters freeman returned from Rome who being tortured confessed that he brought a poison with him to deliuer it to Antipaters mother and Pheroras to the ende that if the first poison were not effectuall enough to dispatch the king they might make vse of this other to cut him off speedily There came letters also to Herods hands from his friends in Rome written and deuised by Antipaters meanes to accuse Archelaus and Philip for that verie often they had refreshed the memorie of Alexander and Aristobulus death contriued by their father and for that they lamented the miserable fate of them who were innocently betraied and that now also they themselues were called backe into their countrey for no other cause but vpon their arriuall to be made partakers of their brothers miserable destinie These things did Antipaters friends certifie Herod of in that by many and mightie presents he wrought them thereunto He himselfe also wrote vnto his father colourably after a maner excusing the young men and imputing their words to their indiscretion young yeers Meane while he busied himselfe in accusing Syllaeus and coutted the chiefest Romans buying
which there sate an owle One of those prisoners vvho vvas by nation a Germane beholding that bird asked the soldier that was fettered with him who he vvas that vvas apparrelled in purple and vnderstanding that his name vvas Agrippa and that he vvas a lew and one of the nobilitie of that nation hee required the souldier who to the end to guard him was chained with him to suffer him to draw neere vnto Agrippa and to haue a little conference with him for that he had a great desire to aske him of certaine things concerning the customes of his countrey Which when he had obtained and hauing got neere him he certified him by an interpreter of that which followeth Young man said he the sodaine change that hath befallen thee at this present afflicteth and oppresseth thee with great and grieuous torment neither wilt thou easily beleeue that thou shalt escape from thy miserie yet so doth the diuine prouidence dispose all things that thou shalt shortly be deliuered Know therefore and I sweare vnto thee by the Gods both those of mine auncestors and those also who haue residence and presidence in this place and who haue procured vs this yron chaine that I will tell thee all not to yeeld thee pleasure by my vaine discourse or to entertaine thee with fruitlesse consolation knowing well that when these predictions shall happen to faile they will breede thee more sorrow then if thou hadst neuer heard speech of them But I haue thought it good yea although it were with mine owne danger to declare vnto thee the predictions of the gods It cannot otherwaies be but that shortly thou shalt be deliuered from these bonds and shalt be aduanced to great honour and power so that those who at this day haue compassion of thy calamitie shal beare enuie to thy glorie and thou shalt depart this life in great felicitie and shalt leaue thy children mightie possessions But beare this in thy remembrance that when thou shalt see this bird once more thou must needly die within fiue daies after These are those things which the gods thinke meete to foretell thee by this bird As for my selfe I haue supposed that I should doe thee wrong if I should conceale this prediction from thee hauing the foreknowledge thereof I haue therefore thought good to impart this ioy vnto thee wherby thorow hope of thy future profit thou maiest more easily indure thy present misfortune for which cause I beseech thee that as soone as thou shalt be partaker of this thy felicity thou wilt indeuour thy selfe to deliuer vs also from these aduersities This presage of the Germane seemed so ridiculous to Agrippa as it afterwars deserued most mightie admiration But Antonia being sore grieued at the young mans calamitie thought it not onely a difficult matter for her to intreat Tiberius for him but altogither vnprofitable in regard she should be repulsed yet wrought she so much with Macron that he was committed to the custodie of such souldiers who were of more reconciled behauiour and had a Centurion appointed to keepe him that suffered him to vse his daily bathings and gaue his friends and seruants leaue to visit him by whose seruice and kindnesse his necessities might be relieued His friend Silas also was admitted to speake with him and amongst his free-men Marsias and Stichus who brought him in such meates as he was delighted withall and couerings vnder colour to sell them which by the permission of the souldiers who had no lesse direction from Macron they spred by night for him to take his rest vpon See here the estate wherein Agrippa liued in prison for the space of six moneths But Tiberius being returned to Capreas began at first to bee attainted with a certaine lingring disease and for that his sicknesse increased more and more he began to conceiue a sinister hope of himselfe and commanded Euodus whom he most honoured amongst all his free-men to bring him his sonnes because he intended to talke with them before he died But the sooth is that he had not any children of his own but had adopted them For Drusus who was his onely childe was alreadie dead and had left behind him a sonne called Tiberius surnamed Gemellus He had Caius also his brother Germanicus sonne who was in the flower of his age and had trauailed verie diligently in good disciplines To him also the people ascribed verie much in remembrance of the vertues of his deceased father and as touching himselfe he was of a sweet conuersation and so modest that he was familiar and conuersant with all men Whereby it came to passe that not onely the people but the Senate also held him in great estimation as also all the subiects in euerie seuerall prouince For they that spake with him were drawne partly by his affabilitie partly by the fidelitie that they saw in him so that when he was dead all of them mourned not counterfaitly lamenting his losse but with vnfained sorrow for that there was not any one that supposed not his death to be euery mans particular losse He therefore demeaned himselfe so modestly towards all men that his sonne after his death was highly aduanced thereby For among the rest the men of warre made their reckoning that although it should cost them their liues to get him the Empire they would not refuse the hazard After that Tiberius had charged Euodus to bring him the two young men the next morrow by breake of day he besought the Gods of that place to giue him an euident signe whereby he might know who should succeed him For although he desired to leaue the Empire to his sons sonne yet made he more account of that which God should make manifest vnto him He therefore conceiued a presage that he who the next day should enter first to salute him it should be he who in the Empire should necessarily succeede him And hauing settled this thing in his fantasie he sent vnto his little sonnes Master charging him to bring him vnto him by breake of day supposing that God had ordained that the Empire should be his but the matter fell out quite contrarie to his expectation For being in this thought he commanded Euodus that as soone as he might and as soone as the day should arise he should suffer him of the two young princes to enter in vnto him who should arriue the first He walking out met with Caius before the chamber doore for Tiberius was not there who being ignorant of that wich his grandfather thought was busie about his breakfast and said vnto him That the Emperour his father called for him and with all suffered him to enter When Tiberius beheld Caius he sodainly began to consider vpon the power of God who depriued him of the meanes to dispose of the Empire according as he had determined with himselfe for that it lay not in his power and he lamented greatly not so much for that he sawe his
to admit the statue Whilest the matter stood vpon these tearmes Aristobulus Agrippas brother and Elcias surnamed the Great accompanied with diuers of their houshold traine and some of the chiefest among the Iewes came vnto Petronius beseeching him that he would consider the obstinacie of the people neither giue them occasions to draw them into desperate actions but rather that he would write vnto Caius with what obstinacie the people refused the dedication of his image in the Temple and how giuing ouer the care of their husbandrie they prepared themselues for the warre without any trust or confidence in their owne strength being rather addressed to die then to suffer so great an indignitie to be offered to their religion Besides how giuing ouer their tillage there was nothing to be expected but robberie whereas they should want meanes to pay their customes by which meanes they hoped that Caesar would be mooued to moderate his seueritie towardes that nation and not to giue them cause of rebellion and that if he might not be mooued from the prosecution of the warre that then he might go forward with his businesse This was the effect of Aristobulus request But Petronius partly in respect of their praiers who instantly vrged him and the waightinesse of the action partly in regard of the contentious purpose of the Iewes supposing that it was a matter vnworthy a man to put so many thousands of men to death to satisfie Caius vnbridled desire and insolence and touched with the feare of God and the remorse of his own conscience he had rather to his owne danger informe the Emperour of the absurditie of the matter by his letters being no waies ignorant of his wrathfull spirit and forwardnesse in reuenge except his furious passion and expectation were answered For this thought he that although it altered not his resolution but happily inforced his displeasure against him in that he did not speedily execute his cōmaund yet that it was the duetie of a good man no not to refuse an assured death if so be he might saue so guiltlesse and huge a multitude When as therefore he had assembled the Iewes togither in Tiberias when many thousands of them resorted thither and disposed all those warlike forces that at that time gaue attendance on him round about him he tolde the Iewes first of all not his owne but the Emperours intent who would make them shortly taste his displeasure and enforce them to beare the burthen of his indignation who were so bold as to contradict him For himselfe that it necessarily concerned him that since by the Emperours fauour he had receiued so great houour he should not commit any thing contrarie to his commaund I hold it said he a matter most iust to employ my life honor for you to the end that so huge a number of men should not be drawne into danger of death and I will respect the excellencie of the lawes of your fathers for which you thinke you ought to entertaine warre and danger neither is it lawful to suffer the temple of God to be defiled by the authority of princes I wil therfore write vnto Caesar and certifie him of your mindes and in all that I may I will assist you to obtaine your requests God whose power surpasseth all industrie and humane force vouchsafe to conduct you and make you constant in the obseruation of your lawes and grant that he thorow excessiue desire of humane glorie commit not any thing that may offend God And if Caius be displeased and inforce his ineuitable displeasure against me I will vndertake all danger and endure all torments both in body and spirit to the end that I may not behold so many vertuous men as you are perish in your good and iust actions Go therefore each of you and plie your worke and till your lands my selfe wil send vnto Rome and both in my selfe and by my friends I wil employ my selfe for you After he had spoken thus he dismissed the assembly praying the chiefest amongst them to encourage the husbandmen to plie their businesse and to confirme the rest of the people in their good hope Of himselfe also he ceased not to animate them And truely God shewed his assistance to Petronius and assisted him in ◅ll his affaires For as soone as he had finished his discourse vnto the Iewes there sodainly fell a great raine beyond all humane expectation For the day was verie faire neither was there any appearance of raine in the ayre and all that yeere long there was an extreme drought so that men were past hope to haue any moisture notwithstanding that sometime there appeared certaine clouds in the heauens At that time therfore the water fell in great abundance and besides the expectation and opinion of men the Iewes conceiued hope that Petronius solliciting their cause should not bee repulsed But Petronius was more amazed then all the rest seeing euidently that God vndertooke the affaires of the Iewes and gaue them testimonie of his manifest assistance so that they that were their professed aduersaries had no meanes to contradict them as he himselfe wrote to Caius at large with inductions and exhortations to the end he should not drawe so many thousand men into a desperate resolution and vnhappy death For without warre it was impossible for them euer to make them forsake their religion Furthermore that he would not cut off and lose the reuenue which he receiued of that nation and would not erect a trophey of an euerlasting curse and malediction against himselfe Adding moreouer what the power of their God was which he had so cleerely declared that no man ought to doubt but that his mercifull hand was ouer them This is the content of Petronius letters On the other side king Agrippa who at that time conuersed at Rome grew more and more in fauour with Caius hauing entertained him at a banquet wherein he enforced himselfe to exceede all others in sumptuousnesse as in all other sorts of delights and pleasures yea with such festiuals entertained he him that not onely others but also the Emperour himselfe could not attaine to such magnificence so much inforced he himselfe to exceed all others thorow the great desire he had to content and satisfie Caesar in all things Caius was abashed at this his courage and magnificence seeing Agrippa enforce himselfe aboue his power and meanes to abound in siluer and all this to the intent to please him For which cause Caesar in acquitall of his kindnes intending to honour Agrippa to his vtmost power in granting him that which he most desired being one day whet with wine inuited him to drinke a carouse adding these words Agrippa I haue heretofore known the honour thou hast shewed towards me and thou hast expressed the earnest affection that thou bearest me in hazarding thy selfe in diuers dangers into which thou hast been drawne during Tiberius life time and hast omitted nothing no
not in that which exceedeth thy power to shew thy vertuous affection towards me For which cause I thinke that it should be a great shame for me if I should suffer my selfe to be ouercome by thee in kindnesse without some answerable correspondence I will therfore put that in practise which I haue heretofore omitted For all those things that hitherto I haue bestowed on thee are of no reckoning My will is that thy readines and vertue should at this present be requited by such means as might for euer make thee happy Now he spake after this manner hoping that Agrippa would begge some great prouince at his hands or the reuenues of some Cities But although he had already prepared his demaund yet did he not discouer his intent but gaue Caius this ready answere that whereas he had serued him to the dislike of Tiberius it was not for the gaine he expected heretofore and for the present also he did nothing vnder hope to be rich contenting himselfe that he was in the Emperours good fauour That the benefites he had receiued by him were great yea exceeding all that which he durst euer haue hoped For said he although they be but small in comparison of your greatnesse yet in respect of my selfe who haue receiued them and in my conceit and qualitie they are verie great Caius being amazed at this his courage insisted the rather to perswade him that he would grant him all that he would require at his hands Whereupon Agrippa said Dread prince since it is your good pleasure to thinke me worthy to be honoured by your presents I will not request any thing at your hands that may tend to inrich me for that by those goods you haue already giuen me I am greatly honoured but I beseech and request one thing at your hands which will purchase you the reputation of pietie and will procure God to be propitious vnto you in all your actions and which also will breed me much glorie among those who shall heare that I haue not been refused in my demaund which concerneth me more then the necessities of this life I therefore beseech you that it will please you to giue commandement that that statue which you haue charged Petronius to erect in the temple of the Iewes may neuer be aduanced there This was Agrippas request which to his great hazard he presented the Emperour with knowing verie well how perilous a matter it was and as much as concerned his life to demaund any such thing at Caius hands that was not answerable to his humour Caius on the one side mooued with the seruice Agrippa had done him and on the other side seeing how great an indignitie it should be for him if before such an assembly of witnesses he should deny that which he had so instantly pressed Agrippa to request as if he sodainly had repented himselfe and admiring Agrippas vertue who hauing meanes within a little time to augment his particular estate either by reuenues or other commodities had preferred the common cause the lawes of his countrey and pietie before all these he granted him his supplication wrote to Petronius praising him for that he had vsed such diligence in assembling his army as also for al that wherof he had certified him annexing these words If said he you haue alreadie planted the statue as I commanded you let it remaine in the place but if it be not done be thou no more troublesome to the Iewes but dismisse thine army and repaire thou in person to that place whither I haue sent thee For I vrge no more the erection of that statue for the desire that I haue to gratifie Agrippa whom I intirely honour and in such sort as it is impossible for me to contradict any thing whatsoeuer that either he hath neede of or shall require These were the contents of those letters which Caius wrote to Petronius before he vnderstood that the Iewes bethought them of reuolt for they made it known that rather then they would endure that statue they would hazard a warre against the Romans which when Caius vnderstood he was extremely sorrowfull and being a man addicted to all villanie and estranged from all honestie and who gaue place to no good counsel incontinently after he had conceiued a displeasure against any man who likewise thought it a great good hap for him to accomplish all that whatsoeuer he pleased hee wrote againe to Petronius to this effect Since the presents which the Iewes haue giuen thee haue preuailed more with thee then my commaundements haue done so as to please them thou hast despised that which I haue enioyned thee I make thy selfe the iudge how much thou hast deserued to incurre my displeasure to the end that thou maist serue for an example to all those who shall come after thee that an Emperours commandement ought not in any sort to be neglected Although this Epistle was both written and sent yet did not Petronius receiue the same during Caius life time for that they that carried the same were staied by crosse windes so that Petronius receiued those letters that certified him of Caius death before he receiued the other For God would not forget Petronius who exposed himselfe to great dangers for the loue of the Iewes and for the honour of God And Caius being taken out of the world by Gods wrath being kindled against him by reason that he affected diuine honors receiued his reward and Petronius obtained fauour both at Rome and thorow all his whole gouernment and especially among the principall Senators against whom Caius was accustomed to vomit his cholericke disgraces He died a little after he had written the letter to Petronius by which he threatned and denounced him death Hereafter will I declare the cause why he was taken out of this world and the maner how treason was complotted and wrought against him The letter that brought tydings of Caius death was deliuered to Petronius first and incontinently after hee receiued that wherein he enioyned him to kill himselfe He highly reioiced at this his good hap and Caius death and admired Gods prouidence who speedily and happily had rewarded him both for the honour that he bare vnto his Temple as also for the assistance he vsed towards the Iewes Behold how Petronius escaped from death by an vnexpected meanes CHAP. XII That which hapned to the Iewes tâ—…t were at Babylon and of the two brethren Asinaeus and Anilaeus IN those daies there hapned a grieuous commotion amongst those Iewes that inhabited Mesopotamia and Babylon and such slaughters and calamities as neuer the like hath bin declared in our former narrations which in that I intend to report both particularly and seriously I will rippe vp the whole cause thereof from his first originall There was a Citie called Nearda belonging to Babylon stored with inhabitants and enriched with many fruitfull possessions sufficiently to sustaine so great a multitude Moreouer it was such as might
Iudaea But it so came to passe that the power and expectation which all men had of Herod was the cause of Antipater his fathers death For Malichus being hereby put in feare hired one of the kings officers for a certaine sum of money to poison Antipater by which means he died being thus vniustly rewarded for his good will toward wretched Malichus He was a worthy man and fit to gouerne who had recouered the kingdome being lost for Hyrcanus Malichus who perceiued that the people were incēsed against him because they suspected that he had poisoned Antipater pacified and moderated their displeasure by denying the fact yet to the intent he might be stronger he gathered about him a guard of armed men for he thought that Herod would not let the matter slip so but that he would presently come with an army to reuenge his fathers death But by the counsell of his brother Phasaelus who sent him word that he should not openly be reuenged vpon Malichus least a sedition might arise amongst the people he patiently permitted it so to be and suffered Malichus to purge himselfe and permitted him to be freed from suspition and celebrated a most solemne funerall for his father which done he went vnto Samaria and appeased the sedition wherewithall the Citie was disquieted After this he returned to Ierusalem intending in that place to celebrate the festiuitie sending certaine of his armed men before him and appointing the rest to accompanie him But Malichus who feared this approch of his had sollicited Hyrcanus to giue order that no strangers should intermingle themselues among the people who were at that time purified But Herod contemning both him that commanded and his commission entred the Citie by night whereupon Malichus once more came vnto him and wept for Antipater Herod although he could verie hardly bridle his displeasure yet dissembled he the same and sent letters vnto Cassius wherein he complained of his fathers death the memorie of whose hate being refreshed by this offence he writ againe vnto Herod willing him to reuenge his fathers death which that he might the better effect he secretly commanded the captaines of his regiment that they should assist Herode Now for that after the surprisall of Laodicea all the best of the Citie came to Herod bringing gifts and crownes he appointed this for a fit time of his intended reuenge Now Malichus suspecting that Herod would worke reuenge at Tyre purposed secretly to get away his sonne who was there a pledge and he himselfe purposed to flie into Iudaea But despaire of his owne safetie vrged him to greater matters for he hoped to incite the Iewes to take armes against the Romans for that Cassius was now busie in the wars against Antonius so that he thought he might easily depose Hyrcanus and so make himselfe king But he was preuented by the destinies for Herode suspecting his purpose inuited him and Hyrcanus to supper at which time he made a shew as though he had sent one of his seruants to cause a banquet to be prepared but indeed he sent him to the captaines to foretell them that they mightlie in waite for Malichus who remembring what charge Cassius gaue them came foorth of the Citie vnto the shore next adioyning vnto the towne all armed with swords where compassing Malichus round about they killed him with many wounds Hyrcanus hereat astonished fell in a swoun being scarcely come to himselfe he demaunded who killed Malichus One of the captaines answered that Cassius gaue that commandement whereupon he answered truly Cassius hath preserued me and my countrey in killing him who was a traitor to vs both but whether herein he spake as he thought or that for feare he approued the fact it is vncertaine And thus was Herod reuenged vpon Malichus CHAP. X. How Herod was accused and reuenged AFter Cassius was departed from Syria there arose another sedition amongst them in Ierusalem for Felix came with an armie against Phasaelus thinking so to be reuenged vpon Herod for killing Malichus It chanced that Herod at that time was at Damascus with Fabius a Romane Captaine who comming to assist Phasaelus by the way fell sick so that he could not succour him but it so fel out that Phasaelus without any helpe did of himselfe ouercome Felix and therewithall reproued Hircanus as vngratefull who had both fauoured Felix and suffered Malichus his brother to take and keepe his castles for alreadie had he seazed many of them and especially one of greatest strength called Massada yet all these did not protect him from the violence of Herod who was no sooner recouered of his sicknesse but presently tooke all the rest Massada and at Hircanus humble suit permitted him to depart from thence He also chased Marion the tyrant of the Tyrians out of Galilee who occupied three castles in that country as for all the Tyrians that he tooke he spared their liues sent some away with rewards whereby he got the good will of the citie and the hatred of the Tyrant This Marion was made Tyrant of Tyria by Cassius who through the means of such like instruments had gotten into his hand all Syria Marion for the hatred he bare to Herod tooke with him Antigonus Aristobulus his son by Fabius his means whom Antigonus had gained vnto himselfe for money he also got Ptolomaeus to assist him in this expedition Now Ptolomaeus who was father in law to Antigonus furnished him with al necessaries Herod likewise preparing himselfe against them gaue thē battel in the entrance into Iudaea got the victory hauing put Antigonus to flight he returned into Ierusalē where he was honoured by all men for his desert in that victory so that euen they that before despised him by reason of his affinity newly contracted with Hyrcanus sought his friendship and familiarity This Herod long before this time had a wife which was a noble woman of that countrey named Doris had by her a son named Antipater but he thē maried Mariamme Alexanders daughter who was Aristobulus his son Hyrcanus his neece by reason whereof he came to be familiar with the king But when Cassius was slaine neere vnto Philippi Caesar departed into Italy Antonius into Asia at which time the chiefe of the Iewes came accused Phasaelus and Herod alledging that they by force got vnto themselues the rule disposition of the country and left Hyrcanus only the bare name of a king But Herod being thē present so woon wrought himselfe into Antonius fauour by a great sum of mony that he permitted not his enemies to speak one word more who thereupon returned home Afterward a hundreth men of the most honorable amongst the Iewes repaired to Daphne neere Antiochia vnto Antonius now doting on the loue of Cleopatra who being chosen from amongst the rest because of their eloquence nobility of birth propounded an accusation against the two brethren
when they fled into the temple without respect of age or womanhood For although the king intreated the souldiers to spare the people yet for all that they neuer restrained their cruell hands but like mad men they raged against all men women and children At that time also Antigonus neither respecting his former condition nor his present estate came and prostrated himselfe at Sosius hi◅ feete beseeching him to be mercifull vnto him but Sosius nothing compassionating his calamitie cruelly derided him and called him Antigona yet did he not permit him to depart free as a woman but put him in prison Now when Herode had conquered his enemies he endeuoured to the vttermost to appease the furie of the souldiers for all the whole multitude were desirous to see the temple and the holy vessels therein but he resisted them appeasing some by threatnings reclaiming others by force and the rest by entreaties supposing that it had been better for himselfe to haue been conquered then by obtaining the victorie to minister a meanes whereby those things should be discouered which were not lawfull to bee reueiled He therefore presently repressed the souldiers from sacking the citie inueying much against Sosius and obiecting against him that the Romans would desolate the Citie both of men and money and leaue him king of a place without subiects adding further that he esteemed not the empire of the whole world to be a recompence for such a massacre of his Citizens Hereunto Sosius replied that in equitie the souldiers were to haue the sacking of the towne in recompence of that labour they had spent in the siege But Herode gaue him this answere that he had rather recompence euerie man out of his owne treasurie and by this means he redeemed as it were the reliques of his desolate countrey and in the end performed that which he had promised For he bountifully rewarded euerie souldier and captaine according to his merit and gaue Sosius a kingly reward so that no man went away without money This done Sosius dedicated a golden crowne vnto God and so departed leading Antigonus captiue with him to the intent to present him vnto Antonius This man desirous to continue his life and entertaining himselfe with this cold hope euen vntill the last receiued in the end that reward which his faint heart desired and was beheaded Herode being now king made a distinction betweene the Citizens and those who had fauoured him he vsed verie honourably and put those to death who had followed Antigonus and when money failed he distributed all his kingly ornaments and sent them to Antonius and his companie Yet did not he quite redeeme himselfe from all annoiances for Antonius being now captiuate through Cleopatra her loue in all things yeelded vnto her desire and Cleopatra hauing raged so against her owne kindred that she had not left one of them aliue now turned her furie vpon strangers and accusing the nobilitie of Syria vnto Antonius she perswaded him to put them to death that she might thereby the easier obtaine their possessions Afterward her couetous minde sought to effect the like against the Arabians and the Iewes also in so much as she secretly went about to cause the kings of those places Malichus and Herode to be put to death Antonius made a shew as though he would haue granted her request yet he thought it great impietie to kill good men and so great kings yet notwithstanding he no more accounted them his friends but tooke a great quantitie of ground from the limits of both their countries and a vineyard in Iericho where balme grew and gaue her all the Cities on this side the riuer Eleutherus Tyre and Sydon onely excepted Now when she had obtained the dominion of these Cities she followed Antonius vnto Euphrates who set forward to make warre against the Parthians and afterward by Apamia and Damascus she came into Iudaea where Herode hauing something pacified her angrie minde with great gifts obtained to pay her yeerely two hundreth talents for that part of his countrey which Antonius had giuen her and seeking by all meanes possible to get himselfe an interest in her fauour he conducted her vnto Pelusium and not long after Antonius returned out of Parthia and brought Artabazes the sonne of Tigranes captiue and gaue him vnto Cleopatra for all the money and riches which he had got and the captiue likewise were bestowed on her CHAP. XIIII Of the treacherous practise of Cleopatra against Herod of Herods warre against the Arabians and of a verie great earthquake ABout such time as the Actiacum war was on foot Herode prepared himselfe to attend Antonius for that for the time present all troubles were pacified in Iudaea and he had already gotten the castle of Hyrcanion which Antigonus sister had in her possession But Cleopatra c◅aftily preuented him in this his iourny so that he could not go with Antonius for she desiring the ruines of both the kings as was before mētioned perswaded Antonius that he should ◅se Herod to make warre against the Arabians whom if he ouercame then she should be made Queene of Arabia and if so be he himselfe were ouercome then she should be Queene of iudaea intending hereby that one of these potentates should ruinate the other But this practise of hers was greatly to Herods gaine For first of all making head against those of Syria that were his enemies with all the power of horsemen he could make which was verie many and meeting them at Diospolis he ouercame them although they valiantly resisted who hauing the ouerthrow stirred vp a mightie armie of the Arabians to helpe them so that an infinite company was gathered togither about Coelesyria expecting the Iewes neere vnto a citie called Canatha Where king Herode meeting them purposed not to fight vnaduisedly but to compasse his owne armie round about with a wall but his armie remembring their former victorie would not be counselled but violently assaulted the Arabians and at the first onset put them to flight Herode pursuing his enemie was greatly endaungered by the treason of the inhabitants of Canatha who were set on by Athenio that vvas one of Cleopatras captaines vvho had alwaies borne him ill vvill for the Arabians encouraged by their helpe returned againe to battel and they two ioyned their forces togither and set vpon Herode in stonie and difficult places and put his armie to flight and killed many of them those that escaped fled vnto a little village hard by called Ormiza vvhere the Arabians compassing them about took both the men their tents with al their furniture Not long after this ouerthrow of Herods souldiers he came and brought helpe but too late and to little purpose but the cause hereof was for that the captaines of his army would not obey his commaundement for if they had beene obedient Athenio had not had the opportunitie to worke him that iniury yet
at Rome and hee for money got others to write that these two young men vsed in taunting wise to raile against their father and openly to complaine of the death of Alexander and Aristobulus and that they tooke it in bad part that they were sent for home for their father sent word that they should come away and thereat Antipater was mâ—…st troubled For he before his departure from Iudaea to Rome procured such like letters to be forged against them at Rome and so deliuering them to his father that he might auoid all suspicion seemed to excuse his brethren affirming some things that were written to bee lies other things to be offences whereunto yong men were prone At which time he gaue great summes of money to them in whose names he had counterfeited the letters against his brethren hereby as it were hiring them to be secret He gaue them also rich apparell and Tapistrie of curious workeâ—… also siluer and golden cups with many things more to the end that by the precious gifts and rewards which he bestowed he might haue all things kept close so that at his returne hee made his father account that he had spent two hundred talents the greatest portion whereof was consumed in following the law against Syllaeus Antipaters small faults were all hid by a greater for all they that had beene tortured gaue euidence against him how that hee practised his fathers death and the letters witnessed how againe he went about to make away other two of his brethren and yet for all this none of those who came out of Iudaea to Rome bare him so mâ—…ch good will as to giue 〈◊〉 intelligence what troubles were in the court at home although it was seuen moneths after 〈◊〉 was conuicted before he came to Iudaea from Rome Peraduenture they who were minded to tell him all were forced to hold their peace by the ghosts of them who were put to death At last he sent letters from Rome to his father that now he would shortly returne home and that Caesar had dismissed him very honorably The king desired greatly that the Traitor were in his power and fearing that if he had an inckling of any matter that hee would looke to himselfe fained great kindnesse towards him and sent backe againe vnto him verie louing and familiar letters willing him to hasten his returne for if he made hast it might be he should obtaine pardon for his mothers offence for Antipater vnderstood that she was banished About this time he receiued a letter at Tarentum wherby he vnderstood the death of Pheroras and greatly lamented it which diuers thought well of Yet as farre as one may coniecture the cause of his griefe was that his treason went not forward as hee wished and hee did lament Pheroras so much as though he had lost one to effect his treacherie Moreouer he feared least that which had passed should come to light and least the poison should be found yet when he came to Cilicia and there receiued his fathers letters which before we mentioned he then made great hast homeward yet when he came to Celenderis hee began earnestly to thinke vpon his mothers mishap 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 hee were certaine for what cause his mother was banished and diuorced For it was to be feared that he should be accused also of the same that was laid to his mothers charge But the vnwiser sort being more desirous to see their countrey then to bethinke themselues what was expedient for Antipater admonished him to make hast least that his long delay should breed any suspition in his father and least thereby he should giue occasion vnto malignant people to raise vp slanders For said they if any thing hath passed against you it was in your absence were you in presence no man durst do nor speake against you and it were a verie vnwise part for vncertaine suspitions to depriue himselfe of certaine felicitie and not to returne speedily vnto his father and receiue the kingdome at his hands who had him in whom onely his hope was This counsell for fortune would haue it so Antipater followed so arriued in the hauen of Cesarea passing Sebaste where contrarie to his expectation he fell into a great sorrow and admiration for all men eschewed his companie and no man durst come neere him For although that he was alwayes hated of them yet then they had libertie to shew their hatred Manie abstained from comming to him for feare of the king and now the rumour of those things which Antipater had done was knowne in euerie Citie and to euerie man only Antipater himselfe was ignorant thereof For there was neuer any man brought thither with more maiestie then he when hee was to saile to Rome nor neuer any man more basely entertained at his returne And now vnderstanding of the massacre at home he craftily made himselfe ignorant thereof and notwithstanding that he was almost dead for feare yet in his countenance he counterfeited confidence For hee could not now possibly make anie escape nor rid himselfe out of those present daungers and yet he heard no certaine newes of matters at home nor there for the king by an edict had forbidden all men to giue him notice thereof So that manie times he comforted himselfe thus that either all matters concerning him were yet secret or if any thing was come to light that he by policie and impudencie could acquite himselfe thereof for these two were his refuge and hope Being thus determined he went into the kings pallace alone without anie of his friendes and followers which at the verie first gate were most contumeliously repulsed And by chaunce Varus the ruler of Syria was there within then he boldly going in to his father came neere vnto him as though hee would haue saluted him But Herode stretching forth his hand and shaking his head cried out O thou that hast attempted to murther thy father darest thou yet presume to offer to embrace me who art guiltie of so manie treacheries God confound thee wicked wretch and come not neere me till thou hast cleared thy selfe of all that which is laid against thee for thou shalt haue iustice and Varus shall be thy iudge who is by good fortune now here Go and premeditate how to acquite thee against to morrow for I will giue thy subtill and craftie braine some time to do it Hereat Antipater was astonished with feare that he was not able to reply anie thing but so went his way Presently his mother and his wife came vnto him and told him all the proofes of treasons against him Then he calling his wits together be thought himselfe how to answere euerie point The next day the king caused an assemblie of his friends and kinsfolks and to them admitted Antipaters friends and he and
many good things and eternall blisse The king hereat greatly moued with anger ouercame his disease and vvent forth and made a speech to the people vvherein he inueighed against them as Church-robbers and that vnder pretence and colour of their country lawes and religion they attempted great matters and adiudged them as impious people worthie of death The people fearing that he would torture many to learne who fauoure that act requested him that first the authors of that crime then those that were found guilty therein should receiue punishment that he would remit the offence to all the people besides The king with much ado entreated caused the yong men that let themselues down in cords and the Sophisters to be burned the rest which were taken in that act to be beheaded After this the kings sicknesse spred ouer his whole bodie and he vvas afflicted with most grieuous paine for he had a vehement ague and an itch ouer all his whole bodie which was intolerable and a daily colicke and his feete were swollen as though he had the dropsie his belly was swollen and priuie members putrified so that vvormes bred in the putrified places He was also short winded and he vvas grieuously tormented with difficultie of breath and a conuulsion of the whole body so that some said that this was a punishment laid vpon him for the death of the two Sophisters Herod notwithstanding he was afflicted with so many grieuous sicknesses yet was he desirous to liue and sought remedie whereby he hoped for health At last he passed ouer Iordan where he vsed the vvarme vvaters of Calliroe which runne into the lake of Asphaltites and are so sweet that men vse to drinke of them There the Physitions caused his bodie to be bathed in hot oyle and it was therewith so dissolued that his sight failed and he was as though he were dead whereaâ—… those that were about him being troubled with their cries caused him to looke vp now despairing of life he willed fiftie Drachmes to be distributed vnto euery souldier and great summes of money to the captains and his friends As he returned when he came to Iericho he was in verie great likelihood to die of melancholie and there he deuised a wicked fact for he caused the chiefe men of euerie towne and village in all Iudaea to be assembled together and then he shut them vp in a place called the Hippodrome and calling vnto him Salome his sister and Alexas her husband I know quoth he that the Iewes will make feasts for ioy of my death yet if you will do my command I shall be mourned for and I shal haue a princely funeral Therefore so soone as I haue giuen vp the ghost cause souldiours to compasse these men whom I haue here in hold and kill them all for so all Iudaea and euerie houshold thereof shall against their will bewaile my death As thus he commanded this to be done the Legates came which he had sent to Rome bringing him letters wherein was shewed how Acmes Iulia her maid was by Caesars command put to death and Antipater condemned to die yet Caesar writ that if his father had rather banish him he would condiscend thereunto also Herod with this newes was something refleshed yet presently with paine he was ouercome for he both was troubled with a vehement cough and almost pined with fasting to that he thought to hasten his owne death and taking no apple in his hand he called for a knife for hee was accustomed to cut the meat which he did eare and then looking about him least any standing by might hinder him he lifted vp his arme to strike himselfe But Achiabus his cousin raâ—… hastily vnto him and stayed his hand and presently there was made great lamentation throughout the kings pallace as though the king had beene dead Antipater hauing speedy newes hereof was glad and tooke courage and promised the keepers a peece of money to let him go But the chiefest of them did not only denie to do it but also went presently to the king and told him all what Antipater requested Herod hearing this lifted vp his voice with more strength then was meete for a sicke man and commaunded his guard to go and kill Antipater and burie him in the Castle called Hyrcanium And then againe he altered his testament and writ Archelaus his eldest sonne who was brother to Antipas for king and appointed Antipas for Tetrarch Fiue dayes after the death of his sonne Antipater Herod died â—…hauing reigned thirtie and foure yeares after he slew Antigonus and thirtie seuen yeares after that the Romans had declared him king And in all other things he was as fortunate as any man for he being but a priuate person got the crowne and kept it and left it vnto his posteritie but in his houshold affaires hee was most infortunate Salome before it was knowne that the king was dead went forth with her husband and released all those that were in hold whom the king commanded to be slaine saying that the kings mind was now altered and therefore he gaue them all licence to depart and after their departure the kings death was made known to the souldiers who together with the other multitude were assembled in the Amphitheater at Iericho Where Ptolemaeus keeper of the kings seale made a speech vnto them and began to say that Herod was now happie and comforted the multitude and so he read vnto them a letter which the king left wherein he earnestly requested the souldiers to fauour and loue his successour After the Epistle read he recited the kings testament wherein Philip was appointed heire of Trachon the places therunto adioyning Antipas designed Tetrarch and Archelaus king Him also he commanded to beare his ring vnto Caesar and withall notice and intelligence of the estate of the kingdome whereof he had beene gouernor fast sealed in writing for he appointed Caesar to be ouerseer of all his ordinances vnto whose pleasure he left the performance of his testament This was no sooner reade but presently the skies were filled with the voyces and cries of the people who did congratulate Archelaus and the souldiers and the people came in companies vnto him promising their fauor and furtherance and desired God alwayes to assist him This done euerie one was busied about the kings funerals where Archelaus spared no cost but buried the King with all royall pompe possible The Beere wheron he was carried was adorned with gold and precious stones vpon it lay a bed wrought with purple whereupon was laid the dead corps of the King couered also with purple with a crowne on his head and a diademe of pure gold and a scepter in his right hand About the Beere were his sonnes and kinsfolke and the guard bands of Thracians Germans and Gauls all went before in order as though they had gone to warres The rest of the
periurie for they esteeme him condemned for a lyer who is not beleeued without he call God to witnesse They studie diligently ancient Writers chiefly gathering out of their writings what is most conuenient for the soule and the body Out of them they learne remedies for diseases and medicinable hearbes and what is the proper effect of euerie stone Those who are desirous to be of their order do not straightway conuerse with them but for a yeare before they liue out of their Colledge and haue the same diet giuing them also a little hatchet and such a girdle as is before spoken of and a white garment But at the yeares end if they perceiue him to be continent then they take him into their refectorie and he is made partaker of purer waters to the end he may continue chast yet is hee not admitted in common amongst them for two yeares after this his triall they obserue his life and manners and at last when he is thought worthy then is he admitted to their common company And before he be receiued to the common table first he protesteth with great and solemne oaths that he will worship God and obserue iustice fidelitie towards all men and neither willingly hurt any man nor iniure any one for another mans command but that he wil alwaies hate the wicked and assist the good and euer keepe his faith to all but especially to his superiours For no man can obtaine the power of principality without the will and good pleasure of God and that if he be put in authoritie ouer others he neuer will abuse it to the preiudice of those that are vnder him and neither exceed the rest in apparrell nor in any other ambitious pompe that he will alwaies loue the truth and euer endeuour to confute liers and that he will keepe his hands from stealing and his soule pure from all vniust gaine and that he will not conceale any mysteries or secrets from his companions nor reueale them to any straungers although he should be thereto compelled by death Adding moreouer that they will neuer deliuer any doctrine saue that which they haue receiued and that they will auoide theft and diligently keepe the bookes of their doctrine and the names of Angels And with these oaths they trie and as it were arme those who enter into their order Those of their congregation who shall be condemned they thrust out of their companie and whosoeuer is so punished for the most part dieth a miserable death for hauing once taken this oath it is not lawfull for him to take meat of any straunger so that feeding on grasse like beasts at last he perisheth through famine For which cause oftentimes they moued with compassion receiue many into their order againe euen readie by famine to yeeld vp the ghost iudging them to haue endured penance inough for their offences who with famine were almost brought vnto deaths doore They are verie seuere and iust in their iudgement and to decide any matter there is neuer fewer of them then a hundreth and that which by them is agreed vpon is an irreuocable sentence Next after God they reuerence the lawmaker insomuch as if any one reuile him they forthwith condemne him to death They greatly reuerence olde men and a multitude so that if ten of them sit togither no man of them must speake without he be licenced thereto by nine of the companie They also must not spit in the midst of the assembly nor on the right hand And they are more seuere then anie other Iewes in obseruing the Sabboths And they do not onely abstaine from dressing meat vpon that day but also they may not remoue anie vessell out of his place nor go to the priuie Vpon other daies they dig a pit a foot deepe into the ground with the hatchet which as we before said euerie one at his entrance into their order hath giuen him and then couering themselues diligently with their garment least they should doe iniurie to the light of heauen in that pit they ease themselues and thē couer their ordure with the earth they took out of the pit this they do in most secret places And although this purging of their bodies be naturall yet do they by washing purifie themselues after it as after great vncleannes Furthermore they amongst themselues are deuided into foure orders according to the times which they haue taken to follow this exercise of life and they who are iuniors are so farre different from the seniors that if they do but touch one of them they presently purifie themselues as though they had beene prophaned by a straunger They are long liued so that most of them liue a hundreth yeeres which I iudge is by reason of their well ordered diet and their temperancie They contemne aduersitie and by counsell and discretion ouercome torments They preferre an honourable death before life And the warres which the Iewes made against the Romans shewed what courage and hardines they haue in all things For being then compelled by breaking of the members of their bodies and firie torments all kind of tortures which were laid vpon them to reuile the lawmaker and to eate any meate forbidden yet could they not be forced to any of these neither wold they entreat the torturers nor shew any sorrow amidst their torments Nay in the verie midst of their griefes and paines they scoffed at their tormenters and laughing ioyfully yeelded vp their soules as though they hoped to receiue them againe For it is an opinion amongst them that the bodie is corruptible and that the matter thereof is not perpetual but yet the soule remaines for euer immortall who passing out of a most pure and subtile ayre wrap themselues in bodies as in prisons being as it were drawen thereunto by a naturall inclination And when they are deliuered cut of these carnall bonds then presently as freed from a long bondage they ioyfully mount aloft And of the good soules they say as did the Grecians that they liue beyond the Ocean seas in a place of pleasure where they are neuer molested with raine nor snow nor heat but haue alwaies a sweet and pleasant ayre comming out of the Ocean But the wicked soules as they say go into a place very tempestuous where there is alwaies as it were winter weather alwaies ful of lamentations of those who for euer are to be punished But I iudge that the Greekes are of this opinion when they say there is an Isle for the vertuous whom they call Heroes and halfe-gods and that the soules of the wicked go to a place in hell where as it is fained some to be tormented as Sysiphus Tantalus Ixion Tytius Which they did first inuent for this purpose because those who are of good disposition are made better in this life by hope of some reward in the life to come and the wicked are as they thought hereby restrained for feare of eternall
kingdome Herod the Tetrarch began to enuie his estate Herodias his wife still vrged him forward to hope that he should be made a king for said she thou wantest that dignitie onely for slouthfulnesse because thou wouldest not goe to Caesar for if Agrippa be made a king being before but a priuate man how canst thou doubt to be made a king who art already a Tetrarch Herod herewith perswaded went vnto Caius Caesar who greatly reproued his auarice in so much as he fled into Spaine for Agrippa followed him to Rome to accuse him before Caesar and Caius gaue vnto him Herods Tetrarchie And so Herod remained in Spaine with his wife CHAP. IX Of the pride of Caius and of Petronius the President CAius Caesar so abused himselfe and his autoritie that he would be thought to bee a God be so called Also he put many Noble men of his countrie to death He likewise extended his impietie euen vnto Iudaea for he sent Petronius with an armie to Ierusalem commanding him to set his statuaes in the Temple if the Iewes refused to receiue them that those who withstood him he should put to the sword and leade the rest away captiues Almightie God did otherwise dispose this proud commandement But Petronius accompanied with three legions and manie assistants out of Syria came with all speed from Antiochia to Iudaea manie of the Iewes would not beleeue any warre towards notwithstanding that they heard a generall report thereof and they ◅at beleeued it could not bethinke themselues of anie meanes to resist Sodainly all were in a great feare for the armie was now come to Ptolemais which Citie is situate by the sea shore in Galilee in a large field and on the East side it is compassed about with mountaines distant from it threescore furlongs which appertaine vnto Galilee on the South side it is inclosed with the mount Carmel which is an hundred and twentie furlongs off from it on the North side it is inuironed with an exceeding high mountaine which the inhabitants call the Tyrians ladder this mountaine is an hundred paces distant from the Citie Two miles from this Citie there is a riuer running by called Beleus a verie little one neere vnto which is the sepulchre of Memnon hauing adioyning vnto it a place of the compasse of an hundreth cubits worthy of admiration This place is as it were a round valley couered with sand like glasse which when many ships comming together take away for ballace so that they emptie the place of it that place is presently after couered with the like sand againe For there are winds which as it were vpon purpose carry this sand from the higher places round about it thither and whatsoeuer is within the mine of mettall there it is presently changed into chrystall or glasse And that which in my mind is more to be wondered at is that the sand being turned into glasse if afterward any part thereof be cast vpon the brinke of this place it is againe turned into ordinarie sand And this is the nature of that place Now the Iewes with their wiues children gathered themselues together in the field where the Citie Ptolemais is situate and humbly besought Petronius first not to violate their countrie lawes and next to be good vnto them Petronius seeing the multitude of them who humbly sued vnto him and how earnestly they besought his fauour left his armie and Caesars statuaes at Ptolemais and himselfe went from thence to Galilee and at Tyberias called all the Iewes their Nobilitie together recounting vnto them the force of the Roman armie and Caesars threatnings adding moreouer that the Iewes supplication was indeed a contumelie seeing all nations vnder the dominion of the Romans the Iewes onely excepted had alreadie placed Caesars statuaes in their Temples amongst the rest of their Gods herein they did as it were reuolt frō the Empire iniure the President They answered that it was against their lawes custom of their country for it was not lawfull for them to haue the image of God much lesse the image of a man and that they were not only forbidden by the law to haue an image in their Temple but also to haue it in any other prophane place Petronius sodainly answered Well I must do my Lords commaund for if I do not but spare you I shall be iustly punished and not I but he that sent me will fight against you For I my selfe as well as you must do as I am commanded At these words the whole multitude cried out at once that before they wold see their religion violated they would willingly suffer themselues to be destroyed When the noise of the people was ceased Petronius sayd Are ye then prepared and minded to fight against Caesar The Iewes answered Wee euerie day offer sacrifices for Caesar and the Romans But if Caesar would needes place his image in their Temple hee must first offer their whole nation for sacrifice for they would willingly with their wiues and children offer themselues to anie that would kill them Hereat Petronius greatly maruelled being moued to compassion when he beheld the constancie of the Iewes 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 onely the Nobilitie of the Iewes one by one compelling them to accord to Caesars commaund and spake publikely to the people sometime admonishing them otherwhile threatning them and putting them in mind of the power of the Romans and Caesars indignation and that hee must of necessitie doe as he was commaunded But they were moued by none of these And Petronius fearing the ground would bee left vntilled for it was now seed time and all the people had remained idle in the Citie for fiftie dayes space calling them together he said that he would go abo◅ a thing which might greatly endanger himselfe For said he I will either God working with me appease Caesars wrath or else I will lose mine owne life to saue such a multitude as you are And dismissing the people who made daily prayers to God for him he led the armie from Ptolemais vnto Antiochia frō whence he presently sent vnto Caesar in all hast recounting vnto him with how great an armie he went into Iudaea and that all the whole nation made supplication vnto him whose request and humble suit if he denied he must vtterly destroy the men and their countrey for they had constantly remained in their country religion and vehemently resisted any new law Caius writ an answere of these letters vnto Petronius threatning that it should cost him his life because hee made no more haste to execute his commaund The messengers that brought these letters were tossed in a tempest vpon the sea three whole moneths together and others comming after them to bring newes of Caius his death had a prosperous wind so
were partakers of this calamitie who assembled themselues togither in mount Garizin which they account a sacred place But both their assembly their courage did portend their warres and not vvarned by their neighbours harmes nor with any aduise or iudgement considering their ovvne infirmitie and the Romans power began to be tumultuous Vespasian foreseeing this thought it good to preuent them and although all the region of Samaria had garrisōs in it yet for all the great multitude assembled it was thought that the garrisons were able to keepe thē vnder Wherefore he sent thither Caerealis the Tribune of the fift legion with sixe hundreth horsemen and three thousand footmen Caerealis thought it not the best way to goe vnto the mountaine and fight with the whole multitude because a great many of their enemies were vpon it wherefore he commanded his souldiers to beleger the mountaine about at the foote thereof and so keepe them there all the whole day There happened at that time a vehement heate and the Samaritans wanted water for it was then sommer and the people had not prouided themselues of victuals so that many in one day onely for want of drinke dyed of thirst the rest preferred death before the miserie they endured and so fled vnto the Romans of whom Caerealis learned that those that yet remained on the mount were euen dismayed by the miserie they endured Wherefore hee ascended the mountaine and compassing about the enemies with his armie he first exhorted them to yeeld willing them to saue themselues promising them all their liues if they would cast downe their weapons but nothing preuailing with them he set vpon them and killed them all in number eleuen thousand and six hundreth and this was done the seuen twentith day of Iune and these were the miseries that befell the Samaritans CHAP. XIII Howe Iotapata was taken THe Citizens of Iotapata endured this hard siege contrarie to all expectation and in the seuen and fortith day the Romans mounts were raised higher then their walls on this same day one of the Citie fled vnto Vespasian and tould him in what case the citie stoode and how fewe citizens were left and that with dayly watchings and fighting they were far spent whereby they were not able to resist any more and that they might be taken by pollicie if they were followed for in the last part of the night being wearie they ceased from their labour and slept vntill the morning wherefore hee perswaded Vespasian to assault them at that time But Vespasian knowing how faithfull the Iewes were one vnto another how they contemned all punishment gaue little credite vnto this run-away for a little before one of Iotapata being taken could not by any torments be compelled to confesse or disclose the estate of the Citie whom the fire nothing moued so at last he was crucified laughing scorning death yet a probable coniecture which he had perswaded him to giue credite somwhat vnto this traitors words for that he knew no great harme could befall him if he so assaulted the Citie as the traitor willed he cōmanded the man to be kept and made all his armie in readinesse to assault the towne So at the hower appointed hee made towards the walles with silence Titus being the first accompanied with one Domitius Sabinus a Tribune a few of the fifteenth legion who killing the watchmen entred into the citie and after thē Sextus Caerealis and Placidus with their companies so the Castle was taken and the enemies were in the middest of the towne and it was faire day light and yet the townes men knewe nothing being now fast a slepe after their great labours watchings and they that did watch could see nothing there was so thicke a mist by chance that morning the rest neuer wakened till death was at their dore and that they perceiued their calamitie and destruction The Romans mindfull of all that had befallen them in the time of the siege did neither spare nor pitie any one but driuing the people out of the higher part of the citie into the lower part thereof they massacred them all where they that would could not fight for the narrownesse of the place so being cumbred for want of roome sliding downe the bāks for haste their enemies still pursuing them they were easily slaine Many of Iosephs guarde seeing this that they could not fight gathered themselues together in a corner of the citie and slew themselues that the Romans might not kill them But some of the watchmen who first perceiued the citie to be taken fled into a tower and resisted a while this tower was scituate on the North side of the citie and at last being enuironed with their enemies towards euening yeelded and offered themselues to be slaine And the Romans might haue boasted that that victorie had beene without bloudshed on their part had not Antonius a centurion been slaine trecherously For one of them who fled into the caues as many did requested Antonius to giue him his hande in token that he might come out safe and without danger which he doing vnaduisedly straightway the Iewe with a speare smote him in the flancke whereof he presently dyed The Romans that day slew all people that they found and the dayes following they searched all secret places and drewe those out of caues dennes that had fled thither and slew all but women infants so that they tooke away a thousand and two hundreth Captiues and the number of them who were slaine during the siege and at such time as the citie was taken amounted vnto fortie thousand And Vespasian commanded the citie to be destroyed and the castles to bee burned and so Iotapata was taken the thirteenth yeare of Nero his raigne in the first of Iuly CHAP. XIIII How Ioseph was taken and howe he redeemed his life with deedes and wordes BVt especially aboue all others the Romans made diligent search for Ioseph both for the hatred they bare him and also because Vespasian greatly desired to get him for that he◅ being taken the greatest part of the wars were then ended so they sought him amongst the dead and amongst those that were hid but he fortune fauouring him when the citie was taken escaped from the middest of his enemies and lept into a deepe Well which had a large caue on the one side the which they aboue could not perceiue where he founde fortie principall men who had prouision for many dayes The enemies being in euery place hee in the day time lay hid and in the night he went forth to see if he could escape and perceiuing that all places about were diligently watcht for to take him he returned againe into the caue and lay there two daies the third day a certaine woman that had been with them in the caue was taken and so he was descried Then Vespasian sent two tribunes to him to promise
receiued a peece of money to saue the Citie did not regarding his oth seeke to destroy the same The Romanes doe onely request the tribute that our auncestors were wont to pay vnto them which if they haue they will neuer destroy the Citie nor touch our holy things They will also permit you to enioy freely your families and possessions and suffer our lawes to remaine inuiolate It is altogether madnesse for you to hope that God will so punish iust men as he did sinners and impious persons who knoweth to punish at his pleasure To be short hee destroyed the Assyrians the first night that they encamped before the Citie And if he purposed also to deliuer you and punish the Romans he would then haue done it when Pompey and Sosius came against the citie or when Vespasian wasted Galilee or lastly now when Titus came to assault it But neither Pompey nor Sosius suffered any harme yet both of them tooke the Citie Vespasian so gained by warring against vs that he hath hereby got the whole empire And the fountaines which before gaue you no water yeeld it to Titus in great aboundance You know that before his comming the fountaines without the Citie and Siloa were so dried vp that water was sold by measure yet now they flow so plentifully that they doe not onely serue all the armie their cattell also but besides that do water all the gardens about What this wonder foretelleth you haue already experience When the king of Babylon came with his armie and destroyed the citie who tooke it and fired it and the Temple notwithstanding that as I am perswaded the Iewes of that time were nothing so wicked as you are Wherfore I thinke that God hath forsaken this holy place and is now gone to them that doe besiege you Wil not a good man flie a wicked house and hate the impious that dwell therein And doe you then thinke that God will abide your impietie who beholdeth all secrets and knoweth al things that are hid But what is secret amongst you Or what doe you seeke to hide Nay what doe you that your enemies doe not know All your iniquities are disclosed to all men and you euerie day striue one with another who shall bee most impious And you doe as greatly labour to shew your selues vicious as others doe to shew themselues vertuous Yet for all this there is time to amend and Gods wrath will be appeased if yee acknowledge your sins be penitent for your offences Cease from armes be ashamed of your Countrie now ruined through your owne meanes Turne your eyes and behold the beautie of the place whose ruine you seeke How braue a Citie how gorgious a Temple how rich with the giftes of all nations Who would fire these who would desire the ruine of these Or what is there in the world that better deserueth to bee serued then these O hard hearted people and more blockish then stones If you doe not pittie these yet let your families moue you euerie one of you looke vpon your children wiues and parents who shall all presently be consumed either with sword or famine I know that together with you shall perish my family and wife and house which sometime were of no small account And perhaps some of you doe thinke me therfore to speake this vnto you but kill them and take my bloud for recompence of your welfare and liues I my selfe am also prepared to die if after my death you would remember your selues Ioseph crying thus vnto them with teares trickling downe his cheekes the seditious were nothing mooued but told him that it was not safetie for them to yeeld But the people were perswaded to flie and some selling their possessions and that they had for smal prices they did swallow downe the gold for feare the theeues should take it from them And so when they had escaped vnto the Romans they emptying their bellies found it againe and so had money to buy them necessaries Titus also permitted many to go away whither soeuer they pleased which thing caused diuers to flie seeing that thereby they were deliuered out of their calamitie which in the citie they aboad and were not forced to serue the Romans But Iohn and Simon were as diligent to stop the waies least the Citizens should escape as they did hinder the Romans from entring into the Citie so that whosoeuer did but giue any suspition of flight he was presently by them put to death The richer sort whether they staid or fled were slain for their wealth and possessions The famine of the citie and the desperation of the theeues both increased alike euerie day more and more so that now there was no more corne found Wherfore the seditious persons brake into the houses and searched euerie corner for to find corne and if after their search they found any then they did beat the owners for denying it at the first and if they found none they tortured the housholders as hauing more cunningly hidden it And whosoeuer was yet strong of body and well liking him they presently kild for hereby they deemed him to haue store of food or els he should not haue bin in so good plight of body as he was And they that were pined with famine were by these barbarous seditious people slain who esteemed it no offence to kil them who would shortly after die though they were left aliue Many both rich and poore secretly exchanged all that they had for one bushell of corne and presently shutting themselues in the secretst roome of their house some of them did eate the corne as it was vnground others made bread therof as necessitie and feare required No man in the whole Citie sate downe to eat his meate on a table but greedily taking it not boiled from the fire they euen rawe as it was did eat it Most miserable was this manner of liuing and a spectacle which none without tears was able to behold for the strongest still got the most and the weakest bewailed their miserie for now famine was the greatest calamitie they endured And nothing doth arme men more then shame for during this famine no reuerence was had towards any man for wiues tooke the meate euen out of their husbands mouths and children from their parents and mothers euen from their infants which was the most lamentable thing of all No body had now any cōpassion neither did they spare their dearest infants but suffered them to perish euen in their armes taking from them the verie drops of life Yet could they not eate thus in such secrecie but presently some came to take away from them that whereon they fed For if in any place they saw any doore shut presently hereupon they coniectured that they in the house were eating meat and forthwith breaking downe the doores they came in and taking them by the throat they tooke the meat out of their mouths already chewed
good counsell and warning to reprehend and quiet you And whereas if he had come to destroy your nation hee ought first to haue cut downe the verie roote and to haue come vnto this Citie and destroyed it with the Inhabitants hee rather chose first to waste Galilea and the places adioyning that in the meane time you might repent you and consider of your estate But this his mercie towards you was held for cowardlinesse and infirmitie in him and by our long suffering you were emboldned against vs and when Nero was dead you did as treacherous subiects are wont to doe taking occasion by our ciuill dissension to reuolt from vs and whilest my father and I were gone into Aegypt you prepared your selues to war against vs neither were you ashamed to trouble them that were designed Pinces whō notwithstanding you had found most gentle Captaines vnto you At last when the Empire fell vnto vs and all things being now quieted all nations with gifts and presents came to congratulate vs Behold againe the Iewes shewed themselues our enemies and you sent an Ambassador beyond Euphrates onely to nourish your rebellion walling fortifying your townes a new and contending like seditious and tyrants one with another set abroach ciuill warres al which none but impious people would haue committed Wherefore being commanded by my father who was now vrged thereunto I came against this Citie with a heauie charge yet did I reioyce when I heard that the people desired peace Before I warred against you I exhorted you to peace after warre was begun I desisted awhile from vsing seueritie I spared all them that of their owne accord fled vnto me and kept my promise vnto them pitying those that were captiues I with strokes restrained them that hasted the warre against you against my will and euen forced so to doe I set the Romans against your wals and alwayes restrained my souldiers so much desirous of your bloud How often did I ouercome you so often did I exhort you to peace as though I had beene vanquished Againe when I approched vnto the Temple I willingly omitting the law of armes requested you to spare your Temple and holy things offering you leaue to depart and promising you safetie or else I gaue you leaue to fight another time in another place if so you thought good Al these my offers you refused with your own hands fired your temple And now you wicked wretches prouoke me to parly with you What thing can you now preserue so excellent as that which is already perished what pardon can you expect seeing your temple is destroied nay euen now yo◅ stand armed not so much as counterfeiting submission in the last cast O wretches with what hope Is not your people dead is not your temple destroied your citie now in my hands yea your liues also But do you thinke death the renowne of fortitude I will not striue with your obstinacie yet if you will cast downe your weapons and yeeld your bodies I will spare your liues And like as in priuate house I wil shew my selfe vnto you a gentle maister and after I haue punished that which otherwise is incurable I will reserue the rest for my selfe To this they answered that they could not receiue pardon at his hands hauing vowed the contrarie wherfore they requested licence to depart with their wiues and children by the camp which he had enuironed with a wall and so to go into the wildernesse and leaue the Citie vnto the Romans Titus was hereat greatly enraged that they being in a manner captiues should impose vpon him conditions as though they were victors and commaunded a crier to tell them that hence foorth they should not flie vnto him nor hope that he would pardon them for hee would spare nothing willing thē with all their forces to fight and saue themselues as they could for he would now in all things vse the law of armes and so he permitted the soldiers to sack the Citie and set it on fire And that day they did nothing but the next day following they fired the councell-house the pallace Acra and Ophla and the fire came vnto Queene Helens pallace which was scituate in the midst of Acra also the houses and streets of the Citie full of dead bodies were set on fire The same day the sons and brethren of king Izates and with them many nobles of the people assembled togither befought Caesar to pardon them and he though incensed against them all yet not changing his manner receiued them to mercie and put them all in prison and afterward carried them bound to Rome for hostages that were the kings sonnes and kinsmen CHAP. XIIII Of the pray of the seditious and how the inner part of the Citie was fired THe seditious went vnto the kings pallace where many had left all their wealth because it was a strong place and driuing the Romans from thence they slew all the people there assembled amounting to the number of eight thousand and foure hundreth and carried away all the money and they tooke there two Roman souldiers aliue one a horseman and another a footman and they slew the footman and drew him all along the Citie as it were in the body of that one reuenging themselues vpon all the Romans But the horseman affirmed that he had something to say vnto them which would greatly profit them and saue their liues who was carried vnto Simon and not hauing there any thing to say Simon deliuered him to one of his captaines called Ardala to be slaine and he brought him where the Romans might behold him with his hands bound behinde him and a veile before his eies meaning there to behead him but he whilest the Iew drew out his sword fled vnto the Romans And Titus would not put him to death because he had escaped from the enemies yet deeming him vnworthy to be a Roman souldier who suffred himselfe to be taken aliue he tooke from him his armes and discharged him from bearing them any more which to a wiseman was worse then death The next day the Romans putting the seditious to flight that were in the lower Citie they fired all vnto Siloa reioycing that the towne was destroied yet they got no booties because the seditious had already robbed and spoiled all and carried it into the higher Citie For they nothing repented them of their wickednesse but were as arrogant as though they had been in prosperitie so that they with ioy beheld the Citie on fire affirming that they desired death for that the people being slaine the temple destroied and the Citie on fire they should leaue nothing vnto their enemies Yet Ioseph in that extremitie laboured to saue the reliques of the Citie much inueighing against their crueltie earnestly exhorting them to saue thēselues yet he nothing profited in al this but was derided for his labour for neither would they yeeld vnto the Romans for
most wittie as also hee did in many things else and euen vntill this day many of their Epistles sent one vnto another are kept amongst the Tyrians And that I doe not feare the authoritie amongst the Tyrians I will proue by the testimonie of Dius a man who by common consent hath faithfully written the Phaenician Historie wherein he writeth as followeth After the death of Abibalus Hiramus his sonne reigned in his steade who increased the number of his Easterne Cities and inlarged Ierusalem hee also ioyned the Temple of Iupiter Olimpius situate in an Iland vnto it filling vp the water with earth and adorned it with golden gifts After this ascending into Libanus he cut downe the wood to build Temples and that the king of Ierusalem named Salomon sent vnto him certaine riddles to be expounded and he againe the like vnto him couenanting together that he who could not tel the meaning of one an others riddles should pay vnto the other a some of money and that Hiramus confessing he could not expound Salomons riddles did pay vnto him much money Lastly that one Abdemonus a Tyrian did expound the said riddles and writ more vnto Salomon which if Salomon could not interpret hee should pay vnto Hircanus a sum of mony this testimonie Dius beareth vs concerning the foresaid matter But I will now recount the words of Menander an Ephesian who hath registred the acts of al kings both at home and abroad endeuouring to make a true historie out of the writings of enerie country This man writing of the Tyrian kings and comming to Hiramus he saith thus of him Abibalus dying there succeeded in the kingdome his son Hiramus who liued 34. yeers this king with a rampier conioyned Eurichorus and erected there a pillar of gold in Iupiters temple and went into the woods and cut downe the Cedars of Libanus to make couerings for the temples of which pulling downe the olde he erected new and dedicated the temple of Hercules and Astartus but that to Hercules in the moneth of Peritius and then the other to Astartus when he wâ—…an army went against the Tyrians who did not pay him tribute whom when he had subdued he returned againe At this time also liued Abdemonus a seruant vnto the king who was wont to expound the parables which king Salomon of Ierusalem sent vnto king Hiramus now how long it was from this kings time till the building of Carthage we may thus calculate After the death of Hiramus his sonne Beleastartus succeeded him who liued fortie and three yeeres and raigned â—…en after him his sonne Abdastartus who liued twentie yeeres and raigned nine but this king was treacherously slaine by the foure sonnes of his nurse the eldest of whom raigned twelue yeeres Next whom Astartus the sonne of Beleastartus who liued fortie and foure yeeres and raigned twelue after him ruled his brother Astarimus who liued fiftie and foure yeeres and sate in the kingdome nine then he was slaine of his brother Phelletes who raigned eight moneths and liued fiftie yeeres and was slaine by a priest of Astarta named Ithobalus who liued three score and eight and raigned thirtie two yeeres him succeeded his sonne Badezorus who liued fortie fiue yeeres and raigned six yeeres to him succeeded his sonne Mettinus who liued thirtie two yeeres and raigned nine After him Pigmalion who liued fiftie sixe yeeres and raigned fortie in the seuenth yeere of whose raigne his sister Dido builded a Citie in Africa and named it Carthage so that from the time of king Hiramus vnto the building of Carthage is by this computation a hundreth fiftie fiue yeeres and two moneths and for as much as the temple of Ierusalem was built in the twelfth yeere of Hiramus his raigne the computation of the time since that yeere vntill the building of Carthage is 143. yeeres and 8. moneths What need we alleadge more seeing this testimonie of the Phoenicians The truth is now sufficiently made manifest for our auncestors must needs haue come into this countrey we inhabite before such time as they built a temple in it as I haue also made manifest in my bookes of Antiquitie collected out of our holy Scripture I will now speake of that which the Chaldeis writ of vs in their histories which do much agree in all other matters with those of our nation And first let Berosus be my witnesse who was a Chaldean borne yet a man famous and knowne vnto all that loue learning for he in the Grecian tongue did write Astronomie and the Chaldeis Philosophie Berosus imitating the most auncient histories writeth of the diluge and how mankinde was therein extinguished and he in all things imitateth Moses He also speaketh of the Arke wherein our forefather was preserued and affirmeth that it was carried vnto the tops of the mountaines in Armenia after this he prosecuteth the Genealogie of all that raigned from Noe vntil Nabulassarus king of the Babylonians and Chaldeans He likewise setteth down how long euerie one raigned and in prosecuting the deeds of this king he recounteth how he sent his sonne Nabuchodonosor into Aegypt and to our countrey with great power who finding them rebels subdued them and burnt the temple at Ierusalem and so departed carrying with him all our nation into Babylon whereupon our Citie was desolate seuentie yeeres vntill the raigne of Cyrus king of the Persians Moreouer he affirmeth that the Babylonian kept Aegypt Syria Phoenicia and Arabia exacting more of his subiects then euer any king of Babylon or Chaldea had done before his time And the words of Berosus must needs be to this effect Nabulassarus his father hearing that his substitute in Aegypt Caelesyria and Phoenicia had rebelled he himselfe not being able to take such paines committed these affaires vnto his sonne Nabuchodonosor and gaue vnto him a part of his army for that he was in the â—…ower of his age and sent him against him and Nabuchodonosor fighting with the said Champion ouerthrew him and subdued the countrey which of olde belonged vnto them and at the same time his father Nabulassarus fell sick in Babylon and died hauing raigned twentie nine yeeres But Nabuchodonosor long after vnderstanding his fathers death he disposed of Aegypt and other prouinces as he thought good and taking the captiues of Iudaea Phoenicia and the Syrians that liued in Aegypt he committed them to certaine of his friends to be brouglit with other carriage and his army to Babylon and so he himselfe accompanied with a verie few to his iourney to Babylon through the desart and finding that the Chaldeis ruled all and that their nobilitie reserued the kingdome for him he was made king and commanded houses to be built for the captiues that were comming in the most conuenient places of Babylon and he of the spoile beautified the temple of Belus and other places most richly and built a new citie without the wall of the olde and prouiding least hereafter the
presently assembling togither the people of Aegypt and consulting with the princes of his countrey he sent all holy beasts and all that the priests esteemed before him giuing the priests especiall charge to hide their Idols and he commended his sonne Sethones who also by his father Rampses was called Ramesses being but fiue yeeres olde vnto the custodie of a friend of his and then accompanied with three hundred fighting men he met his enemies but would not fight with them fearing least he should fight against the pleasure of the gods and so he retired himselfe vnto Memphis and taking Apis and the rest of the Aegyptian gods hee with all his troupes of Aegyptians tooke shippe and fled into Aethiopia For the king of Aethiopia vpon curtesie obeied him and for this cause he entertained him his followers prouided all necessaries for them for that fatall thirteen yeers banishment and this was done in Aethiopia In the meane time the inhabitants of Ierusalem came downe into the country with the vncleane Aegyptians and did so tyrannize ouer the inhabitants that all their beholders iudged their victorie to be full of crueltie for not contented to fire the cities and townes and to commit all manner of sacriledge and to destroy the Idols of the gods they did also most cruelly teare in pieces the sacred beasts and forced the priests and prophets to lay violent hands vpon them and kill them after which deed they draue them out of the countrey naked It is therefore reported that a Heliopolitan priest Osarsiphus by name made lawes for them and statutes to gouerne them This priest was called Osarsiphus taking his name from the God of Heliopolis called Osiris who being now thus conuersant with this people changed his name and called himselfe Moses Thus the Aegyptians report of the Iewes and many things els which for breuitie sake I omit Manethon furthermore writeth that afterward Amenophis the king came with a great power out of Aethiopia and his son Rampses with him accōpanied with a great army and that ioining battell with the shepheards and polluted persons he gaue them an ouerthrow and pursued them vnto the borders of Syria And this is Manethons report but for as much as he writeth olde wiues tales dotages and lies I will by manifest reason conuince him first distinguishing that whereof I am to speake hereafter He of his owne accord granteth and confesseth that our auncestors at first were not Aegyptians but strangers that came thither from another place and conquered the countrey and againe departed from thence I will now out of his owne writings endeuour to shew that the weake people of Aegypt were not mixed with vs and that Moses who indeed was our conducter out of Aegypt and liued many ages before was no Lepar He therfore first of all setteth downe a ridiculous cause of this forementioned faction which was that king Amenophis was desirous to see the gods Which gods trow yee he could already see the Oxe the Goate the Crocodile and the Munkey but the God of heauen how could he see And why had Amenophis this desire forsooth because a certaine king one of his predecessors had seene them he therefore knowing by him what things they were and how he came to the sight of them needed no new deuice to accomplish his desire but perhaps the foresaid prophet was a man of great wisedome by whom the king had confidence to attaine his desire but if so he had been how chanceth it that he was so vnwise he could not perceiue that it was an impossible thing to satisfie the kings desire for that which he promised was not brought to passe Or what reason mooued him to thinke that the gates were inuisible because of Lepars and weake people The gods are offended with mens impieties not with the defects of their bodies And how was it possible that at one instant so many thousand Lepars and infirme persons should be gathered togither or wherein did not the king obay the Prophet he commaunded that the Lepars and infirme persons should be exiled the countrey and the king did not banish them the countrey but sent them to hew stones as though he had needed workemen and not purposed to cleanse the countrey from Lepars Lastly he saith that the Prophet foreseeing that Aegypt was to suffer and fearing the wrath of the gods he killed himselfe and left his minde in a booke written vnto the king How chanced it then that the prophet did not at first foresee his own death and so opposed himselfe vnto the kings desire to see the gods or wherefore did he feare such calamities as were not to fall in his life or what great miserie hanged ouer his head which might worthily cause him to kill himselfe to preuent it But let vs heare that which followeth more sottish then all the rest The king quoth he hearing this and stroken with feare did not for all this expell those Lepars he ought to haue exiled but at their request gaue them as he saith a Citie wherein before time the shepheards did inhabite called Auaris whereinto they being come they made a priest of Heliopolis their prince who deuised lawes for them commaunding them neither to adore the gods nor to abstaine from offering violence to such beasts as amongst the Aegyptians are sacred but that they should kill and spoile all things that they should marrie with none but such as were their confederates that he bound the people with an oath to keepe those lawes and that they fortified Auaris to fight against the king Adding moreouer that he sent to Ierusalem for helpe promising to yeeld Auaris vnto them being a place sometime possessed by their ancestors and that they from that place leading their forces might easily subdue all Aegypt he then saith that the Aegyptian king Amenophis came against them with three hundreth thousand and yet for that he would not striue againct the decree of the gods he fled into Aethiopia and carried with him Apis and other holy beasts and that the inhabitants of Ierusalem comming downe inuaded the land fired the townes and Cities slew their nobles vsed all sort of crueltie possible and that the priests name who made lawes and statutes for them to liue vnder was one of Heliopolis Osarsiphus by name deriuing the same from Osiris the god of Heliopolis and that this man changing his name was afterward called Moses Moreouer that Amenophis hauing liued in banishment thirtie yeeres came with a strong power out of Aethiopia and fighting with the shepheards and polluted he slew many of them and put the rest to flight pursuing them vnto the borders of Syria Manethon remembreth not that heere againe he telleth a verie vnskilfull tale for although the Lepars and impotent persons were offended with the king for appointing them to hew stones yet is it to be thought that they receiuing their owne desire at the kings hands to wit a Citie to dwell in
presence d. accused by Eutichus 474 h m. 475. a. b. imprisoned ibid. hateth Tiberius 618. h. getteth Caius friendship ibid. his happy fortune foretold 476. g. h. certified of Tiberius death 498. g. departeth to his kingdome ibid. l. his request of Caius 482. i. his speech to the Senate 504. h. 619. f 620. g. hangeth vp his golden chaine 507. d. his acts 509. a b c c. 510. 511. c. saluted for a God 510. in his death 511. c. 610 k. his children ibid. d. Agrippas request to the Empresse 5 ac m. obtaineth Philips tetrarchie 52â—… a. getteth a portion of Galilee 522. g. deposeth Ioseph 524. i inlargeth the citie of Caesarea 525. a. his kindnes to the Berytians c. f 525. b. c. his Epistles to Ioseph 550 m. Agrippa excuseth Caesar c 628. h. his oration 627. c. 628. 629. 630. driuen out of the citie 631. b. And that came to the Romans 6 7 c f. Aid of the Idumaeans 677. a b c. Ainan or Aitaken and burnt 103. e. f. Ainites discomfit three thousand Israelites and slew 36. 103. a. after put to flight and slaine by Iosuah ibid. c. Aire temperate 688 i. Albirius gouernour of Iudaea 524 i. full of wickednes 623. d. pacifieth the countrey 524. l. executeth malefactors 525. c. Alcimus high Priest 313. accuseth Iudas and his brethren ibid. c. his popularitie 314. g h. killeth of all Iudas faction ibid. h. dieth sodainly 315. d. Alexander Polyhistor 19. c. Alexander King of Macedonia 284. i. ouerthroweth Darius armie ibid. subdueth Darius 285. a. marcheth toward Ierusalem ibid. e f. honourably receiued by the high Priest and the rest 2â—…5 f. 286. g. his sacrifice in the temple ibid. h. i. adoreth the high Priest 286. g. his death and successors 287 e f. Alexander warreth against Demetrius 320. g. laboureth to win Ionathan ibid. l m. slaieth Demetrius 321. f. marieth Ptolomies daughter 323. d. sendeth presents to Ionathan 325 a. discomfited and slaine 326 g. Alexander Zebina obtaineth the kingdome 337. b. slaine ibi b. Alexander king of the Iewes 341. a. 563. a. besiegeth Ptolemais ibid. c. his ouerthrow 342. k. besiegeth Gaza 343. c. sedition raised against him 563. c. 344 h. ouercome ibid l. 563. f. citions cast at him 341. h. crucifieth 800. Iewes 345. a. 564. b. his sicknes and aduise to his wife 346. i k l. 564. l. his death and funerall 347. a b. Alexander sonne of Aristobulus 356. i. ouercome ibid. l. 668. l. beheaded 359. b. Alexander Herodes sonne 413. b. marrieth Glaphyra ibidem his defence 418. k. 419. a b c c. reconciled to his father 419. e. 427. f. bribeth the Eunuches 593. b. imprisoned 427 a. 593. b. accused of treason ibid. 431. g h c. writeth bookes 593. c. condemned 434. h. 596. m. strangled 435. c. 597. d. false Alexander c. 460 g. 613. d. condemned to tug at an oare 460. g. 614. f. g. Alexander exerciseth crueltie 261. d. Alexandra gouerneth the kingdome 347. f. imprisoneth Aristobulus wife and children 564. l. committeth charge to the Iewes 348. g. her embassage to Tigranes 348. h. her death ibid. 565. d. Alexandra solliciteth Antonius and why 384. h. excuseth her selfe ibid. suspected by Herode c. 385. b. pretending to flie is betraied ibid. c. certifieth Cleopatra of Herodes trechery 387. b. striueth to acquit her selfe 398 m 399. a. seeketh to get Herods castles 399 c. put to death 400. g. Alexas marrieth Salome 437. c. dismisseth the Nobles 450. m. Alliance of Abraham with his wife 16. l. of lacob with Laban 23. c. 25. f. of Saul and Ionathan with Dauid 145. b of Iuda with the Israelites 241. d. Allowance of Micheas 221. f. Allusion of Ionathan 147. f. Alacritie of the Romans 702. m. Alleageance renounced 748. l. Altar of incense 63. b. Altars of Idolators to be destroyed 90. h. one Altar to be erected c. and why 90. l. Altar builded by Iosuah 102. g. Altar erected by the two tribes and halfe 107. c. why 108. i. Altar of gold and of brasse where placed 198. g. h. Altar in Bethel 207. claue in twaine ibid f. Altar erected by Dauid 185. b. Amalechites warre against the Israelites 56. gh ouercome by the Israelites 57. b c spoiled and their vtter ruine foretold ibid d 98. g. ouercome the Israelites 115. f. are destroyed 139. b c. d. burne Siceleg 157. a. Aman honoured by all but the Iewes 278. h i. his petition for the Iewes ruine ibid. k. his hatred against Mardoche 282. k. his trecherie discouered 281. e f. iudged to the gallowes ibid f. his goods bestowed on Mardoche 282. g. Amarames Moses father see Amram Amasias king of Iuda 236. h. reuengeth his fathers death 237. c. ouercommeth the Amalechites ibid. c d. reproued and why 237. d e. commaundeth Ioas to yeelde him homage ibi f. his armie flies and he taken prisoner 283. g. is slaine ibid. h. Amaza slaine 181. c. Amazement of the seditious 743. a b. Ambition 162. h. of Adonias 185. i. of Iohn 685 a. of Eleazar 697. c. f. An Ambush laid for the Ainites 103. e. Abushes of Saul for Dauid 144. g h c. 145. d e f. 146. g. h. of Adad for Ioram 227. a. Ammon Lots sonne 16. h. Amnon deflowreth Thamar 172. i k. Ammonites oppresse the Israelites 119. b c. and are ouercome ibid. f. iniute Dauids Embassadours 168. k. reuenge wrought on them 169. b c d. warre against Iosaphat 223. e. kill one another 224. h. Amorites ouercome 82. l. their countrey possessed by the Hebrewes 83. b. Amos a wicked King 248. i. is slaine ibid. Amphitheater built by Herode 401. c. 406. h. Amram Moses father 41. m. praieth to God 42. g. casteth Moses into the riuer 42. k l. and why ibid. Amri King of Israel 214. g. slew Thaman ibid. his impictie and death ibid. Ananias death 633. a. Ananus high Priest 524 i. had fiue sons his successors ibid. Ananias high Priest 524. l. Ananias high priest slaine 722. i. Ananus stoneth Iames 524. k. Ananus gouernor of Ierusalem 639. d. his iruectiue against the Zealous 674. h. disposeth this soldiers c. 675 c d. slain 680. l. Ananus a cruel souldier 722. k. Achimelech entertaineth Dauid 148. g h. deliuereth him Goliahs sword ibid. h. accused to Saul 149. a. and slaine ibid. c. Ancestors conceale not honest things 〈◊〉 h. Angels guarded Elizeus 227. c. Angels i. sonnes of God c. 6. k. Angell resisteth Balaam 84. g. Angels promise Abraham a sonne 13. d. e. enter Lots house ibid. f. foretell the destruction of Sodome 15. e. Angell appeared to Agar 14. m. 17. b c d. to Iacob 22. k. l. 26. g h i k. to Manoach his wife 120. m. foretelleth hir Sampsons birth ibid. m. worketh a miracle 121. c. 227. c. Angersee wrath Anilaeus receiueth charge from Artabanus 485. c d. killeth a noble man 486. h. reproued and accused ibid. h i. taketh Mithridates prisoner 487. a Anna
plot for Herode 372. g. lose Armenia 469. d. Parts of the Temple 196. g. Pascha or passcouer of the Hebrewes 49. c d. celebrated 243. b. 249. f. 272. g. Passage of the Israelites ouer Iordan 102. g. Passages stopped vp from the Hebrewes 50. k. Patience of Ioseph 32. i. Paulina deceiued and defiled 467. a. c. Peace bought 236. g. 240. h. Peace of the Israelites 193. c. of the Iewes 220. k. Peace better then death 678. g. the Peeres gouernment best 92. h. a Penaltie most cruell 41. e. c. Penaltie of a woman maried for a virgine c. 93. f Penaltie published 134. k. what it wrought ibid. Pencioner to Saul Dauid 141. c. Penitent obtaine mercie 716. l. Penurie of water 585. c. see want People of Israel afflicted 41. c d. 42. g h. 46. g h. 47. d e. departed out of Egypt 50. g. exhorted to put their trust in Goâ—… ibid. l. m. and to obey the will of God 89. a b. c. driue away the cattell of the Amalechites 139. c. require mitigation of their burthen 206. h. reuolt from Roboam 206. l. are transported and why 243. e f. flie with their mony 717. a. People enioyned by oath to serue God 234. l. 249. d. People of Iuda blesse God 224. h i. and why ibid. h. Peoples loue to Ioseph 547. b. People permit not Pilate to alter their lawes 617. c. People exclaime against Florus 625. s die for want c. 713. c. Perfection of mind respected 141. b. Periurie of Florus 624. i. Peroration of Herode 585. a. Perplexitie of the Israelites 50. k l. Perswasion of Ieroboam to Idolatrie 207. c. Perswasion of false Prophets dangerous 222. k. Perswasion of Rapsaces 245. d e. Pestilence one of the plagues of Egypt 48. l. Pestilence destroyeth Senacheribs army 24. k. Pestilence a great affliction 253. c. Petra a Citie of Arabia 576. i. Petroâ—…us charge for placing Caius statue 480. k c. executeth it not and why 480. l. 481 a. b. certifieth the Iewes of Caesars threats 619. a c. writeth to Caius ibid. d. 619. c. receiueth letters of Caius death 483. d. 609. d. his letter to the Dorites 508. h Phaceias king of Israel 240. i. his impietie and wickednes ibid. i. slew 120000. Iewes 241. a. tooke Achaz sonne prisoner ibid. c. was slaine 242. h. Pharao enamourd of Sara 13. a. plagued ibid. a b. Pharaoh his dreames 33. b c. deliuereth Ioseph from bonds ibid. d. aduanceth him to great honours 34. h. reioyceth at the arriuall of Iosephs brethren 39. a. inquireth of Iacobs age 40. i. restored the profits of his subiects lands ibid. k. Pharao killeth the male children 41. d e. would haue killed Moses 43. e. 45. b. his death 46. m. Pharao counselled to dismisse the Hebrewes 47. c d. not moued with miracles layeth heauier taskes on them ibid. c d. aduised once more ibid. e f. driueth away Moses 49. b. dismisseth the Israelites ibid. d his host drowned 51 c f. Pharisees a sect 329. e. 617. b. greedie of reuenge 347. d. exempt from swearing 408. h. would not sweare obedience 439. c. 463. d. their opinion 617. b. Pharos a tower 692. l. Phasaelus his gouernment 362. g. vanquisheth Felix 367. m. 574. g. 36â—… a. made Tetrarch 370. h. 574. l. obtaineth the fauour of the people 570. taken prisoner 371. f. dasheth out his braines 373. b. Phasaelus Tower and Citie 588. g. h. Pheroras made Tetrarch 407. d. accuseth Alexander and Aristobulus 416. l. refuseth the kings daughter 423. f. blamed for Alexanders offence 428. h. pardoned ibid. 594. c. deceiued 438. l. refuseth to put away his wife 440. g. banished 599. a. falleth sicke and dieth 440. l. m. 599. c. his wife accused 441. a. she confesseth the poyson 442. g. Philip rebelleth against Antiochus 312. l. is slaine 313. c. Philip king of Syria 344. h. besiegeth Demetrius 345. c. Philip Herodes sonne 458. i. hath part of the kingdome 459. d. repaireth cities 464. k. Philo Iudaeus defence c. 480. h. Philistines ouercame the Israelites 120. exacted tribute of them ibid. l. 126. h put to flight 130. g. muade the Israelites 136. i. are ouercome 137. d. e. 143. d e. discomfir Sauls armie 157. e. f. ouercome by Dauid 166. l. by Ozias 239. b. by Ezechias 243. c. Phinees the sonne of Eleazar 87. a. slaieth Zambrias Chosbi ibid a. ouerthrew the Madianites 87. e. his Oration to the two tribes and halfe 107. e. succeeded Eleazar 108. m. foretold the Israelites their victorie c. 111. f. Phinees Elies sonne 125. b. his wickednes and impietie ibid. b is slaine 126. k. his wife then bare Ichabod ibid. m. Phison a floud of Paradice 4. h. called also Ganges ibid. h. Phora 4. h. Phraates king of Parthia slaine 465. b. Phul king of the Syrians 240. g. for money made a peace ibid. h. Pietie profitable 213. a b. Pietie of Ancestors remembred 42. g. Pietie contemned cause of calamities 113. c. 114. g. m. 126. g. c. 135. e. 242. h i k. Pietie of Asa 212. i. of Iosaphat 220. k. of Iotham 240. k. of Ezechias 242. i. of Iosias 248. k l. 249. a b. c. of Matthias c. 305. a. Pigeons doung sold 227. f. Pilate succeedeth Gratus 464 m. bringeth Caesars statues to Ierusalem 466. g. i. not admitted 617. e. crucifieth Christ 466. l m. putteth Samaritanes to flight 468. i k. accused ibid. sendeth the statues from Ierusalem 617. f. beateth the seditious 618. g. Pillage taken 224. h. Pillars raised 6. i. a Pillar called Galaad 25. f. Pitcher of water 153. d. Pit to be fenced 96. k. Pit of swearing 16. l. Pits bituminous 13. c. Pitie of Ioseph toward his brethren 38. l. Placidus repulsed at Iotapata 649. c. his victorie 669. g 〈◊〉 burneth Bethenabris 686. l m. Placing of the vessels c. in the temple 196. m. 197. a b 198. g h. Plagues of Egypt 48. g h i k l m. 49. a. Plague in Dauids time 184. l. Plague inuadeth Iudaea 399. d. Platformes erected 656. h. Plants sprang at first out of the earth 3. d. Plants not of foure yeeres grouth 92. i. Plato admired 795. a. permitteth not Poets c. 796. k. Pledge to be restored to the poore 95. d. Plentie foresignified 33. c f. 34. g i. Plotting of Antipater 423. c. the Plough found out and by whom 5. b. Poeme of sixe measures 98. a. Poem of Homer 675. b. Poets cause multitude of gods 796. Poison tried c. 446. k l. 604. i. Policie of Rebecca c. for her sonne 21. e f. of Iacob to pacific his brother 26. g h i k. of the Gabeonites 104. h. of Ioseph 538. h. 539. a. 542. i. of Ionathan 545. e f. of Ioseph 643. d. 652. k. 655. b. 690. h. Politianus meets with Agrippa c. 627. enciteth the people to peace ibid. d. Pompey gouernour of Syria 352. m. marcheth against Aristobulus 353. f. 354 g. 566. k.
against Hircanus with a great army and is disswaded from war by his father Antipater and his brother Phasaeluâ—… Hedio Ruffinus chap. 19. Hircanus embassadours to Caesar. The Iewes much honoured by the kings of Europe Asia Iulius Caesar testified in a braien pillar that the Iewes were free citizens of Alexandria Iulius Caesars decree as touching the honors immunities and priuiledges granted to thâ—… Iewes The yeare of the world 3922. before Christs birth 42. The yeare of the world 3922. before the Naâ—…itie of Christ. 42. M. Antonius and P. Dolobella bring Hircanus embassadors into the Senate Dolobeâ—… letters â—…o thâ—… Ephesians Lucius Lucullus in the French Lentulus in the Latine being Consul maketh an edict in behalfe of the Iewes Iosephus conclusion concerning these edicts The yeere of the world 3922. before Christs Natiuitie 42. Caecilius Bassuâ—… murthereth Sextus Caesar. Marcus succeedeth Sextus in Syria Caesar slaine by Cassius and Brutus Hedio Ruffinus chap. 20 Cassius commeth into Syria and exacteth more theÌ„ 700. talents of siluer from the Iewes Herode winneth Cassius heart by the money he leuieth in Galilee The yeare of the world 3923. before Christs birth 41. Malichus layeth in wait to muâ—…er Antipater but forsweareth the same and is reconciled Cassius and Marcus make Herode gouernour of Coelesyria The yeare of the world 3923. before Christs birth 41 Malichus causeth Antipater to be poisoned The yeare of the world 3924. before the birth of Christ. 40. The yeare of the world 3924. before Christs Natiuitie 40. Faelix assaileth Phasaelus in Ierusalem and is ouercome by him Ptolomey MeÌ„naeus adopteth Antigonus Aristobulus son Herode expelleth Antigonus out of Iurie Herode marrieth Maâ—…aÌ„me Hircanus neece by his daughter Doris Herods wife The iudge corrupted with money Hircanus embassadours present Antonius with a crowne of gold require the captiue Iewes liberty sold by Cassius Antonius writeth to Hircanus as touching Brutus and Cassius actions and deathes The yeare of the world 3924. before Christs birth 40. Marcus Antonius writeth to the magistrates of Tyre to restore Hircanus and the Iewes their lands goods and liberty The yeare of the world 3924. before Christs birth 40. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 21. Cleopatra coÌ„meth into Cilicia to Antonius Herode accused by one hundreth Iews before Antonius Antonius maketh Phasaclus and Herode Tetrarches A thousand Iewes repaire to Tyre to accuse Herode who are partly slaine partly wounded and partly put to flight The yeare of the world 3925. before Christs birth 39. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 23. Antigonus promiseth the Parthians a great summe of money to install him in the kingdome Pacorus sendeth horsemen to Antigonus in Iudaea The Iewes inhabiting about mount Carmel ioyne themselues with Antigonus The yeare of the world 3925. before Christs birth 39. Penticost Herode fighteth with his enemies in the suburbes Pacorus chieftaine of the Parthians entering the citie perswadeth Phasaelus to go embassador to Barzapharnes The Parthians complot trecheries against Phasaelus Hircanus and Phasaelus surprised by the Parthians The yeare of the world 3925. before Christs Natiuitie 39. The Parthians lay a plot to surprise Herod 〈◊〉 discouereth iâ—… and preuenteth them by flight Herode comforteth his friends in their flight Herode seeing his mothers chariot ouerturned is ready to murther himselfe Herode retiring toward Massada is assailed by the Parthians The Parthians spoile the citizens of Ierusalem and destroy Marissa The yearâ—… of the world 3925. before Christs birth 39. Antigonus restored to the kingdome by the Parthians cuâ—…th off Hircanus cares to preuent his reinstalment in the Priesthood Phasaelus dash eth out his owne braines Antigonus putteth poison into Phasaelus wounds in steed of curing him Herode flieth to Malchus king of Arabia to borow mony Herode is comanded out of Arabia and flieth into Egypts from thence after some stormes he repaireth to Rome where he certifieth Antonius of thatwhich had befallen him The yeare of the world 3925. before Christs birth 39. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 23. al. 25. Antonius loued Herode and hated Antigonus Caesar Augustus Herodes friend Herode admitted into the Senate and declared king Herode intending the kingdome for his wiues brother enioyeth the same himselfe Herode ascendeth the Capitol with Antonius Caesar. Herodes family besieged by Antigonus in Massada Ventidius vnder pretext to helpe Ioseph fisheth to get money of Antigonus The yeare of the world 3926. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 38. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 2â—… al. 16. Herode returning backe out of Italy leadeth forth his army against Antigonus Herode assaulteth Ioppe and taketh it Many submit themselues to Herode Ressa taken Massada deliuered from the siege after which Herode marcheth towards Ierusalem Herode proclaimeth about the wals of Ierusalem that he repaired thither for the good of the people the common-weale Antigonus vpbraideth Herode that he is but halfe a Iewe and of no kingly race The enemie repulseth Herodes power from the wall The yeare of the world 3927. before Christs Natiuitie 37. Silon suâ—…orneth some of his soldiers to take an occasion to depart from IerusaleÌ„ Herode procured and furnished the army with victuals and 〈◊〉 â—…ion Antigonus sendeth out soldiers to surprise Herodes victualers The Romans sent to their garrisons to winter Robbers Herode fighteth with his enemies in Galilee and ouercommeth them and bringeth all Galilee vnder his subiection Antigonus refuseth to victuall the Roman army Ventidius sendeth for Silon to war against the Parthians The yeare of the world 3927. before Christs birth 37. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 25. Herode leadeth his soldiers against those theeues that held the caues Herode letteth downe his soldiers from the top of the mountaine in cofers A certaine old man killeth his wife and seuen of his sons and at last casteth himselfe headlong from the rocke Herode retireth toward Samaria to fight with Antigonus Herodo punisheth the rebels in Galilee Ventidius ouercommeth Pacorus and the Parthians in battell Machaeras killeth many Iewes Herode resoluing to depart to Antonius and to accuse Machaeras is reconciled by him and leaueth his brother Ioseph with an armiâ—… behind him The yeere of the world 3927. before Christs Natiuitie 37. Herode repaireth to Antonius at the siege of Samosata in the way killeth many Barbarians Herode was honourably entertained by Antonius and his host The yeare of the world 3928. before the birth of Christ. â—…6 Sosius hath the army committed to his charge by Antonius who departeth into Egypt Ioseph Herods brother is slain by Antigonus The Galileans reuolt from Herode Machaeras fortifieth Geth Herode departeth from Daphne a suburbe of Antioch into Galilee Herode fighteth with the Galileans ouercommeth them and driueth them into a castle The yeare of the world 3928. before Christs birth 36. The house wherein Herod soleÌ„nized his feast fell downe when the guests were gone without any mans detriment Herode wounded by his enemies Antigonus sendeth Pappus to Samaria Fight in the
granted him to create the hie priest Hedio Ruffinus chap. 2. al. 5. Monobazuâ—… the king of Adiabena begetteth two sons on Helena his sister Monobazus and Izates The yeare of the world 4009. after Christs natiuitie 47. Izates sent to Abemerigus marieth his daughter Samacha Caeron very fruitful in Amomum in which the reliques of Noes aâ—…ke are to be seene Izates was made king by his mother Helena the nobility and Monabazus gouerneth the kingdome till his comming Izates and his mother Helena learne the true seruice of God according to the manner of the Iewes The yeare of the world 4009. after the Natiuitie of Christ. 47. Izates sendeth his brothers to Claudius Caesar and Artabanus Izates is disswaded by Helena his mother and Ananias from circumcision Eleazar perswadeth Izares to be circumcised They that â—…olie on God put their confideÌ„ce in him do alwaies reap the reward of their pietie Helena the Queene of Adiabena resorteth to Ierusalem Alias cap. 6. The yeare of the world 4009. after Christs birth 47. Artabanus reâ—…reth himselfe to Izates and requireth his assistance Izates comforteth Artabanus promiseth him his assistance Izates writeth to the Parthians and perswadeth them to receiue their king Cinnamus restoreth the kingdome to Artabanus Izates receiueth great honours and gifts at Artabanus hands Antiochia and Mygdonia builded by the Macedons Vardanes after his fathers death laboreth to perswade Izates to make warre against the Romanes but he preuaileth not The yeare of the world 4009. after Christs birth 47. After Vardanes was slaine the kingdome is comâ—…ted to Gotarza Vologelus king of Parthia Monobazus and his kinred thinke to receiue the Iewes religioÌ„ The Adiabenians conspire with the king of Arabia against Izates The Lords of Adiabena perswade Vologesus to kill Izates Izates calleth vpon God who sendeth the Dahans and Sacans into Parthiâ—… vpon whose arriuall Volgesus returneth The yeare of the world 4010. after Christs Natiuitie 48. Izates deliuereth vp the kingdome to his brother Monobazus and dâ—…eth Hedio Ruffinus cap. 5. al. 8. Theudas perswadeth the â—…eople that with a word he will cause Iordan to deuide it 〈◊〉 yeeld them passage he with his followers are slaine Hedio Ruffinus cap. 5. al. 8. Tiberius Alexander gouernour of Iudaea Iames and Simon the sons of Iudas of Galilee crucified The yeare of the world 4011. after Christs birth 49. The yeere of the world 4011. after Christs birth 49. Hedio Ruffinus cap. 9. al. 10. In the feast of Pascha a certaine souldier shewing his priuie members moueth a sedition amoÌ„g the people whereby twentie thousand Iewes lost their liues Stephen Caesars seruant robbed in his iourney for which cause Cumanus spoileth the villages neere to the place where the robbery was done A certaine soldier â—…eareth the bookes of Moses â—…aw and therefore is beheaded by Cumanus coÌ„maundement Hedio Ruffinus cap. 10. al. cap. 12. Certaine Samaritanes kill diuers Galileans in their way to Ierusalem The yeare of the world 4014. after Christs birth 52. The yeare of the world 4014. after Christs natiuitie 52. The Galileans in reuenge of their iniuries burne certaine villages of the Samaritanes and spoyle the same Hedio Ruffinus cap. 8. al. 12. The Samaritanes accuse the Iewes before Numidius Quadratus The Iewes lay the burthen of the warres on the Samaritanes and Cumanus Dortus with foure other are crucified Ananias Ananus Cumanus Celer and some other are sent to Rome Alias cap. 13. Agrippa moueth Agrippina to intreat Caesar to heare the cause of the Iewes The yeare of the world 4015. after Christs birth 53. Hedio Ruffinus cap 9. al. 14. Claudius â—…oelix gouernour of Iudaea Drusilla Mariamme â—…oelix getteth Drusilla from her former husband Polemon king of Cilâ—…cia marrieth Bernice The yeaÌ„re of the world 4018. after Christs birth 56. Mariamme scorning Archelaus marrieth Demetrius Hedio Ruffinus cap. 10. al. 15. Agrippina Meslaâ—…na and Paetinâ—… Clâ—…dius wiues Nero Emperour The yeare of the world 4019. after Christs birth 57. Nero a tyrant Neros tyranny The yeare of the world 4019. after Christs Natiuitie 57. Alias cap. 16. Foelix punisheth y t theeues and Magicians and other seducers of the people Eleazar the sonne of Dinaeus sent to Rome Foelix conspireth against Ionathas Butchery The deceitfull Magicians Hedio Ruffinus cap. 12. al. cap. 17. A falle prophet draweth the Iewes to the mount Oliuet The yeare of the world 4019. after the Natiuitie of Christ. 57. Hedio Ruffinus cap. 13. al 18. A broile in Caesarea betweene the Syrians and Iewes The yeare of the world 4020. after Christs birth 58. Ismael the son of Phabeus the high priest The strife betweene the high priests the priests Alias cap. 19. Foelix acculed Hedio Ruffinus cap. 14. The cutthroâ—… among the Iewes Festus discomfiteth a great deceiuer with all his â—…ollowers Hedio Ruffinus cap. 15. al. 10. The yeare of the world 4020. after Châ—…sts birth 58. The chiefest men of Ierusalem stop vp the prospect of Agrippaâ—… house Ioseph Cabi y t son of Simon made high priest Albinus gouernour of Iudaea Ananus the son of Ananus the high priest Hedio Ruffinus cap. 16. al. 21. Ananus had fiue sons that succeeded him in the priesthood The â—…eare of the world 4025. after Christs birth 43. Iames the brother of â—…ur Lord stoned Ananus accused before Albinus Iesus the sonne of Damneus possesseth Aâ—…anus place Some forcibly gather the tenths of the â—…riests The yeâ—…re of the world 4026. after Christs birth 64. The theeues apprehend Ananias kinred and seruants Caesarea Philippi new builded by Agrippa and called Neronias The Berytianâ—… receiue much kindnes at Agrippas hands Ananias Costobarus and Saul prepared to spoile the weaker Hedio Ruffinus cap. 17. al. 22. Albinus executeth the hainous malefactors Agrippa giueth them of the tribe of Leuâ—… leaue to wâ—…are linnen garments Agrippa permitteth the ministers of the temple to sing the sacred hymnes The people of the Iewes beseech the king that it may be lawfull for theÌ„ to repaire the porch Matthias the sonne of Theophilus high priest The yeare of the world 4026. after Christs natiuitie 64 Hedio Ruffinus cap. 18. The succession and number of the hie priests among the Iewes Aaron and his progenie There were 83. high priests in all The yeare of the world 4026. after the Natiuitie of Christ. 64. Aristobulus slaine by Herode supra lib. 15. cap. 3. The yeare of the world 4028. after the birth of Christ. 66. Gessius Florus gouernour of Iudaea Gessius Floruâ—… worse then Albinus The yeare of the world 4030. after Christs birth 68. Florus the originall cause of the wars of the Iewes The beginning of the warres The Epilog of the Antiquitles of the Iewes The yeere of the world 4030. after Christs birth 68. Ioseph expert in the Greeke and Hebrew tongues This volume was written The yeare of the world 4057. after Christs birth 95. Iosephus Ilnage Ioseph the son
Moses Moses was not a leper Moses tooke his name of Moy which in the Egyptian tongue signifieth water Against Chaeremon the historiographer Messenes son of Amenophis Manethons historie and Chaeremons compared together The difference betweene Manethons and Chaeremons historie Lysimachus is reproued for lying According to Lysimachus yeâ—…abbed and leprous Iewes were to be conueied into the wildernes and cast into the sea When the Iews got Iudaea and built Ierusalem Lysimus his opinion confuted Nothing is to be said against an impudent liâ—… Apion wrote something verie coldly Apion concerning Moses and the Iewes Apions fiction concerning the temple and Moses is 〈◊〉 The computatioÌ„ of the time is different among the Historiographerâ—… The friendship betweene Hiram and Salomon whereof we made mention in the first booke against Apion in the beginning The Egyptians doe call a disease about the priuie parts Sabatosis Apions fiction of the six daies iourney is confuted Apion denieth his countrey and origen Apion raileth against the Iewes as therby rewarding the Alexandrians The sea coast of Alexandria The liberties and priuiledges granted vnto the Iewes Alexander 1 Ptolomaeus Lagus 2 Ptolomaeus Philadelphus The seuentie interpreters 3. Ptolomaeus Euergetes 4. Ptolomaeus Philometor 5. Ptolomaeus Physcon ceased to to persecute the Iewes Of Cleopatra the last queene of Alexandria Anthonie the husband of Cleopatra The Iewes haue beene alwaies trustie to their princes The Egyptians do worship beasts not agreeable to mans nature The discord of the Iewes and the Alexandrians in religion The cause of discord betweene the Iewes and Alexandrians Apions fiction touching the Iewes being authors oâ—… sedition at Alexandria is confuted The Romans magnanimitie towards the Iewes The Iewes may haue no Images How Emperours and magistrates ought to be honored The lye of Possidonius and Apollonius concerning the Iewesis confuted An answere to the objection of the Asses head Who are accounted Asses amongst the Iewes and other wisemen Certaine Histo riographers endeuour to couer and hide Antiochus hiâ—… periutie and sacriledge That the Iewes ought once a yeare to sacrifice a Grecian The description of the Temple porches What was in the temple Foure Tribes of Priests and of euerie tribe more then fiue thousand men Another fable deuised by Apion of Zabidus Dora is a Citie of Phaenicia and not of Idumaea The gates of the temple Apions lie concerning the oath is confuted Apion vpbraided the Iewes with captiuitie Dauids and Salomons power Apion praiseth himselfe Why the Iewes doe sacrifice coÌ„mon beasts and do not eat swines flesh The Egyptian priests circumcised and eate no swines flesh Apions death The defence of Moses against Apolonius and Lysimachus Wherein Apolonius accuseth the Iewes The louers of order common lawes are excellent in meeknesse and vertue Moses more ancient then all other law-makers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word law is not in Homer The life of Moses Moses maketh God his guide and counceller The Origen of lawes amongst the Greeks The opinion of the wisest Greeks coÌ„cerning God Moses compared with other lawmakers Two methods of moralitie and discipline Moses commaunded all the Iewes to come heare the law The concord of the Iewes in religion What sort of people are to be made priests Of God and of the diuine prouidence The workes of God The sacrifices of the old testament Purifications vsed in sacrifice Of marriage The punishment for him that doth rauish a virgine The purification for the bodie Of the funerals of the dead The honour due to parents Against these and vsurie How we ought to vse our enemies A repetition of the precepts of the law The reward of such as keepe the law The continuance of the lawes amongst the Iewes Plato admired amongst the Greekes Lycurgus the law-maker amongst the Lacedemonians The Iewes compared with the Lacedemonians The streit laws of the lewes Moses forbiddeth to deride and blaspheme false gods only for the name of God impured vnto them The number of Gods amongst the gentle infinit The fable of Iupiter and Pallas Iupiter What is the cause of such error concerning God Poets and pain ters cause the multitude of gods Plato decreed that no poet should be permitted in a comon wealth The Lacedemonians did expell al strangers The AtheniaÌ„s manners Socrates a citizen of Athens Anaxagoras A talent is 600 crownes The Scithians The Persians manners The Iewes coÌ„stancy in their lawes Against the lawmakers of the Gentiles The iniustice of lawmakers The Iewes strict obseruation of the law The Iewes lawes are of great antiquitie The lawes of the Gentiles The Epilogue of this booke The cause why Ioseph writ these bookes against Apion A briefe rehearsall of all that is aboue said The intention of the Iewes lawes The origen of the Iewes lawes Reason hath dominion ouer our passions The death of the seuen brethren and their mother The description of reason and wisedome Griefe and paine cause or hinder passion Reason resembleth a skilfull gardener An instance of Iosephs chastitie An instance of Dauids chirst Samuel 2. 28. Dauid in his thirst refused to drinke the water he so desired Seleucus and Nicanor Simon a traitor to his countrey Appolonius captaine of Syria came with an army to Ierusalem Angels vpon horses shining with fierie brightnesse Onias by prayers obtained Appolonius his life Antiochus his rage against the Iewes Eleazar is brought vnto Antiochus 〈◊〉 Macch. 6. Antiochus his exhortation to Eleazar Eleazars answere to Antiochus Eleazar constancie Eleazar cruelly whipped Eleazars last words in the fire Reasons victorie A similitude taken from the rocke Eleazars praise Antiochus caused seueÌ„ noble young men of the Hebrews and their mother to bee brought to Antioch 2. Macch. 7. The kings exhortation to the seuen brethren The young mens constancie The seuen brethren reply vnto Antiochus Antiochus coÌ„manded Macchabeus to bee racked The death of the elder brother The second brother bought Machir the third brother is brought Iudas the fourth brother is brought The death of the fourth brother Achas The fifth brother presecnted himselfe to torments before he was called The valour of the sixt brother The sixt brother sharpely reproueth Antiochus Iacob the seuenth brother brought to torments All men are borne and must die alike The death of the youngest brother Reason mistres of our affection A similitude of the waues The seuen brethren exhort one another to suffer death manfully True brotherhood A pledge and signe of brotherly amitie The mothers griefe The mother suffered seuen torments before she was tormented A similitude from the Deluge The mothers speech exhorting her seuen sons to suffer A golden saying of the mother of her seuen children The mother followed her sonnes in torments The light of the iust 1. Cor. 15. Antiochus leuied an armie of footemen from amongst the Hebrewes Antiochus dyed stinking exceedingly 2. Mach. 9. An Epitome of the life of the seuen sonnes and their mother The ioy of the blessed in euerlasting life
them with their trumpets and the Leuites that they should sing hymnes and thankesgiuings vnto God as if said he our countrey were already deliuered from our enemies This aduise of the kings seemed pleasing vnto them all so that they performed whatsoeuer hee counselled them But God sent a great terror and disorder among the Barbarians so that supposing themselues to be enemies the one against the other they slew one an other in such sort that of so great and huge an host there was not one that escaped But Iosaphat looking downe into the valley wherein the enemies had pitcht their tents and seeing it full of dead men reioyced greatly at the vnexpected succours that God had sent him who had giuen them the victorie not by the dint of their owne swords but by his prouidence and power only He therfore permitted his army to make pillage of the enemies campe and to spoile the dead and so great was the multitude of them that were slaine that scarcely they could gather the spoiles of them in three daies space On the fourth day the people assembled togither in a valley and hollow place where they blessed God for the power and succours he had sent them by reason whereof the place was called the valley of Benediction From thence the king led backe his army into Ierusalem and for diuers daies he spent the time in offering sacrifices and making feasts After this discomfiture of his enemies was published abroad in the eares of forraine nations they were all of them affraid supposing that God did manifestly expresse his power and extend his fauour towards him And from that time forwards Iosaphat liued in great glory in iustice and pietie He likewise was a friend to the King of Israel that raigned at that time who was Achabs sonne with whom he aduentured in a voyage by sea intending to traffique with certaine merchants of Tharsis but he had a great losse for his ships were cast away by reason they were ouer-great and for this cause he had neuer more minde to exercise nauigation Hitherto haue we spoken of Iosaphat king of Ierusalem But as touching Ochozias Achabs sonne who raigned ouer Israel and was resident in Samaria he was a wicked man and resembled his father and mother euery way in his impieties and was nothing inferiour to Ieroboam in wickednes who first fell from God and made the Israelites reuolt from him The tenth yeere of his raigne the king of the Moabites rebelled against him and denied to pay him those tributes which he was wont to pay vnto Achab his father But it came to passe that as Ochozias ascended the staires of his pallace he fell downe from the toppe thereof and being sicke of the fall he sent to Accaron vnto the God called the Myiodis or flie to enquire whether he should recouer that sicknesse or no. But the god of the Hebrewes appeared to Elias the Prophet and commanded him to go and meete those messengers that were sent by Ochozias and to aske them if the people of the Israelites had not a god but that their king sent to forraine gods to enquire of his health and to charge them to returne and declare vnto their king that he should not escape that sicknesse Elias did that which God had ordained and the messengers of the king hauing vnderstood that which was declared vnto them returned backe againe with all expedition vnto him Ochozias meruailing much at their sodaine repaire asked them the cause thereof who answered him that a certaine man came vnto them who forbad them to passe any further but to shorten their way to let your maiestie know said they from God that your sicknesse shall wax worse and worse Hereupon the king commanded them to describe what manner of man he was that spake these words vnto them who answered that he was a hairie man girded with a leatherne belt and vnderstanding hereby that it was Elias he sent a captaine with fiftie souldiers vnto him commanding him to bring the Prophet prisoner vnto him This captaine that was sent perceiuing Elias sitting on the top of a mountaine commanded him to come downe and repaire vnto the king who had sent for him which if he performed not presently and willingly he threatned him to make him doe it perforce Elias answered and said vnto him To the end thou maiest know by thine owne experience that I am a true Propht I will pray that fire may fall from heauen and consume both thee and thy souldiers And incontinently after Elias had praied lightning fell downe from heauen and consumed both the captaine and his souldiers When the King had tidings of this losse he was sore displeased and sent another Captaine to Elias with the like number of soldiers as the first had who threatned the Prophet that if he would not willingly come downe he would violently pull him thence but Elias praied that fire might fall from heauen and incontinently both he and his were consumed in like manner as the first When the King had vnderstanding likewise how his second messengers had sped he sent a third vnto him who being a discreet man and courteous in condition arriuing in the place where by chance Elias was he saluted him verie courteously and said vnto him that contrarie to his owne will and to no other purpose but to fulfill the kings pleasure he was come vnto him and that they that were sent with him came not thither voluntarily but by the same commaund He therefore required him to haue compassion both of him and of his soldiers and to vouchsafe to come downe and to come after them vnto the King Elias tooke pleasure in this his discreete and courteous demeanour so as he descended and followed him As soone as he came before the kings presence he prophecied and told him that God said that since he had despised him and so lightly accounted of him as if he had beene no God or else such a one as had no power to foretell him any truth as touching his sicknes but that he had sent to the gods of the Accaronits to demaund of them as touching the successe of his sicknesse Know said he that thou shalt die And not long time after according to the prophecie he died in such manner as Elias had foretold him his brother Ioram succeeded him in the kingdome because he departed without issue This Ioram was a wicked man also and as impious as his father for abandoning the seruice of the true God he adored straunge gods In all things else he was a man of execution In his time Elias was no more seene amongst men and vntill this day no man knoweth what his ende was But he left a disciple behind him called Elizaeus as we haue heretofore declared It is written in holy writ as touching Elias and Enoch who was before the Deluge that they vanished for no man hath knowne of their
deaths After that Ioram had taken possession of the kingdome he resolued to make warre vpon Misa the king of the Moabites who paid Achab his father before him the tribute of 200000. sheepe bearing wooll Whenas therefore he had assembled his forces he sent vnto Iosaphat requiring him that since he had beene his fathers friend he would likewise second and send him ayde in his intended warre against the Moabites who had as then newly reuolted from his gouernment Iosaphat not only promised him to yeeld him succours but moreouer he assured him that he would draw the king of Idumaea who was his subiect into their association When Ioram vnderstood these things by those whom he had sent vnto Iosaphat hee tooke his army with him and repaired to Ierusalem where he was magnificently receiued and intertained by the King of that Citie where after they had concluded to march thorow the desart of Idumaea and that way to charge the enemie in that they expected nothing lesse then to be endangered on that side these three kings departed together from Ierusalem namely the king of Ierusalem the king of Samaria and the king of Idumaea Now when they had marched some seuen daies iourney they found a great sarcitie of water amongst them both to water their horses to refresh their whole army by reason that their guides had led them astray out of the high way so that they were in great want and in especiall Ioram who by reason of the necessitie wherwith he was pressed cried vnto God expostulating with him for what offence of his he would betray three such kings as were there present into the hands of the king of Moab without stroke strooken But Iosaphat who was a vertuous man encouraged him and sent into the army to know whether there were any Prophet of God that had followed them to the battell to the intent said he that we may vnderstand by God what we ought to do and whereas one of the seruants of Ioram said that he had seene Elizaeus the sonne of Saphat the disciple of Elias all the three kings by the sollicitation of Iosaphat resorted vnto him now when they drewe neere vnto the Prophets tent which he had pitched apart from the rest of the company they asked him what should become of the army and Ioram in especiall questioned with him To whom Elizeus answered that he had no reason to sollicite him in this sort but to repaire vnto his fathers and mothers Prophets who would certifie him the truth Notwithstanding Ioram intreated him that he would prophecie and continue the preseruation of the army and the defence of his life but Elizeus sware by the liuing God that he would answere him nothing except for Iosaphats sake who was an vpightman and such a one as feared God Afterwards calling vnto them a certaine man that could cunningly play vpon instruments for so had the Prophet commaunded whilest he sung Elizeus was rauished with a diuine spirit and enioyned the kings to make certaine trenches in the channell of the riuer for said he you shall see the riuer full of water without either vvind cloud or raine so that both the whole army and all their cattell shall be saued and sufficiently sustained and God will not onely bestow these benefits on you but will giue you the vpper hand of your enemies also and you shal surprise the fairest and strongest Cities of the Moabites and you shall cut downe their trees ruinate their countrey and fill vp their fountaines and riuers When the Prophet had spoken thus the next day before sunne rise the riuer flowed aboundantly with water for some three daies iourney off God had suffered a very strong and setled raine to fall in Idumaea so that both the soldiers and their horses were sufficiently refreshed and watered When the Moabites were informed that the three kings came out against them tooke their way thorow the desart their king presently assembled his army and commaunded them to keepe the passages of the mountaines to the end they might hinder the enemy from entring their countrey vnawares Who beholding about the sunne rise that the water of the riuer was bloud red for at that time it arose in the countrey of Moab and at this houre the water is red they conceiued a false opinion that the three kings being pressed by thirst had slaine one another and that the riuer flowed with their bloud Being in this sort seduced with this imagination they besought the king to giue them leaue to gather their enemies spoiles which when they had obtained they altogether inconsiderately matched forth as if to a pray alreadie prepared for them and came vnto the kings campes vnder hope to find no man to resist them But their hope deceiued them for their enemies enuironed them round about and some of them were cut in peeces the rest turned backe and fled towards their owne countrey and the three kings entring into the territories of the Moabites destroyed their Cities pillaged the champion countrey disfigured their inclosures filling them with stones and mud taken out of the riuer cut downe their fairest trees stopped vp the sources of their waters and leuelled their wals with the ground The king of the Moabites himselfe seeing himselfe pursued and besieged and that his Citie was in daunger to be taken perforce sallied out verie valiantly with seuen hundreth men hoping by the swiftnes of his horse to breake thorow the Israelites campe on that side where he thought it was least defenced Which when he had attempted and could not execute because he charged on that side which was the best defended he returned backe againe into the Citie and committed a desperate and hatefull action for he tooke his eldest sonne who ought in right to succeede him in the kingdome and set him on the wall of the Citie and in the sight of all his enemies offered him for a burnt sacrifice vnto God The kings beholding this wofull spectacle were moued with compassion of his necessitie and ouercome with humanitie and mercy leuied the siege and returned backe againe into their countries After that Iosaphat was returned into Ierusalem he enioyed a peaceable gouernment but liued not long time after this exploit but died when he was threescore yeares olde in the fiue and twentith yeare of his raigne and was magnificently buried in Ierusalem according as the successour of Dauids vertue and kingdome ought to be entombed CHAP. II. Ioram obtaining the kingdome of Ierusalem slewe his brothers and his fathers friends HE left behind him diuers children the eldest of whom he appointed his successor in the kingdome who was called Ioram as his vncle was who was his mothers brother and Achabs sonne whilome king of Israel The king of the ten lines returning backe vnto Samaria kept with him the Prophet Elizaeus whose actions I wil heere recite because they are notable deserue to be registred in writing
twenty and three yeers olde who raigned in Ierusalem his mothers name was Ametala he was a man full of impietie and of a malignant and peruerse nature The King of Aegypt returning from the warre sent vnto Ioaz commanding him to meet with him in Samath a Citie of Syria where he was no sooner arriued but he kept him prisoner committing the kingdome to Eliacim his brother on the fathers side who was his elder brother likewise He changed his name also and called him Ioachim he imposed atribute also on Iudaea of one hundreth talents of siluer and a talent of golde which Ioachim paid And as touching Ioaz hee led him into Aegypt where he finished his daies after he had been king three moneths and ten daies Now Ioachims mother was called Zabuda of the Citie of Abuma He was a wicked person and of a malignant nature hauing neither pietie towardes God nor respect of equitie towardes men CHAP. VI. Nabuchodonosors army commeth into Syria IN the fourth yeere of his raigne a certaine man called Nabuchodonosor possessed the kingdome of Babylon who at that time went out with a great army against Carchabesa a Citie scituate neere vnto Euphrates resoluing with himselfe to fight against Nechao king of Aegypt vnder whose power all Syria was subiect Nechao vnderstanding of the Babylonians intent and how great his army was made verie little account thereof but with a huge army addressed himselfe towards Euphrates with an intent to repulse Nabuchodonosor But he was ouercome in battell and lost diuers thousands of his men Whereupon the Babylonian passing Euphrates seazed all Syria as far as Pelusium Iudaea onely excepted The fourth yeere that Nabuchodonosor raigned ouer these conquered countries the eight yeere of the raigne of Ioachim ouer the Hebrewes the Babylonians led forth his army against the Iewes with a mightie power threatning them to vse al hostility except Ioachim would pay him tribute Ioachim fearing his threats bought his peace with siluer and paid him for three yeers space the tributes that were imposed on him But in the third yeere vnderstanding that the Aegyptian was vp in armes against the Babylonian he denied the paiment of the tribute notwithstanding he was frustrated of his hope for the Aegyptians were not so hardy as to make warre All which the Prophet Ieremy daily foretold him signifying vnto him that he builded his hope in vaine vpon the Aegyptians and that it would fall out that the Citie should be ouerthrowne by the king of Babylon and Ioachim himselfe should be deliuered prisoner into his hands But because there was no meanes for them to escape this iustice all that which he said was nothing auailable For notwithstanding the people and gouernours heard thereof yet made they no reckoning of the same but were displeased with those counsailes which he proposed vnto them accusing Ieremy as if he tooke pleasure to vtter and publish ominous and aduerse presages against the king they likewise called him in question before the kings counsaile and required that he might be condemned Whereupon some of them gaue sentence against him the rest reproouing the aduise of the elders that were thus addicted tooke a more discreete course and caused the Prophet to depart out of the kings house forbidding his aduersaries to doe him any mischiefe they protesting that he had not only foretolde the future calamities of the city but that many before him had done the like as Micheas and diuers others yet that no one of them had suffered any euill by the kings of their time but that contrariwise Micheas had been honoured as a Prophet sent from God By these words they appeased the people and deliuered Ieremy from the death intended against him This man wrote all his prophecies and red them to the people in their fasts and assembled them in the temple in the ninth moneth of the fifth yeere of the raigne of Ioachim which booke he had composed touching that which should happen vnto the Citie the temple and the people When the gouernours heard the same they tooke the booke from him and commanded that both he and his secretarie Baruch should withdraw themselues out of the sight of men and they tooke the booke and presented it vnto the king who in the presence of his friends commanded his secretarie to reade the same and after he had heard the contents thereof he waxed wondrous wroth and renting it in pieces cast it into the fire intending that it should neuer be seene He sent out likewise a strickt commission to seeke out Ieremy and his secretarie Baruch and to lead them out to be punished But they had preuented his indignation CHAP. VII Nabuchodonosor putteth Ioachim to death and establisheth Ioachin in the kingdome NOt long after this he went out to meete the king of Babylon who was marched out to make warre against him and being incredulous and carelesse of the Prophets predictions he opened the gates vnto him supposing that he intended him no euill But when the Babylonians were entred into the Citie the King obserued not his promises but put all such to death as were in the flower and beautie of their yeeres and spared none of the inhabitants of Ierusalem with them also he slew their king Ioachim and caused his body to be cast from the toppe of the wals and vouchsafed him no sepulture establishing Ioachin his sonne King of the countrey and of the citie Moreouer he tooke three thousand of the most honourable Citizens of Ierusalem prisoners and led them to Babylon with him amongst whom was the Prophet Ezechiel at that time very yoong in yeers This was the end of king Ioachim who liued thirty six yeeres and raigned eleuen Ioachin that succeeded him in the kingdome was the sonne of Nosta of Ierusalem and raigned three moneths and ten daies CHAP. VIII Nabuchodonosor changeth his purpose and besiegeth Ioachin and receiueth him vnder composition AS soone as the Babylonian had bestowed the kingdome of Iudaea on Ioachin he was seazed with a sodaine feare which made him suspect least Ioachin remembring himselfe of the iniuries he had done vnto him by the murther of his father might draw the countrey into rebellion and reuolt against him For which cause he sent out certaine forces and besieged Ioachin in Ierusalem who being a man of a good nature and of an vpright heart was loth to forsake the Citie in that danger without a gouernour considering that it was for his cause that the common weale was in that hazard For which cause taking his wife and his neerest akin with him he deliuered them into the hands of the captaines that were sent against him receiuing an oth from them that neither they nor the Citie should receiue any harme But this promise continued not a yeere for the King of Babylon obserued it not but commanded his captaines to imprison all the youth and artificers that were in the Citie and to bring
enuironed it round about with vallies so deepe that the bottome thereof cannot bee descried neither could one passe ouer them nor fill them vp for that which is on the West part is threescore stounds large and endeth at the lake Asphaltites and on this side Macherus hath a verie high prospect and it is inuironed on the North and South with vallies of the like measure that the former is whereby it is impossible to winne the Castle but that vallie which is on the East side is at least a hundred cubits deepe and it endeth vpon a mountaine neer vnto Machaerus King Alexander seeing the nature of the place did there build a Castle which afterward Gabinius in the warre against Aristobulus destroyed But Herode when he was King iudged this place worthie to be fortified as a principall defence against the neighboring Arabians For it was aptly situate vpon a mountaine where one might behold their borders wherefore making a large wall he builded a Citie there in the place that men doe enter vnto the Castle he also compassed the verie top thereof with another wall and in the corners he placed towers that were threescore cubites high and in the verie middest of all he built a pallace for largenesse and beautie admirable and made many Cesterns to receiue water in conuenient places which serued the people aboundantly as it were striuing with nature that the places which he had made inexpugnable he by Art might make places more strong then that was He also laid vp there in store arrowes and engines and made all prouision wherewith the Inhabitants might bee able to hold out a great siege In the Kings pallace there grew the herb called Rue which was verie admirable for the greatnesse for there was no figge tree taller or broader then it and it was reported that it had continued euer since Herods time and had endured longer had not the Iewes Inhabitants of the place cut it downe In the vallie that lieth on the North side of the Citie there is a place called Baaras where also groweth a roote of the same name the colour whereof resembleth the flame and it shineth at night like the Sunne beames and is not easie to bee pulled vp till that one cast vpon it the vrine of a woman or her flowers which done whosoeuer toucheth it is sure to die except he carrie the roote hanging on his hand It is also gathered another way without daunger after this manner They digge all round about it so that they leaue a verie little of the roote couered with earth and then they tie a dog vnto it which striuing to follow his master who maketh as though he would goe away he easily pulleth vp the roote and the dogge presently dieth as it were in his stead that seeketh to get it so that afterward none that handleth it or taketh it neede to stand in any feare therof This herb notwithstanding al this danger is diligently sought out for the vertue it hath Fo◅ it driueth away diuels which are the spirits of wicked men out of mens bodies if it be but applied vnto them whereas otherwise if they had no helpe these diuels possessing their bodies would kill them Out of that place also doe spring certaine hot waters verie different in taste one from another for some are bitter some sweete there are also sources of could waters one neere vnto another in a plaine but which is most admirable there is a caue hard by not very deepe enuironed with an eminent rocke aboue from the which their cōmeth as it were two dugges or paps hard by one another and out of the one of them their floweth verie cold water out of the other verie hot which mingled together make a pleasant bath and serue to cure many diseases and especially helpeth all paines of the sinnewes In the same place also are mines of Sulphure and Alume Bassus hauing viewed this place on euerie side resolued to besiege it and endeuoured to fill vp the valley that was on the East side and so make away vnto it which he began to doe hastening to raise a verie high mount and so make it easie to be taken Those that were inhabitants constrained Iewes that were strangers to go into the lower citie iudging them an vnprofitable multitude and so caused them to endure the first brunt of the enemies and they themselues kept the Castle both for that it was strong and also to preserue themselues hoping that by yeelding the place vnto the Romans they might obtaine pardon of them yet first they purposed to make triall if they could auoide the siege and therefore verie couragiously euerie day they made excursions and fought with them they found and many were slaine on both parts Fortune and opportunitie sometime caused one to be victors sometime another for the Iewes got the best when they could assault the Romans at vnawares and the Romans ouercame when they were aware of the Iewes comming and armed themselues But the siege was not ended by these skirmishes yet a chance befell that forced the Iewes to yeelde their Castle Amongst them that were besieged was one Eleazar a young man and verie hardy and bold in any enterprise who oftentimes made excursions and sought to hinder the Romans worke who alwaies in euerie fight did greatly endomage the Romanes and by his valour and aduenturous courage he gaue them that were his fellowes opportunitie to assault the Romans and to flie againe and retire in safetie himselfe being alwaies the last that so retired It happened one day that the fight being ended and both parts parted he as it were contemning all men and thinking that none of his enemies durst vndertake to combate with him staied without the gate speaking to them that were vpon the wall giuing great attention vnto them Then one Rufus an Aegyptian one of the Roman army espying this opportunitie ranne vpon him so suddenly that he at vnawares tooke him all armed as he was and they vpon the wals stood amazed whilest Rufus led him vnto the Romans campe Then the General of the Romans caused him to be led into a place where they in the citie might see him there to haue all his cloathes taken off him and whipped and the misfortune of this young man did greatly discourage the Iewes and all the citie was resolued into teares for the calamitie of that one man Bassus seeing this he deuised this councell against them for he sought to mooue them so to compassion that for to saue him they should yeeld their castle which fell out as he desired For he presently commanded a crosse to be erected as though he would presently haue crucified Eleazar which sight greatly mooued them in the Castle to sorrow so that now with lowd cries they lamented saying that this calamitie was insupportable Then Eleazar besought them not to despise him who was now to die a most miserable death and
moreouer to prouide for their owne safetie in yeelding the castle vnto the Romans vertue and fortunate successe Then they mooued with his words and many also within the Citie intreating for him for he came of a great parentage and had many kinsfolks though contrarie to their natures compassion tooke place in them and so sending some of their companie speedily they desired to parley affirming that they would yeeld their castle vpon condition that they might safely depart away and Eleazar might be likewise restored vnto them Which offer of theirs the Romans accepted and the Iewes in the lower part of the Citie hauing intelligence of this couenant resolued themselues to flie away in the night but so soone as they had opened their gates those that had agreed with Bassus gaue him intelligence thereof either enuying that their countrimen should escape or els fearing that Bassus would punish them for their flight yet for all this the most valiant of them that sled escaped who were gone before the rest and the rest were slaine to the number of a thousand and seuen hundreth men for the women and children were made bondslaues And Bassus thinking it meete to keepe his promise vnto them of the castle permitted them safely to depart and restored Eleazar vnto them CHAP. XXVI Of the Iewes that Bassus slew and how he sold Iudaea THis done he prepared to carrie his army into the pasture called Iardes for he had notice that many Iewes were there assembled togither who had escaped from Ierusalem and Machaera during the siege So comming vnto the place and finding it to be as it was reported vnto him he first of all enuironed it with horsemen that if any one of the Iewes sought to escape the horsemen might withstand them and he commanded the footmen to cut downe the wood into the which they fled to hide themselues And so through necessitie they were constrained to fight hoping by a couragious fight to find opportunitie to flie wherefore they altogither with a crie violently assaulted them by whom they were inuironed and they did valiantly withstand them and by their valour and the Iewes desperation the fight endured a long time yet the euent of the warre was not like vnto the rest of the fight for onely twelue Romans were slaine and verie few wounded and all the Iewes were slaine in that fight being in number three thousand and their captaine Iudas the sonne of Iairus of whom we haue already made mention who during the siege of Ierusalem was commaunder of a companie there hid himselfe in a certaine caue and secretly escaped from thence At that time Caesar writ vnto Liberius Maximus his Gouernour and vnto Bassus to sell Iudaea for he did not build in all the countrey any Citie but appropriated it vnto himselfe leauing there onely eight hundreth souldiers and giuing them a place to dwell in called Emaus thirtie stounds distant from Ierusalem and he imposed a tribute vpon all Iewes vvheresoeuer they liued commanding euerie one of them euerie yeere to bring two drachmes into the Capitole according as in former times they weere woont to pay vnto the temple of Ierusalem and this was the estate of the Iewes at that time CHAP. XXVII Of the death of King Antiochus and how the Alanes inuaded Armenia IN the fourth yeere of Vespasians raigne it happened that Antiochus king of the Comagenes with all his family fell into great miserie vpon this occasion Cesennius Petus gouernour of Syria either for enuie or for that indeed it was so for it is not wel knowne sent letters vnto Caesar declaring vnto him that Antiochus was determined to reuolte from the Romans togither with his sonne Epiphanes and had made a league with the king of the Parthians and that therefore it was necessarie to preuent them in time least that if they first began to reuolt openly they might trouble all the Roman Empire with warres Caesar did not neglect these newes for that the neerenesse of both the kings countries one to another seemed to require that they should be quickly preuented for Samosata the greatest Citie of Comagena is scituate vpon Euphrates which might both easily receiue the Parthians and be a strong hold for them and also there they might easily passe ouer the riuer Wherfore Vespasian beleeuing it permitted him to doe what he thought expedient and he forthwith Antiochus thinking nothing suddenly entred into Comagene with the sixt legion and certaine other companies of footmen and troupes of horsemen accompanied with Aristobulus king of Chalcidis and Sohemus king of Emesa who came to assist him So they entred the countrey without any fight for none of the inhabitants offered to resist Antiochus daunted with these vnexpected newes did not so much as thinke of any warre against the Romans wherefore he determined to leaue the whole kingdome in that estate that then it was in and with his wife and children depart from thence hoping hereby to cleare himselfe vnto the Romans from that which they suspected of him and going almost a hundreth and thirtie stounds from the Citie into a field there he placed a tabernacle And Petus sent men vnto Samosata to take it and left them to keepe the Citie and he with the rest of the souldiers purposed to go against Antiochus But for all this the king though by necessitie vrged thereunto yet would he not fight against the Romans but bewailing his misfortune enduted patiently all whatsoeuer but his sonnes being Iustie strong young men and skilfull in martiall affaires could not easily abstaine from fight in that their distresse Wherefore Epiphanes and Callinicus his two sonnes had recourse vnto their forces and in a great fight that dured a whole day they shewed their valour and departed receiuing no losse But Antiochus after this fight would not any longer abide in his countrey but taking his wife and daughters he fled into Cilicia and thereby discouraged his souldiers who despairing to keepe the kingdome for him reuolted vnto the Romans But Epiphanes and the rest were forced to seeke to saue themselues before such time as they were left destitute and so accompanied with ten horsmen he passed the riuer Euphrates and thus being out of daunger they came to Vologesus of whom they were receiued not as fugitiues but with great honor and according to their degree as though they yet possessed their auncient dignitie And Petus comming to Tarsus of Cilicia he sent a Centurion to carrie Antiochus bound vnto Rome But Vespasian permitted not a king to be so brought vnto him thinking it meete to consider the olde friendship betweene them then to perseuer in danger and not to be pacified by reason of vvarre Wherefore he commaunded that in the way as he came he should be vnbound and a while to liue at Lacedemon and leaue his iourney towards Rome allowing great store of mony sufficient to maintaine a kingly dignitie Epiphanes and they
the sacrifice and eate of the swines flesh for it is contrarie to all wise mens aduice to credit the Iewes opinions and to refuse that meate which nature hath as well ordained for mankind as any other Wee shew our selues vngratefull for Gods benefits who contemne his graces and make difference where nature hath made none or what reason is there to shew that this beast is more abhominable then others Either all beasts are to be eaten or else all to be eschewed it is superstition and idlenesse to barre our selues from any thing by a law when we haue no other for it but our will Set apart those vaine and sottish opinions and at least in this venerable age chaunge thy opinion into better Or suppose your lawes are forcible and to be obserued yet will they excuse thee seeing thou dost not sinne voluntarily but by compulsion Eleazar being permitted to speake thus replied to Antiochus who both exhorted and forced him to breach of his lawes Wee Antiochus do not follow a vaine report but we obserue the veritie of religion which our fathers kept and feare of torments cannot make vs embrace an other religion and forsake our owne yea suppose our religion deliuered to vs by our forefathers had no firme grounds yet would I in nothing no not compelled by torments forsake it Do not esteeme it a small matter to eate impious meat and to taste of that which is sacrificed to the Idols for it is a prophane thing to touch things that are prophane Our law condemneth your philosophie wherein he is most ignorant that thinketh himselfe most wise We are taught to embrace sobrietie to subdue in vs all inordinate appetite to keepe our bodies chast and to suffer with patience whatsoeuer for Gods sake is inflicted vpon vs and not to denie the truth iustice or pietie or God who alone is true and thefore I refuse this prophane meat well knowing what I ought to eate as warranted therein by the precept of Almightie God whose lawes I haue learned to obey and eschew all meats sacrificed vnto Idols and embrace with all my force that which is expedient for the soule it is open tyranny to compell any one to that which religion forbiddeth and to commaunde that which is contrarie to iustice Doe what thou wilt mocke at thy pleasure yet shalt thou be more derided then thou thy selfe deridest I will persist in the holy steps of my forefathers notwithstanding thou therefore with tyrannous hands plucke out mine eies and with a sharpe knife rip vp my entrailes thou shalt neuer conquer me I will die safe and sound and patient in the loue of God neither flatter thy selfe for that I am aged and that my bodie is now feeble if need be that I must be sacrificed for Gods sake thou shald finde me in these yeeres as lustie as a child as constant as a young man yea most ioyful in torments and prepare an extraordinarie fire for me or what else soeuer thou shalt find me more constant midst torments then now I am before I came to them O sacred religion I will neuer violate thee the foundation of my saluation the defence of the beleeuer the ground of faith neuer will I lift vp my hands contrarie to thy precepts neuer will I beleeue any thing to be iust which is repugnant to that which thou hast taught me I wil not loose the merit of so many yeers nor relinquish the faith I haue hitherto embraced The chast pure deuout company of fathers shall receiue me into their number where I shall not feare O impious king thy threats But thou hast changed the name of king to tyrāt yet thou shalt neuer alleage against me my deed my consent my word Whilst Eleazar full of constancie and libertie spake thus the souldiers that stood there about hailed him to be tortured and stripping him naked they hanged him vp and whipped him and whilst on either side he was beaten a crier with an impious voice still cried vnto him obey the kings pleasure and commaund But worthie Eleazar was not ouercome by torment but suffered all tortures as though he had beene in rest and sleepe and did manfully and without feare endure all torments and fixing his venerable eies vpon heauen he knew in whom he beleeued and to whom he sacrificed his soule and beholding the flesh on each side rent and torne from his bodie and the bloud issuing out in great aboundance he admired his owne patience and thanked God the author thereof At last feeling in himselfe the frailtie of all flesh which is scarcely able to endure so sharpe torments he fell vpon his face which with stripes was all rent and torne still glorifying God as he did before his fall Then one of the souldiers to gratifie the king did like a mad man spurne and tread vpon him thereby to increase his torments more But Eleazar both strong in bodie and mind did like a right champion of the true God neuer shrinke at those paines but this patient olde man did by patience ouercome the crueltie of his tormentors so that euen the torturers thēselnes admired that he endured so many torments Then the kings officers comming vnto him said how long Eleazar wilt thou neglect to obey the king to free thy selfe from torments eate of the flesh of swine redeeme thy selfe from all thou endurest Eleazar although in this martyrdome he had beene silent yet could he not without answering endure to heare so prophane counsaile but as tormented with this speach he cried out We sonnes of the Hebrewes are not so effeminate as to forsake the way of our saluation wherein we haue walked euen vntil our olde age neither are we taught for the auoiding of contumelie which will not long continue to giue others example and occasion to sinne it is but a while that this life is to continue so that we forsake but a smal trifle yet hope we for that which is of great moment Wilt thou tyrant esteeme of vs if we should yeeld vnto thee nay thou mightest iustly reprooue our inconstancie We will therefore die and resigne our soules O venerable father Abraham into thy bosome The souldiers seeing his constancie did by the kings commaund cast him into the fire and powred stincking and loathsome liquors into his nostrils All which this reuerent olde man did most willingly suffer and so was consumed with the flame yet when nature began to faile hee spake after this manner lifting vp his daseled eies to heauen Thou art he O God from whom life and saluation proceedeth behold I die for obseruing thy lawes be mercifull vnto this thy nation and do not forsake them whom thou hast hitherto protected euen in thy bosome and vnder the shadow of the wings of thy clemencie let my death ende all miserie and pacifie thy wrath bent against our whole nation for their offences receiue me for them all and bestow them all vpon me And amidst
these speeches he ioyfully yeelded vp the Ghost It is most true therefore which we at first affirmed to wit that the enduring of paines and torments is wrought by our reasons lore which once determined and resolued maketh a prosperous suffering of paines with all patience who wisely aduising men to that which is best doth settle confirme our opinions to follow it If therefore reason and the inferiour powers be at variance we must subiect them to reason if we will make a perfect victorie With this guide of reason our father Eleazar was most safely directed neither to be ouercome with paines nor to giue place vnto vnlawfull enticements and allurements he saued the ship of his bodie from all shipwracke that might arise by the tempestuous stormes of vanitie and suffered himselfe with no contrarie winde to be driuen from the right course yea though it was tossed vpon the waues of tyrannie yet did it remaine sound and vnbroken and keeping a direct course arriued in the hauen of saluation Neuer any man did seeke so valiantly to defend his Citie from an enemie as this holy olde man did his soule who amongst stripes crosses and flames was still the same man he was before For as the toppe of a high rocke standeth sase and resisteth the waue without any domage vnto it selfe euen so did the rocke of reason in this man beat backe the rage of those tempestuous waues that did beat against his bodie not permitting them to breake in and pierce the celestiall and diuine power of the soule O happie olde man more blessed then all of thy age O priest more sacred then all other priests who didst not pollute thy sacred lips with prophane meats impietie found no entrance that way from whence so many praiers to God had proceeded The tyrants cruelty could not preuaile against thee thou therfore art made an example for all priests of God to imitate Such a one behooued it a priest to be more strong then torments more able to suffer then the torturers to inflict punishment more forcible then princes commands yea and more potent then the fire wherein thou didst perish and finally thou wast ordained to be crowned with the lawrell of martyrdome for thy sufferance Thou hast surpassed all antiquitie thou shalt be an example to all posterity If then feeble olde age wherein al strength and heat of bodie was extinguished now vnfit to suffer torments as being alreadie broken with age could by the aduice of reason endure so many torments so many miseries who dare denie reason to be the chiefe cause of our sufferance We haue seene that all cruelty hath beene ouercome by a determination to persist in the seruice and feare of God yet many affirme that not all men who vse the aduice of reason are able to vndergoe such agonies but their assertion is vaine and of no force for most euident it is that he onely is ouercome by paine whom wisedome hath not armed with patience And no maruaile if he who rashly enterprise so waightie a matter and with due consideration do at last forsake and repent himselfe of that which he so vnaduisedly vndertooke But if we with due aduice and deliberation arme ourselues it is not an easie matter to remoue vs by any misfortune from our determination when we make account that misfortune will betide vs we are not easily dismaied thereat when it doth beride for that nothing befell vs that we expected not Therefore he that is wise and valiant is able to conquer his passions for that he doth well deli berate and when he commeth to his agony can put his determination in execution Neither is the wisedome of this olde man so much to be admired seeing children and as it were infants haue so deserued commendations in this point that they did worke astonishment in their tormentors for the courage and crueltie of Antiochus being ouercome by the wisedome of old age was now the more increased and by wicked counsell caused seuen worthie children of the Hebrews to be brought vnto Antioch out of their Castle Sosandrum who being young in yeeres and so as hee thought weake and vnable to suffer torments his hope was that either by perswasions or terror of tortures he might force them to renounce their religion He therefore commaunded these seuen together with their mother Salomona who now grew well in yeeres to bee brought before him so they according to his commaund were brought being of excellent beautie and worthie children of so vertuous a mother yea they resembled angels their faces shining like the cleare light of the Sunne their eyes sparkled in most comely and decent maner as testifying that they surpassed in vertue al other of humane race and condition Shee was descended of most vertuous and noble parentage and so shee her selfe had continued and liued but that excellent feature of body enriched with nobilitie of bloud and dignitie was now also made more noble by vertue and fortitude wherein shee passed all other things that could bee said in her commendations The tyrant beholding them and their mother amongst them with merrie and gladsome countenance hee thus craftily spake vnto the children I wish your good O admirable young-men for so both your beautie of body and noble parentage perswade me doe not therefore like mad men resist my commaund auoide not onely torments but death also For I desire not onely to exalt you vnto honour but also to increase your riches and possessions contemne the superstitious and superfluous beliefe of your Countrimen and imbrace our religion Which if you refuse to doe as I hope you will not I will deuise all torments whereby I may by a lingering and paineful death consume you And to the end to terrifie them the more he commaunded all instruments of torment to bee presented vnto their view and eye-sight So wheeles roddes hookes rakes rackes caudrons cagâ—… gridirons were brought forth and engines to torment the fingers and hands gauntlets awles bellowes brazen pots and frying pans for these are the names which we find For that which I terme bellowes was a thinne plate of yron to kindle or blow the fire with like a fanne and farre more horrible deuises of torments were shewed vnto them too long to rehearse whereof they hauing had a sight Antiochus said Consent vnto me O prudent young men for if that I commaund you to commit a sinne yet doe you not offend in doing it seeing you commit it onely vpon compulsion But the young youthes inflamed with a diuine spirit and sense contemned so many kinds of torments and despised the tyrants threates and flatteries and most godly for they gaue him no iust occasion they did driue the tyrant into a greater rage And by this it is euident how reason is maister ouer passion for if any slouthful man not before trained vp to it should of a sodaine come to such a push at the verie sight of such torments