a. high priesthood confirmed to him 80. g h i. giueth his stoole to Eleazar 82. h. his death ibid. h. Aarons rod fructifieth 81. a. Abdon Iudge of Israel 120. k. renowmed for his issue ibid. k. Abel second son of Adam 5. a. is commended ibid. a b. is stain by his brother and why ibid b c. Abias leuieth an army 211 b. ouercommeth Ieroboam 211. f. dieth 212. g. his issue ibid. Abiathar escapes Sauls hands 149. d. telleth Dauid of his families slaughter 150. g. asketh counsell of God 157. b. dispossessed of the priesthood 191. d. holpe Adonias 186. l. Abigal pacifieth Dauid 152 k l m. after married to Dauid 153. b. Abihu Aarons son burned 67. a. and why ibid a. Abimelech king of Gerar enamoured of Sara 16 i. plagued for taking her ibid i. made a couenant with Abraham ibid l. expelleth Isaac his countrey 21. b. after maketh a league with him ibid. c. d. Abimelech Gedeons bastard sonne 117. c. killeth 69. of his brethren and vsurpeth ibid. e f. practiseth against the Sichemites 118. i k. slaieth them and sacketh their Citie ib. l. burned the Sichemites fled to the rock 118. l m. taketh Tebez 119. a. is wounded and slaine ibid. Abiram rebellious 79. a b. he and those that were with him swallowed vp 80. g. Abisai ouercommeth the Idumaeans 167. c. sent against the Ammonites 169. a. Abisai 183. c. Abisace nourisheth Dauid 186. i. Abner Sauls vncle 132. l. questioneth with Saul ibid. m. Generall of his army 147. c. maketh Isboseth king 160. g. reuolteth from Isboseth 161. a. killeth Azael 160. perswadeth the Gouernours to create Dauid king 161. c d. is slaine 162. g. Abraham son of Thares 11. c. tenth from Noe ib. e. taught the Aegyptians religion artes 13. b c. first preacher of the word 12. i. his wisedome ib. an Astronomer 12. k. 13. c. an Arithmetitian ibid. c. his house 12. l. oppressed by famine ibid. m. deuided the land with Lot 13. c. rescueth Lot and the Sodomites 14. h. A son promised him 14. k. 15. b. foretolde his progenie to be euill intreated 14. k l. circumcised himselfe and Ismael 15. b. entertaineth Angels and entreateth for the Sodomites ib. d e. intended to offer his son 18. h. k. marrieth Chetura 19. prouideth a wife for his son ib. d. dieth 20. l. is commended ibid. Absence of Dauid excused 147. c d. Absolon killeth Amnon 173. a. fled to Gessur 173. c. reuoked from banishment and how ibid. d e. affecteth the kingdome 174. k. proclaimed king ibid. l. passeth ouer Iordan 177. d. his ouerthrow 178. h. slaine by Ioab ib. i. Abundance foretold 40. l. Abundance of siluer 204. h. Abundance of victuals foreshewed 228. i k. effected 229. d. Abundance of victuall shewed 722. g h. Acclamation of the people 451. c. Accusation of Laban against Iacob 25. b. of Iacob against him ib. d e. of Putifars wife against Ioseph 32. g. of Doeg against Achimelech 149. a. of Aristobulus and Hyrcanus 353. b c. of Antipater against his brethren 595. f. of Herod and Nicholaus 602. m. 603. a. 604. h. of Antipater against Archelaus 609. d. of the Iewes 612. k. Achab son of Amri king of Israel 214. h. followeth impieties ibid. tooke to wife Iesabell ibid. seeketh Elias 215. c. coueteth Naboths vineyard 217. b. his repentance ibid. f. twise ouercommeth the Syrians 219. a b d. reprooued for dismissing Adad 220. h i. imprisoneth Micheas and why 220. i. 221. b. reiected his aduice 221. e. f. wounded dieth 222. g h. Achabs 70. sons 232. Achar stole the spoiles dedicated to God 102 m. hid them in his tent 103. a. found guiltie and put to death ibid. c. d. Achaz of Iuda sacrificeth his son 241. a. serueth Idols ib. a b. 242. g. ouerthrown in battell 241. c. hireth Theglaphalasar 241. f. shutteth the temple gates 242. h. dieth ibid. Achias reprooued Salomon 204. l. foretold Ieroboam to be king ouer 10. tribes 205. c. Achis a king of the Philistines 148. h. leadeth out Dauid against the Hebrewes 156. k. dismisseth him and why ibid. l m. Achitophels counsell against Dauid 176. a. hangeth himselfe 177. b. Acmes letter to Antipater 446. m. 447. a. executed 450. g. Acquaintance of Rebecca with Abrahams seruant 20. g. Act of Saul most malicious 149. d. an Action how said to be good 140. h. Action of Saul and his people 139. e. Acts of the Israelites 109. b c d e f. Acts of Simon against the Zelous 692. h. c. Act most cruell 723. c. d. Actian warre 584 h. Adad king of Damasco ouercome 167. a. Adad king of Syria proposeth conditions to Achab 218. h i. k. ouerthrowne 217. a. his second expedition ibid. c. taken prisoner is dismissed ibid. d e. discomfiteth and slaieth Achab 222. g. h. asketh counsell of Elizaeus 229. c. his death foretold 229. f. Adam created and how 3. f. placed in paradice 4. g. forbidden the tree of knowledge onely 4. h. transgresseth ibid. i. cast out of Paradice 5. a. begot Cain and Abel ibid. a and other children also 6. g. his age and death ibid. g h. 7. b. prophecied of a twofold destruction ibid. h. Adar a moneth of the Hebrewes 99. e. Ader enemie to Salomon 205. a. spoiled the landes of the Israelites 205. c. Adoni-bezec taken 109. c. punished confesseth Gods iustice ibid. c. Adonias affecteth the kingdome 186. i. flieth to the Altar 187. d. requireth Abisace 291. a c. slaine ibid. c. Aduersities befell the Israelites 113. c. and why ibid. c. Aduice of Raguel allowed 58. i. of the Elders reiected 206. i. of young men accepted ibid. l. Adulteresse her policie 32. g h. Adulterie 71. b. punished 94. h. Adulterie of Elies sonnes 125. b. Adulterie of Dauid 169. d. Affaires of Ioseph 639 b. Affection of Ioseph toward his brethren 38. l. of Ionathan to Dauid 144 m. Affinitie of Iacob with Rachel 23. b. of Saul and Ionathan with Dauid 144. i. 145. b. of Demetrius with Ptolemey 326. h. Affliction of the Hebrewes with the causes thereof 41 b c d. 46. g. l. 47. e. Africa from whence it tooke his name 19. c. Agag king of the Amalechites taken 139. c. spared and why ibid c. put to death 140. l m. and why ibid. Agar Saraes handmaid 14. m. contemned her mistris and why ibid. m. fled commanded to returne 14. m. 15. a. promised happines 17. c. brought forth Ismael ibid. a. cast out with her sonne 17. b. comforted ibid c. Age of Isaac at his offring 18. g. when he died 27. d. Age of the fathers before the floud 7. a b c. Age of Abraham 20. l. of Iacob 40. m. Aggaeus the prophet encourageth the Iewes 271. b. Agreement of the seditious 700. m. 710. h. Agrippa offereth 100. fat Oxen 413. c. reconciled to the Ilyensians 414. g. confirmeth the Iewes priuiledges 415. c. writeth to the Ephesians 422. h. Agrippa becommeth poore 472. i. k. borroweth money 473. b c e admitted to Caesars
Moses seeing that Pharao would not repent nor let the people of Israel depart he came vnto him and spake after this manner As long as you shall resist the ordinance of God who commaundeth you to suffer the Hebrewes to depart there is no meanes whereby you may be exempted from these mischiefes in doing that which you doe The King enraged at these words threatned him to cut off his head if once more he durst appeare in his presence to motion vnto him any such matter Moses answered him that he would no more speake vnto him as touching this matter but that both himselfe and the chiefest among the Aegyptians woulde exhorte the Hebrewes to depart which said he forsooke his presence But God intending to expresse that he meant yet once more to plague the Aegyptians and to constraine them to deliuer the Hebrewes he commaunded Moses to declare vnto the people that they should haue their sacrifice in a readinesse and hauing prepared it the thirteenth day of the moneth Xanthicus to celebrate the same the 14. of the said moneth by the Egyptians called Pharmuth and by the Hebrewes Nisan and Xanthicus by the Macedonians and that he should lead forth all the Hebrewes bearing with them all their goods Whereupon he who had the Hebrewes alreadie in a readinesse to depart and had distributed them by families kept them in one place and in the same order but when the fourteenth day was come all of them addressed to depart made sacrifice and with the bloud of the lambe purged their houses besprinkling them with branches of Isope And after they had supped they burned the flesh that remained as being on the point to addresse themselues to depart Whereupon euen at this day we retaine the said custome to sacrifice in like sort and do call this solemnitie Pascha which is as much to say as the passage by reason that on that day God leauing and ouerpassing the Hebrewes without harme stroke the Egyptians with sicknes for that plague in the night time cut off all the first begotten in Egypt so that by multitudes they that dwelt round about the pallace assembled them in the presence of the King and besought him to let the Hebrewes go for vvhich cause Pharao calling for Moses gaue order that they should depart the countrey supposing that assoone as they were gone Egypt should no more be afflicted with such like plagues Moreouer they honoured the Hebrewes with presents partly to the end they should depart vvith the more expedition partly for the neighborhood and acquaintance sake vvhich they had one with another And as they departed the Aegyptians wept and repented them of the euill vsage they had shewed vnto them but they tooke their way towards Latopolis at that time desert and in which place afterwards Babylon was builded at such time as Cambyses destroyed Aegypt The third day they came vnto Beelzephon neere vnto the red sea and for that they vvanted victuals by reason of the desart they tempered their meale with vvater and hardened it with a little heat and made cakes with vvhich they sustained themselues for the space of thirtie daies for they had not brought any more victuall out of Aegypt but as much as would serue them for that time and that which they had they dispensed verie sparingly rather feeding for necessitie then eating with sacietie For which cause in memorie of that want we celebrate a feast for the space of eight daies which we call the feast of Azymes that is to say of vnleauened bread But it is not easie to number the multitude of them that dislodged if we consider the women and children but of those that were of full age and fit to beare armes they were in number sixe hundreth thousand CHAP. VI. The Hebrewes depart out of Egypt vnder the conduct of Moses THey therefere forsooke Aegypt the fourteenth day of the moneth Xanthicus foure hundreth and thirtie yeares after Abraham our father came into Chanaan and in the two hundreth and fifteenth yeare after Iacob was transported into Aegypt the eightith yeare of Moses age who had Aaron to his brother three yeares elder than himselfe They caried also with them the bones of Ioseph according as he had commanded his sonnes But the Aegyptians repented themselues because they had suffered the Hebrewes to depart the King also was very sore moued supposing that which was fallen vpon them had happened by Moses meanes and they all concluded to pursue and follow after them They therefore armed themselues and furnished them with all their abiliments of warre intending to pursue them vnder intent to bring them backe if they might ouertake them for they said that God would no more be displeased against them for that alreadie they had giuen them leaue to depart They hoped likewise verie easily to bring them vnder subiection because they were all of them disarmed and wearied with trauaile They therefore inquired of euery one which way they held and hasted themselues to follow them although they knew the Region was very hard to trauell in not onely for those that were to march in troupe but also for those that were to iourney one by one And therefore did Moses conduct them this way to the end that if the Aegyptians should repent them of their dismission and should haste them to pursue them they might receiue the reward of their wickednes and the breach of their promise He chose this way likewise least the Palestines should vnderstand of their departure by reason they were displeased against the Hebrewes because of an auncient grudge which they bare them Now doth Palestine confine and border vpon Aegypt and therefore led he them not by the way that directly leadeth thither but he intended to bring them into Chanaan by conducting them farre about and thorow many calamities to the end that afterwards he might lead them to the mountaine of Sinai where they might offer sacrifice according to Gods commaundement As soone as the Egyptians ouertooke the Israelites they prepared themselues to fight trusting themselues to the number which they had and shut themselues into a place of securitie For with them there serued sixe hundreth chariots with fiftie thousand horsemen and two hundreth thousand armed footemen They had also stopped the passages wherethrough they thought the Hebrewes might escape enclosing them betwixt vnaccessible rockes and the sea on which place there abutteth a mountaine vnfrequented by reason of the daungerousnes of the way and by this meanes they excluded them from all hope of escape or flight For on the one side they were shut in by the mountaine that extended it selfe euen vnto the sea and on the other side by their campe pitched and embattailed before their faces to cut them off from the champion if so be they intended to flie that waies Seeing therefore that they were in no securitie but were hemmed in by the importunitie of the place and by
them in the conquest of the countrey and that neyther the greatnes of the mountaines nor the depth of the riuers could hinder them that like valiant men were prepared to attempt especially God being their guide and readie to fight for them in that battell March forward therefore said they and laying aside all feare and being assured of the diuine succors follow vs with a bold courage whither soeuer we lead you With these words laboured they to appease the insulting multitude In the meane while Moses and Aaron falling prostrate on their faces besought God not for their owne safetie but that it would please him to restore the despairing multitude to a better mind who were troubled with so many present and instant necessities Whereupon sodainly a cloud appeared on the Tabernacle and gaue testimonie that God was there present which when Moses perceiued drawing his spirits vnto him he pressed into the presence of the multitude and told them how God was incited and whetted to take punishment of the outrage which they had committed against him yet not so seuerely as the iniquitie of their sinnes deserued but in that discipline which fathers are accustomed to vse for the instruction of their children For at such time as he stood before God in the Tabernacle and besought him with teares for the safetie of the multitude God had recounted vnto him how many benefits and fauours they had receiued from him and how vngratefull they shewed themselues towards him and that at the present being transported with the feare of the spies they had esteemed their reports more true then his promises Notwithstanding all which that he would not vtterly consume them all nor exterminate their whole race whom he had honoured aboue all the nations of the earth but that he would not grant them the grace to conquer the land of Chanaan neyther make them partakers thereof but would bring to passe that they should liue in the desart without house or Citie for the space of fortie yeares for punishment of their transgression Yet hath he promised said he to giue the countrey to your successors whom he will make Lords of their goods and heires of those possessions which you haue enuied your selues After that Moses had discoursed these things after this manner according to the ordinance of God the people were in great sorrow and calamitie and besought Moses that he would appease Gods wrath conceiued against them beseeching him that forgetting their faults that were past in the desart he would make them Lords of their enemies Cities Moses answered them that God was not incited against thē according to the maner of humane weaknes but that he had giuen a iust sentence against them In this place it is not to be supposed that Moses who was but a man onely did appease so many multitudes of displeased men but that God assisted him and brought to passe that the people were conquered with his words hauing by diuers disobediences and by the calamities whereinto they were fallen knowne that obedience was both good and commendable Furthermore for that Moses was admirable for his vertue and the force proceeding from his faith of whom not onely they haue spoken who liued in his time but euen at this day there is not any one amongst the Hebrewes who as if Moses were now here present to chastice him if he ran astray would not obey the ordinances made by him although he might make breach of them in secret There are besides diuers great and euident signes of the more then humane vertue which was in him and amongst the rest this was not the least that certaine straungers trauailing out of the Regions beyond Euphrates a foure months iourney to their great charges and with no lesse perill to honour our Temple and offer sacrifice yet could they not obtaine licence or permission to offer in that by our lawes it was not lawfull for them to doe it and some other without sacrificing other some the sacrifice halfe finished the rest not permitted to enter the Temple haue returned backe againe to their owne homes without finishing their purposes chosing rather to obey Moses law then their owne vvils yet being reproued therein by none but their owne consciences So much did the opinion once conceiued of this man preuaile that he is esteemed more then a man who is supposed to haue receiued lawes from God and to haue deliuered them to men Of late also not long before the warres of the Iewes during the Empire of Claudius and Ismael being high priest amongst vs when as so great a famine oppressed our nation that an Assar was sold for foure drams and there was brought to the feasts of Azymes the quantitie of seuentie Cores which make thirtie Sicilian and fortie Athenian Medin ni which are two bushels of ours almost some of the priests were not so bold as to eate one graine of Barley notwithstanding the countrey was in that extremitie fearing the law and Gods displeasure extended alwaies against sinnes concealed For which cause vve ought not to wonder at that which happened at that time considering that the writings left by Moses are in such force euen at this day that they themselues who hate vs confesse that he that hath instituted our gouernment is God by the meanes and ministerie of Moses and his vertue But of these things let euery man thinke as it pleaseth him THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE ANTIQVITIES OF THE IEWES WRITTEN BY FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the 4 booke 1 The fight of the Hebrewes with the Chanaanites and their ouerthrow by them without Moses knowledge 2 The sedition raysed by Chore against Moses and his brother for the Priesthood 3 How the authors of the sedition were slaine by Gods iudgement and the Priesthood confirmed to Aaron and his sonnes 4 What chanced to the Hebrewes in the desart for the space of 38. yeares 5 How Moses ouercame Schon and Og Kings of the Amorites and ouerthrewe their armies 6 Of the prophet Balaam 7 The victorie of the Hebrewes against the Madianites and how the countrey of the Amorites was granted by Moses to two and a halfe of the Tribes 8 Moses lawes and how he was taken out of the world CHAP. I. The fight of the Hebrewes with the Chanaanites and their ouerthrow by them without Moses knowledge WHilest thus the Hebrewes passed their life in great penurie and perplexitie in the desart groning vnder the burthen of their grieuous afflictions there was nothing that more distracted and distempered them than this that God had forbidden them to hazard or enter battell against the Chanaanites neither would they now any longer giue eare vnto Moses who perswaded them to peace but waxed confident in themselues that both without his conduct and counsails they might easily obtaine victorie ouer their enemies and accused him likewise as if he sought after no other thing but that they being daily
pressed with great wants should be enforced continually to depend vpon his counsels Whereupon they embattailed themselues against the Chanaanites presuming with themselues that God would succour them not onely in regard of Moses but also for that he had a general care of their natiō euer since the time of their forefathers whom he had alwaies held vnder his protection and by reason of whose vertues he had alreadie granted them libertie They said likewise that if they would take the paines at that time and endeuour themselues that God would alwaies fight with them protesting that they were able to ouerrunne the nations although they were but themselues yea although Moses would endeuour to estraunge God from them In a word that it was behoouefull that all of them should be Lords of themselues and that being recomforted and redeemed from the seruitude of Egypt they ought not to suffer Moses to tyrannize ouer them or to conforme their liues to his will vnder this vaine beliefe that God had onely discouered to Moses that which was behoouefull for them by reason of the affection which he bare him As if all of them were not deriued from the loynes of Abraham and that he onely were the motiue of all in foreknowing the things that should happen vnto them by particular instruction from God That euen then they should seeme to be wise if condemning his pride and fixing their trust vpon God they would take possession of the countrey which he had promised them in spight of Moses contradiction who for this cause hindred them setting the name of God before them that therefore putting before their eies their necessitie and the desart which daily more and more aggrauated their miserie they should endeuour themselues couragiously to sally out against the enemie the Chanaanites alledging that God would be their guide so as they had no reason to expect the assistance of their lawmaker At last when this sentence was approued by a generall allowance they flocke out in multitudes against their enemies who neither affrighted by their fierce assault neither terrified with their infinite multitude valiantly resisted them who desperately charged them so that the better part of the Hebrewes being slaine they pursued the rest enforced shamefully to turne their backes euen vnto their campe This ouerthrow hapning beside all mens opinion wonderously deiected the minds of the multitude that they grew desperate of all future good fortune concluding that God had sent and inflicted that plague vpon them because without his counsell and fauour they had enterprised the battell But when Moses perceiued that both his owne countrimen were dismaid with the ouerthrow which they had and the enemie was waxen proud with their late victorie fearing likewise least not content with their present successe they should attempt further he determined to retire his forces backe againe into the desart And whereas the people promised thereafter to be obedient to him being taught by their owne miserie that nothing would fall out prosperously vnto them without the counsell and conduct of their guide they disincamping themselues retired into the desart vnder this resolution that they would no more attempt the battell against the Chanaanites before they receiued a signe of their good successe from heauen But euen as in a great army it accustomably falleth out especially in time of trouble that the common multitude wax headstrong and disobedient to their gouernours so did the like also happen amongst the Iewes for whereas they were in number sixe hundreth thousand and euen in their better fortunes seemed disobedient to their gouernours so much the more were they exasperated by their wants and misfortunes both amongst themselues as against their gouernour For which cause there arose so great a sedition as neither amongst the Greeks or Barbarians the like was euer heard of which things without doubt had ouerthrowne them being brought into so desperate an estate except Moses forgetting the iniurie he had receiued which was no lesse then a pretence to stone him to death had succoured and relieued their distressed fortunes Neither did God vtterly abandon the care of them but although they were contumelious against their law-maker and transgressed also against the lawes which hee had deliuered them by Moses yet deliuered he them out of that dangerous sedition of which without his especiall prouidence there could be expected no other but a lamentable issue This sedition as also how Moses gouerned the estate when the troubles were ended we will now declare hauing first expressed the cause thereof CHAP. II. The sedition raised by Chore against Moses and his brother for the Priesthood CHores a man noble in birth and famous for his wealth amongst the Hebrewes and endowed with a certaine kind of popular eloquence seeing Moses placed in the highest estate of dignitie was sore troubled and oppressed with enuie For although he were of the same Tribe and kinred yet thought he it to be a great indignitie in himselfe to be held his inferiour beeing both more enabled in riches and nothing inferiour in parentage For which cause he began to mutine and murmure amongst the Leuites which were of the same Tribe with him and his kinsmen telling them in vehement discourse that it was not to bee suffered nor permitted that Moses vnder a pretext of certaine diuinitie should by ambitious policie to other mens preiudice onely studie his owne glorie shewing them how of late without all law and right he had giuen the Priesthood to his brother Aaron and distributed other dignities at his owne pleasure like a king without the allowance and approbation of the people That this iniurie done by him was not to be endured by reason that so couertly he had insinuated himselfe into the gouernement that before he might be espied the people should be brought vnder seruitude For he that knoweth himselfe to be worthy of a gouernement striueth to obtaine the same by kind perswasions and consent of the people and not by force and violence but they that despaire by good meanes to attaine thereunto doe notwithstanding abstaine from force least they should lose the opinion of their goodnesse and honestie yet endeuour they by malicious subtilties to attaine thereunto That it concerned the common-weale to extinguish and roote out the subtill insinuations of such men least of priuate they should at last grow publike enemies For what reason said he can Moses yeeld why he hath bestowed the Priesthood on Aaron and his sonnes For if that God had decreed that this honour should be bestowed on one of the tribe of Leui there were more reason that I should haue it who am of the same kinred with Moses and who surpasse him both in riches age And if this honor appertained to the most ancient of the Tribes that those of Rubens loynes ought by right to enioy it namely Dathan and Abiram and Phalal who are the most ancient of that Tribe and the most powerfull in riches
should be enterprised against them the people likewise approued their oathes But Iosuah encamping with his Armie vpon their confines and vnderstanding that the Gabeonites dwelt not far off from Ierusalem and that they likewise were of the race of the Canaanites he sent for the principall and princes amongst them and complained and vp braided them of their deceit whereunto they answered that they had no other means to procure their safetie and securitie and for that cause and their necessitie sake that they had sought their refuge thereby Whereupon he called vnto him Eleazar the high Priest and the councell of the Elders who told him that he might not infringe the oath which they had made vnto them but that he might depute them to serue the publique ministeries Whereupon they were adiudged to attend on these seruices and by this meanes deliuered they themselues from their imminent perill But for that the king of Ierusalem was sore incensed against the Gabeonites for that they had reuolted and submitted to Iesus he assembled together the Kings of his neighbour nations to make warre against them The Gabeonites perceiuing the danger they were in and how the enemie was prepared to assault them and how to that intent they had pitched their tents neere vnto a certaine fountaine not farre off from the Citie they required Iesus to assist and defend them For their affaires were in that estate that they expected death from the hands of their friends contrariwise hoped for helpe to be warranted by those Hebrewes with whō they had contracted amitie notwithstāding that they arriued in that countrie to destroy the whole nation of the Cananites Iosuah therefore hastning onward with his whole armie to giue them assistance and marching both day and night early in the morning charged the enemie at such time as he entended his assault and hauing put them to flight he pursued them by a steepy tract which place is called Bethora where hee knew that God had fought for him as it appeared manifestly by the thunder lightening and haile that fell at that time far bigger then was accustomed The day likewise the like whereof was neuer heard of before was lengthened least by the speedy approch of the night the enemie should escape from the victor whereupon it came to passe that Iesus tooke all those fiue Kings in a certaine caue neere Makkedah where they were hidden and condemned them all to the death And that the day at that time increased aboue common custome it is extant registred in the sacred volumes which are reserued in the Temple When after this manner the Kings that inuaded the Gabeonites were slaine and conquered Iesus led his Armie into the mountaines of Canaan where hauing made a great slaughter of men and taken a rich bootie he brought backe his armie into Galgal Now when the renowne of the Hebrewes valiant acts and the admirable number of those that were slaughtered were bruited and scattered farre and neere amongst the neighbour nations they were surprised with a sodaine feare so that the Kings of the Chanaanites that bordered vpon Libanus and they also of the plaine of Cha◅an ioyned themselues confederates with the Palestines and all of them were incensed against them and incamped neere vnto Berotha a Citie of the higher Galilee not farre from Cedesa which is also scituate in the land of Chanaan The whole armie of them consisted of three hundreth thousand footmen ten thousand horsemen and twenty thousand chariots This great multitude of the enemie astonished Iosuah and the Israelites and by reason of the assured feare wherewith they were seased they conceiued but little hope of obtaining the vpper hand but God reproched him and vp braided him of that his timiditie and for that they suspected themselues to be scarcely secured vnder his protection he promised them likewise that he would ouercome their enemies and make their horses vnprofitable and would consume their chariots by fire Iosuah therefore was emboldened by these promises from God and marched out against his enemies whom he surprised on the fift day The incounter was strong the slaughter so great that they who should but heare the same would scarcely beleeue it many also were slaine in the pursuite so that a few onely excepted the whole armie was put to the sword The Kings also were all of them slaine and of their men there remained not any one aliue Iosuah also commaunded that their horses should be slaine and hee burned their chariots securely marched thorow the whole countrey so that no man durst sallie out or make head against him He besieged likewise their strong places and killed all those whom he might apprehend Now when the fift yeare was fully finished and not any one of the Chanaanites were left al◅e except such as were fled into their Cities and forts of defences Iosuah once more retired his campe toward the mountaines and placed the sacred Tabernacle in the Citie of Siloe which seemed to be a verie conuenient place by reason of the beautie of the same where the arke might remaine til such time as their affaires of estate permitted them to build a Temple From thence he departed with all the people to repaire vnto Sichem and there builded he an Altar in that place according as before time Moses had commaunded and enioyned and hauing deuided his army he planted the halfe of them on the mountaine of Garizim and the other halfe on the mountain of Gebal on which also there is an Altar with the Leuites and the Priests and after they had sacrificed and done their execrations and ingrauen them on the Altars they returned into Siloe Now insomuch as Iosuah was wel strooken in yeares and verie well perceiued that the cities of the Chanaanits were hardly to be assaulted both in respect of the places wherin they were scituate as also for the munitions wherwith besides other aduantages of nature their walles were strengthned and fortified for the Chanaanites hauing intelligence of the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt and how they hastned thitherward to the intent vtterly to extinguish and ouerthrow that nation spent all that time in defencing and fortifying their Cities he assembled all the people in Siloe where when with mutuall and frequent concourse they were assembled he declared vnto them the happy successe which till that time had befallen them and the braue executions worthy in their euents to challenge God for their author furthermore the excellency of the ordinances vnder which they liued alledging that the thirty one kings which had beene so hardy as to encounter them hand to hand had by them beene ouercome that all the army that had vndertaken to ouerthrow them in battell was wholy discomfited so that there remained not any memory of them But for that certaine of the Cities were taken and the rest better defenced for this cause more obstinate had need of a longer
or that I wil countenance them as if these actes of yours who are murtherers of your Master were laudable in you in you I say who haue slaine a good man on his bed that iniured no man but was your benefactor and who had both cherished and honoured you nay rather assure your selues that you shall be punished in his behalfe and shall yeeld me satisfaction by the losse of your liues because you haue thought that Isboseths death would worke my contentment for you could not in any sort dishonour me more then by conceiuing such an opinion of me Which said he adiudged them to die by the most cruell torments that might be imagined and with all the honour that he might he caused Isboseths head to be interred in Abners tombe These murtherers being thus done to death all the chiefest of the people repaired to Dauid vnto Hebron both they that commanded ouer thousands as such also as were gouernours and submitted themselues vnto him reckoning vp the good affection they had borne him both during Sauls life time as also the honour which they had neuer discontinued to beare him since the first time that he was Coronell ouer a thousand especially for that he had beene chosen by God thorowe the mediation of the Prophâ—… Samuel to be their king and his children after him declaring vnto him that God had giuen him the countrey of the Hebrewes to defend the same and discomfit the Philistines Dauid accepted their promptitude and affection exhorting them to persist assuring them that they should neuer repent themselues of their obedience and after he had banquetted and entertained them he sent them to assemble all the people Of the tribe of Iuda there came togither about six thousand eight hundreth men of war bearing for their armes a buckler and a iauelin who before that time had followed Sauls sonnes and besides whom the tribe of Iuda had assigned the kingdom to Dauid Of the tribe of Simeon seuen thousand a hundreth or somewhat more of that of Leui 4700. whose chiefetaine was Iodam with whom was Sadoc the high priest accompanied with 20. two gouernors of the same linage Of the tribe of Beniamin 4000. men of warre for this tribe were as yet of opinion that some of the heires of Saul should raigne Of that of Ephraim 20800. both strong and stout men Of that of Manasses almost the halfe as many namely 8000. Of that of Issachar 200. who were skilfull in diuination and 20000. men of warre Of that of Zabulon 20000. chosen fighting men For onely this intire tribe was wholy at Dauids commaund who were armed in like manner as they of Gad were Of the tribe of Nepthali there were 1000. chiefetaines famous for their valour and armed with shield and iauelin attended by an infinite number of their tribe Of the tribe of Dan there were 27000. chosen men Of that of Aser 40000. Of the two tribes on the other side of Iordan and of the halfe tribe of Manasses six score thousand armed men with buckler iauelin murrion and sword The rest of the other tribes also wore swords All this multitude was assembled togither in Hebron before Dauid with great prouision of victuals and wine sufficient to sustaine them all who all of them with one consent appointed Dauid to be their King Now when the people had mustred and banquetted for three daies space in Hebron Dauid dislodged from thence with his whole host and repaired to Ierusalem But the Iebusites who at that time inhabited the citie and were of the race of the Chanaanites shutting vp their gates against his comming and placing on their wals as many as were blind and lame or maimed in any other sort in contempt of him scoffingly iested and said that these were sufficient to keepe out the enemy so much trusted they to their fortifications Wherewith Dauid being sore displeased began to besiege Ierusalem and vsing all diligence and industrie to surprise the same he incontinently expressed how strong he was checking thereby other mens pride who perhaps would haue done the like vnto him and afterwards tooke the lower towne And for that the higher towne was as yet vnsurprised the king resolued to encourage his men of warre to shew themselues valiant promising them honors and recompence proclaiming that he would make him Generall ouer all the people that should first of all scale ascend and seaze the wall Whilest thus they inforced themselues to mount without refusing any trauell thorow the desire they had to obtaine the gouernment that was promised Ioab the sonne of Saruia was the forwardest amongst the rest and hauing got vpon the wall cried vnto the king requiring him to grant him the generall gouernment CHAP. III. Dauid hauing taken Ierusalem by force casteth out all the Chanaanites from thence and deliuereth the Citie to be inhabited by the Iewes AFter therefore he had cast out the Iebusites out of the higher Citie and repaired Ierusalem he called it the Citie of Dauid and remained therein all the time of his raigne so that the whole time that he ruled in Hebron ouer the sole tribe of Iuda was seuen yeares and six moneths But after he had establâ—…shed Ierusalem for his royall Citie his fortunes daily more and more increased because God both furthered and bettered them Hiram also King of Tire sent vnto him and made a league of amitie with him he presented him likewise with presents of Cedar wood and workemen and masons to build him a royall house in Ierusalem Now when the king had seazed the higher Citie he annexed the rocke thereunto and made one body of twaine and hauing walled it in he gaue the gouernment thereof to Ioab This king was the first that droue the Iebusites out of Ierusalem and called the same by his name For from the time of Abraham our forefather it was called Solyma neither want there some that inferre that Homer vnder that name intended Ierusalem For in the Hebrew toong Solyma is as much to say as Securitie All the time from the exploit of warre made by Iosuah against the Chanaanites and since the diuision of the countrey during all which time the Israelites could not driue the Chanaanites out of Ierusalem vntill such time as Dauid tooke the same by force were fiue hundreth and fifteene yeares But in this place I will not forget one Orphon a rich man amongst the Iebusites who for that he was well affected towards the Hebrewes was not put to death in the surprisall which Dauid made of Ierusalem but as I will shortly hereafter declare was graced and greatly honoured by the king Dauid espoused other wiues besides those which he had besides many other concubines By them he had eleuen sonnes whose names are these which follow Amnas Emma Ebamatha Salomon Iebar Eliel Phalna Ennapha Ienaah Eliphal besides these he had a daughter called Thamar Nine of these were begotten on noble mothers but the
and the kings aduersarie were deliuered into his hands to doe iustice on him to leuy the siege and to cause his army to retire from thence When the woman had heard what Ioab had said she praied him to stay a little while promising him incontinently to cast his head ouer vnto him Wherupon she came downe amongst the assembly of the Citizens to whom she spake after this manner Wretched men that you are will you miserably suffer your wiues and children to be slaine for a wicked mans cause and a stranger whom ye know not will you admit him in place of Dauid your king from whose hands you haue receiued so many benefits thinke you that one only Citie can resist so huge an army After this manner perswaded she them to cut off Sibas head and to cast it into Ioabs campe which done Ioab commanded the retreat to be sounded and leuied the siege and returning backe into Ierusalem was once more declared generall of all the people The king also appointed Banaia captaine of his guards and of six hundreth souldiers Adoram was made treasurer to gather in the tributes Sabath and Achilaus had the charge of remembrancers Susa was made secretarie Sadoc and Abiathar were made the high priests After this it hapned that the conntrey was afflicted with a famine For which cause Dauid besought God that he would haue compassion on his people and that it might please him to manifest not onely the cause but also the remedie of that maladie The Prophets answered him that God would be reuenged of the wrong done vnto the Gabeonites whom king Saul had deceiued and traiterously slaine without respect of the oath which the gouernor Iosuah and the elders made vnto them If therefore he would suffer the Gabeonites to reuenge the death of their slaughtered friends according to their desire God had promised to be appeased and to deliuer the people from their imminent presenteuils As soone as he vnderstood by the prophets what God required he sent for the Gabeonites and asked them what it was which they required who wished him to deliuer into their hands seuen of Sauls sonnes to take their reuenge on them whereupon the king made search after them onely sparing and protecting Mephiboseth the sonne of Ionathan When the Gabeonites had laid hold on these seuen they executed them according to their pleasures and thereupon God incontinently sent downe raine and disposed the earth to beare fruit moistning and alaying the drouth forepassed so that the land of the Hebrewes recouered againe his pristine fruitfulnesse Not long after the king made warre vpon the Philistines and at such time as the battell was striken and the enemies turned their backes it chanced that the king hotly pursuing the chase was left alone and discouered in his wearinesse by one of the enemies called Acmon the sonne of Araph of the race of the Giants who beside his sword had a iauelin the point whereof waied three hundreth sicles and a corselet tissued with chaines who returning backe charged Dauid very violently with an intent to kill the king of his enemies by reason that he saw him spent with trauell But about the same instant Abisai Ioabs brother arriued in the place who stept betweene them and rescued the king and slew his enemy The whole army for a little space were grieuously discomforted in regard of the danger wherein the king had been and the gouernors swore that he should neuer afterwards enter into battel with them for feare least he might fall into some distaster by reason of his readinesse and valour and by that meanes should depriue the people of those gifts which were in him which he had already made them feele and whereof hereafter they should be made partakers if God should vouchsafe him a long and blessed life The king hauing intelligence that the Philistines were assembled in the citie of Gazara sent out an army against them in which Sabach the Hittite one of Dauids redoubted and picked souldiers behaued himselfe very valiantly and gate great reputation for he slew diuers of them that vaunted themselues to be of the race of the Giants and that were verie proud and puffed vp with presumption of their valour and was chiefe authour of that victorie which the Hebrewes had After this last receiued losse the Philistines once more hazarded their fortunes in warre against whō when Dauid had sent out an army Nephanus his kinsman shewed himself very valiant For fighting hand to hand against him that was accounted the most valiant champion amongst all the Philistines he slew him and put the rest to flight of whom verie many died in that battell also In processe of time they reincamped neere vnto a Citie not farre from the frontiers of the countrey of the Hebrewes In which army of theirs there was a man six cubits hie who had on either foote and either hand a finger more then the accustomed bequest of nature affoorded him Against him Ionathan the son of Sama one of those that were sent by Dauid in this army fought hand to hand slew him so that approuing himselfe to be the meanes of that victorie he bare away the honor of the battell and praise of his valour for this Philistine boasted likewise that he was descended from the race of the Giants After this battell they warred no more on the Israelites Hereupon Dauid deliuered from war and danger and euer after enioying a perfect peace composed Odes and hymnes in praise of God in diuers kindes of verse for some are of three other some are of fiue measures He made instruments also and taught the Leuites to praise God vpon them on the Saboth daies and other feasts The forme of these instruments was after this manner The Cinnare is composed of ten strings and is plaid vpon with a bow The Nable containeth twelue sounds or cords and is striken with the fingers The Cimbals were large and great and made of brasse of which it sufficeth in this sort to make some mention least the nature of those instruments should wholy be vnknowne Now all those that were about the king were valiant men but amongst all the rest there were eight most notable and heroick men The noble actions of fiue of which I will declare because they might suffice to exemplifie the vertues that were in the other that remained for they were capable to gouerne a countrey and to conquer diuers nations The first of them was Issemus the sonne of Achemaeus who hauing verie oftentimes thrust himselfe into the midst of his disordered enemies neuer gaue ouer fighting till he had slain nine hundreth of them After him was Eleazar the sonne of Dodeias who had accompanied the king in Sarphat He in a certaine battell wherein thorow the huge multitude of the enemies the Israelites were affrighted and put to flight onely kept his place and affronted the enemy and
prepared a great number of talents of gold and far more of siluer and wood besides a great multitude of carpenters and hewers of stone a great quantitie likewise of Emeraulds and other sorts of pretious stones Lastly he told them that now also for the present he would bestow on them to that vse other three thousand talents of pure gold out of his owne treasurie to adorne the holy place and the chariot of God and the Cherubims that should stand vpon the Arke and couer it with their winges Now when the king had spoken after this manner all the gouernours priests and Leuites according togither shewed a great readinesse and made many signall and heroicall offers For they tied themselues to bring fiue thousand talents of gold and ten thousand stateres of siluer a hundreth thousand and of iron many thousand talents and if any one of them had a pretious stone he brought it and deliuered it to the treasurers custody who was called Ialus being one of Moses posteritie This thing highly contented all the people and Dauid seeing the affection and readinesse of the gouernors and priests and in generall of all the rest began to blesse God with a loud voice calling him the creator and father of this whole world the fashioner both of diuine and humane things and the president and gouernour of the Hebrewes and their felicitie and the kingdome by him committed vnto him After this he praied for all the people that they might be bountifully blessed and priuately he besought God to giue his sonne a good and iust minde furnished and adorned with all vertue He commanded the people likewise to sing praises vnto God which they performed and prostrated themselues vpon the earth and afterwards gaue thankes vnto Dauid for all those benefits they had receiued during the time of his gouernment The next day in way of sacrifice vnto God they offered vp a thousand calues a thousand rammes and a thousand lambes for sacrifice and a burnt offring in way of peace offrings also they slew many thousand other beasts The king celebrated a feast all that day with the whole people and Salomon was annointed with oyle the second time and proclaimed king Sadoc also was established high priest of all the people and Salomon was conducted into the kings house and placed in his fathers throne and from that day forward they obeied him CHAP. XII The death of Dauid and how much he left his sonne towards the building of the temple NOt long time after this Dauid fell sicke thorow age and knowing that he should depart out of this world he called for Salomon his sonne and spake vnto him after this manner following My sonne I must now depart and sleepe with my fathers and enter the common way which both they that now liue and those which come after shall tract from whence we may not returne neither behold and reuisit those things that are done in this life For which cause whilest I yet liue and drawe onward to my death I earnestly exhort thee as heretofore I haue counselled thee that thou behaue thy selfe iustly towards thy subiects and deuoutly towards God that hath honored thee with this kingdome charging thee to keepe his precepts and lawes which he hath giuen vs by Moses and to take heede least either surprised by slatterie or misled by fauour or seduced by couetousnesse or any other sinister affection thou be drawne to neglect and forsake the same for thou canst by no meanes continue in Gods fauour except thou keepe his lawes for otherwise he will withdraw his prouidence from thee But if in such sort as it becommeth thee and we wish thou behauest thy selfe towards him thou shalt continue the kingdome in our family and no other house at any time but our owne shall obtaine the dominion ouer the Hebrewes Remember likewise the iniquitie of Ioab who thorow emulation slew two good and iust generals Abner the sonne of Ner and Amasa the sonne of Iethram punish him according as thou thinkest meete for that hitherto he hath escaped punishment by reason he was stronger and more powerfull then my selfe I commend also vnto thee the sons of Berzillai the Galaadite whom for my sake aduance to honor and adorne with dignities not in bestowing any benefits on them but in repaying those curtesies I haue receiued which their father with a liberal hand bestowed vpon me during the time of my banishment and for which he made vs indebted to him As touching Semei the sonne of Gera of the tribe of Beniamin who during the time of my flight and at such time as I retired my selfe into my campe iniured me with great outrages and afterwards came out to meete me neere vnto Iordan and tooke assurance of me that for that time I should not punish him at this present seeke you after him and doe iustice vpon him After he had thus exhorted his sonne and had communicated with him all his affaires both as touching his friends as those also whom he thought worthy of punishment he gaue vppe the ghost after he had liued seuentie yeeres and raigned in Hebron a Citie of Iuda for the space of seuen yeeres and a halfe thirtie three in Ierusalem ouer the whole nation He was a iust man adorned with all vertue requisite in a king that should haue the gouernment of so many nations For he was valiant beyond comparison and in those battels which he fought for his subiects he was the first that thrust himselfe into danger and exhorted his souldiers to behaue themselues valiantly not commanding them like their gouernour but trauailing and fighting with them as their fellow souldier He was sufficient both in knowledge and foresight both how to accept of the present and how to manage his future occasions he was moderate and iust curteous and fauourable to those that were afflicted and both iust and gentle which are those ornaments wherwith princes ought to be beautified and in this great authority wherein he was placed he stepped not any waies awry but in respect of Viras wife He left as much or rather more riches behinde him they any other king of the Hebrewes or other nations had done His sonne Salomon buried him most royally in Ierusalem with all those ceremonies which were accustomed in royall obsequies amongst other things he buried a great and huge value of riches with him the incredible estimate whereof may be coniectured by that which followeth For one thousand three hundreth yeares after the hie Priest Hircanus being besieged by Antiochus surnamed the wicked who was Demetrius son willing to gratifie him with some sum of mony to the intent he might leuie the siege and transport his armie some otherwaies and vnable to leuie money by any other means he opened one Cabinet of the monuments of Dauid from whence he drewe three thousand talents which he deliuered to Antiochus and by this meanes deliuered the Citie
I haue found it registred in writing King Ieroboam hauing passed all his life time in prosperitie and raigned for the space of fortie yeeres departed this life and was entombed in Samaria and Zacharie his sonne succeeded him in his kingdome At the same time Ozias the sonne of Amasias raigned in Ierusalem ouer the two tribes after that Ieroboam had already raigned foureteene yeeres his mother was called Achia and was of the Citie of Ierusalem He was a man of a good nature and such a one as loued iustice of noble courage and very laborious in prouiding for all occurrences he made warre against the Philistines and after he had ouercome them in battell he tooke Ita and Amnia two of their strong forts and raced them This exploit done he set vpon the Arabians that neighboured vpon Aegypt and after that hauing built a Citie vpon the red sea he planted a garrison therein He afterwards discomfited the Ammonites constraining them to pay him tribute and subdued all as farre as the marshes of Aegypt After that he began to prouide for the Citie of Ierusalem for he built it a new and repaired the walles thereof that had been beaten downe or decaied either by continuance of time or by the negligence of those kings who were his predecessors hee repaired those also which the King of Israel had beaten downe at such time as hauing taken Amasias prisoner he rode in triumph into the Citie Besides this he erected a number of towers each of them one hundreth and fiftie cubits hie These inclosed he with walles to set garrisons therein and in diuers barren places he caused diuers fountaine-heads to be made for he had an infinite multitude of beasts of carriage and other cattell in that the countrey was fit for pasture He tooke pleasure also in tillage for which cause he was often busied about his land in trimming sowing and planting the same He had about him a chosen army to the number of three hundreth and seuenty thousand fighting men whose generals conductors and captaines were valiant and inuincible men and were in number two thousand He taught his souldiers to march in a square battell in manner of the Macedonian Phalanx arming each of them with swords targets and corselets of brasse with arrowes and darts He made also great preparation of diuers engins to batter Cities and to shoote stones and darts besides diuers hookes and other such like instruments But whilest he was intent on these studies and preparations he grew insolent and proud and being puffed vp with mortall arrogance he contemned the immortall force which endureth for euer which is pietie towards God and the obseruation of his commandements For which cause he was ouerthrowne by his prosperitie and fell into his fathers sinnes thorow the happinesse and greatnesse of his estate wherein he could not moderately containe himselfe So that vpon a certaine solemne feast day wherein all the people were assembled togither he attired himselfe in the hie priests vestments and entred into the temple to offer sacrifice vnto God vpon the golden altar which notwithstanding the hie Priest Azarias accompanied with fourescore Priests inhibited him the same telling him that it was not lawfull for him to sacrifice in that it was onely allowed in those that were of the posteritie of the hic Priest Aaron Whilest after this manner Azarias expostulated with him commanding him to go out of the temple and not to contradict the ordinances of God the king waxed wrath and threatned to take his life from him except he kept himselfe quiet Whereupon there fell a great trembling and earthquake and the temple cleft in twaine and a great light of the funne entred thereinto and reflected on the kings face in such manner that all his body was instantly couered with a leprosie and before the Citie in a place called Eroge the halfe of a mountaine that stood to the Eastward brake and fell and rowled and remoued for the space of foure stadia towards the orientall mountaine where it rested so that the publique waies were shut vp and choaked and the kings gardens of pleasure were wholy ruinated and disfigured When the Priests beheld the kings face couered with a leprosie they told him what inconuenient had hapned vnto him and enioined him to depart out of the towne according to the custome of men that were polluted Wherupon he wholy confused at so grieuous an accident and hauing no more audacitie to speake obeied the commaundement that was giuen him enduring a pitifull and lamentable punishment for being elate and proud more then became humanitie and for that he committed such impietie against God He therefore remained without the Citie for a certaine time and led a priuate life and his son Iotham succeeded him in the kingdome Finally he died thorow griefe and discontent after he had accomplished threescore and eight yeares whereof he raigned fiftie two and was onely buried in his garden Zachary Ieroboams sonne hauing raigned sixe moneths ouer the Israelites was slaine by treason complotted against him by a familiar friend of his called Sellum the sonne of Iabes who possessing the kingdome after him enioyed not the same aboue thirtie daies For the generall Manahem being at that time in the Citie of Tharsa and vnderstanding of that which had hapned to Zachary departed thence with all his force and came to Samaria and in a battell which hee fought he slue Sellum And afterwards obtaining the crowne he went from thence towards the Citie of Tapsa the inhabitants whereof locked and barred their gates against him and would not receiue him in reuenge whereof he spoiled all the countrey round about and tooke the Citie by force being highly incensed against the Tapsians for their insolence he put thē all to the sword not sparing their little children which was an incredible barbarous cruelty in him Manahem raigned in this manner for the space of ten yeares continuing a most cruell and vnbridled tyranny ouer the people Afterwards being assailed by Phul king of the Syrians he went not out against him neither practised to resist him but procured his peace for the summe of a thousand talents of siluer which in way of composition he paid vnto him The people furnished Manahem with this summe in way of contribution paying fiftie drachmes a peece Anon after he died and was buried in Samaria leauing behind him a sonne to succeede him in the kingdome whose name was Phaceias who imitating his fathers crueltie possessed the soueraigntie but two yeares for he was slaine at a feast in the middest of his friends by a treason practised against him by Phaceias the son of Romelias who enioyed the kingdome for the space of twentie yeares addicting himselfe to all impietie and wickednes But Teglaphalassar king of Assyria led forth his army against the Israelites and spoiled all the countrey of Galaad and that beyond Iordan and Galilee Cydida and
Antiochus grew mighty and strong and feared to be punished by him for his executions done against the Arabians he slew himselfe with his own hands and Antiochus enioied all his goods CHAP. VI. A mutinie of the rich Iewes the one against the other ONias the high Priest being dead about this time Antiochus gaue the priesthood to Iesus his brother For that sonne vnto whom Onias had left the succession was as yet verie yoong of whom we will speake in conuenient time and place This Iesus Onias brother was depriued of the priesthood thorow the kings displeasure conceiued against him who gaue it shortly after to his yonger brother called Onias For Simon had three sonnes who as we haue declared successiuely possessed the priesthood this Iesus caused himselfe to be called Iason as his other brother caused himselfe to be called Menelaus whereas his name was Onias But Iesus who had first of all been established in the place of the high priest arose against Menelaus who was elected in the place after him The people therefore were deuided into factions and Tobias sonnes were on Menelaus side but the greater number of people followed Iason so that Menelaus and the sonnes of Tobias being grieuously vexed by them retired themselues to Antiochus giuing him to vnderstand that it was their intent to forsake the religion and ordinances of their fathers and to follow that of the kings and to liue after the manner of the Greeks exhorting him to giue them licence to erect a place of Exercises in Ierusalem Which when Antiochus had granted them they so demeaned themselues that there appeared no more signe of Circumcision in them so that at such time as they were naked there was no difference betweene them and the Greekes and neglecting all the ordinances and customes of their countrey they conformed themselues to the behauiour and manners of other nations Antiochus hauing all things in his kingdome according to his hearts desire resolued to make warre in Aegypt desiring to be possessed of the same both for that he contemned Ptolomeies sonnes age who were as yet weake as also for that they were not as yet capeable to manage their so mighty estates Arriuing therfore neer to Pelusium with a great power he circumuented by a subtil pollicie the yong Ptolomey Philometor and subdued Aegypt for after he had besieged Memphis and taken the same he came to Alexandria with an intent to besiege the Citie and to lay hold of the king who was therein But he was driuen not onely from Alexandria but also out of all Aegypt by the sommons that was sent him in the name of the Romans who commaunded him to depart and dislodge his army out of that countrey as we haue heretofore declared in an other place Now will I more largely and particularly discourse the actes and gests of this king who ouercame Iudaea and spoiled the temple For hauing onely made a briefe mention of him in my former workes I thinke it necessarie in this place to make a more exact recitall of his Historie CHAP. VII Antiochus leadeth out his army against Ierusalem taketh the Citie and spoileth the Temple AFter that King Antiochus was returned out of Aegypt and for the feare of the Romans had forsaken that countrey he led his army against Ierusalem and encamped before the Citie and surprised it by surrender in that the gates of the Citie were set open vnto him by those of his faction all which hapned in the hundreth fortie and third yeere of the raigne begun by Seleucus Now when he faw himselfe Lord and master of Ierusalem he slew diuers of the contrarie faction and after he had gathered togither many great and rich spoiles he returned backe to Antioch This misfortune hapned some two yeeres after the surprisall of the Citie in the hundreth fortie and fiue yeere of the raigne of that family on the fiue twentith day of that moneth which we call Chasleu and the Macedons Apellaeus the Romans December in the hundreth fiftie three Olympiade at which time he neither spared them who gaue him peaceable entrance and opened him the gates and effected him the means to spoile the inestimable riches of the temple with greater freedome but being no lesse tyrannous to the friend then to the offender he spared neither For hauing seene what quantity of gold was in the temple and how huge a number of presents and precious ornaments were in the same he was so ouercome with couetousnesse that he brake and violated all conuentions and conditions After therefore he had spoiled the temple and carried away the vessels dedicated vnto God the golden candlesticke the golden altar the table of shew bread the censors and pulled downe the curtaines made of fine linnen and scarlet after he had emptied the treasures that were hidden and left nothing behind him of any valew he drowned all the Iewes in grieuous lamentations For he inhibited and forbad them to offer their vsuall and daily sacrifice vnto God according to the prescript order of the law and after he had spoiled the whole Citie he slew a part of the inhabitants and carried away the rest of them into captiuitie with their wiues and children to the number of ten thousand Furthermore he burned the fairest buildings of the Citie and rased the walles and raised a fortresse in the lower Citie For the temple was as it were a high cittadel commaunding the rest For this cause hauing inclosed it â—…ith high walles and towers he planted a garrison of Macedonians therein with whom remained the rabble and skumme of the wicked Apostate Iewes who were giuen ouer to all impieties and who also afflicted their fellow Citizens with many and mischieuous iniuries The King also commaunded that an Altar should be erected in the temple on which he caused swine to be slaughtered offering sacrifice contrary to the religion and ordinance of the Iewes He constrained them likewise to forsake their deuotion towards God and to adore those Idols whom he reuerenced for Gods building in euery Citie and Burrough both Temples Altars on which he ordinarily caused swine to be offered He forbadde them likewise to circumcise their children threatning to punish him whosoeuer he were that was found to do the contrary Moreouer he chose certaine ouersecrs that should constraine them to fulfill his commandement so that a great number of Iewes some of their owne accord othersome for feare of the threatned punishment endeuoured themselues to satisfie the kings decree But those men who were of vpright hearts and valiant minds little respected these menaces For hauing more respect to their lawes and customes then to the torments wherewith they were menaced if they performed not the edict they were beaten and exposed to most cruell punishment for many daies amidst the which they yeelded vp the ghost For after they were whipt and maimed in their bodies they were crucified and tortured aliue they strangled the women also
the Gazeans had the vpper hand because that they made their enemies beleeue that Ptolomey was come to their rescue and to assault the Iewes afresh but as soone as the day appeared and this opinion was found false assoone as the Iewes were assured of the truth they turned backe vpon them and charging the Gazeans they slew about some one thousand fighting men of them All this notwithstanding they bethought them on no surrender but stood out being neither amated with losse of men or lacke of prouision whatsoeuer resoluing themselues rather to endure any miserie then to submit themselues into the hands of their enemies and that which made them more confident was the hope of help which they expected from Aretas king of Arabia who had promised no lesse But it came to passe that Apollodotus was slaine before his arriuall and the Citie taken For Lysimachus his brother conceiued a iealousie against him by reason of the good opinion which the inhabitants had of him and hauing slaine him and gathered those fighting men that he might he yeelded vppe the Citie vnto Alexander who at the first made a peaceable entrie but afterwards dispersed his souldiers and gaue them licence to execute all hostilitie against the Citizens so that they acted their crueltie in euerie place and slew many of the Gazeans Neither died these Citizens ◅euenged but so manfully behaued they themselues that they butchered no lesse number of Iewes then they murthered Citizens among them Some of them likewise perceiuing themselues to be alone set fire vpon their houses taking away first that which was therein to the intent that the enemy might be enriched with none of their spoiles Other some killed their wiues and children with their owne hands meaning this way to deliuer them from the enemies seruitude But the Senators to the number of fiue hundreth were fled into the temple of Apollo for at such time as the enemy entred the towne they were by chance assembled in councell all these did Alexander put to the sword and instantly rased and leuelled that Citie with the ground which done he returned to Ierusalem after he had spent one whole yeere at the siege before Gaza About this time Antiochus surnamed Gryphus died by the treason of Heracleon in the fortie and fifth yeere of his age and in the nine and twentith of his raigne His sonne Seleucus had the kingdome after him who made warre against his vncle Antiochus surnamed Cyzicenus and hauing ouercome and taken him he slue him Not long after Antiochus the sonne of Cyzicenus and Antoninus surnamed the Deuout came to Arade and placed the Diademes vpon their heads and made warre against Seleucus whom they ouercame in one conflict and droue him out of all Syria who flying into Cilicia and arriuing againe in the Citie of the Mopseates he exacted a summe of money at the Citizens hands But the people were so incensed that they set fire on his pallace whereby it came to passe that both he and his friends were burned to dust During the time that Antiochus the sonne of Cyzicenus raigned in Syria another Antiochus Seleucus brother made warre against him but he was not onely ouercome but both hee and his army were put to the sword After him Philip his sonne tooke the Diademe and gouerned in certaine places of Syria Meane while Ptolomey Lathurus sent to Gnidus for his fourth brother Demetrius Eucaerus and made him king of Damasco Against these two brothers Antiochus made a manly and valiāt resist but died verie shortly after For repairing to Laodicea to succour the Queene of the Galadenians who made warre against the Parthians he died fighting valiantly and his two brothers Demetrius and Philip possessed Syria as hereafter it shall be declared As for Alexander a domesticall sedition was raised against him for the people arose and mutined at such time as he assisted at the Altar to solemnize the feasts of Tabernacles and during the time that he intended the sacrifice they cast Citrons at him for as we haue declared else where the Iewes haue this custome that on the feast of the Tabernacles each one bringeth a braunch of palme and of Citrons They vpbraided him also with many iniurious speeches reproching him that he had bin prisoner in warre and that he was also vnworthy of the honour of the Priesthood Whereupon he being moued by these disgraces slaughtered about sixe thousand men and hauing made an enclosure of wood about the temple and the altar as farre as the place whereinto it was lawfull for none to enter but the Priests he kept there to the intent the people might not apprehend him he entertained also certaine strange soldiers Pisidians and Cilicians For in that he was at oddes with the Syrians he made no vse of them After this hauing ouercome the Arabians he constrained the Moabites and Galaadites to pay him tribute and destroyed the Citie of Amath whilest Theodore for feare gaue ouer to resist him But encountering with Obeda the king of Arabia and being surprised and betraied by an ambuscado in certaine miry and vnhaunted places hee was thrust by the presse of the Camels into a deep trench neere to Gadara a village of Galaad from whence he almost despaired to escape notwithstanding auoyding that daunger he came to Ierusalem And besides this his last mishap the people hated him against whom he made warre for the space of sixe yeers slue at the least fiftie thousand of them and the more he intreated them to compremit these hainous debates betweene thē the more grieuous displeasure conceiued they against him because of the inconuenients they had suffered so that when he demaunded of them what they would haue him to do they all of them with one voice cried out that he should kil himselfe And thereupon they presently sent messengers to Demetrius Eucaerus requesting him of his fauour and assistance CHAP. XXII Demetrius Eucaerus ouercommeth Alexander in battell HE comming onward with his army taking with him those who had incited him to the enterprise came and encamped neere vnto the Citie of Sichem But Alexander gathering togither some twentie thousand Iewes whom he knew to be well affected towards him with sixe thousand and two hundreth mercenary soldiers and straungers marched forward against Demetrius who led with him three thousand horsemen and fortie thousand footmen Both on the one and the other side there fell out many subtill stratagems the one of them striuing on the one side to enueigle and withdraw the forraine soldiers who were Grecians and the other inforcing himselfe to reconcile those Iewes that were of Demetrius followers to his faction but neither the one nor the other preuailed ought at all by these deuices so that finally they were driuen to decide their quarrell by the sword in which encountry Demetrius had the vpper hand For all the strangers that were on Alexanders side were euery one hewed in peeces after they had made sufficient
diuers that obserued the religion of the Iewes resorted vnto him from all places so that this countrey was verie well peopled by reason of the enfranchisement of the Tribute which continued during Herodes life time But Philip who succeeded him exacted afterward some small tribute of them and that but for a little while But Agrippa the great and his sonne of the same name vexed them very grieuously with taxations yet permitted them to enioy their libertie whose successors the Romans imposed many grieuous tributes vpon them yet continued their freedome of whom hereafter we will more particularly and largely discourse in due place and in processe of my historie Now this Iew Zamaris to whom Herod had giuen the possession of this countrey died after he had liued vertuously and left a vertuous ofspring behinde him amongst whom was Iacim renoumed for his dexteritie on horsebacke who with his troup of horse was of the king of Babylons guard This Iacim died when he was verie olde and left his sonne Philip to succeed him a man valiant in armes and addicted to all sorts of vertue as much as anyone that hath been renoumed in writing for which cause king Agrippa loued him and put his trust in him and committed the trust and training of his souldiers vnto him who led them also foorth if any occasion of seruice was proffered CHAP. III. Antipater conspireth against Herod WHilest the estate and affaires of Herode were thus disposed all mens eies were fixed vpon Antipate◅ after that Herode had permitted him to intend his particular profit This permission was granted him vnder the hope that his father had that he would behaue himselfe faithfully and affectionately towards him but he abused this authoritie more audaciously then could be expected for he traiterously coloured his conceiued malice and easily drewe his father to beleeue him in whatsoeuer he said He was feared by all men not onely for his force and authoritie but for his subtilties and pollicies But aboue all the rest Pheroras respected him most and was inlike manner as greatly esteemed by him For Antipater had circumuented him by the meanes of certaine women who fauoured his faction For Pheroras was commanded by his wife his mother and sister in law notwithstanding that he hated them by reason of the outrage they had offered to his daughters who were virgins naithelesse he was enforced to dissemble all things because he could doe nothing but that they were alwaies round about him and had such masterie of his affaires that they wrought him to performe whatsoeuer they pleased To these likewise ◅as Antipater neerely tied both of himselfe and by his mother for these foure women were of one minde and affection in all things and spake as it were by one mouth yet was Pheroras at ods with Antipater vpon some sleight mislikes and she that wrought this debate betwixt them was the kings sister who had of long time espied all their drifts knowing that the frendship they bare one another tended to the ouerthrow of Herode neither refused she to expresse what her opinion was therin And they knowing wel that the king disliked this their inward familiaritie and that he was priuie to that which they pretended which was his vtter ruine resolued betweene themselues to refraine their pub like familiaritie and to make a shew that they were at ods one with another to which intent they reproched one another especially at suchtime as they were either in Herods presence or there was any one with thē who as they thought wold certifie him therof But in secret they intermitted not their accustomed friendship and continued their intercourses with more priuie affability such was their ordinary demeanour behauiour yet was not Salome ignorant hereof neither when they first deuised this drift neither afterwards when they put it in execution for she diligently noted all things aggrauated the same in her reports to her brother whō she informed of their secret assemblies bāquetting vrging their secret consultations which as she said had no other issue but his ruine except vpon their discouery he soughtto represse them in time Further that for the present they behaued themselues like enemies in outward shew all their speeches tended to disgrace one another but that in secret they were friends and that in priuate they entertained their amitie promised each other their mutual assistance to strengthen themselues against those to whom they were loth their friendship should be discouered These things obserued she with all diligence signified the same vnto her brother who of himselfe had alreadie many probabilities thereof But he durst not make shew therof because he knew that his sister was a woman too much addicted to reprochfull accusation There was amongst the Iewes a sect of people that were called Pharisees who were too much addicted to selfe-opinion and boasted themselues to be the exactest obseruers of the law in all the countrey to whom these women were verie much addicted as to those who were much beloued of God as in outward appearance they made shew for These were such as durst oppose themselues against kings full of fraud arrogancie and rebellion presuming to raise warre vpon their motions and to rebell and offend their princes at their pleasures whereas therefore all the nation of the Iewes had sworne to be faithfull to Caesar and to the estate of the king these onely refused to take the oth of this sect there were to the number of sixe thousand For which cause the king hauing imposed an amercement vpon them Pheroras wife paid it for them for which cause they pretending to gratifie her and being esteemed for such as were skilfull in foretelling such things as were to come by reason of their often communication with God foretold her that God had decreed to bring the kingdome of Herode and his posteritie to an end and would bring to passe that the crowne should descend to Pheroras and his sonnes Salome had got an inkling hereof and had told Herode no lesse and how they likewise corrupted euery one of his courtiers for which cause he put those to death amongst the Pharisees who were the principall authors of this aduise and with them also the Eunnch Bagoas and Carus who was his darling and one of the goodliest men of that time He afterwards cut off all those amongst his household seruants who were of the Pharisees faction For Bagoas was bewitched with that hope by them that he suffered himselfe to be called the father and benefactor of the king who should be established according to their prediction and who should haue the gouernment of al things should be strengthned by marriages and descent of his lawfull and naturall children But after that Herode had punished those amongst the Pharisees who were conuicted to haue beene of the conspiracie he assembled a Councell of his friends before whom he accused Pheroras wife
obtaine immortall praise for the present and a memorable and eternall glorie in time to come neither that they should protract the execution therof for feare of danger since death was a thing that might not be auoided so that since by the generall course of nature they must needly die it should become them brauely to forsake their liues with praise and honour in embracing vertue For to die in the execution of some noble exploit which cannot be atchieued without hazard or danger their children should be richly rewarded with the fruits thereof their other parents that should ou◅liue them of what sex soeuer should reape the fruits of that glorie which was honourably atchieued by them In these or such like words encouraged they the young men About that time there was a rumour spred that the king was dead which gaue verie great furtherance to the doctors resolution For at high noone they went vp into the temple they pulled and hewed downe the Aegle with their axes in the sight and assembly of a great number of people that were in the temple Now when the tidings hereof came vnto the eares of the kings captaine he fearing least some further and more fatall tumult might be raised drew out a strong companie of souldiers with him to repulse those that were assembled to hew downe the Aegle and charging the rude disarmed multitude who were gathered togither he easily flew and dispersed the most as for those 40. young men that valiantly addressed thēselues to resist he apprehended them and with them the authors of this sedition Iudas Matthias who thought scorne to submit thēselues and led them to the king who demanding of them how they durst deface the sacred image they answered that long before that time they had resolued it and that now according as they had resolued they had like valiant men performed the same For we said they maintaine the honour of God and the doctrine of our lawe whereof we are disciples neither ought you to admire that with contempt of your ordinances we haue preferred the lawes of our forefathers which Moses hath left vs in writing according as he was suggested and taught them by God neither doe we refuse any death or punishment which thou shalt inflict vpon vs being assured in our consciences that we suffer not for our impietie but pietie sake Thus spake they all of them continuing the like constant boldnesse in their answeres as they had shewed in their actions being also ready constantly to endure any punishment for that which they had attēpted Hereupon the king commanded them to be bound and sent them to Iericho then calling before him those principall Iewes who had the gouernment vnder him being brought into their assembly vpon his pallat by reason of his weaknesse he recited vnto them the numberlesse trauels he had endured for their sakes in like manner how vpon his great charges he had repaired and reedified the temple whereas the Asmoneans for the space of 125. yeeres wherein they raigned could not performe such a building in the honour of God Moreouer he signified vnto them how he had adorned the same with precious gifts for which he hoped that after his death his memorie and glorie should suruiue After this he expostulated with them for what cause they abstained not from offering him that outrage during his life time And why at noon daies and in the sight of all the people they had laid hands on those presents which he had dedicated vnto God and had taken those things away violently which though in words they appertained to him yet in effect if the act were well examined they had taken from God The gouernors suspecting his crueltie and fearing least his vnbridled passion should vrge him further by which meanes they might be assured of some seuere punishment answered him that those things were not done by their consents and that in their opinion the iniurie ought not to be let slip without punishment At that time Herod shewed himselfe more fauourable towards the rest but he caused Matthias to be depriued of the priesthood as one in part who had been the cause of that which had hapned and in his place substituted Iozar one of his wiues brethren During the priesthood of this Matthias it hapned also that an other high priest was elected that verie day wherein the Iewes did vsually celebrate their fast For Matthias the night before the day of the fast seemed in his dream to haue had the company of his wife and whereas for this cause he was vnfit to offer the deuine sacrifice he had Ioseph the sonne of Ellemus appointed him to be his assister and substitute by reason of his alliance Herode therefore deposed Matthias and as touching the other Matthias who had mooued this trouble both he and his companions were by his commandement consumed with fire This verie night the moone was ecclipsed Herods sicknesse grew more vehement For God punished those sins which he had committed For he was inflamed with a lent or slow fire which to the outward sense seemed not so vehement but Inwardly searched and afflicted all his entrails he had also a rauenous and an vnnaturall appetite to his meat which might no waies be satisfied Besides that he had an vlcer in his bowels with a strange and furious colicke His feet were swolne with moist and shining f◅egme and his stomacke was no lesse affected also His members rotted were full of crawling wormes with a filthie and no lesse troublesome Priapisme accompanied with an intollerable stench besides all this he had a strong con◅ulsion of his nerues and shortnesse of breath For which cause it was a generall opinion amongst holy men and such as had the knowledge of prophecie that the king was thus punished for his infinite impieties and sinnes committed against the maiestie of God And although he was tormented with an vnsupportable sicknes yet had he hope to escape and for that cause he sent for phisitions from all places and refused none of those remedies which they thought behoouefull for him He therefore past ouer Iordan and went into the hot bathes of Calliroes the waters whereof are potable besides other vertues they haue against all other kind of sicknes this water dischargeth it selfe into the lake called Asphaltite Being there it was thought good by his phisitions that he should refresh himselfe in those waters There being set by them into a bathing tub be filled with oyle he waxed so sicke that they held him for dead Whereupon all his household seruants wept and grieuously lamented and all his familiar friends crying out and bewailing him with their great noise caused him to come to himselfe and seeing himselfe wholy out of hope to escape he gaue order that there should a distribution be made to euery soldier the summe of fiftie drachmes and he offered great presents to their captaines his friends Afterwards
testimonie of assurance That done Artabanus sent backe Anilaeus to perswade his brother Asinaeus to come to the court Artabanus did this supposing that this his amitie with the two brothers would be a bridle for the Iewes who otherwaies might encroach vpon his gouernments For he feared least if any rebellion should happen and he should be troubled in that warre Asinaeus and they of Babylon should grow more strong both by the voluntarie submission of the Iewes as by force and thereby should do him the more mischiefe Vpon this deliberation he sent Anilaeus who easily perswaded his brother giuing him to vnderstand among other things what goodwill the king bare him and the oath that he had sworne so that both of them resorted to Artabanus who receiued them verie gratiously admiring Asinaeus vertue who had so great a courage to exercise his enterprises considering especially that hee was a man of a lowe stature and who to looke on seemed to be contemptible And hee told his friends that without comparison he had a greater heart then his bodie And whē as in banqueting he had named Asinaeus shewed him to Abdagasis the general of his army signifying vnto him with what valour these brethrē were endowed in feats of arms Abdagasis required that it might be lawful for him to kil Asinaeus to the end that he might punish the wrōgs he had done to the estate of the Parthiās Neuer said the king wil I giue my consent to betray a man who hath committed himselfe to my protection and hath giuen me his hand and who buildeth vpon the oath I haue past vnto him in the name of the Gods But if thou art a valiant man in feats of armes thou hast no need to make me foresweare my selfe to the end I might do iustice on him for his outrages committed against the Parthians but at such time as he and his brother shall depart from hence assaile him and ouercome him by thy valour prouided that I be not priuie to thy attempt And afterwards calling Asinaeus to him in the morning It is time said he that thou returne homeward for feare thou prouokest diuers of the captains of my court which contrary to my will vvill endeuour themselues to kill thee I commit the countrey of Babylon to thy protection and guard which by thy care and vigilancy shal remaine exempt from all robberies and other such calamities Reason it is that I procure thy good because I haue engaged mine honour faith irreuocably vnto thee not vpon any light matter but for things that importune thee as neerly as thy life This said he gaue him certaine presents and incontinently disinissed him Now as soone as he returned home to his owne fortress he fortified the places both those which before time he had thorowly defenced as the other which as yet no man had attempted to strengthen and in short time he grewe to that greatnes as no one man of so obscure fortune beginning attained before him Neither contented with the honours of the Babylonians he was also held in great account by the captaines of the Parthians who were sent to gouern in the neighbouring prouinces yea so much increased his authority with his power that all Mesapotamia was at his commaund In this felicitie and increasing glory of his he continued for the space of fifteene yeeres which neuer began to waine vntill such time as neglecting the auncient studie of vertue and contemning the lawes of his forefathers both he and his factious followers being deuoured in pleasure yeelded themselues captiue to forraine lusts It fortuned that a certaine gouernour of those Parthians came into that countrey accompanied with his wife not onely enriched and endowed with other perfections but also admired for her incomparable comlines and beauty Whom without euer seeing her only by report of her beautie Anilaeus Asinaeus brother loued intirely and when as by no one of his allurements he could obtaine her fauour neither had any other hope to enioy the Lady he could not bridle his vnruly lust but he made warre against her husband and killing the Parthian in their first conflict his wife became his both in subiection and bed-seruice which thing was the originall of many mightie calamities both to himselfe and towards his brother For when as hauing lost her former husband she was led away captiue she carried with her the images of the gods of her country which she highly esteemed according as it was the custome of those that inhabited that place to haue their gods whom they adored in their houses whom at such time as they trauell into a forraine country they carrie about with them She therfore brought them with her and vsed them according to the fashion of her countrey at the first secretly but after she was knowne for Anilaeus wife then adored she them according to the custome and with the same seruice which she vsed during her first husbands daies sacrificing to her gods Their chiefest friends seeing this first of all reprooued them for that Anilaeus committed such things as were no waies vsed amongst the Hebrewes and altogither repugnant to their lawes for that he had married a woman of a forraine nation that contradicted and violated their accustomed religion for which cause they aduised them to beware least in submitting themselues too much to their vnbridled pleasures they should lose the honor and power they had receiued from God euen vntill that present But seeing their perswasions profited nothing and that Anilaeus likewise had villanously slaine one of his deerest friends who had somewhat too freely reproued him who at such time as he lay a dying being touched with the zeale of the lawes of his auncestors with griefe against his murtherer wished that Asinaeus and Anilaeus and all their associates might die the like death they for that they were transgressors of the lawe the other for that they succoured not themselues in that oppression which they suffered for the maintenance of their lawes They were sore displeased yet notwithstanding they contained themselues calling to their remembrance that their felicity proceeded from no other cause but from the valour of those brethren But when they vnderstood that the Parthian gods were adored by this woman they bethought them that it behooued them not any more to beare with Anilaeus in contempt of their lawes for which cause addressing themselues to Asinaeus in great assemblies they exclaimed against Anilaeus saying that he ought although at first he had no power to dispose of himselfe yet now at last to correct this error before it should redound to their publike plague for that both his mariage was disallowed in all mens eies as altogither contrarie to their countrey lawes and that the superstitious obseruance of the gods which the woman presumed to vse was an apparant iniurie offered to the true God But he although he knew that his brothers fault would breed some great inconuenience both to
were taken by him To the performance whereof Ananias perswaded Albinus by manifest reason and by obtaining his demaund encreased and begat a number of miseries For the theeues vsed all the wilie meanes they could deuise in apprehending some one of Ananias house and when they had taken any one of them aliue they would not deliuer him except before they might haue one of their owne deliuered So that increasing both in courage and number they waxed more more insolent to afflict the countrey At the same time king Agrippa enlarged the citie of Caesarea surnamed Philippi and in honour of Nero called it Neronias He builded also to his great charge a Theater in fauour of the Berytians wherein euerie yeere he spent diuers thousands of siluer in sports He distributed oyle and corne to euery one of the people and garnished all the citie with most anticke and goodly counterfaited portraitures vpon the porches Briefely he welny transported into the citie all the ornamnts of the rest of his kingdom for which cause his subiects began to hate him seeing he depriued thē of their rare ornaments to adorn one strange citie Iesus the sonne of Gamaliel succeeded in the priesthood which the king had giuen him and taken away from Iesus the sonne of Damneus who resigned him his place against his will Whereupon there arose a discord betweene them For hauing assembled their resolutest followers they grew from bitter words to fatall blowes and stones But amongst all the rest Ananias was the richest in wealth and by his bountie reconciled the more vnto him Costobarus also and Saul gathered each of them a band of rascall and desperate men These two were of the bloud royall and by reason of their affinitie and alliance with Agrippa they were well beloued ◅or which cause they were outragious and violent in spoiling and rauishing the fortunes of the weaker sort From this time forward the estate of our Citie grewe desperate encrcasing daily more and more in wickednesse When Albinas vnderstood that Gessius Florus came to succeed him desirous that they of Ierusalem should acknowledge some good turne at his hands he called before him all those prisoners that were notoriously guiltie of murther and caused them to be executed As for those that were imprisoned vpon any small or sleight cause vpon paiment of their fines he deliuered them and in so doing the prison was cleansed of malefactors and from that time the countrey remained full of theeues and Robbers The Leuites who were ordained to sing the hymnes vnto God sollicited the king to assemble the councell and thereby to permi◅ them to weare the linnen Robe which the priests were accustomed to vse telling him that such an ordinance would dignifie his estate verie much in that he would be alwaies famous in memory of this new establishment This suit of theirs was easily respected and admitted For the king after he had consulted with those who were his assistants suffered the Leuites that sung the hymnes to lay aside their ordinarie Robe and to apparrell themselues in linnen as best liked them He permitted also that another part of the Leuites who intended the seruice of the temple should learne to sing the hymnes and psalmes according ◅s they had required All which he did contrarie to the ordinances of the countrey which being broken there was nought else to be expected but punishment At that time was the building of the temple finished And the people perceiuing that more then eighteene thousand workmen should be idle and depriued of wages whereupon they were accustomed to liue in trauailing in the building of the temple on the other side being Ioath to reserue their money thorow the feare they had of the Romanes to prouide that these workmen in the intertainment of whom they resolued to employ their treasure for if any one of them trauailed but one howre in the day he was sodainly paide his wages they requested the king that it might please him to repaire the Easterne gate on the outward part of the temple scituate in a descent the wals whereof were in height foure hundreth cubits made of square stones of white marble from the top to the bottome and euery stone twentie foot long and six foot thicke This worke was first builded by king Salomon who was the first that builded our temple But the king to whom Claudius Caesar had giuen the commission of building the temple thinking with himselfe that it was verie easie to breake it downe but very hard to build it vp and that to reedifie the porch it would cost much time and expence he denied their request permitting them neuerthelesse to paue their citie with broad stone Hee tooke the priesthoode from Iesus the sonne of Gamaliel and gaue it to Matthias the sonne of Theophilus In whose time the warre betwixt the Romanes and Iewes grew to the first head But I thinke it not amisse but verie answerable to the course of this present historie to speake of the priests and to shew how they had their beginning and to whom this honour may be lawfully communicated and how many they were in number vntill the end of the warre The first of them was Aaron Moses brother after whose death his children succeeded him and from that time forward the honour hath continued with their successors For it is a law obserued by our auncestors that no man shall be admitted to the priesthood except he be of Aarons posteritie for albeit he were a king if so be that he were of an other line it was impossible for him to obtaine the priesthood All the priests after Aaron who as we haue said was the first vntill Phanasus whom the seditious created priest in the time of the warre haue been in number 83. whereof 13 haue executed the office from the time that Moses erected Gods tabernacle in the desart vntil such time as arriuing in Iudaea king Salomon builded a temple to God For in the beginning the hie priesthood continued with the possessors for terme of life but afterwards although the priests were yet aliue yet were there other successors planted in their roomes These thirteene were of Aarons posteritie and obtained this degree in succession the one after the other Their first gouernment was Aristocratia which is the gouernment of the nobilitie afterwards a monarchy and finally a royall gouernment The number of yeers wherein these thirteene flourished were sixe hundreth and twelue yeeres from the day that our fathers departed out of Aegypt vnder the conduct of Moses vntill the edification of the temple that was builded in Ierusalem by king Salomon After these thirteene high priests there were eighteene others who after Salomons time succeeded one after another vntill the time that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon hauing encamped before the Citie tooke the same and burned the temple and transported our nation into Babylon and led away the high priest Iosedech prisoner The time of the priesthood
his men to beat the enemies off of the wall who with their arrowes speedily forced all that were in the towers to flie At this time Silo was detected to haue been hired with money for he solicited many souldiers to crie out that they vvanted all things and to aske money and victuals and to craue to be dismissed and sent into some place of opportunitie there to abide during the vvinter nay he himselfe sought to be gone But Herode went vnto the captaines that serued vnder Silo and called many of the souldiers togither requesting them not to forsake him at that exigent whom Caesar Antonius and the whole Senate as they knew had sent thither promising them that within one day he vvould relieue all their necessities When he had thus entreated them himselfe went about the fields and brought them so much prouision that he cut off all Siloes excuses and forecasting least hereafter there should be any want he sent letters to Samaria for that citie about this time had rendred it selfe vnto him willing them to bring victuals and wine and oyle and cattell vnto Iericho Antigonus hearing this presently sent certaine of his men to lie in ambush in the fields and sodainly to set vpon those that came for prouision and kill them so hinder them from carying any victuals to the campe who obeying his commandement went with a great number of souldiers to Iericho and placed themselues vpon the mountaines with an intent to espie if any body carried prouision to the armie In the meane time Herod rested not for taking with him ten companies fiue of the Romanes and fiue of the Iewes amongst whom were mixed three hundred that were hired and besides them a few horsmen he came to Iericho where he found the citie without inhabitants and fiue hundreth with their wiues and families had placed themselues vpon the tops of the mountaines whom when he had surprised he permitted them to depart But the Romanes brake into the citie and sacked it where they found the houses stored with al maner of riches and the King leauing a garrison at Iericho returned He sent likewise the Romane souldiours to the cities which were on his side to wit Idumaea Galilee and Samaria that they might abide there till winter was past Antigonus also through Silo his meanes whom he by money had made his friend obtained that a part of his armie might during the winter time abide at Lydda for Antonius sake and the Romans being now discharged from warres abounded in all things All this time Herod was not idle for accompanied with two thousand footmen fiue hundreth horse he went about Idumaea and sent also his brother Ioseph least by Antigonus his means the people should rebell And he himselfe hauing carried his mother and the rest of his kindred whom he tooke from Massada into Samaria and hauing placed them where no danger might betide them himselfe went into Galilee to subdue that part of the country which as yet was not in his hands to expell from thence the garrisons left by Antigonus And when hee was come to Sephoris notwithstanding it snew mightily he easily tooke it for the garrison before he assaulted it fled and finding there great store of prouision he refreshed his souldiers which now with winter weather were sore tired and then sent them against the theeues that lay lurking in dennes and caues who making often incursions vpon the countrey molested the inhabitants no lesse then if they had beene an armie of enemies And sending before three companies of footmen and one troope of horsemen into a village called Arbela himselfe fortie dayes after came thither with the whole armie For all this the theeues feared him not but arming themselues came to meete him trusting to their experience in warlike affaires and their owne desperate courage and ioyning battel the right wing of their battell put the left wing of Herods to flight but he with his right wing presently succoured them and recalled his men that fled and rushing violently vpon his enemies he a little asswaged the forces of the enemy till at last the forefront of their battell not able to stand any longer fled Herod pursued them euen vnto Iordan and killed manie of them those that escaped fled ouer the riuer thus he freed Galilee from that feare saue that yet hee had left some lurking in the caues and therfore he was constrained there to make a longer abode Wherfore first of all he gaue the souldiours the fruit of their labours and distributed to euerie one of them an hundreth and fiftie drachmes of siluer and vnto the Captaines more and so sent them where they should passe the winter Also he writ vnto his youngest brother Pheroras to prouide necessaries for them in the market and to build a wal about the castle of Alexandrium which he performed In the meane while Antonius passed the time about Athens and Ventidius sent for Silo and Herod to assist him in the warre against the Parthians charging them that before their comming they should settle the estate of the Iewes Now Herod gladly and willingly sent Silo vnto Ventidius and in the meane time he with his armie went against the theeues in the caues These caues were in verie steepe mountaines so that there was no way to come vnto them saue onely by crooked verie narrow passages and these moūtains were all rocks of stone cleane throughout hanging ouer the valleyes so that the king a great while was doubtfull what to doe seeing the place was so difficult to come to At last Herod deuised a way scarsly heard of before for he put the valiantest of all his men into coffers so let them downe into the edge of the caues and they killed the theeues and their families and cast fire at them that resisted And Herod seeking to saue some of them caused a crier to bid them come vnto him but there was not one that willingly came vnto him and those that were forced chose rather to die then to be his captiues So that an old man hauing seuen sonnes and a wife who all requested that they might go forth to the king and saue their liues killed them all after this maner Himselfe stood before the doore of the caue and bad them come forth one by one and alwaies as one of them came forth he killed him And Herod being in a place where he might behold this spectacle being moued with compassion stretched forth his hand requested him to spare his children but he being nothing moued to compassion by Herodes words vpbraided Herodes base mind and hauing butchered his sonnes he also killed his wife and casting the dead bodies downe into the vallies finally he cast himselfe likewise downe headlong Herod hauing thus taken the caues and slaine those that were in them leauing a part of his armie so much as he thought might suffice to represse any that should
distributed amongst the whole family for he thought that they for number wanted succour CHAP. II. Of the fight and massacre at Ierusalem betweene the Iewes and the Sabinians BEfore such time as Caesar determined any thing concerning this matter Malthace the mother of Archelaus fell sicke and died and many letters came out of Syria signifying that the Iewes had rebelled Which Varus foreseeing after the departure of Archelaus from thence went vnto Ierusalem to represse and resist the authors of that sedition and because the multitude would not be quiet he left one legion of the three which he brought out of Syria in the citie and so hee returned vnto Antiochia But Sabinus comming afterward to Ierusalem was the cause that the Iewes beganne a new broyle For one while he forced the garrisons to render to him the Castles another while he rigorously made search for the kings treasure and he was not onely assisted by those that Varus left there but also he had a great multitude of his owne seruants all armed to further his auarice And in the feast of Pentecost so called because of the number of seuen weekes the people assembled themselues togither not for religion sake but for anger and hatred so that there was an infinite multitude of people which came out of Galilee and Idumaea and Iericho and the countries beyond Iordan Yet the Iewes which were inhabitants of the Citie surpassed the rest both in number and courage and they therefore parted themselues into three bands and made three campes one vpon the North part of the temple the other on the South part neere vnto the Castle called Hippodromus the third on the West-part neere the pallace and so they besieged the Romanes on euerie side Sabinus greatly fearing them both for their multitude and for their courage sent many letters vnto Varus earnestly requesting him with all speed to bring succour for if hee did not the whole legion would be extinguished Hee himselfe got him into the highest tower of the Castle Phasaelus which is so called by the name of Herodes brother whom the Parthians killed and from thence hee gaue a signe vnto the souldiers to issue out sodainly vpon their enemies for himselfe was in such a feare that hee durst not come downe to the souldiers of whom he was gouernour The souldiers obeying his commaund issued into the temple and there fought a sore battell with the Iewes who hauing no bodie to assist them being vnexperienced in warlike affaires were soone conquered by them that were skilfull At last many Iewes got vpon the porches and cast dartes at them from the toppe thereof so that they killed many but the other could not reuenge themselues of them who fought against them from so high a place neither could they sustaine the force of them who ioyned battaile with them till at last they fired the porches which for greatnes and curious worke were admirable And so many were eyther destroyed with the sodaine fier or else leaping downe amidst their enemies were by them slaine others going backward were cast headlong from the wall others despairing of life killed themselues with their owne swords and they who priuilie came downe the walles and assaulted the Romans being astonished with feare were easily ouercome till at last all being eyther put to the sworde or caste downe through feare the treasure dedicated to God was left destitute of keepers so that the Souldiers tooke away thereof about foure hundreth talents and that which they left Sabinus got But this losse of men and money stirred vp many moe Iewes and those more warlike then the first against the Romans who besieging the kings pallace threatned all their destructions vnlesse they would presently depart from thence promising Sabinus and the legion leaue to depart if he so liked Part of the kings souldiers who of their owne accord fled vnto them did assist them But the most warlike and valiant amongst them were three thousand of Sebaste whose rulers were Rufus and Gratus one leader of the footmen and the other ouer the horsemen both which although they had had no souldiers with them for their valour of bodie and counsell might yet haue beene a great helpe vnto the Romanes in those warres The Iewes earnestly continued the siege and assaulted the castle walles crying vpon Sabinus to depart and not to hinder them now after so long time to haue their countries liberty Sabinus though with all his heart he wished himselfe away yet durst he not trust them but he suspected that their courtesie was but a plot to entrappe him and on the other side hoping that Varus would come and helpe him he still indured the daunger of the siege At the same time there were tumults in many places of Iudaea and many through opportunitie of the time aspired to the kingdome For in Idumaea two thousand olde souldiers who had borne armes vnder Herod gathering togither and hauing armed themselues came and fought with the kings forces whom Achiabus the kings cousen resisted in the strongest villages alwaies eschewing to fight in the open field At Sephoris also a towne of Galilee Iudas the sonne of Ezechias the captaine of the theeues who before was taken by king Herode and had vvasted that countrey gathered togither a great multitude and brake into the kings armory and armed all his company and fought against them who affected the royall dignitie Also beyond the riuer Simon one of the kings seruants being faire and of a huge stature put a crowne vpon his owne head and gathering togither a companie of theeues went about with them vnto Iericho and burned the kings pallace and many faire and sumptuous houses there and so got great pray by burning the houses and he had surely fired all buildings of account had not Gratus captaine of the kings footmen made haste to meete him with the bowmen of Trachon and the most warlike men of Sebaste where many footmen were slaine But Simon though he fled into a streight valley yet he ouertooke him and cut him ouerthwart the necke and so he fell downe In like manner other of the kings pallaces neere Iordan by Bethara were burned by a multitude of others gathered togither in bands from beyond the riuer At this time a shepheard named Athrongaeus presumed to vsurpe the crowne he was thereunto induced by the courage he bare and the disdaine of death With this resolution he armed his foure brethren and euerie one of them had a companie armed and they were as his captaines and champions to make incursions and he like a King medled onely with great affaires and then he put a crowne vpon his head and thus he continued a long time wasting the country and killing especially the Romans and also the kings souldiers so that none of the Iewes escaped if they were in hope to gaine by them They also presumed to meet a company of the Romanes at Ammauns who caried corne
the fashions of the Romanes concerning their warlike discipline They neuer do any thing vnaduisedly in battaile but manage all things according to counsell so that they either do not erre or if they doe their fault is easily amended For they thinke that bad successe after deliberation is better then good fortune without it and they thinke that therein fortune did but flatter them to worke them some great despight by reason they haue not deliberated but that which is premeditated although it haue euill successe yet it maketh them warie against another time And none of them accounteth that good successe which cōmeth by chance and yet euerie one is comforted in their misfortune for that they take good aduise By the militarie exercises they do not only make the bodies of their soldiers strong but their minds also more hardie and their diligence is the greater by their feare For their lawes are capital not only for thē that forsake their order but also for them that commit the least enormitie or negligence and their generals are more seuere then their lawes who only by rewarding the good purchase fauour least they seeme cruell in punishing the wicked Moreouer they are so obedient vnto their rulers that in peace they honour them and in warre the whole armie seemeth one bodie vnited together they so keepe order and are so readie to turne heere or there and so attenti◅ to anie command and so diligent to note signes made vnto them and so quicke to labour with their hands that they are alwayes apt to do anie thing but slow to endure In so much that they know no place where they haue beene ouercome either by number or by courage or counsell or by the difficultie of the place nor by fortune it selfe For they thinke victorie more certaine then Fortune Therefore seeing that their deeds are ruled by aduise and counsel and their commandements so well fulfilled by the Armie what maruell is it if their Empire in the East reach vnto Euphrates in the West vnto the Ocean in the South vnto Affrick in the North vnto Rhine and Danubius seeing that one may iustly affirme the possession lesse then the possessors Thus I haue spoken not to praise the Romans but to comfort the conquered and to terrifie those that desire alteration and perhaps it may teach them who want good discipline are ignorant of the maners and customes of the Romans in their militarie affaires But I returne to my purpose CHAP. IIII. How Placidus assaulted Iotapata IN the meane time Vespasian liuing at Ptolemais with his sonne Titus prepared his armie But Placidus was already entered into Galilee and run through it where he slew almost all he found who were of the weaker sort of people and cowards And seeing that those of courage alwayes fled into these Cities that Ioseph had fortified he turned his forces against Iotapata which was the strongest of them thinking it might easily be taken by a suddaine assault and that he thereby should get great glorie and that by taking it great profit might ensue in that the people seeing the strongest Citie surprised they would not flie to any againe But it fell not out as he expected for the people of Iotapata vnderstanding of his comming met him neere the town and sodainely encountred the Romans being a great multitude and well disposed to fight as those that bare armes for the generall safetie of the Countrie and for the liues of their wiues and children they out the Romans to flight wounding many onely seuen being slaine for the Romans in flying kept their ranckes and being armed round about they were not daungerously wounded but the Iewes being vnarmed rather trusted to their darts arrowes then to handie blowes There were three Iewes slaine and a few wounded and so Placidus when hee saw himselfe repulsed from the towne he fled CHAP. V. How Vespasian inuaded Galilee and how at the verie sight of him the seditious fled VEspasian desirous to take Galilee himselfe departed from Ptolemais making such iournies as souldiers ought to keepe which the Romans are wont to follow And hee commaunded those that came to helpe him and the bowmen because they were lighter armed to goe before and represse the enemies incursions and search the wood and forrest fit for ambushes where by they were to passe after them followed part of the Romane footemen and horsemen and after them there marched ten by ten out of euerie hundreth bearing with them their armour and the measures of their camp After them followed men whose office it was to mend the wayes where they were bad and cut downe the woods that were in the way least with bad way the armie were tyred After them hee sent his baggage and the baggage of the rulers vnder him and withall horsemen to gard it And after them hee himselfe followed leading an armie of chosen footemen and horsemen accompanied with his owne gard of horsemen and hee had out of euerie legion sixescore men for his owne gard After followed they that carried the engines to batter the wals of Cities and other instruments and with them the Prefects and Tribunes garded with their chosen soldiers After them other ensignes and the Eagle the which the Romans hold for chiefe of all because it is the King of all birds and is most valiant and strong wherefore they thinke it a signe of dominion and victorie ouer all them against whom they beare it After these sacred ensignes followed the trumpets sounding in warlike maner and after them the armie marching sixe in a rank and as the custome is a centurion went by them to keepe order the seruants were all with the fooremen and baggage After the last companie who were hired followed armed footemen and horsemen in great number And thus Vespasian with his whole armie came vnto the borders of Galilee and there pitched his Tents he stayed the souldiers who were verie eager to fight as it were boasting and shewing his armie to terrifie his aduersaries and giuing them time to repent if any one would alter his mind before the warre began yet did he prepare to besiege the wals and fortresses The onely sight of him made many rebels flie and daunted the most of them For Iosephs souldiers who had pitched his Tents a little from Sephoris when they knew that warre grew on and that they were presently to fight with the Romans they did not onely flie before they fought but also before they saw their enemies Ioseph being left with a very few knowing he was not able to abide the enemies and that the Iewes were discomfited and that if he put any trust in them they would for the most part reuolt vnto the enemies for that time abstained from all warre and thought to get himselfe out of daunger and so accompanied with them that remained with him he went to Tyberias CHAP. VI. How Gadara was besieged and taken VEspasian went
by many ages For our lawes established amongst vs haue beene imitated of all other nations For though the first Greekes did colourably obserue lawes yet all their Philosophers did imitate ours and our opinions of God and in humilitie taught others communion of life and conuersation yea the common people did long since imitate our pietie neither is there any nation either Greekes or Barbarians who haue not after some manner obserued a Sabaoth as we do and fasting daies and candlestickes with light all which they learned of vs yea many do also obserue our customes concerning their meats and our vnitie and concord wherein we excell all other nations our communitie also and industrie in arts and labours and sufferance for our lawes And which is most to be admired our law not hauing any to force vs to obserue it hath so obliged our hearts that as God is of all the world honoured without compulsion so are our lawes amongst vs all we not forced therevnto And whosoeuer doth diligently consider his owne nation and family shall find that which I haue reported to be true I will now generally reprehend the voluntarie malice of all men for either they meane that we hauing these good lawes do yet little esteeme them and follow worse or if they do not so meane let theÌ„ hold their malitious tongue from any further calumniatiation For I doe not take vpon me the defence of this cause for that I beare any hatred to any man but for that I and all Iewes do honour and reuerence our lawmaker and beleeue that whatsoeuer he prophecied proceeded from God yea although our selues did not know the goodnesse of our lawes yet the multitude of them that imitate them were a sufficient motiue to enduce vs thereunto But I haue at large and with all sinceritie discoursed our lawes and commonwealth in my bookes of our antiquitie And I now againe haue made mention of them neither in contumely of other nations nor in praise of our own but only to reproue such as haue most maliciously and impudently belied vs contrarie to the knowne truth And I thinke I haue alreadie fully performed thâ—… which I promised For I haue shewed our nation contrarie to their affirmations to be most ancient which I haue proued by the testimonie of many ancient writers who in their works haue mentioned vs. Our aduersaries affirme vs to haue come of Aegyptians I haue shewed that our forefathers came into Aegypt out of some other place They alledge that we were expelled Aegypt for their miserie in that they were infected with disease I haue proued that they came from thence to their owne countrey by meanes of their owne prowesse and force of their owne accord Others labour to defame our lawmaker as a wicked person whose vertue many of ancient times so long time as hath beene since him do witnesse It is not needful to speake more largely of our lawes for they by themselues appeare pious and good such as do not inuite or incite vs to the hatred of other nations but rather to communion and friendshp being both enemies to iniquitie and commaunders of iustice banishers of luxuriousnes and teachers of frugalitie and labour forbidding all wars enterprised for auarice and preparing the people to shew fortitude in them and for them inflicting ineuitable punishment vpon their transgressors not easily to be deceiued by gloasings speeches and executing in action all that they in word commaund yea amongst vs the execution of them obseruation is more readie then the words of them I therefore confidently affirme that we do teach more pious and vertuous manners then other nations doe For what can be better then inuiolate pietie What more iust then to obey the law what more profitable and commodious then to be at vnitie and peace amongst ourselues and neither to forsake one another in calamity nor iniurie one another in prosperitie to contemne and dispise death in time of warre and in peace to labour and till our grounds to vse other arts and works and alwaies to thinke and beleeue that God beholdeth all our actions and ruleth and disposeth all things If this be either written or reserued by any one before this time we are then to thanke them as being their schollers but if they are knowne neuer before to haue beene extant then we are knowne to be the first authors and inuentors of it Let therefore all Apions and Moions go and all others that with them are conuicted of lying and slaundering And this bookeis written to the Epaphroditus who louest the truth and to others who by thee wil or are desirous to know the same DESIDERIVS ERASMVS ROTERODAMVS TO THE MOST VERTVOVS AND LEARNED FATHER HELIAS MARCEVS THE MACHABAETAN RVLER OF THE RENOWMED COLLEDGE OF THE MACHABAES I Haue not grudged vertuous Father to dedicate vnto thee a dayes labour wherein I haue perused and what in me lyeth amended the booke which Ioseph writ of the seuen Machabees brethren And would it had lyen in my power more aboundantly to haue answered your expectation I haue now for that I counted the Greeke copie by the Latine coniectured the Greeke and altered some things yet but verie few Ioseph doth not falfely boast himselfe to haue attained to the excellencie of the Greeke tongue and this booke will sufficiently witnesse the same wherein he shewed both great vanitie and Emphasis in so much as hee seemeth to haue handled that famous worke with eloquent stile and ornament of discourse Saint Ierome for this cause entitleth this booke great eloquence Suidas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of them both wee amend the corrupted title cal it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is of the rule of reason for the scope of this booke tendeth all to proue that reason is of no force in man except it beare soueraigntie ouer all our inordinate appetites This is most euidently proued by the bookes of the Machabees in the Scripture which books the Iewes doe not receiue as Canonicall yet doe they account it amongst their sacred writ I cannot but congratulate this worthy Colledge which though famous for many other things yet is more happie for that it is so blessed as to inioy so worthie and vnspeakable a treasure Or rather all Colonia Agrippina that happie and fortunate Citie yet in nothing more happie then for that it alone doth in her bosome shrine so many so sacred and excellent pledges of pietie yet should it be more happie if it could expresse their vertues whose sacred reliques it so religiously keepeth and imitate their manners whose bodies it possesseth to wit if in sinceritie of religion it imitated the pietie of three Kings and the sacred puritie of the eleuen Virgins if it resembled the most valiant yong men the Machabes and the inuincible courage of that woman whose valorous constancie no miserie could conquer And this best portion and part of her felicitie this worthie Citie might bestow vpon
besiegeth Ierusalem 354. i 567. k l committeth Aristobulus to prison ibid. 567. c. taketh the temple 355. a. bestoweth the Priesthood on Hyreanus ibid. 356. spoileth not the Templâ—… ibid. d. 567. carieth Aristobulus to Rome 568. h. headeth conspirators ibid. Popedius accused 491. 2. Popularitie of Alcimus 314. g h. Porch of the temple 195. e. fired 733. f. Port of Caesarea 305. e. Port made by Herode 587. d. Portion of Salpades daughters 88. c. Portion of Iudaea 647. b. Possession of Chanaan prophecied of 40. l. Posteritie of Ismael 17. a c. Posteritie of Giants extinguished 13. c. Posteritie of Iethro possessed of land 109. d Posteritie of Noah replenished the world 9. f. Posteritie of Esau â—…8 h i. of Iacob 40. l. Poison not to be vsed 96. h. Power giuen to saue 38. h i. Power of God euerie where 219. d. Power of kings wine and women 267. c. f. 268. h. Power of the soule 759. a. Power of Dauid and Salomon 789. c. Practise of Sâ—…on and Leui 27. a. Pray that the Israelites goe in warre 57. b c. 87. e f. 102. m. 103. f. Prayer of Noah 8. g. of Amram 42. g. of Moses 51. c. 79. b c c. of Iosuah 103. b. of Sampson 122. l. of Salomon 198. i l. of Samuel and the Israelites 129. d. e f. Prayse of Abraham 20. l. of Iacob 40. m. of Ioseph 41. a. of Iosuah 57. c. 108. m. of Moses 99. e. f. of Samuel 15â—… f. of Saul 156. h. of Dauid 189. e. of Salomon 206. g. of Iosaphat 224. i. of Nehemias 276. k. of Ananus 680. m. of Eleazar 804. k. Praise giuen to God 52. g h. Prediction of things to come 98. a. Preparations for warre burned 312. g. Presents of Abraham 19. d. of Iacob 36. g. of the Aegyptians 49. d. of Abigail 152. k. of the Mesopotamians 168. c d. of the Queene of Ethiopia and of kings 203. b c f. of Ptolomey to the interpreters 295. b. of Herod 594. l. Preseruation of Moses 42. m. 43. c. of Daniel and his companions 259. f. Preseruation from bloudshed 152. l m Presidents in euerie Citie 91. d. and what manner of men they ought to be ibid. d. Pride of Amasias 237. d e. of Ozias 239. d. of Senacherib 245. c. of Nabuchodonosor 260. g. of Balthasar 261. c. of Iohn 685. a. Priests vestures 61. c d. e. Priests abstaine from wine 707. c. 775. a. Priests executed and why 739. c. high Priests number and succession 526. g c. 527. a c. Priesthood confirmed to Aaron and his sonnes 80. i. Priesthood to be transported foreshewed 126. g. Princes of Syria 270. m. Principalitie affected by Adonias 186. i. by Costabarus 400. i. 685. a. 691. c. 697. f. Priscus slaieth Ionathan 733. a. Prisoners dismissed 241. d c. Priuiledges granted to the Iewes 295. d. 364 g. c. 365. a c. 784. l m. Problemes of Hiram c. 770. l. Prodigies preceding Ierusalems destruction 738. i k c. 739. a c. Professors of wisedome burne themselues 759. c. Progenie of Iapheth 10. b. of Canaan 10. m. 11. b. of the sonnes of Sem 11. c d. of Chaâ—…s sons 10. l. of Iacob 39. c. of Aaron 526. g. of Herod 471. d. 472. g h i. Prohibition of armes and yron-worke 136. i. Profit how great redounded to king Pharao 40. i k. Promise of Gods assistance 89. c d. Promotion of Ioseph 34. g h. 39. b. Prophecie of Iacob touching his posteritie 40. l m. of the sacred Secretarie 41. d. of Balaam 85. a b. of Samuel 126. g. 140. i k. of Achias 204. l m. 205. d. of Iadon 207. c f. of Olda 249. b. Prophecie of the captiuitie and deliuerie 253. a b. Prophet Moses a good gouernour 99 e f. Prophet Nathan 166. h. 170. m. Achias 205. c. Iadon 207. c. Samaeas 209. c. Azarias 212. l. Elias 214. k. Gimon 213. a. Elizaeus 225. c. Esay 245. f. Ieremie 250. i. Ezechiel 251 c. Ionas 238. l. Naum 240. k. Aggaeus and Zacharias 271. b. Micheas 220. h. false Prophet discrediteth the true 208. l. â—…21 d. false Prophet decerueth the people 522. l. Prosperitie of Ioseph 32. b. of Salomon 202. m. 203. a b c. 206. g. of Ieroboam 239. a. Prosperitie maketh prowd 237. d c. 239. d. Prospect stopt vp 524. g. Prouidence of God in sauing Moses 42. k l. m. 43. a b. of the Israelites 99. a. Prouision of victuals 164. g. 578. m. 579. a. Prouision for the priests 276. k. Prouision of things necessarie for warre 648. g h. Prooues against Antipater 445. b c d. 604. h i k l. Prudence of Ioseph 33. c. 34. g. of Salomon 199. a. of Iosephus 652. l m. Ptolemais described 618. l. besieged 342. g. taken ibid. l. Prolomey Lagus obtaineth Aegypt 287. c. seazeth Ierusalem by a stratageme ibid 288 g. led the Iewes away captiue ibid. g h. Ptolomey Philadelphus caused the Iewes lawes to be translated c. 2. h. his librarie 288. k. his proclamation 289 c. his liberalitie 290. k l. his Epistle to Eleazar c. 290. l m. his gifts giuen to the temple 291. d c. 292. g. c. 293. a c. his banquet 294. g. Ptolomey Euergetes king of Aegypt 297. f. incensed against Onias ib. Ptolomey Philopater warreth against Antiochus 296. h. his death ibid. Pâ—…olomey Epiphanes king of Aegypt 302. h. his children ibid. Ptolomey Philometor circumuented 303. h. succoureth Alexander 325. b. his death complotted ib. c. refuseth the Diademe of Asia ibid. c. his fight and death 3â—…6 g. Ptolomey slaieth Simon 334. h. imprisoneth Hyrcanus mother and brethren ibid. his crueltie against them 560. m. murthereth them 561. a. Ptolomey Physcon 337. a. the Syrians request to him ib. Ptolomey Lathyrus 337. f. aydeth Antiochus ibid. commeth to ayde the Ptolemaidans 341. f. besiegeth Ptolemais and why 342. g. ouerthroweth Alexander ibid. k. driuen out of Aegypt 343. a. Ptolomey Mennaeus fined 353. b. adopteth Antigonus 368. h. Ptolomies wife robbed 536. m. is slaine 580. g. Punishment of Adam and Eue 4. l m. of the Serpent ibid. m. 5. a. of Sodome 15. c 16. g h of a false witnesse 91. f. of Homicide committed ib. f. 92. h. of Saul 140. i. of Iadon 208. i. of Senacherib 246. k. of Nabuchadnezzar 260. g. Punishment for honouring false gods 204. l m. 241. b c. Punishment of Aristobulus 340. i. Punishment for rauishers of virgins 793. c. Purgations of women 25. c. of Purification the manner 81. f. 82. g. Purifications vsed in the sacrifices 793. d. Purification of the body 793. e f. Pursuite of Laban after Iacob 25. a. of the Aegyptians afteâ—… the Hebrewes 50. h. Putifar an Aegyptian Lord bought Ioseph 30. l m. Pythonissa of Endor 154. m. Q Quadratus Gouernour of Syria 621. c. decideth the Iewes and Samaritanes debate ibid. f. Quailes fell amidst the Hebrewes campe 55. a. 73. c. Qualities of the Aegyptians described 41. b. Quantitie of Gold 203.
and armour vnto the legion where they killed with darts one Arius a Centurion and fortie of the most valiant amongst them and the rest being in the like daunger through the helpe of Gratus with his souldiers of Sebaste escaped When they had done many things in this manner against the inhabitants straungers at last three of them were taken the eldest by Archelaus and the two others who were eldest after him fell into the hands of Gratus and Ptolemaeus and the fourth yeelded himselfe vnto Archelaus vpon composition and thus at last they came to their end And all Iudaea by their example was filled with theeues CHAP. III. Of Varus his deedes concerning the Iewes that were crucified WHen Varus had receiued the letters of Sabinus and of the nobles with him fearing the whole legion he hasted to succour them Wherefore he came to Ptolemais with two other legions and foure comets of horsemen vvhere he vvilled the kings forces and the nobles to meete him Moreouer as he passed by Berytum they accompanied him with 15. hundreth armed men Aretas also the King of Arabia for the hatred he bare to Herode was come with a great number of horsmen and footmen Assoone as the host vvas assembled Varus incontinently directed part of his armie into Galilee adioyning thereto and appointed a friend of his the sonne of Caius for their gouernour who presently put them all to flight against whom he was sent and hauing taken the castle of Sephoris he fired it and made the inhabitants therofbond slaues Varus with the rest of the armie went into Samaria and tooke it yet hee did the Citie no harme because he founde that amiddest al those tumults they had been quiet When he had pitched his tents at a village called Aun which was in the possession of Ptolemaeus the Arabians sacked it for they hated them who loued Herod From thence they went to Sapp◅o an other strong borough which they in like manner sacked and destroyed with all the fruits reuenewes they founde there All was filled with the slaughter and fiers which the Arabians made and there was no end nor hinderance of their auarice Also Varus commaunded Ammaus to bee burned being angrie for the death of Arias and the rest that were slaine there and the inhabitants thereof were scattered euery one by flight seeking to saue himselfe From thence hee went to Ierusalem and at the sight of him the Iewes fled and scattered themselues some here some there all about the country they that remained in the Citie excused themselues that they were not consenting to that tumult but that for the celebration of the feasts sake they permitted thē to come into the citie affirming that they had rather beene besieged together with the Romans then to haue conspired with those of the sedition and so they laid the cause of that tumult vpon others But first Iosephus Archelaus his cousin with Gratus Rufus came to meet him leading the kings armie and the Sebastians the Roman souldiers adorned in their accustomed apparrell Sabinus durst not be seene of Varus and therefore got him out of the towne before and went vnto the sea coast Varus deuided his armie and sent it into the fields against the Authours of that tumult and those that were brought vnto him who were in lesse fault hee committed to prison and those who were the chiefest he crucified to the number of two thousand And vnderstanding that in Idumaea there yet remained ten thousand of armed men he presently sent the Arabians home because he perceiued that they did not warre as those that came to helpe him but as they themselues pleased wasting the country against his will and so accompanied with his own armie he hastened against the enemies But they without anie fight through Achiabus counsell yeelded themselues to Varus And he pardoned the common souldiers and sent the Captaines to Caesar to answere the matter Who pardoning the most of them yet punished some that were the kings kinsmen for some of them were a kin to Herod because they altogether rebelled against their king Varus hauing thus quieted the estate of Iudaea and Ierusalem leauing the same legion that was there before departed to Antiochia CHAP. IIII. How the Iewes had an Ethnarcha constituted ouer them NOw Archelaus had a new processe at Rome against the Iewes who before the sedition with the leaue of Varus were gone to Rome to craue the libertie of their countrie These who came as Embassadours in their countries behalfe were fiftie in number and they were assisted by more then eight thousand Iewes that liued at Rome Wherefore Caesar called a Councell of the Nobilitie of Rome in the Temple of Apollo which was situate vpon mount Palatine and ioyned to Caesars priuate pallace which was most sumptuously adorned and the multitude of Iewes appeared with the Legats against Archelaus and his friends Archelaus kinred neither came with him nor with the rest of the Iewes with him they would not ioyne for enuie and with the Iewes they durst not for shame Amongst them also was Philip the brother of Archelaus whom Varus sent in curteous maner to assist his brother or if that it pleased Caesar to deuide Herods kingdom amongst his children that then he might haue a part The aduersaries were comaunded to shew what Herod had committed contratie to the lawes First of all they answered that they found him not a King but the most cruell tyrant that euer was and that he murdered many and those whom he left aliue endured such miserie as they thought themselues far vnhappier then those who were so butchered For said they he was not onely contented to teare his subiects bodies with torments but also defacing and ruinating the elde◅ of his owne countrie he adorned and reedified the cities of strangers and permitted fortainers to massacre the Iewes without reuenge And in steed of their ancient and wonted happinesse and their lawes inuiolated their countrie was by him made so poore and so filled with inquitie that within those few yeares that Herod raigned they had sustained more murders and massacres then all their ancestors had from the time of their departure out of Babylon vntill the beginning of his raigne being then pouoked to take armes when Xerxes was king of Persia. Yet they by enduring such miserie being now accustomed therunto would willingly be subiect to such a successour of his as they knew would make them liue in most bitter seruitude for they when Herod his father was dead presently called Archelaus king notwithstanding he was the sonne of such a tyrant and with him mourned for the death of Herod and offered sacrifice for the prosperitie of his successor But he to shew himselfe Herods son began his reigne with the slaughter of three thousand citizens and because he had so well deserued the kingdome he offered so many men to God for sacrifice and on a festiuall day filled