had not such successe as he hoped for he came to Rome and brought Ionathas and the rest bound with him thinking that no more inquirie would be made of the false accusations inuented by himselfe But Vespasian suspecting the matter made diligent inquirie to know the truth and finding these crimes iniuriously imposed vpon those men at Titus intreatie he acquited them and punished Ionathas according to his desert who being first whipped was afterward burned aliue And Catullus at that time by reason of the mildnesse of the Emperours had nothing said vnto him but not long after he fell into a grieuous disease and was cruelly tormented not onely in bodie but also in mind For he was greatly terrified and still imagined to see the ghostes of them whom hee had so vniustly slaine readie to kill him so that hee cried out and not able to containe himselfe lept out of his bed as though hee had beene tortured with torments and fire And this disease dayly increasing on his guts and bowels rotting and issuing out of him at last he died in this manner leauing behind him an euident argument that the diuine iustice doth punish impious malefactors And this is the end of the Historie which we promised to bee set downe with all fidelitie for them that are desirous to know the euent of the warres betweene the Iewes and the Romanes And as for our stile we leaue it to the iudgement of the Reader but touching the veritie of the Historie it is such as no man neede to doubt of for I doe affirme that to bee the onely scope which I aymed at in this whole worke The end of the seuenth and last Booke of Flauius Iosephus of the Warres of the Iewes THE FIRST BOOKE OF FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS THE SONNE OF MATTHIAS WRITTEN AGAINST APION AS TOVCHING THE ANTIQVITIE OF THE IEWES ISuppose O thou worthiest amongst worthie men Epaphroditus that I haue sufficiently testified vnto them who shall reade those bookes which I haue written as touching the autentique historie of the Iewes that our nation is most auncient and that they haue had their originall from themselues and haue from the first beginning inhabited that Countrie whereof they are now possessed at this present To which effect I haue gathered out of our sacred writings and published in the Greeke tongue a Historie containing the occurrences of fiue thousand yeeres And for that I see their are diuers who being too much addicted and seduced by the scandalous blasphemies and reports which some of those who are Iewdly affected towards vs haue published against vs haue misconceited and misbeleeued that which I haue written of our antiquitie and labour to approue our nation to bee moderne because none of the most auncient and most renowmed Historio graphers among the Grecians haue thought our auncestors worthie to bee enrowled in their writings I haue for these causes held it a part of my dutie to write som short treatise hereupon both to reproue the euill intent and affected lying of those our calumners as also to correct their ignorance by teaching those who are desirous to know the truth what the originall of our motion is For proofe whereof I will reduce no other testimonie then those who from antiquitie haue beene iudged worthie of credite among the Greekes laying open before their eyes that they who haue slaunderously and falsely written against vs are conuicted by their owne mouthes I will also enforce my selfe to expresse the causes wherein verie few Grecians haue made mention of vs in their Histories and moreouer I will make it knowne to those that are ignorant either in effect or in pretence who they haue beene that omitted not our Historie First of all therefore I doe not a little maruaile at those who in respect of antiquitie suppose that the truth ought onely to be gathered from the Greekes and that they iustly may claime the honour and knowledge of faithfull writing whereat they neither vouchsafe either vs or any others the credite or truth in that wee set downe although I am able to proue that all things haue fallen out quite contrarie For which cause it behoueth vs not to looke vnto mens various opinions but to examine that which is right and gather the same by the effects For all that whatsoeuer is set downe by the Greekes is new and of late memorie and hath beene brought to execution in a maner but yesterday I meane the foundations of Cities the inuentions of Arts and the descriptions of Lawes and the latest practise amongst them hath beene and is the diligent trauaile in Historie But among the Aegyptians Chaldeis and Phoenicians for I presume not to compare my countrimen with them as they themselues confesse the memorie of their writings is most ancient and infallible For all these nations dwell in such countries as are not subiect to the corruption of aire and haue carefully prouided that none of those things that haue been done by them should sleepe in obscuritie but should be kept in memorie in the publike writings of the learnedest men Whereas innumerable corruptions haue crept in among the Greeks by which the memorie of things forepassed is defaced But they alwaies who haue established new estates haue each of them supposed in their owne behalfe that whosoeuer was of theirs he was the first of the world Yet notwithstanding they haue had the knowledge of the nature of letters verie late and haue attained the same with verie great difficultie For they that speake of the most auncient vse of the same doe boast and glorifie themselues that they haue receiued the knowledge thereof from the Phoenicians and Cadmus Yet notwithstanding there is not any one of them that can shew any record of that time either in their temple or in their publike registers whereas after there arose a great doubt and question whether those letters were in vse during their time who sithence haue for the space of many yeeres continued the siege before Troy And in sooth their opinion who affirme that they were ignorant of the vse of those letters which are at this present allowed and accustomed amongst vs is not to be refused For it is most manifest that there is not any writing extant among the Greekes that is more auncient then Homers poesie which as it is most manifest hath bin in allowance and continuance since the time of the siege of Troy and yet it is reported that he left no part of that his poesie in writing which was composed of diuers songs and onely sung by roate by which meanes it came to passe that there are so many contradictions in the same And as touching those who haue vndertaken to write histories among them I meane Cadmus the Milesian and Acusilaus the Argiue and after him if there were any others they were not aliue but verie little time before the passage of the Persians into Greece Furthermore they who among the Greekes were the
first that introduced Philosophie and the knowledge of celestiall and diuine things that is to say Pherecydes the Svrian Pythagoras and Thales these all of them confesse with one accord that being instructed by the Aegiptians and Chaldeis they haue published some few writings which are supposed to be the most auncient that are among the Greekes and it is hardly beleeued also that they were written by them What reason therefore haue the Greeks to be so proud as if there were none but themselues only who knew the affaires of antiquitie and could exactly expresse their truth and veritie Or who cannot easily coniecture by their owne writers themselues that their writings were onely vpon hearesay and supposition and that their stile was onely tied to their vaine coniectures Hence commeth it to passe that in their bookes they cauell and reproue one another make no conscience to maintaine and write contradictions in one and the same things But it may be said that I taske my selfe to a fruitlesse labour if I should go about to informe those who are better experienced then my selfe in how many points Hellanicus differeth from Acusilaus as touching the Genealogie in how many places Acusilaus hath corrected Herodotus or how Ephorus hath approoued that Hellanicus was a liar in the greater part of that which he reciteth Ephorus hath been reprooued by Timaeus and in generall all them haue taxed Herodotus Neither hath Timaeus vouchsafed to accord with Antiochus or Philistus or Callias in the histories of Sicâ—…ly Neither haue they who haue written the histories of Athens or those who haue entreated of the Argoliques followed others What neede I recken vp those who in particular haue entreated of Cities or of succinct and short matters whereas in the description of the Persian warre and those exploits that were performed therein those of greatest authoritie are most at oddes Thucidides is accused by some for a liar in diuers places notwithstanding that he seemeth to haue described the historie of his time most exactly But the causes of this discord are diuers and it may be that they who shall narrowly prie into them shall find more For mine owne part those two which I shall here set downe in my opinion are of greatest weight The first and in my iudgement the chiefest is that amongst the Greekes from the beginning we haue not been industrious to keepe publike registers of such matters as hapned in any time or place which hath made them erre and giuen those a priuiledge to lie who afterwards would looke to write any thing of such matters as were acted long since Neither are the other Greekes onely to be touched with this negligence for not making account of such registers but amongst the Athenians also who are reputed to be glorious for the antiquitie of their countrey and who are exercised in sciences there is no mention of them For it is said that the most auncient and publike writings which they haue are those capitall lawes which were set downe by their lawmaker Draco who liued but a little time before Pisistratus tyrannie What neede wee speake of the Arcades who vaunt themselues of their antiquities For they haue learned the vse of letters with verie great difficultie and sometime after this whereas therefore there was not any writing published before that time which might instruct those that would learne or reprehend those that published vntruths from thence is it that so many differences haue happened among Historiographers A second cause is for that they who addicted themselues to compose histories did not busie themselues about the inquisition of the truth notwithstanding that each of them did ordinarily promise no lesse but they laboured to expresse how 〈◊〉 they were and fixed their whole study theron as the onely means wherby they hoped to obtaine reputation aboue the rest Some of them therefore addicted their stiles to â—…ables othersome by flattering praises thought to currie fauour with kings and Cities The rest inforced their studies to accusations by obtaining the worke of the writer thereof under trust to get the more credit thereby In effect they haue followed that coursd in composing their hitorie that was â—…uerie way different from the true nature thereof For the assured signe of a perfect and true historie is whereas all men accord both in word and writing iâ—… soâ—…ing down the same thing and they who haue written diuersly made men beleeue that they were the â—…est amongst aâ—… thâ—… rest We ought therefore to grant the superioritie to the Grecians in all that which concenâ—…h eloquence and the ornament of language but not in that which appertaineth to antiquitie or truth of Historie and especially when the question is that each man writ as touching his owne nation Seeing therfore that both the Aegyptians and Babylonians long time since vsed all diligence in writing in so much as their priests were hereunto enioyned who did most curiously entreat of all such points the same also did the Chaldeis amongst the Babylonians and the Phoenicians also inhabiting amongst the Greekes vsed lawes both concerning priuate and publike affaires which because all men confesse it I will omiâ—…to speake of I let passe also to recount what care our nation had of this point no doubt greater then those nations aboue mentioned had charging our high priests and prophets to execute this office which custome hath been obscrued euen vntill this our age yea and if I may presume so farre will be obserued in all succeeding ages as by the scope of my speech ensuing I will endeuour to make manifest For our nation did not onely depute this office to the most iust men amongst them in the beginning and vnto such as were alwaise ready to appease the heauie displeasure and wrath of God kindled against them but they also prouided to preserue the line and dissent of priests from all impuritie and from being intermingled with others For no man amongst vs can be a priest who is not borne of a woman descended from the priests line neither in this case is any respect made either of riches or honours but the partie who claimeth the dignitie of priesthood must by many witnesses proue his Genealogie and that he is descended from priests This custome is not onely of force in Iewrie our owne countrey but wheresoeuer else any of our nation inhabite as in Aegypt and Babylon and in any other place where continually the priests in their marriages haue this respect not to marrie with any woman that is not of their owne line and they send vnto Ierusalem the name and petigree of the woman whom they haue married and all testimonie hereof which they can deduce from her auncestors Now if warres molest our nation as often they haue in the time of Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes of Pompey the great Quintilius Varo and especially in this our age then those priests who suruiue make new Genealogies and pedigrees out of our holy writ
a tumult begun in Syria He also recordeth the greatnesse of our countrey and the fertilitie thereof they inhabite quoth he a countrey that hath almost thirtie hundreth thousand acres of most fertile ground for Iurie is of this largenesse that in time past we inhabited a large and very great citie which was verie populous he speaketh also of the building of our temple in this manner The Iewes haue many other townes and villages in euerie prouince but they haue one most strong citie the compasse of whose wals is fiftie stounds and in it inhabite a hundred and fiftie thousand men and this citie they called Ierusalem in the midst of it is a building of stone with foure porches a hundreth cubits about it hath also double gates wherein is a foure squared Altar made of vnhewen stones ioyned together and it is twentie cubites square euerie way and ten cubites high and about it is a most huge building where in is an Altar and a Candlesticke both of gold weighing two talents and there is kept a continuall light night and day which neuer goeth forth therein is no Image nor gift notrees nor wood growing there nor any thing of this sort Therein inhabite Priests both night and day celebrating certaine purifications and they drinke no wine in the Temple Moreouer he shewed how our nation warred vnder Alexanders successors and he reporteth that which he heard of a certaine Iew in the armie and I will set downe the Authors owne words As I went quoth he to the red Sea a certaine Iewe one of the horsemen that conducted vs named Mosollamus who was a couragious man and one who excelled all archers else both Greeks and other nations This Iewe euerie one hasting on forward of his iourney and being willed by a southsayer to stand he asked for what cause the multitude staied and went not forward presently the Southsayer shewed him a bird which hee diligently viewed and told the Iewe that if that bird did stand still in the place that then it was expedient for them to stand and if the bird did mount vp and flie that then they ought to march on forward but if it flew towards the place from whence they came that then it was wisedome to retire The Iewe hereat was silent yet drawing his bow hee shot an arrow and killed the bird whereat the Southsayer and certaine other were offended and cursed him But he taking the vnhappie bird in his hand said vnto them Are yee so mad as to thinke that this bird not hauing the foresight to preserue her selfe from this death is able to direct vs in the successe of our iourney Had this bird foreknowne future euents shee would haue eschewed this place for dread that Mosollamus a Iewe should haue strucken her with an arrow But wee will now leaue the testimonie of Hecataeus for euerie one that list may reade his booke and there vnderstand this more at large I will not omit the testimonie of Agatarchides a man of no euill in his owne opinion yet indeed one who hath vsed detraction to our owne nation This man speaking of Stratonice how leauing her husband Demetrius shee came into Syria and how Seleucus would not marrie her as shee hoped who hauing an armie at Babylon warred against Antioch and had taken the Citie and that shee fled into Seleucia where as she might haue made a more speedie escape by water but that shee was forwarned in a sleepe so to do that she was there taken and died c. Agatarchides hauing vsed this Preface and inueighed against Stratonices superstition he vseth an example of our nation in this manner The people that are called Iewes inhabite a most strong Citie which they call Ierusalem these people are wont to rest vpon the seuenth day and doe neither beare armes nor till their grounds nor doe anie other businesse vpon that day but their custome is to remaine in their Temple and there with stretched out armes continue in praier till night And so vpon a time they perseuering in that foolerie whilest they should haue defended their Citie Ptolomaeus Lagus entered it with many people and a great armie who greatly tyrannized ouer them and so they found by experience that the solemnitie appointed by their law was preiudiciall vnto them such like Churches as this did teach them and all nations else to flie vnto dreames which their law teacheth neuer considering that humane pollicie cannot preuaile against that which must necessarily happen Agatarchides thought this which he reporteth of vs to be ridiculous but they who weigh it with indifferencie shall perceiue that it is great commendation to our nation who rather suffer their Countrie and our saftie to be lost and endamaged then to violate the lawes of God I thinke I am thus able to shew that many writers omitted to make mention of our nation not for that they knew vs not but for enuie For Ierome who writ a booke of succession in the same time that Hecataeus liued who was a friend vnto King Antigonus and being president of Syria neuer mentioneth vs in all his Historie notwithstanding he was brought vp almost in our Countrie But Haecataeus writ a booke of vs so different are the minds of men for one of them thought our nation worthie to bee diligently recorded the other through malice was hindred from speaking the truth yet the Histories of the Chaldies Aegyptians and Phaenicians may suffice to proue our antiquitie together with the Greeke writers for besides those before mentioned Theophrastus also Theodotus Manaseas Ariphanes Hermogenes Euemeus Conon Zopyrion and many others no doubt for I haue not perused all mens bookes haue manifestly restified of vs. For many of the foresaid men were blinded with errors as not hauing gread our holy Scriptures yet they all ioyntly testifie our antiquitie for which I now alleadge them Truely Demetrius Phalereus Philon the elder and Eupolemus did not much erre from the truth and therefore reason it is that they should be borne with alâ—… for they were not so skilful as to search our writings with so much curiositie Being come thus farre it resteth that I now present one point more wherof I made mention in the beginning of this booke to wit that I declare the detractions and slaunderous reports of diuers concerning our nation to be false and voide of truth and I will vse the testimonie of those writers who record that the lying Historiographers at such time as they committed to writing the foresaid detractions did also euen against themselues register such like slaunders as they did against vs. And I doubt not but that all those who are conuersant in Histories can testifie that the like hath beene done by most writers for certaine priuate hatred or such like respects For some of the Gentiles haue attempted to deface the honour and reputation of the most renowmed Cities and to defame the manners of their Inhabitants Thus did Theopompus
altar and to conduct him to the iudgement seat that he might in that place iustifie his actions But Ioab said that he would neuer abandon the Temple but that he had rather die in that place than in another When Banaia had certified the king of this his answer he commanded him to cut off his head in the same place according as he required and that in that sort he should be punished by reason of the two murthers which he had cursedly committed vpon the persons of Abner and Amasa commanding that his bodie should be buried in the same place to the end that his sinnes should neuer depart from his race and that both Dauid and Salomon might be held guiltlesse of the death of Ioab This commaund of his Banaia executed and was afterward made generall of all the men of warre Moreouer the king established Sadoc soly in the place of Abiathar whom he had deposed He commanded Semei also to build him a house in Ierusalem and to keepe himselfe therein without passing the floud of Cedron for if he chanced to breake that commaundement the penaltie which he should incurre should be no lesse then death and to the more serious performance of this his iniunction he tied him by a solemne oath Semei thanked Salomon for the charge he had imposed on him and swore that he would fulfill the same so that forsaking his owne countrey he came and dwelt in Ierusalem where after he had soiourned for the space of three yeeres it hapned that he had newes that two of his fugitiue slaues had fled and retired themselues in Geth whereupon he went to finde them out and no sooner returned he backe againe with them but that the king had intelligence that he had neglected his commandement and that which is more that he had broken that oath which he made vnto God wherewith he was wroth For which cause calling him vnto him he spake after this manner Hast thou not sworne said he that thou wilt no waies abandon or issue out of this Citie to depart into an other Truely thou shalt not escape the penalty of thy periurie but I will see iustice done vpon thee for the same and for those outrages thou didst offer vnto my father during his flight at which time thou didst shew thy selfe to be a wicked man in all things to the end that thou maiest vnderstand that the wicked receiue no priuiledge although that their punishments be for the present deferred but at such time as they suppose themselues to be assured because they haue suffered no punishment their punishment is augmented and made more grieuous then it had been if they had presently beene executed for their offences Whereupon Banaia slew Semei according as he was commanded From that day forward Salomon had his royall estate secured and after that his enemies had receiued condigne punishment he tooke to wife the daughter of Pharao king of Aegypt and afterwards builded the walles of Ierusalem farre greater and more stronger then they were before and all the rest of his life he gouerned his common-weale in peace so that his youthly yeeres hindred him not from the obseruation of iustice and the maintenance of lawes neither excluded the remembrance of that which his father had charged him at the houre of his death but behauing himselfe in all things exactly he executed the affaires of his kingdome with that circumspection that such as excelled him in yeeres and were aduanced in prudence could not surpasse him CHAP. II. Of the wisedome prudence and riches of Salomon and how first of all he builded the Temple in Ierusalem AS soone as he came to Hebron he determined to pay his vowes vnto God on that brazen altar which was erected by Moses and sacrificed thereon in burnt offrings a thousand head of cattell which honourable deuotion of his was most acceptable vnto God For the very same night after he had appeared vnto him in a dreame he commaunded him to aske whatsoeuer blessing as he imagined sufficient to recompence this his pietie But Salomon required a most high and excellent thing which God doth most liberally bestow and men in like sort very happily receiue For he demanded neither gold nor siluer nor any otherkind of riches such as a youthly man would require for these are onely affected by the common sort when the other are onely worthy of the diuine magnificence But giue me said he O Lord a ripe iudgement and a good vnderstanding to the intent that by these meanes I may administer iustice to this people with truth and equitie With this demaund of his God was greatly delighted and promised him to giue him all other things wherof he had made no mention namely riches and glorie and aboue all these such an vnderstanding and wisedome as no one man either king or priuate hath had before him Moreouer that he would continue the kingdome in his family for many ages if so be that he continued in the waies of iustice and obeyed God in all things and walked in his fathers waies in imitating his chiefest vertues After that Salomon had receiued these blessings from God and was made happy by these promises he forsooke his bed and worshipping God returned vnto Ierusalem where he offered great sacrifices before the Tabernacle and magnifically feasted all those of his houshold About the same time a verie difficult iudgement was brought him to decide the resolution whereof was very hard to bee discouered And I haue thought it necessarie to declare the occasions whereon at that present the debate was grounded to the end that the readers may vnderstand the difficultie of the cause in question and that if they happen at any time to be assistant in such like affaires they might draw as it were from the counterfeit of this kings wisedome a perfect modle whereby they may directly shape an answere to such demaunds as shall be offered them Two women of loose and lustfull conuersation came vnto him one of which who seemed to haue suffered the iniurie began after this manner I O king said she and this woman dwell togither in one chamber but so it fortuned that both of vs on one day and at the same houre bare each of vs a sonne some three daies after we were brought a bed this woman lying by her infant hath in sleepe ouerlaid it and stifled it and hath taken my childe from betweene my knees and laid it by her and setled the dead childe whilest I slept in my bosome Now on the morrow when I thought to offer the teate vnto mine infant I found not mine owne but perceiued that her child lay dead by me for I knew it because I had exactly marked it This my childe I haue redemaunded at her hands and because I could not recouer it I haue made my recourse vnto your maiesties iustice O king for in that we were sole women and she is obstinate and feareth not to be
an office of kindnes from a friend For by giuing we bewray our well wishing and by receiuing we proportion and continue frendship vpon this ground I praie you build the good entertainment of my present and nourish this good custome in me which was vsuall both amongst Grecians and Latins I meane my translation which if it please you I haue my wish As for my maligners I expect no worse from them then Iason the Thassalian who being assailed and wounded by an enemie who had an intent to kill him had an impostumation opened that saued his life their stabbe and stroke of disgrace shall cure and heale the hidden and neglected infirmities of my minde and notwithstanding I shall both Genio ingenio liue to loue you and lament their want of char◅ie Thus heartelie commending me I hastilie take my leaue being tied prentize of late to other mens importunities Your louing Friend Tho. Lodge THE FIRST OF THOSE SEVEN BOOKES WHICH WERE WRITTEN BY FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS THE SONNE OF MATTHIAS AS TOVCHING THE WARRE AND DESTRVCTION OF THE IEWES THE PRAEFACE In which the Author taxeth diuers Historiographers of vntruth and declareth his intent and specifieth the principall points of this Historie FOr as much as the warre which was enterprised betwixt the Iewes and Romans hath amongst all other beene the greatest that either hath beene attempted in our age or heard of in any other either between citie or citie or nation against nation there haue beene some who rather building their discourse on the vaine and improbable report of others then their owne iudgements haue according to the manner of orators made a historie of their hearsay and haue filled their discourses not only with vanitie but also with cōtradiction Others there were who for that they were eie witnesses or actors of the same haue according to their own fancies preferred many lies either to flatter the Romanes or exercise their hatred against the Iewes forging somewhiles accusations otherwhiles breaking out into praises without any obseruation of historicall veri◅e For this cause I Ioseph the sonne of Matthias by birth an Hebrew and a citizen and priest of Ierusalem who in the beginning of these wars bare armes against the Romanes and afterwards being therunto forced by necessitie was present at all those things which were attempted and prosecuted in those warres haue thought good to discourse in the Greeke tongue in fauour of all those who acknowledge the soueraigntie of the Romane Empire all that which heretofore in my owne language I haue imparted to those Barbarians that inhabit the East For at such time as I haue alreadie spoken as these most bitter and busie warres tooke their beginning the Romans were at ciuill warres among themselues and as touching the Iewes who were in yeeres valiant and in wits turbulent they being both strong in power and rich in money did so insolently abuse the time that being animated by the greatnes of those seditions and troubles haue somewhiles swamme in hope sometimes sweltered in feare of possessing or losing certaine soueraignties in the East For the Iewes hope was that all those of their nation euen they who inhabited the parts beyond Euphrates would haue both followed them in their rebellion and seconded their follies with their forces Moreouer at that time the Frenchmen who bordered vpon the Romans suffered them not to liue in peace and the Germanes also began to take armes Finally after the death of Nero seditions raigned euery where so that by reason of the oportunitie of these times many men went about to make themselues kings and the souldiers whetted on with the couetous desire of gaine desired nothing more then trouble and alteration For which cause I thinke it a matter both worthy reproofe and ill beseeming my reputation if in so waightie affaires I should suffer the truth to be smothered in incertainties and should permit the Parthians Babylonians and the furthest distant Arabians and those of our nation inhabiting beyond Euphrates togither with the Adiabenites to obtain the true knowledge of those euents by mine industrie whilest the Grecians diuers of those who haue not born armes with the Romans being distracted with factions deceiued by adulation should be ignorant hereof Yet some of these there be who notwithstanding their false informations stick not to write histories not only void of all truth but also no waies answerable to their subiect which they vndertake For whilest they labour to dignifie and extoll the Romans they altogither suppresse the fame and fortunes of the Iewes yet cannot I coniecture by what meanes they maie be held great who triumph in the conquest of men so obscure and abiect Nay whilest they thus extol the Romans valour in conquering the Iewes they nothing at all respect the continuance of the wars nor the multitude of the Roman souldiers nor the honour of their captaines whose titles are much embased if they hauing laboured so much to conquer Ierusalem should haue any thing derogated from the honour and prosperitie of their attempts For mine owne part I am not resolued to contradict those who shall enhance the glorie and noble actions of the Romans neiher to extol and dignifie the deserts of mine owne nation but my resolution is in all truth and sinceritie to set downe each occurrent without respect or partialitie towards either part In performance whereof I will fashion my discourse according to the matter I entreat of and as my griefe and sorrow shall inuite me to lament the miseries of my countrey For the ciuill dissension that dismembred the same was the cause that brought it to confusion and those tyrants that raigned amongst vs were such who forcibly drew the Romans with sword and sire to seeke the desolation of our holy temple The truth whereof Titus Caesar himselfe can iustifie who destroied the same and who during all those warres still pitied the people for that they as he well perceiued were kept in awe by ◅he seditious And who oftentimes of his owne accord deferred the surprisall of the Citie purposely protracting the siege to the intent that in the meane time the authors of the sedition and bloudie wars might haue leasure to repent and submit themselues Now if any man thinke that I write this as one that exclaimeth against the tyrants and their the eueries or that in bewailing the miseries of my lost countrey I accuse their villanies and thereby transgresse the limits of a historie let it be imputed to my griefe and so pardoned For amongst all the Cities that were euer gouerned by the Romans our Citie onely attained to the top of felicitie which now alas is brought into extreame miserie captiuitie and desolation Nay if all the misfortunes calamities which the world from the beginning hath seene be compared with the infelicitie and fall of the Iewes they are slight and of no moment And to increase our sorrow no forrainers but our owne familiar friends and
for the foresaid women that are not deuoured by the furie of war For they come vnto these women not fearing the companie of strangers amongst whom they li◅e yea this is an euident token of the priests integritie that euerie priest during the reuolution of two thousand yeers are registred togither with the names of their fathers and if any one doe erre or falsifie any of the things beforesaid he is then interdicted from the altar and from exercising any priestly function So that in the writings of such men all things must of necessitie be true and as they ought to be for that neither all men are permitted to write nor yet any dissonance and disagreement is found in their writings For such things as past in auncient times quite beyond the memorie of men were onely written by our Prophets who had the knowledge thereof by inspiration from God himselfe but other things of latter time are onely recorded by those who liued in the age wherein the things they writ of were done The bookes amongst vs containing the histories of all ages are neither infinit nor one repugnant to another for all our Chronicle is contained in two and twentie bookes to which bookes it is impietie to denie credit Fiue of these bookes were written by Moses comprehending Genealogies and the beginning of mankind and such notable euents as hapned euen from the beginning of the world vntill his death which is little lesse then three thousand yeeres After the death of Moses vntill the time wherein Artaxerxes liued who was king of the Persians and sonne to Xerxes the Prophets of our nation euerie one writ the historie of his time wherein he liued so that of these mens writings we haue thirteene bookes the foure other bookes which make vp the number alreadie mentioned are knowne to containe holy Hymnes dedicated vnto God and wholsome precepts for mans life and conuersation All things which from Artaxerxes vntill our time haue hapned are also set downe in writing yet the bookes wherein they are registred do not deserue so much credit as the former of auncient times for that there was no certaine successor of Prophets in this age Moreouer it is euident that to the former works we giue as great credite as to the things we our selues write and notwithstanding they haue been so long written yet in all that time no man durst presume either to alter or to blot out any thing therein contained For all Iewes euen from their cradle do beleeue these bookes to be sacred holy and diuine and therefore do giue all credite possible vnto them and so would willingly suffer death rather then to doe the contrarie Many captiues also of our nation haue alreadie been cruelly tormented and diuers waies put to death in open theaters only for that they would not cōmit any thing either in word or deed against their lawes nor violate the writings of their forefathers Now who amongst the Greekes did euer sustaine the like nay they are so farre from doing it that none can be found amongst them who would any losse in his goods or fortunes thereby to preserue all the writings of their nation from perdition and the reason hereof is that euerie one esteemeth the veritie of their Histories to depend vpon the will of the writer And this they do also of their most ancient Historiographers and not without cause for they euery day see men of their owne times writing Histories of matters past long before in former ages wherin neither themselues were present neither yet vouchsafe they to credit the writings of such as were then eye witnesses thereof yea some amongst them haue diuulged Histories of such things as of late befell our nation when themselues neuer haue beene in the place where such matters past as they did write of warre nor haue liued in any neighbour place vvhere they might haue probable report how matters past but onely making a few centones or broken newes they most impudently arrogate vnto therr patcht stuffe the name of a Historie I my selfe haue composed a most true Historie of those vvars and of enerie particuler thing there done as well I might hauing beene present in all those affaires For I was captaine of the Galileans amongst our nation so long as any resistance could be made againg the Romans and then it so fell out that I was taken by the Romans and being prisoner vnto Titus and Vespasian they caused me to be an eye witnesse of all things that past First in bonds and fetters afterward freed from them I was brought from Alexandria with Titus vvhen he went to the siege of Ierusalem So that nothing could then passe whereof I had not notice For beholding the Roman armie I committed to writing all things with all possible diligence My selfe also did onely manage all matters disclosed vnto the Romans by such as yeelded themselues for that I only did perfectly vnderstand them Lastly being at Rome and hauing now leasure all buisines being past I vsed the helpe of some for the puritie of the Greeke tongue and so I published a historie of all that had hapned in the foresaid wars which Historie of mine is so true that I feare not to call Vespasian and Titus Emperors in those wars to witnesse for them I first gaue a copie of that booke to them afterwards to many noble Romans who also were present in those warres I solde also many of them to our owne nation to such as vnderstood the greeke language amongst whom were Iulius Archilaus Herode the honest and the most worthie king Agrippa who all doe testifie that my historie containeth nothing but truth Who would not haue beene silent if in any thing either for ignorance or flatterie I had chaunged or omitted any particuler yet notwithstanding all this some ill disposed persons endeuour to discredit my historie as though they were disputing pro and contra amongst children in schooles being sometime on a sodaine too for a feined accusation and otherwise to feine a slaunderous and sodaine detraction neuer considering that he who promiseth other men a true relation of matters past must either be priuie vnto them by his owne knowledge as hauing beene present in the affaires or else haue that which he speaketh from other mens mouthes by report of them who know them both which I haue done For I gathered my other bookes of Antiquitie out of holy Scripture being my selfe a Priest and skilfull in our law and the historie of our wars I haue written my selfe being an agent in many matters therein contained and an eye witnesse of the rest so that nothing was said or done whereof I had not notice How then can any man excuse them from impudencie and malice who labour against me to proue my relation false They perhaps alledge that they haue read the commentarie containing the Emperours acts yet for all this they were not present in any action repugnant to that
which my history recounteth Thus haue I as I thought it necessarie made a digression to shew how they are able to performe their word who discrediting my historie promise to set downe truth in writing I haue also sufficiently as I thinke demonstrated that the registring of things is more ancient amongst other nations then amongst the Greekes I will now first of all dispute against those who with all might and maine labour to proue our nation of no antiquitie for that as they say no Greeke writer maketh any mention of it This done I will bring forth proofe and testimone of the antiquitie hereof out of other writers and so I will shew that their tongues are no slaunder who seeke to discredit our nation First therefore our nation neither inhabiteth a countrey bordering vpon the sea neither are wee delighted in marchandise nor for this cause wearied with pilgrimages from place to place But our cities are scituate farre from the sea in a most fertile soile which we till with all industrie and our whole indeuours are how to get foode for our children and to keepe our countrey â—…awes and how to leaue vnto our posteritie the knowledge of pietie which worke we thinke all our age ought to be imployed in Beside all this before mentioned we haâ—…e a forme of liuing different from all other nations all which concurring together we had no need to trafficke with the Greekes as the Aegyptians and the Phaenitians do who giue themselues to bargaining and marchandize onely for coueteousnes of money Neither were our auncestors delighted in thefts and robberies nor did our fathers make warre vpon any nation for desire of larger possessions notwithstanding our countrey was furnished with many thousands of strong warlike men Wherefore the Phaenicians sayling vnto the Greekes to trafficke with them they were thus made knowne vnto them and by them the Aegyptians and all other nations who sailing vpon the seas brought marchandize into Greece The Medes also and Persians were knowne vnto them after such time as they openly raigned ouer Asia and the Persians warred euen vnto the other opposite continent Moreouer the Greeks knew the Thracians because they were their neighbours and the Scythians by sayling to Pontus and finally all that were disposed to write knew al the nations bordering either vpon the Easterne Westerne seas but such as dwelt farre from the sea sea coast were long time vnknowne as also appeareth in Europe for neither Thucidides nor Herodotus nor any other of that time maketh any mention of Rome notwithstanding that so long since it was so mightie and made so great wars yet at last with much adoe the Greeks heard of it Yea their most curious writers and namely Ephorus were so ignorant of the Frenchmen Spaniards that they thought the Spaniards to be a people only denominated of one citie wherein they inhabited whereas the whole world now knoweth them to inhabite a vaste countrey and a great part of the westerne world Likewise the said Greeke writers relate the manner of the foresaid people to be such as neither are nor were euer vsed amongst them And the onely cause why they were ignorant of the truth was the distance of the place and these writers would seeme to tel something which others of former times had not spoken of No maruaile therefore though our nation was vnknowen and none of them in their writings made any mention of vs being both so farre from the sea and liuing after a different manner Put case therefore that I denied the Greeks to be of any antiquitie and to proue my assertion should conclude their nation to be moderne for that our histories made no mention of them would they not laugh at this reason and vse the testimonie of their neighbour nations to proue their antiquitie I therefore wil do the like and vse the testimony of the Aegyptians Phaenicians whose records the Greeks cannot denie For all Aegyptians in generall are our enemies and amongst the Phaenicians they especially of Tyre Which I cannot iustly say of the Chaldeis who haue been princes ouer our nation and because of their affinitie and alliance with our countrimen haue in their Chronicles made mention of the Iewes Yet when I haue prooued what I now auerre and refelled the slanderous reports against vs I will then also shew who amongst the Greeks speake of vs that so the Greeks may also be depriued of this shift and refuge to excuse their malicious lies falsely forged against our nation And first of all I will begin with the writings of the Aegyptians who as they well know doe nothing at all fauour vs. Wherefore Manethon an Aegyptian borne skilfull in the Greeke tongue as by his works appeare for he writ in Greeke compiling a historie of the customes and religion of his forefathers collected as himselfe reporteth out of the Aegyptians holy writings often reprehendeth Herodotus who being indeed ignorant did much helpe the Aegyptians This Manethon in his second booke of the Aegyptian customes saith thus I will set downe his owne words because I vse them for a witnesse We had a King quoth hee named Timaus in whose reigne God being angrie with vs contrarie to all expectation an obscure people taking courage came from the East and pitching their Tents in our countrie conquered it by force no man resisting them committing our princes to bonds did finally burne our cities and destroy the temples of our Gods behaued themselues most cruelly against all the Inhabitants killing many of them and making slaues of the rest with their wiues and children finally they chose a King amongst themselues who should bee then of our Countrie his name was Saltis who comming to Memphis made both the higher and lower Prouince tributaries leauing garrisons in strong holds and fortifying those places in the East Likewise foreseeing that the Assyrians were more mightie then he and would inuade his Countrie he found out in this Prouince a Citie called Saite fit for his purpose being situate on the East side of the riuer Bubastis which by an auncient diuine was called Auaris he builded vp this Citie and compassed it with most huge wals and placed in it two hundred thousand armed men to keepe it This Saltis came in Haruest time to the intent that hee might both pay his souldiers and bee a terror vnto other people and after hee had raigned nineteene yeeres hee died After him succeeded another King called Baeon who reigned foure and fortie yeeres next to him Aphinas who reigned thirtie sixe yeere and seuen monethes then Aphocis who reigned threescore and one yeeres and then Iandas who reigned fiftie yeeres and one moneth after them all reigned Assis nine and fortie yeeres and two moneths and these sixe were the first Kings amongst them euer destroying and warring vpon the Aegyptians and labouring to extinguish their race This nation was called Hiscos which signifieth Kings shepheards for Hic in