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The Wars Of
The Jews
Or
The History
Of The Destruction Of Jerusalem
Book VI CONTAINING THE INTERVAL OF ABOUT ONE MONTH.
FROM THE GREAT EXTREMITY TO WHICH THE JEWS
WERE REDUCED TO THE TAKING OF JERUSALEM BY TITUS. CHAPTER 1. THAT THE MISERIES STILL GREW WORSE; AND
HOW THE ROMANS MADE AN ASSAULT UPON THE TOWER OF ANTONIA. 1.
THUS did the miseries of Jerusalem grew worse and worse every day,
and the seditious were still more irritated by the calamities they
were under, even while the famine preyed upon themselves,
after it had
preyed upon the people.
And indeed the multitude of carcasses that lay in heaps one upon
another was a horrible sight, and produced a pestilential stench,
which was a hindrance to those that would make sallies out of the
city, and fight the enemy: but as those were to go in battle-array,
who had been already used to ten thousand murders, and must tread upon those dead bodies
as they marched along, so were not they terrified, nor did they
pity men as they marched over them; nor did they deem this affront
offered to the deceased to be any ill omen to themselves;
Jerusalem by this point has suffered a terrible famine, and then they
flat tell us that the Jewish military went among the people of Jerusalem
and murdered tens of thousands of them. This murder and savagery
among their own people will be repeated in this narrative. The level
of defilement murder touching bodies that were dead marching over
them their souls and consciences being seared that they felt nothing
was wrong with any of this. but as they had their right hands already polluted with the murders
of their own countrymen,
and in that condition ran out to fight with foreigners, they seem to me to have cast a
reproach upon God himself, as if he were too slow in punishing them; for the war was not now gone on with as
if they had any hope of victory; for they gloried after a brutish
manner in that despair of deliverance they were already in. And
now the Romans, although they were greatly distressed in getting
together their materials, raised their banks in one and twenty days,
after they had cut down all the trees that were in the country that
adjoined to the city, and that for ninety furlongs round about, as I have already related. And truly the
very view itself of the country was a melancholy thing; for those
places which were before adorned with trees and pleasant gardens
were now become a desolate country every way, and
its trees were all cut down:
nor could any foreigner that had formerly seen Judea and the most
beautiful suburbs of the city, and now saw it as a desert, but lament
and mourn sadly at so great a change: for the war had laid all the
signs of beauty quite waste: nor if any one that had known the place
before, had come on a sudden to it now, would he have known it again;
but though he were at the city itself, yet would he have inquired
for it notwithstanding. Up until this point Jerusalem and the surrounding territory had be
an very beautiful place of forests and gardens this is noted in
the prophets the Romans made all this a waste place, and despite
Israel becoming a nation in 1948 Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside
remains a desolate place to this day, -- a desolation of abomination
2.
And now the banks were finished, they afforded a foundation for
fear both to the Romans and to the Jews; for the Jews expected that the city would be taken, unless they could burn
those banks, as did the Romans expect that, if these were once burnt
down, they should never be able to take it; for there was a mighty
scarcity of materials,
and the bodies of the (Jewish)
soldiers began to fail with such hard labors, as did their souls
faint with so many instances of ill success; nay, the very calamities
themselves that were in the city proved a greater discouragement
to the Romans than those within the city; for they found the fighting
men of the Jews to be not at all mollified among such their sore
afflictions, while they had themselves perpetually less and less
hopes of success, and their banks were forced to yield to the stratagems
of the enemy, their engines to the firmness of their wall, and their
closest fights to the boldness of their attack; and, what was their
greatest discouragement of all. So at this point the Jews decide that if they can burn everything
on the banks of the river (Jordan?) that the Romans would not have
the materials needed to siege and take the City of Jerusalem so
they set about trying to burn and destroy everything and while working
on this due to the famine and other circumstances the Jewish soldiers
begin to die and their souls fainted this sounds like the words
of the prophets. They (The Romans) found the Jews' courageous souls to be superior to
the multitude of the miseries they were under, by their sedition,
their famine, and the war itself; insomuch that they were ready
to imagine that the violence of their attacks was invincible, and
that the alacrity they showed would not be discouraged by their
calamities; for what would not those be able to bear if they should
be fortunate, who turned their very misfortunes to the improvement
of their valor! These considerations made the Romans to keep a stronger
guard about their banks than they formerly had done. Even with all this against
the Jews the Romans found them to be quite a formidable foe.
3.
But now John and his party took care for securing themselves afterward,
even in case this wall should be thrown down, and fell to their
work before the battering rams were brought against them. Yet did
they not compass what they endeavored to do, but as they were gone out with their torches, they came back under
great discouragement before they came near to the banks; and the reasons were these: that, in the
first place, their conduct did not seem to be unanimous, but they
went out in distinct parties, and at distinct intervals, and after
a slow manner, and timorously, and, to say all in a word, without
a Jewish courage; for they were now defective in what is peculiar
to our nation, that is, in boldness, in violence of assault, and
in running upon the enemy all together, and in persevering in what
they go about, though they do not at first succeed in it; but they
now went out in a more languid manner than usual, and at the same time found the Romans
set in array, and more courageous than ordinary, and that they guarded
their banks both with their bodies and their entire armor, and this
to such a degree on all sides, that they left no room for the fire
to get among them, and that every one of their souls was in
such good courage, that they would sooner die than desert their
ranks; for besides their notion that all their hopes were cut off,
in case these their works were once burnt, the soldiers were greatly
ashamed that subtlety should quite be too hard for courage, madness
for armor, multitude for skill, and Jews for Romans. The Plan to burn everything on the banks fails and again the Armies
of Israel are rebuked of God himself and I can ad that they remained
stiff-necked and hard hearted and neither did their repent of their
evil. The Romans had now also another advantage,
in that their engines for sieges co-operated with them in throwing
darts and stones as far as the Jews, when they were coming out of the city; whereby the man that
fell became an impediment to him that was next to him, as did the danger of going farther make them
less zealous in their attempts; and for those that had run under
the darts, some
of them were terrified by the good order and closeness of the enemies'
ranks before they came to a close fight, and others were pricked
with their spears, and turned back again; at
length
they reproached one another for their cowardice, and retired without
doing any thing. This attack was made upon the first day of the
month Panemus [Tamuz.] So when the Jews were retreated,
the Romans brought their engines, although they had all the while
stones thrown at them from the tower of Antonia, and were assaulted
by fire and sword, and by all
sorts of darts,
which necessity afforded the Jews to make use of; for although these
had great dependence on their own wall, and a contempt of the Roman
engines, yet did they endeavor to hinder
the Romans from bringing them.
Now these Romans struggled hard, on the contrary, to bring them,
as deeming that this zeal of the Jews was in order to avoid any
impression to be made on the tower of Antonia, because its wall
was but weak, and its foundations rotten. However, that tower did
not yield to the blows given it from the engines; yet did the Romans
bear the impressions made by the enemies' darts which were
perpetually cast at them,
and did not give way to any of those dangers that came upon them
from above, and so they brought their engines to bear. But then,
as they were beneath the other, and
were sadly wounded by the stones thrown down upon them, some of
them threw their shields over their bodies,
and partly with their hands, and partly with their bodies, and partly
with crows, they
undermined its foundations, and with great pains they removed four
of its stones. Then night came upon both sides, and put an end to
this struggle for the present; however, that night the wall was
so shaken by the battering rams in that place where John had used
his stratagem before, and had undermined their banks, that the ground
then gave way, and the wall fell down suddenly. The Jews are fighting with darts, stones, and fire, while the roman
attack begins in the tower or Antonia which Josephus said the foundations
were rotten and that section of the wall was weak. and the wall suddenly gave way 4.
When this accident had unexpectedly happened, the minds of both
parties were variously affected; for though one would expect that
the Jews would be discouraged, because this fall of their wall was
unexpected by them, and they had made no provision in that case,
yet did they pull up their courage, because the tower of Antonia itself
was still standing;
as was the unexpected joy of the Romans at this fall of the wall
soon quenched by the sight they had of another wall, which John
and his party had built within it. However, the attack of this second wall appeared to be easier than that of the
former, because it seemed a thing of greater facility to get up
to it through the parts of the former wall that were now thrown
down. This new wall appeared also to be much
weaker than the tower of Antonia, and accordingly the Romans imagined
that it had been erected so much on the sudden, that they should
soon overthrow it: yet did not any body venture now to go up to
this wall; for that such as first ventured so to do must certainly
be killed. The Romans find a second wall but with the rubble of the first wall
they find it easy to breach. 5.
And now Titus, upon consideration that the alacrity of soldiers
in war is chiefly excited by hopes and by good words, and that exhortations
and promises do frequently make men to forget the hazards they run,
nay, sometimes to despise death itself, got together the most courageous
part of his army, and tried what he could do with his men by these
methods. "O fellow soldiers," said he, "to make an exhortation to men to do what hath no peril in it, is on that very account inglorious to
such to whom that exhortation is made; and indeed so it is in him
that makes the exhortation, an argument of his own cowardice also.
I therefore think that such exhortations ought then only to be made
use of when affairs are in a dangerous condition, and yet are worthy
of being attempted by every one themselves; accordingly, I am fully
of the same opinion with you, that it is a difficult task to go
up this wall; but that it is proper for those that desire reputation
for their valor to struggle with difficulties in such cases will
then appear, when I have particularly shown that it is a brave thing
to die with glory, and that the courage here necessary shall not go unrewarded in those that
first begin the attempt.
And let my first argument to move you to it be taken from what probably
some would think reasonable to dissuade you, I mean the constancy
and patience of these Jews, even under their ill successes; for
it is unbecoming you, who are Romans and my soldiers, who have in
peace been taught how to make wars, and who have also been used
to conquer in those wars, to be inferior to Jews, either in action
of the hand, or in courage of the soul, and this especially when you are at
the conclusion of your victory, and are assisted by God himself; for as to our misfortunes, they have been
owing to the madness of the Jews, while their sufferings have been
owing to your valor, and
to the assistance God hath afforded you; for as to the seditions they have been in, and the famine
they are under, and the siege they now endure, and the fall of their
walls without our engines, what can they all be but demonstrations of God's anger against them, and of his assistance afforded us? It
will not therefore be proper for you, either to show yourselves
inferior to those to whom you are really superior, or to betray
that Divine assistance which is afforded you. And, indeed, how can
it be esteemed otherwise than a base and unworthy thing, that while
the Jews, who need not be much ashamed if they be deserted, because
they have long learned to be slaves to others, do yet despise death, that they may be so
no longer; and do make sallies into the very midst of us frequently,
no in hopes of conquering us, but merely for a demonstration of
their courage; we, who have gotten possession of almost all the
world that belongs to either land or sea, to whom it will be a great
shame if we do not conquer them, do not once undertake any attempt
against our enemies wherein there is much danger, but sit still
idle, with such brave arms as we have, and only wait till the famine
and fortune do our business themselves, and this when we have it
in our power, with some small hazard, to gain all that we desire!
For if we go up to this tower of Antonia, we gain the city; for
if there should be any more occasion for fighting against those
within the city, which I do not suppose there will, since we shall
then be upon the top of the hill (1) and be upon
our enemies before they can have taken breath, these advantages
promise us no less than a certain and sudden victory. As for myself,
I shall at present wave any commendation of those who die in war,
(2) and omit
to speak of the immortality of those men who are slain in the midst
of their martial bravery; yet cannot I forbear to imprecate upon
those who are of a contrary disposition, that they may die in time
of peace, by some distemper or other, since their souls are condemned
to the grave, together with their bodies. For what man of virtue
is there who does not know, that those souls which are severed from
their fleshly bodies in battles by the sword are received by the
ether, that purest of elements, and joined to that company which
are placed among the stars; that they become good demons, and propitious
heroes, and show themselves as such to their posterity afterwards?
while upon those souls that wear away in and with their distempered
bodies comes a subterranean night to dissolve them to nothing, and
a deep oblivion to take away all the remembrance of them, and this
notwithstanding they be clean from all spots and defilements of
this world; so that, in this ease, the soul at the same time comes
to the utmost bounds of its life, and of its body, and of its memorial
also. But since he hath determined that death is to come of necessity
upon all men, a sword is a better instrument for that purpose than
any disease whatsoever. Why is it not then a very mean thing for
us not to yield up that to the public benefit which we must yield
up to fate? And this discourse have I made, upon the supposition
that those who at first attempt to go upon this wall must needs
be killed in the attempt, though still men of true courage have
a chance to escape even in the most hazardous undertakings. For,
in the first place, that part of the former wall that is thrown
down is easily to be ascended; and for the new-built wall, it is
easily destroyed. Do you, therefore, many of you, pull up your courage,
and set about this work, and do you mutually encourage and assist
one another; and this your bravery will soon break the hearts of
your enemies; and perhaps such a glorious undertaking as yours is
may be accomplished without bloodshed. For although it be justly
to be supposed that the Jews will try to hinder you at your first
beginning to go up to them; yet when you have once concealed yourselves
from them, and driven them away by force, they will not be able
to sustain your efforts against them any longer, though but a few
of you prevent them, and get over the wall. As for that person who
first mounts the wall, I should blush for shame if I did not make
him to be envied of others, by those rewards I would bestow upon
him. If such a one escape with his life, he shall have the command
of others that are now but his equals; although it be true also
that the greatest rewards will accrue to such as die in the attempt."
(3) 6.
Upon this speech of Titus, the rest of the multitude (The Roman
Armies) were aftrighted at so great a danger. But there was one,
whose name was Sabinus, a soldier that served among the cohorts,
and a Syrian by birth, who appeared to be of very great fortitude,
both in the actions he had done, and the courage of his soul he
had shown; although any body would have thought, before he came
to his work, that he was of such a weak constitution of body, that
he was not fit to be a soldier; for his color was black, his flesh
was lean and thin, and lay close together; but there was a certain
heroic soul that dwelt in this small body, which body was indeed
much too narrow for that peculiar courage which was in him. Accordingly
he was the first that rose up, when he thus spake: "I readily
surrender up myself to thee, O Caesar; I first ascend the wall,
and I heartily wish that my fortune may follow my courage and my
resolution And if some ill fortune grudge me the success of my undertaking,
take notice that my ill success will not be unexpected, but that
I choose death voluntarily for thy sake." When he had said
this, and had spread out his sheild over his head with his left
hand, and hill, with his right hand, drawn his sword, he marched
up to the wall, just about the sixth hour of the day. One man a back Syrian named Sabinus gives an oath to Ceasar to breach
the wall and he succeeded and 11 other men follow him. There followed him eleven others, and no more, that resolved to imitate
his bravery; but still this was the principal person of them all,
(Sabinus) and went first, as excited by a divine fury. Now those that guarded the wall shot at them from thence,
and cast innumerable darts upon them from every side; they also
rolled very large stones upon them, which overthrew some of those eleven that were with him. But as for
Sabinus himself, he met the darts that were cast at him and though
he was overwhelmed with them, yet did he not leave off the violence
of his attack before he had gotten up on the top of the wall, and
had put the enemy to flight. For as the Jews were astonished at
his great strength, and the bravery of his soul.
And as, withal, they imagined more of them had got upon the wall
than really had, they were put to flight. And now one cannot but
complain here of fortune, as still envious at virtue, and always
hindering the performance of glorious achievements: this was the
case of the man before us, when he had just obtained his purpose;
for
he then stumbled at a certain large stone, and fell down upon it
headlong, with a very great noise. Upon which the Jews turned back,
and when they saw him to be alone, and fallen down also, they threw
darts at him from every side. However. be got upon his knee, and
covered himself with his shield, and at the first defended himself
against them, and wounded many of those that came near him; but
he was soon forced to relax his right hand, by the multitude of
the wounds that had been given him, till at length he was quite
covered over with darts before he gave up the ghost.
He was one who deserved a better fate, by reason of his bravery;
but, as might be expected, he fell under so vast an attempt. As
for the rest of his partners, the Jews dashed three of them to pieces
with stones, and slew them as they were gotten up to the top of
the wall; the other eight being wounded, were pulled down, and carried
back to the camp. These things were done upon the third day of the
month Panemus [Tamuz].
7.
Now two days afterward twelve of those men that were on the forefront,
and kept watch upon the banks, got together, and called to them
the standard-bearer of the fifth legion, and two others of a troop
of horsemen, and one trumpeter; these went without noise, about
the ninth hour of the night, through the ruins, to the tower of
Antonia; and when they had cut the throats of the first guards of
the place, as they were asleep, they got possession of the wall,
and ordered the trumpeter to sound his trumpet. Upon which the rest
of the guard got up on the sudden, and ran away, before any body
could see how many they were that were gotten up; for, partly from
the fear they were in, and partly from the sound of the trumpet
which they heard, they imagined a great number of the enemy were
gotten up. The Romans breach the second wall in the night, they get the drop
on the watchmen on the wall before they even know what is happening
Again this sounds like a fulfillment of prophesy. And this wall
we now see is right outside of the temple the romans first key
target. But
as soon as Caesar heard the signal, he ordered the army to put on
their armor immediately, and came thither with his commanders, and
first of all ascended, as did the chosen men that were with him.
And as the Jews were flying away to the temple, they
fell into that mine which John had dug under the Roman banks. Then did the seditious of both the bodies
of the Jewish army, as well that belonging to John as that belonging
to Simon, drive them away; and indeed were no way wanting as to
the highest degree of force and alacrity; for they (The Jews) esteemed themselves entirely ruined if once the
Romans got into the temple, as
did the
Romans look upon the same thing as the beginning of their entire
conquest. So a terrible battle was fought at the entrance of the
temple, while the Romans were forcing their way, in order to get
possession of that temple, and the Jews were driving them back to
the tower of Antonia; in which battle the darts were on both sides
useless, as well as the spears, and both sides drew their swords,
and fought it out hand to hand. Now during this struggle the positions
of the men were undistinguished on both sides, and they fought at
random, the men being intermixed one with another, and confounded,
by reason of the narrowness of the place; while the noise that was
made fell on the ear after an indistinct manner, because it was
so very loud. Great slaughter was now made on both sides, and the
combatants trod upon the bodies and the armor of those that were
dead, and dashed them to pieces. Accordingly, to which side soever
the battle inclined, those that had the advantage exhorted one another
to go on, as did those that were beaten make great lamentation.
But still there was no room for flight, nor for pursuit, but disorderly
revolutions and retreats, while the armies were intermixed one with
another; but those that were in the first ranks were under the necessity
of killing or being killed, without any way for escaping; for those
on both sides that came behind forced those before them to go on,
without leaving any space between the armies.
At length the Jews' violent zeal was too hard for the Romans' skill,
and the battle already inclined entirely that way; for the fight
had lasted from the ninth hour of the night till the seventh hour
of the day, While the Jews came on in crowds, and had the danger the temple was in for their motive; the Romans having no more here than a part
of their army; for those legions, on which the soldiers on that
side depended, were not come up to them. So it was at present thought
sufficient by the Romans to take possession of the tower of Antonia. So they have this battle in essentially a courtyard where the armies
can come in but not retreat and they slaughter each other the
Jews fighting for all they are worth for the temple not God not
for righteousness but for the temple or the altar of God. And even
through the Romans are fought to a stand still the romans in this
day now gain use of the tower of Antonia now gaining a bit of
high ground with which to deal with the Jews on top of all the walls
and on the surrounding towers. 8.
But
there was one Julian, a centurion, that came from Eithynia, a man
he was of great reputation, whom I had formerly seen in that war,
and one of the highest fame, both for his skill in war, his strength
of body, and the courage of his soul. This man, seeing the Romans
giving ground, and ill a sad condition, (for he stood by Titus at
the tower of Antonia,) leaped out, and of himself alone put the
Jews to flight, when they were already conquerors, and made them
retire as far as the corner of the inner court of the temple; from him the multitude fled away in crowds,
as supposing that neither his strength nor his violent attacks could be those of
a mere man.
Accordingly, he rushed through the midst of the Jews, as they were
dispersed all abroad, and killed those that he caught. Nor, indeed,
was there any sight that appeared more wonderful in the eyes of
Caesar, or more terrible to others, than this. However, he was himself
pursued by fate, which it all not possible that he, who was but
a mortal man, should escape; for as he had shoes all full of thick
and sharp nails (4)
as had every one of the other soldiers, so when he ran on the pavement
of the temple, he slipped, and fell down upon his back with a very
great noise, which was made by his armor. This made those that were
running away to turn back; whereupon those Romans that were in the
tower of Antonia set up a great shout, as they were in fear for
the man. But the Jews got about him in crowds, and struck at him
with their spears and with their swords on all sides. Now he received
a great many of the strokes of these iron weapons upon his shield,
and often attempted to get up again, but was thrown down by those
that struck at him; yet did he, as he lay along, stab many of them
with his sword. Nor was he soon killed, as being covered with his
helmet and his breastplate in all those parts of his body where
he might be mortally wounded; he also pulled his neck close to his
body, till all his other limbs were shattered, and nobody durst
come to defend him, and then he yielded to his fate. Again God seems to intervene with the Romans with another great man
of valor another single man puts all the Jews to flight this seems
to be another fulfillment of prophesy.
Now
Caesar was deeply affected on account of this man of so great fortitude,
and especially as he was killed in the sight of so many people;
he was desirous himself to come to his assistance, but the place
would not give him leave, while such as could have done it were
too much terrified to attempt it. Thus when Julian had struggled
with death a great while, and had let but few of those that had
given him his mortal wound go off unhurt, he had at last his throat
cut, though not without some difficulty, and left behind him a very
great fame, not only among the Romans, and with Caesar himself,
but among his enemies also; then did the Jews catch up his dead
body, and put the Romans to flight again, and shut them up in the
tower of Antonia. Now those that most signalized themselves, and
fought most zealously in this battle of the Jewish side, were one
Alexas and Gyphtheus, of John's party, and of Simon's party were
Malachias, and Judas the son of Merto, and James the son of Sosas,
the commander of the Idumeans; and of the zealots, two brethren,
Simon and Judas, the sons of Jairus. CHAPTER 2. HOW TITUS GAVE ORDERS TO DEMOLISH THE TOWER
OF ANTONIA AND THEN PERSUADED JOSEPHUS TO EXHORT THE JEWS AGAIN
[TO A SURRENDER].
1.
AND now Titus gave orders to his soldiers that were with him to
dig up the foundations of the tower of Antonia, and make him a ready
passage for his army to come up; while he himself had Josephus brought
to him, (for he had been informed that on that very day, which was
the seventeenth day (5) of Panemus,
[Tamuz,] the sacrifice called "the Daily
Sacrifice" had failed, and had not been offered to God, for
want of men to offer it, and that the people were grievously troubled
at it, This is a key fulfillment of Prophesy note that it was not the Romans
that had caused the daily sacrifice to fail but they Jews themselves
these things also have grave end time ramifications to the Church
which we will discus in some of the articles I have posted. I fear for the Church Judgment is coming to the house of God and
it will begin with the elders Ezekiel
9:6 Slay
utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women:
but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my
sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. Josephus delivers words to a ruler named John that if they shall repent
they will be allowed to offer the normal sacrifices -- but instead John insults Josephus and the Romans Josephus pleads
with John recalling the Babylonian Captivity and King Jechoniah
and his voluntary surrender to save the people Josephus saids Israel has been condemned of God and in the writings
of the prophets and Prophecies specifically concerning the city of
Jerusalem that it shall be taken he says the city and temple is
filled with dead bodies and God will purge the city and temple with
fire by the Roman and that these pollutions are your own not the
Roman/s 2.
As
Josephus spoke these words, with groans and tears in his eyes, his
voice was intercepted by sobs. However, the Romans could not but pity
the affliction he was under, and wonder at his conduct.
But for John, and those that were with him, they were but the more
exasperated against the Romans on this account, and were desirous
to get Josephus also into their power: yet did that discourse influence
a great many of the better sort; and truly some of them were so
afraid of the guards set by the seditious, that they tarried where they were, but still were satisfied
that both they and the city were doomed to destruction. Some also
there were who, watching a proper opportunity when they might quietly
get away, fled to the Romans, of whom were the high priests Joseph
and Jesus, and of the sons of high priests three, whose father was
Ishmael, who was beheaded in Cyrene, and four sons of Matthias, as
also one son of the other Matthias, who ran away after his father's
death, (9) and whose
father was slain by Simon the son of Gioras, with three of his sons,
as I have already related; many also of the other nobility went over
to the Romans, together with the high priests. Now Caesar not only
received these men very kindly in other respects, but, knowing they
would not willingly live after the customs of other nations, he sent
them to Gophna, and desired them to remain there for the present,
and told them, that when he was gotten clear of this war, he would
restore each of them to their possessions again; so they cheerfully
retired to that small city which was allotted them, without fear of
any danger. But as they did not appear, the seditious gave out again that these deserters were slain by the
Romans, which was done in order to deter the rest from running away,
by fear of the like treatment. This trick of theirs succeeded now
for a while, as did the like trick before; for the rest were hereby
deterred from deserting, by fear of the like treatment. The men of the sedition ruled by fear as we already read they had
ordered the deaths of tens of thousands the people lived in complete
fear o these evil men. They
then lied and set abroad the word that the Romans were slaying every
man that fled Jerusalem but these lies to keep their captives in
line only worked for a short time. 3.
However, when Titus had recalled those men from Gophna, he gave orders
that they should go round the wall, together with Josephus, and show
themselves to the people; upon
which a great many fled to the Romans. These men also got in a great
number together, and stood before the Romans, and besought the seditious,
with groans and tears in their eyes, in the first place to receive
the Romans entirely into the city, and save that their own place of
residence again; but that, if they would not agree to such
a proposal, they would at least depart out of the temple, and save
the holy house for their own use; for that the Romans would not venture
to set the sanctuary on fire but under the most pressing necessity.
Yet did the seditious still more
and more contradict them; and while they cast loud and bitter reproaches
upon these deserters, they also set their engines for throwing of
darts, and javelins, and stones upon the sacred gates of the temple,
at due distances from one another, insomuch that all the space round
about within the temple might be compared to a burying-ground, so
great was the number of the dead bodies therein; as might the holy
house itself be compared to a citadel. Accordingly, these men rushed
upon these holy places in their armor, that were otherwise unapproachable,
and that while their hands were yet warm with the blood of their own
people which they had shed; nay, they proceeded to such great transgressions,
that the very same indignation which Jews would naturally have against
Romans, had they been guilty of such abuses against them, the Romans
now had against Jews, for their impiety in regard to their own religious
customs. Nay, indeed, there were none of the Roman soldiers who did
not look with a sacred horror upon the holy house, and adored
it, and wished that the robbers would repent before their miseries
became incurable. There were apparently hundreds if not thousands of Jews that day that
fled to the Romans and begged to spare the city the men of the sedition
cut them down and slaughtered them utterly 4.
Now Titus was deeply affected with this state of things, and reproached
John and his party, and said to them, "Have not you, vile wretches
that you are, by our permission, put up this partition-wall before
your sanctuary? Have not you been allowed to put up the pillars thereto
belonging, at due distances, and on it to engrave in Greek, and in
your own letters, this prohibition, that no foreigner should go beyond
that wall. (10) Have not
we given you leave to kill such as go beyond it, though he were a
Roman? And what do you do now, you pernicious villains? Why do you
trample upon dead bodies in this temple? and why do you pollute this
holy house with the blood of both foreigners and Jews themselves?
I appeal to the gods of my own country, and to every god that ever
had any regard to this place; (for I do not suppose it to be now regarded
by any of them;) I also appeal to my own army, and to those Jews that
are now with me, and even to yourselves, that I do not force you to defile this
your sanctuary; and if you will but change the place whereon you will
fight, no Roman shall either come near your sanctuary, or offer any
affront to it; nay, I will endeavor to preserve you your holy house,
whether you will or not." (11) Titus then begs the Jews to spare the city and the temple but again
like pharaoh they hardened their hearts and would not repent.
5.
As Josephus explained these things from the mouth of Caesar, both
the robbers and the tyrant thought that these exhortations proceeded
from Titus's fear, and not from his
good-will to them,
and grew insolent upon it. But when Titus saw that these men were neither to be moved by commiseration
towards themselves, nor had any concern upon them to have the holy
house spared, he proceeded unwillingly to go on again with the war
against them. He
could not indeed bring all his army against them, the place was so
narrow; but choosing thirty soldiers of the most valiant out of every
hundred, and committing a thousand to each tribune, and making Cerealis
their commander-in-chief, he gave orders that they should attack the
guards of the temple about the ninth hour of that night. Titus comes to understand that these evil men cared neither for their
people nor for their temple so he sets in for the attack. But
as he was now in his armor, and preparing to go down with them, his
friends would not let him go, by reason of the greatness of the danger,
and what the commanders suggested to them; for they said that he would
do more by sitting above in the tower of Antonia, as a dispenser of
rewards to those soldiers that signalized themselves in the fight,
than by coming down and hazarding his own person in the forefront
of them; for that they would all fight stoutly while Caesar looked
upon them. With this advice Caesar complied, and said that the only
reason he had for such compliance with the soldiers was this, that
he might be able to judge of their courageous actions, and that no
valiant soldier might lie concealed, and miss of his reward, and no
cowardly soldier might go unpunished; but that he might himself be
an eye-witness, and able to give evidence of all that was done, who
was to be the disposer of punishments and rewards to them. So he sent
the soldiers about their work at the hour aforementioned, while he
went out himself to a higher place in the tower of Antonia, whence
he might see what was done, and there waited with impatience to see
the event. 6.
However, the soldiers that were sent did not find the guards of the
temple asleep, as they hoped to have done; but were obliged to fight
with them immediately hand to hand, as they rushed with violence upon
them with a great shout. Now as soon as the rest within the temple
heard that shout of those that were upon the watch, they ran out in
troops upon them. Then did the Romans receive the onset of those that
came first upon them; but those that followed them fell upon their
own troops, and many of them treated their own soldiers as if they
had been enemies; for the great confused noise that was made on both
sides hindered them from distinguishing one another's voices, as did
the darkness of the night hinder them from the like distinction by
the sight, besides that blindness which arose otherwise also from
the passion and the fear they were in at the same time; for which
reason it was all one to the soldiers who it was they struck at. However,
this ignorance did less harm to the Romans than to the Jews, because
they were joined together under their shields, and made their sallies
more regularly than the others did, and each of them remembered their
watch-word; while the Jews were perpetually dispersed abroad, and
made their attacks and retreats at random, and so did frequently seem
to one another to be enemies; for every one of them received those
of their own men that came back in the dark as Romans, and made an
assault upon them; so that more of them were wounded
by their own men than by the enemy, till, upon the coming on of the
day, the nature of the right was discerned by the eye afterward. Then
did they stand in battle-array in distinct bodies, and cast their
darts regularly, and regularly defended themselves; nor did either
side yield or grow weary. The Romans contended with each other who
should fight the most strenuously, both single men and entire regiments,
as being under the eye of Titus; and every one concluded that this
day would begin his promotion if he fought bravely. What were the
great encouragements of the Jews to act vigorously were, their fear
for themselves and for the temple, and the presence of their tyrant,
who exhorted some, and beat and threatened others, to act courageously.
Now, it so happened, that this fight was for the most part a stationary
one, wherein the soldiers went on and came back in a short time, and
suddenly; for there was no long space of ground for either of their
flights or pursuits. But still there was a tumultuous noise among
the Romans from the tower of Antonia, who loudly cried out upon all
occasions to their own men to press on courageously, when they were too hard for the Jews, and to stay when they were retiring
backward; so
that here was a kind of theater of war; for what was done in this
fight could not be concealed either from Titus, or from those that
were about him. At length it appeared that this fight, which began
at the ninth hour of the night, was not over till past the fifth hour
of the day; and that, in the same place where the battle began, neither
party could say they had made the other to retire; but both the armies
left the victory almost in uncertainty between them; wherein those
that signalized themselves on the Roman side were a great many, but
on the Jewish side, and of those that were with Simon, Judas the son
of Merto, and Simon the son of Josas; of the Idumeans, James and Simon,
the latter of whom was the son of Cathlas, and James was the son of
Sosas; of those that were with John, Gyphtheus and Alexas; and of
the zealots, Simon the son of Jairus. 7. In the mean time, the rest of the Roman army had,
in seven days' time, overthrown [some] foundations of the tower of
Antonia, and had made a ready and broad way to the temple. Then did the legions come near the first court, (12) and began
to raise their banks. The one bank was over against the north-west
corner of the inner temple (13) another
was at that northern edifice which was between the two gates; and
of the other two, one was at the western cloister of the outer court
of the temple; the other against its northern cloister. However, these
works were thus far advanced by the Romans, not without great pains
and difficulty, and particularly by being obliged to bring their materials
from the distance of a hundred furlongs. They had further difficulties
also upon them; sometimes by their over-great security they were in
that they should overcome the Jewish snares laid for them,
and by that boldness of the Jews which their despair of escaping had
inspired them withal; for some of their horsemen, when they went out
to gather wood or hay, let their horses feed without having their
bridles on during the time of foraging; upon which horses the Jews
sallied out in whole bodies, and seized them. And when this was continually
done, and Caesar believed what the truth was, that the horses were
stolen more by the negligence of his own men than by the valor of
the Jews, he determined to use greater severity to oblige the rest
to take care of their horses; so he commanded that one of those soldiers who had lost their horses
should be capitally punished;
whereby he so terrified the rest, that they preserved their horses
for the time to come; for they did not any longer let them go from
them to feed by themselves, but, as if they had grown to them, they
went always along with them when they wanted necessaries. Thus did
the Romans still continue to make war against the temple, and to raise
their embankments against it. 8.
Now after one day had been interposed since the Romans ascended the breach, many of the seditious were so pressed by
the famine, upon the present failure of their ravages, that they got
together, and made an attack on those Roman
guards that were upon the Mount of Olives, and this about the eleventh
hour of the day, as supposing, first, that they would not expect such
an onset, and, in the next place, that they were then taking care
of their bodies, and that therefore they should easily beat them.
But the Romans were apprized of their coming to attack them beforehand, and, running together from the neighboring camps on the sudden,
prevented them from getting over their fortification, or forcing the
wall that was built about them. Upon this came on a sharp fight, and
here many great actions were performed on both sides; while the Romans
showed both their courage and their skill in war, as did the Jews
come on them with immoderate violence and intolerable passion. The
one part were urged on by shame, and the other by necessity; for it
seemed a very shameful thing to the Romans to let the Jews go, now
they were taken in a kind of net; while the Jews had but one hope
of saving themselves, and that was in case they could by violence
break through the Roman wall; and one whose name was Pedanius, belonging
to a party of horsemen, when the Jews were already beaten and forced
down into the valley together, spurred his horse on their flank with
great vehemence, and caught up a certain young man belonging to the
enemy by his ankle, as he was running away; the man was, however,
of a robust body, and in his armor; so low did Pedanius bend himself
downward from his horse, even as he was galloping away, and so great
was the strength of his right hand, and of the rest of his body, as
also such skill had he in horsemanship. So this man seized upon that
his prey, as upon a precious treasure, and carried him as his captive
to Caesar; whereupon Titus admired the man that had seized the other
for his great strength, and ordered the man that was caught to be
punished [with death] for his attempt against the Roman wall, but
betook himself to the siege of the temple, and to pressing on the
raising of the banks. 9.
In the mean time, the Jews were so distressed by the fights they had
been in, as the war advanced higher and higher, and creeping up to
the holy house itself, that they, as it were, cut off those limbs of their body which were infected, in order to
prevent the distemper's spreading further; for they set the north-west cloister, which was joined to the
tower of Antonia, on fire, and after that brake off about twenty cubits
of that cloister, and thereby made a beginning in burning the sanctuary;
two days after which, or on the twenty-fourth day of the forenamed
month, [Panemus or Tamuz,] the Romans set fire to the cloister that
joined to the other, when the fire went fifteen cubits farther. The Romans now begin their assault on the temple.
The
Jews, in like manner, cut off its roof; nor did they entirely leave
off what they were about till the tower of Antonia was parted from
the temple, even when it was in their
power (The Jews) to have stopped the fire; nay, they lay still while
the temple was first set on fire, and deemed this spreading of the
fire to be for their own advantage.
However, the armies were still fighting one against another about
the temple, and the war was managed by continual sallies of particular
parties against one another. 10.
Now there was at this time a man among the Jews, low of stature he
was, and of a despicable appearance; of no character either as to
his family, or in other respects: his name was Jonathan. He went out
at the high priest John's monument, and uttered many other insolent
things to the Romans, a challenged the best of them all to a single
combat. But many of those that stood there in the army huffed him,
and many of them (as they might well be) were afraid of him. Some
of them also reasoned thus, and that justly enough: that it was not
fit to fight with a man that desired to die, because those that utterly
despaired of deliverance had, besides other passions, a violence in
attacking men that could not be opposed, and had no regard to God
himself; and that to hazard oneself with a person, whom, if you overcome,
you do no great matter, and by whom it is hazardous that you may be
taken prisoner, would be an instance, not of manly courage, but of
unmanly rashness. So there being nobody that came out to accept the
man's challenge, and the Jew cutting them with a great number of reproaches,
as cowards, (for he was a very haughty man in himself, and a great
despiser of the Romans,) one whose name was Pudens, of the body of
horsemen, out of his abomination of the other's words, and of his
impudence withal, and perhaps out of an inconsiderate arrogance, on
account of the other's lowness of stature, ran out to him, and was
too hard for him in other respects, but was betrayed by his ill fortune;
for he fell down, and as he was down, Jonathan came running to him,
and cut his throat, and then, standing upon his dead body, he brandished
his sword, bloody as it was, and shook his shield with his left hand,
and made many acclamations to the Roman army, and exulted over the
dead man, and jested upon the Romans; till at length one Priscus,
a centurion, shot a dart at him as he was leaping and playing the
fool with himself, and thereby pierced him through; upon which a shout
was set up both by the Jews and the Romans, though on different accounts.
So Jonathan grew giddy by the pain of his wounds, and fell down upon
the body of his adversary, as a plain instance how suddenly vengeance
may come upon men that have success in war, without any just deserving
the same. CHAPTER 3. CONCERNING A STRATAGEM THAT WAS DEVISED
BY THE JEWS, BY WHICH THEY BURNT MANY OF THE ROMANS; WITH ANOTHER
DESCRIPTION OF THE TERRIBLE FAMINE THAT WAS IN THE CITY. 1.
BUT now the seditious that were in the temple did every day openly
endeavor to beat off the soldiers that were upon the banks, and on
the twenty-seventh day of the forenamed month [Panemus or Tamuz] contrived
such a stratagem as this: They filled that part of the western cloister
(14) which
was between the beams, and the roof under them, with dry materials,
as also with bitumen and pitch, and then retired from that place,
as though they were tired with the pains they had taken; at which
procedure of theirs, many of the most inconsiderate among the Romans,
who were carried away with violent passions, followed hard after them
as they were retiring, and applied ladders to the cloister, and got
up to it suddenly; but the prudent part of them, when they understood
this unaccountable retreat of the Jews, stood still where they were
before. However, the cloister was full of those that were gone up
the ladders; at
which time the Jews set it all on fire; and as the flame burst out
every where on the sudden, the
Romans that were out of the danger were seized with a very great consternation,
as were those that were in the midst of the danger in the utmost distress.
So when they perceived themselves
surrounded with the flames, some of them threw themselves down backwards
into the city, and some among their enemies [in the temple]; as did
many leap down to their own men, and broke their limbs to pieces;
but a great number of those that were going to take these violent
methods were prevented by the fire; though some prevented the fire
by their own swords. However, the fire was on the sudden carried so
far as to surround those who would have otherwise perished.
As for Caesar himself, he could not, however, but commiserate those
that thus perished, although they got up thither without any order
for so doing, since there was no way of giving the many relief. Yet
was this some comfort to those that were destroyed, that every body
might see that person grieve, for whose sake they came to their end; for he (Caesar) cried out openly to them, and leaped up, and exhorted
those that were about him to do their utmost to relieve them; So every one of them died cheerfully, as
carrying along with him these words and this intention of Caesar as
a sepulchral monument. Some there were indeed who retired into the
wall of the cloister, which was broad, and were preserved out of the
fire, but were then surrounded by the Jews; and although they made
resistance against the Jews for a long time, yet were they wounded
by them, and at length they all fell down dead. 2.
At the last a young man among them, whose name was Longus, became
a decoration to this sad affair, and while every one of them that
perished were worthy of a memorial, this man appeared to deserve it
beyond all the rest. Now the Jews admired this man for his courage,
and were further desirous of having him slain; so they persuaded him
to come down to them, upon security given him for his life. But Cornelius
his brother persuaded him on the contrary, not to tarnish his own
glory, nor that of the Roman army. He complied with this last advice,
and lifting up his sword before both armies, he slew himself. Yet
there was one Artorius among those surrounded by the fire who escaped
by his subtlety; for when he had with a loud voice called to him Lucius,
one of his fellow soldiers that lay with him in the same tent, and
said to him, "I do leave thee heir of all I have, if thou wilt
come and receive me." Upon this he came running to receive him
readily; Artorius then threw himself down upon him, and saved his
own life, while he that received him was dashed so vehemently against
the stone pavement by the other's weight, that he died immediately.
This melancholy accident made the Romans sad for a while, but still
it made them more upon their guard for the future, and was of advantage
to them against the delusions of the Jews, by which they were greatly
damaged through their unacquaintedness with the places, and with the
nature of the inhabitants. Now this cloister was burnt down as far
as John's tower, which he built in the war he made against Simon over
the gates that led to the Xystus. The Jews also cut off the rest of
that cloister from the temple, after they had destroyed those that
got up to it. But the next day the Romans burnt down the northern
cloister entirely, as far as the east cloister, whose common angle
joined to the valley that was called Cedron, and was built over it;
on which account the depth was frightful. And this was the state of
the temple at that time.
3.
Now
of those that perished by famine in the city, the number was prodigious,
and the miseries they underwent were unspeakable; for if so much as
the shadow of any kind of food did any where appear, a war was commenced
presently, and the dearest friends fell a fighting one with another
about it, snatching from each other the most miserable supports of
life. Nor would men believe that those who were dying had no food,
but the robbers would search them when they were expiring, lest any
one should have concealed food in their bosoms, and counterfeited
dying; nay, these robbers gaped for want, and ran about stumbling
and staggering along like mad dogs, and reeling against the doors
of the houses like drunken men; they would also, in the great distress
they were in, rush into the very same houses two or three times in
one and the same day. Moreover, their hunger was so intolerable, that
it obliged them to chew every thing, while they gathered such things
as the most sordid animals would not touch, and endured to eat them;
nor did they at length abstain from girdles and shoes; and the very
leather which belonged to their shields they pulled off and gnawed:
the very wisps of old hay became food to some; and some gathered up
fibres, and sold a very small weight of them for four Attic [drachmae].
But why do I describe the shameless impudence that the famine brought
on men in their eating inanimate things, while I am going to relate
a matter of fact, the like to which no history relates, (15) either among the Greeks or Barbarians? It is
horrible to speak of it, and incredible when heard. I had indeed willingly
omitted this calamity of ours, that I might not seem to deliver what
is so portentous to posterity, but that I have innumerable witnesses
to it in my own age; and besides, my country would have had little
reason to thank me for suppressing the miseries that she underwent
at this time. Josephus describes the desperation and sin of those starving in Jerusalem.
Again this sound all to much like the words from scripture concerning
Israel in the days leading up to the earlier captivity. 2
Kings 6:24-30 And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad king
of Syria gathered all his host, and went up, and besieged Samaria.
And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged
it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and
the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.
And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried
a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. And he said, If the
LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor,
or out of the winepress? And the king said unto her, What aileth thee?
And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may
eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow. So we boiled my
son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy
son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son. And it came to
pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his
clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and,
behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. 4.
There was a certain woman that dwelt beyond Jordan, her name was Mary;
her father was Eleazar, of the village Bethezob, which signifies the
house of Hyssop. She was eminent for her family and her wealth,
and had fled away to Jerusalem with the rest of the multitude, and
was with them besieged therein at this time. The other effects of
this woman had been already seized upon, such I mean as she had brought
with her out of Perea, and removed to the city. What she had treasured
up besides, as also what food she had contrived to save, had been
also carried off by the rapacious guards, who came every day running
into her house for that purpose. This put the poor woman into a very
great passion, and by the frequent reproaches and imprecations she
east at these rapacious villains, she had provoked them to anger against
her; but none of them, either out of the indignation she had raised
against herself, or out of commiseration of her case, would take away
her life; and if she found any food, she perceived her labors were
for others, and not for herself; and it was now become impossible
for her any way to find any more food, while the famine pierced through
her very bowels and marrow, when also her passion was fired to a degree
beyond the famine itself; nor did she consult with any thing but with
her passion and the necessity she was in. She then attempted a most unnatural thing; and snatching up her son,
who was a child sucking at her breast, she said, "O thou miserable
infant! for whom shall I preserve thee in this war, this famine, and
this sedition? As to the war with the Romans, if they preserve our
lives, we must be slaves. This famine also will destroy us, even before
that slavery comes upon us. Yet are these seditious rogues more terrible
than both the other. Come on; be thou my food, and be thou a fury
to these seditious varlets, and a by-word to the world, which is all
that is now wanting to complete the calamities of us Jews." As
soon as she had said this, she slew her son, and then roasted him,
and eat the one half of him, and kept the other half by her concealed.
Upon this the seditious came in presently, and smelling the horrid
scent of this food, they threatened her that they would cut her throat
immediately if she did not show them what food she had gotten ready.
She replied that she had saved a very fine portion of it for them,
and withal uncovered what was left of her son. Hereupon they were
seized with a horror and amazement of mind, and stood astonished at
the sight, when she said to them, "This is mine own son, and
what hath been done was mine own doing! Come, eat of this food; for
I have eaten of it myself! Do not you pretend to be either more tender
than a woman, or more compassionate than a mother; but if you be so
scrupulous, and do abominate this my sacrifice, as I have eaten the
one half, let the rest be reserved for me also."
After which those men went out trembling, being never so much aftrighted
at any thing as they were at this, and with some difficulty they left
the rest of that meat to the mother. Upon which the whole city was
full of this horrid action immediately; and while every body laid
this miserable case before their own eyes, they trembled, as if this
unheard of action had been done by themselves. So those that were
thus distressed by the famine were very desirous to die, and those
already dead were esteemed happy, because they had not lived long
enough either to hear or to see such miseries. 5.
This
sad instance was quickly told to the Romans, some of whom could not
believe it, and others pitied the distress which the Jews were under;
but there were many of them who were hereby induced to a more bitter
hatred than ordinary against our nation. But for Caesar, he excused
himself before God as to this matter, and said that he had proposed
peace and liberty to the Jews, as well as an oblivion of all their former
insolent practices; but that they, instead of concord, had chosen
sedition; instead of peace, war; and before satiety and abundance,
a famine. That they had begun with their own hands to burn down that
temple which we have preserved hitherto; and that therefore they deserved
to eat such food as this was. That, however, this horrid action of
eating an own child ought to be covered with the overthrow of their
very country itself, and men ought not to leave such a city upon the
habitable earth to be seen by the sun, wherein mothers are thus fed,
although such food be fitter for the fathers than for the mothers
to eat of, since it is they that continue still in a state of war
against us, after they have undergone such miseries as these. And
at the same time that he said this, he reflected on the desperate condition these men must be in; nor could
he expect that such men could be recovered to sobriety of mind, after
they had endured those very sufferings, for the avoiding whereof it
only was probable they might have repented. Again we see Caesar of all people in being told this tale he extends
his hand once more to the Jews to show them peace and mercy but
the Jews are so bent on their own destruction they can not and will
not repent . CHAPTER 4. WHEN THE BANKS WERE COMPLETED AND THE BATTERING
RAMS BROUGHT, AND COULD DO NOTHING, TITUS GAVE ORDERS TO SET FIRE
TO THE GATES OF THE TEMPLE; IN NO LONG TIME AFTER WHICH THE HOLY HOUSE
ITSELF WAS BURNT DOWN, EVEN AGAINST HIS CONSENT.
1.
AND now two of the legions had completed their banks on the eighth
day of the month Lous [Ab]. Whereupon Titus gave orders that the battering rams should be brought,
and set over against the western edifice of the inner temple; for
before these were brought, the firmest of all the other engines had
battered the wall for six days together without ceasing, without making
any impression upon it; but the vast largeness and strong connexion
of the stones were superior to that engine, and to the other battering
rams also. Other Romans did indeed undermine the foundations of the
northern gate, and after a world of pains removed the outermost stones,
yet was the
gate still upheld by the inner stones, and stood still unhurt; till
the workmen, despairing of all such attempts by engines and crows,
brought their ladders to the cloisters. Now the Jews did not interrupt
them in so doing; but when they were gotten up, they fell upon them,
and fought with them; some of them they thrust down, and threw them
backwards headlong; others of them they met and slew; they also beat
many of those that went down the ladders again, and slew them with
their swords before they could bring their shields to protect them;
nay, some of the ladders they threw down from above when they were
full of armed men; a great slaughter was made of the Jews also at the same time, while those that bare the ensigns fought
hard for them, as deeming it a terrible thing, and what would tend
to their great shame, if they permitted them to be stolen away. Yet
did the Jews at length get possession of these engines, and destroyed
those that had gone up the ladders, while the rest were so intimidated
by what those suffered who were slain, that they retired; although
none of the Romans died without having done good service before his
death. Of the seditious, those that had fought bravely in the former
battles did the like now, as besides them did Eleazar, the brother's
son of Simon the tyrant. But when Titus perceived that his endeavors
to spare a foreign temple turned to the damage of his soldiers, and
then be killed, he
gave order to set the gates on fire. 2.
In the mean time, there deserted to him Ananus, who came from Emmaus,
the most bloody of all Simon's guards, and Archelaus, the son of Magadatus,
they hoping to be still forgiven, because they left the Jews at a
time when they were the conquerors. Titus
objected this to these men, as a cunning trick of theirs; and as he
had been informed of their other barbarities towards the Jews, he
was going in all haste to have them both slain.
He told them that they were only driven to this desertion because
of the utmost distress they were in, and did not come away of their
own good disposition; and that those did not deserve to be preserved,
by whom their own city was already set on fire, out of which fire
they now hurried themselves away. However, the security he had promised
deserters overcame his resentments, and he dismissed them accordingly,
though he did not give them the same privileges that he had afforded
to others. And now the soldiers had already put fire to the gates, and the silver
that was over them quickly carried the flames to the wood that was
within it, whence it spread itself all on the sudden, and caught hold
on the cloisters. Upon the Jews seeing this fire all about them, their
spirits sunk together with their bodies, and they were under such
astonishment, that not one of them made any haste, either to defend
himself or to quench the fire, but they stood as mute spectators of
it only. However, they did not so grieve at the loss of what was now
burning, as to grow wiser thereby for the time to come; but as though
the holy house itself had been on fire already, they whetted their
passions against the Romans. This fire prevailed during that day and
the next also; for the soldiers were not able to burn all the cloisters
that were round about together at one time, but only by pieces. This is just one more disaster to the Jews. Who knows how many people
perished that day in these so-called cloisters 3.
But
then, on the next day, Titus commanded part of his army to quench
the fire, and to make a road for the more easy marching up of the
legions, while he himself gathered the commanders together.
Of those there were assembled the six principal persons: Tiberius
Alexander, the commander [under the general] of the whole army; with
Sextus Cerealis, the commander of the fifth legion; and Larcius Lepidus,
the commander of the tenth legion; and Titus Frigius, the commander
of the fifteenth legion: there was also with them Eternius, the leader
of the two legions that came from Alexandria; and Marcus Antonius
Julianus, procurator of Judea: after these came together all the rest
of the procurators and tribunes. Titus proposed to these that
they should give him their advice what should be done about the holy
house. Now some of these thought it would be the
best way to act according to the rules of war, [and demolish it,]
because the Jews would never leave off rebelling while that house
was standing; at which house it was that they used to get all together.
Others of them were of opinion, that in case the Jews would leave
it, and none of them would lay their arms up in it, he might save
it; but that in case they got upon it, and fought any more, he might
burn it; because it must then be looked upon not as a holy house,
but as a citadel; and that the impiety of burning it would then belong
to those that forced this to be done, and not to them. But Titus said,
that "although the Jews should get upon that holy house, and
fight us thence, yet ought we not to revenge ourselves on things that
are inanimate, instead of the men themselves;" and that he was
not in any case for burning down so vast a work as that was, because
this would be a mischief to the Romans themselves, as it would be
an ornament to their government while it continued. So Fronto, and
Alexander, and Cerealis grew bold upon that declaration, and agreed
to the opinion of Titus. Then was this assembly dissolved, when Titus
had given orders to the commanders that the rest of their forces should
lie still; but that they should make use of such as were most courageous
in this attack. So he commanded that the chosen men that were taken
out of the cohorts should make their way through the ruins, and quench
the fire. 4.
Now it is true that on this day the Jews were so weary, and under
such consternation, that they refrained from any attacks. But on the next day they gathered
their whole force together, and ran upon those that guarded the outward
court of the temple very boldly, through the east gate, and this about
the second hour of the day. These guards received that their attack
with great bravery, and by covering themselves with their shields
before, as if it were with a wall, they drew their squadron close
together; yet was it evident that they could not abide there very
long, but would be overborne by the multitude of those that sallied
out upon them, and by the heat of their passion. However, Caesar seeing, from the tower
of Antonia, that this squadron was likely to give way, he sent some
chosen horsemen to support them. Hereupon the Jews found themselves
not able to sustain their onset, and upon the slaughter of those in
the forefront, many of the rest were put to flight. But as the Romans
were going off, the Jews turned upon them, and fought them; and as
those Romans came back upon them, they retreated again, until about
the fifth hour of the day they were overborne, and shut themselves
up in the inner [court of the] temple.
So note here that the Jews came in a furious onslaught from THE EAST
GATE Ezekiel 9:1-10 He cried
also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have
charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying
weapon in his hand. And, behold, six men came from the way of the
higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter
weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen,
with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside
the brasen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from
the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he
called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn
by his side; And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the
city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads
of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be
done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing,
Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare,
neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and
little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is
the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient
men which were before the house. And he said unto them, Defile the
house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went
forth, and slew in the city. And it came to pass, while they were
slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried,
and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel
in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem? Then said he unto me,
The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great,
and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness:
for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth
not. And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I
have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.
5.
So
Titus retired into the tower of Antonia, and resolved to storm the
temple the next day,
early in the morning, with his whole army, and to encamp round about
the holy house. But as for that house, God had,
for certain, long ago doomed it to the fire; and now that fatal day
was come, according to the revolution of ages; it was the tenth day
of the month Lous, [Ab,] upon which it was formerly burnt by the king
of Babylon; although these flames took their rise from
the Jews themselves, and were occasioned by them; for upon Titus's
retiring, the seditious lay still for a little while, and then attacked
the Romans again, when those that guarded the holy house fought with
those that quenched the fire that was burning the inner [court of
the] temple; but these Romans put the Jews
to flight, and proceeded as far as the holy house itself. At which time one of the soldiers, without
staying for any orders, and without any concern or dread upon him
at so great an undertaking, and being hurried on by a certain divine
fury, snatched somewhat out of the materials that were on fire, and
being lifted up by another soldier, he set fire to a golden window,
through which there was a passage to the rooms that were round about
the holy house, on the north side of it. As the flames went upward,
the Jews made a great clamor, such as so mighty an affliction required,
and ran together to prevent it; and now they spared not their lives
any longer, nor suffered any thing to restrain their force, since
that holy house was perishing, for whose sake it was that they kept
such a guard about it. 6.
And
now a certain person came running to Titus, and told him of this fire,
as he was resting himself in his tent after the last battle; whereupon
he rose up in great haste, and, as he was, ran to the holy house,
in order to have a stop put to the fire;
after him followed all his commanders, and after them followed the
several legions, in great astonishment; so there was a great clamor
and tumult raised, as was natural upon the disorderly motion of so
great an army. Then did Caesar, both by calling to the soldiers that
were fighting, with a loud voice, and by giving a signal to them with
his right hand, order them to quench the fire. But they did not hear
what he said, though he spake so loud, having their ears already dimmed
by a greater noise another way; nor did they attend to the signal
he made with his hand neither, as still some of them were distracted
with fighting, and others with passion. But as for the legions that
came running thither, neither any persuasions nor any threatenings
could restrain their violence, but each one's own passion was his
commander at this time; and as they were crowding into the temple
together, many of them were trampled on by one another, while a great
number fell among the ruins of the cloisters, which were still hot
and smoking, and were destroyed in the same miserable way with those
whom they had conquered; and when they were come near the holy house,
they made as if they did not so much as hear Caesar's orders to the
contrary; but they encouraged those that were before them to set it
on fire. As for the seditious, they were
in too great distress already to afford their assistance [towards
quenching the fire]; they were every where slain, and every where
beaten; and as for a great part of the people, they were weak and
without arms, and had their throats cut wherever they were caught.
Now round about the altar lay dead bodies heaped one upon another,
as at the steps (16) going up to it ran a great quantity of their
blood, whither also the dead bodies that were slain above [on the
altar] fell down.
Note the words of the prophet and the slain here. 7.
And
now, since Caesar was no way able to restrain the enthusiastic fury
of the soldiers, and the fire proceeded on more and more, he went
into the holy place of the temple, with his commanders, and saw it,
with what was in it, which he found to be far superior to what the
relations of foreigners contained, and not inferior to what we ourselves
boasted of and believed about it. But as the flame had not as yet reached
to its inward parts, but was still consuming the rooms that were about
the holy house, and Titus supposing what the fact was, that the house
itself might yet he saved, he came in haste and endeavored to persuade
the soldiers to quench the fire, and gave order to Liberalius the
centurion, and one of those spearmen that were about him, to beat
the soldiers that were refractory with their staves, and to restrain
them; yet were their passions too hard for the regards they had for
Caesar, and the dread they had of him who forbade them, as was their
hatred of the Jews, and a certain vehement inclination to fight them,
too hard for them also. Moreover, the hope of plunder induced many
to go on, as having this opinion, that all the places within were
full of money, and as seeing that all round about it was made of gold.
And besides, one of those that went into the place prevented Caesar,
when he ran so hastily out to restrain the soldiers, and
threw the fire upon the hinges of the gate, in the dark; whereby the
flame burst out from within the holy house itself immediately, when
the commanders retired, and Caesar with them, and when nobody any
longer forbade those that were without to set fire to it. And thus
was the holy house burnt down, without Caesar's approbation. So even though Titus with all his might tried to spare the House of
God yet was it destroyed and all that were within its gates. 8. Now although any one would justly lament the destruction
of such a work as this was, since it was the most admirable of all
the works that we have seen or heard of, both for its curious structure
and its magnitude, and also for the vast wealth bestowed upon it,
as well as for the glorious reputation it had for its holiness; yet
might such a one comfort himself with this thought, that it was fate
that decreed it so to be, which is inevitable, both as to living creatures,
and as to works and places also. However, one cannot but wonder at
the accuracy of this period thereto relating; for the same month and
day were now observed, as I said before, wherein the holy house was
burnt formerly by the Babylonians. Now the number of years that passed
from its first foundation, which was laid by king Solomon, till this
its destruction, which happened in the second year of the reign of
Vespasian, are collected to be one thousand
one hundred and thirty, besides seven months and fifteen days;
and from the second building of it, which was done by Haggai, in the
second year of Cyrus the king, till its destruction under Vespasian,
there were six hundred and thirty-nine
years and forty-five days.
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