the wars of the jews-第132章

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he　writings　of　the　ancient　prophets　contain　in　them；　…　and　particularly　that　oracle　which　is　just　now　going　to　be　fulfilled　upon　this　miserable　city？　For　they　foretold　that　this　city　should　be　then　taken　when　somebody　shall　begin　the　slaughter　of　his　own　countrymen。　And　are　not　both　the　city　and　the　entire　temple　now　full　of　the　dead　bodies　of　your　countrymen？　It　is　God；　therefore；　it　is　God　himself　who　is　bringing　on　this　fire；　to　purge　that　city　and　temple　by　means　of　the　Romans；　（8）　and　is　going　to　pluck　up　this　city；　which　is　full　of　your　pollutions。〃　　　　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。　　　　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。　　　　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）　　　　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。　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　forementioned；　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