the wars of the jews-第157章

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r　to　most　women　in　prudence　and　learning；　with　five　children；　who　had　concealed　themselves　in　caverns　under　ground；　and　had　carried　water　thither　for　their　drink；　and　were　hidden　there　when　the　rest　were　intent　upon　the　slaughter　of　one　another。　Those　others　were　nine　hundred　and　sixty　in　number；　the　women　and　children　being　withal　included　in　that　computation。　This　calamitous　slaughter　was　made　on　the　fifteenth　day　of　the　month　Xanthicus　＇Nisan＇。　　　　2。　Now　for　the　Romans；　they　expected　that　they　should　be　fought　in　the　morning；　when；　accordingly；　they　put　on　their　armor；　and　laid　bridges　of　planks　upon　their　ladders　from　their　banks；　to　make　an　assault　upon　the　fortress；　which　they　did；　but　saw　nobody　as　an　enemy；　but　a　terrible　solitude　on　every　side；　with　a　fire　within　the　place；　as　well　as　a　perfect　silence。　So　they　were　at　a　loss　to　guess　at　what　had　happened。　At　length　they　made　a　shout；　as　if　it　had　been　at　a　blow　given　by　the　battering　ram；　to　try　whether　they　could　bring　any　one　out　that　was　within；　the　women　heard　this　noise；　and　came　out　of　their　under…ground　cavern；　and　informed　the　Romans　what　had　been　done；　as　it　was　done；　and　the　second　of　them　clearly　described　all　both　what　was　said　and　what　was　done；　and　this　manner　of　it；　yet　did　they　not　easily　give　their　attention　to　such　a　desperate　undertaking；　and　did　not　believe　it　could　be　as　they　said；　they　also　attempted　to　put　the　fire　out；　and　quickly　cutting　themselves　a　way　through　it；　they　came　within　the　palace；　and　so　met　with　the　multitude　of　the　slain；　but　could　take　no　pleasure　in　the　fact；　though　it　were　done　to　their　enemies。　Nor　could　they　do　other　than　wonder　at　the　courage　of　their　resolution；　and　the　immovable　contempt　of　death　which　so　great　a　number　of　them　had　shown；　when　they　went　through　with　such　an　action　as　that　was。　　　　CHAPTER　10。　　　　　　　　　　That　Many　Of　The　Sicarii　Fled　To　Alexandria　Also　And　What　Dangers　They　Were　In　There；　On　Which　Account　That　Temple　Which　Had　Formerly　Been　Built　By　Onias　The　High　Priest　Was　Destroyed。　　　　1。　When　Masada　was　thus　taken；　the　general　left　a　garrison　in　the　fortress　to　keep　it；　and　he　himself　went　away　to　Cesarea；　for　there　were　now　no　enemies　left　in　the　country；　but　it　was　all　overthrown　by　so　long　a　war。　Yet　did　this　war　afford　disturbances　and　dangerous　disorders　even　in　places　very　far　remote　from　Judea；　for　still　it　came　to　pass　that　many　Jews　were　slain　at　Alexandria　in　Egypt；　for　as　many　of　the　Sicarii　as　were　able　to　fly　thither；　out　of　the　seditious　wars　in　Judea；　were　not　content　to　have　saved　themselves；　but　must　needs　be　undertaking　to　make　new　disturbances；　and　persuaded　many　of　those　that　entertained　them　to　assert　their　liberty；　to　esteem　the　Romans　to　be　no　better　than　themselves；　and　to　look　upon　God　as　their　only　Lord　and　Master。　But　when　part　of　the　Jews　of　reputation　opposed　them；　they　slew　some　of　them；　and　with　the　others　they　were　very　　pressing　in　their　exhortations　to　revolt　from　the　Romans；　but　when　the　principal　men　of　the　senate　saw　what　madness　they　were　come　to；　they　thought　it　no　longer　safe　for　themselves　to　overlook　them。　So　they　got　all　the　Jews　together　to　an　assembly；　and　accused　the　madness　of　the　Sicarii；　and　demonstrated　that　they　had　been　the　authors　of　all　the　evils　that　had　come　upon　them。　They　said　also　that　〃these　men；　now　they　were　run　away　from　Judea；　having　no　sure　hope　of　escaping；　because　as　soon　as　ever　they　shall　be　known；　they　will　be　soon　destroyed　by　the　Romans；　they　come　hither　and　fill　us　full　of　those　calamities　which　belong　to　them；　while　we　have　not　been　partakers　with　them　in　any　of　their　sins。〃　Accordingly；　they　exhorted　the　multitude　to　have　a　care；　lest　they　should　be　brought　to　destruction　by　their　means；　and　to　make　their　apology　to　the　Romans　for　what　had　been　done；　by　delivering　these　men　up　to　them；　who　being　thus　apprized　of　the　greatness　of　the　danger　they　were　in；　complied　with　what　was　proposed；　and　ran　with　great　violence　upon　the　Sicarii；　and　seized　upon　them；　and　indeed　six　hundred　of　them　were　caught　immediately：　but　as　to　all　those　that　fled　into　Egypt　（18）　and　to　the　Egyptian　Thebes；　it　was　not　long　ere　they　were　caught　also；　and　brought　back；　whose　courage；　or　whether　we　ought　to　call　it　madness；　or　hardiness　in　their　opinions；　every　body　was　amazed　at。　For　when　all　sorts　of　torments　and　vexations　of　their　bodies　that　could　be　devised　were　made　use　of　to　them；　they　could　not　get　any　one　of　them　to　comply　so　far　as　to　confess；　or　seem　to　confess；　that　Caesar　was　their　lord；　but　they　preserved　their　own　opinion；　in　spite　of　all　the　distress　they　were　brought　to；　as　if　they　received　these　torments　and　the　fire　itself　with　bodies　insensible　of　pain；　and　with　a　soul　that　in　a　manner　rejoiced　under　them。　But　what　was　most　of　all　astonishing　to　the　beholders　was　the　courage　of　the　children；　for　not　one　of　these　children　was　so　far　overcome　by　these　torments；　as　to　name　Caesar　for　their　lord。　So　far　does　the　strength　of　the　courage　＇of　the　soul＇　prevail　over　the　weakness　of　the　body。　　　　2。　Now　Lupus　did　then　govern　Alexandria；　who　presently　sent　Caesar　word　of　this　commotion；　who　having　in　suspicion　the　restless　temper　of　the　Jews　for　innovation；　and　being　afraid　lest　they　should　get　together　again；　and　persuade　some　others　to　join　with　them；　gave　orders　to　Lupus　to　demolish　that　Jewish　temple　which　was　in　the　region　called　Onion；　（19）　and　was　in　Egypt；　which　was　built　and　had　its　denomination　from　the　occasion　following：　Onias；　the　son　of　Simon；　one　of　the　Jewish　high　priests　fled　from　Antiochus　the　king　of　Syria；　when　he　made　war　with　the　Jews；　and　came　to　Alexandria；　and　as　Ptolemy　received　him　very　kindly；　on　account　of　hatred　to　Antiochus；　he　assured　him；　that　if　he　would　comply　with　his　proposal；　he　would　bring　all　the　Jews　to　his　assistance；　and　when　the　king　agreed　to　do　it　so　far　as　he　was　able；　he　desired　him　to　give　him　leave　to　build　a　temple　some　where　in　Egypt；　and　to　worship　God　according　to　the　customs　of　his　own　　　country；　for　that　the　Jews　would　then　be　so　much　readier　to　fight　against　Antiochus　who　had　laid　waste　the　temple　at　Jerusalem；　and　that　they　would　then　come　to　him　with　　　greater　good…will；　and　that；　by　granting　them　liberty　of　conscience；　very　many　of　them　would　come　over　to　him。　　　　3。　So　Ptolemy　complied　with　his　proposals；　and　gave　him　a　place　one　hundred　and　eighty　furlongs　distant　from　Memphis。　（20）　That　Nomos　was　called　the　Nomos　of　Hellopolls；　where　Onias　built　a　fortress　and　a　temple；　not　like　to　that　at　Jerusalem；　but　such　as　resembled　a　tower。　He　built　it　of　large　stones　to　the　height　of　sixty　cubits；　he　made　the　structure　of　the　altar　in　imitation　of　that　in　our　own　country；　and　in　like　manner　adorned　with　gifts；　excepting　the　make　of　the　candlestick；　for　he　did　not　make　a　candlestick；　but　had　a　＇single＇　lamp　hammered　out　of　a　piece　of　gold；　which　illuminated　the　place　with　its　rays；　and　which　he　hung　by　a　chain　of　gold；　but　the　entire　temple　was　encompassed　with　a　wall　of　burnt　brick；　though　it　had　gates　of　stone。　The　king　also　gave　him　a　large　country　for　a　revenue　in　money；　that　both　the　priests　might　have　a　plentiful　provision　made　for　them；　and　that　God　might　have　great　abundance　of　what　things　were　necessary　for　his　worship。　Yet　did　not　Onias　do　this　out　of　a　sober　disposition；　but　he　had　a　mind　to　contend　with　the　Jews　at　Jerusalem；　and　could　not　forget　the　indignation　he　had　for　being　banished　thence。　Accordingly；　he　thought　that　by　building　this　temple　he　should　draw　away　a　great　number　from　them　to　himself。　There　had　been　also　a　certain　ancient　prediction　made　by　＇a　　prophet＇　whose　name　was　Isaiah；　about　six　hundred　years　before；　that　this　temple　should　be　built　by　a　man　that　was　a　Jew　in　Egypt。　And　this　is　the　history　of　the　building　of　that　temple。　　　　4。　And　now　Lupus；　the　governor　of　Alexandria；　upon　the　receipt　of　Caesar's　letter；　came　to　the　temple；　and　carried　out　of　it　some　of　the　donations　dedicated　thereto；　and　shut　up　the　temple　itself。　And　as　Lupus　died　a　little　afterward；　Paulinns　succeeded　him。　This　man　left　none　of　those　donations　there；　and　threatened　the　priests　severely　if　they　did　not　bring　them　all　out；　nor　did　he　permit　any　who　were　desirous　of　worshipping　God　there　so　much　as　to