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第47章

the wars of the jews-第47章

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t to perfection; had made it impracticable for the Romans to take it by siege; but his death; which happened at Cesarea; before he had raised the walls to their due height; prevented him。 He had then reigned three years; as he had governed his tetrarchies three other years。 He left behind him three daughters; born to him by Cypros; Bernice; Mariamne; and Drusilla; and a son born of the same mother; whose name was Agrippa: he was left a very young child; so that Claudius made the country a Roman province; and sent Cuspius Fadus to be its procurator; and after him Tiberius Alexander; who; making no alterations of the ancient laws; kept the nation in tranquillity。 Now after this; Herod the king of Chalcis died; and left behind him two sons; born to him of his brother's daughter Bernice; their names were Bernie Janus and Hyrcanus。 'He also left behind him' Aristobulus; whom he had by his former wife Mariamne。 There was besides another brother of his that died a private person; his name was also Aristobulus; who left behind him a daughter; whose name was Jotape: and these; as I have formerly said; were the children of Aristobulus the son of Herod; which Aristobulus and Alexander were born to Herod by Mariamne; and were slain by him。 But as for Alexander's posterity; they reigned in Armenia。

CHAPTER 12。

Many Tumults Under Cumanus; Which Were Composed By Quadratus。 Felix Is Procurator Of Judea。 Agrippa Is Advanced From Chalcis To A Greater Kingdom。

1 Now after the death of Herod; king of Chalcis; Claudius set Agrippa; the son of Agrippa; over his uncle's kingdom; while Cumanus took upon him the office of procurator of the rest; which was a Roman province; and therein he succeeded Alexander; under which Cureanus began the troubles; and the Jews' ruin came on; for when the multitude were come together to Jerusalem; to the feast of unleavened bread; and a Roman cohort stood over the cloisters of the temple; (for they always were armed; and kept guard at the festivals; to prevent any innovation which the multitude thus gathered together might make;) one of the soldiers pulled back his garment; and cowering down after an indecent manner; turned his breech to the Jews; and spake such words as you might expect upon such a posture。 At this the whole multitude had indignation; and made a clamor to Cumanus; that he would punish the soldier; while the rasher part of the youth; and such as were naturally the most tumultuous; fell to fighting; and caught up stones; and threw them at the soldiers。 Upon which Cumanus was afraid lest all the people should make an assault upon him; and sent to call for more armed men; who; when they came in great numbers into the cloisters; the Jews were in a very great consternation; and being beaten out of the temple; they ran into the city; and the violence with which they crowded to get out was so great; that they trod upon each other; and squeezed one another; till ten thousand of them were killed; insomuch that this feast became the cause of mourning to the whole nation; and every family lamented their own relations。

2。 Now there followed after this another calamity; which arose from a tumult made by robbers; for at the public road at Beth…boron; one Stephen; a servant of Caesar; carried some furniture; which the robbers fell upon and seized。 Upon this Cureanus sent men to go round about to the neighboring villages; and to bring their inhabitants to him bound; as laying it to their charge that they had not pursued after the thieves; and caught them。 Now here it was that a certain soldier; finding the sacred book of the law; tore it to pieces; and threw it into the fire。 (14) Hereupon the Jews were in great disorder; as if their whole country were in a flame; and assembled themselves so many of them by their zeal for their religion; as by an engine; and ran together with united clamor to Cesarea; to Cumanus; and made supplication to him that he would not overlook this man; who had offered such an affront to God; and to his law; but punish him for what he had done。 Accordingly; he; perceiving that the multitude would not be quiet unless they had a comfortable answer from him; gave order that the soldier should be brought; and drawn through those that required to have him punished; to execution; which being done; the Jews went their ways。

3。 After this there happened a fight between the Galileans and the Samaritans; it happened at a village called Geman; which is situate in the great plain of Samaria; where; as a great number of Jews were going up to Jerusalem to the feast 'of tabernacles;' a certain Galilean was slain; and besides; a vast number of people ran together out of Galilee; in order to fight with the Samaritans。 But the principal men among them came to Cumanus; and besought him that; before the evil became incurable; he would come into Galilee; and bring the authors of this murder to punishment; for that there was no other way to make the multitude separate without coming to blows。 However; Cumanus postponed their supplications to the other affairs he was then about; and sent the petitioners away without success。

4。 But when the affair of this murder came to be told at Jerusalem; it put the multitude into disorder; and they left the feast; and without any generals to conduct them; they marched with great violence to Samaria; nor would they be ruled by any of the magistrates that were set over them; but they were managed by one Eleazar; the son of Dineus; and by Alexander; in these their thievish and seditious attempts。 These men fell upon those that were ill the neighborhood of the Acrabatene toparchy; and slew them; without sparing any age; and set the villages on fire。  5。 But Cumanus took one troop of horsemen; called the troop of Sebaste; out of Cesarea; and came to the assistance of those that were spoiled; he also seized upon a great number of those that followed Eleazar; and slew more of them。 And as for the rest of the multitude of those that went so zealously to fight with the Samaritans; the rulers of Jerusalem ran out clothed with sackcloth; and having ashes on their head; and begged of them to go their ways; lest by their attempt to revenge themselves upon the Samaritans they should provoke the Romans to come against Jerusalem; to have compassion upon their country and temple; their children and their wives; and not bring the utmost dangers of destruction upon them; in order to avenge themselves upon one Galilean only。 The Jews complied with these persuasions of theirs; and dispersed themselves; but still there were a great number who betook themselves to robbing; in hopes of impunity; and rapines and insurrections of the bolder sort happened over the whole country。 And the men of power among the Samaritans came to Tyre; to Ummidius Quadratus; (15) the president of Syria; and desired that they that had laid waste the country might be punished: the great men also of the Jews; and Jonathan the son of Ananus the high priest; came thither; and said that the Samaritans were the beginners of the disturbance; on account of that murder they had committed; and that Cumanus had given occasion to what had happened; by his unwillingness to punish the original authors of that murder。

6。 But Quadratus put both parties off for that time; and told them; that when he should come to those places; he would make a diligent inquiry after every circumstance。 After which he went to Cesarea; and crucified all those whom Cumanus had taken alive; and when from thence he was come to the city Lydda; he heard the affair of the Samaritans; and sent for eighteen of the Jews; whom he had learned to have been concerned in that fight; and beheaded them; but he sent two others of those that were of the greatest power among them; and both Jonathan and Ananias; the high priests; as also Artanus the son of this Ananias; and certain others that were eminent among the Jews; to Caesar; as he did in like manner by the most illustrious of the Samaritans。 He also ordered that Cureanus 'the procurator' and Celer the tribune should sail to Rome; in order to give an account of what had been done to Caesar。 When he had finished these matters; he went up from Lydda to Jerusalem; and finding the multitude celebrating their feas

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