the wars of the jews-第76章

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y　fire；　they　ran　away　from　the　walls；　and　fled　hastily　out　of　the　city；　and　fell　upon　those　that　shot　at　them。　And　thus　did　the　people　of　Jotapata　resist　the　Romans；　while　a　great　number　of　them　were　every　day　killed；　without　their　being　able　to　retort　the　evil　upon　their　enemies；　nor　could　they　keep　them　out　of　the　city　without　danger　to　themselves。

31。　About　this　time　it　was　that　Vespasian　sent　out　Trajan　against　a　city　called　Japha；　that　lay　near　to　Jotapata；　and　that　desired　innovations；　and　was　puffed　up　with　the　unexpected　length　of　the　opposition　of　Jotapata。　This　Trajan　was　the　commander　of　the　tenth　legion；　and　to　him　Vespasian　committed　one　thousand　horsemen；　and　two　thousand　footmen。　When　Trajan　came　to　the　city；　he　found　it　hard　to　be　taken；　for　besides　the　natural　strength　of　its　situation；　it　was　also　secured　by　a　double　wall；　but　when　he　saw　the　people　of　this　city　coming　out　of　it；　and　ready　to　fight　him；　he　joined　battle　with　them；　and　after　a　short　resistance　which　they　made；　he　pursued　after　them；　and　as　they　fled　to　their　first　wall；　the　Romans　followed　them　so　closely；　that　they　fell　in　together　with　them：　but　when　the　Jews　were　endeavoring　to　get　again　within　their　second　wall；　their　fellow　citizens　shut　them　out；　as　being　afraid　that　the　Romans　would　force　themselves　in　with　them。　It　was　certainly　God　therefore　who　brought　the　Romans　to　punish　the　Galileans；　and　did　then　expose　the　people　of　the　city　every　one　of　them　manifestly　to　be　destroyed　by　their　bloody　enemies；　for　they　fell　upon　the　gates　in　great　crowds；　and　earnestly　calling　to　those　that　kept　them；　and　that　by　their　names　also；　yet　had　they　their　throats　cut　in　the　very　midst　of　their　supplications；　for　the　enemy　shut　the　gates　of　the　first　wall；　and　their　own　citizens　shut　the　gates　of　the　second；　so　they　were　enclosed　between　two　walls；　and　were　slain　in　great　numbers　together；　many　of　them　were　run　through　by　swords　of　their　own　men；　and　many　by　their　own　swords；　besides　an　immense　number　that　were　slain　by　the　Romans。　Nor　had　they　any　courage　to　revenge　themselves；　for　there　was　added　to　the　consternation　they　were　in　from　the　enemy；　their　being　betrayed　by　their　own　friends；　which　quite　broke　their　spirits；　and　at　last　they　died；　cursing　not　the　Romans；　but　their　own　citizens；　till　they　were　all　destroyed；　being　in　number　twelve　thousand。　So　Trajan　gathered　that　the　city　was　empty　of　people　that　could　fight；　and　although　there　should　a　few　of　them　be　therein；　he　supposed　that　they　would　be　too　timorous　to　venture　upon　any　opposition；　so　he　reserved　the　taking　of　the　city　to　the　general。　Accordingly；　he　sent　messengers　to　Vespasian；　and　desired　him　to　send　his　son　Titus　to　finish　the　victory　he　had　gained。　Vespasian　hereupon　imagining　there　might　be　some　pains　still　necessary；　sent　his　son　with　an　army　of　five　hundred　horsemen；　and　one　thousand　footmen。　So　he　came　quickly　to　the　city；　and　put　his　army　in　order；　and　set　Trajan　over　the　left　wing；　while　he　had　the　right　himself；　and　led　them　to　the　siege：　and　when　the　soldiers　brought　ladders　to　be　laid　against　the　wall　on　every　side；　the　Galileans　opposed　them　from　above　for　a　while；　but　soon　afterward　they　left　the　walls。　Then　did　Titus's　men　leap　into　the　city；　and　seized　upon　it　presently；　but　when　those　that　were　in　it　were　gotten　together；　there　was　a　fierce　battle　between　them；　for　the　men　of　power　fell　upon　the　Romans　in　the　narrow　streets；　and　the　women　threw　whatsoever　came　next　to　hand　at　them；　and　sustained　a　fight　with　them　for　six　hours'　time；　but　when　the　fighting　men　were　spent；　the　rest　of　the　multitude　had　their　throats　cut；　partly　in　the　open　air；　and　partly　in　their　own　houses；　both　young　and　old　together。　So　there　were　no　males　now　remaining；　besides　infants；　which；　with　the　women；　were　carried　as　slaves　into　captivity；　so　that　the　number　of　the　slain；　both　now　in　the　city　and　at　the　former　fight；　was　fifteen　thousand；　and　the　captives　were　two　thousand　one　hundred　and　thirty。　This　calamity　befell　the　Galileans　on　the　twenty…fifth　day　of　the　month　Desius　＇Sivan。＇　　32。　Nor　did　the　Samaritans　escape　their　share　of　misfortunes　at　this　time；　for　they　assembled　themselves　together　upon　file　mountain　called　Gerizzim；　which　is　with　them　a　holy　mountain；　and　there　they　remained；　which　collection　of　theirs；　as　well　as　the　courageous　minds　they　showed；　could　not　but　threaten　somewhat　of　war；　nor　were　they　rendered　wiser　by　the　miseries　that　had　come　upon　their　neighboring　cities。　They　also；　notwithstanding　the　great　success　the　Romans　had；　marched　on　in　an　unreasonable　manner；　depending　on　their　own　weakness；　and　were　disposed　for　any　tumult　upon　its　first　appearance。　Vespasian　therefore　thought　it　best　to　prevent　their　motions；　and　to　cut　off　the　foundation　of　their　attempts。　For　although　all　Samaria　had　ever　garrisons　settled　among　them；　yet　did　the　number　of　those　that　were　come　to　Mount　Gerizzim；　and　their　conspiracy　together；　give　ground　for　fear　what　they　would　be　at；　he　therefore　sent　I　thither　Cerealis；　the　commander　of　the　fifth　legion；　with　six　hundred　horsemen；　and　three　thousand　footmen；　who　did　not　think　it　safe　to　go　up　to　the　mountain；　and　give　them　battle；　because　many　of　the　enemy　were　on　the　higher　part　of　the　ground；　so　he　encompassed　all　the　lower　part　of　the　mountain　with　his　army；　and　watched　them　all　that　day。　Now　it　happened　that　the　Samaritans；　who　were　now　destitute　of　water；　were　inflamed　with　a　violent　heat；　（for　it　was　summer　time；　and　the　multitude　had　not　provided　themselves　with　necessaries；）　insomuch　that　some　of　them　died　that　very　day　with　heat；　while　others　of　them　preferred　slavery　before　such　a　death　as　that　was；　and　fled　to　the　Romans；　by　whom　Cerealis　understood　that　those　which　still　staid　there　were　very　much　broken　by　their　misfortunes。　So　he　went　up　to　the　mountain；　and　having　placed　his　forces　round　about　the　enemy；　he；　in　the　first　place；　exhorted　them　to　take　the　security　of　his　right　hand；　and　come　to　terms　with　him；　and　thereby　save　themselves；　and　assured　them；　that　if　they　would　lay　down　their　arms；　he　would　secure　them　from　any　harm；　but　when　he　could　not　prevail　with　them；　he　fell　upon　them　and　slew　them　all；　being　in　number　eleven　thousand　and　six　hundred。　This　was　done　on　the　twenty…seventh　day　of　the　month　Desius　＇Sivan＇。　And　these　were　the　calamities　that　befell　the　Samaritans　at　this　time。

33。　But　as　the　people　of　Jotapata　still　held　out　manfully；　and　bore　up　tinder　their　miseries　beyond　all　that　could　be　hoped　for；　on　the　forty…seventh　day　＇of　the　siege＇　the　banks　cast　up　by　the　Romans　were　become　higher　than　the　wall；　on　which　day　a　certain　deserter　went　to　Vespasian；　and　told　him　how　few　were　left　in　the　city；　and　how　weak　they　were；　and　that　they　had　been　so　worn　out　with　perpetual　watching；　and　as　perpetual　fighting；　that　they　could　not　now　oppose　any　force　that　came　against　them；　and　that　they　might　he　taken　by　stratagem；　if　any　one　would　attack　them；　for　that　about　the　last　watch　of　the　night；　when　they　thought　they　might　have　some　rest　from　the　hardships　they　were　under；　and　when　a　morning　sleep　used　to　come　upon　them；　as　they　were　thoroughly　weary；　he　said　the　watch　used　to　fall　asleep；　accordingly　his　advice　was；　that　they　should　make　their　attack　at　that　hour。　But　Vespasian　had　a　suspicion　about　this　deserter；　as　knowing　how　faithful　the　Jews　were　to　one　another；　and　how　much　they　despised　any　punishments　that　could　be　inflicted　on　them；　this　last　because　one　of　the　people　of　Jotapata　had　undergone　all　sorts　of　torments；　and　though　they　made　him　pass　through　a　fiery　trial　of　his　enemies　in　his　examination；　yet　would　he　inform　them　nothing　of　the　affairs　within　the　city；　and　as　he　was　crucified；　smiled　at　them。　However；　the　probability　there　was　in　the　relation　itself　did　partly　confirm　the　truth　of　what　the　deserter　told　them；　and　they　thought　he　might　probably　speak　truth。　However；　Vespasian　thought　they　should　be　no　great　sufferers　if　the　report　was　a　sham；　so　he　commanded　them　to　keep　the　man　in　custody；　and　prepared　the　army　for　taking　the　city。

34。　According　to　which　resolution　they　marched　without　noise；　at　the　hour　that　had　been　told　them；　to　the　wall；　and　it　was　Titus　himself　that　first　got　upon　it；　wit