the wars of the jews-第77章

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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；　with　one　of　his　tribunes；　Domitius　Sabinus；　and　had　a　few　of　the　fifteenth　legion　along　with　him。　So　they　cut　the　throats　of　the　watch；　and　entered　the　city　very　quietly。　After　these　came　Cerealis　the　tribune；　and　Placidus；　and　led　on　those　that　were　tinder　them。　Now　when　the　citadel　was　taken；　and　the　enemy　were　in　the　very　midst　of　the　city；　and　when　it　was　already　day；　yet　was　not　the　taking　of　the　city　known　by　those　that　held　it；　for　a　great　many　of　them　were　fast　asleep；　and　a　great　mist；　which　then　by　chance　fell　upon　the　city；　hindered　those　that　got　up　from　distinctly　seeing　the　case　they　were　in；　till　the　whole　Roman　army　was　gotten　in；　and　they　were　raised　up　only　to　find　the　miseries　they　were　under；　and　as　they　were　slaying；　they　perceived　the　city　was　taken。　And　for　the　Romans；　they　so　well　remembered　what　they　had　suffered　during　the　siege；　that　they　spared　none；　nor　pitied　any；　but　drove　the　people　down　the　precipice　from　the　citadel；　and　slew　them　as　they　drove　them　down；　at　which　time　the　difficulties　of　the　place　hindered　those　that　were　still　able　to　fight　from　defending　themselves；　for　as　they　were　distressed　in　the　narrow　streets；　and　could　not　keep　their　feet　sure　along　the　precipice；　they　were　overpowered　with　the　crowd　of　those　that　came　fighting　them　down　from　the　citadel。　This　provoked　a　great　many；　even　of　those　chosen　men　that　were　about　Josephus；　to　kill　themselves　with　their　own　hands；　for　when　they　saw　that　they　could　kill　none　of　the　Romans；　they　resolved　to　prevent　being　killed　by　the　Romans；　and　got　together　in　great　numbers　in　the　utmost　parts　of　the　city；　and　killed　themselves。

35。　However；　such　of　the　watch　as　at　the　first　perceived　they　were　taken；　and　ran　away　as　fast　as　they　could；　went　up　into　one　of　the　towers　on　the　north　side　of　the　city；　and　for　a　while　defended　themselves　there；　but　as　they　were　encompassed　with　a　multitude　of　enemies；　they　tried　to　use　their　right　hands　when　it　was　too　late；　and　at　length　they　cheerfully　offered　their　necks　to　be　cut　off　by　those　that　stood　over　them。　And　the　Romans　might　have　boasted　that　the　conclusion　of　that　siege　was　without　blood　＇on　their　side＇　if　there　had　not　been　a　centurion；　Antonius；　who　was　slain　at　the　taking　of　the　city。　His　death　was　occasioned　by　the　following　treachery；　for　there　was　one　of　those　that　were　fled　into　the　caverns；　which　were　a　great　number；　who　desired　that　this　Antonius　would　reach　him　his　right　hand　for　his　security；　and　would　assure　him　that　he　would　preserve　him；　and　give　him　his　assistance　in　getting　up　out　of　the　cavern；　accordingly；　he　incautiously　reached　him　his　right　hand；　when　the　other　man　prevented　him；　and　stabbed　him　under　his　loins　with　a　spear；　and　killed　him　immediately。

36。　And　on　this　day　it　was　that　the　Romans　slew　all　the　multitude　that　appeared　openly；　but　on　the　following　days　they　searched　the　hiding…places；　and　fell　upon　those　that　were　under　ground；　and　in　the　caverns；　and　went　thus　through　every　age；　excepting　the　infants　and　the　women；　and　of　these　there　were　gathered　together　as　captives　twelve　hundred；　and　as　for　those　that　were　slain　at　the　taking　of　the　city；　and　in　the　former　fights；　they　were　numbered　to　be　forty　thousand。　So　Vespasian　gave　order　that　the　city　should　be　entirely　demolished；　and　all　the　fortifications　burnt　down。　And　thus　was　Jotapata　taken；　in　the　thirteenth　year　of　the　reign　of　Nero；　on　the　first　day　of　the　month　Panemus　＇Tamuz＇。

CHAPTER　8。

How　Josephus　Was　Discovered　By　A　Woman；　And　Was　Willing　To　Deliver　Himself　Up　To　The　Romans；　And　What　Discourse　He　Had　With　His　Own　Men；　When　They　Endeavored　To　Hinder　Him；　And　What　He　Said　To　Vespasian；　When　He　Was　Brought　To　Him；　And　After　What　Manner　Vespasian　Used　Him　Afterward。

1。　And　now　the　Romans　searched　for　Josephus；　both　out　of　the　hatred　they　bore　him；　and　because　their　general　was　very　desirous　to　have　him　taken；　for　he　reckoned　that　if　he　were　once　taken；　the　greatest　part　of　the　war　would　be　over。　They　then　searched　among　the　dead；　and　looked　into　the　most　concealed　recesses　of　the　city；　but　as　the　city　was　first　taken；　he　was　assisted　by　a　certain　supernatural　providence；　for　he　withdrew　himself　from　the　enemy　when　he　was　in　the　midst　of　them；　and　leaped　into　a　certain　deep　pit；　whereto　there　adjoined　a　large　den　at　one　side　of　it；　which　den　could　not　be　seen　by　those　that　were　above　ground；　and　there　he　met　with　forty　persons　of　eminency　that　had　concealed　themselves；　and　with　provisions　enough　to　satisfy　them　for　not　a　few　days。　So　in　the　day　time　he　hid　himself　from　the　enemy；　who　had　seized　upon　all　places；　and　in　the　night　time　he　got　up　out　of　the　den　and　looked　about　for　some　way　of　escaping；　and　took　exact　notice　of　the　watch；　but　as　all　places　were　guarded　every　where　on　his　account；　that　there　was　no　way　of　getting　off　unseen；　he　went　down　again　into　the　den。　Thus　he　concealed　himself　two　days；　but　on　the　third　day；　when　they　had　taken　a　woman　who　had　been　with　them；　he　was　discovered。　Whereupon　Vespasian　sent　immediately　and　zealously　two　tribunes；　Paulinus　and　Gallicanus；　and　ordered　them　to　give　Josephus　their　right　hands　as　a　security　for　his　life；　and　to　exhort　him　to　come　up。　

2。　So　they　came　and　invited　the　man　to　come　up；　and　gave　him　assurances　that　his　life　should　be　preserved：　but　they　did　not　prevail　with　him；　for　he　gathered　suspicions　from　the　probability　there　was　that　one　who　had　done　so　many　things　against　the　Romans　must　suffer　for　it；　though　not　from　the　mild　temper　of　those　that　invited　him。　However；　he　was　afraid　that　he　was　invited　to　come　up　in　order　to　be　punished；　until　Vespasian　sent　besides　these　a　third　tribune；　Nicanor；　to　him；　he　was　one　that　was　well　known　to　Josephus；　and　had　been　his　familiar　acquaintance　in　old　time。　When　he　was　come；　he　enlarged　upon　the　natural　mildness　of　the　Romans　towards　those　they　have　once　conquered；　and　told　him　that　he　had　behaved　himself　so　valiantly；　that　the　commanders　rather　admired　than　hated　him；　that　the　general　was　very　desirous　to　have　him　brought　to　him；　not　in　order　to　punish　him；　for　that　he　could　do　though　he　should　not　come　voluntarily；　but　that　he　was　determined　to　preserve　a　man　of　his　courage。　He　moreover　added　this；　that　Vespasian；　had　he　been　resolved　to　impose　upon　him；　would　not　have　sent　to　him　a　friend　of　his　own；　nor　put　the　fairest　color　upon　the　vilest　action；　by　pretending　friendship　and　meaning　perfidiousness；　nor　would　he　have　himself　acquiesced；　or　come　to　him；　had　it　been　to　deceive　him。

3。　Now　as　Josephus　began　to　hesitate　with　himself　about　Nicanor's　proposal；　the　soldiery　were　so　angry；　that　they　ran　hastily　to　set　fire　to　the　den；　but　the　tribune　would　not　permit　them　so　to　do；　as　being　very　desirous　to　take　the　man　alive。　And　now；　as　Nicanor　lay　hard　at　Josephus　to　comply；　and　he　understood　how　the　multitude　of　the　enemies　threatened　him；　he　called　to　mind　the　dreams　which　he　had　dreamed　in　the　night　time；　whereby　God　had　signified　to　him　beforehand　both　the　future　calamities　of　the　Jews；　and　the　events　that　concerned　the　Roman　emperors。　Now　Josephus　was　able　to　give　shrewd　conjectures　about　the　interpretation　of　such　dreams　as　have　been　ambiguously　delivered　by　God。　Moreover；　he　was　not　unacquainted　with　the　prophecies　contained　in　the　sacred　books；　as　being　a　priest　himself；　and　of　the　posterity　of　priests：　and　just　then　was　he　in　an　ecstasy；　and　setting　before　him　the　tremendous　images　of　the　dreams　he　had　lately　had；　he　put　up　a　secret　prayer　to　God；　and　said；　〃Since　it　pleaseth　thee；　who　hast　created　the　Jewish　nation；　to　depress　the　same；　and　since　all　their　good　fortune　is　gone　over　to　the　Romans；　and　since　thou　hast　made　choice　of　this　soul　of　mine　to　foretell　what　is　to　come　to　pass　hereafter；　I　willingly　give　them　my　hands；　and　am　content　to　live。　And　I　protest　openly　that　I　do　not　go　over　to　the　Romans　as　a　deserter　of　the　Jews；　but　as　a　minister　from　thee。〃

4。　When　he　had　said　this；　he　complied　with　Nicanor's　invitation。　But　when　those　Jews　who　had　fled　with　him　understood　that　he　yielded　to　those　that　invited　him　to