the wars of the jews-第88章

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t　could　be　taken　by　them。　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　3。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Concerning　John　Of　Gischala。　Concerning　The　Zealots　And　The　High　Priest　Ananus；　As　Also　How　The　Jews　Raise　Seditions　One　Against　　　　　Another　＇In　Jerusalem＇。　　　　　　　　　　　　1。　Now　upon　John's　entry　into　Jerusalem；　the　whole　body　of　the　people　were　in　an　uproar；　and　ten　thousand　of　them　　　crowded　about　every　one　of　the　fugitives　that　were　come　to　them；　and　inquired　of　them　what　miseries　had　happened　　　abroad；　when　their　breath　was　so　short；　and　hot；　and　quick；　that　of　itself　it　declared　the　great　distress　they　were　in；　yet　did　they　talk　big　under　their　misfortunes；　and　pretended　to　say　that　they　had　not　fled　away　from　the　Romans；　but　came　thither　in　order　to　fight　them　with　less　hazard；　for　that　it　would　be　an　unreasonable　and　a　fruitless　thing　for　them　to　expose　themselves　to　desperate　hazards　about　Gischala；　and　such　weak　cities；　whereas　they　ought　to　lay　up　their　weapons　and　their　zeal；　and　reserve　it　for　their　metropolis。　But　when　they　related　to　them　the　taking　of　Gischala；　and　their　decent　departure；　as　they　pretended；　from　that　place；　many　of　the　people　understood　it　to　be　no　better　than　a　flight；　and　　　especially　when　the　people　were　told　of　those　that　were　made　captives；　they　were　in　great　confusion；　and　guessed　those　things　to　be　plain　indications　that　they　should　be　taken　also。　But　for　John；　he　was　very　little　concerned　for　those　whom　he　had　left　behind　him；　but　went　about　among　all　the　people；　and　persuaded　them　to　go　to　war；　by　the　hopes　he　gave　　　them。　He　affirmed　that　the　affairs　of　the　Romans　were　in　a　weak　condition；　and　extolled　his　own　power。　He　also　jested　upon　the　ignorance　of　the　unskillful；　as　if　those　Romans；　although　they　should　take　to　themselves　wings；　could　never　fly　over　the　wall　of　Jerusalem；　who　found　such　great　　　difficulties　in　taking　the　villages　of　Galilee；　and　had　broken　their　engines　of　war　against　their　walls。　　　　　　2。　These　harangues　of　John's　corrupted　a　great　part　of　the　young　men；　and　puffed　them　up　for　the　war；　but　as　to　the　more　prudent　part；　and　those　in　years；　there　was　not　a　man　of　them　but　foresaw　what　was　coming；　and　made　lamentation　on　that　account；　as　if　the　city　was　already　undone；　and　in　this　confusion　were　the　people。　But　then　it　must　be　observed；　that　the　multitude　that　came　out　of　the　country　were　at　discord　before　the　Jerusalem　sedition　began；　for　Titus　went　from　Gischala　to　Cesates；　and　Vespasian　from　Cesarea　to　Jamnia　and　Azotus；　and　took　them　both；　and　when　he　had　put　　　garrisons　into　them；　he　came　back　with　a　great　number　of　the　people；　who　were　come　over　to　him；　upon　his　giving　them　his　right　hand　for　their　preservation。　There　were　besides　　　disorders　and　civil　wars　in　every　city；　and　all　those　that　were　at　quiet　from　the　Romans　turned　their　hands　one　against　　　another。　There　was　also　a　bitter　contest　between　those　that　were　fond　of　war；　and　those　that　were　desirous　for　peace。　At　the　first　this　quarrelsome　temper　caught　hold　of　private　families；　who　could　not　agree　among　themselves；　after　which　those　people　that　were　the　dearest　to　one　another　brake　　　through　all　restraints　with　regard　to　each　other；　and　every　one　associated　with　those　of　his　own　opinion；　and　began　　　already　to　stand　in　opposition　one　to　another；　so　that　　　seditions　arose　every　where；　while　those　that　were　for　　　innovations；　and　were　desirous　of　war；　by　their　youth　and　boldness；　were　too　hard　for　the　aged　and　prudent　men。　And；　in　the　first　place；　all　the　people　of　every　place　betook　themselves　to　rapine；　after　which　they　got　together　in　bodies；　in　order　to　rob　the　people　of　the　country；　insomuch　that　for　barbarity　and　iniquity　those　of　the　same　nation　did　no　way　differ　from　the　Romans；　nay；　it　seemed　to　be　a　much　lighter　thing　to　be　ruined　by　the　Romans　than　by　themselves。　　　　　　3。　Now　the　Roman　garrisons；　which　guarded　the　cities；　partly　out　of　their　uneasiness　to　take　such　trouble　upon　them；　and　partly　out　of　the　hatred　they　bare　to　the　Jewish　nation；　did　little　or　nothing　towards　relieving　the　miserable；　till　the　captains　of　these　troops　of　robbers；　being　satiated　with　rapines　in　the　country；　got　all　together　from　all　parts；　and　became　a　band　of　wickedness；　and　all　together　crept　into　Jerusalem；　which　was　now　become　a　city　without　a　governor；　and；　as　the　ancient　custom　was；　received　without　distinction　all　that　belonged　to　their　nation；　and　these　they　then　　　received；　because　all　men　supposed　that　those　who　came　so　fast　into　the　city　came　out　of　kindness；　and　for　their　　　assistance；　although　these　very　men；　besides　the　seditions　they　raised；　were　otherwise　the　direct　cause　of　the　city's　destruction　also；　for　as　they　were　an　unprofitable　and　a　useless　multitude；　they　spent　those　provisions　beforehand　which　might　otherwise　have　been　sufficient　for　the　fighting　men。　Moreover；　besides　the　bringing　on　of　the　war；　they　were　the　occasions　of　sedition　and　famine　therein。　　　　　　4。　There　were　besides　these　other　robbers　that　came　out　of　the　country；　and　came　into　the　city；　and　joining　to　them　those　that　were　worse　than　themselves；　omitted　no　kind　of　　　barbarity；　for　they　did　not　measure　their　courage　by　their　rapines　and　plunderings　only；　but　preceded　as　far　as　　　murdering　men；　and　this　not　in　the　night　time　or　privately；　or　with　regard　to　ordinary　men；　but　did　it　openly　in　the　day　time；　and　began　with　the　most　eminent　persons　in　the　city；　for　the　first　man　they　meddled　with　was　Antipas；　one　of　the　royal　lineage；　and　the　most　potent　man　in　the　whole　city；　insomuch　that　the　public　treasures　were　committed　to　his　care；　him　they　took　and　confined；　as　they　did　in　the　next　place　to　Levias；　a　person　of　great　note；　with　Sophas；　the　son　of　Raguel；　both　which　were　of　royal　lineage　also。　And　besides　these；　they　did　the　same　to　the　principal　men　of　the　country。　This　caused　a　terrible　consternation　among　the　people；　and　everyone　contented　himself　with　taking　care　of　his　own　　　safety；　as　they　would　do　if　the　city　had　been　taken　in　war。　　　　5。　But　these　were　not　satisfied　with　the　bonds　into　which　they　had　put　the　men　forementioned；　nor　did　they　think　it　safe　for　them　to　keep　them　thus　in　custody　long；　since　they　were　men　very　powerful；　and　had　numerous　families　of　their　own　that　were　able　to　avenge　them。　Nay；　they　thought　the　very　people　would　perhaps　be　so　moved　at　these　unjust　proceedings；　as　to　rise　in　a　body　against　them；　it　was　therefore　resolved　to　have　them　slain　accordingly；　they　sent　one　John；　who　was　the　most　bloody…minded　of　them　all；　to　do　that　execution：　this　man　was　also　called　〃the　son　of　Dorcas；〃　（3）　in　the　language　of　our　country。　Ten　more　men　went　along　with　him　into　the　　　prison；　with　their　swords　drawn；　and　so　they　cut　the　throats　of　those　that　were　in　custody　there。　The　grand　lying　pretence　these　men　made　for　so　flagrant　an　enormity　was　this；　that　these　men　had　had　conferences　with　the　Romans　for　a　　　surrender　of　Jerusalem　to　them；　and　so　they　said　they　had　slain　only　such　as　were　traitors　to　their　common　liberty。　Upon　the　whole；　they　grew　the　more　insolent　upon　this　bold　prank　of　theirs；　as　though　they　had　been　the　benefactors　and　saviors　of　the　city。　　　　　　6。　Now　the　people　were　come　to　that　degree　of　meanness　　　and　fear；　and　these　robbers　to　that　degree　of　madness；　that　these　last　took　upon　them　to　appoint　high　priests。　（4）　So　when　they　had　disannulled　the　succession；　according　to　those　families　out　of　which　the　high　priests　used　to　be　made；　they　ordained　certain　unknown　and　ignoble　persons　for　that　office；　that　they　might　have　their　assistance　in　their　wicked　　　undertakings；　for　such　as　obtained　this　highest　of　all　honors；　without　any　desert；　were　forced　to　comply　with　those　that　bestowed　it　on　them。　They　also　set　the　principal　men　at　　　variance　one　with　another；　by　several　sorts　of　contrivances　and　tricks；　and　gained　the　opportunity　of　doing　what　they　pleased；　by　the　mutual　quarrels　of　those　who　might　have　　　obstructed　their　measures；　till　at　length；　when　they　were　satiated　with　the　unjust　actions　they　had　done　towards　men；　they　transferred　their　contumelious　behavior　to　God　himself；　and　came　into　the　sanctuary　with　polluted　feet。　　　　　　7。　And　now　the　multitude　were　going　to　rise　against　them　already；　for　Ananus；　the　ancientest　of　the　hi