the wars of the jews-第91章

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uspected；　and　his　constant　attendance　every　where；　even　when　he　was　not　　　invited　to　be　present；　made　him　strongly　suspected　of　　　betraying　their　secrets　to　the　enemy；　for　they　plainly　　　perceived　that　they　understood　all　the　resolutions　taken　against　them　at　their　consultations。　Nor　was　there　any　one　whom　they　had　so　much　reason　to　suspect　of　that　discovery　as　this　John；　yet　was　it　not　easy　to　get　quit　of　him；　so　potent　was　he　grown　by　his　wicked　practices。　He　was　also　supported　by　many　of　those　eminent　men；　who　were　to　be　consulted　　　upon　all　considerable　affairs；　it　was　therefore　thought　　　reasonable　to　oblige　him　to　give　them　assurance　of　his　good…will　upon　oath；　accordingly　John　took　such　an　oath　readily；　that　he　would　be　on　the　people's　side；　and　would　not　betray　any　of　their　counsels　or　practices　to　their　enemies；　and　would　assist　them　in　overthrowing　those　that　attacked　them；　and　that　both　by　his　hand　and　his　advice。　So　Ananus　and　his　party　believed　his　oath；　and　did　now　receive　him　to　their　　　consultations　without　further　suspicion；　nay；　so　far　did　they　believe　him；　that　they　sent　him　as　their　ambassador　into　the　temple　to　the　zealots；　with　proposals　of　accommodation；　for　they　were　very　desirous　to　avoid　the　pollution　of　the　temple　as　much　as　they　possibly　could；　and　that　no　one　of　their　nation　should　be　slain　therein。　　　　　　14。　But　now　this　John；　as　if　his　oath　had　been　made　to　the　zealots；　and　for　confirmation　of　his　good…will　to　them；　and　not　against　them；　went　into　the　temple；　and　stood　in　the　midst　of　them；　and　spake　as　follows：　That　he　had　run　many　hazards　o；　their　accounts；　and　in　order　to　let　them　know　of　every　thing　that　was　secretly　contrived　against　them　by　　　Ananus　and　his　party；　but　that　both　he　and　they　should　be　cast　into　the　most　imminent　danger；　unless　some　providential　assistance　were　afforded　them；　for　that　Ananus　made　no　　　longer　delay；　but　had　prevailed　with　the　people　to　send　　　ambassadors　to　Vespasian；　to　invite　him　to　come　presently　and　take　the　city；　and　that　he　had　appointed　a　fast　for　the　next　day　against　them；　that　they　might　obtain　admission　into　the　temple　on　a　religious　account；　or　gain　it　by　force；　and　fight　with　them　there；　that　he　did　not　see　how　long　they　could　either　endure　a　siege；　or　how　they　could　fight　against　so　many　enemies。　He　added　further；　that　it　was　by　the　　　providence　of　God　he　was　himself　sent　as　an　ambassador　to　them　for　an　accommodation；　for　that　Artanus　did　therefore　offer　them　such　proposals；　that　he　might　come　upon　them　　　when　they　were　unarmed；　that　they　ought　to　choose　one　of　these　two　methods；　either　to　intercede　with　those　that　　　guarded　them；　to　save　their　lives；　or　to　provide　some　foreign　assistance　for　themselves；　that　if　they　fostered　themselves　with　the　hopes　of　pardon；　in　case　they　were　subdued；　they　had　forgotten　what　desperate　things　they　had　done；　or　could　suppose；　that　as　soon　as　the　actors　repented；　those　that　had　suffered　by　them　must　be　presently　reconciled　to　them；　while　those　that　have　done　injuries；　though　they　pretend　to　repent　of　them；　are　frequently　hated　by　the　others　for　that　sort　of　repentance；　and　that　the　sufferers；　when　they　get　the　power　into　their　hands；　are　usually　still　more　severe　upon　the　actors；　that　the　friends　and　kindred　of　those　that　had　been　destroyed　would　always　be　laying　plots　against　them；　and　that　a　large　body　of　people　were　very　angry　on　account　of　their　gross　breaches　of　their　laws；　and　＇illegal＇　judicatures；　insomuch　that　although　some　part　might　commiserate　them；　those　would　be　quite　overborne　by　the　majority。　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　4。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Idumeans　Being　Sent　For　By　The　Zealots；　Came　Immediately　To　Jerusalem；　And　When　They　Were　Excluded　Out　Of　The　City；　They　Lay　All　Night　There。　Jesus　One　Of　The　High　Priests　Makes　A　Speech　To　Them；　And　Simon　The　Idumean　Makes　A　Reply　To　It。　　　　　　　　　　　　1。　Now；　by　this　crafty　speech；　John　made　the　zealots　afraid；　yet　durst　he　not　directly　name　what　foreign　assistance　he　meant；　but　in　a　covert　way　only　intimated　at　the　Idumeans。　But　now；　that　he　might　particularly　irritate　the　leaders　of　the　zealots；　he　calumniated　Ananus；　that　he　was　about　a　piece　of　barbarity；　and　did　in　a　special　manner　threaten　them。　These　leaders　were　Eleazar；　the　son　of　Simon；　who　seemed　the　　　most　plausible　man　of　them　all；　both　in　considering　what　was　fit　to　be　done；　and　in　the　execution　of　what　he　had　　　determined　upon；　and　Zacharias；　the　son　of　Phalek；　both　of　whom　derived　their　families　from　the　priests。　Now　when　　　these　two　men　had　heard；　not　only　the　common　threatenings　which　belonged　to　them　all；　but　those　peculiarly　leveled　against　themselves；　and　besides；　how　Artanus　and　his　party；　in　order　to　secure　their　own　dominion；　had　invited　the　　　Romans　to　come　to　them；　for　that　also　was　part　of　John's　lie；　they　hesitated　a　great　while　what　they　should　do；　considering　the　shortness　of　the　time　by　which　they　were　straitened；　because　the　people　were　prepared　to　attack　them　very　soon；　and　because　the　suddenness　of　the　plot　laid　against　them　had　almost　cut　off　all　their　hopes　of　getting　any　foreign　　　assistance；　for　they　might　be　under　the　height　of　their　　　afflictions　before　any　of　their　confederates　could　be　informed　of　it。　However；　it　was　resolved　to　call　in　the　Idumeans；　so　they　wrote　a　short　letter　to　this　effect：　That　Ananus　had　imposed　on　the　people；　and　was　betraying　their　metropolis　to　the　Romans；　that　they　themselves　had　revolted　from　the　rest；　and　were　in　custody　in　the　temple；　on　account　of　the　　　preservation　of　their　liberty；　that　there　was　but　a　small　time　left　wherein　they　might　hope　for　their　deliverance；　and　that　unless　they　would　come　immediately　to　their　assistance；　they　should　themselves　be　soon　in　the　power　of　Artanus；　and　the　city　would　be　in　the　power　of　the　Romans。　They　also　charged　the　messengers　to　tell　many　more　circumstances　to　the　rulers　of　the　Idumeans。　Now　there　were　two　active　men　proposed　　　for　the　carrying　this　message；　and　such　as　were　able　to　speak；　and　to　persuade　them　that　things　were　in　this　posture；　and；　what　was　a　qualification　still　more　necessary　than　the　former；　they　were　very　swift　of　foot；　for　they　knew　well　enough　that　these　would　immediately　comply　with　their　desires；　as　being　ever　a　tumultuous　and　disorderly　nation；　always　on　the　watch　upon　every　motion；　delighting　in　mutations；　and　upon　your　flattering　them　ever　so　little；　and　petitioning　them；　they　soon　take　their　arms；　and　put　themselves　into　motion；　and　make　haste　to　a　battle；　as　if　it　were　to　a　feast。　There　was　indeed　occasion　for　quick　despatch　in　the　carrying　of　this　message；　in　which　point　the　messengers　were　no　way　defective。　Both　their　names　were　Ananias；　and　they　soon　came　to　the　rulers　of　the　Idumeans。　　　　　　2。　Now　these　rulers　were　greatly　surprised　at　the　contents　of　the　letter；　and　at　what　those　that　came　with　it　further　told　them；　whereupon　they　ran　about　the　nation　like　madmen；　　　and　made　proclamation　that　the　people　should　come　to　war；　so　a　multitude　was　suddenly　got　together；　sooner　indeed　than　the　time　appointed　in　the　proclamation；　and　every　body　　　caught　up　their　arms；　in　order　to　maintain　the　liberty　of　their　metropolis；　and　twenty　thousand　of　them　were　put　into　　　battle…array；　and　came　to　Jerusalem；　under　four　commanders；　John；　and　Jacob　the　son　of　Sosas；　and　besides　these　were　Simon；　the　son　of　Cathlas；　and　Phineas；　the　son　of　Clusothus。　　　　3。　Now　this　exit　of　the　messengers　was　not　known　either　to　Ananus　or　to　the　guards；　but　the　approach　of　the　Idumeans　was　known　to　him；　for　as　he　knew　of　it　before　they　came；　he　ordered　the　gates　to　be　shut　against　them；　and　that　the　walls　should　be　guarded。　Yet　did　not　he　by　any　means　think　of　　　fighting　against　them；　but；　before　they　came　to　blows；　to　try　what　persuasions　would　do。　Accordingly；　Jesus；　the　eldest　of　the　high　priests　next　to　Artanus；　stood　upon　the　tower　that　was　over　against　them；　and　said　thus：　〃Many　troubles　indeed；　and　those　of　various　kinds；　have　fallen　upon　this　city；　yet　in　none　of　them　have　I　so　much　wondered　at　her　fortune　as　　　now；　when　you　are　come　to　assist　wicked　men；　and　this　after　a　manner　very　extraordinary；　for　I　see　that　you　are　come　to　support　the　vilest　of　men　against　us；　and　this　with　so　great　alacrity；　as