the wars of the jews-第122节

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ell　down。　　　　7。　And　now；　since　Caesar　was　no　way　able　to　restrain　the　enthusiastic　fury　of　the　soldiers；　and　the　fire　proceeded　on　more　and　more；　he　went　into　the　holy　place　of　the　temple；　with　his　commanders；　and　saw　it；　with　what　was　in　it；　which　he　found　to　be　far　superior　to　what　the　relations　of　foreigners　contained；　and　not　inferior　to　what　we　ourselves　boasted　of　and　believed　about　it。　But　as　the　flame　had　not　as　yet　reached　to　its　inward　parts；　but　was　still　consuming　the　rooms　that　were　about　the　holy　house；　and　Titus　supposing　what　the　fact　was；　that　the　house　itself　might　yet　he　saved；　he　came　in　haste　and　endeavored　to　persuade　　the　soldiers　to　quench　the　fire；　and　gave　order　to　Liberalius　the　centurion；　and　one　of　those　spearmen　that　were　about　him；　to　beat　the　soldiers　that　were　refractory　with　their　staves；　and　to　restrain　them；　yet　were　their　passions　too　hard　for　the　regards　they　had　for　Caesar；　and　the　dread　they　had　of　him　who　forbade　them；　as　was　their　hatred　of　the　Jews；　and　a　certain　vehement　inclination　to　fight　them；　too　hard　for　them　also。　Moreover；　the　hope　of　plunder　induced　many　to　go　on；　as　having　this　opinion；　that　all　the　places　within　were　full　of　money；　and　as　seeing　that　all　round　about　it　was　made　of　gold。　And　besides；　one　of　those　that　went　into　the　place　prevented　Caesar；　when　he　ran　so　hastily　out　to　restrain　the　soldiers；　and　threw　the　fire　upon　the　hinges　of　the　gate；　in　the　dark；　whereby　the　flame　burst　out　from　within　the　holy　house　itself　immediately；　when　the　commanders　retired；　and　Caesar　with　them；　and　when　nobody　any　longer　forbade　those　that　were　without　to　set　fire　to　it。　And　thus　was　the　holy　house　burnt　down；　without　Caesar's　approbation。　　　　8。　Now　although　any　one　would　justly　lament　the　destruction　of　such　a　work　as　this　was；　since　it　was　the　most　admirable　of　all　the　works　that　we　have　seen　or　heard　of；　both　for　its　curious　structure　and　its　magnitude；　and　also　for　the　vast　wealth　bestowed　upon　it；　as　well　as　for　the　glorious　reputation　it　had　for　its　holiness；　yet　might　such　a　one　comfort　himself　with　this　thought；　that　it　was　fate　that　decreed　it　so　to　be；　which　is　inevitable；　both　as　to　living　creatures；　and　as　to　works　and　places　also。　However；　one　cannot　but　wonder　at　the　accuracy　of　this　period　thereto　relating；　for　the　same　month　and　day　were　now　observed；　as　I　said　before；　wherein　the　holy　house　was　burnt　formerly　by　the　Babylonians。　Now　the　number　of　years　that　passed　from　its　first　foundation；　which　was　laid　by　king　Solomon；　till　this　its　destruction；　which　happened　in　the　second　year　of　the　reign　of　Vespasian；　are　collected　to　be　one　thousand　one　hundred　and　thirty；　besides　seven　months　and　fifteen　days；　and　from　the　second　building　of　it；　which　was　done　by　Haggai；　in　the　second　year　of　Cyrus　the　king；　till　its　destruction　under　Vespasian；　there　were　six　hundred　and　thirty…nine　years　and　forty…five　days。　　　　CHAPTER　5。　　　　　　　The　Great　Distress　The　Jews　Were　In　Upon　The　Conflagration　Of　The　Holy　House。　Concerning　A　False　Prophet；　And　The　Signs　That　Preceded　This　Destruction。　　　　1。　While　the　holy　house　was　on　fire；　every　thing　was　plundered　that　came　to　hand；　and　ten　thousand　of　those　that　were　caught　were　slain；　nor　was　there　a　commiseration　of　any　age；　or　any　reverence　of　gravity；　but　children；　and　old　men；　and　profane　persons；　and　priests　were　all　slain　in　the　same　manner；　so　that　this　war　went　round　all　sorts　of　men；　and　brought　them　to　destruction；　and　as　well　those　that　made　supplication　for　their　lives；　as　those　that　defended　themselves　by　fighting。　The　flame　was　also　carried　a　long　way；　and　made　an　echo；　together　with　the　　groans　of　those　that　were　slain；　and　because　this　hill　was　high；　and　the　works　at　the　temple　were　very　great；　one　would　have　thought　the　whole　city　had　been　on　fire。　Nor　can　one　imagine　any　thing　either　greater　or　more　terrible　than　this　noise；　for　there　was　at　once　a　shout　of　the　Roman　legions；　who　were　marching　all　together；　and　a　sad　clamor　of　the　seditious；　who　were　now　surrounded　with　fire　and　sword。　The　people　also　that　were　left　above　were　beaten　back　upon　the　enemy；　and　under　a　great　consternation；　and　made　sad　moans　at　the　calamity　they　were　under；　the　multitude　also　that　was　in　the　city　joined　in　this　outcry　with　those　that　were　upon　the　hill。　And　besides；　many　of　those　that　were　worn　away　by　the　famine；　and　their　mouths　almost　closed；　when　they　saw　the　fire　of　the　holy　house；　they　exerted　their　utmost　strength；　and　brake　out　into　　groans　and　outcries　again：　Pera　（17）　did　also　return　the　echo；　as　well　as　the　mountains　round　about　＇the　city；＇　and　augmented　the　force　of　the　entire　noise。　Yet　was　the　misery　itself　more　terrible　than　this　disorder；　for　one　would　have　thought　that　the　hill　itself；　on　which　the　temple　stood；　was　seething　hot；　as　full　of　fire　on　every　part　of　it；　that　the　blood　was　larger　in　quantity　than　the　fire；　and　those　that　were　slain　more　in　number　than　those　that　slew　them；　for　the　ground　did　no　where　appear　visible；　for　the　dead　bodies　that　lay　on　it；　but　the　soldiers　went　over　heaps　of　those　bodies；　as　they　ran　upon　such　as　fled　from　them。　And　now　it　was　that　the　multitude　of　the　robbers　were　thrust　out　＇of　the　inner　court　of　the　temple　by　the　Romans；＇　and　had　much　ado　to　get　into　the　outward　court；　and　from　thence　into　the　city；　while　the　remainder　of　the　populace　fled　into　the　cloister　of　that　outer　court。　As　for　the　priests；　some　of　them　plucked　up　from　the　holy　house　the　spikes　（18）　that　were　upon　it；　with　their　bases；　which　were　made　of　lead；　and　shot　them　at　the　Romans　instead　of　darts。　But　then　as　they　gained　nothing　by　so　doing；　and　as　the　fire　burst　out　upon　them；　they　retired　to　the　wall　that　was　eight　cubits　broad；　and　there　they　tarried；　yet　did　two　of　these　of　eminence　among　them；　who　might　have　saved　themselves　by　going　over　to　the　Romans；　or　have　borne　up　with　　courage；　and　taken　their　fortune　with　the　others；　throw　themselves　into　the　fire；　and　were　burnt　together　with　the　holy　house；　their　names　were　Meirus　the　son　of　Belgas；　and　Joseph　the　son　of　Daleus。　　　　2。　And　now　the　Romans；　judging　that　it　was　in　vain　to　spare　what　was　round　about　the　holy　house；　burnt　all　those　places；　as　also　the　remains　of　the　cloisters　and　the　gates；　two　excepted；　the　one　on　the　east　side；　and　the　other　on　the　south；　both　which；　however；　they　burnt　afterward。　They　also　burnt　down　the　treasury　chambers；　in　which　was　an　immense　quantity　of　money；　and　an　immense　number　of　garments；　and　other　precious　goods　there　reposited；　and；　to　speak　all　in　a　few　words；　there　it　was　that　the　entire　riches　of　the　Jews　were　heaped　up　together；　while　the　rich　people　had　there　built　themselves　chambers　＇to　contain　　such　furniture＇。　The　soldiers　also　came　to　the　rest　of　the　cloisters　that　were　in　the　outer　＇court　of　the＇　temple；　whither　the　women　and　children；　and　a　great　mixed　multitude　of　the　people；　fled；　in　number　about　six　thousand。　But　before　Caesar　had　determined　any　thing　about　these　people；　or　given　the　commanders　any　orders　relating　to　them；　the　soldiers　were　in　such　a　rage；　that　they　set　that　cloister　on　fire；　by　which　means　it　came　to　pass　that　some　of　these　were　destroyed　by　throwing　themselves　down　headlong；　and　some　were　burnt　in　the　cloisters　themselves。　Nor　did　any　one　of　them　escape　with　his　life。　A　false　prophet　（19）　was　the　occasion　of　these　people's　destruction；　who　had　　made　a　public　proclamation　in　the　city　that　very　day；　that　God　commanded　them　to　get　upon　the　temple；　and　that　there　they　should　receive　miraculous　signs　of　their　deliverance。　Now　there　was　then　a　great　number　of　false　prophets　suborned　by　the　tyrants　to　impose　on　the　people；　who　denounced　this　to　them；　that　they　should　wait　for　deliverance　from　God；　and　this　was　in　order　to　keep　them　from　deserting；　and　that　they　might　be　buoyed　up　above　　fear　and　care　by　such　hopes。　Now　a　man　that　is　in　adversity　does　easily　comply　with　such　promises；　for　when　such　a　seducer　makes　him　believe　that　he　shall　be　delivered　from　those　miseries　which　oppress　him；　then　it　is　that　the　patient　is　full　of　hopes　of　such　his　deliverance。　

3。　Thus　were　the　miserable　people　persuaded　by　these　deceivers；　and　such　as　belied　God　himself；　while　they　did　not　attend　nor　give　credit　to　the　signs　that　were　so　evident；　and　did　so　plainly　foretell　their　future　desolation；　but；　like　men　infatuated；　without　either　eyes　to　see　or　minds　to　consider；　did　not　regard　the　denunciations　that　God　made　to　them。　Thus　there　was　a　star　（20）　resembling　a　sword；　which　stood　over　the　city；　and　a　comet；　that　continued　a　whole　year。　Thus　also　before　the　Jews'　rebellion；　and　before　those　commotions　which　preceded　the　war；　when　the　people　were　come　in　great　crowds　to　the　feast　of　unleavened　bread；　on　the　eighth　day　of　the　month　Xanthicus；　（21）　＇Nisan；＇　and　at　the　ninth　hour　of　the　night；　so　great　a　light　shone　round　the　altar　and　the　holy　house；　that　it　appeared　to　be　bright　day　time；　which　lasted　for　half　an　hour。　This　light　seemed　to　be　a　good　sign　to　the　unskillful；　but　was　so　interpreted　by　the　sacred　scribes；　as　to　portend　those　events　that　followed　immediately　upon　it。　At　the　same　festival　also；　a　heifer；　as　she　was　led　by　the　high　priest　to　be　sacrificed；　brought　forth　a　lamb　in　the　midst　of　the　temple。　Moreove