the antiquities of the jews-1-第248节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


sailed；　the　whole　nation　was　in　a　tumult。　So　Varus；　since　he　was
there　himself；　brought　the　authors　of　the　disturbance　to
punishment；　and　when　he　had　restrained　them　for　the　most　part
from　this　sedition；　which　was　a　great　one；　he　took　his　journey　to
Antiocli；　leaving　one　legion　of　his　army　at　Jerusalem　to　keep　the
Jews　quiet；　who　were　now　very　fond　of　innovation。　Yet　did　not
this　at　all　avail　to　put　an　end　to　that　their　sedition；　for　after
Varus　was　gone　away；　Sabinus；　Caesar's　procurator；　staid　behind；
and　greatly　distressed　the　Jews；　relying　on　the　forces　that　were
left　there　that　they　would　by　their　multitude　protect　him；　for　he
made　use　of　them；　and　armed　them　as　his　guards；　thereby　so
oppressing　the　Jews；　and　giving　them　so　great　disturbance；　that
at　length　they　rebelled；　for　he　used　force　in　seizing　the
citadels；　and　zealously　pressed　on　the　search　after　the　king's
money；　in　order　to　seize　upon　it　by　force；　on　account　of　his　love
of　gain　and　his　extraordinary　covetousness。

2。　But　on　the　approach　of　pentecost；　which　is　a　festival　of　ours；
so　called　from　the　days　of　our　forefathers；　a　great　many　ten
thousands　of　men　got　together；　nor　did　they　come　only　to
celebrate　the　festival；　but　out　of　their　indignation　at　the
madness　of　Sabinus；　and　at　the　injuries　he　offered　them。　A　great
number　there　was　of　Galileans；　and　Idumeans；　and　many　men　from
Jericho；　and　others　who　had　passed　over　the　river　Jordan；　and
inhabited　those　parts。　This　whole　multitude　joined　themselves　to
all　the　rest；　and　were　more　zealous　than　the　others　in　making　an
assault　on　Sabinus；　in　order　to　be　avenged　on　him；　so　they　parted
themselves　into　three　bands；　and　encamped　themselves　in　the
places　following：　…　some　of　them　seized　on　the　hippodrome　and　of
the　other　two　bands；　one　pitched　themselves　from　the　northern
part　of　the　temple　to　the　southern；　on　the　east　quarter；　but　the
third　band　held　the　western　part　of　the　city；　where　the　king's
palace　was。　Their　work　tended　entirely　to　besiege　the　Romans；　and
to　enclose　them　on　all　sides。　Now　Sabinus　was　afraid　of　these
men's　number；　and　of　their　resolution；　who　had　little　regard　to
their　lives；　but　were　very　desirous　not　to　be　overcome；　while
they　thought　it　a　point　of　puissance　to　overcome　their　enemies；
so　he　sent　immediately　a　letter　to　Varus；　and；　as　he　used　to　do；
was　very　pressing　with　him；　and　entreated　him　to　come　quickly　to
his　assistance；　because　the　forces　he　had　left　were　in　imminent
danger；　and　would　probably；　in　no　long　time；　be　seized　upon；　and
cut　to　pieces；　while　he　did　himself　get　up　to　the　highest　tower
of　the　fortress　Phasaelus；　which　had　been　built　in　honor　of
Phasaelus；　king　Herod's　brother；　and　called　so　when　the　Parthians
had　brought　him　to　his　death。　（14）　So　Sabinus　gave　thence　a
signal　to　the　Romans　to　fall　upon　the　Jews；　although　he　did　not
himself　venture　so　much　as　to　come　down　to　his　friends；　and
thought　he　might　expect　that　the　others　should　expose　themselves
first　to　die　on　account　of　his　avarice。　However；　the　Romans
ventured　to　make　a　sally　out　of　the　place；　and　a　terrible　battle
ensued；　wherein；　though　it　is　true　the　Romans　beat　their
adversaries；　yet　were　not　the　Jews　daunted　in　their　resolutions；
even　when　they　had　the　sight　of　that　terrible　slaughter　that　was
made　of　them；　but　they　went　round　about；　and　got　upon　those
cloisters　which　encompassed　the　outer　court　of　the　temple；　where
a　great　fight　was　still　continued；　and　they　cast　stones　at　the
Romans；　partly　with　their　hands；　and　partly　with　slings；　as　being
much　used　to　those　exercises。　All　the　archers　also　in　array　did
the　Romans　a　great　deal　of　mischief；　because　they　used　their
hands　dexterously　from　a　place　superior　to　the　others；　and
because　the　others　were　at　an　utter　loss　what　to　do；　for　when
they　tried　to　shoot　their　arrows　against　the　Jews　upwards；　these
arrows　could　not　reach　them；　insomuch　that　the　Jews　were　easily
too　hard　for　their　enemies。　And　this　sort　of　fight　lasted　a　great
while；　till　at　last　the　Romans；　who　were　greatly　distressed　by
what　was　done；　set　fire　to　the　cloisters　so　privately；　that　those
that　were　gotten　upon　them　did　not　perceive　it。　This　fire　（15）
being　fed　by　a　great　deal　of　combustible　matter；　caught　hold
immediately　on　the　roof　of　the　cloisters；　so　the　wood；　which　was
full　of　pitch　and　wax；　and　whose　gold　was　laid　on　it　with　wax；
yielded　to　the　flame　presently；　and　those　vast　works；　which　were
of　the　highest　value　and　esteem；　were　destroyed　utterly；　while
those　that　were　on　the　roof　unexpectedly　perished　at　the　same
time；　for　as　the　roof　tumbled　down；　some　of　these　men　tumbled
down　with　it；　and　others　of　them　were　killed　by　their　enemies　who
encompassed　them。　There　was　a　great　number　more；　who；　out　of
despair　of　saving　their　lives；　and　out　of　astonishment　at　the
misery　that　surrounded　them；　did　either　cast　themselves　into　the
fire；　or　threw　themselves　upon　their　swords；　and　so　got　out　of
their　misery。　But　as　to　those　that　retired　behind　the　same　way　by
which　they　ascended；　and　thereby　escaped；　they　were　all　killed　by
the　Romans；　as　being　unarmed　men；　and　their　courage　failing　them；
their　wild　fury　being　now　not　able　to　help　them；　because　they
were　destitute　of　armor；　insomuch　that　of　those　that　went　up　to
the　top　of　the　roof；　not　one　escaped。　The　Romans　also　rushed
through　the　fire；　where　it　gave　them　room　so　to　do；　and　seized　on
that　treasure　where　the　sacred　money　was　reposited；　a　great　part
of　which　was　stolen　by　the　soldiers；　and　Sabinus　got　openly　four
hundred　talents。

3。　But　this　calamity　of　the　Jews'　friends；　who　fell　in　this
battle；　grieved　them；　as　did　also　this　plundering　of　the　money
dedicated　to　God　in　the　temple。　Accordingly；　that　body　of　them
which　continued　best　together；　and　was　the　most　warlike；
encompassed　the　palace；　and　threatened　to　set　fire　to　it；　and
kill　all　that　were　in　it。　Yet　still　they　commanded　them　to　go　out
presently；　and　promised；　that　if　they　would　do　so；　they　would　not
hurt　them；　nor　Sabinus　neither；　at　which　time　the　greatest　part
of　the　king's　troops　deserted　to　them；　while　Rufus　and　Gratus；
who　had　three　thousand　of　the　most　warlike　of　Herod's　army　with
them；　who　were　men　of　active　bodies；　went　over　to　the　Romans。
There　was　also　a　band　of　horsemen　under　the　command　of　Ruffis；
which　itself　went　over　to　the　Romans　also。　However；　the　Jews　went
on　with　the　siege；　and　dug　mines　under　the　palace　walls；　and
besought　those　that　were　gone　over　to　the　other　side　not　to　be
their　hinderance；　now　they　had　such　a　proper　opportunity　for　the
recovery　of　their　country's　ancient　liberty；　and　for　Sabinus；
truly　he　was　desirous　of　going　away　with　his　soldiers；　but　was
not　able　to　trust　himself　with　the　enemy；　on　account　of　what
mischief　he　had　already　done　them；　and　he　took　this　great
＇pretended＇　lenity　of　theirs　for　an　argument　why　he　should　not
comply　with　them；　and　so；　because　he　expected　that　Varus　was
coming；　he　still　bore　the　siege。

4。　Now　at　this　time　there　were　ten　thousand　other　disorders　in
Judea；　which　were　like　tumults；　because　a　great　number　put
themselves　into　a　warlike　posture；　either　out　of　hopes　of　gain　to
themselves；　or　out　of　enmity　to　the　Jews。　In　particular；　two
thousand　of　Herod's　old　soldiers；　who　had　been　already　disbanded；
got　together　in　Judea　itself；　and　fought　against　the　king's
troops；　although　Achiabus；　Herod's　first　cousin；　opposed　them；
but　as　he　was　driven　out　of　the　plains　into　the　mountainous　parts
by　the　military　skill　of　those　men；　he　kept　himself　in　the
fastnesses　that　were　there；　and　saved　what　he　could。

5。　There　was　also　Judas；　（16）　the　son　of　that　Ezekias　who　had
been　head　of　the　robbers；　which　Ezekias　was　a　very　strong　man；
and　had　with　great　dificulty　been　caught　by　Herod。　This　Judas；
having　gotten　together　a　multitude　of　men　of　a　profligate
character　about　Sepphoris　in　Galilee；　made　an　assault　upon　the
palace　＇there；＇　and　seized　upon　all　the　weapons　that　were　laid　up
in　it；　and　with　them　armed　every　one　of　those　that　were　with　him；
and　carried　away　what　money　was　left　there；　and　he　became
terrible　to　all　men；　by　tearing　and　rending　those　that　came　near
him；　and　all　this　in　order　to　raise　himself；　and　out　of　an
ambitious　desire　of　the　royal　dignity；　and　he　hoped　to　obtain
that　as　the　reward　not　of　his　virtuous　skill　in　war；　but　of　his
extravagance　in　doing　injuries。

6。　There　was　also　Simon；　who　had　been　a　slave　of　Herod　the　king；
but　in　other　respects　a　comely　person；　of　a　tall　and　robust　body；
he　was　one　that　was　much　superior　to　others　of　his　order；　and　had
had　great　things　committed　to　his　care。　This　man　was　elevated　at
the　disorderly　state　of　things；　and　was　so　bold　as　to　put　a
diadem　on　his　head；　while　a　certain　number　of　the　people　stood　by
him；　and　by　them　he　was　declared　to　be　a　king；　and　thought
himself　more　worthy　of　that　dignity　than　any　one　else。　He　burnt
down　the　royal　palace　at　Jericho；　and　plundered　what　was　left　in
it。　He　also　set　fire　to　many　other　of　the　king's　houses　in
several　places　of　the　country；　and　utterly　destroyed　them；　and
permitted　those　that　were　with　him　to　take　what　was　left　in　them
for　a　prey；　and　he　would　have　done　greater　things；　unless　care
had　been　taken　to