the wars of the jews-第113部分

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odies　themselves。　　　　CHAPTER　8。　　　　　　　　　　How　Caesar　Raised　Banks　Round　About　The　Upper　City　＇Mount　Zion＇　And　When　They　Were　Completed；　Gave　Orders　That　The　Machines　Should　Be　Brought。　He　Then　Possessed　Himself　Of　The　Whole　City。　　　　1。　Now　when　Caesar　perceived　that　the　upper　city　was　so　steep　that　it　could　not　possibly　be　taken　without　raising　banks　against　it；　he　distributed　the　several　parts　of　that　work　among　his　army；　and　this　on　the　twentieth　day　of　the　month　Lous　＇Ab＇。　Now　the　carriage　of　the　materials　was　a　difficult　task；　since　all　the　trees；　as　I　have　already　told　you；　that　were　about　the　city；　within　the　distance　of　a　hundred　furlongs；　had　their　branches　cut　off　already；　in　order　to　make　the　former　banks。　The　works　that　belonged　to　the　four　legions　were　erected　on　the　west　side　of　the　city；　over　against　the　royal　palace；　but　the　whole　body　of　the　auxiliary　troops；　with　the　rest　of　the　multitude　that　were　with　them；　＇erected　their　banks＇　at　the　Xystus；　whence　they　reached　to　the　bridge；　and　that　tower　of　Simon　which　he　had　built　as　a　citadel　for　himself　against　John；　when　they　were　at　war　one　with　another。　　　　2。　It　was　at　this　time　that　the　commanders　of　the　Idumeans　got　together　privately；　and　took　counsel　about　surrendering　up　themselves　to　the　Romans。　Accordingly；　they　sent　five　men　to　Titus；　and　entreated　him　to　give　them　his　right　hand　for　their　security。　So　Titus　thinking　that　the　tyrants　would　yield；　if　the　Idumeans；　upon　whom　a　great　part　of　the　war　depended；　were　once　withdrawn　from　them；　after　some　reluctancy　and　delay；　complied　with　them；　and　gave　them　security　for　their　lives；　and　sent　the　five　men　back。　But　as　these　Idumeans　were　preparing　to　march　out；　Simon　perceived　it；　and　immediately　slew　the　five　men　that　had　gone　to　Titus；　and　took　their　commanders；　and　put　them　in　prison；　of　whom　the　most　eminent　was　Jacob；　the　son　of　Sosas；　but　as　for　the　multitude　of　the　Idumeans；　who　did　not　at　all　know　what　to　do；　now　their　commanders　were　taken　from　them；　he　had　them　watched；　and　secured　the　walls　by　a　more　numerous　garrison；　Yet　could　not　that　garrison　resist　those　that　were　deserting；　for　although　a　great　number　of　them　were　slain；　yet　were　the　deserters　many　more　in　number。　They　were　all　received　by　the　Romans；　because　Titus　himself　grew　negligent　as　to　his　former　orders　for　killing　them；　and　because　the　very　soldiers　grew　weary　of　killing　them；　and　because　they　hoped　to　get　some　money　by　sparing　them；　for　they　left　only　the　populace；　and　sold　the　rest　of　the　multitude；　（28）　with　their　wives　and　children；　and　every　one　of　them　at　a　very　low　price；　and　that　because　such　as　were　sold　were　very　many；　and　the　buyers　were　few：　and　although　Titus　had　made　proclamation　beforehand；　that　no　deserter　should　come　alone　by　himself；　that　so　they　might　bring　out　their　families　with　them；　yet　did　he　receive　such　as　these　also。　However；　he　set　over　them　such　as　were　to　distinguish　some　from　others；　in　order　to　see　if　any　of　them　deserved　to　be　punished。　And　indeed　the　number　of　those　that　were　sold　was　immense；　but　of　the　populace　above　forty　thousand　were　saved；　whom　Caesar　let　go　whither　every　one　of　them　pleased。　　　　3。　But　now　at　this　time　it　was　that　one　of　the　priests；　the　son　of　Thebuthus；　whose　name　was　Jesus；　upon　his　having　security　given　him；　by　the　oath　of　Caesar；　that　he　should　be　preserved；　upon　condition　that　he　should　deliver　to　him　certain　of　the　precious　things　that　had　been　reposited　in　the　temple　（29）　came　out　of　it；　and　delivered　him　from　the　wall　of　the　holy　house　two　candlesticks；　like　to　those　that　lay　in　the　holy　house；　with　tables；　and　cisterns；　and　vials；　all　made　of　solid　gold；　and　very　heavy。　He　also　delivered　to　him　the　veils　and　the　garments；　with　the　precious　stones；　and　a　great　number　of　other　precious　vessels　that　belonged　to　their　sacred　worship。　The　treasurer　of　the　temple　also；　whose　name　was　Phineas；　was　seized　on；　and　showed　Titus　the　coats　and　girdles　of　the　priests；　with　a　great　quantity　of　purple　and　scarlet；　which　were　there　reposited　for　the　uses　of　the　veil；　as　also　a　great　deal　of　cinnamon　and　cassia；　with　a　large　quantity　of　other　sweet　spices；　（30）　which　used　to　be　mixed　together；　and　offered　as　incense　to　God　every　day。　A　great　many　other　treasures　were　also　delivered　to　him；　with　sacred　ornaments　of　the　temple　not　a　few；　which　things　thus　delivered　to　Titus　obtained　of　him　for　this　man　the　same　pardon　that　he　had　allowed　to　such　as　deserted　of　their　own　accord。　　　　4。　And　now　were　the　banks　finished　on　the　seventh　day　of　the　month　Gorpieus；　＇Elul；＇　in　eighteen　days'　time；　when　the　Romans　brought　their　machines　against　the　wall。　But　for　the　seditious；　some　of　them；　as　despairing　of　saving　the　city；　retired　from　the　wall　to　the　citadel；　others　of　them　went　down　into　the　subterranean　vaults；　though　still　a　great　many　of　them　defended　themselves　against　those　that　brought　the　engines　for　the　battery；　yet　did　the　Romans　overcome　them　by　their　number　and　by　their　strength；　and；　what　was　the　principal　thing　of　all；　by　going　cheerfully　about　their　work；　while　the　Jews　were　quite　dejected；　and　become　weak。　Now　as　soon　as　a　part　of　the　wall　was　battered　down；　and　certain　of　the　towers　yielded　to　the　impression　of　the　battering　rams；　those　that　opposed　themselves　fled　away；　and　such　a　terror　fell　upon　the　tyrants；　as　was　much　greater　than　the　occasion　required；　for　before　the　enemy　got　over　the　breach　they　were　quite　stunned；　and　were　immediately　for　flying　away。　And　now　one　might　see　these　men；　who　had　hitherto　been　so　insolent　and　arrogant　in　their　wicked　practices；　to　be　cast　down　and　to　tremble；　insomuch　that　it　would　pity　one's　heart　to　observe　the　change　that　was　made　in　those　vile　persons。　Accordingly；　they　ran　with　great　violence　upon　the　Roman　wall　that　encompassed　them；　in　order　to　force　away　those　that　guarded　it；　and　to　break　through　it；　and　get　away。　But　when　they　saw　that　those　who　had　formerly　been　faithful　to　them　had　gone　away；　（as　indeed　they　were　fled　whithersoever　the　great　distress　they　were　in　persuaded　them　to　flee；）　as　also　when　those　that　came　running　before　the　rest　told　them　that　the　western　wall　was　entirely　overthrown；　while　others　said　the　Romans　were　gotten　in；　and　others　that　they　were　near；　and　looking　out　for　them；　which　were　only　the　dictates　of　their　fear；　which　imposed　upon　their　sight；　they　fell　upon　their　face；　and　greatly　lamented　their　own　mad　conduct；　and　their　nerves　were　so　terribly　loosed；　that　they　could　not　flee　away。　And　here　one　may　chiefly　reflect　on　the　power　of　God　exercised　upon　these　wicked　wretches；　and　on　the　good　fortune　of　the　Romans；　for　these　tyrants　did　now　wholly　deprive　themselves　of　the　security　they　had　in　their　own　power；　and　came　down　from　those　very　towers　of　their　own　accord；　wherein　they　could　have　never　been　taken　by　force；　nor　indeed　by　any　other　way　than　by　famine。　And　thus　did　the　Romans；　when　they　had　　taken　such　great　pains　about　weaker　walls；　get　by　good　fortune　what　they　could　never　have　gotten　by　their　engines；　for　three　of　these　towers　were　too　strong　for　all　mechanical　engines　whatsoever；　concerning　which　we　have　treated　above。　　　　5。　So　they　now　left　these　towers　of　themselves；　or　rather　they　were　ejected　out　of　them　by　God　himself；　and　fled　immediately　to　that　valley　which　was　under　Siloam；　where　they　again　recovered　themselves　out　of　the　dread　they　were　in　for　a　while；　and　ran　violently　against　that　part　of　the　Roman　wall　which　lay　on　that　side；　but　as　their　courage　was　too　much　depressed　to　make　their　attacks　with　sufficient　force；　and　their　power　was　now　broken　with　fear　and　affliction；　they　were　repulsed　by　the　guards；　and　dispersing　themselves　at　distances　from　each　other；　went　down　into　the　subterranean　caverns。　So　the　Romans　being　now　become　masters　of　the　walls；　they　both　placed　their　ensigns　upon　the　towers；　and　made　joyful　acclamations　for　the　victory　they　had　gained；　as　having　found　the　end　of　this　war　much　lighter　than　its　beginning；　for　when　they　had　gotten　upon　the　last　wall；　without　any　bloodshed；　they　could　hardly　believe　what　they　found　to　be　true；　but　seeing　nobody　to　oppose　them；　they　stood　in　doubt　what　such　an　unusual　solitude　could　mean。　But　when　they　went　in　numbers　into　the　lanes　of　the　city　with　their　swords　drawn；　they　slew　those　whom　they　overtook　without　and　set　fire　to　the　houses　whither　the　Jews　were　fled；　and　burnt　every　　soul　in　them；　and　laid　waste　a　great　many　of　the　rest；　and　when　they　were　come　to　the　houses　to　plunder　them；　they　found　in　them　entire　families　of　dead　men；　and　the　upper　rooms　full　of　dead　corpses；　that　is；　of　such　as　died　by　the　famine；　they　then　stood　in　a　horror　at　this　sight；　and　went　out　without　touching　any　thing。　But　although　they　had　this　commiseration　for　such　as　were　destroyed　in　that　manner；　yet　had　they　not　the　same　for　those　that　were　still　alive；　but　they　ran　every　one　through　whom　they　met　with；　and　obstructed　the　very　lanes　with　their　dead　bodies；　and　made　the　whole　city　run　down　with　blood；　to　such　a　degree　indeed　that　the　fire　of　many　of　the　houses　was　quenched　　with　these　men's　blood。　And　truly　so　it　happened；　that　though　the　slayers　left　off　at　the　evening；　yet　did　the　fire　greatly　prevail　in　the　night；　and　as　all　was　burning；　came　that　eighth　day　of　the　month　Gorpieus　＇Elul＇　upon　Jerusalem；　a　city　that　had　been　liable　to　so　many　miseries　during　this　siege；　that；　had　it　always　enjoyed　as　much　happiness　from　its　first　foundation；　it　would　certainly　have　been　the　envy　of　the　world。　Nor　did　it　on　any　other　account　so　much　deserve　these　sore　misfortunes；　as　by　producing　such　a　generation　of　men　as　were　the　occasions　of　this　its　overthrow。　　　　CHAPTER　9。　　　　　　　　　　What　Injunctions　Caesar　Gave　When　He　Was　Come　Within　The　City。　The　Number　Of　The　Captives　And　Of　Those　That　Perished　In　The　Siege；　As　Also　Concerning　Those　That　Had　Escaped　Into　The　Subterranean　Caverns；　Among　Whom　Were　The　Tyrants　Simon　And　John　Themselves。　　　　1。　Now　when　Titus　was　come　into　this　＇upper＇　city；　he　admired　not　only　some　other　places　of　strength　in　it；　but　particularly　those　strong　towers　which　the　tyrants　in　their　mad　conduct　had　relinquished；　for　when　he　saw　their　solid　altitude；　and　the　largeness　of　their　several　stones；　and　the　exactness　of　their　joints；　as　also　how　great　was　the