the wars of the jews-第126部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


When　Masada　was　thus　taken；　the　general　left　a　garrison　in　the　fortress　to　keep　it；　and　he　himself　went　away　to　Cesarea；　for　there　were　now　no　enemies　left　in　the　country；　but　it　was　all　overthrown　by　so　long　a　war。　Yet　did　this　war　afford　disturbances　and　dangerous　disorders　even　in　places　very　far　remote　from　Judea；　for　still　it　came　to　pass　that　many　Jews　were　slain　at　Alexandria　in　Egypt；　for　as　many　of　the　Sicarii　as　were　able　to　fly　thither；　out　of　the　seditious　wars　in　Judea；　were　not　content　to　have　saved　themselves；　but　must　needs　be　undertaking　to　make　new　disturbances；　and　persuaded　many　of　those　that　entertained　them　to　assert　their　liberty；　to　esteem　the　Romans　to　be　no　better　than　themselves；　and　to　look　upon　God　as　their　only　Lord　and　Master。　But　when　part　of　the　Jews　of　reputation　opposed　them；　they　slew　some　of　them；　and　with　the　others　they　were　very　　pressing　in　their　exhortations　to　revolt　from　the　Romans；　but　when　the　principal　men　of　the　senate　saw　what　madness　they　were　come　to；　they　thought　it　no　longer　safe　for　themselves　to　overlook　them。　So　they　got　all　the　Jews　together　to　an　assembly；　and　accused　the　madness　of　the　Sicarii；　and　demonstrated　that　they　had　been　the　authors　of　all　the　evils　that　had　come　upon　them。　They　said　also　that　〃these　men；　now　they　were　run　away　from　Judea；　having　no　sure　hope　of　escaping；　because　as　soon　as　ever　they　shall　be　known；　they　will　be　soon　destroyed　by　the　Romans；　they　come　hither　and　fill　us　full　of　those　calamities　which　belong　to　them；　while　we　have　not　been　partakers　with　them　in　any　of　their　sins。〃　Accordingly；　they　exhorted　the　multitude　to　have　a　care；　lest　they　should　be　brought　to　destruction　by　their　means；　and　to　make　their　apology　to　the　Romans　for　what　had　been　done；　by　delivering　these　men　up　to　them；　who　being　thus　apprized　of　the　greatness　of　the　danger　they　were　in；　complied　with　what　was　proposed；　and　ran　with　great　violence　upon　the　Sicarii；　and　seized　upon　them；　and　indeed　six　hundred　of　them　were　caught　immediately：　but　as　to　all　those　that　fled　into　Egypt　（18）　and　to　the　Egyptian　Thebes；　it　was　not　long　ere　they　were　caught　also；　and　brought　back；　whose　courage；　or　whether　we　ought　to　call　it　madness；　or　hardiness　in　their　opinions；　every　body　was　amazed　at。　For　when　all　sorts　of　torments　and　vexations　of　their　bodies　that　could　be　devised　were　made　use　of　to　them；　they　could　not　get　any　one　of　them　to　comply　so　far　as　to　confess；　or　seem　to　confess；　that　Caesar　was　their　lord；　but　they　preserved　their　own　opinion；　in　spite　of　all　the　distress　they　were　brought　to；　as　if　they　received　these　torments　and　the　fire　itself　with　bodies　insensible　of　pain；　and　with　a　soul　that　in　a　manner　rejoiced　under　them。　But　what　was　most　of　all　astonishing　to　the　beholders　was　the　courage　of　the　children；　for　not　one　of　these　children　was　so　far　overcome　by　these　torments；　as　to　name　Caesar　for　their　lord。　So　far　does　the　strength　of　the　courage　＇of　the　soul＇　prevail　over　the　weakness　of　the　body。　　　　2。　Now　Lupus　did　then　govern　Alexandria；　who　presently　sent　Caesar　word　of　this　commotion；　who　having　in　suspicion　the　restless　temper　of　the　Jews　for　innovation；　and　being　afraid　lest　they　should　get　together　again；　and　persuade　some　others　to　join　with　them；　gave　orders　to　Lupus　to　demolish　that　Jewish　temple　which　was　in　the　region　called　Onion；　（19）　and　was　in　Egypt；　which　was　built　and　had　its　denomination　from　the　occasion　following：　Onias；　the　son　of　Simon；　one　of　the　Jewish　high　priests　fled　from　Antiochus　the　king　of　Syria；　when　he　made　war　with　the　Jews；　and　came　to　Alexandria；　and　as　Ptolemy　received　him　very　kindly；　on　account　of　hatred　to　Antiochus；　he　assured　him；　that　if　he　would　comply　with　his　proposal；　he　would　bring　all　the　Jews　to　his　assistance；　and　when　the　king　agreed　to　do　it　so　far　as　he　was　able；　he　desired　him　to　give　him　leave　to　build　a　temple　some　where　in　Egypt；　and　to　worship　God　according　to　the　customs　of　his　own　　　country；　for　that　the　Jews　would　then　be　so　much　readier　to　fight　against　Antiochus　who　had　laid　waste　the　temple　at　Jerusalem；　and　that　they　would　then　come　to　him　with　　　greater　good…will；　and　that；　by　granting　them　liberty　of　conscience；　very　many　of　them　would　come　over　to　him。　　　　3。　So　Ptolemy　complied　with　his　proposals；　and　gave　him　a　place　one　hundred　and　eighty　furlongs　distant　from　Memphis。　（20）　That　Nomos　was　called　the　Nomos　of　Hellopolls；　where　Onias　built　a　fortress　and　a　temple；　not　like　to　that　at　Jerusalem；　but　such　as　resembled　a　tower。　He　built　it　of　large　stones　to　the　height　of　sixty　cubits；　he　made　the　structure　of　the　altar　in　imitation　of　that　in　our　own　country；　and　in　like　manner　adorned　with　gifts；　excepting　the　make　of　the　candlestick；　for　he　did　not　make　a　candlestick；　but　had　a　＇single＇　lamp　hammered　out　of　a　piece　of　gold；　which　illuminated　the　place　with　its　rays；　and　which　he　hung　by　a　chain　of　gold；　but　the　entire　temple　was　encompassed　with　a　wall　of　burnt　brick；　though　it　had　gates　of　stone。　The　king　also　gave　him　a　large　country　for　a　revenue　in　money；　that　both　the　priests　might　have　a　plentiful　provision　made　for　them；　and　that　God　might　have　great　abundance　of　what　things　were　necessary　for　his　worship。　Yet　did　not　Onias　do　this　out　of　a　sober　disposition；　but　he　had　a　mind　to　contend　with　the　Jews　at　Jerusalem；　and　could　not　forget　the　indignation　he　had　for　being　banished　thence。　Accordingly；　he　thought　that　by　building　this　temple　he　should　draw　away　a　great　number　from　them　to　himself。　There　had　been　also　a　certain　ancient　prediction　made　by　＇a　　prophet＇　whose　name　was　Isaiah；　about　six　hundred　years　before；　that　this　temple　should　be　built　by　a　man　that　was　a　Jew　in　Egypt。　And　this　is　the　history　of　the　building　of　that　temple。　　　　4。　And　now　Lupus；　the　governor　of　Alexandria；　upon　the　receipt　of　Caesar's　letter；　came　to　the　temple；　and　carried　out　of　it　some　of　the　donations　dedicated　thereto；　and　shut　up　the　temple　itself。　And　as　Lupus　died　a　little　afterward；　Paulinns　succeeded　him。　This　man　left　none　of　those　donations　there；　and　threatened　the　priests　severely　if　they　did　not　bring　them　all　out；　nor　did　he　permit　any　who　were　desirous　of　worshipping　God　there　so　much　as　to　come　near　the　whole　sacred　place；　but　when　he　had　shut　up　the　gates；　he　made　it　entirely　inaccessible；　insomuch　that　there　remained　no　longer　the　least　footsteps　of　any　Divine　worship　that　had　been　in　that　place。　Now　the　duration　of　the　time　from　the　building　of　this　temple　till　it　was　shut　up　again　was　three　hundred　and　forty…three　years。　　　　CHAPTER　11。

　　　Concerning　Jonathan；　One　Of　The　Sicarii；　That　Stirred　Up　A　Sedition　In　Cyrene；　And　Was　A　False　Accuser　＇Of　The　Innocent＇。　　　　1。　And　now　did　the　madness　of　the　Sicarii；　like　a　disease；　reach　as　far　as　the　cities　of　Cyrene；　for　one　Jonathan；　a　vile　person；　and　by　trade　a　weaver；　came　thither　and　prevailed　with　no　small　number　of　the　poorer　sort　to　give　ear　to　him；　he　also　led　them　into　the　desert；　upon　promising　them　that　he　would　show　them　signs　and　apparitions。　And　as　for　the　other　Jews　of　Cyrene；　he　concealed　his　knavery　from　them；　and　put　tricks　upon　them；　but　those　of　the　greatest　dignity　among　them　informed　Catullus；　the　governor　of　the　Libyan　Pentapolis；　of　his　march　into　the　desert；　and　of　the　preparations　he　had　made　for　it。　So　he　sent　out　after　him　both　horsemen　and　footmen；　and　easily　overcame　them；　because　they　were　unarmed　men；　of　these　many　were　slain　in　the　fight；　but　some　were　taken　alive；　and　brought　to　Catullus。　As　for　Jonathan；　the　head　of　this　plot；　he　fled　away　at　that　time；　but　upon　a　great　and　very　diligent　search；　which　was　made　all　the　country　over　for　him；　he　was　at　last　taken。　And　when　he　was　brought　to　Catullus；　he　devised　a　way　whereby　he　both　escaped　punishment　himself；　and　afforded　an　occasion　to　Catullus　of　doing　much　mischief；　for　he　falsely　accused　the　richest　men　among　the　Jews；　and　said　that　they　had　put　him　upon　what　he　did。　　　　2。　Now　Catullus　easily　admitted　of　these　his　calumnies；　and　aggravated　matters　greatly；　and　made　tragical　exclamations；　that　he　might　also　be　supposed　to　have　had　a　hand　in　the　finishing　of　the　Jewish　war。　But　what　was　still　harder；　he　did　not　only　give　a　too　easy　belief　to　his　stories；　but　he　taught　the　Sicarii　to　accuse　men　falsely。　He　bid　this　Jonathan；　therefore；　to　name　one　Alexander；　a　Jew　（with　whom　he　had　formerly　had　a　quarrel；　and　openly　professed　that　he　hated　him）；　he　also　got　him　to　name　his　wife　Bernice；　as　concerned　with　him。　These　two　Catullus　ordered　to　be　slain　in　the　first　place；　nay；　after　them　he　caused　all　the　rich　and　wealthy　Jews　to　be　slain；　being　no　fewer　in　all　than　three　thousand。　This　he　thought　he　might　do　safely；　because　he　confiscated　their　effects；　and　added　them　to　Caesar's　revenues。　　　　3。　Nay；　indeed；　lest　any　Jews　that　lived　elsewhere　should　convict　him　of　his　villainy；　he　extended　his　false　accusations　further；　and　persuaded　Jonathan；　and　certain　others　that　were　caught　with　him；　to　bring　an　accusation　of　attempts　for　innovation　against　the　Jews　that　were　of　the　best　character　both　at　Alexandria　and　at　Rome。　One　of　these；　against　whom　this　treacherous　accusation　was　laid；　was　Josephus；　the　writer　of　these　books。　However；　this　plot；　thus　contrived　by　Catullus；　did　not　succeed　according　to　his　hopes；　for　though　he　came　himself　to　Rome；　and　brought　Jonathan　and　his　companions　along　with　him　in　bonds；　and　thought　he　should　have　had　no　further　inquisition　made　as　to　those　lies　that　were　forged　under　his　government；　or　by　his　means；　yet　did　Vespasian　suspect　the　matter　and　made　an　inquiry　how　far　it　was　true。　And　when　he　understood　that　the　accusation　laid　against　the　Jews　was　an　unjust　one；　he　cleared　them　of　the　crimes　charged　upon　them；　and　this　on　account　of　Titus's　concern　about　the　matter；　and　brought　a　deserved　punishment　upon　Jonathan；　for　he　was　first　tormented；　and　then　burnt　alive。　　　　4。　But　as　to　Catullus；　the　emperors　Were　so　gentle　to　him；　that　he　underwent　no　severe　condemnation　at　this　time；　yet　was　it　not　long　before　he　fell　into　a　complicated　and　almost　incurable　distemper；　and　died　miserably。　He　was　not　only　afflicted　in　body；　but　the　distemper　in　his　mind　was　more　heavy　upon　him　than　the　other；　for　he　was　terribly　disturbed；　and　continually　cried　out　that