the wars of the jews-第53部分

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（24）　In　this　speech　of　king　Agrippa　we　have　an　authentic　account　of　the　extent　and　strength　of　the　Roman　empire　when　the　Jewish　war　began。　And　this　speech　with　other　circumstances　in　Josephus；　demonstrate　how　wise　and　how　great　a　person　Agrippa　was；　and　why　Josephus　elsewhere　calls　him　a　most　wonderful　or　admirable　man；　Contr。　Ap。　I。　9。　He　is　the　same　Agrippa　who　said　to　Paul；〃　Almost　thou　persuadest　me　to　be　a　Christian；〃　Acts　26；28；　and　of　whom　St。　Paul　said；　〃He　was　expert　in　all　the　customs　and　questions　of　the　Jews；〃　yet。　3。　See　another　intimation　of　the　limits　of　the　same　Roman　empire；　Of　the　War；　B。　III。　ch。　5。　sect。　7。　But　what　seems　to　me　very　remarkable　here　is　this；　that　when　Josephus；　in　imitation　of　the　Greeks　and　Romans；　for　whose　use　he　wrote　his　Antiquities；　did　himself　frequently　he　into　their　they　appear；　by　the　politeness　of　their　composition；　and　their　flights　of　oratory；　to　be　not　the　real　speeches　of　the　persons　concerned；　who　usually　were　no　orators；　but　of　his　own　elegant　composure；　the　speech　before　us　is　of　another　nature；　full　of　undeniable　facts；　and　composed　in　a　plain　and　unartful；　but　moving　way；　so　it　appears　to　be　king　Agrippa's　own　speech；　and　to　have　been　given　Josephus　by　Agrippa　himself；　with　whom　Josephus　had　the　greatest　friendship。　Nor　may　we　omit　Agrippa's　constant　doctrine　here；　that　this　vast　Roman　empire　was　raised　and　supported　by　Divine　Providence；　and　that　therefore　it　was　in　vain　for　the　Jews；　or　any　others；　to　think　of　destroying　it。　Nor　may　we　neglect　to　take　notice　of　Agrippa's　solemn　appeal　to　the　angels　here　used；　the　like　appeals　to　which　we　have　in　St。　Paul；　1　Timothy　5：22；　and　by　the　apostles　in　general；　in　the　form　of　the　ordination　of　bishops；　Constitut。　Apost。　VIII。　4。

（25）　Julius　Caesar　had　decreed　that　the　Jews　of　Jerusalem　should　pay　an　annual　tribute　to　the　Romans；　excepting　the　city　Joppa；　and　for　the　sabbatical　year；　as　Spanheim　observes　from　the　Antiq。　B。　XIV。　ch。　10。　sect。　6。

（26）　Of　this　Sohemus　we　have　mention　made　by　Tacitus。　We　also　learn　from　Dio　that　his　father　was　king　of　the　Arabians　of　Iturea；　＇which　Iturea　is　mentioned　by　St。　Luke；　ch。　3：1。＇　both　whose　testimonies　are　quoted　here　by　Dr。　Hudson。　See　Noldius；　No。　371。

（27）　Spanheim　notes　on　the　place；　that　this　later　Antiochus；　who　was　called　Epiphaues；　is　mentioned　by　Dio；　LIX。　p。　645；　and　that　he　is　mentioned　by　Josephus　elsewhere　twice　also；　B。V。　ch。　11。　sect。　3；　and　Antiq。　B。　XIX。　ch。　8。　sect。　I。

（28）　Here　we　have　an　eminent　example　of　that　Jewish　language；　which　Dr。　Wail　truly　observes；　we　several　times　find　used　in　the　sacred　writings；　I　mean；　where　the　words　〃all〃　or〃　whole　multitude；〃etc。　are　used　for　much　the　greatest　part　only；　but　not　so　as　to　include　every　person；　without　exception；　for　when　Josephus　had　said　that　〃the　whole　multitude〃　＇all　the　males＇　of　Lydda　were　gone　to　the　feast　of　tabernacles；　he　immediately　adds；　that；　however；　no　fewer　than　fifty　of　them　appeared；　and　were　slain　by　the　Romans。　Other　examples　somewhat　like　this　I　have　observed　elsewhere　in　Josephus；　but；　as　I　think；　none　so　remarkable　as　this。　See　Wall's　Critical　Observations　on　the　Old　Testament；　p。　49；　50。

（29）　We　have　also；　in　this　and　the　next　section；　two　eminent　facts　to　be　observed；　viz。　the　first　example；　that　I　remember；　in　Josephus；　of　the　onset　of　the　Jews'　enemies　upon　their　country　when　their　males　were　gone　up　to　Jerusalem　to　one　of　their　three　sacred　festivals；　which；　during　the　theocracy；　God　had　promised　to　preserve　them　from；　Exodus　34：24。　The　second　fact　is　this；　the　breach　of　the　sabbath　by　the　seditions　Jews　in　an　offensive　fight；　contrary　to　the　universal　doctrine　and　practice　of　their　nation　in　these　ages；　and　even　contrary　to　what　they　themselves　afterward　practiced　in　the　rest　of　this　war。　See　the　note　on　Antiq。　B。　XVI。　ch。　2。　sect。　4。

（30）　There　may　another　very　important；　and　very　providential；　reason　be　here　assigned　for　this　strange　and　foolish　retreat　of　Cestius；　which；　if　Josephus　had　been　now　a　Christian；　he　might　probably　have　taken　notice　of　also；　and　that　is；　the　affording　the　Jewish　Christians　in　the　city　an　opportunity　of　calling　to　mind　the　prediction　and　caution　given　them　by　Christ　about　thirty…three　years　and　a　half　before；　that　〃when　they　should　see　the　abomination　of　desolation〃　＇the　idolatrous　Roman　armies；　with　the　images　of　their　idols　in　their　ensigns；　ready　to　lay　Jerusalem　desolate＇　〃stand　where　it　ought　not；〃　or；　〃in　the　holy　place；〃　or；　〃when　they　should　see　Jerusalem　any　one　instance　of　a　more　unpolitic；　but　more　providential；　compassed　with　armies；〃　they　should　then　〃flee　to　the　mound　conduct　than　this　retreat　of　Cestius　visible　during　this　whole　rains。〃　By　complying　with　which　those　Jewish　Christians　fled　I　siege　of　Jerusalem；　which　yet　was　providentially　such　a　〃great　to　the　mountains　of　Perea；　and　escaped　this　destruction。　See　tribulation；　as　had　not　been　from　the　beginning　of　the　world　to　that　time；　no；　Lit。　Accompl。　of　Proph。　p。　69；　70。　Nor　was　there；　perhaps；　nor　ever　should　be。〃Ibid。　p。　70；　71。

（31）　From　this　name　of　Joseph　the　son　of　Gorion；　or　Gorion　the　son　of　Joseph；　as　B。　IV。　ch。　3。　sect。　9；　one　of　the　governors　of　Jerusalem；　who　was　slain　at　the　beginning　of　the　tumults　by　the　zealots；　B。　IV。　ch。　6。　sect。　1；　the　much　later　Jewish　author　of　a　history　of　that　nation　takes　his　title；　and　yet　personates　our　true　Josephus；　the　son　of　Matthias；　but　the　cheat　is　too　gross　to　be　put　upon　the　learned　world。

（32）　We　may　observe　here；　that　the　Idumeans；　as　having　been　proselytes　of　justice　since　the　days　of　John　Hyrcanus；　during　about　one　hundred　and　ninety…five　years；　were　now　esteemed　as　part　of　the　Jewish　nation；　and　these　provided　of　a　Jewish　commander　accordingly。　See　the　note　upon　Antiq。　B。　XIII。。　ch。　9。　sect。　1。

（33）　We　see　here；　and　in　Josephus's　account　of　his　own　life；　sect。　14；　how　exactly　he　imitated　his　legislator　Moses；　or　perhaps　only　obeyed　what　he　took　to　be　his　perpetual　law；　in　appointing　seven　lesser　judges；　for　smaller　causes；　in　particular　cities；　and　perhaps　for　the　first　hearing　of　greater　causes；　with　the　liberty　of　an　appeal　to　seventy…one　supreme　judges；　especially　in　those　causes　where　life　and　death　were　concerned；　as　Antiq。　B。　IV。　ch。　8。　sect。　14；　and　of　his　Life；　sect。　14。　See　also　Of　the　War；　B。　IV。　ch。　5。　sect。　4。　Moreover；　we　find；　sect。　7；　that　he　imitated　Moses；　as　well　as　the　Romans；　in　the　number　and　distribution　of　the　subaltern　officers　of　his　army；　as　Exodus　18：25；　Deuteronomy　1：15；　and　in　his　charge　against　the　offenses　common　among　soldiers；　as　Denteronomy　13：9；　in　all　which　he　showed　his　great　wisdom　and　piety；　and　skillful　conduct　in　martial　affairs。　Yet　may　we　discern　in　his　very　high　character　of　Artanus　the　high　priest；　B。　IV。　ch。　5。　sect。　2；　who　seems　to　have　been　the　same　who　condemned　St。　James；　bishop　of　Jerusalem；　to　be　stoned；　under　Albinus　the　procurator；　that　when　he　wrote　these　books　of　the　War；　he　was　not　so　much　as　an　Ebionite　Christian；　otherwise　he　would　not　have　failed；　according　to　his　usual　custom；　to　have　reckoned　this　his　barbarous　murder　as　a　just　punishment　upon　him　for　that　his　cruelty　to　the　chief；　or　rather　only　Christian　bishop　of　the　circumcision。　Nor；　had　he　been　then　a　Christian；　could　he　immediately　have　spoken　so　movingly　of　the　causes　of　the　destruction　of　Jerusalem；　without　one　word　of　either　the　condemnation　of　James；　or　crucifixion　of　Christ；　as　he　did　when　he　was　become　a　Christian　afterward。

（34）　I　should　think　that　an　army　of　sixty　thousand　footmen　should　require　many　more　than　two　hundred　and　fifty　horsemen；　and　we　find　Josephus　had　more　horsemen　under　his　command　than　two　hundred　and　fifty　in　his　future　history。　I　suppose　the　number　of　the　thousands　is　dropped　in　our　present　copies。

（35）　I　cannot　but　think　this　stratagem　of　Josephus；　which　is　related　both　here　and　in　his　Life；　sect。　32；　33；　to　be　one　of　the　finest　that　ever　was　invented　and　executed　by　any　warrior　whatsoever。

BOOK　III。

Containing　The　Interval　Of　About　One　Year。

From　Vespasian's　Coming　To　Subdue　The　Jews　To　The　Taking　Of　Gamala。

CHAPTER　1。

Vespasian　Is　Sent　Into　Syria　By　Nero　In　Order　To　Make　War　With　The　Jews。

1。　When　Nero　was　informed　of　the　Romans'　ill　success　in　Judea；　a　concealed　consternation　and　terror；　as　is　usual　in　such　cases；　fell　upon　him；　although　he　openly　looked　very　big；　and　was　very　angry；　and　said　that　what　had　happened　was　rather　owing　to　the　negligence　of　the　commander；　than　to　any　valor　of　the　enemy：　and　as　he　thought　it　fit　for　him；　who　bare　the　burden　of　the　whole　empire；　to　despise　such　misfortunes；　he　now　pretended　so　to　do；　and　to　have　a　soul　superior　to　all　such　sad　accidents　whatsoever。　Yet　did　the　disturbance　that　was　in　his　soul　plainly　appear　by　the　solicitude　he　was　in　＇how　to　recover　his　affairs　again＇。　　2。　And　as　he　was　deliberating　to　whom　he　should　commit　the　care　of　the　East；　now　it　was　in　so　great　a　commotion；　and　who　might　be　best　able　to　punish　the　Jews　for　their　rebellion；　and　might　prevent　the　same　distemper　from　seizing　upon　the　neighboring　nations　also；　…　he　found　no　one　but　Vespasian　equal　to　the　task；　and　able　to　undergo　the　great　burden　of　so　mighty　a　war；　seeing　he　was　growing　an　old　man　already　in　the　camp；　and　from　his　youth　had　been　exercised　in　warlike　exploits：　he　was　also　a　man　that　had　long　ago　pacified　the　west；　and　made　it　subject　to　the　Romans；　when　it　had　been　put　into　disorder　by　the　Germans；　he　had　also　recovered　to　them　Britain　by　his　arms；　which　had　been　little　known　before　（1）　whereby　he　procured　to　his　father　Claudius　to　have　a　triumph　bestowed　on　him　without　any　sweat　or　labor　of　his　own。

3。　So　Nero　esteemed　these　circumstances　as　favorable　omens；　and　saw　that　Vespasian's　age　gave　him　sure　experience；　and　great　skill；　and　that　he　had　his　sons　as　hostages　for　his　fidelity　to　himself；　and　that　the　flourishing　age　they　were　in　would　make　them　fit　instruments　under　their　father's　prudence。　Perhaps　also　there　was　some　interposition　of　Providence；　which　was　paving　the　way　for　Vespasian's　being　himself　emperor　afterwards。　Upon　the　whole；　he　sent　this　man　to　take　upon　him　the　command　of　the　armies　that　were　in　Syria；　but　this　not　without　great　encomiums　and　flattering　compellations；　such　as　necessity　required；　and　such