the wars of the jews-第85部分

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s　of　the　prophets；　it　was　now　laughed　at　by　the　seditious；　was　by　their　very　means　soon　exactly　fulfilled。　However；　I　cannot　but　here　take　notice　of　Grotius's　positive　assertion　upon　Matthew　26：9；　here　quoted　by　Dr。　Hudson；　that　〃it　ought　to　be　taken　for　granted；　as　a　certain　truth；　that　many　predictions　of　the　Jewish　prophets　were　preserved；　not　in　writing；　but　by　memory。〃　Whereas；　it　seems　to　me　so　far　from　certain；　that　I　think　it　has　no　evidence　nor　probability　at　all。

（11）　By　these　hiera；　or　〃holy　places；〃　as　distinct　from　cities；　must　be　meant　〃proseuchae；〃　or　〃houses　of　prayer；〃　out　of　cities；　of　which　we　find　mention　made　in　the　New　Testament　and　other　authors。　See　Luke　6：12；　Acts　16：13；　16；　Antiq。　B。　XIV。　ch。　10。　sect。　23；　his　Life；　sect。　51。　〃In　qua　te　quero　proseucha？〃　Juvenal　Sat。　III。　yet。　296。　They　were　situated　sometimes　by　the　sides　of　rivers；　Acts　16：13；　or　by　the　sea…side；　Antiq。　B。　XIV。　ch。　10。　sect。　23。　So　did　the　seventy…two　interpreters　go　to　pray　every　morning　by　the　sea…side　before　they　went　to　their　work；　B。　XII。　ch。　2。　sect。　12。

（12）　Gr。　Galatia；　and　so　everywhere。

（13）　Whether　this　Somorrhon；　or　Somorrha；　ought　not　to　be　here　written　Gomorrha；　as　some　MSS。　in　a　manner　have　it；　（for　the　place　meant　by　Josephus　seems　to　be　near　Segor；　or　Zoar；　at　the　very　south　of　the　Dead　Sea；　hard　by　which　stood　Sodom　and　Gomorrha；）　cannot　now　be　certainly　determined；　but　seems　by　no　means　improbable。

（14）　This　excellent　prayer　of　Elisha　is　wanting　in　our　copies；　2　Kings　2：21；　22；　though　it　be　referred　to　also　in　the　Apostolical　Constitutions；　B。　VII。　ch。　37。；　and　the　success　of　it　is　mentioned　in　them　all。

（15）　See　the　note　on　B。　V。　ch。　13。　sect。　6。

（16）　Of　these　Roman　affairs　and　tumults　under　Galba；　Otho；　and　Vitellius；　here　only　touched　upon　by　Josephus；　see　Tacitus；　Suelonius；　and　Dio；　more　largely。　However；　we　may　observe　with　Ottius；　that　Josephus　writes　the　name　of　the　second　of　them　not　Otto；　with　many　others；　but　Otho；　with　the　coins。　See　also　the　note　on　ch。　11。　sect。　4。

（17）　Some　of　the　ancients　call　this　famous　tree；　or　grove；　an　oak　others；　a　turpentine　tree；　or　grove。　It　has　been　very　famous　in　all　the　past　ages；　and　is　so；　I　suppose；　at　this　day；　and　that　particularly　for　an　eminent　mart　or　meeting　of　merchants　there　every　year；　as　the　travelers　inform　us。

（18）　Puetonius　differs　hardly　three　days　from　Josephus；　and　says　Otho　perished　on　the　ninety…fifth　day　of　his　reign。　In　Anthon。　See　the　note　on　ch。　11。　sect。　4。

（19）　This　beginning　and　ending　the　observation　of　the　Jewish　seventh　day；　or　sabbath；　with　a　priest's　blowing　of　a　trumpet；　is　remarkable；　and　no　where　else　mentioned；　that　I　know　of。　Nor　is　Reland's　conjecture　here　improbable；　that　this　was　the　very　place　that　has　puzzled　our　commentators　so　long；　called　〃Musach　Sabbati；〃　the　〃Covert　of　the　Sabbath；〃　if　that　be　the　true　reading；　2　Kings　16：18；　because　here　the　proper　priest　stood　dry；　under　a　〃covering；〃　to　proclaim　the　beginning　and　ending　of　every　Jewish　sabbath。

（20）　The　Roman　authors　that　now　remain　say　Vitellius　had　children；　whereas　Josephus　introduces　here　the　Roman　soldiers　in　Judea　saying　he　had　none。　Which　of　these　assertions　was　the　truth　I　know　not。　Spanheim　thinks　he　hath　given　a　peculiar　reason　for　calling　Vitellius　〃childless；〃　though　he　really　had　children；　Diss。　de　Num。　p。　649；　650；　to　which　it　appears　very　difficult　to　give　our　assent。

（21）　This　brother　of　Vespasian　was　Flavius　Sabinus；　as　Suetonius　informs　us；　in　Vitell。　sect。　15；　and　in　Vespas。　sect。　2。　He　is　also　named　by　Josephus　presently　ch。　11。　sect；　4。

（22）　It　is　plain　by　the　nature　of　the　thing；　as　well　as　by　Josephus　and　Eutropius；　that　Vespasian　was　first　of　all　saluted　emperor　in　Judea；　and　not　till　some　time　afterward　in　Egypt。　Whence　Tacitus's　and　Suetonius's　present　copies　must　be　correct　text；　when　they　both　say　that　he　was　first　proclaimed　in　Egypt；　and　that　on　the　calends　of　July；　while　they　still　say　it　was　the　fifth　of　the　Nones　or　Ides　of　the　same　July　before　he　was　proclaimed　in　Judea。　I　suppose　the　month　they　there　intended　was　June；　and　not　July；　as　the　copies　now　have　it；　nor　does　Tacitus's　coherence　imply　less。　See　Essay　on　the　Revelation；　p。　136。

（23）　Here　we　have　an　authentic　description　of　the　bounds　and　circumstances　of　Egypt；　in　the　days　of　Vespasian　and　Titus。

（24）　As　Daniel　was　preferred　by　Darius　and　Cyrus；　on　account　of　his　having　foretold　the　destruction　of　the　Babylonian　monarchy　by　their　means；　and　the　consequent　exaltation　of　the　Medes　and　Persians；　Daniel　5：6　or　rather；　as　Jeremiah；　when　he　was　a　prisoner；　was　set　at　liberty；　and　honorably　treated　by　Nebuzaradan；　at　the　command　of　Nebuchadnezzar；　on　account　of　his　having　foretold　the　destruction　of　Jerusalem　by　the　Babylonians；　Jeremiah　40：1…7；　so　was　our　Josephus　set　at　liberty；　and　honorably　treated；　on　account　of　his　having　foretold　the　advancement　of　Vespasian　and　Titus　to　the　Roman　empire。　All　these　are　most　eminent　instances　of　the　interposition　of　Divine　Providence。　and　of　the　certainty　of　Divine　predictions　in　the　great　revolutions　of　the　four　monarchies。　Several　such…like　examples　there　are；　both　in　the　sacred　and　other　histories；　as　in　the　case　of　Joseph　in　Egypt。　and　of　Jaddua　the　high　priest；　in　the　days　of　Alexander　the　Great；　etc。

（25）　This　is　well　observed　by　Josephus；　that　Vespasian；　in　order　to　secure　his　success；　and　establish　his　government　at　first；　distributed　his　offices　and　places　upon　the　foot　of　justice；　and　bestowed　them　on　such　as　best　deserved　them；　and　were　best　fit　for　them。　Which　wise　conduct　in　a　mere　heathen　ought　to　put　those　rulers　and　ministers　of　state　to　shame；　who；　professing　Christianity；　act　otherwise；　and　thereby　expose　themselves　and　their　kingdoms　to　vice　and　destruction。

（26）　The　numbers　in　Josephus；　ch。　9。　sect。　2；　9；　for　Galba　seven　months　seven　days；　for　Otho　three　months　two　days；　and　here　for　Vitellius　eight　months　five　days；　do　not　agree　with　any　Roman　historians；　who　also　disagree　among　themselves。　And；　indeed；　Sealiger　justly　complains；　as　Dr。　Hudson　observes　on　ch。　9。　sect。　2；　that　this　period　is　very　confused　and　uncertain　in　the　ancient　authors。　They　were　probably　some　of　them　contemporary　together　for　some　time；　one　of　the　best　evidences　we　have；　I　mean　Ptolemy's　Canon；　omits　them　all；　as　if　they　did　not　all　together　reign　one　whole　year；　nor　had　a　single　Thoth；　or　new…year's　day；　（which　then　fell　upon　August　6；）　in　their　entire　reigns。　Dio　also；　who　says　that　Vitellius　reigned　a　year　within　ten　days；　does　yet　estimate　all　their　reigns　together　at　no　more　than　one　year；　one　month；　and　two　days。

（27）　There　are　coins　of　this　Casian　Jupiter　still　extant。

BOOK　V。　　　　　　　　　　　　Containing　The　Interval　Of　Near　Six　Months。　　　　　　　　　From　The　Coming　Of　Titus　To　Besiege　Jerusalem；　To　The　　　Great　Extremity　To　Which　The　Jews　Were　Reduced。　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　1。　　　　　　　　　Concerning　The　Seditions　At　Jerusalem　And　What　Terrible　　　Miseries　Afflicted　The　City　By　Their　Means。　　　　　　1。　When　therefore　Titus　had　marched　over　that　desert　　　which　lies　between　Egypt　and　Syria；　in　the　manner　　　forementioned；　he　came　to　Cesarea；　having　resolved　to　set　his　forces　in　order　at　that　place；　before　he　began　the　war。　Nay；　indeed；　while　he　was　assisting　his　father　at　　　Alexandria；　in　settling　that　government　which　had　been　　　newly　conferred　upon　them　by　God；　it　so　happened　that　the　sedition　at　Jerusalem　was　revived；　and　parted　into　three　factions；　and　that　one　faction　fought　against　the　other；　which　partition　in　such　evil　cases　may　be　said　to　be　a　good　thing；　and　the　effect　of　Divine　justice。　Now　as　to　the　attack　the　zealots　made　upon　the　people；　and　which　I　esteem　the　beginning　of　the　city's　destruction；　it　hath　been　already　explained　after　an　accurate　manner；　as　also　whence　it　　　arose；　and　to　how　great　a　mischief　it　was　increased。　But　for　the　present　sedition；　one　should　not　mistake　if　he　called　it　a　sedition　begotten　by　another　sedition；　and　to　be　like　a　wild　beast　grown　mad；　which；　for　want　of　food　from　abroad；　fell　now　upon　eating　its　own　flesh。　　　　　　2。　For　Eleazar；　the　son　of　Simon；　who　made　the　first　　　separation　of　the　zealots　from　the　people；　and　made　them　retire　into　the　temple；　appeared　very　angry　at　John's　　　insolent　attempts；　which　he　made　everyday　upon　the　　　people；　for　this　man　never　left　off　murdering；　but　the　truth　was；　that　he　could　not　bear　to　submit　to　a　tyrant　who　set　up　after　him。　So　he　being　desirous　of　gaining　the　entire　power　and　dominion　to　himself；　revolted　from　John；　and　took　to　his　assistance　Judas　the　son　of　Chelcias；　and　Simon　the　　　son　of　Ezron；　who　were　among　the　men　of　greatest　power。　　　There　was　also　with　him　Hezekiah；　the　son　of　Chobar；　a　　　person　of　eminence。　Each　of　these　were　followed　by　a　　　great　many　of　the　zealots；　these　seized　upon　the　inner　　　court　of　the　temple　（1）　and　laid　their　arms　upon　the　holy　gates；　and　over　the　holy　fronts　of　that　court。　And　because　they　had　plenty　of　provisions；　they　were　of　good　courage；　for　there　was　a　great　abundance　of　what　was　consecrated　　　to　sacred　uses；　and　they　scrupled　not　the　making　use　of　　　them；　yet　were　they　afraid；　on　account　of　their　small　　　number；　and　when　they　had　laid　up　their　arms　there；　they　did　not　stir　from　the　place　they　were　in。　Now　as　to　John；　what　advantage　he　had　above　Eleazar　in　the　multitude　of　　　his　followers；　the　like　disadvantage　he　had　in　the　situation　he　was　in；　since　he　had　his　enemies　over　his　head；　and　as　he　could　not　make　any　assault　upon　them　without　some　　　terror；　so　was　his　anger　too　great　to　let　them　be　at　rest；　nay；　although　he　suffered　more　mischief　from　Eleazar　and　his　party　than　he　could　inflict　upon　them；　yet　would　he　not　leave　off　assaulting　them；　insomuch　that　there　were　　　continual　sallies　made　one　against　another；　as　well　as　darts　thrown　at　one　another；　and　the　temple　was　defiled　every　　　where　with　murders。　　　　　　3。　But　now　the　tyrant　Simon；　the　son　of　Gioras；　whom　the　people　had　invited　in；　out　of　the　hopes　they　had　of　his　　　assistance　in　the　great　distresses　they　were　in；　having　in　his　power　the　upper　city；　and　a　great　part　of　the　lower；　did　now　make　more　vehement　assaults　upon　John　and　his　　　party；　because　they　were　fought　against　from　above　also；　yet　was　he　beneath　their　situation　when　he　attacked　them；　as　the