the wars of the jews-第107章

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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　they　were　beneath　the　attacks　of　the　others　above　them。　Whereby　it　came　to　pass　that　John　did　both　receive　and　　　inflict　great　damage；　and　that　easily；　as　he　was　fought　　　against　on　both　sides；　and　the　same　advantage　that　　　Eleazar　and　his　party　had　over　him；　since　he　was　beneath　them；　the　same　advantage　had　he；　by　his　higher　situation；　over　Simon。　On　which　account　he　easily　repelled　the　　　attacks　that　were　made　from　beneath；　by　the　weapons　　　thrown　from　their　hands　only；　but　was　obliged　to　repel　　　those　that　threw　their　darts　from　the　temple　above　him；　by　his　engines　of　war；　for　he　had　such　engines　as　threw　darts；　and　javelins；　and　stones；　and　that　in　no　small　number；　by　which　he　did　not　only　defend　himself　from　such　as　fought　against　him；　but　slew　moreover　many　of　the　priests；　as　they　were　about　their　sacred　ministrations。　For　notwithstanding　these　men　were　mad　with　all　sorts　of　impiety；　yet　did　they　still　admit　those　that　desired　to　offer　their　sacrifices；　although　they　took　care　to　search　the　people　of　their　own　country　beforehand；　and　both　suspected　and　watched　　　them；　while　they　were　not　so　much　afraid　of　strangers；　who；　although　they　had　gotten　leave　of　them；　how　cruel　soever　they　were；　to　come　into　that　court；　were　yet　often　destroyed　by　this　sedition；　for　those　darts　that　were　thrown　by　the　engines　came　with　that　force；　that　they　went　over　all　the　buildings；　and　reached　as　far　as　the　altar；　and　the　temple　itself；　and　fell　upon　the　priests；　and　those　（2）　that　were　about　the　sacred　offices；　insomuch　that　many　persons　who　came　thither　with　great　zeal　from　the　ends　of　the　earth；　to　offer　sacrifices　at　this　celebrated　place；　which　was　　　esteemed　holy　by　all　mankind；　fell　down　before　their　own　sacrifices　themselves；　and　sprinkled　that　altar　which　was　venerable　among　all　men；　both　Greeks　and　Barbarians；　　　with　their　own　blood；　till　the　dead　bodies　of　strangers　were　mingled　together　with　those　of　their　own　country；　and　those　of　profane　persons　with　those　of　the　priests；　and　the　blood　of　all　sorts　of　dead　carcasses　stood　in　lakes　in　the　holy　courts　themselves。　And　now；　〃O　must　wretched　city；　what　　　misery　so　great　as　this　didst　thou　suffer　from　the　Romans；　when　they　came　to　purify　thee　from　thy　intestine　hatred！　'For　thou　couldst　be　no　longer　a　place　fit　for　God；　nor　　　couldst　thou　long　continue　in　being；　after　thou　hadst　been　a　sepulcher　for　the　bodies　of　thy　own　people；　and　hadst　　　made　the　holy　house　itself　a　burying…place　in　this　civil　war　of　thine。　Yet　mayst　thou　again　grow　better；　if　perchance　thou　wilt　hereafter　appease　the　anger　of　that　God　who　is　the　author　of　thy　destruction。〃　But　I　must　restrain　myself　from　these　passions　by　the　rules　of　history；　since　this　is　not　a　proper　time　for　domestical　lamentations；　but　for　historical　narrations；　I　therefore　return　to　the　operations　that　follow　in　this　sedition。　（3）　　　　　　4。　And　now　there　were　three　treacherous　factions　in　the　　　city；　the　one　parted　from　the　other。　Eleazar　and　his　party；　that　kept　the　sacred　first…fruits；　came　against　John　in　their　cups。　Those　that　were　with　John　plundered　the　populace；　　　and　went　out　with　zeal　against　Simon。　This　Simon　had　his　supply　of　provisions　from　the　city；　in　opposition　to　the　seditious。　When；　therefore；　John　was　assaulted　on　both　　　sides；　he　made　his　men　turn　about；　throwing　his　darts　upon　those　citizens　that　came　up　against　him；　from　the　cloisters　he　had　in　his　possession；　while　he　opposed　those　that　　　attacked　him　from　the　temple　by　his　engines　of　war。　And　if　at　any　time　he　was　freed　from　those　that　were　above　him；　which　happened　frequently；　from　their　being　drunk　and　　　tired；　he　sallied　out　with　a　great　number　upon　Simon　and　his　party；　and　this　he　did　always　in　such　parts　of　the　city　as　he　could　come　at；　till　he　set　on　fire　those　houses　that　were　full　of　corn；　and　of　all　other　provisions。　（4）　The　same　thing　was　done　by　Simon；　when；　upon　the　other's　retreat；　he　　　attacked　the　city　also；　as　if　they　had；　on　purpose；　done　it　to　serve　the　Romans；　by　destroying　what　the　city　had　laid　up　against　the　siege；　and　by　thus　cutting　off　the　nerves　of　their　own　power。　Accordingly；　it　so　came　to　pass；　that　all　the　places　that　were　about　the　temple　were　burnt　down；　and　　　were　become　an　intermediate　desert　space；　ready　for　　　fighting　on　both　sides　of　it；　and　that　almost　all　that　corn　was　burnt；　which　would　have　been　sufficient　for　a　siege　of　many　years。　So　they　were　taken　by　the　means　of　the　famine；　　　which　it　was　impossible　they　should　have　been；　unless　they　had　thus　prepared　the　way　for　it　by　this　procedure。　　　　　　5。　And　now；　as　the　city　was　engaged　in　a　war　on　all　sides；　from　these　treacherous　crowds　of　wicked　men；　the　people　　　of　the　city；　between　them；　were　like　a　great　body　torn　in　pieces。　The　aged　men　and　the　women　were　in　such　　　distress　by　their　internal　calamities；　that　they　wished　for　the　Romans；　and　earnestly　hoped　for　an　external　war；　in　order　to　their　delivery　from　their　domestical　miseries。　The　citizens　themselves　were　under　a　terrible　consternation　and　fear；　nor　had　they　any　opportunity　of　taking　counsel；　and　of　　　changing　their　conduct；　nor　were　there　any　hopes　of　　　coming　to　an　agreement　with　their　enemies；　nor　could　such　as　had　a　mind　flee　away；　for　guards　were　set　at　all　places；　and　the　heads　of　the　robbers；　although　they　were　seditious　one　against　another　in　other　respects；　yet　did　they　agree　in　killing　those　that　were　for　peace　with　the　Romans；　or　were　suspected　of　an　inclination　to　desert　them；　as　their　common　enemies。　They　agreed　in　nothing　but　this；　to　kill　those　that　were　innocent。　The　noise　also　of　those　that　were　fighting　was　incessant；　both　by　day　and　by　night；　but　the　　　lamentations　of　those　that　mourned　exceeded　the　other；　nor　was　there　ever　any　occasion　for　them　to　leave　off　their　　　lamentations；　because　their　calamities　came　perpetually　　　one　upon　another；　although　the　deep　consternation　they　　　were　in　prevented　their　outward　wailing；　but　being　　　constrained　by　their　fear　to　conceal　their　inward　passions；　they　were　inwardly　tormented；　without　daring　to　open　their　lips　in　groans。　：Nor　was　any　regard　paid　to　those　that　were　s