the wars of the jews-第108章

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ormented；　without　daring　to　open　their　lips　in　groans。　：Nor　was　any　regard　paid　to　those　that　were　still　alive；　by　their　relations；　nor　was　there　any　care　taken　of　burial　for　those　that　were　dead；　the　occasion　of　both　which　was　this；　that　every　one　despaired　of　himself；　for　those　that　were　not　among　the　seditious　had　no　great　desires　of　any　thing；　as　expecting　for　certain　that　they　should　very　soon　be　destroyed；　but　for　the　seditious　themselves；　they　fought　against　each　other；　while　they　trod　upon　the　dead　bodies　as　they　lay　heaped　one　upon　another；　and　taking　up　a　mad　rage　from　those　dead　bodies　that　were　under　their　feet；　　　became　the　fiercer　thereupon。　They；　moreover；　were　still　inventing　somewhat　or　other　that　was　pernicious　against　　　themselves；　and　when　they　had　resolved　upon　any　thing；　　　they　executed　it　without　mercy；　and　omitted　no　method　of　torment　or　of　barbarity。　Nay；　John　abused　the　sacred　　　materials；　（5）　and　employed　them　in　the　construction　of　his　engines　of　war；　for　the　people　and　the　priests　had　formerly　determined　to　support　the　temple；　and　raise　the　holy　house　twenty　cubits　higher；　for　king　Agrippa　had　at　a　very　great　expense；　and　with　very　great　pains；　brought　thither　such　materials　as　were　proper　for　that　purpose；　being　pieces　of　timber　very　well　worth　seeing；　both　for　their　straightness　and　their　largeness；　but　the　war　coming　on；　and　interrupting　the　work；　John　had　them　cut；　and　prepared　for　the　building　him　towers；　he　finding　them　long　enough　to　oppose　from　　　them　those　his　adversaries　that　thought　him　from　the　　　temple　that　was　above　him。　He　also　had　them　brought　and　　　erected　behind　the　inner　court　over　against　the　west　end　of　the　cloisters；　where　alone　he　could　erect　them　；　whereas　the　other　sides　of　that　court　had　so　many　steps　as　would　not　let　them　come　nigh　enough　the　cloisters。　　　　　　6。　Thus　did　John　hope　to　be　too　hard　for　his　enemies　by　　　these　engines　constructed　by　his　impiety；　but　God　himself　demonstrated　that　his　pains　would　prove　of　no　use　to　him；　by　bringing　the　Romans　upon　him；　before　he　had　reared　　　any　of　his　towers；　for　Titus；　when　he　had　gotten　together　part　of　his　forces　about　him；　and　had　ordered　the　rest　to　meet　him　at　Jerusalem；　marched　out　of　Cesarea。　He　had　　　with　him　those　three　legions　that　had　accompanied　his　　　father　when　he　laid　Judea　waste；　together　with　that　twelfth　legion　which　had　been　formerly　beaten　with　Cestius；　which　legion；　as　it　was　otherwise　remarkable　for　its　valor；　so　did　it　march　on　now　with　greater　alacrity　to　avenge　themselves　　　on　the　Jews；　as　remembering　what　they　had　formerly　　　suffered　from　them。　Of　these　legions　he　ordered　the　fifth　to　meet　him；　by　going　through　Emmaus；　and　the　tenth　to　go　　　up　by　Jericho；　he　also　moved　himself；　together　with　the　　　rest；　besides　whom；　marched　those　auxiliaries　that　came　　　from　the　kings；　being　now　more　in　number　than　before；　　　together　with　a　considerable　number　that　came　to　his　　　assistance　from　Syria。　Those　also　that　had　been　selected　out　of　these　four　legions；　and　sent　with　Mucianus　to　Italy；　had　their　places　filled　up　out　of　these　soldiers　that　came　out　of　Egypt　with　Titus；　who　were　two　thousand　men；　chosen　　　out　of　the　armies　at　Alexandria。　There　followed　him　also　three　thousand　drawn　from　those　that　guarded　the　river　　　Euphrates；　as　also　there　came　Tiberius　Alexander；　who　　　was　a　friend　of　his；　most　valuable；　both　for　his　good…will　to　him；　and　for　his　prudence。　He　had　formerly　been　governor　of　Alexandria；　but　was　now　thought　worthy　to　be　general　of　the　army　＇under　Titus＇。　The　reason　of　this　was；　that　he　had　been　the　first　who　encouraged　Vespasian　very　lately　to　　　accept　this　his　new　dominion；　and　joined　himself　to　him　with　great　fidelity；　when　things　were　uncertain；　and　fortune　had　not　yet　declared　for　him。　He　also　followed　Titus　as　a　　　counselor；　very　useful　to　him　in　this　war；　both　by　his　age　and　skill　in　such　affairs。　　　　　　CHAPTER　2。　　　　　　　　　　　　How　Titus　Marched　To　Jerusalem；　And　How　He　Was　In　　　Danger　As　He　Was　Taking　A　View　O　The　City　Of　The　　　Place　Also　Where　He　Pitched　His　Camp　　　　　　1。　Now；　as　Titus　was　upon　his　march　into　the　enemy's　　　country；　the　auxiliaries　that　were　sent　by　the　kings　marched　first；　having　all　the　other　auxiliaries　with　them；　after　whom　followed　those　that　were　to　prepare　the　roads　and　measure　out　the　camp；　then　came　the　commander's　baggage；　and　　　after　that　the　other　soldiers；　who　were　completely　armed　to　support　them；　then　came　Titus　himself；　having　with　him　　　another　select　body；　and　then　came　the　pikemen；　after　　　whom　came　the　horse　belonging　to　that　legion。　All　these　　　came　before　the　engines；　and　after　these　engines　came　the　tribunes　and　the　leaders　of　the　cohorts；　with　their　select　bodies；　after　these　came　the　ensigns；　with　the　eagle；　and　before　those　ensigns　came　the　trumpeters　belonging　to　　　them；　next　these　came　the　main　body　of　the　army　in　their　ranks；　every　rank　being　six　deep；　the　servants　belonging　to　every　legion　came　after　these；　and　before　these　last　their　baggage；　the　mercenaries　came　last；　and　those　that　　　guarded　them　brought　up　the　rear。　Now　Titus；　according　to　the　Roman　usage；　went　in　the　front　of　the　army　after　a　　　decent　manner；　and　marched　through　Samaria　to　Gophna；　　　a　city　that　had　been　formerly　taken　by　his　father；　and　was　then　garrisoned　by　Roman　soldiers；　and　when　he　had　　　lodged　there　one　night；　he　marched　on　in　the　morning；　and　when　he　had　gone　as　far　as　a　day's　march；　he　pitched　his　camp　at　that　valley　which　the　Jews；　in　their　own　tongue；　call　〃the　Valley　of　Thorns；〃　near　a　certain　village　called　Gabaothsath；　which　signifies　〃the　Hill　of　Saul；〃　being　distant　from　Jerusalem　about　thirty　furlongs。　（6）　There　it　was　that　he　chose　out　six　hundred　select　horsemen；　and　went　to　　　take　a　view　of　the　city；　to　observe　what　strength　it　was　of；　and　how　courageous　the　Jews　were；　whether；　when　they　　　saw　him；　and　before　they　came　to　a　direct　battle；　they　　　would　be　affrighted　and　submit；　for　he　had　been　informed　what　was　really　true；　that　the　people　who　were　fallen　under　the　power　of　the　seditious　and　the　robbers　were　greatly　　　desirous　of　peace；　but　being　too　weak　to　rise　up　against　the　rest；　they　lay　still。　　　　　　2。　Now；　so　long　as　he　rode　along　the　straight　road　which　led　to　the　wall　of　the　city；　nobody　appeared　out　of　the　　　gates；　but　when　he　went　out　of　that　road；　and　declined　　　towards　the　tower　Psephinus；　and　led　the　band　of　　　horsemen　obliquely；　an　immense　number　of　the　Jews　　　leaped　out　suddenly　at　the　towers　called　the　〃Women's　　　Towers；〃　through　that　gate　which　was　over　against　the　　　monuments　of　queen　Helena；　and　intercepted　his　horse；　　　and　standing　directly　opposite　to　those　that　still　ran　along　the　road；　hindered　them　from　joining　those　that　had　　　declined　out　of　it。　They　intercepted　Titus　also；　with　a　few　other。　Now　it　was　here　impossible　for　him　to　go　forward；　because　all　the　places　had　trenches　dug　in　them　from　the　wall；　to　preserve　the　gardens　round　about；　and　were　full　of　gardens　obliquely　situated；　and　of　many　hedges；　and　to　　　return　back　to　his　own　men；　he　saw　it　was　also　impossible；　by　reason　of　the　multitude　of　the　enemies　that　lay　between　them；　many　of　whom　did　not　so　much　as　know　that　the　king　was　in　any　danger；　but　supposed　him　still　among　them。　So　he　perceived　that　his　preservation　must　be　wholly　owing　to　his　own　courage；　and　turned　his　horse　about；　and　cried　out　aloud　to　those　that　were　about　him　to　follow　him；　and　ran　with　violence　into　the　midst　of　his　enemies；　in　order　to　force　his　way　through　them　to　his　own　men。　And　hence　we　may　　　principally　learn；　that　both　the　success　of　wars；　and　the　dangers　that　kings　（7）　are　in；　are　under　the　providence　of　God；　for　while　such　a　number　of　darts　were　thrown　at　Titus；　when　he　had　neither　his　head…piece　on；　nor　his　breastplate；　（for；　as　I　told　you；　he　went　out　not　to　fight；　but　to　view　the　city；）　none　of　them　touched　his　body；　but　went　aside　　　without　hurting　him；　as　if　all　of　them　missed　him　on　　　purpose；　and　only　made　a　noise　as　they　passed　by　him。　So　he　diverted　those　perpetually　with　his　sword　that　came　on　his　side；　and　overturned　many　of　those　that　directly　met　him；　and　made　his　horse　ride　over　those　that　were　　　overthrown。　The　enemy　indeed　made　a　shout　at　the　　　boldness　of　Caesar；　and　exhorted　one　anoth