the wars of the jews-第122章

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t　is　terrible　even　to　hear；　in　order　to　make　him　confess　that　he　had　but　one　loaf　of　bread；　or　that　he　might　discover　a　handful　of　barley…meal　that　was　concealed；　and　this　was　done　when　these　tormentors　were　not　themselves　hungry；　for　the　thing　had　been　less　barbarous　had　necessity　forced　them　to　it；　but　this　was　done　to　keep　their　madness　in　exercise；　and　as　making　preparation　of　provisions　for　themselves　for　the　following　days。　These　men　went　also　to　meet　those　that　had　crept　out　of　the　city　by　night；　as　far　as　the　Roman　guards；　to　gather　some　plants　and　herbs　that　grew　wild；　and　when　those　people　thought　they　had　got　clear　of　the　enemy；　they　snatched　from　them　what　they　had　brought　with　them；　even　while　they　had　frequently　entreated　them；　and　that　by　calling　upon　the　tremendous　name　of　God；　to　give　them　back　some　part　of　what　they　had　brought；　though　these　would　not　give　them　the　least　crumb；　and　they　were　to　be　well　contented　that　they　were　only　spoiled；　and　not　slain　at　the　same　time。　　　　　　4。　These　were　the　afflictions　which　the　lower　sort　of　people　suffered　from　these　tyrants'　guards；　but　for　the　men　that　were　in　dignity；　and　withal　were　rich；　they　were　carried　before　the　tyrants　themselves；　some　of　whom　were　falsely　accused　of　laying　treacherous　plots；　and　so　were　destroyed；　others　of　them　were　charged　with　designs　of　betraying　the　city　to　the　Romans；　but　the　readiest　way　of　all　was　this；　to　suborn　somebody　to　affirm　that　they　were　resolved　to　desert　to　the　enemy。　And　he　who　was　utterly　　despoiled　of　what　he　had　by　Simon　was　sent　back　again　to　John；　as　of　those　who　had　been　already　plundered　by　Jotre；　Simon　got　what　remained；　insomuch　that　they　drank　the　blood　of　the　populace　to　one　another；　and　divided　the　dead　bodies　of　the　poor　creatures　between　them；　so　that　although；　on　account　of　their　ambition　after　dominion；　they　contended　with　each　other；　yet　did　they　very　well　agree　in　their　wicked　practices；　for　he　that　did　not　communicate　what　he　got　by　the　miseries　of　others　to　the　other　tyrant　seemed　to　be　too　little　guilty；　and　in　one　respect　only；　and　he　that　did　not　partake　of　what　was　so　communicated　to　him　grieved　at　this；　as　at　the　loss　of　what　was　a　valuable　thing；　that　he　had　no　share　in　such　barbarity。　　　　5。　It　is　therefore　impossible　to　go　distinctly　over　every　instance　of　these　men's　iniquity。　I　shall　therefore　speak　my　mind　here　at　once　briefly：　…　That　neither　did　any　other　city　ever　suffer　such　miseries；　nor　did　any　age　ever　breed　a　generation　more　fruitful　in　wickedness　than　this　was；　from　the　beginning　of　the　world。　Finally；　they　brought　the　Hebrew　nation　into　contempt；　that　they　might　themselves　appear　　comparatively　less　impious　with　regard　to　strangers。　They　confessed　what　was　true；　that　they　were　the　slaves；　the　scum；　and　the　spurious　and　abortive　offspring　of　our　nation；　while　they　overthrew　the　city　themselves；　and　forced　the　Romans；　whether　they　would　or　no；　to　gain　a　melancholy　reputation；　by　acting　gloriously　against　them；　and　did　almost　draw　that　fire　upon　the　temple；　which　they　seemed　to　think　came　too　slowly；　and　indeed　when　they　saw　that　temple　burning　from　the　upper　city；　they　were　neither　troubled　at　it；　nor　did　they　shed　any　tears　on　that　account；　while　yet　these　passions　were　discovered　among　the　Romans　themselves；　which　circumstances　we　shall　speak　of　hereafter　in　their　proper　place；　when　we　come　to　treat　of　such　matters。　　　　　　CHAPTER　11。　　　　　　　　　　How　The　Jews　Were　Crucified　Before　The　Walls　Of　The　City　Concerning　Antiochus　Epiphanes；　And　How　The　Jews　Overthrew　The　Banks　That　Had　Been　Raised　By　The　Romans；　　　　1。　So　now　Titus's　banks　were　advanced　a　great　way；　　notwithstanding　his　soldiers　had　been　very　much　distressed　from　the　wall。　He　then　sent　a　party　of　horsemen；　and　ordered　they　should　lay　ambushes　for　those　that　went　out　into　the　valleys　to　gather　food。　Some　of　these　were　indeed　fighting　men；　who　were　not　contented　with　what　they　got　by　rapine；　but　the　greater　part　of　them　were　poor　people；　who　were　deterred　from　deserting　by　the　concern　they　were　under　for　their　own　relations；　for　they　could　not　hope　to　escape　away；　together　with　their　wives　and　children；　without　the　knowledge　of　the　seditious；　nor　could　they　think　of　　leaving　these　relations　to　be　slain　by　the　robbers　on　their　account；　nay；　the　severity　of　the　famine　made　them　bold　in　thus　going　out；　so　nothing　remained　but　that；　when　they　were　concealed　from　the　robbers；　they　should　be　taken　by　the　enemy；　and　when　they　were　going　to　be　taken；　they　were　forced　to　defend　themselves　for　fear　of　being　punished；　as　after　they　had　fought；　they　thought　it　too　late　to　make　any　supplications　for　mercy；　so　they　were　first　whipped；　and　then　tormented　with　all　sorts　of　tortures；　before　they　died；　and　were　then　crucified　before　the　wall　of　the　city。　This　miserable　procedure　made　Titus　greatly　to　pity　them；　while　they　caught　every　day　five　hundred　Jews；　nay；　some　days　they　caught　more：　yet　it　did　not　appear　to　be　safe　for　him　to　let　those　that　were　taken　by　force　go　their　way；　and　to　set　a　guard　over　so　many　he　saw　would　be　to　make　such　as　great　deal　them　useless　to　him。　The　main　　reason　why　he　did　not　forbid　that　cruelty　was　this；　that　he　hoped　the　Jews　might　perhaps　yield　at　that　sight；　out　of　fear　lest　they　might　themselves　afterwards　be　liable　to　the　same　cruel　treatment。　So　the　soldiers；　out　of　the　wrath　and　hatred　they　bore　the　Jews；　nailed　those　they　caught；　one　after　one　way；　and　another　after　another；　to　the　crosses；　by　way　of　jest；　when　their　multitude　was　so　great；　that　room　was　wanting　for　the　crosses；　and　crosses　wanting　for　the　bodies。　（19）　　　　2。　But　so　far　were　the　seditious　from　repenting　at　this　sad　sight；　that；　on　the　contrary；　they　made　the　rest　of　the　multitude　believe　otherwise；　for　they　brought　the　relations　of　those　that　had　deserted　upon　the　wall；　with　such　of　the　populace　as　were　very　eager　to　go　over　upon　the　security　offered　them；　and　showed　them　what　miseries　those　underwent　who　fled　to　the　Romans；　and　told　them　that　those　who　were　caught　were　supplicants　to　them；　and　not　such　as　were　taken　prisoners。　This　sight　kept　many　of　　those　within　the　city　who　were　so　eager　to　desert；　till　the　truth　was　known；　yet　did　some　of　them　run　away　immediately　as　unto　certain　punishment；　esteeming　death　from　their　enemies　to　be　a　quiet　departure；　if　compared　with　that　by　famine。　So　Titus　commanded　that　the　hands　of　many　of　those　that　were　caught　should　be　cut　off；　that　they　might　not　be　thought　deserters；　and　might　be　credited　on　account　of　the　calamity　they　were　under；　and　sent　them　in　to　John　and　Simon；　with　this　exhortation；　that　they　would　now　at　length　leave　off　＇their　madness＇；　and　not　force　him　to　destroy　the　city；　whereby　they　would　have　those　advantages　of　repentance；　even　in　their　utmost　distress；　that　they　would　preserve　their　own　lives；　and　so　find　a　city　of　their　own；　and　that　temple　which　was　their　peculiar。　He　then　went　round　about　the　banks　that　were　cast　up；　and　hastened　them；　in　order　to　show　that　his　words　should　in　no　long　time　be　followed　by　his　deeds。　In　answer　to　which　the　seditious　cast　reproaches　upon　Caesar　himself；　and　upon　his　father　also；　and　cried　out；　with　a　loud　voice；　that　they　contemned　death；　and　did　well　in　preferring　it　before　slavery；　that　they　would　do　all　the　mischief　to　the　Romans　they　could　while　they　had　breath　in　them；　and　that　for　their　own　city；　since　they　were；　as　he　said；　to　be　destroyed；　they　had　no　concern　about　it；　and　that　the　world　itself　was　a　better　temple　to　God　than　this。　That　yet　this　temple　would　be　preserved　by　him　that　inhabited　therein；　whom　they　still　had　for　their　assistant　in　this　war；　and　did　therefore　laugh　at　all　his　threatenings；　which　would　come　to　nothing；　because　the　conclusion　of　the　whole　depended　upon　God　only。　These　words　were　mixed　with　reproaches；　and　with　them　they　made　a　mighty　clamor。　　　　3。　In　the　mean　time　Antiochus　Epiphanes　came　to　the　city；　having　with　him　a　considerable　number　of　other　armed　men；　and　a　band　called　the　Macedonian　band　about　him；　all　of　the　same　age；　tall；　and　just　past　their　childhood；　armed；　and　instructed　after　the　Macedonian　manner；　whence　it　was　that　they　took　that　name。　Yet　were　many　of　them　unworthy　of　so　famous　a　nation；　for　it　had　so　ha