the wars of the jews-第153章

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f　those　who　fell　under　these　men's　barbarity；　this　is　not　a　proper　place　for　it；　…　I　therefore　now　return　again　to　the　remaining　part　of　the　present　narration。　　　　2。　For　now　it　was　that　the　Roman　general　came；　and　led　　his　army　against　Eleazar　and　those　Sicarii　who　held　the　fortress　Masada　together　with　him；　and　for　the　whole　country　adjoining；　he　presently　gained　it；　and　put　garrisons　into　the　most　proper　places　of　it；　he　also　built　a　wall　quite　round　the　entire　fortress；　that　none　of　the　besieged　might　easily　escape；　he　also　set　his　men　to　guard　the　several　parts　of　it；　he　also　pitched　his　camp　in　such　an　agreeable　place　as　he　had　chosen　for　the　siege；　and　at　which　place　the　rock　belonging　to　the　fortress　did　make　the　nearest　approach　to　the　neighboring　mountain；　which　yet　was　a　place　of　difficulty　for　getting　plenty　of　provisions；　for　it　was　not　only　food　that　was　to　be　brought　from　a　great　distance　＇to　the　army＇；　and　this　with　a　great　deal　of　pain　to　those　Jews　who　were　appointed　for　that　purpose；　but　water　was　also　to　be　brought　to　the　camp；　because　the　place　afforded　no　fountain　that　was　near　it。　When　therefore　Silva　had　ordered　these　affairs　beforehand；　he　fell　to　besieging　the　place；　which　siege　was　likely　to　stand　in　need　of　a　great　deal　of　skill　and　pains；　by　reason　of　the　strength　of　the　fortress；　the　nature　of　which　I　will　now　describe。　　　　3。　There　was　a　rock；　not　small　in　circumference；　and　very　high。　It　was　encompassed　with　valleys　of　such　vast　depth　downward；　that　the　eye　could　not　reach　their　bottoms；　they　were　abrupt；　and　such　as　no　animal　could　walk　upon；　excepting　at　two　places　of　the　rock；　where　it　subsides；　in　order　to　afford　a　passage　for　ascent；　though　not　without　difficulty。　Now；　of　the　ways　that　lead　to　it；　one　is　that　from　the　lake　Asphaltiris；　towards　the　sun…rising；　and　another　on　the　west；　where　the　ascent　is　easier：　the　one　of　these　ways　is　called　the　Serpent；　as　resembling　that　animal　in　its　narrowness　and　its　perpetual　windings；　for　it　is　broken　off　at　the　prominent　precipices　of　the　rock；　and　returns　frequently　into　itself；　and　lengthening　again　by　little　and　little；　hath　much　ado　to　proceed　forward；　and　he　that　would　walk　along　it　must　first　go　on　one　leg；　and　then　on　the　other；　there　is　also　nothing　but　destruction；　in　case　your　feet　slip；　for　on　each　side　there　is　a　vastly　deep　chasm　and　precipice；　sufficient　to　quell　the　courage　of　every　body　by　the　terror　it　infuses　into　the　mind。　When；　therefore；　a　man　hath　gone　along　this　way　for　thirty　furlongs；　the　rest　is　the　top　of　the　hill　…　not　ending　at　a　small　point；　but　is　no　other　than　a　plain　upon　the　highest　part　of　the　mountain。　Upon　this　top　of　the　hill；　Jonathan　the　high　priest　first　of　all　built　a　fortress；　and　called　it　Masada：　after　which　the　rebuilding　of　this　place　employed　the　care　of　king　Herod　to　a　great　degree；　he　also　built　a　wall　round　about　the　entire　top　of　the　hill；　seven　furlongs　long；　it　was　composed　of　white　stone；　its　height　was　twelve；　and　its　breadth　eight　cubits；　there　were　also　erected　upon　that　wall　thirty…eight　towers；　each　of　them　fifty　cubits　high；　out　of　which　you　might　pass　into　lesser　edifices；　which　were　built　on　the　inside；　round　the　entire　wall；　for　the　king　reserved　the　top　of　the　hill；　which　was　of　a　fat　soil；　and　better　mould　than　any　valley　for　agriculture；　that　such　as　committed　themselves　to　this　fortress　for　their　preservation　might　not　even　there　be　quite　destitute　of　food；　in　case　they　should　ever　be　in　want　of　it　from　abroad。　Moreover；　he　built　a　palace　therein　at　the　western　ascent；　it　was　within　and　beneath　the　walls　of　the　citadel；　but　inclined　to　its　north　side。　Now　the　wall　of　this　palace　was　very　high　and　strong；　and　had　at　its　four　corners　towers　sixty　cubits　high。　The　furniture　also　of　the　edifices；　and　of　the　cloisters；　and　of　the　baths；　was　of　great　variety；　and　very　costly；　and　these　buildings　were　supported　by　pillars　of　single　stones　on　every　side；　the　walls　and　also　the　floors　of　the　edifices　were　paved　with　stones　of　several　colors。　He　also　had　cut　many　and　great　pits；　as　reservoirs　for　water；　out　of　the　rocks；　at　every　one　of　the　places　that　were　inhabited；　both　above　and　round　about　the　palace；　and　before　the　wall；　and　by　this　contrivance　he　endeavored　to　have　water　for　several　uses；　as　if　there　had　been　fountains　there。　Here　was　also　a　road　digged　from　the　palace；　and　leading　to　the　very　top　of　the　mountain；　which　yet　could　not　be　seen　by　such　as　were　without　＇the　walls＇；　nor　indeed　could　enemies　easily　make　use　of　the　plain　roads；　for　the　road　on　the　east　side；　as　we　have　already　taken　notice；　could　not　be　walked　upon；　by　reason　of　its　nature；　and　for　the　western　road；　he　built　a　large　tower　at　its　narrowest　place；　at　no　less　a　distance　from　the　top　of　the　hill　than　a　thousand　cubits；　which　tower　could　not　possibly　be　passed　by；　nor　could　it　be　easily　taken；　nor　indeed　could　those　that　walked　along　it　without　any　fear　（such　was　its　contrivance）　easily　get　to　the　end　of　it；　and　after　such　a　manner　was　this　citadel　fortified；　both　by　nature　and　by　the　hands　of　men；　in　order　to　frustrate　the　attacks　of　enemies。　　　　4。　As　for　the　furniture　that　was　within　this　fortress；　it　was　still　more　wonderful　on　account　of　its　splendor　and　long　continuance；　for　here　was　laid　up　corn　in　large　quantities；　and　such　as　would　subsist　men　for　a　long　time；　here　was　also　wine　and　oil　in　abundance；　with　all　kinds　of　pulse　and　dates　heaped　up　together；　all　which　Eleazar　found　there；　when　he　and　his　Sicarii　got　possession　of　the　fortress　by　treachery。　These　fruits　were　also　fresh　and　full　ripe；　and　no　way　inferior　to　such　fruits　newly　laid　in；　although　they　were　little　short　of　a　hundred　years　（14）　from　the　laying　in　these　provisions　＇by　Herod＇；　till　the　place　was　taken　by　the　Romans；　nay；　indeed；　when　the　Romans　got　possession　ofthose　fruits　that　were　left；　they　found　them　not　corrupted　all　that　while；　nor　should　we　be　mistaken；　if　we　supposed　that　the　air　was　here　the　cause　of　their　enduring　so　long；　this　fortress　being　so　high；　and　so　free　from　the　mixture　of　all　terrain　and　muddy　particles　of　matter。　There　was　also　found　here　a　large　quantity　of　all　sorts　of　weapons　of　war；　which　had　been　treasured　up　by　that　king；　and　were　sufficient　for　ten　thousand　men；　there　was　east　iron；　and　brass；　and　tin；　which　show　that　he　had　taken　much　pains　to　have　all　things　here　ready　for　the　greatest　occasions；　for　the　report　goes　how　Herod　thus　prepared　this　fortress　on　his　own　account；　as　a　refuge　against　two　kinds　of　danger；　the　one　for　fear　of　the　multitude　of　the　Jews；　lest　they　should　depose　him；　and　restore　their　former　kings　to　the　government；　the　other　danger　was　greater　and　more　terrible；　which　arose　from　Cleopatra　queen　of　Egypt；　who　did　not　conceal　her　intentions；　but　spoke　often　to　Antony；　and　desired　him　to　cut　off　Herod；　and　entreated　him　to　bestow　the　kingdom　of　Judea　upon　her。　And　certainly　it　is　a　great　wonder　that　Antony　did　never　comply　with　her　commands　in　this　point；　as　he　was　so　miserably　enslaved　to　his　passion　for　her；　nor　should　any　one　have　been　surprised　if　she　had　been　gratified　in　such　her　request。　So　the　fear　of　these　dangers　made　Herod　rebuild　Masada；　and　thereby　leave　it　for　the　finishing　stroke　of　the　Romans　in　this　Jewish　war。　　　　5。　Since　therefore　the　Roman　commander　Silva　had　now　built　a　wall　on　the　outside；　round　about　this　whole　place；　as　we　have　said　already；　and　had　thereby　made　a　most　accurate　provision　to　prevent　any　one　of　the　besieged　running　away；　he　undertook　the　siege　itself；　though　he　found　but　one　single　place　that　would　admit　of　the　banks　he　was　to　raise；　for　behind　that　tower　which　secured　the　road　that　led　to　the　palace；　and　to　the　top　of　the　hill　from　the　west；　there　was　a　certain　eminency　of　the　rock；　very　broad　and　very　prominent；　but　three　hundred　cubits　beneath　the　highest　part　of　Masada；　it　was　called　the　White　Promontory。　Accordingly；　he　got　upon　that　part　of　the　rock；　and　ordered　the　army　to　bring　earth；　and　when　they　fell　to　that　work　with　alacrity；　and　abundance　of　them　together；　the　bank　was　raised；　and　became　solid　for　two　hundred　cubits　in　height。　Yet　was　not　this　bank　thought　sufficiently　high　for　the　use　of　the　engines　that　were　to　be　set　upon　it；　but　still　anoth