the wars of the jews-第49章

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deeper　engaged　in　the　sedition。　And　as　Felix　came　once　into　the　market…place；　and　commanded　the　Jews；　when　they　had　beaten　the　Syrians；　to　go　their　ways；　and　threatened　them　if　they　would　not；　and　they　would　not　obey　him；　he　sent　his　soldiers　out　upon　them；　and　slew　a　great　many　of　them；　upon　which　it　fell　out　that　what　they　had　was　plundered。　And　as　the　sedition　still　continued；　he　chose　out　the　most　eminent　men　on　both　sides　as　ambassadors　to　Nero；　to　argue　about　their　several　privileges。　　CHAPTER　14。

Festus　Succeeds　Felix　Who　Is　Succeeded　By　Albinus　As　He　Is　By　Florus；　Who　By　The　Barbarity　Of　His　Government　Forces　The　Jews　Into　The　War。

1。　Now　it　was　that　Festus　succeeded　Felix　as　procurator；　and　made　it　his　business　to　correct　those　that　made　disturbances　in　the　country。　So　he　caught　the　greatest　part　of　the　robbers；　and　destroyed　a　great　many　of　them。　But　then　Albinus；　who　succeeded　Festus；　did　not　execute　his　office　as　the　other　had　done；　nor　was　there　any　sort　of　wickedness　that　could　be　named　but　he　had　a　hand　in　it。　Accordingly；　he　did　not　only；　in　his　political　capacity；　steal　and　plunder　every　one's　substance；　nor　did　he　only　burden　the　whole　nation　with　taxes；　but　he　permitted　the　relations　of　such　as　were　in　prison　for　robbery；　and　had　been　laid　there；　either　by　the　senate　of　every　city；　or　by　the　former　procurators；　to　redeem　them　for　money；　and　no　body　remained　in　the　prisons　as　a　malefactor　but　he　who　gave　him　nothing。　At　this　time　it　was　that　the　enterprises　of　the　seditious　at　Jerusalem　were　very　formidable；　the　principal　men　among　them　purchasing　leave　of　Albinus　to　go　on　with　their　seditious　practices；　while　that　part　of　the　people　who　delighted　in　disturbances　joined　themselves　to　such　as　had　fellowship　with　Albinus；　and　every　one　of　these　wicked　wretches　were　encompassed　with　his　own　band　of　robbers；　while　he　himself；　like　an　arch…robber；　or　a　tyrant；　made　a　figure　among　his　company；　and　abused　his　authority　over　those　about　him；　in　order　to　plunder　those　that　lived　quietly。　The　effect　of　which　was　this；　that　those　who　lost　their　goods　were　forced　to　hold　their　peace；　when　they　had　reason　to　show　great　indignation　at　what　they　had　suffered；　but　those　who　had　escaped　were　forced　to　flatter　him　that　deserved　to　be　punished；　out　of　the　fear　they　were　in　of　suffering　equally　with　the　others。　Upon　the　Whole；　nobody　durst　speak　their　minds；　but　tyranny　was　generally　tolerated；　and　at　this　time　were　those　seeds　sown　which　brought　the　city　to　destruction。

2。　And　although　such　was　the　character　of　Albinus；　yet　did　Gessius　Florus　（18）　who　succeeded　him；　demonstrate　him　to　have　been　a　most　excellent　person；　upon　the　comparison；　for　the　former　did　the　greatest　part　of　his　rogueries　in　private；　and　with　a　sort　of　dissimulation；　but　Gessius　did　his　unjust　actions　to　the　harm　of　the　nation　after　a　pompons　manner；　and　as　though　he　had　been　sent　as　an　executioner　to　punish　condemned　malefactors；　he　omitted　no　sort　of　rapine；　or　of　vexation；　where　the　case　was　really　pitiable；　he　was　most　barbarous；　and　in　things　of　the　greatest　turpitude　he　was　most　impudent。　Nor　could　any　one　outdo　him　in　disguising　the　truth；　nor　could　any　one　contrive　more　subtle　ways　of　deceit　than　he　did。　He　indeed　thought　it　but　a　petty　offense　to　get　money　out　of　single　persons；　so　he　spoiled　whole　cities；　and　ruined　entire　bodies　of　men　at　once；　and　did　almost　publicly　proclaim　it　all　the　country　over；　that　they　had　liberty　given　them　to　turn　robbers；　upon　this　condition；　that　he　might　go　shares　with　them　in　the　spoils　they　got。　Accordingly；　this　his　greediness　of　gain　was　the　occasion　that　entire　toparchies　were　brought　to　desolation；　and　a　great　many　of　the　people　left　their　own　country；　and　fled　into　foreign　provinces。　　3。　And　truly；　while　Cestius　Gallus　was　president　of　the　province　of　Syria；　nobody　durst　do　so　much　as　send　an　embassage　to　him　against　Florus；　but　when　he　was　come　to　Jerusalem；　upon　the　approach　of　the　feast　of　unleavened　bread；　the　people　came　about　him　not　fewer　in　number　than　three　millions　（19）　these　besought　him　to　commiserate　the　calamities　of　their　nation；　and　cried　out　upon　Florus　as　the　bane　of　their　country。　But　as　he　was　present；　and　stood　by　Cestius；　he　laughed　at　their　words。　However；　Cestius；　when　he　had　quieted　the　multitude；　and　had　assured　them　that　he　would　take　care　that　Florus　should　hereafter　treat　them　in　a　more　gentle　manner；　returned　to　Antioch。　Florus　also　conducted　him　as　far　as　Cesarea；　and　deluded　him；　though　he　had　at　that　very　time　the　purpose　of　showing　his　anger　at　the　nation；　and　procuring　a　war　upon　them；　by　which　means　alone　it　was　that　he　supposed　he　might　conceal　his　enormities；　for　he　expected　that　if　the　peace　continued；　he　should　have　the　Jews　for　his　accusers　before　Caesar；　but　that　if　he　could　procure　them　to　make　a　revolt；　he　should　divert　their　laying　lesser　crimes　to　his　charge；　by　a　misery　that　was　so　much　greater；　he　therefore　did　every　day　augment　their　calamities；　in　order　to　induce　them　to　a　rebellion。

4。　Now　at　this　time　it　happened　that　the　Grecians　at　Cesarea　had　been　too　hard　for　the　Jews；　and　had　obtained　of　Nero　the　government　of　the　city；　and　had　brought　the　judicial　determination：　at　the　same　time　began　the　war；　in　the　twelfth　year　of　the　reign　of　Nero；　and　the　seventeenth　of　the　reign　of　Agrippa；　in　the　month　of　Artemisins　＇Jyar。＇　Now　the　occasion　of　this　war　was　by　no　means　proportionable　to　those　heavy　calamities　which　it　brought　upon　us。　For　the　Jews　that　dwelt　at　Cesarea　had　a　synagogue　near　the　place；　whose　owner　was　a　certain　Cesarean　Greek：　the　Jews　had　endeavored　frequently　to　have　purchased　the　possession　of　the　place；　and　had　offered　many　times　its　value　for　its　price；　but　as　the　owner　overlooked　their　offers；　so　did　he　raise　other　buildings　upon　the　place；　in　way　of　affront　to　them；　and　made　working…shops　of　them；　and　left　them　but　a　narrow　passage；　and　such　as　was　very　troublesome　for　them　to　go　along　to　their　synagogue。　Whereupon　the　warmer　part　of　the　Jewish　youth　went　hastily　to　the　workmen；　and　forbade　them　to　build　there；　but　as　Florus　would　not　permit　them　to　use　force；　the　great　men　of　the　Jews；　with　John　the　publican；　being　in　the　utmost　distress　what　to　do；　persuaded　Florus；　with　the　offer　of　eight　talents；　to　hinder　the　work。　He　then；　being　intent　upon　nothing　but　getting　money；　promised　he　would　do　for　them　all　they　desired　of　him；　and　then　went　away　from　Cesarea　to　Sebaste；　and　left　the　sedition　to　take　its　full　course；　as　if　he　had　sold　a　license　to　the　Jews　to　fight　it　out。

5。　Now　on　the　next　day；　which　was　the　seventh　day　of　the　week；　when　the　Jews　were　crowding　apace　to　their　synagogue；　a　certain　man　of　Cesarea；　of　a　seditious　temper；　got　an　earthen　vessel；　and　set　it　with　the　bottom　upward；　at　the　entrance　of　that　synagogue；　and　sacrificed　birds。　This　thing　provoked　the　Jews　to　an　incurable　degree；　because　their　laws　were　affronted；　and　the　place　was　polluted。　Whereupon　the　sober　and　moderate　part　of　the　Jews　thought　it　proper　to　have　recourse　to　their　governors　again；　while　the　seditious　part；　and　such　as　were　in　the　fervor　of　their　youth；　were　vehemently　inflamed　to　fight。　The　seditions　also　among　the　Gentiles　of　Cesarea　stood　ready　for　the　same　purpose；　for　they　had；　by　agreement；　sent　the　man　to　sacrifice　beforehand　＇as　ready　to　support　him；＇　so　that　it　soon　came　to　blows。　Hereupon　Jucundus；　the　master　of　the　horse；　who　was　ordered　to　prevent　the　fight；　came　thither；　and　took　away　the　earthen　vessel；　and　endeavored　to　put　a　stop　to　the　sedition；　but　when　（20）　he　was　overcome　by　the　violence　of　the　people　of　Cesarea；　the　Jews　caught　up　their　books　of　the　law；　and　retired　to　Narbata；　which　was　a　place　to　them　belonging；　distant　from　Cesarea　sixty　furlongs。　But　John；　and　twelve　of　the　principal　men　with　him；　went　to　Florus；　to　Sebaste；　and　made　a　lamentable　complaint　of　their　case；　and　besought　him　to　help　them；　and　with　all　possible　decency；　put　him　in　mind　of　the　eight　talents　they　had　given　him；　but　he　had　the　men　seized　upon；　and　put　in　prison；　and　accused　them　for　carrying　the　books　of　the　law　out　of　Cesarea。

6。　Moreover；　as　to　the　citizens　of　Jerusalem；　although　they　took　this　matter　very　ill；　yet　did　they　restrain　their　pas