the wars of the jews-第55章

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ven　their　oblations　to　be　received　also；　that　however　they　cannot　but　fear；　lest；　by　thus　rejecting　their　sacrifices；　they　shall　not　be　allowed　to　offer　their　own；　and　that　this　city　will　lose　its　principality；　unless　they　grow　wiser　quickly；　and　restore　the　sacrifices　as　formerly；　and　indeed　amend　the　injury　＇they　have　offered　foreigners＇　before　the　report　of　it　comes　to　the　ears　of　those　that　have　been　injured。

4。　And　as　they　said　these　things；　they　produced　those　priests　that　were　skillful　in　the　customs　of　their　country；　who　made　the　report　that　all　their　forefathers　had　received　the　sacrifices　from　foreign　nations。　But　still　not　one　of　the　innovators　would　hearken　to　what　was　said；　nay；　those　that　ministered　about　the　temple　would　not　attend　their　Divine　service；　but　were　preparing　matters　for　beginning　the　war。　So　the　men　of　power　perceiving　that　the　sedition　was　too　hard　for　them　to　subdue；　and　that　the　danger　which　would　arise　from　the　Romans　would　come　upon　them　first　of　all；　endeavored　to　save　themselves；　and　sent　ambassadors；　some　to　Florus；　the　chief　of　which　was　Simon　the　son　of　Ananias；　and　others　to　Agrippa；　among　whom　the　most　eminent　were　Saul；　and　Antipas；　and　Costobarus；　who　were　of　the　king's　kindred；　and　they　desired　of　them　both　that　they　would　come　with　an　army　to　the　city；　and　cut　off　the　seditious　before　it　should　be　too　hard　to　be　subdued。　Now　this　terrible　message　was　good　news　to　Florus；　and　because　his　design　was　to　have　a　war　kindled；　he　gave　the　ambassadors　no　answer　at　all。　But　Agrippa　was　equally　solicitous　for　those　that　were　revolting；　and　for　those　against　whom　the　war　was　to　be　made；　and　was　desirous　to　preserve　the　Jews　for　the　Romans；　and　the　temple　and　metropolis　for　the　Jews；　he　was　also　sensible　that　it　was　not　for　his　own　advantage　that　the　disturbances　should　proceed；　so　he　sent　three　thousand　horsemen　to　the　assistance　of　the　people　out　of　Auranitis；　and　Batanea；　and　Trachonitis；　and　these　under　Darius；　the　master　of　his　horse；　and　Philip　the　son　of　Jacimus；　the　general　of　his　army。

5。　Upon　this　the　men　of　power；　with　the　high　priests；　as　also　all　the　part　of　the　multitude　that　were　desirous　of　peace；　took　courage；　and　seized　upon　the　upper　city　＇Mount　Sion；＇　for　the　seditious　part　had　the　lower　city　and　the　temple　in　their　power；　so　they　made　use　of　stones　and　slings　perpetually　against　one　another；　and　threw　darts　continually　on　both　sides；　and　sometimes　it　happened　that　they　made　incursions　by　troops；　and　fought　it　out　hand　to　hand；　while　the　seditious　were　superior　in　boldness；　but　the　king's　soldiers　in　skill。　These　last　strove　chiefly　to　gain　the　temple；　and　to　drive　those　out　of　it　who　profaned　it；　as　did　the　seditious；　with　Eleazar；　besides　what　they　had　already；　labor　to　gain　the　upper　city。　Thus　were　there　perpetual　slaughters　on　both　sides　for　seven　days'　time；　but　neither　side　would　yield　up　the　parts　they　had　seized　on。

6。　Now　the　next　day　was　the　festival　of　Xylophory；　upon　which　the　custom　was　for　every　one　to　bring　wood　for　the　altar　（that　there　might　never　be　a　want　of　fuel　for　that　fire　which　was　unquenchable　and　always　burning）。　Upon　that　day　they　excluded　the　opposite　party　from　the　observation　of　this　part　of　religion。　And　when　they　had　joined　to　themselves　many　of　the　Sicarii；　who　crowded　in　among　the　weaker　people；　（that　was　the　name　for　such　robbers　as　had　under　their　bosoms　swords　called　Sicae；）　they　grew　bolder；　and　carried　their　undertaking　further；　insomuch　that　the　king's　soldiers　were　overpowered　by　their　multitude　and　boldness；　and　so　they　gave　way；　and　were　driven　out　of　the　upper　city　by　force。　The　others　then　set　fire　to　the　house　of　Ananias　the　high　priest；　and　to　the　palaces　of　Agrippa　and　Bernice；　after　which　they　carried　the　fire　to　the　place　where　the　archives　were　reposited；　and　made　haste　to　burn　the　contracts　belonging　to　their　creditors；　and　thereby　to　dissolve　their　obligations　for　paying　their　debts；　and　this　was　done　in　order　to　gain　the　multitude　of　those　who　had　been　debtors；　and　that　they　might　persuade　the　poorer　sort　to　join　in　their　insurrection　with　safety　against　the　more　wealthy；　so　the　keepers　of　the　records　fled　away；　and　the　rest　set　fire　to　them。　And　when　they　had　thus　burnt　down　the　nerves　of　the　city；　they　fell　upon　their　enemies；　at　which　time　some　of　the　men　of　power；　and　of　the　high　priests；　went　into　the　vaults　under　ground；　and　concealed　themselves；　while　others　fled　with　the　king's　soldiers　to　the　upper　palace；　and　shut　the　gates　immediately；　among　whom　were　Ananias　the　high　priest；　and　the　ambassadors　that　had　been　sent　to　Agrippa。　And　now　the　seditious　were　contented　with　the　victory　they　had　gotten；　and　the　buildings　they　had　burnt　down；　and　proceeded　no　further。

7。　But　on　the　next　day；　which　was　the　fifteenth　of　the　month　Lous；　＇Ab；＇　they　made　an　assault　upon　Antonia；　and　besieged　the　garrison　which　was　in　it　two　days；　and　then　took　the　garrison；　and　slew　them；　and　set　the　citadel　on　fire；　after　which　they　marched　to　the　palace；　whither　the　king's　soldiers　were　fled；　and　parted　themselves　into　four　bodies；　and　made　an　attack　upon　the　walls。　As　for　those　that　were　within　it；　no　one　had　the　courage　to　sally　out；　because　those　that　assaulted　them　were　so　numerous；　but　they　distributed　themselves　into　the　breast…works　and　turrets；　and　shot　at　the　besiegers；　whereby　many　of　the　robbers　fell　under　the　walls；　nor　did　they　cease　to　fight　one　with　another　either　by　night　or　by　day；　while　the　seditious　supposed　that　those　within　would　grow　weary　for　want　of　food；　and　those　without　supposed　the　others　would　do　the　like　by　the　tediousness　of　the　siege。

8。　In　the　mean　time；　one　Manahem；　the　son　of　Judas；　that　was　called　the　Galilean；　（who　was　a　very　cunning　sophister；　and　had　formerly　reproached　the　Jews　under　Cyrenius；　that　after　God　they　were　subject　to　the　Romans；）　took　some　of　the　men　of　note　with　him；　and　retired　to　Masada；　where　he　broke　open　king　Herod's　armory；　and　gave　arms　not　only　to　his　own　people；　but　to　other　robbers　also。　These　he　made　use　of　for　a　guard；　and　returned　in　the　state　of　a　king　to　Jerusalem；　he　became　the　leader　of　the　sedition；　and　gave　orders　for　continuing　the　siege；　but　they　wanted　proper　instruments；　and　it　was　not　practicable　to　undermine　the　wall；　because　the　darts　came　down　upon　them　from　above。　But　still　they　dug　a　mine　from　a　great　distance　under　one　of　the　towers；　and　made　it　totter；　and　having　done　that；　they　set　on　fire　what　was　combustible；　and　left　it；　and　when　the　foundations　were　burnt　below；　the　tower　fell　down　suddenly。　Yet　did　they　then　meet　with　another　wall　that　had　been　built　within；　for　the　besieged　were　sensible　beforehand　of　what　they　were　doing；　and　probably　the　tower　shook　as　it　was　undermining；　so　they　provided　themselves　of　another　fortification；　which　when　the　besiegers　unexpectedly　saw；　while　they　thought　they　had　already　gained　the　place；　they　were　under　some　consternation。　However；　those　that　were　within　sent　to　Manahem；　and　to　the　other　leaders　of　the　sedition；　and　desired　they　might　go　out　upon　a　capitulation：　this　was　granted　to　the　king's　soldiers　and　their　own　countrymen　only；　who　went　out　accordingly；　but　the　Romans　that　were　left　alone　were　greatly　dejected；　for　they　were　not　able　to　force　their　way　through　such　a　multitude；　and　to　desire　them　to　give　them　their　right　hand　for　their　security；　they　thought　it　would　be　a　reproach　to　them；　and　besides；　if　they　should　give　it　them；　they　durst　not　depend　upon　it；　so　they　deserted　their　camp；　as　easily　taken；　and　ran　away　to　the　royal　towers；　…　that　called　Hippicus；　that　called　Phasaelus；　and　that　called　Mariamne。　But　Manahem　and　his　party　fell　upon　the　place　whence　the　soldiers　were　fled；　and　slew　as　many　of　them　as　they　could　catch；　before　they　got　up　to　the　towers；　and　plundered　what　they　left　behind　them；　and　set　fire　to　their　camp。　This　was　executed　on　the　sixth　day　of　the　month　Gorpieus　＇Elul＇。

9。　But　on　the　next　day　the　high　priest　was　caught　where　he　had　concealed　himself　in　an　aqueduct；　he　was　slain；　together　with　Hezekiah　his　brother；　by　the　robbers：　hereupon　the　seditious　besieged　the　towers；　and　kept　them　guarded；　lest　any　one　of　the　soldiers　should　escape。　Now　the　overthrow　of　the　places　of