the wars of the jews-第68章

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preserved　by　God's　providence　to　be　their　commander　for　the　time　to　come。

4。　And　now　Vespasian　took　along　with　him　his　army　from　Antioch；　（which　is　the　metropolis　of　Syria；　and　without　dispute　deserves　the　place　of　the　third　city　in　the　habitable　earth　that　was　under　the　Roman　empire；　（2）　both　in　magnitude；　and　other　marks　of　prosperity；）　where　he　found　king　Agrippa；　with　all　his　forces；　waiting　for　his　coming；　and　marched　to　Ptolemais。　At　this　city　also　the　inhabitants　of　Sepphoris　of　Galilee　met　him；　who　were　for　peace　with　the　Romans。　These　citizens　had　beforehand　taken　care　of　their　own　safety；　and　being　sensible　of　the　power　of　the　Romans；　they　had　been　with　Cestius　Gallus　before　Vespasian　came；　and　had　given　their　faith　to　him；　and　received　the　security　of　his　right　hand；　and　had　received　a　Roman　garrison；　and　at　this　time　withal　they　received　Vespasian；　the　Roman　general；　very　kindly；　and　readily　promised　that　they　would　assist　him　against　their　own　countrymen。　Now　the　general　delivered　them；　at　their　desire；　as　many　horsemen　and　footmen　as　he　thought　sufficient　to　oppose　the　incursions　of　the　Jews；　if　they　should　come　against　them。　And　indeed　the　danger　of　losing　Sepphoris　would　be　no　small　one；　in　this　war　that　was　now　beginning；　seeing　it　was　the　largest　city　of　Galilee；　and　built　in　a　place　by　nature　very　strong；　and　might　be　a　security　of　the　whole　nation's　＇fidelity　to　the　Romans＇。

CHAPTER　3。

A　Description　Op　Galilee；　Samaria；　And　Judea。

1。　Now　Phoenicia　and　Syria　encompass　about　the　Galilees；　which　are　two；　and　called　the　Upper　Galilee　and　the　Lower。　They　are　bounded　toward　the　sun…setting；　with　the　borders　of　the　territory　belonging　to　Ptolemais；　and　by　Carmel；　which　mountain　had　formerly　belonged　to　the　Galileans；　but　now　belonged　to　the　Tyrians；　to　which　mountain　adjoins　Gaba；　which　is　called　the　City　of　Horsemen；　because　those　horsemen　that　were　dismissed　by　Herod　the　king　dwelt　therein；　they　are　bounded　on　the　south　with　Samaria　and　Scythopolis；　as　far　as　the　river　Jordan；　on　the　east　with　Hippeae　and　Gadaris；　and　also　with　Ganlonitis；　and　the　borders　of　the　kingdom　of　Agrippa；　its　northern　parts　are　hounded　by　Tyre；　and　the　country　of　the　Tyrians。　As　for　that　Galilee　which　is　called　the　Lower；　it；　extends　in　length　from　Tiberias　to　Zabulon；　and　of　the　maritime　places　Ptolemais　is　its　neighbor；　its　breadth　is　from　the　village　called　Xaloth；　which　lies　in　the　great　plain；　as　far　as　Bersabe；　from　which　beginning　also　is　taken　the　breadth　of　the　Upper　Galilee；　as　far　as　the　village　Baca；　which　divides　the　land　of　the　Tyrians　from　it；　its　length　is　also　from　Meloth　to　Thella；　a　village　near　to　Jordan。

2。　These　two　Galilees；　of　so　great　largeness；　and　encompassed　with　so　many　nations　of　foreigners；　have　been　always　able　to　make　a　strong　resistance　on　all　occasions　of　war；　for　the　Galileans　are　inured　to　war　from　their　infancy；　and　have　been　always　very　numerous；　nor　hath　the　country　been　ever　destitute　of　men　of　courage；　or　wanted　a　numerous　set　of　them；　for　their　soil　is　universally　rich　and　fruitful；　and　full　of　the　plantations　of　trees　of　all　sorts；　insomuch　that　it　invites　the　most　slothful　to　take　pains　in　its　cultivation；　by　its　fruitfulness；　accordingly；　it　is　all　cultivated　by　its　inhabitants；　and　no　part　of　it　lies　idle。　Moreover；　the　cities　lie　here　very　thick；　and　the　very　many　villages　there　are　here　are　every　where　so　full　of　people；　by　the　richness　of　their　soil；　that　the　very　least　of　them　contain　above　fifteen　thousand　inhabitants。

3。　In　short；　if　any　one　will　suppose　that　Galilee　is　inferior　to　Perea　in　magnitude；　he　will　be　obliged　to　prefer　it　before　it　in　its　strength；　for　this　is　all　capable　of　cultivation；　and　is　every　where　fruitful；　but　for　Perea；　which　is　indeed　much　larger　in　extent；　the　greater　part　of　it　is　desert　and　rough；　and　much　less　disposed　for　the　production　of　the　milder　kinds　of　fruits；　yet　hath　it　a　moist　soil　＇in　other　parts＇；　and　produces　all　kinds　of　fruits；　and　its　plains　are　planted　with　trees　of　all　sorts；　while　yet　the　olive　tree；　the　vine；　and　the　palm　tree　are　chiefly　cultivated　there。　It　is　also　sufficiently　watered　with　torrents；　which　issue　out　of　the　mountains；　and　with　springs　that　never　fail　to　run；　even　when　the　torrents　fail　them；　as　they　do　in　the　dog…days。　Now　the　length　of　Perea　is　from　Macherus　to　Pella；　and　its　breadth　from　Philadelphia　to　Jordan；　its　northern　parts　are　bounded　by　Pella；　as　we　have　already　said；　as　well　as　its　Western　with　Jordan；　the　land　of　Moab　is　its　southern　border；　and　its　eastern　limits　reach　to　Arabia；　and　Silbonitis；　and　besides　to　Philadelphene　and　Gerasa。

4。　Now　as　to　the　country　of　Samaria；　it　lies　between　Judea　and　Galilee；　it　begins　at　a　village　that　is　in　the　great　plain　called　Ginea；　and　ends　at　the　Acrabbene　toparchy；　and　is　entirely　of　the　same　nature　with　Judea；　for　both　countries　are　made　up　of　hills　and　valleys；　and　are　moist　enough　for　agriculture；　and　are　very　fruitful。　They　have　abundance　of　trees；　and　are　full　of　autumnal　fruit；　both　that　which　grows　wild；　and　that　which　is　the　effect　of　cultivation。　They　are　not　naturally　watered　by　many　rivers；　but　derive　their　chief　moisture　from　rain…water；　of　which　they　have　no　want；　and　for　those　rivers　which　they　have；　all　their　waters　are　exceeding　sweet：　by　reason　also　of　the　excellent　grass　they　have；　their　cattle　yield　more　milk　than　do　those　in　other　places；　and；　what　is　the　greatest　sign　of　excellency　and　of　abundance；　they　each　of　them　are　very　full　of　people。

5。　In　the　limits　of　Samaria　and　Judea　lies　the　village　Anuath；　which　is　also　named　Borceos。　This　is　the　northern　boundary　of　Judea。　The　southern　parts　of　Judea；　if　they　be　measured　lengthways；　are　bounded　by　a　Village　adjoining　to　the　confines　of　Arabia；　the　Jews　that　dwell　there　call　it　Jordan。　However；　its　breadth　is　extended　from　the　river　Jordan　to　Joppa。　The　city　Jerusalem　is　situated　in　the　very　middle；　on　which　account　some　have；　with　sagacity　enough；　called　that　city　the　Navel　of　the　country。　Nor　indeed　is　Judea　destitute　of　such　delights　as　come　from　the　sea；　since　its　maritime　places　extend　as　far　as　Ptolemais：　it　was　parted　into　eleven　portions；　of　which　the　royal　city　Jerusalem　was　the　supreme；　and　presided　over　all　the　neighboring　country；　as　the　head　does　over　the　body。　As　to　the　other　cities　that　were　inferior　to　it；　they　presided　over　their　several　toparchies；　Gophna　was　the　second　of　those　cities；　and　next　to　that　Acrabatta；　after　them　Thamna；　and　Lydda；　and　Emmaus；　and　Pella；　and　Idumea；　and　Engaddi；　and　Herodium；　and　Jericho；　and　after　them　came　Jamnia　and　Joppa；　as　presiding　over　the　neighboring　people；　and　besides　these　there　was　the　region　of　Gamala；　and　Gaulonitis；　and　Batanea；　and　Trachonitis；　which　are　also　parts　of　the　kingdom　of　Agrippa。　This　＇last＇　country　begins　at　Mount　Libanus；　and　the　fountains　of　Jordan；　and　reaches　breadthways　to　the　lake　of　Tiberias；　and　in　length　is　extended　from　a　village　called　Arpha；　as　far　as　Julias。　Its　inhabitants　are　a　mixture　of　Jews　and　Syrians。　And　thus　have　I；　with　all　possible　brevity；　described　the　country　of　Judea；　and　those　that　lie　round　about　it。

CHAPTER　4。

Josephus　Makes　An　Attempt　Upon　Sepphoris　But　Is　Repelled。　Titus　Comes　With　A　Great　Army　To　Ptolemais。

1。　Now　the　auxiliaries　which　were　sent　to　assist　the　people　of　Sepphoris；　being　a　thousand　horsemen；　and　six　thousand　footmen；　under　Placidus　the　tribune；　pitched　their　camp　in　two　bodies　in　the　great　plain。　The　foot　were　put　into　the　city　to　be　a　guard　to　it；　but　the　horse　lodged　abroad　in　the　camp。　These　last；　by　marching　continually　one　way　or　other；　and　overrunning　the　parts　of　the　adjoining　country；　were　very　troublesome　to　Josephus　and　his　men；　they　also　plundered　all　the　places　that　were　out　of　the　city's　liberty；　and　intercepted　such　as　durst　go　abroad。　On　this　account　it　was　that　Josephus　marched　against　the　city；　as　hoping　to　take　what　he　had　lately　encompassed　with　so　strong　a　wall；　before　they　revolted　from　the　rest　of　the　Galileans；　that　the　Romans　would　have　much　ado　to　take　it；　by　which　means　he　proved　too　weak；　and　failed　of　his　hopes；　both　as　to　the　forcing　the　place；　and　as　to　his　prevailing　with　the　people　of　Sepphoris　to　deliver　it　up　to　him。