the wars of the jews-第90章

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ght　upon　us　by　our　own　consent。　However；　since　I　have　had　　　occasion　to　mention　the　Romans；　I　will　not　conceal　a　thing　that；　as　I　am　speaking；　comes　into　my　mind；　and　affects　me　considerably；　it　is　this；　that　though　we　should　be　taken　by　them；　（God　forbid　the　event　should　be　so！）　yet　can　we　　　undergo　nothing　that　will　be　harder　to　be　borne　than　what　these　men　have　already　brought　upon　us。　How　then　can　we　　　avoid　shedding　of　tears；　when　we　see　the　Roman　donations　in　our　temple；　while　we　withal　see　those　of　our　own　nation　taking　our　spoils；　and　plundering　our　glorious　metropolis；　and　slaughtering　our　men；　from　which　enormities　those　Romans　themselves　would　have　abstained？　to　see　those　Romans　never　going　beyond　the　bounds　allotted　to　profane　persons；　nor　venturing　to　break　in　upon　any　of　our　sacred　customs；　nay；　having　a　horror　on　their　minds　when　they　view　at　a　distance　those　sacred　walls；　while　some　that　have　been　born　in　this　very　country；　and　brought　up　in　our　customs；　and　called　Jews；　do　walk　about　in　the　midst　of　the　holy　places；　at　the　very　time　when　their　hands　are　still　warm　with　the　slaughter　of　their　own　countrymen。　Besides；　can　any　one　be　afraid　of　a　war　abroad；　and　that　with　such　as　will　have　comparatively　much　greater　moderation　than　our　own　people　have？　For　　　truly；　if　we　may　suit　our　words　to　the　things　they　represent；　it　is　probable　one　may　hereafter　find　the　Romans　to　be　the　　　supporters　of　our　laws；　and　those　within　ourselves　the　　　subverters　of　them。　And　now　I　am　persuaded　that　every　one　of　you　here　comes　satisfied　before　I　speak　that　these　　　overthrowers　of　our　liberties　deserve　to　be　destroyed；　and　that　nobody　can　so　much　as　devise　a　punishment　that　they　have　not　deserved　by　what　they　have　done；　and　that　you　are　all　provoked　against　them　by　those　their　wicked　actions；　whence　you　have　suffered　so　greatly。　But　perhaps　many　of　you　are　aftrighted　at　the　multitude　of　those　zealots；　and　at　their　audaciousness；　as　well　as　at　the　advantage　they　have　over　us　in　their　being　higher　in　place　than　we　are；　for　these　circumstances；　as　they　have　been　occasioned　by　your　　　negligence；　so　will　they　become　still　greater　by　being　still　longer　neglected；　for　their　multitude　is　every　day　augmented；　by　every　ill　man's　running　away　to　those　that　are　like　to　themselves；　and　their　audaciousness　is　therefore　inflamed；　because　they　meet　with　no　obstruction　to　their　designs。　And　for　their　higher　place；　they　will　make　use　of　it　for　engines　also；　if　we　give　them　time　to　do　so；　but　be　assured　of　this；　that　if　we　go　up　to　fight　them；　they　will　be　made　tamer　by　their　own　consciences；　and　what　advantages　they　have　in　the　height　of　their　situation　they　will　lose　by　the　opposition　of　their　reason；　perhaps　also　God　himself；　who　hath　been　　　affronted　by　them；　will　make　what　they　throw　at　us　return　against　themselves；　and　these　impious　wretches　will　be　killed　by　their　own　darts：　let　us　but　make　our　appearance　before　them；　and　they　will　come　to　nothing。　However；　it　is　a　right　thing；　if　there　should　be　any　danger　in　the　attempt；　to　die　before　these　holy　gates；　and　to　spend　our　very　lives；　if　not　for　the　sake　of　our　children　and　wives；　yet　for　God's　sake；　and　for　the　sake　of　his　sanctuary。　I　will　assist　you　both　with　my　counsel　and　with　my　hand；　nor　shall　any　sagacity　of　ours　be　wanting　for　your　support；　nor　shall　you　see　that　I　will　be　sparing　of　my　body　neither。〃　　　　　　11。　By　these　motives　Ananus　encouraged　the　multitude　to　go　against　the　zealots；　although　he　knew　how　difficult　it　would　be　to　disperse　them；　because　of　their　multitude；　and　their　youth；　and　the　courage　of　their　souls；　but　chiefly　because　of　their　consciousness　of　what　they　had　done；　since　they　would　not　yield；　as　not　so　much　as　hoping　for　pardon　at　the　last　for　those　their　enormities。　However；　Ananus　resolved　to　undergo　whatever　sufferings　might　come　upon　him；　rather　than　　　overlook　things；　now　they　were　in　such　great　confusion。　So　the　multitude　cried　out　to　him；　to　lead　them　on　against　those　whom　he　had　described　in　his　exhortation　to　them；　and　every　one　of　them　was　most　readily　disposed　to　run　any　hazard　　　whatsoever　on　that　account。　　　　　　12。　Now　while　Ananus　was　choosing　out　his　men；　and　putting　those　that　were　proper　for　his　purpose　in　array　for　fighting；　the　zealots　got　information　of　his　undertaking；　（for　there　were　some　who　went　to　them；　and　told　them　all　that　the　　　people　were　doing；）　and　were　irritated　at　it；　and　leaping　out　of　the　temple　in　crowds；　and　by　parties；　spared　none　whom　they　met　with。　Upon　this　Ananus　got　the　populace　together　on　the　sudden；　who　were　more　numerous　indeed　than　the　　　zealots；　but　inferior　to　them　in　arms；　because　they　had　not　been　regularly　put　into　array　for　fighting；　but　the　alacrity　that　every　body　showed　supplied　all　their　defects　on　both　sides；　the　citizens　taking　up　so　great　a　passion　as　was　stronger　than　arms；　and　deriving　a　degree　of　courage　from　the　temple　more　forcible　than　any　multitude　whatsoever；　and　indeed　these　citizens　thought　it　was　not　possible　for　them　to　dwell　in　the　city；　unless　they　could　cut　off　the　robbers　that　were　in　it。　The　zealots　also　thought　that　unless　they　prevailed；　there　would　be　no　punishment　so　bad　but　it　would　be　inflicted　on　them。　So　their　conflicts　were　conducted　by　their　passions；　and　at　the　first　they　only　cast　stones　at　each　other　in　the　city；　and　before　the　temple；　and　threw　their　javelins　at　a　distance；　but　when　either　of　them　were　too　hard　for　the　other；　they　made　use　of　their　swords；　and　great　slaughter　was　made　on　both　sides；　and　a　great　number　were　wounded。　As　for　the　dead　　　bodies　of　the　people；　their　relations　carried　them　out　to　their　own　houses；　but　when　any　of　the　zealots　were　wounded；　he　went　up　into　the　temple；　and　defiled　that　sacred　floor　with　his　blood；　insomuch　that　one　may　say　it　was　their　blood　alone　that　polluted　our　sanctuary。　Now　in　these　conflicts　the　　　robbers　always　sallied　out　of　the　temple；　and　were　too　hard　for　their　enemies；　but　the　populace　grew　very　angry；　and　became　more　and　more　numerous；　and　reproached　those　that　gave　back；　and　those　behind　would　not　afford　room　to　those　that　were　going　off；　but　forced　them　on　again；　till　at　length　they　made　their　whole　body　to　turn　against　their　adversaries；　and　the　robbers　could　no　longer　oppose　them；　but　were　　　forced　gradually　to　retire　into　the　temple；　when　Ananus　and　his　party　fell　into　it　at　the　same　time　together　with　them。　（7）　This　horribly　affrighted　the　robbers；　because　it　deprived　them　of　the　first　court；　so　they　fled　into　the　inner　court　　　immediately；　and　shut　the　gates。　Now　Ananus　did　not　think　fit　to　make　any　attack　against　the　holy　gates；　although　the　other　threw　their　stones　and　darts　at　them　from　above。　He　also　deemed　it　unlawful　to　introduce　the　multitude　into　that　court　before　they　were　purified；　he　therefore　chose　out　of　them　all　by　lot　six　thousand　armed　men；　and　placed　them　as　guards　in　the　cloisters；　so　there　was　a　succession　of　such　guards　one　after　another；　and　every　one　was　forced　to　attend　in　his　course；　although　many　of　the　chief　of　the　city　were　dismissed　by　those　that　then　took　on　them　the　government；　upon　their　hiring　some　of　the　poorer　sort；　and　sending　them　to　keep　the　guard　in　their　stead。　　　　　　13。　Now　it　was　John　who；　as　we　told　you；　ran　away　from　　　Gischala；　and　was　the　occasion　of　all　these　being　destroyed。　He　was　a　man　of　great　craft；　and　bore　about　him　in　his　soul　a　strong　passion　after　tyranny；　and　at　a　distance　was　the　adviser　in　these　actions；　and　indeed　at　this　time　he　pretended　to　be　of　the　people's　opinion；　and　went　all　about　with　Ananus　　　when　he　consulted　the　great　men　every　day；　and　in　the　night　time　also　when　he　went　round　the　watch；　but　he　divulged　　　their　secrets　to　the　zealots；　and　every　thing　that　the　people　deliberated　about　was　by　his　means　known　to　their　enemies；　even　before　it　had　been　well　agreed　upon　by　themselves。　And　by　way　of　contrivance　how　he　might　not　be　brought　into　　　suspicion；　he　cultivated　the　greatest　friendship　possible　with　Ananus；　and　with　the　chief　of　the　people；　yet　did　this　　　overdoing　of　his　turn　against　him；　for　he　flattered　them　so　extravagantly；　that　he　was　but　the　more　suspected；　and　his　constant　attendance　every　where；　even　when　he　was　not　　　invited　to　be　present；　mad