the wars of the jews-第94章

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means　themselves；　which　disturbed　them；　as　imagining　that　Ananus　and　his　party　were　coming　to　attack　them；　so　that　every　one　of　them　had　his　right　hand　upon　his　sword；　in　order　to　defend　himself；　but　they　soon　came　to　know　who　they　were　that　came　to　them；　and　were　entered　　　the　city。　And　had　the　Idumeans　then　fallen　upon　the　city；　nothing　could　have　hindered　them　from　destroying　the　　　people　every　man　of　them；　such　was　the　rage　they　were　in　at　that　time；　but　as　they　first　of　all　made　haste　to　get　the　zealots　out　of　custody；　which　those　that　brought　them　in　earnestly　desired　them　to　do；　and　not　to　overlook　those　for　whose　　　sakes　they　were　come；　in　the　midst　of　their　distresses；　nor　to　bring　them　into　a　still　greater　danger；　for　that　when　they　had　once　seized　upon　the　guards；　it　would　be　easy　for　them　to　fall　upon　the　city；　but　that　if　the　city　were　once　alarmed；　they　would　not　then　be　able　to　overcome　those　guards；　because　as　soon　as　they　should　perceive　they　were　there；　they　would　put　themselves　in　order　to　fight　them；　and　would　hinder　their　coming　into　the　temple。　　　　　　　CHAPTER　V。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Cruelty　Of　The　Idumeans　When　They　Were　Gotten　Into　The　Temple　During　The　Storm；　And　Of　The　Zealots。　Concerning　The　Slaughter　Of　Ananus；　And　Jesus；　And　Zacharias；　And　How　The　Idumeans　Retired　　　　　　　　Home。　　　　　　　　　　　　1。　This　advice　pleased　the　Idumeans；　and　they　ascended　　　through　the　city　to　the　temple。　The　zealots　were　also　in　great　expectation　of　their　coming；　and　earnestly　waited　for　them。　When　therefore　these　were　entering；　they　also　came　boldly　out　of　the　inner　temple；　and　mixing　themselves　among　the　Idumeans；　they　attacked　the　guards；　and　some　of　those　that　were　upon　the　watch；　but　were　fallen　asleep；　they　killed　as　they　were　asleep；　but　as　those　that　were　now　awakened　made　a　cry；　the　whole　multitude　arose；　and　in　the　amazement　they　were　in　caught　hold　of　their　arms　immediately；　and　betook　themselves　to　their　own　defense；　and　so　long　as　they　thought　they　were　only　the　zealots　who　attacked　them；　they　went　on　boldly；　as　hoping　to　overpower　them　by　their　numbers；　but　when　they　saw　others　pressing　in　upon　them　also；　they　　　perceived　the　Idumeans　were　got　in；　and　the　greatest　part　of　them　laid　aside　their　arms；　together　with　their　courage；　and　betook　themselves　to　lamentations。　But　some　few　of　the　　　younger　sort　covered　themselves　with　their　armor；　and　　　valiantly　received　the　Idumeans；　and　for　a　while　protected　the　multitude　of　old　men。　Others；　indeed；　gave　a　signal　to　those　that　were　in　the　city　of　the　calamities　they　were　in；　but　when　these　were　also　made　sensible　that　the　Idumeans　were　come　in；　none　of　them　durst　come　to　their　assistance；　only　they　returned　the　terrible　echo　of　wailing；　and　lamented　their　misfortunes。　A　great　howling　of　the　women　was　excited　also；　and　every　one　of　the　guards　were　in　danger　of　being　killed。　The　zealots　also　joined　in　the　shouts　raised　by　the　Idumeans；　and　the　storm　itself　rendered　the　cry　more　terrible；　nor　did　the　Idumeans　spare　any　body；　for　as　they　are　naturally　a　most　barbarous　and　bloody　nation；　and　had　been　distressed　by　the　tempest；　they　made　use　of　their　weapons　against　those　that　had　shut　the　gates　against　them；　and　acted　in　the　same　　　manner　as　to　those　that　supplicated　for　their　lives；　and　to　those　that　fought　them；　insomuch　that　they　ran　through　those　with　their　swords　who　desired　them　to　remember　the　relation　there　was　between　them；　and　begged　of　them　to　have　regard　to　their　common　temple。　Now　there　was　at　present　neither　any　place　for　flight；　nor　any　hope　of　preservation；　but　as　they　were　driven　one　upon　another　in　heaps；　so　were　they　slain。　Thus　the　greater　part　were　driven　together　by　force；　as　there　was　now　no　place　of　retirement；　and　the　murderers　were　　　upon　them；　and；　having　no　other　way；　threw　themselves　down　headlong　into　the　city；　whereby；　in　my　opinion；　they　　　underwent　a　more　miserable　destruction　than　that　which　they　avoided；　because　that　was　a　voluntary　one。　And　now　the　　　outer　temple　was　all　of　it　overflowed　with　blood；　and　that　day；　as　it　came　on；　they　saw　eight　thousand　five　hundred　dead　bodies　there。　　　　　　2。　But　the　rage　of　the　Idumeans　was　not　satiated　by　these　slaughters；　but　they　now　betook　themselves　to　the　city；　and　plundered　every　house；　and　slew　every　one　they　met；　and　for　the　other　multitude；　they　esteemed　it　needless　to　go　on　with　killing　them；　but　they　sought　for　the　high　priests；　and　the　generality　went　with　the　greatest　zeal　against　them；　and　as　soon　as　they　caught　them　they　slew　them；　and　then　standing　upon　their　dead　bodies；　in　way　of　jest；　upbraided　Ananus　with　his　kindness　to　the　people；　and　Jesus　with　his　speech　made　to　them　from　the　wall。　Nay；　they　proceeded　to　that　　　degree　of　impiety；　as　to　cast　away　their　dead　bodies　without　burial；　although　the　Jews　used　to　take　so　much　care　of　the　burial　of　men；　that　they　took　down　those　that　were　　　condemned　and　crucified；　and　buried　them　before　the　going　down　of　the　sun。　I　should　not　mistake　if　I　said　that　the　death　of　Ananus　was　the　beginning　of　the　destruction　of　the　city；　and　that　from　this　very　day　may　be　dated　the　overthrow　of　her　wall；　and　the　ruin　of　her　affairs；　whereon　they　saw　their　high　priest；　and　the　procurer　of　their　preservation；　slain　in　the　midst　of　their　city。　He　was　on　other　accounts　also　a　venerable；　and　a　very　just　man；　and　besides　the　grandeur　of　that　nobility；　and　dignity；　and　honor　of　which　he　was　　　possessed；　he　had　been　a　lover　of　a　kind　of　parity；　even　with　regard　to　the　meanest　of　the　people；　he　was　a　prodigious　lover　of　liberty；　and　an　admirer　of　a　democracy　in　　　government；　and　did　ever　prefer　the　public　welfare　before　his　own　advantage；　and　preferred　peace　above　all　things；　for　he　was　thoroughly　sensible　that　the　Romans　were　not　to　be　　　conquered。　He　also　foresaw　that　of　necessity　a　war　would　follow；　and　that　unless　the　Jews　made　up　matters　with　them　very　dexterously；　they　would　be　destroyed；　to　say　all　in　a　word；　if　Ananus　had　survived；　they　had　certainly　compounded　matters；　for　he　was　a　shrewd　man　in　speaking　and　persuading　the　people；　and　had　already　gotten　the　mastery　of　those　that　opposed　his　designs；　or　were　for　the　war。　And　the　Jews　had　then　put　abundance　of　delays　in　the　way　of　the　Romans；　if　they　had　had　such　a　general　as　he　was。　Jesus　was　also　joined　with　him；　and　although　he　was　inferior　to　him　upon　the　　　comparison；　he　was　superior　to　the　rest；　and　I　cannot　but　think　that　it　was　because　God　had　doomed　this　city　to　　　destruction；　as　a　polluted　city；　and　was　resolved　to　purge　his　sanctuary　by　fire；　that　he　cut　off　these　their　great　defenders　and　well…wishers；　while　those　that　a　little　before　had　worn　the　sacred　garments；　and　had　presided　over　the　public　worship；　and　had　been　esteemed　venerable　by　those　that　dwelt　on　the　whole　habitable　earth　when　they　came　into　our　city；　were　cast　out　naked；　and　seen　to　be　the　food　of　dogs　and　wild　beasts。　And　I　cannot　but　imagine　that　virtue　itself　groaned　at　these　men's　case；　and　lamented　that　she　was　here　so　terribly　　　conquered　by　wickedness。　And　this　at　last　was　the　end　of　Ananus　and　Jesus。　　　　　　3。　Now　after　these　were　slain；　the　zealots　and　the　multitude　of　the　Idumeans　fell　upon　the　people　as　upon　a　flock　of　　　profane　animals；　and　cut　their　throats；　and　for　the　ordinary　sort；　they　were　destroyed　in　what　place　soever　they　caught　them。　But　for　the　noblemen　and　the　youth；　they　first　caught　them　and　bound　them；　and　shut　them　up　in　prison；　and　put　off　their　slaughter；　in　hopes　that　some　of　them　would　turn　over　to　their　party；　but　not　one　of　them　would　comply　with　their　desires；　but　all　of　them　preferred　death　before　being　enrolled　among　such　wicked　wretches　as　acted　against　their　own　country。　But　this　refusal　of　theirs　brought　upon　them　terrible　torments；　for　they　were　so　scourged　and　tortured；　that　their　bodies　were　not　able　to　sustain　their　torments；　till　at　length；　and　with　difficulty；　they　had　the　favor　to　be　slain。　Those　whom　they　caught　in　the　day　time　were　slain　in　the　night；　and　then　their　bodies　were　carried　out　and　thrown　away；　that　there　might　be　room　for　other　prisoners；　and　the　terror　that　was　upon　the　people　was　so　great；　that　no　one　had　courage　enough　either　to　weep　openly　for　the　dead　man　that　was　related