the antiquities of the jews-1-第231章

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daughter　of　Alexander；　the　son　of　Aristobulus；　for　he　had
betrothed　her　already；　as　I　have　before　related。

CHAPTER　16。

How　Herod；　When　He　Had　Married　Mariamne　Took　Jerusalem　With　The
Assistance　Of　Sosius　By　Force；　And　How　The　Government　Of　He
Asamoneans　Was　Put　An　End　To

1。　After　the　wedding　was　over；　came　Sosius　through　Phoenicia；
having　sent　out　his　army　before　him　over　the　midland　parts。　He
also；　who　was　their　commander；　came　himself；　with　a　great　number
of　horsemen　and　footmen。　The　king　also　came　himself　from　Samaria；
and　brought　with　him　no　small　army；　besides　that　which　was　there
before；　for　they　were　about　thirty　thousand；　and　they　all　met
together　at　the　walls　of　Jerusalem；　and　encamped　at　the　north
wall　of　the　city；　being　now　an　army　of　eleven　legions；　armed　men
on　foot；　and　six　thousand　horsemen；　with　other　auxiliaries　out　of
Syria。　The　generals　were　two：　Sosius；　sent　by　Antony　to　assist
Herod；　and　Herod　on　his　own　account；　in　order　to　take　the
government　from　Antigonus；　who　was　declared　all　enemy　at　Rome；
and　that　he　might　himself　be　king；　according　to　the　decree　of　the
Senate。

2。　Now　the　Jews　that　were　enclosed　within　the　walls　of　the　city
fought　against　Herod　with　great　alacrity　and　zeal　（for　the　whole
nation　was　gathered　together）；　they　also　gave　out　many　prophecies
about　the　temple；　and　many　things　agreeable　to　the　people；　as　if
God　would　deliver　them　out　of　the　dangers　they　were　in；　they　had
also　carried　off　what　was　out　of　the　city；　that　they　might　not
leave　any　thing　to　afford　sustenance　either　for　men　or　for
beasts；　and　by　private　robberies　they　made　the　want　of
necessaries　greater。　When　Herod　understood　this；　he　opposed
ambushes　in　the　fittest　places　against　their　private　robberies；
and　he　sent　legions　of　armed　men　to　bring　its　provisions；　and
that　from　remote　places；　so　that　in　a　little　time　they　had　great
plenty　of　provisions。　Now　the　three　bulwarks　were　easily　erected；
because　so　many　hands　were　continually　at　work　upon　it；　for　it
was　summer　time；　and　there　was　nothing　to　hinder　them　in　raising
their　works；　neither　from　the　air　nor　from　the　workmen；　so　they
brought　their　engines　to　bear；　and　shook　the　walls　of　the　city；
and　tried　all　manner　of　ways　to　get　its；　yet　did　not　those　within
discover　any　fear；　but　they　also　contrived　not　a　few　engines　to
oppose　their　engines　withal。　They　also　sallied　out；　and　burnt　not
only　those　engines　that　were　not　yet　perfected；　but　those　that
were；　and　when　they　came　hand　to　hand；　their　attempts　were　not
less　bold　than　those　of　the　Romans；　though　they　were　behind　them
in　skill。　They　also　erected　new　works　when　the　former　were
ruined；　and　making　mines　underground；　they　met　each　other；　and
fought　there；　and　making　use　of　brutish　courage　rather　than　of
prudent　valor；　they　persisted　in　this　war　to　the　very　last；　and
this　they　did　while　a　mighty　army　lay　round　about　them；　and　while
they　were　distressed　by　famine　and　the　want　of　necessaries；　for
this　happened　to　be　a　Sabbatic　year。　The　first　that　scaled　the
walls　were　twenty　chosen　men；　the　next　were　Sosius's　centurions；
for　the　first　wall　was　taken　in　forty　days；　and　the　second　in
fifteen　more；　when　some　of　the　cloisters　that　were　about　the
temple　were　burnt；　which　Herod　gave　out　to　have　been　burnt　by
Antigonus；　in　order　to　expose　him　to　the　hatred　of　the　Jews。　And
when　the　outer　court　of　the　temple　and　the　lower　city　were　taken；
the　Jews　fled　into　the　inner　court　of　the　temple；　and　into　the
upper　city；　but　now　fearing　lest　the　Romans　should　hinder　them
from　offering　their　daily　sacrifices　to　God；　they　sent　an
embassage；　and　desired　that　they　would　only　permit　them　to　bring
in　beasts　for　sacrifices；　which　Herod　granted；　hoping　they　were
going　to　yield；　but　when　he　saw　that　they　did　nothing　of　what　he
supposed；　but　bitterly　opposed　him；　in　order　to　preserve　the
kingdom　to　Antigonus；　he　made　an　assault　upon　the　city；　and　took
it　by　storm；　and　now　all　parts　were　full　of　those　that　were
slain；　by　the　rage　of　the　Romans　at　the　long　duration　of　the
siege；　and　by　the　zeal　of　the　Jews　that　were　on　Herod's　side；　who
were　not　willing　to　leave　one　of　their　adversaries　alive；　so　they
were　murdered　continually　in　the　narrow　streets　and　in　the　houses
by　crowds；　and　as　they　were　flying　to　the　temple　for　shelter；　and
there　was　no　pity　taken　of　either　infants　or　the　aged；　nor　did
they　spare　so　much　as　the　weaker　sex；　nay；　although　the　king　sent
about；　and　besought　them　to　spare　the　people；　yet　nobody
restrained　their　hand　from　slaughter；　but；　as　if　they　were　a
company　of　madmen；　they　fell　upon　persons　of　all　ages；　without
distinction；　and　then　Antigonus；　without　regard　to　either　his
past　or　present　circumstances；　came　down　from　the　citadel；　and
fell　down　at　the　feet　of　Sosius；　who　took　no　pity　of　him；　in　the
change　of　his　fortune；　but　insulted　him　beyond　measure；　and
called　him　Antigone　＇i。e。　a　woman；　and　not　a　man；＇　yet　did　he　not
treat　him　as　if　he　were　a　woman；　by　letting　him　go　at　liberty；
but　put　him　into　bonds；　and　kept　him　in　close　custody。

3。　And　now　Herod　having　overcome　his　enemies；　his　care　was　to
govern　those　foreigners　who　had　been　his　assistants；　for　the
crowd　of　strangers　rushed　to　see　the　temple；　and　the　sacred
things　in　the　temple；　but　the　king；　thinking　a　victory　to　be　a
more　severe　affliction　than　a　defeat；　if　any　of　those　things
which　it　was　not　lawful　to　see　should　be　seen　by　them；　used
entreaties　and　threatenings；　and　even　sometimes　force　itself；　to
restrain　them。　He　also　prohibited　the　ravage　that　was　made　in　the
city；　and　many　times　asked　Sosius　whether　the　Romans　would　empty
the　city　both　of　money　and　men；　and　leave　him　king　of　a　desert；
and　told　him　that　he　esteemed　the　dominion　over　the　whole
habitable　earth　as　by　no　means　an　equivalent　satisfaction　for
such　a　murder　of　his　citizens'；　and　when　he　said　that　this
plunder　was　justly　to　be　permitted　the　soldiers　for　the　siege
they　had　undergone；　he　replied；　that　he　would　give　every　one
their　reward　out　of　his　own　money；　and　by　this　means　be　redeemed
what　remained　of　the　city　from　destruction；　and　he　performed　what
he　had　promised　him；　for　he　gave　a　noble　present　to　every
soldier；　and　a　proportionable　present　to　their　commanders；　but　a
most　royal　present　to　Sosius　himself；　till　they　all　went　away
full　of　money。

4。　This　destruction　befell　the　city　of　Jerusalem　when　Marcus
Agrippa　and　Caninius　Gallus　were　consuls　of　Rome　（30）　on　the
hundred　eighty　and　fifth　olympiad；　on　the　third　month；　on　the
solemnity　of　the　fast；　as　if　a　periodical　revolution　of
calamities　had　returned　since　that　which　befell　the　Jews　under
Pompey；　for　the　Jews　were　taken　by　him　on　the　same　day；　and　this
was　after　twenty…seven　years'　time。　So　when　Sosius　had　dedicated
a　crown　of　gold　to　God；　he　marched　away　from　Jerusalem；　and
carried　Antigonus　with　him　in　bonds　to　Antony；　but　Herod　was
afraid　lest　Antigonus　should　be　kept　in　prison　＇only＇　by　Antony；
and　that　when　he　was　carried　to　Rome　by　him；　he　might　get　his
cause　to　be　heard　by　the　senate；　and　might　demonstrate；　as　he　was
himself　of　the　royal　blood；　and　Herod　but　a　private　man；　that
therefore　it　belonged　to　his　sons　however　to　have　the　kingdom；　on
account　of　the　family　they　were　of；　in　case　he　had　himself
offended　the　Romans　by　what　he　had　done。　Out　of　Herod's　fear　of
this　it　was　that　he；　by　giving　Antony　a　great　deal　of　money；
endeavored　to　persuade　him　to　have　Antigonus　slain；　which　if　it
were　once　done；　he　should　be　free　from　that　fear。　And　thus　did
the　government　of　the　Asamoneans　cease；　a　hundred　twenty　and　six
years　after　it　was　first　set　up。　This　family　was　a　splendid　and
an　illustrious　one；　both　on　account　of　the　nobility　of　their
stock；　and　of　the　dignity　of　the　high　priesthood；　as　also　for　the
glorious　actions　their　ancestors　had　performed　for　our　nation；
but　these　men　lost　the　government　by　their　dissensions　one　with
another；　and　it　came　to　Herod；　the　son　of　Antipater；　who　was　of
no　more　than　a　vulgar　family；　and　of　no　eminent　extraction；　but
one　that　was　subject　to　other　kings。　And　this　is　what　history
tells　us　was　the　end　of　the　Asamonean　family。

BOOK　XV。

Containing　The　Interval　Of　Eighteen　Years。