the wars of the jews-第157章

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ed　This　Destruction。　　　　1。　While　the　holy　house　was　on　fire；　every　thing　was　plundered　that　came　to　hand；　and　ten　thousand　of　those　that　were　caught　were　slain；　nor　was　there　a　commiseration　of　any　age；　or　any　reverence　of　gravity；　but　children；　and　old　men；　and　profane　persons；　and　priests　were　all　slain　in　the　same　manner；　so　that　this　war　went　round　all　sorts　of　men；　and　brought　them　to　destruction；　and　as　well　those　that　made　supplication　for　their　lives；　as　those　that　defended　themselves　by　fighting。　The　flame　was　also　carried　a　long　way；　and　made　an　echo；　together　with　the　　groans　of　those　that　were　slain；　and　because　this　hill　was　high；　and　the　works　at　the　temple　were　very　great；　one　would　have　thought　the　whole　city　had　been　on　fire。　Nor　can　one　imagine　any　thing　either　greater　or　more　terrible　than　this　noise；　for　there　was　at　once　a　shout　of　the　Roman　legions；　who　were　marching　all　together；　and　a　sad　clamor　of　the　seditious；　who　were　now　surrounded　with　fire　and　sword。　The　people　also　that　were　left　above　were　beaten　back　upon　the　enemy；　and　under　a　great　consternation；　and　made　sad　moans　at　the　calamity　they　were　under；　the　multitude　also　that　was　in　the　city　joined　in　this　outcry　with　those　that　were　upon　the　hill。　And　besides；　many　of　those　that　were　worn　away　by　the　famine；　and　their　mouths　almost　closed；　when　they　saw　the　fire　of　the　holy　house；　they　exerted　their　utmost　strength；　and　brake　out　into　　groans　and　outcries　again：　Pera　（17）　did　also　return　the　echo；　as　well　as　the　mountains　round　about　＇the　city；＇　and　augmented　the　force　of　the　entire　noise。　Yet　was　the　misery　itself　more　terrible　than　this　disorder；　for　one　would　have　thought　that　the　hill　itself；　on　which　the　temple　stood；　was　seething　hot；　as　full　of　fire　on　every　part　of　it；　that　the　blood　was　larger　in　quantity　than　the　fire；　and　those　that　were　slain　more　in　number　than　those　that　slew　them；　for　the　ground　did　no　where　appear　visible；　for　the　dead　bodies　that　lay　on　it；　but　the　soldiers　went　over　heaps　of　those　bodies；　as　they　ran　upon　such　as　fled　from　them。　And　now　it　was　that　the　multitude　of　the　robbers　were　thrust　out　＇of　the　inner　court　of　the　temple　by　the　Romans；＇　and　had　much　ado　to　get　into　the　outward　court；　and　from　thence　into　the　city；　while　the　remainder　of　the　populace　fled　into　the　cloister　of　that　outer　court。　As　for　the　priests；　some　of　them　plucked　up　from　the　holy　house　the　spikes　（18）　that　were　upon　it；　with　their　bases；　which　were　made　of　lead；　and　shot　them　at　the　Romans　instead　of　darts。　But　then　as　they　gained　nothing　by　so　doing；　and　as　the　fire　burst　out　upon　them；　they　retired　to　the　wall　that　was　eight　cubits　broad；　and　there　they　tarried；　yet　did　two　of　these　of　eminence　among　them；　who　might　have　saved　themselves　by　going　over　to　the　Romans；　or　have　borne　up　with　　courage；　and　taken　their　fortune　with　the　others；　throw　themselves　into　the　fire；　and　were　burnt　together　with　the　holy　house；　their　names　were　Meirus　the　son　of　Belgas；　and　Joseph　the　son　of　Daleus。　　　　2。　And　now　the　Romans；　judging　that　it　was　in　vain　to　spare　what　was　round　about　the　holy　house；　burnt　all　those　places；　as　also　the　remains　of　the　cloisters　and　the　gates；　two　excepted；　the　one　on　the　east　side；　and　the　other　on　the　south；　both　which；　however；　they　burnt　afterward。　They　also　burnt　down　the　treasury　chambers；　in　which　was　an　immense　quantity　of　money；　and　an　immense　number　of　garments；　and　other　precious　goods　there　reposited；　and；　to　speak　all　in　a　few　words；　there　it　was　that　the　entire　riches　of　the　Jews　were　heaped　up　together；　while　the　rich　people　had　there　built　themselves　chambers　＇to　contain　　such　furniture＇。　The　soldiers　also　came　to　the　rest　of　the　cloisters　that　were　in　the　outer　＇court　of　the＇　temple；　whither　the　women　and　children；　and　a　great　mixed　multitude　of　the　people；　fled；　in　number　about　six　thousand。　But　before　Caesar　had　determined　any　thing　about　these　people；　or　given　the　commanders　any　orders　relating　to　them；　the　soldiers　were　in　such　a　rage；　that　they　set　that　cloister　on　fire；　by　which　means　it　came　to　pass　that　some　of　these　were　destroyed　by　throwing　themselves　down　headlong；　and　some　were　burnt　in　the　cloisters　themselves。　Nor　did　any　one　of　them　escape　with　his　life。　A　false　prophet　（19）　was　the　occasion　of　these　people's　destruction；　who　had　　made　a　public　proclamation　in　the　city　that　very　day；　that　God　commanded　them　to　get　upon　the　temple；　and　that　there　they　should　receive　miraculous　signs　of　their　deliverance。　Now　there　was　then　a　great　number　of　false　prophets　suborned　by　the　tyrants　to　impose　on　the　people；　who　denounced　this　to　them；　that　they　should　wait　for　deliverance　from　God；　and　this　was　in　order　to　keep　them　from　deserting；　and　that　they　might　be　buoyed　up　above　　fear　and　care　by　such　hopes。　Now　a　man　that　is　in　adversity　does　easily　comply　with　such　promises；　for　when　such　a　seducer　makes　him　believe　that　he　shall　be　delivered　from　those　miseries　which　oppress　him；　then　it　is　that　the　patient　is　full　of　hopes　of　such　his　deliverance。　

3。　Thus　were　the　miserable　people　persuaded　by　these　deceivers；　and　such　as　belied　God　himself；　while　they　did　not　attend　nor　give　credit　to　the　signs　that　were　so　evident；　and　did　so　plainly　foretell　their　future　desolation；　but；　like　men　infatuated；　without　either　eyes　to　see　or　minds　to　consider；　did　not　regard　the　denunciations　that　God　made　to　them。　Thus　there　was　a　star　（20）　resembling　a　sword；　which　stood　over　the　city；　and　a　comet；　that　continued　a　whole　year。　Thus　also　before　the　Jews'　rebellion；　and　before　those　commotions　which　preceded　the　war；　when　the　people　were　come　in　great　crowds　to　the　feast　of　unleavened　bread；　on　the　eighth　day　of　the　month　Xanthicus；　（21）　＇Nisan；＇　and　at　the　ninth　hour　of　the　night；　so　great　a　light　shone　round　the　altar　and　the　holy　house；　that　it　appeared　to　be　bright　day　time；　which　lasted　for　half　an　hour。　This　light　seemed　to　be　a　good　sign　to　the　unskillful；　but　was　so　interpreted　by　the　sacred　scribes；　as　to　portend　those　events　that　followed　immediately　upon　it。　At　the　same　festival　also；　a　heifer；　as　she　was　led　by　the　high　priest　to　be　sacrificed；　brought　forth　a　lamb　in　the　midst　of　the　temple。　Moreover；　the　eastern　gate　of　the　inner　（22）　＇court　of　the＇　temple；　which　was　of　brass；　and　vastly　heavy；　and　had　been　with　difficulty　shut　by　twenty　men；　and　rested　upon　a　basis　armed　with　iron；　and　had　bolts　fastened　very　deep　into　the　firm　floor；　which　was　there　made　of　one　entire　stone；　was　seen　to　be　opened　of　its　own　accord　about　the　sixth　hour　of　the　night。　Now　those　　that　kept　watch　in　the　temple　came　hereupon　running　to　the　captain　of　the　temple；　and　told　him　of　it；　who　then　came　up　thither；　and　not　without　great　difficulty　was　able　to　shut　the　gate　again。　This　also　appeared　to　the　vulgar　to　be　a　very　happy　prodigy；　as　if　God　did　thereby　open　them　the　gate　of　happiness。　But　the　men　of　learning　understood　it；　that　the　security　of　their　holy　house　was　dissolved　of　its　own　accord；　and　that　the　gate　was　opened　for　the　advantage　of　their　enemies。　So　these　publicly　declared　that　the　signal　foreshowed　the　desolation　that　was　coming　upon　them。　Besides　these；　a　few　days　after　that　feast；　on　the　one　and　twentieth　day