the wars of the jews-第101章

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of　these　troops　of　robbers；　being　satiated　with　rapines　in　the　country；　got　all　together　from　all　parts；　and　became　a　band　of　wickedness；　and　all　together　crept　into　Jerusalem；　which　was　now　become　a　city　without　a　governor；　and；　as　the　ancient　custom　was；　received　without　distinction　all　that　belonged　to　their　nation；　and　these　they　then　　　received；　because　all　men　supposed　that　those　who　came　so　fast　into　the　city　came　out　of　kindness；　and　for　their　　　assistance；　although　these　very　men；　besides　the　seditions　they　raised；　were　otherwise　the　direct　cause　of　the　city's　destruction　also；　for　as　they　were　an　unprofitable　and　a　useless　multitude；　they　spent　those　provisions　beforehand　which　might　otherwise　have　been　sufficient　for　the　fighting　men。　Moreover；　besides　the　bringing　on　of　the　war；　they　were　the　occasions　of　sedition　and　famine　therein。　　　　　　4。　There　were　besides　these　other　robbers　that　came　out　of　the　country；　and　came　into　the　city；　and　joining　to　them　those　that　were　worse　than　themselves；　omitted　no　kind　of　　　barbarity；　for　they　did　not　measure　their　courage　by　their　rapines　and　plunderings　only；　but　preceded　as　far　as　　　murdering　men；　and　this　not　in　the　night　time　or　privately；　or　with　regard　to　ordinary　men；　but　did　it　openly　in　the　day　time；　and　began　with　the　most　eminent　persons　in　the　city；　for　the　first　man　they　meddled　with　was　Antipas；　one　of　the　royal　lineage；　and　the　most　potent　man　in　the　whole　city；　insomuch　that　the　public　treasures　were　committed　to　his　care；　him　they　took　and　confined；　as　they　did　in　the　next　place　to　Levias；　a　person　of　great　note；　with　Sophas；　the　son　of　Raguel；　both　which　were　of　royal　lineage　also。　And　besides　these；　they　did　the　same　to　the　principal　men　of　the　country。　This　caused　a　terrible　consternation　among　the　people；　and　everyone　contented　himself　with　taking　care　of　his　own　　　safety；　as　they　would　do　if　the　city　had　been　taken　in　war。　　　　5。　But　these　were　not　satisfied　with　the　bonds　into　which　they　had　put　the　men　forementioned；　nor　did　they　think　it　safe　for　them　to　keep　them　thus　in　custody　long；　since　they　were　men　very　powerful；　and　had　numerous　families　of　their　own　that　were　able　to　avenge　them。　Nay；　they　thought　the　very　people　would　perhaps　be　so　moved　at　these　unjust　proceedings；　as　to　rise　in　a　body　against　them；　it　was　therefore　resolved　to　have　them　slain　accordingly；　they　sent　one　John；　who　was　the　most　bloody…minded　of　them　all；　to　do　that　execution：　this　man　was　also　called　〃the　son　of　Dorcas；〃　（3）　in　the　language　of　our　country。　Ten　more　men　went　along　with　him　into　the　　　prison；　with　their　swords　drawn；　and　so　they　cut　the　throats　of　those　that　were　in　custody　there。　The　grand　lying　pretence　these　men　made　for　so　flagrant　an　enormity　was　this；　that　these　men　had　had　conferences　with　the　Romans　for　a　　　surrender　of　Jerusalem　to　them；　and　so　they　said　they　had　slain　only　such　as　were　traitors　to　their　common　liberty。　Upon　the　whole；　they　grew　the　more　insolent　upon　this　bold　prank　of　theirs；　as　though　they　had　been　the　benefactors　and　saviors　of　the　city。　　　　　　6。　Now　the　people　were　come　to　that　degree　of　meanness　　　and　fear；　and　these　robbers　to　that　degree　of　madness；　that　these　last　took　upon　them　to　appoint　high　priests。　（4）　So　when　they　had　disannulled　the　succession；　according　to　those　families　out　of　which　the　high　priests　used　to　be　made；　they　ordained　certain　unknown　and　ignoble　persons　for　that　office；　that　they　might　have　their　assistance　in　their　wicked　　　undertakings；　for　such　as　obtained　this　highest　of　all　honors；　without　any　desert；　were　forced　to　comply　with　those　that　bestowed　it　on　them。　They　also　set　the　principal　men　at　　　variance　one　with　another；　by　several　sorts　of　contrivances　and　tricks；　and　gained　the　opportunity　of　doing　what　they　pleased；　by　the　mutual　quarrels　of　those　who　might　have　　　obstructed　their　measures；　till　at　length；　when　they　were　satiated　with　the　unjust　actions　they　had　done　towards　men；　they　transferred　their　contumelious　behavior　to　God　himself；　and　came　into　the　sanctuary　with　polluted　feet。　　　　　　7。　And　now　the　multitude　were　going　to　rise　against　them　already；　for　Ananus；　the　ancientest　of　the　high　priests；　persuaded　them　to　it。　He　was　a　very　prudent　man；　and　had　perhaps　saved　the　city　if　he　could　but　have　escaped　the　hands　of　those　that　plotted　against　him。　These　men　made　the　　　temple　of　God　a　strong　hold　for　them；　and　a　place　whither　they　might　resort；　in　order　to　avoid　the　troubles　they　feared　from　the　people；　the　sanctuary　was　now　become　a　refuge；　　　and　a　shop　of　tyranny。　They　also　mixed　jesting　among　the　miseries　they　introduced；　which　was　more　intolerable　than　what　they　did；　for　in　order　to　try　what　surprise　the　people　would　be　under；　and　how　far　their　own　power　extended；　they　undertook　to　dispose　of　the　high　priesthood　by　casting　lots　for　it；　whereas；　as　we　have　said　already；　it　was　to　descend　by　succession　in　a　family。　The　pretense　they　made　for　this　　　strange　attempt　was　an　ancient　practice；　while　they　said　that　of　old　it　was　determined　by　lot；　but　in　truth；　it　was　no　better　than　a　dissolution　of　an　undeniable　law；　and　a　cunning　　　contrivance　to　seize　upon　the　government；　derived　from　those　that　presumed　to　appoint　governors　as　they　themselves　　　pleased。　　　　　　8。　Hereupon　they　sent　for　one　of　the　pontifical　tribes；　which　is　called　Eniachim；　（5）　and　cast　lots　which　of　it　should　be　the　high　priest。　By　fortune　the　lot　so　fell　as　to　demonstrate　their　iniquity　after　the　plainest　manner；　for　it　fell　upon　one　whose　name　was　Phannias；　the　son　of　Samuel；　of　the　village　Aphtha。　He　was　a　man　not　only　unworthy　of　the　high　priesthood；　but　that　did　not　well　know　what　the　high　priesthood　was；　such　a　mere　rustic　was　he　！　yet　did　they　hail　this　man；　without　his　own　consent；　out　of　the　country；　as　if　they　were　acting　a　play　upon　the　stage；　and　adorned　him　with　a　counterfeit　thee；　they　also　put　upon　him　the　sacred　garments；　and　upon　every　occasion　instructed　him　what　he　was　to　do。　This　horrid　piece　of　wickedness　was　sport　and　pastime　with　them；　but　　　occasioned　the　other　priests；　who　at　a　distance　saw　their　law　made　a　jest　of；　to　shed　tears；　and　sorely　lament　the　　　dissolution　of　such　a　sacred　dignity。　　　　　　9。　And　now　the　people　could　no　longer　bear　the　insolence　of　this　procedure；　but　did　all　together　run　zealously；　in　order　to　overthrow　that　tyranny；　and　indeed　they　were　Gorion　the　son　of　Josephus；　and　Symeon　the　son　of　Gamaliel；　（6）　who　　　encouraged　them；　by　going　up　and　down　when　they　were　　　assembled　together　in　crowds；　and　as　they　saw　them　alone；　to　bear　no　longer；　but　to　inflict　punishment　upon　these　pests　and　plagues　of　their　freedom；　and　to　purge　the　temple　of　these　bloody　polluters　of　it。　The　best　esteemed　also　of　the　high　priests；　Jesus　the　son　of　Gamalas；　and　Ananus　the　son　of　Ananus　when　they　were　at　their　assemblies；　bitterly　　　reproached　the　people　for　their　sloth；　and　excited　them　　　against　the　zealots；　for　that　was　the　name　they　went　by；　as　if　they　were　zealous　in　good　undertakings；　and　were　not　rather　zealous　in　the　worst　actions；　and　extravagant　in　them　beyond　the　example　of　others。　　　　　　10。　And　now；　when　the　multitude　were　gotten　together　to　an　assembly；　and　every　one　was　in　indignation　at　these　men