the wars of the jews-第107章

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than　they　were　for　　　themselves；　and　got　together；　and　looked　about　them　to　see　whether　they　could　devise　any　means　of　assisting　them。　The　hotter　sort　of　them　thought　it　best　to　force　their　guards　with　their　arms；　and　after　that　to　fall　into　the　midst　of　the　city；　and　publicly　open　the　gates　to　those　that　came　to　their　　　assistance；　as　supposing　the　guards　would　be　in　disorder；　and　give　way　at　such　an　unexpected　attempt　of　theirs；　especially　as　the　greater　part　of　them　were　unarmed　and　unskilled　in　the　affairs　of　war；　and　that　besides　the　multitude　of　the　citizens　would　not　be　easily　gathered　together；　but　confined　to　their　houses　by　the　storm：　and　that　if　there　were　any　hazard　in　their　undertaking；　it　became　them　to　suffer　any　thing　whatsoever　themselves；　rather　than　to　overlook　so　great　a　multitude　as　were　miserably　perishing　on　their　account。　But　the　more　prudent　part　of　them　disapproved　of　this　forcible　method；　because　they　saw　not　only　the　guards　about　them　　　very　numerous；　but　the　walls　of　the　city　itself　carefully　watched；　by　reason　of　the　Idumeans。　They　also　supposed　that　Ananus　would　be　every　where；　and　visit　the　guards　every　　　hour；　which　indeed　was　done　upon　other　nights；　but　was　　　omitted　that　night；　not　by　reason　of　any　slothfulness　of　Ananus；　but　by　the　overbearing　appointment　of　fate；　that　so　both　he　might　himself　perish；　and　the　multitude　of　the　guards　might　perish　with　him；　for　truly；　as　the　night　was　far　gone；　and　the　storm　very　terrible；　Ananus　gave　the　guards　in　the　cloisters　leave　to　go　to　sleep；　while　it　came　into　the　heads　of　the　zealots　to　make　use　of　the　saws　belonging　to　the　temple；　and　to　cut　the　bars　of　the　gates　to　pieces。　The　noise　of　the　wind；　and　that　not　inferior　sound　of　the　thunder；　did　here　also　conspire　with　their　designs；　that　the　noise　of　the　saws　was　not　heard　by　the　others。　　　　　　7。　So　they　secretly　went　out　of　the　temple　to　the　wall　of　the　city；　and　made　use　of　their　saws；　and　opened　that　gate　which　was　over　against　the　Idumeans。　Now　at　first　there　came　a　fear　upon　the　Idumeans　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　sa