the wars of the jews-第115章

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　considerable　number　of　them；　and　drove　the　rest　before　him　into　the　city；　but　durst　not　trust　so　much　upon　his　forces　as　to　make　an　assault　upon　the　walls；　but　he　resolved　first　to　subdue　Idumea；　and　as　he　had　now　twenty　thousand　armed　　　men；　he　marched　to　the　borders　of　their　country。　Hereupon　the　rulers　of　the　Idumeans　got　together　on　the　sudden　the　most　warlike　part　of　their　people；　about　twenty…five　thousand　in　number；　and　permitted　the　rest　to　be　a　guard　to　their　own　country；　by　reason　of　the　incursions　that　were　made　by　the　Sicarii　that　were　at　Masada。　Thus　they　received　Simon　at　their　borders；　where　they　fought　him；　and　continued　the　　　battle　all　that　day；　and　the　dispute　lay　whether　they　had　conquered　him；　or　been　conquered　by　him。　So　he　went　back　to　Nain；　as　did　the　Idumeans　return　home。　Nor　was　it　long　ere　Simon　came　violently　again　upon　their　country；　when　he　pitched　his　camp　at　a　certain　village　called　Thecoe；　and　sent　Eleazar；　one　of　his　companions；　to　those　that　kept　garrison　at　Herodium；　and　in　order　to　persuade　them　to　surrender　that　fortress　to　him。　The　garrison　received　this　man　readily；　while　they　knew　nothing　of　what　he　came　about；　but　as　soon　as　he　talked　of　the　surrender　of　the　place；　they　fell　upon　him　with　their　drawn　swords；　till　he　found　that　he　had　no　place　for　flight；　when　he　threw　himself　down　from　the　wall　into　the　valley　beneath；　so　he　died　immediately：　but　the　Idumeans；　who　were　already　much　afraid　of　Simon's　power；　thought　fit　to　take　a　view　of　the　enemy's　army　before　they　hazarded　a　battle　with　them。　　　　　　6。　Now　there　was　one　of　their　commanders　named　Jacob；　　　who　offered　to　serve　them　readily　upon　that　occasion；　but　had　it　in　his　mind　to　betray　them。　He　went　therefore　from　the　village　Alurus；　wherein　the　army　of　the　Idumeans　were　gotten　together；　and　came　to　Simon；　and　at　the　very　first　he　agreed　to　betray　his　country　to　him；　and　took　assurances　upon　oath　from　him　that　he　should　always　have　him　in　　　esteem；　and　then　promised　him　that　he　would　assist　him　in　subduing　all　Idumea　under　him；　upon　which　account　he　was　feasted　after　an　obliging　manner　by　Simon；　and　elevated　by　his　mighty　promises；　and　when　he　was　returned　to　his　own　men；　he　at　first　belied　the　army　of　Simon；　and　said　it　was　manifold　more　in　number　than　what　it　was；　after　which；　he　dexterously　persuaded　the　commanders；　and　by　degrees　the　whole　multitude；　to　receive　Simon；　and　to　surrender　the　　　whole　government　up　to　him　without　fighting。　And　as　he　was　doing　this；　he　invited　Simon　by　his　messengers；　and　promised　him　to　disperse　the　Idumeans；　which　he　performed　also；　for　as　soon　as　their　army　was　nigh　them；　he　first　of　all　got　upon　his　horse；　and　fled；　together　with　those　whom　he　had　　　corrupted；　hereupon　a　terror　fell　upon　the　whole　multitude；　and　before　it　came　to　a　close　fight；　they　broke　their　ranks；　and　every　one　retired　to　his　own　home。　　　　　　7。　Thus　did　Simon　unexpectedly　march　into　Idumea；　without　bloodshed；　and　made　a　sudden　attack　upon　the　city　Hebron；　and　took　it；　wherein　he　got　possession　of　a　great　deal　of　prey；　and　plundered　it　of　a　vast　quantity　of　fruit。　Now　the　people　of　the　country　say　that　it　is　an　ancienter　city；　not　only　than　any　in　that　country；　but　than　Memphis　in　Egypt；　and　　　accordingly　its　age　is　reckoned　at　two　thousand　and　three　hundred　years。　They　also　relate　that　it　had　been　the　　　habitation　of　Abram；　the　progenitor　of　the　Jews；　after　he　had　removed　out　of　Mesopotamia；　and　they　say　that　his　posterity　descended　from　thence　into　Egypt；　whose　monuments　are　to　this　very　time　showed　in　that　small　city；　the　fabric　of　which　monuments　are　of　the　most　excellent　marble；　and　wrought　　　after　the　most　elegant　manner。　There　is　also　there　showed；　at　the　distance　of　six　furlongs　from　the　city；　a　very　large　turpentine　tree　（17）　and　the　report　goes；　that　this　tree　has　continued　ever　since　the　creation　of　the　world。　Thence　did　Simon　make　his　progress　over　all　Idumen；　and　did　not　only　ravage　the　cities　and　villages；　but　lay　waste　the　whole　country；　for；　besides　those　that　were　completely　armed；　he　had　forty　thousand　men　that　followed　him；　insomuch　that　he　had　not　provisions　enough　to　suffice　such　a　multitude。　Now；　besides　this　want　of　provisions　that　he　was　in；　he　was　of　a　barbarous　disposition；　and　bore　great　anger　at　this　nation；　by　which　means　it　came　to　pass　that　Idumea　was　greatly　depopulated；　and　as　one　may　see　all　the　woods　behind　despoiled　of　their　leaves　by　locusts；　after　they　have　been　there；　so　was　there　nothing　left　behind　Simon's　army　but　a　desert。　Some　places　they　burnt　down；　some　they　utterly　demolished；　and　　　whatsoever　grew　in　the　country；　they　either　trod　it　down　or　fed　upon　it；　and　by　their　marches　they　made　the　ground　that　was　cultivated　harder　and　more　untractable　than　that　which　was　barren。　In　short；　there　was　no　sign　remaining　of　those　places　that　had　been　laid　waste；　that　ever　they　had　had　a　being。　　　　　　8。　This　success　of　Simon　excited　the　zealots　afresh；　and　though　they　were　afraid　to　fight　him　openly　in　a　fair　battle；　yet　did　they　lay　ambushes　in　the　passes；　and　seized　upon　his　wife；　with　a　considerable　number　of　her　attendants；　　　whereupon　they　came　back　to　the　city　rejoicing；　as　if　they　had　taken　Simon　himself　captive；　and　were　in　present　　　expectation　that　he　would　lay　down　his　arms；　and　make　　　supplication　to　them　for　his　wife；　but　instead　of　indulging　any　merciful　affection；　he　grew　very　angry　at　them　for　seizing　his　beloved　wife；　so　he　came　to　the　wall　of　Jerusalem；　and；　like　wild　beasts　when　they　are　wounded；　and　cannot　overtake　　　those　that　wounded　them；　he　vented　his　spleen　upon　all　　　persons　that　he　met　with。　Accordingly；　he　caught　all　those　that　were　come　out　of　the　city　gates；　either　to　gather　herbs　or　sticks；　who　were　unarmed　and　in　years；　he　then　tormented　them　and　destroyed　them；　out　of　the　immense　rage　he　was　　　in；　and　was　almost　ready　to　taste　the　very　flesh　of　their　dead　bodies。　He　also　cut　off　the　hands　of　a　great　many；　and　sent　them　into　the　city　to　astonish　his　enemies；　and　in　order　to　make　the　people　fall　into　a　sedition；　and　desert　those　that　had　been　the　authors　of　his　wife's　seizure。　He　also　enjoined　them　to　tell　the　people　that　Simon　swore　by　the　God　of　the　universe；　who　sees　all　things；　that　unless　they　will　restore　him　his　wife；　he　will　break　down　their　wall；　and　inflict　the　like　punishment　upon　all　the　citizens；　without　sparing　any　age；　and　without　making　any　distinction　between　the　guilty　and　the　innocent。　These　threatenings　so　greatly　affrighted；　not　the　people　only；　but　the　zealots　themselves　also；　that　they　sent　his　wife　back　to　him；　when　he　became　a　little　milder；　and　left　off　his　perpetual　blood…shedding。　　　　　　9。　But　now　sedition　and　civil　war　prevailed；　not　only　over　Judea；　but　in　Italy　also；　for　now　Galba　was　slain　in　the　midst　of　the　Roman　market…place；　then　was　Otho　made　emperor；　　　and　fought　against　Vitellius；　who　set　up　for　emperor　also；　for　the　legions　in　Germany　had　chosen　him。　But　when　he　gave　　　battle　to　Valens　and　Cecinna；　who　were　Vitellius's　generals；　at　Betriacum；　in　Gaul；　Otho　gained　the　advantage　on　the　first　day；　but　on　the　second　day　Vitellius's　soldiers　had　the　victory；　and　after　much　slaughter　Otho　slew　himself；　when　he　had　　　heard　of　this　defeat　at