the wars of the jews-第128章

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were　many　in　number；　and　the　steps　by　which　you　ascended　up　to　them　were　　　every　one　broad：　of　these　towers　then　the　third　wall　had　ninety；　and　the　spaces　between　them　were　each　two　　　hundred　cubits；　but　in　the　middle　wall　were　forty　towers；　and　the　old　wall　was　parted　into　sixty；　while　the　whole　　　compass　of　the　city　was　thirty…three　furlongs。　Now　the　third　wall　was　all　of　it　wonderful；　yet　was　the　tower　Psephinus　elevated　above　it　at　the　north…west　corner；　and　there　Titus　pitched　his　own　tent；　for　being　seventy　cubits　high　it　both　afforded　a　prospect　of　Arabia　at　sun…rising；　as　well　as　it　did　of　the　utmost　limits　of　the　Hebrew　possessions　at　the　sea　westward。　Moreover；　it　was　an　octagon；　and　over　against　it　was　the　tower　Hipplicus；　and　hard　by　two　others　were　　　erected　by　king　Herod；　in　the　old　wall。　These　were　for　　　largeness；　beauty；　and　strength　beyond　all　that　were　in　the　habitable　earth；　for　besides　the　magnanimity　of　his　nature；　and　his　magnificence　towards　the　city　on　other　occasions；　he　built　these　after　such　an　extraordinary　manner；　to　gratify　his　own　private　affections；　and　dedicated　these　towers　to　the　memory　of　those　three　persons　who　had　been　the　　　dearest　to　him；　and　from　whom　he　named　them。　They　were　　　his　brother；　his　friend；　and　his　wife。　This　wife　he　had　slain；　out　of　his　love　＇and　jealousy＇；　as　we　have　already　related；　the　other　two　he　lost　in　war；　as　they　were　courageously　　　fighting。　Hippicus；　so　named　from　his　friend；　was　square；　its　length　and　breadth　were　each　twenty…five　cubits；　and　its　height　thirty；　and　it　had　no　vacuity　in　it。　Over　this　solid　building；　which　was　composed　of　great　stones　united　　　together；　there　was　a　reservoir　twenty　cubits　deep；　over　which　there　was　a　house　of　two　stories；　whose　height　was　twenty…five　cubits；　and　divided　into　several　parts；　over　which　were　battlements　of　two　cubits；　and　turrets　all　round　of　three　cubits　high；　insomuch　that　the　entire　height　added　together　amounted　to　fourscore　cubits。　The　second　tower；　which　he　named　from　his　brother　Phasaelus；　had　its　　　breadth　and　its　height　equal；　each　of　them　forty　cubits；　over　which　was　its　solid　height　of　forty　cubits；　over　which　a　cloister　went　round　about；　whose　height　was　ten　cubits；　and　it　was　covered　from　enemies　by　breast…works　and　bulwarks。　There　was　also　built　over　that　cloister　another　tower；　parted　into　magnificent　rooms；　and　a　place　for　bathing；　so　that　this　tower　wanted　nothing　that　might　make　it　appear　to　be　a　　　royal　palace。　It　was　also　adorned　with　battlements　and　　　turrets；　more　than　was　the　foregoing；　and　the　entire　altitude　was　about　ninety　cubits；　the　appearance　of　it　resembled　the　tower　of　Pharus；　which　exhibited　a　fire　to　such　as　sailed　to　Alexandria；　but　was　much　larger　than　it　in　compass。　This　was　now　converted　to　a　house；　wherein　Simon　exercised　　　his　tyrannical　authority。　The　third　tower　was　Mariamne；　for　that　was　his　queen's　name；　it　was　solid　as　high　as　twenty　cubits；　its　breadth　and　its　length　were　twenty　cubits；　and　were　equal　to　each　other；　its　upper　buildings　were　more　　　magnificent；　and　had　greater　variety；　than　the　other　towers　had；　for　the　king　thought　it　most　proper　for　him　to　adorn　that　which　was　denominated　from　his　wife；　better　than　　　those　denominated　from　men；　as　those　were　built　stronger　than　this　that　bore　his　wife's　name。　The　entire　height　of　this　tower　was　fifty　cubits。　　　　　　4。　Now　as　these　towers　were　so　very　tall；　they　appeared　　　much　taller　by　the　place　on　which　they　stood；　for　that　very　old　wall　wherein　they　were　was　built　on　a　high　hill；　and　was　itself　a　kind　of　elevation　that　was　still　thirty　cubits　taller；　over　which　were　the　towers　situated；　and　thereby　were　　　made　much　higher　to　appearance。　The　largeness　also　of　　　the　stones　was　wonderful；　for　they　were　not　made　of　　　common　small　stones；　nor　of　such　large　ones　only　as　men　　　could　carry；　but　they　were　of　white　marble；　cut　out　of　the　rock；　each　stone　was　twenty　cubits　in　length；　and　ten　in　breadth；　and　five　in　depth。　They　were　so　exactly　united　to　one　another；　that　each　tower　looked　like　one　entire　rock　of　stone；　so　growing　naturally；　and　afterward　cut　by　the　hand　of　the　artificers　into　their　present　shape　and　corners；　so　little；　or　not　at　all；　did　their　joints　or　connexion　appear。　low　as　these　towers　were　themselves　on　the　north　side　of　the　wall；　the　king　had　a　palace　inwardly　thereto　adjoined；　which　exceeds　all　my　ability　to　describe　it；　for　it　was　so　very　curious　as　to　want　no　cost　nor　skill　in　its　construction；　but　was　entirely　walled　about　to　the　height　of　thirty　cubits；　and　was　adorned　with　towers　at　equal　distances；　and　with　large　bed…chambers；　that　would　contain　beds　for　a　hundred　　　guests　a…piece；　in　which　the　variety　of　the　stones　is　not　to　be　expressed；　for　a　large　quantity　of　those　that　were　rare　of　that　kind　was　collected　together。　Their　roofs　were　also　　　wonderful；　both　for　the　length　of　the　beams；　and　the　　　splendor　of　their　ornaments。　The　number　of　the　rooms　was　also　very　great；　and　the　variety　of　the　figures　that　were　about　them　was　prodigious；　their　furniture　was　complete；　and　the　greatest　part　of　the　vessels　that　were　put　in　them　was　of　silver　and　gold。　There　were　besides　many　porticoes；　one　beyond　another；　round　about；　and　in　each　of　those　　　porticoes　curious　pillars；　yet　were　all　the　courts　that　were　exposed　to　the　air　every　where　green。　There　were；　　　moreover；　several　groves　of　trees；　and　long　walks　through　them；　with　deep　canals；　and　cisterns；　that　in　several　parts　were　filled　with　brazen　statues；　through　which　the　water　ran　out。　There　were　withal　many　dove…courts　（11）　of　tame　　　pigeons　about　the　canals。　But　indeed　it　is　not　possible　to　give　a　complete　description　of　these　palaces；　and　the　very　remembrance　of　them　is　a　torment　to　one；　as　putting　one　in　mind　what　vastly　rich　buildings　that　fire　which　was　kindled　by　the　robbers　hath　consumed；　for　these　were　not　burnt　by　the　Romans；　but　by　these　internal　plotters；　as　we　have　　　already　related；　in　the　beginning　of　their　rebellion。　That　fire　began　at　the　tower　of　Antonia；　and　went　on　to　the　palaces；　and　consumed　the　upper　parts　of　the　three　towers　　　themselves。　　　　　　CHAPTER　5。　　　　　　　　　　　　A　Description　Of　The　Temple。　　　　　　1。　Now　this　temple；　as　I　have　already　said；　was　built　upon　a　strong　hill。　At　first　the　plain　at　the　top　was　hardly　sufficient　for　the　holy　house　and　the　altar；　for　the　ground　about　it　was　very　uneven；　and　like　a　precipice；　but　when　king　Solomon；　who　was　the　person　that　built　the　temple；　had　built　a　wall　to　it　on　its　east　side；　there　was　then　added　one　cloister　　　founded　on　a　bank　cast　up　for　it；　and　on　the　other　parts　the　holy　house　stood　naked。　But　in　future　ages　the　people　　　added　new　banks；　（12）　and　the　hill　became　a　larger　plain。　They　then　broke　down　the　wall　on　the　north　side；　and　took　in　as　much　as　sufficed　afterward　for　the　compass　of　the　　　entire　temple。　And　when　they　had　built　walls　on　three　sides　of　the　temple　round　about；　from　the　bottom　of　the　hill；　and　had　performed　a　work　that　was　greater　than　could　be　　　hoped　for；　（in　which　work　long　ages　were　spent　by　them；　as　well　as　all　their　sacred　treasures　were　exhausted；　which　were　still　replenished　by　those　tributes　which　were　sent　to　God　from　the　whole　habitable　earth；）　they　then　　　enco