the wars of the jews-第143章

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CHAPTER　13。　　　　　　　　　　The　Great　Slaughters　And　Sacrilege　That　Were　In　Jerusalem。　　　　1。　Accordingly　Simon　would　not　suffer　Matthias；　by　whose　means　he　got　possession　of　the　city；　to　go　off　without　torment。　This　Matthias　was　the　son　of　Boethus；　and　was　one　of　the　high　priests；　one　that　had　been　very　faithful　to　the　people；　and　in　great　esteem　with　them；　he；　when　the　multitude　were　distressed　by　the　zealots；　among　whom　John　was　numbered；　persuaded　the　people　to　admit　this　Simon　to　come　in　to　assist　them；　while　he　had　made　no　terms　with　him；　nor　expected　any　thing　that　was　evil　from　him。　But　when　Simon　was　come　in；　and　had　gotten　the　city　under　his　power；　he　esteemed　him　that　had　advised　them　to　admit　him　as　his　enemy　equally　with　the　rest；　as　looking　upon　that　advice　as　a　piece　of　his　simplicity　only；　so　he　had　him　then　brought　before　him；　and　condemned　to　die　for　being　on　the　side　of　the　Romans；　without　giving　him　leave　to　make　his　defense。　He　condemned　also　his　three　sons　to　die　with　him；　for　as　to　the　fourth；　he　prevented　him　by　running　away　to　Titus　before。　And　when　he　begged　for　this；　that　he　might　be　slain　before　his　sons；　and　that　as　a　favor；　on　account　that　he　had　procured　the　gates　of　the　city　to　be　opened　to　him；　he　gave　order　that　he　should　be　slain　the　last　of　them　all；　so　he　was　not　slain　till　he　had　seen　his　sons　slain　before　his　eyes；　and　that　by　being　produced　over　against　the　Romans；　for　such　a　charge　had　Simon　given　to　Artanus；　the　son　of　Bamadus；　who　was　the　most　barbarous　of　all　his　guards。　He　also　jested　upon　him；　and　told　him　that　he　might　now　see　whether　those　to　whom　he　intended　to　go　over　would　send　him　any　succors　or　not；　but　still　he　forbade　their　dead　bodies　should　be　buried。　After　the　　slaughter　of　these；　a　certain　priest；　Ananias；　the　son　of　Masambalus；　a　person　of　eminency；　as　also　Aristens；　the　scribe　of　the　sanhedrim；　and　born　at　Emmaus；　and　with　them　fifteen　men　of　figure　among　the　people；　were　slain。　They　also　kept　Josephus's　father　in　prison；　and　made　public　proclamation；　that　no　citizen　whosoever　should　either　speak　to　him　himself；　or　go　into　his　company　among　others；　for　fear　he　should　betray　them。　They　also　slew　such　as　joined　in　lamenting　these　men；　without　any　further　　examination。　　　　2。　Now　when　Judas；　the　son　of　Judas；　who　was　one　of　Simon's　under　officers；　and　a　person　intrusted　by　him　to　keep　one　of　the　towers；　saw　this　procedure　of　Simon；　he　called　together　ten　of　those　under　him；　that　were　most　faithful　to　him；　（perhaps　this　was　done　partly　out　of　pity　to　those　that　had　so　barbarously　been　put　to　death；　but　principally　in　order　to　provide　for　his　own　safety；）　and　spoke　thus　to　them：　〃How　long　shall　we　bear　these　miseries？　or　what　hopes　have　we　of　deliverance　by　thus　continuing　　faithful　to　such　wicked　wretches？　Is　not　the　famine　already　come　against　us？　Are　not　the　Romans　in　a　manner　gotten　within　the　city？　Is　not　Simon　become　unfaithful　to　his　benefactors？　and　is　there　not　reason　to　fear　he　will　very　soon　bring　us　to　the　like　punishment；　while　the　security　the　Romans　offer　us　is　sure？　Come　on；　let　us　surrender　up　this　wall；　and　save　ourselves　and　the　city。　Nor　will　Simon　be　very　much　hurt；　if；　now　he　despairs　of　deliverance；　he　be　brought　to　justice　a　little　sooner　than　he　thinks　on。〃　Now　these　ten　were　prevailed　upon　by　those　arguments；　so　he　sent　the　rest　of　those　that　were　under　him；　some　one　way；　and　some　another；　that　no　discovery　might　be　made　of　what　they　had　resolved　upon。　Accordingly；　he　called　to　the　Romans　from　the　tower　about　the　third　hour；　but　they；　some　of　them　out　of　pride；　despised　what　he　said；　and　　others　of　them　did　not　believe　him　to　be　in　earnest；　though　the　greatest　number　delayed　the　matter；　as　believing　they　should　get　possession　of　the　city　in　a　little　time；　without　any　hazard。　But　when　Titus　was　just　coming　thither　with　his　armed　men；　Simon　was　acquainted　with　the　matter　before　he　came；　and　presently　took　the　tower　into　his　own　custody；　before　it　was　surrendered；　and　seized　upon　these　men；　and　put　them　to　death　in　the　sight　of　the　Romans　themselves；　and　when　he　had　mangled　their　dead　bodies；　he　threw　them　down　before　the　wall　of　the　city。　　　　3。　In　the　mean　time；　Josephus；　as　he　was　going　round　the　city；　had　his　head　wounded　by　a　stone　that　was　thrown　at　him；　upon　which　he　fell　down　as　giddy。　Upon　which　fall　of　his　the　Jews　made　a　sally；　and　he　had　been　hurried　away　into　the　city；　if　Caesar　had　not　sent　men　to　protect　him　immediately；　and　as　these　men　were　fighting；　Josephus　was　taken　up；　though　he　heard　little　of　what　was　done。　So　the　seditious　supposed　they　had　now　slain　that　man　whom　they　were　the　most　desirous　of　killing；　and　made　thereupon　a　great　noise；　in　way　of　rejoicing。　This　accident　was　told　in　the　city；　and　the　multitude　that　remained　became　very　disconsolate　at　the　news；　as　being　persuaded　that　he　was　really　dead；　on　whose　account　alone　they　could　venture　to　desert　to　the　Romans。　But　when　Josephus's　mother　heard　in　prison　that　her　son　was　dead；　she　said　to　those　that　watched　about　her；　That　she　had　always　been　of　opinion；　since　the　siege　of　Jotapata；　＇that　he　would　be　slain；＇　and　she　should　never　enjoy　him　alive　any　more。　She　also　made　great　lamentation　privately　to　the　maid…servants　that　were　about　her；　and　said；　That　this　was　all　the　advantage　she　had　of　bringing　so　extraordinary　a　person　as　this　son　into　the　world；　that　she　should　not　be　able　even　to　bury　that　son　of　hers；　by　whom　she　expected　to　have　been　buried　herself。　However；　this　false　report　did　not　put　his　mother　to　pain；　nor　afford　merriment　to　the　robbers；　long；　for　Josephus　soon　recovered　of　his　wound；　and　came　out；　and　cried　out　aloud；　That　it　would　not　be　long　ere　they　should　be　punished　for　this　wound　they　had　given　him。　He　also　made　a　fresh　exhortation　to　the　people　to　come　out　upon　the　security　that　would　be　given　them。　This　sight　of　　Josephus　encouraged　the　people　greatly；　and　brought　a　great　consternation　upon　the　seditious。　　　　4。　Hereupon　some　of　the　deserters；　having　no　other　way；　leaped　down　from　the　wall　immediately；　while　others　of　them　went　out　of　the　city　with　stones；　as　if　they　would　fight　them；　but　thereupon　they　fled　away　to　the　Romans。　But　here　a　worse　fate　accompanied　these　than　what　they　had　found　within　the　city；　and　they　met　with　a　quicker　despatch　from　the　too　great　abundance　they　had　among　the　Romans；　than　they　could　have　done　from　the　famine　　among　the　Jews；　for　when　they　came　first　to　the　Romans；　they　were　puffed　up　by　the　famine；　and　swelled　like　men　in　a　dropsy；　after　which　they　all　on　the　sudden　overfilled　those　bodies　that　were　before　empty；　and　so　burst　asunder；　excepting　such　only　as　were　skillful　enough　to　restrain　their　appetites；　and　by　degrees　took　in　their　food　into　bodies　unaccustomed　thereto。　Yet　did　another　plague　seize　upon　those　that　were　thus　preserved；　for　there　was　found　among　the　Syrian　deserters　a　certain　person　who　was　caught　gathering　pieces　of　gold　out　of　the　excrements　of　the　Jews'　bellies；　for　the　deserters　used　to　swallow　such　pieces　of　gold；　as　we　told　you　before；　when　they　came　out；　and　for　these　did　the　seditious　search　them　all；　for　there　was　a　great　quantity　of　gold　in　the　city；　insomuch　that　as　much　was　now　sold　＇in　the　Roman