the wars of the jews-第156章

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o　support　them。　Hereupon　the　Jews　found　themselves　not　able　to　sustain　their　onset；　and　upon　the　slaughter　of　those　in　the　forefront；　many　of　the　rest　were　put　to　flight。　But　as　the　Romans　were　going　off；　the　Jews　turned　upon　them；　and　fought　them；　and　as　those　Romans　came　back　upon　them；　they　retreated　again；　until　about　the　fifth　hour　of　the　day　they　were　overborne；　and　shut　themselves　up　in　the　inner　＇court　of　the＇　temple。　　　　5。　So　Titus　retired　into　the　tower　of　Antonia；　and　resolved　to　storm　the　temple　the　next　day；　early　in　the　morning；　with　his　whole　army；　and　to　encamp　round　about　the　holy　house。　But　as　for　that　house；　God　had；　for　certain；　long　ago　doomed　it　to　the　fire；　and　now　that　fatal　day　was　come；　according　to　the　revolution　of　ages；　it　was　the　tenth　day　of　the　month　Lous；　＇Ab；＇　upon　which　it　was　formerly　burnt　by　the　king　of　Babylon；　although　these　flames　took　their　rise　from　the　Jews　themselves；　and　were　occasioned　by　them；　for　upon　Titus's　retiring；　the　seditious　lay　still　for　a　little　while；　and　then　attacked　the　Romans　again；　when　those　that　guarded　the　holy　house　fought　with　those　that　quenched　the　fire　that　was　burning　the　inner　＇court　of　the＇　temple；　but　these　Romans　put　the　Jews　to　flight；　and　proceeded　as　far　as　the　holy　house　itself。　At　which　time　one　of　the　soldiers；　without　staying　for　any　orders；　and　without　any　concern　or　dread　upon　him　at　so　great　an　undertaking；　and　being　hurried　on　by　a　certain　divine　fury；　snatched　somewhat　out　of　the　materials　that　were　on　fire；　and　being　lifted　up　by　another　soldier；　he　set　fire　to　a　golden　window；　through　which　there　was　a　passage　to　the　rooms　that　were　round　about　the　holy　house；　on　the　north　side　of　it。　As　the　flames　went　upward；　the　Jews　made　a　great　clamor；　such　as　so　mighty　an　affliction　required；　and　ran　together　to　prevent　it；　and　now　they　spared　not　their　lives　any　longer；　nor　suffered　any　thing　to　restrain　their　force；　since　that　holy　house　was　perishing；　for　whose　sake　it　was　that　they　kept　such　a　guard　about　it。　　　　6。　And　now　a　certain　person　came　running　to　Titus；　and　told　him　of　this　fire；　as　he　was　resting　himself　in　his　tent　after　the　last　battle；　whereupon　he　rose　up　in　great　haste；　and；　as　he　was；　ran　to　the　holy　house；　in　order　to　have　a　stop　put　to　the　fire；　after　him　followed　all　his　commanders；　and　after　them　followed　the　several　legions；　in　great　astonishment；　so　there　was　a　great　clamor　and　tumult　raised；　as　was　natural　upon　the　disorderly　motion　of　so　great　an　army。　Then　did　Caesar；　both　by　calling　to　the　soldiers　that　were　fighting；　with　a　loud　voice；　and　by　giving　a　signal　to　them　with　his　right　hand；　order　them　to　quench　the　fire。　But　they　did　not　hear　what　he　said；　though　he　spake　so　loud；　having　their　ears　already　dimmed　by　a　greater　noise　another　way；　nor　did　they　attend　to　the　signal　he　made　with　his　hand　neither；　as　still　some　of　them　were　distracted　with　fighting；　and　others　with　passion。　But　as　for　the　legions　that　came　running　thither；　neither　any　persuasions　nor　any　threatenings　could　restrain　their　violence；　but　each　one's　own　passion　was　his　commander　at　this　time；　and　as　they　were　crowding　into　the　temple　together；　many　of　them　were　trampled　on　by　one　another；　while　a　great　number　fell　among　the　ruins　of　the　cloisters；　which　were　still　hot　and　smoking；　and　were　destroyed　in　the　same　miserable　way　with　those　whom　they　had　conquered；　and　when　they　were　come　near　the　holy　house；　they　made　as　if　they　did　not　so　much　as　hear　Caesar's　orders　to　the　contrary；　but　they　encouraged　those　that　were　before　them　to　set　it　on　fire。　As　for　the　seditious；　they　were　in　too　great　distress　already　to　afford　their　assistance　＇towards　quenching　the　fire＇；　they　were　every　where　slain；　and　every　where　beaten；　and　as　for　a　great　part　of　the　people；　they　were　weak　and　without　arms；　and　had　their　throats　cut　wherever　they　were　caught。　Now　round　about　the　altar　lay　dead　bodies　heaped　one　upon　another；　as　at　the　steps　（16）　going　up　to　it　ran　a　great　quantity　of　their　blood；　whither　also　the　dead　bodies　that　were　slain　above　＇on　the　altar＇　fell　down。　　　　7。　And　now；　since　Caesar　was　no　way　able　to　restrain　the　enthusiastic　fury　of　the　soldiers；　and　the　fire　proceeded　on　more　and　more；　he　went　into　the　holy　place　of　the　temple；　with　his　commanders；　and　saw　it；　with　what　was　in　it；　which　he　found　to　be　far　superior　to　what　the　relations　of　foreigners　contained；　and　not　inferior　to　what　we　ourselves　boasted　of　and　believed　about　it。　But　as　the　flame　had　not　as　yet　reached　to　its　inward　parts；　but　was　still　consuming　the　rooms　that　were　about　the　holy　house；　and　Titus　supposing　what　the　fact　was；　that　the　house　itself　might　yet　he　saved；　he　came　in　haste　and　endeavored　to　persuade　　the　soldiers　to　quench　the　fire；　and　gave　order　to　Liberalius　the　centurion；　and　one　of　those　spearmen　that　were　about　him；　to　beat　the　soldiers　that　were　refractory　with　their　staves；　and　to　restrain　them；　yet　were　their　passions　too　hard　for　the　regards　they　had　for　Caesar；　and　the　dread　they　had　of　him　who　forbade　them；　as　was　their　hatred　of　the　Jews；　and　a　certain　vehement　inclination　to　fight　them；　too　hard　for　them　also。　Moreover；　the　hope　of　plunder　induced　many　to　go　on；　as　having　this　opinion；　that　all　the　places　within　were　full　of　money；　and　as　seeing　that　all　round　about　it　was　made　of　gold。　And　besides；　one　of　those　that　went　into　the　place　prevented　Caesar；　when　he　ran　so　hastily　out　to　restrain　the　soldiers；　and　threw　the　fire　upon　the　hinges　of　the　gate；　in　the　dark；　whereby　the　flame　burst　out　from　within　the　holy　house　itself　immediately；　when　the　commanders　retired；　and　Caesar　with　them；　and　when　nobody　any　longer　forbade　those　that　were　without　to　set　fire　to　it。　And　thus　was　the　holy　house　burnt　down；　without　Caesar's　approbation。　　　　8。　Now　although　any　one　would　justly　lament　the　destruction　of　such　a　work　as　this　was；　since　it　was　the　most　admirable　of　all　the　works　that　we　have　seen　or　heard　of；　both　for　its　curious　structure　and　its　magnitude；　and　also　for　the　vast　wealth　bestowed　upon　it；　as　well　as　for　the　glorious　reputation　it　had　for　its　holiness；　yet　might　such　a　one　comfort　himself　with　this　thought；　that　it　was　fate　that　decreed　it　so　to　be；　which　is　inevitable；　both　as　to　living　creatures；　and　as　to　works　and　places　also。　However；　one　cannot　but　wonder　at　the　accuracy　of　this　period　thereto　relating；　for　the　same　month　and　day　were　now　observed；　as　I　said　before；　wherein　the　holy　house　was　burnt　formerly　by　the　Babylonians。　Now　the　number　of　years　that　passed　from　its　first　foundation；　which　was　laid　by　king　Solomon；　till　this　its　destruction；　which　happened　in　the　second　year　of　the　reign　of　Vespasian；　are　collected　to　be　one　thousand　one　hundred　and　thirty；　besides　seven　months　and　fifteen　days；　and　from　the　second　building　of　it；　which　was　done　by　Haggai；　in　the　second　year　of　Cyrus　the　king；　till　its　destruction　under　Vespasian；　there　were　six　hundred　and　thirty…nine　years　and　forty…five　days。　　　　CHAPTER　5。　　　　　　　The　Great　Distress　The　Jews　Were　In　Upon　The　Conflagration　Of　The　Holy　House。　Concerning　A　False　Prophet；　And　The　Signs　That　Preceded　This　Destruction。　　　　1。　While　the　holy　house　was　on　fire；　every　thing　was　plundered　that　came　to