the wars of the jews-第179章

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ds　of　strangers；　and　they　had　nothing　else　for　their　comfort　but　the　necessity　they　were　in　of　doing　this　　execution；　to　avoid　that　prospect　they　had　of　the　miseries　they　were　to　suffer　from　their　enemies。　Nor　was　there　at　length　any　one　of　these　men　found　that　scrupled　to　act　their　part　in　this　terrible　execution；　but　every　one　of　them　despatched　his　dearest　relations。　Miserable　men　indeed　were　they！　whose　distress　forced　them　to　slay　their　own　wives　and　children　with　their　own　hands；　as　the　lightest　of　those　evils　that　were　before　them。　So　they　being　not　able　to　bear　the　grief　they　were　under　for　what　they　had　done　any　longer；　and　esteeming　it　an　injury　to　those　they　had　slain；　to　live　even　the　shortest　space　of　time　after　them；　they　presently　laid　all　they　had　upon　a　heap；　and　set　fire　to　it。　They　then　chose　ten　men　by　lot　out　of　them　to　slay　all　the　rest；　every　one　of　whom　laid　himself　down　by　his　wife　and　children　on　the　ground；　and　threw　his　arms　about　them；　and　they　offered　their　necks　to　the　stroke　of　those　who　by　lot　executed　that　melancholy　office；　and　when　these　ten　had；　without　fear；　slain　them　all；　they　made　the　same　rule　for　casting　lots　for　themselves；　that　he　whose　lot　it　was　should　first　kill　the　other　nine；　and　after　all　should　kill　himself。　Accordingly；　all　these　had　courage　sufficient　to　be　no　way　behind　one　another　in　doing　or　suffering；　so；　for　a　conclusion；　the　nine　offered　their　necks　to　the　executioner；　and　he　who　was　the　last　of　all　took　a　view　of　all　the　other　bodies；　lest　perchance　some　or　other　among　so　many　that　were　slain　should　want　his　assistance　to　be　quite　despatched；　and　when　he　perceived　that　they　were　all　slain；　he　set　fire　to　the　palace；　and　with　the　great　force　of　his　hand　ran　his　sword　entirely　through　himself；　and　fell　down　dead　near　to　his　own　relations。　So　these　people　died　with　this　intention；　that　they　would　not　leave　so　much　as　one　soul　among　them　all　alive　to　be　subject　to　the　Romans。　Yet　was　there　an　ancient　woman；　and　another　who　was　of　kin　to　Eleazar；　and　superior　to　most　women　in　prudence　and　learning；　with　five　children；　who　had　concealed　themselves　in　caverns　under　ground；　and　had　carried　water　thither　for　their　drink；　and　were　hidden　there　when　the　rest　were　intent　upon　the　slaughter　of　one　another。　Those　others　were　nine　hundred　and　sixty　in　number；　the　women　and　children　being　withal　included　in　that　computation。　This　calamitous　slaughter　was　made　on　the　fifteenth　day　of　the　month　Xanthicus　＇Nisan＇。　　　　2。　Now　for　the　Romans；　they　expected　that　they　should　be　fought　in　the　morning；　when；　accordingly；　they　put　on　their　armor；　and　laid　bridges　of　planks　upon　their　ladders　from　their　banks；　to　make　an　assault　upon　the　fortress；　which　they　did；　but　saw　nobody　as　an　enemy；　but　a　terrible　solitude　on　every　side；　with　a　fire　within　the　place；　as　well　as　a　perfect　silence。　So　they　were　at　a　loss　to　guess　at　what　had　happened。　At　length　they　made　a　shout；　as　if　it　had　been　at　a　blow　given　by　the　battering　ram；　to　try　whether　they　could　bring　any　one　out　that　was　within；　the　women　heard　this　noise；　and　came　out　of　their　under…ground　cavern；　and　informed　the　Romans　what　had　been　done；　as　it　was　done；　and　the　second　of　them　clearly　described　all　both　what　was　said　and　what　was　done；　and　this　manner　of　it；　yet　did　they　not　easily　give　their　attention　to　such　a　desperate　undertaking；　and　did　not　believe　it　could　be　as　they　said；　they　also　attempted　to　put　the　fire　out；　and　quickly　cutting　themselves　a　way　through　it；　they　came　within　the　palace；　and　so　met　with　the　multitude　of　the　slain；　but　could　take　no　pleasure　in　the　fact；　though　it　were　done　to　their　enemies。　Nor　could　they　do　other　than　wonder　at　the　courage　of　their　resolution；　and　the　immovable　contempt　of　death　which　so　great　a　number　of　them　had　shown；　when　they　went　through　with　such　an　action　as　that　was。　　　　CHAPTER　10。　　　　　　　　　　That　Many　Of　The　Sicarii　Fled　To　Alexandria　Also　And　What　Dangers　They　Were　In　There；　On　Which　Account　That　Temple　Which　Had　Formerly　Been　Built　By　Onias　The　High　Priest　Was　Destroyed。　　　　1。　When　Masada　was　thus　taken；　the　general　left　a　garrison　in　the　fortress　to　keep　it；　and　he　himself　went　away　to　Cesarea；　for　there　were　now　no　enemies　left　in　the　country；　but　it　was　all　overthrown　by　so　long　a　war。　Yet　did　this　war　afford　disturbances　and　dangerous　disorders　even　in　places　very　far　remote　from　Judea；　for　still　it　came　to　pass　that　many　Jews　were　slain　at　Alexandria　in　Egypt；　for　as　many　of　the　Sicarii　as　were　able　to　fly　thither；　out　of　the　seditious　wars　in　Judea；　were　not　content　to　have　saved　themselves；　but　must　needs　be　undertaking　to　make　new　disturbances；　and　persuaded　many　of　those　that　entertained　them　to　assert　their　liberty；　to　esteem　the　Romans　to　be　no　better　than　themselves；　and　to　look　upon　God　as　their　only　Lord　and　Master。　But　when　part　of　the　Jews　of　reputation　opposed　them；　they　slew　some　of　them；　and　with　the　others　they　were　very　　pressing　in　their　exhortations　to　revolt　from　the　Romans；　but　when　the　principal　men　of　the　senate　saw　what　madness　they　were　come　to；　they　thought　it　no　longer　safe　for　themselves　to　overlook　them。　So　they　got　all　the　Jews　together　to　an　assembly；　and　accused　the　madness　of　the　Sicarii；　and　demonstrated　that　they　had　been　the　authors　of　all　the　evils　that　had　come　upon　them。　They　said　also　that　〃these　men；　now　they　were　run　away　from　Judea；　having　no　sure　hope　of　escaping；　because　as　soon　as　ever　they　shall　be　known；　they　will　be　soon　destroyed　by　the　Romans；　they　come　hither　and　fill　us　full　of　those　calamities　which　belong　to　them；　while　we　have　not　been　partakers　with　them　in　any　of　their　sins。〃　Accordingly；　they　exhorted　the　multitude　to　have　a　care；　lest　they　should　be　brought　to　destruction　by　their　means；　and　to　make　their　apology　to　the　Romans　for　what　had　been　done；　by　delivering　these　men　up　to　them；　who　being　thus　apprized　of　the　greatness　of　the　danger　they　were　in；　complied　with　what　was　proposed；　and　ran　with　great　violence　upon　the　Sicarii；　and　seized　upon　them；　and　indeed　six　hundred　of　them　were　caught　immediately：　but　as　to　all　those　that　fled　into　Egypt　（18）　and　to　the　Egyptian　Thebes；　it　was　not　long　ere　they　were　caught　also；　and　brought　back；　whose　courage；　or　whether　we　ought　to　call　it　madness；　or　hardiness　in　their　opinions；　every　body　was　amazed　at。　For　when　all　sorts　of　torments　and　vexations　of　their　bodies　that　could　be　devised　were　made　use　of　to　them；　they　could　not　get　any　one　of　them　to　comply　so　far　as　to　confess；　or　seem　to　confess；　that　Caesar　was　their　lord；　but　they　preserved　their　own　opinion；　in　spite　of　all　the　distress　they　were　brought　to；　as　if　they　received　these　torments　and　the　fire　itself　with　bodies　insensible　of　pain；　and　with　a　soul　that　in　a　manner　rejoiced　under　them。　But　what　was　most　of　all　astonishing　to　the　beholders　was　the　courage　of　the　children；　for　not　one　of　these　children　was　so　far　overcome　by　these　torments；　as　to　name　Caesar　for　their　lord。　So　far　does　the　strength　of　the　courage　＇of　the　soul＇　prevail　over　the　weakness　of　the　body。　　　　2。　Now　Lupus　did　then　govern　Alexandria；　who　presently　sent　Caesar　word　of　this　commotion；　who　having　in　suspicion　the　restless　temper　of　the　Jews　for