Page images
PDF
EPUB

*.

"laus' crime in slaying such a multitude about the temple, "which multitude came to the festival, but were barbarously "slain in the midst of their own sacrifices; and he said, "there was such a vast number of dead bodies heaped together in the temple, as even a foreign war, that should "come upon them [suddenly,] before it was denounced, "could not have heaped together. And he added, that it was the foresight his father had of that his barbarity, which "made him never give him any hopes of the kingdom, but "when Iris mind was more infirm than his body, and he was "not able to reason soundly, and did not well know what was the character of that sou, whom in his second testa"ment he made his successor; and this was done by him at a time when he had no complaints to make of him whom " he had named before when he was sound in body, and when "his mind was free from all passion. That, however, if any "one should suppose Herod's judgment, when he was sick, "was superior to that at another time, yet had Archelaus “forfeited his kingdom by his own behaviour, and those his "actions which were contrary to the law, and to its disad"vantage. Or what sort of a king will this man be, when he "hath obtained the government from Cæsar, who hath slain so many before he hath obtained it ?”

[ocr errors]

66

6. When Antipater had spoken largely to this purpose, and had produced a great number of Archelaus' kindred as witnesses, to prove every part of the accusation; he ended his discourse. Then stood up Nicolaus to plead for Archelaus. He alleged, that "the slaughter in the temple could not be "avoided; that those that were slain were become enemies "not to Archelaus' kingdom only, but to Cæsar, who was "to determine about him. He also demonstrated that Ar"chelaus' accusers had advised him to perpetrate other "things, of which he might have been accused. But he in"sisted that the latter testament should for this reason above "all others be esteemed valid, because Herod had therein appointed Cæsar to be the person who should confirm the "succession; for he who shewed such prudence, as to re"cede from his own power, and yield it up to the lord of the "world cannot be supposed mistaken in his judgment about "him that was to be his heir; and he that so well knew "whom to choose for arbitrator of the succession, could "not be unacquainted with him whom he chose for his suc"cessor."

[ocr errors]

1. When Nicolaus had gone through all he had to say, Archelaus came, and fell down before Cæsar's knees, without any noise. Upon which he raised him up, after a very obliging manner, and declared, that truly he was worthy to succeed his father. However, he still made no firm determination in his case; but when he had dismissed those assessors that had been with him that day, he deliberated by himself about the allegations which he had heard, whether it was fit to constitute any of these named in the testaments for Herod's successor, or whether the government should be parted among all his posterity, and this because of the number of those that seemed to stand in need of support therefrom.

CHAP. III.

The Jews fight a great battle with Sabinus soldiers, and a great de struction at Jerusalem.

1. Now before Cæsar had determined any thing about these affairs, Malthace, Archelaus' mother, fell sick and died. Letters also were brought out of Syria from Varus, about a revolt of the Jews. This was foreseen by Varus, who accordingly, after Archelaus was, sailed, went up to Jerusalem to restrain the promoters of the sedition, since it was manifest that the nation would not be at rest; so he left one of those legions, which he brought with him out of Syria, in the city, and went himself to Antioch. But Sabinus came, after he was gone, and gave them an occasion of making innovations; for he compelled the keepers of the citadels to deliver them up to him, and made a bitter search after the king's money, as depending not only on the soldiers which were left by Varus, but on the multitude of his own servants, all which he armed, and used as the instrument of his covetousness. Now when that feast, which was observed after seven weeks, and which the Jews call Pentecost [i. e. the 50th day] was at hand, its name being taken from the number of the days [after the passoever,] the people got together, but not on account of the accustomed divine worship, but of the indiguation they had at [the present state of affairs.] Wherefore an immense multitude ran together, out of Galilee and Idumea, and Jericho and Perea, that was beyond Jordan; but the people that naturally belonged to Judea itself were above the rest, both in number, and in the alacrity of the men. So they distributed themselves into three parts,

and pitched their camps in three places; one at the north side of the temple, another at the south side, by the Hippodrome, and the third part were at the palace on the west. So they lay round about the Romans on every side, and besieged them.

[ocr errors]

2. Now Sabinus was affrighted both at the multitude, and at their courage, and sent messengers to Varus continually, and besought him to come to his succour quickly, for that, if he delayed, his legion would be cut to pieces. As for Sabinus himself, he got up to the highest tower of the fortress, which was called Phasaelus: it is of the same name with Herod's brother, who was destroyed by the Parthians; and when he made signs to the soldiers of that legion to attack the enemy; for his astonishment was so great, that he durst not go down to his own men. Hereupon the soldiers were prevailed upon, and leaped out into the temple, and fought a terrible battle with the Jews; in which, while there were mone over their heads to distress them, they were two hard for them, by their skill, and the others' want of skill in war; but when once many of the Jews had gotten up to the top of the cloisters, and threw their darts downwards, upon the heads of the Romans, there were a great many of them destroyed. Nor was it easy to avenge themselves upon those that threw their weapons from on high, nor was it more easy for them to sustain those who came to fight them hand to hand.

3. Since therefore the Romans were sorely afflicted by both these circumstances, they set fire to the cloisters, which were works to be admired, both on account of their magnitude and costliness. Whereupon those that were above them were presently encompassed with the flame, and many of them perished therein; as many of them also were destroyed by the enemy, who came suddenly upon them; some of them also threw themselves down from the wall backward, and some there were who, from the desperate condition they were in, prevented the fire by killing themselves with their own swords; but so many of them as crept out from the walls, and came upon the Romans, were easily mastered by them, by reason of the astonishment they were under; until at last some of the Jews being destroyed, and others dispersed by the terror they were in, the soldiers fell upon the treasure of God which was now deserted, and plundered about four hun

dred talents, of which sum Sabinus got together all that was not carried away by the soldiers.

4. However, this destruction of the works [about the temple,] and of the men, occasioned a much greater number, and those of a more warlike sort, to get together, to oppose the Romans. These compassed the palace round, and threatened. to destroy all that were in it, unless they went their ways quickly; for they promised that Sabinus should come to no harm, if he would go out with his legion. There were also a great many of the king's party who deserted to the Romans, and assisted the Jews; yet did the most warlike body of them all, who were three thousand of the men of Sebaste, go over to the Romans. Rufus also and Gratus, their captains, did the same, (Gratus having the foot of the king's party under him, and Rufus the horse,) each of whom, even without the forces under them were of great weight on account of their strength and wisdom, which turn the scales in war. Now the Jews persevered in the siege, and tried to break down the walls of the fortress, and cried out to Sabinus and his party, that they should go,their ways and not prove an bindrance to them, now they hoped, after a long time, to recover that ancient liberty which their forefathers had enjoyed. Sabinus indeed was well contented to get out of the danger he was in, but he distrusted the assurances the Jews gave him, and sus pected such gentle treatment was but a bait laid as a spare for them this consideration, together with the hopes he had of succour from Varus, made him bear the siege still longer.

CHAP. IV.

Herod's veteran soldiers become tumultuous. The robberies of Judas. Simon and Athrongeus take the name of king upon them.

1. Ar this time there were great disturbances in the country, and that in many places; and the opportunity that now offered itself induced a great many to set up for kings. And indeed in Idumea two thousand of Herod's veteran soldiers got together, and armed themselves, and fought against those of the king's party: against whom Achiabus, the king's first cousin, fought, and that out of some of the places that were the most strongly fortified; but so as to avoid a direct conflict with them in the plains. In Sepphoris also, a city of Galilee, there was one Judas, (the son of that arch robber Hezekias, who formerly over ran the country and had been subdued by king Herod ;) this man got no small multitude to

gether, and brake open the place where the royal armour was laid up, and armed those about him, and attacked those that were so earnest to gain the dominion.

2. In Perea also, Simon, one of the servants to the king, relying upon the handsome appearance, and tallness of the bo dy, put a diadem upon his own head also: he also went about with a company of robbers that he had gotten together, and burnt down the royal palace that was at Jericho, and many other costly edifices besides, and procured himself very easi ly spoils by rapine, as snatching them out of the fire. And he had soon burnt down all the fine edifices, if Gratus, the captain of the foot of the king's party, had not taken the Trachonite archers, and the most warlike of Sebaste, and met the man. His footmen were slain in the battle in abundance; Gratus also cut to pieces Simon himself as he was flying along a straight valley, when he gave him an oblique stroke upon his neck, as he ran away, and brake it. The royal palaces that were near Jordan at Betharamptha were also burnt down by some other of the seditious that came out of Perea.

3. At this time it was that a certain shepherd ventured to set himself up for a king; he was called Athrongeus. It was his strength of body that made him expect such a dignity, as well as his soul which despised death; and besides these qual ifications, he had four brethren like himself. He put a troop of armed men under each of these his brethren, and made use of them as his generals and commanders, when he made his incursions, while he did himself act like a king, and meddled only with the more important affairs: and at this time he put a diadem about his head, and continued after that to over run the country for no little time with his brethren, and became their leader in killing both the Romans and those of the king's party; nor did any Jew escape him, if any gain could accrue to him thereby. He once ventured to encompass a whole troop of Romans at Emmaus, who were carrying corn and weapons to their legion; his men therefore shot their arrows and darts, and thereby slew their centurion Arius, and forty of the stoutest of his men, while the rest of them who were in danger of the same fate, upon the coming of Gratus, with those of Sebaste, to their assistance, escaped. And when these men had thus served both their own countrymen and foreigners, and that through this whole war three of them were after some time subdued, the eldest by Archelaus, the two next by falling into the hands of Gratus and Ptolemeus; but

« PreviousContinue »