theirs, and he seemed so trusty a man, that he went out with them, and ravaged and destroyed the country with them about Masada. Yet when he persuaded them to undertake greater things, he could not prevail with them so to For as they were accustomed to dwell in that citadel, they were afraid of going far from that which was their hiding-place: but he affecting to tyrannize, and being fond of greatness, when he had heard of the death of Ananus he left them, and went into the mountainous part of the country. So he proclaimed liberty to those in slavery, and a reward to those already free, and got together a set of wicked men from all quarters. are well known by all; and are described by, • Or Ain. He And as he had now a strong body of men. about him, he over-ran the villages that lay in the mountainous country; and when there were still more and more that came to him, he ventured to go down into the lower parts of the country; and since he was now become so formidable to the cities, many of the men of power were corrupted by him: so that his army was no longer composed of slaves and robbers, but a great many of the populace were obedient to him as to their king. then over-ran the Acrabattene toparchy, and the places that reached as far as the great Idumea. For he built a wall at a certain village called Nain, and made use of that as a fortress for his own party's security and at the valley called Pharan he enlarged many of the caves, and many others he found ready for his purpose: these he made use of as repositories for his treasures, and receptacles for his prey; and therein he laid up the fruits that he had got by rapine. And many of his partizans had their dwelling in them: and he made no secret of it that he was exercising his men beforehand, and making preparations for the assault of Jerusalem. Hereupon the zealots, out of the dread they were in of his attacking them, and being willing to prevent one that was growing up to oppose them, went out against him with their weapons. Simon met them, and joining battle, slew a considerable number of them, and drove the rest before him into the city; but durst not trust so much upon his forces, as to those whom he had corrupted. Hereupon a terror fell upon the whole multitude: and before it came to a close fight they broke their ranks, and every one retired to his own home. make an assault upon the walls. But he re-vated by his mighty promises: and when he solved first to subdue Idumea. And as he had was returned to his own men, he at first belied now twenty thousand armed men he marched the army of Simon, and said it was much to the borders of that country. Hereupon the more numerous than it was. After which he rulers of the Idumeans got together on a sud-dexterously persuaded the commanders, and den the most warlike part of their people, by degrees the whole multitude, to receive about twenty-five thousand in number, and Simon, and to surrender the whole governpermitted the rest to be a guard to their own ment up to him, without fighting. And as he country, by reason of the incursions that were was doing this, he invited Simon by his mesmade by the Sicarii that were at Masada. sengers, and promised him to dissipate the Thus they received Simon at their borders: Idumeans, which he performed also. For as where they fought him, and continued the soon as their army was nigh them, he first of battle all that day: and the dispute lay whe-all got upon his horse, and fled, together with ther they had conquered him, or been conquered by him. So he went back to Nain: as did the Idumeans return home. Nor was it long before Simon came violently again upon their country. When he pitched his camp at a certain village called Thecoë: and sent Eleazar, one of his companions, to those that kept garrison at Herodium; and in order to persuade them to surrender that fortress to him. The garrison received this man readily, while they knew nothing of what he came about. But as soon as he talked of the surrender of the place, they fell upon him with their drawn swords, till he found that he had no place for flight. He therefore threw himself down from the wall into the valley beneath and died immediately. But the Idumeans, who were already much afraid of Simon's power, thought fit to take a view of the enemy's army before they hazarded a battle with them. Now there was one of their commanders named Jacob, who offered to serve them readily upon that occasion: but had it in his mind to betray them. He went therefore from the village Alurus, wherein the army of the Idumeans were gotten together, and came to Simon and at the very first he agreed to be tray his country to him; and took assurances upon oath from him that he should always have him in his esteem; and then promised that he would assist him in subduing all IduUpon which account he was feasted after an obliging manner by Simon, and ele mea. * Tanis, or Zoan, Antiq. 1. 8. Numb. xiii. 22. + Some of the ancients call this famous tree, or grove, an oak; others a turpentine tree, or grove. It has been very famous in all the past ages; and is so, I suppose, at Thus did Simon unexpectedly march into Idumea without bloodshed; and made a sudden attack upon the city Hebron, and took it. Wherein he got possession of a great deal of prey, and plundered it of a vast quantity of fruit. Now the people of the country say that it is an ancienter city, not only than any in that country, but than * Memphis in Egypt: and accordingly its age is reckoned at two thousand three hundred years. They also relate, that it had been the habitation of Abram, the progenitor of the Jews, after he had removed out of Mesopotamia; and that his posterity descended from thence into Egypt. Whose monuments are to this very time shewn in that small city: the fabric of which monuments are of the most excellent marble, and wrought after the most elegant manner. There is also there shewn, at the distance of six furlongs from the city, a very large † turpentine-tree; and it is reported that this has continued ever since the creation of the world. Thence did Simon make his progress over all Idumea: and did not only ravage the cities and villages, but lay waste the whole country. For, besides those that were completely armed, he had forty thousand men that followed him: insomuch that he had not provisions to suffice such a multitude. Now, besides this want of provisions, this day; and that particularly for an eminent mart or meeting of merchants there every year, as the travellers inform us. he he was of a barbarous disposition, and bore | great anger at this nation. By which means it came to pass, that Idumea was greatly de populated. And as one may see all the woods behind despoiled of their leaves by locusts, after they have been there; so was there nothing left behind Simon's army, but a desert. Some places they burnt down; some they utterly demolished; and whatsoever grew in the country they either trod it down, or fed upon it; and by their marches they made the ground that was cultivated harder and more untractable than that which was barren. In short, there was no sign remaining of those places that had been laid waste, that ever they had had a being. This success of Simon's excited the zealots afresh. And though they were afraid to fight him openly in a fair battle, yet did they lay ambushes in the passes, and seized upon his wife, with a considerable number of her attendants whereupon they came back to the city rejoicing, as if they had taken Simon himself captive; and were in present expectation that he would lay down his arms, and make supplication to them for his wife. But instead of indulging any merciful affection, he grew very angry at them for seizing his beloved wife. So he came to the wall of Jerusalem; and, like wild beasts when they are wounded, and cannot overtake those that wounded them, he vented his spleen upon all persons whom he met with. Accordingly he caught all those that were come out of the city gates either to gather herbs or sticks, who were unarmed, and in years; he then tormented them, and destroyed them, out of the immense rage he was in and was almost ready to taste the very flesh of their dead bodies. He also cut off the hands of a great many, and sent them into the city, to astonish his enemies, and in order to make the people fall into a sedition, and desert those that had been the authors of his wife's seizure. He also enjoined them to tell the people that Simon swore by the God of the universe, that unless they would restore him his wife, he would break down their wall, Suetonius differs hardly three days from Josephus, and says Otho perished on the 95th day of his reign. In Othon. See the note on Chap. II. and inflict the like punishment upon all the citizens, without sparing any age: and without making any distinction between the guilty and the innocent. These threatenings so greatly affrighted, not the people only, but the zealots themselves also, that they sent his wife back to him: upon which he became a little milder, and left off his perpetual bloodshedding. But sedition and civil war prevailed, not only over Judea, but in Italy also. For now Galba was slain in the midst of the Roman market place. Then was Otho made emperor and fought against Vitellius, who set up for emperor also: for the legions in Germany had chosen him. But when he gave battle to Valens and Cecinna, who were Vitellius's generals, at Betriacum in Gaul, Otho gained the advantage on the first day but on the second day Vitellius's soldiers had the victory. And after much slaughter, Otho slew himself, when he had heard of this defeat at Brixia, and after he had managed the public affairs three months and two days.† Otho's army also came over to Vitellius's generals, and he came himself down to Rome, with his army. But in the mean time Vespasian removed from Cæsarea, on the fifth day of the month Desius, or Sivan, and marched against those places of Judea which were not yet overthrown. So he went up to the mountainous country, and took those two toparchies that were called the Gophnitic and Acrabattene toparchies. After which he took Bethel and Ephraim, two small cities. And when he had put garrisons into them, he rode as far as Jerusalem: in which march he took many prisoners, and many captives. But Cerealis, one of his commanders, took a body of horsemen' and footmen, and laid waste that part of Idumea, which was called the Upper Idumea: and attacked Caphethra, which pretended to be a small city, and took it at the first onset, and burnt it down. He also attacked Capharabim and laid siege to it; for it had a very strong wall. And when he expected to spend a long time in that siege, those that were within † A. D. 69. See John xi. 54. opened their gates on the sudden, and came || paints under their eyes; and were guilty of to beg pardon, and surrendered themselves up such intolerable uncleanness, that they inventto him. When Cerealis had conquered them, ed unlawful pleasures, and rolled themselves he went to Hebron, another ancient city, si- up and down the city, as in a brothel house: tuate in a mountainous country not far off and defiled it entirely with their impure acJerusalem. And when he had broken into tions. Nay, while their faces looked like the the city by force, what multitude and young faces of women, they killed with their right men were left therein he slew, and burnt hands; and when their gait was effeminate, down the city. So that as now all the they presently attacked men, and became places were taken, excepting Herodium, warriors: and drew their swords from under Masada, and Macherus, which were in the their finely dyed cloaks, and ran every body possession of the robbers; so Jerusalem through whom they met with: however, Siwas what the Romans at present aim- mon waited for such as ran away from John, ed at. and was the more sanguiaary of the two. Now, as soon as Simon had set his wife And he who escaped the tyrant within the free, and recovered her from the zealots, he wall, was destroyed by the other that lay bereturned back to the remainders of Idumea: fore the gates. So that all attempts of desertand driving the nation before him, from alling to the Romans were cut off, as to those quarters, he compelled a great number of that had a mind so to do. them to retire to Jerusalem. He followed Yet did the army that was under John raise them himself also to the city, and encompass-a sedition against him: and all the Idumeans ed the wall all round again. And when he separated themselves from the tyrant, and atmet with any laborers, that were coming thi-tempted to destroy him: and this out of their ther out of the country, he slew them. Now this Simon, who was without the wall, was a greater terror to the people than the Romans themselves as were the zealots who were within it more heavy upon them than both of the other. And during this time did the mischievous contrivances and courage of John corrupt the body of the Galileans. For these Galileans had advanced this John, and made him very potent: who made them a suitable requital, from the authority he had obtained by their means, for he permitted them to do all things that any of them desired. While their inclination to plunder was insatiable as was their zeal in searching the houses of the rich. And for the murdering of the men, and abusing of the women, it was sport to them. They also devoured what spoils they had taken, together with their blood; and indulged themselves in feminine wantonness, without any disturbance,till they were satiated therewith. While they decked their hair, and put on women's garments, and were besmeared over with ointments: and, that they might appear very comely, they had envy at his power, and hatred of his cruelty. So they got together, and slew many of the zealots, and drove the rest before them into that royal palace that was built by Grapte, who was a relation of † Izates, king of Adiabene: the Idumeans fell in with them, and drove the zealots out thence into the temple, and betook themselves to plunder John's effects. For both he himself was in that palace; and therein had he laid up the spoils he had acquired by his tyranny. In the mean time the multitude of those zealots that were dispersed over the city ran together to the temple, unto those that had fled thither: and John prepared to bring them down against the people and the Idumeans: who were not so much afraid of being attacked by them, because they were themselves better soldiers than they, as at their madness, lest they should privately sally out of the temple, and get among them, and not only destroy them, but set the city on fire also. So they assembled themselves together, and the high-priests with them, and took counsel after what manner they should avoid their assault. Now it + See Antiq. XX. 2. was was God who turned their opinions to the were carried off wounded. For the zealots worst advice, and thence they devised such threw their darts easily from a superior place, a remedy to get themselves free, as was worse and seldom failed of hitting their enemies. than the disease itself. Accordingly, in order But having the advantage of situation, and to overthrow John, they determined to admit having withal erected four very large towers Simon and earnestly to desire the introduc- beforehand, that their darts might come from tion of a second tyrant into the city. This higher places, tone at the north-east corner resolution they brought to perfection, and of the court, one above the Xystus; the third sent Matthias, the high-priest, to beseech this at another corner, over against the lower city; Simon to come into them, of whom they had and the last was erected above the top of the so often been afraid. Those also that had Pastophoria: where one of the priests stood of fled from the zealots in Jerusalem joined in course, and gave a signal beforehand, with this request, out of the desire they had of pre- a trumpet, at the beginning of every seventh serving their houses, and their effects. Ac-day, in the evening twilight: as also at the cordingly he, in an arrogant manner, granted evening, when that day was finished; as givthem his lordly protection; and came into the ing notice to the people when they were to city, in order to deliver it from the zealots. leave off work, and when they were to go to The people also made joyful acclamations to work again. These men also set their engines him, as their saviour and their preserver. But to cast darts and stones withal, upon those when he was come in, with his army, he took towers, with their archers and slingers. And care to secure his own authority; and looked now Simon made his assault upon the temple upon those that had invited him in to be no more faintly, by reason that the greatest part less his enemies, than those against whom the of his men grew weary of that work. Yet invitation was intended. I did he not leave off his opposition: because his army was superior to the others: although the darts which were thrown by the engines were carried a great way, and slew many of those that fought for him. And thus did Simon get possession of Jerusalem, in the third year of the war, in the month Xanthicus, or Nisan. Whereupon John, with his multitude of zealots, as being both prohibited from coming out of the temple, and having lost their power in the city, (for Simon and his party had plundered them of what they had,) were in despair of deliverSimon also made an assault upon the temple, with the assistance of the people while the others stood upon the cloisters, and the battlements, and defended themselves ance. from their assaults. However, a considerable number of Simon's party fell; and many CHAP. X. OF THE ELEVATION OF VESPASIAN TO THE IMPERIAL DIG- About Rome on all sides. For Vitellius BOUT this time heavy calamities came was come from Germany, with his soldiery; 2 This beginning and ending the observance of the Jewish seventh day, or sabbath, with a priest's blowing of a trumpet, is remarkable; and no where else mentioned, that I know of. Nor is Reland's conjecture here improbable; that this was the very place that has puzzled our commentators so long, called Musach Sabbati, the "covert of the Sabbath:" if that be the true reading, 2 Kings xvi. 18. Because here the proper priest stood dry, under a covering, to proclaim the beginning and ending of every Jewish sabbath. Above the top of the Pastophoria. The tower at the |