CHAP. VI.

OF THE CONTINUED CRUELTIES OF THE ZEALOTS TOWARDS THE CITIZENS. AND THE ARGUMENTS USED BY VESPASIAN TO DISSUADE THE ROMANS FROM PROCEEDING IN THE WAR AT THAT TIME.

THE Idumeans complied with these persuasions, and in the first place, they set those that were in the prisons at liberty; being about two thousand of the populace: who thereupon fled away immediately to Simon; one of whom we shall speak of presently. After which these Idumeans retired from Jerusalem, and went home. Which departure of theirs was a great surprise to both parties. For the people, not knowing of their repentance, raised their courage for a while, as being eased of so many of their enemies. While the zealots grew more insolent; not as deserted by their confederates, but as freed from such men as might hinder their designs, and put some stop to their wickedness. Accordingly they made no longer any delay, nor took any deliberation in their enormous practices; but made use of the shortest methods for all their executions. And what they had once resolved upon, they put in practice sooner than any one could imagine. But their thirst was chiefly after the blood of valiant men, and men of good families; the one sort of which they destroyed out of envy, the other out of fear. For they thought their whole security lay in leaving no potent meu alive. On which account they slew Gorion, a person eminent in dignity, and on account of his family also. He was also for a democracy, and of as great boldness and freedom of spirit as were any of the Jews whatsoever. The principal thing that ruined him, added to his other advantages, was his free speaking. Nor did Niger of Perea escape their hands. He had been a man of great valour in their *war with the Romans; but was now drawn through the middle of the city: and as he went, he frequently called out, and showed the scars of his

*See Book ii. chap. 20.

:

wounds. And when he was drawn out of the gates, and despaired of his preservation, he besought them to grant him a burial. But as they had threatened him beforehand not to grant him any spot of earth for a grave, which he chiefly desired of them, so did they slay him without permitting him to be buried. Now when they were slaying him, he made this imprecation upon them, that they might undergo both famine and pestilence in this war; and besides all, that they might come to the mutual slaughter of one another all which imprecations God confirmed against these impious men and which came most justly upon them, when not long afterward they tasted of their own madness in their mutual seditions one against another. So when this Niger was killed, their fears of being overturned were diminished. And indeed there was no part of the people but they found out some pretence to destroy them. For some were therefore slain, because they had had differences with some of them. And as to those that had not opposed them in times of peace, they watched seasonable opportunities to gain some accusation against them. And if any one did not come near them at all, he was under their suspicion as a proud man. If any one came with boldness, he was esteemed a contemner of them. And if any one came as aiming to oblige them, he was supposed to have some treacherous plot against them. While the only punishment of crimes, whether they were of the greatest or smallest sort, was death. Nor could any one escape, unless he were very inconsiderable, either on account of the meanness of his birth, or on account of his fortune.

Now all the rest of the commanders of the Romans deemed this sedition among their enemies to be of great advantage to them, and were very earnest to march to the city and they urged Vespasian, as their lord and general in all cases, to make haste; and said they to him, "The providence of God is on our side, by setting our enemies at variance against one another: but still the change in such cases may be sudden, and the Jews may quickly be reconciled again: either because they may be tired out with their civil miseries, or repent of such doings." But Vespasian replied, They were greatly mistaken in what they thought fit to be done as those that, upon the theatre, love to make a show of their hands, and of their weapons; but do it to their own hazard:

without considering what was for their advantage, and for their security. For that if they should now go and attack the city immediately, they would but occasion their enemies to unite together; and thus convert their force, now it is in its height, against themselves. But if they remained a while they would have fewer enemies; because they must be consumed in this sedition. "God," said he, "acts as the general of the Romans better than I can do ; and is giving the Jews up to us, without any pains of our own; and granting our army a victory, without any danger. Therefore it is our best way, while our enemies are destroying each other with their own hands, and falling into the greatest of misfortunes, which is that of sedition, to sit still as spectators of the dangers they run into; rather than to fight hand to hand with men that love murdering, and are mad one against another. But if any one imagine that the glory of the victory, when it is gotten without fighting, will be more insipid; let him know, that a glorious success quietly obtained is more profitable than the dangers of a battle. For we ought to esteem those that do what is agreeable to temperance and prudence no less glorious than those that have gained great reputation by their actions in war. I shall lead on my army with greater force, when the enemies are diminished, and my own troops refreshed after the continual labours they have undergone. However, this is not a proper time to propose to ourselves the glory of victory for the Jews are not now employed in making of armour, or building of walls; nor indeed in getting together auxiliaries: while the advantage will be on their side who give shem such opportunity of delay: but they are torn to pieces every day by their civil wars and dissensions; and are under greater miseries than, if they were once taken, could be inflicted on them by us. Whether, therefore, any one hath regard to what is for our safety, he ought to suffer these Jews to destroy one another; or whether he hath regard to the greater glory of the action, we ought by no means to meddle with these men now they are afflicted with a distemper at home. For should we now conquer them, it would be said the conquest was not owing to our bravery, but to their sedition."

Now the commanders joined in their approbation of what Vespasian had said: and it was soon discovered how wise an opinion

he had given. And indeed there were many of the Jews that deserted every day, and fled away from the zealots. Although their flight was very difficult; since they had guarded every passage out of the city; and slew every one that was caught at them; as taking it for granted they were going over to the Romans. Yet did he who gave them money get clear off; while he only that gave them none was voted a traitor.. So the result was, that the rich purchased their flight by money while none but the poor were slain. Along all the roads also vast numbers of dead bodies lay on heaps; and even many of those that were so zealous in deserting, at length chose rather to perish within the city. For the hopes of burial made death in their own city appear of the two less terrible to them. But these zealots came at last to that degree of barbarity, as not to bestow a burial, either on those slain in the city, or on those that lay along the roads. But as if they had made an agreement to cancel both the laws of their country, and the laws of nature, and at the same time that they defiled men with their wicked actions, they would pollute the divinity itself also; they left the dead bodies to putrefy under the sun. And the same punishment was allotted to such as buried any, as to those that deserted which was no other than death. While he that granted the favour of a grave to another would presently stand in need of a grave himself. In a word, no other gentle passion was so entirely lost among them as inercy. For what were the greatest objects of pity did most of all irritate these wretches: and they transferred their rage from the living to those who had been slain, and from the dead to the living. Nay, the terror was so very great, that he who survived called them that were first deau happy, as being at rest already: as did those that were under torture in the prisons, declare that upon this comparison those that lay unburied were the happiest. These men, therefore, trampled upon all the laws of men, and laughed at the laws of God and for the oracles of the prophets they ridiculed them, as the tricks of jugglers. Yet did these prophets foretell many things concerning the rewards of virtue, and punishments of vice, which, when these zealots violated, they occasioned the fulfilling of those very prophecies belonging to their own country. For there was a certain ancient oracle of those men, that "The city should

be taken, *and the sanctuary burnt, by right of war, when a sedition should invade the Jews: and their own hands should pollute the temple of God." Now while these zealots did not quite disbelieve these predictions, they made themselves the instruments of their accomplishment.

CHAP. VII.

OF THE TYRANNICAL BEHAVIOUR OF JOHN, AND THE MISCHIEFS DONE BY THE ZEALOTS AT MASADA. ALSO OF THE REDUCTION OF GADARA; AND THE ACTIONS PERFORMED BY PLACIDUs.

So that it

By this time John was beginning to tyrannize; and thought it beneath him to accept of barely the same honours that others had. And joining to himself by degrees a party of the most wicked, he broke off from the rest of the faction. This was brought about by his still disagreeing with the opinions of others; and giving out injunctions of his own, in a very imperious manner. was evident he was setting up a monarchical power. Now some submitted to him out of fear, and others out of their good will to him. For he was a shrewd man to entice men, both by deluding them and putting cheats upon them. Nay, many there were that thought they should be safer themselves, if the causes of their past insolent actions should now be reduced to one head, and not to a great many. His activity was so great, and that both in action and in counsel, that he had not a few guards about him. Yet was there a great plenty of his antagonists that left him; among whom envy weighed a great deal; while they thought it a very heavy

*This prediction that "the city of Jerusalem should be taken, and the sanctuary burnt, by right of war, when a sedition should invade the Jews; and their own hands should pollute that temple :" or, as it is VI. 2. "When any one should begin to slay his countrymen in the city," is wanting in our present copies of the Old Testament. See Essay on the Old Test. page 104-112. But this perdiction, as Josephus well remarks here, though, with the other predictions of the prophets, it was now laughed at by the seditious, was by their very means soon exactly fulfilled. However, I cannot but here take notice of Grotius's positive assertion upon Matt. xxvi. 9. here quoted by Dr. Hudson, that "It ought to be taken for granted, as a certain truth, that many predictions of the Jewish prophets were preserved, not in writing, but by memory." Whereas it seems to me so far from certain, that I think it has no evidence, nor probability at all.