DR

THE HISTORY

V.5

OF THE

DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

PREFACE.

§1 WHEREAS the war which the Jews made with Romans, hath been the greatest of all those, not only t have been in our times, but, in a manner, of those that ev were heard of; both of those wherein cities have fou against cities, or nations against nations; while some m who were not concerned in the affairs themselves, have ten together vain and contradictory stories by hearsay, have written then down after a sophistical manner; while those that were there present have given a false count of things, and this either out of a humour of flattery the Romans, or hatred towards the Jews; and while th

* I have already observed more than once, that this history of Jewish war was Josephus's first work, and published about A. D. when he was but 38 years of age; and that when he wrote it, he was thoroughly acquainted with several circumstances of history from days of Antiochus Epiphanes, with which it begins, til near his times, contained in the first and former part of the second book, an committed many involuntary errors therein. That he published Antiquities 18 years afterward, perused those most authentic histor the first book of Maccabees, in the 13th year of Domitian, A. D. when he was much more completely acquainted with those anc times, and after he had wrote the chronicles of the priesthood of J Hyrcanus, &c. That, accordingly, he then reviewed those part: this work, and gave the public a more faithful, complete, and accu account of the facts therein related; and honestly corrected the rors he had before run into.

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our country, and sent to the Upper Barbarians :* the son of Matthias, by birth an Hebrew, a pries one who at first fought against the Romans mysel forced to be present at what was done afterward author of this work.]

2. Now, at the time when this great concussion happened, the affairs of the Romans where themsel disorder. Those Jews also, who where for innova arose when the times were disturbed; they we flourishing condition for strength and riches, ins the affairs of the east were then exceeding tumult some hoped for gain, and others were afraid of l for the Jews hoped that all of their na were beyond Euphrates, would have raised an insu gether with them. The Gauls also, in the neighb the Romans, were in motion, and the Celtae were but all was in disorder, after the death of Nero. portunity now offered, induced many to aim at the er; and the soldiery affected change, out of the ho ting money. I thought it, therefore, an absured the truth falsified in affairs of such great conseque take no notice of it; but to suffer those Greeks a that were not in the wars, to be ignorant of these to read either, flatteries or fictions, while the Pa the Babylonians, and the remotest Arabians, and t nation beyond Euphrates, with the Adiabeni, by knew accurately both whence the war began, wh it brought upon us, and after what manner it ende

3. It is true, these writers have the confidence accounts histories; wherein yet they seem to m their own purpose, as well as to relate nothing th For they have a mind to demonstrate the greatnes inans, while they still diminish and lessen the a Jews; as not discerning how it cannot be that appear to be great, who have only conquered thos

When those Upper Barbarians, remote from the sea, w himself will inform us, i 2, viz. the Parthians and Babyl motest Arabians (or the Jews among them ;) besides the Euphrates, and the Adiabeni, or Assyrians, whence we le Parthians, Babylonians, the remotest Arabians, [ or at among them,] as also the Jews beyond Euphrates, and th Assyrians, understood Josephus's Hebrew, or rather Cha the Jewish war, before they were put into the Greek la