3. So Jofephus went round about the wall, and tried to find a place that was out of the reach of their darts, and yet within their hearing, and befought them, in many words, "To fpare themfelves, to fpare their country, and their temple, and not to be more obdurate in these cases than foreigners themselves: For that the Romans, who had no relation to thofe things, had a reverence for their facred rites and places, although they belonged to their enemies, and had till now kept their hands off from meddling with them, while fuch as were brought up un. der them, and, if they be preferved, will be the only people that will reap the benefit of them, hurry on to have them deftroyed. That certainly they have feen their ftrongest walls demolished, and that the wall ftill remaining was weaker than thofe that were already taken. That they must know the Roman power was invincible, and that they had been used to ferve them; for that in cafe it be allowed a right thing to fight for liberty, that ought to have been done at first; but for them that have once fallen under the power of the Romans, and have now fubmitted to them for to many long years, to pretend to fhake off that yoke afterward, was the work of fuch as had a mind to die miferably, not of fuch as were lovers of liberty. Befides, men may well enough grudge at the dishonour of owning ignoble matters over them, but ought not to do fo to those who have all things under their command: For what part of the world is there that hath efcaped the Romans, unlefs it be fuch as are of no ufe for violent cold? And evident it is, that fortune is on all hands gone over to them; and that God, when he had gone round the nations with this dominion, is now fettled in Italy. That moreover, it is a ftrong and fixed law, even among brute beafts, as well as among men, to yield to thofe that are too ftrong for them; and to fuffer those to have the dominion, who are too hard for the rest in war. For which reafon it was that their forefathers, who were far fuperior to them both in their fouls and bodies, and other advantages, did yet fubmit to the Romans, which they would not have fuffered, had they not known that God was with them. As for themfelves, what can they depend on in this their oppofition, when the greatest part of their city is already taken ? and when thofe that were within it are under greater mileries than if they were taken, although their walls be ftill ftanding? For that the Romans are not unacquainted with that famine which is in the city, whereby the people are already confumed, and the fighting men will in a little time be fo too; for although the Romans fhould leave off the fiege, and not fall upon the city with their words in their hands, yet was there an infuperable war that befet them within, and was augmented every hour; unless they were able to wage war with famine, and fight againft it, or could alone conquer their natural appetites,' He added this farther, "How right a thing it was to change their conduct, before their calamities were become incurable, and to have recourfe to fuch advice as might preferve them, while opportunity was offered them for fo doing. For that the Romans would not be mindful of their pait actions, to their difadvantage, unless they perfevered in their infolent behaviour to the end; because they were naturally mild in their conquefts, and preferred what was profitable, before what their paffions dictated to them; which profit of theirs lay not in leaving the city empty of inhabitants, nor the country defert: On which account, Cæfar did now offer them his right hand for their fecurity. Whereas, if he took the city by force, he would not fave any of them, and this efpecially, if they rejected his offers in these their ut moft diftreffes; for the walls that were already taken, could not but affure them that the third wall would quickly be taken alfo. And though their fortifications fhould prove too strong for the Romans to break through them, yet would the famine fight for the Romans against them." 4. While Jofephus was making this exhortation to the Jews, many of them jelted upon him from the wall, and many reproached him; nay, fome threw their darts at him: But when he could not himself perfuade them by fuch open good advice, he betook himfelt to the hiftories belonging to their own nation, and cried out aloud, “O miferable creatures! are you fo unmindful of those that used to affift you, that you will fight by your weapons and by your hands against the Romans! When did we ever conquer any other nation by fuch means? and when was it that God, who is the Creator of the Jewish people, did not avenge them when they had been injured? Will not you turn again, and look back, and confider whence it is that you fight with fuch violence, and how great a Supporter you have profanely abufed ? Will not you recal to mind the prodigious things done for your forefathers and this holy place, and how great enemies of yours were by him fubdued under you? I even tremble mylelf in declaring the works of God before your ears that are unworthy to hear them However, hearken to me, that you may be informed how you fight not only against the Romans but against God himfelt. In old time there was one Necao, king of Egypt, who was alfo called Pharaoh; he came with a prodigious army, and feized Queen Sarah, the mother of our nation. What did Abrahamn our progenitor then do? Did he defend himself from this injurious perfon by war, although he had three hundred and eighteen captains under him, and an immende army under each of them? Indeed he deemed them to be no number at all without God's affiftance, and only fpread out his hands towards this holy place, which you have now pollut * * Jofephus fupposes, in this his admirable speech to the Jews, thas not Abraham only, but Pharaoh king of Egypt, prayed towards a temple at Jerusalem, or towards Jerufalem itielf, in which were mount Sion and mount Moriah, on which the tabernacle and temple did afterwards Hand; and this long before either ed, and reckoned upon him as upon his invincible fupporter, inftead of his own army. Was not our queen fent back, without any defilement, to her husband, the very next evening? while the king of Egypt fled away, adoring this place, which you have defiled by hedding thereon the blood of your own countrymen; and he also trembled at thofe vifions which he faw in the night-feafon, and beftowed both filver and gold on the Hebrews, as on a people beloved by God. Shall I fay nothing, or fhall I mention the removal of our fathers into Egypt who when they were used tyrannically, and were fallen under the power of foreign kings for four hundred years together, and might have defended themselves by war and by fighting, did yet do nothing but commit themfelves to God? Who is there that does not know how Egypt was over-run with all forts of wild beafts, and confumed by all forts of diftempers? how their land did bring forth its fruit? how the Nile Jailed of water ? how the ten plagues of Egypt followed one upon another? and how by thofe means our fathers were fent away, under a guard, without any bloodfhed, and without running any dangers, becaufe God conducted them as his pecul. iar lervants? Moreover, did not Palestine groan under the ravage the Affyrians made, when they carried away our fa cred ark ? as did their idol Dagon, and as also did that entire nation of thole that carried it away; how they were fmitten with a loathfome diftemper in the fecret parts of their bodies, when their very bowels came down together with what they had eaten, till thofe hands that ftole it away were obliged to bring it back again, and that with the found of fymbals and timbrels, and other oblations, in order to appeafe the anger of God for their violation of his holy ark. It was God who then became our general, and accomplished thefe great things for our fathers, and this because they did not meddle with war and fighting, but committed it to him to judge about their affairs. When Sennacherib, king of Affyria, brought along with him all Afia, and encompafled this city round with his army, did he fall by the hands of men? were not thofe hands lifted up to God in prayers, without meddling with their arms, when an angel of God deftroyed that prodigious army in one night? when the Allyrian king, as he rofe the next * the Jewish tabernacle or temple were built. by God to Abraham, to go two or three days fon Iiaac there, unfavourable to íuch a notion. Nor is the famous command given journey on purpole to offer up his *Note here, that jolephus, in this his fame admirable fpeech, calls the Syrians, nay, even the Philistines on the most fouth part of Syria, Affyrians; which Reland oblerves as what was common among the ancient writers. Note alio, that Jofephus mi ht well put the Jews in mind, as he does here more than once, of their wonderful and truly miraculous deliverance from Senacherib king of allyr ia, while the Roman army, and himself with tem, were now encamped upon and beyond that very spot of ground where the Affyrian army lay 780 years before and which retained the very name of the camp of the Allyrians to that very day. See chap. vii, § 3. and chap. xii. § 2. day, found an hundred fourfcore and five thousand dead bodies, and when he, with the remainder of his army, fled away from the Hebrews, though they were unarmed, and did not pursue them. You are alfo acquainted with the flavery we were under at Babylon, where the people were captives for feventy years; yet were they not delivered into freedom again, before God made Cyrus his gracious inftrument in bringing it about; accordingly they were fet free by him, and did again reftore the worship of their deliverer at his temple. And, to fpeak in general, we can produce no example wherein our fathers got any fuccefs by war, or failed of fuccefs when without war they committed themselves to God. When they ftaid at home, they conquered, as pleased their judge, but when they went out to fight, they were always difappointed: For example, when the king of Babylon befieged this very city, and our king Zedekiah fought against him, contrary to what predictions were made to him by Jeremiah the prophet, he was at once taken prifoner, and faw the city and the temple demolished. Yet how much greater was the moderation of that king, than is that of your prefent governors, and that of the people then under him, than is that of you at this time? for when Jeremiah cried out aloud, how very angry God was at them, because of their tranfgreffions, and told them they fhould be taken prifoners, unless they would furrender up their city, neither did the king nor the people put him to death: But for you, (to pafs over what you have done within the city, which I am not able to defcribe, as your wickednefs deferves), you abufe me, and throw darts at me, who only exhort you to fave yourselves, as being provoked when you are put in mind of your fins, and cannot bear the very mention of those crimes which you every day perpetrate. For another example, when Antio chus, who was called Epiphanes, lay before this city, and had been guilty of many indignities against God, and our forefathers met him in arms, they then were flain in the battle, this city was plundered, by our enemies, and our fanftuary made defolate for three years and fix months. And what need I bring any more examples ? Indeed what can it be that hath flirred up an army of the Romans against our nation? ls it not the impiety of the inhabitants? Whence did our fervitude commence? Was it not derived from the feditions that were among our forefathers, when the madness of Arif tobulus and Hyrcanus, and our mutual quarrels, brought Pompey upon this city, and when God reduced thofe under fubjection to the Romans, who were unworthy of the liberty they had enjoyed. After a fiege, therefore, of three months they were forced to furrender themselves, although they had not been guilty of fuch offences with regard to our fanctuary and our laws, as you have; and this while they had much greater advantage to go to war than you have. Do not we know what end Antigonus, the fon of Ariftobulus, came to, under whose reign God provided that this city fhould be tak en again upon account of the people's offences? When Herod, the fon of Antipater, brought upon us Sofius, and Sofius brought upon us the Roman army. they were then encompaffed and befieged for fix months, till, as a punishment for their fins, they were taken, and the city was plundered by the enemy. Thus it appears, that arms were never given to our nation, but that we are always given up to be fought against, and to be taken; for I fuppofe, that fuch as inhabit this holy place ought to commit the difpofal of all things to God, and then only to difregard the affiftance of men, when they refign themfelves up to their Arbitrator, who is above. As for you, what have you done of thofe things that are recommended by our Legislator? and what have you not done of those things that he hath condemned? How much more impious are you than those which were fo quickly taken? You have not avoided fo much as thofe fins that are ufually done in fecret; I mean thefts, and treacherous plots against men, and adulterers. You are quarrelling about rapines and murders, and invent strange ways of wickednefs. Nay the temple itfelf is become the receptacle of all, and this divine place is polluted by the hands of thofe of our own country; which place hath yet been reverenced by the Romans, when it was at a distance from them, when they have fuffered many of their own customs to give place to our law. And, after all this, do you expect him whom you have fo impioully abufed to be your fupporter ? To be fure then you have a right to be petitioners, and to call upon him to affift you, lo pure are your hands! Did your king [Hezekiah] lift up fuch hands in prayer to God against the king of Affyria, when he deftroyed that great army in one night? And do the Romans commit fuch wickednefs, as did the king of Affyria, that you may have reason to hope for the like vengeance upon them? Did not that king accept of money from our king on this condition, that he thould not destroy the city, and yet, contrary to the oath he had taken, he came down to burn the temple? while the Romans do demand no more than that accustomed tribute which our fathers paid to their fathers; and if they may but once obtain that, they neither aim to destroy this city, nor to touch this fan&uary; nay, they will grant you befides, that your poflerity fhall be free, and your poffeffions fecured to you, and will preferve your holy laws inviolate to you. And it is plain madness to expect, that God fhould appear as well difpofed towards the wicked as towards the righteous, fince he knows when it is proper to punish men for their fins immediately: Accordingly he brake the power of the Affyrians the very firft night that they pitched their camp. Wherefore, had he judged that our nation was worthy of freedom, or the Romans of punishment, he had immediately inflicted punishment upon thofe Romans, as he |