that refolved to imitate his bravery; but ftill this was the prin cipal perfon of them all, and went first, as excited by a divine fury. Now thofe that guarded the wall fhot at them from thence, and caft innumerable darts upon them from every fide; they alfo rolled very large ftones upon them, which overthrew some of those eleven that were with him. But as for Sabinus himself, he met the darts that were caft at him, and though he were overwhelmed with them, yet did he not leave off the violence of his attack before he had gotten up on the top of the wall, and had put the enemy to flight. For as the Jews were aftonished at his great ftrength, and the bravery of his foul, and as, withal, they imagined more of them had got upon the wall than really had, they were put to flight. And now one cannot but complain here of fortune, as flill envious at virtue, and always hindering the performance of glorious atchievements: This was the cafe of the man before us, when he had juft obtained his purpose; for he then ftumbled at a certain large ftone, and fell down upon it headlong, with a very great noife. Upon which the Jews turned back, and when they faw him to be alone, and fallen down alfo, they threw darts at him from every fide. However, he got upon his knee, and covered himself with his fhield, and at the first defended himself against them, and wounded many of those that came near him: But he was foon forced to relax his right hand, by the multitude of the wounds that had been given him, till at length he was quite covered over with darts, before he gave up the ghoft. He was one who deferved a better fate, by reafon of his bravery: But, as might be expected, he fell under fo vaft an attempt. As for the rest of his partners, the Jews dafhed three of them to pieces with ftones, and flew them, as they were gotten up to the top of the wall; the other eight being wounded,, were pulled down, and carried back to the camp. Thefe things were done upon the third day of the month Panemus [Tamuz].

7. Now two days afterward twelve of thofe men that were on the forefront, and kept watch upon the banks got together, and called to them the ftandard-bearer of the fifth legion, and two others of a troop of horsemen, and one trumpeter; thele went without noife, about the ninth hour of the night, through the ruins, to the tower of Antonia; and when they had cut the throats of the first guards of the place, as they were afleep, they got poffeffion of the wall, and ordered the trumpeter to found his trumpet. Upon which the rest of the guard got up on the fudden, and ran away, before any body could fee how many they were that were gotten up; for, partly from the fear they were in, and partly from the found of the trumpet which they heard, they imagined a great number of the enemy were gotten up. But as foon as Cæfar heard the fignal, he ordered the army to put on their armour immediately, and came thither with his commanders, and firft of all afcended,

as did the chosen men that were with him. And as the Jews were flying away to the temple, they fell into that mine which John had dug under the Roman banks. Then did the feditious of both the bodies of the Jewish army, as well that belonging to John, as that belonging to Simon, drive them away; and indeed were no way wanting as to the highest degree of force and alacrity: For they esteemed themfelves entirely ruined, if once the Romans got into the temple, as did the Romans look upon the fame thing as the beginning of their entire conqueft. So a terrible battle was fought at the entrance of the temple, while the Romans were forcing their way, in order to get poffeffion of that temple, and the Jews were driving them back to the tower of Antonia; in which battle the darts were on both fides ufelefs, as well as the fpears, and both fides drew their fwords, and fought it out hand to hand. Now during this ftruggle, the pofitions of the men were undiftinguifhed on both fides, and they fought at random, the men being intermixed one with another, and confounded, by reafon of the narrownefs of the place; while the noife that was made fell on the ear after an indiftinét manner, because it was fo very loud. Great flaughter was now made on both fides, and the combatants trod upon the bodies, and the armour of thofe that were dead, and dafhed them to pieces. Accordingly, to which fide foever the battle inclined, those that had the advantage exhorted one another to go on, as did thofe that were beaten make great lamentation. But ftill there was no room for flight, nor for pursuit, but diforderly revolutions. and retreats, while the armies were intermixed one with another; but thofe that were in the first ranks were under the neceffity of killing or being killed, without any way for efcaping; for thofe on both fides that came behind, forced those before them to go on, without leaving any space between the armies. At length the Jew's violent zeal was too hard for the Roman fkill, and the battle already inclined entirely that way; for the fight had lafted from the ninth hour of the night, till the feventh hour of the day, while the Jews come on in crowds, and had the danger the temple was in for their motive; the Romans having no more here than a part of their army; for thofe legions, on which the foldiers on that fide depended, were not come up to them. So it was at prefent thought fufficient by the Romans to take poffeffion of the tower of Antonia.

8. But there was one Julian, a centurion, that came from Bithynia, a man he was of great reputation whom I had formerly feen in that war, and one of the highest fame, both for his skill in war, his ftrength of body, and the courage of his foul. This man feeing the Romans giving ground, and in a fad condition, for he ftood by Titus at the tower of Antonia, leaped out, and of himself alone put the Jews to flight, when they were already conquerors, and made them retire as far as the corner of the inner court of the temple: From him the mulVOL. III.

Y y

titude fled away in crowds, as fuppofing that neither his ftrength nor his violent attacks could be thofe of a mere man. Accordingly he rushed through the midft of the Jews, as they were difperfed all abroad, and killed those that he caught. Nor indeed was there any fight that appeared more wonderful in the eyes of Cæfar, or more terrible to others than this. However, he was himself pursued by fate, which it was not poffible that he, who was but a mortal man, fhould efcape; for as he had fhoes all full of thick and harp nails, as had every one of the other foldiers, fo when he ran on the pavement of the temple, he flipped, and fell down upon his back with a very great noife, which was made by his armour, This made those that were running away to turn back; whereupon those Romans that were in the tower of Antonia fet up a great fhout, as they were in fear for the man. But the Jews got about him in crowds, and ftruck at him with their fpears, and with their fwords on all fides. Now he received a great many of the ftrokes of these iron weapons upon his fhield, and often attempted to get up again, but was thrown down by thofe that ftruck at him; yet did he, as he lay along, ftab many of them with his fword. Nor was he foon killed, as being covered with his helmet and his breaft-plate in all thofe parts of his body where he might be mortally wounded; he alfo pulled his neck close to his body, till all his other limbs were fhattered, and no body durft come to defend him, and then he yielded to his fate. Now Cæfar was deeply affected on account of this man of fo great fortitude, and especially as he was killed in the fight of fo many people; he was defirous himself to come to his affiftance, but the place would not give him leave, while fuch as could have done it, were too much terrified to attempt it. Thus when Julian had ftruggled with death a great while, and had let but few of thofe that had given him his mortal wound, go off unhurt, he had at laft his throat cut, though not without fome difficulty, and left behind himn a very great fame, not only among the Romans, and with Cæfar himfelf, but among his enemies allo: Then did the Jews catch up his dead body, and put the Romans to flight again, and fhut them up in the tower of Antonia. Now those that moft fignalized themfelves, and fought moft zealously in this battle of the Jewish fide, were one Alexas and Gyphtheus of John's party, and of Simon's party were Malachias, and Judas the fon of Merto, and James the fon of Sofas, the commander of the Idumeans; and of the Zelotes, two brethren, Simon and Judas, the fons of Jairus.

No wonder that this Julian, who had fo many nails in his fhoes, flipped upon the pavement of the temple, which was fmooth, and laid with marble of dif ferent colours.

CHAP. II.

How Titus gave Orders to demolish the Tower of Antonia, and then perfuaded Jofephus to Exhort the Jews again [to a Surrender].

A

ND now Titus gave order to his foldiers that were with him to dig up the foundations of the tower of Antonia, and make him a ready paffage for his army to come up; while he himself had Jofephus brought to him (for he had been informed that on that very day, which was the feventeenth

day of Panemus [Tamuz], the facrifice called the daily facri. fice had failed, and had not been offered to God, for want of men to offer it, and that the people were grievously troubled at it), and commanded him to fay the lame things to John that he had faid before, That" if he had any malicious inclination tor fighting, he might come out with as many of his men as he pleafed, in order to fight, without the danger of deftroying either his city or temple; but that he defired he would not defile the temple, nor thereby offend against God. That he might, if he pleased, offer the facrifices which were now dif continued by any of the Jews whom he fhould pitch upon." Upon this Jofephus ftood in fuch a place where he might be heard, not by John only, but by many more, and then declared to them what Cæfar had given him in charge, and this in the Hebrew language t. So he earnestly prayed them "to fpare their own city, and to prevent that fire which was juft ready to feize upon the temple, and to offer their ufual facrifices to God therein." At thefe words of his a great fadness and filence were obferved among the people. But the tyrant himself caft many reproaches upon Jofephus, with imprecations befides; and at last added this withal, "That he did never fear the taking of the city, because it was God's own city." In anfwer to which Jofephus faid thus with a loud voice, "To be fure thou haft kept this city wonderful pure for God's fake; the temple allo continues entirely unpolluted! Nor haft thou been guilty of any impiety against him for whofe affiftance thou hopeft! He ftill receives his accuftomed facrifices! Vile wretch that thou art ! It any one fhould deprive thee of thy daily food, thou wouldeft efteem

This was a remarkable day indeed, the 17th of Panemus [Tamuz], A. D. 70, when, according to Daniel's prediction, 606 years before, the Romans “in half a week caufed the facrifice and oblation to ceafe," Dan. ix. 27. For from the month of February, A. D. 66. about which time Vefpafian entered on this war, to this very time, was just three years and a halt. See Bishop Lloyd's Tables of Chronology, published by Mr. Marshal, on this year. Nor is it to be omitted what very nearly confirms this duration of the war, that four years before the war begun, was fomewhat above seven years five months before the deftruction of Jerufalem, chap. 5. fect. 3

+ The fame that in the New Teftament is always fo called, and was then the common language of the Jews in Judea, which was the Syriac dialect.

him to be an enemy to thee; but thou hopest to have that God for thy fupporter in this war whom thou haft deprived of his everlafting worship: And thou imputeft thole fins to the Romans, who to this very time take care to have our laws obferved, and almoft compel thefe facrifices to be ftill offered to God, which have by thy means been intermitted. Who is there that can avoid groans and lamentations at the amazing change that is made in this city? fince very foreign ers and enemies do now correct that impiety which thou haft occafioned; while thou who art a Jew, and waft educated in our laws, art become a greater enemy to them than the others. But ftill, John, it is never difhonourable to repent, and amend what hath been done amifs, even at the last extremity. Thou haft an inflance before thee in Jechoniah, the king of the Jews, if thou haft amind to fave the city, who, whenthe king of Babylon made war against him, did, of his own accord, go out of this city before it was taken, and did undergo a voluntary captivity with his family, that the fanctuary might not be delivered up to the enemy, and that he might not fee the house of God fet on fire On which account he is celebrated among all the Jews, in their facred memorials, and his memory is become immortal, and will be conveyed frefh down to our pofterity through all ages. This John is an excellent example in fucha time of dan ger; and I dare venture to promise that the Romans fhall ftill forgive thee. And take notice, that I who make this exhortation to thee, am one of thine own nation; I, who am a Jew, do make this promile to thee. And it will become thee to confider who I am that give thee this counfel, and whence 1 am derived: For while I am alive I shall never be in fuch flavery, as to forego my own kindred, or forget the laws of our forefathers. Thou haft indignation at me again, and makeft a clamour at me, and reproachest me; indeed I cannot deny but I am worthy of worfe treatment than all this amounts to, because, in oppofition to fate, I make this kind invitation to thee, and endeavour to force deliverance upon those whom God hath condemned. And who is there that does not know what the writings of the ancient prophets contain in them; and particularly that oracle + which is juft now going to be fulfilled upon this miferable city? For they foretold that this city fhould be then taken, when fomebody shall begin the flaughter of his own country men. And are not both the city and the entire temple now full of the dead bodies of your country men? It is God therefore, it is God himself who

* Our prefent copies of the Old Teftament want this encomium upon king Jechoniah or Jehoiachim, which it seems was in Jofephus's copy.

+ Of this oracle, fee the note on Book IV. chap. vi. fect. 3.

Jofephus, both here and in many places elfewhere, ipeaks fo, that it is most evident he was fully fatisfied that God was on the Roman's fide, and made ufe of them now for the deftruction of that wicked nation of the Jews, which was for certain the true ftate of this matter, as the prophet Daniel first, and our Saviour him Self afterwards, had clearly foretold. See Lit. Accompl. of Proph. p. 64, &c.