Jews rebellion, and before thofe commotions which preceded the war, when the people were come in great crowds to the feast of unleavened bread on the eighth day of the month Xanthicus, [Nifan], and at the ninth hour of the night, fo great a light fhone round the altar and the holy houfe, that it appeared to be bright day-time; which light lafted for half an hour. This light feemed to be a good fign to the unfkilful, but was fo interpreted by the facred fcribes, as to portend thofe events that followed immediately upon it. At the fame teftival allo an heifer, as the was led by the high-prieft to be facrificed, brought forth a lamb in the midft of the temple. Moreover the caftern gate of the inner court of the] temple, which was of brass, and vaftly heavy, and had been with difficulty fhut by twenty men, and refted upon a bafis armed with iron, and had bolts faftened very deep into the firm floor, which was there made of one entire ftone, was feen to be opened of its own accord about the fixth hour of the night. Now, those that kept watch in the temple came hereupon running to the captain of the temple, and told him of it; who then came up thither, and, not without great difficulty, was able to fhut the gate again. This alfo appeared to the vulgar to be a very happy prodigy, as if God did thereby open them the gate of happinefs. But the men of learning understood it, that the fecurity of their holy houfe was diffolved of its own accord, and that the gate was opened for the advantage of their enemies. So thefe publicly declared, that the fignal forefhewed the defolation that was coming upon them. Befides thefe a few days after that feaft, on the one and twentieth day of the month Artemifius [Jyar] a certain prodigious and incredible phenomenon appeared: I fuppofe the account of it would feem to be a fable, were it not related by thofe that faw it, and were not the events that followed it of fo confiderable a nature as to deferve fuch fignals: For, before fun-fetting, chariots and troops of foldiers in their armour were feen running about among the clouds, and furrounding of cities. Moreover, at that feaft which we call Pentecoft, as the priests were going by night into the inner [court of the temple, as the custom was. to perform their facred miniftrations, they faid that in the firft place they felt a quaking, and heard a noife, and after that they heard a found as of a great multitude, faying, "Let us remove hence." But, what is ftill more terrible, there was one Jefus the fon of Ananus, a plebeian, and an husbandman, who, four years before the war began, and at a time when the city was in * Since Jofephus fill ufes the Syro-Macedonian month Xanthicus for the Jewish month Nifan, this 8th, or, as Nicephorus read it, this gh of Xanthicus or Nifan was almost a week before the Paffover on the 14th: About which time we learn from St. John that many ufed to go "out of the country to Jerufalem to purify themselves,” John xi. 55 with xii 1 in agreement with Jofephus alto, Book V. chap. iii. fect. 1. Vol. III. And it night well be, that in the fight of these this extraordinary light might appear. t This here feems to be the court of the pricfts. very great peace and profperity, came to that feast whereon it is our custom for every one to make tabernacles to God in the temple, began on a fudden to cry aloud, "A voice from the caft, a voice from the weft, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerufalem and the holy house, a voice against the bridegrooms and the brides, and a voice against this whole people." This was his cry as he went about by day and by night, in all the lanes of the city. However, certain of the most eminent among the populace had great indignation at this dire cry of his, and took up the man, and gave him a great number of fevere ftripes: Yet did not he either fay any thing for himself, or any thing peculiar to those that chaftifed him, but ftill went on with the fame words which he cried before. Hereupon our rulers, fuppofing, as the cafe proved to be, that this was a fort of divine fury in the man, brought him to the Roman procurator; where he was whipped till his bones were laid bare: Yet did not he make any fupplication for himfelf, nor fhed any tears; but turning his voice to the most lamentable tone poffible, at every ftroke of the whip his anfwer was, "Wo, wo to Jerufalem.' And when Albinus (for he was then our procurator) asked him, "Who he was? and whence he came ? and why he uttered fuch words ?" he made no manner of reply to what he faid, but still did not leave off his melancholy ditty, till Albinus took him to be a madman, and difmiffed him. Now, during all the time that paffed before the war began, this man did not go near any of the citizens, nor was seen by them while he faid fo; but he every day uttered these lamentable words, as if it were his premeditated vow, "Wo, wo to Jerufalem." Nor did he give ill words to any of those that beat him every day, nor good words to thofe that gave him food; but this was his reply to all men, and indeed no other than a melancholy prefage of what was to come. This cry of his was the loudeft at the feftivals; and he continued this ditty for seven years and five months, without growing hoarfe, or being tired therewith, until the very time that he faw his prefage in earnest tulfilled in our fiege, when it ceafed; for, as he was going round upon the wall, he cried out with his utmost force, "Wo, wo to the city again, and to the people, and to the holy houfe." And juft as he added at the laft." Wo, wo to my fell alfo," there came a ftone out of one of the engines, and Imote him, and killed him immediately; and as he was uttering the very fame prefage, he gave up the ghost. Both Reland and Havercamp in this place alter the natural punctuation and fenfe of Jofephus, and this contrary to the opinion of Valefius and Dr Hudlon, left Jofephus fhould fay that the Jews built booths or tents within the temple at the feast of tabernacls; which the latter rabbins will not allow to have been the ancient practice: But then, fince it is exprefsly told us in Nehemiah, ch. viii. 16. that in till elder times "the Jews made booths in the courts of the house of God" at that feftival, Jofephus may well be permitted to lay the fame. And indeed the modern rabbins are of very mall authority in all fuch matters of remote antiqt 4. Now, if any one confider these things, he will find that God takes care of mankind, and by all ways poffible foreshows to our race what is for their prefervation, but that men perish by those miseries which they madly and voluntarily bring upon themfelves; for the Jews, by demolishing the tower of Antonia, had made their temple four-iquare, while at the fame time they had it written in their facred oracles, That" then should their city be taken, as well as their holy houfe, when once their temple fhould become four-fquare." But now, what did the most elevate them in undertaking this war, was an ambiguous oracle that was alfo found in their facred writings, How "about that time one from their country should become governor of the habitable earth." The Jews took this prediction to belong to themselves in particular, and many of the wife men were thereby deceived in their determination. Now, this oracle certainly denoted the government of Vefpafian, who was appointed emperor in Judea. However, it is not poffible for men to avoid fate, although they fee it beforehand. But these men interpreted fome of these fignals according to their own pleasure, and fome of them they utterly defpifed, until their madness was demonftrated, both by the taking of their city, and their own destruction. CHAP. VI. How the Romans carried their Enfigns to the Temple, and made joyful Acclamations to Titus. The Speech that Titus made to the Jews when they made Application for Mercy. What Reply they made thereto; and how that Reply moved Titus's Indignation against them. $ 1, AND now the Romans, upon the flight of the feditious into the city, and upon the burning of the holy house itself, and of all the buildings round about it, brought their enfigns to the temple*, and fet them over-againft its eaftern gate; and there did they offer facrifices to them, and there did they make Titus Imperator + with the greateft acclamations of joy. And now all the foldiers had fuch vaft quantities of the spoils which they had gotten by plunder, that in Syria a pound weight of gold was fold for half its former value." But as for those priests that kept themselves ftill upon the wall of the holy Take Havercamp's note here," This (says he) is a remarkable place :" And, Tertullian truly fays in his Apologetic, chap. xvi. p. 162, That the entire religion of the Roman camp almost confifted in worshipping the enfigns, in Iwearing by the enfigns, and in preferring the enfigns before all the [other] gods." See what Havereamp fays upon that place of Tertullian. + This declaring Titus Imperator by the foldiers, upon fuch fignal fuccels, and the flaughter of fuch a vaft number of enemies, was according to the ufual practice of the Romans in like eafes, as Reland affures us on this place, The Jews of later times agree with Josephus, that there were hiding places or fecret chambers about the holy houfe, as Reland here informs us, where he thinks he has found these very walls described by them. VOL. III. B 3 houfe, there was a boy that, out of the thirft he was in, defired fome of the Roman guards to give him their right hands as a fecurity for his life, and confeffed he was very thirfly. Thefe guards commiferated his age, and the diftrefs he was in, and gave him their right hands accordingly. So he came down himfelf, and drank fome water, and filled the veffel he had with him when he came to them with water, and then went off, and fled away to his own friends; nor could any of thofe guards overtake him; but ftill they reproached him for his perfidioufnefs. To which he made this aniwer; "I have not broken the agreement; for the fecurity I had given me was not in order to my flaying with you, but only in order to my coming down fafely, and taking up fome water; both which things I have performed, and thereupon think mylelf to have been faithful to my engagement." Hereupon those whom the child had impofed upon admired at his cunning, and that on account of his age. On the fifth day afterward, the priefis that were pined with the famine came down, and when they were brought to Titus by the guards, they begged for their lives: But he replied. That" the time of pardon was over as to them, and that this very holy houfe, on whofe account only they could juftly hope to be preferved, was deftroyed, and that it was agreeable to their office, that priefs fhould perish with the house itself to which they belonged." So he ordered them to be put to death. 2. But as for the tyrants themfelves, and those that were with them, when they found that they were encompassed on every fide, and, as it were, walled round, without any method of elcaping, they defired to treat with Titus by word of mouth. Accordingly, fuch was the kindness of his nature, and his defire of preferving the city from deflruction, and was joined to the advice of his friends who now thought the robbers were come to a temper, that he placed himself on the western fide of the outer [court of the] temple; for there were gates on that fide above Xyflus, and a bridge that connected the upper city into the temple. This bridge it was that lay between the tyrants and Cæfar, and parted them; while the multitude flood on each fide; thofe of the Jewish nation about Simon and John, with great hopes of pardon, and the Romans about Cæfar, in great expectation how Titus would receive their fupplication. So Titus charged his foldiers to reftrain their rage, and to let their darts alone and appointed an interpreter between them, which was a fign that he was the conqueror, and firft began the difcourfe; and laid, "I hope you: Sirs, are now fatiated with the miferies of your country, who have not had, any juft notions either of our great power, or of your own great weaknefs, but have like madmen, after a violent and inconfiderate manner, made fuch attempts, as have brought your people, your city, and your holy houfe to deftruction. You have been the men that have never left off rebelling fince Pompey firft conquered you, and have fince that time made open war with the Romans. Have you depended on your multitude, while a very fmall part of the Roman foldiery have been ftrong enough for you? Have you relied on the fidelity of your confederates? And what nations are there, out of the limits of our dominion, that would choose to affift the Jews before the Romans? Are your bodies ftronger than ours? Nay, you know that the [frong] Germans themfelves are our fervants. Have you ftronger walls than we have? Pray, what greater obftacle is there than the wall of the ocean, with which the Britons are encompaffed, and yet do adore the arms of the Romans. Do you exceed us in courage of foul, and in the fagacity of your commanders? Nay, indeed, you cannot but know, that the very Carthaginians have been conquered by us. It can therefore be nothing certainly but the kindnefs of us Romans which hath excited you against us. Who, in the first place, have given you this land to poffefs; and, in the next place, have fet over you kings of your own nation; and, in the third place, have preferved the laws of your forefathers to you, and have withal permitted you to live either by yourselves, or among others, as it fhould please you: And, what is our chief favour of all, we have given you leave to gather up that tribute which is paid to God, with fuch other gifts that are dedicated to him; nor have we called thofe that carried thefe donations to account, nor prohibited them; till at length you became richer than we ourfelves, even when you were our enemies; and you made preparations for war against us with our own money: Nay, atter all, when you were in the enjoyment of all thefe advantages, you turned your too great plenty againft those that gave it you, and, like mercilefs ferpents, have thrown out your poifon against thofe that treated you kindly. I fuppofe, therefore that you might defpife the flothfulness of Nero, and, like limbs of the body that are broken or diflocated, you did then lie quiet, waiting for fome other time, though fill with a malicious intention, and have now fhewed your diftemper to be greater, than ever, and have extended your defires as far as your impudent and immenfe hopes would enable you to do it. At this time my father came into this country, not with a design to punish you for what you had done under Ceftius, but to admonifh you; for, had he come to overthrow your nation, he had run directly to your fountain-head, and had immediately laid this city wafte; whereas, he went and burnt Galilee and the neighbouring parts, and thereby gave you time for repentance: Which inftance of humanity you took for an argument of his weakness, and nourished up your impudence by your mildness. When Nero was gone out of the world, you did as the wickedeft wretches would have done, and encour* Spanheim notes here, that the Romans used to permit the Jews to collect their facred tribute, and fend it to Jerufalem; of which we have had abundant evi lence in Jofephus already on other occafions. |