are bound. But certainly our hands are ftill at liberty, and have a fword in them, let them then be fubfervient to us in our glorious defign; let us die before we become flaves under our enemies, and let us go out of the world, together with our children, and our wives, in a ftate of freedom. This it is that our laws command us to do; this it is that our wives and children crave at our hands; nay, God himself hath brought this neceffity upon us; while the Romans defire the contrary, and are afraid left any of us fhould die before we are taken. Let us therefore make hafte, and instead of affording them so much pleasure, as they hope for in getting us under their power, let us leave them an example which fhall at once cause their aftonishment at our death, and their admiration of our hardness therein." СНАР. ІХ. How the People that were in the Fortress were prevailed on by the words of Eleazar, two Women and five Children only excepted, and all fubmitted to be Killed by one another. Now they all cut him off fhort, and made hafte to do the work, as full of an unconquerable ardour of mind, and moved with a demoniacal fury. So they went their ways, as one ftill endeavouring to be before another, and as thinking that this eagerness would be a demonftration of their courage and good conduct, if they could avoid appearing in the laft clafs; fo great was the zeal they were in to flay their wives and children, and themselves also. Nor indeed, when they came to the work itfelf, did their courage tail them, as one might imagine it would have done, but they then held faft the fame refolution, without wavering, which they had upon the hearing of Eleazar's fpeech, while yet every one of them ftill retained the natural paffion of love to themselves and their families, because the reafoning they went upon appeared to them to be very juft, even with regard to those that were dearest to them; for the hufbands tenderly embraced their wives, and took their children into their arms, and gave the longeft parting-kiffes to them, with tears in their eyes. Yet at the fame time did they complete what they had refolved on, as if they had been executed by the hands of ftrangers; and they had nothing elfe for their comfort, but the neceffity they were in of doing this execution, to avoid that profpect they had of the miferies they were to fuffer from their enemies. Nor was there at length any one of these men found that fcrupled to act their part in this terrible execution, but every one of them dispatched his dearest relations. Miferable men indeed were they ! whose diftrefs forced them to flay their own wives and children with their own hands, as the lightest of thofe evils that were before them. So they being not able to bear the grief they were under for what they had done any longer, and efteeming it an injury VOL. III. H 3 to thofe they had flain, to live even the shorteft fpace of time after them, they prefently laid all they had upon an heap, and fet fire to it. They then chofe ten men by lot out of them, to flay all the reft: Every one of which laid himself down by his wife and children on the ground, and threw his arms about them, and they offered their necks to the ftroke of those who by lot executed that melancholy office: And when these ten had, without fear, flain them all, they made the fame rule for cafting lots for themfelves, that he whofe lot it was fhould firft kill the other nine, and after all should kill himself. Accordingly all thefe had courage fufficient to be no way behind one another in doing or fuffering; fo, for a conclufion, the nine offered their necks to the executioner, and he who was the laft of all took a view of all the other bodies, left perchance fome or other among fo many that were flain fhould want his affiftarce to be quite difpatched, and when he perceived that they were all flain, he fet fire to the palace, and with the great force of his hand ran his fword entirely through himself, and fell down dead near to his own relations. So these people died with this intention, that they would leave not so much as one foul among them all alive to be fubject to the Romans. Yet was there an ancient woman, and another who was of kin to Eleazar, and fuperior to moft women in prudence and learning, with five children, who had concealed themselves in caverns under ground, and had carried water thither for their drink, and were hidden there when the reft were intent upon the flaughter of one another. Those others were nine hundred and fixty in number, the women and children being withal included in that computation. This calamitous flaughter was made on the fifteenth day of the month Xanthicus [Nifan]. 2. Now for the Romans, they expected that they fhould be fought in the morning, when accordingly they put on their ar mour, and laid bridges of planks upon their ladders from their banks, to make an affault upon the fortrefs, which they did; but faw nobody as an enemy, but a terrible folitude on every fide, with a fire within the place, as well as a perfect filence. So they were at a lofa to guess at what had happened. At lenth they made a fhout, as it it had been at a blow given by the battering ram, to try whether they could bring any one out that was within; the women heard this noife, and came out of their underground cavern and informed the Romans what had been done, as it was done, and the second of them clearly described all both what was faid, and what was done, and the manner of it; yet did they not eafily give their attention to fuch a desperate undertaking, and did not believe it could be as they faid; they alfo attempted to put the fire out, and quickly cutting themselves a way through it, they came within the palace, and fo met with the multitude of the flain, but could take no pleasure in the fact, though it were done to their enemies. Nor could they do other than wonnder at the courage of their refolution, and the immove able contempt of death which fo great a number of them had fhewn, when they went through with such an action as that was. CHAP. X. That many of the Sicarii fled to Alexandria alfo, and what Dangers they were in there; on which account that Temple which had formerly been built by Omas the High Priest was Defiroyed. 1.HEN Mafada was thus taken, the general left a garrifon in the fortrefs to keep it, and he bimfelt went to Cefarea; for there were now no enemies left in the country, but it was all overthrown by to long a war. Yet did this war afford difturbances and dangerous disorders even in places very far remote from Judea; for fill it came to país, that many Jews were flain at. Alexandria in Egypt; for as many of the Sicarii as were able to fly thither, out of the feditious wars in Judea, were not content to have faved themselves but muft needs be undertaking to make new difturbances, and perfuaded many of thofe that entertained them to alert their liberty, to efteem the Romans to be no better than themselves, and to look upon God as their only Lord and Mafter. But when part of the Jews of reputation oppofed them, they flew fome of them, and with the others they were very preffing in their exhortations, to revolt from the Romans; but when the principal men of the fenate faw what madness they were come to, they thought it no longer fafe for themselves to overlook them. So they got all the Jews together to an affembly, and accused the madness of the Sicarii and demonftrated that they had been the authors of all the evils that had come upon them. They faid alfo, that "these men, now they were run away from Judea, having no fure hope of efcaping, becaule as foon as ever they fhall be known, they will be foon deftroyed by the Romans, they come hither and fill us full of thofe calamities which belong to them, while we have not been partakers with them in any of their fins." Accordingly they exhorted the multitude to have a care, left they fhould be brought to deftruction by their means, and to make their apology to the Romans for what had been done, by delivering theie men up to them; who being thus apprifed of the greatnefs of the danger they were in, complied with what was propofed, and ran with great violence upon the Sicarii, and feized upon them; and indeed fix hundred of them were caught immediately: But as to all those that fled into Egypt, and to the Egyptian * Since Jolephus here informs us, that fome of thefe dicarii, or Ruifians, went from Alexandria (which was itfelf in Egypt in a large fenfe) into Egypt and Thebes, there fituated, Reland well obferves, from Vollius, that Egypt fometimes denotes Proper or Upper Egypt as diftinct from Defta, and the lower parts near Faleftine. Accordingly, as he adds, those that fay it never 1ains in Egypt, must mean the Proper or Upper Egypt, because it does fometimes rain in t. e other parts. See the notes on Antiq. B. II. ch, vii. § 7. and Book IIi. ch, i fest. 6. Vol. I. Thebes, it was not long ere they were caught alfo, and brought back, whofe courage or whether we ought to call it madness, or hardinefs in their opinions, every body was amazed at. For when all forts of torments and vexations of their bodies that could be devifed were made ufe of to them, they could not get any one of them to comply fo far as to confefs or feem to confefs, that Cæfar was their lord; but they preferved their own opinion, in fpite of all the diftrefs they were brought to, as if they received thofe torments and the fire itself, with bodies infenfible of pain and with a foul that in a manner rejoiced under them. But what was most of all aftonishing to the behol ders, was the age of the children; for not one of these children was fo far overcome by thefe torments, as to name Cæfar for their lord. So far does the ftrength of the courage [of the foul] prevail over the weakness of the body. 2. Now Lupus did then govern Alexandria, who prefently fent Cæfar word of this commotion; who having in fufpicion the reftless temper of the Jews for innovation, and being afraid left they fhould get together again, and perfuade fome others to join with them, gave orders to Lupus to demolish that Jewish temple which was in the region called Onion, and was in Egypt, which was built and had its denomination from the occation following: Onias, the fon of Simon, one of the Jewith high priests, fled from Antiochus the king of Syria, when he made war with the Jews and came to Alexandria, and as Ptolemy received him very kindly, on account of hatred to Antiochus, he affured him, that if he would comply with his propofal, he would bring all the Jews to his affiftance: And when the king agreed to do it fo far as he was able, he defired him to give him leave to build a temple fomewhere in Egypt, and to worship God according to the customs of his own country; for that the Jews would then be so much readier to fight against Antiochus, who had laid waste the temple at Jerufalem, and that they would then come to him with greater good-will, and that by granting them liberty of confcience, very many of them would come over to him. 3. So Ptolemy complied with his proposals, and gave him a place + one hundred and eighty furlongs diftant from Memphis. That Nomos was called the Nomos of Heliopolis, where Onias 1. Of this temple of Onias's building in Egypt, fee the notes on Antiq, Book XIII. ch. iti feat. Vol II But whereas it is elfewhere, both Of the War B. I. ch. i. 1 Vol. III. and in the Antiquities as now quoted, faid, that this temple was like to that at Jerufalem, and here it was not like it but like a tower, fe&t 3. there is fome realon to fufpect the reading here, and that either the negative particle is here to be blotted out, or the word entirely added. +We must oblerve, that Jofephus here fpeaks of Antiochus, who profaned the temple, as now alive, when Onias had leave given him by Philometer to build his temple; whereas it seems not to have been actually built till about fifteen years afterwards. Yet because it is faid in the Antiquities, that Onias went to Philometer, B. XII. ch. ix, f. 7. Vol. 11. during the lifetime of that Antiochus, it is probable he petitioned, and perhaps obtained his leave then, though it were zel actually built or finished till ätteen years alnı ward, built a fortrefs and a temple, not like to that at Jerufalem, but fuch as relembled a tower. He built it of large ftones to the height of fixty cubits; he made the ftructure of the altar in imitation of that in our own country, and in like manner adorned with gifts, excepting the make of the candlestick, for he did not make a candlestick, but had a | fingle] lamp hammered out of a piece of gold, which illumed the place with its rays, and which he hung by a chain of gold; but the entire temple was encompaffed with a wall of burnt brick though it had gates. of flone. The king also gave him a large country for a revenue in money, that both the priests might have a plentiful provifion made for them. and that God might have great abundance of what things were neceffary for his worship. Yet did not Onias do this out of a fober difpofition, but he had a mind to contend with the Jews at Jerufalem, and could not forget the indignation he had for being banished thence. Accordingly he thought that by building this temple he fhould draw away a great number from them to himfel!. There had been also a certain ancient prediction made by [a prophet] whose name was Ifaiah, about fix hundred years before, that this temple should be built by a man that was a Jew in Egypt*. And this is the history of the building of that temple. 4. And now Lupus the governor of Alexandria, upon the receipt of Cæfar's letter, came to the temple, and carried out of it fome of the donations dedicated thereto, and shut up the temple itself, And as Lupus died a little afterward, Paulinus fucceeded him. This man left none of thofe donations there, and threatened the priests feverely if they did not bring them all out; nor did he permit any who were defirous of worshipping God there. fo much as to come near the whole facred palace. But when he had fhut up the gates, he made it entirely inaccellible, infomuch that there remained no longer the least foot-steps of any divine worship, that had been in that piace. Now the duration of this time from the building of this temple, till it was shut up again was three hundred and forty-three years. CHAP. XI. Goncerning Jonathan, one of the Sicarii. that fired up a Sedition in Cyrene, and was a false Accufer [of the Innocent.] § I. AND now did the madness of the Sicarii, like a dif eafe, reach as far as the cities of yrene; for one Jonathan, a vile perfon, and by trade a weaver, came thither and prevailed with no fmall number of the poorer fort to give ear to him: He alfo led them into the defert, upon promifing them, that he would fhew them figns, and apparitions. And as for the other Jews of Cyrene, he concealed his knavery from them, and put tricks upon them; but those of the greatest dignity among them informed Catullus, the governor of the • Ifa, xix. 18—93. |