Page images
PDF
EPUB

561

fend in parties of robbers, to lie in wait, and sometimes to fight battles, and withal to bring fpoil and prey to the procurators [Cumanus and Felix.] Whereupon thefe procurators began to rejoice; yet when the mischief grew confiderable, foldiers were fent to quiet them, but the foldiers were killed; and the province had been in the flame of war, had not Quadratus, the president of Syria, afforded his affistance. Nor was it long in difpute whether the Jews, who had killed the foldiers in the mutiny, fhould be put to death: It was agreed they should die; only Cumanus and Felix occafioned a delay, for Claudius, upon hearing the caufes as to this rebellion, had given (Quadratus] authority to determine the cafe, even as to the procurators themfelves: But Quadratus fhewed Felix among the judges, and took him into his feat of judgment, on purpose that he might difcourage his accufers. So Cumanus was condemned for those flagitious actions, of which both he and Felix had been guilty, and peace was restored to the province."

HISTOR. BOOK V. CHap. X.

HOWEVER the Jews had patience till Geffius Florus was made procurator. Under him it was that the war began tius Gallus, the president of Syria, attempted to appease it, and tried Then Ceffeveral battles, but generally with ill fuccefs.

Upon his death + whether it came by fate, or that he was weary of his life, is uncertain, Vefpafian had the fortune, by his reputation, and excellent officers, and a victorious army, in the fpace of two fummers, to make himself master of all the open country, and of all the cities, Jerufalem excepted.

[Flavius Vefpafianus, whom Nero had chofen for his general, managed the Jewish war with three legions. Hiftor. B. I. chap. 10.]

The next year, which was employed in a civil war [at home] fo far as the Jews were concerned, paffed over in peace. pacified, the care of foreign parts was revived. The Jews were the When Italy was only people that stood out, which increased the rage [of the Romans.] It was alfo thought most proper that Titus fhould ftay with the army, to prevent any accident or misfortune which the new government might be liable to.

[Vefpafian had put an end to the Jewish nation: The fiege of Jerufalem was the only enterprise remaining, which was a work hard and difficult, but rather from the nature of the mountain, and the obftinacy of the Jewish fuperftition, than because the belieged had ftrength enough to undergo the diftrelles [of a fiege.] We have already informed [the reader] that Vefpafian had with him three legions, well exercised in war. Hiftor. Book II. chap. 5.]

When Vefpafian was a very young man, it was promifed him that he fhould arrive at the highest pitch of fame: But what did firft of all feem to confirm the omen, was his triumphs, and consulfhip, and the glories of his victories over the Jews. When he had once obtained

* Here feems to be a great mistake about the Jewish affairs in Tacitus. See of the War, B. II. chap. xii. fect. 8.

+ Jofephus fays nothing of the death of Ceftius; fo Tacitus feems to have known nothing in particular about it.

Y

1

thefe, he believed it was portended that he should come to the emepire.

There is between Judea and Syria a mountain and a god both called by the same name of Carmel, though our predeceffors have informed us that this god had no image, and no temple, and indeed no more than an altar and folemn worship. Vefpafian was once offering a facrifice there, at a time when he had fome fecret thought in his mind : The priest, whofe name was Bafilides, when he over and over looked at the entrails, faid, Vefpafian, whatever thou art about, whether the building of thy houfe, or enlargement of thy lands, or augmentation of thy flaves, thou art granted a mighty feat, very large bounds. an huge number of men. Thefe doubtful anfwers were foon spread about by fame, and at this time were explained: Nor was any thing fo much in public vogue, and very many difcourfes of that nature were made before him, and the more because they foretold what he expected

Mucianus and Vefpafianus went away, having fully agreed on their defigns; the former to Antioch, the latter to Cæfarea. Antioch is the capital of Syria, and Cæfarea the capital of Judea. The commencement of Vefpafian's advancement to the empire was at Alexandria, where Tiberius Alexander made fuch hafte, that he obliged the legions to take the oath of fidelity to him on the kalends of July, which was ever after celebrated as the day of his inauguration t although the army in Judea had taken that oath on the fifth of the nones of July, with that eagerness, that they would not stay for his fon Titus, who was then on the road, returning out of Syria, chap. 79. Vefpafian delivered over the ftrongeft part of his forces to Titus, to enable him to finish what remained of the Jewish war. Hift. Book IV. chap 51.

During thofe months in which Vefpafian continued at Alexandria, waiting for the ufual fet time of the fummer gales of wind, and stayed for fettled fair weather at fea, many miraculous events happened, by which the good will of heaven, and a kind of inclination of the Deity in his favor was declared.]

A certain man of the vulgar fort at Alexandria, well known for the decay of his eyes, kneeled down by him, and groaned, and begged of him the cure of his blindness, as by the admonition of Serapis, that god which this fuperftitious nation worships above others. He alfo defired that the emperor would be pleafed to put fome of his fpittle upon the balls of his eyes. Another infirm man there, who was lame of his hand, prayed Cæfar as by the fame god's fuggeftion, to tread upon him with his foot. Vefpafian at first began to laugh at them, and to reject them, and when they were inftant with him, he fometimes feared he fhould have the reputation of a vain perfon, and fometimes upon the folicitation of the infirm, he flattered himself, and others flattered him, with the hopes of fucceeding. At laft he ordered the phyficians to give their opinion, whether this fort of blindnefs and famenefs were curable by the art of man or not? The physicians anfwered uncertainly, that the one had not his vifual faculty utterly de

* Jofephus takes notice in general of thefe many omens of Vespañian's advancement to the empire, and distinctly adds his own remarkable prediction of it allo. Antiq. B. V. chap. viii. fe&t. 3, 9.

+ This although feems to imply that Vefpafian was proclaimed emperor in Judea, before he was fo proclaimed at Alexandria, as the whole hiftory of Jofephus implies, and the place where now Vefpafian was, which was no other than Judea, requires alfo this explanation, though the inauguration day might be celebrat ed afterward from his first proclamation at the great city Alexandria, only then the nones or ides in Tacitus and Suetonius must be of June, and not of July.

troyed, and that it might be reftored, if the obftacles were removed : That the other's limbs were difordered, but if an healing virtue were made ufe of, they were capable of being made whole. Perhaps, faid they, the gods are willing to aflift, and that the emperor is chofen by divine interpofition: However, they faid at last, that if the cures fucceeded, Cæfar would have the glory, if not, the poor miferable objects would only be laughed at. Whereupon Vefpafian imagined that his good fortune would be univerfal, and that nothing on that account could be incredible, so he looked cheerfully, and in the fight of the multitude, who stood in great expectation, he did what they defired him: Upon which the lame hand was recovered, and the blind man faw immediately. Both these cures are related to this day by those that were préfent, and when speaking falfely will get no reward.

BOOK V. CHAP. I.

At the beginning of the fame year, Titus Caefar, who was pitched

upon by his father to finish the conqueft of Judea and while both he and his father were private perfons, was celebrated for his martial conduct, acted now with greater vigor, and hopes of reputation, the kind inclinations both of the provinces and of the armies striving one with another who should moff encourage him. He was also himself in a difpofition to fhew that he was more than equal to his fortune; and when he appeared in arms, he did al things after such a ready and graceful way, treating all after such an affable manner, and with fuch kind words. as invited the good will and good withes of all. He appeared alfo in his actions and in his place in the troops; he mixed with the common foldiers, yet without any ftain to his honor as a general. He was received in Judea by three legions, the fifth, and the tenth, and the fifteenth, who were Vefpafian's old foldiers. Syria alfo afforded him the twelfth, and Alexandria, foldiers out of the twentyfecond and twentythird legions. Twenty cohortst of auxiliaries accompanied, as alfo eight troops of horse.

*The miraculous cures done by Vefpafian are attefted to both by Suetonius in Vefpafia, fe&t. 7, and by Dio, p. 217, and leem to be well attested. Our Saviour feems to have overruled the Heathen oracle of Serapis to procure the divine approbation to Velpafian's advancement to the empire of Rome, as he fuggefted the like approbation to the advancement both of Vefpafian and Titus to Jofephus, which two were to be his cho en inftruments in bringing on that terrible deftruction upon the Jewish nation, which he had threatened to execute by thefe Roman armies. Nor could any other Roman generals than Vefpafian and Titus, at that time, in human probability, have prevailed over the Jews, and destroyed Jerufalem, as this whole hiftory in Jofephus implies. Jofephus allo every where (uppoíes Vefpafian and Titus raifed up to command against Judea and Jerufalem, and to govern the Roman empire by Divine Providence, and not in the ordinary way: As alfo he always fuppofes this deftruction a divine judgment on the Jews for their fins.

This character of Titus agrees exactly with the hiftory of Jofephus, upon /

all occafions.

Thefe twenty cohorts, and eight troops of horse, are not direâly enume rated by Jofephus, Antiq. B. V. chap, i. fect. 6.

King Agrippa alfo was there, and king Sohemus, and the auxiliaries of king Antiochus, and a strong body of Arabians, who, as is usual in nations that are neighbors to one another, went with their accustomed hatred against the Jews, with many others out of the city of Rome, as every one's hopes led him into the design of getting early into the gencral's favor. before others should prevent them.

He entered into the borders of the enemies' country with these forces, in exact order of war: And looking carefully about him, and being ready for battle, he pitched his camp not far from Jerufalem.

CHAP. X. When therefore he had pitched his camp, as we faid juft now, before the walls of Jerufalem, he pumpously* fhewed his legions ready for an engagement.

CHAP. XI.] The Jews formed their camp under the very wallst [of the city] and if they fucceeded, they refolved to venture farther, but if they were beaten back, that was their place of refuge. When a body of cavalry were fent against them and with them cohorts, that were expedite and nimble, the fight was doubtful; but foon afterwards the enemies gave ground, and on the following days there were frequent fkirmishes before the gates, till after many loffes they were driven into the city. The Romans then betook themselves to the fiege, for it did not feem honorable to stay till the enemies were reduced by famine. The foldiers were very eager to expose themfelves to dangers part of them out of true valor, many out of a brutish fiercenets, and out of a defire of rewards.

Titus had Rome, and the riches and pleafures of it before his eyes, all which feemed to be too long delayed, unless Jerufalem could be foon destroyed.

The city stood on an high elevation, and it had great works and ramparts to fecure it, fuch as were fufficient for its fortification, had it ben on plain ground, for there were two hills, of a vaft height, which were enclofed by walls made crooked by art, or [naturally] bending inwards, that they might flank the befiegers, and caft darts on them fide ways. The extreme parts of the rock were craggy, and the towers, when they had the advantage of the ground, were fixty feet high: When they were built on the plain ground, they were not built lower than one hundred and twenty feet; they were of uncommon beauty, and to those who looked at them at a great distance, they feemed equal. Other walls there were beneath the royal palace, befides the tower of Antonia, with its top particularly confpicuous. It was called fo by Herod, in honor of Marcus Antonius.

CHAP. XII. The temple was like a citadel, having walls of its own, which had more labor and pains bestowed on them than the rest,

*This word in Tacitus, pompously fhewed his legions, looks as if that pompous fhew which was fome months afterward, in Jofephus, ran in his mind, Antiq B. V. chap. ix. feet. 1.

Thefe firft bickerings and battles near the walls of Jerufalem, are at large in Jolephus, Antiq B V chap. ii.

Jofephus diftinctly mentions thefe horsemen or cavalry, 600 in number, among whom Titus had like to have been flain or taken prifoner, Antiq. B. V. chap. ii. fect. 1, 2, 3.

Such a deliberation and refolution, with this very reason, that it would be difhonorable to stay till the Jews were ftarved out by famine, is in Jofephus, Antiq. B. V chap. xii fect 1.

This defcription of the city of Jerufalem, its two hills, its three walls, and four towers, &c. are in this place at large in Jofephus, Antiq. B. V. chap, iv. See also Pompey's fiege, B. XIV. chap. iv, feft. 2.

The cloisters wherewith the temple was enclosed were an excellent fortification.

They had a fountain of water that ran perpetually; and the mountains were hollowed under ground: They had moreover pools and cifterns for the prefervation of the rain water.

They that built this city forefaw, that from the difference of their conduct of life from their neighbors they fhould have frequent wars; thence it came to pafs, that they had provifion for a long fiege. After Pompey's conquest also their fear and experience had taught them generally what they should want. †

Moreover the covetous temper that prevailed under Claudius, gave the Jews an opportunity of purchafing for money leave to fortify Jerufalem; fo they built walls in time of peace, as if they were going to war, they being augmented in number by thofe rude multitudes of people that retired thither on the ruin of the other cities, for every obftinate fellow ran away thither, and there became more feditions than before.

There were three captains, and as many armies. Simon had the remoteft and the largeft parts of the walls under him. John, who was alfo called Bar Gioras, [the fon of Gioras] had the middle parts of the city under him; and Eleazar had fortified the temple itself. John and Simon were fuperior in multitude and strength of arms, Eleazar was fuperior by his fituation, but battles, factions, and burnings, were common to them all; and a great quantity of corn was confumed by fire. After a while John fent fome, who, under the pretence of offering facrifice, might flay Eleazar, and his body of troops, which they did, and got the temple under their power. So the city now was parted into two factions, until, upon the coming of the Romans, this war abroad produced peace between thefe that were at home.

CHAP. XIII.] Such prodigies || had happened as this nation, which is fuperftitious enough in its own way, would not agree to expiate by the ceremonies of the Roman religion, nor would they atone the gods by facrifices and vows, as thefe ufed to do on the like occafions. Armies were feen to fight in the fky, and their armor looked of a bright light color, and the temple thone with fudden flashes of fire out of the clouds. The doors of the temple were opened on a fudden, and a voice greater than human was heard, that the gods were retiring, and at the fame time was there a great motion perceived, as if they were going out of it, which fome efteemed to be caufes of terror. The greater part had a firm belief that it was contained in the old facerdotal books, that at this very time the east would prevail, and that some

Of thefe pools, fee Jofephus, B. V. chap. xi. fect. 4. The cifterns are not mentioned by him here, though they be mentioned by travellers. See Reland's Palestine, Tom. I. p. 304.

+ This is Tacitus's or the Romans' own hypothefis, unfupported by Jofephus.

This fale of leave for the Jews to build the walls of Jerufalem for money, is allo Tacitus's or the Romans' own hypothefis, unfupported by Jofephus. Nor is Jofephus's character of Claudius near fo bad, as to other things alfo, as it is in Tacitus and Suetonius. Dio fays, he was far from covetoufnels in particular. The others feem to have mifre prefented his meek and quiet temper, and earning, but without ambition, and his great kindnets to the Jews, as the most contemptible folly. See Antiq. B. XIX. chap. iv. fect. 4. He was indeed much ruled at first by a very bad minister, Pallas; and at last was ruled and poisoned by a very bad wife, Agrippina.

Thele prodigies, and more, are at large in Jofephus, Antiq. B. VI. chap. v. કુંતી. 3.

« PreviousContinue »