battle with them; and after a short resistance which they made, he pursued after them. And as they fled to their first wall, the Romans followed them so closely, that they fell in together with But when the Jews were endeavouring to get again within their second wall, their own fellow-citizens shut them out: as being afraid that the Romans would force themselves in with them. It was certainly God, therefore, who brought the Romans to punish the Galileans; and then expose the people of the city every one of them manifestly to be destroyed by their cruel enemies. For they fell upon the gates in great crowds, earnestly calling to those that kept them, and that by their names also; yet had they their throats cut in the very midst of their supplications. For the enemy shut the gates of the first wall; and their own citizens shut the gates of the second. So they were enclosed between two walls, and were slain in great numbers together: many of them were run through by swords of their own men ; and many by their own swords: besides an immense number that were slain by the Romans. Nor had they courage to revenge themselves. For there was added to the consternation they were in from the enemy, their being betrayed by their own friends, which quite broke their spirits. And at last they died, execrating not the Romans, but their own citizens, till they were all destroyed; being in number twelve thousand. So Trajan gathered that the city was empty of people that could fight; and although there should a few of them be therein, he supposed that they would be too timorous to venture on any opposition. So he reserved the taking of the city to the general. Accordingly he sent messengers to Vespasian, and desired him to send his son Titus, to finish the victory he had gained. Vespasian hereupon imagining there might be some pains still necessary, sent his son with an army of five hundred horsemen, and a thousand footmen. So he came quickly to the city, and put his army in order, and set Trajan over the left wing, while he had the right himself, and led them to the siege. And when the soldiers brought the ladders to be laid against the wall on every side, the Galileans opposed them from above for a while; but soon afterward they left the walls. Then did Titus's men leap into the city, and seized upon it presently. But when those that were in it were gotten torether, a fierce battle ensued between them. For the men of power fell upon the Romans in the narrow streets; and the women threw whatsoever came next to hand at them, and sustained a fight with them for six hours. But when the fighting men were exhausted, the rest of the multitude had their throats cut, partly in the open air, and partly in their own houses, both young and old together. So there were no males now remaining, besides infants; which, with the women, were carried as slaves into captivity. So that the number of the slain both now in the city, and at the former fight, was fifteen thousand: and the captives were two thousand one hundred and thirty. This calamity befell the Galileans on the twenty-fifth of the month Desius, or Sivan. Nor did the Samaritans escape their share of misfortunes at this time. For they assembled themselves together upon the mountain called Gerizzim, which is with them a holy mountain, and there they remained. This collection of theirs, as well as the courageous minds they showed, could not but threaten somewhat of war. Nor were they rendered wiser by the miseries that had come upon their neighbouring cities. They also, notwithstanding the great success the Romans had, marched on in an unreasonable manner; depending on their own weakness; and were disposed for any tumult upon its first appearance. Vespasian, therefore, thought it best to prevent their motions, and to cut off the foundation of their attempts. For although all Samaria had ever garrisons settled among them, yet did the number of those that were come to mount Gerizzim, and their conspiracy together, give ground for suspicion of a revolt. He therefore sent thither Cerealis, the commander of the fifth legion, with six hundred horsemen, and three thousand footmen: who did not think it safe to go up the mountain, and give them battle: because many of the enemy were on the higher part of the ground. So he encompassed all the lower part of the mountain with his army, and watched them all that day. Now it happened that the Samaritans, who were now destitute of water, were inflamed with a violent heat, (for it was summer time, and the multitude had not provided themselves with necessaries,) insomuch that some of them died that very day with heat: while others of them preferred slavery before such a death, and fled to the Romans. By whom Cerealis understood, that those who still staid there were very much dispirited by their misfortunes. So he went up the mountain; and having placed his forces round about the enemy, he, in the first place exhorted them to take the security of his right hand, and come to terms with him, and thereby save themselves and assured them that, if they would lay down their arms, he would secure them from any injury. But when he could not prevail with then, he attacked and slew them all; being eleven thousand and six hundred. This was done on the twenty-seventh day of the month Desius, or Sivan.* And these were the calamities that befell the Samaritans at this time. But as the people of Jotapata still held out manfully, and bore up under their miseries beyond all that could be hoped for; on the forty-seventh day of the siege, the banks cast up by the Romans were become higher than the wall. On which day a certain deserter went to Vespasian, and told him, how few were left in the city, and how weak they were: and that they had been so worn out with perpetual watching, and as perpetual fighting, that they could not now oppose any force that came against them: and that they might be taken by stratagem, if any one would attack them. For that about the last watch of the night, when they thought they might have some rest from the hardships they were under; and when a morning sleep used to come upon them, as they were thoroughly weary, he said, the watch used to fall asleep. Accordingly his advice was, that they should make their attack at that hour. But Vespasian had a suspicion about this deserter; as knowing how faithful the Jews were to one another, and how *A. D. 67. + Monsieur Toinard's conjecture, here mentioned by Dr. Hudson, is too strong to be opposed; that these odd seven days should be blotted out, both here and chap. 8, and the true number be esteemed only forty days. There being no more from the 21st of Artemisius, when Josephus entered the city before the siege began, till the first of Panemus, when the city was taken. This is said only upon supposition that the 21st of Artemisius, and the 1st of Panemus were the true days of the beginning and ending of this siege. Of the former of which numbers yet, at least, a doubt may sooner be made, than of this number 47. My reason is, that such number 21, is but once set down, whereas the other 47, is repeated again, chap. 8, without any variation. I therefore rather choose to suppose that Josephus entered Jotapata on the 14th of Artemisius, which will afford us 47 days for the duration of this siege; than to say he entered on the 21st, that the siege might be supposed to have lasted 40 days only. much they despised any punishments that could be inflicted on them. He also knew that one of the people of Jotapata had undergone all sorts of torments; and though they made him pass through a fiery trial of his enemies in his examination, yet would he inform them nothing of the affairs within the city and as he was crucified smiled at them. However, the probability there was in the relation itself, did partly confirm the truth of what the deserter told them: and they thought he might probably speak truth. However, Vespasian thought they should be no great sufferers if the report were false. So he commanded them to keep the man in custody and prepared the army for taking the city. :: According to this resolution they marched without noise, at the hour that had been told them, to the wall. And it was Titus himself that first got upon it, with one of his tribunes, Domitius Sabinus, and a few of the fifteenth legion along with him. So they cut the throats of the watch, and entered the city very quietly. After these came Cerealis the tribune, and Placidus, and led on those that were under them. Now when the citadel was taken, and the enemy were in the very midst of the city; and when it was already day, yet was not the taking of the city known by those that held it. For a great many of them were fast asleep: and a great mist which then by chance fell upon the city, hindered those that got up from distinctly seeing the case they were in, till the whole Roman army was gotten in, and they were raised up only to find the miseries they were under and as they were slaying they perceived the city was taken. And for the Romans, they so well remembered what they had suffered during the siege, that they neither spared nor pitied any; but drove the people down the precipice from the citadel, and slew them as they drove them down. At which time the difficulties of the place hindered those that were still able to fight from defending themselves. For as they were distressed in the narrow streets, and could not keep their feet sure along the precipice, they were overpowered with the crowd of those that came fighting them down from the citadel. This provoked a great many, even of those chosen men that were about Josephus, to kill themselves with their own hands. For when they saw that they could kill none of the Romans, they resolved to prevent being killed by the Romans; and got together in great numbers in the utmost parts of the city, and killed themselves. However, such of the watch as at the first perceived they were taken, and ran away as fast as they could, went up into one of the towers on the north side of the city, and for a while defended themselves there. But as they were encompassed with a multitude of enemies, they tried to use their right hands when it was too late; and at length they cheerfully offered their necks to be cut off by those that stood over them. And the Romans might have boasted, that the conclusion of that siege was without blood, on their side, if there had not been a centurion, Antonius, who was slain at the taking of the city. His death was occasioned by the following treachery. For there was one of those that were fled into the caverns, which were a great number, who desired that this Antonius would give him his hand for his security, and would assure him that he would preserve him, and give him his assistance in getting up out of the cavern. Accordingly, he incautiously reached him his right hand; when the other man prevented him, and stabbed him under his loins, with a spear, and killed him immediately. On this day it was that the Romans slew all the multitude that appeared openly. But on the following days they searched the hiding places, and fell upon those that were under ground, and in the caverns. And went thus through every age, excepting the infants, and the women; and of these there were gathered together as captives twelve hundred. And as for those that were slain at the taking of the city, and in the former fights, they were numbered to be forty thousand. So Vespasian gave order that the city should be entirely demolished, and all the fortifications burnt down. And thus was Jotapata taken, in the thirteenth year of the reign of Nero, on the first day of the month Panemus, or Tamuz.* * A. D. 67. |