both on account of the courage, For he thought that now the

was natural, he was very joyful: and glorious actions, of his son. greatest part of the war was over. He then came thither himself, and set men to guard the city; and gave them command to take care that nobody got privately out of it, but to kill such as attempted so to do. And on the next day he went down to the lake, and commanded that vessels should be fitted up, in order to pursue those that had escaped in the ships. These vessels were quickly gotten ready accordingly because there was great plenty of materials, and a competent number of artificers.

Now this lake of Gennesareth is so called from the country adjoining to it. Its breadth is forty furlongs : and its length an hundred and forty. Its waters are sweet, and very agreeable for drinking they are finer than the thick waters of other fens. It is also temperate when you draw it up, and of a more gentle nature than river or fountain water; and yet always cooler than one would expect in so diffuse a place as this is. Now when this water is kept in the open air, it is as cold as that snow which the country people are accustomed to make by night in summer. There are several kinds of fish in it, different both to the taste and the sight from those elsewhere. It is divided into two parts by the river Jordan. Now Panium is thought to be the fountain of Jordan; but, in reality, it is carried thither after an occult manner from the place called Phiala. This place lies as you go up to Trachonitis; and is a hundred and twenty furlongs from Cæsarea; and is not far out of the road on the right hand. And indeed it hath its name of Phiala (vial or bowl) very justly, from the roundness of its circumference, as being round like a wheel. Its water continues always up to its edges, without either sinking, or running

And as this origin of Jordan was formerly not known, it was discovered so to be when Philip was tetrarch of Trachonitis. For he had chaff thrown into Phiala, and it was found at Panium, where the ancients thought the fountain head of the river was, whither it bad been therefore carried by the waters. As for Panium itself, its natural beauty had been improved by the royal liberality of Agrippa, and adorned at his expense. Now Jordan's visible stream arises from this cavern, and divides the marshes and fens of the lake Semechonitis. And when it hath run another

hundred and twenty furlongs, it first passes by the city Julias, and then passes through the middle of the lake Gennesareth. After which it runs a long way over a desert, and then makes its exit into the lake Asphaltites.

The country also that lies over against this lake hath the same name of Gennesareth. Its nature is wonderful, as well as its beauty. Its soil is so fruitful, that all sorts of trees can grow upon it; and the inhabitants accordingly plant all sorts of trees there. For the temper of the air is so well mixed, that it agrees very well with those several sorts: particularly the walnuts, which require the coldest air, flourish there in vast plenty. There are palm-trees also, which grow best in hot air. Fig-trees also, and olives grow near them, which yet require an air that is more temperate. One may call this place the ambition of nature; for it forces those plants that are naturally enemies to one another to agree together. It is a happy contention of the seasons: as if every one of them laid claim to this country. For it not only nourishes different sorts of autumnal fruit, beyond men's expectation; but preserves them also a great while. It supplies men with the principal fruits, with grapes* and figs, continually, during ten months of the year and the rest of the fruits as they become ripe together through the whole year. For besides the good temperature of the air, it is also watered from a most fertile fountain. The people of the country call it Capharnaum. Some have thought it to be a vein of the Nile, because it produces the coracin fish as well as that lake does which is near to Alexandria. The length of this country extends along the banks of this lake, that bears the same name, for thirty furlongs; and its breadth twenty. And this is the nature of that place.

It may be worth our while to observe here, that near this lake of Gennesareth grapes and figs hang on the trees ten mouths of the year. We may observe also, that in Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechis. xviii. § 8, which was delivered not long before Easter, there were no fresh leaves of fig-trees, nor bunches of grapes, in Judea. So that when St. Mark says, xi. 13, that our Saviour, soon after the same time of the year, came and found leaves on a fig-tree near Jerusalem, but no figs, because the time of new figs ripening was not yet; he says very true. Nor were they, therefore, other than old leaves which our Saviour saw, and old figs, which he expected; and which, even with us, commonly hang on the trees all the winter long

But now, when the vessels were gotten ready, Vespasian put on shipboard as many of his forces as he thought sufficient to conquer those that were upon the lake, and set sail after them. Now these which were driven into the lake could neither fly to the land, where all was in the enemies' hand, and in war against them; nor could they fight upon the level by sea. For their ships were small, and fitted only for piracy; they were too weak to fight with Vespasian's vessels: and the mariners that were in them were so few, that they were afraid to come near the Romans; who attacked them in great numbers. However, as they sailed round about the vessels, and sometimes as they came near them, they threw stones at the Romans, when they were a good way off, or came closer and fought them. Yet did they receive the greatest harm themselves in both cases. As for the stones

And

But

they threw at the Romans, they only made a sound one after another for they threw them against such as were in their armour. While the Roman darts could reach the Jews themselves. when they ventured to come near the Romans, they became sufferers, before they could do any harm to the other, and were drowned, they and their ships together. As for those that endeavoured to come to an actual fight, the Romans ran many of them through with their long poles. Sometimes the Romans leaped into their ships with swords in their hands, and slew them. when some of them met the vessels, the Romans caught them by the middle, and destroyed at once their ships, and themselves who were taken in them. And for such as were drowning in the sea, if they raised their heads up above the water, they were either killed by darts, or caught by the vessels. But if, in the desperate case they were in, they attempted to swim to their enemies, the Romans cut off their heads or their hands. And indeed they were destroyed after various manners, every where; till the rest, being put to flight, were forced to get upon the land, while the vessels encompassed them about on the sea. But as many of these were repulsed when they were getting ashore, they were killed by the darts upon the lake: and the Romans leaped out of their vessels, and destroyed a great many more upon the land. One might then see the lake all bloody, and full of dead bodies: for not one of them escaped. And a terrible smell, and a very sad sight,

there was on the following days over that country. For as for the shores, they were full of shipwrecks, and of dead bodies all swelled; and as the corpses were inflamed by the sun, and putrefied, they corrupted the air. Insomuch that the misery was not only the object of commiseration to the Jews, but to those that hated them, and had been the authors of that misery. This was the result of the sea fight. The number of the slain, including those that were killed in the city before, was six thousand five hundred.

After this fight was over, Vespasian sat upon his tribunal at Taricheæ, in order to distinguish the foreigners from the old inhabitants. For those foreigners appeared to have begun the war. So he deliberated with the other commanders, whether he ought to save those old inhabitants or not? And when those commanders alleged, that the disinission of them would be to his own disadvantage, because when they were once set at liberty, they would not be at rest, since they would be people destitute of proper habitations, and would be able to compel such as they fled to, to fight against the Romans; Vespasian acknowledged, that they did not deserve to be saved; and that if they had leave given them to retire, they would make use of it against those that gave them that leave. But stili he considered with himself,* after what manner they should be slain. For if he had them slain there, he suspected the people of the country would thereby become his enemies. For it was not probable they would bear that so many that had been supplicants to him should be killed; and to offer violence to them, after he had given them assurances of their lives, was repugnaut to his own feelings. However, his friends were

*This is the most cruel and barbarous action that Vespasian ever did in this whole war: as he did it with great reluctance also. It was done both after public assurance given of sparing the prisoners' lives; and when all knew and confessed that these prisoners were no way guilty of any sedition against the Romans. Nor indeed did Titus now give his consent, so far as appears: nor ever act of himself so barbarously. Nay, soon after this, Titus grew quite weary of shedding blood, and of punishing the innocent with the guilty; and gave the people of Gischala leave to keep the Jewish Sabbath, IV. 2. in the midst of their siege. Nor was Vespasian disposed to do what he did, till his officers persuaded him; and that from two principal topics: viz. that nothing could be unjust that was done against Jews: and that when both cannot be consistent, advantage must prevail over justice,

too hard for him; and pretended that nothing against Jews could be any impiety; and that he ought to prefer what was profitable before what was fit to be done, where both could not be made consistent. So he gave them an ambiguous liberty, to do as they advised; and permitted the prisoners to go along no other road than that which led to Tiberias. So they readily believed what they desired to be true, and went along securely, with their effects, the way which was allowed them; while the Romans seized upon all the road that led to Tiberias, that none of them might go out of it; and shut them up in the city. Then came Vespasian, and ordered them all to stand in the stadium; and commanded them to kill the old men, together with the others that were useless, which were in number a thousand and two hundred. Out of the young men he chose six thousand of the strongest, and sent them to Nero, to dig through the isthmus; and sold the remainder for slaves, being thirty thousand and four hundred: besides such as he made a present of to Agrippa. For as to those who belonged to his kingdom, he gave him leave to do what he pleased with them. However the king sold these also for slaves. But for the rest of the multitude, who were Trachonites, and Gaulanites, and of Hippos, and some of Gadara, the greatest part of them were seditious persons, and fugitives: who were of such shameful characters, that they preferred war before peace. These prisoners were taken on the eighth day of the month Gorpicus, or Elul.*

* A. D. 67.