the wars of the jews-第117节

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　and　make　him　a　ready　passage　for　his　army　to　come　up；　while　he　himself　had　Josephus　brought　to　him；　（for　he　had　been　informed　that　on　that　very　day；　which　was　the　seventeenth　day　（5）of　Panemus；　＇Tamuz；＇　the　sacrifice　called　〃the　Daily　Sacrifice〃　had　failed；　and　had　not　been　offered　to　God；　for　want　of　men　to　offer　it；　and　that　the　people　were　grievously　troubled　at　it；）　and　commanded　him　to　say　the　same　things　to　John　that　he　had　said　before；　that　if　he　had　any　malicious　inclination　for　fighting；　he　might　come　out　with　as　many　of　his　men　as　he　pleased；　in　order　to　fight；　without　the　danger　of　destroying　either　his　city　or　temple；　but　that　he　desired　he　would　not　defile　the　temple；　nor　thereby　offend　against　God。　That　he　might；　if　he　pleased；　offer　the　sacrifices　which　were　now　discontinuned　by　any　of　the　Jews　whom　he　should　pitch　upon。　Upon　this　Josephus　　stood　in　such　a　place　where　he　might　be　heard；　not　by　John　only；　but　by　many　more；　and　then　declared　to　them　what　Caesar　had　given　him　in　charge；　and　this　in　the　Hebrew　language。　（6）　So　he　earnestly　prayed　them　to　spare　their　own　city；　and　to　prevent　that　fire　which　was　just　ready　to　seize　upon　the　temple；　and　to　offer　their　usual　sacrifices　to　God　therein。　At　these　words　of　his　a　great　sadness　and　silence　were　observed　among　the　people。　But　the　tyrant　himself　cast　many　reproaches　upon　Josephus；　with　imprecations　besides；　and　at　last　added　this　withal；　that　he　did　never　fear　the　taking　of　the　city；　because　it　was　God's　own　city。　In　answer　to　which　Josephus　said　thus　with　a　loud　voice：　〃To　be　sure　thou　hast　kept　this　city　wonderfully　pure　for　God's　sake；　the　temple　also　continues　entirely　unpolluted！　Nor　hast　thou　been　guilty　of　ally　impiety　against　him　for　whose　assistance　thou　hopest！　He　still　receives　his　accustomed　sacrifices！　Vile　wretch　that　thou　art！　if　any　one　should　deprive　thee　of　thy　daily　food；　thou　wouldst　esteem　him　to　be　an　enemy　to　thee；　but　thou　hopest　to　have　that　God　for　thy　supporter　in　this　war　whom　thou　hast　deprived　of　his　everlasting　worship；　and　thou　imputest　those　sins　to　the　Romans；　who　to　this　very　time　take　care　to　have　our　laws　observed；　and　almost　compel　these　sacrifices　to　be　still　offered　to　God；　which　have　by　thy　means　been　intermitted！　Who　is　there　that　can　avoid　groans　and　lamentations　at　the　amazing　change　that　is　made　in　this　city？　since　very　foreigners　and　enemies　do　now　correct　that　impiety　which　thou　hast　occasioned；　while　thou；　who　art　a　Jew；　and　wast　educated　in　our　laws；　art　become　a　greater　enemy　to　them　than　the　others。　But　still；　John；　it　is　never　dishonorable　to　repent；　and　amend　what　hath　been　done　amiss；　even　at　the　last　extremity。　Thou　hast　an　instance　before　thee　in　Jechoniah；　（7）　the　king　of　the　Jews；　if　thou　hast　a　mind　to　save　the　city；　who；　when　the　king　of　Babylon　made　war　against　him；　did　of　his　own　accord　go　out　of　this　city　before　it　was　taken；　and　did　undergo　a　　voluntary　captivity　with　his　family；　that　the　sanctuary　might　not　be　delivered　up　to　the　enemy；　and　that　he　might　not　see　the　house　of　God　set　on　fire；　on　which　account　he　is　celebrated　among　all　the　Jews；　in　their　sacred　memorials；　and　his　memory　is　become　immortal；　and　will　be　conveyed　fresh　down　to　our　posterity　through　all　ages。　This；　John；　is　an　excellent　example　in　such　a　time　of　danger；　and　I　dare　venture　to　promise　that　the　Romans　shall　still　forgive　thee。　And　take　notice　that　I；　who　make　this　exhortation　to　thee；　am　one　of　thine　own　nation；　I；　who　am　a　Jew；　do　make　this　promise　to　thee。　And　it　will　become　thee　to　consider　who　I　am　that　give　thee　this　counsel；　and　whence　I　am　derived；　for　while　I　am　alive　I　shall　never　be　in　such　slavery；　as　to　forego　my　own　kindred；　or　forget　the　laws　of　our　forefathers。　Thou　hast　indignation　at　me　again；　and　makest　a　clamor　at　me；　and　reproachest　me；　indeed　I　cannot　deny　but　I　am　worthy　of　worse　treatment　than　all　this　amounts　to；　because；　in　opposition　to　fate；　I　make　this　kind　invitation　to　thee；　and　endeavor　to　force　deliverance　upon　those　whom　God　hath　condemned。　And　who　is　there　that　does　not　know　what　the　writings　of　the　ancient　prophets　contain　in　them；　…　and　particularly　that　oracle　which　is　just　now　going　to　be　fulfilled　upon　this　miserable　city？　For　they　foretold　that　this　city　should　be　then　taken　when　somebody　shall　begin　the　slaughter　of　his　own　countrymen。　And　are　not　both　the　city　and　the　entire　temple　now　full　of　the　dead　bodies　of　your　countrymen？　It　is　God；　therefore；　it　is　God　himself　who　is　bringing　on　this　fire；　to　purge　that　city　and　temple　by　means　of　the　Romans；　（8）　and　is　going　to　pluck　up　this　city；　which　is　full　of　your　pollutions。〃　　　　2。　As　Josephus　spoke　these　words；　with　groans　and　tears　in　his　eyes；　his　voice　was　intercepted　by　sobs。　However；　the　Romans　could　not　but　pity　the　affliction　he　was　under；　and　wonder　at　his　conduct。　But　for　John；　and　those　that　were　with　him；　they　were　but　the　more　exasperated　against　the　Romans　on　this　account；　and　were　desirous　to　get　Josephus　also　into　their　power：　yet　did　that　discourse　influence　a　great　many　of　the　better　sort；　and　truly　some　of　them　were　so　afraid　of　the　guards　set　by　the　seditious；　that　they　tarried　where　they　were；　but　still　were　satisfied　that　both　they　and　the　city　were　doomed　to　destruction。　Some　also　there　were　who；　watching　a　proper　opportunity　when　　they　might　quietly　get　away；　fled　to　the　Romans；　of　whom　were　the　high　priests　Joseph　and　Jesus；　and　of　the　sons　of　high　priests　three；　whose　father　was　Ishmael；　who　was　beheaded　in　Cyrene；　and　four　sons　of　Matthias；　as　also　one　son　of　the　other　Matthias；　who　ran　away　after　his　father's　death；　（9）　and　whose　father　was　slain　by　Simon　the　son　of　Gioras；　with　three　of　his　sons；　as　I　have　already　related；　many　also　of　the　other　nobility　went　over　to　the　Romans；　together　with　the　high　priests。　Now　Caesar　not　only　received　these　men　very　kindly　in　other　respects；　but；　knowing　they　would　not　willingly　live　after　the　customs　of　other　nations；　he　sent　them　to　Gophna；　and　desired　them　to　remain　there　for　the　present；　and　told　them；　that　when　he　was　gotten　clear　of　this　war；　he　would　restore　each　of　them　to　their　possessions　again；　so　they　cheerfully　retired　to　that　small　city　which　was　allotted　them；　without　fear　of　any　danger。　But　as　they　did　not　appear；　the　seditious　gave　out　again　that　these　deserters　were　slain　by　the　Romans；　which　was　done　in　order　to　deter　the　rest　from　running　away；　by　fear　of　the　like　treatment。　This　trick　of　theirs　succeeded　now　for　a　while；　as　did　the　like　trick　before；　for　the　rest　were　hereby　deterred　from　deserting；　by　fear　of　the　like　　treatment。　　　　3。　However；　when　Titus　had　recalled　those　men　from　Gophna；　he　gave　orders　that　they　should　go　round　the　wall；　together　with　Josephus；　and　show　themselves　to　the　people；　upon　which　a　great　many　fled　to　the　Romans。　These　men　also　got　in　a　great　number　together；　and　stood　before　the　Romans；　and　besought　the　seditious；　with　groans　and　tears　in　their　eyes；　in　the　first　place　to　receive　the　Romans　entirely　into　the　city；　and　save　that　their　own　place　of　residence　again；　but　that；　if　they　would　not　agree　to　such　a　proposal；　they　would　at　least　depart　out　of　the　temple；　and　save　the　holy　house　for　their　own　use；　for　that　the　Romans　would　not　venture　to　set　the　sanctuary　on　fire　but　under　the　most　pressing　necessity。　Yet　did　the　seditious　still　more　and　more　contradict　them；　and　while　they　cast　loud　and　bitter　reproaches　upon　these　deserters；　they　also　set　their　engines　for　throwing　of　darts；　and　javelins；　and　stones　upon　the　sacred　gates　of　the　temple；　at　due　　distances　from　one　another；　insomuch　that　all　the　space　round　about　within　the　temple　might　be　compared　to　a　burying…ground；　so　great　was　the　number　of　the　dead　bodies　therein；　as　might　the　holy　house　itself　be　compared　to　a　citadel。　Accordingly；　these　men　rushed　upon　these　holy　places　in　their　armor；　that　were　otherwise　unapproachable；　and　that　while　their　hands　were　yet　warm　with　the　blood　of　their　own　people　which　they　had　shed；　nay；　they　proceeded　to　such　great　transgressions；　that　the　very　same　indignation　which　Jews　would　naturally　have　against　Romans；　had　they　been　guilty　of　such　abuses　against　them；　the　Romans　now　had　against　Jews；　for　their　impiety　in　regard　to　their　own　religious　customs。　Nay；　indeed；　there　were　none　of　the　Roman　soldiers　who　did　not　look　with　a　sacred　horror　upon　the　holy　house；　and　adored　it；　and　wished　that　the　robbers　would　repent　before　their　miseries　became　incurable。　　　　4。　Now　Titus　was　deeply　affected　with　this　state　of　things；　and　reproached　John　and　his　party；　and　said　to　them；　〃Have　not　you；　vile　wretches　that　you　are；　by　our　permission；　put　up　this　partition…wall　before　your　sanctuary？　Have　not　you　been　allowed　to　put　up　the　pillars　thereto　belonging；　at　due　distances；　and　on　it　to　engrave　in　Greek；　and　in　your　own　letters；　this　prohibition；　that　no　foreigner　should　go　beyond　that　wall。　（10）　Have　not　we　given　you　leave　to　kill　such　as　go　beyond　it；　though　he　were　a　Roman？　And　what　do　you　do　now；　you　pernicious　villains？　　Why　do　you　trample　upon　dead　bodies　in　this　temple？　and　why　do　you　pollute　this　holy　house　with　the　blood　of　both　foreigners　and　Jews　themselves？　I　appeal　to　the　gods　of　my　own　country；　and　to　every　god　that　ever　had　any　reg