the wars of the jews-第123节

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as　led　by　the　high　priest　to　be　sacrificed；　brought　forth　a　lamb　in　the　midst　of　the　temple。　Moreover；　the　eastern　gate　of　the　inner　（22）　＇court　of　the＇　temple；　which　was　of　brass；　and　vastly　heavy；　and　had　been　with　difficulty　shut　by　twenty　men；　and　rested　upon　a　basis　armed　with　iron；　and　had　bolts　fastened　very　deep　into　the　firm　floor；　which　was　there　made　of　one　entire　stone；　was　seen　to　be　opened　of　its　own　accord　about　the　sixth　hour　of　the　night。　Now　those　　that　kept　watch　in　the　temple　came　hereupon　running　to　the　captain　of　the　temple；　and　told　him　of　it；　who　then　came　up　thither；　and　not　without　great　difficulty　was　able　to　shut　the　gate　again。　This　also　appeared　to　the　vulgar　to　be　a　very　happy　prodigy；　as　if　God　did　thereby　open　them　the　gate　of　happiness。　But　the　men　of　learning　understood　it；　that　the　security　of　their　holy　house　was　dissolved　of　its　own　accord；　and　that　the　gate　was　opened　for　the　advantage　of　their　enemies。　So　these　publicly　declared　that　the　signal　foreshowed　the　desolation　that　was　coming　upon　them。　Besides　these；　a　few　days　after　that　feast；　on　the　one　and　twentieth　day　of　the　month　Artemisius；　＇Jyar；＇　a　certain　prodigious　and　incredible　phenomenon　appeared：　I　suppose　the　account　of　it　would　seem　to　be　a　fable；　were　it　not　related　by　those　that　saw　it；　and　were　not　the　events　that　followed　it　of　so　considerable　a　nature　as　to　deserve　such　signals；　for；　before　sun…setting；　chariots　and　troops　of　soldiers　in　their　armor　were　seen　running　about　among　the　clouds；　and　surrounding　of　cities。　Moreover；　at　that　feast　which　we　call　Pentecost；　as　the　priests　were　going　by　night　into　the　inner　＇court　of　the　temple；＇　as　their　custom　was；　to　perform　their　sacred　ministrations；　they　said　that；　in　the　first　place；　they　felt　a　quaking；　and　heard　a　great　noise；　and　after　that　they　heard　a　sound　as　of　a　great　multitude；　saying；　〃Let　us　remove　hence。〃　But；　what　is　still　more　terrible；　there　was　one　Jesus；　the　son　of　Ananus；　a　plebeian　and　a　husbandman；　who；　four　years　before　the　war　began；　and　at　a　time　when　the　city　was　in　very　great　peace　and　prosperity；　came　to　that　feast　whereon　it　is　our　custom　for　every　one　to　make　tabernacles　to　God　in　the　temple；　（23）　began　on　a　sudden　to　cry　aloud；　〃A　voice　from　the　east；　a　voice　from　the　west；　a　voice　from　the　four　winds；　a　voice　against　Jerusalem　and　the　holy　house；　a　voice　against　the　bridegrooms　and　the　brides；　and　a　voice　against　this　whole　people！〃　This　was　his　cry；　as　he　went　about　by　day　and　by　night；　in　all　the　lanes　of　the　city。　However；　certain　of　the　most　eminent　among　the　populace　had　great　indignation　at　this　dire　cry　of　his；　and　took　up　the　man；　and　gave　him　a　great　number　of　severe　stripes；　yet　did　not　he　either　say　any　thing　for　himself；　or　any　thing　peculiar　to　those　that　chastised　him；　but　still　went　on　with　the　same　words　which　he　cried　before。　Hereupon　our　rulers；　supposing；　as　the　case　proved　to　be；　that　this　was　a　sort　of　divine　fury　in　the　man；　brought　him　to　the　Roman　procurator；　where　he　was　whipped　till　his　bones　were　laid　bare；　yet　he　did　not　make　any　supplication　for　himself；　nor　shed　any　tears；　but　turning　his　voice　to　the　most　lamentable　tone　possible；　at　every　stroke　of　the　whip　his　answer　was；　〃Woe；　woe　to　Jerusalem！〃　And　when　Albinus　（for　he　was　then　our　procurator）　asked　him；　Who　he　was？　and　whence　he　came？　and　why　he　uttered　such　words？　he　made　no　manner　of　reply　to　what　he　said；　but　still　did　not　leave　off　his　melancholy　ditty；　till　Albinus　took　him　to　be　a　madman；　and　dismissed　him。　Now；　during　all　the　time　that　passed　before　the　war　began；　this　man　did　not　go　near　any　of　the　citizens；　nor　was　seen　by　them　while　he　said　so；　but　he　every　day　uttered　these　lamentable　words；　as　if　it　were　his　premeditated　vow；　〃Woe；　woe　to　Jerusalem！〃　Nor　did　he　give　ill　words　to　any　of　those　that　beat　him　every　day；　nor　good　words　to　those　that　gave　him　food；　but　this　was　his　reply　to　all　men；　and　indeed　no　other　than　a　melancholy　presage　of　what　was　to　come。　This　cry　of　his　was　the　　loudest　at　the　festivals；　and　he　continued　this　ditty　for　seven　years　and　five　months；　without　growing　hoarse；　or　being　tired　therewith；　until　the　very　time　that　he　saw　his　presage　in　earnest　fulfilled　in　our　siege；　when　it　ceased；　for　as　he　was　going　round　upon　the　wall；　he　cried　out　with　his　utmost　force；　〃Woe；　woe　to　the　city　again；　and　to　the　people；　and　to　the　holy　house！〃　And　just　as　he　added　at　the　last；　〃Woe；　woe　to　myself　also！〃　there　came　a　stone　out　of　one　of　the　engines；　and　smote　him；　and　killed　him　immediately；　and　as　he　was　uttering　the　very　same　presages　he　gave　up　the　ghost。　　　　4。　Now　if　any　one　consider　these　things；　he　will　find　that　God　takes　care　of　mankind；　and　by　all　ways　possible　foreshows　to　our　race　what　is　for　their　preservation；　but　that　men　perish　by　those　miseries　which　they　madly　and　voluntarily　bring　upon　themselves；　for　the　Jews；　by　demolishing　the　tower　of　Antonia；　had　made　their　temple　four…square；　while　at　the　same　time　they　had　it　written　in　their　sacred　oracles；　〃That　then　should　their　city　be　taken；　as　well　as　their　holy　house；　when　once　their　temple　should　become　four…square。〃　But　now；　what　did　the　most　elevate　them　in　undertaking　this　war；　was　an　ambiguous　oracle　that　was　also　found　in　their　sacred　writings；　how；〃　about　that　time；　one　from　their　country　should　become　governor　of　the　habitable　earth。〃　The　Jews　took　this　prediction　to　belong　to　themselves　in　particular；　and　many　of　the　wise　men　were　thereby　deceived　in　their　determination。　Now　this　oracle　certainly　denoted　the　government　of　Vespasian；　who　was　appointed　emperor　in　Judea。　However；　it　is　not　possible　for　men　to　avoid　fate；　although　they　see　it　beforehand。　But　these　men　interpreted　some　of　these　signals　according　to　their　own　pleasure；　and　some　of　them　they　utterly　despised；　until　their　madness　was　demonstrated；　both　by　the　taking　of　their　city　and　their　own　destruction。　　　　CHAPTER　6。　　　　　　　　　　How　The　Romans　Carried　Their　Ensigns　To　The　Temple；　And　Made　Joyful　Acclamations　To　Titus。　The　Speech　That　Titus　Made　To　The　Jews　When　They　Made　Supplication　For　Mercy。　What　Reply　They　Made　Thereto；　And　How　That　Reply　Moved　Titus's　Indignation　Against　Them。　　　　1。　And　now　the　Romans；　upon　the　flight　of　the　seditious　into　the　city；　and　upon　the　burning　of　the　holy　house　itself；　and　of　all　the　buildings　round　about　it；　brought　their　ensigns　to　the　temple　（24）　and　set　them　over　against　its　eastern　gate；　and　there　did　they　offer　sacrifices　to　them；　and　there　did　they　make　Titus　imperator　（25）　with　the　greatest　acclamations　of　joy。　And　now　all　the　soldiers　had　such　vast　quantities　of　the　spoils　which　they　had　gotten　by　plunder；　that　in　Syria　a　pound　weight　of　gold　was　sold　for　half　its　former　value。　But　as　for　those　priests　that　kept　themselves　still　upon　the　wall　of　the　holy　house；（26）　there　was　a　boy　that；　out　of　the　thirst　he　was　in；　desired　some　of　the　Roman　guards　to　give　him　their　right　hands　as　a　security　for　his　life；　and　confessed　he　was　very　thirsty。　These　guards　commiserated　his　age；　and　the　distress　he　was　in；　and　gave　him　their　right　hands　accordingly。　So　he　came　down　himself；　and　drank　some　water；　and　filled　the　vessel　he　had　with　him　when　he　came　to　them　with　water；　and　then　went　off；　and　fled　away　to　his　own　friends；　nor　could　any　of　those　guards　overtake　him；　but　still　they　reproached　him　for　his　perfidiousness。　To　which　he　made　this　answer：　〃I　have　not　broken　the　agreement；　for　the　security　I　had　given　me　was　not　in　order　to　my　staying　with　you；　but　only　in　order　to　my　coming　down　safely；　and　taking　up　some　water；　both　which　things　I　have　performed；　and　thereupon　think　myself　to　have　been　faithful　to　my　engagement。〃　Hereupon　those　whom　the　child　had　imposed　upon　admired　at　his　cunning；　and　that　on　account　of　his　age。　On　the　fifth　day　afterward；　the　priests　that　were　pined　with　the　famine　came　down；　and　when　they　were　brought　to　Titus　by　the　guards；　they　begged　for　their　lives；　but　he　replied；　that　the　time　of　pardon　was　over　as　to　them；　and　that　this　very　holy　house；　on　whose　account　only　they　could　justly　hope　to　be　preserved；　was　destroyed；　and　that　it　was　agreeable　to　their　office　that　priests　should　perish　with　the　house　itself　to　which　they　belonged。　So　he　ordered　them　to　be　put　to　death。　　　　2。　But　as　for　the　tyrants　themselves；　and　those　that　were　with　them；　when　they　found　that　they　were　encompassed　on　every　side；　and；　as　it　were；　walled　round；　without　any　method　of　escaping；　they　desired　to　treat　with　Titus　by　word　of　mouth。　Accordingly；　such　was　the　kindness　of　his　nature；　and　his　desire　of　preserving　the　city　from　destruction；　joined　to　the　advice　of　his　friends；　who　now　thought　the　robbers　were　come　to　a　temper；　that　he　placed　himself　on　the　western　side　of　the　outer　＇court　of　the＇　temple；　for　there　were　gates　on　that　side　above　the　Xystus；　and　a　bridge　that　connected　the　upper　city　to　the　temple。　This　bridge　it　was　that　lay　between　the　tyrants　and　Caesar；　and　parted　them；　while　the　multitude　stood　on　each　side；　those　of　the　Jewish　nation　about　Sinran　and　John；　with　great　hopes　of　pardon；　and　the　Romans　about　Caesar；　in　great　expectation　how　Titus　would　receive　their　supplication。　So　Titus　charged　his　soldiers　to　restrain　their　rage；　and　to　let　their　darts　alone；　and