the wars of the jews-第125节

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　preservation；　whereupon　he　was　brought　before　Simon；　but　he　having　nothing　to　say　when　he　was　there；　he　was　delivered　to　Ardalas；　one　of　his　commanders；　to　be　punished；　who　bound　his　hands　behind　him；　and　put　a　riband　over　his　eyes；　and　then　brought　him　out　over　against　the　Romans；　as　intending　to　cut　off　his　head。　But　the　man　prevented　that　execution；　and　ran　away　to　the　Romans；　and　this　while　the　Jewish　executioner　was　drawing　out　his　sword。　Now　when　he　was　gotten　away　from　the　enemy；　Titus　could　not　think　of　putting　him　to　death；　but　because　he　deemed　him　unworthy　of　being　a　Roman　soldier　any　longer；　on　account　that　he　had　been　taken　alive　by　the　enemy；　he　took　away　his　arms；　and　ejected　him　out　of　the　legion　whereto　he　had　belonged；　which；　to　one　that　had　a　sense　of　shame；　was　a　penalty　severer　than　death　itself。　　　　2。　On　the　next　day　the　Romans　drove　the　robbers　out　of　the　lower　city；　and　set　all　on　fire　as　far　as　Siloam。　These　soldiers　were　indeed　glad　to　see　the　city　destroyed。　But　they　missed　the　plunder；　because　the　seditious　had　carried　off　all　their　effects；　and　were　retired　into　the　upper　city；　for　they　did　not　yet　at　all　repent　of　the　mischiefs　they　had　done；　but　were　insolent；　as　if　they　had　done　well；　for；　as　they　saw　the　city　on　fire；　they　appeared　cheerful；　and　put　on　joyful　countenances；　in　expectation；　as　they　said；　of　death　to　end　their　miseries。　Accordingly；　as　the　people　were　now　slain；　the　holy　house　was　burnt　down；　and　the　city　was　on　fire；　there　was　nothing　further　left　for　the　enemy　to　do。　Yet　did　not　Josephus　grow　weary；　even　in　this　utmost　extremity；　to　beg　of　them　to　spare　what　was　left　of　the　city；　he　spake　largely　to　them　about　their　barbarity　and　impiety；　and　gave　them　his　advice　in　order　to　their　escape；　though　he　gained　nothing　thereby　more　than　to　be　laughed　at　by　them；　and　as　they　could　not　think　of　surrendering　themselves　up；　because　of　the　oath　they　had　taken；　nor　were　strong　enough　to　fight　with　the　Romans　any　longer　upon　the　square；　as　being　surrounded　on　all　sides；　and　a　kind　of　prisoners　already；　yet　were　they　so　accustomed　to　kill　people；　that　they　could　not　restrain　their　right　hands　from　acting　accordingly。　So　they　dispersed　themselves　before　the　city；　and　laid　themselves　in　ambush　among　its　ruins；　to　catch　those　that　attempted　to　desert　to　the　Romans；　accordingly　many　such　deserters　were　caught　by　them；　and　were　all　slain；　for　these　were　too　weak；　by　reason　of　their　want　of　food；　to　fly　away　from　them；　so　their　dead　bodies　were　thrown　to　the　dogs。　Now　every　other　sort　of　death　was　thought　more　tolerable　than　the　famine；　insomuch　that；　though　the　Jews　despaired　now　of　mercy；　yet　would　they　fly　to　the　Romans；　and　would　themselves；　even　of　their　own　accord；　fall　among　the　murderous　rebels　also。　Nor　was　there　any　place　in　the　city　that　had　no　dead　bodies　in　it；　but　what　was　entirely　covered　with　those　that　were　killed　either　by　the　famine　or　the　rebellion；　and　all　was　full　of　the　dead　bodies　of　such　as　had　perished；　either　by　that　sedition　or　by　that　famine。　　　　3。　So　now　the　last　hope　which　supported　the　tyrants；　and　that　crew　of　robbers　who　were　with　them；　was　in　the　caves　and　caverns　under　ground；　whither；　if　they　could　once　fly；　they　did　not　expect　to　be　searched　for；　but　endeavored；　that　after　the　whole　city　should　be　destroyed；　and　the　Romans　gone　away；　they　might　come　out　again；　and　escape　from　them。　This　was　no　better　than　a　dream　of　theirs；　for　they　were　not　able　to　lie　hid　either　from　God　or　from　the　Romans。　However；　they　depended　on　these　under…ground　subterfuges；　and　set　more　places　on　fire　than　did　the　Romans　themselves；　and　those　that　fled　out　of　their　houses　thus　set　on　fire　into　the　ditches；　they　killed　without　mercy；　and　pillaged　them　also；　and　if　they　discovered　food　belonging　to　any　one；　they　seized　upon　it　and　swallowed　it　down；　together　with　their　blood　also；　nay；　they　were　now　come　to　fight　one　with　another　about　their　plunder；　and　I　cannot　but　think　that；　had　not　their　destruction　prevented　it；　their　barbarity　would　have　made　them　taste　of　even　the　　　dead　bodies　themselves。　　　　CHAPTER　8。　　　　　　　　　　How　Caesar　Raised　Banks　Round　About　The　Upper　City　＇Mount　Zion＇　And　When　They　Were　Completed；　Gave　Orders　That　The　Machines　Should　Be　Brought。　He　Then　Possessed　Himself　Of　The　Whole　City。　　　　1。　Now　when　Caesar　perceived　that　the　upper　city　was　so　steep　that　it　could　not　possibly　be　taken　without　raising　banks　against　it；　he　distributed　the　several　parts　of　that　work　among　his　army；　and　this　on　the　twentieth　day　of　the　month　Lous　＇Ab＇。　Now　the　carriage　of　the　materials　was　a　difficult　task；　since　all　the　trees；　as　I　have　already　told　you；　that　were　about　the　city；　within　the　distance　of　a　hundred　furlongs；　had　their　branches　cut　off　already；　in　order　to　make　the　former　banks。　The　works　that　belonged　to　the　four　legions　were　erected　on　the　west　side　of　the　city；　over　against　the　royal　palace；　but　the　whole　body　of　the　auxiliary　troops；　with　the　rest　of　the　multitude　that　were　with　them；　＇erected　their　banks＇　at　the　Xystus；　whence　they　reached　to　the　bridge；　and　that　tower　of　Simon　which　he　had　built　as　a　citadel　for　himself　against　John；　when　they　were　at　war　one　with　another。　　　　2。　It　was　at　this　time　that　the　commanders　of　the　Idumeans　got　together　privately；　and　took　counsel　about　surrendering　up　themselves　to　the　Romans。　Accordingly；　they　sent　five　men　to　Titus；　and　entreated　him　to　give　them　his　right　hand　for　their　security。　So　Titus　thinking　that　the　tyrants　would　yield；　if　the　Idumeans；　upon　whom　a　great　part　of　the　war　depended；　were　once　withdrawn　from　them；　after　some　reluctancy　and　delay；　complied　with　them；　and　gave　them　security　for　their　lives；　and　sent　the　five　men　back。　But　as　these　Idumeans　were　preparing　to　march　out；　Simon　perceived　it；　and　immediately　slew　the　five　men　that　had　gone　to　Titus；　and　took　their　commanders；　and　put　them　in　prison；　of　whom　the　most　eminent　was　Jacob；　the　son　of　Sosas；　but　as　for　the　multitude　of　the　Idumeans；　who　did　not　at　all　know　what　to　do；　now　their　commanders　were　taken　from　them；　he　had　them　watched；　and　secured　the　walls　by　a　more　numerous　garrison；　Yet　could　not　that　garrison　resist　those　that　were　deserting；　for　although　a　great　number　of　them　were　slain；　yet　were　the　deserters　many　more　in　number。　They　were　all　received　by　the　Romans；　because　Titus　himself　grew　negligent　as　to　his　former　orders　for　killing　them；　and　because　the　very　soldiers　grew　weary　of　killing　them；　and　because　they　hoped　to　get　some　money　by　sparing　them；　for　they　left　only　the　populace；　and　sold　the　rest　of　the　multitude；　（28）　with　their　wives　and　children；　and　every　one　of　them　at　a　very　low　price；　and　that　because　such　as　were　sold　were　very　many；　and　the　buyers　were　few：　and　although　Titus　had　made　proclamation　beforehand；　that　no　deserter　should　come　alone　by　himself；　that　so　they　might　bring　out　their　families　with　them；　yet　did　he　receive　such　as　these　also。　However；　he　set　over　them　such　as　were　to　distinguish　some　from　others；　in　order　to　see　if　any　of　them　deserved　to　be　punished。　And　indeed　the　number　of　those　that　were　sold　was　immense；　but　of　the　populace　above　forty　thousand　were　saved；　whom　Caesar　let　go　whither　every　one　of　them　pleased。　　　　3。　But　now　at　this　time　it　was　that　one　of　the　priests；　the　son　of　Thebuthus；　whose　name　was　Jesus；　upon　his　having　security　given　him；　by　the　oath　of　Caesar；　that　he　should　be　preserved；　upon　condition　that　he　should　deliver　to　him　certain　of　the　precious　things　that　had　been　reposited　in　the　temple　（29）　came　out　of　it；　and　delivered　him　from　the　wall　of　the　holy　house　two　candlesticks；　like　to　those　that　lay　in　the　holy　house；　with　tables；　and　cisterns；　and　vials；　all　made　of　solid　gold；　and　very　heavy。　He　also　delivered　to　him　the　veils　and　the　garments；　with　the　precious　stones；　and　a　great　number　of　other　precious　vessels　that　belonged　to　their　sacred　worship。　The　treasurer　of　the　temple　also；　whose　name　was　Phineas；　was　seized　on；　and　showed　Titus　the　coats　and　girdles　of　the　priests；　with　a　great　quantity　of　purple　and　scarlet；　which　were　there　reposited　for　the　uses　of　the　veil；　as　also　a　great　deal　of　cinnamon　and　cassia；　with　a　large　quantity　of　other　sweet　spices；　（30）　which　used　to　be　mixed　together；　and　offered　as　incense　to　God　every　day。　A　great　many　other　treasures　were　also　delivered　to　him；　with　sacred　ornaments　of　the　temple　not　a　few；　which　things　thus　delivered　to　Titus　obtained　of　him　for　this　man　the　same　pardon　that　he　had　allowed　to　such　as　deserted　of　their　own　accord。　　　　4。　And　now　were　the　banks　finished　on　the　seventh　day　of　the　month　Gorpieus；　＇Elul；＇　in　eighteen　days'　time；　when　the　Romans　brought　their　machines　against　the　wall。　But　for　the　seditious；　some　of　them；　as　despairing　of　saving　the　city；　retired　from　the　wall　to　the　citadel；　others　of　them　went　down　into　the　subterranean　vaults；　though　still　a　great　many　of　them　defended　themselves　against　those　that　brought　the　engines　for　the　battery；　yet　did　the　Romans　overcome　them　by　their　number　and　by　their　strength；　and；　what　was　the　principal　thing　of　all；　by　going　cheerfully　about　their　work；　while　the　Jews　were　quite　dejected；　and　become　weak。　Now　as　soon　as　a　part　of　the　wall　was　battered　down；　and　certain　of　the　to