the wars of the jews-第35节

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　that　account；　since　he　had　not　staid　for　his　determination　about　the　succession；　and　since　he　had　suborned　certain　persons；　after　Herod's　death；　to　move　for　putting　the　diadem　upon　his　head；　since　he　had　set　himself　down　in　the　throne；　and　given　answers　as　a　king；　and　altered　the　disposition　of　the　army；　and　granted　to　some　higher　dignities；　that　he　had　also　complied　in　all　things　with　the　people　in　the　requests　they　had　made　to　him　as　to　their　king；　and　had　also　dismissed　those　that　had　been　put　into　bonds　by　his　father　for　most　important　reasons。　Now；　after　all　this；　he　desires　the　shadow　of　that　royal　authority；　whose　substance　he　had　already　seized　to　himself；　and　so　hath　made　Caesar　lord；　not　of　things；　but　of　words。　He　also　reproached　him　further；　that　his　mourning　for　his　father　was　only　pretended；　while　he　put　on　a　sad　countenance　in　the　day　time；　but　drank　to　great　excess　in　the　night；　from　which　behavior；　he　said；　the　late　disturbance　among　the　multitude　came；　while　they　had　an　indignation　thereat。　And　indeed　the　purport　of　his　whole　discourse　was　to　aggravate　Archelaus's　crime　in　slaying　such　a　multitude　about　the　temple；　which　multitude　came　to　the　festival；　but　were　barbarously　slain　in　the　midst　of　their　own　sacrifices；　and　he　said　there　was　such　a　vast　number　of　dead　bodies　heaped　together　in　the　temple；　as　even　a　foreign　war；　that　should　come　upon　them　＇suddenly＇；　before　it　was　denounced；　could　not　have　heaped　together。　And　he　added；　that　it　was　the　foresight　his　father　had　of　that　his　barbarity　which　made　him　never　give　him　any　hopes　of　the　kingdom；　but　when　his　mind　was　more　infirm　than　his　body；　and　he　was　not　able　to　reason　soundly；　and　did　not　well　know　what　was　the　character　of　that　son；　whom　in　his　second　testament　he　made　his　successor；　and　this　was　done　by　him　at　a　time　when　he　had　no　complaints　to　make　of　him　whom　he　had　named　before；　when　he　was　sound　in　body；　and　when　his　mind　was　free　from　all　passion。　That；　however；　if　any　one　should　suppose　Herod's　judgment；　when　he　was　sick；　was　superior　to　that　at　another　time；　yet　had　Archelaus　forfeited　his　kingdom　by　his　own　behavior；　and　those　his　actions；　which　were　contrary　to　the　law；　and　to　its　disadvantage。　Or　what　sort　of　a　king　will　this　man　be；　when　he　hath　obtained　the　government　from　Caesar；　who　hath　slain　so　many　before　he　hath　obtained　it！　　6。　When　Antipater　had　spoken　largely　to　this　purpose；　and　had　produced　a　great　number　of　Archelaus's　kindred　as　witnesses；　to　prove　every　part　of　the　accusation；　he　ended　his　discourse。　Then　stood　up　Nicolaus　to　plead　for　Archelaus。　He　alleged　that　the　slaughter　in　the　temple　could　not　be　avoided；　that　those　that　were　slain　were　become　enemies　not　to　Archelaus's　kingdom；　only；　but　to　Caesar；　who　was　to　determine　about　him。　He　also　demonstrated　that　Archelaus's　accusers　had　advised　him　to　perpetrate　other　things　of　which　he　might　have　been　accused。　But　he　insisted　that　the　latter　testament　should；　for　this　reason；　above　all　others；　be　esteemed　valid；　because　Herod　had　therein　appointed　Caesar　to　be　the　person　who　should　confirm　the　succession；　for　he　who　showed　such　prudence　as　to　recede　from　his　own　power；　and　yield　it　up　to　the　lord　of　the　world；　cannot　be　supposed　mistaken　in　his　judgment　about　him　that　was　to　be　his　heir；　and　he　that　so　well　knew　whom　to　choose　for　arbitrator　of　the　succession　could　not　be　unacquainted　with　him　whom　he　chose　for　his　successor。

7。　When　Nicolaus　had　gone　through　all　he　had　to　say；　Archelaus　came；　and　fell　down　before　Caesar's　knees；　without　any　noise；　…　upon　which　he　raised　him　up；　after　a　very　obliging　manner；　and　declared　that　truly　he　was　worthy　to　succeed　his　father。　However；　he　still　made　no　firm　determination　in　his　case；　but　when　he　had　dismissed　those　assessors　that　had　been　with　him　that　day；　he　deliberated　by　himself　about　the　allegations　which　he　had　heard；　whether　it　were　fit　to　constitute　any　of　those　named　in　the　testaments　for　Herod's　successor；　or　whether　the　government　should　be　parted　among　all　his　posterity；　and　this　because　of　the　number　of　those　that　seemed　to　stand　in　need　of　support　therefrom。

CHAPTER　3。

The　Jews　Fight　A　Great　Battle　With　Sabinus's　Soldiers；　And　A　Great　Destruction　Is　Made　At　Jerusalem。

1。　Now　before　Caesar　had　determined　any　thing　about　these　affairs；　Malthace；　Arehelaus's　mother；　fell　sick　and　died。　Letters　also　were　brought　out　of　Syria　from　Varus；　about　a　revolt　of　the　Jews。　This　was　foreseen　by　Varus；　who　accordingly；　after　Archelaus　was　sailed；　went　up　to　Jerusalem　to　restrain　the　promoters　of　the　sedition；　since　it　was　manifest　that　the　nation　would　not　he　at　rest；　so　he　left　one　of　those　legions　which　he　brought　with　him　out　of　Syria　in　the　city；　and　went　himself　to　Antioch。　But　Sabinus　came；　after　he　was　gone；　and　gave　them　an　occasion　of　making　innovations；　for　he　compelled　the　keepers　of　the　citadels　to　deliver　them　up　to　him；　and　made　a　bitter　search　after　the　king's　money；　as　depending　not　only　on　the　soldiers　which　were　left　by　Varus；　but　on　the　multitude　of　his　own　servants；　all　which　he　armed　and　used　as　the　instruments　of　his　covetousness。　Now　when　that　feast；　which　was　observed　after　seven　weeks；　and　which　the　Jews　called　Pentecost；　（i。　e。　the　50th　day；）　was　at　hand；　its　name　being　taken　from　the　number　of　the　days　＇after　the　passover＇；　the　people　got　together；　but　not　on　account　of　the　accustomed　Divine　worship；　but　of　the　indignation　they　had　＇'at　the　present　state　of　affairs'＇。　Wherefore　an　immense　multitude　ran　together；　out　of　Galilee；　and　Idumea；　and　Jericho；　and　Perea；　that　was　beyond　Jordan；　but　the　people　that　naturally　belonged　to　Judea　itself　were　above　the　rest；　both　in　number；　and　in　the　alacrity　of　the　men。　So　they　distributed　themselves　into　three　parts；　and　pitched　their　camps　in　three　places；　one　at　the　north　side　of　the　temple；　another　at　the　south　side；　by　the　Hippodrome；　and　the　third　part　were　at　the　palace　on　the　west。　So　they　lay　round　about　the　Romans　on　every　side；　and　besieged　them。　　2。　Now　Sabinus　was　aftrighted；　both　at　their　multitude；　and　at　their　courage；　and　sent　messengers　to　Varus　continually；　and　besought　him　to　come　to　his　succor　quickly；　for　that　if　he　delayed；　his　legion　would　be　cut　to　pieces。　As　for　Sabinus　himself；　he　got　up　to　the　highest　tower　of　the　fortress；　which　was　called　Phasaelus；　it　is　of　the　same　name　with　Herod's　brother；　who　was　destroyed　by　the　Parthians；　and　then　he　made　signs　to　the　soldiers　of　that　legion　to　attack　the　enemy；　for　his　astonishment　was　so　great；　that　he　durst　not　go　down　to　his　own　men。　Hereupon　the　soldiers　were　prevailed　upon；　and　leaped　out　into　the　temple；　and　fought　a　terrible　battle　with　the　Jews；　in　which；　while　there　were　none　over　their　heads　to　distress　them；　they　were　too　hard　for　them；　by　their　skill；　and　the　others'　want　of　skill；　in　war；　but　when　once　many　of　the　Jews　had　gotten　up　to　the　top　of　the　cloisters；　and　threw　their　darts　downwards；　upon　the　heads　of　the　Romans；　there　were　a　great　many　of　them　destroyed。　Nor　was　it　easy　to　avenge　themselves　upon　those　that　threw　their　weapons　from　on　high；　nor　was　it　more　easy　for　them　to　sustain　those　who　came　to　fight　them　hand　to　hand。

3。　Since　therefore　the　Romans　were　sorely　afflicted　by　both　these　circumstances；　they　set　fire　to　the　cloisters；　which　were　works　to　be　admired；　both　on　account　of　their　magnitude　and　costliness。　Whereupon　those　that　were　above　them　were　presently　encompassed　with　the　flame；　and　many　of　them　perished　therein；　as　many　of　them　also　were　destroyed　by　the　enemy；　who　came　suddenly　upon　them；　some　of　them　also　threw　themselves　down　from　the　walls　backward；　and　some　there　were　who；　from　the　desperate　condition　they　were　in；　prevented　the　fire；　by　killing　themselves　with　their　own　swords；　but　so　many　of　them　as　crept　out　from　the　walls；　and　came　upon　the　Romans；　were　easily　mastere　by　them；　by　reason　of　the　astonishment　they　were　under；　until　at　last　some　of　the　Jews　being　destroyed；　and　others　dispersed　by　the　terror　they　were　in；　the　soldiers　fell　upon　the　treasure　of　God；　which　w　now　deserted；　and　plundered　about　four　hundred　talents；　Of　which　sum　Sabinus　got　together　all　that　was　not　carried　away　by　the　soldiers。

4。　However；　this　destruction　of　the　works　＇about　the　temple＇；　and　of　the　men；　occasioned　a　much　greater　number；　and　those　of　a　more　warlike　sort；　to　get　together；　to　oppose　the　Romans。　These　encompassed　the　palace　round；　and　threatened　to　deploy　all　that　were　in　it；　unless　they　went　their　ways　quickly；　for　they　promised　that　Sabinus　should　come　to　no　harm；　if　he　would　go　out　with　his　legion。　There　were　also　a　great　many　of　the　king's　party　who　deserted　the　Romans；　and　assisted　the　Jews；　yet　did　the　most　warlike　body　of　them　all；　who　were　three　thousand　of　the　men　of　Sebaste；　go　over　to　the　Romans。　Rufus　also；　and　Gratus；　their　captains；　did　the　same；　（Gratus　having　the　foot　of　the　king's　party　under　him；　and　Rufus　the　horse；）　each　of　whom；　even　without　the　forces　under　them；　were　of　great　weight；　on　account　of　their　strength　and　wisdom；　which　turn　the　scales　in　war。　Now　the　Jews　in　the　siege；　and　tried　to　break　down　walls　of　the　fortress；　and　cried　out　to　Sabinus　and　his　party；　that　they　should　go　their　ways；　and　not　prove　a　hinderance　to　them