the wars of the jews-第48节

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ens；　or　by　rivers；　or　by　lakes；　yet　have　none　of　these　things　been　found　too　strong　for　the　Roman　good　fortune；　however；　two　legions　that　lie　in　that　city　are　a　bridle　both　for　the　remoter　parts　of　Egypt；　and　for　the　parts　inhabited　by　the　more　noble　Macedonians。　Where　then　are　those　people　whom　you　are　to　have　for　your　auxiliaries？　Must　they　come　from　the　parts　of　the　world　that　are　uninhabited？　for　all　that　are　in　the　habitable　earth　are　＇under　the＇　Romans。　Unless　any　of　you　extend　his　hopes　as　far　as　beyond　the　Euphrates；　and　suppose　that　those　of　your　own　nation　that　dwell　in　Adiabene　will　come　to　your　assistance；　but　certainly　these　will　not　embarrass　themselves　with　an　unjustifiable　war；　nor；　if　they　should　follow　such　ill　advice；　will　the　Parthians　permit　them　so　to　do；　for　it　is　their　concern　to　maintain　the　truce　that　is　between　them　and　the　Romans；　and　they　will　be　supposed　to　break　the　covenants　between　them；　if　any　under　their　government　march　against　the　Romans。　What　remains；　therefore；　is　this；　that　you　have　recourse　to　Divine　assistance；　but　this　is　already　on　the　side　of　the　Romans；　for　it　is　impossible　that　so　vast　an　empire　should　be　settled　without　God's　providence。　Reflect　upon　it；　how　impossible　it　is　for　your　zealous　observations　of　your　religious　customs　to　be　here　preserved；　which　are　hard　to　be　observed　even　when　you　fight　with　those　whom　you　are　able　to　conquer；　and　how　can　you　then　most　of　all　hope　for　God's　assistance；　when；　by　being　forced　to　transgress　his　law；　you　will　make　him　turn　his　face　from　you？　and　if　you　do　observe　the　custom　of　the　sabbath　days；　and　will　not　be　revealed　on　to　do　any　thing　thereon；　you　will　easily　be　taken；　as　were　your　forefathers　by　Pompey；　who　was　the　busiest　in　his　siege　on　those　days　on　which　the　besieged　rested。　But　if　in　time　of　war　you　transgress　the　law　of　your　country；　I　cannot　tell　on　whose　account　you　will　afterward　go　to　war；　for　your　concern　is　but　one；　that　you　do　nothing　against　any　of　your　forefathers；　and　how　will　you　call　upon　God　to　assist　you；　when　you　are　voluntarily　transgressing　against　his　religion？　Now　all　men　that　go　to　war　do　it　either　as　depending　on　Divine　or　on　human　assistance；　but　since　your　going　to　war　will　cut　off　both　those　assistances；　those　that　are　for　going　to　war　choose　evident　destruction。　What　hinders　you　from　slaying　your　children　and　wives　with　your　own　hands；　and　burning　this　most　excellent　native　city　of　yours？　for　by　this　mad　prank　you　will；　however；　escape　the　reproach　of　being　beaten。　But　it　were　best；　O　my　friends；　it　were　best；　while　the　vessel　is　still　in　the　haven；　to　foresee　the　impending　storm；　and　not　to　set　sail　out　of　the　port　into　the　middle　of　the　hurricanes；　for　we　justly　pity　those　who　fall　into　great　misfortunes　without　fore…seeing　them；　but　for　him　who　rushes　into　manifest　ruin；　he　gains　reproaches　＇instead　of　commiseration＇。　But　certainly　no　one　can　imagine　that　you　can　enter　into　a　war　as　by　agreement；　or　that　when　the　Romans　have　got　you　under　their　power；　they　will　use　you　with　moderation；　or　will　not　rather；　for　an　example　to　other　nations；　burn　your　holy　city；　and　utterly　destroy　your　whole　nation；　for　those　of　you　who　shall　survive　the　war　will　not　be　able　to　find　a　place　whither　to　flee；　since　all　men　have　the　Romans　for　their　lords　already；　or　are　afraid　they　shall　have　hereafter。　Nay；　indeed；　the　danger　concerns　not　those　Jews　that　dwell　here　only；　but　those　of　them　which　dwell　in　other　cities　also；　for　there　is　no　people　upon　the　habitable　earth　which　have　not　some　portion　of　you　among　them；　whom　your　enemies　will　slay；　in　case　you　go　to　war；　and　on　that　account　also；　and　so　every　city　which　hath　Jews　in　it　will　be　filled　with　slaughter　for　the　sake　of　a　few　men；　and　they　who　slay　them　will　be　pardoned；　but　if　that　slaughter　be　not　made　by　them；　consider　how　wicked　a　thing　it　is　to　take　arms　against　those　that　are　so　kind　to　you。　Have　pity；　therefore；　if　not　on　your　children　and　wives；　yet　upon　this　your　metropolis；　and　its　sacred　walls；　spare　the　temple；　and　preserve　the　holy　house；　with　its　holy　furniture；　for　yourselves；　for　if　the　Romans　get　you　under　their　power；　they　will　no　longer　abstain　from　them；　when　their　former　abstinence　shall　have　been　so　ungratefully　requited。　I　call　to　witness　your　sanctuary；　and　the　holy　angels　of　God；　and　this　country　common　to　us　all；　that　I　have　not　kept　back　any　thing　that　is　for　your　preservation；　and　if　you　will　follow　that　advice　which　you　ought　to　do；　you　will　have　that　peace　which　will　be　common　to　you　and　to　me；　but　if　you　indulge　four　passions；　you　will　run　those　hazards　which　I　shall　be　free　from。〃

5。　When　Agrippa　had　spoken　thus；　both　he　and　his　sister　wept；　and　by　their　tears　repressed　a　great　deal　of　the　violence　of　the　people；　but　still　they　cried　out；　that　they　would　not　fight　against　the　Romans；　but　against　Florus；　on　account　of　what　they　had　suffered　by　his　means。　To　which　Agrippa　replied；　that　what　they　had　already　done　was　like　such　as　make　war　against　the　Romans；　〃for　you　have　not　paid　the　tribute　which　is　due　to　Caesar　（25）　and　you　have　cut　off　the　cloisters　＇of　the　temple＇　from　joining　to　the　tower　Antonia。　You　will　therefore　prevent　any　occasion　of　revolt　if　you　will　but　join　these　together　again；　and　if　you　will　but　pay　your　tribute；　for　the　citadel　does　not　now　belong　to　Florus；　nor　are　you　to　pay　the　tribute　money　to　Florus。〃

CHAPTER　17。

How　The　War　Of　The　Jews　With　The　Romans　Began；　And　Concerning　Manahem。

1。　This　advice　the　people　hearkened　to；　and　went　up　into　the　temple　with　the　king　and　Bernice；　and　began　to　rebuild　the　cloisters；　the　rulers　also　and　senators　divided　themselves　into　the　villages；　and　collected　the　tributes；　and　soon　got　together　forty　talents；　which　was　the　sum　that　was　deficient。　And　thus　did　Agrippa　then　put　a　stop　to　that　war　which　was　threatened。　Moreover；　he　attempted　to　persuade　the　multitude　to　obey　Florus；　until　Caesar　should　send　one　to　succeed　him；　but　they　were　hereby　more　provoked；　and　cast　reproaches　upon　the　king；　and　got　him　excluded　out　of　the　city；　nay；　some　of　the　seditious　had　the　impudence　to　throw　stones　at　him。　So　when　the　king　saw　that　the　violence　of　those　that　were　for　innovations　was　not　to　be　restrained；　and　being　very　angry　at　the　contumelies　he　had　received；　he　sent　their　rulers；　together　with　their　men　of　power；　to　Florus；　to　Cesarea；　that　he　might　appoint　whom　he　thought　fit　to　collect　the　tribute　in　the　country；　while　he　retired　into　his　own　kingdom。

2。　And　at　this　time　it　was　that　some　of　those　that　principally　excited　the　people　to　go　to　war　made　an　assault　upon　a　certain　fortress　called　Masada。　They　took　it　by　treachery；　and　slew　the　Romans　that　were　there；　and　put　others　of　their　own　party　to　keep　it。　At　the　same　time　Eleazar；　the　son　of　Ananias　the　high　priest；　a　very　bold　youth；　who　was　at　that　time　governor　of　the　temple；　persuaded　those　that　officiated　in　the　Divine　service　to　receive　no　gift　or　sacrifice　for　any　foreigner。　And　this　was　the　true　beginning　of　our　war　with　the　Romans；　for　they　rejected　the　sacrifice　of　Caesar　on　this　account；　and　when　many　of　the　high　priests　and　principal　men　besought　them　not　to　omit　the　sacrifice；　which　it　was　customary　for　them　to　offer　for　their　princes；　they　would　not　be　prevailed　upon。　These　relied　much　upon　their　multitude；　for　the　most　flourishing　part　of　the　innovators　assisted　them；　but　they　had　the　chief　regard　to　Eleazar；　the　governor　of　the　temple。

3。　Hereupon　the　men　of　power　got　together；　and　conferred　with　the　high　priests；　as　did　also　the　principal　of　the　Pharisees；　and　thinking　all　was　at　stake；　and　that　their　calamities　were　becoming　incurable；　took　counsel　what　was　to　be　done。　Accordingly；　they　determined　to　try　what　they　could　do　with　the　seditious　by　words；　and　assembled　the　people　before　the　brazen　gate；　which　was　that　gate　of　the　inner　temple　＇court　of　the　priests＇　which　looked　toward　the　sun…rising。　And；　in　the　first　place；　they　showed　the　great　indignation　they　had　at　this　attempt　for　a　revolt；　and　for　their　bringing　so　great　a　war　upon　their　country；　after　which　they　confuted　their　pretense　as　unjustifiable；　and　told　them　that　their　forefathers　had　adorned　their　temple　in　great　part　with　donations　bestowed　on　them　by　foreigners；　and　had　always　received　what　had　been　presented　to　them　from　foreign　nations；　and　that　they　had　been　so　far　from　rejecting　any　person's　sacrifice　（which　would　be　the　highest　instance　of　impiety；）　that　they　had　themselves　placed　those　donation　about　the　temple　which　were　still　visible；　and　had　remained　there　so　long　a　time；　that　they　did　now　irritate　the　Romans　to　take　arms　against　them；　and　invited　them　to　make　war　upon　them；　and　brought　up　novel　rules　of　a　strange　Divine　worship；　and　determined　to　run　the　hazard　of　having　their　city　condemned　for　impiety；　while　they　would　not　allow　any　foreigner；　but　Jews　only；　either　to　sacrifice　or　to　worship　therein。　And　if　such　a　law　should　be　introduced　in　the　case　of　a　single　private　person　only；　he　would　have　indignation　at　it；　as　an　instance　of　inhumanity　determined　against　him；　while　they　have　no　regard　to　the　Romans　or　to　Caesar；　and　forbid　even　their　oblations　to　be　received　also；　that　however　they　cannot　but　fear；　lest；　by　thus　rejecting