the wars of the jews-第50节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


upon　him；　as　did　also　the　rest　of　the　people；　and　taking　up　stones　to　attack　him　withal；　they　threw　them　at　the　sophister；　and　thought；　that　if　he　were　once　ruined；　the　entire　sedition　would　fall　to　the　ground。　Now　Manahem　and　his　party　made　resistance　for　a　while；　but　when　they　perceived　that　the　whole　multitude　were　falling　upon　them；　they　fled　which　way　every　one　was　able；　those　that　were　caught　were　slain；　and　those　that　hid　themselves　were　searched　for。　A　few　there　were　of　them　who　privately　escaped　to　Masada；　among　whom　was　Eleazar；　the　son　of　Jairus；　who　was　of　kin　to　Manahem；　and　acted　the　part　of　a　tyrant　at　Masada　afterward。　As　for　Manahem　himself；　he　ran　away　to　the　place　called　Ophla；　and　there　lay　skulking　in　private；　but　they　took　him　alive；　and　drew　him　out　before　them　all；　they　then　tortured　him　with　many　sorts　of　torments；　and　after　all　slew　him；　as　they　did　by　those　that　were　captains　under　him　also；　and　particularly　by　the　principal　instrument　of　his　tyranny；　whose　name　was　Apsalom。

10。　And；　as　I　said；　so　far　truly　the　people　assisted　them；　while　they　hoped　this　might　afford　some　amendment　to　the　seditious　practices；　but　the　others　were　not　in　haste　to　put　an　end　to　the　war；　but　hoped　to　prosecute　it　with　less　danger；　now　they　had　slain　Manahem。　It　is　true；　that　when　the　people　earnestly　desired　that　they　would　leave　off　besieging　the　soldiers；　they　were　the　more　earnest　in　pressing　it　forward；　and　this　till　Metilius；　who　was　the　Roman　general；　sent　to　Eleazar；　and　desired　that　they　would。　give　them　security　to　spare　their　lives　only；　but　agreed　to　deliver　up　their　arms；　and　what　else　they　had　with　them。　The　others　readily　complied　with　their　petition；　sent　to　them　Gorion；　the　son　of　Nicodemus；　and　Ananias；　the　son　of　Sadduk；　and　Judas；　the　son　of　Jonathan；　that　they　might　give　them　the　security　Of　their　right　hands；　and　of　their　oaths；　after　which　Metilius　brought　down　his　soldiers；　which　soldiers；　while　they　were　in　arms；　were　not　meddled　with　by　any　of　the　seditious；　nor　was　there　any　appearance　of　treachery；　but　as　soon　as；　according　to　the　articles　of　capitulation；　they　had　all　laid　down　their　shields　and　their　swords；　and　were　under　no　further　suspicion　of　any　harm；　but　were　going　away；　Eleazar's　men　attacked　them　after　a　violent　manner；　and　encompassed　them　round；　and　slew　them；　while　they　neither　defended　themselves；　nor　entreated　for　mercy；　but　only　cried　out　upon　the　breach　of　their　articles　of　capitulation　and　their　oaths。　And　thus　were　all　these　men　barbarously　murdered；　excepting　Metilius；　for　when　he　entreated　for　mercy；　and　promised　that　he　would　turn　Jew；　and　be　circumcised；　they　saved　him　alive；　but　none　else。　This　loss　to　the　Romans　was　but　light；　there　being　no　more　than　a　few　slain　out　of　an　immense　army；　but　still　it　appeared　to　be　a　prelude　to　the　Jews'　own　destruction；　while　men　made　public　lamentation　when　they　saw　that　such　occasions　were　afforded　for　a　war　as　were　incurable；　that　the　city　was　all　over　polluted　with　such　abominations；　from　which　it　was　but　reasonable　to　expect　some　vengeance；　even　though　they　should　escape　revenge　from　the　Romans；　so　that　the　city　was　filled　with　sadness；　and　every　one　of　the　moderate　men　in　it　were　under　great　disturbance；　as　likely　themselves　to　undergo　punishment　for　the　wickedness　of　the　seditious；　for　indeed　it　so　happened　that　this　murder　was　perpetrated　on　the　sabbath　day；　on　which　day　the　Jews　have　a　respite　from　their　works　on　account　of　Divine　worship。

CHAPTER　18。

The　Calamities　And　Slaughters　That　Came　Upon　The　Jews。

1。　Now　the　people　of　Cesarea　had　slain　the　Jews　that　were　among　them　on　the　very　same　day　and　hour　＇when　the　soldiers　were　slain＇；　which　one　would　think　must　have　come　to　pass　by　the　direction　of　Providence；　insomuch　that　in　one　hour's　time　above　twenty　thousand　Jews　were　killed；　and　all　Cesarea　was　emptied　of　its　Jewish　inhabitants；　for　Florus　caught　such　as　ran　away；　and　sent　them　in　bonds　to　the　galleys。　Upon　which　stroke　that　the　Jews　received　at　Cesarea；　the　whole　nation　was　greatly　enraged；　so　they　divided　themselves　into　several　parties；　and　laid　waste　the　villages　of　the　Syrians；　and　their　neighboring　cities；　Philadelphia；　and　Sebonitis；　and　Gerasa；　and　Pella；　and　Scythopolis；　and　after　them　Gadara；　and　Hippos；　and　falling　upon　Gaulonitis；　some　cities　they　destroyed　there；　and　some　they　set　on　fire；　and　then　went　to　Kedasa；　belonging　to　the　Tyrians；　and　to　Ptolemais；　and　to　Gaba；　and　to　Cesarea；　nor　was　either　Sebaste　＇Samaria＇　or　Askelon　able　to　oppose　the　violence　with　which　they　were　attacked；　and　when　they　had　burnt　these　to　the　ground；　they　entirely　demolished　Anthedon　and　Gaza；　many　also　of　the　villages　that　were　about　every　one　of　those　cities　were　plundered；　and　an　immense　slaughter　was　made　of　the　men　who　were　caught　in　them。　

2。　However；　the　Syrians　were　even　with　the　Jews　in　the　multitude　of　the　men　whom　they　slew；　for　they　killed　those　whom　they　caught　in　their　cities；　and　that　not　only　out　of　the　hatred　they　bare　them；　as　formerly；　but　to　prevent　the　danger　under　which　they　were　from　them；　so　that　the　disorders　in　all　Syria　were　terrible；　and　every　city　was　divided　into　two　armies；　encamped　one　against　another；　and　the　preservation　of　the　one　party　was　in　the　destruction　of　the　other；　so　the　day　time　was　spent　in　shedding　of　blood；　and　the　night　in　fear；　which　was　of　the　two　the　more　terrible；　for　when　the　Syrians　thought　they　had　ruined　the　Jews；　they　had　the　Judaizers　in　suspicion　also；　and　as　each　side　did　not　care　to　slay　those　whom　they　only　suspected　on　the　other；　so　did　they　greatly　fear　them　when　they　were　mingled　with　the　other；　as　if　they　were　certainly　foreigners。　Moreover；　greediness　of　gain　was　a　provocation　to　kill　the　opposite　party；　even　to　such　as　had　of　old　appeared　very　mild　and　gentle　towards　them；　for　they　without　fear　plundered　the　effects　of　the　slain；　and　carried　off　the　spoils　of　those　whom　they　slew　to　their　own　houses；　as　if　they　had　been　gained　in　a　set　battle；　and　he　was　esteemed　a　man　of　honor　who　got　the　greatest　share；　as　having　prevailed　over　the　greatest　number　of　his　enemies。　It　was　then　common　to　see　cities　filled　with　dead　bodies；　still　lying　unburied；　and　those　of　old　men；　mixed　with　infants；　all　dead；　and　scattered　about　together；　women　also　lay　amongst　them；　without　any　covering　for　their　nakedness：　you　might　then　see　the　whole　province　full　of　inexpressible　calamities；　while　the　dread　of　still　more　barbarous　practices　which　were　threatened　was　every　where　greater　than　what　had　been　already　perpetrated。

3。　And　thus　far　the　conflict　had　been　between　Jews　and　foreigners；　but　when　they　made　excursions　to　Scythopolis；　they　found　Jew　that　acted　as　enemies；　for　as　they　stood　in　battle…array　with　those　of　Scythopolis；　and　preferred　their　own　safety　before　their　relation　to　us；　they　fought　against　their　own　countrymen；　nay；　their　alacrity　was　so　very　great；　that　those　of　Scythopolis　suspected　them。　These　were　afraid；　therefore；　lest　they　should　make　an　assault　upon　the　city　in　the　night　time；　and；　to　their　great　misfortune；　should　thereby　make　an　apology　for　themselves　to　their　own　people　for　their　revolt　from　them。　So　they　commanded　them；　that　in　case　they　would　confirm　their　agreement　and　demonstrate　their　fidelity　to　them；　who　were　of　a　different　nation；　they　should　go　out　of　the　city；　with　their　families　to　a　neighboring　grove；　and　when　they　had　done　as　they　were　commanded；　without　suspecting　any　thing；　the　people　of　Scythopolis　lay　still　for　the　interval　of　two　days；　to　tempt　them　to　be　secure；　but　on　the　third　night　they　watched　their　opportunity；　and　cut　all　their　throats；　some　as　they　lay　unguarded；　and　some　as　they　lay　asleep。　The　number　that　was　slain　was　above　thirteen　thousand；　and　then　they　plundered　them　of　all　that　they　had。

4。　It　will　deserve　our　relation　what　befell　Simon；　he　was　the　son　of　one　Saul；　a　man　of　reputation　among　the　Jews。　This　man　was　distinguished　from　the　rest　by　the　strength　of　his　body；　and　the　boldness　of　his　conduct；　although　he　abused　them　both　to　the　mischieving　of　his　countrymen；　for　he　came　every　day　and　slew　a　great　many　of　the　Jews　of　Scythopolis；　and　he　frequently　put　them　to　flight；　and　became　himself　alone　the　cause　of　his　army's　conquering。　But　a　just　punishment　overtook　him　for　the　murders　he　had　committed　upon　those　of　the　same　nation　with　him；　for　when　the　people　of　Scythopolis　threw　their　darts　at　them　in　the　grove；　he　drew　his　sword；　but　did　not　attack　any　of　the　enemy；　for　he　saw　that　he　could　do　nothing　against　such　a　multitude；　but　he　cried　out　after　a　very　moving　manner；　and　said；　〃O　you　people　of　Scythopolis；　I　deservedly　suffer　for　what　I　have　done　with　relation　to　you；　when　I　gave　you　such　security　of　my　fidelity　to　you；　by　slaying　so　many　of　those　that　were　related　to　me。　Wherefore　we　very　justly　experience　the　perfidiousness　of　foreigners；　while　we　acted　after　a　most　wicked　manner　against　our　own　nation。　I　will　therefore　die；　polluted　wretch　as　I　am；　by　nine　own　hands；　for　it　is　not　fit　I　should　die　by　the　hand　of　our　enemies；　and　let　the　same　action　be　to　me　both　a　punishment　for　my　great　crimes；　and　a　testimony　of　my　courage　to　my　commendation；　that　so　no　one　of　our　enemies　may　have　it　to　brag　of；　that　h