the wars of the jews-第7节

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he　power　of　the　Romans　was；　and　how　it　was　irresistible；　so　he　complied　with　their　advice；　and　came　down　to　Pompey；　and　when　he　had　made　a　long　apology　for　himself；　and　for　the　justness　of　his　cause　in　taking　the　government；　he　returned　to　the　fortress。　And　when　his　brother　invited　him　again　＇to　plead　his　cause＇；　he　came　down　and　spake　about　the　justice　of　it；　and　then　went　away　without　any　hinderance　from　Pompey；　so　he　was　between　hope　and　fear。　And　when　he　came　down；　it　was　to　prevail　with　Pompey　to　allow　him　the　government　entirely；　and　when　he　went　up　to　the　citadel；　it　was　that　he　might　not　appear　to　debase　himself　too　low。　However；　Pompey　commanded　him　to　give　up　his　fortified　places；　and　forced　him　to　write　to　every　one　of　their　governors　to　yield　them　up；　they　having　had　this　charge　given　them；　to　obey　no　letters　but　what　were　of　his　own　hand…writing。　Accordingly　he　did　what　he　was　ordered　to　do；　but　had　still　an　indignation　at　what　was　done；　and　retired　to　Jerusalem；　and　prepared　to　fight　with　Pompey。

6。　But　Pompey　did　not　give　him　time　to　make　any　preparations　＇for　a　siege＇；　but　followed　him　at　his　heels；　he　was　also　obliged　to　make　haste　in　his　attempt；　by　the　death　of　Mithridates；　of　which　he　was　informed　about　Jericho。　Now　here　is　the　most　fruitful　country　of　Judea；　which　bears　a　vast　number　of　palm　trees　（7）　besides　the　balsam　tree；　whose　sprouts　they　cut　with　sharp　stones；　and　at　the　incisions　they　gather　the　juice；　which　drops　down　like　tears。　So　Pompey　pitched　his　camp　in　that　place　one　night；　and　then　hasted　away　the　next　morning　to　Jerusalem；　but　Aristobulus　was　so　aftrighted　at　his　approach；　that　he　came　and　met　him　by　way　of　supplication。　He　also　promised　him　money；　and　that　he　would　deliver　up　both　himself　and　the　city　into　his　disposal；　and　thereby　mitigated　the　anger　of　Pompey。　Yet　did　not　he　perform　any　of　the　conditions　he　had　agreed　to；　for　Aristobulus's　party　would　not　so　much　as　admit　Gabinius　into　the　city；　who　was　sent　to　receive　the　money　that　he　had　promised。　　CHAPTER　7。

How　Pompey　Had　The　City　Of　Jerusalem　Delivered　Up　To　Him　But　Took　The　Temple　By　Force。　How　He　Went　Into　The　Holy　Of　Holies；　As　Also　What　Were　His　Other　Exploits　In　Judea。

1。　At　this　treatment　Pompey　was　very　angry；　and　took　Aristobulus　into　custody。　And　when　he　was　come　to　the　city；　he　looked　about　where　he　might　make　his　attack；　for　he　saw　the　walls　were　so　firm；　that　it　would　be　hard　to　overcome　them；　and　that　the　valley　before　the　walls　was　terrible；　and　that　the　temple；　which　was　within　that　valley；　was　itself　encompassed　with　a　very　strong　wall；　insomuch　that　if　the　city　were　taken；　that　temple　would　be　a　second　place　of　refuge　for　the　enemy　to　retire　to。

2。　Now　as　be　was　long　in　deliberating　about　this　matter；　a　sedition　arose　among　the　people　within　the　city；　Aristobulus's　party　being　willing　to　fight；　and　to　set　their　king　at　liberty；　while　the　party　of　Hyrcanus　were　for　opening　the　gates　to　Pompey；　and　the　dread　people　were　in　occasioned　these　last　to　be　a　very　numerous　party；　when　they　looked　upon　the　excellent　order　the　Roman　soldiers　were　in。　So　Aristobulus's　party　was　worsted；　and　retired　into　the　temple；　and　cut　off　the　communication　between　the　temple　and　the　city；　by　breaking　down　the　bridge　that　joined　them　together；　and　prepared　to　make　an　opposition　to　the　utmost；　but　as　the　others　had　received　the　Romans　into　the　city；　and　had　delivered　up　the　palace　to　him；　Pompey　sent　Piso；　one　of　his　great　officers；　into　that　palace　with　an　army；　who　distributed　a　garrison　about　the　city；　because　he　could　not　persuade　any　one　of　those　that　had　fled　to　the　temple　to　come　to　terms　of　accommodation；　he　then　disposed　all　things　that　were　round　about　them　so　as　might　favor　their　attacks；　as　having　Hyrcanus's　party　very　ready　to　afford　them　both　counsel　and　assistance。

3。　But　Pompey　himself　filled　up　the　ditch　that　was　oil　the　north　side　of　the　temple；　and　the　entire　valley　also；　the　army　itself　being　obliged　to　carry　the　materials　for　that　purpose。　And　indeed　it　was　a　hard　thing　to　fill　up　that　valley；　by　reason　of　its　immense　depth；　especially　as　the　Jews　used　all　the　means　possible　to　repel　them　from　their　superior　situation；　nor　had　the　Romans　succeeded　in　their　endeavors；　had　not　Pompey　taken　notice　of　the　seventh　days；　on　which　the　Jews　abstain　from　all　sorts　of　work　on　a　religious　account；　and　raised　his　bank；　but　restrained　his　soldiers　from　fighting　on　those　days；　for　the　Jews　only　acted　defensively　on　sabbath　days。　But　as　soon　as　Pompey　had　filled　up　the　valley；　he　erected　high　towers　upon　the　bank；　and　brought　those　engines　which　they　had　fetched　from　Tyre　near　to　the　wall；　and　tried　to　batter　it　down；　and　the　slingers　of　stones　beat　off　those　that　stood　above　them；　and　drove　them　away；　but　the　towers　on　this　side　of　the　city　made　very　great　resistance；　and　were　indeed　extraordinary　both　for　largeness　and　magnificence。

4。　Now　here　it　was　that；　upon　the　many　hardships　which　the　Romans　underwent；　Pompey　could　not　but　admire　not　only　at　the　other　instances　of　the　Jews'　fortitude；　but　especially　that　they　did　not　at　all　intermit　their　religious　services；　even　when　they　were　encompassed　with　darts　on　all　sides；　for；　as　if　the　city　were　in　full　peace；　their　daily　sacrifices　and　purifications；　and　every　branch　of　their　religious　worship；　was　still　performed　to　God　with　the　utmost　exactness。　Nor　indeed　when　the　temple　was　actually　taken；　and　they　were　every　day　slain　about　the　altar；　did　they　leave　off　the　instances　of　their　Divine　worship　that　were　appointed　by　their　law；　for　it　was　in　the　third　month　of　the　siege　before　the　Romans　could　even　with　great　difficulty　overthrow　one　of　the　towers；　and　get　into　the　temple。　Now　he　that　first　of　all　ventured　to　get　over　the　wall；　was　Faustus　Cornelius　the　son　of　Sylla；　and　next　after　him　were　two　centurions；　Furius　and　Fabius；　and　every　one　of　these　was　followed　by　a　cohort　of　his　own；　who　encompassed　the　Jews　on　all　sides；　and　slew　them；　some　of　them　as　they　were　running　for　shelter　to　the　temple；　and　others　as　they；　for　a　while；　fought　in　their　own　defense。

5。　And　now　did　many　of　the　priests；　even　when　they　saw　their　enemies　assailing　them　with　swords　in　their　hands；　without　any　disturbance；　go　on　with　their　Divine　worship；　and　were　slain　while　they　were　offering　their　drink…offerings；　and　burning　their　incense；　as　preferring　the　duties　about　their　worship　to　God　before　their　own　preservation。　The　greatest　part　of　them　were　slain　by　their　own　countrymen；　of　the　adverse　faction；　and　an　innumerable　multitude　threw　themselves　down　precipices；　nay；　some　there　were　who　were　so　distracted　among　the　insuperable　difficulties　they　were　under；　that　they　set　fire　to　the　buildings　that　were　near　to　the　wall；　and　were　burnt　together　with　them。　Now　of　the　Jews　were　slain　twelve　thousand；　but　of　the　Romans　very　few　were　slain；　but　a　greater　number　was　wounded。

6。　But　there　was　nothing　that　affected　the　nation　so　much；　in　the　calamities　they　were　then　under；　as　that　their　holy　place；　which　had　been　hitherto　seen　by　none；　should　be　laid　open　to　strangers；　for　Pompey；　and　those　that　were　about　him；　went　into　the　temple　itself　（8）　whither　it　was　not　lawful　for　any　to　enter　but　the　high　priest；　and　saw　what　was　reposited　therein；　the　candlestick　with　its　lamps；　and　the　table；　and　the　pouring　vessels；　and　the　censers；　all　made　entirely　of　gold；　as　also　a　great　quantity　of　spices　heaped　together；　with　two　thousand　talents　of　sacred　money。　Yet　did　not　he　touch　that　money；　nor　any　thing　else　that　was　there　reposited；　but　he　commanded　the　ministers　about　the　temple；　the　very　next　day　after　he　had　taken　it；　to　cleanse　it；　and　to　perform　their　accustomed　sacrifices。　Moreover；　he　made　Hyrcanus　high　priest；　as　one　that　not　only　in　other　respects　had　showed　great　alacrity；　on　his　side；　during　the　siege；　but　as　he　had　been　the　means　of　hindering　the　multitude　that　was　in　the　country　from　fighting　for　Aristobulus；　which　they　were　otherwise　very　ready　to　have　done；　by　which　means　he　acted　the　part　of　a　good　general；　and　reconciled　the　people　to　him　more　by　benevolence　than　by　terror。　Now；　among　the　Captives；　Aristobulus's　father…in…law　was　taken；　who　was　also　his　uncle：　so　those　that　were　the　most　guilty　he　punished　with　decollatlon；　but　rewarded　Faustus；　and　those　with　him　that　had　fought　so　bravely；　with　glorious　presents；　and　laid　a　tribute　upon　the　country；　and　upon　Jerusalem　itself。

7。　He　also　took　away　from　the　nation　all　those　cities　that　they　had　formerly　taken；　and　that　belonged　to　Celesyria；　and　made　them　subject　to　him　that　was　at　that　time　appointed　to　be　the　Roman　president　there；　and　reduced　Judea　within　its　proper　bounds。　He　also　rebuilt　Gadara；　（9）　that　had　been　demolished　by　the　Jews；　in　order　to　gratify　one　Demetrius；　who　was　of　Gadara；　and　was　one　of　his　own　freed…men。　He　also　made　other　cities　free　from　their　dominion；　that　lay　in　the　midst　of　the　country；　such；　I　mean；　as　they　had　not　demolished　before　that　time；　Hippos；　and　Scythopolis；　as　also　Pella；　and　Samaria；　and　Marissa；　and　besides　these　Ashdod；　and　Jamnia；　and　Arethusa；　and　in　like　manner　dealt　he　with　the　maritime　cities；　Gaza；　and　Joppa；　and　Dora；　and　that　which　was　anciently　called　Strato's　Tower；　but　was　afterward