the wars of the jews-第70节

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r　which　reason　God　hates　such　doings；　and　the　crime　is　punished　by　our　most　wise　legislator。　Accordingly；　our　laws　determine　that　the　bodies　of　such　as　kill　themselves　should　be　exposed　till　the　sun　be　set；　without　burial；　although　at　the　same　time　it　be　allowed　by　them　to　be　lawful　to　bury　our　enemies　＇sooner＇。　The　laws　of　other　nations　also　enjoin　such　men's　hands　to　be　cut　off　when　they　are　dead；　which　had　been　made　use　of　in　destroying　themselves　when　alive；　while　they　reckoned　that　as　the　body　is　alien　from　the　soul；　so　is　the　hand　alien　from　the　body。　It　is　therefore；　my　friends；　a　right　thing　to　reason　justly；　and　not　add　to　the　calamities　which　men　bring　upon　us　impiety　towards　our　Creator。　If　we　have　a　mind　to　preserve　ourselves；　let　us　do　it；　for　to　be　preserved　by　those　our　enemies；　to　whom　we　have　given　so　many　demonstrations　of　our　courage；　is　no　way　inglorious；　but　if　we　have　a　mind　to　die；　it　is　good　to　die　by　the　hand　of　those　that　have　conquered　us。　For　nay　part；　I　will　not　run　over　to　our　enemies'　quarters；　in　order　to　be　a　traitor　to　myself；　for　certainly　I　should　then　be　much　more　foolish　than　those　that　deserted　to　the　enemy；　since　they　did　it　in　order　to　save　themselves；　and　I　should　do　it　for　destruction；　for　my　own　destruction。　However；　I　heartily　wish　the　Romans　may　prove　treacherous　in　this　matter；　for　if；　after　their　offer　of　their　right　hand　for　security；　I　be　slain　by　them；　I　shall　die　cheerfully；　and　carry　away　with　me　the　sense　of　their　perfidiousness；　as　a　consolation　greater　than　victory　itself。〃　　6。　Now　these　and　many　the　like　motives　did　Josephus　use　to　these　men　to　prevent　their　murdering　themselves；　but　desperation　had　shut　their　ears；　as　having　long　ago　devoted　themselves　to　die；　and　they　were　irritated　at　Josephus。　They　then　ran　upon　him　with　their　swords　in　their　hands；　one　from　one　quarter；　and　another　from　another；　and　called　him　a　coward；　and　everyone　of　them　appeared　openly　as　if　he　were　ready　to　smite　him；　but　he　calling　to　one　of　them　by　name；　and　looking　like　a　general　to　another；　and　taking　a　third　by　the　hand；　and　making　a　fourth　ashamed　of　himself；　by　praying　him　to　forbear；　and　being　in　this　condition　distracted　with　various　passions；　（as　he　well　might　in　the　great　distress　he　was　then　in；）　he　kept　off　every　one　of　their　swords　from　killing　him；　and　was　forced　to　do　like　such　wild　beasts　as　are　encompassed　about　on　every　side；　who　always　turn　themselves　against　those　that　last　touched　them。　Nay；　some　of　their　right　hands　were　debilitated　by　the　reverence　they　bare　to　their　general　in　these　his　fatal　calamities；　and　their　swords　dropped　out　of　their　hands；　and　not　a　few　of　them　there　were；　who；　when　they　aimed　to　smite　him　with　their　swords；　they　were　not　thoroughly　either　willing　or　able　to　do　it。

7。　However；　in　this　extreme　distress；　he　was　not　destitute　of　his　usual　sagacity；　but　trusting　himself　to　the　providence　of　God；　he　put　his　life　into　hazard　＇in　the　manner　following＇：　〃And　now；〃　said　he；　〃since　it　is　resolved　among　you　that　you　will　die；　come　on；　let　us　commit　our　mutual　deaths　to　determination　by　lot。　He　whom　the　lot　falls　to　first；　let　him　be　killed　by　him　that　hath　the　second　lot；　and　thus　fortune　shall　make　its　progress　through　us　all；　nor　shall　any　of　us　perish　by　his　own　right　hand；　for　it　would　be　unfair　if；　when　the　rest　are　gone；　somebody　should　repent　and　save　himself。〃　This　proposal　appeared　to　them　to　be　very　just；　and　when　he　had　prevailed　with　them　to　determine　this　matter　by　lots；　he　drew　one　of　the　lots　for　himself　also。　He　who　had　the　first　lot　laid　his　neck　bare　to　him　that　had　the　next；　as　supposing　that　the　general　would　die　among　them　immediately；　for　they　thought　death；　if　Josephus　might　but　die　with　them；　was　sweeter　than　life；　yet　was　he　with　another　left　to　the　last；　whether　we　must　say　it　happened　so　by　chance；　or　whether　by　the　providence　of　God。　And　as　he　was　very　desirous　neither　to　be　condemned　by　the　lot；　nor；　if　he　had　been　left　to　the　last；　to　imbrue　his　right　hand　in　the　blood　of　his　countrymen；　he　persuaded　him　to　trust　his　fidelity　to　him；　and　to　live　as　well　as　himself。

8。　Thus　Josephus　escaped　in　the　war　with　the　Romans；　and　in　this　his　own　war　with　his　friends；　and　was　led　by　Nicanor　to　Vespasian。　But　now　all　the　Romans　ran　together　to　see　him；　and　as　the　multitude　pressed　one　upon　another　about　their　general；　there　was　a　tumult　of　a　various　kind；　while　some　rejoiced　that　Josephus　was　taken；　and　some　threatened　him；　and　some　crowded　to　see　him　very　near；　but　those　that　were　more　remote　cried　out　to　have　this　their　enemy　put　to　death；　while　those　that　were　near　called　to　mind　the　actions　he　had　done；　and　a　deep　concern　appeared　at　the　change　of　his　fortune。　Nor　were　there　any　of　the　Roman　commanders；　how　much　soever　they　had　been　enraged　at　him　before；　but　relented　when　they　came　to　the　sight　of　him。　Above　all　the　rest；　Titus's　own　valor；　and　Josephus's　own　patience　under　his　afflictions；　made　him　pity　him；　as　did　also　the　commiseration　of　his　age；　when　he　recalled　to　mind　that　but　a　little　while　ago　he　was　fighting；　but　lay　now　in　the　hands　of　his　enemies；　which　made　him　consider　the　power　of　fortune；　and　how　quick　is　the　turn　of　affairs　in　war；　and　how　no　state　of　men　is　sure；　for　which　reason　he　then　made　a　great　many　more　to　be　of　the　same　pitiful　temper　with　himself；　and　induced　them　to　commiserate　Josephus。　He　was　also　of　great　weight　in　persuading　his　father　to　preserve　him。　However；　Vespasian　gave　strict　orders　that　he　should　be　kept　with　great　caution；　as　though　he　would　in　a　very　little　time　send　him　to　Nero。　（5）

9。　When　Josephus　heard　him　give　those　orders；　he　said　that　he　had　somewhat　in　his　mind　that　he　would　willingly　say　to　himself　alone。　When　therefore　they　were　all　ordered　to　withdraw；　excepting　Titus　and　two　of　their　friends；　he　said；　〃Thou；　O　Vespasian；　thinkest　no　more　than　that　thou　hast　taken　Josephus　himself　captive；　but　I　come　to　thee　as　a　messenger　of　greater　tidings；　for　had　not　I　been　sent　by　God　to　thee；　I　knew　what　was　the　law　of　the　Jews　in　this　case？　and　how　it　becomes　generals　to　die。　Dost　thou　send　me　to　Nero？　For　why？　Are　Nero's　successors　till　they　come　to　thee　still　alive？　Thou；　O　Vespasian；　art　Caesar　and　emperor；　thou；　and　this　thy　son。　Bind　me　now　still　faster；　and　keep　me　for　thyself；　for　thou；　O　Caesar；　are　not　only　lord　over　me；　but　over　the　land　and　the　sea；　and　all　mankind；　and　certainly　I　deserve　to　be　kept　in　closer　custody　than　I　now　am　in；　in　order　to　be　punished；　if　I　rashly　affirm　any　thing　of　God。〃　When　he　had　said　this；　Vespasian　at　present　did　not　believe　him；　but　supposed　that　Josephus　said　this　as　a　cunning　trick；　in　order　to　his　own　preservation；　but　in　a　little　time　he　was　convinced；　and　believed　what　he　said　to　be　true；　God　himself　erecting　his　expectations；　so　as　to　think　of　obtaining　the　empire；　and　by　other　signs　fore…showing　his　advancement。　He　also　found　Josephus　to　have　spoken　truth　on　other　occasions；　for　one　of　those　friends　that　were　present　at　that　secret　conference　said　to　Josephus；　〃I　cannot　but　wonder　how　thou　couldst　not　foretell　to　the　people　of　Jotapata　that　they　should　be　taken；　nor　couldst　foretell　this　captivity　which　hath　happened　to　thyself；　unless　what　thou　now　sayest　be　a　vain　thing；　in　order　to　avoid　the　rage　that　is　risen　against　thyself。〃　To　which　Josephus　replied；　〃I　did　foretell　to　the　people　of　Jotapata　that　they　would　be　taken　on　the　forty…seventh　day；　and　that　I　should　be　caught　alive　by　the　Romans。〃　Now　when　Vespasian　had　inquired　of　the　captives　privately　about　these　predictions；　he　found　them　to　be　true；　and　then　he　began　to　believe　those　that　concerned　himself。　Yet　did　he　not　set　Josephus　at　liberty　from　his　hands；　but　bestowed　on　him　suits　of　clothes；　and　other　precious　gifts；　he　treated　him　also　in　a　very　obliging　manner；　and　continued　so　to　do；　Titus　still　joining　his　interest　ill　the　honors　that　were　done　him。

CHAPTER　9。

How　Joppa　Was　Taken；　And　Tiberias　Delivered　Up。

1。　Now　Vespasian　returned　to　Ptolemais　on　the　fourth　day　of　the　month　Panemus；　＇Tamus＇　and　from　thence　he　came　to　Cesarea；　which　lay　by　the　sea…side。　This　was　a　very　great　city　of　Judea；　and　for　the　greatest　part　inhabited　by　Greeks：　the　citizens　here　received　both　the　Roman　army　and　its　general；　with　all　sorts　of　acclamations　and　rejoicings；　and　this　partly　out　of　the　good…will　they　bore　to　the　Romans；　but　principally　out　of　the　hatred　they　bore　to　those　that　were　conquered　by　them；　on　which　account　they　came　clamoring　against　Josephus　in　crowds；　and　desired　he　might　be　put　to　death。　But　Vespasian　passed　over　this　petition　concerning　him；　as　offered　by　the　injudicious　multitude；　with　a　bare　silence。　Two　of　the　legions　also　he　placed　at　Cesarea；　that　they　might　there　take　their　winter…quarters；　as　perceiving　the　city　very　fit　for　such　a　purpose；　but　he　placed　the　tenth　and　the　fifth　at　Scythopolis；　that　he　might　not　distress　Cesarea　with　the　entire　army。　This　place　was　warm　even　in　winter；　as　it　was　suffocating　hot　in　the　summer　time；　by　reason　of　its　situation　in　a　plain；　and　near　to　the　sea　＇of　Galilee＇。

2。　In　the　mean　time；　there　were　gathered　together　as　well　such　as　had　seditiously　got　out　from　among　their　enemies；　as　those　that　had　escaped　out　of　the　demol