the wars of the jews-第83节

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om　their　own　nation；　which　used　to　be　open　to　even　all　foreigners　that　came　to　worship　there。　We　have　indeed　come　in　great　haste　to　you；　and　to　a　war　against　our　own　　　countrymen；　and　the　reason　why　we　have　made　such　haste　is　this；　that　we　may　preserve　that　freedom　which　you　are　so　unhappy　as　to　betray。　You　have　probably　been　guilty　of　the　like　crimes　against　those　whom　you　keep　in　custody；　and　　　have；　I　suppose；　collected　together　the　like　plausible　　　pretenses　against　them　also　that　you　make　use　of　against　us；　after　which　you　have　gotten　the　mastery　of　those　within　the　temple；　and　keep　them　in　custody；　while　they　are　only　taking　care　of　the　public　affairs。　You　have　also　shut　the　gates　of　the　city　in　general　against　nations　that　are　the　most　nearly　related　to　you；　and　while　you　give　such　injurious　commands　to　others；　you　complain　that　you　have　been　tyrannized　over　by　them；　and　fix　the　name　of　unjust　governors　upon　such　as　are　tyrannized　over　by　yourselves。　Who　can　bear　this　your　abuse　of　words；　while　they　have　a　regard　to　the　contrariety　of　your　actions；　unless　you　mean　this；　that　those　Idumeans　do　now　exclude　you　out　of　your　metropolis；　whom　you　exclude　from　the　sacred　offices　of　your　own　country？　One　may　　　indeed　justly　complain　of　those　that　are　besieged　in　the　temple；　that　when　they　had　courage　enough　to　punish　those　tyrants　whom　you　call　eminent　men；　and　free　from　any　　　accusations；　because　of　their　being　your　companions　in　　　wickedness；　they　did　not　begin　with　you；　and　thereby　cut　off　beforehand　the　most　dangerous　parts　of　this　treason。　But　if　these　men　have　been　more　merciful　than　the　public　necessity　required；　we　that　are　Idumeans　will　preserve　this　house　of　God；　and　will　fight　for　our　common　country；　and　will　oppose　by　war　as　well　those　that　attack　them　from　abroad；　as　those　that　betray　them　from　within。　Here　will　we　abide　before　the　walls　in　our　armor；　until　either　the　Romans　grow　weary　in　waiting　for　you；　or　you　become　friends　to　liberty；　and　repent　of　what　you　have　done　against　it。〃　　　　　　5。　And　now　did　the　Idumeans　make　an　acclamation　to　what　　　Simon　had　said；　but　Jesus　went　away　sorrowful；　as　seeing　that　the　Idumeans　were　against　all　moderate　counsels；　and　that　the　city　was　besieged　on　both　sides。　Nor　indeed　were　the　minds　of　the　Idumeans　at　rest；　for　they　were　in　a　rage　at　the　injury　that　had　been　offered　them　by　their　exclusion　out　of　the　city；　and　when　they　thought　the　zealots　had　been　strong；　but　saw　nothing　of　theirs　to　support　them；　they　were　in　doubt　about　the　matter；　and　many　of　them　repented　that　they　had　come　thither。　But　the　shame　that　would　attend　them　in　case　they　returned　without　doing　any　thing　at　all；　so　far　overcame　that　their　repentance；　that　they　lay　all　night　before　the　wall；　though　in　a　very　bad　encampment；　for　there　broke　out　a　　　prodigious　storm　in　the　night；　with　the　utmost　violence；　and　very　strong　winds；　with　the　largest　showers　of　rain；　with　continued　lightnings；　terrible　thunderings；　and　amazing　　　concussions　and　bellowings　of　the　earth；　that　was　in　an　　　earthquake。　These　things　were　a　manifest　indication　that　some　destruction　was　coming　upon　men；　when　the　system　of　the　world　was　put　into　this　disorder；　and　any　one　would　guess　that　these　wonders　foreshowed　some　grand　calamities　that　were　coming。　　　　　　6。　Now　the　opinion　of　the　Idumeans　and　of　the　citizens　was　one　and　the　same。　The　Idumeans　thought　that　God　was　angry　at　their　taking　arms；　and　that　they　would　not　escape　　　punishment　for　their　making　war　upon　their　metropolis。　　　Ananus　and　his　party　thought　that　they　had　conquered　　　without　fighting；　and　that　God　acted　as　a　general　for　them；　but　truly　they　proved　both　ill　conjectures　at　what　was　to　come；　and　made　those　events　to　be　ominous　to　their　enemies；　while　they　were　themselves　to　undergo　the　ill　effects　of　them；　for　the　Idumeans　fenced　one　another　by　uniting　their　bodies　into　one　band；　and　thereby　kept　themselves　warm；　and　　　connecting　their　shields　over　their　heads；　were　not　so　much　hurt　by　the　rain。　But　the　zealots　were　more　deeply　concerned　for　the　danger　these　men　were　in　than　they　were　for　　　themselves；　and　got　together；　and　looked　about　them　to　see　whether　they　could　devise　any　means　of　assisting　them。　The　hotter　sort　of　them　thought　it　best　to　force　their　guards　with　their　arms；　and　after　that　to　fall　into　the　midst　of　the　city；　and　publicly　open　the　gates　to　those　that　came　to　their　　　assistance；　as　supposing　the　guards　would　be　in　disorder；　and　give　way　at　such　an　unexpected　attempt　of　theirs；　especially　as　the　greater　part　of　them　were　unarmed　and　unskilled　in　the　affairs　of　war；　and　that　besides　the　multitude　of　the　citizens　would　not　be　easily　gathered　together；　but　confined　to　their　houses　by　the　storm：　and　that　if　there　were　any　hazard　in　their　undertaking；　it　became　them　to　suffer　any　thing　whatsoever　themselves；　rather　than　to　overlook　so　great　a　multitude　as　were　miserably　perishing　on　their　account。　But　the　more　prudent　part　of　them　disapproved　of　this　forcible　method；　because　they　saw　not　only　the　guards　about　them　　　very　numerous；　but　the　walls　of　the　city　itself　carefully　watched；　by　reason　of　the　Idumeans。　They　also　supposed　that　Ananus　would　be　every　where；　and　visit　the　guards　every　　　hour；　which　indeed　was　done　upon　other　nights；　but　was　　　omitted　that　night；　not　by　reason　of　any　slothfulness　of　Ananus；　but　by　the　overbearing　appointment　of　fate；　that　so　both　he　might　himself　perish；　and　the　multitude　of　the　guards　might　perish　with　him；　for　truly；　as　the　night　was　far　gone；　and　the　storm　very　terrible；　Ananus　gave　the　guards　in　the　cloisters　leave　to　go　to　sleep；　while　it　came　into　the　heads　of　the　zealots　to　make　use　of　the　saws　belonging　to　the　temple；　and　to　cut　the　bars　of　the　gates　to　pieces。　The　noise　of　the　wind；　and　that　not　inferior　sound　of　the　thunder；　did　here　also　conspire　with　their　designs；　that　the　noise　of　the　saws　was　not　heard　by　the　others。　　　　　　7。　So　they　secretly　went　out　of　the　temple　to　the　wall　of　the　city；　and　made　use　of　their　saws；　and　opened　that　gate　which　was　over　against　the　Idumeans。　Now　at　first　there　came　a　fear　upon　the　Idumeans　themselves；　which　disturbed　them；　as　imagining　that　Ananus　and　his　party　were　coming　to　attack　them；　so　that　every　one　of　them　had　his　right　hand　upon　his　sword；　in　order　to　defend　himself；　but　they　soon　came　to　know　who　they　were　that　came　to　them；　and　were　entered　　　the　city。　And　had　the　Idumeans　then　fallen　upon　the　city；　nothing　could　have　hindered　them　from　destroying　the　　　people　every　man　of　them；　such　was　the　rage　they　were　in　at　that　time；　but　as　they　first　of　all　made　haste　to　get　the　zealots　out　of　custody；　which　those　that　brought　them　in　earnestly　desired　them　to　do；　and　not　to　overlook　those　for　whose　　　sakes　they　were　come；　in　the　midst　of　their　distresses；　nor　to　bring　them　into　a　still　greater　danger；　for　that　when　they　had　once　seized　upon　the　guards；　it　would　be　easy　for　them　to　fall　upon　the　city；　but　that　if　the　city　were　once　alarmed；　they　would　not　then　be　able　to　overcome　those　guards；　because　as　soon　as　they　should　perceive　they　were　there；　they　would　put　themselves　in　order　to　fight　them；　and　would　hinder　their　coming　into　the　temple。　　　　　　　CHAPTER　V。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Cruelty　Of　The　Idumeans　When　They　Were　Gotten　Into　The　Temple　During　The　Storm；　And　Of　The　Zealots。　Concerning　The　Slaughter　Of　Ananus；　And　Jesus；　And　Zacharias；　And　How　The　Idumeans　Retired　　　　　　　　Home。　　　　　　　　　　　　1。　This　advice　pleased　the　Idumeans；　and　they　ascended　　　through　the　city　to　the　temple。　The　zealots　were　also　in　great　expectation　of　their　coming；　and　earnestly　waited　for　them。　When　therefore　these　were　entering；　they　also　came　boldly　out　of　the　inner　temple；　and　mixing　themselves　among　the　Idumeans；　they　attacked　the　guards；　and　some　of　those　that　were　upon　the　watch；　but　were　fallen　asleep；　they　killed　as　they　were　asleep；　but　as　those　that　were　now　awakened　made　a　cry；　the　whole　multitude　arose；　and　in　the　amazement　they　were　in　caught　hold　of　their　arms　immediately；　and　betook　themselves　to　their　own　defense；　and　so　long　as　they　thought　they　were　only　the　zealots　who　attacked　them；　they　went　on　boldly；　as　hoping　to　overpower　them　by　their　numbers；　but　when　they　saw　others　pressing　in　upon　them　also；　they　　　perceived　the　Idumeans　were　got　in；　and　the　greatest　part　of　them　laid　aside　their　arms；　together　with　their　courage；　and　betook　themselves　to　lamentations。　But　some　few　of　the　　　younger　sort　covered　themselves　with　their　armor；　and　　　valiantly　received　the　Idumeans；　and　for　a　while　protected　the　multitude　of　old　men。　Others；　indeed；　gave　a　signal　to　those　that　were　in　the　city　of　the　calamities　they　were　in；　but　when　these　were　also　made　sensible　that　the　Idumeans　were　come　in；　none　of　them　durst　come　to　their　assistance；　only　they　returned　the　terrible　echo　of　wailing；　and　lamented　their　misfortunes。　A　great　howling　of　the　women　was　excited　also；　and　every　one　of　the　guards　were　in　danger　of　being　killed。　The　zealots　also　joined　in　the　shouts　raised　by　the　Idumeans；　and　the　storm　itself　rendered　the　cry　more　terrible；　nor　did　the　Idumeans　spare　any　body；　for　as　they　are　naturally　a　most　barbarous　and　bloody　nation；　and　had　been　distressed　by　the　tempest；　they　made　use　of　their　wea