the wars of the jews-第99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！


was　desirous　to　　　bring　the　baggage　of　the　army；　with　the　rest　of　the　　　multitude　that　followed　him；　safely　to　the　camp；　he　set　the　strongest　part　of　his　army　over　against　that　wall　which　lay　on　the　north　quarter　of　the　city；　and　over　against　the　　　western　part　of　it；　and　made　his　army　seven　deep；　with　the　foot…men　placed　before　them；　and　the　horsemen　behind　　　them；　each　of　the　last　in　three　ranks；　whilst　the　archers　stood　in　the　midst　in　seven　ranks。　And　now　as　the　Jews　　　were　prohibited；　by　so　great　a　body　of　men；　from　making　　　sallies　upon　the　Romans；　both　the　beasts　that　bare　the　　　burdens；　and　belonged　to　the　three　legions；　and　the　rest　of　the　multitude；　marched　on　without　any　fear。　But　as　for　Titus　himself；　he　was　but　about　two　furlongs　distant　from　the　　　wall；　at　that　part　of　it　where　was　the　corner　（10）　and　over　against　that　tower　which　was　called　Psephinus；　at　which　　　tower　the　compass　of　the　wall　belonging　to　the　north　　　bended；　and　extended　itself　over　against　the　west；　but　the　other　part　of　the　army　fortified　itself　at　the　tower　called　Hippicus；　and　was　distant；　in　like　manner；　by　two　furlongs　from　the　city。　However；　the　tenth　legion　continued　in　its　own　place；　upon　the　Mount　of　Olives。　　　　　　CHAPTER　4。　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Description　Of　Jerusalem。　　　　　　1。　The　city　of　Jerusalem　was　fortified　with　three　walls；　on　such　parts　as　were　not　encompassed　with　unpassable　　　valleys；　for　in　such　places　it　had　but　one　wall。　The　city　was　built　upon　two　hills；　which　are　opposite　to　one　another；　and　have　a　valley　to　divide　them　asunder；　at　which　valley　the　corresponding　rows　of　houses　on　both　hills　end。　Of　these　hills；　that　which　contains　the　upper　city　is　much　higher；　and　in　length　more　direct。　Accordingly；　it　was　called　the　　　〃Citadel；〃　by　king　David；　he　was　the　father　of　that　Solomon　who　built　this　temple　at　the　first；　but　it　is　by　us　called　the　〃Upper　Market…place。〃　But　the　other　hill；　which　was　called　〃Acra；〃　and　sustains　the　lower　city；　is　of　the　shape　of　a　moon　when　she　is　horned；　over　against　this　there　was　a　　　third　hill；　but　naturally　lower　than　Acra；　and　parted　formerly　from　the　other　by　a　broad　valley。　However；　in　those　times　when　the　Asamoneans　reigned；　they　filled　up　that　valley　　　with　earth；　and　had　a　mind　to　join　the　city　to　the　temple。　They　then　took　off　part　of　the　height　of　Acra；　and　reduced　it　to　be　of　less　elevation　than　it　was　before；　that　the　temple　might　be　superior　to　it。　Now　the　Valley　of　the　　　Cheesemongers；　as　it　was　called；　and　was　that　which　we　　　told　you　before　distinguished　the　hill　of　the　upper　city　from　that　of　the　lower；　extended　as　far　as　Siloam；　for　that　is　the　name　of　a　fountain　which　hath　sweet　water　in　it；　and　this　in　great　plenty　also。　But　on　the　outsides；　these　hills　are　　　surrounded　by　deep　valleys；　and　by　reason　of　the　　　precipices　to　them　belonging　on　both　sides　they　are　every　where　unpassable。　　　　　　2。　Now；　of　these　three　walls；　the　old　one　was　hard　to　be　taken；　both　by　reason　of　the　valleys；　and　of　that　hill　on　which　it　was　built；　and　which　was　above　them。　But　besides　that　great　advantage；　as　to　the　place　where　they　were　　　situated；　it　was　also　built　very　strong；　because　David　and　Solomon；　and　the　following　kings；　were　very　zealous　about　this　work。　Now　that　wall　began　on　the　north；　at　the　tower　called　〃Hippicus；〃　and　extended　as　far　as　the　〃Xistus；〃　a　place　so　called；　and　then；　joining　to　the　council…house；　ended　at　the　west　cloister　of　the　temple。　But　if　we　go　the　other　way　westward；　it　began　at　the　same　place；　and　　　extended　through　a　place　called　〃Bethso；〃　to　the　gate　of　the　Essens；　and　after　that　it　went　southward；　having　its　bending　above　the　fountain　Siloam；　where　it　also　bends　again　　　towards　the　east　at　Solomon's　pool；　and　reaches　as　far　as　a　certain　place　which　they　called　〃Ophlas；〃　where　it　was　joined　to　the　eastern　cloister　of　the　temple。　The　second　wall　took　its　beginning　from　that　gate　which　they　called　　　〃Gennath；〃　which　belonged　to　the　first　wall；　it　only　　　encompassed　the　northern　quarter　of　the　city；　and　reached　as　far　as　the　tower　Antonia。　The　beginning　of　the　third　wall　was　at　the　tower　Hippicus；　whence　it　reached　as　far　as　the　north　quarter　of　the　city；　and　the　tower　Psephinus；　and　then　was　so　far　extended　till　it　came　over　against　the　　　monuments　of　Helena；　which　Helena　was　queen　of　　　Adiabene；　the　daughter　of　Izates；　it　then　extended　further　to　a　great　length；　and　passed　by　the　sepulchral　caverns　of　the　kings；　and　bent　again　at　the　tower　of　the　corner；　at　the　monument　which　is　called　the　〃Monument　of　the　Fuller；〃　　　and　joined　to　the　old　wall　at　the　valley　called　the　〃Valley　of　Cedron。〃　It　was　Agrippa　who　encompassed　the　parts　added　　　to　the　old　city　with　this　wall；　which　had　been　all　naked　before；　for　as　the　city　grew　more　populous；　it　gradually　crept　beyond　its　old　limits；　and　those　parts　of　it　that　stood　northward　of　the　temple；　and　joined　that　hill　to　the　city；　made　it　considerably　larger；　and　occasioned　that　hill；　which　is　in　number　the　fourth；　and　is　called　〃Bezetha；〃　to　be　　　inhabited　also。　It　lies　over　against　the　tower　Antonia；　but　is　divided　from　it　by　a　deep　valley；　which　was　dug　on　purpose；　and　that　in　order　to　hinder　the　foundations　of　the　tower　of　Antonia　from　joining　to　this　hill；　and　thereby　affording　an　opportunity　for　getting　to　it　with　ease；　and　hindering　the　security　that　arose　from　its　superior　elevation；　for　which　reason　also　that　depth　of　the　ditch　made　the　elevation　of　the　towers　more　remarkable。　This　new…built　part　of　the　city　was　called　〃Bezetha；〃　in　our　language；　which；　if　interpreted　in　the　Grecian　language；　may　be　called　〃the　New　City。〃　　　Since；　therefore；　its　inhabitants　stood　in　need　of　a　covering；　the　father　of　the　present　king；　and　of　the　same　name　with　him；　Agrippa；　began　that　wall　we　spoke　of；　but　he　left　off　building　it　when　he　had　only　laid　the　foundations；　out　of　the　fear　he　was　in　of　Claudius　Caesar；　lest　he　should　suspect　that　so　strong　a　wall　was　built　in　order　to　make　some　　　innovation　in　public　affairs；　for　the　city　could　no　way　have　been　taken　if　that　wall　had　been　finished　in　the　manner　it　was　begun；　as　its　parts　were　connected　together　by　stones　twenty　cubits　long；　and　ten　cubits　broad；　which　could　never　have　been　either　easily　undermined　by　any　iron　tools；　or　shaken　by　any　engines。　The　wall　was；　however；　ten　cubits　wide；　and　it　would　probably　have　had　a　height　greater　than　that；　had　not　his　zeal　who　began　it　been　hindered　from　　　exerting　itself。　After　this；　it　was　erected　with　great　diligence　by　the　Jews；　as　high　as　twenty　cubits；　above　which　it　had　battlements　of　two　cubits；　and　turrets　of　three　cubits　　　altitude；　insomuch　that　the　entire　altitude　extended　as　far　as　twenty…five　cubits。　　　　　　3。　Now　the　towers　that　were　upon　it　were　twenty　cubits　in　breadth；　and　twenty　cubits　in　height；　they　were　square　and　solid；　as　was　the　wall　itself；　wherein　the　niceness　of　the　joints；　and　the　beauty　of　the　stones；　were　no　way　inferior　to　those　of　the　holy　house　itself。　Above　this　solid　altitude　of　the　towers；　which　was　twenty　cubits；　there　were　rooms　of　great　magnificence；　and　over　them　upper　rooms；　and　　　cisterns　to　receive　rain…water。　They　were　many　in　number；　and　the　steps　by　which　you　ascended　up　to　them　were　　　every　one　broad：　of　these　towers　then　the　third　wall　had　ninety；　and　the　spaces　between　them　were　each　two　　　hundred　cubits；　but　in　the　middle　wall　were　forty　towers；　and　the　old　wall　was　parted　into　sixty；　while　the　whole　　　compass　of　the　city　was　thirty…three　furlongs。　Now　the　third　wall　was　all　of　it　wonderful；　yet　was　the　tower　Psephinus　elevated　above　it　at　the　north…west　corner；　and　there　Titus　pitched　his　own　tent；　for　being　seventy　cubits　high　it　both　afforded　a　prospect　of　Arabia　at　sun…rising；　as　well　as　it　did　of　the　utmost　limits　of　the　Hebrew　possessions　at　the　sea　westward。　Moreover；　it　was　an　octagon；　and　over　against　it　was　the　tower　Hipplicus；　and　hard　by　two　others　were　　　erected　by　king　Herod；　in　the　old　wall。　These　were　for　　　largeness；　beauty；　and　strength　beyond　all　that　were　in　the　habitable　earth；　for　besides　the　magnanimity　of　his　nature；　and　his　magnificence　towards　the　city　on　other　occasions；　he　built　these　after　such　an　extraordinary　manner；　to　gratify　his　own　private　affections；　and　dedicated　these　towers　to　the　memory　of　those　three　persons　who　had　been　the　　　dearest　to　him；　and　from　whom　he　named　them。　They　were　　　his　brother；　his　friend；　and　his　wife。　This　wife　he　had　slain；　out　of　his　love　＇and　jealousy＇；　as　we　have　already　related；　the　other　two　he　lost　in　war；　as　they　were　courageously　　　fighting。　Hippicus；　so　named　from　his　friend；　was　square；　its　length　and　breadth　were　each　twenty…five　cubits；　and　its　height　thirty；　and　it　had　no　vacuity　in　it。　Over　this　solid　building；　which　was　composed　of　great　stones　united　　　together；　there　was　a　reservoir　twenty　cubits　deep；　over　which　there　was　a　house　of　two　stories；　whose　height　was　twenty…five　cubits；　and　divided　into　several　parts；　over　which　were　battlements　of　two　cubits；　and　turrets　all　round　of　three　cubits　high；　insomuch　that　the　entire　height　added　together　amounted　to　fourscore　cubits。　The　second　tower；　which　he　named　from　his　brother　Phasaelus；　had　its　　　breadth　and　its　height　equal；　each　of　them　forty　cubits；　over　which　was　its　solid　height　of　fo