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1. A Resolution was now taken by Titus to relax the siege for a
little while, and to afford the seditious an interval for
consideration, and to see whether the demolishing of their second
wall would not make them a little more compliant, or whether they
were not somewhat afraid of a famine,
because the spoils they had gotten by rapine would not be
sufficient for them long; so he made use of this relaxation in
order to compass his own designs. Accordingly, as the
usual appointed time when he must distribute subsistence money
to the soldiers was now come, he gave orders that
the commanders should put the army into battle-array, in the
face of the enemy, and then give every one of the
soldiers their pay. So the soldiers, according to custom,
opened the cases wherein their arms before lay covered,
and marched with their breastplates on, as did the
horsemen lead their horses in their fine trappings. Then did
the places that were before the city shine very splendidly for a
great way; nor was there any thing so grateful to
Titus's own men, or so terrible to the enemy, as that sight.
For the whole old wall, and the north side of the temple, were
full of spectators, and one might see the houses full of such as
looked at them; nor was there any part of the city which was not
covered over with their multitudes; nay, a very great
consternation seized upon the hardiest of the Jews themselves,
when they saw all the army in the same
place, together with the fineness of their arms, and the good
order of their men. And I cannot but think that the seditious
would have changed their minds at that sight,
unless the crimes they had committed against the people
had been so horrid, that they despaired of forgiveness from the
Romans; but as they believed death with torments must be their
punishment, if they did not go on in the defense of the city,
they thought it much better to die in war. Fate also prevailed so
far over them, that the innocent were to perish with the guilty,
and the city was to be destroyed with the seditious that were in
it.
2. Thus did the Romans spend four days in bringing this
subsistence-money to the several legions. But on the fifth day,
when no signs of peace appeared to come from the
Jews, Titus divided his legions, and began to raise banks, both
at the tower of Antonia and at John's monument. Now his designs
were to take the upper city at that monument, and the temple at
the tower of Antonia; for if the temple were not taken, it would
be dangerous to keep the city
itself; so at each of these parts he raised him banks, each
legion raising one. As for those that wrought at John's
monument, the Idumeans, and those that were in arms with Simon,
made sallies upon them, and put some stop to
them; while John's party, and the multitude of zealots with
them, did the like to those that were before the tower of
Antonia. These Jews were now too hard for the Romans,
not only in direct fighting, because they stood upon the higher
ground, but because they had now learned to use
their own engines; for their continual use of them one day
after another did by degrees improve their skill about them; for
of one sort of engines for darts they had three hundred, and
forty for stones; by the means of which they made it more tedious
for the Romans to raise their banks. But then Titus, knowing that
the city would be either saved or
destroyed for himself, did not only proceed earnestly in the
siege, but did not omit to have the Jews exhorted to
repentance; so he mixed good counsel with his works for
the siege. And being sensible that exhortations are
frequently more effectual than arms, he persuaded them to
surrender the city, now in a manner already taken, and
thereby to save themselves, and sent Josephus to speak to them
in their own language; for he imagined they might
yield to the persuasion of a countryman of their own.
3. So Josephus went round about the wall, and tried to find a
place that was out of the reach of their darts, and yet within
their hearing, and besought them, in many words, to spare
themselves, to spare their country and their temple, and not to
be more obdurate in these cases than foreigners themselves; for
that the Romans, who had no relation to
those things, had a reverence for their sacred rites and
places, although they belonged to their enemies, and had till now
kept their hands off from meddling with them; while such as were
brought up under them, and, if they be
preserved, will be the only people that will reap the benefit
of them, hurry on to have them destroyed. That certainly they
have seen their strongest walls demolished, and that the wall
still remaining was weaker than those that were already taken.
That they must know the Roman power was
invincible, and that they had been used to serve them; for,
that in case it be allowed a right thing to fight for liberty,
that ought to have been done at first; but for them that have
once fallen under the power of the Romans, and have now
submitted to them for so many long years, to pretend to
shake off that yoke afterward, was the work of such as had a
mind to die miserably, not of such as were lovers of
liberty. Besides, men may well enough grudge at the
dishonor of owning ignoble masters over them, but ought
not to do so to those who have all things under their
command; for what part of the world is there that hath
escaped the Romans, unless it be such as are of no use
for violent heat, or for violent cold? And evident it is that
fortune is on all hands gone over to them; and that God, when he
had gone round the nations with this dominion, is now settled in
Italy. That, moreover, it is a strong and fixed law, even among
brute beasts, as well as among men, to
yield to those that are too strong for them; and to stiffer
those to have the dominion who are too hard for the rest in war;
for which reason it was that their forefathers, who were far
superior to them, both in their souls and bodies, and other
advantages, did yet submit to the Romans, which
they would not have suffered, had they not known that God was
with them. As for themselves, what can they depend
on in this their opposition, when the greatest part of their
city is already taken? and when those that are within it are
under greater miseries than if they were taken, although their
walls be still standing? For that the Romans are not unacquainted
with that famine which is in the city, whereby the people are
already consumed, and the fighting men will in a little time be
so too; for although the Romans should leave off the siege, and
not fall upon the city with their swords in their hands, yet was
there an insuperable war
that beset them within, and was augmented every hour,
unless they were able to wage war with famine, and fight
against it, or could alone conquer their natural appetites. He
added this further, how right a thing it was to change their
conduct before their calamities were become incurable, and to
have recourse to such advice as might preserve them,
while opportunity was offered them for so doing; for that the
Romans would not be mindful of their past actions to their
disadvantage, unless they persevered in their insolent
behavior to the end; because they were naturally mild in their
conquests, and preferred what was profitable, before what their
passions dictated to them; which profit of theirs lay not in
leaving the city empty of inhabitants, nor the country a desert;
on which account Caesar did now offer
them his right hand for their security. Whereas, if he took the
city by force, he would not save any of them, and this
especially, if they rejected his offers in these their utmost
distresses; for the walls that were already taken could not but
assure them that the third wall would quickly be taken also. And
though their fortifications should prove too strong for the
Romans to break through them, yet would the
famine fight for the Romans against them.
4. While Josephus was making this exhortation to the Jews, many
of them jested upon him from the wall, and many
reproached him; nay, some threw their darts at him: but
when he could not himself persuade them by such open
good advice, he betook himself to the histories belonging to
their own nation, and cried out aloud, "O miserable
creatures! are you so unmindful of those that used to assist
you, that you will fight by your weapons and by your hands
against the Romans? When did we ever conquer any other
nation by such means? and when was it that God, who is
the Creator of the Jewish people, did not avenge them
when they had been injured? Will not you turn again, and look
back, and consider whence it is that you fight with such
violence, and how great a Supporter you have
profanely abused? Will not you recall to mind the prodigious
things done for your forefathers and this holy place, and how
great enemies of yours were by him subdued under
you? I even tremble myself in declaring the works of God before
your ears, that are unworthy to hear them; however, hearken to
me, that you may be informed how you fight not only against the
Romans, but against God himself. In old times there was one
Necao, king of Egypt, who was also
called Pharaoh; he came with a prodigious army of soldiers, and
seized queen Sarah, the mother of our nation. What
did Abraham our progenitor then do? Did he defend himself from
this injurious person by war, although he had three hundred and
eighteen captains under him, and an immense
army under each of them? Indeed he deemed them to be
no number at all without God's assistance, and only spread out
his hands towards this holy place, which you have now
polluted, and reckoned upon him as upon his invincible supporter,
instead of his own army. Was not our queen
sent back, without any defilement, to her husband, the very
next evening? - while the king of Egypt fled away, adoring this
place which you have defiled by shedding thereon the blood of
your own countrymen; and he also trembled at
those visions which he saw in the night season, and
bestowed both silver and gold on the Hebrews, as on a
people beloved by God. Shall I say nothing, or shall I
mention the removal of our fathers into Egypt, who, when
they were used tyrannically, and were fallen under
the power of foreign kings for four hundred ears together, and
might have defended themselves by war and by
fighting, did yet do nothing but commit themselves to God! Who
is there that does not know that Egypt was overrun
with all sorts of wild beasts, and consumed by all sorts of
distempers? how their land did not bring forth its fruit? how the
Nile failed of water? how the ten plagues of Egypt
followed one upon another? and how by those means our
fathers were sent away under a guard, without any
bloodshed, and without running any dangers, because God
conducted them as his peculiar servants? Moreover, did not
Palestine groan under the ravage the Assyrians made,
when they carried away our sacred ark? as did their idol Dagon,
and as also did that entire nation of those that
carried it away, how they were smitten with a loathsome
distemper in the secret parts of their bodies, when their very
bowels came down together with what they had eaten, till those
hands that stole it away were obliged to bring it back again, and
that with the sound of cymbals and
timbrels, and other oblations, in order to appease the anger of
God for their violation of his holy ark. It was God who then
became our General, and accomplished these great
things for our fathers, and this because they did not meddle
with war and fighting, but committed it to him to judge about
their affairs. When Sennacherib, king of Assyria, brought along
with him all Asia, and encompassed this city round with his army,
did he fall by the hands of men? were not those hands lifted up
to God in prayers, without meddling with their arms, when an
angel of God destroyed that
prodigious army in one night? when the Assyrian king, as he
rose the next day, found a hundred fourscore and five thousand
dead bodies, and when he, with the remainder of his army, fled
away from the Hebrews, though they were
unarmed, and did not pursue them. You are also
acquainted with the slavery we were under at Babylon,
where the people were captives for seventy years; yet were they
not delivered into freedom again before God made
Cyrus his gracious instrument in bringing it about;
accordingly they were set free by him, and did again
restore the worship of their Deliverer at his temple. And, to
speak in general, we can produce no example wherein our
fathers got any success by war, or failed of success when
without war they committed themselves to God. When they
staid at home, they conquered, as pleased their Judge; but when
they went out to fight, they were always disappointed: for
example, when the king of Babylon besieged this very city, and
our king Zedekiah fought against him, contrary to what
predictions were made to him by Jeremiah the
prophet, he was at once taken prisoner, and saw the city and
the temple demolished. Yet how much greater was the
moderation of that king, than is that of your present
governors, and that of the people then under him, than is that
of you at this time! for when Jeremiah cried out aloud, how very
angry God was at them, because of their
transgressions, and told them they should be taken
prisoners, unless they would surrender up their city, neither
did the king nor the people put him to death; but for you, (to
pass over what you have done within the city, which I am not able
to describe as your wickedness deserves,) you
abuse me, and throw darts at me, who only exhort you to
save yourselves, as being provoked when you are put in
mind of your sins, and cannot bear the very mention of
those crimes which you every day perpetrate. For another
example, when Antiochus, who was called Epiphanes, lay
before this city, and had been guilty of many indignities
against God, and our forefathers met him in arms, they
then were slain in the battle, this city was plundered by our
enemies, and our sanctuary made desolate for three years and six
months. And what need I bring any more
examples? Indeed what can it be that hath stirred up an army of
the Romans against our nation? Is it not the impiety of the
inhabitants? Whence did our servitude commence? Was it not
derived from the seditions that were among our forefathers, when
the madness of Aristobulus and Hyrcanus, and our mutual quarrels,
brought Pompey upon this city, and when God reduced those under
subjection to the Romans who were unworthy of the liberty they
had enjoyed? After a siege, therefore, of three months, they were
forced to surrender themselves, although they had not been guilty
of such offenses, with regard to our sanctuary and our laws, as
you have; and this while they had much greater advantages to go
to war than you have. Do not we know what end Antigonus, the son
of Aristobulus, came to, under whose reign God provided that this
city should be taken again upon account of the people's offenses?
When Herod, the son of Antipater, brought upon us Sosius, and
Sosius brought upon us the Roman army, they were then encompassed
and besieged for six months, till, as a punishment for their
sins, they were taken, and the city was plundered by the enemy.
Thus it appears that arms were never given to our nation, but
that we are always given up to be fought against, and to be
taken; for I suppose that such as inhabit this holy place ought
to commit the disposal of all things to God, and then only to
disregard the assistance of men when they resign themselves up to
their Arbitrator, who is above. As for you, what have you done of
those things that are recommended by our legislator? and what
have you not done of those things that he hath condemned? How
much more impious are you than those who were so quickly taken!
You have not avoided so much as those sins that are usually done
in secret; I mean thefts, and treacherous plots against men, and
adulteries. You are quarrelling about rapines and murders, and
invent strange ways of wickedness. Nay, the temple itself is
become the receptacle of all, and this Divine place is polluted
by the hands of those of our own country; which place hath yet
been reverenced by the Romans when it was at a distance from
them, when they have suffered many of their own customs to give
place to our law. And, after all this, do you expect Him whom you
have so impiously abused to be your supporter? To be sure then
you have a right to be petitioners, and to call upon Him to
assist you, so pure are your hands! Did your king [Hezekiah] lift
up such hands in prayer to God against the king of Assyria, when
he destroyed that great army in one night? And do the Romans
commit such wickedness as did the king of Assyria, that you may
have reason to hope for the like vengeance upon them? Did not
that king accept of money from our king on this condition, that
he should not destroy the city, and yet, contrary to the oath he
had taken, he came down to burn the temple? while the Romans do
demand no more than that accustomed tribute which our fathers
paid to their fathers; and if they may but once obtain that, they
neither aim to destroy this city, nor to touch this sanctuary;
nay, they will grant you besides, that your posterity shall be
free, and your possessions secured to you, and will preserve our
holy laws inviolate to you. And it is plain madness to expect
that God should appear as well disposed towards the wicked as
towards the righteous, since he knows when it is proper to punish
men for their sins immediately; accordingly he brake the power of
the Assyrians the very first night that they pitched their camp.
Wherefore, had he judged that our nation was worthy of freedom,
or the Romans of punishment, he had immediately inflicted
punishment upon those Romans, as he did upon the Assyrians, when
Pompey began to meddle with our nation, or when after him Sosius
came up against us, or when Vespasian laid waste Galilee, or,
lastly, when Titus came first of all near to this city; although
Magnus and Sosius did not only suffer nothing, but took the city
by force; as did Vespasian go from the war he made against you to
receive the empire; and as for Titus, those springs that were
formerly almost dried up when they were under your power
since he is come, run more plentifully than they did before;
accordingly, you know that Siloam, as well as all the other
springs that were without the city, did so far fail, that water
was sold by distinct measures; whereas they now have such a great
quantity of water for your enemies, as is sufficient not only for
drink both for themselves and their cattle, but for watering
their gardens also. The same wonderful sign you had also
experience of formerly, when the forementioned king of Babylon
made war against us, and when he took the city, and burnt the
temple; while yet I believe the Jews of that age were not so
impious as you are. Wherefore I cannot but suppose that God is
fled out of his sanctuary, and stands on the side of those
against whom you fight. Now even a man, if he be but a good man,
will fly from an impure house, and will hate those that are in
it; and do you persuade yourselves that God will abide with you
in your iniquities, who sees all secret things, and hears what is
kept most private? Now what crime is there, I pray you, that is
so much as kept secret among you, or is concealed by you? nay,
what is there that is not open to your very enemies? for you show
your transgressions after a pompous manner, and contend one with
another which of you shall be more wicked than another; and you
make a public demonstration of your injustice, as if it were
virtue. However, there is a place left for your preservation, if
you be willing to accept of it; and God is easily reconciled to
those that confess their faults, and repent of them. O
hard-hearted wretches as you are! cast away all your arms, and
take pity of your country already going to ruin; return from your
wicked ways, and have regard to the excellency of that city which
you are going to betray, to that excellent temple with the
donations of so many countries in it. Who could bear to be the
first that should set that temple on fire? who could be willing
that these things should be no more? and what is there that can
better deserve to be preserved? O insensible creatures, and more
stupid than are the stones themselves! And if you cannot look at
these things with discerning eyes, yet, however, have pity upon
your families, and set before every one of your eyes your
children, and wives, and parents, who will be gradually consumed
either by famine or by war. I am sensible that this danger will
extend to my mother, and wife, and to that family of mine who
have been by no means ignoble, and indeed to one that hath been
very eminent in old time; and perhaps you may imagine that it is
on their account only that I give you this advice; if that be
all, kill them; nay, take my own blood as a reward, if it may but
procure your preservation; for I am ready to die, in case you
will but return to a sound mind after my death."
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