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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 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, 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
rebuilt with the most magnificent edifices, and had its name
changed to Cesarea, by king Herod. All which he restored to their
own citizens, and put them under the province of Syria; which
province, together with Judea, and the countries as far as Egypt
and Euphrates, he committed to Scaurus as their governor, and
gave him two legions to support him; while he made all the haste
he could himself to go through Cilicia, in his way to Rome,
having Aristobulus and his children along with him as his
captives. They were two daughters and two sons; the one of which
sons, Alexander, ran away as he was going; but the younger,
Antigonus, with his sisters, were carried to Rome.
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