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1. But now the seditious that were in the temple did every day
openly endeavor to beat off the soldiers that were upon the
banks, and on the twenty-seventh day of the forenamed month
[Panemus or Tamuz] contrived such a stratagem as this: They
filled that part of the western cloister which was between
the beams, and the roof under them, with dry materials, as also
with bitumen and pitch, and then retired from that place, as
though they were tired with the pains they had taken; at which
procedure of theirs, many of the most inconsiderate among the
Romans, who were carried away with violent passions, followed
hard after them as they were retiring, and applied ladders to the
cloister, and got up to it suddenly; but the prudent part of
them, when they understood this unaccountable retreat of the
Jews, stood still where they were before. However, the cloister
was full of those that were gone up the ladders; at which time
the Jews set it all on fire; and as the flame burst out every
where on the sudden, the Romans that were out of the danger were
seized with a very great consternation, as were those that were
in the midst of the danger in the utmost distress. So when they
perceived themselves surrounded with the flames, some of them
threw themselves down backwards into the city, and some among
their enemies [in the temple]; as did many leap down to their own
men, and broke their limbs to pieces; but a great number of those
that were going to take these violent methods were prevented by
the fire; though some prevented the fire by their own swords.
However, the fire was on the sudden carried so far as to surround
those who would have otherwise perished. As for Caesar himself,
he could not, however, but commiserate those that thus perished,
although they got up thither without any order for so doing,
since there was no way of giving the many relief. Yet was this
some comfort to those that were destroyed, that every body might
see that person grieve, for whose sake they came to their end;
for he cried out openly to them, and leaped up, and exhorted
those that were about him to do their utmost to relieve them; So
every one of them died cheerfully, as carrying along with him
these words and this intention of Caesar as a sepulchral
monument. Some there were indeed who retired into the wall of the
cloister, which was broad, and were preserved out of the fire,
but were then surrounded by the Jews; and although they made
resistance against the Jews for a long time, yet were they
wounded by them, and at length they all fell down dead.
2. At the last a young man among them, whose name was Longus,
became a decoration to this sad affair, and while every one of
them that perished were worthy of a memorial, this man appeared
to deserve it beyond all the rest. Now the Jews admired this man
for his courage, and were further desirous of having him slain;
so they persuaded him to come down to them, upon security given
him for his life. But Cornelius his brother persuaded him on the
contrary, not to tarnish his own glory, nor that of the Roman
army. He complied with this last advice, and lifting up his sword
before both armies, he slew himself. Yet there was one Artorius
among those surrounded by the fire who escaped by his subtlety;
for when he had with a loud voice called to him Lucius, one of
his fellow soldiers that lay with him in the same tent, and said
to him, "I do leave thee heir of all I have, if thou wilt come
and receive me." Upon this he came running to receive him
readily; Artorius then threw himself down upon him, and saved his
own life, while he that received him was dashed so vehemently
against the stone pavement by the other's weight, that he died
immediately. This melancholy accident made the Romans sad for a
while, but still it made them more upon their guard for the
future, and was of advantage to them against the delusions of the
Jews, by which they were greatly damaged through their
unacquaintedness with the places, and with the nature of the
inhabitants. Now this cloister was burnt down as far as John's
tower, which he built in the war he made against Simon over the
gates that led to the Xystus. The Jews also cut off the rest of
that cloister from the temple, after they had destroyed those
that got up to it. But the next day the Romans burnt down the
northern cloister entirely, as far as the east cloister, whose
common angle joined to the valley that was called Cedron, and was
built over it; on which account the depth was frightful. And this
was the state of the temple at that time.
3. Now of those that perished by famine in the city, the number
was prodigious, and the miseries they underwent were unspeakable;
for if so much as the shadow of any kind of food did any where
appear, a war was commenced presently, and the dearest friends
fell a fighting one with another about it, snatching from each
other the most miserable supports of life. Nor would men believe
that those who were dying had no food, but the robbers would
search them when they were expiring, lest any one should have
concealed food in their bosoms, and counterfeited dying; nay,
these robbers gaped for want, and ran about stumbling and
staggering along like mad dogs, and reeling against the doors of
the houses like drunken men; they would also, in the great
distress they were in, rush into the very same houses two or
three times in one and the same day. Moreover, their hunger was
so intolerable, that it obliged them to chew every thing, while
they gathered such things as the most sordid animals would not
touch, and endured to eat them; nor did they at length abstain
from girdles and shoes; and the very leather which belonged to
their shields they pulled off and gnawed: the very wisps of old
hay became food to some; and some gathered up fibres, and sold a
very small weight of them for four Attic [drachmae]. But why do I
describe the shameless impudence that the famine brought on men
in their eating inanimate things, while I am going to relate a
matter of fact, the like to which no history relates, either
among the Greeks or Barbarians? It is horrible to speak of it,
and incredible when heard. I had indeed willingly omitted this
calamity of ours, that I might not seem to deliver what is so
portentous to posterity, but that I have innumerable witnesses to
it in my own age; and besides, my country would have had little
reason to thank me for suppressing the miseries that she
underwent at this time.
4. There was a certain woman that dwelt beyond Jordan, her name
was Mary; her father was Eleazar, of the village Bethezob, which
signifies the house of Hyssop. She was eminent for her family and
her wealth, and had fled away to Jerusalem with the rest of the
multitude, and was with them besieged therein at this time. The
other effects of this woman had been already seized upon, such I
mean as she had brought with her out of Perea, and removed to the
city. What she had treasured up besides, as also what food she
had contrived to save, had been also carried off by the rapacious
guards, who came every day running into her house for that
purpose. This put the poor woman into a very great passion, and
by the frequent reproaches and imprecations she east at these
rapacious villains, she had provoked them to anger against her;
but none of them, either out of the indignation she had raised
against herself, or out of commiseration of her case, would take
away her life; and if she found any food, she perceived her
labors were for others, and not for herself; and it was now
become impossible for her any way to find any more food, while
the famine pierced through her very bowels and marrow, when also
her passion was fired to a degree beyond the famine itself; nor
did she consult with any thing but with her passion and the
necessity she was in. She then attempted a most unnatural thing;
and snatching up her son, who was a child sucking at her breast,
she said, "O thou miserable infant! for whom shall I preserve
thee in this war, this famine, and this sedition? As to the war
with the Romans, if they preserve our lives, we must be slaves.
This famine also will destroy us, even before that slavery comes
upon us. Yet are these seditious rogues more terrible than both
the other. Come on; be thou my food, and be thou a fury to these
seditious varlets, and a by-word to the world, which is all that
is now wanting to complete the calamities of us Jews." As soon as
she had said this, she slew her son, and then roasted him, and
eat the one half of him, and kept the other half by her
concealed. Upon this the seditious came in presently, and
smelling the horrid scent of this food, they threatened her that
they would cut her throat immediately if she did not show them
what food she had gotten ready. She replied that she had saved a
very fine portion of it for them, and withal uncovered what was
left of her son. Hereupon they were seized with a horror and
amazement of mind, and stood astonished at the sight, when she
said to them, "This is mine own son, and what hath been done was
mine own doing! Come, eat of this food; for I have eaten of it
myself! Do not you pretend to be either more tender than a woman,
or more compassionate than a mother; but if you be so
scrupulous, and do abominate this my sacrifice, as I have eaten
the one half, let the rest be reserved for me also." After which
those men went out trembling, being never so much aftrighted at
any thing as they were at this, and with some difficulty they
left the rest of that meat to the mother. Upon which the whole
city was full of this horrid action immediately; and while every
body laid this miserable case before their own eyes, they
trembled, as if this unheard of action had been done by
themselves. So those that were thus distressed by the famine were
very desirous to die, and those already dead were esteemed happy,
because they had not lived long enough either to hear or to see
such miseries.
5. This sad instance was quickly told to the Romans, some of whom
could not believe it, and others pitied the distress which the
Jews were under; but there were many of them who were hereby
induced to a more bitter hatred than ordinary against our nation.
But for Caesar, he excused himself before God as to this matter,
and said that he had proposed peace and liberty to the Jews, as
well as an oblivion of all their former insolent practices; but
that they, instead of concord, had chosen sedition; instead of
peace, war; and before satiety and abundance, a famine. That they
had begun with their own hands to burn down that temple which we
have preserved hitherto; and that therefore they deserved to eat
such food as this was. That, however, this horrid action of
eating an own child ought to be covered with the overthrow of
their very country itself, and men ought not to leave such a city
upon the habitable earth to be seen by the sun, wherein mothers
are thus fed, although such food be fitter for the fathers than
for the mothers to eat of, since it is they that continue still
in a state of war against us, after they have undergone such
miseries as these. And at the same time that he said this, he
reflected on the desperate condition these men must be in; nor
could he expect that such men could be recovered to sobriety of
mind, after they had endured those very sufferings, for the
avoiding whereof it only was probable they might have repented.
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