 Book 5, Chapter 5 of the Wars of the Jews. The Wars of the Jews by Josephus, translated by William Wiston. Chapter 5 A Description of the Temple. 1 Now this temple, as I have already said, was built upon a strong hill. At first, the plain at the top was hardly sufficient for the Holy House and the altar, for the ground about it was very uneven and like a precipice. But when King Solomon, who was the person that built the temple, had built a wall to it on its east side, there was then added one cloister founded on a bank cast up for it, and on the other parts the Holy House stood naked. But in future ages, the people added new banks, and the hill became a larger plain. Footnote, see the description of the temples here too belonging, Chapter 15. But note that what Josephus here says of the original scantiness of this Mount Moriah, that it was quite too little for the temple, and that at first it held only one cloister or court of Solomon's temple, and that the foundations were forced to be added long afterwards by degrees, to render it capable of the cloisters for the other courts, etc., is without all foundation in the scriptures, and not at all confirmed by his exacter account in the antiquities. All that is or can be true here is this, that when the court of the Gentiles was long afterward to be encompassed with cloisters, the southern foundation for these cloisters was found not to be large or firm enough, and was raised, and that additional foundation supported by great pillars and arches underground, which Josephus speaks of elsewhere, and which Mr. Mount Dorel saw, and describes, as extent underground at this day. And footnote. They then broke down the wall on the north side, and took in as much as sufficed afterward for the compass of the entire building. And when they had built walls on three sides of the temple roundabout, from the bottom of the hill, and had performed a work that was greater than could be hoped for, in which work long ages were spent by them, as well as all their sacred treasures were exhausted, which were still replenished by those tributes which were sent to God from the whole habitable earth. They then encompassed the upper parts with cloisters, as well as they afterward did the lowest court of the temple. The lowest part of this was erected to a height of 300 cubits, and in some places more, yet did not the entire depth of the foundations appear, for they brought earth, and filled up the valleys, as being desirous to make them on a level with the narrow streets of the city. Wherein they made use of stones of 40 cubits in magnitude, for the great plenty of money they then had, and the liberality of the people, made this attempt of theirs to succeed to an incredible degree, and what could not be so much as hoped for, as ever to be accomplished was, by perseverance and length of time, brought to perfection. Two. Now for the works that were above these foundations, these were not unworthy of such foundations, for all the cloisters were double, and the pillars to them belonging were 25 cubits in height, and supported the cloisters. These pillars were of one entire stone each of them, and that stone was white marble, and the roofs were adorned with cedar, curiously graven. The natural magnificence, the excellent polish, and the harmony of the joints in these cloisters, afforded a prospect that was very remarkable, nor was it on the outside adorned with any work of the painter or engraver. The cloisters of the outmost court were in breadth 30 cubits, while the entire compass of it was by measure six furlongs, including the Tower of Antonia. These entire courts that were exposed to the air were laid with stones of all sorts. When you go through these first cloisters, unto the second court of the temple, there was a partition made of stone all around, whose height was three cubits. Its construction was very elegant. Upon it stood pillars at equal distance from one another, declaring the law of purity, and some in Roman letters that, quote, no foreigner should go within that sanctuary, close quote. For that second court of the temple was called the Sanctuary, and was ascended to by fourteen steps from the first court. This court was four square, and had a wall about it peculiar to itself. The height of its buildings, although it were on the outside forty cubits, was hidden by the steps, and on the inside that height was but twenty-five cubits. Footnote What Josephus seems here to mean is this, that these pillars, supporting the cloisters in the second court, had their foundations, or lowest parts, as deep as the floor of the first or lowest court, but that so far of those lowest parts, as were equal to the elevation of the upper floor above the lowest were, and must be, hidden on the inside by the ground or rock itself, on which that upper court was built, so that forty cubits visible below were reduced to twenty-five visible above, and implies the difference of their height to be fifteen cubits. The main difficulty lies here, how fourteen or fifteen steps should give an ascent of fifteen cubits, half a cubit seeming sufficient for a single step, possibly there were fourteen or fifteen steps at the partition wall, and fourteen or fifteen more thence into the court itself, which would bring the whole near to the just proportion. Footnote For it being built over against a higher part of the hill with steps, it was no further to be entirely discerned within, being covered by the hill itself. Beyond these thirteen steps, there was a distance of ten cubits. This was all plain, whence there were other steps, each five cubits apiece, that led to the gates, which gates on the north and south sides were eight, on each of those sides four, and of necessity two on the east. For since there was a partition built for the women on that side, as the proper place wherein they were to worship, there was a necessity for a second gate for them. This gate was cut out of its wall over against the first gate. There was also on the other sides one southern and one northern gate, through which was a passage into the court of the women. For as to the other gates, the women were not allowed to pass through them, nor when they went through their own gate could they go beyond their own wall. This place was allotted to the women of our own country, and of other countries, provided they were of the same nation, and that equally. The western part of this court had no gate at all, but the wall was built entire on that side. But then the cloisters which were betwixt to the gates extended from the wall inward, before the chambers, for they were supported by very fine and large pillars. These cloisters were single, and, accepting their magnitude, were in no way inferior to those of the lower court. Now, nine of these gates were on every side covered over with gold and silver, as were the jams of the doors and their lentils. But there was one gate that was without the inward court of the Holy House, which was of Corinthian brass, and greatly excelled those that were only covered over with silver and gold. Each gate had two doors, whose height was severally thirty cubits, and their breadth fifteen. However, they had large spaces within of thirty cubits, and had on each side rooms, and those both in breadth and in length, built like towers, and their height was above forty cubits. Two pillars did also support these rooms, and were in circumference twelve cubits. Now, the magnitudes of the other gates were equal one to another, but that over the Corinthian gate, which opened on the east over against the gate of the Holy House itself, was much larger, for its height was fifty cubits, and its doors were forty cubits, and it was adorned after a most costly manner, as having much richer and thicker plates of silver and gold upon them than the other. These nine gates had that silver and gold poured upon them by Alexander, the father of Tiberius. Now, there were fifteen steps, which led away from the wall of the court of the women to this greater gate, whereas those that led thither from the other gates were five steps shorter. 4. As to the Holy House itself, which was placed in the midst of the inmost court, that most sacred part of the temple, it was ascended to by twelve steps, and in front its height and its breadth were equal, and each a hundred cubits, though it was behind forty cubits narrower, for on its front it had what may be styled shoulders on each side that passed twenty cubits further. Its first gate was seventy cubits high, and twenty-five cubits broad, but this gate had no doors, for it represented the universal visibility of heaven, and that it cannot be excluded from any place. Its front was covered with gold all over, and through it the first part of the house, that was more inward, did all of it appear, which, as it was very large, so did all the parts about the more inward gate, appeared to shine to those that saw them. But then, as the entire house was divided into two parts within, it was only the first part of it that was open to our view. Its height extended all along to ninety cubits in height, and its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty. But that gate which was at this end of the first part of the house was, as we have already observed, all over covered with gold, as was its whole wall about it. It had also golden vines above it, from which clusters of grapes hung as tall as a man's height. But then, this house, as it was divided into two parts, the inner part was lower than the appearance of the outer, and had golden doors of fifty-five cubits altitude, and sixteen in breadth. But before these doors there was a veil of equal largeness within the doors. It was a Babylonian curtain, embroidered with blue and fine linen and scarlet, and purple and of a con texture that was truly wonderful. Nor was this mixture of colors without its mystical interpretation, but was a kind of image of the universe, for by the scarlet there seemed to be enigmatically signified fire, by the fine flax, the earth, by the blue, the air, and by the purple, the sea, two of them having the colors the foundation of this resemblance, but the fine flax and the purple have their own origin for that foundation, the earth producing the one, and the sea the other. This curtain had also embroidered upon it all that was mystical in the heavens, accepting that of the twelve signs representing living creatures. 5. When any persons entered into the temple, its floor received them. This part of the temple, therefore, was in height sixty cubits, and its length the same, whereas its breadth was but twenty cubits. But still that sixty cubits in length was divided again, and the first part of it was cut off at forty cubits, and had in it three things that were very wonderful and famous among all mankind. The candlestick, the table of showbread, and the altar of incense. Now the seven lamps signified the seven planets, for so many there were springing out of the candlestick. Now the twelve loaves that were upon the table signified the circle of the zodiac and the year, but the altar of incense, by its thirteen kinds of sweet-smelling spices with which the sea replenished it, signified that God is the possessor of all things that are both in the uninhabitable and habitable parts of the earth, and that they are all to be dedicated to his use. But the inmost part of the temple of all was of twenty cubits. This was also separated from the outer part by a veil. In this there was nothing at all. It was inaccessible and inviolable, and not to be seen by any, and was called the Holy of Holies. Now about the sides of the lower part of the temple there were little houses, with passages out of one into another. There were a great many of them, and they were of three stories high. There were also entrances on each side into them from the gate of the temple. But the superior part of the temple had no such little houses any further, because the temple was there narrower, and forty cubits higher, and of a smaller body than the lower parts of it. Thus we collect that the whole height, including the sixty cubits from the floor, amounted to a hundred cubits. Six. Now the outward face of the temple in its front wanted nothing that was likely to surprise either men's minds or their eyes, for it was covered all over with plates of gold of great weight, and at the first rising of the sun reflected back a very fiery splendor, and made those who forced themselves to look upon it to turn their eyes away, just as they would have done at the sun's own rays. But this temple appeared to strangers, when they were coming to it at a distance, like a mountain covered with snow, for as to those parts of it that were not guilt, they were exceeding white. On its top it had spikes with sharp points to prevent any pollution of it by birds sitting upon it. Of its stones some of them were forty-five cubits in length, five in height, and six in breadth. Before this temple stood the altar, fifteen cubits high, and equal both in length and breadth, each of which dimensions was fifty cubits. The figure it was built in was a square, and it had corners like horns, and the passage up to it was by an insensible eclivity. It was formed without any iron tool, nor did any such iron tool so much as touch it at any time. There was also a wall of partition, about a cubit in height, made of fine stones, and so as to be grateful to the sight. This encompassed the holy house and the altar, and kept the people that were on the outside off from the priests. Moreover, those that had the gonorrhea and the leprosy were excluded out of the city entirely. Women also, when their courses were upon them, were shut out of the temple. Nor, when they were free from that impurity, were they allowed to go beyond the limit before mentioned. Men also that were not thoroughly pure were prohibited to come into the inner court of the temple. Nay, the priests themselves that were not pure were prohibited to come into it also. Seven. Now all those of the stock of the priests that could not minister by reason of some defect in their bodies came within the partition, together with those that had no such imperfection, and had their share with them by reason of their stock, but still made use of none except their own private garments. For nobody but he that officiated had on his sacred garments, but then those priests that were without any blemish upon them went up to the altar, clothed in fine linen. They abstained chiefly from wine out of the sphere, lest otherwise they should transgress some rules of their administration. The high priest did also go up with them, not always indeed, but on the seventh days and new moons, and if any festivals belonging to our nation, which we celebrate every year happened. When he officiated, he had on a pair of britches that reached beneath his private parts to his thighs, and had on an inner garment of linen together with a blue garment round without a seam, with fringe work and reaching to the feet. There were also golden bells that hung upon the fringes and pomegranates intermixed among them. The bells signified thunder, and the pomegranates lightning, but that girdle that tied the garment to the breast was embroidered with five rows of various colors, of gold and purple and scarlet, as also of fine linen and blue, with which colors we told you before the veils of the temple were embroidered also. The like embroidery was upon the ephod, but the quantity of gold therein was greater. Its figure was that of a stomacher for the breast. There were upon it two golden buttons, like small shields, which buttoned the ephod to the garment. In these buttons were enclosed two very large and very excellent sardonexes, having the names of the tribes of that nation engraved upon them. On the other part were hung twelve stones, three in a row one way and four in the other, a sardius, a topaz and an emerald, a carabuncle, a jasper and a sapphire, an agate, an amethyst, and a ligure, an onyx, a burl, and a chrysalite. Upon every one of which was again engraved one of the four mentioned names of the tribes. A mitre, also of fine linen, encompassed his head, which was tied by a blue ribbon, about which there was another golden crown, in which was engraven the sacred name of God. It consists of four vowels. However, the high priest did not wear these garments at other times, but a more plain habit. He only did it when he went into the most sacred part of the temple, which he did but once in a year. On that day when our custom is for all of us to keep a fast to God. And thus, much concerning the city and the temple, but for the customs and laws here too relating, we shall speak more accurately another time, for there remain a great many things there too relating which have not been here touched upon. 8. Now as to the tower of Antonia, it was situated at the corner of two cloisters of the court of the temple, of that on the west, and that on the north. It was erected upon a rock of fifty cubits in height, and was on a great precipice. It was the work of King Herod, wherein he demonstrated his natural magnanimity. In the first place the rock itself was covered over with smooth pieces of stone from its foundation, both for ornament, and that anyone who would either try to get up or to go down to it might not be able to hold his feet upon it. Next to this, and before you come to the edifice of the tower itself, there was a wall three cubits high, but within that wall all the space of the tower of Antonia itself was built upon, to the height of forty cubits. The inward parts had the largeness and form of a palace. It being parted into all kinds of rooms and other conveniences, such as courts and places for bathing, and broad spaces for camps. In so much that, by having all conveniences that cities wanted, it might seem to be composed of several cities, but by its magnificence it seemed a palace. And as the entire structure resembled that of a tower, it contained also four other distinct towers at its four corners, whereof the others were but fifty cubits high, whereas that which lay upon the southeast corner was seventy cubits high. That from thence the whole temple might be viewed, but on the corner where it joined to the two cloisters of the temple, it had passages down to them both, through which the guard, for there always lay in this tower a Roman legion, went several ways among the cloisters with their arms on the Jewish festivals, in order to watch the people that they might not their attempt to make any innovations. For the temple was a fortress that guarded the city, and was the tower of Antonia a guard to the temple, and in that tower were the guards of those three. Footnote, these three guards that lay in the tower of Antonia must be those that guarded the city, the temple, and the tower of Antonia. And footnote, there was also a peculiar fortress belonging to the upper city, which was Herod's palace, but for the hill Bethetha it was divided from the tower Antonia, as we have already told you, and as that hill on which the tower of Antonia stood was the highest of these three, so did it adjoin to the new city, and was the only place that hindered the sight of the temple on the north. And this shall suffice at present to have spoken about the city and the walls about it, because I have proposed to myself to make a more accurate description of it elsewhere. End of Book 5, Chapter 5. Book 5, Chapter 6 of the Wars of the Jews. This is a Librivox recording. All Librivox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Librivox.org, recording by Morgan Scorpion. The Wars of the Jews by Josephus. Translated by William Whiston. Chapter 6. Concerning the Tyrants Simon and John. How also, as Titus was going round the wall of this city, Nicanor was wounded by a dart, which accidentally provoked Titus to press on the siege. One. Now, the warlike men that were in the city, and the multitude of the seditious that were with Simon, were 10,000, besides the Idomians. Those 10,000 had 50 commanders, over whom this Simon was supreme. The Idomians that paid him homage were 5,000, and had eight commanders, among whom those of greatest fame were Jacob, the son of Sosus, and Simon, the son of Carthelus. Jotra, who had seized upon the temple, had 6,000 armed men under 20 commanders. The zealots also that had come over to him and left off their opposition, were 2,400, and had the same commander that they had formerly. Eliazer, together with Simon the son of Arenas. Now, while these factions fought one against another, the people were their prey on both sides, as we have said already, and that part of the people who would not join them in their wicked practices were plundered by both factions. Simon held the upper city, and the great wall as far as Kedron, and as much of the old wall as bent from Siloam to the east, and which went down to the palace of Monobazus, who was king of the Adiabeni, beyond Euphrates. He also held that fountain, and the aqua, which was no other than the lower city. He also held all that reached to the palace of Queen Helena, the mother of Monobazus. But John held the temple, and the parts there too were joining, for a great way, as also Offler, and the valley called the Valley of Cedron, and when the parts that were interposed between their possessions were burnt by them, they left a space wherein they might fight with each other, for this internal sedition did not cease even when the Romans were encamped near their very wall. But although they had grown wiser at the first onset the Romans made upon them, this lasted but a while, for they returned to their former madness, and separated one from another, and fought it out, and did everything that the procedures could desire them to do, for they never suffered anything that was worse from the Romans than they made each other suffer, nor was there any misery endured by the city after these men's actions that could be esteemed new. But it was most of all unhappy before it was overthrown, while those that took it did a greater kindness for a venture to affirm that the sedition destroyed the city, and the Romans destroyed the sedition, which it was a much harder thing to do than to destroy the walls, so that we may justly ascribe our misfortunes to our own people, and the just vengeance taken on them to the Romans, as to which matter let everyone determine by the actions on both sides. 2. Now, when affairs within the city were in this posture, Titus went round the city on the outside with some chosen horsemen, and looked about for a proper place where he might make an impression upon the walls. But as he was in doubt where he could possibly make an attack on any side, for the place was no way accessible where the valleys were, and on the other side the first wall appeared too strong to be shaken by the engines, he thereupon thought it best to make his assault upon the monument of John the High Priest. For there it was that the first fortification was lower, and the second was not joined to it, the builders neglecting to build strong where the new city was not much inhabited. Here also was an easy passage to the third wall, through which he thought to take the upper part of the city, and through the tower of Antonia, the temple itself. But at this time, as he was going round about the city, one of his friends, whose name was Nicanol, was wounded with a dart on his left shoulder, as he approached, together with Josephus, two near the wall, and attempted to discourse to those that were upon the wall about terms of peace, for he was a person known by them. From this account it was that Caesar, as soon as he knew their vehemence, that they would not hear even such as approached them to persuade them to what tended to their own preservation, was provoked to press on the siege. He also at the same time gave his soldiers leave to set the suburbs on fire, and ordered that they should bring timber together and raise banks against the city. And when he had parted his army into three parts, in order to set about those works, he placed those that shot darts and the arches in the midst of the banks that were then raising, before whom he placed those engines that threw javelins and darts and stones, that he might prevent the enemy from sallying out upon their works, and might hinder those that were upon the wall from being able to obstruct them. So the trees were now cut down immediately, and the suburbs left naked. But now, while the timber was carrying to raise the banks, and the whole army was earnestly engaged in their works, the Jews were not, however, quiet. And it happened that the people of Jerusalem, who had hitherto plundered and murdered, were now of good courage, and supposed they should have a breathing time, while the others were very busy in opposing their enemies without the city, and that they should now be avenged on those that had been the authors of their miseries, in case the Romans did but get the victory. Three, however, John stayed behind, out of his fear of Simon, even while his own men were earnest in making a sally upon their enemies without. Yet did not Simon lie still, for he lay near the place of the siege. He brought his engines of war, and disposed of them at due distances upon the wall, both those which they took from Kestia's formerly, and those which they got when they seized the garrison that lay in the tower Antonia. But though they had these engines in their possession, they had so little skill in using them that they were in great measure useless to them. But a few there were who had been taught by deserters how to use them, which they did use, though after an awkward manner. So they cast stones and arrows at those that were making the banks. They also ran out upon them by companies, and fought with them. Now those that were at work covered themselves with hurdles spread over their banks, and their engines were opposed to them when they made their excursions. The engines, that all the legions had ready prepared for them, were admirably contrived, but still more extraordinary ones belonged to the Tenth Legion. Those that threw darts, and those that threw stones, were more forcible and larger than the rest, by which they not only repelled the excursions of the Jews, but drove those away that were upon the walls also. Now the stones that were cast were of the weight of a talent, and were carried two furlongs and further. The blow they gave was no way to be sustained, not only by those that stood first in the way, but by those that were beyond them for a great space. As for the Jews, they at first watched the coming of the stone, for it was of a white colour, and could therefore not only be perceived by the great noise it made, but it could be seen also before it came by its brightness. Accordingly, the watchmen that sat upon the towers gave them notice when the engine was let go, and the stone came from it, and cried aloud in their own country language. The stone cometh, so those that were in its way stood off, and threw themselves down upon the ground, by which means, and by their thus guarding themselves, the stone fell down, and did them no harm. Footnote What should be the meaning of this signal or watchword, when the watchmen saw a stone coming from the engine, the stone cometh, or what mistake there is in the reading, I cannot tell. The manuscripts, both Greek and Latin, all agree in this reading, and I cannot approve of any groundless conjectural alteration of the text from row to lop, that not the stone or a stone, but that the arrow or dart cometh, as have been made by Dr. Hudson, and not corrected by Havocamp. Had Josephus written even his first edition of these books of the war in pure Hebrew, or had the Jews then used the pure Hebrew at Jerusalem, the Hebrew word for a son is so like that for a stone, ben and eben, that such a correction might have been more easily admitted. But Josephus wrote his former edition for the use of the Jews beyond Euphrates, and so in the Chaldea language. As he did this second edition in the Greek language, and Bar was the Chaldea word for son, instead of the Hebrew ben, and was used not only in Chaldea, etc., but in Judea also, as the New Testament informs us. Dio lets us know that the very Romans at Rome pronounced the name of Simon, the son of Diora Bar Porath, for Bar Diorath, as we learned from Zephylline. Relent takes notice that many will hear look for a mystery, as though the meaning were, that the son of God came now to take vengeance on the sins of the Jewish nation, which is indeed the truth of the fact. But hardly what the Jews could now mean, unless possibly by way of derision of Christ's threatening so often made, that he would come at the head of the Roman army for their destruction. But even this interpretation has but a very small degree of probability. If I were to make an emendation by mere conjecture I would read instead of, though the likeness be not so great as in lo, because that is the word used by Josephus just before, as has already been noted on this very occasion, while an arrow or dart is only a poetical word and never used by Josephus elsewhere, and is indeed no way suitable for the occasion. This engine not throwing arrows or darts, but great stones at this time. End footnote. But the Romans contrived how to prevent that by by blacking the stone, who then could aim at them with success, when the stone was not discerned beforehand, as it had been till then, and so they destroyed many of them at one blow. Yet did not the Jews under all this distress permit the Romans to raise their banks in quiet, but they shrewdly and boldly exerted themselves, and repelled them both by night and by day. For, and now upon the finishing the Roman works, the workmen measured the distance there was from the wall, and this by lead, and a line, which they threw to it from their banks, for they could not measure it any otherwise, because the Jews would shoot at them if they came to measure it themselves. And when they found that the engines could reach the wall, they brought them thither. Then did Titus set his engines at proper distances, so much nearer to the wall, that the Jews might not be able to repel them, and gave orders they should go to work. And when there upon a prodigious noise echoed round about from three places, and that on the sudden there was a great noise made by the citizens that were within the city, and no lesser terror fell upon the seditious themselves, whereupon both sorts, seeing the common danger they were in, contrived to make a like defence. So those of different factions cried out one to another, that they acted entirely as in concert with their enemies, whereas they ought, however, notwithstanding God not grant them a lasting concord in their present circumstances to lay aside their enmities one against another, and to unite together against the Romans. Accordingly, Simon gave those that came from the temple leave by proclamation to go upon the wall. John also himself, though he could not believe Simon was in earnest, gave them the same leave. So on both sides they laid aside their hatred and their peculiar quarrels, and formed themselves into one body. They then ran round the walls, and having a vast number of torches with them, they threw them at the machines, and shot darts perpetually upon those that impelled those engines which battered the wall. Nay, the boulder sort leaped out by troops upon the hurdles that covered the machines, and pulled them to pieces, and fell upon those that belonged to them and beat them, not so much by any skill they had as principally by the boldness of their attacks. However, Titus himself still sent assistance to those that were the hardest set, and placed both horsemen and archers on the several sides of the engines, and thereby beat off those that brought the fire to them. He also thereby repelled those that shot stones or darts from the towers, and then set the engines to work in good earnest. Yet did not the wall yield to these blows, excepting where the battering ram of the fifteenth legion moved the corner of a tower, while the wall itself continued unhurt. For the wall was not presently in the same danger with the tower, which was excellent far above it, nor could the fall of that part of the tower easily break down any part of the wall itself together with it. Five. And now the Jews intermitted their sallies for a while, but when they observed the Romans dispersed all abroad at their works and in their several camps, for they thought the Jews had retired out of weariness and fear, they all at once made a sally at the tower Hippicus, through an obscure gate, and at the same time brought fire to burn the works, and went boldly up to the Romans, and to their very fortifications themselves, where, at the cry they made, those that were near them came presently to their assistance, and those farther off came running after them, and here the boldness of the Jews was too hard for the good order of the Romans, and as they beat those whom they first fell upon, so they pressed upon those that were now gotten together. So this fight about the machines was very hot, while the one side tried hard to set them on fire, and the other side to prevent it. On both sides there was a confused cry made, and many of those in the forefront of the battle were slain. However, the Jews were now too hard for the Romans, by the furious assaults they made like madmen, and the fire caught hold of the works, and both all those works and the engines themselves had been in danger of being burnt, had not many of these select soldiers that came from Alexandria opposed themselves to prevent it, and had they not behaved themselves with greater courage than they themselves supposed they could have done, for they outdid those in this fight that had greater reputation than themselves before. This was the state of things till Caesar took the stoutest of his horsemen and attacked the enemy, while he himself threw twelve of those that were in the forefront of the Jews, which death of these men, when the rest of the multitude saw, they gave way and he pursued them and drove them all into the city, and saved the works from the fire. Now it happened at this fight that a certain Jew was taken alive, who by Titus's order was crucified before the wall, to see whether the rest of them would be affrighted and a bait of their obstinacy. But after the Jews were retired, John, who was the commander of the Idomeans, and was talking to a certain soldier of his acquaintance before the wall, was wounded by a dart shot at him by an Arabian and died immediately, giving the greatest lamentation to the Jews and sorrow to the seditious, for he was a man of great eminence, both for his actions and his conduct also. How one of the towers erected by the Romans fell down of its own accord, and how the Romans, after great slaughter, had been made got possession of the first wall. How also Titus made his assaults upon the second wall, as also concerning Longanus the Roman and Castor the Jew. One. Now, on the first night, a surprising disturbance fell upon the Romans, for whereas Titus had given orders for the erection of three towers of fifty cubits high, that by setting men upon them at every bank he might from thence drive those away who were upon the wall. It so happened that one of these towers fell down about midnight, and as its fall made a very great noise, fear fell upon the army, and they, supposing that the enemy was coming to attack them, ran all to their arms. Whereupon a disturbance and the tumult arose among the legions, and as nobody could tell what had happened, they went on after a disconsolate manner, and seeing no enemy appear, they were afraid one of another, and everyone demanded of his neighbor the watchword with great earnestness, as though Jews had invaded their camp. And now were they like people under a panic fear till Titus was informed of what had happened, and gave orders that all should be acquainted with it, and then, though with some difficulty, they got clear of the disturbance they had been under. Two. Now these towers were very troublesome to the Jews, who otherwise opposed the Romans very courageously, for they shod at them out of their lighter engines from those towers, and they did also by those that threw darts and the archers and those that flung stones, for neither could the Jews reach those that were over them by reason of their height, and it was not practicable to take them, nor to overturn them, they were so heavy, nor to set them on fire, because they were covered with plates of iron. So they retired out of the reach of the darts, and did no longer endeavor to hinder the impression of their rams, which, by continually beating upon the wall, did gradually prevail against it, so that the wall already gave way to the Niko, for by that name did the Jews themselves call the greatest of their engines, because it conquered all things. And now they were for a long while grown weary of fighting and of keeping guards, and were retired to lodge in the nighttime at a distance from the wall. It was on other accounts also thought by them to be superfluous to guard the wall, there being besides that two other fortifications still remaining, and they being slothful, and their councils having been ill-concerted on all occasions, so a great many grew lazy and retired. Then the Romans mounted the breach, where Niko had made one, and all the Jews left the guarding that wall, and retreated to the second wall, so those that had gotten over that wall opened the gates, and received all the army within it. And thus did the Romans get possession of this first wall on the 15th day of the siege, which was the seventh day of the month Artemisius Giar, when they demolished a great part of it, as well as they did of the northern parts of the city, which had been demolished also by Cestius formerly. Three, and now Titus pitched his camp within the city at that place which was called the camp of the Assyrians, having seized upon all that lay as far as Cedron, but took care to be out of the reach of the Jews' darts. He then presently began his attacks, upon which the Jews divided themselves into several bodies, and courageously defended that wall, while John in his faction did it from the tower of Antonia and from the northern cloister of the temple, and brought the Romans before the monuments of King Alexander, and Cereo's army also took for their share the spot of ground that was near John's monument, and fortified it as far as to that gate where water was brought in to the tower Hippicus. However, the Jews made violent sallies, and that frequently also, and in bodies together out of the gates, and there fought the Romans, and when they were pursued altogether to the wall, they were beaten in those fights, as wanting the skill of the Romans. But when they fought them from the walls, they were too hard for them. The Romans being encouraged by their power joined to their skill, as were the Jews by their boldness, which was nourished by the fear they were in, and that hardiness which is natural to our nation under calamities. They were also encouraged still by the hope of deliverance, as were the Romans by their hopes of subduing them in a little time. Nor did either side grow weary, but attacks and writings upon the wall, and perpetual sallies out in bodies, were there all the day long, nor were there any sort of war-like engagements that were not then put in use. And the night itself had much ado to part them, when they began to fight in the morning. Nay, the night itself was passed without sleep on both sides, and was more uneasy than the day to them, while the one was afraid lest the wall should be taken, and the other lest the Jews should make sallies upon their camps. Both sides also lay in their armor during the nighttime, and thereby were ready at the first appearance of light to go to the battle. Now among the Jews the ambition was who should undergo the first dangers, and thereby gratify their commanders. Above all, they had a great veneration and dread of Simon, and to that degree was he regarded by every one that was under him, that at his command they were very ready to kill themselves with their own hands. What made the Romans so courageous was their usual custom of conquering and disuse of being defeated, their constant wars, and perpetual war-like exercises, and the grandeur of their dominion, and what was now their chief encouragement, Titus, who was present everywhere with them all, for it appeared a terrible thing to grow weary while Caesar was there, and fought bravely as well as they did, and was himself at once an eyewitness of such as behaved themselves valiantly, and he who was to reward them also. It was, besides, esteemed an advantage at present to have anyone's valor known by Caesar, on which account many of them appeared to have more alacrity than strength to answer it. And now, as the Jews were about this time standing in a ray before the wall, and that in a strong body, and while both parties were throwing their darts at each other, Longanus, one of the equestrian order, leaped out of the army of the Romans, and leaped into the very midst of the army of the Jews, and as they dispersed themselves upon the attack, he slew two of their men of the greatest courage. One of them he struck in his mouth as he was coming to meet him, the other was slain by him by that very dart which he drew out of the body of the other, with which he ran this man through his side as he was running away from him, and when he had done this, he first of all ran out of the midst of his enemies to his own side. So this man signalized himself for his valor, and many there were who were ambitious of gaining the like reputation, and now the Jews were unconcerned at what they suffered themselves under the Romans, and were only solicitous about what mischief they could do them, and death itself seemed a small matter to them, if at the same time they could but kill any one of their enemies, but Titus took care to secure his own soldiers from harm, as well as to have them overcome their enemies. He also said that inconsiderate violence was madness, and that this alone was the true courage that was joined with good conduct. He therefore commanded his men to take care, when they fought their enemies, that they received no harm from them at the same time, and thereby show themselves to be truly valiant men. Four, and now Titus brought one of his engines to the middle tower of the north part of the wall, in which a certain crafty Jew whose name was Castor lay in ambush with ten others like himself, the rest being fled away by reason of the archers. These men lay still for a while, as in great fear under their breastflights, but when the tower was shaken, they arose, and Castor did then stretch out his hand as a petitioner and called for Caesar, and by his voice moved his compassion and begged of him to have mercy upon them, and Titus in the innocence of his heart, believing him to be an earnest, and hoping that the Jews did now repent, stopped the working of the battering ram, and forbade them to shoot at the petitioners, and bid Castor say what he had a mind to say to him. He said that he would come down if he would give him his right hand for his security, to which Titus replied that he was well pleased with such his agreeable conduct, and would be well pleased if all the Jews would be of his mind, and that he was ready to give the like security to the city. Now five of the ten dissembled with him and pretended to beg for mercy, while the rest cried out aloud that they would never be slaves to the Romans, while it was in their power to die in the state of freedom. Now while these men were quarreling for a long while the attack was delayed, Castor also sent to Simon and told him that they might take some time for consultation about what was to be done, because he would elude the power of the Romans for a considerable time, and at the same time that he sent thus to him he appeared openly to exhort those that were obstinate to accept of Titus's hand for their security, but they seemed very angry at it and brandished their naked swords upon their breastworks and struck themselves upon their breast and fell down as if they had been slain. Here upon Titus and those with him were amazed at the courage of the men, and as they were not able to see exactly what was done they admired at their great fortitude and pitied their calamity. During this interval a certain person shot a dart at Castor and wounded him in his nose, whereupon he presently pulled out the dart and showed it to Titus and complained that this was unfair treatment, so Caesar reproved him that shot the dart and sent Josephus, who then stood by him, to give his right hand to Castor. But Josephus said that he would not go to him because these pretended petitioners meant nothing that was good. He also restrained those friends of his who were zealous to go to him. But still there was one Aeneas, a deserter, who said he would go to him. Castor also called to them that somebody should come and receive the money which he had with him. This made Aeneas the more earnestly to run to him with his bosom open. Then did Castor take up a great stone and threw it at him, which missed him because he guarded himself against it. But still it wounded another soldier that was coming to him. When Caesar understood that this was a delusion, he perceived that mercy in war is a pernicious thing because such cunning tricks have less place under the exercise of greater severity. So he caused the engine to work more strongly than before on account of his anger at the deceit put upon him. But Castor and his companions set the tower on fire when it began to give way and leaped through the flame into a hidden vault that was under it, which made the Romans further suppose that they were men of great courage as having cast themselves into the fire. Chapter 8 How the Romans took the second wall twice and got all ready for taking the third wall. 1 Now Caesar took this wall there on the fifth day after he had taken the first, and when the Jews had fled from him he entered into it with a thousand armed men and those of his choice troops, and this at a place where the merchants of wool, the braziers, and the market of cloth and where the narrow streets led obliquely to the wall. Wherefore, if Titus had either demolished a larger part of the wall immediately or had come in and, according to the law of war, had laid waste what was left, his victory would not, I suppose, have been mixed with any loss to himself. But now out of the hope he had that he should make the Jews ashamed of their obstinacy by not being willing when he was able to afflict them more than he needed to do, he did not widen the breach of the wall in order to make a safer retreat upon occasion, for he did not think they would lay snares for him that did such a kindness. When, therefore, he came in, he did not permit his soldiers to kill any of those they caught nor to set fire to their houses neither. Nay, he gave leave to the seditious if they had a mind to fight without any harm to the people and promised to restore the people's effects to them, for he was very desirous to preserve the city for his own sake and the temple for the sake of the city. As to the people, he had them of a long time ready to comply with his proposals, but as to the fighting men, this humanity of his seemed a mark of his weakness, and they imagined that he made those proposals because he was not able to take the rest of the city. They also threatened death to the people if they should any of them say a word about a surrender. They moreover cut the throats of such as talked of a peace and then attacked those Romans that were come within the wall. Some of them they met in the narrow streets, and some they fought against from their houses, while they made a sudden sally out at the upper gates and assaulted such Romans as were beyond the wall till those that guarded the wall were so affrighted that they leaped down from their towers and retired to their several camps. Upon which a great noise was made by the Romans that were within because they were encompassed round on every side by their enemies, as also by them that were without because they were in fear for those that were left in the city. Thus did the Jews grow more numerous perpetually and had great advantages over the Romans by their full knowledge of those narrow lanes, and they wounded a great many of them and fell upon them and drove them out of the city. Now these Romans were at present forced to make the best resistance they could, for they were not able in great numbers to get out at the breach in the wall it was so narrow. It is also probable that all those that were gotten within had been cut to pieces if Titus had not sent them suckers, for he ordered the archers to stand at the upper ends of those narrow lanes, and he stood himself where was the greatest multitude of his enemies, and with his darts he put a stop to them, as with him did Demetius Sabinus also a valiant man, and one that in this battle appeared so to be. Thus did Caesar continue to shoot darts at the Jews continually and to hinder them from coming upon his men, and this until all his soldiers had retreated out of the city. Two, and thus were the Romans driven out after they had possessed themselves of the second wall, where upon the fighting men that were in the city were lifted up in their minds and were elevated upon this their good success, and began to think that the Romans would never venture to come into the city any more, and if they kept within it themselves they should not be any more conquered, for God had blinded their minds for the transgressions they had been guilty of, nor could they see how much greater forces the Romans had than those that were now expelled, no more than they could discern how a famine was creeping upon them, for hitherto they had fed themselves out of the public miseries and drank the blood of the city. But now poverty had for a long time seized upon the better part, and a great many had died already for want of necessaries, although the seditious indeed supposed the destruction of the people to be an easement to themselves, for they desired that none others might be preserved, but such as were against a peace with the Romans, and were resolved to live in opposition to them, and they were pleased when the multitude of those of a contrary opinion were consumed as being then freed from a heavy burden, and this was their disposition of mind with regard to those that were within the city, while they covered themselves with their armor and prevented the Romans when they were trying to get into the city again, and made a wall of their own bodies over against that part of the wall that was cast down. Thus did they valiantly defend themselves for three days, but on the fourth day they did not support themselves against the vehement assaults of Titus, but were compelled by force to fly whether they had fled before, so he quietly possessed himself again of that wall, and demolished it entirely, and when he had put a garrison into the towers that were on the south parts of the city, he contrived how he might assault the third wall. End of book 5, chapters 7 and 8 Book 5, chapter 9 of the Wars of the Jews. This is a Librivox recording. All Librivox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Librivox.org. The Wars of the Jews by Josephus, translated by William Whiston. Chapter 9 Titus, when the Jews were not at all mollified by his leaving off the siege for a while, set himself again to prosecute the same, but soon sent Josephus to discourse with his own countrymen about peace. 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 repine 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 anything so grateful to Titus's own men or so terrible to the enemy as that sight. For the whole old wall in 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, may 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 the 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 were 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. Three. 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 these 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 mined 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 suffer those who 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 becoming curable, 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 indolent 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 gested upon him from the wall, and many reproached him, may 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, quote, 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 once it is that you fight with such violence, and how great a supporter you have profanely abused? Will you not 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 Nikaio, 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 318 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 toward 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. Footnote. Josephus supposes in this his admirable speech to the Jews that not Abraham only, but Pharaoh king of Egypt, prayed towards a temple at Jerusalem, or towards Jerusalem itself, in which were Mount Zion and Mount Moriah, on which the tabernacle and temple did afterward stand. And this long before either the Jewish tabernacle or temple were built, nor is the famous command given by God to Abraham to go two or three days journey on purpose to offer up his son Isaac there, unfavorable to such a notion. And footnote. 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 400 years together, and might have defended themselves by war and by fighting, yet did 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? And how the ten plagues of Egypt followed one upon another? And how by those means our fathers were sent away under regard, 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 idle 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 what 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? Put note, note here that Josephus, in this his same admirable speech, calls the Assyrians, nay even the Philistines, on the most south part of Syria, Assyrians, which Reland observes as what was common among the ancient writers. Note also that Josephus might well put the Jews in mind, as he does here more than once, of their wonderful and truly miraculous deliverance from Sennacherib, king of Assyria, while the Roman army and himself with them were now encamped upon and beyond that very spot of ground where the Assyrian army lay 780 years before, and which retained the very name of the camp of the Assyrians to that very day, and footnote. 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 the 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 104 score and 5000 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 stayed 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 kings at Akhaya 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 Aristotleus in Hercanus 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-antigueness the son of Aristotleus came to, under whose reign got provided that this city should be taken again upon account of the people's offenses? When Herod, the son of Antipater, brought upon us Socius, and Socius 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 quarreling about repines and murders, and invent strange ways of wickedness. Nay, the temple itself has 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 light 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 the 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 in violet 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 punishment for their sins immediately. Accordingly he break 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 Socius came up against us or when Vespasian laid waste gallally or lastly when Titus came first of all near to this city. Although Magnus and Socius 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 has come run more plentifully than they did before. Accordingly you know that Salome as well as all the other springs that are 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 experienced 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. Footnote this drying up of the Jerusalem fountain of Salome when the Jews wanted it and it's flowing abundantly when the enemies of the Jews wanted it and these both in the days of Zedekiah and of Titus and this last as a certain event well known by the Jews at that time as Josephus here tells them openly to their faces are very remarkable instances of a divine providence for the punishment of the Jewish nation when they were grown very wicked at both those times of the destruction of Jerusalem and footnote 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 oh 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 oh insensible creatures and more stupid than are the stones themselves and if you cannot look at these things with the serning 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 have 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 may 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 and quote end of book five chapter nine book five chapters 10 and 11 of the wars of the jews this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Anne Boulet the wars of the jews by Josephus translated by William Whiston chapters 10 and 11 chapter 10 how a great many of the people earnestly endeavored to desert to the Romans as also what intolerable things those that stayed behind suffered by famine and the sad consequences thereof one as Josephus was speaking thus with a loud voice the seditious would neither yield to what he said nor did they deem it safe for them to alter their conduct but as for the people they had a great inclination to desert to the Romans accordingly some of them sold what they had and even the most precious things that had been laid up as treasures by them for every small matter and swallowed down pieces of gold that they might not be found out by the robbers and when they had escaped to the Romans went to stool and had wherewithal to provide plentifully for themselves for Titus let a great number of them go away into the country wither they pleased and the main reasons why they were so ready to desert were these that now they should be freed from those miseries which they had endured in that city and yet should not be in slavery to the Romans however John and Simon with their factions did more carefully watch these men's going out than they did the coming in of the Romans and if anyone did but afford the least shadow of suspicion of such an intention his throat was cut immediately two but as for the richer sort it proved all one to them whether they stayed in the city or attempted to get out of it for they were equally destroyed in both cases for every such person was put to death under this pretense that they were going to desert but in reality that the robbers might get what they had the madness of the seditious did also increase together with their famine and both those miseries were every day inflamed more and more for there was no corn which anywhere appeared publicly but the robbers came running into and search men's private houses and then if they found any they tormented them because they had denied they had any and if they found none they tormented them worse because they suppose they had more carefully concealed it the indication they made use of whether they had any or not was taken from the bodies of those miserable wretches which if they were in good case they suppose they were in no want at all of food but if they were wasted away they walked off without searching any further nor did they think it proper to kill such as these because they saw that they would very soon die of themselves for want of food many there were indeed who sold what they had for one measure it was of wheat if they were of the richer sort but of barley if they were poorer when these had done so they shut themselves up in the inmost rooms of their houses and ate the corn they had gotten some did it without grinding it by reason of the extremity of the want they were in and others baked bread of it according as necessity and fear dictated to them a table was nowhere laid for a distinct meal but they snatched the bread out of the fire half baked and ate it very hastily three it was now a miserable case and a sight that would justly bring tears into our eyes how men stood as to their food while the more powerful had more than enough and the weaker were lamenting for want of it but the famine was too hard for all other passions and it is destructive to nothing so much as to modesty for what was otherwise worthy of reverence was in this case despised in so much that children pulled the very morsels that their fathers were eating out of their very mouths and what was still more to be pitied so did the mothers do as to their infants and when those that were most dear were perishing under their hands they were not ashamed to take from them the very last drops that might preserve their lives and while they ate after this manner yet were they not concealed in doing so but the seditious everywhere came upon them immediately and snatched away from them what they had gotten from others for when they saw any house shut up this was to them a signal that the people within had gotten some food whereupon they broke open the doors and ran in and took pieces of what they were eating almost up out of their very throats and this by force the old men who held their food fast were beaten and if the women hid what they had within their hands their hair was torn for doing so nor was there any commiseration shown either to the aged or to the infants but they lifted up children from the ground as they hung upon the morsels they had gotten and shook them down upon the floor but still they were more barbarously cruel to those that had prevented their coming in and had actually swallowed down what they were going to seize upon as if they had been unjustly defrauded of their right they also invented terrible methods of torments to discover where any food was and they were these to stop up the passages of the privy parts of the miserable wretches and to drive sharp steaks up their fundaments and a man was forced to bear what it is terrible even to hear in order to make him confess that he had but one loaf of bread or that he might discover a handful of barley meal that was concealed and this was done when these tormentors were not themselves hungry for the thing had been less barbarous had necessity forced them to it but this was done to keep their madness in exercise and as making preparation of provisions for themselves for the following days these men also went to meet those that had crept out of the city by night as far as the roman guards to gather some plants and herbs that grew wild and when those people thought they had got clear of the enemy they snatched from them what they had brought with them even while they had frequently entreated them and that by calling upon the tremendous name of god to give them back some part of what they had brought though these would not give them the least crumb and they were to be well contented that they were only spoiled and not slain at the same time four these were the afflictions which the lower sort of people suffered from these tyrants guards but for the men that were in dignity and with all were rich they were carried before the tyrants themselves some of whom were falsely accused of laying treacherous plots and so were destroyed others of them were charged with designs of betraying the city to the romans but the readiest way of all was this to suborn somebody to affirm that they were resolved to desert to the enemy and he who was utterly dispoiled of what he had by simon was sent back again to john as of those who had been already plundered by joe tray simon got what remained in so much that they drank the blood of the populace to one another and divided the dead bodies of the poor creatures between them so that although on account of their ambition after dominion they contended with each other yet they did very well agree in their wicked practices for he that did not communicate what he had got by the miseries of others to the other tyrant seemed to be too little guilty and in one respect only and he that did not partake of what was so communicated to him grieved at this as at the loss of what was a valuable thing that he had no share of such barbarity five it is therefore impossible to go distinctly over every instance of these men's iniquity i shall therefore speak my mind here at once briefly that neither did any other city ever suffer such miseries nor did any age ever breed a generation more fruitful in wickedness than this was from the beginning of the world finally they brought the hebrew nation into contempt that they might themselves appear comparatively less impious with regard to strangers they confess what was true that they were the slaves the scum and the spurious and abortive offspring of our nation while they overthrew the city themselves and forced the romans whether they would or no to gain a melancholy reputation by acting gloriously against them and did almost draw that fire upon the temple which they seem to think came too slowly and indeed when they saw that temple burning from the upper city they were neither troubled at it nor did they shed any tears on that account while yet these passions were discovered among the romans themselves which circumstances we shall speak of hereafter in their proper place when we come to treat of such matters chapter 11 how the jews were crucified before the walls of the city concerning aniocus epiphanes and how the jews overthrew the banks that had been raised by the romans one so now titus's banks were advanced a great way notwithstanding his soldiers had been very much distressed from the wall he then sent a party of horsemen and ordered they should lay ambushes for those that went out into the valleys to gather food some of these were indeed fighting men who were not contented with what they had by rapin but the greater part of them were poor people who were deterred from deserting by the concern they were under for their own relations for they could not hope to escape away together with their wives and children without the knowledge of the seditious nor could they think of leaving these relations to be slain by the robbers on their account nay the severity of the famine made them bold and thus going out so nothing remained but that when they were concealed from the robbers they should be taken by the enemy and when they were going to be taken they were forced to defend themselves for fear of being punished as after they had fought they thought it too late to make any supplications for mercy so they were first whipped and then tormented with all sorts of tortures before they died and were then crucified before the wall of the city this miserable procedure made Titus greatly to pity them while they caught every day 500 Jews nay some days they caught more yet it did not appear to be safe for him to let those that were taken by force go their way and to set a guard over so many he saw would be to make such as great deal them useless to him the main reason why he did not forbid that cruelty was this that he hoped that the Jews might themselves yield at that site out of fear lest they might themselves afterwards be liable to the same cruel treatment so the soldiers out of the wrath and hatred they bore the Jews nailed those they caught one after one way and another after another to the crosses by way of jest when their multitude was so great that room was wanting for the crosses and crosses wanting for the bodies footnote reeling very properly takes notice here how justly this judgment came upon the Jews when they were crucified in such multitudes together that the Romans wanted room for the crosses and crosses for the bodies of these Jews since they had brought this judgment on themselves by the crucifixion of their messiah and footnote two but so far were the seditious from repenting at this sad site that on the contrary they made the rest of the multitude believe otherwise for they brought the relations of those that had deserted upon the wall with such of the populace as we're very eager to go over upon the security offered them and showed them what miseries those underwent who fled to the Romans and told them that those who were caught were supplicants to them and not such as were taken prisoners this site kept many of those within the city who were so eager to desert till the truth was known yet did some of them run away immediately as unto certain punishment esteeming death from their enemies to be a quiet departure if compared by that with famine so Titus commanded that the hands of many of those that were caught should be cut off that they might not be thought deserters and might be credited on account of the calamity they were under and sent them in to John and Simon with this exhortation that they would now at length leave off their madness and not force him to destroy the city whereby they would have those advantages of repentance even in their utmost distress that they would preserve their own lives and so find a city of their own and that temple which was there peculiar he then went round about the banks that were cast up and hasten them in order to show that his words should in no long time be followed by his deeds in answer to which the seditious cast reproaches upon Caesar himself and upon his father also and cried out with a loud voice that they contend death and did well in preferring it before slavery that they would do all the mischief to the Romans they could while they had breath in them and that for their own city since they were as he said to be destroyed they had no concern about it and that the world itself was a better temple to god than this that yet this temple would be preserved by him that inhabited therein whom they still had for their assistant in this war and did therefore laugh at all his threatenings which would come to nothing because the conclusion of the whole depended upon god only these words were mixed with reproaches and with them they made a mighty clamor three in the meantime Antiochus Epiphanes came to the city having with him a considerable number of other armed men and a band called the Macedonian band about him all of the same age tall and just past their childhood armed and instructed after the Macedonian manner once it was that they took that name yet were many of them unworthy of so famous a nation for it had so happened that the king of Comangin had flourished more than any other kings that were under the power of the Romans till a change happened in his condition and when he was become an old man he declared plainly that we ought not to call any man happy before he is dead but this son of his who was then come thither before his father was decaying said that he could not but wonder what made the Romans so tardy in making their attacks upon the wall now he was a warlike man and naturally bold in exposing himself to dangers he was also so strong a man that his boldness seldom failed of having success upon this Titus smiled and said he would share the pains of an attack with him however Anniacus went as he then was and with his Macedonians made a sudden assault upon the wall and indeed for his own part his strength and skill were so great that he guarded himself from the Jewish darts and yet shot his darts at them while yet the young men with him were almost all sorely galled for they had so great a regard to the promises that have been made of their courage that they would needs persevere in their fighting and at length many of them retired but not till they were wounded and then they perceived that true Macedonians if they were to be conquerors must have alexander's good fortune also four now as the Romans began to raise their banks on the twelfth day of the month Artemisius Giar so had they much adieu to finish them by the 29th day of the same month after they had labored hard for 17 days continually for there were now four great banks raised one of which was at the tower Antonia this was raised by the fifth legion over against the middle of that pool which was called Struthius another was cast up by the twelfth legion at the distance of about 20 cubits from the other but the labors of the 10th legion which lay a great way off these were on the north quarter and at the pool called Amigdalen as was that of the 15th legion about 30 cubits from it and at the high priest's monument and now when the engines were brought John had from within undermine the space that was over against the tower of Antonia as far as the banks themselves and had supported the ground over the mine with themes laid across one another whereby the roman work stood upon an uncertain foundation then did he order such materials to be brought in as were dabbed over with pitch and bitumen and set them on fire and as the crossbeams that supported the banks were burning the ditch yielded on the sudden and the banks were shaken down and fell into the ditch with a prodigious noise now at the first there arose a very thick smoke and dust as the fire was choked with the fall of the bank but as the suffocated materials were now gradually consumed a plain flame break out on which sudden appearance of the flame a consternation fell upon the romans and the shrewdness of the contrivance discouraged them and indeed this accident coming upon them at a time when they thought they had already gained their point cooled their hopes for the time to come they also thought it would be to no purpose to take the pains to extinguish the fire since if it were extinguished the banks were swallowed up already and became useless to them five two days after this Simon and his party made an attempt to destroy the other banks for the Romans had brought their engines to bear there and began already to make the wall shake and here one teptheus of garsus a city of Galilee and megasaurus one who was derived from some of queen mariamne's servants and with them one from adiabanine he was the son of nabatius and called by the name of chagiras from the ill fortune he had the word signifying a lame man snatched some torches and ran suddenly upon the engines nor were there during this war any men that ever sallied out of the city who were their superiors either in their boldness or in the terror they struck into their enemies for they ran out upon the romans not as if they were enemies but friends without fear or delay nor did they leave their enemies till they had rushed violently through the midst of them and set their machines on fire and though they had darts thrown at them on every side and were on every side assaulted with their enemy's swords yet did they not withdraw themselves out of the dangers they were in till the fire had caught hold of the instruments but when the flame went up the romans came running from their camp to save their engines then did the jews hinder their suckers from the wall and fought with those that endeavored to quench the fire without any regard to the danger their bodies were in so the romans pulled the engines out of the fire while the hurdles that covered them were on fire but the jews caught hold of the battering rams through the flame itself and held them fast although the iron upon them was become red hot and now the fire spread itself from the engines to the banks and prevented those that came to defend them and all this while the romans were encompassed round about the fire and despairing of saying their works from it they retired to their camp then did the jews become still more and more in number by the coming of those that were within the city to their assistance and as they were very bold upon the good success they had had their violent assaults were almost irresistible nay they proceeded as far as the fortifications of the enemy's camp and fought with their guards now there stood a body of soldiers in array before that camp which succeeded one another by turns in their armor and as to those the law of the romans was terrible that he who left his post there let the occasion be whatsoever it might be he was to die for it so that body of soldiers preferring rather to die in fighting courageously than as a punishment for their cowardice stood firm and at the necessity these men were in of standing to it many of the others that had run away out of shame turned back again and when they had set the engines against the wall they put the multitude from coming more of them out of the city which they could the more easily do because they had made no provision for preserving or guarding their bodies at this time for the jews fought now hand to hand with all that came in their way and without any caution fell against the points of their enemy spears and attack them bodies against bodies for they were now too hard for the romans not so much by their other warlike actions as by their courageous assaults they made upon them and the romans gave way more to their boldness than they did to the sense of the harm they had received from them six and now Titus was come from the tower of Antonia wither he had gone to look out for a place for raising other banks and reproach the soldiers greatly for permitting their own walls to be in danger when they had taken the whales of their enemies and sustained the fortune of the men besieged while the jews were allowed to sally out against them though they were already in a sort of prison he then went round about the enemy with some chosen troops and fell upon their flank himself so the jews who had been before assaulted in their faces wheeled about to Titus and continued the fight the armies also were now mixed one among another and the dust that was raised so far hindered them from seeing one another and the noise that was made so far hindered them from hearing one another that neither side could discern an enemy from a friend however the jews did not flinch though not so much from their real strength as from their despair of deliverance the romans also would not yield by reason of the regard they had to glory and to their reputation in war and because Caesar himself went into the danger before them in so much that i cannot but think the romans would in the conclusion have now taken even the whole multitude of the jews so very angry were they at them had these not prevented the upshot of the battle and retired into the city however seeing the banks of the romans were demolished these romans were very much east down upon the loss of what had cost them so long pains and in this one hour's time and many indeed disparate of taking the city with their usual engines of war only end of book five chapters 10 and 11