 Book 3, Chapter 7, Part 2 of the Wars of the Jews. And here a certain Jew appeared worthy of our relation and commendation. He was the son of Sammias, and was called Eleazar, and was born at Saab in Galilee. This man took up a stone of vast bigness, and threw it down from the wall upon the ram, and this with so great a force that it broke off the head of the engine. He also leaped down, and took up the head of the ram from the midst of them, and without any concern carried it to the top of the wall, and this while he stood as a fit mark to be pelted by all his enemies. Accordingly he received the strokes upon his naked body, and was wounded with five darts, nor did he mind any of them while he went up to the top of the wall, where he stood in the side of the wall as an instance of the greatest boldness, after which he drew himself on a heap with his wounds upon him, and fell down together with the head of the ram. Next to him two brothers showed their courage. Their names were Netir and Philip, both of them of the village of Ruma, and both of them Galileans also. These men leaped upon the soldiers of the 10th Legion, and fell upon the Romans with such a great noise and force as to disorder their ranks, and put to flight, all upon whomever they made their assaults. After these men's performances, Jesephus and the rest of the multitude with him took a great deal of fire, and burnt both the machines and their coverings, with the works belonging to the 5th and to the 10th Legion, which they put to flight. When others followed them immediately and burned those instruments and all their materials underground. However, about the evening, the Romans erected the battering ram again, against that part of the wall which had suffered before, where a certain Jew that defended the city from the Romans hit Vespasian with a dart in his foot, and wounded him a little, the distance being so great that no mighty impression could be made by the dart thrown so far off. However, this caused the greatest disorder amongst the Romans, for when those who stood near him saw his blood they were disturbed at it, and a report went abroad through the whole army that the general was wounded, while the greatest part left the siege, and came running together with surprise and fear to the general, and before them all came Titus out of the concern that he had for his father, in so much that the multitude were in great confusion, and this out of the regard that they had for their general, and by reason of the agony that the son was in. Yet to the father put an end to the son's fear and to the disorder the army was under, for being superior to his pains, and endeavouring soon to be seen by all that had been in a fright about him, he excited them to fight the Jews more briskly. For now everybody was willing to expose himself to danger immediately in order to avenge their general, and then they encouraged one another with loud voices, and ran hastily to the walls. But still Josephus and those with him, although they fell down dead one upon another by the darts and stones which the engines threw upon them, yet did not they desert the wall, but fell upon those who managed the ram, under the protection of the hurdles, with fire, and iron weapons, and stones, and these could do little or nothing but fell themselves perpetually, while they were seen by those whom they could not see, for the light of their own flame shone about them, and made them a most visible mark to the enemy, as they were in the daytime, while the engines could not be seen at a great distance, and so what was thrown at them was hard to be avoided, for the forest with which these engines threw stones and darts made them hurt several at a time, and the violent noise of the stones that were cast by the engines was so great that they carried away the pinnacles of the wall, and broke off the corners of the towers, for no body of men could be so strong as not to be overthrown to the last rank by the largeness of the stones. And any one may learn the force of the engines by what happened this very night, for as one of those that stood round about Josephus was near the wall, his head was carried away by such a stone, and his skull was flung as far as three furlongs. In the daytime also a woman with child had her belly so violently struck, as she was just come out of her house, that the infant was carried to the distance of half a furlong, so great was the force of that engine. The noise of the instruments themselves was very terrible. The sound of the darts and stones that were thrown by them was so also. Of the same sort was that noise the dead bodies made when they were dashed against the wall, and indeed dreadful was the clamor which these things raised in the women within the city, which was echoed back at the same time by the cries of such as were slain, while the whole space of ground whereupon they fought ran with blood, and the wall might have been ascended over the bodies of the dead carcasses. The mountains also contributed to the increase of the noise by their echoes, nor was there on that night anything of terror wanting that could either affect the hearing or the sight. Yet did a great part of those that fought so hard for Jatapata fall manfully, as were a great part of them wounded. However, the morning watch was come ere the wall yielded to the machines employed against it, though it had been battered without intermission. However, those within covered their bodies with their armor, and raised works over against that part which was thrown down before those machines were laid by which the Romans were to ascend into the city. In the morning, the spasian got his army together in order to take the city by storm. After a little recreation upon the hard pains they had been at the night before, and as he was desirous to draw off those that opposed him from the places where the wall had been thrown down, he made the most courageous of the horsemen get off their horses, and placed them in three ranks over against those ruins of the wall, but covered with their armor on every side with poles in their hands, that so these might begin their ascend as soon as the instruments for such as sent were laid. Behind them he placed the flower of the footmen, but for the rest of the horse he ordered them to extend themselves over against the wall upon the whole hilly country in order to prevent any from escaping out of the city when it should be taken, and behind these he placed the archers round about, and commanded them to have their darts ready to shoot. The same command he gave to the slingers and to those that managed the engines and bid them to take up other ladders and have them ready to lay upon those parts of the wall which were yet untouched, that the besieged might be engaged in trying to hinder their ascent by them and leave the guard of the parts that were thrown down, while the rest of them should be over-born by the darts cast at them, and might afford his men an entrance into the city. But Josephus, understanding the meaning of Vespasian's contrivance, set the old men, together with those that were tired out, at the sound parts of the wall, as expecting no harm from those quarters, but set the strongest of his men at the place where the wall was broken down, and before them all six men by themselves among whom he took his share of the first and greatest danger. He also gave orders that when the legion made a shout, they should stop their ears, that they might not be affrighted at it, and that to avoid the multitude of the enemy's darts they should bend down on their knees and cover themselves with their shields, and that they should retreat a little backward for a while, so the archers should have emptied their quivers. But that when the Romans should lay their instruments for ascending the walls, they should leap out on the sudden, and with their own instruments should meet the enemy, and that everyone should strive to do his best in order not to defend his own city, as if it were possible to be preserved, but in order to revenge it when it was already destroyed, and that they should set before their eyes how their old men were to be slain, and their children and wives were to be killed immediately by the enemy, and that they would beforehand spend all their fury on account of the calamities just coming upon them, and pour it out on the actors. And thus to Josephus dispose of both his bodies of men, but then for the useless part of the citizens, the women and children, when they saw their city encompassed by a three-fold army, for none of the usual guards that had been fighting before were removed, when they also saw not only the walls thrown down, but their enemies with swords in their hands, as also the hilly country above them shining with their weapons, and the darts in the hands of the Arabian archers. They made a final and lamentable outcry of the destruction, as if the misery were not only threatened, but actually come upon them already. But Josephus ordered the women to be shut up in their houses, lest they should render the warlike actions of the men too effeminate by making them commiserate their condition, and commanded them to hold their peace, and threaten them if they did not, while he came himself before the breach where his allotment was. For all those who brought ladders to the other places he took no notice of them, but earnestly waited for the shower of arrows that was coming. And now the trumpeters of the several Roman legions sounded together, and the army made a terrible shout, and the darts, as by order, flew so fast that they intercepted the light. However, Josephus's men remembered the charges he had given them. They stopped their ears at the sounds, and covered their bodies against the darts. And as to the engines that were set ready to go to work, the Jews ran out upon them, before those that should have used them were gotten upon them. And now on the ascending of the soldiers there was a great conflict, and many actions of the hands and of the soul were exhibited. While the Jews did earnestly endeavor in the extreme danger they were in, not to show less courage than those who, without being in danger, fought so stoutly against them, nor did they leave struggling with the Romans till they either fell down dead themselves, or killed their antagonists. But the Jews grew weary with defending themselves continually, and had not enough to come in their places and succor them. While on the side of the Romans, fresh men still succeeded those that were tired, and still new men soon got upon the engines for ascent, in the room of those that were thrust down, those encouraging one another, and joining side to side with their shields, which were a protection to them, they became a body of men not to be broken. And as this band thrust away the Jews, as though they were themselves but one body, they began already to get upon the wall. Then did Josephus take necessity for his counselor in this utmost distress, which necessity is very sagacious in invention when it is irritated by despair, and gave orders to pour scalding oil upon those whose shields protected them, whereupon they soon got it ready, being many that brought it, and what they brought being a great quantity also, and poured it on all sides upon the Romans, and threw down upon them their vessels, as they were still hissing from the heat of the fire. This so burnt the Romans that it dispersed that united band, which now tumbled down from the wall with horrid pains, for the oil did easily run down the whole body from head to foot under their armor, and fed upon their flesh like flame itself, its fat and anxious nature rendering it soon heated and slowly cool, and as the men were cooped up in their headpieces and breast-blades, they could no way get free from this burning oil. They could only leap and roll about in their pains, as they fell down from the bridges they had laid. And as they thus were beaten back and retired to their own party, who still pressed them forward, they were easily wounded by those behind them. However, in this ill success of the Romans, their courage did not fail them, nor did the Jews want prudence to oppose them, for the Romans, although they saw their own men thrown down in an miserable condition, yet were they vehemently bent upon those that poured the oil upon them. While everyone reproached the man before him as a coward, and one that hindered him from exerting himself, and while the Jews made use of another stratagem to prevent their assent and poured boiling fenugreek upon the boards in order to make them slip and fall down, by which means neither could those that were coming up nor those that were going down stand upon their feet. But some of them fell backward upon the machines on which they ascended and were trodden down. Many of them fell down upon the bank they had raised, and when they were fallen upon it were slain by the Jews. For when the Romans could not keep their feet, the Jews being freed from fighting hand to hand had leisure to throw their darts upon them. So the general called off these soldiers in the evening that had suffered so sorely of whom the number of the slain was not a few, while that of the wounded was still greater. But of the people of Jatapata no more than six men were killed, although more than three hundred were carried off wounded. This fight happened on the twentieth day of the month of Desius, Sivan. Hereupon Vespasian comforted his army on occasion of what happened, and as he found them angry indeed, but rather wanting somewhat to do than any further exhortations, he gave orders to raise the bank still higher, and to erect three towers, each fifty feet high, and that they should cover them with plates of iron on every side, that they might be both firm by their weight and not easily liable to be set on fire. These towers he set upon the banks, and placed upon them such as could shoot darts and arrows with the lighter engines for throwing stones and darts also, and besides these he set upon them the stoutest men among the slingers, who not being to be seen by reason of the height they stood upon, and the battlements that protected them, might throw their weapons at those that were still upon the wall, and were easily seen by them. Hereupon the Jews not being easily able to escape those darts that were thrown down upon their heads, nor to avenge themselves on those whom they could not see, and perceiving that the height of the towers was so great that a dart which they threw with their hand could easily reach it, and that the iron plates about them made it very hard to come at them by fire. They ran away from the walls, and fled hastily out of the city, and fell upon those that shot at them. And thus did the people of Jatapata resist the Romans, while a great number of them were every day killed, without their being able to retorch the evil upon their enemies, nor could they keep them out of the city without danger to themselves. At this time it was that Vespasian sent out Trajan against a city called Jaffa that lay near to Jatapata, and that desired innovations, and was puffed up with the unexpected length of the opposition of Jatapata. This Trajan was the commander of the 10th Legion, and to him Vespasian committed 1,000 horsemen and 2,000 footmen. When Trajan came to the city he found it hard to be taken, for besides the natural strength of its situation it was also secured by a double wall. But when he saw the people of the city, coming out of it, and ready to fight him, he joined battle with them. And after a short resistance which they made, he pursued after them, and as they fled to their first wall the Romans followed so closely that they fell in together with them, but when the Jews were endeavoring to get again within their second wall, their fellow citizens shut them out, as being afraid that the Romans would force themselves in with them. It was certainly God, therefore, who brought the Romans to punish the Galileans, and did then expose the people of the city every one of them manifestly to be destroyed by their bloody enemies. For when they fell upon the gates in great crowds, and earnestly calling to those that kept them, and that by their names also, yet had their throats cut in the very midst of their supplications, for the enemies shut the gates of the first wall, and their own citizens shut the gates of the second, so that they were enclosed between two walls, and were slain in great numbers together. Many of them were run through by swords of their own men, and many by their own swords, besides an immense number that were slain by the Romans. Nor had they any courage to revenge themselves, for there was added to the consternation they were in from the enemy, there being betrayed by their own friends, which quite broke their spirits. And at last they died, cursing not the Romans, but their own citizens, until they were all destroyed, being in number twelve thousand. So Trajan gathered that the city was empty of people that could fight, and although there should a few of them be therein, he supposed that they would be too timorous to venture upon any opposition. So he reserved the taking of the city to the general. Accordingly he sent messengers to Vespasian, and desired him to send his son Titus to finish the victory he had gained. Vespasian, here upon imagining there might be some pain still necessary, sent his son with an army of five hundred horsemen, and one thousand footmen. So he came quickly to the city, and put his army in order, and sent Trajan over the left wing, while he had the right wing himself, and led them to the siege. And when the soldiers brought ladders to be laid against the wall on every side, the Galileans opposed them from above for a while, but soon afterwards they left the walls. Then did Titus's men leap into the city, and seized upon it presently. But when those that were in it were gotten together, there was a fierce battle between them. For the men of power fell upon the Romans in the narrow streets, and the women through whatsoever came next to hand at them, and sustained a fight with them for six hours' time. But when the fighting men were spent, the rest of the multitude had their throats cut, partly in the open air, and partly in their own houses, both young and old together. So there were no males now remaining besides infants, which with the women were carried as slaves into captivity. So that the number of the slain, both now in the city and at the former fight, was fifteen thousand, and the captives were two thousand one hundred and thirty. This calamity befell the Galileans on the twenty fifth day of the month of Desius, Sivan. Nor did the Samaritans escape their share of misfortunes at this time, for they assembled themselves together on a mountain called Gerasim, which is with them a holy mountain, and they remained, which collection of theirs as well as the courageous minds they showed could not but threaten somewhat of war. Nor were they rendered wiser by the miseries that came upon their neighboring cities. They also, notwithstanding the great success the Romans had, marched on in an unreasonable manner, depending on their own weakness, and were disposed for any tumult upon its first appearance. Vespasian, therefore, thought it best to prevent their motions, and to cut off the foundation of their attempts. For although all Samaria had ever garrisoned settled among them, yet to the number of those that were come to Mount Gerasim and their conspiracy together give ground for fear what they might be at. He therefore sent thither Serialis, the commander of the Fifth Legion, with six hundred horsemen, and three thousand footmen, who did not think it safe to go up to the mountain and give them battle because many of the enemy were on the higher part of the ground. So he encompassed all the lower part of the mountain with his army, and watched them all that day. Now it happened that the Samaritans, who were now destitute of water, were inflamed with a violent heat, for it was summertime, and the multitude had not provided themselves with necessaries, in so much that some of them died that very day with heat, while others of them preferred slavery to such a death as that was, and fled to the Romans, by whom Serialis understood that those which still stayed there were very much broken by their misfortunes. So he went up to the mountain, and having placed his forces round about the enemy, he, in the first place, exhorted them to take the security of his right hand, and come to terms with them, and thereby save themselves, and assured them that if they would lay down their arms he would secure them from any harm. But when he could not prevail with them, he fell upon them, and slew them all, being in number eleven thousand six hundred. This was done on the twenty-seventh day of the month of Desius, Savan. And these were the calamities that befell the Samaritans at this time. But as the people of Jatapata still held out bantfully, and bore up under their misfortunes beyond all that could be hoped for, on the forty-seventh day of the siege the banks cast up by the Romans were become higher than the wall, on which day a certain deserter went to Vespasian, and told him how few were left in the city, and how weak they were, and that they had been so worn out with perpetual watching, and as perpetual fighting, that they could not now oppose any force that came against them, and that they might be taken by stratagem, if any one would attack them. For that about the last watch of the nights, when they thought they might have some rest from the hardships they were under, and when a morning sleep used to come upon them, as they were thoroughly weary, he said that the watch used to fall asleep. Accordingly his advice was that they should make their attack at that hour. But Vespasian had a suspicion about this deserter, as knowing how faithful the Jews were to one another, and how much they despised any punishments that could be inflicted on them, this last because one of the people of Jatapata had undergone all sorts of torments, and though they made him pass through a fiery trail of his enemies in his examination, yet would he inform them nothing of the affairs within the city, and as he was crucified, smiled at them. However, the probability there was, and the relation itself, did partly confirm the truth of what the deserter told them, and they thought he might probably speak the truth. However Vespasian thought they should be no great sufferers if the report was a sham, so he commanded them to keep the man in custody, and prepared the army for taking the city. According to which resolution they marched without noise, at the hour that had been told them to the wall, and it was Titus himself that first got upon it, with one of his tribunes, Demetius Sabinas, and had a few of the fifteenth legion along with him, so they cut the throats of the watch and entered the city very quietly. After these came Serialis the Tribune, and Placidus, and led on those that were under them. Now when the citadels taken, and the enemy were in the very midst of the city, and when it was already day, yet was not the taking of the city known by those that held it, for a great many of them were fast asleep, and a great mist, which then by chance fell upon the city, hindered those that got up from distinctly seeing the case they were in, till the whole Roman army was gotten in, and they were raised up only to find the miseries they were under, and as they were slaying they perceived the city was taken. And for the Romans they so well remembered what they had suffered during the siege, that they spared none, nor pitied any, but drove the people down the precedence from the citadel, and slew them as they drove them down. At which time the difficulties of the place hindered those that were still able to fight from defending themselves, for as they were distressed in the narrow streets, and could not keep their feet sure along the precipice, they were overpowered with the crowd of those that came fighting them down from the citadel. This provoked a great many, even of those chosen men that were about to seafus, to kill themselves with their own hands, for when they saw that they could kill none of the Romans, they resolved to prevent being killed by the Romans, and got together in great numbers in the utmost parts of the city, and killed themselves. However, such of the watch as at the first proceed they were taken, and ran away as fast as they could, went up into one of the towers on the north side of the city, and for a while defended themselves there, but as they were encompassed with a great multitude of enemies, they tried to use their right hands when it was too late, and at length they cheerfully offered their necks to be cut off by those that stood over them, and the Romans might have boasted that the conclusion of the siege was without blood on their side if there had not been a centurion, Antonius, who was slain at the taking of the city. His death was occasioned by the following treachery, for there was one of those that were fled into the caverns, which were a great number, who desired that this Antonius would reach him his right hand for his security, and would assure him that he would preserve him, and give him his assistance in getting up out of the cavern. Accordingly he unconsciously reached him his right hand, when the other man prevented him, and stabbed him under his loins with a spear, and killed him immediately. And on this day it was that the Romans slew all the multitude that appeared openly, but on the following days they searched the hiding places, and fell upon those that were underground and in the caverns, and went thus through every age, accepting the infants and the women, and of these there were gathered together as captives twelve hundred. And as for those that were slain at the taking of the city, and in the former fights, they were numbered to be forty thousand. Sovus Bayesian gave order that the city should be entirely demolished, and all the fortifications burnt down. And thus was Dattapata taken, in the thirteenth year of the reign of Mero, on the first day of the month of Panimus to Muz. End of Book 3, Chapter 7, Part 2. Book 3, Chapter 8 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 Ann Boulet. The Wars of the Jews by Josephus, translated by William Wiston. Book 3, Chapter 8. How Josephus was discovered by a woman, and was willing to deliver himself up to the Romans, and what discourse he had with his own men, when they endeavored to hinder him, and what he said to Vespasian, when he was brought to him. And after what manner Vespasian used him afterward? 1. And now the Romans searched for Josephus, both out of the hatred they bore him, and because their general was very desirous to have him taken, for he reckoned that if he were once taken, the greatest part of the war would be over. They then searched among the dead, and looked into the most concealed recesses of the city. But as the city was first taken, he was assisted by a certain supernatural providence. For he withdrew himself from the enemy when he was in the midst of them, and leaped into a certain deep pit. Where, too, there adjoined a large den at one side of it, which den could not be seen by those that were above ground, and there he met with forty persons of eminency that had concealed themselves, and with provisions enough to satisfy them for not a few days. So in the daytime he hid himself from the enemy, who had seized upon all places, and in the night time he got up out of the den and looked about for some way of escaping, and took exact notice of the watch. But as all places were guarded everywhere on his account, that there was no way of getting off unseen, he went down again into the den. Thus he concealed himself two days, but on the third day, when they had taken a woman who had been with them, he was discovered. Whereupon Vespasian sent immediately and zealously two tribunes, Paulinas and Galicanus, and ordered them to give Josephus their right hands as a security for his life, and to exhort him to come up. Two, so they came and invited the man to come up, and gave him assurances that his life should be preserved, but they did not prevail with him. For he gathered suspicions from the probability there was that one who had done so many things against the Romans must suffer for it, though not from the mild temper of those that invited him. However, he was afraid that he was invited to come up in order to be punished, until Vespasian sent besides these a third tribune, Nicannor, to him. He was one that was well known to Josephus and had been his familiar acquaintance in old time. When he was come, he enlarged upon the natural mildness of the Romans towards those they have once conquered, and told him that he had behaved himself so valiantly, that the commanders rather admired than hated him, that the general was very desirous to have him brought to him, not in order to punish him. For that he could do, though he should not come voluntarily, but that he was determined to preserve a man of his courage. He moreover added this, that Vespasian, had he been resolved to impose upon him, would not have sent to him a friend of his own, nor put the ferris collar upon the vilest action, by pretending friendship and meaning perfidiousness, nor would he have himself acquiesced, or come to him, had it been to deceive him. Three, now as Josephus began to hesitate with himself about Nicannor's proposal, the soldierry were so angry that they ran hastily to set fire to the den, but the tribune would not permit them to do so, as being very desirous to take the man alive. And now, as Nicannor lay hard at Josephus to comply, and he understood how the multitude of the enemies threatened him, he called to mind the dreams which he had dreamed in the night time, whereby God has signified to him beforehand both the future calamities of the Jews, and the events that concern the Roman emperors. Now, Josephus was able to give shrew conjectures about the interpretation of such dreams, as have been ambuously delivered by God. Moreover, he was not unacquainted with the prophecies contained in the sacred books, as being a priest himself, and of the posterity of priests. And just then he was in an ecstasy, and setting before him the tremendous images of the dreams he had lately had, he put up a secret prayer to God, and said, Since it pleaseth thee, who hast created the Jewish nation, to depress the same, and since all their good fortune is gone over to the Romans, and since thou hast made choice of this soul of mine, to foretell what is to come past hereafter, I willingly give them my hands, and am content to live, and I protest openly that I do not go over to the Romans as a deserter of the Jews, but as a minister from thee. Four, when he had said this, he complied with Nikannar's invitation, but when those Jews who had fled with him understood that he yielded to those that invited him to come up, they came about him in a body and cried out, Nay, indeed, now may the laws of our forefathers, which God ordained himself well-grown to purpose. That God, we mean, who hath created the souls of the Jews of such a temper that they despise death. Oh, Josephus, aren't thou still fond of life, and canst thou bear to see the light in a state of slavery? How soon hast thou forgotten thyself? How many hast thou persuaded to lose their lives for liberty? Thou hast therefore had a false reputation for manhood, and a like false reputation for wisdom, if thou canst hope for preservation from those against whom thou hast fought so zealously, and art however willing to be preserved by them, if they be in earnest. But although the good fortune of the Romans hath made thee forget thyself, we ought to take care that the glory of our forefathers may not be tarnished. We will lend thee our right hand and sword, and if thou wilt die willingly, thou wilt die as general of the Jews, but if unwillingly, thou wilt die as a traitor to them. As soon as they said this, they began to thrust their swords at him and threatened they would kill him, if he thought of yielding himself to the Romans. Five. Upon this, Josephus was afraid of their attacking him, and yet thought he should be a betrayer of the commands of God, if he died before they were delivered. So he began to talk like a philosopher to them in the distress he was in then. When he said thus to them, oh my friends, why are we so earnest to kill ourselves, and why do we set our soul and body, which are such dear companions at such variance? Can anyone pretend that I am not the man I was formerly? Nay, the Romans are sensible how that matter stands well enough. It is a brave thing to die in war, but so that it be according to the law of war by the hand of conquerors. If, therefore, I avoid death from the sword of the Romans, I am truly worthy to be killed by my own sword and my own hand, but if they admit of mercy and would spare their enemy, how much more ought we to have mercy upon ourselves and to spare ourselves? For it is certainly a foolish thing to do that to ourselves, which we quarrel with them for doing to us. I confess freely that it is a brave thing to die for liberty, but still so that it be in war, and done by those who take that liberty from us, but in the present case our enemies do neither meet us in battle nor do they kill us. Now he is equally a coward who will not die when he is obliged to die, and he who will die when he is not obliged so to do. What are we afraid of when we will not go up to the Romans? Is it death? If so, what are we afraid of when we but suspect our enemies will inflict it on us? Shall we inflict it on ourselves for certain? But it may be said we must be slaves, and are we then in a clear state of liberty at present? It may also be said that it is a manly act for one to kill himself. No, certainly, but a most unmanly one, as I should esteem that pilot to be an errant coward who, out of fear of a storm, should sink his ship of his own accord. Now self-murder is a crime most remote from the common nature of all animals and an instance of impiety against God, our creator. Nor indeed is there any animal that dies of its own contrivance or by its own means, for the desire of life is a law engraven in them all. On what account we deem those that openly take it away from us to be our enemies, and those that do it by treachery are punished for so doing? And do not you think that God is very angry when a man does injury to what he hath bestowed on him? For from him it is that we have received our being, and we ought to leave it to his disposal to take that being away from us. The bodies of all men are indeed mortal and are created out of corruptible matter, but the soul is ever immortal, and is a portion of the divinity that inhabits our bodies. Besides, if anyone destroys or abuses a depositum he hath received from a mere man. He is esteemed a wicked and profiteous person, but then if anyone cast out of his body this divine depositum, can we imagine that he who is thereby affronted does not know of it? Moreover, our law justly ordains that slaves which run away from their master shall be punished, though the masters they run away from may have been wicked masters to them, and shall we endeavor to run away from God who is the best of all masters and not guilty of impiety? Do not you know that those who depart out of this life according to the law of nature and pay that debt which was received from God, which he that lent it us, is pleased to require it back again, enjoy eternal fame, that their houses and their posterity are sure, that their souls are pure and obedient, and obtain a most holy place in heaven. For whence, in the revolutions of ages, they are again sent into pure bodies, while the souls of those whose hands have acted madly against themselves are received by the darkest place in Hades, and while God, who is their father, punishes those that offend against either of them in their posterity? For which reason God hates such doings? And the crime is punished by our most wise legislator. Accordingly, our laws determine that the bodies of such as kill themselves should be exposed to the sun beset without burial, although at the same time it be allowed by them to be lawful to bury our enemies sooner. The laws of other nations also enjoin such men's hands to be cut off when they are dead, which have been made use of in destroying themselves when alive, while they reckon that as a body is alien from the soul, so is the hand alien from the body. It is therefore, my friends, a right thing to reason justly, and not add to the calamities which men bring upon us in piety towards our Creator. If we have a mind to preserve ourselves, let us do it, for to be preserved by those our enemies, to whom we have given so many demonstrations of our courage, is no way inglorious. But if we have a mind to die, it is good to die by the hand of those that have conquered us. For nay part, I will not run over to our enemy's quarters in order to be a traitor to myself, for certainly I should then be much more foolish than those that deserted to the enemy, since they did it in order to save themselves, and I should do it for destruction, for my own destruction. However, I heartily wish the Romans may prove treacherous in this matter, for if, after their offer of their right hand for security, I be slain by them, I shall die cheerfully, and carry away with me the sense of their perfidiousness, as a consolation greater than victory itself. Now these and many the like motives did Josephus use to these men to prevent their murdering themselves. But desperation had shut their ears, as having long ago devoted themselves to die, and they were irritated at Josephus. They then ran upon him with their swords in their hands, one from one quarter and another from another, and called him a coward, and every one of them appeared openly as if he were ready to smite him, but he calling to one of them by name, and looking like a general to another, and taking a third by the hand, and making a fourth ashamed of himself, by praying him to forbear, and being in this condition distracted with various passions, as he well might in the great distress he was then in. He kept off every one of their swords from killing him, and was forced to do like such wild beasts as are encompassed about on every side, who always turned themselves against those that last touched them. Nay, some of their right hands were debilitated by the reverence they bear to their generals in these his fatal calamities, and their swords dropped out of their hands, and not a few of them there were, who, when they aimed to smite him with their swords, they were not thoroughly either willing or able to do it. Seven. However, in this extreme distress, he was not destitute of his usual sagacity, but trusting himself to the providence of God, he put his life into hazard in the following manner, and now, he said, since it is resolved among you that you will die, come on, let us commit our mutual debts to determination by lot. He whom the lot falls to first, let him be killed by him that half the second lot, and thus fortune shall make it progress through us all, nor shall any of us perish by his own right hand. For it would be unfair if, when the rest are gone, somebody should repent and save himself. This proposal appeared to them to be very just, and when he had prevailed with them to determine this matter by lots, he drew one of the lots for himself also. He who had the first lot laid his neck bare to him that had the next, as supposing that the general would die among them immediately, for they thought death, if Josephus might but die with them, was sweeter than life, yet he was with another left to the last, whether we must say it happened so by chance, or whether by the providence of God, and as he was very desirous neither to be condemned by the lot, nor if he had been left to the last, to imbrew his right hand in the blood of his countrymen. He persuaded him to trust his fidelity to him, and to live as well as himself. Eight. Thus Josephus escaped in the war with the Romans, and in this his own war with his friends, and was led by Nicannor to Vespasian. But now all the Romans ran together to see him, and as the multitude pressed one upon another about their general, there was a tumult of various kind, while some rejoiced that Josephus was taken, and some threatened him, and some crowded to see him very near, but those that were more remote cried out to have this their enemy put to death, while those that were near called to mind the actions he had done, and a deep concern appeared at the change of his fortune. Nor were there any of the Roman commanders, how much so ever they had been enraged at him before, but relented when they came to the sight of him. Above all the rest, Titus' own valor, and Josephus' own patience under his afflictions, made him pity him, as did also the commiseration of his age, when he recalled to mind that but a little while ago he was fighting, but lay now in the hands of his enemies, which made him consider the power of fortune, and how quick is the turn of affairs in war, and how no state of men is sure, for which reason he then made a great many more to be of the same pitiful temper with himself, and induced them to commiserate Josephus. He was also of great weight in persuading his father to preserve him. However, Vespasian gave strict orders that he should be kept with great caution, as though he would in a very little time send him to Nero. Nine. When Josephus heard him give these orders, he said that he had somewhat in his mind that he would willingly say to himself alone, when therefore they were all ordered to withdraw, except Titus and two of his friends, he said, Thou, O Vespasian, thinkest no more than that, thou hast taken Josephus himself captive, but I come to thee as a messenger of great tidings. For had not I been sent by God to thee, I knew what was the law of the Jews in this case, and how it becomes generals to die, dost thou send me to Nero? For why? Are Nero's successors till they come to thee still alive? Thou, O Vespasian, art Caesar and emperor, thou and this thy son. Bind me not still faster, and keep me for thyself, for thou, O Caesar, art not only Lord over me, but over the land and the sea and all mankind, and certainly I deserve to be kept in closer custody than I am now in. In order to be punished, if I rashly affirm anything of God. When he had said this, Vespasian at present did not believe him, but suppose that Josephus said this as a cunning trick in order to his own preservation, but in a little time he was convinced and believed what he said to be true, God himself erecting his expectations, so as to think of obtaining the empire and by other signs for showing his advancement. He also found Josephus to have spoken truth on other occasions. For one of those friends that were present at that secret conference said to Josephus, I cannot but wonder how thou could as not foretell to the people of Jotapata, that they should be taken, nor could as foretell this captivity which hath happened to thyself, unless what thou now say as be a vain thing. In order to avoid the rage that is risen against thyself. To which Josephus replied, I did foretell to the people of Jotapata that they would be taken on the 47th day and that I should be caught alive by the Romans. Now when Vespasian had inquired of the captives privately about these predictions, he found them to be true, and then he began to believe those that concerned himself, yet did he not set Josephus at liberty from his hands, but bestowed on him suits of clothes and other precious gifts. He treated him also in a very obliging manner, and continued so to do. Titus still joining his interest till the honors that were done him. End of Book 3, Chapter 8 Book 3, 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. Recording by Anne Boulaix The Wars of the Jews by Josephus translated by William Wiston Book 3, Chapter 9 How Joppa was taken and Tiberius delivered up 1. Now Vespasian returned to Ptolemyse on the fourth day of the month Panamous, Teimous, and from thence he came to Caesarea, which lay by the seaside. This was a very great city of Judea, and for the greatest part inhabited by Greeks. The citizens here received both the Roman army and its generals, with all sorts of acclamations and rejoicings, and this partly out of the good will they bore to the Romans, but principally out of the hatred they bore to those that were conquered by them, on which account they came clamoring against Josephus in crowds, and desired he might be put to death. But Vespasian passed over this petition concerning him, as offered by the Injudicius multitude, with a bare silence. Two of the legions he also placed at Caesarea, that they might there take their winter quarters, as perceiving the city very fit for such a purpose, but he placed the 10th and the 5th at Scathopolis, that he might not distress Caesarea with the entire army. This place was warm even in winter, as it was suffocating hot in the summertime, by reason of its situation in a plain and near the sea of Galilee. 2. In the meantime, there were gathered together as well, such as the sediciously had got out from among their enemies, as those that had escaped out of the demolished cities, which were in all a great number, and repaired Joppa, which had been left desolate by Cestius, that it might serve them for a place of refuge, and because the adjoining region had been laid waste in the war, and was not capable of supporting them, they determined to go off to sea. They also built themselves a great many piratical ships, and turned pirates upon the seas near to Syria, and Phoenicia and Egypt, and made those seas unnavigable to men. Now, as soon as Vespasian knew of their conspiracy, he sent both footmen and horsemen to Joppa, which was unguarded in the night time. However, those that were in it perceived that they should be attacked, and were afraid of it, yet did they not endeavor to keep the Romans out, but fled to their ships, and lay at sea all night, out of the reach of their darts. 3. Now Joppa is not naturally a haven, for it ends in a rough shore, where all the rest of it is straight, but the two ends bend towards each other, where there are deep precipices, and great stones that jut out into the sea, and where the chains wherewith Andromeda was bound have left their footsteps, which attest to the antiquity of that fable. 4. But the north Weno presses and beats upon the shore, and dashes mighty ways against the rocks which receive them, and renders the haven more dangerous than the country they had deserted. 5. Now as those people of Joppa were floating about in the sea, in the morning there fell a violent wind upon them. It is called by those that sail there, the black north wind, and there dash their ships one against another, and dash some of them against the rocks, and carried many of them by force, while they strove against the opposite waves, into the main sea. 6. For the shore was so rocky, and had so many of the enemy upon it, that they were afraid to come to land. 7. Nay, the waves rose so very high that they drowned them, nor was there any place wither they could fly, nor any way to save themselves, while they were thrust out of the sea, by the violence of the wind, if they stayed where they were, and out of the city by the violence of the Romans. 8. And much lamentation there was when the ships were dashed against one another, and a terrible noise when they were broken to pieces, and some of the multitude that were in them were covered with waves, and so perished. 9. And a great many were embarrassed with shipwrecks, but some of them thought that to die by their own swords was lighter than by the sea, and so they killed themselves before they were drowned, although the greatest part of them were carried by the waves, and dashed to pieces against the abrupt parts of the rocks, in so much that the sea was bloody a long way, and the maritime parts were full of dead bodies. 10. For the Romans came upon those that were carried to the shore, and destroyed them, and the number of the bodies that were thus thrown out of the sea was 4,200. The Romans also took the city without opposition, and utterly demolished it. 4. And thus Joppa taken twice by the Romans in a little time, but Vespasian, in order to prevent these pirates from coming thither anymore, erected a camp there, where the citadel of Joppa had been, and left a body of horse in it, with a few footmen, that these last might stay there and guard the camp, and the horsemen might spoil a country that lay round it, and might destroy the neighboring villages in smaller cities. So these troops overran the country, as they were ordered to do, and every day cut to pieces and laid desolate the whole region. 5. But now, when the fate of Jotapata was related at Jerusalem, a great many at the first disbelieved it, on account of the vastness of the calamity, and because they had no eyewitness to attest to the truth of what was related about it, for not one person was saved to be a messenger of that news, but a fame was spread abroad at random that the city was taken, as such fame usually spreads bad news about. However, the truth was known by degrees, from places near Jotapata, and appeared to all to be too true. Yet there were fictitious stories added to what was really done, for it was reported that Josephus was slain at the taking of the city, which piece of news filled Jerusalem full of sorrow. In every house also, and among all to whom any of the slain were allied, there was a lamentation for them, but the mourning for the commander was a public one, and some mourned for those that had lived with them, others for their kindred, others for their friends, and others for their brethren, but all mourned for Josephus, in so much that the lamentation did not cease in the city before the 30th day, and a great many hired mourners, with their pipes, who should begin the melancholy ditties for them. Footnote, these public mourners hired upon the supposed death of Josephus, and the real death of many more, illustrate some passages in the Bible, which suppose the same custom, as Matthew 11 verse 17, where the reader may consult the notes of Grotius, and footnote. Six, but as the truth came out in time, it appeared how the affairs of Jotapata really stood, yet as it was found that the death of Josephus was a fiction, and when they understood that he was alive, and was among the Romans, and that the commanders treating him at another rate than they treated captives, they were as vehemently angry at him, now as they had showed their good will before, when he appeared to have been dead. He was also abused by some as having been a coward, and by others as a deserter, and the city was full of indignation at him, and of reproaches cast upon him. Their rage was also aggravated by their afflictions, and more inflamed by their ill success, and what usually becomes of an occasion of caution to wise men, I mean affliction, became a spur to them to venture on further calamities, and the end of one misery became still the beginning of another. They therefore resolved to fall on the Romans the more vehemently, as resolving to be revenged on him in revenging themselves on the Romans. And this was the state of Jerusalem as to the troubles which now came upon it. Seven, but Vespasian, in order to see the kingdom of Agrippa, while the king persuaded him so to do, partly in order to his treating the general and his army in the best and most splendid manner his private affairs would enable him to do, and partly that he might, by their means, correct such things as were amiss in his government. He removed from Caesarea which was by the seaside, and went to that which is called Caesarea Philippi. Footnote, of this Caesarea Philippi, twice mentioned in our New Testament, Matthew 16 verse 13, Mark 8 verse 27, there are coins still extant. Spanheim here informs us. End footnote. And there he refreshed his army for 20 days and was himself feasted by king Agrippa, where he also returned public thanks to God for the good success he had had in his undertakings. But as soon as he was informed that Tiberias was fond of invoitions and that Tarcheri had revolted, both these cities were a part of the kingdom of Agrippa and was satisfied within himself that the Jews were everywhere perverted from their obedience to their governors. He thought it seasonable to make an expedition against these cities and that for the sake of Agrippa and in order to bring his cities to reason. So he sent away his son Titus to the other Caesarea that he might bring the army that lay there to say Thothbaus, which is the largest city of Decapolis and in the neighborhood of Tiberias, whither he came and where he waited for his son. He then came with three legions and pitched his camp 30 furlongs off Tiberias at a certain station easily seen by the innovators. It is named Senabris. He also sent Valerian a Decurion with 50 horsemen to speak peaceably to those that were in the city and to exhort them to give him assurances of their fidelity. For he had heard that the people were desirous of peace but were obliged by some of the seditious part to join with them and so were forced to fight for them. When Valerian had marched up to the place and was near the wall, he alighted off his horse and made those that were with him to do the same that they might not be thought to come to skirmish with them but before they could come to a discourse one with another. The most potent men among the seditious made a sally upon them armed. Their leader was one whose name was Jesus, the son of Shafat. The principal head of a band of robbers, now Valerian, neither thinking it safe to fight contrary to the commands of the general, though he were secure of a victory and knowing that it was very hazardous undertaking for a few to fight with many. For those that were unprovided to fight those that were ready and being on other accounts surprised at this unexpected onset of the Jews, he ran away on foot as did five of the rest in like manner and left their horses behind them. Which horses Jesus led away into the city and rejoiced as if they had taken them in battle and not by treachery. Eight. Now the seniors of the people and such as were a principal authority among them fearing what would be the issue of this matter fled to the camp of the Romans. They then took their king along with them and fell down before a Vespasian to supplicate his favor and besought him not to overlook them nor to impute the madness of a few to the whole city. To spare a people that had been ever civil and obliging to the Romans but to bring the authors of this revolt to due punishment, who had hitherto so watched them that though they were zealous to give them the security of their right hands of a long time yet could they not accomplish the same. With these supplications the general complied. Although he were very angry at the whole city about the carrying off his horses and this because he saw that Agrippa was under a great concern for them. So when Vespasian and Agrippa had accepted their right hands by way of security Jesus and his party thought it not safe for them to continue at Tiberias. So they ran away to Terachete. The next day Vespasian sent Trajan before with some horsemen to the citadel to make trial of the multitude whether they were disposed for peace and as soon as he knew that the people were of the same mind with the petitioner he took his army and went to the city upon which the citizens opened to him their gates and met him with acclamations of joy and called him their savior and benefactor. But as the army was a great while in getting in at the gates they were so narrow. Vespasian commanded the south wall to be broken down and so made a broad passage for their entrance. However he charged them to abstain from raping and injustice in order to gratify the king and on his account spared the rest of the wall while the king undertook for them that they should continue faithful to the Romans for the time to come and thus did he restore the city to a quiet state after it had been grievously afflicted by this edition. End of book three chapter nine book three chapter ten 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 Ann Boulet the wars of the Jews by Josephus translated by William Winston book three chapter ten how Tareche was taken a description of the river Jordan and of the country of Genesereth one and now Vespasian pitched his camp between this city and Tareche but fortified his camp more strongly as suspecting that he should be forced to stay there and have a long war for all the innovators had gotten together at Tareche as relying upon the strength of the city and on the lake that lay by it this lake is called by the people of the country the lake of Genesereth the city itself is situated like Tiberias at the bottom of a mountain and on those sides which are not washed by the sea have been strongly fortified by Josephus though not so strongly as Tiberias for the wall of Tiberias had been built at the beginning of the Jews revolt when he had great plenty of money and great power but the Tareche's part took only the remains of that liberality yet had they a great number of ships gotten ready upon the lake that in case they were beaten at land they might retire to them and they were so fitted up that they might undertake a sea fight also but as the Romans were building a wall about their camp Jesus and his party were neither affrighted at their number nor at the good order they were in but made a sally upon them and at the very first onset the builders of the wall were dispersed and these pulled what little they had before built to pieces but as soon as they saw the armed men getting together and before they had suffered anything themselves they retired to their own men but then the Romans pursued them and drove them into their ships where they launched out as far as might give them the opportunity of reaching the Romans with what they threw at them and then cast anchor and brought their ships close as in a line of battle and then spot the enemy from the sea who were themselves at land but Vespasian hearing that a great multitude of them were gotten together in the plane that was before the city he thereupon sent his son with 600 chosen horsemen to disperse them two but when Titus perceived that the enemy was very numerous he sent to his father and informed him that he should want more forces but as he saw a great many of the horsemen eager to fight and that before any suckers could come to them and that yet some of them were privately under a sort of consternation at the multitude of the Jews he stood in a place once he might be heard and said to them my brave Romans for it is right for me to put you in mind of what nation you are in the beginning of my speech that so you may not be ignorant who you are and who they are against whom we are going to fight for as to us Romans no part of the habitable earth have been able to escape our hands hitherto but as for the Jews that I may speak of them too though they have been already beaten yet do they not give up the cause and a sad thing it would be for us to grow wealthy under good success when they bear up under their misfortunes as to the alacrity which you show publicly I see it and rejoice at it yet am I afraid lest the multitude of the enemy should bring a concealed fright upon some of you let such a one consider again who we are that are to fight and who those are against whom we are to fight now these Jews though they be very bold and great despisers of death are but a disorderly body and unskillful in war and may rather be called a route than an army while I need say nothing of our skill in our good order for this is the reason why we Romans alone are exercised for war in time of peace that we may not think of number for number when we come to fight with our enemies for what advantage should we reap by our continual sort of war if we must still be equal in number to such as have not been used to war consider further that you are to have a conflict with men in effect unarmed while you are well armed with footmen while you are horsemen with those that have no good general while you have won and as these advantages make you in effect manifold more than you are so do their disadvantages mightily diminish their number now it is not the multitude of men though they be soldiers that manages wars with success but it is their bravery that does it though they be but few for a few are easily set in battle array and can easily assist one another while over numerous armies are more hurt by themselves than by their enemies it is boldness and rashness the effects of madness that conduct the Jews those passions indeed make a great figure when they succeed but are quite extinguished upon the least ill success but we are led on by courage and obedience and fortitude which shows itself indeed in our good fortune but still does not forever desert us in our ill fortune nay indeed your fighting is to be on greater motives than those of the Jews for although they run the hazard of war for liberty and for their country yet what can be a greater motive to us than glory and that it may never be said that after we have got dominion of the habitable earth the Jews are able to confront us we must also reflect upon this that there is no fear of our suffering any incurable disaster in the present case for those that are ready to assist us are many and at hand also yet it is in our power to seize upon this victory ourselves and I think we ought to prevent the coming of those my father is sending to us for our assistance that our success may be peculiar to ourselves and of greater reputation to us and I cannot but think this an opportunity wherein my father and I and you shall be all put to the trial whether he be worthy of his former glorious performances whether I be his son in reality and whether you be really my soldiers for it is usual for my father to conquer and for myself I should not bear the thoughts of returning to him if I were once taken by the enemy and how will you be able to avoid being ashamed if you do not show equal courage with your commander when he goes before you into danger for you know very well that I shall go into the danger first and make the first attack upon the enemy do not you therefore desert me but persuade yourselves that God will be assisting to my onset know this also before we begin that we shall now have better success than we should have if we were to fight at a distance three as Titus was saying this an extraordinary fury fell upon the men and as Trajan was already come before the fight began with 400 horsemen they were uneasy at it because the reputation of the victory would be diminished by being common to so many Vespasian had also sent both Antonius and Silo with 2000 archers and had given it them in charge to seize upon the mountain that was over against the city and repel those that were upon the wall which archers did as they were commanded and prevented those that attempted to assist them that way and now Titus made his own horse march first against the enemy as did the others with a great noise after him and extended themselves upon the plane as why does the enemy which confronted them by which means they appeared much more numerous than they really were now the Jews although they were surprised at this onset and at their good order made resistance against their attacks for a little while but when they were pricked with very long poles and overborn by the violent noise of the horsemen they came to be trampled under their feet many also of them were slain on every side which made them disperse themselves and run to the city as fast as every one of them were able so Titus pressed upon the hind most and slew them and of the rest some he fell upon as they stood on heaps and some he prevented and met them in the mouth and run them through many also he leaped upon as they fell one upon another and trod them down and cut off all the retreat they had to the wall and turn them back into the plane till at last they forced a passage by their multitude and got away and ran into the city four but now there fell out a terrible sedition among them within the city for the inhabitants themselves who had possessions there and to whom the city belonged were not disposed to fight from the very beginning and now the less so because they had been beaten but the foreigners which were very numerous would force them to fight so much the more in so much that there was a clamor and a tumult among them as all mutually angry one at another and when Titus heard this tumult for he was not far from the wall he cried out fellow soldiers now is the time and why do we make any delay when God is giving up the Jews to us take the victory which is given you do not you hear what a noise they make those that escaped our hands are ill and uproar against one another we have the city if we make haste but besides haste we must undergo some labor and use some courage for no great thing uses to be accomplished without danger accordingly we must not only prevent their uniting again which necessity will soon compel them to do but we must also prevent the coming of our men to our assistance that as few as we are we may conquer so great a multitude and may ourselves alone take the city five as soon as ever Titus had said this he leaped upon his horse and rode a pace down to the lake by which lake he marched and entered into the city the first of them all as did the others soon after him here upon those that were upon the walls were seized with a terror at the boldness of the attempt nor durst anyone ventured to fight with him or to hinder him so they left guarding the city and some of those that were about Jesus fled over the country while others of them ran down to the lake and met the enemy in the teeth and some were slain as they were getting up into the ships but others of them as they attempted to overtake those that were already gone aboard there was also a great slaughter made in the city while those foreigners that had not fled away already made opposition but the natural inhabitants were killed without fighting foreign hopes of Titus is giving them his right hand for their security and out of a consciousness that they had not given any consent to the war they avoided fighting till Titus had slain the authors of this revolt and then put a stop to any further slaughters out of a commiseration of these inhabitants of the place but for those that had fled to the lake upon seeing the city taken they sailed as far as they possibly could from the enemy six here upon Titus sent one of his horsemen to his father and let him know the good news of what he had done at which as was natural he was very joyful both on account of the courage and glorious actions of his son for he thought that now the greatest part of the war was over he then came thither himself and set men to guard the city and gave them command to take care that nobody got privately out of it but to kill such as attempted so to do and on the next day he went down to the lake and commanded that vessel should be fitted up in order to pursue those that had escaped in ships these vessels were quickly gotten ready accordingly because there was great plenty of materials and a great number of artificers also seven now this lake of genocerat is so called from the country adjoining to it its breath is 40 furlongs and its length 140 its waters are sweet and very agreeable for drinking for they are finer than the thick waters of other fins the lake is also pure and on every side ends directly at the shores and at the sand it is also of a temperate nature when you draw it up and of a more gentle nature than river or fountain water and yet always cooler than one could expect in so diffuse a place as this is now when this water is kept in the open air it is as cold as that snow which the country people are accustomed to make by night in summer there are several kinds of fish in it different both in the taste and the sight from those elsewhere it is divided into two parts by the river jordan now panium is thought to be the fountain of jordan but in reality it is carried thither after an occult manner from the place called fiala this place lies as you go up to traconitas and is 120 furlongs from sazeria and is not far out of the road on the right hand and indeed it hath its name fiala vile or bold very justly from the roundness of its circumference as being round like a wheel its water continues always up to its edges without either sinking or running over and as this origin of jordan was formerly not known it was discovered so to be when philip was tetrarch of traconitas for he had chaff thrown into fiala and it was found at panito where the ancients thought the fountain head of the river was whether it had been therefore carried by the waters as for panium itself its natural buting had been improved by the royal liberality of agrippa and adorned at his expenses now jordan's visible stream arises from this cavern and devised the marshes and fens of the lake semiconitas when it hath run another 120 furlongs it first passes by the city julius and then passes through the middle of the lake genocerath after which it runs a long way over a desert and then makes its exit into the lake asphaltedis eight the country also that lies over against this lake have the same name of genocerath its nature is wonderful as well as its beauty its soil is so fruitful that all sorts of trees can grow upon it and the inhabitants accordingly plant all sorts of trees there for the temper of the air is so well mixed that it agrees very well with those several sorts particularly walnuts which require the coldest air flourish there in vast plenty there are palm trees also which grow best in hot air fig trees also and olives grow near them which yet require an air that is more temperate one may call this place the ambition of nature where it forces those plants that are naturally enemies to one another to agree together it is a happy contention of the seasons as if every one of them lay claim to this country for it not only nourishes different sorts of autumnal fruit beyond men's expectation but preserves them a great while it supplies men with principal fruits with grapes and figs continually during 10 months of the year and the rest of the fruits as they become ripe together throughout the whole year footnote it may be worth our while to observe here that near this lake genocerath grapes and figs hang on the trees 10 months of the year we may observe also that in Cyril of Jerusalem which was delivered not long before Easter there was no fresh leaves of fig trees nor bunches of fresh grapes in Judea so that when saint mark says chapter 11 verse 13 that our savior soon after the same time of the year came and found leaves on a fig tree near Jerusalem but no figs because the time of new figs ripening was not yet he says very true nor were they therefore other than old leaves which our savior saw and old figs which he expected and even with us commonly hang on trees all winter long and footnote for besides the good temperature of the air it is also water from a most fertile fountain the people of the country call it caffarnum some have thought it to be a vein of the Nile because it produces the creason fish as well as that lake does which is near to Alexandria the length of this country extends itself along the banks of this lake that bears the same name for 30 furlongs and is in breath 20 and this is the nature of that place nine but now when the vessels were gotten ready vespasian put upon shipboard as many of his forces as he thought sufficient to be too hard for those that were upon the lake and set sail after them now these which were driven into the lake could neither fly to the land where all was in their enemy's hand and in war against them nor could they fight upon the level by sea for their ships were small and fitted only for piracy they were too weak to fight with vespasians vessels and the mariners that were in them were so few that they were afraid to come near the romans who attacked them in great numbers however as they sailed round about the vessels and sometimes as they came near them they threw stones at the romans when they were a good way off or came closer and fought them yet did they receive the greatest harm themselves in both cases as for the stones they threw at the romans they only made a sound one after another for they threw them against such as were in their armor while the roman darts could reach the jews themselves and when they ventured to come near the romans they became sufferers themselves before they could do any harm to the either and were drowned they and their ships together as for those that endeavor to come to an actual fight the romans ran many of them through with their long poles sometimes the romans leaped into their ships with swords in their hands and slew them but when some of them met the vessels the romans caught them by the middle and destroyed at once their ships and themselves who were taken in them as for such as were drowning in the sea if they lifted their heads up above the water they were either killed by darts or caught by the vessels but if in the desperate case they were in they attempted to swim to their enemies the romans cut off either their heads or their hands and indeed they were destroyed after various manners everywhere till the rest being put to flight were forced to get upon the land while the vessels encompassed them about on the sea but as many of these were repulsed when they were getting ashore they were killed by the darts upon the lake and the romans leaped out of their vessels and destroyed a great many more upon the land one might then see the lake all bloody and full of dead bodies for not one of them escaped and a terrible stink and a very sad sight there was on the following days over that country for as for the shores they were full of shipwrecks and of dead bodies all swelled and as the dead bodies were inflamed by the sun and putrified they corrupted the air in so much that the misery was not only the object of commiseration to the jews but to those that hated them and had been the authors of that misery this was the upshot of the sea fight the number of the slain including those that were killed in the city before was six thousand and five hundred ten after this fight was over vespasian sat upon his tribunal at tarachae in order to distinguish the foreigners from the old inhabitants for those foreigners appeared to have begun the war so he deliberated with the other commanders whether he ought to save those old inhabitants or not and when those commanders alleged that the dismission of them that would be to his own disadvantage because when they were once set at liberty they would not be at rest since they would be people destitute of proper habitations and would be able to compel such as they fled to fight against us vespasian acknowledged that they did not deserve to be saved and that if they had leave given them to fly away they would make use of it against those that gave them that leave but still he considered with himself after what manner they should be slain for if he had them slain there he suspected the people of the country would thereby become his enemies footnote this is the most cruel and barbarous action that vespasian ever did in this whole war as he did it with great reluctance also it was done both after public assurance given of sparing the prisoner's lives and when all knew and confessed that these prisoners were in no way guilty of any sedition against the romans nor indeed did Titus now give his consent so far as appears nor ever act of himself so barbarously nay soon after this Titus grew quite weary of shedding blood and of punishing the innocent with the guilty and gave the people of Gisela leave to keep the jewish sabbath in the midst of their siege nor was vespasian disposed to do what he did till his officers persuaded him and that from two principal topics vese that nothing could be unjust that was done against jews and that when both cannot be consistent advantage must prevail over justice admirable court doctrines these end footnote for that to be sure they would never bear it that so many that had been supplicants to him should be killed and to offer violence to them after he had given them assurances of their lives he could not himself bear to do it however his friends were too hard for him and pretended that nothing against jews could be any impiety and that he ought to prefer what was profitable before what was fit to be done where both could not be made consistent so he gave them an ambiguous liberty to do as they advised and permitted the prisoners to go along no other road than that which led to tiberias only so they readily believed what they desired to be true and went along securely with their effects the way which was allowed them while the roman seized upon all the road that led to tiberias that none of them might go out of it and shut them up in the city then came vespasian and ordered them all to stand in the stadium and commanded them to kill the old men together with the others that were useless which were in number a thousand and two hundred out of the young men he chose six thousand of the strongest and sent them to nero to dig through the isthmus and sold the remainder for slaves being thirty thousand and four hundred besides such as he made a present of to agrippa for as to those that belong to his kingdom he gave him leave to do what he pleased with them however the king sold these also for slaves but for the rest of the multitude who were traconites and golynites and of hippos and some of gadara and the greatest part of them were seditious persons and fugitives who were of such shameful characters that they preferred war before peace these prisoners were taken on the eighth day of the month gore paeus elu end of book three chapter ten end of book three book four chapter one of the wars of the jews this is a liberbox recording all liberbox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit liberbox.org the wars of the jews by josephus translated by william wiston book four containing the interval of about one year from the siege of gamala to the coming of titus to besiege jerusalem chapter one the siege and taking of gamala one now all those galalians who after the taking of jota pata had revolted from the romans did upon the conquest of terraque deliver themselves up to them again and the romans received all the fortresses and the cities accepting gizcala and those that had seized upon mont tebor gamala also which is a city ever against terraquem but on the other side of the lake conspired with them this city lay upon the borders of agrippa's kingdom as also did sogana and silucia and these were both parts of golynites for sogana was part of that called the upper golynites as was gamala of the lower while silucia was situated at the lake semi coitus which lake is 30 furlongs in breadth and 60 in length its marshes reach as far as the place dafney which in other respects is a delicious place and half such fountains as supply water to what is called little jordan under the temple of the golden calf where it is sent into the great jordan footnote here we have the exact situation of geroboams at the exit of the little jordan into the great jordan near the place called dafney but of old dan but reland suspects flint here we should read dan instead of there being nowhere else mentioned of a place called dafney and footnote now agrippa had united sogana and silucia by leagues to himself at the very beginning of the revolt of the romans yet did not gamala accede to them but relied upon the difficulty of the place which was greater than that of jodapada for it was situated upon a rough ridge of the high mountain with a kind of neck in the middle where it begins to ascend it lengthens itself and declines as much downward before as behind in so much that it is like a camel in figure from whence it is so named although the people of the country do not pronounce it accurately both on the side in the face there are abrupt parts divided from the rest and ending in vast deep valleys yet are the parts behind where they are joined to the mountain somewhat easier of a scent than the other but then the people belonging to the place have cut an oblique ditch there and made that hard to be ascended also on its eclivity which is straight houses are built and those very thick and close to one another the city also hangs so strangely that it looks as if it would fall down upon itself so sharp is it at the top it is exposed to the south and its southern mount which reaches to an immense height was in the nature of a citadel to the city and above that was a precipice not walled about but extending itself to an immense depth there was also a spring of water within the wall at the utmost limits of the city two as this city was naturally hard to be taken so had josephus by building a wall about it made it still stronger as also by ditches and mines underground the people that were in it were made more bold by the nature of the place than the people of jodhapada had been but it had much fewer fighting men in it and they had such a confidence in the situation of the place that they thought the enemy could not be too many for them for the city had been filled with those that had fled to it for safety on account of its strength on which account they had been able to resist those whom agrippa sent to be seized it for seven months together three but vespasian removed from a mayas where he had last pitched his camp before the city tiberias now a mayas if it may be interpreted may be rendered a warm bath for therein is a spring of warm water useful for healing and came to gamala yet was its situation such that he was not able to encompass it all around with soldiers to watch it but where the places were practicable he set men to watch it and seized upon the mountain which was over it and as the legions according to their usual custom were fortifying their camp upon that mountain he began to cast up banks at the bottom at the part towards the east where the highest tower of the whole city was and where the 15th legion pitched their camp while the fifth legion did duty over against the midst of the city and whilst the 10th legion filled up the ditches in the valleys now at this time it was that as king agrippa was come nigh the walls and was endeavoring to speak to those that were on the walls about a surrender he was hit with a stone on his right elbow by one of the slingers he was then immediately surrounded with his own men but the romans were excited to set about the siege by their indignation on the king's account and by their fear on their own account as concluding that those men would omit no kinds of barbarity against foreigners and enemies who were so enraged against one of their own nation and one that advised them to nothing but what was for their own advantage four now when the banks were finished which was done on the sudden both by the multitude of hands and by their being accustomed to such work they brought the machines but charis and joseph who were the most potent men in the city set their armed men in order though already in a fright because they did not suppose that the city could hold out long since they had not a sufficient quantity either of water or of other necessaries however these their leaders encouraged them and brought them out upon the wall and for a while indeed they drove away those that were bringing the machines but when those machines threw darts and stones at them they retired into the city then did the romans bring battering rams to three several places and made the wall shake and fall they then poured in over the parts of the wall that were thrown down with a mighty sound of trumpets and noise of armor and with a shout of the soldiers and break in by force upon those that were in the city but these men fell upon the romans for some time at their first entrance and prevented their going any further and with great courage beat them back and the romans were so overpowered by the greater multitude of the people who beat them on every side that they were obliged to run into the upper parts of the city whereupon the people turned about and fell upon their enemies who had attacked them and thrust them down to the lower parts and as they were distressed by the narrowness and difficulty of the place slew them and as these romans could neither beat those back that were above them nor escape the force of their own men that were forcing their way forward they were compelled to fly into their enemy's houses which were low but these houses being thus full of soldiers whose weight they could not bear fell down suddenly and when one house fell it shook down a great many of those that were under it as did those due to such as were under them by this means a vast number of the romans perished for they were so terribly distressed that although they saw the houses subsiding they were compelled to leap upon the tops of them so that a great many were ground to powder by these ruins and a great many of those that got out from under them lost some of their limbs but still a greater number were suffocated by the dust that arose from those ruins the people of Gamala supposed this to be an assistance afforded them by God and without regarding what damage they suffered themselves they pressed forward and thrust the enemy upon the tops of their houses and when they stumbled in the sharp and narrow streets and were perpetually falling down they threw their stones or darts at them and slew them now the very ruins afforded them stones enough and for iron weapons the dead men of the enemy's side afforded them what they wanted for drawing the swords of those that were dead they made use of them to dispatch such as were only half dead nay there were a great number who upon their falling down from the tops of the houses stabbed themselves and died after that manner nor indeed was it easy for those who were beaten back to fly away for they were so unacquainted with the ways and the dust was so thick that they wandered about without knowing one another and fell down dead among the crowd five those therefore that were able to find their ways out of the city retired but now vespasian always stayed among those that were hard set for he was deeply affected with seeing the ruins of the city falling upon his army and forgot to take care of his own preservation he went up gradually towards the highest parts of the city before he was aware and was left in the midst of dangers having only a very few with him for even his son titus was not with him at that time having been then sent to syria to musianis however he thought it not safe to fly nor did he esteem it a fit thing for him to do but calling to mind the actions he had done from his youth and recollecting his courage as if he had been excited by a divine fury he covered himself and those that were with him with their shields and formed a testudo over both their bodies and their armor and bore up against the enemy's attacks who came running down from the top of the city and without showing any dread at the multitude of the men or of their darts he endured all until the enemy took notice of that divine courage that was within him and remitted of their attacks and when they pressed less zealously upon him he retired though without showing his back to them till he was gotten out of the walls of the city now a great number of the romans fell in this battle among whom was abudias the da kurian a man who appeared not only in this engagement wherein he fell but everywhere and in former engagements to be of the truest courage and one that had done very great mischief to the jews but there was a centurion whose name was gallus who during this disorder being encompassed about he and ten other soldiers privately crept into the house of a certain person where he heard them talking at supper what the people intended to do against the romans or about themselves for both the man himself and those with him were syrians so he got up in the nighttime and cut all their throats and escaped together with his soldiers to the romans six and now vespasian comforted his army which was much dejected by reflecting on their ill success and because they had never before fallen into such a calamity and besides this because they were greatly ashamed that they had left their general alone in great dangers as to what concerned himself he avoided to say anything that he might by no means seem to complain of it but he said that quote we ought to bear manfully what usually falls out in war and this by considering what the nature of war is and how it can never be that we must conquer without bloodshed on our own side for there stands about us that fortune which is of its own nature mutable that while they had killed so many ten thousands of the jews they had now paid their small share of the reckoning to fate and as it is the part of weak people to be too much puffed up with good success so is it the part of cowards to be too much affrighted at that which is ill for the change from one to the other is sudden on both sides and he is the best warrior who is of a sober mind under misfortunes that he may continue in that temper and cheerfully recover what had been lost formerly and as for what had now happened it was neither owing to their own effeminacy nor to the valor of the jews but the difficulty of the place was the occasion of their advantage and of our disappointment upon reflecting on which matter one might blame your zeal as perfectly ungovernable for when the enemy had retired to their highest fastnesses you ought to have restrained yourselves and not by presenting yourselves at the top of the city to be exposed to dangers but upon your having obtained the lower parts of the city you ought to have provoked those that had retired thither to a safe and settled battle whereas in rushing so hastily upon victory you took no care of your safety but this incautiousness in war and this madness of zeal is not a roman maxim while we perform all that we attempt by skill and good order that procedure is the part of barbarians and is what the jews chiefly support themselves by we ought therefore to return to our own virtue and to be rather angry than any longer dejected at this unlucky misfortune and let everyone seek for his own consolation from his own hand for by this means he will avenge those that have been destroyed and punish those that have killed them for myself i will endeavor as i have now done to go first before you against your enemies in every engagement and to be the last that retires from it and quote seven so vespasian encouraged his army by this speech but for the people of gamala it happened that they took courage for a little while upon such great and unaccountable successes as they had had but when they considered with themselves that they had now no hopes of any terms of accommodation and reflecting upon it that they could not get away and that their provisions began already to be short they were exceedingly cast down and their courage failed them yet did they not neglect what might be for their preservation so far as they were able but the most courageous among them guarded those parts of the wall that were beaten down while the more infirm did the same to the rest of the wall that still remained around the city and as the romans raised their banks and attempted to get into the city a second time a great many of them fled out of the city through impracticable valleys where no guards were placed as also through subterraneous caverns while those that were afraid of being caught and for that reason stayed in the city perished for want of food for what food they had was brought together from all quarters and reserved for the fighting men eight and these were the hard circumstances that the people of gamala were in but now vespasian went about other work by the by during the siege and that was to subdue those that had seized upon mount tabore a place that lies in the middle between the great plain and sythopolis whose top is elevated as high as 30 furlongs and is hardly to be ascended on its north side its top is a plain of 26 furlongs and all encompassed with a wall footnote these numbers in josephus of 30 furlongs ascent to the top of mount tabore whether we estimate it by winding and gradual or by the perpendicular altitude and of 26 furlongs circumference upon the top as also 15 furlongs for this ascent in polybius with with geminus's perpendicular altitude of almost 14 furlongs here noted by dr. Hudson do none of them agree with the authentic testimony of mr. mondrell an eyewitness who says that he was not an hour in getting up to the top of this mount tabore and that the area of the top is an oval of about two furlongs in length and one in breadth so i rather suppose josephus wrote three furlongs for the ascent or altitude instead of 30 and six furlongs for the circumference at the top instead of 26 since a mountain of only three furlongs perpendicular altitude may easily require near an hour's ascent and the circumference of an oval of the foregoing quantity is near six furlongs nor certainly could such a vast circumference as 26 furlongs or three miles and a quarter at that height be encompassed with a wall including a trench and other fortifications perhaps those still remaining in the small interval of 40 days as josephus here says they were by himself and footnote now josephus erected this so long a wall in 40 days time and furnished it with other materials and with water from below for the inhabitants only made use of rainwater as therefore there was a great multitude of people gotten together upon this mountain vespasian sent placidus with 600 horsemen thither now as it was impossible for him to ascend the mountain he invited many of them to peace by the offer of his right hand for their security and of his intercession for them accordingly they came down but with a treacherous design as well as he had the like treacherous design upon them on the other side for placidus spoke mildly to them as aiming to take them when he got them into the plane they also came down as complying with his proposals but it was in order to fall upon him when he was not aware of it however placidus's stratagem was too hard for theirs for when the jews began to fight he pretended to run away and when they were in pursuit of the romans he enticed them a great way along the plane and then made his horsemen turn back where upon he beat them and slew a great number of them and cut off the retreat of the rest of the multitude and hindered their return so they left tabore and fled to jerusalem while the people of the country came to terms with him for their water failed them and so they delivered up the mountain and themselves to placidus but of the people of gamala those that were of the boulder sort fled away and hid themselves while the more infirm perished by famine but the men of war sustained the siege till the two and twentieth day of the month hyperbaritans tisri when three soldiers of the fifteenth legion about the morning watch got under a high tower that was near them and undermined it without making any noise nor when they either came to it which was in the night time nor when they were under it did those that guarded it perceive them these soldiers then upon their coming avoided making a noise and when they had rolled away five of its strongest stones they went away hastily where upon the tower fell down on a sudden with a very great noise and its guard fell headlong with it so that those that kept guard at other places were under such disturbance that they ran away the romans also slew many of those that ventured to oppose them among whom was joseph who was slain by a dart as he was running away over that part of the wall that was broken down but as those that were in the city were greatly affrighted at the noise they ran hither and thither and a great consternation fell upon them as though all the enemy had fallen in it once upon them then it was that charas who was ill and under the physician's hands gave up the ghost the fear that he was in greatly contributing to make his distemper fatal to him but the roman so well remembered their former ill success that they did not enter the city till the three and twentieth day of the four mentioned month ten at which time titus who was now returned out of the indignation he had at the destruction the romans had undergone while he was absent took two hundred chosen horsemen and some footmen with him and entered without noise into the city now as the watch perceived that he was coming they made a noise and betook themselves to their arms and as that his entrance was presently known to those that were in the city some of them caught hold of their children and their wives and drew them after them and fled away to the citadel with lamentations and cries while others of them went to meet titus and were killed perpetually but so many of them as were hindered from running up to the citadel not knowing what in the world to do fell among the roman guards while the groans of those that were killed were prodigiously great everywhere and blood ran down all over the lower parts of the city from the upper but then vespasian himself came to his assistance against those that had fled to the citadel and brought his whole army with him now this upper part of the city was every way rocky and difficult of ascent and elevated to a vast altitude and very full of people on all sides and encompassed with precipices whereby the jews cut off those that came up to them and did much mischief to others by their darts and the large stones which they rolled down upon them while they were themselves so high that the enemy's darts could hardly reach them however there arose such a divine storm against them as was instrumental to their destruction this carried the roman darts upon them and made those which they threw turned back and drove them obliquely away from them nor could the jews indeed stand upon their precipices by reason of the violence of the wind having nothing that was stable to stand upon nor could they see those that were ascending up to them so the romans got up and surrounded them and some they slew before they could defend themselves and others as they were delivering up themselves and the remembrance of those that were slain at their former entrance into the city increased their rage against them now a great number also of those who were surrounded on every side and a spirit of escaping through their children and their wives and themselves also down the precipices into the valley beneath which near the citadel had been dug hollow to a vast depth but so it happened that the anger of the romans appeared not to be so extravagant as was the madness of those that were now taken while the romans slew but four thousand whereas the number of those that had thrown themselves down was found to be five thousand nor did anyone escape except two women who were the daughters of philip and philip himself was the son of a certain eminent man called jackomis who had been general of king agrippa's army and these did therefore escape because they lay concealed from the rage of the romans when the city was taken for otherwise they spared not so much as the infants of which many were flung down by them from the citadel and thus was gamala taken on the three and twentieth day of the month hyperbaritons tisry whereas the city had first revolted on the four and twentieth day of the month gore payas elul and of book four chapter one book four chapter two of the war of the jews this is a liberal recording all liberal recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the war of the jews by josephus translated by william wiston chapter two the surrender of jishala while giant flies away from it jerusalem now no place of gaily remains to be taken by the small city of jishala whose mulch duty it were desirous of peace for they were generally husband men and always applied themselves to cultivate the fruits of the earth however they were a great number that belong to the band of robbers that were already corrupted and had crept in among them and some of the governing part of the citizens were sick of the same this temper it was john the son of a certain man whose name was levi that drew them into this rebellion and encouraged them in it he was a cunning nave and of a temper that could put up various shapes very rash and expecting great things and very seditious and bringing about what he hoped for it was known to be everybody that he was fond of war in order to trust himself into authority and the seditious part of the people of jishala were put under his management by whose means the populace who seemed ready to send ambassadors in order to surrender waited for the coming of the romans in battle array whose passions sent against them did this with a thousand horsemen but withdrew the 10th lesion to psychopholus while he returned to cesaria with the two other lesions that he might allow them to refresh themselves after their long and hard campaign thinking with all that the plenty which was in those cities would improve their bodies and their spirits against the difficulties they were to go through afterwards for he saw there would be occasions for great pains about jerusalem which was not yet taken because it was a royal city and the principal city of the whole nation and because those that had run away from the war in other places got all together tithur it was also naturally strong and the walls that were built around it made him not a little concerned about it more ever he esteemed the men that were in it to be so courageous and bold that even without the consideration of the walls it would be hard to subdue them for which reason he took care of and exited soldiers beforehand for the work as they do wrestlers before they begin their undertaking now titus as he rode out to dishala found it would be easy for him to take the city upon the first onset but knew with all that if he took it by force the multitude would be destroyed by the soldiers without mercy so he was rather desirous the city might be surrendered up to him on terms accordingly when he saw the wall full of those men that were of the corrupted party he said to them that he could not but wonder what it was they depended on when they alone stayed to fight the romans after every other city was taken by them especially when they have seen cities much better fortified than theirs is overthrown by a single upon attack upon them while as many as have entrusted themselves the security of the roman's right hand which he now offers them without regarding their former insolence do enjoy their own positions and safety for that while they had hopes of recovering their liberty they might be pardoned but that their continuance still in their opposition when they saw that to the impossible was inexcusable for this if they will not comply with such humane offers and right hands for security they should have experience of such a war as would spare nobody and should soon be made sensible that their wall would be a little trifle when battered by the roman machines in depending on which they demonstrate themselves to be the only galalians that were no better than arrogant slaves and captives now none of the populist dirst not only make a reply but dirst not so much as get up on the wall for it was all taken up by the robbers who were also the guards of the gates in order to prevent any of the rest from going out in order to propose terms of submission and from receiving any of the horsemen into the city but john returned to test this answer that for himself he was content to herken to his proposals and that he would either persuade or force those that refused him yet he said that titus ought to have such regard to the jewish law as to grant him leave to celebrate that day which was a seventh day of the week on which it was unlawful not only to remove their arms but even to treat of peace also and that even the romans were not ignorant how the period of the seventh day was among them a secession from all labors and that he who should compel them to transgress the law about the day would be equally guilt with those that were compelled to transgress it and that this delay could be of no advantage to him for why should anybody think of doing anything in the night unless it was to fly away which he might prevent by placing his camp around about them and that they should think it a great point gained if they might not be obliged to transgress the laws of their country and that it would be a right thing for him who designed to grant them peace without their expectation of such a favor to preserve the laws of those they saved inviolable dusted the man put a trick upon titus not so much of the regard to the seventh day as to his own preservation for he was afraid lest he should be quite deserted if the city should not be taken and had these hopes of life in that night and in his fight therein now this was the work of god who therefore preserved this john that he might bring on the destruction of jerusalem as also it was his work that hit us was prevailed with by this pretence for a delay and that he pitched his camp further off the city of sedesa this sedesa was a strong mediterranean village of tyrenees which always hatred and made war against the jews it had also a great number of inhabitants and was well fortified which made it a proper place for such as were enemies to the jewish nation now in the night time when john saw the opportunity was no roman god about the city he seized the opportunity directly and taking with him not only the armed men that were about him but a considerable number of those that are little due together with their families he fled to jerusalem and indeed through the man was making haste to get away and was tormented with fears of being a captive or of losing his life yet did he prevail with himself to take out of the city along with him a multitude of women and children as far as 20 for longs but there he left them as he proceeded further on his journey where those that were left behind made sand lamentations for the father every one of them who came from his own people the nearer they thought themselves to be to their enemies they also affrighted themselves with the thought that those who would carry them into captivity were just at hand and still turned themselves back at the mere noise they made themselves in this hasty fight as if those from whom they fled were just upon them many also of them missed their ways and the earnestness of such as aim to outgo the rest through down many of the time and indeed there was a miserable destruction made of the women and children while some of them took courage to call their husbands and kinsmen back and to beseech them with the bitterest lamentations to stay from them but john's exhortation who cried out to them to save themselves and fly away prevailed he said also that if the roman should seize upon those whom they left behind they would be revenged on them for it so this multitude that ran thus away was dispersed abroad according as such and each of them was able to run one faster or slower than another now on the next day tithus came to the wall to make the agreement whereupon the people opened their grades to him and came out to him with the children and wives and made exclamations of joy to him as to one that had been their benefactor and had delivered the city out of the custody they also informed him of john's flight and besought him to spare them and to come in and bring the rest of those that were for innovations to punishment but tithus not so much regarding the supplications of the people sent part of his horsemen to pursue after john but they could not overtake him for he was gotten to jerusalem before they also slew six thousand of the women and children who went out with him but returned back and bought with them almost three thousand however tithus was greatly displeased that he had not been able to bring this john who had deluded him to punishment and yet he had captives enough as well as a corrupted part of the city to satisfy his anger when it missed of john so he entered the city in the midst of exclamations of joy and when he had given orders to the soldiers to pull down a small part of the wall as of a city taken in war he repressed those that had disturbed the city rather by threatenings than by executions for he thought that many would accuse innocent persons out of their own private animosities and quarrels if he should attempt to distinguish those that were worthy of punishment from the rest and that it was better to let a guilty person alone in his fears that to destroy him anyone that did not deserve it for that probably such a one might be taught prudence by the fear of the punishment he had deserved and have a shame upon him for his former offences when he had been forgiven but that the punishment of such as have been once put to death could not be retrieved however he placed a garrison in the city for its security by which means he should restrain those that were for innovations and should leave those that were peaceably disposed in greater security and thus was all gaily taken but this not till after it had caused the romans much pain before it could be taken by them end of book four chapter two recording by her surana banglore city of india