The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem

F >> Flavius Josephus >> The Wars of the Jews or History of the Destruction of Jerusalem

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38

34. 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,
Domitius Sabinus, 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 Cerealis the tribune, and
Placidus, and led on those that were tinder them. Now when the
citadel was 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 precipice 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 Josephus, 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.

35. However, such of the watch as at the first perceived 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
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 that 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 incautiously reached him his right hand, when the
other man prevented him, and stabbed him under his loins with a
spear, and killed him immediately.

36. 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 under ground, and in
the caverns, and went thus through every age, excepting 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. So Vespasian gave order that the
city should be entirely demolished, and all the fortifications
burnt down. And thus was Jotapata taken, in the thirteenth year
of the reign of Nero, on the first day of the month Panemus
[Tamuz].

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, whereto 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 day time 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 every
where 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, Paulinus
and Gallicanus, and ordered them to give Josephus their right
hands as a security for his life, and to exhort him to come up.

2. 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, Nicanor, 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
fairest color 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.

3. Now as Josephus began to hesitate with himself about Nicanor's
proposal, the soldiery were so angry, that they ran hastily to
set fire to the den; but the tribune would not permit them so to
do, as being very desirous to take the man alive. And now, as
Nicanor 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 had
signified to him beforehand both the future calamities of the
Jews, and the events that concerned the Roman emperors. Now
Josephus was able to give shrewd conjectures about the
interpretation of such dreams as have been ambiguously 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 was he 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 to pass 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."

4. When he had said this, he complied with Nicanor'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 groan to purpose;
that God we mean who hath created the souls of the Jews of such a
temper, that they despise death. O Josephus! art 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 a
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.

5. 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 then in, when he said
thus to them: "O 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 any one 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 thin 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 we
are 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 arrant 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 by its own contrivance, or
by its own means, for the desire of life is a law engraven in
them all; on which 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 any
one destroys or abuses a depositum he hath received from a mere
man, he is esteemed a wicked and perfidious person; but then if
any one 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 impeity? 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, when 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, from 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 till the sun be set,
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 had been made use of in destroying themselves when
alive, while they reckoned that as the 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 impiety 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
enemies' 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."
6. 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 everyone 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 turn themselves
against those that last touched them. Nay, some of their right
hands were debilitated by the reverence they bare to their
general 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.

7. 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 manner following]: "And now,"
said he, "since it is resolved among you that you will die, come
on, let us commit our mutual deaths to determination by lot. He
whom the lot falls to first, let him be killed by him that hath
the second lot, and thus fortune shall make its 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 was he 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
imbrue 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.

8. Thus Josephus escaped in the war with the Romans, and in this
his own war with his friends, and was led by Nicanor 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 a 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 soever they had been enraged at him before,
but relented when they came to the sight of him. Above all the
rest, Titus's own valor, and Josephus's 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. (5)

9. When Josephus heard him give those 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,
excepting Titus and two of their 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 greater
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 now still faster,
and keep me for thyself, for thou, O Caesar, are 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 now am
in, in order to be punished, if I rashly affirm any thing of
God." When he had said this, Vespasian at present did not believe
him, but supposed 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 fore-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 couldst not foretell
to the people of Jotapata that they should be taken, nor couldst
foretell this captivity which hath happened to thyself, unless
what thou now sayest 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 forty-seventh 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 ill the honors that were done him.

CHAPTER 9.

How Joppa Was Taken, And Tiberias Delivered Up.

1. Now Vespasian returned to Ptolemais on the fourth day of the
month Panemus, [Tamus] and from thence he came to Cesarea, which
lay by the sea-side. 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 general, 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 injudicious multitude, with a
bare silence. Two of the legions also he placed at Cesarea, that
they might there take their winter-quarters, as perceiving the
city very fit for such a purpose; but he placed the tenth and the
fifth at Scythopolis, that he might not distress Cesarea with the
entire army. This place was warm even in winter, as it was
suffocating hot in the summer time, by reason of its situation in
a plain, and near to the sea [of Galilee].

2. In the mean time, there were gathered together as well such as
had seditiously 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 all 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. But the north wind opposes
and beats upon the shore, and dashes mighty waves against the
rocks which receive them, and renders the haven more dangerous
than the country they had deserted. Now as those people of Joppa
were floating about in this 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 dashed their ships one against
another, and dashed some of them against the rocks, and carried
many of them by force, while they strove against the opposite
waves, into the main sea; for the shore was so rocky, and had so
many of the enemy upon it, that they were afraid to come to land;
nay, the waves rose so very high, that they drowned them; nor was
there any place whither 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 staid where they were, and out of
the city by the violence of the Romans. 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, 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, insomuch that the sea was bloody a long way, and the
maritime parts were full of dead bodies; 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
four thousand and two hundred. The Romans also took the city
without opposition, and utterly demolished it.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38