still considered as one of you. For with you is my dear wife, the wife of my youth, whom I still embrace, though I have had no children by her. With you also are my father and mother. He is now an hundred and three years old, and my mother eighty-five. I am sixty-four years of age, and have not yet attained to the term of human life.'

Many, he says, wept at hearing him; and many people of meaner rank would willingly have gone out of the city to surrender themselves to Titus; but the three leaders of the factions, Simon, and Eleazar, and John, prevented them by their severe threatenings, and the strict guard they kept over them.

In the mean time the famine increased, and was very grievous. The people ate mice, spiders, weasels, serpents, toads and if the carcase of a horse or other beast was found in any of the streets of Jerusalem, multitudes contended for it.

Titus a continues his attacks, but the Jews gain great advantages over him. They killed a great number of his men, and destroyed his platforms, which gave him great

concern.

C

Soon after that, Titus, as this author says, received numerous recruits from all nations and countries subject to the Roman empire. At their arrival, Titus represents to their generals and chief men the state of things, and how the Jews had prevailed, and still had great strength remaining. These recruits, however, are very willing to engage with the Jews: and out of the vast numbers of fresh men,

d

y Cum ergo audivisset populus verba Josephi sacerdotis, fleverunt plurimum Et quidem summopere optabat plebs infima exire ad Titum, et pacem inire cum illo juxta consilium Josephi. Sed astabant Simon, Eleazarus, et Jochanan, principes latronum, et præposuerunt viros fortissimos ad portas &c. c. 86. p. 385.

* Interea fames ingravescebat in Jerusalem Crescebat autem ma'um eo usque, ut populus comederet omne genus reptilium terræ a mure usque ad araneam, et ad serpentem, et mustellam, et bufonem. -Si forte inveniretur in Jerusalem cadaver equi, aut cadver cujuslibet bestiæ, multi ex Israël inter se pugnabant, et mortui corruebant, dum pugnarent super cadaver bestiæ, aut super cadaver feræ. -cap. 86. p. 385, 386.

a

Cap. 87. p. 388-391.

Cap. 88. p. 391, 392.

Eo tempore congregatæ sunt innumeræ turbæ ex omnibus gentibus, et venerunt contra Jerusalem in auxilium Romanorum ex omnibus dominiis Cæsareæ dignitatis ad Romam pertinentibus--Narravit autem Titus senioribus gentium, quæ sibi venerant in auxilium, ea omnia, quæ sibi contigerant dum oppugnavit Jerusalem--Narravit etiam, quomodo perdiderant milites suos, et principes suos,——cmnesque machinas suas dirutrices, et omnia instrumenta belli, quæ secum habebat, corruperant. cap. 88. p. 393, 394.

a Electi sunt itaque ex turmis nationum illarum octoginta millia virorum,

supposed to be capable of doing more than the Romans who were fatigued and worn out, and discouraged with the fatigues of a long siege, were selected eighty thousand men, Macedonians, Britons, Syrians, Africans, Burgundians, Persians, Chaldeans. All these, without any Romans joined with them, marched in order toward Jerusalem, and encamped near it. And then they began to attack the wall, and to fight with the Jews that were upon it.

Now the three leaders within the city, John, and Simon, and Eleazar, consult together between themselves, and with their friends, what was best to be done. It was agreed that two should go out of the city, and the other abide within. John then and Eleazar went out, having with them fifteen. hundred of the most valiant of their men. They prevailed and slew their enemies with the edge of the sword from morning to evening. The day on which this battle was fought,' he says, ' was the ninth day of the month Thebet, which was the tenth month from the arrival of Titus before Jerusalem. And they slew of the hosts of the Gentiles seven-and-fifty thousand and five hundred. They took captive three thousand of their chiefs, putting the rest to flight. Of the Jews there fell on that day seven men. And they brought off their dead and their wounded to Jerusalem: where they buried their dead, that the uncircumcised might not insult them.'

'Whereupon f John and Eleazar returned to Jerusalem

scilicet decem millia Macedonum, viginti millia virorum Britanniæ, quinque millia Syrorum, decem millia virorum Africæ, decem millia fortissimorum ex viris Borgoniæ, quinque millia de filiis Cedar, decem millia militum ex fortissimis Persarum et Chaldæorum. Et progressi sunt eo ordine, quo venerunt neque unus Romanus ex illis. Abierunt autem in planitiem, quæ erat e regione sepulcri Jehochanan, sacerdotis magni. Et cœperunt miscere prœlia cum Judæis, qui erant super murum, et admovere scalas, cum instrumentis ligneis quibus tegebantur, ut ascenderent ad eos supra murum. Ib. p. 394, 395. * Egressi sunt ergo Jehochanan et Eleazarus cum mille et quingentis fortissimis latronum, et percusserunt turmas gentium plagâ gladiia mane diei pugnæ usque ad vesperam. Quod quidem contigit nonâ die mensis Thebet, qui fuit decimus ab adventu Titi in Jerusalem; et prostraverunt ex turmis gentium illarum quinquaginta septem millia cum quingentis. Et ceperunt ex eis vivos ter mille principes, cæteris in fugam conjectis. Ex Judæis autem ceciderunt illâ die septem viri; et vulneratos suos secum extulerunt latrones, ut illos sepelirent, ne insultarent eis incircumcisi. Ib. p. 395.

e

f Venerunt itaque Jehochanan et Eleazarus in Jerusalem cum fratribus suis, cantantes hymnum, et gratiarum actiones Jehova. Reliquiæ autem fugientium ex turmis nationum illarum reversæ sunt ad castra Titi cum ignominiâPostridie latrones acceperunt tria millia principum, quos comprehenderant vivos, effoderunt unicuique eorum oculum, manumque amputaverunt, atque ita remiserunt eos ad castra Titi, ut ipsi essent dedecori et opprobrio. Îb. p. 395.

with their brethren, singing a hymn of triumph, and offering praises to Jehovah. The rest of those nations returned to the camp of Titus in shame and confusion.The day after, the robbers took the three thousand chiefs, whom they had brought captives, and put out an eye of every one of them, and also cut off one of their hands, and so sent them back to the camp of Titus.'

All fiction, surely; without any ground or authority from Josephus, or any other ancient writer that we know of! We here plainly see that the author was an artful man. He knew how to flatter and please his own nation. And he has obtained his end. He is in admiration with them.

At that time Titus consulted with his generals and soldiers, and his whole army, that it might be determined what was best to be done, especially considering the strength and fortitude of the Jewish people. After a long consultation, the opinion of Titus, which he was resolved to adhere to, was, that the siege of the city should be continued without making any attacks upon it. For,' says he, their provisions fail already, and will be all speedily consumed. Moreover, they will quarrel among themselves, and thus hasten their ruin; and we shall overcome.'

6

6

And indeed,' says h this writer, the famine prevailed greatly. And if it had not, the city could not have been broken up nor taken for ever: for the valiant of Israel were "swifter than eagles, and stronger than lions," 2 Sam. i. 23. But the famine consumed them. The streets were filled with dead bodies; nor were there any to bury them. And when Titus saw the dead cast out from the city, like dung upon the earth, he was much affected at the sight; and lifting up his hands to heaven, he fell down upon his knees and said: "This is not my work." He had desired He had desired peace: but the people would not accept of it.'

i

In the following, the eighty-ninth chapter, is an account

8 Eo tempore Titus consilium inivit cum principibus et militibus suis, et cum filiis populi sui Romanis, et cum populo omnium nationum, quæ cum eis convenerant, dicens: Quid faciemus contra Israëlem, et contra fortitudinem ejus ? -At consilia eorum omnium contemtui fuerunt coram TitoDixit ergo eis Titus, Hoc est consilium meum, quod a me ipso juxta rectam rationem profertur, neque ab eo recedam. Cedo, teneamus urbem hanc obsessam, neve oppugnemus illam amplius. Victus enim et commeatus eorum omnino defecerunt, neque cibus est apud illos. Haud dubium, quin fames illos consumtura est: neque etiam dubium est, quin, quando viderint nos non amplius miscere prælia cum illis, ipsi prœlia misceant inter se, unusquisque adversus fratrem suum.- -Ib. 395, 396.

b Porro nisi grassata fuisset fames in Jerusalem, nunquam perrupta fuisset urbs, neque capta in æternum. Fortes enim Israël erant velociores aquilis, et

fortiores leonibus. Ib. p. 39€.

Cap. 89. p. 397-406.

of several acts of cruelty committed by Simon in putting to death Amittai, or Matthias, and others.

k

In the mean while, as he says in the ninetieth chapter, Gorion the priest, father of Joseph, who wrote this book for Israel, to be a memorial and testimony to them, was a prisoner in one of the towers upon the wall, bound in iron fetters. Joseph came near to the place hoping to see his aged father: but the Jews cast stones at him, and wounded him. And now likewise, he at length gets a sight of his mother, She was not bound with chains, though she was kept prisoner in the house of Simon. But she got upon the wall to see her son and make her lamentations to him. His father was about one hundred and three years of age, and his mother eightyfive.

It is observable that about this time, after the slaughter of Amittai, or Matthias, and his sons, by order of Simon, Josephus1also makes mention of his father and mother, as being in Jerusalem, And about this time also Josephus was wounded: not for attempting to see his father or mother, but as he was going round the city near the walls of it, proposing arguments to the people within to surrender to Titus for their benefit.

The famine being very severe in the city, many Jews in good circumstances went out in order to go over to the Romans. But it being found that some of them had gold and jewels hid in their bowels, they were ripped up by the Arabian and Syrian soldiers which were in the army of Titus. Some of the Roman soldiers did the like. In this practice the Arabians and Syrians killed a thousand Jews, When Titus heard of it he was exceedingly grieved and provoked, And he gave orders that all who had done this thing should

k Interea Gorion sacerdos, pater Josephi sacerdotis, qui scripsit hunc librum Israëli, ut esset illis in testimonium, et in memoriale, tunc erat vinctus catenis ferreis, et in vinculis æreis in unâ e turribus Jerusalem. Ipse autem senex processerat in diebus, natus scilicet centum et trium annorum— -Eo tempore venit Josephus, filius ejus, versus murum e regione turris, in quâ erat pater ejus Gorion sacerdos, tunc illic vinctus -cap. 90. p. 406, &c.

1 De B. J. 1. 5. c. xiii. num. 1-3.

mi Porro Judæi, qui egressi fuerant de Jerusalem ad castra Romanorumdeglutierunt aurum, et argentum, et gemmas, et lapides pretiosos-Cumque animadvertissent nonnulli ex Syris et Arabibus illos ita facere, indicavit rem unusquisque socio suo—— -Tum apprehenderunt illos, et scissis eorum visceribus, invenerunt intra viscera aurum, et lapides pretiosos-- -Factusque numerus scissorum per manus Syrorum et Arabum mille animarum. Cumque audivisset Titus rem illam pessimam, -indignatus est, et accensus est furor ejus admodum. Tunc jussit comprehendi omnes, qui patraverant hujusmodi facinus pessimum, et jugulari, ac deinde dari omnes facultates eorum Judæis vivis hæredibus mortuorum. Et mortui sunt propter hoc facinus, jussu Titi, tum ex Syris, tum ex Arabibus, sex millia virorum. cap. 91. p. 411, 412.

be put to death, and that their goods should be given to living Jews, heirs of the dead. Upon this occasion six thousand Arabians and Syrians suffered death.

A most unlikely thing, and mere romance! No general would show such favour to a resolute people, whom he was besieging with an army. Josephus says that two thousand of the Jews were thus cruelly destroyed by the Syrian and other soldiers for the sake of the gold hid in their bodies. He also says, Titus was much displeased, and would have ordered his horse to surround the criminals and kill them with darts; but he considered that the number of the guilty exceeded that of the slain. He therefore was obliged to content himself with forbidding that cruelty for the future, upon the pain of heavy punishinent.

This author moreover says, that strict inquiry was made by Titus after the Romans who had been guilty of the like action; and they were found to be three hundred and twenty men, whom Titus ordered to be burnt to death in one pit or cistern. After which all Jews who came over to Titus were treated by the soldiers very civilly, and they lived very quiet and unmolested in his camp.' All fiction from this author's fruitful invention! And the story is made out, as it seems, to do honour to his nation, at the same time that their city was falling into ruin, and they going into captivity!

He likewise tells the story which Josephus has done, of the crucifixion of the Jews before the walls of the city, five? hundred in a day, and sometimes more, as Josephus says. But this author tells it very differently in this manner. Some went out of the city with their wives, and sons and

n De B. J. 1. 5. c. xiii. sect. 4, 5. p. 361, 362. Fuitque numerus eorum, qui reperti sunt, tum eorum qui fecerunt, tum eorum qui noverant, trecentorum et viginti virorum. At jussit Titus servis suis, et combusserunt omnes in medio cisternæ unius. Et deinceps Judæi cum fiduciâ in castris Titi degebant, neque ultra fuit adversarius, aut incursus malus. Sed quotiescumque Romanus inveniebat Judæum aliquem perplexum aut errantem extra castra procul, clam illum deducens comitabatur usque dum ad castra incolumem, et tranquille, et cum securitate bonâ reduxisset. cap. 91. p. 413. P De B. J. 1. 5. cap. xi. n. 1.

¶ Quando aliqui ab urbe exibant cum uxoribus, et filiis, et filiabus, et parvulis suis, ut invenirent herbas,- -Romani, qui illos inveniebant, jugulabant natos eorum, et dicebant: Jugulemus hos parvulos, ne adolescant, et successu dierum pugnent nobiscum, sicut patres illorum. Idcirco Romani trucidabant infimam plebem, quotquot exibant ab urbe, et suspendebant illos ad arbores ex adverso portæ Jerusalem. Sicque faciebant Romani quotidie. Pervenitque numerus occisorum et suspensorum ad quingentas animas. Idem etiam faciebant Simon, Jehochanan, et Eleazarus, iis omnibus, quos capiebant ex cohortibus Romanorum postquam illos per insidias circumvenerant. Eodem modo animadvertebant in eos, qui quærebant exire, ut perfugerent ad illos. Jugulabant enim eos, et cadavera suspendebant super murum ex adverso Roma

VOL. VI.

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