stances, which, however mysterious to the mere worldly mind, marks so strongly the interposition of Divine Providence, Cestius raised the siege, and fled from Jerusalem, pursued and discomfited by the Jews; and having thus tarnished the glory of the Roman arms, prepared for the unhappy Jews, all the horrors which awaited them, during the war carried on by Vespasian.

On this occasion, however, through the mercy of God, the Christians in Jerusalem found the means of their preservation; for the great tribulation which was brought upon the nation by the conduct of Cestius, in besieging the city, led those who remembered the words of the Lord, "when ye shall see the abomination of desolation," (or the Roman ensigns, on which were the idolatrous images of the heathen,)" spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains. For there shall be great tribulation, such as was not from the beginning of the world, no, nor ever shall be." The Christians in Jerusalem, recalling this prediction, made their escape, upon the retreat of Cestius, out of the city, and

fled to Pella beyond Jordan, and to the mountains of Perea. Or to use the words of Josephus,though he knew not the cause of their flight,— "After this calamity which had befallen Cestius, many of the most eminent Jews swam away from the city as from a ship that was going to sink."

On this state of affairs being reported to Nero, the Roman emperor, he appointed Vespasian, one of his most able and experienced generals, to go into Judea to take the command of the army there, to punish the refractory Jews, and restore the tarnished honour of the Roman legions.

Vespasian having sent his son Titus to Alexandria in Egypt to bring up two of the Roman legions which were in that country, proceeded himself into Syria. From Antioch he went to Ptolemais, a city in Palestine, where Titus joined him with his soldiers,

While Vespasian was in Judea, he besieged the different cities there, and in Galilee, and after various vicissitudes succeeded in making himself master of the whole country. During this part of the war, the Roman emperors who succeeded Nero, were deposed and slain, and

the army of Vespasian proclaimed him emperor. Upon this occasion Vespasian went to Rome, and the command of the army, as well as the whole conduct of the war, devolved on Titus, his son. It is at this period that I shall commence the re gular abridgment of Josephus' history of the siege of Jerusalem; beginning first with a description of Judea; then of the Roman army; lastly, the details of the siege, and the destruction of the city and temple. And this account I shall preface with the following quotation from Tacitus, which will serve as a kind of proëm, or descriptive catalogue, of the persons who were the principal actors among the Jews, in this scene of terrific warfare :

"There were three captains," says Tacitus, "and as many armies among the Jews. Simon had the remotest and largest parts of the wall under him; John had the middle parts of the city under him; and Eleazar had fortified the temple itself. John and Simon were superior in multitude and strength of arms; Eleazar was superior by his situation; but battles, factions, and burnings were common to them all. After a

while John sent some, who, under pretence of offering sacrifice, might slay Eleazar and his body of troops, which they did, and get the temple under their power. So the city was now parted into two factions, until upon the coming of the Romans, this war abroad produced peace between those that were at home.

"Against this city and nation, Titus resolved to fight by ramparts and ditches, since the situation of the place did not admit of taking it by storm, or by surprise."

Tacitus' Annals.

JERUSALEM DESTROYED.

CHAPTER I.

DESCRIPTION OF GALILEE, SAMARIA, AND

JUDEA:

r A land flowing with milk and honey.”

❝ I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore."

WHEN Moses, the prophet and lawgiver of the Israelites, described the country beyond Jordan to his people, he said, "The Lord bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths, that spring out of vallies and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and vines, and figtrees, and pomegranates; a land of oil-olive and honey." It is of this beautiful country, of