the wars of the jews-第43章

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CHAPTER　19。

What　Cestius　Did　Against　The　Jews；　And　How；　Upon　His　Besieging　Jerusalem；　He　Retreated　From　The　City　Without　Any　Just　Occasion　In　The　World。　As　Also　What　Severe　Calamities　He　Under　Went　From　The　Jews　In　His　Retreat。

1。　And　now　Gallus；　seeing　nothing　more　that　looked　towards　an　innovation　in　Galilee；　returned　with　his　army　to　Cesarea：　but　Cestius　removed　with　his　whole　army；　and　marched　to　Antipatris；　and　when　he　was　informed　that　there　was　a　great　body　of　Jewish　forces　gotten　together　in　a　certain　tower　called　Aphek；　he　sent　a　party　before　to　fight　them；　but　this　party　dispersed　the　Jews　by　affrighting　them　before　it　came　to　a　battle：　so　they　came；　and　finding　their　camp　deserted；　they　burnt　it；　as　well　as　the　villages　that　lay　about　it。　But　when　Cestius　had　marched　from　Antipatris　to　Lydda；　he　found　the　city　empty　of　its　men；　for　the　whole　multitude　（28）　were　gone　up　to　Jerusalem　to　the　feast　of　tabernacles；　yet　did　he　destroy　fifty　of　those　that　showed　themselves；　and　burnt　the　city；　and　so　marched　forwards；　and　ascending　by　Betboron；　he　pitched　his　camp　at　a　certain　place　called　Gabao；　fifty　furlongs　distant　from　Jerusalem。

2。　But　as　for　the　Jews；　when　they　saw　the　war　approaching　to　their　metropolis；　they　left　the　feast；　and　betook　themselves　to　their　arms；　and　taking　courage　greatly　from　their　multitude；　went　in　a　sudden　and　disorderly　manner　to　the　fight；　with　a　great　noise；　and　without　any　consideration　had　of　the　rest　of　the　seventh　day；　although　the　Sabbath　（29）　was　the　day　to　which　they　had　the　greatest　regard；　but　that　rage　which　made　them　forget　the　religious　observation　＇of　the　sabbath＇　made　them　too　hard　for　their　enemies　in　the　fight：　with　such　violence　therefore　did　they　fall　upon　the　Romans；　as　to　break　into　their　ranks；　and　to　march　through　the　midst　of　them；　making　a　great　slaughter　as　they　went；　insomuch　that　unless　the　horsemen；　and　such　part　of　the　footmen　as　were　not　yet　tired　in　the　action；　had　wheeled　round；　and　succored　that　part　of　the　army　which　was　not　yet　broken；　Cestius；　with　his　whole　army；　had　been　in　danger：　however；　five　hundred　and　fifteen　of　the　Romans　were　slain；　of　which　number　four　hundred　were　footmen；　and　the　rest　horsemen；　while　the　Jews　lost　only　twenty…two；　of　whom　the　most　valiant　were　the　kinsmen　of　Monobazus；　king　of　Adiabene；　and　their　names　were　Monobazus　and　Kenedeus；　and　next　to　them　were　Niger　of　Perea；　and　Silas　of　Babylon；　who　had　deserted　from　king　Agrippa　to　the　Jews；　for　he　had　formerly　served　in　his　army。　When　the　front　of　the　Jewish　army　had　been　cut　off；　the　Jews　retired　into　the　city；　but　still　Simon；　the　son　of　Giora；　fell　upon　the　backs　of　the　Romans；　as　they　were　ascending　up　Bethoron；　and　put　the　hindmost　of　the　army　into　disorder；　and　carried　off　many　of　the　beasts　that　carded　the　weapons　of　war；　and　led　Shem　into　the　city。　But　as　Cestius　tarried　there　three　days；　the　Jews　seized　upon　the　elevated　parts　of　the　city；　and　set　watches　at　the　entrances　into　the　city；　and　appeared　openly　resolved　not　to　rest　when　once　the　Romans　should　begin　to　march。

3。　And　now　when　Agrippa　observed　that　even　the　affairs　of　the　Romans　were　likely　to　be　in　danger；　while　such　an　immense　multitude　of　their　enemies　had　seized　upon　the　mountains　round　about；　he　determined　to　try　what　the　Jews　would　agree　to　by　words；　as　thinking　that　he　should　either　persuade　them　all　to　desist　from　fighting；　or；　however；　that　he　should　cause　the　sober　part　of　them　to　separate　themselves　from　the　opposite　party。　So　he　sent　Borceus　and　Phebus；　the　persons　of　his　party　that　were　the　best　known　to　them；　and　promised　them　that　Cestius　should　give　them　his　right　hand；　to　secure　them　of　the　Romans'　entire　forgiveness　of　what　they　had　done　amiss；　if　they　would　throw　away　their　arms；　and　come　over　to　them；　but　the　seditious；　fearing　lest　the　whole　multitude；　in　hopes　of　security　to　themselves；　should　go　over　to　Agrippa；　resolved　immediately　to　fall　upon　and　kill　the　ambassadors；　accordingly　they　slew　Phebus　before　he　said　a　word；　but　Borceus　was　only　wounded；　and　so　prevented　his　fate　by　flying　away。　And　when　the　people　were　very　angry　at　this；　they　had　the　seditious　beaten　with　stones　and　clubs；　and　drove　them　before　them　into　the　city。

4。　But　now　Cestius；　observing　that　the　disturbances　that　were　begun　among　the　Jews　afforded　him　a　proper　opportunity　to　attack　them；　took　his　whole　army　along　with　him；　and　put　the　Jews　to　flight；　and　pursued　them　to　Jerusalem。　He　then　pitched　his　camp　upon　the　elevation　called　Scopus；　＇or　watch…tower；＇　which　was　distant　seven　furlongs　from　the　city；　yet　did　not　he　assault　them　in　three　days'　time；　out　of　expectation　that　those　within　might　perhaps　yield　a　little；　and　in　the　mean　time　he　sent　out　a　great　many　of　his　soldiers　into　neighboring　villages；　to　seize　upon　their　corn。　And　on　the　fourth　day；　which　was　the　thirtieth　of　the　month　Hyperbereteus；　＇Tisri；＇　when　he　had　put　his　army　in　array；　he　brought　it　into　the　city。　Now　for　the　people；　they　were　kept　under　by　the　seditious；　but　the　seditious　themselves　were　greatly　affrighted　at　the　good　order　of　the　Romans；　and　retired　from　the　suburbs；　and　retreated　into　the　inner　part　of　the　city；　and　into　the　temple。　But　when　Cestius　was　come　into　the　city；　he　set　the　part　called　Bezetha；　which　is　called　Cenopolis；　＇or　the　new　city；＇　on　fire；　as　he　did　also　to　the　timber　market；　after　which　he　came　into　the　upper　city；　and　pitched　his　camp　over　against　the　royal　palace；　and　had　he　but　at　this　very　time　attempted　to　get　within　the　walls　by　force；　he　had　won　the　city　presently；　and　the　war　had　been　put　an　end　to　at　once；　but　Tyrannius　Priseus；　the　muster…master　of　the　army；　and　a　great　number　of　the　officers　of　the　horse；　had　been　corrupted　by　Florus；　and　diverted　him　from　that　his　attempt；　and　that　was　the　occasion　that　this　war　lasted　so　very　long；　and　thereby　the　Jews　were　involved　in　such　incurable　calamities。

5。　In　the　mean　time；　many　of　the　principal　men　of　the　city　were　persuaded　by　Ananus；　the　son　of　Jonathan；　and　invited　Cestius　into　the　city；　and　were　about　to　open　the　gates　for　him；　but　he　overlooked　this　offer；　partly　out　of　his　anger　at　the　Jews；　and　partly　because　he　did　not　thoroughly　believe　they　were　in　earnest；　whence　it　was　that　he　delayed　the　matter　so　long；　that　the　seditious　perceived　the　treachery；　and　threw　Ananus　and　those　of　his　party　down　from　the　wall；　and；　pelting　them　with　stones；　drove　them　into　their　houses；　but　they　stood　themselves　at　proper　distances　in　the　towers；　and　threw　their　darts　at　those　that　were　getting　over　the　wall。　Thus　did　the　Romans　make　their　attack　against　the　wall　for　five　days；　but　to　no　purpose。　But　on　the　next　day　Cestius　took　a　great　many　of　his　choicest　men；　and　with　them　the　archers；　and　attempted　to　break　into　the　temple　at　the　northern　quarter　of　it；　but　the　Jews　beat　them　off　from　the　cloisters；　and　repulsed　them　several　times　when　they　were　gotten　near　to　the　wall；　till　at　length　the　multitude　of　the　darts　cut　them　off；　and　made　them　retire；　but　the　first　rank　of　the　Romans　rested　their　shields　upon　the　wall；　and　so　did　those　that　were　behind　them；　and　the　like　did　those　that　were　still　more　backward；　and　guarded　themselves　with　what　they　call　Testudo；　＇the　back　of＇　a　tortoise；　upon　which　the　darts　that　were　thrown　fell；　and　slided　off　without　doing　them　any　harm；　so　the　soldiers　undermined　the　wall；　without　being　themselves　hurt；　and　got　all　things　ready　for　setting　fire　to　the　gate　of　the　temple。

6。　And　now　it　was　that　a　horrible　fear　seized　upon　the　seditious；　insomuch　that　many　of　them　ran　out　of　the　city；　as　though　it　were　to　be　taken　immediately；　but　the　people　upon　this　took　courage；　and　where　the　wicked　part　of　the　city　gave　ground；　thither　did　they　come；　in　order　to　set　open　the　gates；　and　to　admit　Cestius　（30）　as　their　benefactor；　who；　had　he　but　continued　the　siege　a　little　longer；　had　certainly　taken　the　city；　but　it　was；　I　suppose；　owing　to　the　aversion　God　had　already　at　the　city　and　the　sanctuary；　that　he　was　hindered　from　putting　an　end　to　the　war　that　very　day。

7。　It　then　happened　that　Cestius　was　not　conscious　either　how　the　besieged　despaired　of　success；　nor　how　courageous　the　people　were　for　him；　and　so　he　recalled　his　soldiers　from　the　place；　and　by　despairing　of　any　expectation　of　taking　it；　without　having　received　any　disgrace；　he　retired　from　the　city；　without　any　reason　in　the　world。　But　when　the　robbers　perceived　this　unexpected　retreat　of　his；　they　resumed　their　courage；　and　ran　after　the　hinder　parts　of　his　army；　and　destroyed　a　considerable　number　of　both　their　horsemen　and　footmen；　and　now　Cestius　lay　all　night　at　the　camp　which　was　at　Scopus；　and　as　he　went　off　farther　next　day；　he　thereby　invited　the　enemy　to　follow　him；　who　still　fell　upon　the　hindmost；　and　destroyed　them；　they　also　fell　upon　the　flank　on　each　side　of　the　army；　and　threw　darts　upon　them　obliquely；　nor　durst　those　that　were　hindmost　turn　back　upon　those　who　wounded　them　behind；　as　imagining　that　the　multitude　of　those　that　pursued　them　was　immense；　nor　did　they　venture　to　drive　away　those　that　pressed　upon　them　on　each　side；　because　they　were　heavy　with　their　arms；　and　were　afraid　of　breaking　their　ranks　to　pieces；　and　because　they　saw　the　Jews　were　light；　and　ready　for　making　incursions　upon　them。　And　this　was　the　reason　why　the　Romans　suffered　greatly；　without　being　able　to　revenge　themselves　upon　their　enemies；　so　they　were　galled　all　the　way；　and　their　ranks　were　put　into　disorder；　and　those　that　were　thus　put　out　of　their　ranks　were　slain；　among　whom　were　Priscus；　the　commander　of　the　sixth　legion；　and　Longinus；　the　tribune；　and　Emilius　Secundus；　the　commander　of　a　troop　of　horsemen。　So　it　was　not　without　difficulty　that　they　got　to　Gabao；　their　former　camp；　and　that　not　without　the　loss　of　a　great　part　of　their　baggage。　There　it　was　that　Cestius　staid　two　days；　and　was　in　great　distress　to　know　what　he　should　do　in　these　circumstances；　but　when　on　the　third　day　he　saw　a　still　much　greater　number　of　enemies；　and　all　the　parts　round　about　him　full　of　Jews；　he　understood　that　his　delay　was　to　his　own　detriment；　and　that　if　he　staid　any　longer　there；　he　should　have　still　more　enemies　upon　him。

8。　That　therefore　he　might　fly　the　faster；　he　gave　orders　to　cast　away　what　might　hinder　his　army's　march；　so　they　killed　the　mules　and　other　creatures；　excepting　those　that　carried　their　darts　and　machines；　which　they　retained　for　their　own　use；　and　this　principally　because　they　were　afraid　lest　the　Jews　should　seize　upon　them。　He　then　made　his　army　march　on　as　far　as　Bethoron。　Now　the　Jews　did　not　so　much　press　upon　them　when　they　were　in　large　open　places；　but　when　they　were　penned　up　in　their　descent　through　narrow　passages；　then　did　some　of　them　get　before；　and　hindered　them　from　getting　out　of　them；　and　others　of　them　thrust　the　hinder…most　down　into　the　lower　places；　and　the　whole　multitude　extended　themselves　over　against　the　neck　of　the　passage；　and　covered　the　Roman　army　with　their　darts。　In　which　circumstances；　as　the　footmen　knew　not　how　to　defend　themselves；　so　the　danger　pressed　the　horsemen　still　more；　for　they　were　so　pelted；　that　they　could　not　march　along　the　road　in　their　ranks；　and　the　ascents　were　so　high；　that　the　cavalry　were　not　able　to　marc