the wars of the jews-第44章

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　along　the　road　in　their　ranks；　and　the　ascents　were　so　high；　that　the　cavalry　were　not　able　to　march　against　the　enemy；　the　precipices　also　and　valleys　into　which　they　frequently　fell；　and　tumbled　down；　were　such　on　each　side　of　them；　that　there　was　neither　place　for　their　flight；　nor　any　contrivance　could　be　thought　of　for　their　defense；　till　the　distress　they　were　at　last　in　was　so　great；　that　they　betook　themselves　to　lamentations；　and　to　such　mournful　cries　as　men　use　in　the　utmost　despair：　the　joyful　acclamations　of　the　Jews　also；　as　they　encouraged　one　another；　echoed　the　sounds　back　again；　these　last　composing　a　noise　of　those　that　at　once　rejoiced　and　were　in　a　rage。　Indeed；　things　were　come　to　such　a　pass；　that　the　Jews　had　almost　taken　Cestius's　entire　army　prisoners；　had　not　the　night　come　on；　when　the　Romans　fled　to　Bethoron；　and　the　Jews　seized　upon　all　the　places　round　about　them；　and　watched　for　their　coming　out　＇in　the　morning＇。

9。　And　then　it　was　that　Cestius；　despairing　of　obtaining　room　for　a　public　march；　contrived　how　he　might　best　run　away；　and　when　he　had　selected　four　hundred　of　the　most　courageous　of　his　soldiers；　he　placed　them　at　the　strongest　of　their　fortifications；　and　gave　order；　that　when　they　went　up　to　the　morning　guard；　they　should　erect　their　ensigns；　that　the　Jews　might　be　made　to　believe　that　the　entire　army　was　there　still；　while　he　himself　took　the　rest　of　his　forces　with　him；　and　marched；　without　any　noise；　thirty　furlongs。　But　when　the　Jews　perceived；　in　the　morning；　that　the　camp　was　empty；　they　ran　upon　those　four　hundred　who　had　deluded　them；　and　immediately　threw　their　darts　at　them；　and　slew　them；　and　then　pursued　after　Cestius。　But　he　had　already　made　use　of　a　great　part　of　the　night　in　his　flight；　and　still　marched　quicker　when　it　was　day；　insomuch　that　the　soldiers；　through　the　astonishment　and　fear　they　were　in；　left　behind　them　their　engines　for　sieges；　and　for　throwing　of　stones；　and　a　great　part　of　the　instruments　of　war。　So　the　Jews　went　on　pursuing　the　Romans　as　far　as　Antipatris；　after　which；　seeing　they　could　not　overtake　them；　they　came　back；　and　took　the　engines；　and　spoiled　the　dead　bodies；　and　gathered　the　prey　together　which　the　Romans　had　left　behind　them；　and　came　back　running　and　singing　to　their　metropolis；　while　they　had　themselves　lost　a　few　only；　but　had　slain　of　the　Romans　five　thousand　and　three　hundred　footmen；　and　three　hundred　and　eighty　horsemen。　This　defeat　happened　on　the　eighth　day　of　the　month　Dius；　＇Marchesvan；＇　in　the　twelfth　year　of　the　reign　of　Nero。

CHAPTER　9。

Cestius　Sends　Ambassadors　To　Nero。　The　People　Of　Damascus　Slay　Those　Jews　That　Lived　With　Them。　The　People　Of　Jerusalem　After　They　Had　＇Left　Off＇　Pursuing　Cestius；　Return　To　The　City　And　Get　Things　Ready　For　Its　Defense　And　Make　A　Great　Many　Generals　For；　Their　Armies　And　Particularly　Josephus　The　Writer　Of　These　Books。　Some　Account　Of　His　Administration。

1。　After　this　calamity　had　befallen　Cestius；　many　of　the　most　eminent　of　the　Jews　swam　away　from　the　city；　as　from　a　ship　when　it　was　going　to　sink；　Costobarus；　therefore；　and　Saul；　who　were　brethren；　together　with　Philip；　the　son　of　Jacimus；　who　was　the　commander　of　king　Agrippa's　forces；　ran　away　from　the　city；　and　went　to　Cestius。　But　then　how　Antipas；　who　had　been　besieged　with　them　in　the　king's　palace；　but　would　not　fly　away　with　them；　was　afterward　slain　by　the　seditious；　we　shall　relate　hereafter。　However；　Cestius　sent　Saul　and　his　friends；　at　their　own　desire；　to　Achaia；　to　Nero；　to　inform　him　of　the　great　distress　they　were　in；　and　to　lay　the　blame　of　their　kindling　the　war　upon　Florus；　as　hoping　to　alleviate　his　own　danger；　by　provoking　his　indignation　against　Florus。

2。　In　the　mean　time；　the　people　of　Damascus；　when　they　were　informed　of　the　destruction　of　the　Romans；　set　about　the　slaughter　of　those　Jews　that　were　among　them；　and　as　they　had　them　already　cooped　up　together　in　the　place　of　public　exercises；　which　they　had　done　out　of　the　suspicion　they　had　of　them；　they　thought　they　should　meet　with　no　difficulty　in　the　attempt；　yet　did　they　distrust　their　own　wives；　which　were　almost　all　of　them　addicted　to　the　Jewish　religion；　on　which　account　it　was　that　their　greatest　concern　was；　how　they　might　conceal　these　things　from　them；　so　they　came　upon　the　Jews；　and　cut　their　throats；　as　being　in　a　narrow　place；　in　number　ten　thousand；　and　all　of　them　unarmed；　and　this　in　one　hour's　time；　without　any　body　to　disturb　them。

3。　But　as　to　those　who　had　pursued　after　Cestius；　when　they　were　returned　back　to　Jerusalem；　they　overbore　some　of　those　that　favored　the　Romans　by　violence；　and　some　them　persuaded　＇by　en…treaties＇　to　join　with　them；　and　got　together　in　great　numbers　in　the　temple；　and　appointed　a　great　many　generals　for　the　war。　Joseph　also；　the　son　of　Gorion；　（31）　and　Ananus　the　high　priest；　were　chosen　as　governors　of　all　affairs　within　the　city；　and　with　a　particular　charge　to　repair　the　walls　of　the　city；　for　they　did　not　ordain　Eleazar　the　son　of　Simon　to　that　office；　although　he　had　gotten　into　his　possession　the　prey　they　had　taken　from　the　Romans；　and　the　money　they　had　taken　from　Cestius；　together　with　a　great　part　of　the　public　treasures；　because　they　saw　he　was　of　a　tyrannical　temper；　and　that　his　followers　were；　in　their　behavior；　like　guards　about　him。　However；　the　want　they　were　in　of　Eleazar's　money；　and　the　subtle　tricks　used　by　him；　brought　all　so　about；　that　the　people　were　circumvented；　and　submitted　themselves　to　his　authority　in　all　public　affairs。

4。　They　also　chose　other　generals　for　Idumea；　Jesus；　the　son　of　Sapphias；　one　of　the　high　priests；　and　Eleazar；　the　son　of　Ananias；　the　high　priest；　they　also　enjoined　Niger；　the　then　governor　of　Idumea；　（32）　who　was　of　a　family　that　belonged　to　Perea；　beyond　Jordan；　and　was　thence　called　the　Peraite；　that　he　should　be　obedient　to　those　fore…named　commanders。　Nor　did　they　neglect　the　care　of　other　parts　of　the　country；　but　Joseph　the　son　of　Simon　was　sent　as　general　to　Jericho；　as　was　Manasseh　to　Perea；　and　John；　the　Esscue；　to　the　toparchy　of　Thamna；　Lydda　was　also　added　to　his　portion；　and　Joppa；　and　Emmaus。　But　John；　the　son　of　Matthias；　was　made　governor　of　the　toparchies　of　Gophnitica　and　Acrabattene；　as　was　Josephus；　the　son　of　Matthias；　of　both　the　Galilees。　Gamala　also；　which　was　the　strongest　city　in　those　parts；　was　put　under　his　command。

5。　So　every　one　of　the　other　commanders　administered　the　affairs　of　his　portion　with　that　alacrity　and　prudence　they　were　masters　of；　but　as　to　Josephus；　when　he　came　into　Galilee；　his　first　care　was　to　gain　the　good…will　of　the　people　of　that　country；　as　sensible　that　he　should　thereby　have　in　general　good　success；　although　he　should　fail　in　other　points。　And　being　conscious　to　himself　that　if　he　communicated　part　of　his　power　to　the　great　men；　he　should　make　them　his　fast　friends；　and　that　he　should　gain　the　same　favor　from　the　multitude；　if　he　executed　his　commands　by　persons　of　their　own　country；　and　with　whom　they　were　well　acquainted；　he　chose　out　seventy　of　the　most　prudent　men；　and　those　elders　in　age；　and　appointed　them　to　be　rulers　of　all　Galilee；　as　he　chose　seven　judges　in　every　city　to　hear　the　lesser　quarrels；　for　as　to　the　greater　causes；　and　those　wherein　life　and　death　were　concerned；　he　enjoined　they　should　be　brought　to　him　and　the　seventy　（33）　elders。

6。　Josephus　also；　when　he　had　settled　these　rules　for　determining　causes　by　the　law；　with　regard　to　the　people's　dealings　one　with　another；　betook　himself　to　make　provisions　for　their　safety　against　external　violence；　and　as　he　knew　the　Romans　would　fall　upon　Galilee；　he　built　walls　in　proper　places　about　Jotapata；　and　Bersabee；　and　Selamis；　and　besides　these；　about　Caphareccho；　and　Japha；　and　Sigo；　and　what　they　call　Mount　Tabor；　and　Tarichee；　and　Tiberias。　Moreover；　he　built　walls　about　the　caves　near　the　lake　of　Gennesar；　which　places　lay　in　the　Lower　Galilee；　the　same　he　did　to　the　places　of　Upper　Galilee；　as　well　as　to　the　rock　called　the　Rock　of　the　Achabari；　and　to　Seph；　and　Jamnith；　and　Meroth；　and　in　Gaulonitis　he　fortified　Seleucia；　and　Sogane；　and　Gamala；　but　as　to　those　of　Sepphoris；　they　were　the　only　people　to　whom　he　gave　leave　to　build　their　own　walls；　and　this　because　he　perceived　they　were　rich　and　wealthy；　and　ready　to　go　to　war；　without　standing　in　need　of　any　injunctions　for　that　purpose。　The　case　was　the　same　with　Gischala；　which　had　a　wall　built　about　it　by　John　the　son　of　Levi　himself；　but　with　the　consent　of　Josephus；　but　for　the　building　of　the　rest　of　the　fortresses；　he　labored　together　with　all　the　other　builders；　and　was　present　to　give　all　the　necessary　orders　for　that　purpose。　He　also　got　together　an　army　out　of　Galilee；　of　more　than　a　hundred　thousand　young　men；　all　of　which　he　armed　with　the　old　weapons　which　he　had　collected　together　and　prepared　for　them。

7。　And　when　he　had　considered　that　the　Roman　power　became　invincible；　chiefly　by　their　readiness　in　obeying　orders；　and　the　constant　exercise　of　their　arms；　he　despaired　of　teaching　these　his　men　the　use　of　their　arms；　which　was　to　be　obtained　by　experience；　but　observing　that　their　readiness　in　obeying　orders　was　owing　to　the　multitude　of　their　officers；　he　made　his　partitions　in　his　army　more　after　the　Roman　manner；　and　appointed　a　great　many　subalterns。　He　also　distributed　the　soldiers　into　various　classes；　whom　he　put　under　captains　of　tens；　and　captains　of　hundreds；　and　then　under　captains　of　thousands；　and　besides　these；　he　had　commanders　of　larger　bodies　of　men。　He　also　taught　them　to　give　the　signals　one　to　another；　and　to　call　and　recall　the　soldiers　by　the　trumpets；　how　to　expand　the　wings　of　an　army；　and　make　them　wheel　about；　and　when　one　wing　hath　had　success；　to　turn　again　and　assist　those　that　were　hard　set；　and　to　join　in　the　defense　of　what　had　most　suffered。　He　also　continually　instructed　them　ill　what　concerned　the　courage　of　the　soul；　and　the　hardiness　of　the　body；　and；　above　all；　he　exercised　them　for　war；　by　declaring　to　them　distinctly　the　good　order　of　the　Romans；　and　that　they　were　to　fight　with　men　who；　both　by　the　strength　of　their　bodies　and　courage　of　their　souls；　had　conquered　in　a　manner　the　whole　habitable　earth。　He　told　them　that　he　should　make　trial　of　the　good　order　they　would　observe　in　war；　even　before　it　came　to　any　battle；　in　case　they　would　abstain　from　the　crimes　they　used　to　indulge　themselves　in；　such　as　theft；　and　robbery；　and　rapine；　and　from　defrauding　their　own　countrymen；　and　never　to　esteem　the　harm　done　to　those　that　were　so　near　of　kin　to　them　to　be　any　advantage　to　themselves；　for　that　wars　are　then　managed　the　best　when　the　warriors　preserve　a　good　conscience；　but　that　such　as　are　ill　men　in　private　life　will　not　only　have　those　for　enemies　which　attack　them；　but　God　himself　also　for　their　antagonist。

8。　And　thus　did　he　continue　to　admonish　them。　Now　he　chose　for　the　war　such　an　army　as　was　sufficient；　i。e。　sixty　thousand　footmen；　and　two　hundred　and　fifty　horsemen；　（34）　and　besides　these；　on　which　he　put　the　greatest　trust；　there　were　about　four　thousand　five　hundred　mercenaries；　he　had　also　six　hundred　men　as　guards　of　his　body。　Now　the　cities　easily　maintained　the　rest　of　his　army；　excepting　the