the wars of the jews-第53章

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he　city's　preservation；　so　he　got　together　his　workmen；　and　ordered　them　to　build　the　wall　higher；　and　while　they　said　that　this　was　impossible　to　be　done　while　so　many　darts　were　thrown　at　them；　he　invented　this　sort　of　cover　for　them：　He　bid　them　fix　piles；　and　expand　before　them　the　raw　hides　of　oxen　newly　killed；　that　these　hides　by　yielding　and　hollowing　themselves　when　the　stones　were　thrown　at　them　might　receive　them；　for　that　the　other　darts　would　slide　off　them；　and　the　fire　that　was　thrown　would　be　quenched　by　the　moisture　that　was　in　them。　And　these　he　set　before　the　workmen；　and　under　them　these　workmen　went　on　with　their　works　in　safety；　and　raised　the　wall　higher；　and　that　both　by　day　and　by　night；　fill　it　was　twenty　cubits　high。　He　also　built　a　good　number　of　towers　upon　the　wall；　and　fitted　it　to　strong　battlements。　This　greatly　discouraged　the　Romans；　who　in　their　own　opinions　were　already　gotten　within　the　walls；　while　they　were　now　at　once　astonished　at　Josephus's　contrivance；　and　at　the　fortitude　of　the　citizens　that　were　in　the　city。

11。　And　now　Vespasian　was　plainly　irritated　at　the　great　subtlety　of　this　stratagem；　and　at　the　boldness　of　the　citizens　of　Jotapata；　for　taking　heart　again　upon　the　building　of　this　wall；　they　made　fresh　sallies　upon　the　Romans；　and　had　every　day　conflicts　with　them　by　parties；　together　with　all　such　contrivances；　as　robbers　make　use　of；　and　with　the　plundering　of　all　that　came　to　hand；　as　also　with　the　setting　fire　to　all　the　other　works；　and　this　till　Vespasian　made　his　army　leave　off　fighting　them；　and　resolved　to　lie　round　the　city；　and　to　starve　them　into　a　surrender；　as　supposing　that　either　they　would　be　forced　to　petition　him　for　mercy　by　want　of　provisions；　or　if　they　should　have　the　courage　to　hold　out　till　the　last；　they　should　perish　by　famine：　and　he　concluded　he　should　conquer　them　the　more　easily　in　fighting；　if　he　gave　them　an　interval；　and　then　fell　upon　them　when　they　were　weakened　by　famine；　but　still　he　gave　orders　that　they　should　guard　against　their　coming　out　of　the　city。

12。　Now　the　besieged　had　plenty　of　corn　within　the　city；　and　indeed　of　all　necessaries；　but　they　wanted　water；　because　there　was　no　fountain　in　the　city；　the　people　being　there　usually　satisfied　with　rain　water；　yet　is　it　a　rare　thing　in　that　country　to　have　rain　in　summer；　and　at　this　season；　during　the　siege；　they　were　in　great　distress　for　some　contrivance　to　satisfy　their　thirst；　and　they　were　very　sad　at　this　time　particularly；　as　if　they　were　already　in　want　of　water　entirely；　for　Josephus　seeing　that　the　city　abounded　with　other　necessaries；　and　that　the　men　were　of　good　courage；　and　being　desirous　to　protract　the　siege　to　the　Romans　longer　than　they　expected；　ordered　their　drink　to　be　given　them　by　measure；　but　this　scanty　distribution　of　water　by　measure　was　deemed　by　them　as　a　thing　more　hard　upon　them　than　the　want　of　it；　and　their　not　being　able　to　drink　as　much　as　they　would　made　them　more　desirous　of　drinking　than　they　otherwise　had　been；　nay；　they　were　as　much　disheartened　hereby　as　if　they　were　come　to　the　last　degree　of　thirst。　Nor　were　the　Romans　unacquainted　with　the　state　they　were　in；　for　when　they　stood　over　against　them；　beyond　the　wall；　they　could　see　them　running　together；　and　taking　their　water　by　measure；　which　made　them　throw　their　javelins　thither　the　place　being　within　their　reach；　and　kill　a　great　many　of　them。

13。　Hereupon　Vespasian　hoped　that　their　receptacles　of　water　would　in　no　long　time　be　emptied；　and　that　they　would　be　forced　to　deliver　up　the　city　to　him；　but　Josephus　being　minded　to　break　such　his　hope；　gave　command　that　they　should　wet　a　great　many　of　their　clothes；　and　hang　them　out　about　the　battlements；　till　the　entire　wall　was　of　a　sudden　all　wet　with　the　running　down　of　the　water。　At　this　sight　the　Romans　were　discouraged；　and　under　consternation；　when　they　saw　them　able　to　throw　away　in　sport　so　much　water；　when　they　supposed　them　not　to　have　enough　to　drink　themselves。　This　made　the　Roman　general　despair　of　taking　the　city　by　their　want　of　necessaries；　and　to　betake　himself　again　to　arms；　and　to　try　to　force　them　to　surrender；　which　was　what　the　Jews　greatly　desired；　for　as　they　despaired　of　either　themselves　or　their　city　being　able　to　escape；　they　preferred　a　death　in　battle　before　one　by　hunger　and　thirst。

14。　However；　Josephus　contrived　another　stratagem　besides　the　foregoing；　to　get　plenty　of　what　they　wanted。　There　was　a　certain　rough　and　uneven　place　that　could　hardly　be　ascended；　and　on　that　account　was　not　guarded　by　the　soldiers；　so　Josephus　sent　out　certain　persons　along　the　western　parts　of　the　valley；　and　by　them　sent　letters　to　whom　he　pleased　of　the　Jews　that　were　out　of　the　city；　and　procured　from　them　what　necessaries　soever　they　wanted　in　the　city　in　abundance；　he　enjoined　them　also　to　creep　generally　along　by　the　watch　as　they　came　into　the　city；　and　to　cover　their　backs　with　such　sheep…skins　as　had　their　wool　upon　them；　that　if　any　one　should　spy　them　out　in　the　night　time；　they　might　be　believed　to　be　dogs。　This　was　done　till　the　watch　perceived　their　contrivance；　and　encompassed　that　rough　place　about　themselves。

15。　And　now　it　was　that　Josephus　perceived　that　the　city　could　not　hold　out　long；　and　that　his　own　life　would　be　in　doubt　if　he　continued　in　it；　so　he　consulted　how　he　and　the　most　potent　men　of　the　city　might　fly　out　of　it。　When　the　multitude　understood　this；　they　came　all　round　about　him；　and　begged　of　him　not　to　overlook　them　while　they　entirely　depended　on　him；　and　him　alone；　for　that　there　was　still　hope　of　the　city's　deliverance；　if　he　would　stay　with　them；　because　every　body　would　undertake　any　pains　with　great　cheerfulness　on　his　account；　and　in　that　case　there　would　be　some　comfort　for　them　also；　though　they　should　be　taken：　that　it　became　him　neither　to　fly　from　his　enemies；　nor　to　desert　his　friends；　nor　to　leap　out　of　that　city；　as　out　of　a　ship　that　was　sinking　in　a　storm；　into　which　he　came　when　it　was　quiet　and　in　a　calm；　for　that　by　going　away　he　would　be　the　cause　of　drowning　the　city；　because　nobody　would　then　venture　to　oppose　the　enemy　when　he　was　once　gone；　upon　whom　they　wholly　confided。　　16。　Hereupon　Josephus　avoided　letting　them　know　that　he　was　to　go　away　to　provide　for　his　own　safety；　but　told　them　that　he　would　go　out　of　the　city　for　their　sakes；　for　that　if　he　staid　with　them；　he　should　be　able　to　do　them　little　good　while　they　were　in　a　safe　condition；　and　that　if　they　were　once　taken；　he　should　only　perish　with　them　to　no　purpose；　but　that　if　he　were　once　gotten　free　from　this　siege；　he　should　be　able　to　bring　them　very　great　relief；　for　that　he　would　then　immediately　get　the　Galileans　together；　out　of　the　country；　in　great　multitudes；　and　draw　the　Romans　off　their　city　by　another　war。　That　he　did　not　see　what　advantge　he　could　bring　to　them　now；　by　staying　among　them；　but　only　provoke　the　Romans　to　besiege　them　more　closely；　as　esteeming　it　a　most　valuable　thing　to　take　him；　but　that　if　they　were　once　informed　that　he　was　fled　out　of　the　city；　they　would　greatly　remit　of　their　eagerness　against　it。　Yet　did　not　this　plea　move　the　people；　but　inflamed　them　the　more　to　hang　about　him。　Accordingly；　both　the　children　and　the　old　men；　and　the　women　with　their　infants；　came　mourning　to　him；　and　fell　down　before　him；　and　all　of　them　caught　hold　of　his　feet；　and　held　him　fast；　and　besought　him；　with　great　lamentations；　that　he　would　take　his　share　with　them　in　their　fortune；　and　I　think　they　did　this；　not　that　they　envied　his　deliverance；　but　that　they　hoped　for　their　own；　for　they　could　not　think　they　should　suffer　any　great　misfortune；　provided　Josephus　would　but　stay　with　them。　

17。　Now　Josephus　thought；　that　if　he　resolved　to　stay；　it　would　be　ascribed　to　their　entreaties；　and　if　he　resolved　to　go　away　by　force；　he　should　be　put　into　custody。　His　commiseration　also　of　the　people　under　their　lamentations　had　much　broken　that　his　eagerness　to　leave　them；　so　he　resolved　to　stay；　and　arming　himself　with　the　common　despair　of　the　citizens；　he　said　to　them；　〃Now　is　the　time　to　begin　to　fight　in　earnest；　when　there　is　no　hope　of　deliverance　left。　It　is　a　brave　thing　to　prefer　glory　before　life；　and　to　set　about　some　such　noble　undertaking　as　may　be　remembered　by　late　posterity。〃　Having　said　this；　he　fell　to　work　immediately；　and　made　a　sally；　and　dispersed　the　enemies'　out…guards；　and　ran　as　far　as　the　Roman　camp　itself；　and　pulled　the　coverings　of　their　tents　to　pieces；　that　were　upon　their　banks；　and　set　fire　to　their　works。　And　this　was　the　manner　in　which　he　never　left　off　fighting；　neither　the　next　day；　nor　the　day　after　it；　but　went　on　with　it　for　a　considerable　number　of　both　days　and　nights。

18。　Upon　this；　Vespasian；　when　he　saw　the　Romans　distressed　by　these　sallies；　（though　they　were　ashamed　to　be　made　to　run　away　by　the　Jews；　and　when　at　any　time　they　made　the　Jews　run　away；　their　heavy　armor　would　not　let　them　pursue　them　far；　while　the　Jews；　when　they　had　performed　any　action；　and　before　they　could　be　hurt　themselves；　still　retired　into　the　city；）　ordered　his　armed　men　to　avoid　their　onset；　and　not　fight　it　out　with　men　under　desperation；　while　nothing　is　more　courageous　than　despair；　but　that　their　violence　would　be　quenched　when　they　saw　they　failed　of　their　purposes；　as　fire　is　quenched　when　it　wants　fuel；　and　that　it　was　proper　for　the　Romans　to　gain　their　victories　as　cheap　as　they　could；　since　they　are　not　forced　to　fight；　but　only　to　enlarge　their　own　dominions。　So　he　repelled　the　Jews　in　great　measure　by　the　Arabian　archers；　and　the　Syrian　slingers；　and　by　those　that　threw　stones　at　them；　nor　was　there　any　intermission　of　the　great　number　of　their　offensive　engines。　Now　the　Jews　suffered　greatly　by　these　engines；　without　being　able　to　escape　from　them；　and　when　these　engines　threw　their　stones　or　javelins　a　great　way；　and　the　Jews　were　within　their　reach；　they　pressed　hard　upon　the　Romans；　and　fought　desperately；　without　sparing　either　soul　or　body；　one　part　succoring　another　by　turns；　when　it　was　tired　down。

19。　When；　therefore；　Vespasian　looked　upon　himself　as　in　a　manner　besieged　by　these　sallies　of　the　Jews；　and　when　his　banks　were　now　not　far　from　the　walls；　he　determined　to　make　use　of　his　battering　ram。　This　battering　ram　is　a　vast　beam　of　wood　like　the　mast　of　a　ship；　its　forepart　is　armed　with　a　thick　piece　of　iron　at　the　head　of　it；　which　is　so　carved　as　to　be　like　the　head　of　a　ram；　whence　its　name　is　taken。　This　ram　is　slung　in　the　air　by　ropes　passing　over　its　middle；　and　is　hung　like　the　balance　in　a　pair　of　scales　from　another　beam；　and　braced　by　strong　beams　that　pass　on　both　sides　of　it；　in　the　nature　of　a　cross。　When　this　ram　is　pulled　backward　by　a　great　number　of　men　with　united　force；　and　then　thrust　forward　by　the　same　men；　with　a　mighty　noise；　it　batters　the　walls　with　that　iron　part　which　is　prominent。　Nor　is　there　any　tower　so　strong；　or　walls　so　broad；　that　can　resist　any　more　than　its　first　batteries；　but　all　are　forced　to　yield　to　it　at　last。　This　was　the　experiment　which　the　Roman　general　betook　himself　to；　when　he　was　eagerly　bent　upon　taking　the　city；　but　found　lying　in　the　field　so　long　to　be　to　his　disadvantage；　because　the　Jews　wo