the wars of the jews-第88章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


gain　upon　account　of　the　people's　offenses？　When　Herod；　the　son　of　Antipater；　brought　upon　us　Sosius；　and　Sosius　brought　upon　us　the　Roman　army；　they　were　then　encompassed　and　besieged　for　six　months；　till；　as　a　punishment　for　their　sins；　they　were　taken；　and　the　city　was　plundered　by　the　enemy。　Thus　it　appears　that　arms　were　never　given　to　our　nation；　but　that　we　are　always　given　up　to　be　fought　against；　and　to　be　taken；　for　I　suppose　that　such　as　inhabit　this　holy　place　ought　to　commit　the　disposal　of　all　things　to　God；　and　then　only　to　disregard　the　assistance　of　men　when　they　resign　themselves　up　to　their　Arbitrator；　who　is　above。　As　for　you；　what　have　you　done　of　those　things　that　are　recommended　by　our　legislator？　and　what　have　you　not　done　of　those　things　that　he　hath　condemned？　How　much　more　impious　are　you　than　those　who　were　so　quickly　taken！　You　have　not　avoided　so　much　as　those　sins　that　are　usually　done　in　secret；　I　mean　thefts；　and　treacherous　plots　against　men；　and　adulteries。　You　are　quarrelling　about　rapines　and　murders；　and　invent　strange　ways　of　wickedness。　Nay；　the　temple　itself　is　become　the　receptacle　of　all；　and　this　Divine　place　is　polluted　by　the　hands　of　those　of　our　own　country；　which　place　hath　yet　been　reverenced　by　the　Romans　when　it　was　at　a　distance　from　them；　when　they　have　suffered　many　of　their　own　customs　to　give　place　to　our　law。　And；　after　all　this；　do　you　expect　Him　whom　you　have　so　impiously　abused　to　be　your　supporter？　To　be　sure　then　　you　have　a　right　to　be　petitioners；　and　to　call　upon　Him　to　assist　you；　so　pure　are　your　hands！　Did　your　king　＇Hezekiah＇　lift　up　such　hands　in　prayer　to　God　against　the　king　of　Assyria；　when　he　destroyed　that　great　army　in　one　night？　And　do　the　Romans　commit　such　wickedness　as　did　the　king　of　Assyria；　that　you　may　have　reason　to　hope　for　the　like　vengeance　upon　them？　Did　not　that　king　accept　of　money　from　our　king　on　this　condition；　that　he　should　not　destroy　the　city；　and　yet；　contrary　to　the　oath　he　had　taken；　he　came　down　to　burn　the　temple？　while　the　Romans　do　　demand　no　more　than　that　accustomed　tribute　which　our　fathers　paid　to　their　fathers；　and　if　they　may　but　once　obtain　that；　they　neither　aim　to　destroy　this　city；　nor　to　touch　this　sanctuary；　nay；　they　will　grant　you　besides；　that　your　posterity　shall　be　free；　and　your　possessions　secured　to　you；　and　will　preserve　our　holy　laws　inviolate　to　you。　And　it　is　plain　madness　to　expect　that　God　should　appear　as　well　disposed　towards　the　wicked　as　towards　the　righteous；　since　he　knows　when　it　is　proper　to　punish　men　for　their　sins　immediately；　accordingly　he　brake　the　power　of　the　Assyrians　the　very　first　night　that　they　pitched　their　camp。　Wherefore；　had　he　judged　that　our　nation　was　worthy　of　freedom；　or　the　Romans　of　punishment；　he　had　immediately　inflicted　punishment　upon　those　Romans；　as　he　did　upon　the　Assyrians；　when　Pompey　began　to　meddle　with　our　nation；　or　when　after　him　Sosius　came　up　against　us；　or　when　Vespasian　laid　waste　Galilee；　or；　lastly；　when　Titus　came　first　of　all　near　to　this　city；　although　Magnus　and　Sosius　did　not　only　suffer　nothing；　but　took　the　city　by　force；　as　did　Vespasian　go　from　the　war　he　made　against　you　to　receive　the　empire；　and　as　for　Titus；　those　springs　that　were　formerly　almost　dried　up　when　they　were　under　your　power　（18）　since　he　is　come；　run　more　plentifully　than　they　did　before；　accordingly；　you　know　that　Siloam；　as　well　as　all　the　other　springs　that　were　without　the　city；　did　so　far　fail；　that　water　was　sold　by　distinct　measures；　whereas　they　now　have　such　a　great　quantity　of　water　for　your　enemies；　as　is　sufficient　not　only　for　drink　both　for　themselves　and　their　cattle；　but　for　watering　their　gardens　also。　The　same　wonderful　sign　you　had　also　experience　of　formerly；　when　the　forementioned　king　of　Babylon　made　war　against　us；　and　when　he　took　the　city；　and　burnt　the　temple；　while　yet　I　believe　the　Jews　of　that　age　were　not　so　impious　as　you　are。　Wherefore　I　cannot　but　suppose　that　God　is　fled　out　of　his　sanctuary；　and　stands　on　the　side　of　those　against　whom　you　fight。　Now　even　a　man；　if　he　be　but　a　good　man；　will　fly　from　an　impure　house；　and　will　hate　those　that　are　in　it；　and　do　you　persuade　yourselves　that　God　will　abide　with　you　in　your　iniquities；　who　sees　all　secret　things；　and　hears　what　is　kept　most　private？　Now　what　crime　is　there；　I　pray　you；　that　is　so　much　as　kept　secret　among　you；　or　is　concealed　by　you？　nay；　what　is　there　that　is　not　open　to　your　very　enemies？　for　you　show　your　transgressions　after　a　pompous　manner；　and　contend　one　with　another　which　of　you　shall　be　more　wicked　than　another；　and　you　make　a　public　demonstration　of　your　injustice；　as　if　it　were　virtue。　However；　there　is　a　place　left　for　your　preservation；　if　you　be　willing　to　accept　of　it；　and　God　is　easily　reconciled　to　those　that　confess　their　faults；　and　repent　of　them。　O　hard…hearted　wretches　as　you　are！　cast　away　all　your　arms；　and　take　pity　of　your　country　already　going　to　ruin；　return　from　your　wicked　ways；　and　have　regard　to　the　excellency　of　that　city　which　you　are　going　to　betray；　to　that　excellent　temple　with　the　donations　of　so　many　countries　in　it。　Who　could　bear　to　be　the　first　that　should　set　that　temple　on　fire？　who　could　be　willing　that　these　things　should　be　no　more？　and　what　is　there　that　can　better　deserve　to　be　preserved？　O　insensible　creatures；　and　more　stupid　than　are　the　stones　themselves！　And　if　you　cannot　look　at　these　things　with　discerning　eyes；　yet；　however；　have　pity　upon　your　families；　and　set　before　every　one　of　your　eyes　your　children；　and　wives；　and　parents；　who　will　be　gradually　consumed　either　by　famine　or　by　war。　I　am　sensible　that　　this　danger　will　extend　to　my　mother；　and　wife；　and　to　that　family　of　mine　who　have　been　by　no　means　ignoble；　and　indeed　to　one　that　hath　been　very　eminent　in　old　time；　and　perhaps　you　may　imagine　that　it　is　on　their　account　only　that　I　give　you　this　advice；　if　that　be　all；　kill　them；　nay；　take　my　own　blood　as　a　reward；　if　it　may　but　procure　your　preservation；　for　I　am　ready　to　die；　in　case　you　will　but　return　to　a　sound　mind　after　my　death。〃　　　　CHAPTER　10。　　　　　　　　　　How　A　Great　Many　Of　The　People　Earnestly　Endeavored　To　Desert　To　The　Romans；　As　Also　What　Intolerable　Things　Those　That　Staid　Behind　Suffered　By　Famine；　And　The　Sad　Consequences　Thereof。　　　　1。　As　Josephus　was　speaking　thus　with　a　loud　voice；　the　seditious　would　neither　yield　to　what　he　said；　nor　did　they　deem　it　safe　for　them　to　alter　their　conduct；　but　as　for　the　people；　they　had　a　great　inclination　to　desert　to　the　Romans；　accordingly；　some　of　them　sold　what　they　had；　and　even　the　most　precious　things　that　had　been　laid　up　as　treasures　by　them；　for　every　small　matter；　and　swallowed　down　pieces　of　gold；　that　they　might　not　be　found　out　by　the　robbers；　and　when　they　had　escaped　to　the　Romans；　　went　to　stool；　and　had　wherewithal　to　provide　plentifully　for　themselves；　for　Titus　let　a　great　number　of　them　go　away　into　the　country；　whither　they　pleased。　And　the　main　reasons　why　they　were　so　ready　to　desert　were　these：　That　now　they　should　be　freed　from　those　miseries　which　they　had　endured　in　that　city；　and　yet　should　not　be　in　slavery　to　the　Romans：　however；　John　and　Simon；　with　their　factions；　did　more　carefully　watch　these　men's　going　out　than　they　did　the　coming　in　of　the　Romans；　and　if　any　one　did　but　afford　the　least　shadow　of　suspicion　of　such　an　intention；　his　throat　was　cut　immediately。　　　　2。　But　as　for　the　richer　sort；　it　proved　all　one　to　them　whether　they　staid　in　the　city；　or　attempted　to　get　out　of　it；　for　they　were　equally　destroyed　in　both　cases；　for　every　such　person　was　put　to　death　under　this　pretense；　that　they　were　going　to　desert；　but　in　reality　that　the　robbers　might　get　what　they　had。　The　madness　of　the　seditious　did　also　increase　together　with　their　famine；　and　both　those　miseries　were　every　day　inflamed　more　and　more；　for　there　was　no　corn　which　any　where　appeared　publicly；　but　the　robbers　came　running　into；　and　searched　men's　private　houses；　and　then；　if　they　found　any；　they　tormented　them；　because　they　had　denied　they　had　any；　and　if　they　found　none；　they　　tormented　them　worse；　because　they　supposed　they　had　more　carefully　concealed　it。　The　indication　they　made　use　of　whether　they　had　any　or　not　was　taken　from　the　bodies　of　these　miserable　wretches；　which；　if　they　were　in　good　case；　they　supposed　they　were　in　no　want　at　all　of　food；　but　if　they　were　wasted　away；　they　walked　off　without　searching　any　further；　nor　did　they　think　it　proper　to　kill　such　as　these；　because　they　saw　they　would　very　soon　die　of　themselves　for　want　of　food。　Many　there　were　indeed　who　sold　what　they　had　for　one　measure；　it　was　of　wheat；　if　they　were　of　the　richer　sort；　but　of　barley；　if　they　were　poorer。　When　these　had　so　done；　they　shut　themselves　up　in　the　inmost　rooms　of　their　houses；　and　ate　the　corn　they　had　gotten；　some　did　it　without　grinding　it；　by　reason　of　the　extremity　of　the　want　they　were　in；　and　others　baked　bread　of　it；　according　as　necessity　and　fear　dictated　to　them：　a　table　was　no　where　laid　for　a　distinct　meal；　but　they　snatched　the　bread　out　of　the　fire；　half…baked；　and　ate　it　very　hastily。　

3。　It　was　now　a　miserable　case；　and　a　sight　that　would　justly　bring　tears　into　our　eyes；　how　men　stood　as　to　their　food；　while　the　more　powerful　had　more　than　enough；　and　the　weaker　were　lamenting　＇for　want　of　it。＇　But　the　famine　was　too　hard　for　all　other　passions；　and　it　is　destructive　to　nothing　so　much　as　to　modesty；　for　what　was　otherwise　worthy　of　reverence　was　in　this　case　despised；　insomuch　that　children　pulled　the　very　morsels　that　their　fathers　were　eating　out　of　their　very　mouths；　and　what　was　still　more　to　be　pitied；　so　did　the　mothers　do　as　to　their　infants；　and　when　those　that　were　most　dear　were　perishing　under　their　hands；　they　were　not　ashamed　to　take　from　them　the　very　last　drops　that　might　preserve　their　lives：　and　while　they　ate　after　this　manner；　yet　were　they　not　concealed　in　so　doing；　but　the　seditious　every　where　came　upon　them　immediately；　and　snatched　away　from　them　what　they　had　gotten　from　others；　for　when　they　saw　any　house　shut　up；　this　was　to　them　a　signal　that　the　people　within　had　gotten　some　food；　whereupon　they　broke　open　the　doors；　and　ran　in；　and　took　pieces　of　what　they　were　eating　almost　up　out　of　their　very　throats；　and　this　by　force：　the　old　men；　who　held　their　food　fast；　were　beaten；　and　if　the　women　hid　what　they　had　within　their　hands；　their　hair　was　torn　for　so　doing；　nor　was　there　any　commiseration　shown　either　to　the　aged　or　to　the　infants；　but　they　lifted　up　children　from　the　ground　as　they　hung　upon　the　morsels　they　had　gotten；　and　shook　them　down　upon　the　floor。　But　still　they　were　more　barbarously　cruel　to　those　that　had　prevented　their　coming　in；　and　had　actually　swallowed　down　what　they　were　going　to　seize　upon；　as　if　they　had　been　unjustly　　defrauded　of　their　right。　They　also　invented　terrible　methods　of　torments　to　discover　where　any　food　was；　and　they　were　these　to　stop　up　the　passages　of　the　privy　parts　of　the　miserable　wretches；　and　to　drive　sharp　stakes　up　their　fundaments；　and　a　man　was　forced　to　bear　what　it　is　terrible　even　to　hear；　in　order　to　make　him　confess　that　he　had　but　one　loaf　of　bread；　or　that