to ftand in, where he might be heard, and be in safety. In that speech he entreats the Jews to fave themselves, their temple, and their country, and tells them, that they were fighting against God. "Moreover," fays he, "as for Titus, thofe fprings, which were almoft dried up, when they were in your power, fince his coming, "they run more plentifully than they did before. Accordingly, you "know, that Siloam, as well as all the other fprings about the city, did fo far fail, that water was fold in pitchers: whereas they now "have fuch a quantity for your enemies, as is fufficient for themfelves, and for their cattle, and for watering gardens. The fame wonderful fign you had experience of formerly, when the aforementioned king of Babylon made war against us, who took this city, and burnt the temple: though the men of that time, I believe, were far from being fuch tranfgreffors as "you are."

With regard to that particular, the flowing of the fprings without the city in the time of the king of Babylon, Mr. Whifton fays in a marginal note upon the place, "The hiftory of this is now wanting "elfewhere."

Four days were spent in that relaxation. On the fifth day, when no offers of peace came from the Jews, Titus began to raise new banks at feveral places.

હ

"The † famine now began to be very fevere. And with the fa"mine encreafed alfo the madnefs of the feditious [as Jofephus calls them, meaning John and Simon, and the officers under "them]. There could no corn appcar publicly any where, but "thofe robbers came running for it. They alfo fearched private "houfes. If they found any corn, they tormented the people, be"caufe they had denied it. If they found none, they tormented them nevertheless, because they fuppofed the people had con"cealed it."

Here Jofephus enlargeth upon the miseries of the people, and the great wickedness of their prefent governors. "But," fays he, "it is impoffible to enumerate every inftance of the iniquity of thofe men. But, in a word, never did any city fuffer fo great calamities. Nor was there ever from the beginning of the world any "time more fruitful of wickednefs, than that.-These were the men, who overthrew the city, and compelled the Romans unwillingly to gain a difagreeable victory. They did little less than "throw fire upon the temple, and feemed to think it came too "flowly."

"At this time many came out of the city, to feek for food, "or with a view of making an efcape, who were apprehended by the Romans, and crucified before the walls. And many of them "were fcourged before they were crucified. This feemed to Titus "very grievous. For five hundred Jews were taken in a day, and "fometimes more. Nevertheless he allowed of it. To difmifs them,

* . . . Εδὲν οἶναι τῶν τότε ἡσεβηκότων τηλικέτων ἡλίκα ὑμεῖς. Ib. § 4. p. 350. Haverco † L. 5. cap. x. § 1, 2.

cap. x. §. 4, 5.

§ cap. xi. § 1.

" and

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"and let them go off, would not have been fafe. Nor could he fpare men enough to keep guard upon fo many. Moreover, he hoped, that the fight of thefe miferable objects might difpose them "in the city to think of furrendering. The foldiers, out of anger, and "hatred of the Jews, hung them upon the croffes, fome one way, "fome another, as it were in jeft. And fo great was the number, "that room was wanting for croffes, and croffes were wanting for "bodies."

"Now alfo Titus ordered the hands of fome of them, who had "come out of the city, to be cut off. And then he fent them back, "to let the people within the city know, that henceforward he "fhould carry on the fiege with vigour: however, ftill wishing "them to repent, and not compell him to destroy their city, and "their admired temple. But they who ftood upon the wall returned reproaches upon him, and upon his father Vefpafian; tell"ing him, that death was better than flavery; and that fo long แ as they had breath, they would do the Romans all the harm "they could. As for the temple, they believed it would be pre"ferved by him who inhabited it. Having him for their helper, "they defpifed all his threatenings. For the event depended upon "God only."

The Romans were employed in raifing batteries. But though they had begun to raise them on the 12th day of May, they had much ado to finish them by the 29th day of the fame month, after having laboured hard for feventeen days fucceffively. In which time, however, four batteries were compleated.

But John found means to undermine them, fo that they fell down all at once, caufing great confufion among the Romans. And after that, Simon and his men made a furious fally upon the Romans.

The Roman army was greatly difcouraged, to fee their batteries ruined in one hour, which had coft them fo much labour. And many defpaired, thinking it impoffible to take the city with the ufual engines of war.

Titus confulted with his officers what might be fit to be done. At length it was determined to encompass the city with a wall. Which was compleated in three days, with towers at proper distances, to place foldiers in as garrifons.

Our bleffed Lord fays, Luke xix. 45. "For the days will come upon thee, that thy enemies fliall caft a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every fide." Some think, that this prophecy was now particularly fulfilled in the building of the wall, here mentioned by Jofephus. Others may fuppofe, that it had it's accomplishment, when the Romans laid fiege to the city of Jerufalem, and encompaffed it with an army.

"The famine now increafing, it devoured whole houfes. For a "while, they who had no relations to take care of them, were buried

Cap. xiii. § 12.

แ

at the public expence. "wall into the ditch.

Afterwards the dead were thrown over th

"When Titus, in going his rounds, near the valleys, below "the walls, faw the dead bodies, and the putrefaction iffuing from "them, he fetched a deep figh, and, lifting up his hands to heaven, "called God to witnefs, that this was not his doing." However, he propofed erecting new platforms: which was a difficult work, as all the timber near the city was already confumed, and it was now to be fetched from a great diftance.

In the next chapter t, Jofeplius relates the death of Matthias, fon of Beethus, one of the High-priefts, and feveral other perfons of eminence, and divers others, who were flaughtered by order of Simon in a moft fhameful manner. Matthias was the perfon who had advifed the admitting of Simon into the city, contrary to the inclinations of many others Matthias had four fons, one of which had faved himself by getting away to Titus. The other three were all put to death together with their father: but with this exprefs order from Simon, that the fons fhould be firft flain before the eyes. of their father. Nor was burial allowed to them. The execution was committed by Simon to Ananus, fon of Bamadus, the moft barbarous man of his guards. After them were flain Ananias a Prieft, and Arifteas, fcribe of the Sanhedrim, and fifteen other men of eminence among the people. They alfo flew fuch as made lamentation for thefe perfons, without farther examination.

"Many did ftili find means to get out of the city. Some leaped "down from the wall. Others went out of the city with ftones in "their hands, as if they were going to fight with the Romans. But "moft of them died miferably. Some perifhed by exceffive eating "upon empty stomachs. Moreover, fome of them had fwallowed gold, "and were detected afterwards in fearching for it in their excrements. "This having been obferved in a few inftances, excited the avarice "of the foldiers, who concluded that all the deferters were full of "gold. They therefore cut up their bellies, and fearched their en"trails. In this way," Jofephus fays, "there perished two thousand "in one night. Nor does it feem to me, that any mifery befeil the "Jews more terrible than this.

When Titus heard of it, he was greatly difpleafed, especially "when he found, that not only the Syrians and Arabians had prac"tifed this cruelty, but the Romans likewife. He therefore gave "orders, that all who for the future acted in that manner fhould be "put to death. But the love of money prevailed against the dread "of punishment. And indeed it was God who had condemned the "whole nation, and defeated every method taken for their preferva:❝tion."

He

About this time John melted down many of the facred utenfils in the temple, to make use of them as intruments of war. alfo diftributed the facred wine and oil for common ufe to perfons,

who in drinking, and anointing themselves, wafted them in a proEufe manner.

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*

"But why do I ftay to relate particularly thefe feveral cala"mities? For at this time Mannæus, fon of Lazarus, fled out of "the city, and came to Titus, and told him, that through the one gate, which had been entrusted to his care, there had been carried out no fewer than a hundred and fifteen thoufand eight hundred and eighty dead bodies, from the day that the Romans encamped near the city, the fourteenth day of the month of April, to the fin day of July. That was a prodigious number. The man was not "a governor at the gate. But he was appointed to pay the pub"lic allowance for carrying the bodies out; and therefore was obliged to number them. Others were buried by their relations: "though their burial was no other than to bring them, and caft "them out of the city. After that man, there came to Titus feve"ral other deferters of good condition, who told him, that the "whole number of the poor, who had been thrown out at the gates, 46 was no less than fix hundred thoufand. The number of the reft "could not be exactly known. They farther told him, that when "they were no longer able to carry out the dead bodies of the "poor, they laid them in heaps in large houfes, and then fhut them "up. They likewife faid, that a meafare of wheat had been fold "for a talent. And that afterwards, when it had been impoffible to "come out to gather herbs, becaufe the city was encompaffed with "a wall, fome were driven to fuch diftrefs, as to fearch the com"mon fhores and old dunghills of cattle, and to eat the dung which they found there and that what they could not before endure to fee, they now made use of for food. When the Romans heard of thefe things, they commiferated their cafe. But the feditious, who faw them, did not repent, till the fame diftrets reached themselves. For + they were blinded by that fate, which was com“ing upon the city and themselves.”

46

There ends the fifth book of our Author's hiftory of the Jewish War. The fixth book contains the progrefs of the fiege, and the miferies of the people, till the city was taken by Titus.

The Roman batteries are now raised at the end of one and twenty days hard labour, and the miferies of the city increafe. The Romans begin to batter upon the walls of the tower called Antonia. The Jews made a vigorous defence. But the Romans gained poffeffion of it about the middle of July.

Titus thereupon ordered his foldiers to dig up the founda"tions of the tower Antonia, and make way for him to come up "with his whole army. And being informed, that on that very

day, the feventeenth of July, the daily facrifice had failed, and “that it had not been offered up for want of men, and that the

"people were greatly concerned at it, he fent for Jofephus, and "commanded him to fay to John the fame things that had been faid "before. Accordingly Jofephus fought for a proper place to stand "in, and in the name of Titus himself earneftly exhorted John, "and thofe that were with him, to fpare their own country, and to prevent that fire which was ready to feize upon the temple, and "to offer to God therein their ufual facrifices. But John caft many "reproaches upon Jofephus, with imprecations, adding withal, that

* he did not fear the city fhould ever be taken, which was God's "own city: After which, Jofephus went on with a pathetic speech; which, though it did not perfuade John and his adherents, was "not altogether without effect."

And fome watching for an opportunity fled to the Romans. Of whom were the High-priefts Jofeph and Jefus, and of fons of High-priests three, and four fons of Matthias, as well as one fon of the other Matthias, formerly mentioned, who with three of his fons had been killed by order of Simon, fon of Gioras. And many others of the nobility. All whom Titus received very kindly, and fent them to Gophna, a small city, where they might live quietly, following their own cuftoms. Which offer they chearfully accepted. But as they did not appear, the feditious within the city gave out, that those men had been flain by the Romans. It was in vain, therefore, they faid, for any to go over to the Romans, unless they were willing to be put to death.

Titus therefore fent for those men from Gophna, and let them go round near, the wall with Jofephus, to affure the people that they might come over to him with fafety.

If all this be true, as Jofephus writes, it is a proof of the good temper of Titus Moreover, the Romans were now pufhing their conquefts upon the Temple itfelf, which Titus feems unwilling to have destroyed.

"And," as Jofephus adds §, "Titus was much affected with the "present state of things, and reproached John and thofe with him. Reminding them of the regard, which had been fhewn to the tem, ple by the Romans, who had allowed them to erect in the courts "of it a partition wall, with infcriptions in Greek, forbidding all "foreigners to enter within those limits, and allowing them to kill "fuch as did fo, though they were Romans. I call to witness, fays "he, the Gods of the country, and every God, who ever had a regard to this place (for I do not now suppose it to be regarded by any of them): I also call to witness my own army, and the Jews "who are with me, and your ownfelves, that I do not compell you "to pollute your fanctuary. And if you will change the place of "combat, no Roman fhall come near it. For I will endeavour to preferve your temple, whether you will or not."

Ib. § 3.

Sucla