that intent to draw you from your lawe or to banish you out of your lande or els to destroye it and your Cities but this is the cause of my commynge hither to effer you peace and to make a league with you that you shoulde take vppon you our yoke and be our subiectes as ye were â—â—ore Where did you euer heare of a people in al the worlde that hath shewed them selues so mercifull gentle both towardes other towards you as we haue done Hanniball the captain of the Garthaginianâ— after he had wasted our couÌ„trey at loÌ„gth was taken by vs was he not had in greate honor reputatioÌ„ of vs with such humanity haÌ„dled the we made him king of his people And so delt we with Antiochê° the MacedoniaÌ„ other kings the we toke prisoners â–ª Ye â–ª brag the ye kepe the watch of â—our god Why theÌ„ folow ye not the exaÌ„ple of Iechaniah your kinge who to saue the teÌ„ple of your god froÌ„ destructioÌ„ left your people also shold be led away into bondage or be destroyed with the sworde yelded him selfe and his house into the hands of the king of the Chaldeis Why spare you not your owne liues your citie and sanctuary Nowe therefore hearken vnto me â–ª and I wil make a leage with you before the God of this house who shal be a witnes betwixt me and you by whom I sweare that I will neuer breake this league neither do you anye harme nor spoyle your goodes nor leade you away captiue nor yet set any ruler ouer you but a Iewe of your owne nacion euen Ioseph the priest whiche is with me shall be your prince if you think it good and all the faithfull menne also whiche are with me shall returne to you home againe ye shal inhabite your own land ye shal haue the vse of the fruites therof with peace and quietnesse without any corruption or alteration of the seruice of your God Wherfore credite 〈◊〉 â—o make a leage wyth you and that yâ— may trust me the better ye shall haue pledges Iosephe a noble man of your countrey and other princes and noble men of the Romaynes Come forthe therefore and intreate a peace with vs bowe your shoulders and humble your neckes to serue vs like as all other nacions do as you haue done your selfes in the time of Nero Caesar the ye may liue not be distroied keping your religion safe sound Ioseph the priest hearing the wordes of Titus his clemency in that he was minded to spare the Iewes burste out aloude and wept in the presence of the capitaynes of the sedicious verye bitterlye but they nothinge regarded it Iosephe therfore seinge that Titus coulde do nothinge wyth the sedicious said vnto their princes I maruaile nothing thoughe this citie tende to desolation destruction for I know the ende of it is at hande But this is it that I maruaile moste that ye haue redde the boke of Daniel and vnderstaÌ„d it not which is now fulfilled in al thinges and yet neuer a one of you dothe marke it The continual sacrifice is already ceased a good while agoe the annoynted Prieste is cut awaye and put downe These things although thei be most manifest yet your herts caÌ„ not be leue theÌ„ And mani other words spake Ioseph full of admonition consolatioÌ„ but the Iewes refused to heare him WheÌ„ as he had made an end therfore and the Sedicious hadde so hardened their neckes Titus turned him and departed out of Hierusalem saiynge Let vs get vs hence least their synnes destroye vs. Wherefore he pitched hys tentes without the Citye in the same place where he encamped at the firste For he was afrayed both for him selfe and his armie lest they shoulde be circuÌ„uented and closed in and slaine cruellye in so great a Citye as that was Certaine of the priestes at that tyme of the nobles of the towne with other Godlie men did wisely se to theÌ„ selues â–ª came forth to Titus submittyng theÌ„ selues to his mercye were receiued of him peceably wyth great honor WhoÌ„ Titus coÌ„maunded to be coÌ„ducted into the land of Goschen where in tymes past the Israelites dwelt in the daies of Iacob their father Ioseph Lord of Egypte Thither sent he them gaue it theÌ„ in possession to theim and to their heires for euer commaundynge a companye of the Chaldeis to safe conducte theim til they came to the lande of Goschen Titus directed hys Letters also to the Romayne Presidente whyche was set ouer Egypt to take pitie of the Iewes that he hadde placed in the Lande of Goschen to sustayn and succour them and to see that no Romaine or other shoulde do them harme or anoye them by anye meanes Manye other also of the Iewes coueted to go forthe of Hiâ—rusalem but they were letted of the Sedicious that they coulde not dooe as they intended And who can tell whether they were intangled wyth their owne synnes and destenyed to destruction wyth theyr Sediciousse brethren when as their handes also were polluted wyth the crueltye and iniquitye of the Sedicious Wherfore the Sedicious closed vp all the waies about the temple that none of the Iewes which were in Hierusalem might get out to Titus When Titus knew that many of the Iewes wer desierous to flee vnto him and coulde not because of the sedicious he wente agayne to the place where heâ— was afore and Iosephe with him Whom when the people sawe to be there with Titus they fel a wepynge and said vnto him We acknowledge our synnes and the traunsgression of our fathers wee haue all swarued out of the waye against the lord our God for we know the mercye and gentlenes of Titus the sonne of Caesar and that he taketh pity vpon vs but what can we do when it is not in our power to flee vnto hym bicause of the cruelty of the sedicious The sedicious hearing theim talkyng with Ioseph in presence of Titus that they spake reuerently of him honored hys father callyng him Lorde they ranne vpon them with their drawen swordes to kill them Then cried they vnto Titus deare Lorde and maister rescue vs. The Romayns therfore made spede to deliuer theÌ„ out of the haÌ„des of the sedicious So risse there a fray in the midst of the temple betwene the Romayns and the Iewes The Romains fled into the place called Sanctum sanctorum which was the holiest of all and the Iewes folowed after and slewe theim euen there Titus standinge without cryed vnto Iehochanan and saide vnto hym Hearest thou thou Ichochanan is not thy wickednes yet great inough Wilt thou neuer make an ende of thy mischiefe Where is the honoure of thy God Is it not written in the lawe of your God of the Sanctum sanctorum that no straunger ought to come at it but onelye the hye prieste and that but once a yeare because it is the holiest of al And now how darest thou be so
been for the wickednes that her doughter had coÌ„mitted thinking suerly to please the king by that meanes and to bleare his eies if peraduenture he might suffer her to liue til she might haue oportunitie to poison him Marimi thus going to execution helde her peace and looked nether to the right hand nor to the left nor yet feared death any thing knowing that she was innoceÌ„t in dede and thought and therfore God would reÌ„der her a good rewarde in the world to come Wherfore she bared her necke without feare and thei cut of her head sheding the innocent bloud But God made no delay in punishing the same for there fell a sore plague and pestileÌ„ce in the house of Herode so that his chief seruauntes his noble women and concubines died sore therof Yea throughout all Iudea reigned the pestilence vehemently whiche affliction all Israell knew well ynough chaunced vnto theÌ„ for the bloude of Marimi They cried therefore vnto the lorde saiyng Wilt thou forthe offence of one man deale so cruelly with the hole congregacion The lorde toke pitie therfore vpâ—â— the lande and withore we the plague from the people The king repeÌ„ted him also that he had shed bloud without cause and loue so grew in his harte that he was sicke and at deathes dore Then Alexandra Marimies mother soughte meanes how to poyson hym Whiche being vttered vnto the kynge he commaunded to apprehende her and to kil her In this maner dealt Herode with all the posteritie of the Machabees leauing none aliue that were called by the name He put to death also Ioseph the busband of Salumith The king hadde two sonnes Alexander and Aristobulus by Marimi his wyfe They were both at Rome when their mother suffered for their father the king had sent them thither to learne the Romain toÌ„gue When thei heard tidinges of their mothers death they wepte and mourned for her hating their father for his rcueltie Sone after the king their father recouered of his sickenes was established in his kingdome builded stronge cities and rose to great prosperitie In the. â—iii yeare of his reigne there fell a great dearth in the lande wherfore the kinge tooke out of his treasure muche gold and siluer and precious stoones wherwith he sent into Egipt and procured plentie of corne and refresâ—hyng with bread all that lackt and was in distres of huÌ„ger yea he spared not his owne propre goodes And not onely to the Israelites shewed he this liberality but also to all that came vnto him out of other straunge nations hearing of his renoume Moreouer in all his warres he had good fortune Besides thys he thought it good to renew the house of the sanctuary wherupon he deliberated with the Israelites to haue their aduise for the building of it after the same quantitie and measure that Salolomon king of Israel builded it For the Iewes returning from captiuite in the time of Coresch Cirus began to build it after the measure the Coresch prescribed theÌ„ not as it was afore The people of Israel hearing that the king was purposed to pul down the teÌ„ple to the grouÌ„d and buylde it a freshe they made hym none aunswere fearing left whan he had pulled it downe he would not bee so hasty to builde it vp againe But the the king perceauing what they feared in their mindes saide he woulde not flack the matter nor reste till he hade brought it to passe He said moreouer that he would take out of his treasure plentie of gold and syluer and geue it to grauing also precious stones stones of Thasies marble To the carpenters also and masons he would deliuer timber stones gold siluer brasse iron to make all thinges necessary to the woorke Wherefore if he pulled downe the house he was able to builde it streight waies again So he pulled downe the house and repaired it again and finished it in length a hundred cubites in bredth lykewise a hundreth cubites and in height a hundreth cubites all of white marble so that the whole height of the stone work was in all a hundreth and .xx. cubites For the foundacion was .xx. cubites within the grounde and a hundreth aboue The breadth of euery stone was .xii. cubites and the thicknes thereof .viii. cubites euery stone was of like bignesse The gates of the house he couered with fine gold and precious stoones finely sette therin the thresholdes were of siluer the tops also He made also a vine of gold a marueilous cunning pece of worcke the armes therof or bigger braunches were glittering gold the lesser braunches slips or latest shutes of gold sumwhat red al aboue was yelow gold wherupon hong clusters of cristal The vine was so great that it weied a thousaÌ„d pound weight of pure gold In all the world was not the like to be seen He made also a porche before the porche ii walles of siluer marueilous cuÌ„ningly wrought Behind the house toward the west he made a court of .c. l. cubites loÌ„g and a. C. in bredth whiche was paued with pure marble Toward the south north the length of the court was also Cl. cubites a. C. in breadth He erected in it also C. l. pillers of white marble in foure orders The length of one order was fortye cubites and euerye piller was .xl. cubites hie and three cubites thicke The pillers were all of like measure as the court of the north side and of the South was also of like measure with al the pilloures thereof Toward the east the court conteined D. ccxx cubites euen to the broke Cedron No man euer se the like building in all the world In the extreme partes of the courts he made also walkes and and galeries of such height that they the walked therin might easily se the waters running in the broke Cedron by the space of a cubit Betwene the porch and the house also as though it were a vaile or perticion the king made a wal of siluer of halfe a handful thicke In the which was a dore of beaten golde and vpon the gate a sword of golde of xii pound weight There were certain poses grauen in the sworde as this VVhat straunger so euer approcheth nie her let him die for it So the things that Herode made in the temple were wonderful nether was there euer hard of in all the worlde any king that was able to make suche a building When the worke was finished the king sente to Sarons his pastures for his Cattell from whence were broughte him thre hundreth yonge Bullâ—ckes and verye many shepe accordinge to his Princelye estate So then they dedicated and and halowed the house with great â—oy and gladnesse There was one certain day in the yeare when as the kinge was euer accustomed to make a greate feast to all his court to al his nobles sages in Israel Against that self same daye the kinge was mineded to finishe his workes whiche made bothe him
to manye woordes in persuadinge the peace and league Vppon this Eleasar assembled the priestes and people together to go out fight with Castius Castius perceiuinge howe Eleasar and the people were affected and what mindes they were of how thei had vtterly conspired to distroy the Romaines that were there and to consume them cleane hauing a sufficient trial also of the force and valiantnesse of the rebels he determined fullye to go to Rome for he perceiued he was not able to matche with the sedicious neither his owne power to be compared with theirs Wherefore he woulde go see what ende shoulde come of this warres and what counsell Caesars maiestie would geue Taking his iourney therfore to the citye Iapho he founde there letters of the Romaines for thither was their armie come FroÌ„ thence wente hee with theim and his owne host to Rome and made relation vnto Caesar of such things as had chauÌ„ced him whereat Nero was wonderfully abashed not onely he but all the people of Rome were soore astonied to hear of the great puissant and valiantnes of the Iewes For the which cause the warres ceased for that yere so that the land of Iudea was at great rest quietnes the yere through Eleasars means the head rebel specially froÌ„ the hands of wicked Castius that had sworne to reueng the Romaines to quite the Iewes and that he would destroye all the Iewes that none shoulde be left aliue Therefore these are they that deliuered Israel in the time of the second temple oute of the handes of their ennemies what time as warres were moued against the Iewes and their countrye what time also commotions and tumultes began in Israell The first businesse was made by Antiochus the wicked kinge of Macedonia who had determined not to leaue one man in Israel His mischeuousnesse proceded so farre that he slue of the people of God the Sages wise men princes elders and yonge men children greate and smal Israelites Leuites also and priestes vntil all the chiefe men of Iuda cast their heades together and went to Matthathias sonne of Iochanan the hie prieste in the mounte of Modiith where he had him self for the iniquity of Antiochus and his rulers cryinge vpon him and sayinge Deliuer at this season the people of the Lord and neuer thinke to escape thy self whiles the moste wicked enemy rauÌ„geth thus and runneth vpon thy people sheadeth thy bloud For the bloud of all Israel what is it but thy bloude and the eies of euery man are fixed vpon thee hopinge that thou shouldest assist and aide them in this calamitie that they may finde deliuerance by thy meanes Mattathias hearyng this wept bitterly and said vnto them Feare ye not nor let these Macedonians dismay you the Lorde shal fighte for you be ye onelye quiet So theÌ„ was Mattathias stirred deliuered Israell oute of the handes of Antiochus and after he had ouercomed him he was hie priest for one yere and then died In whose roume succeaded Iudas his sonne who executed the office in the temple .vi. yeres and was slaine in battaile Then his brother Iochanan was chief in the temple .viii. yeres and died likewise in battaile After him his brother Schimeon was ruler .18 yeres whoÌ„ Ptolomae his wiues father poysoned at a banket Then Iochanan his sonne succeaded his father in thoffice that is he that was named Hircanus first of that name so called because he vanquished a king of that name called Hircanus he raigned .21 yeres and died Afterwardes raigned Aristobulus one yere he was called the great kinge because he firste put the royall crowne vpon his heade and turned the dignitie of the hie priesthode into a kingdome vnhallowing and staining the holines therof 480. yeares and .iii. monethes after the retourninge of Israell from Babilon He beyng dead his brother Alexander reigned .xxvii. yeares After whose death Alexandra his wyfe held the kyngdome .ix. yeares and died In whose stede succeded her sonne Aristobulus and reigned thre yeares In his tyme Pompei a Romain captain came against Hierusalem wan it and apprehended Aristobulus bound him in iroÌ„s and caried him captiue to Rome In whose place he ordeiued Hircanus his brother to succede who reigned fourty yeares During his reigne rebelled An tigonus forme of Aristobulus Hircanê° brother with the aide of an armie of the Persians encountred with Hircanus toke him prisoner and sent him to Babilon cutting of his eares that he should neuer after be meet either for the priesthod or for the kingdome Antigonus reigned .iii. yeres In his daies Herode fled and ioyned himselfe with the Romaines by whose helpe he slue Antigonus the .iii. yeare of his reigne reigned after him .xxxvii. yeares and then died After Herode succeded in the king dome Archelaus his sonne who was taken by the Romaines the .ix. yeare of his reigne layde in bondes and ended his life at Rome Next to him reigned Antipater his brother who chaunged his name called him self Herode he reigning fully ten yeares ouercame and vasted Spaine because the king of Spayne had rauished and taken away his brothers wyfe and there died After him folowed Agrippas sonne of Aristobulus that was his brothers son he reigned thre and twenty yeares After whose death his sonne Agrippas reigned twentye yeares This is that Agrippa of whom â–ª wee now speake of of the calamities that befel in his time vpon Israel For all the whâ—le that he raigned the warres betwene the Romains and Israell neuer ceased vntil the people of Iudea were led captiue into the prouince of the Romains what time also the temple was desolate I meane the desolation of the second temple which we saw with our eies builded and distroyed THe .xx. yere of the raigne of kynge Agrippas the .ix. daye of the fifte moneth that is called Af Nero Caesar sent a present for burnt offerings to be offred in the temple at HierusaleÌ„ â—â—ly requiring peace of thelders sages of Iudea Hierusalem that thei would receiue him into league with them saiyng My request is that you would offer my present to the Lorde your God for his sernice and religion liketh me very well so that I desire you to ioyne in league with me accordinge as you haue done with the emperours of Rome my predecessours in time past I haue hearde what Castius the captain of mine armi hath done vnto you which displeaseth me out of measure Wherfore I assure vnto you a faithful league by the consent and couÌ„sel of the Senate of Rome that hereafter there shall neuer Romaine captaine stirre hand nor fote against you but rather your heades rulers iudges shal be al Iewes and of Ierusalem Yea Agrippas your kinge shal be Lorde of all your rulers what he commaundeth ye shal do it the Romains shal only be called your lordes and haue no more to do with you So when these legates came to IerusaleÌ„ they wente and spake with Anani the priest
yoke from their necks and rebelled against the dominion of Ierusalem ioyning their power with the Romaine armye to ayde Vaspasian and Titus For these were afore subiectes vnto the Iewes that sore hadde burthened thē wherefore they came to aide the Romaines and to inuade Ierusalem and the people of the Iewes But the Edomites had not yet associate them selues with Vaspasian and Titus for they were in subiection to the Iewes and serued them So that not one of them aided the Romaines For longe before they hadde moued warre againste Ierusalem and coulde not gette the victorye but the Iewes preuailed againste them and subdued them Hircanus also the fyrste kinge of the Iewes circumcised them They dwelte also in Ierusalem kept watche and warde aboute the house of the Lorde and his couenaunte withoute all rebellion againste the Iewes and Ierosolimites And at that present was thirtye thousande of the best of the Edomites to keepe the walles of Ierusalem and the house of the Lorde After this Vaspasian and Titus with all their hoste toke their iourney from Acho and came to Galile and in the moūt they pitched their tentes Wherof when tidinges was brought to Ioseph howe the hoste of the Romaines lay vpon the moūt of Galile and howe Vaspasian had sent afore him a greate power to repayre the broaken waies to fyll the hooles and caste downe the hilles to leuel the waye that his people might passe the better for he was sore moued against the Iewes Ioseph issued out of zipporie with al his power sette vpon them and flewe them with the sworde takynge suche vengeaunce of them as neuer was the lyke afore for his God was with him Vaspasian and Titus hearing of this determined to set vpon Ioseph at vnwares and to beset all the wayes that he should escape of no syde But Ioseph had intelligence of their commynge wherefore he lefte zipporie and went to Tiberia whether Vaspasian folowed with his hoste Ioseph perceiuing them comming fled from thence to Iorpata the biggest city in al Galile closed vp the gates there remained with his armie THen sent Vaspasian certaine noble men in embassage vnto Ioseph to debate the matter with hym in this wyse Vaspasian generall of the Romaine armie desyreth to know what it should auaile the to be thus pend vp within a walled toun he willes the rather to come forth to entreate of peace with him enter in a league together for it shal be for thy auaile to serue Caesar emperour of the Romaines the thou maiest liue and not be destroied nor yet any of the people with the. Then Ioseph sent embassadours againe to Vaspasian demaunding treuce for a fewe daies that he might cōmen of the matter with the people and let them vnderstande his wordes peraduenture saith he they wil be perswaded to make peace with thee and then wyll we enter in league with the Romaine empire So Vaspasian ceassed from fighting againste Ioseph permittinge him space to deliberate of the thinge Vpon that Ioseph sente Embassadoures to all the people at Ierusalem to the priestes chiefe men rulers and to the reaste of the people lettinge them to witte this Ye shall vnderstande brethren and frendes that Vaspasian generall of the Romaines sente his Embassadoures vnto me inquiring what it shuld auaile vs to be so stiffe against them ▪ and not rather to com forth and to entreate of peace and to ioyne in league together that we maye serue the Emperour of the Romaines so to saue our liues and not to be destroyed And I pray you why wil ye lose your liues your wiues your sōnes doughters why wil ye all fal together vpon the sword that bothe they that shal be left aliue among you shal be led captiue oute of your countrye to a people that ye neuer knewe whose language ye vnderstande not and your countrye to be made desolate your sanctuarye laide waste that there shal not be so much as one man to enter into it Neuer suffre this you that be wise men but rather receiue my counsell come hither to vs that we may deliberat together what conditiōs of peace we shal make for the sauegard of your liues rather then to be destroyed and that ye maye vse the cōmodities of your country be at reaste and peace therin For life and quietnes is to be preferred before death and banishmente The inhabitantes therefore of Ierusalem bothe priestes chief men rulers and all the noble mē of Iudea with the reaste of the people sente vnto Ioseph sayinge Take hede to thy self that thou neuer consent vnto this to receiue conditions of peace with them but be stronge and bolde to fighte vntill suche time as thou shalt consume them or till thou and all the people die in battaile and so shalt thou fighte the fightes of the Lorde for his people and his sanctuarye with the cities of oure God In the meane season be as be maye so thy power be not with them When Ioseph hearde the determination of the people of Hierusalem howe all sortes with one consent willed by the embassadours the continuaunce of the warres he was wonderful wroth and in a great fury he issued out with all his people and set them in aray againste Vaspasian and the Romaine hoste in whiche conflicte were stayne very many of the Iewes And from the day forward Vaspasian began earnestly and fearcely to warre vpon the Iewes He departed from thence to the citie Gerarta a great citie in the higher Galile beseged it and wan it raced it flewe all the people man woman and childe oxen shepe camelles and asses leauing nothing alyue And then he saide nowe begin I to be reuenged for the Romains which the Iewes murthered in the lād of Iuda Frō thēce he departed brought his armie to Iorpata where Ioseph remained The first day that he entamped aboute Iorpata he gaue his souldiours meate and drynke plenty and made them good chere thē furnished euerye man with weapons So on the next morrow early the Romaine army gaue a great shoute and beset the city round aboute on euerye side In this businesse Ioseph stoode vpon a certaine towre from whence he behelde the huge campe of the Romaines wherefore he sounded forthe a Trumpet gaue a signe to battaile issued oute with the hole power of the Iewes that he had with him and sette vpon the Romaines campe at the fote of the hil continuinge the fighte from morning vntil night And when it began to be darke they ceassed fighting and departed the one sort frō the other the Iewes into the towne the Romaines to their tentes In this battail were very manye slaine on bothe parties aswel Iewes as Romaines The Romaines aduauncinge them selues proudly and stoutly said we wil quickly vanqueshe this little nation as we haue subdued all other nations that we haue conquered that they shall anoy vs no more and afterwardes we shal be at reaste The Iewes also on thother side encouraged them selues
the .iii. time ye haue approched the wals this is the .iii. time ye haue ben slain for your labours And al this coÌ„meth bicause ye wil not be ruled by me but transgresse your generall lords coÌ„mauÌ„dmeÌ„t But now mi brethreÌ„ take hede what ye do herafter it becometh you not to rebel agaiÌ„st mi words which yet ye haue done ofteÌ„times Do ye not remeÌ„bre a certain nâ—ble man of our couÌ„try in the wars of Augustus Caesar against the Persians how he put his own son to death bicause the contrary to his fathers commaundemeÌ„t who was grand captain of the army vnder Augustus he had fough with his enemies yea although he kild iii. PersiaÌ„s But what speke I of once ye haue oftentimes set life by my coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts skirmishing dayly with the Iewes that without al discretioÌ„ rashly out of order wherthrough your coÌ„flicts can haue no good successe If you coÌ„tinue these maners it shall redownde vnto your owne dishonours Wherefore it were better for you to leue of this and lay away your pryde contumaâ—ye and stubburunesse whiche if ye dooe thinges shall be in better sauegarde Muche more spake Titus to his men rebuking them sharpely not mencioned here but declared at large in the volume that wee writ vnto the Romains When he had said his princes and captains fel euery one prostrate to the earth besought him of pardon for their rashnes in that they had so vnaduisedlye and without order against his mind encofitred with the Iewes Then Titus taking pitie of theÌ„ pardoned them requesting theÌ„ to be ware herafter that they coÌ„mitted nothing agaiÌ„st his coÌ„maundmeÌ„t nother in word nor dede so doing theâ— shold haue his fauour auoid his displesure dauÌ„ger of deth for the coÌ„trary But if thei refused to do it whatsoeuer he wer the shold traÌ„sgres his coÌ„maundmeÌ„t he wold not spare him but put him to death geue his body to be eateÌ„ of the fouls of thayre They aunswered all with one voyce We are content with these condicioÌ„s and wil do what so euer thou shalt coÌ„maunde vs. After this Titus considering howe earnestly the Ierosolimites were set one againste an other howe they were become such cruel and morâ—al enemies that eche of them conspired others death he caused the pittes cesterns and trenches that were about Ierusalem to be damde vp and stopte with earthe that the waies mighte be leuilled for his army That don he enâ—aÌ„pt him self nearer the wals Against whiche attempte the Iewes issued not out of the town after their accustomed manner to put them backe from the walles For Schimeon was otherwise occupied he had enterteined ten thousande men of the best of the seditious Iewes and ioyned him selfe to Iacob the Edomite captaine of .ix. thousande Edomites with whome he had made a conspiracy vtterly to destroye captaine Iehochanan And settinge vppon him they coÌ„pelled him to flie into the courte of the temple where he remained in the gate of thentrance of the temple with eight thousand and .iiii. hundreth good men of war al wel appointed in â—acks Eleasar also was against him and ioyned with Schimeon becomming an enemy to him that before had saued his life and so they both together aâ—â—ailed Iehochanan neglectinge the defence of the towne By this meanes the Romaines encamped them selues aboute the walles at their pleasure raisings toures and castinge trenches to plante their iron Rammes vpon to batter the wals The coÌ„mon people of the Iewes that were vnder the rule and gouernment of the three seditious captaines namelye Schimeon Eleasar and Iehochanan which although they were ill inough al yet the tiranny of Iehochanan far passed Schimeon Schimeon was far worsse then Eleasar thoughe Eleasar was the head author and firste beginner of sedicion in al Israel were amongst them as she pe redy to be killed For the forsaid sedicious captains slew the people at their pleasures and deuided them into bandes casâ—yng lots vpon them who should haue which so that one had anothers men another man his And this did they not onelye with their owne men but also with al the rest of the people in suche wise that when the Romains made any assault then ioyned they together as one man to resist the Romayns wheÌ„ they had geuen them a repulse then wouldthey returne to their câ—uel warres fal together by the eares among them selfes Extreme and dreadfull was the ciuyll conflict at that season betwene the thre foresaid captains and so sore that the bloude streamed downe the chanel out of the gates of Hierusalem like as a broke that runneth out of a fountayne and well sprynge The Romeynes seinge it were moued with much pitie that they wept bitterly But Ioseph that was amongst theÌ„ was striken with so great heauinesse that he burst out into a sorowful lamentation liftyng vp his woful voyce in this wise ALas alas Ierusalem the citie of the great kinge howe shail I now call thee at this daye or what name shal I geue thee Sometyme thou wast called Iebus of Iebusaeus that builded thee first in all thys lande After that thy name was Zedek that is iustice wherupon thy kinge Iehoram was called Malkizedek for hee was a ryghteous kyng and because he raygned in thee wyth sustice therefore was thy name Zedek Then ryghtuousnesse hadde his abidyng in thee and thy bright starre that shined in thee was Zedek Moreouer in his time was thou called Schalem as the Scripture witnesseth and Malki zedek king of Schalem and that because the iniquitie of the people that dwelte in thee was then fulfilled For at that tyme chose Abraham oure father of worthye memorye to worship god in thee and to take thee to his enheritaunce to plant in thee the rote of good woorkes Whereupon the tabernacle of God remayneth in thee to thys daye as it was reuealed vnto the same our father Abraham In the say His the sanctuarye of the Lorde For in that place did Abraham binde his onlye Sonne vpon the toppe of one of thy hilles that is called mount Moriah holy and halowed and therfore art thou called Ierusalem because oure father Abraham of famous memory called the place of thy sanctuary Adonai ijreeh the Lorde shall see Then thy late name beinge Schelem this ioyned to it made it Ijreshalem For the Lord God shall behold the place of thy sanctuarye at what time as it shal be Schalem that is pure vncorrupte without lacke or spot but wheÌ„ so euer it is polluted and defiled as it is at this daye then wil he turne awaye his face from it Furthermore thou arte also called Ierushalaim therfore because that who so vnderstande the dignity and worthinesse of the place wherin thy sanctuary is shall bid the angelles of heauen to teache in it the doctrine of the holye ghoste and the spirite of wisdome and vnderstanding wherwith litle childreÌ„ and the vnlearned in thy lande may be made wise He also that ministred in thy
all quarters for to ayds the Romaynes by whose healpe they preuayled agaynste the Iewes at suche tymes as they issued oute of the Towne and constrayned them to wythorawe them selues within the walles Yet Titus pitiynge the miserable state of the Citye Temple and people of the Lorde at that tyme commaunded hys people to wythdrawe theim selues from the walles and to leaue of the assaulte for a whyle that he myghte offer peace vnto the Iewes to see if they woulde nowe be contente to submitte theim selues vnto the Romayns to haue quiet and rest wythout daunger of distruction Wherfore he gaue them truce for fiue dayes And vpon the fift daye he came to the gate of the citie whereas he straightway espied Schimeon and Iehochanan together preparing fire to distroye the Romains engyns of warre for all the Iewes had agreed together with one accorde and one minde still to withstande the Romayns Wherfore Titus perceiuynge the Iewes to be so desperatlye set that they hadde euen vowed their lyues to deathe he began to offer and propose vnto them cōdicions of peace sharply to reproue and blame their obstinate stubburnnes saiyng I haue now won two of your wals and ye haue but one left Therfore if you will continue stil in this selfe willed frowardnes what wyl ye dooe most miserable creatures when as I shall atchiue also the thirde wall and quite distroy your citye pullynge downe your Temple and all Why dooe ye not rather fauoure and spare your own liues your wiues and children But the Iewes set vppon a solemne obstinacie would in no wyse heare Titus speake Therefore Titus sent Iosephe to declare his minde vnto them in Hebrue that they might safely credite his promises and the peace that was offered Iosephe therefore went and stode ouer agaynst the gate képynge hym selfe alofe of for he was afrayed to come nie the wall knowyng that the people hated hym bicause he had yelded him self to the Romains He called therefore vnto theim aloude Hearken all ye Hebrues and Iewes I will declare vnto you that that shal be to your profite Then the People gaue eare vnto Ioseph who spake vnto them in this wise An oration of Iosephus to the Citisins of Hierusalem YOu shoulde ere this good people of Ierusalem haue fought so earnestlye whiles your Cities were yet standynge and your Lande repienished with people ere euer this mischefe had lighted vpon you Now after that with murders and slaughters amongst your selues you haue distroyed one another and poluted the temple of the sanctuarye with the bloude of the murthered neither haue spared your owne liues You are become fewe in noumber a small sorte of you is lefte what hope haue you then to preuayle Agayn you haue stirred here and prouoked a valiant Nacion whiche is ruler ouer all people and hath subdued all other landes whiche also hath those nacions in subiection vnder them which somtime raigned ouer you Besides this you wage battail with the Romains without all wit or wysdome without any remors of this moste famous Citye without any reuth of the sanctuary of the Lord without any pitye of your owne liues Nether yet do you sorsake your purpose for I perceyue you to cōtinue in this same self will to withstand the Romaines stil which is nothing else then to sprede abroad this calamity further both vpon the people of God vpon his holy tēple Al bett I am not afraied only for this holy tēple moste renoumed City leest it shulde be raced and distroied but for the sacrifices burntoffringes leest they shuld cease as the dayly facrifice is ceassed And why For we haue sinned against our Lord God wherfore his shadowe is departed frome vs bycause that in this same tēple we haue kept warres whyche hath ben an habytacion of wicked a tabcrnacle of seditious persones yea euen the ministers and holy men of God haue ye murthered within the walles of the tēple haue ye shed innocēt bloud without measure See now deare brethren marke what ordinaunce what engins what instrumentes of destruction are addressed to beate downe the Temple the fire is alreadye kindeled to set a fire the sanctuarye And loe euen your verye enemies are sorie for your temple that thei woulde not haue it defaced But you deare brethren and frendes why are you led with no remorse of your selues that your enemies maye once remoue from you these engines of warres What haue you nowe left to trust vnto when as two of your walles are alreadye battered downe and one onelye remayneth You will saye peraduenture we put not our trust in our wals but in our God Are ye not aware that your God hath longe agone geuen you ouer and hath turned him to your enemies because they haue with greater honour and reuerence worshipped his name then we which rebelliously are fallen awaye from him Wherefore God assisteth not vs but our enemies in so muche that except it be in suche countreys whereas either for extreme colde of the one side or exceadyng heat on the other no man is able to abyde all landes all nacions are vnder their dominion Tell me I pray you what expectation haue you seinge GOD hath made them a terrour vnto all nacions vpō the earth who serueth theim Why wil not you obey them that you may liue and not perishe Doe you not consider it is come to their turn to rule ouer all that God hath committed dominion vnto theim and ayded theim with his assistāce Remember you not how God in times past ayded the Egiptians in so much that thei obteined the dominion ouer all the hole worlde but afterwarde departed from theim and assisted you to get the soueraintye ouer other nacions After that forsoke you againe and gaue the empire vnto the Chaldeis Assirians and Persians whyche raigned farre and wyde ouer manye countreys Nowe also hathe geuen theim ouer and helpeth the Romaynes these manye yeares so that they beare rule ouer all If you wyll obiect and say To what entent should God geue the dominion vnto the Romaynes or other Nacions ouer the worlde and ouer his enheritaunce and people also whiche is an holy temple a peculier and speciall Nacion of all the earth Shoulde you not be ashamed to saie this with what discretion can you wonder at this knowing that all mākynde one and other are the handy-worke of God who exalteth whom he list whom he list he thrusteth doune Ye say ye be the children of God his proper possessiō and ye aspire to the soueraintie therfore it can not be the God should determine any thing vpon you by chaunce fortune or sodaine anger displeasure I graunt but wot ye what The shadow or protection of the Lorde hath forsakē you bicause of your sinnes and transgressions againste the tēple his holy ministers Howe then can you staye vpon his helpe when as he hath withdrawen his louynge countenance from you and your synnes haue made a deuorce betwene
the greke tong Ptolomee reioysing much in their wisdome honored them with princely apparell and great rewards brought thē also home again mery and glad Moreouer he sendeth by them oblations to our God At that time there were many contented to folow the lawes of the Grecians but these seuentye refused Not longe after captaine Seleucus Ptolomies cōpanion in office died in whose stede Antiochus raigned in Macedonia This Antiochus makyng warre vpon Ptolomee bereft him of all his dominions and slewe him After that he subdued all the lande of Israel then vnder the regiment of Ptolomee and waxed verye proude He hated Israel also because they loued Ptolomee and ayded him in the warres againste him This is that Antiochus that builded a great citye vppon the sea coaste and called it Antiochia wherein he made a golden ydole commaundyng that the children of Israel should be brought vnto it and worship it But some of them chose rather to suffer deathe for the religion of their god although some other fel from the synagoge their mother church Before this he toke away also their Sabboth their new mone and leage of circumcision forbiddyng that in any wise they should obserue these commaundementes in anye place throughout his whole dominiōs For the which he put many of the Israelits to death oppressed thē more then did euer anie of their enmies or aduersaries The second mā in honor next him self in Ierusalē was one Polipus he erected an ymage in the tēple cōmaundyng the people of Israell to worship it and who so euer was disobedient to be slaine Therfore he put to death Hanna and her seuen children as it is mencioned in other places When Antiochus perceiued this it increased his hatred towarde Israel in so muche that he did his endeuour that none of them should scape or be left aliue except such as would worship the image Then fledde manie of the Israelites to the mounte Mediit and to Iericho because of the lawe of Polipus and Antiochus his lorde hauinge to their gouernour the hie priest Mattathias sonne of Iohan Hasmonany otherwise called Chasmonany The priest enioyned them to faste and punishe thē selues before the lorde with wepinge sackeclothe and asshes and after this he saith vnto them If ye wil ieoparde your liues for the holy Lorde why die we like women Let vs go and fight with Polipus and if we die wee shal die with honour peraduenture the holie and blessed God wil helpe vs and will not roote out the remnaunt of Isracll To this counsell euerie man assented and made a couenant with hym vpon this thing Polipus hearing this gathered his force together and made toward them to destroye them what Israelite so euer he found in his waie he slewe him Mattathias the priest and all the remnant of Israel vnderstāding that Polipus came againste them they went vp vpon the mount Mediit wyth their wiues and children Then hee put him selfe and his sōnes in armour He had fiue sonnes Iudas the eldest the next Iehonathan the thirde Iochanan the fourth Schimeon and the fifte Eleasar All these wer valiant and good men of warre When Polipus came to them he vsed crafte with Mattathias saiynge vnto him Thou arte one of the chiefe men in Israell and a man of honour estimation Come doune therfore and all that be with thee worship the ymage and striue not againste the kinge that ye mai liue and not be destroied Thou shalt be their prince also if thou wilt be conformable But the priest in no wise woulde bee seduced by him but rather cursed and reuiled him Mattathias had an aulter at the fote of the hill whereupon when he had offered Sacrifice to the most blessed God there came one of the wicked Israelites oute of Polipus campe and killed vpon it a swine This villaine was yong and lustye but the prtest was olde yet when he saw what this lewde felow had done criyng vnto his god to help him strenthen him he chalenged a combate betwene him self the felow Which thinge being liked both of the felowe and of Polipus with his whole Armye Mattathias came downe wyth his drawen sworde in his hande and the felow stode against him readye to receiue him But the prieste russhed vpō him by the assistence of his god ouercame him cut of his head and cast his carcas vpon the aulter wherat Polipus and his whole host were much astonied beholdyng one another The prieste stode still by the aulter criynge whiche of you wil come to me man for man Thē Polipus picked out a strong champion the best in all his armye and brought him out of the arayes of hys hoste to teache him his lesson howe he should behaue him selfe with the priest The prieste therfore drewe toward the Campe with hys naked sworde in hys hand as though he came to ioyne with their Champion but afterwardes leauynge him he turned his sworde vpon Polipus stroke of his heade and fledde to the hill Then blowing their hornes and makynge a shoute together they russhed doun vpō the Grecians campe But when the Grecians saw that their graunde captaine was slaine they fled Chasmonany and his sonnes with all Israell folowed the chase ouerthrewe thē and made a great slaughter This done Mattathias the priest went to Ierusalem purified the tēple restored the worshippyng of god commaunded al that were born during the time of Polipus to be circumcised for bi the means of his inhibition they were vncircūcised Thus being established he sate vpō the throne of the kingdome and droue the Grekes out of the lande of Israell His kingdome endured one yere whiche was the .cc. xii yere frō the building of the seconde house After this he fell sicke and like to die charged his sonnes to kepe the obseruations of the Lorde and to walke in his waies Also to play the men againste the Grecians for the religion of the Lord. Then brought he forth Iudas a tall man and a hardy and placynge him in the sanctuarie toke a horne of oyle and poured it vppon his head wherat all the Israelites clapped their handes and gaue a great shoute saiynge God saue the kinge God saue the kinge Sone after Iudas gathered an armie of Israel and made an expedicion against the rēnant of the Grekes that were left in the holdes of Israell and whatsoeuer he toke in hande God gaue it good successe Notwithstanding Antiochus sent against him a puissant army vnder the leadyng of one captain Pelonius against whom Iudas so warred that the Grecians went to wrack for he espied his tyme when they were destitute of victuals and spedely set vpon them beat thē doune handsmoth approched to captain Pelonius slew the valiauntest about him yea him also When Antiochus heard of this he was in a great rage wherefore he chose out a most valiaunt captaine called Lisias and sent him against Hierusalem with a thousande horsemen and fotemenne without number Iudas hauing
euer geue them any answere But when thei perceiued the kinge to be incensed against them and by that meanes the matter mighte redounde to their owne harme after consultation had they went to the king of Grece whose name was Demetrius shewed him what Hircanus and Alexander his soÌ„ne had done vnto the Phariseis and all the Israelites that bare them good will and folowed their traditions and how thei also hated Alexander for the mischiefe that hee hathe wrought them So that if any manne would come and reueng the malice of Alexander they would be ready to aide him Demetrius folowed their aduise and assembling together all his people to the number of .xl. thousand horsemeÌ„ and fotemen without number He toke his iourney and encamped against Sichem Then kinge Alexander waged .vi. thousand horsemen to aid him But the king of the Grecians writ priuilye to the auncientes of the Sectaries that they shold not aide Alexander To the mercinary souldiours also that Alexander had hired he sent rewardes golde and siluer that they returned home to their couÌ„trey aided not Alexander Wherupon he was not able to withstande Demetrius Therfore hearing that Demetrius was remoued froÌ„ Sichem toward IerusaleÌ„ entending to take him in the citie he fled by nighte with a fewe of his men to the mountains and lurked there When the menne of Israel that were in Iudea heard the king was fled out of Hierusalem and that the citye was in hasarde to come into the haÌ„des of the Grecians they gathered them selues together stode for their liues as thoughe all had bene one man to the number of .x. thousand and set vpoÌ„ Demetrius Campe killed all his beste men of warre and spoyled his whole host that he fled from them returned home into his couÌ„trey with shame dishonour This done the king toke hart vnto him returned to his kingdom but the Pharises fled to Betshemes streÌ„gthning theÌ„ selues against the king Who hauing intelligeÌ„ce therof gathered an army went against theÌ„ wan the city and toke viii.c of the chiefest Pharisies bound theÌ„ in chains brought them to IerusaleÌ„ Then baÌ„queted he al his seruants vpon the roufe of his palaice in a very hie place where the chiefe learned men eat dranke vntil he and thei were dronke And in his merye mode he commaunded those viii.c Pharisies prisoners to be brought forth to be haÌ„ged euery man of theÌ„ vppon gallowes before him at which sight he dronke laughed hartely After this he fel sick the xxiiii yere of his raigne of a greuous disease a quartan ague that held him thre yere yet for all this he shronke not nor letted to go to the war to encounter fight with his enemies what nation so euer they were of round about him as though he had ben a hole man In the xxvii yere of his raign which was the third of his sicknes he made an expeditioÌ„ into the land of Moab against a certain city called Ragaba to get it bi force At which time he was very sicke and weake wherfore his wife Alexandra the Quene wente with him fearinge least he shuld die by the waye And as be encamped him self against the city and vrged it sore with assaultes his sicknesse increased vpon him more and more Wherfore his wife perceiuinge that he was like to die wept bitterly before him said To whoÌ„ shal I be so bold as to shew my face wheÌ„ thou art once dead seing thou haste wroughte such mischief vpon the pharisies whoÌ„ all the lande fauoureth and foloweth their traditions obeiyng their institucions If they shal be disposed to wreke them selues vppon me and thy yonge children they shal haue aid of all that dwel in the laÌ„d The king answered Wepe not nor shew any reseÌ„blance of peÌ„sifnes I wil tel the what thou shalt do if thou wilt folow my counsell thou shalt prosper and raigne thou and thy children as thou woldest desire Be it that I die there is no man in the world nede know therof Tel thou euery maÌ„ therfore that aske for me that I am sick wil not that ani maÌ„ shal come at me In the meane while anointe season me with balmes fight with a courage against this city til thou win it then return to Ierusalem with ioy and beware thou put on no mourninge apparail nor weepe but bringe me into Ierusalem and laye me vpon a bedde like a sicke man and after call together the chiefe of the Phariseis bryng them where I am and speake vnto them gentilly in this sort Alexander hath bene euer your enemy I knowe it very wel wherefore take him if ye list and cast him into the fire or to the dogges or bury him it shal be at your choise I knowe wel they are pitifull men and so ful of merci that they wil bury me honorably and shall apointe some one of my sonnes whoÌ„ they like best to be king The Quene did therfore as she was instructed of the king Whan she had won Ragaba she ioyfully returned to Ierusalem after that gathered together the elders of the Pharisies and spake to them as the king had aduised her The Pharisies hearing the king was deade and that his bodye was in their handes to do withal what they liste they answered the Quene God forbid we shoulde do this vnto our Lorde the annointed of God He was the king and hie prieste what though he were a sinner yet his deathe shal be an expiation for him of al his iniquities Therfore we wil bewaile him and mourne for him yea we wil cary his coffen our selues vpon our neckes and burye him as it becommeth a kinges magnificence and so they did The time that he reigned was .xxvii. yeares After him reigned his wife Alexandra in his stede for the Pharisies after they had finished the .vii. daies of the mourning they comitted the kingdoÌ„ vnto her She had .ii. sons by the king the elder was called Hircanus the other Aristobulus Hircanus was a iust man righteous but Aristobulus was the warrioure man of prowes besides that of a familier louing countenance He fauored also the learned men folowed their instruction But Hircanus his elder brother loued the Pharisies On a time therfore when the Quene sate in the throne of her kingdom she called the auncients of the Pharisies before her honoured them commaunded to release set at liberty al such Pharisies as the king her husband her father in lawe had cast in prison and taking the pharisies by the handes she commaunded all Israel to obey their ordinaunces TheÌ„ made Hircanus her sonne hie prieste and Aristobulus lieueteuaunte of the warres She sent also to al the landes that her husbande and father in lawe had subdued and demaunded the nâ—ble mennes sonnes for pledges which she kept in IerusaleÌ„ So the lord gaue vnto the Quene quietnesse froÌ„ al that were vnder her subiection She gaue also the Pharisies
authority ouer the learned sort puttinge them into their handes to ordre at their pleasure Wherupon straight way they founde one Dogrus a greate man amongst the learned sort whom they stewe much people besides of the auncients of that sect so that the Sectaries were in great distresse Thei gathered them selues together therfore and came to Aristobulus the lieutenaunt of the warres and with him they came to the Quene saiyng vnto her Thou knowest the enmitie that is betwene vs and the Pharisies which hate thy busband and father in lawe yea and thy children also We were his men of warre that went with him in all his affaires and ayded him now thou hast geuen vs into their handes to bee murdered and banished out of the Lande What will Hartam kinge of Arabia dooe when he heareth this that we shall forsake thee He wâ—â— come and reuenge him of all the battaile that thy husband fought agaynst him Yea the Pharisies will take his parte and deliuer thee and thy children into his handes that there shall not be left vnto Hircanus the kynge and his sonne Alexander thy husbande anye name or remnant at all The Quene gaue them no word to answer wherat Aristobulus was angrye and letted not to vtter it to his mothers face but she would not heare him Wherefore Aristobulus counseled the Sectaries to go their waies and depart oute of Ierusalem to chuse them cities in the laÌ„d of Iuda where they mighte dwel with their honor not to suffre them selues to be slain vnder the Pharisies hands Wherfore departing from Ierusalem they dwelte in the cities of Iuda Not longe after this it fortuned the Quene fel sore sicke that she was like to die Wherof when Aristobulus heard he feared least the Pharisies wold make his brother Hircanus kinge and at length apprehende him wherefore he fled away by night to the cities of the Saducies to be their heade and make war vpon his brother if he would presume to reigne He came therefore to the Prince of the Saducies called Galustius who was a good man of war And after he had gathered a stronge armye of the Saducies his mother the Quene sent vnto him that he shoulde returne vnto her which he wolde not do but rather went to war vppon the nacions that dwelt about him where he wan .xx. cities and gate him great renowne therby Now as the Quene his mother waxed sicker and sicker the chiefe Pharisies came vnto her with her sonne Hircanus weping before her and saiyng how they were afraid of her sonne Aristobulus who if he should come into Ierusalem take it he would deliuer them vp into the handes of the Saducies Vnto whome she answered I am as you see at the point of death not able to talke much with you there is here in my house great treasure that my husbande and my fathered gathered and their pareÌ„ts kings of the posterity of Chasmonani take that vnto you and make my soÌ„ne Hircanus king ouer you If Aristobulus wil perturbe him and make warre againste him ye may wage menne of war therwith and succour him as you thinke good And euen with this she fainted and died and was buried amongst her people after she had reigned .ix. yeare ouer Israel The Pharisies therfore and priestes with all the inhabitantes of Ierusalem made Hircanus her sonne king in her stede Aristobulus hearinge tidinges of these thinges assembled his army and came toward Ierusalem to fight against his brother But Hircanus met him and encountred with him nye vnto Iordane Iericho The Saducies of Aristobulus hoste were good men of warre and to strong for the Pharises Wherfore Hircanus the Pharisies had the ouerthrow at Aristobulus and the Saduces handes who with this victorye proceded forth to Ierusalem besieged it brought it to great distres Wherfore the priestes and the aunciente of the people consulted together came forth to Aristobulus fel prostrate vpon th earth afore him and besought him that he wold not scatter abrode the inheritaunce of the Lorde He condiscended vnto their desires vpon these conditions that he should enter into Ierusalem with them and be kinge and his brother Hircanus shoulde be the hie priest Wherunto they agreed Then as Aristobulus entred into IerusaleÌ„ his brother came out of the sanctuary to mete him and with embrasings he kissed him So Aristobulus was king Hircanus executed the office of the hie priest The Lord also gaue Israell rest and peace for a while But afterward the Lord sente an euil spirite amongst them which was the cause of translating the kingdoÌ„ from the stock of Chasmonani and of the destructioÌ„ of his posteritye For the sonne of Hircanus the great and the sonne of Alexander his sonne in that they shed so much innocent blud drue Israel froÌ„ thobedience of the Prophets vnto the lies trifles of the Saduces For thus it chauÌ„ced The Saduces bet into Aristobulus heade that as long as his brother Hircanus liued he nor his kingdome could neuer be stablished Wherupon Aristobulus deuised how to make awai Hircanus Which thing a certain maÌ„ called Antipater was aware of a maÌ„ of most power in al Israel therto also a wise expert learned man in all wisdome both in the lawes in the knowledge of the Greke iust of his word prudent if ani strauÌ„ge or new matters chauÌ„ced His ofspringe was not out of the children of Israell but of those Romaines which chauÌ„ced to be vainquished became subiect vnder the dominion of the Israelits being but strauÌ„gers of no noble house in Israel Phaselus He had iiii soÌ„nes Ioseph his eldest the nexte Pasilus the third Herode the .iiii. Pheroras These had also a sister called Salumith Antipater fauoured Hircanus so intirely for his iustice vprightnes sake that he opened vnto him him his brother Aristobulus the Saducies intent geuing him counsel to flee to Hartam king of Arabia but Antipater him self went before to breake the matter to HartaÌ„ of whose comminge Hartam was very glad Then Antipater declared to him how Hircanus kinge of Hierusalem was in minde to flee vnto him because of Aristobulus his brother If thou wilt helpe him saith he and let him haue speedy aide thou shalte easilye set Aristobulus besides the kingdome for all Israel is inclined to Hircanus and fauoure not Aristobulus Hartam answered I am afraied of the Iewes and their wilines Alexander his father put mee thrise to the foile in battail by his subtiltie and toke my dominioÌ„s from me TheÌ„ Antipater sware vnto him He shal be saith he thy true trustye frend to do what soeuer thy hart desiereth Thus HartaÌ„ was perswaded they made a league together Then Antipater returnyng to Hierusalem caused Hircanus to flee in the night and they both went together to the king of Arabia who muche reioyced at Hircanus commynge and receiued him honourably When they came together to entreat of the league Hartam
more glad and al his people The same also commaunded he to be done in all the prouinces of his kingdom sending his letters by his poastes to the noble men captaines presideÌ„tes of the prouinces that they shuld obserue the dai after the same maner euery yeare The people also that were flitted into their enemies couÌ„tries their head rulers captains came out of eueri couÌ„tri far ners to see the house and the kinge for they could neuer beleue it til they had seene it and when they had seene it it excâ—aded farre that they hadde hearde of it These thinges done the kinges two Sonnes Alexander and Aristobulus whiche he had by Marimi came home from Rome to Ierusalem in a greate heate and fury with a stronge company yea their hartes were verye hautye also for Alexander the elder had maried the kinge of Capadocies doughter and Aristobulus the doughter of Salumith the king his fathers sister These comminge to Ierusalem wente not to the court to do their duety to the kinge their father neither wold se him wherby the king gathered they went about some mischief against him Moreouer all his men gaue him warning to take hede of them and to kepe his power or gard about him He had had a wife of base stocke out of the country before he came to the kingdome by whome he had a soÌ„ne named Antipater And wheÌ„ he had put Marimi his beloued wife to death he called home his wife which he had disdained before to his courte Wherfore now seinge the two sonnes of Marimi hated himhe appointed Antipater his soÌ„ne to be his heir apparaÌ„t and to raise his estimacion gaue him al his treasure made him Lord and ruler of all that he had affirminge that he shuld reign after him This Antipater had a subtile witte and a crafty for he said dailye to his father If it like your maiesty wherto should you geue me al these thinges when as these two lions shal be euer in my top and ready to destroy me By such surmised meanes he raised discord and hatred betwene them and their father Albeit the kinge was lothe to hurt his two sonnes Not long after he toke his iourney to Rome to Octauian his soÌ„ne Alexander waited vpoÌ„ him hoping the Octauian wold be a meanes for him to turn his fathers hatred froÌ„ him put al malice oute of his minde When the king was come thither Octauian reioysed much of his coÌ„uring saying I haue thought loÌ„g to se thee To whom hast thou left the land of Iuda Herode answered for the obedience that I owe vnto my Lorde the Emperour I am come to declare him my chaunces with this my sonne his seruaunte So he tolde him the whole matter from the beginning to the end Then Octauian Augustus blamed the yonge manne because he hated his father The yong man answered Howe can I otherwise do How can I forget the mooste chaste wombe that bare me whiche was of the holye stocke If I forget my mother that was slaine giltlesse and withoute crime then let me forget my righthand These and suche like spake the yonge manne not withoute teares in the presence of Octauian so that his bowels was muche moued and the noble menne also that were aboute Octauian coulde not abstaine from wepinge but lamented greatlye Octauian firste reproued Herode for his greate transgression and crueltie then labored to pacify the yoÌ„g manne wyth comfortable woordes and biddinge him honoure his father submit him selfe vnto him When he had done as he was willed for he wold not striue against the Emperoures coÌ„maundement Octauian toke the yong man by the hande and put it into Herodes bosome Then his father kissed him and embrased him so that they wepte eche of them After that they toke their leaue and departed from Octauian who comforted them and gaue them a gifte committinge it into Herodes hands Herode yet perceiued that the hatred of the children of Marimi woulde not be apeased Whereupon when he came home to Ierusalem he called together al thelders of Israell said vnto theÌ„ I had determined once to place one of my soÌ„nes captain ouer the people of the Lord but I might not do it without the consent of Octauian Augustus Now therfore I haue appointed my .iii. soÌ„nes haue deuided my kingdoÌ„ equally emongst them Helpe ye theÌ„ against their enenmies but in no wise shal ye help one of theÌ„ against another And if ye perceiue any breach of trendship betwene them do that lieth in you to take it awaye Whereunto he made them sweare presentlye in Ierusalem and the bonde made eche man departed home to his house But for all this the hatred betwene Antipater and his two brethren was nothinge diminished for he feared them because they were of the house of Chasmonani and alied with kinges of greate power he suborned therfore false accusers to say vnto the king that the yong men soÌ„nes of Marimi were determined to destroy him Likewise he set variance betwene Salumith and theÌ„ for she was in greater estimacion then he in so muche that the kinge did nothinge withoute her counsell The same wroughte he also betwene Pheroras the kinges brother and them But to Salumith he saied doest thou not consider how the sonnes of Marimi knowe that their mother was put to death by thy counsel Therfore if they maye bringe to passe to make the king away they wil hew thee to peces But when the yong men herd of this they came before the king sware thei neuer entended to hurt their father and with weping they perswaded the king that he beleued them and they gote his fauour again Wherat Antipater was not a litle displeased wherfore he hired fals witnesses to say they saw Alexander the kinges sonne vppon a certaine night with his sword drawn before the kinges palaice mindinge to murther Antipater He suborned also certaine of the kinges seruauntes to witnesse againste Alexander that he should geue them great rewardes to allure them to his pleasure and to abuse them in filthy buggery which they refused More ouer that he desired them to poison the king which they wold not also agre to do Wherupon the kinge was sore displeased towarde him commaundinge not only him but al that toke his parte or defended his integritye to be apprehended and put in prison that execution mighte be done vppon them Then Alexander writ vnto Archelaus his father in lawe desiring him to come to HierusaleÌ„ to his father Herode This Archelaus was a very wyse man and a notable counseler When he was come to Hierusalem Herode was very glad of his comming and demaunded what matters brought hym thether at that present He aunswered I haue hearde that Alexander thy sonne and my sonne in lawe hath attempted to rebel against thee it is not possible but my doughter his wife shoulde be accessarye of this thinge and yet she hathe not shewed it vnto the wherfore I vtterly detest
Darius the other Philippus with sixe thousand men to succour those elders and sages that were desirous of peace These preuailed against Eleasar and the sedicious that tooke his parte made a great slaughter of them skirmishing for the space of seuen daies together and at the length put them to flight and pursewed them to the temple From that time forthe the warres incresed more more betwene Eleazar and his complices and Agrippas with his hoste and the Sages elders princes that toke their parte Vppon a time when the captaines of Agrippas entred the temple certaine cut throte murtherers waged by the sedicious mixte theÌ„ selues amongst the kinges bandes and getting behinde their backes wounded them with short daggers that they had hid vnder their iackes so that the kinges souldioures hauing launces and great armed swordes in their handes such as they vse in the warres could not weld them in the prease by this meanes many of them were slain and the seditious gate the victory Thus Darius Philippus with the Romaine army were put to flight the elders with the Sages that were desirous of peace departed out of the towne and fled to kinge Agrippas Then had Eleasar and the seditious the hole rule of the city and that to al their great damage For the fury of the seditious increased to such outrageousnes that thei set a fire king Agrippas house that he had in HierusaleÌ„ spoiled al his treasure al that was any thing worth thei deuided amongst theÌ„ Thei burnte his bokes of accompts billes of debts euerychone that were in his palaice Beronices house also the kings sister thei set on fice and thei slue al the cunning artificers that were masters of the kings works So their rule and power in the citie grewe euery daye more and more greuous then other IN those dayes dwelt the Iewes Aramites together in all the Cities of Siria amongst whom also warre was moued for the Cesarians brought the Romaines into the towne againste the Iewes slue theÌ„ as mani as thei could finde in the towne The Damascians also conspired together to distroy al the Iewes that dwelt amongst theÌ„ which thing thei kept secrete froÌ„ their wiues bicause for the most part thei fauoured the Iewes religion Therfore the Aramites vppon a certaine night armed for the purpose beset all the waies and entrances into the towne the houses also and slue about .x. M. of the Iewes commynge vppon them at vnwares when they were in their beddes nothinge mistrustynge any such matter WheÌ„ the Iewes of Hierusalem heard howe the Aramites had dealt with the Iewes in their countrey sodainly they put them selues in armes and in a fury and rage like as it hadde bene Lions beares that had lost their whelps they ranne to Damasco burnt their holdes slew the Damascians with the sword man woman childe eueÌ„ the very sucking babes yea their oxeÌ„ shepe camels asses with all other cattell leauinge none aliue And thus they dealt wyth many cities of the Sirians sleing and killynge them not sparyng either olde or yonge male or female but distreyinge all in most cruell wyse euen the the verye infantes and sucklyngs they haled from their mothers breastes and murthered them in so muche that all the whole Lande was full of stenche of the deade bodyes that were slayne for there was no man left to burye the carcases So the Iewes wasted all the laÌ„d of the Aramits had destroied it had not Castius a captaine of the Romains deliuered Siria the countrey of Zofa The people therfore departed wholly froÌ„ Aram to return into Iudea in the waie thei came bi Scithopolis a citie of Siria entending to besiege it for it was yet left vntouched was verie strong At that time also Iewes and Aramites dwelt together in it The Iewes therfore that were without offred peace to the Iews the dwelt in the town but thei refused it and defied them railinge at them and for their frendly offer acquited them with opprobrious wordes with inâ—uries also For those Iewes that dwelt in the foresaid citie with the Aramits loued together like brethren and for the more parte thei were of the Leuitical tribe stoute men and hardy The hoste of the Iewes without the citie saide vnto them Wee come frendly vnto you and would aide you The other Iewes within annswered Wee will neither your frendship nor aide The armie of the Iewes hearing that coÌ„sented and agreed to raise their siege to goe to Hierusalem and there to remaine For thei had a huge bootie of goulde and siluer that they had gotten together of the spoiles of Siria After this the Sirians that dwelt in Scithopolis saide one to another Putcase the Iewes returne agayne make warre vpon vs surelye if they shoulde so do these Iewes that dwell amongest vs would ioine with them and deliuer vp the Citye into their handes and then woulde they be reuenged vpon vs and distroy vs as they haue done the other cities of Siria Therfore they agreed to saye vnto the Iewes that inhabited the citye with them Wee vnderstand your countrey men will inuade vs again and make warre vpon vs wherfore departe ye forthe of the citie wyth your wiues and children and lodge in the woode nie vnto the citye till their armye be gone againe and then you shal return vnto vs. The Iewes were content to fulfil their mindes weÌ„t out of the citye and placed them selues in the woode There was amongst them a certaine yonge man named Schimeon a good man of watre fearce bigge made and verye stronge withall he in fauoure of the gentiles had slaine manye of the Iewes and solde muche of the people of God For duringe the time that the Iewes besieged Sithopolis he issued oute continuallye and skirmished with the host of the Iewes many times puttinge them to flighte and neuer would suffer them to waste the towne or to do anye harme to the inhabitauntes thereof Nowe as this Schimeon with his father Saule an honest old man and the reast of the people of the Iewes that dwelte in Scithopolis remained all together boldly in the woode withoute mistrustinge anye harme the Romaines ioyned with the Sirians in greate nomber entred the woode and slew the Iewes all that euer they could finde to the nomber of .xiii. thousande Schimeon him selfe with his father and their families had pitched their tentes nie vnto a faire fountain that was in the woode to whome when their ennemies came to slea them and to destroye their hole families Schimeon ranne vpon them with his drawne sweard made a great slaughter of theim and constreyned them to retire But when as a huge multitude inuironed him and he perceiued that all the reaste of the Iewes were slaine and he with his housholde onlye remained nether sawe he anye waye to escape he stepte vppon a little hyll wyth hys naked swearde sayinge Harken vnto me ye Sirians and Romaines and ye that dwell
in Scithopoles I will speake vnto you a fewe woordes full of lamentacion and sorowe Nowe I perceiue that iustli and not without a cause ye make warre against me withoute any fauor or cōsideracion that I haue deliuered you from the hostes of the Iewes neuer suffred thē to do any displesure to you your wiues and children nor to your city as they had done to other cities of Siria For I am he that for your sakes haue warred against my country men to please you withall yea bothe their bloud and mine owne haue I pledged vnto you and haue kept immolated the loue of straungers hatinge mine owne people of whome for your pleasures I haue slain oft both the fathers and the children and nowe you render euill for the good that I haue done vnto you But in dede God of his iust iudgmente hathe stirred you vp to rewarde me in this sorte to murther me that haue so oft receiued you Now therfore ye shall beare me witnesse that I shal sufficiētly and sharpli inough take vengeaunce of my self not withoute rage and furye most seuerly because I haue slaine my felowes frendes I will therfore likewise slea my selfe to be auenged of my self for my brothers bloude that I haue shed and so shal I be a reuēger of their blud And ye shal wel perceiue me to be of that hardinesse courage that rather then ye shuld slea me and after boast bragge how ye haue killed Schimeon I wil bereue my selfe of my life and punishe the sheadinge of my brothers bloud none otherwise then the law punisheth a murtherer and a māqueller When he had spokē this his eies were filled with bloud his face with rage and so inflamed with furie latynge aparte all pity ran and caught holde of his father haled him oute of the woode and slue him Then slue he his mother least she should intreat him for the children and be sory for their sakes That done his wife came runninge of hir owne accord and held her necke downe to the sword leaste she shoulde be constrained to see her children die Yea Schimeons children came and offered them selues to be slain least they should see the deathe of their father or remain after him to be deliuered to the ennemies After this he slue all his hole family that not one of his shoulde come into the hādes of their enemies Finallye he gathered their bodies together into one place like a valiaunte stoute warrioure and then boldlye goarded him selfe vpon his owne sworde least any mā else should impare his strēgth or boast that he had killed him Al this Schimeon did with a greate courage to take punishment of him self because he had bestowed his loue rather vpon straungers then vpon his owne people and to declare his force and manhode So he died an abhominable and detestable death saue onlye it was an argument of his hauty minde great courage as it is said before NOw when the Iews had thus rebelled against the Romains slain their souldioures and captaines king Agrippas went to Rome and recounted vnto Nero Cesar the Emperour of Rome al that was happened Wherevpon Nero sente captaine Castius that was at that time in Siria had made warre vpon the kinge of Persia had vanquished him and al his power and subdued hys dominyons to the Romaines and with him a puissante armie of Romaines commaunding him to go into Iudea to offer peace vnto the people to comfort them and to bringe them again into league with the Romaines if it might be Castius therfore toke his iourney toward Iudea whom Agrippas met in the waye informed him what had happened vnto him of the Iewes howe he had offred them peace and they would none of it howe also they had burnte his palaice sacked it Castius hearing that was verye glad that he had gotten suche an occasion to reuenge the bloude of the Romaines and Sirians whiche the Iewes had shed Wherfore he leuied a mighti army and came to Cesarea And whersoeuer he might espy the goodliest buil dinges those caused he to be burnte From thence wente he to the citye Iapho which he besieged both by land by water and at length wan it where he slue in the streates eyghte thousand and foure hundreth menne After that he came to Iabes where he fyrste brente all the Countrye aboute it and whom so euer he caught withoute the town he slue them But the citizins of Zippori went out to mete Castius besought him of peace whom he spared came not nie their towne nor slew any that dwelt in their countrey The sedicious Iewes that were in the citye of Zippori hearing of Castius cōming fledde vnto the mountains But in the waie they lighted vpon part of Castius army wherof they slew .ii. hundred mē and wounded their captaine Glaphira Yet at lengthe the sedicious were put to flight and manye of them Glaphira with his horsmen pursued ouerthrew and distroyed the rest fled to the mountains Then Glaphira captaine of Castius armie wente to Cesaria that was subdued to the Romaynes there to cure his woūds that the Iewes had geuē him From thence wente hee to Antipire which as he would haue assaulted perceiued it to be furnished with a greate power of the Iewes sedicious These hearing that Castius also was cōming thei went purposely to fight with him but perceiuing that Castius power was very great thei determined to encounter with him in the plaine of Gibeon 50. miles from Hierusalem Wherupō the Iewes with their companies fayned them selues to flee to thintent they might stale the Romaines after them And within .vi. daies they came to Gibeon and there rested Castius pursued after with his whole hoste till he came to Gibeon whiche he besieged and assaulted also It chaunced then vppon one of the Sabbothes in the mornyng watch the Iewes armed at al places issued out of the towne to geue their enemies a Camisado So after they had geuen a token of warre they marched towarde the hoste of Castius whereof they slewe 515. horsemen and fotemen 27. thousand with the losse of onely 22. of their owne companie In that battaile did well appeare the valiantnesse of Mugbas a captain of the Iewes armie One Baudius also plaied the man at the same time for at the commaundement of Eleasar the priest chief of the sedicious he set the first fote within the Romains cāpe Then began the Iewish warriours to be famous after they had once so manfully encountred with the Romains This done Castius and Agrippas sente their embassadours yet once agayne to Hierusalem to Eleasar the sonne of Anany the priest chiefe of the rebels that were in Iudea and Hierusalem requiring peace and to come in league with Eleasar least the people the people of the Iewes shoulde be distroied bi the Romains incursions and inuasions on euerye side But Eleasar refused to heare the legates and slewe one of them because he made
al their captaines thre principal most expert warriours of whome I Ioseph prieste that writ this history was one who by the deuine fauour am valeant in battaile and Anani the hie prieste and Eleasar his sonne To these thre they committed the hole land of Iudea deuidinge it to them by lot and gaue them all furniture of warre One third part therfore which was hole Galile from the land af Napththaly and beyond fel to Ioseph the prieste sonne of Gorion to his honoure and glorye whome for his worthinesse they named also Iosiphon because he was then annointed apointed consecrated to the warres The second lot came forth by the whiche fell vnto Anani the hie prieste the citie of Hierusalem and the countrey aboute it with a charge to repaire the walles of the citie to sustaine the brunt of Vaspasian if he should come so farre The thirde lot fell to Eleasar the sonne of Anani the priest to whom was ioyned captaine Iehoscua and other Iewish captaines By the vertue of this lot fell to them the whole lande of Edom from Elath vnto the redde sea The rest of the land from Iericho to Euphrates with that also that is beyond the riuer and all the lande of Mesopotamia fell to captaine Menasches lotte To other Princes also of Iudea and to the worthiest priestes they committed the fensed cities from the frontiers and boundes of Hierusalem vnto Egipt Vaspasian taking his iourney with his hoste froÌ„ Antiochia came pitched his teÌ„tes in Aram Zofa For he had deuised and determined thus with his counsel first to inuade Galile and after to try what they could do in Ivdea Ioseph the soÌ„ne of Gorion hauing intelligence of thys his purpose departed from Ierusalem to Galile built vp the townes that were destroied repaired their wals gates barres palaces Ordeined captaines ouer the people to lead gouern them some of thousandes some of hundreds tribunes and Decurians He instructed the people also in feates of warres what the soundes of trompettes signified what sound serued to fal in aray what to gather the souldioures together and what to deuide them and after he had instructed them the disciplâ—â— and feates of warre he spake vnto theÌ„ in this wife Ye shal vnderstand deare lites that ye go to fight at this present againstyour enemies Wherfore let no effeminate feare ouercome your harts nor dismaye your selues at the sight of your ennemies but play the men and take a good courage vnto you to fight for your cities for your countrye and for your selues Be not afraid of death but rather be stoute in the defence of your countrye that ye be not led away from it and to fighte for the sanctuary of the Lorde that it be not steined and polluted with thunclennesse of the gentiles Consider that it is better to die in battaile then to liue in captiuitye and bondage Therefore when as ye shall come to ioyne with your ennemies and shall see anye of theym beaten downe and attempte to rise againe who soeuer of you is by and seeth him remember the zeale of your GOD wherewith it becommeth you to reuenge his quarell and beinge moned therewith strike him that he neuer rise agaiene But if you shal se any of your selowes downe being enkindled with the zeale of your God rescue him from the handes of the enemies and if he be not yet slaine cure him If he be dead ye shall do what ye can to burie him in the Israelites burial And so if we shal chuse rather to die then to liue we shall prospere in our warres we shal die for the couenaunt of our God and deliuer our soules bringinge them to the light of life in heauen After he had said this he chose out of the Iewes .ix. thousand fotemen and but fewe horsemen And out of these he chose .vi. hundred of the beste suche as one of them woulde not shrinke from ten ten from an hundred a hundred from a thousande a thousaÌ„d from ten thousand With them Ioseph went to the cities of Agrippas that were in Iehudea to winne them For Agrippas stucke to the Romaines were it right or wronge with al the power he could make He went firste to Tiarua a greate citie that belonged to Agrippa where as both his treasure and municion of warre was WheÌ„ he came theâ— ther he spake to the people vppon the walles and offered them peace on condicion that they should open the gates and deliuer vnto him all the treasure of Agrippas and all his iewels Thus if they would do he then would spare them and flea none of them Were it not better for you saith he to take part with them that defende the sanctuary of God his inheritance then to ioyne your ayde with Agrippas which is coÌ„federate with our enemies and assayleth vs augmenting the power of theÌ„ that hats vs so that he refuseth not to fight against the sanctuary of the lord and the people of his inheritaunce The men of the toune condescending to Ioseph openeth the gates and he â—niring the toune made peace with them and they deliuered him al the kinges treasures for they liked Iosephs woordes consented to take such part as he toke At that time came newes vnto Ioseph that troubled him sore namely that Tiberias had rebelled were reuolted from the people that dwelt at Hierusalem and were chaunged from his lot to become Vaspasianus subiectes who had set a Romaine captaine ouer theÌ„ For reformation wherof he left his armie at Tiarua and toke those six hundreth yong men with him to Tiberias commyng vpon it sodeinly and at vnwares And as he stode vpoÌ„ the bankes of Genosar he espied the nauy of the Romaines that laye there at road to aide Vaspasian whiche Ioseph coÌ„maunded to be brooken in peaces and to be scattered abrode in the sea laake The meÌ„ of Tiberias therefore seinge the shypbordes dispersed in that fashion they conieciured it was done by some of Iosephs hoste wherfore the bandes of the Romaines fled to the towne gate in shytte the gates Ioseph notwithstanding came to one gate of the citie and â—â—tes that the people myght heare saiyng What meaneth this coÌ„spiracie of yours against me yea not against me but rather againste the Lorde God whose couenaunt ye haue transgressed and brooken the bonde that we made with hym ye haue also violated your othe that ye sware by the GOD of Israell that we shoulde altogether fyght againste oure enemies to abate their pryde The people aunswered from the walles wee beseche thee oure Lorde heare thy seruauntes speake God forbidde we shoulde aide the Romaines and not rather the people of the Lorde God of Israell and his sanctuary with the people of his enheritaunce Howbe it there be amongest vs certain proude meÌ„ vngodly persoÌ„es that haue made a league with Vaspasiane and haue broughte into the towne one of his chieftaynes Wherefore and it please thee our Lorde to enter the cytie with
heinous offence against the Lord if I should kil my self And howe say ye you princes that sticke vnts your God to you I speake tel me who shall make intercession vnto God for vs if we should commit this sinne and eche kil other Wold not a man iudge him a slaue a foole a froward person a rebel and a stubburne man that woulde be forced with any misery to be so maâ— that because all thinges fall not oute as he woulde wishe woulde therefore hange or desperatly murther him self with his owne hands Such ye know the law thus punisheth their righthaÌ„d is cut of wherewith they forced them selues to die then they are lefte vnburied as men that haue destroied their owne soules by what reason then shall we kill oure selues I woulde wishe that we mighte be slaine of oure ennemies rather then we shoulde so shamefully murther our selues wherby euer after we shoulde be taken for manslears if anye manne flea him selfe as did Saule whome ye commended withoute doubte he committeth a heinous crime and suche a one as no satisfaction can be made for Besides that he shall be reckened fainte hearted and as one that dispaireth of his recouerye Wherefore our forefathers haue taughte vs. A man oughte not to despaire of his sauegarde and deliueraunce vvhiche commeth of God no not vvhan the knife is put to his throte to cut it For kinge Hezekia of famous memory when he heard these woordes of Esaye that worthye prophet Make thy vvil and set thy thinges in a stay for thou shalt die and not escape Neuerthelesse he fainted not nor ceassed to pray vnto God for the proioÌ„ging of his life in this worlde that he might amende his life and send a better soule vnto God Then the Lorde God of Israel seing his vnweried and strong hope with his repentaunce â–ª suffred him to liue .xv. yeares yet longer But Saul that saw he was not appointed kinge ouer Israel after the Lordes minde but alonely by the peoples that craued vppon Samuel Geue vs a Kinge to reigne ouer vs Whereuppon afterwarde God departed from Saule for he was not obediente to Goddes will but wente aboute by force to establishe his kingdome The Lorde then seynge the wyckednesse of hys hearte gaue him ouer and chose him an other to be kynge ouer hys people annointinge Dauid hys seruaunte whyles that Saule was yet liuinge Whiche Saule perceiuinge persecutinge Dauid and laboured with all his endeuoure to destrdy him because he knew God was with him and prospered all that he did whereas contrary al went backward with him For these causes I say he chose rather to die then liue and would not liue after the people of Israel was ouerthrown in the mouÌ„tains of Gilboa And in mine opinion he slue him selfe for nothinge but for that he was a â—aint harted coward and vtterli dispaired of his sauegarde For althoughe he saide Leaste these vncircumcised come and run in throughe yet if he had bene of a valeant courage he woulde haue standed to his defence vnto the death perauenture God woulde haue deliuered him But he contrary al in dispaire procured him self and his sonne a shamefull deathe But ye shall consider this He was an vnmerciful king and therfore did Gâ—â—â—rid him out of the worlde for he that wil not spare his own life and his sonnes howe woulde he spare other And where as ye alledge Aaron vnto me I woulde know of you why did he put him self betwene the liuing and the deade was it not because he would turne away the plage from Israell If he had knowen that he him selfe shoulde haue bene stricken therewith doubtlesse he woulde not haue striuen against the striker but trusting in the holines of his righteousnesse he stode before the Aungell to deliuer Israell from that miserie I am not to be compared with Aaron albeit I am one of his children and neuer yet in all my life did I shrinke to venter my life in the warres of the Lorde And nowe I am not determined to kill my selfe lest I should sinne against God and spoyle my soule of hope of saluation I know it well it were more expedient for me to be slaine of mine enemies then that I should slea my selfe And if ye say the word let vs go forth and sodainely set vpon our enemies to kill and to be killed in the battaile of the Lorde and so shall we do well peraduenture GOD will geue them into our handes For God is able to saue as vvell by a small armie as by a great Then if you see me to be afrayed of mine enemies sworde â–ª ye shal therbi know me to be a dastard and one that fawneth vppon his enemies and huÌ„teth for their fauour But you shal see me go afore you as a valiant man should nor once turn my face from death But what did ye euer see in me that ye should iudge me fearful Did ye euer knowe mee to refuse to fight In the towne of Iorpata I haue euer kept my quarter and warde and euery daie haue I fought with mine enemies whom I haue not spared but empaired and that not a little whiles I defended that little citie 48. daies against them For I thought wyth my selfe peraduenture I maye driue away the ennemyes of the LORDE out of our Lande and put theim by Hierusalem that they goe not thither and so haue I foughten with theim tyl all my valeaunt Souldioures be spente and none lefte but you I coulde no lenger withstande their force and I woulde not yelde my self as a Prisoner vnto them therfore I sledde hither with you into this Caue Now therefore brethren ye shal vnderstande that death is commodious and good in dede whiche commeth in his time But it is neither good nor godly for a manne to kill him selfe and his brother to go afterwarde â–ª for that deede into Hell and perdicion And what other thing can more clearelye set for the a mannes manhode and hautye minde wyth hys hope in GOD then Pacience for a manne to suffer pacientlye what so euer chaunseth vnto hym vntyll hys ende come Beholde the Lyons and other Beastes howe they are wonte to wythstande their aduersaries that lye in wayte for theim to the intente they maye saue their lyues Whose armoure is their Teeth and Clawes wherewyth neuerthelesse they hurte not theim selues but vse them against other that assayle theim til they ether ouâ—rcome or be ouercommed Therefore if a manne wyll wyth his owne handes let foorthe his soule oute of his closure before his tyme God will not receiue it neither shall it finde anye reaste but be destroyed And whye Because it is expulsed and thruste out of his place before his time and before God dooe call it wherfore it shall wander inconstantlye for euer Whye then my deare Brethren and frendes dooe you aduise vs to kill one another and to expell and banish our Soules from vs they not called for Howe can wee put awaye this opprobrye Howe can
some of vs be taken by the Iewes like as Iosephe is prisoner at this present with vs When Vaspasian heard his sonnes wordes it pleased him and he spared Ioseph not sufferyng him to be slaine but committed him to a certaine capitaine of his and earied him about with him through the cities together with kinge Agrippa After this Vaspasian remoued his caÌ„pe to Talmida which also is called Acho and from thence he went to Caesaria a great citie When thei of the citie saw Ioseph thei cried vnto Vaspasian kyll him kyll him or else he will one daye be an occasion to stirre great Warres against thee But Vaspasian woulde not heare theim Tidynges came to Vaspasian that they of Iapho inuaded the Isles that were subiecte vnder hys dominions with a nauie roauynge to spoile them Vaspasian therfore commaunded to laye in wait for them that they might be met withall So there was an ambushe laied withoute the towne and it came to passe that when the pyrates were gone out a roauyng Vaspasian entred the towne and toke it because their Souldiours were absente When the Citizins retourned with their Nauie and sawe the Romaines in the Citie they laboured to arriue and set a lande but by and by a huge tempest and a mightye storme droue all their Shippes againste the Rockes that were in the Sea shoare for there was no Hauen for Shippes and there they were loste manye of of them suche as swamme to Lande the Romaines slue them They that were drowned in the sea and slaine by the Romaines were in noumber .iiii. thousande good men of warre besides them were slaine in the town .xl. thousand all Iewes THis done Vaspasian set forth Valericus and Taribus two Romain captaines with his sonne Titus who wente besieged and wan the townes of defence that were in Galile And thus did Titus vse them they that yelded vnto him he saued their liues and who soeuer withstode him he slewe More ouer all the cities that belonged to Agrippas in Galile he restored them vnto him againe only Tiarua excepte which he vtterly raced and slue all the mankind specially such as were apt to the warres sold also their wiues children And this was the only city in all Galile that Titus shewed such rigor extremity vnto Vaspasian departinge thence toke his iorny to Gamala whiche is a citye vpon the top of a mountain The name therof is called Gamala of an Hebrue worde Gamal that signifieth to quite or to do a good turn because it is the best citye that belonged to Agrippas and the inhabitantes thereof were all verye riche The citye also called Selencia was not farre from it situated a country replenished with good townes Gardens brookes and all kinde of frutefull trees Agrippa besoughte Vaspasian that he woulde not destroye this citye let me go firste saithe he and offer them peace peraueÌ„ture they will take it that they may saue their liues from destruction Vaspasian was intreated sayinge vnto him go and do as thou wilte for to honoure thee I will doâ—e so muche for thy sake So Agrippa wente to them and spake frendlye and peaceablye vnto them and they receiued him in lyke manner but they mente deceite sayinge Thou arte oure LORDE and kinge to whome therefore dothe all that is of anye price to be desired in all Israell belonge but vnto thee therfore come neâ—e vnto vs and debate the matter with thy seruaunts Agrippas crediting their wordes came harde to the citye and as he listened to them that talked with him one cast a greate stone froÌ„ the wal which light iust betwene his shoulders and brake his backe with one of his armes also with suche violence that it stroke him prostrate to the grounde But his seruauntes stepte to him toke him vp and caried him to Vaspasian Who seinge him so sore hurte sware he woulde neuer go from thence til he had taken the city ordered them in like manner as he did Tiarua to leaue neuer a maÌ„ a liue ther in The Romaine Phisitions did bestow suche diligence aboute Agrippas that they cured him Vaspasian in this rage against the Selucians because thei had wounded the kinge besieged and assaulted them The Iewes within the towne encouraged one an other saâ—ing let vs sticke to it nowe and playe the men for we haue none other hope to saue our liues seinge we haue thus ordered the king Certain stout men of theÌ„ therfore issued encountring with the Romaines made a great slaughter amongst theÌ„ After that the Romains addressed their engines planted their iron Rammes that they brought with them against the walles and by that time night came battred a great parte therof down to th earth that Vaspasian and much people with him might enter at their pleasure But Vaspasian gaue commaundement to his armye that they should not enter that nighte into the towne but stande and coÌ„passe the walles vntil morow that they might see howe to win it Notwithstandinge they wold not be ruled by him but entred then the Iewes came vpon them drue the stretes with chaines and closed the waies of the city entrappinge them in such a sort that they coulde go nother one way nor other after set vp on them and bette them downe euen there so that they were all slaine saue a ten men that fled with Vaspasian a captaine named Butius one of the best men of war in all the Romaines army him the Iewes pursued and slue But Vaspasian his fled to the mountaines that he might be there in sauegarde And from thence he sent to Titus his sonne that was in Siria for the Romaine army that he had sent with him into Persia whiche Titus led into Iewrye SHortlye after Vaspasian gathered souldioures and repaired his armye ioyned with Agrippas companye and returned to Selencia wan it slue them euerye manne leauing none aliue and afterwards wente to other Cities of Galile and tooke them seruinge them in like sorte After that he came to the citye called Nascela whiche was a walled towne and of all the townes of defence throughe oute all Galile none lefte but it Thus he besieged because thither were resorted manye cutthrotes and wicked persones withoute all feare of GOD suche as were Robbers and rouers of the lande of Iudea Emongste whome was a certaine manne named Iehochanan learned wise and prudente speciallye to do mischiefe a wittye counselloure and of suche eloquence that he coulde perswade cunninglye and disswade menne from that they had purposed Besides this he was a murtherer readye to shedde bloude and to do any mischief a great robber and one that euer gaped after other mens goodes By whiche meanes he was become verye riche wherefore there resorted vnto him all vaine persones mansiears rebels and ruffains like him self geuynge hym large rewardes that they mighte be of his fraternitie his brethren and adherentes and he to be their heade Titus was sente to this citye by his father to offer them
Warres at Hierusalem encreased yet styll and muche bloude was shedde thorowe the wyckednesse of Iehochanan Capitayne of Thieues a lymme of the Deuyll and throughe the cut-throate murtherers that were wyth hym who had all euen sworn the vtter destruction of the citye of the Lorde and the deathes of hys people There was also an other cutthroate a noble manne of Iudea at Hierusalem aboute the same tyme called Schimeon who begā also to follow Iehochanans manners in sleainge innocentes and robbynge and reauing in Hierusalem for asmuche as Anani the hye Prieste hadde once appointed him Prince and chiefe Capitaine of Hierusalem and afterwardes findynge hym an ennemye banished hym the Citye Wherefore Schimeon wente and gate hym a route of Vnthriftes murtherers and thieues castynge in hys minde and saiynge Excepte I ioyne my selfe vnto suche good felowes I shall neuer bee able to be reuenged of Anani and his assistauntes that haue thus bannished mee oute of Hierusalem into exyle wrongfullye vnto my greate dishonoure Shall I that haue bene in suche estate now be caste out of my dignitie and be constrained to wander here and there as a banished manne He wente therfore throughe all the cities of Iudea and Galile causinge to be proclaimed in the stretes and market places and sente his letters where he coulde not come him selfe in this manner and fourme Who so euer listeth to be ridde from the bondage of his master or hathe had anye iniurye in his countrye or what seruaunte so euer desireth to be sette at libertye or who so can not abide the rule of his father or his master all that be in debte and stande in feare of their creditours or feare the iudges for sheadinge any innocente bloude and therfore lurketh solitarilye in woodes or mountaines if there be anye man that is accused of anye notorious crime and in any daunger therefore to be shorte who so euer is disposed to robbe and reaue to do iniurye and wronge to haunt hores to steale to murther to eat and drinke at other mennes coste withoute laboure of his handes let him resorte to me and I will deliuer him from the yoake and daunger of the lawes I will finde him his fill of booties and spoiles There assembled vnto hym aboute twentye thousande men al murtherers theues rebelles lawlesse persones wicked and sedicious menne Then began Schimeon also to vexe the Israelites to tourne all vppe side downe where so euer he came When the citizens of Ierusalem the priestes elders and Anani the hie priest hearde tidinges of Schimeons dispitefull wickednesse howe he helde on still oppressinge the people of God they were verye pensiue and saide nowe will this felowe more trouble vs than Iehochanan be he neuer so cruel They consulted therefore and agreed secretelye to sende a power against him that might sodenlye fall vpon him and ouerrunne him perauenture saye they they may flea him or take him aliue before his wickednesse grow to further inconuenience and ioyne him selfe with oure foes then shall they assaile vs bothe within the towne and without They made oute therefore agaynste hym a greate armye of Israelites and Iewes with Charettes and horsemenne and footemenne in greate number whiche came where his campe laye and found him in the corne fieldes distroiynge of the graine pullinge downe of barnes and burninge all bothe corne and Oliue trees Then the Ierosolimites deuided their armie and set vppon Schimeons tentes sodainelye smote downe his tentes and made a greate slanghter vppon the sedicious But shortelye after Schimeon gate the vpper hand of the people of GOD for he came vpon them in the nighte season and made a soore slaughter amongest them Then they that remained tooke theim selues to flighte towardes Hierusalem and Schimeon pursued them killinge them vnto the harde gates of Hierusalem so that mauye of them were slaine in the waye and verye fewe escaped After this Schimeon went and moued warre vpon the Edomites to subdue them vnto him selfe whiche before were vnder the dominion of the Hierosolimites And first the came to the Citye Asa otherwise called Gaza for it was the firste Citye wythin the borders of Edome as menne come from Hierusalem But the Edomites met hym in the fielde in greate noumber and ioyned wyth hym but nether part hadde the vyctorye wherefore at lengthe they retired bothe Then was Schimeon in so greate a rage when as he coulde not ouercome these Edomites that he wishte him selfe out of his lyfe So he ceassed fightynge a whyle and encamped hym selfe in the borders of the Lande of Edome ryght agaynste it and there abode thynkynge to sette vppon theim at an other tyme. And as hee was deuisynge howe to order all thynges there came vnth hym an Edomite called Iacob one of the chiefest menne amongste them and a warrioure He hearinge of Schimeons proclamation was moned to come and enter in league wyth him therupon sayd vnto hym Neuer let it discomfort thee that thou couldest not ouercome the Edomites at the firste battail If thou wilte be rulled by my counsell thou shalt winne all the cities in the whole lande and I will deliuer thē into thy handes Schimeon desired to knowe how therfore sayde he let vs here thy counsell and shewe vs how it may be brought about and when it is come to passe then wil we honour thee and rewarde thee accordinglye Iacob said geue me the one halfe of thine armie which I will lead with me into an ambushe then shalte thou in the mornyng betimes set thy men in araye againste the Edomites for a stale and when thou shalte perceiue them come againste thee then make as thoughe thou fledst vntill thou hast staled them out of the towne into the feldes to pursue thee Then will I with my menne come out of our ambushe and make spede to the gates where wee shal kill the Warders and fodainely enter the towne likewise kill all that wee finde there and set vp a flagge vpon a tower of the town Then ▪ when the Edomites shal see that their heartes wil be done and deade for sorowe then maiest thou turne again vpon them and beat them downe at thy pleasure Or if thou like not this deuise heare yet another way I haue bene a captaine amongst theim a longe while therefore I will returne in the night season into the towne if the watche examine mee from whence I come I will tell theim I come from Schimeons campe whither I went as a spie Then will I go to the elders of the towne and will thē to let me haue a companie of the best souldiours and I wil bringe Schimeon into their handes if he sette vppon vs againe For I haue vewed his campe and his power and vnderstande that hee entendes to morow to entermeddle with vs which thou shalt doe in dede And when thou seest me to issue against thee thou shalt set thy staffe in the reste and come towardes me then will I take me to flight and caste a feare
I beseche you the thinges that grow vppon the earth and al liuyng creatures beastes wormes that crepe vppon the grounde fowles of the ayre and fisshes of the sea Doe you not see howe euer the stronger hathe the dominion ouer the weaker neither is it anye rebuke or shame for the weaker to geue place and obeye that whiche is stronger For the Ore and Goate are in awe of the Lyon the Ramme and the Ewe of the Woulfe the cowe and the lambe feare the beare the goate the libarde the hauke is afraied of the egle the doue of the hauke Wey the maner of Beastes and birdes amongest their owns kinde you shall see euer the bigger and stronger to be master ouer the lesss weaker And so in all other thinges the stroÌ„ger set theÌ„ selues before the weaker alwaies Wherfore ye mortal men learne ye hereat did not one God make al things he him selfe hath dominioÌ„ ouer theÌ„ al notwithstanding all things are so knit together amoÌ„gst theÌ„ selues that no one thing can staÌ„d without another But he the holdes vp al things is the blessed god who if he list caÌ„ bringe theÌ„ al into dust againe his name be extold for euer Take example I pray you of the parts of the hole world you shal se one part to be in subiection an other to bear rule Be not theÌ„ so stiffe necked to pernert the natural courses of the world but rather let your election folowe the causes euents of the same which if you do you shall be estemed for wise men Now then my dear couÌ„try men neuer think it shame for you to serue the Romains it is time for you now to return to the lord with your hole heart then eueÌ„ you also shal haue the dominioÌ„ ouer other nacions according to your desire This shal then come to passe wheÌ„ you folow your lord God with al your streÌ„gth Therfore neuer thinke that the Romaynes whiche haue rule ouer you at this day are of lesse power then other people that heretofore hane had the domiuion ouer you For they are a mighty nacion their Empire and rule ouer other people they haue from aboue as I haue proued to you by the similitudes of brute beasts which accordyng to nature beare rule one ouer an other Notwithstandinge in mankinde it shoulde neuer haue come to passe that the bigger shoulde so haue the dominion ouer the lesse vnlesse for their sinnes for the which thei are so punished the one is coÌ„pelled to bow his neck vnder anothers yoke Nowe therfore my deare people take humilitie and mekenes vnto you neuer couet to alter the lawes of nature but rather receiue my wordes folow my counsell obey the Romains prest ready to make a leage with you accordyng to their bountifulnesse that you may liue do full well When Ioseph the prieste hadde spoken these thinges in the hearyng of the Citizins of Hierusalem they burste oute and wepte gnasshed wyth theyr teeth rayled at Ioseph ouer the walles hurling stones and dartes at him to haue killed him Therfore when Ioseph sawe that they woulde not folowe his counsaile but were so stiffe necked he begaÌ„ to rebuke them most sharpely criyng vnto theim in this wise Woe to all frowarde People and suche as rebell againste the LORD GOD what meane ye you wretches what haue ye to leane vnto that ye are so stubburne when as neuertheles the Lorde is gone from you For you are wicked people haue sinned againste him Howe can your sinnes be purged which ye haue committed in the Temple of the Lorde by sheadinge of innocente bloude without all mercse Ye are moste giltye for ye haue fought in the temple and sanctuarye of the Lord ye haue defiled it with the dead bodyes of theim whom ye haue slayne in the midst thereof Besides that ye haue suspended and vnhalowed the name of the Lords with youre fightinges making warres vpon your Sabboth daie vpon your solemne and festiual daies Tel me now ye frowarde rebels whether did euer your forefathers preuaile against their enemies with speare and shilde or rather with prayer penaunce and purenes of hearte wherwith they serued GOD and he againe deliuered them But you what haue ye to truste vnto when as ye are vnfaithful Your shadow and protectioÌ„ is departed from you and your Lorde God aydeth your enemies whose power he mainteyneth to distroye you If you imagine to be deliuered with your swords speares you are foulie disceiued whereas God would not that you shoulde escape the hands of your enemies OpeÌ„ your eies and se what Dauid the anointed of the lord said For the lord vvill saue neither by svvorde nor speare Call to your remeÌ„brance ye very foles Abraham your father which begat you by what meanes he ouercame Pharao the kinge of Egipt who violently had taken away Sara his wife froÌ„ him surely nonother way did he obteine the victory then by praier vnto the lord who stirred the spirit of Pharao and put him in minde to restore him his wife Sara clene vndefiled AbrahaÌ„ was quiet in his bed at reste from al troubles but Pharao that greate Lorde and ruler he was punished in the meane season with greate plages bicause of Sara whoÌ„ he had takeÌ„ to him by violeÌ„ce to defloure her which God wold not suffer but rather vncouered Pharaos flesh that he was fain to shewe the secrete partes of his bodye to phisitions to se if thei coulde he ale theÌ„ But who can cure thinfirmities which god sendes or who knowes his enteÌ„ts For who knewe that Ieschaciahus biles could be healed with a plaster of figs or Naman Syrus lepry with the waterê of Iordan or the bitter waterê with wormwode Wherefore when as no man could cure Pharao he was glad faine to speake Abraham faire to intreate him to pray vnto god to take away froÌ„ him this plage so by his prayer Pharao recouered Then Pharao apparaled Sara in precious garmentes gaue her giftes bothe golde and siluer and preous stones sent her home honest pure and holy to Abraham liyng then in his owne house Isaac also when hee was driuen oute by Abimilech kinge of the Philistines and had with him the bonde seruauntes of his fathers housholde to the number of .8 hundred .18 wyth whoÌ„ Abraham had discoÌ„fited fiue kinges befide many other mo of his family so that he had ben stronge inough to to haue inuaded the Philistines yet he would not do it but with all mekenes humilitie he vsed him self toward the king of that countrey Notwithstandynge after he was driuen out of that lande the Philistines came vnto hym and entreated hym saiynge we perceiue the Lorde God is with thee c. as it is written in the Scripture What shal we saye of Iacob when he fled froÌ„ the preseÌ„ce of his brother Esau he caried nothing with him but a bare staffe wherwith he passed ouer the riuer Iordan as it is written Wyth my
bold to kil those that are escaped vn to it how dare ye shede the bloud of the vncircumcised therin whom ye abhor and yet mixt their bloud with yours The Lord your God is my witnesse that I woulde not haue this house destroyed but your owne wicked workes your owne handes pull it downe And wold god you wold receiue our peace which if it were once done done we wold honour this house of the sanctuary temple of the Lorde yea we would depart away from you But your heartes are hardened like yron your neckes and foreheds are become obstinate as brasse to your owne vndoing For ye shal carie your owne sinnes die in the land of the Romaines I and my fathers house are innocent and gilties of your death as the Lorde and his temple in whose presence we stand shal beare vs witnes this day But wheÌ„ he saw that none of the sedicious gaue any regard to his words he chose out of his Romain xxx M. valiaÌ„t fighting men gaue theÌ„ coÌ„maundemeÌ„t to take occupy then try of the teÌ„ple which is a holy court determined to go with theÌ„ him selfe but his nobles wold not suffer him but wil led him to remain vpoÌ„ a hie place wher he might behold his sodiers fight And when theâ—se thee a farre of their hâ—â—ts shalâ—e coÌ„forted they shall fight accâ—rding as thou wilt wishe theÌ„ but come noâ— at then try of the teÌ„ple thy selfe lest thou be destroied amongst other Titus folowed the couÌ„sel of his capâ—ains and went not at the time with his meÌ„ to the battel He made chiefe captains of that host of .xxx. M. one Karilius Rostius iâ— noble men whoÌ„ he coÌ„maunded to set vpoÌ„ the Iewes the night wheÌ„ thei shold be a slepe with wearines The Romains therfore doing after his coÌ„maundemeÌ„t set vpoÌ„ the Iewes But the Iewes hauing intelligence of the matter kept diligeÌ„t watch withstede the Romains valâ—auntly al that night But the Romaynes were not hastye to fyghte in the darke fearinge lest it might turne to their owne harme Assone therfore as it was daye the Iewes deuided theim selues and bestowed their companies at the Gates of the entraunce and foughte lyke menne Karilius and Rostius beset the Temple roundâ— aboute that not one of the Iewes might escape out and so the battail increased betwene theim for the space of vâ—â— dayes sometime the Romains gettynge the vpper hande of the Iewes driuynge them within the entraunce sometime the Iewes encouraging theÌ„ selues made the Romaines retire and pursued them to the walles of the Antochia in this maner fought they these vii dayes Afterwarde the Romaynes retourned backe from the Iewes and woulde not fight hande to hande with them any more Then Titus coÌ„maunded the Walles of the Antochia to bee pulled downe further that there might be place for his whole hoaste to enter The famine in the mean season grew more greuous so that no fode was nowe left For the Iewes began now to issue out and steale horses asses and other beastes what soeuer they coulde catch euen out of the Romayns campe that they might dresse them some meat and susteine their liues Which they doing often tymes at length the Romaynes perceiued it were wonderfulfye â—â—â—pleased with the matter Wherefore they set watch and ward round about the caÌ„pe lest by the disceit of the Iewes they should be spoyled of their cattel so after that the Iewes could steale no more from thence After warde notwithstanding they armed them selues and issued out at the East gate and brake the wal that Titus had raised for his owne safety lest the Iewes should issue oute vpon a sodayne and come vpon him at vnwares â–ª A sort of tall felowes therefore of the you the of the Iewes issued out by the breaches of the wall gate vp quickly to the mount Oliuet wheras they found horses mules asses and much other cattel and fleyng their kepers they driue them before them with great shoutes into the toune The Romayns perceyuing that pursued them to fyghte Wherefore the yonge men deuiâ—eâ— theim selues into two bandesâ— the one to dryue the bootye and the other to resist the Romaynes So there was a sore â—yght betwyxt theim but the Iewes gate the vpper hande and went their wayes cleare with the 〈◊〉 towarde Hierusalem For the 〈◊〉 came for the constrayned by the necessitie of honger and foughte for their liuynge the Romaynes had no cause to fyghte saue onelye for shame to â—â—e their cattell driuen awaye before their eyes for otherwise they put not their liues in ieopardye to fight vnto drathe as the Iewes did yet was there many of the Komaynes slaine in that â—ighte The Iewes whyle the Romayns pâ—â—sued theim in dayne they gate into the towne with their spoyle and 〈◊〉 and straight waye tourned vpponâ—â—â— Râ—maines and driue theâ—â—n backe paâ—suynge theim agayne tyl they â—â—the aâ—most to Titus â—ampe whiche when the other Romaynes sawe the â—â—ame to the rescue of their felowes â–ª 〈…〉 ed agayne those yong men to 〈…〉 to take theÌ„ albeit theâ— scaped 〈◊〉 without any haâ—the saue that 〈◊〉 toke a boy and brought him vnto 〈…〉 that toke this lad 〈…〉 So the Romaynes 〈…〉 the Iewes at that tyme and for a certaine token of victory they hadde this yâ—g Iewe prisoneâ— Pornas the toke hym was hadde in great estimation for that act of Titus and all the Romayâ—s Titus appareled the boye and committed hym to Iosephus to kepe This Boye had a brother amongest theim that escaped into the toune a vyle personage euil fauoured and of a lowe stature hys name was Ionathan He seyng his brother taken coÌ„meth forth to the toÌ„be of Iochanan the hie priest ouer against Romaines and cryed vnto Titus and to all the armye saiynge If there bee euer a manne amongest you let hym â—ome forthe vnto mee here wyll I abyâ—â— hym and fyght with hym vppon thyâ— grounde and ye shall knowe this daye whether the Romaynes or the Iewes be the better menne The Romaynes dispised hym yet durste they â–ª not meddle wyth hym but said if wee kyll hym wee shall neuer bee counted the better menne for such an acte and if he shoulde kyll anye of vs it shoulde be a great dishonoure to be slayne of a wretche Ionathan sayde to to the Romaynes howe muche is the manhode of the Romaynes to bee regarded in our eyes Haue not you bene flayne and put to flyght by vs What were you then if that bandes and companies of the Gentils came not euerye daie to ayde you If they had not helpt you we had longe agoe eaten you vp We haue destroyed our selues â–ª one an other with ciuil warres so that we are but few left but what are you Who is so hardy of the best of you alâ—o come and declare his strength and to fyght with me I am one of the meanest and outcastes of the Iewes picke you onte the chiefest and vale antest man amengest you
Romaines therfore when they had gotten that dore of the Sanctum sanctorum once open and had entred into it they made great ioy and gaue a greate shoute whiles the Sanctum sanctorum was a fire which when Titus saw he made greate spede to quench the fire and to saue the Sanctum sanctorum but he could not do it there did so many set it a fire in so manye places Titus therefore cried vnto them that they shoulde not do so But they would not heare him for like as a vehement â—â—oude of water breaketh all things and driueth them down before it euen so with a furious violence the gentiles rushed vpon the temple of the Lord the fire flaminge nowe and then out of measure Thus Titus cried vpoÌ„ them in vaine wherefore when Titus sawe be coulde not refraine the people from the Sanctum sanctorum wyth wordes he drue out his sword blaming the captaines of his owne people and the other that were not Romaines he killed them for they in time paste were more wont to spoile the temple neuerthelesse thelesse he could not stay them nor put them backe He cried still vppon them notwithstaÌ„ding til be was so hoorse that he coulde crye no longer The priestes which were in the Sanctum sanctorum withstode the Romaines stoutlye till they were no more able to lift vp their handes against them Wherfore wheÌ„ the priestes sawe there was none other sauegarde lefte thâ—y lept into the â—ire and diuers other Iewes with theÌ„ that had hid them selues in the Sanctum sanctorum and so were al brent together for they said what should we liue anye longer nowe that the temple is burnte Titus ceased not to strike the people to chase them from the temple that they should not sinne against the Sanctum sanctorum but no man wold obey him for they were mani the spoiled temple Titus therfore being so weatye that al his strength failed him he fell downe vpon the ground So whan he saw he preuailed nothing with his criyng he left of forbiddinge them After that the house of the Sanctum sanctorum was burnt Titus rose entred into it and saw the glory magnificeÌ„ce therof and beleued that it was the house of the Lord for as yet the fire had not vtterly consumed al so that be said now I wel perceiue that this is none other then the house of God and the dwelling of the God of heaueÌ„s nether was it for noughte that the Iewes stode so earnestly in the desence therof nor the gentiles also did not withoute a cause send gold and siluer to this temple froÌ„ the furthest partes of the worlde For greate is the glorye of this temple and it far passeth the teÌ„ple of the Romains and al the temples of the gentiles that euer I sawe The GOD of heauen whiche is the God of thys house take vengaunce of the Sedicious whose mischeuous and heinous deedes haue brought this euell vpon it The seditious the yet remained at IerusaleÌ„ seinge the Sanctum sanctorum to be burnt thei set the rest of the temple a fyre theim selues and al the houses also that were filled full of treasure and all kynde of precious iewels and where they knew there was yet some victuals lefte they set it a fire also leaste the Romaines should haue any commoditye by it saiyng now that the Sanctum sanctorum is wasted what should we liue any loÌ„ger and then what nede haue we of anye other buildinges or houses After this the Romains quenched the fire set vp their Idols and images in the temple and offred burnt offerings vnto them blaspheminge railinge mocking at the Iewes and their lawes in the presence of their idols ABout that time was there a certain Iewe that prophected a lie vnto the seditious that remained yet at Ierusalem bidding them to playe the meÌ„ and resist their enemies for now saith he shal the teÌ„ple be builded by it self with out mannes hande that God maye declare his power vnto the Romaines which nowe glory in them selues that they haue ouercome the Iewes Therfore if ye wil fight stoutly againste the Romains this daye shal the temple be builded by it selfe Wherefore the sedicious set vpon the Romains and â—â—ewe many of them So the Romains enkindeled with yre handeled the people cruellye killinge theim like shepe where they had fauoured theim hitherto All these things happened vnto the people because they gaue eâ—edite to the false prophet and market not the signed that appered at IerusaleÌ„ For the yere next before the coÌ„myng of Vaspasian there was sene a starre ouer the Temple so bright as thoughe a man had had many drawe swordes in his hand at once And at the same time as the starre appered in the time of the folemne feaste talled Passach Easter that whole night the â—emple was as light and as â—â—e are as though it had bene middaie and it conâ—inâ—â—â— so by the space of .vii. dayes of the feast The men of vnderâ—â—andynge in Israel knewe well inough that this was an euill signe but the rest of the people interpreted it in good parte The very same time also they brought a Heffer for a burnte offerynge which when she was feld and stroken downâ— that they might dresse her she brought forth a lambe This myracle they saied likewise made for them and pretended good As also this that fâ—loweth they interpreted to good There was a certaine Gate that was called the Caste Gate a great and wonderous heauâ—â— gate that was neuer opened nor shut but twentye menne had inough to doe about it the crekynge of the gynnoes and hokes whereof myght bee hearde a farre of This Gate was founde open without anye mannes helpe and they coulde not shutte it tyll a grâ—ate noumber assembled and ioyned their strengthes together After this â–ª there was sene ouer the Temple and the Sanctum sanctorum by the space of a whole nighte a face of a manne wonderfull terrible There appeared also at that time â—â—ery chariots and horse meÌ„ and great hoasts in the skye comming nye to Hiernsalem and all the Lande of Inda In the feast also of Weekâ—â— the Prtestes hearde a man walking in the remple saiynge with a great a wonderfull terribâ—e â—ase voyce Come 〈◊〉 vs go avvaye oute of thys Temple and get vs hence But specially there was one passynge all these A certain manne in the Citye of a base and â—â—we 〈◊〉 whose name was Iehoscua the 〈◊〉 of Chananeiahu began to crye vpoÌ„ the feast of the tabernartes with a lond voyce on this wyse A voyce from the east a voice from the vvest a voice from the four vvindes of the heauens a voyce agaynst IerusaleÌ„ a voyce agaynst the teÌ„pleâ— a voyce agaynlle the Bridegrome a â—oyee agaynste the bryde and a voyce against the vvhole people Which wheÌ„â—e or yeâ— thus very oâ—â—e the citezins of Hâ—â—usalem hated him saiâ—d to him What tryest thou alwayes this crye But the gouernouâ— that then
Lorde issuinge forthe smote in the hooste of Assur Clxxxv. thousande menne His people therfore was slain and no manne lefte but Sanherib and his two sonnes and Nabuchadnezar and Nebusaradan Thys slaughter was in the fourtenth yeare of Hizkiahu from whiche ouerthrowe vntill the time that Nabuchadnezar inuaded the Iewes in the raigne of Iehoiakim were Cvii yeares v. The .iiii. yeare of Iehoiakim came Nabuchadnezar the firste time and caried awaye three thousande and .xxiii. of the tribes of Iuda and Beniamin and of other tribes seuen thousande all the able menne and all their power bindinge them with chaines This is the v. captiuity Seuen yeares after this captiuitye came Nabuchadnezar an other time vi vnto Dophna a Citye of Antioche from whence he ledde foure thousand and sixe hundreth of the tribe of Iuda and of Beniamin fiftye thousande of the other tribes seuen M. This transmigration made he into Babilon whiche is the .vi. captiuity Furthermore vii betwixte the sixte bondage and the seueÌ„th were .xi. yeres of the raign of Zidkiahu Zedekia When Nabuchadnezar had raigned nintene yeares he came the third time vnto IerusaleÌ„ and ouercoming Zidkiahu he brent the temple toke away the pillers the brasen sea the furnitures that Salomon made and al the vessels also of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the house of the king which was in Ierusalem all the vessell he sente to Babilon He slue also of the Israelites .ix. C. M. and one besides them that were slaine because of the bloud of Zacharias The Leuites stode singinge a songe whiles slaughter was made of them but they were not able to finishe it before the enemies entred the temple and founde them staÌ„ding in their place with harps in their handes Therfore he caried away in this captiuity the Leuites which were of the seede of Moyses vi C. M. whome wheÌ„ the gentiles had brought vnto the riuers of Babilon they demauÌ„ded of the Iewes Sing vs a songe of Sion And by and by they gnawed of the tops of their fingers with their tethe saying Hovv shal vve sing the song of the Lord in a straunge land And the blessed Lord seing that they wold not sing a songe he losed them and placed them on the further side of Sambatia Moreouer he translated and caried awaye .viii. hundred and .xxxii. thousaÌ„d which were al borne of Iuda and Beniamin Whereof he leste in Ierusalem vi M. setting ouer them for their ruler Gedalia the sone of Ahikam who was slain after by Ismael the soÌ„ne of Netania wherupon the Israelites beinge afraide fled their countrye into Egipte This is the seuenthe transmigration and bondage The .xxvii. yeare of the raign of Nabuchadnezer he toke Egipt and Tire viii drowned the Iewes that were therin which descended of Amon and Moab and of the land bordering vpon Israel vntil they led Ieremy and Baruch with them into Egipte This is the eighte captiuity Then the Israelites that remained on liue in Egipt departed vnto Alexandria and remained in it vntil they grew and encresed vnto many thousandes and who so saw not theyr glory sawe no glorye in his time For there was in it the sanctuarye the altare the offrings incenses the ordinaÌ„ce of bread of faces the houses of studies scholes withoute noumber menne of great substaÌ„ce riches and power But wicked Trogianus made warre vppon them and slue veri mani of them After came Alexander agaynste theim who slue also manye of theim These are the eyght captiuities or bondages whiche befell in the firste house and tyme of the first temple After the desolation of the first house lxx yeares ix Cyrus the soune of Hester sent vnto Nehemia Zerobabel Baruch and his whole societie and they builded the seconde house Then after .iiii. yeres of the raigne of Cyrus after the house was destroyed Ezra wente from Babilon wyth fortye thousande in his companye and the Israelites were afflicted and vexed vnder Cyrus for the space of .xxxiii. yeres Then came Alexander the kyng of Macedonia and flew Cyrus wheÌ„ he had raigned xii yeres he dyed After hym came foure vsurpers whiche afflicted the Israelites .clxviii. yeres But after that the sonnes of Hasmonai came they slewe those vsurpers and takynge the dominion from them raigned theim selues .ciii. yeares Then raygned one Herode the seruaÌ„t of Hasmonai who killed his masters and their whole familye saue one mayde whom he loued But shee clymynge vp to the toppe of an house saide There is no bodye lefte alyue of my fathers house but I alone so she caste her selfe headlonge from the top of the House and dyed Herode did leye her in honye and preserued her for the space of seuen yeare There were that sayed he hadde carnall copulation wyth her after shee was deade Herode and Agrippas his sonne and Monabaz hys Nephewe helde the kingdome a hundred and three yeres So hast thou foure hundreth and three yeares of the seconde house Then came Vaspasian Caesar and Titus his wiues sonne and waisted the second house cariynge awaye Israell vnto Rome This is the ninthe traunsmigration Moreouer one Bitter remayned after the desolation and wastynge of the Temple fiftye and two yeares After that Adrianus who vsed supersticion with bones made warre vpon theim 〈◊〉 and traunsposed Israell from their countrey when he had spoiled it conueyinge theim into Spaine This is the tenthe Captiuitye This Adrian vanquished the Iewes which rebelled the secoÌ„d time against the Romaines with a finall and vtter destructioÌ„ Haymo forbidding and not suffring them in any wise to enter into Hierusalem which he had begone to fortifye with verie strong walles caused it to be called Helia Historia vtriusque testameÌ„ti after his name He caused also a Sowe to be grauen ouer the chiefe gate of she citie the Iewes vnder her fete carued also in stone in token of their subiection FINIS ⧠Imprinted at London by Iohn Daye for Richarde Iugge dwellynge at the Northe doâ—e of Paules at the signe of the Bible ¶ Cum priuileâ—â—â— aâ—â— imprimendum 〈…〉