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soul_n	body_n	call_v	world_n	5,166	5	4.6945	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46295	The wonderful, and most deplorable history of the latter times of the Jews with the destruction of the city of Jerusalem. Which history begins where the Holy Scriptures do end. By Josephus Ben Gorion whereunto is added a brief of the ten captivities; with the pourtrait of the Roman rams, and engines of battery, &c. As also of Jerusalem; with the fearful, and presaging apparitions that were seen in the air before her ruins. Moreover, there is a parallel of the late times and crimes in London, with those in Jerusalem.; Josippon. English. Abridgments.	Joseph ben Gorion, ha-Kohen, attributed name.; Howell, James, 1594?-1666.; Ibn Daud, Abraham ben David, Halevi, ca. 1110-ca. 1180.; Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.	1671 (1671)	Wing J1086A; ESTC R216340	213,458	417

thou hold thy hand and not execute thine anger against these transgressours of thy will which when Schimeon heard of he commanded them to be apprehended and killed them with his own hands Eleazar the son of Anani the Priest seeing the malice and wickednesse of Schimeon to be great and that he destroyed the just and godly men of the City and that there was no hope left he betook himself to the Tower of Jerusalem remained in it and kept it with his Jehudas also a Captain over a thousand men which kept a Turret that Schimeon had made to put just and good men in got him upon the top of the walls and cryed to the Romans if peradventure they would deliver him and the rest that were at Jerusalem Wherefore he went about to escape with his one thousand men that he had with him and came towards the Romans But the Romans trusted them not thinking he had spoken this for deceit wherefore they came not to help him Schimeon upon this killed Jehudas and the thousand men which he had with him and commanded their bodies to be tumbled over the walls in the sight of the Romans Then Schimeon cryed to the Princes and Captains of the Romans saying Lo these are Jehudas company these would have come forth unto you take their carcases to you and revive them again if you can or else deliver the rest which yet live out of our hands Gorion the Priest father of Joseph the Priest who wrot this Book to the Israelites was at that time in bonds and prison in a certain Turret a man of great age being a hundred and thirty and no man could come unto him nor from him Joseph therefore went to the Turret where his father was kept to understand how he did He beheld also the Turret afar off if he might espv his father and comfort him And as he passed by looking up to the Turret the Seditious hurled a stone at him which hit him on the head that it overthrew him The Seditious seeing Joseph cast out of his Chariot determined to go down unto him but when Titus had knowledge thereof he sent a great strength to help him up again and to defend him that his enemies did him no wrong The Seditious going about to take Joseph sounded a Trumpet very loud which when Josephs mother that was kept in Schimeons house heard being now 87 years of age asked what was the cause of the hurly burly they told her that the Seditious issued out at that shout against Joseph to take him When she heard that by and by she run out of the house that she was kept in and climbed up the walls as lustily as th●…ugh she had been a young girle of 14 years old ●…ore her hair and cryed out weeping and saying before all them that were present Is my hope then come to this Could I ever have looked that I should have overlived my son and that I should not be suffered to see him and to bury him I had trusted he should have buried me and that he should have been a help to me in mine age and when my whole Family by the Seditious was almost made away and extinguished yet I said This shall comfort me Now therefore what shall I do when I have none left to comfort me of all my children that I bare for between the Seditious and the Gentiles our enemies they have slain 18. sons that I had and what shall I do now from henceforth but covet death for I desire not to live now any longer And how should I receive any consolation when I see my son dead and I cannot bury him Lord that I might dye by and by for I cannot live any longer since my son Joseph is now dead She went up yet further upon the walls till she came to the Turret where her husband was in prison and stretch't out her hands towards heaven crying with a loud voyce O my son Joseph my son Where art thou come and speak unto me and comfort me The Seditious hearing her laught her to scorn but the Romans when they heard her and understood by Joseph that it was his mother they wept and lamented her case and many of the Jews also that were in Jerusalem but they were fain to refrain it lest they should be perceived of Schimeons cruell cut-throats Then Josephs mother said to the Seditious that were with her upon the walls Why do ye not kill me also which bare Joseph my son and nurst him with these breasts Ye enemies of the Lord have murdered him with other just men Why kill ye not me also God be Judge betwixt me and you who have killed my son gui●…tlesse The Seditious answered her Canst thou not if thou list tumble down over the wall and die we will give thee leave When thou hast done so the Romans shall take thee up and bury thee honourably because that thou art Josephs Mother who is their friend She answered How sha●…l I do this evil unto my self to kill my self and constrain my soul to go forth of my body before that ●…od doth call it if I should do so I should have no hope left in the World to come for no body will bury them whom they perceive to have killed themselves These and such like while she reasoned wisely the Seditious heard and mocked her wherefore she wept the more abundantly so that the Romans and some godly men hearing her wisdom could not abstain from weeping Joseph when he heard the voice of his Mother got on armour and approached to the wall accompanied with most valiant Romans to defend him from the arrows of the Jews and spake to his Mother Fear not my dear Mother nor take any thought for me for I have escaped the hands of the Seditious God hath not suffered me to come into their hands wherefore I have heard the words of these wicked counsellours that advised thee to kill thy self and thine answer to them which before thou gavest them I knew thou wouldest answer God forbid say I God forbid that Josephs Mother and the Wife of Gorion should consent to the counsel of the wicked Wherefore my dear Mother be content and bear the yoke of the Seditious patiently and humble thy self before them Neither strive against the miseries and calamities of this time which thou caust not alter nor remedy For they shall perish but we shall stand and continue There were certain men of Jerusalem at that time that came to the Gates overcame the Ward and got out with their Wives and Children and so escaped to the Romans because they could no longer abide the famine and the iniquity of the Seditious They were faithful Citizens and of great authority whom when Joseph heard of he so prevailed that Titus spared them and received them to mercy For Joseph bare witnesse and reported of them that they were Noble men of Jerusalem wherefore the Romans received them and gave them food and sustenance but

say See yonder desperate fellow that destroyeth himself his Ship with the the Merchants and their riches Suppose an earthly King should give his officers to keep certain precious Jewels Were it not convenient that they should keep them till such time as he should call for them again If they should at their pleasure cast them away before the King call for them Shall they not move him to anger And if a man come into the presence of the King uncalled Will not the King check him and say unto him What dost thou here before I call thee So now all the souls of Israel are the Lords who hath bestowed them unto men according to his mercy and good pleasure who also will receive them again when it pleaseth him and when his time is come every soul shall depart unto his place of rest Therefore if a man will with his own hands let forth his soul out of his body before his time God will not receive it neither shall it find any rest but be destroyed and why Because it is expulsed and thrust out of his place before his time and before God do call for it wherefore it shall wander inconstantly for ever Why then my dear Brethren and Friends do you advise us to kill one another and to expell and banish our souls from us they being not call'd for How can we put away this opprobry How can we make amends for this sin Who shall pray and make intercession for us And with this Joseph wept abundantly insomuch that they laught him to scorn Then Joseph held up his hands to heaven saying Thou Lord Almighty art our Father thou hast formed us and by thy great mercy taken us out of the clay thou art he that leadest us in thy faith and the multitude of thy mercies and benignities towards us hath not ceased A●…d although our sins have separated us from thee yet n●…vertheless we are thy handy-work every one of us and a long time have we been called thy people Thou art Lord over all creatures and souls Thou dost what thou wilt and none dare say to thee Why dost thou so Thou art our Father we are clay thou hast given us our shape and fashion therefore if it please thee to take our souls take them by the hands of thine Angels that we commit no evil against them And if these my fellows that be present with me will not be partakers of my prayer behold my life alone for the which I beseech thy benign clemency if it please thee take it for thou gavest it me therefore do with it whatsoever it shall seem good unto thee It is in thine hands thou lendest it me and hast preserved it within me I will not destroy it my self or let it out of my prison before thou demand it for thou knowest that as man cannot live without thy decree and appointment so likewise he cannot die without the same Vnto thee therefore do I lift mine eyes thou that dwellest in Heaven to deal mercifully with thy servants and with me to turn our hearts that we consent not unto this to murder our selves If thou know any among them that intend so wicked an Act I beseech thee O Lord my God let me find favour in thine eyes give them an heart to hear wholesome counsel that I may deliver my self and mine own life which I commend into thine hands that thou wouldest receive it unto thee for in thy hand is the life of every living creature Thus when Joseph had finished his prayer he turned him unto his fellows and saluted them Then said they Thinkest thou therefore to move our minds because thou hast prayed unto God for thy self and for us Did not we tell thee ere while like as we tell thee now that we are determined to die by one means or other wherefore say thy mind and tell us by w●…at death thou wilt end thy life for we have ever known thee a just man and a worthy Prince therefore art thou worthy to die first Joseph perceiving his fellows were utterly determined to die and would give none ear to his perswasions for he could by no reasons draw them to his opinion he went subtilly to work with them on this wise Seeing it will be none otherwise Brethren quoth he I will shew you my advice Ye are determined to die ye say and that upon your own swords therefore there is no better way than to do it by lot in this wise Let us cast lots amongst our selves that we may be joyned together by couples then will we cast lots which couple shall die first afterwards they two shall cast lots betwen them which of them shall kill his fellow he that remaineth shall choose him one of the second couple to kill him likewise the second couple shall cast lots between themselves who shall die first and he that is left shall choose him one of the third couple whom he hath a fancy to be killed of then they shall try by lot who shall die first who being slain the other may choose him one of the fourth couple to kill him and so even till all be slain that we see not the captivity of our people The last couple that remain shall do thus Run one upon the others sword or else let them cast lots between themselves and upon whom it falleth let him die first But forasmuch as we are forty and one so that we cannot be justly joyned in couples let us cast lots first of all and see which of us shall first be slain and when he is once out of the way then let us divide the couples He that is to be slain first let him choose one of the first couple and cast lots and do as I have devised Then every man liked his device which was Gods doing who heard Josephs prayer and said all with one mouth We will do as thou hast advised and to thee it appertaineth to divide the men and to cast the lots Joseph answered But let us swear by the name of the Lord that this device shall stand be ratified and performed whereunto they accorded and sware all by the name of the Lord that they would have this device to be ratified and kept which Joseph had invented by casting of lots Then Joseph cast lots who should be the odde man and it fell upon Jehojada the son of Eliakim a Galilean which was a valiant man and chiefest in every counsel next to Joseph and the principal perswader of this wicked fact to kill themselves After that did he craftily divide them into couples so that the lot of his own couple came forth last of all who looked to be saved and trusted in God believing that he would deliver him from this abominable deed Then Jehojada chose him one of the first c●…uple who slew him That done the first couple cast lots between them so the one killed his fellow and chose him one of the second couple to kill him Then they

overcome you and to have gotten the dominion over you But neither ye nor your Country did ever delight us greatly for our manners differ far from yours Behold the King of Madai when he had kept us for a moneth we harmed him not we are not wont to hur●… men as ye are that cannot be content with your own state but must desire other mens inheri●…ance Now therefore go and return to your own Country and so will we to ours without doing you any more hurt wherefore ye need not be afraid of us So the Alanites went home to their own Countries having slain of Mithridates people three hundred thousand men and never a one of their own was killed Titus hearing of this was desirous to go unto them to let them understand his valiantnesse but he could not compasse it b●…cause all his best men were spent in the Wa●… at Jerusalem Wherefore he determined to retu●…n to Rome after he had taken Jerusalem where he abode as yet besides the Antochia There he had intelligence that divers of the Jews were gathered together with whom was Eleazar the son of Anani the Priest who during the siege fled unto a certain Hold called Mezira whereupon many of the Jews resorted to him Titus hearing this that many had joyned themselves to Eleazar feared lest after his departure Eleazar●… might from thence make an inrode and take Jerusalem and destroy the Romans which should be no smal damage to the Roman Empire Wherefore he made out against him and sent thither one Silcham a Noble man of Rome with a great host to besiege Mezira but he could not get it Wherefore he sent unto Titus for an Iron Ram to batter the Walls withal which after he had received it he beat down the walls of Mezira therewith The Jews seeing that raised a great Countermure within of Wood and Timber which the Romans set on fire and burnt After that they assaulted the Town from morning till night at what time the Romans le●… off supposing they were not able to prevail against Eleazars defence in the dark Eleazar in the mean season called an assembly of all the chief men of the Jews that were with him and said unto them in this wise Come hither ye seed of Abraham and Kingly Priesthood which have until this day ever prevailed against the enemies of God Let us hear your advice what is best to be done against this multitude that is come upon us at unawares Ye see that at this time chiefly it becometh us to follow the courage and valiantnesse of our forefathers wherewith they were in time past endued Consider moreover that every thing hath his end and there are some times in War when as men are wont to follow the pursuit sometimes to flee from the same whom they pursued and to humble themselve before them And it is no shame to be humbled and disgraced when as all things have their determin●…te end Albeit whoso is of an haughty courage he must so establish his heart that he quail not with fear then shall he be deemed a valiant man If ye therefore be of that courage that ye fear not death then will I call ●…ou valiant men and worthy Consider the fortitude of Abraham our father and the fact that he did for having but one only son whom Sarah bare unto him in her age he never staggered nor stayed at it to offer him up to the Lord God for a burnt-offering for he thought not that he should kill him but perswaded himself most certainly that he should promote him to the life and light of the Lord forasmuch as for ●…he love of God and at his commandment he should have killed him Weigh the thing that Josiah the just King did who setting at nought this wretched life and aspiring to everlasting felicity would not avoid the jeopardy of his life when as he might have done it For although Pharaoh Necho said He came not against him but against the King of the Chaldees yet would not Josiah hear him but rather proceeding against Pharaoh in arms was slain in the battel and went unto that great Light in the Garden of Paradise which is the lot and inheritance of the just We know that in this world no man receives the reward of his righteousnesse but it is laid up for him in the other world where he shall reap the fruit of his righteousnesse that he hath sown in this world Neither doth long life in this world profit a man to the attaining of everlasting blisse except he work righteousnesse and lead his soul forth of darknesse into light like as contrariwise shortnesse of life hindreth no man from everlasting happinesse if so be it his soul have no defect in those things that pertain to the world to come For Abel which was slain of his brother lived no long life yet when he had ended it he obtained everlasting rest but Cain that lived long in the world was a wanderer and a runagate in this earth and after this life went to perpetual misery Now therefore my Brethren if we also shall live any longer our life shall be a miserable life and our dayes dayes of vanity and travel yea our soul as long as it shall remain in this body it shall be tossed with great tribulation but if it once go forth then shall it rejoyce and never be afraid And all the dayes that it is in the body it never leaveth weeping and mourning for it is the Spirit of life which is hedged within the body by ●…inewes bones none otherwise then if it were bound with chains The spirit is also that which quickneth the flesh that is taken of the dust of the earth for flesh cannot quicken the spirit Besides this the spirit is that which observeth and marketh the flesh and searcheth the works thereof so long as it is in the body yea the flesh cannot see the spirit but the spir●…t seeth the flesh alwayes neither is there any member of the body hid from it The eyes also of the body cannot perceive what time the spirit resorteth to the flesh and departeth from the same for the spirit of man which is his soul is from heaven but the flesh is taken from the earth Wherefore the soul may ●…main without the body but not likewise 〈◊〉 body without the soul and when the spiri●… comes to the flesh it visiteth it as a neighbour is wont to go and see his neighbour and quickeneth it and when again it departeth from it the flesh dyeth and if the soul will follow the desires of the flesh then this is the death of the soul but if it give no ear unto the flesh then shall the soul come to the light of life and the flesh shall die Wherefore the soul is glad when it departeth out of the body like as one that hath been bound is well contented when he 〈◊〉 dismissed out of prison For all the while that the soul is kept closed

live and would not be separated from his brethren neither in life nor death as well he as Jonathan his son these were dearly beloved and most amiable men as the Scripture termeth them Why doest thou not remember our dear Prince the righteousnesse of David the anointed of the Lord who seeing a most grievous pestilence to rage upon the people of Israel said Let thy hand O Lord I beseech thee be turn'd upon me and my fathers house For I am he that have sinned I have transgressed as for these thy sheep What have they done What have they offended Where is the holy Law smothered and stifled in thy heart Art not thou an anointed Priest that hast declared and taught us the Holy Law whereby we might learn how to love our Lord GOD with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength If it be so that the service of God consists not in this that we should love him whom he loveth and die for his Covenant and Sanctuary together with his servants that be slain for the unity of the name of the Lord wherein standeth it then Hast not thou oft-times taught and proved unto us how that every man that dieth in the wars for the Lord his Sanctuary his people and his Law he is to be counted in the Lords lot and made worthy to go unto the great Light and shall not see everlasting darknesse Art not thou that Joseph the Priest that hast cryed so often in battel I am Joseph the Priest consecrated to battel that have vowed my life for the people of the Lord his Sanctuary and his Land But now when thou hast yielded thy self unto them and they order thee despitefully What wilt thou say unto them or what amends canst thou have at their hands I put the case they cast in thy teeth and say thy words be lyes How shalt thou avoid the reproach Art thou not he that said'st that we should fight for the people of God until we die in the conflict and in so doing death should be ransome for our sins and that we were sure to go to that great Light that is the light of life Which if it be true according as thou hast said Why then wilt thou shun death and not follow thy people that are gone before thee to that same light Ever hitherto thou hast had the upper hand wheresoever thou cam'st insomuch that they that heard of thee trembled for fear and now wilt thou yield thy life to captivity to the Romans as a vile slave Shall not this thy dishonour redound also to the people of God Thou art a Prince a King and a Priest Wilt thou be bound in chains Every man shall say This is he that gave his souldiers and the rest of the people to die but saved himself and his own life So when they had made an end of talk each man drew out his sword and came to him in the midst of the Cave saying Hearest thou Joseph our Prince if thou wilt be ruled by us first we shall slay thee as a Lord and a great Prince and thou shalt chuse what death thou wilt die that thou mayest die honourably But if thou refuse to die honestly assure thy self of this we will every man set upon thee and kill thee Joseph answered Indeed I know my brethren that your words are just and true For who is so mad to desire to live in this hurly burly and would God that he would call my soul unto him and receive it unto him also For I am not ignorant that it were more expedient for me to die then to live for the great troubles that have passed through my heart but he knoweth the secrets of mens hearts and it is he that giveth life unto men It is our GOD that closeth souls within the bodies and letteth them out again because he is the living God in whose hands remain the souls and spirits of all living creatures He hath left with us the spirit of life and closed it up within our bodies What is he that will open that he hath shut How shall we loose that he would have knit fast within us Do ye not all know how the life is a thing that he hath left us to keep and that we are his servants If then we cast away life before that God take it Shall he not worthily be displeased with us so that we shall not find life in the place of the living with Abraham our father of famous memory and with those just and godly men our forefathers Do ye not know that they went not unto God before they were called and when they were called they came and so dealt God with all the holy and godly men To Moses our Master of worthy memory the elect of God ye know that the Lord God of Israel said Get thee upon this mountain Abiram and so he did but he would not have done it of himself had not God called him whereby ye may see it is not lawful for a man to surrender his life unto the Living GOD except he require it again Take example I pray you of Job what time he curst the day that he was born in Might he not either have hanged himself or have run upon a knife or at the least have followed his wife's counsel to curse God and die Notwithstanding he abode patiently in most extream pain waiting till God demanded again his life and then restored it unto his Lord God and would not restore it undemanded but tarried till his appointed time came King David also of famous memory said Lead thou my life out of this pinfold and prison For he knew that the life was inclosed in the body and that none might let it forth but God I wot well that death is a great commodity so that the soul may return in his due time unto God that gave it us I know it also That he that dieth in the Wars of the Lord he shall come to the great Light But I know not what can appease Gods wrath towards the soul of that man that killeth himself and maketh haste to restore his soul before his time and without the Lords calling Wherefore my friends and my brethren I would ye should know it I am no more coward than you and I do not disagree with you because I am of a faint heart for fear of these present calamities but this I know I should commit a hainous offence against the Lord if I should kill my self And how say ye you Princes that stick unto your God to you I speak Tell me who shall make intercession unto God for us if we should commit this sin and each kill one another Would not a man judge him a slave a fool a froward person a rebel and a desperate man that should be forced with any misery to be so mad that because all things fall not out as he would wish would therefore hang or desperately murder himself with his

into the City Therefore Schimeon sent certain to fetch Amittai and his four sons unto him They that were sent brought Amittai and but three of his sons for one was fled to the Romans and came to Joseph When Amittai with the other were brought to Schimeons presence he besought him he might not live but to be put to death by and by lest saith he I should live to see the death of my children But Schimeon was hard-hearted and would not be intreated for it was Gods will that Amittai should be punished because he was the bringer of Schimeon into Jerusalem and therefore fell he into his hands which for good rewarded him with evil Schimeon commanded a sort of murderers to place Amittai upon the walls in the sight of the Romans and said unto him Seest thou Amittai Why do not the Romans deliver and rescue thee out of my hands thee I say which wouldest have fled away unto them Amittai answered nothing to this but still besought him before his death he might kisse his sons and bid them farewell but Schimeon utterly denied him Wherefore Amittai wept aloud saying to his sons I brought dear children I brought this thief into this Town●… wherefore I am counted now for a thief my self All the mischief which is come upon me and you it is mine own doing because I have brought this seditious villain into this holy City I thought then Peradventure he will be a help to the Town but it is proved contrary for he hath been a most cruel enemy to the same It was not enough for us to keep one seditious person Jehochanan I mean which took unto him Eleazar the first beginner of sedition but I must bring in also this wicked Schimeon which is joyned to our foes to destroy us Indeed I never brought him in for any love that I bare unto him but all the Priests and the whole multitude of the people sent me to fetch him notwithstanding I am worthy of this just judgement of God because I took upon me such an embassage What should I speak of thee thou most wicked Schimeon for whithersoever thou turnest thee thou bringest all things out of frame Indeed thou dea●…est justly with me because I have sinned unto God to his people and his City in that I have brought thee in to be a plague to it wherefore I am worthy to be stoned Notwithstanding it had been thy part thou wicked murderer to deliver me and my sons from the hands of the other Seditious for I have wrought them displeasure but to thee have I done good Howbeit our God will not alter nor change his judgements which is that I should fall into the sword of thy hand for that I made thee to enter into this City wherein I offended God grievously If I had purposed to flee unto the Romans could I not have done it before I brought in thee for at that time bearedst thou no rule over us and before we called in thee Jehochanan with his sedition was an offence unto this City Wherefore we perswaded all the Ancients of the Town that thou shouldest be an aid unto us to drive out our foes but thou in whom we put our trust art become our enemy yea thou hast been worse than they for the other put men to death privily thou dost it openly Who is he that hath strengthened the power of the Romans Art not thou he which hast killed the Souldiers of God in the midst of the City of Jerusalem for few have been slain without Titus would have made peace with us taking pity upon us but thou didst lett and hinder it every day moving new Wars and stirring new battels Titus gave charge to his souldiers to lay no hand upon the Temple but thou hast polluted and defiled the Temple of the Lord shedding blood without measure in the midst thereof Titus went back from us upon the holy day of the Lord and ceased from fighting saying Go and observe your holy Feasts in peace but thou unhallowedst the Feasts of the Lord and puttedst out the continual fire with innocent blood All these evils which thou hast committed thou murderer are imputed unto me because I brought thee into the Town Now therefore this vengeance is appointed to mine age by the Lord God and by thy hands shall I go to my grave with sorrow because I by my foolishnesse was an actor in this mischief that is wrought by thee Albeit now thou wicked Schimeon in this that thou killest me ere that mine eyes may see the burning of the Temple it pleaseth me very well But what needest thou murderer to put my sons to death before my face Why doest thou not spare mine age would God that as I shall not see the burning of the Temple so also I might not see the blood of my children shed before my face But what shall I do when God hath delivered me into the hands of a most wicked man We that were the ancients of Jerusalem abhorred Jehochanan because he murdered old men without all reverence but he slew no young men thou destroyest old and young great and small without any pity or mercy Jehochanan mourned for the dead and buried them also but thou playest upon instruments at their burials singest to the Lute and soundest the Trumpet Then spake he to Schimeons servant who was ready with a sword in his hand and an axe to kill him and to cut off his head s●…ying Go to now and execute Schimeon thy Master's commandment Behead the sons in the sight of their father and let me hear the voice of thy cruelty in my sons which notwithstanding I forgive thee for as I shall hear and see that against my will so I dare say thou killest them not willingly Would God that Schimeon would suffer me to kisse my sons and whiles I am yet living to embrace them ere they die But thou gentle minister in one thing shew thy pity towards me that when thou hast put my sons and me to Execution separate not our bodies neither lay their corps asunder from mine but so that my body may lie uppermost and cover theirs to defend them from the fowls of the air lest they devour my sons bodies for it so may come to passe that they may be buried I beseech thee also that my mouth and lips when I am dead may touch my sons faces that so I may both embrace and kisse them But what do I delay or linger any longer seeing the enemies deny me this to kisse them vvhiles vve are yet alive See thou therefore that our bodies be not severed and if Schimeon will not permit this that our bodies may be joyned in this world yet can he not lett our Souls to be joyned for after I shall be once dead I doubt not but I shall see the Light of the Lord. His sons hearing their fathers words began to weep very sore with their father who said unto them Alas my sons Why weepye What

in the flesh it is as it were a slave in most hard and grievous bondage under a hard Master Therefore when it departeth from the body it is glad because it must go to the Garden of Paradise Thus ye see that in this life the soul is compared to a bond servant and slave Much more than this did he discourse of the immortality and blessedness of the Soul before them which we have omitted here And making then a Digression from that he lamented and wept most bitterly for the case of the City of Jerusalem saying Where is now ●…e City of Jerusalem that great and populous City Where is that most beautiful City of Sion and that holy City which rejoyceth the whole Earth O thou worship of Israel the mi●…h of our hearts whither is thy glory come Where is thy magnificence O Jerusalem Where be the hill●… of the daughter of Sion Where be her Kings and Princes Where be the King●… that were accustomed to come to enquire of her welfare in her gates Where are her Sages and Elders her young and most valiant men which were jocund and merry in her streets upon her Sabbaths and Festival dayes Where is her famous Sanctuary the Dwelling of the Almighty God Where is the House of Sanctum Sanctorum the habitation of holiness wherein no man might set his foot but the high Priest which he never but once a year entred into but in thee O Jerusalem thou wa'st once replenished with people and renow●…ed amongst Kings beloved of God in thee was established the seat of the Kingdom of Justice and Judgement whose Streets were paved with most precious Marble whose walls glistred and shine●… with the same Stone whose Gates were every one plated with Gold and Silver whose Walls were builded with great S●…ones most honourabl●… whose Priests in the midst of the Sanctuary like to Angels of God and Princes of Holinesse with Sacrifices and burnt-offerings made the Lord loving to thee and thy people How art thou now full of slain men and carc●…ses which have perished some by the sword some by famine and how are thy sons that dwelt in thee and the strangers also that resorted to thee to honour thy Feasts brought to ruine now in thee How art thou fallen from the height of thy pride and how art thou set afire and burnt even unto thy foundations and art left desolate and solitary What eye is so hard that can behold thee What heart so stony that can endure to see thee How art thou become a burying place of carcases and how are thy streets made void and destitute of living creatures and they which heretofore were replenished with living are now stuffed with dead How hath the ashes of the fire covered thee that the Sun cannot come at thee How do the ancient men which in times past did fit in midst of thee in the seat of wisdom judgement and justice now fit by the carcases of their children to drive away Crows and beasts from them having their hoary heads besprinkled with dust and ashes instead of their glory and those women thy daughters that are left they remain in the houses of them that made thee desolate not that they may live but be unhallowed and polluted Who shall see all these things in thee and shall desire to live rather than to die Who knowing the magnificence thou hadst of la●…e and now shall see thine ignominy and dishonour of the same will not chuse to die And would God we had been dead before that we might not have seen in thee this thy reproach O that we were without eyes that we m●…ght not be compelled to see these mischiefs that are in the midst of thee And behold we live a most sorrowful life for our enemies even now afore we be dead cast lots for ou●… sons and daughters to divide them amongst them to be their servants and handmaids When Eleazar had ended this lamentation he spake to the people that was with him●… thus Now therefore Brethren and friends take comp●…ssion of your selves your wives and children with the old men which be with you Let them not be led into bondage without all mercy that they be not constrained to mourn under the hands of their enemies For if you do this ye lose without doubt all places that are prepared for you in the world of righteousness●… neither shall ye have any part in the light of li●…e Y●…a rather with your own hands kill t●…m For if ●…e will do so they shall be counted as sacrifi●…s most acceptable unto God And that done we will after issue out upon our enemies and fight against them till we die valiantly for the glory of the Lord. For we will never suffer them to bind us with bonds and chains as bondslaves in the hands of the uncircumcised Neither will we see our ancient men to be haled by the beards before our eyes most miserably nor yet our maids wives and daughters to be prophaned unhallowed and defloured nor our sons crying to us and we cannot help them Forwhat shall our life avail us after that our land is desolate our Sanctuary razed the Romans will ravish our wives and daughters before our eyes and oppress our sons with a most grievous and hard yoke Now therefore it is better for us all to kill our wives and children whose blood God shall accept thankfully as the blood of burnt offerings and after we will issue out upon the Romans fight till we be all destroyed and die for the glory of the Lord our God These men therefore went and gathered together their wives and daughters embraced them and kissed them saying Is it not better for you to die in your holy Country honourably than to be led away into bondage with great ignominy and shame into the Land of your enemies and be compelled to die before the Idols of the Gentiles These sayings when the people had heard they broke forth that night in to great sorrow and pensivenesse weeping and making great lamentation but they all confest with one accord that they had rather die than live Therefore as soon as it was day Eleazars companions killed their wives and children and cast their bodies into cesterns and wells that were in Mezirah covering and stopping them with earth Afterward issued E●…eazar the Priest forth of the Town with all his men and forced a battel upon the Romans of whom the Jews killed a great n●…mber and fought so long till they all died m●…nfully for the Lord God But Titus left a remnant of Israel in the City Jafnah and the villages thereabout and in the City Bitter and A●…ssa and their villages in which place Rabby Jochanan son of Sakkai was appointed chief Bonian the Priest younger b●…other to J●…seph the Priest was put in authority by Titus for Josephs sake over all the Jews which were at Jerusalem At the same time was 〈◊〉 a Prince of Israel put to death and Ischmael son of Elischa ●…he high