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68 - Wars of the Jews by Flavius Josephus · Wars of the Jews

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  Speaker 1: Book seven, Chapter five of the Wars of the Jews.
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  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
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  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
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  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. The Wars of the Jews by Josephus,
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  Speaker 1: translated by William Wiston. Chapter five concerning the Sabbatic River
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  Speaker 1: which Titus saw as he was journeying through Syria, and
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  Speaker 1: how the people of Antioch came with a petition to
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  Speaker 1: Titus against the Jews, but were rejected by him, as
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  Speaker 1: also concerning Titus's and Vespasian's triumphs. One. Now, Titus Caesar
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  Speaker 1: tarried some time at Berytus, as we told you before,
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  Speaker 1: He thence removed and exhibited magnificent shows in all those
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  Speaker 1: cities of Syria through which he went, and made use
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  Speaker 1: of the captive Jews as public instances of the destruction
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  Speaker 1: of that nation. He then saw a river as he
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  Speaker 1: went along, of such a nature as deserves to be
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  Speaker 1: recorded in history. It runs in the middle between Arcia,
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  Speaker 1: belonging to Agrippa's kingdom and Ryphania. It hath somewhat very
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  Speaker 1: peculiar in it, for when it runs its current is
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  Speaker 1: strong and has plenty of water, after which its springs
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  Speaker 1: fail for six days together and leave its channel dry,
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  Speaker 1: as one may see, after which days it runs on
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  Speaker 1: the seventh day, as it did before, and as though
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  Speaker 1: it had undergone no change at all. It hath also
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  Speaker 1: been observed to keep this order perpetually. And exactly whence
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  Speaker 1: it is that they call it the Sabatic river, that
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  Speaker 1: name being taken from the sacred seventh Day among the Jews.
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  Speaker 1: Footnote since in these latter ages the Sabatic river once
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  Speaker 1: so famous, which by Josephus's account here ran every seventh
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  Speaker 1: day and rested on sixth, but according to Pliny, ran
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  Speaker 1: perpetually on six days and rested every seventh. Though it
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  Speaker 1: no way appears by either of their accounts that the
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  Speaker 1: seventh day of this river was the Jewish seventh day
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  Speaker 1: or Sabbath is quite vanished. I shall add no more
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  Speaker 1: about it. Only see doctor Hudson's note. In Verenius's geography,
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  Speaker 1: the reader will find several instances of such periodical fountains
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  Speaker 1: and rivers, though none of their periods were that of
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  Speaker 1: a just week. As of old, this appears to have
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  Speaker 1: been and footnote two. But when the people of Antioch
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  Speaker 1: were informed that Titus was approaching. They were so glad
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  Speaker 1: at it that they could not keep within their walls,
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  Speaker 1: but hastened away to give him the meeting. Nay, they
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  Speaker 1: proceeded as far as thirty furlongs and more with that intention.
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  Speaker 1: These were not the men only, but a multitude of women,
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  Speaker 1: also with their children, did the same. And when they
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  Speaker 1: saw him coming up to them, they stood on both
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  Speaker 1: sides of the way and stretched out their right hands,
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  Speaker 1: saluting him and making all sorts of acclamations to him,
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  Speaker 1: and turned back together with him. They also, among all
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  Speaker 1: the acclamations they made to him, besought him all the
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  Speaker 1: way they went to eject the Jews out of their city.
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  Speaker 1: Yet did not Titus at all yield to this their petition,
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  Speaker 1: but gave them the bare hearing of it quietly. However,
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  Speaker 1: the Jews were in a great deal of terrible fear
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  Speaker 1: under the uncertainty they were in what his opinion was
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  Speaker 1: and what he would do to them. For Titus did
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  Speaker 1: not stay at Antioch, but continued his progress immediately to Zugma,
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  Speaker 1: which lies upon the Euphrates, whither came to him messengers
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  Speaker 1: from Bologeses, King of Parthia, and brought him a crown
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  Speaker 1: of gold upon the victory he had gained over the Jews,
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  Speaker 1: which he accepted of and feasted the king's messengers, and
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  Speaker 1: then came back to Antioch. And when the senate and
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  Speaker 1: people of Antioch earnestly entreated him to come upon their theater,
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  Speaker 1: where their whole multitude was assembled, and expected him, he
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  Speaker 1: complied with great humility. But when they pressed him with
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  Speaker 1: such earnestness and continually begged of him that he would
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  Speaker 1: eject the Jews out of their city, he gave them
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  Speaker 1: this very pertinent answer, how can this be done? Since
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  Speaker 1: that country of theirs, whether the Jews must be obliged
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  Speaker 1: then to retire, is destroyed, and no place will receive them. Besides, whereupon,
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  Speaker 1: the people of Antioch, when they had failed of success
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  Speaker 1: in this their first request, made him a second, for
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  Speaker 1: they desired that he would order those tables of brass
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  Speaker 1: to be removed on which the Jews privileges were engraven. However,
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  Speaker 1: Titus would not grant that neither, but permitted the Jews
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  Speaker 1: of Antioch to continue to enjoy the very same privileges
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  Speaker 1: in that city which they had before, and then departed
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  Speaker 1: for Egypt. And as he came to Jerusalem in his
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  Speaker 1: progress and compared the melancholy condition, he saw it then
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  Speaker 1: in with the ancient glory of the city, and called
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  Speaker 1: to mind the greatness of its present ruins as well
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  Speaker 1: as its ancient splendor. He could not but pity the
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  Speaker 1: destruction of the city. So far was he from boasting
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  Speaker 1: that so great and goodly a city as that was,
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  Speaker 1: had been taken from him by force. Nay, he frequently
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  Speaker 1: cursed those that had been the authors of the revolt
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  Speaker 1: and had brought such a punishment upon the city, insomuch
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  Speaker 1: that it openly appeared that he did not desire that
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  Speaker 1: such a calamity as this punishment of theirs amounted to,
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  Speaker 1: should be a demonstration of his courage. Yet was there
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  Speaker 1: no small quantity of the riches that had been in
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  Speaker 1: that city still found among its ruins a great deal
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  Speaker 1: of which the Romans dug up. But the greatest part
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  Speaker 1: was discovered by those who were captives, and so they
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  Speaker 1: carried it away, I mean the gold in the silver
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  Speaker 1: and the rest of that most precious furniture which the
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  Speaker 1: Jews had, and which the owners had treasured up under
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  Speaker 1: ground against the uncertain fortunes of war. Three, So Titus
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  Speaker 1: took the journey. He intended into Egypt, and passed over
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  Speaker 1: the desert very suddenly, and came to Alexandria, and took
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  Speaker 1: up a resolution to go to Rome by sea. And
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  Speaker 1: as he was accompanied by two legions, he sent each
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  Speaker 1: of them again to the places where since they had
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  Speaker 1: before come. The fifth he sent to Mysia, and the
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  Speaker 1: fifteenth to Pannonia. As for the leaders of the captives,
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  Speaker 1: Simon and John, with the other seven hundred men, whom
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  Speaker 1: he had selected out of the rest as being eminently
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  Speaker 1: tall and handsome of body, he gave order that they
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  Speaker 1: should be soon carried to Italy, as resolving to produce
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  Speaker 1: them in his triumph. So, when he had had a
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  Speaker 1: prosperous voyage to his mind, the city of Rome behaved
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  Speaker 1: itself in his reception and their meeting him at a distance,
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  Speaker 1: as it did in the case of his father. But
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  Speaker 1: what made the most splendid appearance, in Titus's opinion, was
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  Speaker 1: when his father met him and received him. But still
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  Speaker 1: the multitude of the citizens conceived the greatest joy when
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  Speaker 1: they saw them all three together. Footnote Vespasian and his
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  Speaker 1: two sons, Titus and Domitian, and footnote as they did
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  Speaker 1: at this time, nor were there many days overpassed when
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  Speaker 1: they determined to have but one triumph that should be
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  Speaker 1: common to both of them, on account of the glorious
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  Speaker 1: exploits they had performed, although the Senate had decreed each
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  Speaker 1: of them a separate triumph by himself. So when notice
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  Speaker 1: had been given beforehand of the day appointed for this
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  Speaker 1: pompous solemnity to be made on account of their victories,
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  Speaker 1: not one of the immense multitude was left in the city.
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  Speaker 1: But everybody went out so far as to gain only
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  Speaker 1: a station where they might stand, and left only such
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  Speaker 1: a passage as was necessary for those that were to
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  Speaker 1: be seen to go along it. Four. Now all the
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  Speaker 1: soldiery marched out beforehand by companies and in their several ranks,
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  Speaker 1: under their several commanders, in the night time, and were
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  Speaker 1: about the gates, not of the upper palaces, but those
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  Speaker 1: near the Temple of Isis, for there it was that
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  Speaker 1: the emperors had rested the foregoing night. And as soon
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  Speaker 1: as ever it was day, Vespasian and Titus came out,
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  Speaker 1: crowned with Laurel and clothed in those ancient purple habits,
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  Speaker 1: which were proper to their family, and then went as
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  Speaker 1: far as Octavian's walks, For there it was that the
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  Speaker 1: Senate and the principal rulers, and those that had been
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  Speaker 1: recorded as of the Equestrian order waited for them. Now
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  Speaker 1: a tribunal had been erected before the cloisters, and ivory
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  Speaker 1: chairs had been set upon it. When they came and
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  Speaker 1: sat down upon them, whereupon the soldiery made an acclamation
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  Speaker 1: of joy to them immediately, and all gave them attestations
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  Speaker 1: of their valor, while they were themselves without their arms
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  Speaker 1: and only in their silken garments, and crowned with laurel.
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  Speaker 1: Then Vespaisian accepted of these shouts of theirs. But while
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  Speaker 1: they were still disposed to go on in such acclamations,
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  Speaker 1: he gave them a signal of silence, And when everybody
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  Speaker 1: entirely held their peace, he stood up, and, covering the
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  Speaker 1: greatest part of his head with his cloak, he put
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  Speaker 1: up the accustomed solemn prayers, the like prayers did Titus
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  Speaker 1: put up also, After which prayers, Vespasian made a short
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  Speaker 1: speech to all the people, and then sent to away
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  Speaker 1: the soldiers to a dinner prepared for them by the emperors.
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  Speaker 1: Then did he retire to that gate, which was called
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  Speaker 1: the gate of the pomp because pompous shows do always
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  Speaker 1: go through that gate. There it was that they tasted
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  Speaker 1: some food, And when they had put on their triumphal
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  Speaker 1: garments and had offered sacrifices to the gods that were
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  Speaker 1: placed at the gate, they sent the triumph forward and
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  Speaker 1: marched through the theaters, that they might be the more
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  Speaker 1: easily seen by the multitudes. Five. Now it is impossible
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  Speaker 1: to describe the multitude of the shows as they deserve,
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  Speaker 1: and the magnificence of them all such indeed, as a
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  Speaker 1: man could not easily think of, as performed either by
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  Speaker 1: the labor of workmen, or the variety of riches, or
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  Speaker 1: the rarities of nature. For almost all such curiosities as
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  Speaker 1: the most happy men ever get by piecemeal, were here,
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  Speaker 1: one heaped on another, and those both admirable and costly
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  Speaker 1: in their nature, and all brought together on that day
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  Speaker 1: demonstrated the vast of the dominions of the Romans. For
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  Speaker 1: there was here to be seen a mighty quantity of
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  Speaker 1: silver and gold and ivory contrived into all sorts of things,
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  Speaker 1: and did not appear as carried along in pompous show only,
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  Speaker 1: but as a man may say, running along like a river.
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  Speaker 1: Some parts were composed of the rarest purple hangings, and
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  Speaker 1: so carried along, and others accurately represented to the life
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  Speaker 1: what was embroidered by the arts of the Babylonians. There
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  Speaker 1: were also precious stones that were transparent, some set in
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  Speaker 1: crowns of gold, and some in other ouches as the
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  Speaker 1: workmen pleased. And of these such a vast number were
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  Speaker 1: brought that we could not but thence learn how vainly
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  Speaker 1: we imagined any of them to be rarities. The images
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  Speaker 1: of the gods were also carried, being as well wonderful
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  Speaker 1: for their largeness, as made very artificially and with great
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  Speaker 1: skill of the workmen. Nor were any of these images
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  Speaker 1: of any other than very costly materials. And many many
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  Speaker 1: species of animals were brought, every one in their own
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  Speaker 1: natural ornaments. The men, also, who brought every one of
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  Speaker 1: these shows, were great multitudes, and adorned with purple garments
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  Speaker 1: all over, interwoven with gold. Those that were chosen for
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  Speaker 1: carrying these pompous shows having also about them such magnificent
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  Speaker 1: ornaments as were both extraordinary and surprising. Besides these, one
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  Speaker 1: might see that even the great number of the captives
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  Speaker 1: was not unadorned, while the variety that was in their
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  Speaker 1: garments and their fine texture concealed from the sight the
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  Speaker 1: deformity of their bodies. But what afforded the greatest surprise
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  Speaker 1: of all was the structure of the pageants that were
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  Speaker 1: borne along. For indeed, he that met them could not
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  Speaker 1: but be afraid that the bearers would not be able
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  Speaker 1: firmly enough to support them, such was their magnitude, for
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  Speaker 1: many of them were so made that they were on
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  Speaker 1: three or even four stories, one above another. The magnificence,
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  Speaker 1: also of their structure afforded one both and surprise, for
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  Speaker 1: upon many of them were laid carpets of gold. There
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  Speaker 1: was also wrought gold and ivory fastened about them all,
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  Speaker 1: and many resemblances of the war, and those in several
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  Speaker 1: ways and variety of contrivances, affording a most lively portraiture
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  Speaker 1: of itself. For there was to be seen a happy
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  Speaker 1: country laid waste, and entire squadrons of enemies slain, while
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  Speaker 1: some of them ran away, and some were carried into
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  Speaker 1: captivity with walls of great altitude and magnitude, overthrown and
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  Speaker 1: ruined by machines, with the strongest fortifications taken, and the
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  Speaker 1: walls of most populous cities upon the tops of hills
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  Speaker 1: seized on, and an army pouring itself within the walls.
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  Speaker 1: As also every place full of slaughter and supplications of
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  Speaker 1: the enemies when they were no longer able to lift
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  Speaker 1: up their hands in way of opposition. Fire also sent
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  Speaker 1: upon temples was here represented, and houses overthrown and falling
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  Speaker 1: upon their owners. Rivers also so after they came out
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  Speaker 1: of a large and melancholy desert, ran down not into
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  Speaker 1: a land cultivated nor as drink for men or of cattle,
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  Speaker 1: but threw a land still on fire upon every side.
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  Speaker 1: For the Jews related that such a thing they had
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  Speaker 1: undergone during this war. Now, the workmanship of these representations
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  Speaker 1: was so magnificent and lively in the construction of the
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  Speaker 1: things that it exhibited what had been done to such
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  Speaker 1: as did not see it, as if they had been
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  Speaker 1: there really present. On the top of every one of
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  Speaker 1: these pageants was placed the commander of the city that
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  Speaker 1: was taken, and the manner wherein he was taken. Moreover,
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  Speaker 1: there followed those pageants a great number of ships, and
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  Speaker 1: for the other spoils they were carried in great plenty.
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  Speaker 1: But for those that were taken in the Temple of Jerusalem,
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  Speaker 1: they made the greatest figure of them all, that is
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  Speaker 1: the golden table, of the weight of many talents. The
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  Speaker 1: candlestick also that was made of gold, though its construction
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  Speaker 1: were now changed from them which we made use of,
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  Speaker 1: for its middle shaft was fixed upon a basis, and
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  Speaker 1: the small branches were produced out of it to a
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  Speaker 1: great length, having the likeness of a trident in their position,
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  Speaker 1: and had every one a socket made of brass for
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  Speaker 1: a lamp at the tops of them. These lamps were
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  Speaker 1: in number seven, and represented the dignity of the number
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  Speaker 1: seven among the Jews. And the last of all the
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  Speaker 1: spoils was carried the law of the Jews. After these
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  Speaker 1: spoils passed by a great many men carrying the images
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  Speaker 1: of victory, whose structure was entirely either of ivory or
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  Speaker 1: of gold, after which Vespasian marched in the first place,
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  Speaker 1: and Titus followed him. Domitian also rode along with them,
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  Speaker 1: and made a glorious appearance, and rode on a horse
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  Speaker 1: that was worthy of admiration. Footnote See the representations of
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  Speaker 1: these Jewish vessels as they still stand on Titus's triumphal
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  Speaker 1: arch at Rome in Reeland's Very Curious book Despoli's turnplea throughout.
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  Speaker 1: But what things are chiefly to be noted are these.
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  Speaker 1: One that Josephus says that the candlestick here carried in
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  Speaker 1: this triumph was not thoroughly like that which was used
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  Speaker 1: in the temple, which appears in the number of the
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  Speaker 1: little knobs and flowers in that on the triumphal arch,
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  Speaker 1: not well, agreeing with Moses's description Exodus twenty five thirty
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  Speaker 1: one to thirty six. Two, the smallness of the branches
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  Speaker 1: in Josephus compared with the thickness of those on that arch. Three,
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  Speaker 1: that the law or Pentateuch does not appear on that
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  Speaker 1: arch at all, though Josephus, an eye witness, assures us
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  Speaker 1: that it was carried in this procession. All which things
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  Speaker 1: deserve the consideration of the inquisitive reader and footnote six. Now,
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  Speaker 1: the last part of this pompous show was at the
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  Speaker 1: temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, whither when they were come, they
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  Speaker 1: stood still, For it was the Roman's ancient custom to
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  Speaker 1: stay till somebody brought the news that the general of
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  Speaker 1: the enemy was slain. This general Simon, the son of Gioras,
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  Speaker 1: who had then been led in this triumph among the captives.
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  Speaker 1: A rope had also been put upon his head, and
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  Speaker 1: he had been drawn into a proper place in the forum,
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  Speaker 1: and had withal been tormented by those that drew him along.
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  Speaker 1: And the law of the Romans required that malefactors condemned
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  Speaker 1: to die should be slain there Accordingly, when it was
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  Speaker 1: related that there was an end of him, and all
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  Speaker 1: the people had set up a shout for joy, they
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  Speaker 1: then began to offer those sacrifices which they had consecrated
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  Speaker 1: in the prayers used in such solemnities, which when they
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  Speaker 1: had finished, they went away to the palace. And as
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  Speaker 1: for some of the spectators, the emperors entertained them at
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  Speaker 1: their own feast, and for all the rest there were
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  Speaker 1: noble preparations made for feasting at home, For this was
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  Speaker 1: a festival day to the city of Rome, as celebrated
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  Speaker 1: for the victory obtained by their army over their enemies,
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  Speaker 1: for the end that was now put to their civil miseries,
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  Speaker 1: and for the commencement of their hopes for future prosperity
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  Speaker 1: and happiness. After these triumphs were over, and after the
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  Speaker 1: affairs of the Romans were settled on the surest foundations,
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  Speaker 1: Vespasian resolved to build a temple to peace, which was
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  Speaker 1: finished in so short a time and in so glorious
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  Speaker 1: a manner as was beyond all human expectation and opinion.
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  Speaker 1: For he having now by providence a vast quantity of
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  Speaker 1: wealth besides what he had formerly gained in his other exploits,
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  Speaker 1: he had his temple adorned with pictures and statues, For
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  Speaker 1: in this temple were collected and deposited all such rarities
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  Speaker 1: as men aforetime used to wander all over the habitable
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  Speaker 1: world to see, when they had a desire to see,
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  Speaker 1: one of them after another. He also laid up therein
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  Speaker 1: those golden vessels and instruments that were taken out of
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  Speaker 1: the Jewish Temple as ensigns of his glory. But still
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  Speaker 1: he gave order that they should lay up their law
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  Speaker 1: in the purple veils of the Holy Place in the
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  Speaker 1: Royal Palace itself, and keep them there. End of Book seven,
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  Speaker 1: Chapter five