第 60 节
作者:不受约束      更新:2024-05-25 15:05      字数:9322
  urlongs; and was always an enemy to the Jews; on which account they determined to make their first effort against it; and to make their approaches to it as near as possible。 This excursion was led on by three men; who were the chief of them all; both for strength and sagacity; Niger; called the Persite; Silas of Babylon; and besides them John the Essene。 Now Ascalon was strongly walled about; but had almost no assistance to be relied on 'near them'; for the garrison consisted of one cohort of footmen; and one troop of horsemen; whose captain was Antonius。
  2。 These Jews; therefore; out of their anger; marched faster than ordinary; and; as if they had come but a little way; approached very near the city; and were come even to it; but Antonius; who was not unapprized of the attack they were going to make upon the city; drew out his horsemen beforehand; and being neither daunted at the multitude; nor at the courage of the enemy; received their first attacks with great bravery; and when they crowded to the very walls; he beat them off。 Now the Jews were unskillful in war; but were to fight with those who were skillful therein; they were footmen to fight with horsemen; they were in disorder; to fight those that were united together; they were poorly armed; to fight those that were completely so; they were to fight more by their rage than by sober counsel; and were exposed to soldiers that were exactly obedient; and did every thing they were bidden upon the least intimation。 So they were easily beaten; for as soon as ever their first ranks were once in disorder; they were put to flight by the enemy's cavalry; and those of them that came behind such as crowded to the wall fell upon their own party's weapons; and became one another's enemies; and this so long till they were all forced to give way to the attacks of the horsemen; and were dispersed all the plain over; which plain was wide; and all fit for the horsemen; which circumstance was very commodious for the Romans; and occasioned the slaughter of the greatest number of the Jews; for such as ran away; they could overrun them; and make them turn back; and when they had brought them back after their flight; and driven them together; they ran them through; and slew a vast number of them; insomuch that others encompassed others of them; and drove them before them whithersoever they turned themselves; and slew them easily with their arrows; and the great number there were of the Jews seemed a solitude to themselves; by reason of the distress they were in; while the Romans had such good success with their small number; that they seemed to themselves to be the greater multitude。 And as the former strove zealously under their misfortunes; out of the shame of a sudden flight; and hopes of the change in their success; so did the latter feel no weariness by reason of their good fortune; insomuch that the fight lasted till the evening; till ten thousand men of the Jews' side lay dead; with two of their generals; John and Silas; and the greater part of the remainder were wounded; with Niger; their remaining general; who fled away together to a small city of Idumea; called Sallis。 Some few also of the Romans were wounded in this battle。
  3。 Yet were not the spirits of the Jews broken by so great a calamity; but the losses they had sustained rather quickened their resolution for other attempts; for; overlooking the dead bodies which lay under their feet; they were enticed by their former glorious actions to venture on a second destruction; so when they had lain still so little a while that their wounds were not yet thoroughly cured; they got together all their forces; and came with greater fury; and in much greater numbers; to Ascalon。 But their former ill fortune followed them; as the consequence of their unskilfulness; and other deficiencies in war; for Antonius laid ambushes for them in the passages they were to go through; where they fell into snares unexpectedly; and where they were encompassed about with horsemen; before they could form themselves into a regular body for fighting; and were above eight thousand of them slain; so all the rest of them ran away; and with them Niger; who still did a great many bold exploits in his flight。 However; they were driven along together by the enemy; who pressed hard upon them; into a certain strong tower belonging to a village called Bezedeh However; Antonius and his party; that they might neither spend any considerable time about this tower; which was hard to be taken; nor suffer their commander; and the most courageous man of them all; to escape from them; they set the wall on fire; and as the tower was burning; the Romans went away rejoicing; as taking it for granted that Niger was destroyed; but he leaped out of the tower into a subterraneous cave; in the innermost part of it; and was preserved; and on the third day afterward he spake out of the ground to those that with great lamentation were searching for him; in order to give him a decent funeral; and when he was come out; he filled all the Jews with an unexpected joy; as though he were preserved by God's providence to be their commander for the time to come。
  4。 And now Vespasian took along with him his army from Antioch; (which is the metropolis of Syria; and without dispute deserves the place of the third city in the habitable earth that was under the Roman empire; (2) both in magnitude; and other marks of prosperity;) where he found king Agrippa; with all his forces; waiting for his coming; and marched to Ptolemais。 At this city also the inhabitants of Sepphoris of Galilee met him; who were for peace with the Romans。 These citizens had beforehand taken care of their own safety; and being sensible of the power of the Romans; they had been with Cestius Gallus before Vespasian came; and had given their faith to him; and received the security of his right hand; and had received a Roman garrison; and at this time withal they received Vespasian; the Roman general; very kindly; and readily promised that they would assist him against their own countrymen。 Now the general delivered them; at their desire; as many horsemen and footmen as he thought sufficient to oppose the incursions of the Jews; if they should come against them。 And indeed the danger of losing Sepphoris would be no small one; in this war that was now beginning; seeing it was the largest city of Galilee; and built in a place by nature very strong; and might be a security of the whole nation's 'fidelity to the Romans'。
  CHAPTER 3。
  A Description Op Galilee; Samaria; And Judea。
  1。 Now Phoenicia and Syria encompass about the Galilees; which are two; and called the Upper Galilee and the Lower。 They are bounded toward the sun…setting; with the borders of the territory belonging to Ptolemais; and by Carmel; which mountain had formerly belonged to the Galileans; but now belonged to the Tyrians; to which mountain adjoins Gaba; which is called the City of Horsemen; because those horsemen that were dismissed by Herod the king dwelt therein; they are bounded on the south with Samaria and Scythopolis; as far as the river Jordan; on the east with Hippeae and Gadaris; and also with Ganlonitis; and the borders of the kingdom of Agrippa; its northern parts are hounded by Tyre; and the country of the Tyrians。 As for that Galilee which is called the Lower; it; extends in length from Tiberias to Zabulon; and of the maritime places Ptolemais is its neighbor; its breadth is from the village called Xaloth; which lies in the great plain; as far as Bersabe; from which beginning also is taken the breadth of the Upper Galilee; as far as the village Baca; which divides the land of the Tyrians from it; its length is also from Meloth to Thella; a village near to Jordan。
  2。 These two Galilees; of so great largeness; and encompassed with so many nations of foreigners; have been always able to make a strong resistance on all occasions of war; for the Galileans are inured to war from their infancy; and have been always very numerous; nor hath the country been ever destitute of men of courage; or wanted a numerous set of them; for their soil is universally rich and fruitful; and full of the plantations of trees of all sorts; insomuch that it invites the most slothful to take pains in its cultivation; by its fruitfulness; accordingly; it is all cultivated by its inhabitants; and no part of it lies idle。 Moreover; the cities lie here very thick; and the very many villages there are here are every where so full of people; by the richness of their soil; that the very least of them contain above fifteen thousand inhabitants。
  3。 In short; if any one will suppose that Galilee is inferior to Perea in magnitude; he will be obliged to prefer it before it in its strength; for this is all capable of cultivation; and is every where fruitful; but for Perea; which is indeed much larger in extent; the greater part of it is desert and rough; and much less disposed for the production of the milder kinds of fruits; yet hath it a moist soil 'in other parts'; and produces all kinds of fruits; and its plains are planted with trees of all sorts; while yet the olive tree; the vine; and the palm tree are chiefly cultivated there。 It is also sufficiently watered with torrents; which is