he　zealots；　did　not　however　scruple　the　profanation　of　the　〃court　of　the　Gentiles；〃　as　in　our　Savior's　days　it　was　very　much　profaned　by　the　Jews；　and　made　a　market…place；　nay；　a　〃den　of　thieves；〃　without　scruple；　Matthew　21：12；　13；　Mark　11：15…17。　Accordingly　Josephus　himself；　when　he　speaks　of　the　two　inner　courts；　calls　them　both　hagia　or　holy　places；　but；　so　far　as　I　remember；　never　gives　that　character　of　the　court　of　the　Gentiles。　See　B。　V。　ch。　9。　sect。　2。
  （8）　This　appellation　of　Jerusalem　given　it　here　by　Simon；　the　general　of　the　Idumeans；　〃the　common　city〃　of　the　Idumeans；　who　were　proselytes　of　justice；　as　well　as　of　the　original　native　Jews；　greatly　confirms　that　maxim　of　the　Rabbins；　here　set　down　by　Reland；　that　〃Jerusalem　was　not　assigned；　or　appropriated；　to　the　tribe　of　Benjamin　or　Judah；　but　every　tribe　had　equal　right　to　it　＇at　their　coming　to　worship　there　at　the　several　festivals＇。〃　See　a　little　before；　ch。　3。　sect。　3；　or　〃worldly　worship；〃　as　the　author　to　the　Hebrews　calls　the　sanctuary；　〃a　worldly　sanctuary。〃
  （9）　Some　commentators　are　ready　to　suppose　that　this〃　Zacharias；　the　son　of　Baruch；〃　here　most　unjustly　slain　by　the　Jews　in　the　temple；　was　the　very　same　person　with　〃Zacharias；　the　son　of　Barachias；〃　whom　our　Savior　says　the　Jews　〃slew　between　the　temple　and　the　altar；〃　Matthew　23：35。　This　is　a　somewhat　strange　exposition；　since　Zechariah　the　prophet　was　really　〃the　son　of　Barachiah；〃　and　〃grandson　of　Iddo；　Zechariah　1：1；　and　how　he　died；　we　have　no　other　account　than　that　before　us　in　St。　Matthew：　while　this　〃Zacharias〃　was　〃the　son　of　Baruch。〃　Since　the　slaughter　was　past　when　our　Savior　spake　these　words；　the　Jews　had　then　already　slain　him；　whereas　this　slaughter　of　〃Zacharias；　the　son　of　Baruch；〃　in　Josephus；　was　then　about　thirty…four　years　future。　And　since　the　slaughter　was　〃between　the　temple　and　the　altar；〃　in　the　court　of　the　priests；　one　of　the　most　sacred　and　remote　parts　of　the　whole　temple；　while　this　was；　in　Josephus's　own　words；　in　the　middle　of　the　temple；　and　much　the　most　probably　in　the　court　of　Israel　only　（for　we　have　had　no　intimation　that　the　zealots　had　at　this　time　profaned　the　court　of　the　priests。　See　B。　V。　ch。　1。　sect。　2）。　Nor　do　I　believe　that　our　Josephus；　who　always　insists　on　the　peculiar　sacredness　of　the　inmost　court；　and　of　the　holy　house　that　was　in　it；　would　have　omitted　so　material　an　aggravation　of　this　barbarous　murder；　as　perpetrated　in。　a　place　so　very　holy；　had　that　been　the　true　place　of　it。　See　Antiq。　B。　XI。　ch。　7。　sect。　1；　and　the　note　here　on　B。　V。　ch。　1。　sect。　2。
  （10）　This　prediction；　that　the　city　（Jerusalem）　should　then　〃be　taken；　and　the　sanctuary　burnt；　by　right　of　war；　when　a　sedition　should　invade　Jews；　and　their　own　hands　should　pollute　that　temple；〃　or；　as　it　is　B。　VI。　ch。　2。　sect。　1；　〃when　any　one　should　begin　to　slay　his　countrymen　in　the　city；〃　is　wanting　in　our　present　copies　of　the　Old　Testament。　See　Essay　on　the　Old　Test。　p。　104112。　But　this　prediction；　as　Josephus　well　remarks　here；　though；　with　the　other　predictions　of　the　prophets；　it　was　now　laughed　at　by　the　seditious；　was　by　their　very　means　soon　exactly　fulfilled。　However；　I　cannot　but　here　take　notice　of　Grotius's　positive　assertion　upon　Matthew　26：9；　here　quoted　by　Dr。　Hudson；　that　〃it　ought　to　be　taken　for　granted；　as　a　certain　truth；　that　many　predictions　of　the　Jewish　prophets　were　preserved；　not　in　writing；　but　by　memory。〃　Whereas；　it　seems　to　me　so　far　from　certain；　that　I　think　it　has　no　evidence　nor　probability　at　all。
  （11）　By　these　hiera；　or　〃holy　places；〃　as　distinct　from　cities；　must　be　meant　〃proseuchae；〃　or　〃houses　of　prayer；〃　out　of　cities；　of　which　we　find　mention　made　in　the　New　Testament　and　other　authors。　See　Luke　6：12；　Acts　16：13；　16；　Antiq。　B。　XIV。　ch。　10。　sect。　23；　his　Life；　sect。　51。　〃In　qua　te　quero　proseucha？〃　Juvenal　Sat。　III。　yet。　296。　They　were　situated　sometimes　by　the　sides　of　rivers；　Acts　16：13；　or　by　the　sea…side；　Antiq。　B。　XIV。　ch。　10。　sect。　23。　So　did　the　seventy…two　interpreters　go　to　pray　every　morning　by　the　sea…side　before　they　went　to　their　work；　B。　XII。　ch。　2。　sect。　12。
  （12）　Gr。　Galatia；　and　so　everywhere。
  （13）　Whether　this　Somorrhon；　or　Somorrha；　ought　not　to　be　here　written　Gomorrha；　as　some　MSS。　in　a　manner　have　it；　（for　the　place　meant　by　Josephus　seems　to　be　near　Segor；　or　Zoar；　at　the　very　south　of　the　Dead　Sea；　hard　by　which　stood　Sodom　and　Gomorrha；）　cannot　now　be　certainly　determined；　but　seems　by　no　means　improbable。
  （14）　This　excellent　prayer　of　Elisha　is　wanting　in　our　copies；　2　Kings　2：21；　22；　though　it　be　referred　to　also　in　the　Apostolical　Constitutions；　B。　VII。　ch。　37。；　and　the　success　of　it　is　mentioned　in　them　all。
  （15）　See　the　note　on　B。　V。　ch。　13。　sect。　6。
  （16）　Of　these　Roman　affairs　and　tumults　under　Galba；　Otho；　and　Vitellius；　here　only　touched　upon　by　Josephus；　see　Tacitus；　Suelonius；　and　Dio；　more　largely。　However；　we　may　observe　with　Ottius；　that　Josephus　writes　the　name　of　the　second　of　them　not　Otto；　with　many　others；　but　Otho；　with　the　coins。　See　also　the　note　on　ch。　11。　sect。　4。
  （17）　Some　of　the　ancients　call　this　famous　tree；　or　grove；　an　oak　others；　a　turpentine　tree；　or　grove。　It　has　been　very　famous　in　all　the　past　ages；　and　is　so；　I　suppose；　at　this　day；　and　that　particularly　for　an　eminent　mart　or　meeting　of　merchants　there　every　year；　as　the　travelers　inform　us。
  （18）　Puetonius　differs　hardly　three　days　from　Josephus；　and　says　Otho　perished　on　the　ninety…fifth　day　of　his　reign。　In　Anthon。　See　the　note　on　ch。　11。　sect。　4。
  （19）　This　beginning　and　ending　the　observation　of　the　Jewish　seventh　day；　or　sabbath；　with　a　priest's　blowing　of　a　trumpet；　is　remarkable；　and　no　where　else　mentioned；　that　I　know　of。　Nor　is　Reland's　conjecture　here　improbable；　that　this　was　the　very　place　that　has　puzzled　our　commentators　so　long；　called　〃Musach　Sabbati；〃　the　〃Covert　of　the　Sabbath；〃　if　that　be　the　true　reading；　2　Kings　16：18；　because　here　the　proper　priest　stood　dry；　under　a　〃covering；〃　to　proclaim　the　beginning　and　ending　of　every　Jewish　sabbath。
  （20）　The　Roman　authors　that　now　remain　say　Vitellius　had　children；　whereas　Josephus　introduces　here　the　Roman　soldiers　in　Judea　saying　he　had　none。　Which　of　these　assertions　was　the　truth　I　know　not。　Spanheim　thinks　he　hath　given　a　peculiar　reason　for　calling　Vitellius　〃childless；〃　though　he　really　had　children；　Diss。　de　Num。　p。　649；　650；　to　which　it　appears　very　difficult　to　give　our　assent。
  （21）　This　brother　of　Vespasian　was　Flavius　Sabinus；　as　Suetonius　informs　us；　in　Vitell。　sect。　15；　and　in　Vespas。　sect。　2。　He　is　also　named　by　Josephus　presently　ch。　11。　sect；　4。
  （22）　It　is　plain　by　the　nature　of　the　thing；　as　well　as　by　Josephus　and　Eutropius；　that　Vespasian　was　first　of　all　saluted　emperor　in　Judea；　and　not　till　some　time　afterward　in　Egypt。　Whence　Tacitus's　and　Suetonius's　present　copies　must　be　correct　text；　when　they　both　say　that　he　was　first　proclaimed　in　Egypt；　and　that　on　the　calends　of　July；　while　they　still　say　it　was　the　fifth　of　the　Nones　or　Ides　of　the　same　July　before　he　was　proclaimed　in　Judea。　I　suppose　the　month　they　there　intended　was　June；　and　not　July；　as　the　copies　now　have　it；　nor　does　Tacitus's　coherence　imply　less。　See　Essay　on　the　Revelation；　p。　136。
  （23）　Here　we　have　an　authentic　description　of　the　bounds　and　circumstances　of　Egypt；　in　the　days　of　Vespasian　and　Titus。
  （24）　As　Daniel　was　preferred　by　Darius　and　Cyrus；　on　account　of　his　having　foretold　the　destruction　of　the　Babylonian　monarchy　by　their　means；　and　the　consequent　exaltation　of　the　Medes　and　Persians；　Daniel　5：6　or　rather；　as　Jeremiah；　when　he　was　a　prisoner；　was　set　at　liberty；　and　honorably　treated　by　Nebuzaradan；　at　the　command　of　Nebuchadnezzar；　on　account　of　his　having　foretold　the　destruction　of　Jerusalem　by　the　Babylonians；　Jeremiah　40：1…7；　so　was　our　Josephus　set　at　liberty；　and　honorably　treated；　on　account　of　his　having　foretold　the　advancement　of　Vespasian　and　Titus　to　the　Roman　empire。　All　these　are　most　eminent　instances　of　the　interposition　of　Divine　Providence。　and　of　the　certainty　of　Divine　predictions　in　the　great　revolutions　of　the　four　monarchies。　Several　such…like　examples　there　are；　both　in　the　sacred　and　other　histories；　as　in　the　case　of　Joseph　in　Egypt。　and　of　Jaddua　the　high　priest；　in　the　days　of　Alexander　the　Great；　etc。
  （25）　This　is　well　observed　by　Josephus；　that　Vespasian；　in　order　to　secure　his　success；　and　establish　his　government　at　first；　distributed　his　offices　and　places　upon　the　foot　of　justice；　and　bestowed　them　on　such　as　best　deserved　them；　and　were　best　fit　for　them。　Which　wise　conduct　in　a　mere　heathen　ought　to　put　those　rulers　and　ministers　of　state　to　shame；　who；　professing　Christianity；　act　otherwise；　and　thereby　expose　themselves　and　their　kingdoms　to　vice　and　destruction。
  （26）　The　numbers　in　Josephus；　ch。　9。　sect。　2；　9；　for　Galba　seven　months　seven　days；　for　Otho　three　months　two　days；　and　here　for　Vitellius　eight　months　five　days；　do　not　agree　with　any　Roman　historians；　who　also　disagree　among　themselves。　And；　indeed；　Sealiger　justly　complains；　as　Dr。　Hudson　observes　on　ch。　9。　sect。　2；　that　this　period　is　very　confused　and　uncertain　in　the　ancient　authors。　They　were　probably　some　of　them　cont