Chapter XXX.
So then, after the departure of
Nero, Galba seized the government; and ere long, on Galba being slain,
Otho secured it. Then Vitellius from Gaul, trusting to the armies which
he commanded, entered the city, and having killed Otho, assumed the
sovereignty. This afterwards passed to Vespasian, and although that was
accomplished by evil means, yet it had the good effect of rescuing the
state from the hands of the wicked. While Vespasian was besieging
Jerusalem, he took possession of the imperial power; and as the fashion
is, he was saluted as emperor by the army, with a diadem placed upon
his head. He made his son Titus, Cæsar; and assigned him a portion
of the forces, along with the task of continuing the siege of
Jerusalem. Vespasian set out for Rome, and was received with the
greatest favor by the senate and people; and Vitellius having killed
himself, his hold of the sovereign power was fully confirmed. The Jews,
meanwhile, being closely besieged, as no chance either of peace or
surrender was allowed them, were at length perishing from famine, and
the streets began everywhere to be filled with dead bodies, for the
duty of burying them could no longer be performed. Moreover, they
ventured on eating all things of the most abominable nature, and did
not even abstain from human bodies, except those which putrefaction had
already laid hold of and thus excluded from use as food. The Romans,
accordingly, rushed in upon the exhausted defenders of the city. And it
so happened that the whole multitude from the country, and from other
towns of Judæa, had then assembled for the day of the Passover:
doubtless, because it pleased God that the impious race should be given
over to destruction at the very time of the year at which they had
crucified the Lord. The Pharisees for a time maintained their ground
most boldly in defense of the temple, and at length, with minds
obstinately bent on death, they, of their own accord, committed
themselves to the flames. The number of those who suffered death is
related to have been eleven hundred thousand, and one hundred thousand
were taken captive and sold. Titus is said, after calling a council, to
have first deliberated whether he should destroy the temple, a
structure of such extraordinary work. For it seemed good to some that a
sacred edifice, distinguished above all human achievements, ought not
to be destroyed, inasmuch as, if preserved, it would furnish an
evidence of Roman moderation, but, if destroyed, would serve for a
perpetual proof of Roman cruelty. But on the opposite side, others and
Titus himself thought that the temple ought specially to be overthrown,
in order that the religion of the Jews and of the Christians might more
thoroughly be subverted; for that these religions, although contrary to
each other, had nevertheless proceeded from the same authors; that the
Christians had sprung up from among the Jews; and that, if the root
were extirpated, the offshoot would speedily perish. Thus, according to
the divine will, the minds of all being inflamed, the temple was
destroyed, three hundred and thirty-one years ago. And this last
overthrow of the temple, and final captivity of the Jews, by which,
being exiles from their native land, they are beheld scattered through
the whole world, furnish a daily demonstration to the world, that they
have been punished on no other account than for the impious hands which
they laid upon Christ. For though on other occasions they were often
given over to captivity
112on account
of their sins, yet they never paid the penalty of slavery beyond a
period of seventy years.
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