In addition, the will of fate was already such that the innocent together with the guilty and the city together with the rebels would perish at the same time.

2. The Romans spent four days in giving food to all the legions. On the fifth day, Titus, seeing that the Jews still did not make peaceable proposals, divided his army into two parts and began to build mounds; one against the castle of Antony, and the other at the tomb of John. From this last point he thought to conquer the Upper City, and from the first the temple, for without the temple the possession of the city could not be considered secure. Thus, at each of these two points, the legions built one rampart. Those who worked at the tomb were hindered by sorties by the Edomites and Simon's well-armed detachment, and at the castle of Anthony by John's men and a detachment of Zealots. In consequence of the high position they occupied, they now had the advantage not only in the use of hand-held weapons, but also in the firing of machines, for by daily exercise they had acquired the skill and learned to use them. They had three hundred spear-throwing and forty stone-throwing machines, with the help of which they significantly complicated the construction of ramparts. But Titus, who saw in the preservation or destruction of the city a gain or loss for himself, did not lose sight of another object during the siege, namely, to induce the Jews to change their way of thinking. He accompanied his military operations with friendly advice, and, knowing that often by kind words one can accomplish more than by force of arms, he often personally appealed to them with reminders to save the already half-conquered city by voluntary surrender, and partly, in the hope that they would be more obedient to their countryman, he sent Josephus to them, who spoke to them in their own language.

3. Joseph went around the wall to find a place where he would be away from the shot and at the same time could be heard, and in a long speech he said to them as follows: "Have pity on yourselves and the people, have pity on your native city and the temple, do not be more cruel to all these things than strangers! The Romans respect the shrines of their enemies, and have hitherto not touched them, although they have nothing to do with them, while those who have been brought up in the bosom of these shrines, and who, if preserved, will remain the sole possessors of them, do everything that tends to destruction. You see: your strongest walls have fallen, and those that remain even weaker than those conquered. You know that the power of the Romans is indestructible, and their domination is not new to you. If the war of independence is a glorious cause, it should have been fought at the very beginning; but once they submitted once and for a long time reconciled themselves to the domination of others, then after that to want to throw off the yoke does not mean to strive for freedom, but to miserable death. Weaker rulers can still be refused obedience, but not those who are subject to everything. Which countries escaped the all-conquering power of the Romans? Except those which, on account of their sultry or harsh climate, are of no value to them. Everywhere happiness is on their side, and God, who causes the dominion of the world to pass from one nation to another, has now chosen Italy as his abode. There is a law, firmly established in animals as well as in men, that the stronger weapons always win, and that the weak are subdued by the stronger, and therefore our ancestors, who were far superior to us in physical and spiritual strength, as well as in other defensive means, submitted to the Romans, which they probably would not have done if they had not been convinced that God was on the side of the latter. And what encourages you to resist? Most of the city has already been conquered, and you inside, even if the walls survive, are in a worse position than the prisoners of war. The famine that has taken root in the city, which is so far exterminating only the people, but which is soon to destroy your army, is not a great secret to the Romans. Even if the latter cease the offensive and do not invade the city with a sword in their hands, then even then an invincible internal enemy has settled next to you, who is gaining more and more strength every hour. You can't fight hunger with weapons. Otherwise, you would be the only ones who would have coped with such a calamity in this way. How good it would be," he continued, "if you would come to your senses before the evil becomes irreparable, and if you would make a saving decision while there is still time! The Romans will not remember what has been done to you, unless you carry your obstinacy to the end, for they are by nature merciful in victory, and are more inclined to pursue their own advantages than to avenge themselves on the enemy, and it is not their own interest to take a deserted city or a desolate country. For this reason Titus even now offers you pardon. If, however, after you have not followed his gracious proposals even in your most extreme need, he must take the city by force, then he will spare no one. And that the third wall will soon fall, the capture of the first two is guaranteed; and even if this stronghold were indestructible, then the city is fighting against you for the Romans!"

4. While Joseph was telling them all this, many standing on the wall mocked him, others cursed him, and some even shot at him. Seeing that his arguments, based on actual facts, had no effect on them, he turned to the history of the country, and said:[45] "O you wretches, who forget your true allies, with your hands and your weapons do you want to conquer the Romans? Has it ever happened that we have won in this way? Was not God, the Creator, always the avenger of our people, when they were treated unjustly? Take a look back, and you will see what has pushed you into this struggle, and what a great ally you have offended. Remember the miracles of the time of your fathers and how many times our enemies have found death in this sacred place. Though I begin to speak of the works of God to your unworthy ears, though not without a shudder, yet you listen, that you may be convinced that you are fighting not only against the Romans, but also against God. The ancient Egyptian king Necho, who was also called Pharaoh,[46] came with tens of thousands to our country and kidnapped Queen Sarah, the ancestor of our tribe. What did her husband Abraham, our first parent, do then? [355] Did he take revenge on the sinner with weapons in his hands? No! Having three hundred and eighteen vassals, each of whom had dominion over an innumerable number of people, he, in spite of them, nevertheless considered himself completely abandoned without the help of God. He then raised his righteous hands to the place you now desecrated, and begged for the help of an invincible ally. Was not the queen immediately the next evening brought back untouched to her husband, and the Egyptian, frightened by the dreams of the night, did he not flee after pouring out a prayer in the place stained by your fratricide, and bestowing gold and silver on the God-loved Jews? [47] Must I keep silent, or speak of the migration of our forefathers to Egypt, where, having been raped and oppressed by foreign kings, for four hundred years they relied entirely on the mercy of God, instead of, of course, being able to resist with arms in your hands? Who does not know how Egypt was then filled with all kinds of beasts and was exhausted by all kinds of diseases, how the country lost its fertility, and the Nile its waters? Ten plagues followed one after another, after which our ancestors were released under cover, without bloodshed, without any danger, because God himself led his chosen ones. When our sacred ark was stolen by the Assyrians,[48] did not all our Philistine land, the idol of Dagon, and all the nation to which the kidnappers belonged, groan? Rotten sores appeared in their hidden places of the body, and along with food they also emitted entrails. In the end, the same hands that had stolen the ark brought it back again to the sound of cymbals and tympanums, and atoned for their sin before the shrine with all kinds of sacrifices. You see that God showed His mercy to our ancestors because they trusted in it without resorting to the sword. The Assyrian king Sennacherib, when he besieged this city with countless peoples from all over Asia, did it fall at the hands of men? The latter were not then occupied with weapons, but were stretched out to prayer. But the angel slew an innumerable army in one night, and when the Assyrian arose in the morning, he found one hundred and eighty-five thousand dead, and he fled with the remnants from the unarmed Hebrews, who did not even pursue him. [49]

You also know the Babylonian captivity, when for seventy years the people lived in a foreign land, not thinking of forcible liberation, until Cyrus, in order to please God, granted them freedom, gave them guides, and they again became the chosen ones of their ally. In short, it is impossible to cite a single case in which our ancestors won happiness for themselves only by force of arms, or that they suffered misfortune when they gave themselves up to Providence without a struggle: without moving, they conquered as soon as the heavenly judge willed; but if they fought, they were always defeated. This also happened when the king of the Babylonians was besieging this city, and our king Zedekiah, contrary to the prophecy of Jeremiah, fought with it; then he himself was executed and witnessed the destruction of the city and the temple. And yet, how much more righteous that king and his people were than you and your leaders! Neither the king nor the people killed Jeremiah, when he openly proclaimed that they themselves had incurred the disfavor of God by their sins, and that they would be defeated if they did not voluntarily surrender the cities. You, on the other hand—not to mention the crimes you commit in the city, for which I have no words—revile me, who teach you how to behave, shoot at me out of anger because I remind you of your crimes, because you would not like to hear about the deeds you do every day. But let's get back to our story. When Antiochus Epiphanes, who sinned much before the Lord, besieged the city, and our ancestors made an armed sortie, they themselves perished in this battle, and the city was plundered by the enemy, and the sanctuary was desolate for three years and six months. Why more examples? And now the Romans – who brought them upon our country? Is it not the godlessness of its inhabitants? What gave the first impetus to its enslavement by the Romans? Is it not the internecine strife of our forefathers? The madness of Aristobulus and Hyrcanus, and their mutual dissension, led to Pompey's campaign against the capital, and God subdued under the rule of the Romans those who were no longer worthy of freedom. After three months' siege of the city, they surrendered, while they sinned neither before the sanctuary nor before the law, as you do, and had much greater means for waging war. Do we not know what end befell Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus? In his reign God once more gave up a sinful people to enslavement: Herod, the son of Antipater, brought Sosius, and Sosius brought the Roman army; Jerusalem was cordoned off and besieged for six months, until its inhabitants were defeated as a retribution for their sins, and the city was plundered. Thus, the force of arms has never been the support of our people, for war has always entailed enslavement. It is my conviction that those who possess a sacred place must submit everything to the judgment of God, and reject all human power, as long as the hope of the Most High Judge is alive in them. But what have you done that the lawgiver[50] has imposed a blessing on? And what have you left of that which he has cursed? How many times more criminal are you than your fathers, who nevertheless fell even faster than you? Secret crimes, such as theft, deceit, and adultery, were too insignificant for you! You vied with each other in robberies and murders, and forged new paths of evil for yourselves, as yet unknown. The temple became a place of assembly for all, and by the hands of the natives the places consecrated to God were desecrated, venerated from afar even by the Romans, who abandon many of their customs in favor of our law. And so, after all this, you are waiting for help from the one against whom you have sinned so much. But suppose you are just as pious worshippers, and pray for God's help with the same clean hands as our king once did, when he called upon God against the Assyrians, and when God destroyed that great army to dust in one night; but can the actions of the Romans be equated with what the Assyrians did, that you might hope for the same help of God? From the Assyrians the king bought the mercy of the city for money,[52] and they, contrary to their word, came to set fire to the temple; but the Romans demand only the established tax, which our fathers paid to their fathers; Once they have obtained this demand, they will leave the city intact and the temple untouched, they will leave the rest to us; our families are free, our property is at our disposal, and the sacred laws will remain inviolable. Only madness can allow God to treat the just as He treats the unjust. Besides, God knows how to help quickly when necessary: he broke the power of the Assyrians on the first night when they encamped under the walls of Jerusalem, and therefore, if he had thought our generation worthy of freedom, or the Romans worthy of punishment, he would now have fallen upon the Romans, as he had once done to the Assyrians, when Pompey laid his hand on the people, or later, when Sosius came, when Vespasian was ravaging Galilee, and finally, in the present day, when Titus approached the city. But Magnus53 and Sosius are not only not defeated, but they have taken the city by force, Vespasian has attained the imperial dignity in the war with us, and as for Titus, even the springs have flowed abundantly for him, the springs which formerly dried up for you. Before his arrival, as you know, Siloam and all the springs outside the city were dried up, so that the water was bought in measure; now these springs have become so abundant that they generously [358] provide water not only to your enemies and their cattle, but even to your gardens. [54] This wonderful sign is already familiar to you from former times, namely, at the invasion of the said king of Babylon, who destroyed the city and burned the temple, and yet our ancestors of that time could not reproach themselves with such crimes as you. Wherefore I think that the deity has fled from his Holy of Holies, and now stands on the side of those with whom you are at war. If a righteous man flees from a wicked house and turns away from its inhabitants with contempt, do you think that God will accompany you in your sinful life, he who sees what is hidden and hears what is silent? However, do you try to hide anything from sight and hearing, for all your deeds have become known even to your enemies; For you boast of breaking the laws, and daily dispute with each other the primacy of evil deeds. Your shamelessness you expose as if they were virtues. But in spite of all this, there is still a way of salvation for you, if you wish, and the deity willingly forgives the one who is aware of his guilt and repents of his sins. Insensitive! Throw down your weapons, have pity on the already dilapidated fatherland! Look around you and see: what magnificence, what city, what temple, how many nations of offerings you want to sacrifice! Who wants to burn all this? Who wants all this to disappear? What's more deserving of preservation than this? But if you, who are unyielding and more insensible than stones, close your eyes to all this, then think of your families! Let everyone imagine in their minds their children, wife, and parents, who will soon be snatched away by hunger or the sword! I know that danger hovers over my mother,[55] my wife, my noble family, and a family known from ancient times; You think that perhaps because of them, I advise you so. No! Kill them, take my own blood for your salvation! And I myself am ready to die, if only after my death you come to your senses." [359]

Chapter Ten

Many of the people are trying to flee to the Romans. — The sufferings of those who remained from the famine and the disasters resulting from it.

1. The rebels did not yield to Joseph's tearful appeals, for they did not think it safe for them to change their course, but there arose among the people a movement in favor of going over to the Romans. Some sold their property for a pittance - their jewelry, the gold coins earned for them were swallowed so that they would not be found by robbers, and fled to the Roman camp. When gold reappeared, they used it for their most necessary needs, since Titus had allowed most of them to settle anywhere in the country. This still more incited the besieged to flight, for in this way they were freed from internal shocks, without at the same time becoming slaves of the Romans. At the same time, the people of John and Simon tried to prevent the Jews from fleeing even more zealously than the Roman invasion, and they put to immediate death anyone on whom the shadow of suspicion fell.

2. It was dangerous, however, for the rich to remain in the city, for they were also accused of wanting to flee to the enemy, in order to execute them and take possession of their wealth. With the famine, the ferocity of the rebels increased, and every day both disasters became more terrible. When the products of life ceased to appear in the markets, the rebels invaded private homes and ransacked them. If they found anything, they beat the owners for not giving them up voluntarily; if they found nothing, they also tortured them, supposing that the provisions were carefully concealed by them. They determined the presence or absence of food in someone's possession by the appearance of the unfortunates: whoever still looked healthy, therefore, had a supply of food; the emaciated, on the contrary, were not disturbed by them, since there was no reason to kill those whose lives were already crippled by hunger. The rich secretly gave up all their possessions for a single measure of wheat, the less well-to-do for a measure of barley, then they shut themselves up in the most secret corners of their houses, and in their intolerable hunger devoured the grain unground, or, as circumstances and fear permitted, barely baked. The table was nowhere [360] laid—the food was snatched out of the fire still raw, and swallowed in this form.

3. The food was miserable, and the heart ached at the sight of the stronger taking the best part, while the weak were exhausted in despair. Hunger dominated all the senses, but nothing was so strongly suppressed by it as the feeling of shame; everything that was considered worthy of respect under ordinary conditions was ignored under the influence of hunger. Wives snatched food from their husbands, children from their parents, and, what was most unmerciful, mothers from their dumb children; their beloved offspring died of hunger in their arms, and they, not timidly, took from them the last drop of milk that could still prolong their lives. But even with such means of food they could not hide: the rebels lay in wait for them everywhere in order to steal this from them. The locked house was a sign that its inhabitants were eating something; Suddenly they broke down the doors, invaded and tore a piece almost out of their throats. The old men who clung tenaciously to their food were beaten mercilessly, the women who hid what they had in their hands were dragged by the hair, there was no regret either for the venerable gray hair or for the tender age; they also tore out the last pieces from children, who were thrown to the ground if they did not let them out of their hands. With those who, in order to warn robbers, hastily swallowed what would otherwise have been stolen from them, they acted even more severely, as if they were being deprived of what was inalienable to them. They invented tortures of a terrible kind in order to find out the places where supplies were stored: they plugged the shameful holes of the unfortunates with peas and stabbed them with sharpened sticks in the seat. Others were subjected to incredible tortures only for the sake of giving them a piece of bread or pointing to a hidden handful of flour. The torturers might have been called less cruel if their actions had been prompted by want, but they did not suffer hunger, but sought to vent their ferocious malice on someone, and at the same time wanted to prepare for themselves provisions for the future. There were brave men who at night crept almost to the Roman camp and there gathered wild vegetables and herbs, but when they returned with the booty, satisfied that they had escaped from the hands of the enemy, they were attacked by their own people, who took everything from them and left nothing, even if they prayed and conjured in the name of God to give them at least a part of it, which was obtained by them at the risk of life: the robbed [361] had to be content with the fact that his life was at least spared.

4. Such violence, however, was endured by the common people from the servants of tyrants, but men of distinction and wealth were brought to the tyrants themselves. There some were put to death on false charges of conspiracy, others on the pretext that they wanted to betray the city to the Romans, and most often false witnesses accused them of intending to desert to the Romans. Those who were robbed by Simon were brought to John, and those who were ruined by the latter were handed over to the former. So in turn they drank the blood of their fellow citizens and divided the corpses of the unfortunates among themselves. Fighting among themselves for supreme power, they were unanimous in their crimes. Whoever prevented another from taking part in violence against fellow citizens was considered a selfish scoundrel, and he who was excluded from participation regretted that he had lost the opportunity to commit cruelty, as the loss of a good deed.