THE WARS OF THE JEWS
OR
THE HISTORY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM
Book III: Chapter 8
HOW JOSEPHUS WAS DISCOVERED BY A WOMAN, AND WAS
WILLING TO DELIVER HIMSELF UP TO THE ROMANS; AND WHAT
DISCOURSE HE HAD WITH HIS OWN MEN, WHEN THEY
ENDEAVORED TO HINDER HIM; AND WHAT HE SAID TO
VESPASIAN, WHEN HE WAS BROUGHT TO HIM; AND AFTER WHAT
MANNER VESPASIAN USED HIM AFTERWARD.
1. AND now the
Romans searched for Josephus, both out of the hatred
they bore him, and because their general was very
desirous to have him taken; for he reckoned that if he
were once taken, the greatest part of the war would be
over. They then searched among the dead, and looked
into the most concealed recesses of the city; but as
the city was first taken, he was assisted by a certain
supernatural providence; for he withdrew himself from
the enemy when he was in the midst of them, and leaped
into a certain deep pit, whereto there adjoined a
large den at one side of it, which den could not be
seen by those that were above ground; and there he met
with forty persons of eminency that had concealed
themselves, and with provisions enough to satisfy them
for not a few days. So in the day time he hid himself
from the enemy, who had seized upon all places, and in
the night time he got up out of the den and looked
about for some way of escaping, and took exact notice
of the watch; but as all places were guarded every
where on his account, that there was no way of getting
off unseen, he went down again into the den. Thus he
concealed himself two days; but on the third day, when
they had taken a woman who had been with them, he was
discovered. Whereupon Vespasian sent immediately and
zealously two tribunes, Paulinus and Gallicanus, and
ordered them to give Josephus their right hands as a
security for his life, and to exhort him to come up.
2. So they came and invited the man to come up, and
gave him assurances that his life should be preserved:
but they did not prevail with him; for he gathered
suspicions from the probability there was that one who
had done so many things against the Romans must suffer
for it, though not from the mild temper of those that
invited him. However, he was afraid that he was
invited to come up in order to be punished, until
Vespasian sent besides
these a third tribune, Nicanor, to him; he was one
that was well known to Josephus, and had been his
familiar acquaintance in old time. When he was come,
he enlarged upon the natural mildness of the Romans
towards those they have once conquered; and told him
that he had behaved himself so valiantly, that the
commanders rather admired than hated him; that the
general was very desirous to have him brought to him,
not in order to punish him, for that he could do
though he should not come voluntarily, but that he was
determined to preserve a man of his courage. He
moreover added this, that Vespasian, had he been
resolved to impose upon him, would not have sent to
him a friend of his own, nor put the fairest color
upon the vilest action, by pretending friendship and
meaning perfidiousness; nor would he have himself
acquiesced, or come to him, had it been to deceive
him.
3. Now as Josephus began to hesitate with himself
about Nicanor’sproposal, the soldiery were so angry,
that they ran hastily to set fire to the den; but the
tribune would not permit them so to do, as being very
desirous to take the man alive. And now, as Nicanor
lay hard at Josephus to comply, and he understood how
the multitude of the enemies threatened him, he called
to mind the dreams which he had dreamed in the night
time, whereby God had signified to him beforehand both
the future calamities of the Jews, and the events that
concerned the Roman emperors. Now Josephus was able to
give shrewd conjectures about the interpretation of
such dreams as have been ambiguously delivered by God.
Moreover, he was not unacquainted with the prophecies
contained in the sacred books, as being a priest
himself, and of the posterity of priests: and just
then was he in an ecstasy; and setting before him the
tremendous images of the dreams he had lately had, he
put up a secret prayer to God, and said, “Since it
pleaseth thee, who hast created the Jewish nation, to
depress the same, and since all their good fortune is
gone over to the Romans, and since thou hast made
choice of this soul of mine to foretell what is to
come to pass hereafter, I willingly give them my
hands, and am content to live. And I protest openly
that I do not go over to the Romans as a deserter of
the Jews, but as a minister from thee.”
4. When he had said this, he complied with
Nicanor’s invitation. But whenthose Jews who had fled
with him understood that he yielded to those that
invited him to come up, they came about him in a body,
and cried out,
“Nay, indeed, now may the laws of our forefathers,
which God ordained himself, well groan to purpose;
that God we mean who hath created the souls of the
Jews of such a temper, that they despise death. O
Josephus! art thou still fond of life? and canst thou
bear to see the light in a state of slavery? How soon
hast thou forgotten thyself! How many hast thou
persuaded to lose their lives for liberty! Thou hast
therefore had a false reputation for manhood, and a
like false reputation for wisdom, if thou canst hope
for preservation from those against whom thou hast
fought so zealously, and art however willing to be
preserved by them, if they be in earnest. But although
the good fortune of the Romans hath made thee forget
thyself, we ought to take care that the glory of our
forefathers may not be tarnished. We will lend thee
our right hand and a sword; and if thou wilt die
willingly, thou wilt die as general of the Jews; but
if unwillingly, thou wilt die as a traitor to them.”
As soon as they said this, they began to thrust their
swords at him, and threatened they would kill him, if
he thought of yielding himself to the Romans.
5. Upon this Josephus was afraid of their attacking
him, and yet thoughthe should be a betrayer of the
commands of God, if he died before they were
delivered. So he began to talk like a philosopher to
them in the distress he was then in, when he said thus
to them: “O my friends, why are we so earnest to kill
ourselves? and why do we set our soul and body, which
are such dear companions, at such variance? Can any
one pretend that I am not the man I was formerly? Nay,
the Romans are sensible how that matter stands well
enough. It is a brave thin to die in war; but so that
it be according to the law of war, by the hand of
conquerors. If, therefore, I avoid death from the
sword of the Romans, I am truly worthy to be killed by
my own sword, and my own hand; but if they admit of
mercy, and would spare their enemy, how much more
ought we to have mercy upon ourselves, and to spare
ourselves? For it is certainly a foolish thing to do
that to ourselves which we quarrel with them for doing
to us. I confess freely that it is a brave thing to
die for liberty; but still so that it be in war, and
done by those who take that liberty from us; but in
the present case our enemies do neither meet us in
battle, nor do they kill us. Now he is equally a
coward who will not die when he is obliged to die, and
he who will die when he is not obliged so to do. What
are we afraid of, when we will not go up to the
Romans? Is it death? If so, what we are afraid of,
when we but suspect our enemies will inflict it on
us, shall we inflict it on ourselves for certain? But
it may be said we must be slaves. And are we then in a
clear state of liberty at present? It may also be said
that it is a manly act for one to kill himself. No,
certainly, but a most unmanly one; as I should esteem
that pilot to be an arrant coward, who, out of fear of
a storm, should sink his ship of his own accord. Now
self-murder is a crime most remote from the common
nature of all animals, and an instance of impiety
against God our Creator; nor indeed is there any
animal that dies by its own contrivance, or by its own
means, for the desire of life is a law engraven in
them all; on which account we deem those that openly
take it away from us to be our enemies, and those that
do it by treachery are punished for so doing. And do
not you think that God is very angry when a man does
injury to what he hath bestowed on him? For from him
it is that we have received our being, and we ought to
leave it to his disposal to take that being away from
us. The bodies of all men are indeed mortal, and are
created out of corruptible matter; but the soul is
ever immortal, and is a portion of the divinity that
inhabits our bodies. Besides, if any one destroys or
abuses a depositum he hath received from a mere man,
he is esteemed a wicked and perfidious person; but
then if any one cast out of his body this Divine
depositum, can we imagine that he who is thereby
affronted does not know of it? Moreover, our law
justly ordains that slaves which run away from their
master shall be punished, though the masters they run
away from may have been wicked masters to them. And
shall we endeavor to run away from God, who is the
best of all masters, and not guilty of impeity? Do not
you know that those who depart out of this life
according to the law of nature, and pay that debt
which was received from God, when he that lent it us
is pleased to require it back agai
n, enjoy eternal
fame; that their houses and their posterity are sure,
that their souls are pure and obedient, and obtain a
most holy place in heaven, from whence, in the
revolutions of ages, they are again sent into pure
bodies; while the souls of those whose hands have
acted madly against themselves are received by the
darkest place in Hades, and while God, who is their
Father, punishes those that offend against either of
them in their posterity? for which reason God hates
such doings, and the crime is punished by our most
wise legislator. Accordingly, our laws determine that
the bodies of such as kill themselves should be
exposed till the sun be set, without burial, although
at the same time it be allowed by them to be lawful to
bury our enemies [sooner]. The laws of other nations
also enjoin such men’s hands to be cut off when they
are dead, which had been made use of in destroying
themselves when alive, while they reckoned that as the
body is alien from the soul, so is the hand alien from
the body. It is therefore, my friends, a right thing
to reason justly, and not add to the calamities which
men bring upon us impiety towards our Creator. If we
have a mind to preserve ourselves, let us do it; for
to be preserved by those our enemies, to whom we have
given so many demonstrations of our courage, is no way
inglorious; but if we have a mind to die, it is good
to die by the hand of those that have conquered us.
For nay part, I will not run over to our enemies’
quarters, in order to be a traitor to myself; for
certainly I should then be much more foolish than
those that deserted to the enemy, since they did it in
order to save themselves, and I should do it for
destruction, for my own destruction. However, I
heartily wish the Romans may prove treacherous in this
matter; for if, after their offer of their right hand
for security, I be slain by them, I shall die
cheerfully, and carry away with me the sense of their
perfidiousness, as a consolation greater than victory
itself.” 6. Now these and many the like motives did
Josephus use to these men to prevent their murdering
themselves; but desperation had shut their ears, as
having long ago devoted themselves to die, and they
were irritated at Josephus. They then ran upon him
with their swords in their hands, one from one
quarter, and another from another, and called him a
coward, and everyone of them appeared openly as if he
were ready to smite him; but he calling to one of them
by name, and looking like a general to another, and
taking a third by the hand, and making a fourth
ashamed of himself, by praying him to forbear, and
being in this condition distracted with various
passions, (as he well might in the great distress he
was then in,) he kept off every one of their swords
from killing him, and was forced to do like such wild
beasts as are encompassed about on every side, who
always turn themselves against those that last touched
them. Nay, some of their right hands were debilitated
by the reverence they bare to their general in these
his fatal calamities, and their swords dropped out of
their hands; and not a few of them there were, who,
when they aimed to smite him with their swords, they
were not thoroughly either willing or able to do it.
7. However, in this extreme distress, he was not
destitute of his usual saga city; but trusting himself
to the providence of God, he put his life into hazard
[in the manner following]: “And now,” said he, “since
it is resolved among you that you will die, come on,
let us commit our mutual deaths to determination by
lot. He whom the lot falls to first, let him be killed
by him that hath the second lot, and thus fortune
shall make its progress through us all; nor shall any
of us perish by his own right hand, for it would be
unfair if, when the rest are gone, somebody should
repent and save himself.” This proposal appeared to
them to be very just; and when he had prevailed with
them to determine this matter by lots, he drew one of
the lots for himself also. He who had the first lot
laid his neck bare to him that had the next, as
supposing that the general would die among them
immediately; for they thought death, if Josephus might
but die with them, was sweeter than life; yet was he
with another left to the last, whether we must say it
happened so by chance, or whether by the providence of
God. And as he was very desirous neither to be
condemned by the lot, nor, if he had been left to the
last, to imbrue his right hand in the blood of his
countrymen, he persuaded him to trust his fidelity to
him, and to live as well as himself.
8. Thus Josephus escaped in the war with the
Romans, and in this his own war with his friends, and
was led by Nicanor to Vespasian. But now all the
Romans ran together to see him; and as the multitude
pressed one upon another about their general, there
was a tumult of a various kind; while some rejoiced
that Josephus was taken, and some threatened him, and
some crowded to see him very near; but those that were
more remote cried out to have this their enemy put to
death, while those that were near called to mind the
actions he had done, and a deep concern appeared at
the change of his fortune. Nor were there any of the
Roman commanders, how much soever they had been
enraged at him before, but relented when they came to
the sight of him. Above all the rest, Titus’s own
valor, and Josephus’s own patience under his
afflictions, made him pity him, as did also the
commiseration of his age, when he recalled to mind
that but a little while ago he was fighting, but lay
now in the hands of his enemies, which made him
consider the power of fortune, and how quick is the
turn of affairs in war, and how no state of men is
sure; for which reason he then made a great many more
to be of the same pitiful temper with himself, and
induced them to commiserate Josephus. He was also
of great weight in persuading his father to preserve
him. However, Vespasian gave strict orders that he
should be kept with great caution, as though he would
in a very little time send him to Nero. 5
9. When Josephus heard him give those orders, he
said that he had somewhat in his mind that he would
willingly say to himself alone. When therefore they
were all ordered to withdraw, excepting Titus and two
of their friends, he said, “Thou, O Vespasian,
thinkest no more than that thou hast taken Josephus
himself captive; but I come to thee as a messenger of
greater tidings; for had not I been sent by God to
thee, I knew what was the law of the Jews in this
case? and how it becomes generals to die. Dost thou
send me to Nero? For why? Are Nero’s successors till
they come to thee still alive? Thou, O Vespasian, art
Caesar and emperor, thou, and this thy son. Bind me
now still faster, and keep me for thyself, for thou, O
Caesar, are not only Lord over me, but over the land
and the sea, and all mankind; and certainly I deserve
to be kept in closer custody than I now am in, in
order to be punished, if I rashly affirm any thing of
God.” When he had said this, Vespasian at present did
not believe him, but supposed that Josephus said this
as a cunning trick, in order to his own preservation;
but in a little time he was convinced, and believed
what he said to be true, God himself erecting his
expectations, so as to think of obtaining the empire,
and by other signs fore-showing his advancement. He
also found Josephus to have spoken truth on other
occasions; for one of those friends that were present
at that secret conference said to Josephus, “I cannot
but wonder how thou couldst not foretell to the people
of Jotapata that they should be taken, nor couldst
foretell this captivity which hath happened to
thyself, unless what thou now sayest be a vain thing,
in order to avoid the rage that is risen against
thyself.” To which Josephus replied, “I did foretell
to the people of Jotapata that they would be taken on
the forty-seventh day, and that I should be caught
alive by the Romans.” Now when Vespasian had inquired
of the captives privately about these predictions, he
found them to be true, and then he began to believe
those that concerned himself. Yet did he not set
Josephus at liberty from his hands, but bestowed on
him suits of clothes, and other precious gifts; he
treated him also in a very obliging manner, and
continued so to do, Titus still joining his interest
ill the honors that were done him.
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