THE WARS OF THE JEWS
OR
THE HISTORY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.
PREFACE
1. (1) WHEREAS the war which the Jews made with the Romans hath
been the greatest of all those, not only that have been in our
times, but, in a manner, of those that ever were heard of; both
of those wherein cities have fought against cities, or nations
against nations; while some men who were not concerned in the
affairs themselves have gotten together vain and contradictory
stories by hearsay, and have written them down after a sophistical
manner; and while those that were there present have given false
accounts of things, and this either out of a humor of flattery
to the Romans, or of hatred towards the Jews; and while their
writings contain sometimes accusations, and sometimes encomiums,
but no where the accurate truth of the facts; I have proposed
to myself, for the sake of such as live under the government of
the Romans, to translate those books into the Greek tongue, which
I formerly composed in the language of our country, and sent to
the Upper Barbarians; (2) Joseph, the son of Matthias, by birth
a Hebrew, a priest also, and one who at first fought against the
Romans myself, and was forced to be present at what was done afterwards,
[am the author of this work].
2. Now at the time when this great concussion of affairs happened,
the affairs of the Romans were themselves in great disorder. Those
Jews also who were for innovations, then arose when the times
were disturbed; they were also in a flourishing condition for
strength and riches, insomuch that the affairs of the East were
then exceeding tumultuous, while some hoped for gain, and others
were afraid of loss in such troubles; for the Jews hoped that
all of their nation which were beyond Euphrates would have raised
an insurrection together with them. The Gauls also, in the neighborhood
of the Romans, were in motion, and the Geltin were not quiet;
but all was in disorder after the death of Nero. And the opportunity
now offered induced many to aim at the royal power; and the soldiery
affected change, out of the hopes of getting money. I thought
it therefore an absurd thing to see the truth falsified in affairs
of such great consequence, and to take no notice of it; but to
suffer those Greeks and Romans that were not in the wars to be
ignorant of these things, and to read either flatteries or fictions,
while the Parthians, and the Babylonians, and the remotest Arabians,
and those of our nation beyond Euphrates, with the Adiabeni, by
my means, knew accurately both whence the war begun, what miseries
it brought upon us, and after what manner it ended.
3. It is true, these writers have the confidence to call their
accounts histories; wherein yet they seem to me to fail of their
own purpose, as well as to relate nothing that is sound. For they
have a mind to demonstrate the greatness of the Romans, while
they still diminish and lessen the actions of the Jews, as not
discerning how it cannot be that those must appear to be great
who have only conquered those that were little. Nor are they ashamed
to overlook the length of the war, the multitude of the Roman
forces who so greatly suffered in it, or the might of the commanders,
whose great labors about Jerusalem will be deemed inglorious,
if what they achieved be reckoned but a small matter.
4. However, I will not go to the other extreme, out of opposition
to those men who extol the Romans nor will I determine to raise
the actions of my countrymen too high; but I will prosecute the
actions of both parties with accuracy. Yet shall I suit my language
to the passions I am under, as to the affairs I describe, and
must be allowed to indulge some lamentations upon the miseries
undergone by my own country. For that it was a seditious temper
of our own that destroyed it, and that they were the tyrants among
the Jews who brought the Roman power upon us, who unwillingly
attacked us, and occasioned the burning of our holy temple, Titus
Caesar, who destroyed it, is himself a witness, who, daring the
entire war, pitied the people who were kept under by the seditious,
and did often voluntarily delay the taking of the city, and allowed
time to the siege, in order to let the authors have opportunity
for repentance. But if any one makes an unjust accusation against
us, when we speak so passionately about the tyrants, or the robbers,
or sorely bewail the misfortunes of our country, let him indulge
my affections herein, though it be contrary to the rules for writing
history; because it had so come to pass, that our city Jerusalem
had arrived at a higher degree of felicity than any other city
under the Roman government, and yet at last fell into the sorest
of calamities again. Accordingly, it appears to me that the misfortunes
of all men, from the beginning of the world, if they be compared
to these of the Jews (3) are not so considerable as they were;
while the authors of them were not foreigners neither. This makes
it impossible for me to contain my lamentations. But if any one
be inflexible in his censures of me, let him attribute the facts
themselves to the historical part, and the lamentations to the
writer himself only.
5. However, I may justly blame the learned men among the Greeks,
who, when such great actions have been done in their own times,
which, upon the comparison, quite eclipse the old wars, do yet
sit as judges of those affairs, and pass bitter censures upon
the labors of the best writers of antiquity; which moderns, although
they may be superior to the old writers in eloquence, yet are
they inferior to them in the execution of what they intended to
do. While these also write new histories about the Assyrians and
Medes, as if the ancient writers had not described their affairs
as they ought to have done; although these be as far inferior
to them in abilities as they are different in their notions from
them. For of old every one took upon them to write what happened
in his own time; where their immediate concern in the actions
made their promises of value; and where it must be reproachful
to write lies, when they must be known by the readers to be such.
But then, an undertaking to preserve the memory Of what hath not
been before recorded, and to represent the affairs of one's own
time to those that come afterwards, is really worthy of praise
and commendation. Now he is to be esteemed to have taken good
pains in earnest, not who does no more than change the disposition
and order of other men's works, but he who not only relates what
had not been related before, but composes an entire body of history
of his own: accordingly, I have been at great charges, and have
taken very great pains [about this history], though I be a foreigner;
and do dedicate this work, as a memorial of great actions, both
to the Greeks and to the Barbarians. But for some of our own principal
men, their mouths are wide open, and their tongues loosed presently,
for gain and law-suits, but quite muzzled up when they are to
write history, where they must speak truth and gather facts together
with a great deal of pains; and so they leave the writing such
histories to weaker people, and to such as are not acquainted
with the actions of princes. Yet shall the real truth of historical
facts be preferred by us, how much soever it be neglected among
the Greek historians.
6. To write concerning the Antiquities of the Jews, who they were
[originally], and how they revolted from the Egyptians, and what
country they traveled over, and what countries they seized upon
afterward, and how they were removed out of them, I think this
not to be a fit opportunity, and, on other accounts, also superfluous;
and this because many Jews before me have composed the histories
of our ancestors very exactly; as have some of the Greeks done
it also, and have translated our histories into their own tongue,
and have not much mistaken the truth in their histories. But then,
where the writers of these affairs and our prophets leave off,
thence shall I take my rise, and begin my history. Now as to what
concerns that war which happened in my own time, I will go over
it very largely, and with all the diligence I am able; but for
what preceded mine own age, that I shall run over briefly.
7. [For example, I shall relate] how Antiochus, who was named
Epiphanes, took Jerusalem by force, and held it three years and
three months, and was then ejected out of the country by the sons
of Asamoneus: after that, how their posterity quarreled about
the government, and brought upon their settlement the Romans and
Pompey; how Herod also, the son of Antipater, dissolved their
government, and brought Sosins upon them; as also how our people
made a sedition upon Herod's death, while Augustus was the Roman
emperor, and Quintilius Varus was in that country; and how the
war broke out in the twelfth year of Nero, with what happened
to Cestius; and what places the Jews assaulted in a hostile manner
in the first sallies of the war.
8. As also [I shall relate] how they built walls about the neighboring
cities; and how Nero, upon Cestius's defeat, was in fear of the
entire event of the war, and thereupon made Vespasian general
in this war; and how this Vespasian, with the elder of his sons
(4) made an expedition into the country of Judea; what was the
number of the Roman army that he made use of; and how many of
his auxiliaries were cut off in all Galilee; and how he took some
of its cities entirely, and by force, and others of them by treaty,
and on terms. Now, when I am come so far, I shall describe the
good order of the Romans in war, and the discipline of their legions;
the amplitude of both the Galilees, with its nature, and the limits
of Judea. And, besides this, I shall particularly go over what
is peculiar to the country, the lakes and fountains that are in
them, and what miseries happened to every city as they were taken;
and all this with accuracy, as I saw the things done, or suffered
in them. For I shall not conceal any of the calamities I myself
endured, since I shall relate them to such as know the truth of
them.
9. After this, [I shall relate] how, When the Jews' affairs were
become very bad, Nero died, and Vespasian, when he was going to
attack Jerusalem, was called back to take the government upon
him; what signs happened to him relating to his gaining that government,
and what mutations of government then happened at Rome, and how
he was unwillingly made emperor by his soldiers; and how, upon
his departure to Egypt, to take upon him the government of the
empire, the affairs of the Jews became very tumultuous; as also
how the tyrants rose up against them, and fell into dissensions
among themselves.
10. Moreover, [I shall relate] how Titus marched out of Egypt
into Judea the second time; as also how, and where, and how many
forces he got together; and in what state the city was, by the
means of the seditious, at his coming; what attacks he made, and
how many ramparts he cast up; of the three walls that encompassed
the city, and of their measures; of the strength of the city,
and the structure of the temple and holy house; and besides, the
measures of those edifices, and of the altar, and all accurately
determined. A description also of certain of their festivals,
and seven purifications of purity, (5) and the sacred ministrations
of the priests, with the garments of the priests, and of the high
priests; and of the nature of the most holy place of the temple;
without concealing any thing, or adding any thing to the known
truth of things.
11. After this, I shall relate the barbarity of the tyrants towards
the people of their own nation, as well as the indulgence of the
Romans in sparing foreigners; and how often Titus, out of his
desire to preserve the city and the temple, invited the seditious
to come to terms of accommodation. I shall also distinguish the
sufferings of the people, and their calamities; how far they were
afflicted by the sedition, and how far by the famine, and at length
were taken. Nor shall I omit to mention the misfortunes of the
deserters, nor the punishments inflicted on the captives; as also
how the temple was burnt, against the consent of Caesar; and how
many sacred things that had been laid up in the temple were snatched
out of the fire; the destruction also of the entire city, with
the signs and wonders that went before it; and the taking the
tyrants captives, and the multitude of those that were made slaves,
and into what different misfortunes they were every one distributed.
Moreover, what the Romans did to the remains of the wall; and
how they demolished the strong holds that were in the country;
and how Titus went over the whole country, and settled its affairs;
together with his return into Italy, and his triumph.
]
12. I have comprehended all these things in seven books, and have
left no occasion for complaint or accusation to such as have been
acquainted with this war; and I have written it down for the sake
of those that love truth, but not for those that please themselves
[with fictitious relations]. And I will begin my account of these
things with what I call my First Chapter.
