How Pompey Had The City Of Jerusalem Delivered Up To Him But
Took The Temple By Force. How He Went Into The Holy Of
Holies; As Also What Were His Other Exploits In Judea.
1. At this treatment Pompey was very angry, and took Aristobulus into
custody. And when he was come to the city, he looked about where he
might make his attack; for he saw the walls were so firm, that it would
be hard to overcome them; and that the valley before the walls was
terrible; and that the temple, which was within that valley, was itself
encompassed with a very strong wall, insomuch that if the city were
taken, that temple would be a second place of refuge for the enemy to
retire to.
2. Now as he was long in deliberating about this matter, a sedition
arose among the people within the city; Aristobulus's party being
willing to fight, and to set their king at liberty, while the party of
Hyrcanus were for opening the gates to Pompey; and the dread people were
in occasioned these last to be a very numerous party, when they looked
upon the excellent order the Roman soldiers were in. So Aristobulus's
party was worsted, and retired into the temple, and cut off the
communication between the temple and the city, by breaking down the
bridge that joined them together, and prepared to make an opposition to
the utmost; but as the others had received the Romans into the city, and
had delivered up the palace to him, Pompey sent Piso, one of his great
officers, into that palace with an army, who distributed a garrison
about the city, because he could not persuade any one of those that had
fled to the temple to come to terms of accommodation; he then disposed
all things that were round about them so as might favor their attacks,
as having Hyrcanus's party very ready to afford them both counsel and
assistance.
3. But Pompey himself filled up the ditch that was on the north side of
the temple, and the entire valley also, the army itself being obliged to
carry the materials for that purpose. And indeed it was a hard thing to
fill up that valley, by reason of its immense depth, especially as
the Jews used all the means possible to repel them from their superior
situation; nor had the Romans succeeded in their endeavors, had not
Pompey taken notice of the seventh days, on which the Jews abstain
from all sorts of work on a religious account, and raised his bank, but
restrained his soldiers from fighting on those days; for the Jews only
acted defensively on sabbath days. But as soon as Pompey had filled
up the valley, he erected high towers upon the bank, and brought those
engines which they had fetched from Tyre near to the wall, and tried
to batter it down; and the slingers of stones beat off those that stood
above them, and drove them away; but the towers on this side of the
city made very great resistance, and were indeed extraordinary both for
largeness and magnificence.
4. Now here it was that, upon the many hardships which the Romans
underwent, Pompey could not but admire not only at the other instances
of the Jews' fortitude, but especially that they did not at all intermit
their religious services, even when they were encompassed with darts
on all sides; for, as if the city were in full peace, their daily
sacrifices and purifications, and every branch of their religious
worship, was still performed to God with the utmost exactness. Nor
indeed when the temple was actually taken, and they were every day
slain about the altar, did they leave off the instances of their Divine
worship that were appointed by their law; for it was in the third
month of the siege before the Romans could even with great difficulty
overthrow one of the towers, and get into the temple. Now he that first
of all ventured to get over the wall, was Faustus Cornelius the son of
Sylla; and next after him were two centurions, Furius and Fabius; and
every one of these was followed by a cohort of his own, who encompassed
the Jews on all sides, and slew them, some of them as they were running
for shelter to the temple, and others as they, for a while, fought in
their own defense.
5. And now did many of the priests, even when they saw their enemies
assailing them with swords in their hands, without any disturbance, go
on with their Divine worship, and were slain while they were offering
their drink-offerings, and burning their incense, as preferring the
duties about their worship to God before their own preservation. The
greatest part of them were slain by their own countrymen, of the adverse
faction, and an innumerable multitude threw themselves down precipices;
nay, some there were who were so distracted among the insuperable
difficulties they were under, that they set fire to the buildings that
were near to the wall, and were burnt together with them. Now of the
Jews were slain twelve thousand; but of the Romans very few were slain,
but a greater number was wounded.
6. But there was nothing that affected the nation so much, in the
calamities they were then under, as that their holy place, which had
been hitherto seen by none, should be laid open to strangers; for
Pompey, and those that were about him, went into the temple itself 8
whither it was not lawful for any to enter but the high priest, and
saw what was reposited therein, the candlestick with its lamps, and the
table, and the pouring vessels, and the censers, all made entirely
of gold, as also a great quantity of spices heaped together, with two
thousand talents of sacred money. Yet did not he touch that money, nor
any thing else that was there reposited; but he commanded the ministers
about the temple, the very next day after he had taken it, to cleanse
it, and to perform their accustomed sacrifices. Moreover, he made
Hyrcanus high priest, as one that not only in other respects had showed
great alacrity, on his side, during the siege, but as he had been the
means of hindering the multitude that was in the country from fighting
for Aristobulus, which they were otherwise very ready to have done;
by which means he acted the part of a good general, and reconciled
the people to him more by benevolence than by terror. Now, among the
Captives, Aristobulus's father-in-law was taken, who was also his uncle:
so those that were the most guilty he punished with decollation; but
rewarded Faustus, and those with him that had fought so bravely,
with glorious presents, and laid a tribute upon the country, and upon
Jerusalem itself.
7. He also took away from the nation all those cities that they had
formerly taken, and that belonged to Celesyria, and made them subject to
him that was at that time appointed to be the Roman president there; and
reduced Judea within its proper bounds. He also rebuilt Gadara, 9 that
had been demolished by the Jews, in order to gratify one Demetrius,
who was of Gadara, and was one of his own freed-men. He also made other
cities free from their dominion, that lay in the midst of the country,
such, I mean, as they had not demolished before that time; Hippos, and
Scythopolis, as also Pella, and Samaria, and Marissa; and besides these
Ashdod, and Jamnia, and Arethusa; and in like manner dealt he with the
maritime cities, Gaza, and Joppa, and Dora, and that which was
anciently called Strato's Tower, but was afterward rebuilt with the
most magnificent edifices, and had its name changed to Cesarea, by king
Herod. All which he restored to their own citizens, and put them under
the province of Syria; which province, together with Judea, and the
countries as far as Egypt and Euphrates, he committed to Scaurus as
their governor, and gave him two legions to support him; while he made
all the haste he could himself to go through Cilicia, in his way
to Rome, having Aristobulus and his children along with him as his
captives. They were two daughters and two sons; the one of which sons,
Alexander, ran away as he was going; but the younger, Antigonus, with
his sisters, were carried to Rome.