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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;
3
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].
[
4]
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.
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7]
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.
[
9]
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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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[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.
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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
5
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.
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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.
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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,
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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.
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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.
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30]
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.