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[534]
Now when Judas, the son of Judas, who was one of Simon's under officers,
and a person intrusted by him to keep one of the towers, saw this procedure
of Simon, he called together ten of those under him, that were most faithful
to him, (perhaps this was done partly out of pity to those that had so
barbarously been put to death, but principally in order to provide for
his own safety,) and spoke thus to them: "How long shall we bear these
miseries? or what hopes have we of deliverance by thus continuing faithful
to such wicked wretches? Is not the famine already come against us? Are
not the Romans in a manner gotten within the city? Is not Simon become
unfaithful to his benefactors? and is there not reason to fear he will
very soon bring us to the like punishment, while the security the Romans
offer us is sure? Come on, let us surrender up this wall, and save ourselves
and the city. Nor will Simon be very much hurt, if, now he despairs of
deliverance, he be brought to justice a little sooner than he thinks on."
Now these ten were prevailed upon by those arguments; so he sent the rest
of those that were under him, some one way, and some another, that no discovery
might be made of what they had resolved upon. Accordingly, he called to
the Romans from the tower about the third hour; but they, some of them
out of pride, despised what he said, and others of them did not believe
him to be in earnest, though the greatest number delayed the matter, as
believing they should get possession of the city in a little time, without
any hazard. But when Titus was just coming thither with his armed men,
Simon was acquainted with the matter before he came, and presently took
the tower into his own custody, before it was surrendered, and seized upon
these men, and put them to death in the sight of the Romans themselves;
and when he had mangled their dead bodies, he threw them down before the
wall of the city.
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