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[310]
Now if any one consider these things, he will find that God takes
care of mankind, and by all ways possible foreshows to our race what is
for their preservation; but that men perish by those miseries which they
madly and voluntarily bring upon themselves; for the Jews, by demolishing
the tower of Antonia, had made their temple four-square, while at the same
time they had it written in their sacred oracles, "That then should
their city be taken, as well as their holy house, when once their temple
should become four-square." But now, what did the most elevate them
in undertaking this war, was an ambiguous oracle that was also found in
their sacred writings, how," about that time, one from their country
should become governor of the habitable earth." The Jews took this
prediction to belong to themselves in particular, and many of the wise
men were thereby deceived in their determination. Now this oracle certainly
denoted the government of Vespasian, who was appointed emperor in Judea.
However, it is not possible for men to avoid fate, although they see it
beforehand. But these men interpreted some of these signals according to
their own pleasure, and some of them they utterly despised, until their
madness was demonstrated, both by the taking of their city and their own
destruction.
1
1 HOW THE ROMANS CARRIED THEIR ENSIGNS TO THE TEMPLE, AND MADE JOYFUL ACCLAMATIONS TO TITUS. THE SPEECH THAT TITUS MADE TO THE JEWS WHEN THEY MADE SUPPLICATION FOR MERCY. WHAT REPLY THEY MADE THERETO; AND HOW THAT REPLY MOVED TITUS'S INDIGNATION AGAINST THEM.
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