[
414]
For when the siege of Jotapata was over, and I was among the Romans,
I was kept with much Care, by means of the great respect that Vespasian
showed me. Moreover, at his command, I married a virgin, who was from among
the captives of that country
1
yet did she not live with me long, but was divorced, upon my being freed
from my bonds, and my going to
Alexandria. However, I married another wife
at
Alexandria, and was thence sent, together with Titus, to the siege of
Jerusalem, and was frequently in danger of being put to death; while both
the Jews were very desirous to get me under their power, in order to haw
me punished. And the Romans also, whenever they were beaten, supposed that
it was occasioned by my treachery, and made continual clamors to the emperors,
and desired that they would bring me to punishment, as a traitor to them:
but Titus Caesar was well acquainted with the uncertain fortune of war,
and returned no answer to the soldiers' vehement solicitations against
me. Moreover, when the city
Jerusalem was taken by force, Titus Caesar
persuaded me frequently to take whatsoever I would of the ruins of my country;
and did that he gave me leave so to do. But when my country was destroyed,
I thought nothing else to be of any value, which I could take and keep
as a comfort under my calamities; so I made this request to Titus, that
my family might have their liberty: I had also the holy books
2
by Titus's concession. Nor was it long after that I asked of him the life
of my brother, and of fifty friends with him, and was not denied. When
I also went once to the temple, by the permission of Titus, where there
were a great multitude of captive women and children, I got all those that
I remembered as among my own friends and acquaintances to be set free,
being in number about one hundred and ninety; and so I delivered them without
their paying any price of redemption, and restored them to their former
fortune. And when I was sent by Titus Caesar with Cerealins, and a thousand
horsemen, to a certain village called Thecoa, in order to know whether
it were a place fit for a camp, as I came back, I saw many captives crucified,
and remembered three of them as my former acquaintance. I was very sorry
at this in my mind, and went with tears in my eyes to Titus, and told him
of them; so he immediately commanded them to be taken down, and to have
the greatest care taken of them, in order to their recovery; yet two of
them died under the physician's hands, while the third recovered.