Flavius Josephus, Jewish War (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Joseph. BJ]. | ||
<<Joseph. BJ 1.128 | Joseph. BJ 1.141 (Greek) | >>Joseph. BJ 1.152 |
At this his behavior Pompey had great indignation; Hyrcanus also
and his friends made great intercessions to Pompey; so he took not only
his Roman forces, but many of his Syrian auxiliaries, and marched against
Aristobulus. But when he had passed by
But Pompey did not give him time to make any preparations [for a
siege], but followed him at his heels; he was also obliged to make haste
in his attempt, by the death of Mithridates, of which he was informed about
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.
1.142Now as be 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.
1.145But Pompey himself filled up the ditch that was oil 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
Flavius Josephus, Jewish War (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Joseph. BJ]. | ||
<<Joseph. BJ 1.128 | Joseph. BJ 1.141 (Greek) | >>Joseph. BJ 1.152 |