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Show 22 ESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM. Jews within the precincts of the temple, by a Roman soldier ; and being violently resented ; a Roman force rushed upon them, which so terrified the Jews, that they fled in vast disorder, and tea thousand of them After another four lost their lives tn the streets. years, the Jews ravaged the country of the Samari- tans, in consequence of their having murdered Klean, who «was going to keep the passover. arose Soon alter, a contention were siatn. a GaMany between the Jews in Ciesarea and the Syrians, relative to the In the first encounter more government of Caesarea. ‘Lhis contenthan twenty thousand Jews were slain. and Syrians Jews the tion raved In many cities where dwelt; and mutual And in five slaughter prevailed. other cities the carnage among the Jews was dreadful. At Damascus ten thousand Jews were slain in one And at Scythopolis thirteen thousand were hour. In Alexandria the Jews rose upon slain in one night: the Romans; and had fifty thousand of their people slain, witnoat any rezard to infancy orage. Soon af- ter, ina contention at Totapata, forty thousand Jews perished. These contentions rose and increased, till the whole Jewish nation took up arms azainst the Romans, and brought oa themselves their inal destruc‘Thus the prediction of our Saviour quoted, retion. ceived in those days a striking primary fulfilment. shall wi Our Saviour added ; ** And great earthquakes be in divers places.” These significant warnings too were accomplished in those days. by Tacitus - one at Rome ‘Two are recorded in the reiga of Claudius ; Jews. another at Apaimea, in Syria, where were many the that place, latter So destructive was the one at the tribute due to the Romans was for five years remit- at Smyrna 5 ted. One also was terrifick at Crete; one 5 In one at Miletus; one at Chios, and one at Samos These are noted by all which places Jews diet. Soonafter, inthe reign of Nero, both Philastratus. and CoTacitus and Eusebius inform, that Mierapoiis by earth: losse, as well as Laodicea, were overthrown quakes. Another is notedat Rome; nia; and others tremendous are one at meationed ee as faxing a “Yo *.4 we} JERUSALEM. OF DESTRUCTION — t, just before the complace at Jerusalem in the nigh e, city. a UI thesSC, |menecement of - the siegee ol of thatthat city last siev the last “A heavy ount: Josephus gives the following acc t ; violent winds <torm burst on them, during the mgn ant lightarose. with most excessive rains, with const ‘ae sg cael ose r . . a FAFOW} ning. most tremendous thunders, and dreadful roariyas of the It seemed as if the system of earthquakes. _ . a 5) - > s 7c7 i} ‘ ) ia , »* ; - “> yr? z confounded destruction for the of world had been filed. The one foretold by Agabus, noted in the Acts of the Apostles, And one might well conjecture that these mankind. were signs of no common event.” wise fulThe famines predicted by Christ were like ance. was It extended dreadful, through and Greece was most severely fell at Judea, and long contim- of and Italy; but especiaily at Je- ‘The contributions noted as brought by Paul rusalem. from abroad, to relieve the poor brethren there, were Authors of that time sent during this sore famine. mentionitwo other famines in the empire, previous to “¢ Pestilences”? too, the Saviovradds. ‘lwo instan- the one occasioned by the siege of Jerusalem. ces of this signal judgment took place before the tast The one took place at Babylon, where Jewish war. many Jews resided; the other at Rome, which swept Other lighter instances of this off vast multitudes. , rred mity in various parts of the empire; as occu cala | both Tacitus and Suetonius record. Our Lord also adds, “ And.fearful sights and great: _signs.sball there be from heaven,” — Josephus (who | can never be suspected of wishing to favour any prediction of Christ; and who probably knew not of any such prediction, when he wrote,) gives accounts of e- vents, which strikingly answer to this premonition. eS Speaking of the infatuation of his cou.trymen, in run- nag after impostors, while they neglected the plainest admonitions from heaven, ven following events ; he gives account of the se- vile He says ; ‘On the 8th of the month Zanthicus, (before the feast of unleavened bread.) at the ninth hi the night, there shone round about the altar anc the circumjacent buildings of the temple, a light |
