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Show DESTRUCTION 28 OF JERUSALEM. Such as reached Jaid violent hands on themselves. sea the shore were slain by the enraged Romans. ‘The y Fort . blood for some distance was stained with their the thousand are said to have been swallowed up in waves; and not one escaped to relate their catastro- phe. Truly this was “ distress of their nation, with the sea and the waves thereof roaring!” Vespasian returned from Jericho to Ceesarea, to pre- are for a grand siege of Jerusalem. Here he recel- ved intelligence of the death of the emperor Nero. ution This led him to suspend for the present the exec de- This respite to that of his plan against the Jews. but envoted people continued about two years, and couraged them to deeds of greater enormity. lem. A spirit of faction now appeared in Jerusa raged there ; Two parties first, and afterwa ds three, for the preceeach contending with deadly animosity dence. cluded A part of one these factions having been exfrom the city, entered it by force during the doned, that night; and to such madness were they aban less than eight they butchered on that fatal night not n and children, thousand five hundred of men, wome next morning whose mangled bodies appeared the These abandonstrewed in the streets of Jerusalem. ; murdered the ed murderers plundered in the city insulted their dead high priests Ananus and Jesus, and as They bodies. slew their brethren ls. though they had been wild anima of Jerusalem, They scourged s to terrify them to and imprisoned the nobles, in hope could not be become of their party; and many whoof terror, twelve In this reign thus won, they slew. the people thus perthousand of the higher orders of to shed a mourning tear, ished; and no relative dared Accusaa similar fate. lest this should bring on him most common events.— tion and death became the Piles of slain. and Many fled, but were interceptedroads; and all pity, as ck sses lay on publi their carca well as regard extingnished. seemefor human or divine authorty, a ; of the times occasion: Toadd to the horrid calamities was infested by bands ed by the bloody factions, Judea 29 OF JERUSALEM. DESTRUCTION ndering their towns and of robbers and murderers, plu any resistance, whether cutting in pieces such as made Here were exhibited the men, women OF children... able of en man is cap most horrid pictures of what fall en off; that they restraints are tak erpetrating when ieties into scenes of would turn their own towns and soc s. horror like kennels of mad animal of one of these der man One Simon became com Simon entered Jerusa‘factions; John of another. itti. A third lem at the head of forty thousand band terrific fury. faction rese; and discord blazed with rage and The three factions were intoxicated with desperation, and went slaying on and trampling on People piles of the dead, with an indescribable fury. both ed, der mur coming to the temple to worship, were and , natives and foreigners. Their bodies lay in piles a collection of blood defiled the sacred courts. e John of Gischala, head of a faction, burned a stor of provisions. Simon, at the head of another faction, Thus the Jews were weakening and burned another. destroying themselves, and preparing the way for “ wrath to come upon them to the uttermost.” In the midst of these most dismal events, an alarm was made that a Roman army was approaching the city! Vespasian becoming emperor, and learning the fac- tious and horrid state of the Jews, determined to pros- ecute the war against them, and sent his son Titus The Jews, on hearto reduce Jerusalem and Judea. ing of the approach of the Roman army, were petrified with horror. They could have no hope of peace. They had no means of flight. They had no time for counWhat sel. They had no confidence in each other. could be done? Several things they possessed in abunThey had a measure of iiquity filled up; a dance. full ripeness for destruction. der and despair. Nothing All seemed could wild disor- be imagined but the confused noise of the warrior, and garments rolled in blood. . They knew nothing was their due from the Romans, but exemplary vengeance. The ceaseless nssionat chof ne ce BR coms te boca oyin ipiaoivent ignsfoe a fore |
