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PREFACE
1. 1Whereas the war which the Jews made with
the Romans hath been the greatest of all those, not only that have been in
our times, but, in a manner, of those that ever were heard of; both of those
wherein cities have fought against cities, or nations against nations; while
some men who were not concerned in the affairs themselves have gotten together
vain and contradictory stories by hearsay, and have written them down after
a sophistical manner; and while those that were there present have given false
accounts of things, and this either out of a humor of flattery to the Romans,
or of hatred towards the Jews; and while their writings contain sometimes
accusations, and sometimes encomiums, but no where the accurate truth of the
facts; I have proposed to myself, for the sake of such as live under the government
of the Romans, to translate those books into the Greek tongue, which I formerly
composed in the language of our country, and sent to the Upper Barbarians;2
I Joseph, the son of Matthias, by birth a Hebrew, a priest also, and one who
at first fought against the Romans myself, and was forced to be present at
what was done afterwards, [am the author of this work].
2. Now at the time when this great concussion
of affairs happened, the affairs of the Romans were themselves in great disorder.
Those Jews also who were for innovations, then arose when the times were disturbed;
they were also in a flourishing condition for strength and riches, insomuch
that the affairs of the east were then exceeding tumultuous, while some hoped
for gain, and others were afraid of loss in such troubles; for the Jews hoped
that all of their nation which were beyond Euphrates would have raised an
insurrection together with them. The Gauls also, in the neighborhood of the
Romans, were in motion, and the Celtae were not quiet; but all was in disorder
after the death of Nero. And the opportunity now offered induced many to aim
at the royal power; and the soldiery affected change, out of the hopes of
getting money. I thought it therefore an absurd thing to see the truth falsified
in affairs of such great consequence, and to take no notice of it; but to
suffer those Greeks and Romans that were not in the wars to be ignorant of
these things, and to read either flatteries or fictions, while the Parthians,
and the Babylonians, and the remotest Arabians, and those of our nation beyond
Euphrates, with the Adiabeni, by my means, knew accurately both whence the
war begun, what miseries it brought upon us, and after what manner it ended.
3. It is true, these writers have the
confidence to call their accounts histories; wherein yet they seem to me to
fail of their own purpose, as well as to relate nothing that is sound. For
they have a mind to demonstrate the greatness of the Romans, while they still
diminish and lessen the actions of the Jews, as not discerning how it cannot
be that those must appear to be great who have only conquered those that were
little. Nor are they ashamed to overlook the length of the war, the multitude
of the Roman forces who so greatly suffered in it, or the might of the commanders,
whose great labors about Jerusalem will be deemed inglorious, if what they
achieved be reckoned but a small matter.
4. However, I will not go to the other
extreme, out of opposition to those men who extol the Romans nor will I determine
to raise the actions of my countrymen too high; but I will prosecute the actions
of both parties with accuracy. Yet shall I suit my language to the passions
I am under, as to the affairs I describe, and must be allowed to indulge some
lamentations upon the miseries undergone by my own country. For that it was
a seditious temper of our own that destroyed it, and that they were the tyrants
among the Jews who brought the Roman power upon us, who unwillingly attacked
us, and occasioned the burning of our holy temple, Titus Caesar, who destroyed
it, is himself a witness, who, daring the entire war, pitied the people who
were kept under by the seditious, and did often voluntarily delay the taking
of the city, and allowed time to the siege, in order to let the authors have
opportunity for repentance. But if any one makes an unjust accusation against
us, when we speak so passionately about the tyrants, or the robbers, or sorely
bewail the misfortunes of our country, let him indulge my affections herein,
though it be contrary to the rules for writing history; because it had so
come to pass, that our city Jerusalem had arrived at a higher degree of felicity
than any other city under the Roman government, and yet at last fell into
the sorest of calamities again. Accordingly, it appears to me that the misfortunes
of all men, from the beginning of the world, if they be compared to these
of the Jews,3 are not so considerable as they were;
while the authors of them were not foreigners neither. This makes it impossible
for me to contain my lamentations. But if any one be inflexible in his censures
of me, let him attribute the facts themselves to the historical part, and
the lamentations to the writer himself only.
5. However, I may justly blame the learned
men among the Greeks, who, when such great actions have been done in their
own times, which, upon the comparison, quite eclipse the old wars, do yet
sit as judges of those affairs, and pass bitter censures upon the labors of
the best writers of antiquity; which moderns, although they may be superior
to the old writers in eloquence, yet are they inferior to them in the execution
of what they intended to do. While these also write new histories about the
Assyrians and Medes, as if the ancient writers had not described their affairs
as they ought to have done; although these be as far inferior to them in abilities
as they are different in their notions from them. For of old every one took
upon them to write what happened in his own time; where their immediate concern
in the actions made their promises of value; and where it must be reproachful
to write lies, when they must be known by the readers to be such. But then,
an undertaking to preserve the memory Of what hath not been before recorded,
and to represent the affairs of one's own time to those that come afterwards,
is really worthy of praise and commendation. Now he is to be esteemed to have
taken good pains in earnest, not who does no more than change the disposition
and order of other men's works, but he who not only relates what had not been
related before, but composes an entire body of history of his own: accordingly,
I have been at great charges, and have taken very great pains [about this
history], though I be a foreigner; and do dedicate this work, as a memorial
of great actions, both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians. But for some of
our own principal men, their mouths are wide open, and their tongues loosed
presently, for gain and law-suits, but quite muzzled up when they are to write
history, where they must speak truth and gather facts together with a great
deal of pains; and so they leave the writing such histories to weaker people,
and to such as are not acquainted with the actions of princes. Yet shall the
real truth of historical facts be preferred by us, how much soever it be neglected
among the Greek historians.
6. To write concerning the Antiquities
of the Jews, who they were [originally], and how they revolted from the Egyptians,
and what country they traveled over, and what countries they seized upon afterward,
and how they were removed out of them, I think this not to be a fit opportunity,
and, on other accounts, also superfluous; and this because many Jews before
me have composed the histories of our ancestors very exactly; as have some
of the Greeks done it also, and have translated our histories into their own
tongue, and have not much mistaken the truth in their histories. But then,
where the writers of these affairs and our prophets leave off, thence shall
I take my rise, and begin my history. Now as to what concerns that war which
happened in my own time, I will go over it very largely, and with all the
diligence I am able; but for what preceded mine own age, that I shall run
over briefly.
7. [For example, I shall relate] how Antiochus,
who was named Epiphanes, took Jerusalem by force, and held it three years
and three months, and was then ejected out of the country by the sons of Asamoneus:
after that, how their posterity quarreled about the government, and brought
upon their settlement the Romans and Pompey; how Herod also, the son of Antipater,
dissolved their government, and brought Socius upon them; as also how our
people made a sedition upon Herod's death, while Augustus was the Roman emperor,
and Quintilius Varus was in that country; and how the war broke out in the
twelfth year of Nero, with what happened to Cestius; and what places the Jews
assaulted in a hostile manner in the first sallies of the war.
8. As also [I shall relate] how they built
walls about the neighboring cities; and how Nero, upon Cestius's defeat, was
in fear of the entire event of the war, and thereupon made Vespasian general
in this war; and how this Vespasian, with the elder of his sons,4
made an expedition into the country of Judea; what was the number of the Roman
army that he made use of; and how many of his auxiliaries were cut off in
all Galilee; and how he took some of its cities entirely, and by force, and
others of them by treaty, and on terms. Now, when I am come so far, I shall
describe the good order of the Romans in war, and the discipline of their
legions; the amplitude of both the Galilees, with its nature, and the limits
of Judea. And, besides this, I shall particularly go over what is peculiar
to the country, the lakes and fountains that are in them, and what miseries
happened to every city as they were taken; and all this with accuracy, as
I saw the things done, or suffered in them. For I shall not conceal any of
the calamities I myself endured, since I shall relate them to such as know
the truth of them.
9. After this, [I shall relate] how, when
the Jews' affairs were become very bad, Nero died, and Vespasian, when he
was going to attack Jerusalem, was called back to take the government upon
him; what signs happened to him relating to his gaining that government, and
what mutations of government then happened at Rome, and how he was unwillingly
made emperor by his soldiers; and how, upon his departure to Egypt, to take
upon him the government of the empire, the affairs of the Jews became very
tumultuous; as also how the tyrants rose up against them, and fell into dissensions
among themselves.
10. Moreover, [I shall relate] how Titus
marched out of Egypt into Judea the second time; as also how, and where, and
how many forces he got together; and in what state the city was, by the means
of the seditious, at his coming; what attacks he made, and how many ramparts
he cast up; of the three walls that encompassed the city, and of their measures;
of the strength of the city, and the structure of the temple and holy house;
and besides, the measures of those edifices, and of the altar, and all accurately
determined. A description also of certain of their festivals, and seven purifications
of purity,5 and the sacred ministrations of the
priests, with the garments of the priests, and of the high priests; and of
the nature of the most holy place of the temple; without concealing any thing,
or adding any thing to the known truth of things.
11. After this, I shall relate the barbarity
of the tyrants towards the people of their own nation, as well as the indulgence
of the Romans in sparing foreigners; and how often Titus, out of his desire
to preserve the city and the temple, invited the seditious to come to terms
of accommodation. I shall also distinguish the sufferings of the people, and
their calamities; how far they were afflicted by the sedition, and how far
by the famine, and at length were taken. Nor shall I omit to mention the misfortunes
of the deserters, nor the punishments inflicted on the captives; as also how
the temple was burnt, against the consent of Caesar; and how many sacred things
that had been laid up in the temple were snatched out of the fire; the destruction
also of the entire city, with the signs and wonders that went before it; and
the taking the tyrants captives, and the multitude of those that were made
slaves, and into what different misfortunes they were every one distributed.
Moreover, what the Romans did to the remains of the wall; and how they demolished
the strong holds that were in the country; and how Titus went over the whole
country, and settled its affairs; together with his return into Italy, and
his triumph.
12. I have comprehended all these things
in seven books, and have left no occasion for complaint or accusation to such
as have been acquainted with this war; and I have written it down for the
sake of those that love truth, but not for those that please themselves [with
fictitious relations]. And I will begin my account of these things with what
I call my First Chapter.
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