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The people of Antioch went out to meet him and acclaimed him, and with their acclamations they combined a request demanding that the Jews be expelled from the city. But he at that time listened quietly to what was said and passed by; but later, when the Antiochenes again insisted very earnestly that the Jews be driven out of the city, he said, "But their fatherland, to which they should have withdrawn, has been destroyed, and no place would receive them anymore." Having failed, therefore, in this request, they turned to a 2.77 second one, and they demanded that the bronze tablets, on which the rights of the Jews were inscribed, be destroyed. But not even to this did Titus assent, but he left everything for the Jews in Antioch as they had it before. But he himself, departing for Alexandria, and seeing Jerusalem during the journey, pitied the destruction of the city, cursing the authors of the revolt as the authors of the desolation of the city, a city ancient and prosperous. And even in the ruins themselves parts of its very deep wealth were still found. For the Romans were digging up many things, but the prisoners were pointing out most of them, which the owners, in view of the uncertain turns of the war, had stored as treasure under the ground. And Titus, having journeyed to Egypt and arrived at Alexandria, and from there intending to sail to Italy, ordered the leaders of the captives, John and Simon, and seven hundred other men distinguished by the size and beauty of their bodies, to be brought to Italy at once, that they might fill out the procession in his triumph. And after the arrival of Titus in Rome, Lucilius Bassus was sent as general to Judaea and brought over the fortress at Herodium along with those holding it; then, having gathered all the military force that was there, he marches against Machaerus. This fortress was exceedingly difficult to capture, being a fortified rocky hill; and it was so constructed by nature as not even to be approachable; for it was entrenched on all sides by deep ravines. Possessing such strength, 2.78 it also had a palace within, wonderful in the size and beauty of its rooms, and it possessed many cisterns for receiving water in the most suitable places. In addition to the other things in the palace, there was also a rue plant worthy of admiration for its size; for it was inferior to no fig tree in height and thickness. The story was that it had lasted since the time of Herod, and perhaps would have remained for a very long time, if it had not been cut down by the Jews who took over the place. In the ravine to the north of the fortress there is a place called Baar, and it produces a root called by the same name. This resembles a flame in color, and around evening it flashes with a bright light. To those wishing to take it, it is not easy to handle, but it withdraws and does not stop sooner than one pours a woman's urine or menstrual blood on it. And even then death is certain for those who touch it, unless one happens to carry away that very root suspended from the hand. It is also caught in another way without danger. For they dig around it in a circle, so that the part of the root hidden in the earth is very small, then they tie a dog to it, and when he rushes to follow the one who tied him, it is easily pulled up, but the dog dies immediately; but there is no fear for those who take it after this. It is much sought after for one power. For it quickly drives out what are called demons, which also enter into some people, if it is only brought near to the sick. Bassus, wishing to subdue this fortress, attempted to fill up the ravine to its east. But the Jews who were trapped inside, having separated from the foreigners, forced them 2.79 to remain in the lower city, while they themselves held the upper fortress. However, they eagerly made sorties every day, and engaging with whomever they met, many died, and they killed many of the Romans toiling at the earthworks. But by a certain chance the surrender of the fortress happened even without the earthworks. There was a certain young man among the besieged, in daring

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̓Αντιοχέων δῆμος προϋπήντα αὐτῷ καὶ εὐφήμει, ταῖς δ' εὐφημίαις συνεῖρε καὶ δέησιν ἐκβαλεῖν ἀξιοῦσαν τοὺς ̓Ιουδαίους τῆς πόλεως. ὁ δὲ τότε τῶν λεγομένων ἡσυχῇ κατακούων παρῄει, υστερον δ' αυθις σφόδρα λιπαρῶς ἐγκειμένων τῶν ̓Αντιοχέων ἐξελαθῆναι τοὺς ̓Ιουδαίους τῆς πόλεως, "ἀλλ' η γε πατρὶς αὐτῶν" εφη, "εἰς ην ἀναχωρεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐχρῆν, ἀνῄρηται, καὶ δέξαιτ' αν αὐτοὺς οὐδεὶς ετι τόπος." ἀποτυχόντες ουν τῆς αἰτήσεως ταύτης, ἐπὶ 2.77 δευτέραν ἐτράποντο, καὶ τὰς χαλκᾶς ἠξίουν δέλτους ἀναιρεθῆναι, αις τὰ δίκαια τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων ἐγέγραπτο. ἀλλ' οὐδὲ πρὸς τοῦτο Τίτος ἐπένευσε, πάντα δὲ τοῖς ἐπ' ̓Αντιοχείας ̓Ιουδαίοις ειασεν ὡς πρότερον ειχον αὐτά. αὐτὸς δ' εἰς ̓Αλεξάνδρειαν ἀπιών, καὶ κατὰ τὴν πορείαν τὰ ̔Ιεροσόλυμα θεασάμενος, ῳκτειρε τὸν τῆς πόλεως ολεθρον, ἐπαρώμενος τοῖς αἰτίοις τῆς ἀποστάσεως, ὡς αἰτίοις τῆς τῆς πόλεως ἐρημώσεως, πόλεως ἀρχαίας τε καὶ εὐδαίμονος. εὑρίσκοντο δ' ετι κἀν τοῖς ἐρειπίοις αὐτοῖς μέρη τοῦ βαθυτάτου πλούτου αὐτῆς. πολλὰ μὲν γὰρ οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι ἀνέσκαπτον, τὰ πλείω δὲ οἱ αἰχμάλωτοι ὑπεδείκνυον, απερ οἱ κεκτημένοι πρὸς τὰς ἀδήλους τοῦ πολέμου ῥοπὰς κατὰ γῆς ἐθησαύριζον. Τίτος δ' ἐπ' Αιγυπτον πορευθεὶς καὶ καταντήσας εἰς ̓Αλεξάνδρειαν, κἀκεῖθεν πλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν ̓Ιταλίαν μέλλων, τῶν αἰχμαλώτων τοὺς ἡγεμόνας ̓Ιωάννην καὶ Σίμωνα, καὶ αλλους ανδρας ἑπτακοσίους μεγέθει τε καὶ κάλλει σώματος διαπρέποντας εἰς τὴν ̓Ιταλίαν αὐτίκα μάλα ἐκέλευσεν αγεσθαι, ιν' ἐν τῷ θριάμβῳ πληρώσωσι τὴν πομπήν. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν εἰς ̔Ρώμην τοῦ Τίτου αφιξιν πεμφθεὶς στρατηγὸς εἰς ̓Ιουδαίαν Λούκιος Βάσσος τὸ μὲν ἐν τῷ ̔Ηρωδίῳ φρούριον μετὰ τῶν κατεχόντων αὐτὸ προσηγάγετο· ειτα πᾶν οσον ην ἐκεῖ στρατιωτικὸν συναγαγὼν ἐπὶ Μαχαιροῦντα στρατεύει. ην δὲ τὸ φρούριον τοῦτο λίαν δυσάλωτον, πετρώδης ων οχθος τετειχισμένος· ουτω δ' ὑπὸ τῆς φύσεως κατεσκεύαστο ὡς μηδὲ προσιτὸς ειναι· φάραγξι γὰρ πάντοθεν βαθείαις ἐτετάφρευτο. ουτω δ' ὀχυρότητος 2.78 εχον καὶ βασίλειον ειχεν ἐντὸς μεγέθει τε καὶ κάλλει τῶν οἰκήσεων θαυμαστόν, πολλὰς δὲ καὶ δεξαμενὰς εἰς ὑποδοχὴν υδατος ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτηδειοτάτοις τῶν τόπων ἐκέκτητο. πρὸς δὲ τοῖς αλλοις ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις καὶ πήγανον ην αξιον διὰ τὸ μέγεθος θαύματος· συκῆς γὰρ οὐδεμιᾶς υψους καὶ πάχους ἐλείπετο· λόγος δ' ην ἀπὸ τῶν ̔Ηρώδου χρόνων αὐτὸ διαρκέσαι, καὶ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ισως εμεινεν αν, εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ τῶν παραλαβόντων τὸν τόπον ̓Ιουδαίων ἐκκέκοπτο. ἐν δὲ τῇ κατὰ τὴν αρκτον τοῦ φρουρίου φάραγγι ὀνομάζεταί τις τόπος Βαάρ, καὶ φύει ῥίζαν ὁμωνύμως καλουμένην αὐτῷ. αυτη φλογὶ μὲν εοικε τὴν χροιάν, περὶ δὲ τὰς ἑσπέρας σέλας ἀπαστράπτει· τοῖς δὲ βουλομένοις λαβεῖν αὐτὴν οὐκ εστιν εὐχείρωτος, ἀλλ' ὑποφεύγει καὶ οὐ πρότερον ισταται πρὶν αν τις ουρον γυναικὸς η τὸ εμμηνον αιμα καταχέῃ αὐτῆς. καὶ τότε δὲ τοῖς ἁψαμένοις θάνατός ἐστι προφανής, εἰ μὴ τύχῃ τις αὐτὴν ἐκείνην ἀπενεγκάμενος τὴν ῥίζαν ἀπηρτημένην ἐκ τῆς χειρός. ἁλίσκεται δὲ καὶ καθ' ετερον τρόπον ἀκινδύνως. κύκλῳ γὰρ αὐτὴν περιορύσσουσιν, ὡς ειναι τὸ τῇ γῇ κρυπτόμενον τῆς ῥίζης βραχύτατον, ειτ' ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀποδοῦσι κύνα, κἀκείνου τῷ δήσαντι συνακολουθεῖν ὁρμήσαντος, ἡ μὲν ἀνασπᾶται ῥᾳδίως, θνήσκει δ' εὐθὺς ὁ κύων· φόβος δ' οὐδεὶς τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα λαμβάνουσιν. εστι δὲ διὰ μίαν ἰσχὺν περισπούδαστος. τὰ γὰρ καλούμενα δαιμόνια καί τισιν εἰσδυόμενα αυτη ταχέως ἐξελαύνει, καν μόνον τοῖς νοσοῦσι προσενεχθῇ. Τοῦτο τὸ φρούριον ὁ Βάσσος παραστήσασθαι θέλων, τὴν πρὸς ἀνατολὰς αὐτοῦ φάραγγα χῶσαι ἀπεπειρᾶτο. οἱ δ' ἐναπειλημμένοι τῶν ̓Ιουδαίων ενδον ἀπὸ τῶν ξένων διακριθέντες ἐκείνους μὲν ἠνάγκασαν 2.79 ἐν τῇ κάτω πόλει παραμένειν, τὸ δ' ανω φρούριον ειχον αὐτοί. ἐποιοῦντο μέντοι τὰς ἐξόδους προθύμως ἀνὰ πᾶσαν ἡμέραν, καὶ τοῖς τυχοῦσι συμπλεκόμενοι πολλοὶ μὲν εθνησκον, πολλοὺς δὲ τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων ἀνῄρουν πονοῦντας ἐπὶ τοῖς χώμασιν. ̓Εκ δέ τινος συντυχίας ἡ τοῦ φρουρίου παράδοσις γέγονε καὶ τῶν χωμάτων χωρίς. νεανίας τις ην ἐν τοῖς πολιορκουμένοις τόλμῃ