226

and also possessed cisterns for receiving water in the most suitable places. In addition to the others, in the palace there was also a rue plant worthy of wonder because of its size; for it was not inferior to any fig-tree in height and thickness; and the story was that it had lasted from the times of Herod, and perhaps would have remained for a very long time, if it had not been cut down by the Jews who had taken possession of the place. And in the ravine to the north of the fortress a certain place is called Baar, and it produces a root called by the same name. This resembles a flame in color, but in the evenings it shines with a bright light; but for those wishing to take it, it is not easy to handle, but it draws back and does not stop until someone pours a woman's urine or her menstrual blood upon it. And even then for those who touch it death is certain, unless one happens to carry away that very root suspended from the hand. And it is also captured 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; and there is no fear for those taking it afterwards. And it is much sought after for one power. For what are called demons, even those entering into some people, it quickly drives out, if only it is brought near to those who are sick. Bassus, wishing to reduce this fortress, attempted to fill up its eastern ravine. But the Jews enclosed within, having separated from the strangers, forced them 2.79 to remain in the lower city, and they themselves held the upper fortress. However they made sallies eagerly every day, and engaging with those they met, many of them were dying, but they killed many of the Romans who were working on 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, bold in daring and active in hand-to-hand combat, called Eleazar, who, exhorting the many to go out and hinder the earthworks, became most conspicuous in the battles, inflicting many terrible things upon the Romans. And once, when the battle had been broken off, he himself, remaining outside the gates, was conversing with those on the wall. But a certain Rufus of the Roman camp, an Egyptian by birth, suddenly running upon him, seized Eleazar with his very armor on and managed to carry him off to the Roman camp. And when the general ordered him to be stripped and scourged in the sight of those from the city, the whole city cried out at once. Bassus employed this as a stratagem against the enemy, and ordered a cross to be set up, as if about to crucify Eleazar immediately. But those from the fortress, seeing this, were all the more distressed and raised a long, piercing cry. And Eleazar begged them neither to allow him to die thus and to provide for their own safety, by yielding to the power and fortune of the Romans. And they, being moved both by his words, and by the many inside who were pleading for him, for he was from a great and very numerous family, gave way to pity. and sending, they announced the surrender of the fortress, so that they might depart unharmed, after receiving Eleazar. 2.80 And when the general accepted these terms, those in the lower city, learning of the agreement being made separately for the Jews, themselves decided to escape by night. And when they opened the gates, information came to Bassus from those who had made the agreement. Therefore the strongest of those going out managed to escape, but of those caught inside, the men were killed to the number of one thousand seven hundred, and the women and children were enslaved. But keeping the agreements with those who had surrendered the fortress, Bassus both let them go and gave back Eleazar. Having accomplished these things, he hastened against the so-called forest of Jardes; for many of those who had previously escaped during the sieges were there. So having come to the place, he surrounded it all with his cavalry,

226

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 θρασὺς καὶ κατὰ χεῖρα δραστήριος ̓Ελεάζαρ καλούμενος, ος ἐξιέναι καὶ κωλύειν τὴν χῶσιν παρακαλῶν τοὺς πολλούς, ἐν ταῖς μάχαις ἐπιφανέστατος γέγονε, πολλὰ δεινὰ τοὺς ̔Ρωμαίους διατιθείς. καί ποτε τῆς μάχης διακριθείσης αὐτὸς μείνας εξω τῶν πυλῶν τοῖς ἐπὶ τοῦ τείχους ὡμίλει. ̔Ροῦφος δέ τις τοῦ ̔Ρωμαϊκοῦ στρατοπέδου, τὸ γένος Αἰγύπτιος, ἐξαίφνης ἐπιδραμών, σὺν οπλοις αὐτοῖς τὸν ̓Ελεάζαρ ἀράμενος φθάνει μεταθεὶς εἰς τὸ ̔Ρωμαίων στρατόπεδον. τοῦ δὲ στρατηγοῦ γυμνωθῆναι κελεύσαντος αὐτὸν καὶ μαστίζεσθαι βλεπόντων τῶν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως, ἀθρόα ἡ πόλις ἀνῴμωξε. τοῦτο κατὰ τῶν πολεμίων ὁ Βάσσος στρατήγημα ἐποιήσατο, καὶ σταυρὸν προσέταξε καταπήγνυσθαι, ὡς αὐτίκα κρεμάσων τὸν ̓Ελεάζαρον. οἱ δ' ἀπὸ τοῦ φρουρίου ὁρῶντες ὠδυνῶντο μᾶλλον καὶ ἀνῴμωζον διωλύγιον. καὶ ὁ ̓Ελεάζαρ ἱκέτευε σφᾶς μήτ' αὐτὸν περιιδεῖν ουτω θνήσκοντα καὶ ἑαυτοῖς τὴν σωτηρίαν προμηθεύσασθαι, ειξασι τῇ ̔Ρωμαίων ἰσχύϊ καὶ τύχῃ. οἱ δὲ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἐκείνου κατακλώμενοι λόγους, καὶ πολλῶν ενδον ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ δεομένων, ην γὰρ ἐκ μεγάλης καὶ σφόδρα πολυανθρώπου συγγενείας, εἰς οικτον ἐνέδωκαν. καὶ στείλαντες τὴν τοῦ φρουρίου παράδοσιν ἐπηγγέλλοντο, ινα ἀδεεῖς ἀπαλλάττωνται, τὸν ̓Ελεάζαρ λαβόντες. 2.80 ∆εξαμένου δὲ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ ταῦτα, οἱ ἐν τῇ κάτω πόλει τὴν γινομένην ἰδίᾳ τοῖς ̓Ιουδαίοις πυθόμενοι σύμβασιν, ἀποδρᾶναι νυκτὸς αὐτοὶ ἐβουλεύσαντο. καὶ τὰς πύλας αὐτῶν ἀνοιξάντων, παρὰ τῶν τὴν ὁμολογίαν πεποιημένων πρὸς τὸν Βάσσον ηκε μήνυσις. οἱ μὲν ουν τῶν ἐξιόντων ἐρρωμενέστατοι εφθασαν διεκπεσεῖν, τῶν δ' ενδον καταληφθέντων ανδρες μὲν ἀνῃρέθησαν ἐπὶ χιλίοις ἑπτακόσιοι, γύναια δὲ καὶ παῖδες ἠνδραποδίσθησαν. τὰς δὲ πρὸς τοὺς παραδόντας τὸ φρούριον ὁμολογίας φυλάσσων ὁ Βάσσος αὐτούς τε ἀφῆκε καὶ τὸν ̓Ελεάζαρ ἀπέδωκε. Ταῦτα διαπραξάμενος ἠπείγετο ἐπὶ τὸν λεγόμενον ̓Ιάρδην δρυμόν· πολλοὶ γὰρ πρὸς αὐτὸν ησαν τῶν κατὰ τὰς πολιορκίας πρότερον ἀποδράντων. ἐλθὼν ουν ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον, κυκλοῦται αὐτὸν τοῖς ἱππεῦσιν απαντα,