The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

§ 6. The miseries of the Alexandrian Jews.

How these manners of the Prince might redound to the calamity of the Jews who would worship no God but their own, it is easie to guess by the common advantages that are always taken in the like cases, by men that are armed with power and weaponed

with malice. As this humour of the Emperour was blown up with flattery and blasphe∣mous clawing at home, so was it soon blazoned and divulged abroad, and they that delighted in many Gods, it was good contentment, to have them all met in the Center of the new God, all-God, their Prince. But what will become of the Jews, the only opposers of such impiety, and what especially of the Alexandrian Jews, whose tragedy was begun already? This opportunity suited with the spiteful desires of their adversa∣ries, as their adversaries themselves could have desired. For now thinks Flaccus, he may ingratiate himself to Caesar indeed by being ungratious to the Jews, and now have the Alexandrians a double forwarding beside their own malice, their Governour and their Prince.

First Flaccus deprived the Jews of their Synagogues, Oratories and houses of prayer, and therewith as much as in him lay of their Religion, then of the benefit of the City and Country Laws, proclaiming them strangers and forreigners, and at last gave free and open liberty to the Alexandrians to use their wills upon them, in what manner and mea∣sure their malice thought meet. And now their Tragedy begins.

The Jews in the City were above two parts of five; the Alexandrians driving them out of their own houses, and ransacking the houses as they went, they force them into a strait place of the City, where they had not room to stir one for another, much less to make any orderly battalia for defence of themselves, or for resistance. In this strait both of place and fortune, it is no wonder if they speedily suffered famine who had nothing of their sustenance left them, unless they would have devoured one another. Here are many mouths and no meat, and great complaining but no relief. Plenty enough there was in the City, but none for them, and abundance of every thing necessary, but pity. The poor crowded, straved, and distressed people, those that had any hope or courage to shift for themselves, streak abroad and steal forth of their inclosure, for food and fresh air; some to the shore, some into the City, some one way, some another, but the misery of them also was no less than theirs that staid impounded, but that it was not so lingring. For wheresoever they were caught, as no where could they go but de∣scried, they were either stoned, clubbed, or burned to death, yea, often man, wife, children and whole families so murdred all of a heap. Some they smoaked and choaked to death in a fire where they wanted fewel to burn them out, some they haled with ropes tied about their ankles, up and down the streets till they were dead, and then neither spared they the dead bodies, but mangled them in pieces. Their Synagogues they all burnt down, with the loss also of some of the Alexandrians houses adjoyning, their houses they defaced, and their lives they took away, when and wheresoever they could catch them. Flaccus in this bloodiness, had done enough by connivance and toleration, but he is not content with this passive tyranny unless he be an actor himself in the Scene, and be not behind other in this mischief, as he was before them in authority. Eight and thirty of their Judges and Counsellors (for a Senate of their own was tolerated by Augustus and allowed them) he sendeth for by his officers, and binding their hands behind them, causeth them thus to be led along the streets for a derision, and then caused them to be publickly scourged, some to death, some to the lingring out of a miserable life. He caused also a pretended search to be made throughout all the Jews houses for ar∣mour, pretending a suspicion of their insurrection, but intending thereby to give the Souldiers the more advantage for their pillaging and oppression. He spared neither age nor sex against whom he could take an occasion or find cavil, nor reverenced he any festival for their execution, nor omitted any kind of cruelty for their torture. Here is the first smarting blow to count of that this nation felt, since they called for the blood of the just one upon themselves and upon their children, and some of this City were nimble agents for the comapssing of the death of his first Matyr Steven, Act. 6. 9.