A compendious and most marueilous history of the latter tymes of the Iewes commune weale beginnynge where the Bible or Scriptures leaue, and continuing to the vtter subuersion and laste destruction of that countrey and people: written in Hebrew by Ioseph Ben Gorion, a noble man of the same countrey, who sawe the most thinges him selfe, and was auctour and doer of a great part of the same. Translated into Englishe by Peter Morvvyng of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford.

FRom thence they wente to the tem∣ple, where they founde certaine no∣ble men and captaines, whome Ti∣tus had put in authoriti about the tem∣ple, of whome three were chiefe: one captaine of the horsmen, the seconde of the charrets, and the thirde of the foote men, him they killed and toke his com¦paniō aliue. This besought them that had taken him, y^t he might be brought to Schimeon their captaine, let hym (saith he) do with me as he lift, and in this one thinge let me finde fauour at your handes. They agreed, & broughte him to Schimeon, who commaunded his seruauntes assone as he was come to flea him. But while he that was a∣pointed to this businesse, made delay, and killed him net by and by, he whipt

downe of the hill, escaped and came to Titus, who commaunded him oute of his sighte, being wroth with him that he had not sought vnto deathe, rather then to be taken quicke. But with the Iewes was he wonderfullye displea∣sed, that they had so dispitefullye orde∣red his men: wherfore he commaunded to kil all the Iewes as many as could be founde in the streetes of the ••••ye, whome he woulde haue spared before, and caused proclamation to be made throughoute all hys campe for theyr safetye. Then died many of the Iewes, so that euerye place was full of deade bodies. The menne of warre of the E∣domites whythe were wyth Schimeon perceiuinge howe the matter wente, they sente Embassadoures to Titus, to desire peace, and to saue theyr lyues: which when it came to Schimeons ear, he wente vnto them, and slue the chiefe of them and their noble men, the rest of the people of the Edomites fledde vnto Titus. From that time forthe Titus

commaunded his men to vse no more truelty vpō the Iewes. Sone after fled Iehochanan and Schimeon, and hid thē selues in certain caues. The rest of the chief mē of the Iewes that were with them seing them nowe to be fled: came nowne from the Mounte vnto Titus, & set downe vpon their face before hym vpon the ground, whome Titus recei∣ue•• gentlelye: As for the sedicious that were w^t Schimeon & Iehochanan, they fought till they al died together. Thē cam forth vnto Titus one Iosua a priest sonne of Schaftai the hie prieste, brin∣ging with him two candelstickes of gold which were in the sanctuary, and the tables of gold, with other vessels of siluer and gold, and also the holye ve∣stures decked with golde and precious stones, all those he gaue vnto Titus: who made him chiefe priest ouer them that remained nexte vnder Ioseph the priest, for Titus gaue Ioseph authority as wel ouer the priestes and Leuites, as ouer the whole people of y^e Iewes. Then was Gorion the father of Ioseph

that writ this history, brought oute of the prison with his wife and children, among whō was one Bonian Iosephs yonger brother, he was a verye wise & a godly priest, by whome god bestow∣ed many benefites vpō the Israelites. For Titus lefte him at Ierusalem, and tooke him not with him as he did Io∣seph. Iosephes father liued after the ci∣ty was taken twenty moneths & died. They tooke then also one Phmeas a prieste who was keper of the treasure house, he bewraied and vttered to the Romains al the treasures of y^e priestes and their vestements: he gaue also vn∣to Titus a moosse precious oyle wyth swere o••ours and perfumes, and gar∣mentes also of purple which y^e kinges of the second temple had geuē. Wher∣fore both this Phineas and Iosua whō we mentioned afore, transgressed the couenaunte of the Lord, and offended God, in that they deliuered his iewels to the ennemies of his people, whiche thei ought not to haue done, but rather to haue died for the glory of the Lord,

as the other priestes did, whiche caste them selues into the fire. Thus was y^e city of Ierusalem takē with al the pre∣cious thinges that were therein: and Titus went vp to the mount Sion, ••••ke it, and raced the walles therof: Vpon a three daies after Iehochanan sore vert with hunger, leste his place where he lucked, and came to Titus, fell downe afore him and kissed his feete, sayinge: saue me. O Lord king. Titus commau∣ded him 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be fettered with irā cheins, & when he had caused him to be carted about the campe so bound, & to be moc∣ked of al men by the space of .vii. daies he commaunded to han•• him, & so gate he a iuste ende and fit rewarde for his cruelty. After ware came Schimeon al∣so forth of his den, being driuē with fa∣min, he had out on king ye apparel, & shewed him self a far of to y^e Romaine host: who seing him, were afraide to go to him, but he called vnto thē & askt fo•• s••me captaine. Then one came forth & s••id vnto Schimeon, tel me who y^e art, & I wil not kil thee. Schimeon answered

therefore & tolde him, I am Schimeon, that sedicious Captaine of the Iewes whiche haue made you so muche a not now I beseche thee shew me so muche sauour as to bring me to Titus thi ma¦ster, which he did. Titus therfore when he saw Schimeon, he cōmaunded him to be fast bound and to be ••ed about the whole host, that he might be deluded & m••ckt. Afterward he was put to a fore death: first his head was striken of, thē he was cut in many peces and cast vn∣to dogges, so he died an abhominable death being punished for his iniquity.