jection of mind is to me a pledge and assurance of victory. And
indeed it is proper beforehand to be thus provident; but when we come
to action, we ought to erect our minds, and to make our enemies, be they
ever so wicked, believe that neither any human, no, nor any providential
misfortune, can ever depress the courage of Jews while they are alive;
nor will any of them ever overlook an Arabian, or suffer such a one to
become lord of his good things, whom he has in a manner taken captive,
and that many times also. And do not you disturb yourselves at the
quaking of inanimate creatures, nor do you imagine that this earthquake
is a sign of another calamity; for such affections of the elements are
according to the course of nature, nor does it import any thing further
to men, than what mischief it does immediately of itself. Perhaps there
may come some short sign beforehand in the case of pestilences, and
famines, and earthquakes; but these calamities themselves have their
force limited by themselves [without foreboding any other calamity]. And
indeed what greater mischief can the war, though it should be a violent
one, do to us than the earthquake hath done? Nay, there is a signal of
our enemies' destruction visible, and that a very great one also; and
this is not a natural one, nor derived from the hand of foreigners
neither, but it is this, that they have barbarously murdered our
ambassadors, contrary to the common law of mankind; and they have
destroyed so many, as if they esteemed them sacrifices for God, in
relation to this war. But they will not avoid his great eye, nor his
invincible right hand; and we shall be revenged of them presently, in
case we still retain any of the courage of our forefathers, and rise up
boldly to punish these covenant-breakers. Let every one therefore go on
and fight, not so much for his wife or his children, or for the
danger his country is in, as for these ambassadors of ours; those dead
ambassadors will conduct this war of ours better than we ourselves who
are alive. And if you will be ruled by me, I will myself go before
you into danger; for you know this well enough, that your courage is
irresistible, unless you hurt yourselves by acting rashly." [30]

5. When Herod had encouraged them by this speech, and he saw with
what alacrity they went, he offered sacrifice to God; and after that
sacrifice, he passed over the river Jordan with his army, and pitched
his camp about Philadelphia, near