among the Romans,
I was kept with much Care, by means of the great respect that Vespasian
showed me. Moreover, at his command, I married a virgin, who was from
among the captives of that country [25] yet did she not live with me
long, but was divorced, upon my being freed from my bonds, and my going
to Alexandria. However, I married another wife at Alexandria, and was
thence sent, together with Titus, to the siege of Jerusalem, and was
frequently in danger of being put to death; while both the Jews were
very desirous to get me under their power, in order to haw me punished.
And the Romans also, whenever they were beaten, supposed that it was
occasioned by my treachery, and made continual clamors to the emperors,
and desired that they would bring me to punishment, as a traitor to
them: but Titus Caesar was well acquainted with the uncertain fortune
of war, and returned no answer to the soldiers' vehement solicitations
against me. Moreover, when the city Jerusalem was taken by force, Titus
Caesar persuaded me frequently to take whatsoever I would of the ruins
of my country; and did that he gave me leave so to do. But when my
country was destroyed, I thought nothing else to be of any value, which
I could take and keep as a comfort under my calamities; so I made this
request to Titus, that my family might have their liberty: I had also
the holy books by Titus's concession. Nor was it long after that I
asked of him the life of my brother, and of fifty friends with him, and
was not denied. When I also went once to the temple, by the permission
of Titus, where there were a great multitude of captive women and
children, I got all those that I remembered as among my own friends
and acquaintances to be set free, being in number about one hundred
and ninety; and so I delivered them without their paying any price of
redemption, and restored them to their former fortune. And when I was
sent by Titus Caesar with Cerealins, and a thousand horsemen, to a
certain village called Thecoa, in order to know whether it were a place
fit for a camp, as I came back, I saw many captives crucified, and
remembered three of them as my former acquaintance. I was very sorry at
this in my mind, and went with tears in my eyes to Titus, and told him
of them; so he immediately commanded them to be taken down, and to have
the greatest care taken of them, in order to their recovery; yet two of
them died under the physician's hands, while the third recovered.
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