Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1852-09-01
THE CONQUEST OF JERUSALEM.

The Jews, who were in the Temple,
uttered piercing cry of horror, when they first
beheld the fire issuing from the sanctuary, which
they esteemed the most august and holy place
on earth, in which all their feelings Of venera-
ton and piety were concentrated, and with the
preservation Of which they had lately associated
their strongest hopes of delverance from the
arms Of their heather invaders. The terrified
spectators in the city returned in lamentaton
when they saw the holy mountain enveloped in
flames; and many, whose strength and power
of utterance had been almost destroyed by the
famine opened their lips once more in shrieks
of uncomfortable anguish. The hills around
Jerusalem echoed the dreadful tumult which
was made by the noise of the irresistible flames,
the crash of falling buildings the shouts of the
infuriated legions, and the groans of those who
sank'into the confagration or were transfixed
by the sword.
An unsparing carnage was made Of many
thousands of the Jews for the Temple, it
should be remembered, was the place of worship
not merely Of a single city or province, but of a
whole nation; and great multitude had assem-
bled in it this very day, trusting to the decara-
tion of an impostOr or enthusiast who had prom
ised them they should receive some extraordn-
ary tokens of deiverance. The mpious rulers
had suborned many false prophets, for the sake
OF reviving the hopes and supporting the cour-
age of the people; and now the end of their de-
lusions had arrived. Josephus said that the
blood which was shed was sufficient to extin-
guish the fire, while the number of the slain ap-
peared to be greater than the number of the
slayers, so prodigious were the heaps of dead
that every where covered the ground. Old and
young, women and children, soldiers and priests,
were massacred Immediately. The seditious
leaders with their troops fled, during the tumul-
tuous conflict, into the outer door of the lem
pie, and afterwards escaped to the Upper City.
Some of the priests defended the Holy House
until the last moment, tearing up the spikes
which were on the top of it and hurling it at the
Romans.
AS the conhagraton spread, two of the most
eminent threw themselves into the flames, and
the rest retreated to wall which was eight Gu
bits thick where they were able for time to
defy the attacks Of the Romans. Famine how
ever, compelled them to surrender in few days,
and Titus refused to spare their lives, urging
that priests ought not to survive the Temple in
which they served. At the first assault, about
six thousand of the mixed multitude who had
been surprised in the Temple took refuge in one
of the cloisters in the outer court; but the ex-
asperated Romans set fire to it, and forced them
to perish in its ruins. They began to burn all
the cloisters, gates, and other parts of the spa
cious edifce, which had hitherto resisted their
destructive attacks. Even the treasury cham.
ber, where the Jews had deposited great stores
of money, vestments, and other valuable proper.
| ty was consumed. But the love of plundel
was not quite absorbed in the rage of destruc.
ton for the sodes enriched themselves to such
an extent that in Syria, the price of the pound
weight Of gold was diminished one half.
History Roman Empire