The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1858-07-01
gfIistlILantOas


which city he has for a number of years
represented in Parliament He gave
an outline Of the history Of Che Baby
lonian, Assyrian, Persian, Egyptian,
Greek and Jewish nations, and closed
with the following powerful Z 5romat-
ic description Of the deatrusGon Of Je-
rusalem by Titus:
"Six years after the birth Of our Lord,
Judea and Samaria became a Roman
province, under subordinate governors,
the most famous Of whom was Pontius
PLATE. These governors became so op-
pressiye that the Jews broke out into
rebellionj and seventy years after Christ,
Jerusalem was finally besicged by Titus,
afterwards Emperor Of Rome. No trag-
edy on the stage has the same scenes Of
appalling terror as are to be found 10
the history of this siege. The city it.
self was rent by factions at the deadli-
est war with each other; all the elements
of civil hatred had broke loose; the
streets were slippery with the blood Of
citizens; brother slew brother; the gran
aries we're set on fire; famine wasted
those whom the sword did not slay In
the midst Of these civil massacres, the
Roman armies appeared before the walls
of Jerusalem. Then for a short time
the rival factions united against the
common foe, they were again the gallant
countrymen Of David and Joshua-they
sailed forth and scattered the eagles of
Rome. But this triumph was brief the
ferocity Of the ill-fated Jews soon again
wasted itself on each other. And III
tus marched on--eucamped-his armies
close by the walls--and from the heights
the Roman general gazed with awe on
the strength and splendor Of the city Of
Jehovah.
"Let us here pause-and take, our.
selves, a mournful glance at Jerusalem
as it then was. The city was fortified
by a triple wall, save on one side, where
it was protected by deep and impossible
ravines. These walls, of the most solid
masonry, were guarded by strong tow
ers; opposite to the loltiest of these tow.
ers Titus had eucamped. From the
height Of that tower the sentinel might
have seen stretched below the whole Of
that fair territory Of Judea, about tc
pass from the countrymen of David
Within these walls was the palace of
the kings-its roof of cedar, its door.
of the rarest marbles, its chambers Gil.
ed with the cOstliest tapestries, and YES.
sells Of gold and silver. Groves and
gardens cleaning with fountains, adorn.
ed with statues Of bronze divided the
courts Of the palace itself But high
above all, upon a precipitous rock, rose
the temple, fortified and adorned by Sol.
omon.
"This temple was as strong without
as a citadel-within more adorned than
q palace. On entering, you bchcld por.
| ticoes Of numberless columns Of porphy
ry, marble and alabaster; gates adorned
with gold and silver, among which was
the wonderful gate called the Beautiful
Further on, through a vast arch, was
the sacred portal which admitted into
the interior Of the temple itsclf--al
sheeted over with gold, and overhuug
by a vine tree of gold, the branches of
which were as large as a man. The
roof Of the temple, even on the outside
was set over with golden spikes, to pre-
vent the birds settling there and defing
the holy dome. At distance, the whole
temple looked like q mount of snow
fretted with golden pinnacles, Blu
alas! the veil Of that temple had already
been rent 0sunder by an ineXpiabl,
crime, and the Lord Of Hosts did no
fight with Israel. But the enemy il
laundering at the wall All around tht
city rose immense machines, from whicl
Titus poured down mighty fragments of
rock, and showers Of fire. The wall
gave way--the city was cntered-th
temple itself was stormcd.
"Eamine in the meanwhile had mad
such havoc that the besieged were NOR
! like spectres than living men; they de
voured the belts to their swords, tn
sandals to their feet. Even nature it
self so perished away that a mother de
voured her own infant; fulfilling the aw
ful words Of the warlike prophet VIII
had first led the Jews towards the Ian
of promise-'The tender and delicat
women amongst you, who would nc
adventure to set the sole Of her foot up
on the ground for delicateness and ten
derness-her eye shall be evil toward
her young one and the children that sh
shall bear, for she shall eat them fo
want of all things secretly, in the sieg
and straitncss wherewith thine onem
shall distress thee in thy gates Still
as If the foe and the famine was ne
scourge enough, citizens smote an
murdered each other as they met in tn
way--alse prophets ran bowling throug
the stroots--eyory image of despair con
pletos the ghastly picture Of the fall O
D Jerusalem.
"And now tho temple was set on fir
the Jows.rushing through the flames
perish amidst its ruins. tt was a cal
summer night--the 10th of August; Il
e whole hill on which stood the temp
was one gigantic blaze Of fre-the roo
e Of cedar crashed-the golden pinnacl
% Of the dome were like spikes Of crimsC
b fame. Through the lurid atmosphe
all was carnage and slaughter, the eel
oes of shrieks and yells rang back fro
a the Hill Of Zion and tho Mount Of o
= ives. Amongst the smoking ruins, on
q over piles Of the dead, Titus planted Il
standard Of Rome, Thus we're fuldll'
G the last avenging prophecies-thaF pc