The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-07-03


then, choosing ten men by lot out Of
their number to do execution upon all
the rest, they ranged themselves as
near as they could to the dead bodies
OF their friends, gave them parting
embrace, and chccrfully presented
their throats to the cxccutioner. AS
soon as the ten had, with mighty re
solution: discharged their part, thoy
cast lots among themselves as to
which OF the remaining ten should
dispatch the other nine, with con
ditlon that the surviving tenth man
should kill himself upon the bodies of
the rest. The last man overlooked
the bodies, and finding that all were
stark dead, set fire to the palace, and
then cast himself upon his sword
among his friends. z The
number Of the slain was nine hundred
and sky, reckoning women and child
rcn into the account" Two women
and five children who had hidden in
an acqucduct escaped. These told the
Romans the story, which was so in
crcditablc that they could no. believe
it. But bctaking themselves to the
4ucnching of the fire, and following
the way up to the palace, they found
such carnage Of dead bodies, that
without insulting and rejoicing as en-
emies, they broke out into admiration
at the generous greatness of the Jews
minds, the steadiness Of their coun-
sells. and the obstinate agreement Of
such number Of men in the contempt
of DEATH
,Joscphus himself, from whose Ills
tory of the War Of the Jews" the
above narrative is taken, came very
near to losing his life in similar
slaughter. At about the same time,
when leading the Jewish army against
the Romans, he and his soldiers were
bcseigcd at Jotapata. When the
commander realized that the position
was hopeless, he decided to surrender
to the enemy. To this, however, the
troops would not agree, and with
threats urged upon their leader, the
nobler course Gas they considered it)
of self destruction. In answer, jose
phus addressed the army at considera.
BILE length, and discoursed upon the
wickedness Of suicide. But he failed
to convince the soldiers, and they
proceeded to cast lots and kill each
other until only the leader and one
soldier remained. When Josephus
found himself in this position he ar
gued the case with his one comrade,
and eventually convinced him. They
decided that both should live and
should give themselves up to Yes.
pasian, the leader Of the army.
In the second book Of Maccabees
(the Apoerypha) there is an account
OF the terrible suicide of Rails. It
appears to illustrate two points-frst.
the favor with which the Jews regard
ed what may be called unsel6sh sui
eide, and secondly the determination
with which defeated Jewish generals
sought death.
Whe. Nicanor's soldiers had broken
tho fortress in which Rails and his
followers were besieged, and defeat,
coupled with surrender, was certain.
ty, Rails threw himself upon his
sword, choosing rather to die man
fully than to fall into the hands Of the
enemy, to be abused otherwise than
beseemed his noble birth; but missing
his stroke through haste, the multi
tude also rushing within doors, he
ran boldly up to the wall, and cast
himself down manfully among the
thickest of them; but they, quickly
giving back, and space being made.
ne fell down in the midst Of q void.
while there was yet
breath within him, being inhamed
with anger, he rose up, and though his |
blood gushed out like spouts of water,
and his wounds were grievous, yet he !
ran through in the midst of the throng,
and standing on steep rock, when.
as his blood was not quite gone, he
plucked out his bowels, and taking
them in both his hands, he cast them
among the throng, and calling upon
the Lord Of life and spirit to restore |
them to him again, he thus died"
l have been unable to form a def
mite opinion as to the exact view
which the Jews took of suicide. I |
cannot find sny passage in the Biblo |
in which is mentioned as a sin.
Thou shalt not xii" does not seem
to cover the ground; and Ahitophel, |
who, having "set his house in order"
killed himself very deliberately, was |
buried in his fathers grave. 1t is in
Ia N