I  should  not  mistake  if  I  said  that  the  death  of
Ananus  was  the  beginning  of  the  destruction  of
the  city,  and  that  from  this  vei-y  day  may  be
dated  the  overthrow  of  her  wall,  and  the  ruin  of
her  affairs,  whereon  they  saw  their  high  priest,
and  the  procurer  of  their  preservation  slain  in
the  midst  of  the  city.  He  was  on  other  accounts
a  venerable,  and  very  just  man  ;  and  besides
the  grandeur  of  that  nobility,  and  dignity,  and
honour,  of  which  he  was  possessed,  he  had  been
a  lover  of  a  kind  of  parity,  even  with  regard  to
the  meanest  of  the  people  ;  he  was  a  prodigious
lover  of  Hberty,  and  an  admirer  of  democracy  in
government ;  and  did  ever  prefer  the  public
welfare  before  his  own  advantage,  and  preferred
peace  above  all  things ;  for  he  was  thoroughly
sensible  that  the  Komans  were  not  to  be  con-
quered. He  also  foresaw  that  of  necessity  a  war
should  follow ;  and  that  unless  the  Jews  made
up  matters  very  dexterously,  they  would  be  de-
Btro^-ed  :  to  say  all  in  a  word,  if  Ananus  had  sur-
vived they  had  certainly  compounded  matters  ;
for  he  was  a  shrewd  man  Iti  S])eaking  and  per-
suading the  peoj)le,  and  had  already  gotten  the
mastery  of  those  that  ojiposed  his  designs,  or
were  for  the  war.  And  the  Jews  had  then  put
anundance  of  delays  in  the  way  of  the  Romans,
if  tliey  had  had  such  a  general  as  he  was.  Jesus
was  also  joined  with  him  ;  and  although  he  was
Inferior  to  him  ui)on  the  comparison,  he  was


superior  to  the  rest;  and  I  cannot  but  think
that  it  was  because  God  had  doomed  this  city  to
destruction,  as  a  polluted  citj',  and  was  resolved
to  purge  his  sanctuary  by  fii'e,  that  he  cut  ofl
these  its  great  defenders  and  well-wishers,  while
those  that  a  little  before  had  worn  tlie  sacred
garments,  and  had  presided  over  the  public  wor-
ship, and  had  been  esteemed  venerable  by  those
that  dwelt  on  the  whole  habitable  earth  when
they  came  into  our  citj^,  were  cast  out  naked,
and  seen  to  be  the  food  of  dogs  and  wild  beasts.
