in a gallery, that was yet standing, on the outside of the building. Whilst they waited in anxious expectation of the promised miracle, the Romans, with the most wanton barbarity, set fire to the gal lery; from which, multitudes, rendered frantic by their horrible situation, precipitated themselves on the ruins below, and were killed by the fall; while, awful to relate, the rest, without a single exception, perished in the flames. So necessary was our Lord's second premonition not to give credit to "false prophets," who should pretend to show "great signs and wonders." In this last caution, as the connection of the prophecy demonstrates, he evidently refers to the period of the siege, but, in the former, to the interval immediately preceding the Jewish war*.

The temple now presented little more than a heap of ruins; and the Roman army, as in triumph on the event, came

* Mat. xxiv. Compare verses 5, and 23, 24, 25, 26.

and reared the ensigns against a fragment of the eastern gate, and, with sacrifices of thanksgiving, proclaimed the imperial majesty of Titus, with every possible demonstration of joy.

Thus terminated the glory and the existence of this sacred and venerable edifice, which, from its stupendous size, its massy solidity, and astonishing strength, seemed formed to resist the most violent operations of human force, and to stand, like the pyramids, amid the shocks of successive ages, until the final dissolution of the globe*.

* From its first foundation by king Solomon, until its destruction under Vespasian, were one thousand and thirty years, seven months, and fifteen days and from its reerection by Haggai, to the same period, six hundred and thirty-nine years, and forty-five days It has been already hinted, that, by a very singular coincidence, it was now reduced to ashes in the same month and on the same day of the month, on which it had formerly been burnt by the Babylonians. These two eras are distinguished by another extraordinary coincidence, which Josephus, in one of his addresses to the Jews, pointed out to them as one of the signs which foreboded the destruction of their city.

"The fountains," said he, "flow copiously for

For five days after the destruction of the temple, the priests who had escaped, sat, pining with hunger, on the top of one of its broken walls; at length, through necessity, they came down and humbly asked the pardon of Titus, which, how. ever, he refused to grant them, saying, that, "as the temple, for the sake of which he would have spared them, was destroyed, it was but fit that its priests should perish also;"whereupon he commanded that they should be put to death.

The leaders of the factions being now pressed on all sides, begged a conference with Titus, who offered to spare their

Titus, which to you were dried up; for before he came, you know that both Siloam failed, and all the springs without the city, so that water was brought by the amphora*; but now they are so abundant to your enemies, as to suffice, not only for themselves and their cattle, but also for their gardens. This wonder you also formerly experienced when the king of Babylon laid siege to your city."

* A vessel containing about seven gallons.

H

lives, provided that they would lay down their arms. With this reasonable condition, however, they refused to comply; upon which Titus, exasperated by their obstinacy, resolved that he would hereaf ter grant no pardon to the insurgents, and ordered a proclamation to be made to this effect. The Romans had now full licence to ravage and destroy. Early the following morning they set fire to the castle, the register-office, the council-chamber, and the palace of queen Helena; and then spread themselves throughout the city, slaughtering wherever they came, and burning the dead bodies which were scattered over every street, and on the floors

of almost every house. In the royal pa

lace, where immense treasures were deposited, the seditious Jews murdered eight thousand four hundred of their own nation, and afterwards plundered their property. Prodigious numbers of deserters, also, who escaped from the tyrants, and fled into the enemies' camp, were slain. The

soldiers, however, at length, weary of killing, and satiated with the blood which they had spilt, laid down their swords, and sought to gratify their avarice. For this purpose they took the Jews, together with their wives and families, and publicly sold them like cattle in a market, but at a very low price; for multitudes were exposed to sale, while the purchasers were few in number. And now were fulfilled the words of Moses: "And ye shall be sold for bond-men and bond-women, and no man ́ shall buy you*."

The Romans having become masters of the lower city, set it on fire. The Jews now fled to the higher, from whence, their pride and insolence yet unabated, they continued to exasperate their enemies, and even appeared to view the burning of the town below them with tokens of pleasure. In a short time, however, the walls of the higher city were demolished by the Ro

* Deut. xxyiii. 68.