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[105]
Now Crassus, as he was going upon his expedition against the Parthians,
came into Judea, and carried off the money that was in the temple, which
Pompey had left, being two thousand talents, and was disposed to spoil
it of all the gold belonging to it, which was eight thousand talents. He
also took a beam, which was made of solid beaten gold, of the weight of
three hundred minae, each of which weighed two pounds and a half. It was
the priest who was guardian of the sacred treasures, and whose name was
Eleazar, that gave him this beam, not out of a wicked design, for he was
a good and a righteous man; but being intrusted with the custody of the
veils belonging to the temple, which were of admirable beauty, and of very
costly workmanship, and hung down from this beam, when lie saw that Crassus
was busy in gathering money, and was in fear for the entire ornaments of
the temple, he gave him this beam of gold as a ransom for the whole, but
this not till he had given his oath that he would remove nothing else out
of the temple, but be satisfied with this only, which he should give him,
being worth many ten thousand [shekels]. Now this beam was contained in
a wooden beam that was hollow, but was known to no others; but Eleazar
alone knew it; yet did Crassus take away this beam, upon the condition
of touching nothing else that belonged to the temple, and then brake his
oath, and carried away all the gold that was in the temple.
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