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[169]
Now there was at this time a man among the Jews, low of stature
he was, and of a despicable appearance; of no character either as to his
family, or in other respects: his flame was Jonathan. He went out at the
high priest John's monument, and uttered many other insolent things to
the Romans, a challenged the best of them all to a single combat.But many
of those that stood there in the army huffed him, and many of them (as
they might well be) were afraid of him. Some of them also reasoned thus,
and that justly enough: that it was not fit to fight with a man that desired
to die, because those that utterly despaired of deliverance had, besides
other passions, a violence in attacking men that could not be opposed,
and had no regard to God himself; and that to hazard oneself with a person,
whom, if you overcome, you do no great matter, and by whom it is hazardous
that you may be taken prisoner, would be an instance, not of manly courage,
but of unmanly rashness. So there being nobody that came out to accept
the man's challenge, and the Jew cutting them with a great number of reproaches,
as cowards, (for he was a very haughty man in himself, and a great despiser
of the Romans,) one whose name was Pudens, of the body of horsemen, out
of his abomination of the other's words, and of his impudence withal, and
perhaps out of an inconsiderate arrogance, on account of the other's lowness
of stature, ran out to him, and was too hard for him in other respects,
but was betrayed by his ill fortune; for he fell down, and as he was down,
Jonathan came running to him, and cut his throat, and then, standing upon
his dead body, he brandished his sword, bloody as it was, and shook his
shield with his left hand, and made many acclamations to the Roman army,
and exulted over the dead man, and jested upon the Romans; till at length
one Priscus, a centurion, shot a dart at him as he was leaping and playing
the fool with himself, and thereby pierced him through; upon which a shout
was set up both by the Jews and the Romans, though on different accounts.
So Jonathan grew giddy by the pain of his wounds, and fell down upon the
body of his adversary, as a plain instance how suddenly vengeance may come
upon men that have success in war, without any just deserving the same.
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