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[260]
And now, since Caesar was no way able to restrain the enthusiastic
fury of the soldiers, and the fire proceeded on more and more, he went
into the holy place of the temple, with his commanders, and saw it, with
what was in it, which he found to be far superior to what the relations
of foreigners contained, and not inferior to what we ourselves boasted
of and believed about it. But as the flame had not as yet reached to its
inward parts, but was still consuming the rooms that were about the holy
house, and Titus supposing what the fact was, that the house itself might
yet he saved, he came in haste and endeavored to persuade the soldiers
to quench the fire, and gave order to Liberalius the centurion, and one
of those spearmen that were about him, to beat the soldiers that were refractory
with their staves, and to restrain them; yet were their passions too hard
for the regards they had for Caesar, and the dread they had of him who
forbade them, as was their hatred of the Jews, and a certain vehement inclination
to fight them, too hard for them also. Moreover, the hope of plunder induced
many to go on, as having this opinion, that all the places within were
full of money, and as seeing that all round about it was made of gold.
And besides, one of those that went into the place prevented Caesar, when
he ran so hastily out to restrain the soldiers, and threw the fire upon
the hinges of the gate, in the dark; whereby the flame burst out from within
the holy house itself immediately, when the commanders retired, and Caesar
with them, and when nobody any longer forbade those that were without to
set fire to it. And thus was the holy house burnt down, without Caesar's
approbation.
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