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Jerufalem by Titus an infinite multitude, faith (8) Jofephus, who perished by famin: and he computes, that during the whole fiege, the number of those who were deftroyed by that and by the war amounted to eleven hundred thoufand, the people being affembled from all parts to celebrate the paffover: and the same author hath given us an account of 1240490 destroyed in Jerufalem and other parts of Judea, befides 99200 made prisoners; as (9) Bafnage has reckoned them up from that historian's account. Indeed there is not a nation upon earth, that hath been expofed to fo many maffacres and perfecutions. Their history abounds with them. If God had not given them a promise of a numerous pofterity, the whole race would many a time have been extirpated.

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7. They were to be carried into Egypt, and fold for flaves at a very low price, ver. 68, And the Lord fhall bring thee into Egypt again, with fhips:

(8) Twv diπO THA ραμενων κατα TNY πολιν απείρον MED ETTITTE TO Tos. Eorum autem qui per civitatem fame perierunt infinita quidem cecidit multitudo. Bell. Jud. Lib. 6. Cap. 3. Sec. 3. p. 1274.

των απολυμένων κατα παι

tius autem obfidionis tempore undecies centena hominum millia perierunt. Ib. Cap. 9. Sect. 3. p. 1291. Edit. Hudson.

(9) Hift. of the Jews, B. 1. Ch. 8. Sect. 19. See too the conclufion of Uther's Annals. (1) Jofeph. Ant. Lib. 12.

σαν την πολιορκία» [αριθμος ] Cap. 1 & 2, μυριάδες ἑκατον και δέκα. to

(2) τως ὑπερ ἐπλακαιδικά

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Ships: and there ye shall be fold unto your enemies for bondmen and bond-women, and no man fhall buy you They had come out of Egypt triumphant, but now they should return thither as flaves. They had walked thro' the fea as dry land at their coming out, but now they should be carried thither in ships. They might be carried thither in the ships of the Tyrian or Sidonian merchants, or by the Romans who had a fleet in the Mediterranean: and this was a much fafer way of conveying fo many prifoners, than fending them by land. It appears from (1) Jofephus that in the reigns of the two first Ptolemies many of the Jews were flaves in Egypt. And when Jerufalem was taken by Titus, (2) of the captives who were above 17 years he fent many bound to the works in Egypt; thofe under 17 were fold: but fo little care was taken of these captives, that eleven thousand of them perished for want. learn from (3) St. Jerome, that

And we after their • laft

vendiri funt. Iifdem autem diebus, dum aFrontone fecernebantur, ex inedia perierunt XI.

στη δήσας επεμψεν εις τα κατ' Αιγυπτον έργα, o Tos iziana dexa ETWV Sancar. ptafoar d' autar ED ais SexpVermillia. Bell. Jud. Lib. 6. Cap. Φρόντων ήμεραις ὑπ' ενδείας, χι- 9, Sect. 2. p. 1291. Edit, Hudλιοι προς τοις μυρίοις. annis XVII fon. majores vinctos ad metalla exercenda in Ægyptum mifit; -Quicunque vero infra XVII annum ataiis erant, fub corona

4

(3)-post ultimam everfionemquam fuftinuerunt ab Adriano, multa hominum millia venundata int; et quæ vendi non potuerint,

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laft overthrow by Adrian, many thousands of them were fold, and thofe who could not be fold, were tranfported into Egypt, and perished by shipwrack or famin, or were maffacred by the inhabitants.

8. They were to be rooted out of their own land, ver. 63, And ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goeft to poffefs it. They were indeed plucked from off their own land, when the ten tribes were carried into captivity by the king of Affyria, and other nations were planted in their stead; and when the two other tribes were carried away captive to Babylon; and when the Romans took away their place and nation; besides other captivities and transportations of the people. Afterwards, when the Emperor Adrian had fubdued the rebellious Jews, he published an (4) edict forbidding them upon pain of death to fet foot in Jerufalem, ar even to approach the country round about it. Tertullian and Jerome fay, (5) that they were prohibited from entring into Judea. From that time to this their country hath been in the poffeffion

potuerint, tranflata in Egyptum; et tam naufragio & fame quam gentium cæde truncata. Hieron. in Zachariam Cap. 11. p. 1774. Vol. 3. Edit. Benedict.

(4)Juftin.Martyr. Apol.1.ma. p. 71. Edit. Thirlbii. Eufeb. Ecclef. Hift. Lib. 4. Cap. 6.

(5) Tertull. Apol. Cap. 21. p. 19. Edit. Rigaltii. Par. 1675.

Hieron,

poffeffion of foreign lords and masters, few of the Jews dwelling in it, and those only of a low fervile condition. Benjamin of Tudela in Spain, a celebrated Jew of the twelfth century, traveled into all parts to vifit those of his own nation, and to learn an exact ftate of their affairs: and he (6) hath reported, that Jerufalem was almoft entirely abandoned by the Jews. He found there not above two hundred perfons, who were for the most part dyers of wool, and who every year purchafed the privilege of the monopoly of that trade. They lived all together. under David's tower, and made there a very little figure. If Jerufalem had fo few Jews in it, the rest of the holy land was still more depopulate. He found two of them in one city, twenty in another, moft whereof were dyers. In other places there were more perfons; but in upper Galilee, where the nation was in greatest repute after the ruin of Jerufalem, he found hardly any Jews at all. A very accurate and faithful (7) traveler of our own nation, who was himself alfo in the holy land, faith that

Hieron. in Ifaiam. Cap. 6. p. 65. in Dan. Cap. 9. p. 1117. Vol. 3. Edit. Benedict.

(6) See Benjamin. Itin. and

Bafnage's Hift of the Jews. B. 7. Chap. 7.

(7) Sandys Travels. Book 3. p. 114. 7th Edit.

(8) Bafnage's

that

it is for the most part now inhabited by "Moors and Arabians; thofe poffeffing the valleys, and these the mountains. Turks "there be few: but many Greeks with other "Chriftians of all fects and nations, fuch as impute to the place an adherent holiness. "Here be alfo fome Jews, yet inherit they no part of the land, but in their own country do "live as aliens."

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9. But they were not only to be plucked off from their own land, but alfo to be difperfed into all nations, ver. 25, And thou shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth; and again ver. 64, And the Lord fhall fcatter thee among all people, from one end of the earth even unto the other. Nehemiah (I. 8, 9.) confesseth that these words were fulfilled in the Babylonish captivity; but they have more amply been fulfilled fince the great difperfion of the Jews by the Romans. What people indeed have been scattered so far and wide as they? and where is the nation, which is a stranger to them, or to which they are ftrangers? They fwarm in many parts of the Eaft, are fpread thro' most of the countries of Europe and Afric, and there are feveral families of them in the Weft Indies. They circulate through all parts, where trade and money circulate; and are, as I may fay, the brokers of the whole world.

10. But

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