Titus, having thus in vain endeavoured to preserve the
temple, then entered the sanctuary, and took possession of
the consecrated utensils of gold—the candlestick, the altar
of incense, and the table of shew-bread; and when he
penetrated behind the veil of the most holy place, he was
struck with awe, and instantly retired. In the same moment,
a soldier applied a torch to the sacred curtain, and the
fire furling up for ever the veil of mystery, shewed that
the God was not there! The Jews shrieked with horror, and a
wail and lamentation spread throughout the city; even the
Romans paused in consternation,—but it was only to return to
the work of slaughter with redoubled fury.
From the destruction of the temple the overthrow of
the nation may be dated, although possession of the upper
town was not obtained till the 8th of the month Elat
(September), when, as soon as the work of massacre and
pillage was over, Titus ordered his army to demolish the
city, with all its structures, palaces, and towers. He left
nothing standing but a piece of the western wall, and the
three towers of Hippicos, Phasael, and Mariamne; the former
to serve as a redoubt to one of his legions, which he left
there to prevent the Jews from re-assembling, and the three
latter as monuments to give future ages some idea of the
strength of the city, and the valour that was necessary to
the conquest. Thus was the bow of Israel for ever broken,
and her quiver emptied; and since that time I have wandered
among men, like a creature of another state of being,
without communion of mind, without sympathy, without
participation in any cares, without the hazard of any
greater misfortunes, without the hope of any improvement in
my solitary lot; a spirit interdicted from entering the
social circle, living without any motive to action, my
feelings seared up, and my purposes all done. But I felt
myself fated to be the deathless witness of the ancient
greatness of our holy people, and doomed to represent their
homeless and outcast condition, till the terrible cycle of
their sufferings be complete, and they again assemble to
reign in the land of their fathers.
When the destruction of the city was completed,
Titus ordered a tribunal to be prepared for him in the midst
of the ground where he had encamped, and calling his
officers around him, he addressed them from that lofty seat;
commended their exploits in the siege, and rewarded them,
according to their respective rank and merits, with crowns
of gold and other precious ornaments. The army applauded
this munificence to the skies. He then descended; and the
Roman priests who attended the army having provided a number
of oxen, a prodigious sacrifice was offered to the
idolatrous gods of the Romans, and the remainder was
distributed among the soldiery. The following day, leaving
the tenth legion to prevent my miserable brethren from
returning to the ruins of the city of their fathers, he
marched with his army to Cesaria.
When the main body of the Romans had been thus
removed from Jerusalem some time, several of the
inhabitants, who had been scattered by the issue of the
siege, returned to look among the wreck of their habitations
for any relics that might yet be found of their former
property. One morning, as I was wandering among the ruins,
observing these unhappy persons, and burning with
indignation at the taunts which they endured from the Roman
soldiers, I beheld a ghastly form, clothed in white, and
wearing a purple cloak, rising out of the earth in the
centre of the spot where the temple once stood. The
soldiers, so loud in their derision, were struck with awe at
the sight, and stood still for some time, believing that it
was a supernatural apparition. Having, however, mustered
courage, they approached and demanded who he was, and what
he wanted. But the mysterious being, instead of answering,
ordered them to call their captain. I now also advanced, and
saw that it was no other than Simon, who had taken so large
a share in the revolt against the Romans, and whom it was
thought had perished in the burning of the temple. He had,
however, concealed himself, with a few of his most devoted
followers, in a secret cavern; and, having provided
themselves with a stock of provisions, they had there
remained until their stores were consumed. Terentius Rufus,
the Roman commander, on being informed by the troops,
hastened to the spot, and hearing from Simon his name,
ordered him to be seized, and sent in chains to grace the
triumph of Titus.
My heart was greatly wrung by the fate of this man;
for, although his factious spirit had raised many enemies
even among ourselves, none laboured with a more earnest
spirit to break those galling shackles with which the Romans
had held us in slavery, while they insulted our customs, and
endeavoured to destroy the records of our national
independence and glorious history. It is true, that by the
revolt the nation was dispersed, and our kindred carried
into captivity; but Jerusalem fell not without a struggle.
The greatness of the vengeance of Titus bore testimony to
the valour of Israel; and the indignities offered to Simon
was evidence of the fidelity and enterprise with which he
had endeavoured to redeem the independence of the people.
Seeing the melancholy condition to which Simon was
reduced, and having myself no home, I resolved to pass with
the captives to Italy; and reached the neighbourhood of Rome
on the evening preceding the day appointed for the triumph
decreed to Titus.
Early in the morning, Vespasian the emperor, and
Titus, who had rested during the night in the temple of
Isis, came out crowned with laurel; and, clothed in the
ancient purple robes of their dignity, walked to where a
stage, with ivory chairs, had been prepared for them, and
where the senate, the magistrates of Rome, and the members
of the equestrian order, were assembled. When they had
seated themselves, and received the congratulations of these
public personages, amidst the acclamation of the soldiers
and the people, a solemn sacrifice was offered to their
gods, and the whole army feasted, according to the Roman
custom, on the choicest portions of the victims. But the
triumphal procession I cannot describe : my eyes were
dazzled with the splendour, while my spirit mourned for
Israel. I have therefore retained but a confused
recollection of pictures embroidered by the Babylonians, the
images of the Roman gods and of great men carried on superb
chariots, and vast machines, towering above the houses,
loaded with the richest trophies. I bowed my head to the
earth when I beheld the sacred vessels of the holy temple
borne along; and heard and saw not that this gorgeous train
of ruin was terminated by a person bearing that copy of the
law, which had been preserved for so many ages in the
hallowed archives of the sanctuary. Soon after, a terrible
shout announced that the unfortunate Simon, who had been
ignominiously dragged by a rope round his neck, was put to
death in the forum.
The Romans thus gloried in the victories of Titus,
thus honoured his achievements, and erected monuments to
perpetuate his fame; but the Jews, of all the nations that
they subdued, alone preserved the integrity of their ancient
character. We were broken, but not destroyed; scattered, but
not lost!
The Wandering Jew.
