emselves as they please, and to indulge their
appetites in a foreign war, and then, out of their barbarity in
murdering men, and out of their hatred to the Jews, get it ascribed to
the Romans?" for this infamous practice was said to be spread among some
of his own soldiers also. Titus then threatened that he would put such
men to death, if any of them were discovered to be so insolent as to
do so again; moreover, he gave it in charge to the legions, that they
should make a search after such as were suspected, and should bring
them to him. But it appeared that the love of money was too hard for all
their dread of punishment, and a vehement desire of gain is natural to
men, and no passion is so venturesome as covetousness; otherwise such
passions have certain bounds, and are subordinate to fear. But in
reality it was God who condemned the whole nation, and turned every
course that was taken for their preservation to their destruction. This,
therefore, which was forbidden by Caesar under such a threatening, was
ventured upon privately against the deserters, and these barbarians
would go out still, and meet those that ran away before any saw them,
and looking about them to see that no Roman spied them, they dissected
them, and pulled this polluted money out of their bowels; which money
was still found in a few of them, while yet a great many were destroyed
by the bare hope there was of thus getting by them, which miserable
treatment made many that were deserting to return back again into the
city.

6. But as for John, when he could no longer plunder the people,
he betook himself to sacrilege, and melted down many of the sacred
utensils, which had been given to the temple; as also many of those
vessels which were necessary for such as ministered about holy things,
the caldrons, the dishes, and the tables; nay, he did not abstain from
those pouring vessels that were sent them by Augustus and his wife; for
the Roman emperors did ever both honor and adorn this temple; whereas
this man, who was a Jew, seized upon what were the donations of
foreigners, and said to those that were with him, that it was proper for
them to use Divine things, while they were fighting for the Divinity,
without fear, and that such whose warfare is for the temple should live
of the temple; on which account he emptied the vessels of that
sacred wine and oil, which the priests kept to be poured on the
burnt-offerings, and which lay in the inner court of t