VESPASIAN was nominated by the Emperor Nero, to manage the War against the Jews,1 in the 66th Year of the Vulgar Æra. He was then in Achaia with the Emperor, and began immediately to get together such Troops as he should have occasion for, knowing the great Importance of this Undertaking. He did not come into Judea till the Year 67, and began the War in Galilee, where he took Gadara and Jotapata, the latter of which Places was defended by Josephus in Person. Thence he returned to Ptolemais, and thence to Cæsarea, where he gave his Army some Refreshment for a time. Then he began the War again, and took Tiberias, Tarichea, and Gamala, and thus made himself Master of all Galilee. The Year following, which was the 68th of Jesus Christ, in order to prepare for the Siege of Jerusalem, Vespasian took care to make himself Master of all the Posts and strong Places round about.
In the mean time Nero dies, in this Year 68, and Galba was declared Emperor; but was killed at the Beginning of the Year following. Vitellius was proclaimed Emperor at Cologn, and at the same time Otho was made Emperor at Rome. Otho losing the Battel at Bebriac, slew himself on the 15th of April, in the Year 69, and Vitellius was acknowledged Emperor alone, and reigned about eight Months. While this was doing, Vespasian was declared Emperor by the Army then at Alexandria, on the first of July, in the same Year; and by his own Army at Cæsarea, on the third of the same Month. Immediately all the East declared for him, and soon after all the West also acknowledged him as Emperor. His more necessary Affairs calling him to Italy, he left his Son Titus to manage the War of the Jews; who besieged Jerusalem, and took it in the 70th Year of the Vulgar Æra, or in the 73 Year of Christ.
Vitellius came to Rome with his Army about the middle of July, in the Year 69; and the Legions of Illyrium, who had espoused the Side of Vespasian, under the Conduct of Antonius Primus, defeated the Army of Vitellius in two Battels, near Cremona. This Prince himself was killed on the 20th of December, and Vespasian came to Rome some Time after. His Son Titus came thither also, in the Year of Christ 71. after he had reduced Judæa, and demolished Jerusalem; upon which occasion they had both together a Triumph over the Jews.2 Vespasian sold all the Lands of Judæa,3 sent a Colony to Emmaus which he called Nicopolis, and obliged the Jews to pay the Half-shekel a Head to the Capitol, which before they had paid to the Temple of Jerusalem.4 Lastly, he made a strict Enquiry for all those that were of the Lineage of David,5 in order to extirpate the whole Race, if it had been in his Power. But tho’ these Commands of his were executed with a great deal of Rigour, yet he could never succeed in destroying that illustrious Family. And this is as much of the History of this Prince, as falls in with our Design. He died on the 24th of June, in the 79th Year of Jesus Christ, at the Age of sixty-nine Years, seven Months, and seven Days, after he had reigned ten Years all but six Days. He was succeeded by his Son Titus.
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