
70 BC to 50 BC, Psalm 44: the sign of Esau.
This generation is that of the years between 70 BC and 50 BC.
Flavius Josephus finishes the thirteenth book of « Jewish Antiquities » on the balance of the reign of Alexandra with this conclusion which introduces the present generation quite clearly:
- Thus [1] his death (of Alexandra) was followed by troubles and misfortunes; but all his reign passed in peace.
Antipas (Antipater) thus organizes the flight of Hyrcanus to Petra under the protection of Arab king Aretas, to whom Hyrcan makes territorial promises in case he regains the throne. Armed with this promise, Aretas sends an army of fifty thousand men against Aristobulus. Taking advantage of this fratricidal struggle, the Romans invite themselves to Judea.
Pompey, in a tactical concern, initially seemed to support Aristobulus, but did not stop testing him and ended up being given the sovereignty of the fortresses of Judea.
- Then [2] when the biggest tower had been shaken by the machines, and that in falling it had made fall with her the wall which was near, the Romans pressed to enter the breach. The first to climb was Cornelius Faustus, son of Sylla, followed by those whom he commanded. Furius entered on the other side with his company, and Fabius gave between them two, and also entered with his. Everything was immediately filled with dead bodies. Some of the Jews were killed by the Romans; others killed each other themselves, or rushed or set fire to their houses, death seeming sweeter to them than such frightful desolation. Twelve thousand Jews perished there, few Romans, and Absalon, uncle and father-in-law of Aristobulus, was taken. The sanctity of the Temple was violated in a strange manner, for instead of the heathen, not only had the laymen never set foot in the sanctuary, but had never seen it. Pompey entered it with several of his suite, and saw what was not permitted to look only at the priests. There he found the table, the candlesticks and the golden bowls, a great quantity of perfumes, and in the sacred treasure about two thousand talents. His piety prevented him from wanting to touch it, and he did nothing in this occasion, which was not worthy of his virtue.
(extract of the psalm 44 associated to this generation, verses 1 to 10 )
- For the conductor, of the sons of Korah, a maskil.
- O God, with our ears we heard, our forefathers told us; You performed a deed in their days, in days of old.
- You-[with] Your hand You drove out nations and planted them; You inflicted harm on kingdoms and sent them away.
- For not by their sword did they inherit the land, neither did their arm save them, but Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your countenance, for You favored them.
- You are my King, O God; command the salvations of Jacob.
- With You, we will gore our adversaries; with Your name, we will trample those who rise up against us.
- For I do not trust in my bow, neither will my sword save me.
- For You saved us from our adversaries and You put our enemies to shame.
- We praised [ourselves] with God all day long, and we will forever thank Your name, yea forever.
- But now you have rejected and humbled us; you no longer go out with our armies.
- It was [3] thus that the division of Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, which was the cause of so many evils, made us lose our liberty, subjugated us to the Roman Empire, and compelled us to render what we had conquered. by arms in Syria (which at the time included Judea). To which we must add that these new masters demanded from us soon after more than ten thousand talents, and transferred to men whose birth was not illustrious the kingdom which had always been previously in the priestly race. But we will speak more specifically in their place of all these things.
- Crassus [4], going to war with the Parthians, passed through Judea, and took in the Temple of Jerusalem not only the two thousand talents to which Pompey had refused to touch, but all the gold he found there, which amounted to eight thousand talents. He also took a solid gold beam weighing three hundred mines, each mine weighing two and a half pounds.
(extract of the psalm 44 associated to this generation, verse 11 )
- You make us retreat from the adversary, and our enemies plunder for themselves;
If Jerusalem is associated with the Jewish people and consequently with Jacob, Rome is associated with Esau, to whom Isaac has promised sovereignty.
(extract of the psalm 44 associated to this generation, verses 12 to 27 )
- You deliver us as sheep to be eaten, and You scatter us among the nations.
- You sell Your people without gain, and You did not increase their price;
- You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to those around us;
- You make us a byword among the nations, a [cause for] shaking the head among the kingdoms.
- All day long, my disgrace is before me, and the shame of my face has covered me.
- From the voice of the one who taunts and blasphemes, because of an enemy and an avenger.
- All this has befallen us and we have not forgotten You, neither have we betrayed Your covenant.
- Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps turned away from Your path
- -even when You crushed us in a place of serpents, and You covered us with darkness.
- If we forgot the name of our God and spread out our palms to a strange god,
- Will God not search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.
- For it is for Your sake that we are killed all the time, [that] we are considered as sheep for the slaughter.
- Awaken! Why should You sleep, O Lord? Arouse Yourself, forsake not forever.
- Why do You hide Your countenance? [Why do] You forget our affliction and oppression?
- For our soul is cast down to the dust, our belly clings to the earth.
- Arise to assist us and redeem us for the sake of Your kindness.
[1] Flavius Josephus / Jewish Antiquities / End of book thirteenth (end of chapter 24) (French: Flavius Josèphe/Antiquités Juives/Fin du livre treizième (fin du chapitre 24) )
[2] Flavius Josephus / Jewish Antiquities / Book Fourteenth / Chapter 8 (French: Flavius Josèphe/Antiquités Juives/Livre Quatorzième/Chapitre 8 )
[3] Flavius Josephus / Jewish Antiquities / Book Fourteenth / End of Chapter 8 (French: Flavius Josèphe/Antiquités Juives/Livre Quatorzième/fin du chapitre 8 )
[4] Flavius Josephus / Jewish Antiquities / Book Fourteenth / Chapter 12 (Flavius Josèphe/Antiquités Juives/Livre Quatorzième/chapitre 12 )