From the Taking of Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes to the Death of Herod the Great - Flavius Josephus

with their Divine worship, and were slain while they were offering their
drink-offerings, and burning their incense, as preferring the duties about their
worship to God before their own preservation. The greatest part of them
were slain by their own countrymen, of the adverse faction, and an
innumerable multitude threw themselves down precipices; nay, some there
were who were so distracted among the insuperable difficulties they were
under, that they set fire to the buildings that were near to the wall, and were
burnt together with them. Now of the Jews were slain twelve thousand; but
of the Romans very few were slain, but a greater number was wounded.
6. But there was nothing that affected the nation so much, in the
calamities they were then under, as that their holy place, which had been
hitherto seen by none, should be laid open to strangers; for Pompey, and
those that were about him, went into the temple itself (1) whither it was not
lawful for any to enter but the high priest, and saw what was reposited
therein, the candlestick with its lamps, and the table, and the pouring vessels,
and the censers, all made entirely of gold, as also a great quantity of spices
heaped together, with two thousand talents of sacred money. Yet did not he
touch that money, nor any thing else that was there reposited; but he
commanded the ministers about the temple, the very next day after he had
taken it, to cleanse it, and to perform their accustomed sacrifices. Moreover,
he made Hyrcanus high priest, as one that not only in other respects had
showed great alacrity, on his side, during the siege, but as he had been the
means of hindering the multitude that was in the country from fighting for
Aristobulus, which they were otherwise very ready to have done; by which
means he acted the part of a good general, and reconciled the people to him
more by benevolence than by terror. Now, among the Captives, Aristobulus's
father-in-law was taken, who was also his uncle: so those that were the most
guilty he punished with decollatlon; but rewarded Faustus, and those with
him that had fought so bravely, with glorious presents, and laid a tribute
upon the country, and upon Jerusalem itself.
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