Deuteronomy 28:34 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ver. 34. So that thou shalt be mad, for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see— Into what madness, fury, and desperation, have they been pushed by the cruel usage, extortions, and oppressions which they have undergone! We will adduce only two familiar instances, one from ancient, and one from modern history. After the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, some of the Jews took refuge in the castle of Masada; where being closely besieged by the Romans, they, at the persuasion of Eleazar their leader, first murdered their wives and children; then ten men were chosen by lot to slay the rest; this being done, one of the ten was chosen in like manner to kill the other nine; which having executed, he set fire to the place, and then stabbed himself. There were nine hundred and sixty who perished in this miserable manner, and only two women and five boys escaped, by hiding themselves in the aqueducts under ground. See Josephus, de Bell. Jud. lib. 6: cap. 8, 9. Edit. Hudson. In the reign of Richard I. when the people were in arms to make a general massacre of them, fifteen hundred of them seized on the city of York to defend themselves; but being besieged, they offered to capitulate, and ransom their lives with money. The offer being refused, one of them cried in despair, that it was better to die courageously for the law, than to fall into the hands of the Christians. Every one immediately took his knife, and stabbed his wife and children; after which, retiring into the king's palace, they set it on fire, and thus consumed themselves, with the building and furniture. This fact is related by Basnage, in his history of the Jews, book 7: chap. 10: sect. 20 who cites Matthew Paris and Polydore Virgil. Bishop Newton.