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diff --git a/old/lfjos10.txt b/old/lfjos10.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f446238 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/lfjos10.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2770 @@ +**The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Life of Flavius Josephus** +#1 in our series by Flavius Josephus translated by William Whiston + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the copyright laws for your country before posting these files!! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. 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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + +Prepared by David Reed haradda@aol.com or davidr@inconnect.com + + + + + +The Life of Flavius Josephus. + +by Flavius Josephus + + + + +Translated by William Whiston + + + + +1. The family from which I am derived is not an ignoble one, but +hath descended all along from the priests; and as nobility among +several people is of a different origin, so with us to be of the +sacerdotal dignity, is an indication of the splendor of a family. +Now, I am not only sprung from a sacerdotal family in general, +but from the first of the twenty-four (1) courses; and as among +us there is not only a considerable difference between one family +of each course and another, I am of the chief family of that +first course also; nay, further, by my mother I am of the royal +blood; for the children of Asamoneus, from whom that family was +derived, had both the office of the high priesthood, and the +dignity of a king, for a long time together. I will accordingly +set down my progenitors in order. My grandfather's father was +named Simon, with the addition of Psellus: he lived at the same +time with that son of Simon the high priest, who first of all the +high priests was named Hyrcanus. This Simon Psellus had nine +sons, one of whom was Matthias, called Ephlias: he married the +daughter of Jonathan the high priest, which Jonathan was the +first of the sons of Asamoneus, who was high priest, and was the +brother of Simon the high priest also. This Matthias had a son +called Matthias Curtus, and that in the first year of the +government of Hyrcanus: his son's name was Joseph, born in the +ninth year of the reign of Alexandra: his son Matthias was born +in the tenth year of the reign of Archclaus; as was I born to +Matthias in the first year of the reign of Caius Caesar. I have +three sons: Hyrcanus, the eldest, was born in the fourth year of +the reign of Vespasian, as was Justus born in the seventh, and +Agrippa in the ninth. Thus have I set down the genealog of my +family as I have found it described (2) in the public records, +and so bid adieu to those who calumniate me [as of a lower +original]. + +2. Now, my father Matthias was not only eminent on account of is +nobility, but had a higher commendation on account of his +righteousness, and was in great reputation in Jerusalem, the +greatest city we have. I was myself brought up with my brother, +whose name was Matthias, for he was my own brother, by both +father and mother; and I made mighty proficiency in the +improvements of my learning, and appeared to have both a great +memory and understanding. Moreover, when I was a child, and about +fourteen years of age, I was commended by all for the love I had +to learning; on which account the high priests and principal men +of the city came then frequently to me together, in order to know +my opinion about the accurate understanding of points of the law. +And when I was about sixteen years old, I had a mind to make trim +of the several sects that were among us. These sects are three: - +The first is that of the Pharisees, the second that Sadducees, +and the third that of the Essens, as we have frequently told you; +for I thought that by this means I might choose the best, if I +were once acquainted with them all; so I contented myself with +hard fare, and underwent great difficulties, and went through +them all. Nor did I content myself with these trials only; but +when I was informed that one, whose name was Banus, lived in the +desert, and used no other clothing than grew upon trees, and had +no other food than what grew of its own accord, and bathed +himself in cold water frequently, both by night and by day, in +order to preserve his chastity, I imitated him in those things, +and continued with him three years. (3) So when I had +accomplished my desires, I returned back to the city, being now +nineteen years old, and began to conduct myself according to the +rules of the sect of the Pharisees, which is of kin to the sect +of the Stoics, as the Greeks call them. + +3. But when I was in the twenty-sixth year of my age, it happened +that I took a voyage to Rome, and this on the occasion which I +shall now describe. At the time when Felix was procurator of +Judea there were certain priests of my acquaintance, and very +excellent persons they were, whom on a small and trifling +occasion he had put into bonds, and sent to Rome to plead their +cause before Caesar. These I was desirous to procure deliverance +for, and that especially because I was informed that they were +not unmindful of piety towards God, even under their afflictions, +but supported themselves with figs and nuts. (4) Accordingly I +came to Rome, though it were through a great number of hazards by +sea; for as our ship was drowned in the Adriatic Sea, we that +were in it, being about six hundred in number, (5) swam for our +lives all the night; when, upon the first appearance of the day, +and upon our sight of a ship of Cyrene, I and some others, eighty +in all, by God's providence, prevented the rest, and were taken +up into the other ship. And when I had thus escaped, and was come +to Dieearchia, which the Italians call Puteoli, I became +acquainted with Aliturius, an actor of plays, and much beloved by +Nero, but a Jew by birth; and through his interest became known +to Poppea, Caesar's wife, and took care, as soon as possible, to +entreat her to procure that the priests might be set at liberty. +And when, besides this favor, I had obtained many presents from +Poppea, I returned home again. + +4. And now I perceived innovations were already begun, and that +there were a great many very much elevated in hopes of a revolt +from the Romans. I therefore endeavored to put a stop to these +tumultuous persons, and persuaded them to change their minds; and +laid before their eyes against whom it was that they were going +to fight, and told them that they were inferior to the Romans not +only in martial skill, but also in good fortune; and desired them +not rashly, and after the most foolish manner, to bring on the +dangers of the most terrible mischiefs upon their country, upon +their families, and upon themselves. And this I said with +vehement exhortation, because I foresaw that the end of such a +war would be most unfortunate to us. But I could not persuade +them; for the madness of desperate men was quite too hard for me. + +5. I was then afraid, lest, by inculcating these things so often, +I should incur their hatred and their suspicions, as if I were of +our enemies' party, and should run into the danger of being +seized by them, and slain; since they were already possessed of +Antonia, which was the citadel; so I retired into the inner court +of the temple. Yet did I go out of the temple again, after +Manahem and the principal of the band of robbers were put to +death, when I abode among the high priests and the chief of the +Pharisees. But no small fear seized upon us when we saw the +people in arms, while we ourselves knew not what we should do, +and were not able to restrain the seditious. However, as the +danger was directly upon us, we pretended that we were of the +same opinion with them, but only advised them to be quiet for the +present, and to let the enemy go away, still hoping that Gessius +[Florus] would not be long ere he came, and that with great +forces, and so put an end to these seditious proceedings. + +6. But, upon his coming and fighting, he was beaten, and a great +many of those that were with him fell. And this disgrace which +Gessius [with Cestius] received, became the calamity of our whole +nation; for those that were fond of the war were so far elevated +with this success, that they had hopes of finally conquering the +Romans. Of which war another occasion was ministered; which was +this: - Those that dwelt in the neighboring cities of Syria +seized upon such Jews as dwelt among them, with their wives and +children, and slew them, when they had not the least occasion of +complaint against them; for they did neither attempt any +innovation or revolt from the Romans, nor had they given any +marks of hatred or treacherous designs towards the Syrians. But +what was done by the inhabitants of Scythopolis was the most +impious and most highly criminal of all; (6) for when the Jews +their enemies came upon them from without, they forced the Jews +that were among them to bear arms against their own countrymen, +which it is unlawful for us to do; (7) and when, by their +assistance, they had joined battle with those who attacked them, +and had beaten them, after that victory they forgot the +assurances they had given these their fellow citizens and +confederates, and slew them all, being in number many ten +thousands [13,000]. The like miseries were undergone by those +Jews that were the inhabitants of Damascus. But we have given a +more accurate account of these things in the books of the Jewish +war. I only mention them now, because I would demonstrate to my +readers, that the Jews' war with the Romans was not voluntary, +but that, for the main, they were forced by necessity to enter +into it. + +7. So when Gessius had been beaten, as we have said already, the +principal men of Jerusalem, seeing that the robbers and +innovators had arms in great plenty, and fearing lest they, while +they were unprovided of arms, should be in subjection to their +enemies, which also came to be the case afterward; and, being +informed that all Galilee had not yet revolted from the Romans, +but that some part of it was still quiet; they sent me and two +others of the priests, who were men of excellent characters, +Joazar and Judas, in order to persuade the ill men there to lay +down their arms, and to teach them this lesson, - That it were +better to have those arms reserved for the most courageous men +that the nation had [than to be kept there]; for that it had been +resolved, That those our best men should always have their arms +ready against futurity; but still so, that they should wait to +see what the Romans would do. + +8. When I had therefore received these instructions, I came into +Galilee, and found the people of Sepphoris in no small agony +about their country, by reason that the Galileans had resolved to +plunder it, on account of the friendship they had with the +Romans, and because they had given their right hand, and made a +league with Cestius Gallus, the president of Syria. But I +delivered them all out of the fear they were in, and persuaded +the multitude to deal kindly with them, and permitted them to +send to those that were their own hostages with Gessius to Dora, +which is a city of Phoenicia, as often as they pleased; though I +still found the inhabitants of Tiberias ready to take arms, and +that on the occasion following: - + +9. There were three factions in this city. The first was composed +of men of worth and gravity; of these Julius Capellus was the +head. Now he, as well as all his companions, Herod the son of +Miarus, and Herod the son of Gamalus, and Compsus the son of +Compsus; (for as to Compsus's brother Crispus, who had once been +governor of the city under the great king [Agrippa] (8) he was +beyond Jordan in his own possessions;) all these persons before +named gave their advice, that the city should then continue in +their allegiance to the Romans and to the king. But Pistus, who +was guided by his son Justus, did not acquiesce in that +resolution; otherwise he was himself naturally of a good and +virtuous character. But the second faction was composed of the +most ignoble persons, and was determined for war. But as for +Justus, the son of Pistus, who was the head of the third faction, +although he pretended to be doubtful about going to war, yet was +he really desirous of innovation, as supposing that he should +gain power to himself by the change of affairs. He therefore came +into the midst of them, and endeavored to inform the multitude +that "the city Tiberius had ever been a city of Galilee, and that +in the days of Herod the tetrarch, who had built it, it had +obtained the principal place, and that he had ordered that the +city Sepphoris should be subordinate to the city Tiberias; that +they had not lost this preeminence even under Agrippa the father, +but had retained it until Felix was procurator of Judea. But he +told them, that now they had been so unfortunate as to be made a +present by Nero to Agrippa, junior; and that, upon Sepphoris's +submission of itself to the Romans, that was become the capital +city of Galilee, and that the royal library and the archives were +now removed from them." When he had spoken these things, and a +great many more, against king Agrippa, in order to provoke the +people to a revolt, he added that "this was the time for them to +take arms, and join with the Galileans as their confederates +(whom they might command, and who would now willingly assist +them, out of the hatred they bare to the people of Sepphoris; +because they preserved their fidelity to the Romans), and to +gather a great number of forces, in order to punish them." And as +he said this, he exhorted the multitude, [to go to war;] for his +abilities lay in making harangues to the people, and in being too +hard in his speeches for such as opposed him, though they advised +what was more to their advantage, and this by his craftiness and +his fallacies, for he was not unskilful in the learning of the +Greeks; and in dependence on that skill it was, that he undertook +to write a history of these affairs, as aiming, by this way of +haranguing, to disguise the truth. But as to this man, and how +ill were his character and conduct of life, and how he and his +brother were, in great measure, the authors of our destruction, I +shall give the reader an account in the progress of my narration. +So when Justus had, by his persuasions, prevailed with the +citizens of Tiberias to take arms, nay, and had forced a great +many so to do against their wills, he went out, and set the +villages that belonged to Gadara and Hippos on fire; which +villages were situated on the borders of Tiberias, and of the +region of Scythopolis. + +10. And this was the state Tiberias was now in. But as for +Gischala, its affairs were thus: - When John, the son of Levi, +saw some of the citizens much elevated upon their revolt from the +Romans, he labored to restrain them, and entreated them that they +would keep their allegiance to them. But he could not gain his +purpose, although he did his endeavors to the utmost; for the +neighboring people of Gadara, Gabara, and Sogana, wth the +Tyrians, got together a great army, and fell upon Gischala, and +took Gischala by force, and set it on fire; and when they had +entirely demolished it, they returned home. Upon which John was +so enraged, that he armed all his men, and joined battle with the +people forementioned; and rebuilt Gischala after a manner better +than before, and fortified it with walls for its future security. + +11. But Gamala persevered in its allegiance to the Romans, for +the reason following: - Philip, the son of Jacimus, who was their +governor under king Agrippa, had been unexpectedly preserved when +the royal palace at Jerusalem had been besieged; but, as he fled +away, had fallen into another danger, and that was, of being +killed by Manahem, and the robbers that were with him; but +certain Babylonians, who were of his kindred, and were then in +Jerusalem, hindered the robbers from executing their design. So +Philip staid there four days, and fled away on the fifth, having +disguised himself with fictitious hair, that he might not be +discovered; and when he was come to one of the villages to him +belonging, but one that was situated at the borders of the +citadel of Gamala, he sent to some of those that were under him, +and commanded them to come to him. But God himself hindered that +his intention, and this for his own advantage also; for had it +not so happened, he had certainly perished. For a fever having +seized upon him immediately, he wrote to Agrippa and Bernice, and +gave them to one of his freed-men to carry them to Varus, who at +this time was procurator of the kingdom, which the king and his +sister had intrusted him withal, while they were gone to Berytus +with an intention of meeting Gessius. When Varus had received +these letters of Philip, and had learned that he was preserved, +he was very uneasy at it, as supposing that he should appear +useless to the king and his sister, now Philip was come. He +therefore produced the carrier of the letters before the +multitude, and accused him of forging the same; and said that he +spake falsely when he related that Philip was at Jerusalem, +fighting among the Jews against the Romans. So he slew him. And +when this freed-man of Philip did not return again, Philip was +doubtful what should be the occasion of his stay, and sent a +second messenger with letters, that he might, upon his return, +inform him what had befallen the other that had been sent before, +and why he tarried so long. Varus accused this messenger also, +when he came, of telling a falsehood, and slew him. For he was +puffed up by the Syrians that were at Caesarea, and had great +expectations; for they said that Agrippa would be slain by the +Romans for the crimes which the Jews had committed, and that he +should himself take the government, as derived from their kings; +for Varus was, by the confession of all, of the royal family, as +being a descendant of Sohemus, who had enjoyed a tetrarchy about +Libanus; for which reason it was that he was puffed up, and kept +the letters to himself. He contrived, also, that the king should +not meet with those writings, by guarding all the passes, lest +any one should escape, and inform the king what had been done. He +moreover slew many of the Jews, in order to gratify the Syrians +of Cesarea. He had a mind also to join with the Trachonites in +Batanea, and to take up arms and make an assault upon the +Babylonian Jews that were at Ecbatana; for that was the name they +went by. He therefore called to him twelve of the Jews of +Cesarea, of the best character, and ordered them to go to +Ecbatana, and inform their countrymen who dwelt there, That Varus +hath heard that "you intend to march against the king; but, not +believing that report, he hath sent us to persuade you to lay +down your arms, and that this compliance will be a sign that he +did well not to give credit to those that raised the report +concerning you." He also enjoined them to send seventy of their +principal men to make a defense for them as to the accusation +laid against them. So when the twelve messengers came to their +countrymen at Ecbatana, and found that they had no designs of +innovation at all, they persuaded them to send the seventy men +also; who, not at all suspecting what would come, sent them +accordingly. So these seventy went down to Caesarea, together +with the twelve ambassadors; where Varus met them with the king's +forces, and slew them all, together with the [twelve] (9) +ambassadors, and made an expedition against the Jews of Ecbatana. +But one there was of the seventy who escaped, and made haste to +inform the Jews of their coming; upon which they took their arms, +with their wives and children, and retired to the citadel at +Gamala, leaving their own villages full of all sorts of good +things, and having many ten thousands of cattle therein. When +Philip was informed of these things, he also came to the citadel +of Gamala; and when he was come, the multitude cried aloud, and +desired him to resume the government, and to make an expedition +against Varus, and the Syrians of Cesarea; for it was reported +that they had slain the king. But Philip restrained their zeal, +and put them in mind of the benefits the king had bestowed upon +them; and told them how powerful the Romans were, and said it was +not for their advantage to make war with them; and at length he +prevailed with them. But now, when the king was acquainted with +Varus's design, which was to cut off the Jews of Caesarea, being +many ten thousands, with their wives and children, and all in one +day, he called to him Equiculus Modius, and sent him to be +Varus's successor, as we have elsewhere related. But still Philip +kept possession of the citadel of Gamala, and of the country +adjoining to it, which thereby continued in their allegiance to +the Romans. + +12. Now, as soon as I was come into Galilee, and had learned this +state of things by the information of such as told me of them, I +wrote to the sanhedrim at Jerusalem about them, and required +their direction what I should do. Their direction was, that I +should continue there, and that, if my fellow legates were +willing, I should join with them in the care of Galilee. But +those my fellow legates, having gotten great riches from those +tithes which as priests were their dues, and were given to them, +determined to return to their own country. Yet when I desired +them to stay so long, that we might first settle the public +affairs, they complied with me. So I removed, together with them, +from the city of Sepphoris, and came to a certain village called +Bethmaus, four furlongs distant from Tiberius; and thence I sent +messengers to the senate of Tiberius, and desired that the +principal men of the city would come to me: and when they were +come, Justus himself being also with them, I told them that I was +sent to them by the people of Jerusalem as a legate, together +with these other priests, in order to persuade them to demolish +that house which Herod the tetrarch had built there, and which +had the figures of living creatures in it, although our laws have +forbidden us to make any such figures; and I desired that they +would give us leave so to do immediately. But for a good while +Capellus and the principal men belonging to the city would not +give us leave, but were at length entirely overcome by us, and +were induced to be of our opinion. So Jesus the son of Sapphias, +one of those whom we have already mentioned as the leader of a +seditious tumult of mariners and poor people, prevented us, and +took with him certain Galileans, and set the entire palace on +fire, and thought he should get a great deal of money thereby, +because he saw some of the roofs gilt with gold. They also +plundered a great deal of the furniture, which was done without +our approbation; for after we had discoursed with Capellus and +the principal men of the city, we departed from Bethmaus, and +went into the Upper Galilee. But Jesus and his party slew all the +Greeks that were inhabitants of Tiberias, and as many others as +were their enemies before the war began. + +13. When I understood this state of things, I was greatly +provoked, and went down to Tiberias, and took all the care I +could of the royal furniture, to recover all that could be +recovered from such as had plundered it. They consisted of +candlesticks made of Corinthian brass, and of royal tables, and +of a great quantity of uncoined silver; and I resolved to +preserve whatsoever came to my hand for the king. So I sent for +ten of the principal men of the senate, and for Capellus the son +of Antyllus, and committed the furniture to them, with this +charge, That they should part with it to nobody else but to +myself. From thence I and my fellow legates went to Gichala, to +John, as desirous to know his intentions, and soon saw that he +was for innovations, and had a mind to the principality; for he +desired me to give him authority to carry off that corn which +belonged to Caesar, and lay in the villages of Upper Galilee; and +he pretended that he would expend what it came to in building the +walls of his own city. But when I perceived what he endeavored +at, and what he had in his mind, I said I would not permit him so +to do; for that I thought either to keep it for the Romans or for +myself, now I was intrusted with the public affairs there by the +people of Jerusalem. But, when he was not able to prevail with +me, he betook himself to my fellow legates; for they had no +sagacity in providing for futurity, and were very ready to take +bribes. So he corrupted them with money to decree, That all that +corn which was within his province should be delivered to him; +while I, who was but one, was outvoted by two, and held my +tongue. Then did John introduce another cunning contrivance of +his; for he said that those Jews who inhabited Cesarea Philippi, +and were shut up by the order of the king's deputy there, had +sent to him to desire him, that, since they had no oil that was +pure for their use, he would provide a sufficient quantity of +such oil for them, lest they should be forced to make use of oil +that came from the Greeks, and thereby transgress their own laws. +Now this was said by John, not out of his regard to religion, but +out of his most flagrant desire of gain; for he knew that two +sextaries were sold with them of Caesarea for one drachma, but +that at Gischala fourscore sextaxies were sold for four +sextaries. So he gave order that all the oil which was there +should be carried away, as having my permission for so doing; +which yet I did not grant him voluntarily, but only out of fear +of the multitude, since, if I had forbidden him, I should have +been stoned by them. When I had therefore permitted this to be +done by John, he gained vast sums of money by this his knavery. + +14. But when I had dismissed my fellow legates, and sent them +back to Jerusalem, I took care to have arms provided, and the +cities fortified. And when I had sent for the most hardy among +the robbers, I saw that it was not in my power to take their arms +from them; but I persuaded the multitude to allow them money as +pay, and told them it was better for them to give them a little +willingly, rather than to [be forced to] overlook them when they +plundered their goods from them. And when I had obliged them to +take an oath not to come into that country, unless they were +invited to come, or else when they had not their pay given them, +I dismissed them, and charged them neither to make an expedition +against the Romans, nor against those their neighbors that lay +round about them; for my first care was to keep Galilee in peace. +So I was willing to have the principal of the Galileans, in all +seventy, as hostages for their fidelity, but still under the +notion of friendship. Accordingly, I made them my friends and +companions as I journeyed, and set them to judge causes; and with +their approbation it was that I gave my sentences, while I +endeavored not to mistake what justice required, and to keep my +hands clear of all bribery in those determinations. + +15. I was now about the thirtieth year of my age; in which time +of life it is a hard thing for any one to escape the calumnies of +the envious, although he restrain himself from fulfilling any +unlawful desires, especially where a person is in great +authority. Yet did I preserve every woman free from injuries; and +as to what presents were offered me, I despised them, as not +standing in need of them. Nor indeed would I take those tithes, +which were due to me as a priest, from those that brought them. +Yet do I confess, that I took part of the spoils of those Syrians +which inhabited the cities that adjoined to us, when I had +conquered them, and that I sent them to my kindred at Jerusalem; +although, when I twice took Sepphoris by force, and Tiberias four +times, and Gadara once, and when I had subdued and taken John, +who often laid treacherous snares for me, I did not punish [with +death] either him or any of the people forenamed, as the progress +of this discourse will show. And on this account, I suppose, it +was that God, (10) who is never unacquainted with those that do +as they ought to do, delivered me still out of the hands of these +my enemies, and afterwards preserved me when I fell into those +many dangers which I shall relate hereafter. + +16. Now the multitude of the Galileans had that great kindness +for me, and fidelity to me, that when their cities were taken by +force, and their wives and children carried into slavery, they +did not so deeply lament for their own calamities, as they were +solicitous for my preservation. But when John saw this, he envied +me, and wrote to me, desiring that I would give him leave to come +down, and make use of the hot-baths of Tiberias for the recovery +of the health of his body. Accordingly, I did not hinder him, as +having no suspicion of any wicked designs of his; and I wrote to +those to whom I had committed the administration of the affairs +of Tiberius by name, that they should provide a lodging for John, +and for such as should come with him, and should procure him what +necessaries soever he should stand in need of. Now at this time +my abode was in a village of Galilee, which is named Cans. + +17. But when John was come to the city of Tiberias, he persuaded +the men to revolt from their fidelity to me, and to adhere to +him; and many of them gladly received that invitation of his, as +ever fond of innovations, and by nature disposed to changes, and +delighting in seditions; but they were chiefly Justus and his +father Pistus, that were earnest for their revolt from me, and +their adherence to John. But I came upon them, and prevented +them; for a messenger had come to me from Silas, whom I had made +governor of Tiberias, as I have said already, and had told me of +the inclinations of the people of Tiberias, and advised me to +make haste thither; for that, if I made any delay, the city would +come under another's jurisdiction. Upon the receipt of this +letter of Silas, I took two hundred men along with me, and +traveled all night, having sent before a messenger to let the +people of Tiberias know that I was coming to them. When I came +near to the city, which was early in the morning, the multitude +came out to meet me; and John came with them, and saluted me, but +in a most disturbed manner, as being afraid that my coming was to +call him to an account for what I was now sensible he was doing. +So he, in great haste, went to his lodging. But when I was in the +open place of the city, having dismissed the guards I had about +me, excepting one, and ten armed men that were with him, I +attempted to make a speech to the multitude of the people of +Tiberias: and, standing on a certain elevated place, I entreated +them not to be so hasty in their revolt; for that such a change +in their behavior would be to their reproach, and that they would +then justly be suspected by those that should be their governors +hereafter, as if they were not likely to be faithful to them +neither. + +18. But before I had spoken all I designed, I heard one of my own +domestics bidding me come down, for that it was not a proper time +to take care of retaining the good-will of the people of +Tiberias, but to provide for my own safety, and escape my enemies +there; for John had chosen the most trusty of those armed men +that were about him out of those thousand that he had with him, +and had given them orders when he sent them, to kill me, having +learned that I was alone, excepting some of my domestics. So +those that were sent came as they were ordered, and they had +executed what they came about, had I not leaped down from the +elevation I stood on, and with one of my guards, whose name was +James, been carried [out of the crowd] upon the back of one Herod +of Tiberias, and guided by him down to the lake, where I seized a +ship, and got into it, and escaped my enemies unexpectedly, and +came to Tarichese. + +19. Now, as soon as the inhabitants of that city understood the +perfidiousness of the people of Tiberias, they were greatly +provoked at them. So they snatched up their arms, and desired me +to be their leader against them; for they said they would avenge +their commander's cause upon them. They also carried the report +of what had been done to me to all the Galileans, and eagerly +endeavored to irritate them against the people of Tiberias, and +desired that vast numbers of them would get together, and come to +them, that they might act in concert with their commander, what +should be determined as fit to be done. Accordingly, the +Galileans came to me in great numbers, from all parts, with their +weapons, and besought me to assault Tiberias, to take it by +force, and to demolish it, till it lay even with the ground, and +then to make slaves of its inhabitants, with their wives and +children. Those that were Josephus's friends also, and had +escaped out of Tiberias, gave him the same advice. But I did not +comply with them, thinking it a terrible thing to begin a civil +war among them; for I thought that this contention ought not to +proceed further than words; nay, I told them that it was not for +their own advantage to do what they would have me to do, while +the Romans expected no other than that we should destroy one +another by our mutual seditions. And by saying this, I put a stop +to the anger of the Galileans. + +20. But now John was afraid for himself, since his treachery had +proved unsuccessful. So he took the armed men that were about +him, and removed from Tiberias to Gischala, and wrote to me to +apologize for himself concerning What had been done, as if it had +been done without his approbation, and desired me to have no +suspicion of him to his disadvantage. He also added oaths and +certain horrible curses upon himself, and supposed he should be +thereby believed in the points he wrote about to me. + +21. But now another great number of the Galileans came together +again with their weapons, as knowing the man, how wicked and how +sadly perjured he was, and desired me to lead them against him +and promised me that they would utterly both him and Gischala. +Hereupon I professed that I was obliged to them for their +readiness to serve me, and that I would more than requite their +good-will to me. However, I entreated them to restrain +themselves, and begged of them to give me leave to do what I +intended, which was to put an end to these troubles without +bloodshed; and when I had prevailed with the multitude of the +Galileans to let me do so, I came to Sepphoris. + +22. But the inhabitants of this city having determined to +continue in their allegiance to the Romans, were afraid of my +coming to them, and tried, by putting me upon another action, to +divert me, that they might be freed from the terror they were in. +Accordingly, they sent to Jesus, the captain of those robbers who +were in the confines of Ptolemais, and promised to give him a +great deal of money, if he would come with those forces he had +with him, which were in number eight hundred, and fight with us. +Accordingly, he complied with what they desired, upon the +promises they had made him, and was desirous to fall upon us when +we were unprepared for him, and knew nothing of his coming +beforehand. So he sent to me, and desired that I would give him +leave to come and salute me. When I had given him that leave, +which I did without the least knowledge of his treacherous +intentions beforehand, he took his band of robbers, and made +haste to come to me. Yet did not this his knavery succeed well at +last; for as he was already nearly approaching, one of those with +him deserted him, and came to me, and told me what he had +undertaken to do. When I was informed of this, I went into the +market-place, and pretended to know nothing of his treacherous +purpose. I took with me many Galileans that were armed, as also +some of those of Tiberias; and, when I had given orders that all +the roads should be carefully guarded, I charged the keepers of +the gates to give admittance to none but Jesus, when he came, +with the principal of his men, and to exclude the rest; and in +case they aimed to force themselves in, to use stripes [in order +to repel them]. Accordingly, those that had received such a +charge did as they were bidden, and Jesus came in with a few +others; and when I had ordered him to throw down his arms +immediately, and told him, that if he refused so to do, he was a +dead man, he seeing armed men standing all round about him, was +terrified, and complied; and as for those of his followers that +were excluded, when they were informed that he was seized, they +ran away. I then called Jesus to me by himself, and told him, +that" I was not a stranger to that treacherous design he had +against me, nor was I ignorant by whom he was sent for; that, +however, I would forgive him what he had done already, if he +would repent of it, and be faithful to me hereafter." And thus, +upon his promise to do all that I desired, I let him go, and gave +him leave to get those whom he had formerly had with him together +again. But I threatened the inhabitants of Sepphoris, that, if +they would not leave off their ungrateful treatment of me, I +would punish them sufficiently. + +23. At this time it was that two great men, who were under the +jurisdiction of the king [Agrippa] came to me out of the region +of Trachonius, bringing their horses and their arms, and carrying +with them their money also; and when the Jews would force them to +be circumcised, if they would stay among them, I would not permit +them to have any force put upon them, (11) but said to them, +"Every one ought to worship God according to his own +inclinations, and not to be constrained by force; and that these +men, who had fled to us for protection, ought not to be so +treated as to repent of their coming hither." And when I had +pacified the multitude, I provided for the men that were come to +us whatsoever it was they wanted, according to their usual way of +living, and that in great plenty also. + +24. Now king Agrippa sent an army to make themselves masters of +the citadel of Gamala, and over it Equieulus Modius; but the +forces that were sent were not allow to encompass the citadel +quite round, but lay before it in the open places, and besieged +it. But when Ebutius the decurion, who was intrusted with the +government of the great plain, heard that I was at Simonias, a +village situated in the confines of Galilee, and was distant from +him sixty furlongs, he took a hundred horsemen that were with him +by night, and a certain number of footmen, about two hundred, and +brought the inhabitants of the city Gibea along with him as +auxiliaries, and marched in the night, and came to the village +where I abode. Upon this I pitched my camp over against him, +which had a great number of forces in it: but Ebutius tried to +draw us down into the plain, as greatly depending upon his +horsemen; but we would not come down; for when I was satisfied of +the advantage that his horse would have if we came down into the +plain, while we were all footmen, I resolved to join battle with +the enemy where I was. Now Ebutius and his party made a +courageous opposition for some time; but when he saw that his +horse were useless to him in that place, he retired back to the +city Gibea, having lost three of his men in the fight. So I +followed him directy with two thousand armed men; and when I was +at the city Besara, that lay in the confines of Ptolemais, but +twenty furlongs from Gibea, where Ebutius abode, I placed my +armed men on the outside of the village, and gave orders that +they should guard the passes with great care, that the enemy +might not disturb us until we should have carried off the corn, a +great quantity of which lay there: it belonged to Bernice the +queen, and had been gathered together out of the neighboring +villages into Besara; so I loaded my camels and asses, a great +number of which I had brought along with me, and sent the corn +into Galilee. When I had done this, I offered Ebutius battle; but +when he would not accept of the offer, for he was terrified at +our readiness and courage, I altered my route, and marched +towards Neopolitanus, because I had heard that the country about +Tiberias was laid waste by him. This Neopolitanus was captain of +a troop of horse, and had the custody of Scythopolis intrusted to +his care by the enemy; and when I had hindered him from doing any +further mischief to Tiberias, I set myself to make provision for +the affairs of Galilee. + +25. But when John, the son of Levi, who, as we before told you, +abode at Gischala, was informed how all things had succeeded to +my mind, and that I was much in favor with those that were under +me, as also that the enemy were greatly afraid of me, he was not +pleased with it, as thinking my prosperity tended to his ruin. So +he took up a bitter envy and enmity against me; and hoping, that +if he could inflame those that were under me to hate me,. he +should put an end to the prosperity I was in, he tried to +persuade the inhabitants of Tiberias and of Sepphoris, (and for +those of Gabara he supposed they would be also of the same mind +with the others,) which were the greatest cities of Galilee, to +revolt from their subjection to me, and to be of his party; and +told them that he would command them better than I did. As for +the people of Sepphoris, who belonged to neither of us, because +they had chosen to be in subjection to the Romans, they did not +comply with his proposal; and for those of Tiberias, they did not +indeed so far comply as to make a revolt from under me, but they +agreed to be his friends, while the inhabitants of Gabara did go +over to John; and it was Simon that persuaded them so to do, one +who was both the principal man in the city, and a particular +friend and companion of John. It is true, these did not openly +own the making a revolt, because they were in great fear of the +Galileans, and had frequent experience of the good-will they bore +to me; yet did they privately watch for a proper opportunity to +lay snares for me; and indeed I thereby came into the greatest +danger, on the occasion following. + +26. There were some bold young men of the village of Dabaritta, +who observed that the wife of Ptolemy, the king's procurator, was +to make a progress over the great plain with a mighty attendance, +and with some horsemen that followed as a guard to them, and this +out of a country that was subject to the king and queen, into the +jurisdiction of the Romans; and fell upon them on a sudden, and +obliged the wife of Ptolemy to fly away, and plundered all the +carriages. They also came to me to Tarichese, with four mules' +loading of garments, and other furniture; and the weight of the +silver they brought was not small, and there were five hundred +pieces of gold also. Now I had a mind to preserve these spoils +for Ptolemy, who was my countryman; and it is prohibited (12) by +our laws even to spoil our enemies; so I said to those that +brought these spoils, that they ought to be kept, in order to +rebuild the walls of Jerusalem with them when they came to be +sold. But the young men took it very ill that they did not +receive a part of those spoils for themselves, as they expected +to have done; so they went among the villages in the neighborhood +of Tiberias, and told the people that I was going to betray their +country to the Romans, and that I used deceitful language to +them, when I said, that what had been thus gotten by rapine +should be kept for the rebuilding of the walls of the city of +Jerusalem; although I had resolved to restore these spoils again +to their former owner. And indeed they were herein not mistaken +as to my intentions; for when I had gotten clear of them, I sent +for two of the principal men, Dassion, and Janneus the son of +Levi, persons that were among the chief friends of the king, and +commanded them to take the furniture that had been plundered, and +to send it to him; and I threatened that I would order them to be +put to death by way of punishment, if they discovered this my +command to any other person. + +27. Now, when all Galilee was filled with this rumor, that their +country was about to be betrayed by me to the Romans, and when +all men were exasperated against me, and ready to bring me to +punishment, the inhabitants of Tarichee did also themselves +suppose that what the young men said was true, and persuaded my +guards and armed men to leave me when I was asleep, and to come +presently to the hippodrome, in order there to take counsel +against me their commander. And when they had prevailed with +them, and they were gotten together, they found there a great +company assembled already, who all joined in one clamor, to bring +the man who was so wicked to them as to betray them, to his due +punishment; and it was Jesus, the son of Sapphias, who +principally set them on. He was ruler in Tiberias, a wicked man, +and naturally disposed to make disturbances in matters of +consequence; a seditious person he was indeed, and an innovator +beyond every body else. He then took the laws of Moses into his +hands, and came into the midst of the people, and said," O my +fellow citizens! if you are not disposed to hate Josephus on your +own account, have regard, however, to these laws of your country, +which your commander-in-chief is going to betray; hate him +therefore on both these accounts, and bring the man who hath +acted thus insolently, to his deserved punishment." + +28. When he had said this, and the multitude had openly applauded +him for what he had said, he took some of the armed men, and made +haste away to the house in which I lodged, as if he would kill me +immediately, while I was wholly insensible of all till this +disturbance happened; and by reason of the pains I had been +taking, was fallen fast asleep. But Simon, who was intrusted with +the care of my body, and was the only person that stayed with me, +and saw the violent incursion the citizens made upon me, awaked +me, and told me of the danger I was in, and desired me to let him +kill me, that I might die bravely and like a general, before my +enemies came in, and forced me [to kill myself], or killed me +themselves. Thus did he discourse to me; but I committed the care +of my life to God, and made haste to go out to the multitude. +Accordingly, I put on a black garment, and hung my sword at my +neck, and went by such a different way to the hippodrome, wherein +I thought none of my adversaries would meet me; so I appeared +among them on the sudden, and fell down flat on the earth, and +bedewed the ground with my tears: then I seemed to them all an +object of compassion. And when I perceived the change that was +made in the multitude, I tried to divide their opinions before +the armed men should return from my house; so I granted them that +I had been as wicked as they supposed me to be; but still I +entreated them to let me first inform them for what use I had +kept that money which arose from the plunder, and, that they +might then kill me if they pleased: and upon the multitude's +ordering me to speak, the armed men came upon me, and when they +saw me, they ran to kill me; but when the multitude bade them +hold their hands, they complied, and expected that as soon as I +should own to them that I kept the money for the king, it would +be looked on as a confession of my treason, and they should then +be allowed to kill me. + +29. When, therefore, silence was made by the whole multitude, I +spake thus to them: "O my countrymen! I refuse not to die, if +justice so require. However, I am desirous to tell you the truth +of this matter before I die; for as I know that this city of +yours [Tarichee] was a city of great hospitality, and filled with +abundance of such men as have left their own countries, and are +come hither to be partakers of your fortune, whatever it be, I +had a mind to build walls about it, out of this money, for which +you are so angry with me, while yet it was to be expended in +building your own walls." Upon my saying this, the people of +Taricheae and the strangers cried out, that" they gave me thanks, +and desired me to be of good courage," although the Galileans and +the people of Tiberias continued in their wrath against me, +insomuch that there arose a tumult among them, while some +threatened to kill me, and some bade me not to regard them; but +when I promised them that I would build them walls at Tiberias, +and at other cities that wanted them, they gave credit to what I +promised, and returned every one to his own home. So I escaped +the forementioned danger, beyond all my hopes, and returned to my +own house, accompanied with my friends, and twenty armed men +also. + +30. However, these robbers and other authors of this tumult, who +were afraid, on their own account, lest I should punish them for +what they had done, took six hundred armed men, and came to the +house where I abode, in order to set it on fire. When this their +insult was told me, I thought it indecent for me to run away, and +I resolved to expose myself to danger, and to act with some +boldness; so I gave order to shut the doors, and went up into an +upper room, and desired that they would send in some of their men +to receive the money [from the spoils] for I told them they would +then have no occasion to be angry with me; and when they had sent +in one of the boldest of them all, I had him whipped severely, +and I commanded that one of his hands should be cut off, and hung +about his neck; and in this case was he put out to those that +sent him. At which procedure of mine they were greatly +affrighted, and in no small consternation, and were afraid that +they should themselves be served in like manner, if they staid +there; for they supposed that I had in the house more armed men +than they had themselves; so they ran away immediately, while I, +by the use of this stratagem, escaped this their second +treacherous design against me. + +31. But there were still some that irritated the multitude +against me, and said that those great men that belonged to the +king ought not to be suffered to live, if they would not change +their religion to the religion of those to whom they fled for +safety: they spake reproachfully of them also, and said that they +were wizards, and such as called in the Romans upon them. So the +multitude was soon deluded by such plausible pretenses as were +agreeable to their own inclinations, and were prevailed on by +them. But when I was informed of this, I instructed the multitude +again, that those who fled to them for refuge ought not to be +persecuted: I also laughed at the allegation about witchcraft, +(13) and told them that the Romans would not maintain so many ten +thousand soldiers, if they could overcome their enemies by +wizards. Upon my saying this, the people assented for a while; +but they returned again afterwards, as irritated by some ill +people against the great men; nay, they once made an assault upon +the house in which they dwelt at Tarichess, in order to kill +them; which, when I was informed of, I was afraid lest so horrid +a crime should take effect, and nobody else would make that city +their refuge any more. I therefore came myself, and some others +with me, to the house where these great men lived, and locked the +doors, and had a trench drawn from their house leading to the +lake, and sent for a ship, and embarked therein with them, and +sailed to the confines of Hippos: I also paid them the value of +their horses; nor in such a flight could I have their horses +brought to them. I then dismissed them, and begged of them +earnestly that they would courageously bear I this distress which +befell them. I was also myself I greatly displeased that I was +compelled to expose those that had fled to me to go again into an +enemy's country; yet did I think it more eligible that they +should perish among the Romans, if it should so happen, than in +the country that was under my jurisdiction. However, they escaped +at length, and king Agrippa forgave them their offenses. And this +was the conclusion of what concerned these men. + +32. But as for the inhabitants of the city of Tiberias, they +wrote to the king, and desired him to send them forces sufficient +to be a guard to their country; for that they were desirous to +come over to him: this was what they wrote to him. But when I +came to them, they desired me to build their walls, as I had +promised them to do; for they had heard that the walls of +Tarichess were already built. I agreed to their proposal +accordingly; and when I had made preparation for the entire +building, I gave order to the architects to go to work; but on +the third day, when I was gone to Tarichess, which was thirty +furlongs distant from Tiberias, it so fell out, that some Roman +horsemen were discovered on their march, not far from the city, +which made it to be supposed that the forces were come from the +king; upon which they shouted, and lifted up their voices in +commendations of the king, and in reproaches against me. Hereupon +one came running to me, and told me what their dispositions were, +and that they had resolved to revolt from me: upon hearing which +news I was very much alarmed; for I had already sent away my +armed men from Tarichess, to their own homes, because the next +day was our sabbath; for I would not have the people of Tarichess +disturbed [on that day] by a multitude of soldiers; and indeed, +whenever I sojourned at that city, I never took any particular +care for a guard about my own body, because I had had frequent +instances of the fidelity its inhabitants bore to me. I had now +about me no more than seven armed men, besides some friends, and +was doubtful what to do; for to send to recall my own forces I +did not think proper, because the present day was almost over; +and had those forces been with me, I could not take up arms on +the next day, because our laws forbade us so to do, even though +our necessity should be very great; and if I should permit the +people of Tarichess, and the strangers with them, to guard the +city, I saw that they would not be sufficient for that purpose, +and I perceived that I should be obliged to delay my assistance a +great while; for I thought with myself that the forces that came +from the king would prevent me, and that I should be driven out +of the city. I considered, therefore, how to get clear of these +forces by a stratagem; so I immediately placed those my friends +of Tarichee, on whom I could best confide, at the gates, to watch +those very carefully who went out at those gates: I also called +to me the heads of families, and bade every one of them to seize +upon a ship (14) to go on board it, and to take a master with +them, and follow him to the city of Tiberias. I also myself went +on board one of those ships, with my friends, and the seven armed +men already mentioned, and sailed for Tiberias. + +33. But now, when the people of Tiberias perceived that there +were no forces come from the king, and yet saw the whole lake +full of ships, they were in fear what would become of their city, +and were greatly terrified, as supposing that the ships were full +of men on board; so they then changed their minds, and threw down +their weapons, and met me with their wives and children, and made +acclamations to me with great commendations; for they imagined +that I did not know their former inclinations [to have been +against me]; so they persuaded me to spare the city. But when I +was come near enough, I gave order to the masters of the ships to +cast anchor a good way off the land, that the people of Tiberias +might not perceive that the ships had no men on board; but I went +nearer to the people in one of the ships, and rebuked them for +their folly, ,and that they were so fickle as, without any just +occasion in the world, to revolt from their fidelity to me. +However, assured them that I would entirely forgive them for the +time to come, if they would send ten of the ringleaders of the +multitude to me; and when they complied readily with this +proposal, and sent me the men forementioned, I put them on board +a ship, and sent them away to Tarichese; and ordered them to be +kept in prison. + +34. And by this stratagem it was that I gradually got all the +senate of Tiberias into my power, and sent them to the city +forementioned, with many of the principal men among the populace, +and those not fewer in number than the other. But when the +multitude saw into what great miseries they had brought +themselves, they desired me to punish the author of this +sedition: his name was Clitus, a young man, bold and rash in his +undertakings. Now, since I thought it not agreeable to piety to +put one of my own people to death, and yet found it necessary to +punish him, I ordered Levi, one of my own guards, to go to him, +and cut off one of Clitus's hands; but as he that was ordered to +do this, was afraid to go out of the ship alone, among 'so great +a multitude, I was not willing that the timorousness of the +soldier should appear to the people of Tiberias. So I called to +Clitus himself and said to him," Since thou deservest to lose +both thine hands for thy ingratitude to me, be thou thine own +executioner, lest, if thou refusest so to be, thou undergo a +worse punishment." And when he earnestly begged of me to spare +him one of his hands, it was with difficulty that I granted it. +So, in order to prevent the loss of both his hands, he willingly +took his sword, and cut off his own left hand; and this put an +end to the sedition. + +35. Now the men of Tiberias, after I was gone to Taricheae, +perceived what stratagem I had used against them, and they +admired how I had put an end to their foolish sedition, without +shedding of blood. But now, when I had sent for some of those +multitudes of the people of Tiberias out of prison, among whom +were Justus and his father Pistus, I made them to sup with me; +and during our supper time I said to them, that I knew the power +of the Romans was superior to all others, but did not say so +[publicly] because of the robbers. So I advised them to do as I +did, and to wait for a proper opportunity, and not to be uneasy +at my being their commander; for that they could not expect to +have another who would use the like moderation that I had done. I +also put Justus in mind how the Galileans had cut off his +brother's hands before ever I came to Jerusalem, upon an +accusation laid against him, as if he had been a rogue, and had +forged some letters; as also how the people of Gamala, in a +sedition they raised against the Babylonians, after the departure +of Philip, slew Chares, who was a kinsman of Philip, and withal +how they had wisely punished Jesus, his brother Justuses sister's +husband [with death]. When I had said this to them during supper +time, I in the morning ordered Justus, and all the rest that were +in prison, to be loosed out of it, and sent away. + +36. But before this, it happened that Philip, the son of Jacimus, +went out of the citadel of Gamala upon the following occasion: +When Philip had been informed that Varus was put out of his +government by king Agrippa, and that Equieulus Modius, a man that +was of old his friend and companion, was come to succeed him, he +wrote to him, and related what turns of fortune he had had, and +desired him to forward the letters he sent to the king and queen. +Now, when Modius had received these letters, he was exceedingly +glad, and sent the letters to the king and queen, who were then +about Berytus. But when king Agrippa knew that the story about +Philip was false, (for it had been given out, that the Jews had +begun a war with the Romans, and that this Philip had been their +commander in that war,) he sent some horsemen to conduct Philip +to him; and when he was come, he saluted him very obligingly, and +showed him to the Roman commanders, and told them that this was +the man of whom the report had gone about as if he had revolted +from the Romans. He also bid him to take some horsemen with him, +and to go quickly to the citadel of Gamala, and to bring out +thence all his domestics, and to restore the Babylonians to +Batanea again. He also gave it him in charge to take all possible +care that none of his subjects should be guilty of making any +innovation. Accordingly, upon these directions from the king, he +made haste to do what he was commanded. + +37. Now there was one Joseph, the son of a female physician, who +excited a great many young men to join with him. He also +insolently addressed himself to the principal persons at Gamala, +and persuaded them to revolt from the king; and take up arms, and +gave them hopes that they should, by his means, recover their +liberty. And some they forced into the service, and those that +would not acquiesce in what they had resolved on, they slew. They +also slew Chares, and with him Jesus, one of his kinsmen, and a +brother of Justus of Tiberias, as we have already said. Those of +Gamala also wrote to me, desiring me to send them an armed force, +and workmen to raise up the walls of their city; nor did I reject +either of their requests. The region of Gaulanitis did also +revolt from the king, as far as the village Solyma. I also built +a wall about Seleucia and Soganni, which are villages naturally +of ver great strength. Moreover, I, in like manner, walled +several villages of Upper Galilee, though they were very rocky of +themselves. Their names are Jamnia, and Meroth, and Achabare. I +also fortified, in the Lower Galilee, the cities Tarichee, +Tiberias, Sepphoris, and the villages, the cave of Arbela, +Bersobe, Selamin, Jotapata, Capharecho, and Sigo, and Japha, and +Mount Tabor. (15) I also laid up a great quantity of corn in +these places, and arms withal, that might be for their security +afterward. + +38. But the hatred that John, the son of Levi, bore to me, grew +now more violent, while he could not bear my prosperity with +patience. So he proposed to himself, by all means possible, to +make away with me; and built the walls of Gischala, which was the +place of his nativity. He then sent his brother Simon, and +Jonathan, the son of Sisenna, and about a hundred armed men, to +Jerusalem, to Simon, the son of Gamaliel, (16) in order to +persuade him to induce the commonalty of Jerusalem to take from +me the government over the Galileans, and to give their suffrages +for conferring that authority upon him. This Simon was of the +city of Jerusalem, and of a very noble family of the sect of the +Pharisees, which are supposed to excel others in the accurate +knowledge of the laws of their country. He was a man of great +wisdom and reason, and capable of restoring public affairs by his +prudence, when they were in an ill posture. He was also an old +friend and companion of John; but at that time he had a +difference with me. When therefore he had received such an +exhortation, he persuaded the high priests, Ananus, and Jesus the +son of Gamala, and some others of the same seditious faction, to +cut me down, now I was growing so great, and not to overlook me +while I was aggrandizing myself to the height of glory; and he +said that it would be for the advantage of the Galileans, if I +were deprived of my government there. Ananus also, and his +friends, desired them to make no delay about the matter, lest I +should get the knowledge of what was doing too soon, and should +come and make an assault upon the city with a great army. This +was the counsel of Simon; but Artanus the high priest +demonstrated to them that this was not an easy thing to be done, +because many of the high priests and of the rulers of the people +bore witness that I had acted like an excellent general, and that +it was the work of ill men to accuse one against whom they had +nothing to say. + +39. When Simon heard Ananus say this, he desired that the +messengers would conceal the thing, and not let it come among +many; for that he would take care to have Josephus removed out of +Galilee very quickly. So he called for John's brother, [Simon,] +and charged him that they should send presents to Ananus and his +friends; for, as he said, they might probably by that means +persuade them to change their minds. And indeed Simon did at +length thus compass what he aimed at; for Artanus, and those with +him, being corrupted by bribes, agreed to expel me out of +Galilee, without making the rest of the citizens acquainted with +what they were doing. Accordingly, they resolved to send men of +distinction as to their families, and of distinction as to their +learning also. Two of these were of the populace, Jonathan (17) +and Ananias, by sect Pharisees; while the third, Jozar, was of +the stock of the priests, and a Pharisee also; and Simon, the +last of them, was of the youngest of the high priests. These had +it given them in charge, that, when they were come to the +multitude of the Galileans, they should ask them, what was the +reason of their love to me? and if they said that it was because +I was born at Jerusalem, that they should reply, that they four +were all born at the same place; and if they should say, it was +because I was well versed in their law, they should reply, that +neither were they unacquainted with the practices of their +country; but if, besides these, they should say, they loved me +because I was a priest, they should reply, that two of these were +priests also. + +40. Now, when they had given Jonathan and his companions these +instructions, they gave them forty thousand [drachmae] out of the +public money: but when they heard that there was a certain +Galilean that then sojourned at Jerusalem, whose name was Jesus, +who had about him a band of six hundred armed men, they sent for +him, and gave him three months pay, and gave him orders to follow +Jonathan and his companions, and be obedient to them. They also +gave money to three hundred men that were citizens of Jerusalem, +to maintain them all, and ordered them also to follow the +ambassadors; and when they had complied, and were gotten ready +for the march, Jonathan and his companions went out with them, +having along with them John's brother and a hundred armed men. +The charge that was given them by those that sent them was this: +That if I would voluntarily lay down my arms, they should send me +alive to the city of Jerusalem; but that, in case I opposed them, +they should kill me, and fear nothing; for that it was their +command for them so to do. They also wrote to John to make all +ready for fighting me, and gave orders to the inhabitants of +Sepphoris, and Gabara, and Tiberins, to send auxiliaries to John. + +41. Now, as my father wrote me an account of this, (for Jesus the +son of Gamala, who was present in that council, a friend and +companion of mine, told him of it,) I was very much troubled, as +discovering thereby that my fellow citizens proved so ungrateful +to me, as, out of envy, to give order that I should be slain: my +father earnestly pressed me also in his letter to come to him, +for that he longed to see his son before he died. I informed my +friends of these things, and that in three days' time I should +leave the country, and go home. Upon hearing this, they were all +very sorry, and desired me, with tears in their eyes, not to +leave them to be destroyed; for so they thought they should be, +if I were deprived of the command over them: but as I did not +grant their request, but was taking care of my own safety, the +Galileans, out of their dread of the consequence of my departure, +that they should then be at the mercy of the robbers, sent +messengers over all Galilee to inform them of my resolution to +leave them. Whereupon, as soon as they heard it, they got +together in great numbers, from all parts, with their wives and +children; and this they did, as it appeared to me, not more out +of their affection to me, than out of their fear on their own +account; for while I staid with them, they supposed that they +should suffer no harm. So they all came into the great plain, +wherein I lived, the name of which was Asochis. + +42. But wonderful it was what a dream I saw that very night; for +when I had betaken myself to my bed, as grieved and disturbed at +the news that had been written to me, it seemed to me, that a +certain person stood by me, (18) and said, "O Josephus! leave off +to afflict thy soul, and put away all fear; for what now grieves +thee will render thee very considerable, and in all respects most +happy; for thou shalt get over not only these difficulties, but +many others, with great success. However, be not cast down, but +remember that thou art to fight with the Romans." When I had seen +this dream, I got up with an intention of going down to the +plain. Now, when the whole multitude of the Galileans, among whom +were the women and children, saw me, they threw themselves down +upon their faces, and, with tears in their eyes, besought me not +to leave them exposed to their enemies, nor to go away and permit +their country to be injured by them. But when I did not comply, +with their entreaties, they compelled me to take an oath, that I +would stay with them: they also cast abundance of reproaches upon +the people of Jerusalem, that they would not let their country +enjoy peace. + +43. When I heard this, and saw what sorrow the people were in, I +was moved with compassion to them, and thought it became me to +undergo the most manifest hazards for the sake of so great a +multitude; so I let them know I would stay with them. And when I +had given order that five thousand off them should come to me +armed, and with provisions for their maintenance, I sent the rest +away to their own homes; and when those five thousand were come, +I took them, together with three thousand of the soldiers that +were with me before, and eighty horsemen, and marched to +thevillage of Chabolo, situated in the confines of Ptolimias, and +there kept my forces together, pretending to get ready to fight +with Placidus, who was come with two cohorts of footmen, and one +troop of horsemen, and was sent thither by Cestius Gallus to burn +those villages of Galilee that were near Ptolemais. Upon whose +casting up a bank before the city Ptolemais, I also pitched my +camp at about the distance of sixty furlongs from that village. +And now we frequently brought out our forces as if we would +fight, but proceeded no further than skirmishes at a distance; +for when Placidus perceived that I was earnest to come to a +battle, he was afraid, and avoided it. Yet did he not remove from +the neighborhood of Ptolemais. + +44. About this time it was that Jonathan and his fellow legates +came. They were sent, as we have said already, by Simon, and +Ananus the high priest. And Jonathan contrived how he might catch +me by treachery; for he durst not make any attempt upon me +openly. So he wrote me the following epistle: "Jonathan and those +that are with him, and are sent by the people of Jerusalem, to +Josephus, send greeting. We are sent by the principal men of +Jerusalem, who have heard that John of Gischala hath laid many +snares for thee, to rebuke him, and to exhort him to be subject +to thee hereafter. We are also desirous to consult with thee +about our common concerns, and what is fit to be done. We +therefore desire thee to come to us quickly, and to bring only a +few men with thee; for this village will not contain a great +number of soldiers." Thus it was that they wrote, as expecting +one of these two things; either that I should come without armed +men, and then they should have me wholly in their power; or, if I +came with a great number, they should judge me to be a public +enemy. Now it was a horseman who brought the letter, a man at +other times bold, and one that had served in the army under the +king. It was the second hour of the night that he came, when I +was feasting with my friends, and the principal of the Galileans. +This man, upon my servant's telling me that a certain horseman of +the Jewish nation was come, was called in at my command, but did +not so much as salute me at all, but held out a letter, and said, +"This letter is sent thee by those that are come from Jerusalem; +do thou write an answer to it quickly; for I am obliged to return +to them very soon. Now my guests could not but wonder at the +boldness of the soldier. But I desired him to sit down and sup +with us; but when he refused so to do, I held the letter in my +hands as I received it, and fell a talking with my guests about +other matters. But a few hours afterwards, I got up, and when I +had dismissed the rest to go to their beds, I bid only four of my +intimate friends to stay, and ordered my servant to get some wine +ready. I also opened the letter so, that nobody could perceive +it; and understanding thereby presently the purportú of the +writing, I sealed it up again, and appeared as if I had not yet +read it, but only held it in my hands. I ordered twenty drachmae +should be given the soldier for the charges of his journey; and +when he took the money, and said that he thanked me for it, I +perceived that he loved money, and that he was to be caught +chiefly by that means; and I said to him," If thou wilt but drink +with us, thou shalt have a drachma for every glass thou +drinkest." So he gladly embraced this proposal, and drank a great +deal of wine, in order to get the more money, and was so drunk, +that at last he could not keep the secrets he was intrusted with, +but discovered them without my putting questions to him, viz. +That a treacherous design was contrived against me, and that I +was doomed to die by those that sent him. When I heard this, I +wrote back this answer: "Josephus to Jonathan, and those that are +with him, sendeth greeting. Upon the information that you are +come in health into Galilee, I rejoice, and this especially +because I can now resign the care of public affairs here into +your hands, and return into my native country, which is what I +have desired to do a great while; and I confess I ought not only +to come to you as far as Xaloth, but farther, and this without +your commands. But I desire you to excuse me, because I cannot do +it now, since I watch the motions of Placidus, who hath a mind to +go up into Galilee; and this I do here at Chabolo. Do you +therefore, on the receipt of this epistle, come hither to me. +Fare you well." + +45. When I had written thus, and given the letter to be carried +by the soldier, I sent along with him thirty of the Galileans of +the best characters, and gave them instructions to salute those +ambassadors, but to say nothing else to them. I also gave orders +to as many of those armed men, whom I esteemed most faithful to +me, to go along with the others, every one with him whom he was +to guard, lest some conversation might pass between those whom I +sent and those who were with Jonathan. So those men went [to +Jonathan]. But when Jonathan and his partners had failed in this +their first attempt, they sent me another letter, the contents +whereof were as follows: "Jonathan, and those with him, to +Josephus, send greeting. We require thee to come to us to the +village Gabaroth, on the third day, without any armed men, that +we may hear what thou hast to lay to the charge of John [of +Gischala]." When they had written this letter, they saluted the +Galileans whom I sent, and came to Japha, which was the largest +village of all Galilee, and encompassed with very strong walls, +and had a great number of inhabitants in it. There the multitude +of men, with their wives and children, met them, and exclaimed +loudly against them; and desired them to be gone, and not to envy +them the advantage of an excellent commander. With these clamors +Jonathan and his partners were greatly provoked, although they +durst not show their anger openly; so they made them no answer, +but went to other villages. But still the same clamors met them +from all the people, who said, "Nobody should persuade them to +have any other commander besides Josephus." So Jonathan and his +partners went away from them without success, and came to +Sepphoris, the greatest city of all Galilee. Now the men of that +city, who inclined to the Romans in their sentiments, met them +indeed, but neither praised nor reproached me and when they were +gone down from Sepphoris to Asochis, the people of that place +made a clamor against them, as those of Japha had done; whereupon +they were able to contain themselves no longer, but ordered the +armed men that were with them to beat those that made the clamor +with their clubs. And when they came to Gabara, John met them +with three thousand armed men; but, as I understood by their +letter that they had resolved to fight against me, I arose from +Chabolo, with three thousand armed men also; but left in my camp +one of my fastest friends, and came to Jotapata, as desirous to +be near them, the distance being no more than forty furlongs. +Whence I wrote thus to them: "If you are very desirous that I +should come to you, you know there are two hundred and forty +cities and villages in Galilee; I will come to any of them which +you please, excepting Gaburn and Gischala; the one of which is +John's native city, and the other in confederacy and friendship +with him." + +46. When Jonathan and his partners had received this letter, they +wrote me no more answers, but called a council of their friends +together; and taking John into their consultation, they took +counsel together by what means they might attack me. John's +opinion was, that they should write to all the cities and +villages that were in Galilee; for that there must be certainly +one or two persons in every one of them that were at variance +with me, and that they should be invited to come to oppose me as +an enemy. He would also have them send this resolution of theirs +to the city of Jerusalem, that its citizens, upon the knowledge +of my being adjudged to be an enemy by the Galileans, might +themselves I also confirm that determination. He said also, that +when this was done, even those Galileans who were well affected +to me, would desert me out of fear. When John had given them this +counsel, what he had said was very agreeable to the rest of them. +I was also made acquainted with these affairs about the third +hour of the night, by the means of one Saccheus, who had belonged +to them, but now deserted them and came over to me, and told me +what they were about; so I perceived that no time was to be lost. +Accordingly, I gave command to Jacob, an armed man of my guard, +whom I esteemed faithful to me, to take two hundred men, and to +guard the passages that led from Gahara to Galilee, and to seize +upon the passengers, and send them to me, especially such as were +caught with letters about them: I also sent Jeremias himself, one +of my friends, with six hundred armed men, to the borders of +Galilee, in order to watch the roads that led from this country +to the city Jerusalem, and gave him charge to lay hold of such as +traveled with letters about them, to keep the men in bonds upon +the place, but to send me the letters. + +47. When I had laid these commands upon them, I gave them orders, +and bid them take their arms and bring three days' provision with +them, and be with me the next day. I also parted those that were +about me into four parts, and ordained those of them that were +most faithful to me to be a guard to my body. I also set over +them centurions, and commanded them to take care that not a +soldier which they did not know should mingle himself among them. +Now, on the fifth day following, when I was at Gabaroth, I found +the entire plain that was before the village full of armed men, +who were come out of Galilee to assist me: many others of the +multitude, also, out of the village, ran along with me. But as +soon as I had taken my place, and began to speak to them, they +all made an acclamation, and called me the benefactor and savior +of the country. And when I had made them my acknowledgments, and +thanked them [for their affection to me], I also advised them to +fight with nobody, (19) nor to spoil the country; but to pitch +their tents in the plain, and be content with their sustenance +they had brought with them; for I told them that I had a mind to +compose these troubles without shedding any blood. Now it came to +pass, that on the very same day those who were sent by John with +letters, fell among the guards whom I had appointed to watch the +roads; so the men were themselves kept upon the place, as my +orders were, but I got the letters, which were full of reproaches +and lies; and I intended to fall upon these men, without saying a +word of these matters to any body. + +48. Now, as soon as Jonathan and his companions heard of my +coming, they took all their own friends, and John with them, and +retired to the house of Jesus, which indeed was a large castle, +and no way unlike a citadel; so they privately laid a band of +armed men therein, and shut all the other doors but one, which +they kept open, and they expected that I should come out of the +road to them, to salute them. And indeed they had given orders to +the armed men, that when I came they should let nobody besides me +come in, but should exclude others; as supposing that, by this +means, they should easily get me under their power: but they were +deceived in their expectation; for I perceived what snares they +had laid for me. Now, as soon as I was got off my journey, I took +up my lodgings over against them, and pretended to be asleep; so +Jonathan and his party, thinking that I was really asleep and at +rest, made haste to go down into the plain, to persuade the +people that I was an ill governor. But the matter proved +otherwise; for, upon their appearance, there was a cry made by +the Galileans immediately, declaring their good opinion of me as +their governor; and they made a clamor against Jonathan and his +partners for coming to them when they had suffered no harm, and +as though they would overturn their happy settlement; and desired +them by all means to go back again, for that they would never be +persuaded to have any other to rule over them but myself. When I +heard of this, I did not fear to go down into the midst of them; +I went, therefore, myself down presently to hear what Jonathan +and his companions said. As soon as I appeared, there was +immediately an acclamation made to me by the whole multitude, and +a cry in my commendation by them, who confessed their thanks was +owing to me for my good government of them. + +49. When Jonathan and his companions heard this, they were in +fear of their own lives, and in danger lest they should be +assaulted by the Galileans on nay account; so they contrived how +they might run away. But as they were not able to get off, for I +desired them to stay, they looked down with concern at my words +to them. I ordered, therefore, the multitude to restrain entirely +their acclamations, and placed the most faithful of my armed men +upon the avenues, to be a guard to us, lest John should +unexpected fall upon us; and I encouraged the Galileans to take +their weapons, lest they should be disturbed at their enemies, if +any sudden insult should be made upon them. And then, in the +first place, I put Jonathan and his partners in mind of their +[former] letter, and after what manner they had written to me, +and declared they were sent by the common consent to the people +of Jerusalem, to make up the differences I had with John, and how +they had desired me to come to them; and as I spake thus, I +publicly showed that letter they had written, till they could not +at all deny what they had done, the letter itself convicting +them. I then said, "O Jonathan! and you that are sent with him as +his colleagues, if I were to be judged as to my behavior, +compared with that of John's, and had brought no more than two or +three witnesses, (20) good men and true, it is plain you had been +forced, upon the examination of their characters beforehand, to +discharge the accusations: that therefore you may be informed +that I have acted well in the affairs of Galilee, I think three +witnesses too few to be brought by a man that hath done as he +ought to do; so I gave you all these for witnesses. Inquire of +them (21) how I have lived, and whether I have not behaved myself +with all decency, and after a virtuous manner, among them. And I +further conjure you, O Galileans! to hide no part of the truth, +but to speak before these men as before judges, whether I have in +any thing acted otherwise than well." + +50. While I was thus speaking, the united voices of all the +people joined together, and called me their benefactor and +savior, and attested to my former behavior, and exhorted me to +continue so to do hereafter; and they all said, upon their oaths, +that their wives had been preserved free from injuries, and that +no one had ever been aggrieved by me. After this, I read to the +Galileans two of those epistles which had been sent by Jonathan +and his colleagues, and which those whom I had appointed to guard +the road had taken, and sent to me. These were full of +reproaches, and of lies, as if I had acted more like a tyrant +than a governor against them, with many other things besides +therein contained, which were no better indeed than impudent +falsities. I also informed the multitude how I came by these +letters, and that those who carried them delivered them up +voluntarily; for I was not willing that my enemies should know +any thing of the guards I had set, lest they should be afraid, +and leave off writing hereafter. + +51. When the multitude heard these things, they were greatly +provoked at Jonathan, and his colleagues that were with him, and +were going to attack them, and kill them; and this they had +certainly done, unless I had restrained the anger of the +Galileans, and said, that" I forgave Jonathan and his colleagues +what was past, if they would repent, and go to their own country, +and tell those who sent them the truth, as to my conduct." When I +had said this, I let them go, although I knew they would do +nothing of what they had promised. But the multitude were very +much enraged against them, and entreated me to give them leave to +punish them for their insolence; yet did I try all methods to +persuade them to spare the men; for I knew that every instance of +sedition was pernicious to the public welfare. But the multitude +was too angry with them to be dissuaded, and all of them went +immediately to the house in which Jonathan and his colleagues +abode. However, when I perceived that their rage could not be +restrained, I got on horseback, and ordered the multitude to +follow me to the village Sogane, which was twenty furlongs off +Gabara; and by using this stratagem, I so managed myself, as not +to appear to begin a civil war ,amongst them. + +52. But when I was come near Sogane, I caused the multitude to +make a halt, and exhorted them not to be so easily provoked to +anger, and to the inflicting such punishments as could not be +afterwards recalled: I also gave order, that a hundred men, who +were already in years, and were principal men among them, should +get themselves ready to go to the city of Jerusalem, and should +.make a complaint before the people of such as raised seditions +in the country. And I said to them, that" in case they be moved +with what you say, you shall desire the community to write to me, +and to enjoin me to continue in Galilee, and to order Jonathan +and his colleagues to depart out of it." When I had suggested +these instructions to them, and while they were getting +themselves ready as fast as they could, I sent them on this +errand the third day after they had been assembled: I also sent +five hundred armed men with them [as a guard]. I then wrote to my +friends in Samaria, to take care that they might safely pass +through the country: for Samaria was already under the Romans, +and it was absolutely necessary for those that go quickly [to +Jerusalem] to pass through that country; for in that road you +may, in three days' time, go from Galilee to Jerusalem. I also +went myself, and conducted the old men as far as the bounds of +Galilee, and set guards in the roads, that it might not be easily +known by any one that these men were gone. And when I had thus +done, I went and abode at Japha. + +53. Now Jonathan and his colleagues, having failed of +accomplishing what they would have done against me, sent John +back to Gischala, but went themselves to the city of Tiberias, +expecting it would submit itself to them; and this was founded on +a letter which Jesus, their then governor, had written them, +promising that, if they came, the multitude would receive them, +and choose to be under their government; so they went their ways +with this expectation. But Silas, who, as I said, had been left +curator of Tiberias by me, informed me of this, and desired me to +make haste thither. Accordingly, I complied with his advice +immediately, and came thither; but found myself in danger of my +life, from the following occasion: Jonathan and his colleagues +had been at Tiberias, and had persuaded a great many of such as +had a quarrel with me to desert me; but when they heard of my +coming, they were in fear for themselves, and came to me; and +when they had saluted me, they said, that I was a happy man in +having behaved myself so well in the government of Galilee; and +they congratulated me upon the honors that were paid me: for they +said that my glory was a credit to them, since they had been my +teachers and fellow citizens; and they said further, that it was +but just that they should prefer my friendship to them rather +than John's, and that they would have immediately gone home, but +that they staid that they might deliver up John into my power; +and when they said this they took their oaths of it, and those +such as are most tremendous amongst us, and such as I did not +think fit to disbelieve. However, they desired me to lodge some +where else, because the next day was the sabbath, and that it was +not fit the city of Tiberias should be disturbed [on that day]. + +54. So I suspected nothing, and went away to Tarichese; yet did I +withal leave some to make inquiry in the city how matters went, +and whether any thing was said about me: I also set many persons +all the way that led from Tarichese to Tiberias, that they might +communicate from one to another, if they learned any news from +those that were left in the city. On the next day, therefore, +they all came into the Proseucha; (22) it was a large edifice, +and capable of receiving a great number of people; thither +Jonathan went in, and though he durst not openly speak of a +revolt, yet did he say that their city stood in need of a better +governor than it then had. But Jesus, who was the ruler, made no +scruple to speak out, and said openly," O fellow citizens! it is +better for you to be in subjection to four than to one; and those +such as are of high birth, and not without reputation for their +wisdom;" and pointed to Jonathan and his colleagues. Upon his +saying this, Justus came in and commended him for what he had +said, and persuaded some of the people to be of his mind also. +But the multitude were not pleased with what was said, and had +certainly gone into a tumult, unless the sixth hour, which was +now come, had dissolved the assembly, at which hour our laws +require us to go to dinner on sabbath days; so Jonathan and his +colleagues put off their council till the next day, and went off +without success. When I was informed of these affairs, I +determined to go to the city of Tiberias in the morning. +Accordingly, on the next day, about the first hour of the day, I +came from Tarichee, and found the multitude already assembled in +the Proseucha; but on what account they were gotten together, +those that were assembled did not know. But when Jonathan and his +colleagues saw me there unexpectedly, they were in disorder; +after which they raised a report of their own contrivance, that +Roman horsemen were seen at a place called Union, in the borders +of Galilee, thirty furlongs distant from the city. Upon which +report, Jonathan and his colleagues cunningly exhorted me not to +neglect this matter, nor to suffer the land to be spoiled by the +enemy. And this they said with a design to remove me out of the +city, under the pretense of the want of extraordinary assistance, +while they might dispose the city to be my enemy. + +55. As for myself, although I knew of their design, yet did I +comply with what they proposed, lest the people of Tiberias +should have occasion to suppose that I was not careful of their +security. I therefore went out; but, when I was at the place, I +found not the least footsteps of any enemy, so I returned as fast +as ever I could, and found the whole council assembled, and the +body of the people gotten together, and Jonathan and his +colleagues bringing vehement accusations against me, as one who +had no concern to ease them of the burdens of war, and as one +that lived luxuriously. And as they were discoursing thus, they +produced four letters, as written to them from some people that +lived at the borders of Galilee, imploring that they would come +to their assistance, for that there was an army of Romans, both +horsemen and footmen, who would come and lay waste the country on +the third day; they desired them also to make haste, and not to +overlook them. When the people of Tiberias heard this, they +thought they spake truth, and made a clamor against me, and said +I ought not to sit still, but to go away to the assistance of +their countrymen. Hereupon I said (for I understood the meaning +of Jonathan and his colleagues) that I was ready to comply with +what they proposed, and without delay to march to the war which +they spake of, yet did I advise them, at the same time, that +since these letters declared that the Romans would make their +assault in four several places, they should part their forces +into five bodies, and make Jonathan and his colleagues generals +of each body of them, because it was fit for brave men, not only +to give counsel, but to take the place of leaders, and assist +their countrymen when such a necessity pressed them; for, said I, +it is not possible for me to lead more than one party. This +advice of mine greatly pleased the multitude; so they compelled +them to go forth to the war. But their designs were put into very +much disorder, because they had not done what they had designed +to do, on account of my stratagem, which was opposite to their +undertakings. + +56. Now there was one whose name was Ananias (a wicked man he +was, and very mischievous); he proposed that a general religious +fast (23) should be appointed the next day for all the people, +and gave order that at the same hour they should come to the same +place, without any weapons, to make it manifest before God, that +while they obtained his assistance, they thought all these +weapons useless. This he said, not out of piety, but that they +might catch me and my friends unarmed. Now, I was hereupon forced +to comply, lest I should appear to despise a proposal that tended +to piety. As soon, therefore, as we were gone home, Jonathan and +his colleagues wrote to John to come to them in the morning, and +desiring him to come with as many soldiers as he possibly could, +for that they should then be able easily to get me into their +hands, and to do all they desired to do. When John had received +this letter, he resolved to comply with it. As for myself, on the +next day, I ordered two of the guards of my body, whom I esteemed +the most courageous and most faithful, to hide daggers under +their garments, and to go along with me, that we might defend +ourselves, if any attack should be made upon us by our enemies. I +also myself took my breastplate, and girded on my sword, so that +it might be, as far as it was possible, concealed, and came into +the Proseucha. + +57. Now Jesus, who was the ruler, commanded that they should +exclude all that came with me, for he kept the door himself, and +suffered none but his friends to go in. And while we were engaged +in the duties of the day, and had betaken ourselves to our +prayers, Jesus got up, and inquired of me what was become of the +vessels that were taken out of the king's palace, when it was +burnt down [and] of that uncoined silver; and in whose possession +they now were? This he said, in order to drive away time till +John should come. I said that Capellus, and the ten principal men +of Tiberias, had them all; and I told him that they might ask +them whether I told a lie or not. And when they said they had +them, he asked me, What is become of those twenty pieces of gold +which thou didst receive upon the sale of a certain weight of +uncoined money? I replied, that I had given them to those +ambassadors of theirs, as a maintenance for them, when they were +sent by them to Jerusalem. So Jonathan and his colleagues said +that I had not done well to pay the ambassadors out of the public +money. And when the multitude were very angry at them for this, +for they perceived the wickednes of the men, I understood that a +tumult was going to arise; and being desirous to provoke the +people to a greater rage against the men, I said, "But if I have +not done well in paying our ambassadors out of the public stock, +leave off your anger at me, for I will repay the twenty pieces of +gold myself." + +58. When I had said this, Jonathan and his colleagues held their +peace; but the people were still more irritated against them, +upon their openly showing their unjust ill-will to me. When Jesus +saw this change in file people, he ordered them to depart, but +desired the senate to stay; for that they could not examine +things of such a nature in a tumult: and as the people were +crying out that they would not leave me alone, there came one and +told Jesus and his friends privately, that John and his armed men +were at hand: whereupon Jonathan and his colleagues, being able +to contain themselves no longer, (and perhaps the providence of +God hereby procuring my deliverance, for had not this been so, I +had certainly been destroyed by John,) said, "O you people of +Tiberias! leave off this inquiry about the twenty pieces of gold; +for Josephus hath not deserved to die for them; but he hath +deserved it by his desire of tyrannizing, and by cheating the +multitude of the Galileans with his speeches, in order to gain +the dominion over them." When he had said this, they presently +laid hands upon me, and endeavored to kill me: but as soon as +those that were with me saw what they did, they drew their +swords, and threatened to smite them, if they offered any +violence to me. The people also took up stones, and were about to +throw them at Jonathan; and so they snatched me from the violence +of my enemies. + +59. But as I was gone out a little way, I was just upon meeting +John, who was marching with his armed men. So I was afraid of +him, and turned aside, and escaped by a narrow passage to the +lake, and seized on a ship, and embarked in it, and sailed over +to Tarichese. So, beyond my expectation, I escaped this danger. +Whereupon I presently sent for the chief of the Galileans, and +told them after what manner, against all faith given, I had been +very near to destruction from Jonathan and his colleagues, and +the people of Tiberias. Upon which the multitude of the Galileans +were very. angry, and encouraged me to delay no longer to make +war upon them, but to permit them to go against John, and utterly +to destroy him, as well as Jonathan and his colleagues. However, +I restrained them, though they were in such a rage, and desired +them to tarry a while, till we should be informed what orders +those ambassadors, that were sent by them to the city of +Jerusalem, should bring thence; for I told them that it was best +for them to act according to their determination; whereupon they +were prevailed on. At which time, also, John, when the snares he +had laid did not take effect, returned back to Gischala. + +60. Now, in a few days, those ambassadors whom he had sent, came +back again and informed us, that the people were greatly provoked +at Ananus, and Simon the son of Gamaliel, and their friends; +that, without any public determination, they had sent to Galilee, +and had done their endeavors that I might be turned out of the +government. The ambassadors said further, that the people were +ready to burn their houses. They also brought letters, whereby +the chief men of Jerusalem, at the earnest petition of the +people, confirmed me in the government of Galilee, and enjoined +Jonathan and his colleagues to return home quickly. When I had +gotten these letters, I came to the village Arbela, where I +procured an assembly of the Galileans to meet, and bid the +ambassadors declare to them the anger of the people of Jerusalem +at what had been done by Jonathan and his colleagues, and how +much they hated their wicked doings, and how they had confirmed +me in the government of their country, as also what related to +the order they had in writing for Jonathan and his colleagues to +return home. So I immediately sent them the letter, and bid him +that carried it to inquire, as well as he could, how they +intended to act [on this occasion.] + +61. Now, when they had received that letter, and were thereby +greatly disturbed, they sent for John, and for the senators of +Tiberias, and for the principal men of the Gabarens, and proposed +to hold a council, and desired them to consider what was to be +done by them. However, the governors of Tiberias were greatly +disposed to keep the government to themselves; for they said it +was not fit to desert their city, now it was committed to their +trust, and that otherwise I should not delay to fall upon them; +for they pretended falsely that so I had threatened to do. Now +John was not only of their opinion, but advised them, that two of +them should go to accuse me before the multitude [at Jerusalem], +that I do not manage the affairs of Galilee as I ought to do; and +that they would easily persuade the people, because of their +dignity, and because the whole multitude are very mutable. When, +therefore, it appeared that John had suggested the wisest advice +to them, they resolved that two of them, Jonathan and Ananias, +should go to the people of Jerusalem, and the other two [Simon +and Joazar] should be left behind to tarry at Tiberins. They also +took along with them a hundred soldiers for their guard. + +62. However, the governors of Tiberias took care to have their +city secured with walls, and commanded their inhabitants to take +their arms. They also sent for a great many soldiers from John, +to assist them against me, if there should be occasion for them. +Now John was at Gischala. Jonathan, therefore, and those that +were with him, when they were departed from Tiberias, and as soon +as they were come to Dabaritta, a village that lay in the utmost +parts of Galilee, in the great plain, they, about midnight, fell +among the guards I had set, who both commanded them to lay aside +their weapons, and kept them in bonds upon the place, as I had +charged them to do. This news was written to me by Levi, who had +the command of that guard committed to him by me. Hereupon I said +nothing of it for two days; and, pretending to know nothing about +it, I sent a message to the people of Tiberias, and advised them +to lay their arms aside, and to dismiss their men, that they +might go home. But, supposing that Jonathan, and those that were +with him, were already arrived at Jerusalem, they made +reproachful answers to me; yet was I not terrified thereby, but +contrived another stratagem against them, for I did not think it +agreeable with piety to kindle the fire of war against the +citizens. As I was desirous to draw those men away from Tiberias, +I chose out ten thousand of the best of my armed men, and divided +them into three bodies, and ordered them to go privately, and lie +still as an ambush, in the villages. I also led a thousand into +another village, which lay indeed in the mountains, as did the +others, but only four furlongs distant from Tiberias; and gave +orders, that when they saw my signal, they should come down +immediately, while I myself lay with my soldiers in the sight of +every body. Hereupon the people of Tiberias, at the sight of me, +came running out of the city perpetually, and abused me greatly. +Nay, their madness was come to that height, that they made a +decent bier for me, and, standing about it, they mourned over me +in the way of jest and sport; and I could not but be myself in a +pleasant humor upon the sight of this madness of theirs. + +63. And now being desirous to catch Simon by a wile, and Joazar +with him, I sent a message to them, and desired them to come a +little way out of the city, and many of their friends to guard +them; for I said I would come down to them, and make a league +with them, and divide the government of Galilee with them. +Accordingly, Simon was deluded on account of his imprudence, and +out of the hopes of gain, and did not delay to come; but Joazar, +suspecting snares were laid for him, staid behind. So when Simon +was come out, and his friends with him, for his guard, I met him, +and saluted him with great civility, and professed that I was +obliged to him for his coming up to me; but a little while +afterward I walked along with him as though I would say something +to him by myself; and when I had drawn him a good way from his +friends, I took him about the middle, and gave him to my friends +that were with me, to carry him into a village; and, commanding +my armed men to come down, I with them made an assault upon +Tiberias. Now, as the fight grew hot on both sides, and the +soldiers belonging to Tiberias were in a fair way to conquer me, +(for my armed men were already fled away,) I saw the posture of +my affairs; and encouraging those that were with me, I pursued +those of Tiberias, even when they were already conquerors, into +the city. I also sent another band of soldiers into the city by +the lake, and gave them orders to set on fire the first house +they could seize upon. When this was done, the people of +Tiberinas thought that their city was taken by force, and so +threw down their arms for fear, and implored, they, their wives, +and children, that I would spare their city. So I was +over-persuaded by their entreaties, and restrained the soldiers +from the vehemency with which they pursued them; while I myself, +upon the coming on of the evening, returned back with my +soldiers, and went to refresh myself. I also invited Simon to sup +with me, and comforted him on occasion of what had happened; and +I promised that I would send him safe and secure to Jerusalem, +and withal would give him provisions for his journey thither. + +64. But on the next day, I brought ten thousand armed men with +me, and came to Tiberias. I then sent for the principal men of +the multitude into the public place, and enjoined them to tell me +who were the authors of the revolt; and when they told me who the +men were, I sent them bound to the city Jotapata. But as to +Jonathan and Ananias, I freed them from their bonds, and gave +them provisions for their journey, together with Simon and +Joazar, and five hundred armed men who should guard them; and so +I sent them to Jerusalem. The people of Tiberias also came to me +again, and desired that I would forgive them for what they had +done; and they said they would amend what they had done amiss +with regard to me, by their fidelity for the time to come; and +they besought me to preserve what spoils remained upon the +plunder of the city, for those that had lost them. Accordingly, I +enjoined those that had got them, to bring them all before us; +and when they did not comply for a great while, and I saw one of +the soldiers that were about me with a garment on that was more +splendid than ordinary, I asked him whence he had it; and when he +replied that he had it out of the plunder of the city, I had him +punished with stripes; and I threatened all the rest to inflict a +severer punishment upon them, unless they produced before us +whatsoever they had plundered; and when a great many spoils were +brought together, I restored to every one of Tiberias what they +claimed to be their own. + +65. And now I am come to this part of my narration, I have a mind +to say a few things to Justus, who hath himself written a history +concerning these affairs, as also to others who profess to write +history, but have little regard to truth, and are not afraid, +either out of ill-will or good-will to some persons, to relate +falsehoods. These men do like those who compose forged deeds and +conveyances; and because they are not brought to the like +punishment with them, they have no regard to truth. When, +therefore, Justus undertook to write about these facts, and about +the Jewish war, that he might appear to have been an industrious +man, he falsified in what he related about me, and could not +speak truth even about his own country; whence it is that, being +belied by him, I am under a necessity to make my defense; and so +I shall say what I have concealed till now. And let no one wonder +that I have not told the world these things a great while ago. +For although it be necessary for an historian to write the truth, +yet is such a one not bound severely to animadvert on the +wickedness of certain men; not out of any favor to them, but out +of an author's own moderation. How then comes it to pass, O +Justus! thou most sagacious of writers, (that I may address +myself to him as if he were here present,) for so thou boastest +of thyself, that I and the Galileans have been the authors of +that sedition which thy country engaged in, both against the +Romans and against the king [Agrippa, junior] For before ever I +was appointed governor of Galilee by the community of Jerusalem, +both thou and all the people of Tiberias had not only taken up +arms, but had made war with Decapolis of Syria. Accordingly, thou +hadst ordered their villages to be burnt, and a domestic servant +of thine fell in the battle. Nor is it I only who say this; but +so it is written in the Commentaries of Vespasian, the emperor; +as also how the inhabitants of Decapolis came clamoring to +Vespasian at Ptolemais, and desired that thou, who wast the +author [of that war], mightest be brought to punishment. And thou +hadst certainly been punished at the command of Vespasian, had +not king Agrippa, who had power given him to have thee put to +death, at the earnest entreaty of his sister Bernice, changed the +punishment from death into a long imprisonment. Thy political +administration of affairs afterward doth also clearly discover +both thy other behavior in life, and that thou wast the occasion +of thy country's revolt from the Romans; plain signs of which I +shall produce presently. I have also a mind to say a few things +to the rest of the people of Tiberias on thy account, and to +demonstrate to those that light upon this history, that you bare +no good-will, neither to the Romans, nor to the king. To be sure, +the greatest cities of Galilee, O Justus! were Sepphoris, and thy +country Tiberias. But Sepphoris, situated in the very midst of +Galilee, and having many villages about it, and able with ease to +have been bold and troublesome to the Romans, if they had so +pleased, yet did it resolve to continue faithful to those their +masters, and at the same time excluded me out of their city, and +prohibited all their citizens from joining with the Jews in the +war; and, that they might be out of danger from me, they, by a +wile, got leave of me to fortify their city with walls: they +also, of their own accord, admitted of a garrison of Roman +legions, sent them by Cestlus Gallus, who was then president of +Syria, and so had me in contempt, though I was then very +powerful, and all were greatly afraid of me; and at the same time +that the greatest of our cities, Jerusalem, was besieged, and +that temple of ours, which belonged to us all, was in danger of +falling under the enemy's power, they sent no assistance thither, +as not willing to have it thought they would bear arms against +the Romans. But as for thy country, O Justus: situated upon the +lake of Gennesareth, and distance from Hippos thirty furlongs, +from Gadara sixty, and from Scythopolis, which was under the +king's jurisdiction, a hundred and twenty; when there was no +Jewish city near, it might easily have preserved its fidelity [to +the Romans,] if it had so pleased them to do, for the city and +its people had plenty of weapons. But, as thou sayest, I was then +the author [of their revolts]. And pray, O Justus! who was that +author afterwards? For thou knowest that I was in the power of +the Romans before Jerusalem was besieged, and before the same +time Jotapata was taker by force, as well as many other +fortresses, and a great many of the Galileans fell in the war. It +was therefore then a proper time, when you were certainly freed +from any fear on my account, to throw away your weapons, and to +demonstrate to the king and to the Romans, that it was not of +choice, but as forced by necessity, that you fell into the war +against them; but you staid till Vespasian came himself as far as +your walls, with his whole army; and then you did indeed lay +aside your weapons out of fear, and your city had for certain +been taken by force, unless Vespasian had complied with the +king's supplication for you, and had excused your madness. It was +not I, therefore, who was the author of this, but your own +inclinations to war. Do not you remember how often I got you +under my power, and yet put none of you to death? Nay, you once +fell into a tumult one against another, and slew one hundred and +eighty-five of your citizens, not on account of your good-will to +the king and to the Romans, but on account of your own +wickedness, and this while I was besieged by the Romans in +Jotapata. Nay, indeed, were there not reckoned up two thousand of +the people of Tiberias during the siege of Jerusalem, some of +whom were slain, and the rest caught and carried captives? But +thou wilt pretend that thou didst not engage in the war, since +thou didst flee to the king. Yes, indeed, thou didst flee to him; +but I say it was out of fear of me. Thou sayest, indeed, that it +is I who am a wicked man. But then, for what reason was it that +king Agrippa, who procured thee thy life when thou wast condemned +to die by Vespian, and who bestowed so much riches upon thee, did +twice afterward put thee in bonds, and as often obliged thee to +run away from thy country, and, when he had once ordered thee to +be put to death, he granted thee a pardon at the earnest desire +of Bernice? And when (after so many of thy wicked pranks) he made +thee his secretary, he caught thee falsifying his epistles, and +drove thee away from his sight. But I shall not inquire +accurately into these matters of scandal against thee. Yet cannot +I but wonder at thy impudence, when thou hast the assurance to +say, that thou hast better related these affairs [of the war] +than have all the others that have written about them, whilst +thou didst not know what was done in Galilee; for thou wast then +at Berytus with the king; nor didst thou know how much the Romans +suffered at the siege of Jotapata, or what miseries they brought +upon us; nor couldst thou learn by inquiry what I did during that +siege myself; for all those that might afford such information +were quite destroyed in that siege. But perhaps thou wilt say, +thou hast written of what was done against the people of +Jerusalem exactly. But how should that be? for neither wast thou +concerned in that war, nor hast thou read the commentaries of +Caesar; of which we have evident proof, because thou hast +contradicted those commentaries of Caesar in thy history. But if +thou art so hardy as to affirm, that thou hast written that +history better than all the rest, why didst thou not publish thy +history while the emperors Vespasian and Titus, the generals in +that war, as well as king Agrippa and his family, who were men +very well skilled in the learning of the Greeks, were all alive? +for thou hast had it written these twenty years, and then +mightest thou have had the testimony of thy accuracy. But now +when these men are no longer with us, and thou thinkest thou +canst not be contradicted, thou venturest to publish it. But then +I was not in like manner afraid of my own writing, but I offered +my books to the emperors themselves, when the facts were almost +under men's eyes; for I was conscious to myself, that I had +observed the truth of the facts; and as I expected to have their +attestation to them, so I was not deceived in such expectation. +Moreover, I immediately presented my history to many other +persons, some of whom were concerned in the war, as was king +Agrippa and some of his kindred. Now the emperor Titus was so +desirous that the knowledge of these affairs should be taken from +these books alone, that he subscribed his own hand to them, and +ordered that they should be published; and for king Agrippa, he +wrote me sixty-two letters, and attested to the truth of what I +had therein delivered; two of which letters I have here +subjoined, and thou mayst thereby know their contents: - "King +Agrippa to Josephus, however, when thou comest to me, I will +inform thee of a great many things which thou dost not know." So +when this history was perfected, Agrippa, neither by way of +flattery, which was not agreeable to him, nor by way of irony, as +thou wilt say, (for he was entirely a stranger to such an evil +disposition of mind,) but he wrote this by way of attestation to +what was true, as all that read histories may do. And so much +shall be said concerning Justus (24) which I am obliged to add by +way of digression. + +66. Now, when I had settled the affairs of Tiberias, and had +assembled my friends as a sanhedrim, I consulted what I should do +as to John. Whereupon it appeared to be the opinion of all the +Galileans, that I should arm them all, and march against John, +and punish him as the author of all the disorders that had +happened. Yet was not I pleased with their determination; as +purposing to compose these troubles without bloodshed. Upon this +I exhorted them to use the utmost care to learn the names of all +that were under John; which when they had done, and I thereby was +apprized who the men were, I published an edict, wherein I +offered security and my right hand to such of John's party as had +a mind to repent; and I allowed twenty days' time to such as +would take this most advantageous course for themselves. I also +threatened, that unless they threw down their arms, I would burn +their houses, and expose their goods to public sale. When the men +heard of this, they were in no small disorder, and deserted John; +and to the number of four thousand threw down their arms, and +came to me. So that no others staid with John but his own +citizens, and about fifteen hundred strangers that came from the +metropolis of Tyre; and when John saw that he had been outwitted +by my stratagem, he continued afterward in his own country, and +was in great fear of me. + +67. But about this time it was that the people of Sepphoris grew +insolent, and took up arms, out of a confidence they had in the +strength of their walls, and because they saw me engaged in other +affairs also. So they sent to Cestius Gallus, who was president +of Syria, and desired that he would either come quickly to them, +and take their city under his protection, or send them a +garrison. Accordingly, Gallus promised them to come, but did not +send word when he would come: and when I had learned so much, I +took the soldiers that were with me, and made an assault upon the +people of Sepphoris, and took the city by force. The Galileans +took this opportunity, as thinking they had now a proper time for +showing their hatred to them, since they bore ill-will to that +city also. They then exerted themselves, as if they would destroy +them all utterly, with those that sojourned there also. So they +ran upon them, and set their houses on fire, as finding them +without inhabitants; for the men, out of fear, ran together to +the citadel. So the Galileans carried off every thing, and +omitted no kind of desolation which they could bring upon their +countrymen. When I saw this, I was exceedingly troubled at it, +and commanded them to leave off, and put them in mind that it was +not agreeable to piety to do such things to their countrymen: but +since they neither would hearken to what I exhorted, nor to what +I commanded them to do, (for the hatred they bore to the people +there was too hard for my exhortations to them,) I bade those my +friends, who were most faithful to me, and were about me, to give +on reports, as if the Romans were falling upon the other part of +the city with a great army; and this I did, that, by such a +report being spread abroad, I might restrain the violence of the +Galileans, and preserve the city of Sepphoris. And at length this +stratagem had its effect; for, upon hearing this report, they +were in fear for themselves, and so they left off plundering and +ran away; and this more especially, because they saw me, their +general, do the same also; for, that I might cause this report to +be believed, I pretended to be in fear as well as they. Thus were +the inhabitants of Sepphoris unexpectedly preserved by this +contrivance of mine. + +68. Nay, indeed, Tiberias had like to have been plundered by the +Galileans also upon the following occasion: - The chief men of +the senate wrote to the king, and desired that he would come to +them, and take possession of their city. The king promised to +come, and wrote a letter in answer to theirs, and gave it to one +of his bed-chamber, whose name was Crispus, and who was by birth +a Jew, to carry it to Tiberias. When the Galileans knew that this +man carried such a letter, they caught him, and brought him to +me; but as soon as the whole multitude heard of it, they were +enraged, and betook themselves to their arms. So a great many of +them together from all quarters the next day, and came to the +city Asochis, where I then lodged, and made heavy clamors, and +called the city of Tiberias a traitor to them, and a friend to +the king; and desired leave of me to go down and utterly destroy +it; for they bore the like ill-will to the people of Tiberias, as +they did to those of Sepphoris. + +69. When I heard this, I was in doubt what to do, and hesitated +by what means I might deliver Tiberias from the rage of the +Galileans; for I could not deny that those of Tiborias had +written to the king, and invited him to come to them; for his +letters to them, in answer thereto, would fully prove the truth +of that. So I sat a long time musing with myself, and then said +to them, "I know well enough that the people of Tiberias have +offended; nor shall I forbid you to plunder the city. However, +such things ought to be done with discretion; for they of +Tiberias have not been the only betrayers of our liberty, but +many of the most eminent patriots of the Galileans, as they +pretended to be, have done the same. Tarry therefore till I shall +thoroughly find out those authors of our danger, and then you +shall have them all at once under your power, with all such as +you shall yourselves bring in also." Upon my saying this, I +pacifie the multitude, and they left off their anger, and went +their ways; and I gave orders that he who brought the king's +letters should be put into bonds; but in a few days I pretended +that I was obliged, by a necessary affair of my own, to out of +the kingdom. I then called Crispus privately, and ordered him to +make the soldier that kept him drunk, and to run away to the +king. So when Tiberias was in danger of being utterly destroyed a +second time, it escaped the danger by my skillful management, and +the care that I had for its preservation. + +70. About this time it was that Justus, the son of Pistus, +without my knowledge, ran away to the king; the occasion of which +I will here relate. Upon the beginning of the war between the +Jews and Romans, the people of Tiberias resolved to submit to the +king, and not to revolt from the Romans; while Justus tried to +persuade them to betake themselves to their arms, as being +himself desirous of innovations, and having hopes of obtaining +the government of Galilee, as well as of his own country +[Tiberias] also. Yet did he not obtain what he hoped for, because +the Galileans bore ill-will to those of Tiberias, and this on +account of their anger at what miseries they had suffered from +them before the war; thence it was that they would not endure +that Justus should be their governor. I myself also, who had been +intrusted by the community of Jerusalem with the government of +Galilee, did frequently come to that degree of rage at Justus, +that I had almost resolved to kill him, as not able to bear his +mischievous disposition. He was therefore much afraid of me, lest +at length my passion should come to extremity; so he went to the +king, as supposing that he would dwell better and more safely +with him. + +71. Now, when the people of Sepphoris had, in so surprising a +manner, escaped their first danger, they sent to Cestius Gallus, +and desired him to come to them immediately, and take possession +of their city, or else to send forces sufficient to repress all +their enemies' incursions upon them; and at the last they did +prevail with Gallus to send them a considerable army, both of +horse and foot, which came in the night time, and which they +admitted into the city. But when the country round about it was +harassed by the Roman army, I took those soldiers that were about +me, and came to Garisme, where I cast up a bank, a good way off +the city Sepphoris; and when I was at twenty furlongs distance, I +came upon it by night, and made an assault upon its walls with my +forces; and when I had ordered a considerable number of my +soldiers to scale them with ladders, I became master of the +greatest part of the city. But soon after, our unacquaintedness +with the places forced us to retire, after we had killed twelve +of the Roman footmen, and two horsemen, and a few of the people +of Sepphoris, with the loss of only a single man of our own. And +when it afterwards came to a battle in the plain against the +horsemen, and we had undergone the dangers of it courageously for +a long time, we were beaten; for upon the Romans encompassing me +about, my soldiers were afraid, and fell back. There fell in that +battle one of those that had been intrusted to guard my body; his +name was Justus, who at this time had the same post with the +king. At the same time also there came forces, both horsemen and +footmen, from the king, and Sylla their commander, who was the +captain of his guard: this Sylla pitched his camp at five +furlongs' distance from Julias, and set a guard upon the roads, +both that which led to Cana, and that which led to the fortress +Gamala, that he might hinder their inhabitants from getting +provisions out of Galilee. + +72. As soon as I had gotten intelligence of this, I sent two +thousand armed men, and a captain over them, whose name was +Jeremiah, who raised a bank a furlong off Julias, near to the +river Jordan, and did no more than skirmish with the enemy; till +I took three thousand soldiers myself, and came to them. But on +the next day, when I had laid an ambush in a certain valley, not +far from the banks, I provoked those that belonged to the king to +come to a battle, and gave orders to my own soldiers to turn +their backs upon them, until they should have drawn the enemy +away from their camp, and brought them out into the field, which +was done accordingly; for Sylla, supposing that our party did +really run away, was ready to pursue them, when our soldiers that +lay in ambush took them on their backs, and put them all into +great disorder. I also immediately made a sudden turn with my own +forces, and met those of the king's party, and put them to +flight. And I had performed great things that day, if a certain +fate had not been my hinderance; for the horse on which I rode, +and upon whose back I fought, fell into a quagmire, and threw me +on the ground, and I was bruised on my wrist, and carried into a +village named Cepharnome, or Capernaum. When my soldiers heard of +this, they were afraid I had been worse hurt than I was; and so +they did not go on with their pursuit any further, but returned +in very great concern for me. I therefore sent for the +physicians, and while I was under their hands, I continued +feverish that day; and as the physicians directed, I was that +night removed to Taricheee. + +73. When Sylla and his party were informed what happened to me, +they took courage again; and understanding that the watch was +negligently kept in our camp, they by night placed a body of +horsemen in ambush beyond Jordan, and when it was day they +provoked us to fight; and as we did not refuse it, but came into +the plain, their horsemen appeared out of that ambush in which +they had lain, and put our men into disorder, and made them run +away; so they slew six men of our side. Yet did they not go off +with the victory at last; for when they heard that some armed men +were sailed from Taricheae to Juli, they were afraid, and +retired. + +74. It was not now long before Vespasian came to Tyre, and king +Agrippa with him; but the Tyrians began to speak reproachfully of +the king, and called him an enemy to the Romans. For they said +that Philip, the general of his army, had betrayed the royal +palace and the Roman forces that were in Jerusalem, and that it +was done by his command. When Vespasian heard of this report, he +rebuked the Tyrians for abusing a man who was both a king and a +friend to the Romans; but he exhorted the king to send Philip to +Rome, to answer for what he had done before Nero. But when Philip +was sent thither, he did not come into the sight of Nero, for he +found him very near death, on account of the troubles that then +happened, and a civil war; and so he returned to the king. But +when Vespasian was come to Ptolemais, the chief men of Decapolis +of Syria made a clamor against Justus of Tiberias, because he had +set their villages on fire: so Vespasian delivered him to the +king, to he put to death by those under the king's jurisdiction; +yet did the king only put him into bonds, and concealed what he +had done from Vespasian, as I have before related. But the people +of Sepphoris met Vespasian, and saluted him, and had forces sent +him, with Placidus their commander: he also went up with them, as +I also followed them, till Vespasian came into Galilee. As to +which coming of his, and after what manner it was ordered, and +how he fought his first battle with me near the village +Taricheae, and how from thence they went to Jotapata, and how I +was taken alive, and bound, and how I was afterward loosed, with +all that was done by me in the Jewish war, and during the siege +of Jerusalem, I have accurately related them in the books +concerning the War of the Jews. However, it will, I think, he fit +for me to add now an account of those actions of my life which I +have not related in that book of the Jewish war. + +75. For when the siege of Jotapata was over, and I was among the +Romans, I was kept with much Care, by means of the great respect +that Vespasian showed me. Moreover, at his command, I married a +virgin, who was from among the captives of that country (25) yet +did she not live with me long, but was divorced, upon my being +freed from my bonds, and my going to Alexandria. However, I +married another wife at Alexandria, and was thence sent, together +with Titus, to the siege of Jerusalem, and was frequently in +danger of being put to death; while both the Jews were very +desirous to get me under their power, in order to haw me +punished. And the Romans also, whenever they were beaten, +supposed that it was occasioned by my treachery, and made +continual clamors to the emperors, and desired that they would +bring me to punishment, as a traitor to them: but Titus Caesar +was well acquainted with the uncertain fortune of war, and +returned no answer to the soldiers' vehement solicitations +against me. Moreover, when the city Jerusalem was taken by force, +Titus Caesar persuaded me frequently to take whatsoever I would +of the ruins of my country; and did that he gave me leave so to +do. But when my country was destroyed, I thought nothing else to +be of any value, which I could take and keep as a comfort under +my calamities; so I made this request to Titus, that my family +might have their liberty: I had also the holy books (26) by +Titus's concession. Nor was it long after that I asked of him the +life of my brother, and of fifty friends with him, and was not +denied. When I also went once to the temple, by the permission of +Titus, where there were a great multitude of captive women and +children, I got all those that I remembered as among my own +friends and acquaintances to be set free, being in number about +one hundred and ninety; and so I delivered them without their +paying any price of redemption, and restored them to their former +fortune. And when I was sent by Titus Caesar with Cerealins, and +a thousand horsemen, to a certain village called Thecoa, in order +to know whether it were a place fit for a camp, as I came back, I +saw many captives crucified, and remembered three of them as my +former acquaintance. I was very sorry at this in my mind, and +went with tears in my eyes to Titus, and told him of them; so he +immediately commanded them to be taken down, and to have the +greatest care taken of them, in order to their recovery; yet two +of them died under the physician's hands, while the third +recovered. + +76. But when Titus had composed the troubles in Judea, and +conjectured that the lands which I had in Judea would bring me no +profit, because a garrison to guard the country was afterward to +pitch there, he gave me another country in the plain. And when he +was going away to Rome, he made choice of me to sail along with +him, and paid me great respect: and when we were come to Rome, I +had great care taken of me by Vespasian; for he gave me an +apartment in his own house, which he lived in before he came to +the empire. He also honored me with the privilege of a Roman +citizen, and gave me an annual pension; and continued to respect +me to the end of his life, without any abatement of his kindness +to me; which very thing made me envied, and brought me into +danger; for a certain Jew, whose name was Jonathan, who had +raised a tumult in Cyrene, and had persuaded two thousand men of +that country to join with him, was the occasion of their ruin. +But when he was bound by the governor of that country, and sent +to the emperor, he told him that I had sent him both weapons and +money. However, he could not conceal his being a liar from +Vespasian, who condemned him to die; according to which sentence +he was put to death. Nay, after that, when those that envied my +good fortune did frequently bring accusations against me, by +God's providence I escaped them all. I also received from +Vespasian no small quantity of land, as a free gift, in Judea; +about which time I divorced my wife also, as not pleased with her +behavior, though not till she had been the mother of three +children, two of whom are dead, and one whom I named Hyrcanus, is +alive. After this I married a wife who had lived at Crete, but a +Jewess by birth: a woman she was of eminent parents, and such as +were the most illustrious in all the country, and whose character +was beyond that of most other women, as her future life did +demonstrate. By her I had two sons; the elder's name was Justus, +and the next Simonides, who was also named Agrippa. And these +were the circumstances of my domestic affairs. However, the +kindness of the emperor to me continued still the same; for when +Vespasian was dead, Titus, who succeeded him in the government, +kept up the same respect for me which I had from his father; and +when I had frequent accusations laid against me, he would not +believe them. And Domitian, who succeeded, still augmented his +respects to me; for he punished those Jews that were my accusers, +and gave command that a servant of mine, who was a eunuch, and my +accuser, should be punished. He also made that country I had in +Judea tax free, which is a mark of the greatest honor to him who +hath it; nay, Domitia, the wife of Caesar, continued to do me +kindnesses. And this is the account of the actions of my whole +life; and let others judge of my character by them as they +please. But to thee, O Epaphroditus, (28) thou most excellent of +men! do I dedicate all this treatise of our Antiquities; and so, +for the present, I here conclude the whole. + +Autobiography Footnotes + +(1) We may hence correct the error of the Latin copy of the +second book Against Apion, sect. 8, (for the Greek is there +lost,) which says, there were then only four tribes or courses of +the priests, instead of twenty-four. Nor is this testimony to be +disregarded, as if Josephus there contradicted what he had +affirmed here; because even the account there given better agrees +to twenty-four than to four courses, while he says that each of +those courses contained above 5000 men, which, multiplied by only +four, will make not more than 20,000 priests; whereas the number +120,000, as multiplied by 24, seems much the most probable, they +being about one-tenth of the whole people, even after the +captivity. See Ezra 2:36-39; Nehemiah 7:39-42; 1 Esdras 5:24, 25, +with Ezra 2;64; Nehemiah 7:66; 1 Esdras 5:41. Nor will this +common reading or notion of but four courses of priests, agree +with Josephus's own further assertion elsewhere, Antiq. B. VII. +ch. 14. sect. 7, that David's partition of the priests into +twenty-four courses had continued to that day. + +(2) An eminent example of the care of the Jews about their +genealogies, especially as to the priests. See Against Ap. B. 1 +sect. 7. + +(3) When Josephus here says, that from sixteen to nineteen, or +for three years, he made trial of the three Jewish sects, the +Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essens, and yet says presently, +in all our copies, that he stayed besides with one particular +ascetic, called Banus, with him, and this still before he was +nineteen, there is little room left for his trial of the three +other sects. I suppose, therefore, that for, with him, the old +reading might be, with them; which is a very small emendation, +and takes away the difficulty before us. Nor is Dr. Hudson's +conjecture, hinted at by Mr. Hall in his preface to the Doctor's +edition of Josephus, at all improbable, that this Banus, by this +his description, might well be a follower of John the Baptist, +and that from him Josephus might easily imbibe such notions, as +afterwards prepared him to have a favorable opinion of Jesus +Christ himself, who was attested to by John the Baptist. + +(4) We may note here, that religious men among the Jews, or at +least those that were priests, were sometimes ascetics also, and, +like Daniel and his companions in Babylon, Daniel 1:8-16, ate no +flesh, but figs and nuts, etc. only. This was like the, or +austere diet of the Christian ascetics in Passion-week. +Constitut. V. 18. + +(5) It has been thought the number of Paul and his companions on +ship-board, Acts 27:38, which are 276 in our copies, are too +many; whereas we find here, that Josephus and his companions, a +very few years after the other, were about 600. + +(6) See Jewish War, B. II. ch. 18. sect. 3. + +(7) The Jews might collect this unlawfulness of fighting against +their brethren from that law of Moses, Leviticus 19:16, "Thou +shalt not stand against the blood of thy neighbor;" and that, +ver. 17, "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the +children of thy people; but thou shalt love thy neighbor as +thyself;" as well as from many other places in the Pentateuch and +Prophets. See Antiq. B. VIII. ch. 8. sect. 3. + +(8) That this Herod Agrippa, the father, was of old called a +Great King, as here, appears by his coins still remaining; to +which Havercamp refers us. + +(9) The famous Jewish numbers of twelve and seventy are here +remarkable. + +(10) Our Josephus shows, both here and every where, that he was a +most religious person, and one that had a deep sense of God and +his providence upon his mind, and ascribed all his numerous and +wonderful escapes and preservations, in times of danger, to God's +blessing him, and taking care of him, and this on account of his +acts of piety, justice, humanity, and charity, to the Jews his +brethren. + +(11) Josephus's opinion is here well worth noting: - That every +one is to be permitted to worship God according to his own +conscience, and is not to be compelled in matters of religion: as +one may here observe, on the contrary, that the rest of the Jews +were still for obliging all those who married Jewesses to be +circumcised, and become Jews, and were ready to destroy all that +would not submit to do so. See sect. 31, and Luke 11:54. + +(12) How Josephus could say here that the Jewish laws forbade +them to "spoil even their enemies, while yet, a little before his +time, our Savior had mentioned it as then a current maxim with +them, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy," +Matthew 5:43, is worth our inquiry. I take it that Josephus, +having been now for many years an Ebionite Christian, had learned +this interpretation of the law of Moses from Christ, whom he +owned for the true Melah, as it follows in the succeeding verses, +which, though he might not read in St. Matthew's Gospel, yet +might he have read much the same exposition in their own Ebionite +or Nazarene Gospel itself; of which improvements made by +Josephus, after he was become a Christian, we have already had +several examples in this his life, sect. 3, 13, 15, 19, 21, 23, +and shall have many more therein before its conclusion, as well +as we have them elsewhere in all his later writings. + +(13) Here we may observe the vulgar Jewish notion of witchcraft, +but that our Josephus was too wise to give any countenance to it. + +(14) In this section, as well as in the 18 and 33. those small +vessels that sailed on the sea of Galilee, are called by +Josephus, i.e. plainly ships; so that we need not wander at our +evangelists, who still call them ships; nor ought we to render +them boats, as some do, Their number was in all 230, as we learn +from our author elsewhere. Jewish War. B. II. ch. 21. sect. 8. + +(15) Part of these fortifications on Mount Tabor may be those +still remaining, and which were seen lately by Mr. Maundrel. See +his Travels, p. 112. + +(16) This Gamaliel may be the very same that is mentioned by the +rabbins in the Mishna, in Juchasin, and in Porta Mosis, as is +observed in the Latin notes. He might be also that Gamaliel II., +whose grandfather was Gamaliel I., who is mentioned in Acts 5:34, +and at whose feet St. Paul was brought up, Acts 22:3. See Prid. +at the year 449. + +(17) This Jonathan is also taken notice of in the Latin notes, as +the same that is mentioned by the rabbins in Porta Mosis. + +(18) This I take to be the first of Josephus's remarkable or +divine dreams, which were predictive of the great things that +afterwards came to pass; of which see more in the note on Antiq. +B. III. ch. 8. sect. 9. The other is in the War, B. III. ch. 8. +sect. 3, 9. + +(19) Josephus's directions to his soldiers here are much the same +that John the Baptist gave, Luke 3:14, "Do violence to no man, +neither accuse any falsely, and be content with your wages." +Whence Dr. Hudson confirms this conjecture, that Josephus, in +some things, was, even now, a follower of John the Baptist, which +is no way improbable. See the note on sect. 2. + +(20) We here learn the practice of the Jews, in the days of +Josephus, to inquire into the characters of witnesses before they +were admitted; and that their number ought to be three, or two at +the least, also exactly as in the law of Moses, and in the +Apostolical Constitutions, B. II. ch. 37. See Horeb Covenant +Revived, page 97, 98. + +(21) This appeal to the whole body of the Galileans by Josephus, +and the testimony they gave him of integrity in his conduct as +their governor, is very like that appeal and testimony in the +case of the prophet Samuel, 1 Samuel 12:1-5, and perhaps was done +by Josephus in imitation of him. + +(22) It is worth noting here, that there was now a great +Proseucha, or place of prayer, in the city of Tiberias itself, +though such Proseucha used to be out of cities, as the synagogues +were within them. Of them, see Le Moyne on Polycarp's Epistle, +page 76. It is also worth our remark, that the Jews, in the days +of Josephus, used to dine at the sixth hour, or noon; and that in +obedience to their notions of the law of Moses also. + +(23) One may observe here, that this lay Pharisee, Ananias, is we +have seen he was, sect. 39, took upon him to appoint a fast at +Tiberias, and was obeyed; though indeed it was not out of +religion, but knavish policy. + +(24) The character of this history of Justus of Tiberias, the +rival of our Josephus, which is now lost, with its only remaining +fragment, are given us by a very able critic, Photius, who read +that history. It is in the 33rd code of his Bibliotheea, and runs +thus: "I have read (says Photius) the chronology of Justus of +Tiberias, whose title is this, [The Chronology of] the Kings of +Judah which succeeded one another. This [Justus] came out of the +city of Tiberias in Galilee. He begins his history from Moses, +and ends it not till the death of Agrippa, the seventh [ruler] of +the family of Herod, and the last king of the Jews; who took the +government under Claudius, had it augmented under Nero, and still +more augmented by Vespasian. He died in the third year of Trajan, +where also his history ends. He is very concise in his language, +and slightly passes over those affairs that were most necessary +to be insisted on; and being under the Jewish prejudices, as +indeed he was himself also a Jew by birth, he makes not the least +mention of the appearance of Christ, or what things happened to +him, or of the wonderful works that he did. He was the son of a +certain Jew, whose name was Pistus. He was a man, as he is +described by Josephus, of a most profligate character; a slave +both to money and to pleasures. In public affairs he was opposite +to Josephus; and it is related, that he laid many plots against +him; but that Josephus, though he had his enemy frequently under +his power, did only reproach him in words, and so let him go +without further punishment. He says also, that the history which +this man wrote is, for the main, fabulous, and chiefly as to +those parts where he describes the Roman war with the Jews, and +the taking of Jerusalem." + +(25) Here Josephus, a priest, honestly confesses that he did that +at the command of Vespasian, which he had before told us was not +lawful for a priest to do by the law of Moses, Antiq. B. III. ch. +12. sect. 2. I mean, the taking a captive woman to wife. See also +Against Apion, B. I. sect. 7. But he seems to have been quickly +sensible that his compliance with the commands of an emperor +would not excuse him, for he soon put her away, as Reland justly +observes here. + +(27) Of this most remarkable clause, and its most important +consequences, see Essay on the Old Testament, page 193--195. + +(28) Of this Epaphroditus, see the note on the Preface to the +Antiquities. + + + + + +End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Life of Flavius Josephus** + diff --git a/old/lfjos10.zip b/old/lfjos10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..78811ae --- /dev/null +++ b/old/lfjos10.zip |