Flavius Josephus
ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS
Autobiography
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 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 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. 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. 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, 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; 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; 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] 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, with 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] 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,
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, 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 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 Tarichese
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 [Tarichese] 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 Tarichese
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, 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 Tarichese,
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 Tarichese 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 Tarichese, 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 Tarichese, to their own homes, because the next day was our
sabbath; for I would not have the people of Tarichese 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 Tarichese, 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. 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, 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 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 Tiberiens, 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, 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 purport 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, 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, 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 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; 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 Tiberiens.
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
Tarichee.
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 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 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, thou
most excellent of men! do I dedicate all this treatise of our Antiquities; and
so, for the present, I here conclude the whole.
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