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