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 the village of Chabolo, situated in the confines of Ptolimias, and
there kept my forces together, pretending to get ready to fight with
Placidus, who was come with two cohorts of footmen, and one troop of
horsemen, and was sent thither by Cestius Gallus to burn those villages
of Galilee that were near Ptolemais. Upon whose casting up a bank before
the city Ptolemais, I also pitched my camp at about the distance of
sixty furlongs from that village. And now we frequently brought out our
forces as if we would fight, but proceeded no further than skirmishes at
a distance; for when Placidus perceived that I was earnest to come to
a battle, he was afraid, and avoided it. Yet did he not remove from the
neighborhood of Ptolemais.
44. About this time it was that Jonathan and his fellow legates came.
They were sent, as we have said already, by Simon, and Ananus the high
priest. And Jonathan contrived how he might catch me by treachery;
for he durst not make any attempt upon me openly. So he wrote me the
following epistle: "Jonathan and those that are with him, and are sent
by the people of Jerusalem, to Josephus, send greeting. We are sent by
the principal men of Jerusalem, who have heard that John of Gischala
hath laid many snares for thee, to rebuke him, and to exhort him to be
subject to thee hereafter. We are also desirous to consult with thee
about our common concerns, and what is fit to be done. We therefore
desire thee to come to us quickly, and to bring only a few men with
thee; for this village will not contain a great number of soldiers."
Thus it was that they wrote, as expecting one of these two things;
either that I should come without armed men, and then they should have
me wholly in their power; or, if I came with a great number, they should
judge me to be a public enemy. Now it was a horseman who brought the
letter, a man at other times bold, and one that had served in the army
under the king. It was the second hour of the night that he came, when
I was feasting with my friends, and the principal of the Galileans. This
man, upon my servant's telling me that a certain horseman of the Jewish
nation was come, was called in at my command, but did not so much as
salute me at all, but held out a letter, and said, "This letter is sent
thee by those that are come from Jerusalem; do thou write an answer to
it quickly; for I am obliged to return to them very soon." Now my guests
could not but wonder at the boldness of the soldier. But I desired him
to sit down and sup with us; but when he refused so to do, I held the
letter in my hands as I received it, and fell a talking with my guests
about other matters. But a few hours afterwards, I got up, and when
I had dismissed the rest to go to their beds, I bid only four of my
intimate friends to stay, and ordered my servant to get some wine
ready. I also opened the letter so, that nobody could perceive it; and
understanding thereby presently the purportú of the writing, I sealed it
up again, and appeared as if I had not yet read it, but only held it in
my hands. I ordered twenty drachmae should be given the soldier for the
charges of his journey; and when he took the money, and said that he
thanked me for it, I perceived that he loved money, and that he was to
be caught chiefly by that means; and I said to him, "If thou wilt but
drink with us, thou shalt have a drachma for every glass thou drinkest."
So he gladly embraced this proposal, and drank a great deal of wine, in
order to get the more money, and was so drunk, that at last he could not
keep the secrets he was intrusted with, but discovered them without my
putting questions to him, viz. That a treacherous design was contrived
against me, and that I was doomed to die by those that sent him. When I
heard this, I wrote back this answer: "Josephus to Jonathan, and those
that are with him, sendeth greeting. Upon the information that you are
come in health into Galilee, I rejoice, and this especially because
I can now resign the care of public affairs here into your hands, and
return into my native country, which is what I have desired to do a
great while; and I confess I ought not only to come to you as far as
Xaloth, but farther, and this without your commands. But I desire you
to excuse me, because I cannot do it now, since I watch the motions of
Placidus, who hath a mind to go up into Galilee; and this I do here at
Chabolo. Do you therefore, on the receipt of this epistle, come hither
to me. Fare you well."