metor, and of Cleopatra his wife; and persuaded them to make him the high-priest of that temple which he built to God in the prefecture of Heliopolis; and this in imitation of that at Jerusalem. But as for that temple which was built in Egypt, we have spoken of it *frequently already. Now when Jacimus had retained the high-priesthood three years, he died; and there was no one that succeeded him; but the city continued seven years without a high-priest. But then the posterity of the tons of Asmoneus, who had the government of the nation conferred upon them, when they had beaten the Macedonians in war, appointed Jonathan to be their high-priest, who ruled over them seven years. And when he had been slain by the treacherous contrivance of Trypho, as we have related,† Simon his brother took the high-priesthood: and when he was destroyed at a feast by the treachery of his son-in-law, his own son, whose name was Hyrcanus, succeeded him; after he had held the high-priesthood one year longer than his brother. This Hyrcanus enjoyed that dignity thirty years, and died an old man, leaving the succession to Judas, who was also called Aristobulus: whose brother Alexander was his heir. Judas died of a sore distemper, after he had kept the priesthood, together with the royal authority, for this Judas was the first that put on his head a diadem, for one year. And when Alexander had been both king and high-priest twenty-seven years, he departed this life; and permitted his wife Alexandra to appoint him that should be highpriest. So she gave the high-priesthood to Hyrcanus; but retained the kingdom herself, nine years, and then died. The like duration, and no longer, did her son Hyrcanus enjoy the high-priesthood; for after her death his brother Aristobulus fought against him, and deprived him of his principality; and he did himself both reign, and perform the office of high-priest to God. But when he had reigned three years, and as many months, Pompey came upon him, and not only took the city of Jerusalem by force, but put him and his children in bonds, and sent them to Rome. He also restored the high-priesthood to Hyrcanus, and made him governor of the nation; but for

* See XII. 9.XIII. 3, and 10..

+ Book XIII. chap. 6.

bade him to wear a diadem. This Hyrcanus ruled, besides his first nine years, twenty-four years more, when Barzapharnes aud Pacorus, the generals of the Parthians, passed over Euphrates, and fought with Hyrcanus, and took him alive, and made Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus, king. And when he had reigned three years and three months, Sosius and Herod besieged and took him. When Antony had him brought to Antioch, and slain there. Herod was then made king by the Romans: but did no longer appoint high-priests out of the family of Asmoneus; but made certain men to be so that were of no eminent families, but barely of those that were priests: excepting that he once gave that dignity to Aristobulus. For when he made this Aristobulus, the grandson of that Hyrcanus who was taken by the Parthians, and had taken his sister Mariamne to wife, he thereby aimed to win the good will of the people, who had a kind remembrance of Hyrcanus his grandfather. Yet did he afterward, out of his fear lest they should all bend their inclinations to Aristobulus, put him to death: and that by contriving to have him suffocated, as he was swimming at Jericho, as we have already related. But after this man he never intrusted the high-priesthood to the sons of Asmoneus. Archelaus also, Herod's son, did like his father in the appointment of the high-priests: as did the Romans also, who took the government over the Jews into their hands afterward. Accordingly the number of the high-priests, from the days of Herod, until the day when Titus took the temple and the city, and burnt them, were in all twenty-eight. The time also that belonged to them was a hundred and seven years. Some of these were the political governors of the people under the reign of Herod, and under the reign of Archelaus his sou: although after their death the government became an aristocracy; and the high-priests were intrusted with a dominion over the nation. And thus much may suffice concerning our high-priests.

*Book XV. chap. 3.

CHAP. XI.

CONCERNING FLORUS THE PROCURATOR, WHO PROVOKED THE

JEWS TO TAKE UP ARMS AGAINST THE ROMANS. THE CONCLUSION.

NOW Gessius Florus, who was sent as successor to Albinus by Nero, filled Judea with abundance of miseries. He was by birth of the city Clazomenæ, and brought along with him his wife Cleopatra, by whose friendship with Poppea, Nero's wife, he obtained this government, and who was no way different from himself in wickedness. This Florus was so violent in the use of his authority, that the Jews considered Albinus to have been comparatively their benefactor; so excessive were the mischiefs that he brought upon them. For Albinus concealed his wickedness, and was careful that it might not be discovered to all men. But Gessius Florus, as though he had been sent on purpose to show his crimes to every body, made a pompous ostentation of them to our nation; as never committing any sort of violence, nor any unjust punishment, for he was not to be moved by pity, and never was satisfied with any degree of gain that came in his way. Nor had he any more regard to great than to small acquisitions; but became a partner with the robbers themselves. For a great many fell then into that practice without fear, as having him for their patron, and depending on him, that he would save them harmless in their particular robberies. So that there were no bonnds set to the miseries of the nation; but the unhappy Jews, when they were not able to bear the devastations which the robbers made among them, were all under a necessity of leaving their own habitations, and of fleeing away; as hoping to dwell more easily any where among foreigners than in their own country. And what need I say any more upon this head, since it was this Florus who necessitated us to take up arms against the Romans; while we thought it better to be destroyed at once, than by little and little.*

*It is certainly better, in many cases, to know the extent of calamity, than for

Now this war began in the second year of the government of Florus, and the twelfth year of the reign of Nero. But then what actions we were forced to do, or what miseries we were enabled to suffer, may be accurately known by such as will persue those books which I have written about the Jewish war.

;

I shall now, therefore, make an end here of my Antiquities: after the conclusion of which events I began to write that account of the war. And these Antiquities contain what hath been delivered down to us from the original creation of man, until the twelfth year of the reign of Nero: as to what hath befallen us Jews, as well in Egypt as in Syria and in Palestine and what we have suffered from the Assyrians and Babylonians; and what afflictions the Persians and Macedonians, and after them the Romans, have brought upon us: for I think I may say that I have composed this history with sufficient accuracy in all things. I have attempted to enumerate those high-priests that we have had, during the interval of two thousand years. I have also carried down the succession of our kings, and related their actions and political administration, without any considerable errors; as also the power of our monarchs; and all according to what is written in our sacred books: for this it was that I promised to do in the beginning of this history. And I am so bold as to say, now I have so completely perfected the work I proposed to myself to do, that no other person, whether he were a Jew or a foreigner, had he never so great an inclination to it, could so accurately deliver these accounts to the Greeks as is done in these books for those of my own nation freely acknowledge that I far exceed them in the learning belonging to the Jews. I have also taken a great deal of pains to obtain the learning of the Greeks, and understand the elements of the Greek language; although I have so long accustomed myself to speak our own tongue, that I cannot pronounce Greek with sufficient exactness. For our nation does not encourage those that learn the languages of many nations, and so adorn their discourses with the smoothness of their periods;

it to creep on gradually. When life, however, is concerned, urgent indeed must be the danger that can justify the wilful anticipation of the worst result. B.

because they look upon this sort of accomplishment as common, not only to all sorts of freemen, but to as many of the servants as please to learn them. But they give him the testimony of being a wise man, who is fully acquainted with our laws, and is able to interpret their meaning. On this account, as there have been many who have done their endeavours, with great patience, to obtain this learning, there have yet hardly been two or three that have succeeded therein, who were immediately rewarded for their pains.

I shall now put an end to these Antiquities, which are contained in twenty books, and sixty thousand verses. And if *God permit me, I shall briefly run over this war again, with what befell us therein, to this very day; which is the thirteenth year of the reign of Cæsar Domitian, and the fifty-sixth year of my own life. I have also an intention to write three books concerning our Jewish opinions about God, and his essence; and about our laws; why according to them, some things are permitted us to do, and others are prohibited.

* What Josephus here declares his intention to do, if God permitted, is not, that I have observed, taken distinct notice of by any. Nor do we ever hear of it elsewhere, whether he performed what he now intended or not. Some of the reasons of this design might possibly be his observation of the many errors he had been guilty of in the two first of those seven books Of the War, which were written when he was comparatively young, and less acquainted with the Jewish Antiquities than he now was; and in which abridgment we might have hoped to find those many passages which himself, as well as those passages which others refer to, as written by him, but which are not extant in his present works. However, since many of his own references to what he had written elsewhere, as well. as most of his own errors, belong to such early times, as could not well come into this abridgment of the Jewish War; and since none of those that quote things not now extant in his works, including himself as well as others, ever cite any such abridgment: I am forced rather to suppose that he never did publish any such work at all; I mean as distinct from his own life, written by himself, and this at least above seven years after these Antiquities were finished. Nor does it appear to me, that Josephus ever published that other work here mentioned, as intended by him for the public also; I mean the books concerning God and his essence, and concerning the Jewish laws; why, according to them, some things were per mitted the Jews, and others prohibited: which last seems to be the same work Josephus had also promised, if God permitted, at the conclusion of his preface to these Antiquities. The death of all his friends at court, Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian; and the coming of those he had no acquaintance with to the crown, I mean Nerva and Trajan; together with his removal from Rome to Judea, with what followed it; might easily interrupt such intentions, and prevent his publication of those works.