the Romans, but principally out of the hatred they bore to those that were conquered by them; on which account they came clamouring against Josephus in crowds, and desired he might be put to death. But Vespasian passed over this petition concerning him, as offered by the injudicious multitude, with a bare silence. Two of the legions also he placed at Cæsarea, that they might there take their winter quarters, as perceiving the city very fit for such a purpose; but he placed the tenth and the fifth at Scythopolis, that he might not distress Cæsarea with the entire army. This place was warm, even in winter, as it was suffocating hot in the summer time, by reason of its situation in a plain, and near to the sea [of Galilee.]

2. In the mean time there was gathered together as well such as had seditiously got out from among their enemies, as those that had escaped out of the demolished cities, which were in all a great number, and repaired to Joppa, which had been left desolate by Cestius, that it might serve them for a place of refuge; and because the adjoining region had been laid waste in the war, and was not capable of supporting them, they determined to go off to sea. They also built themselves a great many piratical ships, and turned pirates upon the seas near to Syria and Phoenicia, and Egypt, and made those seas unnavigable to all men. Now as soon as Vespasian knew of their conspiracy, he sent both footmen and horsemen to Joppa, who entered the city, which was unguarded, in the night time; however, those that were in it perceived that they should be attacked, and were afraid of it; yet did they not endeavour to keep the Romans out, but fled to their ships, and lay at sea all night out of the reach of their darts.

3. Now Joppa is not naturally an haven, for it ends in a rough shore, where all the rest of it is straight, but the two ends bend towards each other, where there are deep precipices, and great stones that jet out into the sea, and where the chains wherewith Andromeda was bound have left their footsteps, which attest to that antiquity of the fable. But the north wind opposes and bears upon the shore, and dashes mighty waves against the rocks which receives them, renders the haven more dangerous than the country they had deserted. Now as these people of Joppa were floating about in this sea, in the morning there fell a violent wind upon them; it is called by those that sail there, the black

and

mans.

north wind, and there dashed their ships one against a and dashed some of them against the rocks, and carried of them by force, while they strove against the o waves into the main sea; for the shore was so rock had so many of the enemy upon it, that they were af come to land; nay, the waves rose so very high, tha drowned them: nor was there any place whither they fly, nor any way to save themselves, while they were out of the sea by the violence of the wind, if they staid they were, and out of the city, by the violence of t And much lamentation there was when the were dashed against one another, and a terrible noise they were broken to pieces; and some of the multitud were in them covered with waves, and so perished, great many were embarrassed with shipwrecks. of them thought, that to die by their own swords was than by the sea, and so they killed themselves, before the drowned; although the greatest part of them were carri the waves, and dashed to pieces against the abrupt på the rocks, iusomuch that the sea was bloody a long way the maritime parts were full of dead bodies, for the R came upon those that were carried to the shore, and de ed them; and the number of the bodies that were thrown out of the sea was four thousand, and two hu The Romans also took the city without opposition, an terly demolished it.

But

4. And thus was Joppa taken twice by the Romans little time; but Vespasian, in order to prevent these p from coming thither any more, erected a camp there, the citadel of Joppa had been, and left a body of horse with a few footmen, that these last might stay ther guard the camp, and the horsemen might spoil the co that lay round it, and might destroy the neighbourin lages, and smaller cities. So these troops over-ra country, as they were ordered to do, and every day c pieces, and laid desolate the whole region.

5. But now, when the fate of Jotapata was related a rusalem, a great many at the first disbelieved it on ac of the vastness of the calamity, and because they ha eye-witnesses to attest the truth of what was related abou for not one person was saved to be a messenger of that but a fame was spread abroad at random, that the city taken, as such fame usually spreads bad news about. H

Yet were

Jotapata, and appeared to all to be too true. there fictious stories added to what was really done; for it was reported that Josephus was slain at the taking of the city, which piece of news filled Jerusalem full of sorrow. In every house also, and among all to whom any of the slain were allied, there was a lamentation for them; but the mourning for the commander was a public one, and some mourned for those that had lived with them, others for their kindred, others for their friends, and others for their brethren, but all mourned for Josephus; insomuch that the lamentation did not cease in the city before the thirtieth day, and a great many hired * mourners with their pipes, who should begin the melancholy ditties for them.

6. But as the truth came out in time, it appeared how the affair of Jotapata really stood; yet was it found that the death of Josephus was a fiction; and when they understood that he was alive, and was among the Romans, and that the commanders treated him at another rate than they treated captives, they were as vehemently angry at him now, as they had shewed their good-will before, when he appeared to have been dead. He was also abused by some as having been a coward, and others as a deserter: and the city was full of indignation at him, and of reproaches cast upon him, their rage was also aggravated by their afflictions, and more inflamed by their ill success; and what usually becomes an occasion of caution to wise men, I mean affliction, became a spur to them to venture on farther calamities, and the end of one misery became still the beginning of another; they therefore resolved to fall on the Romans the more vehemently as resolving to be revenged on him in revenging themselves on the Romans. And this was the state of Jerusalem as to the troubles which now came upon it.

7. But Vespasian, in order to see the kingdom of Agrippa, while the king persuaded him himself so to do, (partly in order to his treating the general and his army in the best and most splendid manner his private affairs would enable him to do, and partly that he might, by their means correct such things as were amiss in his government,) be removed from that Cæsarea which was by the sea-side, and went to that

The public mourners, hired upon the supposed death of Josephus, and the real death of many more, illustrate some passages in the Bible, which suppose the same custom, as Matt. xi. 17. where the reader may consult the notes of Grotius

which is called * Cæsarea Philippi; and there he refreshed his army for twenty days, and was himself feasted by king Agrippa where he also returned public thanks to God for the good success he had in his undertakings. But as soon as he was informed that Tiberias was fond of innovations, and that Taricheæ had revolted, both which cities were parts of the kingdom of Agrippa, and was satisfied within himself that the Jews were every where perverted [from their obedience to their governors.] he thought it seasonable to make an expedition against these cities, and that for the sake of Agrippa, and in order to bring his cities to reason. So he sent away his son Titus to [the other] Casarea, that he might bring the army that lay there to Scythopolis, which is the largest city of Decapolis, and in the neighbourhood of Tiberias, whither he came, and there he waited for his son. He then came with three legions, and pitched his camp thirty furlongs off Tiberias, at a certain station easily seen by the innovators; it is named Sennabris. He also sent Valerian, a decurion with fifty horsemen, to speak peaceably to those that were in the city, and to exhort them to give him assurances of their fidelity; for he had heard that the people were desirous of peace, but were obliged by some of the seditious part to join with them, and so were forced to fight for them. When Valerian had marched up to the place, and was near the wall, he alighted off his horse, and made those that were with him do the same, that they might not be thought to come to skirmish with them; but before they could come to discourse one with another, the most potent men among the seditious made a sally upon them armed; their leader was one whose name Jesus, the son of Saphat, the principal head of a band of robbers. Now Valerian, neither thinking it safe to fight contrary to the commands of the general, though he were secure of a victory, and knowing that it was a very hazardous undertaking for a few to fight with many, for those that are unprovided to fight those that were ready, and being on other accounts surprised at this unexpected onset of the Jews, he ran away on foot, as did five of the rest in like manner, and left their horses behind them; which horses Jesus led away into the city, and rejoiced as if they had taken them in battle, and not by treachery.

⚫ Of this Cæsarea Philippi (twice mentioned in our New Testament, Matt. xvi. 13. Mark viii. 27) there are coins still extant, as Spanheim here informs us.

8. Now the seniors of the people, and such as were of principal authority among them, fearing what would be the issue of this matter, fled to the camp of the Romans; they then took their king along with them, and fell down before Vespasian to supplicate his favour, and besought him not to overlook them, nor to impute the madness of a few to the whole city, to spare a people that have been ever civil and obliging to the Romans; but to bring the authors of this revolt to due punishment, who had hitherto so watched them, that though they were zealous to give them the security of their right hands of a long time, yet could they not accomplish the same. With these supplications, the general complied, although he were very angry at the whole city about carrying off his horses, and this because he saw that Agrippa was under a great concern for them. So when Vespasian and Agrippa had accepted of their right hands by way of security, Jesus and his party thought it not safe for them to continue at Tiberias, so they ran away to Taricheæ. The next day Vespasian sent Trajan before with some horsemen to the citadel, to make trial of the multitude, whether they were all disposed for peace; and as soon as he knew that the people were of the same mind with the petitioner, he took his army, and went to the city; upon which the citizens opened to him their gates, and met him with acclamations of joy, and called him their saviour and benefactor. But as the army was a great while in getting in at the gates, they were so narrow, Vespasian commanded the south wall to be broken down, and so made a broad passage for their entrance. However, he charged them to abstain from rapine and injustice, in order to gratify the king and on his account spared the rest of the wall, while the king undertook for them that they should continue [faithful to the Romans] for the time to come. And thus did he restore this city to a quiet state, after it had been grievously afflicted by the sedition.

CHAP. X.

How Tariche was taken. A description of the river Jordan, and of the country of Gennesareth.

1. AND now Vespasian pitched his camp between this city and Taricheæ, but fortified his camp more strongly, as suspecting that he should be forced to stay there, and have a