brought these spoils, that they ought to be kept, in order to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, 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 neighbourhood of Tiberias, and told the people, that I was going to betray their country to the Romans; and wheat 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 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 command to any other person. 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 Taricheæ did also 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: who all joined in one clamor, to bring the man who was so wicked 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 he was become a Christian, we have already had several examples in his life, and shall have many more before its conclusion, as well as we have them elsewhere in all bis later writings. 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 accord, 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 deserved punishment." * 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 hastened 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, awakened 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 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 to 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 intreated 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 * It is elsewhere said there were three more with him. See Of the War, ii, 21. they 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 be then allow ed to kill me. 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 knew that this city of yours, Taricheæ, 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 Taricheæ, 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 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 aforementioned danger, beyond all my hopes; and returned to my own house, accompanied with my friends, and twenty armed men. from the spoils: for I told them they would 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 adopt 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 pretences 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. L also ridiculed the allegation about witchcraft, and told them that the Romans would not maintain so many thousand soldiers if they could overcome their enemies by wizards. Upon my saying this, the people assented for a while. But they returned again afterward, However, those robbers, and other authors as irritated by some ill people against the great of this tumult, who were afraid on their own men. Nay, they once made an assault upon account, lest I should punish them for what the house in which they dwelt at Tariches, they had done, took six hundred armed men, in order to kill them. Which, when I was and came to the house where I abode, in order informed of, I was afraid lest so horrid a to set it on fire. When this insult was told crime should take effect, and nobody else me, I thought it indecent for me to run away, would make that city their refuge any more. and I resolved to expose myself to danger,I therefore came myself, and some others with 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 some of their men in to receive the money me, to the house where these great men lived, * Here we may observe the vulgar Jewish notion of witchcraft; but that our Josephus was too wise to give any countenance to it. with them, and sailed to the confines of Hippos. I also paid them the value of their horses as it was impossible in such a flight to bave their horses brought to them. I then dismissed them, and begged of them earnestly that they would courageously bear this distress which befel them. I was also myself 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 offences. And this was the conclusion of what concerned these men. 3 tude of soldiers. And indeed, whenever I sojourned at this city, I never took any parti cular 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, be sides some friends and was doubtful what to do. For to send to recal 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 forbid us so to do; even though our necessity should be very great. And if I should permit the people of Taricheæ, and the strangers with them, to guard: the city, I saw that they would not be suffi cient 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 iny friends of Tariches, on whom I could best confide, at the gates; to watch those very carefully who went out at those gates. 1 also called to me the heads of families; and bade every one of them to seize upon a ship, to go on board it and to take a master with them, and follow him to the city of Tiberias. I also went on board one of those ships, with my friends, and the seven armed men already mentioned, and sailed for Tiberias. 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 thear. 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 Tariches 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 Tarichere, which was thirty furlongs distant from Tiberias, it happened 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 But now, when the people of Tiberias perfrom the king. Hereupon they shouted, and ceived that there were no forces come from lifted up their voices in commendations of the the king, and yet saw the whole lake full of king, and in reproaches against me: in con- ships; they were in fear what would become sequence of which, one came running to me, of their city, and were greatly terrified; as and told me, what their dispositions were; supposing that the ships were full of men. So and that they had resolved to revolt from me. they then changed their minds, and threw Upon hearing this news, I was very much down their weapons, and met me with their alarmed. For I had already sent away my wives and children, and made acclamations to armed men from Tariches to their own me, with great commendations. For they homes: because the next day was our sab-imagined that I did not know their former bath. For I would not have the people of Tariches disturbed on that day by a multi In this paragraph, as well as some others, those small vessels that sailed on the sea of Galilee are called by Josephus Ns, and a, and Expn, i. e. plainly ships. So that we need not wonder at our evangelists who still inclinations to have been against me. So they persuaded me to spare the city. But call them ships. Nor ought we to render them boats, as some do. Their number was in all 230, as we learn from our author elsewhere. See Of the War, II. 21. when 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. Aceordingly, upon these directions from the king, he made haste to do what he was commanded. 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 wall of their city. Nor did I reject either of their requests. The region of Gaulanites 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 very great strength. Moreover I, in like manner, walled several villages of Upper Galilee; though they were very rocky of themselves. Their names are Jamnia, Meroth, and Achabare. I also fortified, in the Lower Galilee, the cities Taricheæ, Tiberias, and Sepphoris: and the villages, the cave of Arbela, Bersobe, Selamin, Jotapata, Caphareccho, Sigo, and Japha, and Mount Tabor. I also laid up a great quantity of corn in these places, and arms withal that might be for their security afterward. 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 possi * Part of these fortifications on Mount Tabor may be those still remaining; and which were seen by Mr. Maundrel. See his Travels, pag. 112. + This Gamaliel may be the very same that is mentioned by the Rabbins in the Mishna, in Juchasin, and in ble to make away with me. And built the walls of Gischala, which was the place of his nativity. He then sent his brother Simon, and Jonathan, the son of Sisenna, and about a hundred armed men, to Jerusalem, to Simon, the son of Gamaliel; † in order to persuade him to induce the commonalty of Jerusalem to take from me the government over the Galileans, and to give their suffrages for conferring that authority upon him. This Simon was of the city 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's: but at that time he had a difference with me. When, therefore, he had received such an exhortation, he persuaded the highpriests 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 aggran dizing 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 Ananus, 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. When Simon heard Ananus say this, he desired that the messengers would conceal the thing, and not let it come anong many. For that he would take care to have Josephus removed out of Galilee very quickly. So he Porta Mosis: as is observed in the Latin notes. He might be also that Gamaliel II. whose grandfather was Gamaliel I. who is mentioned Acts v. 34, and at whose feet St. Paul was brought up. Acts xxii, S. See Prid. at the year 446. called |