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tacked by the natives of Judea, they compelled the Jews residing among them to bear arms against their countrymen, which is deemed unlawful by us; and when by these unnatural auxiliaries, they defeated and repelled the assailants, they broke their pledge of friendship with the resident Jews, and put them all to death, to the amount of many ten thousands. The Jews of Damascus suffered a similar treatment, as I have related in the Jewish War: and I here mention this calamity merely to shew that the war of the Jews with the Romans, was, for the most part, a matter hot of choice, but of compulsion *.”

* Οι τας περιξ της Συρίας πόλεις κατοικούντες, τους παρ' ἑαυτοις Ιουδαίους συλλαμβάνουντες συν γυναιξε και τεκνοις ανήρουν, ουδε μιαν αυτοίς αιτίαν επικαλειν εχοντες" ούτε γαρ επι Ρωμαίων αποφάσει νεωτερον τι πεφρονηκέσαν, ούτε προς αυτούς εκείνους εχθρον η επιβουλον. Σκυθοπολιται δε παντων ασεβεςατα και παρανομώτατα διεπράξαντος επελθόντων γαρ αυτοις Ιουδαίων εξωθεν πολεμίων, τους παρ' αυτοις Ιουδαίους εβιασαντο κατα των ὁμοφυλων ὁπλα λαβειν, όπερ εςι παρ ήμιν αθεμιτον, και μετ' εκείνων συμ βαλοντες εκράτησαν των επελθοντων. επείδη ενίκησαν, εκλο θέμενος της προς τους ενοίκους και συμμάχους πίςεως, παντας αυτούς διεχρήσαντο, πολλας μυριάδας οντάς. Josephus speaks of this event more fully in the Jewish War,' lib. 2. c. 18. 2. He represents all Syria in the most dreadful commotion. It was divided into two camps, which spent

Here it is asserted that the Syrians, when they put the Jews with their wives and children to death, had nevertheless no complaint to make against them. It may be admitted, that they had no reason of a political nature for this cruelty. And this is all that Josephus means: for he adds, that they neither attempted to revolt from the Romans, nor meditated any insidious or hostile views against their neighbours. But it is utterly incredible, that the people of Syria, or any other people, should have committed so outrageous an act, without what they considered some great provocation: and this could be no other than what proved the innocent cause of the commotions in all other places, namely the introduction and prevalence of the gospel. This we have seen was the reason for which the Jews of Damascus suffered: and Josephus leads us by the connection, as well as by his studied silence, to conclude, that the sufferings of those in Syria and Scythopolis proceeded from the same source.

the day in carnage, and the night in still more frightful alarm. The number of heathens converted to christianity in Syria at that time was so great, that they were objects of terror to the enemies of the Jews, απεσκευσθαι τους Ιουδαίους δοκούντες έκαςοι, τους Ιουδαίζοντας είχον εν ὑποψια. These judaizers or proselytes could be no other than converts to spiritual judaism.

Galilee seems to have cherished beyond any of the other provinces, the hope of emancipation, and therefore more determined upon a revolt. This determination must have been owing to the predominance of the gospel in this country, and to the erroneous expectation of a temporal deliverance, which the claims of Jesus had awakened in the minds of the people *. Of this expectation certain demagogues, more enlightened, yet very depraved, availed themselves; who endeavoured by their speeches and influence to fan into flames the mistaken zeal of the public, in the hopes of promoting their own interests, while they pretended to consult the interests of the nation. Among these were John of Gischala, Jesus the son of Sapphias, and Justus of Tiberias, all able and powerful chieftains, especially the latter, who was withal artful, versed in the literature and language of Greece, and possessing by means of hist eloquence an irresistible influence over the people. To defeat the measures of these incendiaries, and to arrest the progress of the war, by disarming the inhabitants, Josephus, with two other men

* It is on this principle that Justus of Tiberias charged Josephus and the Galileans with being the authors of the war.-Αιτιοι γεγοναμεν εγώ τε και Γαλιλαιοι τη πατρίδι σου της προς Ρωμαίους και προς τον βασιλέα φασεως -65.

of rank and integrity, was sent by the council of Jerusalem as delegates to Galilee; being ordered to visit the several towns, and return to the sanhe drim a correct information of the state of the country. These orders being executed, Josephus was appointed governor of Galilee, with dis cretionary power, if he could not by any means terminate, to conduct the war. The rank and superior abilities of Josephus gave him a natural claim to the highest honour and confidence: but I cannot help thinking, but that his known pre'dilection, as a believer in Jesus, to the cause of the Galileans, was felt by the sanhedrim to mark him out in a peculiar manner as a proper candidate for that appointment.

His first object was to provide arms, and to fortify the cities, but yet if possible to keep the country in peace. With this intention, he sought to conciliate the robbers; or those banditti, who, living on plunder, infested the several provinces, and especially Galilee. He allowed them a small stipend to prevent the necessity of plunder, and bound them, by a solemn oath, not to pillage the neighbouring towns, nor, by attacking, to provoke the Romans. To secure the obedience and fidelity of the Galileans, he collected around him the men in power, seventy in number; treated them with friendship and confidence, used their assistance and advice in deciding causes, while

passing from one city to another, being most anxious that every decision should be dictated by impartial justice, the result of time and deliberation, and uninfluenced by bribery and interest. "I was now," adds he," in the thirtieth year of my age, a period in which it is difficult for any one invested with great authority to escape the calumnies of the envious, though he abstain from every unlawful desire. Yet I preserved every woman from insult or injustice, and rejected every present that was offered me, as not in need of gain. Nor would I receive the tithes, which were due to me as a priest, from the persons who brought them. For this reason it was, I believe, that God, who ever notices those who do as they ought, repeatedly delivered me from the hands of my enemies, and protected me in the many dangers, which soon menaced my life. This conduct, moreover, procured me the attachment of the people, whose affection and fidelity were such that, when their cities were taken and their wives and children carried into slavery, their anxiety for the preservation of their general was equal to the sense of their own calamities."

Josephus had more difficulties from the malice and envy of his rivals, than from the common envy; and his behaviour in every emergence, displays the highest wisdom and moderation. His life, indeed, must convince every impartial

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