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of it, they were enraged, and betook themselves to their arms. So a great many of them got together from all quarters the next day, and came to the city Asochis; where I then lodged ; and made heavy clamours; and called the citizens of Tiberias traitors to them, and freinds to the king: and desired leave of me to go down, and utterly destroy them. For they bore the like ill will to the people of Tiberias, as they did to those of Sepphoris.

When I heard this, I was in doubt what to do, and hesitated by what means I might deliver Tiberias from the rage of the Galileans. For I could not deny that those of Tiberias had written to the king, and invited him to come to them. For his letters to them in answer thereto would fully prove the truth of that. So I sat a long while musing with myself, and then said to them, "I know well enough that the people of Tiberias have offended: nor shall I forbid you to plunder the city. However, such things ought to be done with discretion. For they of Tiberias have not been the only betrayers of our liberty: but many of the most eminent patriots of the Galileans, as they pretended to be, have done the same. Tarry, therefore, till I shall thoroughly find out those authors of our danger: and then you shall have them all at once under your power, with all such as you shall yourselves bring in also." Upon saying this, I pacified the multitude; and they left off their anger and went their ways. And I gave orders that he who brought the king's letters should be put into bonds: but in a few days I pretended that I was obliged, by a necessary affair of my own, to go out of the kingdom. I then called Crispus privately, and ordered him to make the soldier that kept him intoxicated, and to run away to the king. So when Tiberias was in danger of being utterly destroyed a second time, it escaped the danger by my skilful management, and the care that I had for its preservation.

About this time, Justus, the son of Pistus, without my knowledge, ran away to the king. The occasion of which I will here relate. Upon the beginning of the war between the Jews and the Romans, the people of Tiberias resolved to submit to the king; and not to revolt from the Romans. While Justus tried to persuade them to betake themselves to their arms: as being himself desirous of innovations : and having hopes of obtaining the govern

ment of Galilee, as well as of his own country, Tiberias, also. Yet did he not obtain what he hoped for. Because the Galileans bore ill will to those of Tiberias: and this on account of their anger at the miseries they had suffered from them before the war. Thence it was that they would not endure that Justus should be their governor. I myself also, who had been intrusted by the community of Jerusalem with the government of Galilee, did frequently come to that degree of rage at Justus, that I had almost resolved to kill him as not able to bear his mischievous disposition. He was, therefore, much afraid of me, lest at length my passion should come to extremity. So he went to the king, as supposing that he should dwell better, and more safely with him.

Now when the people of Sepphoris had, in so surprising a manner, escaped their first danger, they sent to Cestius Gallus, and desired him to come to them immediately, and take possession of their city; or else to send forces sufficient to repress all their enemies' incursions upon them. And at last they did prevail with Gallus to send them a considerable army, both of horse and foot which came in the night time; and which they admitted into the city. But when the circumjacent country was harassed by the Roman army, I took these soldiers that were about me, and came to Garisme, where I cast up a bank, a good way off the city Sepphoris. And when I was at twenty furlongs distance I came upon it by night, and made an assault upon its walls with my forces. And when I had ordered a considerable number of my soldiers to scale them with ladders, I became master of the greatest part of the city. But soon after, our ignorance of the places forced us to retire; after we had killed twelve of the Roman footmen, and two horsemen, and a few of the people of Sepphoris; with the loss of only a single man of our own. And when it afterward came to a battle in the plain against the horsemen, and we had undergone the dangers of it courageously for a long time, we were beaten. For upon the Romans encompassing me about, my soldiers were afraid, and fled back. There fell in that battle one of those that had been intrusted to guard my body: his name was Justus, who at this time had the same post with the king. At the same time also there came forces, both horsemen and footmen from the king; and Sylla their commander, who was

the captain of his guard. This Sylla pitched his camp at five furlongs distance from Julias, and set a guard upon the roads; both that which led to Cana, and that which led to the fortress Gamala: that he might hinder their inhabitants from getting provisions out of Galilee.

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As soon as I had received intelligence of this, I sent two thousand armed men, and a captain over them, whose name was Jeremiah; who raised a bank a furlong off Julias, near to the river Jordan and did no more than skirmish with the enemy; till I took three thousand soldiers myself, and came to them. But on the next day, when I had laid an ambush in a certain valley, not far from the bank, I provoked those that belonged to the king to come to a battle and gave orders to my own soldiers to turn their backs upon them until they should have drawn the enemy away from their camp, and brought them out into the field. This was done accordingly. For Sylla, supposing that our party did really run away, was ready to pursue them. When our soldiers that lay in ambush took them on their backs, and put them all into great disorder, I also immediately made a sudden turn with my own forces, and met those of the king's party, and put them to flight. And I had performed great things that day, if a certain fate had not been my hinderance. For the horse on which I rode, and upon whose back I fought, fell into a quagmire; and threw me on the ground. And I was bruised on my wrist, and carried into a village, named *Cepharnome. When my soldiers heard of this, they were afraid I had been worse hurt than I was; and so they did not go on with their pursuit any farther: but returned in great concern for me. I therefore sent for the physicians; and while I was under their care, I continued feverish that day; and, as the physicians directed, I was at night removed to Taricheæ.

When Sylla and his party were informed of what had happened to me they took courage again: and understanding that the watch was negligently kept in our camp, they, by night, placed a body of horsemen in ambush, beyond Jordan; and when it was day they provoked us to fight. And as we did not refuse it, but came

*Or Capernaum, so often mentioned in the New Testament.

into the plain, their horsemen appeared out of that ambush in which they had lain, and put our men into disorder: and made them run away. So they slew six men of our side. Yet did' they not go off with the victory at last. For when they heard that some armed men were sailed from Taricheæ, to Julias, they were afraid and retired.

It was now not long before Vespasian came to Tyre; and king Agrippa with him. But the Tyrians began to speak reproachfully of the king: and called him an enemy to the Romans. For they said, that Philip, the general of his army, had betrayed the royal palace, and the Roman forces that were in Jerusalem; and that it was done by his command. When Vespasian heard of this report, he rebuked the Tyrians, for abusing a man who was both a king and a friend to the Romans. But he exhorted the king to send Philip to Rome, for answer to what he had done before Nero. But when Philip was sent thither, he did not come into the sight of Nero. For he found him very near death, on account of the troubles that then happened, and a civil war; and so he returned to the king. But when Vespasian was come to Ptolemais, the chief men of Decapolis of Syria made a clamour against Justus of Tiberias, because he had set their villages on fire. So Vespasian delivered him to the king to be put to death by those under the king's jurisdiction. Yet did the king only put him into bonds, and concealed what he had done from Vespasian as I have before related. But the people of Sepphoris met Vespasian, and saluted him, and had forces sent them, with Placidus their commander. He also went up with them, as I also followed them; till Vespasian came into Galilee. As to which coming of his, and after what manner it was ordered, and how he fought his first battle with me near the village Taricheæ, and how from thence they went to Jotapata, and how I was taken alive, and bound, and how I was afterward loosed; with all that was done by me in the Jewish war, and during the siege of Jerusalem, I have accurately related them in the books concerning the war of the Jews. However, it will, I think, be proper to add an account of those actions of my life, which I have not related in that book of the Jewish

war.

1

When the siege of Jotapata was over, and I was among the

Romans, I was kept with much care by means of the great respect that Vespasian showed me. At his command, also, I married a *virgin who was from among the captives of that country. Yet did she not live with me long; but was divorced, upon my being freed from my bonds, and my going to Alexandria. However, I married another wife at Alexandria; and was thence sent, together with Titus, to the siege of Jerusalem: and was frequently in danger of being put to death. While both the Jews were very desirous to get me into their power, in order to have me punished and the Romans also whenever they were beaten, supposed that it was occasioned by my treachery; and made continual clamours to the emperors, and desired that they would bring me to punishment, as a traitor to them. But Titus Cæsar was well acquainted with the uncertain fortune of war, and returned no answer to the soldiers' vehement solicitations against me. Moreover, when the city of Jerusalem was taken by force, Titus Cæsar persuaded me frequently to take whatsoever I would out of the ruins of my country; and said that he gave me leave so to do. But when my country was destroyed, I thought nothing else to be of any value, which I could take and keep as a comfort under my calamities; so I made this request to Titus, that my family might have their liberty. I had also the holy books by Titus's concession. Nor was it long after that I asked of him the life of my brother, and of fifty friends with him, and was not denied. When I also went once to the temple, by the permission of Titus, where there were a great multitude of captive women and children; I got all those that I remembered as among my own friends and acquaintance, to be set free, being in number about one hundred and ninety and so I delivered them without their paying any price of redemption; and restored them to their former fortune. And when I was sent by Titus Cæsar, with Ceralius, and a thousand horsemen, to a certain village, called The

*Here Josephus, a priest, honestly confesses that he did that at the command of Vespasian, which he had before told us was not lawful for a priest to do by the law of Moses. Antiq. III. 13. I mean the taking a captive woman to wife. But he seems to have been quickly sensible that his compliance with the command of an emperor would not excuse him; for he soon put her away; as Reland justly ob

serves.

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