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1. Now as Josephus was thus engaged in the administration of the
affairs of Galilee, there arose a treacherous person, a man of
Gischala, the son of Levi, "whose name was John. His character
was that of a very cunning and very knavish person, beyond the
ordinary rate of the other men of eminence there, and for wicked
practices he had not his fellow any where. Poor he was at first,
and for a long time his wants were a hinderance to him in his
wicked designs. He was a ready liar, and yet very sharp in
gaining credit to his fictions: he thought it a point of virtue
to delude people, and would delude even such as were the dearest
to him. He was a hypocritical pretender to humanity, but where he
had hopes of gain, he spared not the shedding of blood: his
desires were ever carried to great things, and he encouraged his
hopes from those mean wicked tricks which he was the author of.
He had a peculiar knack at thieving; but in some time he got
certain companions in his impudent practices; at first they were
but few, but as he proceeded on in his evil course, they became
still more and more numerous. He took care that none of his
partners should be easily caught in their rogueries, but chose
such out of the rest as had the strongest constitutions of body,
and the greatest courage of soul, together with great skill in
martial affairs; as he got together a band of four hundred men,
who came principally out of the country of Tyre, and were
vagabonds that had run away from its villages; and by the means
of these he laid waste all Galilee, and irritated a considerable
number, who were in great expectation of a war then suddenly to
arise among them.
2. However, John's want of money had hitherto restrained him in
his ambition after command, and in his attempts to advance
himself. But when he saw that Josephus was highly pleased with
the activity of his temper, he persuaded him, in the first place,
to intrust him with the repairing of the walls of his native
city, [Gischala,] in which work he got a great deal of money from
the rich citizens. He after that contrived a very shrewd trick,
and pretending that the Jews who dwelt in Syria were obliged to
make use of oil that was made by others than those of their own
nation, he desired leave of Josephus to send oil to their
borders; so he bought four amphorae with such Tyrian money as was
of the value of four Attic drachmae, and sold every half-amphora
at the same price. And as Galilee was very fruitful in oil, and
was peculiarly so at that time, by sending away great quantities,
and having the sole privilege so to do, he gathered an immense
sum of money together, which money he immediately used to the
disadvantage of him who gave him that privilege; and, as he
supposed, that if he could once overthrow Josephus, he should
himself obtain the government of Galilee; so he gave orders to
the robbers that were under his command to be more zealous in
their thievish expeditions, that by the rise of many that desired
innovations in the country, he might either catch their general
in his snares, as he came to the country's assistance, and then
kill him; or if he should overlook the robbers, he might accuse
him for his negligence to the people of the country. He also
spread abroad a report far and near that Josephus was delivering
up the administration of affairs to the Romans; and many such
plots did he lay, in order to ruin him.
3. Now at the same time that certain young men of the village
Dabaritta, who kept guard in the Great Plain laid snares for
Ptolemy, who was Agrippa's and Bernice's steward, and took from
him all that he had with him; among which things there were a
great many costly garments, and no small number of silver cups,
and six hundred pieces of gold; yet were they not able to conceal
what they had stolen, but brought it all to Josephus, to
Tarichee. Hereupon he blamed them for the violence they had
offered to the king and queen, and deposited what they brought to
him with Eneas, the most potent man of Taricheae, with an
intention of sending the things back to the owners at a proper
time; which act of Josephus brought him into the greatest danger;
for those that had stolen the things had an indignation at him,
both because they gained no share of it for themselves, and
because they perceived beforehand what was Josephus's intention,
and that he would freely deliver up what had cost them so much
pains to the king and queen. These ran away by night to their
several villages, and declared to all men that Josephus was going
to betray them: they also raised great disorders in all the
neighboring cities, insomuch that in the morning a hundred
thousand armed men came running together; which multitude was
crowded together in the hippodrome at Taricheae, and made a very
peevish clamor against him; while some cried out, that they
should depose the traitor; and others, that they should burn him.
Now John irritated a great many, as did also one Jesus, the son
of Sapphias, who was then governor of Tiberias. Then it was that
Josephus's friends, and the guards of his body, were so
affrighted at this violent assault of the multitude, that they
all fled away but four; and as he was asleep, they awaked him, as
the people were going to set fire to the house. And although
those four that remained with him persuaded him to run away, he
was neither surprised at his being himself deserted, nor at the
great multitude that came against him, but leaped out to them
with his clothes rent, and ashes sprinkled on his head, with his
hands behind him, and his sword hanging at his neck. At this
sight his friends, especially those of Tarichae, commiserated his
condition; but those that came out of the country, and those in
their neighborhood, to whom his government seemed burdensome,
reproached him, and bid him produce the money which belonged to
them all immediately, and to confess the agreement he had made to
betray them; for they imagined, from the habit in which he
appeared, that he would deny nothing of what they suspected
concerning him, and that it was in order to obtain pardon that he
had put himself entirely into so pitiable a posture. But this
humble appearance was only designed as preparatory to a stratagem
of his, who thereby contrived to set those that were so angry at
him at variance one with another about the things they were angry
at. However, he promised he would confess all: hereupon he was
permitted to speak, when he said," I did neither intend to send
this money back to Agrippa, nor to gain it myself; for I did
never esteem one that was your enemy to be my friend, nor did I
look upon what would tend to your disadvantage to be my
advantage. But, O you people of Tariehete, I saw that your city
stood in more need than others of fortifications for your
security, and that it wanted money in order for the building it a
wall. I was also afraid lest the people of Tiberias and other
cities should lay a plot to seize upon these spoils, and
therefore it was that I intended to retain this money privately,
that I might encompass you with a wall. But if this does not
please you, I will produce what was brought me, and leave it to
you to plunder it; but if I have conducted myself so well as to
please you, you may if you please punish your benefactor."
4. Hereupon the people of Taricheae loudly commended him; but
those of Tiberias, with the rest of the company, gave him hard
names, and threatened what they would do to him; so both sides
left off quarrelling with Josephus, and fell on quarrelling with
one another. So he grew bold upon the dependence he had on his
friends, which were the people of Taricheae, and about forty
thousand in number, and spake more freely to the whole multitude,
and reproached them greatly for their rashness; and told them,
that with this money he would build walls about Taricheae, and
would put the other cities in a state of security also; for that
they should not want money, if they would but agree for whose
benefit it was to be procured, and would not suffer themselves to
be irritated against him who procured it for them.
5. Hereupon the rest of the multitude that had been deluded
retired; but yet so that they went away angry, and two thousand
of them made an assault upon him in their armor; and as he was
already gone to his own house, they stood without and threatened
him. On which occasion Josephus again used a second stratagem to
escape them; for he got upon the top of his house, and with his
right hand desired them to be silent, and said to them, "I cannot
tell what you would have, nor can hear what you say, for the
confused noise you make;" but he said that he would comply with
all their demands, in case they would but send some of their
number in to him that might talk with him about it. And when the
principal of them, with their leaders, heard this, they came into
the house. He then drew them to the most retired part of the
house, and shut the door of that hall where he put them, and then
had them whipped till every one of their inward parts appeared
naked. In the mean time the multitude stood round the house, and
supposed that he had a long discourse with those that were gone
in about what they claimed of him. He had then the doors set open
immediately, and sent the men out all bloody, which so terribly
aftrighted those that had before threatened him, that they threw
away their arms and ran away.
6. But as for John, his envy grew greater [upon this escape of
Josephus], and he framed a new plot against him; he pretended to
be sick, and by a letter desired that Josephus would give him
leave to use the hot baths that were at Tiberias, for the
recovery of his health. Hereupon Josephus, who hitherto suspected
nothing of John's plots against him, wrote to the governors of
the city, that they would provide a lodging and necessaries for
John; which favors, when he had made use of, in two days' time he
did what he came about; some he corrupted with delusive frauds,
and others with money, and so persuaded them to revolt from
Josephus. This Silas, who was appointed guardian of the city by
Josephus, wrote to him immediately, and informed him of the plot
against him; which epistle when Josephus had received, he marched
with great diligence all night, and came early in the morning to
Tiberias; at which time the rest of the multitude met him. But
John, who suspected that his coming was not for his advantage,
sent however one of his friends, and pretended that he was sick,
and that being confined to his bed, he could not come to pay him
his respects. But as soon as Josephus had got the people of
Tiberias together in the stadium, and tried to discourse with
them about the letters that he had received, John privately sent
some armed men, and gave them orders to slay him. But when the
people saw that the armed men were about to draw their swords,
they cried out; at which cry Josephus turned himself about, and
when he saw that the swords were just at his throat, he marched
away in great haste to the sea-shore, and left off that speech
which he was going to make to the people, upon an elevation of
six cubits high. He then seized on a ship which lay in the haven,
and leaped into it, with two of his guards, and fled away into
the midst of the lake.
7. But now the soldiers he had with him took up their arms
immediately, and marched against the plotters; but Josephus was
afraid lest a civil war should be raised by the envy of a few
men, and bring the city to ruin; so he sent some of his party to
tell them, that they should do no more than provide for their own
safety; that they should not kill any body, nor accuse any for
the occasion they had afforded [of disorder]. Accordingly, these
men obeyed his orders, and were quiet; but the people of the
neighboring country, when they were informed of this plot, and of
the plotter, they got together in great multitudes to oppose
John. But he prevented their attempt, and fled away to Gischala,
his native city, while the Galileans came running out of their
several cities to Josephus; and as they were now become many ten
thousands of armed men, they cried out, that they were come
against John the common plotter against their interest, and would
at the same time burn him, and that city which had received him.
Hereupon Josephus told them that he took their good-will to him
kindly, but still he restrained their fury, and intended to
subdue his enemies by prudent conduct, rather than by slaying
them; so he excepted those of every city which had joined in this
revolt with John, by name, who had readily been shown him by
these that came from every city, and caused public proclamation
to be made, that he would seize upon the effects of those that
did not forsake John within five days' time, and would burn both
their houses and their families with fire. Whereupon three
thousand of John's party left him immediately, who came to
Josephus, and threw their arms down at his feet. John then betook
himself, together with his two thousand Syrian runagates, from
open attempts, to more secret ways of treachery. Accordingly, he
privately sent messengers to Jerusalem, to accuse Josephus, as
having to great power, and to let them know that he would soon
come as a tyrant to their metropolis, unless they prevented him.
This accusation the people were aware of beforehand, but had no
regard to it. However, some of the grandees, out of envy, and
some of the rulers also, sent money to John privately, that he
might be able to get together mercenary soldiers, in order to
fight Josephus; they also made a decree of themselves, and this
for recalling him from his government, yet did they not think
that decree sufficient; so they sent withal two thousand five
hundred armed men, and four persons of the highest rank amongst
them; Joazar the son of Nomicus, and Ananias the son of Sadduk,
as also Simon and Judas the sons of Jonathan, all very able men
in speaking, that these persons might withdraw the good-will of
the people from Josephus. These had it in charge, that if he
would voluntarily come away, they should permit him to [come and]
give an account of his conduct; but if he obstinately insisted
upon continuing in his government, they should treat him as an
enemy. Now Josephus's friends had sent him word that an army was
coming against him, but they gave him no notice beforehand what
the reason of their coming was, that being only known among some
secret councils of his enemies; and by this means it was that
four cities revolted from him immediately, Sepphoris, and Gamala,
and Gischala, and Tiberias. Yet did he recover these cities
without war; and when he had routed those four commanders by
stratagems, and had taken the most potent of their warriors, he
sent them to Jerusalem; and the people [of Galilee] had great
indignation at them, and were in a zealous disposition to slay,
not only these forces, but those that sent them also, had not
these forces prevented it by running away.
8. Now John was detained afterward within the walls of Gischala,
by the fear he was in of Josephus; but within a few days Tiberias
revolted again, the people within it inviting king Agrippa [to
return to the exercise of his authority there]. And when he did
not come at the time appointed, and when a few Roman horsemen
appeared that day, they expelled Josephus out of the city. Now
this revolt of theirs was presently known at Taricheae; and as
Josephus had sent out all the soldiers that were with him to
gather corn, he knew not how either to march out alone against
the revolters, or to stay where he was, because he was afraid the
king's soldiers might prevent him if he tarried, and might get
into the city; for he did not intend to do any thing on the next
day, because it was the sabbath day, and would hinder his
proceeding. So he contrived to circumvent the revolters by a
stratagem; and in the first place he ordered the gates of
Taricheae to be shut, that nobody might go out and inform [those
of Tiberias], for whom it was intended, what stratagem he was
about; he then got together all the ships that were upon the
lake, which were found to be two hundred and thirty, and in each
of them he put no more than four mariners. So he sailed to
Tiberias with haste, and kept at such a distance from the city,
that it was not easy for the people to see the vessels, and
ordered that the empty vessels should float up and down there,
while himself, who had but seven of his guards with him, and
those unarmed also, went so near as to be seen; but when his
adversaries, who were still reproaching him, saw him from the
walls, they were so astonished that they supposed all the ships
were full of armed men, and threw down their arms, and by signals
of intercession they besought him to spare the city.
9. Upon this Josephus threatened them terribly, and reproached
them, that when they were the first that took up arms against the
Romans, they should spend their force beforehand in civil
dissensions, and do what their enemies desired above all things;
and that besides they should endeavor so hastily to seize upon
him, who took care of their safety, and had not been ashamed to
shut the gates of their city against him that built their walls;
that, however, he would admit of any intercessors from them that
might make some excuse for them, and with whom he would make such
agreements as might be for the city's security. Hereupon ten of
the most potent men of Tiberias came down to him presently; and
when he had taken them into one of his vessels, he ordered them
to be carried a great way off from the city. He then commanded
that fifty others of their senate, such as were men of the
greatest eminence, should come to him, that they also might give
him some security on their behalf. After which, under one new
pretense or another, he called forth others, one after another,
to make the leagues between them. He then gave order to the
masters of those vessels which he had thus filled to sail away
immediately for Taricheae, and to confine those men in the prison
there; till at length he took all their senate, consisting of six
hundred persons, and about two thousand of the populace, and
carried them away to Taricheae.
10. And when the rest of the people cried out, that it was one
Clitus that was the chief author of this revolt, they desired him
to spend his anger upon him [only]; but Josephus, whose intention
it was to slay nobody, commanded one Levius, belonging to his
guards, to go out of the vessel, in order to cut off both
Clitus's hands; yet was Levius afraid to go out by himself alone
to such a large body of enemies, and refused to go. Now Clitus
saw that Josephus was in a great passion in the ship, and ready
to leap out of it, in order to execute the punishment himself; he
begged therefore from the shore, that he would leave him one of
his hands; which Josephus agreed to, upon condition that he would
himself cutoff the other hand; accordingly he drew his sword, and
with his right hand cut off his left, so great was the fear he
was in of Josephus himself. And thus he took the people of
Tiberias prisoners, and recovered the city again with empty ships
and seven of his guard. Moreover, a few days afterward he retook
Gischala, which had revolted with the people of Sepphoris, and
gave his soldiers leave to plunder it; yet did he get all the
plunder together, and restored it to the inhabitants; and the
like he did to the inhabitants of Sepphoris and Tiberias. For
when he had subdued those cities, he had a mind, by letting them
be plundered, to give them some good instruction, while at the
same time he regained their good-will by restoring them their
money again.
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