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1. Upon Varus's reception of the letters that were written by
Sabinus and the captains, he could not avoid being afraid for the
whole legion [he had left there]. So he made haste to their
relief, and took with him the other two legions, with the four
troops of horsemen to them belonging, and marched to Ptolenlais;
having given orders for the auxiliaries that were sent by the
kings and governors of cities to meet him there. Moreover, he
received from the people of Berytus, as he passed through their
city, fifteen hundred armed men. Now as soon as the other body of
auxiliaries were come to Ptolemais, as well as Aretas the
Arabian, (who, out of the hatred he bore to Herod, brought a
great army of horse and foot,) Varus sent a part of his army
presently to Galilee, which lay near to Ptolemais, and Caius, one
of his friends, for their captain. This Caius put those that met
him to flight, and took the city Sepphoris, and burnt it, and
made slaves of its inhabitants; but as for Varus himself, he
marched to Samaria with his whole army, where he did not meddle
with the city itself, because he found that it had made no
commotion during these troubles, but pitched his camp about a
certain village which was called Aras. It belonged to Ptolemy,
and on that account was plundered by the Arabians, who were very
angry even at Herod's friends also. He thence marched on to the
village Sampho, another fortified place, which they plundered, as
they had done the other. As they carried off all the money they
lighted upon belonging to the public revenues, all was now full
of fire and blood-shed, and nothing could resist the plunders of
the Arabians. Emnaus was also burnt, upon the flight of its
inhabitants, and this at the command of Varus, out of his rage at
the slaughter of those that were about Arias.
2. Thence he marched on to Jerusalem, and as soon as he was but
seen by the Jews, he made their camps disperse themselves; they
also went away, and fled up and down the country. But the
citizens received him, and cleared themselves of having any hand
in this revolt, and said that they had raised no commotions, but
had only been forced to admit the multitude, because of the
festival, and that they were rather besieged together with the
Romans, than assisted those that had revolted. There had before
this met him Joseph, the first cousin of Archelaus, and Gratus,
together with Rufus, who led those of Sebaste, as well as the
king's army: there also met him those of the Roman legion, armed
after their accustomed manner; for as to Sabinus, he durst not
come into Varus's sight, but was gone out of the city before
this, to the sea-side. But Varus sent a part of his army into the
country, against those that had been the authors of this
commotion, and as they caught great numbers of them, those that
appeared to have been the least concerned in these tumults he put
into custody, but such as were the most guilty he crucified;
these were in number about two thousand.
3. He was also informed that there continued in Idumea ten
thousand men still in arms; but when he found that the Arabians
did not act like auxiliaries, but managed the war according to
their own passions, and did mischief to the country otherwise
than he intended, and this out of their hatred to Herod, he sent
them away, but made haste, with his own legions, to march against
those that had revolted; but these, by the advice of Achiabus,
delivered themselves up to him before it came to a battle. Then
did Varus forgive the multitude their offenses, but sent their
captains to Caesar to be examined by him. Now Caesar forgave the
rest, but gave orders that certain of the king's relations (for
some of those that were among them were Herod's kinsmen) should
be put to death, because they had engaged in a war against a king
of their own family. When therefore Varus had settled matters at
Jerusalem after this manner, and had left the former legion there
as a garrison, he returned to Antioch.
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