the life of flavius josephus-第4章

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and　promised　me　that　they　would　utterly　both　him　and　Gischala。
Hereupon　I　professed　that　I　was　obliged　to　them　for　their
readiness　to　serve　me；　and　that　I　would　more　than　requite　their
good…will　to　me。　However；　I　entreated　them　to　restrain
themselves；　and　begged　of　them　to　give　me　leave　to　do　what　I
intended；　which　was　to　put　an　end　to　these　troubles　without
bloodshed；　and　when　I　had　prevailed　with　the　multitude　of　the
Galileans　to　let　me　do　so；　I　came　to　Sepphoris。

22。　But　the　inhabitants　of　this　city　having　determined　to
continue　in　their　allegiance　to　the　Romans；　were　afraid　of　my
coming　to　them；　and　tried；　by　putting　me　upon　another　action；　to
divert　me；　that　they　might　be　freed　from　the　terror　they　were　in。
Accordingly；　they　sent　to　Jesus；　the　captain　of　those　robbers　who
were　in　the　confines　of　Ptolemais；　and　promised　to　give　him　a
great　deal　of　money；　if　he　would　come　with　those　forces　he　had
with　him；　which　were　in　number　eight　hundred；　and　fight　with　us。
Accordingly；　he　complied　with　what　they　desired；　upon　the
promises　they　had　made　him；　and　was　desirous　to　fall　upon　us　when
we　were　unprepared　for　him；　and　knew　nothing　of　his　coming
beforehand。　So　he　sent　to　me；　and　desired　that　I　would　give　him
leave　to　come　and　salute　me。　When　I　had　given　him　that　leave；
which　I　did　without　the　least　knowledge　of　his　treacherous
intentions　beforehand；　he　took　his　band　of　robbers；　and　made
haste　to　come　to　me。　Yet　did　not　this　his　knavery　succeed　well　at
last；　for　as　he　was　already　nearly　approaching；　one　of　those　with
him　deserted　him；　and　came　to　me；　and　told　me　what　he　had
undertaken　to　do。　When　I　was　informed　of　this；　I　went　into　the
market…place；　and　pretended　to　know　nothing　of　his　treacherous
purpose。　I　took　with　me　many　Galileans　that　were　armed；　as　also
some　of　those　of　Tiberias；　and；　when　I　had　given　orders　that　all
the　roads　should　be　carefully　guarded；　I　charged　the　keepers　of
the　gates　to　give　admittance　to　none　but　Jesus；　when　he　came；
with　the　principal　of　his　men；　and　to　exclude　the　rest；　and　in
case　they　aimed　to　force　themselves　in；　to　use　stripes　＇in　order
to　repel　them＇。　Accordingly；　those　that　had　received　such　a
charge　did　as　they　were　bidden；　and　Jesus　came　in　with　a　few
others；　and　when　I　had　ordered　him　to　throw　down　his　arms
immediately；　and　told　him；　that　if　he　refused　so　to　do；　he　was　a
dead　man；　he　seeing　armed　men　standing　all　round　about　him；　was
terrified；　and　complied；　and　as　for　those　of　his　followers　that
were　excluded；　when　they　were　informed　that　he　was　seized；　they
ran　away。　I　then　called　Jesus　to　me　by　himself；　and　told　him；
that〃　I　was　not　a　stranger　to　that　treacherous　design　he　had
against　me；　nor　was　I　ignorant　by　whom　he　was　sent　for；　that；
however；　I　would　forgive　him　what　he　had　done　already；　if　he
would　repent　of　it；　and　be　faithful　to　me　hereafter。〃　And　thus；
upon　his　promise　to　do　all　that　I　desired；　I　let　him　go；　and　gave
him　leave　to　get　those　whom　he　had　formerly　had　with　him　together
again。　But　I　threatened　the　inhabitants　of　Sepphoris；　that；　if
they　would　not　leave　off　their　ungrateful　treatment　of　me；　I
would　punish　them　sufficiently。

23。　At　this　time　it　was　that　two　great　men；　who　were　under　the
jurisdiction　of　the　king　＇Agrippa＇　came　to　me　out　of　the　region
of　Trachonius；　bringing　their　horses　and　their　arms；　and　carrying
with　them　their　money　also；　and　when　the　Jews　would　force　them　to
be　circumcised；　if　they　would　stay　among　them；　I　would　not　permit
them　to　have　any　force　put　upon　them；　（11）　but　said　to　them；
〃Every　one　ought　to　worship　God　according　to　his　own
inclinations；　and　not　to　be　constrained　by　force；　and　that　these
men；　who　had　fled　to　us　for　protection；　ought　not　to　be　so
treated　as　to　repent　of　their　coming　hither。〃　And　when　I　had
pacified　the　multitude；　I　provided　for　the　men　that　were　come　to
us　whatsoever　it　was　they　wanted；　according　to　their　usual　way　of
living；　and　that　in　great　plenty　also。

24。　Now　king　Agrippa　sent　an　army　to　make　themselves　masters　of
the　citadel　of　Gamala；　and　over　it　Equieulus　Modius；　but　the
forces　that　were　sent　were　not　allow　to　encompass　the　citadel
quite　round；　but　lay　before　it　in　the　open　places；　and　besieged
it。　But　when　Ebutius　the　decurion；　who　was　intrusted　with　the
government　of　the　great　plain；　heard　that　I　was　at　Simonias；　a
village　situated　in　the　confines　of　Galilee；　and　was　distant　from
him　sixty　furlongs；　he　took　a　hundred　horsemen　that　were　with　him
by　night；　and　a　certain　number　of　footmen；　about　two　hundred；　and
brought　the　inhabitants　of　the　city　Gibea　along　with　him　as
auxiliaries；　and　marched　in　the　night；　and　came　to　the　village
where　I　abode。　Upon　this　I　pitched　my　camp　over　against　him；
which　had　a　great　number　of　forces　in　it：　but　Ebutius　tried　to
draw　us　down　into　the　plain；　as　greatly　depending　upon　his
horsemen；　but　we　would　not　come　down；　for　when　I　was　satisfied　of
the　advantage　that　his　horse　would　have　if　we　came　down　into　the
plain；　while　we　were　all　footmen；　I　resolved　to　join　battle　with
the　enemy　where　I　was。　Now　Ebutius　and　his　party　made　a
courageous　opposition　for　some　time；　but　when　he　saw　that　his
horse　were　useless　to　him　in　that　place；　he　retired　back　to　the
city　Gibea；　having　lost　three　of　his　men　in　the　fight。　So　I
followed　him　directy　with　two　thousand　armed　men；　and　when　I　was
at　the　city　Besara；　that　lay　in　the　confines　of　Ptolemais；　but
twenty　furlongs　from　Gibea；　where　Ebutius　abode；　I　placed　my
armed　men　on　the　outside　of　the　village；　and　gave　orders　that
they　should　guard　the　passes　with　great　care；　that　the　enemy
might　not　disturb　us　until　we　should　have　carried　off　the　corn；　a
great　quantity　of　which　lay　there：　it　belonged　to　Bernice　the
queen；　and　had　been　gathered　together　out　of　the　neighboring
villages　into　Besara；　so　I　loaded　my　camels　and　asses；　a　great
number　of　which　I　had　brought　along　with　me；　and　sent　the　corn
into　Galilee。　When　I　had　done　this；　I　offered　Ebutius　battle；　but
when　he　would　not　accept　of　the　offer；　for　he　was　terrified　at
our　readiness　and　courage；　I　altered　my　route；　and　marched
towards　Neopolitanus；　because　I　had　heard　that　the　country　about
Tiberias　was　laid　waste　by　him。　This　Neopolitanus　was　captain　of
a　troop　of　horse；　and　had　the　custody　of　Scythopolis　intrusted　to
his　care　by　the　enemy；　and　when　I　had　hindered　him　from　doing　any
further　mischief　to　Tiberias；　I　set　myself　to　make　provision　for
the　affairs　of　Galilee。

25。　But　when　John；　the　son　of　Levi；　who；　as　we　before　told　you；
abode　at　Gischala；　was　informed　how　all　things　had　succeeded　to
my　mind；　and　that　I　was　much　in　favor　with　those　that　were　under
me；　as　also　that　the　enemy　were　greatly　afraid　of　me；　he　was　not
pleased　with　it；　as　thinking　my　prosperity　tended　to　his　ruin。　So
he　took　up　a　bitter　envy　and　enmity　against　me；　and　hoping；　that
if　he　could　inflame　those　that　were　under　me　to　hate　me；。　he
should　put　an　end　to　the　prosperity　I　was　in；　he　tried　to
persuade　the　inhabitants　of　Tiberias　and　of　Sepphoris；　（and　for
those　of　Gabara　he　supposed　they　would　be　also　of　the　same　mind
with　the　others；）　which　were　the　greatest　cities　of　Galilee；　to
revolt　from　their　subjection　to　me；　and　to　be　of　his　party；　and
told　them　that　he　would　command　them　better　than　I　did。　As　for
the　people　of　Sepphoris；　who　belonged　to　neither　of　us；　because
they　had　chosen　to　be　in　subjection　to　the　Romans；　they　did　not
comply　with　his　proposal；　and　for　those　of　Tiberias；　they　did　not
indeed　so　far　comply　as　to　make　a　revolt　from　under　me；　but　they
agreed　to　be　his　friends；　while　the　inhabitants　of　Gabara　did　go
over　to　John；　and　it　was　Simon　that　persuaded　them　so　to　do；　one
who　was　both　the　principal　man　in　the　city；　and　a　particular
friend　and　companion　of　John。　It　is　true；　these　did　not　openly
own　the　making　a　revolt；　because　they　were　in　great　fear　of　the
Galileans；　and　had　frequent　experience　of　the　good…will　they　bore
to　me；　yet　did　they　privately　watch　for　a　proper　opportunity　to
lay　snares　for　me；　and　indeed　I　thereby　came　into　the　greatest
danger；　on　the　occasion　following。

26。　There　were　some　bold　young　men　of　the　village　of　Dabaritta；
who　observed　that　the　wife　of　Ptolemy；　the　king's　procurator；　was
to　make　a　progress　over　the　great　plain　with　a　mighty　attendance；
and　with　some　horsemen　that　followed　as　a　guard　to　them；　and　this
out　of　a　country　that　was　subject　to　the　king　and　queen；　into　the
jurisdiction　of　the　Romans；　and　fell　upon　them　on　a　sudden；　and
obliged　the　wife　of　Ptolemy　to　fly　away；　and　plundered　all　the
carriages。　They　also　came　to　me　to　Tarichese；　with　four　mules'
loading　of　garments；　and　other　furniture；　and　the　weight　of　the
silver　they　brought　was　not　small；　and　there　were　five　hundred
pieces　of　gold　also。　Now　I　had　a　mind　to　preserve　these　spoils
for　Ptolemy；　who　was　my　countryman；　and　it　is　prohibited　（12）　by
our　laws　even　to　spoil　our　enemies；　so　I　said　to　those　that
brought　these　spoils；　that　they　ought　to　be　kept；　in　order　to
rebuild　the　walls　of　Jerusalem　with　them　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　neighborhood
of　Tiberias；　and　told　the　people　that　I　was　going　to　betray　their
country　to　the　Romans；　and　that　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　the　city　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　my
command　to　any　other　person。

27。　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　Tarichee　did　also　themselves
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　already；　who　all　joined　in　one　clamor；　to　bring
the　man　who　was　so　wicked　to　them　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　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　account；　have　regard；　however；　to　these　laws　of　your　co