was that he undertook to write a history of these affairs, as aiming, by this way of haranguing, to disguise the truth; but as to this man, and how ill were his character and conduct in life, and how he and his brother were, in great measure, the authors of our destruction, I shall give the reader an account in the progress of my narration. So when Justus had, by his persuasions, prevailed with the citizens of Tiberias to take arms, nay, and had forced a great many so to do against their will, he went out, and set the villages that belonged to Gadera and Hippos on fire; which villages were situated on the borders of Tiberias, and of the region of Scythopolis.
10. AND THIS was the state Tiberias was now
in; but as for Gischala, its affairs were thus:—
When John, the son of Levi, saw some of the citizens
much elevated upon their revolt from the Romans,
he laboured to restrain them; and entreated them
that they would keep their allegiance to them;
but he could not gain his purpose,
State of
Gischala.although he did his endeavours to
the utmost; for the neighbouring
people of Gadara, Gabara, and
Sogana, with the Tyrians, got together a great
army, and fell upon Gischala, and took Gischala
by force, and set it on fire; and when they had
entirely demolished it, they returned home.
Upon which John was so enraged, that he armed
all his men, and joined battle with the people
forementioned; and rebuilt Gischala after a
manner better than before, and fortified it with
walls for its future security.
11. BUT GAMALA persevered in its allegiance
to the Romans for the reason following:— Philip,
the son of Jacimus, who was their governor under
King Agrippa, had been unexpectedly preserved
when the royal palace at Jerusalem had been
besieged; but, as he fled away, had fallen into
another danger; and that was, of being killed by
Manahem, and the robbers that
Gamala
remains
loyal. were with him; but certain
Babylonians, who were of his kindred,
and were then in Jerusalem
hindered the robbers from executing
their design. So Philip staid there four days,
and fled away on the fifth, having disguised
himself with fictitious hair, that he might not be
discovered; and when he was come to one of the
villages to him belonging, but one that was
situated at the borders of the citadel of Gamala,
he sent to some of those that were under him,
and commanded them to come to him; but God
himself hindered that his intention, and this for
his own advantage also; for had it not so
happened, he had certainly perished; for a fever
having seized upon him immediately, he wrote to
Agrippa and Bernice, and gave them to one of
his freedmen to carry them to Varus, who at this
time was procurator of the kingdom, which the
king and his sister had intrusted them withal,
while they were gone to Berytus with an
intention of meeting Gessius. When Varus had
received these letters of Philip, and had learned
that he was preserved, he was very uneasy at it,
as supposing that he should appear useless to the
king and his sister, now Philip was come. He
therefore produced the carrier of the letters before
the multidue, and accused him of forging the
same; and said, that he spake falsely when he
related that Philip was at Jerusalem, fighting
among the Jews against the Romans. So he slew
him. And when the freedman of Philip did not
return again, Philip was doubtful what should be
the occasion of his stay, and sent a second
messenger with letters, that he might, upon his
return, inform him what had befallen the other that
had been sent before, and why he tarried so long.
Varus accused this messenger also, when he came,
of telling a falsehood, and slew him; for he was
puffed up by the Syrians that were at Cesarea,
and had great expectations; for they said that
Agrippa would be slain by the Romans for the
crimes which the Jews had committed, and that he
should himself take the government, as derived
from their king; for Varus was, by the confession
of all, of the royal family, as being a descendant
of Sohemus, who had enjoyed a tetrarchy about
Libanus; for which reason it was that he was
puffed up, and kept the letters to himself. He
contrived also that the king should not meet with
those writings, by guarding all the passes, lest
anyone should escape, and inform the king what had
been done. He moreover slew many of the Jews,
in order to gratify the Syrians of
Cesarea. He had a mind also to
Varus and
his doings.
join with the Trachonites in
Betanea, and to take up arms and
make an assault upon the Babylonian Jews that
were at Ecbatana; for that was the name they
went by. He therefore called to him twelve of
the Jews of Cesarea, of the best character, and
ordered them to go to Ecbatana, and inform their
countrymen who dwelt there, that Varus hath
heard that "you intend to march against the king;
but, not believing that report, he hath sent us to
persuade you to lay down your arms; and that
this compliance will be a sign that he did well not
to give credit to those that raised the report
concerning you." He also enjoined them to send
seventy of their principal men to make a defence
for them as to the accusation laid against them.
So when the twelve messengers came to their
countrymen at Ecbatana, and found that they had
no designs of innovation at all, they persuaded
them to send the seventy men also; who, not at all
suspecting what would come, sent them
accordingly. So these seventy[1] went down to Cesarea,
together with the twelve[1] ambassadors; where
Varus met them with the king's forces, and slew
them all, together with the [twelve] ambassadors,
and made an expedition against the Jews of
Ecbatana. But one there was of the seventy who
escaped, and made haste to inform the Jews of their
coming, upon which they took their arms, with
their wives and children, and retired to the citadel
at Gamala, leaving their own villages full of all
sorts of good things, and having many ten
thousands of cattle therein. When Philip was informed
of these things, he also came to the citadel of
Gamala; and when he was come, the multitude cried
aloud, and desired him to resume the government,
and to make an expedition against Varus and the
