August 18, 2025 • 25 mins
Discover the fascinating insights of Josephus in this collection, featuring three compelling parts. (1) Against Apion serves as a robust two-volume defense of Judaism, contrasting its ancient roots with the more recent traditions of the Greeks. Josephus tackles anti-Judean claims made by the Greek writer Apion and addresses myths attributed to Manetho. (2) Discourse To The Greeks Concerning Hades explores Josephuss perspectives on the afterlife, countering the predominant beliefs of his Greco-Roman contemporaries. This discourse, while traditionally linked to Josephus, has been more accurately reassigned to the church father Hippolytus in later scholarship. (3) The Life of Josephus, penned around 94-99 CE, offers an autobiographical glimpse into the authors life, revisiting pivotal events of the War in response to criticisms from Justus of Tiberias. Immerse yourself in this rich tapestry of history, philosophy, and personal reflection.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Part three of the Life of Josephus. This is a
LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Recording by Simon Wainwright. The Life of Josephus by Flavius Josephus,
(00:27):
translated by William Wiston, Part three. Now, as soon as
the inhabitants of that city understood the perfidiousness of the
people of Tiberius, they were greatly provoked at them. So
they snatched up their arms and desired me to be
(00:48):
their leader against them, for they said they would avenge
their cabanda's cause upon them. They also carried the report
of what had been done to me to all the Galileans,
and eagerly endeavored to irritate them against the people of Tiberius,
and desired that vast numbers of them would get together
(01:12):
and come to them, that they might act in concert
with their commander what should be determined as fit to
be done. Accordingly, the Galileans came to me in great
numbers from all parts, with their weapons, and besought me
to assault Tiberius, to take it by force, and to
(01:35):
demolish it till it lay even with the ground, and
then to make slaves of its inhabitants, with their wives
and children. Those that were Josephus's friends also and had
escaped out of Tiberius gave him the same advice. I
(02:01):
did not comply with them, thinking it a terrible thing
to begin a civil war among them, for I thought
that this contention ought not to proceed further than words. Nay.
I told them that it was not for their own
advantage to do what they would have me to do,
(02:25):
while the Romans expected no other than that we should
destroy one another by our own mutual seditions. And by
saying this I put a stop to the anger of
the Galileans. But now John was afraid for himself, since
his treachery had proved unsuccessful. So he took the armed
(02:49):
men that were about him and removed from Tiberius to Geshallah,
and wrote to me to apologize for himself concerning what
have been done, as if it had been done without
his approbation, and desired me to have no suspicion of him.
(03:12):
To his disadvantage, he also added oaths and certain horrible
curses upon himself and supposed he should be thereby believed
in the points he wrote about to me. But now
another great number of the Galileans came together again with
(03:32):
their weapons, as knowing the man how wicked and how
sadly perjured he was, and desired me to lead them
against him, and promised me that they would utterly both
him and Gischalla. Hereupon I professed that I was obliged
(03:54):
to them for their readiness to serve me, and that
I would 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.
(04:19):
And when I had prevailed with the multitude of the
Galileians to let me do so, I came to sept Forests.
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
(04:43):
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 Ptolemaeus, and promised to give him a great deal
(05:04):
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,
(05:28):
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
(05:50):
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,
(06:13):
I went to 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 Tiberius,
and when I had given orders that all the roads
should be carefully guarded, I charged the keepers of the
(06:36):
gates to give admittance to none but Jesus when he
came with the principle 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.
(07:00):
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
around about him, was terrified and complied. And as for
(07:22):
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
(07:43):
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
(08:03):
had formerly had with him together again. But I threatened
the inhabitants, except foris that if they would not leave
off their ungrateful treatment of me, I would punish them sufficiently.
At this time it was that two great men, who
(08:25):
were under the jurisdiction of the King Agrippa, came to
me out of the region of Traconius, 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
(08:48):
them to have any force put upon them. But said
to them everyone 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
(09:09):
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. Now King
(09:30):
Agrippa sent an army to make themselves masters of the
citadel of Gamala and over it Equilius Modius. But the
forces that were sent were not allowed to encompass the
citadel quite round, but lay before it in the open places,
(09:52):
and besieged it. But when Ibuteous, the decurion, who was
in thus 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,
(10:15):
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 Gibella along with him
as auxiliaries, and marched in the night and came to
the village where I abode. Upon this I pitched my
(10:35):
camp over against him, which had a great number of
forces in it. But I Butteus 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
(10:58):
we came down into the plain while we were all footmen,
I resolved to join battle with the enemy where I
was now. Ibeus 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
(11:22):
to the city Gibia, having lost three of his men
in the fight. So I followed him directly with two
thousand armed men. And when I was at the city Bisava,
that lay in the confounds of Ptolemaeus, but twenty furlongs
(11:43):
from Gibia, where Ibeus 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. I carried
off the corn, a great quantity of which lay there.
(12:05):
It belonged to Bernice the Queen, and had gone gathered
together out of the neighboring villages into Bassara. 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 a
(12:28):
beteous 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 Neapolitanus, because I had
heard that the country about Tiberius was laid waste by him.
(12:50):
This Neapolitanus was captain of a troop of horse and
had the custody of Scathopolis, d trusted to his care
by the enemy, And when I had hindered him from
doing any further mischief to Tiberius, I set myself to
make provision for the affairs of Galilee. But when John,
(13:14):
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
(13:36):
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 Persuae
(14:00):
the inhabitants of Tiberius and Sippha, 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
(14:21):
of his party, and told them that he would command
them better than I as for the people of Siphorus,
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 Tiberius, they
(14:42):
did not intend 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,
(15:03):
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.
(15:26):
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 there were some
bold young men of the village of the Brita who
(15:47):
observed that the wife of Ptolemy, the whoop 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
(16:09):
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.
(16:32):
He tried to persuade the inhabitants of Tiberius and sip Forar,
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
(16:53):
to me and to be of his party, and told
them that he would command them better than I. As
for the people of Sepphorus, 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
(17:14):
of Tiberius, they did not intend 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
(17:34):
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
(17:58):
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 there were some bold young men of the
village of de Barta, who observed that the wife of Ptolemy,
(18:23):
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
(18:47):
on a sudden and obliged a wife of Ptolemy to
fly away, and plundered all the carriages. They also came
to me to Tarachsis four mules loaded of garments and
other furniture, and the weight of the silver they brought
was not small, and there were five hundred pieces of
(19:11):
gold also. Now I had a mind to preserve these
spoils foretoldomy who was my countrymen, and it is prohibited
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
(19:34):
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 Tiberius and told the people
(19:56):
that I was going to betray their country to the
ro 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
(20:18):
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 Dation and Janius, the son
of Levi, persons that were among the chief friends of
(20:41):
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. Now, when all Galilee
(21:02):
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 Terichie did also themselves
suppose that what the young men said was true, and
(21:24):
persuaded my guards and armed men to leave me when
I was asleep, and to come presently to the Hippodrone
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,
(21:47):
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 Sophius, who principally set them On, he was ruler
in Tiberius, a wicked man and naturally disposed to make
(22:09):
disturbances in matters of consequence. A seditious person, he was, indeed,
and an innovator beyond everybody else. He then took the
laws of Moses into his hands, and came into the
midst of the people, and said, Oh, my fellow citizens,
(22:30):
if you are not disposed to hate Josephus on your
own account, have regard, however, to these laws of your country,
which your commander in chief is going to betray. Hate
him therefore on both these accounts, and bring the man
who hath acted thus insolently to his deserved punishment. When
(22:56):
he had said this, the multitude had openly a plotted
him for what he had said, and took some of
the armed men and made haste away to the house
in which I lodged, as if he would kill me immediately.
While I was wholly insensible of all till this disturbance happened,
(23:19):
and by reason of the pains I had been taking,
was falling fast asleep. But Simon, who was entrusted with
the care of my body and was the only person
that stayed with me, and saw the violent incursion. The
citizens made upon me, await me and told me of
(23:41):
the danger I was in, and desired me to let
him kill me, that I might die bravely and like
a general, before my enemies came in and forced me
to kill myself or killed me themselves. Thus did he
discourse to me. But I committed the care of my
(24:05):
life to God, and made haste to go out to
the multitude. Accordingly, I put on a black garment and
hung my sword at my neck, and went by such
a different way to the hippodrome, wherein I thought none
of my adversaries would meet me. So I appeared among
(24:27):
them on the sudden, and fell down flat on the earth,
and bedewed the ground with my tears. Then I seemed
to them all an object of compassion, And when I
perceived the change that was made in the multitude, I
tried to divide their opinions before the armed men should
(24:50):
return from my house. So I granted them that I
had been as wicked as they supposed me to be.
But still I entreated them to let me first inform
them for what use I had kept that money which
arose from the plunder, and that they might then kill
(25:13):
me if they pleased. And upon the multitudes ordering me
to speak, the armed men came upon me, and when
they saw me, they ran to kill me. But when
the multitude bade them hold their hands, they complied, and
expected that as soon as I should own to them
that I kept the money for the king, it would
(25:35):
be looked on as a confession of my treason, and
they should then be allowed to kill me. And of
Part three
Part three of the Life of Josephus. This is a
LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Recording by Simon Wainwright. The Life of Josephus by Flavius Josephus,
(00:27):
translated by William Wiston, Part three. Now, as soon as
the inhabitants of that city understood the perfidiousness of the
people of Tiberius, they were greatly provoked at them. So
they snatched up their arms and desired me to be
(00:48):
their leader against them, for they said they would avenge
their cabanda's cause upon them. They also carried the report
of what had been done to me to all the Galileans,
and eagerly endeavored to irritate them against the people of Tiberius,
and desired that vast numbers of them would get together
(01:12):
and come to them, that they might act in concert
with their commander what should be determined as fit to
be done. Accordingly, the Galileans came to me in great
numbers from all parts, with their weapons, and besought me
to assault Tiberius, to take it by force, and to
(01:35):
demolish it till it lay even with the ground, and
then to make slaves of its inhabitants, with their wives
and children. Those that were Josephus's friends also and had
escaped out of Tiberius gave him the same advice. I
(02:01):
did not comply with them, thinking it a terrible thing
to begin a civil war among them, for I thought
that this contention ought not to proceed further than words. Nay.
I told them that it was not for their own
advantage to do what they would have me to do,
(02:25):
while the Romans expected no other than that we should
destroy one another by our own mutual seditions. And by
saying this I put a stop to the anger of
the Galileans. But now John was afraid for himself, since
his treachery had proved unsuccessful. So he took the armed
(02:49):
men that were about him and removed from Tiberius to Geshallah,
and wrote to me to apologize for himself concerning what
have been done, as if it had been done without
his approbation, and desired me to have no suspicion of him.
(03:12):
To his disadvantage, he also added oaths and certain horrible
curses upon himself and supposed he should be thereby believed
in the points he wrote about to me. But now
another great number of the Galileans came together again with
(03:32):
their weapons, as knowing the man how wicked and how
sadly perjured he was, and desired me to lead them
against him, and promised me that they would utterly both
him and Gischalla. Hereupon I professed that I was obliged
(03:54):
to them for their readiness to serve me, and that
I would 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.
(04:19):
And when I had prevailed with the multitude of the
Galileians to let me do so, I came to sept Forests.
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
(04:43):
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 Ptolemaeus, and promised to give him a great deal
(05:04):
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,
(05:28):
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
(05:50):
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,
(06:13):
I went to 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 Tiberius,
and when I had given orders that all the roads
should be carefully guarded, I charged the keepers of the
(06:36):
gates to give admittance to none but Jesus when he
came with the principle 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.
(07:00):
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
around about him, was terrified and complied. And as for
(07:22):
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
(07:43):
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
(08:03):
had formerly had with him together again. But I threatened
the inhabitants, except foris that if they would not leave
off their ungrateful treatment of me, I would punish them sufficiently.
At this time it was that two great men, who
(08:25):
were under the jurisdiction of the King Agrippa, came to
me out of the region of Traconius, 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
(08:48):
them to have any force put upon them. But said
to them everyone 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
(09:09):
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. Now King
(09:30):
Agrippa sent an army to make themselves masters of the
citadel of Gamala and over it Equilius Modius. But the
forces that were sent were not allowed to encompass the
citadel quite round, but lay before it in the open places,
(09:52):
and besieged it. But when Ibuteous, the decurion, who was
in thus 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,
(10:15):
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 Gibella along with him
as auxiliaries, and marched in the night and came to
the village where I abode. Upon this I pitched my
(10:35):
camp over against him, which had a great number of
forces in it. But I Butteus 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
(10:58):
we came down into the plain while we were all footmen,
I resolved to join battle with the enemy where I
was now. Ibeus 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
(11:22):
to the city Gibia, having lost three of his men
in the fight. So I followed him directly with two
thousand armed men. And when I was at the city Bisava,
that lay in the confounds of Ptolemaeus, but twenty furlongs
(11:43):
from Gibia, where Ibeus 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. I carried
off the corn, a great quantity of which lay there.
(12:05):
It belonged to Bernice the Queen, and had gone gathered
together out of the neighboring villages into Bassara. 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 a
(12:28):
beteous 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 Neapolitanus, because I had
heard that the country about Tiberius was laid waste by him.
(12:50):
This Neapolitanus was captain of a troop of horse and
had the custody of Scathopolis, d trusted to his care
by the enemy, And when I had hindered him from
doing any further mischief to Tiberius, I set myself to
make provision for the affairs of Galilee. But when John,
(13:14):
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
(13:36):
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 Persuae
(14:00):
the inhabitants of Tiberius and Sippha, 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
(14:21):
of his party, and told them that he would command
them better than I as for the people of Siphorus,
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 Tiberius, they
(14:42):
did not intend 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,
(15:03):
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.
(15:26):
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 there were some
bold young men of the village of the Brita who
(15:47):
observed that the wife of Ptolemy, the whoop 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
(16:09):
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.
(16:32):
He tried to persuade the inhabitants of Tiberius and sip Forar,
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
(16:53):
to me and to be of his party, and told
them that he would command them better than I. As
for the people of Sepphorus, 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
(17:14):
of Tiberius, they did not intend 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
(17:34):
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
(17:58):
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 there were some bold young men of the
village of de Barta, who observed that the wife of Ptolemy,
(18:23):
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
(18:47):
on a sudden and obliged a wife of Ptolemy to
fly away, and plundered all the carriages. They also came
to me to Tarachsis four mules loaded of garments and
other furniture, and the weight of the silver they brought
was not small, and there were five hundred pieces of
(19:11):
gold also. Now I had a mind to preserve these
spoils foretoldomy who was my countrymen, and it is prohibited
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
(19:34):
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 Tiberius and told the people
(19:56):
that I was going to betray their country to the
ro 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
(20:18):
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 Dation and Janius, the son
of Levi, persons that were among the chief friends of
(20:41):
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. Now, when all Galilee
(21:02):
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 Terichie did also themselves
suppose that what the young men said was true, and
(21:24):
persuaded my guards and armed men to leave me when
I was asleep, and to come presently to the Hippodrone
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,
(21:47):
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 Sophius, who principally set them On, he was ruler
in Tiberius, a wicked man and naturally disposed to make
(22:09):
disturbances in matters of consequence. A seditious person, he was, indeed,
and an innovator beyond everybody else. He then took the
laws of Moses into his hands, and came into the
midst of the people, and said, Oh, my fellow citizens,
(22:30):
if you are not disposed to hate Josephus on your
own account, have regard, however, to these laws of your country,
which your commander in chief is going to betray. Hate
him therefore on both these accounts, and bring the man
who hath acted thus insolently to his deserved punishment. When
(22:56):
he had said this, the multitude had openly a plotted
him for what he had said, and took some of
the armed men and made haste away to the house
in which I lodged, as if he would kill me immediately.
While I was wholly insensible of all till this disturbance happened,
(23:19):
and by reason of the pains I had been taking,
was falling fast asleep. But Simon, who was entrusted with
the care of my body and was the only person
that stayed with me, and saw the violent incursion. The
citizens made upon me, await me and told me of
(23:41):
the danger I was in, and desired me to let
him kill me, that I might die bravely and like
a general, before my enemies came in and forced me
to kill myself or killed me themselves. Thus did he
discourse to me. But I committed the care of my
(24:05):
life to God, and made haste to go out to
the multitude. Accordingly, I put on a black garment and
hung my sword at my neck, and went by such
a different way to the hippodrome, wherein I thought none
of my adversaries would meet me. So I appeared among
(24:27):
them on the sudden, and fell down flat on the earth,
and bedewed the ground with my tears. Then I seemed
to them all an object of compassion, And when I
perceived the change that was made in the multitude, I
tried to divide their opinions before the armed men should
(24:50):
return from my house. So I granted them that I
had been as wicked as they supposed me to be.
But still I entreated them to let me first inform
them for what use I had kept that money which
arose from the plunder, and that they might then kill
(25:13):
me if they pleased. And upon the multitudes ordering me
to speak, the armed men came upon me, and when
they saw me, they ran to kill me. But when
the multitude bade them hold their hands, they complied, and
expected that as soon as I should own to them
that I kept the money for the king, it would
(25:35):
be looked on as a confession of my treason, and
they should then be allowed to kill me. And of
Part three
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