18 - Minor Works of Josephus by Flavius Josephus

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.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Part five 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,

(00:26):
translated by William Wiston, Part five. When Simon heard Ananus
say this, he desired that the messengers would conceal the
thing and not let it come among many. For that
he would take care to have Josephus removed out of

(00:47):
Galilee very quickly. So he called for John's brother Simon,
and charged him that they should send presents to Ananus
and his friends, for, as he said, they might probably
by that means persuade them to change their minds. And

(01:08):
indeed Simon did at length thus compass what he aimed at.
For Artanus and those with him, being corrupted by bribes,
agreed to expel me out of Galilee without making the
rest of the citizens acquainted with what they were doing. Accordingly,

(01:30):
they resolved to send men of distinction as to their families,
and of distinction as to their learning. Also, two of
these were of the populace, Jonathan and Anonaeus by sect pharisees,
while the third Josar, was of the stock of the

(01:52):
priest and a pharisee also, and Simon, the last of them,
was of the youngest of the high priest. These had
it given them in charge that when they were come
to the multitude of the Galileans, they should ask them
what was the reason of their love to me? And

(02:15):
if they said that it was because I was born
at Jerusalem, that they should reply that they four were
all born at the same place. And if they should
say it was because I was well versed in the law,
they should reply that neither were they unacquainted with the

(02:37):
practices of their country. But if besides these they should
say they loved me because I was a priest, they
should reply that two of these were priests also. Now,
when they had given Jonathan and his companions these instructions,
they gave them forty thousand drug may out of the

(03:00):
public money. But when they heard that there was a
certain Galilean that then sojourned at Jerusalem, whose name was Jesus,
who had about him a band of six hundred armed men,
they sent for him and gave him three months pay,
and gave him orders to follow Jonathan and his companions

(03:23):
and be obedient to them. They also gave money to
three hundred men that were citizens of Jerusalem to maintain
them all, and ordered them also to follow the ambassadors.
And when they had complied and were gotten ready for
the march, Jonathan and his companions went out with them,

(03:46):
having along with them John's brother and a hundred armed men.
The charge that was given them by those that sent
them was this, that if I would voluntarily lay down
my arms, they should send me alive to the city
of Jerusalem, but that in case I opposed them, they

(04:08):
should kill me and fear nothing for that. It was
their command for them so to do. They also wrote
to John to make all ready for fighting me, and
gave orders to the inhabitants of Sophoris and Gabara and
Tiberians to send auxiliaries to John. Now, as my father

(04:32):
wrote me an account of this for Jesus, the son
of Gamala, who was present in that council, a friend
and companion of mine, told him of it. I was
very much troubled, as discovering thereby that my fellow citizens
proved so ungrateful to me as out of envy, to

(04:53):
give order that I should be slain. My father earnestly
pressed me also in his letter to come to him,
for that he longed to see his son before he died.
I informed my friends of these things, and that in
three days time I should leave the country and go home.

(05:14):
Upon hearing this, they were all very sorry, and desired me,
with tears in their eyes, not to leave them to
be destroyed, for so they thought they should be if
I were deprived of the command over them. But as
I did not grant their request, but was taking care

(05:35):
of my own safety, the Galileans, out of their dread
of the consequence of my departure, that they should then
be at the mercy of the robbers, sent messengers over
all Galilee to inform them of MY resolution to leave them. Whereupon,
as soon as they heard it, they got together in

(05:58):
great numbers from all parts, with their wives and children.
And this they did, as it appeared to me, not
more out of their affection to me than out of
their fear on their own account. For while I stayed
with them, they supposed that they should suffer no harm.

(06:20):
So they all came into the great Plain wherein I lived,
the name of which was a sochies. But wonderful it
was what a dream I saw that very night. For
when I had betaken myself to my bed, as grieved
and disturbed at the news that had been written to me,

(06:44):
it seemed to me that a certain person stood by
me and said, Oh, Josephus, leave off to afflict thy soul,
and put away all fear. For what now grieves THEE
will render THEE very considerable, and in all respects most happy.

(07:04):
For thou shalt get over not only these difficulties, but
many others with great success. However, be not cast down.
But remember that thou art to fight with the Romans.
When I had seen this stream, I got up with
an intention to go down to the plain. Now, when

(07:27):
the whole multitude of the Galileans, among whom were the
women and children, saw me, they threw themselves down upon
their faces, and with tears in their eyes, besought me
not to leave them exposed to their enemies, nor to
go away and permit their country to be injured by them.

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But when I did not comply with their entreaties, they
compelled me to take an oath that I would stay
with them. They also cast abundance of replay roaches upon
the people of Jerusalem, that they would not let their
country enjoy peace. When I heard this and saw what

(08:10):
sorrow the people were in, I was moved with compassion
to them, and thought it became me to undergo the
most manifest hazards for the sake of so great a multitude.
So I let them know I would stay with them.
And when I had given order that five thousand of

(08:31):
them should come to me, armed and with provisions for
their maintenance, I sent the rest away to their own homes.
And when those five thousand were come, I took them
together with three thousand of the soldiers that were with
me before, and eighty horsemen, and marched to the village

(08:52):
of Chabolo, situated in the confines of Ptolemias. Kept my
forces together, pretending to get ready to fight with Policidas,
who was come with two cohorts of footmen and one
troop of horsemen, and were sent thither by Cistius Galus

(09:16):
to burn those villages of Galilee that were near Totlemaeus,
upon who's casting up a bank before the city of Ptolemaeus,
I also pitched my camp at about the distance of
sixty furlongs from that village. And now we frequently brought
out our forces as if we would fight, but proceeded

(09:40):
no further than skirmishes at a distance. And when Placidas
perceived that I was earnest to come to a battle,
he was afraid and avoided it. Yet did he not
remove from the neighborhood of Totlemaeus. About this time it
was that Jonathan and his fellow legates came. They were sent,

(10:05):
as we have said already, by Simon and Annaeus the
high priest. And Jonathan contrived how he might catch me
by treachery, for he durst not make any attempt upon
me openly. So he wrote me the following epistle. Jonathan
and those that are with him and are sent by

(10:27):
the people of Jerusalem to Josephus send greeting. We are
sent by the principal men of Jerusalem, who have heard
that John of Geshallah hath laid many snares for THEE
to rebuke him and to exhort him to be subject
to THEE. Hereafter, we are also desirous to consult with

(10:50):
THEE about our common concerns, and what is fit to
be done. We therefore desire THEE to come to us quickly,
and to bring only a few men with THEE, for
this village will not contain a great number of soldiers.
Thus it was that they wrote as expecting one of

(11:12):
these two things, either that I should come without armed men,
and then they should have me wholly in their power,
or if I came with a great number, they should
Now it was a horseman who brought the letter, a
man at other times bold and one that had served
in the army under the king. It was the second

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hour of the night that he came, when I was
feasting with my friends and the principle of the Galileians.
This man, upon my servants, telling me that a certain
horsemen of the Jewish nation was come, was called in
at my command, but did not so much as salute

(11:55):
me at all, but held out a letter and said,
this letter is sent THEE by those that are come
from Jerusalem. Do thou write an answer to it quickly,
for I am obliged to return to them very soon.
Now my guests could not but wonder at the boldness
of the soldier. But I desired him to sit down

(12:17):
and sup with us. But when he refused so to do.
I held the letter in my hands as I received it,
and fell a talking with my guest about other matters.
But a few hours afterwards I got up, and when
I had dismissed the rest to go to their beds,
I bid only four of my intimate friends to stay,

(12:41):
and ordered my servant to get some wine ready. I
also opened the letter so that nobody could perceive it, and,
understanding thereby presently the pur purtue of the writing, I
sealed it up again and appeared as if I had
not yet read it, but only held it in my hands.

(13:05):
I ordered twenty DRAGMEI should be given the soldier for
the charges of his journey. And when he took the
money and said that he thanked me for it, I
perceived that he loved money, and that he was to
be caught chiefly by that means. And I said to him,
if thou wilt but drink with us, thou shalt have

(13:29):
a drachma for every glass thou drinkest. So he gladly
embraced this proposal and drank a great deal of wine
in order to get the more money, and was so
drunk that at last he could not keep the secrets
he was entrusted with, but discovered them without putting questions

(13:50):
to him, viz. That a treacherous design was contrived against me,
and that I was doomed to die by those that
sent you. When I heard this, I wrote back this answer,
josesef to Jonathan and those that are with him, sendeth greeting.

(14:11):
Upon the information that you are come in health into Galilee.
I rejoice, and this especially because I can now resign
the care of public affairs here into your hands and
return into my native country, which is what I have
desired to do a great while. And I confess I

(14:35):
ought not only to come to you as far as Zayloth,
but father, and this without your commands. But I desire
you to excuse me, because I cannot do it now,
since I watched the motions of Placidas, who hath a
mind to go up into Galilee, and this I do

(14:58):
here at Chabolo. Do you, therefore, on the receipt of
this epistle, come hither to me. Fare you well. When
I had written thus and given the letter to be
carried by the soldier, I sent along with him thirty
of the Galileans of the best characters, and gave them
instructions to salute those ambassadors, but to say nothing else

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to them. I also gave orders that as many of
those armed men whom I esteemed most faithful to me,
to go along with the others, every one with him
whom he was to God, lest some conversation might pass
between those whom I sent and those who were with Jonathan,

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so that those men went to Jonathan. But when Jonathan
and his partners had failed, and this their first attempt,
they sent me another letter the contents whereof were his
follows Jonathan and those with him to Josephus send greeting,
we require thee to come to us to the village

(16:07):
Gabarov on the third day, without any armed men, that
we may hear what thou hast to lay to the
charge of John of Yeshalah. When they had written this letter,
they saluted the Galileans whom I sent, and came to Jaffa,
which was the largest village in all Galilee, and encompassed

(16:32):
with very strong walls, and had a great number of
inhabitants in it. There the multitude of men with their
wives and children, met them and exclaimed loudly against them,
and desired them to be gone, and not to envy
them the advantage of an excellent commander. With these clamors,

(16:52):
Jonathan and his partners were greatly provoked, although they durst
not show their anger openly. So they made them no answer,
but went to other villages. But still the same clamors
met them from all the people, who said nobody should
persuade them to have any other commander besides Josephus. So

(17:15):
Jonathan and his partners went away from them without success,
and came to Zephoras, the greatest city of all Galilee.
Now the men of that city, who inclined to the
Romans in their sentiments, met them indeed, but neither praised
nor reproached them. And when they were gone down from

(17:37):
Ziphoris to Assochies, the people of that place made a
clamor against them, as those of Japfa had done. Whereupon
they were able to contain themselves no longer, but ordered
the armed men that were with them to beat those
that made the clamor with their clubs. And when they

(18:00):
came to Gabara, John met them with three thousand armed men.
But as I understood by their letter, that they had
resolved to fight against me. I arose from Chabola with
three thousand armed men also, but left in my camp
one of my fastest friends, and came to Jatapata as

(18:23):
desirous to be near them, the distance being no more
than forty furlongs. Whence, I wrote thus to them, if
you are very desirous that I should come to you,
you know there are two hundred and forty cities and
villages in Galilee. I will come to any of them

(18:44):
which you please, accepting Gayburne and Geshallah, the one of
which is John's native city, and the other in confederacy
and friendship with him. When Jonathan and his partners had
received leave this letter, they wrote me no more answers,
but called a council of their friends together, and taking

(19:07):
John into their consultation, they took council together by what
means they might attack me. John's opinion was that they
should write to all the cities and villages that were
in Galilee, for that there must be certainly one or
two persons in every one of them that were at

(19:27):
variance with me, and that they should be invited to
come to oppose me as an enemy. He would also
have them send this resolution of Theirs to the city
of Jerusalem, that its citizens, upon the knowledge of my
being adjudged to be an enemy of the Galileans, might

(19:48):
themselves I also confirm that determination. He said also that
when this was done, even those Galileans who were well
affected to me would desert me out of fear. When
John had given them this council, what he had said
was very agreeable to the rest of them. I was

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also made acquainted with these affairs by the third hour
of the night, by the means of one Sachihus, who
had belonged to them, but now deserted them, and came
over to me and told me what they were about.
So I perceived that no time was to be lost. Accordingly,

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I gave command to Jacob, an armed man of my guard,
whom I esteemed faithful to me, to take two hundred
men and to guard the passages that led from Gahara
to Galilee, and to seize upon the passengers and send
them to me, especially such as were caught with letters

(20:53):
about them. I also sent Jeremius himself, one of my friends,
with six hundred armed men, to the borders of Galilee,
in order to watch the roads that led from this
country to the city Jerusalem, and gave him charge to
lay hold of such as traveled with letters about them,

(21:16):
to keep the men in bonds upon the place, but
to send me the letters. When I had laid these
commands upon them, I gave them orders and bid them
to take their arms and bring three days provision with them,
and be with me the next day. I also parted
those that were about me into four parts, and ordained

(21:41):
those of them that were most faithful to me to
be a guard to my body. I also set over
them centurions and commanded them to take care that not
a soldier which they did not know, should mingle himself
among them. Now, on the fifth day following, when I

(22:01):
was at Gaborov, I found the entire plane that was
before the village full of armed men who were come
out of Galilee to assist me. Many others of the multitude,
also out of the village, ran along with me. But
as soon as I had taken my place and began

(22:23):
to speak to them, they all made an acclamation and
called me the benefactor and savior of the country. And
when I had made them my acknowledgments and thanked them
for their affection to me. I also advised them to
fight with nobody, nor to spoil the country, but to

(22:45):
pitch their tents in the plain and be content with
their sustenance they had brought with them, For I told
them that I had a mind to compose these troubles
without shedding any blood. Now it came to pass that
on the very same day, those who were sent by

(23:05):
John with letters fell among the guards whom I had
appointed to watch the roads. So the men were themselves
kept upon the place, as my orders were. But I
got the letters, which were full of reproaches and lies,
and I intended to fall upon these men without saying

(23:27):
a word of these matters to anybody. End of Part
five