Page:Selections. Translated by H. St. J. Thackeray (1919).djvu/79

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from a city called Gamala,[1] with a confederate, Zadok a Pharisee, was for rushing into revolt. They asserted that the valuation meant nothing less than the introduction of downright slavery,[2] and exhorted the nation to rally in defence of their liberty. "If," they said, "our possessions are devoted to the common weal, success may be ours; if, after all, we are robbed of this asset, we shall win honour and a reputation for magnanimity. God, who looks for man's co-operation to achieve His purposes, will be much more ready to assist us, if we do not shirk the toil entailed by the great cause which we have at heart."

Their words found willing hearers, and the daring enterprise[3] made great strides. Indeed, every form of disaster took its origin from these men; the infection which they brought into the nation passes description.


Josephus proceeds to trace all the horrors of the Jewish War, culminating in the burning of the Temple, to "the fourth sect" (or "philosophy") introduced by Judas and Zadok, i. e. the sect of the Zealots. Then follows a digression on the Jewish sects, see § (55), below.

31 B.C Quirinius had now disposed of Archelaus's estate and the census registrations were ended. This census took place in the thirty-seventh year after Cæsar's[4] victory over Antony at Actium. Joazar the high priest became the victim of popular opposition, and Quirinius deprived him of his honourable post, and appointed Ananus, son of Sethi, in his place.

Herod and Philip now took over their respective tetrarchies and entered on office. Herod built walls); MSS "plot" ([Greek: epiboulê]).]

  1. On the east of the Sea of Galilee. In B.J. (parallel pass.) he is called "a Galilæan" as in Acts v. 37.
  2. Modelled on Thuc. I. 122, "defeat means nothing but downright slavery" (Jowett; speech of the Corinthians urging Sparta to take up arms against Athens).
  3. So Niese ([Greek: epibolê
  4. i. e. Augustus.