to take an oath not to come into that country,
unless they were invited to come, or else when
they had not their pay given them, I dismissed
them, and charged them neither
Josephus
keeps Galilee
in peace.
to make an expedition against the
Romans, nor against those their
neighbours that lay round about
them; for my first care was to keep
Galilee in peace. So I was willing to have the
principal of the Galileans, in all seventy, as
hostages for their fidelity, but still under the
notion of friendship. Accordingly, I made them
my friends and companions as I journeyed, and
set them to judge causes; and with their
approbation it was that I gave my sentences, while I
endeavoured not to mistake what justice required,
and to keep my hands clear of all bribery in those
determinations.
15. I WAS now about the thirtieth year of my
age; in which time of life it is a hard thing for
any one to escape the calumnies of the envious,
although he restrain himself from fulfilling any
unlawful desires, especially where a person is in
great authority. Yet did I preserve every woman
free from injuries; and, as to what presents were
offered me, I despised them, as not
His justice
and moderation. standing in need of them; nor
indeed would I take those tithes
which were due to me as a priest
from those that brought them. Yet
do I confess that I took part of the spoils of those
Syrians which inhabited the cities that adjoined
to us, when I had conquered them, and that I
sent them to my kindred at Jerusalem; although,
when I twice took Sepphoris by force, and Tiberias
four times, and Gadara once, and when I had
subdued and taken John, who often laid
treacherous snares for me, I did not punish [with death]
either him or any of the people fore-named, as
the progress of this discourse will shew. And on
this account, I suppose, it was that God, who is
never unacquainted with those that do as they
ought to do,[1] delivered me still out of the hands
of these my enemies, and afterward preserved me
when I fell into those many dangers which I shall
relate hereafter.
16. NOW THE multitude of the Galileans
had that great kindness for me, and fidelity to
me, that when their cities were taken by force,
and their wives and children carried into slavery,
they did not so deeply lament for their own
calamities, as they were solicitous for my
preservation. But when John saw this,
Overtures of
John.
he envied me, and wrote to me,
desiring that I would give him
leave to come down, and make
use of the hot baths of Tiberias for the recovery
of the health of his body. Accordingly, I did
not hinder him, as having no suspicion of any
wicked designs of his; and I wrote to those to
whom I had committed the administration of the
affairs of Tiberias by name, that they should
provide a lodging for John, and for such as should
come with him, and should procure what
necessaries soever he should stand in need of. Now
at this time my abode was in a village of Galilee,
which is named Cana.
17. BUT WHEN John was come to the city of Tiberias, he persuaded the men to revolt from their fidelity to me, and to adhere to him, and many of them gladly received that invitation of his, as ever fond of innovations, and by nature disposed to changes, and delighting in seditions: but they were chiefly Justus and his father Pistus that were earnest in their revolt from me, and their adherence to John. But I came upon them, and prevented them; for a messenger had come to me from Silas, whom I had made governor of Tiberias, as I have said already, and had told me of the inclinations of the people of Tiberias, and advised His treachery, me to make haste thither; for that, if I made any delay, the city would come under another's jurisdiction. Upon the receipt of this letter of Silas, I took two hundred men along with me, and travelled all night, having sent before a messenger to let the people of Tiberias know that I was coming to them. When I came near to the city, which was early in the morning, the multitude came out to meet me; and John came with them, and saluted me, but in a most disturbed manner, as being afraid that my coming was to call him to an account for what I was now sensible he was doing. So he, in great haste, went to his lodging. But when I was in the open place of the city, having dismissed the guards I had about me, excepting one, and ten armed men that were with him, I attempted to make a speech to the multitude of the people of Tiberias; and standing on a certain elevated place, I entreated them not to be so hasty in their revolt; for that such a change in their behaviour would be to their reproach, and that they would then be justly suspected by those that should be their governors hereafter, as if they were not likely to be faithful to them neither.
18. BUT, BEFORE I had spoken all I
designed, I heard one of my own domestics bidding
me come down; for that it was not a proper time
to take care of retaining the good-will of the people
of Tiberias, but to provide for my own safety,
and escape my enemies there; for John had
chosen the most trusty of those
armed men that were about him
John's attempt
to murder
Josephus.
out of those thousands that he had
with him, and had given them
orders, when he sent them, to kill
me, having learned that I was alone, excepting
some of my domestics. So those that were sent
came as they were ordered, and they had
executed what they came about, had I not leaped
down from the elevation I stood on, and with one
of my guards, whose name was James, been
carried [out of the crowd] upon the back of one
Herod of Tiberias, and guided by him down to
the lake, where I seized a ship and got into it,
- ↑ Our Josephus shews, both here and everywhere, that he was a most religious person, and one that had a deep sense of God and his providence upon his mind; and ascribed all his numerous and wonderful escapes and preservations, in times of danger, to God's blessing him; and this on account of his acts of piety, justice, humanity, and charity, to the Jews his brethren.
