that this was the man of whom the report had gone about as if he had revolted from the Romans. He also bid him to take some horsemen with him, and to go quickly to the citadel of Gamala, and to bring out thence all his domestics, and to restore the Babylonians to Batanea again. He also gave it him in charge to take all possible care that none of his subjects should be guilty of making any innovation. Accordingly, upon these directions from the king, he made haste to do what he was commanded.
37. NOW THERE was one Joseph, the son
of a female physician, who excited a great many
young men to join with him. He also insolently
addressed himself to the principal
Joseph stirs
up revolt.
persons at Gamala, and persuaded
them to revolt from the king, and
take up arms, and gave them hopes
that they should, by his means, recover their
liberty: and some they forced into the service;
and those that would not acquiesce in what they
had resolved on, they slew. They also slew
Chares, and with him Jesus, one of his kinsmen,
and a brother of Justus of Tiberias, as we have
already said. Those of Gamala also wrote to me,
desiring me to send them an armed force, and
workmen to raise up the walls of their city; nor
did I reject either of their requests. The region
of Gaulanitis did also revolt from the king, as far
as the village Solyma. I also built a wall about
Seleucia and Soganni, which are villages naturally
of very great strength. Moreover, I, in like
manner, walled several villages of Upper Galilee,
though they were very rocky of themselves. Their
names are Jamnia, and Meroth, and Achabare. I
also fortified, in the Lower Galilee,
the cities Taricheae, Tiberias,
Sepphoris, and the villages, the cave
Josephus
fortifies
villages.
of Arbela, Bersobe, Salamin,
Jotapata, Caphareccho, and Sigo, and Japha, and
Mount Tabor.[1] I also laid up a great quantity
of corn in these places, and arms withal, that
might be for their security afterward.
38. BUT THE hatred that John, the son of
Levi, bore to me, grew now more violent, while
he could not bear my prosperity with patience.
So he proposed to himself, by all means possible,
to make away with me; and built the walls of
Gischala, which was the place of his nativity.
He then sent his brother Simon, and Jonathan,
the son of Sisenna, and about a hundred armed
men, to Jerusalem, to Simon, the
John renews
his attempts.
son of Gamaliel,[2] in order to
persuade him to induce the
commonalty of Jerusalem to take from me
the government over the Galileans, and to give
their suffrages for conferring that authority upon
him. This Simon was of the city of Jerusalem,
and of a very noble family, of the sect of the
Pharisees, which are supposed to excel others in
the accurate knowledge of the laws of their
country. He was a man of great wisdom and reason,
and capable of restoring public affairs by his
prudence, when they were in an ill posture. He
was also an old friend and companion of John;
but at that time he had a difference with me.
When, therefore, he had received such an
exhortation, he persuaded the high priests, Ananus, and
Jesus the son of Gamala, and some others of the
same seditious faction, to cut me down now I was
growing so great, and not to overlook me while I
was aggrandizing myself to the height of glory;
and he said that it would be for the advantage of
the Galileans if I were deprived of my
government there. Ananus also, and his friends, desired
them to make no delay about the matter, lest I
should get the knowledge of what was doing too
soon, and should come and make an assault on
the city with a great army. This was the counsel
of Simon; but Ananus the high priest demonstrated
to them that this was not an easy thing to
be done, because many of the high priests, and of
the rulers of the people, bore witness that I had
acted like an excellent general, and that it was
the work of ill men to accuse one against whom
they had nothing to say.
39. 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 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, indeed, Simon did at length compass what
he aimed at; for Ananus, and
those with him, being corrupted
Josephus to be
expelled from
Galilee.
by bribes, agreed to expel me out
of Galilee, without making the
rest of the citizens acquainted with
what they were doing. Accordingly 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,[3] and
Ananias, by sect Pharisees; while the third, Joazar,
was of the stock of the priests, and a Pharisee
also; and Simon, the last of them, was of the
youngest of the high priests. 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 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
their law, they should reply, that neither were
they unacquainted with the practices of their
country; but if, besides these, they should say
- ↑ Part of the fortifications on Mount Tabor may be those still remaining, and which were seen lately by Mr. Maundrel. See his Travels, p. 112.
- ↑ This Gamaliel may be the very same that is mentioned by the rabbins in the Mishna, in Juchasin, and in Porta Mosis, as is observed in the Latin notes. He might be also that Gamaliel II., whose grandfather was Gamaliel I., who is mentioned Acts v. 34; and at whose feet St. Paul was brought up. Acts xxii. 3. See Prid, at the year 441).
- ↑ This Jonathan is also taken notice of in the Latin notes, as the same that is mentioned by the rabbins in Porta Musis.
