The Life of Flavius Josephus | Page 5

danger of
being seized by them, and slain; since they were already possessed of Antonia, which was
the citadel; so I retired into the inner court of the temple. Yet did I go out of the temple
again, after Manahem and the principal of the band of robbers were put to death, when I
abode among the high priests and the chief of the Pharisees. But no small fear seized
upon us when we saw the people in arms, while we ourselves knew not what we should
do, and were not able to restrain the seditious. However, as the danger was directly upon
us, we pretended that we were of the same opinion with them, but only advised them to
be quiet for the present, and to let the enemy go away, still hoping that Gessius [Florus]
would not be long ere he came, and that with great forces, and so put an end to these
seditious proceedings.
6. But, upon his coming and fighting, he was beaten, and a great many of those that were
with him fell. And this disgrace which Gessius [with Cestius] received, became the
calamity of our whole nation; for those that were fond of the war were so far elevated
with this success, that they had hopes of finally conquering the Romans. Of which war
another occasion was ministered; which was this: - Those that dwelt in the neighboring
cities of Syria seized upon such Jews as dwelt among them, with their wives and children,
and slew them, when they had not the least occasion of complaint against them; for they
did neither attempt any innovation or revolt from the Romans, nor had they given any
marks of hatred or treacherous designs towards the Syrians. But what was done by the
inhabitants of Scythopolis was the most impious and most highly criminal of all; (6) for
when the Jews their enemies came upon them from without, they forced the Jews that
were among them to bear arms against their own countrymen, which it is unlawful for us
to do; (7) and when, by their assistance, they had joined battle with those who attacked
them, and had beaten them, after that victory they forgot the assurances they had given
these their fellow citizens and confederates, and slew them all, being in number many ten
thousands [13,000]. The like miseries were undergone by those Jews that were the
inhabitants of Damascus. But we have given a more accurate account of these things in
the books of the Jewish war. I only mention them now, because I would demonstrate to
my readers, that the Jews' war with the Romans was not voluntary, but that, for the main,
they were forced by necessity to enter into it.
7. So when Gessius had been beaten, as we have said already, the principal men of
Jerusalem, seeing that the robbers and innovators had arms in great plenty, and fearing
lest they, while they were unprovided of arms, should be in subjection to their enemies,
which also came to be the case afterward; and, being informed that all Galilee had not yet
revolted from the Romans, but that some part of it was still quiet; they sent me and two
others of the priests, who were men of excellent characters, Joazar and Judas, in order to
persuade the ill men there to lay down their arms, and to teach them this lesson, - That it

were better to have those arms reserved for the most courageous men that the nation had
[than to be kept there]; for that it had been resolved, That those our best men should
always have their arms ready against futurity; but still so, that they should wait to see
what the Romans would do.
8. When I had therefore received these instructions, I came into Galilee, and found the
people of Sepphoris in no small agony about their country, by reason that the Galileans
had resolved to plunder it, on account of the friendship they had with the Romans, and
because they had given their right hand, and made a league with Cestius Gallus, the
president of Syria. But I delivered them all out of the fear they were in, and persuaded the
multitude to deal kindly with them, and permitted them to send to those that were their
own hostages with Gessius to Dora, which is a city of Phoenicia, as often as they pleased;
though I still found the inhabitants of Tiberias ready to take arms, and that on the
occasion following: -
9. There were three factions in this city. The first was composed of men of worth and
gravity; of these Julius Capellus was the head. Now he, as well as all his companions,
Herod the son of Miarus, and Herod the son