the life of flavius josephus-第4章

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pure　for　their　use；　he　would　provide　a　sufficient　quantity　of
such　oil　for　them；　lest　they　should　be　forced　to　make　use　of　oil
that　came　from　the　Greeks；　and　thereby　transgress　their　own　laws。
Now　this　was　said　by　John；　not　out　of　his　regard　to　religion；　but
out　of　his　most　flagrant　desire　of　gain；　for　he　knew　that　two
sextaries　were　sold　with　them　of　Caesarea　for　one　drachma；　but
that　at　Gischala　fourscore　sextaxies　were　sold　for　four
sextaries。　So　he　gave　order　that　all　the　oil　which　was　there
should　be　carried　away；　as　having　my　permission　for　so　doing；
which　yet　I　did　not　grant　him　voluntarily；　but　only　out　of　fear
of　the　multitude；　since；　if　I　had　forbidden　him；　I　should　have
been　stoned　by　them。　When　I　had　therefore　permitted　this　to　be
done　by　John；　he　gained　vast　sums　of　money　by　this　his　knavery。

14。　But　when　I　had　dismissed　my　fellow　legates；　and　sent　them
back　to　Jerusalem；　I　took　care　to　have　arms　provided；　and　the
cities　fortified。　And　when　I　had　sent　for　the　most　hardy　among
the　robbers；　I　saw　that　it　was　not　in　my　power　to　take　their　arms
from　them；　but　I　persuaded　the　multitude　to　allow　them　money　as
pay；　and　told　them　it　was　better　for　them　to　give　them　a　little
willingly；　rather　than　to　＇be　forced　to＇　overlook　them　when　they
plundered　their　goods　from　them。　And　when　I　had　obliged　them　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　to　make　an　expedition
against　the　Romans；　nor　against　those　their　neighbors　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
endeavored　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
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　forenamed；　as　the　progress
of　this　discourse　will　show。　And　on　this　account；　I　suppose；　it
was　that　God；　（10）　who　is　never　unacquainted　with　those　that　do
as　they　ought　to　do；　delivered　me　still　out　of　the　hands　of　these
my　enemies；　and　afterwards　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；　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　Tiberius　by　name；　that　they　should　provide　a　lodging　for　John；
and　for　such　as　should　come　with　him；　and　should　procure　him　what
necessaries　soever　he　should　stand　in　need　of。　Now　at　this　time
my　abode　was　in　a　village　of　Galilee；　which　is　named　Cans。

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　for　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　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
traveled　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　behavior　would　be　to　their　reproach；　and　that　they　would
then　justly　be　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　out　of　those　thousand　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；　and　escaped　my　enemies　unexpectedly；　and
came　to　Tarichese。

19。　Now；　as　soon　as　the　inhabitants　of　that　city　understood　the
perfidiousness　of　the　people　of　Tiberias；　they　were　greatly
provoked　at　them。　So　they　snatched　up　their　arms；　and　desired　me
to　be　their　leader　against　them；　for　they　said　they　would　avenge
their　commander's　cause　upon　them。　They　also　carried　the　report
of　what　had　been　done　to　me　to　all　the　Galileans；　and　eagerly
endeavored　to　irritate　them　against　the　people　of　Tiberias；　and
desired　that　vast　numbers　of　them　would　get　together；　and　come　to
them；　that　they　might　act　in　concert　with　their　commander；　what
should　be　determined　as　fit　to　be　done。　Accordingly；　the
Galileans　came　to　me　in　great　numbers；　from　all　parts；　with　their
weapons；　and　besought　me　to　assault　Tiberias；　to　take　it　by
force；　and　to　demolish　it；　till　it　lay　even　with　the　ground；　and
then　to　make　slaves　of　its　inhabitants；　with　their　wives　and
children。　Those　that　were　Josephus's　friends　also；　and　had
escaped　out　of　Tiberias；　gave　him　the　same　advice。　But　I　did　not
comply　with　them；　thinking　it　a　terrible　thing　to　begin　a　civil
war　among　them；　for　I　thought　that　this　contention　ought　not　to
proceed　further　than　words；　nay；　I　told　them　that　it　was　not　for
their　own　advantage　to　do