the life of flavius josephus-第8章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


So；　in　order　to　prevent　the　loss　of　both　his　hands；　he　willingly
took　his　sword；　and　cut　off　his　own　left　hand；　and　this　put　an
end　to　the　sedition。

35。　Now　the　men　of　Tiberias；　after　I　was　gone　to　Taricheae；
perceived　what　stratagem　I　had　used　against　them；　and　they
admired　how　I　had　put　an　end　to　their　foolish　sedition；　without
shedding　of　blood。　But　now；　when　I　had　sent　for　some　of　those
multitudes　of　the　people　of　Tiberias　out　of　prison；　among　whom
were　Justus　and　his　father　Pistus；　I　made　them　to　sup　with　me；
and　during　our　supper　time　I　said　to　them；　that　I　knew　the　power
of　the　Romans　was　superior　to　all　others；　but　did　not　say　so
＇publicly＇　because　of　the　robbers。　So　I　advised　them　to　do　as　I
did；　and　to　wait　for　a　proper　opportunity；　and　not　to　be　uneasy
at　my　being　their　commander；　for　that　they　could　not　expect　to
have　another　who　would　use　the　like　moderation　that　I　had　done。　I
also　put　Justus　in　mind　how　the　Galileans　had　cut　off　his
brother's　hands　before　ever　I　came　to　Jerusalem；　upon　an
accusation　laid　against　him；　as　if　he　had　been　a　rogue；　and　had
forged　some　letters；　as　also　how　the　people　of　Gamala；　in　a
sedition　they　raised　against　the　Babylonians；　after　the　departure
of　Philip；　slew　Chares；　who　was　a　kinsman　of　Philip；　and　withal
how　they　had　wisely　punished　Jesus；　his　brother　Justuses　sister's
husband　＇with　death＇。　When　I　had　said　this　to　them　during　supper
time；　I　in　the　morning　ordered　Justus；　and　all　the　rest　that　were
in　prison；　to　be　loosed　out　of　it；　and　sent　away。

36。　But　before　this；　it　happened　that　Philip；　the　son　of　Jacimus；
went　out　of　the　citadel　of　Gamala　upon　the　following　occasion：
When　Philip　had　been　informed　that　Varus　was　put　out　of　his
government　by　king　Agrippa；　and　that　Equieulus　Modius；　a　man　that
was　of　old　his　friend　and　companion；　was　come　to　succeed　him；　he
wrote　to　him；　and　related　what　turns　of　fortune　he　had　had；　and
desired　him　to　forward　the　letters　he　sent　to　the　king　and　queen。
Now；　when　Modius　had　received　these　letters；　he　was　exceedingly
glad；　and　sent　the　letters　to　the　king　and　queen；　who　were　then
about　Berytus。　But　when　king　Agrippa　knew　that　the　story　about
Philip　was　false；　（for　it　had　been　given　out；　that　the　Jews　had
begun　a　war　with　the　Romans；　and　that　this　Philip　had　been　their
commander　in　that　war；）　he　sent　some　horsemen　to　conduct　Philip
to　him；　and　when　he　was　come；　he　saluted　him　very　obligingly；　and
showed　him　to　the　Roman　commanders；　and　told　them　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　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　ver　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　Tarichee；
Tiberias；　Sepphoris；　and　the　villages；　the　cave　of　Arbela；
Bersobe；　Selamin；　Jotapata；　Capharecho；　and　Sigo；　and　Japha；　and
Mount　Tabor。　（15）　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　son　of　Gamaliel；　（16）　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　upon　the　city　with　a　great　army。　This
was　the　counsel　of　Simon；　but　Artanus　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　thus　compass　what　he　aimed　at；　for　Artanus；　and　those　with
him；　being　corrupted　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　（17）
and　Ananias；　by　sect　Pharisees；　while　the　third；　Jozar；　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；　they　loved　me
because　I　was　a　priest；　they　should　reply；　that　two　of　these　were
priests　also。

40。　Now；　when　they　had　given　Jonathan　and　his　companions　these
instructions；　they　gave　them　forty　thousand　＇drachmae＇　out　of　the
public　money：　but　when　they　heard　that　there　was　a　certain
Galilean　that　then　sojourned　at　Jerusalem；