the life of flavius josephus-第9章

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public　money：　but　when　they　heard　that　there　was　a　certain
Galilean　that　then　sojourned　at　Jerusalem；　whose　name　was　Jesus；
who　had　about　him　a　band　of　six　hundred　armed　men；　they　sent　for
him；　and　gave　him　three　months　pay；　and　gave　him　orders　to　follow
Jonathan　and　his　companions；　and　be　obedient　to　them。　They　also
gave　money　to　three　hundred　men　that　were　citizens　of　Jerusalem；
to　maintain　them　all；　and　ordered　them　also　to　follow　the
ambassadors；　and　when　they　had　complied；　and　were　gotten　ready
for　the　march；　Jonathan　and　his　companions　went　out　with　them；
having　along　with　them　John's　brother　and　a　hundred　armed　men。
The　charge　that　was　given　them　by　those　that　sent　them　was　this：
That　if　I　would　voluntarily　lay　down　my　arms；　they　should　send　me
alive　to　the　city　of　Jerusalem；　but　that；　in　case　I　opposed　them；
they　should　kill　me；　and　fear　nothing；　for　that　it　was　their
command　for　them　so　to　do。　They　also　wrote　to　John　to　make　all
ready　for　fighting　me；　and　gave　orders　to　the　inhabitants　of
Sepphoris；　and　Gabara；　and　Tiberins；　to　send　auxiliaries　to　John。

41。　Now；　as　my　father　wrote　me　an　account　of　this；　（for　Jesus　the
son　of　Gamala；　who　was　present　in　that　council；　a　friend　and
companion　of　mine；　told　him　of　it；）　I　was　very　much　troubled；　as
discovering　thereby　that　my　fellow　citizens　proved　so　ungrateful
to　me；　as；　out　of　envy；　to　give　order　that　I　should　be　slain：　my
father　earnestly　pressed　me　also　in　his　letter　to　come　to　him；
for　that　he　longed　to　see　his　son　before　he　died。　I　informed　my
friends　of　these　things；　and　that　in　three　days'　time　I　should
leave　the　country；　and　go　home。　Upon　hearing　this；　they　were　all
very　sorry；　and　desired　me；　with　tears　in　their　eyes；　not　to
leave　them　to　be　destroyed；　for　so　they　thought　they　should　be；
if　I　were　deprived　of　the　command　over　them：　but　as　I　did　not
grant　their　request；　but　was　taking　care　of　my　own　safety；　the
Galileans；　out　of　their　dread　of　the　consequence　of　my　departure；
that　they　should　then　be　at　the　mercy　of　the　robbers；　sent
messengers　over　all　Galilee　to　inform　them　of　my　resolution　to
leave　them。　Whereupon；　as　soon　as　they　heard　it；　they　got
together　in　great　numbers；　from　all　parts；　with　their　wives　and
children；　and　this　they　did；　as　it　appeared　to　me；　not　more　out
of　their　affection　to　me；　than　out　of　their　fear　on　their　own
account；　for　while　I　staid　with　them；　they　supposed　that　they
should　suffer　no　harm。　So　they　all　came　into　the　great　plain；
wherein　I　lived；　the　name　of　which　was　Asochis。

42。　But　wonderful　it　was　what　a　dream　I　saw　that　very　night；　for
when　I　had　betaken　myself　to　my　bed；　as　grieved　and　disturbed　at
the　news　that　had　been　written　to　me；　it　seemed　to　me；　that　a
certain　person　stood　by　me；　（18）　and　said；　〃O　Josephus！　leave　off
to　afflict　thy　soul；　and　put　away　all　fear；　for　what　now　grieves
thee　will　render　thee　very　considerable；　and　in　all　respects　most
happy；　for　thou　shalt　get　over　not　only　these　difficulties；　but
many　others；　with　great　success。　However；　be　not　cast　down；　but
remember　that　thou　art　to　fight　with　the　Romans。〃　When　I　had　seen
this　dream；　I　got　up　with　an　intention　of　going　down　to　the
plain。　Now；　when　the　whole　multitude　of　the　Galileans；　among　whom
were　the　women　and　children；　saw　me；　they　threw　themselves　down
upon　their　faces；　and；　with　tears　in　their　eyes；　besought　me　not
to　leave　them　exposed　to　their　enemies；　nor　to　go　away　and　permit
their　country　to　be　injured　by　them。　But　when　I　did　not　comply；
with　their　entreaties；　they　compelled　me　to　take　an　oath；　that　I
would　stay　with　them：　they　also　cast　abundance　of　reproaches　upon
the　people　of　Jerusalem；　that　they　would　not　let　their　country
enjoy　peace。

43。　When　I　heard　this；　and　saw　what　sorrow　the　people　were　in；　I
was　moved　with　compassion　to　them；　and　thought　it　became　me　to
undergo　the　most　manifest　hazards　for　the　sake　of　so　great　a
multitude；　so　I　let　them　know　I　would　stay　with　them。　And　when　I
had　given　order　that　five　thousand　off　them　should　come　to　me
armed；　and　with　provisions　for　their　maintenance；　I　sent　the　rest
away　to　their　own　homes；　and　when　those　five　thousand　were　come；
I　took　them；　together　with　three　thousand　of　the　soldiers　that
were　with　me　before；　and　eighty　horsemen；　and　marched　to
thevillage　of　Chabolo；　situated　in　the　confines　of　Ptolimias；　and
there　kept　my　forces　together；　pretending　to　get　ready　to　fight
with　Placidus；　who　was　come　with　two　cohorts　of　footmen；　and　one
troop　of　horsemen；　and　was　sent　thither　by　Cestius　Gallus　to　burn
those　villages　of　Galilee　that　were　near　Ptolemais。　Upon　whose
casting　up　a　bank　before　the　city　Ptolemais；　I　also　pitched　my
camp　at　about　the　distance　of　sixty　furlongs　from　that　village。
And　now　we　frequently　brought　out　our　forces　as　if　we　would
fight；　but　proceeded　no　further　than　skirmishes　at　a　distance；
for　when　Placidus　perceived　that　I　was　earnest　to　come　to　a
battle；　he　was　afraid；　and　avoided　it。　Yet　did　he　not　remove　from
the　neighborhood　of　Ptolemais。

44。　About　this　time　it　was　that　Jonathan　and　his　fellow　legates
came。　They　were　sent；　as　we　have　said　already；　by　Simon；　and
Ananus　the　high　priest。　And　Jonathan　contrived　how　he　might　catch
me　by　treachery；　for　he　durst　not　make　any　attempt　upon　me
openly。　So　he　wrote　me　the　following　epistle：　〃Jonathan　and　those
that　are　with　him；　and　are　sent　by　the　people　of　Jerusalem；　to
Josephus；　send　greeting。　We　are　sent　by　the　principal　men　of
Jerusalem；　who　have　heard　that　John　of　Gischala　hath　laid　many
snares　for　thee；　to　rebuke　him；　and　to　exhort　him　to　be　subject
to　thee　hereafter。　We　are　also　desirous　to　consult　with　thee
about　our　common　concerns；　and　what　is　fit　to　be　done。　We
therefore　desire　thee　to　come　to　us　quickly；　and　to　bring　only　a
few　men　with　thee；　for　this　village　will　not　contain　a　great
number　of　soldiers。〃　Thus　it　was　that　they　wrote；　as　expecting
one　of　these　two　things；　either　that　I　should　come　without　armed
men；　and　then　they　should　have　me　wholly　in　their　power；　or；　if　I
came　with　a　great　number；　they　should　judge　me　to　be　a　public
enemy。　Now　it　was　a　horseman　who　brought　the　letter；　a　man　at
other　times　bold；　and　one　that　had　served　in　the　army　under　the
king。　It　was　the　second　hour　of　the　night　that　he　came；　when　I
was　feasting　with　my　friends；　and　the　principal　of　the　Galileans。
This　man；　upon　my　servant's　telling　me　that　a　certain　horseman　of
the　Jewish　nation　was　come；　was　called　in　at　my　command；　but　did
not　so　much　as　salute　me　at　all；　but　held　out　a　letter；　and　said；
〃This　letter　is　sent　thee　by　those　that　are　come　from　Jerusalem；
do　thou　write　an　answer　to　it　quickly；　for　I　am　obliged　to　return
to　them　very　soon。　Now　my　guests　could　not　but　wonder　at　the
boldness　of　the　soldier。　But　I　desired　him　to　sit　down　and　sup
with　us；　but　when　he　refused　so　to　do；　I　held　the　letter　in　my
hands　as　I　received　it；　and　fell　a　talking　with　my　guests　about
other　matters。　But　a　few　hours　afterwards；　I　got　up；　and　when　I
had　dismissed　the　rest　to　go　to　their　beds；　I　bid　only　four　of　my
intimate　friends　to　stay；　and　ordered　my　servant　to　get　some　wine
ready。　I　also　opened　the　letter　so；　that　nobody　could　perceive
it；　and　understanding　thereby　presently　the　purport？of　the
writing；　I　sealed　it　up　again；　and　appeared　as　if　I　had　not　yet
read　it；　but　only　held　it　in　my　hands。　I　ordered　twenty　drachmae
should　be　given　the　soldier　for　the　charges　of　his　journey；　and
when　he　took　the　money；　and　said　that　he　thanked　me　for　it；　I
perceived　that　he　loved　money；　and　that　he　was　to　be　caught
chiefly　by　that　means；　and　I　said　to　him；〃　If　thou　wilt　but　drink
with　us；　thou　shalt　have　a　drachma　for　every　glass　thou
drinkest。〃　So　he　gladly　embraced　this　proposal；　and　drank　a　great
deal　of　wine；　in　order　to　get　the　more　money；　and　was　so　drunk；
that　at　last　he　could　not　keep　the　secrets　he　was　intrusted　with；
but　discovered　them　without　my　putting　questions　to　him；　viz。
That　a　treacherous　design　was　contrived　against　me；　and　that　I
was　doomed　to　die　by　those　that　sent　him。　When　I　heard　this；　I
wrote　back　this　answer：　〃Josephus　to　Jonathan；　and　those　that　are
with　him；　sendeth　greeting。　Upon　the　information　that　you　are