the antiquities of the jews-1-第285章

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Julia's　son；　succeeded。　He　was　now　the　third　emperor；　and　he　sent
Valerius　Gratus　to　be　procurator　of　Judea；　and　to　succeed　Annius
Rufus。　This　man　deprived　Ananus　of　the　high　priesthood；　and
appointed　Ismael；　the　son　of　Phabi；　to　be　high　priest。　He　also
deprived　him　in　a　little　time；　and　ordained　Eleazar；　the　son　of
Ananus；　who　had　been　high　priest　before；　to　be　high　priest；　which
office；　when　he　had　held　for　a　year；　Gratus　deprived　him　of　it；
and　gave　the　high　priesthood　to　Simon；　the　son　of　Camithus；　and
when　he　had　possessed　that　dignity　no　longer　than　a　year；　Joseph
Caiaphas　was　made　his　successor。　When　Gratus　had　done　those
things；　he　went　back　to　Rome；　after　he　had　tarried　in　Judea
eleven　years；　when　Pontius　Pilate　came　as　his　successor。

3。　And　now　Herod　the　tetrarch；　who　was　in　great　favor　with
Tiberius；　built　a　city　of　the　same　name　with　him；　and　called　it
Tiberias。　He　built　it　in　the　best　part　of　Galilee；　at　the　lake　of
Gennesareth。　There　are　warm　baths　at　a　little　distance　from　it；
in　a　village　named　Emmaus。　Strangers　came　and　inhabited　this
city；　a　great　number　of　the　inhabitants　were　Galileans　also；　and
many　were　necessitated　by　Herod　to　come　thither　out　of　the
country　belonging　to　him；　and　were　by　force　compelled　to　be　its
inhabitants；　some　of　them　were　persons　of　condition。　He　also
admitted　poor　people；　such　as　those　that　were　collected　from　all
parts；　to　dwell　in　it。　Nay；　some　of　them　were　not　quite　free…men；
and　these　he　was　benefactor　to；　and　made　them　free　in　great
numbers；　but　obliged　them　not　to　forsake　the　city；　by　building
them　very　good　houses　at　his　own　expenses；　and　by　giving　them
land　also；　for　he　was　sensible；　that　to　make　this　place　a
habitation　was　to　transgress　the　Jewish　ancient　laws；　because
many　sepulchers　were　to　be　here　taken　away；　in　order　to　make　room
for　the　city　Tiberias　（5）　whereas　our　laws　pronounce　that　such
inhabitants　are　unclean　for　seven　days。　（6）

4。　About　this　time　died　Phraates；　king　of　the　Parthians；　by　the
treachery　of　Phraataces　his　son；　upon　the　occasion　following：
When　Phraates　had　had　legitimate　sons　of　his　own；　he　had　also　an
Italian　maid…servant；　whose　name　was　Thermusa；　who　had　been
formerly　sent　to　him　by　Julius　Caesar；　among　other　presents。　He
first　made　her　his　concubine；　but　he　being　a　great　admirer　of　her
beauty；　in　process　of　time　having　a　son　by　her；　whose　name　was
Phraataces；　he　made　her　his　legitimate　wife；　and　had　a　great
respect　for　her。　Now　she　was　able　to　persuade　him　to　do　any　thing
that　she　said；　and　was　earnest　in　procuring　the　government　of
Parthia　for　her　son；　but　still　she　saw　that　her　endeavors　would
not　succeed；　unless　she　could　contrive　how　to　remove　Phraates's
legitimate　sons　＇out　of　the　kingdom；＇　so　she　persuaded　him　to
send　those　his　sons　as　pledges　of　his　fidelity　to　Rome；　and　they
were　sent　to　Rome　accordingly；　because　it　was　not　easy　for　him　to
contradict　her　commands。　Now　while　Phraataces　was　alone　brought
up　in　order　to　succeed　in　the　government；　he　thought　it　very
tedious　to　expect　that　government　by　his　father's　donation　＇as
his　successor＇；　he　therefore　formed　a　treacherous　design　against
his　father；　by　his　mother's　assistance；　with　whom；　as　the　report
went；　he　had　criminal　conversation　also。　So　he　was　hated　for　both
these　vices；　while　his　subjects　esteemed　this　＇wicked＇　love　of
his　mother　to　be　no　way　inferior　to　his　parricide；　and　he　was　by
them；　in　a　sedition；　expelled　out　of　the　country　before　he　grew
too　great；　and　died。　But　as　the　best　sort　of　Parthians　agreed
together　that　it　was　impossible　they　should　be　governed　without　a
king；　while　also　it　was　their　constant　practice　to　choose　one　of
the　family　of　Arsaces；　＇nor　did　their　law　allow　of　any　others；
and　they　thought　this　kingdom　had　been　sufficiently　injured
already　by　the　marriage　with　an　Italian　concubine；　and　by　her
issue；＇　they　sent　ambassadors；　and　called　Orodes　＇to　take　the
crown＇；　for　the　multitude　would　not　otherwise　have　borne　them；
and　though　he　was　accused　of　very　great　cruelty；　and　was　of　an
untractable　temper；　and　prone　to　wrath；　yet　still　he　was　one　of
the　family　of　Arsaces。　However；　they　made　a　conspiracy　against
him；　and　slew　him；　and　that；　as　some　say；　at　a　festival；　and
among　their　sacrifices；　（for　it　is　the　universal　custom　there　to
carry　their　swords　with　them；）　but；　as　the　more　general　report
is；　they　slew　him　when　they　had　drawn　him　out　a　hunting。　So　they
sent　ambassadors　to　Rome；　and　desired　they　would　send　one　of
those　that　were　there　as　pledges　to　be　their　king。　Accordingly；
Vonones　was　preferred　before　the　rest；　and　sent　to　them　（for　he
seemed　capable　of　such　great　fortune；　which　two　of　the　greatest
kingdoms　under　the　sun　now　offered　him；　his　own　and　a　foreign
one）。　However；　the　barbarians　soon　changed　their　minds；　they
being　naturally　of　a　mutable　disposition；　upon　the　supposal　that
this　man　was　not　worthy　to　be　their　governor；　for　they　could　not
think　of　obeying　the　commands　of　one　that　had　been　a　slave；　（for
so　they　called　those　that　had　been　hostages；）　nor　could　they　bear
the　ignominy　of　that　name；　and　this　was　the　more　intolerable；
because　then　the　Parthians　must　have　such　a　king　set　over　them；
not　by　right　of　war；　but　in　time　of　peace。　So　they　presently
invited　Artabanus；　king　of　Media；　to　be　their　king；　he　being　also
of　the　race　of　Arsaces。　Artabanus　complied　with　the　offer　that
was　made　him；　and　came　to　them　with　an　army。　So　Vonones　met　him；
and　at　first　the　multitude　of　the　Parthians　stood　on　this　side；
and　he　put　his　army　in　array；　but　Artabanus　was　beaten；　and　fled
to　the　mountains　of　Media。　Yet　did　he　a　little　after　gather　a
great　army　together；　and　fought　with　Vonones；　and　beat　him；
whereupon　Vonones　fled　away　on　horseback；　with　a　few　of　his
attendants　about　him；　to　Seleucia　＇upon　Tigris＇。　So　when
Artabanus　had　slain　a　great　number；　and　this　after　he　had　gotten
the　victory　by　reason　of　the　very　great　dismay　the　barbarians
were　in；　he　retired　to　Ctesiphon　with　a　great　number　of　his
people；　and　so　he　now　reigned　over　the　Parthians。　But　Vonones
fled　away　to　Armenia；　and　as　soon　as　he　came　thither；　he　had　an
inclination　to　have　the　government　of　the　country　given　him；　and
sent　ambassadors　to　Rome　＇for　that　purpose＇。　But　because　Tiberius
refused　it　him；　and　because　he　wanted　courage；　and　because　the
Parthian　king　threatened　him；　and　sent　ambassadors　to　him　to
denounce　war　against　him　if　he　proceeded；　and　because　he　had　no
way　to　take　to　regain　any　other　kingdom；　（for　the　people　of
authority　among　the　Armenians　about　Niphates　joined　themselves　to
Artabanus；）　he　delivered　up　himself　to　Silanus；　the　president　of
Syria；　who；　out　of　regard　to　his　education　at　Rome；　kept　him　in
Syria；　while　Artabanus　gave　Armenia　to　Orodes；　one　of　his　own
sons。

5。　At　this　time　died　Antiochus；　the　king　of　Commagene；　whereupon
the　multitude　contended　with　the　nobility；　and　both　sent
ambassadors　to　＇Rome＇；　for　the　men　of　power　were　desirous　that
their　form　of　government　might　be　changed　into　that　of　a　＇Roman＇
province；　as　were　the　multitude　desirous　to　be　under　kings；　as
their　fathers　had　been。　So　the　senate　made　a　decree　that
Germanicus　should　be　sent　to　settle　the　affairs　of　the　East；
fortune　hereby　taking　a　proper　opportunity　for　depriving　him　of
his　life；　for　when　he　had　been　in　the　East；　and　settled　all
affairs　there；　his　life　was　taken　away　by　the　poison　which　Piso
gave　him；　as　hath　been　related　elsewhere。　（7）

CHAPTER　3。

Sedition　Of　The　Jews　Against　Pontius　Pilate。　Concerning　Christ；
And　What　Befell　Paulina　And　The　Jews　At　Rome；

1。　But　now　Pilate；　the　procurator　of　Judea；　removed　the　army　from
Cesarea　to　Jerusalem；　to　take　their　winter　quarters　there；　in
order　to　abolish　the　Jewish　laws。　So　he　introduced　Caesar's
effigies；　which　were　upon　the　ensigns；　and　brought　them　into　the
city；　whereas　our　law　forbids　us　the　very　making　of　images；　on
which　account　the　former　procurators　were　wont　to　make　their
entry　into　the　city　with　such　ensigns　as　had　not　those　ornaments。
Pilate　was　the　first　who　brought　those　images　to　Jerusalem；　and
set　them　up　there；　which　was　done　without　the　knowledge　of　the
people；　because　it　was　done　in　the　night　time；　bu