the antiquities of the jews-1-第321章

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time；　even　when　the　actors　could　have　no　way　incurred　their
hatred；　since　those　writers　lived　a　long　time　after　them。　But　as
to　those　that　have　no　regard　to　truth；　they　may　write　as　they
please；　for　in　that　they　take　delight：　but　as　to　ourselves；　who
have　made　truth　our　direct　aim；　we　shall　briefly　touch　upon　what
only　belongs　remotely　to　this　undertaking；　but　shall　relate　what
hath　happened　to　us　Jews　with　great　accuracy；　and　shall　not
grudge　our　pains　in　giving　an　account　both　of　the　calamities　we
have　suffered；　and　of　the　crimes　we　have　been　guilty　of。　I　will
now　therefore　return　to　the　relation　of　our　own　affairs。

4。　For　in　the　first　year　of　the　reign　of　Nero；　upon　the　death　of
Azizus；　king　of　Emesa；　Soemus；　his　brother；　succeeded　in　his
kingdom；　and　Aristobulus；　the　son　of　Herod；　king　of　Chalcis；　was
intrusted　by　Nero　with　the　government　of　the　Lesser　Armenia。
Caesar　also　bestowed　on　Agrippa　a　certain　part　of　Galilee；
Tiberias；　and　Tarichae；　（18）　and　ordered　them　to　submit　to　his
jurisdiction。　He　gave　him　also　Julias；　a　city　of　Perea；　with
fourteen　villages　that　lay　about　it。

5。　Now　as　for　the　affairs　of　the　Jews；　they　grew　worse　and　worse
continually；　for　the　country　was　again　filled　with　robbers　and
impostors；　who　deluded　the　multitude。　Yet　did　Felix　catch　and　put
to　death　many　of　those　impostors　every　day；　together　with　the
robbers。　He　also　caught　Eleazar；　the　son　of　Dineas；　who　had
gotten　together　a　company　of　robbers；　and　this　he　did　by
treachery；　for　he　gave　him　assurance　that　he　should　suffer　no
harm；　and　thereby　persuaded　him　to　come　to　him；　but　when　he　came；
he　bound　him；　and　sent　him　to　Rome。　Felix　also　bore　an　ill…will
to　Jonathan；　the　high　priest；　because　he　frequently　gave　him
admonitions　about　governing　the　Jewish　affairs　better　than　he
did；　lest　he　should　himself　have　complaints　made　of　him　by　the
multitude；　since　he　it　was　who　had　desired　Caesar　to　send　him　as
procurator　of　Judea。　So　Felix　contrived　a　method　whereby　he　might
get　rid　of　him；　now　he　was　become　so　continually　troublesome　to
him；　for　such　continual　admonitions　are　grievous　to　those　who　are
disposed　to　act　unjustly。　Wherefore　Felix　persuaded　one　of
Jonathan's　most　faithful　friends；　a　citizen　of　Jerusalem；　whose
name　was　Doras；　to　bring　the　robbers　upon　Jonathan；　in　order　to
kill　him；　and　this　he　did　by　promising　to　give　him　a　great　deal
of　money　for　so　doing。　Doras　complied　with　the　proposal；　and
contrived　matters　so；　that　the　robbers　might　murder　him　after　the
following　manner：　Certain　of　those　robbers　went　up　to　the　city；
as　if　they　were　going　to　worship　God；　while　they　had　daggers
under　their　garments；　and　by　thus　mingling　themselves　among　the
multitude　they　slew　Jonathan　（19）　and　as　this　murder　was　never
avenged；　the　robbers　went　up　with　the　greatest　security　at　the
festivals　after　this　time；　and　having　weapons　concealed　in　like
manner　as　before；　and　mingling　themselves　among　the　multitude；
they　slew　certain　of　their　own　enemies；　and　were　subservient　to
other　men　for　money；　and　slew　others；　not　only　in　remote　parts　of
the　city；　but　in　the　temple　itself　also；　for　they　had　the
boldness　to　murder　men　there；　without　thinking　of　the　impiety　of
which　they　were　guilty。　And　this　seems　to　me　to　have　been　the
reason　why　God；　out　of　his　hatred　of　these　men's　wickedness；
rejected　our　city；　and　as　for　the　temple；　he　no　longer　esteemed
it　sufficiently　pure　for　him　to　inhabit　therein；　but　brought　the
Romans　upon　us；　and　threw　a　fire　upon　the　city　to　purge　it；　and
brought　upon　us；　our　wives；　and　children；　slavery；　as　desirous　to
make　us　wiser　by　our　calamities。

6。　These　works；　that　were　done　by　the　robbers；　filled　the　city
with　all　sorts　of　impiety。　And　now　these　impostors　and　deceivers
persuaded　the　multitude　to　follow　them　into　the　wilderness；　and
pretended　that　they　would　exhibit　manifest　wonders　and　signs；
that　should　be　performed　by　the　providence　of　God。　And　many　that
were　prevailed　on　by　them　suffered　the　punishments　of　their
folly；　for　Felix　brought　them　back；　and　then　punished　them。
Moreover；　there　came　out　of　Egypt　（20）　about　this　time　to
Jerusalem　one　that　said　he　was　a　prophet；　and　advised　the
multitude　of　the　common　people　to　go　along　with　him　to　the　Mount
of　Olives；　as　it　was　called；　which　lay　over　against　the　city；　and
at　the　distance　of　five　furlongs。　He　said　further；　that　he　would
show　them　from　hence　how；　at　his　command；　the　walls　of　Jerusalem
would　fall　down；　and　he　promised　them　that　he　would　procure　them
an　entrance　into　the　city　through　those　walls；　when　they　were
fallen　down。　Now　when　Felix　was　informed　of　these　things；　he
ordered　his　soldiers　to　take　their　weapons；　and　came　against　them
with　a　great　number　of　horsemen　and　footmen　from　Jerusalem；　and
attacked　the　Egyptian　and　the　people　that　were　with　him。　He　also
slew　four　hundred　of　them；　and　took　two　hundred　alive。　But　the
Egyptian　himself　escaped　out　of　the　fight；　but　did　not　appear　any
more。　And　again　the　robbers　stirred　up　the　people　to　make　war
with　the　Romans；　and　said　they　ought　not　to　obey　them　at　all；　and
when　any　persons　would　not　comply　with　them；　they　set　fire　to
their　villages；　and　plundered　them。

7。　And　now　it　was　that　a　great　sedition　arose　between　the　Jews
that　inhabited　Cesarea；　and　the　Syrians　who　dwelt　there　also；
concerning　their　equal　right　to　the　privileges　belonging　to
citizens；　for　the　Jews　claimed　the　pre…eminence；　because　Herod
their　king　was　the　builder　of　Cesarea；　and　because　he　was　by
birth　a　Jew。　Now　the　Syrians　did　not　deny　what　was　alleged　about
Herod；　but　they　said　that　Cesarea　was　formerly　called　Strato's
Tower；　and　that　then　there　was　not　one　Jewish　inhabitant。　When
the　presidents　of　that　country　heard　of　these　disorders；　they
caught　the　authors　of　them　on　both　sides；　and　tormented　them　with
stripes；　and　by　that　means　put　a　stop　to　the　disturbance　for　a
time。　But　the　Jewish　citizens　depending　on　their　wealth；　and　on
that　account　despising　the　Syrians；　reproached　them　again；　and
hoped　to　provoke　them　by　such　reproaches。　However；　the　Syrians；
though　they　were　inferior　in　wealth；　yet　valuing　themselves
highly　on　this　account；　that　the　greatest　part　of　the　Roman
soldiers　that　were　there　were　either　of　Cesarea　or　Sebaste；　they
also　for　some　time　used　reproachful　language　to　the　Jews　also；
and　thus　it　was；　till　at　length　they　came　to　throwing　stones　at
one　another；　and　several　were　wounded；　and　fell　on　both　sides；
though　still　the　Jews　were　the　conquerors。　But　when　Felix　saw
that　this　quarrel　was　become　a　kind　of　war；　he　came　upon　them　on
the　sudden；　and　desired　the　Jews　to　desist；　and　when　they　refused
so　to　do；　he　armed　his　soldiers；　and　sent　them　out　upon　them；　and
slew　many　of　them；　and　took　more　of　them　alive；　and　permitted　his
soldiers　to　plunder　some　of　the　houses　of　the　citizens；　which
were　full　of　riches。　Now　those　Jews　that　were　more　moderate；　and
of　principal　dignity　among　them；　were　afraid　of　themselves；　and
desired　of　Felix　that　he　would　sound　a　retreat　to　his　soldiers；
and　spare　them　for　the　future；　and　afford　them　room　for
repentance　for　what　they　had　done；　and　Felix　was　prevailed　upon
to　do　so。

8。　About　this　time　king　Agrippa　gave　the　high　priesthood　to
Ismael；　who　was　the　son　of　Fabi。　And　now　arose　a　sedition　between
the　high　priests　and　the　principal　men　of　the　multitude　of
Jerusalem；　each　of　which　got　them　a　company　of　the　boldest　sort
of　men；　and　of　those　that　loved　innovations　about　them；　and
became　leaders　to　them；　and　when　they　struggled　together；　they
did　it　by　casting　reproachful　words　against　one　another；　and　by
throwing　stones　also。　And　there　was　nobody　to　reprove　them；　but
these　disorders　were　done　after　a　licentious　manner　in　the　city；
as　if　it　had　no　government　over　it。　And　such　was　the　impudence
（21）　and　boldness　that　had　seized　on　the　high　priests；　that　they
had　the　hardiness　to　send　their　servants　into　the
threshing…floors；　to　take　away　those　tithes　that　were　due　to　the
priests；　insomuch　that　it　so　fell　out　that　the　poorest　sort　of
the　priests　died　for　want。　To　this　degree　did　the　violence　of　the
seditious　prevail　over　all　right　and　justice。

9。　Now　when　Porcius　Festus　was　sent　as　successo