comply with what they proposed, and without delay to march to the war which they spake of; yet did I advise them, at the same time, that since these letters declared that the Romans would make their assault in four several places, they should part their forces into five bodies, and make Jonathan and his colleagues generals of each body of them, because it was fit for brave men not only to give counsel, but to take the place of leaders, and assist their countrymen when such a necessity pressed them; for, said I, it is not possible for me to lead more than one party. This advice of mine greatly pleased the multitude; so they compelled them to go forth to war. But their designs were put into very much disorder, because they had not done what they had designed to do, on account of my strategem, which was opposite to their undertakings.
56. NOW THERE was one whose name was
Ananias (a wicked man he was, and very
mischievous); he proposed that a
general religious fast[1] 'should be
Ananias
proposes a fast.
appointed the next day for all the
people, and gave orders that at
the same hour they should come to the same
place, without any weapons, to make it manifest
before God, that while they obtained his
assistance, they thought all these weapons useless.
This he said, not of piety, but that they might
catch me and my friends unarmed. Now, I was
hereupon forced to comply, lest I should appear
to despise a proposal that tended to piety. As
soon, therefore, as we were gone home, Jonathan
and his colleagues wrote to John to come to them
in the morning, and desiring him to come with as
many soldiers as he possibly could, for that they
should then be able easily to get me into their
hands, and to do all that they desired to do.
When John had received this letter he resolved to
comply with it. As for myself, on the next day, I
ordered two of the guards of my body, whom I
esteemed the most courageous and most faithful,
to hide daggers under their garments, and to go
along with me, that we might defend ourselves, if
any attack should be made upon us by our
enemies. I also myself took my breast-plate, and
girt on my sword so that it might be, as far as
was possible, concealed, and came into the
proseucha.
57. NOW JESUS, who was the ruler,
commanded that they should exclude all that came
with me, for he kept the door himself
and suffered none but his
Josephus
accused by
Jesus.
friends to go in. And while we
were engaged in the duties of the
day, and had betaken ourselves to
our prayers, Jesus got up, and inquired of me
what was become of the vessels that were taken
out of the king's palace when it was burnt down,
[and] of that uncoined silver; and in whose
possession they now were? This he said in order
to drive away time till John should come. I said
that Capellus, and the ten principal men of
Tiberias, had them all; and I told them that they
might ask them whether I told a lie or not. And
when they said they had them, he asked me,
What is become of those twenty pieces of gold
which thou didst receive upon the sale of a certain
weight of uncoined money? I replied, that I had
given them to those ambassadors of theirs as a
maintenance for them, when they were sent by
them to Jerusalem. So Jonathan and his
colleagues said that I had not done well to pay the
ambassadors out of the public money. And when
the multitude was very angry at them for this, for
they perceived the wickedness of the men, 1
understood that a tumult was going to arise; and
being desirous to provoke the public to a greater
rage against the men, I said, "But if I have not
done well in paying our ambassadors out of the
public stock, leave off your anger at me, for I
will repay the twenty pieces of gold myself."
58. WHEN I had said this, Jonathan and
his colleagues held their peace; but the people
were still more irritated against them, upon their
openly shewing their unjust
ill-will to me. When Jesus saw this
change in the people, he ordered
Jonathan's
designs again
fustrated
them to depart, but desired the
senate to stay, for that they could
not examine things of such a nature in tumult;
and as the paople were crying out that they
would not leave me alone, there came one and
told Jesus and his friends privately, that John
and his armed men were at hand: whereupon
Jonathan and his colleagues, being able to
contain themselves no longer (and perhaps the
providence of God hereby procuring my deliverance,
for, had not this been so, I had certainly been
destroyed by John), said, "O you people of
Tiberias! leave off this inquiry about the twenty
pieces of gold; for Josephus hath not deserved to
die for them; but he hath deserved it by his
desire of tyrannizing, and by cheating the
multitude of the Galileans with his speeches, in order to
gain the dominion over them." When he had
said this, they presently laid hands upon me, and
endeavoured to kill me: but, as soon as those that
were with me saw what they did, they drew their
swords, and threatened to smite them, if they
offered any violence to me. The people also took
up stones, and were about to throw them at
Jonathan; and so they snatched me from the
violence of my enemies.
59. BUT, AS I was going out a little way, I
was just upon meeting John, who was marching
with his armed men. So I was
afraid of him, and turned aside,
and escaped by a narrow passage
Escape of
Josephus.
to the lake, and seized on a ship,
and embarked in it, and sailed over to Taricheæ.
So, beyond my expectation, I escaped this
danger. Whereupon I presently sent for the
chief of the Galileans, and told them after what
manner, against all faith given, I had been
very near to destruction from Jonathan and
his colleagues and the people of Tiberias. Upon
which the multitude of the Galileans were very
angry, and encouraged me to delay no longer to
make war upon them, but to permit them to go
- ↑ One may observe here, that this lay-Pharisee, Ananias, as we have seen he was, sect. 39, took upon him to appoint a fast at Tiberias, and was obeyed; though indeed it was not out of religion, but knavish policy.
