the life of flavius josephus-第3节

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！


concerning　you。〃　He　also　enjoined　them　to　send　seventy　of　their
principal　men　to　make　a　defense　for　them　as　to　the　accusation
laid　against　them。　So　when　the　twelve　messengers　came　to　their
countrymen　at　Ecbatana；　and　found　that　they　had　no　designs　of
innovation　at　all；　they　persuaded　them　to　send　the　seventy　men
also；　who；　not　at　all　suspecting　what　would　come；　sent　them
accordingly。　So　these　seventy　went　down　to　Caesarea；　together
with　the　twelve　ambassadors；　where　Varus　met　them　with　the　king's
forces；　and　slew　them　all；　together　with　the　＇twelve＇　（9）
ambassadors；　and　made　an　expedition　against　the　Jews　of　Ecbatana。
But　one　there　was　of　the　seventy　who　escaped；　and　made　haste　to
inform　the　Jews　of　their　coming；　upon　which　they　took　their　arms；
with　their　wives　and　children；　and　retired　to　the　citadel　at
Gamala；　leaving　their　own　villages　full　of　all　sorts　of　good
things；　and　having　many　ten　thousands　of　cattle　therein。　When
Philip　was　informed　of　these　things；　he　also　came　to　the　citadel
of　Gamala；　and　when　he　was　come；　the　multitude　cried　aloud；　and
desired　him　to　resume　the　government；　and　to　make　an　expedition
against　Varus；　and　the　Syrians　of　Cesarea；　for　it　was　reported
that　they　had　slain　the　king。　But　Philip　restrained　their　zeal；
and　put　them　in　mind　of　the　benefits　the　king　had　bestowed　upon
them；　and　told　them　how　powerful　the　Romans　were；　and　said　it　was
not　for　their　advantage　to　make　war　with　them；　and　at　length　he
prevailed　with　them。　But　now；　when　the　king　was　acquainted　with
Varus's　design；　which　was　to　cut　off　the　Jews　of　Caesarea；　being
many　ten　thousands；　with　their　wives　and　children；　and　all　in　one
day；　he　called　to　him　Equiculus　Modius；　and　sent　him　to　be
Varus's　successor；　as　we　have　elsewhere　related。　But　still　Philip
kept　possession　of　the　citadel　of　Gamala；　and　of　the　country
adjoining　to　it；　which　thereby　continued　in　their　allegiance　to
the　Romans。

12。　Now；　as　soon　as　I　was　come　into　Galilee；　and　had　learned　this
state　of　things　by　the　information　of　such　as　told　me　of　them；　I
wrote　to　the　sanhedrim　at　Jerusalem　about　them；　and　required
their　direction　what　I　should　do。　Their　direction　was；　that　I
should　continue　there；　and　that；　if　my　fellow　legates　were
willing；　I　should　join　with　them　in　the　care　of　Galilee。　But
those　my　fellow　legates；　having　gotten　great　riches　from　those
tithes　which　as　priests　were　their　dues；　and　were　given　to　them；
determined　to　return　to　their　own　country。　Yet　when　I　desired
them　to　stay　so　long；　that　we　might　first　settle　the　public
affairs；　they　complied　with　me。　So　I　removed；　together　with　them；
from　the　city　of　Sepphoris；　and　came　to　a　certain　village　called
Bethmaus；　four　furlongs　distant　from　Tiberius；　and　thence　I　sent
messengers　to　the　senate　of　Tiberius；　and　desired　that　the
principal　men　of　the　city　would　come　to　me：　and　when　they　were
come；　Justus　himself　being　also　with　them；　I　told　them　that　I　was
sent　to　them　by　the　people　of　Jerusalem　as　a　legate；　together
with　these　other　priests；　in　order　to　persuade　them　to　demolish
that　house　which　Herod　the　tetrarch　had　built　there；　and　which
had　the　figures　of　living　creatures　in　it；　although　our　laws　have
forbidden　us　to　make　any　such　figures；　and　I　desired　that　they
would　give　us　leave　so　to　do　immediately。　But　for　a　good　while
Capellus　and　the　principal　men　belonging　to　the　city　would　not
give　us　leave；　but　were　at　length　entirely　overcome　by　us；　and
were　induced　to　be　of　our　opinion。　So　Jesus　the　son　of　Sapphias；
one　of　those　whom　we　have　already　mentioned　as　the　leader　of　a
seditious　tumult　of　mariners　and　poor　people；　prevented　us；　and
took　with　him　certain　Galileans；　and　set　the　entire　palace　on
fire；　and　thought　he　should　get　a　great　deal　of　money　thereby；
because　he　saw　some　of　the　roofs　gilt　with　gold。　They　also
plundered　a　great　deal　of　the　furniture；　which　was　done　without
our　approbation；　for　after　we　had　discoursed　with　Capellus　and
the　principal　men　of　the　city；　we　departed　from　Bethmaus；　and
went　into　the　Upper　Galilee。　But　Jesus　and　his　party　slew　all　the
Greeks　that　were　inhabitants　of　Tiberias；　and　as　many　others　as
were　their　enemies　before　the　war　began。

13。　When　I　understood　this　state　of　things；　I　was　greatly
provoked；　and　went　down　to　Tiberias；　and　took　all　the　care　I
could　of　the　royal　furniture；　to　recover　all　that　could　be
recovered　from　such　as　had　plundered　it。　They　consisted　of
candlesticks　made　of　Corinthian　brass；　and　of　royal　tables；　and
of　a　great　quantity　of　uncoined　silver；　and　I　resolved　to
preserve　whatsoever　came　to　my　hand　for　the　king。　So　I　sent　for
ten　of　the　principal　men　of　the　senate；　and　for　Capellus　the　son
of　Antyllus；　and　committed　the　furniture　to　them；　with　this
charge；　That　they　should　part　with　it　to　nobody　else　but　to
myself。　From　thence　I　and　my　fellow　legates　went　to　Gichala；　to
John；　as　desirous　to　know　his　intentions；　and　soon　saw　that　he
was　for　innovations；　and　had　a　mind　to　the　principality；　for　he
desired　me　to　give　him　authority　to　carry　off　that　corn　which
belonged　to　Caesar；　and　lay　in　the　villages　of　Upper　Galilee；　and
he　pretended　that　he　would　expend　what　it　came　to　in　building　the
walls　of　his　own　city。　But　when　I　perceived　what　he　endeavored
at；　and　what　he　had　in　his　mind；　I　said　I　would　not　permit　him　so
to　do；　for　that　I　thought　either　to　keep　it　for　the　Romans　or　for
myself；　now　I　was　intrusted　with　the　public　affairs　there　by　the
people　of　Jerusalem。　But；　when　he　was　not　able　to　prevail　with
me；　he　betook　himself　to　my　fellow　legates；　for　they　had　no
sagacity　in　providing　for　futurity；　and　were　very　ready　to　take
bribes。　So　he　corrupted　them　with　money　to　decree；　That　all　that
corn　which　was　within　his　province　should　be　delivered　to　him；
while　I；　who　was　but　one；　was　outvoted　by　two；　and　held　my
tongue。　Then　did　John　introduce　another　cunning　contrivance　of
his；　for　he　said　that　those　Jews　who　inhabited　Cesarea　Philippi；
and　were　shut　up　by　the　order　of　the　king's　deputy　there；　had
sent　to　him　to　desire　him；　that；　since　they　had　no　oil　that　was
pure　for　their　use；　he　would　provide　a　sufficient　quantity　of
such　oil　for　them；　lest　they　should　be　forced　to　make　use　of　oil
that　came　from　the　Greeks；　and　thereby　transgress　their　own　laws。
Now　this　was　said　by　John；　not　out　of　his　regard　to　religion；　but
out　of　his　most　flagrant　desire　of　gain；　for　he　knew　that　two
sextaries　were　sold　with　them　of　Caesarea　for　one　drachma；　but
that　at　Gischala　fourscore　sextaxies　were　sold　for　four
sextaries。　So　he　gave　order　that　all　the　oil　which　was　there
should　be　carried　away；　as　having　my　permission　for　so　doing；
which　yet　I　did　not　grant　him　voluntarily；　but　only　out　of　fear
of　the　multitude；　since；　if　I　had　forbidden　him；　I　should　have
been　stoned　by　them。　When　I　had　therefore　permitted　this　to　be
done　by　John；　he　gained　vast　sums　of　money　by　this　his　knavery。

14。　But　when　I　had　dismissed　my　fellow　legates；　and　sent　them
back　to　Jerusalem；　I　took　care　to　have　arms　provided；　and　the
cities　fortified。　And　when　I　had　sent　for　the　most　hardy　among
the　robbers；　I　saw　that　it　was　not　in　my　power　to　take　their　arms
from　them；　but　I　persuaded　the　multitude　to　allow　them　money　as
pay；　and　told　them　it　was　better　for　them　to　give　them　a　little
willingly；　rather　than　to　＇be　forced　to＇　overlook　them　when　they
plundered　their　goods　from　them。　And　when　I　had　obliged　them　to
take　an　oath　not　to　come　into　that　country；　unless　they　were
invited　to　come；　or　else　when　they　had　not　their　pay　given　them；
I　dismissed　them；　and　charged　them　neither　to　make　an　expedition
against　the　Romans；　nor　against　those　their　neighbors　that　lay
round　about　them；　for　my　first　care　was　to　keep　Galilee　in　peace。
So　I　was　willing　to　have　the　principal　of　the　Galileans；　in　all
seventy；　as　hostages　for　their　fidelity；　but　still　under　the
notion　of　friendship。　Accordingly；　I　made　them　my　friends　and
companions　as　I　journeyed；　and　set　them　to　judge　causes；　and　with
their　approbation　it　was　that　I　gave　my　sentences；　while　I
endeavored　not　to　mistake　what　justice　required；　and　to　keep　my
hands　clear　of　all　bribery　in　those　determinations。

15。　I　was　now　about　the　thirtieth　year　of　my　age；　in　which　time
of　life　it　is　a　hard　thing　for　any　one　to　escape　the　calumnies　of
the　envious；　although　he　restrain　himself　from　fulfilling　any
unlawful　desires；　especially　where　a　person　is　in　great
authority。　Yet　did　I　preserve　every　woman　free　from　injuries；　and
as　to　what　presents　were　offered　me；　I　despised　them；　as　not
standing　in　need　of　them。　Nor　indeed　would　I　take　those　tithes；
which　were　due　to　me　as　a　priest；　from　those　that　brought　them。
Yet　do　I　confess；　that　I　took　part　of　the　spoils　of　those　Syrians
which　inhabited　the　cities　that　adjoined　to　us；　when　I　had
conquered　them；　and　that　I　sent　them　to　my　kindred　at　Jerusalem；
although；　when　I　twice　took　Sepphoris　by　force；　and　Tiberias　four
times；　and　Gadara　once；　and　when　I　had　subdued　and　taken　John；
who　often　laid　treacherous　snares　for　me；　I　did　not　punish　＇with
death＇　either　him　or　any　of　the　people　forenamed；　as　the　progress
of　this　discourse　will　show。　And　on　this　account；　I　suppose；　it
was　that　God；　（10）　who　is　n