This text is part of:
Search the Perseus Catalog for:
View text chunked by:
[35]
WHEN Moses had said this, the multitude left off the turbulent behavior
they had indulged, and the suspicion they had of Moses, and commended what
he had said; for those proposals were good, and were so esteemed of the
people. At that time therefore they dissolved the assembly. But on the
next day they came to the congregation, in order to be present at the sacrifice,
and at the determination that was to be made between the candidates for
the priesthood. Now this congregation proved a turbulent one, and the multitude
were in great suspense in expectation of what was to be done; for some
of them would have been pleased if Moses had been convicted of evil practices,
but the wiser sort desired that they might be delivered from the present
disorder and disturbance; for they were afraid, that if this sedition went
on, the good order of their settlement would rather be destroyed; but the
whole body of the people do naturally delight in clamors against their
governors, and, by changing their opinions upon the harangues of every
speaker, disturb the public tranquillity. And now Moses sent messengers
for Abiram and Dathan, and ordered them to come to the assembly, and wait
there for the holy offices that were to be performed. But they answered
the messenger, that they would not obey his summons; nay, would not overlook
Moses's behavior, who was growing too great for them by evil practices.
Now when Moses heard of this their answer, he desired the heads of the
people to follow him, and he went to the faction of Dathan, not thinking
it any frightful thing at all to go to these insolent people; so they made
no opposition, but went along with him. But Dathan, and his associates,
when they understood that Moses and the principal of the people were coming
to them, came out, with their wives and children, and stood before their
tents, and looked to see what Moses would do. They had also their servants
about them to defend themselves, in case Moses should use force against
them.
Flavius Josephus. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by. William Whiston, A.M. Auburn and Buffalo. John E. Beardsley. 1895.
Tufts University provided support for entering this text.
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
An XML version of this text is available for download, with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.