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[620]
But now the soldiers he had with him took up their arms immediately,
and marched against the plotters; but Josephus was afraid lest a civil
war should be raised by the envy of a few men, and bring the city to ruin;
so he sent some of his party to tell them, that they should do no more
than provide for their own safety; that they should not kill any body,
nor accuse any for the occasion they had afforded [of disorder]. Accordingly,
these men obeyed his orders, and were quiet; but the people of the neighboring
country, when they were informed of this plot, and of the plotter, they
got together in great multitudes to oppose John. But he prevented their
attempt, and fled away to Gischala, his native city, while the Galileans
came running out of their several cities to Josephus; and as they were
now become many ten thousands of armed men, they cried out, that they were
come against John the common plotter against their interest, and would
at the same time burn him, and that city which had received him. Hereupon
Josephus told them that he took their good-will to him kindly, but still
he restrained their fury, and intended to subdue his enemies by prudent
conduct, rather than by slaying them; so he excepted those of every city
which had joined in this revolt with John, by name, who had readily been
shown him by these that came from every city, and caused public proclamation
to be made, that he would seize upon the effects of those that did not
forsake John within five days' time, and would burn both their houses and
their families with fire. Whereupon three thousand of John's party left
him immediately, who came to Josephus, and threw their arms down at his
feet. John then betook himself, together with his two thousand Syrian runagates,
from open attempts, to more secret ways of treachery. Accordingly, he privately
sent messengers to Jerusalem, to accuse Josephus, as having to great power,
and to let them know that he would soon come as a tyrant to their metropolis,
unless they prevented him. This accusation the people were aware of beforehand,
but had no regard to it. However, some of the grandees, out of envy, and
some of the rulers also, sent money to John privately, that he might be
able to get together mercenary soldiers, in order to fight Josephus; they
also made a decree of themselves, and this for recalling him from his government,
yet did they not think that decree sufficient; so they sent withal two
thousand five hundred armed men, and four persons of the highest rank amongst
them; Joazar the son of Nomicus, and Ananias the son of Sadduk, as also
Simon and Judas the sons of Jonathan, all very able men in speaking, that
these persons might withdraw the good-will of the people from Josephus.
These had it in charge, that if he would voluntarily come away, they should
permit him to [come and] give an account of his conduct; but if he obstinately
insisted upon continuing in his government, they should treat him as an
enemy. Now Josephus's friends had sent him word that an army was coming
against him, but they gave him no notice beforehand what the reason of
their coming was, that being only known among some secret councils of his
enemies; and by this means it was that four cities revolted from him immediately,
Sepphoris, and Gamala, and Gischala, and Tiberias. Yet did he recover these
cities without war; and when he had routed those four commanders by stratagems,
and had taken the most potent of their warriors, he sent them to Jerusalem;
and the people [of Galilee] had great indignation at them, and were in
a zealous disposition to slay, not only these forces, but those that sent
them also, had not these forces prevented it by running away.
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