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[224]
NOW, by this crafty speech, John made the zealots afraid; yet durst
he not directly name what foreign assistance he meant, but in a covert
way only intimated at the Idumeans. But now, that he might particularly
irritate the leaders of the zealots, he calumniated Ananus, that he was
about a piece of barbarity, and did in a special manner threaten them.
These leaders were Eleazar, the son of Simon, who seemed the most plausible
man of them all, both in considering what was fit to be done, and in the
execution of what he had determined upon, and Zacharias, the son of Phalek;
both of whom derived their families from the priests. Now when these two
men had heard, not only the common threatenings which belonged to them
all, but those peculiarly leveled against themselves; and besides, how
Artanus and his party, in order to secure their own dominion, had invited
the Romans to come to them, for that also was part of John's lie; they
hesitated a great while what they should do, considering the shortness
of the time by which they were straitened; because the people were prepared
to attack them very soon, and because the suddenness of the plot laid against
them had almost cut off all their hopes of getting any foreign assistance;
for they might be under the height of their afflictions before any of their
confederates could be informed of it. However, it was resolved to call
in the Idumeans; so they wrote a short letter to this effect: That Ananus
had imposed on the people, and was betraying their metropolis to the Romans;
that they themselves had revolted from the rest, and were in custody in
the temple, on account of the preservation of their liberty; that there
was but a small time left wherein they might hope for their deliverance;
and that unless they would come immediately to their assistance, they should
themselves be soon in the power of Artanus, and the city would be in the
power of the Romans. They also charged the messengers to tell many more
circumstances to the rulers of the Idumeans. Now there were two active
men proposed for the carrying this message, and such as were able to speak,
and to persuade them that things were in this posture, and, what was a
qualification still more necessary than the former, they were very swift
of foot; for they knew well enough that these would immediately comply
with their desires, as being ever a tumultuous and disorderly nation, always
on the watch upon every motion, delighting in mutations; and upon your
flattering them ever so little, and petitioning them, they soon take their
arms, and put themselves into motion, and make haste to a battle, as if
it were to a feast. There was indeed occasion for quick despatch in the
carrying of this message, in which point the messengers were no way defective.
Both their names were Ananias; and they soon came to the rulers of the
Idumeans.
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