The Life of Flavius Josephus | Page 8

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,