The Wars of the Jews; Or, The History of the Destruction of JerusalemJosephus, Flavius
Religion
The Wars of the Jews; Or, The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem
Josephus, Flavius
Jews -- History
5. Hereupon the rest of the multitude that had been deluded retired;
but yet so that they went away angry, and two thousand of them made an
assault upon him in their armor; and as he was already gone to his own
house, they stood without and threatened him. On which occasion Josephus
again used a second stratagem to escape them; for he got upon the top of
his house, and with his right hand desired them to be silent, and said
to them, "I cannot tell what you would have, nor can hear what you say,
for the confused noise you make;" but he said that he would comply with
all their demands, in case they would but send some of their number
in to him that might talk with him about it. And when the principal of
them, with their leaders, heard this, they came into the house. He then
drew them to the most retired part of the house, and shut the door of
that hall where he put them, and then had them whipped till every one of
their inward parts appeared naked. In the mean time the multitude stood
round the house, and supposed that he had a long discourse with those
that were gone in about what they claimed of him. He had then the doors
set open immediately, and sent the men out all bloody, which so terribly
affrighted those that had before threatened him, that they threw away
their arms and ran away.
6. But as for John, his envy grew greater [upon this escape of
Josephus], and he framed a new plot against him; he pretended to be
sick, and by a letter desired that Josephus would give him leave to use
the hot baths that were at Tiberias, for the recovery of his health.
Hereupon Josephus, who hitherto suspected nothing of John's plots
against him, wrote to the governors of the city, that they would provide
a lodging and necessaries for John; which favors, when he had made use
of, in two days' time he did what he came about; some he corrupted with
delusive frauds, and others with money, and so persuaded them to revolt
from Josephus. This Silas, who was appointed guardian of the city by
Josephus, wrote to him immediately, and informed him of the plot against
him; which epistle when Josephus had received, he marched with great
diligence all night, and came early in the morning to Tiberias; at which
time the rest of the multitude met him. But John, who suspected that his
coming was not for his advantage, sent however one of his friends, and
pretended that he was sick, and that being confined to his bed, he could
not come to pay him his respects. But as soon as Josephus had got the
people of Tiberias together in the stadium, and tried to discourse with
them about the letters that he had received, John privately sent some
armed men, and gave them orders to slay him. But when the people saw
that the armed men were about to draw their swords, they cried out; at
which cry Josephus turned himself about, and when he saw that the
swords were just at his throat, he marched away in great haste to the
sea-shore, and left off that speech which he was going to make to the
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