an that was a Jew come out of Babylon, with
five hundred horsemen, all of whom could shoot their arrows as they rode
on horde-back, and, with a hundred of his relations, had passed
over Euphrates, and now abode at Antioch by Daphne of Syria, where
Saturninus, who was then president, had given them a place for
habitation, called Valatha, he sent for this man, with the multitude
that followed him, and promised to give him land in the toparchy called
Batanea, which country is bounded with Trachonitis, as desirous to make
that his habitation a guard to himself. He also engaged to let him
hold the country free from tribute, and that they should dwell entirely
without paying such customs as used to be paid, and gave it him
tax-free.

2. The Babylonian was reduced by these offers to come hither; so he took
possession of the land, and built in it fortresses and a village, and
named it Bathyra. Whereby this man became a safeguard to the inhabitants
against the Trachonites, and preserved those Jews who came out of
Babylon, to offer their sacrifices at Jerusalem, from being hurt by the
Trachonite robbers; so that a great number came to him from all those
parts where the ancient Jewish laws were observed, and the country
became full of people, by reason of their universal freedom from taxes.
This continued during the life of Herod; but when Philip, who was
[tetrarch] after him, took the government, he made them pay some small
taxes, and that for a little while only; and Agrippa the Great, and his
son of the same name, although they harassed them greatly, yet would
they not take their liberty away. From whom, when the Romans have now
taken the government into their own hands, they still gave them
the privilege of their freedom, but oppress them entirely with the
imposition of taxes. Of which matter I shall treat more accurately in
the progress of this history. [2]

3. At length Zamaris the Babylonian, to whom Herod had given that
country for a possession, died, having lived virtuously, and left
children of a good character behind him; one of whom was Jacim, who
was famous for his valor, and taught his Babylonians how to ride their
horses; and a troop of them were guards to the forementioned kings.
And when Jacim was dead in his old age, he left a son, whose name was
Philip, one of great strength in his hands, and in other respects also
more eminent for his valor than any of his contemporaries; on which
account there was a confiden