been
informed of the thing by Saturninus, the husband of Fulvia, who desired
inquiry might be made about it, ordered all the Jews to be banished out
of Rome; at which time the consuls listed four thousand men out of them,
and sent them to the island Sardinia; but punished a greater number of
them, who were unwilling to become soldiers, on account of keeping the
laws of their forefathers. [11] Thus were these Jews banished out of the
city by the wickedness of four men.

CHAPTER 4. How The Samaritans Made A Tumult And Pilate Destroyed Many
Of Them; How Pilate Was Accused And What Things Were Done By Vitellius
Relating To The Jews And The Parthians.

1. But the nation of the Samaritans did not escape without tumults. The
man who excited them to it was one who thought lying a thing of little
consequence, and who contrived every thing so that the multitude might
be pleased; so he bid them to get together upon Mount Gerizzim, which is
by them looked upon as the most holy of all mountains, and assured
them, that when they were come thither, he would show them those sacred
vessels which were laid under that place, because Moses put them there
[12] So they came thither armed, and thought the discourse of the man
probable; and as they abode at a certain village, which was called
Tirathaba, they got the rest together to them, and desired to go up the
mountain in a great multitude together; but Pilate prevented their
going up, by seizing upon file roads with a great band of horsemen and
foot-men, who fell upon those that were gotten together in the village;
and when it came to an action, some of them they slew, and others of
them they put to flight, and took a great many alive, the principal of
which, and also the most potent of those that fled away, Pilate ordered
to be slain.

2. But when this tumult was appeased, the Samaritan senate sent an
embassy to Vitellius, a man that had been consul, and who was now
president of Syria, and accused Pilate of the murder of those that were
killed; for that they did not go to Tirathaba in order to revolt from
the Romans, but to escape the violence of Pilate. So Vitellius sent
Marcellus, a friend of his, to take care of the affairs of Judea,
and ordered Pilate to go to Rome, to answer before the emperor to the
accusations of the Jews. So Pilate, when he had tarried ten years
in Judea, made haste to Rome, and this in obedience to the orders of
Vitellius, which he durst not contradict