ians, they
every one discoursed with such of the Syrians as were formerly their
acquaintance, and promised they would be at peace and friendship with
them. Accordingly, they gladly agreed so to do; and when this was
done by the principal men of both nations, they soon agreed to a
reconciliation; and when they were so agreed, they both knew that the
great design of such their union would be their common hatred to the
Jews. Accordingly, they fell upon them, and slew about fifty thousand
of them; nay, the Jews were all destroyed, excepting a few who escaped,
either by the compassion which their friends or neighbors afforded them,
in order to let them fly away. These retired to Ctesiphon, a Grecian
city, and situate near to Seleucia, where the king [of Parthia] lives
in winter every year, and where the greatest part of his riches are
reposited; but the Jews had here no certain settlement, those of
Seleucia having little concern for the king's honor. Now the whole
nation of the Jews were in fear both of the Babylonians and of the
Seleucians, because all the Syrians that live in those places agreed
with the Seleucians in the war against the Jews; so the most of them
gathered themselves together, and went to Neerda and Nisibis, and
obtained security there by the strength of those cities; besides which
their inhabitants, who were a great many, were all warlike men. And this
was the state of the Jews at this time in Babylonia.

BOOK XIX. Containing The Interval Of Three Years And A Half.

From The Departure Out Of Babylon To Fadus, The Roman Procurator.

CHAPTER 1. How Caius [1] Was Slain By Cherea.

1. Now this Caius [2] did not demonstrate his madness in offering
injuries only to the Jews at Jerusalem, or to those that dwelt in the
neighborhood; but suffered it to extend itself through all the earth and
sea, so far as was in subjection to the Romans, and filled it with
ten thousand mischiefs; so many indeed in number as no former history
relates. But Rome itself felt the most dismal effects of what he did,
while he deemed that not to be any way more honorable than the rest of
the cities; but he pulled and hauled its other citizens, but especially
the senate, and particularly the nobility, and such as had been
dignified by illustrious ancestors; he also had ten thousand devices
against such of the equestrian order, as it was styled, who were
esteemed by the citizens equal in dignity and wealth with the senators,
bec