lileans were informed of what had been
done, they came to Cumanus, and desired him to avenge the murder of
those that were killed; but he was induced by the Samaritans, with
money, to do nothing in the matter; upon which the Galileans were much
displeased, and persuaded the multitude of the Jews to betake themselves
to arms, and to regain their liberty, saying that slavery was in itself
a bitter thing, but that when it was joined with direct injuries, it was
perfectly intolerable, And when their principal men endeavored to pacify
them, and promised to endeavor to persuade Cureanus to avenge those that
were killed, they would not hearken to them, but took their weapons, and
entreated the assistance of Eleazar, the son of Dineus, a robber, who
had many years made his abode in the mountains, with which assistance
they plundered many villages of the Samaritans. When Cumanus heard of
this action of theirs, he took the band of Sebaste, with four regiments
of footmen, and armed the Samaritans, and marched out against the Jews,
and caught them, and slew many of them, and took a great number of them
alive; whereupon those that were the most eminent persons at Jerusalem,
and that both in regard to the respect that was paid them, and the
families they were of, as soon as they saw to what a height things were
gone, put on sackcloth, and heaped ashes upon their heads, and by all
possible means besought the seditious, and persuaded them that they
would set before their eyes the utter subversion of their country, the
conflagration of their temple, and the slavery of themselves, their
wives, and children, [12] which would be the consequences of what they
were doing; and would alter their minds, would cast away their weapons,
and for the future be quiet, and return to their own homes. These
persuasions of theirs prevailed upon them. So the people dispersed
themselves, and the robbers went away again to their places of strength;
and after this time all Judea was overrun with robberies.

2. But the principal of the Samaritans went to Ummidius Quadratus, the
president of Syria, who at that time was at Tyre, and accused the Jews
of setting their villages on fire, and plundering them; and said withal,
that they were not so much displeased at what they had suffered, as
they were at the contempt thereby showed the Romans; while if they had
received any injury, they ought to have made them the judges of what had
been done, and not presently to m