ake such devastation, as if they had
not the Romans for their governors; on which account they came to him,
in order to obtain that vengeance they wanted. This was the accusation
which the Samaritans brought against the Jews. But the Jews affirmed
that the Samaritans were the authors of this tumult and fighting, and
that, in the first place, Cumanus had been corrupted by their gifts,
and passed over the murder of those that were slain in silence;--which
allegations when Quadratus heard, he put off the hearing of the cause,
and promised that he would give sentence when he should come into Judea,
and should have a more exact knowledge of the truth of that matter. So
these men went away without success. Yet was it not long ere Quadratus
came to Samaria, where, upon hearing the cause, he supposed that
the Samaritans were the authors of that disturbance. But when he was
informed that certain of the Jews were making innovations, he ordered
those to be crucified whom Cumanus had taken captives. From whence he
came to a certain village called Lydda, which was not less than a city
in largeness, and there heard the Samaritan cause a second time before
his tribunal, and there learned from a certain Samaritan that one of the
chief of the Jews, whose name was Dortus, and some other innovators
with him, four in number, persuaded the multitude to a revolt from the
Romans; whom Quadratus ordered to be put to death: but still he sent
away Ananias the high priest, and Ananus the commander [of the temple],
in bonds to Rome, to give an account of what they had done to Claudius
Caesar. He also ordered the principal men, both of the Samaritans and of
the Jews, as also Cumanus the procurator, and Ceier the tribune, to go
to Italy to the emperor, that he might hear their cause, and determine
their differences one with another. But he came again to the city of
Jerusalem, out of his fear that the multitude of the Jews should attempt
some innovations; but he found the city in a peaceable state, and
celebrating one of the usual festivals of their country to God. So he
believed that they would not attempt any innovations, and left them at
the celebration of the festival, and returned to Antioch.

3. Now Cumanus, and the principal of the Samaritans, who were sent to
Rome, had a day appointed them by the emperor whereon they were to have
pleaded their cause about the quarrels they had one with another. But
now Caesar's freed-men and his friends were v