athan, the head of this
plot, he fled away at that time; but upon a great and very diligent
search, which was made all the country over for him, he was at last
taken. And when he was brought to Catullus, he devised a way whereby he
both escaped punishment himself, and afforded an occasion to Catullus
of doing much mischief; for he falsely accused the richest men among the
Jews, and said that they had put him upon what he did.

2. Now Catullus easily admitted of these his calumnies, and aggravated
matters greatly, and made tragical exclamations, that he might also be
supposed to have had a hand in the finishing of the Jewish war. But what
was still harder, he did not only give a too easy belief to his stories,
but he taught the Sicarii to accuse men falsely. He bid this Jonathan,
therefore, to name one Alexander, a Jew [with whom he had formerly had
a quarrel, and openly professed that he hated him]; he also got him to
name his wife Bernice, as concerned with him. These two Catullus ordered
to be slain in the first place; nay, after them he caused all the rich
and wealthy Jews to be slain, being no fewer in all than three thousand.
This he thought he might do safely, because he confiscated their
effects, and added them to Caesar's revenues.

3. Nay, indeed, lest any Jews that lived elsewhere should convict him of
his villainy, he extended his false accusations further, and persuaded
Jonathan, and certain others that were caught with him, to bring an
accusation of attempts for innovation against the Jews that were of the
best character both at Alexandria and at Rome. One of these, against
whom this treacherous accusation was laid, was Josephus, the writer of
these books. However, this plot, thus contrived by Catullus, did not
succeed according to his hopes; for though he came himself to Rome, and
brought Jonathan and his companions along with him in bonds, and thought
he should have had no further inquisition made as to those lies that
were forged under his government, or by his means; yet did Vespasian
suspect the matter and made an inquiry how far it was true. And when he
understood that the accusation laid against the Jews was an unjust one,
he cleared them of the crimes charged upon them, and this on account of
Titus's concern about the matter, and brought a deserved punishment upon
Jonathan; for he was first tormented, and then burnt alive.

4. But as to Catullus, the emperors Were so gentle to him, that he
underwe