Now Pilate, who was sent as procurator into Judea by Tiberius, sent
by night those images of Caesar that are called ensigns into Jerusalem.
This excited a very among great tumult among the Jews when it was day;
for those that were near them were astonished at the sight of them, as
indications that their laws were trodden under foot; for those laws do
not permit any sort of image to be brought into the city. Nay, besides
the indignation which the citizens had themselves at this procedure,
a vast number of people came running out of the country. These came
zealously to Pilate to Cesarea, and besought him to carry those ensigns
out of Jerusalem, and to preserve them their ancient laws inviolable;
but upon Pilate's denial of their request, they fell [9] down prostrate
upon the ground, and continued immovable in that posture for five days
and as many nights.

3. On the next day Pilate sat upon his tribunal, in the open
market-place, and called to him the multitude, as desirous to give them
an answer; and then gave a signal to the soldiers, that they should all
by agreement at once encompass the Jews with their weapons; so the band
of soldiers stood round about the Jews in three ranks. The Jews were
under the utmost consternation at that unexpected sight. Pilate also
said to them that they should be cut in pieces, unless they would admit
of Caesar's images, and gave intimation to the soldiers to draw their
naked swords. Hereupon the Jews, as it were at one signal, fell down in
vast numbers together, and exposed their necks bare, and cried out
that they were sooner ready to be slain, than that their law should be
transgressed. Hereupon Pilate was greatly surprised at their prodigious
superstition, and gave order that the ensigns should be presently
carried out of Jerusalem.

4. After this he raised another disturbance, by expending that sacred
treasure which is called Corban [10] upon aqueducts, whereby he brought
water from the distance of four hundred furlongs. At this the multitude
had indignation; and when Pilate was come to Jerusalem, they came
about his tribunal, and made a clamor at it. Now when he was apprized
aforehand of this disturbance, he mixed his own soldiers in their armor
with the multitude, and ordered them to conceal themselves under the
habits of private men, and not indeed to use their swords, but with
their staves to beat those that made the clamor. He then gave the signal
from his tribunal [to do as he