sistance from the soldiery; for the greatest part of the Roman
garrison was raised out of Syria; and being thus related to the Syrian
part, they were ready to assist it. However, the governors of the city
were concerned to keep all quiet, and whenever they caught those that
were most for fighting on either side, they punished them with stripes
and bands. Yet did not the sufferings of those that were caught affright
the remainder, or make them desist; but they were still more and more
exasperated, and deeper engaged in the sedition. And as Felix came once
into the market-place, and commanded the Jews, when they had beaten the
Syrians, to go their ways, and threatened them if they would not, and
they would not obey him, he sent his soldiers out upon them, and slew
a great many of them, upon which it fell out that what they had was
plundered. And as the sedition still continued, he chose out the most
eminent men on both sides as ambassadors to Nero, to argue about their
several privileges.

CHAPTER 14.

Festus Succeeds Felix Who Is Succeeded By Albinus As He Is
By Florus; Who By The Barbarity Of His Government Forces The
Jews Into The War.

1. Now it was that Festus succeeded Felix as procurator, and made it his
business to correct those that made disturbances in the country. So he
caught the greatest part of the robbers, and destroyed a great many of
them. But then Albinus, who succeeded Festus, did not execute his office
as the other had done; nor was there any sort of wickedness that could
be named but he had a hand in it. Accordingly, he did not only, in his
political capacity, steal and plunder every one's substance, nor did he
only burden the whole nation with taxes, but he permitted the relations
of such as were in prison for robbery, and had been laid there, either
by the senate of every city, or by the former procurators, to redeem
them for money; and no body remained in the prisons as a malefactor but
he who gave him nothing. At this time it was that the enterprises of
the seditious at Jerusalem were very formidable; the principal men
among them purchasing leave of Albinus to go on with their seditious
practices; while that part of the people who delighted in disturbances
joined themselves to such as had fellowship with Albinus; and every one
of these wicked wretches were encompassed with his own band of robbers,
while he himself, like an arch-robber, or a tyrant, made a figure among
his com