cerning John Of Gichala. Josephus Uses Stratagems Against
The Plots John Laid Against Him And Recovers Certain Cities
Which Had Revolted From Him.

1. Now as Josephus was thus engaged in the administration of the affairs
of Galilee, there arose a treacherous person, a man of Gischala, the son
of Levi, whose name was John. His character was that of a very cunning
and very knavish person, beyond the ordinary rate of the other men
of eminence there, and for wicked practices he had not his fellow
any where. Poor he was at first, and for a long time his wants were a
hinderance to him in his wicked designs. He was a ready liar, and yet
very sharp in gaining credit to his fictions: he thought it a point of
virtue to delude people, and would delude even such as were the dearest
to him. He was a hypocritical pretender to humanity, but where he had
hopes of gain, he spared not the shedding of blood: his desires were
ever carried to great things, and he encouraged his hopes from those
mean wicked tricks which he was the author of. He had a peculiar knack
at thieving; but in some time he got certain companions in his impudent
practices; at first they were but few, but as he proceeded on in his
evil course, they became still more and more numerous. He took care that
none of his partners should be easily caught in their rogueries, but
chose such out of the rest as had the strongest constitutions of body,
and the greatest courage of soul, together with great skill in martial
affairs; as he got together a band of four hundred men, who came
principally out of the country of Tyre, and were vagabonds that had
run away from its villages; and by the means of these he laid waste
all Galilee, and irritated a considerable number, who were in great
expectation of a war then suddenly to arise among them.

2. However, John's want of money had hitherto restrained him in his
ambition after command, and in his attempts to advance himself. But when
he saw that Josephus was highly pleased with the activity of his temper,
he persuaded him, in the first place, to intrust him with the repairing
of the walls of his native city, [Gischala,] in which work he got a
great deal of money from the rich citizens. He after that contrived a
very shrewd trick, and pretending that the Jews who dwelt in Syria were
obliged to make use of oil that was made by others than those of their
own nation, he desired leave of Josephus to send oil to their borders;
so