e, and made a very peevish clamor against him; while some
cried out, that they should depose the traitor; and others, that they
should burn him. Now John irritated a great many, as did also one Jesus,
the son of Sapphias, who was then governor of Tiberias. Then it was that
Josephus's friends, and the guards of his body, were so affrighted at
this violent assault of the multitude, that they all fled away but four;
and as he was asleep, they awaked him, as the people were going to
set fire to the house. And although those four that remained with him
persuaded him to run away, he was neither surprised at his being himself
deserted, nor at the great multitude that came against him, but leaped
out to them with his clothes rent, and ashes sprinkled on his head, with
his hands behind him, and his sword hanging at his neck. At this sight
his friends, especially those of Tarichae, commiserated his condition;
but those that came out of the country, and those in their neighborhood,
to whom his government seemed burdensome, reproached him, and bid him
produce the money which belonged to them all immediately, and to confess
the agreement he had made to betray them; for they imagined, from the
habit in which he appeared, that he would deny nothing of what they
suspected concerning him, and that it was in order to obtain pardon that
he had put himself entirely into so pitiable a posture. But this humble
appearance was only designed as preparatory to a stratagem of his, who
thereby contrived to set those that were so angry at him at variance one
with another about the things they were angry at. However, he promised
he would confess all: hereupon he was permitted to speak, when he said,
"I did neither intend to send this money back to Agrippa, nor to gain it
myself; for I did never esteem one that was your enemy to be my friend,
nor did I look upon what would tend to your disadvantage to be my
advantage. But, O you people of Tariehete, I saw that your city stood in
more need than others of fortifications for your security, and that it
wanted money in order for the building it a wall. I was also afraid lest
the people of Tiberias and other cities should lay a plot to seize upon
these spoils, and therefore it was that I intended to retain this money
privately, that I might encompass you with a wall. But if this does not
please you, I will produce what was brought me, and leave it to you to
plunder it; but if I have conducted myself so well a