urned for. Only in the night time they
would take up a little dust, and throw it upon their bodies; and even
some that were the most ready to expose themselves to danger would do it
in the day time: and there were twelve thousand of the better sort who
perished in this manner.

4. And now these zealots and Idumeans were quite weary of barely killing
men, so they had the impudence of setting up fictitious tribunals and
judicatures for that purpose; and as they intended to have Zacharias [9]
the son of Baruch, one of the most eminent of the citizens, slain, so
what provoked them against him was, that hatred of wickedness and love
of liberty which were so eminent in him: he was also a rich man, so that
by taking him off, they did not only hope to seize his effects, but
also to get rid of a mall that had great power to destroy them. So they
called together, by a public proclamation, seventy of the principal men
of the populace, for a show, as if they were real judges, while they had
no proper authority. Before these was Zacharias accused of a design
to betray their polity to the Romans, and having traitorously sent to
Vespasian for that purpose. Now there appeared no proof or sign of
what he was accused; but they affirmed themselves that they were well
persuaded that so it was, and desired that such their affirmation might
be taken for sufficient evidence. Now when Zacharias clearly saw that
there was no way remaining for his escape from them, as having been
treacherously called before them, and then put in prison, but not with
any intention of a legal trial, he took great liberty of speech in that
despair of his life he was under. Accordingly he stood up, and laughed
at their pretended accusation, and in a few words confuted the crimes
laid to his charge; after which he turned his speech to his accusers,
and went over distinctly all their transgressions of the law, and made
heavy lamentation upon the confusion they had brought public affairs
to: in the mean time, the zealots grew tumultuous, and had much ado to
abstain from drawing their swords, although they designed to preserve
the appearance and show of judicature to the end. They were also
desirous, on other accounts, to try the judges, whether they would be
mindful of what was just at their own peril. Now the seventy judges
brought in their verdict that the person accused was not guilty, as
choosing rather to die themselves with him, than to have his death laid
at the