if not born, in Nazareth, one of its
chief cities; reared as a youth amid traditions of patriotic devotion,
and amid scenes associated with heroic dreams and endeavors. The
Galileans were restless, excitable people, beyond the reach of
conventionalities, remote from the centre of power, ecclesiastical and
secular, simple in their lives, bold of speech, independent in thought,
thoroughgoing in the sort of radicalism that is common among people who
live 'out of the world,' who have leisure to discuss the exciting topics
of the day, but too little knowledge, culture, or sense of social
responsibility to discuss them soundly. Their mental discontent and
moral intractability were proverbial. They were belligerents. The Romans
had more trouble with them than with the natives of any other province.
_The Messiahs all started out from Galilee, and never failed to collect
followers round their standard._ The Galileans, more than others, lived
in the anticipation of the Deliverer. The reference of the Messiah to
Galilee is therefore already an indication of the character he is to
assume."

To show the state the country must have been in at that time, we will
quote an incident or two from Josephus.

A religious enthusiast called the Samaritans together upon Mount
Gerizim, and assured them that he would work a miracle. "So they came
thither _armed_, and thought the discourse of the man probable; and as
they abode at a certain village, which was called Tirathaba, they got
the rest together of them, and desired to go up the mountain in a great
multitude together: but Pilate prevented their going up, by seizing upon
the roads by a great band of horsemen and footmen, who fell upon those
who were gotten together in the village; and when it came to an action,
some of them they slew, and others of them they put to flight, and took
a great many alive, the principal of whom, and also the most potent of
those that fled away, Pilate ordered to be slain."[521:1]

Not long before this Pilate pillaged the temple treasury, and used the
"sacred money" to bring a current of water to Jerusalem. The _Jews_ were
displeased with this, "and many ten thousands of the people got together
and made a clamor against him. Some of them used reproaches, and abused
the man, as crowds of such people usually do. So he habited a great
number of his soldiers in their habits, who carried daggers under their
garments, and sent them to a place where they might surrou