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Josephus tells the story of how Jewish discontent with Roman rule soon flared into open revolt. He chronicles the inner Jewish struggle between the incipient Jewish revolutionaries and the pro-Roman aristocracy.
(405) This advice the people hearkened to, 1 and they went up into the temple with the
king 2 and Bernice and began to rebuild the porticoes. The magistrates and members of
the council also divided themselves into the villages and collected the tribute, and soon
got together forty talents which was the sum that was owed.
(406) Thus did Agrippa then put a stop to that war which was threatened. Later he
attempted to persuade that multitude to obey Florus until Caesar would send someone to
succeed him. But they were thereby more provoked, cast reproaches upon the king, and
had him excluded from the city. Indeed, some of the rebellious had the impudence to
throw stones at him.
(407) So when the king saw that the violence of those who were for revolution was not to
be restrained, and being very angry at the insults he had received, he sent their
magistrates together with their men of power to Florus, to Caesarea, so that he might
appoint whom he thought fit to collect tribute in the country. [Agrippa] then retired into
his own kingdom. 3
(408) At this time, some of those that principally excited the people to go to war made an
assault upon a certain fortress called Masada. They took it by treachery, killed the
Romans who were there, and installed a garrison of their own party in their place.
(409) At the same time, Eleazar, the son of Ananias the high priest, 4 a very bold youth
who was at that time governor of the temple, persuaded those who officiated in the divine
service to receive no gift or sacrifice from any foreigner. This was the true beginning of
our war with the Romans for they rejected the sacrifice of Caesar on this account.
(410) When many of the high priests and principal men besought them not to omit the
sacrifice which it was customary for them to offer for their rulers, they would not be
prevailed upon. They relied much upon their numbers, for the stalwarts of the
revolutionaries assisted them, but they relied above all on the authority of Eleazar, the
governor of the temple.
(411) Then the men of power got together and conferred with the high priests, as did also
the most notable of the Pharisees, and thinking that all was at stake and that their
calamities were becoming incurable, they took counsel as to what was to be done.
Accordingly, they determined to try an appeal to the revolutionaries….
(417) As they spoke, they produced those priests who were expert in the traditions of
their country, who reported that all their forefathers had received sacrifices from foreign
nations. But still not one of the revolutionaries would hearken to what was said: Indeed,
those who ministered in the temple failed to come to their support but were preparing
matters for beginning the war….
(422) Upon this the men of power with the high priests, and the part of the multitude who
were desirous of peace, took courage and seized the upper city [Mount Zion]; for the
revolutionaries held the lower city and the temple in their power.
(423) They constantly made use of stones and slings against one another, and threw darts
continually on both sides, and sometimes it happened that they made excursions by
troops and fought it out hand to hand. The revolutionaries were superior in boldness, but
the king’s soldiers 5 in skill.
(424) The latter strove chiefly to gain the temple and to drive out of it those who
profaned it. Eleazar and the rebels labored to gain the upper city in addition to what they
held already. Thus there were continual slaughters on both sides for seven days, but
neither side would surrender the portion of town they had seized.
(425) The next day was the festival of wood-offering 6 on which the custom was for
everyone to bring wood for the altar (so that there might never be a lack of fuel for that
fire which was unquenchable and always burning). On that day, the Jews in the temple
excluded the opposite party from the ceremony. And when they had joined to themselves
many of the Sicarii (that was the name for such robbers as had under their bosoms swords
called sicae) who crowded in among the weaker people, they grew bolder and carried
their undertakings further.
(426) Since the king’s soldiers were overpowered by their multitude and boldness, they
gave way and were driven out of the upper city by force. The others then set fire to the
house of Ananias the high priest and to the palaces of Agrippa and Bernice.
(427) Then they carried the fire to the place where the archives were deposited, and made
haste to burn the contracts belonging to their creditors in order to dissolve their
obligations to pay their debts. This was done in order to gain the support of the multitude
of those who had been debtors, to persuade the poorer sort to join in their insurrection
with safety against the more wealthy; so the keepers of the records fled away and the rest
set fire to them.
(428) When they had thus burned down the nerve center of the city, they fell upon their
enemies. This time some of the men of power and the high priests went into the vaults
under ground and concealed themselves,
(429) while others fled with the king’s soldiers to the upper palace and shut the gates
immediately, among whom were Ananias the high priest, his brother Hezekiah, and the
ambassadors that had been sent to Agrippa. Now the revolutionaries were content with
the victory they had achieved and the buildings they had burned down and proceeded no
further.
(430) But on the next day, which was the fifteenth of the month Lous [Ab], 7 they made
an assault upon Antonia and besieged the garrison which was in it for two days. They
then took the garrison, killed them, and set the citadel on fire.
(431) After this they marched to the palace, to which the king’s soldiers had fled, divided
themselves into four bodies, and made an attack upon the walls. As for those who were
within it, no one had the courage to sally out, because those who assaulted them were so
numerous. But they posted themselves in the breast-works and turrets and shot at the
besiegers, whereby many of the robbers fell beneath the walls.
(432) Nor did they cease to fight one another by night or by day since the revolutionaries
supposed that those within would grow weary for lack of food, and those outside
supposed that the others would do the same by the fatigue of the siege.
(433) In the meantime, one Menahem the son of Judas, called the Galilean (who was a
very cunning sophist and had formerly reproached the Jews under Quirenius, that after
God they were subject to the Romans) took some of the men of note with him and retired
to Masada
(434) where he broke open King Herod’s armory and gave arms not only to his own
people but to other robbers 8 also. These he made use of for a bodyguard and returned in
the state of a king to Jerusalem. He became the leader of the revolt and gave orders for
continuing the siege.
(435) But they lacked proper equipment, and it was not practicable to undermine the wall
because the darts came down upon them from above. But still they dug a tunnel from a
great distance under one of the towers and made it totter, and, having done that, they set
on fire what was combustible and left it.
(436) When the foundations were burnt below, the tower fell down suddenly. Yet they
then met with another wall that had been built inside, for the besieged were aware
beforehand of what they were doing, and probably the tower shook as it was being
undermined, so they provided themselves with another fortification.
(437) When the besiegers unexpectedly saw it, although they thought they had already
conquered the place, they were in considerable consternation. However, those who were
within sent to Menahem and to the other leaders of the revolt requesting that they might
leave upon capitulation. This was granted to the king’s soldiers and their own
countrymen only, who went out accordingly,
(438) but the Romans who were left alone were greatly dejected for they were not able to
force their way through such a multitude. To sue for terms they thought would be a
reproach to them and, besides, if they should give it to them, they dared not depend upon
them.
(439) So they deserted their camp, as easily taken, and ran away to the royal towers—that
called Hippicus, that called Phasael, and that called Mariamne.
(440) But Menahem and his party fell upon the place from which the soldiers had fled,
and killed as many of them as they could catch before theygot up to the towers,
plundered what they had left behind them, and set fire to their camp. This took place on
the sixth day of the month Gorpieus [Elul]. 9
(441) But on the next day the high priest was caught where he had concealed himself in
an aqueduct; he was killed together with Hezekiah his brother by the robbers. Then the
revolutionaries besieged the towers and kept them guarded, lest anyone of the soldiers
should escape.
(442) Now the overthrow of the strongholds and the death of the high priest Ananias so
puffed up Menahem that he became barbarously cruel and, as he thought he had no
antagonists to dispute the management of affairs with him, he was no better than an
insufferable tyrant.
(443) But Eleazar and his party, when words had passed between them, remarked how it
was not proper when they had revolted against the Romans out of the desire for liberty to
betray that liberty to any of their own people, and to bear a lord who, though he should be
guilty of no violence, was yet inferior to themselves. If they were obliged to set someone
over their public affairs it was fitter they should give that privilege to anyone rather than
to him. Accordingly, they assaulted him in the temple
(444) for he had gone there to worship in a pompous manner, adorned with royal
garments, and had his followers with him in their armor.
(445) But Eleazar and his party fell violently upon him, as did the rest of the people, and
taking up stones to attack him, they threw them at the sophist [Menahem], and thought
that if he were once ruined, his downfall would crush the entire revolt.
(446) Now Menahem and his party offered resistance for a while, but when they
perceived that the whole multitude was falling upon them, they flee wherever they could.
Those who were caught were killed, and those who hid themselves were searched for.
(447) There were a few of them who privately escaped to Masada, among whom was
Eleazar, the son of Yair, who was a relative of Menahem’s, and he acted the part of a
tyrant at Masada afterward. 10
(448) As for Menahem himself, he ran away to the place called Ophla, 11 and there lay
hiding in private. But they took him alive and dragged him out before them all. They then
tortured him with many sorts of torments and afterwards killed him, as they did to those
who were captains under him also, and particularly to the principle supporter of his
tyranny whose name was Absalom.
1. Agrippa advised the people to avoid war with Rome by paying their taxes and
rebuilding the porticoes they had destroyed.
2. Agrippa II (28-92 C.E.), the last Herodian king
3. At this time Agrippa II ruled over what is today the Golan Heights and part of the
Galilee. He also had the right to appoint high priests in Jerusalem.
4. Ananias had served as high priest from 47-59 C.E.
5. The soldiers of Agrippa II.
6. Although wood was brought several times during the year, Josephus is referring to the
15th of Av (July/August). The events, however seem to have taken place on the 14th in
light of section 430.
7. July/August
8. The term “robber” often refers to revolutionaries.
9. August/September.
10. It was Eleazar ben Yair who convinced the defenders of Masada, in Josephus’s
account, to commit mass suicide.
11. The Ophel, a place in the lower city.