any one should escape, and inform the king what had been done. He
moreover slew many of the Jews, in order to gratify the Syrians
of Cesarea. He had a mind also to join with the Trachonites in
Batanea, and to take up arms and make an assault upon the
Babylonian Jews that were at Ecbatana; for that was the name they
went by. He therefore called to him twelve of the Jews of
Cesarea, of the best character, and ordered them to go to
Ecbatana, and inform their countrymen who dwelt there, That Varus
hath heard that "you intend to march against the king; but, not
believing that report, he hath sent us to persuade you to lay
down your arms, and that this compliance will be a sign that he
did well not to give credit to those that raised the report
concerning you." He also enjoined them to send seventy of their
principal men to make a defense for them as to the accusation
laid against them. So when the twelve messengers came to their
countrymen at Ecbatana, and found that they had no designs of
innovation at all, they persuaded them to send the seventy men
also; who, not at all suspecting what would come, sent them
accordingly. So these seventy went down to Caesarea, together
with the twelve ambassadors; where Varus met them with the king's
forces, and slew them all, together with the [twelve] (9)
ambassadors, and made an expedition against the Jews of Ecbatana.
But one there was of the seventy who escaped, and made haste to
inform the Jews of their coming; upon which they took their arms,
with their wives and children, and retired to the citadel at
Gamala, leaving their own villages full of all sorts of good
things, and having many ten thousands of cattle therein. When
Philip was informed of these things, he also came to the citadel
of Gamala; and when he was come, the multitude cried aloud, and
desired him to resume the government, and to make an expedition