force, and to demolish it, till it lay even with the ground, and
then to make slaves of its inhabitants, with their wives and
children. Those that were Josephus's friends also, and had
escaped out of Tiberias, gave him the same advice. But I did not
comply with them, thinking it a terrible thing to begin a civil
war among them; for I thought that this contention ought not to
proceed further than words; nay, I told them that it was not for
their own advantage to do what they would have me to do, while
the Romans expected no other than that we should destroy one
another by our mutual seditions. And by saying this, I put a stop
to the anger of the Galileans.

20. But now John was afraid for himself, since his treachery had
proved unsuccessful. So he took the armed men that were about
him, and removed from Tiberias to Gischala, and wrote to me to
apologize for himself concerning What had been done, as if it had
been done without his approbation, and desired me to have no
suspicion of him to his disadvantage. He also added oaths and
certain horrible curses upon himself, and supposed he should be
thereby believed in the points he wrote about to me.

21. But now another great number of the Galileans came together
again with their weapons, as knowing the man, how wicked and how
sadly perjured he was, and desired me to lead them against him
and promised me that they would utterly both him and Gischala.
Hereupon I professed that I was obliged to them for their
readiness to serve me, and that I would more than requite their
good-will to me. However, I entreated them to restrain
themselves, and begged of them to give me leave to do what I
intended, which was to put an end to these troubles without