for I thought that by this means I might choose the best, if I
were once acquainted with them all; so I contented myself with
hard fare, and underwent great difficulties, and went through
them all. Nor did I content myself with these trials only; but
when I was informed that one, whose name was Banus, lived in the
desert, and used no other clothing than grew upon trees, and had
no other food than what grew of its own accord, and bathed
himself in cold water frequently, both by night and by day, in
order to preserve his chastity, I imitated him in those things,
and continued with him three years. (3) So when I had
accomplished my desires, I returned back to the city, being now
nineteen years old, and began to conduct myself according to the
rules of the sect of the Pharisees, which is of kin to the sect
of the Stoics, as the Greeks call them.

3. But when I was in the twenty-sixth year of my age, it happened
that I took a voyage to Rome, and this on the occasion which I
shall now describe. At the time when Felix was procurator of
Judea there were certain priests of my acquaintance, and very
excellent persons they were, whom on a small and trifling
occasion he had put into bonds, and sent to Rome to plead their
cause before Caesar. These I was desirous to procure deliverance
for, and that especially because I was informed that they were
not unmindful of piety towards God, even under their afflictions,
but supported themselves with figs and nuts. (4) Accordingly I
came to Rome, though it were through a great number of hazards by
sea; for as our ship was drowned in the Adriatic Sea, we that
were in it, being about six hundred in number, (5) swam for our
lives all the night; when, upon the first appearance of the day,
and upon our sight of a ship of Cyrene, I and some others, eighty