Part 7 (1/2)

At once, people left their business, and all ran to the outskirts of the city. John ran with them and, on arriving there, saw a party of Roman hors.e.m.e.n riding along, at no great distance. The people began to shout loudly to them to come into the town, calling out that all the citizens were loyal to King Agrippa and the Romans, and that they hated the traitor Josephus.

The Romans halted, but made no sign of entering the town; fearing that treachery was intended, and remembering the fate of their comrades, who had trusted to Jewish faith when they surrendered the towers of Hippicus, Phasaelus, and Mariamne. The movement, however, spread through the city. The people a.s.sembled in crowds, shouting ”Death to Josephus!” and exclaiming for the Romans, and King Agrippa. Such as were loyal to Josephus did not venture to raise their voices, so numerous and furious were the mult.i.tude; and the whole city was soon in open revolt, the citizens arming themselves in readiness for war.

As soon as he saw the course which affairs were taking, John made his way out of the town, and ran at the top of his speed to Tarichea, where he arrived in a little over half an hour. He was directed at once to the house of Josephus, who rose in surprise, at the table at which he was seated, writing, at John's entry.

”Scarcely had you left, my lord, than some Roman hors.e.m.e.n approached near the town; whereupon the whole city rose in revolt, shouting to them to enter and take possession, in the name of the king, and breathing out threats against yourself. The Romans had not entered, as I came away; but the populace were all in arms, and your friends did not venture to lift up a voice. Tiberias has wholly revolted to the Romans.”

”This is bad news, indeed,” Josephus said, gravely. ”I have but the seven armed men who accompanied me from Tiberias, here. All those who were a.s.sembled in the city I bade disperse, so soon as I arrived; in order that they might go to their towns, or villages, for the Sabbath. Were I to send round the country, I could speedily get a great force together but, in a few hours, the Sabbath will begin; and it is contrary to the law to fight upon the Sabbath, even though the necessity be great.

”And yet, if the people of Tiberias march hither, we can hardly hope to resist successfully; for the men of the town are too few to man the full extent of the walls. It is most necessary to put down this rising, before King Agrippa can send large numbers of troops into Tiberias; and yet, we can do nothing until the Sabbath is past.

”Nor would I shed blood, if it can be avoided. Hitherto I have put down every rising, and caused Sepphoris, Tiberias, and other cities to expel the evildoers, and return to obedience, by tact--and by the great force which I could bring against them--and without any need of bloodshed. But this time, I fear, great trouble will come of it; since I cannot take prompt measures, and the enemy will have time to organize their forces, and to receive help from John of Gischala and other robbers--to say nothing of the Romans.”

Josephus walked up and down the room, in agitation, and then stood looking out into the harbor.

”Ah!” he exclaimed suddenly, ”we may yet frighten them into submission. Call in Joab.”

When Joab entered Josephus explained to him, in a few words, the condition of things at Tiberias; and then proceeded:

”Send quickly to the princ.i.p.al men of the town, and bid them put trusty men at each of the gates, and let none pa.s.s out. Order the fighting men to man the walls, in case those of Tiberias should come hither, at once. Then let one or two able fellows embark on board each of the boats and vessels in the port, taking with them two or three of the infirm and aged men. Send a fast galley across to Hippos; and bid the fishermen set out, at once, with all their boats, and join us off Tiberias. We will not approach close enough to the city for the people to see how feebly we are manned but, when they perceive all these s.h.i.+ps making towards them, they will think that I have with me a great army, with which I purpose to destroy their city.”

The orders were very quickly carried out. Josephus embarked, with his eight companions, in one s.h.i.+p and, followed by two hundred and thirty vessels, of various sizes, sailed towards Tiberias.

As they approached the town, they saw a great movement among the population. Men and women were seen, crowding down to the sh.o.r.e--the men holding up their hands, to show that they were unarmed; the women wailing, and uttering loud cries of lamentation.

Josephus waited for an hour, until the s.h.i.+ps from Hippos also came up, and then caused them all to anchor off the town--but at such a distance that the numbers of those on board could not be seen. Then he advanced, in his own s.h.i.+p, to within speaking distance of the land. The people cried out to him to spare the city, and their wives and children; saying that they had been misled by evil men, and regretted bitterly what they had done.

Josephus told them that, a.s.suredly, they deserved that the city should be wholly destroyed; for that now, when there was so much that had to be done to prepare for the war which Rome would make against the country, they troubled the country with their seditions. The people set up a doleful cry for mercy; and Josephus then said that, this time, he would spare them; but that their princ.i.p.al men must be handed over to him.

To this the people joyfully agreed; and a boat, with ten of their senate, came out to the vessel. Josephus had them bound, and sent them on board one of the other s.h.i.+ps. Another and another boat load came off; until all the members of the senate, and many of the princ.i.p.al inhabitants, were prisoners. Some of the men had been drawn from the other s.h.i.+ps, and put on board those with the prisoners; and these then sailed away to Tarichea.

The people of Tiberias--terrified at seeing so many taken away, and not knowing how many more might be demanded--now denounced a young man, named c.l.i.tus, as being the leader of the revolt. Seven of the bodyguard of Josephus had gone down the lake, with the prisoners; and one Levi, alone, remained. Josephus told him to go ash.o.r.e, and to cut off one of the hands of c.l.i.tus.

Levi was, however, afraid to land, alone, among such a number of enemies; whereupon Josephus addressed c.l.i.tus, and told him that he was worthy of death, but that he would spare his life, if his two hands were sent on board a s.h.i.+p. c.l.i.tus begged that he might be permitted to keep one hand, to which Josephus agreed. c.l.i.tus then drew his sword, and struck off his left hand. Josephus now professed to be satisfied and, after warning the people against again listening to evil advisers, sailed away with the whole fleet.

Josephus, that evening, entertained the princ.i.p.al persons among the prisoners and, in the morning, allowed all to return to Tiberias.

The people there had already learned that they had been duped; but with time had come reflection and, knowing that in a day or two Josephus could have a.s.sembled the whole population of Galilee against them, and have destroyed them before any help could come, there were few who were not well content that their revolt had been so easily, and bloodlessly, repressed; and Josephus rose, in their estimation, by the quickness and boldness of the stratagem by which he had, without bloodshed save in the punishment of c.l.i.tus, restored tranquillity.

Through the winter, Josephus was incessantly active. He endeavored to organize an army, enrolled a hundred thousand men, appointed commanders and captains, and strove to establish something like military drill and order. But the people were averse to leaving their farms and occupations, and but little progress was made.

Moreover, a great part of the time of Josephus was occupied in suppressing the revolts, which were continually breaking out in Sepphoris, Tiberias, and Gamala; and in thwarting the attempts of John of Gischala, and his other enemies, who strove by means of bribery, at Jerusalem, to have him recalled--and would have succeeded, had it not been that the Galileans, save those of the great cities, were always ready to turn out, in all their force, to defend him and, by sending deputations to Jerusalem, counteracted the efforts, there, of his enemies.

John was incessantly engaged, as he accompanied Josephus in his rapid journeys through the province, either to suppress the risings or to see to the work of organization; and only once or twice was he able to pay a short visit to his family.

”You look worn and f.a.gged, John,” his cousin said, on the occasion of his last visit, when spring was close at hand.

”I am well in health, Mary; but it does try one, to see how all the efforts of Josephus are marred by the turbulence of the people of Tiberias and Sepphoris. All his thoughts and time are occupied in keeping order, and the work of organizing the army makes but little progress.

”Vespasian is gathering a great force, at Antioch. His son t.i.tus will soon join him, with another legion; and they will, together, advance against us.”

”But I hear that the walling of the cities is well-nigh finished.”