He unmasks Jerusalem priests' plot to replace him as leader of Galilee (Flavius Josephus Autobiography) (Flavius Josephus)

44. About this time it was that Jonathan and his fellow legates came. They were sent, as we have said already, by Simon and Ananus the high priest. and Jonathan contrived how he might catch me by treachery; for he dared not make any attempt upon me openly. So he wrote me the following epistle: ïŋ―Jonathan and those that are with him and are sent by the people of Jerusalem, to Josephus, send greeting. We are sent by the principal men of Jerusalem, who have heard that John of Gischala has laid many snares for you, to rebuke him and to exhort him to be subject to you hereafter. We are also desirous to consult with you about our common concerns and what is fit to be done. We therefore desire you to come to us quickly and to bring only a few men with you; for this village will not contain a great number of soldiers."

Thus it was that they wrote, as expecting one of these two things; either that I should come without armed men and then they should have me wholly in their power; or, if I came with a great number, they should judge me to be a public enemy. Now it was a horseman who brought the letter, a man at other times bold and one that had served in the army under the king. It was the second hour of the night that he came, when I was feasting with my friends and the principal of the Galileans. This man, upon my servant's telling me that a certain horseman of the Jewish nation was come, was called in at my command, but did not so much as salute me at all, but held out a letter and said, ïŋ―This letter is sent you by those that are come from Jerusalem; do you write an answer to it quickly; for I am obliged to return to them very soon.

Now my guests could not but wonder at the boldness of the soldier. But I asked him to sit down and sup with us; but when he refused so to do, I held the letter in my hands as I received it and fell a talking with my guests about other matters. But a few hours afterwards, I got up and when I had dismissed the rest to go to their beds, I bid only four of my intimate friends to stay and ordered my servant to get some wine ready. I also opened the letter so, that nobody could perceive it; and understanding thereby presently the purportïŋ― of the writing, I sealed it up again and appeared as if I had not yet read it, but only held it in my hands. I ordered twenty drachmae should be given the soldier for the charges of his journey; and when he took the money and said that he thanked me for it, I perceived that he loved money and that he was to be caught chiefly by that means; and I said to him, ïŋ―If you will but drink with us, you shall have a drachma for every glass you drink.ïŋ― So he gladly embraced this proposal and drank a great deal of wine, in order to get the more money and was so drunk, that at last he could not keep the secrets he was entrusted with, but revealed them without my putting questions to him, viz. that a treacherous design was contrived against me and that I was doomed to die by those that sent him.

When I heard this, I wrote back this answer: ïŋ―Josephus to Jonathan and those that are with him, sends greeting. Upon the information that you are come in health into Galilee, I rejoice and this especially because I can now resign the care of public affairs here into your hands and return into my native country, which is what I have asked to do a great while; and I confess I ought not only to come to you as far as Xaloth, but farther and this without your commands. But I desire you to excuse me, because I cannot do it now, since I watch the motions of Placidus, who has a mind to go up into Galilee; and this I do here at Chabolo. Do you therefore, on the receipt of this epistle, come here to me. Fare you well. ïŋ―

45. When I had written this and given the letter to be carried by the soldier, I sent along with him thirty of the Galileans of the best characters and gave them instructions to salute those ambassadors, but to say nothing else to them. I also gave orders to as many of those armed men, whom I esteemed most faithful to me, to go along with the others, every one with him whom he was to guard, for fear that some conversation might pass between those whom I sent and those who were with Jonathan. So those men went [to Jonathan]. But when Jonathan and his partners had failed in this their first attempt, they sent me another letter, the contents whereof were as follows: ïŋ―Jonathan and those with him, to Josephus, send greeting. We require you to come to us to the village Gabaroth, on the third day, without any armed men, that we may hear what you have to lay to the charge of John [of Gischala].ïŋ― When they had written this letter, they saluted the Galileans whom I sent and came to Japha, which was the largest village of all Galilee and encompassed with very strong walls and had a great number of inhabitants in it. There the multitude of men, with their wives and children, met them and exclaimed loudly against them; and asked them to be gone and not to envy them the advantage of an excellent commander.

With these clamours Jonathan and his partners were greatly provoked, although they dared not show their anger openly; so they made them no answer, but went to other villages. But still the same clamours met them from all the people, who said, ïŋ―Nobody should persuade them to have any other commander besides Josephus.ïŋ― So Jonathan and his partners went away from them without success and came to Sepphoris, the greatest city of all Galilee. Now the men of that city, who inclined to the Romans in their sentiments, met them indeed, but neither praised nor reproached me and when they were gone down from Sepphoris to Asochis, the people of that place made a clamour against them, as those of Japha had done; whereupon they were able to contain themselves no longer, but ordered the armed men that were with them to beat those that made the clamour with their clubs. and when they came to Gabara, John met them with three thousand armed men; but, as I understood by their letter that they had resolved to fight against me, I arose from Chabolo, with three thousand armed men also; but left in my camp one of my fastest friends and came to Jotapata, as desirous to be near them, the distance being no more than forty furlongs. Whence I wrote thus to them: ïŋ―If you are very desirous that I should come to you, you know there are two hundred and forty cities and villages in Galilee; I will come to any of them which you please, excepting Gaburn and Gischala; the one of which is John's native city and the other in confederacy and friendship with him. ïŋ―

46. When Jonathan and his partners had received this letter, they wrote me no more answers, but called a council of their friends together; and taking John into their consultation, they took counsel together by what means they might attack me. John's opinion was, that they should write to all the cities and villages that were in Galilee; for that there must be certainly one or two persons in every one of them that were at variance with me and that they should be invited to come to oppose me as an enemy. He would also have them send this resolution of theirs to the city of Jerusalem, that its citizens, upon the knowledge of my being adjudged to be an enemy by the Galileans, might themselves I also confirm that determination. He said also, that when this was done, even those Galileans who were well affected to me, would desert me out of fear. When John had given them this counsel, what he had said was very agreeable to the rest of them. I was also made acquainted with these affairs about the third hour of the night, by the means of one Saccheus, who had belonged to them, but now deserted them and came over to me and told me what they were about; so I perceived that no time was to be lost. Accordingly, I gave command to Jacob, an armed man of my guard, whom I esteemed faithful to me, to take two hundred men and to guard the passages that led from Gahara to Galilee and to seize upon the passengers and send them to me, especially such as were caught with letters about them: I also sent Jeremias himself, one of my friends, with six hundred armed men, to the borders of Galilee, in order to watch the roads that led from this country to the city Jerusalem and gave him charge to lay hold of such as traveled with letters about them, to keep the men in bonds upon the place, but to send me the letters.