ey tried to bear with patience the calamity they were
under, as he exhorted them to do; yet was he once almost going to kill
himself, upon the overthrow of a waggon, and the danger his mother was
then in of being killed; and this on two accounts, because of his great
concern for her, and because he was afraid lest, by this delay, the
enemy should overtake him in the pursuit: but as he was drawing his
sword, and going to kill himself therewith, those that were present
restrained him, and being so many in number, were too hard for him;
and told him that he ought not to desert them, and leave them a prey
to their enemies, for that it was not the part of a brave man to free
himself from the distresses he was in, and to overlook his friends that
were in the same distresses also. So he was compelled to let that horrid
attempt alone, partly out of shame at what they said to him, and partly
out of regard to the great number of those that would not permit him to
do what he intended. So he encouraged his mother, and took all the care
of her the time would allow, and proceeded on the way he proposed to go
with the utmost haste, and that was to the fortress of Masada. And as
he had many skirmishes with such of the Parthians as attacked him and
pursued him, he was conqueror in them all.

9. Nor indeed was he free from the Jews all along as he was in his
flight; for by that time he was gotten sixty furlongs out of the city,
and was upon the road, they fell upon him, and fought hand to hand with
him, whom he also put to flight, and overcame, not like one that was in
distress and in necessity, but like one that was excellently prepared
for war, and had what he wanted in great plenty. And in this very place
where he overcame the Jews it was that he some time afterward build
a most excellent palace, and a city round about it, and called it
Herodium. And when he was come to Idumea, at a place called Thressa, his
brother Joseph met him, and he then held a council to take advice about
all his affairs, and what was fit to be done in his circumstances,
since he had a great multitude that followed him, besides his mercenary
soldiers, and the place Masada, whither he proposed to fly, was too
small to contain so great a multitude; so he sent away the greater part
of his company, being above nine thousand, and bid them go, some one
way, and some another, and so save themselves in Idumea, and gave them
what would buy them provisions in their journe