to Rome to accuse
Felix; and he had certainly been brought to punishment, unless Nero had
yielded to the importunate solicitations of his brother Pallas, who
was at that time had in the greatest honor by him. Two of the principal
Syrians in Cesarea persuaded Burrhus, who was Nero's tutor, and
secretary for his Greek epistles, by giving him a great sum of money, to
disannul that equality of the Jewish privileges of citizens which they
hitherto enjoyed. So Burrhus, by his solicitations, obtained leave of
the emperor that an epistle should be written to that purpose. This
epistle became the occasion of the following miseries that befell our
nation; for when the Jews of Cesarea were informed of the contents of
this epistle to the Syrians, they were more disorderly than before, till
a war was kindled.

10. Upon Festus's coming into Judea, it happened that Judea was
afflicted by the robbers, while all the villages were set on fire,
and plundered by them. And then it was that the sicarii, as they were
called, who were robbers, grew numerous. They made use of small swords,
not much different in length from the Persian acinacae, but somewhat
crooked, and like the Roman sicae, [or sickles,] as they were called;
and from these weapons these robbers got their denomination; and with
these weapons they slew a great many; for they mingled themselves among
the multitude at their festivals, when they were come up in crowds from
all parts to the city to worship God, as we said before, and easily slew
those that they had a mind to slay. They also came frequently upon the
villages belonging to their enemies, with their weapons, and plundered
them, and set them on fire. So Festus sent forces, both horsemen and
footmen, to fall upon those that had been seduced by a certain impostor,
who promised them deliverance and freedom from the miseries they
were under, if they would but follow him as far as the wilderness.
Accordingly, those forces that were sent destroyed both him that had
deluded them, and those that were his followers also.

11. About the same time king Agrippa built himself a very large
dining-room in the royal palace at Jerusalem, near to the portico. Now
this palace had been erected of old by the children of Asamoneus and was
situate upon an elevation, and afforded a most delightful prospect to
those that had a mind to take a view of the city, which prospect was
desired by the king; and there he could lie down, and eat, and then