returned to the house. Miriam
and the maids hurried to prepare a meal--of which all were sorely
in need, for no food had been eaten since the gale burst on the
lake; while their three hours in the boat had again sharpened the
appetite of John and Mary. A quantity of food was cooked, and a
skin of old wine brought up from the cellar; and Isaac remained
down on the shore, to bid all who had been engaged in the search
come up and feast, as soon as they landed.

John related to his parents the adventure which had befallen them,
and they wondered greatly at the narrowness of their deliverance.
When the feasting was over, Simon called all together, and solemnly
returned thanks to God for the mercies which He had given them. It
was broad daylight before all sought their beds, for a few hours,
before beginning the work of the day.

A week later Josephus himself came to Hippos, bringing with him two
nobles, who had fled from King Agrippa and sought refuge with him.
He had received them hospitably, and had allotted a home to them at
Tarichea, where he principally dwelt.

He had, just before, had another narrow escape, for six hundred
armed men--robbers and others--had assembled round his house,
charging him with keeping some spoils which had been taken, by a
party of men of that town, from the wife of Ptolemy--King Agrippa's
procurator--instead of dividing them among the people. For a time,
he pacified them by telling them that this money was destined for
strengthening the walls of their town, and for walling other towns
at present undefended; but the leaders of the evildoers were
determined to set his house on fire, and slay him.

He had but twenty armed men with him. Closing the doors, he went to
an upper room, and told the robbers to send in one of their number
to receive the money. Directly he entered, the door was closed. One
of his hands was cut off, and hung round his neck; and he was then
turned out again. Believing that Josephus would not have ventured
to act so boldly, had he not had a large body of armed men with
him, the crowd were seized with panic and fled to their homes.

After this, the enemies of Josephus persuaded the people that the
nobles he had sheltered were wizards; and demanded that they should
be given up to be slain, unless they would change their religion to
that of the Jews. Josephus tried to argue them out of their belief,
saying that there were no such things as wizards and, if the Romans
had