rty days before they are to
offer their sacrifices, to abstain from wine, and to shave the hair of
their head. Which things Bernice was now performing, and stood barefoot
before Florus's tribunal, and besought him [to spare the Jews]. Yet
could she neither have any reverence paid to her, nor could she escape
without some danger of being slain herself.

2. This happened upon the sixteenth day of the month Artemisius [Jyar].
Now, on the next day, the multitude, who were in a great agony, ran
together to the Upper Market-place, and made the loudest lamentations
for those that had perished; and the greatest part of the cries were
such as reflected on Florus; at which the men of power were aftrighted,
together with the high priests, and rent their garments, and fell down
before each of them, and besought them to leave off, and not to provoke
Florus to some incurable procedure, besides what they had already
suffered. Accordingly, the multitude complied immediately, out of
reverence to those that had desired it of them, and out of the hope they
had that Florus would do them no more injuries.

3. So Florus was troubled that the disturbances were over, and
endeavored to kindle that flame again, and sent for the high priests,
with the other eminent persons, and said the only demonstration that the
people would not make any other innovations should be this, that they
must go out and meet the soldiers that were ascending from Cesarea,
whence two cohorts were coming; and while these men were exhorting
the multitude so to do, he sent beforehand, and gave directions to the
centurions of the cohorts, that they should give notice to those that
were under them not to return the Jews' salutations; and that if they
made any reply to his disadvantage, they should make use of their
weapons. Now the high priests assembled the multitude in the temple, and
desired them to go and meet the Romans, and to salute the cohorts very
civilly, before their miserable case should become incurable. Now
the seditious part would not comply with these persuasions; but the
consideration of those that had been destroyed made them incline to
those that were the boldest for action.

4. At this time it was that every priest, and every servant of God,
brought out the holy vessels, and the ornamental garments wherein they
used to minister in sacred things. The harpers also, and the singers of
hymns, came out with their instruments of music, and fell down before
t