that they should guard the passes with
great care, that the enemy might not disturb us until we should have
carried off the corn, a great quantity of which lay there: it belonged
to Bernice the queen, and had been gathered together out of the
neighboring villages into Besara; so I loaded my camels and asses, a
great number of which I had brought along with me, and sent the corn
into Galilee. When I had done this, I offered Ebutius battle; but when
he would not accept of the offer, for he was terrified at our readiness
and courage, I altered my route, and marched towards Neopolitanus,
because I had heard that the country about Tiberias was laid waste by
him. This Neopolitanus was captain of a troop of horse, and had the
custody of Scythopolis intrusted to his care by the enemy; and when
I had hindered him from doing any further mischief to Tiberias, I set
myself to make provision for the affairs of Galilee.

25. But when John, the son of Levi, who, as we before told you, abode at
Gischala, was informed how all things had succeeded to my mind, and
that I was much in favor with those that were under me, as also that the
enemy were greatly afraid of me, he was not pleased with it, as thinking
my prosperity tended to his ruin. So he took up a bitter envy and enmity
against me; and hoping, that if he could inflame those that were under
me to hate me, he should put an end to the prosperity I was in, he
tried to persuade the inhabitants of Tiberias and of Sepphoris, [and for
those of Gabara he supposed they would be also of the same mind with the
others,] which were the greatest cities of Galilee, to revolt from their
subjection to me, and to be of his party; and told them that he would
command them better than I did. As for the people of Sepphoris, who
belonged to neither of us, because they had chosen to be in subjection
to the Romans, they did not comply with his proposal; and for those of
Tiberias, they did not indeed so far comply as to make a revolt from
under me, but they agreed to be his friends, while the inhabitants of
Gabara did go over to John; and it was Simon that persuaded them so to
do, one who was both the principal man in the city, and a particular
friend and companion of John. It is true, these did not openly own the
making a revolt, because they were in great fear of the Galileans, and
had frequent experience of the good-will they bore to me; yet did they
privately watch for a proper opportunity to lay snares