then kill me if they
pleased: and upon the multitude's ordering me to speak, the armed men
came upon me, and when they saw me, they ran to kill me; but when the
multitude bade them hold their hands, they complied, and expected that
as soon as I should own to them that I kept the money for the king, it
would be looked on as a confession of my treason, and they should then
be allowed to kill me.

29. When, therefore, silence was made by the whole multitude, I spake
thus to them: "O my countrymen! I refuse not to die, if justice so
require. However, I am desirous to tell you the truth of this matter
before I die; for as I know that this city of yours [Tarichee] was a
city of great hospitality, and filled with abundance of such men as have
left their own countries, and are come hither to be partakers of your
fortune, whatever it be, I had a mind to build walls about it, out of
this money, for which you are so angry with me, while yet it was to be
expended in building your own walls." Upon my saying this, the people
of Taricheae and the strangers cried out, that "they gave me thanks, and
desired me to be of good courage," although the Galileans and the people
of Tiberias continued in their wrath against me, insomuch that there
arose a tumult among them, while some threatened to kill me, and some
bade me not to regard them; but when I promised them that I would build
them walls at Tiberias, and at other cities that wanted them, they gave
credit to what I promised, and returned every one to his own home. So I
escaped the forementioned danger, beyond all my hopes, and returned to
my own house, accompanied with my friends, and twenty armed men also.

30. However, these robbers and other authors of this tumult, who were
afraid, on their own account, lest I should punish them for what they
had done, took six hundred armed men, and came to the house where I
abode, in order to set it on fire. When this their insult was told me, I
thought it indecent for me to run away, and I resolved to expose myself
to danger, and to act with some boldness; so I gave order to shut the
doors, and went up into an upper room, and desired that they would send
in some of their men to receive the money [from the spoils] for I told
them they would then have no occasion to be angry with me; and when they
had sent in one of the boldest of them all, I had him whipped severely,
and I commanded that one of his hands should be cut off, and hung about
his neck;