scaped at
length, and king Agrippa forgave them their offenses. And this was the
conclusion of what concerned these men.
32. But as for the inhabitants of the city of Tiberias, they wrote to
the king, and desired him to send them forces sufficient to be a guard
to their country; for that they were desirous to come over to him: this
was what they wrote to him. But when I came to them, they desired me to
build their walls, as I had promised them to do; for they had heard that
the walls of Tarichess were already built. I agreed to their proposal
accordingly; and when I had made preparation for the entire building, I
gave order to the architects to go to work; but on the third day, when I
was gone to Tarichess, which was thirty furlongs distant from Tiberias,
it so fell out, that some Roman horsemen were discovered on their march,
not far from the city, which made it to be supposed that the forces were
come from the king; upon which they shouted, and lifted up their voices
in commendations of the king, and in reproaches against me. Hereupon one
came running to me, and told me what their dispositions were, and that
they had resolved to revolt from me: upon hearing which news I was very
much alarmed; for I had already sent away my armed men from Tarichess,
to their own homes, because the next day was our sabbath; for I would
not have the people of Tarichess disturbed [on that day] by a multitude
of soldiers; and indeed, whenever I sojourned at that city, I never took
any particular care for a guard about my own body, because I had had
frequent instances of the fidelity its inhabitants bore to me. I had
now about me no more than seven armed men, besides some friends, and was
doubtful what to do; for to send to recall my own forces I did not think
proper, because the present day was almost over; and had those forces
been with me, I could not take up arms on the next day, because our laws
forbade us so to do, even though our necessity should be very great; and
if I should permit the people of Tarichess, and the strangers with them,
to guard the city, I saw that they would not be sufficient for that
purpose, and I perceived that I should be obliged to delay my assistance
a great while; for I thought with myself that the forces that came from
the king would prevent me, and that I should be driven out of the
city. I considered, therefore, how to get clear of these forces by a
stratagem; so I immediately placed those my friends of T
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