acquainted with what
they were doing. Accordingly, they resolved to send men of distinction
as to their families, and of distinction as to their learning also.
Two of these were of the populace, Jonathan [17] and Ananias, by sect
Pharisees; while the third, Jozar, was of the stock of the priests, and
a Pharisee also; and Simon, the last of them, was of the youngest of the
high priests. These had it given them in charge, that, when they were
come to the multitude of the Galileans, they should ask them, what was
the reason of their love to me? and if they said that it was because I
was born at Jerusalem, that they should reply, that they four were all
born at the same place; and if they should say, it was because I was
well versed in their law, they should reply, that neither were they
unacquainted with the practices of their country; but if, besides these,
they should say, they loved me because I was a priest, they should
reply, that two of these were priests also.

40. Now, when they had given Jonathan and his companions these
instructions, they gave them forty thousand [drachmae] out of the public
money: but when they heard that there was a certain Galilean that then
sojourned at Jerusalem, whose name was Jesus, who had about him a band
of six hundred armed men, they sent for him, and gave him three months
pay, and gave him orders to follow Jonathan and his companions, and be
obedient to them. They also gave money to three hundred men that were
citizens of Jerusalem, to maintain them all, and ordered them also to
follow the ambassadors; and when they had complied, and were gotten
ready for the march, Jonathan and his companions went out with them,
having along with them John's brother and a hundred armed men. The
charge that was given them by those that sent them was this: That if
I would voluntarily lay down my arms, they should send me alive to the
city of Jerusalem; but that, in case I opposed them, they should kill
me, and fear nothing; for that it was their command for them so to do.
They also wrote to John to make all ready for fighting me, and gave
orders to the inhabitants of Sepphoris, and Gabara, and Tiberins, to
send auxiliaries to John.

41. Now, as my father wrote me an account of this, [for Jesus the son of
Gamala, who was present in that council, a friend and companion of mine,
told him of it,] I was very much troubled, as discovering thereby that
my fellow citizens proved so ungrateful to me, as, out o