as desirous to be near them, the distance being no more than forty
furlongs. Whence I wrote thus to them: "If you are very desirous that I
should come to you, you know there are two hundred and forty cities
and villages in Galilee; I will come to any of them which you please,
excepting Gaburn and Gischala; the one of which is John's native city,
and the other in confederacy and friendship with him."

46. When Jonathan and his partners had received this letter, they wrote
me no more answers, but called a council of their friends together; and
taking John into their consultation, they took counsel together by what
means they might attack me. John's opinion was, that they should write
to all the cities and villages that were in Galilee; for that there
must be certainly one or two persons in every one of them that were at
variance with me, and that they should be invited to come to oppose me
as an enemy. He would also have them send this resolution of theirs to
the city of Jerusalem, that its citizens, upon the knowledge of my
being adjudged to be an enemy by the Galileans, might themselves I also
confirm that determination. He said also, that when this was done, even
those Galileans who were well affected to me, would desert me out of
fear. When John had given them this counsel, what he had said was very
agreeable to the rest of them. I was also made acquainted with these
affairs about the third hour of the night, by the means of one Saccheus,
who had belonged to them, but now deserted them and came over to me,
and told me what they were about; so I perceived that no time was to be
lost. Accordingly, I gave command to Jacob, an armed man of my guard,
whom I esteemed faithful to me, to take two hundred men, and to guard
the passages that led from Gahara to Galilee, and to seize upon the
passengers, and send them to me, especially such as were caught with
letters about them: I also sent Jeremias himself, one of my friends,
with six hundred armed men, to the borders of Galilee, in order to watch
the roads that led from this country to the city Jerusalem, and gave him
charge to lay hold of such as traveled with letters about them, to keep
the men in bonds upon the place, but to send me the letters.

47. When I had laid these commands upon them, I gave them orders, and
bid them take their arms and bring three days' provision with them, and
be with me the next day. I also parted those that were about me into
four parts, and or