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Pallas his brother, having great influence with Nero, appeased his anger. And the Syrians in Caesarea, having won over Beryllus, Nero's tutor, with money, received through him a letter from Caesar declaring the equal civil rights of the Jews with the Syrians in Caesarea to be void. from which the subsequent evils for the nation arose; for because of this letter the Jews engaged more in sedition against the Syrians, until the war was kindled. But Festus, having come into Judea, found it 2.48 afflicted by robbers. For those called sicarii, who were also robbers, then banded together in greater numbers, using small, curved swords similar to the sicae, as they are called by the Romans, from which they were also named sicarii; who, mingling with the crowd during the feasts, easily slew whomever they wished, and they both plundered and burned the villages. And Festus sends a force against those deceived by a certain magician, who promised salvation to those willing to follow him to the wilderness; and those who were sent destroyed both that impostor and his followers. However, King Agrippa, having built a large chamber in the palace, from there observed the things being done in the temple. But the people of the city were angry at this. Therefore they raise a wall, which cut off the view not only of the royal house, but also of the western portico, where the Romans kept guard during the feasts on account of the temple. At this Agrippa was indignant, and Festus even more so, and he wanted to tear down the wall. But they begged to be allowed to petition Caesar. And when Festus consented, they send ten of the chief men to Nero, along with Ishmael the high priest and Helcias the treasurer. And Nero, granting a favor to his wife Poppaea, who interceded on behalf of the Jews, ordered the building to be left alone. And Poppaea allowed the others to return, but kept Ishmael and Helcias with her as hostages. And King Agrippa, having learned these things, gives the high priesthood to Joseph, who was called Cabi, the son of Simon who had been high priest; then taking it from Joseph, he assigned it to Annas the son of 2.49 Annas. This younger Annas, therefore, having received the high priesthood, was rash and bold. Therefore, when Festus was dead, and Albinus had not yet reached Judea, who had been sent by Nero as procurator of Judea in place of Festus, having convened a council—that I may use the very words of Josephus—he brings forward the brother of Jesus who is called Christ, James was his name, and certain others, accusing them as transgressors of the law, and he delivered them to be stoned. But as many in the city as seemed most reasonable and strict concerning the laws, were heavily displeased at this, and they spoke against him both to Albinus and to Agrippa. Wherefore the king, having taken the high priesthood from him, after he had held it for three months, appointed Jesus the son of Mnaseas. And Albinus, having come to Jerusalem, made an effort to bring peace to the country, and he destroyed many of the sicarii. But Agrippa gives the high priesthood to Jesus the son of Gamaliel, having removed Jesus the son of Mnaseas. Therefore a sedition of the high priests arose, having enlisted the most audacious men, and the sedition proceeded from insults against one another even to stone-throwing. whence from that time especially it came to pass that the city of Jerusalem was in a bad state, and all things advanced for the worse. And Albinus, learning that Gessius Florus was arriving as his successor, bringing forth the prisoners, as many as were clearly worthy of death, he ordered them to be executed, 2.50 but those who had been imprisoned for minor causes he released upon receiving money. And so the prison was emptied of prisoners, but the country was filled with robbers. But Agrippa, having cast Jesus the son of Gamaliel out of the high priesthood, assigned it to Matthias the son of Theophilus, under whom the war against the Romans began. The high priesthood, therefore, began with Aaron, and when he died, his sons succeeded him, and from them to the descendants

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Πάλλας ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ μέγα δυνάμενος παρὰ Νέρωνι τὴν αὐτοῦ ὀργὴν παρῃτήσατο. καὶ οἱ ἐν Καισαρείᾳ δὲ Σύροι Βήρυλλον τὸν Νέρωνος παιδαγωγὸν δεξιωσάμενοι χρήμασιν, ἐπιστολὴν κομίζονται Καίσαρος δι' αὐτοῦ τὴν ̓Ιουδαίαν ἰσοπολιτείαν τοῖς ἐν Καισαρείᾳ Σύροις ακυρον ἀποφαίνουσαν. ἐξ ης τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα κακὰ τῷ εθνει ἐφύησαν· διὰ ταύτην γὰρ τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ̓Ιουδαῖοι πρὸς τοὺς Σύρους μᾶλλον στάσεως ειχοντο, μέχρις αν ἀνήφθη ὁ πόλεμος. Φῆστος δὲ εἰς τὴν ̓Ιουδαίαν ἐλθὼν κακουμένην 2.48 ευρε ταύτην ὑπὸ λῃστῶν. καὶ οἱ σικάριοι γὰρ καλούμενοι, λῃσταὶ δὲ καὶ ουτοι ησαν, τότε μᾶλλον εἰς πλῆθος συνέστησαν, χρώμενοι ξιφιδίοις ἐπικαμπέσι καὶ ὁμοίοις ταῖς ὑπὸ ̔Ρωμαίων καλουμέναις σίκαις, ἀφ' ων καὶ σικάριοι ὠνομάσθησαν· οι κατὰ τὰς ἑορτὰς τῷ πλήθει ἀναμιγνύμενοι ους ἐβούλοντο ῥᾳδίως ἀπέσφαττον, καὶ τὰς κώμας δὲ διήρπαζόν τε καὶ ἐνεπίμπρασαν. πέμπει δὲ Φῆστος δύναμιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀπατηθέντας ὑπό τινος γόητος, σωτηρίαν ἐπαγγελλομένου τοῖς επεσθαι θέλουσι μέχρι τῆς ἐρημίας αὐτῷ· κἀκεῖνόν τε τὸν ἀπατεῶνα καὶ τοὺς ἀκολουθήσαντας οἱ πεμφθέντες διέφθειραν. ̔Ο μέντοι βασιλεὺς ̓Αγρίππας οικημά τι μέγα δομησάμενος ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις, ἐκεῖθεν ἐθεᾶτο τὰ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἐνεργούμενα. πρὸς τοῦτο δ' ἐχαλέπαινον οἱ τῆς πόλεως. τοῖχον ουν ἐγείρουσιν, ος οὐ τῆς βασιλικῆς οἰκίας μόνης τὴν αποψιν ὑπετέμνετο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς πρὸς δύσιν στοᾶς, ενθα τὰς φυλακὰς οἱ ̔Ρωμαῖοι ταῖς ἑορταῖς ἐποιοῦντο διὰ τὸ ἱερόν. ἐπὶ τούτοις ἠγανάκτησεν ὁ ̓Αγρίππας, καὶ πλέον ὁ Φῆστος, καὶ καθελεῖν τὸν τοῖχον ἐβούλετο. οἱ δὲ παρεκάλεσαν ἐνδοθῆναι αὐτοῖς δεηθῆναι τοῦ Καίσαρος. καὶ συγχωρήσαντος Φήστου, πέμπουσι δέκα ἐκ τῶν πρώτων πρὸς Νέρωνα καὶ ̓Ισμαὴλ τὸν ἀρχιερέα καὶ ̔Ελκίαν τὸν γαζοφύλακα. καὶ ὁ Νέρων τῇ γυναικὶ Ποππαίᾳ ὑπὲρ ̓Ιουδαίων ἀξιούσῃ χαριζόμενος ἐκέλευσεν ἐᾶν τὴν οἰκοδομήν. καὶ ἡ Ποππαία τοὺς μὲν αλλους ἀφῆκεν ἐπανελθεῖν, τὸν δὲ ̓Ισμαὴλ καὶ τὸν ̔Ελκίαν κατέσχε παρ' ἑαυτῇ ὁμηρεύσοντας. καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ̓Αγρίππας ταῦτα πυθόμενος δίδωσι τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην ̓Ιωσὴφ τῷ καλουμένῳ ∆εκαβί, υἱῷ τοῦ ἀρχιερατεύσαντος Σίμωνος· ειτα τῷ Αννᾳ υἱῷ τοῦ 2.49 Αννα ταύτην ἐξ ̓Ιωσὴφ ἀφελόμενος προσεκλήρωσεν. Ουτος ουν ὁ νέος Αννας τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην παρειληφὼς τολμητίας ην καὶ θρασύς. Φήστου τοίνυν θανόντος, καὶ ̓Αλβίνου μήπω καταλαβόντος τὴν ̓Ιουδαίαν, ος ἀντὶ Φήστου παρὰ Νέρωνος ἐστάλη τῆς ̓Ιουδαίας ἐπίτροπος, καθίσας συνέδριον, ιν' αὐτοῖς τοῖς ̓Ιωσήπου χρήσωμαι ῥήμασι, παράγει τὸν ἀδελφὸν ̓Ιησοῦ τοῦ λεγομένου Χριστοῦ, ̓Ιάκωβος ονομα αὐτῷ, καί τινας ἑτέρους, ὡς παρανομησάντων κατηγορῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ παρέδωκε λευσθησομένους. οσοι δὲ τῶν κατὰ τὴν πόλιν ἐδόκουν ἐπιεικέστατοι καὶ περὶ τοὺς νόμους ἀκριβεῖς, βαρέως ηνεγκαν ἐπὶ τούτῳ, καὶ κατεῖπον αὐτοῦ καὶ πρὸς ̓Αλβῖνον καὶ πρὸς ̓Αγρίππαν. διὸ τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην ἀφελόμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐξ αὐτοῦ, μῆνας αρξαντος τρεῖς, ̓Ιησοῦν τὸν τοῦ Μνασέα κατέστησεν. ̓Αλβῖνος δ' ἐλθὼν εἰς ̔Ιεροσόλυμα σπουδὴν εἰσήνεγκεν εἰρηνεύειν τὴν χώραν, καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν σικαρίων διέφθειρεν. ̓Αγρίππας δὲ τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην δίδωσι ̓Ιησοῦ τῷ τοῦ Γαμαλιήλ, παύσας τὸν τοῦ Μνασέα ̓Ιησοῦν. στάσις ουν τῶν ἀρχιερέων ἐγένετο, προσεταιρισαμένων τοὺς θρασυτάτους, καὶ μέχρι λίθων ἡ στάσις ἐξ υβρεων τῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους προυχώρησεν. οθεν ἐξ ἐκείνου τοῦ χρόνου μάλιστα κακῶς εχειν τὴν τῶν ̔Ιεροσολύμων πόλιν συμβέβηκε, καὶ πάντα ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον προέκοπτον. ̓Αλβῖνος δὲ Γέσσιον Φλῶρον μαθὼν ἀφικνεῖσθαί οἱ διάδοχον, προαγαγὼν τοὺς δεσμώτας, οσοι ησαν αὐτῷ προδήλως θανεῖν αξιοι, τούτους μὲν ἀναιρεθῆναι προσ2.50 έταξε, τοὺς δ' ἐκ μικρῶν αἰτιῶν καθειργμένους χρήματα λαμβάνων ἀπέλυε. καὶ ουτως ἡ μὲν εἱρκτὴ τῶν δεσμωτῶν ἐκενώθη, ἡ χώρα δὲ λῃστῶν ἐπληρώθη. ὁ δ' ̓Αγρίππας τὸν τοῦ Γαμαλιὴλ ̓Ιησοῦν τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης ἐκβαλὼν Ματθίᾳ τῷ Θεοφίλου προσένειμεν, ἐφ' ου ὁ πρὸς ̔Ρωμαίους ηρξατο πόλεμος. Ηρξατο μὲν ουν ἡ ἀρχιερωσύνη ἐξ ̓Ααρών, τελευτήσαντος δὲ ἐκείνου οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ αὐτὴν διεδέξαντο, καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνων τοῖς ἀπ'