[
24]
But, upon his coming and fighting, he was beaten, and a great many
of those that were with him fell. And this disgrace which Gessius [with
Cestius] received, became the calamity of our whole nation; for those that
were fond of the war were so far elevated with this success, that they
had hopes of finally conquering the Romans. Of which war another occasion
was ministered; which was this: - Those that dwelt in the neighboring cities
of
Syria seized upon such Jews as dwelt among them, with their wives and
children, and slew them, when they had not the least occasion of complaint
against them; for they did neither attempt any innovation or revolt from
the Romans, nor had they given any marks of hatred or treacherous designs
towards the Syrians. But what was done by the inhabitants of
Scythopolis
was the most impious and most highly criminal of all;
1
for when the Jews their enemies came upon them from without, they forced
the Jews that were among them to bear arms against their own countrymen,
which it is unlawful for us to do;
2
and when, by their assistance, they had joined battle with those who attacked
them, and had beaten them, after that victory they forgot the assurances
they had given these their fellow citizens and confederates, and slew them
all, being in number many ten thousands [13,000]. The like miseries were
undergone by those Jews that were the inhabitants of
Damascus. But we have
given a more accurate account of these things in the books of the Jewish
war. I only mention them now, because I would demonstrate to my readers,
that the Jews' war with the Romans was not voluntary, but that, for the
main, they were forced by necessity to enter into it.