[
118]
NOW there arose a quarrel between the Samaritans and the Jews on
the occasion following: It was the custom of the Galileans, when they came
to the holy city at the festivals, to take their journeys through the country
of the Samaritans;
1
and at this time there lay, in the road they took, a village that was called
Ginea, which was situated in the limits of Samaria and the great plain,
where certain persons thereto belonging fought with the Galileans, and
killed a great many of them. But when the principal of the Galileans were
informed of what had been done, they came to Cumanus, and desired him to
avenge the murder of those that were killed; but he was induced by the
Samaritans, with money, to do nothing in the matter; upon which the Galileans
were much displeased, and persuaded the multitude of the Jews to betake
themselves to arms, and to regain their liberty, saying that slavery was
in itself a bitter thing, but that when it was joined with direct injuries,
it was perfectly intolerable, And when their principal men endeavored to
pacify them, and promised to endeavor to persuade Cureanus to avenge those
that were killed, they would not hearken to them, but took their weapons,
and entreated the assistance of Eleazar, the son of Dineus, a robber, who
had many years made his abode in the mountains, with which assistance they
plundered many villages of the Samaritans. When Cumanus heard of this action
of theirs, he took the band of Sebaste, with four regiments of footmen,
and armed the Samaritans, and marched out against the Jews, and caught
them, and slew many of them, and took a great number of them alive; whereupon
those that were the most eminent persons at Jerusalem, and that both in
regard to the respect that was paid them, and the families they were of,
as soon as they saw to what a height things were gone, put on sackcloth,
and heaped ashes upon their heads, and by all possible means besought the
seditious, and persuaded them that they would set before their eyes the
utter subversion of their country, the conflagration of their temple, and
the slavery of themselves, their wives, and children,
2
which would be the consequences of what they were doing; and would alter
their minds, would cast away their weapons, and for the future be quiet,
and return to their own homes. These persuasions of theirs prevailed upon
them. So the people dispersed themselves, and the robbers went away again
to their places of strength; and after this time all Judea was overrun
with robberies.