Antiquities Book 11, Chapter 7
How John Slew His Brother Jesus In The Temple; And How Bagoses Offered Many Injuries To The Jews; And What Sanballat Did.
1. When Eliashib the high priest was dead, his son Judas succeeded in
the high priesthood; and when he was dead, his son John took that
dignity; on whose account it was also that Bagoses, the general of
another Artaxerxes's army, 22 polluted the temple, and imposed tributes
on the Jews, that out of the public stock, before they offered the daily
sacrifices, they should pay for every lamb fifty shekels. Now Jesus was
the brother of John, and was a friend of Bagoses, who had promised to
procure him the high priesthood. In confidence of whose support, Jesus
quarreled with John in the temple, and so provoked his brother, that in
his anger his brother slew him. Now it was a horrible thing for John,
when he was high priest, to perpetrate so great a crime, and so much the
more horrible, that there never was so cruel and impious a thing done,
neither by the Greeks nor Barbarians. However, God did not neglect its
punishment, but the people were on that very account enslaved, and the
temple was polluted by the Persians. Now when Bagoses, the general of
Artaxerxes's army, knew that John, the high priest of the Jews, had
slain his own brother Jesus in the temple, he came upon the Jews
immediately, and began in anger to say to them, "Have you had the
impudence to perpetrate a murder in your temple?" And as he was aiming
to go into the temple, they forbade him so to do; but he said to them,
"Am not I purer than he that was slain in the temple?" And when he had
said these words, he went into the temple. Accordingly, Bagoses made use
of this pretense, and punished the Jews seven years for the murder of
Jesus.
2. Now when John had departed this life, his son Jaddua succeeded in the
high priesthood. He had a brother, whose name was Manasseh. Now there
was one Sanballat, who was sent by Darius, the last king [of Persia],
into Samaria. He was a Cutheam by birth; of which stock were the
Samaritans also. This man knew that the city Jerusalem was a famous
city, and that their kings had given a great deal of trouble to the
Assyrians, and the people of Celesyria; so that he willingly gave his
daughter, whose name was Nicaso, in marriage to Manasseh, as thinking
this alliance by marriage would be a pledge and security that the nation
of the Jews should continue their good-will to him.
the high priesthood; and when he was dead, his son John took that
dignity; on whose account it was also that Bagoses, the general of
another Artaxerxes's army, 22 polluted the temple, and imposed tributes
on the Jews, that out of the public stock, before they offered the daily
sacrifices, they should pay for every lamb fifty shekels. Now Jesus was
the brother of John, and was a friend of Bagoses, who had promised to
procure him the high priesthood. In confidence of whose support, Jesus
quarreled with John in the temple, and so provoked his brother, that in
his anger his brother slew him. Now it was a horrible thing for John,
when he was high priest, to perpetrate so great a crime, and so much the
more horrible, that there never was so cruel and impious a thing done,
neither by the Greeks nor Barbarians. However, God did not neglect its
punishment, but the people were on that very account enslaved, and the
temple was polluted by the Persians. Now when Bagoses, the general of
Artaxerxes's army, knew that John, the high priest of the Jews, had
slain his own brother Jesus in the temple, he came upon the Jews
immediately, and began in anger to say to them, "Have you had the
impudence to perpetrate a murder in your temple?" And as he was aiming
to go into the temple, they forbade him so to do; but he said to them,
"Am not I purer than he that was slain in the temple?" And when he had
said these words, he went into the temple. Accordingly, Bagoses made use
of this pretense, and punished the Jews seven years for the murder of
Jesus.
2. Now when John had departed this life, his son Jaddua succeeded in the
high priesthood. He had a brother, whose name was Manasseh. Now there
was one Sanballat, who was sent by Darius, the last king [of Persia],
into Samaria. He was a Cutheam by birth; of which stock were the
Samaritans also. This man knew that the city Jerusalem was a famous
city, and that their kings had given a great deal of trouble to the
Assyrians, and the people of Celesyria; so that he willingly gave his
daughter, whose name was Nicaso, in marriage to Manasseh, as thinking
this alliance by marriage would be a pledge and security that the nation
of the Jews should continue their good-will to him.