Antiquities of the Jews — Book 18, Chapter 4

1. But the nation of the Samaritans did not escape without tumults. The
man who excited them to it was one who thought lying a thing of little
consequence, and who contrived every thing so that the multitude might
be pleased; so he bid them to get together upon Mount Gerizzim, which is
by them looked upon as the most holy of all mountains, and assured them,
that when they were come thither, he would show them those sacred
vessels which were laid under that place, because Moses put them there
12 So they came thither armed, and thought the discourse of the man
probable; and as they abode at a certain village, which was called
Tirathaba, they got the rest together to them, and desired to go up the
mountain in a great multitude together; but Pilate prevented their going
up, by seizing upon the roads with a great band of horsemen and foot-
men, who fell upon those that were gotten together in the village; and
when it came to an action, some of them they slew, and others of them
they put to flight, and took a great many alive, the principal of which,
and also the most potent of those that fled away, Pilate ordered to be
slain.

2. But when this tumult was appeased, the Samaritan senate sent an
embassy to Vitellius, a man that had been consul, and who was now
president of Syria, and accused Pilate of the murder of those that were
killed; for that they did not go to Tirathaba in order to revolt from
the Romans, but to escape the violence of Pilate. So Vitellius sent
Marcellus, a friend of his, to take care of the affairs of Judea, and
ordered Pilate to go to Rome, to answer before the emperor to the
accusations of the Jews. So Pilate, when he had tarried ten years in
Judea, made haste to Rome, and this in obedience to the orders of
Vitellius, which he durst not contradict; but before he could get to
Rome Tiberius was dead.

3. But Vitellius came into Judea, and went up to Jerusalem; it was at
the time of that festival which is called the Passover. Vitellius was
there magnificently received, and released the inhabitants of Jerusalem
from all the taxes upon the fruits that were bought and sold, and gave
them leave to have the care of the high priest's vestments, with all
their ornaments, and to have them under the custody of the priests in
the temple, which power they used to have formerly, although at this
time they were laid up in the tower of Antonia, the citadel so called,
and that on the occasion following: There was one of the [high] priests,
named Hyrcanus; and as there were many of that name, he was the first of
them; this man built a tower near the temple, and when he had so done,
he generally dwelt in it, and had these vestments with him, because it
was lawful for him alone to put them on, and he had them there reposited
when he went down into the city, and took his ordinary garments; the
same things were continued to be done by his sons, and by their sons
after them. But when Herod came to be king, he rebuilt this tower, which
was very conveniently situated, in a magnificent manner; and because he
was a friend to Antonius, he called it by the name of Antonia. And as he
found these vestments lying there, he retained them in the same place,
as believing, that while he had them in his custody, the people would
make no innovations against him. The like to what Herod did was done by
his son Archelaus, who was made king after him; after whom the Romans,
when they entered on the government, took possession of these vestments
of the high priest, and had them reposited in a stone-chamber, under the
seal of the priests, and of the keepers of the temple, the captain of
the guard lighting a lamp there every day; and seven days before a
festival 13 they were delivered to them by the captain of the guard,
when the high priest having purified them, and made use of them, laid
them up again in the same chamber where they had been laid up before,
and this the very next day after the feast was over. This was the
practice at the three yearly festivals, and on the fast day; but
Vitellius put those garments into our own power, as in the days of our
forefathers, and ordered the captain of the guard not to trouble himself
to inquire where they were laid, or when they were to be used; and this
he did as an act of kindness, to oblige the nation to him. Besides
which, he also deprived Joseph, who was also called Caiaphas, of the
high priesthood, and appointed Jonathan the son of Ananus, the former
high priest, to succeed him. After which, he took his journey back to
Antioch.

4. Moreover, Tiberius sent a letter to Vitellius, and commanded him to
make a league of friendship with Artabanus, the king of Parthia; for
while he was his enemy, he terrified him, because he had taken Armenia
away from him, lest he should proceed further, and told him he should no
otherwise trust him than upon his giving him hostages, and especially
his son Artabanus. Upon Tiberius's writing thus to Vitellius, by the
offer of great presents of money, he persuaded both the king of Iberia
and the king of Albania to make no delay, but to fight against
Artabanus; and although they would not do it themselves, yet did they
give the Scythians a passage through their country, and opened the
Caspian gates to them, and brought them upon Artabanus. So Armenia was
again taken from the Parthians, and the country of Parthia was filled
with war, and the principal of their men were slain, and all things were
in disorder among them: the king's son also himself fell in these wars,
together with many ten thousands of his army. Vitellius had also sent
such great sums of money to Artabanus's father's kinsmen and friends,
that he had almost procured him to be slain by the means of those bribes
which they had taken. And when Artabanus perceived that the plot laid
against him was not to be avoided, because it was laid by the principal
men, and those a great many in number, and that it would certainly take
effect,—when he had estimated the number of those that were truly
faithful to him, as also of those who were already corrupted, but were
deceitful in the kindness they professed to him, and were likely, upon
trial, to go over to his enemies, he made his escape to the upper
provinces, where he afterwards raised a great army out of the Dahae and
Sacre, and fought with his enemies, and retained his principality.

5. When Tiberius had heard of these things, he desired to have a league
of friendship made between him and Artabanus; and when, upon this
invitation, he received the proposal kindly, Artabanus and Vitellius
went to Euphrates, and as a bridge was laid over the river, they each of
them came with their guards about them, and met one another on the midst
of the bridge. And when they had agreed upon the terms of peace Herod,
the tetrarch erected a rich tent on the midst of the passage, and made
them a feast there. Artabanus also, not long afterward, sent his son
Darius as an hostage, with many presents, among which there was a man
seven cubits tall, a Jew he was by birth, and his name was Eleazar, who,
for his tallness, was called a giant. After which Vitellius went to
Antioch, and Artabanus to Babylon; but Herod [the tetrarch] being
desirous to give Cæsar the first information that they had obtained
hostages, sent posts with letters, wherein he had accurately described
all the particulars, and had left nothing for the consular Vitellius to
inform him of. But when Vitellius's letters were sent, and Cæsar had let
him know that he was acquainted with the affairs already, because Herod
had given him an account of them before, Vitellius was very much
troubled at it; and supposing that he had been thereby a greater
sufferer than he really was, he kept up a secret anger upon this
occasion, till he could be revenged on him, which he was after Caius had
taken the government.

6. About this time it was that Philip, Herod's brother, departed this
life, in the twentieth year of the reign of Tiberius, 14 after he had
been tetrarch of Trachonitis and Gaulanitis, and of the nation of the
Bataneans also, thirty-seven years. He had showed himself a person of
moderation and quietness in the conduct of his life and government; he
constantly lived in that country which was subject to him; he used to
make his progress with a few chosen friends; his tribunal also, on which
he sat in judgment, followed him in his progress; and when any one met
him who wanted his assistance, he made no delay, but had his tribunal
set down immediately, wheresoever he happened to be, and sat down upon
it, and heard his complaint: he there ordered the guilty that were
convicted to be punished, and absolved those that had been accused
unjustly. He died at Julias; and when he was carried to that monument
which he had already erected for himself beforehand, he was buried with
great pomp. His principality Tiberius took, [for he left no sons behind
him,] and added it to the province of Syria, but gave order that the
tributes which arose from it should be collected, and laid up in his
tetrachy.