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[556]
And now, as soon as Simon had set his wife free, and recovered her
from the zealots, he returned back to the remainders of Idumea, and driving
the nation all before him from all quarters, he compelled a great number
of them to retire to Jerusalem; he followed them himself also to the city,
and encompassed the wall all round again; and when he lighted upon any
laborers that were coming thither out of the country, he slew them. Now
this Simon, who was without the wall, was a greater terror to the people
than the Romans themselves, as were the zealots who were within it more
heavy upon them than both of the other; and during this time did the mischievous
contrivances and courage [of John] corrupt the body of the Galileans; for
these Galileans had advanced this John, and made him very potent, who made
them suitable requital from the authority he had obtained by their means;
for he permitted them to do all things that any of them desired to do,
while their inclination to plunder was insatiable, as was their zeal in
searching the houses of the rich; and for the murdering of the men, and
abusing of the women, it was sport to them. They also devoured what spoils
they had taken, together with their blood, and indulged themselves in feminine
wantonness, without any disturbance, till they were satiated therewith;
while they decked their hair, and put on women's garments, and were besmeared
over with ointments; and that they might appear very comely, they had paints
under their eyes, and imitated not only the ornaments, but also the lusts
of women, and were guilty of such intolerable uncleanness, that they invented
unlawful pleasures of that sort. And thus did they roll themselves up and
down the city, as in a brothel-house, and defiled it entirely with their
impure actions; nay, while their faces looked like the faces of women,
they killed with their right hands; and when their gait was effeminate,
they presently attacked men, and became warriors, and drew their swords
from under their finely dyed cloaks, and ran every body through whom they
alighted upon. However, Simon waited for such as ran away from John, and
was the more bloody of the two; and he who had escaped the tyrant within
the wall was destroyed by the other that lay before the gates, so that
all attempts of flying and deserting to the Romans were cut off, as to
those that had a mind so to do.
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