Brigandage, impostures, and assassinations were now rife. High-priests and priests quarrelled for their share of the tithes, and acts of violence en sued, which were referred to Rome. Jerusalem was infested with a banditti (Sicarii), who cloaked their murders and robberies with a pretended veal for Jewish interests. Felix aggravated rather than repressed these disorders, exercising his almost un limited powers for the gratification of his own cupidity and malice with a mean and servile dispo sition [TAciTus]. He was superseded by Porcius Festus, A.D. 6o.
The troubles continued. Agrippa gave great offence by erecting in the palace of the Herods a chamber at such an elevation that he could see from it what took place in the courts of the Temple The priests in their turn built a wall which shut out the view, not only from him, but from the station at which the Romans kept guard at the great festivals. This dispute was referred to Nero, who decided in favour of the priests, through the influence of Poppa, but Agrippa deprived the high-priest of his office, and he was afterwards be headed at Cyrene. Festus died in 61 or 62, and Albinus was appointed to succeed him, but before his arrival at Jerusalem Annas the high-priest had summoned the Sanhedrim and condemned to death St. James and other Christians. On this Agrippa deposed Annas, and appointed Jesus, son of Dam neus, in his place.
Albinus busied himself in putting down the ban ditti, but was too ready to accept ransom from those whom he got into his power, while Jesus, son of Damneus, who in his turn was deposed from the high-priesthood ; Jesus, son of Gamaliel, the new high-priest ; and Annas, the former one, had each his party of banditti at command. The quarrel about tithes continued, and a new subject of discussion arose among the priests from a per mission granted by Agrippa to the Levites to wear, for the first time, a distinctive dress. Things were in this state of ferment when 18,000 workmen were put out of employment by the completion of the repairs of the Temple.
The appointment of Gessius Floras to succeed Albinus brought matters to a crisis. His cruelty and rapacity, and the impunity enjoyed by plun derers who were willing to give him a share of their spoils, were intolerable, and produced a representa tion to Cestius Gallus, the governor of Syria, which Florus treated with contempt. He sent from Cxsarea to demand seventeen talents out of the treasury of the Temple, and when a large body of the people came to meet him as he approached Jeru salem, he not only put them to flight, but the next day insisted that they should be given up to him for punishment, and, when this was refused, he com manded a general pillage and massacre by his soldiers. A few days afterwards he provoked a
fresh outrage and inflicted fresh vengeance. But he failed in his object of penetrating into the Temple for plunder, as the Jews, by breaking down the cloisters of the Temple, interrupted the passage of communication between it and the Antonia Tower. Three thousand six hundred persons were slaugh tered on this occasion, and the cruelty of the pun ishments which he inflicted on the noblest of the Jewish citizens drew Bernice from the palace of the Asmonans to plead for them in vain with prayers and tears and bare feet at his tribunal.
After Floras had returned to Cxsarea, Agrippa visited Jerusalem, hoping to quiet the people, and he prevailed on them to restore the communication between the Antonia and the Temple, and to pay their arrears of tribute ; but on his proposing that they should submit themselves to Florus till an other procurator was appointed, they were filled with fury, and treated him with such violence that he was obliged to leave the city. Scarcely was he gone, when Eleazar the son of Ananias the high priest, who was at that time captain of the Temple, raised the standard of revolt by refusing to offer the customary sacrifice for the emperor and the Roman people. Immediate notice of this bold act was given to Agrippa and to Florus by the more aged and wiser citizens, that they might stifle the sedition at its birth. Florus paid no attention to the message, but Agrippa sent 3000 horse, who, acting with those who wished to preserve peace, held possession of the upper town while Eleazar and his adherents, among whom was a large body of bandits who had returned to Jerusalem after sur prising and murdering the Roman garrison at Masada on the Dead Sea, occupied the Temple and the lower town. For seven days there was a fierce contest, which ended in the triumph of the rebels. The house of the high-priest and the palace of Agrippa and Bernice were set on fire. Fire NN'a S also carried to the Chamber of Archives to gain the debtors to their side by destroying the evi dences of their debts. Another three days' struggle ended in the burning of the Antonia, and the slaughtering of the small Roman garrison (Septem ber 6, A. D. 66). Herod's palace was next taken, and there the high-priest Annas was found and slain, while the Roman soldiers who had kept it first took refuge in the three great towers, and afterwards, on their surrender, were put to the sword.