But the occasion of the war was by no means proportioned to those heavy calamities that it brought upon us.  The fatal flame finally broke out from the old feud at Caesarea.  The decree of Nero had assigned the magistracy of that city to the Greeks.  It happened that the Jews had a synagogue, the ground around which belonged to a Greek.  For this spot the Jews offered a much higher price than it was worth.  It was refused, and to annoy them as much as possible, the owner set up some mean buildings and shops upon it, and so made the approach to the synagogue as narrow and difficult as possible.  The more impetuous of the Jewish youth interrupted the workmen.  Then the men of greater wealth and influence, and among them John, a publican, collected the large sum of eight talents, and sent it as a bribe to Florus, that he might stop the building.  He received the money, made great promises, and at once departed for Sebaste from Caesarea.  His object was to leave full scope for the riot.

On the following day, while the Jews were crowding to the synagogue, a citizen of Caesarea outraged them by oversetting an earthen vessel in the way, over which he sacrificed birds, as done by the law in cleansing lepers, and thus he implied that the Jews were a leprous people.  The more violent Jews, furious at the insult, attacked the Greeks, who were already in arms.  The Jews were worsted, took up the books of the law, and fled to Narbata, about seven miles distant.  John, the publican, and twelve men of eminence went to Samaria to Florus, implored his aid, and reminded him of the eight talents he had received.  He threw them into prison and demanded seventeen talents from the sacred treasury under pretence of Caesar’s necessities.  This injustice and oppression caused violent excitement in Jerusalem when the news reached that city.  The people assembled around the Temple with the loudest outcries; but it was the purpose of Florus to drive the people to insurrection, and he gave his soldiers orders to plunder the upper market and to put to death all whom they met.  Of men, women, and children there fell that day 3,600.

When Agrippa attempted to persuade the people to obey Florus till Caesar should send someone to succeed him, the more seditious cast reproaches on him, and got the king excluded from the city; nay, some had the impudence to fling stones at him.  At the same time they excited the people to go to war, and some laid siege to the Roman garrison in the Antonio; others made an assault on a certain fortress called Masada.  They took it by treachery, and slew the Romans.  One, Menahem, a Galilean, became leader of the sedition, and went to Masada and broke open Herod’s armoury, and gave arms not only to his own people, but to other robbers, also.  These he made use of for a bodyguard, and returned in state to Jerusalem, and gave orders to continue the siege of the Antonio.

The tower was undermined, and fell, and many soldiers were slain.  Next day the high-priest Ananias, and his brother Hezekiah, were slain by the robbers.  By these successes Menahem was puffed up and became barbarously cruel; but he was slain, as were also the captains under him, in an attack led on by Eleazar, a bold youth who was governor of the Temple.