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BANDITS IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE
58 Horsley, ‘Ancient Jewish Banditry’ (n. 10), 430–2, esp. 430: ‘Like Pancho Villa,
John of Gischala, the other principal leader of the insurgents in Jerusalem besides
Simon bar Giora, had gotten his start in banditry.’ Cf. Horsley, ‘Josephus and the
Bandits’ (n. 10), 59:
The final example of social banditry to be discussed, that of John, son of
Levi ( John of Gischala; War 2,585ff.; Life 71ff.), also illustrates how, in
the circumstances of open rebellion, a local brigand could rise to become
one of the principal leaders of the national revolt.
59 U. Rappaport, ‘John of Gischala. From Galilee to Jerusalem’, in Vermes and Neusner,
Essays in Honour of Yigael Yadin (n. 20), 479–93.
60 Jos. Vita 10 (43).
61 Rappaport, ‘John of Gischala’ (n. 59), 479f.
62 Jos. Bell. Iud. 2.20.6 (575).
63 Jos. Bell. Iud. 2.21.1 (585–8); 4.2.1 (85).
64 Jos. Bell. Iud. 2.21.1 (585). Given the poverty and greed that were supposed to be
behind his unscrupulous political ambition, John the leistes might, just like Catiline
the latro, have become an object lesson of moral teaching: cf., for example, Q. Cic.
Comm. Pet. 8. Cic. Cat. 1.27; 2.8; 2.18; 2.24. Sall. Cat. 5.7.
65 Jos. Bell. Iud. 4.3.13 (213).
66 Jos. Bell. Iud. 2.21.1 (587).
67 Goodman, Ruling Class (n. 3), 201f.
68 Ibid.
69 Baumbach, ‘Zeloten und Sikarier’ (n. 22), 731, deduces from the two accounts that
John belonged to the old landed aristocracy, which had become impoverished as a
result of the Hellenistic economic reforms. This would explain his hostility to
things Roman, which were equated with those Hellenistic. In this sense see Horsley,
‘Ancient Jewish Banditry’ (n. 10), 431: ‘he may have stemmed from a notable
family now impoverished.’
70 Jos. Bell. Iud. 2.21.1 (587–9).
71 Jos. Vita 10 (43).
72 Jos. Bell. Iud. 2.21.3 (595ff.).
73 On the period of composition of the Vita (just before ad 100) see Schürer, History
(n. 1), 54; 481.
74 Jos. Vita 13 (71–5).
75 Jos. Vita 13 (70).
76 Jos. Bell. Iud. 2.21.2 (591f.).
77 Jos. Bell. Iud. 2.21.3–5 (595ff.).
78 Jos. Bell. Iud. 2.21.2 (594).
79 Cf. Jos. Bell. Iud. 2.21.7 (627).
80 E.g., Jos. Bell. Iud. 2.21.3– 4 (595–609).
81 Jos. Bell. Iud. 2.21.7 (627).
82 Jos. Bell. Iud. 2.21.8–10 (632ff.).
83 Jos. Bell. Iud. 4.2.1f. (84ff.). On these events see Rappaport, ‘John of Gischala’
(n. 59), 482–5.
84 Jos. Bell. Iud. 4.2.3 (103).
85 Jos. Bell. Iud. 4.2.4 (106f.). Cf. Rappaport, ‘John of Gischala’ (n. 59), 485f.
86 Jos. Bell. Iud. 4.2.5 (115).
87 Jos. Bell. Iud. 4.3.1ff. (121ff.).
88 Jos. Bell. Iud. 4.3.9 (160f.). Cf. Rappaport, ‘John of Gischala’ (n. 59), 487ff.
89 Jos. Bell. Iud. 4.3.13f. (209ff.).
90 Jos. Bell. Iud. 4.7.1 (390).
91 Jos. Bell. Iud. 4.9.10 (559), for ad 68.
92 Jos. Bell. Iud. 4.9.11f. (566ff.).
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