The Jewish War, fit the fifth, concluding Book II

In II.20, we learn that "almost all of" the wives of the people of Damascus had converted to Judaism; as all too often in War, the context in which we learn it is not pleasant:

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With the Romans temporarily driven from the land, Josephus is appointed governor of Galilee, where he first encounters John of Gischala, "the most unprincipled trickster that ever won ill fame by such vicious habits" [Williamson]. After John has tried to induce towns to revolt against Josephus, and came within a squeak of assassinating him (Josephus only escaped by taking a flying leap onto a boat and making for the centre of Lake Tiberias), he tried to get the authorities in Jerusalem to impeach Josephus. Josephus ignores the impeachment attempt, and retakes the towns that go over to the other side, but then Tiberias revolted again, calling in King Agrippa and being taken by Roman cavalry.

Josephus is at the time in Tarichaeae, and has no soldiers with him, having sent them all out in search of food; but he still manages to retake the city through an amazing tactic:

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