386 KEEPERS OF THE HERD OF SWINE x 



in the use of the weapons of precision of science 

 may have its value in historical studies, if only in 

 preventing the occurrence of droll blunders in 

 geography. 



In the third citation (" Wars," IV. vii.) Josephus 

 tells us that Vespasian inarched against " Gadara/' 

 which he calls the metropolis of Peraea (it was 

 possibly the seat of a common festival of the 

 Decapolitan cities), and entered it, without oppo- 

 sition, the wealthy and powerful citizens having 

 opened negotiations with him without the know- 

 ledge of an opposite party, who, " as being inferior 

 in number to their enemies, who were within the 

 city, and seeing the Romans very near the city," 

 resolved to fly. Before doing so, however, they, 

 after a fashion unfortunately too common among 

 the Zealots, murdered and shockingly mutilated 

 Dolesus, a man of the first rank, who had pro- 

 moted the embassy to Vespasian ; and then " ran 

 out of the city." Hereupon, "the people of 

 Gadara " (surely not this time " Hebrews bound 

 by the Mosaic law ") received Vespasian with joy- 

 ful acclamations, voluntarily pulled down their 

 wall, so that the city could not in future be used 

 as a fortress by the Jews, and accepted a Roman 

 garrison for their future protection. Granting 

 that this Gadara really is the city of the 

 Gadarenes, the reference, without citation, to the 

 passage, in support of Mr. Gladstone's contention 

 seems rather remarkable. Taken in conjunction 



