Greeks, exulting in Nero's decision, were daily more and more insulting to the Jews. The latter had a synagogue, round which was an open space of ground which they wished to purchase. The owner refused to sell it, and built mean shops upon it, leaving only a narrow passage whereby the Jews could pass to their place of worship. One John, a publican, went to Floras, and begged him to interfere, offering at the same time a bribe of eight talents, an enormous sum, which shows that this was more than an ordinary squabble. Floras went away, leaving them to fight it out ; and the Greeks added fresh matter of wrath to the Jews by ostentatiously sacrificing birds in an earthen vase as they passed to the synagogue. The significance of this act Avas that the Greeks loved to tell how the Jews had been all expelled from Egypt, on account of their being leprous. Arms were taken up, and the Jews got the worst of the fray. They withdrew to a place some miles from the town, and sent John to Floras to ask for assistance. John ventured on a reminder about the eight talents, and was rewarded by being thrown into •prison. Then Floras went on to Jerusalem, where the wildest tumults raged in consequence of this affront to religion. Alarmed at the symptoms of revolt, he sent messengers beforehand to take seventeen talents out of the sacred treasury, on the ground that Caesar wanted them. Then the people ran to the Temple, and called upon Cassar by name, as if he could hear them, to rid them of this Floras. Some of them went about with baskets begging money for him as for a man in a destitute and miserable condition. The next day news came that Floras .was advancing to the city, and the people thought they had better go out and speak him fair. But he was not disposed to receive their · salutation,' and so sent on Capito, a centurion, with fifty soldiers, bidding them go back and not pretend to receive him as if they were delighted to see him among them again. And he rode into the city, the people being