Jonathan (Cyrenian rebel)

Also known as: Jonathan · Family: Sicarii · Role: weaver and conspirator · First appears: Book VII, Chapter 11

Life events

• c. 72 · Jonathan’s unarmed followers were defeated, and Jonathan was captured after fleeing.(Book VII, Chapter 11 · 📍 Cyrene)
  • With: Catullus
  • “So he sent out after him both horsemen and footmen, and easily overcame them, because they were unarmed men; of these many were slain in the fight, but some were taken alive, and brought to Catullus. As for Jonathan, the head of this plot, he fled away at that time; but upon a great and very diligent search, which was made all the country over for him, he was at last taken.”
• c. 72 · Jonathan falsely accused the richest Jews to escape punishment, enabling Catullus’s persecution.(Book VII, Chapter 11)
  • With: Catullus
  • “for he falsely accused the richest men among the Jews, and said that they had put him upon what he did.”
• c. 72 · Catullus extended his false accusations against prominent Jews, including Josephus.(Book VII, Chapter 11 · 📍 Alexandria)
  • With: Josephus Catullus
  • “One of these, against whom this treacherous accusation was laid, was Josephus, the writer of these books.”
• c. 72 · Vespasian investigated and cleared the falsely accused Jews, then punished Jonathan.(Book VII, Chapter 11 · 📍 Rome)
  • With: Vespasian Titus Josephus
  • “And when he understood that the accusation laid against the Jews was an unjust one, he cleared them of the crimes charged upon them, and this on account of Titus's concern about the matter, and brought a deserved punishment upon Jonathan”
• c. 72 · Jonathan was tortured and burned alive as punishment for his false accusations.(Book VII, Chapter 11 · 📍 Rome)
  • “for he was first tormented, and then burnt alive.”

Book VII, Chapter 11

• enemies with Alexander (unresolved ch110) “He bid this Jonathan, therefore, to name one Alexander, a Jew [with whom he had formerly had a quarrel, and openly professed that he hated him]”
• with Catullus (interaction) “he did not only give a too easy belief to his stories, but he taught the Sicarii to accuse men falsely. He bid this Jonathan, therefore, to name one Alexander”
• with Catullus (interaction) “he devised a way whereby he both escaped punishment himself, and afforded an occasion to Catullus of doing much mischief; for he falsely accused the richest men among the Jews”
• with Alexander (unresolved ch110) (interaction) “for he falsely accused the richest men among the Jews, and said that they had put him upon what he did.”
• with Bernice (unresolved ch110) (Jonathan was persuaded to accuse Bernice along with Alexander.) “he also got him to name his wife Bernice, as concerned with him.”
• with Vespasian (interaction) “and brought a deserved punishment upon Jonathan; for he was first tormented, and then burnt alive.”

⭐ Constellation map → · 📖 Read the original → · 🗂 Character index → · 🕰 Chronicle → · 📍 Places →

Extracted from the original text of The Wars of the Jews; Or, The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem. Made with Rho MD.