Which 'Josephus' is Closer to the Original? Pseudo-Hegesippus Book 4 Chapter 16 or Bellum Judaicum Book 4 Chapter 8?

We continue with our side by side comparison of the parallel narrative in Pseudo-Hegesippus and Jewish War already having established that Pseudo-Hegesippus is NOT a summary of Jewish War but two related but ultimately separate textual ancestors of a lost second century grandfather MS. The next section in Pseudo-Hegesippus reads:

Vespasian however was waiting for the time of the battle by which the chief city of the whole of Judaea would be attacked. In the midst of this to him occupied with the things entrusted to him news of an uprising from regions of Gaul found its way, that certain powerful men of the Roman military service had revolted from Nero. Which having become known, wishing to mitigate internal wars and the danger to the interests of the entire Roman empire, the disorder of the wars in the East having been reduced, alarmed by news of following events, in order to check or restrain all of Italy, as soon as the rigors of winter were moderated by the beginning of spring, with the greater part of the army he moved away from Caesarea. The state called by the name of Antipater received him. Proceeding from that place he burned villages, killed those whom he had found hostile, and he especially ravaged whatever neighbors to the Idumaeans he came upon, because an unquiet race of men would be a friend to wars rather than to peace and tranquillity. Seizing too two villages Legarim and Caphartoris of Idumaea and their inhabitants he overthrew them with great slaughter. Indeed more than ten thousands of men having been killed, he carried off a thousand captives, he drove out the remaining population, in order that he should station there a band of his own, because the mountainous places of this region were disturbed by brigandage. He himself with the army fell upon Amathun again, which takes the name from the hot waters, [p. 266] because the steam of the waters is said to be called Amathus in the speech of Syria. It is therefore called Thermae in Greek because it has hot springs within its walls. Next through Samaria near to Neapolis he hastened to Jericho, where Trajan driving a great band from those located beyond the Jordan at Perea, conquered peoples of the region, who had come back into Roman control, met him. And so at the news of the arriving Roman army, most from the city of Jericho, because they thought it unsafe, took themselves into the mountains of the region of Jerusalem. The entire crowd of those remaining was destroyed. For it was not difficult for the city to be captured quickly, which was not supported by natural defences and had been abandoned and deserted by its scattering inhabitants. The city was established on a plain, which a wide mountain bare of vegetation overhung. For it stretched out northwards all the way to the region of the city of Scythopolis, and was considered extended from the southern part all the way to the Sodomitana region and the Asphaltius boundaries. Moreover a diseased and barren soil and therefore deserted by inhabitants, because it was without any benefit to farmers because of its natural sterility. Opposite to this above the Jordan (is) a mountain whose beginning arises from Iuliade and northern parts. It stretches forth to the south all the way to Arabian Sebarus which is neighboring to Petra, where indeed the mountain by the usage of the ancients is called Ferreus. A plain lies between these two mountains, which an account of its size, which stretches out into a great space, the inhabitants by ancient usage called Magnus. Whose length is two hundred thirty stadia, its width one hundred twenty, its beginning from the village Genuabaris, its end all the way to the Dead Sea. The Jordan intersects it in the middle of the plain, not only inoffensive but also annexed with thanks for the green banks from the flooding of the river and from the succeeding Asphaltio and the Tiberiadis of a single source, and each lake of a separate quality. For the taste of the water of one is salt and its use unproductive, of the Tiberiadis sweet and fruitful. Truly in the days of summer an immoderate emanation boils up through the extent of the plain, whence from the increasing fault of excessive dryness and the dry earth the bad air brings about deplorable sicknesses for the inhabitants. For all things are dry except for the borders of the river. Finally at great distances even the fruit of trees grows worse, indeed the supply is more abundant and the fruit of palm trees more copious, that is produced above the banks of the river Jordan, another is far more meager.[Pseudo-Hegesippus 4.16]

The parallel narrative in Jewish War reads:

In the mean time, an account came that there were commotions in Gall, and that Vindex, together with the men of power in that country, had revolted from Nero; which affair is more accurately described elsewhere. This report, thus related to Vespasian, excited him to go on briskly with the war; for he foresaw already the civil wars which were coming upon them, nay, that the very government was in danger; and he thought, if he could first reduce the eastern parts of the empire to peace, he should make the fears for Italy the lighter; while therefore the winter was his hinderance [from going into the field], he put garrisons into the villages and smaller cities for their security; he put decurions also into the villages, and centurions into the cities: he besides this rebuilt many of the cities that had been laid waste; but at the beginning of the spring he took the greatest part of his army, and led it from Cesarea to Antipatris, where he spent two days in settling the affairs of that city, and then, on the third day, he marched on, laying waste and burning all the neighboring villages. And when he had laid waste all the places about the toparchy of Thamnas, he passed on to Lydda and Jamnia; and when both these cities had come over to him, he placed a great many of those that had come over to him [from other places] as inhabitants therein, and then came to Emmaus, where he seized upon the passage which led thence to their metropolis, and fortified his camp, and leaving the fifth legion therein, he came to the toparchy of Bethletephon. He then destroyed that place, and the neighboring places, by fire, and fortified, at proper places, the strong holds all about Idumea; and when he had seized upon two villages, which were in the very midst of Idumea, Betaris and Caphartobas, he slew above ten thousand of the people, and carried into captivity above a thousand, and drove away the rest of the multitude, and placed no small part of his own forces in them, who overran and laid waste the whole mountainous country; while he, with the rest of his forces, returned to Emmaus, whence he came down through the country of Samaria, and hard by the city, by others called Neapoils, (or Sichem,) but by the people of that country Mabortha, to Corea, where he pitched his camp, on the second day of the month Desius [Sivan]; and on the day following he came to Jericho; on which day Trajan, one of his commanders, joined him with the forces he brought out of Perea, all the places beyond Jordan being subdued already.

Hereupon a great multitude prevented their approach, and came out of Jericho, and fled to those mountainous parts that lay over against Jerusalem, while that part which was left behind was in a great measure destroyed; they also found the city desolate. It is situated in a plain; but a naked and barren mountain, of a very great length, hangs over it, which extends itself to the land about Scythopolis northward, but as far as the country of Sodom, and the utmost limits of the lake Asphaltiris, southward. This mountain is all of it very uneven and uninhabited, by reason of its barrenness: there is an opposite mountain that is situated over against it, on the other side of Jordan; this last begins at Julias, and the northern quarters, and extends itself southward as far as Somorrhon, which is the bounds of Petra, in Arabia. In this ridge of mountains there is one called the Iron Mountain, that runs in length as far as Moab. Now the region that lies in the middle between these ridges of mountains is called the Great Plain; it reaches from the village Ginnabris, as far as the lake Asphaltitis; its length is two hundred and thirty furlongs, and its breadth a hundred and twenty, and it is divided in the midst by Jordan. It hath two lakes in it, that of Asphaltitis, and that of Tiberias, whose natures are opposite to each other; for the former is salt and unfruitful, but that of Tiberias is sweet and fruitful. This plain is much burnt up in summer time, and, by reason of the extraordinary heat, contains a very unwholesome air; it is all destitute of water excepting the river Jordan, which water of Jordan is the occasion why those plantations of palm trees that are near its banks are more flourishing, and much more fruitful, as are those that are remote from it not so flourishing, or fruitful. [Jewish War 4.8.1,2]

Pseudo-Hegesippus says that Vespasian went "from Caesarea [to] the state called by the name of Antipater" with no specific reference to the number of days that he stayed there. In Jewish War he said to have gone from Cesarea to Antipatris and stayed there two days. 

In Pseudo-Hegesippus and Jewish War we have the subsequent mention of his burning various villages but the order and names are completely different. Pseudo-Hegesippus begins with the mention that Vespasian (a) "especially ravaged whatever neighbors to the Idumaeans he came upon, because an unquiet race of men would be a friend to wars rather than to peace and tranquillity (b) two villages Legarim and Caphartoris of Idumaea and their inhabitants he overthrew them with great slaughter (c) killed "more than 10000 of men" and "carried off 1000 captives, he drove out the remaining population" (d) stationed soldiers there and then finally (e) fell upon the hot springs of Amathun (f) went through Samaria near to Neapolis until (g) he hastened to Jericho, where Trajan driving a great band from those located beyond the Jordan at Perea.

Jewish War by contrast says after the reference to the burning of villages that (a) he laid waste all the places about the toparchy of Thamnas (b) he passed on to Lydda and Jamnia (c) he placed a great many refugees therein (d) he then came to Emmaus (e) left the fifth legion therein (f) he came to the toparchy of Bethletephon razing it and the environ (g) seized the two Idumaean villages of Betaris and Caphartobas killing 10000 and taking captive 1000 driving away the multitude (h) he returned to Emmaus (i) he came down through the country of Samaria and went by Neapoils/Sichem(j) went to Corea and (k) on the day following he came to Jericho; on which day Trajan, one of his commanders, joined him with the forces he brought out of Perea, all the places beyond Jordan being subdued already.

Once again, it cannot be argued that Pseudo-Hegessipus is a 'summary' of Jewish War. They represent two separate but related traditions.

In the next section of Pseudo-Hegesippus we read that the plain on which Jericho was established "stretched out northwards all the way to the region of the city of Scythopolis, and was considered extended from the southern part all the way to the Sodomitana region and the Asphaltius boundaries." Jewish War concludes with the words "Scythopolis northward, but as far as the country of Sodom, and the utmost limits of the lake Asphaltiris." Where Pseudo-Hegesippus also references "a mountain whose beginning arises from Iuliade and northern parts [which] stretches forth to the south all the way to Arabian Sebarus which is neighboring to Petra, where indeed the mountain by the usage of the ancients is called Ferreus" Jewish War speaks of"an opposite mountain that is situated over against it, on the other side of Jordan; this last begins at Julias, and the northern quarters, and extends itself southward as far as Somorrhon, (or 'Gomorrah') which is the bounds of Petra, in Arabia." The reference to 'Sodom' and 'Gomorrah' in Jewish War develops from the imagination of a later editor. 

We continue with Pseudo-Hegesippus saying that "a plain lies between these two mountains, which an account of its size, which stretches out into a great space, the inhabitants by ancient usage called Magnus."Jewish War by contrast says that within a "ridge of mountains there is one called the Iron Mountain, that runs in length as far as Moab" wherein lies "the Great Plain; it reaches from the village Ginnabris, as far as the lake Asphaltitis." The measurement of this plain is the same in either case - i.e. "length is two hundred and thirty furlongs, and its breadth a hundred and twenty, and it is divided in the midst by Jordan." However Pseudo-Hegesippus adds the detail that "its beginning from the village Genuabaris, its end all the way to the Dead Sea."

As I have noted many times here it is misleading to say that one text is 'fuller' than the other. They each represent separate lines of transmission of the original second century narrative.

Moreover as I noted in a previous post the original author is actually drawing from Pliny's description of Judea. The more I look at these topographical descriptions which come up from time to time in the Josephan corpus the more I am convinced that they result from little more than our second century editor - who likely never set foot in Palestine - stealing passages from authors like Pliny. 

Another example to add to the last notation on the appropriation of Pliny's dimensions of Lake Tiberias. 

Pseudo-Hegesippus - "... next through Samaria near to Neapolis ..." 

Jewish War - he went "through the country of Samaria, and hard by the city, by others called Neapoils, (or Sichem) but by the people of that country Mabortha"

But the original source is Pliny " ... but within-lands are the towns of Samaria and Neapolis which formerly was called Marmortha [or Maxbota]" [Natural Science V.13]

And it isn't just this one description or the dimensions of Lake Tiberias. One gets the distinct sense that our imaginative second century compiler of this υπομνηματα ιστορικά is just layering this last narrative on top of Pliny's description of the physical topography of the region. 

For instance Pseudo-Hegesippus's preservation of the Jordan's relationship with the two lakes:

The Jordan intersects it in the middle of the plain, not only inoffensive but also annexed with thanks for the green banks from the flooding of the river and from the succeeding Asphaltio and the Tiberiadis of a single source, and each lake of a separate quality. For the taste of the water of one is salt and its use unproductive, of the Tiberiadis sweet and fruitful.

And Jewish War::

It hath two lakes in it, that of Asphaltitis, and that of Tiberias, whose natures are opposite to each other; for the former is salt and unfruitful, but that of Tiberias is sweet and fruitful.

Both certainly derive from a text of an original author who clearly had Pliny's description in mind:

The River Jordan springs from the Fountain Paneades ... It is a pleasant River, and so far as the situation of the country will permit, spacious, offering itself to the neighbouring Inhabitants; and reluctantly, as it were, it passeth to the Lake Asphaltites, cursed by Nature : by which it is swallowed up ; it loseth its own esteemed waters, by their becoming mixed with those of the Pestilential Lake. And therefore upon the first opportunity of any Valleys, it poureth itself into a Lake [Tiberias] ... a healthful place [ibid]

I am not of course saying that Pliny was the ONLY source that the second century editor used. After all this was a υπομνηματα written in the name of Josephus which drew from a number of sources. Yet Pliny was certainly one of them.

Of course the million dollar question should be - why would Josephus, a general who must have had intimate knowledge of the topography of the region, need to copy Pliny's description of something as basic as the name of Samaria and Neapolis, or the relationship of the Jordan to the two lakes?