VII. JOHN of Giscala, the son of one Levi, and a native of Giscala in Galilee. He first of all defended the town of Giscala against the Romans during the last war which Vespasian waged against the Joseph. de Bello. l. 4. c. 4. p. 858. Græco κεφ. n.Jews. After the taking of this city, he came to Jerusalem, where he did abundance of mischief, and committed great violences, both in the Temple and the City. He pretended at first to embrace the Party of Ananus and the people, against the zealots or seditious, who were determined to carry on the war against the Romans.De Bello. l. 4. c. 5. κεφ. ιδ’ in Græco, p. 876. But he went privately, and discovered to the zealots what resolutions Ananus and the honest men of his party had taken, for the preservation of the Commonwealth. He had the art of getting so far into their confidence, that they deputed him to the zealots, who were masters of the Temple, to mediate an accommodation between them. But instead of inclining them to peaceable measures, he advised them to send for the Idumæans to their assistance against Ananus and those in his interest. The Idumæans entered Joseph. de Bello. l. 4. c. 7.the City and the Temple, and after they had put to death Ananus, and some other principal persons of the City, they returned to their own home, loaded with Spoil which they had taken in Jerusalem.
In the mean time the zealots were divided. John of Giscala had a powerful party amongst them; Eleazar the son of Simon had another. The latter observing that he was not the strongest, sent for SimonJoseph. de Bello. l. 6. c. 1. p. 904. De Bello. l. 7. seu 45 in Græco, p. 969. the son of Gioras, who was at the head of a troop of Banditti, who kept the field. Such was the condition of Jerusalem, when Titus laid siege to it, in the year of J. C. 70. Eleazar was master of the inner Temple; John of Giscala had possession of the outer parts and porches of the Temple; and Simon the son of Gioras was master of the upper City, and part of the lower. In this manner John was placed, as it were, between two fires, having Eleazar to resist on one side, and Simon on the other. These three parties, how much soever they were enemies to one another, united when they were to engage the Romans; and when the battle was over, began again to destroy one another. At the end of the siege, when the city was taken, John of Giscala made his escape, and got into a common sewer, where he continued some days: but being De Bello. l. 4.discovered and brought to Titus, he was condemned to perpetual imprisonment. This was too light a punishment for one, who had been polluted with so many crimes, and was the principal cause, as Josephus remarks, of the ruin of his country.