Art not thou] rather, 'Thou art not then the Egyptian,' etc. Four thousand men] rather, the four thousand men of the Sicarii. The Sicarii (i.e. assassins) were the extreme members of the 'zealot' party. They carried out their 'national' policy by openly assassinating influential Jews supposed to be friendly to Rome. Josephus says, 'But an Egyptian false prophet did the Jews more mischief still. He got together 30,000 deluded ment whom he led round from the wilderness to the Mount of Olives, and intended to break into Jerusalem by force from that place. He said that at his command the walls of Jerusalem would fall down' ('War,'
2. 13. 5; 'Ant.'
20.8. 6). Felix dispersed them, but the Egyptian escaped.