the events that would cost cumanus his office began with the murder of one or more galilean pilgrims who had been travelling through samaria on their way to jerusalem. a galilean embassy asked cumanus to investigate but received little attention; josephus alleges that he had been bribed by the samaritans to turn a blind eye. the result was that a crowd of jews decided to take the law into their own hands. under the leadership of two zealots, eleazar and alexander, they invaded samaria and began a massacre. cumanus led most of his troops against the militants, killing many and taking others prisoner, and the jewish leaders from jerusalem were subsequently able to calm most of the others, but a state of guerrilla warfare persisted.