First, he intimated that he desired to arrive at a formal agreement as to what proportion of the property, if recovered, would be handed over to him, the heir.

Then followed much haggling; but in the end it was agreed that as he had been robbed because his father was supposed to favour the Romans, the lands and a large dwelling with warehouse attached, at Tyre, together with one-half the back rents, if recoverable, should be given to the plaintiff.
The governor, or as he put it, Caesar, for his share was to retain the property in Jerusalem and the other half of the rents.

In this arrangement Caleb proved himself, as usual, prescient.

Houses, as he explained afterwards, could be burned or pulled down, but beyond the crops on it, land no man could injure.

Then, after the agreement had been duly signed and witnessed, he gave the names, bringing forward good testimony to prove all that he had said.
Within a week those Jews who had committed the theft, or their descendants, were in prison, whence they did not emerge till they had been stripped, not only of the stolen property, but of everything else that they possessed.