'taking for his colleague Sallust, præfect of the Gauls, entered for the fourth time on that high office and although he was not without a solicitous concern for futurity, considering the various events which this year was likely to produce, he carried on his preparations for the war with the utmost diligence. And still enlarging his views, and being desirous to perpetuate the memory of his reign by some great works, be resolved to rebuild at a vast expense the magnificent temple at Jerusalem; which after a long and obstinate siege, begun by Vespasian, and carried on by Titus, had been with great difficulty 'taken and destroyed. The conduct of this affair was committed by him to Alypius of Antioch, who formerly had 'been lieutenant in Britain, with orders to forward it as 'much as possible. When therefore Alypius had set himself to the work with the greatest resolution, and was ' also assisted by the governor of the province, frightful balls of fire broke out near the foundations: and those eruptions 'being repeated, they rendered the place inaccessible to the workmen, who were scorched and burnt several times before they left off. But the element continuing to repel them, the enterprise was laid aside.'

So writes Ammianus: according to whom, therefore, this attempt was made in the beginning of the year 363, when Julian was setting out from Antioch on his Persian expedition.

6

S

So likewise says' Socrates, whom I shall allege next. Having mentioned Julian's conference with the Jews, who told him, that they could sacrifice no where but at Jerusalem, he says, Julian immediately gave orders for rebuilding 'Solomon's temple: and then he went away against the • Persians. But the Jews, who had long been desirous to see the temple rebuilt, set about the work with great diligence And as the emperor had directed that the expense should be borne out of the public treasury, materials solicitâ mente præcipiens, multiplicatos expeditionis apparatus flagranti studio perurgeret; diligentiam tamen ubique dividens, imperiique sui memoriam magnitudine operum gestiens propagare, ambitiosum quondam apud Hierosolymas templum, quod post multa et interneciva certamina, obsidente Vespasiano, posteaque Tito, ægre est expugnatum, instaurare sumtibus cogitabat immodicis: negotiumque maturandum Alypio dedit Antiochensi, qui olimn Britannias curaverat pro præfectis. Cum itaque rei idem fortiter instaret Alypius, juvaretque provinciæ rector, metuendi globi flammarum prope fundamenta crebis assultibus erumpentes, fecere locum, exustis aliquoties operantibus, inaccessum. Hocque modo elemento destinatius repellente, cessavit inceptum. Ammian. Marcel. 1. 23. cap. 1. • L. iii. cap. 20.

S

κελευει ταχος κτίζεσθαι τον Σολομωνος ναον. ηλαυνε. Ib. p. 192. D. .

Και αυτος επι Πέρσας

6

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were soon provided; timber, stones, burnt-brick, clay, lime, and all other things needful for a building. At that 'time Cyril, bishop of Jerusalem, mindful of the prophecy ' of Daniel, and of what Christ had said in the gospels, pre'dicted before many people, that the time was now come, 'that one stone would not be left upon another in that temple, and our Saviour's word would" be fulfilled. So said that bishop. And in the night there was an earthquake, which tore up the stones of the old foundations, and dis'persed them, with the adjacent edifices: and by that acci'dent the Jews were much terrified; and the fame of it brought many to the place from distant parts. When therefore many were gathered together, another prodigy happened; for there came down from heaven a fire which consumed all the workmen's tools: and you might see mallets, irons for polishing stones, saws, axes, spades, and • all such instruments which are made use of in building, consumed by the flames: the fire preyed upon these things for a whole day together. The Jews thereupon being terrified, acknowledged, though unwillingly, Christ to be God. However, they obeyed not his will, but still ⚫ remained prepossessed in favour of judaism. Nor did the third miracle, which afterwards happened, induce them to 'the belief of the truth: for in the night following, radiant marks of the cross were impressed on their garments. When they saw them the next day they endeavoured to

6

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• Πολλοις τε προελεγον, ὡς αρα νυν ἧκει ὁ καιρος, ότε λιθος επι λιθον εκ αν μενοι εις τον ναον, αλλα το τε Σωτηρος λογιον πληρωθησεται. p. 193. Β.

u

" It is very absurd for any christians to talk in that manner. Christ's words had been fulfilled almost 300 years before that time. Matt. xxiv. 34. "Verily, I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled." And so it came to pass, as we know from Josephus and others. There is, in my opinion, a much better sense in Rufinus. Cyril was then bishop of Je ́rusalem; and when the Jews were about to lay the foundations of a new temple, he, considering the prophecies of Daniel, and the words of our 'Lord recorded in the gospels, confidently asserted, that it could not be, that ← the Jews should be able to lay there one stone upon another.' His words are these Cyrillus post maximum confessorem Hierosolymis episcopus habebatur. Apertis igitur fundamentis, calce cæinentoque adhibitis, nihil omnino deerat, quin die posterâ veteribus deturbatis, nova jacerent fundamenta; cum tamen episcopus, diligenti consideratione habitâ, vel ex illis quæ in Danielis prophetiâ de temporibus legerat, vel quæ in evangeliis Dominus prædixerat, persisteret, nullo genere fieri posse, ut ibi a Judæis lapis super lapidem poneretur. Rufin. 1. i. cap. 37. So writes Rufinus. And, perhaps, the sense which we have in Socrates's History is owing to his misinterpretation of Rufinus, and not rightly understanding him; for I suppose that Socrates here borrowed from Rufinus. However, undoubtedly the learned reader will consult the Annotations of Valesius upon Socrates.

VOL. VII.

2 R

'rub and wash them out, but in vain: to so great a degree were they blinded.'

W

X

The same story is told at length by Sozomen," Theodoret, Philostorgius, and other christian writers, though with somewhat different circumstances. Theodoret in particular tells us, it was said, that upon this occasion the Jews had shovels, mallets, and baskets, made of silver.

Some Jewish writers also have been alleged as bearing testimony to this event: I shall also allege them here as cited by Wagenseil, to whom divers learned men have referred.

That is the history of this affair, which is generally credited; and indeed it seems hard to deny or dispute the truth of a relation, attested by several contemporaries, beside many others who lived not very long after them. Accordingly the truth of this history is maintained by Fabricius, a Witsius, the learned and laborious Dr. Warburton, now bishop of Gloucester, and others, men of the highest reputation in the republic of letters.

b

v Soz. 1. v. cap. 22.

X

* Philost. 1. vii. sect. 9. p. 566.

Z

с

5 Φασι δε αυτες και σκαπανας Ut supra, p. 142. C.

εξ όλε αργυρό και αμας και κοφινος, κατασκευασαι. Equidem aut valde fallor, aut, non sine peculiari curâ numinis factum est, ut ipsi adeo Judæi suis monumentis historiam inseruerint, quanquam non bonâ omnes fide. R. David Gansius enim animadvertisse videtur, quantopere isthæc suæ genti incommodent: ideo veritatem malitiosissimæ adulteravit. Nam, etsi negare non audet, Deo sic disponente, Judæos in .estaurando templo fuisse impeditos, tamen genuinam rationem modumque, quibus id factum est, nequitur dissimulat, et solam Juliani mortem Judæos ædificantes sufflamine strinxisse, ex suo ingenio confinxit. Ejus verba sunt-Julianus Cæsar præcepit, ut restitueretur templum sanctissimum magno cum decore et pulchritudine; huicque rei ipse sumtus suppeditavit. Verum cœlitus impedi'mentum injectum est, ne perficeretur fabrica. Nam Cæsar in bello Persico periit.' Atenim non opus est, ut operose probem verum certumque esse, Judæos ante cessâsse ab opere, quam Julianus postremam expeditionem adversus Persas, quæ ei exitium attulit, suscepisset. Sufficit coram huc adducere R. Geddalium, qui--candide narrationem instituit, et sine fuco In diebus • R. Channan, et sociorum ejus, anno circiter orbis conditi 4349, memorant ‹ libri annalium, magnum in orbe universo fuisse terræ motum, collapsumque esse templum, quod struxerunt Judæi Hierosolymis, præcepto Juliani Apos'tatæ, impensis maximis. Postridie ejus die (quo mota fuit terra) de cœlo ignis multus cecidit, ita ut omnia ferramenta illius ædificii liquescerent, et 'amburerentur Judæi multi, atque adeo innumerabiles.' Wagenselii Carmin. Lipmanni. Confutatio, p. 231, 232. a Bib. Gr. T. vii. p. 76. &c. Lux Evangelii, cap. vi. p. 120. &c. b Miscellanea Sacra, Tom. ii. p. 374, &c. © Julian, &c. It is a handsome octavo of 320 pages, beside an Introduction. The late Mr. Mosheim, who had seen the first edition of that work, seems to have thought his lordship had overdone it. His words are: Nuper ex instituto, sed interdum ingeniosius, quam necesse erat, pro veritate miraculi disputavit Guil. Warburton. Julian, or a Discourse, &c. Lond. 1750. in 8vo. Moshem. Instit. H. E. p. 148.

Basnage made some objections to the truth of this history, which have been considered by e divers learned men, and particularly and largely by f the bishop of Gloucester in the work before referred to: I also have had many thoughts upon this subject, which I desire now to propose with due deference to the judgment of others: I shall not transcribe Basuage; but I have been led to argue in this

manner.

1. Julian's own writings may dispose us to think that he never attempted to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem. He designed it, but it is not so clear that he attempted it, or actually set about it, or gave orders for it. In his Letter to the Community of the Jews, before taken notice of, he desires their prayers for the prosperity of his reign,' and the rather, forasmuch as if he succeeded in his war with the Persians, he would rebuild their holy city of Jerusalem.' But he did not succeed in the war, and he never returned from Persia, therefore he never set about rebuilding Jerusalem, or the temple there: nor did he, at the time of writing that letter, intend to set about it, unless he first succeeded in the war with the Persians. He seems to have supposed it to be a work which he should not be able to undertake till after the Persian war was over, and had a good issue.

6 h

In the fragment of some oration or epistle, having taken notice how often the Jewish temple had been destroyed, and was not yet restored, he adds: I say not this by way of reproach; for I also have designed, [or have had a design,] to raise that temple, which has been so long in ruins, to the honour of the God who is there worshipped.' Therefore, when that letter was written, this design was laid aside; or, he did not think that to be a proper time and season to set about it. The present circumstances of his affairs did not 'aduit of such an undertaking, nor allow him to give orders about it.

When that letter or oration was written is not clear. Dr. Warburton thinks it was written in the spring of the year 363; his words are these [at p. 73]: Where Julian, speaking of the customary honours paid to the gods, says: "Which not three years, nor three thousand have estad Hist. des Juifs, 1. vi. ch. 4. Tom. iv. p. 257, &c.

e Vid Fabric. Lux Evangelii, p. 130. in notis.

f See his Lordship's Julian, B. ii. ch. 4. p. 174, &c. the second edition, in 5 Julian. Ep. 397. D. See the words cited

1751.

above at p. 604. noted.

h Εγω δε ειπον, εκ ονειδίζων εκείνοις· ὃς γε τοσέτοις ύσερον χρόνοις αναζη σασθαι διενοήθην αυτον εις τιμην τε κληθέντος επ' αυτῳ θες. Τ. ii. p. 295. D.

blished, but all past ages among all nations upon earth.” By the three years he evidently alludes to his restoration of idolatry; which at any time sooner than the Persian expedition, was not entitled to so high a date. For he

was first saluted Augustus in the spring of the year 360, ' and the Persian expedition was in the spring 363; at this time, therefore, he had well digested his defeat at Jeru'salem.'

6

That is an ingenious conjecture, but not decisive. It is not clear, that Julian here refers to his own restoration of the heathen rites: the phrase, three years,' need not to refer to any determinate period; it may denote no more than this: which not a few years, nor several thousand years • have established, but all past ages.' Secondly, it cannot refer or allude to Julian's restoration of idolatry; for that had not been done three years,' nor two years, by a great dea'. In the spring of the year 363, it was not more than three years since he had been declared Augustus by the soldiers in Gaul: not yet quite a year and half since his being sole Augustus; and not more than two years since he had at all made an open profession of Hellenism, allowing him to have begun to make it when he was in Illyricum, before the death of Constantius. Julian in this place, as I think, useth a definite for an indefinite number, by three' meaning a few only. So in his work against the christians, he says, the law of Moses was designed to be everlasting. And this he says, he will demonstrate not from ten only, but from ten thousand passages of Moses himself.' Which answers to the place under consideration, and may show, that by three years,' no certain space of time was intended: consequently this argument of his lordship for the date of this epistle must fall to the ground. And there can be no reason to believe, that this letter was written in the beginning of the year 363, or that Julian here refers to any extraordinary defeat which had been given to his design of rebuilding the temple: and whenever that letter was written, it affords reason to believe, that Julian had not yet given any orders for rebuilding the temple.

Once more, I argue from some things said by Julian in his work against the christians, where he observes, that the Jews might offer sacrifices at other places beside Jerusalem. We know, that work was not composed long before he set out upon the Persian expedition. If that was his mind

i

1 Τετο ότι ψευδως λεγεσιν, αποδείξω σαφως εκ μεν τε Μωσέως ε δεκα μονας, adλa pvpias tapexoμεvos μapropiac. Cyril. Contr. Jul. lib. ix. p. 319. D.