'one should molest them in the observation of their peculiar 'rites and customs."

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Some time after this, the Jews who lived in Asia and in Cyrene in Libya, were oppressed and abused by the people in those countries; upon which the Jews sent an embassy to Augustus himself for redress. Josephus has preserved a copy of the edict of the emperor upon this occasion: wherein, having first briefly mentioned the favours showed to the Jews by Julius Caesar, and their fidelity to the Roman state, ' He ordains by his own authority, with the advice of his council, that the Jews do practise their pe'culiar rites according to the law of their country, that their offerings be inviolable, that they be permitted to send them to Jerusalem, and to deliver them to those who are deputed to carry them to Jerusalem, that they be not obliged to give appearance in any court of justice on the sabbath, nor on the day before, being the preparation, after the ninth hour. And if any man be taken stealing their 'sacred books or their sacred money, out of the places of their worship, or out of the chests in which they are kept, he shall be deemed sacrilegious, and his goods shall be 'confiscated to the public treasury of the Romans.'

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And Philo assures us, that Augustus maintained throughout his reign the indulgence given to the Jews: that there was in his time a large quarter of the city of Rome on 'the other side of the Tiber inhabited by Jews; that Au'gustus knew they had oratories there, and they resorted to them, especially on the sabbaths, and that they also sent 6 money instead of first-fruits by their own officers to Jeru'salem.'

In the reign of Tiberius they were generally well used. They were indeed banished out of Italy by an edict: but it was for a misdemeanor committed by some villains of

Βεβαιον αυτοίς ανεπηρεάσες εν τοις οικείοις διατελειν εθεσι. Ibid. sect. 5. m Year before Christ 9. " Έδοξε μοι και τῳ εμφ συμβολιῳ μετα ορκωμοσίας γνωμη δημε 'Ρωμαίων, τες Ιεδαίες χρήσθαι τοις ιδίοις θεσμούς κατα τον πατρῴον αυτών νόμον, τατε ίερα είναι εν ασυλία, και αναπέμπεσθαι εις Ιεροσόλυμα, και αποδίδοσθαι αυτα τους αποδοχευεσιν Ἱεροσολύμων, εγγυας τε μη όμολογειν αυτες εν σαββασιν, η τη προ ταύτης παρασκευή, από ώρας ένατης εαν δε τις φωραθῇ κλεπτων τας ἱερας βιβλος αυτών, η τα ἱερα χρηματα, εκ τε σαββάτεις, εκ τε ανδρωνος, ειναι αυτον ἱεροσυλον, και τον βίον αυτό ενεχθηναι E to inprior тwv Pwμatov. Ant. lib. xvi. cap. 6. sect. 2. vid. et Philon. de Legat. ad Cai. p. 1035. E. 1026. A. B.

• Ηπιτατο εν και προσευχας εχοντας και συνιόντας εις αυτας και μάλιςα ταις ἱεραις ἑβδομαις ότε δημόσια την πατριον παιδευονται φιλοσοφιαν ηπιςατο και χρήματα συναγαγοντας από των απαρχων ἱερα, και πεμποντας εις ̔Ιεροσολυμα δια των τας θυσίας αναξόντων. Ibid. p. 1014. D.

their nation at Rome. The only hardship of it was, that a great many innocent persons suffered beside the guilty. On other occasions Tiberius showed them all the favour they could desire, especially after the death of Sejanus; and is much applauded for it by Philo. It was in the latter end of this reign that Vitellius president of Syria performed an act of great complaisance to them. He was marching with his forces against Aretas king of Petra, in pursuance of orders he had received from Tiberius, and intended to pass through Judea. But some of their chief men waited upon him and entreated him not to lead his army through their country, because it was contrary to 'their laws that any images should be brought into it; whereas there were a great many in his ensigns. And he * hearkened to them, altered his intention, and ordered his troops another way.'

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During the reign of Caligula, they met with great hardships, especially at Alexandria. But the orders which Caligula had given for the erecting a statue to himself as a god, in the temple at Jerusalem, and for punishing the Jews if they opposed it, did not take effect. By the kind and prudent management of Petronius president of Syria, and the intercessions of Agrippa the Great, delays were obtained, and Caligula died before the attempt was made.

Claudius the next succeeding emperor renewed to them all their privileges. He directed in particular, by a decree, that the Jews at Alexandria should be restored to all their rights, which had been injuriously taken away from them" in the reign of Caligula. He likewise published another edict in favour of the Jews living in other parts, in which he says: We approve that the Jews should in all parts of the world subject to us, practise the rites of their country 'without molestation; exhorting them likewise to use this

p Jos. Ant. lib. xviii. cap. 4. sect. 5.

¶ Ubi supra, p. 1015. B. C.

Ωρμημένῳ δ' αυτή δια της Ιεδαίων αγειν τον σρατον, ὑπαντιάσαντες ανδρες οι πρωτοι παρῄτεντο δια την της χώρας όδον 8 γαρ αυτοις ειναι πατριον, περιοράν εικόνας εις αυτην φερομενας πολλας δ' είναι σημαιας επικειμενας και πεισθείς μετέβαλε τε της γνώμης το επι τοιέτοις προβάλευσαν, και δια το μεγαλο πεδιο κελευσας χωρείν το τρατοπεδον κ. τ. λ. Antiq. lib. xviii. c. 6. sect. 3. · Βελομαι μηδεν δια την Γαϊς παραφροσύνην των δικαιων τῳ Ιεδαίων έθνει παραπεπτωκεναι, φυλάσσεσθαι δε αυτοίς και τα προτερον δικαιωματα κ. λ. Ibid. l. xix. c. 5. sect. 2.

S

* Καλως εν ἔχειν και Ιεδαίες τες εν παντι τῳ ὑφ' ἡμας κόσμῳ τα πατρια εθη ανεπικωλυτως φυλάσσειν, οἷς και αυτοις ηδη νυν παραγγέλλω με ταυτῇ τῇ φιλανθρωπια επιεικέτερον χρήσθαι, και μη τας των αλλων εθνων δεισιδαιμονίας εξεθενίζειν, τις ιδιες δε νομες φυλάσσειν τετο με το διαταγμα της αρχοντας των πόλεων και των κολωνείων και μενικιπίων, των εν τη Ιταλία και των εκτός, βασιλεις τε και δυνατας δια των ιδίων πρεσβευτων εγραψασθαι βελομαι εκκει

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our humanity with moderation and sobriety, and not to reproach the religions of other nations, but to observe their own laws. And I will that all magistrates of cities and colonies and municipal places, both within and without Italy, and all kings and princes, have this my edict transcribed by their own officers, and that within thirty days it be fixed in some public place where it may be conveniently read by all men.'

There was in the beginning of this reign," a remarkable piece of justice done the Jews at Doris in Syria, by Petronius president of that province. The fact is this: Some rash young fellows of the place got in and set up a statue of the emperor in the Jews' synagogue. Agrippa the Great made complaints to Petronius concerning this injury. Whereupon Petronius issued a very sharp precept to the magistrates of Doris. He terms this action an offence not against the Jews only, but also against the emperor: says, 'It is agreeable to the law of nature, that every man should be master of his places according to the decree of the emperor. I have, says he, given directions that they who dared to do these things contrary to the edict of Augustus, be delivered to the centurion Vitellius Proculus, that they may be brought to me and answer for their behaviour. And I require the chief men in the magistracy to discover the guilty to the centurion, unless they are willing to have it thought, that this injustice has been done with their 'consent; and that they see to it that no sedition or tumult happen upon this occasion; which I perceive is what some are aiming at.- -I do also require, that for the future you seek no pretence for sedition or disturbance, but 'that all men worship [God] according to their own cus'toms.'

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The reader will perhaps indulge a short interruption here in the course of this narration, in favour of an account

μενον τε έχειν, εκ ελαττον ήμερων τριακοντα, όθεν εξεπιπεδο καλως αναγνωσθηναι δυναται. Ib. sect. 3.

"A. D. 41, or 42. * Παρανομώντας εκ εις μονές Ιεδαίες, αλλα και εις τον αυτοκρατορα, -τη φύσει δικαιο οντος ἕνα ἑκατον των ιδιων τοπων κυριεύειν κατα το Καίσαρος επικριμα - τες μεν παρα το διαταγμα το Σεβασε τοιαύτα τετολμηκοτας, εφ' ώ και αυτοί ηγανάκτησαν οι δοκεντες αυτών εξέχειν, 8 τη ίδια προαιρέσει γεγενησθαι λεγοντες, αλλα τῇ τε πλήθος όρμῳ, ὑπὸ ἑκατονταρχο Προκλο Ουιτελλις εκέλευσα επ' εμε αναχθηναι των πεπραγ μενων λόγον αποδώσοντας, τοις δε πρώτοις αρχεσι παραινω, ει μη βέλονται δοκεῖν κατά την αύτων προαίρεσιν γεγενήσθαι το αδίκημα, επιδείξαι τις αιτίες τῳ ἑκατονταρχῇ, μηδεμιας τάσεως μηδε μάχης εωντας αφορμην γενεσθαι, ἣν περ δοκεσι μοι θηρεύεσθαι δια των τοιέτων εργων.-εις τε εν το λοιπον, παραγγέλλω, μηδεμιαν πρόφασιν τάσεως μηδε ταραχης ζητείν, αλλά έκατες τα idia Sonorever On. Ant. lib. xix. c. 6. sect. 3.

we have in the xvith of the Acts of the Apostles, of a transaction that in some respects resembles this fact at Doris, and may receive considerable light from it.

St. Paul was at Philippi in Macedonia: (it was now the 11th year of Claudius.) He there cured a" certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the market-place unto the rulers--and the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely. And when it was day the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, let those men go. And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul.--But Paul said,--They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison, and now do they thrust us out privily? but let them come themselves and fetch us out.-And when they heard that they were Romans-they came, and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city," Acts xvi. 16-39.

Here we have an instance of a tumult raised by some selfinterested and designing men, the common people incensed by their arguments, the magistrates drawn into an act of injustice. Petronius seems to have suspected, that the disorder at Doris had been committed with the connivance of the rulers there. It is not at all unlikely that the magistrates of cities and towns, who possibly were but a few degrees above the common people, might sometimes approve of these outrages and act a part in them: but the presidents and proconsuls, men of a larger genius, who had been educated at Rome and served offices there, who were better acquainted with the Roman constitution, had a greater charge, and were more immediately accountable to the emperor and the senate for the observation of their edicts and the peace of the provinces, never or very rarely entered into these measures; but punished such disorderly practices when they happened, and by fresh precepts endeavoured to prevent them for the future.

However, this act of the magistrates at Philippi was a sudden thing; ("they have beaten us openly uncondemned.") The order was given without a hearing; and as soon as it was light the next morning, they sent their officers with directions that the prisoners should be released. * Vid. Pears. Ann. Paul. p. 11. A. ch. 51.

They soon repented of what they had done, and notwithstanding the specious pretences and obnoxious charges of the masters of this damsel, that Paul and Silas had taught customs which were not lawful for them to observethey were sensible they had gone beyond their commission, and were apprehensive of being called to an account, by a higher authority to which they were subject. This order of release was sent before they had heard that these men were Romans, and whilst they knew no better than that they were mere Jews, and defended by no other privileges than those that belonged to all of that nation. And the history Josephus has given us of the fact at Doris, and the conduct of the president of Syria upon the occasion of it, may very well render every part of this relation here highly probable. When these magistrates knew that Paul and Silas were Romans, their concern was still increased; and their own interest obliged them to all the farther condescensions which Paul demanded.

But to return to the course of the narration.

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There was another signal instance of the moderation of Claudius to the Jews, which may not be passed by. But before I produce it, I must give some short history of the vestment of the high priest, which I shall do in almost the very words of Josephus; who says, that Herod the Great and his son Archelaus had this sacred vestment in their keeping, and lodged it in the castle Antonia; and that the Roman procurators who succeeded to them in the government of Judea finding it there, kept the possession of it till Vitellius president of Syria, in the latter end of Tiberius's reign, gave it to the Jews to keep it themselves. The high priest wore this garment four times only in the year; at the three great feasts and on the day of the fast. It was delivered to him seven days before these seasons, and was first purified before he put it on. The next day after these solemnities

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were over, it was returned to the officer of the chest. was the method whilst it was kept by Herod and the Roman governors. But, as was just hinted, Vitellius gave it to the Jews, that they might lock it up in a chest of their own in the temple, and take it out thence for their use without asking particular leave.

But when Cuspius Fadus was procurator of Judea, he received orders from the emperor to take the holy gar'ment which the high priest alone wears into his own pos'session.' Josephus does immediately before this mention a Joseph. Ant. lib. xviii. cap. 5.

X Την τολην τε αρχιερέως. sect. 3.

z A. D. 45.