OF BOOK XX. Containing an Interval of Twenty-two Years. FROM FADUS THE PROCURATOR, TO FLORUS. CHAP. I. A SEDITION OF THE PHILADELPHIANS AGAINST THE JEWS; AND OF THE VESTMENTS OF THE HIGH-PRIEST. not till he had done much mischief to Idumea and the Arabians: and, indeed, from that time, Judea was cleared of robberies, by the care and providence of Fadus. He also at this time sent for the high-priests, and the principal citizens of Jerusalem, and this at the UPO "PON the death of king Agrippa, which command of the emperor; and admonished we have related in the foregoing book, them that they should lay up the long garClaudius Cæsar sent Cassius Longinus as suc-ment, and the sacred vestmeut, which it is cessor to Marcus, out of regard to the memory of king Agrippa; who had often desired of him by letters, while he was alive, that he would not suffer Marcus to be any longer president of Syria. But Fadus, as soon as he was come procurator into Judea, found quarrelsome doings between the Jews that dwelt in Perea, and the people of Philadelphia, about their borders at a village called Mia, that was filled with men of warlike temper: for the Jews of Perea had taken up arms without the consent of their principal men, and had destroyed many of the Philadelphians. When Fadus was informed of this procedure, it provoked him very much, that they had not left the determination of the matter to him, if they thought that the Philadelphians had done them any wrong but had rashly taken up arms against them. So he seized upon three of their principal men, who were also the causes of this sedition, and ordered them to be bound; and afterward had one of them slain, whose name was Hannibal: and he banished the other two, Amram and Eleazar. Tholomy also, a noted robber, was, after some time, brought to him bound, and slain; but *The detention of persons as hostages to secure to one party the good conduct of the other, has been a general practice. In proportion to the importance of the occasion, and the existence of jealousy, or the fear of trea customary for nobody but the high-priest to chery, has always been the care with which they were + Book XIX. Chap. 9. the Jews their request, and to send a message || letter is dated before the fourth of the calends to Fadus accordingly. of July, when Rufus and Pompeius Sylvanus Hereupon Claudius called for the ambas-are consuls." sadors, and told them, that he granted their request; and bade them return their thanks to Agrippa for this favor, which had been bestowed on them upon his entreaty; and besides these answers, he sent the following letter by them : Herod also, the brother of the deceased Agrippa, who was then possessed of the royal authority over Chalcis, petitioned Claudius Cæsar for the authority over the temple, and the money of the sacred treasure, and the choice of the high-priests; and obtained all that he petitioned for. So that, after that time, this authority continued * among his descendants till the end of the war. Accordingly, Herod removed the last highpriest, called Cantheras, and bestowed that dignity on his successor Joseph, the son of Camus. CHAP. II. "Claudius Cæsar, Germanicus, tribune of the people, the fifth time, designed consul the fourth time and imperator the tenth time, the father of his country, to the magistrates, senate, and the people, and whole nation of the Jews, sendeth greeting. Upon the presentation of your ambassadors to me by my friend Agrippa, whom I have brought up, and have now with me, and who is a person of very great piety; who are come to give me thanks for the care I have taken of your nation, and to entreat me, in an earnest and obliging manner, that they may have the holy vestments, with the crown belonging to them, under their power; I grant their request; as that excellent person Vitellius, who is very dear to me, had done before. And I have complied with your desire, in the first place out of regard to that piety which I profess, and because I would have every one worship God according to the laws of their own country. And this I do also, because I shall hereby highly gratify king Herod and Agrippa junior, whose sacred regards to me, and earnest good will to you, I am well acquainted with; and with whom I have the greatest friendship, and whom I highly esteem, and look on as persons of the best character. Now I have written about these affairs to Cuspius Fadus my procurator. The names of those that brought me your letter are, Cornelius, the son of Cero; Trypho, the son of Theudio; Dorotheus, the son of Nathaniel; and John, the son of John. This OF THE CONVERSION OF HELENA, QUEEN OF ADIABENE, + of Adiabene, and her son Izates, changed their course of life, and embraced the Jewish customs; and this on the following occasion: Monobazus, king of Adiabene, who had also the name of Bazeus, fell in love with his sister Helena, and took her to be his wife; and as he was in bed with her one night, he fell asleep, and seemed to hear a voice, which told him, that the infant with which she was pregnant should, by God's providence, be safely born, and have a happy end. voice put him into disorder: so he awaked immediately, and told the story to his wife: and when his son was born, he called him Izates. He had, indeed, Monobazus bis elder son by Helena also, as he had other sons by other wives: yet did he openly place all his This * Here is some error in the copies, or mistake in Jo-tic Records, Pt. II. pag. 954-961. and pag. 1083-1123, sephus. For the power of appointing high-priests, after Herod king of Chalcis was dead, and Agrippa, jun. was made king of Chalcis in his room, belonged to him; and he exercised the same all along till Jerusalem was destroyed, as Josephus elsewhere informs us, chap. 8. Only this I shall now add, that Orosius confirms my determination, that Helena, queen of Adiabene, was not converted to the Jewish, but to the Christian religion; and thence sent supplies to the Christians in Judea, during the famine under Claudius Cæsar, L. VII. c. 6. The Talmud also has a full account of this Helena and Monobazus, and of their great favors co the Jews; as Hudson and Reland observe upon these + Concerning Monobazus and Helena, and their son Izates, and the contents of this and of the two next chapters, see Moses Chorenensis, pag. 132-141, and Authen-chapters. affections * affections on this his only begotten son Izates: which was the origin of that envy which his other brethren, by the same father, bore to him; while on this account they hated him more and more, and were all under great affliction that their father should prefer Izates before them. Now although their father was very sensible of their passions, yet did he forgive them; as not indulging those passions out of an ill disposition, but out of a desire each of them had to be beloved by their father. However, he sent Izates, with many presents, to Abennerig, the king of CharaxSpasini, and that out of the great dread he was in about them, lest he should come to some misfortune by the hatred his brethren bore him; and he committed his son's preservation to him. Upon which Abennerig gladly received the young man, and had a great affection for him; and married him to his own daughter, whose name was Samacha. He also bestowed a country upon him, from which he received large revenues, But when Monobazus was grown old, and saw that he had but a little time to live, he had a mind to come to the sight of his son before he died. So he sent for him, and embraced him after the most affectionate manner, and bestowed on him the country called Carræ. It was a soil that bare amomum in great plenty there are also in it the remains of that ark, wherein it is related that Noah escaped the deluge; and where they aret still shewn to such as are desirous to see them. Accordingly Izates abode in that country until his father's death. But the very day that Monobazus died, queen Helena sent for all the grandees and governors of the kingdom, and for those that had the armies committed to their command: and when they were come, she made the following speech to them: "I believe you are not unacquainted that my husband was desirous Izates should succeed him in the government; and thought him worthy so to do. However, I wait your determination. For happy is he who receives a kingdom, not from a single person only, but 1 Josephus here uses the word μovoy, an only begot ten son, for no other than one best beloved; as do both the Old and New Testament; I mean where there were one or more sons besides. Gen, xxii. 2; Heb, xi. 17. from the willing suffrages of a great many." This she said in order to try those that were invited, and to discover their sentiments. Upon the hearing of which, they first of all paid their homage to the queen, as their cus tom was; and then said, that they confirmed the king's determination, and would submit to it; and they rejoiced that Izates's father had preferred him before the rest of his brethren, as being agreeable to all their wishes. But that they were desirous first of all to slay his brethren and kinsmen, that so the government might come securely to Izates: because if they were once destroyed, all that fear would be over which might arise from their hatred and envy to him. Helena replied, that she returned them thanks for their kindness to herself and to Izates; but desired that they would defer the execution of this slaughter of Izates's brethren, till he should be there himself, and give his approbation to it. So since these men had not prevailed with her, when they advised her to slay them, they exhorted her at least to keep them in bonds till he should come, and that for their own security. They also gave her counsel to set up some one whom she could put the greatest trust in, as a governor of the kingdom in the mean time. So queen Helena complied with this counsel, and set up Monobazus, the eldest son, to be king; and put the diadem upon his head, and gave him his father's ring, with its signet; as also the ornament which they call Sampser; and exhorted him to administer the affairs of the kingdom till his brother should come who came suddenly, upon his hearing that his father was dead; and succeeded his brother Monobazus, who resigned the government to him. Now during the time that Izates abode at Charax-Spasini, a certain Jewish merchant, whose name was Ananias, got among the women that belonged to the king, and taught them to worship God according to the Jewish religion. He also, by their means, became known to Izates, and persuaded him in like manner to embrace that religion; and, at the + It is here very remarkable, that the remains of Noah's ark were believed to be still in being in the days of Josephus. See the note on I. 3. earnest entreaty of Izates, he accompanied him, when he was sent for by his father to come to Adiabene. It also happened, that Helena, about the same time, was instructed by another Jew, and went over to them. But when Izates had taken the kingdom, and was come to Adiabene, and there saw his brethren and other kinsmen in bonds, he was displeased at it. And as he thought it an instance of impiety either to slay or to imprison them; but still thought it a hazardous thing for to let them have their liberty, with the remembrance of the injuries that had been offered them: he sent some of them and their children for hostages to Rome, to Claudius Cæsar; and he sent the others to Artabanus, king of Parthia, with the like intentions. And when he perceived that his mother was highly pleased with the Jewish customs, he resolved to embrace them entirely and as he supposed that he could not be thoroughly a Jew unless he were circumcised, he was ready to have it done. But when his mother understood his design, she endeavored to prevent it, and said that this thing would bring him into danger; and that, as he was a king, he would thereby bring himself into great odium among his subjects, when they should understand that he was so fond of rites that were to them strange and foreign; and that they would never bear to be governed by a Jew. This for the present persuaded him to forbear. And when he related what she had said to Ananias, he confirmed what his mother had said: and when he had also threatened to leave him, unless he complied with them, he went away from him, and said, that he was afraid lest such an action being once become public, he should himself be in danger of punishment, for having been the occasion of it, and having been the king's instructor in actions that were of ill reputation; and he said, that he might worship God without being circumcised, even though he did resolve to follow the Jewish law entirely; which worship of God was of a* superior nature to circumcision. He added, that God would forgive him, though he did * See 1 Cor. vii. 19. Gal. vi. 15. Josephus is very full and express in these three chapters, S, 4, and 5, in observing how carefully Divine Providence preserved this Izates, king of Adiabene, and not perform the operation, while it was omitted out of necessity, and for fear of his subjects. So the king at that time complied with these persuasions of Ananias: but afterwards a certain other Jew that came out of Galilee, whose name was Eleazar, and who was esteemed very skilful in the learning of his country, persuaded him to do the thing. For as he entered into his palace to salute him, and found him reading the law of Moses, he said to him, "Thou dost not consider, O king, that thou unjustly breakest the principal of those laws, and art injurious to God himself, by omitting to be circumcised: for thou oughtest not only to read them, but chiefly to practise what they enjoin. How long wilt thou continue uncircumcised? But if thou hast not yet read the law about circumcision, and dost not know how great impiety thou art guilty of by neglecting it, read it now." When the king had heard what he said, he delayed the thing no longer; but retired to another room, and sent for a surgeon, and did as he was commanded. He then sent for his mother, and Ananias his tutor, and informed them that be had done the thing. Upon which they were presently stricken with astonishment and fear, and that to a great degree, lest the thing should be openly discovered and censured, and the king should hazard the loss of his kingdom; while his subjects would not bear to be governed by a man that was so zealous in another religion; and lest they should themselves run some hazard, because they would be supposed the occasion of his so doing. But it was† God himself who hindered what they feared from taking effect: for he preserved both Izates himself and his sons, when they fell into many dangers, and procured their deliverance when it seemed to be impossible; and demonstrated thereby that the fruit of piety does not perish as to those that have regard to him, and fix their faith upon him only. But these events we shall relate hereafter. But as to Helena, the king's mother, when she saw that the affairs of Izates's kingdom were in peace, and that her son was a happy his sons, while he did what he thought was his bounden duty notwithstanding the strongest political motives to the contrary. man, man, and admired among all men, and even || vinces had framed a plot against him, did not among foreigners, by the means of God's pro- think it safe to continue among them; but vidence over him; she had a mind to go to the resolved to go to Izates, in hopes of finding city Jerusalem, in order to worship at that some way of preservation by his means, and, temple which was so famous among all men, if possible, for his return to his own dominions: and to offer her thank-offerings there. So she So he came to Izates, and brought about a desired her son to give her leave to go thither. thousand of his kindred and servants with him; Upon which he gave his consent to what she and met him upon the road; while he well desired, and made great preparation for her knew Izates, but Izates did not know him. dismission, and gave her a great deal of mo- When Artabanus stood near him, and in the' ney; and she went down to the city Jerusa- first place worshipped him, according to the lem, her son conducting her on her journey a custom, he said to him with tears in his eyes, great way. Now her coming was of very great and with a dejected countenance, "O king, advantage to the people of Jerusalem: for do not overlook me thy servant, nor proudly whereas a famine did oppress them at that reject the suit I make thee: for as I am retime, and many people died for want of what duced to a low estate by the change of fortune, was necessary to procure food withal, queen and of a king am become a private man, I Helena sent some of her servants to Alexandria stand in need of thy assistance. Have regard, with money to buy a great quantity of corn, therefore, to the uncertainty of fortune, and and others of them to Cyprus, to bring a esteem the care thou shalt take of me to be cargo of dried figs. And as soon as they were taken of thyself also. For if I be neglected, come back, and had brought those provisions, and my subjects go unpunished, many other which was done very quickly, she distributed subjects will become the more insolent toward food to those that were in want of it; and left other kings also." Now as soon as Izates heard a most excellent memorial behind her of this Artabanus's name, and saw him stand as a benefaction, which she bestowed on our whole supplicant before him, he leaped down from nation. And when her son Izates was in-his horse, and said to him, "Take courage, O formed of the famine, he sent great sums of money to the principal men in Jerusalem. However, what favors this queen and king conferred upon our city Jerusalem shall be✶ farther related hereafter. CHAP. III. OF THE ASSISTANCE RENDERED BY IZATES TO ARTABANUS Now TOW Artabanus king of the Parthians, perceiving that the governors of the pro *This farther account of the benefactions of Izates and Helena to the Jerusalem Jews, which Josephus here promises, is, I think, no where performed by him in his present works. But of this terrible famine in Judea, take Dr. Hudson's note here: "This," says he, "is that famine foretold by Agabus, Acts xi. 28. which happened when Claudius was consul the fourth time, A. D. 47. and not that other which happened when Claudius was consul the second time, and Cæsina was his colleague. A.D. 42. as Scaliger says upon Eusebius, pag. 174. Now when Josephus had said a little afterward, chap. 5. that Tiberius Alexander succeeded Cuspius Fadus as procurator, he immediately subjoins, that "Under these procurators there king; nor be disturbed at thy present calamity, as if it were incurable; for the change of thy sad condition shall be sudden for thou shalt find me to be more thy friend and thy assistant than thy hopes can promise thee. I will either re-establish thee in the kingdom of Parthia, or lose my own." When he had said this, he set Artabanus upon his horse, and followed him on foot, in honor of a king whom he owned as greater than himself. Which when Artabanus saw, he was very uneasy at it; and sware by his present fortune and honor, that he would get happened a great famine in Judea." Whence it is plain, that this famine continued for many years, on account of its duration under those two procurators. Now Fadus was not sent into Judea till after the death of king Agrippa; i. e. towards the latter end of the fourth year of Claudius (the end of A. D. 44, or beginning of 45): so that this famine foretold by Agabus happened upon the 5th, 6th, and 7th years of Claudius (A. D. 45, 46, and 47), as says Valesius on Euseb. II. 12. Of this famine also, and queen Helena's supplies, and her monument, 'see Mose's Chorenensis, pag. 144, 145. where it is observed in the notes, that Pausanias mentions her monument also. |