In the reign of Nero there was an earthquake at Laodicea, mentioned by Tacitus: and likewife by + Eufebius in his Chronicle; who fays, that in Afia three cities, namely Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Coloffe, were overturned by an earthquake. And in like manner Orofius. Poffibly, the earthquake, which was most violent at Laodicea, was felt in the other cities likewife.

In the fame reign there was an earthquake in Campania, mentioned by Tacitus and Seneca. By the former it seems to be placed in the year of Chrift 62; by the latter, in the year 63.

And there may have been other earthquakes in the time of the just mentioned Emperors.

WARS AND RUMOURS OF WARS.

5. Our Lord foretells "wars and commotions," preceding the final ruin; Matt. xxiv. 6. Mark xiii. 7. Luke xxi. 9.

Jofephus **has a long ftory of a difturbance in Mefopotamia, occafioned by the ambition and indifcretion of two Jews, who were brothers. It seems to have happened ++ about the year of Chrift 40. Jofephus fays, it was not inferior to any calamity which the Jews had fuffered hitherto, and that §§ it occafioned the death of more than fifty thousand people.

When Cufpius Fadus came Procurator into Judea, in the reign of Claudius, in the year of Chrift 44 or 45, as III Jofephus fays, "he found the Jews in Peréa in a riot, fighting with the Philadel"phians about the limits of the village Mia. And, indeed, the "people of Peréa had taken up arms without the confent of their "chief men, and had killed a good number of the Philadelphians. "When Fadus heard of it, he was much difpleafed, that they had "taken up arms, and had not left the decifion of the difpute to "him, if they thought the Philadelphians had done them any in66 jury.

* "Eodem anno ex illuftribus Afiæ urbibus Laodicea, tremore prolapfa, nullo a nobis re"medio, propriis viribus revaluit." Ib. 1. 14. c. 27.

"In Afia tres urbes terræ motu conciderunt; Laodicea, Hierapolis, Coloffe." Euf. Chr. p. 161.

Orof. 1. 7. cap. vii.

lifdemque Confulibus gymnafium ictu fulminis conflagravit, effigiefque in eo Neronis "ad informe as liquefacta. Et motu terræ celebre Campaniæ oppidum Pompeii magna ex "parte proruit." Ann. l. 15. c. 22.

"Pompeios, celebrem Campaniæ urbem. . . defediffe terræ motu, vexatis quacumque adjacentibus regionibus, Lucili virorum optime, audivimus: et quidem diebus hibernis, 66 quos vacare a tali periculo majores noftri folebant promittere. Nonis Febr. fuit motus hic, "Regulo et Virginio Confulibus, qui Campaniam nunquam fecuram hujus mali, indemnem 66 tamen, et totiens defunétam motu, magna ftrage vaftavit. Nam et Herculenfis oppidi pars "ruit, dubieque ftant etiam quæ relicta funt. Et Nucirinorum colonia, ut fine clade, ita "non fine querela eft. Neapolis quoque privatim multa, publice nihil amifit, leviter ingenti "malo perftricta. Villæ vero præruptæ paffim fine injuria tremuere. Adjiciunt his fexcen"tarum ovium gregem exanimatum, et divifas ftatuas," &c. Sen. Nat. Qu. l. 6. c. 1. ** Antiq. l. 18. cap. ix.

tt Vid. Uffer. A. P. J. 4753. p. 864. Bafnag. ann. 40. n. xiii. Tillem. Ruine des Juifs,

art. xxviii.

† Γίνεται δὲ καὶ περὶ τὰς ἐν τῇ Μεσοποταμία, καὶ μάλιςα τὴν Βαβυλῶνα ο κέντας Ἰσδάιας σύμφορα δεινή, ἢ ἐδεμιᾶς ἧς τίνος ἐλάσσων, φόνος τε αυτῶν πολὺς, καὶ ὁπόσος ἐχ ἱςορημένες πρότερον. Ib. 5 1. $81b. § 9.

Ant. 1. 20. cap. i. I.

66 jury. Three of the principal men who were the causes of the fe"dition, were apprehended, and put in prifon; one of whom was "afterwards put to death, and the two others banished."

Afterwards, in the year of our Lord, 49, whilft Cumanus was Procurator of Judea, there* happened a tumult at Jerufalem, at the time of the Paflover. The number of Jews that perifhed in it, was not less than twenty thousand; as it is in his Antiquities: but in the Jewish War, the number is more than ten thousand.

Whilft Cumanus was yet in Judea, there + happened a disturbance between the Jews and the Samaritans, in which many were killed on both fides.

Jofephus alfo fays, that under Cumanus the troubles of the Jewish people began, and that in his time they fuffered very much. Thefe difturbances went on increafing. At Cefarea there had long been contentions between the Jewish people and the other inhabitants. 66 And," as Jofephus fays, " in one hour's time more than twenty thoufand Jews were deftroyed, and all Cefarea was "at once emptied of its Jewish inhabitants. Some fled, whom "Florus caught, and fent them bound to the gallies. At which the "whole nation was enraged. They therefore divided themselves into "feveral parties, and laid wafte the villages of the Syrians, and their

neighbouring cities, Philadelphia, Sebonitis, Gerafa, Pella, and "Scythopolis: and after them Gadara and Hippos. And falling "upon Gaulanitis, fome cities they demolished there, others they "fet on fire. Then they went to Kedafa, belonging to the Syrians, "and to Ptolemais, and Gaba, and Cefarea. Nor was Sebafte, or "Afhkalan, able to withstand the violence with which they were at"tacked. When they had burnt these to the ground, they demolished "Anthedon and Gaza. Many alfo of the villages round about these "cities were plundered; and an immenfe flaughter was made of the "men found in them."

"The Syrians destroyed not a lefs number of the Jews; fo that "the disorders all over Syria were terrible. For every city was divided "into parties, armed against each other; and the fafety of the one "depended upon the destruction of the other. The days were fpent

in flaughter, and the nights in terrors, which were the worst of the 66 two. It was common to fee cities filled with dead bodies lying "unburied, thofe of old men mixed with infants, all dead, and fcat"tered about promifcuoufly, and women without covering for their "nakedness."

**

"At Scythopolis the contention was carried fo far, that above thirteen thoufand Jews were killed."

"After

*Antiq. 20. cap. v. 3. De B. J. 1. 2. cap. xii. 1. Antiq. 1. 20. vi. 1. De B. J. 1. 2. xii. 3.

† ἐφ ̓ ὁ θορυβός τε ἤρξαντο, και φθορὰ πάλιν Ιεδάιων ἐγένετο. De B. J. 1. 2. c. xii. 1.

Τῆς δὲ αὐτῆς ἡμέρας καὶ ὥρας, ὥσπερ ἐκ δαιμονία προνοίας, ἀνήρεν οἱ Καισαρεῖς τὰς παρ αυτᾶς πεδάτες· ὡς ὑπὸ μίαν ὥραν ἀποσφαγῆναι μὲν ὑπὲρ δισμυρίες, κενωθῆναι οἱ πᾶσαν τῶν Ἰσδάιων Καισάρειαν, De B. J. 1. 2. cap. xviii. I.

Ibid. §2.

**Ibid. § 3.

*

"After that, other cities alfo rofe up against the Jews that were "among them. They of Afhkalon flew two thoufand, and five "hundred, they of Ptolemais two thoufand, and put many others "into prifon. The Tyrians acted in the like manner as did alfo "Hippos and Gadara, and divers other cities of Syria."

"At + Alexandria fifty thousand lay dead in heaps. Nor would "the remainder have been fpared, if they had not petitioned for 66 mercy."

Not long after that, the men of Damafcus having got the Jewish inhabitants into the place of exercise, v ry yoμvaow, they came upon them unarmed, and flew ten thousand in an hour's time.

These are what our Lord calls" the beginning of forrows :" when there were 66 wars and rumours of wars, one people and nation rifing up against another. The end was not yet." Jerufalem was not yet befieged, nor the people in it fhut up, for univerfal deftruction. But that period was nigh. See Matt. xxiv. 6, 8. Mark xiii. 7, 8. Luke xxi. 9, 10.

THE OCCASION OF THE JEWISH WAR, FROM JOSEPHUS.

VII. And now, I think, it may not be improper for us to take notice of Jofephus's accounts of the occafion of the war.

Giving an account of the contentions between the Jews and Greeks, or Syrians, at Cefarea, where the latter obtained a decree from Nero, that the government of the city belonged to them, he fays: "And this occafioned the war, which began in the twelfth year of Nero." Soon after which, the Jews at Cefarea were treated very contemptuously and injuriously, till they were all deftroyed, as he there proceeds to relate; and we have already, in part, transcribed from him.

c

In the last chapter of the Jewish Antiquities, he complains much of Albinus, and ftill more of Florus, who fucceeded him, and exceeded him in avarice and cruelty: infomuch, that the Jews were ready to confider Albinus as a benefactor. Finally," fays he, "without adding any thing more, it was Florus who compelled us "to take up arms against the Romans, thinking it better to be de"ftroyed all at once, than by little and little."

In his own Life he says, "I ** have mentioned all these things to "fhew that the Jews war with the Romans was not their own choice, "but rather that they were compelled by neceffity."

In another place he fays, "And †† at the temple of Eleazar,

Ibid. $5,

1 De B. J. 1. 2. cap. 20. § 2.

+ Ibid. § 7, 8.

fon

§ Ἐν δὲ τύτῳ καὶ οἱ Καισαρέων Ἕλληνες, νικήσαντες παρὰ Νέρωνι τῆς πόλεως ἀρχὴν, τὰ τῆς κρίσεως εκόμισαν γράμματα. Καὶ προσελάμβανε τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁ π.λεμος δωδεκάτῳ μὲν ἔτει τῆς Νέρωνος ηγεμονίας. De B. J. 1. 2. c. xiv. 4.

|| Καὶ τί δεῖ πλείω λέγειν; Τὸν γὰρ πρὸς Ῥωμάιες πόλεμον ὁ κατεναγκάσας ἡμᾶς ἄρασθαι, Φλῶρος ἦν, κρεῖττον ἡγεμενες ἀθρόες, ἢ κατ ̓ ὀλίγον ἀπολέσθαι. Antig. 1. 20. x. 1.

** ὅτι ἐ προαίρεσις ἐγένετο τῦ πολέμε πρὸς Ῥωμάιος Ἰυδάιοις, ἀλλὰ τὸ πλέον ἀνάγκη. Vit. § 6. + ἀναπείθει, μηδενὸς ἀλλοφύλε δῶρον ἡ θυσίαν προσδέχεσθαι. Τῦτο δὲ ἥν τῷ πρὸς Ῥωμάνες πολέμε καταβολή, Τὴν γὰς ὑπὲς τέτων θυσίαν Κάισαρος ἀπέρριψαν. De B. 1. 2. xvii. 2.

"fon of Ananias the High-prieft, a young man of a daring temper, and then governor, perfuaded thofe who officiated in the divine fervice, not to accept of the gift or facrifice of a foreigner. "That was the origin of the war with the Romans. For thus "they rejected the facrifice of Cæfar for them. (That is, as I ap"prehend, they refused to offer prayers and facrifices, as fubjects "ought to do, for the Emperor, and for the profperity of the Ro

man empire.) And though many of the high-priefts, and of the "principal men of the nation, earnestly entreated them, not to "omit the customary respect for their governors, they could not "prevail."

This

Afterwards, near the conclufion of his History of the Jewish War, when the city was actually taken, he fays: "But that which prin"cipally encouraged them to the war, was an ambiguous oracle, "found alfo in their facred writings, that about this time fome one " from their country fhould obtain the empire of the world. "they understood to belong to themfelves. And many of the wife men "were mistaken in their judgement about it. For the Oracle in"tended the government of Vefpafian, who was proclaimed emperor "in Judea."

That is a very remarkable paffage. Some farther notice shall be taken of it by and by.

That the Jewish people were uneafy under fubjection to the Romans, even in our Saviour's time, long before the war broke out, appears from many things recorded in the Gofpels: as their great averfion to the Publicans, though Jews, who were employed in collecting the Roman tribute: from the question brought to our Saviour," whe"ther it was lawful to give tribute to Cæfar or not." Matt. xxii. 15, 22. Mark xiii. 13, 17. Luke xx. 19, 26. from the attempt of fome, who followed our Lord for a time, to make him a King. John vi. 15. from their frequent and importunate demands, that he would "fhew them a fign from Heaven," meaning fome token, that he intended to work out for them a temporal deliverance, " that they might believe in him, and have full affurance of his being the "Chrift." Matt. xii. 38. xvi. 1, 4. and elsewhere: and from divers other things, which must be obvious to all who have read the Gofpels with attention.

26

This uneafinefs under the Roman yoke continued and increafed, Obfervable here is the answer which was made by Titus, after the temple was burnt, to the petition of Simon and John, the two great Jeaders of the factions in Jerufalem. "You have never ceafed

tr

rebelling, fince Pompey first made a conqueft of your country. "And at length you have declared open war against the Romans. "Our kindnefs to you has encouraged your enmity against us, "who have let you live in your country in peace and quietnefs. "In the first place we gave you your own country to live in, and "fet over you kings of your own nation; and farther we preserved

* De B. J. l. 6. cap. v. 4.

+ De B. J. l. 6. cap. vi. 2.

"to you your own laws and withal we have permitted you to live "either by yourselves, or among others, as you liked beft. And, "which is the greatest favour of all, we have given you leave to ga"ther up that tribute which you pay to God, together with all fuch "other gifts as are dedicated to him. Nor have we called those to "account who carried fuch donations, nor given them any obftruc"tion; till at length you became richer than ourfelves, even when you were our enemies, and you have made preparations for the war "against us with our own money."

There are other things likewife in Jofephus, which deserve to be taken notice of in this place. Giving an account of the affeffment made in Judea after the removal of Archelaus, he says: "At the "perfuation of Joazar the high-prieft, the Jews did generally ac"quiefce. However, Judas the Gaulanite, of the town called Ga"mala, affociating to himfelf Sadduc a Pharifee, excited the people "to rebellion, telling them that an affeffment would bring in down"right flavery, and exhorting the whole nation to affert their li"berty. The whole nation heard their difcourfes with incredible pleafure. And it is impoffible to reprefent the evils the nation "has fuffered, which were owing to thefe men; for Judas and "Sadduc brought in among us this fourth fect; and there being many who embraced their fentiments, they not only caused disturbances in the government at that time, but laid the foundation of "thofe evils that followed; which indeed are owing to this principle, "till then unknown among us." "'*

He then delivers the character and principles of the three chief and more ancient fects of the Jews, as he calls them; and after that returns again to the men of whom he had been fpeaking before. Judas the Galilean was the leader of the fourth fect. In all "other points they hold the fame fentiments with the Pharifees; but "they have an invincible affection for liberty, and acknowledge God "alone their Lord and Governor. From that time the nation became infected with this principle. And Florus, by abufing his power when he was governor, threw them into despair, and pro"voked thein to rebel against the Romans.'

Those two paffages were cited by me ‡ formerly; and divers obfervations were made upon them, which ftill appear to me not impertinent; but I am unwilling to repeat them here. And I think, that, in the connexion in which they are now cited by me, it must be apparent from them, without farther remarks, that the nation in general was infected with the doctrine of Judas of Galilee. They had an invincible zeal for liberty, scorned subjection to the Romans their mafters, and took up arms against them. As Capellus fays, "Florus § by his exactions forced them against their confent, or

Antiq. 1. 18. cap. i. § 1.

Credibility, parti. B. i. ch. 9. p. 486, &c.

† Ibid. § 6.

* rather

L. Capp

"Florus, peffimus homo, qui modis omnibus Judæos cum vexaret et opprimeret, cogit vel invitos, aut potius ultro ruentes impulit, adverfus Romanos rebellare.” Hift. Jud. p. 121.

3