"the Veturian tribe, of Caius Sentius, the son of Caius, of "the Sabbatine tribe, of Titus Artilius Bulbus, the son of "Titus, lieutenant and vice-pretor, to the magistrates, se"nate, and people of the Ephesians, sendeth greeting: Lu"cius Lentulus the consul, freed the Jews that are in Asia "from going into the armies, at my intercession for them. "And when I had made the same petition some time after"ward to Phanius the imperator, and to Lucius Antonius the vice-questor, I obtained that privilege of them also; and my will is, that you take care that no one give them any

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"disturbance."

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14. The decree of the Delians. "The answer of the pretors, when Beotus was archon, on the twentieth day of the "month Thargeleon, while Marcus Piso the lieutenant lived " in our city, who was also appointed over the choice of the "soldiers, he called us, and many others of the citizens, and gave order, that if there be here any Jews, who are Roman citizens, no one is to give them any disturbance about "going into the army, because Cornelius Lentulus the con"sul freed the Jews from going into the army, on account of "the superstition they are under; you are therefore obliged to submit to the pretor. And the like decree was made by the Sardians about us also."

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15. "Caius Phanius, the son of Caius, imperator and con"sul, to the magistrates of Cos, sendeth greeting: I would "have you know that the ambassadors of the Jews have "been with me, and desired they might have those decrees "which the senate had made about them; which decrees are "here subjoined. My will is, that you have a regard to, "and take care of these men, according to the senate's "decree, that they may be safely conveyed home through your country."

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16. The declaration of Lucius Lentulus the consul: "I "have dismissed those Jews who are Roman citizens, and "who appear to me to have their religious rites, and to observe the laws of the Jews at Ephesus, on account of the superstition they are under. This act was done before the "thirteenth of the calends of October."

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17. Lucius Antonius, the son of Marcus, vice-questor, "and vice-pretor, to the magistrates, senate, and people of "the Sardians, sendeth greeting: Those Jews that are our "fellow-citizens of Rome, came to me, and demonstrated "that they had an assembly of their own, according to the "laws of their forefathers, and this from the beginning, as "also a place of their own, wherein they determined their "suits and controversies with one another: Upon their peti❝tion therefore to me, that these might be lawful for them,

"I give order that these their privileges be preserved, and "they be permitted to do accordingly."

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18. The declaration of Marcus Publius, the son of Spurius, and of Marcus the son of Marcus, and of Lucius the son of Publius: "We went to the proconsul, and informed him "of what Dositheus, the son of Cleopatrida of Alexandria de“sired, that, if he thought good, he would dismiss those Jews "who were Roman citizens, and were wont to observe the "rites of the Jewish religion, on account of the superstition they were under. Accordingly he did dismiss them. This 66 was done before the thirteenth of the calends of October." 19. In the month Quintilis, when Lucius Lentulus and "Caius Marcellus were consuls; and there were present Ti"tus Appius Balbus, the son of Titus, lieutenant of the Ho"ratian tribe. Titus Tongius of the Crastumine tribe, Quin"tus Resius the son of Quintus, Titus Pompeius the son of "Titus, Cornelius Longinus, Caius Servilius Bracchus, the "son of Caius, a military tribune, of the Terentine tribe, Pub"lius Clusius Gallus, the son of Publius, of the Veturian "tribe, Caius Teutius, the son of Caius, a military tribune, of "the Emilian tribe, Sextus Atilius Serranus, the son of Sex"tus, of the Esquiline tribe, Caius Pompeius the son of Caius, "of the Sabbatine tribe, Titus Appius Menander, the son of "Titus, Publius Servilius Strabo, the son of Publius, Lucius "Paccius Capito, the son of Lucius, of the Colline tribe, "Aulus Furius Tertius, the son of Aulus, and Appius Menas. "In the presence of these it was that Lentulus pronounced "this decree; I have before the tribunal dismissed those Jews "that are Roman citizens, and are accustomed to observe the "sacred rites of the Jews at Ephesus, on account of the su"perstition they are under."

20. The magistrates of the Laodiceans to Caius Rubilius, "the son of Caius, the cousul, sendeth greeting: Sopater, the "Ambassador of Hyrcanus, the high-priest, hath delivered us

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an epistle from thee, whereby he lets us know, that certain "ambassadors were come from Hyrcanus, the high-priest of "the Jews, and brought an epistle written concerning their "nation, wherein they desire that the Jews may be allowed to "observe their Sabbaths, and other sacred rites, according to "the laws of their forefathers, and that they may be under no "command, because they are our friends and confederates, "and that nobody may injure them in our provinces. Now "although the Trallians there present contradicted them, and were not pleased with these decrees, yet didst thou give or"der that they should be observed, and informedst us that "thou hadst been desired to write this to us about them. We "therefore, in obedience to the injunctions we have received

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"from thee, have received the epistle which thou sentest us, "and have laid it up by itself among our public records. And as to the other things about which thou didst send to us, we "will take care that no complaint be made against us."

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21. Publius Servilius, the son of Publius, of the Galban "tribe, the proconsul to the magistrate, senate, and people of "the Milesians, sendeth greeting: Prytanus the son of Hermes, a citizen of yours, came to me when I was at Tralles, "and held a court there, and informed me that you used the "Jews in a way different from my opinion, and forbade them to celebrate their Sabbaths, and to perform the sacred rites "received from their forefathers, and to manage the fruits of "the land, according to their ancient custom, and that he "had himself been the promulger of your decree, according "as your laws require: I would therefore have you know, that upon hearing the pleadings on both sides, I gave sentence "that the Jews should not be prohibited to make use of their 66 own customs."

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22. The decree of those of Pergamus. When Cratippus was prytanis, on the first day of the month Desius, the decree of the pretors was this: "Since the Romans, following the con"duct of their ancestors, undertake dangers for the common "safety of all mankind, and are ambitious to settle their con"federates and friends in happiness, and in firm peace, and "since the nation of the Jews, and their high-priest Hyrcanus, sent as ambassadors to them, Strato, the son of Theodatus, and Apollonius, the son of Alexander, and Eneas, "the son of Antipater, and Aristobulus, the son of Amyntas, "and Sosipater, the son of Philip, worthy and good men, "who gave a particular account of their affairs, the senate "thereupon made a decree about what they had desired of "them, that Antiochus the king, the son of Antiochus, should "do no injury to the Jews, the confederates of the Romans; "and that the fortresses, and the havens and the country, and "whatsoever else he had taken from them, should be re"stored to them; and that it may be lawful for them to export their goods out of their own havens; and that no king nor people may have leave to export any goods, either out "of the country of Judea, or out of their havens, without "paying customs, but only Ptolemy the king of Alexandria,

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because he is our confederate and friend: and that accord❝ing to their desire, the garrison that is in Joppa may be ejected. Now Lucius Pettius, one of our senators, a worthy "and good man, gave order that we should take care that these things should be done according to the senate's decree; and that we should take care also that their ambassa"dors might return home in safety. Accordingly we admit

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<ted Theodorus into our senate and assembly, and took the epistle out of his hands, as well as the decree of the senate: "And as he discoursed with great zeal about the Jews, and "described Hyrcanus's virtue and generosity, and how he was a benefactor to all men in common, and particularly to every "body that comes to him, we laid up the epistle in our pub❝lic records; and made a decree ourselves, that since we also "are in confederacy with the Romans, we would do every "thing we could for the Jews, according to the senate's de$6 cree. Theodorus also, who brought the epistle, desired of "our pretors, that they would send Hyrcanus a copy of that "decree, as also ambassadors to signify to him the affection "of our people to him, and to exhort them to preserve and "augment their friendship for us, and be ready to bestow "other benefits upon us, as justly expecting to receive proper requitals from us; and desiring them to remember that ancestors were friendly to the Jews even in the days "of Abraham, who was the father of all the Hebrews, as we "have [also] found it set down in our public records."

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our

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23. The decree of those of Halicarnassus. When Memnon the son of Orestidas by descent, but by adoption of Eunonymus, was priest, on the *** day of the month of Aristerion, the decree of the people, upon the representation of Marcus Alexander, was this: "Since we have ever a great regard to piety "towards God, and to holiness, and since we aim to follow "the people of the Romans, who are the benefactors of all men, and what they have written to us about a league of "friendship and mutual assistance between the Jews and our

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city, and that their sacred offices, and accustomed festivals "and assemblies may be observed by them, we have decreed, "that as many men and women of the Jews as are willing so "to do, may celebrate their Sabbaths, and perform their holy offices, according to the Jewish laws; and may make "their proseucha at the sea-side, according to the customs "of their forefathers; and if any one, whether he be a magis

We have here a most remarkable and authentic attestation of the citizens of Pergamus, that Abrabam was the father of all the Hebrews; that their own ancestors were, in the oldest times, the friends of those Hebrews; and that the public acts of their city, then extant, confirmed the same; which evidence is too strong to be evaded by our present ignorance of the particular occasion of such ancient friendship and alliance between those people. See the like full evidence of the kindred of the Lacedemonians and the Jews; and that because they were both the posterity of Abraham, by a public epistle of those people to the Jews, preserved in the first book of the Maccabees xii. 19-23, and thence by Josephus, Antiq. B. XII. ch. iv. sect. 10. both which authentic records are highly valuable. It is also well worthy of observation, what Moses Choronensis, the principal Armenian historian, informs us of, p. 85. that Arsaces, who raised the Parthian Empire, was of the seed of Abraham by Chetura; and that thereby was accomplished that prediction which said, kings of nations shall proceed from thee, Gen, xvii. 6.

"trate or private person, hindereth them from so doing, he "shall be liable to a fine, to be applied to the uses of the city."

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24. The decree of the Sardians. This decree was made by the senate and people, upon the representation of the pretors: "Whereas those Jews who are our fellow-citizens, and live "with us in this city, have ever had great benefits heaped upon them by the people, and have come now into the "senate, and desired of the people, that upon the restitution "of their law, and their liberty, by the senate and people "of Rome, they may assemble together according to their "ancient legal custom, and that we will not bring any suit "against them about it; and that a place may be given them "where they may have their congregations, with their wives "and children, and may offer, as did their forefathers, their prayers and sacrifices to God: now the senate and people "have decreed to permit them to assemble together on the days formerly appointed, and to act according to their own "laws; and that such a place be set apart for them by the "pretors, for the building and inhabiting the same, as they "shall esteem fit for that purpose: And that those that take care of the provisions for the city, shall take care that such "sorts of food as they esteem fit for their eating, may be "imported into the city."

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25. The decree of the Ephesians. When Menophilus was prytanis, on the first day of the month Artemisius, this decree was made by the people: "Nicanor the son of Euphemus, 66 pronounced it, upon the representation of the pretors. "Since the Jews that dwell in this city have petitioned Mar"cus Julius Pompeius, the son of Brutus, the proconsul, that "they may be allowed to observe their Sabbaths, and to "act in all things according to the customs of their forefa"thers, without impediment from any body, the pretor hath

granted their petition. Accordingly, it was decreed by the "senate and people, that in this affair that concerned the "Romans, no one of them should be hindered from keeping "the Sabbath-day, nor be fined for so doing, but that they "be allowed to do all things according to their own laws." 26. Now there are many such decrees of the senate and imperators of the Romans, and those different from these before us, which have been made in favour of Hyrcanus, and

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*If we compare Josephus's promise in sect. 1. to produce all the public decrees of the Romans in favour of the Jews with his excuse here for omitting many of them, we may observe, that when he came to transcribe all those decrees he had collected, he found them so numerous that he thought he should too much tire his readers if he had attempted it, which he thought a sufficient apology for his omitting the rest of them; yet do those by him produced afford such a strong confirmation to his history, and give such great light to even the Roman antiquities themselves, that I believe the curious are not a little sorry for uch his omissions.