diately to the Roman emperor. Justice was administered in the name and by the laws of Rome, though, in what concerned their religion, their own laws and the power of the high priest and Sanhedrim, or great council, were continued to them, and they were allowed to examine witnesses, and exercise an inferior jurisdiction in other causes, subject to the control of the Romans.' 1

After Coponius followed successively, as procurators, Marcus Ambivius, Annius Rufus, Valerius Gratus, and Pontius Pilate.2

The Period embraced by the History contained in the

Acts of the Apostles.

At the time alluded to by St. Luke in the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles, Tiberius was emperor of Rome, Caiaphas

count of their substance; Coponius, also a man of the equestrian order, was sent together with him to have the supreme power over the Jews. Moreover, Cyrenius came himself into Judea (which was now added to the province of Syria), to take an account of their substance.'

(life and) death put into his hands by Cæsar.'

1 Bp. Tomline. It appears, as well from the general constitution of a Roman province as from what Josephus delivers concerning the state of Judea in particular, that the power of life and death resided exclusively in the Roman governor; but that the Jews nevertheless had magistrates and a council invested with a subordinate and municipal authority. This economy is discerned in every part of the Gospel narrative of our Saviour's crucifixion.' (Paley.)

2 Ant. xviii. 2. 2. Coponius now returned to Rome, and Marcus Ambivius came to be his successor in that government; under whom, Salome, the sister of King Herod, died. After him came Annius Rufus, under whom died Cæsar (Augustus) the second emperor of the Romans. Upon whose death Tiberius Nero, his wife Julia's son, succeeded. He was now the third emperor, and he sent Valerius Gratus to be procurator of Judea and to succeed Annius Rufus. This man deprived Ananus of the high priesthood and appointed Ismael the son of Fabi to be high priest. He also deprived him in a little time, and ordained Eleazar, the son of Ananus, who had been high priest before to be high priest, which office when he had held for a year Gratus deprived him of it, and gave the high priesthood to Simon the son of Camithus; and when he had possessed that dignity no longer than a year Joseph Caiaphas was made his successor. When Gratus had done these things he went back to Rome after he had tarried in Judea eleven years, when Pontius Pilate came as his successor.'

high priest of the Jews, and Pontius Pilate procurator of Judea. Two years later, Caiaphas and Pilate were deposed by Vitellius. The former was succeeded in office by Jonathan, the latter by Marcellus.

After holding the allotted portion of his father's dominions for thirty-seven years, Herod Philip died (in the twentieth year of Tiberius'), and his tetrarchy was added to the empire. Two or three years later Tiberius also died, and was succeeded by Caius.

Immediately on the accession of the latter the tetrarchy of Philip was bestowed on a grandson of Herod the Great, named Agrippa, with the title of king, and shortly afterwards his dominions were enlarged by the addition of the tetrarchy of his uncle Antipas.5 The ethnarchy of Archelaus was the

1 Jos. Ant. xviii. 4. 2, 3. Before he (Pilate) could get to Rome Tiberius was dead.'

2 This calculation from all Josephus's Greek copies is exactly right, for, since Herod died about September, in the fourth year before the Christian era, and Tiberius began, as is well known, Aug. 19, A.D. 14, it is evident that the 37th year of Philip, reckoned from his father's death, was the 20th of Tiberius (3+14 +20=37), or near the end of A.D. 33 (the very year of our Saviour's death also), or, however, in the beginning of the next year A.D. 34. This Philip the tetrarch seems to have been the best of all the posterity of Herod for his love of peace and his love of justice.' (Vide note Whiston's Jos. Ant. xviii. 4. 6.)

3 His principality, Tiberius took (for he left no sons behind him) and added it to the province of Syria, but gave orders that the tributes which arose from it should be collected, and laid up in his tetrarchy.' (Jos. Ant. xviii. 4. 6.)

6

He (Caius) put a diadem upon his head, and appointed him to be king of the tetrarchy of Philip. He also gave him the tetrarchy of Lysanias.' (Jos. Ant. xviii. 6. 10.)

Note. Although Caius now promised to give Agrippa the tetrarchy of Lysanias, yet was it not actually conferred upon him till the reign of Claudius, as we learn Ant. xix. 5. 1.'

5 For the different causes which contributed to the downfall of Antipas read Jos. Ant. xviii. 4. 5.; ch. v. 2; ch. vii.; and Of the Wars, ii. 9. 5, 6. Agrippa accused his uncle Herod Antipas, that he had been in confederacy with Sejanus against the government of Tiberius, and that he was now confederate with Artabanus, King of Parthia, in opposition to the government of Caius; as a demonstration of which he alleged that he had armour sufficient for 70,000 men ready in his armoury. Caius was moved at this information, and asked Herod whether what was said about the armour was true; and when he confessed there was such armour there, for he could not deny the same, the truth of it being too notorious, Caius took that to be a sufficient proof of the accusation that he intended to revolt. So he took away from him his tetrarchy,

only portion now wanting to render his territory equal in extent to that of his grandfather, and this was added to the rest in the first year of Claudius.1

After thus more than realising his most sanguine expectations, Agrippa departed from Rome and returned to Judea, where he soon effectually secured the affections of the people by performing many popular deeds. He not only showed his approval of their religious ceremonies by omitting himself nothing that the law required, but likewise sanctioned the

and gave it by way of addition to Agrippa's kingdom; he also gave Herod's money to Agrippa, and by way of punishment awarded him a perpetual banishment, and appointed Lyons a city of Gaul to be his place of habitation.' (Jos. Ant. xviii. 7. 2.) So Herod died in Spain,' whither his wife had followed him.' (Of the Wars, ii. 9. 6.)

1 Now Claudius published an edict and therein confirmed that kingdom to Agrippa which Caius had given him, and therein commended the king highly. He also made an addition to it of all that country over which Herod, who was his grandfather, had reigned, that is, Judea and Samaria; and this he restored to him, as due to his family. But for Abila of Lysanias, and all that lay on Mount Libanus, he bestowed them upon him, as out of his own territories. He also made a league with this Agrippa, confirmed by oaths in the middle of the forum, in the city of Rome.' For his brother Herod, who was also his son-in-law (having married his daughter Bernice), Agrippa 'begged of Claudius the kingdom of Chaleis.' (Jos. Ant. xix. 5. 1.)

'Moreover he (Claudius) bestowed on Agrippa his whole paternal kingdom immediately, and added to it besides those countries that had been given by Augustus to Herod, Trachonites and Auranites, and still besides these that kingdom which was called the kingdom of Lysanias. This gift he declared to the people by a decree, but ordered the magistrates to have the donation engraved on tables of brass and set up in the Capitol. He likewise bestowed on his brother Herod, who was also his son-in-law by marrying (his daughter) Bernice, the kingdom of Chalcis.' (Jos. Of the Wars, ii. 11. 5.)

2 He (Agrippa) also came up to Jerusalem, and offered all the sacrifices that belonged to him, and omitted nothing which the law required; on which account he ordered that many of the Nazarites should have their heads shorn. And for the golden chain which had been given him by Caius he hung it up within the limits of the temple over the treasury as a testimony of his change for the better.' (Jos. Ant. xix. 6. 1.) And again, Ant. xix. 7. 3, he loved to live continually at Jerusalem, and was exactly careful in the observance of the laws of his country. He therefore kept himself entirely pure, nor did any day pass over his head without its appointed sacrifice."

C

persecution of such as refused to conform therewith.1

He also further enhanced his popularity by beautifying their capital; 2 but, after enjoying his power as king over all Judea for three years,3 to the inexpressible grief of his Jewish subjects, he ended his earthly career by being eaten up of worms.4

His son and heir being now only seventeen years old, it was deemed expedient to re-annex Judea to the empire in the form of a Roman province, and the government thereof was bestowed on a person named Cuspius Fadus.5

'He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword; and because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeeded further to take Peter also.' (Acts xii. 2, 3.)

2 He began to encompass Jerusalem with such a wall, which, had it been brought to perfection, had made it impracticable for the Romans to take it by siege; but his death, which happened at Cæsarea before he had raised the walls to their due height, prevented him.' (Jos. Of the Wars, ii. 11. 6; Ant. xix. 7. 2.)

He had then reigned three years, as he had governed his tetrarchies other three years.' (Jos. Of the Wars, ii. 11. 6.)

'He departed this life, being in the fifty-fourth year of his age, and in the seventh year of his reign, for he reigned four years under Caius Cæsar, three of which were over Philip's tetrarchy only, and on the fourth he had that of Herod added to it; and he reigned besides these, three years under Claudius Cæsar, in which time he reigned over the forementioned countries, and also had Judea added to them, as also Samaria and Cæsarea.' (Jos. Ant. xix. 8. 2.)

4 Acts xii. 23. Vide also Jos. Ant. xix. 8. 2. 5 He (Herod Agrippa) left behind him three daughters born to him by Cypros-Bernice, Mariamne, ,and Drusilla; and a son born of the same mother, whose name was Agrippa; he was left a very young child, so that Claudius made the country a Roman province, and sent Cuspius Fadus to be its procurator.' (Jos. Of the Wars, ii. 11.6.)

'But he left behind him a son, Agrippa by name, a youth in the seventeenth year of his age, and three daughters. Agrippa jun, was now in Rome, and Claudius was at first disposed to establish him at once in his father's kingdom, but was dissuaded therefrom by his freemen and friends, who urged as their reason, "that it was a dangerous experiment to permit so large a country to come under the government of so young a man, and one hardly yet arrived at the years of discretion, who would not be able

This officer, on his arrival in Judea, found the Jews so disaffected throughout the country, that he had to concentrate all his energies for a time, to prevent a universal insurrection. The inhabitants of Perma had taken up arms against those of Philadelphia, and had put several of them to death, while the Idumeans and Arabians, in turn, were severely scourged by a host of lawless banditti under a celebrated robber chief named Tholomæus.1

As if Providence wished further to humble the proud spirit of the people, they were also about this time visited by a dreadful famine. This alarming scarcity, which is a striking fulfilment of the prediction of Agabus, first showed its effects in the fourth year of Claudius, and extended over a period of three years.2 While the famine raged in Judea, a Jewish proselyte named Helena, Queen of Adiabene, pitying the condition of the perishing multitude, endeavoured to alleviate their sufferings by supplying them with corn and figs.3

1 Jos. Ant. xx. 1. 1.

to take sufficient care of its administration, while the weight of a kingdom is heavy enough to a grown man." So Cæsar thought what they said to be reasonable, and he accordingly sent Cuspius Fadus to be procurator of Judea.' (Jos. Ant. xix. 9. 2.)

2 Vide Jos. Ant. xx. 2. 5. The reader will here observe that the famine occurred during the brief period which intervened between the death of Agrippa I. and the accession of Agrippa II., viz. between A.D. 44 and 48. 'Anger has shown that it must be assigned to the interval between A.D. 44 and 47, and Wieseler has fixed it more closely to the year 45.' (Vide Conybeare and Howson.)

The famine here referred to happened when Claudius was consul the fourth time, and not when Claudius was consul the second time, and Cæsina was his colleague, as Scaliger says upon Euseb. p. 174 (although there was a famine at that time also). After mentioning that "Tiberius Alexander succeeded Cuspius Fadus as procurator,” Josephus immediately subjoins (ch. 5. 2) "that under these procurators there happened a great famine in Judea." Hence it must have continued not for one year only, but for several. Now Fadus was not sent into Judea till after the death of Agrippa I., i.e. towards the latter end of the fourth year of Claudius, so that this famine, foretold by Agabus, probably happened upon the 5th, 6th and 7th years of Claudius, as says Valesius on Euseb. ii. 12. Of this famine also, and Queen Helena's supplies, and her monument, see Moses Chorenensis, pp. 144 and 145.' (Vide note, Whiston's Jos. Ant. xx. 2. 5, and Dr. Hudson's note as there quoted.) Jos. Ant. xx. 2. 5. Helena sent some of her servants to Alexandria,