Felix, while procurator, proved himself more destitute of moral principles than any which preceded him. His government was oppressive beyond measure. He neither listened to the complaints of the sufferers on the one hand nor heeded their threats on the other. His subjects were, however, after a time, so provoked by his cruelties, that they accused him before the emperor, but through the intercession of his brother Pallas, who was then a favourite at court, he was acquitted.2

In A.D. CO Felix was succeeded in office by Festus, who, compared with his predecessor, appears to have been an impartial, upright, and enlightened officer. On his arrival in Judea he found the affairs of the province in the greatest confusion. It now happened that the country was sorely afflicted by robbers, called Sicarii, who, with their short swords (sica) concealed, mingled themselves freely among the multitude at their festivals, in order more effectually to accomplish their murderous designs. They also came frequently upon the villages belonging to their enemies, plundered them, and set them on fire. In short, the civil authorities for a time appear to have been effectually set at defiance.3

While earnestly endeavouring to counteract the flood of corruption which had thus set in, and after pursuing his career of usefulness for two years as procurator of Judea, Festus died and was succeeded by Albinus.

Before the latter arrived in Palestine, Ananus, the high priest, who was also a Sadducee, thinking it a fit opportunity to exercise his newly acquired authority against his enemies, assembled the sanhedrim of the judges together and summoned before them certain Christians, among others, James the brother of our Lord, and when he had found an accusation against them as breakers of the law he delivered them to be stoned.4 On hearing that the Roman law had been thus

1 Vide Tac. Ann. xii. 54, &c.

2 Jos. Ant. xx. 8. 9. 'Now when Porcius Festus was sent as successor to Felix by Nero, the principal of the Jewish inhabitants of Cæsarea went up to Rome to accuse Felix; and he had certainly been brought to punishment, unless Nero had yielded to the importunate solicitations of his brother Pallas, who was at that time had in the greatest honour by him.'

3 Jos. Ant. xx. 8. 10.

4. Of this condemnation of James the Just and its causes, as also that he did not die till long afterwards, see Primitive Christianity Revived, vol. iii. ch. 43-46. The sanhedrim condemned our Saviour, but could

slighted, Albinus 'wrote an angry epistle to Ananus, and threatened that he would bring him to punishment for what he had done; on which King Agrippa, to appease the anger of Albinus, deprived him of the high priesthood.'

This Albinus, while procurator, acted the part of a tyrant. According to Josephus, there was no wickedness that could be named but he had a hand in it. 'He stole and plundered every's one's substance, burdened the whole nation with taxes, and permitted such as were in prison for robbery to be redeemed by their relatives on payment of a fine, so that no one remained in the prisons as a malefactor but he who gave him nothing. At this time, also, the enterprises of the seditious at Jerusalem became very formidable, the principal men among them purchasing leave of Albinus to go on with their seditious practices, while that part of the people who delighted in disturbances joined themselves to such as had fellowship with Albinus; and every one of these wicked wretches was encompassed by his own band of robbers, while he himself, like an arch-robber, or a tyrant, made a figure among his company and abused his authority over those about him, in order to plunder those that lived quietly, the effect of which was this, that those who lost their goods were forced to hold their peace, when they had reason to show great indignation at what they had suffered; but those who had escaped were forced to flatter him that deserved to be punished, out of the fear they were in of suffering equally with the others. Upon the whole nobody durst speak their minds, for tyranny was generally tolerated; and at this time were those seeds sown which brought this city to destruction.'

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not put Him to death without the approbation of the Roman procurator, nor could therefore Ananias and his sanhedrim do more here, since they never had Albinus's approbation for the putting this James to death.' (Vide Whiston's note in loc.) It deserves special notice, that Ananias in this matter acted entirely on his own responsibility, and against the wishes of the people. (Vide Jos. Ant. xx. 9. 1.) But as for those who seemed the most equitable of the citizens, and such as were the most uneasy at the breach of the laws, they disliked what was done; they also sent to the king (Agrippa), desiring him to send to Ananias, that he should act so no more, for that what he had already done was not to be justified; nay, some of them went also to meet Albinus, as he was upon his journey from Alexandria, and informed him that it was not lawful for Ananus to assemble a sanhedrim without his consent.'

And although we reverence many of Herod's posterity who still reign, yet do we pay a greater regard to truth than to them, and this though it sometimes happens that we incur their displeasure by so doing.' (Jos. Ant. xvi. 7. 1.)

THE HERODIAN FAMILY.

Agrippa I. was the son of Aristobulus, and grandson of Herod the Great. After the death of his unfortunate father 1 he was sent to Rome and soon became a special object of the emperor's favour. He was brought up and educated with Drusus and Claudius, the emperor's own son and nephew, and, through the prudent conduct of his mother Bernice, he also further secured the friendship of Antonia, the respected widow of Drusus Germanicus,2 the emperor's sister-in-law. An event, however, soon happened which appeared for a time to blight his prospects-the emperor's son was cut down in the full vigour of youth, and Agrippa was accordingly dismissed from court for fear his presence might recall to the mind of a bereaved parent the former object of his hopes and affection. In consequence of his profuse expenditure and unbounded liberality he now soon found himself so overwhelmed with debt that he deemed it prudent to retire from Rome and return to Judea. On his arrival in the latter country the misfortunes which had lately befallen him preyed so deeply upon his mind that he formed the dreadful resolution of putting himself to death. But through the untiring zeal of his faithful Cypros, and the timely aid of his uncle and brotherin-law, Herod, the tetrarch, his burden was rendered more tolerable. He next took up his abode, first, in Galilee 3 and

'Alexander also and Aristobulus were brought to Sebaste by their father's command, and were strangled.' (Jos. Ant. xvi. 11. 7.)

2 A little before the death of Herod, Agrippa lived at Rome, and was generally brought up and conversed with Drusus, the Emperor Tiberius's son, and contracted a friendship with Antonia, the wife of Drusus the Great, who had his mother in great esteem, and was very desirous of advancing her son.' (Ant. xviii. 6. 1.)

3 'He (Agrippa) spent a great deal extravagantly in his daily way of living, and a great deal in the immoderate presents he made insomuch that he was in a little time reduced to poverty, and could not live at Rome any longer. Tiberius also forbade the friends of his deceased son to come into his sight, because on seeing them he should be put in mind of his son, and his grief would thereby be revived. For these reasons he went away from Rome, and sailed to Judea, but in evil circumstances, being dejected with the loss of that money which he once

2

afterwards in Syria. In the former place he remained sufficiently long to incur the displeasure of his uncle, Herod the tetrarch, and in the latter that of his old friend Flaccus, the Roman governor. Having thus alienated the feelings of his most liberal benefactors in Syria and Palestine, he had no alternative left but to return once more to Rome. His critical position at this period was truly deplorable--although a prince, he was destitute both of friends and credit. Shortly after his arrival in Italy, however, fortune appeared to favour him once more.3 He was permitted to visit the emperor in his island retreat, and was also further honoured with the guardianship of the emperor's grandson, who was then supposed to be destined at a future period to wear the imperial diadem. His path now appeared in the certain direction of honours and success. Unfortunately, however, an event now occurred which placed him for a time in a more unenviable position than ever. In consideration of the many and important favours which had been conferred upon him by Antonia, Agrippa zealously cultivated the friendship of Caligula, and indeed carried his intimacy so far that he was eventually

4

had, and because he had not wherewithal to pay his creditors, who were many in number, and such as gave no room for escaping them. Whereupon he knew not what to do; so, for shame of his present condition, he retired to a certain tower at Malatha in Idumea, and had thoughts of killing himself, but his wife Cypros perceived his intentions, and tried all sorts of methods to divert him from his taking such a course; so she sent a letter to his sister Herodias, who was now the wife of Herod the tetrarch, and let her know Agrippa's present design, and what necessity it was which drove him thereto, and desired her as a kinswoman of his to give him her help, and to engage her husband to do the same, since she saw how she alleviated these her husband's troubles all she could, although she had not the like wealth to do it withal. So they sent for him, and allotted him Tiberias for his habitation, and appointed him some income of money for his maintenance, and made him a magistrate of that city, by way of honour to him.' (Jos. Ant. xviii. 6. 2.)

1 Ant. xviii, 6. 2, 3.

2 Sect. 3.

Antonia, the mother of Germanicus and of Claudius, lent him 300,000 drachmæ to extricate him out of his difficulties, and this out of regard to Bernice, his mother, and because Agrippa had been educated with her own son Claudius.' (Ant. xviii. 6. 4.)

After this Tiberius Cæsar recommended to him his grandson (Tiberius), and ordered that he should always accompany him when he went abroad. But upon Agrippa's kind reception by Antonia, he betook him to pay his respects to Caius, who was her grandson, and in very high reputation by reason of the good-will they bore his father Germanicus.' (Sect. 4.)