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acquire for magnanimity. They also said that God would not otherwise be assisting to them, than upon their joining with one another in such counsels as might be successful, and for their own advantage: and this especially if they would set about great exploits and not grow weary in executing the same. So men received what they said with pleasure: and this bold attempt proceeded to a great height. All sorts of misfortunes also sprang from these men; and the nation was infected with this doctrine to an incredible degree. One violent war came upon us after another; and we lost our friends, who used to alleviate our pains: there were also very great robberies, and murders of our principal men. This was done in pretence indeed, for the public welfare; but in reality, from the hopes of gain to themselves. Hence arose seditions, and from them murders of men; which sometimes fell on those of their own people (by the madness of these men towards one another; while their desire was, that none of the adverse party might be left :) and sometimes on their enemies: A famine also coming upon us reduced us to the last degree of despair; as did also the taking and demolishing of cities. Nay the sedition at last increased so high, that the very temple of God was burnt down by the enemies' fire. Such were the consequences of this, that the customs of our fathers were altered, and such a change was made, as added a mighty weight towards bringing all to destruction: which these men occasioned by their thus conspiring together. For Judas and Sadducus, who excited a fourth philosophic sect among us, and had a great many followers therein, filled our civil government with tumults. and laid the foundations of future miseries, by this system of philosophy, which we before were unacquainted with. Concerning which I will discourse a little: and this the rather because the infection which spread thence among the younger sort, who were zealous for it, brought the public to destruction.

The Jews had, for a great while, had three sects of philosophy peculiar to themselves. The sect of the Essenes, the sect of the Sadducees, and that of the Pharisees. Of which sects although I have already spoken in the second book of the Jewish war; yet will I a little touch upon them now.

Now the Pharisees live meanly, and despise delicacies in diet; and they follow the conduct of reason; and what that prescribes to them as good for them they do. They also pay a respect to such as are in years; nor are they so bold as to contradict

XIII. 10. and Dean Prideaux, as there quoted. Nor do "we, that I know of, find the least footsteps of such im-piety or infidelity of these Sadducees before this time. * Or providence.

It seems, by what Josephus says here, and Philo himself elsewhere, Op. p. 675. that these Essenes did not use to go up to the Jewish festivals at Jerusalem; or to offer sa

them in any thing which they have introduced. And when they determine that all things are done by fate, they do not take away the freedom from men of acting as they think fit: since their notion is, that it hath pleased God to make a temperament; whereby what he wills is done; but so that the will of man can act virtuously or viciously. They also believe that souls have an immortal vigor in them: and that under the earth there will be rewards, or punishments; according as they have lived virtuously or viciously in this life: and the latter are to be detained in an everlasting prison; but that the former shall have power to revive and live again. On account of which doctrines they are able to persuade the body of the people : and whatsoever they do about divine worship, prayers, and sacrifices, they perform according to their direction. Insomuch, that the cities give great attestations to them, on account of their virtuous conduct both in the actions of their lives, and their discourses.

But the doctrine of the Sadducees, is, that souls die with the bodies. Nor do they regard the observance of any thing besides what the law enjoins them. For they think it an instance of virtue to dispute with those teachers of philosophy whom they frequent. But this doctrine is received but by a few; yet by those still of the greatest dignity. But they are able to do almost nothing of themselves. For when they become magistrates, as they are unwillingly and by force sometimes obliged to be, they addict themselves to the notions of the Pharisees, because the multitude would not otherwise bear them.

The doctrine of the Essenes is this; that all things are best ascribed to God. They teach the immortality of souls; and esteem that the rewards of righteousness are to be earnestly striven for. And when they send what they have dedicated to God unto the temple, they do not offer sacrifices: because they have more pure lustrations of their own. On which account they are excluded from the common court of the temple; but offer their sacrifices themselves. Yet is their course of life better than that of other men: and they entirely addict themselves to husbandry. It also deserves our admiration, how much they exceed all other men that addict themselves to virtue, and this in righteousness: and indeed to such a degree, that as it has never appeared among many other men, eitherGreeks or Barbarians, even for a little time; it has endured a long while among them. This is demonstrated by that crifices there. Which may be one great occasion why they are never mentioned in the ordinary books of the New Testament: though in the Apostolical Constitutions they are mentioned: as those that observed the customs of their forefathers, VI. 6. and that without any such ill character, as is there laid upon the other sects among that people.

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institution of theirs, which will not suffer any thing I to hinder them from having all things in common: so that a rich man enjoys no more of his own wealth, than he who has nothing. There are about four thousand men that live in this way and neither marry wives, nor are desirous to keep servants: as thinking the latter tempts men to be unjust; and the former gives a handle to domestic quarrels. But as they live by themselves, they minister one to another. They also appoint certain stewards to receive the incomes of their revenues, and of the fruits of the ground; such as are good men, and priests; who are to get their corn, and their food ready for them. They none of them differ from others of the Essenes in their way of living: but do the most resemble those Dace, who are called Polistæ *or dwellers in cities. . But of the fourth sect of Jewish philosophy, Ju das the Galilean was the author. These men agree in all other things with the Pharisaic notions; but they have an inviolable attachment to liberty; and say that God is to be their only ruler and lord. They also do not value dying any kind of death; nor indeed do they heed the deaths of their relations and friends: nor can any such fear make them call any man lord. And since this immoveable resolution is well known to a great many, I shall speak no farther about that matter. Nor am I afraid that any thing I have said of them should be disbelieved: but rather fear that what I have said is beneath the resolution they shew when they undergo pain. And it was in Gessius Florus's time that the nation began to go mad with this distemper; who was our procurator; and who occasioned the Jews to go wild with it, by the abuse of his authority; and to make them revolt from the Romans. And these are the sects of Jewish philosophy.

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deprived Joazar of the high-priesthood, which dignity had been conferred on him by the multitude; and appointed Ananus, the son of Seth, to be highpriest. Herod and Philip, in the mean time, had, each of them received their own tetrarchy, and settled the affairs thereof. Herod also built a wall about Sepphoris, which is the security of all Galilee, and made it the metropolis of the country. He also built a wall round Betharamphtha, which was itself a city also; and called it Julias, from the name of the emperor's wife. When Philip also had built Paneas, a city at the fountains of Jordan, he named it Cæsarea. He also advanced the village Bethsaida, situate at the lake of Gennesareth, unto the dignity of a city, both by the number of inhabitants it contained, and its other grandeur : and; called it by the name of Julias, in honour of Casar's daughter.

Now as Coponius, who was sent along with Cyrenius, was exercising his oflice of procurator, and governing Judea, the following accidents happened. As the Jews were celebrating the feast of unleavened, bread, which we call the passover, it was customary for the priests to open the temple gates just after midnight. When therefore those gates were first opened, some of the Samaritans came privately into Jerusa lem, and threw about dead mens' bones in the cloysters. On which account the Jews afterward excluded them out of the temple, which they had not used to do at such festivals: and on other accounts also they watched the temple more carefully than they had formerly done. A little after this accident Coponius returned to Rome, and Marcus Ambivius came to be his successor in that government. Under whom Salome, the sister of king Herod, died; and left to Julia (Cæsar's wife) Jamnia, all its toparchy, and Phasaelis in the plain, and Archelais : where is a great plantation of palm-trees; and their fruit is excellent in its kind. After him camé Annius Rufus. Under whom died Caesar, the second emperor of the Romans: the duration of whose reign was fifty-seven years, f six months, and two days, of which time Antonius ruled together with him. fourteen years but the duration of his life was seventy-seven years. Upon his 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;

world. That battle is known to have been fought between Augustus and Mark Antony in the beginning of September, in the 31st year before the Christian era. To which add 36 years to the beginning of September, A. Đ. 6. In the next year to which naturally falls the banishment of Archelaus, and the taxation under Cyrenius, to the 37th year of the Actiack victorý, A. D. 7. See Authentic Records, Pt. II. pag. 1103, 1104.

These fifty-seven years are from Julius Cæsar's death. and

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and appointed Ismael, the son of Phabi, to be highpriest. He also deprived him in a little time, and ordained Eleazar, the son of Ananus, who had been high priest before. But when he had held the sacerdotal office for a year, Gratus deprived him of it, and gave it 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.

And now Herod the tetrarch, who was in great favour with Tiberius, built a city of the same name with him, and called it Tiberias. He built it in the best part of Galilee, at the lake of Gennesareth. There are warm baths at a little distance from it, in a village named Emmaus. Strangers came and inhabited this city; a great number of the inhabitants were Galileans also: and many were necessitated by Herod to come thither out of the country belonging to him; and were by force compelled to be its inhabitants. Some of them were persons of condition. He also admitted poor people; and those such as were collected from all parts to dwell in it. Nay some of them were not quite free-men. And these he was a benefactor to, and made them free in great numbers: but obliged them not to forsake the city, by building them very good houses at his own expence, and by giving them land also. For he was sensible that to make this place a habitation was to transgress the Jewish ancient laws; because many sepulchres were to be here taken away, in order to make room for the city Tiberias. Whereas our laws pronounce that such inhabitants are unclean, for seven days. †

as pledges of his fidelity to Rome: and they were sent to Rome accordingly; because it was not easy for him to contradict her commands. Now while Phraataces was alone brought up in order to succeed in the government, he thought it very tedious to expect that government by his father's donation as his successor. He therefore formed a treacherous design against his father, by his mother's assistance; with whom, as the report went, he had criminal conversation. So he was hated for both these vices: while his subjects esteemed this wicked love of his mother to be no way inferior to his parricide: and he was by them in a sedition expelled out of the country, before he grew too great, and died. But as the best sort of the Parthians agreed, that it was impossible they should be governed without a king; while it was also their constant practice to choose one of the family of Arsaces; (nor did their law allow of any others; and they thought this kingdom had been sufficiently injured already by the marriage with an Italian concubine, and by her issue;) they sent ambassadors, and called Órodes to take the crown: for the multitude would not otherwise have borne them: and though he were accused of very great cruelty, and was of an intractable temper, and prone to wrath, yet still he was one of the family of Arsaces. However, they made a conspiracy against him, and slew him; and that, as some say, at a festival, and among their sacrifices; for it is the custom there to carry their swords with them. But as the more general report is, they slew him when they had drawn him out a hunting. So they sent ambassadors to Rome, and desired they would send one of those that were there as pledges, to be their king. Accordingly Vonones was preferred before the rest, and sent to them: for he seemed capable of such great fortune, which two of the greatest kingdoms under the sun now offered him; his own, and a foreign one. However the barbarians soon changed their minds, they being naturally of a mutable disposition; upon the suppqsition, that this man was not worthy to be their governor. For they could not think of obeying the commands of one that had been a slave; for so they called those that had been hostages: nor could they bear the ignominy of that name: and this was the more intolerable, because then the Parthians must have such a king set over them, not by right of war, but in time of peace. So they presently invited Artabanus, king of Media, to be their king; he being also of the race of Arsaces. Artabanus com

About this time died Phraates, king of the Parthians, by the treachery of Phrataces, his son; upon the following occasion. When Phraates had had legitimate sons of his own, he had also an Italian maid servant, whose name was Thermusa; who had been formerly sent to him by Julius Cæsar, among other presents. He first made her his concubine: but being a great admirer of her beauty, and in process of time having a son by her, whose name was Phraataces, he made her his legitimate wife, and had a great respect for her. Now she was able to persuade him to do any thing that she said; and was earnest in procuring the government of Parthia for her son. But still she saw that her endeavours would not succeed, unless she could contrive how to remove Phraates's legitimate sons out of the kingdom. So she persuaded him to send those his sons,plied with the offer that was made him, and came

* Numbers xix. 11--14.

We may here take notice, as well as in the parallel parts of the books Of the War, II. 9. that after the death of Herod the Great, and the succession of Archelaus, Josephus is very brief in his accounts of Judea; till near his

own time. I suppose the reason is, that after the large history of Nicolaus of Damascus, including the life of Herod, and probably the succession and first actions of his sons, be had but few good histories of those times before him.

to them with an army. So Vonones met him; and at first the multitude of the Parthians stood on his sile, and he put his army in array: but Artabanus was beaten, and fled to the mountains of Media, Yet did he a little after gather a great army together, and fought with Vonones, and beat him. Whereupon Vonones fled away on horseback, with a few of his attendants about him, to Seleucia. So when Artabanus had slain a great number, and this after he had gotten the victory, by reason of the great dismay the barbarians were in, he retired to Ctesiphon, with a great number of his people: and he now reigned over the Parthians. But Vonones filed away to Armenia: and as soon as he came thither, he had an inclination to have the government of the country given him; and sent ambassadors to Rome for that purpose. But because Tiberius refused it him, and because he wanted courage, and because the Parthian king threatened him, and sent ambassadors to denounce war against him if he proceeded; and because he had no way to regain any other kingdom; (for the people of authority among the Ar. menians about Niphates joined themselves to Artabanus); he delivered up himself to Silanus, the president of Syria: who out of regard to his education at Rome, kept him in Syria; while Artabanus gave Armenia to Orodes, one of his own sons.

At this time died Antiochus, king of Commagene: whereupon the multitude contended with the nobility and both sent ambassadors to Rome. For the men of power were desirous that their government might be changed into the form of a Roman province; while the multitude were desirous to be under kings, as their fathers had been. So the senate made a decree, that Germanicus should be sent to settle the affairs of the East; fortune hereby taking a proper opportunity for depriving him of his life. For when he had been in the East, and settled all affairs there, his life was taken away by a poison which Piso gave him.

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lish the Jewish laws. So he introduced Cæsar's images, which were upon the ensigns, and brought them into the city: whereas our law forbids us the very making of images. On which account the former procurators were wont to make their entry into the city with such ensigns as had not those ornaments. Pilate was the first who brought those images to Jerusalem, and set them up there: which was done without the knowledge of the people, because it was done in the night time. But as soon as they knew it, they came in multitudes to Cæsarea, and interceded with Pilate many days, that he would remove the images. And when he would not grant their request, because this would tend to the injury of Cæsar; while yet they persevered in it; on the sixth day he ordered his soldiers to have their weapons privately, while he came and sat upon his judgment-seat: which seat was so prepared in the open place of the city, that it concealed the army that lay ready to oppress them. And when the Jews petitioned him again, he gave a signal to the soldiers to encompass them round; and threatened that their punishment should be no less than immediate death, unless they would leave off disturbing him, and go to their respective homes. But they threw themselves upon the ground, and laid their necks bare, and said they would take their. death very willingly, rather than the wisdom of their laws should be transgressed. Upon which Pilate was deeply affected with their firm resolution to keep their laws inviolable; and commanded the images to be carried back from Jerusalem to Cæ

sarea.

Pilate now + undertook to bring a current of water to Jerusalem; and did it with the sacred money: and derived the origin of the stream from the distance of two hundred furlongs. However, the Jews were not pleased with what had been done about this water; and many thousands of the people got together, and made a clamor against him, and insisted that he should leave off that design. Some of them also used reproaches, and abused the man; as crowds of such people usually do. So he disguised a great number of his soldiers in their habit, who carried daggers under their garments, and sent them to a place where they might surround them. He then bade the Jews go away: but they boldly casting reproaches upon him, he gave the soldiers that signal which had been previously agreed on. Accordingly, they laid upon them much greater blows than Pilate had commanded; and equally pu

excited at some of the great festivals, when they slew abundance of sacrifices; and the Galileans being com monly more busy in such tumults than those of Judea and Jerusalem; as we learn from the history of Archelaus, XVII. 9. and chap. 10. Though indeed Josephus's present copies say not one word of those eighteen, upon

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nished those that were tumultuous, and those that were not: nor did they spare them in the least. And since the people were unarmed, and were caught by men prepared for what they were about, a great number of them were slam by this means, and others of them ran away wounded. And thas an end was put to this seditione

Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise nian; if it be lawful to call him a many for he was a doer of wonderful works, and a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him * 10 the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him: for he appeared to them alive again, the third day: as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thou sand other wonderful things concerning him... And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, is not extinct at this day.

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About the same time also another sad calamity put the Jews into disorder; and certain shameful practices happened about the temple of Isis that was at Rome. I will now first take notice of the wicked attempt about the temple of Isis; and will then give an account of the Jewish affairs. There was at Rome a woman whose name was Paulina: one who on account of the dignity of her by the regular conduct of a virtuous life, had a great reputation. She was also very rich. And although she were of a beautiful countenance, and in that flower of age wherein women are the most gay, yet did she lead a life of great modesty. She was married to Saturninus; one that was every way answerable to her in an excellent character. Decius Mundus, a man very high in the equestrian order, fell in love with this woman; and as she was of too great dignity to be seduced by presents, and had already rejected them, though they had been sent in great abundance, he was still more inflamed with love to her insomuch that he promised to give her two hundred thousand Attic drachmæ for one night's lodging. And when this would not prevail upon whom the tower of Siloam fell and slew them; which the fourth verse of the same thirteenth chapter of St. Luke informs us of. But since our gospel teaches us, Luke xxiii. 6, 7. that when Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether Jesus were a Galilean? "And as soon as he knew that he belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod. And verse 12. The same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together; for before they had been at enmity between themselves. Take the very probable key of this matter in the words of the learned Noldius, De Herod, No. 249. "The cause of the enmity between Herod and Pilate," says he, "seems to have been, that Pilate had intermeddled with the tetrarch's jurisdiction, and liad slain some of his Galilean subjects; Luke-xiii,

her, and he was not able to bear this misfortune in his amours, he resolved to famish himself to death; for want of food, on account of Paulina's refusal and he went on with his purpose adcordingly. Now Mundus had a freed-woman, who had been made free by his father, whose name was Ide; one skilful in all sorts of mischief. This woman was much grieved at the young man's resolution to kill hima self; (for he did not conceal his intentions to destroy himself from others); and came to him, and encouraged him by her discourse, and made timėto hope, by some promises she gave him, that he might obtain a night's lodging with Paulina. And when he joyfully hearkened to her, she said, she wanted no more than fifty thousand diachmæ for entrapping of the woman. So when she had encouraged the young man, and gotten as much money as she res quired, she did not take the same methods as had been taken before; because she perceived that the woman was by no means to be tempted by money? But as she knew that she was much devoted to the worship of the goddess Isis, she devised the following stratagem: She went to some of Isis's priests! and upon the strongest assurances of concealment, she persuaded them by words, but chiefly by the offer of twenty-five thousand drachmæ in hand, and as much more when the thing had taken effect; and told them the passion of the young man and persuaded them to use all possible means to beguile the woman. So they were drawn in to promise so to do, by that large sum of gold they were to have: Accordingly the oldest of them went immediately to Paulina; and upon his admittance, he desired to speak with her by herself. When that was granted him, he told her, that he was sent by the god Anubis, who was fallen in love with her, and en joined her to come to him. Upon this she took the message very kindly; and valued herself greatly upon this condescension of the deity and told her husband, that she had a message sent her, and was to sup and to lie with Anubis. So he agreed to her acceptance of the offer, as fully satisfied with the chastity of his wife. Accordingly she went to the temple and after she had supped there, and it was And as he was willing to correct that error,, he sent Christ to Herod at this time."

N. B. Whereas Ottius in his annotations upon Josephus, printed in Havercamp's second volume, pag. 305 ---323. all along supposes that Josephus had read our books of the New Testament, when he wrote his known works; and that he gives many, though obscure intima tions thereof; this no way appears to me, upon the perusal of his observations, to be true. He indeed, as then an Ebionite, must have read and believed the Nazarene gospel, but not the books of our New Testament,

* April 3, A, D. 33.

+ April 5.

A. D. 33.

the

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