Antiquities of the Jews — Book 18, Chapter 8

1. There was now a tumult arisen at Alexandria, between the Jewish
inhabitants and the Greeks; and three ambassadors were chosen out of
each party that were at variance, who came to Caius. Now one of these
ambassadors from the people of Alexandria was Apion, 29 who uttered many
blasphemies against the Jews; and, among other things that he said, he
charged them with neglecting the honors that belonged to Cæsar; for that
while all who were subject to the Roman empire built altars and temples
to Caius, and in other regards universally received him as they received
the gods, these Jews alone thought it a dishonorable thing for them to
erect statues in honor of him, as well as to swear by his name. Many of
these severe things were said by Apion, by which he hoped to provoke
Caius to anger at the Jews, as he was likely to be. But Philo, the
principal of the Jewish embassage, a man eminent on all accounts,
brother to Alexander the alabarch, 30 and one not unskillful in
philosophy, was ready to betake himself to make his defense against
those accusations; but Caius prohibited him, and bid him begone; he was
also in such a rage, that it openly appeared he was about to do them
some very great mischief. So Philo being thus affronted, went out, and
said to those Jews who were about him, that they should be of good
courage, since Caius's words indeed showed anger at them, but in reality
had already set God against himself.

2. Hereupon Caius, taking it very heinously that he should be thus
despised by the Jews alone, sent Petronius to be president of Syria, and
successor in the government to Vitellius, and gave him order to make an
invasion into Judea, with a great body of troops; and if they would
admit of his statue willingly, to erect it in the temple of God; but if
they were obstinate, to conquer them by war, and then to do it.
Accordingly, Petronius took the government of Syria, and made haste to
obey Cæsar's epistle. He got together as great a number of auxiliaries
as he possibly could, and took with him two legions of the Roman army,
and came to Ptolemais, and there wintered, as intending to set about the
war in the spring. He also wrote word to Caius what he had resolved to
do, who commended him for his alacrity, and ordered him to go on, and to
make war with them, in case they would not obey his commands. But there
came many ten thousands of the Jews to Petronius, to Ptolemais, to offer
their petitions to him, that he would not compel them to transgress and
violate the law of their forefathers; "but if," said they, "thou art
entirely resolved to bring this statue, and erect it, do thou first kill
us, and then do what thou hast resolved on; for while we are alive we
cannot permit such things as are forbidden us to be done by the
authority of our legislator, and by our forefathers' determination that
such prohibitions are instances of virtue." But Petronius was angry at
them, and said, "If indeed I were myself emperor, and were at liberty to
follow my own inclination, and then had designed to act thus, these your
words would be justly spoken to me; but now Cæsar hath sent to me, I am
under the necessity of being subservient to his decrees, because a
disobedience to them will bring upon me inevitable destruction." Then
the Jews replied, "Since, therefore, thou art so disposed, O Petronius!
that thou wilt not disobey Caius's epistles, neither will we transgress
the commands of our law; and as we depend upon the excellency of our
laws, and, by the labors of our ancestors, have continued hitherto
without suffering them to be transgressed, we dare not by any means
suffer ourselves to be so timorous as to transgress those laws out of
the fear of death, which God hath determined are for our advantage; and
if we fall into misfortunes, we will bear them, in order to preserve our
laws, as knowing that those who expose themselves to dangers have good
hope of escaping them, because God will stand on our side, when, out of
regard to him, we undergo afflictions, and sustain the uncertain turns
of fortune. But if we should submit to thee, we should be greatly
reproached for our cowardice, as thereby showing ourselves ready to
transgress our law; and we should incur the great anger of God also,
who, even thyself being judge, is superior to Caius."

3. When Petronius saw by their words that their determination was hard
to be removed, and that, without a war, he should not be able to be
subservient to Caius in the dedication of his statue, and that there
must be a great deal of bloodshed, he took his friends, and the servants
that were about him, and hasted to Tiberias, as wanting to know in what
posture the affairs of the Jews were; and many ten thousands of the Jews
met Petronius again, when he was come to Tiberias. These thought they
must run a mighty hazard if they should have a war with the Romans, but
judged that the transgression of the law was of much greater
consequence, and made supplication to him, that he would by no means
reduce them to such distresses, nor defile their city with the
dedication of the statue. Then Petronius said to them, "Will you then
make war with Cæsar, without considering his great preparations for war,
and your own weakness?" They replied, "We will not by any means make war
with him, but still we will die before we see our laws transgressed." So
they threw themselves down upon their faces, and stretched out their
throats, and said they were ready to be slain; and this they did for
forty days together, and in the mean time left off the tilling of their
ground, and that while the season of the year required them to sow it.
31 Thus they continued firm in their resolution, and proposed to
themselves to die willingly, rather than to see the dedication of the
statue.

4. When matters were in this state, Aristobulus, king Agrippa's brother,
and Heleias the Great, and the other principal men of that family with
them, went in unto Petronius, and besought him, that since he saw the
resolution of the multitude, he would not make any alteration, and
thereby drive them to despair; but would write to Caius, that the Jews
had an insuperable aversion to the reception of the statue, and how they
continued with him, and left off the tillage off their ground: that they
were not willing to go to war with him, because they were not able to do
it, but were ready to die with pleasure, rather than suffer their laws
to be transgressed: and how, upon the land's continuing unsown,
robberies would grow up, on the inability they would be under of paying
their tributes; and that Caius might be thereby moved to pity, and not
order any barbarous action to be done to them, nor think of destroying
the nation: that if he continues inflexible in his former opinion to
bring a war upon them, he may then set about it himself. And thus did
Aristobulus, and the rest with him, supplicate Petronius. So Petronius,
32 partly on account of the pressing instances which Aristobulus and the
rest with him made, and because of the great consequence of what they
desired, and the earnestness wherewith they made their
supplication,—partly on account of the firmness of the opposition made
by the Jews, which he saw, while he thought it a terrible thing for him
to be such a slave to the madness of Caius, as to slay so many ten
thousand men, only because of their religious disposition towards God,
and after that to pass his life in expectation of punishment; Petronius,
I say, thought it much better to send to Caius, and to let him know how
intolerable it was to him to bear the anger he might have against him
for not serving him sooner, in obedience to his epistle, for that
perhaps he might persuade him; and that if this mad resolution
continued, he might then begin the war against them; nay, that in case
he should turn his hatred against himself, it was fit for virtuous
persons even to die for the sake of such vast multitudes of men.
Accordingly, he determined to hearken to the petitioners in this matter.

5. He then called the Jews together to Tiberias, who came many ten
thousands in number; he also placed that army he now had with him
opposite to them; but did not discover his own meaning, but the commands
of the emperor, and told them that his wrath would, without delay, be
executed on such as had the courage to disobey what he had commanded,
and this immediately; and that it was fit for him, who had obtained so
great a dignity by his grant, not to contradict him in any thing:—"yet,"
said he, "I do not think it just to have such a regard to my own safety
and honor, as to refuse to sacrifice them for your preservation, who are
so many in number, and endeavor to preserve the regard that is due to
your law; which as it hath come down to you from your forefathers, so do
you esteem it worthy of your utmost contention to preserve it: nor, with
the supreme assistance and power of God, will I be so hardy as to suffer
your temple to fall into contempt by the means of the imperial
authority. I will, therefore, send to Caius, and let him know what your
resolutions are, and will assist your suit as far as I am able, that you
may not be exposed to suffer on account of the honest designs you have
proposed to yourselves; and may God be your assistant, for his authority
is beyond all the contrivance and power of men; and may he procure you
the preservation of your ancient laws, and may not he be deprived,
though without your consent, of his accustomed honors. But if Caius be
irritated, and turn the violence of his rage upon me, I will rather
undergo all that danger and that affliction that may come either on my
body or my soul, than see so many of you to perish, while you are acting
in so excellent a manner. Do you, therefore, every one of you, go your
way about your own occupations, and fall to the cultivation of your
ground; I will myself send to Rome, and will not refuse to serve you in
all things, both by myself and by my friends."

6. When Petronius had said this, and had dismissed the assembly of the
Jews, he desired the principal of them to take care of their husbandry,
and to speak kindly to the people, and encourage them to have good hope
of their affairs. Thus did he readily bring the multitude to be cheerful
again. And now did God show his presence to Petronius, and signify to
him that he would afford him his assistance in his whole design; for he
had no sooner finished the speech that he made to the Jews, but God sent
down great showers of rain, contrary to human expectation; 33 for that
day was a clear day, and gave no sign, by the appearance of the sky, of
any rain; nay, the whole year had been subject to a great drought, and
made men despair of any water from above, even when at any time they saw
the heavens overcast with clouds; insomuch that when such a great
quantity of rain came, and that in an unusual manner, and without any
other expectation of it, the Jews hoped that Petronius would by no means
fail in his petition for them. But as to Petronius, he was mightily
surprised when he perceived that God evidently took care of the Jews,
and gave very plain signs of his appearance, and this to such a degree,
that those that were in earnest much inclined to the contrary had no
power left to contradict it. This was also among those other particulars
which he wrote to Caius, which all tended to dissuade him, and by all
means to entreat him not to make so many ten thousands of these men go
distracted; whom, if he should slay, [for without war they would by no
means suffer the laws of their worship to be set aside,] he would lose
the revenue they paid him, and would be publicly cursed by them for all
future ages. Moreover, that God, who was their Governor, had shown his
power most evidently on their account, and that such a power of his as
left no room for doubt about it. And this was the business that
Petronius was now engaged in.

7. But king Agrippa, who now lived at Rome, was more and more in the
favor of Caius; and when he had once made him a supper, and was careful
to exceed all others, both in expenses and in such preparations as might
contribute most to his pleasure; nay, it was so far from the ability of
others, that Caius himself could never equal, much less exceed it [such
care had he taken beforehand to exceed all men, and particularly to make
all agreeable to Cæsar]; hereupon Caius admired his understanding and
magnificence, that he should force himself to do all to please him, even
beyond such expenses as he could bear, and was desirous not to be behind
Agrippa in that generosity which he exerted in order to please him. So
Caius, when he had drank wine plentifully, and was merrier than
ordinary, said thus during the feast, when Agrippa had drunk to him: "I
knew before now how great a respect thou hast had for me, and how great
kindness thou hast shown me, though with those hazards to thyself, which
thou underwentest under Tiberius on that account; nor hast thou omitted
any thing to show thy good-will towards us, even beyond thy ability;
whence it would be a base thing for me to be conquered by thy affection.
I am therefore desirous to make thee amends for every thing in which I
have been formerly deficient; for all that I have bestowed on thee, that
may be called my gifts, is but little. Everything that may contribute to
thy happiness shall be at thy service, and that cheerfully, and so far
as my ability will reach." 34 And this was what Caius said to Agrippa,
thinking he would ask for some large country, or the revenues of certain
cities. But although he had prepared beforehand what he would ask, yet
had he not discovered his intentions, but made this answer to Caius
immediately: That it was not out of any expectation of gain that he
formerly paid his respects to him, contrary to the commands of Tiberius,
nor did he now do any thing relating to him out of regard to his own
advantage, and in order to receive any thing from him; that the gifts he
had already bestowed upon him were great, and beyond the hopes of even a
craving man; for although they may be beneath thy power, [who art the
donor,] yet are they greater than my inclination and dignity, who am the
receiver. And as Caius was astonished at Agrippa's inclinations, and
still the more pressed him to make his request for somewhat which he
might gratify him with, Agrippa replied, "Since thou, O my lord!
declarest such is thy readiness to grant, that I am worthy of thy gifts,
I will ask nothing relating to my own felicity; for what thou hast
already bestowed on me has made me excel therein; but I desire somewhat
which may make thee glorious for piety, and render the Divinity
assistant to thy designs, and may be for an honor to me among those that
inquire about it, as showing that I never once fail of obtaining what I
desire of thee; for my petition is this, that thou wilt no longer think
of the dedication of that statue which thou hast ordered to be set up in
the Jewish temple by Petronius."

8. And thus did Agrippa venture to cast the die upon this occasion, so
great was the affair in his opinion, and in reality, though he knew how
dangerous a thing it was so to speak; for had not Caius approved of it,
it had tended to no less than the loss of his life. So Caius, who was
mightily taken with Agrippa's obliging behavior, and on other accounts
thinking it a dishonorable thing to be guilty of falsehood before so
many witnesses, in points wherein he had with such alacrity forced
Agrippa to become a petitioner, and that it would look as if he had
already repented of what he had said, and because he greatly admired
Agrippa's virtue, in not desiring him at all to augment his own
dominions, either with larger revenues, or other authority, but took
care of the public tranquillity, of the laws, and of the Divinity
itself, he granted him what he had requested. He also wrote thus to
Petronius, commending him for his assembling his army, and then
consulting him about these affairs. "If therefore," said' he, "thou hast
already erected my statue, let it stand; but if thou hast not yet
dedicated it, do not trouble thyself further about it, but dismiss thy
army, go back, and take care of those affairs which I sent thee about at
first, for I have now no occasion for the erection of that statue. This
I have granted as a favor to Agrippa, a man whom I honor so very
greatly, that I am not able to contradict what he would have, or what he
desired me to do for him." And this was what Caius wrote to Petronius,
which was before he received his letter, informing him that the Jews
were very ready to revolt about the statue, and that they seemed
resolved to threaten war against the Romans, and nothing else. When
therefore Caius was much displeased that any attempt should be made
against his government as he was a slave to base and vicious actions on
all occasions, and had no regard to what was virtuous and honorable, and
against whomsoever he resolved to show his anger, and that for any cause
whatsoever, he suffered not himself to be restrained by any admonition,
but thought the indulging his anger to be a real pleasure, he wrote thus
to Petronius: "Seeing thou esteemest the presents made thee by the Jews
to be of greater value than my commands, and art grown insolent enough
to be subservient to their pleasure, I charge thee to become thy own
judge, and to consider what thou art to do, now thou art under my
displeasure; for I will make thee an example to the present and to all
future ages, that they may not dare to contradict the commands of their
emperor."

9. This was the epistle which Caius wrote to Petronius; but Petronius
did not receive it while Caius was alive, that ship which carried it
sailing so slow, that other letters came to Petronius before this, by
which he understood that Caius was dead; for God would not forget the
dangers Petronius had undertaken on account of the Jews, and of his own
honor. But when he had taken Caius away, out of his indignation of what
he had so insolently attempted in assuming to himself divine worship,
both Rome and all that dominion conspired with Petronius, especially
those that were of the senatorian order, to give Caius his due reward,
because he had been unmercifully severe to them; for he died not long
after he had written to Petronius that epistle which threatened him with
death. But as for the occasion of his death, and the nature of the plot
against him, I shall relate them in the progress of this narration. Now
that epistle which informed Petronius of Caius's death came first, and a
little afterward came that which commanded him to kill himself with his
own hands. Whereupon he rejoiced at this coincidence as to the death of
Caius, and admired God's providence, who, without the least delay, and
immediately, gave him a reward for the regard he had to the temple, and
the assistance he afforded the Jews for avoiding the dangers they were
in. And by this means Petronius escaped that danger of death, which he
could not foresee.