Antiquities Book 19, Chapter 5
How Claudius Restored To Agrippa His Grandfathers Kingdoms And Augmented His Dominions; And How He Published An Edict In Behalf.
1. Now when Claudius had taken out of the way all those soldiers whom he
suspected, which he did immediately, he published an edict, and therein
confirmed that kingdom to Agrippa which Caius had given him, and therein
commended the king highly. He also made all 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 16 of Lysanias, and all that lay at 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: he also took away from Antiochus that kingdom which he was
possessed of, but gave him a certain part of Cilicia and Commagena: he
also set Alexander Lysimachus, the alabarch, at liberty, who had been
his old friend, and steward to his mother Antonia, but had been
imprisoned by Caius, whose son [Marcus] married Bernice, the daughter of
Agrippa. But when Marcus, Alexander's son, was dead, who had married her
when she was a virgin, Agrippa gave her in marriage to his brother
Herod, and begged for him of Claudius the kingdom of Chalcis.
2. Now about this time there was a sedition between the Jews and the
Greeks, at the city of Alexandria; for when Caius was dead, the nation
of the Jews, which had been very much mortified under the reign of
Caius, and reduced to very great distress by the people of Alexandria,
recovered itself, and immediately took up their arms to fight for
themselves. So Claudius sent an order to the president of Egypt to quiet
that tumult; he also sent an edict, at the requests of king Agrippa and
king Herod, both to Alexandria and to Syria, whose contents were as
follows: "Tiberius Claudius Cæsar Augustus Germanicus, high priest, and
tribune of the people, ordains thus: Since I am assured that the Jews of
Alexandria, called Alexandrians, have been joint inhabitants in the
earliest times with the Alexandrians, and have obtained from their kings
equal privileges with them, as is evident by the public records that are
in their possession, and the edicts themselves; and that after
Alexandria had been subjected to our empire by Augustus, their rights
and privileges have been preserved by those presidents who have at
divers times been sent thither; and that no dispute had been raised
about those rights and privileges, even when Aquila was governor of
Alexandria; and that when the Jewish ethnarch was dead, Augustus did not
prohibit the making such ethnarchs, as willing that all men should be so
subject [to the Romans] as to continue in the observation of their own
customs, and not be forced to transgress the ancient rules of their own
country religion; but that, in the time of Caius, the Alexandrians
became insolent towards the Jews that were among them, which Caius, out
of his great madness and want of understanding, reduced the nation of
the Jews very low, because they would not transgress the religious
worship of their country, and call him a god: I will therefore that the
nation of the Jews be not deprived of their rights and privileges, on
account of the madness of Caius; but that those rights and privileges
which they formerly enjoyed be preserved to them, and that they may
continue in their own customs. And I charge both parties to take very
great care that no troubles may arise after the promulgation of this
edict."
3. And such were the contents of this edict on behalf of the Jews that
was sent to Alexandria. But the edict that was sent into the other parts
of the habitable earth was this which follows: "Tiberius Claudius Cæsar
Augustus Germanicus, high priest, tribune of the people, chosen consul
the second time, ordains thus: Upon the petition of king Agrippa and
king Herod, who are persons very dear to me, that I would grant the same
rights and privileges should be preserved to the Jews which are in all
the Roman empire, which I have granted to those of Alexandria, I very
willingly comply therewith; and this grant I make not only for the sake
of the petitioners, but as judging those Jews for whom I have been
petitioned worthy of such a favor, on account of their fidelity and
friendship to the Romans. I think it also very just that no Grecian city
should be deprived of such rights and privileges, since they were
preserved to them under the great Augustus. It will therefore be fit to
permit the Jews, who are in all the world under us, to keep their
ancient customs without being hindered so to do. And I do charge them
also to use this my kindness to them with moderation, and not to show a
contempt of the superstitious observances of other nations, but to keep
their own laws only. And I will that this decree of mine be engraven on
tables by the magistrates of the cities, and colonies, and municipal
places, both those within Italy and those without it, both kings and
governors, by the means of the ambassadors, and to have them exposed to
the public for full thirty days, in such a place whence it may plainly
be read from the ground." 17
suspected, which he did immediately, he published an edict, and therein
confirmed that kingdom to Agrippa which Caius had given him, and therein
commended the king highly. He also made all 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 16 of Lysanias, and all that lay at 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: he also took away from Antiochus that kingdom which he was
possessed of, but gave him a certain part of Cilicia and Commagena: he
also set Alexander Lysimachus, the alabarch, at liberty, who had been
his old friend, and steward to his mother Antonia, but had been
imprisoned by Caius, whose son [Marcus] married Bernice, the daughter of
Agrippa. But when Marcus, Alexander's son, was dead, who had married her
when she was a virgin, Agrippa gave her in marriage to his brother
Herod, and begged for him of Claudius the kingdom of Chalcis.
2. Now about this time there was a sedition between the Jews and the
Greeks, at the city of Alexandria; for when Caius was dead, the nation
of the Jews, which had been very much mortified under the reign of
Caius, and reduced to very great distress by the people of Alexandria,
recovered itself, and immediately took up their arms to fight for
themselves. So Claudius sent an order to the president of Egypt to quiet
that tumult; he also sent an edict, at the requests of king Agrippa and
king Herod, both to Alexandria and to Syria, whose contents were as
follows: "Tiberius Claudius Cæsar Augustus Germanicus, high priest, and
tribune of the people, ordains thus: Since I am assured that the Jews of
Alexandria, called Alexandrians, have been joint inhabitants in the
earliest times with the Alexandrians, and have obtained from their kings
equal privileges with them, as is evident by the public records that are
in their possession, and the edicts themselves; and that after
Alexandria had been subjected to our empire by Augustus, their rights
and privileges have been preserved by those presidents who have at
divers times been sent thither; and that no dispute had been raised
about those rights and privileges, even when Aquila was governor of
Alexandria; and that when the Jewish ethnarch was dead, Augustus did not
prohibit the making such ethnarchs, as willing that all men should be so
subject [to the Romans] as to continue in the observation of their own
customs, and not be forced to transgress the ancient rules of their own
country religion; but that, in the time of Caius, the Alexandrians
became insolent towards the Jews that were among them, which Caius, out
of his great madness and want of understanding, reduced the nation of
the Jews very low, because they would not transgress the religious
worship of their country, and call him a god: I will therefore that the
nation of the Jews be not deprived of their rights and privileges, on
account of the madness of Caius; but that those rights and privileges
which they formerly enjoyed be preserved to them, and that they may
continue in their own customs. And I charge both parties to take very
great care that no troubles may arise after the promulgation of this
edict."
3. And such were the contents of this edict on behalf of the Jews that
was sent to Alexandria. But the edict that was sent into the other parts
of the habitable earth was this which follows: "Tiberius Claudius Cæsar
Augustus Germanicus, high priest, tribune of the people, chosen consul
the second time, ordains thus: Upon the petition of king Agrippa and
king Herod, who are persons very dear to me, that I would grant the same
rights and privileges should be preserved to the Jews which are in all
the Roman empire, which I have granted to those of Alexandria, I very
willingly comply therewith; and this grant I make not only for the sake
of the petitioners, but as judging those Jews for whom I have been
petitioned worthy of such a favor, on account of their fidelity and
friendship to the Romans. I think it also very just that no Grecian city
should be deprived of such rights and privileges, since they were
preserved to them under the great Augustus. It will therefore be fit to
permit the Jews, who are in all the world under us, to keep their
ancient customs without being hindered so to do. And I do charge them
also to use this my kindness to them with moderation, and not to show a
contempt of the superstitious observances of other nations, but to keep
their own laws only. And I will that this decree of mine be engraven on
tables by the magistrates of the cities, and colonies, and municipal
places, both those within Italy and those without it, both kings and
governors, by the means of the ambassadors, and to have them exposed to
the public for full thirty days, in such a place whence it may plainly
be read from the ground." 17