Antiquities Book 19, Chapter 6
What Things Were Done By Agrippa At Jerusalem When He Was Returned Back Into Judea; And What It Was That Petronius Wrote To The Inhabitants Of Doris, In Behalf.
1. Now Claudius Cæsar, by these decrees of his which were sent to
Alexandria, and to all the habitable earth, made known what opinion he
had of the Jews. So he soon sent Agrippa away to take his kingdom, now
he was advanced to a more illustrious dignity than before, and sent
letters to the presidents and procurators of the provinces that they
should treat him very kindly. Accordingly, he returned in haste, as was
likely he would, now he returned in much greater prosperity than he had
before. He also came to Jerusalem, and offered all the sacrifices that
belonged to him, and omitted nothing which the law required; 18 on which
account he ordained that many of the Nazarites should have their heads
shorn. And for the golden chain which had been given him by Caius, of
equal weight with that iron chain wherewith his royal hands had been
bound, he hung it up within the limits of the temple, over the treasury,
19 that it might be a memorial of the severe fate he had lain under, and
a testimony of his change for the better; that it might be a
demonstration how the greatest prosperity may have a fall, and that God
sometimes raises up what is fallen down: for this chain thus dedicated
afforded a document to all men, that king Agrippa had been once bound in
a chain for a small cause, but recovered his former dignity again; and a
little while afterward got out of his bonds, and was advanced to be a
more illustrious king than he was before. Whence men may understand that
all that partake of human nature, how great soever they are, may fall;
and that those that fall may gain their former illustrious dignity
again.
2. And when Agrippa had entirely finished all the duties of the Divine
worship, he removed Theophilus, the son of Ananus, from the high
priesthood, and bestowed that honor of his on Simon the son of Boethus,
whose name was also Cantheras whose daughter king Herod married, as I
have related above. Simon, therefore, had the [high] priesthood with his
brethren, and with his father, in like manner as the sons of Simon, the
son of Onias, who were three, had it formerly under the government of
the Macedonians, as we have related in a former book.
3. When the king had settled the high priesthood after this manner, he
returned the kindness which the inhabitants of Jerusalem had showed him;
for he released them from the tax upon houses, every one of which paid
it before, thinking it a good thing to requite the tender affection of
those that loved him. He also made Silas the general of his forces, as a
man who had partaken with him in many of his troubles. But after a very
little while the young men of Doris, preferring a rash attempt before
piety, and being naturally bold and insolent, carried a statue of Cæsar
into a synagogue of the Jews, and erected it there. This procedure of
theirs greatly provoked Agrippa; for it plainly tended to the
dissolution of the laws of his country. So he came without delay to
Publius Petronius, who was then president of Syria, and accused the
people of Doris. Nor did he less resent what was done than did Agrippa;
for he judged it a piece of impiety to transgress the laws that regulate
the actions of men. So he wrote the following letter to the people of
Doris in an angry strain: "Publius Petronius, the president under
Tiberius Claudius Cæsar Augustus Germanicus, to the magistrates of
Doris, ordains as follows: Since some of you have had the boldness, or
madness rather, after the edict of Claudius Cæsar Augustus Germanicus
was published, for permitting the Jews to observe the laws of their
country, not to obey the same, but have acted in entire opposition
thereto, as forbidding the Jews to assemble together in the synagogue,
by removing Cæsar's statue, and setting it up therein, and thereby have
offended not only the Jews, but the emperor himself, whose statue is
more commodiously placed in his own temple than in a foreign one, where
is the place of assembling together; while it is but a part of natural
justice, that every one should have the power over the place belonging
peculiarly to themselves, according to the determination of Cæsar,—to
say nothing of my own determination, which it would be ridiculous to
mention after the emperor's edict, which gives the Jews leave to make
use of their own customs, as also gives order that they enjoy equally
the rights of citizens with the Greeks themselves,—I therefore ordain
that Proculus Vitellius, the centurion, bring those men to me, who,
contrary to Augustus's edict, have been so insolent as to do this thing,
at which those very men, who appear to be of principal reputation among
them, have an indignation also, and allege for themselves, 'that it was
not done with their consent, but by the violence of the multitude, that
they may give an account of what hath been done. I also exhort the
principal magistrates among them, unless they have a mind to have this
action esteemed to be done with their consent, to inform the centurion
of those that were guilty of it, and take care that no handle be hence
taken for raising a sedition or quarrel among them; which those seem to
me to treat after who encourage such doings; while both I myself, and
king Agrippa, for whom I have the highest honor, have nothing more under
our care, than that the nation of the Jews may have no occasion given
them of getting together, under the pretense of avenging themselves, and
become tumultuous. And that it may be more publicly known what Augustus
hath resolved about this whole matter, I have subjoined those edicts
which he hath lately caused to be published at Alexandria, and which,
although they may be well known to all, yet did king Agrippa, for whom I
have the highest honor, read them at that time before my tribunal, and
pleaded that the Jews ought not to be deprived of those rights which
Augustus hath granted them. I therefore charge you, that you do not, for
the time to come, seek for any occasion of sedition or disturbance, but
that every one be allowed to follow their own religious customs."
4. Thus did Petronius take care of this matter, that such a breach of
the law might be corrected, and that no such thing might be attempted
afterwards against the Jews. And now king Agrippa took the [high]
priesthood away from Simon Cantheras, and put Jonathan, the son of
Ananus, into it again, and owned that he was more worthy of that dignity
than the other. But this was not a thing acceptable to him, to recover
that his former dignity. So he refused it, and said, "O king! I rejoice
in the honor that thou hast for me, and take it kindly that thou wouldst
give me such a dignity of thy own inclinations, although God hath judged
that I am not at all worthy of the high priesthood. I am satisfied with
having once put on the sacred garments; for I then put them on after a
more holy manner than I should now receive them again. But if thou
desirest that a person more worthy than myself should have this
honorable employment, give me leave to name thee such a one. I have a
brother that is pure from all sin against God, and of all offenses
against thyself; I recommend him to thee, as one that is fit for this
dignity." So the king was pleased with these words of his, and passed by
Jonathan, and, according to his brother's desire, bestowed the high
priesthood upon Matthias. Nor was it long before Marcus succeeded
Petronius, as president of Syria.
Alexandria, and to all the habitable earth, made known what opinion he
had of the Jews. So he soon sent Agrippa away to take his kingdom, now
he was advanced to a more illustrious dignity than before, and sent
letters to the presidents and procurators of the provinces that they
should treat him very kindly. Accordingly, he returned in haste, as was
likely he would, now he returned in much greater prosperity than he had
before. He also came to Jerusalem, and offered all the sacrifices that
belonged to him, and omitted nothing which the law required; 18 on which
account he ordained that many of the Nazarites should have their heads
shorn. And for the golden chain which had been given him by Caius, of
equal weight with that iron chain wherewith his royal hands had been
bound, he hung it up within the limits of the temple, over the treasury,
19 that it might be a memorial of the severe fate he had lain under, and
a testimony of his change for the better; that it might be a
demonstration how the greatest prosperity may have a fall, and that God
sometimes raises up what is fallen down: for this chain thus dedicated
afforded a document to all men, that king Agrippa had been once bound in
a chain for a small cause, but recovered his former dignity again; and a
little while afterward got out of his bonds, and was advanced to be a
more illustrious king than he was before. Whence men may understand that
all that partake of human nature, how great soever they are, may fall;
and that those that fall may gain their former illustrious dignity
again.
2. And when Agrippa had entirely finished all the duties of the Divine
worship, he removed Theophilus, the son of Ananus, from the high
priesthood, and bestowed that honor of his on Simon the son of Boethus,
whose name was also Cantheras whose daughter king Herod married, as I
have related above. Simon, therefore, had the [high] priesthood with his
brethren, and with his father, in like manner as the sons of Simon, the
son of Onias, who were three, had it formerly under the government of
the Macedonians, as we have related in a former book.
3. When the king had settled the high priesthood after this manner, he
returned the kindness which the inhabitants of Jerusalem had showed him;
for he released them from the tax upon houses, every one of which paid
it before, thinking it a good thing to requite the tender affection of
those that loved him. He also made Silas the general of his forces, as a
man who had partaken with him in many of his troubles. But after a very
little while the young men of Doris, preferring a rash attempt before
piety, and being naturally bold and insolent, carried a statue of Cæsar
into a synagogue of the Jews, and erected it there. This procedure of
theirs greatly provoked Agrippa; for it plainly tended to the
dissolution of the laws of his country. So he came without delay to
Publius Petronius, who was then president of Syria, and accused the
people of Doris. Nor did he less resent what was done than did Agrippa;
for he judged it a piece of impiety to transgress the laws that regulate
the actions of men. So he wrote the following letter to the people of
Doris in an angry strain: "Publius Petronius, the president under
Tiberius Claudius Cæsar Augustus Germanicus, to the magistrates of
Doris, ordains as follows: Since some of you have had the boldness, or
madness rather, after the edict of Claudius Cæsar Augustus Germanicus
was published, for permitting the Jews to observe the laws of their
country, not to obey the same, but have acted in entire opposition
thereto, as forbidding the Jews to assemble together in the synagogue,
by removing Cæsar's statue, and setting it up therein, and thereby have
offended not only the Jews, but the emperor himself, whose statue is
more commodiously placed in his own temple than in a foreign one, where
is the place of assembling together; while it is but a part of natural
justice, that every one should have the power over the place belonging
peculiarly to themselves, according to the determination of Cæsar,—to
say nothing of my own determination, which it would be ridiculous to
mention after the emperor's edict, which gives the Jews leave to make
use of their own customs, as also gives order that they enjoy equally
the rights of citizens with the Greeks themselves,—I therefore ordain
that Proculus Vitellius, the centurion, bring those men to me, who,
contrary to Augustus's edict, have been so insolent as to do this thing,
at which those very men, who appear to be of principal reputation among
them, have an indignation also, and allege for themselves, 'that it was
not done with their consent, but by the violence of the multitude, that
they may give an account of what hath been done. I also exhort the
principal magistrates among them, unless they have a mind to have this
action esteemed to be done with their consent, to inform the centurion
of those that were guilty of it, and take care that no handle be hence
taken for raising a sedition or quarrel among them; which those seem to
me to treat after who encourage such doings; while both I myself, and
king Agrippa, for whom I have the highest honor, have nothing more under
our care, than that the nation of the Jews may have no occasion given
them of getting together, under the pretense of avenging themselves, and
become tumultuous. And that it may be more publicly known what Augustus
hath resolved about this whole matter, I have subjoined those edicts
which he hath lately caused to be published at Alexandria, and which,
although they may be well known to all, yet did king Agrippa, for whom I
have the highest honor, read them at that time before my tribunal, and
pleaded that the Jews ought not to be deprived of those rights which
Augustus hath granted them. I therefore charge you, that you do not, for
the time to come, seek for any occasion of sedition or disturbance, but
that every one be allowed to follow their own religious customs."
4. Thus did Petronius take care of this matter, that such a breach of
the law might be corrected, and that no such thing might be attempted
afterwards against the Jews. And now king Agrippa took the [high]
priesthood away from Simon Cantheras, and put Jonathan, the son of
Ananus, into it again, and owned that he was more worthy of that dignity
than the other. But this was not a thing acceptable to him, to recover
that his former dignity. So he refused it, and said, "O king! I rejoice
in the honor that thou hast for me, and take it kindly that thou wouldst
give me such a dignity of thy own inclinations, although God hath judged
that I am not at all worthy of the high priesthood. I am satisfied with
having once put on the sacred garments; for I then put them on after a
more holy manner than I should now receive them again. But if thou
desirest that a person more worthy than myself should have this
honorable employment, give me leave to name thee such a one. I have a
brother that is pure from all sin against God, and of all offenses
against thyself; I recommend him to thee, as one that is fit for this
dignity." So the king was pleased with these words of his, and passed by
Jonathan, and, according to his brother's desire, bestowed the high
priesthood upon Matthias. Nor was it long before Marcus succeeded
Petronius, as president of Syria.