Antiquities Book 20, Chapter 1
A Sedition Of The Philadelphians Against The Jews; And Also Concerning The Vestments Of The High Priest.
1. Upon the death of king Agrippa, which we have related in the
foregoing book, Claudius Cæsar sent Cassius Longinus as successor to
Marcus, out of regard to the memory of king Agrippa, who had often
desired of him by letters, while he was alive, that he would not suffer
Marcus to be any longer president of Syria. But Fadus, as soon as he was
come procurator into Judea, found quarrelsome doings between the Jews
that dwelt in Perea, and the people of Philadelphia, about their
borders, at a village called Mia, that was filled with men of a warlike
temper; for the Jews of Perea had taken up arms without the consent of
their principal men, and had destroyed many of the Philadelphians. When
Fadus was informed of this procedure, it provoked him very much that
they had not left the determination of the matter to him, if they
thought that the Philadelphians had done them any wrong, but had rashly
taken up arms against them. So he seized upon three of their principal
men, who were also the causes of this sedition, and ordered them to be
bound, and afterwards had one of them slain, whose name was Hannibal;
and he banished the other two, Areram and Eleazar. Tholomy also, the
arch robber, was, after some time, brought to him bound, and slain, but
not till he had done a world of mischief to Idumea and the Arabians. And
indeed, from that time, Judea was cleared of robberies by the care and
providence of Fadus. He also at this time sent for the high priests and
the principal citizens of Jerusalem, and this at the command of the
emperor, and admonished them that they should lay up the long garment
and the sacred vestment, which it is customary for nobody but the high
priest to wear, in the tower of Antonia, that it might be under the
power of the Romans, as it had been formerly. Now the Jews durst not
contradict what he had said, but desired Fadus, however, and Longinus,
[which last was come to Jerusalem, and had brought a great army with
him, out of a fear that the [rigid] injunctions of Fadus should force
the Jews to rebel,] that they might, in the first place, have leave to
send ambassadors to Cæsar, to petition him that they may have the holy
vestments under their own power; and that, in the next place, they would
tarry till they knew what answer Claudius would give to that their
request. So they replied, that they would give them leave to send their
ambassadors, provided they would give them their sons as pledges [for
their peaceable behavior]. And when they had agreed so to do, and had
given them the pledges they desired, the ambassadors were sent
accordingly. But when, upon their coming to Rome, Agrippa, junior, the
son of the deceased, understood the reason why they came, [for he dwelt
with Claudius Cæsar, as we said before,] he besought Cæsar to grant the
Jews their request about the holy vestments, and to send a message to
Fadus accordingly.
2. Hereupon Claudius called for the ambassadors; and told them that he
granted their request; and bade them to return their thanks to Agrippa
for this favor, which had been bestowed on them upon his entreaty. And
besides these answers of his, he sent the following letter by them:
"Claudius Cæsar Germanicus, tribune of the people the fifth time, and
designed consul the fourth time, and imperator the tenth time, the
father of his country, to the magistrates, senate, and people, and the
whole nation of the Jews, sendeth greeting. Upon the presentation of
your ambassadors to me by Agrippa, my friend, whom I have brought up,
and have now with me, and who is a person of very great piety, who are
come to give me thanks for the care I have taken of your nation, and to
entreat me, in an earnest and obliging manner, that they may have the
holy vestments, with the crown belonging to them, under their power,—I
grant their request, as that excellent person Vitellius, who is very
dear to me, had done before me. And I have complied with your desire, in
the first place, out of regard to that piety which I profess, and
because I would have every one worship God according to the laws of
their own country; and this I do also because I shall hereby highly
gratify king Herod, and Agrippa, junior, whose sacred regards to me, and
earnest good-will to you, I am well acquainted with, and with whom I
have the greatest friendship, and whom I highly esteem, and look on as
persons of the best character. Now I have written about these affairs to
Cuspius Fadus, my procurator. The names of those that brought me your
letter are Cornelius, the son of Cero, Trypho, the son of Theudio,
Dorotheus, the son of Nathaniel, and John, the son of Jotre. This letter
is dated before the fourth of the calends of July, when Ruffis and
Pompeius Sylvanus are consuls."
3. Herod also, the brother of the deceased Agrippa, who was then
possessed of the royal authority over Chalcis, petitioned Claudius Cæsar
for the authority over the temple, and the money of the sacred treasure,
and the choice of the high priests, and obtained all that he petitioned
for. So that after that time this authority continued among all his
descendants till the end of the war 1 Accordingly, Herod removed the
last high priest, called Cimtheras, and bestowed that dignity on his
successor Joseph, the son of Cantos.
foregoing book, Claudius Cæsar sent Cassius Longinus as successor to
Marcus, out of regard to the memory of king Agrippa, who had often
desired of him by letters, while he was alive, that he would not suffer
Marcus to be any longer president of Syria. But Fadus, as soon as he was
come procurator into Judea, found quarrelsome doings between the Jews
that dwelt in Perea, and the people of Philadelphia, about their
borders, at a village called Mia, that was filled with men of a warlike
temper; for the Jews of Perea had taken up arms without the consent of
their principal men, and had destroyed many of the Philadelphians. When
Fadus was informed of this procedure, it provoked him very much that
they had not left the determination of the matter to him, if they
thought that the Philadelphians had done them any wrong, but had rashly
taken up arms against them. So he seized upon three of their principal
men, who were also the causes of this sedition, and ordered them to be
bound, and afterwards had one of them slain, whose name was Hannibal;
and he banished the other two, Areram and Eleazar. Tholomy also, the
arch robber, was, after some time, brought to him bound, and slain, but
not till he had done a world of mischief to Idumea and the Arabians. And
indeed, from that time, Judea was cleared of robberies by the care and
providence of Fadus. He also at this time sent for the high priests and
the principal citizens of Jerusalem, and this at the command of the
emperor, and admonished them that they should lay up the long garment
and the sacred vestment, which it is customary for nobody but the high
priest to wear, in the tower of Antonia, that it might be under the
power of the Romans, as it had been formerly. Now the Jews durst not
contradict what he had said, but desired Fadus, however, and Longinus,
[which last was come to Jerusalem, and had brought a great army with
him, out of a fear that the [rigid] injunctions of Fadus should force
the Jews to rebel,] that they might, in the first place, have leave to
send ambassadors to Cæsar, to petition him that they may have the holy
vestments under their own power; and that, in the next place, they would
tarry till they knew what answer Claudius would give to that their
request. So they replied, that they would give them leave to send their
ambassadors, provided they would give them their sons as pledges [for
their peaceable behavior]. And when they had agreed so to do, and had
given them the pledges they desired, the ambassadors were sent
accordingly. But when, upon their coming to Rome, Agrippa, junior, the
son of the deceased, understood the reason why they came, [for he dwelt
with Claudius Cæsar, as we said before,] he besought Cæsar to grant the
Jews their request about the holy vestments, and to send a message to
Fadus accordingly.
2. Hereupon Claudius called for the ambassadors; and told them that he
granted their request; and bade them to return their thanks to Agrippa
for this favor, which had been bestowed on them upon his entreaty. And
besides these answers of his, he sent the following letter by them:
"Claudius Cæsar Germanicus, tribune of the people the fifth time, and
designed consul the fourth time, and imperator the tenth time, the
father of his country, to the magistrates, senate, and people, and the
whole nation of the Jews, sendeth greeting. Upon the presentation of
your ambassadors to me by Agrippa, my friend, whom I have brought up,
and have now with me, and who is a person of very great piety, who are
come to give me thanks for the care I have taken of your nation, and to
entreat me, in an earnest and obliging manner, that they may have the
holy vestments, with the crown belonging to them, under their power,—I
grant their request, as that excellent person Vitellius, who is very
dear to me, had done before me. And I have complied with your desire, in
the first place, out of regard to that piety which I profess, and
because I would have every one worship God according to the laws of
their own country; and this I do also because I shall hereby highly
gratify king Herod, and Agrippa, junior, whose sacred regards to me, and
earnest good-will to you, I am well acquainted with, and with whom I
have the greatest friendship, and whom I highly esteem, and look on as
persons of the best character. Now I have written about these affairs to
Cuspius Fadus, my procurator. The names of those that brought me your
letter are Cornelius, the son of Cero, Trypho, the son of Theudio,
Dorotheus, the son of Nathaniel, and John, the son of Jotre. This letter
is dated before the fourth of the calends of July, when Ruffis and
Pompeius Sylvanus are consuls."
3. Herod also, the brother of the deceased Agrippa, who was then
possessed of the royal authority over Chalcis, petitioned Claudius Cæsar
for the authority over the temple, and the money of the sacred treasure,
and the choice of the high priests, and obtained all that he petitioned
for. So that after that time this authority continued among all his
descendants till the end of the war 1 Accordingly, Herod removed the
last high priest, called Cimtheras, and bestowed that dignity on his
successor Joseph, the son of Cantos.