History of the Jews, Vol. 2 (of 6)Graetz, Heinrich
History
History of the Jews, Vol. 2 (of 6)
Graetz, Heinrich
Jews -- History
As a remembrance of these events, the emperor ordered an inscription
to be engraved on tablets of bronze, in pedantic imitation of the
classical age, and coins to be struck, bearing on one side two clasped
hands, with these words, "Friendship and comradeship of King Agrippa
with the Senate and the Roman people." On the other side was the
emperor between two figures, and the inscription: "King Agrippa, friend
of the emperor." The kingdom of Judæa had thus recovered its full
extent; indeed, it had acquired even a greater area than it possessed
formerly under the Hasmonæans and Herod I.
Herod II., brother and son-in-law of King Agrippa, received from
Claudius the rank of Prætor, and was made prince of Chalcis, in
Lebanon. The Alexandrian Judæans greatly benefited by the new order
of things which was brought about in the vast Roman Empire by the
death of Caligula. The emperor Claudius freed the Alabarch Alexander,
with whom he was on friendly terms, from the imprisonment into which
his predecessor had thrown him, and settled the disputes of the
Alexandrians in favor of the Judæans. Caligula's prejudice against that
unfortunate community had developed their independence, and their
strength was far from being broken. Their rights and privileges were
fully re-established by an edict of the new emperor, and they were
placed on an equal footing with the Greek inhabitants of Egypt. The
dignity of the Alabarch was restored by the emperor, and this was most
important to the Judæans, for it assured them of the leadership of one
of their own race, and made them independent of the Roman officials. It
was during this reign that Philo gave the wealth of his learning to a
wide circle of readers, and was instrumental in bringing Judæan-Greek
culture to its zenith. Claudius extended his goodwill to the Judæans of
the entire Roman Empire, granting them complete religious freedom, and
protecting them from the interference of the pagans.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account