The Wars of the Jews; Or, The History of the Destruction of JerusalemJosephus, Flavius
Religion
The Wars of the Jews; Or, The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem
Josephus, Flavius
Jews -- History
1. And now as the ethnarchy of Archelaus was fallen into a Roman
province, the other sons of Herod, Philip, and that Herod who was called
Antipas, each of them took upon them the administration of their own
tetrarchies; for when Salome died, she bequeathed to Julia, the wife of
Augustus, both her toparchy, and Jamriga, as also her plantation of palm
trees that were in Phasaelis. But when the Roman empire was translated
to Tiberius, the son of Julia, upon the death of Augustus, who had
reigned fifty-seven years, six months, and two days, both Herod and
Philip continued in their tetrarchies; and the latter of them built the
city Cesarea, at the fountains of Jordan, and in the region of Paneas;
as also the city Julias, in the lower Gaulonitis. Herod also built the
city Tiberius in Galilee, and in Perea [beyond Jordan] another that was
also called Julias.
2. Now Pilate, who was sent as procurator into Judea by Tiberius, sent
by night those images of Caesar that are called ensigns into Jerusalem.
This excited a very great tumult among the Jews when it was day;
for those that were near them were astonished at the sight of them, as
indications that their laws were trodden under foot; for those laws do
not permit any sort of image to be brought into the city. Nay, besides
the indignation which the citizens had themselves at this procedure,
a vast number of people came running out of the country. These came
zealously to Pilate to Cesarea, and besought him to carry those ensigns
out of Jerusalem, and to preserve them their ancient laws inviolable;
but upon Pilate's denial of their request, they fell 9 down prostrate
upon the ground, and continued immovable in that posture for five days
and as many nights.
3. On the next day Pilate sat upon his tribunal, in the open
market-place, and called to him the multitude, as desirous to give them
an answer; and then gave a signal to the soldiers, that they should all
by agreement at once encompass the Jews with their weapons; so the band
of soldiers stood round about the Jews in three ranks. The Jews were
under the utmost consternation at that unexpected sight. Pilate also
said to them that they should be cut in pieces, unless they would admit
of Caesar's images, and gave intimation to the soldiers to draw their
naked swords. Hereupon the Jews, as it were at one signal, fell down in
vast numbers together, and exposed their necks bare, and cried out
that they were sooner ready to be slain, than that their law should be
transgressed. Hereupon Pilate was greatly surprised at their prodigious
superstition, and gave order that the ensigns should be presently
carried out of Jerusalem.
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