The history of the church from our Lords incarnation, to the twelth year of the Emperour Maricius Tiberius, or the Year of Christ 594 / as it was written in Greek, by Eusebius Pamphilius ..., Socrates Scholasticus, and Evagrius Scholasticus ... ; made English from that edition of these historians, which Valesius published at Paris in the years 1659, 1668, and 1673 ; also, The life of Constantine in four books, written by Eusibius Pamphilus, with Constantine's Oration to the convention of the saints, and Eusebius's Speech in praise of Constantine, spoken at his tricennalia ; Valesius's annotations on these authors, are done into English, and set at their proper places in the margin, as likewise a translation of his account of their lives and writings ; with two index's, the one, of the principal matters that occur in the text, the other, of those contained in the notes.

CHAP. V. How Philo went on an Embassage to Caius upon the Jews Account.

MOreover this man comprized in a 1.1 five Books the calamities that befell the Jews in Caius his Reign; wherein he sets forth both the madness of Caius Proclaiming himself to be god, and also his insolent carriage in his Government in innumerable instances; likewise the di∣stresses the Jews underwent in his Reign; and declares how himself went Embassa∣dour to Rome upon the ac∣count of his Countrey-men that dwelt at Alexandria; and how that reasoning be∣fore Caius for the Laws and customes of his own nation, he obtained nothing besides laughter and reproaches, and narrowly escaped the danger of being put to death. Josephus mentions all this in his eighteenth Book of Antiquities, writing thus much word for word:

Moreover, there hap∣pening a sedition at Alexandria among the Jews that dwelt there and the Greeks, b 1.2 three of each faction were sent Embassa∣dours to Caius. Now A∣pion was one of the Alex∣andrian's Embassadours, who railed bitterly against the Jews, laying many things to their charge, and amongst the rest that they neglected to worship Cae∣sar. For when all the sub∣jects of the Roman Empire built Temples and Altars to Caius, and at all points worshipped him as they did their gods, the Jews onely, said he, accounted it a vile thing to errect Sta∣tues to him, and to swear by his name. When Apion had urged these and many other vehement accusations against them, whereby he hoped, as it was likely, to incense Caius, Philo chief of the Jewish Embassy, a man every way famous, brother to Alexander c 1.3 A∣labarchus, and not unskil∣full in Philosophie, was able and ready with an A∣pologie to answer his Ac∣cusations. But Caius for∣bad him, commanding him to depart immedi∣ately from his presence. And the Emperour was so highly incensed, that none doubted but he would most severely punish the Jews. But Philo being much reviled went out, and, as they say, spake to the Jews that were about him to be of good courage, for although d 1.4 Caius was an∣gry with them, yet he had now really rendred God his Adversarie.

Thus much Jo∣sephus relates. And Philo him∣self, in the account which he wrote of this his Embassy, does exactly relate every particu∣lar thing that was then done. Whereof omitting most part, I will hereunto annex onely so much as shall make it evidently plain to the Readers, that these miseries straightway without any delay befell the Jews upon account of their enormous impieties committed against Christ. First of all therefore he relates, that in the Reign of Tiberius one Sejanus of the City of Rome, a per∣son who then could doe much with the Emperour, did use his utmost indeavour to destroy that whole Nation: and that in Judea, Pilate, in whose time that horrible wickedness was most audaciously committed against our Saviour, attempting some∣thing about the Temple at Jerusalem which yet stood, contrary to the customes and ordinances of the Jews, raised vehement commotions among them.

Notes

• a 1.1

  There are now extant onely two Books of Philo's con∣cerning this Subject, the one entitled in Flac∣cum, the other de; Légatione ad Caium; so that either Eusebius Forgot their number, or else they were heretofore divided into five Volumes: Neither can any one suspect the other three to be lost: for in those two, we now have, are contained all that happened to the Jews under Caius his Empire. Vales.
• b 1.2

  Philo says there were five Embassadours of the Jews side sent to Rome; See his de Legat. ad Caium sub sinem. These Em∣bassadours were sent upon two ac∣counts, first, the Jews complain∣ed that the Alexandrians defi∣led their Proseucha's by bring∣ing the Emperours Statues into them; and then, that the Alex∣andrians went about to deprive the Jews of their freedom of the City Alexandria. Vales.
• c 1.3

  So the chief Magistrate a∣mong the Jews at Alexandria was called: He held his place as long as he lived; and at his death the Jews chose another into his room. See Philo in Flaccum. Vales.
• d 1.4

  Philo's meaning here is, that Caius indeed was angry with the Jews as to appearance, and in words; but that in reality he did arm God, and set him in array against himself. For, in that Caius would have himself called god, he provoked God to take vengeance of him. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (whence the word here used is derived) is a military term, and signifies, to set an army in array against an enemy. Vales.