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. X. Of the High-Priests among the Jews, in whose time Christ Preached the Gospel.

AT this time therefore, namely in the fifteenth year of the Reign of Tiberius, according to the * 1.1 Evangelist, and the fourth of Pilate's Procurator-ship of Judea, Herod, a 1.2 Lysanias and Phil∣lip being Tetrarchs over the rest of Judea, our Lord and Saviour Jesus, the Christ of God, being about thirty years of Age, was Baptized by John, and then first began to Preach the Gospel. And the Sacred Scripture says, that he finisht the whole time of his Preaching under Annas and Caiphas being b 1.3 High-priests, meaning thereby that all his Preaching was terminated with∣in that space of time wherein they executed the High-priests Office. Although therefore he be∣gan when Annas was High-priest, and continued till Caiphas came on, yet there are scarce full four years contained within this space of time. For, since from the time now mentioned, the Laws and sanctions about Holy matters were almost abo∣lished, the High-preisthood also ceased to be for life and hereditary, neither was the worship of God rightly performed. But the Roman Gover∣nours made sometimes one, sometimes another High-priest, none bearing that Office above a year. c 1.4 Josephus indeed in his Book of Antiqui∣ties does relate, that from Annas to Caiphas there were in one continued Order four High∣priests: his words are these,

Valerius Gratus having put out Annas from being High-priest, made Ismael the son of d 1.5 Baphi High-priest; not long after he removed him, and made Elea∣zar, son of the High-priest Annas, High∣priest; within a year after he deprived him, and gave Simon the son of Camithus the High∣priesthood. He, after he had held that honour not more than a year, had e 1.6 Josephus, whose name also was Caiphas,

for his successour. It is manifest therefore that the whole time of our Saviours Preaching was not compleat four years, within which space of time there were as many High-priests made, reckoning from Annas his bearing that Office, to Caiphas his promotion to it, f 1.7 every one of which bore the Office one year. The Holy g 1.8 Gospel therefore is right in noting Caiphas to be the High-priest that same year in which our Lords salutary passion hapned. From which authority of the Gospel also it is evi∣dent, that the time of Christs Preaching does not disagree with the account we have laid down. Now our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, not long after his beginning to Preach, called twelve men, whom he named Apostles, giving to them in par∣ticular a Title more honourable, and preferring them before the rest of his disciples. Besides, he chose other seventy men, whom he sent two by two before his face, into every of those places and Cities whither he himself would come.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luk. 3. 1, 2.
• a 1.2

  I know not why Eusebius put Lysanias in the middle between He∣rod and Phillip, the sons of Herod the great. For Luke, whose words Eusebius does here profess that he follows, in that famous place con∣cerning the Baptism of Christ, names Lysanias in the third place. Wherefore Eusebius should have observed the same order, especi∣ally because Lysanias was neither son, nor successour to Herod. Eu∣sebius also seems to be reprove∣able here, in that after he had said Pilate was then Procuratour of Judea, he adds, that the rest of Judea was governed by the Tetrarchs, Herod, Phillip, and Ly∣sanias. But Lysanias never had any part of Judea. For Abila was not a City of Judea, but of Syria. Yet Eusebius may be excused, if we say, that by Judea he understood the whole do∣minion of Herod the great. For its manifest that he had the Tetrarchie of Lysanias given him by Augustus. For the Roman Emperours used to bestow these Tetrarchies on those Kings that were their confederates and friends, that they might thereby the more oblige them. Its strange that there is no mention of this Lysa∣nias, of whom S^t Luke speaks, either in Josephus, Dion, or the rest.
• b 1.3

  In all our copies this word is in the singu∣lar number [High∣priest] but in S^t Luke it is in the plu∣ral [High∣priests] But these words of S^t Luke doe no way mean what Eusebius perswades himself they doe; to wit, that Christ be∣gan to Preach in that year wherein Annas was High∣priest, and continued till Caiphas came on. For first, Luke speaks there con∣cerning Johns prea∣ching, which was before Christs, and not concer∣ning our Saviours: Then he says, that that prea∣ching of John was begun un∣der Annas and Caiphas being High∣priests; not that there were two High∣priests at the same time, which is absurd and was never heard of, but that Luke means by these words, that in this fifteenth year of Tiberius, Caiphas was High∣priest, and Annas was one that had born that Office very lately. (See D^r Hammonds note on Luke chap. 3. v. 2. where he treats of this matter learnedly and largely.) Whosoever had born the High-priests Office, those were called High-priests during their lives, and took Tythes; So Josephus declares B. 20. of Antiq. Vales.
• c 1.4

  Joseph. Antiq. B. 18. chap. 4. Eusebius is here very much mistaken; for Josephus does not speak of the same times that S^t Luke does; Josephus speaks of the first ten years of Tiberius's Reign, in which time Valerius Gratus was Procuratour of Judea; but Luke speaks of Tiberius's second ten years, when Pilate was Governour of Judea. Vales.
• d 1.5

  Or Phabi, as some Copies read it. Vales.
• e 1.6

  Or Joseppus, or, Josepus, as it is in the old Editions of Rufinus. Vales.
• f 1.7

  Eusebius understands Josephus so, as if Josephus had said that those four High-Priests, Annas, (or Ananus,) Ismael, Eleazar, and Simon executed the High-priest hood, each the space of one year. Indeed Josephus says this expresly of the two last; but not so of the two first. For he declares that Ismael▪ indeed was put out a little after he was made High-priest by Valerius: But Josephus is so far from making Ananus to have been High-priest but one year, that from his words it is plainly gathered he held the High-priesthood three years at least. See Josephus's Antiq. B. 20. chap. 8. Vales.
• g 1.8

  He means John 11▪ 18. but the Evangelist does not say there that he was made High-priest that same year.