The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

Vers. 36. For before these days rose up Theudas.

There is mention of one Theudas in the Talmud in Sanhedr. Perek. Helek. and he is called a Physitian, Theudas the Physitian saith, that neither Cow nor Sow cometh from Alex∣andria: And there is mention of one Theudas a Sorcerer in Josephus Ant. lib. 20. cap. 2. When Fadus was Governor of Judea, saith he, a wizard named Theudas perswaded a great company to take their goods and to follow him to the river Jordan, for he said he was a Prophet, and that dividing the river by a command he would procure them an easie passage: and thus say∣ing he deceived many. But Fadus suffered them not thus to enjoy their folly, but sent against them a troop of Horse, which falling upon them unexpectedly, slew many, took others alive, and catching Theudas himself, cut off his head and brought it to Jerusalem.

This were a very ready and easie interpretation of these words of Gamaliel, if this great scruple did not lie in the way: namely, that this Theudas mentioned by Josephus, was about the fourth or fifth year of Claudius: but this Theudas mentioned by Gamaliel was before Judas the Galilean, which was in the days of Augustus: There is a great deal of ado among Expositors what to make of these two stories, so like in substance, but so dif∣ferent in time. Some conceive that Josephus hath missed his Chronology, and hath set Theudas his story many years later than it fell out: Others refuse Josephus his story as not applicable to this Theudas of Gamaliel [though they hold that he hath spoken true in it] because the time is so different, but they think Gamaliels Theudas was some of those vil∣lains that so much infested Judea in the times of Sabinus and Varus. Joseph. Ant. lib. 17. c. 12. though Josephus hath not there mentioned him by name.

A third sort conceive that Gamaliels Theudas was not before Judas the Galilean, who ••ose about the birth of Christ, but a long while after, namely a little before Gamaliel speaketh these words: And they render 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the strict propriety, namely that it was but a few days before: and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, not post eum, after him, but praeter eum, be∣sides him.

In these varieties of opinions and difficulties, it is hard to resolve which way to take, and it is well that it is a matter of that nature that men may freely use their conjectures in it, and be excusable.

I cannot but observe and conceive these things upon the stories of Gamaliel and Josephus laid and compared together.

First, That Gamaliel meeteth with the double misprision that the present Councel had concerning the Apostles, with a double story. First, They suspected and censured them for false and erroneous Teachers; to this he applies the story of Theudas. Secondly, They suspected them of innovation, and of what might tend to mutiny and insurrection, and to this he applieth the story of Judas.

Secondly, That the miscariages of these two men that he instanceth in, proceeded from two different and dangerous principles; pretence of new lights and revelations; and pretence of liberty of conscience and of persons. Theudas was for the former, Judas for the latter.

Thirdly, That Gamaliels counsel was not of any Christianity that was in him, but of policy, not that he favoured the Apostles, but that he feared if any thing were done to them by violence or injustice, it might incur a Premunire or prejudice; and that is ap∣parent, in that all the Councel consent and entertain his counsel.

Fourthly, That Gamaliel's Theudas and Josephus his is not all one: their descriptions in∣deed are very agreeable, for as Gamaliel saith that Theudas took on him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to be some body, of note and eminency, so doth the relation about the Theudas in Josephus. Si∣mon Magus boasted himself 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to be some special person, Act. 8. 9. and how did he carry on this arrogation? Why, by magick and doing some strange things among the people: and just in the same kind hath Josephus described his Theudas, but yet these two Theudases seem not to be the same.

Fifthly, For Josephus setting the story of his Theudas so late as in the time of Claudius, a dozen years or thereabouts after this speech of Gamaliel, [although it might be said it is no strange thing with Josephus to misplace stories, and to faulter in point of exact Chro∣nology, as Baronius supposeth he hath done in this] yet seemeth it rather to be upon the very native propriety of the time of the story: And the matter to be conceived thus, that as Sects and Heresies, though buried, yet do oft revive, and though dispersed, yet do recollect: and being once begun are not suddenly extinguished, but like quench∣ed fire are ever breaking out in one place or other, that so it was with this business of Theudas. And so also it may be instanced in the very Sect and Opinion of him that Ga∣maliel speaketh of immediately after, namely Judas of Galilee: He rose up in the days of the tax in the time of Augustus, as Luke 2. He pleaded against the Jews being subject to the Romans, and disswaded them from paying taxes and tribute to them: and maintained they ought to have no ruler over them but God: and so became the original of a fourth Sect among the Jews, besides the Pharisees, Sadduces and Esseans, as Josephus reports of him. Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 1. and de Bell. lib. 2. cap. 12. Now though Judas himself perish∣ed in his error, and as many as obeyed him were scattered abroad, as Gamaliel relateth, yet was not his error extinguished with him, but revived and grew again: So that at the least 40 years after his first appearing, his two sons James and Simon are crucified for it by Tiberius Alexander, the successor of Fadus. Jos. Antiq. lib. 20. cap. 3. And many years after that, Eleazer a branch of the same Judas appeareth in the same opinion with a de∣sperate company with him, De Bel. lib. 7. cap. 30.

Even so may it be conceived of the Sect of Theudas: that it began before that of Ju∣das, and that the first Author of it took upon him great things, as to be a Prophet, and to work miracles, and the like, but he was soon slain and all that obeyed him were scat∣tered abroad and came to nought. But his folly and fancy perished not with him, but [however at other times] in the time of Fadus one of the same foolery and name, and probably his son, would be a Prophet again and divide Jordan and do I know not what, whom Fadus destroyed and brought his company to ruine. So that Gamaliels and Jose∣phus his Theudas, are very probably two men, but very likely Father and Son, or Tutor and Scholar, agreeing so jump in the same folly and madness that they agreed in the same name: and that name either given to the latter at such an accidency as Parents name their children, or assumed by him in imitation of the former Theudas, whom as he delighted to imitate in his Enthusiastick folly, so delighted he to follow him in denomination. And I am the rather confirmed in this opinion about these two men, because that as soon as ever Josephus hath told the story of the destruction of Theudas by Fadus, he telleth of the de∣struction of the sons of Judas, by Tiberius Alexander, and I cannot but interpret both the stories in one sense, that as in the latter he speaketh of the off-spring of Judas, whose Sect had begun many years before, so in the former he speaketh of the off-spring of Theu∣das, whose Sect had begun before that of Judas.