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.

PART III. (Book 3)

The affairs of the JEWS. (Book 3)

§. 1. A commotion of them.

IF the Method of Josephus were Chronical, and the order of his ranking of Stories to be presumed for the order of their falling out, at this time or hereabout should be taken in that * 1.1 famosum ludibrium as Egesippus calleth it, or villanous abuse of Paulina a noble, chaste and vertuous wife and Lady of Rome, by Mundus a Knight, un∣der pretext of the god Anubis in the Temple of Isis: for this hath * 1.2 he mentioned the very next thing after the mention of our Saviours death, and with this link of connexi∣on. About the very same time another grievance troubled the Jews, and shameful things hap∣pened about the Temple of Isis at Rome, &c. But since the story concerning the troubles of the Jews, that he relateth after, seemeth to have some near dependence and conse∣quence to this of the Lady, and that * 1.3 Tacitus hath laid that occurrence of the Jews ex∣pulsion out of Rome thirteen years before this, under the consulship of Junius Silanus and Norbanus Flaccus, we will omit to meddle with them, and will take in another sto∣ry of the Jews which though Josephus hath placed a little before Christs death, yet Eu∣sebius hath set it after, and upon his word shall it be commended to the reader for its time, and upon the others and Philoes for its truth.

Pilate (as * 1.4 saith Josephus) having secretly brought into Jerusalem by night certain Images of Caesar and set them up, the people when the matter was known, repaired to him to Caesarea, begging that they might be taken down: which when he denied as a thing prejudicial to Caesar; they fell flat upon the ground, and there lay five days and five nights and stirred not thence. On the sixth day he pretending to give them an an∣swer from the judgment seat, doth suddenly inviron them with armed men, threatning their death if they cease not their importunity. But they falling upon the ground again and laying their necks bare, return him this answer. That they would gladly imbrace death ••ather than transgress the wisdom of their Laws. Whose resolution when Pilate saw, he caused the Images to be fetched away from Jerusalem to Caesarea. To this purpose Jose∣••hus; but Philo far differently thus. * 1.5 Pilate, saith he, dedicated golden shields in the Palace of Herod in the holy City, not so much for the honour of Tiberius, as to vex the people of the Jews; upon them there was neither picture, nor any thing that was forbid∣den, but only the inscription shewed who had dedicated them, and to whom. Yet when the multitude had understanding of the thing, and the matter was divulged, they

chose certain of the highest rank among them for their advocates, who besought him, that the innovation might be taken away, and that their Laws might not. When he roughly denied, for he was naturally inflexible and self-wilfully sturdy, they make fair before him as if they would petition to Tiberius. Now that fretted him worst of all, for he was afraid lest they should do so indeed, and accuse him for his other crimes, his bri∣bery, wrongs, rapines, injuries, oppressions, murders and horrid cruelties, and yet durst he not take down again what he had dedicated, nor had he any mind to pleasure the people. Which when they perceived they sent a most humble petition to Tiberius: who understanding what Pilate had done and what he had threatned, rebuked and checked him for his innovating boldness, and commanded him speedily to take the shields away; and so they were removed from Jerusalem to Caesarea. Thus Philo, and thus differently these two Country men, and that in a matter which so nearly concer∣ned their own Country: and which also befel so near unto their own times. For Philo was now alive and in his prime, and so was Josephus less than thirty years af∣ter. Be it referred to the readers choice which of these relations he will take, and when he hath made his choice, another difference falleth under his arbitration concerning the time, betwixt Eusebius which placeth this occurrence after our Saviours passion, and Baronius that hath set it three years before his baptism. The Cardinal certainly too for∣ward in bringing it in in the first year of Pilate, for it appeareth by Philo that he had done a great multitude of villanies among the Jews before he did this: and the Father if any whit too backward in ranking it after our Saviours death, yet excusable for a thing of so pregnant application, as to shew how soon the Jews that had chosen Caesar before Christ, have now their belly full of their Caesar in his Images.

§. 2. Of James his being Bishop of Jerusalem.

The two last cited Authors though they differ about the time of the story forenamed, yet have they agreed unanimously, and many others with them about this in hand, name∣ly, that James was made this year the Bishop of Jerusalem. For thus Eusebius, Ecclesiae Hierosolymorum primus Episcopus ab Apostolis ordinatur Jacobus frater Domini. But Baronius far larger, that he was ordained Bishop by Peter, that his chair was preserved and reverenced to posterity, that he wore a plate of gold upon his head like the High Priest in the Law, from whence he would derive the Miter: that he alone might go into the Sanctum Sanctorum, that he refrained from wine and flesh, that he was a Nazarite, that his knees were hardned with continual praying till they were unsensible, and such like stuff for which he citeth his seveal Authors, that if common sense were not a better informer than common fame, we should be made to believe any thing whatsoever. The question indeed whether James were ever Bishop of Jerusalem at all or no, is very well worth taking into some consideration, but that will be most proper to handle when we come to those places in the Acts of the Apo∣stles, where a singular mention of James hath given occasion of this opinion; But as for his prototype of Miters, the peoples woodden devotion to his chair, and the rest of that legendary invention, he is little acquainted with the officiousness of superstition, that knoweth not out of what mint that cometh, and he hath little to do that should go about to examine the truth of it, but he hath the least of all to do that should believe it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Egesip. de ••••∣cid. ••e••us. l. 2. cap ••▪
• * 1.2

  Ioseph. Antiq▪ lib. 18. c. 4.
• * 1.3

  Annal. lib. 2▪
• * 1.4

  Antiq. lib. 8. cap. 4. & de bello Iud. 2. c. 1••
• * 1.5

  Philo in l••∣gat. ad Caj••••••