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§. 2. Troubles at Jerusalem and elsewhere throughout Judea. Caius his Image to be set up in the Temple to be Worshipped.
Caius having received this intelligence from Capito, which he had mingled with all kind of gall and vinegar of exasperation and evil language against the Jews, and being himself already irreconcileably incensed and bent against them; partly through mischie∣vous incendiaries and accusations, and chiefly because they only were cross to his deify∣ing and impious Worship; he now determineth a course against them, which should strike at the very root, and bring them either to* 1.1 bend or break. He dispatcheth therefore a message to Petronius the Governor of Judea; that in stead of the Altar of stone which the Jews had pulled down at Jamnia, he should without fail set up a Golden Coloss or an Image of the Emperor in the Temple at Jerusalem: and that this design might receive no hindrance by opposition, he charged that he should send for part of the Army from Eu∣phrates that lay there for the guard of the East; that if the Jews would quietly receive the statue it was well, and if they would not, they must be forced to it, whether they would or no. What must the Jews do now at such a pinch? Nay, what must Petronius? If he disobey what he is commanded, he hazardeth his own ruine; if he perform it, he ruineth a whole Nation: The Jews will be ready to dye before they will admit of such an Idol; and Petronius is not like to escape, if he bring them not to admit of it. In this strait between affection to himself, and to a whole people, he useth the best accommoda∣tion that the present necessity would afford: namely, not to decline the injunction for his own safety, but to delay it as much as may be for the safety of the Jews: that in the space while the image was leasurely making the one party might possibly be brought to com∣ply, either the Emperor upon consideration to lay his resolution down, or the Jews up∣on perswasion to lay down their resoluteness. He appointeth the Image to be wrought at Zidon, whence on the one hand, less offence might accrew to the Jews, and on the other some satisfaction might come to the Emperor, he hearing by Passengers that the work was in hand, and they seeing the gentleness of Petronius that would not work it in their own Country.
Tydings of this lamentable and heavy design could not be long kept from the Jews, nor they upon the tydings long from Petronius. To him they come into Phenicia, men and women, young and old, of all sorts and conditions an innumerable multitude, with tears in their eyes, and bitter cries in their mouths, that either he would surcease the en∣terprise that was in hand, or take their lives before they saw the performance of such abomination. Petronius threatens, speaks fair, urgeth, perswadeth, but all to no purpose, they tendering their necks rather to the execution, than enduring to ••ear of such viola∣tion of their Religion. In the end they obtain this favour of the gentle Governor, that he will not proceed in this impious work, till he or they, or both have sued to Caesar, by petition to surcease the design, and to remit of his resolution. And so return the Jews to their home and harvest, with some contentment in speeding so well at the present, and in some hope to speed better for the future. Josephus here telleth a story of a miraculous and suddain shower that fell as Petronius and the Jews were thus parlying together, whereas there had been no rain of a long time before, and no sign at all of any rain instantly be∣fore this fell: God (as he would have it) seconding this their request with this wonder, and using this argument for the moving of Petronius to back theirs.