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Apostles; because the present copies of his citation of it; Hist。
Eceles。 B。 II。 ch。 10。; omit the words an owlon a certain rope;
which Josephus's present copies retain; and only have the
explicatory word or angel; as if he meant that angel of the Lord
which St。 Luke mentions as smiting Herod; Acts 12:23; and not
that owl which Josephus called an angel or messenger; formerly of
good; but now of bad news; to Agrippa。 This accusation is a
somewhat strange one in the case of the great Eusebius; who is
known to have so accurately and faithfully produced a vast number
of other ancient records; and particularly not a few out of our
Josephus also; without any suspicion of prevarication。 Now; not
to allege how uncertain we are whether Josephus's and Eusebius's
copies of the fourth century were just like the present in this
clause; which we have no distinct evidence of; the following
words; preserved still in Eusebius; will not admit of any such
exposition: 〃This 'bird' (says Eusebius) Agrippa presently
perceived to be the cause of ill fortune; as it was once of good
fortune; to him;〃 which can only belong to that bird; the owl;
which as it had formerly foreboded his happy deliverance from
imprisonment; Antiq。 B。 XVIII。 ch。 6。 sect。 7; so was it then
foretold to prove afterward the unhappy forerunner of his death
in five days' time。 If the improper words signifying cause; be
changed for Josephus's proper word angel or messenger; and the
foregoing words; be inserted; Esuebius's text will truly
represent that in Josephus。 Had this imperfection been in some
heathen author that was in good esteem with our modern critics;
they would have readily corrected these as barely errors in the
copies; but being in an ancient Christian writer; not so well
relished by many of those critics; nothing will serve but the
ill…grounded supposal of willful corruption and prevarication。

(22) This sum of twelve millions of drachmae; which is equal to
three millions of shekels; i。e。 at 2s。 10d。 a shekel; equal to
four hundred and twenty…five thousand pounds sterling; was
Agrippa the Great's yearly income; or about three quarters of his
grandfather Herod's income; he having abated the tax upon houses
at Jerusalem; ch。 6。 sect。 3; and was not so tyrannical as Herod
had been to the Jews。 See the note on Antiq。 B。 XVII。 ch。 11。
sect。 4。 A large sum this! but not; it seems; sufficient for his
extravagant expenses。

(23) Reland takes notice here; not improperly; that Josephus
omits the reconciliation of this Herod Agrippa to the Tyrians and
Sidoninus; by the means of Blastus the king's chamberlain;
mentioned Acts 12:20。 Nor is there any history in the world so
complete; as to omit nothing that other historians take notice
of; unless the one be taken out of the other; and accommodated to
it。

(24) Photius; who made an extract out of this section; says they
were not the statues or images; but the ladies themselves; who
were thus basely abused by the soldiers。

BOOK 20 FOOTNOTES

(1) Here is some error in the copies; or mistake in Josephus; for
the power of appointing high priests; alter Herod king of Chalcis
was dead; and Agrippa; junior; was made king of Chalcis in his
room; belonged to him; and he exercised the same all along till
Jerusalem was destroyed; as Josephus elsewhere informs us; ch。 8。
sect。 ; 11; ch。 9。 sect。 1; 4; 6; 7。

(2) Josephus here uses the word monogene; an only begotten son;
for no other than one best beloved; as does both the Old and New
Testament; I mean where there were one or more sons besides;
Genesis 22:2; Hebrew 11:17。 See the note on B。 I。 ch。 13。 sect。
1。

(3) It is here very remarkable; that the remains of Noah's ark
were believed to he still in being in the days of Josephus。 See
the note on B。 I。 ch。 3。 sect。 5。

(4) Josephus is very full and express in these three chapters;
3。; 4。; and 5。; in observing how carefully Divine Providence
preserved this Izates; king of Adiabene; and his sons; while he
did what he thought was his bounden duty; notwithstanding the
strongest political motives to the contrary。

(5) This further account of the benefactions of Izates and Helena
to the Jerusalem Jews which Josephus here promises is; I think;
no where performed by him in his present works。 But of this
terrible famine itself in Judea; take Dr。 Hudson's note here: …
〃This ( says he ) is that famine foretold by Agabus; Acts 11:28;
which happened when Claudius was consul the fourth time; and not
that other which happened when Claudius was consul the second
time; and Cesina was his colleague; as Scaliger says upon
Eusebius; p。 174。〃 Now when Josephus had said a little afterward;
ch。 5。 sect。 2; that 〃Tiberius Alexander succeeded Cuspius Fadus
as procurator;〃 he immediately subjoins; that〃 under these
procurators there happened a great famine in Judea。〃 Whence it is
plain that this famine continued for many years; on account of
its duration under these two procurators。 Now Fadus was not sent
into Judea till after the death of king Agrippa; i。e。 towards the
latter end of the 4th year of Claudius; so that this famine
foretold by Agabus happened upon the 5th; 6th; and 7th years of
Claudius; as says Valesius on Euseb。 II。 12。 Of this famine also;
and queen Helena's supplies; and her monument; see Moses
Churenensis; p。 144; 145; where it is observed in the notes that
Pausanias mentions that her monument also。

(6) This privilege of wearing the tiara upright; or with the tip
of the cone erect; is known to have been of old peculiar to great
kings; from Xenophon and others; as Dr。 Hudson observes here。

(7) This conduct of Izates is a sign that he was become either a
Jew; or an Ebionite Christian; who indeed differed not much from
proper Jews。 See ch。 6。 sect。 1。 However; his supplications were
heard; and he was providentially delivered from that imminent
danger he was in。

(8) These pyramids or pillars; erected by Helena; queen of
Adiabene; near Jerusalem; three in number; are mentioned by
Eusebius; in his Eccles。 Hist。 B。 II。 ch。 12; for which Dr。
Hudson refers us to Valesius's notes upon that place。They are
also mentioned by Pausanias; as hath been already noted; ch。 2。
sect。 6。 Reland guesses that that now called Absalom's Pillar may
be one of them。

(9) This Theudas; who arose under Fadus the procurator; about
A。D。 45 or 46; could not be that Thendas who arose in the days of
the taxing; under Cyrenius; or about A。D。 7; Acts v。 36; 37。 Who
that earlier Theudas was; see the note on B。 XVII。 ch。 10。 sect。
5。

(10) This and。 many more tumults and seditions which arose at the
Jewish festivals; in Josephus; illustrate the cautious procedure
of the Jewish governors; when they said; Matthew 26:5; 〃Let us
not take Jesus on the feast…day; lest there be an up roar among
the people;〃 as Reland well observes on tins place。 Josephus also
takes notice of the same thing; Of the War; B。 I。 ch。 4。 sect。 3。

(11) This constant passage of the Galileans through the country
of Samaria; as they went to Judea and Jerusalem; illustrates
several passages in the Gospels to the same purpose; as Dr。
Hudson rightly observes。 See Luke 17:11; John 4:4。 See also
Josephus in his own Life; sect。 52; where that journey is
determined to three days。

(12) Our Savior had foretold that the Jews' rejection of his
gospel would bring upon them; among other miseries; these three;
which they themselves here show they expected would be the
consequences of their present tumults and seditions: the utter
subversion of their country; the conflagration of their temple;
and the slavery of themselves; their wives; and children See Luke
21:6…24。

(13) This Simon; a friend of Felix; a Jew; born in Cyprus; though
he pretended to be a magician; and seems to have been wicked
enough; could hardly be that famous Simon the magician; in the
Acts of the Apostles; 8:9; etc。; as some are ready to suppose。
This Simon mentioned in the Acts was not properly a Jew; but a
Samaritan; of the town of Gittae; in the country of Samaria; as
the Apostolical Constitutions; VI。 7; the Recognitions of
Clement; II。 6; and Justin Martyr; himself born in the country of
Samaria; Apology; I。 34; inform us。 He was also the author; not
of any ancient Jewish; but of the first Gentile heresies; as the
forementioned authors assure us。 So I suppose him a different
person from the other。 I mean this only upon the hypothesis that
Josephus was not misinformed as to his being a Cypriot Jew; for
otherwise the time; the name; the profession; and the wickedness
of them both would strongly incline one to believe them the very
same。 As to that Drusilla; the sister of Agrippa; junior; as
Josephus informs us here; and a Jewess; as St。 Luke informs us;
Acts 24:24; whom this Simon mentioned by Josephus persuaded to
leave her former husband; Azizus; king of Emesa; a proselyte of
justice; and to marry Felix; the heathen procurator of Judea;
Tacitus; Hist。 V。 9; supposes her to be a heathen; and the
grand…daughter of Antonius and Cleopatra; contrary both to St。
Luke and Josephus。 Now Tacitus lived somewhat too remote; both as
to time and place; to be compared with either of those Jewish
writers; in a matt

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