AN EMBASSAGE IN CYRENE AND ASIA TO CAESAR, CONCERNING THE COMPLAINTS THEY HAD TO MAKE AGAINST THE GREEKS; WITH COPIES OF THE EPISTLES WHICH CAESAR AND AGRIPPA WROTE TO THE CITIES FOR THEM. FJAJ 16.30
1. Now the cities ill-treated the Jews in Asia, and all those also of the same nation which lived ill Libya, which joins to Cyrene, while the former kings had given them equal privileges with the other citizens; but the Greeks affronted them at this time, and that so far as to take away their sacred money, and to do them mischief on other particular occasions. When therefore they were thus afflicted, and found no end of their barbarous treatment they met with among the Greeks, they sent ambassadors to Caesar on those accounts, who gave them the same privileges as they had before, and sent letters to the same purpose to the governors of the provinces, copies of which I subjoin here, as testimonials of the ancient favorable disposition the Roman emperors had towards us. FJAJ 16.31
2. "Caesar Augustus, high priest and tribune of the people, ordains thus: Since the nation of the Jews hath been found grateful to the Roman people, not only at this time, but in time past also, and chiefly Hyrcanus the high priest, under my father (7) Augustus here calls Julius Caesar his father, though by birth he was only his uncle, on account of his adoption by him. See the same Antiq. B. XIV. ch. 14. sect. 4. Caesar the emperor, it seemed good to me and my counselors, according to the sentence and oath of the people of Rome, that the Jews have liberty to make use of their own customs, according to the law of their forefathers, as they made use of them under Hyrcanus the high priest of the Almighty God; and that their sacred money be not touched, but be sent to Jerusalem, and that it be committed to the care of the receivers at Jerusalem; and that they be not obliged to go before any judge on the sabbath day, nor on the day of the preparation to it, after the ninth hour. FJAJ 16.32
(8)
This is authentic evidence that the Jews, in the days of Augustus, began
to prepare for the celebration of the sabbath at the ninth hour on Friday,
as the tradition of the elders did, it seems, then require of them.
But if any one be caught stealing their holy books, or their sacred money,
whether it be out of the synagogue or public school, he shall be deemed
a sacrilegious person, and his goods shall be brought into the public treasury
of the Romans
And I give order that the testimonial which they have given
me, on account of my regard to that piety which I exercise toward all mankind,
and out of regard to Caius Marcus Censorinus, together with the present
decree, be proposed in that most eminent place which hath been consecrated
to me by the community of Asia at Ancyra
And if any one transgress any
part of what is above decreed, he shall be severely punished." This
was inscribed upon a pillar in the temple of Caesar. FJAJ 16.33
3. "Caesar to Norbanus Flaccus, sendeth greeting
Let those Jews,
how many soever they be, who have been used, according to their ancient
custom, to send their sacred money to Jerusalem, do the same freely."
These were the decrees of Caesar. FJAJ 16.34
4. Agrippa also did himself write after the manner following, on behalf
of the Jews: "Agrippa, to the magistrates, senate, and people of the
Ephesians, sendeth greeting
I will that the care and custody of the sacred
money that is carried to the temple at Jerusalem be left to the Jews of
Asia, to do with it according to their ancient custom; and that such as
steal that sacred money of the Jews, and fly to a sanctuary, shall be taken
thence and delivered to the Jews, by the same law that sacrilegious persons
are taken thence
I have also written to Sylvanus the praetor, that no
one compel the Jews to come before a judge on the sabbath day." FJAJ 16.35
5. "Marcus Agrippa to the magistrates, senate, and people of Cyrene,
sendeth greeting
The Jews of Cyrene have interceded with me for the performance
of what Augustus sent orders about to Flavius, the then praetor of Libya,
and to the other procurators of that province, that the sacred money may
be sent to Jerusalem freely, as hath been their custom from their forefathers,
they complaining that they are abused by certain informers, and under pretense
of taxes which were not due, are hindered from sending them, which I command
to be restored without any diminution or disturbance given to them
And
if any of that sacred money in the cities be taken from their proper receivers,
I further enjoin, that the same be exactly returned to the Jews in that
place." FJAJ 16.36
6. "Caius Norbanus Flaccus, proconsul, to the magistrates of the
Sardians, sendeth greeting
Caesar hath written to me, and commanded me
not to forbid the Jews, how many soever they be, from assembling together
according to the custom of their forefathers, nor from sending their money
to Jerusalem
I have therefore written to you, that you may know that both
Caesar and I would have you act accordingly." FJAJ 16.37
7. Nor did Julius Antonius, the proconsul, write otherwise. FJAJ 16.38
"To
the magistrates, senate, and people of the Ephesians, sendeth greeting.
As I was dispensing justice at Ephesus, on the Ides of February, the Jews
that dwell in Asia demonstrated to me that Augustus and Agrippa had permitted
them to use their own laws and customs, and to offer those their first-fruits,
which every one of them freely offers to the Deity on account of piety,
and to carry them in a company together to Jerusalem without disturbance.
They also petitioned me that I also would confirm what had been granted
by Augustus and Agrippa by my own sanction
I would therefore have you
take notice, that according to the will of Augustus and Agrippa, I permit
them to use and do according to the customs of their forefathers without
disturbance." FJAJ 16.39
8. I have been obliged to set down these decree because the present
history of our own acts will go generally among the Greeks; and I have
hereby demonstrated to them that we have formerly been in great esteem,
and have not been prohibited by those governors we were under from keeping
any of the laws of our forefathers; nay, that we have been supported by
them, while we followed our own religion, and the worship we paid to God;
and I frequently make mention of these decrees, in order to reconcile other
people to us, and to take away the causes of that hatred which unreasonable
men bear to us
As for our customs (9)
The remaining part of this chapter is remarkable, as justly distinguishing
natural justice, religion, and morality, from positive institutions in
all countries, and evidently preferring the former before the latter, as
did the true prophets of God always under the Old Testament, and Christ
and his New; whence Josephus seems to have been at this time nearer Christianity
than were the Scribes and Pharisees of his age; who, as we know from the
New Testament, were entirely of a different opinion and practice.
there is no nation which always makes use of the same, and in every city
almost we meet with them different from one another; but natural justice
is most agreeable to the advantage of all men equally, both Greeks and
barbarians, to which our laws have the greatest regard, and thereby render
us, if we abide in them after a pure manner, benevolent and friendly to
all men; on which account we have reason to expect the like return from
others, and to inform them that they ought not to esteem difference of
positive institutions a sufficient cause of alienation, but [join with
us in] the pursuit of virtue and probity, for this belongs to all men in
common, and of itself alone is sufficient for the preservation of human
life
I now return to the thread of my history. FJAJ 16.40