(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.