Adrian

ADRIAN. We do not find the name of this Emperor in the Bible, but we are of opinion that he is described in that passage of the Revelations where it is said, that upon the third Angel’s sounding the trumpet there fell a star from Heaven, which caused the death of an infinite number of Persons. The text runs thus: And the third Angel sounded, and there fell a great star from Heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the Rivers, and upon the fountains of Waters. And the name of the star is called Wormwood, and the third part of the Waters became Wormwood; and many men died of the Waters because they were made bitter. By this star was described Barchochebas, the famous Jewish Impostor, who prevailed with his Countrymen to rebel against the Romans. The Emperor Adrian sent Tinnius Rufus and Julius Severus, who carried on a bloody war with them. See below the Article BARCHOCHEBAS.

The Emperor Adrian, who did not love the Jews, because he had seen the disturbances produced by them under Trajan, resolved to mortify them, and keep them in subjection, by sending a Colony to Jerusalem, and building a Temple there to Jupiter. Jerusalem at that time was not very considerable, and since the ruin and destruction of it by Titus, could have recovered itself but very imperfectly. The Jews not being able to endure that this Colony of Strangers should come and inhabit their City, and introduce there a foreign Religion, began to mutiny,¹ about the Year 134.² Barchochebas who appeared about the same time, and undertook to procure himself to be owned for the Messiah, animated and encouraged them in their Rebellion. The presence of Adrian, who was then in Syria and Egypt, kept them within the bounds of Respect. But as they were enemies to the Romans, they forged bad Arms for them³, with a purpose of disabling them from making any use of them, in the encounters which they themselves might have with them; they afterwards raised little Forts with Walls, in places which seemed most for their advantage; and made subterraneous Passages for the better holding a communication with one another, and concealing themselves from the pursuit of their Enemies; but these were so many vain efforts⁴ efforts, which the Romans at first despised.

But when they saw that the number of the mutineers encreased, that they fought like People in despair, that the thieves of all the neighbouring Provinces join’d them, with the hopes of Booty, and that their Rebellion had an influence upon the adjacent Countries, and even staggered the whole Universe, as a certain Historian expresses himself, they were obliged to alter their measures. Tinnius Rufus, who sometime before had been the Emperor’s Lieutenant in Syria, was at that time with the same character in Judea; he attacked the Jews, and killed great numbers of them, but then the loss of Men was considerable on his side too. Adrian therefore sent a Reinforcement to him, notwithstanding which he was routed in several skirmishes. At last Adrian sent for Julius Severus, one of the greatest Generals of his Age, from England, in order to make head against them. Severus thought it too hazardous to engage the Jews in a set Battle, who were too numerous; he therefore attacked them in small Bodies, cut off their Provision, and at length marched and laid siege to Bether, or Bethron, which served as a place of retreat for them.

The City defended it self with much obstinacy. Barcbochebas, who had shut himself up in it, encouraged the Jews with vain promises of Succour. The Town was taken⁵, and the Romans made a dreadful Slaughter in it. The Jews say, that more People perished there than came out of Egypt; and they have inserted an Hymn⁶ in their Liturgy for the 18th of the month Ab (which answers to July and August) wherein they call Adrian a second Nebuchadnezzar, and beg of God to remember this cruel Prince, who destroyed four hundred and eighty Synagogues: They reckon that the number of Jews killed in the several Battles and Rencounters, amounted to five hundred and fourscore thousand. The Jews say that the Skulls of three hundred Children were seen upon one stone at Bether; that the streams of Blood were so large as to carry away Stones of four pounds weight into the Sea, which was at the distance of four miles from the City; lastly, that the Lands thereabouts were so fattened with the dead Bodies, that they were not dunged for seven years afterwards.

The number of Roman Soldiers and auxiliary Troops that perished in the course of this War, which lasted, as S. Jerom⁷ and the Rabbins say, three years and a half; or as others only two years⁸, was very great; and Dio remarks that the Emperor, when he wrote to the Senate, relating the Succes of this War, did not venture to use the common form in the beginning of his Letters, If you and your Children are in good health I am glad of it; I and the Army are in good condition; by reason of the great losses which he had sustained in this War. Dio, l. 69. p. 794.

This Affair being over, Adrian took care to have the building of Jerusalem finished, the name whereof he changed to that of Ælia, which was the name of his family; he drove the Jews out of it, forbad them, under a severe penalty, ever to enter it⁹, commanded a great number of them whom he had made prisoners during the War, to be carried to the fair held near the Turpentine Tree, where Abraham was believed to have received the three Angels; there they were sold at the price of Horses; and what could not be put off here, was conveyed to another fair held at Gaza. The rest were sent to Egypt¹⁰. S. Jerom¹¹ applies the following words of Zachariah, to this calamity of the Jews, I will feed the flock of Slaughter. And the Hebrew Doctors explain Jer. xxxi. 15.these words of Jeremiah as relating to the same War, A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter Weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, &c. The Jews purchased with a sum of Money the liberty, not of entring Jerusalem, but only of looking at a distance on it, and going to lament the fall and desolation of it.

We are assured that Tinnius Rufus, or, as the Rabbins call him, Turannus, or Turnus Rufus, plowed up the spot of ground on which the Temple formerly stood. There are some Medals of Adrian’s shewn to this day, which were struck on this occasion, on the reverse whereof Judea is represented like a Woman, holding two naked Children by her, and sacrificing upon an Altar¹²; to signify, probably, that the Emperor had subdued Judea, and constrained it to sacrifice to false Gods. In another Medal we see Judea on her knees, submitting to the Emperor, and three Children begging mercy of him¹³.

From this time, as no more Jews were suffered in Jerusalem, we begin to find Bishops taken from the Gentile Converts to Christianity.

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