- AGRIPPA. Marcus Agrippa, the favourite of the Emperor Augustus. His name is not to be met with in the canonical books of the Old or New Testament; but as he is mentioned in Josephus and Philo, and has some part in the History of the Jews, we shall say something of him in this place. Augustus gave him his daughter Julia to Wife, and the Government of all Asia. Herod the Great, who had all the obligations in the World to him, went and paid his respects to him at Mitylene; from thence he conducted him to Jerusalem1, where he was received with extraordinary honours. Agrippa never spoke of his reception without great satisfaction; he beheld with respect the beautiful order which was observed in the Temple, offered an hecatomb in it, entertain’d the inhabitants of Jerusalem at a great feast, and granted every thing to Herod and his People that they desired of him. In this journey he visited Sebasta and Cæsarea, which Herod had built in honour of Augustus, and was charmed with the magnificence of the Jewish Monarch, and the splendor of these two Cities. This journey of Agrippa to Jerusalem was made in the year of the World 3990, before Jesus Christ 10 years. The name of Agrippa is said to come from the Latin, æger partus2, because they who come into the World with their feet foremost come into it with most difficulty, are generally more unhappy than others, and are very subject to have sore feet.
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