Vide Plin. l. v. c. 14, 15, & Joseph. l. ii. de Bello. c. 8. & lib. iii. c. 2.JULIUS CÆSAR. The name of Cæsar is become peculiar to the Roman Emperors after Julius Cæsar, who changed the state of the Roman commonwealth from an aristocracy to a monarchy. The Scripture speaks frequently of the Cæsars, that is to say, of the Emperors, but it rarely mentions their proper name: for example, Is it lawful to pay tribute unto Cæsar? Matth. xxii. 17. Acts xxv. 11, 12.Tiberius then reigned; and S. Paul in the Acts, I appeal unto Cæsar. Hast thou appealed unto Cæsar? unto Cæsar thou shalt go. He spoke of the Emperor Nero. And elsewhere, they of Cæsar’s household salute thee. He means again the same Em-
Luke iii. 1. Acts xi. 28.peror. S. Luke names Cæsar Augustus, Tiberius Cæsar, and Claudius Cæsar. Julius Cæsar, or Caius Julius Cæsar, the first Roman Emperor, no farther concerns us in this work, than as he had some part in the Jewish affairs, and sacred history; wherefore we do not here propose to give his whole history, but only to remark what he did with relation to the Jews. He was the son of Lucius Cæsar and Aurelia the daughter of Cotta. He was born in the year of Rome 6541, 98 years before Jesus Christ. At the age of 16 he lost his father, and the year after was appointed High Priest of Jupiter. The dictator Sylla had resolved to destroy him; and Cæsar, to avoid being killed, was forced to hide himself, and gain those with money who were ordered to seize on him. Sylla at last forgave him, being over powered by the intreaties of his friends. But he foretold, that this young man would one day ruin the state.
After having passed successively through the offices of Tribune, Quæstor, Ædile, High Priest, and Prætor or Governor of Spain, he at last obtained the consulship in the year of Rome 6952, and chose the government of Gaul, which he reduced into the form of a province, after he had brought it all under his obedience during the nine or ten years of his government. In the mean time his daughter Julia dying, the good understanding, which there had been hitherto, between him and his son in law Pompey, husband to Julia, was intirely destroyed, because Cæsar being unable to endure a master, and Pompey a companion, they began to look on one another as rivals. Pompey, who was at Rome, opposed all the demands made by Cæsar in his absence; and Cæsar being irritated, entred Italy with his victorious army3, and so terrified his enemies that they fled, after having regulated the affairs of Italy.
He set at liberty Aristobulus King of Judea, and sent him into his own country with two legions, Joseph. Antiq. l. xiv. c. 13. Dio Cassius, l. xli.to support his interests there, as well as in the neighbourhood, in Syria, Phœnicia, and Arabia. But they of Pompey’s party found means to poyson him by the way. Alexander the son of Aristobulus had already levied troops in Syria, to join them with his father whom he expected. But Pompey having received intelligence of his designs, sent orders to Scipio in Syria, to have him killed, which was done accordingly. Cæsar in the mean time was gone into Spain, where he defeated Pompey’s army commanded by three of his generals. He afterwards return’d to Rome; then passed into Maccedonia, where he beat Pompey at Pharsalia.
He pursued him as far as Alexandria, where being informed that he had been killed, he turned his arms against Ptolemy king of Egypt. Cæsar was shut up in Alexandria, with some troops, where he found himself very much embarassed, and pressed by the Egyptian army. He sent Mithridates, one of his people, into Syria and Cilicia, to procure succours for him. Antipater, father to Herod the great, who govern’d the High Priest Hircanus Prince of the Jews, engaged this, and some Arabian Princes of the neighbourhood, to send Joseph. Antiq. l. xiv. c. 14, 15.assistance to Cæsar. He himself march’d into Egypt with three thousand men, with which he joined the troops of Mithridates. They both together attacked Pelusium which they carried. This success was attributed to the valour of Antipater, who was the first that mounted the breach. From thence they advanced towards Alexandria, and Antipater by his own credit, and letters which he carried from Hircanus, oblig’d the Jews in the canton of Onion, to open the passages and declare for Cæsar. Those of Memphis did the same after their Example. Ptolemy sent a flying camp against Mithridates and Antipater, to dispute with them the passage of the Nile, but the king’s troops were beaten. Ptolemy followed in person with his whole army: Cæsar did the same. They soon came to a battle, wherein Cæsar obtained a compleat victory, which made him master of all Egypt.
He always preserved a very grateful remembrance of the important service which Antipater had done him upon this occasion. Before he departed from Alexandria, he confirm’d all the privileges which the Jews enjoyed in Egypt, and caused a pillar Joseph. Antiq. l. xiv. c. 17. & contra Appion. l. ii.to be erected, upon which he ordered all these privileges to be ingraved, together with the decree which confirm’d them: As he passed through Palestine, Antigonus the son of Aristobulus above mentioned, came and threw himself at his feet, represented to him in a very affecting manner the death of his father and brother, the first poisoned, the second beheaded at Antioch for supporting his interests, and desired to be restored by him to his father’s principality. He likewise complain’d of the wrong done him by Antipater and Hircanus, who had all the authority in Judea. But Antipater, who was still in Cæsar’s retinue, so well justified his conduct, and that of Hircanus, that Cæsar rejected the accusations of Antigonus, and ordain’d, that Hircanus should keep the dignity of High Priest of the Jews, and the principality of Judea, for himself and successors for ever, and gave Antipater the office of procurator of Judea under Hircanus. This decree he ordered to be ingrav’d in Greek and Latin on brass plates, which were to be deposited in the capitol at Rome, and in the Temples of Tyre, Sidon, and Ascalon in Phœnicia.
Joseph. Antiq. l. xiv. c. 17.Some years after4, in his fifth and last consulship, Cæsar at the request of Hircanus, and in consideration of the services which he had done him in Egypt and Syria, permitted him to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, which Pompey had demolished. There was a decree made at Rome to this purpose, which was no sooner brought to Jerusalem, but Antipater began to set people to work, and the city was very soon fortified, as it was before the demolition of it. Cæsar was killed in a short time after, on the fifteenth of March in the year of the world 3960, before Jesus Christ 40, before the vulgar Æra 44.
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