- THEUDAS, an Impostor, who appeared in Judea1 in the time of Cuspius Fadus, the Governor. This Man gave himself out for a Prophet, and pretended to be inspired. He deceived many Jews, persuading them to forsake all they had, and to follow him to Jordan, where they were to pass over dry-shod, as Joshua had done heretofore. Fadus sent some Troops of Horse after them, who killed and took many of them, and brought Theudas’s Head to Jerusalem. This Theudas is much more modern than he mention’d by Gamaliel, in his Discourse in favour of the Apostles. For that happened Acts v. 36.in the 332 Year of the Vulgar Æra; whereas the Defeat of the other Theudas by Fadus did not happen till the Year 45. Yet, for all this, several have confounded these two Theudas’s. See the Commentators upon Acts v. 36.
Read this article in its place on the printed pages
Footnotes
-
Joseph. Antiq. l. 20. c. 2. of the Vulgar Æra 45. ↩
-
Chaldæi Interpr. & Hæbræi apud Hieron. qu. Hebr. in Genes. John xx. 24. Θωμᾶς ὁ λεγόμενος Δίδυμος. The Hebrew Word תאוםsignifies also a Twin. a ‘Tis the common Opinion of the Fathers that he touched him; but the Gospel does not mention it directly. St. Austin thinks the matter not to be indubitable. Aug. in Joan. Homil. 121. p. 228. & Serm. 158. p. 762. ↩