Eusebius, EH 2.21: The Egyptian False Prophet

A new episode has been added to the occasional series upon Eusebius of Caesarea’s The Ecclesiastical History: book 2, chapter 21 (listen here).

Notes and Commentary:

Eusebius continues his account of disturbances among the Jews which occurred during the Roman governorship of Felix.

Here the focus is on an Egyptian false prophet, who is described by Josephus. Eusebius says he appeared in the wilderness as a “sorcerer” and “secured for himself the faith due to a prophet.”

He led 30,000 followers to the Mount of Olives where Felix and the Roman garrison attacked and defeated them.

Eusebius also notes that Josephus’s account is matched by that in Acts 21:38 where Luke records that the “chief captain” [KJC; Greek: chiliarchos; the same term is used here by Eusebius, though Lake renders it as “centurion”] asks Paul if he is the Egyptian prophet. Paul makes clear that he is not [see v. 39]. Luke calls his followers “four thousand men of the Sicarii [tōn sikariōn]” (cf. KJV: “four thousand men that were murderers”).

Again, we see the tumultuous political and religious times of Jesus and the apostles.

We also see Eusebius drawing on Josephus and showing its harmony with Acts.

JTR

Eusebius, EH 2.19-20: Jewish Unrest in the Time of Felix

Image: Modern view of the Western or "Wailing" Wall in Jerusalem.

A new installment has been added to the series on Eusebius of Caesarea’s The Ecclesiastical History: book 2, chapters 19-20 (listen here).

Notes and Commentary:

Eusebius here continues to survey the history of the Jews in Palestine in the time between the ministry of Christ and the First Jewish War and he continues to rely on Josephus as a historical source.

First, in chapter 19 he reports on a riot in Jerusalem during the Passover during the reign of the Emperor Claudius in which 30,000 Jews were trampled to death. He also notes Claudius’s appointment of Herod Agrippa II as King of the Jews and Felix as the Roman governor.

At Claudius’s death, Nero becomes Emperor.

Next, in chapter 20 he conveys a report from Josephus about unrest among the priests in Jerusalem at the time of Felix.

He also reports on “a certain kind of bandits” in Jerusalem who hid short daggers under the clothing and carried out daily assassinations, including that of Jonathan the High Priest.

We get a picture here of the turbulent political climate and the unrest between Jews and Romans in the first century that both sheds light on the death of Jesus but also upon the Jewish revolt against Roman rule that would break out in AD 66.

JTR