The restoration of Hyrcanus was, however, merely nominal, as the Idumaean Antipater, an active friend of the Romans, was placed over him as governor of Juda. Now began the struggle which was destined to continue with little inter mission for nearly two hundred years. It was nourished by feelings of the deadliest animosity on both sides ; it was signalised by the most frightful examples of barbarity, in which each of the con tending parties strove to outdo the other ; but it was directed by a controlling Providence to a bene ficial consummation, in the destruction of the Jewish nationality, and the dispersion throughout the world of the Christian communities.'* In the year 57 B.C., Alexander, the eldest son of Aristobulus, escaped from Pompey, and took up arms in Jud=. Hyrcanus upon this applied for assistance to Gabinius, the Roman proconsul of Syria, who thereupon sent Mark Antony with a large force into Judma. Antony, being joined by Antipater with the forces of Hyrcanus, defeated Alexander, and compelled him to fly to Alexan drium. Gabinius soon after arrived, and through the mediation of the mother of Alexander, made peace with him and allowed him to depart. After these matters were settled, Gabinius went to Jeru salem, and there committed the care of the temple to Hyrcanus, thus changing the government from a monarchy to an aristocracy. At the same time he instituted five councils (crvviapta) instead of the two sanhedrims which had existed in every city, and he distributed these five among five cities. These were Jerusalem, Gadara, Amathus, Jericho, and Sep phoris, in Galilee (Joseph. Antiq. xiv. 5. 4).
In B.c. 54 Gabinius was superseded in the go vernment of Syria by Crassus, who plundered the temple of about io,000 talents, notwithstanding that a beam of gold of immense value had been giverthim, on condition that he would touch nothing else in the temple (Joseph. Antiq. xiv, 7. i). All this time Antipater was gaining influence with the Romans, and after the death of Pompey, in B.C. 481 he was very useful to Julius Caesar in his war against Egypt. In return for this, he made Antipater pro curator of Judma, gave him the privilege of a citizen of Rome, and freedom from taxes everywhere. Hyrcanus also was confirrned in the priesthood and ethnarchy, the claims of Antigonus, the only sur viving son of Aristobulus, being put on one side, and thus the aristocratical constitution of Gabinius was abolished (Joseph. Antiq. xiv.) The ascend ency and prosperity of Antipater wete now ensured. At this period he had four sons. Two of them, Phasael and Herod, were holding important posts, the former being governor of Jerusalem and the latter governor of Galilee. An account of the many intrigues and tragedies of the next forty years will be found under the HERODIAN FAMILY.
The Jewish people, being at last worn out with the disputes and cruelties of the Herods, sent a mission to Rome, begging that Judma might be made a Roman province. In the year A.D. 6, Archelaus was banished, and Judma put under the government of Rome. The first procurator ap pointed was Coponius, who accompanied Cyrenius (the Greek form of the Roman name Quirinus) into Syria. The latter had been sent to take an account of their substance, and to make a census or ciro •ypdcbn [CHRONOLOGY ; CYRENIUS] of the inhabi tants of Judma (Luke ii. ; Joseph. Antiq. xvii. 13. 5; xviii. ; ii. 8. t). In A.D. io Coponius was succeeded by Marcus Ambivius, who remained at the head of the government till A.D. 13, and was then replaced by Annius Rufus. The next year Augustus died. On the accession of Tiberius, Valerius Gratus was made procurator, a post he filled for eleven years, and was succeeded (A.D. 25) by Pontius Pilate (Joseph. Antiq. xviii. 2. 2), who entered Jerusalem with the military ensigns, on which were the effigies of the emperor. The Jewish law forbids the making of images, and a great tumult arose, and shortly Tiberius ordered him to withdraw them (Joseph. Antiq. xviii. 3. ; b'ell. 7ud. ii. 9. 3). Pilate tyrannically governed the Jews till A.D. 35, and at last, owing to con tinual complaints, was ordered by Vitellius, the president of Syria, to proceed to Rome to give an account of his administration. Tiberius died before he arrived, and he put an end to his life at the commencement of the reign of Caius (Caligula) (Joseph. Allaq. xviii. 3. ; 4. ; 7w1. ii. 9. 2 ; Euseb. H. E. ii. 7). It was during his administration that our Lord was condemned and crucified (Matt. ; Mark xv. ; Luke iii. ; xxiii. ; John xviii. xix.) On Pilate's departure,
Marullus was appointed over Judwa by Vitellius (Joseph. Antiq. xviii. 4. 2). The new emperor Caius, however, superseded him, and appointed Marcellus procurator of Judma ( Joseph. Antig. xviii. 6. ro). In A.D. 40 Vitellius was recalled, and Petronius sent as president of Syria, with orders from Caius to set up his statue in the temple. This insult caused the whole nation to rise. The intercession of Agrippa, and ultimately the death of the tyrant, prevented this order from ever being executed (Joseph. Antiq. xviii.; Bell. yud. ii. 10; Philo, Leg. ad Caium, 26). In the Acts it is re corded that the churches had rest through all Judma, Galilee, and Samaria (ix. 3i), doubtless owing to the impious attempt of Caligula ( Joseph. Antiq. xviii. 8. 2-9). Under Claudius, who succeeded to the throne in A.D. 41, the Jews had some peace. Agrippa I. was king of the whole country from that period to A.D. 44, when he died, leaving one son. Claudius wished to allow the young Agrippa to rule his father's kingdom, but evidently by per suasion sent a Roman procurator to govern the province (Tac. Htst. v. 9). Cuspius Fadus was the first appointed (Joseph. Antiq. xix. 9. 2 ; xx. 5. r). It was under his administration that a movement of the whole Jewish people broke forth, in consequence of the sacred vestments being placed under his charge. Longinus, the governor of Syria, interfered, an embassy was sent to Rome, and the matter ended in the Jews being permitted to retain these vestments under their care. Judma was cleared of robbers by the care and providence of Fadus (Joseph. Andy. xx. 1. 1-2). He was suc ceeded by Tiberius Alexander, a renegade Jew, and nephew of Philo (Joseph. Antiq. xx. 5. 2; Bell. yied. rr. 6). In A.D. 47 Tiberius was re called, and Ventidius Cumanus appointed in his stead. During his government a fearful tumult ensued, which would have spread far and wide had not Quadratus the governor of Syria interfered. The matter ended in the banishment of Cumanus and the appointment of Felix, the brother of Pallas, the favourite of Claudius, as procurator (Joseph. Antiq. xx. 6 ; 7. ; Bell. 7ud. ii. 12 ; cf. Tac. ,4nn. xii. 54). Felix was procurator from A.D. 52 to A.D. 6o. Of his government Tacitus speaks : Per omnerp smvitiam ac libidinem jus regium servili ingenio exercuit' (Hist. v. 9), and his corruptness is shovvn by his expecting to receive money from St. Paul (Acts. xxiv. 26). He had induced Drusilla, the daughter of Agrippa I., to live with him. She was with him when Paul preached of righteousness, temperance, and judg ment to come' (Acts xxiv. 25). Felix, however, did some good services while he was in power ; for the country being infested with robbers and impostors, he cleared several parts of it. He also drove out the Egyptian impostor (cf. Acts xxi. 38). These are doubtless the very worthy deeds alluded to by Tertullus (Acts xxiv. 2). Bearing ill-will against Jonathan the high-priest, Felix had him barbarously murdered. By treachery, also, he put to death Eleazar, the captain of a company of robbers (Joseph. Antig. xx. 8. 5). At last his mis government caused his recall, and Porcius Festus succeeded. His government seems to have been milder (Joseph. Antiy. xxi. 8. 9 ; Bell. 71n1. 14. 1). He heard Paul with king Agrippa at Cmsarea (Acts xxv. xxvi.) Festus died after two years. He was succeeded by Albinus, a bad and cruel man, who, on hearing that Gessius Florus was coming to succeed him, brought out all the prisoners who seemed most worthy of death, and put them to death, and at the same time released many of them, but only on receiving a bribe (Joseph. Andy. xx. 9. 5; Bell. 7ud. ii. 14. r). He was recalled in A.D. 65, and Gessius Florus appointed in his stead. He was the last and the worst of the Roman procurators ( Joseph. ,4ntiq. xx. 9. ; 1. ; 7ied. ii. 14. 1). Josephus does not hesitate to accuse him of the most flagrant and horrid crimes (Antiq. xx. 1. ; Bell. 7nd, c.), and even Tacitus says that the Jewish pa tience could endure the yoke no longer (duravit patientia Judmis usque ad Gessium Florum-Ilist. v. 10). In A.D. 66 Cestius Gallus, the prefect of Syria, found it necessary to march a powerful army into Palestine. He was, however, defeated with great loss, and immediately sent word to Nero, laying the whole blame on Florus-Flonts likewise laying the blame on him. He soon after wards died, as some have supposed, from chagrin or disappointment (Joseph. Bell. 7ud. ii. 19; Suet. Vesp. 4 ; Tac. Hist. v. 10). The follow.