HISTORY OF OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 55, 16 May 1874, Page 13

HISTORY OF OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST.

By the Abb 6J. E. Dahhas. (Translated from the French for the New Zealand Tajjlkt.) 28. — aeciielau3 deposed by attghtstus. jltdea bedxtcbd to a Roman Pbovince. The extinction of the title of King and the conditional promise to reestablish it in the person of the Ethnarch of Jerusalem, should hid conduct render him worth it, was at the same time a ■warning to Archelaus, and a skilful concession made to the jews. The Roman policy shews itself in this circumstance, faithful to its unvarying traditions. It was ever seeking to sow discord between the sovereigns and the people, humbling the former without over-exalting the latter, hoping thus to reip fruit from the irritation of the one and the sufferings of the ovher, by making its own rule a thing to be longed for as a deliverance. Archelaus taking possession of his dominions was far from comprehending the gravity of the situation. His tyranny was exercised with all the more rigor, because of the depth of resentment. The High-Piiest Joazar was deprived of his office without cause, and Eleazar, son of Simon, substituted in his place. The following year, a fresh dismiss il, and Josue, son of Sic, assumed the insignia of High-Priest, to resign them, a few months later, to the the ex-High-Priest Joazar. The discontent of the Jews at first found expression in. murmurs. Archelaus unswered these with cruelties. However, feeling the necessity of forming a strong party for himself, he thought of marrying the daughter of the King of Cappadocia, Glaphyro, widow, first, of the young Asmonean prince, Alexandra, sou of the unfortunate Mariami.e, and afterwards, of the the King of Mauritania, Juba. The Mosaic law forbado the Jews to marry their brother's wife when she had children by her first husband. In addition to this irregularity, Archelaus, iv order to contract the alliance which he contemplated with Galphyra, was obliged to repudiate his legitimate wife, whose virtues rendered her dear to the people. Scarcely did a year elapse from the second marriage, when Glaphyra died suddenly. The Jews saw in this event a Jivine chastisement. Aivhelaus, exasperated, gave free scope to his vengeance. The entire nation accused him before the tribunal of Caesar, on account of his tyranny- Dion Cassius adds to the narrative of Josephus this particular, that the two tetarchs, Antipas and Phillip, joined with the deputies of Judea and Samaria is accusing their brother. Be that as it may, Augustus pronounced Archelaus deposed. Ju lea, Samaria, and Idumea, were declared Roman provinces, and administered by a pro- curator subordinate to tin government of Syria. The unhappy Archolaus was banished to Viennc, a ci.ty of Gaul, where he ended his life miserably, a.d. 10. 29. — Definitive Cen3US by Quirinius. Quiiiuius, a man of consular dignity, preceptor of the two young priuces, Caius and Lucius Caesar, was sent for by Augustus, to sell, for the benefit of the impeiial crown, the domains of Archelaus. The census, begun ten years previously, was completed this time without much difficulty. The sense of Jewish nationality had become so effaced from the minds of (he people, under the influence of foreign tyranny, that the Roman dominion was accepted, even before its official establishment. The word which will resound at the Prsetoriuni of Pilate, the profession of Hebrew political faith : Non ha^emus regem nisi Cmserem ! was in all hearts, at, the moment Archelaus qaitted, for the last time, tho Antonia Palace. In vain did the Pharisee, Sadducee, put forward a party leader, Judas the Gaulonite, to the cry of the Mosaic dispensation, to work upjn tho multitude, aud draw them into revolt. Their efforts at first stirred up some partial disturbances. Taking for their device : "Jehovah is our only King," they succeeded iv uniting under their standard, seditious bands, accustomed to live by plunder and rapine. But the High-Priest Joazar, and the enlightened body of the nation kept aloof from the movement. Joazar, in particular, was loud in his exhortations to the people to submit to the new power. So far did he compromise himself in this circumstance, that the Roman Governor, Quirinius, thougnt himself bound iv duty to sacrifice him, later on, to please the people. When calm was restored, and the faction of Judas the Gaulonite reduced to an inoffensive sect, the office of High-Priest passed into the hands of Pontiff Annas, father-in-law to Caiphas. We shall meet these two sacerdotal personages at the epoch of the Passion of Jesus Christ.