Commentary Upon Acts, Part 2
Part II. The Iewish Story.
Sect. I. Preparations of warre against Aretas.
THe terrible and bitter message of the Emperour to Vitellius against King Aretas, must bee obeyed, though more of necessity then of any zeale of Vitellius in Herods quarrell. He therefore raising what forces he accounted fitting for his owne safety in the Emperours favour, and for his safety with the enemy, marcheth toward the seate of the warre, intending to lead his Army through Iudea: But hee was diverted from this intention, by the humble supplication of the Jewes to the contrary, who tooke on how contrary it was to their ancient Laws and customes to have any Images and pictures brought into their Country, whereof there was great store in the Romans Armes and Banners. The gentlenesse of the Generall was easily overtreated, and commanding his Army another way, hee himselfe with Herod and his friends went up to Ierusalem, where hee offered sacrifice, and removed Ionathan from the High-priesthood, and placed Th…ophilus his brother in his stead. This was, saith Iosephus, at a feast of the Jewes, but hee named not which; and Vitellius having stayed there three dayes, on the fourth receiveth letters concerning Tiberius his death. I leave it to bee weighed by the reader whether this festivall were the Passeover or Pentecost. For on the one hand since Tiberius died about the middle of March as the Roman Historians doe generally agree, it is s…arse possible that the Governour of Syria and the nations of the East should bee unacquainted with it, till Pentecost which was eight or nine weeks after: For all the Empire must as soone as possible …ee sworne unto the new Prince, as Vitellius upon the tidings did sweare Iudea, and so long a time might have bred some unconvenience. And yet on the contrary it is very strange, that the intelligence of his death should bee so quick as to get from Rome to Ierusalem betweene the middle of March and the middle of the passeover week.
Vitellius upon the tidings recalleth his Army again, & disposeth & billeteth them in the severall places where they had wintered, for hee knew not whether Caius would be of the same mind with Tiberius about the matter of Aretas and Herod: you may guesse how this news was brooked by the Arabian King, & yet was it no other then what hee looked for, if he beleeved what he himself spake. For hearing of the preparations of Vitellius against him, and consulting with Wizards and Augury; This Army, saith hee, shall not come into Arabia, for some of the Commanders shall die; Either hee that commandeth the warre, or hee that undertaketh it, or hee for whom it is undertaken: meaning either Tiberius, Vitellius, or Herod.
Sect. II. An Omen to Agrippa in chaines.
Such another wizardly presage of the Emperours death, had Agrippa at Rome as Iosephus also relateth, who relateth the former. For as hee stood bound before the palace, leaning dejectedly upon a tree, among many others that were prisoners with him, an Owle came and sate in that tree, to which hee leaned, which a Germane seeing, being one of those that stood there bound, hee asked who hee was that was in the purple, and leaned there: and understanding who hee was: he told him of his inlargement, promotion to honour, and prosperitie, and that when hee should see that bird againe, hee should die within five dayes after. And thus will the credulity of superstition have the very birds to foretell Tiberius his end, from the Phenix to the Owle.