tion of the laws of his country. So he came without delay to
Publius Petronius, who was then president of Syria, and accused the
people of Doris. Nor did he less resent what was done than did Agrippa;
for he judged it a piece of impiety to transgress the laws that regulate
the actions of men. So he wrote the following letter to the people
of Doris in an angry strain: "Publius Petronius, the president under
Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, to the magistrates of
Doris, ordains as follows: Since some of you have had the boldness, or
madness rather, after the edict of Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus
was published, for permitting the Jews to observe the laws of their
country, not to obey the same, but have acted in entire opposition
thereto, as forbidding the Jews to assemble together in the synagogue,
by removing Caesar's statue, and setting it up therein, and thereby have
offended not only the Jews, but the emperor himself, whose statue is
more commodiously placed in his own temple than in a foreign one, where
is the place of assembling together; while it is but a part of natural
justice, that every one should have the power over the place belonging
peculiarly to themselves, according to the determination of Caesar,--to
say nothing of my own determination, which it would be ridiculous to
mention after the emperor's edict, which gives the Jews leave to make
use of their own customs, as also gives order that they enjoy equally
the rights of citizens with the Greeks themselves,--I therefore ordain
that Proculus Vitellius, the centurion, bring those men to me, who,
contrary to Augustus's edict, have been so insolent as to do this thing,
at which those very men, who appear to be of principal reputation among
them, have an indignation also, and allege for themselves, 'that it was
not done with their consent, but by the violence of the multitude,
that they may give an account of what hath been done. I also exhort the
principal magistrates among them, unless they have a mind to have this
action esteemed to be done with their consent, to inform the centurion
of those that were guilty of it, and take care that no handle be hence
taken for raising a sedition or quarrel among them; which those seem to
me to treat after who encourage such doings; while both I myself, and
king Agrippa, for whom I have the highest honor, have nothing more under
our care, than that the nation of the Jews may have no occasion given
them of g