Of the War, B. III. ch. 5. sect. 7. But
what seems to me very remarkable here is this, that when Josephus,
in imitation of the Greeks and Romans, for whose use he wrote his
Antiquities, did himself frequently he into their they appear, by the
politeness of their composition, and their flights of oratory, to be not
the real speeches of the persons concerned, who usually were no orators,
but of his own elegant composure, the speech before us is of another
nature, full of undeniable facts, and composed in a plain and unartful,
but moving way; so it appears to be king Agrippa's own speech, and to
have been given Josephus by Agrippa himself, with whom Josephus had the
greatest friendship. Nor may we omit Agrippa's constant doctrine
here, that this vast Roman empire was raised and supported by Divine
Providence, and that therefore it was in vain for the Jews, or any
others, to think of destroying it. Nor may we neglect to take notice
of Agrippa's solemn appeal to the angels here used; the like appeals
to which we have in St. Paul, 1 Timothy 5:22, and by the apostles in
general, in the form of the ordination of bishops, Constitut. Apost.
VIII. 4.

[25] Julius Caesar had decreed that the Jews of Jerusalem should pay
an annual tribute to the Romans, excepting the city Joppa, and for the
sabbatical year; as Spanheim observes from the Antiq. B. XIV. ch. 10.
sect. 6.

[26] Of this Sohemus we have mention made by Tacitus. We also learn from
Dio that his father was king of the Arabians of Iturea, [which Iturea is
mentioned by St. Luke, ch. 3:1.] both whose testimonies are quoted here
by Dr. Hudson. See Noldius, No. 371.

[27] Spanheim notes on the place, that this later Antiochus, who was
called Epiphaues, is mentioned by Dio, LIX. p. 645, and that he is
mentioned by Josephus elsewhere twice also, B.V. ch. 11. sect. 3; and
Antiq. B. XIX. ch. 8. sect. I.

[28] Here we have an eminent example of that Jewish language, which Dr.
Wail truly observes, we several times find used in the sacred writings;
I mean, where the words "all" or "whole multitude," etc. are used for
much the greatest part only; but not so as to include every person,
without exception; for when Josephus had said that "the whole multitude"
[all the males] of Lydda were gone to the feast of tabernacles, he
immediately adds, that, however, no fewer than fifty of them appeared,
and were slain by the Romans. Other examples somewhat like this I have
observed elsewhere i