CHAPTER II

THE CALAMITIES OF THE JEWS ABOUT THIS TIME

THE doctrines of our Saviour, and the church flourishing from day to day, continued to receive constant accessions; but the calamities of the Jews also continued to grow with one accumulation of evil upon another. The emperor was now advancing into the eighteenth year of his reign, and another commotion of the Jews being raised, he destroyed a very great number of them. For in Alexandria and the rest of Egypt, and also in Cyrene, as if actuated by some terrible and tempestuous spirit, they rushed upon seditious measures against the Greeks of the same place. Having increased the insurrection to a great extent, they excited no inconsiderable war the following year, when Lupus was governor of all Egypt. And in the first conflict, indeed, it happened that they prevailed over the Greeks; who, retreating into Alexandria, took and destroyed the Jews that were found in the city. But the Jews of Cyrene, being deprived of their assistance, after laying waste the country of Egypt, also proceeded to destroy its districts, under their leader Lucuas. Against these the emperor sent Marcius Turbo, with foot and naval forces, besides cavalry. He, however, protracting the war a long time against them in many battles, slew many thousand Jews, not only of Cyrene, but also of Egypt that, had joined them, together with their leader Lucuas. But the emperor suspecting that the Jews in Mesopotamia would also make an attack upon those there, ordered Lucius Quietus to clear the province of them, who also led an army against them, and slew a great multitude of them. Upon which victory, he was appointed governor of Judea by the emperor. These things are recorded by the Greek writers of the day, in nearly the same words.