The
Complaints They Had To Make Against The Greeks; With Copies Of The
Epistles Which Caesar And Agrippa Wrote To The Cities For Them.

1. Now the cities ill-treated the Jews in Asia, and all those also of
the same nation which lived ill Libya, which joins to Cyrene, while the
former kings had given them equal privileges with the other citizens;
but the Greeks affronted them at this time, and that so far as to take
away their sacred money, and to do them mischief on other particular
occasions. When therefore they were thus afflicted, and found no end
of their barbarous treatment they met with among the Greeks, they
sent ambassadors to Caesar on those accounts, who gave them the same
privileges as they had before, and sent letters to the same purpose
to the governors of the provinces, copies of which I subjoin here, as
testimonials of the ancient favorable disposition the Roman emperors had
towards us.

2. "Caesar Augustus, high priest and tribune of the people, ordains
thus: Since the nation of the Jews hath been found grateful to the
Roman people, not only at this time, but in time past also, and chiefly
Hyrcanus the high priest, under my father [7] Caesar the emperor, it
seemed good to me and my counselors, according to the sentence and oath
of the people of Rome, that the Jews have liberty to make use of their
own customs, according to the law of their forefathers, as they made
use of them under Hyrcanus the high priest of the Almighty God; and that
their sacred money be not touched, but be sent to Jerusalem, and that it
be committed to the care of the receivers at Jerusalem; and that they be
not obliged to go before any judge on the sabbath day, nor on the day
of the preparation to it, after the ninth hour. [8] But if any one be
caught stealing their holy books, or their sacred money, whether it be
out of the synagogue or public school, he shall be deemed a sacrilegious
person, and his goods shall be brought into the public treasury of the
Romans. And I give order that the testimonial which they have given
me, on account of my regard to that piety which I exercise toward all
mankind, and out of regard to Caius Marcus Censorinus, together with the
present decree, be proposed in that most eminent place which hath been
consecrated to me by the community of Asia at Ancyra. And if any one
transgress any part of what is above decreed, he shall be severely
punished." This was inscribed upon a pillar in the temple of Cae