THE

HISTORY

OF THE

Works of the L'E ARNE D.

WE

For September 1737.

ARTICLE XVIII.

E are obliged for the following Effay, containing Remarks upon the Voice that was heard in the Temple before the Destruction of Jerusalem, as 'tis related by Jofephus, with Obfervations on the Accounts which Eufebius, St. Jerom and Baronius have given of it, to that very ingenious and communicative Gentleman, Ch. Lamotte, D. D.

SIR,

Have often wonder'd at the lame, imperfect, not to fay the abfurd, ridiculous Accounts of the Original and Antiquity of the Jews, and other Particulars relating to that Nation, which are to be met with in the Roman Hiftorians, as * Tacitus, and Justin, and Suetonius, which they might eafily have avoided by looking

L

*Tacitus fometimes derives 'em from Ethiopia, fometimes from Crete; and faith they were called Judai from the Name of Mount Ida in that Ifland.

looking into the Holy Scriptures, or only confulting the Works of Jofephus, who would have corrected their Mistakes, and given them a true Notion of the Antiquity and Original of the Jews, and of the Laws and Conftitutions of that People. It may be faid perhaps, that as Jofephus being a Prieft among the Jews Nation, which was hated and despised by the Romans, they might not have any Regard for him, and perhaps not know there was fuch a Writer in the World. To which I answer, that this Jewish Writer was far from being unknown to, or despised by the Romans: He had been in Favour with two of their beft Emperors, Vefpafian and Titus. The last of whom honoured him with a Statue at Rome, received fome of his Books as a very agreeable Present; and fhew'd fuch an Efteem for his Work, that he order'd it to be transcribed and repofited in the publick Library at Rome. I confefs it was only the Hiftory of the Jewish War; but this might have led and directed them of courfe to his other Writings, efpecially to his Antiquities; a Book, qui, fi non alio nomine, faltem propter ftylum legendus erat; a Work, which tho' it had nothing elfe to recommend it, was worthy of their Perufal for the Beauty of its Language, and the Purity of its Style; for which he was fo efleem'd and valued by the Ancients, that St. Jerom, a very competent Judge, has not fcrupled to call him the Livy of his Time. Tho', I fuppofe, he meant no more by the Comparison than the Style of thefe two famous Writers, the Parallel I believe may be carried farther; and that it may justly be said, that if Jofephus has imitated Livy in his Beauties, he has often copied him in his Blemishes and Faults; and among others, his retailing Wonders, Omens and Prodigies, which, as a * learned Man obferves, he often flings into his Writings

+ It may be faid indeed that Justin was only the Epitomizer of Trogus Pompeius, who wrote before Jofephus: But as he lived long enough to have corrected the Faults and Mistakes in the Hiftorian he abridg'd, the Blame juftly enough may be laid upon himself.

*The Perfon I mean is Mr. Lardner a Diffenter, Author of the

tings to give them a kind of heathenifh Air, and to render them agreeable to the Greeks and Romans, who were very credulous and fond of these Superftitions, and for whom he chiefly defigned and intended his Writings. This perpetual Mention of Omens and Prodigies is what Livy has often been blamed for by the Learned. Some have thought this was the Fault of Patavinity, for which he was cenfured by fome Criticks of his Time. But as it is plain from Quintilian, that this Fault did not confift in the Matter, but in the Style of his Writings, 'tis probable it was fome foreign Twang, fome exotic way of fpeaking peculiar to his Countrymen the Paduans, which did not please the nice Ear and elegant Palate of fo great a Judge of Urbanity as Afinius Pollio was, and which we can have no Notion of in the Age we live in. Be it as it will, 'tis certain † Gregory the Great was carried by Zeal fo far against that Hiftorian, that upon the Account of thefe Superftitions he condemned his Writings to the Flames. The learned Voffius endeavours to juftify Livy, by saying, that as these Omens and Prodigies were a great Part of the Religion and Worship of the Romans, it better became him to relate them, than if he had fhewn himself, like fome other Writers, to have no Religion* at all. But whatever may be said in favour of the Roman Writer, fure no juft Excufe can be made for Jofephus, who was not only a few, but a Prieft of that Nation, which did not believe thefe heathenifh Fancies; and indeed by its Religion and Law was not allow'd to

Credibility of the Facts of the Gospel. In which he has fhewn for much Learning and Judgment, fo much Piety and Zeal for the Christian Religion, that I cannot help faying, Cum talis fit, utinam nofter effet.

+ Mirificus certe fuerat Sancti Gregorii zelus, qui Livium propterea combuffit quod in fuperftitionibus & facris Romanorum perpetuo verfetur. Vof. Lat. Hift. p. 98.

* Eorum judicium fequitur Poffevinus, improbantium, quod Livius fuperftitiosè referat prodigia tam multa: ut boves locutos, infantes femeftres triumphum clamaffe, &c. Quæ fanè in Gentili laudem magis merentur, cum qualemcunque numinis cultum 'A oporteat præferre. Voffius Hift. Lat. 4°. P. 94.

give any Credit to them. No juft Excufe, I fay, can be made for him, fince fuch a Practice could only ferve to confirm the Romans and the Greeks in their idolatrous Worship, and draw and entice his own Countrymen (who had a Regard for his Authority) into the fame filly fenfelefs Superftitions. Of this Compliance of Jofephus with the heathen Writers, I have lately given you an Inftance in the Bird which, he faith, twice appeared to Herod the younger; first, as a Prefage of his Deliverance from Captivity; fecondly, as an Omen of his Death. Of the fame Nature I take this Fact to be, which I propofe at prefent to examine: I mean the Voice he faith was heard in the Temple before the Destruction of Jerufalem; which I have the more willingly pitch'd upon, not only as an Inftance of this Practice of that Hiftorian, but because it affords a large Field of Criticism, there being hardly a Paffage in any ancient Writer wherein learned Men have tripp'd more, and committed greater Overfights and Miftakes. The Place is at the fixth Book, c. 13. of the Jewish War, where he faith, That at the Feast of Pentecoft, as the Priests enter'd into the inner Part of the Temple in the Night to perform their Services, they first perceived a Trembling and a Noife in the Place, and then heard a thick Voice, like that † of a Multitude, faying, Let us depart, or, Let us go hence.

*

A learned Man, Member of the Academy of Belles Lettres at Paris, quotes this Paffage of Jofephus in a late Differtation, and adds, that he understood this to fignify the Retreat and Departure of the Guardian Angels that kept that facred Place, and that this Voice prefaged its approaching Ruin. 'Tis certain that the Doctrine of Guardian Angels and tutelar Deities was an ancient Notion, and very prevailing

among

+ Κατὰ ἢ ἢ ἑορτὴν ἢ Πεντεκος καλεῖται, οἱ ἱερεῖς προελθόντες εἰς τὸ ἔνδον ἱερὸν πρὸς τὰς λειτεργίας, πρώτον μ' κινήσεως αντιλαμ βάνες, ἔφασαν, καὶ κτύπο, με ἢ ταῦτα καὶ φωνῆς ἀθρᾶς, Μετα βαίνωμῳ ἔντώθεν.

* M. Simon des devénemens des Romains pour la Patrie. Mem. de Lett. 4 Vol. 78. 8vo.