A. D. 75; and in A. D. 93, his Jewish Antiquities. His talents and opportunities for information, are undeniable. His writings confirm, in almost innumerable instances, the credibility of the New Testament. His account of the state of affairs in Judæa, of the Jewish sects and their principles, of the Samaritans, of Herod and his sons, of the manners of the Jewish people, entirely agree with the evangelical history, and frequently illustrate matters which it did not fall in with the design of our sacred books to detail.

I present, first, an example of facts, noticed by the Jewish historian, which the gospel history had passed over, as belonging to secular history. We read in St. Matthew, that on the death of Herod, Joseph arose and took the young child and his mother and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judæa, in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither. The particular cause of this sudden fear we learn not from the Evangelist. But Josephus informs us, that the first act of Archelaus was the cruel murder of three thousand Jews at the festival of the Passover-an outrageous instance of barbarity, which would instantly be carried by the Jews, on their return to their respective cities, to every part of Judæa, and which accounts

most naturally for the suspension of the sacred journey."

7 I give the very acute and conclusive account of Mr. Blunt:-" Archelaus, therefore, must have been notorious for his cruelty (it should seem) very soon indeed after his coming to the throne. Nothing short of this could account for the sudden resolution of Joseph to avoid him with so much speed.

"Now, it is remarkable enough, that at the very Passover after Herod's death, even before Archelaus had got time to set out for Rome, to obtain the ratification of his authority from the Emperor, he was guilty of an act of outrage and bloodshed, under circumstances, above all others, fitted to make it generally and immediately known. One of the last deeds of his father Herod had been to put to death Judas and Matthias, two persons who had instigated some young men to pull down a golden eagle which Herod had fixed over the gate of the temple, contrary, as they conceived, to the law of Moses. The hapless fate of these martyrs to the law, excited great commiseration at the Passover which ensued. The parties, however, who uttered their lamentations aloud, were silenced by Archelaus, the new king, in the following

manner :

"He sent out all the troops against them, and ordered the horsemen to prevent those who had their tents outside the temple, from rendering assistance to those who were within it, and to put to death such as might escape from the foot. Three thousand men did these cavalry slay; the rest betook themselves for safety to the neighbouring mountains. Then Archelaus commanded proclamation to be made, that they should all retire to their own homes. So they went away, and left the festival, for fear, lest somewhat worse should ensue." Antiq. b. xvii. c. 2. s. 3.

Let me, in the next place, give a specimen of the concurrent narrative of Josephus. In the account of the death of Herod, in the twelfth of the Acts, we have various remarkable particulars; but not one more than Josephus also actually details in his narrative-the assembly, the oration, the idolatrous cry of the people, Herod's sudden disease and death. Especially, the royal apparel in which Herod was arrayed, is said by the Jewish historian to have been a robe of silver, on which the rays of the sun falling, gave him a majestic and awful appear

"We must bear in mind, that at the Passover, Jews from all parts of the world were assembled; so that any event which occurred at Jerusalem, during that great feast, would be speedily reported, on their return, to the countries where they dwelt. Such a massacre, therefore, at such a season, would at once stamp the character of Archelaus. The fear of him would naturally enough spread wherever a Jew was to be found; and, in fact, so well remembered was this, his first essay at governing the people, that several years afterwards it was brought against him with great effect, on his appearance before Cæsar at Rome.

"It is the more probable, that this act of cruelty inspired Joseph with his dread of Archelaus, because that prince could not have been much known before he came to the throne; never having had any public employment, or, indeed, future destination, like his half-brother Antipater, whereby he might have discovered himself to the nation at large."*

Veracity of Gospel, p. 135-9.

ance-a circumstance which, but too naturally accounts for the impious acclamations of the

But the account which Josephus gives of John Baptist, is yet more important, both by what he says, and by what he conceals. "Some of the Jews were of opinion that God had suffered Herod's army to be destroyed, as a just punishment on him for the death of John, called the Baptist. For Herod had killed him who was a just man, and who had called upon the Jews to be baptized, and to practise virtue. And many coming to him, (for they were wonderfully taken with his discourses,) Herod was seized with apprehensions, lest by his authority they should be led into sedition against him. Being taken up on this suspicion of Herod, and being sent bound to the castle of Machærus, he was slain there."

This passage admits and verifies all the principal facts concerning John Baptist, as contained in our books. Nor does the omission of a reference to John Baptist's doctrine, and of his being the forerunner of the Messiah, less clearly confirm, though tacitly, the other parts of our gospel account. Indeed, the silence of this great historian in his other writings, where he was almost compelled to speak, on the particulars of our Lord's life and crucifixion, and the establishment of Christianity, whilst he details the most minute circumstances of the very time when they occurred, proves to a demonstration