appointment, too soon followed by his murder, was at the time a necessity - all the

Herodian High-Priests were no n-Palestinians. A keener blow than this could not have

been dealt at Nationalism.

The same contempt for the High-Priesthood characterised the brief reign of Archelaus.

On his death-bed, Herod had appointed to the Pontificate Joazar, a son of Boethos, the

wealthy Alexandrian priest, whose daughter, Mariamme II., he had married. The

Boethusian family, allied to Herod, formed a party - the Herodians - who combined strict

Pharisaic views with devotion to the reigning family.34 Joazar took the popular part

against Archelaus, on his accession. For this he was deprived of his dignity in favour of

another son of Boethos, Eleazar by name. But the mood of Archelaus was fickle -

perhaps he was dis trustful of the family of Boethos. At any rate, Eleazar had to give place

to Jesus, the son of Sië, an otherwise unknown individual. At the time of the taxing of

Quirinius we find Joazar again in office,35 apparently restored to it by the multitude,

which, having taken matters into its own hands at the change of government, recalled one

who had formerly favoured national aspirations.36 It is thus that we explain his influence

with the people, in persuading them to submit to the Roman taxation.

But if Joazar had succeeded with the unthinking populace, he failed to conciliate the

more advanced of his own party, and, as the event proved, the Roman authorities also,

whose favour he had hoped to gain. It will be remembered, that the Nationalist party - or

'Zealots,' as they were afterwards called - first appeared in those guerilla-bands which

traversed Galilee under the leadership of Ezekias, whom Herod executed. But the

National party was not destroyed, only held in check, during his iron reign. It was once

more the family of Ezekias that headed the movement. During the civil war which

followed the accession of Archelaus, or rather was carried on while he was pleading his

cause in Rome, the standard of the Nationalists was again raised in Galilee. Judas, the son

of Ezekias, took possession of the city of Sepphoris, and armed his followers from the

royal arsenal there. At that time, as we know, the High-Priest Joazar sympathised, at least

indirectly, with the Nationalists. The rising, which indeed was general throughout

Palestine, was suppressed by fire and sword, and the sons of Herod were enabled to enter

on their possessions. But when, after the deposition of Archelaus, Joazar persuaded the

people to submit to the taxing of Quirinius, Judas was not disposed to follow what he

regarded as the treacherous lead of the Pontiff. In conjunction with a Shammaite Rabbi,

Sadduk, he raised again the standard of revolt, although once more unsuccessfully.37 How

the Hillelites looked upon this movement, we gather even from the slighting allusion of

Gamaliel.38 The family of Ezekias furnished other martyrs to the National cause. The two

sons of Judas died for it on the cross in 46 a.d.39 Yet a third son, Manahem, who, from the

commencement of the war against Rome, was one of the leaders of the most fanatical