Josephus tells of one incident that occurred during Caligula's reign that is connected

with the temple at Jerusalem. The people of Alexandria worked upon the passions of

Caligula by telling him that, whereas all other countries in the Empire signalized their

loyalty and devotion by erecting altars and temples in the Emperor's honour, the Jews

refused to do any such thing. Thereupon Caligula sent Petronius to be President of Syria,

with the charge that the Jews should erect a statue to himself in their temple. Petronius,

however, was met by tens of thousands of Jews who told him that, while they could not

think of meeting the Roman armies in warfare, they were nevertheless willing to die

rather than dishonour the Name of God. For a continuous period of forty days the Jews

assembled thus, and all agriculture was neglected. So much so that Petronius was obliged

to write to the Emperor and tell him that if he persisted in his design, not only would it

mean the massacre of tens of thousands of Jews, but also famine and loss of tribute.

Agrippa eventually extracted from Caligula the rescinding of the order, and God showed

His approval of the Jews' attitude by a remarkable supply of rain when it was least

expected. Petronius was ordered to become his own executioner, but news of Caligula's

death arrived before this order reached him.

It is true, of course, that none of these details are to be found in the Acts of the

Apostles, but it is interesting to remember that the conversion and commission of Paul

were events that took place during this appalling reign.

Upon the assassination of Caligula, and while the Senate debated the various claims to

the succession, the Guard took the matter into their own hands, dragged Claudius out

from behind a curtain, and hurried him off to the camp, where he was hailed as

Imperator. Claudius had owed a great deal to the advice and mediation of Agrippa, and

in return he restored to Agrippa his grandfather's dominions, and made him king over

Judæa and Samaria. This Agrippa is the Herod whose tragic death is recorded in

Acts 12:, and about whom more must be said in a later article.

Claudius had lived a retired life, and was rather of the student type. Many, however,

considered that he was deficient mentally. To this view of his capabilities he probably

owed his life, and so found himself at the age of fifty the successor to the Imperial purple

that had been worn by his nephew Caligula. Claudius added three new letters to the

Roman alphabet--which were afterwards dropped--built the harbour at Ostia, and

erected the aqueduct that bears his name. Julius Cæsar had made an attempt at the

subjugation of Britain, but it was Claudius who actually added this island to the Roman

Empire. Claudius came here in person, and at Brentwood (the district where the present

writer is preparing this article) first came into contact with the British forces. The

possibility that the name of a British Princess is to be found in one of Paul's epistles and

its connection with the campaign of Claudius will be considered when dealing with the

Epistles to Timothy.

Among the items of interest that connect Claudius with apostolic history must be

mentioned the famine of Acts 11: 28, and the expulsion of the Jews from Rome

(Acts 18: 2).