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"Agabus signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the
world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Cæsar" (Acts 11: 28).
Josephus places the time of the famine as that of Cuspius Fadus and Tiberius
Alexander, so that it must have occurred between A.D.44 and A.D.48. Both of these
prefects exercised their authority during the reign of Claudius.
As a parallel with the Church's effort to meet the conditions brought about by famine
the following extract from Josephus will be of interest. Izates, King of Adiabene, and his
mother Helena, the Queen Dowager, had lately become proselytes to the Jewish religion,
and Josephus writes as follows concerning the Queen's coming to live at Jerusalem:
"Now her coming was of infinite service to the people of Jerusalem: for a famine
about that time oppressing the city, and many dying of want, Queen Helena sent some of
her servants to Alexandria, with money to buy a great quantity of corn, and others of
them to Cyprus to bring a cargo of dried figs . . . . . She distributed to those that were
distressed" (Josephus Ant. 20: 2: 5).
In the Pembroke collection there is a coin issued in the reign of Claudius bearing a
pair of scales, the recognized symbol of famine.
Before dealing with the edict that expelled the Jews from Rome, it will be of interest
to record one other incident in the reign of Claudius. The robes of the High Priest had
been held in custody by the Romans from A.D.6 up to A.D.37, when they were
restored to the Jews. Fadus, however, upon being appointed in A.D.44, received orders
from Claudius to withdraw the robes from the custody of the Jews. Agrippa, however,
interceded with Claudius, and the Emperor relented. His rescript throws an interesting
light upon his character.
"Claudius Cæsar Germanicus, Tribune of the people for the fifth time, Consul elect
the fourth time, Imperator the tenth time, the Father of his country--to the Magistrates of
Jerusalem, the Senate, the People, and all the nation of the Jews, greeting.
My Agrippa (whom I have educated, and retain with me as most dutiful) having
introduced to me your ambassadors who came to thank me for the care I had taken of
your nation, and earnestly, anxiously entreated that the holy vest and the crown might be
in your custody, I grant it, as was done by the most noble and excellent Vitellius. And I
am of this mind, first from my own sense of religion, and my desire that all men should
live according to the customs of their fathers, and next because I know that in so doing, I
shall highly gratify King Herod himself, and Aristobolus the younger, with whose loyalty
to myself and zeal for your interests I am will acquainted, with whom I have the greatest
friendship, as they are most worthy and esteemed of me. I have also written about these
matters to Cuspius Fadus, my Procurator.
The bearers of the letter are Cornelius, son of Keron, Typhon, son of Theudion,
Dorotheus, son of Nathaniel, and John, son of John. Dated the 4th before the Kalends of
July, in the consulship of Rufus and Pompeius Sylvanus (28th June, A.D.45)."
Another event which occurred during the reign of Claudius was the expulsion of the
Jews from Rome. The incidents connected with this expulsion led to the appointment of
Felix, and the fellowship of Aquila and Priscilla with Paul. The hostility between the