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kept in prison for six months. On the death of Tiberius, Caligula released him, and
bestowed upon him the tetrarchies belonging to Philip and Lysanius. He was also given
the title of King, and a gold chain of weight equal to that of the iron one with which he
had been fettered by Tiberius.
Caligula, the maniac (Volume XXVIII, page 50) infuriated the Jews by ordering that
his statue should be put in the Holy of Holies at Jerusalem. To his lasting credit,
however, Agrippa succeeded, not without some risk, in dissuading the mad Emperor from
this act. Later, when Rome was thrown into confusion by the death of Caligula, Agrippa
was summoned to the Senate, whose sympathies were in favour of restoring the Republic.
"With oriental subtleness he professed to fall in with their plans, but told them that they
would require an army . . . . . he advised them to send for Claudius, requesting him to
refuse the diadem." Herod, however, privately informed Claudius of the timidity of the
Senate, advising him to claim the throne, but to promise a mild and equitable
government. To Herod Agrippa, more than to any other man, Claudius owed his
succession to the throne of the Caesars. The edicts in favour of the Jews resulting from
the friendship between Claudius and Agrippa we have already referred to in
Volume XXVIII, pages 50-54.
Agrippa's policy now was to "please the Jews". To this end he acted as a zealous Jew,
and was responsible for the execution of the apostle James, and the imprisonment of
Peter. Josephus says that he lived at Jerusalem, kept himself entirely pure, and offered
every day his appointed sacrifice; while the Mishna records that he paid his first-fruits,
like any other Israelite, taking his basket on his shoulder. The way in which Herod died
is recorded in Acts 12: His age was 54, and he left three daughters, Mariamne, Bernice
and Drusilla, and one son, afterwards Agrippa 2:
After Herod's death Claudius was inclined to give the Kingdom of Judća to Herod's
son, Agrippa II, but he was persuaded to defer this, in view of the fact that he was only
seventeen years of age. Fadus was actually in charge at the time of the famine mentioned
in Acts 11: 28. In A.D.50 Agrippa II was promoted by Claudius to the kingdom
and also made Keeper of the Temple. Two years later he was given the title of King
(Acts 26: 2).
Agrippa was inseparable from his sister Bernice, and there were rumours among the
Jews that their attachment was by no means innocent. It was before this king and his
sister that Paul made his memorable defence.
About this time Agrippa offended the Jews very much by building a lofty chamber
which overlooked the courts of the Temple. In reply to this, the Jews erected a wall
between the Palace and the Temple, which not only obstructed Agrippa's view, but
interfered with the supervision of the Roman guard. Agrippa and Festus ordered the wall
to be demolished, but the Jews appealed to Nero. The High Priest, accompanied by ten
deputies, went to Rome, and, by the favour of Poppća (Volume XXVIII, pages 85-87),
they granted their suit, but were detained in Rome as hostages.