THE

LIFE AND WRITINGS OF ST. JOHN.

CHAPTER I.

PLACE IN HISTORY, AND CHARACTER OF THE PERIOD IN WHICH THE APOSTLE JOHN APPEARED.

LIFE OF ST. JOHN COEVAL WITH THE FIRST CENTURY.-DATE OF CHRIST'S BIRTH.-JULIUS CÆSAR.-POMPEY THE GREAT.-HIS MARCH INTO JUDEA. -HOLY LAND BECOMES TRIBUTARY.-HE PROFANES THE HOLY OF HOLIES. -ENTERS ROME IN TRIUMPH.-JULIUS CÆSAR BECOMES SUPREME.-APPOINTS ANTIPATER PROCURATOR OF JUDEA.-HIS SON HEROD GOVERNOR OF GALILEE.-JULIUS CESAR ASSASSINATED.-HEROD APPOINTED KING OF JUDEA.-AUGUSTUS CESAR BECOMES EMPEROR.-EXTENT OF ROMAN EMPIRE. UNIVERSAL PEACE.-BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.-DEATH OF HEROD THE GREAT. ARCHELAUS AND ANTIPAS. ARCHELAUS DEPOSED. QUIRINIUS GOVERNOR OF SYRIA.-SUCCESSIVE PROCURATORS OF JUDEA.-DEATH OF AUGUSTUS.-TIBERIUS CESAR.-CAIAPHAS.-PONTIUS PILATE.-HEATHEN WORLD.-PAGAN LITERATURE.-ALEXANDRIAN LIBRARY DESTROYED.-CHARACTER OF THE PERIOD FROM CONDITION OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE. DEVELOPMENT OF MESSIANIC PROPHECY.-THE LAW A SCHOOLMASTER. — CEREMONIAL LAW.-CLEAR DAWNING WHEN ST. JOHN CAME ON THE

STAGE.

THE life of the apostle John, from near the beginning of the first century of the Christian era, stretches on to the beginning of the second. If he was one hundred years old at his death, it overlaps the second century as much as it falls short of being coterminous with the beginning of the first. A history of his life, therefore, especially when Christianity, of which he was so important a representative, is viewed in its relations to subsequent developments and changes in the condition of nations, must form one of the most deeply interesting chapters, not only in ecclesiastical history, but in the annals of the human race. Born under the reign of the first of the Cæsars, who wore undisputed

B

the title of emperor, he was contemporary with the remainder of the twelve, and probably outlived the last.

The greatest event of time, the birth of the world's REDEEMER,' occurred not long before the death of Herod the Great, which happened A.U.C. 750, just before the Jewish passover;2 i.e., some four years earlier than the Dionysian reckoning, or the common era. If John was born some four or five years later than Jesus, the period of his birth would nearly, or quite exactly, correspond with the first year of the common era, whilst the dynasty of Herod still maintained a sickly existence in the reign of his son Archelaus. The history of the Herodian dynasty, and that of the great empire whose authority this dynasty represented in the Holy Land, are brought so much in contact with Christian history in its beginning, or throughout the century during which the Apostle John lived, that a survey of their leading points will be justified, if it is not rather required.

One hundred years before Christ, the foremost man in the annals of the ancient world, Julius Cæsar, was born. At the early age of twentytwo, having already identified himself with the popular party, he appeared at Rome, on hearing of the death of the dictator Sulla, and

1 Matt. ii. 10.

2 Jos. Ant., xvii, 8 (1); Wars, i., 33 (8); Wieseler, Chron. Syn., p. 57; Robinson's Harm., p. 167. Cyrenius (Luke ii. 1-7), or Quirinius, appears to have been twice governor of Syria. First, from the year of Rome (A.U.c.) 750 to 753, having succeeded Varus toward the close of 750. He was made governor the second time at the end of the Herodian dynasty, after the banishment of Archelaus. (See A. W. Zumpt's, Berlin, Commentatio de Syria Romanorum provincia a Casare Augusto ad Tit. Vespasianum. Comment. Epigr. ad Antiq. Rom., ii., 71-150.) The census, or enrolment (registration), appears to have been commenced in Palestine before Herod's death, who was a rex socius, i.e., held his title from, and was tributary to, the Roman empire. As Herod's death occurred A.U.c. 750, just before the passover (Jos. Ant., xvii., 8), this note of time points to the year of Rome 749, as coincident with the first year of the Christian era.

Dionysius Exiguus, who in the sixth century instituted the practice of dating from the birth of Christ, fell into the mistake of making the year of Christ's birth coincident with the year of Rome 754, some four or five years too late. The Christian world, in adopting tue era, adopted the mistake; and although long since discovered, no attempt, for obvious reasons, has been made to correct it.

The time, as given by Luke, when John the Baptist is said to have entered on his ministry, "the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar" (Luke iii. 1, 2), and the age as given by him when Jesus was baptized, "about thirty years of age' (iii. 23), have been made to yield the same result as above in regard to the year of our Lord's birth, i.e., provided they both entered on their ministry at the Levitical age of thirty. Aug. Cæsar died Aug. 29, A.U.c. 767. Tiberius had been associated with him at least two years in the administration at the time of his death. If we reckon from the time when Tiberius was admitted to this partnership, which must have been as early as A.U.c. 765, and may have been in 764, the fifteenth year of Tiberius began in A.U.C. 778; and it follows that John the Baptist was born in 748, and Christ in 749.

entered on his great career He was shortly brought into close connection with another eminent man, more distinguished for military than civic talents, and who, after the death of Sulla, had been the chief representative of the aristocratical party, Pompey the Great. It was Pompey's breach with this party, and his eventual coalition with Cæsar, which perhaps tended as much as any one cause to give success to the plans of the latter. Long ambitious to obtain the command of the war against Mithridates, Pompey was now successful, through the growing popularity and influence of Cæsar. It was effected by the passage of a law which placed almost unlimited power in Pompey's hands over the whole Roman dominions. The measure was advocated by Cicero in an oration, Pro lege Manilia, which has come down

to us.

It is with the movements of the Roman army under Pompey, on its return from the pursuit of Mithridates beyond the Euphrates, that we connect the Roman supremacy in Palestine. The year B.C. 63 found him marching south, through Phoenicia and Cole-Syria, into the country of the Jews. It was then distracted by a civil war between the nephews of Aristobulus I., Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, degenerate scions of that famous Asmonean line of princes who had overthrown the tyranny established by Antiochus Epiphanes, and defeated his Hellenizing designs. Pompey espoused the cause of Hyrcanus, and with case effected the conquest. On the surrender of Jerusalem, he went to the temple, and entered the holy of holies, the first time that any human being, except the high-priest, had dared to penetrate within its awful precincts. He carried Aristobulus with him a captive to Rome. Although the government was left in the hands of Hyrcanus, the nation was made tributary, and was henceforth compelled to acknowledge the anthority of the great people whose capital lay across the sea in another continent.

Never was there a more glorious triumph accorded to mortal than that of Pompey on his return to Rome. Aristobulus was made an exception, however, to the clemency displayed on this occasion, and was retained in captivity through fear of the commotion he might excite in Judæa, if permitted to return. But if this triumph was the most glorious period in Pompey's life, his glory from that moment, as if the avenger had pursued him for his sacrilege in passing within the veil, began to decline. For twenty years he had been the first man in the Roman world, and his power had been steadily increasing; but from this time, he was not long in discovering that the genius of another had reduced him to a subordinate place. Julius Cæsar strode steadily forward to supreme power in the state. The battle of Pharsalia decided the fate of the republic and the supremacy of Cæsar. In the

following year, B.C. 47, Antipater, an Idumcan, was appointed by him procurator of Judæa. His second son, Herod, afterwards surnamed the Great, though only, according to Josephus, fifteen years of age,1 was made governor of Galilee. Cæsar had not completed his fiftysixth year at the time of his assassination, on the 15th of March, B.C. 44; but by the strong domination of his will, and his varied gifts 2 as a commander, statesman, and lawgiver, he had rescued his country from anarchy. At his fall there was a renewal of a state of civil disorder, which continued for the period of half a generation, and was only allayed by the final establishment of the empire, under his nephew Augustus.

Before the close of the year, B.C. 40, Antipater having been poisoned, Herod, at the instance of Antony and Octavianus (subsequently known as Augustus), was solemnly appointed the king of Judæa. He married Mariamne, the granddaughter of Hyrcanus, in order in some degree to be endowed in the eyes of the people with a lawful title to the throne. He established his power by deeds of unparalleled cruelty, among which was at length his attempt to extirpate the entire race of the Maccabees, not excepting his own wife and children. It was to conciliate the people alienated by his atrocities, that he expended, during a long series of years, vast sums in repairing and beautifying the temple.

The emperor Augustus (Cæsar Octavianus) came to the sole and supreme dignity in the year B.C. 27. The Roman empire then included the fairest portion of the known world, enclosed by the Danube and the Rhine, the Euphrates, and the deserts of Africa and Syria, containing a population of at least one hundred and twenty millions. The sea, well named MARE INTERNUM, lay in the midst, washing the shores of three continents; and giving to the empire, as outlined on the map, the appearance of one of those huge beasts which, in the prophecies of Daniel and John, are such favourite symbols of mighty world-powers.

1 Milman says he must have been at least from 20 to 25. (Hist. of Jews, ii., p. 60.) 2 Besides the Commentaries he wrote works which are lost, but the mere titles of which are proof of his literary culture and extensive knowledge. (1) “Orationes." As an orator, the ancients describe him as inferior only to Cicero. (Quintil., x., 1., § 114; Tac., Ann. xiii., 3; Plut., Cæs., 3; Suet., Cæs., 55.) (2)" Anticato," in two books, in reply to Cicero's " Cato." (3) "De Analogia," in two books: disquisitions on the Latin language; or, as Cicero styles it, "De Ratione Latine loquendi ;" it was written while crossing the Alps on one of his military journeys. (Cicero, Brut., 72; Pliny, H. N., vii. 30, s. 31; Quintil., i., 7, § 34.) (4) Libri Auspiciorum," Auguralia." (5) "Apophthegmata," or "Dicta Collectanea :" a collection of good sayings. (6) De Astris," in which he treated of the heavenly bodies. (7) "Poemata," including a tragedy, Edipus." (8) "Epistolæ," of which several are preserved. (See Art. Julius Cæsar, in Dict. of Greek and Rom. Biog. and Myth., by William Smith, LL.D.)

or "

Over the heterogeneous millions of this vast territory, Augustus, without seeming to assume unusual power, by the simple process of uniting all offices in his own person, concealing his usurpations under legal forms, engrossed and monopolized the whole. At length for the third time the temple of Janus was closed. In this time of universal peace, a few months before the death of Herod the Great, was born JESUS CHRIST, the Saviour of the world. It was the tidings of this event, brought by the arrival of the Magians from the East, which led this bloody tyrant to issue his decree for the massacre of the innocents of Bethlehem. One of his last acts was to put to death his eldest son, Antipater. Five days after, he suffered a miserable death, his body putrefying before life was extinct, rendering him an object of loathing to himself and all who attended him.

By the will of Herod his dominions were divided among his three sons. Archelaus received Judæa, Samaria, and Idumea, with the title of king, which with him was no more than an empty title, and now that the true King of Zion had come, was to pass away from Judah for ever. Herod Antipas received Galilee and Perea; and to Philip was assigned the north-eastern portion of the country beyond the Jordan, Trachonitis. Both Archelaus and Antipas hastened to Rome, where the latter sought to have his father's will set aside, and obtain the royal dignity for himself. Augustus ratified, in all essential points, the will of Herod the Great, with the promise of continuing the title of king to Archelaus, should he be found to deserve it. His government, however, notwithstanding his large professions of moderation, proved most corrupt and tyrannical; and charges having been brought against him, he was deposed and banished, in the tenth year of his reign. His territories were attached to Syria, and governed by Roman procurators, who held their court in Cæsarea, on the Mediterranean, visiting Jerusalem on great public occasions.

Quirinius (the Cyrenius of Josephus and Luke) was the governor of Syria at this time; and Coponius was sent to exercise the office of procurator under him in the government of Judæa. Quirinius had been governor of Syria before, from A.U.C. 750 to 753, when the taxing that was going on at the birth of Jesus, and which seems to have been interrupted by the death of Herod, was completed. Thus the sceptre which Herod the Great left to Archelaus, subject to the will of the emperor, proved to be but a mere shadow, as Augustus permitted him to wear the title only by mere sufferance and conditionally, and on his failure to fulfil the conditions, soon deposed him from the government altogether. The title for ever lapsed, and the reins of government passed into the hands of Roman governors 1 Dion Cass., lv., 27; Jos. Ant., xvii., 1 (3); Wars, i., 28 (4).