>> XXXV. (p. 521.) Acts xxviii. 16. “And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; but Paul was fuffered to dwell by himself, with a foldier that kept him.”

With which join v. 20.

"For the hope

of Ifrael I am bound with this chain."

Quemadmodum eadem catena et custodiam et militem copulat, fic ifta, quæ tam diffimilia funt, pariter incedunt." Seneca,

ep. v.

"Proconful æftimare folet, utrum in carcerem recipienda fit perfona, an militi tradenda." Ulpian. 1. i. fec. De cuftod. et exhib. reor.

In the confinement of Agrippa by the order of Tiberius, Antonia managed, that the centurion who prefided over the guards, and the foldier to whom Agrippa was to be bound, might be men of mild character. Jof. Ant, lib. xviii. c. 7, fec. 5. After the accef

fion of Caligula, Agrippa alfo, like Paul, was fuffered to dwell, yet as a prisoner, in his own house.

XXXVI. (p. 531.) Acts xxvii. 1. “And when it was determined that we should fail into Italy, they delivered Paul, and certain other prisoners, unto one named Julius.' Since not only Paul, but certain other prifoners, were fent by the fame fhip into Italy, the text must be confidered as carrying with it an intimation, that the fending of perfons from Judea to be tried at Rome, was an ordinary practice. That in truth it was fo, is made out by a variety of examples which the writings of Jofephus furnish; and, amongst others, by the following, which comes near both to the time and the subject of the inftance in the Acts. "Felix, for fome flight offence, bound and fent to Rome feveral priests of his acquaintance, and very good and honeft men, to answer for themfelves to Cefar." Jof. in Vit. fec. 3.

XXXVII. (p. 539.). Acts xi. 27. “And

in these days came prophets from Jerufalem unto Antioch; and there stood up one of them, named Agabus, and fignified by the spirit that there fhould be a great dearth throughout all the world (or all the country), which came to pass in the days of Claudius Cefar."

Jof. Ant. 1. xx. c. 4, sec. 2. "In their time (i. e. about the fifth or fixth year of Claudius) a great dearth happened in Judea."

XXXVIII. (p. 555.) Acts xviii. 1, 2. "Because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome."

Suet. Claud. c. xxv.

"Judæos, impul

fore Chrefto affiduè tumultuantes, Româ

expulit."

XXXIX. (p. 664.) Acs v. 37,

"After

this man rofe up Judas of Galilee, in the

days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him.”

Jof. de Bell. 1. vii.

"He (viz. the per

fon, who in another place is called, by Jofephus, Judas the Galilean, or Judas of Galilee) perfuaded not a few not to enroll themselves, when Cyrenius the cenfor was fent into Judea."

XL. (p. 942.) Acts xxi. 38. "Art not thou that Egyptian which, before these days, madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?"

Jof. de Bell. 1. ii. c. 13, fec. 5.
I.

"But

the Egyptian falfe prophet brought a yet heavier difafter upon the Jews; for this impoftor, coming into the country, and gaining the reputation of a prophet, gathered together thirty thousand men, who were deceived by him. Having brought them round out of the wilderness, up to the Mount of Olives, he intended from thence to make his attack upon Jerufalem; but Felix, coming fuddenly upon him with the Roman foldiers, prevented the attack.-A great number, or (as it should rather be rendered) the greatest

part of thofe that were with him, were ei ther flain or taken prisoners."

In these two paffages, the defignation of the impoftor, an "Egyptian," without his proper name; "the wilderness;" his efcape, though his followers were deftroyed; the time of the tranfaction, in the presidentship of Felix, which could not be any long time before the words in Luke are fupposed to have been spoken; are circumstances of close correfpondency. There is one, and only one, point of difagreement, and that is, in the number of his followers, which in the Acts are called four thoufand, and by Jofephus thirty thousand: but, befide that the names of numbers, more than any other words, are liable to the errors of transcribers, we are, in the prefent inftance, under the lefs concern to reconcile the evangelist with Jofephus, as Jofephus is not, in this point, confiftent with himself. For whereas, in the paffage here quoted, he calls the number thirty thousand, and tells us that the greateft part, or a great number (according as VOL. II..

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his