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with Trajan, who came from the west, being a (3) Spaniard by birth, and was the first foreigner who was elevated to the imperial throne. In his reign and that of his fucceffor Adrian there were horrid wars and flaughters, and especially between the rebellious Jews and the Romans. Dion relates, (4) that the Jews about Cyrene flew of the Romans and Greeks two hundred and twenty thousand men with the most fhocking circumftances of barbarity. In Egypt alfo and in Cyprus they committed the like barbarities, and there perished two hundred and forty thousand men more. But the Jews were fubdued in their turn by Lucius and the other generals fent against them by Trajan. Eufebius writing of the fame time faith, (5) that the Jews in

τησαν αυτές συνεβη των Ελλήνων. οἱ και καταφύγοντες εις την Αλεξανδρείαν, τες εν τη πόλει Ιεδαίος εξωγέησαν τε και απεκτειναν.-- εφ ̓ ἐς ὁ αυτοκρατωρεπεμψε Μαρκιον Τερέωνα συνδυνάμει πεζη τε και ναυτική, ετι δε και ἱππικη. ὁ δὲ πολλαις μάχαις πολλας μυριάδας Ιεδαίων αναιρεί, ὁ δὲ αυτοκράτωρ ὑποπλευσας και της εν Μεσοποταμια Ιεδαίες επιθησεσθαι τοις αυτοθί, Λεκιῳ Κυητῳ προσέταξεν εκκαθάραι της επαρχίας αυτος· ὃς και παραταξάμενος παμπολυ πληθος των αυτοθί φονεύει. velut a violento quodam et feditiofo dæmone exagitati-et primo quidem conflictu forte Judæi Gentiles fuperaverant.

Qui mox Alexandriam confugientes, Judzos qui in ea urbe degebant, captos interfecerunt.

Iraque imperator Marcium Turbonem adverfus eos mifit cum pedeftribus ac navalibus copiis, et cum equitatu. Hic multis praeliis confertisinfinita Judzorum millianeci dedit. Sed imperator veritus ne Judai qui Metopotamiam habitabant, incolas perinde aggrederentur, mandavit Lucio Quieto, ut eos extra provinciæ fines deportaret. Qui inftructa adverfus illos acie, ingentem eorum multitudinem proftravit. Eufeb. Eccles. Hist. Lib. 4. Cap. 2.

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inflamed as it were by fome violent and feditious demon, in the firft conflict gained a victory over the Gentiles, who flying to Alexandria took and killed the Jews in the city. The emperor fent Marcius Turbo against them, with great forces by fea and land; who in many battles flew many myriads of the Jews. The emperor alfo fufpecting that they might make the like commotions in Mefopotamia ordered Lucius Quietus to expel them out of the province, who marching against them flew a very great multitude of them there. Orofius treating of the fame time faith, (6) that the Jews with an incredible commotion, made wild as it were with rage, rofe at once in different parts of the earth. For throughout all Libya they waged the fierceft wars against the inhabitants, and the country was almoft defolated. Egypt alfo and Cyrene and Thebais they disturbed with cruel feditions. But in Alexandria they were overcome in battle. In Mefopotamia alfo war was made upon the rebellious Jews by the command of the emperor. So that many thoufands

(6) Incredibili deinde motu, fub uno tempore Judæi, quafi rabie efferati, per diverfas terrarum partes exarferunt. Nam et per totam Lybiam adverfus incolas atrociffima bella geffe

runt: quæ adeo tunc interfecis cultoribus defolata eft-Egyptum vero totam et Cyrenem et Thebaida cruentis feditionibus turbaverunt. In Alexandria autem commiffo prælio victi et adtriti

fands of them were deftroyed with vast slaughter. They utterly destroyed Salamis, a city of Cyprus, having first murdered all the inhabitants. Thefe things were transacted in the reign of Trajan: and in the reign of Adrian (7) was their great rebellion under their falfe Meffiah Barchochab, and their final difperfion, after fifty of their ftrongest castles and nine hundred and eighty five of their beft towns had been demolished, and after five hundred and eighty thoufand men had been flain by the fword, befides an infinite multitude who had perifhed by famin and fickness and other cafualties, with great lofs and flaughter too of the Romans, infomúch that the emperor forbore the ufual falutations in his letters to the fenate. Here was another illuftrious triumph of Chrift over his enemies; and the Jews and the Romans, both the perfecutors of the Chriftians, were remarkably made the dreadful executioners of divine vengeance upon one another. The great fword and the red borfe are expreffive emblems of this flaughtering and bloody period; and the proclamation for flaughter

adtriti funt. In Mefopotamia quoque rebellantibus juffu imperatoris bellum illatum eft. Itaque multa millia eorum vafta cæde deleta funt. Sane Salaminam, urbem Cypri, inter

fectis omnibus accolis deleve-
runt. Orof. Hift. Lib. 7. Cap,
12. p. 487. Edit. Havercamp,

(7) Eufeb.ibid. Cap. 6. Dion.
ibid. Lib. 69. p. 794-

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flaughter is fitly made by a creature like an ox that is deftined for flaughter. This period continued during the reigns of Trajan and his fucceffors by blood or adoption about 95 years.

5 And when he had opened the third feal, I heard the third beast say, Come, and fee. And I beheld, and lo, a black horfe; and he that fat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beafts fay, A measure of wheat for a peny, and three measures of barley for a peny; and fee thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

The third feal or period (ver. 5, 6.) is characterized by the strict execution of justice and judgment, and by the procuration of corn and oil and wine; and was proclamed by the third living creature, who was like a man, and had his ftation in the fouth. And I beheld, and lo, a black horfe; and he that fat on him had a pair of

(8) Eft autem z tritici tantum, quanto homo fanus in diem indiget, utex Herodoti libro tertio et feptimo obfervarunt eruditi, alii etiam ex Hippocrate, Diogene Laertio et Athe

næo.

Denarius vero tantum, quantum quoque die mereri poterat homo ftrenue laborans, ut videre eft Matt. XX, 2. &c. Grot. in locum, Vide etiam Vitring. p. 259.

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of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures fay, A meafure of wheat for a peny, and three measures of barley for a peny; and fee thou hurt not the oil and the wine. Where Grotius and others have (8) obferved, that a cheenix of corn, the measure here mentioned, was a man's daily allowance, as a peny was his daily wages; fo that if his daily labor could earn no more than his daily bread, without other provifion for himself or his family, corn must needs bear a very high price. But whatever may be the capacity of the chanix, which is difficult to be determined, as it was different in different times and countries; yet fuch care and fuch regulations about the neceffaries of life imply fome want and scarcity of them. Scarcity obligeth men to exactness in the price and meafure of things. In fhort, the intent of the prophecy is, that corn fhould be provided for the people, but it fhould be diftributed in exact measure and proportion. This third period commenceth with Septimius Severus, who was an emperor from the fouth, being (9) a native

(9) Septimius Severus-oriundus ex Africa. Solus omni memoria et ante et poftea ex Africa imperator fuit. Eutropius. Lib. 8. Cap. 10. Inter

of

fecto Didio Juliano, Severus Africa oriundus imperium obtinuit. Elius Spartianus in Seveto. Hift. Auguft. Scriptores VI, p. 64. Edit. Salmafii.

(1) Legum

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