The testimonies respecting John the Baptist and Christ
EUSEBIUS' ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY
and Caiaphas, intimating that during the years of their priesthood, the whole time of his ministry was terminated. Beginning with the pontificate of Annas and continuing after that of Caiaphas, the whole of this interval does not even give us four years. (3) The rites, indeed, of the law, having been already abolished since that period, with it were also annulled the privileges of the priesthood, viz., of continuing it for life and of hereditary descent. Under the Roman governors, however, different persons at different times were appointed as high priests, (4) who did not continue in office more than a year.
Josephus, indeed, related that there were four high priests in succession from Annas to Caiaphas. Thus, in his book of Antiquities, he wrote in the following manner: "Valerius Gratus, having put a period to the priesthood of Annas, promoted Ishmael, the son of Baphi, to the office; and, removing him also, not long after, he appointed Eleazar, the son of Annas, who had been high priest, to the office. After the lapse of a year, removing also him, (5) he transfers the priesthood to Simon, the son of Camithus. But he, also, did not continue to hold the honor longer than a year, when he was succeeded by Josephus, surnamed Caiaphas."
(6) Hence the whole time of our Savior's ministry is proved not to embrace four entire years, there being four high priests for four years from Annas to the appointment of Caiaphas, each of which held the office
TSESUS'
MINISTRY HICH PRIEST S SeURNG a year respectively. Caiaphas, indeed, is justly shown by the gospel narrative to have been high priest in that year in which our Savior's sufferings were finished, with which present observation, the time of Christ's ministry is also proved to agree. (7) Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, not very long after the commencement of his public ministry, elected the Twelve, whom he called apostles by way of eminence over the rest of his disciples. He also appointed seventy others beside these whom he sent, two and two, before him into every place and city where he himself was about to go.
The testimonies respecting John the Baptist and Christ (1) As rr was not Lonc before this that John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod the younger, the Holy Scriptures record the fact, which was also confirmed by Josephus, who had expressly made mention of Herodias by
BooK 1 © CHAPTER i1 name and the circumstance of her being married to Herod, though she was the wife of his brother, Herod having first divorced his former lawful wife. She was a daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia Petraea. But having forced Herodias from her husband yet living and on whose account also he slew John, he was involved in a war with Aretas for the disgrace inflicted on his daughter, (2) in which war he related that, when coming to battle, the army of Herod was completely destroyed, and that he suffered all this on account of the crime that he committed against John. (3) But the same
Josephus, in this account in which he confessed that John was a most righteous man, also bore testimony to what is recorded of him in the narratives of the gospels. He related, also, that Herod lost his kingdom on account of the same Herodias and that he was driven into exile with her and condemned to dwell at Vienna, a city of Gaul. (4) These facts were stated by him in the eighteenth book of his Antiquities, where in the same paragraphs, he also wrote thus concerning John: "To some of the Jews, the army of Herod seemed to have been destroyed by God; who thus, with signal justice, avenged John, called the Baptist. (5) For Herod slew him, a good man, and one who exhorted the Jews to the practice of virtue, and with the pursuit of righteousness and piety towards God, to receive baptism. For this baptism appeared to have been imparted to him for this object, not with the view to avoid a few trifling sins, but for the purification of the body, as far as the mind had been first purified by righteousness.
(6) "And when many others flocked to him, for they were also much delighted with listening to his discourses, Herod, dreading the great confidence of men in him, lest, perhaps, he might stimulate them to a revolt,
(for they seemed disposed to do any thing at his suggestion, considered it much better, before any change should be attempted by him, to anticipate by destroying him; than after a revolution, when involved in difficulties, to repent when it was too late. In consequence of Herod's suspicions, therefore, he was sent in bonds to the aforesaid prison of Machaerus, and there slain."
(7) After relating these things concerning