The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 46 -
Joseph Acquaints Cyrenius With Jewish History
JOSEPH NOW TOLD his sons to provide for the animals and to see what foodstuffs were available.
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The sons did everything according to Joseph's will, provided for the animals, milked the cows,
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then went into the storeroom and there found a large supply of flour, bread, fruits and also several pots full of honey.
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For the commander of the garrison was an expert beekeeper according to the traditional school in Rome which was eulogized by a Roman poet of that day.
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The sons then brought bread, milk, butter and honey into the living room to Joseph
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who thereupon looked everything over, thanked God, blessed all the foods and then had them put on the table and asked Cyrenius to partake of them.
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The latter gladly accepted Joseph's invitation, for he too delighted in milk and honey-bread.
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During the meal Joseph briefly told Cyrenius the history of the Jews along with the story of creation and of the human race
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and presented it all in such a concise and orderly manner as to quite convince Cyrenius that Joseph had spoken the most reliable truth.
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But while this made him very happy for his part, he was saddened for his own in Rome, whom he well knew to be in gross darkness.
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He accordingly said to Joseph, 'Venerable man and now the greatest friend of my life!
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See, I have now conceived a plan. I shall report everything I have now heard from you to my almost own brother, the emperor Augustus, but only as if I had accidentally heard it from a Jew otherwise wholly unknown to me.
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Your name and dwelling place will not be mentioned in the least - for why should the best man in Rome, the emperor Augustus, my brother, have to die forever?'
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This time Joseph agreed, and Cyrenius remained in Ostracine where he completed a scroll in three days and sent it to the emperor in Rome by a special ship with the sole signature: Your brother Cyrenius. -
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A careful perusal of this message from Cyrenius opened the emperor's eyes - whereupon he began to respect the Jews and even gave them an opportunity to be accepted as full Roman citizens for a small tax.
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At the same time all especially artful preachers of paganism were banned from Rome under one pretext or another.
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The usually so beloved poet Ovid was banned from Rome for a similar reason which was not made publicly known, and thereafter the hierarchy of priests did not fare too well under Augustus.