The life and work of St. Paul

430 THE LIFE AND WORK OF ST. PATTL.
how wrong yon are." l Prince Izatos was so much struck with this " uncom-
promising orthodoxy " that he secretly withdrew into another chamber, and|
there had the rite performed by his physician. Not long after he and his'
brother were reading the Pentateuch, and came to the passage about circum-
cision in Ex. xii. 48. Monobazus looked up at his brother, and said, " I amj
sorry for you, my brother," and Izates made the same remark to him. This,
led to a conversation, and the brothers confessed, first to each other, and then!
to Queen Helena, that they had both been secretly circumcised. The queen j
was naturally alarmed and anxious, and dangerous consequences ensued. But!
these were nothing to the Jewish fanatic. They would only be a fresh source;
of publicity, and therefore of glorifying in the flesh of his proselyte. Again.,
we read in the Talmud that Rabbi 2 was a great friend of "the Emperor
Antoninus." On one occasion the Emperor asked him, " Wilt thou give me a
"
piece of Leviathan in the world to come P since the flesh of Leviathan and!
of the bird Barjuchneh are to be the banquet of the blessed
"
hereafter. Yes,"
"
answered Rabbi. But why dost thou not allow me to partake of the|
Paschal Lamb ? " " How can I," answered Rabbi, " when it is written thatj
'
'
no uncircumcisod person shall eat thereof ? " Upon hearing this Antoaiuusi
submitted to the rite of circumcision, and embraced Judaism. The imagination
of Rabbis and Pharisees was flattered by the thought that even emperors!
were not too great to accept their Halachoth. What would be their f
eelingsj
towards one who offered the utmost blessings of the Chosen People without a
single Judaic observance to the meanest slave ?
Self-interest was an additional and a powerful inducement with these,
retrogressive intruders. Although Christian, they, like the Paul himself, were still
Twelve, like even,
Jews. At Jerusalem they continued regularly to|
attend the services at the Temple and the gatherings of their synagogue.,
lo be excommunicated from the synagogue in little Jewish communities like]
those that were congregated in Ancyra and Pessinus was a very serious
matter indeed. It was infinitely more pleasant for them to be on good terms
with the Jews, by making proselytes of righteousness
out of St. Paul's
converts. Thus circumcision was only the thin end of the wedge. 3
obviated the painful liability to persecution. It would naturally lead to the
adoption of all the observances, which the converts would constantly hear
read to them in the Jewish service. But, if not, it did not much matter. It
was not really necessary for them to keep the whole Law. A sort of decent
external conformity was enough. So long as they made "a fair show
1 Jos. Antt. xx. 2. 4. This interesting royal family had a house in Jerusalem (Joa.
B.J. v. 6,, 1; vi. 6, 3).
2 Rabbi Juda Hakkadosh is thus called KO.T itoxnv. The anecdote is from Jer. Megillah,
cap. i. For another wild story about their intercourse, see Ahhoda Zara, f. 10, 2. The,
Talmud being the most utterly unhistorical and unchronological of books, it is difficult to
say which Emperor is the one alluded to in this and a multitude of similar fables about
his supposed intercourse with Rabbi. It cannot be Antoninus Pius, who never left Rome ;
nor M. Aurelius, who was unfavourable both to Jews and Christians. Possibly the worthless
Caracalla may be alluded to, since he once visited Palestine. Heliogabalus appears
to be alluded to in some passages of the Talmud as " the yotipger Antoninus," and he, too,
u said to have accepted circumcision.
Gal. y. 3, 6, l-14.
It