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Gamaliel's Speech and Caligula's Statue

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 August 2011

Joseph Ward Swain
Joseph Ward Swain
Affiliation:
University of Illinois
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Extract

“But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law highly regarded by all the people, got up in the council and ordered the men to be removed for a while, and then said, ‘Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. For some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be a person of importance, and a group of men numbering some four hundred joined him. But he was killed and all his followers were dispersed and disappeared. After him, at the time of the census, Judas of Galilee appeared, and raised a great following, but he too perished and all his followers were scattered. So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this idea or movement is of human origin, it will come to naught, but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop it. You may actually find yourselves fighting against God!’” — Acts V, 34–39 (tr. Goodspeed).

Type
Research Article
Information
Harvard Theological Review , Volume 37 , Issue 4 , October 1944 , pp. 341 - 349
Copyright
Copyright © President and Fellows of Harvard College 1944

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References

1 Jos. Ant. xx. 97–98 (ed. Niese).

2 Jos. Ant. xx. 102.

3 Jos. Ant. xviii. 268, 270, and in general, 261–273.

4 Inscription quoted by V. M. Scramuzza, in Jackson, F. J. Foakes and Lake, Kirsopp, The Beginnings of Christianity (London, 1933), Vol. V, p. 285Google Scholar, n. 5; see also, for Agrippa, ibid., Vol. I, pp. 14–25; A. Jones, H. M., The Herods of Judaea (Oxford, 1938), pp. 208–216Google Scholar; Willrich, H., Das Haus des Herodes zwischen Jerusalem und Rom (Heidelberg, 1929), pp. 147–157Google Scholar; and Schürer, E., Geschichte des jüdischen Volkes (4 ed.Leipzig, 1901), Vol. I, pp. 549–564Google Scholar.

5 Jos. Ant. xix. 326–334, 338–341.

6 Jos. Ant. xix. 327, 341.

7 Harnack argues for an early date, about 42, on the basis of several passages in apocryphal Acts, and especially in the Kerygma Petri (dated about 130), which report Jesus as having ordered his disciples to wait twelve years in Jerusalem and then go into the world. — Harnack, A., Die Chronologie der altchristlichen Litteratur (Leipzig, 1897), Vol. I, pp. 243–244Google Scholar.

8 The Jewish Encyclopedia (New York, 1903), Vol. V, p. 559Google Scholar, s.v. Gamaliel.

9 Arts 18:2; Suet. Claud, xxv. 3; Dio lx. 6. 6; Oros. vii. 6. 15.