Ephesus; a fact noticed by the sophist Libanius, 45 and attested by numerous existing examples.

§ 9.

THE CITY OF THE EPHESIANS IS A WORSHIPPER OF THE GREAT GODDESS DIANA."

Acts xix. 35.

The word rendered in our version of the New Testament "worshipper," is, in the original, vewкopos: a title derived from vews, a temple, and xwpew, to sweep, and such was its primitive signification; but in the course of time it became of the highest importance, and is found perpetually inscribed on the coins of several cities. The chief pride of the people of Ephesus was that they were the neocori of their goddess Diana; but in the days of their decline they added to this the especial guardianship of the temple of the emperor. On a coin of Caracalla we have the representation of four temples, three of them having figures of emperors, and the other containing the statue of the far-famed goddess: legend, ΕΦΕΣΙΩΝ ΠΡΩΤΩΝ ACIAC Δ. ΝΕΩΚορων; 46 i. e. (Money) of the Ephesians, the first of Asia, four times Neocori.

This boasted epithet will be found on the coin of which an engraving is given in illustration of the following section.

§ 10. "THE LAW IS OPEN, AND THERE ARE DEPUTIES." Acts xix. 38.

Αγόραιοι ἄγονται καὶ ἈΝΘΥΠΑΤΟΙ εἰσιν. The words of the "town clerk" seem to indicate that the power of the scribe or grammateus was at this time considerably abridged.

45 Ἐφέσιοις δὲ καὶ τὸ νομίσμα τὴν ἔλαφον ἔφερεν. Orat. xxxii. 46 See Remarks on the Coins of Ephesus under the Roman dominion, Numismatic Chronicle, Vol. IV. art. xii.

It appears by the coin here engraved that the proconsular authority was fully established at Ephesus in the reign of Nero.

Of the office of scribe we have spoken in § 8. Æchmocles Aviola, the proconsul whose name appears on this coin, is supposed by Eckhel47 to have held the consular office in the year of Rome 807. of Rome 807. Aviola was a cognomen of the consular family Acilia. The Turones and Andecavi were defeated by Acilius Aviola in the reign of Tiberius.48 The name of Aviola appears on coins of Smyrna and of Pergamos under Caligula.49

This coin bears on the obverse the head of Nero laureated; and the legend, NEPON KAIĽAP. The reverse, a representation of the temple of Diana; legend, E. AIXMOKAH ΑΟΥΙΟΛΑ ΑΝΘΥΠΑΤΩ ΝΕΩΚΟΡΩΝ ; i.e. (Money) of the Ephesians, Neocori, Aechmocles Aviola, Proconsul.

§11." BUT PAUL SAID, I AM A MAN WHICH AM A JEW OF TARSUS IN CILICIA, A CITIZEN OF NO MEAN CITY." Acts xxi. 39.

66 AND PAUL SAID, BUT I WAS FREE BORN."

Acts xxii. 28.

The coins of Tarsus abundantly testify that she was "no

50

mean city." Many bear the title of Autonomous and Metropolis.5 A coin of Severus bears the legend, TAPCOY ΜΗΤΡοπολεως ΤΩΝ ΚΙΛΙΚΙΩΝ ICAYΡΙΑ ΚΑΡΙΑ ΛΥΚΑΟΝΙΑ; i. e. (Money) of Tarsus, Metropolis of Cilicia, Isauria, Caria, Lycaonia. Another of Caracalla has, KOINOC TWN TPIWN EПAPXION; The Community of the three Provinces. A third mentions its site, on the river Cydnus: ΤΑΡΣΕΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΠΡΟΣ But this coin of Caracalla illustrates the words of

ΚΥΔΝ.
Saint Paul.

It bears on the obverse the laureated head of the emperor; legend, AYT. K. M. AYP. CEYHPOC ANTONEINOC C.; i. e. The Emperor Cæsar Marcus Aurelius, Severus Antoninus, Augustus. R.-ΚΟΙΝΟΒΟΥΛΙΟΝ ΕΛΕΥΘ. TAPCEως; i. e. The Joint Councils of free Tarsus.

Eckhel cites a passage from Dio Chrysostom praising the unanimity of the "three Estates;" i. e. the Anuos, the Βουλη, and the Γερουσια. He also remarks on the appropriateness of the type of Minerva, who appears to be casting into the urn the unanimous vote of the three councils.51

50 The letters A. M. B. sometimes occur on the coins of Tarsus, and are rendered prima sola Cilicia.

51 Doct. Num. Vet. vol. iii. p. 73.

§ 12.—“ AND AFTER CERTAIN DAYS KING AGRIPPA AND BERNICE CAME UNTO CÆSAREA.”—Acts xxv. 13.

The Agrippa here mentioned was the son of Agrippa Magnus. He was seventeen years old on the death of his father; and the emperor Claudius, deeming him too young for government, kept him at Rome, and sent Cuspius Fadus as procurator into Judæa, which for a time became again a Roman province. Upon the death of his uncle, Herod, king of Chalcis (A.D. 48), the little kingdom of that prince, with the privilege of superintending the temple and nominating the high priest, was given to Agrippa; and four years subsequently, he received in its stead the tetrarchies of Philip and Lysanias, and the title of king. Seven years afterwards, Nero gave him the cities of Tiberias and Taricheæ, in Galilee, and Julias, with several villages in Peræa.

This prince, notwithstanding the troubles which now began to afflict his ill-fated country, spent large sums in improving and beautifying Jerusalem, Berytus, and Cæsarea Panias (Cæsarea Philippi). Of the latter there is a coin extant, bearing the head of Nero: reverse, EII BAZIAE.

ΑΓΡΙΠΠΑ

ΕΠΙ ΒΑΣΙΛΕ.

AгPIПIA NEPONIE,52 within a laurel garland, confirming the account of Josephus, who says Herod enlarged and called the city Neronias, in honour of the emperor.53

There are other coins of Agrippa, bearing the heads of Titus, Vespasian, and Domitian; one of which is remarkable for the prænomen Marcus;54 but the example here engraved

52 Pellerin, Med. de Rois, p. 176; Eckhel, D. N.V., vol. iii. 493. 53 Antiq. lib. xx. c. 9, § 8, 4.

54 Eckhel, D. N. V., vol. iii. p. 494. Pellerin thinks this name was given to Agrippa, on account of his family being so much indebted to the Triumvir Antonius; Eckhel, however, is disposed to refer it to Marcus Agrippa.

is best adapted for our illustration. It bears on one side the tabernaculum, and the legend BACIAEWE AгPINHA. Rev. (the date detrited) three ears of corn bound together.

The learned have offered various solutions of this type: some supposing the ears of corn to be intended to represent the oblation of the first fruits; but Eckhel 55 inclines to the opinion, that it was chosen as less repugnant to the Jews than the ordinary representations on the money of this period. Be this as it may, this coin is more Judæan in character than the other money of Agrippa, and is formed on the model of the small brass pieces of Judæa in genere, given in the note on the tribute money.

§ 13.-" THEY DELIVERED PAUL AND CERTAIN OTHER PRISONERS UNTO ONE NAMED JULIUS, A CENTURION OF AUGUSTUS' BAND."-Acts xxvii. 1.

The Σπείρης Σεβαστής has been rendered by some commentators, "legio Augusta," by others, "cohors Augusta," assuming it to have been a cohort belonging to a legion then serving in Syria, and bearing the name of Augusta. Three legions, namely, the second, third, and eighth, bore this designation; but, from all we can learn from Dion Cassius, Tacitus, and other sources, none of them were ever in Syria or Judæa.

55 Eckhel, D. N. V., vol. iii. p. 493.