Note:ThefalseJosephusisaromancerofverymoderndate，thoughsomeoftheselegendsareprobablymoreancient。ItmaybeworthconsideringwhethermanyofthestoriesintheTalmudarenothistoryinafigurativedisguise，adoptedfromprudence。
TheJewsmightdaretosaymanythingsofRome，underthesignificantappellationofEdom，whichtheyfearedtoutterpublicly。Laterandmoreignorantagestookliterally，andperhapsembellished，whatwasintelligibleamongthegenerationtowhichitwasaddressed。Hist。ofJews，iii。131。
ThefalseJosephushastheinaugurationoftheemperor，withthesevenelectorsandapparentlythepopeassistingatthecoronation!Pref。pagexxvi。—M。]
SincetheJews，whorejectedwithabhorrencethedeitiesadoredbytheirsovereignandbytheirfellow—subjects，enjoyed，however，thefreeexerciseoftheirunsocialreligion，theremusthaveexistedsomeothercause，whichexposedthedisciplesofChristtothoseseveritiesfromwhichtheposterityofAbrahamwasexempt。Thedifferencebetweenthemissimpleandobvious；
but，accordingtothesentimentsofantiquity，itwasofthehighestimportance。TheJewswereanation；theChristianswereasect:andifitwasnaturalforeverycommunitytorespectthesacredinstitutionsoftheirneighbors，itwasincumbentonthemtopersevereinthoseoftheirancestors。Thevoiceoforacles，thepreceptsofphilosophers，andtheauthorityofthelaws，unanimouslyenforcedthisnationalobligation。BytheirloftyclaimofsuperiorsanctitytheJewsmightprovokethePolytheiststoconsiderthemasanodiousandimpurerace。Bydisdainingtheintercourseofothernations，theymightdeservetheircontempt。