Acts 5:37

Judas of Galilee With this account agrees the history of Josephus (Antiq. xviii. 1. 1), except that, as has been already noticed, he calls Judas a Gaulonite, but as when speaking of the same man again (xx. 5. 2) he calls him Judas of Galilee, and in the same sentence alludes to the history before narrated "as we have shewn in a foregoing book," we can have no hesitation in accepting Gamaliel's story as the correct one, while at the same time we may learn from this example what value we ought to place on the accuracy of Josephus when we have to weigh his statements against those of the New Testament.

in the days of the taxing Not the same which is mentioned Luke 2:2. That was rather an enrolmentor census-taking preliminary to taxation. The revolt of Judas, about seven years later, was caused by the actual imposition of a tax. Josephus says of it (xviii. 1. 1): "Cyrenius came into Judæa to take an account of their substance," and afterwards "Judas said that this taxation was no better than an introduction to slavery, and exhorted the nation to assert their liberty."

drew away much people after him The Greek word rendered muchis wanting in the best MSS. Read, drew away[some of the] people after him.

he also perished Josephus gives no notice of the fate of Judas and his party, though he mentions the revolt several times and says (B. J.ii. 8. 1) that this "Judas was a teacher of a peculiar sect of his own.