Editing Herod Agrippa (section)

===Statue of Caligula===
[[Image:Caligula bust.jpg|thumb|Bust of [[Caligula]] ([[Louvre]]).]]
Following the clashes between Jews and Greeks in Alexandria, for confused reasons the delegation led by Philo of Alexandria to Caligula learned "with horror" of the emperor's project to erect his own statue in the [[Temple in Jerusalem|Temple of Jerusalem]] in gold under the guise of Zeus. According to Josephus, it is possible that the emperor was sensitive to the arguments of the delegation of Greeks from Alexandria led by [[Apion]] who, in the conflict between the two parties, complained of the "privileges" granted to the Jews. For the Jewish historian [[Martin Goodman (historian)|Goodman]], Caligula intended to develop the [[imperial cult]] and to place himself above the politics of mortals in his lifetime and had the idea of imposing his divine status on the empire, whatever the political consequences.<ref name="Goodman 2009, p.111">{{harvsp|Goodman|2009|p=111}}.</ref>

Caligula's initiative horrified the Jewish subjects of the empire and caused unrest in the diaspora in Rome as well as in [[Alexandria]], [[Thessaloniki]], [[Antioch]] and in [[Judea (Roman Province)|Judea]],<ref group="Note">According to [[Étienne Nodet]] and [[Justin Taylor]] then [[François Blanchetière]], it was during this agitation that the term “Christian” appeared, coined by the Romans to designate similar protesting Messianic Jews to the [[zealots]]; see Étienne Nodet and Justin Taylor, ''Essay on the origins of Christianity: an exploded sect'', ed. Cerf, 1998, {{p.|286-287}}; [[François Blanchetière]], ''Enquête sur les racines juives du mouvement chrétien (30-135)'', ed. Cerf, 2001, {{p.|147}}.</ref> particularly in [[Galilee]].<ref name="Blanchetière_147">{{harvsp|Blanchetière|2001|p=147}}.</ref> Caligula enjoined the [[proconsul]] of Syria, [[Publius Petronius]], to place the statue willingly or by force in the "[[Holy of Holies]]" of the [[Temple in Jerusalem|Temple of Jerusalem]],<ref name="Schwentzel 2011, p.228">{{harvsp|Schwentzel|2011|p=228}}.</ref> violating Judaic [[aniconism]] in the holiest place of this religion. Petronius disposes necessary armed troops—two Roman legions and auxiliaries—which he barracks at [[Ptolemais in Phoenicia]] in the event of an uprising,<ref>{{harvsp|Schwartz|1990|p=84}}.</ref> and his mission was to accompany the procession of the statue—being made in [[Sidon]]—through Judea.<ref name="Bernett 2007, p.347">Monika Bernett, « Roman Imperial Cult in the Galilee », in Jürgen Zangenberg, Harold W. Attridge et Dale B. Martin (dirs.), ''Religion, Ethnicity, and Identity in Ancient Galilee : A Region in Transition'', éd. Mohr Siebeck, 2007, {{p.|347}}.</ref> The population rushed in numbers to Ptolemais, supported by the Jewish religious authorities, then to [[Tiberias]] where the troubles continued for about 40 days.<ref name="Hadas-Lebel 2009, p.84">{{harvsp|Hadas-Lebel|2009|p=84}}.</ref> Petronius met with [[Aristobulus Minor|Aristobulus]] brother of Agrippa I (Agrippa I was in Rome at the time) in the presence and under the pressure of the crowd. Convinced of the imminence of a major revolt, Petronius tempered with the emperor by an exchange of letters<ref>{{harvsp|Schwartz|1990|pp=84–86}}.</ref> exposing—at the risk of his life<ref name="Goodman 2009, p.111"/>—the difficulties of the situation:<ref name="Schwentzel 2011, p.229">{{harvsp|Schwentzel|2011|p=229}}.</ref> the inhabitants of Galilee were close to a revolt,<ref name="Schwentzel 2011, p.228"/> and the Judeans were at risk of setting fire to the crops just before harvesting,<ref name="Hadas-Lebel 2009, p.84"/> while preparing for war.<ref name="Bernett 2007, p.347"/> The emperor's first response was fairly moderate, but some sources report a “furious” response from Caligula to Petronius, not considering any compromise.<ref name="Goodman 2009, p.111"/>[[Image:Agrippa I Caligula.jpg|thumb|left|Coin minted under Agrippa I. Profile of Caligula on the left, Germanicus on his triumphal chariot, on the right.]]
While Agrippa I was in Rome<ref group="Note">According to [[Cassius Dio]], Agrippa I had a very bad reputation among the [[Roman Empire|Romans]]. In the{{'}}''Roman History'', summarized by the monk [[John Xiphilinus (historian)|John Xiphilinus]] in the 9th century, it is written: "these miseries were less painful for the Romans than the expectation of an increase in cruelty and intemperance on the part of Caius ([[Caligula]]), especially because it was learned that he was intimately connected with kings Agrippa and [[Antiochus IV of Commagene|Antiochus]], as teachers of tyranny", Cassius Dio, ''Roman History'', book LIX, 24.</ref> it is possible he learned of the affair from Caligula,<ref name="Hadas-Lebel 2009, p.84"/> which plunged him into a conflict between his two identities, Jewish and Roman.<ref name="Goodman 2009, p.111"/> After a few days of reflection, he took the side of his Jewish compatriots in the defense of the Temple threatened with desecration:<ref name="Goodman 2009, p.112">{{harvsp|Goodman|2009|p=112}}.</ref> for Josephus, it was a discussion during a banquet;<ref>{{harvsp|Schwartz|1990|p=87}}.</ref> for Philo, it was a request addressed to the emperor, the content of which he reports, although in terms that reveal a certain exaggeration of the role of Agrippa.<ref name="Goodman 2009, p.113">{{harvsp|Goodman|2009|p=113}}.</ref> Agrippa I pleaded "that the ancestral institutions are not disturbed. For what of my reputation among my countrymen and other men? Either I must be considered a traitor to myself or I must cease to be counted among your friends; there is no other choice…”.<ref>[[Philo]], ''De Specialibus Legibus'', 327 ; quoted by Martin Goodman, 2009, {{p.|112-113}}.</ref>

At first, Caligula seemed to give in to his friend's pleas and instructed Petronius to suspend his action towards Jerusalem, while warning the Jewish populations not to take any action against the shrines, statues and altars erected in his honor,<ref name="Hadas-Lebel 2009, p.84"/> as a reproduction of Caligula's letter by Josephus<ref>[[Josephus]], ''[[Antiquities of the Jews]]'', XVIII, 301, quoted by {{harvsp|Hadas-Lebel|2009|p=84}}.</ref> seems to attest. But the emperor seemed<ref name="Goodman 2009, p.113"/> to reconsider his decision<ref>Ce point est débattu ; cf. Daniel R. Schwartz, ''Agrippa I : The Last King of Judaea'', éd. Mohr Siebeck, 1990, {{p.|88-89}}.</ref> and it was the murder of Caligula that seemed to put a definitive end to the enterprise and put an end to the desire for a popular uprising. Josephus recounts how the emperor, suspecting Petronius of having been bribed to break his orders, ordered him to commit suicide, but this letter arrived after the announcement of Caligula's death, in which Josephus saw an effect of Providence.<ref name="Hadas-Lebel 2009, p.84"/> This temporary success of Agrippa I testifies to the close relations which bound him with the most important personalities of the Roman world, which was confirmed during the succession of the assassinated emperor.<ref name="Goodman 2009, p.113" />