**Agripos** (Agrippa) son of Aristobulus, grandson of Herod, was the 4th king of the House of Hordos. He reigned in place of his uncle in year 3781 by Caesar Tiberius, and he reigned 22 years until year 3804 [Tzeda, (and I found in Sha'ar HaDorot 25 that Agripos son of Aristobulus son of Alexander, grandson of Arkilos, was from another wife, the son of Hordos the Elder the first). And see Yuchsin Ma'amar 5 section 6].

Tiberius reigned in year 3775; at that time Agripos was imprisoned for several years in Rome because they slandered him to the Caesar, saying he spoke against the honor of the Caesar and that he desired the peace of Gaius who was Caesar afterwards, and his name was placed in the dungeon. And while he was there one day, an owl stood near him, called in Greek 'Bouho' and perhaps in his language it is called 'Yanshuph,' and those standing there were amazed.

And a certain young Ashkenazi man who was a great astrologer was standing in the prison and said to Agripos through an interpreter that this bird heralds that he will soon leave the prison and rise to greatness through a Caesar who will be newly appointed. But let him know that another time when he sees this owl, 5 days later he will die. And Tiberius died and Gaius reigned in year 3789, and he brought him out of the dungeon and made him king over Israel and Yehudah, and he reigned 7 years.

And in the seventh year of his reign his heart became proud with arrogance and greatness of heart until they nearly called him a god and he was silent. And one day he was dressed in a garment of white linen that shone in the sunlight until it nearly seemed that sun, moon and stars were coming out from his garments, and the people followed after him saying 'Behold our god, this is our hope for him.' And he was happy and of good heart.

And immediately an owl stood near him, and it answered in a weak voice to those standing before him: 'Behold your god that you said will be - and in another three days he will be covered with shame and the head of the dust of the earth.' And so it was, for after 3 days he died. And while Agripos was in Rome, it happened that a certain Apion and his 2 friends went to Rome to speak slander about the Yehudim, that they do not want to place the image of the Caesar in their Temple as other nations did.

And the Yehudim sent Philo the Jew, a great sage and philosopher, to advocate for them. And Caesar Gaius became angry at him and at the Yehudim, and in his burning anger he sent Petronius to the land of Yehudah to ensure they would place his image in the Temple. And if they did not, he would make war against them and force them to transgress their Torah. And on his way to the land of Yehudah he first came to his city called Lameira, and he sent and called all the great men of the Yehudim and spoke to them all the words of the Caesar.

And the Yehudim answered with great pride 'God forbid that we should transgress our religion that our God forbade us in the Torah.' Petronius answered: 'These reasons were good - if I were the one decreeing, for your sake I would nullify my will. But this is a command of the king and I cannot transgress his command.' The Yehudim said: 'If you cannot transgress the king's command, neither can we transgress the word of HaShem.

And do what you want if you can, for we will not transgress even if a sword is placed at our necks.' Then he said that in any case they must place the image of the Caesar, and if not he would wage terrible war. And he traveled and went to the land of Teveria (Tiberias), and the great men of the Yehudim came to him, and among them Aristobulus brother of Agripos and Ilkas the great, and they entreated him to write to the king a second time and inform him how the Yehudim would in no way transgress their custom.

And therefore he should leave them to their holy custom and eat the fruit of their rich land. And if now he disturbs the people from their work and they do not plow or sow, the time of plowing and sowing will pass and they will not be able afterwards to give the taxes and tribute to the Caesar. And he turned to them and said: 'For love of you I am willing to risk my life, for I know the man and his speech, that he will be angry at me.

But my intention is good, and may God complete for me that your Temple should not be defiled, and HaShem who is good in His eyes will do.' And he sent the people each man to his place and entreated them that each one should open and work his land, plow and sow. And immediately HaShem showed his signs and wonders, and while the word was still in the mouth of the ruler Petronius, HaShem rained with favor and blessing, and there was rain on the earth that no one had imagined, for the sun had been on the earth.

And Petronius was happy that God agreed through him, and he wrote to the Caesar and informed him that this evil thing should not be done, to wage war against such a multitude. And also that God loves them and it should not be a cause to despise His honor and to rebel against the Romans, and besides the wealth that would come to him from them would be ruined. In the meanwhile it happened that the king Gaius greatly honored Agripos in Rome, for the reason we mentioned above and also that Agripos scattered much money on the honor of the Caesar's name, and many gifts and presents from him to the Caesar.

So that one day the Caesar was sitting at the table, and the Caesar with a good heart from wine said to Agripos that he should ask from him wealth and honor and lands, for he already knew truly his love and will with a complete heart, and how he suffered torments in the prison for from the prison he went out to reign. And Agripos answered him in soft language that all his days and years he was a servant of servants to the Caesar, and what a servant acquires his master acquires, and that he desires nothing except the will of the king.

And the Caesar answered him a second time that in any case he should ask from him kindness and charity, for it is not fitting for his honor that his trouble and toil should be for nothing. And then Agripos, seeing that the king's will was to ask from him kindness, said in supplicating language: 'Your good words have widened my heart to ask kindness from you. My prayer is: if you desire to grant my request and do my bidding, and if I have found favor in your eyes to do my will, it shall come to the honor of a good name of the great ones who are in the land, and to me your servant it shall be reckoned as a special favor and perpetual honor in the eyes of my people.

Let it be written to return the letter of wrath and anger that you decreed to Petronius, lest they place your image in the Temple.' And the Caesar was very grieved, but since he vowed with his mouth and lips and there were witnesses at the table, he agreed. And he wrote to Petronius saying: 'I do not withdraw, and my will - I do this thing only for love of Agripos king of the Jews whom I am obligated to honor and love.

And for this - hear and it is bad for you - that if now you have already placed my image, do not remove it. And if you have not yet placed it, do not force them regarding their religion, for King Agripos entreated me and for love of him I do this thing. And peace.' And this letter reached Petronius, and immediately he sent for the Yehudim and they rejoiced. And after sending the letter to Petronius, after some days the letter from Petronius mentioned above reached the Caesar.

And when the Caesar saw the letter he became very angry against Petronius, and he sent him a letter with this content: 'You Petronius have been appeased with bribes of money not according to my will, and you took bribery from the Yehudim to transgress my command.

Therefore you yourself shall be judge over your soul, and choose for yourself the manner of death that you choose and approach, and all the men are removed and they shall not do like you.' And this letter did not reach Petronius's hand until he received news that Caesar Gaius was killed by his soldiers in Rome, and Claudius reigned in his place in year 3804. And after that the letter of Gaius reached him.

And when he read it he rejoiced greatly and understood that it was from HaShem that the Caesar died before the letter reached him. And he made a vow of offerings to the great House and the holy Temple.

Thus wrote Ben Gurion in the Aruch, and in Josephus book 2 chapter 62 he wrote in another version [(thus ends the Yuchsin)]. And in Sha'ar HaDorot 125 that Philo mentioned above decreed fasts and prayers and his prayer was heard for the Caesar was killed. And Josephus wrote that his soldiers cut him into pieces and the dogs ate him in year 3802, the 4th year of his reign [(Tzeda chapter 2)].