Suetonius on Claudius expelling the Jews from Rome
The expulsion of Jews from Rome under Claudius that Acts mentions in passing is recorded by a Roman biographer.
Lave'i 'i tu'a mei he Tohi TapuTohi tangata motu'ac. AD 121
In his life of Claudius, the Roman biographer Suetonius notes that the emperor expelled the Jews from Rome because they were making constant disturbances "at the instigation of Chrestus". Acts mentions Paul meeting Aquila and Priscilla at Corinth, recently arrived from Italy "because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome".
Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from Rome.
- Na'e 'ilo'i
- Transmitted in medieval manuscripts
- 'Oku tauhi 'i
- Various manuscript collections
- Lea
- Latin
- Na'e a'u mai fēfē kiate kitautolu
- Na'e 'ikai ke tanu — na'e hiki nima, to'utangata ki he to'utangata, kae 'oua kuo a'u ki he pulusi.
Ko e me'a 'oku ne fakahā
Whether "Chrestus" is a garbled reference to Christ or a separate agitator is genuinely debated, though the former is the common reading. The expulsion itself is not in doubt.
Founga hono ngāue'aki 'e he kau hisitōlia
A standard source on Claudius's policy and on the early presence of Christianity in Rome.
'I he Folofola
Fekau'aki mo
Ngaahi ma'u'anga fakamatala
- Van Voorst, Jesus Outside the New Testament (2000)
'Oku 'i he lea faka-Pilitānia 'a e ngaahi fakamatala ko 'eni he taimi ni. 'E muimui mai 'a e liliu.