FADUS, CUSPIUS°

FADUS, CUSPIUS °, Roman procurator of Judea 44–46 c.e. Fadus was appointed by the emperor Claudius after the short period of Jewish government which ended with the death of *Agrippa i. He had specific instructions to punish the inhabitants of Caesarea and Sebaste, mostly soldiers, who had shown disrespect to the dead king. Upon arrival he found the Jews in Perea in Transjordan engaged in a border dispute with the inhabitants of Philadelphia (Rabbath Ammon). The Jews asserted themselves and killed many of their opponents, thereby arousing the anger of Fadus, who sentenced one of their leaders to death and banished two others. He also took action against the false prophet *Theudas (Acts 5:36), whom he killed together with many of his followers. According to Josephus, one of his major concerns was to rid Judea of its many robbers. In matters not involving state security he apparently ruled with moderation and generally did not interfere with Jewish customs. In one instance, however, he demanded that the sacred vestments of the high priest be handed over to the Romans for safekeeping, a practice once before adopted by the Romans but abandoned a few years earlier. The Jews protested and obtained his leave to send an embassy to Rome. Claudius, influenced in part by the intervention of the young Agrippa ii, revoked the decision. Fadus was succeeded by *Tiberius Julius Alexander.

bibliography:

Jos., Ant., 15:406; 19:363–4; 20:2–14, 97–100; Jos., Wars, 2:220; Schuerer, Gesch, 1 (1901), 565–6; Pauly-Wissowa, 8 (1901), 1895, no. 2.

[Lea Roth]