The Jews, after the destruction of Jerusalem, erected two academies,
the one at Babylon, the other at Tiberias, a city on the lake of
Genesareth, rebuilt by Herod, in honor of the emperor Tiberias.
Both these schools flourished till the Saracen empire overran those
countries. That of Tiberias produced the Massoretes or Massoretic
doctors, so famous for the invention of the vowel points in the
Hebrew tongue, and their care in preserving the genuine text of the
holy bible. Though the Jews then retained no sort of jurisdiction or
form of government, yet they chose one among their chief doctors to
whom they gave the title of patriarch or prince of the captivity.
The most celebrated person who ever bore this honor among them was
Hillel, whose name is still in great veneration with the Jews, and
who was their most learned oracle, and the principal founder and
ornament of their academy at Tiberias. This Hillel, a few days before
his death, sent for a Christian bishop in the neighborhood under the
character of a physician, who ordered a bath to be prepared in his
chamber, as if it had been for his health, and baptized him in it.
Hillel received the divine mysteries, and died.
Joseph, one of his assistants, called Apostoli, whose life we are
writing, was witness to this secret transaction, and having always
been the confident of Hillel, had the care of his son Judas who
succeeded him in the dignity of patriarch of the Jews. He found the
holy gospels in Hillel’s treasure, and read them with incredible
pleasure. The young patriarch fell into evil courses, and employed
magical arts to seduce a Christian woman; but the sign of the cross
made his charms of no effect. Joseph was surprised to hear this
prodigy. He seemed in a dream one night to see Christ, and to hear
from his mouth these words, “I am Jesus whom thy fathers crucified;
believe in me.” He relished our holy faith more than ever, and going
into Cilicia to collect the tenths for the patriarch, he borrowed
again the holy gospels. The Jews, already dissatisfied with his
conduct, finding him with this holy book, dragged him to their
synagogue, and cruelly scourged him. They were preparing worse
treatment for him when the bishop rescued him out of their hands.
Joseph having already begun to suffer for Christ, was soon disposed
to receive baptism.
Constantine the Great became master of the East in 323. He gave
Joseph the title and rank of count, with authority to build churches
over Palestine, wherever he should judge proper. Joseph began to
raise one at Tiberias. The Jews employed many artifices to hinder
the work, and stopped his lime-kilns from burning by enchantments,
but he, making the sign of the cross upon a vessel of water, and
invoking the name of Jesus, poured it on the kilns, and the fire
instantly burst forth and burned with great activity. Count Joseph
showed no less zeal against the Arians than against the Jews, and
both conspired together to persecute him; but he was protected by his
dignity of count, which gave him a superior command and authority.
Joseph, however, when the emperor Constantius persecuted the orthodox
prelates, retired from Tiberias to the neighboring city Scythopolis,
where, in 355, he lodged St. Eusebius of Vercelli, banished by the
Arians. His was the only Catholic house in that town. He harbored
many other illustrious servants of God, and among the rest St.
Epiphanius, who had from his own mouth the particulars here related.
Joseph was then seventy years of age. He died soon after, about
the year 356. The Greeks and Latins both mention his name in their
martyrologies. See St. Epiphanius, hær. 30, c. 4. Tillemont, t. 7.
Fleury, l. 11, n. 35. Dom Gervaise in his life of St. Epiphanius, c.
18, 19, 20, and Pinius the Bollandist, t. 5, Julij, p. 238.