Quadratus, Ummidius Caius°
QUADRATUS, UMMIDIUS CAIUS°
QUADRATUS, UMMIDIUS CAIUS °, Roman governor of *Syria (50–60 c.e.). During the administration of Quadratus a series of disturbances erupted between the Jews and Samaritans of Palestine. *Cumanus, the Roman procurator of Judea at the time, was unable to cope with the situation, and the leaders of both camps presented their arguments before the Syrian governor at Tyre. Whereas the Samaritans accused Jewish bands of sacking their villages and thus taking the law into their own hands, the Jewish delegation, including the high priest J *Jonathan b. Anan, alleged that Cumanus had been bribed by the Samaritans to ignore the murder of Jewish pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem through Samaritan territory. According to Josephus, Quadratus at first deferred judgment. He subsequently proceeded to Caesarea where he crucified the prisoners taken by Cumanus from both sides. From there he went to Lydda and granted a second hearing to the Samaritan case. As a result of this, several Jews, including Doetus, were executed for their part in the rising. Numerous Samaritan and Jewish dignitaries, among them the high priest *Ananias, were ordered to appear before the emperor Claudius and account for their actions. Quadratus then left for Jerusalem, found the people peaceably celebrating Passover and returned to Antioch (52 c.e.).
bibliography:
A. Schalit, Namenwoerterbuch zu Flavius Josephus (1968), 39, s.v. 4 Δοσίθεος.
[Isaiah Gafni]