Augustus’s religious policy led to a wide knowledge of the religions of the Empire and prompted investigation in the courts of any case involving cults or religious beliefs. Suetonius’s phrase and the act of expulsion probably reflect the first impact of Christianity in Rome, disturbance in the ghetto, proceedings in the courts, and a review of the rabbis’ complaints and the Christian apologia in reply before the court with the Emperor on the bench. He hears the Pharisaic explanation of the empty