Tosefta for Pesachim 128:11
דהדר מקטיר להו חדא חדא והתניא (ויקרא ג, טז) והקטירם שיהא כולו כאחד אלא תפיסה בעלמא דשקיל מינייהו עד דיהבין ליה מידי אחרינא:
Our Rabbis taught: King Agrippa once wished to cast his eyes on the hosts of Israel.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., to take a census of the Jewish people. This was an unpopular proceeding, as it was regarded as of unfortunate omen; cf. I Chron. XXI. In addition, a census was looked upon with suspicion as being the possible precursor of fresh levies and taxation, and the decision of Quirinius, the governor of Syria, to take a census in Judea (c. 6-7 C.E.) nearly precipitated a revolt; v. Graetz. History of the Jews (Eng. translation) II, ch. V. pp. 129 seq. According to Graetz (op. cit. p. 252) the present census was undertaken by Agrippa II in the year 66 C.E. as a hint to the Roman powers not to underrate the strength of the Jewish people, and therefore avoid driving them too far by the cruelty and greed of the Procurator, at that time Gessius Florus. Graetz assumes that an extra large number flocked to Jerusalem on that occasion, and it is then that the old man was suffocated. This however does not agree with the statement that the man was crushed in the days of Hillel, which is a far earlier date, Hillel having flourished or commenced his Patriarchate one hundred years before the destruction of the Temple, i.e., 30 B.C.E.');"><sup>9</sup></span> Said he to the High Priest, Cast your eyes upon the Passover sacrifices.