could not have fallen greatly short of a million of pounds. Towards the close of the year 222 B. C. died Ptolemy Euergetes, king of Egypt, after having reigned over that country for five and twenty years. He was succeeded by his son Ptolemy Philopater, a very profligate and vicious prince. He was suspected of putting an end to his father's life by poison; and soon after he was seated on his throne, he added the murder of his mother, and of his brother Magas; and also of Cleomenes, king of Sparta, who had taken refuge in the court of Ptolemy Euergetes, and was a person of great wisdom and sagacity.

SECTION XII.

ACCESSION OF PTOLEMY PHILOPATER TO THE THRONE OF EGYPT HIS CONTEST WITH ANTIOCHUS HIS CRUELTY-VISITS JERUSALEM AND ATTEMPTS ΤΟ ENTER THE SANCTUARY-RESOLVES TO EXTERMINATE THE JEWS-THEIR PROVIDENTIAL DELIVERANCE-HE DIES AND LEAVES THE KINGDOM TO HIS SON PTOLEMY EPIPHANES, ONLY FIVE YEARS OF AGE. ANTIOCHUS ENDEAVOURS TO CONQUER EGYPT -ENGAGES IN WAR WITH THE ROMANS-MARCHES AN ARMY TO THE EAST, TO COLLECT TRIBUTE-ROBS THE TEMPLE OF BELUS OF ITS TREASURES BUT IS SLAIN BY THE ENRAGED POPULACE-REMARKABLE STORY OF JOSEPH AND HIS SON HYRCANUS.

As soon as Ptolemy Philopater ascended the throne, Antiochus formed the design of recovering Syria, which he prosecuted with various success for several years, until about the year 219 B. C., he took Damascus, and reduced all Phenicia, Galilee, and Gilead beyond Jordan, under his dominion.

In the year 217 B. C., Antiochus marched for Egypt with a large army, and a great battle was fought between Gaza and Rhinocrura, with the two kings at the head of their respective forces; on which occasion, the presence of mind and masculine courage of Arsinoe, queen of Egypt, was strikingly exhibited, in her encouraging the soldiers, and remaining by the side of her husband through the whole battle. The result was, that although the right wing of the Syrian army, commanded by Antiochus in person, drove the Egyptians before them, the contrary occurred on the left wing, where the Syrians gave way and fled, and the Egyptians turning on the flank and rear of the other part of the Syrian forces, gained a complete victory; for Antiochus had, in his ardour, pursued so far, that he did not return in time to give any aid to his routed troops. This battle was fought on the same day that Hannibal defeated Flaminius the Roman general, at the lake Thrasimenus.

On the retreat of Antiochus, the cities of Coelo-Syria and Palestine were forward to make their submission to Ptolemy; for they had been long accustomed to the Egyptian yoke, and were better pleased with it than with the government of Antiochus. Many ambassadors presented themselves before Ptolemy, with the submission of their respective cities, and with

presents, all of whom he received kindly. Among these, the Jews were not last. Ptolemy now made a progress through the provinces which he had regained, and among the cities visited, Jerusalem was not forgotten. Here he took a view of the temple, and offered many gifts and sacrifices to the God of Israel. But not contented with an exterior view of this sacred edifice, he resolved to enter into the sanctuary, and even into the most holy place. On this occasion all Jerusalem was in an uproar. The priests and Levites were convened to hinder it, and the people to deprecate the impious act. Great lamentations were every made, and many supplications offered to God, to preserve his sacred house from profanation. But entreaties availed nothing with Ptolemy; the more he was opposed, the more he seemed resolved to execute his impious purpose. Accordingly, he pressed into the inner court; but here he was struck with such a terror and confusion of mind, that he could proceed no farther, and was carried out, in a manner half dead. On this, he left the city, filled with great wrath against the Jews, and uttering many menaces against the nation.

The high-priest now in office, who had the courage to withstand Ptolemy, was Simon, the son of Onias the second; for his father having deceased towards the close of the former year, the son had been consecrated in his room. This, therefore, was among the first acts of his pontificate and it was well that a man of firmness and wisdom was now in authority; for affairs had been negligently managed during the whole of the administration of Onias, who was not only a weak man, but extremely covetous.

During the incessant wars between the great Northern and Southern powers, Judea, as lying exactly between the belligerents, suffered exceedingly by the passage of hostile and friendly armies. The old hatred of the Samaritans also, was not dormant during this period; but often when they observed the Jews to be unable to make resistance, they ravaged the country lying near them: carrying off many of the inhabitants, and selling them into slavery.

Antiochus, on his return, finding his own subjects in an unsettled state, thought it best to make peace with Ptolemy, which he effected by resigning all title to Colo-Syria, Palestine, and Phenicia.

When Ptolemy returned to Alexandria, his anger against the Jewish nation was undiminished, and he determined to revenge himself on all those who inhabited that city. He made a decree, and had it engraven on a pillar at the gates of his palace, forbidding all to enter, who did not sacrifice to the gods he worshipped.

Alexander the Great had, in the division of the people into

ranks, placed the Jews in the first, on a level with his own Macedonians; but Ptolemy now degraded them to the third rank, among the common people of Egypt. But this was not the worst which these devoted people had to suffer. He enacted a law that they should all be branded with the badge of his god Bacchus, or be reduced to slavery. However, he provided that those who were willing to be initiated into the heathen religion should retain their privileges. Of the whole number in Alexandria, only three hundred took advantage of this immunity. All the rest stood firm to their religion, rather choosing to suffer the greatest extremities than depart in the least from it. And those who for worldly considerations had apostatized, were held in the utmost abhorrence, and excommunicated from all intercourse with their brethren.

The king, considering their measures as indicative of hostility to him, now determined that he would destroy the whole nation, wherever found. He accordingly sent out orders, that all Jews who resided in Egypt should be brought in chains to Alexandria. This being executed, he directed that all of them should be assembled in the Hippodrome, a large open space prepared for horse-races, where his purpose was to destroy them by his elephants, and then march to Judea and treat the Jews there in the same manner. But on the day appointed, when all were ready, the king did not make his appearance; for having been up late at a carousal he overslept himself, until the hour for the intended spectacle was over. It was, therefore, deferred until the next day; but another disappointment occurred from the

same cause.

During all this time the Jews were kept shut up in the Hippodrome; but they ceased not day and night, with uplifted hands and loud voices, to pray to God for deliverance, which he in mercy was pleased to vouchsafe. For, on the next day, when the king being present, the elephants were brought forth drunk with wine and frankincense, that they might with more rage destroy the devoted Jews, they became ungovernable, and instead of rushing upon the Jews, turned upon the spectators, and killed many of them. It is also said, that appearances were seen in the air, which terrified the king and all the spectators. This remarkable interposition of Providence had such an effect on Ptolemy, that he relinquished his bloody purpose, and not only set the Jews at liberty, but fearing the vengeance of Heaven, restored them to all their former privileges, and gave them leave to put to death all those Jews who had apostatized from their religion.

It must be confessed, however, that the evidence of the truth of this history is not as satisfactory as could be wished. Josephus, in his Antiquities, does not mention it, though he does in

his book against Apion; but this we have only in the Latin translation of Ruffin. He also places it in another reign. The narrative here given is from the third book of Maccabees, which whole book relates to the persecutions endured by the Jews. It became common, after the name Maccabees was given to Judas and his brethren, of whom we shall speak hereafter, for all who suffered for their religion among the Jews, to be called Maccabees, for which reason the third book of the Maccabees received this title, although it treats of matters which occurred long before their time. This book is found in all the ancient copies of the Septuagint, and also in the Syriac version; but is extant in no copy of the Latin Vulgate. The first authentic mention of it is in the Alexandrian Chronicon. It is also named in the eighty-fifth of the apostolical canons, but their date is altogether uncertain.

Antiochus spent seven years on an expedition against Parthia, Bactria, Hyrcania, and other eastern provinces, which had revolted from the empire, and declared themselves independent. In this expedition he discovered great skill and generalship, but finding that there was no prospect of bringing these countries permanently under subjection, he made peace with Arsaces and the other leaders, and returned to Antioch, in the year 205 B. C.

The next year, 204 B. C., died Ptolemy Philopater king of Egypt, after having sat on the throne for seventeen years. He was a most flagitious and cruel man, and brought himself to a premature end by his debaucheries.

He was succeeded by Ptolemy Epiphanes, his son, a child of five years of age. The people finding that the vile associates. of Philopater's guilty pleasures, were plotting against the young king and those who would be likely to oppose their measures, brought them to the Hippodrome, and slew them.

The young king was now committed to the care of Sosibius, an old, crafty politician, who had contrived by his cunning, to retain his power in the court for more than sixty years: and who had kept in favour with the late king, by consulting and anticipating all his voluptuous inclinations.

Antiochus, king of Syria, and Philip, king of Macedonia, on the death of Ptolemy Philopater, entered into a league to conquer Egypt, and divide the kingdom between them; but the rulers of Egypt, to defend themselves against this formidable coalition, sent an embassy to the Romans whose power had now risen to greatness, and who were ever disposed to extend it more and more. Just about this time, Scipio had defeated Hannibal in Africa, so that the Romans being delivered from a dangerous enemy, were now at liberty to turn their attention.

to the east. Accordingly, they did not hesitate to take the young king under their protection.

The Jewish writers-the worst historians that ever livedinform us, that in the year 203 B. C., Joshua the son of Perachia, was made president of the Sanhedrim, and Nathan the Arbelite, the vice-president. Of the latter they have given us no information, but of the former they tell a story the most absurd and inconsistent with chronology. The sum of it is, that for reproving Alexander, the Asmonean king, who had slain the doctors at Jerusalem, he was obliged to flee to Egypt; and that Jesus Christ being his scholar, accompanied him thither; whereas, the time which they assigned for this man's entering on his presidency was many years before the reign of Alexander the Asmonean, and two hundred years before the birth of Christ!

The war between Antiochus and the Egyptians went on, notwithstanding the Romans had sent a formal embassy to the former, announcing that they had undertaken the guardianship of the young king; and Antiochus having defeated Scopas the Egyptian general, in a great battle at Paneas, near the scources of the Jordan, soon got possession of all Palestine and Colo-Syria.

At this time the Jews were much disaffected towards the Egyptian government; and when Antiochus came with his army to Jerusalem, they received him with gladness, and entertained his whole army and elephants bountifully, as long as he remained. Antiochus, in return, granted them many privileges, and particularly ordained, that no stranger, of whatever quality, should pass over the sept, into the sacred inclosure of the temple.

But Antiochus was no stranger to the Jews, before this visit to Jerusalem. Many of them resided in Babylonia, who were very serviceable to him in his eastern expedition, and of whose fidelity he entertained the highest opinion. And a sedition having once arisen in Phrygia and Lydia, he transplanted two thousand Jewish families from Mesopotamia into those regions, with a view to keep the people quiet, by stationing them in the strongest fortresses. The descendants of these Jews were found in great numbers in Asia Minor, when the gospel was first propagated in those regions, by the labours of the apostles.

In the year 195 B. C., Hannibal, the famous Carthagenian general, who had lived quietly at Carthage, being suspected of inimical designs by the Romans, fled to the court of Antiochus. When he arrived, the latter had been debating with himself about engaging in a war with the Romans; which point, however, was soon decided after the arrival of Hannibal, who had