214 CHAP. X. Continuation of the Jewish affairs, from the end of the Old Testament to the Birth of our Saviour. As B. C. 373. we can gather no farther information from the canonical books, respecting the affairs of Judea, from the demise of Nehemiah till the birth of Christ, we must necessarily fill up the chasm between the Old and the New Testament, from the books of the Maccabees, and the justly admired works of Dr. Prideaux, and Josephus. And from these sources we hope to draw such a continuation of events, as may give our juvenile readers a connected and perspicuous view of the sacred history. About thirty-four years after the accession of Artaxerxes Mnemon to the throne of Persia, an unfortunate dispute arose, at Jerusalem, between the high-priest, Johanan, and his brother Jeshua, respecting the sacerdotal dignity*, and Johanan in attempting to thrust his opponent out of the temple, gave him a mortal wound. In consequence of this accident, Bagoses, the governor of Syria, upbraided the Jews with defiling the temple of their God; and, having forcibly entered into the inner court, imposed a heavy fine upon the priests. *Bagoses seems to have promised Jeshua a grant of the high priesthood some years after Johanan's investiture; and it was in attempting to take possession of the pontifical office that Jeshua lost his life. B. C. Shortly after the death of Artaxerxes, a heavy 351. chastisement was inflicted on the Jews by the hands of Ochus, who, having reduced the greatest part of Phoenice, led a numerous army into Judea; took the city of Jericho by assault; and carried off a considerable number of the inhabitants, some of whom he sent into Egypt, and others to Hyrcania on the Caspian sea. About ten years after this event, Johanan was succeeded, in the high-priesthood, by his son Jaddua; and the Persian diadem devolved, soon afterward, upon Darius Codomannus. The Jews gave an extraordinary proof of their loyalty toward this prince, in the fourth year of his reign; for they positively refused to assist Alexander the Great, in the siege of Tyre, and resolutely withheld a supply of provisions which he had demanded for his army. The Macedonian hero was so highly incensed at this conduct, that he took the earliest opportunity of leading his victorious troops against Jerusalem: but, being received by a number of priests in their sacerdotal robes, and being likewise struck with a solemn procession of the inhabitants, he laid aside his purposed revenge; caused a considerable number of victims to be offered to the God of Israel; and indulged the Jews with many privileges and immunities. The impression of a dream*, and the prophecies of Daniel, which had been shown to him by the high-priest, induced Alexander to settle a great number of Jews in his new city, which was called, after his own name, Alexander declared that, during his abode in Macedonia, he had seen the Jewish high-priest, in a vision of the night, encouraging him to pursue his expedition against the Persians, and assuring him of complete success. Alexandria; where they received permission to worship God after their own mode, and to claim an equal share of all the franchises and liberties that were enjoyed by the Macedonians. Many of them had, indeed, nearly lost his favor, by refusing to assist at the rebuilding of an idolatrous temple: but he was, at length, convinced of the rectitude of their conduct, and therefore, sent them back into their native land. Upon the demise of this celebrated warrior, his empire was divided among four of his generals; and Judea, being situate between Egypt and Syria, became subject to all the wars and revolutions that attended such a partition of territory. It was, at first given, together with Syria, and Phoenice, to Leomedon the Mitylenian; but afterward wrested from him, and invaded by Ptolemy, Soter, who made himself master of Jerusalem on a sabbath day, and carried nearly a hundred thousand persons captive into Egypt. However, in consideration of the loyalty which they had evinced toward their former conquerors, he entrusted several of them with the care of his most important fortresses, and eventually confirmed all the privileges which their nation had formerly received from the Macedonians. B. C. 312. Ptolemy was soon compelled to resign Judea to his powerful enemy Antigonus; but, at the same time, contrived to reserve some Jewish cities, and to carry off a prodigious treasure, together with a multitude of the inhabitants, whom he encouraged to settle in Alexandria. Seleucus, observing the good effects that resulted from Ptolemy's clemency toward the Jews, prudently resolved to offer them an asylum in Asia Minor: and, accordingly, planted such considerable colonies of them in his * new cities that they soon began to spread themselves over his dominions, and formed so considerable a portion of his subjects that he deemed it advisable to cultivate their friendship, and to treat them, upon all occasions, with such a degree of kindness as might conduce to the preservation of their loyalty, and the aggrandizement of his own power. Whilst this prince rendered himself popular by a well timed munificence, Antigonus was universally detested. for his fierceness, perfidy and tyranny; and the province of Judea, being almost depopulated by repeated migrations of the Jews into Syria, was easily recovered by the king of Egypt. About this time the Jewish high-priest Simon, died, in the ninth year of his pontificate. He had succeeded his father, Onias, in a time of great confusion; and his conduct had been uniformly marked with such piety and integrity, as induced his contemporaries to honor him with the surname of "the Just." His name was also rendered illustrious by that ardent love of his country which he demonstrated, on various occasions, by repairing the dilapidations of the holy temple and city; completing the canon of the Old Testament; and promoting the worship of his Creator both by precept and example. This justly famous character was the last member of the Great Synagogue*; The Great Synagogue consisted of a hundred and twenty elders, who in a regular succession, after the expiration of the Babylonish captivity, laboured assiduously in restoring the Jewish church and state; and exerted themselves to diffuse an accurate knowledge of the Holy Scriptures among their brethren. and at his decease the high-priesthood devolved on his brother Eleazar. B. C. 284. On the demise of Ptolemy Soter, his successor. Philadelphus, confirmed all the privileges which had been granted to the Jews; and even conferred greater obligations upon them than they had ever received from his father, in order to obtain a copy of their sacred books to be translated into the Greek language, and deposited in the royal library of Alexandria. Several other princes endeavoured to ingratiate themselves with this nation, about the same time; and Antiochus Theos prudently resolved to bind the Jews of Ionia to his interest, by granting them all the franchises of the native inhabitants. Ptolemy Euergetes, having succeeded to the throne of Egypt, and having dispossessed his rival, Antiochus, of the provinces of Syria and Cilicia, visited the capital of Judea, and offered a profusion of sacrifices as a token of gratitude for his recent victories. Soon after this period, Manasses, the uncle of Simon, succeeded to the high-priesthood; but he died, in less than two years, and left his dignity to Onias, a man of a base and avaricious spirit, who devoted the greatest part of his time to hoarding up riches, and who, by indulging this insatiate thirst of gain, exposed the Jewish state to the indignation of the Egyptian monarch. However his nephew, Joseph, undertook to pacify the prince, and his exertions were crowned with such success, that Judea was happily delivered from the expected chastisement. Onias was succeeded in the priesthood by his son Simon, who was justly celebrated for his zeal and piety; and who gave some extraordinary proofs of conduct and courage in the first year of |