being provoked at their not letting him go into the sanctuary, would have them exposed to elephants, as it is related in the Maccabees. Under Seleucus Philopater, king of Syria, Heliodorus came to plunder the sacred treasure; and nothing but a miracle prevented him doing it. At last, under Antiochus Epiphanes began the greatest persecution they ever suffered, and which is not inferior to any that the Christians have since endured. Those who died at that time for the law of GOD have been ordinarily classed among the martyrs. They are the first we know of, who laid down their lives in that good cause. The three companions of Daniel, when they were cast into the furnace, and he himself, by being exposed to the lions, had all the merit of martyrdom; but GoD wrought miracles to preserve them. Eleazar, the seven brethren, and the rest that are mentioned in the history of the Maccabees, really gave up their lives for the sake of God and the law of their fathers, which is the first example, that I know, of this kind of virtue, in the whole history of the world. We see no infidel, not even one of the philosophers, who chose to suffer death, and the most cruel punishment, rather than violate his religion, or the laws of his country. Josephus boldly reproaches the Gentiles with it. Many captives, says he, of our nation have suffered all sorts of torment and death in the theatres, and upon divers occasions, rather than speak the least word against the Law, and the other Scriptures :-but where is the Greek that would not let all the books of his nation be burnt, rather than suffer any harm himself?b Indeed some Jews were overcome by persecution but then they entirely renounced their religion and laws, and used artifice to disguise their circumcision: so that they were no longer accounted Jews. And such as continued faithful were so zealous for their law and liberty, that, at last, they took up arms, to defend themselves against the Syrian kings. These princes openly violated all the privileges that had been granted to the Jews by the kings of Persia, and confirmed by Alexander, and the other Macedonian kings; and seemed determined to abolish the true religion, which was still at that time confined to a particular people and country. CHAP. IV. The Reign of the Asmoneans. WE are now come to the time of the Maccabees," when the Jewish nation raised itself up again, and shone with a new lustre. They were no longer a "Contra App. lib. i. It is probable that Judas, the son of Simon, had the sur poor people, that aspired no higher than to live in peace, under the conduct of their high-priest and elders; whose happiness only consisted in being at liberty to cultivate their lands, and serve God in their own way. They became a state entirely independent, supported by good troops, strong garrisons, and alliances, not only with their neighbouring princes, but with remote kingdoms, even Rome itself." The kings of Egypt and Syria, who had used them so ill, were forced afterwards to court their friendship. They also made conquests: John Hyrcanus took Sichem and Gerizim, and destroyed the temple of the Samaritans ; so absolute was he over all the land of Israel. He extended his dominions into Syria, where he conquered several towns, after the death of Antiochus Sidetes; and into Idumea, which he so entirely subdued, that he obliged the inhabitants to be circumcised and observe the law of Moses, as being incorporated into the nation of the Jews. His son Aristobulus added the ensigns of royalty to the regal power, taking the diadem and title of king: "and Alexander Jannæus made still greater conquests. name of Maccabeus from the circumstance of his having the mi cammock מי כמכה באלים יהוה,following motto on his ensigns baelim Yehovah ? Who among the gods is like unto thee, O Jehovah? Exod. xv. 14. the initial letters of the four words making the term ' macabi. Hence his followers were called Maccabeans. с Joseph. Ant. xiii. 17. Macc. xiv. 4, 18. But this glory of the Jews was of short continuance for, though the weakening the kingdoms of Egypt and Syria had served to exalt them, the entire ruin of those two kingdoms brought on theirs too, by the vast addition it made to the Roman power. Indeed, the beginning of their decay was occasioned by their domestic quarrels, and the continual misunderstandings betwixt the two sons of Alexander Jannæus, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus. In short, they had enjoyed their liberty but fourscore years, since Simon had been declared head of their nation, after casting off the Grecian yoke, till Pompey, invited by Hyrcanus, took Jerusalem, entered into the temple, and made the Jews tributaries. After that, they were in a miserable condition for above twenty years: divided by the parties of the two brothers, and plundered by the Romans, who took from them, at different times, above ten thousand talents, which is about four million, eight hundred and sixty four thousand, eight hundred and sixty four pounds seventeen shillings and threepence sterling. After the defeat of Brutus and Cassius, the Parthians, taking advantage of Mark Antony's weakness, who was the governor of the east, made themselves masters of Syria and Palestine, and took Hyrcanus captive. During all the time of the Roman civil wars, and whilst the Parthians governed them, Palestine was exposed to cruel ravages by so many armies of different nations passing through it, and by the incursions of neighbouring people, particularly the Arabians. It is true, it recovered again a little under Herod. He brought back peace and plenty to it: he was powerful, rich, and lived in great state. But it cannot be said the Jews were free in his time. He was not so himself, and depended entirely upon the Roman emperors. He was a foreigner, by birth an Idumean, had no religion, and only kept up the appearance of it to serve political purposes, He destroyed the succession of the high-priests, sending for one Hananiel from Babylon, a despicable man, though of the sacerdotal family; after whom they had no high-priests but such, and as many, as the kings pleased. When Herod was dead, there was no longer any power in Judea. His sons only kept part of his kingdom, and that not long. Judea had Roman governors, depending upon the proconsul of Syria. At last the Jews were banished out of it, and reduced to their present condition. This therefore is the last time that any account is to be made of them, as a nation, from their liberty under Simon and the Asmoneans, till their destruction under Vespasian. It is a period of about two hundred years, taking in most part of the history of the Maccabees, and all that of the New Testament: during which time the manners of the Jews were very different from what they were before. 1 Joseph. Ant. xv. • Ibid. c. 2. |