Simon continuing his revolt against the authority of the high priest, and deluging the city with murders, Onias went himself to Seleucus at Antioch, in order to obtain redress; but he had not been there long before that monarch was assassinated by his treasurer, Heliodorus.*

This usurpation being suppressed, Antiochus Epiphanes, or Epimanes, succeeded to the throne of his deceased brother.† Soon after his accession, Jesus, or Jason, a brother of Onias, prevailed upon the new monarch to sell him the office of high priest for three hundred and sixty talents, and to keep Onias in confinement at Antioch; and having succeeded in that object, he obtained permission, for one hundred and fifty talents more, to erect a gymnasium§ and ephebeum at Jerusalem, thereby introducing many of the Greek and other pagan customs amongst the Jews.¶

A place of exercise. Prid. ii. 185.

† A place for training up of youth. Prid. ii. 188-190. || Prid. ii. 191.

Prid. ii. 192. In 2 Macc. iv. 18, 19, the patron god of Tyre is called Hercules; but it is to be observed that he was not known to the Tyrians by that name, but that of Malcarthus, which being compounded of the two Phoenician words, Melec and Kartha, did, in that language, signify the king or lord of the city. The Greeks, from some similitude which they found in the worship of this god at Tyre, with that wherewith they worshipped Hercules in Greece, thought them to be both the same; and, therefore, called this Tyrian god Hercules; and hence came the name of Hercules Tyrius among them. This god seems to be the same with the Baal of the Holy Scriptures, whose worship Jezebel brought from Tyre into the land of Israel; for Baal, with the addition of Kartha, signifieth the same as Melec, with the same addition. For, as the latter, in the Phoenician language, is king of the city, the other, in the same language, is lord of the city. And as Baal is put alone to signify this Tyrian god in Scripture, so do find Melec also put alone to signify the same Is us, Mulic is **

A war having broke out between Antiochus Epiphanes and Ptolemy Philometer, respecting Syria, the former came to Joppa to inspect the frontier towns, and thence proceeded to Jerusalem, where he was received by Jason with great ceremony and respect.*

The ensuing year, Jason sent his younger brother, Onias, or Menelaus, to Antioch, to pay his tribute money; when the latter supplanted him in the priesthood, by the same means as Jason had supplanted Onias, his elder brother, giving to Antiochus three hundred talents more than Jason had given; but having been defeated in his first attempt to obtain possession of that sacred office, he returned to Antioch, and pledging himself to forsake the religion of Jehovah, the monarch sent with him to Jerusalem an armed force, which enabled him to expel Jason from Jerusalem, and to take

A pious German, whilst bewailing the sufferings of his countrymen during the revolutionary war of France, makes the following just reflections upon this conduct of the Israelites. "The Israelites, and even the priests, followed the heathen games, (2 Macc. iv. 14, 15, 16.) and God sent these heathens, whose games they imitated, to punish them; and then we read, It is not a light thing to do wickedly against the laws of God.' We, also, should attend to this; for how many games, dances, and vanities have we borrowed from a certain nation? wherefore God hath sent them to punish us, and though we have beaten them, he hath soon healed their wounds, because we no sooner take breath, than we spend our time, especially in winter, in games, operas, plays, and vanities, and in the spring we take the field again, after so bad a preparation. Hence God at this time imbitters our sinful diversions, and connives at us no longer, but puts a stop to sin by his punishments. If any one escape with impunity, and grow secure, to him may be applied the words of chap. vii. 35. Thou hast not yet escaped the judgment of Almighty God, who seeth all things."" Bogatsky ii. August 21. The same remark also apply to the conduct of Herod the Great, and others who e supreme power in Judea.

refuge amongst the Ammonites, and immediately exerted himself to establish the pagan rites and ceremonies.

Menelaus having neglected to pay the tribute money, was summoned to Antioch, and the king being absent with his army, Menelaus directed his deputy at Jerusalem, to raise the amount by sale of the sacred vessels. Onias, who was still at Antioch, having reproached Menelaus for his sacrilegious conduct, the latter procured his assassination; but when Antiochus returned, he was so incensed, that he ordered his own lieutenant governor, Andronicus, who had planned the assassination, to be publicly executed on the same spot where Onias had suffered.†

Whilst Menelaus was gone to Antioch; he had left a brother, of the name of Lysimachus, as his deputy; but when he attempted to remove the sacred vessels, the populace rose upon him, and after dispersing his guard of three thousand men, slew him beside the treasury within the temple.+

Antiochus having defeated the forces of Ptolemy Philometer, near Pelusium, took up his winter quarters at Tyre, where three Jewish delegates came to him to complain of the conduct of Lysimachus, and the sacrilege of Menelaus; but the latter having bribed one of the king's officers, that monarch, as it is supposed, contrary to his previous intention, absolved Menelaus, and caused the poor delegates to be put to death: an act of such wanton cruelty, that the Tyrians caused them to be honourably buried.§

At this period, through all the city of Jerusalem, for the space almost of forty days, there were seen horsemen running in the air, in cloth of gold, and armed with lances, like a band of soldiers; and troops of horsemen in array, encountering and running one against another, with shaking of

+ Prid. ii. 199.

* Prid. ii. 197.

Prid. ii. 201.

§ Prid. ii. 202.

shields, and multitude of pikes, and drawing of swords, and casting of darts, and glittering of golden ornaments, and harness of all sorts.*

Antiochus having obtained a second victory over the army of the Egyptians, took Memphis and all the rest of the country, except Alexandria, and finally obtained possession of the person of Ptolemy Philometer himself.†

During this expedition, a rumour having been spread that Antiochus was dead, Jason got together one thousand men and marched towards Jerusalem, and drove Menelaus into the castle, putting to death all that were opposed to his interests.‡

When Antiochus received information of this transaction, he apprehended that it was a revolt of the whole Jewish nation from his authority; and being also informed that the people had made public rejoicings at the tidings of his death, he forthwith marched to Jerusalem, which he besieged and took by force, and slew forty thousand of the inhabitants in the space of three days, and made as many more captives, whom he sold for slaves to the neighbouring nations. He also forced himself into the temple, and entered into the holy place and holy of holies, Menelaus conducting him. Not content with this pollution, he sacrificed a great sow upon the altar of burnt offerings; and having commanded broth to be made from the carcass, he sprinkled all the temple with the liquor, for the express purpose of defiling it. He also took away the altar of incense, the shewbread table, the candlestick and seven branches, and several other golden vessels and utensils, the donations of former kings, to the value of one thousand eight hundred talents; and, having plundered the city, he returned to Antioch, carrying with him the spoils of Egypt as well as of Judea; and at his departure left Philip,

* 2 Macc. v. 2, 3.

a Phrygian, and a man of cruel and barbarous character, governor of Judea, and reinstated Menelaus as high priest.*

Jason, not daring to encounter Antiochus, fled back again to the Ammonites; but upon some accusation brought against him before Aretas, king of the Arabians, he fled from them also; and wandering about like Cain, abandoned by God, and persecuted by men, went first into Egypt, and afterwards into Lacedemonia, where he perished in exile and misery.†

Ptolemy Philometer and his brother, Ptolemy Physcon,‡ having agreed to divide the sovereignty of Egypt between them, and to assist each other against Antiochus, that monarch engaged in a third expedition to Egypt, with the avowed intention of crushing them both; but was stopped at Leusine by the ambassadors from Rome, to whose senate Physcon and his sister, Cleopatra, had appealed for assistance. The Syrian monarch manifesting symptoms of temporising, Popilius, although formerly his intimate friend, drew a circle round him with his staff, and insisted upon an answer before he moved out of it. Intimidated by this decisive and unusual proceeding, Antiochus submitted, and marched back his army.§

That vengeance, however, which he dared not shew to the Romans, he ignobly poured out upon the unoffending Jews; for marching through Palestine, he dispatched Apollonius with twenty-two thousand men, with orders to destroy the place.

He was first called Ptolemy Euergetes II. ; but afterwards Physcon, or the fat guts or great bellied, by reason of the great and prominent belly which, by his luxury and gluttony, he afterwards acquired. Prid. ii. 207.

Prid. ii. 209-212.

| Prid. ii. 212.