(1900) Stories Of Wars Of The Jews

A A 3 6 9 2 7 2

fornia

nal ty

MOURNING OF MORDECAI AND THE JEWS. Pa£:e jt.

STORIES OF THE

Wars of the Jews FROM THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY, TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM BY TITUS.

BY

M.. jh. (B :^.

With

T.

Forty-Four

Illustrations.

NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW. EDINBURGH

;

AND NEW YORK. 1900

liOO

^vcftuc.

HE

works which

I

have chiefly consulted

tures)

compiling the following sketch, have been (in addition to the Holy Scripthe books of the Apocrypha, Josephus'

Wars

of

in

Jews, the elaborate writings of Prideaux, and a small volume on the history of the

some years ago in India, There is no history more fraught mth interest, conveying more important lessons, than that

the Hebrews, published

or of

God's chosen nation.

There are no annals

which display instances of more heroic courage, and self-devotion, alas of darker apostasy and crime, than those of the descendants of faith,

—

—

!

Abraham. the readei- rise from the perusal of this brief sketch with a deeper sense of the mercy and

May

765382

PREFACE.

VI

justice of God,

as revealed in His

wards His people

;

hastening of that day when [jromise shall be fulfilled :

"

/

luill

dealings to-

and a fervent prayer

pour upon

—

for the

the Lord's gracious

the house of

David, and

ujoon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of

grace

and

of supplications

;

and

they shall look

upon Me

ivhom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Hir)i, as one in bitterness for his first-born. I am returned unto Zion, and will divell in the midst that is

of Jerusalem city of truth hosts.

;

:

and Jerusalem shall and the mountain of

be called,

A

Lord

of

the

The holy mountain." k.

L.

O.

E.

'il^tttroiiuctwtt.

|0R

the sins of His people the Lord had

stricken Jerusalem, and given into the

up Judea The

hands of the heathen.

judgments of God had

on the kingdom as they had been foremost in of the ten tribes the sin of idolatry, so they had first met its first fallen

;

awful puni*shment. Shalraaneser, king of Assyria, had attacked Samaria (724 B.C.), and after a siege of nearly carried

three years

Israel

into

had taken the

captivity,

with

and

city,

Hoshea

its

king.

The punishment of the kingdom of Judah had been for some time deferred. While such monarchs as the pious

Hezekiah and the

faithful Josiah

had

sat on the throne of their ancestor David, God's

mercy had guarded Jerusalem from her

foes

;

but

vm

INTRODUCTION.

since the time of these virtuous rulers,

had

who

arisen,

set not

God

tyrants

before their eyes

;

princes and people had combined to break the laws of the Almighty, and despise the counsel of

the

The vine which the Lord had

Most High.

brought from Egypt, and had planted and watered with such tender care, had brought forth the

The mangrapes of rebellion and idolatry. " Gut it doiun, luhy " cumber eth it the ground ? but the Lord had said

luild

date had not gone forth,

in

His anger,

and

it

wall

thereof,

I

ivill

"

/

will take

shall he eaten

lay

it

and

it

away the hedge thereof, up ; and break down the

shall be trodden

waste"

(Isa. v.

5,

6).

down. In 606

And B.C.,

Nebuchadnezzar carried captive to Babylon some of the most illustrious of the children of Judah,

and subjected Jehoiakim their king to his power. In 599 B.C., the Assyrian monarch besieged and took Jerusalem, then under the sway of Jehoiachin, and led into bondage that prince and the chief of his people. In 588 B.C., the work of retribution

was completed. Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, was taken, a miserable, blinded prisoner, to the temple and palaces of Jerusalem Assyria ;

were given to the flames, her walls were razed to the ground, and the mourning exiles from Judea,

IX

INTRODUCTION.

of Babylon, hung then- harps on and wept. But though the Lord chastened his people, At the they were not given over to destruction.

by the waters the willows,

sketch of Jewish period at which the following which had, history commences, that prophecy

seventy years before, been uttered by the inspired " Thus Jeremiah was on the point of fulfilment saith the Lord, That after seventy years he accom:

and perform in causing you to good word toward you,

plished at Babylon

My

return

to

I

this place.

will visit you,

For I know

the thovghts

I

think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end" (Jer. xxix. 10, 11). As a mighty despot that

had been the chastise

in

instrument,

a rebellious race,

God's

so another

hand,

powerful

monarch was now appointed by Providence raise

the

fallen,

"

shepherd,"

to

flock of the Lord.

to

restore

gather

the

together

exiles

the

to

;

as

to

a

dispersed

^onUnisi,

THE EETDBN FROM BABYLON THE HISTOBY OF ESTHER, III. CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF ESTHER, IV. THE JEWS UNDER NEHEMIAH, V. ALEXANDER THE GREAT, VL J UDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF EGYPT, VU. JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF SYRIA, VIIL VICTORIES OP JUDAS MACCABEUS, IX. THE DEATH OP JUDAS MACCABEUS, X. REIGNS OF JONATHAN. SIMON, AND JOHN HYRCANUS, I.

1

IL

XI.

STRIFE BETWEEN THE ASMONEAN PRINCES,

REIGN OF HEROD THE GREAT, XUL THE BIRTH OP THE MESSIAH, XIV. DEATH OF HEROD. XV. THE DEATH OF THJi JlESSIAIi, XVL HEROD AGRIPPA, XVIL COMMENCEMENT OF WAR, XVm. SIEGE OF JOTAPATA. — FALL OF JERUSALEM XII.

XIX. CONCLUSION,

.

STORIES FROM

JEWISH HISTORY. CHAPTER

I.

THE RETURN FROM BABYLON. The Decree Laid

of Cyrus

— First

— Samaritans

— Ezra

—

Foundation of the Temple Heads the Second Caravan -Ezra

Caravan Starts

Oppose

Reforms Abuses.

|N

year of the reign of Cyrus, the Lord stirred up the spirit of that king,

tlie first

probably through the influence of the aged Daniel, to issue throughout his vast dominions the following proclamation "

Thus

saith

:

—

Cyrus king of Persia,

The Lord

me all the kingdoms of and He hath charged me to build Him Who an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

God

of heaven hath given

the earth

is

there

;

among you of all His people ? his God be let him go up to Jerusalem, which

with him, and

THE RETURN FROM BABYLON.

14-

and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is the God), which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he is

in Judah,

sojourneth, let the

and with

silver,

men

gold,

of his place help

and with

him with

beasts, beside the

freewill offering for the house of

God

that

is

in

Jerusalem."

Great was the joy of the faithful Jews, who throughout their long captivity had been waiting

and watching

made l)ect

the fulfilment of the prophecies when at length the pros-

opened to them of return to their beloved

country.

Doubtless they recalled the prophecies

of Jeremiah

uttered

and

and especially that one, hundred and in which the Lord previously, Isaiah,

by the latter

seventy called "

for

to their fathers,

years

their

deliverer

above one

by

Ids

name, saying of and shall perform all my shepherd, my pleasure even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built and to the temple, Thy foundation Cyrus, he

is

:

;

shall be laid."

The proclamation of the king sounded through the land like a trumpet-call, to gather together the exiles of Judea, and large numbers hastened to

It

Babylon to make preparations for their journey. was a second Exodus, a second release from

THE RETURN FROM BABYLON.

15

bondage, to seek the land of promise. But it was not by the whole of the children of the captivity that the opportunity of returning to foreign

Judea was embraced with

Ruined

patriotic zeal,

dwellings and wasted plains, a city without temple and without walls, offered few attractions to such the country of strangers as a home. shrank from the hardships of the journey,

as regarded

Many

and the dangers which they must expect to encounter many who had formed ties in BabyThe lonia, felt bound by them to that land. ;

Jewish exiles were an emblem of those who,

in

ages of the world, hear the call of conscience

all

and

religion.

While some turn their

faces

to-

wards a heavenly Zion, willing to leave all, and suffer all here, so that they may but find an the

inheritance

above,

fer present

comforts

hearts

cling

to

to

the

future

pleasures

they are too fearful, too busy, gay,

to

cast

in

their

number

greatest

lot

pre-

their

blessings

;

of

world

the

;

too rich, or too

with

the

people

of

God.

The

first

return

caravan was organized

and

directed

by Zerubbabel, the grandson of King Jehoiachin, and by Jeshua, a grandson of the last

high

priest,

Jozadak.

The

number

of

THE RETURN FROM BABYLON.

16

those

who

cludino-

joined

them was about 50,000,

above 7000 servants of both sexes.

iti-

Be-

fore

they departed, Cyrus be restored caused to

them the most

valu-

able of the sacred

uten-

to

which had been

sils

ried

away

;

sels

were

the

car-

Jeru-

by Nebuchadnez-

salem zar

from

thousands of

now

of

ves-

and gold

silver

again

to

be

LAV ER.

devoted to the service of

sanctuary.

Zerubbabel was also intrusted

with

contributions

large

towards

the

expense of the temple,

rebuilding the Jews

from

who

re-

mained in Babylonia. Many and sad must have been

when CANDLESTICK.

set out

the

partings

that vast caravan

on

its

journey to

The voice of blessing and of Holy Land prayer was heard, as those who stayed behind the

exchanged (296)

!

their

last

words of friendship with

THE RETURN FROM BABYLON. those

who were ready

17

Anxious and

to depart.

loving eyes watched the long line of pilgrims, with their laden asses and camels, slowly disap-

pearing

in

the

distance

and

;

the

and

hopes

prayers of their bretlu'cn followed the brave band who first returned to the home of their fathers.

On reaching Palestine the caravan repaired at once to Jerusalem, which was found in a state of Before the travellers separuin and desolation. rated to seek

habitations

for

themselves,

sum by voluntaiy

raised a large

wards the rebuilding of the temple.

employed themselves

in

they

contiibntions to-

They then

securing dwellings

for

ALTAR OF BUHNT-OFFERINO.

their families

;

and at the ensuing

feast of taber-

nacles again repaired to Jerusalem, fices

of

where

sacri-

were offered on an altar erected on the ruins

the (2961

temple.

After

this 2

the

people

applied

THE RETURN FROM BABYLON.

18

themselves zealously to the necessary preparations In a year for the restoration of that edifice. from the departure from Babylon these prepara-

advanced to allow of the

tions

were

great

work being commenced, and the foundations

sufficiently

of the second temple were laid amidst the noise of trumpets, cymbals, and shouting

But many

!

CYMBALS AND TRUMPETS.

priests and aged men, whose hair had those who white during the captivity grown it stood in when of Solomon had seen the temple its glory and beauty wept with a loud voice at

of the

—

—

the mournful recollection of the past,

535

B.C.

While the work proceeded, the Samaritans manifested a desire to aid in it, and to claim a

community

of worship in the

erected to the Lord.

new temple

to be

Their offers were declined

by the Jews and the people of the land, irritated by the refusal, did all in their power to weaker ;

THE RETURN FROM BABYLON.

hinder them from proceeding An unscrupulous use of building.

their

bands, and

with

the

money and

influence

government,

enabled

Jews

to

19

raise

amongst these

the

officers

adversaries

of

of

the

such obstructions that the work

was at length altogether suspended. For about fifteen long years the faith and the patience of the people of Judah were thus tried. They gradually lost heart for the work, and were disposed to believe that the set time for it had not

yet arrived.

The

zeal of

many waxed

cold

;

absorbed in the care of providing for their security and comfort, the

Jews were

in

and,

own

danger of

forgetting the sacred duty which they had at

first

so earnestly sought to perform.

From this apathy they were roused in the second year of the reign of Darius Hystaspes, by " Is it the stirring words of the prophet Haggai. time," he exclaimed to the people, "for you to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste ? Thus saith the Lord of hosts. Consider

Go up to the mountain, and bring your ways. wood, and build the house and I will take plea;

sure in

The fresh

it,

and I

call zeal,

will be glorified, saith the Lord."

was not uttered

in vain.

Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and

Filled with

the

people

THE RETURN FROM BABYLON.

20

hastened to resume the work of building, 520 B.C. Amidst the difficulties and discouragements which beset them, they were

messages

delivered

to

still

cheered by animating

them

by Haggai.

The

gradually rose, far inferior, indeed, in splendour to that erected in the days of Israel's

temple

TUli

great king,

SKCOND TEMPLE.

when gold was abundant, and silver it was counted as the stones of but a gracious promise was given that

so plentiful that

the earth

;

the glory of the latter house should excel that of

the

fiist,

for the

DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS should

THE RETURN FROM BABYLON.

come

to

honour

the presence of the Messiah should

it,

" it,

21

and in

this ijlace ivill

I

*

give 'peace"

Lord of hosts to his people. The renewal of the work roused

said the

afresh the

opposition of the adversaries of the Jews. the

Syrian governor, sternly

Tatnai,

demanded

of

the

by whose command they were re-erecting The Jews the ruined walls of their temple.

builders

pleaded the authority of the decree of Cyrus, and Tatnai referred the question to King Darius for

decision.

The

result

some search the decree discovered.

It

was happy,

in favour of the

for

after

Jews was

not only authorized the erection

of the temple, but directed the local

and

government

These supplies the Jews had not hitherto ventured to claim, but to afford assistance

Darius

commanded

supplies.

that

they should be given.

Under the impulse thus imparted, the work proceeded with spirit, and four years afterwards it The dedication was and the celebrated with great solemnity and joy

was completed, 516

B.C.

;

people

flocked to the courts of the Lord, to per-

form again with thanksgiving and rejoicing the rites

of their holy faith.

The Jews were now restored *

Haggai

ii

9.

to their

own

land,

THE RETURN FROM BABYLON.

22

but they were under tribute to the Persians, and subject to the general control of the princes of that people. They were allowed the fi'ee exercise of their religion

priest

and laws, and were ruled by a

own

by the high when no such governor was appointed.

governor of

With regard

their

nation, or

to religion, the fearful lesson taught

by the desolation of the land, the destruction of the temple, and the captivity of the people, had greatly cured the Jews of that tendency to idolatry

and

which had brought on them such misery But the inherent coiTuption of the

ruin.

human

heart, restrained in

in others; there are

one point, broke out

few more humbling lessons

of

man's infirmity and the sinfulness of his nature, than may be gathered from the history of the Jews. does not appear that the people suffered molestation during the long reign of Darius and his son and successor, Xerxes, seems It

further

;

to

have regarded them with favour.

This mon-

arch was succeeded, in

464 B.C., by Artaxerxes whose reign the Jews proceeded rebuild Jerusalem on a regular plan, and to

Longimanus, in to

surround

it

with a

wall, as will

lowing chapter. Zerubbabel and Jeshua, the

appear in a

first

fol-

leaders in the

THE RETUKN FROM BABYLON.

23

had by this time been gathered to fathers, and confusion and disorder were

restoration,

their

spreading widely amongst the Jews at Jerusalem, Light was the danger which they had encountered from the enmity of the people of the land,

compared with that which they now experienced from too close alliances with them. Many broke the laws of their God by marrying heathen wives; some even of the princes and of the priests were

A

guilty of this act of disobedience.

reformer

was urgently needed, who should have wisdom to judge and firmness to act and such a reformer ;

was found

in

Ezra the

second large body of

Babylonia to Judea,

Armed with

exiles,

457

who headed the who returned from

priest,

B.C.

the authority of the Persian king, offerings to the temple,

and intrusted with large

including valuable contributions from the monarch himself,

Ezra prepared

people.

The bank

for his journey.

Ahava was

the gathering-place for the There Ezra pitched his tent, and there

of the river

he proclaimed a solemn

fast,

that the travellers

might unite in supplication to the Almighty for protection on their dangerous way. of pilgrims

bound

women and

helpless children,

for

As

the band

Jerusalem included tender

and was

ill

provided

THE RETURN FROM BABYLON.

24

foi' defence against an enemy in the probable event of an attack, some thoughts were enter-

tained of requesting a military escort from the king.

But Ezra had declared before Artaxerxes

his firm faith in the

power and goodness of God,

and the noble-minded Jew shrank from making a petition which might seem to imply distrust of Ezra would Almight?y's providential care. not lean on an arm of flesh, but with prayer and the

fsisting

he committed himself and his people to the

Most High. In safety the second body of exiles returned to the holy city. Having deposited in the temple

protection of the

the treasures with which he had been intrusted,

Ezra applied himself with earnest zeal to the arduous work of reformation. The discoveries

made by him

and corruption prevailing amongst God's chosen people, filled Ezra with He felt that the greatest of grief and shame. of the guilt

the greatest of dangers, that of forfeiting the protection of the Almighty by trespassing In deep sorrow of heart Ezra rent against him. evils is sin

;

his garments, and, falling

on

his knees,

with tears

confessed before the Lord the sins of those

divine mercy had restored to their land.

God, I

am

ashamed,

I

blush to

lift

up

my

"

whom

my

eyes to

THE RETURN FROM BABYLON. "

thee

!

Jews

26

exclaimed the leader of the backsliding

"for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our transgression is gi'own up unto the " heavens ;

!

The rested

erring

blessing of the Lord

upon the

efforts of

whom

he supplicated

Ezra to bring back the

to the paths of righteousness.

With

re-

pentance and weeping the Jews returned to their God order was again restored and the heathen ;

;

wives were put away. Let us now reti'ace a

little

the course of history,

some events of great interest and importance which occurred at the court of Persia, between the periods of the return of the first and to consider

second bands of exiles to the land of Judea.

PRINCIPAL CONTEMPORANEOUS EVENTS. 536—457

B.C.

^c.

Hippias banished from Athens Tarquins banished from Rome

510

Xerxes invaded Greece

481

600

CHAPTER

II.

THE HISTORY OF ESTHER. The Jewish Maiden

— The Conspiracy Discovered — Haman's Plot — A —The Golden Sceptre—The Queen's Banquet.

Mourning Nation

is

termed in the

Scriptures, Ahasuerus, sat

on the throne

IRTAXERXES,*

as

or,

he

Lord of the widest kingdom which then existed upon earth a kingdom which of Persia.

—

extended from India to Ethiopia, and comprised a hundred and twenty-seven provinces the will of

—

the

monarch was the law

to

were constrained to bow. neither the in one to

which many nations Ahasuerus possessed

wisdom nor the self-command

whom power

requisite

so vast is intrusted.

chose for his chief favourite and minister "

He

Haman,

Archbishop Usher supposed Ahasuerus to be Darius Scaliger conis described under that name but both Prideaux and Josephus regard Ahasuerus as identical with Artaxerxes, who began to ;

tends that Xerxes reign 464 b

<:.

;

THE HISTORY OF an Amalekite, a

man

of

27

ESTIIEU.

unbounded cruelty and

his own queen for venturing a disobey capricious command given to her by her husband, when he was probably under the pride,

and dismissed

to

influence of wine.

In choosing another partner of his state to fill the place of the dethroned Queen Vashti, the despot sought for no higher qualification than that of But the Almighty Disposer personal attractions. of events guided the choice of the monarch.

SITE OF

SHCSHAN OR

SUSA.

In the palace of Shushan was a certain Jew,

With of the tribe of Benjamin. he had reared Esther, a young The Jeworphan maiden, a relative of his own.

named Mordecai, a father's care

ess

was possessed

of exquisite beauty

;

amongst

THE HISTORY OF ESTHER.

28

the fair she was the fairest

;

Ahasuerus saw

her,

loved her, and raised the beauteous captive to the rank of the queen of Persia.

Her

elevation appears to have had no effect in

changing the character of this daughter of AbraIn the palace of Ahasuerus, surrounded by ham. luxury and pomp, Esther preserved her faith to

God of her fathers, though by the charge of Mordecai she kept her nation and kindred secret from the king. While placed in a position far the

above that of her early benefactor, the young queen still rendered to Mordecai the dutiful obedience of a daughter.

made known

Through her the Jew

Ahasuerus a secret plot to assassinate him, which had been made by two of his chamberlains.

to

The

conspirators

of death,

punishment

suffered

warning the king owed the preservation of life,

sat

palace,

after

the

but he to whose timely his

in the gate of the royal

day day unrewarded and neglected.

Through

this gate passed

Haman, the proud As he moved

favourite of the Persian monarch.

on with a stately step amongst the courtiers and servants of the king, every head, save one, was

bowed down save one

!

before

him

—

all

did

him obeisance

That one was Mordecai. the

bold, un-

29

THE HISTORY OF ESTHER. r/iO^'l^-y^.

il^^^P ,i||§'%; rK >«

^

QUEEN ESTHER.

compromising Jew, who scorned to pay any mark of respect to

him who was the enemy of

his faith

THE HISTORY OF ESTHER.

30

—

him who belonged to the by a just God to destruction, Haman was not a man to to

guilty tribe

doomed

forgive that

which

he looked upon as an insult. Boiling with rage, he determined that not only should Mordecai expiate his offence with his

life,

of his race should be swept

but that the whole

away by one

act of

indiscriminate vengeance. The arbitrary temper of Ahasuerus, and his blind confidence in his wicked minister, too well seconded the bloody designs of

Haman.

This unprincipled favourite succeeded in obtaining from the despot a decree for the

Jewish people throughout Neither age nor of his extensive dominions. of the

extermination all

the babe was to be be spared arms of its mother, and the spoil of the murdered victims was to be the prey A time was actually of the merciless Haman

sex were

to

;

slaughtered in the

!

fixed

upon by

horrible

massacre,

God, the lot sciences

mous to

fell

the perpetration of the but, by the providence of for

upon a distant day.

untroubled by a

guilt,

feast

lot

and

Ahasuerus to

drink,

sense

and while

enor-

of their

Haman all

Their con-

sat

down

Shushan was

by the fearful decree that was to destroy a peaceful nation from the face of the earth startled

!

THE HISTORY OF ESTHER.

When

31

Mordecai heard of the king's command-

ment, he rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city,

and

cried

with a loud and bitter

in every province into

And

cry.

which the king's decree

came, there was great mourning amongst the Jews,

and

and weeping, and wailing and many sackcloth and ashes. Esther heard of the

fasting,

lay in

;

deep distress of Mordecai, though, secluded as she was in the royal apartments, she seems not to

have been fully aware of

its

She sent

cause.

Hatach, the king's chamberlain, to Mordecai, and received through him a copy of the dreadful decree, and a charge to go herself to the despot, and make supplication for her persecuted people. This message threw the young queen into great

perplexity and

disti'ess.

For thirty

days

the

capricious monarch had expressed no wish to see her, and to enter unbidden into his presence

exposed any intruder to the penalty of death, unless the monarch should extend his golden sceptre in token of pardon and grace. Through the

medium

of

difficulties

Hatach,

and

fears

resolute spirit of the

Esther to

communicated her

Mordecai.

But

to the

Jew but one path appeared

open to his adopted daughter, and that was the

THE HISTORY OF ESTHER.

32

Whatever might be the difficulty, path of duty. she must brave it whatever might be the danger, He reminded Esther that it she must dare it ;

!

was probably for this very purpose that she had been raised to share the throne of Ahasuerus.

The reply of the queen showed her piety and her obedience, and her resolution at

all

hazards

She besought Mor-

to intercede for her nation.

decai to gather together all the

Jews that were

then in Shushan, that they might plead for her with that Almighty Ruler in whose hand are the hearts of kings. of three days,

She promised that at the end

which she would herself devote

to

solemn prayer, she would appear before Ahasuerus, concluding her message with the touching words, "

And

if I perish, I

"

perish

!

The third day arrived, and the trembling Esther She put on her prepared to redeem her promise. royal apparel, the rich garments and glittering jewels whose splendour seemed a mockery of the fear and sorrow of her whom they adorned. And so Esther ventured into the presence of the despot,

not armed with great natural courage, but leaning on that invisible Protector who can give streno-th to the

weak and heroism

to

the fearful.

suerus beheld his beauteous queen, and

Ahaall

his

THE HISTORY OF ESTHER.

33

ESTHER APPEABINO BEFORE KINO AHASUERUS.

affection

towards her revived

:

he held out his

golden sceptre, and perceiving that no light motive could have induced her to brave the peril (29r,l

3

THE HISTORY OF ESTHER.

34 of death,

"

What

wilt thou,

"and what

cried;

is

It

thy request?

" ?

he

shall

be

Queen Esther

given to thee to the half of the kingdom." Notwithstanding the relief which the young Jewess experienced at the first peril being happily past,

she

was not yet prepared

secret of her race,

hitherto

disclose

to

the

carefully concealed.

She confined herself to a request that the king and Haman should that day attend a banquet which she had prepared.

The request was

instantly granted

;

the monarch

and his favourite appeared at the feast and again Ahasuerus gave a gracious promise to his queen ;

"

What

—

thy request ? even to the half of the Again Esther kingdom it shall be performed." She entreated her lord to sought a brief delay. is

come with Haman

another banquet on the morrow, and promised that she then would declare the subject of her anxious desires.

Haman

left

to

the presence of the queen

glad,

and with a joyful heart. Honoured as no other had been honoured, the spirit of the subject Amalekite was lifted up with pride. He approached the gate at which Mordecai still sat. Surely now the firmness of the Jew will give way he will yield reverence at last to one who has so ;

THE HISTORY OF ESTHER. fearfully

shown

36

his disposition to revenge,

to gi'atify

No

it.

and

his

Mordecai stoops

not, power and the tyrant passes on, full of rage against one whom he may kill, but whom he cannot conquer. !

On what a slight thread hangs human happiness, when such a breath can destroy it Haraan had !

that the world could give, but one evil pasRion, like a viper in the breast, poisoned in a moment

all

every spring of enjoyment. a miserable

man

—

strained to publish to others to

himself.

Haman and

Zeresh his wife, riches, the

He went

called

home

to his

so miserable, that he

was con-

what was humiliating for his friends,

them of the glory of

told

and his

multitude of his children, the favour

and the repeated invitations with which Esther the queen had honoured him closof his sovereign,

;

all

with this striking confession of the vanity

ing of earthly greatness

—

"

Yet

all

this availeth

nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the at the gate of the

Jew

me

sitting

"

king

!

Zeresh appeared a meet counsellor for so unShe and her pi'incipled a man as her husband. friends assured

Haman

that the object of his hate

could be easily destroyed, without waiting for the "Let a gallows day appointed for the massacre.

be

made

fifty cubits

high," said they,

"and

to-

36

THE HISTORY OF ESTHER.

morrow speak thou nnto the king that Mordecai

may

be hanged thereon

;

then go thou merrily

unto the banquet." The wicked counsel pleased Haman, and he caused the gallows at once to be made.

CHAPTEK

III.

CONTINUATION OF TUE HISTORY OF ESTHER. Persian Records

— Malice Defeated — Pleading Esther— Punishment of Haman — Triumph the Jews. of

of

i!HAT night King Ahasuei'us could not Those peaceful slumbers which sleep. the meanest of his subjects could enjoy, fled

from the eyelids of the monarch.

It does

not appear, however, that the rest of the despot was destroyed by any thought of the thousands of innocent families

doomed by

Unable to

his caprice to de-

obtain

the king sleep, ordered that the book of records should be brought and read before him and as he listened to the struction.

;

account of the events of his reign, the conspiracy of his servants, and the means by which the dangerous plot had been discovered, were brought to the remembrance of the monarch.

CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF ESTHER.

38 ''

What honour and

dignity hath been done to

Mordecai?" said the king. " There is nothing done

for

him,"

was the

reply.

"Who "

in the court?" asked Ahasuerus.

is

Behold, Hainan standeth in the court," an-

swered his servants.

"Let him come

Now Haman

in," said the king.

had come into the outer court

to

procure from his master an order to hang Mordecai on the lofty gallows which had been erected. Full of his evil design, he presented himself before the king. "

What

shall

be done to the

king delighteth to

honour?"

man whom

the

said Ahasuerus, ad-

dressing his favourite.

Now Haman

thought

in his heart,

"

To whom

would the king delight to do honour more than myself?" and eager to obtain the most distinguished mark of royal favour, to which his ambito

presumptuous heart could aspire, Haman " Let the royal apparel be replied to his lord,

tious,

brought which the king useth to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which

is set upon his head and let this and horse be delivered to one of the king's apparel :

THE BOOK OF RECORDS.

CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF ESTHER.

40

most noble

princes, that they

may

array the

man

that the king delighteth to honour, and liorseback through the street of the

withal

bring him on

and proclaim before him,

city,

man whom

done to the

'

Thus

shall it be

the king delighteth to

honour.'"

Then Ahasuerus

said to Hainan,

"

Make

haste,

take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, Let noand do even so to Mordecai the Jew. thing

fail

What on

that thou hast spoken." must have been the feelings of Hainan of

all

most

unexpected command, What an instant dispute must have been the torment of his soul when he receiving

this

which he dared not

for

!

through the city his intended victim, crowned and royally apparelled, and proclaimed aloud to led

wondering crowds, that the despised and

Jew was one whom

secuted

honour

!

per-

the king delighted to

Doubtless Mordecai received this singu-

reward as a token of good from the King of kings, as a sign that his prayers had been heard

lar

by Him who can give beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

His hateful commission executed, Hainan hurback to his home, mourning and with his face

ried

CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF ESTHER.

He

covered.

found

little

41

consolation there from

who

on the preceding day had encouraged " If Mordecai be of him in the path of crime. those

the

seed of the

begun

"

Haman,

whom

before

Jews,

to fall," said Zeresh

thou hast

and her friends unto

thou shalt not prevail against him, but

shall surely fall before him."

And

while they were yet talking to Haman, the king's chamberlains arrived, and hastened to bring him to the banquet, to which he had been invited by the queen. Then at the feast Esther at length made known to Ahasuerus the grief that weighed upon her heart,

own

and pleaded with earnest eloquence for her and the lives of her nation; "For we

life

are sold,"

she exclaimed,

be destroyed, to be "

Who

is

"

and

I

my

people, to

slain, to perish !"

he," cried the astonished king,

"

that

durst presume in his heart to do so ?"

Then

enemy The

Esther

is

this

king's

Thoughtlessly dreaming that

replied,

"The

adversary

and

wicked Haman." indignation

he had

knew

signed

no

bounds.

the decree,

little

could possibly compromise the Haman saw safety even of his beloved Esther the rising anger of his master, and, in an agony of it

!

CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF ESTHER.

42

terror, made supplication for liis life to the queen. But he who had shown no mercy found none in

his

hour of need.

oppose him

in his

hasten his downfal.

who was

Those who had not dared

to

power, were now

to

One

present told the

eager

of the chamberlains

incensed monarch

the gallows fifty cubits high, erected

of

by Haman

for Mordecai.

The "Hang him thereon!" cried the king. just command was instantly obeyed, and the wretched Haman was cut off in his wicked career by the very death which he had designed another

for

!

was

easy to revoke the murderous order which had already been proclaimed, by reason of It

less

that law of the

Medes and

royal decrees irrevocable.

Persians,

which made

But Ahasuerus did

all

that he could do to counteract the evil effects of his

own sinful compliance.

A decree was published

throughout the land, permitting the Jews to defend themselves against any enemy that might dare to attack them. The result was the com-

triumph of the persecuted race over all hatred induced to attempt to execute the Mordecai was raised to high king's first decree. plete

whom

power, and

his

fame spread throughout

all

the

CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF ESTHER.

43

the Jews had rest, and peace, and provinces and an annual feast was appointed in favour ;

;

commemoration of the great deliverance which the Lord had wrought for his people, through the instrumentality of a feeble

woman

!

CHAPTEll IV THE JEWS UNDER NEHEMIAII. Neliemi;ili's Petition

— Building the Wall — Reading of the Scriptures— Nehemiah Reforms Abuses.

jlANY years had passed since the events recorded in the last chapter had taken Ahasuerus was dead,

place.

and Ar-

taxerxes his son reigned on the throne of Persia. Ezra had for about ten years been pursuing his labours at Jerusalem, \shen the Lord raised up

another

leader

for

his

people

in

the

court

of

Shushan.

Nehemiah, one of the Jewish responsible xerxes.

office

He was

an earnest and

exiles,

of cup-bearer to

held the

King Arta-

a devout servant of God, and

devoted

patriot.

Amidst the

splendours of a royal palace, his thoughts recurred often to hi 3 suffering brethren at Jerusalem, and

THE JEWS UNDER NEHEMIAH

45

KD PERSIAN OUP-BBARER.

ardently did he desire the prosperity of the city of David.

These

were kindled into a warmer

feelings

glow by the report which Nehemiah received from some of his countrymen who had returned From them he heard that the remfrom Judea. nant of the people that were great

affliction

and reproach

left in ;

Zion were

in

that the wall of

Jerusalem lay in ruins that its gates had been burned with fire and that aid from their breth;

;

THE JEWS UNDER NEHEMIAH.

46 ren

the Euphrates was urgently needed

bej-^ond

by the Jews

in the city.

This aid Nehemiah was anxious to give, but not felt apprehensive of difficulties in the way ;

the difficulty of quitting the pleasures and luxuries

of the magnificent palace in which he held

so honourable a place,

but that of obtaining the consent of his royal master to his departure for It is said that the nearest the land of Judea.

through Heaven such had been the experience of Esther, such now was the experience of Nehemiah. Fervently and

way

to reach

any heart

is

;

humbly he entreated the Lord

to give

him favour

in the sight of the king.

The anxiety which oppressed the noble Jew, expressed itself in accordance with his in

his

when, in he placed the wine-cup

countenance,

office,

the hand of Artaxerxes.

servant's look of depression,

The

kinsr noticed his

and inquired

its cause.

"

"

Let the king live for ever," replied Nehemiah; why should not ray countenance be sad, when

the city, the place of

my

father's sepulchres, lieth

waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?"

Then thou

said the king to him, "

make

request ?"

For what dost

THE JEWS UNDER NEHEMIAH.

Nehemiah made

ere he

silently lifted

up

his reply to the

and

please the king,

if

47

his heart in prayer

monarch

:

—

"

If

it

thy servant have found

favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my father's sepulchres, that I

build

may

it."

Artaxerxes received the petition with favour. He not only permitted the departure of Nehemiah,

but provided for him an

and gave him letters on the other side of government the Euphrates, 457 B.C. It is from the year in which the Persian monarch issued his decree, perescort,

to the officers of

mitting the rebuilding of Jerusalem, that is dated the commencement of the weeks of prophetic years, at the close of which the Lord Jesus was crucified (Dan. ix. 25).

Nehemiah soon

found, on his arrival at Jerusa-

lem, that his position there

would be one of great

difficulty, requiring both judgment and courage. The enemies of the Jews, especially Sanballat the

Horonite, and Tobiah the Ammonite, were possessed of power, cunning, and the most deter-

mined resolution

to prevent the rebuilding of the

ruined wall. It

was

in the stillness of nio-ht that a sing-le

horseman, accompanied by a few attendants on

THE JEWS UNDER NEHEMIAH.

48

passed out through the gate of the valley. Thoughtfully he rode on where in ancient and foot,

happier times the

He

stood.

had

Jerusalem

of

gazed sorrowfully on the blackened

ruins over which passed.

bulwarks

But

it

the

Assyrian conquerors had

was not

to

woe over the desolation of

mourn

in unavailing

his country that Nehe-

miah made that midnight survey.

was ruined he resolved to

That which

repair, and,

with the

blessing of God, to encircle the city once

more

with a protecting wall.

and yet more by his example, Nehemiah animated his countrymen to exertion.

By

his words,

Jerusalem was portioned out to the most zealous of the people, and each in his own

The

circuit of

division set heartily to work.

and Tobiah

In vain Sanballat

tried to discourage the builders

representing their against Persia.

patriotic

as

efforts

by

rebellion

In vain, time after time, they

endeavoured to entice Nehemiah into a

village,

that they might deprive the Jews of him who was " I am the life and soul of their undertaking. a so I that cannot come down," doing great work,

was Nehemiah's answer posals.

A

to their

yet deeper snare was

insidious pro-

laid.

Nehemiah

was warned of a plot to assassinate him, and was

*

THE JEWS UNDER NEHEMIAII. urged to

fly to

But again the brave

the temple.

leader's self-devotion defeated

exclaimed

would

The and

the schemes of his

"Should such a man

enemies. ;

"and who

49

as I flee?"

he

he that being as I am,

is

go into the temple to save his life ?" adversaries tried the effect of mockery

scorn.

As they viewed the unceasing labours

" Will they," cried Sanballat, of the builders, " revive the stones out of the rubbish that is

"If a fox come up," rejoined the insolent Tobiah, "he shall even break down their But notwithstanding this hatred stone wall." rose higher and higher. Then wall and scorn, the

burned?"

Jews resolved to use than formidable more words, and conweapons The peril was builders. spired to attack the the bitter adversaries of the

but Nehemiah and his followers were equal A watch was kept both by the occasion.

great, to

they that builded the wall, night and by day and they that bare burdens, each with one hand wrought in the work, and with the other grasped ;

a

weapon

for defence.

watch against the

foe,

Nehemiah,

ever on the

changed not his garments,

but lay down night after night in his daily attire, sound of danger. prepared to start up at the first

He

kept a trumpeter at his

(896)

4

side,

and said

to th,e

THE JEWS UNDER NEHEMIAH.

50

ANCIENT BUILDING TOOLS.

nobles and the people, large,

in

"

Tlie

work

and we are separated one

what

far

is

great and

from another;

place therefore that ye hear the sound of

the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us

:

our

God

shall fight for us !"

By

the indefatigable exertions of these devoted

men, in the short space of fifty-two days the wall was completed. The enemies were cast down

and discouraged,

for

they perceived that this work

was of God.

And

so,

in the midst of a

and hates them, God's tions, pursue the

world that despises

people, through all genera-

work that

is

given them to do

;

THE JEWS UNDER NEHEMIAH. with one hand, as

it

51

were, armed to fight against

and inward corruptions, the other He busily engaged in works of piety and love. besetting sins

tliat will

not

fight,

that will not labour

is is

unworthy

to labour

unprepared to fight.

;

he

It is

they who, through faith, conquer sin and self, that are found most zealous in every good work.

The activity

Nehemiah was equal to his and courage. With free hospitality he

liberality

of

daily entertained at his fifty

of

the Jews.

own

This,

table a

and

hundred and

other expenses,

Nehemiah defrayed from his own purse, refusing to draw from the people even the allowances due to his office. his

influence,

This generous conduct strengthened and enabled him with more bold-

ness to denounce

and crush a hateful system

of

usury which prevailed at this time amongst the who took advantage of the wants of their brethren, to take from them their lands, and richer Jews,

even their freedom. Nehemiah induced his countrymen to enter into a solemn covenant with the Lord

—a covenant

to obey all the law, to refrain from with the heathen, to bring due offermarriages ings to the temple, and to keep the Sabbath holy.

A reverence was shown for the

Scriptures,

which

was one of the most encouraging; signs of

reviv-

THE JEWS UNDER NEIIEMIAH.

52

A pulpit of wood was erected in ing religion. one of the streets of Jerusalem, and from this, from morning

till

noonday, Ezra the priest read aloud

from the book of the law of Moses. tude of

listenei's

was immense

themselves

;

together as hearken to the word of the Lord.

gathered

The multi-

all

the

one

people

man

When

to

Ezra

opened the book in the sight of

this vast crowd, When he blessed reverently stood up to listen. the Lord the great God, a loud, fervent Amen

all

burst from the dense mass of the people, thousands of hands were lifted up towards heaven, and

then the multitudes of Judah

bowed

their head?

and worshipped with their faces to the ground. After some time spent in labours for his countiy,

Nehemiah returned

to the court of Persia,

having

received only leave of temporary absence. But the disorders which again crei)t in amongst the

backsliding Jews necessitated a second journey to Notwith stand ins: the strict Jerusalem, 434 B.C.

law which forbade the entrance of Ammonites and other heathens into the temple,

the high priest

had actually prethe courts of the

Eliashib, being allied to Tobiah, for

him a chamber

pared house of the Lord disregarded

;

in

The Sabbath was by many the wine-press was trodden, burdens !

THE JEWS UNDER NEHEMIAH. carried,

53

and merchandise sold on the day that was The Levites were neglected, their

holy to God.

dues were unpaid, and again some of the Jews

had with

fallen into the grievous sin of intermarrying idolaters.

Nehemiah suppressed firm and judicious

these disorders

with a

hand, strengthening himself

by prayer, and supported in ail his difiiculties and labours by the consciousness of the presence of that Almighty Being whom he was humbly endeavouring to serve.

CONTEMPORANEOUS EVENTS. B.C.

Decemvirs banisheil from l!attering-ram inventeil

Rome

449

HI

CHAPTEK

V.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT. Murder

of

Joshua

Siege of

— A Temj^le raised on Mount Gerizim — Battle of

Tyre— The White Robe

E now

Issus—

— Murder of Darius.

lose the sure o;uidance of the sacred

writings,

the

Procession

and must pursue our way by

dimmer

light of uninspired history.

"

The two books of the Maccabees," writes Dr. Gray, "were certainly composed after the succesOf sion of prophets had ceased among the Jews," "

It was probably writa by contemporary author, who had witnessed part the scenes which he so minutely and graphi-

the

first

book he observes,

ten in

cally describes

" ;

and of the second book, which

contains the account of Heliodoros and the martyr-

dom of the seven brethren, "The fathers in general cite history,

this writer remarks,

the book as a useful

but not asof authority in points of doctrine."

ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

55

After the time of Nehemiali, Judea ceased to

form a distinct government, and was joined to the Its internal government was, satrapy of Syria. in the hands of its own high priests, and however,

the civil it

power thus annexed

to this office

made

an object of great ambition, and unhappily gave

rise to disgraceful contests.

On

the death of Eliashib,

413

his son

B.C.,

Joiada or Judas succeeded to the dignity of high After he also had been removed by death, priest. a wicked dispute arose between

two of

his sons,

Johanan and Joshua, as to which should

fill

the

sacred

office. Johanan, like another Cain, slew Joshua in the inner court of the temple, and the

holy place was polluted with blood shed by a brother's hand. Bagoses, the satrap of Syria,

hearing of this horrible crime, came to Jerusalem to take account of

it.

On

his going into the temple to

examine

the spot where Joshua had been killed, the priests

would have hindered his entrance, as no Gentile

was permitted "

What

carcass of

to cross the sacred threshold.

am I not more pure than the dead him whom ye have slain in the temple ? " !

exclaimed the indignant satrap ing the

Jews

for suffering

;

and

after rebuk-

the house of their

God

ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

56

imposed upou them, as a punishment, a heavy tax upon the lambs that were ofi^ered in sacrifice. to

be thus

defiled,

The nation

lie

at this time

had

fallen into a grievous

The and formality in religion. and and looked were corrupted, worldly priesthood

state of coldness

upon the services of the temple as a weariness, unwilling to perform even the smallest without

some earthly reward. ones

ful

left

But there were yet

in the land

—

those

who

faith-

feared the

Lord, and spake often to each other, and feared " the name of the Holy One of Israel. They shall

be Mine," said the Lord by the prophet Micah,

day when I make up My spare them as a man spareth that

jewels, his

and

own

"

in

I will

son that

serveth him."

Of such appears priest,

341

Jaddua, who

B.C.

to have been the next high succeeded his father, Johanan,

This faithful servant of God endeavoured

to follow in the

steps of Nehemiah, expelling his brother Manasses for marrying the daughter of Sanballat, the Cuthite governor of Samaria.

own

Manasses then repaired to his wife's father, and the Samaritans availed themselves of the presence of a

member

of the pontifical family to erect a

temple of their

own upon

tlie

Mount

Gerizim, of

ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

57

which Manasses was made high priest. This measure greatly widened the breach between the Jews and the Samaritans the rivahy of the two nations increased the bitter antipathy which liad ;

long existed between them.

The period

at length

arrived

when

the

Jews

exchange the yoke of Persia for that of another foreign nation. The winged leopard of to

wei'e

Grecia,

beheld in vision by Daniel, was now to the bear of Persia

follow the Assyrian lion and

the

kingdom of

brass, as the

;

prophet had foretold

Nebuchadnezzar, was to succeed to the kingdom of silver. Alexander the Great, king of to

Macedon, at the head of his Greeks, in a great victory at Issus crushed the Daiius,

which he afterwards completely destroyed.

The conqueror marched victory,

power of the Persian

summoned

its

into Syria

after

various nations to

his

yield

submission, and laid siege to the city of Tyre, a place of great strength and importance, 332 B.C.

Tyre was a stronghold of superstition and idolaCelebrated for her commerce, her merchants try. were

princes, her traffickers the honourable of the

earth.

city

But the destruction of

had been

this

idolatrous

foretold centuries previously, both

by the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel.

"I

will cast

ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

58

thee to the ground,

I

bring thee to ashes upon the earth, in the

will

them that

sight of all

be-

hold thee," had been the

message of the Lord while yet Tyre stood in her strength and beauty, with

no one to make her afraid.

And now TYRE.

consciously

was

fulfilled

by

the prophecy

literally

Alexander.

treme a

though un-

With

difficulty,

ex-

but with

perseverance

which

overcame every obstacle, the great Macedonian seized

upon the mighty

He

city.

liurned

it

mercilessly

to the ground,

and

destroyed or enslaved its people. In vain ALKXANDEK TUE OREAT.

upon

their

idols,

had the Tyrians to the

prayed

called

deaf ears that

not hear, sought help of the hands that could not save! Eight thousand of the uncould

fortunate citizens

fell

in

the sack of the town,

and were buried beneath

its

ashes;

and two

ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

60

thousand were barbarously crucified by order the stern Alexander,

of

And now

the conqueror, flushed with success, Terror and turned his march towards Jerusalem.

alarm spread through that ful in

their allegiance to

The Jews, faithPersia, had refused to

city.

supply the enemy of King Darius with the provisions which he had demanded for the sustenance of his army.

whose

spirit

This had greatly instated Alexander, little able to brook such opposi-

was

tion to his despotic will.

As soon

as the ruin of

Tyre was complete, the fierce conqueror therefore advanced upon Jerusalem, with intention to punish people for daring to disobey his commands. In the extremity of their danger, Jaddua and his countrymen threw themselves on the protecits

tion of their God. their distress,

and

They implored their prayers

his succour in

were heard and

answered. In a vision of the night Jaddua was directed to go out and meet Alexander dressed in the gor-

geous robes of his office, and attended by a company of the priests, and all the people in white garments. They were not to draw the sword or the spear, but go forth to the destroyer of Tyre with no jnotection but that of the invisible lift

ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

61

Jehovah stretched out to defend them. Jaddua obeyed the command, and on the next day

arm

of

Jerusalem in the manner dh-ected. The white-robed procession slowly mounted a hill which commanded a prospect of the country left

around them.

Doubtless

many

a heart trembled,

cheek grew pale with fear, when a and many cloud of dust in the distance showed the apa,

Alexander's army proach of the terrible foe the drew nearer and nearer, sunlight flashing from their weapons. Would not these weapons !

soon be

dimmed

in the blood of their unarmed,

unresisting victims

?

Once more the Lord showed his irresistible power over the hearts of men. see

No

sooner did Alexander

the high priest, followed

by

the people, ad-

sudden vancing towards him, than, as if struck by the meet procession, awe, he hastened forward to and, to the astonishment of his

obeisance

to

the venerable

own

Jaddua.

troops, did

While

all

stood amazed at this most unexpected conduct on the part of the offended conqueror, Parmenio, who was one of his friends, ventured to ask him the

reason of

one Jew.

it,

adored,

and

to inquire

should

pay

why such

he,

whom

adoration

every to

a

ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

62

Alexander answered that to the

was not

to him, but

God whom Jaddua served, that he paid for that when he had been in Macemeditating the war against Persia, whicli

adoration donia,

it

;

had been since so successfully begun, he had beheld in a dream this very high priest arrayed in such a dress as that which he now wore, who bade

him pass boldly into Persia, promising that God should be his guide, and bestow upon him victory and

success.

Then turning

to

the

high

priest

Jaddua, Alexander cordiallv embraced him, and entered Jerusalem in his company, where the

proud conqueror of Persia offered

God

sa/Crifices to

the

of Jacob.

Jaddua having shown to Alexander the prophecies in which his triumphs were predicted, the king of Macedon left Jerusalem assured of that which followed his arms. He called the

success

Jews together before his departure, and graciously bade them ask of him whatever they might desire. petitioned that they might be permitted the free exercise of their religion and laws, and be

They

exempted from taxes every seventh year, during which they neither sowed nor reaped, but left the land to enjoy her Sabbaths, according to the commandment of God.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

To when tans,

63

Alexander graciously acceded but similar petitions were offered by the S?imariall tills

;

who had

merited well of the Macedonian

monarch, by sending the supplies which the Jews had refused, Alexander returned a courteous but

evasive

reply,

some future

at

fully to inform

compliance till, he should have leisure

deferring

period,

himself on the subject of their

demands.

Alexander then pursued his victorious Darius,

after

a

defeat at

Arbela,

fled

career.

towards

sus,

but was traitorously murdered by Besone of his own nobles. Alexander reached

the

summit

Bactria,

of

power and

pride.

But he who

was the lord of many nations was the slave of own sinful passions Alexander conquered his

his

:

outward within.

foes, but not the more dangerous ones Intoxicated with vainglory, he fancied

himself to be more than man.

temperance, in a friend Clitus,

and by

Addicted to

revel he killed his

in-

own

his wild excesses shortened

This extraordinary man died in the prime of his days and the zenith of his power, 823 B.C., leaving the vast empire which his prowess had subdued to be split into various his

own

drunken

existence.

kingdoms, and to be made the object of fearful

64 strife

ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

and bloodshed amongst

his contending gene-

rals.

CONTEMPORANEOUS EVENTS. 441—323

B.C.

RO.

War

Peloponnesian began Retreat of the 10,000 Greeks Death of Socrates Battle of Leuctra

431 401 ...

400 371

CHAPTEH YL JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF EGYPT.

—The Soothsayer and the Archer — Profanity of Ptolemy — Persecution of the Jews —Judea Wrested from Egypt.

Jerusalem Taken Philopater

N

the

first

division of Alexander's empire,

Syria devolved to Laomedon, and Egypt to

war

arose,

was that

Ptolemy Soter. and its result

Between them

the provinces

all

Laomedon submitted to Ptolemy. The Jews alone,

of

faithful to the oath

they had taken feated

bend

ruler,

to

the

which

to the de-

refused

to

conqueror.

Ptolemy marched against Jerusalem,

now (296)

which,

strongly

being

fortified,

PTOLEMY

SOTF.R

a

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF EGYPT.

66

might have held out against him, but Umt the Jews, from a scrupulous regard to the sanctity of Sabbath, would not at this period defend themselves on that holy day, 320 B.C. Ptolemy did not treat the Jews with great severity for,

the

;

though he sent a large number of them into Egypt, it was rather as colonists than bondsmen.

The son and

successor of this king was a great of patron learning, and spared no expense in procuring curious books for his famous library in

He

Alexandria. to

caused the

be rendered into Greek

translation

still

exists

Hebrew and

Scriptures

this

important under the name of the ;

Septuagint, from the tradition that seventy persons were employed in completing it.

Not only did Ptolemy avail himself Jews as regarded literature them were also enlisted in the army

services of the

of

Egyptian

who had stition

ruler.

An

anecdote

is

of

the

—some of the

related of one

the courage openly to reprove the super-

of the idolatrous soldiery amongst

whom

he was serving. This man,

whose name was Mosullum, was

noted for his valour, and famous for his singular skill in archery. As, on one occasion, he was travelling towards the

Red Sea with

his companions,

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF EGYPT.

67

a cei'tain soothsayer, who accompanied the band, commanded an instant halt. Mosullum demanded his reason for the delay, "

Look

"

ye," answered the foreteller of events

behold that bird before

ye are to stand

ward

;

he

if

;

If that bird stands,

us.

and

rises

flies on,

go

for-

the bird takes his flight the contrary way, you must all return back again." ;

if

The Jew, without speaking another word, an arrow to the string, and let fly at the which, the next moment, to

the ground.

fell

fitted

bird,

fluttering in death

Furious indignation was instantly

amongst the superstitious beholders against But Mosullum the author of so daring an act.

excited

opposed calm reason to the folly of those who put " How could that poor creature," faith in omens. " said he, pretend to foreshow us our fortune, that

knew nothing

of its

own ?

If this

bird

could have foretold good or evil to come, it would have kept out of this place for fear of being slain

by the arrow of Mosullum the Jew." Onias, the first high priest at Jerusalem, having died,

300

B.C.,

was succeeded by Simon

who, from the holiness of his

life

his son,

and the

right-

eousness of his actions, was surnamed Simon the

Just

This good

man

completed the canon of

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF EGYPT.

68

and the Old Testament, as it has been handed down to us, was in its perfect fornn

the Scriptures

received

;

Simon died 291

by the Jews.

and

B.C.,

Onias .succeeded to the high priesthood. Egypt, to which, as has been seen, Judea was at this period subject,

was ruled by a succession

who all bore the title of Ptolemy. remarkable instance of the reverence with

of sovereigns,

A wliich

the monarchs

whom

to

the Jews were

tributary often regarded the religion

Jews

professed,

which those

was shown

by Ptolemy Euergetes, in the On returning year 245 B.C. from a successful expedition, tliis

kin2f of a

most idolatrous

nation chose to take his tlirouoh Jerusalem,

render thanks to the PTOLKJIV EUEROETES.

confided

God

of

Israel for the victories he had

obtained over Svria. of truth,

way

and there

to

We

thus see that the light

the

Jews, .shed a partial

radiance over the nations

liy

which they were

surrounded.

A higli

young Jew, named Joseph, nephew of the priest

Onias,

Ptolemy Euergetes.

rose

high

He was

in

the favour

admitted

to

of

the

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF EGYPT. office

69

of receiver-general in the provinces of Coele-

Syria,

Phoenicia,

his great

Judea, and Samaria

;

and, like

of the same name, acquitted

countryman wisdom and prudence, that he

himself with such

won and kept

for

many

years the confidence of

the king of Egypt.

In 216

B.C., Simon, second high priest of that succeeded his father Onias, who had been name, a weak and covetous old man, intent upon no-

thing so much as amassing treasure for himself. It was well that one of a nobler character had

now

entered upon so important an office, for a time of great difficulty was near, when the Jews

would especially require courage and strong faith in their leader.

Ptolemy Philopater mounted the throne of This young

his father.

man was

stained with

the darkest crimes

:

was the murderer of mother and

he his

his brother,

and subsequently proved himself a barbarous persecutor.

PTOLEMY PHILOPATER.

He, however, appeared di.sposed in the

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF EGYPT.

70

of his reign, to render, as his father

earlier part

had done, honour to the great God of

He

Israel.

visited Jerusalem, offered sacrifices to the Lord,

and presented valuable

Per-

gifts to the temple.

haps the conscience of this wicked prince was not altogether silent, and he thought by his oblations to appease that great

Being who

is

of purer eyes

than to behold iniquity. But Ptolemy was not contented with viewing the

of the

outside

Jehovah

;

beautiful

he was resolved to

temple

raised

to

visit the sanctuary,

Holy of holies into which none but the high priest was permitted to enter, and that to tread that

This raised an only on the day of atonement. Simon opposed the outcry all through the city. entrance of the profane king into the holy temple he declared to him the law which forbade it but ;

;

Ptolemy was disposed to regard no law but that of his

own

Disregarding the expostulations of the high priest, and the distress and horror expressed in the countenances of the capricious will.

Levites, he pressed into the inner court,

and was

about to enter the sanctuary, when the wicked king was suddenly struck with such a terror

and confusion of mind, that he was utterly unable to proceed, and he was carried half dead

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF EGYPT. out of the place which an invisible

Power

71 pro-

tected.

Rao-e

and hatred swelled

in the heart of the

He had been conquered disappointed monarch. by fear, and he now sought to cover his mortification

the worshippers of the

by revenge upon

On his return to his capiomnipotent Jehovah. Alexandria tal Ptolemy at once degraded all the Jews, who were living there in great numbers,

—

—

and commanded that each should be branded with the badge of Bacchus the mark of an ivy-leaf

—

the o'od

of wine,

whom

this miserable idolater

All who refused to receive this dismark were ordered to be put to death;

worshipped. graceful

but such as sacrificed to the

false

gods were to

enjoy equal privileges with the Macedonians, the Of the many thouoriginal founders of the city. sands of Jews

who were

in Alexandria, only three

hundred persons were found base enough to sake their God to win the favour of the king.

for-

Enraged at the firmness of the majority, Ptolemy Jews in Alex-

resolved to punish not only the andria, but those

dominions.

He

who dwelt

in

sent orders that

any part of all

who were

his

in

Egypt should be sent to the capital in chains. There, it is said, that a great multitude of victims

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OP EGYPT.

72

being thus gathered together, the tyrant shut in the hippodrome, a large place without

them up

the city used for horse-races and games, and appointed a certain day in which they were all to

be destroyed by elephants. Crowds assembled on this day to witness the horrible spectacle but the king had sat up so ;

on the previous night at a drunken revel, that he slept on that morning beyond the hour late

which had been fixed upon for the show. Nothcould be in done his absence the massacre ing :

was deferred

morrow a

till

the

morrow

;

and again on the

similar cause occasioned a similar delay.

time the Jews, shut up in the hippodrome, ceased not by earnest, humble prayer

During

all

this

to implore that mercy from God which they could not hope for from the tyrant.

On

the third day the king took his seat to Multitudes hastened

behold the fearful execution.

with barbarous eagerness to the

spot, to see their

unhappy fellow-creatures torn limb from

limb,

no other crime than that of holding fast their The huge elephants were brought holy faith. for

forth,

maddened with frankincense and wine, that

they might with inore rage execute the king's vengeance upon his innocent sul;jects.

PESHffii

> z o

>

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF EGYPT.

74

But no sooner were the

animals

fierce

let loose,

than, neglecting their intended victims, they broke

and furiously rushed upon the crowds The air was assembled to view the execution bounds,

!

filled

with loud shrieks and

foot,

the multitudes

dismay but many were trampled under many were destroyed by the savage ele-

in

fled

cries,

;

Ptolemy, a witness of the terrible scene, phants. dared no longer oj^pose his puny strength to the he dared no irresistible power of Israel's God ;

who were so manifestly He revoked all his de-

longer persecute the Jews,

by Heaven. against them, and loaded them with favours

protected crees

and

216

gifts,

The

tyrant

205

died,

B.C.

B.C.,

Philopater while yet

in the prime of his

hood

;

and

as

devolved on a

his

little

mantitle

child,

Antiochus the Great, king of Syria, soon succeeded in wresting Judea and other provinces from the Egyptian ANTIOOHUS THE GREAT.

means regretted

this

willingly rendered

up

crown.

The Jews by no

change of masters.

They

their strongholds to Anti-

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF EGYPT. ochus

;

priests

and on

and

his

elders

75

advancing to Jerusalem, the

went

forth in

procession

to

meet him, and received him with gladness. They had little reason, indeed, to uphold the cause of their

Egyptian tyrants.

CONTEMPORANEOUS EVENTS. 323—205 Beginning of the first Second Punic War Battle of

Canna

Punic War

B.C.

B C. 264 218 216

CHAPTER

Vli.

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF SYRIA. The Bright Horseman

— The Temple Profaned— The Image of Jupiter—

Tlie

Mother and

NTIOCHUS

lier

Seven Sons.

the Great died,

Seleucus

187

B.C.,

succeeded.

and

It

is Philopater that this monarch during the reign of some remarlcable events are said to liave occurred,

as related in the

Simon,

a

book of the Maccabees.

Benjamite,

having been appointed

some disputes arose between him and Onias, who was high priest at the time. Finding that he was unable to prevail

governor of the temple,

him whom the Jews regarded as their lawful chief, Simon fled to Apollonius, the gover-

against

nor of Coele-Syria and Palestine, under King Seleucus, and informed him that great treasures

were laid up in the temple at Jerusalem.

This

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF SYRIA. account,

as

77

was probably intended, excited the

cupidity of the king, and Heliodoros his treasurer was despatched to seize upon the coveted wealth.

Heliodoros arrived at Jerusalem, and was courteously received by Onias. Tlie treasurer declared to him the purpose of his journey, and asked him

whether the report were true that much gold was to be found in the temple. Onias replied that there was indeed money laid

up there

for the relief of

widows and orphans,

but earnestly expostulated against any attempt carry away from the temple the treasure com-

to

mitted to his

trust.

Heliodoros had, however, received the positive commands of the king, and was resolved to carry

them into execution. The high priest was

in the deepest distress

;

and his horror and indignation at the intended robbery and sacrilege were shared by the priests and the people.

Women,

mourned

streets

in

the

;

girded with sackcloth, the pi-iests prostrated

themselves before the altar— all, lifting up their hands, implored the Lord to keep safe and sure that intrusted treasure which they were themselves unable to defend.

Then,

as

is

related,

there

appeared

before

78

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF SYRIA.

Heliodoros* a horse, on which sat a terrible

rider,

arrayed in bright armour of glittering gold

;

and

him

glorious beings, who, with scourges, chastised the mortal who had dared to sorely

beside

HELIODOROS DRIVEN FROM THE TEMPLE.

profane the sanctity of the temple. Overpowered the Heliodoros fell to the vision, by ground, thick darkness seemed to surround him, and he was *

In giving this and other such stories to the reader, the authoress thinks right to remind him, th.at in such parts of Jewisli history as are not drawn from the sacred records (as in all other very mcient writings), such a mist often lies on the boundary wliich divides fact from fiction, that it is alniosl it

impossible to define

it.

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF SYRIA. carried, fjiinting

79

and almost dying, from the

trea-

sury which he had impiously entered. Seleucus was succeeded, in 175 B.C., by his brother Antiochus Epiphanes, one of the most base and cruel tyrants that

ever

a

throne.

was

settled

disgi\aced

As soon in the

as he

kingdom, Jason, the

unworthy brother of Onias, by underhand means contrived not only to

the

monarch

to banish

to let

Onias to

ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES.

induce

him supplant his brother, but Antioch, where this good man

was subsequently murdered. Jason was now high priest, and the use which he made of his power was such as might have been expected from his treacherous mode of obtaining

it.

Honour, patriotism, religion were

all

sacrificed to his desire to retain the favour of the

king. .the

He

erected a

gymnasium

fashion of the Greeks,

things to imitate.

whom

Jason did

for games, after

he sought in

all in his

power

all

to

induce his countrymen to abandon the customs of their fathers, to break their covenant with

God,

and to conform

to

the manners of the

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF SYRIA.

80

The

heathen.

services of the temple

were aban-

doned, and corruption spread amongst the people. Retribution soon overtook the wicked Jason, and as he had meted to another it was measured to

him

His brother Menelaus supplanted

again.

same manner that he had supplanted and succeeded to his title and his power, Onias, more than emulating him in his impiety and hira in the

guilt.

Jason was not disposed easily to yield up his

Taking recourse to arms, with a thousand men marched he

ill-acquired dignity.

m

171

B.C.,

against his

own

city,

took possession of Jerusalem, its castle, and

drove Menelaus to seek shelter in

committed as

orreat cruelties

on such of the

citizens

he deemed the partizans of his brother.

The

just chastisements of the

Almighty were

now

descending upon his backsliding people. Antiochus hearing of what had occurred, and deeming that the whole Jewish nation had revolted,

hastened to Jerusalem with his

and slew

in the devoted city

forces,

no fewer than four

As many were sold as slaves. thousand persons. Conducted by the impious Menelaus, Antiochus forced his

way

into

vast treasures, and

the temple,

plundered

polluted the altar of

it

of

God by

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF SYRIA. offering

on

it

a sow, which was

lield in

81

abomina-

Well might the miserable descendants of Abraham think that the Almighty whom they had forsaken, had utterly forsaken

by the Jews.

tion

them now ever

;

were

and

that

;

His mercy had

left

them

for

that, after so

finally

many delivei-ances, they given np for their sins to destruc-

tion.

But there were yet amongst the Jews those who clung to the faith of their fathers, and rested with earnest hope on the promises given through the pi-ophets. Jerusalem still was the guardian of the light of Ti'uth in a world that lay in darkness, and neither the powers of earth nor hell

could prevail to quench

Dark and tribulation

not

tiochus,

fearful,

which

it.

was the cloud

indeed,

rested

An-

upon Jerusalem. with

contented

his

late

of

fearful

sent Apollonius, his general, to wreak further vengeance on the city of David.

cruelties,

yet After having slain great multitudes of the people,

and sent away ten thousand plundered the town, set it on the

The daily Jerusalem was

wall.

temple

;

appointed to (296)

captives, Apollonius fire,

and demolished

sacrifices

deserted.

compel the miserable Q

ceased

in

Officers

Jews

the

were

to sacri-

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF SYRIA.

82

to idols.

fice

The Samaritans consented

an image of the

false

to receive

god Jupiter into their J. temple on Mount Gerizim 1^

*^

^

;

and another,

the horror of children

of

all

to

true

Abraham,

was

the placed in of Jerusalem temple !

In awful saints

IMAGE OF JUPITER.

this

period

trial,

of

glorious

and noble mar-

tyrs were found ready rather to suffer unto

death than to deny the God whom they adored. Such a spirit of devotion as that which had supported Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, when the fiery furnace glowed before them, animated still

the faithful servants of the Lord.

An

example of noble constancy was given by Eleazar, an aged scribe, who was urged by his The persecutors to break the law of Moses. noble

old

man was

scourged to death, bravely

enduring to the end.

A

mother and her seven sons were

before Antiochus, fearful tortures

brouo-lit

and threatened with the most

should they disobey his unlawful

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF SYRIA.

One and

commands.

all

devoted family mothei", with

this

preferred death to apostasy.

83

The

was made to witness the dying Far from weakening their courage by tears and lamentations, the Jewish matron exhorted her children to keep faithful to refined

cruelty,

agonies of her sons.

their God, cheering

them

in that awful

hour by

hopes of a joyful resurrection. Faith and strength from above supported these glorious martyrs. One of the young men exclaimed, as he stretched forth

his

hands

for

the

" torture,

These

I

had

from Heaven, and for His laws I despise them, and from Him I hope to receive them again !"

One

after

another,

eyes in death, Creator.

One

six of the

sons closed their

committing their souls to their only, the youngest, remained, and

even the tyrant appears to have been touched with some compassion for his tender years, for he promised the youth with oaths to make him a rich and happy man, if he would turn from the laws of his fathers.

When

the

young Jew refused

hearken to his

offers, the king bade the mother, already bereaved of so many children, use her endeavours to save the last by counselling sub-

to

mission and obedience.

But

she,

strong in faith, addressed her son in

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF SYRIA.

84 the

Hebrew

love to her

amount

language, conjuring him, even

who had borne

him, to

of suffering rather than sin.

this tormentor,"

of thy

she cried

brethren,

" ;

take thy

his

b}''

endure any " Fear not

but being worthy

death,

that I

may

receive thee again in

While

mercy witli thy brethren." mother was yet speaking these

his

words, the noble youth turned to the executioners. "Whom wait ye for?" he exclaimed; "I will

not obey the king's commandment, but I will obey the commandments of the law that was

And thou," given unto our fathers by i\Ioses. " he continued, looking at the tyrant, shalt not hands of For we suffer because the God. escape and though the living God be angry with us a little while for our chastening and of our sins

;

correction, yet

vants.

But

shall

thou,

He

be at one with His

godless

man

!

be not

ser-

lifted

up without a cause, or puffed up with uncertain hopes, lifting

up thy hand against the servants

of

God, for thou hast not yet escaped the judgment For our of Almighty God, who seeth all things. brethren

who now have

suffered a short pain, are

dead under God's covenant of everlasting but thou, through the judgment of God, receive just

punishment

for

thy pride.

life

;

shall

But

I,

JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF SYRIA. as

my

offer

brethren,

the laws of

my

up

my

85

body and

fathers, beseeching

God

life

for

that

He

would speedily be merciful unto my nation." The tyrant, enraged at the fearless words

of

the youth, put him to death by tortures more dreadful even than those that his brothers had

and then the devoted mother, faithful unto death, and under a trial more terrible than death, followed her glorious sons by the same

endured

;

and bloody path,

brief

rest prepared for

haven of eternal

to the

those who,

God's service as dearer than

like

count

them,

life.

The dying prayer of the young martyr had The Lord was preparing a deliverbeen heard. ance for his persecuted people.

The Jews, quiet and peaceful as they had shown themselves to be under the sway of their had at rulers Assyrian, Persian, and Egyptian

—

—

power of endur-

length been goaded beyond ance or rather, the Almighty having compassion their

;

on their days of

was pleased again, as in the raise up for them mighty de-

sufferings, old,

to

liverers.

CONTEMPORANEOUS EVENTS. 205—170 Battle of

Zama

Sparta subdued by the Romans

B.C.

B.C.

202 194

CHAPTER

Vlll.

VICTORIES OP JUDAS MACCABEUS. Jews — Martyrs to the Law — Apollonius Defeated — Seron — Lycias Defeated — The Temple Cleansed —Death of Epiphanes — Siege of Bethsura — Exploit of Eleazar — The Temple Besieged.

Rising of the

Defeated

iHE noble family called from

of the Asmoiieans,

Asmoneus, one of

its

so

ances-

was amongst the most distinguished and dwelt at this period in the town of Judea, Modin. At the head of this family was Mattathias, tors,

in

the father of five noble sons, Joanan, Simon, Eleazar,

Jonathan, and the

illustrious

Judas,

surnamed

Maccabeus.

Deeply did Mattathias mourn over the oppression of his people, and the desecration of the altar of his

God

;

and he heard with emotions of indignation come to his own town,

that the king's officers had to

compel

all

to sacrifice to the gods of the heathen.

VICTORIES OF JUDAS MACCABEUS.

87

Mattathias being a person of great influence, of Antiochus spared no pains to induce him, by many promises, to give an exthe emissaries

But the brave old Jew ample of submission. answered with a loud voice, " Though all the nations that are under the king's dominion obey him, and

fall

away every one from

of his fathers, yet will I and

God

covenant.

that

forbid

the law and the ordinances to

the king's words,

hand or the

When

we

should

We will

forsake

not hearken

go either to the right

to

left."

Mattathias had concluded his declara-

came a renegade Jew,

tion, there all,

!

my

the religion sons walk in the

to sacrifice

the

at

altar at

in the sight of

Modin.

Filled

with indignation and inflamed with zeal, Mattaanother Phinehas, rushed forward and

thias, like

slew him on the altar missioner,

him he

altar to the

;

then turning on the com-

also slew,

ground

and pulled down the

!

This was indeed drawing the sword and throwMattathias exclaimed, ing away the scabbard " Who is zealous for the law and maintaineth !

let him follow me!" and leaving that he possessed, he fled into the mountains

the covenant, all

with his sons, where they were joined by num-

VICTORIES OF JUDAS MACCABEUS.

88

and brave, who were ready,

bers of the faithful

like themselves, to yield

up their

lives rather

than

their faith.

A of

touching example of obedience to the law

God was given by a

with their wives and

band of Jews who, ones, had fled into the

large

little

wilderness to escape the persecutions of the king. The fugitives were pursued, and the forces of

Antiochus came up to them at a place where they had taken refuge in a cave. Philip, the leader of the soldiers, endeavoured to induce the

Jews this

to

come

forth

and make submission, but

they firmly refused to do.

He

then attacked

them, and the day being the Sabbath, the Jews, scrupulously observant of the law which com-

mands that day to be kept holy, neither stopped up the mouth of their cave nor raised a weapon against their

foes.

"

Let us die

all

in our inno-

—

men, exclaimed; and thus all and children were slain women, unresisting by

cence,"

they

—

the Syrians.

Mattathias

and

his

followers

were

greatly

grieved on receiving tidings of this cruel masIn full debate, after due deliberation, sacre.

they came to the decision that self-defence is lawful on the Sabbath and that, if attacked by ;

VICTORIES OF JUDAS MACCABEUS.

the foe on that day, they lives

and

would

89

fight for their

their laws.

Mattathias, and the brave

Jews whom he had

gathered around him, now leaving their fastnesses in the mountains, went to various cities of Judea,

throwing down the idol altars, and driving the enemy before them. But the aged hero was soon

worn out by the

fatigues

He

of warfare.

felt

that the time of his departure was drawing nigh, and gathering his five sons around him, Mattathias gave them his dying exhortation.

He reminded them faith

of the saints of old,

had been crowned with success

;

whose

he bade

them give their lives for the covenant of God, and remember that they who trusted in Him

He

never should be overcome.

counsellor of the patriots his

children

his

;

and

is

and Simon the

bestowing on Mattathias blessing,

parting yielded up his soul to his God,

head

appointed Judas,

to be the leader,

third son,

liis

a crown of glory, when

so,

the

hoary the in found

Truly it is

luay of righteousness.

Then Judas,

called

Maccabeus from the motto

" Who is like unto Thee amongst on his standard, the gods, Jehovah !" (the initials of which in Hebrew form the word Maccabi), succeeded to

90

VICTORIES OF JUDAS MACCABEUS.

the

authority of his

father.

There appeal-

to

have been no petty jealousies between the noble sons of a glorious sire they were united by a ;

better tie than even that of blood

—

fellowship in

a holy cause.

Judas proved himself a bold and able commander, a hero treading in the steps of Joshua, With a force not exceeding Gideon, and David.

thousand men, he took the

six

field against

the

well-disciplined armies of Antiochus, com-

laa-ge,

manded by warriors

of renown.

great triumph was gained over Apollonius, whose sword the victor wore to the end

His

of his

first

Judas then made head against Seron, who came to attack him with

life.

a prince of Syria,

mighty host. Maccabeus was then commandmg a mere handful of men, and some of his com-. a

panions, disheartened at the fearful disparity of

numbers, shall

came

we be

able,

to their chief

and

being so few, to

" said,

fiofht

How

against so

great a multitude and so stronof, seeincr

we

are-

ready to faint with fasting?"

"With "it

is

all

or a small

God of heaven," replied the hero, one to deliver with a great multitude

the

company

;

in the multitude of a

for the victory standeth not host,

but stren^h cometb

VICTORIES OF JUDAS MACCABEUS.

We

from Heaven.

for our

fight

91

laws and our

lives,

wherefore, the Lord himself will overthi'ow

these

men

The

before our face

'

"

was the complete tiTumph of the Jews, who overcame and pui-sued result

of the

battle

their enemies.

This victorv

made

the

name

of Judas renowned

thi'ough all the neighbouring; states, and

it

was

Army after army speedily followed b}' others. was sent against him, and fled in broken masses before the conquering sword of

him who

trusted

in the strength of the Omnipotent.

One of these engagements was with Lycias, a nobleman who acted as regent of Syria during the absence of sixtv-five

its

king.

Lycias, with a force of

thousand choice infantrv and

five thou-

sand horsemen, was met by Judas Maccabeus at the head of ten thousand men When the Jewish

immense host before him, before battle, he had recourse to the power-

leader beheld the

he closed in ful

weapon of "

Blessed "

pi-ayer.

ai-t

Thou,

cried,

who

man by

the hand of

Saviour of Israel

didst quell the violence of the

Thy

" !

he

mighty

servant David, and gavest

the host of strangers into the hands of Jonathan, the son of Saul,

and

his armour-bearer

1

Shut up

VICTOKIES OF JUDAS MACCABEUS.

92 this let

army in the hand of Thy people Israel, and them be confounded iu their power. Cast

them down with the sword of them that love and

Thee,

let

that

all

know Thy name

praise

Thee with thanksgiving." The supplications of Judas were heard. Lord God of Israel fought

for

The

His people, and the

vast Syrian host fled in confusion before them. Then said Judas and his brethren, " Behold,

our enemies are discomfited

us go

let

;

u})

to

cleanse and dedicate the sanctuary."

With what joy and thanksgiving must the valiant deliverers have been welcomed in Jerusalem,

which they had freed from the oppressor

!

Judas and his band of heroes proceeded at once to the temple but when they saw the sanctuary ;

desolate,

the

altar

profaned,

down, and herbage growing trod

the in

gates

burned

the courts once

by the feet of so

many worshippers, they rent their clothes, and cast ashes on their heads, and

fell

with their faces to the ground. like Nehemiah, did not content

But Judas, himself

with lamentations

which he saw

and

to

—he

reform.

over

the

desolation

zealously set himself to repair

He

chose

priests

of blameless

lives to cleanse the polluted sanctuary, pull

down

93

VICTORIES OF JUDAS MACCABEUS.

which the heathen had profaned, and

the altar

build

up another still

fight against the Syrian garrison, held a fortress which had been erected

made

vessels w^ere

were

New

to overlook the temple.

by Apollonius again

also appointed

to

warriors

which

He

in its place.

foi-

lighted

holy

the sanctuary, the lamps

and

sacrifices

offered,

and,

with joy and exultation, songs of praise, and the music of harps and cymbals, the conquerors returned thanks for victory in the temple of the

Lord of

hosts.

the

By

command

of Judas

with

were

strengthened the sacred building, to protect

walls,

around

future attack, and a garrison

guard

Maccabeus,

towers,

164

it,

When

high raised

it

from

was appointed

to

B.C.

Antiochus,

who was

on his

way from

Ecbatana to Babylonia, heard how the Jews had defeated Lycias, salem, pulled

the temple of Jeru-

recovered

down

his idols,

thrown their

altars

and restored the pure worship was he of Jehovah, enraged to the utmost pitch to

the

of

fury.

double arrive

He

ground,

He his

in

commanded that

speed,

Judea

threatened

to to

he

his

charioteer

might

the

to

sooner

execute a fearful revenge. make Jerusalem one vast

94

VICTORIES OF JUDAS MACCABEUS.

grave for the nation that had dared to defy his

power.

But

tlie

tyrant's hour

He was

was come.

now,

according to the prophetic words of the young martyr whom he had slain, to receive the just

Antiochus Epiphanes punishment of his pride. was smitten with a most horrible and loathsome disease.

Yet, hatred struggling against physical

he endeavoured to pursue his course,

pain,

chariot being

his

sorely injured

carry him

to

overturned,

by the

fall,

the

that

it

till

king was so was necessary

in a litter to Tabce, a

town on

the

confines of Persia and Babylonia.

Here the miserable tyrant endured tortures more intolerable than any that he himself had inflicted, and was forced openly to acknowledge them to be God's retribution for his impiety and His reason at length gave way beneath them, spectres appeared to haunt him, and this enemy of God and of his people expired at length

cruelty.

both of body and mind. Meanwhile Judas gained victory after victoiy. He defeated the people of Edom, Bean, and Ammon took Gazer, with the towns belonging to

in the gi-eatest agonies

;

it

a

;

won a leader

great triumph over a vast host, under

named Timotheus

;

and subdued the

95

VICTORIES OF JUDAS MACCABEUS. cities

of

the

country

He

Galaad.

of

Hebron, and passed through Samaria Azotus, in the land of the PhiKstines he had levelled their

carved images with triumph to Judea.

altars,

he

fire,

and

smote

;

turned to

;

and when

burned their

returned

back

in

Antiochus had been succeeded by his son of same name, to which was added that of

the

The king being too young to assume Eupator. the reins of power, Lycias took the government The regent raised an enorinto his own hands. A mous army to crush the forces of Judas. twenty thousand and three hundred horse, thirty war elephants, chariots were gathered together, and headed by

hundred thousand foot

young monarch in the town of Bethsura. the

Judas collected his to

soldiers,

person,

who

laid siege to

forces, far inferior in

those of the enemy, and

number

falling upon the Syrians

and renight, put the camp into confusion, treated on break of day, without suffering loss by his bold exploit, while many of the enemy were

by

slain.

When

the rising sun shed its full light on the the glittering ranks of the host of Antiochus,

opposing armies closed in

fierce

battle.

In the

VICTORIES OF JUDAS MACCABEUS.

96 fight, life

Eleazar,

a brother of Judas, sacrificed his

in a desperate attempt to kill the

of Syria.

young king Seeing an immense elephant, adorned

with gorgeous harness, and supposing that the monarch himself must be upon it, Eleazar furiously fought his

way up

to the

spot, slaying

all

who opposed

him, and thrusting his Aveapon into the elephant, was crushed to death by its Ml.

The Jews, perhaps discouraged by the loss of Eleazar, fell back before the overwhelming hosts

made good their retreat to Jerusalem. Bethsura then surrendered to Lycias, but upon

of Syria, and

honourable conditions.

From thence Antiochus Eupator marched

to

Jerusalem, where he laid siege to the sanctuary, which Judas, as before related, had fortified in case of attack.

The Jews were now

in

extreme

who defended

the temple being in peril, Inthe utmost distress for want of provisions. those

struments for casting stones, darts, and slings, and other formidable weapons of war, were brought against the handful of men who made their desperate stand within the wall which had been raised to guard the temple.

Famine

stared

them

in the face, and their only alternative seemed to be to perish by hunger or the sword.

97

VICTORIES OF JUDAS MACCABEUS.

BALiaTA, FOB

THKOWINQ STONES.

But man's extremity

is

God's

opportunity. favourite of a that received Philip, tidings Lycias the late king, and appointed by him guardian of his successor,

up

his

had seized upon Antioch, and

own power

set

in opposition to that of the

Lycias found it necessary at once to regent. make peace with the Jews, that he might be at liberty to march himself against this dangerous rival.

He

therefore proposed honourable

and ad-

vantageous terms, which were accepted by Judas. The hero was recognized both by the king and and from this the regent as the ruler of Judea ;

(296)

7

98

VICTORIES OF JUDAS MACCABEUS. is

period

dated the commencemeiit of the As-

monean dynasty, which for a hundred and twentyyears held sway over the Jewish people, 163 B.C. The treaty between Antiochus and Judas Mac-

six

cabeus having been ratified by oath, the king and Lycias were admitted into the stronghold

which had been so bravely defended.

But seeing the strength of the fortification, they, contrary to

stipulation, pulled

down and

destroyed the wall

before departing for Syria.

Menelaus, the treacherous high priest, had accompanied Lycias in his expedition against Jerusalem, probably in hope'of being restored to his

the enemies of his people. But divine at overtook this traitor to his vengeance length

office

by

Menelaus lost favour with country and his God. those whom he had served at the price of conscience,

and they became the instruments of

just punishment.

He

was,

cast headlong from a high tower into ashes,

where

the renegade miserably perished.

CONTEMPORANEOUS EVENTS. 170—163

his

by the royal command,

B.C. B.C.

Macedon made a province of Rome The flist library erected at Rome

168 1G8

CHAPTER

IX.

THE DEATH OF JUDAS MACCABEUS.

— League

Expedition of Bacchides— Victories over Nicanor Death of Judas Maccabeus.

IHE

reifyn of

with

Rome —

the noLle Judas was neither

The year after that peaceful nor long. in which Antiochus and Lycias had bethe sieged temple, they were both defeated and slain by Demetrius Soter, a prince who aspired to the Syrian crown, 162 B.C. The conqueror was no sooner established on the throne than a band

came around him, with bitter At their head was complaints against Judas.

of Jewish apostates

Alcimus, an unworthy high priest of the Jews,

who had been

expelled by them with just indignation for his attachment to Grecian idolatries,

Unappalled by the this

fate of the guilty Menelaus,

renegade sought the aid of a heathen monarch

THE DEATH OF JUDAS MACCABEUS.

100

him

to reinstate

which he had

in the office of

been so justly deprived.

The new

lending a willing of the Jewish ear to the complaints traitors, sent a large force under his general, Bacchides, to support the

king, Demetrius,

claims of Alcimus.

This commander

entered Judea without meeting with any apparent

and placing Alcimus

in power, with a sufficient force to protect what he considered

opposition,

him, Bacchides returned to the king.

But the

traitor

Alcimus was unable to maintain

he was forced himself in his dangerous position aid from who to seek Demetrius, again acagain ;

ceded to his prayer.

The king sent Nicanor,

prince of high dignity, a

hatred towards the royal

Israel,

command

man who

a

bore deadly

with a powerful

force,

and

to execute stern vengeance on

But again the Almighty gave victory Twice was Nicanor defeated b}' people.

the Jews. to his

Judas,

and

general

was

in

the second

battle

the

heathen

slain.

Then, though but for a brief period, the harassed land of Judea had rest,

now looked around for some who might aid him in the arduous

Judas Maccabeus powerful ally

struggle which the

Jews had

so long maintained

THE DEATH OF JUDAS MACCABEUS. single-handed against his

towards

eyes

all

their foes.

10]

He

turned

Rome, that mighty republic

which was then advancing, step by step, to al most universal dominion. Judas sent an embassy ask for the friendship and protection of Rome.

to

His messengers were courteously received the Romans entered into a league of peace and amity ;

with a people whose heroic patriotism equalled

and agreed to aid the Jews by sea or should Demetrius again dare to attack

their own,

by

land,

them. Little did Maccabeus foresee that the powerful heathen nation, whose alliance he sought, would at a future period prove a more dangerous foe to his country than Babylon, Egypt, or Syria !

Little

did he foresee

trodden her

down by

people

through

the Romans, her warriors slain,

scattered

Rome

that Jerusalem would be

through

the

earth

—

that

she should behold her brave sons

her beautiful temple in dames As could he imagine that the crime for which the city of David should be given up to this fearful fjxte would be that of rejecting and murin fetters,

!

little

dering the Messiah, whose coming he, with all the faithful of Israel, awaited with hope and desire !

Before his ambassadors returned from Rome,

THE DEATH OF JUDAS MACCABEUS.

102

Judas Maccabeus, by a

soldier's death,

had

closed

his glorious career.

Demetrius the

kinf]j,

hearino^ of the defeat

and

death of Nicanor, sent Bacchides a second time,

accompanied by the traitor Alcimus, to avenge his general, and destroy Judas and his band of heroes.

On seemed full

the approach of the hostile force, a panic to have seized upon the Jews, hitherto so

They remembered not which had been taught them by so

of faith and of courage.

the lesson

many

glorious

that

triumphs,

victory

is

not

always to the mighty, nor the battle to the strong. Silently they dispersed on every side, till their found that but eight remained beside him to encounter

leader, deserted in his need,

hundred men

the Syrian hosts

!

Sore troubled and distressed in mind at defection of those in fided

—

those

he had so often led to victory, of the Jewish hero still roused "

meet the danger,

up against our enemies," he ture

we may be

But

fidelity

tlie

he had con-

whom

the lion spirit itself to

whose

Let us arise and go cried,

able to fight with

of that success of

followers despaired,

"if peradven-

them

!"

which he doubted,

and urgently counselled

his

flight.

103

THE DEATH OF JUDAS MACCABEUS.

long accustomed to conquer, indignantly refused to turn his back upon the foe. "God forbid that I should flee from them!"

Judas,

SO

he exclaimed

;

"if our time be come, let us die

manfully for our brethren, and our honour !"

From morning

let

us not stain

raged the battle. Judas charging the right wing of the enemy with in-esistible

till

impetuosity,

and was hot

in pui-suit

night

carried

when

before him,

all

the

left

wing came

This changed the face of the conSurrounded, hemmed in by masses of the

to its aid.

up

flict.

foe,

but bravely

figljting

on to the

Maccabeus, the heroic leader, faithful followers

who

were compelled to

last,

Judas

and the few

fell,

survived the bloody struggle

retreat.

The body of the hero was

carried

by Jonathan

and Simon, his brothers, to the family sepulchre Great were the lamentations and at Modin. sorrow through Judea, as from town to town and the tidings of the death village to village spread of

its

prince.

shed for the

Many and fall

of Judas

bitter

tears

Maccabeus, and long for which his brave

was he mourned in the land blood had been shed.

were the

CHAPTER

X.

REIGNS OF JONATHAN, SIMON, AND JOHN HYRCANUS. Treachery of Tryphon

— Judea

Free— Asmonean Monument

— Murder

of

Simon.

PERIOD

of extreme distress succeeded

the death of Judas.

The sky had not

appeared darker over Judea even during the bloody persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes,

Whereupon

all

the

wisest amongst

the

Jews

flocked to the standard of Jonathan, the youngest of the five sons of Mattatliias,

captain and

leader,

in

and made him

the place

of

his

their

noble

brother.

In the next year Alcimus, the traitorous high who had been restored to power by priest, Bacchides,

was cut

off in the

midst of his crimes.

In his anxiety to preserve the favour of his heathen protectors, he had given orders that, in

105

REIGNS OF JONATHAN, SIMON, ETC.

the temple, the wall of partition should bt broken down which divided the court of the Gentiles

from

thcit

was not

which Jews only might

But he

enter.

sufiered to complete his impious

work

:

suddenly smote him with palsy, and summoned him to his awful account. The death of this wicked high priest removed the Almighty

one great difficulty from the path of Jonathan. In his time Syria was convulsed vnih civil wars,

from the competitors who struggled together for In the wild storm which raged around its crown. him, Jonathan guided the affairs of Judea as a wise and experienced pilot steers his vessel through

rocks and rose ruler

and

While contending monarchs even from their disputes the skilful

shoals.

fell,

won advantages

for his country,

Jonathan,

by the grant of a prince named Alexander, who was at that time opposing Demetrius, assumed the office of high priest with the full consent of

From this period, the Jewish people, 152 B.C. till the time of Herod, the dignity became herediJonathan was

tary in the

Asmonean

now enabled

to proceed with his various improve-

family.

ments and

repairs, restoring justice throughout the land, and reforming, to the best of his power,

that which was amiss both in church and in state,

106

REIGNS OF JONATHAN, SIMON,

HIQH

For Judea,

Pli/IEST.

many years Jonathan had ruled over when an act of shameful treacheiy removed

AND JOHN HYRCANUS.

him from

his

of

post

107

usefulness

Tryphon, who had been

governor

and of

honour. Antioch,

aspired to the crown of Syria, and his unscrupulous ambition was eager to trample down every obstacle that stood in his way. Such an obstacle

he foresaw in the firm integrity of the high priest of Judea, whom the ambitious noble found at the

head of a formidable Tryphon, attended,

against

seeing durst not

him,

but

force.

Jonathan

so

powerfully

openly attempt anything deceived him by flattering

words, and a false appearance of friendship.

He

assured the high priest that he only came to consult him on matters which regarded their common interest,

and that he was about

to place the

town

of Ptolemais in Jonathan's hands.

By

these treacherous pretences

Tryphon induced

his unsuspecting victim to trust himself with a

small

sooner

force within

the walls of Ptolemais.

No

had they entered than

the gates were and a massacre traitor,

by order of the commenced. Of those who had accompanied Jonathan not a man was spared and though he closed

;

himself lingered for a space in captivity, and earnest were the efforts of his brother to save his life,

the merciless Tryphon completed his crime,

REIGNS OF JONATHAN, SIMON, ETC.

108

and the noble prisoner was

144

slain

by

his

command,

B.C.

With indignation and horror the Jews heard Deprived by this

of the treachery of Tryplion.

sudden stroke of their gathering around

At

for fear.

this

leader,

and seeing enemies them

tliera, their hearts failed

hour of

Simon, the elder

peril

brother of Jonathan and Judas,

worthy of his assembled the as

their

race.

terrified people,

leadei".

showed himself

He went up

to Jerusalem,

and offered himself

With joy the Jews

hailed as

their captain the last surviving son of Mattathias.

One of the was

first

new high priest with Rome which

acts of the

to strengthen the friendship

had been commenced by Judas Maccabeus. also sent a crown of gold to Demetrius, the

He rival

of the guilty Tryphon, and received from him a grant of the principality of Judea, free from all taxes, tolls,

and

tributes,

on the condition of the

Jews aiding him to crusli Tryphon, the murderer of Jonathan. Thus Simon became not only high priest,

but sovereign prince of Judea, which for a entirely freed from the yoke of any

space was

foreign nation.

Simon showed himself

to be an able leader as

well as a prudent statesman.

He

took Gazara,

c O T3

>

KEIGNS OF JONATHAN, SIMON,

110

Joppa, and Jamnia, drove the heathen from the fortress which overlooked the temple at Jerusalem,

and

I'azed the fortress itself to the ground. Nor, amidst his labours for the good of his people, did Simon omit to pay due reverence to

The body of the the memory of the dead. murdered Jonathan was taken from the place where he Modin,

died,

beside

and buried those

Simon

bi'others.

in

of his

the sepulchre at father and

brave

raised there a splendid

ment of white marble, with seven mids for

This

— one

his

monu-

stately pyra-

one for his mother, four and the seventh for himself.

for his father,

brethren,

monument being on an

far off at sea

;

and often

eminence, was seen

as the

Jewish manner

turned his eyes towards it, would ho think with grateful reverence of the heroes sleeping beneath noble deeds has proved it, the memory of whose

more endurinsj than marble. After ruling Judea for about nine

was cut

off

years,

Simon

by treachery even yet more base than

that to which Jonathan had fallen a victim.

Ptolemy, his own son-in-law, who held an office under the high priest, secretly aspired to fill his This most wicked and perfidious place.

man

invited

Simon

to

an entertainment which he

AND JOHN HYRCANUS. had prepared

a

in

Ill

The

castle.

neighbouring

venerable high priest suspected no evil from one to

whom

he was so nearly connected, accepted went to the fortress with two

the invitation, and

of his sons.

In the midst of the

feast,

when

the wine-cup

went round, and the unsuspecting guests never dreamed of danger, suddenly assassins burst in araono-st them, and Simon and his two sons were ruthlessly

murdered!

— 135

B.C.

Not contented

with committing this fearful crime, determined to leave no son to succeed to the slaughtered prince,

Ptolemy sent a party assassinate John Hyrcanus, the son

or to avenge his death,

Gazara to Simon. father

But

his guard.

secured the

both.

foul

murder of

and brothers reached Hyrcanus

him on

whom

tidings of the

city

the traitor

His

in time to

to of his

put

Hastening to Jerusalem, he

and the temple against those had sent to take possession of

activity,

wisdom, and courage defeated and wrested from him the

the designs of Ptolemy, fruit of his crime.

John Hyrcanus was declared prince and high priest of the Jews,

whom

he governed for

many

years with great wisdom and success. Emulating the military prowess of his predecessors, Hyrcanus

REIGNS OF JONATHAN, SIMON,

112

made himself master of

all

Galilee

and Samaria,

and other places in the country around him, till none of the neighbouring tribes dared attempt to cope with the Jews, and he passed the remainder of his days in full repose from all foreign wars. In the latter part of his life, however, Hyrcanus

met with much trouble from the and mutinous tensions strictest

to

Pharisees, a large

These, with pre-

sect of the Jews.

singular

sanctity

of

life,

and

the

obedience to the law of Moses, covered

a spirit of insolent ambition and intolerable pride. Hyrcanus, who knew the great influence acquired by the Pharisees over the people,

attempted at all

manner

to

first

attach

He

of favours.

them

to himself

by

invited the heads of

the sect to an entertainment, and having there liberally regaled them,

told them that the fixed mind had always been to be just

the following effect

purpose of his

he addressed his guests to

—He

:

towards men, and to do all things towards God that should be well-pleasing to Him,

in his actions

according to the doctrines which the Pharisees He desired those whom he now saw at taught. his

table,

should they behold anything in him

wherein he its

failed of his

two branches,

to give

duty in either of these

him the

benefit of their

AND JOHN HYRCANUS. instructions,

that

he

113

might thenceforth reform

and amend. In reply to this humble address, the Pharisees loaded their high priest with praises for his

wisdom and goodness, with the exception of one Eleazar, a man of turbulent and mutinous spirit, who, when the rest were silent, stood up, and with astounding audacity exclaimed, " Since you are desirous to be told the truth, if you would

approve yourself a just man, quit the high priesthood, and content yourself with being the governor of the people !" Eleazar tried to

demand by the

support this very startling the mother of

false assertion that

having been a Jewess, he was debarred by the law from exercising the holy

Hyrcanus not office

of high priest.

Hyrcanus was deeply wounded. his

own

Insulted in

house, in the presence of his guests,

and

on a point where, both as a pontiff and a Jew, he was most keenly sensitive, he appealed to the Pharisees

around

to

declare

what punishment

was merited by one who dared to defame the Their reply high priest and prince of his people. was so

Hyrcanus, that he suspected that the insult which he had received (296)

little

satisfactory

8

to

REIGNS OF JONATHAN, SIMON, ETC.

114

had been a thing previously conceited amongst He became from thenceforth the bitter them. Pharisees, and

of the

enemy

transferred all the

favour which he had previously shown them to the rival sect of the Sadducees,

be supposed, however, that so as John Hyrcanus adopted all man a righteous sect that afterwards denied the a of the errors It

cannot

existence

of

angel

or

devil,

and rejected the

blessed doctrine of a resun-ection.

that at this

It

is

probable time the Sadducees themselves had

not gone further than renouncing the unwritten traditions, to which the Pharisees gave great and dangerous weight, regarding them with the same

reverence which they paid to the inspired

Word

of God.

Hyrcanus died 107 both his

offices

by

B.C.,

and was succeeded

his eldest son Aristobulus.

CONTEMPORANEOUS EVENTS. 152-107

B.C.

3^0.

Carthage destroyed

14C

Numantia destroyed

133

in

CHAPTER XL STRIFE BETWEEN THE ASMONEAN PRINCES. The Diadem

—Matricide and

Woman — Contest

Fratricide

— Horrors

between Brotliers

Bethone

at

— Jerusalem

— Reign of

a

twice taken by the

Romans.

the history of the house of the Asmoneans has been a record of the brave

flTHERTO

it

deeds of noble men; but from this point becomes little but a dark catalogue of crimes.

We

feel,

in entering

upon

it,

like a traveller who,

after threading a majestic mountain-pass,

which

looks only the more sublime from the contrast of strong lights and shadows thrown over it by clouds,

passing desert,

he

comes on a waste and howling

and quickens

may

his pace instinctively, that

the sooner reach a

fairer,

brighter scene

beyond.

The noble sons of Mattathias seem

to

have

STRIFE BETWEEN THE ASMONEAN PRINCES.

116

each was ready rivalry oi- emulation do his duty where the Lord had assigned his and though three brothers ruled in succespost

shown no

;

to

;

sion,

the first-born of them

was content

to be the

Far otherwise was

it with power. AmbiAristobulus, the son of John ITyrcanus. tion was the idol that he worshipped. Not con-

last to rise to

must

tent with the authority, he of King.

title

He was

the

also

assume the

of the race of

first

Asmoneus who put a diadem upon

his head.

He

caused the assassination of one of his brothers,

whom

he suspected of aspiring to the throne, and

cast three others into prison

yet more

own

his

!

Plunging into a

depth of crime, on finding that mother, by virtue of the will of Hyrcanus, fearful

a

claimed

right

to

the

sovereignty

threw

Aristobulus

of

Judea,

her

into overpowered her, confinement, and suffered her there to perish of

hunger

!

The reign

of this monster

ous remorse his

life.

He

was but brief

Griev-

imbittcred and probably shortened died in a state of extreme anguish

of mind, having reigned over Judea for but one

105 B.C. As soon as Aristobulus was

year,

dead,

his

queen

restored his three imprisoned brothers to freedom

;

STRIFE BETWEEN THE ASMONEAN PRINCES.

the eldest of

117

whom, Alexander Janneus, ascended But the warning given by

the vacant throne.

the miserable death of Aristobulus did not deter

Alexander from following in his his

hand in the blood of a

steps,

brother.

and dyeing

Nor did

his

barbarous cruelty end here.

King Alexander, entering officiate as

into the temple, to

high priest in the feast of tabernacles,

was rudely insulted by the

was personally

people, to

whom

he

Disregarding the sanctity of the place, or the solemnity of the occasion, the mob pelted the royal pontiff with citrons called odious.

;

him

slave,

and other opprobrious names

;

and

wound up his fury to such a pitch, that he fell on the crowds with his soldiery, and six thousand lives

were

sacrificed to the

revenge of the insulted

king.

This was the commencement of a

war, in

which

fifty

civil

thousand persons are said to

have perished.

The concluding and most

horrible event of the

war was Alexander's triumph over the town of Bethone. Eight hundred of its unfortunate defenders were carried

and there

crucified

by the king to Jerusalem, Their by his command.

wives and children were killed before their eyes as they hung in their dying torments, while the

STRIFE BETWEEN THE ASMONEAN PRINCES.

118

tyrant and his wives sat feasting and enjoying the horrors of the scene.

This most unworthy king of Judea died in camp of a quartan ague, 79 B.C.

Alexandra, the queen, a

woman

of prudence,

assumed the reigns of government on the death of her husband, and Judea was for about nine years

made

Alexandra wisely ruled by a woman. her eldest son, Hyrcanus, high priest at

Jerusalem, years

he being at

of age.

time thirty-three Hyrcanus was a man of quiet that

temper and indolent habits, unfitted to make a and on the death of the struggle for his rights ;

queen, Aristobulus, his younger brother, wrested from him both the high priesthood and the king-

dom, 70

B.C.

But Aristobulus wore not the crown

in peace.

Great disturbances arose in Judea, having their origin in the ambition of Antipater, an Idumean

by

birth,

but

professing

the

Jewish

religion.

Having been brought up in the court of Alexander Janneus, and that of Alexandra his succesAntipater hoped through his favour with Hyrcanus, whom he naturally regarded as their These heir, to rise into importance in the state.

sor,

hopes were disai)pointed by the dethronement of

STRIFE BETWEEN THE ASMONEAN PRINCES.

Hyrcanus.

Henceforth the anxious

Idumean were

make

prince to

119

efforts of the

directed to rousing the dethroned a vigorous struggle to regain his

lost throne.

Hyrcanus was neither active nor ambitious he valued his of Judea

;

own

ease above the title of

but at

—

King

persuaded by was in danger from his

length

being

Antipater that his life brother that he had no choice but to reign or to perish Hyrcanus engaged in the contest for

—

—

The generality of the people declared

power. for

Hyrcanus, while

to the usurper,

and

of the priesthood clung a battle took place in which

many

the forces of Aristobulus were defeated.

An how

event occurred at this time which shows

the Jewish people had fallen from the of their ancestors, how the crimes of their piety far

wicked

rulers

were

emulated

by those below

them.

There was at Jerusalem a so noted for his sanctity of

lieved

by

his

countrymen

man named life,

that

that to

it

his

Onias,

was

be-

fervent

prayers rain had been granted in a season of drought. Concluding that the saint's maledictions

must equally

prevail with his prayers, the

superstitious followers of

Hyrcanus brought Onias

120

STRIFE BETWEEN THE ASMONEAN PRINCES.

and urged him to curse Aristobulus and his Mends, who were then besieged in the temple. forth,

Long the

saint

refused

to

to

listen

such

evil

but at length, to quiet the importunity of the people, he stood up in the midst of them, and lifting up his hands towards heaven,

entreaties

the good

;

man

uttered

this

prayer

:

—

"

Lord

God, Ruler of tlie universe since those that are with us are Thy people, and they that are besieged !

in the temple are

wouldst

hear

Thy

pray that Thou

priests, I

the

of

prayers " against the other Instead of being touched

neither

of

them

!

by the

prayer, the furious people were so

much

patriot's

em-aged,

snatching up stones, they hurled them Onias was actually stoned to against the saint.

that,

death because he would not lips so often

defile

with curses the

employed in prayer, nor invoke the

Almighty's vengeance upon the misguided people whom he yet regarded as his brethren.

The contest which raged that which struggles pire,

is

—a

in

Judea produced

the frequent result of such intestine third party being called in as

um-

and that umpire taking advantage of the

dissensions

of the

power over both.

rivals

to

establish

his

own

Such an umpire was found

STRIFE BETWEEN THE ASMONEAN PRINCES.

121

by the Asmonean brothers in the ambitious The dispute between Hyrrepublic of Rome. canus and Aristobukis was referred to the decision of

Pompey, a celebrated Roman

general.

Both

POMPEY.

the princes stooped to appear in person to plead their respective causes before a stranger and a

heathen.

Various

intrigues

and negotiations followed.

Aristobulus, perceiving at last that the decialon

of

Pompey was not

likely to be in his favour,

STRIFE BETWEEN THE ASMONEAN PRINCES.

122

abruptly withdrew to make preparations for war. His conduct towards the Roman general was marked by mingled deference and distrust.

who would be

Fearful of offending one

an ally or a

ful either as

every means to induce title to the crown.

The

blessing of

efforts of this

foe,

he endeavoured by to recognize his

Pompey

Heaven did not

ambitious prince.

himself mocked

and

so power-

rest

upon the

Pompey thought and

deceived,

before

the

year was concluded he had put Aristobulus in

and had

fetters, 111

fares

the

laid siege to Jerusalem,

city

that

is

divided

in

itself!

Hyrcanus and many of the Jews, allowing the spirit

of patriotism to

be lost in the spirit of

party, supplied the foreign foe

sary for carrying the

on the

with every necesFor three months

siege.

held out, when, a breach being made large enough for an assault, the fierce soldiery rushed within even the wall which protected the city

temple. followed,

the

Jews

A

savage

massacre

of the

defenders

and none acted more cruelly herein than of the opposite faction.

In this terrible

scene of destruction, the priests, who were in the temple at the time when it was carried by storm,

went on with the daily

service,

without being

STRIFE BETWEEN THE ASMONEAN PRINCES.

deterred

by the horror

123

of seeing their friends

fall

around them, or the fear of sharing their fate. Many of these heroic priests were slain by the enemy's sword,

and their blood mingled with which they were offering on

that of the sacrifices

the altar of God, G3 B.C.

Pompey

entered

the

temple as a conqueror

;

and not contenting himself with viewing the splendour of the

outer

courts,

he violated the

feelings of all pious Jews by intruding into the Holy of holies. The sound of the heathen victor's

tread echoed in that sacred place into

which the

high priest alone had been privileged to enter but had it not been as much profaned when an ^

Aristobulus or an Alexander presumed there to worship a holy God, while they were stained

with the guilt of a brother's murder

?

Hyrcanus was restored to the office of high but priest, he was also made prince of Judea the dignity of the title was lost with the inde;

Judea was pendence of his unhappy country, no longer free she was under tribute to the

—

Roman

—

she now bowed to the yoke conquerors of that nation which was at length to crush her even to the dust.

Aristobulus was carried to Rome, where, with

STRIFE BETWEEN THE ASMONEAN PUINCES.

124

sons, he was compelled to grace the Bitter must have been the of Pompey. triumph humiliation of the ambitious Asmonean prince his

two

when

the

following

trinimplial

chariot

of

his

heathen conqueror through streets thronged with

*f«RCl-.MT.

ROMAN TRIUMPH.

In vain might he long that eager multitudes the earth would open before him to hide his disgrace from the curious gaze of unpitying eyes !

!

They

ivho

exalt

themselves

shall

be

abased.

STRIFE BETWEEN THE ASMONEAN PRINCES.

125

Rome

Aristobulus long remained a prisoner in

;

and "when at length political changes in that city seemed to open to him a path to freedom and to power, his ambitions career was suddenly closed by poison, administered to him as he was returning to his country, 49 B.C. Hyrcanus bore the name of ruler in Jerusalem,

but the real power lay in the hands of the ambitious Antipater, the

Idumean, who enjoyed great

favour with the Romans. son,

was made governor

Phasael,

of Jerusalem

his second son, governor of Galilee.

who

his

eldest

Herod,

;

The

latter,

afterwards sat on the throne of Judea under of

Herod the

was a man of singu-

the

title

lar

energy and courage, as well as of

Great,

political

He

strengthened his influence with the Jews by marrying Mariamne, the beautiful granddaughter of Hyrcanus, and thus allying himself talent.

to the royal family of the Asraoneans,

In the year 40

B.C., Antigonus, son of Aristothe bulus, assisted by Parthians, made a desperate effort to win the regal power, in aspiring to which

his father

had

lost first his

freedom and then his

—

he also Antipater the Idumean was dead had perished by poison and his son Herod was

life.

;

absent from Judea,

when

the Parthians marched

126

STRIFE BETWEEN THE ASMONEAN PRINCES.

upon Jerusalem, plundered the country round, seized upon the city, and made Antigonus king. Hyrcanus and Phasael were delivered up in chains to the

mercy of the conqueror.

Phasael,

knowing

his death to be determined upon, in desperation

dashed out his his dungeon.

own

brains against the walls of

Antigonus spared the but cut

canus, his dethroned uncle

;

life

of

Hyr-

off his ears,

that he might be for ever disqualified from being high priest, as no one with a member imperfect

was capable of holding the

office.

Herod, hearing of the dethronement of Hyrcanus and the death of his own brother Phasael, hastened to Rome, to seek there for help from his powerful allies. Aided by them, he brought

and besieged the new It was not till the king in Jerusalem, 88 B.C. next year that the city was taken, as it was

a large force into the

field,

At length desperately defended by the Jews. the Romans entered on every side, and filled all the streets with blood and slaughter, till Herod himself interceded for the people, exclaiming that the Romans would make him king only of a desert.

Antigonus, seeing that all was lost, surrendered himself to the enemy. Herod did not consider

STRIFE BETWEEN THE ASMONEAN PRINCES,

127

himself secure in the kingxlom which was bestowed upon him by his Roman allies,' as long as one prince of the blood-royal remained alive on the

With

earth.

he obtained from

difficulty

gi'eat

Roman

general a decree condemning AntiThe sentence was executed on gonus to death. and beneath the axe of the the unhappy prince the

;

perished the last king of the male line of have now followed the the Asmonean race. lictor

We

thread of the history of that race from glorious commencement to the period stained

as

it

was with

we

trace

blood,

and

its first

when, darkened

only the miseries and wrongs of unfortunate princes in the realm once We behold in that ruled by their fathers. with crime,

history the end

by

it

of ambition.

of the noble Mattathias

aspired

to be

greater,

The descendants

were great until they

and

gloi'ious

until

they

ceased to seek God's gloiy rather than their own.

CONTEMPORANEOUS EVENTS. 107—38

B.C. B.C.

Cataline's conspiracy at

Rome

P6

Caesar's invasion of Britain

65

Battle of Pharsalia

48

Death

44

of Caesar

CHAPTER Xn. REIGN OF HEROD THE GREAT. The Fatal Pond —Joseph's

Secret

—Death

of

Hyrcanus

— Fate

of

Mariamne,

her Mother, and her Sons.

ND

now, for the first time, there reigned in Judea a king who was not of the

race

of Jacob

—

a king

placed on the throne by a foreign

was

chiefly maintained there

As the their

by

who had been power, and who

foreign influence.

rnd unscrupulous character of ruler developed itself, the Jews had reason cr:el

to feel their degradation

more earnestly

for the

more deeply, and time,

now

to long

at hand,

when

the Deliverer should appear in Zion.

We

have seen that Herod had united himself

with Mariamne, the grand-daughter of a Hyrcanus, princess who, in the graces of her

in marriage

person,

is

said

to

have excelled

all

the

women

of

REIGN OF HEROD THE GREAT.

her

and whose

time,

spirit

was equal

She

129 to

influence

her

with

possessed great loved her as ardently as one of his hard and selfish nature could love. Mariamne,

beauty.

who

Herod,

and her mother Alexandra, the daughter of Hyrnaturally desired to see Aristobulus, the brother of the one and son of the other, elevated

canus,

The youth, who was

the high priesthood.

to

only seventeen, was entitled by his birth to the and the princesses so earnestly advocated office ;

his

that Herod deposed the high priest he himself had set up, and made Aristobulus

claims,

whom

high priest in his place. But no sooner had the tyrant raised the As-

he began to find in him an Nature had endowed object of jealousy and fear. the youthful pontiff', like his sister, with dignity

monean

prince, tha,n

and

grace,

the

warm

and the power of winning to himself affections of the people.

that, in the opinion of

many

Herod knew

of the Jews, he

who

bore the priestly office was also entitled to the kingly, and the tyrant resolved to destroy one who might become a dangerous rival to himself

The

art with

design makes

which he accomplished its

this villanous

atrocity yet darker.

Aristobulus, unsuspicious of treachery, accom(29fi)

9

REIGN OF IIEROD THE GRKAT.

130

panied his brother-in-law, Herod, to a banquet After the feast was conprepared at Jericho. cluded, the

young high

join a party in bathing.

whicli

the

priest

He

was persuaded

to

entered the pond,

tyrant had resolved that he never

should quit

alive.

Under pretence

of sportive

suborned by Herod, held the struggling, gasping youth beneath the water till life was extinct, and then pretended that his deatli play,

attendants,

had been occasioned by an unfortunate accident. Bitter were the lamentations over the fair

young

prince,

and none appeared

to

more deeply than Herod. untimely was the funeral which he prepared for fate

mourn

his

Splendid his victim;

but his hypocrisy blinded no one, and Alexandra, the bereaved mother,

silently,

in tlie depths of

her bleeding heart, nourished thoughts of revenge. If Mariamne had ever regarded her husband

with

feelings

of

the

affection,

murder of her

innocent brother must have changed them to feelFor such Herod gave his young ings of horror. wife yet greater cause. Judea, 84 B.C., the king

On left

his departure from the administration of

government and the care of uncle Joseph. Selfish even in

family to his his love, unable to

his

endure the idea that his beautiful queen should

REIGN OF HEROD THE GREAT. ever survive

him

to be loved

131

by another, Herod

charged Joseph, should he himself be cut

oft'

on

put Mariamne to death. Herod's absence Joseph frequently

his journey, to

During

visited the queen,

and

at these visits

would

dilate

upon the love borne to her by her ro3'al husband. time, with marvellous indiscretion, he let

At one

out the fatal secret of the

command which he had

received from the king, telling her that so dear was she to Herod, that as he could not live without

part them.

was resolved that death should not The queen could not readily forget

or

such

so he

her,

forgive

a proof of a

husband's

affec-

tion.

Herod having advanced so far on his path of guilt, waded yet deeper and deeper in crime. The aged Hyrcanus was now living quietly and

The Jews beyond the Euphrates respected him as their king and high

honourably at Seleucia.

notwithstanding the cruel measure which nephew had taken to incapacitate him from

priest,

his

holding the latter

office.

Hyrcanus had been the he had been

friend of Herod's father, Antipater

;

the benefactor of Herod himself, and had bestowed

own grand-daughter upon him. But Hyrcanus was a descendant of Asmoneus he had once sat

his

;

REIGN OF HEROD THE GREAT.

132

upon the throne of Judea and, notwithstanding and unambitious temper, might possibly ascend it again. This was sufficient to seal his ;

his age

doom.

Neither

gratitude,

the

social

tie,

nor

gray hairs, could win mercy for the venerable prince. Herod enticed Hyrcanus

respect for

his

to Jerusalem

him

against life

;

falsely accused

;

and under

him of conspiring

this pretence

of his benefactor, after

took the

he had passed the

eightieth year of his age.

now regarded with ill-concealed aversion him who had caused the death of her nearest relations, and who had meditated her own. Mariamne

The contempt

in

which the high-born Jewess held

the family of the

Idumean drew upon her the

bitter hatred of his

mother Cyprus, and

Salome

Herod

and they did

;

to destroy his

all in their

power

beautiful wife.

his sister

to induce

The As-

monean

princess hung but by a thread over the gulf into which so many of her race had been

plunged that thread was the passionate love of a capricious tyrant and it was at length snapped asunder by her own unguarded expression of the ;

;

just indignation

which boiled in her

breast.

Bit-

Mariamne reproached the murderer, who was unworthy the name of her husband, and taunted

terly

REIGN OF HEROD THE GREAT.

133

him with the command which he had given for her

secretly

death in the event of his own.

Herod was stung

to rage

and fury, his love

was changed for the time into hate, and the wicked Salome took advantage of his anger to ruin the

woman whom

she detested.

Mariamne

was

falsely accused of a design to poison her The fair husband, the father of her children.

young queen was brought to trial for her life and her judges, suborned by her foes, sentenced ;

her to be put to death. Fearful was the struggle in the mind of Herod

between his passionate love for Mariamne, the fierce anger which possessed his soul.

and

But

Cyprus and Salome, like tempting fiends, urged him forward on his path of blood. They suggested

Asmonean

that, if the

people might

Herod was

rise in

princess were spared, the

her behalf; and the miserable

at length induced to order the execu-

tion of the fatal sentence.

The

spirit

of

the

descendant of the heroic

Mattathias sustained her to the

last.

The queen

of Judea with calm courage saw the end approaching of a life which had been crowded with so

many

trials

;

though she must have sighed at the two young sons, left under the

thought of her

REIGN OF HEROD THE GREAT.

134

guidance of a father who was the destroyer of their mother. As, with a firm step and an unblanched cheek, the queen proceeded to the place

was yet further imthe unnatural conduct of Alexandra,

of execution, her bitter cup bittered

her

by

own

mother.

This

unprincipled woman, dreading that she herself might become the next victim of the murderer of her son and her daughter, thought to avert Herod's wrath by loadMariamne ing the queen with cruel reproaches. bore this last trial in dignified silence, and passed

on to her death end,

his

28

great, firm,

and

fearless to the

B.C.

Herod's rage being quenched in the blood of innocent wife, all his afiection towards her

Half maddened by remorse and dehe had no rest by day or by night. The

revived. spair,

remembrance of Mariamne haunted him whereever he went, and in transports of grief he called aloud upon the name of her whom his blind fury

had destroyed. A grievous pestilence raged at this time in the land, which carried off great

numbers of the

people,

and which was regarded Heaven for the guiltless

as the just retribution of

blood of the queen. The health of Herod

gave way under the

REIGN OF HEROD THE GREAT.

While he lay

pressure of his misery. trated both in

the

sick, pros-

body and mind, Alexandra, seizing

favourable moment,

made a

would have placed

successful,

135

plot which,

in her

if

hands both

Her design power and the means of vengeance. was discovered and frustrated, and the execution of the mother soon followed that of her unfortu-

nate daughter.

Herod had now become the

object of the just

He endeavoured

detestation of the people.

soften their resentment for his crimes,

to

and perhaps

own tortured conscience, by expendimmense sums upon the temple at Jerusalem. ing For many years he employed eighteen thousand to quiet his

workmen upon

the building.

The

outside was

adorned profusely with gold, and the pinnacles, glittering in the sun, dazzled the eyes of admiring

beholders.

to

But that the miserable Herod had not brought God the offering of a broken and contrite heart,

more precious than

—

that

his

all

the world's vain treasures

was not repentance,

remorse

proved by

The blood of Asmoneus of

was

his subsequent conduct.

two young princes Marianme

the sons of

still

flowed in the veins

— Aristobulus and Alexander, ;.

and though these princes

REIGN OF HEROD THE GREAT.

136

were his jealous rights

own

children,

They might one day

fears.

of

Herod regaided them with

their

birth

— one

day

assert the their

avenge

murdered mother.

The young men were brought up at Rome, where they had too unguardedly expressed their natural feelings in regard to the fate of the queen.

Again Salome acted her fiendish part of

up

her brother to crime.

stirring

Herod's mind was

with jealousy and suspicion. To make disof intended the confidants of the treason, covery filled

unhappy

princes were stretched

and the intolerable

them

false

with

upon the rack, torment forcing from some of

confessions,

and

chains,

Alexander was

thrown

into

loaded

by

prison

his

father.

The position of the princes excited sympathy. The good offices of Archelaus, king of Cappadocia, produced

Herod and

a

temporary

his sons.

reality healed.

In 6

reconciliation

between

But the breach was not B.C.,

the unnatural

in

Herod

wrote to Augustus, then emperor of Rome, to obtain the monarch's consent to his putting his

own

Augustus had already between the tyrant and his repeatedly interposed victims, but he now left the unfortunate sons of offspring to death.

REIGN OF HEROD THE GREAT.

Mariamue

the

to

mercy of

young men were brought

to

The

their father.

trial, as their beauti-

mother had been before them

ful

137

and the result

;

was in both cases the same.

Sentence of death

was pronounced against the

princes,

were both strangled by their father's

under the rule of

commencement of

this

members

bloody tyrant.

At the

Herod had given an by slaying all but two of

his reign

earnest of his cruelty,

Sanhedrim.

Judea

to contemplate the state of

It is fearful

the

and they command.

of the great Jewish council of the

Whoever power, was

or

opposed,

seemed

to

ruthlessly put to death. While Herod sought to spread his fame by the magnificence of the buildings which he raised, the

oppose, his

Bands of people groaned under oppressive taxes. robbers ravaged the land, and were with difficulty While put down by the strong hand of power. crime stalked wolf-like through the palace, in serpent form it coiled even within the sacred precincts

of the

made a mask

temple.

Religion

for covetousness

ent sects disputed together.

and

The

itself

pride.

was

Differ-

Pharisees, while

scrupulously observing every outward ceremonial of the law, corrupted the pure fount of Truth by

mixing with

it

the vain traditions of men.

The

REIGN OF HEROD THE GREAT.

138

Saddiicees, with

bold infidelity, rejected Heaven-

taught doctrines, and plunged into evil excesses, unresti^ained by the dread of a judgment to come. It

might seem that the chosen, much-favoured nation, so

often

— — —had repenting being up

rebelling

and forgiven

at length filled

chastened the cup of

her transgressions, and that the Divine vengeance, like a looming cloud, was about to burst in full

fury upon guilty Jerusalem.

CONTEMPORANEOUS EVENTS 33—1

B.C. B.C.

A ctium Rome became an empire Battle of

31 97

CHAPTER

XIII.

THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH. Refleutions on the

Time and Manner

of the

Lord Jesns

T was

Appearance upon Earth

of the

Christ.

at this period,

when

the gloom was

the heaviest, the night darkest, that the Sun of Righteousness arose with heal

—

^that the long-expected, muching on His wings desired Messiah at length was born upon earth. Not that this was the first time that the Lord

had condescended to appear to His people.

God the

As

Father, robed in inaccessible glory, has

—

as we, who never at any time been seen by man, are dust and ashes, could not look upon His face

and

live,

—

it is

evident that, on the various occa-

on which the Lord became manifest to mortals, was the Eternal Son who deigned to shroud

sions it

His glory by assuming a visible form.

Thus

it

THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH.

140

was the Divine Son who pronounced the sentence upon Adam in the garden of Eden, and who held out to the trembling Eve the merciful promise of a future offspring who should both suffer and It was the Divine Son who listened triumph. graciously to the pleadings of Abraham for the guilty cities of the plain, doomed to a terrible deIt

struction.

likeness of a

was the Divine Son who, in the

man

of war, appeared unto Gideon,

and by a single look bestowed upon him

iiTesis-

tible might.

But

this

was

to be

no brief appearance

—no

The Holy become incarnate, to wear the throbto assume the mortal nature of the

passing glimpse of a present Deity.

One was bing

to

flesh,

creatures

whom He

—

himself had created.

Well

might the heavens wonder, and the earth rejoice, at so transcendent an act of condescension.

But may we not marvel that, when the Lord stooped to become man. He chose not a time

when

the faith of His people their obedience was earnest ?

—

was strong when How would the

devoted Nehemiah have welcomed his Master's

—

with what joy would Judas Maccabeus coming have laid his conquering sword at the feet of his !

King

!

And may we

not marvel that

when He

BIRTH OF OUR SAVIOUR

THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH.

142

whom

the heaven of heavens cannot contain, con-

descended to wear a mortal body, He did not choose to appear as a mighty monarch, cradled in a magnificent palace, and adored of the earth

by

all

the nations

!

We

must remember that the Redeemer of the

world had a threefold to save

office to

perform

He had

:

man, satisfy God, and subdue the power

of Satan.

men were under sentence of death. Eternal Truth had declared, " The soul that sinneth, it All

SHALL DIE

"

and Eternal Justice was engaged to execute that awful sentence. All had sinned and ;

come short of the glory of God. that died

when but

a few hours

Even the babe old,

born of the

corrupted, inherited a corrupt nature.

Who

bring a clean thing out of an unclean water from a fountain that is tainted ? Before Justice

guilty

must be

man

could

satisfied.

be

A

saved.

?

can

—pure

Eternal

victim must be

found of worth so priceless as to outweigh in the sight of the sions of

Almighty all the countless transgresmankind. It was not possible that the

blood of bulls and goats could wash away a single sin. They were offered by the saints of old to

show

their faith

in,

and

to

make them

partakers

THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH.

143

benefits of the one great Sacrifice,

of the

was to atone

And

which

for the guilt of a world.

the Son of

God came not only

to save

and

He would meet the own ground. Where man

but also to subdue.

to suffer,

enemy, Satan, on his had fallen under the power of temptation, the

God-man would tation

of

tnumphant over every tempOne born which the Evil One could offer.

woman

rise

would, by his spotless obedience,

the whole law which

Adam and Adam's

fulfil

race had

own strength conquering the under His feet. Satan conqueror, trample in His threefold behold the Redeemer We thus broken, and in His

office.

nature

and

;

To save man. He must assume man's to satisfy God's justice, He must suffer His whole

die.

life

must be an example

obedience under each form of sorrow and

of

trial.

He must

bear the weight of poverty, endure the It was by enduring that He sting of contempt. was it by suffering that He saved triumphed

—

The lamb

the rock smitten, that

give

life

his

own

of

Him

and who

!

bleeding beneath the sacrificial knife

to the perishing people

father on the altar

;

gushing waters might

its

Isaac

—such were ;

bound by

the types the bore who, sinless, punishment of sin, to His everlasting kingdom from passed ;

THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH.

144

the torments of the cross and the darkness of the .

grave.

As

work

merely a sketch of the history of the Jews, I shall not attempt to introduce into its

this

is

pages any account of the

or the miracles of office is to

in

which

crimes of

life

mercy which

of our Redeemer,

He

wrought.

My

describe the political state of the land

He its

deigned to appear to record the to place the dark background ;

rulers

of history behind

;

that glorious form which in-

spired pens have delineated in the Gospels, The tyrant Herod had reigned about thirty-three years,

when

his court

was

startled

by the

of the arrival of sages from the East,

tidings

who had

re-

ceived from a heavenly sign notice of the birth oi " a mighty Ruler. Where is He that is born King of the

Jews

" ?

was the anxious question of the "

pious travellers;

for

and have come

we have

seen His star in the

worship Him." The monarch of Judea well knew that the expectation of his people was eagerly fixed upon the east,

to

coming of the Messiah

;

he must also have known

that prophecy pointed towards this time for the

Holy One's appearance. The conduct of the tyrant showed that in the mysterious babe, born at Bethlehem, he dreaded a

rival.

He

sought information

THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH.

145

THE WISE MEN BEFORE HEROD.

of the sages regarding the child, that he might quench in blood this dawning light of Israel.

Being frustrated by the secret return of the sages to their own land, Herod determined to make sure (296)

10

THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH.

46

BETHLEHEM.

of his horrible object cruelty. in

He

by

a more sweeping act of

sent forth and slew

Bethlehem and

all

the children

from

in the neighbouring coasts,

two years old and under, ruthlessly tearing the innocent little ones from the arms of their agonized mothers, and filling the land with the lamentations of parents weeping over their slaughtered offspring. But it is in vain for man to fight against the decrees of God.

dream

An

angel

had appeared

to Joseph, the babe's reputed

father,

in a

and

THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH.

U7

TllE i'LIGHT INTO EUVi'T.

wai'ned liim to flee into

Egypt with the Virgin Thus every babe in

Mary, and her infant son. Bethlehem was slain by the cruelty of Herod, save the one whose life he aimed p.t the only one

—

whom

he caved to destroy.

CHAPTER DEATH OF Sickness of Herod

— Cold

mand — Death

of

XIV. IIEROD.

— Attempt at — Jiulea Reduced

Exploit

Herod

Suicide— Barliarous Comto

a Province

— Devoted

Courage of the Jews.

HE

measure of the tyrant's iniquities was

now nearly much longer

full

to

;

the

earth

was not

endure the presence of

monster of cruelty. Herod, as Antiochus had been before him, was struck by Epiphanes this

the

hand of an avenging God with a most strange disease. The proud king became a

and horrible

he loathsome object to all who approached him was consumed with inward pain, worn by incur;

able melancholy, tortured

by unappeasable hunger, and scarcely able to breathe. While his sickness was slowly but surely bringing

Herod the Great

to the tomb, an event occurred

DEATH OF HEROD. which proved that the old heroic

149 spirit of the

Jews was not quenched, and that there were those amongst them who could not patiently endure the hated yoke of the Romans. Two of the most learned and esteemed of the Jews, Matthias and Judas by name, burned with an ardent desire to emulate their pious ancestors, and purify the city and temple of their God from

heathen

profanation.

around them

whom

Gradually they gathered ardent spirits,

many young and

they incited to vindicate, by some gallant

deed, the honour of their religion.

Herod, with great disregard for the feelings of the nation

whom

figure of a golden

he governed, had put up the eagle, the

emblem of Roman

power, over the great gate of the temple. Many a fierce and angry glance had been raised by the Jewish worshippers towards this abhorred image,

and the boldest amongst them at length resolved to tear down the insulting emblem. Judas and Matthias stirred up their followers to the daring attempt, reminding them how glorious a thing it

was to face danger, and even to die for the laws of their beloved country. party of resolute young men, in the face of

A

day,

and

in

the presence of a number of the

DEATH OF HEROD.

150 l)eople, let

tliemselves

down by

thick cords from

the top of the temple, and with axes cut the golden eagle.

away But the power of the dying

Herod was not with impunity

to be

defied.

A

party of soldiers hastened to the temple, and about forty of the young Jews were seized, and

brought into the presence of the king. Herod demanded of them whether they had indeed been so daring as to cut down the eagle

temple and they frankly confessed that had done so. they "At whose command ? " asked the tyrant. ft-om the

"At

;

the

command

of the laws of our country,"

was the young Jews' intrepid reply. They were in the hands of one to

was a

stranger.

in the

cited

whom mercy

Not only the immediate

daring deed, but the teachers

them

to

it,

actors

who had

in-

were burned alive by the order

of Herod.

The

king's sufierings

that he his

own

made a hand.

now became

so intolerable,

end them by desperate attempt One day, in the extremity of his to

agony, he tried to stab himself with a knife, but was prevented by a relative, who saw his design,

and rushed forward in time to defeat

it.

Five days before Herod expired, his son Anti-

DEATH OF HEROD.

151

who had conspired against him, was slain As the by the command of his merciless father. pater,

gloomy tyrant's end drew near, his savage nature He showed itself in yet more revolting colours. seized upon the most illustrious men of the Jewish nation,

and then confined them

the Hippodrome. Salome and her

other acts

in a place called

Herod then sent

of wickedness,

following atrocious order

:

—

for his sister

and crowned

husband,

his

all

by giving them the

"I know well," said the dying tyrant, "that the Jews will keep a festival upon my death. However, it is in my power to be mourned for on

Do you have a care encompass those men that

to send sol-

other accounts. diers

to

are

now

in

ward, and slay them immediately upon my death, and then all Judea and every family of them will "

whether they wiU or no This horrible command was not obeyed.

weep

at

died,

and Jerusalem

By peror

it,

!

Herod

rejoiced.

his will, subject to the approval of the

of

Rome, Herod divided

amongst three surviving sons Antipas, and Philip.

—

his

em-

dominions

Aichelaus, Herod

To Archelaus

the government of Judea and Samaria, which he held for

nine years, under the

title

fell

of Ethnarch

;

while

DEATH OF HEROD.

152

and Philip Herod Antipas reigned in Galilee ruled over Auronitis and other provinces. The tidings of the death of the tyrant Herod ;

were brought by an angel to Joseph, who forthwith returned from Egypt with Mary his wife,

and her

Hearing, however, that Archelaus his father, Joseph turned aside

child.

had succeeded to to

Galilee, the

Nazareth in

There, for

of residence.

Virgin's former place

many

years, the family

remained in quiet seclusion, until the time arrived for the Messiah to show Himself openly to the people.

The reign of Archelaus was stormy. Desperate their struggles were made by the Jews to regain of their shake off the oppressors. yoke liberty, and come had time at that the length They hoped

when

their Messiah should appear

amongst them, more than

place Himself at their head, and, with

the prowess and success of Judas Maccabeus, drive Various impostors all their enemies before them. started up,

who were

by the people,

for a while eagerly received

and who drew their misguided

them into destruction. The Roman the general, Varus, came with an army to crush of thousand his two orders insurgents, and by followers with

them

suffered the horrible death of crucifixion.

DEATH OF HEROD.

153

NAZARETU.

Archelaus, a cruel, unprincipled man, was deby the Jews almost as much as his father

tested

had been. rid

of the

Emperor brought

Unable by their own

efforts

tyrant, they appealed to the

Augustus,

by whom

to trial, deposed,

to get

Roman

Archelaus

and banished.

was

DEATH OF HEROD.

154

The land over which Archelaus had ruled was

now reduced

to a

Roman

province, and governed

ROMAN GOVKllNOR WITH CONSULAR ORNAMENTS.

by

Roman

of

life

procurators,

and death.

who

This

possessed the power was held succes-

office

by Coponius, Marcus Ambivius, and ValerGratus, till, in the year 2G A.D.,* the corrupt

sively ius *

26

A.ij.,

according to popular reckoning; but our Lord was born foul we term our era

years before wliat

DEATH OF HEROD.

155

and unprincipled Pontius Pilate became procurator of Judea.

The new governor was not long in discovering how difficult was the charge he had undertaken. It to

was by no means easy to reconcile his anxiety please and obey his Roman master, with his

wish

to

the

conciliate

people over

whom

excited

and

turbulent

he ruled.

A very great tumult was excited amongst the Jews by Pilate's bringing the

into

secretly

images of Csesar This was

tus.

to

the

dignation.

Jews

Pilate,

Auguscontrary

Jewish law, and

roused the

the

cit}-

strongest inNumbers of

hastened

who was

then at

Cesarea, and besought

earnestly

to

to

him

remove the

hateful ensigns from Jerusalem.

On

tor's refusal

the procurato accede to

their entreaties, the

flung themselves

Jews

down

in

C.ESAB AUGUSTUS.

the dust, and for five

DEATH OF HEROD.

156

days and nights remained upon the earth in

a

posture of despair. Pilate was struck by the firm attachment of these

Jews put

to their customs

it to

a yet greater

and laws, and resolved

He summoned

trial.

to

the

people to the market-place, and then suddenly caused them to be surrounded by a band of armed warriors.

The Jews were

in the

utmost conster-

nation at the unexpected sight, and yet more so when Pilate bade the soldiers draw their swords,

and sternly gave the people the alternative of receiving the images with submission, or of being instantly cut to pieces.

But the devotion their fear.

They

of the

fell

down

Jews in

and stretching out their necks declared that they were ready

rose superior to

numbers

together,

for the fatal blow,

to die rather than

that their law should be transgressed.

was overcome by the firm of these brave men and giving way

Pilate's opposition

resolution

;

to

the

he commanded that the

popular feeling, obnoxious images should be removed from the city of Jerusalem.

CONTEMPORANEOUS EVENT. 6

Temple of Janus shut in Rome as a token B-c, when the I-ord Jesus Christ was born.

of universal peace, in the year

CHAPTER XV. THE DEATH OF THE MESSIAH. Imprisonment and Death

HILE

of

the

erned

—

John the Baptist Trial and Crucifixion Lord Jesus Christ.

Roman in

of the

Procurator Pilate gov-

Jerusalem,

Herod

Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, reigned in It was this Galilee under the title of Tetrarch. prince who, on being reproved

John the Baptist

for

by the prophet

an unlawful marriage with threw his faithful monitor

his brother's wife, first

and afterwards, through the arts of the wicked Herodias, was persuaded to put him into prison,

to death.

About two years

after the perpetration of this

crime, occurred at Jerusalem

that awful

Event

on which hung- the eternal destinies of a world. Before the tribunal of Pontius Pilate appeared the

THE DEATH OF THE MESSIAH.

158

Judge of

mankind

Accused by His own people of perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Csesar, the incarnate Son future

of

God

Roman

all

!

stood a prisoner in the presence of the procurator.

Upon

the

of

details

the awful scenes

that

followed, it is not the province of this history to dwell. There was a struggle in the mind of Pilate,

who was convinced

of the innocence of

tlie

Unwilling to condemn the guiltless he was yet reluctant to oppose himself Prisoner, Accused.

to

the fanatical fury of the Jews, who clamoured blood of their Victim. An argument was

for the

at

length brought

which added

to

foi-ward

Pilate's

by the wily Jews,

fear

of

oftendinir

the

people the yet stronger dread of drawing down upon himself the wrath of the emperor of Rome.

"If thou

let this

Man

not Csesar's friend.

go," they cried, "thou art Whosoever maketh himself

a king, speaketh against Csesar."

Overcome by that fear of man which bringeth a snare, the procurator at length gave the fatal command which consigned the spotless Jesus to the terrible death of crucifixion.

And

then was consummated that awful

which had been determined on

sacrifice

in the counsels of

CHRIST BEFORE PILATE.

160

THE DEATH OF THE MESSIAH.

the Almighty, before the foundation of the world.

by His own

betrayed by an apostle, delivered up by the cowardice of His judge to the malice of His merciless foes, the Lord Jesus, "for us men, and for our salvation," poured Rejected

out His

life's

people,

blood on the altar of the cross.

CHAPTER

XVI.

IIEROD AGKIPPA.

— Suicide Pilate — Punisliraent of Pride — Oreat — Tyranny — Assassinations — False Prophets.

Death of Herod Antipas

of

Riot

IT was not long after the death and resurrection of our Lord, while I [is infant

Church was struggling against that

difficulties,

brother of

his

territory

to

the

left

no

son,

was annexed

Roman

of Syria;

Philip,

Herod Antipas,

As he

died.

its first

province

but his nephew,

Herod Agrippa, was high in

favour

peror

with

Caligula,

the

Em-

and

from

him received the tetrarchy of Philip, (2961

together with the 1 1

caligula,

title

of King.

HEROD AGRIPPA.

162

Herod Agrippa was the son of Aristobulus, one of the unfortunate sons of Mariamne, who, like their

unhappy mother, had perished by the cruelty of Herod the Great. He had, therefore, Jewish blood and when, by the favour of a sucin his veins ceeding emperor, Judea and Samaria were added ;

he made

to his dominions,

the affections of the people

win

efforts to

to himself

whom he governed. He

began to encompass Jerusalem with a magnificent wall, which he deemed would render it impregnable

—

thus emulating the noble work of Neheby a very different spirit.

miah, although influenced

The greatness and prosperity of flamed the ambition of his uncle.

Herod Agrippa enjoy the

regal

this "

title,

king

Why

in-

should

while Herod

Antipas remains but a tetrarch?" such were the envious reflections of the tyrant. His partner, the detestable

more

Herodias,

tlian

shared

She urged Herod Antipas

ambition.

to

his

go in

Rome, assuring him that it was only because he had not appeared before Csesar (such was the title then common to

person

the

the

to

Roman

emperor

despots)

It

was

meet that

tempter

that

he was destitute

of

"

royal dignity.

Herod's

at

to

Herodias, crime,

who had been

should be also his

HEROD AGRIPPA.

163

tempter to ruin, and tlien share the misery which she had wrought.

Herod Antipas

sailed for

Rome.

Herod Agrippa

followed his uncle, not to befriend, but to accuse.

The emperor lent a willing ear The tetrarch of Galilee was not to the

to his favourite.

suffered to return

land which he had stained with innocent

He was

blood.

banished to Spain, and his do-

minions were bestowed on Herod Agrippa. Herodias followed the tetrarch to the place his

banishment.

There he

who had

slain

of

the

and mocked the Baptist's Lord, died an from his country.

Baptist, exile

The

was yet more striking. After over Judea for ten years, he was deprived ruling of

his

various

Gaul.

fate of Pilate

office

for

calamities,

his

involved

in

and banished to Vienne

in

malpractices,

There despair overwhelmed this miserable

man, deprived of that favour to retain which he had sacrificed his conscience and his soul. Pilate put an end to his own life by that hand from which he had once vainly attempted to wash the stain of the blood of the Messiah.

In the year 44 in order to

A.D., Herod Agrippa the king, win the favour of the Jews, openly

joined the persecutors of the Church.

James, one

HEROD AGRIPPA.

164

was put to deatli by the tyrant and Peter would have shared the same fate, had of the apostles,

;

he not been delivered from prison at night by the intei'vention of an angel.

The one.

career of the

monarch was

Herod Agrippa appeared

the world could

to be but a brief

to

have

all

that

Riches,

honours, power In the upon him. splendour of his public works he appears to have emulated his grandfather, Herod the Great. Never

had been

give.

freely

lavished

had the gi-andeur of his position been more striking than when, on a public occasion, he made an oration

to

the

Arrayed

people.

in

a robe

of

which glittered in the rays of the the display of his magnificence com-

silver tissue,

rising sun,

bined with his eloquence to dazzle the admiring With a shout, the people exclaimed, " It throng. the voice of a god, and not of a man !" Herod rebuked not such impious flattery the pride of his heart was gratified; and imme-

is

—

diately the angel of the Lord smote him, because

he gave not

God

the glory.

He was

suddenly

seized with agonizing pain, so that he could not "

refrain from calling out,

am now

I,

terious disease,

which

that ye called a god,

Stricken with a mysseems to have resembled

going to die !"

HEROD AGRIPPA.

165

two great pei"secutors, Antiochus Epiphanes and Herod the Great, Herod There, eaten Agrippa was borne to his palace.

that which destroyed the

and enduring exquisite torture, this proud enemy of God and of His Church died in

of worms,

the fifty-fourth year of his age.

His son Agrippa, being but seventeen years old, was deemed too young to succeed to the

power and dignity of

Three years

father.

Roman emperor made Judea again sank to the

however, the

afterwards,

him king

his

of Chalcis.

condition of a province, ruled by governors ap-

by Rome. Under Cuspius Fadus, and Tiberius Alexander, Jerusalem appears to have had a short breathingBut they were very space of comparative rest. pointed

soon succeeded by Cumanus, and in his time war, tumult, and sedition spread misery over the land.

The Jews were discontented with masters,

and their

efforts

to

theii'

Roman

break from their

bondage only drew the cords still tighter. In one alarming riot in the temple, at the of unleavened

trodden

bread,

down and

ten

killed,

thousand

and the

Jews were

feast

became a

cause of mourning throughout the nation.

were

fierce

feast

There

and bloody dissensions between the

HEROD AGRIPPA.

166

Samaritans and Jews.

and

Villages were set on

their inhabitants massacred

Bold bands of robbers ravaged the

tion of age.

and insurrection was

land,

In the year 52

A.D.,

rife

in all

quarters.

Cumanus was removed by

the emperor, and Felix

was appointed procurator.

The miserable Jews soon discovered the

new

qualities of their

avaricious,

and

;

and

administering justice,

He

established his resi-

there,

he

The number of

evil

Felix was mean,

master,

cruel.

dence in Cesarea

extortion.

fire,

without distinc-

under pretence

of

practised the gi-ossest robbers, or those

whom

he chose to punish under that name, who were by this barbarous governor, was fearfully

crucified great.

About

this

time a horrible system of assassina-

tion prevailed in Jerusalem.

A

band of men who

were

called Sicarii, bearing daggers concealed about their persons, mingled with crowds in the city, especially at the Jewish festivals. Suddenly

they stabbed those whom they regarded as their enemies, but so secretly and treacherously that the murderers usually escaped detection. The first

man

priest (the

him

so

by them was Jonathan the high office had become annual); and after

slain

many were

thus treacherously assassinated,

HEROD AGRIPPA. that

men looked upon

suspicion,

and even

in the

their

167

with

neighbours

day-time

felt their lives

insecure.

An Egyptian false prophet arose, who deluded a great number of the people. He led, according to the historian Josephus, thirty thousand of them through the wilderness to the Mount of Olives, whence he proposed to attack Jerusalem itself, At the and drive the Romans from the city. approach of Felix with his troops, the deceiver's courage failed him, and he fled, leaving his miserable followers to the vengeance of the stern procurator.

In the year 62 A.D., Felix was succeeded by It was during a visit paid to Porcius Festus. this procurator by Agrippa, king of Chalcis, the son of Herod Agrippa, that the Apostle Paul, long detained in prison by Felix, pleaded his own cause before an august assembly in Cesarea, and

appealed to the judgment-seat of the emperor of

Rome. CONTEMPOKANEOUS EVENTS. 33—62

A.D. A. D.

London founded by

tlie

Caractacus carried to

Boadicea defeated

Koraans

Rome

50 51 61

CHAPTER

XVII.

COMMENCEMENT OF WAR.

—

—

—

The Voice of Warning Horrible Oppression Stones thrown at Agrippa Massacre at Masada Advance and Retreat of Cestius Escape of the

—

—

Christians.

ESTUS

not long hold the reins of

did

government. Albinus, tionate, that he all

a

was

He man

yielded them up to of character so extor-

said to be the real head of

the robbers in the country.

was during the brief ):)eriod of his rule, that a wailing cry was heard by those who assembled to keep the feast of tabernacles "A voice It

:

from the

east,

—

a voice from the west, a voice from

the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and the holy house, a voice against the bridegrooms and the brides, and a voice against this whole people!" The cry of woe was from a poor husbandman,

&5
11"'/

>mun

DENOUNCING WOE UPON JERUSALEM,

COMMENCEMENT OF WAR.

170

upon whose soul the shadow of coming national affliction

lay like a heavy burden.

Irritated

mournful forebodings, the populace

his

by

laid hold

but they on the man, and beat him severely could not silence the voice which cried Woe to ;

doomed city. The rulers brought the peasant before Albinus, whose command he was barbarously scourged,

the

at

even

till

his bones

were

laid bai-e.

Yet he uttered

no prayer for mercy, nor could pain wring from him a tear but at every torturing stroke he re" Woe, woe to Jerusalem !" peated, ;

five

months the husband-

to cry aloud

by day and by night

For seven years and

man continued

in all the lanes of the city, while the cloud

the land

over

grew darker and darker, and the hour of drew nigh. At length, in the fatal

destruction

which crushed the

hopes of the miserable Jews, as the peasant was crying on the wall, "Woe, woe to the city, and to the people, and to

siege

last

"

also !"

Woe, woe to myself and while the words were in his mouth, a

stone

from the besiegers silenced the prophetic

the holy house," he added,

tongue in death. Evil as was Albinus, the

Jews had cause

regret his departure, when, in the year

G4

to

A.D.,

COMMENCEMENT OF WAR,

171

he was succeeded by the tyrant Gassius Floius. This, the last, appears to have been also the worst

He governors appointed by Rome. spoiled whole cities, ruined entire communities, of

all

the

and by his tyranny and oppression large country were brought to desolation.

tracts of

Multitudes of the people, groaning under his intolerable

him

to

yoke,

Cestius

made

their complaint

against the president of Syria. to pity the miseries of the

Gallus,

They besought him nation, and to relieve them from their merciless Florus, who was present, laughed at tyrant. their accusations, but made fair promises for the future,

which he never intended

to

keep.

It

seems to have been his project by his barbarous oppression to force the Jews into a rebellion, that in the confusion his

and misery attendant on war,

own hateful crimes might pass unnoticed. On the occasion of a riot at Cesarea, Florus

sent to rob the temple of Jerusalem of a large sum of the sacred treasure, under pretext that it

was required for the service of Csesar. At this the people were thrown into great excitement, and some of the boldest uttered loud reproaches Florus marched hastily on the avaricious tyrant. with troops against Jerusalem, and, notwithstand-

COMMENCEMENT OF WAR.

172

ing the submission of the chief priests

and

rulers,

an order to his soldiers to plunder the market-place, and slay all whom they met with. issued

Only too eager license,

the

to

troops,

themselves of such

avail

like

bloodhounds

let

loose,

rushed through the town, plundered the houses, murdered thousands of men, women, and children. Nor did the horrors of the scene end here. Many

them men of rank,

of the citizens, and some of

were led before the brutal Florus, who commanded that they first should be scourged, and then suffer the death of crucifixion.

Fearful,

though just

The people who had chosen Barabbas, were given up to a ruler with the spirit of a Barabbas; and the very sufferings to which they had subjected their rejected Messiah, were merciretribution

!

lessly inflicted

on themselves

!

Bernice, the sister of Agrippa, interceded in vain for the people. They were not only tormented before her very eyes, but she was con-

strained herself to flee for her

life

from the fury

of the cruel soldier3^

A

ensued between the Romans and The people from the roofs of their houses threw down stones and darts on the fierce fight

the Jews.

troops,

who

at

length,

weary of

this inglorious

COMMENCEMENT OF WAR.

173

camp near the

returned to their

street warfare,

palace.

A

war was now becoming

regular

inevitable.

The contest between the mighty empire of Rome and a people like the Jews, weakened by internal

was indeed a

unequal one but with wild infatuation the nation rushed into

divisions,

fearfully

;

the ahnost hopeless struggle, goaded on

own

fierce

passions,

as

well

as

by

by

the

their

cruel

oppression of Florus.

was

no purpose that Agrippa, king of Chalcis, endeavoured to dissuade the Jews from warning them even engaging in this fatal war It

to

—

with

tears,

while

Bernice

wept

beside

him.

Holier tears had flowed before for lost Jerusalem,

but the things belonging to her peace were hidden Some of the fierce seditious from her eyes.

by the very efforts made Agrippa was loaded with re-

people became irritated to

calm them.

—

nay, some of proaches, excluded from the city the furious Jews even threw stones at the king;

and Agiippa, indignant at their treatment, retired for

a while to his dominions.

The

fortress of

was taken by

the

Masada, garrisoned by Romans,

Jews through

defenders slain without mercy,

treachery,

65

A.D.

and

its

Great

COMMENCEMENT OF WAR.

174

THE FORTRESS OP MASADA.

was the excitement in Jerusalem. insurrection spread fast.

the city

;

The flame

of

Fierce Zealots ranged

the palaces of Agrippa,

Bernice,

and

Ananias the high priest were given to the flames; the castle of Antonia was besieged, taken, set on fire,

and

its

Imperial

Roman garrison put to the sword. Rome was little likely to submit

quietly either to revolt of subjects or insult from foes.

Cestius Gallus,

at the head of an arm}',

advanced, and planted his eagles at the distance of but fifty furlongs from Jerusalem.

Agrippa accompanied the Roman forces, and make one more effort to persuade the

resolved to

maddened Jews

to sue for forgiveness.

He

sent

COMMENCEMENT OF WAR.

two of

his followers,

those of his party

175

named Borseus and Phebus,

who were

known

best

to the

people, and promised them that Cestius should offer them his right hand in token of the free for-

even at

giveness of Rome,

if

they would throw

down

their

this,

the last hour,

arms and submit.

But messengers of peace from an earthly monarch were treated as the ambassadors of mercy from a heavenly King had been by the Phebus was murguilty people.

deluded and dered

before he

could utter

Borseus,

wounded and

death by

flight.

Cestius

now

his

bleeding,

message only

;

and

escaped

attacked the Jews, put them to

The flight, and pursued them even to Jerusalem. fiercest of its defenders retreated from the suburbs into the interior of the city.

Romans

For

five

days the

wall, and attempted break into the temple, which was obstinately

assaulted

the

to

de-

fended by the Jews. It was believed by the Jewish historian Josephus, that

had Cestius at

this time continued his

attack, Jerusalem must have fallen, and the war at once have been ended. But suddenly, without

apparent reason, the soldiers,

and made

Roman

his retreat

general recalled his from the city. To

COMMENCEMENT OF WAR.

176

the Jews, this strange conduct of Cestius appears

almost unaccountable it

;

but the Christian sees

a most remarkable

in

instance of the merciful

The Church at Jerusalem providence of God. recalled to mind the prophecy of the Redeemer " When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with :

—

armies, then

Then

know

that the desolation thereof

is

them which are in Jerusalem nigh. and let them which are in flee to the mountains and let not them the midst of it depart out let

;

;

that are in the

these be the days of vengeance,

that are written

may

be

that

all

open

as the

things

fulfilled."

The warning had not been uttered As soon

For

countries enter thereinto.

in vain.

retreat of Cestius left the

for flight, the Christians retired

way

from Jeru-

salem, like Lot from the city of the plain.

In

the mountains of Perea they found their Zoar of

the fiery deluge of destruction descended on the doomed city which they had left. refuge, while

CONTEMPORANEOUS EVENTS. 62—65 AD. Rome

set

on

fire

Nero's persecution of the Christians

A.D 64

04

CHAPTER SIEGE OF JOTAPATA. VVar

XVIIT.

— PALL OF JERUSALEM.

— Sieges^Heroism—Fall of Jotapata — The Lot — Horrors in Jerusalerr — The City taken by Assault— The Temple Burned. INTO

all

the details of this most horrible

war we

will not enter, nor describe

how, Damascus, Jews were slaughtei-ed by thousands and tens of thousands. In 67 A.D., Vespasian, a in Cesarea, Joppa,

distinguished ral,

Roman

marched into

gene-

Galilee,

where he took the

city of

Gadara, and other strons;holds

of

was son

the

accompanied Titus,

He

land.

who,

father's subsequent

by

his

on

his

eleva-

tion to the imperial throne

of

VHSPASIAN.

Rome, headed the conquering army. (296)

12

SIEGE OF JOTAPATA.

178

Never, even in the time of the Maccabees, had

more desperate courage been shown than the Jewish nation now displayed.

Of

this the

of Jotapata,

defence of the city under the Jewish

historian Josephus,

was a most

inemoi'able instance.

Jotapata was built on a [)recipice,

and

was

only on the north JOSEPHUS.

side,

Josephus had strongly

with a wall.

higli

accessible

which

fortified

Against this wall Vespasian raised

a high bank, and brought one hundred and sixty

engines of

war

to

throw

stones, darts,

and arrows

CATAPULTA FOR SHOOTIXG AUROWS.

into

the

night,

But even

city.

rose the wall

;

as the

bank

rose,

so

the defenders labouring day and

and protecting themselves from the iunu-

SIEGE OF JOTAPATA.

179

merable darts and heavy stones cast by the enojines, by screens formed of the raw hides of oxen,

which broke the force of the

After

many

fierce assaults

missiles.

and desperate

sallies,

Vespasian resolved to invest the city, and starve its defenders into a surrender. There was plenty of corn within Jotapata but the want of water ;

was it

great, and Josephus was obliged to distribute to his followers bv measure. Findinor, how-

ever, that the

Romans had obtained some

intelli-

gence of their distress, Josephus commanded that many clothes should be plunged into water, and then hung out upon the battlements, that the abundance of water trickling from them down the wall might deceive the foe into the belief that

necessary of life was plentiful in the This artifice was successful Vespasian city. despaired of taking the place by famine, and this

first

;

again betook himself to the force of arms.

A

daring stratagem was

the wants of the garrison.

made use of to supply Some of the boldest

ventured by night out of the city to procure provisions, creeping on all fours past the outposts of the Romans, and covering themselves with skins,

that

if

descried

by the watchful

be taken for prowling dogs.

foe,

they might

SIEGE OF JOTAPATA

180

The formidable battering-ram was now brought This was a huge the walls of Jotapata.

against

BATTERINO-RAM.

beam

of wood,

whoso

fore-part

was armed with

a

thick piece of iron, suspended from an engine by When the beam had been pulled backropes.

SIEGE OF JOTAPATA.

wards by a number of the

181

soldiers, it

swung

for-

wards with an impetus so tremendous, that at its very first blow the wall was shaken, and a cry of terror arose

from the besieged, as if the destrucwere certain. Josephus,

tion of their battlements

however, ordered bags of chaff to be hung over the walls, to deaden the force of the blows but ;

the Romans, with sharp hooks at the end of long

by which the bags were

poles, cut the ropes

sus-

pended. Eleazar,

which

is

a Jew, performed a feat of heroism

well worthy to be recorded.

Standing

upon the wall, he hurled a huge stone upon the ram with such precision and force, that he broke off its iron head. He then leaped down, seized on the piece, and, though a mark for the enemy, and pierced with

five of their darts,

he actually

succeeded in carrying it off, and regauiing the top of the wall, where he stood for a moment exulting,

and

then

fell

down dead from

summit, with the ram's head

still

the

grasped in his

hands.

Again and again the Jews sallied forth, attacked the besiegers, and burned their engines with

fire.

When

assault, scalding oil

the

Romans

pressed on to the

was poured on them from the

182

SIEGE OF JOTAPATA.

wall,

and the assailants were driven back by the

desperate valour of the defenders.

by an attack made by the Romans at night, when, worn out with watching and fighting, the exhausted guard lay Jotapata

asleep.

fell

at last, however,

The brave garrison found no mercy

;

many

were driven over the precipice, many perished by their own swords rather than fall into the hands of the foe.

About twelve hundred women and

chil-

dren were reserved for bondage by the conquerors Josephus and forty of his companions, when they found that resistance was hopeless, concealed themselves by descending into a pit, which communicated with a cave. Here, on the third day, the hiding-place of Josephus was discovered by the

Romans

the

life

;

and Vespasian, willing to preserve

of the general, offered

would yield himself up. Nothing shows in a more

him quarter

if

he

forcible light the

obstinate spirit of the Jews, than the fury of the conn-ades of Josephus at the bare idea of his surrender.

thou

still

"0

Josephus!" they exclaimed, "art fond of life, and canst thou bear to see

the light in a state of slavery

we

!

If thou hast for-

care that the gotten thyself, ouglit We of our tarnished. forefathers be not glory to take

183

SIEGE OF JOTAPATA.

if lend thee our right hand and a sword thou wilt die willingly, thou shalt die as a general

will

:

of the

Jews

;

but

if

a traitor to them

unwillingly, thou shalt die as

'"

In their savage rage these desperate men were about to plunge their weapons into their own commander, when, gi-asping at the last chance of deliverance, Josephus made the following pro" Since it is resolved among you," said he, posal " that we will die, let us commit our mutual :

deaths the

to

determination by lot. He to whom be killed by him who draws

first lot falls shall

the second, and thus shall death

through us

all,

make

progress

but none shall perish by his own

hand!"

The proposition was accepted. Josephus himdrew among the rest but as Providence

self

ordered

;

it,

his lot

was the

last

but one.

When

the general was surrounded

by the bloody corpses of his fierce companions, he succeeded in persuading the only one of them who survived not to

He complete the horrible work of destruction. and the man surrendered to the Romans, and received mercy from Vespasian. But even the horrors of Jotapata were light At compared to those of the siege of Jerusalem !

FALL OF JERUSALEM.

184

the

feast

of the Passover,

the

at

when

season

the city was most crowded with worshippers at the

—

season

when

had been

Messiah

the

slain

—the Roman

army, under the conduct of invested

Titus,

A wall

70

A. D.

tip

around

means

of

it

;

Jeruso^^'""

was thrown

there

escape

was no for

the

multitudes

within, except that of accepting the proffered mercy of Titus that

Ill us.

:

mercy was fiercely rejected. As though the miseries of such a war were not sufficient, the city was rent by internal dissensions. the head of a body of fierce bigots, garrisoned the temple of Jerusalem ; John of GisEleazar, at

chala,

an unprincij^led

tyrant, blood.

swept the streets and Simon, a savage

rufiian,

with his bands of robbers

;

the lower parts of the city with These three parties attacked each other

filled

with the fary of ravening wolves, and only united in

ferocious

In

the

strife,

sallies

against the

common enemy.

madness of their rage in the Jews actually set fire

this

intestine

to the houses

U^W'^'lB::mi'im

FALL OF JERUSALEM.

186

which contained their own stores of provisions, and thus added to all other horrors that of the Multitudes

extremity of famine.

perished by and happiest were those who were first relieved by death from their horrible torments. leather Girdles and shoes were eagerly devoured

hunger

;

;

and gnawed robbers burst into the houses where wretched families from the shields was torn

off

;

were dying of hunger, and tortured the poor wretches to force them to discover where a morse]

Many

concealed.

of food might

lie

ished sufferers

who endeavoured

to

of the fam-

escape from

the city were seized by the Romans, and crucified in such numbers that wood could scarcely be found for the crosses

while

;

if

any

in

the beleaguered

town were suspected of wishing to quit it, were murdered by the furious Zealots. sound of war in Jerusalem was heard by and by night the streets were slippery ;

they

The day with

no one there attempted to bury the heaps gore It is said that 1,100,000 of the of corpses. ;

people perished in this horrible siege. One by one the three walls which encompassed

by assault as the circle grew and narrower narrower, the misery within grew Unnatural horrors were perpemore dreadful.

the city were taken

;

FALL OF JERUSALEM.

187

Not only would parents

trated.

tear the

last

morsel of food from their famishing babes, but, fearful

to relate,

a mother was

feed upon her own offspring drawn over such awful scenes. !

known even

to

Let a veil

be

Fearfully was

the prediction of the Messiah at this time accomplished

as

—

^'TJiere

was not

shall be great tribulation,

such

since the beginning of the world, no,

nor ever shall

be !"

The Lord had

foretold that false prophets should

and deceive many, and that fearful sights and great signs should be from heaven; and these arise

words were

literally fulfilled.

The miserable Jews

desperately grasped at the hope of a coming Messiah,

lured

and eagerly listened to deceivers, who only them to ruin. A wonder in the sky, re-

sembling a fiery sword, hung over the devoted appearances as of chariots and assembling armies in the clouds terrified the astonished be-

city

;

and one night the priests in the temple were alarmed by a quaking of the earth, accompanied by a strange sound, and a voice which

holders

;

"

"

uttered the mysterious words, Let us depart At length the hour of complete vengeance !

arrived.

Ministers of God's wrath, the

Romans

burst through the last defences of the Jews, and

188

FALL OF JERUSALEM.

TITUS LEADING ON BIS TROOPS

the torrent of blood swept the city. Titus had resolved to spai'e the magnificent temple but he ;

could not baffle the decree of the Almighty. The Lord had declared that not one stone should be

FALL OF JERUSALEM. left

pass

anotlier

upon

away

ground.

;

189

and heaven and earth must

before one of His words can

A Roman

soldier, acting

fall

to the

without orders,

which was speedily Loud and fearful rose the

set fire to the glorious building,

enveloped in flames. cry of the despairing

Jews when

their last hope In vain Titus in

in the

blazing pile. person exerted himself to put a stop to the prothe flames curled round the gress of the fire perished

;

pillars, spread over the roof, and the crash of falling timbers, and the roar of the conflagration,

mingled with the shrieks of a multitude of the Jews who were burned in the cloisters of the temple.

CONTEMPORANEOUS EVENT. 65—70 AD. t.D.

Martyrdom

of St. Peter

ami

.St.

Paul

0(j

CHAPTER

XIX.

CONCLUSION. Beflections on the Past

— Promises for the Future — Duties for the Present.

|HUS fell guilty Jerusalem

— once

city, the joy of the earth

retribution overtook those jected

and

slain the

And what

Messiah

the chosen

Thus

1

fearful

who had

re-

!

Judea now, after the lapse of Still an oppressed and deeighteen centuries ? a land which has been ruled by solate land is

—

Saracen,

Christian,

Turk

;

but never since that

A land in day by a monarch of her own. to whose once bondage strangers, flowing valleys, with milk and houey, now lie comparatively fatal

barren,

showing that the curse of Heaven

still

rests like a blight

And

upon them. where are the sons of

Israel,

ants of patriots and of heroes

?

the descend-

Scattered over

CONCLUSION.

the face of the earth,

ever a distinct and

—

191

aliens in

many

lands, yet

people jealously of the the Old Testament, Scriptures guarding though blind to their prophetic meaning and yet peculiar

;

;

looking for the their

own

appearance of their Messiah, and

restoration to the land of their fathers.

Will the Jews ever be restored

Will they

?

Egypt and Babylon,

return as from

and tread

We turn to the words again the city of Zion ? of prophecy, wdiich shine like stars in the dark and

ness,

a few out

select

of

many

:

—

"

Thufi

I luill save My and from the west country ; and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. ; and they shall he My people, and I will he their God, in truth and in righteousness." * " Ye shall be gathered

saith the

Lord of

hosts,

Behold,

people froTTi the east country,

"And it ye children of Israel." f as ye were a curse among house of Juddk, and house of Israel;

one by one, shall

come

to pass, that

(he heathen,

so will

I

save you,

fear not, hut will

let

pour upon

and

ye shall be a blessing

your hands

the house of

he

"

strong." X

David, and upon the

inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace supplications *

Zech

viii.

7, 8.

;

and t

:

/

they shall look Isaiah xxvii. 12

and of

upon Me whom !

Zecli. viiL 13.

192

CONCLUSION.

and

they have pierced,

mourneth for

as one

bitterness for

and

mourn for Him, and

shall be in

as one that is in bitterness for

Him,

his first-born." *

they shall

his only son,

"Shake

thyself from the dust

;

Jerusalem, for the Lord hath comforted His people, He hath redeemed Jerusalem." f arise,

sit

Chrisfcian

down,

reader

who walk

Gentiles,

us not forget that the that to us,

let

!

by human means

Lord worketh

over the plains of Judea, charge,

is

committed the sacred

example, free

by holy

;

in the light that first shone

liberality,

and

fer-

vent prayers, to gather the outcasts of Israel "one "What," wrote by one" into the Saviour's fold. the Apostle of the Gentiles, pleading for his

—

own

beloved people "what shall the receiving of them Well may we but be, life from the dead ?" I conclude in the words of the martyr prophet and psalmist king,

—

"

Ye that make mention of

Lord, keep not silence; establish,

and

the earth."

till

"

§

and give Him no

Pray for

they shall prosper that love thee.

thy '

lualls,

Zech.

jtii.

10.

and prosperity within t

rest till He

He make Jerusalem a praise the peace of

Isaiah Hi. II

2, 9.

Psalm

t

Rom.

rxxii. G, 7.

ilie

in

Jerusalem

:

Peace be within thy palaces."

xi. 15.

§

\\

Isaiali Ixii. G, 7

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