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Haggai and Zechariah, to separate the Gentiles from the Jews, was, it is said, smitten of God, and perished in agony. The priesthood remained vacant for seven years, when the people pressed it upon Jonathan, and the appointment was confirmed by the Syrian monarch.

Tryphon, the base murderer of Jonathan, aiming at the throne of Syria, immediately besieged Jerusalem; but the people elevated Simon, the surviving brother of Judas and Jonathan, to the head of the army, and he was afraid to make any attack. Simon continued both general and High Priest for the term of eight years; when he was treacherously murdered by his sonin law, B. C. 135. His reign was one of much prosperity to the Jewish nation. They had friendly alliances with the Ro. mans and Lacedemonians; enjoyed the civil and religious institutions of their fathers, and were victorious over the petty marauders who troubled them. Simon erected at Modin, a very costly monument of white marble, over the sepulchre of his father and brothers, which was for centuries a famous sea-mark, and which was standing so late as the days of Eusebius, 200 years after Christ.

With the death of Simon terminates what is usually called the history of the Maccabees. This history is chiefly contained in the first book of the Maccabees, which was probably written by some contemporary author, who had been an actor in the scenes which he so minutely and feelingly describes. It was never admitted into the sacred canon, but approaches nearer the style of sacred history than any work extant, and is gene. rally received as an accurate account of the events of that pe riod. From it Josephus chiefly copied the history of that period. The second book of Maccabees consists of several pieces compiled together. It is written with much less accuracy than the first, and contains much that is extravagant and fabulous.

The Apocryphal books, which are often printed and bound with the sacred volume, were all probably written in these latter days of the Jewish church. They are therefore venerable for their antiquity; and some of them, as the first book of Maccabees, impart valuable historical information; others, as the books of Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus, afford much useful instruction; but none of them have any title to inspiration. They were never admitted into the canon of the Jews, to whom alone were committed the oracles of God. They formed no part of the Septuagint version. They were never quoted, either as prophetic or doctrinal, by our Saviour or his Apostles. Some of their authors disclaim all pretensions to inspiration;

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and some of them contain things which are weak and low; utterly inconsistent with probability and chronology, and at variance with the general character of divine truth. They are considered as canonical, and as of equal authority with the writings of Moses and the prophets by the church of Rome; but they certainly ought never to be connected or circulated with the sacred volume.

CHAPTER IX.

Prosperous state of the Jews under Hyrcanus. Royalty reestablished. Jerusalem taken by the Romans. End of the Asmonean princes. Herod the Great. The Temple repaired and enlarged. Family of Herod. Sceptre departed from Judah. Religious sects among the Jews-Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Herodians, Galileans, Karaites. Different orders of men-Scribes, Rabbis, Nazarites. Wickedness of the Jews, and of the Heathen. State of the Civil World. Reflections on the providence of God.

SIMON was succeeded in the Jewish government and priesthood, by his son, John Hyrcanus, 135 B. C. Antiochus Sidetes king of Syria, hearing of the death of Simon, marched against Jerusalem, determined to subdue it. A tremendous siege ensued, and the inhabitants almost perished by famine. They sued at length for peace. Antiochus granted it, requiring the Jews to deliver up their arms, demolish their fortifications, and pay him an annual tribute. The sudden death of this monarch enabled the Jews soon after to cast off the foreign yoke, and they were never again subjected to the Syrian power. Hyrcanus maintained his authority twenty-nine years, and died in peace, greatly lamented. Under him the Jews enjoyed greater prosperity, and were raised to greater heights of glory, than they had ever attained since the Babylonish captivity. By him the capital of the Samaritans, and the temple which was erected on Mount Gerizim were destroyed. The Samaritans, however, continued to have an altar on that mount, and to worship there.

Under his reign, the Edomites joined themselves to the Jews, and both Jacob and Esau became consolidated in one nation. The Jews recognised two kinds of proselytes-proselytes of the gate and of justice. The former renounced idolatry, but did

not conform strictly to the law of Moses; such were Naaman the Syrian, and Cornelius the centurion. They were admitted into the temple to worship God, but came no further than into the outer court, which was hence called the court of the Gentiles. The others observed the whole Jewish law. They were initiated by baptism, sacrifice and circumcision, and were admitted to all the privileges of the Jews. Such did the Edomites become.

Hyrcanus was succeeded by his son Aristobulus. He assumed the title of king. He was the first Jewish ruler, who, af. ter the Babylonian captivity, wore a crown. He was a prince and High Priest of great cruelty. He put to death his own mother and brother, and at the close of one year, died in great horror of conscience, for his crimes. During his reign, the Itureans were vanquished, and compelled, as was the custom towards all captives, to receive circumcision, and be engrafted into the Jewish state.

Alexander Jannæus, his brother, ascended the throne upon the death of Aristobulus. He was a martial prince, and fought many successful battles with the surrounding nations. But he had a more terrible enemy at home, than abroad. This was the sect of the Pharisees, which had occasioned much trouble to John Hyrcanus,but which now came out in open war against this sovereign, and endeavoured to drive him from the throne. They hired foreign troops, and compelled him once to flee to the mountains alone. At length, however, he gained a decisive victory over them, took 800 of them captive and caused them all to be crucified in one day. This rebellion lasted six years, and cost the lives of above 50,000 of the faction. He reigned twenty-six years, and left the throne to his wife, 79 B. C.

This woman committed the government entirely to the Pharisees by which she acquired great popularity. But having the power in their hands, they immediately commenced a violent persecution of the Sadducees, a rival sect, who had been the supporters of Alexander. This was followed with much shed. ding of blood until they were placed for security, at their own request, in the several garrisons. Alexandra died in the ninth

year of her reign.

Her son Hyrcanus had been made High Priest, and immediately ascended the throne on the death of his mother. But he was driven from it in a short time, by Aristobulus, a younger brother. Antipater, governor of Idumea, and father of Herod, took the part of Hyrcanus. The two contending parties appeal. ed to Pompey, the Roman general, and made him arbitrator be

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tween them. The shrewd Roman heard them with apparent impartiality, but deferred a decision of the controversy. Aristobulus, jealous of his rival, prepared for war. The Roman general immediately caused him to be imprisoned, and marched his army against Jerusalem. The party of Hyrcanus received him with open arms, and the faction of Aristobulus, who had thrown themselves into the Temple, were but for about three months able to hold out against so powerful an enemy. Twelve thousand Jews were killed by the Romans, and many destroyed themselves. When the Temple was finally taken, the priests moved not from the altars, but suffered themselves to be butchered without resistance, by the soldiery, to the astonishment of Pompey.

Thus did the holy city and Temple fall into the hands of the Romans, 63 B. C. and on the very day which the Jews kept as a solemn fast, for the capture of Jerusalem and the Temple by Nebuchadnezzer, king of Babylon. Pompey wished to see the interior of the Temple. But the Jews protested against it as an awful profanation. With his superior officers, however, he pressed in, lifted the veil, and looked within the Holy of holies. The whole he treated with great respect. All the treasures he left untouched; and he ordered the priests to offer sacrifice as directed by the law of Moses..

But, according to the prediction of Jacob, the sceptre was not to depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet, until Shiloh should come. We therefore find the Romans leaving the Jews still to govern themselves. Hyrcanus was continued in the High-priesthood with the appellation of prince, but the walls of Jerusalem were demolished, the Jewish territory was reduced, and the nation was compelled to pay a disgraceful tribute. Aristobulus and his sons were carried to Rome, to adorn Pompey's triumph. It was however but a short period before this disturber of the public peace obtained his liberty, and Judea was again thrown into desolating dissensions.

Pompey was overpowered by the partisans of Julius Cæsar; who, at the death of that renowned warrior, usurped the supreme authority at Rome. Antipater had assisted him in his wars in Egypt, and was rewarded by the office of lieutenant of Judea, 48 B. C. He soon obtained important posts for his two sons,the government of Jerusalem for Phasael, and of Galilee for Herod. Cæsar confirmed Hyrcanus in the Priesthood, and conferred such favours upon the Jewish nation, that it could hardly be perceived that they were in bondage to any people.

There was nothing stable, however, among this people, nor

even in the thrones of the mighty. Julius Cæsar, one of the most splendid men that adorns the page of civil history, was assassinated in the senate-house; and Hyrcanus was ejected from his rank and station, by Antigonus, the son of his great rival. His vengeance fell also upon the governors of Jerusalem and Galilee. But Herod fled into Egypt, and from thence to Rome; where he put himself under the protection of Mark Antony, who was then in power. Antony gave him the kingdom of Judea. He collected an army; and after a long and distressing war, took the holy city, 37 B. C. Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus, was put to death. He was the last of the Asmonean family. They had reigned in Judea for one hundred and twenty-nine years.

The sceptre now passed, for the first time, into the hands of a foreign prince, but still the Jews continued to be governed by their own laws, and their Sanhedrim was the general court of judicature. We feel, however, when we behold so great an event as this, that the coming of Shiloh is near.

Herod was a monster of cruelty. He was ever filled with jealousy, and all his real and supposed enemies he put, as far as lay in his power, to most cruel deaths. The adherents of Antigonus first felt his rage. Their blood flowed freely, and their estates filled his empty coffers. Only two were spared from the Sanhedrim. Disqualified himself for the priesthood, he made Ananel, an inferior and obscure priest, High-Priest; but he soon displaced him, and gave the office to Aristobulus, the brother of his wife Mariamne; but him however he in a short period, caused to be drowned in a bath. To give himself autho rity and power with the Jewish nation, he married Mariamne, a beautiful and accomplished woman of the Asmonean family, the grand-daughter of Hyrcanus; but though he loved her passionately, she, for his murder of her brother, as bitterly hated him; and in his fury for it, he put her to death. He condemned also her mother, and three of his own sons to the loss of life, and exhausted the treasure and spirit of the nation, by his cruel oppres sions.

As might naturally be expected, this monster in wickedness despised the Jewish religion and laws. The High Priest he set up and removed, without any regard to hereditary right. He made it continually the great object of his reign, to introduce Roman luxury, and the worship of heathen gods. He built Grecian temples, and set up idols for worship, and established theatres and games in honour of Augustus the Roman Emperor. Having reigned in this manner fourteen years, and amassed

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