Of the state of the Jewish Nation under the Persian and the Grecian Monarchies.
Of the state of the Jewish Nation under the Persian and the Grecian Monarchies.
After the death of Nehemiah, Judea became subjected to those whom the Kings of Persia made Governors of Syria. These governors placed the regulation of affairs under the control of the high priest, who had all the sacred authority, as well as civil power, vested in him, but still he was under the direction of the governor of Syria. This arrangement, however, was frequently interrupted by the different governors and princes, from time to time, who occasionally appointed other persons, not of the family of the priests, to officiate in such sacred office.
It is recorded in the book of Nehemiah, that when Johannan, the son of Jehoiada, had been in possession of the royal priesthood during many years, Bagoses, the governor of Syria, appointed Jeshua the younger brother of Johannan to depose him, and take the priesthood to himself. This caused considerable disturbance and dissatisfaction; a tumult arose in the inner court of the Temple, and Jeshua was slain there by his brother.
Bagoses, the governor of Syria, incensed at such opposition to his views, immediately entered the inner court of the Temple, in defiance of the remonstrance of the Jews, who explained to him that he was unclean, and therefore unfit to enter the holy edifice. In reply, Bagoses proudly remarked "that he was purer than the dead carcass of him whom they had slain there;" and as a punishment for this outrage, he imposed a heavy fine for every lamb that was offered throughout the year.
About this period the Jews were most miraculously saved from the threatened oppression and resentment of Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia, in Greece, who had marched toward the city of Jerusalem with a powerful army, determined to punish the people for refusing to assist him in the siege of Tyre.
At the time when Alexander declared war against the people of Tyre, they were so wholly occupied as merchants that they had entirely neglected all agricultural pursuits, and consequently had to be supplied with provisions by their immediate neighbors. Judea was at this time the place from which they were mostly furnished with all that they required. Alexander was necessarily compelled to seek provisions from the same source, and accordingly sent his orders to that effect. The Jews had previously declared their allegiance to Darius, and considered that they were bound in faith not to acknowledge any new power during his lifetime, and therefore refused to obey the command of the proudMacedonian. Alexander, being then in the zenith of his glory, having been so eminently successful in his late wars, considered that every nation was bound to submit to him, and that he durst not be contradicted. The refusal of the Jews in this respect, greatly incensed Alexander; he marched towards Jerusalem determined to punish the Jews, as he had the Syrians, for not obeying his commands. The Jews, fearing the consequences of the Emperor's power, which was certainly great at that time, felt severely the dilemma into which they were thus innocently involved; and as usual with the chosen people of God when in distress, they had no other course to adopt but to rely on the protection of Him who had at all times responded to their call, in the hour of trouble. For this purpose all Jerusalem were assembled together in prayer and supplication, and offering additional sacrifices in the Temple—imploring the mercy of God in their great distress. The high priest then gave instructions that the gates of the city should be thrown open, and that all the priests should be clad in their official robes, (he himself being attired in his pontifical habiliments,) and that all the elders and heads of the nation should go forth to meet the conqueror in grand procession. On the approach of Alexander to the city, and beholding this imposing scene, he was smitten with profound awe and religious veneration. He saluted the high priest and tenderly embraced him—entered the city in the most friendly manner, declaring himself the friend and protector of Israel. The Syrians andPh[oe]nicians, who being the enemies of the Jews, were in expectation that the Emperor would wreak his vengeance on them and destroy them as he had those of Tyre, surprised and disappointed at this sudden change of the Emperor's conduct, naturally enquired into the cause; to which Alexander replied, that while at Macedonia he had a dream, in which he saw the figure of the same high priest, dressed in his sacerdotal robes, encouraging him to pursue his expedition against the Persians, and promising him success; which was fully realized beyond his most sanguine expectations. In the person of the present high priest, he saw the same figure which had appeared to him at Dio, and therefore he concluded that his success was mainly attributable to the will of God; and that, in the person of the high priest, he paid adoration to God in gratitude for the favor thus conferred upon him.
Alexander, thus pacified, enquired of the Jews what favor they had to ask of him, which was in his power to grant; to which they replied, the privilege of being governed by their own laws, and to have no obstruction in following the religion of their forefathers, which was more dear to them than all worldly distinctions. This request was accordingly granted; and further, as a mark of Alexander's favor, they were to be exempt from paying tribute or taxes during the seventh year, because in that year they neither sowed nor reaped their land.
Alexander then requested the high priest to have a golden image of his likeness placed between theporch and the altar, as a memorial of his visit. The high priest in reply to the Emperor, explained to him that according to the Jewish law, it was forbidden to have any image or likeness set up in the house of God, which was exclusively devoted to the worship of Him who is the sole ruler of the universe. But, said the high priest, we will make a greater memorial for you, which shall descend to ages yet to come; that all the male children which shall be born unto the priests during the coming year, shall be named after your imperial majesty, in honor of your illustrious condescension and clemency on this momentous occasion.
The king expressed himself highly pleased with this promise of the high priest, and in token of his approbation presented a considerable amount of gold for the use of the Temple service. Alexander then retired, well satisfied with all that had transpired; and on leaving the Temple, he declared in a very fervent tone, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, the God of this house."
Alexander, on leaving Palestine, marched into Egypt, over which he made an easy conquest, as the people having heard of his success, immediately surrendered; and thus he became master of that country. He built the city of Alexandria, and peopled it with different nations, among whom were many Israelites, who enjoyed the same privileges with the rest of his subjects.
In the following spring, Alexander became perfect master of the whole of the Persian Empire; he thenmade war with India and conquered it. Elated with success in all his enterprises, he indulged in all the excesses of life, and within five years from this time he died from the effects produced by such an extravagant mode of life. A short time after his death, the Empire was divided among four of Alexander's generals, and then the Jewish nation fell into the power of Ptolemy Soter, who became master of Egypt, Arabia, Cael Syria, and Palestine of Judea, these countries being his share of the division of the Empire of Alexander.
The kings of Egypt and Syria being constantly at war with each other, and desirous of enlarging their dominions, the Jews were at a loss whose cause to support, as they were called upon by all parties. This placed them in extreme difficulties, being in danger on both sides, and consequently badly treated by both parties in power.
Of the affairs of the Jewish Nation under Ptolemy Soter, Ptolemy Philadelphus, and Ptolemy Philopater, Kings of Egypt.
Of the affairs of the Jewish Nation under Ptolemy Soter, Ptolemy Philadelphus, and Ptolemy Philopater, Kings of Egypt.
Ptolemy Soter signified his intention to make Alexandria, in Egypt, his capital city. He persuaded many of the Israelites to settle there, with the promise that the same privileges granted them by Alexander, should be continued to them. This boon induced numbers of Jews to settle in Alexandria.
A remarkable story is told of one Mossolam, a Jew, who was one of those who followed Ptolemy at this time. This Mossolam was one of a Jewish troop of horse, who were advised by some soothsayer to stand still at the sight of a bird which appeared in the air, and that the people should follow the direction of this bird, either to go one way or the other, as that bird took its flight; to test the truth of which, this Mossolam shot the bird with his arrow, and the bird fell dead at his feet. He then declared aloud to the people, "How could that poor bird foretell our fortune, which knew nothing of itsown?" His object was, in this expression, to expose the superstition of the heathens, so prevalent in those days.
Ptolemy Soter established a college of learned men, at Alexandria, in Egypt, and commenced a library there, which Ptolemy Philadelphus, his youngest son and successor, improved to one hundred thousand volumes. It is stated that this prince ordered the Pentateuch to be translated into the Greek language, that the Gentiles might be enabled to read it; this was accordingly done, and placed in the great library, as we shall read hereafter.
This college of learned men was encouraged, and the library increased under the several Ptolemys till it contained seven hundred thousand books. This circumstance made Alexandria the place of residence and resort for learned men during several ages. It happened, unfortunately for posterity, that one half of this famous library was burnt by Julius Cæsar in his Alexandrian war, and the balance was finally destroyed by the Saracens, in the year 642 of the Christian era.
Ptolemy gained the favor of the Jews, by paying a ransom of one hundred thousand of their countrymen, who had been taken captive and made slaves in Egypt. Having thus ingratiated himself into their good opinions, he proposed the translation of the Pentateuch above mentioned, in the following manner: he selected six Elders out of each tribe, making the number of seventy-two; these he invited to his court, and engaged them to perform the task,which was accordingly done and approved by him; and in token of his approbation, he very liberally rewarded them for their labors. This translation is known by the name of the Septuagint—so called from the circumstance of there having been seventy-two learned men employed for that purpose. The Septuagint is, however, by no means considered a correct translation, there being many incongruities contained therein; the rendering of many passages being at variance with the original Hebrew. The translation of the prophets, etc., into Greek, was made many years later, in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes; this completed the translation of the whole of the Old Testament.
When Ptolemy Philopater reigned over Egypt and Syria, he persisted in offering up sacrifices in gratitude to the God of Israel, for his success against Antiochus the Great, the successor of Seleucus, king of Syria. The Jews naturally opposed this measure, and were consequently persecuted because of their strict adherence to their religion.
The kings of Syria and Egypt, in order to annoy the Jews, would force themselves into the holy Temple, and burn sacrifices upon the altar. It is related of Ptolemy Philopater that he insisted on entering even the holy of holies. The priests and the levites, and all the people, assembled together in prayer and supplication to the Almighty, to assist them in preventing the sanctuary from being polluted by the heathen. It happened that, when the king was about to enter the holy Temple, he was smittenwith such terror and confusion of mind, that he was removed from the holy place almost lifeless.
The king, on his recovery from this attack, which he believed was caused by the prayers of the people, was determined to be revenged on the whole Jewish nation; for which purpose, he went to Alexandria, and commanded that all the people should sacrifice to his idols. The people in general refused to do so, on which account he deprived them of all the privileges which had been granted to them by Alexander the Great. He then directed that every Jew should be marked with an ivy leaf, (the same being the badge of his idol Bacchus,) burned in their flesh with a hot iron; and further, that all those who resisted this infliction, should either be made slaves or put to death. Some few of the poor Jews reluctantly obeyed the king's mandate, in order to prevent the threatened punishment; but many thousands of them stood firm in the religion of their fathers, and suffered all the persecutions of the tyrant, rather than forsake the God who had wrought so many miracles in their behalf.
Ptolemy, vexed to find that the people would not sacrifice to his idols, and that they submitted to every degradation rather than forsake their God, resolved to be revenged, and threatened to destroy and annihilate the whole of the nation; and this he attempted to do, by issuing an order that all the Jews who livedinandaboutEgypt, should be brought to Alexandria in chains, and there to be devoured by his elephants. The Jews were broughtto the place of execution, where the elephants were made drunk with wine and frankincense, and then let loose among the people; but instead of falling upon the Jews, they turned their rage upon the spectators who came to witness the scene, and destroyed great numbers of them, leaving the Jews unhurt.
The king on seeing his plans frustrated, began to reflect, and to be convinced that the God of Israel would protect his people from their enemies; and fearing that he would become the victim of the vengeance of a justly offended God, he immediately revoked his cruel decree, and restored to the people all their former privileges. Those, however, who had forsaken their God and abandoned their religion by sacrificing to his idols, were delivered into the hands of their enemies, and many of them were put to death.
How just are the dispensations of Providence! and how secure is man under the most perilous circumstances, while he puts his trust in his God and remains firm to the true worship of Him who is ever watchful of the safety of his faithful and trustworthy followers.
Of the Jewish affairs under Antiochus the Greek, Seleucus, and Antiochus Epiphanes, Kings of Syria.
Of the Jewish affairs under Antiochus the Greek, Seleucus, and Antiochus Epiphanes, Kings of Syria.
After the death of Ptolemy Philopater, Ptolemy Epiphanes came to the throne. The Jews, having experienced severe persecutions at the hands of the Ptolemys, surrendered to the power of Antiochus the Great, King of Syria; and when he came to Jerusalem, the people went out to meet him in great procession, and very graciously welcomed him to their city.
Antiochus, flattered by this mark of their attention granted them the same privileges as he had done to their brethren who had settled themselves in Babylon and Mesopotamia. He had at all times expressed himself satisfied with the conduct of the people, having found them on all occasions true and loyal subjects.
Antiochus, wishing to show his confidence in the Jews, and with a view of encouraging them, sent many of them from Babylon to Lower Asia, to guard and protect his forts and garrisons, and allowed themgood settlements; hence many of the Jewish nation peopled that part of the country. At the death of Antiochus, his son, Seleucus Philopater, succeeded him. In his day, Simon, a Benjamite, was made Governor of the Temple. He had some difference with Onias, the high priest, who was a very good man. Simon, however, not succeeding in his expectations with the high priest, reported to Appolonius, the Governor of the Province under Seleucus, that great treasures were deposited in the Temple; upon which information Heliodorus, the treasurer, was sent to seize them.
Heliodorus accordingly repaired to the Temple to make this seizure. When he entered the Temple he found the priests and all the people engaged in solemn prayer to Almighty God, imploring his divine assistance in their present distress. The scene which thus presented itself to him at that moment so powerfully affected him, that he fell prostrate before the Lord of Hosts, whose power he publicly acknowledged, and resolved not to interfere with the people of God, as he called them, and immediately left the city.
Antiochus Epiphanes succeeded his brother Seleucus in the kingdom of Syria. When seated on the throne, Jason, the brother of Onias the high priest, bribed Antiochus with a large sum of money to deprive Onias of the priesthood and to banish him to Antioch; at the same time Jason wished to have the priesthood conferred on him; not, as it is supposed, that he wished to have it as a religious office, butbecause it would invest him likewise with the power of the civil government. Antiochus received the bribe; banished Onias to Antioch, and then appointed Jason to the office of high priest.
When Jason became high priest, he erected a place of exercise at Jerusalem for training up youth according to the fashion of the Greeks, and induced many of them to forsake the religious customs and usages of their forefathers, and to conform in many things to the customs and ceremonies of the heathens. Some few years after Jason had been in office, he commissioned his brother Menelaus to go to the court of Syria to pay the annual tribute money. Menelaus took advantage of this opportunity, and offered the king a larger bribe than his brother had given for the priesthood.
Antiochus made no scruple in the matter, and accepted the money thus offered by Menelaus; and gave instructions to his secretary to make out a fresh commission in favor of Menelaus, who returned triumphantly to Jerusalem, deposed his brother Jason, and placed himself in the office of the priesthood.
Menelaus being in office, abused the power and authority vested in him, and conducted himself in a manner much worse than his brother whom he had deposed. He stole some of the golden vessels from the Temple, impoverished the country, and by degrees he managed to enslave the whole of Judea, and overturned all that was left of her religion and her freedom. He then visited Antioch, where he met his brother Onias, who rebuked him for hismisconduct both towards him and the people in general. Menelaus, chagrined at his brother's rebuke, adopted means by which Onias was put to death. During this time, Lysimachus, who had been appointed by Menelaus to officiate as his deputy during his absence, stripped the temple of many of its most costly vessels. He also committed many other sacrilegious acts; this occasioned a great tumult and confusion among the people, which ended in considerable bloodshed, and in which conflict the deputy himself fell a victim.
This circumstance led to a false report being industriously circulated, that Antiochus had fallen in the affray. Jason, availing himself of this confusion, headed an army of resolute and desperate men; repaired to Jerusalem which he assaulted; succeeded in putting to flight his brother Menelaus with his party, and committed great havoc among those who opposed him. Jason, however, was in the end defeated; his party routed; he himself perished in some strange land, and it is supposed even without the usual rites of burial.
Antiochus hearing of this affair, and imagining that Judea had revolted, gave immediate orders to his soldiers to repair to Jerusalem and to kill young and old without any reserve. The soldiers obeyed their cruel master in so unmerciful a manner, that in less than three days upwards of forty thousand souls were slain; thousands taken into captivity, and sold as slaves to the several neighboring nations.
Antiochus then entered the holy Temple, stripped it of all the sacred vessels still remaining—the altarof incense—the golden table and the golden candle-stick.
He then destroyed all the beautiful decorations of the House of God, robbed the noble edifice of all its treasures, and impiously polluted the holy of holies. And to further satiate his cruel revenge, he sacrificed a sow on the altar of burnt offerings, and scattered its fragments over every part of the Temple. The tyrant then departed, leaving the city of Jerusalem overwhelmed in sorrow and in mourning. The streets were strewed with the dying and the dead. The cries and lamentations of the orphan and the widow deplored the loss of their natural protectors and their property, which the tyrant carried away with him to enrich his unholy possessions.
Some time after, Antiochus sent his general Appollonius to collect the annual tribute to which the Jews were subject, and at the same time commanded him at the head of a thousand men, to attack the city of Jerusalem on the sabbath day, while the people were all engaged in their religious worship in the Temple.
Appollonius fully executed the mandate of his cruel master. He slew the priests and the Levites while at their sacred duties, together with numbers of the private citizens; led the women and children into captivity; destroyed all their houses; built a castle near the Temple, and placed a troop of men as guards to watch and annoy those few Jews who still remained in the city.
Not yet satisfied, the cruel tyrant issued a decreethroughout all his dominions to suppress every religion excepting the worship of the idols, he himself had set up, and to which alone he paid his adoration. He forbade the Jews to perform the initiatory rite on their male children, and prevented them from offering any more sacrifices in the Temple to the God of Israel. He then set up an image upon the altar, and sacrificed to it, and called it the Temple of Jupiter Olympus. He compelled the people to offer up the flesh of swine, and other unclean beasts, and even to eat of them. He forced the Jews to profane the sabbath, and cruelly persecuted all such who did not strictly conform to his wishes; rendering the position of the poor Jews pitiable in the extreme, and probably unequalled by any other nation in the annals of the world. Antiochus then ordered all the books of the law, and other books used for worship, to be destroyed; and to effectually carry out his cruel edict, officers were appointed to search every house, and every person was examined on oath as to the possession of any Hebrew books or tablets. By this means not a copy of the law was to be seen among the poor Jews. Notwithstanding all these persecutions, there were found numbers of the people who defied the power of the merciless king; and putting their trust in the God of Israel, would not defile themselves with the idolatrous worship then imposed on them, and break the law of God. Sad to relate, that daily and hourly these people who adhered to their religion, were put to the sword and other torments, to compel them to act in obedience to theking's orders. Their love for their religion was greater than the pleasures of this world, and in support of that religion they sacrificed their own lives and those of their wives and children.
In the next and following chapters we shall inform our readers of the manner in which the Lord raised up champions in Israel, who valiantly and bravely resented the injuries inflicted on their countrymen, and zealously fought the battles of the Lord; the success which ensued, together with the total defeat of their enemies, and the punishment which awaited the tyrant Antiochus and his army.
Of the state of the Jewish Nation in the days of Mattathias the Priest, the father of the valiant Maccabees.
Of the state of the Jewish Nation in the days of Mattathias the Priest, the father of the valiant Maccabees.
In the days of the tyrant Antiochus, who so frightfully and cruelly persecuted the Jews, there lived at Modin a very learned, pious, and noble priest; he was of the family of the Asmoneans, named Mattathias. This zealous and brave man was one of the first who was determined to oppose the future progress of Antiochus. Mattathias, who was known to be a man of considerable influence among his brethren, was highly complimented by the king's officers, and tempted by them to comply with the request of the king to renounce the Jewish religion and embrace that of the heathen. The priest boldly and fearlessly rejected their entreaties; and in the hearing of all the people he declared that no consideration whatever should induce him, or any of his family, to forsake his God and his holy religion; they would continue to walk in the sacred path of their fathers, and that no king on earth could be found to compel them to adopt any heathen worship.
This bold declaration of the valiant priest, created great sensation among the people—and some of them fearing the torments threatened to be inflicted on all such who refused to obey the king's orders, consented to offer sacrifices on the altar set up for heathen worship; this altar was placed at Modin. The priest, zealous in the cause of his religion, was determined to be avenged of this outrage committed by some of his brethren; he exhorted the people in general, not to be led away by the acts of these apostates, but to remain true to their holy faith, and that he and his family would pour out their life's blood for their sacred cause.
At this time a Jew presented himself at the altar, and sacrificed to the idol there erected. Mattathias, fired by religious zeal, fell upon the apostate and slew him on the spot. His sons, actuated by the same religious spirit, slew the king's chief officer and his men who enforced his wicked commands. They then destroyed both the altar and the images, declaring aloud to all their brethren, "Ye who are zealous for the cause of the Lord and His religion, follow us! Follow, follow!" The priest then collected together all the members of his family, and took up his abode in the neighboring mountains. Many of the Jews followed this example, and fled—some to the deserts, some to the mountains, and there assembling together, formed themselves into a little army—bold, resolute, zealous and brave in their just and noble cause.
The king's troops pursued them, and attackedthem on the Sabbath day. The people unwilling to profane the Sabbath, made no resistance, unanimously declaring, "Let us rather die in innocence than triumph in guilt." The enemy taking advantage of this, slew them in great numbers. The venerable Mattathias grieved at seeing his brethren so cruelly and innocently murdered, made a decree, (having previously consulted his brother priests,) and published it throughout the land, that it should be lawful, should it be found requisite, for the people to defend themselves against their enemies, in the event of their being attacked, on the Sabbath day. This resolution was adopted and followed in all the subsequent wars, under the direction of their able and pious champions.
When Antiochus heard of this bold and daring resolution, so much beyond his expectations, he perpetrated the most frightful cruelties on every Jew who would not forsake his religion. On this occasion happened the martyrdom of the venerable and pious Eleazer, a priest of great learning, probity and zeal in the cause of religion. At the advanced age of ninety years, this poor man was led forth to the scaffold, and was desired to make a public declaration that he would renounce his religion—that he should eat swine's flesh in the presence of all the people, as a proof of his conversion. With resolute firmness, and becoming resentment, the venerable priest refused to comply with the wishes of the tyrant, and preferred death rather than forsake the religion of the one true God.
At this period it occurred, that a mother and her seven sons were scourged in order to compel them to eat swine's flesh. Both the mother and her sons publicly declared their resolution to die under the hands of the executioner, rather than transgress the laws of God. The tyrant then ordered their limbs to be cut off, their tongues to be cut out, and the skin of their heads to be stripped off with the hair; all which was executed in the presence of the mother, who encouraged her children to suffer their tortures bravely in the cause of their religion. She soothed their afflictions by the tenderest affections, beseeching them to fear God, and not the tyrant—and patiently to endure the torment, in the hope and expectation of a happy and glorious resurrection, where she would meet them again in mercy, and under the protection of an all gracious father, who never forsakes the truly righteous. The mother having witnessed the sufferings of all her sons, martyrs to the cause of their religion, shared the same sad fate, and under similar torments was ushered into eternity.
What a noble example to parents of the present day to watch over the conduct of their children, and exert all the means in their power to induce them to walk in the path of virtue; to inculcate in them true religion, and not suffer them to think so lightly of the precepts of the Lord—for it must be admitted that the apathy evinced in the present day by all classes of society, is the sole contributing cause of the infidelity so prevalent amongst us. If we areasked what is the cause of this infidelity, the answer is, the Holy Bible is not studied sufficiently, either privately or publicly; and not being understood, is consequently rejected by thousands of those who grow up in ignorance; hence, in the hour of distress, they have nothing to console them, as in olden times, as exhibited in the history before us.
During this time, Mattathias who still remained concealed in the mountains, encouraged his brethren to remain firm in their cause. He spoke so emphatically to them that he gained their confidence, in consequence of which, great numbers declared themselves true to the noble enterprise before them. Those who more particularly were devoted to the cause, were such as were calledchasideem, or pious; of this sect we shall have to speak in a future chapter, and therefore we shall proceed with our narrative, in which we shall see the result of true piety and honest zeal in the defence of upright principles.
Mattathias and his party then marched, well armed, through all the towns and villages, destroyed all the altars and places of worship belonging to the heathens. They then circumcised all the male children, who had been neglected in this matter in consequence of the edict passed by the tyrant Antiochus. In this affair they met with very strong opposition, and in their defence they committed great slaughter among their enemies. They succeeded on this occasion in recovering many copies of the law, which had been hid at the time the mandatewas issued to destroy all the copies of the law, or any other Hebrew manuscripts which might be found among the people. The venerable and pious priest had now grown grey in the service, and appeared to be fast approaching the verge of the grave. Sensible of his position, Mattathias assembled together all his children, together with his friends, and on his death bed he thus addressed them:
"My sons, be ye valiant and zealous in the cause I have so long advocated—expose your lives in its defence, and hereafter you will share the glorious reward of your perseverance. Let me, says the dying man, bring to your memory the spirit, the noble spirit and pious zeal of your ancestors, to animate your hope, and to encourage your steady reliance on the power and protection of your all-gracious God. Thus inspired, my dear children, and thus determined to defend your laws, your liberties, and your religion, youwillnot, youcannotfail of success. My son Simon has proved himself a man of wisdom, follow his advice as a father, and as a counselor. Judas, your brother, is well known for his courage and valorous conduct, let him be your general, let him head your army and lead you to the battle-field. My sons, may God Almighty ever protect you and prosper you in all your righteous undertakings, and crown all your laudable efforts with success."
After this tender and affectionate interview, this, his last and farewell advice to his sons, Mattathias in a good old age expired, and was honorably buriedat Modin, in the sepulchre of his ancestors—beloved and esteemed by all who knew him in life, and revered and lamented by all who attended his mortal remains to the grave.
The Government of the Jewish nation under the Maccabees, or as they were otherwise called, the Asmoneans, this being the family name.
The Government of the Jewish nation under the Maccabees, or as they were otherwise called, the Asmoneans, this being the family name.
Judas, at the dying request of his father, and with the full consent of his brothers, took upon himself the command of the forces, and at once erected his standard. Judas is henceforth called Judas Maccabees, because he chose for the motto of his banner in the field of battle, the sentence from the song of Moses, Exodus, chap,XV: "Who is like unto thee, amongst the powers, oh Lord!" In Hebrew the initials of the words in the sentence form the word "Mochbee." Hence it is, that all those who fought under the banner of Judas, were called "Maccabees," and all of that race were known by that name.
Judas and his brethren achieved many very valiant deeds, in defending the cause of the holy law, and the holy religion of the God of Israel, of which they were the bold champions. Judas was successful in gaining the many battles he fought with Antiochus; and to encourage his army to fightbravely, he exhorted them to put their trust in God and that they would conquer. This inducement held out to the army, appears to have produced the desired effect.
The tyrant Antiochus, seeing their repeated success, became resolute and determined to be avenged of his powerful opponents, the Maccabees. To effectuate this, he adopted the following stratagem: when he went into Persia to gather the tribute of the countries round about, he left Lysias with half his army, with express orders to destroy and root out all the Jews from their land.
Lysias proved as cruel as his master; he collected numerous forces and encamped near Jerusalem; his army consisted of forty thousand foot, and seven thousand horse. Encouraged by the hope of success on the part of Lysias, a body of merchants, about a thousand in number, repaired to the place of action, provided with large quantities of gold and silver, with the full expectation of buying the captive Jews for slaves. Whilst the enemy contemplated a complete victory, Judas and his brethren gathered themselves together unto Mizpah; here they fasted, put on sackcloth, and prayed to God to help them in their great distress. They opened the book of the law before God, where the heathens had polluted it by painting their images which they worshiped. They then sounded the trumpets and prepared for battle, resolved to a man to die in defence of their country and their religion. The result of this zeal and courage on the part of Judas, proved successful;Judas and his army put to flight and destroyed several large forces which Lysias had sent against them. They drove the enemy out of Jerusalem, and almost out of the land of Judea, and succeeded in possessing themselves of a large booty, both from the army and the merchants, who expected to become their masters.
Judas and his party, grateful to heaven for this great and glorious success over such powerful enemies, immediately repaired to Mount Sion, where they saw the sanctuary of God made desolate, deserted and neglected; even the altar was polluted, the gates and walls thrown down, the courts of the Temple, the beautiful edifice itself bedecked, not with sweet or odoriferous herbs, but with wild shrubs and grass which the hand of time had allowed to grow on that sacred spot. What a heart-rending scene for the pious Judas and his followers! Grieved at beholding such a devastation of God's holy place, they fell on their faces, rent their clothes, and made great lamentations; at the same time imploring the aid of heaven to repair the loss thus sustained.
Judas and his party diligently applied themselves to repair the Temple, and to restore the worship of God. They selected some of the good priests to purify the sanctuary; they removed the altar, which had been profaned by the heathens, and built a new one as the law directs. They then made some new vessels for the use of the Temple, from the gold which they had taken from the enemy in the latebattle. The regular order of divine worship was again introduced, and sacrifices offered up according to the law of Moses.
It is somewhat remarkable, and worthy of our attention, that that very day three years, on which the heathen had profaned the altar by offering up unclean beasts, the Temple was dedicated with great rejoicings and grateful acknowledgments to God, which continued during eight days. It was on this occasion that Judas and his brethren ordained that this feast of dedication should be celebrated annually on the return of this period, with mirth and gladness, together with praises and thanksgiving to God. This feast of dedication is known among Israelites by the name "Honucha," Hebrew word for dedication. The fact related is, that when Judas and his men had purified the Temple, a very small lamp of consecrated oil was miraculously found, capable of furnishing sufficient to supply all the established holy lights in the Temple during eight days, until a fresh portion could be procured. This circumstance occurred about two years after Judas had the chief command, and upwards of three years after the city and the Temple had been laid desolate by Appollonius. History informs us, that the holy worship in the Temple continued with little interruption from the heathen, until the destruction of the Temple by the Romans, though Jerusalem itself was often in the power of its enemies.
Notwithstanding the success achieved by Judas and his party, they were much annoyed by theirenemies, from the fact that the fortress built by Appolonius still remained in the hands of the heathens. It stood on Mount Acra, a rising ground facing the Temple. The heathens placed themselves here to annoy the Jews, on their going to, and returning from the Temple. Judas finding that he could not drive out the enemy at once, endeavored to prevent these annoyances by building up Mount Sion with high walls and strong towers. He also placed guards there to protect the priests and the people when they went to the Temple, with the view of preventing the Gentiles from invading the sanctuary.
Though Judas and his men continued the Temple worship, they were still in constant warfare. The neighboring nations were all jealous of the success gained by the Jews, and dissatisfied that they had restored the sacred worship in the Temple of the Lord. To show their displeasure they attacked the Jews on all sides; war ensued, and fierce battles were fought, in most of which Judas proved victorious, sustaining but little loss in his army.
Judas, encouraged by such success, which he always acknowledged to be from the hand of God, and not from his own power, led forth his army against Georgius, a general of Antiochus, as also against the Idumeans, who had in their turn proved vexatious to the Jews. In these attacks Judas lost many of his men, but nevertheless proved victorious. Judas was a noble and valiant general; his policy was at all times to encourage his men by inducingthem to put their trust in God, who had done so much for their ancestors, and instilling in their minds the belief that he would continue his protection to them as long as they were inclined to act righteously to each other. During this time, Antiochus was visiting Persia in order to receive his tribute from the people of that country—and plunder the Temple ofDiana, erected atElymos, which was said to contain great riches in gold and silver, and a very valuable armory. The people of Persia having gained intelligence of the king's intention, boldly defended the Temple of their idol, and succeeded in totally defeating the enemy.
Antiochus enraged at this discomfiture, and at the reports he had received of the defeat of his generals in Judea, resolved to march toward Jerusalem, and threatened to make the whole city as one grave, in which to bury all the Jews then in the Holy Land. How far this wicked man succeeded in his cruel resolve, the following facts will show; they need no comment on our part, to prove that it was the finger of God that was directing all that befel Antiochus, and other persecutors of mankind. It is generally supposed by historians, that the same disaster which befel the tyrant Antiochus, was visited on many persecutors of God's people, both in former and latter times—hence supporting our views on the subject, that Heaven ordained all that had happened. Whilst on his journey, Antiochus was smitten with an incurable plague; his chariot was upset, and he was seriously hurt. He was then carried to asmall town on the road side, put to bed, in which he lingered for some time, suffering the most excruciating agonies of body, and torments of mind, until he died. On his death-bed, Antiochus showed great contrition of mind for the crimes which he had perpetrated against God and man. The heathens declared that it was a punishment inflicted for his intended sacrilege of the Temple of Diana; but the Jewish historians acquaint us, that the tyrant himself imputed his sufferings as a punishment for the cruelties towards Israel, and the impieties he practised against the Lord and his holy Temple. Thus ended the life of this great and relentless tyrant.
The pleasing tidings of the death of the tyrant having reached the ears of Judas, he was encouraged to besiege the garrison of the Syrians, in the town of Acra, in which enterprise he succeeded by a stratagem which will be hereafter related.
At the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, his son Antiochus Eupator became his successor. He proved to be no better than his father, whose footsteps he followed by persecuting the Jews wherever found throughout his empire. Antiochus Eupator commenced his career by bringing a vast army against Judas, consisting of one hundred thousand foot, twenty thousand horse, thirty-two elephants, and three hundred armed chariots of war. Judas's army being so small, compared with that of the enemy, encouraged his men by the watchword which he issued among them: "Victory is of the Lord." Animated by the hope of success, they managed tosurprise the enemy at night, and slew upwards of four thousand of them, and then made a safe retreat to Jerusalem. In this encounter, Eleazer, one of the brothers of Judas, evinced great courage; he saw one of the elephants raised much higher than the rest. Supposing that the king himself must be mounted thereon, he ran through the camp, made his way to the beast, and thrust him through with his spear. The wound proving mortal, the beast with his heavy burthen fell down and crushed Eleazer to death.
Antiochus Eupator's army then marched to Jerusalem under the command of Lysias, and besieged the sanctuary. During this siege, the Jews suffered much from the want of provisions. They were on the point of surrendering to the enemy, when, by the providence of the Almighty, they were strangely released from the impending danger. It happened that Lysias, the general, heard that the city of Antioch was seized by one Philip, a favorite of the late king, who had taken upon himself the government of Syria; Lysias, on this account, persuaded the present king to declare peace with the Jews, to which proposal he readily consented.
About this time Demetrius, the cousin of Antiochus, became king in his place, under the following circumstances: Demetrius was the son of Seleucus Philopater, the eldest brother of Antiochus Epiphanes; at his death, Seleucus endeavored to persuade the Romans to assist him in obtaining the kingdom of Syria, but without success. Being disappointed inhis expectations, Demetrius went to Syria and there induced the people to believe that the Romans had sent him. On the strength of this report, Antiochus Eupator, and his general, Lysias, were seized by their own soldiers, and put to death by order of Demetrius.
Demetrius being seated on the throne, one Alcimus, a descendant of the tribe of Aaron, applied to him to be assisted in procuring the appointment of high priest, to which office he had been raised by the late king, Antiochus Eupator. Alcimus had been refused by the Jews, he having complied with the heathen superstition in the time of the persecution, in order to gain favor with the king and his generals. Judas and his party, now, as before, strenuously opposed the appointment of Alcimus, though strongly recommended by Demetrius. This opposition to his wishes, induced Demetrius to send one Bacchides to enforce the command of the king, but to no purpose. Demetrius then selected Nicanor, who was master of his elephants, as the future governor of Judea, with instructions to kill Judas, and bring the people under still greater subjection. Nicanor was at first unwilling to make war against Judas, but being urged on by the king, he pursued it with fresh fury; he boldly declared his intention to demolish the Temple at Jerusalem, and build one on the same spot in honor of the idol Bacchus. Nicanor was slain in the battle, and his army entirely routed by Judas and his party. Judas, desirous of making an example of this wicked man, for his blasphemouswords which he uttered against the Temple of the Lord, cut off the head and right hand of Nicanor, and placed them in a conspicuous situation on one of the towers in Jerusalem. Judas then gave orders that a day should be annually appointed as a day of thanksgiving, in memory of this victory, which was called Nicanor's day. This day is not however celebrated as a holiday among the Jews in the present generation; it has been discontinued for many ages past.
At this period the Romans were growing great and powerful; Judas, aware of the danger likely to result from such power, deemed it advisable for the good of his country to propose a league with the Romans, to which they readily consented, and acknowledged the Jews as their friends and allies. Demetrius then received orders not to interfere with the Jews any more. Unhappily for Judas and his people, before the orders had reached Demetrius, he had already despatched Bacchides a second time to avenge the course of Nicanor, who had been slain, and to insist on establishing Alcimus in the priesthood. This circumstance proved very unfortunate for both Judas and his countrymen. Judas having but three thousand men with him, was overpowered by the strong forces of Bacchides; so little chance was there of success on the part of Judas, that many of his men deserted him through fear and fright. Judas, brave and valiant to the last in defence of his country's cause, and scorning to flee even for his life, fell a victim to the fury of the enemy.
The death of Judas created great excitement among the people, and sorely depressed their spirits. They became absorbed in sorrow and in grief for the loss of their noble chieftain. The people had fallen into such a state of lethargy, that they became an easy prey to the tyrant Bacchides, who, taking advantage of this state of things, committed great havoc among the people, and put to the sword all of Judas's friends and companions on whom he could lay hand.
Alcimus also availed himself of this opportunity, and exercised his authority in the office of the priesthood. He introduced into the worship of the Temple, imitations of heathen idolatry, and gave orders that the sanctuary should be thrown open, with equal freedom and liberty, both to Gentiles and to Jews. Alcimus, however, did not long prosper in his wicked career; in a very short time he was struck with palsy, deprived of his speech, and ultimately died in great anguish of mind and torment of body.
After the death of Judas Maccabees, his brother Jonathan was unanimously appointed by the people as their leader. Jonathan was ably assisted by his brother Simon; they both bravely resisted the many inroads made upon them by their enemies. Bacchides finding himself so powerfully opposed, sued for peace, which was granted on condition that he should restore all the captive Jews, depart from Judea forever, and in no way molest the people of that country. These conditions were cheerfullyaccepted by Bacchides, who left Judea in peace and in tranquility.
Jonathan, happy in having restored peace, commenced to govern his people under the old Jewish polity; he resumed all the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish religion, and succeeded in obtaining the confidence of his people by the zeal which he evinced in the performance of the duties of his office.
After the death of Alcimus, the office of high priest remained vacant seven years, when a man calling himself Alexander, appeared, and declared that he was a son of Antiochus Epiphanes. He seized the kingdom of Africa, and solicited Jonathan to join him against Demetrius, who had proved himself a formidable enemy of the Jews. As an inducement to Jonathan, Alexander made the following proposals to him: That Jonathan should be constituted both the Governor and the High Priest of the Jews, and be called the king's friend and counselor.
Jonathan considering these proposals likely to prove beneficial to his people, and there not being any one else for the priesthood, consulted them on the subject, and with their unanimous consent he accepted the offer made by Alexander.
At the following Feast of Tabernacles, Jonathan was duly installed in his new office, and vested with the sacerdotal robes usually worn by the high priests. Being thus dignified, he joined Alexander, and proceeded to battle against Demetrius, whose army was totally routed, and he himself, slain on the battle field.
It is said that from this time forward the high priesthood continued in the family of the Asmoneans or Maccabees, till the days of Herod, who changed it from an office of inheritance to an arbitrary appointment. Herod appointed those whom he pleased, without reference to merit or ability. This practice was continued until the total extinction of the priesthood at the final destruction of the Temple by the Romans.
Jonathan succeeded by his judicious conduct, in securing for his people their possessions, with free scope to exercise all their religious rites, without any interruption from their neighbors. He occasionally extended his assistance to those of the nations who proved kind to him, by which means the bond of friendship became strongly cemented between both parties.
Like most great men, Jonathan had his enemies: among them was one Tryphon, who sought to possess the kingdom of Syria, and by whose treachery, Jonathan was made prisoner in Ptolemais, and was afterwards cruelly murdered, together with his two sons.
The death of Jonathan and his two sons caused great lamentations among the people. Being in constant fear of their enemies, and now without a leader, they were at a loss what to do. In this dilemma they applied to Simon, the only surviving brother of Judas, to become their chief. Simon consenting to become their general, a council of war was called, at which meeting he was unanimously appointed andvested with power equal to his predecessors. Simon having been regularly installed into his new office, commenced his career by addressing his brethren in the following manner:
"You, my countrymen, are not ignorant how bravely my father, brothers, and myself, have fought in defence of our laws and our religion, our Temple and our people. They have sacrificed their lives in that glorious cause; I, only I, survive to maintain it. God forbid I should value my life at a higher price than they did theirs. Behold me then as they were, to glory in this undertaking, to die in defence of our nation, our Temple, our wives and our children." "Take courage my friends; the Lord is with us, and success will crown our righteous intentions."
Simon at the request of the people, then assumed the sacred office of the priesthood.
Having now entered into his new office, he procured the dead bodies of his brother Jonathan and his two sons, and buried them with great honors in the sepulchre of his fathers at Modin, and erected a stately monument to their memory.
Simon then repaired the fortresses and the walls of the city, which had been destroyed by their enemies, built for himself a very splendid mansion, and made Jerusalem his place of residence, where he held his court. The Jews were still annoyed by the garrison on the tower of Acra, when they went to and returned from the Temple. Simon succeeded in shutting up the enemy so closely in the tower thatmany perished from famine, which made the survivors surrender the tower. Simon being in possession of the tower, he, with the sanction of the people, pulled it down, and lowered the mount in such a way so that it could no more be made available for the purpose of annoying the people when assembled at their worship in the Temple.
Simon now turned his attention to the repairs of the sanctuary. He enforced a rigid observance of the laws of God, and successfully introduced peace and unanimity of feeling among the people. The nation at large, sensible of the good conduct of their leader, convened a general meeting of all the elders, priests and magistrates at Jerusalem.
At this meeting it was unanimously resolved, that the office of Governor of the nation, and that of the high-priesthood, should be henceforth vested permanently in Simon and his posterity after him, so that the said office should be hereditary in his family for ever. It was further decreed that an account of the noble deeds of Simon and his family should be engraven on a tablet, and placed in the Temple as an everlasting memorial, and that a copy of the same should be placed on the records in Judea. This excellent priest was held in such high estimation by all the surrounding nations, that the Romans sought his friendship, entered into a covenant with him, and conferred on him many honors.
The king of Syria followed the example of the Romans, and entered into a similar covenant with Simon.
The king of Syria, however, was not true to his covenant, he having after a time invaded Judea. Simon assisted by his two eldest sons, bravely defended themselves, and drove the enemy away with great discomfiture.
Simon continued to maintain a high reputation in his office for about eight years. He was at all times employed in providing for the comfort and welfare of his people. Simon now set out to examine into the affairs of his country, accompanied by his two sons, Judas and Mattathias. Having arrived at Jericho, they were invited by Ptolemeus, the son-in-law of Simon, to a banquet which he had prepared for them. Simon readily accepted this polite invitation of his relative, not suspecting in the least any treachery on the part of Ptolemeus, who had already concerted his plans with the court of Syria to destroy his father-in-law and his two sons who were then with him. While the guests were indulging at the banquet, Simon and his two sons were inhumanly murdered by order of Ptolemeus. He then dispatched a party to the residence of John, another son of Simon, who was captain of the forces at Judea, with orders to murder him also. John fortunately gained intelligence of all that had occurred at Jericho to his father and brothers, as also the plot laid for him. He courageously and bravely defended himself, and cut to pieces the enemy.
John then fled to Jerusalem for safety. Ptolemeus followed him, and arriving at the same time, they both presented themselves at different gates. Fromthe respect the people had for Simon and his ancestors, John was received by the people with open arms, whilst the murderer of Simon and his two sons, was repulsed with all his followers. John was then unanimously appointed to succeed his father, both in the government and the priesthood. He was then surnamed Hyrcanus, and henceforward known by the name of John Hyrcanus.