the four winds of heaven;" for four of his captains, as it hath been shown in former dissertations, prevailed over the rest, and Cassander reigned in Greece and the west, Lysimachus in Thrace and the north, Ptolemy in Egypt and the south, and Seleucus in Syria and the east.

7

8

9

But though the kingdom of Alexander was divided into four principal parts, yet only two of them have a place allotted in this prophecy, Egypt and Syria. These two were by far the greatest and most considerable: and these two at one time were in a manner the only remaining kingdoms of the four; the kingdom of Macedon having been conquered by Lysimachus and annexed to Thrace; and Lysimachus again having been conquered by Seleucus, and the kingdoms of Macedon and Thrace annexed to Syria. These two likewise continued distinct kingdoms, after the others were swallowed up by the power of the Romans. But there is a more proper and реси-. liar reason for enlarging upon these two particularly; because Judea lying between them was sometimes in the possession of the kings of Egypt, and sometimes of the kings of Syria; and it is the purpose of Holy Scripture, to interweave only so much› of foreign affairs as hath some relation to the Jews: and it is in respect of their situation to Judea, that the kings of Egypt and Syria are called the kings of the south and the north. "And the king of the south shall be strong, (ver. 5,) and one of his princes," (that is, of Alexander's princes,) "and he shall be strong above him." There is manifestly either some redundance, or some defect in the Hebrew copy: which should be rendered as it is by the Seventy, And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes shall be strong above him: or perhaps may better be rendered thus, And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and the king of the north shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion. The king of the south was indeed very strong; for Ptolemy had aunexed Cyprus, Phoenicia, Caria, and many islands, and cities, and regions to Egypt, as Jerome here` commemorates out of the ancients. He had likewise enlarged the bounds of his empire, as Justin testifies, by the ac

1

"Justin. 1. 16, c. 3. Plutarch. in Pyrrho, § 12. Pausanius in Attic. sive l. i, c. 10.

8 Justin. 17, c. 1 et 2. Appian de Bell. Syr. c. 62. Memnonis Excerpta apud Photium, c. 9.

9 Idcirco autem cætera regna dimittens. Macedoniæ videlicet et Asiæ, tantum de Egypu et Syriæ narrat regibus: quia in medio Judæa posita, nunc ab illis, nunc ab istis regibus tenebatur. Et scripturæ sanctæ propositum est, non externam absque Judæis historiam texere; sed eam

1

2

quæ Israeli populo copulata est.' Hieron in loc. col. 1122.

1 Either the in p is redundant, or the words on are wanting.

2 Καὶ εἰς τῶν ἀρχόντων αὐτοῦ ἐνισχύσει ἐπ' abróv. Sept.

3-Ad Egyptum adjecerat Cyprum, Phoenicen, Cariam, aliasque insulas et regiones, ut hic ex antiquis commemorat Hieronymus.' Grot. The words in Jerome are, 'et multas insulas urbesque et regiones,

quisition of Cyrene,' and was now become so great, that he was in a condition not so much to fear, as to be feared by his enemies. But still the king of the north, or Seleucus Nicator, was strong above him; for having annexed, as we have seen, the kingdoms of Macedon and Thrace to the crown of Syria, he was become master of three parts out of four of Alexander's dominions. All historians agree in representing him not only as the longest liver of Alexander's successors, but likewise as the conqueror of the conquerors.5 Appian in particular enumerates the nations which he subdued, and the cities which he built, and affirms that after Alexander he possessed the largest part of Asia; for all was subject to him from Phrygia up to the river Indus, and beyond it: and afterwards he denominates him expressly, 'the greatest king of Alexander.'

8

6

Seleucus Nicator, having reigned seven months after the death of Lysimachus, over the kingdoms of Macedon, Thrace, and Syria, was basely murdered; and to him succeeded in the throne of Syria his son Antiochus Soter, and to Antiochus Soter succeeded his son Antiochus Theus. At the same time Ptolemy Philadelphus reigned in Egypt after his father, the first Ptolemy, the son of Lagus. There were frequent wars between the kings of Egypt and Syria. There were so particularly between Ptolemy Philadelphus the second king of Egypt, and Antiochus Theus the third king of Syria. "And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm, neither shall he stand, nor his arm; but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times," (ver. 6.) "And in the end of years," that is, after several years; for these wars lasted long, 'Jerome reports out of the ancients, and Antiochus Theus fought against Ptolemy Philadelphus with all the forces of Babylon and the east. "They shall join themselves together," or shall associate themselves: At length they agreed to make peace upon

Terminos quoque imperii acquisita Cyrene urbe ampliaverat, factusque jam tantus erat, ut non tam timeret quam timendus ipse hostibus esset.' Justin. 1. 13, c. 6.

5- Victoremque victorum exstitisse'Justin. 1. 17, c. 2.

Appian. de Bell. Syr. c. 55. s pía τῷδε μάλιστα μετὰ ̓Αλέξανδρον τῆς ̓Ασίας τὸ πλέον· ἀπὸ γὰρ Φρυγίας ἐπὶ ποταμὸν Ἰνδὸν ἄνω, πάντα Σελεύκῳ κατήκους· καὶ τὸν Ἰνδὸν Tepáσas, K. T. λ. Quo excepto [Alexandro] nemo unquam plures terras in Asia tenuit: nam a Phrygia terminis Indum usque medi

condition, that 'Antiochus Theus should put away his former wife Laodice and her two sons, and should marry Berenice the daughter of Ptolemy Philadelphus. "For the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement," or rights: and accordingly 2 Ptolemy Philadelphus brought his daughter to Antiochus Theus, and with her an immense treasure, so that he received the appellation of the dowrygiver. "But she shall not retain the power of the arm," that is, her interest and power with Antiochus; for 3 after some time, in a fit of love, he brought back his former wife Laodice with her children to court again. "Neither shall he stand, nor his arm," or his seed; for Laodice, fearing the fickle temper of her husband, lest he should recall Berenice, caused him to be poisoned; and neither did his seed by Berenice succeed him in the kingdom, but Laodice contrived and managed matters so as to fix her eldest son Seleucus Callinicus on the throne of his ancestors. "But she shall be given up;" for Laodice. not content with poisoning her husband, 5 caused also Berenice to be murdered. "And they that brought her;" for her Egyptian women and -attendants, endeavouring to defend her, were many of them slain with her. "And he that begat her," or rather as it is in the margin, he whom she brought forth; for "the son was murdered as well as the mother, by order of Laodice. "And he that strengthened her in these times;" her husband Antiochus, as Jerome conceives; or those who took her part and defended her; or rather her father who died a little before, and was so very fond of her, 'that he took care continually to send her fresh supplies of the water of the Nile, thinking it better for her to drink of that than of any other river, as Polybius relates.

8

Volens itaque Ptolemæus Philadelphus post multos annos molestum finire certamen, filiam suam nomine Berenicen, Antiocho uxorem dedit; qui de priore uxore nomine Laodice, habebat duos filios, &c.' Hieron. Comment. in loc. col. 1123.

2 Deduxitque eam usque Pelusium; et infinita auri et argenti millia, dotis nomine, dedit: Unde, pepropópos, id est, dotalis, appellatus est." Hieron. ibid.

3Post multum temporis amore superatus, Laodicen cum liberis suis reduxit in regiam.' Hieron. ibid.

Quæ metuens ambiguum viri animum ne Berenicen reduceret, virum per ministros veneno interfecit, &c.' Hieron. ibid. Appian. de Bell. Syr. c. 65, 66. Valer. Maximus, 1. 9, c. 14. Plin. 1. 7, § 10.

5 Hieron. ibid. Appian. ibid. Polyæni Strat. 1. 8, c. 50.

Hieron. ibid. Ai dè àμp' aùrùv yvvaikes

ὑπερασπίζουσαι προσαπέθανον αἱ πλειόνες. Quæ vero circa eam erant mulieres defensionem parantes, plurimæ ceciderunt. Polyænus, ibid.

"Hieron. ibid. Appian. ibid. Polyæn. ibid. Justin. 1. 27, c. 1.

'Rex quoque Antiochus qui confortabat eam, hoc est, per quem poterat prævalere, veneno uxoris occisus est.' Hieron. ibid.

9 Καὶ ὁ τῆς Αἰγύπτου δὲ βασιλεὺς δεύτερος, ὁ Φιλάδελφος ἐπίκλην, ἐκδοὺς τὴν αὑτοῦ θυγατέρα Βερενίκην Αντιόχῳ τῷ Συρίας βασιλεῖ, ἐν ἐπιμελείᾳ εἶχε πέμπειν αὐτῇ τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ Νείλου ὕδωρ, ἵνα μόνου τούτου τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἡ παῖς πίνῃ, ὡς ἱστορεῖ Πολύβιος. Ptolemæus secundus Egypti rex, cognomine Philadelphus, cum filiam Berenicen Antiocho regi Syriæ nuptum dedisset, mittendam ad ipsam Nili aquam sedulo curavit, ut eam solam gnata biberet, quod Polybius scripsit. Athenæus, 1. 2, c. 6, p. 45.

2

3

But such wickedness should not pass unpunished and unrevenged. "But out of a branch of her root shall one stand up in his estate, (or rather as it is translated in the Vulgar Latin, out of a branch of her root shall stand up a plant;) and he shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress (or the fenced cities) of the king of the north, and shall deal (shall act) against them and shall prevail: And shall also carry captives into Egypt, their gods with their princes, (or rather their gods with their molten images,) and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold, and he shall continue more years than the king of the north, (or more literally he shall continue some years after the king of the north.) So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land," (ver. 7, 8, 9.) This branch which sprung out of the same root with Berenice, was Ptolemy Euergetes her brother, who no sooner succeeded his father Ptolemy Philadelphus in the kingdom, than he came with a great army, and entered into the provinces of the king of the north, that is of Seleucus Callinicus, who with his mother Laodice reigned in Syria: and he acted against them, and prevailed so far, that he took Syria and Cilicia, and the upper parts beyond Euphrates, and almost all Asia. And when he had heard that a sedition was raised in Egypt, he plundered the kingdom of Seleucus, and took forty thousand talents of silver and precious vessels and images of the gods, two thousand and five hundred among which were also those which Cambyses, after he had taken Egypt, had carried into Persia. And for thus restoring their gods after many years, the Egyptians, who were a nation much addicted to idolatry, complimented him with the title of Euergetes, or the benefactor. This is Jerome's account, extracted from ancient historians: but there are authors still extant, who confirm several of the same particulars. Appian informs us that Laodice having killed Antiochus, and after him both Berenice and her child, Ptolemy the son of Philadelphus to revenge these murders invaded Syria, slew Laodice,

1 "Et stabit de germine radicum ejus plantatio." Vulg.

2 "Deos eorum et sculptilia." Vulg. Tous θεοὺς αὐτῶν μετὰ τῶν χωνευτῶν αὐτῶν. Sept. "Deos eorum cum fusilibus eorum." Arab.

et

3-De plantatione et de germine radicis ejus, eo quod esset germanus: venit cum exercitu magno, et ingressus est provinciam regis aquilonis, id est, Seleuci cognomento Callinici, qui cum matre Laodice regnabat in Syria: et abusus est eis; et obtinuit, in tantum ut Syriam caperet, et Ciliciam, superioresque partes trans Euphraten, et propemodum universam Asiam. Quumque audisset in Egypto seditionem moveri, diripiens regnum Seleuci, quadraginta millia talentorum ar

genti tulit, et vasa pretiosa simulacraque deorum, duo millia quingenta: in quibus erant, et illa quæ Cambyses capta Ægypto, in Persas portaverat. Denique gens Ægyptiorium idololatriæ dedita, quia post multos annos deos, eorum retulerat, Euergeten eum appellavit. Hieron. ad loc.

Καὶ αὐτὸν ἔκτεινε Λαοδίκη, καὶ ἐπ ̓ ἐκείνῳ Βερενίκην τε καὶ τὸ Βερενίκης βρέφος. Καὶ Πτυ λεμαῖος ὁ τοῦ Φιλαδέλφου ταῦτα τιννύμενος, Λαοδίκην τε ἔκτεινε, καὶ ἐς Συρίαν ἐνέβαλε, καὶ ἐς Βαβυλῶνα ἤλασε. Laodice ipsum interfecit, et mox Berenicem cum infantulo. Eam injuriam Ptolemæus Philadelphi filius, ut ulcisceretur, de Laodice sumpsit supplicium, et ingressus Syriam, Babylonem usque pervenit. Appian. de Bell. Syr. c. 65.

and proceeded as far as to Babylon. From Polybius we learn, that 5 Ptolemy surnamed Euergetes, being greatly incensed at the cruel treatment of his sister Berenice, marched with an army into Syria, and took the city of Seleucia, which was kept for some years afterwards by the garrisons of the kings of Egypt. Thus did he "enter into the fortress of the king of the north." Polyænus affirms, that Ptolemy made himself master of all the country from mount Taurus as far as to India without war or battle: but he ascribes it by mistake to the father instead of the son. Justin asserts, that if Ptolemy had not been recalled by a domestic sedition into. Egypt, he would have possessed the whole kingdom of Seleucus. So the king of the south came into the kingdom of the north, and then returned into his own land. He likewise continued more years than the king of the north; for Seleucus Callinicus died in exile of a fall from his horse, and Ptolemy Euergetes survived him about four or five years.

8

9

1

7

But his sons, that is the sons of the king of the north, should endeavour to vindicate and avenge the cause of their father and their country. "But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through; then shall he return, and be stirred up even to his fortress," (ver. 10.) The sons of Seleucus Callinicus were Seleucus and Antiochus; the elder of whom, Seleucus, succeeded him in the throne, and to distinguish him from others of the same name, was denominated Ceraunus or the thunderer. Where by the way one cannot help observing the ridiculous vanity of princes in assuming or receiving such pompous appellations without deserving them. Seleucus the father was surnamed Callinicus or the famous conqueror, though he was so far from gaining any considerable victory, that he was shamefully beaten by the Egyptians in the west, and was made a prisoner by the Parthians in the east. In like manner Seleucus the son was called Ceraunus or the thunderer, though he was so far from performing any thing worthy of the name, that he was a poor and

* Συνέβαινε γὰρ Σελεύκειαν ἔτι τότε κατέ χεσθαι φρουραῖς ὑπὸ τῶν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου βασιλέων, ἐκ τῶν κατὰ τὸν Εὐεργέτην ἐπικληθέντα Πτολεμαῖον καιρῶν, ἐν οἷς ἐκεῖνος διὰ τὰ Βερενίκης συμπτώματα, καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ ἐκείνης ὀργὴν, στρατεύσας εἰς τοὺς κατὰ Συρίαν τόπους, ἐγκρατής ἐγένετο ταύτης τῆς πόλεως. Adhuc illa tempestate regum Egypti præsidiis tenebatur Seleucia, jam inde ab illis temporibus, cum Ptolemæus cognomento Euergeta, propter casum Berenica Seleuco regi iratus, bello Syriæ illato, ea urbe est potitus. Polyb. l. 5, c. 58.

"'Año Tov Taúpov μéxpi tħs ’Ivdikñs xúpas