dom as well as vigour, his course became disastrous, and his bright prospects were greatly clouded over; for being vanquished by the Romans, he was driven out of the best part of his dominions, and was forced to accept very hard and disgraceful terms of peace. And at last lost his life while engaged in an impious enterprise; so that the close of his career formed a perfect contrast to the glory of his early exploits.

The prophecies of Daniel, recorded in the eleventh chapter, from the tenth to the nineteenth verse, had their exact fulfilment in the actions of Antiochus.

In the year that Antiochus died, Cleopatra his daughter, and queen of Egypt, the wife of Ptolemy Epiphanes, having given birth to a son, who afterwards succeeded his father, by the name of Ptolemy Philometor, all the great men and nobility of Colo-Syria and Palestine hastened to Alexandria to present their congratulations to the king. Joseph, the king's receiver general, of whom we have spoken before, and who had continued in office all this time, being now too old to take such a journey, sent his son Hyrcanus to make his compliments to the Egyptian court.

Josephus gives a very curious account of the circumstances connected with the birth of Hyrcanus; a brief outline of which I shall now lay before the reader.

Joseph, having often occasion to visit Alexandria, in the execution of his office, on one occasion took with him a brother by the name of Solymius, who having a very beautiful daughter of marriageable age, took her along, probably with the view of obtaining for her a respectable connexion in marriage with some wealthy Jew of Alexandria. While they were at court, Joseph was desperately smitten with the beauty of a young Egyptian girl, whom he had seen in one of the dances which took place in the palace. Being unable to suppress the violence of his passion, he solicited his brother to endeavour to obtain this beautiful dancing girl as a concubine for him. Solymius, while he seemed to assent to his brother's proposal, yet resolved to prevent his forming such a connexion with a heathen woman; and the method which he took, according to our ideas of propriety, were very unbecoming in the father of a young virgin. For, as Josephus tells the story, instead of introducing to his brother's bed the Egyptian girl, he substituted his own daughter, and the affair was so managed that for some days the cheat was not discovered. But Joseph becoming more and more attached to his Egyptian concubine, as he supposed she was, expressed his devoted attachment to his brother, who then confessed to him what he had done, and avowed as his motive, the desire of keeping him from violating the law of God, by taking a strange wife, against which the displeasure of the

Lord had been so strongly manifested in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. Joseph was so far from expressing any displeasure, that he thanked his brother for his friendship in thus taking measures to preserve him from a disgraceful transgression of the law of God. Joseph now received his brother's daughter as his lawful wife; for the Jews hold that for a man to marry his niece is no violation of the law of Moses, nor of the law of nature; but for a man to marry his aunt is forbidden, and is contrary to the law of nature; because it reverses the order of reverence and obedience which younger persons naturally owe to their near relatives of superior age and relative standing. This story should not have been introduced here, but for the important figure which Hyrcanus, the fruit of this marriage, makes in the subsequent history of the Jews.

Joseph had seven other sons by another wife, all older than Hyrcanus, to each of whom he offered the commission to go as his deputy to the court of Ptolemy; but they all refusing, Hyrcanus, then a very young man, undertook it. And as he had a very large sum of the collected tribute to pay into the king's treasury, he persuaded his father not to send presents from Judea, but to permit him to purchase in Alexandria such articles as would be suitable for the occasion. Accordingly, an order was given by Joseph to Arion his agent, to let his son have as much money as he should need. But Hyrcanus, on his arrival, instead of demanding ten talents, or any moderate sum, required a thousand talents to be paid to him; equal to a hundred thousand pounds sterling. With this money he purchased one hundred beautiful boys, as a present for the king, and as many beautiful maidens for the queen. Each of these, when presented, carried a talent in their hands. By this means he so ingratiated himself into the favour of the king and queen, that he came away with a commission to collect the king's revenues in all the country beyond Jordan. Having thus overreached his father, and having obtained for himself most of that authority and influence which his father had so long possessed, his brothers were so enraged against him, that they laid a plot to assassinate him; but being well attended, he got the better of them in the affray, and left two of them dead on the spot; on which account, his father being greatly exasperated, as well as for his unfair dealing in Egypt, refused any longer to own him. Hyrcanus now passed over Jordan, to execute his office; but his father dying soon afterwards, a violent dissension arose between him and his remaining brothers, about the possession of his estate, which was carried on with such violence on both sides, that for some time the peace of Jerusalem was disturbed by their quarrels.

The high-priest and people of Jerusalem, generally, took part

with the brothers; and Hyrcanus was obliged to retreat again beyond Jordan, where he built a strong fortress which he called Tyre, and from which he carried on a predatory war with the neighbouring Arabs. These events occurred while Seleucus Philopator, the son of Antiochus the Great, reigned in Persia; but when Antiochus Epiphanes succeeded to the throne, and had regained these provinces, Hyrcanus attracted his attention, and he threatened to execute vengeance upon him for his lawless conduct. On hearing of this, Hyrcanus fell on his sword, and killed himself. Before his death, however, he had contrived to gain over Onias, the high-priest, who undertook the safe-keeping of his treasure, and laid it up for him in the temple, which was probably the first occasion of the quarrel between Onias and Simon the governor of the temple, who is believed to have been the brother of Hyrcanus.

It seems that Joseph had been appointed governor of the temple. He was, perhaps, the first who held that office; for before this time, the high-priest seems to have had the sole authority in Jerusalem. But the kings who ruled over Palestine, no doubt found it convenient to have an officer of their own selection stationed in that important city; and Joseph being greatly in favour of the Ptolemies, as he was ever faithful to their interests, was probably clothed with authority to act for them in Jerusalem. However this may be, we find Simon a Benjamite, holding this office in the year 176 B. C., who is believed to have been the son of Joseph, as before hinted. Between this man and Onias the high-priest, a difference arose; and when Simon could not prevail, he and his associates, who are called the sons of Tobias, fled from Jerusalem, and went to Apollonius, governor of Colo-Syria, informing him that great treasures were concealed in the temple of Jerusalem; in consequence of which intelligence, the king sent his treasurer, Heliodorus, to bring them away.

An account of what befell Heliodorus in consequence of this sacrilegious attempt to rifle the temple of Jehovah, is related at large in the third chapter of the second book of Maccabees.

The substance of this account is, that Heliodorus, on coming to Jerusalem, notwithstanding the determined opposition of Onias the high-priest, the solemn and importunate entreaties of the other priests and Levites, and the mournings and supplications of all ranks and sexes, would not be diverted from his purpose. But when, with his guard, he had penetrated to the treasury, he was met with a fearful apparition; for "there appeared unto him a horse with a terrible rider upon him, and adorned with a very fair covering; and he ran fiercely and smote at Heliodorus with his fore-feet; and it seems that he that sat upon the horse had complete harness of gold. Moreover,

two other young men appeared before him, notable in strength, excellent in beauty, and comely in apparel, who stood by him on the other side, and scourged him continually, and gave him many sore stripes. And Heliodorus fell suddenly upon the ground, and was compassed with great darkness; but they that were about him took him up and put him upon a litter." And he was restored only through the prayers of the high-priest. (See the account in full, 2 Mac. ii. 3.)

SECTION XIII.

JUDEA FALLS UNDER THE POWER OF ANTIOCHUS-PREDICTIONS RESPECTING SELEUCUS-GOOD CHARACTER OF ONIAS THE HIGH PRIEST JASON'S WICKED CONDUCT AND THE MORE WICKED OF MENELAUS-DEATH OF ONIAS-ROBBERY OF THE TEMPLE BY LYSIMACHUS-STRANGE SIGHTS SEEN AT JERUSALEM-TEMPLE DESECRATED BY ANTIOCHUS-WRETCHED END OF MENELAUS-ANTIOCHUS INVADES EGYPT, BUT IS MET BY AN EMBASSY FROM ROME-DREADFUL PERSECUTION OF THE JEWS BY ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES.

AFTER the battle of Paneas, before mentioned, Judea and all the neighbouring provinces came under the power of Antiochus the Great. But when he made peace with Ptolemy, and gave his daughter Cleopatra in marriage to him, these provinces it was agreed should go with her, as a part of her dowry. There is, however, reason to believe, that this treaty was never executed, so far as relates to these intermediate countries: for in the reign of Seleucus, the successor of Antiochus, we find them still under the Syrian government; yet if the story of Josephus, related above, respecting Hyrcanus, is worthy of credit, they must have belonged to Egypt at the birth of Ptolemy Philometor. There seems to be, therefore, a chasm in the history of Judea, about this period. It is certain, however, from the testimony both of Josephus and the author of the second book of Maccabees, that they were in the possession of Seleucus king of Syria, at the time of his decease."

The prophet Daniel, who was so particular in predicting the fortunes of Antiochus the Great, has not passed over his successor Seleucus, without notice. He is spoken of as his successor, in the words following: "There should stand upon his estate a raiser of taxes." And it is a fact, that Seleucus was occupied during his whole reign in collecting money from all quarters to pay what had been laid upon his father, by the Romans. The whole sum was fifteen thousand Eubean talents, which they agreed should be paid by instalments of a thousand talents annually, and the last of the years of this tribute, was the last of his life; so he did little else than gather taxes. But the prophecy goes on to say, that, "Within a few years he should be destroyed, and that neither in anger, nor in battle." And

so it turned out, for he was neither slain in foreign war, nor sedition at home, but fell by the treachery of one of his own friends.

Seleucus died in the year 175 B. C., and Heliodorus, who was the treacherous author of his death, used every effort to place himself on the throne. Antiochus the brother of Seleucus, hearing of his death at Athens, and of the treasonable designs of Heliodorus, who had secured a powerful party in his favour, applied to Eumenes the king of Pergamus, and to Attalus his brother, to assist him in getting possession of the throne, to which he was the legitimate heir; which, through policy, they did. Fearing a war with the Romans, they knew that the friendship of the king of Syria would be important. Antiochus, when seated on his throne, took the name of Epiphanes, which signifies illustrious, the very opposite of his true characThe unerring pen of the prophet gives an exact description of this prince, when he is called "a vile person." (Dan. xi. 21.) The original, however, would be more correctly rendered, a despicable person. But the truth of this character is also confirmed by the most unexceptionable testimony of profane writers. Polybius, Philarchus, Livy, and Diodorus Siculus, the two first of whom were contemporary with him, all concur in describing him as a king of corrupt manners, of which they give many pertinent examples. Indeed his conduct was so extravagant and so unbecoming his royal station, that he appeared to many to be a fool or insane; and for shameless impudence, and beastly lust and intemperance, no one could be more debased.

ter.

Onias, who was now high-priest, was held in great esteem by all the people for his piety and justice; but he had a brother named Jason, of a very opposite character. The ambition of this man led him to the impious attempt to supplant his brother. And knowing the high esteem in which Onias was held, he prevailed upon Antiochus to call him to Antioch, that he might be out of his way. To induce Antiochus, who was in great need of money, to comply with his wishes, he offered him a large sum. In addition to what Jason gave the king for the priesthood, he offered a hundred and fifty talents more for the liberty of erecting a gymnasium and an ephibeum, according to the manner of the Greeks, in the city of Jerusalem. He also bargained with the king to have as many of the Jews, as he wished, made freemen of Antioch. This introduction of Grecian customs and Grecian amusements, had a powerful tendency to corrupt the young people of the Jewish nation, who appear by their long captivity to have been entirely weaned from their propensity to idolatry. But now, through the dissolute principles of Jason, a great corruption of manners took place. The services