beyond his own borders, as Medaba, Samega, and several others. From this time, Judea was no more subject to the kings of Syria. Hyrcanus destroyed the Samaritan temple, which was built by Sanballat, on mount Gerizim. The Samaritans, however, still offered sacrifices on an altar there, as they have continued to do unto this day.

In the year 129 B. C., Hyrcanus, having conquered the Idumeans, gave them their choice, to leave the country, or to embrace the Jewish religion; they chose the latter, and became incorporated with the Jewish church and nation.

The Parthians, in the war with the Syrians, having called in the aid of the Scythians, these were so much pleased with the country, that as soon as the war was over, they began to seize upon it for themselves. And now Phraates was guilty of a second folly; for having taken, in the late victory, a multitude of Grecian mercenaries, he put arms into their hands and employed them against the Scythians. But these veteran soldiers, resenting the cruel treatment received from the Parthians, went generally over to the Scythians; and having with them ravaged the country, then returned home.

Hyrcanus next sent an embassy to Rome, to renew the treaty made with his father Simon, to which the Roman Senate readily consented. And as Antiochus Sidetes had made war upon the Jews, contrary to the provisions of that treaty, and had exacted from them a heavy tribute for Gazara and Joppa, and by besieging Jerusalem, had forced them to a disadvantageous peace, it was now resolved, that those cities should be restored to them, free from all tribute: and that the Syrians should be accountable for all damages which they might have incurred, while in their possession. And, moreover, it was ordered, that the expenses of the Jewish ambassadors should be paid out of the public treasury.

A war having broken out in Egypt, between Cleopatra the wife of Philometor, and Physcon, the latter was, for a while, driven from Egypt, and took refuge in Cyprus; but collecting an army, he afterwards defeated the forces of Cleopatra; on which she sent to Demetrius, now restored to the throne of Syria, to come to her aid, promising him the possession of the kingdom.

Demetrius readily complied with this invitation, and invaded Egypt; but while he was absent, a revolt was raised against him at Antioch, on account of his tyrannical behaviour. Cleopatra, being now disappointed in her expectation of aid from Demetrius, whose affairs required his presence at home, took all her treasures, and putting them into a ship, sailed to Ptolemais, where her daughter Cleopatra resided. This daughter had first married Alexander Balas, the king of Syria, and afterwards

Demetrius, in her father's life-time; but when Demetrius was taken prisoner, in Parthia, she was married to his brother Antiochus; and after his death returned again to the bed of Demetrius.

Ptolemy now returned to the throne of Egypt, and out of resentment for the hostile conduct of Demetrius, raised up a youth called Alexander Zebina, who he pretended was the son of Alexander Balas; and sent him into Syria, where his pretensions were countenanced by many, out of hatred to Demetrius. In a short time he was strong enough to meet Demetrius in the field. A battle was fought near Damascus, in which Demetrius being defeated, fled to Cleopatra, at Ptolemais. But she being not fully reconciled to him for marrying Rhodoguna, the Parthian, refused to admit him into the city; on which he was obliged to fly to Tyre, where he was slain. Zebina now reigned over the greater part of Syria; Cleopatra being permitted to hold in her possession a certain part. John Hyrcanus, who was a politic man, formed a close alliance with Zebina, by which means he enlarged and strengthened his territory.

In the year 125 B. C., a vast swarm of locusts came into Africa, and destroyed all the verdure, and fruits of the earth, wherever they came; and being driven into the sea by the wind, on the coasts of Lybia and Cyrene, and carried on shore by the tide, they occasioned such a plague in those regions, as carried off, according to report, above eight hundred thousand persons.

Seleucus, the son of Cleopatra queen of Syria, being now twenty years of age, aspired to the crown of Persia, with which his mother was so much displeased that she murdered him with her own hands; but finding that she needed some one to bear the royal title, whose claim would be respected, she sent to Athens for Antiochus, her other son, who was then pursuing his education, intending that his power should be merely nominal, as she was ambitious to rule the country herself. This young man, who was not more than twenty years of age, was declared, on his arrival, king of Syria. To distinguish him from others of the same name, he has been called Grypus; though Josephus calls him Philometor; and the name Epiphanes is on his coins.

Zebina, not discovering a disposition to hold Syria as a dependent of the crown of Egypt, according to the wishes of Physcon, who had set him up, he was not permitted by the latter to retain the quiet possession of his power; for he, entering into an agreement with Cleopatra, married his daughter Tryphona to Grypus her son, and sent an army into Syria. Zebina being overthrown in battle, fled to Antioch, where, being detected in an attempt to rob the temple of Jupiter, he

was expelled from the city; and wandering about for a while, was at length put to death.

SECTION XXI.

REMARKABLE SEASON-CLEOPATRA DIES BY A POTION PREPARED FOR HER SON-DISTURBANCES IN SYRIA-JOHN HYRCANUS GOES ON PROSPEROUSLY-IS OPPOSED BY THE PHARISEES ORIGIN OF THIS SECT-HYRCANUS JOINS THE SADDUCEES-HIS DEATH-THE CASTLE OF BARIS.

THE year 121 B. C., (L. Opimius and I. Fab. Maximus being consuls at Rome,) was distinguished for the excellency of its seasons, and value of its productions. The wine made this year was so excellent, that some of it was kept for two hundred years, and is celebrated by the poets under the name of the Õpimian wine. The next year, 120 B. C., Grypus having attained to manhood, began to exercise the power of a king, as he had before assumed the name; on which, Cleopatra was so much displeased, that she resolved to dispatch him, as she had done his brother; and, accordingly, prepared a poisonous potion, which he made her drink herself. Nor did it fail of its effect; for in a little time, this ambitious and wicked woman was a corpse, by the draught which she had prepared for her

own son.

In the year 117 B. C., Ptolemy Physcon having reigned twenty-nine years after the death of his brother, died at Alexandria. His vile character has already been given. He was succeeded by his son Lathyrus, as he is commonly called in history; though the name assumed by himself, was Soter.

Grypus had been married to Cleopatra, but he was forced to put her away and take Tryphona her sister; on which the former married Cycizenus, the half brother of Grypus. This young man was brought up in private, to preserve him from death, because an object of jealousy to Grypus; so that he was under the necessity of fighting for the crown as his only means of safety. But being defeated at Antioch, he fled, leaving Cleopatra in an asylum. Her sister, however, would not be satisfied until she was destroyed, although her husband entreated for her life. But her death, which took place in the temple whither she had fled, was not unavenged; for her husband, collecting another army, was more successful in a second battle, in which he obtained the victory, and got Tryphona into his hands, whom he sacrificed to the ghost of his departed wife, putting her to a cruel death. Grypus and Cycizenus at length divided the Syrian empire between them, the former residing at Antioch, the latter at Damascus.

John Hyrcanus, while these disturbances existed in Syria,

was increasing in power and wealth. He found that he had little to fear from either of the kings of Syria, and therefore sent two of his sons, Aristobulus and Antigonus, to besiege Samaria. The inhabitants sent for Antiochus Cycizenus to bring them assistance; who, coming with a great army, was vanquished by them, and with difficulty escaped alive.

The two brothers, after the gaining of this victory, returned to the siege of Samaria, and pressed it so hard, that the besieged sent a second time to Cycizenus; but he, not having force enough of his own, sent to Lathyrus, king of Egypt, and obtained from him six thousand auxiliaries, much to the dissatisfaction of Cleopatra, his mother; for she had then at court Chelcias and Ananias, the sons of Onias, prime favourites, and she did not wish to disoblige them. These auxiliaries being joined by the Syrians from Damascus, wasted the open country; but at length they were obliged to withdraw, and several Syrian towns fell into the hands of the Jews; and Samaria, after a siege of one year, was obliged to surrender. The city was utterly demolished by Hyrcanus, not out of hatred to the Samaritans, as some have said, for as we have before seen, they were all gone from the place, and its present inhabitants were of Macedonian descent. The siege of Samaria occurred 109 B. C.

John Hyrcanus now became master of all Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, and being freed from all foreign enemies, enjoyed a high degree of prosperity; but in the latter part of his life, met with some trouble from the Pharisees, a sect which had recently sprung up, and were distinguished for their pride, authority, and ostentatious display of strictness in religion. They are now first heard of in history, but they must have been in existence some time before, as they were at this time so numerous and powerful as to be formidable even to a prince of so decisive a character as John Hyrcanus. They were probably a branch of the people called Chasidim, or Assideans, who rigidly followed the traditions of the fathers, and received their name, Pharisees, from a Hebrew word, which signifies, to separate; on account of their separating themselves from the rest of the people, on pretence of their not being holy enough for their society. As this sect was always held in veneration by the people, on account of their sanctity, Hyrcanus wished to gain them over to his own interests; for he himself had been brought up in their discipline, and professing himself to be of their number, had always patronized them to the utmost of his power. He, therefore, invited all the leaders of the sect to a feast, and then addressing them, said, that his purpose ever had been to serve God, and do justly towards man, according to the doctrine of the Pharisees; but knowing the frailty of men, he wished now to hear from them, whether they had observed any

thing defective in his conduct, that he might amend it. All united in giving him unqualified praise, except an old austere man, by the name of Eleazar, who sternly said, "If you would approve yourself a just man, quit the high-priesthood, and content yourself with the civil government." Upon being asked why he gave this advice, he said, "Because, we have it from good authority, that your mother was a captive, in consequence of which you are incompetent to hold the office, by the law of Moses."

Hyrcanus was much displeased, but receiving it as the ill saying of an individual, he intended to take no further notice of it. But Jonathan, a Sadducee, and an intimate friend, insisted that Eleazar merely expressed the sentiment of the whole sect; and suggested that this could be put to the test by convening them again, and requiring them to declare what punishment this man deserved, for reviling God's high-priest. Hyrcanus pursued this method, and to his astonishment, he heard from them that defamation was not a capital crime, and could only be punished by scourging, or some inferior penalty. Hyrcanus was so much offended with the whole sect, especially as his mother's fame was called in question, that from that day he forsook them, and went and joined the Sadducees. Hyrcanus did not long survive this change of sect; for the next year he died, having held the supreme power of Jerusalem twenty-nine years after the death of Simon. This event occured in the year 107 B. C. He built the castle called Baris, on a steep rock, where afterwards all the members of the Asmonean family resided, and where the robes of the high-priest were laid up-the same spot on which the castle of Antonia was afterwards erected by Herod, cased with polished marble, so that it was impossible for any one to climb to the top.

SECTION XXII.

HYRCANUS SUCCEEDED BY ARISTOBULUS, HIS SON, WHO FORCES THE ITUREANS TO EMBRACE THE JEWISH RELIGION, AS HIS FATHER HAD THE IDUMEANS-SLAYS HIS BROTHER ANTIGONUS, BUT REPENTS AND DIES IN GREAT AGONY-STORY OF JUDAS THE ESSENE-ORIGIN OF THIS SECT-ALEXANDER SUCCEEDS HIS BROTHER, ARISTOBULUS-SIEGE OF PTOLEMAIS-DEFEAT OF ALEXANDER BY LATHYRUS-CIVIL WAR -ANNA THE PROPHETESS-DEATH OF ALEXANDER JANNEUS.

JOHN HYRCANUS, at his death, left five sons; Aristobulus, Antigonus, Alexander, and Absalom: the name of one of them, the fourth in order, is nowhere mentioned. Aristobulus, being the oldest, succeeded his father, both as high-priest and civil ruler; and as soon as he found himself settled in authority, he put a diadem on his head, and assumed the title of king; being the first elevated to this honour after the Babylonish captivity.