6 Q. In what Manner were they delivered? A. When Alexander marched against Jerufalem, defigning to punish the Jews on this account, addua the High-Prieft, the Son of Johanan, being directed by a Night-Vifion, met the Conqueror in his Prieftly Robes, with the other Priefts attending him in proper Habits, and all the People in white Garments: Alexander being ftruck with this Sight, faluted the High-Prieft with a Religious Veneration, embraced him, entered Jerufalem in a friendly manner, and offered Sacrifice to God in the Temple, for his late Victories.

7Q. How came Alexander fo fuddenly to change bis Purpofe, and behave himself with fo much Mildnefs? A. Alexander declared that he himself, in Macedonia, had seen this very fame Person, thus habited, in a Night-Vifion, encouraging him to purfue his Expedition against the Perfians, and promifing him Succefs.

8Q. What further Favours did Alexander fhew the Jews? A. When Jaddua, the High-Prieft, had hewn him the Prophecies of Daniel, particularly Chap. viii. ver. 21. where the He-Goat is interpreted to be the King of Grecia, who should conquer the Medes and Perfians; and Chap. xi. 3. He bid the Jews afk what they had to defire of him: And, according to their Request, he granted them the Liberty of their own Laws and Religion, and a Freedom from Tribute or Taxes every feventh Year, because then they neither fowed nor reaped.

9Q Did Alexander fucceed in his following Wars, and his Attempts against the Perfian Empire, according to the Jewish Prophecy? A. When The departed out of Judea and Palestine, he marched into Egypt, which speedily submitted to_him :

There

There he built the City Alexandria, and peopled it with feveral Nations, among whom were many Jews, to whom he gave the fame Privileges as to his own Macedonians. The next Spring he haftened to find out Darius Codomannus King of Perfia, whom he had routed once before, and he now vanquished him in a final decifive Battle near Arbela, and became Mafter of the Perfian Empire.

10 Q. How long did he reign after this Battle? A. He went on and conquered India; but in five Years time he fell into fuch a Riot and Drunkennefs, that put an End to his Life; though others fay he was poifoned.

IIQ. What became of the Jews after Alexander's Death? A. A little after the Death of Alexander, four of his Generals divided his Empire, who were the four Horns of the He-Goat, mentioned by the Prophet Daniel, which grew up after breaking of the firft Horn, Dan. viii. 22. and xi. 4. And the Jews fell under the Dominion of Ptolemy, afterward furnamed Soter, who had Egypt, Arabia, Cale-Syria, and Palestine, or the Land of Ifrael, for his Share.

Here it may be obferved, that as Ptolemy had Egypt, Paleftine, &c. for his Share, fo Caffander had Macedonia and Greece; Lyfimachus had Thrace and Bithynia, and fome other Provinces thereabout; Seleucus had Syria, and the Northern and Eastern Provinces in Afia. Thus was the Empire of Alexander the Great divided among his Generals.

SECT. III. Of the Jewish Affairs under ProLEMY SOTER, PTOLEMY PHILADELPHUS, and PTOLEMY PHILOPATER, Kings of Egypt. Of the great Synagogue, the Jewish Traditions, their Mishnah and Talmud; and of the Septuagint Translation of the Bible into Greek.

1QHOW did Ptolemy, King of Egypt, deal with the Jews? A. Ptolemy designing

to make Alexandria, which was built by Alexander, in Egypt, his capital City, he perfuaded a Multitude of Jews to fettle there, granting them the fame Privileges as Alexander had done before `him: whence it came to pafs, that Alexandria had a greater Number of Jews ftill flocking to it.

2Q. What remarkable Story is related of one Mofollam, a Jew, who follow'd Ptolemy about this. time? A. When a certain Soothsayer, or Cunning-Man, advised a Jewish Troop of Horse, in which Mofollam rode, to ftand ftill, upon the fight of a Bird in the Way, and told them, they should either go backward or forward, as that Bird took its flight; the few being a great Archer, immediately fhot the Bird with an Arrow, and faid, "How could that poor wretched Bird foreshew us "our Fortune, which knew nothing of its own?" hereby he defigned to expofe and condemn the Superftition of the Heathens.

3Q. How did it fare with the Jews that were difperfed about Babylon? A. Seleucus, another of Alexander's Generals, who ruled in the greater and

the

the leffer Afia, built many Cities; fixteen of which he called Antioch, from Antiochus his Father; nine were called Seleucia, from his own Name; fix Loadicea, from the Name Loadice, his Mother; others Apamea and Stranonice, from his Wives: in all which he planted Jews, and gave them equal Privileges with the Greeks or Macedonians, efpecially at Antioch in Syria, where they settled in great Numbers.

4Q. What confiderable Perfon arofe among the Jews at Jerufalem about this Time? A. Simon the Juft, who is fpoken of so honourably in the fiftieth of Ecclefiafticus: He was a High-Priest of the Jews about this time, who merited the Surname of the Juft, by his great Holinefs toward God, and Juftice toward Men; and he was the laft of the Men of the Great Synagogue.

5 Q. What was this Great Synagogue, and who were the Men that compofed it? A. A hundred and twenty Elders, who, in a continued Succeffion, after the Return of the Jews from Babylon, laboured in restoring the Jewish Church and State and made it their chief Care to publish the Scriptures to the People with great Accuracy.

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6Q. What part of this Work is attributed to Simon? A. It is fuppofed by fome learned Men, that he added the two Books of Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Efther, and the Prophecy of Malachi, to the Canon of Scripture; which Books were fcarce fupposed to be inferted by Ezra, becaufe feveral of them are thought to be written by Ezra himfelf; and the Books of Nehemiah and Malachi were moft likely written after Ezra's time.

7Q. Did the Jews, after this Time, when the ola Old Teftament was compleated, religiously confine themselves to the Direction of Scripture ? A. After

1 5

this

this Time their Traditions began to prevail; i. e. the Sayings of the Ancients delivered down by Tradition.

Note, Though Traditions prevailed about this time, yet the Mishnah, which is their Secondary Law, or a Collection of Traditions, and which they pretend to be dictated from God to Mofes, was not compiled and put together 'till above a hundred Years after the Time of Chrift, by Rabbi Judah Hakkadesh: And this Misknah, together with their Comments on these things, are called the Talmud.

Note, There are two Talmuds; that of Jerufalem, which was compleat about three hundred Years after Chrift; and that of Babylon, about five hundred Years: but each of them have the fame Misbnah, though with different Comments, which Comments are called the Gemara.

8 Q. Who were the chief Teachers of this Secondary Law or Traditions? A. Antigonus of Socho was the first of them, who being an eminent Scribe in the Law of God, was Prefident of the Sanhedrim, or Senate of the Elders at Jerufalem, great Master of the Jewish School, and a Teacher of Righteousness to the People, and of these Traditions. Afterward all the Teachers or Doctors of the Jewish Law were, in the New Teftament, fometimes called Scribes, fometimes Lawyers, or thofe that fate in Mofes's Seat.

9 Q. What Special Honour was paid to thefe Men? A. Belides other Respects thewed them by the People, who called them Rabbi, and highly efteemed them, it was out of thefe Doctors, that the Great Sanhedrim, or Council of Seventy-two, was chofen to govern the whole Nation; and the

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