works of convenience to supply the wants and comforts, and of necessity to strengthen and render impregnable the fortifications of Jerusalem, justly intitle him to the appellation of one of the best benefactors of his countrymen. Talmudic fiction has embellished the actions of his life with fanciful romance, and has described a number of portentous and awful prodigies which happened after his death.

Who was Antigonus of Socho?

Antigonus of Socho, who possessed considerable influence among the Jews, was a person of great learning and piety, though the perversion of his opinions produced a sceptical sect which subsequently rose to importance and fame. The peculiar tenet of Antigonus was, that the service which God required, and which he accepts, should be entirely disinterested; and that it should be equally free from the slavish fear of punishment, and the selfish hope of reward. This principle, embodied in his own words to his disciples, was, not like slaves; let not the expectation of rewards only be the motive of your obedience; obey without selfinterest, without the hope of receiving any recompense for your labours. Let the fear of the Lord be

upon you.

Relate the origin of the sect of the Sadducees.

Be

Among the disciples of Antigonus was Sadoc, who unable to appreciate the pure spirituality of his master's opinions, interpreted them in a manner, and with a sense, which were never intended. Sadoc not only taught, that it was necessary to practice the great virtues of social and personal morality without being influenced by motives either of hope or of fear, but he concluded that there were neither rewards nor punishments to be anticipated beyond the grave. He was the founder of the sect of the Sadducees, whose erroneous and blasphemous principles are described in another part of this work.

Is any credit to be given to the relations of the Jews with respect to the Septuagint?

The fables of the Jews relative to the version of the Scriptures, which is commonly called the SEPTUAGINT,

are utterly unworthy of credit, since they differ so ma. terially among themselves. The Alexandrian Jews to gain credit for this translation affirm, that, in the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus, seventy-two learned Jews were employed to translate the Scriptures of the Old Testament into Greek; that they were placed in different cells in the island of Pharos; and that, when their work was accomplished, it was found, that under a divine inspiration they had adopted precisely the same words. From the diversity of style discoverable in the Septuagint it may be concluded, that the work was composed at different periods and by different individuals, though it is not improbable that it was finished under the auspices of the sovereign just named.

How did Joseph the nephew of Onias the high-priest, of the Jews save his countrymen from ruin?

Onias the son of Simon the Just, and one of his successors in the pontifical chair, by his sorA. C. 233. did avarice and baseness, had well nigh effected the complete ruin of the Jews. The Egyptian sovereigns had been accustomed to receive from Judæa a revenue of twenty talents, but the covetousness of Onias induced him dishonourably to apply the money to his own purposes, instead of transmitting it to the treasury of the king. Ptolemy Euergetes at length became incensed at the non-transmission of the usual tribute; he sent Athenion one of the officers of his court to demand the arrears, which now amounted to a considerabie sum, from the high-priest; and he threatened, that if the defalcation was not immediately made up, he would expel the Jews from their cities and their country, and people their territories with colonies of his own. The avarice of Onias rendered him insensible to his own danger, and the interests of his countrymen, and at all hazards he seemed determined not to abandon his ill-gotten gain. The prudence and zeal of his nephew, Joseph, appeased the indignation of Ptolemy. Having obtained the permission of his uncle to repair to Alexandria, A. C. 226. and having procured from some Samaritans a sum of money sufficient for his journey and for his appearance in the royal presence, he travelled with

some persons who were proceeding to the court to farm the tribute; he overheard the offers they intended to make, and their statements of the profits they intended to acquire. Their conversation prepared him for the line of conduct he adopted upon his arrival in Alexandria. When the day came for the reception of offers relative to the tribute of the provinces of Colo-Syria, Phoenicia, Judæa, and Samaria, the persons with whom Joseph had travelled, named eight thousand talents; but Joseph, convinced that double the sum ought justly to have been offered, named sixteen thousand talents; he boldly answered the demand for security by pointing to the king and queen; he obtained the appointment; and returned to Jerusalem to commence the duties of his office, with a strong body of troops to enforce obedience to his will. Joseph exercised his authority with equity, but at the same time with severity. The inhabitants of Ascalon had disobeyed his commands, and had indulged in the expressions of their hatred to his person and proceedings; Joseph repaired to the city; twenty of the ringleaders of the sedition were hanged; their estates were confiscated; and a gratuity of a thousand talents was sent to the king. The inhabitants of Scythopolis followed the example of those of Ascalon ; they received a similar chastisement; the country was overawed; the mandates of Joseph were obeyed; and the king was so pleased with the augmentation of his revenue, and the proceedings of his delegate, that for two and twenty years Joseph was continued in his office, to the equal advantage of the sovereign whom he served, and the people over whom he presided.

To what calamities were the Jews exposed during the contest between the Macedonian kings of Syria and Egypt?

The tranquillity which had prevailed, and the prosperity which had been enjoyed in Judæa, through the reigns of the first three of the Ptolemies, were interrupted by a period of foreign invasions and intestine commotions which entailed the most distressing calamities upon the Jews. Ptolemy Euergetes the friend and patron of Joseph, was succeeded by his son Ptolemy Philopater, a monster of

A. C. 217.

perfidy, cruelty, and crime. The celebrated Antiochus the Great, king of Syria, resolved to take advantage of the accession of a prince so voluptuous and profligate, to add Colo-Syria, and even Palestine and Judæa, to his dominions. The rapid advance and threatening successes of Antiochus, aroused Ptolemy from his carelessness and sensuality; the hostile armies met at Raphia; Antiochus sustained A. C. 217. a signal defeat; and his conquests reverted to their original possessor.

State the very remarkable origin of the hatred of Ptolemy Philopater against the Jews.

The congratulations of the Jews to Ptolemy after his victory at Raphia, induced that monarch personally to visit Jerusalem; he surveyed the magnificence of the temple, and is said to have presented several valuable donations to its treasures, and to have offered many sacrifices to God. His determination, however, to profane the Holy of Holies, excited universal consternation; he was insensible to the tears, and deaf to the lamentations, of the people; he pressed forward to execute his intention; but a sudden terror and mental confusion rendered him incapable of proceeding; he was carried from the temple by his trembling attendants; and his disappointment excited an inveterate hatred against the Jews.

Describe a dreadful persecution and a wonderful deliverance of the Jews at Alexandria.

Ptolemy had no sooner returned to AlexA. C. 217. andria, than he vented his rage in the most cruel and wicked persecution. He was not satisfied by publishing edicts against them, reducing them to the most servile and miserable condition, but he at length determined, with saguinary cruelty, to massacre them all. From every part of Egypt his intended victims were sent to Alexandria, and the rage of the infuriate monarch was exasperated by their almost universal fidelity to their religion and their God, but few of them consenting to purchase their lives by the infamy of apostacy. The multitude of faithful Jews were inclosed within the vast space of the Hippodrome, where they were to be destroyed by

elephants trained and rendered furious for the purpose. The intemperate excesses of the king, rendered him incapable of witnessing the horrible execution for two days. The interval was spent by the faithful Jews in imploring the protection and blessing of their God. The morning of slaughter arrived; the execrable tyrant, attended by his guards, and by an immense multitude of the inhabitants of Alexandria, came to glut his remorseless rage in the tortures and extermination of unoffending men, whose only crime was their preferring the spiritual worship of the true God to the blasphemies and abominations of pagan idolatry. The elephants were brought forth; but instead of rushing upon the helpless Jews, they turned all their fury upon their directors, upon the soldiers, and the spectators. The king was astonished; extraordinary appearances excited his alarm; he trembled before the God of Israel; the Jews were pardoned; their enemies were punished; their privileges were restored; their false brethren were destroyed; and they testified their gratitude by the erection of an edifice, in which they celebrated the worship and sang the praises of their Omnipotent Deliverer.

SECTION VI.

THE SYRIAN TYRANNY.

WAS Judæa after the battle of Raphia subject to the Syrian kings?

THE death of Ptolemy Philopater, and the minority of his son and successor Ptolemy Epiphanes, encouraged Antiochus again to attempt the conquest of the provinces he had lost at the battle of Raphia. The tyranny of Scopas, the Egyptian governor of Jerusalem, rendered the Jews desirous of shaking off his yoke; they received Antiochus as a deliverer, furnished him with supplies for his army, and obtained from that prince in return money for the purchase of sacrifices, the remission of some oppressive taxes, and other manifestations of gratitude and favour. Although

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