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seen the Holy of holies. Against this the priests and people solemnly remonstrated as an awful profanation, which would bring upon him and them the Divine vengeance. But the more he was opposed, the more determined he became; and pressing into the most holy place, he was smitten with inexpressible terror, and carried out by his attendants.

He returned to Egypt in great wrath with the Jews, and bitterly persecuted all who were in his dominions. He first forbade every man access to him who did not sacrifice to his gods. He next directed that the Jews, who, by the favor of Alexander, had held the first rank, should be enrolled in the third, or lowest, and that when enrolled they should be stamped with a hot iron, with the mark of his god Bacchus; and that if any refused enrolment they should be put to death. He then ordained that as many as would renounce their religion and become heathen, should be restored to their former privileges; but only three hundred out of the many thousands in Alexandria, were seduced to apostacy. He finally resolved upon the destruction of the whole nation. And first gathering together the Jews in Egypt, and binding them in chains, he let loose upon them his elephants; but these, having been made drunk with wine and frankincense, turned upon the spectators and made dreadful havoc among them. Ptolemy, fearing the vengeance of heaven, turned from all his wicked purposes, and restored the Jews to their former privileges.

The Samaritans improved every opportunity which was afforded, to show their enmity to the Jews. They often plundered and ravaged parts of their country, and carried many of the inhabitants into captivity, selling them for slaves. This was particularly the case during the reign of Ptolemy Philopater.

This oppressed people saw again, at the death of Ptolemy, (B. C. 204,) days of prosperity; for wearied with allegiance to Egypt, they placed themselves under the protection of Antiochus the great, king of Syria, and offered him their assistance. Antiochus rewarded them by a restoration of Jerusalem to its ancient privileges. He also liberated all who were slaves in captivity; exempted all the Jews who should return to their capital from taxes, for three years; presented a large sum from his own private purse, for repairing the Temple. Antiochus was assassinated 187 B. C. for robbing the temple of Belus of its treasures. He

was called the Great, because of his valor, prudence, industry, and success. The transactions of his life, and the wars in which he was engaged with Ptolemy, were accurately delineated in the eleventh chapter of the prophecy of Daniel, from the tenth to the nineteenth verse.

Under his son and successor Seleucus, the Jews enjoyed the privileges and immunities which had been granted them by Antiochus; and might have enjoyed many years of peace and quietness, had it not been for a bitter contention between Simon, the governor of the Temple, and Onias, the High Priest. The former, proving unsuccessful, fled to Apollonius, governor of Palestine, and gave him an exaggerated account of the treasures in the Temple. When Seleucus heard it, he resolved to possess them, and sent his treasurer to bring them away. But, while in the act of robbery, Heliodorus, the treasurer, was suddenly struck with awful terror, by a vision, which caused him instantly to quit the city, fearing the power and wrath of God. The whole of the reign of Seleucus is expressed in the twentieth verse of the eleventh chapter of Daniel. He was little besides "a raiser of taxes."

CHAPTER VIII.

Desolations of Jerusalem under Antiochus Epiphanes. Jason erects a Gymnasium. Temple shut up for three years. Bold and artful plot of Antiochus to extirpate the Church. The Temple consecrated to Jupiter Olympus. Jewish martyrdoms. General revolt under Mattathias. Wars of the Maccabees. Death of Antiochus. Prophecies fulfilled in him. Destruction of the Grecian, and establishment of the Roman empire, the legs and feet of Nebuchadnezzar's image. Prosperous state of the Jews under Jonathan and Simon. Apochryphal books.

We have hitherto contemplated the Jews in favorable circumstances. They had had some internal conflicts and outward oppressions, but they had also enjoyed the protection of mighty monarchs, and had become a populous and wealthy nation. Vital piety had exceedingly declined, especially after the death of Simon the Just; but the Temple stood in its glory, and its service was strictly observed. But we are now to contemplate an awful and melancholy reverse. We are to behold the whole nation nearly destroyed; their religion almost extirpated, and the Temple of Jehovah dedicated to Jupiter Olympus.

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The successor of Seleucus in the Syrian monarchy, was Antiochus Epiphanes. He took the throne 175 B. C. The " vile perprophet Daniel predicted that he should be a son. Such he proved himself, by all his private and public conduct. The first of his acts which seriously affected the Jews, was his selling the High Priesthood to Jason, brother to Onias, the reigning High Priest, for 360 talents, about 99,000 pounds sterling; and issuing an order for the removal of Onias, a person worthy of this sacred trust, to Antioch; there to be confined for life. Jason, despising the religion of his ancestors, and resolved to make himself popular with the unprincipled youth of his nation, procured also a royal decree for the erection of a Gymnasium, or place for games and amusements, similar to those established in Grecian cities; and by example and rewards, encouraged the people to attend upon it, and conform to the manners and customs of the heathen. The flood gates of vice being set open, all respect for the law of Moses and the Temple, was soon swept away; the very priests mingled in the amusements of the Gymnasium; the altar of God was forsaken, and vice, immorality, and infidelity stalked forth triumphant.

Jason, however, enjoyed his power but a short period. After a reign of three years, he was supplanted by Menelaus, his brother, a greater monster in wickedness than himself, B. C. 174. Such men sought the office, first because it was hereditary in their family; but chiefly, because it now embraced the temporal government of Jerusalem. Menelaus publicly apostatized to the religion of the Greeks, and drew as many as possible in his train. He sold the sacred vessels from the sanctuary, to pay the enormous sum of three hundred talents, by which he had supplanted his brother; and caused Onias, who had reproved him for his sacrilege, to be put to death. But some virtue remained with the people, for they resented this sacrilege, put to death the instrument by which it was effected, and sent messengers to Antiochus, complaining of its vile author.

In strict fulfilment of the divine prediction in Daniel xi. 25, this vile king advanced with his armies, and conquered Egypt. Ptolemy Philometer fell into his hands, but he was not destroyed. On the contrary, he had his liberty, and sat at the table of Antiochus as Daniel predicted he would, v.

*Daniel xi. 1.

27.—“ And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table." The Jews had a false report of his death, and Jason immediately marched into the city with a thousand men, to avenge himself on Menelaus. Antiochus hearing of this, and of the rejoicings in Jerusalem, supposed that the whole city and nation had revolted from him, and hastily marched into Jerusalem, put to death 40,000 persons, and sold an equal number for slaves. He broke into the Holy of holies, robbed the temple of the altar of incense, the shew-bread, table, and the candlestick of seven branches, which were all of gold; the recent gifts of friendly monarchs; and to show his contempt and hatred of the Jewish religion, he sacrificed a hog upon the altar of burnt offering. He made Philip, a man of ferocious spirit, governor of Judea, and restored Menelaus to the High Priesthood. Jason died a miserable vagabond. In about two years, the Egyptians revolted from Antiochus, and he again fell furiously on them. But the Romans interposed, and demanded a cessation of hostilities. Antiochus having read the decree of the senate, said he would consult with his friends about it. But the Roman Ambassador drew around him a circle in the sand, and required his answer before he passed its bounds. Afraid of this bold and rising power, he acquiesced; but he turned and wreaked his vengeance on the unoffending Jews. He sent twenty-two thousand men under Appollonius, to sack Jerusalem. The inhabitants were unaware of his horrid intentions, until the Sabbath after his arrival; when all being assembled for worship, he let loose upon them his troops, who butchered all the men within their reach, took the women and children to sell for slaves; set fire to the houses; demolished the walls, and carried away all the treasure. The Temple was suffered to stand, but a fortress was built near it, for the molestation of all who should approach it, so that no one dared to come near, and the daily sacrifice ceased. Such as escaped the carnage, fled to the mountains, and lived in great distress and hardships.

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Antiochus gloried in the greatest barbarities. In the language of Daniel, he had peculiar indignation against the holy covenant," and he determined to destroy the Jewish religion, or extirpate the nation. He issued, therefore, a decree, that all nations within his dominions should forsake their former rites and usages, and should conform to the religion of the king, and worship as he worshipped, un

der the severest penalties. To ensure success, he placed inspectors in every province, and directed them to treat the disobedient, (and these he knew would be Jews only,) with the greatest severity. An old and cruel minister, one Atheneas, was sent to Jerusalem with a commission to destroy any one who offered sacrifices to the God of Israel, or observed the Sabbath, or practiced circumcision. He consecrated the temple of Jehovah to Jupiter Olympus, and set up his statue upon the altar of burnt offering. He also set up altars, groves, and statues in all parts of his dominion, and required an absolute uniformity of worship, or the forfeiture of life. It was one of the boldest attempts to extirpate the religion of a nation ever made.

But God was in the midst of his church, and the gates of hell could not prevail against her. The land might be desolate; the Temple might be shut up or polluted; the daily sacrifice might cease, but there were many temples of the Holy Ghost in which the fire of devotion burned with unwonted brightness. It was, however, an awful season for the Jews. They were hid in the caves of the rocks, where they worshipped God, and subsisted on roots and herbs. Hypocrites threw off their disguises and proclaimed themselves heathen; and the Samaritans, who had said to the Jews in their prosperity, we will go with you, for we are bone of your bone, now ran to Antiochus and declared themselves not to be Jews, and requested that their temple might be dedicated to the Grecian Jupiter. When the saints were brought to martyrdom, their intrepid firmness filled the tyrant with rage and madness. Among others who were put to a violent death, were the venerable Eleazer, and an aged woman, with her seven sons.* Their triumphant deaths strengthened their brethren, and the tyrant found it was not in his power to destroy the worship of Jehovah.

To violence, Antiochus added the most seducing arts to bring the Jews to a compliance with his orders. Among his chief officers was one Apelles, whom he sent to the city of Modin, there to establish the heathen worship. Apelles assembled the people, and addressing Mattathias, a venerable priest, of the Asmonean family, endeavored by compli ment and promises, to induce him to lead the way in apostatizing from God and sacrificing to the idol. But Matta

*See Plate 1.

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