took her as his own wife. He defeated about 4000 outlaws, headed by an Egyptian impostor, who had posted themselves in the mount of Olives. (Acts xxi. 38.) During the administration of Felix, Judea was in a constant turmoil, being infested with robbers and assassins, and overrun with impostors pretending to be the Messiah. It was this prince that trembled at the words of Paul, (Acts xxiv. 25.) He was a bad man, and governed with great injustice and cruelty. In A. D. 60, he was recalled to Rome, and Festus was sent in his room. The Jews fol lowed him, and complained to the government of his extortion and violence. He would have been punished with death, had not his brother Pallas, by his credit at court, preserved his life. (Acts xxiii. and xxiv.) FESTUS Succeeded Felix in the government of Judea. He sent Paul, whom Felix had left bound at Cæsarea, to Rome, to be tried by Cæsar, to whom he appealed. (Acts xxv.) Festus was very diligent in his efforts to put an end to the disturbances and robberies which had become so frequent in Judea, in the reign of Felix, but took no trouble to investigate the claims of Christianity; and when Paul spoke of its mysteries, he thought much learning had made him mad. (Acts xxvi.) He died about A. D. 62. THE KINGS OF SYRIA. THE SYRIAN KINGS numbered twenty-seven. Six, usually called Seleucides, from Seleucus, who reigned the first in Syria; and thirteen who are called Antiochus; but they are all distinguished by different surnames. Others of them assume different names. The last was called Antiochus, surname Epiphanes, Asiaticus and Commagenes. In his reign, the celebrated Pompey, an Ethiopian, a Roman General, reduced Syria into a Roman province, after it had been governed by kings for the space of two hundred and fifty years, according to Eusebius. The Kings and their Reign in Syria. Seleucus Callinicus, reigned 20 years. years. Seleucus Philopator, reigned 12 years. Antiochus Epiphanes succeeded Seleucus in the kingdom of Syria, and reigned eleven years and some months. Alexander Balas, the son of king Antiochus Epiphanes, enters with an army into Syria; the garrison of Ptolemais set open their gates to him, by reason of their hatred to king Demetrius, who prepares himself for war. Demetrius desireth an alliance with Jonathan, who makes use of this occasion to repair the fortifications of Jerusalem. Alexander Balas is no less careful to obtain the friendship of Jonathan; and, to oblige him, confers on him the high priesthood. Jonathan puts on the holy vestment in the seventh month of the 160th year of the kingdom of the Grecians, at the feast of tabernacles. He was the first high priest of the Hasmonean family. Demetrius and Alexander come to a battle, and Demetrius is slain. Alexander Balas finding himself in the peaceable possession of the kingdom of Syria, espouseth Cleopatra, the daughter of Ptolemy Philometor king of Egypt. Alexander highly honors Jonathan the high priest at his nuptials. Demetrius Nicanor, eldest son of Demetrius Soter, enters into Cilicia with an army. King Alexander Balas gives the command of Syria to Apollonius, who sets upon Jonathan the high priest; Jonathan defeats him, and takes Joppa and Azotus, and burns the temple of Dagon. Ptolemy Philometor king of Egypt comes to the relief of king Alexander, his son-in-law. Alexander ungratefully sets Ammonius to lie in ambush to kill him. The treachery being discovered, Ptolemy takes away his daughter from Alexander, and marries her to Demetrius. Alexander having been driven from Antioch, the inhabitants of that place make offer of the kingdom to Ptolemy, but he refuseth it, and persuadeth them to accept of Demetrius for their king. Alexander returns with a great army. Ptolemy and De metrius unite their forces, and overcome him in a pitched battle; but Ptolemy dies of the wounds which he received, after he had seen the head of Alexander sent to him by Zabdiel an Arabian prince. Jonathan besiegeth the citadel at Jerusalem, held by a garrison of Macedonians. Complaint hereof being made to Demetrius, Jonathan appeaseth him by presents, and obtaineth new favors for the Jews. Demetrius incurreth the hatred of his soldiers, by abridging their pay in time of peace. Tryphon, with some soldiers that revolted from Demetrius, undertakes to establish Antiochus, the son of Alexander Balas, in the kingdom of Syria. › Demetrius is vanquished by young Antiochus and made to flee into Seleucia. Great honors are, by Antiochus, conferred on Jonathan, who assists him against Demetrius. · HADADEZER, (2 Sam. viii. 3,) or Hadarezer, (2 Sam. x. 16.) A Syrian king, with whom David had several contests. In one of them he took twenty thousand footmen and seven hundred horsemen of Hadadezer's army prisoners, besides chariots of war. On another occasion, when Hadadezer had formed an alliance with a neighboring province, David again defeated him, and took twenty-two thousand of his army prisoners. Among the spoils were gold shields, and a great quantity of brass or copper. Some years afterwards, Hadadezer and three other Syr. ian princes formed an alliance to assist the Ammonites against David; but the whole Syrian army was defeated on the east bank of the Jordan, by the Israelites, under the command of Joab. Between forty and fifty thousand of the enemy were killed, including their principal general; and they thenceforth became tributary to David. (1 Chron. xix.) BENHADAD, 1. (1 Kings xv. 18.) King of Syria, in the time of Asa, king of Judah, with whom he formed an alliance against Baasha, king of Israel. Perhaps he was the same with Hadad, the Edomite, who rebelled against Sol. omon. (1 Kings xi. 25.) BENHADAD. (1 Kings xx. 1.) King, of Syria, and a son of the preceding. He was a proud, boasting and licentious man, and seemed to be hardened against all rebukes. (1 Kings xx. 10-12, 16 He declared war against Jehoram, king of Israel. ARETAS. (2 Cor. xi. 32.) The king of Syria, at the time the governor of Damascus attempted to apprehend Paul. (Acts ix. 24, 25. BENHADAD, king of Syria, who besieged Samaria. (1 Kings xx.) HAZAEL was anointed king of Syria by Elijah, the prophet of God. (1 Kings xix. 15. 2 Kings viii. RESIN, king of Syria. (Isa vii. 5, 1. THE GOVERNORS OF SYRIA. ANTIGONUS, governor of Syria, who treated the Jews with great severity. CYRENIUS, governor of Syria. He first made it a law that all the people in his provinces should be taxed. CESAR AUGUSTUS, governor of Syria, sent out a decree and taxed all the people. THE KINGS OF ROME. ROMULUS, the first king of Rome began to reign 745 years B. C., and reigned more than thirty years. NUMA POMPILIUS was elected the second king 714 years before Christ: he reigned forty-three years. Numa was of the Sabine nation. This nation was the most formidable enemy of the early Romans; but by a wise policy were conciliated; and became united with the Romans. Numa's disposition was pious and pacific; and he endeavored to impart the same character to his people. [The Sabeans or Sabines were the descendants of Cush, an Ethiopian.] TULLUS HOSTILIUS, the third king, ascended the throne in 670 B. C.-he reigned thirty years. ANCUS MARCIUS, grandson of Numa, was elected the fourth king of Rome, in 637 B. C. He inherited the piety and virtue of his ancestor, and reigned gloriously twenty-four years. TARQUINIUS PRISCUS, son of a former citizen of Corinth, popular from his wealth and liberality, was elected the fifth king, 614 B. C. He enlarged the senate, and reigned 38 years. SERVIUS TULLIUS, an Ethiopian and once a slave, who had married the daughter of Tarquinius, secured, by his own address, and the intrigues of his mother-in-law, his election to the vacant throne in 576 B. C. His popularity originated from his acts of munificence; discharging the debts of the poor; dividing his patrimonial lands among the citizens; improving the city with useful edifices, and extending its boundaries. He reigned 44 years. TARQUINIUS SUPERBUS, was the seventh son, and last king of Rome. He married Tullia, the daughter of Servius, and thus secured his elevation to the throne. His disposition was haughty, and produced him the appellation of Superbus [proud,] and his government, systematical tyranny. In him the monarchical government came to an end; -the Romans thenceforward adopting a republican form of government, under Consuls annually elected. The republican form of government continued till 31 years B. C. when Octavius, or Cæsar Augustus, grandnephew of Julius Cæsar became sole master of the Roman Empire. (Luke ii. 1.) JESUS, the Savior of mankind was born four years before the commencement of the vulgar era. A. D. 5. Titus Livius historian died. Tiberius Cesar (Luke iii. 1) banished the Jews from Rome. He was the son-in-law and successor of Augustus, and though with some apparent virtues, was one of the most infamous tyrants that ever scourged the empire of Rome. He began his reign A. D. 14, reigned during the eventful period of the succeeding twentythree years, and was finally murdered by suffocation with pillows. A. D. 37. Caligula, Emperor of Rome. A. D. 54. Nero, an Ethiopian, Emperor of Rome. A. D. 59, he put his mother, Agrippina, to death. And A. D. 64, raised the first persecution against the Christians in which St. Paul was put to death. Seneca, the celebrated stoic philosopher was put to death; and Rome burnt by Nero. A. D. 70. Vespasian, Emperor. A. D. 78. A great pestilence in Rome, 10,000 dying in one day. |