Transcriber’s Notes:
Underscores “_” before and after a word or phrase indicate _italics_
in the original text.
Small capitals have been converted to SOLID capitals.
Illustrations have been moved so they do not break up paragraphs.
Footnotes have all been moved to the end of the text.
Antiquated spellings have been preserved.
Typographical errors have been silently corrected.
[Illustration: MOURNING OF MORDECAI AND THE JEWS. _Page 31._]
STORIES OF THE
WARS OF THE JEWS
FROM THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY,
TO THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM BY TITUS.
BY
A. L. O. E.
WITH FORTY-FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS.
London:
T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW.
EDINBURGH; AND NEW YORK.
1900
Preface.
The works which I have chiefly consulted in compiling the following
sketch, have been (in addition to the Holy Scriptures) the books of
the Apocrypha, Josephus’ Wars of the Jews, the elaborate writings of
Prideaux, and a small volume on the history of the Hebrews, published
some years ago in India.
There is no history more fraught with interest, or conveying more
important lessons, than that of God’s chosen nation. There are no
annals which display instances of more heroic courage, faith, and
self-devotion,—alas! of darker apostasy and crime,—than those of the
descendants of Abraham.
May the reader rise from the perusal of this brief sketch with a
deeper sense of the mercy and justice of God, as revealed in His
dealings towards His people; and a fervent prayer for the hastening of
that day when the Lord’s gracious promise shall be fulfilled:—
“_I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications; and they shall
look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as
one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him,
as one that is in bitterness for his first-born. I am returned unto
Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be
called, A city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, The
holy mountain._”
A. L. O. E.
Introduction.
For the sins of His people the Lord had stricken Jerusalem, and given
up Judea into the hands of the heathen. The judgments of God had first
fallen on the kingdom of the ten tribes; as they had been foremost
in the sin of idolatry, so they had first met its awful punishment.
Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, had attacked Samaria (724 B.C.), and
after a siege of nearly three years had taken the city, and carried
Israel into captivity, with Hoshea its king.
The punishment of the kingdom of Judah had been for some time deferred.
While such monarchs as the pious Hezekiah and the faithful Josiah had
sat on the throne of their ancestor David, God’s mercy had guarded
Jerusalem from her foes; but since the time of these virtuous rulers,
tyrants had arisen, who set not God before their eyes; princes and
people had combined to break the laws of the Almighty, and despise the
counsel of the Most High. The vine which the Lord had brought from
Egypt, and had planted and watered with such tender care, had brought
forth the _wild grapes_ of rebellion and idolatry. The mandate had not
gone forth, “_Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?_” but the Lord
had said in His anger, “_I will take away the hedge thereof, and it
shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be
trodden down. And I will lay it waste_” (Isa. v. 5, 6). In 606 B.C.,
Nebuchadnezzar carried captive to Babylon some of the most illustrious
of the children of Judah, and subjected Jehoiakim their king to his
power. In 599 B.C., the Assyrian monarch besieged and took Jerusalem,
then under the sway of Jehoiachin, and led into bondage that prince
and the chief of his people. In 588 B.C., the work of retribution was
completed. Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, was taken, a miserable,
blinded prisoner, to Assyria; the temple and palaces of Jerusalem
were given to the flames, her walls were razed to the ground, and the
mourning exiles from Judea, by the waters of Babylon, hung their harps
on the willows, and wept.
But though the Lord chastened his people, they were not given over to
destruction. At the period at which the following sketch of Jewish
history commences, that prophecy which had, seventy years before, been
uttered by the inspired Jeremiah was on the point of fulfilment: “_Thus
saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I
will visit you, and perform My good word toward you, in causing you
to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward
you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you
an expected end_” (Jer. xxix. 10, 11). As a mighty despot had been
the instrument, in God’s hand, to chastise a rebellious race, so
another powerful monarch was now appointed by Providence to raise the
fallen, to restore the exiles; as a “shepherd,” to gather together the
dispersed flock of the Lord.
Contents.
I. THE RETURN FROM BABYLON, 13
II. THE HISTORY OF ESTHER, 26
III. CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF ESTHER, 37
IV. THE JEWS UNDER NEHEMIAH, 44
V. ALEXANDER THE GREAT, 54
VI. JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF EGYPT, 65
VII. JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF SYRIA, 76
VIII. VICTORIES OF JUDAS MACCABEUS, 86
IX. THE DEATH OF JUDAS MACCABEUS, 99
X. REIGNS OF JONATHAN, SIMON, AND JOHN HYRCANUS, 104
XI. STRIFE BETWEEN THE ASMONEAN PRINCES, 115
XII. REIGN OF HEROD THE GREAT, 128
XIII. THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH, 139
XIV. DEATH OF HEROD, 148
XV. THE DEATH OF THE MESSIAH, 157
XVI. HEROD AGRIPPA, 161
XVII. COMMENCEMENT OF WAR, 168
XVIII. SIEGE OF JOTAPATA.—FALL OF JERUSALEM, 177
XIX. CONCLUSION, 190
STORIES FROM JEWISH HISTORY.
CHAPTER I.
THE RETURN FROM BABYLON.
The Decree of Cyrus—First Caravan Starts—Foundation
of the Temple Laid—Samaritans Oppose—Ezra Heads
the Second Caravan—Ezra Reforms Abuses.
In the first year of the reign of Cyrus, the Lord stirred up the spirit
of that king, probably through the influence of the aged Daniel, to
issue throughout his vast dominions the following proclamation:—
“Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me
all the kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an
house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all
His people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which
is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel (He is the
God), which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where
he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with
gold, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of
God that is in Jerusalem.”
Great was the joy of the faithful Jews, who throughout their long
captivity had been waiting and watching for the fulfilment of the
prophecies made to their fathers, when at length the prospect opened to
them of return to their beloved country. Doubtless they recalled the
prophecies of Jeremiah and Isaiah, and especially that one, uttered by
the latter above one hundred and seventy years previously, in which the
Lord called their deliverer by _his name_, saying of “Cyrus, he is my
shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem,
Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.”
The proclamation of the king sounded through the land like a
trumpet-call, to gather together the exiles of Judea, and large numbers
hastened to Babylon to make preparations for their journey. It was
a second Exodus, a second release from foreign bondage, to seek the
land of promise. But it was not by the whole of the children of the
captivity that the opportunity of returning to Judea was embraced with
patriotic zeal. Ruined dwellings and wasted plains, a city without
temple and without walls, offered few attractions to such as regarded
the country of strangers as a home. Many shrank from the hardships of
the journey, and the dangers which they must expect to encounter; many
who had formed ties in Babylonia, felt bound by them to that land. The
Jewish exiles were an emblem of those who, in all ages of the world,
hear the call of conscience and religion. While some turn their faces
towards a heavenly Zion, willing to leave all, and suffer all here,
so that they may but find an inheritance above, the greatest number
prefer present comforts to future blessings; their hearts cling to the
pleasures of the world; they are too fearful, too busy, too rich, or
too gay, to cast in their lot with the people of God.
[Illustration: LAVER.]
[Illustration: CANDLESTICK.]
The first return caravan was organized and directed by Zerubbabel,
the grandson of King Jehoiachin, and by Jeshua, a grandson of the
last high priest, Jozadak. The number of those who joined them was
about 50,000, including above 7000 servants of both sexes. Before
they departed, Cyrus caused to be restored to them the most valuable
of the sacred utensils which had been carried away from Jerusalem by
Nebuchadnezzar; thousands of vessels of silver and gold were now again
to be devoted to the service of the sanctuary. Zerubbabel was also
intrusted with large contributions towards the expense of rebuilding
the temple, from the Jews who remained in Babylonia.
Many and sad must have been the partings when that vast caravan set out
on its journey to the Holy Land! The voice of blessing and of prayer
was heard, as those who stayed behind exchanged their last words of
friendship with those who were ready to depart. Anxious and loving eyes
watched the long line of pilgrims, with their laden asses and camels,
slowly disappearing in the distance; and the hopes and prayers of their
brethren followed the brave band who first returned to the home of
their fathers.
[Illustration: ALTAR OF BURNT-OFFERING.]
On reaching Palestine the caravan repaired at once to Jerusalem, which
was found in a state of ruin and desolation. Before the travellers
separated to seek habitations for themselves, they raised a large sum
by voluntary contributions towards the rebuilding of the temple. They
then employed themselves in securing dwellings for their families;
and at the ensuing feast of tabernacles again repaired to Jerusalem,
where sacrifices were offered on an altar erected on the ruins of
the temple. After this the people applied themselves zealously to
the necessary preparations for the restoration of that edifice.
In a year from the departure from Babylon these preparations were
sufficiently advanced to allow of the great work being commenced, and
the foundations of the second temple were laid amidst the noise of
trumpets, cymbals, and shouting! But many of the priests and aged men,
whose hair had grown white during the captivity—those who had seen the
temple of Solomon when it stood in its glory and beauty—wept with a
loud voice at the mournful recollection of the past, 535 B.C.
[Illustration: CYMBALS AND TRUMPETS.]
While the work proceeded, the Samaritans manifested a desire to aid
in it, and to claim a community of worship in the new temple to be
erected to the Lord. Their offers were declined by the Jews; and
the people of the land, irritated by the refusal, did all in their
power to weaken their hands, and hinder them from proceeding with
the building. An unscrupulous use of money and influence amongst the
officers of government, enabled these adversaries of the Jews to raise
such obstructions that the work was at length altogether suspended.
For about fifteen long years the faith and the patience of the people
of Judah were thus tried. They gradually lost heart for the work, and
were disposed to believe that the set time for it had not yet arrived.
The zeal of many waxed cold; and, absorbed in the care of providing for
their own security and comfort, the Jews were in danger of forgetting
the sacred duty which they had at first so earnestly sought to perform.
From this apathy they were roused in the second year of the reign
of Darius Hystaspes, by the stirring words of the prophet Haggai.
“Is it time,” he exclaimed to the people, “for you to dwell in your
ceiled houses, and this house lie waste? Thus saith the Lord of hosts,
Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build
the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified,
saith the Lord.”
[Illustration: THE SECOND TEMPLE.]
The call was not uttered in vain. Filled with fresh zeal, Zerubbabel,
Jeshua, and the people hastened to resume the work of building, 520
B.C. Amidst the difficulties and discouragements which beset them, they
were still cheered by animating messages delivered to them by Haggai.
The temple gradually rose, far inferior, indeed, in splendour to that
erected in the days of Israel’s great king, when gold was abundant, and
silver so plentiful that it was counted as the stones of the earth; but
a gracious promise was given that the glory of the latter house should
excel that of the first, for the DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS should come to
it, the presence of the Messiah should honour it, “_and in this place
will I give peace_,”[1] said the Lord of hosts to his people.
The renewal of the work roused afresh the opposition of the adversaries
of the Jews. Tatnai, the Syrian governor, sternly demanded of the
builders by whose command they were re-erecting the ruined walls of
their temple. The Jews pleaded the authority of the decree of Cyrus,
and Tatnai referred the question to King Darius for decision. The
result was happy, for after some search the decree in favour of the
Jews was discovered. It not only authorized the erection of the temple,
but directed the local government to afford assistance and supplies.
These supplies the Jews had not hitherto ventured to claim, but Darius
commanded that they should be given. Under the impulse thus imparted,
the work proceeded with spirit, and four years afterwards it was
completed, 516 B.C. The dedication was celebrated with great solemnity
and joy; and the people flocked to the courts of the Lord, to perform
again with thanksgiving and rejoicing the rites of their holy faith.
The Jews were now restored to their own land, but they were under
tribute to the Persians, and subject to the general control of the
princes of that people. They were allowed the free exercise of their
religion and laws, and were ruled by a governor of their own nation,
or by the high priest when no such governor was appointed. With regard
to religion, the fearful lesson taught by the desolation of the land,
the destruction of the temple, and the captivity of the people, had
greatly cured the Jews of that tendency to idolatry which had brought
on them such misery and ruin. But the inherent corruption of the human
heart, restrained in one point, broke out in others; there are few more
humbling lessons of man’s infirmity and the sinfulness of his nature,
than may be gathered from the history of the Jews.
It does not appear that the people suffered further molestation during
the long reign of Darius; and his son and successor, Xerxes, seems to
have regarded them with favour. This monarch was succeeded, in 464
B.C., by Artaxerxes Longimanus, in whose reign the Jews proceeded to
rebuild Jerusalem on a regular plan, and to surround it with a wall, as
will appear in a following chapter.
Zerubbabel and Jeshua, the first leaders in the restoration, had by
this time been gathered to their fathers, and confusion and disorder
were spreading widely amongst the Jews at Jerusalem. Light was the
danger which they had encountered from the enmity of the people of the
land, compared with that which they now experienced from too close
alliances with them. Many broke the laws of their God by marrying
heathen wives; some even of the princes and of the priests were guilty
of this act of disobedience. A reformer was urgently needed, who should
have wisdom to judge and firmness to act; and such a reformer was found
in Ezra the priest, who headed the second large body of exiles, who
returned from Babylonia to Judea, 457 B.C.
Armed with the authority of the Persian king, and intrusted with
large offerings to the temple, including valuable contributions from
the monarch himself, Ezra prepared for his journey. The bank of the
river Ahava was the gathering-place for the people. There Ezra pitched
his tent, and there he proclaimed a solemn fast, that the travellers
might unite in supplication to the Almighty for protection on their
dangerous way. As the band of pilgrims bound for Jerusalem included
tender women and helpless children, and was ill provided for defence
against an enemy in the probable event of an attack, some thoughts were
entertained of requesting a military escort from the king. But Ezra had
declared before Artaxerxes his firm faith in the power and goodness of
God, and the noble-minded Jew shrank from making a petition which might
seem to imply distrust of the Almighty’s providential care. Ezra would
not lean on an arm of flesh, but with prayer and fasting he committed
himself and his people to the protection of the Most High.
In safety the second body of exiles returned to the holy city.
Having deposited in the temple the treasures with which he had been
intrusted, Ezra applied himself with earnest zeal to the arduous
work of reformation. The discoveries made by him of the guilt and
corruption prevailing amongst God’s chosen people, filled Ezra with
grief and shame. He felt that the greatest of evils is sin; the
greatest of dangers, that of forfeiting the protection of the Almighty
by trespassing against him. In deep sorrow of heart Ezra rent his
garments, and, falling on his knees, with tears confessed before
the Lord the sins of those whom divine mercy had restored to their
land. “O my God, I am ashamed, I blush to lift up my eyes to thee!”
exclaimed the leader of the backsliding Jews; “for our iniquities are
increased over our head, and our transgression is grown up unto the
heavens!”
The blessing of the Lord whom he supplicated rested upon the efforts
of Ezra to bring back the erring to the paths of righteousness. With
repentance and weeping the Jews returned to their God; order was again
restored; and the heathen wives were put away.
Let us now retrace a little the course of history, to consider some
events of great interest and importance which occurred at the court of
Persia, between the periods of the return of the first and second bands
of exiles to the land of Judea.
PRINCIPAL CONTEMPORANEOUS EVENTS.
536-457 B.C.
B.C.
Hippias banished from Athens 510
Tarquins banished from Rome 509
Xerxes invaded Greece 481