JUDEA UNDER THE YOKE OF EGYPT.
Jerusalem Taken—The Soothsayer and
the Archer—Profanity of Ptolemy
Philopater—Persecution of the Jews—Judea
Wrested from Egypt.
In the first division of Alexander’s empire, Syria devolved to
Laomedon, and Egypt to Ptolemy Soter. Between them a war arose,
and its result was that all the provinces of Laomedon submitted to
Ptolemy. The Jews alone, faithful to the oath which they had taken to
the defeated ruler, refused to bend to the conqueror. Ptolemy marched
against Jerusalem, which, being now strongly fortified, might have
held out against him, but that the Jews, from a scrupulous regard to
the sanctity of the Sabbath, would not at this period defend themselves
on that holy day, 320 B.C. Ptolemy did not treat the Jews with great
severity; for, though he sent a large number of them into Egypt, it was
rather as colonists than bondsmen.
[Illustration: PTOLEMY SOTER.]
The son and successor of this king was a great patron of learning, and
spared no expense in procuring curious books for his famous library in
Alexandria. He caused the Hebrew Scriptures to be rendered into Greek;
and this important translation still exists under the name of the
Septuagint, from the tradition that seventy persons were employed in
completing it.
Not only did Ptolemy avail himself of the services of the Jews as
regarded literature—some of them were also enlisted in the army of
the Egyptian ruler. An anecdote is related of one who had the courage
openly to reprove the superstition of the idolatrous soldiery amongst
whom he was serving.
This man, whose name was Mosullum, was noted for his valour, and
famous for his singular skill in archery. As, on one occasion, he
was travelling towards the Red Sea with his companions, a certain
soothsayer, who accompanied the band, commanded an instant halt.
Mosullum demanded his reason for the delay.
“Look ye,” answered the foreteller of events; “behold that bird before
us. If that bird stands, ye are to stand; if he rises and flies on, go
forward; if the bird takes his flight the contrary way, you must all
return back again.”
The Jew, without speaking another word, fitted an arrow to the string,
and let fly at the bird, which, the next moment, fell fluttering in
death to the ground. Furious indignation was instantly excited amongst
the superstitious beholders against the author of so daring an act. But
Mosullum opposed calm reason to the folly of those who put faith in
omens. “How could that poor creature,” said he, “pretend to foreshow
us our fortune, that knew nothing of its own? If this bird could have
foretold good or evil to come, it would have kept out of this place for
fear of being slain by the arrow of Mosullum the Jew.”
Onias, the first high priest at Jerusalem, having died, 300 B.C., was
succeeded by Simon his son, who, from the holiness of his life and the
righteousness of his actions, was surnamed Simon the Just. This good
man completed the canon of the Scriptures; and the Old Testament, as
it has been handed down to us, was in its perfect form received by the
Jews. Simon died 291 B.C., and Onias succeeded to the high priesthood.
Egypt, to which, as has been seen, Judea was at this period subject,
was ruled by a succession of sovereigns, who all bore the title of
Ptolemy.
[Illustration: PTOLEMY EUERGETES.]
A remarkable instance of the reverence with which the monarchs to whom
the Jews were tributary often regarded the religion which those Jews
professed, was shown by Ptolemy Euergetes, in the year 245 B.C. On
returning from a successful expedition, this king of a most idolatrous
nation chose to take his way through Jerusalem, and there render thanks
to the God of Israel for the victories he had obtained over Syria. We
thus see that the light of truth, confided to the Jews, shed a partial
radiance over the nations by which they were surrounded.
A young Jew, named Joseph, nephew of the high priest Onias, rose high
in the favour of Ptolemy Euergetes. He was admitted to the office of
receiver-general in the provinces of Cœle-Syria, Phœnicia, Judea, and
Samaria; and, like his great countryman of the same name, acquitted
himself with such wisdom and prudence, that he won and kept for many
years the confidence of the king of Egypt.
In 216 B.C., Simon, second high priest of that name, succeeded his
father Onias, who had been a weak and covetous old man, intent upon
nothing so much as amassing treasure for himself. It was well that one
of a nobler character had now entered upon so important an office, for
a time of great difficulty was near, when the Jews would especially
require courage and strong faith in their leader.
[Illustration: PTOLEMY PHILOPATER.]
Ptolemy Philopater mounted the throne of his father. This young man was
stained with the darkest crimes: he was the murderer of his mother and
his brother, and subsequently proved himself a barbarous persecutor.
He, however, appeared disposed in the earlier part of his reign, to
render, as his father had done, honour to the great God of Israel.
He visited Jerusalem, offered sacrifices to the Lord, and presented
valuable gifts to the temple. Perhaps the conscience of this wicked
prince was not altogether silent, and he thought by his oblations to
appease that great Being who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity.
But Ptolemy was not contented with viewing the outside of the beautiful
temple raised to Jehovah; he was resolved to visit the sanctuary, to
tread that Holy of holies into which none but the high priest was
permitted to enter, and that only on the day of atonement. This raised
an outcry all through the city. Simon opposed the entrance of the
profane king into the holy temple; he declared to him the law which
forbade it; but Ptolemy was disposed to regard no law but that of
his own capricious will. Disregarding the expostulations of the high
priest, and the distress and horror expressed in the countenances of
the Levites, he pressed into the inner court, and was about to enter
the sanctuary, when the wicked king was suddenly struck with such a
terror and confusion of mind, that he was utterly unable to proceed,
and he was carried half dead out of the place which an invisible Power
protected.
Rage and hatred swelled in the heart of the disappointed monarch.
He had been conquered by fear, and he now sought to cover his
mortification by revenge upon the worshippers of the omnipotent
Jehovah. On his return to his capital—Alexandria—Ptolemy at once
degraded all the Jews, who were living there in great numbers, and
commanded that each should be branded with the mark of an ivy-leaf—the
badge of Bacchus the god of wine, whom this miserable idolater
worshipped. All who refused to receive this disgraceful mark were
ordered to be put to death; but such as sacrificed to the false gods
were to enjoy equal privileges with the Macedonians, the original
founders of the city. Of the many thousands of Jews who were in
Alexandria, only three hundred persons were found base enough to
forsake their God to win the favour of the king.
Enraged at the firmness of the majority, Ptolemy resolved to punish not
only the Jews in Alexandria, but those who dwelt in any part of his
dominions. He sent orders that all who were in Egypt should be sent
to the capital in chains. There, it is said, that a great multitude
of victims being thus gathered together, the tyrant shut them up in
the hippodrome, a large place without the city used for horse-races
and games, and appointed a certain day in which they were all to be
destroyed by elephants.
Crowds assembled on this day to witness the horrible spectacle; but
the king had sat up so late on the previous night at a drunken revel,
that he slept on that morning beyond the hour which had been fixed
upon for the show. Nothing could be done in his absence: the massacre
was deferred till the morrow; and again on the morrow a similar cause
occasioned a similar delay. During all this time the Jews, shut up in
the hippodrome, ceased not by earnest, humble prayer to implore that
mercy from God which they could not hope for from the tyrant.
On the third day the king took his seat to behold the fearful
execution. Multitudes hastened with barbarous eagerness to the spot, to
see their unhappy fellow-creatures torn limb from limb, for no other
crime than that of holding fast their holy faith. The huge elephants
were brought forth, maddened with frankincense and wine, that they
might with more rage execute the king’s vengeance upon his innocent
subjects.
[Illustration: ALEXANDRIA]
[Illustration: ANTIOCHUS THE GREAT.]
But no sooner were the fierce animals let loose, than, neglecting
their intended victims, they broke bounds, and furiously rushed upon
the crowds assembled to view the execution! The air was filled with
loud shrieks and cries, the multitudes fled in dismay; but many were
trampled under foot, many were destroyed by the savage elephants.
Ptolemy, a witness of the terrible scene, dared no longer oppose his
puny strength to the irresistible power of Israel’s God; he dared no
longer persecute the Jews, who were so manifestly protected by Heaven.
He revoked all his decrees against them, and loaded them with favours
and gifts, 216 B.C.
The tyrant Philopater died, 205 B.C., while yet in the prime of his
manhood; and as his title devolved on a little child, Antiochus the
Great, king of Syria, soon succeeded in wresting Judea and other
provinces from the Egyptian crown. The Jews by no means regretted this
change of masters. They willingly rendered up their strongholds to
Antiochus; and on his advancing to Jerusalem, the priests and elders
went forth in procession to meet him, and received him with gladness.
They had little reason, indeed, to uphold the cause of their Egyptian
tyrants.
CONTEMPORANEOUS EVENTS.
323-205 B.C.
B.C.
Beginning of the first Punic War 264
Second Punic War 218
Battle of Canna 216