from the temple; because they appertain to the priests that minister in that temple. And whosoever shall flee to the temple at Jerusalem, or to the places thereto belonging; or who owe the king money; or are there on any other account; let them be set free, and let their goods be in safety. I give you leave to repair and rebuild your temple; and that all be done at my expence. I also allow you to build the walls of your city; and to erect high towers; and that they be erected at my charge. And if there be any fortified town that would be convenient for the Jewish country to have very strong, let it be so built at my expence. This was what Demetrius promised, and granted to the Jews, by this letter. But king Alexander raised a great army of mercenary soldiers, and of those that deserted to him out of Syria; and made an expedition against Demetrius. And when they came to a battle, the left wing of Demetrius * put those who opposed them to flight, and pursued them a great way, and slew many of them, and spoiled their camp. But the right wing, where Demetrius happened to be, was beaten : wing, and the rest ran away. Demetrius indeed fought courageously, and slew great numbers of the enemy: but as he was in pursuit of the rest, his horse carried him into a deep bog, where it was hard to get out. And there it happened, that upon his horse's falling down, he could not escape being killed. For when his enemies saw what had befallen him, they returned back, encompassed him round, and all threw their darts at him. He being now on foot, fought bravely but at length received so many wounds, that he was not able to bear up any longer, but fell. And this is the end that Demetrius came to, when he had reigned + eleven years. In the first onset, Demetrius's left wing put the opposite wing of the enemy to flight: but as he pursued them too far, (a fault in war which has lost many victories,) by the time that they came back, the right wing, in which Demetrius fought in person, was overborne, and he slain in the rout: for his horse having plunged him into a bog, they who pursued him shot at him there with their arrows, till he died. Joseph. Antiq. lib. 13, c. 5 VOL. I.-NO. 33-4. THE son of Onias the high-priest, who and who fled to Ptolemy Philometor, lived now was of the same name with his father, at Alexandria; as we have said already. When this Onias saw that Judea was op§ pressed by the Macedonians, and their kings; out of desire to purchase to himself a memoking Ptolemy and queen Cleopatra, to ask rial and eternal fame, he resolved to send to leave of them that he might build a temple in Egypt, like to that at Jerusalem; and might ordain Levites and priests out of their own stock. The chief reason why he was desirous Isaiah, who lived above six hundred years beso to do, was that he relied upon the prophet fore, and foretold that there certainly was to, be a temple built to Almighty God in Egypt, by a by a man that was a Jew. Accordingly Onias was elevated with this prediction: and wrote the Cleopatra : wrote the following epistle to Ptolemy and 66 Having done many and great things for of God; and that in Colesyria and Phoenicia: you in the affairs of the war, by the assistance I came at length with the Jews to LeontopoI found that the greatest part of your people lis, and to other places of your nation. Where had temples in an improper manner; and that another which happens to the Egyptians, by on this account they bare ill will one against the difference of opinions about divine wor reason of the multitude of the temples, and ship. Now I found a very fit place in a castle that hath its name from the country Diana; this place is full of materials of seve ral sorts, and replenished with sacred animals. of sacred animals. But since thou sayest I desire therefore that you will grant me Accordingly Onias took the place; and built a temple, and an altar to God; like indeed to that in Jerusalem, but smaller, and poorer. I do not think it proper for me now to describe its dimensions, or its vessels: which have been already described in my seventh book of The Wars of the Jews. However, Onias found other Jews also like to himself, together with priests and Levites that there Now it came to pass that the Alexandrian Jews, and those Samaritans who payed their worship to the temple that was built in the days of Alexander at mount Gerizzim, did now make a sedition one against another, and dis And this was what Onias wrote to king Pto-performed divine service. lemy; whose piety and that of his sister and wife Cleopatra will appear, by that epistle which they wrote in answer to it. For they laid the blame and the transgression of the law upon the head of Onias. And this was their reply: "King Ptolemy and queen Cleo-puted about their temples before Ptolemy patra, to Ŏnias send greeting. We have read himself: the Jews saying, that, according to thy petition; wherein thou desirest permission the laws of Moses, the temple was to be built to purge that temple which is fallen down at at Jerusalem: and the Samaritans saying that Leontopolis in the Nomus of Heliopolis, and it was to be built at Gerizzim. They desired which is named from the country Bubastis. therefore that the king would sit with his On which account we cannot but wonder that friends, and hear the debates about these matit should be pleasing to God to have a templeters; and punish those with death who were, erected in a place so unclean, and so full baffled. Now Sabbeus and Theodosius ma *Isaiah xix. 19. + It seems to me, contrary to the opinion of Josephus, and of the moderns, both Jews and Christians, that this In that day there shall prophecy of Isaiah xix. 10, &c. be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, &c. directly foretold the building of the temple of Onias in Egypt, and was a sufficient warrant to the Jews for building it, and for worshipping the God of Israel, therein. See Authent. Rec. Pt. II. pag. 755. God indeed seems to have better accepted of the sacrifices and prayers here offered him, than of those at Jerusalem. And truly the marks of Jewish corruption of interpolation in this text in order to discourage their people from approving of the worship of God here, are very strong; and highly deserve The foregoing verse our consideration and correction. in Isaiah runs thus, in our common copies: "In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan [the Hebrew language; shall be full of Jews whose sacred books were in Hebrew ;] and swear the Lord of Hosts. One [or the first] shall be called the city of Destruction, Isai xx, 18. A strange name, City of Destruction! upon so joyful an occasion! and a name never heard of in the land of Egypt, or perhaps any other nation! The old reading was evidently, the to City of the Sun, or Heliopolis; and Onkelos in effect, See War of the Jews, Book vii. chap. 10. naged naged the argument of the Samaritans; and Andronicus, the son of Messalamus, for the people of Jerusalem. And they took an oath by God and the king to make their demonstrations according to the law. And they desired of Ptolemy, that whosoever he should find that transgressed what they had sworn to, he would put him to death. Accordingly the king took several of his friends into the council, and sat CHAP. IV. OF THE HONORS CONFERRED UPON JONATHAN BY ALEXANDER, KING OF SYRIA; AND OF THE AFFAIRS OF DEMETRIUS, WHO AFTERWARD MADE A LEAGUE OF FRIENDSHIP WITH JONATHAN, ` down, in order to hear what the pleaders said. DEMETRIUS being slain in battle, as Now the Jews that were at Alexandria were in great concern for those men, whose lot it was to contend for the temple at Jerusalem. For they took it very ill that any should pretend to take away the reputation of that temple, which was so ancient, and so celebrated, all over the habitable earth. Now when Sabbeus and Theodosius had given leave to Andronicus to speak first, he began to demonstrate out of the law, and out of the successions of the high-priests, how they every one in succession from his father had received that dignity, and ruled over the temple; and how all the kings of Asia had honored that temple with their donations, and with the most splendid gifts. But as for that at Gerizzim, he made no account of it, nor regarded it as if it had ever had a being. By this speech, and other arguments, Andronicus persuaded the king to determine, that the temple at Jerusalem was built according to the laws of Moses and to put Sabbeus and Theodosius to death. And these were the events that befel the Jews at Alexandria, in the days of Ptolemy Philometor. * * A very unfair disputation this! while the Jewish disputant, knowing that he could not properly prove out of the Pentateuch, that the place which the Lord their God should chuse to place his name there, so often referred to in the book of Deuteronomy, was Jerusalem any more than Gerizzim that being not determined till the days of David: see VII. 13, proves only what the Samaritans did not deny, that the temple at Jerusalem was much more ancient, and much more celebrated and honored than that at Gerizzim: which was nothing to the present purpose. The whole evidence, by the very oaths of both parties being obliged to be confined to the law of Moses, or to the Pentateuch alone. However, wordly olicy, and interest, and the multitude prevailing, the we have already related, Alexander took the kingdom of Syria; and wrote to Ptolemy Philometor, desiring his daughter in marriage; for he said it was but just that he should be joined in affinity to one who had now received the principality of his forefathers; and had been promoted to it by God's providence ; and had conquered Demetrius ; and who was on other accounts not unworthy of being related to him. Ptolemy received this proposal gladly and wrote him an answer, saluting him on account of his having received the kingdom of his forefathers; and promising that he would give him his daughter in marriage, and would accompany her as far as Ptolemais; where he desired, that he would meet him. When Ptolemy had written thus, he came suddenly to Ptolemais, and brought his daughter Cleopatra along with him. And as he found Alexander there before him, according as he had desired, he gave him his child in marriage and for her portion gave her as much silver and gold, as became such a king to give. : When the wedding was over, Alexander wrote to Jonathan the high-priest; and desir ed him to come to Ptolemais. So when he came to these kings, and had made them magnificent presents, he was honored by them both. Alexander compelled him also to put court gave sentence, as usual, on the stronger side; and Sabbeus and Theodosius, the Samaritan disputants, were martyred and this, so far as appears, without any direct hearing at all. Which is like the usual practice of such political courts about matters of religion. Our copies say, that the body of the Jews were in great concern about those men, in the plural, who were to dispute for their temple at Jerusalem: whereas, it seems here, they bad but one disputant, Andronicus by name. Perhaps more were prepared to speak on the Jews' side: but the first having answered to his name, and overcome the Samaritans, there was no necessity for any other defender of the Jerusalem temple. + Chap. II. subject to the king: that this thing had made him a reproach among all men, that he had not yet made him subject to the king. "Do not thou therefore deceive thyself," said he, off his own garments, and to take a purple garment; and made him sit with him in his throne commanding his captains that they should go with him into the middle of the city, and proclaim, that it was not permitted" and sit still among the mountains, and preto any one to speak against him, or to give him any disturbance. And when the captains had thus done, those that were prepared to accuse Jonathan, and who bare with ill will, when they saw the honor that was done him by proclamation, and that by the king's order, ran away, and were afraid lest some mischief should befal them. Nay king Alexander was so very kind to Jonathan, that he set him down as the as the principal of his friends. Bnt upon the hundred and sixty-fifth year, Demetrius, the son of Demetrius, came from Crete, with a great number of mercenary soldiers, which Lasthenes, the Cretan, brought him; and sailed to Cilicia. This cast Alexander into great concern and disorder, when he heard it. So he hastened immediately out of Phoenicia, and came to Antioch; that he might put matters in a safe posture there, be fore Demetrius should come. He also left * Apollonius Daus governor of Colesyria, † who coming to Jamnia with a great army, sent to Jonathan the high-priest, and told him, that it was not right that be alone should live at rest, and with authority, and not be tend to have forces with thee. But if thou hast any dependance on thy strength, come down into the plain, and let our armies be compared together; and the event of the battle will demonstrate which of us is the most courageous. However, take notice, that the most valiant men of every city are in my army. And that these are the very men who have always defeated thy progenitors, But let as have the battle in such a place of the country where we fight with weapons, and not with stones; and where there may be no place whither those that are beaten may flee." *This Apollonius Daus was, by his account, the son of Apollonius, who had been made governor of Colesyria and Phoenicia by Selcucus Philopater; and was him: self a confidant of his son Demetrius the father; and restored to his father's government by him; but afterwards revolted from him to Alexander: but not to Demetrius the son. : With this Jonathan was irritated and choosing out ten thousand of his soldiers, he went out of Jerusalem in haste, with his brother Simon, and came to Joppa, and pitched his camp on the outside of the city: because the people of Joppa had shut their gates against him. For they had a garrison in the city put there by Apollonius. But when Jonathan was preparing to besiege them, they were afraid he would take them by force; and therefore they opened the gates to him. Apollonius hearing that Joppa was taken by † Apollonius was a common name among the SyroMacedonians and Greeks; and, in the history of the Maccabees, we find so many mentioned of that name, that for the prevention of mistakes, it may not be improper to give some account of the several persons who bore it. The first that we meet with of that name, is Apollonius, the son of Thraseas, 2 Maccab. iii. 5, who was governor of Calesyria and Phoenicia, under Seleucus Philopater when Heliodorus came to Jerusalem, to rob the temple. He was chief minister of state to Seleuchus ; but, on the accession of his brother Antiochus Epiphanes to the crown, he left Syria, and retired to Miletus. He had a son of his own name, that was bred up at Rome, and resided with Demetrius, (the son of Seleucus Philopater,) who was then an hostage in that place. When Demetrius recovered the crown of Syria, this Apollonius became his prime favourite, and was made governor of Colesyria and Phoenicia, the same government which his father held under Seleucus Philopater; and this I take to be the same Apollonius, who being continued in the same government by Alexander, now revolted from him, to embrace the interest of Demetrius, the son of his old master, and, to engage Jonathan to do the like, marched his forces against him. Another Apollonius is spoken of, 2 Maccab. iv. 21, as the chief minister of Antiochus Epiphanes, who from him was sent as ambassador, first to Rome, and afterwards to Ptolemy Philometor, king of Egypt; and him I take to be the same, that with a datachment of two and twenty thousand men, was sent to destroy Jerusalem, and build a fortress on mount Acra. There are, besides these, two other persons, in the history of the Maccabees, mentioned under the name of Apollonius. The former of these, being governor of Samaria in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, 1 Maccab. iii. 10, was slain in battle by Judas Maccabæus; and the latter, (who is called the son of Genneus, 2 Maccab. xii. 2,) being governor of some toparchy in Palestine, under Antiochus Eupator, did then signalize himself by being a great enemy to the Jews. Prideaux's Connection anno 148. B. Jonathan Jonathan, took three thousand horsemen, and eight thousand footmen, and came to Ashdod: and removing thence, he made his journey silently and slowly; and going up to Joppa, he made as if he were retiring from the place, and so drew Jonathan into the 'plain: as valuing himself highly upon his horsemen, and having his hopes of victory principally in them. However, Jonathan sallied out, and pursued Apollonius to Ashdod. But as soon as Apollonius perceived that his enemy was in the plain, he came back, and gave him battle. Now Apollonius had laid a thousand horsemen in ambush, in a valley, that they might be seen by their enemies as behind them. Jo nathan, however, was under no consternation, on perceiving them, but ordering his army to stand in a square battle array, he gave them a charge to fall on the enemy on both sides; and set them to face those that attacked them both before and behind. And while the fight lasted till the evening, he gave part of his forces to his brother Simon, and ordered him to attack the enemies: but for himself, he charged those that were with him to cover themselves with their armor, and receive the dants of the horsemen. Accordingly the enemies? horsemen,, while they threw their darts till they had no more left, did them no harm for the darts that were thrown did not enter into their bodies; being thrown upon the shields that were united and conjoined to gether the closeness of which easily overcame the force of the darts, and they flew about without any effect. But when the enemy grew remiss in throwing their darts, from morning till late at night; Simon perceived their weariness, and fell upon the body of men before him. And because his soldiers shewed great alacrity, he put the enemy to flight. And when the horsemen saw that the foot ran away, neither did they stay themselves: but they being weary by the duration of the fight till evening, and their hope from the infantry being quite gone, they basely ran away, and that in great confusion also; till they were * Dr. Hudson observes here, that the Phoenicians and Romans used to reward such as had deserved well of them, by presenting to them a golden button. This golden button or buckle, (which was worn upon the shoulder,) was a very singular mark of distinction both separated one from another, and scattered over all the plain. Hereupon Jonathan pursued them as far as Ashdod; and slew a great many of them: and compelled the rest, in despair of escaping, to flee to the temple of Dagon, which was at Ashdod. But Jonathan took the city on the first onset, and burnt it, and the villages about it, nor did he abstain from the temple of Dagon itself, but burnt it also; and destroyed those that had fled to it. Now the entire multitude of the enemies that fell in the battle, and were consumed in the temple, were eight thousand. When Jonathan therefore had overcome so great an army, he removed from Ashdod, and came to Askelon. And when he had pitched his camp without the city, the people of Askelon came out and met him; bringing him hospitable presents, and honoring him so he accepted of their kind intentions, and returned thence to Jerusalem, with a great deal of prey; which he brought thence, when he conquered his enemies. But when Alexander heard, that Apollonious, the general of his army, was beaten, he pretended to be glad of it: because he had fought with Jonathan, his friend and ally, against his directions. Accordingly he sent to Jonathan, and gave testimony to his worth; and gave him honorary rewards, as golden button; which it is the custom to give the king's kinsmen, and allowed him Ekron, and its toparchy for his own inheritance. About this time king Ptolemy, who was called Philometor, led an army, partly by the sea, and partly by land, and came to Syria, to the assistance of his son-in-law, Alexander. And accordingly, all the cities received him willingly, as Alexander had commanded them to do; and conducted him as far as Ashdod: where they all made loud complaints about the temple of Dagon, which was burnt; and accused Jonathan of having laid it waste, and destroyed the country adjoining with fire, and slain a great number of them. Ptolemy heard these accusations, but said nothing. Jona among the Greeks and the Persians, (from whom the Macedonians took it,) and was generally made the reward of great and gallant actions in war. Calmet's Commentary on 1 Maccab. x. 89. B. |