phants: and readily assisted him when he besieged the garrison which was in the citadel of Jerusalem. Wherefore Antiochus thought it but just to requite the Jews' diligence and zeal in his service. So he wrote to the generals of his armies, and to his friends; and gave testimony to the good behaviour of the Jews towards him; and informed them what rewards he had resolved to bestow on them for that behaviour. I will set down presently the epistles themselves, which he wrote to his generals concerning them; but will first produce the testimony of Polybius of Megalopolis: for thus does he speak, in the sixteenth book of his history, "Now Scopas, the general of Ptolemy's army, went in haste to the superior parts of the country, and in the winter time overthrew the nation of the Jews." He also saith in the same book, "When Scopas was conquered by Antiochus, Antiochus received Batanea, Samaria, Abila, and Gadara: and that, some time afterwards, there came in to him those Jews that inhabited near that temple which was called Jerusalem: concerning which although I have more to say, and particularly concerning the presence of God about that temple, yet do I put off that history till another opportunity." This it is which Polybius relates. But we will return to the series of the history: when we have first produced the epistles of king Antiochus.

KING ANTIOCHUS, TO PTOLEMY, SENDeth greeting.

"Since the Jews, upon our first entrance on their country, demonstrated their friendship towards us; and when we came to their city (Jerusalem) received us in a splendid manner; and came to meet us with their senate; and gave abundance of provisions to our soldiers, and to the elephants; and joined with us in ejecting the garrison of the Egyptians, that were in the citadel; we have thought fit to reward them, and to retrieve the condition of their city, which hath been greatly depopulated by such accidents as have befallen its inhabitants, and to bring those that have been scattered abroad back to the city. And, in the first place, we have determined, on account of their piety towards God, to bestow on them, as a pension, for their sacrifices of animals, that are fit for sacrifice; for wine, and oil, and frankincense, the value of twenty thousand pieces of silver:

and six sacred artabæ of fine flour: with one thousand four hundred and sixty medimni of wheat; and three hundred and seventy-five medimni of salt. And these payments I would have fully paid them as I have sent orders to you. I would also have the work about the temple finished, and the cloisters; and if there be any thing else that ought to be rebuilt. And for the materials of wood, let them be brought out of Judea, and out of the other countries, and out of Libanus, tax free: and the same I would have observed as to those other materials which will be necessary in order to render the temple more glorious. And let all of that nation live according to the laws of their own country: and let the senate, and the priests, and the scribes of the temple, and the sacred singers, be discharged from poll-money, and the crown-tax; and other taxes also. And that the city may the sooner recover its inhabitants, I grant a discharge from taxes for three years to its present inhabitants; and to such as shall come to it until the month Hyperbereteus. We also discharge them for the future from a third part of their taxes: that the losses they have sustained may be repaired. And all those citizens that have been carried away, and are become slaves, we grant them and their children their freedom; and give order that their substance be restored to them."

Antiochus also published a decree, through all his kingdom, in honour of the temple: which contained what follows:

"It shall be lawful for no foreigner to come within the limits of the temple round about: which thing is forbidden also to the Jews, unless to those who, according to their own custom, have purified themselves. Nor let any flesh of horses, or of mules, or of asses, be brought into the city, whether they be wild or tame: nor that of leopards or foxes, or hares: and in general, that of any animal which is forbidden for the Jews to eat. Nor let their skins be brought into it: not let any such animal be bred up in the city. Let them only be permitted to use the sacrifices derived from their forefathers: with which they have been obliged to make acceptable atonements to God. And he that transgresseth any of these orders, let him pay to the priests three thousand drachmæ of silver." Moreover this Antiochus bare testimony to our piety and fidelity, in an epistle of his, when he was informed of a sedition in Phrygia and Lydia, at which time he was in the superior provinces; wherein he

commanded Zeuxis, the general of his forces, and his most intimate friend, to send some of our nation out of Babylon into Phrygia. The epistle was this:

KING ANTIOCHUS, TO ZEUXIS HIS FATHER, SENDETH GREETING.

"IF thou be in good health, it is well: for I am also in health. Having been informed that a sedition is arisen in Lydia and Phrygia, I thought that matter required great care. And upon advising with my friends what was fit to be done, it hath been thought proper to remove two thousand families of Jews, with their effects, out of Mesopotamia and Babylon, unto the castles and places that lie most convenient. For I am persuaded that they will be well disposed guardians of our possessions; because of their piety towards God; and because I know that my predecessors have borne witness to them, that they are faithful, and with alacrity perform what they are desired. 1 will therefore, though it be a laborious work, that thou remove these Jews; under a promise that they shall be permitted to use their own laws. And when thou shalt have brought them to the aforementioned places, thou shalt give every one of their families a place for building their houses, and a portion of land for their husbandry, and for the plantation of their vines ; and thou shalt discharge them from paying taxes of the fruits of the earth, for ten years. And let them have a proper quantity of wheat for the maintenance of their servants, until they receive bread-corn out of the earth. And let a sufficient share be given to such as minister to them in the necessaries of life: that by enjoying the effects of our humanity, they may shew themselves the more willing and ready about our affairs. Take care also of that nation, as far as thou art able; that they may not have any disturbance given them by any one."

Now these testimonials which I have produced, are sufficient to declare the friendship that Antiochus the Great bare to the Jews.

2

CHAP. IV.

OF A LEAGUE BETWEEN ANTIOCHUS AND PTOLEMY; THE OFFENCE GIVEN TO PTOLEMY EUERGETES BY ONIAS; THE PRUDENT CONDUCT OF JOSEPH; AND THE AFFAIRS OF HIS SON HYRCANUS.

AFTER this, Antiochus made a friendship and a league with Ptolemy; and gave him his daughter Cleopatra to wife,* and yielded up to him Coelesyria, Samaria, Judea, and Phoenicia, by way of dowry. And upon the division of the taxes between the two kings, all the principal men farmed the taxes of their S several countries; and, collecting the sum that was settled for them, paid the same to the two kings. Now at this time the Samaritans were in a flourishing condition, and much distressed the Jews; cutting off part of their land, and carrying off slaves. This happened when Onias was high-priest. For after Eleazar's death, his uncle Manasseh took the priesthood; and after he had ended his life, Onias received that dignity. He was the son of Simon, who was called the Just; which Simon was the brother of Eleazar, as I saidt before. This Onias was one of a little soul, and a great lover of money: and for that reason, because he did not pay that tax of twenty talents of silver, which his forefathers paid to these kings, out of their own estates, he provoked king Ptolemy Euergetes to anger; who was the father of Philopator. This Euergetes sent an ambassador to Jerusalem, and complained that Onias did not pay his taxes; and threatened that if he did not receive them, he would seize upon their land, and send soldiers to live upon it. When the Jews heard this message of the king's, they were confounded. But so sordidly covetous was Onias, that nothing of this nature made him ashamed.

*

There was now one Joseph,‡ young in age but of great repu

Spanheim notes here, that this marriage of Ptolemy with Cleopatra is related by Appian, in his Syriacca, p. 88.

tation among the people of Jerusalem, for gravity, prudence, and justice. His father's name was Tobias, and his mother was the sister of Onias, the high-priest: who informed him of the coming of the ambassador: for he was then sojourning at a village named Phicol,* where he was born. Hereupon he came to Jerusalem, and reproved Onias for not taking care of the preservation of his countrymen; but bringing the nation into dangers, by not paying this money. For which preservation of them, he told him, he had received the authority over them, and had been made high-priest. But that, in case he was so great a lover of money, as to endure to see his country in danger on that account, and his countrymen suffer the greatest damages, he advised him to go to the king, and to petition him to remit either the whole, or a part of the sum demanded. Onias replied, that he did not care for his authority; and that he was ready, if the thing was practicable, to lay down his highpriesthood; and that he would not go to the king; because be troubled not himself at all about such matters. Joseph then asked him, if he would not give him leave to go ambassador on behalf of the nation? He replied that he would give him leave. Hereupon Joseph went up into the temple, and called the multitude together to a congregation; and exhorted them, not to be disturbed, nor affrighted, because of his uncle Onias's carelessness; but desired them to be at rest, and not terrify themselves with fear about it; for he promised that he would be their ambassador to the king, and persuade him, that they had done him no wrong. And when the multitude heard this they returned thanks to Joseph.

So he went down from the temple, and treated Ptolemy's ambassador in a hospitable manner. He also presented bim with rich gifts and feasted him magnificently for many days; and then sent him to the king before him; and told him that he would soon follow him. For he was now more willing to go to the king by the encouragement of the ambassador; who earnestly persuaded him to come into Egypt, and promised

* The name of this place, Phicol, is the very same with that of the chief captain of Abimelech's host in the days of Abraham, Genesis xxi. 22. and might possibly be the place of that Phicol's nativity or abode. For it seems to have been in the south part of Palestine, as that was.