place intending there to expose them to be destroyed by Elephants And accordingly the Elephants being prepared and fill'd with wine mingled with myrrh that so they might be the more mad and fierce it so happened that they instead of falling upon the Jews ran upon the Kings Souldiers and trod them under foot whereupon the King began to relent towards these poor prisoners and not only saved them but feasted them for seven days together Vsh p. 371. Ptol. Philopator had by his Wife-sister Euridice a son called Ptol. Epiphanes who at the age of five years succeeded him in the Kingdom of Egypt whose birth-day was first solemnly celebrated at home by all the great men and others of that part of Syria and the Country thereabouts that was under his dominions and then many of them made a journey to Alexandria there to wish him joy of his young son among the rest Josephus the Jew of whom before Collector of his Tribute in Syria Phoenicia and Palestine sent his youngest son Hircanus to kiss his hand and with Letters to his Agent at Alexandria to furnish him with moneys to buy the most rich and precious present for the King that the place did afford After Simon the second succeeded his son Onias the third in the High Priesthood a good man of a venerable aspect meek in his carriage and very advised in his words and one who from his youth framed himself to a virtuous life Pt. Philopator dying left his son Pt. Epiphanes but five years old Antiochus M. taking occasion herefrom confederates with Philip King of Macedon that with their united forces they should set upon the Kingdom of Egypt Dan. 11. v. 14. and each should enjoy those parts of that Kingdom if they conquered it which lay next to them Antiochus at last got Judea from Epiphanes and Epiphanes by his General Scopas recovered it from him again and shortly after lost it again so that Antiochus being now Lord of Judea he grew friendly and kind to the Jews who voluntarily submitted to him and assisted him in the siege of the Castle of Samaria into which Scopas had put a Garrison One Simon a Benjamite chief Keeper of the Temple falling into a contention with Onias the third now High Priest when he could not get his will of him went to Apollonius the Governour of Coelosyria and Phoenicia for Seleucus Philopator who succeeded Antioch Magnus and informed him that there was a vast sum of money in the Treasury of the Temple of which the Priests made no use and therefore it would do well in the Kings coffers which when the King was made acquainted with he presently sent away his Treasurer Heliodorus to Jerusalem to fetch him that money from thence but when he came Onias the High Priest told him that it was true there were some moneys in the Temple but they were the moneys of Widows and Orphans and were there deposited only as in a place of safety part of which also was the proper goods of Hircanus a very honourable person and that all there amounted not to above 400 Talents of Silver and 200 of Gold and that such was the holiness of the place that it ought not to be violated Heliodorus nothing perswaded by this enters the Temple and was smitten by an Angel dead for the present but being restored by the prayers of Onias he returned to his Master Seleucus declaring the holiness of the place and the power of God 2 Mac. Ch. 3. Simon after this calumniated Onias as if he who had so well deserved of his Nation had been the cause of this mischief and had forced Heliodorus to do what he did Upon this matters proceeded so far that many murders were acted by Simon and his party in the City and Apollonius waxed mad withal and backt him in what he did so that Onias was forced to go to Seleucus Philopater and as some say got him banished Antiochus Epiphanes * The beginning of Antiochus Epiphanes and the History of the Maccabees An. M. 3829. Ant. C. N. 175. now obtains the Kingdom of Syria putting by his Brothers son Demetrius and the true heir to the Crown who by reason of his mad and wild conversation was by some called Epimanes He is stiled by the Angel in the 11th of Dan. a vile person and the little horn Dan. 8.9 Jason son of Simon the second being weary of the continued High Priesthood of Onias the third his Brother goes to Antiochus and of him purchases the High Priesthood to himself for 360 Talents of Silver and a rent of eighty Talents and not satisfying himself with wronging his Brother in this manner he promised a 150 more for a license to set up at Jerusalem a place of exercise for the training up of youth after the fashion of the heathen and so the Greek rites and heathenish fashions were introduced whereby an inlet was made not only to Idolatry and profaneness but also to that cruelty and bloodshed which after ensued Jason three years after he had bought the High Priesthood of Antiochus sent Menelaus Brother of Simon the Benjamite that Arch-Traytor to his Country of whom we have before spoken to the King to carry the moneys he had promised him and to solicite his affairs Menelaus making use of the opportunity serves Jason in the same kind that he had served Onias and promising to the King 300 talents of silver more than Jason paid procured the High Priesthood for himself and having thus gotten it by the Kings Mandat he expelled Jason into the Country of the Ammonites but took no care to pay any of the moneys he had promised to the King 2 Maccab. 4.25 c. Antiochus having seized on Caelosyria Ptol. Philometor who claimed it as belonging to him being passed over to his Father as his Mothers portion sought to recover it out of his hands Antiochus marching down towards Egypt overthrew Ptolomy's forces and quickly got Egypt into his power pretending nevertheless to have a kindness for young Philometor and a care of his affairs Menelaus taking the opportunity of the Kings absence took divers golden vessels out of the Temple at Jerusalem some of which he gave away and some he sold to Tyre and other places for which being accused of Sacriledg by Onias the true High Priest who had betaken himself to Sanctuary he procured him to be taken out from thence and put to death Going on in such mischiefs he was accused to the King but bribing Ptolomy the son of Dorimenes who had revolted to Antiochus and was in great favour with him he procured the death of his accusers About this time Antiochus went down a second time into Egypt with a great power which he recovered again the King thereof flying before him and getting the fortified Towns into his hands there staid till the Jews procured his return to their own destruction A false rumour of Antiochus's death being spread abroad in Judea Jason having got a thousand men
together set upon Jerusalem and getting the City into his hands forced Menelaus into the Castle and then made slaughters not as if he had been among his own Countrymen and kindred but among enemies and forreigners yet he got not the Priesthood but was forc'd to betake himself back again into the Country of the Ammonites where being accused before Aretas King of the Arabians he fled from place to place like a Vagabond hated of all men as a forsaker of the Law and publick enemy to his Country and died at last at Lacedemon Antiochus hearing in Egypt that the Jews rejoyced at the report of his death and suspecting by the sedition stirred up by Jason that Judea would revolt in a great rage departed thence and came and sat down before Jerusalem and took it by force and giving no quarter for three days space there were forty thousand slain and as many more taken prisoners and sold and not contenting himself with this he presumed to go into the Temple having that Arch-Traytor Menelaus for his guide and rifled it of the holy vessels particularly he took away the Golden Altar of Incense and the golden Candlesticks with all the vessels belonging to them the Table of the Shew-bread and the Vail and the Crowns and the golden Ornaments that were fastned to the Temple-doors he pulled off the gold from every thing that was covered with it and likewise took the silver vessels and all the hidden treasure which he could find He also killed swine upon the Altar and with the broath of the flesh of them he sprinkled the Temple And having taken 1800 talents out of the Temple he speedily went to Antioch leaving behind him to afflict the people Philip a Phrygian by Nation but by manners a Barbarian and Andronicus and besides them Menelaus more grievous unto and more spightful against his own Countrymen than either of the other Two years after he sent Apollonius a cruel man with an Army of 22000 into Judea commanding him to put to death all the young men he could meet with and to sell the women and children for slaves Apollonius coming to Jerusalem kept himself still until the Sabbath and then taking the opportunity of the solemnity of the day he destroyed all that came to perform Religious duties and marching with his forces about the City he put to death a great multitude and plundering the City he set it on fire in several places destroying the houses and demolishing the walls round about and led away many women and children into captivity seizing on their cattel whilst Antiochus his Master was busie again in his attempts upon Egypt During these horrid outrages Judas Maccabeus departed with some others and liv'd in the mountains three years and six months for which space of time the daily sacrifice ceased and the Sanctuary lay desolate and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled and their City became an habitation of strangers The Samaritans seeing the Jews so miserably handled professed themselves to be by descent Sidonians and thereupon obtained Letters from Antiochus to Apollonius his President that they should not be involved in the calamities of the Jews and that their Temple on Mount Gerizim as yet not honoured with the title of any God should from thenceforth be called the Temple of the Grecian Jupiter After this in the year of the World 3837 Antiochus by a publick Edict commanded all Nations that were subject unto him to observe the same way of worship that he did and laying aside their peculiar customs to profess the same Religion with the Greeks and to conform thereunto threatning death to all such as should be found unconformable And he appointed Overseers over every people and Nation who should compel them to uniformity 1 Mac. 1.41 c. Into Judea and Samaria he sent an old man of Athens that he should force the Jews to depart from the observation of the Divine Law and defile the Temple at Jerusalem and impose the name of Jupiter Olimpius upon it And upon the Temple of Gerizim he imposed the name of Jupiter Hospitalis or Protector of strangers He also commanded the sacrifices to be left off he prohibited the Sabbath he commanded them to defile the Sanctuary to erect Altars Groves and Chappels to Idols and that they should sacrifice swine and other unclean beasts and should suffer their children to remain uncircumcised and should forget the Law and the Ordinances of God and made it a crime to profess the Jewish Religion Moreover order was sent to the Neighbouring Cities of the Greeks that they should compell the Jews to partake of their sacrifices and kill those that would not come over to their rites so that many of the Jews for fear obeyed and sacrificed to Idols The Temple was now filled with riot and revelling by the Gentiles who within the circuit thereof defiled themselves with women and committed other abominations And on the 15th day of the month Casleu they erected the Abomination of Desolation that is the detestable Idol of Jupiter Olympius upon the Altar and built Idol-altars throughout the Cities of Judah and burnt incense at the doors of their houses and in the streets and some were compelled to go in procession to Bacchus carrying Ivy they cut in pieces the Books of the Law which they found and burnt them in the fire and with whomsoever they were found or whoever approved of them they were by the Kings command to be put to death Yet notwithstanding there were many that stood out and would not conform to the Kings Edict nor defile themselves at which the King being enraged he caused divers to be brought before him resolving to inforce them by torments to taste impure meats and to abjure Judaism and upon refusal he racked them and put them to death Among others Eleazar of the Priestly family an eminent Scribe and expert in the knowledg of the Law of ninety years of age was very eminent for his courage who neither yielding to eat swines flesh nor dissembling to have eaten it chose rather to undergo the most cruel torments than to violate the Law After him seven young men that were Brethren together with their most courageous Mother were brought before Antiochus at Antioch who refusing to eat swines flesh after they had been exquisitely tortur'd with new-invented torments rendred their pious souls unto God The Martyrdom of those persons is described in the seventh Chapter of the second Book of Maccabees The rage of this persecution coming to Modin a Town situate between Rama and Emmaus it there found some opposition Mattathias the Son of Jonathan a Priest of Jerusalem of the family of Joarib which was the first among the 24 courses 1 Chron. 24.7 dwelt here at this time with his five Sons among whom his Son Judas was called Maccabeus and Josephus says their Father Mattathias was the son of Asamoneus * Or rather the Grandâ—on of Simeon Sirnamed Asomonaeus and from him that Sirname descended
Tent slew 4000 men and giving an alarm to the whole Army at break of the day safely retreated whereupon the King marched towards him next day and they coming to an engagement Antiochus lost several hundreds more but the Jews seeing themselves overpowered retreated The King then returned to the siege and they not being well stored with provision this being the Sabbatical year at last yielded up the Town upon composition Antiochus having herein placed a Garrison marched up to Jerusalem and there made all provision possible for the gaining of it all manner of Engines being raised for the casting of fire and stones but the besieged defended themselves bravely though provisions were very short with them and the famine prevailed so much among them that they were in danger of falling into the Kings hands but before he could finish his work news came that Philip whom his father had appointed to be Guardian being returned out of Egypt was coming with the forces that Epiphanes had left in Persia and Media to recover his right usurped by Lysias Hereupon both he and his Captains were presently perswaded by Lysias because the place was strong and provisions began to fail in the Leaguer and the affairs of the Kingdom required it to make peace with the besieged and with the whole Nation of the Jews upon such terms as they required Then returning to Ptolemais the inhabitants thereof being great enemies to the Jews stickled hard to perswade him to break the League but Lysias so well argued the matter among them that he quieted their minds and confirmed the peace so that the Investiture of the commanding power in the Hasmoneans took its rise from the time of this peace agreed on betwixt Antiochus Eupator and Maccabeus The King hasting thence towards Antioch brought along with him as a prisoner Menelaus the High Priest whom Lysias accused as an Incendiary and the cause of the war whereupon by order from the King he was let down into a Tower filled with ashes and there miserably ended his life ten years after he had first usurped the Priesthood Menelaus being thus taken out of the way the King substituted in his room one Alcimus a man every whit as bad as he Indeed he was of Aaron's progeny but not of the High Priests blood and Lysias perswaded the King to transfer that dignity into another family Onias the Son of Onias the third seeing the High Priesthood conferred on Alcimus went into Egypt and after he had well insinuated himself into the affections of Ptol. Philometor and Cleopatra his wife obtained of them leave to build a Temple to God in the jurisdiction of Heliopolis answering to that at Jerusalem and that they would constitute him High Priest there See more of this in Vsher p. 467. Antiochus coming to Antioch found Philip Master thereof but setting upon it he took it by force and taking Philip therein put him to death and so quickly quieted those stirs being reserved with Lysias his Guardian though but a little time for others more dangerous Demetrius Soter Son of Seleucus Philopator the right heir to the Kingdom now escaping from Rome quickly got the Kingdom and put to death Eupator and Lysias his Guardian Alcimus who had procured from Eupator to be made High Priest being not now receivâ—d nor owned by the people for that in the days of Epiphanes he had wilfully defiled himself came to Demetrius with other Apostates to get the Priesthood confirmed to him He accused his Countrymen especially the Hasmoneans viz. Judas and his Brethren as guilty of cutting off the Kings friends and banishing them out of the Country Hereupon Demetrius sent Bacchides the Governour of Mesopotamia his trusty friend with great forces into Judea and confirmed the High Priesthood to Alcimus whom he sent back with him All their design was being arrived there by fair speeches to get Judas and his Brethren into their hands but they gave no credit to them Many of the Scribes went out to them to seek peace expecting they should have obtained it of Alcimus who was of the seed of Aaron and had now great power in the army but having gotten them into his hands he most wickedly contrary to agreement and his oath put sixty of them to death all in one day by which perfidiousness many being terrified fled from the City Then Bacchides going from Jerusalem caused many that had fled from him and several others of the Jews to be slain and cast into a great pit and so committing the care of the Country to Alcimus for the defence of which he left him some forces he returned unto the King After his departure Alcimus striving all he could to confirm himself in the Priesthood made great havock of the people Hereupon Judas went out through the whole Country taking vengeance on such as had revolted from him and so terrified those that adhered to Alcimus that they were forced to keep themselves within their Garrisons and durst not make any more incursions into the Country Alcimus apprehending danger to himself from these proceedings goes once more to Demetrius carrying along with him a Crown of Gold to present unto him For Judas and his party increasing in power would not suffer him to come near to the holy Altar at which being enraged he eagerly accused them to the King as authors of all the commotions and disturbances in Judea further complaining that he was deprived of the Priesthood the honour as he said of his Ancestors and further affirmed that as long as Maccabeus lived the Kings affairs could not be secure This being seconded by some ill-willers to the Jews and his friends Demetrius was so inflamed that sending for Nicanor one of his chiefest Princes and a bitter enemy to the Jews made him General against Judea giving him order to destroy Judas and disperse his associates the Assideans and to settle Alcimus in the High Priesthood The Jews upon the report of Nicanors approach and the Association of several Gentiles with him cast dust upon their heads and made their Supplication to God And it so happened that after a short skirmish betwixt Simon Judas's Brother and a party of Nicanors near the Village Dessaro Nicanor understanding the Courage and Resolution of Judas and his Party in defending their Country he was unwilling to run the hazard of a Battel but sent to parle with the Jews and to make peace with them upon mutual engagements of fidelity each to other And Articles being agreed upon between them the two Captains met and the Conference proved very successful and closed in a League without the Kings Privity Nicanor after this abode a while in Jerusalem and dismissed the Companies he had collected and was so taken with Judas that he continued with him some time and loved him in his heart and lived so friendly and familiarly with him that he perswaded him to marry a Wife But when that wretched fellow Alcimus observed this Correspondence between them he addressed
told the King that he was solicited by Mariamne to deliver unto him a love-potion which whatsoever it was he had by him Hereupon Herod examined the most faithful servants of Mariamne by torture who confessed nothing but that she was offended at something that Sohemus had declared to her which when the King heard he cried out that Sohemus who had been ever faithful to him would never have revealed those things to her had there not been some more secret familiarity between them than was fit and thereupon commanded Sohemus immediately to be put to death Then calling a Council of his friends he there accused his wife for practising to poyson him they perceiving the Kings mind by general consent condemned her and so she was put to death the execution being hastened by Solome's instigation When she was dead Herod was almost mad for grief that the deed was done for he loved her extreamly neither could he by any delights or feastings divert his Melancholy but was forc'd to yield to his grief and his passion prevailing upon him he would often bid his servants call Mariamne as though she were alive So that casting off the care of his Kingdom he retired to Samaria called then Sebaste in honour of Augustus which was called by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the splendor of his dignity and the honour they gave him something greater than humane As Herod was thus affected there came a Plague which swept away a great part both of the Nobility and people this being interpreted as a judgment from God for the unjust death of the Queen Herod's discontents increasing he at last fell into a great sickness so that his Physicians almost despaired of him During his sickness Alexandra now living at Jerusalem endeavoured to get the two Castles of the City into her own hands one of them joined to the Temple the other was within the City and dealt with the Governours of them to that purpose that they would deliver them to her for the children of Mariamne lest if the King should die they should be seized on by others But the Governours being faithful to Herod sent Messengers presently to him to acquaint him with Alexandra's design who thereupon ordered she should forthwith be put to death Then recovering from his sickness he returned to Jerusalem but was grown so cruel that he was ready for the least cause to put any one to death A difference arising between Costobarus an Idumean and his wife Solome the sister of Herod she contrary to the custom of the Jews sent him a bill of divorce and accused him to Herod that he with Lysimachus Antipater and Dositheus were practising some innovations upon which Herod sent and slew them with others that were conceived to be of their party endeavouring that none should remain of the kindred of Hircanus or indeed any other persons of worth and power that might resist him Herod now departed more and more from his Countries custom violating them with strange inventions for he instituted wrestlings every fifth year in honour of Caesar for the exhibiting of which he built a Theater in Jerusalem and an Amphitheater in the Plain both of them very sumptuous for the workmanship but clean contrary to the Jewish customs To these he invited all such as were skill'd in wrestling and that excelled in Musick and playing on instruments And hanging his Theater with Trophies much distasted the people as being principled by their Religion against Pictures Ten Citizens of Jerusalem about that time conspiring against him were discovered and put to death In the thirteenth year of his reign that he might be more secure from Conspiracies he began to fortifie Samaria called Sebaste Also he built another fort as a bridle to the Nation namely the Tower of Straton and in Galilee Galalus in Poraea Esthmonitis which Castles being so conveniently placed he by them kept the people in awe This year very grievous calamities befell the Country of the Jews 1. There was a continual drought upon which a famine followed and after that the plague Herod upon this to supply the publick necessities took and melted all the gold and silver that was in the Palace not sparing any thing though of never so costly workmanship nay not his own vessels that were for his daily use Having made money of all he sent it into Egypt where at that time under Caesar Petronius was Governour who though he had multitudes who at that time fled to him for the like necessity yet being Herod's friend he readily gave his men leave to export corn assisting them both in the buying and in the carriage of it When the corn was come into Judea Herod very carefully divided it first to such who were most in need and took care that the ancient and sickly should not want and by this means he recovered himself into the affections and good liking of the people again He also provided for his subjects against the sharpness of winter that none should want clothing for their cattel being dead their wool and other things failed He helped also the Neighbour-cities of the Syrians with corn so that by his providence and bounty he began to be renowned both at home and abroad He now marries another Mariamne esteemed the most beautiful woman of that age the daughter of Simon a Priest whom he preferred to the High-Priesthood putting out Jesus the Son of Phabes After this he imployed his time and treasure in sumptuous and royal buildings as particularly that of Caesarea formerly called the Tower of Straton which he began in the sixteenth year of his reign and in twelve years finished it He built for himself also a Palace in Sion very stately and a Town about sixteen furlongs from Jerusalem which he called Herodion He now sends his Sons Alexander and Aristobulus whom he had by Mariamne the Asmonaean to Rome to Caesar to be there brought up for whom their lodging was prepar'd at Pollio's house the great friend of Herod Caesar entertained the young men very courteously and gave Herod power to make which of his Sons he pleased heir of his Kingdom Augustus gave the Tetrarchy of Zenodorus to Herod which was seated between Galilee and Trachona he made him also one of the Governours of Syria and commanded the Governours of that Province to do nothing without his advice Herod also begged a Tetrarchy of Caesar for his Brother Pheroras on whom he bestowed an hundred Talents out of the revenues of his own Kingdom At Panium near the Fountain-heads of Jordan he built a goodly Temple in honour of Caesar of white marble He remitted also to his subjects some part of their Tribute under colour that they should have some ease after the dearth but indeed to appease their minds which he saw were offended at such kind of buildings which seemed to tend to nothing but the destruction of Religion and good manners To prevent disturbances he forbad private meetings and too frequent feastings He