68. B.C. 314 to 187

B.C. 314 to 187

Chapter V

Timeline View:

1. Ptolemy Lagus did not long remain in undisturbed possession of Palestine, which, with Phoenicia and Coele-Syria, was wrested from him by Antigonus, one of the most ambitious and turbulent of the generals who shared the empire of Alexander. But after he had been overthrown and slain by Seleucus and Lysimachus, in the decisive battle of Ipsus, Ptolemy quietly recovered and retained this important province; and by the wisdom and justice of his government promoted the prosperity and gained the affections of the Jewish people. During his reign, Simon the Just, a most excellent high-priest, repaired and improved the city and temple of Jerusalem, and provided both with strong and lofty walls. He is also understood to have completed the canon of the Old Testament Scriptures by adding the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles, Esther, and the prophesies of Malachi. In b.c. 300, he succeeded Onias, the successor of Jaddua, and died in b.c. 291.

Antioch

2. Meanwhile a power arose in Asia, which was by far the greatest of those which were formed out of the spoils of Alexander’s empire, It was founded by Seleucus, who took the title of King of Syria. His dominion extended from the Euxine to the borders of Arabia, and from the Mediterranean to the Indus. His eastern capital was Seleucia, on the Tigris, and his western Antioch. Both these cities, and many others, were founded by him. Being, like Ptolemy, convinced of the value of the Jews as good and faithful citizens, he endeavoured to attract them to his new cities in Asia Minor by the offer of the same privileges as Ptolemy had allowed them in Egypt. Many Jews accepted the invitation; and hence, in later periods, we find them established in considerable numbers in the principal cities of Asia Minor as well as of Egypt.

3. Ptolemy Philadelphus succeeded his father Ptolemy Lagus in b.c. 285. He confirmed to the Jews all their former privileges. He induced large numbers of them to settle in Egypt, and to promote that object ransomed many who had been sold for slaves. This king was a great patron of literature, and spared no cost in procuring curious books for the famous library which he established at Alexandria. He caused the Hebrew Scriptures to be translated into Greek, and deposited in that library. This important translation still exists under the name of the Septuagint, from the tradition that seventy persons were employed in the translation. The prophesies of the Hebrew books had lately attracted some attention, and the authentic history of a people so closely connected with Egypt as the Jews, must have been deemed interesting. These were probably the reasons which led Philadelphus to desire this translation. By its means the religion of the Jews became better known to the heathen, and we afterwards hear of magnificent presents being sent by them to the Temple of Jerusalem. The translation may be referred to the year b.c. 278; a correct copy of the original also was provided by the care of Eleazer the high-priest, son of Simon the Just.

4. Ptolemy Euergetes, the next king of Egypt, considerably enlarged the privileges of the Jews, and testified his respect for their God, by offering a vast number of victims in sacrifice at Jerusalem.

Alexander the Great

5. In the next reign, that of Ptolemy Philopator, the peace which the Jews had enjoyed under the Egyptian kings began to be seriously disturbed. Antiochus III surnamed the Great, king of Syria, greatly desired to annex to his own dominions the provinces of Palestine which had been held by the kings of Egypt, whom he made some vigorous efforts to dispossess. But, after being for a time successful, he was at length defeated with great loss by Philopator who soon after repaired to Jerusalem, and offered many sacrifices to Jehovah in acknowledgment of his recent victory Unfortunately the beauty and richness of the building attracted his attention, and he desired to view the interior. This was resisted by the high-priest Simon II who informed him that it was unlawful even for priests to enter the inner sanctuary. The king persisted; but as he was walking across the inner court to enter the sacred place, a sudden dread and horror came over him, and he fell speechless to the ground. He was carried out, half dead, by his attendants. This circumstance, acting upon an ill constituted mind, filled the lying with great resentment against the Jewish people, and, on his return to Egypt, he raised a bitter persecution against those who had settled in that land. He took away their high privileges, and caused them to be enrolled with the lowest class of the native Egyptians; and many were, on various alleged grounds, consigned to slavery and to death. It is even said that he contemplated the extirpation of the Jewish race, and that, beginning with those of Egypt, he caused a large number of them to be brought together at Alexandria, with the view of having them publicly destroyed by elephants in the hippodrome. A vast multitude of people assembled to view the horrid spectacle, and the king himself was present with his court. The elephants, to render them furious, had been previously inebriated with wine and frankincense; but instead of slaying the victims exposed to their rage, they turned their fury upon the spectators, of whom great numbers were destroyed, while the Jews remained altogether unhurt. Public opinion recognized in this an interposition of Heaven in their behalf; and we are told that Philopator desisted from his designs, and restored to the Jews their former privileges. The whole of this account, however, rests on authority in which implicit confidence cannot be placed.

6. Philopator died in b.c. 205, leaving the crown to Ptolemy Epiphanes, then a child of five years old. Antiochus the Great had meanwhile, by a series of successes in the east, greatly extended his authority and power; and having now returned to the west, he deemed the conjuncture favorable for a fresh attempt to wrest the Syrian provinces from the Egyptian crown. He succeeded; and the Jews manifested great readiness in placing themselves under his rule. Considering their general attachment to Egypt, this must be accounted for by their resentment at the treatment of Philopator, and by their satisfaction at the kindness and liberality of Antiochus to the numerous Jews who were settled in his dominions on both sides of the Euphrates. Antiochus was much gratified by the proofs of attachment which he received; and when he visited Jerusalem in b.c. 198, he conferred on it such favors as he knew were best calculated to win the hearts of the inhabitants. He promised to restore the city to its ancient splendor, and to repair the Temple at his own cost; he made provision for the regular performance of the sacred services, and be guaranteed the Temple from the intrusion of strangers. By bestowing these favors, with the confirmation of their political privileges, Antiochus showed that he well understood the remarkable people with whom he had to deal.

7. The troubles in which Antiochus became involved with the Romans, who now began to take part in the affairs of Western Asia, little concerned the Jews. They might have continued to enjoy tranquillity under his successor; for Seleucus Philopator was as well disposed towards the Jews as his father had been, and gave orders that the charges for the public worship should continue to be defrayed out of his own treasury. An unhappy altercation, however, between Onias III and Simon the governor of the Temple, changed the aspect of affairs. The latter, in consequence of this quarrel, sent to the king a very exaggerated account of the wealth contained in the Temple; and Seleucus, being in great want of money; determined to appropriate all this treasure to himself. He therefore sent his treasurer Heliodorus to seize it and bring it to Antioch. When this functionary arrived at Jerusalem, Onias endeavoured to dissuade him from his purpose, assuring him tht the fund was not considerable, and that it was devoted to charitable uses. But Heliodorus persisted in executing his commission, and was about to enter the Temple, when he was terror-struck by an awful vision, and quickly withdrew not only from the Temple but from the city, which he declared to be under the protection of a power which no man could withstand.

8. The high-priest soon followed him to Antioch, to complain to Seleucus of the misconduct of Simon, which he placed in so strong a light as to procure his banishment from Jerusalem, whereby peace was once more restored to the city.