and John, who defeated the Syrians, and drove them out of the country. After this the Jews were left to the enjoyment of peace and prosperity about two years; when both were suddenly interrupted by the death of Simon. He was accustomed to make frequently a progress through the cities of Judea, to settle all matters concerning them. On one of these occasions he came to Jericho, with his sons Judas and Mattathias. Ptolemy, the son of Abubus, who had married one of his daughters, being governor of the place, invited them to his castle to partake of an entertainment. But his design was only to get them into his power, that he might put them to death; and seize the government of Judea for himself. He therefore caused them to be assassinated while sitting at table; and then dispatched a party to Gazara where John resided, in order to cut him off also. But John having received notice of their coming, as well as of what had passed at Jericho, fell upon them as they approached, and put them all to death. After this he hastened to Jerusalem to secure that place against the traitor; and there being declared high priest and prince of the Jews, as the successor of his father, he took such measures as were likely to ensure the safety of his people. Ptolemy, who had formed all his plans in concert with Antiochus, seeing they were likely to fail through the prudence and firmness of John, had no resource but that of calling in the Syrians to assist him. In the meantime, however, he was obliged to flee to Philadelphia, and it is not known what became of him afterwards. Simon was the last of the five sons of Mattathias, all of whom were distinguished by their courageous zeal and devotion to the cause of God and their country. He was appointed, by

his dying father, to be the counsellor of his brethren: and he was peculiarly fitted for that office by his piety and moderation. In the prosecution of the wars in which he was engaged, he displayed no less ability. than in the art of government; and by the account given of him in the first Book of Maccabees, we may conclude that he was an illustrious and excellent. person. That part of the Jewish history which is contained in the apocryphal writings, ends at the death of Simon.

LETTER XL.

ANTIOCHUS SIDETES was not slow in accepting the invitation of the traitorous Ptolemy. For thinking this a favourable opportunity for getting possession of Judea, he marched thither with a large army; and having defeated John in battle, shut him up in Jerusalem, and there besieged him with all his forces. The besieged made a vigorous defence, always repulsing the assailants, and frequently sallying forth to destroy their works and engines. But they were reduced to great distress for want of provisions; for the enemy had made two deep ditches round the walls; so that they could neither receive supplies from without, nor send from the city such persons as were useless in the defence of it. This was the state of affairs when John sent to beg a truce, in order to celebrate the feast of tabernacles. Antiochus not only granted his request, but furnished him with beasts and other things needful for the sacrifices to be offered at that time. This considerate behaviour, which evinced the piety and cle

mency of his opponent, induced John to treat with him for peace; and the king granted it on condition that the besieged should give up their arms, pay tribute for Joppa, and other places held by them out of Judea, and dismantle Jerusalem. A demand was made for the rebuilding of the fortress of Acra; but to this John would not consent, choosing rather to pay the king five hundred talents instead of it. Some of these conditions being immediately complied with, and hostages given for the performance of the rest, the siege was raised, and the Jews were again left in peace. At the time John sued for terms with Antiochus, he and his people were reduced to the last extremity by famine, which being known in the Syrian camp, their enemies urged the king to seize this opportunity of destroying them utterly: representing that they were a hateful people who renounced all communication with other men; neither eating with them, nor worshiping their gods. These arguments were specious, but they did not prevail; because the Jews had an Almighty Protector, who disposed the heart of Antiochus to spare them. As the people of God, and the depositories of his promises, they were not to be extirpated: though as sinners, continually prone to depart from him, they needed frequent chastisement. In the fifth year of John Hyrcanus, the king of Syria made war upon the Parthians, in order to deliver his brother Demetrius from captivity. He had great success in this invasion; for, having defeated the enemy several times, he recovered all the countries formerly governed by his ancestors. The fruits of all these advantages were, however, lost to him by the licentious and oppressive conduct of his troops, who made themselves so hateful to the inhabitants, among whom they

were dispersed in winter quarters, that they conspired with the Parthians to massacre them all on the same day. This design was so fully effected, that scarcely a man was left to relate the catastrophe; and Antiochus was slain among his people, whom he vainly endeavoured to defend. Demetrius had been set at liberty by the king of Parthia, in order that he might become the rival of his brother. By this means he escaped the slaughter, and got back to Syria, where he ascended the vacant throne. The death of Antiochus, and the troubles which ensued in Syria, afforded Hyrcanus an opportunity of freeing himself from all foreign dominion; and greatly enlarging his territories. He took possession of several places in Syria, Phoenicia, and Arabia; and having made himself master of Sechem the chief city of Samaria, he destroyed the temple on Mount Gerizim. After this he invaded Idumea, and having totally subjected the Edomites, he allowed them the alternative of embracing the Jewish religion, or leaving their country. They chose the former, and from that time were incorporated with the Jews as one nation.* In the eighth year of his reign, Hyrcanus sent an embassy to renew the alliance made by his father and uncles with the Romans. On this occasion he represented what had been done against the Jews by Antiochus Sidetes, contrary to the decrees of the Senate issued in the time of Simon. This was all declared to be null and void; the Jews were confirmed in their independence, the Syrians were ordered to make reparation for all the damage they had done, and ambassadors were sent from Rome, to see that the commands of the Senate were in all these respects obeyed. Hyrcanus and his people were so

See Notes L and M.

much gratified by this behaviour of the Senate, that they sent another embassy, in the following year, to present their thanks, with gifts to the amount of fifty thousand pieces of gold. The Syrian kings, from this time, had no power to molest the Jews; for, independ-. ent of the injunctions of the Senate, they were too much harassed by revolts, usurpations, and civil wars, to attempt any thing against their neighbours. Hyrcanus, in the meantime, grew so powerful that he resolved, on the reduction of Samaria; and sent his two sons Aristobulus and Antigonus to besiege it. The inhabitants, called to their aid Antiochus Cygicenus, one of the Syrian kings, who brought a large army to relieve them; but he was defeated by the brothers; and narrowly escaped falling into their hands. After this victory, they pressed the siege so vigorously, that the people of Samaria again applied to Antiochus, who, unable to raise a sufficient, force himself, sent to Ptolemy Lathyrus king of Egypt, from whom he received six thousand auxiliaries. With these added to his own troops, he made incursions on the Jewish territory; hoping thereby to draw off the brothers from the siege. In this, however, he was disappointed, and finding his army decrease continually, he withdrew to Tripoli: leaving two of his generals to carry on the war. One of them was soon after cut off in a hazardous enterprise; and the other, betraying his trust, gave up Scythopolis and other places to Hyrcanus, for a sum of money. Samaria thus deprived of all. succour from without, was obliged to surrender, after a siege of twelve months. Hyrcanus entirely destroyed the city not only razing it to the ground; but causing trenches to be drawn across the site, to prevent the rebuilding of it. You are not to infer that this was

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