f

done out of hatred to the Samaritans; for that people had not dwelt in the city since the time of Alexander the Great, who expelled them from it, and settled some of his own followers there. From this time Hyrcanus remained in possession of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, without opposition from any foreign power. He was one of the most distinguished persons of the age in which he lived: not only by the extent and prosperity of his dominions, but by the wisdom and mildness of his government. In the latter part of his life, however, he was troubled by divisions among his own people. Two prevailing sects the Pharisees and Sadducees now began to render themselves conspicuous by mutual opposition.* Hyrcanus had been brought up in the principles of the former; and had therefore distinguished them by particular marks of favour. Being desirous to receive a testimony of their approbation, he invited the chief men among them to an entertainment; and having declared that his desire had always been to act with justice towards men, and to do every thing pleasing in the sight of God, according to the doctrines taught by the Pharisees, he begged them to point out any deviations he had made from this rule; that he might rectify them. All were unanimous in declaring that his conduct had always been consistent with piety and justice, except one man named Eleazar, who called upon him to relinquish the office of high priest, which he was incapable of holding, because his mother had been a slave. Hyrcanus greatly displeased at this false imputation, demanded of the Pharisees what punishment was due to Eleazar, for thus defaming the high priest and prince of his people. They treated the matter very

See Note N.

M

lightly, and thereby gave so much countenance to the calumny, that Hyrcanus from that time withdrew his favour entirely from them, annulled their traditions by penal enactments, and renounced their party for that of the Sadducees. You must not however suppose that the opinions of this sect were the same as in the time of our Lord's sojourn upon earth :* for it is not likely that Hyrcanus, who was a pious man, would have embraced doctrines so contrary to the declarations of the sacred scriptures.

Hyrcanus died the year after this rupture, having been high priest and prince of the Jews twenty-nine years. The nation enjoyed greater prosperity under his government than it had done at any period since the captivity; and he ruled over a greater extent of territory than any Jewish prince after Solomon. His character stands very high as a prince and a warrior; and that he was, as he declared, desirous of doing the will of God, may be inferred from the blessings which attended his reign for under the Mosaic dispensation, temporal prosperity was promised to those who faithfully observed the laws and ordinances enjoined in the word of God.

Hyrcanus was the last high priest who in any way sought the glory of God. After his time ambition, tyranny, and cruelty characterised the rulers of the Jewish nation. While, as might be expected, impiety, rebellion, and discord unceasingly proclaimed the degeneracy of the people.

*Matthew xxii. 23. Acts xxiii. 8.

LETTER XLI.

HYRCANUS at his death left five sons, the eldest of whom, named Aristobulus, succeeded him both as high priest and supreme governor. He was not however content with the power of monarchy, but thought proper to place a crown upon his head, and assume the title of king. The conduct of this prince soon proved him to be of a character totally different to that of his father; for he was no sooner settled in the government, than he put his mother to death; because she claimed a right to the temporal sovereignty, by virtue of Hyrcanus's will; and shut up three of his brothers in prison, in order to allay his jealous fears of their attempts against him. The eldest of his brothers, named Antigonus, being his favourite, was allowed a share in the government at first; but the affection of this unnatural tyrant was no guarantee of safety for the future. Aristobulus made war upon the Itureans, who inhabited a part of Colo-Syria, adjoining the north-eastern border of the land of Israel; and having subdued most of them, and given them the same choice as Hyrcanus gave the Edomites, they also made a similar decision, and became a part of the Jewish nation. The king, being obliged to leave the army, and return to Jerusalem, on account of his health, left Antigonus to finish the war. In the meantime, the queen and others about Aristobulus, envying the influence his brother had gained, sought to inflame his jealousy against him. At the feast of Tabernacles, Antigonus, having finished the conquest of Iturea, returned in triumph to Jerusalem; where, without taking off his armour, he immediately repaired to the temple, followed

by his guards. The palace being within the fortifications of the sanctuary, near the temple, this entrance of Antigonus with his guards was represented to the king as a proof of his having some design against him. Aristobulus therefore sent to his brother, telling him to take off his armour and come to him; but the messenger, being instructed by the queen and her party, delivered a contrary message. Antigonus, suspecting no harm, hastened to obey the summons, and was killed by the king's guards, who had orders to let him pass if unarmed, but otherwise to destroy him. This dreadful act was no sooner committed, than the king was seized with the most poignant remorse. Conscience reminded him of the murder of his mother, to which he had now added that of Antigonus; and the pangs he suffered increasing his bodily disease, put an end to his life, after he had reigned one year. On the death of Aristobulus, the queen released his three brothers from prison, and Alexander surnamed Jannæus ascended the throne. His eldest surviving brother, whose name is not known, was soon after put to death for making an attempt to supplant him: so that of the five sons of Hyrcanus, two only were left. The youngest, named Absalom, was content to enjoy the favour of his brother in a private station. When Alexander had settled the affairs of his kingdom at home, he led forth an army to besiege Ptolemais. The inhabitants of that city sent to Ptolemy Lathyrus for relief, but before he arrived they changed their mind; for, dreading the displeasure of his mother Cleopatra, who had expelled him from Egypt, they determined to do without his assistance. Ptolemy on the rejection of his services, was at a loss how to act; but he was soon applied to by the people of Gaza, and by Zoilus prince of Dora, to assist them

against another body of Alexander's troops, who were ravaging their territories. He immediately marched to their relief, in consequence of which Alexander was compelled to raise the siege of Ptolemais, that he might be at hand to watch the movements of this new enemy. Finding himself unequal to cope with Lathyrus in the field, he sought to get the better of him by artifice, under pretence of coming to an agreement with him. But his fraudulent intentions being made known to Lathyrus, the latter broke off all intercourse with him, and determined henceforth to be his enemy. In the following year he accordingly returned to take vengeance both on the people of Ptolemais, and on Alexander; and having appointed one part of his army to act against the former, he led the other division into the territories of the latter. The king of Judea marched out to meet him with an army of fifty thousand men, but he was defeated with the loss of more than half of them; and as he was no longer able to keep the field, Lathyrus ravaged his dominions without mercy. Such was the state of affairs when Cleopatra queen of Egypt fearing that her son would make himself master of Judea, and thereby effect his re-establishment in Egypt, came with a large force into Phoenicia. On the news of her arrival, Lathyrus raised the siege of Ptolemais, and retired into Colo-Syria. The queen sent one of her generals in pursuit of him; and then marched to the rescued city, expecting to be admitted. But when she found the gates shut against her, she determined to invest the place and enter it by force. In the meantime Lathyrus having escaped the pursuit of her troops, had marched with all his forces into Egypt; hoping to regain the kingdom during her absence. In this however he was