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Apollonius waited till the sabbath day before he discovered his purpose; but then, whilst the people were assembled in their synagogues and celebrating divine worship, he ordered his troops to begin the work of death; and which they executed, by slaying all the men, and taking captive all the women and children. He also pillaged the city, and set it on fire; and having pulled down the walls, he erected a strong tower on an eminence in the city of David, whence the garrison overlooked the whole city, and issued forth to destroy and enslave all who came to the temple to worship; thus reducing Jerusalem almost to a wilderness, and compelling the few remaining inhabitants to fly into the desert and neighbouring cities for refuge.*

THE MACCABEES.

AMONGST the other fugitives thus cruelly driven ex aris et focis, was Judas Maccabæus, who, with his companions, retired into the wilderness, and there lived in great hardship, subsisting upon herbs and roots, and whatever the woods and mountains afforded.†

On his return to his capital, Antiochus, under pretence of establishing an uniformity of religion throughout his dominions, but, like other plans of the same sort, really with a view to suppress the worship of the true God and vital holiness, issued a decree commanding them to embrace the religion of the king, and worship his gods, forsaking all others; and sent overseers into the various provinces, in order to enforce obedience.+

Athenæus, who was appointed by Antiochus to execute his

decree in Judea, on coming to Jerusalem, caused the whole of the Jewish ceremonial to be abolished, and every trace of the worship of the true God to be effaced. Besides polluting their temple and profaning their sabbaths, he restrained them from circumcising their children, and whoever disobeyed these iniquitous orders was immediately put to death.* The Syrian soldiers, like the booted apostles of Lewis XIV. boasted of by that monarch's confessor, Father la Chaise,† proved the best missionaries; and the Jewish worship being thus effectually extirpated from the temple, Athenæus established there the performance of pagan rites, and consecrated it to Jupiter Olympus, erecting his image on one part of the altar of holocaust, and upon another part of it a smaller altar whereon to sacrifice.+

In order to extend and perpetuate the heathen worship throughout the land, the Syrians set up altars, groves, and chapels of idols in every city; and officers were sent to compel them to eat swine and other unclean beasts, and to offer sacrifices to the pagan deities on all the public festivals. And amongst innumerable other abominations, the Jews were compelled to march in procession and carry ivy, in honour of Bacchus, the god of drunkenness.§ And it is but too true that great was the actual falling away of Israel, and that

*Two women being found at Jerusalem to have circumcised their male children, of which they had been lately delivered, they hanged those children about their necks, and having led them in this manner through the city, cast them headlong over the steepest part of the walls, and also slew all those who had been accessory with them in the performance of this forbiden rite. Prid. ii. 218.

See the History of the Family of Migault, at the time of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes.-Letter from Père la Chaise, confessor to Louis XIV, concerning the persecution of the French protestants.

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many of the Jews not only very readily apostatized, but were even more severe and cruel towards their conscientious brethren, than the very heathens themselves.*

One of the places where the Syrians attempted to enforce the practice of these abominations was Modin,† where Mattathias dwelt, a priest of the course of Jehoiarib,§ a faithful servant of Jehovah, who had five sons-Johanan, called Kaddis; Simon, called Thassi; Judas, called Maccabæus; Eleazar, called Avaras; and Johanan, whose surname was Apphus. When Apelles, the officer of Antiochus, came to Modin, he first addressed Mattathias, urging him to set an example of compliance with the monarch's wishes, and in that case promising to promote him and his sons to great riches. Mattathias, however, not only proclaimed aloud his determination to adhere to the law of his God, but observing one of the Jews about to offer sacrifice on an heathen altar, he slew him on the spot, before the face of Apelles; and then he and his sons slew Apelles and all his attendants, and afterwards returned to the mountains with his family, whither many of the conscientious Jews followed him.||

* Prid. ii. 217.

+ Authors differ whether this place was on the top of a high hill between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, or on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, within a mile of Joppa; but wherever situate, it seems to have been the burial place of the Maccabees. Wells, ii. 165, 166. He was the son of John, the son of Simon, the son of Asmoneus, from whom the family had the name of Asmoneans. Prid. ii. 219. § 1 Chron. xxiv. 7.

|| Prid. ii. 219. "One company of them, to the number of a thousand persons, being gotten into a cave in the desert that lay nearest to Jerusalem, Philip, the Phrygian, whom Antiochus had left governor of Judea and Jerusalem, went out against them with his forces. At first he endeavoured to persuade them to a submis. sion to the king's commands, promising them, on this condition, a thorough impunity for what was passed; but they all resolutely

In order to ensure obedience to his commands, Antiochus proceeded in person to Judea, where he exercised the greatest atrocities upon those Jews who refused to bow down to the idols of paganism.*

Whilst the tyrant was in the neighbourhood, Mattathias concealed himself amongst the fastnesses of the mountains; but as soon as he had returned to Antioch, great numbers of Jews began to resort to Mattathias, including amongst others the Chasidims or Asidæans.†

Reinforced by these accessions, Mattathias emerged from his retreat, and proceeded to visit all the cities of Judah; pulled down the heathen altars, circumcised the male children, and destroyed all the apostates and persecutors who fell into his hands; and having recovered several copies of the law, he restored the service of the synagogue.‡

Mattathias, who was a very old man, had scarcely begun

answering that they would rather die than forsake the law of their God, he thereon laid siege to the cave which they had possessed themselves of, omitting all other hostilities till the next sabbath, expecting then to master them without resistance; and so it accordingly happened. For they then refusing, out of an over scrupulous zeal for the observance of that day, to do any thing for their own defence; when fallen on by the enemy, were all cut off, men, women, and children, without one being spared of the whole company. From this time, however, Mattathias abandoned this practice, and held that the law of the sabbath in such a case did not bind. Prid. ii. 220. What would these conscientious Jews have thought of our modern warriors, who seem to prefer a sabbath day for their deeds of blood!

* Prid. ii. 220. Upon this occasion it was that Eleazar, the scribe, and the mother and her seven children, were cruelly put to death. 2 Macc. vi. vii.

+ Prid. ii. 221. Where see a very curious account of these people, from whom the Samaritans, Sadducees, and Karaites spring.

Prid. ii. 222.

the work of purification, when he found the time of his departure was at hand; and, therefore, calling his five sons together, thus addressed them; "Now hath pride and rebuke gotten strength, and the time of destruction, and the wrath of indignation: now therefore, my sons, be ye zealous for the law, and give your lives for the covenant of your fathers. Call to remembrance what acts our fathers did in their time: so shall ye receive great honour and an everlasting name. Was not Abraham found faithful in temptation, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness? Joseph, in the time of his distress, kept the commandment, and was made lord of Egypt. Phineas, our father, in being zealous and fervent, obtained the covenant of an everlasting priesthood. Joshua, for fulfilling the word, was made a judge in Israel. Caleb, for bearing witness before the congregation, received the heritage of the land. David, for being merciful, possessed the throne of an everlasting kingdom. Elias, for being zealous and fervent for the law, was taken up into heaven. Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, by believing, were saved out of the flame. Daniel, for his innocency, was delivered from the mouths of lions. And thus consider ye throughout all ages, that none that put their trust in him shall be overcome. Fear not, then, the words of a sinful man; for his glory shall be dung and worms. To-day he shall be lifted up, and tomorrow he shall not be found; because he is returned into his dust, and his thought is come to nothing. Wherefore, ye my sons, be valiant, and shew yourselves men in the behalf of the law; for by it shall ye obtain glory. And, behold, I know that your brother Simon is a man of counsel; give ear unto him alway: he shall be a father unto you. As for Judas Maccabæus, he hath been mighty and strong, even from his youth up; let him be your captain, and fight the battle of the people. Take also unto you all those that observe the law, and avenge ye the wrong of your people. Recompense fully

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