stood by Aristobulus, while the people declared for Hyr

canus.

Q. What heinous murder were the people guilty

39 of at this time?

A. There was one Onias at Jerusalem, so holy a man that he was thought by his prayers to have obtained rain from heaven in a great drought: and the people concluding that his curses would be as powerful as his prayers, pressed him to curse Aristobulus, and all that were with him. The good man finding no rest from their importunities, lift up his hands toward heaven and prayed thus: 0 Lord God, Rector of the universe, since those that are with us are thy people, and they that are besieged in the temple are thy priests, I pray that thou wouldst hear the prayers of neither of them against the other. Hereupon the multitude were so enraged, that they stoned him to death.

40 Q. Did Hyrcanus's party prosper after this murder?

A. Hyrcanus and his people fell under great disappointments at first; for the Romans spreading their empire far at this time, and being largely bribed by Aristobulus, they forced Aretas to raise the siege; whereupon Aristobulus pursued and routed him in battle, and slew multitudes of Hyrcanus's party.

41 Q. In what manner was this contest carried on afterwards?

A. The two brothers Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, first by their ambassadors, and afterwards in person, pleaded their cause before Pompey, the general of the Romans, who was now at Damascus: while, at the same time, the people declared against both: for they pretended they were not to be governed by kings, but by the priests of God.

42 Q. How was the controversy decided?

A. Pompey not giving a speedy determination, and Aristobulus suspecting the event, he retired and prepared for war whereupon Pompey seized Aristobulus in one of his castles, and confined him to prison, and laid siege to Jerusalem; and being received into the city by

Hyrcanus's party, besieged also the temple and the castle Baris, and took it in three months time.

43 Q. How came the Romans to take so strong a place so soon?

A. Though the Jews had learnt from the beginning of the Maccabean wars, to defend themselves when attacked on the sabbath; yet being not actually assaulted, they permitted the Romans to build up their works and engines on the sabbath, without disturbing them; whereby the tower or castle, and with it the temple, were taken.

44 Q. On what day was the temple taken?

A. On the very day which the Jews kept as a solemn fast, for the taking of Jerusalem and the temple by Nebuchadnezzar: and it is remarkable, that the priests who were at the altar continued their devotions, and their rites of worship, till they perished by the hands of the enemy.

45 Q. What blood and plunder ensued in the temple?

A. Twelve thousand Jews were slain on this occasion, partly by Pompey's army, and partly by their own brethren, of the party of Hyrcanus. But when Pompey entered the sanctuary, he forbore to touch any of the sacred vessels thereof, or the two thousand talents which were laid up there for sacred uses; he ordered the temple to be cleansed, and sacrifices to be offered there according to their own laws.

Note. Though Pompey was so moderate in his victory, yet in a little time after, Crassus, another Roman general, in his march through the country, seized and took away those two thousand talents, and the golden vessels of the temple, and rich. hangings of inestimable worth. But the vengeance of heaven seemed to follow him his counsels in his wars from this time forward, were under perpetual disappointment; he was slain in a war with the Parthians: his head was cut off, and melted gold was poured down his throat, by way of insult over his insatiable 'covetousness.

46 Q. What was the final effect of this victory of the Romans?

A. Pompey demolished the walls of Jerusalem, put to death some of the chief supporters of Aristobulus, restored Hyrcanus to the high priesthood, and made him also governor, but under tribute to the Romans, and reduced his dominions to narrower bounds: then he car-ried Aristobulus, with his children, prisoners to Rome; except his eldest son, who escaped.

Note. From this quarrel between Hyrcanus the second and Aristobulus, the ruin of Judea and Jerusalem must be dated; the final loss of the liberty of the Jews, and the translation of the sovereign authority to the Romans; which had till then descended with the priesthood, and been possessed by the Jews, though often under some tribute to heathen princes.

47 Q. Did Aristobulus or his sons ever attempt the recovery of their power and government?

A. Being escaped from prison they made several vigorous attempts, but without success.

48 Q. What changes did Jerusalem pass under through these times P

A. Gabinius, a Roman general, marching through Ju-dea, in a little time made a great change in the government, lessened the power of Hyrcanus yet further, altered the constitution of the Sanhedrim or Jewish senate: but all was restored again shortly after by Julius Cæsar: for, at Hyrcanus's request, he gave him leave to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, and by a decree from the senate of Rome, the ancient friendship with the Jews was re

newed.

49 Q. Where was Antipater all this while, who had excited Hyrcanus to recover the government of Judea ? A. He did many services for Cæsar in his wars in the neighbouring countries; whereupon he was made his lieutenant in Judea, under Hyrcanus, who was confirmed by Cæsar in the government and high priesthood: and, at the same time, Antipater procured Phasael, his eldest son, to be made governor of the city of Jerusalem; and Herod, his second son, governor of Judea.

Note. This Herod grew up to high power afterward; he was called Herod the great, and was king of Judea when our Saviour was born.

50 Q What became of Antipater at last?

A. He was poisoned by one Malichus, a rival, who envied his greatness and power in Judea: but his death was revenged by his son Herod, who was permitted by the Roman general to procure Malichus to be murdered. 51 Q. What further troubles did the Jews meet with about this time?

A. Some part or other of their nation were continually subject to plunders, sometimes from the Roman generals for not paying the tribute demanded, or on some other pretences; sometimes by the Parthians, who assisted Antigonus, son of the late king Aristobulus, to recover Jerusalem and Judea, in opposition to the united forces of Phasael, and Herod, and Hyrcanus.

52 Q. Did Antigonus ever recover this government? A. The Parthian general, Pacorus, who was at war with the Romans, did by mere treachery get into his custody both Hyrcanus and Phasael, seized Jerusalem, and rifled it, made Antigonus governor of Judea, and delivered up Hyrcanus and Phasael to him in chains; but Herod made his escape.

53 Q. What became of Phasael and Hyrcanus?

A. Phasael beat out his own brains in prison; Hyrcanus's ears were cut off, that being maimed he might be no longer a high priest, Lev. xxi. 17, and he was sent afar off among the Parthians, that he might raise no disturbances against Antigonus.

54 Q. Whither did Herod take his flight?

A. After a little time he went to Rome to represent all these transactions, and he made his complaints with great and unexpected success; for Julius Cæsar being slain in the Roman senate, Mark Antony and Octavius (who was afterwards Augustus Cæsar) governed all things there, and they agreed to make Herod king of Judea, with the consent of the senate, hoping it would be for their interest in the Parthian war.

SECT. VIII. Of the Government of Herod the Great, and his Posterity, over the Jews.

1 Q. WHAT did Herod do on his receiving this new dignity?

A. He returned to Judea, first relieved his mother, who was put in prison by Antigonus; he made himself master of Galilee; he destroyed some large bands of robbers which infested the country thereabout, sheltering themselves in mountains, and the caves of steep and craggy rocks.

2 Q. them ?

What artifice did he use in order to attack

A. By reason of their dwelling in such hollow caves in precipices, there was no scaling them from below; and therefore to ferret them out of their dens, he made large open chests, and filled them with soldiers, which he let down into the entrances of those caves by chains from engines which he had fixed above, and thus he destroyed great numbers of them.

Note. This country was often annoyed with the remains of these plunderers in the reign of Herod: but he treated them without mercy, and all the country that sheltered them with great rigour, till he restored peace to Galilee.

૩ ૨. Where was his next march ?

A. Into Judea against Antigonus, and after several battles, with various success on both sides, at last, by the assistance of the Roman legions, besieged Antigonus in Jerusalem.

4 Q. Did not Herod himself attend this siege?

A. Yes; but while the preparations were making for it he went to Samaria, and there he married Mariamne, a lady of the family of the Maccabees, or Asmoneans, the grand-daughter of Hyrcanus the second, a woman of great beauty and virtue, and admirable qualifications, hoping the Jews would more readily receive him for their king by this alliance; and having done this, he returned to the siege.