He

determined to forestall them by an invasion of Egypt. penetrated to Memphis, got Ptolemy VII into his hands after a naval victory off Pelusium, and seems to have had himself crowned as a sort of joint king with Ptolemy (171 B. C.). His complete conquest of the land must now have appeared easy. But the people of Alexandria, who spoke more completely the voice of Egypt than Paris does of France, determined to resist, and forthwith raised to the throne Philometor's younger brother, who took the title Euergetes, and is consequently known as Euergetes II in history. This usurpation gave Antiochus the excuse of advancing on Alexandria under the pretence of restoring Philometor.' 'He besieged Alexandria for some time, and even caused a famine in the city, but either from the insufficiency of troops, the want of supplies, or some home disturbances, possibly even at the advice of the Romans, he raised the siege, and retired by the highway of Memphis, leaving a strong garrison in the fort of Pelusium' (Mahaffy).

§ 12. Antiochus at Jerusalem.-On his return from Egypt Antiochus visited Jerusalem to chastise and expel Jason and his friends, and to restore Menelaus (170 B. C.). For the return and re-installation of Jason had been a violation of the king's authority. What he did there in his wrath and waywardness is reported in the First Book of the Maccabees. I start the extract with the beginning of the Book.

And it came to pass, after that Alexander the Macedonian, the son of Philip, who came out of the land of Chittim, and smote Darius king of the Persians and Medes, it came to pass, after he had smitten him, that he reigned in his stead, in former time, over Greece. And he fought many battles, and won many strongholds, and slew the kings of the earth, and went through to the ends of the earth, and took spoils of a multitude of nations. And the earth was quiet before him, and he was exalted, and his heart was lifted up, and he gathered together an exceeding strong host, and ruled over countries and nations and principalities, and they became tributary unto him.

And after these things he fell sick, and perceived that he should die. And he called his servants, which were honourable, which had been brought up with him from his youth, and he divided unto them his kingdom, while he was yet alive. And Alexander reigned twelve years, and he died. And his servants bare rule, each one in his place. And they

ANTIOCHUS AT JERUSALEM

665

did all put diadems upon themselves after that he was dead, and so did their sons after them many years and they multiplied evils in the earth.

And there came forth out of them a sinful root, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king, who had been a hostage at Rome, and he reigned in the hundred and thirty and seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks.

In those days came there forth out of Israel transgressors of the law, and persuaded many, saying, 'Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles that are round about us; for since we were parted from them many evils have befallen us.' And the saying was good in their eyes. And certain of the people were forward herein and went to the king, and he gave them licence to do after the ordinances of the Gentiles. And they built a place of exercise in Jerusalem according to the laws of the Gentiles; and they forsook the holy covenant, and joined themselves to the Gentiles, and sold themselves to do evil.

And the kingdom was well ordered in the sight of Antiochus, and he thought to reign over Egypt, that he might reign over the two kingdoms. And he entered into Egypt with a great multitude, with chariots, and with elephants, and with horsemen, and with a great navy; and he made war against Ptolemy king of Egypt; and Ptolemy was put to shame before him, and fled; and many fell wounded to death. And they got possession of the strong cities in the land of Egypt; and he took the spoils of Egypt.

And Antiochus, after that he had smitten Egypt, returned in the hundred and forty and third year, and went up against Israel and Jerusalem with a great multitude, and entered presumptuously into the sanctuary, and took the golden altar, and the candlestick of the light, and all that pertained thereto, and the table of the shewbread, and the cups to pour withal, and the bowls, and the golden censers, and the veil, and the crowns, and the adorning of gold which was on the face of the temple, and he scaled it all off. And he took the silver and the gold and the precious vessels; and he took the hidden treasures which he found. And when he had taken all, he went away into his own land, and he made a great slaughter, and spake very presumptuously.

And there came great mourning upon Israel, in every place

where they were; and the rulers and elders groaned, the virgins and young men were made feeble, and the beauty of the women was changed. Every bridegroom took up lamentation, she that sat in the marriage chamber was in heaviness. And the land was moved for the inhabitants thereof, and all the house of Jacob was clothed with shame.

'The hundred and thirty-seventh year': that is of the Seleucid era, by which the First Book of the Maccabees reckons all its dates. 137 from 312 is 175, which is the actual year of Antiochus'

accession.

'He made a great slaughter' is a disputed translation. The Greek word is Phonoktonia, which seems to be used by the Greek translators of the Bible (and the First Book of the Maccabees is a translation from a lost Hebrew original) for Profanation. Antiochus' doings at Jerusalem are thus summed up.

All this was bad enough, but far worse was to come.

§ 13. The circle of Popilius Laenas.-After the Syrian king had left Egypt, Ptolemy Philometor 'made overtures' to his brother Ptolemy Euergetes II Physcon (fat-paunch), and finally he was admitted into Alexandria, and the two brothers began to reign conjointly' (Mahaffy). But the combination of the Egyptian princes brought back Antiochus with a new invasion, much more systematic and dangerous than the first. He occupied most of Cyprus with a fleet; he advanced leisurely to his fort at Pelusium, and then through lower Egypt, courting the favour of the population.' Meanwhile embassies at Rome had been entreating for succour. By the battle of Pydna (168 B.C.) the Romans had vanquished Perseus of Macedon, and Antiochus had no ally with whose help and backing he might resist or evade Roman wishes or Roman orders. It was at Eleusis, four miles from Alexandria, that Popilius Laenas and his two colleagues who had been dispatched as ambassadors from Rome in answer to the urgent appeals of Ptolemy, met the Syrian king (168 B. C.). The meeting is famous and dramatic, and is thus described by Polybius and Livy Antiochus had just crossed the river at Eleusis, when he was met by the Roman ambassadors. At their coming, he saluted them, and held out his right hand to Popilius, but Popilius answered by holding out the tablet which contained the decree of the Senate, and bade Antiochus read that first. When the king, after reading the dispatch, said that he desired to consult with his friends on the situation, Popilius did a thing which was looked upon as exceedingly overbearing and insolent. Happening to have a vine stick in his hand, he drew a circle

PERSECUTION AND BLOODSHED

667

round Antiochus with it, and said, "Before you step out of that circle, give your answer that I am to report to the Senate." The king was taken aback by this haughty proceeding. After a brief interval of embarrassed silence, he replied, "I will do as the Senate directs." Then Popilius and his colleagues shook him by the hand, and one and all greeted him with warmth. The tenor of the dispatch was an order to put an end to the war with Ptolemy at once. Accordingly a stated number of days was allowed him, within which he withdrew his army into Syria, in high dudgeon indeed, and groaning in spirit, but yielding to the necessities of the time.'

§ 14. The religious persecution in Judæa.-Foiled in Egypt and compelled to retire with ignominy, Antiochus now determined to carry out in its entirety his hellenizing policy in Judæa. But probably there were other reasons, of which we know not, why his anger was specially stirred against the Jews. Professor Mahaffy says: 'Our information is so scanty, that we can only guess. In some way the nationalist party in Judæa and their relations in Egypt must have thwarted his advance and marred his campaign. We hear that his advance was slow; had he reached Alexandria but a few days sooner, he might have seized the capital, murdered the royal princes, and then made his peace with the Romans when the game was won. It seems likely that this opposition of the patriotic party in Judæa hindered his march, and so caused his signal failure at the moment of victory. Under such circumstances we can quite understand his fury.'

Antiochus did not come himself to Jerusalem, but sent an officer with an armed force to carry out the king's policy of violent hellenization. The Jewish religion was to be completely eradicated. Prohibition of every Jewish rite and slaughter of all who resisted were the means he chose. Antiochus Epiphanes opens the long and deadly list of religious persecutors.

And after two full years the king sent a chief collector of tribute unto the cities of Judah, and he came unto Jerusalem with a great multitude. And he spake words of peace unto them in subtilty, and they gave him credence: and he fell upon the city suddenly, and smote it very sore, and destroyed much people out of Israel. And he took the spoils of the city, and set it on fire, and pulled down the houses thereof and the walls thereof on every side. And they led captive the women and the children, and the cattle they took in possession.

And they builded the city of David with a great and strong wall, with strong towers, and it became unto them a citadel. And they put there a sinful nation, transgressors of the law, and they strengthened themselves therein. And they stored up arms and victuals, and gathering together the spoils of Jerusalem, they laid them up there, and they became a sore snare: and it became a place to lie in wait in against the sanctuary, and an evil adversary to Israel continually.

And they shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary, and defiled the sanctuary. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them; and she became a habitation of strangers, and she became strange to them that were born in her, and her children forsook her. Her sanctuary was laid waste like a wilderness, her feasts were turned into mourning, her sabbaths into reproach, her honour into contempt. According to her glory, so was her dishonour multiplied, and her high estate was turned into mourning.

The citadel here referred to remained for twenty-six years in Syrian hands. Its precise position is now uncertain, but it was so situated as to be a menace to the Temple. Jerusalem was to be a purely Hellenistic city. Only such Jews as would abandon that old religion which would admit no partnership or compromise with heathenism might henceforth dwell there. And throughout Judæa all observance of Jewish rites was to be totally abolished and prohibited. But the supposed letter from Antiochus with which the next extract opens is certainly inaccurate. There was no general order for one religion throughout the kingdom; it was rather an interdict of one particular religion practised in one disobedient province.

And king Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom, that all should be one people, and that each should forsake his own laws. And all the nations agreed according to the word of the king; and many of Israel consented to his worship, and sacrificed to the idols, and profaned the sabbath.

And the king sent letters by the hand of messengers unto Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, that they should follow laws strange to the land, and should forbid whole burnt offerings and sacrifice and drink offerings in the sanctuary; and should profane the sabbaths and feasts, and pollute the