used opprobrious language towards him; whereupon he commanded his soldiers to seize twenty of the ringleaders, on whom he executed exemplary punishment, and sent their forfeited estates to the king's treasury. The same process was repeated at Scythopolis, by which all the other places in the provinces were so intimidated, that he had no further trouble in collecting the king's revenues.

248. The conduct of Joseph in this high office was so marked with justice and energy, that he was continued in it, not only while Ptolemy Euergetes lived, but during the reign of his successor, Ptolemy Philopater, and also of Ptolemy Epiphanes, until these provinces were wrested from him by Antiochus the Great.

249. Seleucus, who, it has been seen, was taken prisoner in Parthia, remained there in custody, but royally entertained by Arsaces, until the year 326 B. C., when he was killed by a fall from his horse. He left two sons, Seleucus and Antiochus, and a daughter, who was given in marriage to Mithridates, king of Pontus, with Phrygia for her dower.

Seleucus being the oldest of his two sons, succeeded him in the throne, and took the name of Ceraunus. He was a weak prince, and his reign was very short.

250. Antiochus, the brother of Seleucus, was sent to Babylonia for his education, and was there at the time of his brother's death; on which event he was sent for to Antioch, and ascended the throne, which he occupied for thirty-six years. On account of his many great actions, he received the surname of GREAT.

251. In the year before Christ two hundred and twenty-two, there happened a very violent earthquake

in the east, which made great devastations in many places, especially in Caria, and the island of Rhodes. It threw down not only the walls of the city of Rhodes, and the houses, but also the great colossus, which bestrided the harbor, and was reckoned one of the seven wonders of the world. It was a prodigious statue of brass, erected to the sun; one hundred and five feet in height, and every thing else in proportion. Chares was twelve years employed in its erection, and sixty years afterwards it was thrown down. The Rhodians sent ambassadors to all the neighboring countries to beg money for the purpose of raising this colossus again; but after collecting vast sums, they pocketed the money, pretending that an oracle had forbidden there erection of the colossus. There it lay for eight hundred and ninety-four years, when Moawiah, the sixth caliph of Damascus, having taken Rhodes, sold the brass to a Jewish merchant, who loaded with it nine hundred camels; so that it would seem that its original weight could not have fallen greatly short of a million of pounds.

252. Towards the close of the year 222 B. C., died Ptolemy Euergetes, king of Egypt, after having reigned over that country for five and twenty years.

253. He was succeeded by his son Ptolemy Philopater, a very profligate and vicious prince. He was suspected of putting an end to his father's life by poison; and soon after he was seated on his throne, he added the murder of his mother, and of his brother Magas; and also of Cleomenes, king of Sparta, who had taken refuge in the court of Ptolemy Euergetes; and was a person of great wisdom and sagacity.

CHAPTER XII.

ACCESSION OF PTOLEMY

PHILOPATER TO THE THRONE OF EGYPT-HIS CONTEST WITH ANTIOCHUS HIS CRUELTY-VISITS JERUSALEM AND ATTEMPTS TO ENTER THE SANCTUARY; BUT IS PREVENTED-RESOLVES TO EXTERMINATE THE

JEWS-THEIR PROVIDENTIAL DELIVERANCEHE DIES AND LEAVES THE KINGDOM TO HIS SON PTOLEMY EPIPHANES, ONLY FIVE YEARS OF AGE. ANTIOCHUS ENDEAVORS TO CONQUER EGYPT ENGAGES IN WAR WITH THE ROMANS-MARCHES AN ARMY TO THE EAST, TO COLLECT TRIBUTE— ROBS THE TEMPLE OF BELUS OF ITS TREASURES BUT IS SLAIN BY THE ENRAGED POPULACEREMARKABLE STORY OF JOSEPH AND HIS SON HYRCANUS.

254. As soon as Ptolemy Philopater ascended the throne, Antiochus formed the design of recovering Syria, which he prosecuted with various success for several years, until about the year 219 B. C., he took Damascus, and reduced all Phenicia, Galilee, and Gilead beyond Jordan, under his dominion.

255. In the year 217 B. C., Antiochus marched for Egypt with a large army, and a great battle was fought between Gaza and Rhinocrura, with the two kings at the head of their respective forces; on which occasion, the presence of mind and masculine courage of Arsinoe, queen of Egypt, was strikingly exhibited, in her encouraging the soldiers, and remaining by the side of her husband, through the whole battle. The result

was, that although the right wing of the Syrian army, commanded by Antiochus in person, drove the Egyptians before them, the contrary occurred on the left wing, where the Syrians gave way and fled, and the Egyptians turning on the flank and rear of the other part of the Syrian forces, gained a complete victory; for Antiochus had, in his ardor, pursued so far, that he did not return in time to give any aid to his routed troops. This battle was fought on the same day that Hannibal defeated Flaminius the Roman general, at the lake Thrasimenus.

256. On the retreat of Antiochus, the cities of CœloSyria and Palestine were forward to make their submission to Ptolemy; for they had been long accustomed to the Egyptian yoke, and were better pleased with it than with the government of Antiochus.

Many ambassadors presented themselves before Ptolemy, with the submission of their respective cities, and with presents; all of whom he received kindly. Among these, the Jews were not last. Ptolemy now made a progress through the provinces which he had regained, and among the cities visited, Jerusalem was not forgotten. Here he took a view of the temple, and offered many gifts and sacrifices to the God of Israel. But not contented with an exterior view of this sacred edifice, he resolved to enter into the sanctuary, and even into the most holy place. On this occasion all Jerusalem was in an uproar. The priests and Levites were convened to hinder it, and the people to deprecate the impious act. Great lamentations were every where made, and many supplications offered to God, to preserve his sacred house from profanation. But entreaties availed nothing with Ptolemy; the more he was opposed,

the more he seemed resolved to execute his impious purpose. Accordingly, he pressed into the inner court; but here he was struck with such a terror and confusion of mind, that he could proceed no farther, and was carried out, in a manner half dead. On this, he left the city, filled with great wrath against the Jews, and uttering many menaces against the nation.

257. The high priest now in office, who had the courage to withstand Ptolemy, was Simon, the son of Onias the second; for his father having deceased towards the close of the former year, the son had been consecrated in his room. This, therefore, was among the first acts of his pontificate: and it was well that a man of firmness and wisdom was now in authority; for affairs had been negligently managed during the whole of the administration of Onias, who was not, only a weak man, but extremely covetous.

258. During the incessant wars between the great Northern and Southern powers, Judea, as lying exactly between the belligerents, suffered exceedingly by the passage of hostile, and friendly armies.

The old hatred of the Samaritans also, was not dormant, during this period; but often when they observed the Jews to be unable to make resistance, they ravaged the country, lying near them; carrying off many of the inhabitants, and selling them into slavery.

259. Antiochus, on his return, finding his own subjects in an unsettled state, thought it best to make peace with Ptolemy, which he effected by resigning all title to Colo-Syria, Palestine, and Phenicia.

260. When Ptolemy returned to Alexandria, his anger against the Jewish nation was undiminished, and he determined to revenge himself on all those who in