the temple was never interrupted; the priests being deterred, neither by the death of their friends or rage of their enemies; and many of them, while officiating at the altar, had their own blood mingled with that of the sacrifices. This unshaken constancy, was greatly admired by Pompey himself, and indeed is scarcely to be paralelled in history.

579. After three months, the temple was taken; that is in the first year of the 179th Olympiad; and on the very day, observed as a fast on account of the capture of the city by Nebuchadnezzar. All those who were considered the prime leaders of this revolt were put to death.

580. Pompey, not contented with viewing the exterior of this sacred edifice, impiously penetrated the interior, not only entering the sanctuary, but into the holy of holies, examined all the arcana of that sacred place; thus inflicting the deepest wound on the feelings of the Jews, who considered this intrusion, as the highest possible profanation. But although he found two thousand talents laid up in the temple, he neither took it away, nor disturbed any thing else belonging to the furniture of the place. And, as if to make amends for what he had done, in entering the temple, he now ordered it to be cleansed, and the divine service to be resumed. But it has been observed, that although successful in all the previous acts of his public life, from this time, no success ever attended him.

581. Having concluded the war, he reinstated Hyrcanus in the office of high priest, and made him also prince of the commonwealth. But the walls of Jeru salem he ordered to be demolished.

CHAPTER XXIV.

OCTAVIUS CESAR BORN-DIODORUS SICULUS-ALEXANDER SON OF ARISTOBULUS ESCAPES FROM ROME -SEIZES SEVERAL STRONG PLACES GABINIUS GOVERNOR OF SYRIA ARISTOBULUS HIMSELF ESCAPES FROM ROME, AND RAISES NEW DISTUR BANCES IN JUDEA-CRASSUS VISITS JERUSALEM AND ROBS THE TEMPLE OF ITS TREASURES-THE JUDGMENT OF GOD OVERTAKES HIM-BATTLE OF PHARSALIA CESAR CONFIRMS HYRCANUS IN THE PRIESTHOOD-ANTIPATER ACCOMPANIES CESAR IN ALL HIS EXPEDITIONS-HIS FOUR SONS-HEROD ARRAIGNED FOR ILLEGALLY PUTTING CERTAIN THIEVES TO DEATH-MEDITATES THE DESTRUCTION OF HYRCANUS AND THE WHOLE SANHEDRIM -RECEIVES FROM SIXTUS THE GOVERNMENT OF CŒLO-SYRIA.

582. In this same eventful year, 61 B. C., was born, Octavius Cesar, afterwards emperor under the name of Augustus, whose mother was the sister of Julius Cesar.

583. About this same time, 60 B. C., flourished Diodorus Siculus, the famous Greek historian. He was born in Sicily, from which he derives his name. He was thirty years in collecting materials for his history, and in composing the work; and that he might obtain accurate information, he travelled over most of the countries, of whose affairs his history treats. In this very year, he went to Egypt. His Bibliotheca

X

contained forty books, of which only fifteen are now extant. Those which remain, are the five first-and from the tenth to the twentieth; all the rest are lost, except fragments preserved by other authors.

584. In the year 57 B. C., Alexander, the oldest son of Aristobulus, who had been carried to Rome by Pompey, having made his escape, came into Judea, and then collected an army of ten thousand foot and fifteen hundred horse, and seized Alexandrion, Macherus, and several other strong castles, which he garrisoned and fortified; and from thence ravaged all the surrounding country. Hyrcanus being able to oppose no effectual resistance, sent for aid to Gabinius, governor of Syria, the general of the horse under him being the famous Mark Antony. Here, also, the Roman army was joined by Antipater, and other adherents of Hyrcanus. They came to a battle with Alexander, who was completely overthrown; three thousand of his men being slain in battle, and as many taken prisoner. He himself took refuge in the castle, called Alexandrion, where he was besieged by Gabinius. While this siege was being carried on, the Roman general took a progress through the country, and found many of its once famous cities lying in ruins, which he ordered to be rebuilt or repaired.

585. While Gabinius was thus occupied, he met with the mother of Alexander; a woman remarkable for her discretion. She being very solicitous about the safety of her husband Aristobulus, who had been carried to Rome, endeavored, by acts of kindness, to ingratiate herself into the favor of Gabinius, and succeeded to her wishes; for upon her representations, he made peace with Alexander, who surrendered all his castles; which, by her advice, were dismantled or demolished.

586. Gabinius, now went up to Jerusalem, and having settled Hyrcanus in the priesthood, made great alterations in the form of the Jewish commonwealth; and from a monarchy transformed it to an aristocracy. Hitherto, the government had been managed by a prince, with the aid of the grand council or Sanhedrim, consisting of seventy-two persons, with an inferior court of twenty-three in every considerable town.

587. Instead of this, Gabinius established five independent courts; the first, at Jerusalem; the second, at Jericho; the third, at Gadara; the fourth, at Amathus; and the fifth, at Sepphoris. The tyranny of Alexander Janneus had made the Jews weary of monarchy; and they petitioned Pompey for its abolition, when the trial of the two brothers took place before him, at Damascus; and he so far complied, as to take away the diadem and the name, but left the supreme power, in the hands of Hyrcanus. But now, they renewed their petition to Gabinius, and obtained the change which has been mentioned. But when Julius Cesar afterwards passed through the country, he restored things to their former condition.

588. Towards the close of this year, Aristobulus, who had been led in triumph by Pompey with his son Antigonus, made his escape from Rome, and came into Judea, where he excited new troubles; for, many resorted to his standard, and he seized several fortresses, which he began to fortify; but Gabinius came upon him, and subdued him. He and his son Antigonus were sent back again to Rome. Gabinius, however, in compliance with a promise given to his wife, obtained the release of the latter.

589. In the year 55 B. C., Gabinius, having been called into Egypt to settle the disturbances of that

kingdom, Alexander, the son of Aristobulus, excited new troubles in Judea. Having collected a great army, he ravaged the whole country, killing all the Romans he could meet with, and driving the rest to take refuge in Mount Gerizzim, where he besieged them closely. Gabinius, seeing what a force he had collected, thought it best to deal with him by fair means, and sent Antipater with conditions of peace, promising an oblivion of all that was past. But Alexander, confiding in his strength, encountered Gabinius in battle, but was overthrown, with the slaughter of ten thousand of his men. After this victory, Gabinius went to Jerusalem, and regulated every thing according to the wishes of Antipater; and then marched against the Nabetheans, whom he subdued.

590. In the year 54 B. C., Pompey and Crassus being consuls, the latter had Syria and the East, assigned to him. Whereupon, coming into Syira, with an eager desire to amass as much wealth as possible, and hearing of the riches of the temple at Jerusalem, he marched directly thither. At that time, Eleazer a priest, was the treasurer of the temple. Among other precious things under his charge, was a bar of solid gold of immense value, which to conceal he enclosed in a wooden beam, and then placed the beam over the entrance from the holy into the most holy place, and suspended the veil upon it.

591. But when he found Crassus very intent on finding treasure, Eleazer told him that he would discover it to him if he would spare the temple, and its other treasures. This Crassus swore he would religiously perform; but the perfidious, and sacrilegious wretch, no sooner had the beam in possession, than he entered into the temple, and took away the two thou