Bible Chronology
Walter Biggar Scott
Table of Contents
Chronology and Chronological Tables
The first date recorded in the Word of God is in the interesting book of Genesis, and in that chronological Genesis 5:3: “And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his own image; and called his name Seth.” This is surely important, as it establishes the point from whence we are to reckon; namely, the creation of man, and not, as is generally done, the creation of the world. This latter is nowhere revealed in Holy Scripture, nor does science throw any satisfactory light upon the antiquity of the globe. Its age cannot be determined, and all attempts to do so are simply guesswork — which we greatly dread, especially in the things of God.
There were ten fathers, from Adam to Noah — before the flood — and ten fathers, from Shem to Abram — after the flood; and their several ages when their sons were born, as noted in Genesis 5 and 11, when counted up, enable us to arrive at pretty accurate results. The reader may accept the dates in our English Bibles as on the whole correct, however widely chronologists may differ. Having thus shown from God’s Word how we determine the two first periods of man’s history, it will be seen that a solid basis is thus laid for a complete and accurate system of Biblical chronology; but in order to this task being satisfactorily accomplished, three things are absolutely requisite — the authority, the source, the principle. The authority is the Hebrew text, and not the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew; the source is the Word of God, and, in the first instance, Genesis 5; and the principle — specially applicable to the two great first periods of human history — when the sons were born, as already indicated.
Brief Summary of Old Testament Time Periods
Years
1. From the creation of man till the flood. (Genesis 5, 7:11) - -1656
2. From the deluge till the gracious call of Abram. (Genesis 11) - - 427
3. From the call of Abram till the law. (Gal. 3:17) - - - 430
4. From the exodus and the law till the foundation
of Solomon’s temple. (1 Kings 6:1) - - - - 479
5. From the founding of the temple till the destruction of Jerusalem
by Nebuchadnezzar (Ezek. 4:4-5, etc.) - - - - 426
6. From Jerusalem’s destruction till Christ’s coming
in grace. (Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah) - - - - - 586
____
History of the first man (Adam), - - - - - 4004
Chronological Table of Events
B. C.
2348 The Deluge (Gen. 7).
2247 Confusion of tongues at Babel (Gen. 11).
2218 Nineveh founded (Gen. 10:11).
1921 Call of Abram (Gen. 12).
1912 Lot taken captive (Gen. 14).
1897 Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed (Gen 19).
1728 Joseph sold into Egypt (Gen. 37).
1706 Jacob and his family go down into Egypt (Gen. 46).
1531 Moses’ flight to Midian (Ex. 2).
1491 The exodus of Israel from Egypt (Ex. 14).
1490 The law given by Moses (Ex. 20).
1471 The awful death of Korah and his company (Num. 26).
1452 Moses writes the first five books of Scripture (Luke 24:44).
1452 Eleazar becomes high priest (Num. 20).
1451 The river Jordan crossed (Josh. 3).
1444 The land divided (Josh. 24).
1417 Book of Joshua written.
1116 The ark captured by the Philistines (1 Sam. 4).
1063 David slays Goliath (1 Sam. 17).
1055 Battle of Gilboa (1 Sam. 31).
1045 Ark removed to Jerusalem (1 Chron. 15).
1024 Absalom’s rebellion (2 Sam. 15).
1017 David numbers the people (2 Sam. 24).
1014 Solomon’s marriage to Pharaoh’s daughter (1 Kings 3).
1012 Foundation of the temple laid (1 Kings 5).
1004 Dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8).
990 Queen of Sheba’s visit to Solomon (1 Kings 10).
975 Dismemberment of the united Kingdom (1 Kings 12).
974 Idolatry securely established in Israel (1 Kings 12).
924 Samaria built by Omri (1 Kings 16).
918 Jericho rebuilt (1 Kings 16).
906 Elijah slays the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18).
896 Elijah translated to Heaven (2 Kings 2).
894 Cure and conversion of Naaman the Syrian (2 Kings 5).
826 Jonah sent to Nineveh (Jonah 1).
771 King of Assyria invades Israel (2 Kings 15).
753 Rome founded by Romulus, its first king.
724 Samaria besieged by the Assyrians (2 Kings 17).
721 Deportation of the Ten Tribes to Assyria (2 Kings 18).
677 Land of Israel colonized by the heathen (2 Kings 17).
677 Manasseh carried captive to Babylon (2 Chron. 33).
676 Manasseh’s repentance and restoration (2 Chron. 33).
625 Fall and destruction of Nineveh.
606 Jerusalem captured by the Babylonians (2 Kings 24).
605 First deportation to Babylon of Judah (2 Kings 24).
599 Second deportation to Babylon of Judah (2 Kings 25).
588 Third deportation to Babylon of Judah (2 Chron. 36).
580 Hebrew youths cast into the furnace (Dan. 3).
568 Nebuchadnezzar becomes insane (Dan. 4).
559 Cyrus ascends the Medo-Persian throne (Isa. 44:28).
555 Daniel’s vision of the “Beasts” or Universal Empires (Dan. 7).
538 Belshazzar’s impious feast (Dan. 5).
538 Daniel cast into the den of lions (Dan. 6).
536 Zerubbabel conducts a remnant of Judah to Jerusalem (Ezra 2).
535 Foundation of the new temple laid (Ezra 3).
510 Haman slain by Ahasuerus (Esther 7).
457 Ezra conducts a remnant of Judah to Jerusalem (Ezra 8).
444 Nehemiah is appointed governor of Jerusalem (Neh. 5:14)
416 OLD TESTAMENT CANON CLOSED WITH MALACHI.
401 Cyrus the younger slain.
359 Philip ascends the throne of Macedon.
356 Alexander the Great born.
336 Alexander the Great ascends the throne of Macedon.
332 Alexander’s march against Jerusalem.
331 Alexander defeats Darius (Codomanus). The Greek Empire.
323 Death of Alexander: the Kingdom divided among his four Generals. Israel had to do with two kingdoms: Egypt under Ptolemy, &c. (the kings of the south of Dan. 11), and Syria under Seleucus, &c. (the kings of the north of Dan. 11)
320 Ptolemy (I.) Soter. Era of the Ptolemies begins. He takes Jerusalem: settlement of Jews in Alexandria, Egypt, &c
312 Seleucus (I.) Nicator takes Babylon. Era of the Seleucidœ begins.
312 Israel becomes subject to Egypt.
284 The Old Testament translated into Greek.
283 Ptolemy (II.) Philadelphus.
261 Ptolemy II. gives his daughter Berenice in marriage to Antiochus (II.) Theos. Dan. 11:6. Berenice is murdered by servants of Antiochus' former wife. Dan. 11:6.
247 Ptolemy (III.) Euergetes revenges his sister's death, ‘a branch of her roots,' Dan. 11:7, and carries off 40,000 talents of silver, &c. Dan. 11:8.
222 Ptolemy (IV.) Philopator.War between Ptolemy and Antiochus (III.) the Great. Dan. 11:10, 11.
216 Fifty thousand Jews slain at Alexandria.
205 Ptolemy (V.) Epiphanes (5 years old).
205 Antiochus attacks Egypt. Dan. 11:13, 14.
204 Formation of the Sadducean sect.
197 Israel conquered by Ptolemy of Egypt.
197 Israel, the 'glorious land,' taken by Antiochus. Dan. 11:16.
192 Antiochus gives his daughter Cleopatra in marriage to Ptolemy: she is faithful to her husband, and aids not her father. Dan. 11:17.
192 Antiochus takes many maritime towns, &c. Dan. 11:18.
191 Rome declares war, and by Lucius Scipio defeats Antiochus. Dan. 11:18.
191 Antiochus, to pay the expenses of the war, attempts to rob the temple of Elymais, but is slain. Dan. 11:19.
187 Seleucus (IV.) Philopator: his principal work is to raise money for Rome: he is poisoned by Heliodorus (176). Dan. 11:20.
175 Heliodorus seizes the crown, but is killed by Antiochus (IV.) Epiphanes, not the rightful heir, ‘a vile person.' Dan. 11:21.
175 Antiochus invades Egypt and is successful. Dan. 11: 25, 26.
171 Antiochus again invades Egypt, but is stopped by Rome. Dan. 11:30.
170 Antiochus vents his anger on Jerusalem, plunders the temple, and destroys 80,000 persons. Dan. 11:31-32. (143rd year of the Seleucidae.)
170 Israel conquered by Antiochus of Syria.
168 Temple dedicated to the heathen god Jupiter by Antiochus.
168 Mattathias the Asmonזan refuses obedience to Antiochus: he is succeeded by his son
166 Judas Maccabזus. Era of the Maccabees. Judas takes Jerusalem. Re-dedication of the temple.
166 Judas Maccabeus takes Jerusalem.
161 Alliance between Judזa and Rome: Jonathan succeeds Judas Maccabזus.
155 Israel free from the Syrian yoke.
65 Syria becomes a Roman Province.
63 Judea becomes subject to Rome. The Roman Empire.
54 — Crassus, the Roman general, plunders the temple.
47 Julius Caesar appoints Antipater, son of Antipas, an Idumזan chief, first procurator of Judזa: he is succeeded by his son Herod the Great.
40 Herod is appointed by Rome king of Judaea.
37 Herod, by Roman assistance, takes Jerusalem and reigns.
31 Thirty thousand Jews destroyed by an earthquake.
30 Egypt becomes a Roman Province.
30 Octavian, the first Roman Emperor, called Augustus, B.C. 27.
28 Augustus becomes first Emperor of Rome.
20 Herod made joint procurator of Syria. He begins to rebuild the Temple.
B.C.
5 Roman census or enrollment of the people in Judea.
5 Birth of John the Baptist.
4 THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST – THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD
Visit of the Magi. Flight into Egypt. Massacre of infants.
Death of Herod. Archelaus made ethnarch of Judaea
Herod Antipas set over Galilee; Herod Philip II. over other parts.
Presentation in the Temple.
3 Death of the cruel Herod.
A.D.
6 Quirinus (Cyrenius) Governor of Syria the second time. Archelaus banished, and Judaea made a province of Syria.
7 Enrolment or taxation under Cyrenius. Annas made high priest.
8 Jesus with the doctors in the Temple.
14 Tiberius Emperor of Rome: reigns 22 years.
17 Caiaphas made high priest.
26 Pontius Pilate procurator of Judaea.
John commences his ministry.
Baptism of Jesus. The Temptation.
The First Passover (John 2:13-21).
John cast into prison. Jesus leaves for Galilee.
Jesus cast out of the city of Nazareth.
Jesus visits the towns of Galilee.
27 Journey to Jerusalem to the Second Passover (John 5:1).
The twelve Apostles chosen.
Sermon on the mount.
Jesus takes a second circuit round Galilee.
27 He sends forth the twelve.
Death of John the Baptist.
28 Approach of the Third Passover (John 6:4).
He feeds the five thousand at Bethsaida (Julias).
Miracles in Gennesaret.
He feeds the four thousand.
The Transfiguration.
Journey towards Jerusalem.
The seventy disciples sent out.
The Feast of Tabernacles (October).
The Feast of Dedication (December).
Jesus goes away beyond Jordan.
The raising of Lazarus at Bethany.
Jesus passes through Samaria and Galilee on his way to Jerusalem.
29 Triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Cleanses the Temple.
The Last Passover.
THE CRUCIFIXION. Ascension.
From the Crucifixion to the Destruction of Jerusalem
With approximate dates when the Pauline Epistles were written, and for the close of Paul’s life.
A.D.
29 The Crucifixion. Ascension. Pentecost.
35 Martyrdom of Stephen. Paul ‘a young man.’
The disciples scattered.
36 Conversion of Saul (three years before his flight from Damascus) (Gal. 1:18).
37 Caligula, emperor of Rome: reigns 4 years.
Herod Agrippa I. succeeds to the tetrarchy of Herod Philip II. Caiaphas deposed and Jonathan made high priest.
38 Paul in Damascus and Arabia (Gal. 1:15-18).
39 Paul’s first visit to Jerusalem (Gal. 1:18).
40 Conversion of Cornelius.
41 Claudius, emperor of Rome: reigns 13 years.
Judaea and Galilee united under Herod Agrippa as king.
Herod (brother of Agrippa) king of Chalcis, north Syria.
Gospel preached to the Gentiles at Antioch.
Barnabas goes to Antioch: fetches Paul.
42-3 They remain a year at Antioch.
Herod Agrippa’s persecution: James beheaded.
Peter’s imprisonment and release.
44 Death of Herod Agrippa.
Paul’s second visit to Jerusalem, with the collection.
45 Paul returns to Antioch.
Herod (of Chalcis) exercises the ecclesiastical powers of Agrippa.
46-8 First journey of Paul and Barnabas to Cyprus and Asia Minor.
48 Herod makes Ananias high priest. Herod dies.
49-50 After Paul’s return he remains a long time at Antioch.
Dispute concerning circumcision, council at Jerusalem.
50 Paul’s third visit to Jerusalem. (Fourteen years from his conversion, Gal. 2:1.)
Returns and stays at Antioch.
51 Paul’s second journey, with Silas and Timothy, through Asia Minor to Macedonia and Greece.
Quadratus, the Legate, sends Ananias a prisoner to Rome.
Felix made Procurator.
52 Paul spends a year and a half at Corinth.
1St and 2nd Epistles to the Thessalonians written.
53 Paul leaves Corinth and sails to Ephesus.
54 NERO, emperor of Rome: reigns 14 years.
Paul’s fourth visit to Jerusalem. Returns to Antioch.
Paul’s third journey, through Galatia and Phrygia.
55-6 .Paul at Ephesus two years and three months.
Epistle to the Galatians written.
1St Epistle to the Corinthians written.
Tumult at Ephesus: Paul goes to Macedonia (2 Cor. 2:13).
57 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians written.
Paul visits Illyricum: goes to Corinth, and stays three months.
58 Epistle to the Romans written.
Paul leaves Corinth, and goes through Macedonia with Luke.
Sails from Philippi: preaches at Troas.
Paul addresses the elders at Miletus.
Farewell at Tyre and Caesarea.
Paul’s fifth visit to Jerusalem just before Pentecost.
Seized by Asiatic Jews in the Temple.
Sent by Lysias to Felix at Caesarea.
59 Heard by Felix: kept in bonds two years.
60 Felix superseded by Porcius Festus, procurator.
Paul heard by Festus: he appeals to Caesar. Heard by Agrippa and Festus.
Sent off by sea to Rome (autumn).
Shipwrecked at Malta, where they winter.
Arrives at Rome. Heard by the Jews.
61-2 Paul dwells two years in his own hired house.
Epistles to the Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians, and Philippians written.
63 Paul liberated and takes another journey.
63 Epistle to the Hebrews written.
Paul visits Crete, and leaves Titus there (Titus 1:4-5).
Paul bids Timothy to remain at Ephesus (1 Tim. 1:3).
64 Goes into Macedonia (1 Tim. 1:3).
1St Epistle to Timothy written.
Epistle to Titus written.
Paul winters at Nicopolis (Titus 3:12).
Agrippa, after many changes, makes Jesus, son of Gamaliel, high priest.
Gessius Florus procurator.
Great fire at Rome.
65 First general persecution under Nero.
Agrippa makes Matthias high priest.
Building of the Temple* completed, the 18,000 workmen disbanded add to the general commotion.
*ἱερόν, courts of the temple. (Josephus, Ant. xx. 9, 7.)
Paul visits Miletus and leaves Trophimus there sick (2 Tim. 4:20).
66 Paul arrested and sent to Rome.
2nd Epistle to Timothy written.
The Jewish war begins by a conflict at Caesarea.
Massacre of Jews at Jerusalem by Florus.
Ananias (ex-high priest) assassinated.
Cestius Gallus brings an army to Jerusalem.
Defeated at Beth-horan.
67 Martyrdom of Paul.
Vespasian with an army takes Jotapata, and overruns the country.
68 Death of Nero by suicide.
Galba, emperor of Rome (7 months) slain.
69 Vespasian advances to Jerusalem.
Otho, emperor of Rome (3 months) committed suicide.
Vitellius, emperor (9 months) slain.
Vespasian emperor of Rome.
Dreadful conflict of the factions in Jerusalem.
70 The Christians of Jerusalem retire to Pella, beyond the Jordan.
Titus commences the siege of Jerusalem.
The temple burnt. The city destroyed.
Chronological Table of Persons
As an aid to the memory, we have appended a brief sentence after each person named in the following tables; such help is not needed in the events.
B. C.
4004 Adam created; lived 930 years. (Figure of Him that was to come.)
3876 Abel martyred; lived 128 years. (First of the long line of martyrs.)
3874 Birth of Seth; lived 912 years. (The appointed heir of the world.)
3769 Birth of Enos; lived 905 years. (Men began to call upon the name of the Lord. Gen. 4:26.)
3679 Birth of Cainan; lived 910 years. (The fourth from Adam.)
3609 Birth of Mahalaleel; lived 895 years. (Name meaning “Praise of God.”)
3544 Birth of Jared; lived 962 years. (The second longest living person.)
3382 Birth of Enoch; lived 365 years. (Delivered the earliest prophecy on record. Jude 14.)
3317 Birth of Methuselah: lived 969 years. (The longest living person before the flood or since.)
3130 Birth of Lamech; lived 777 years. (Age denoting threefold perfection.)
2948 Birth of Noah; lived 950 years. (The tenth in descent from Adam.)
2448 Birth of Japheth. (Progenitor of the Gentiles.)
2346 Birth of Arphaxad. (Line of grace in Shem’s third son.)
2281 Birth of Heber. (From whence the Hebrews derive their name.)
2247 Birth of Peleg. (In whose days the earth was divided.)
2126 Birth of Terah. (Father of Abram, and an idolater. Josh. 24:2.)
1996 Birth of Abram. (Representative character of the Old Testament.)
1920 Birth of Ishmael. (Progenitor of the Ishmaelites.)
1896 Birth of Isaac. (Figure of Christ raised from the dead in type. Heb. 11:19.)
1837 Birth of Jacob and Esau. (The twin brothers.)
1758 Birth of Reuben. (Eldest of the twelve sons of Jacob.)
1755 Birth of Judah. (The royal tribe, from whence the Messiah came.)
1745 Birth of Joseph (Type of Christ in suffering and glory.)
1574 Birth of Aaron. (Israel’s first high priest, and eminent type of Christ.)
1571 Birth of Moses. (Israel’s great saviour, figures Christ delivering Israel.)
1155 Birth of Samson. (The Nazarite judge, and mighty in strength.)
1137 Birth of Samuel. (The first of the long line of prophets. Acts 3:24.)
1085 Birth of David. (The warrior king, type of Christ in conflict.)
1033 Birth of Solomon. (The peaceful king, type of Christ in glory.)
1016 Birth of Rehoboam. (Solomon’s only son recorded in Scripture.)
Judges of Israel
B. C.
1405 Othniel Deliverance from Mesopotamia.
1325 Ehud Deliverance from Moab.
1303 Shamgar Deliverance from the Philistines.
1285 Barak and Deborah Deliverance from the Canaanites.
1245 Gideon Deliverance from the Midianites.
1236 Abimelech Usurped royal authority.
1232 Tola The seventh deliverer of Israel.
1232 Jair The eighth deliverer of Israel.
1188 Jephthah Deliverance from the Ammonites.
1182 Ibzan Had thirty daughters.
1175 Elon The eleventh deliverer of Israel.
1165 Abdon Had forty sons and thirty nephews.
1157 Eli Judge and priest.
1137 Samson Whose might lay in his Nazariteship.
1114 Samuel Judge and prophet.
Kings of Israel and Judah
Saul, David and Solomon reigned over all twelve tribles. When the kingdom was devided, the kingdom of Judah included the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The Kingdom of Israel included the other 10 tribes.
The Christian reader will find it interesting and instructive to note that, as a rule, types bearing upon the system of glory to be set up in the millennium are presented in pairs as Joseph and Benjamin — union of glory and power; Melchizedek and Abraham — priesthood and successful conflict; David and Solomon — righteousness and peace.
Kings of Judah
Jerusalem, the capital (1 Kings 14:21), distant from the Mediterranean about thirty miles. The kingdom, which consisted of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, existed nearly 400 years under twenty sovereigns, and was finally destroyed by the Chaldeans, under Nebuchadnezzar, 588 B.C.
Notes
About the half of those sovereigns were good; hence the long continuance of the kingdom over that of Israel.
It will be observed that, as a rule, the mothers of the Judah kings are specially named, but not so in the case of the kings of Israel.
There is only one female sovereign amongst those of Judah, and not one amongst the sovereigns of Israel.
The fathers of the godly kings, Hezekiah and Josiah, were bad men, thus illustrating the sovereign goodness and choice of God.
It is worthy of careful observation that, according to the personal piety and faithfulness of the monarch, Judah was blest, and the country enjoyed peace and prosperity.
The longest reign was that of Manasseh’s, fifty-five years; while the shortest was that of Jehoahaz, which lasted only three months.
The books of the Chronicles specially detail the doings of these kings.
Accession to the Throne of Judah
B. C.
975 Rehoboam Solomon’s only son.
958 Abijah Blest for David’s sake.
955 Asa Diseased in his feet.
914 Jehoshaphat The godly king.
889 Jehoram The murderer and idolater.
885 Ahaziah Wicked, like the house of Ahab.
884 Athaliah The only queen.
878 Jehoash The youngest king.
839 Amaziah The vacillating monarch.
810 Uzziah The leprous king.
758 Jotham One of the few godly kings.
742 Ahaz Wicked and idolatrous.
726 Hezekiah The zealous reformer.
698 Manasseh The aged king who turned to the Lord.
643 Amon Slain in his own house.
641 Josiah The determined uprooter of idolatry.
610 Jehoahaz Deposed and taken captive to Egypt.
610 Jehoiachim Deposed and taken captive to Babylon.
610 Jehoiakin Deposed by the King of Babylon.
599 Zedekiah Taken to Babylon in fetters.
Kings of Israel
Tirzah, in the first instance, became the capital city and seat of government, but during the reign of Omri, Samaria, which was distant from Jerusalem about forty-two miles, became the royal city. The kingdom, consisting of the revolted ten tribes, existed for nearly 260 years under nineteen kings, till completely overthrown by the Assyrians under Shalmaneser, 721 B. C.
Notes
Not one of these kings were really good men; of only one (Jehoahaz), is it said he “besought the Lord,” and that under deep pressure, and at a time of real distress.
Idolatry from first to last characterized the reigns of these kings, and it would be well to note carefully that oft recurring expression “walked in the ways of Jeroboam,” as Israel’s first king really gave character to the kingdom during its entire history.
The longest reign was that of Jeroboam II, and the shortest reign Zimri’s — the former reigned forty-one years, and the latter seven days.
Observe that there are two kings of the name of ‘Jeroboam.’
The fifth king of Judah and the ninth king of Israel were both named ‘Jehoram’; and the sixth king of Judah and the eighth king of Israel were named ‘Ahaziah’; the seventeenth king of Judah and the eleventh king of Israel were called ‘Jehoahaz’; while the eighth king of Judah and the twelfth king of Israel were both called ‘Jehoash.’
The books of Kings specially detail the history of these kings.
There were eight dynasties in the history of this kingdom, the founders of which were Jeroboam, Baasha, Omri, Jehu, Shallum, Menahem, Pekah, Hoshea
Accession to the Throne of Israel or Ten-Tribe Kingdom
B. C.
975 Jeroboam The idolater.
954 Nadab Slain by his successor.
953 Baasha Posterity cut off.
930 Elah The drunkard.
929 Zimri The short-lived reign of the traitor.
929 Omri The builder of Samaria.
978 Ahab The apostate monarch.
897 Ahaziah Doomed to die (2 Kings 1:4).
896 Jehoram Israel and Judah united against Moab.
884 Jehu The destroyer of Ahab’s house.
856 Jehoahaz The only king “who besought the Lord.”
839 Jehoash The conqueror of Syria.
825 Jeroboam II Recovery of the sea coasts of Israel.
773 Zachariah Conspired against and slain.
772 Shallum Slain after a month’s reign.
772 Menahem The cruel king.
761 Pekahiah Slain by one of his captains.
758 Pekah First successful attack by Assyria.
730 Hoshea Last king of Israel.
Jubilees
Leviticus 25
B. C.
1396 First Jubilee, or 50th year.
1351 Second Jubilee, or 50th year.
1301 Third Jubilee, or 50th year.
1251 Fourth Jubilee, or 50th year.
1201 Fifth Jubilee, or 50th year.
1151 Sixth Jubilee, or 50th year.
1101 Seventh Jubilee, or 50th year.
1051 Eighth Jubilee, or 50th year.
1001 Ninth Jubilee, or 50th year.
951 Tenth Jubilee, or 50th year.
901 Eleventh Jubilee, or 50th year.
851 Twelfth Jubilee, or 50th year.
801 Thirteenth Jubilee, or 50th year.
751 Fourteenth Jubilee, or 50th year.
701 Fifteenth Jubilee, or 50th year.
651 Sixteenth Jubilee, or 50th year.
601 Seventeenth Jubilee, or 50th year. This latter date is within five years
of the first Babylonian attack upon Jerusalem.
Chronology Between Old and New Testament
Judaea Under the Persian and Greek Empires
The Old Testament history ends with the reformation by Nehemiah, about 442 B.C. (Neh. 13:6-31). Malachi gives the moral condition of the people who had returned from captivity. His prophecy shows their gross indifference as to the service of God: also their offences against Jehovah. The priests had fallen as well as the people, and obeyed not God. But Jehovah (Jesus) was coming.
God has not left us entirely ignorant of what would happen in the meantime; for in the prophet Daniel we find certain indications as to the nations that would follow the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar. This king had been taken up by God as His instrument to carry out His purposes. Daniel said to him, “Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all” (Dan. 2:37-38).
Daniel has told us what kingdoms would follow until the Lord Himself would become man to redeem His people, though his prophecies also go far beyond this into the future. In looking at these succeeding nations we shall also see somewhat of the history of the Jews until the time of Herod, when the New Testament again takes up their history.
In B.C. 539 Babylon was taken by Cyrus the Persian, and Belshazzar slain (Dan. 5:30-31; Isa. 45:1; Jer. 51: 31-39,57). This led to the setting up of the second great Gentile power named by Daniel.
The Old Testament history ends while this Medo-Persian kingdom was in power. After Artaxerxes Longimanus (who had commissioned Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem), Xerxes II, and then Sogdianus reigned for a short time each, and these were succeeded by Darius (II.) Nothus (B.C. 424), who was Darius the Persian of Nehemiah 12:22.
Artaxerxes (II.) Mnemon succeeded (B.C. 405), and Judaea appears to have been made a province of Syria about this time. About B.C. 366 the high priest Johanan (or Jonathan, or John) fearing that Bagoses, the Persian governor, was intending to make his brother Jeshua (or Joshua, or Jesus) high priest, slew him in the inner court of the temple. Bagoses came to Jerusalem to inquire into the matter, and desired to see the place where Jeshua had been slain. But this was opposed as sacrilege, when he exclaimed, “What! Am I not more pure than the dead carcass of him whom ye have slain in the temple?” And then he entered. In punishment for the murder he inflicted a fine of 50 shekels on every lamb offered in sacrifice.
About B.C. 350 Johanan, high priest, died, after holding the office thirty-two years. He was succeeded by his son Jaddua, who officiated twenty years.
The kingdom of Persia was approaching its end. Alexander the Great ascended the throne of Macedon (B.C. 336), and was appointed general of the Greek forces in war against the Persians. In B.C. 334 Alexander passed the Hellespont into Asia with the small army of thirty thousand foot and five thousand horse. He defeated the army of Darius at the river Granicus, and became master of the whole of Asia Minor.
Preparations were made for the next year. Darius, with 600,000 men, advanced to meet Alexander, but was totally defeated, and had to flee for his life. All Syria and Phoenicia became subject to Alexander. Tyre stood out long, but was at length subdued, and two thousand of the inhabitants were crucified.
While the siege of Tyre lasted, Alexander demanded the surrender of Jerusalem; but Jaddua refused, saying he was subject to the Persians. After taking Gaza, Alexander marched against Jerusalem. Jaddua, the high priest, offered sacrifices and prayers for divine protection. In a dream or vision it was communicated to him that he should adorn the city with garlands, open the gates, and go out to meet the conqueror. He obeyed the intimation, and in his priestly robes, with the other priests, and a numerous body of the people dressed in white, he went out of the city and marched in procession to a place named Sapha. As soon as Alexander approached the high priest, he was struck with awe at the sight, and saluted him with veneration, to the great surprise of his officers. One Parmenio asked the reason of it. He replied that he did not pay adoration to the priests, but to the God of the priests. And then related that when in Macedonia he had seen the very person and dress of the priest in a dream, and had been directed to pass boldly into Asia, and that God would be his guide.
He embraced Jaddua, entered Jerusalem, and offered sacrifices. The high priest then showed him the prophecies of Daniel which had foretold that a king of Grecia should conquer Persia. Alexander was the he-goat of Daniel 8:21. (See also Dan. 11:3.) He granted them freedom as to their laws and religion, and an exemption every Sabbatical year from tribute. This story is doubted by some historians; but it is related by Josephus (Antiq. xi. 8, 5). The Talmud, and later Jewish writers.
On leaving Jerusalem Alexander was met by the Samaritans, who sought of him privileges equal to those he had granted to the Jews, but Alexander hesitated to grant this; and soon after the Macedonian governor, Andromachus, was murdered by them. Alexander ordered the whole population of Samaria to be expelled, and a colony of Macedonians took their place. The king built Alexandria (B.C. 332), and eventually, it is reported, 100,000 Jews were removed to this new city, and privileges were given to them equal to the Macedonians.
In B.C. 331 Darius had succeeded in raising another immense army, but was again totally defeated by Alexander, and was obliged to flee for his life. He was afterwards assassinated by Bessus, one of his own governors. Thus was the Persian kingdom brought to an end by the death of their last king.
Alexander carried on his conquests from the Euphrates to the Indus, and from the Caspian Sea to the Arabian Sea.
In B.C. 324 he retired to Babylon, and spent much time in repose and luxury. He then desired to rebuild the temple of Belus, which Xerxes had destroyed; and the work was begun, but its progress being slow, he commanded ten thousand of his soldiers to help in the work. Among his soldiers were many Jews, and these could not be induced to build an idolatrous temple. Many were severely punished, but they would not yield, and at length Alexander commended them for their constancy and dismissed them to their homes.
Excessive drinking was one of Alexander’s besetting sins: he had on some occasions, when intoxicated, ordered the death of some of his friends, which when sober he had deeply lamented. Still he did not relinquish his propensity, and at length drank himself into a fever, and died, B.C. 323.
Thus perished this great conqueror — great in his victories, and great in his sins and his cruelties, his idolatrous pride, and his shame.
The Successors of Alexander the Great
According to the prophecy of Daniel 8:8, when the great horn was broken there arose “four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.” (See also Dan. 11:4.) The various countries were under governors, but four of Alexander’s generals eventually divided the kingdom between them, after many changes: Cassander, in Macedonia and Greece; Lysimachus, in Thrace, Bithynia, etc.; Seleucus Nicator in Syria, Armenia, and other eastern countries; and Ptolemy, son of Lagus, in Egypt, Cyrene, etc.; but many changes followed.
Israel, Phoenicia, etc. were allotted to Laomedon, one of Alexander’s generals, but Ptolemy wrested them out of his hands. The Jews, however, under Onias, high priest, refused to own Ptolemy because of their oath to Laomedon. Ptolemy in invading Israel (B.C. 320) took Jerusalem, and carried captive 100,000 Jews to Egypt; he used them kindly, and placed some in offices of trust, because of their faithfulness to their former master. The era of the Ptolemies began B.C. 320.
The generals were always plotting one against another. Antigonus became master of all Asia. This raised the jealousy of the others, and war being inevitable, Antigonus entered Israel, B.C. 314; but he could not retain possession: it was again taken by Ptolemy in B.C. 312, but not long after became again subject to Antigonus.
Because of the successes of Antigonus, Seleucus had fled to Egypt, and by an army supplied by Ptolemy he conquered Babylon. Here he recovered his children, etc. whom Antigonus had shut up in prison. This was B.C. 312, and at this date the Era of the Seleucidae began. This date of reckoning was much used by Christians, Jews, and Mahometans. The Jews called it the ‘Era of Contracts,’ because they were obliged to use it for all their contracts; and they got so used to it that they continued to reckon from that date till some thousand years into the Christian era. Afterward they dated from the creation of the world, as they did not own Christ as Lord.
Israel was held by Antigonus until his defeat and death by the united forces of Ptolemy, Cassander, Lysimachus, and Seleucus, B.C. 301. It was now assigned to Ptolemy, along with Egypt, Libya, and Arabia.
In B.C. 300 Onias the high priest died, and was succeeded by his son Simon, who for his integrity was called the Pious. He is said to have completed the canon of the Old Testament by adding the books written after Ezra had collected the sacred books.
After the defeat of Antigonus, Seleucus seized upper Syria, and built there the city of Antioch, which became the seat of the government for the Syrian kings, and where afterward resided the Roman governors. It became a noted place in church history. It was named Antioch after his father Antiochus.
Seleucus also built other cities, and gave them the same name; one of which is called in Scripture Antioch of Pisidia.
He built also Seleucia on the Tigris, about forty miles north-east of Babylon. He gave this city many privileges, and on this account, and because the country of Babylon was often under water (caused by the banks of the Euphrates having been broken down) people flocked to the new city, and Babylon became quite deserted, and the city itself a desolation. It retained its walls for centuries, and wild animals for the chase were confined there by the kings of Persia. In the twelfth century, Benjamin, a Jew, said people were afraid to go near the place because of the many serpents and scorpions. This recalls the prophecy of Isaiah, “And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces; and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged” (Isa. 13:19-22).
Later writers, in speaking of Babylon, says Prideaux, often refer, not to old Babylon, but to Seleucia, which (to distinguish it from other places of the same name) was called Seleucia Babylonia, and eventually Babylonia or Babylon. This city also afterward became a desolation, and long after (A.D. 762) Bagdad was built on or near its site.
Ptolemy (II.) Philadelphus succeeded his father in Egypt (B.C. 285). In his reign the Old Testament was translated into Greek. There was a famous library in Egypt, and this translation is supposed to have been made for the king to add to his library. It is commonly called the Septuagint, because an account given by Aristeas says that the high priest of Jerusalem sent six learned men from each of the twelve tribes into Egypt to translate it, making really seventy-two. But little credit is now given to the story of Aristeas.
It is certain that the Hebrew Old Testament was translated into Greek before the time of our Lord, for He quoted it, and the writers of the New Testament also. There were many Jews living in Alexandria, who understood the Greek language, so that, apart from the king desiring a copy of it for his library, it is not surprising that they should have made the translation.
It was used and valued by the Jews for a long time, but when the Christians appealed to it when proving that Jesus was the true Messiah, they abandoned it for the Hebrew.
In B.C. 280 Antiochus (I.) Soter succeeded Seleucus in Syria, and reigned nineteen years. In B.C. 261 Antiochus (II.) Theos succeeded. He came from a bad stock, for Antiochus Soter had married his father’s wife while his father was living; and this Antiochus II. was their son: and was called Theos, that is, divine! Berosus, the Babylonian historian, lived about this time.
Ptolemy and Antiochus were at war, but peace was restored on the conditions that Antiochus should put away his wife Laodice (his sister by the same father) and should marry Berenice, daughter of Ptolemy Philadelphus.
This was foretold in Daniel 11:6, which refers to Ptolemy king of the south, and Antiochus king of the north. The four kingdoms which succeeded that of Alexander the Great had now merged into two: the north and the south. Ptolemy had Egypt, Libya, Cyrene, Arabia, Israel, Coele-Syria, most of the maritime provinces of Asia Minor, etc. Antiochus had all the countries east from Mount Taurus to the River Indus, and several of the provinces of Asia Minor, also from Mount Taurus to the Aegean Sea.
In B.C. 247 Ptolemy Philadelphus died, and his son Ptolemy (III.) Euergetes succeeded him.
When Antiochus heard of the death of Ptolemy, he put away Berenice, and took again Laodice and her children. But that woman, knowing the fickleness of the king, and fearing that he would again alter his mind, and remove her and her children, caused him to be poisoned, but kept his death a secret, declaring he was sick. She then forged letters appointing her eldest son as king. When the death of the king was known, her son Seleucus (II.) Callinicus was acknowledged king.
Laodice concluded that to make the possession sure, Berenice and her son also must be put to death. Berenice being aware of this fled to Daphne, and concealed herself and her son in an asylum. But Laodice had accomplices there, and both were murdered. This also was foretold by Daniel, “She [Berenice] shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times” (Dan. 11:6).
Ptolemy Euergetes had hastened to save Berenice, but did not arrive in time. He made war against Seleucus, was victorious, and carried to Egypt great spoil and many of the Egyptian gods that had been carried away, which greatly endeared him to the Egyptians. His victorious enterprise is also named in Daniel 11:7-9. He is there described as one “out of the branch of her roots.” Ptolemy Euergetes was brother to Berenice.
This Ptolemy had a wife also named Berenice, and of her it is related that when the king went forth to the war she vowed that if he should return victorious she would consecrate to the gods her hair which added greatly to her beauty. She fulfilled her vow, and her hair was offered up in one of the temples. But soon after it was missing, which caused the king great annoyance. To soothe him a mathematician declared that the hair had been carried to heaven, and formed a group of stars. These may not have been included in the other constellations: none of them are above the fourth magnitude. They were named Coma Berenice, the hair of Berenice, and have retained the name ever since as one of the constellations. They are near the tail of Leo the Lion. Such are the kind of falsehoods that the wise men of Egypt invented to soothe an angry king.
In B.C. 222 Ptolemy Euergetes died, and was succeeded by his son Ptolemy (IV.) Philopator, a profligate young prince. According to Daniel 11 There were constant wars between the king of the north and the king of the south, with varied success.
In B.C. 217 Ptolemy marched into Syria with a large army to meet Antiochus the Great (who had succeeded Seleucus (III.) Ceraunus) who also had a great army. The latter was defeated. Ptolemy visited Israel and Jerusalem, and offered sacrifices to the God of Israel. He had a great desire to enter the holy of holies, but Simon, son of the second Onias, high priest, opposed him, telling him that only the high priest could enter that sacred place, and he only once a year. The king still persisting in his desire, there was a great commotion in the city; but on his pressing his way towards the holy place he was seized with such fear and terror that he was carried out half dead. He left the city in anger, and on reaching Alexandria he persecuted the Jews in that city.
They also suffered much from the frequent wars between the kings of the north and the kings of the south, at times not knowing whom to obey. The Samaritans also greatly annoyed them, even capturing some and selling them as slaves, for which no redress could be obtained.
In B.C. 205 Ptolemy died, mainly through his intemperance and debauchery: his son Ptolemy (V.) Epiphanes succeeded him at the age of five years. Antiochus seized the opportunity of the minority of the king to regain Coele-Syria and Israel. He also joined with Philip of Macedonia to seize other parts of the dominions of Ptolemy. But the Roman Empire was now growing in power; and the rulers of Egypt appealed to Rome for protection, offering the guardianship of the infant king.
Rome, seeing that this would enlarge its sphere of action, accepted the offer, and sent embassies to Antiochus and to Philip informing them that Egypt was now under the protection of Rome, and that war would be proclaimed against them if they attacked the dominions of Ptolemy.
During the absence of Antiochus in Lesser Asia, an army was sent from Egypt under Scopas, and Israel again passed into the hands of the king of Egypt, and a garrison was placed in Jerusalem. But on the return of Antiochus he once more became master of Israel. Thus Jerusalem often changed its masters.
Scopas had oppressed the Jews, and seized whatever he could, so they were glad of the coming of Antiochus, went out in procession to meet him, and entertained him and his officers.
Antiochus having found that the Jews in Babylonia and Mesopotamia supported his dominion, he removed many of them at his own expense into Asia Minor, where he was desirous of gaining a firmer footing. This has been supposed to have been the reason why so many Jews were found in those parts in the time of our Lord and His apostles.
While Antiochus was thus desirous of extending his kingdom in the west, he was anxious that during his absence Israel should not be again seized by the armies of Egypt, and proposed that the young king Ptolemy should marry his daughter Cleopatra as soon as they were of suitable age. This arrangement was accepted by Ptolemy.
This is no doubt referred to in the prophecy of Daniel 11:17: “And he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.” Antiochus in going to the west, soon came into collision with the Romans, who having conquered Philip of Macedon, were not willing that Antiochus should extend his kingdom in that direction.
Antiochus took many maritime towns according to Daniel 11:18; but after many encounters, he sued for peace, and it was agreed that he should quit all Asia on that side of Mount Taurus, give up his elephants and ships of war, and pay 15,000 Euboic talents, three thousand on the ratification of the treaty, and a thousand per year for twelve years. (The Euboic silver talent has been calculated to be of the value of £303 18s. 10d., $380) The “prince for his own behalf” (Dan. 11:18) may be the Roman consul L. Scipio Asiaticus, who would perhaps be crowned if he were victorious.
Antiochus had great difficulty in raising the sums he had agreed to pay to the Romans. He left his son as governor and travelled into the east. Hearing that in the temple at Elymais there were great treasures, he seized it by night and stripped it. But this so roused the people of the place that they killed Antiochus and his followers. Scripture says: “He shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found” (Dan. 11:19).
Seleucus (IV.) Philopator succeeded his father Antiochus (B.C. 187). His chief work was to raise the money due to Rome. He is called in Daniel 11:20 “a raiser of taxes.”
Internal disputes arose in Jerusalem, and some who fled to the king told that great treasures were laid up in the temple. It is said that the king sent Heliodorus to seize them, and the whole city was in great distress; but as Heliodorus pressed into the temple a horse with a terrible rider appeared and struck him with its feet. Two men also, it is added, appeared and smote the intruder with great violence. He fell down half dead and was carried away. This same Heliodorus afterward poisoned the king (B.C. 175), hoping to be his successor. The king was thus “destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle,” as prophesied by Daniel (Dan. 11:20).
In B.C. 181 Ptolemy, knowing how Rome had impoverished Seleucus, projected a war with him. His generals asked where the expenses were to come from. When he said his friends were his riches, they thought that he was about to rob them to pay for the war, so they poisoned him. His son, Ptolemy (VI.) Philometor, only six years of age, succeeded, under the guardianship of Cleopatra, his mother.
Antiochus Epiphanes
On the death of Seleucus, Heliodorus had seized the crown but he was expelled by Antiochus (IV.) Epiphanes. He was brother to Seleucus, and not the rightful heir (the sons of Seleucus being in Rome); but by flattery and promises he obtained the help of Eumenes, king of Pergamus, and Attalus his brother, and thus succeeded in establishing himself. He called himself Epiphanes, that is Illustrious; but Scripture says of him that in the estate of Seleucus “shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries” (Dan. 11:21). As we shall see, he became a great scourge to the Jews.
He was emphatically a “vile person,” for he mixed with all sorts of people, and behaved so unseemly that he was judged by some to be either insane or an idiot, and was styled Epimanes (madman).
Jason, the brother of Onias, applied to Antiochus to appoint him high priest, promising him three hundred and sixty talents. Antiochus had found the national treasures empty, because of the tribute to Rome, and he gladly accepted Jason’s offer.
Jason however knew that Onias was, because of his piety and integrity, beloved of the people, and that he would not be safe at Jerusalem unless Onias was removed; he therefore asked for him to be sent to Antioch. Jason also offered more money if he might erect in Jerusalem a gymnasium and an academy for the training of youths after the custom of the Greeks, and also to have the power to grant the freedom of the city of Antioch to any he thought fit. He hoped by these means to ingratiate himself with the inhabitants of Jerusalem. All these things were granted by an unworthy king to an unworthy high priest. The plot was only too successful, for the games and amusements of the gymnasium absorbed the attention of the priests and people, so that gradually the temple worship was despised and the sacrifices neglected.
On the death of Cleopatra in B.C. 173, who had governed Egypt for her son, Israel became a bone of contention. It was now demanded from Antiochus as the property of Egypt.
In B.C. 172 Jason sent Menelaus his brother to Antioch with the yearly tribute from Jerusalem; but as Jason had formerly acted, so now did Menelaus: he offered more money for the high priesthood than Jason was paying, and, as the king was still poor, the offer was accepted, and Menelaus was made high priest. This was not his original name, but he had taken this Greek name in preference to the Jewish one (Onias), given him by his pious father. He really apostatized from the Jewish worship, and adopted the religion of the Greeks, and drew many away with him, proving that he merely wanted the position of high priest because it combined with it that of governor, hoping to gain riches and honours thereby. All this shows how ripe Jerusalem was getting for judgment.
Menelaus, when the time came for paying the tribute, found himself unable to meet the demands, but he did not scruple to take some of the sacred vessels from the temple and sell them in order to raise the amount. His eldest brother (also named Onias) who was living at Antioch, upbraided him for this sacrilege, when he went there to pay the tribute; but Menelaus so resented the reproof that he caused him to be put to death.
While Menelaus was absent from Jerusalem he left his brother Lysimachus in his place; but when the abstraction of the sacred vessels became known it caused a great uproar, and on Lysimachus endeavouring to put it down by force, he was slain within the temple.
Antiochus, having made his preparations for war, went to Egypt, and there obtained a victory over Ptolemy, but was content with this, and strengthening the places on the frontier. We again notice the growing power of Rome, for Antiochus was careful to send an ambassador to Rome to explain his right to Israel, against the demands of Egypt.
Three delegates from the Sanhedrim came to Antiochus at Tyre to complain of the sacrilege of Menelaus, and also of the violence of Lysimachus in his absence. Menelaus, seeing that sentence was about to be given against him bribed one of the king’s counsellors with a large sum of money, who thereupon called the king on one side and induced him, not only to absolve Menelaus, but to put the three delegates to death as false accusers. This was so manifestly unjust that the Tyrians gave them an honourable burial.
Antiochus again attacked Egypt both by sea and by land, and now obtained a complete victory over Ptolemy, his nephew. This king had been brought up in the most effeminate manner by a eunuch who was prime minister, and he tamely let Antiochus plunder the country. Both monarchs indeed ate at the same table, and Antiochus pretended that he would protect his nephew; but it was as Scripture says, “Both these kings’ hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table.” Antiochus carried away all he could lay hands on: “great riches,” as Scripture expresses it (Dan. 11:27-28).
While Antiochus was in Egypt a report was raised in Israel that he was dead. Jason thought that now was the time to be revenged on his brother Menelaus and recover the high priesthood. He therefore gathered a thousand men, and, with his friends at Jerusalem, succeeded in causing Menelaus to seek shelter in the castle; he then put to death whom he pleased in the city.
Antiochus hearing of this, and supposing that the whole Jewish nation had revolted, hastened to Israel to quench the rebellion. He was told that there had been great rejoicing at Jerusalem on the rumour of his death, which greatly enraged him.
Jerusalem was soon taken, and in three days’ time some forty thousand of the inhabitants were put to the sword. He also forced himself into the temple, and even into the holy of holies, the apostate Menelaus being his guide. In order to give a greater insult to the God of the Jews, he caused a great sow to be sacrificed on the altar of burnt offerings; then a broth to be made of some of the flesh and this to be sprinkled all over the temple. He seized also the altar of incense, the shewbread table, the candlestick, which were all of gold, with other golden vessels, the gifts of former kings. The city was also plundered of its riches. And thus with immense wealth gathered from Egypt and Jerusalem he returned to Antioch.
Antiochus made another attack upon Egypt, and was again successful; and before he left he tried to set Ptolemy Philopator and his brother (though his nephews) at variance, that they might thus become less able to resist him. But they wisely united, and agreed to share the kingdom between them. They also appealed to Rome for protection. On hearing of the union of the two brothers, Antiochus again invaded Egypt and was victorious over the country, and then proceeded to Alexandria. But before he reached this city, ambassadors from Rome met him, Popilius being one of them: Antiochus was intimate with him, and at once attempted to embrace him, but the proud Roman drew back: he must first know whether Antiochus was a friend of Rome, private friendship must give way to national duty. The decrees of the senate were produced: he must desist from war, and retire from Egypt? Would he agree? Antiochus said he would consult his friends. But this was not allowed. Popilius demanded an immediate answer, and with his staff he drew a circle round Antiochus, and said an answer must he given before he stepped out of the circle.
The king was surprised at the novel mode of conference: but thought it best to assent. Rome indeed had gained a great victory over Perseus, king of Macedonia, and was not to be trifled with (Dan. 11:29-30).
Antiochus returned to Israel in great wrath and determined to vent it on Jerusalem. He dispatched from his army twenty-two thousand men under the command of Apollonius. On arriving he remained passive until the next sabbath. Then his soldiers made the attack with the command to slay all the men, and take the women and children to sell for slaves. This was to a great extent ruthlessly carried out. Then the place was despoiled of its remaining riches. The walls were thrown down and the city set on fire in several places. With the materials of the desolated city a strong fortress was built over against the temple. This was stored with all sorts of munitions of war, and a strong garrison placed there. Thus was unhappy Jerusalem once more destroyed.
Antiochus did not stop at the destruction of the city, but he issued a decree that all people in his dominions should leave their former rites and worship, and should conform to the religion of the king, and worship the same gods. To insure this being carried out, he sent overseers into all the provinces to instruct the people.
The Samaritans, who had formerly claimed to be Jews, now declared that they were not Jews, and petitioned that their temple might be dedicated to the Grecian Jupiter, under the name of Protector of strangers. This was done, and they were not further molested.
In Jerusalem itself, the few people that were still there were made to cease the Jewish rites, and their worship of Jehovah, the sabbath also was profaned. An image of Jupiter Olympus was erected in the temple, and an altar on which sacrifices were offered to this god. This was in B.C. 168, on the fifteenth day of the Jewish month Chisleu; and the first sacrifice was offered on the twenty-fifth of the same month. We read in Daniel, “They shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate” (Dan. 11:31; 8:9-14).
The Jews were not allowed to circumcise their children; two women were found to have disobeyed this order. Their children were hung round their necks and they were thus led through the city, and then cast headlong down from the wall where there was the deepest fall. Indeed, all the laws were carried out with the greatest severity.
Judas Maccabæus
But a change was about to take place upon this unhappy people. One brave man, whose trust was in God, was the means of bringing it about.
At a place called Modin there dwelt a priest named Mattathias with his five sons. A commissioner, named Apelles, came to this place from the king to enforce his decrees. He addressed Mattathias, hoping that if he submitted, many others would follow without raising any obstacle. Mattathias answered with a loud voice that he could not on any consideration forsake the law of his God: he and his sons would still obey the ordinances of their religion. He confirmed this by rushing upon a Jew who he saw was about to offer on a heathen altar and killed him. Then with the aid of his sons he slew the king’s messenger and those with him.
He then rallied all who agreed with this action, and he soon had many followers. About a thousand of such took refuge in a cave near Jerusalem. The governor went forth to oppose them, and offered them forgiveness if they would submit. But they refused; they would not accept deliverance (Heb. 11:35). The governor waited till the next sabbath, when he knew they would not resist, and slew them all.
On Mattathias hearing of this, he consulted with as many priests and elders as he could, and they all agreed that in such a case it would be right to defend themselves on the sabbath day; and this new rule was made known.
They took refuge in the mountains, and as opportunity occurred they visited the towns, threw down the pagan altars, and punished the apostate Jews; circumcised the children, and recovering the copies of the law where they could, they re-established worship in the synagogues.
Mattathias was however too old to continue such fatiguing operations: he handed over the command to the most warlike of his sons, Judas Maccabæus, and soon went to his rest. It is not known why he and his brothers were called Maccabees; the name is supposed to be derived from the word maccabah, a hammer; like Charles Martel.
Antiochus was of course anxious to crush this opposition to his edicts. Apollonius, the governor of Samaria, was the first to attack Judas, but he was defeated and slain. Judas used the sword of Apollonius in his subsequent wars.
Seron, the deputy governor of Coele-Syria, next attempted to revenge the death of Apollonius, but he was also conquered and slain.
Antiochus, finding his money exhausted, went into his eastern dominions to collect by force the dues not paid, but left a large army with Lysias, a noble of the royal blood, whom he made lieutenant, to subdue the Jews; indeed, his orders were to extirpate the whole Jewish nation. Under Nicanor and Gorgias a part of the army, 20,000 strong, entered Israel, while the general, Ptolemy Macron, with another 20,000 foot and 7,000 horse followed. A number of slave dealers also accompanied the army with funds to purchase all who were fit for slaves.
Judas had but 6,000 men, and saw that if victory was to be on his side it must be by the help of God: they fasted and prayed. Then the proclamation according to the law was made that if any had lately married wives, built houses, planted vineyards, or if they were afraid, they were to return home. This reduced the army of Judas to 3,000. He advanced to Emmaus. Here he learned that Gorgias, with 5,000 chosen foot soldiers and 1,000 horse, had left the main army to find and surprise him by night. Judas resolved to attack the camp at once before Gorgias returned. He was victorious: after a slight resistance the Syrians fled. Judas restrained his men from plundering the camp till Gorgias should return. On his return, wearied with looking for him on the mountains, he was attacked by Judas and suffered a complete defeat with immense slaughter. The Jews with just retribution seized some of the slave dealers and sold them for slaves. Immense booty was found in the camp. The next day being the sabbath, rest and thanksgiving were their portion.
Judas, hearing that a large force was collecting beyond the Jordan, crossed the river and attacked them, and was again victorious, and gathered a large quantity of arms. Two chief opposers of the Jews here met their death — Philarches and Calisthenes: one was slain in the war, and the other burnt to death in a house in which he had taken shelter.
The next year (B.C. 165) Lysias determined to come himself and attack Judas. He gathered 60,000 foot soldiers and 5,000 horse, and now resolved to carry out the wishes of Antiochus and exterminate the entire nation. Vain resolve! Judas had but 10,000 men; but his trust was in God. He attacked the army of Lysias, slew 5,000 of his troops, and the rest fled.
Judas being free from war for a season bethought himself of Jerusalem, and resolved to recover the temple that worship might be restored there. He found the city in ruins, the sanctuary desolated, the altar profaned, the gates of the temple destroyed, and shrubs growing in its courts. Great were the lamentations when these things were seen, and an earnest desire was expressed that all should be set in order.
Priests were sought of unblamable reputation, and these set to work to cleanse the temple: the idolatrous altar was thrown down and a new one erected of unhewn stones. A new table for shewbread was made and covered with gold, a new candlestick, and altar of incense, with all other necessary vessels and utensils. The spoils taken in war enabled all this to be accomplished.
Feast of Dedication
When all was restored, a new dedication was carried out with due solemnity. It was on the 25th day of the month Chisleu: this was the very same day of the year on which the temple had been profaned three years before, and three years and a half after the city and temple had been desolated by Apollonius.
This was foretold in Daniel 8:13-14. In this chapter Antiochus Epiphanes and his actings are described in verses 9 to 15. (The end of the chapter refers to the desolator of the future from the north — the antitype of Epiphanes.) Daniel 8:14 signifies that 2,300 evening and morning (margin) burnt offerings would be withheld; that is, for 1,150 days the daily sacrifice was interrupted, between the years B.C. 168 and 165.
The feast of dedication was continued for eight days, with great joy and thanksgiving for the wondrous deliverance God had wrought for them. The anniversary of this dedication was ever after kept by the Jews as a feast. It is this dedication that is referred to in John 10:22: for though there had been other dedications, the one spoken of in John is said to be in the “winter,” which agrees with the above, and answers to our December. The other dedications had not been made into an annual feast.
Jerusalem, however, was not yet free from its enemies, for a strong fortress near the temple was still in the hands of their foes, and from thence they from time to time cut off the worshippers as they entered the temple. Judas strongly fortified that side of the temple which was next to the fortress.
The re-establishment of the Jews was looked upon with envy by the surrounding nations, and the Jews were molested and murdered where their enemies had the power. A great force from Tyre, Sidon and Ptolemais laid waste the country. Gilead was attacked with great slaughter. Judas divided his army into three parts: 8,000 under his command proceeded to Gilead; 3,000, under his brother Simon, went to Galilee; the rest were left to defend the restored provinces, with orders not to attack any, but to stand on the defence.
Judas and Simon were everywhere victorious: city after city was captured, and those Jews who were much exposed to attack were removed to places better protected. The part of the army left behind foolishly attacked Jamnia, a seaport, and were defeated with great loss.
During the above events, Antiochus Epiphanes, the great enemy of the Jews, came to his earthly end. We left him travelling to the east to gather his tribute. He made an unsuccessful attempt to plunder a rich temple in Persia, which greatly irritated him; and when messenger after messenger came to tell how his troops had been overcome by Judas, and how the temple had been cleansed at Jerusalem, and the worship of God established, his wrath knew no bounds: he would hasten to the land and make Jerusalem a tomb for the whole nation: he would destroy them to a man!
Vain boast! God laid His hands upon the proud persecutor, and smote him with a dire disease accompanied with great pain in his bowels. He would not, however, give way, but bade his charioteer drive with greater speed. This being done, the chariot was overturned and the king much hurt. He tried a litter, but could not bear the pain; so he was forced to lay by in a town named Tabae in the mountains of Paraetacene, on the confines of Persia and Babylonia. Here in bed he suffered from an incurable ulcer that bred worms, and sent forth such a stench that none could bear to be near him. His mind was troubled as much as his body. He saw spectres and apparitions of evil spirits which he imagined were ever about him. He acknowledged that the angry God of the Jews was punishing him for what he had done against His temple and His people at Jerusalem; and he vowed should he recover that he would undo the evil he had done. It was too late! God’s hand was upon him: he fairly rotted away! A signal example of what it is even in this world to fall into the hands of the living God! (Prideaux points to Herod, Galerius Maximianus, and Philip II. Spain as similar examples.)
Lysias, governor of Syria, set up the son of Antiochus as king under the name of Antiochus (V.) Eupator (B.C. 164); Demetrius, son of Seleucus, the rightful heir, was a hostage at Rome.
Lysias’ great ambition was to subdue Israel: after several efforts he gathered an immense army: 100,000 foot soldiers, 20,000 horse, and 32 elephants, and attacked Bethsura. Judas hastened to its relief, and was in a measure successful, but was obliged to retreat before such a host. Eleazar, his brother, fought his way to one of the elephants, and stabbed it in the belly, but was crushed to death by its fall. Bethsura pressed by famine was obliged to capitulate, but on honourable terms.
Jerusalem was then attacked, but successfully resisted. As Lysias was needed at Antioch, and his army running short of provisions, a treaty was concluded. Antiochus was admitted into the city, but he threw down the walls, etc. in violation of the treaty.
In the meantime Demetrius, the rightful heir, had escaped from Rome, and attacking Antiochus and Lysias he killed them both and became master of the kingdom. His policy with the Jews was more subtle: he endeavoured to set Jews against Jews. With Judas there were many of the strict sect of the Chasidim, answering, in a measure, to the Pharisees of later date. Many others wanted to live more easy lives, and thus dissensions arose among them.
Demetrius re-appointed to the high priest’s office one Alcimus who had come to Judaea supported by Bacchides, an able general. None attempted to oppose the high priest; but no sooner was he settled in his office than he put to death sixty of the leaders. Bacchides also committed severities in other parts; but as soon as he had withdrawn with his troops Judas took up arms, and Alcimus was obliged to flee to Antioch.
Demetrius then sent Nicanor with an army to reinstate Alcimus, which was done; but a battle was fought at Capharsalama, in which Judas was victorious and slew 5,000 of the Syrians. Nicanor revenged himself on the friends of Judas in Jerusalem. He tried to influence the troops with Judas to deliver him up, but this proving ineffectual, another battle was fought: Nicanor was slain and his army totally defeated.
Judas now took a more decided step to secure the independence of Israel. He entered into an alliance with Rome, which was ever ready to have useful allies, and to weaken great monarchies. He did not, however, live to reap any personal advantage from this; for Demetrius collected the whole force of his kingdom against Judas. Judas was, on the other hand, deserted by his followers except eight hundred. He could not, however, be induced to retreat, and fell in battle.
Judas, in appealing to Rome, departed from the line of faith and dependence on God, against whose revealed will he clearly acted in seeking alliance with a Gentile power. From that moment it seems as though the power of God left him. The deliverance granted of God by his instrumentality resembles the wonders He wrought by the judges. By faith he was out of weakness made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens (Heb. 11:34).
Jonathan and Simon Maccabæus
Alcimus now again became master in Jerusalem, and Bacchides put to death the supporters of Judas. Jonathan the brother of Judas assembled a small force, but could do little more than harass the army of Bacchides, while another brother, Simon, defended the strong post of Bethbasi.
Bacchides became weary of such guerrilla warfare, and, as is supposed, being warned of the danger of oppressing an ally of Rome, concluded an honourable peace with Jonathan.
Jonathan was now nominally master of Judaea, but Jerusalem and other places would not respect his authority, being held by Syrian troops and opposing Jews. A revolution in Syria strengthened his hands. An adventurer, Alexander Balas, declared himself to be the son of Antiochus Epiphanes, and claimed the crown. The Romans favoured Alexander, and Jonathan’s support was now solicited by both claimants, Demetrius and Alexander.
Demetrius gave him power to levy an army, and yielded up the hostages which were in his hands. Jonathan seized the opportunity and gained possession of Jerusalem except the fortress. Alexander, however, outbid Demetrius, and offered Jonathan the high priesthood, exemption from all tribute, from customs of salt, and from crown taxes, the third part of the seed, and half of the fruit of the trees; full protection also in his religion, and the town of Ptolemais, and promised him gifts towards the expenses of the temple, and for repairing the city.
Jonathan accepted the terms offered, assumed the priestly robes, and became the first of the Asmonean princes.
Alexander was successful: Demetrius was defeated and slain. Alexander on ascending the throne of Syria married Cleopatra, the daughter of the king of Egypt. Jonathan was present at the marriage, and was received with marked honours. He afterward fought for Alexander, being general as well as high priest.
A priest named Onias, the son of Onias, being disappointed of the priesthood went into Egypt, and there so ingratiated himself with Ptolemy Philometor and his wife Cleopatra that he was promoted to great honours, both in the army and at court. He used his influence with the king to obtain permission to build a Jewish temple in Egypt. He represented that it would be to the king’s advantage, by the Jews not having to resort to Jerusalem, which was in another kingdom. But a difficulty arose with the Jews themselves, for they held that Jerusalem was their only right place of worship. To satisfy them he produced the prophecy in Isaiah 19:18-19: “In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the Lord of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction. In that day shall there be an altar to the Lord, in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord.” The fulfilment of this prophecy is without doubt still future: it refers to Egypt as a nation, and not to the Jews residing there.
Having gained the king, and satisfied his own people, he built the temple within the prefecture of Heliopolis, twenty-four miles from Memphis. It is supposed that he chose this spot for the temple because “the city of destruction” mentioned in the prophecy was thought to refer to the “city of the sun,” which is Heliopolis. The Hebrew manuscripts differ: most read “city of Destruction,” but some, as in the margin of the English Bible, read “city of the Sun.” The early versions also have the latter, and some have judged that the Jews in Israel altered the text to throw contempt on the temple built by Onias. On the other hand, some attribute to the influence of Onias that the LXX reads “city of Righteousness.” He built it after the pattern of the temple at Jerusalem, though not so large, lofty, or splendid. A wall was built round the temple, and priests and Levites carried on the daily sacrifices as at Jerusalem. It was destroyed about 224 years after by Vespasian, emperor of Rome, in connection with the destruction of Jerusalem.
Fresh troubles were arising for Judaea. Demetrius, the son of Demetrius, seeing that Alexander had given himself up entirely to pleasure, and that Ammonius, to whom he had committed the chief government of Syria, was ruling with oppression, thought it a good opportunity to claim his right to the throne. He therefore raised an army to enforce his claim. Apollonius, who governed another part of Syria, sided with Demetrius, and collecting an army challenged Jonathan to battle, for Jonathan still supported Alexander. Jonathan left Jerusalem with ten thousand men, took Joppa, and then defeated Apollonius, and pursued his troops to Azotus, and set fire to the town. He destroyed also the temple of Dagon and those who had taken shelter therein.
Alexander, fearing Demetrius, begged his father-in-law, Ptolemy, to come to his assistance. He came with a large army. As he passed through the various towns he left garrisons therein. Jonathan met him at Joppa and marched on with him to Ptolemais. On arriving here it was discovered that plots were being laid to take the life of Ptolemy. Ammonius, who managed for Alexander, alarmed by the large army Ptolemy had brought, and fearing that he had come to seize the country for himself, thought it best to cut him off. Ptolemy proceeded to Alexander and demanded that he should give up the traitor; but Alexander refused. This convinced Ptolemy that his son-in-law was a party to the attempt to take his life. He therefore took his daughter away and gave her to Demetrius, and made a league with him to restore him to his father’s kingdom. The people, finding that Ammonius was now without protection, rose in tumult against him, and as he was about to escape in woman’s clothes he was put to death. A battle was fought, but Alexander was defeated, and fled to Zabdiel, an Arabian; but was there put to death.
Ptolemy had received a wound in the battle of which he died a few days after. In this year (B.C. 146) two celebrated cities were destroyed: Carthage, by Scipio Africanus, just after a three years’ war; and Corinth, taken and burnt by L. Mummius, Roman consul.
Another claimant to the Syrian throne soon appeared. Tryphon, an officer, craftily put forth Antiochus Theos, son of Alexander, as king. Demetrius fled and left the field for Antiochus. Jonathan was received by the new king with great honours, and Simon his brother made captain general. Jonathan gained two signal victories for the young king. Tryphon really wanted the throne for himself, but knowing that Jonathan would not help on such a scheme, he enticed him into Ptolemais, under the plea of surrendering the town to him; but then made him a prisoner.
The Jews were astounded; but Simon at once took command. Tryphon agreed to deliver up Jonathan for 100 talents of silver: and two of his sons as hostages. These were sent, but Tryphon would not give up Jonathan. A heavy fall of snow compelled Tryphon to retreat, but he put Jonathan to death. Antiochus was also put to death by the same traitor.
Simon openly espoused the cause of Demetrius against Tryphon, and set to work to strengthen his position. He compelled those in the fortress to surrender by stopping all supplies. He then demolished the place, and with great labour levelled the hill on which it stood. Peace and prosperity reigned; but, alas! soon to be disturbed.
Demetrius had been taken prisoner in an expedition against the Parthians, and Antiochus Sidetes, his brother, raised an army to dispossess the tyrant Tryphon; but first sent to Simon for tribute and indemnification for Gazara and Joppa. Simon refused tribute, but offered a price for Joppa. On this refusal Antiochus sent an army under Cendebeus to invade the country. Simon being now too old to conduct the war, sent an army with his sons Judas and John Hyrcanus. They were victorious and took Azotus.
In B.C. 135 Simon made a tour through the cities of Judaea to see that all were tranquil and safe, and came with some of his sons to Jericho. Ptolemy, the son of Abubus, was governor, and he invited Simon and his sons to an entertainment. He had married the daughter of Simon, and the invitation was readily accepted. But Ptolemy had plotted with Antiochus Sidetes to get rid of Simon, that he might himself get the government of Judaea; and he ordered Simon to be put to death. Messengers were also sent to Gazara to kill John. But John had already been informed of the treachery; and put to death the messengers. He then hastened to Jerusalem, and was hailed as high priest and prince of the Jews. He then marched to Jericho to revenge the death of his father; but Ptolemy had in his power the mother and brethren of John. He exposed them on a wall and scourged them and threatened to put them to death. The mother, notwithstanding this, exhorted her son to revenge the death of his father.
The rapid movements of John had thwarted the plans of Ptolemy, and he fled to Philadelphia, and is heard of no more. But the Syrian army under Antiochus ravaged the whole country, and then besieged John in Jerusalem. He cut a ditch all round the city so that none could escape. On the feast of tabernacles arriving, John asked for a truce for a week. This was granted, and even beasts were sent in for the sacrifices. John then sued for peace, for Jerusalem was threatened by famine, and he was met with much easier terms than he could have expected. The country was to belong to the kings of Syria, tribute paid for Joppa and other towns, and Jerusalem to be dismantled.
Four years after, John Hyrcanus was summoned to attend his lord, Antiochus, on an expedition to Parthia under the pretence of delivering his brother, Demetrius Nicator, a captive there. Hyrcanus met him, but managed to return before Antiochus lost his army, his throne, and his life.
Demetrius escaped and recovered the throne of Syria. Hyrcanus took the opportunity of this change to throw off his allegiance to Syria, and strengthened his position every time an opportunity occurred. What especially endeared him to his nation was his capture of Sychem, and the total demolition of the Samaritan temple, which for two hundred years had been an eyesore to the pilgrims to Jerusalem. He left not a trace of the building.
He next attacked the Idumeans, and forced them either to be circumcised and to adopt the religion of the Jews, or to be banished from the country. Many were circumcised and became incorporated nominally with the Jews.
The Idumeans can only be traced to the Edomites, the descendants of Esau. After the curses pronounced against them (Jer. 49:17; Ezek. 25:13-14; Obad. 10-16) it is remarkable that they should now be incorporated with the Jews. It may be that God allowed it that they might be a scourge to His rebellious people, as we know they were in the persons of Herod the Great and his descendants.
He next determined to subdue the Samaritans, and sent an army under his sons Aristobulus and Antigonus. The Samaritans called in the king of Damascus to help them; but his army suffered a total defeat. Then 6,000 Egyptian allies came to their relief, but they were also defeated. After a whole year Samaria fell, and Hyrcanus became master of Samaria and Galilee. The hated city of Samaria was entirely destroyed; trenches were dug and the place turned into a pool of water.
Though Hyrcanus was thus successful outside Jerusalem, there was but little peace inside because of the contentions between the various parties of Pharisees, Sadducees, and Karaites. The Karaites have been termed the Protestants of Judaism, because they adhered strictly to the letter of the law and paid no respect to traditions.
Hyrcanus had favoured the Pharisees until his course was nearly run, when he joined the Sadducees. The cause of this change is thus related. At a banquet to which he had invited the chief men of the Pharisees, he foolishly asked their judgment on his administration and general conduct. All but one were unanimous in declaring his actions to have been praiseworthy. Eleazar objected, saying, “If you are a just man, abandon the high priesthood, for which you are disqualified by the illegality of your birth.” It was said that his mother had been a captive, and was thus, being exposed to the pollution of a heathen master, unsuitable for the wife of a priest.
Hyrcanus demanded the trial of Eleazar for defamation; but the other Pharisees shielded him, and declared him only worthy of scourging and imprisonment instead of death.
Hyrcanus was much irritated at the opposition and was persuaded by Jonathan, a Sadducee, that Eleazar was only the mouthpiece of all the Pharisees; was not this proved, he said, by their shielding him from due punishment? Hyrcanus therefore abandoned the councils of the Pharisees, and joined himself more to the Sadducean party.
Hyrcanus reigned twenty-nine years with great ability. He built the castle of Baris on a rock within the fortifications that surrounded the temple on its north-west corner. It was the Antonia of Herod.
Aristobulus I. his son, succeeded (B.C. 106). His reign was short and disastrous. His mother claimed the sovereignty according to the will of her husband; but Aristobulus shut her up in a dungeon and starved her to death. Strange that any ruler of the Jews should expect the blessing of God on such a crime. Three of his brothers were also imprisoned. He made a successful assault upon Iturea at the foot of Anti-Libanus, afterward called Auranitis, but returned suffering from a dangerous disease. His brother Antigonus soon after, having completed the conquest, hastened with his troops, armed as he was, into the temple to return thanks.
This was construed by the queen and the harem as an act of treachery. His brother summoned him to come to him unarmed. His enemies, however, told him to come in some splendid armour which his brother wished to see. Guards were in waiting, and as he appeared in arms he was murdered in a subterranean passage that led from the temple to the palace of Baris. Aristobulus, however, was seized with horror at the deed, and vomited blood. The slave who carried away the vessel slipped and the blood was spilled on the very spot where Antigonus had been slain, and thus the blood of the two brothers was mingled together. A cry of horror ran through the gallery and was heard in the palace. On demand he was told the cause of the outcry, when he was seized with such an agony of remorse that he expired. Thus his crimes met with speedy punishment.
Alexander Jannaeus, his brother, succeeded (B.C. 105). A younger brother attempted to gain the throne, but was put to death. At this time Egypt was governed by Cleopatra, widow of Ptolemy Physcon; Cyprus, by her son Ptolemy Lathyrus, her deadly enemy. The Syrian dominions were shared by Antiochus Grypus and Antiochus Cyzicenus.
Alexander was not content with his dominions but sought to gain Ptolemais. The inhabitants sent for aid to Ptolemy Lathyrus, and he raised an army of 30,000 men. Alexander then asked Cleopatra for troops to expel Ptolemy. Ptolemy did not wait for this, but met Alexander and defeated him with the loss of 30,000 men. The kingdom would have been lost to Alexander had not Cleopatra sent an army under the command of two Jews, Chelcias and Ananias. Lathyrus thought to invade Egypt, but being repelled he fled to Gaza. Ptolemais was taken, and Alexander went to congratulate Cleopatra on the victory of her army. She was advised to seize him and invade Judaea for herself; but Ananias dissuaded her from such treachery.
Alexander might have reigned in peace, but his restlessness led him to foolish attempts in which he had sore reverses, and but little success.
In Jerusalem all was in disorder because of the various factions. As the king was officiating as priest at the Feast of Tabernacles, he was pelted with citrons, and reproached with the baseness of his descent. He raised a wooden partition between the court of the priests and of the people, to prevent such insults in future; and in order to overawe the people, he raised a bodyguard of foreign mercenaries, chiefly Pisidians and Cilicians.
The king again went out to battle but suffered defeat. The malcontent Jews rose in rebellion, and for six years the country suffered from a civil war. It seemed as if God had given them up to judgment. On gaining power, the king re-entered Jerusalem and there mercilessly crucified 800 men, having slain their wives and children before their faces. Eight thousand of the insurgents left the city. At length the king was seized with a deadly disease, and knowing that his end was approaching he advised his wife, Alexandra, on his death, to throw herself into the arms of the Pharisees as the most powerful of the factions.
After a turbulent reign of twenty-seven years Alexander Jannaeus died. His wife acted on his advice. The king was interred with honours, and his eldest son, Hyrcanus II. was made high priest, and the widow accredited as ruler. B.C. 78.
The Pharisees now in power demanded justice to be executed on those who had aided in the crucifixion of the 800; but Aristobulus, a second son, joined the opposite party, and petitioned the queen not to suffer the punishment of her husband’s friends. A compromise was adopted. They were allowed to leave the city and be enrolled in the garrisons of other cities.
To employ the restless Aristobulus he was sent to try and seize Damascus. He was successful, and also won the esteem of the army. On the death of Alexandra in B.C. 70, Aristobulus raised an army to seize the throne. The Pharisees with Hyrcanus raised troops to oppose him. They met at Jericho, but many of the troops of Hyrcanus went over to Aristobulus, and he entered Jerusalem. Hyrcanus took shelter in the palace of Baris, but consented to abdicate. This seemed fatal to the hopes of the Pharisees; but some of the friends of Hyrcanus were more courageous than he was, and persuaded him to flee to Aretas, King of Arabia. Aretas came with 50,000 men. Aristobulus was defeated and shut himself up in the temple with the priests.
An old man, whose prayers were thought to be powerful, was brought out and asked to pray for the defeat of Aristobulus. He said, “O God, the King of the universe, since on one side are the people, and on the other Thy priests, I beseech Thee hear not the prayers of either to the detriment of the other.” The good old man was stoned to death! The Passover drew nigh, and the priests asked to buy lambs for the sacrifice. Baskets were let down with the money, but were sent up empty, or, as others declare, with swine instead of lambs! To this had Jerusalem fallen, and this because the people had turned away from their God, and thus were their own enemies.
Judaea Under Rome
A great change was on the eve of approaching. If they could not agree among themselves, none of them should be really masters; but be made servants to a greater power. In the prophecy of Daniel there were four great beasts. The last of these was Rome. It is thus described by the prophet: “Dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns” (Dan. 7:7).
It does not speak here of the rapidity of its conquests as was said of Greece; and, as we have seen, it gradually increased its power, and now, in our history, it is about to take possession of Israel. Before this Judaea was treated more as an ally of Rome, but now it was to become its vassal.
Scaurus, the Roman lieutenant of Pompey, had taken possession of Damascus, and both Hyrcanus and Aristobulus hastened to seek his protection: each offered 400 talents. Scaurus ordered Aretas to raise the siege, and he complied.
In a little while Pompey himself came to Damascus, and the kings all around hastened to pay him homage, with splendid gifts. Aristobulus sent a golden vine worth 400 talents.
After some months’ delay Pompey sat to judge between the claimants to the throne of Judaea. There appeared a deputation from the people who complained of both of the brothers. Hyrcanus by his ambassador pleaded that he was the elder, with accusations against his brother. For Aristobulus it was urged that Hyrcanus was incompetent, etc.
Pompey for the present dismissed them with soft words. He wanted first to conquer Arabia, with Petra and its trade. Having accomplished this, he brought his army into Judaea. Aristobulus had been busy fortifying a strong citadel on a rock called Alexandrion. But Pompey demanded that he should sign a surrender of all his fortresses. Aristobulus would gladly have refused, but was too weak to resist. He hastened to Jerusalem in order to oppose Pompey, but finding the inhabitants too much divided, he met Pompey with an offer to surrender the city. Gabinius was sent to take possession; but in the meantime a stronger party prevailed, shut the gates, and manned the walls for defence.
Pompey, indignant at this treatment, put Aristobulus in chains, and advanced to the city; but now Hyrcanus was in power, he opened the gates and received the proud Roman gladly. The forces of Aristobulus, with the priests, took refuge in the temple, cut off the communication with the town, and prepared for defence. The hill on which the temple stood was approachable only on the north: here Pompey brought his engines. On the Sabbath those within would do nothing in defence, so that the engines on that day were moved forward. In three months one of the battering rams knocked down the largest tower. The troops rushed in, and, after great loss of life, the temple was taken. The priests, all the time of the siege, had gone on with their daily sacrifices as if nothing was happening. Many of them were slain at the altar.
Pompey profaned the temple by his presence, and was astonished to find no visible God therein. He found large treasures, but did not take them. The temple was cleansed, and Hyrcanus confirmed in the priesthood, but without any royalty. Pompey settled the amount of tribute to be paid to Rome, demolished the walls of the city, and took Aristobulus, with his two sons and two daughters, as prisoners to Rome. Alexander, the elder of the sons, escaped; but Aristobulus and his other son had to take part in the triumph of Pompey at Rome. From this time (B.C. 63) Jerusalem and Judaea became subject to Rome.
JULIUS CAESAR was now at war with Pompey, and the Jews witnessed with pleasure the declining power of Pompey, and attributed it to his violating the sanctity of their temple. They declared for Caesar. Alexander collected troops and garrisoned some of the fortresses; but Hyrcanus called on the Romans for assistance. Gabinius came to his assistance and Alexander was defeated.
Aristobulus and his other son, having escaped from Rome, also raised the standard of revolt, but he could not stand before the arms of Rome: severely wounded, he was sent back to Rome in chains. Gabinius re-organized the government of the country, and established five independent Sanhedrims: they sat at Jerusalem, Jericho, Gadara, Amanthus, and Sepphoris. This lasted until Julius Caesar re-established Hyrcanus with supreme dignity.
Gabinius, with Mark Antony, proceeded to the conquest of Egypt, but Alexander at once raised troops, drove the remaining Romans into Mount Gerizim, and there besieged them. Gabinius hastened back to the rescue. Alexander had now 80,000 troops, but they could not stand before the disciplined Romans. He was defeated and fled.
The Jews believed readily enough that God punished those who did them injury, but were too blind to see their own wickedness: however, Gabinius no sooner returned to Rome than he was stripped of his honours and banished.
In B.C. 55 CRASSUS had Syria appointed to him, and in the following year he came to Jerusalem. A rich present was given him, but he robbed the temple of its treasures, amounting in value to ten thousand talents, estimated at nearly two million of our money. He soon after suffered an ignominious defeat and lost his life.
During the contest between Pompey and Caesar, all was in suspense. Caesar released Aristobulus and sent him with a large force to Israel to make a diversion against Pompey, but he was poisoned by the partisans of Pompey, and Scipio publicly put his gallant son Alexander to death at Antioch.
Attention must be called to Antipater, son of Antipas, Governor of Idumea. The Idumeans, with their descendants, were about to hold the chief place in the government of the Jews. For many years the government had been in the hands of the Asmoneans, but it was soon to pass from them to the Idumeans, many of these, as we have seen, had become nominally Jews. Antipater was Hyrcanus’ chief man. He had been of signal service to the cause of Caesar, and he was, on the death of Pompey, made procurator of the whole of Judaea, and made a Roman citizen, B.C. 48.
His first care was to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, and, recognizing the incapacity of Hyrcanus, he made his own son, Phasael, Governor of Jerusalem, and his son Herod, Governor of Galilee. This is the introduction into power of the man who was to become HEROD THE GREAT — great in power, and great in wickedness.
Herod soon began to show his energy. He seized a noted captain of banditti, and put him and most of his band to death. The Jews, jealous of the increasing power of the Idumeans, persuaded Hyrcanus to summon Herod to answer for putting the robbers to death without a trial. He came to Jerusalem well armed, and the timid Sanhedrim were afraid to raise a voice against him, except Sameas, a man of high integrity, who told Herod that he should not have appeared before the court in purple and with armed attendants. Hyrcanus adjourned the Sanhedrim and secretly advised Herod to escape.
On the death of Caesar (B.C. 44), Cassius became Proconsul of Syria, and such was his rapacity that the inhabitants of some towns had to be sold as slaves to meet his demands. Antipater’s two sons and Malichus, an influential Jew, collected the taxes, but Hyrcanus had to give a large sum from his private resources to make up the deficiency of the collection and to insure the life of Malichus. Herod cleverly managed to ingratiate himself with Cassius by speedily obtaining his portion of the taxes.
Malichus now fearing the power of the Idumeans treacherously caused Antipater to be poisoned; in revenge for which Herod, by intrigue, got Malichus into his power and caused him to be put to death.
On Cassius leaving Syria, the opposing faction rallied and were supported by Felix the Roman general in Jerusalem; but Phasael was able to overcome them.
A new enemy appeared in the person of Antigonus, the surviving son of Aristobulus. He advanced into Galilee, but was defeated by Herod.
Rome was at this time at war with itself; but a decisive battle at Philippi increased the power of Mark Antony. Herod soon made him his friend by large presents of money; and from thence Herod’s enemies could get no redress. Herod and Phasael were made tetrarchs.
But Israel was not to be long at peace, for the Parthians, under Pacorus the king’s son, overran Syria and Asia Minor. Antigonus again took the opportunity of claiming Judaea under Parthian protection: he offered the strange bribe of 1,000 talents and 500 Jewesses! Antigonus fought his way to Jerusalem, which was still in internal disorder, and there was mutual slaughter. The friends of the newcomer held the temple; Hyrcanus, the palace: there were daily conflicts.
It was at length proposed that the dispute should be remitted for decision to Barzapharnes, the commander-in-chief of the Parthians. Phasael foolishly agreed to this, and Hyrcanus went with him. Herod remained at Jerusalem, but suspecting their treachery, he stole out of the city by night with all his family, and went to Massada, a strong fortress on the Dead Sea. He left the women there well protected, and went himself to Egypt and thence to Rome.
In the meantime Phasael and Hyrcanus were imprisoned. Antigonus, not wishing to put the high priest to death, cut off his ears to prevent him ever after being high priest. The unhappy Phasael beat his own brains out in his dungeon rather than fall into the hands of his enemies.
Antigonus assumed the sovereignty, but the Parthians pillaged Jerusalem and devastated the country. Herod was more than successful at Rome. He asked the kingdom for Aristobulus (this young man) was the grandson of both Aristobulus and Hyrcanus and brother to the beautiful Mariamne to whom he was betrothed. But Augustus and Antony conferred the power on Herod himself instead of on Aristobulus (B.C. 40. Josephus (Wars 1. 33, 8) says that Herod in B.C. 4 had reigned 37 years.). Herod was not a man to refuse the honour thus put upon him. He hastily finished his business at Rome and sailed for Israel. His first care was for Massada where his bride was shut up. Antigonus had nearly succeeded in taking the place: they would soon have had to surrender because of the drought, had not a timely rain filled their water tanks. Herod soon raised some troops and relieved the place.
The Parthians had retired on the approach of a Roman army, and Antigonus was now thrown on his own resources. Silo, with some Roman troops, should have helped Herod; but seeking to enrich himself, played fast and loose.
Herod, unable of himself to secure the country, fixed his quarters at Samaria, and attacked Galilee, then infested by robbers. He drove many beyond the Jordan, and attacked some in their dens. Boxes, with men, were let down from the cliffs above, and those in the dens were speared and the caves fired.
The next year (B.C. 38) help was sent from Rome under Machaeras, and revenged himself on the Jews with Herod. Herod went to pay his respects to Antony and to lodge his complaints, leaving his brother Joseph in command, who, while Herod was away, attacked the troops of Antigonus at Jericho and was killed.
The following year Herod, after consummating his marriage with Mariamne, carried on a regular siege of Jerusalem with the aid of Roman troops under Sosius. The resistance was so obstinate, that on the city being taken Sosius gave it up to the fury of the troops, until Herod expostulated with him: he feared that he would be left king, not of a noble city, but of a heap of ruins. Sosius was paid to spare the city. Antigonus surrendered to Sosius, and begged for his life; but he was sent to Antony, and, on the solicitation of Herod, he was put to death. This was the last of the Asmonean kings. They had, commencing with Judas Maccabeus, governed for a hundred and twenty-nine years, and now began the reign of Herod as king.
Herod the Great
Herod had cleverly attained to the kingdom of Judaea, skilfully avoiding traps laid for his destruction, bravely acting with energy when opposed, and adroitly insinuating himself into favour with the Romans in power. As we have said, he was great in ability, he was, alas! great in cruelty also, as his further history shows.
His position in Jerusalem was not a bed of roses. The different factions were not to be overlooked. He must act with energy, he had not the wisdom to temper this with mercy. There were many who were still attached to the Asmonean family. He at once put to death forty-five of their chief men, and confiscated their possessions. Then the Sanhedrim felt his vengeance. All but Sameas and Pollio (who had advocated the surrender of the city) were slain. The others had raised the cry of, “The temple of the Lord! the temple of the Lord!” and had incited the people against Herod.
A great difficulty at once arose as to who should be high priest. Hyrcanus returned to the city, and was received joyfully, but, alas! he had been mutilated by Antigonus, and, according to the law, was disqualified. Herod sought out a man named Ananel from Babylon, an obscure person, but a descendant from the priests, whom he installed in the office.
This gave great offence. Alexandra, the mother of Mariamne, had a son for whom she desired the priesthood, but he was only seventeen years old. She sent pictures of this son and a daughter, both of great beauty, to Antony to excite his sympathy, if not his vile passions. Herod saw the danger to himself of this intrigue, and discovered also that Alexandra was communicating with Cleopatra, and had formed a plan to carry her son to Egypt. This he prevented, and made the son high priest instead of Ananel.
A new danger now presented itself to Herod’s fears. At the Feast of Tabernacles, when this young man appeared in his priestly robes, it was evident to Herod that, while the people admired him as their priest, they would have preferred him as their king also. Herod’s jealousy was so great that, though he pretended to admire him, he contrived to remove him to Jericho, and there had him drowned while bathing. Herod assumed great grief, but no one was deceived as to who was the real murderer.
News of this was sent to Cleopatra, who had, at this time, Antony in her amorous entanglements. Herod saw he was in danger, and hastened to Antony with immense bribes to insure his safety. He left his uncle Joseph as deputy, and also his beloved Mariamne in his care; but with orders that if he should not return alive, Mariamne was to be put to death: he could not bear the thought that she should ever be another man’s wife. Joseph unwisely revealed this secret to Mariamne, which naturally roused her indignation. Rumours came that Herod had been put to death, and Alexandra and Mariamne at once took measures for securing the kingdom; but the report was false, and all commotion subsided.
On the return of Herod his sister Salome, wounded by the haughtiness of the queen and her mother, tried to poison his mind with thoughts of the infidelity of the queen with his uncle Joseph. Her beauty however banished such suspicions; but when she asked, if he really loved her, why had he ordered her death? he thought the suspicions suggested by Salome were correct, and he was full of wrath. He had almost killed Mariamne on the spot, but her beauty again disarmed him, and his vengeance fell on Joseph, who was put to death, and on Alexandra, who was imprisoned with every insult.
Cleopatra, in her companionship with Antony, had begged Judaea for herself, but failed to obtain it. On her return from the Euphrates, whither she had gone with her paramour, she visited Jerusalem. Herod kept himself from her snares, and even contemplated putting her to death as a dangerous neighbor, and to deliver Antony from her enchantments; but was advised to leave her alone. To please Antony, Herod attacked Arabia in order to enforce Cleopatra’s demand of tribute; after a first repulse he smote great numbers of the Arabs. A great earthquake in this year destroyed many cities, and 30,000 of the inhabitants lost their lives.
Another crime now stained the hands of Herod. There was war between Antony and Octavius, and Herod thought it probable that Octavius would be the victor, and it was needful for him, in order to retain the kingdom, to secure the patronage of whoever was master at Rome. But there was still one of the Asmonean family living, the aged Hyrcanus: he was past his eightieth year; but the envious Herod, fearing that Octavius, should he be victor, might re-instate this aged prince, pretended that he had been treasonably corresponding with the King of Arabia, and the poor old man was put to death.
Herod then sent off his mother, sister, and children to Massada; and his wife and her mother to the fortress of Alexandrion in charge of a partisan, Soemus, but again with the order to put the queen to death in case of his losing his life.
When he reached Octavius at Rhodes, he appeared before him without a diadem, and made a grand speech. He owned that he had been a friend of Antony; that he had advised Antony to put Cleopatra to death, but that Antony had pursued his own disastrous course: if Octavius would bind him to himself he would be as faithful to him as he had been to Antony. He was successful. Octavius bade him resume the diadem; and when he passed through Syria, Herod gave him 800 talents, and entertained him royally. Afterward Octavius, on the conquest of Egypt, gave him Gadara, Samaria, and the maritime towns of Joppa and Gaza.
Such was the great success of Herod in his kingdom; but when he returned home, trouble again awaited him in his family. Mariamne had discovered that Herod had again ordered her execution if he had been cut off, and she shewed her resentment to such treatment, and upbraided him also with his cruelty to her family. Salome, his sister, lost no opportunity to inflame his passions, and even got his cup-bearer to swear that Mariamne had bribed him to poison him. Herod knew that Mariamne revealed all her secrets to a favourite eunuch: he caused him to be tortured; he declared he knew nothing of the poison, but stated that the dislike of the queen was owing to Soemus. This was taken as a proof of her infidelity. Soemus was at once put to death, and Mariamne was put on her trial. The judges, afraid of Herod, declared her guilty. Herod hesitated to put his beautiful wife to death, but urged by his mother and his sister, he gave the order. As she was led to execution, her own mother reproached her for her infidelity to so affectionate a husband, doubtless with the simple object of saving her own life!
No sooner had Mariamne fallen than Herod was filled with the direst remorse. He seemed haunted by the spirit of his wife. He would call, “Mariamne, Mariamne,” but found no relief; banquets and revels were all of no use to his disordered mind. Under the pretence of hunting he sought the deepest solitude, and was laid up for some time at Samaria with pains in his body added to the anguish of his mind. Alexandra began plotting against the king; but on his being informed of it he ordered her death.
On the partial recovery of the king, he resumed his regal duties, but it was soon found that he was in no way softened by his sufferings. Salome had divorced her husband, and now sought his death. It was easy to hatch up a pretended conspiracy, and he and others were sacrificed.
Herod, though assuming the greatest respect for the Jewish religion, did what he could to conform the people to foreign usages. He built a theatre in the city, and a large amphitheatre outside, encouraged gymnastic contests, chariot races, and even fights of wild beasts and gladiators.
The zealous Jews looked on with dismay; but when Herod adorned the theatre with what appeared to be images clad in armour in representation of Roman victories, there was an open tumult. Herod had one of the trophies pulled to pieces in the presence of the people, and when they saw merely a peg of wood on which to hang the armour, their anger was turned to laughter. But this did not satisfy those who were zealots for the law. Ten men bound themselves to assassinate the king. They concealed daggers under their cloaks. The spies of the king discovering the plot, he was saved, and the men were put to death with great tortures. The informer, however, was torn to pieces by the people, and this showed the king that his life was unsafe: the people really had no love or respect for him.
The fears of Herod caused him to rebuild, as a fortress, the tower of Baris. He called it Antonia. He also built a palace for himself on the hill of Sion. As places of security he built fortresses at Gaba in Galilee, and Heshbon in Peræa. He also built Samaria on a larger scale, and peopled it with the old Samaritans and his own soldiers. He called the city Sebaste, in honour of Augustus.
In B.C. 25, a long drought led to great scarcity, with an accompanying pestilence. Herod opened his treasures, and purchased grain in abundance, and fed the people, as well as supplying them with seed for their land. This he did not only for the Jews, but for the neighboring inhabitants. This liberality in a great measure restored him to their confidence.
After marrying a second Mariamne, daughter of Simon, an obscure descendant from the priests, whom he had made high priest, he built yet another palace, about seven miles from Jerusalem, on the spot where he had defeated Antigonus, who had forced him to flee from Jerusalem. Water was brought to it by aqueducts from a long distance.
Herod also founded and built Caesarea as a safe harbor and a magnificent city. A temple, dedicated to Caesar, stood in the center, with two statues, one of Rome and the other of Caesar. It was twelve years in building.
Herod’s two sons by the first Mariamne were sent to Rome for their education. Augustus received them to his palace. Herod’s attention to the masters at Rome secured to him the friendship of both Augustus and Agrippa.
But the higher he rose in favour with Rome, the less he was esteemed by his people. To be a good Roman was different from being a good Jew. His gifts and remission of taxes could not prevent their discontent. To know all that passed Herod had his secret police, and many a disaffected one was hurried off to the Hyrcania, which has been called Herod’s Bastille.
Herod thought to gain the hearts of his people by rebuilding the temple, but the people feared he meant to destroy it. To allay their fears he gathered quantities of materials before he touched the building. At length they were gratified to see the work progressing in a magnificent style, with masses of white marble and pinnacles of gold. This only the more strongly brought out the strange character of the man. He could build a temple for the worship of Jehovah for the Jews, and yet preside at the Olympic heathen games.
Herod’s domestic cup of crime was not yet full. His two sons, Alexander and Aristobulus, returned from Rome, and were beloved of the people; but the more they were esteemed the more Herod was envious of them. He married Alexander to Glaphyra, the daughter of Archelaus, King of Cappadocia; and Aristobulus to Berenice, daughter of Salome. But Salome and her brother Pheroras were ill at ease: they could not forget that they had been the means of the death of the princes’ mother, and they imagined what their fate would be if the young princes should come to the throne. The young men may have been unwise in their remarks, or others may have made remarks for them, which only added to the fears of Salome.
It was easy for her to insinuate that they were plotting against the king, and for three years Herod heard of these rumours, but he was proud of his sons. While absent with Agrippa near the Bosphorus (where he obtained privileges for the Jews in Asia Minor, which the Greeks had endeavoured to wrest from them) these rumours grew louder, and on his return, he thought it advisable to humble his sons. He sent for his son Antipater, whom he had by Doris his first wife, whom he divorced for Mariamne. This Antipater was unscrupulous, and was just the one to enter into all the intrigues of Salome and Pheroras. Herod foolishly advanced this son by sending him to Rome with his friend Agrippa; and Antipater, while there, lost no opportunity of poisoning, by letters, his father’s mind, as to his two other sons. Salome was at Jerusalem to fan the flame.
Herod at length accused his sons before Augustus. The charge was an “unnatural obstinacy and disobedience, and of entering into criminal practices against his life.” The young men did not like to openly accuse their father, but made a modest defence. Augustus, remarkable for his moderation, succeeded in reconciling father and sons. They returned together. Still Herod named Antipater as his successor.
Herod finished the city of Caesarea, and also built Antipatris, Cypros, and Phasaelis. Antipater had returned and was again teasing Herod against his two brothers; and the king’s brother Pheroras added to his fears. Day and night he was warned of the dangers he ran. The place was filled with spies, and everyone was in danger of plots and suspicions. At length Herod put all the confidential slaves of Alexander to torture, and, thinking he had something to act upon from their extorted confessions, the young prince was sent to prison in chains.
Alexander adopted a dangerous plan. He sent letters to his father, confessing extravagant plots of treason, which involved Salome, Pheroras, and the principal of Herod’s faithful ministers. He, perhaps, thought his own fate was sealed, and hoped by this means to ruin also his accusers. Herod was beside himself. Some were seized and tortured; others put to death.
Alexander’s father-in-law appeared at court. He wisely sympathized with Herod, and entered into all his suspicions. And then, by reasoning with him as to the improbability of the accusations, he succeeded in reconciling father and son. Alexander was restored to favour.
Peace did not last long. Salome, Pheroras, and Antipater so wrought upon the king, that he wrote to Rome accusing his two sons. Augustus again tried to soothe his mind, but afterward consented to their trial at Berytus. Herod enforced his charges in person, and with great energy. The only fact really proved against them was of a design of fleeing beyond the power of Herod. They were at length condemned by a majority of the council.
Still Herod hesitated to put them to death. All sympathized with them, particularly the army. One named Teron, a gallant soldier, expressed his generous feeling in presence of the king. This led to his own death, and to that of Alexander and Aristobulus. They were strangled at Sebaste.
Vengeance was not long delayed. Pheroras had married a slave, to whom he was much attached. She had connected herself with the Pharisaic faction. On 7,000 of them being fined for refusing to take the oath of allegiance to Herod and Augustus, she paid the whole of it. Rumours of prophecies were spread about that the government was about to pass from Herod to Pheroras. These were supposed to have been set on foot by the wife of Pheroras, and he was ordered to divorce her; but he refused, and thence lost the favour of the king.
But on Pheroras falling very ill, Herod visited him and renewed his friendship. He died, and then two of his freedmen openly accused his wife of poisoning him. Herod ordered a searching investigation, when, alas, another thing was clearly proved, that Antipater had plotted with Pheroras to poison the king to hasten Antipater’s accession. The wife of Pheroras acknowledged the whole plot; and declared that by the visit of the king to her husband’s death-bed he had relented, and bid her throw the poison into the fire. Herod’s own wife, Mariamne, was also involved in the plot. She was immediately divorced. Her father was removed from the priesthood, and Mattathias appointed.
Imagine the reflections of the unhappy Herod! It was by the plots of this Antipater that he had killed his two sons for little or no crime, and now to find that their accuser was really seeking his life! Antipater was in Rome at the time. He had purchased favour in Rome, and returned to what he expected to be an early accession to the throne. He landed at Caesarea, but there were none to receive him or pay him honour. Had the plot been revealed? He had come too far to fly, so he hid his fears and came to Jerusalem. He was summoned before Herod’s court, who sat with Varus the Roman Governor of Syria. The crime was clearly proved, and he was condemned, and committed to prison.
Herod made a new will, leaving the kingdom to Antipas, son of a fourth wife Malthace, a Samaritan. He left splendid gifts to Caesar, and to Caesar’s wife and children.
Herod’s condition was sad in the extreme. He was suffering with a painful and loathsome disease; distracted in mind, and perhaps smitten in his conscience. It was rumoured that he was dead, and at once some bold youths tore down a golden eagle that Herod had placed over the great gate of the temple, and which had long been a great eyesore to both priests and people. The actual offenders were burnt alive, and Mattathias was displaced from the priesthood.
Herod’s bodily disorders sensibly increased. He suffered from internal ulcers, which gave him great pain and prevented him gratifying an inordinate appetite. The ulcers bred worms which preyed on his body: dropsy and spasms added to his tortures. He tried the warm bituminous baths of Callirhoe, but returned to Jericho unimproved. But instead of any repentance for his many crimes, he even thought of a greater one than ever. He commanded that some of all the chief families in Judaea should be shut up in the Hippodrome, and strictly charged his sister Salome that on his death they should all be massacred, with a fiendish sort of satisfaction that if the nation did not grieve at his death they would do so at that of their relatives!
To add to Herod’s troubles the news was brought that some magi had come from the East, having seen the star of one born KING OF THE JEWS — they were come in search of the King that they might pay Him homage. Herod craftily bade the magi inform him when they had found the object of their search. His evil designs being thwarted by these wise men, would only increase his suspicions, and Herod ordered all the young children in Bethlehem to be put to death. He would cut off this king, whoever He might be!
His end now drew near. The ratification from Rome of the sentence on Antipater arrived. Herod was in such agony that he attempted to take his own life, and rumours were spread abroad that he was dead. Whereupon Antipater tried to bribe his keeper to release him: this was reported to Herod, and he had just strength enough to order his execution, and also to remodel his will before he expired.
Thus passed away Herod called the Great. He did indeed carry out many great works in the country and rebuild the temple; but his terrible cruelty and bloodshed stamped his character as one great in crime! How sad to think that God’s highly-favoured people should have had such a king — an Idumean, too! — people upon whom God’s curse was to fall (Isa. 34:5). But God had for a time written upon His people, Lo-Ammi, “not My people,” and they had been drinking of that cup which their own sins and rebellion had prepared for them, and which only led to one unspeakably greater sin in the putting to death of their heaven-sent Messiah and King.
This has brought us to the times of the New Testament and closes the connecting history between the Old Testament and the New.
Family of Herod
We find the name of Herod in various parts of the Gospels and the Acts. It is important to notice that they do not all relate to the same person; ‘Herod’ being a name common to several. Those named in Scripture may be traced from the following pedigree. See the following: —
1. Herod the Great d. B.C. 4. Called Herod the King. Matt. 2:1-22, Luke 1:5
+ 1st Wife: Dorris
2. Antipater
+ 2nd Wife: Mariamne. Granddaughter of Hyrcanus.
2. Aristobulus
+ Bernice
3. Herod Agrippa I. d. A.D. 44. Herod the King. Acts. 12
+ Cypros.
4. Agrippa II. d. A.D. 100 Acts 23:13; Acts 26:1-32
4. Bernice Acts 25:13; Acts 26:30
+ 1st Husband : Herod. King of Chalcis.
+2nd Husbend: Polemo. King of Cilicia.
4. Drusilla. A Jewess. Acts 24:24
+ 1st Husband: Aziz. King of Emesa.
+ 2nd Husband. Felix. Governor of Judaea.
3. Herodias Matt. 14:3-6; Mark 6:17-22; Luke 3:19
+ 1st Husband: Herod Philip I.
+ 2nd Husband: Herod Antipas.
3. Herod. King of Chalcis. d. A.D. 48
+ 1st Wife: Mariamne. Daughter of Olympias.
+ 2nd Wife: Berenice
+ 3rd Wife: Mariamne. Daughter of Simon.
2. Philip I. Matt. 14:3; Mark 6:17; Luke 3:19
+ Herodias.
+ 4th Wife: Malthace. A Samaritan.
2. Herod Antipas. Deposed A.D. 39
Called Herod the Tetrarch. Matt. 14:1-6; Luke 3:1-19; Acts 13:1
Called The King Matt. 14:9
Called King Herod Mark 6:14-22
Called Herod Luke 23:7-15
+ 1st Wife: Daughter of Aretas.
+ 2nd Wife: Herodias
2. Archelaus. Deposed A.D. 6 Matt. 2:22
+ 5th Wife: Cleopatia.
2. Philip II. d. A.D. 33. Tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis. Luke 3:1
+ Salome.
Genealogy of Jesus Christ
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Matt. 1
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Luke 3
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Matt. 1
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Luke 3
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ADAM
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DAVID
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Seth
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Solomon
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Nathan
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Enos
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Roboam
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Mattatha
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Cainan
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Abia
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Menan, Melea
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Maleleel
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Asa
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Eliakim
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Jared
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Josaphat
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Joseph
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Enoch
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Joram
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Juda
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Methusala
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Ozias
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Simeon
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Lamech
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Levi
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Noah
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Joatham
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Matthat
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Shem
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Achaz
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Jorim, Eliezer
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Arphaxad
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Ezekias
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Jose
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Cainan
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Manasses
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Er
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Sala
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Amon
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Elmodam, Cosam
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Eber
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Josias
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Addi
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Phalec
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Jechonias
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Melchi
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Ragau
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Neri
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Saruch
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Salathiel
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Salathiel
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Nachor
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ZOROBABEL
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Abiud
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Rhesa
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Terah
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Joanna
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ABRAHAM
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Eliakim
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Juda
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Isaac
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Isaac
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Azor
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Joseph, Semei
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Jacob
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Jacob
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Mattathias
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Judas
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Juda
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Sadoc
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Maath
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Phares
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Phares
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Nagge
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Achim
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Esli
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Esrom
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Esrom
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Naum
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Aram
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Aram
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Eliud
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Amos
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Aminadab
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Aminadab
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Mattathias
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Naasson
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Naasson
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Eleazar
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Joseph
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Janna
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Salmon
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Salmon
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Matthan
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Melchi
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Booz
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Booz
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Levi
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Obed
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Obed
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Jacob
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Matthat, Heli
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Jesse
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Jesse
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Joseph
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Joseph
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DAVID
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JESUS CHRIST
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The genealogies of our Lord given in Matthew 1 and Luke 3 were no doubt copied from existing registers, which were carefully preserved by the Jews. This in no way clashes with the writers being inspired and being led what to copy.
Any one comparing them will see at once that, for the same period given in both, the list in Luke is much fuller than the one in Matthew. In order to bring the list in Matthew into three “fourteen generations” some names are omitted. Thus Ozias is placed as the son of Joram, but on consulting 1 Chronicles 3:11-12 it will be seen that three kings are here omitted, Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah. These kings being well known are here omitted; but this omission is not contrary to the usage of the Jews. In 2 Chronicles 22:9 Ahaziah is called the son of Jehoshaphat, whereas he was his grandson. Compare also the pedigree in 1 Chronicles 6:3-15 with Ezra 7:1-5, where seven generations will be found to be omitted.
There has been much written as to why the two lists are given in the gospels, and what is to be gathered from them. On the face of them there is this difference — that in the Gospel of Matthew, wherein Christ is emphatically the Messiah and Son of David, the genealogy stops at Abraham; whereas in Luke, where Christ is Son of Man, the list is traced up to “Adam, which was son of God.”
A reference to the well-known rule in the Jewish ritual, that if a married man died childless, his brother had to raise up seed to the deceased by the widow, will show that a son might naturally be called the son of the living man, though legally he would be son of the deceased. So that the same person may be called the son of either if the distinction between legal and lineal, or actual, be kept in view.
It will be noted that in Matthew the word begat is used, “Abraham begat Isaac,” etc. whereas in Luke it is more indefinite, “Isaac was of Abraham”: from which it has been inferred that Matthew gives the lineal descent, and Luke the legal; but this does not appear to be the case, for in Luke it is said that Jesus was supposed to be the son of Joseph; if it were the legal list He would be the son; then, as we have seen, in one place in Matthew three kings are omitted. The list in Matthew is the royal line which must also be the legal line. In the Old Testament we find that Jechonias was to have no lineal descendant on the throne (Jer. 22:24-25,28-30; 36:30-31), and yet Salathiel is said to be begotten by him in the royal line.
From all this we gather that Matthew gives the royal and the legal (as recognized by the Jews) descent of Jesus from Abraham, and thence to David. The Jews never disputed that He was — as indeed He was often called — the Son of David.
If this is so, the question returns — What is the nature of the genealogy in Luke? It is believed by some to be the lineal descent of Joseph; by others, to be that of Mary. If the former, it would follow that Joseph, the reputed father of Jesus, was the legal son of Jacob, but the lineal son of Heli, which would be possible according to the rule before mentioned. If Luke gives us the genealogy of Mary, it would not name her, for a woman’s name is never mentioned in the lists as a link in the succession; then Heli may have been the father of Mary and the father-in law of Joseph her husband.
It seems preferable to regard the list in Luke as the genealogy of Mary, because our Lord is said to be of the seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15; Luke 1:35), made of a woman (Gal. 4:4), and to be the seed of Abraham (Heb. 2:16), and the seed of David according to the flesh (Rom. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8), the offspring of David (Rev. 22:16). And as the Lord was not really the Son of Joseph, these scriptures can only be fulfilled through His mother, who must have been a lineal descendant of David, Abraham, and Adam, which are all shown in Luke, and the last not named in Matthew at all. Whereas, if Luke gives the lineal descent of Joseph, we have no account of how the scriptures quoted have been fulfilled.
There can be no doubt therefore that Matthew gives the legal and royal descent of our Lord through Joseph, and Luke the lineal descent through Mary.
Daniel's 70 Weeks and Date of the Crucifixion
It is an interesting question to consider how the dates assigned to the Seventy Weeks of Daniel (Dan. 9) agree with the date of the crucifixion. The prophecy is divided into 7 weeks, 62 weeks, and 1 week. It is generally agreed that these are weeks of years, and that the whole 70 weeks signify 490 years. The seven weeks doubtless refer to building the ‘street’ and the ‘wall’ of the city. Then, after 62 weeks more, Messiah should be cut off and have nothing (margin), that is, as Messiah. It will be seen that the date for the ‘cutting off’ is not stated definitely; it is after the 69 weeks, without saying how long.
To see how far the dates agree we must ascertain when the weeks began, and also what is the true date of the crucifixion.
The first thing to notice is that the going forth of the commandment is not to build the temple (which was in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, Ezra 1:1), but to build the city of Jerusalem. This command was given in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes (Neh. 2:1). The common date given for this is B.C. 446; but Usher gave 455, and Hengstenberg and others contend that this is the true date, entirely irrespective of the Seventy Weeks of Daniel agreeing with the date of the crucifixion. Hengstenberg in his “Christology” shows how the mistake in the date originated. Vitringa rectified the date, and Kruger, by an independent inquiry, also proved the old date was wrong. Some hieroglyphic inscriptions in Egypt have shown that Artaxerxes was associated with his father in the twelfth year of Xerxes’ reign, which is the information required to confirm the date given by Usher and others. We start then from B.C. 455.
7 weeks are - - —49 years
62 weeks are - - —434 ”
483 ”
Deduct B.C. - - —455 ”
28 ”
Add 1 to adjust B.C. and A.D. 1 ”
29 A.D.
We have then to ask, Did the crucifixion, the cutting off of the Messiah, take place in A.D. 29? As the prophecy says after 62 weeks, we might leave the inquiry here, because all agree that the crucifixion was not before this date. But this is the precise date given by many for the crucifixion; which is all the more worthy of notice because they have come to this conclusion apart from the consideration of the Seventy Weeks of Daniel.”
Almost every intelligent Christian believes that our Lord lived on the earth 33 or 33 1/2 years, and yet the dates given in the margin of our Bibles are 4 years B.C. for the birth, and A.D. 33 for the crucifixion, making with one year added, 37 or 38 years. Therefore there must be a mistake somewhere. Early Christian writers confidently appeal to a document called ‘The Acts of Pilate,’ which, though now considered spurious, points to the date A.D. 29 for the crucifixion. With common consent the Latin Fathers relate that the crucifixion was in the year when the two Gemini were consuls. This is also A.D. 29.
Clement and Origen give the destruction of Jerusalem as forty-two years after the crucifixion. The destruction of the city was in A.D. 70, and this also goes to prove that the crucifixion could not have been later than A.D. 29.
From all this evidence it may safely be concluded that the crucifixion took place in the year A.D. 29.
It will be seen that in the above the last week of Daniel’s seventy weeks is not concluded. The prophecy says the Roman prince will make a covenant with the many for one week (the last week), and in the midst of the week he will cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, and that desolation will close the scene. The time of the church on earth is in no way included in the above or any other recorded dates. It exists as a parenthesis between the end of the 69th week and the commencing of the last week, when the Jews will again come into prominence. We may add that the length of the last half week is mentioned in eight places in Scripture, as follows:
Daniel 7:25, “time and times and the dividing of time”: (that ‘times’ signify ‘years’ see margin of Dan. 11:13.)
Daniel 12:7; Rev. 12:14, “time, and times, and half a time.”
Daniel 12:11, 1290 days (that is, with an additional 30 days for further deliverance).
Revelation 11:2; 13:5, 42 months.
Revelation 11:3; 12:6, 1260 days.
Thus the half-week is stated in years, 3½; in months, 42; and in days, 1260, clearly showing that we are to understand the ‘weeks’ as weeks of years. In Scripture there are a week of days (Ex. 20:11); a week of weeks of days (the Passover to Pentecost, Lev. 23:15); weeks of years (Lev. 25:2-4); and weeks of weeks of years (Lev. 25:8).
History of the Jews - BC 4 to AD 70
From the Birth of Christ to the Destruction of Jerusalem
With the Scripture References thereto
Archelaus
Herod the Great altered his will just before his death. In that alteration he appointed his son Archelaus to succeed him; and he gave Galilee and Peraea to Antipas, as tetrarch. The will had, however, to be submitted to Rome for ratification.
Herod’s sons gave him a grand funeral, and then Archelaus made a solemn attendance at the temple. At the feast of the Passover a cry was made by the people for vengeance, because of those put to death for pulling down the golden eagle. The feast was broken off, and Archelaus sent his soldiers to quell the tumult, and 3,000 were slain before peace could be restored. Archelaus with the other sons of Herod, and Salome the sister of Herod, hurried off to Rome to plead their claims.
Sabinus, the procurator (an officer who collected the tribute) of Syria, hastened to Jerusalem to seize the treasures left by Herod. At the feast of Pentecost, when many attended from surrounding districts, revenge was sought for the deaths at the Passover. The zealots encamped round the temple and besieged Sabinus and his soldiers. The Romans broke through, burned the cloisters of the outer court with its defenders, broke into the temple, and stole the treasures. The Jews were furious, and still besieged Sabinus.
Varus, the prefect of Syria, came to his relief. (A prefect was governor of a province.) The zealots laid down their arms at his approach. Two thousand of the leaders were crucified, and others sent to Rome for trial.
While the sons of Herod were pleading at Rome, a deputation of 500 Jews arrived there, praying for the suppression of royalty and the restoration of their privileges. They stated that 8,000 Jews at Rome supported their claim.
The country was in a terrible state. Two thousand of Herod’s troops had been disbanded, and were roaming about for plunder, and the Romans afforded but little protection to the peaceable inhabitants. One here and another there assumed the crown, and calling men around them plundered far and near.
Augustus confirmed the will of Herod in the main. Archelaus had Judaea, Idumea, and Samaria as Ethnarch. An ‘ethnarch’ is described as prince of a nation: a ‘tetrarch’ governor of a district, or the fourth of a kingdom, as the word implies. He was to have the title of ‘king’ if he ruled well. He retained the cities of Jerusalem, Sebaste, Caesarea, and Joppa; but Gaza, Gadara, and Hippo were made Roman towns under the prefect of Syria. Archelaus was to pay a revenue of 600 talents.
Salome received Jamnia, Azotus, Phasaelis, and a palace in Ascalon. Herod Antipas had Galilee and Peraea as tetrarch; and Philip had Auranitis, Trachonitis, and Batanea.
In Matthew 2 as we find Joseph, on returning from Egypt with our Lord, having heard that Archelaus reigned in the room of his father, was afraid to go into his dominions, and was directed to go “into the parts of Galilee,” which, as we have said, was under the rule of Herod Antipas.
Archelaus tried to please the people by making Eleazar high priest instead of his brother Joazar, who had been made priest when the eagle had been pulled down; but the more zealous Jews could not be reconciled to Archelaus, because he had married his brother’s widow, and had divorced his wife in order to do so. His tyranny at length led his subjects to appeal to Augustus. He was summoned to Rome, and then banished to Vienne in Gaul (A.D. 6). None of the other sons of Herod were appointed to succeed Archelaus, Judaea was now made a Roman province, which completely altered its civil state. Quirinus was prefect of Syria (he is called by historians “Legatus,” which also implies in imperial times the governor of a country) and Coponius had the government of Judaea.
Quirinus had the unpopular task of again taking a census of the people and of their property for taxation; incorrectly called a “taxation” in the Authorized Version of Luke 2:2 and Acts 5:37. The first census was when Joseph went to Bethlehem to be registered, and our Lord was born. Quirinus is called Cyrenius in the New Testament. The wisdom of Joazar, now again high priest for a short time, led him to do what he could to induce the people to conform.
One named Judas raised the cry that no one was their master but God, and many joined him, some out of zeal for their religion, and others for the sake of opposition. He was slain, and his followers dispersed; but it seemed to have sown seeds that afterward bore much fruit, destructive of peace and integrity. Apparently this Judas is the one named in Acts 5:37.
It was during the government of Coponius (A.D. 8) that our Lord was found in the temple with the doctors.
It is recorded that the Samaritans had permission to come and worship in the temple; but that by night they defiled the temple with dead men’s bones, and because of this they were afterward excluded.
Coponius was succeeded by Ambivius, and Annius Rufus followed. When Tiberius became emperor (A.D. 14) he did not change the governors so frequently, well knowing that each would extort all he could to enrich himself, and if he knew that his time was short, he did it with greater exactions.
Valerius Gratus (A.D. 15) was the next governor of Judaea, and then Pontius Pilate succeeded (A.D. 26). Under Pilate the country was comparatively peaceful and prosperous. The Jews at Rome, however, were persecuted. Some of them had made a proselyte of Fulvia, a noble lady at Rome, and had obtained large sums from her, ostensibly for the temple, but they had used the money for themselves. The Jews were banished from Rome. Four thousand were made soldiers and despatched to Sardinia, where many perished by the climate. Philo attributes this persecution to the jealousy of Sejanus, who feared the attachment of the Jews to the emperor would thwart his plans: after his death, the emperor issued an order in their favour.
Before Pilate the Roman troops had remained with the governor at Caesarea, and the prejudices of the Jews had thus been met by the absence of the Roman standards, which were regarded by the Jews as idolatrous. Pilate transferred the winter quarters of the troops to Jerusalem, and caused the standards to be brought into the city at night; there was, however, a great commotion in the morning when they were seen. A numerous deputation waited on Pilate at Caesarea. He treated it as an insult to the emperor, and had them surrounded with soldiers, in the hope that they would disperse; but they fell on the ground, saying they would rather die than sanction any breaking of the law, so Pilate withdrew the standards.
Pilate seized a part of the revenue of the temple in order to provide water for the city by an aqueduct extending twenty-five miles. This raised a tumult and his workmen were molested. Pilate had some soldiers dressed as civilians, with swords concealed, who were to mingle with the people and to fall upon those who obstructed the work. This was carried out beyond what Pilate intended and many were killed.
Scripture speaks of Pilate having mingled the blood of the Galileans with the sacrifices (Luke 13:1). This is not recorded in the histories of the Jews.
Pilate’s government on the whole was peaceful. While the people were quiet he did not molest them; but when there was any appearance of revolt he was severe and reckless of human life.
That he was pliable and unjust is to be seen in the trial of the Lord. To deliver Him to be crucified after having declared that he found no fault in Him, was an act unworthy of a Roman governor. We find, too, that being warned by the dream of his wife, and by the words of the Lord Himself, he sought to release Him; but to be reported as no friend of Caesar was more to him than belying his conscience and violating the laws of justice. Scripture gives us all we have of the trial. Though the most important event that could ever happen on this earth, none of the historians name it; and to the Jewish rulers it was a relief — they could go on with their religion, holding a ‘high’ sabbath the very next day, without any fear of a rebuke from that holy One who sought in His teaching to reach their conscience and turn them from darkness to light.
About A.D. 36 a new commotion arose. The Samaritans, except occasionally molesting Jewish pilgrims to Jerusalem, had lived in peace in submission to the Romans; but now an impostor gave out that certain vessels which had been buried by Moses were to be found on Mount Gerizim. There was a general excitement, and many in arms met at Tirabatha at the foot of the mountain. Why they were armed is not clear. Pilate ordered his troops to surround the place; the leaders were slain and the rest dispersed.
The Samaritan senate made complaints to Vitellius, the prefect of Syria, father of the emperor of that name. He ordered Pilate to proceed to Rome to answer the charge. Pilate was recalled and banished to Vienne in Gaul.
Vitellius then visited Jerusalem. He was received with all due honours, and was present at the Passover. He remitted the tax on the fruits of the earth. He also gave up to the Jews the charge of the robes of the high priest, which had strangely been held by the Romans, and only given out to the priests when required. They had been kept in the time of Hyrcanus in the Baris (afterward called Antonia), a castle near the temple, and when the Romans seized this place and used it as a fortress they retained the garments also.
Thus far as to Jerusalem and Samaria: we must now look at the other sons of Herod, who we saw reigned elsewhere.
Philip
Philip had governed his dominions peacefully. He built Caesarea Philippi, which is apparently the most northern part of Israel visited by the Lord Jesus (Matt. 16:13; Mark 8:27). Philip died A.D. 33 without children, and his dominions were added to the province of Syria.
Herod Antipas
Herod Antipas resided at Sepphoris, the capital of Galilee. His reign was also peaceful, but he disgraced himself in the matter of Herodias. Antipas had married the daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia; but divorced her to marry Herodias, his niece, the wife of Herod Philip (a son of Herod the Great), and this, too, while Herod Philip was living! It was for this that John the Baptist rebuked him, and which led to his death, as related in Scripture, when the daughter of Herodias and Herod Philip danced before the king.
Aretas took up arms to avenge the insult to his daughter, and in a battle nearly the whole of Antipas’ army was cut off. Vitellius was appealed to, to punish Aretas. He collected his troops, but the death of Tiberius stopped his progress.
We shall see the fall of Antipas when Agrippa came into power.
Caligula
Caligula was the next emperor, A.D. 37. He was the friend of Agrippa, the son of Aristobulus, the son of Herod the Great. Agrippa’s course had been precarious. He soon spent what he had at his mother’s death, and became in debt, and, was so miserable that he contemplated suicide. He went, however, to Herodias when she had joined Antipas. Antipas gave him the government of Tiberias and a yearly allowance; but at a banquet Antipas made some remarks offensive to Agrippa, and he vacated his office. Again he was in extreme poverty, and had great difficulty in borrowing money in order to reach Rome. He arrived at Anthedon, but was there arrested for a debt which he had contracted at Rome with the imperial exchequer. He escaped, and was received by Tiberius at Capreae, till news arrived of his behaviour at Anthedon, when he was discarded. By the aid of Antonia, a friend of his mother, he was able to pay the imperial debt, and was again received by Tiberius.
He was recommended to attach himself to the younger Tiberius, but he chose rather Caius Caligula. When riding with Caligula in a chariot, he was heard by the driver to express a desire that Providence would soon remove Tiberius and make way for a more worthy successor. The driver was soon after dismissed for theft; and he to revenge himself revealed what he had heard. The charge was examined and proved. Tiberius in a public circus gave the order, “Put that man in chains.” Agrippa was arrested and, though wearing the purple, he was put in chains as a common malefactor. The day was very hot, and seeing a slave of Caligula passing with a vessel of water, he begged for a drink. This was given him and Agrippa promised him a reward when he should be at liberty, which promise he kept.
Antonia still befriended this man, and obtained some mitigation of his privations. Here he remained till one day a freed-slave ran in and said in Hebrew, “The lion is dead.” The centurion inquired the cause of their joy, and being told that Tiberius was dead, he, foreseeing that Agrippa would soon be in favour, had his chains removed, and invited him to supper; but while at table a message arrived that Tiberius was not dead, and the centurion bitterly reproached Agrippa, and again the chains were put on. In the morning, however, the news of the death of Tiberius was confirmed, and Caligula entered Rome as his successor.
Agrippa
Agrippa was soon after released, received into favour, and had the Tetrarchate of Philip given to him, with the title of king. The emperor also gave him a chain of gold as heavy as the chain of iron he had worn in prison!
He remained that year at Rome, but the next year he entered Israel in royal pomp, and took possession of his dominions. This excited the greatest jealousy in the wicked Herodias: that the poor spendthrift should have a higher title given him than her husband had obtained filled her with envy. She gave her husband no rest until he consented to go to Rome and solicit also the title of king. Herod, described in Scripture as “that fox,” was crafty: he set out for Rome.
But Agrippa, being informed of this, hastened to send also to Rome to forestall Herod, and to accuse him of giving secret information to the Parthians, and also with storing arms in his palace in case of a revolt. His messengers made such speed that they arrived at Bait before Herod, and on Herod making his appeal, he was asked if he had laid up a quantity of warlike stores (which of course might be used against the Romans); he, not being able to deny it, lost his dominions in Israel and was banished to Lyons in Gaul.
Herodias, being a relative of Agrippa, was offered any of the dominions she could claim as her own; but, shameful woman though she was, she preferred to accompany her husband in his degradation than reign without him.
Caligula became a great enemy of the Jews. They had hitherto under the Romans been permitted to carry on their religion with but little annoyance or interruption; but now the almost insane emperor insisted that he should not only be counted by the heathen as a god, as other emperors had been, but he ordered his statue to be placed everywhere. Israel was to be no exception.
Persecution also broke out at Alexandria. In this place there were many Jews — Philo estimates their number at a million — and many Greeks, and these were at all times liable to come into collision. Flaccus Aquilius was prefect, and had hitherto preserved order and justice; but on the death of Tiberius things were changed: he had supported the young Tiberius, and now, it is supposed, that as he expected disgrace from Caligula, he let things run riot. The Greeks were allowed to persecute the Jews, and Flaccus seemed to encourage it rather than stop it by force. The Jews had their own quarters of the city, but had not been strictly confined to them; now he ordered all to keep in their own quarters, which on account of their numbers compelled them to spread about on the sea shore and in the cemeteries. They were openly robbed, insulted, and put to death.
As we have seen, Agrippa had been made king, and on his way to Judaea he passed through Alexandria. Apparently he did not seek to be unduly noticed; but the Roman attendants in gilded armour could not be hid, and those who were persecuting the Jews made the greatest ridicule of a Jew being a king! They set up a poor idiot in imitation, and treated him as king, to turn the thing into ridicule and excite contempt.
Flaccus at first rather shut his eyes to the persecution of the Jews; but at length he sanctioned the most outrageous cruelties. He seized thirty-eight of the most distinguished of their senate, had them brought to the theatre and scourged with such severity that many of them died. Some Jews were arrested and crucified. Others were seized by the people and burnt. At the theatre it was the custom to see some Jews scourged, tortured, and then led to execution, before the usual entertainment began.
As to how far the Jews sought to retaliate on the Greeks or resist the officers of Flaccus is not shown by Philo, who has given us these descriptions. The Jews had drawn up a memorial, giving to Caligula all the honours they could agreeable to the law, and Flaccus had promised to forward it to the emperor, but had kept it back. Agrippa discovered this, and sent a copy of it to Rome.
At length a stop was put to the persecution by the arrest of Flaccus. A centurion arrived in Alexandria. He entered by night, and quietly sought for Flaccus. He was at a banquet attended by only a few of his slaves. The place was surrounded, and he was seized. His property was confiscated and he was banished to Gyara, an inhospitable island in the Aegean Sea, but afterward to Andros. Philo says he was filled with remorse for his cruelties to the Jews. He was soon after put to death by order of the emperor.
Deputations proceeded from Alexandria to Rome both from the Greeks and the Jews, to give an account of the late disturbances. The Jews seemed at first to be received with favour. They had to follow the emperor to Puteoli. One great object before them was to secure their proseuchoe (places of prayer, held sacred by the Jews. which they had in every city) from the defilement of images. But a graver question at once arose among them, for suddenly a man rushed in among them in great dismay, to tell them that the emperor had ordered his statue to be placed within the temple at Jerusalem!
A plot was also laid to damage the Jews in the eyes of the emperor by the persuasion of Capito, receiver of tribute, who feared he might be exposed by the Jews. In Jamnia some Greeks had raised a pretended altar to Caius, which the Jews at once threw down, and this was reported at Rome as sedition.
Caligula was not only half mad himself, but his advisers were contemptible. He had gone to Puteoli to inspect some villas, and instead of sitting in state to decide the petition of the Jews, it was while looking over one of the rooms that he gave them their final interview. The Jews saluted him as Augustus and emperor. He said, “You are then those enemies of the gods who alone refuse to acknowledge my divinity, but worship a deity whose name you dare not pronounce.” He then uttered the awful name. The Greeks rejoiced at this, and an accuser said that the Jews were the only people who refused to sacrifice for the emperor. The Jews responded that this was untrue — they had offered sacrifice for the welfare of the emperor. “Be it so,” said he, “ye have sacrificed for me, but not to me.” The Jews were dismayed.
The emperor suddenly rose and ran about the house giving orders for blinds, etc. The Jews had to follow him from room to room amid the jeers of the attendants. Suddenly he said, “Why is it that you do not eat pork?” The whole company burst into laughter. The Jews said that different nations had different usages: some did not eat lamb. “They are right,” said the emperor; “it is an insipid meat.” More seriously he asked them on what they based their right to citizenship. They began to reply, but he again rose up and ran about, ordering various things to be done to the windows. At last the emperor gave them their dismissal with “Well, after all they do not seem so bad; but rather a poor foolish people, who cannot believe that I am a god.”
Thus were God’s chosen people made a jest of by a proud and half-witted emperor: surely they were under the judgment of that God whom they had dishonoured, though they were still true enough to Him to refuse to own a mere man as a god, and especially such a man as Caius Caligula.
The question of placing the image of the emperor in the temple had still to be settled. Petronius was governor of Syria, and his orders were so clear that there was no evading them. The image was made. He told the Jews what his orders were. This was no sooner known than many thousands assembled, determined to lose their lives rather than suffer the profanation.
Petronius hesitated to put to the sword so many of the people, unarmed as they were. He, with some of his officers, went to Tiberias. Here again thousands crowded around him to petition against the image. They had no thought of war, but, falling on their faces, said they would be massacred rather than break their law. For forty days such scenes as these lasted; it was the time for sowing the seed; but everything was neglected in order to urge their petitions. A famine was feared, and the most distinguished of the nation entreated Petronius to ask the emperor to abandon his purpose. He at length resolved to do this, though he knew he ran a great risk of vengeance from such an emperor. The people were dismissed with this promise, and the danger for a time was averted. The week had been very hot, and the customary rains had not fallen; but the next day showers began to fall. Petronius was struck by the coincidence.
The application of Petronius was received by Caligula with the greatest exhibition of fury. Philo and Josephus differ as to the part that Agrippa played on this occasion, but both attribute the repeal of the edict to the respect the emperor had for him. Caligula would have vented his rage on Petronius, and the letter was written to bring him to punishment; but before this could take effect the dagger of Cassius Chaerea had cut off the mad emperor (A.D. 41). Agrippa was at Rome at the time, and was the only one that shielded the dead body of the emperor from insult.
Agrippa was respected at Rome, and was useful in the choice of a new emperor by carrying messages from the camp to the senate, and in advising the senate not to oppose the army, and also in rallying the unambitious spirit of Claudius, the next emperor, and then in advising him not to take vengeance on the senate.
The emperor rewarded Agrippa by giving him the dominions of Herod the Great; so he returned to Judaea with great splendour, and hung up in the temple the golden chain given him by Caligula. He was zealous of the law, and offered sacrifice daily while in Jerusalem. He aimed at popularity by remitting the taxes on houses, etc.
The Jews in Alexandria now sought to recover their rights, and obtained what they petitioned for. Claudius gave freedom for religious worship to the Jews throughout the empire but required their tolerance of the religion of others.
To the north of Jerusalem a new suburb was being formed, called Bezetha. Agrippa proceeded to build a wall round the same, and then to strengthen the fortifications generally; but hearing that this had been reported at Rome, he thought it prudent to leave the work unfinished.
Agrippa thought to gain favour with the Jews by persecuting the Christians. As Scripture says, he “stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also” (Acts 12:1-3).
After reigning three years over the whole of Israel, the king held a splendid festival at Caesarea in honour of the emperor. Scripture tells us that those of Tyre and Sidon sought to be restored to the king on this occasion. History says on the second day at early dawn the king entered in a robe of silver, which glittered in the rays of the sun. This dazzled the eyes of the audience, and they set up a shout of “A present God.” Scripture also adds that he made an oration to the people; but he did not rebuke the multitude. It is recorded that at that moment he looked up and saw an owl perched on a rope. An owl had before been a good omen to him when in chains at Rome. A fellow prisoner had then interpreted it as predicting his splendid future; but had added, as a warning, that when in the height of his fortune he saw that bird again he would die within five days! The sight of this owl pierced his heart, and with a melancholy voice he said, “Your god will soon suffer the common lot of humanity.” He was seized with violent internal pains, and carried to his palace, where he lingered five days in great agony, and died. The sacred historian explains that “the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.”
At the death of Herod Agrippa, his son being too young to succeed him, Judaea again became a Roman province. Various governors succeeded until Claudius Felix of the Acts of the Apostles (chs. 23-25). He had been a slave, but now reigned as a king, and had three wives of royal blood. Instead of clearing the country of banditti, he made terms with some of the robbers. He was remonstrated with by Jonathan, the high priest, in a friendly way. At that time there were some desperate men called sicarii or assassins, who strangely advocated and practiced murder when they could do it, as they pretended, for their country and for God, though it really was for themselves. Felix could not bear the remonstrances. Some of these assassins were sent into the temple, and there stabbed Jonathan, and left him bleeding on the pavement deemed sacred. His murder was passed over unrevenged.
Made bold by this transaction, they carried on their murders with impunity. Any of their enemies, or those by whom they could enrich themselves, fell victims to their daggers, until no one was safe either in the city or in the temple.
Besides these, the country was infested by pretenders to magical powers, who drew numbers together, and urged that it was wrong to submit to the Romans. An Egyptian Jew drew after him as many as 30,000 followers. Felix marched against them, and put many to death, but the leader escaped.
Agrippa II
The Emperor gave to Agrippa II. (son of Agrippa I.) the kingdom of Chalcis (A.D. 50), vacant by the death of his uncle Herod, and this was afterward exchanged for Ituraea and Abilene, to which Nero afterward added certain cities of Decapolis. Besides these places he had various privileges in Judaea, as governing the temple, appointing the high priest, etc. He is called King Agrippa in Acts 25:13. He was, as Paul said, “expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews,” and he it was who confessed, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” His relations to Berenice (or Bernice) his sister and widow of his uncle Herod, were of a doubtful character. His sister Drusilla was married to Felix. Festus had succeeded Felix (A.D. 60) as procurator, agreeing with Acts 25.
Agrippa II. is said to have appointed Ismael, son of Fabi, as high priest, which office had been vacant since the death of Jonathan; but doubtless someone had acted as high priest during the interval, though without imperial authority, and in Acts 23 we read of Ananias as high priest. He had been sent in chains to Rome, but had been released at the instance of Agrippa. It was this Ananias who ordered Paul to be smitten on the mouth, and of whom Paul said, “God shall smite thee, thou whited wall.” Paul knew not that he was the high priest, and it is doubtful whether he was really such; he is called ex-high priest. Though Paul’s conduct on this occasion seems strange to us, history records that on the sicarii gaining possession of the city, Ananias sought refuge in an aqueduct, but was dragged forth and killed.
Hitherto the high priests had been more or less men of integrity, but from this period there were disgraceful contentions over the priesthood, and even the assassins were in league with some of the priests.
That which led to the break-up of the kingdom began at Caesarea, though the country was ripe for it everywhere. It had become a large and populous city, and was chiefly inhabited by Jews and Syrian Greeks. These both contended for pre-eminence. The Roman soldiers took part with the Greeks. At a riot Felix came to restore order, but was treated with contempt. He ordered his troops to charge the crowd. Some were wounded, and others killed.
On the recall of Felix, deputations went to Rome to plead their cause, and to accuse Felix. Nero was now emperor. A large bribe from the Greeks to Burrhus, who had been the preceptor of Nero, secured his influence, and the Jews were deprived of equal citizenship.
As we have seen, Festus succeeded Felix. He ruled well. Agrippa added to the palace an apartment, from which he could see the courts of the temple; but the Jews built up a wall to intercept his view. Festus and Agrippa ordered it to be taken down; but the Jews declared it was now a part of the temple, and refused. Appeal was made to Rome. Nero allowed the wall to remain, but kept the high priest and treasurer as hostages.
Albinus succeeded Festus (A.D. 62), and used his energy in putting down robbers and the assassins, but was rapacious in the extreme. Two things added to the insecure state of society — Albinus set at liberty all the lesser criminals who were able to pay for their release; and the completion of repairs to the temple left a large number of workmen without employ.
Gessius Florus succeeded (A.D. 64), and was an intolerable ruler. He allowed the robbers to purchase their immunity from punishment. He next sought to obtain the treasures of the temple, but first demanded seventeen talents in the name of the emperor. This raised a riot. He entered the city with foot and horse soldiers, and demanded that the leaders of the riot should be given up. On refusal, he ordered his soldiers to plunder the upper city. Every house was entered and pillaged. Many were trodden under foot in the narrow streets. Others were brought before Florus, scourged and crucified. Queen Bernice, who was in Jerusalem at the time, besought Florus to stay the slaughter, but without effect, and she had indeed to run for her own life. Florus attempted to reach the Antonia where he would have been near the temple; but the Jews had broken down the cloisters that formed the communication, he had therefore to give up the attempt, and withdrew to Caesarea.
Agrippa returned from Alexandria and managed to somewhat appease the people, and the cloisters were rebuilt. The seditious party in the temple, led by young Eleazar, son of Ananias, refused to receive any gift or sacrifice for any foreigner, and thus for the Roman emperor, which had been regularly made since the time of Julius Caesar. This has been taken as the first direct break with Rome, and which led to the destruction of the city. It will be seen that this was a voluntary act on the part of the leaders of the temple, and did not proceed from any order from Rome, which they could not conscientiously obey. It was the revolt of the Jews against their masters. Older and wiser people protested, but it was useless. Agrippa sent 3,000 horse to preserve order.
Destruction of Jerusalem
Hostilities soon commenced. The peaceable part of the people with Agrippa’s troops held the upper city; the insurgents held the temple and the lower city. A small Roman force was in the Antonia. The insurgents gained the mastery, took the upper city, and drove the people to seek refuge wherever they could, even in vaults and sewers; the soldiers found refuge in Herod’s palace. The Antonia was taken, and the garrison slain. The soldiers in the palace were next attacked; and though very strong, it was taken, and all put to the sword. The insurgents thus became masters of the city and the temple.
Cestius Gallus, prefect of Syria, came with his army to the relief of the peace party. They entered the suburbs north of the temple, and passed through the wood market, burning everything. He encamped at the second wall. He assaulted the wall again and again, but without success: the Jews fought with great bravery from the tops of the cloisters. On the night of the sixth day he withdrew to his camp at Scopus. The people followed, and for three days fought with such fury that he was totally defeated. In a pass which the Romans had to traverse they could not maintain their ranks, and the Jews, who knew all the paths well, swarmed around them and killed right and left. The Romans threw away everything that impeded their movements and fled. They and their allies lost 5,300 foot and 380 horse. Cestius escaped with difficulty. His catapults and battering rams were taken, and used in the after siege. The Jews collected great spoil, and returned to Jerusalem with hymns of triumph. It was November, 66.
Nothing could stay the vengeance of Rome after such a defeat, or rather the judgment of heaven, as foretold in the Scripture, though Rome was to be the instrument used.
Josephus relates that many warnings of coming judgments were given, and speaks of the testimony of eyewitnesses to some of the events. A comet in the form of a sword seemed to hang over the city for a whole year. A supernatural light also shone about the altar and the temple at the feast of unleavened bread. The inner gate of the temple, of such immense weight as to require twenty men to move it, flew open of itself, though it was also bolted. On another occasion, before sunset, chariots and armed squadrons were seen in the heavens. On the Pentecost, when the priests entered by night, they heard a noise, and a cry, as of a host, saying, “Let us depart hence!”
A countryman named Jesus traversed the streets of Jerusalem, crying with a loud voice: “A voice from the east! a voice from the west! a voice from the four winds! a voice against Jerusalem and against the temple! a voice against the bridegrooms and the brides! a voice against the whole people!” He was seized and beaten, but he did not complain. He went on his way as before: Woe, woe to Jerusalem! For four years this man continued his cries in every quarter of the city, varying the latter cry with: Woe, woe to the city, and to the people! During the siege, he suddenly exclaimed: Woe to myself! a stone struck him and he fell dead.
Nero committed the war to the able general, P. Flavius Vespasian, and he sent his son Titus before him. In the meantime all was energy in Jerusalem, under Ananias, high priest, to rebuild the walls, fortify the place, and provide munitions of war.
The north country was first subdued. At the siege of Gischala in Galilee, a crafty leader named John escaped in the night with others to Jerusalem, there to take a prominent position. Gischala surrendered.
Another leader against the zealots, and also against the Romans, was Joseph, better known as Flavius Josephus, the noted historian. He skilfully defended Jotapata, where Vespasian was wounded, gained the Roman’s esteem, and by a pretended prophecy that Vespasian would be the next emperor, was well treated by him. He became afterward a mediator between the Romans and the Jews, but without success. Eventually he obtained a pension, with a grant of land in Judaea, and the Roman franchise.
The Samaritans, no doubt suffering from former governors, made common cause with the Jews. They were besieged on Mount Gerizim, but were compelled by thirst to surrender; all were slain. And by degrees the whole country was conquered ready for the final siege of Jerusalem.
When Vespasian was at length ready to attack Jerusalem he received intelligence of Nero’s death. A civil war succeeded in Italy, and Vespasian waited to see the issue of it. On July 1St, 69, the army declared Vespasian emperor, and his generals at Rome secured his succession by the death of Vitellius. Titus was left to subdue Jerusalem.
Two and a half years had elapsed since John of Gischala had taken refuge in Jerusalem before the siege began. During that time the country generally had been subdued, and Jerusalem had continued in the greatest disorder. Party spirit ran so high that the place was full of outrages and bloodshed.
When Titus appeared before the walls, those called Zealots were divided. John of Gischala with Eleazar held the temple and the Antonia with 8,400 men. Simon Bar-Gioras held part of the upper city, and part of the lower city with 10,000 men and 5,000 Idumaeans. Besides these, who had to some extent been trained in warfare and recklessness, there was a multitude of inhabitants, increased by pilgrims and refugees from other towns. Tacitus puts the number as 600,000; and Josephus, still higher.
The north part was the first attacked, and in a short time a breach was made in the wall, though it was stoutly defended by Simon and his men. This allowed Titus to approach the second wall, and the tower of Antonia. In five days a breach was made in this wall, but as the lanes were narrow and tortuous, the Jews, who knew every turn, made a most determined resistance, and Titus lost many of his men. But Simon was obliged to retreat.
Attacks were now made against the Antonia and the town. Banks had been erected from which to attack the tower, and all was ready with engines placed on the banks to commence the battering of the walls. But John had undermined the place where the banks had been erected, and supported the roofs with timber. He then set the wood on fire, and down came the banks and engines of the Romans in a heap. Simon also had more successfully repelled the Romans at the wall by the use of the catapults he had; and when the Romans were ready with their rams he made a sortie and set them on fire.
Titus saw that the place was not to be taken easily, and held a council of war. The south and west of the city were unguarded, and this enabled provisions to be brought in, and allowed the people to escape. Josephus says 300 a day left the place. Titus resolved to build a wall round the entire city. Its length was about five miles, and it had 13 guard-houses. The whole army worked at it, and completed it in three days!
The siege was now concentrated on the Antonia. New banks were erected, the wood for which had to be fetched eleven miles. A breach was soon made in the outer wall, but only to find that John had erected another one inside it. But that was taken, and then in the passages and cloisters that led to the temple many a close encounter took place.
The Romans gradually gained ground, and on July 15th a soldier wantonly fired the temple itself, contrary to the wishes and orders of Titus. Efforts were made to stop the fire, but it was useless — the temple was consumed, except its solid masonry. John, and the remnant of his party still alive, fled by a bridge to the upper city.
An appeal was now made to the leaders, both by Josephus and by Titus; but the offers were rejected, and nothing remained but to destroy the whole place. Titus was desirous of coming to terms, and saving the rest of the city, which was the old part; but, as we know, God had foretold its doom, nothing could save it.
The misery inside was at its height. The place was overcrowded, and famine became extreme. The Zealots would enter the houses and seize every particle of food they could find. If anyone spoke of surrender he was put to the sword. Some stole out of the gates to pick up any roots they could find outside. Some of these were seized and crucified, or driven back to starve within the walls.
The city was taken, and Simon and John escaped, but were stopped by the wall which surrounded the place. They took refuge in the caves or sewers. John surrendered, and Simon was taken, and they both formed a part of the triumph of Titus at Rome.
The city and temple were demolished, except the west wall of the upper city, and Herod’s towers on the north-west. Josephus says, “The whole was so thoroughly levelled and dug up that no one visiting it would believe that it had ever been inhabited.”
In taking the city enormous numbers were slain. The feeble and aged were killed; children under seventeen were sold as slaves; of the rest some were sent to work in the mines, others to the provincial amphitheatres to fight for their lives or to be devoured by wild beasts, and others were reserved for the triumph of the conqueror.
The well-known arch of Titus at Rome depicts a part of the procession, shewing the golden candlestick, table of shewbread, and silver trumpets, taken from the temple, forming a striking tableau of the judgment of God against the guilty city, and against that temple which should ever have been an undefiled place of prayer and worship of Jehovah.
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It will be remembered that our Lord when he foretold the destruction of Jerusalem, told His disciples that when they saw the city encompassed with armies they were to flee to the mountains, and that none outside were to enter in (Luke 21:21). In accordance with this, history records that the Christians departed in a body to Pella, a village of Decapolis, beyond Jordan, where they remained until permitted to return to Jerusalem by Hadrian.
The After History of Jerusalem
A short account of Jerusalem after its destruction by Titus may be of interest, seeing, as we do from Scripture, that the city and temple are yet to be re-built, inhabited by God’s ancient people, and brought into blessing (Isa. 62:6-7; Ezek. 48:35).
For fifty years after its demolition by Titus nothing is heard of it. In the time of Hadrian (A.D. 117-138) it again came to be the center of a revolt by the Jews. As the site of the city was naturally one of great strength, Hadrian thought of re-building the city, and making a fortress of it to prevent the Jews again using it as a rallying point in their insurrections; but it would appear that the Jews had already partially rebuilt it. They were ready for revolt; and now a wide-spread conspiracy was formed. Bar-Cocheba, “the son of the star,” who was said to be the star that was to arise out of Jacob, was crowned king at Bether by the Jews, and was regarded by the common people as their Messiah. Multitudes flocked around him, and they became masters of Jerusalem, and attempted to re-build the temple. Hadrian, finding his troops could not put down the revolt, sent for Julius Severus from Britain, to carry on the war, which lasted two years before Jerusalem was taken, and then only after a fierce struggle. Bar-Cocheba was killed.
Bether still remained, and being strongly fortified, the Jews repulsed the Romans again and again, but were obliged to surrender by famine and pestilence. More than half a million Jews are said to have perished here and elsewhere, and considerably more than this in the war altogether. The loss of the Romans also had been immense, so numerous and furious had been the Jews.
Bar-Cocheba was rich enough, and so far established as to have coined some money with the inscription, “Jerusalem the holy” or “To the freedom of Jerusalem,” but God’s set time to favour Zion had not come: all must fail till then, and this false Christ was cut off.
Hadrian rebuilt the city as a Roman colony and called it (A.D. 136) Aelia Capitolina, and a temple to the Capitoline Jupiter was erected on the site of the temple of God. Christians and pagans only were allowed in Jerusalem. Jews were forbidden to enter it on pain of death, and this law remained long in force.
In the fourth century Jews were permitted to visit the neighborhood, and afterward were allowed to enter the city once a year and weep over its desolation and its desecration. Jerome speaks of the wretched crowds in tattered garments weeping by the west wall of the temple, and paying the soldiers to permit them to prolong their visit.
It retained the name of Aelia until after Constantine built the “Martyrion” on the supposed site of the crucifixion. He destroyed a temple to Astarte, the Phoenician Venus, and built an oratory on the spot.
In A.D. 326 the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine, visited the city, and various churches were built.
In A.D. 362 The Jews made an attempt to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem, with the support of the apostate emperor Julian, whose object seems to have been to disparage Christianity, and to refute the Scriptures that speak of it as superseding Judaism. The work was commenced with great zeal, the women even carried away the rubbish in their aprons. Some foundations were laid; but a severe whirlwind and earthquake shattered them, and fire burst from the ground and burnt all day. The terrified workmen ran to a church close by, but the doors slammed to of their own accord, and numbers were consumed by the fire. Some took shelter in a portico, but this fell down in the night and crushed them. This account is not given simply by enemies of the Jews, but a noble Roman also relates it, and attributes it to supernatural agency. If all this is true, it shows that God’s set time had certainly not come to rebuild the temple.
In A.D. 437 the walls were rebuilt by the empress Eudoxia. There were constant heart-burnings and collisions between the Jews and the Christians. The Jews delighted to buy Christian slaves, and refuse their redemption except at a very high price.
614 The city was taken and pillaged by the Persians under Chosroës II.
628 It is re-taken by Heraclius.
637 The city is surrendered to Khalif Omar.
1077 Capture and sack of the city by the Kharismians.
1096 Captured for the Khalif of Egypt.
1099 Taken by the Crusaders.
1187 Re-taken by Saladin.
1229 Ceded to the Christians in the treaty with the Emperor Frederick II.
1243 Captured by the Kharismian hordes.
1277 Nominally annexed to the Kingdom of Sicily.
1517 Passed under the sway of the Ottoman Sultan.
1542 The present walls built by Solyman. Continues, with Israel, a part of the Ottoman Empire.
Alas, how often has the city suffered since our Lord said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate” (Matt. 23:37-38). We also read that “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). As to when this may be, our Lord said to His apostles: “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power” (Acts 1:7). The Christian has a different hope — apart from all times and circumstances — to wait for his Lord from heaven, who said, “Surely I come quickly.” May the heart’s reply be, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”