The whole of this story is, however, liable to sus picion, from the absence of any notice of the cir cumstance in the histories of this campaign which we posscss.
(15) Ptolemy. After the death of Alexander at Babylon (B. C. 324), Ptolemy surprised Jeru salem on the Sabbath day, when the Jews would not fight, plundered the city, and carried away a great number of the inhabitants to Egypt, where, however, from the estimation in which the Jews of this period were held as citizens, important privileges were bestowed upon them (Joseph. Antiq. xii:1). In the contests which afterwards followed for the possession of Syria (including Palestine), Jerusalem does not appear to have been directly injured, and was even spared when Ptolemy gave up Samaria, Acco, Joppa, and Gaza to pillage. The contest was ended by the treaty in B. C. 3o2, which annexed the whole of Pales tine, together with Arabia Petrxa and Ccele Syria, to Egypt.
(16) Ptolemy Euergetes and Ptolemy Phi lopator. Under easy subjection to the Ptolemies the Jews remained in much tranquillity for more than a hundred years, in which the principal inci dent, as regards Jerusalem itself, was the visit which was paid to it, in B. C. 245, by Ptolemy Euergetes, on his return from his victories in the East. He offered many sacrifices, and made mag nificent presents to the temple. In the wars be tween Antiochus the Great and the kings of Egypt, from B. C. 221 to 197, Judwa could not fail to suffer severely; but vve are not acquainted with any incident in which Jerusalem was principally concerned, till the alleged visit of Ptolemy Philopator in B. C. 211. He offered sacrifices, and gave rich gifts to the temple, but venturing to enter the sanctuary, in spite of the remon strances of the high-priest, he was seized with a supernatural dread, and fled in terror from the place. It is said that on his return to Egypt he vented his rage on the Jews of Alexandria in a very barbarous manner. (See ALEXANDRIA.) But the whole story of his visit and its results rests upon the sole authority of the third book of Mac cabees (chapters i and ii), and is therefore not entitled to implicit credit.
(17) Antiochus. Towards the end of this war the Jews seemed to favor the cause of An tiochus ; and after he had subdued the neighbor ing country, they voluntarily tendered their sub mission, and rendered their assistance in expelling the Egyptian garrison from Nlount Zion. For this conduct they were rewarded with many im portant privileges by Antiochus.
(18) Seleucus Philopator. Under their new masters the Jews enjoyed for a time nearly as much tranquillity as under the generally benign and liberal government of the Ptolemies. But in B. C. 176, Seleucus Philopator, hearing that great treasures were hoarded up in the temple, and being distressed for money to carry on his wars, sent his treasurer, Heliodorus, to bring away these treasures. But this personage is re
ported to have been so frightened and stricken by an apparition that he relinquished the attempt; and Selencus left the Jews in the undisturbed en joyment of their rights (2 Macc. iii :4-4o; Joseph. Antiq. xii:3, 3), (19) Antiochus Eplphanes. His brother and successor, Antiochus Epiphanes, however, was of another mind. He took up the design of reducing them to a conformity of manners and religion with other nations; or, in other words, of abol ishing those distinctive features which made the Jews a peculiar people, socially separated from all others. This design was odious to the great body of the people, although there were many among the higher classes who regarded it with favor. Of this way of thinking was Menelaus, whom Antiochus had made high-priest, and who was expelled by theorthodox Jews with ignominy, in B. C. 169, when they heard the joyful news that Antiochus had been slain in Egypt. The rumor proved untrue and Antiochus on Ills return punished them by plundering and profaning the tetnple. Worse evils befell them IWO years after: for Antiochus, out of humor at being compelled by the Romans to abandon his designs upon Egypt, sent his chief collector of tribute, Apollonius, with a detachment of 22,000 men, to vent his rage on Jerusalem. This person plundered the city, and razed its walls, with the stones of which he built a citadel that commanded the temple mount. A statue of Jupiter was set up in the temple; the peculiar ob servances of the Jewish law were abolished; and a persecution was commenced against all who ad hered to these observances, and refused to sacri fice to idols. Jerusalem was deserted by priests and people. and the daily sacrifice at the altar was entirely discontinued (1 Macc. i:29-4o; 2 Nlacc. v:24-26; Joseph. Antiq. xii:5, 4). (See ANTI OCII US, 43 (20) Maccabees. This led to the celebrated revolt of the Maccabees, who, after an arduous and sanguinary struggle, obtained possession of Jerusalem (B. C. 163), and repaired and purified the temple, which was then dilapidated and de serted. The sacrifices were then recommenced, exactly three years after the temple had been dedi cated to Jupiter Olympius. The castle, however, remained in the hands of the Syrians, and long proved a sore annoyance to the Jews, but at length, in B. C. 142, the garrison was forced to surrender by Simon, who demolished it altogether, that it might not again be used against the Jews by their enemies. Simon then strengthened the fortifications of the mountain on _which the tem ple stood and built' there a palace for himself (1 Macc. xiii :43, 52; Joseph. d4ntiq. xiii:6, 6), which was strengthened and enlarged by Herod the Great, who called it the castle of Antonia, un der which name it' makes a conspicuous figure in the Jewish wars with the Romans.