JEWS IN the present article, we propose to lay before our rea ders, in the first place, a brief sketch of the history of the Jews, from the period of their return to Jerusalem from Babylon, and the rebuilding of their city and temple under Ezra and Nehemiah, when the scriptures leave off any farther accounts, and when profane historians begin to take notice of them, till the destruction of Jerusalem under Titus ;—in the second place, notices of their history since that event, especially such as relate to their history in England ;—and lastly, a general view of their opinions, tra ditions, rites, and ceremonies.
I. In the year 534 B. C. the foundations of the temple at Jerusalem were laid ; and after a great many obstacles and delays it was finished, as related in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The last of these chiefs died about the year 409 B. C. He justly may be ranked among the great characters of ancient history. Ile forsook a place of influ ence at the most splendid court of Asia to encounter every hardship, actuated by the patriotic and beneficent wish of bestowing independence and happiness upon his poor, ig norant, and wretched countrymen, and of raising them, by moral and religious education, to the rank of a brave, in dustrious, and comparatively virtuous nation. Before Ne hemiah, the Jews were addicted to idolatry, and totally ignorant of a future state; he however succeeded, by a wise and judicious selection of their laws and traditions, and by directing their attention more to practice than to disputation, in rendering them austerely moral, and brave defenders of their independence.
Still there existed sources of calamity and distress among them ; their country was only a province of Syria, subject to the kings of Persia. The Syrian governors, in order to secure and extend their influence and power, conferred the administration of affairs upon the high-priests. The had effects of this measure soon became apparent, in creating jealousies among those who thought they had a claim to this office. The first public calamity that befel the Jewish nation, after their return from Babylon, occurred in the year 351 B. C.; when, in consequence of their having of fended the king of Persia, he took Jericho, and carried off all the inhabitants captives. When Alexander invaded Persia, they seem to have put sued commerce with such great success, that it appeared to that monarch an object to obtain the settlement of Jewish colcnies in his sea ports. He also favoured them in many other respects ; but the story of his interview with the high-priest seems of very doubtful credit. On the death of Alexander, Judea from its locality, lying between Syria and Egypt, was ex posed to all the revolutions and wars which his successors waged with each other. After Ptolemy had succeeded in wresting Syria and Phoenicia from Leomedon, he laid siege to Jerusalem. The Jews were prepared for a long and ob stinate resistance ; but Ptolemy, being informed that they would not fight on their Sabbath, assaulted the city on that day, and easily took it. When this monarch, five years after wards, was obliged to yield Judea to Antigonus, the latter behaved to the Jews in such a tyrannical manner, that great numbers of them fled into Egypt and Syria, and Judea seem ed in danger of being entirely depopulated, till it was reco vered by Ptolemy in the year 292 B. C. In the reign of Ptolemy Philopater, a dreadful persecution was carried on against them, in consequence of their attempting to prevent that monarch from profaning the temple, by entei ing into the sanctuary.
On their ready submission, in the year 204 B. C. to An tiochus the Great, they gained such a strong hold on his favour, that he promised io restore Jerusalem to its former splendour, to recall the Jews, and to replace them as far as possible in their ancient privileges. He actually granted an exemption of taxes to all the dispersed Jews that would come, within a limited time, to settle in Jerusalem ; and he ordered all who were slaves in his dominions to be set free. But the Jews were not long to enjoy this prosperity. About the year 176 B. C. a quarrel happened between the high priest and the governor of the temple, which was attended with the most fatal consequences, a civil war ensuing, in which many fell on both sides. When Antiochus Epiphanes ascended the throne of Syria, Jason, the high-priest's broth er, purchased from that monarch the high-priesthood ; and altcrwards introduced Grecian customs, and the cm:, monies of paganism among the Jews. From this time the service of the temple was neglected, and a general apos tacy took place. The power of Jason, however, was not of long continuance ; for his brother Menelaus having offered to the Syrian monarch a higher price than Jason gave for the priesthood, and having moreover promised to renounce Judaism, and embrace the religion of the Greeks in all respects, that monarch gave Menelaus a force sufficient to drive Jason out of Jerusalem. Menelaus conducted him self with great tyranny towards the Je ws,who complained of him to Antiochus; but that monarch paid no attention to their complaints so long as Menelaus could procure money to bribe him. About the year 170 B. C. Antiochus marched against Jerusalem, in consequence of the Jews having re belled, and made great rejoicings on the report that he had been killed at the siege of Alexandria. He soon made him self master of the city, where he behaved with such cruel ty, that it is supposed, in the course of three days, 40,000 Jews were killed, and as many sold for slaves. 'Menelaus still retained the protection and favour of the Syrian mo narch, and if possible exceeded his former acts of tyranny and cruelty. But the Jews were reserved for yet greater calamities ; for, about the year 168 B. C. Antiochus, hav ing been most severely mortified by the Romans, resolved to wreak his vengeance on the Jews. He accordingly dis patched an army of 22,000 men to plunder all their cities, to murder all the men, and to sell the women and children for slaves. The Jews, incapable of resistance, beheld their city taken, their temple profaned, and their religion abolished. About 10,000 of them, who escaped the slaugh ter, were carried away captive. In order still more effec tually to accomplish his purpose, the Syrian monarch or dered the temple to be dedicated to Jupiter Olympius, and his statue to be set up on the altar of burnt-offering. All who refused to come and worship were massacred, or tor tured till they complied. Altars, groves and statues were raised throughout Jude which the inhabitants were compelled to worship, was instant death to observe the Sabbath circumcision, or any other of the rites and ce remonies instituted by Moses.