born, was mentioned by name, in the prophecy of Isaiah, as designed by God for restoring his people, Isa. xliv, 28; xlv, 1-4. It is not improbable, that prophecy might have been shown to Cyrus by some captive Jews, perhaps by Daniel, which might be a means of moving him to accomplish it. This appears to have been the opinion of the Jews in the time of Josephus, which they had probably received by tradition. For he makes Cyrus say in his decree, "Because the supreme God hath apparently made me king of the world, I believe him to be he, whom the people of Israel adore; for he predicted my name by his prophets, and that I should build his temple at Jerusalem in the land of Judea*."

Upon this decree, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin assembled out of the several provinces of the kingdom of Babylon, and put themselves under the conduct of Zerubbabel, the grandson of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, who was made their governor, and of Joshua the high-priest, to the number of forty-nine thousand six hundred and ninety-seven persons, and returned to their own land, Ezra ii. And though the ten tribes, in their national capacity, were never restored, but the most part continue in their dispersion to this day, insomuch that the Assyrian captivity put a final period to the kingdom of Israel; yet as the decree of Cyrus extended to all the Jews, several persons belonging to the ten tribes now joined themselves to Judah and Benjamin, and returned with them to their own land. We read, therefore, that among the sacrifices offered at the feast of the dedication of the temple, on its being rebuilt, there were "twelve he-goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel," Ezra vi, 17. Again, we read of "twelve bullocks" being sacrificed "for all Israel," Ezra viii, 35. From whence it is highly probable, that some of all the ten tribes were now returned; though still it appears, that great numbers of the Jews, probably most part of the ten tribes, who still adhered to the old religion, remained among the heathen in the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus; whom Dr. Prideaux takes to be the Ahasuerus mentioned in the book of Esther, and for which opinion he offers substantial reasons. This, therefore, must have been near eighty years

* Antiq. lib. xi, cap. i, sect. i, edit. Haverc.

after their first return, in the reign of Cyrus. It was at this time that Ezra, a descendent from Seraiah the high-priest, and on account of his great learning called the scribe, obtained an ample commission from Artaxerxes for his return to Jerusalem, with all of his own nation who were willing to accompany him, Ez. vii. Upon this many more of the Jews returned to their own land. Yet after all, few of the ten tribes, in comparison with those of Judah and Benjamin, ever returned from their dispersion. It appears, that at the time of Haman's conspiracy, which must have been four or five years after the second return under Ezra, there were still a multitude of Jews dispersed through the various provinces of the Persian empire, besides those who had mingled with idolaters, and embraced their religion. Dr. Prideaux thinks it was by the favour of Esther that Ezra obtained his commission, and was made governor of the Jews in their own land; which government he exercised for thirteen years. After him succeeded Nehemiah, who had a new commission granted him by Artaxerxes, in the twentieth year of his reign, with full authority to repair the wall of Jerusalem, and fortify it, in the same manner as before it was dismantled by the Babylonians.

It may reasonably be conjectured, that queen Esther's interest with the king did not a little contribute to obtain this further favour for the Jews; and so much, indeed, seems to be hinted in the history of this transaction, where it is particularly remarked, that when Artaxerxes gave this new commission to Nehemiah," the queen was sitting by him," Neh. ii, 6.

Nehemiah's commission superseded that of Ezra, who therefore now resigned his government, and employed himself in collecting and publishing a new and correct edition of the scriptures, and in restoring the worship of God to its original purity*.

We proceed to the fourth period of the Jewish history, which contains about six hundred years, from the end of their captivity to the destruction of Jerusalem and of the Jewish polity.

The Jews, who, after the return from the captivity, were

* See Prideaux's Connect. part i, Look v.

settled again in their own land, were no longer divided into two kingdoms, as they were before; but were all one people, and under one government; which yet varied in its form through several succeding ages.

1st, Upon their return from the captivity, Judea became a province of the Persian empire, and was tributary to the Persian monarch; as appears from the letter, which the enemies of the Jews wrote to Artaxerxes, in order to prevent the rebuilding of Jerusalem; in which are these words, "Be it known now unto the king, that if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings," Ezra iv, 13. Notwithstanding which, though tributary, they enjoyed their own religion, and were governed by their own laws; and their governors, though they acted by virtue of a commission from the court of Persia, were, nevertheless, of their own nation; as Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah.

2dly, This state of things, and this form of government, continued for upwards of two hundred years, until the time of Alexander the Great; who having destroyed the Persian empire, and established the Grecian universal monarchy, the Jews became subject to him, and his successors. Yet they were not properly conquered by him, as all the neighbouring nations were; God having preserved them by a special and very extraordinary providence, which is thus related by Josephus*.

When Alexander was engaged in the siege of Tyre, he sent to Jaddua, the Jewish high-priest, for auxiliary troops, and necessaries for his army. Jaddua excused himself, alleging his oath to Darius. Alexander, being greatly incensed, resolved to take a severe revenge. As soon, therefore, as he had made himself master of Tyre, and of Gaza, he marched against Jerusalem. Jaddua, in his pontifical robes, accompanied by the other priests in their proper habits, went out, by Divine direction, in solemn procession to meet Alexander. As soon as the king saw him, he hastened towards him, and bowed down to him with a religious veneration of that sacred name, which was inscribed on the golden fillet round his tiara.

Antiq. lib. xi, cap. viii, sect. iii-v, edit. Haverc.

While all stood amazed at this extraordinary behaviour, Parmenio alone ventured to inquire of him, why he, who was adored by all, should himself pay such devotion to the Jewish high-priest. He replied, he did not pay it to the high-priest, but to the God whose priest he was; for that when he was at Dio in Macedonia, and was deliberating how he should carry on the war against the Persians, this very person, in the very habit he now wore, appeared to him in a dream, and encouraged him to pass over into Asia; assuring him, that God would give him the Persian empire. Having said this, Alexander gave his hand to Jaddua, and entered Jerusalem with him in a very friendly manner, and under his direction offered sacrifices to God in the temple. Here Jaddua showed him the prophecy of Daniel, which predicted the overthrow of the Persian empire by a Grecian king. At which he was so pleased, that he ordered the Jews to request whatever was agreeable to them. Upon this Jaddua petitioned, that they might enjoy their own laws and religion, and be excused from paying tribute every seventh year, because in that year they neither sowed nor reaped. All which he freely granted.

After the death of Alexander, the Jews became subject and tributary to the kings of Egypt, or Syria; as by various turns of providence, one or the other extended their dominion and power into those parts. The former were called Lagii, or Lagides, from Lagus the father of Ptolemy the First; the latter, Seleucii, or Seleucides, from Seleucus Nicanor, king of Syria.

The Jews, at length, were miserably persecuted and distressed by Antiochus Epiphanes, the eighth of the Seleucian kings, about one hundred and seventy years before Christ. He is generally supposed to be that "vile person," of whom Daniel prophesied under that appellation, chap. xi, 21, et seq.; and he actually proved altogether as profane and cruel as the prophet represents him; for he laid siege to Jerusalem, and took it by storm, and in two days time massacred forty thousand of its inhabitants, and sold as many more to the neighbouring nations for slaves. He impiously forced himself into the temple, and into the holy of holies; he sacrificed a great sow upon the altar of burnt offerings, and caused broth to be made of some part of the flesh, and to be sprinkled all over

the temple. He afterwards plundered the sacred edifice of all its golden and silver vessels and utensils, to the value of eighteen hundred talents of gold; and having made the like plunder in the city, he left it, after he had, to the further vex-ation of the Jews, appointed Philip, a Phrygian, to be their governor; who was a man of a cruel and barbarous temper. Upon this,

3dly, Their state and form of government was changed by the Maccabees.

When Antiochus had issued out a decree, that all nations under his dominion should conform to his religion, and worship the same gods, and in the same manner, that he did; which decree was levelled chiefly against the Jews, he sent commissioners to execute it in Judea. One of them, named Apelles, came to Modin, where dwelt Mattathias, a very honourable priest, and zealous for the law of his God; he was the great-grandson of Asmonæus; from whence it is probable the family had the name of Asmoneans; though others derive that title from the Hebrew word brown chashmannim, which signifies magnates or proceres. This Mattathias, with his five sons, fell upon the king's commissioner, as he was endeavouring to persuade the people to sacrifice to idols, and slew him and all his attendants. After which he retired into the mountains; whither many of the Jews following him, they formed an army, and stood upon their defence. Afterwards, leaving their fastnesses, they went about the country, destroying the heathen altars and idolaters, and restoring the worship of God according to the law, wherever they came. Mattathias, who, was aged, died the next year, and was succeeded in the command of the army by his son Judas; who took for the motto of his standard,

מי כמכה באלם יהוה

mi camo-ka baelim Jehovah, Exod. xv, 11.

"Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods?" This motto is said to have been written, not at length, but only by the first letter of each word '; as P. S. Q. R., for populus senatusque Romanus, was written on the Roman standard. These four initial letters are generally supposed to have formed the artificial word Maccabi; from whence this Judas has been

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