Период девятый. Создание второго храма

As soon as the Jews who returned from captivity occupied the ancestral lands of their ancestors, Jesus and Zerubbabel created an altar in Jerusalem in its former place, and on the New Year's Day they restored the usual sacrifices. The following year, the second church was founded with the sound of priestly trumpets and the singing of the Levites, with the joyful exclamations of the people and the loud crying of the elders, who remembered the splendor of the first church. The Samaritans offered the Jews their participation in this enterprise, presenting themselves as their co-religionists, but, not receiving their permission, they tried in every possible way to hinder them. For this purpose they used bribery and slander, both under Cyrus and under his successors Assuir and Arphasaphan, 783 and with such success that, by order of the latter, the work of the church was completely stopped by military force. However, after some time they resumed according to the conviction of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. The regional rulers of the Persians, who wrote about this to Darius, received a decree by which he not only confirmed the permission given to the Jews by Cyrus to create a church, but commanded, from his income beyond the Euphrates, to give them help and sacrifices for themselves, and in conclusion cursed any king and people who would raise their hand to destroy the temple of Jerusalem 784. Thus, after about 20 years from its foundation, the building was completed in 785. Its consecration was accompanied by the joyful celebration of Easter. The decree of Artaxerxes and the exploits of Ezra In the seventh year of Artaxerxes Longimanus 786 Ezra 787, the learned priest 788 received a decree in Babylon by which he was authorized to escort the Jews remaining in the land of the Chaldeans to Jerusalem, if they wished, with sacred vessels, with gifts from the king and nobles; demand from the royal guardians of the treasures beyond the Euphrates silver for decorations and other needs for the sacred rites of the church; to observe throughout Judea the preservation of the law of God; install judges and punish criminals; yet the priests, Levites and Nathinae were exempted from all tribute. By this authority, Ezra gathered more than 1,700 companions and, going out with them into the field, armed them with fasting and prayer against the dangers of the road ahead. They arrived quietly in Jerusalem, and after the sacrifices were made, Ezra entered upon his extraordinary ministry. Hearing that many of the people and even the priests entered into unauthorized marriages with foreigners, he tore his clothes, tore his hair, and then during the evening sacrifice, falling on his knees with tears in front of the church, he confessed this crime with such force that the people gathered around him swore to assist him in restoring the covenant with God. While Ezra was still fasting and weeping in solitude, it was announced throughout Judea that he would lose his property and be excommunicated from the host of resettlement if he did not appear in Jerusalem in three days. At the appointed time, all the Jews tremblingly gathered at the church and, having received the admonition from Ezra, promised perfect obedience. As a result of this, by the action of the elders and judges, more than a hundred marriages were dissolved in three months 790. Renewal of Jerusalem under Nehemiah's care Meanwhile, most of Jerusalem was in ruins until the twentieth year of Artaxerxes. At this time, Nehemiah 791, who served as his cupbearer, having heard about the sad state of his father’s city, through prayer revealed his grief to the king; and together with permission to restore it, he received letters from him to the regional rulers and the keeper of the royal oak grove with orders for assistance, as well as security soldiers. Upon arrival in Jerusalem and after an accurate examination of the destroyed walls, Nehemiah revealed to the noblest of the Jews his intention to restore them and divided the work between them. In order to stop this enterprise, Sanballat the Moabite 792, Tobiah the Ammonite, and Gisham the Arabian either used ridicule and slander, then took up arms, or tried to call Nehemiah into the field under the guise of advice and kill him; then they bribed false prophets from among the Jews themselves, such as Samaeus and Noadi, in order to frighten him. But nothing could shake Nehemiah. He responded to slander with contempt, penetrated all the tricks; protected himself against attack by ordering half of his soldiers to constantly be in readiness for battle, giving weapons to all workers, and keeping them hopelessly in the city. In 52 days all work is completed 793. The new wall is consecrated by a solemn walk along its two halves of two Levitical choirs and leaders of the people with psalmody, which is concluded with sacrifices in the church. After which a city guard was established from the citizens themselves; and to increase its population, in addition to arbitrary residents, one of the ten men of the resettlement were chosen by lot 794. Other exploits of Nehemiah for the improvement of church and civil Using the authority given by the king, Nehemiah also tried, with the help especially of Ezra, to eradicate various abuses and give force to the law. Hearing the complaints of the poor about the oppression of the rich, he swore an oath to oblige the latter to return the growth taken from them and the misappropriated estates. After the daily public reading of the law on the feast of New Years and Tabernacles 795, the 24th day of the seventh month is appointed for the solemn restoration of the covenant with God. Having spent this day in fasting, confessing sins and reading the law four times, after the prayer said by Ezra, all the people took an oath to fulfill the commandments down to the smallest rituals, and the elders confirmed it by signing it. In the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, Nehemiah was supposed to return to Babylon, but a year later, coming again to Jerusalem, he expelled Tobiah the Ammonite, to whom the priest Eliasiv, by kinship, gave a dwelling in the courtyard of the church; restored the tithes, denounced the Sabbath breakers and stopped trading on this day by closing the city gates; Having found mixed-tribal marriages and children speaking a mixed language, he cursed and punished the perpetrators, and among them, one priest, Sanballat’s son-in-law, was removed from the city. After Nehemiah 796, the title of high priest received special power among the people and became an object of adoration. Jesus, the brother of Jonathan, named John by Flavius, the fifth high priest after the captivity, became friends with Vagoz, the military commander of Artaxerxes, hoping through him to obtain a brotherly position. But in this hope, having quarreled with Jonathan, he was killed by him in the church. The irritated Vagoz entered the church, telling those who objected that he was not as clean as a corpse; imposed a tax on daily sacrifices and oppressed the Jews for seven years. During the reign of Jonathan's successor Aduah, the last high priest, whose name is found in the Holy Books of the Old Testament, his brother, Manasseh, was excommunicated from the altar for marrying the daughter of Sanballat the Persian satrap in Samaria 797. This, in order to save the marriage, instead of the Jerusalem priesthood, promised his son-in-law in Samaria the high priesthood; and together with him he attracted others like him from Jerusalem. When Alexander, after defeating Darius Kodoman at Issus, continued his conquests in Phenicia, Sanballat went over to the side of the winner, with his permission he built a church similar to Jerusalem on Mount Garizin and entrusted it to Manasseh. Meanwhile, Alexander, besieging Tire, demanded help from the Jews and was refused because they did not want to break the oath that bound them to the Persian sovereign. The angry conqueror, after taking Tire and Gaza, approached Jerusalem. Adui, after a nationwide fast, having been instructed by God in a dream, went out to meet the enemy in sacred vestments, accompanied by priests and people in white robes. Beyond his expectations, Alexander bowed to the name of God, which was on the forehead of the high priest 798, and made a sacrifice in Jerusalem. When they showed him Daniel’s prophecy about the destruction of the Persian monarchy by the Greek king, he left the Jews the right to live according to their domestic laws, freed them from taxes on Saturday years and promised the same benefits to those in Babylon and Media; persuaded some to join his army. The Samaritans, despite their usual cunning, did not manage to obtain these benefits, however, their church remained and became a refuge for those who deserved punishment in Jerusalem 799. Invasion of Ptolemy Lagov into Judea After the fragmentation of the Greek monarchy with the death of Alexander, Ptolemy the son of Lagov, who got Egypt, coveted Syria, did not leave Judea alone. Taking advantage of the peace of the Sabbath day and entering Jerusalem under the pretext of worship, he easily took possession of it and led many Jews into captivity under the first high priest Onias. But recognizing their loyalty in the oath, Ptolemy entrusted them with the protection of his fortresses, gave them the right of citizenship in Alexandria, and in gratitude for this favor took an oath of citizenship from them to himself and his descendants. The generosity of the sovereign and the land prompted many Jews to voluntarily move to Egypt 800. The Samaritans, together with the Jews, were taken to Egypt, and there they continued their disagreement with them, and some sent their sacrifices to the temple in Jerusalem, and others to the church of Samaria. Simon the Righteous and his successors The son and successor of Onias the first, Simon, called righteous for his piety and charity, renewed the fortifications of Jerusalem and decorated the church 801. He left his second son Onias behind when he was a minor, so the high priesthood went to Simon's brother Eleazar and then to his uncle Manasseh before Onias inherited it. External relations of Judea at this time At this time, Seleucus Nicator, who was the regional ruler of Babylon, having defeated Antigonus, who, after the death of Alexander, took possession of Asia, and, having become the ruler of vast countries, armed himself for Syria against his ally Ptolemy Lagov. The Jews were alternately forced to pay tribute to both warring kings, taking advantage, however, of the special favor of Seleucus, who gave them the right of citizenship in the very capital of his Antioch 802. The successor of Lagov's son, Ptolemy Philadelphus, was calmer while Antiochus Soter was busy with domestic troubles, but the war opened again with another Antiochus, who, through the flattery of the Greeks, was called Theos, that is, god. In order to stop it, the king of Egypt finally gave his daughter Berenice in marriage to the Syrian king, but after a while the latter’s first wife killed both him and her substitute with her son, and elevated her son Seleucus Callinicus to the throne 803. Ptolemy Everget, brother of Bernice, avenging his sister, deprived Kalinnik not only of Syria, but also of most of Asia 804. In the midst of these disorders, Judea, without a doubt, could not be safe. Ptolemy Evergetes, after the conquest of Syria, brought, as Flavius ​​narrates, sacrifices and gifts to the temple of Jerusalem 805, but despite this, he demanded from the high priest Onias the second 20 silver talents of ordinary tribute; and when this man, out of love of money, hesitated to pay it, he threatened the Jews with the taking of the fields and the army. Joseph, the nephew of Onias, saved the fatherland with his efficiency, taking upon himself the collection of taxes in Judea and nearby regions 806. Incidents under Simon II During the high priesthood of Simon the second, son of Onias, Antiochus the Great, after the death of his father Callinicus and after the short reign of his elder brother Seleucus Keraunus, hastily conquered Syria and fought with Ptolemy Philopator, successor of Euergetes, at Raphia, on the Egyptian border. But after a mutual battle, he was forced to return his conquests in order to gain peace. Philopator, delighted with his success, visited nearby cities and churches, wanting to attract the people to himself, and when the Jews brought him gifts, this murderer of his parents and brothers, and the husband of his sister, after making a sacrifice in the Temple of Jerusalem, wished to enter the Holy of Holies, despite the representations of the priests, and the tears and confusion of the people. The high priest, seeing that God alone could preserve the place He had chosen from desecration, fell on his knees before the sanctuary and prayed. Then the king, shaken by a sudden trembling, lost his strength and tongue, and was carried out of the sacred enclosure by his bodyguards. However, unmoved by this punishment, he returned to Egypt with threats, and first ordered to take away the right of citizenship from those of the Jews who would not worship idols, then, when he learned that most of them remained unshakable in their faith, and even abhorred those who apostatized from it, with a strict decree, as despisers of the royal power in chains from everywhere, he gathered them to Alexandria to exterminate them with elephants. This persecution was stopped by a new miracle. The day of the bloody spectacle had already been appointed, but due to Ptolemy’s long sleep it was not open; the next day, due to the extraordinary oblivion and confusion of his thoughts, was postponed until the next; in the third, by the appearance of two Angels at the place of execution, the distraught king restored freedom to the prisoners and appointed them a seven-day feast. He recognized before his entire state the innocence of the Jews and the hand of God fighting for them and gave them the power to punish apostates from their faith, as they soon presented to him that traitors to the altar could not be faithful to the throne 807. After Simon the second, the high priesthood was inherited by his eldest son Onias the third; Flavius ​​refers to him the embassy and letter of Arius, or according to the Maccabees book of Darius, king of Sparta, to whom the Spartans offer an alliance to the Jews, on the basis of the common origin of both peoples from Abraham 808. Onias was a pious man, but he lived in turbulent times. State of Judah in its high priesthood, in relation to kings Antiochus the Great, taking advantage of the carelessness of Ptolemy Philopator and the youth of Ptolemy Epiphanes, united with Philip the king of Macedon to conquer Egypt and took Judea, but was held back by the Romans, who took over the guardianship of the young king. Then Scopa, the general of Epiphanes, occupied Jerusalem and many cities in Kel-Syria; but Antiochus, having defeated him at the sources of the Jordan, returned them, and the Jews accepted him voluntarily and helped him take the Jerusalem fortress, in which Scopas left a garrison. Therefore, Antiochus showed special favor to this people and their church 809. However, due to the danger from the Romans, Antiochus made peace with Epiphanes, promising him his daughter Cleopatra in marriage, and, instead of a vena (dowry, ransom), Syria, Phenicia and Palestine. After seven years, he really betrayed her with the intention of destroying Epiphanes through her, but Cleopatra preferred the love of her husband to the lawless intentions of her father. Finally, Antiochus, after taking Rhodes, Samos and some other places that belonged to the Roman League, was defeated by the Romans, forced to pay them a heavy tribute and, either out of this need or out of love of money, having robbed the church of Vila in Elymaida, he died with an army from the local residents 810. His son, Seleucus Philopator, according to Josephus Soter, seemed to respect the Temple of Jerusalem, for from his income he gave everything necessary for the sacred rites performed there. But when a certain Simon, who challenged the leadership of Onius the third, reported about the treasures in it to Apollonius, the regional governor, and Apollonius to Seleucus, the king sent Iliodorus to steal them. In vain Onias represented to the latter that the treasure stored in the church belonged to private people and mostly the poor, but God preserved what was entrusted to His sanctuary. The miraculous attack of a terrible horseman and the blows of two young men who appeared to Iliodor near the treasury itself plunged him into exhaustion and insensibility, which did not end until Onias made a sacrifice for him. And so Iliodor brought nothing to the king except confidence in the power of God. Despite this, Simon, presenting Onias as the culprit of what happened, and, under the patronage of Apollonius, extending his rebellion to murder, forced the high priest to go to the king to demand justice from him. Soon Seleucus was poisoned by Iliodorus, carelessly summoning his brother Antiochus, who was a hostage in Rome, and sending his son Demetrius in his place 811. Antiochus, who for some deeds was nicknamed Epiphanes, that is, famous, and by character Epimanes, that is, frantic, took the life of his brother by treachery, and in the same way took the throne from his son, ascending to him in the form of the guardian of the young Demetrius. Under the same pretext, he took possession of Coele-Syria, which was supposed to belong to Ptolemy Philometor, the young son of his sister Cleopatra; and further established it for himself through a happy war with his nephew and a feigned, however, peace on both sides. As it intensified, it became the heaviest scourge of the Jews, which was especially aggravated by their own quarrels about the primacy 812. Disputes about the high priesthood and the disorder of its abductors In the first summer of Antiochus Epiphanes, Jesus, who renamed himself to the Greeks Jason, brother of Onias, bought the high priesthood from the king and deposed his brother 813. Due to a prejudice perhaps in favor of Greek education, he also bought permission to establish a Palaestra in Jerusalem according to Greek custom and to write the people of Jerusalem as Antiochians. He taught the Jews to be ashamed of domestic institutions and the priests themselves; preferring pagan spectacles to sacred service, he sent spectators and silver to the games going to Tire in honor of Hercules, which, however, at the request of the ambassadors, was not used for the pagan sacrifice; and, in order to please the king more, he received him magnificently in Jerusalem. Despite the fact that Menelaus, whom Flavius ​​considers the third brother of Onias, 814, sent from Jason to Antioch with silver, promising Antiochus more money, took the high priesthood from the kidnapper himself and drove him out of Judea. But Menelaus himself, having irritated his fellow citizens with his cruelty, and the king by not paying the promised money, was called to account and left his place to his brother Lysimachus 815. Taking advantage of the absence of the king from Antioch, he resorted to his governor Andronicus and presented him with some vessels stolen from the temple of Jerusalem, and sold some in Tire. Having been convicted by Onias of this crime, he begged the same Andronicus to kill him. However, not only the Jews, but also the pagans were indignant at this murder, and Antiochus, shedding tears for the innocent sufferer, ordered Andronicus to be executed at the place of his death. Meanwhile, Lysimachus was killed by the indignant people for sacrilege committed in agreement with Menelaus, and this case was presented to the court of Antiochus. With all this, the money justified Menelaus and restored him to his former dignity. During the second campaign of Antiochus in Egypt 817, on the occasion of the spread of rumors about his death, Jason invaded Jerusalem with a thousand accomplices, forcing Menelaus to retire to the fortress, and killed many citizens, but being again expelled with shame, he wandered from country to country and, after the death that befell him in Laconia, was not even honored with burial. Finally, the disorders of the love of power and heartfelt withdrawal from God subjected the Jews to the visible dominion of the Antichrist. For almost forty days, the appearance of fighting troops in the air foreshadowed the coming disasters for Jerusalem, unworthy of having living Prophets. Antiochus, upset by the Romans, who forced him to give peace to Egypt, irritated by the rumors of his death, the rebellions of the Jews, brought into suspicion of their loyalty to himself, turned all his rage on them; and, with the help of his followers in Jerusalem, he entered it with weapons. In three days he beat 40,000 people and sold the same number to 818. He also entered, under the leadership of the traitor Menelaus, the church; took his veil, sacred vessels, treasures 819 and with 1,800 talents of spoils returned to Antioch, leaving in Jerusalem such leaders as would continue his cruelties. After two years, Apollonius, the commander of the tributes, peacefully entered Jerusalem with 22,000 troops, but waiting until Saturday, he carried out murder and robbery, set fire to the best buildings, and destroyed the walls. On the other hand, he fortified the city of David, and placed a garrison in it for constant attacks on the remnant of the people who came to the church. Then an old man, originally an Athenian, came from Antioch with a royal decree to preach the universal religion that Antiochus wanted to give to his kingdom, and many Jews accepted it. Then an idol of Olympian Jupiter was placed on the altar of God, the temple was filled with pagan abominations, the sacred books that were found this time were burned; confessors of the faith were given over to torture, the very name Judea was prohibited 820. However, to the consolation of the Church, people appeared who showed their invincibility against all the efforts of persecution. Eleazar, a ninety-year-old old man, not wanting to taste food forbidden by the law, or even pretend to do so, willingly underwent glorious suffering. One mother, whom some call Solomonia, having seen the martyrdom of her seven sons and strengthened them in it, after them received a special crown. The time of temptation also affected the Samaritans and showed them for what they really were. In order not to share their misfortunes with the Jews, they renounced their affinity and common faith with them, which they had once preached, and asked Antiochus, calling him the visible God, to allow the nameless Samarian church to be dedicated to Hellenic Jupiter. The transformation of the Temple of Jerusalem into an idol church was done in the 145th year of the Seleucid kingdom, 821. If we add to this number 205 years of the Persian monarchy 822, the beginning of which corresponds to the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity, 7 years of the monarchy of Alexander and 12 years that elapsed from his death to the reign of Seleucus Nicator, then a period of time of 369 years will be made. The decoration of these times of the renewed Jerusalem were: Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah, restorers of civil and church improvement among the Jewish people; some are worthy high priests, most of all three prophets. 1. Haggai 823. In the second summer of Darius, for several months, he encouraged the Jews to continue the abandoned construction of the church, imagining that the infertility and poverty oppressing them was a punishment for neglecting it, and predicting its future glory. 2. Zechariah, son of Barachiah 824. He entered the ministry of prophecy after Haggai, and continued it for several years. He predicted in detail the prosperity of the temple and Jerusalem and their new devastation, the suffering of the Messiah and then His blessed kingdom. 3. Malachi. Origen honors him as an Angel, having been deceived by the meaning of his name; others just as unreasonably confuse him with Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Mordecai. One can only guess that he is not far from the times of Nehemiah, since the same ones as this one denounce abuses 825. He concludes the prophecies of the Old Testament by pointing to the Forerunner of the New Testament. Outside Judea, Mordecai and Esther, who came from the tribe of Benjamin, earned the general respect and blessing of the Jews. When one Persian king, after a six-month feast given in his capital Susakh to the nobles of 127 regions, wishing to show national honor to his wife, was upset by her disobedience and excommunicated her from himself as an exemplary punishment of female autocracy, then on the occasion of his choice of a new wife, Esther, the niece of Mordecai, who was raised by him instead of his daughter, received a royal crown. Soon Mordecai, having revealed to the king through her the malice of two courtiers against his life, earned his attention and a place in the royal record. But Haman, who, having won the unlimited trust of the sovereign, with his consent, demanded almost divine worship and honor for himself and did not receive it from Mordecai alone, 826 asked permission to exterminate all the Jews under the pretext of their disrespect for the royal commands. Then Mordecai inspired Esther that on this occasion, of course, Providence had granted her the royal crown. After a three-day fast at the risk of her life, she appeared to the king without his permission, and in order to prepare him to accept her request, she invited him to a feast with only Haman. The ambitious man, having become more daring because of this mercy, set up a tree of execution for Mordecai on the same day. On the contrary, the king, accidentally enlightened by the scripture about the merit of Mordecai, the next day honored him with his clothes and a horse, and with a nationwide proclamation of his favor towards him, forcing Haman himself both to give this sentence and to carry it out. Finally, Esther, at a second feast similar to the previous one, revealed to her husband her tribe, her danger with him and the malice of Haman. As a result, Haman died on the tree prepared for Mordecai. The day appointed by lot from Haman for the destruction of the Jews, and the day following it, were given to them to punish their enemies. Their vengeance might seem excessive if it did not show their moderation that they refrained from robbery 827. Assuir, under whom this happened, is either Darius Istasp 828, or Xerxes 829, or, finally, Artaxerxes Longimanus, a special benefactor of the Jews 830. After the times of prophecy and inspiration of wisdom, Jesus, the son of Sirach, flourished in Jerusalem. The time in which he lived is known from the praise at the end of his book to the high priest Simon, no doubt the one who was called Righteous. The ancient, or, better, eternal truths of faith are renewed by the preaching of the last Prophets. When Haggai, in encouragement to the people of God, assures them that the Lord of Hosts, the Word of the Covenant and the Spirit of God are among them, 831 he is undoubtedly announcing the mystery of the Trinitarian. Zechariah, under the image of a ditch without water 832, represents the state of fallen man. They portray the Messiah with such vivid features that, so to speak, they send Him to meet Him and teach Him to recognize Him without error. In their mirror we see how, following the Forerunner, clothed with the spirit of Elijah 833, the Lord and the Angel of the Covenant 834 comes to His church, and the last glory of the church appears more than the first 835; how the king is righteous and the one who saves is coming to Jerusalem in poverty and simplicity 836; how the Redeemer is valued at thirty pieces of silver 837, how the Shepherd of souls is smitten, and the sheep of the flock are scattered 838; how, finally, the converted Jews look with faith at the One Who gave birth 839, and after the captivity of Jerusalem, the Lord spreads from it light, living water and His kingdom throughout the entire earth 840. As the collection of Holy books explaining faith in the coming Messiah came to an end, God's Providence opened up abundant opportunities for the dissemination of the teachings contained in them. This was facilitated by the dispersion of the Jews in Babylon, Persia, Media, Syria, Phenicia, and Egypt; as well as the translation of the Holy Scriptures into the Greek language, which was dominant among educated peoples. Thus, this Scripture was protected from destruction and malicious damage, and the human race was prepared to receive the heavenly Guest. With the Temple of Jerusalem, legal worship was restored in all its parts and, with some changes, continued until interrupted by Antiochus. The second church, without a doubt, was created on the model of the first 841, but did not equal it in size 842 and splendor and was distinguished by some special accessories. To the outer court was added, although it is not known exactly at what time, the court of tongues. The Holy of Holies was separated from the Sanctuary, instead of a wall, by a double curtain. The glory of the second church in comparison with the first, as the Jews themselves admitted, lacked the Ark of the Covenant 843; Urim and Thummim 844, heavenly fire, the habitation of God 845 and sacred anointing oil. Those who had the right of birth to do so were called to serve the church. Therefore, those are only recognized as priests who could provide written evidence of their descent from Aaron 846. In public worship, in addition to sacrifices and chants, the following were used: confession of sins 847, prayers that were said by the priest, and the people confirmed with an exclamation - Amen 848; and instruction in the law, which was carried out by reading the Holy Books and presenting what was read in a language intelligible to the people by priests and Levites 849. The holiday of Furim is added to the ancient sacred days, which from Persian is the holiday of lots. According to the establishment of Mordecai and Esther, it was celebrated on the 14th and 15th days of the month of Adar, the twelfth of the church year, in memory of the deliverance of the Jews from Haman, who appointed by lot the first of these days for their destruction 850. The Feast of Wood Bearing, whose beginning is attributed to Nehemiah 851, seems not to have been a nationwide one, but was celebrated alternately by several families, who took turns bringing wood for the altar on certain days. In addition, fasts were established: on the 17th day of the fourth month due to the conquest of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and the cessation of sacrifices; on the 10th of the fifth month - due to the burning of a; on the 3rd of the seventh month - due to the murder of Gedaliah and on the 10th of the tenth - due to the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem 852. Private pious meetings, according to the custom introduced during the Babylonian captivity, probably continued after that, and gave rise to synagogues, which, through frequent exercise in the law, especially tied the people to its writings. There was unrest in the family situation through marriages with foreign wives, so strict measures were repeatedly taken against this. The prophet Malachi strongly rebelled against divorce and against polygamy itself 853. In terms of their civil status, even after the captivity, the Jews were dependent on the pagan kings, whose officials, however, only ensured that they did not defect and faithfully paid the tribute imposed on them. Internal government was at first under the leadership of leaders, such as Zerubbabel, Ezra and Nehemiah 854, who acted partly on the authority given by the kings, and partly on the advice of the princes and elders 855; and then it passed to the high priests. In the amazing restoration of the Jewish people, in the preservation of Jerusalem from the angry Alexander, and in other important deeds that were accomplished at the inspiration of God, there were still traces of God's rule. What the rabbis say about the existence in these times of a great Synagogue for church affairs 856 and a great Sanhedrin for civil matters 857 is not confirmed by Holy history and does not agree with either the autocracy of some leaders or the willfulness of the people, which is often noted in these times. The enlightenment that had survived among the Jews in Babylon was to spread to Jerusalem. This was especially to be expected from the wisdom of Ezra, combined with strength among the people. By the way, he contributed to the preservation of the Hebrew language in its purity, for what they say about its extreme corruption and change to Chaldean during the captivity, judging by the brevity of this captivity, is incredible, and judging by the Jewish books published after it, which, of course, were written in the common language, is completely false. However, many think that Ezra changed the Hebrew letters to Chaldean ones, and that the former remained with the Samaritans 858. The number of Holy books of the Old Testament at this time was supplemented by the following: I. The third and fourth books of Kings. Contains the history of both Jewish kingdoms. Beginning with the anointing of Solomon, one of them continues until the death of Jehoshaphat; the other ends with the kings of Judah. The Chaldean names of the months found in these books 859 show that they were not written before the captivity of Babylon; and from particular references to the most ancient historical writings, it must be concluded that they are extracted from the most extensive narratives of some Holy Men. This work is most likely attributed to Ezra 860. 2. Two books of Chronicles, or additions, in Hebrew ח ׳ מ ׳ ס דבד ׳, that is, words of days or timebook 861. The subject of this work, also collected from ancient writings, is the most memorable genealogies and hereditary advantages of the Jews, starting from Adam, until the restoration of Jerusalem after the captivity of Babylon, and the history of the kings, especially the Jewish ones, mainly considered in relation to faith and worship. The creator of the books of Chronicles is recognized both by their content in general and, in particular, by their ending, which is completely similar to the beginning of the book of Ezra 862. 3. Book of Ezra. Describes the return of the Jews from captivity in Babylon, the creation of the church and the restoration of church and civil amenities with the assistance of the writer himself 863. 4. Book of Nehemiah. Her subject and writer are shown by her name. 5. Book of Esther. Ezra is considered its creator; others - the high priest Joachim, son of Jesus, others Mordecai 864. 6. Prophecies of the last three Prophets. The book of wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach deserves the closest place after the Holy Books of the Hebrew Bible. It was written in Hebrew, but was preserved only in a Greek translation, which was made by the grandson of the author. The book, according to the Slavic inscription, the second Ezra combines part of the book of Chronicles, part of the first book of Ezra and the debate between the three bodyguards of Darius. This book is not in the Hebrew Bible, nor in the lists of biblical books, nor in the canons of the Apostles and the Council of Laodicea, nor in Saints Athanasius, Gregory, Amphilochius, for in all these lists, under the name of the second book of Ezra, the book of Nehemiah is meant. The so-called third book of Ezra in the Slavic Bible, which in the form of revelations depicts God's vision of the Jewish Church and the coming of the Messiah, despite all the darkness of its origin, attracts with its content the eyes of those who love to experience the innermost. This book contains signs of a Jewish composition, although now it does not exist in Greek, but only in Latin. It is so rich in Christian truths that it is attributed to a Christian writer 865; and, meanwhile, it gives such strange thoughts about two monsters - Enoch and Leviatham 866, about the division of the times of the world into twelve parts 867, about the miraculous forty-day writing of 204 books and among them 70 secret 868 that it is difficult to reconcile it with the unquestionable Sacred Books. However, its antiquity is proven by the fact that it is given in the letters of Clement of Rome 869 and the Apostle Barnabas 870. Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Ambrose bring it under the name of Ezra. It seems that Jesus Christ Himself in the Evangelist Matthew speaks in the words of this book 871. Holy books of the Jews in their present form Based on the evidence of the third book of Ezra, the opinion is based on the destruction of the Holy Scriptures during the devastation of Jerusalem, and on its restoration through the inspiration communicated to Ezra. But since it is incredible that the Levitical priests and princes did not preserve such a book with which their faith, prosperity, and benefits were associated; on the contrary, it is certain that Daniel read the Law and the Prophets 872; and that the writer of the books of Kings and Chronicles had before his eyes many works of ancient holy men and writers, then instead of the destruction and revival of Holy Scripture, it is better to recognize its continuous preservation. Ezra can only be credited with combining some of the books belonging to him, correcting damaged lists, and very few explanations or additions to them. Nehemiah, who also built a book depository 873, probably also participated in combining parts of the Holy Scripture. At the time of the son of Sirakhov, they were already compiling one book 874. During the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus, a glorious translation of the Holy Scriptures from Hebrew into Greek was made, known as the “seventy interpreters.” Philadelphus, collecting books from everywhere for the library of Alexandria, at the suggestion of its caretaker, Demetrius of Phalereus, wished to have in it the books of the Jewish law, and, moreover, in the most common language. On this occasion, an embassy was sent to Jerusalem with gifts for the church and a letter to the high priest Eleazar. This one chose six men from the twelve tribes of Israel, and, giving them a list of the Holy Books, inscribed in gold letters, sent them to Egypt. Upon a kind reception from the king, they were escorted to the island of Foros, where, in the presence of Demetrius and mutual communication, they compiled the required translation and completed it in 72 days 875. It was read before the assembly of the Jews who were in Egypt, and was approved, and those who worked were generously rewarded by the king. Philo and Flavius ​​claim that this time only the books of Moses were translated. But, if not at the same time, however, the translation of others probably soon followed, especially since the Jews themselves, who lived in Egypt, needed it 876. Obstacles to True Religion Despite, however, new ways to multiply the light of truth among people, the kingdom of darkness everywhere set limits to its spread. The Jews had to constantly fight against the schism of the Samaritans. True, from the time of the construction of the Garizinsky temple, their religion was cleansed of paganism, and for the most part they preserved the law of Moses. But in condemnation of the Jewish religion, they did not recognize other Holy Books except those of Moses. And especially in front of the Temple of Jerusalem, respecting Mount Garizin, as the Mount of Blessing appointed by Moses, and as the place where, according to a dark legend, a certain high priest Uzziah hid the sacred vessels, they turned to it in their prayers. And this difference of opinion in both peoples was a source of mutual slander and temptation. In Persia, Zoroaster, or better Zerdust, according to Eastern writers, a servant or disciple of a Jewish prophet 877, founded a new sect. His teaching about light and darkness, from the mixture of which God created the world, was later turned into a fable about two principles, good and evil. He is recognized as a prophet and wonderworker, and the book of Zenda-vesta attributed to him is a revelation. The religion of the Greeks became more prominent along with their republics; flourished with the sciences and spread following the rule of Alexander. From that time on, it became dominant in Egypt and Syria, so that, finally, Antiochus Epiphanes thought of uniting the peoples of his kingdom through it. The Romans multiplied their superstitions on every occasion. Often victory over the enemy cost them a new deity and a church, or Castor and Pollux, or salvation, or Bellona, ​​or Jupiter Stator. They also adopted the worship of the Greeks as they became acquainted with them. Philosophy little by little exposed the absurdities of paganism. In Italy, Pythagoras called God the Unity and the source Spirit of the world, and taught external and internal purification for union with him. In Greece, Anaxagoras made the mind the ruler of matter in the system of the world, and perhaps, to his honor, earned from the polytheists the title of godless. Socrates, who, according to the pagans, brought philosophy down from heaven, raised natural morality and religion to heaven and became its martyr. Plato recognized the supreme God, who gives birth from Himself the mind or word and produces the soul of the world, the source of all souls, and believed in immortality. Aristotle found the only first Mover in the world, and so frightened polytheism that the priest Eurymedon forced him to leave Athens. But such sparks of light produced only a faint flicker and sometimes left behind intense darkness. Fearing to clearly rebel against polytheism, philosophers quietly reinforced it or moved from contempt for it to atheism. The teaching of Pythagoras about the multitude of spirits everywhere acting on the body and soul of man gave importance to the pagan rites of fortune-telling and prophecy. Socrates allowed lower deities. Plato thought that it was impossible to talk to everyone about the Father of Nature. The gloomy Aristotle hid the first mover, connecting him with the first only moved. The Cyrenian sect degraded Socrates' teaching to sensuality, and the Megarian sect kept from him only the art of debate. The Stoics reigned in Rock and embellished their fabulous theology with physical explanations. The Elean sect preached all-theism. Epicurus, probably in order not to irritate the people, allowed God or gods, but idle ones, into the world he created from atoms, and the followers of Pyrrho did not even want to know whether there was a God, advising, however, to follow the folk religion. Modern pagan history In the history of pagan peoples, since the restoration of Judea, the first place is occupied by the Persian monarchy, founded by Cyrus. Cambyz, son of Cyrus, annexed Egypt. Darius Istasp was largely disturbed by disturbances in Babylon, in Ionia, in Egypt and lost the battle to Meltiades on the Marathon field. Xerxes humiliated his empire with an unhappy war with the Greeks, and himself with atrocities. Artaxerxes Longiman pacified the Egyptians, but concluded a forced peace with the Greeks. Darius Novus tamed the Medes, but lost Egypt. Artaxerxes Mnemon overcame his brother Cyrus; prescribed shameful peace terms for the Lacedaemonians, conquered Cyprus, but then saw new disturbances in his monarchy. Artaxerxes Oh fought successfully in Phenicia, Cyprus and Egypt. Finally, Darius Codomanus is stripped of his entire empire by Alexander. The Greek peoples at first courageously defended their freedom against the Persians, but then weakened each other with internecine wars, such as the Peloponis, Corinth, Viotian, and Sacred wars. In these times, the Athenian generals became famous: Miltsiades, Themistocles, Aristides, Cimon; Lacedaemonian: Agesilaus, Lysander, Pausanias, Leonidas and Theban Epaminondas. Poetsers have multiplied. Historians appeared: Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, Ctesias and speakers: Isocrates Demosthenes, Aeschines. Finally, money, cunning and the battle of Chaeronea made Philip the king of Macedon the general leader of the Greeks, and his son Alexander went with them to the Indus and Nile and instead of the Persian monarchy created the Greek one. When Alexander unexpectedly died in Babylon from intemperance, then four significant kingdoms arose from the divided Empire between the generals. The kingdom of Macedonia with Greece and Thrace was confirmed by Antipagros and Kalandros to Arideas, the natural son of Philip. Asiatic, from Asia Minor and part of Persia, was composed by Antigonus. The Egyptian went to Ptolemy, Seleucus Nicator founded the Syrian, to which Cilicia, Phenicia and partly Babylonia, Media and Persia also belonged. The first of these kingdoms was subject to frequent revolutions in government, the second, after the death of Antigen, was fragmented into Pergamon, Pontic, Armenian and Parthian. The other two, being stronger than the first, for a long time had an almost continuous struggle among themselves, of which Judea was repeatedly a victim. Meanwhile, the Romans, under the rule of the Senate, consuls and dictators, having absorbed the other Italian nations, and having successfully completed two dangerous Punic wars, turned against Philip, king of Macedon, for an alliance with Hannibal, and forced him to accept peace from them, and to cede freedom to Greece. Then they drove Antiochus the Great beyond the Taurus and punished the insolence of his allies. Perseus, the son of Philip, defeated their consul Lipinius Crassus, but was soon taken to Rome in triumph and Macedonia was turned into a Roman province. The names of Cincinnatus, Camilla, Fabius, Scipio shine in the civil scriptures of the Romans, and in the history of sciences there are the names of Ennius, Plautus, Terence - the poets and Panetius - the philosopher. Testimonies of pagan writers about the history of the Jews Pagan writers, telling about the Persians and Greeks, provide evidence of the modern history of the Jewish people. Josephus writes that Berosus mentions the destruction and restoration of the temple of Jerusalem; that Agatharchides, in the history of Alexander's successors, describes the capture of Jerusalem by Ptolemy Lagos; and that Hecataeus, who was with this Sovereign, wrote a whole book about the Jews. Diodorus says that Antiochus found in the Jerusalem Temple an image of an old man sitting on a donkey: but Josephus, refuting this slander, is testified by Polyvius, Strabo, Nicholas of Damascus and other writers 878. Ezra does not show the contents of the scroll sent to Assuir. In the denunciation to Arphasaphan, which was made no doubt at the suggestion of the Samaritans, it is an obvious slander that it speaks of the strengthening of Jerusalem and the outrageous intentions of the Jews, Ezra, IV, 12, 13, while only the church and private houses were being built. Scaliger thinks that this is Darius Nophus, the successor of Artaxerxes Longiman and the predecessor of Artaxerxes Mnemon, who reigned more than 100 years after Cyrus. Since: a) Darius of Ezra must really have Artaxerxes as his predecessor and successor, IV, 23, 24; VII. 1; b) the decree of Kirov was already forgotten under Darius, VI, 1; c) from the time of Darius Noph one can count 70 weeks of Daniel until the destruction of Jerusalem. On the contrary, most of the ancients agree that the church was completed during the reign of Darius the son of Istaspov; and this is confirmed by the fact that a) that otherwise the hundred-year oppression of the returning Jews would have been more painful than the captivity itself b) that the 70 years of devastation of Jerusalem Zech. I, 12, end with the 2nd year of Darius; c) that in his time not only Zerubbabel, Joshua, Ezra, Nehemiah were alive, but also others who saw the first church, Hagg. II, 1 – 4; d) that Ezra believes that between Cyrus and Darius there are only two sovereigns who hindered the construction of the church, who are Cambyz and Smerdis. The previous opinion can be contrasted: a) that just as among the successors of Darius Istaspov there is Artaxerxes, so his predecessor Smerdis can be mistaken for Artaxerxes, and Kambiz for Assuir, which names are, perhaps, not so much proper to persons as respectful, such as דואש, חהש prince and head. b) that the certificate of the decree of Cyrus does not imply long-term oblivion; and c) that the reckoning of the weeks of Daniel better begins from the 7th year of Artaxerxes Longimanus. The reason for Darius's decree 2, book of Ezra, III, IV, with which Flavius ​​agrees, is the vow of Darius upon accession to the throne and the eloquence of Zerubbabel, one of the three bodyguards, who argued in the presence of the king about what was strongest. But this story shows a Greek pen. For Cyrus, according to ordinary reckoning, from the beginning of the Persian monarchy, reigned for 7 years, Cambyz for 7 years and 5 months, Smerdis for 7 months, Darius for 6 years before the completion of the church. The number of the Jews, who assign 46 years to the building of the church, John. II, 20, refers, of course, to the structure of Herod. The following decree is attributed to him by Jerome, Eusebius, and the best of the new chronologists, contrary to Josephus, who attributes it to Xerxes, the predecessor of Artaxerxes, and the successor of Darius Istaspov, the 7th year of Artaxerxes is 69 or 79 of the Persian monarchy, since his reign is given a double beginning. If he is the same one who came to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel, Neh. XXII, 1, 2, and certainly the son of the high priest of Zarei, Ezra. VII, 1, then he must be very long-lived. Ezra VII, 6, The name of the speedy scribe מח ׳ ן סןמן from the use of the first of these words in the New Testament, and from the work of the second from the Ethiopian language, means a lawyer and a scientist. In order to show the king his hope in God, Ezra did not ask for guard soldiers for his journey, although he had to carry great treasures with him. This may seem strict, but it was required by the law and the danger experienced many times over. Others think that foreign women could be kept in marriage through the adoption of the Jewish religion, but in such an extreme case could one hope for an unhypocritical conversion? According to Jerome, he was of the royal tribe. It is incredible that he was the same Nehemiah who, in 90 years, left Babylon with Zerubbabel, Ezra. II, 2, and so that at such an old age he would serve as the king's cupbearer. He was called Aronitin, Ney. II, 19, and Oronaim is a city of Moab, Jer. ХLVIII, 3. This should be attributed both to the multitude and tirelessness of the workers, and, probably, to the fact that the wall was not all destroyed, and was already more or less processed before Nehemiah, To this end, Nehemiah rewrote Ezra's census of those who returned from captivity. Neh. VII, 7 et seq. In addition to the disagreement shown above in these descriptions among the people, they notice a similar dissimilarity in the descriptions of the gifts for the church, Ezra. II, 68, Neh. VII, 70. It is believed that there were two donations at different times. The reading began at the request of the people. In the square, in front of the water gates, Ezra stood on a wooden pulpit with the book of the law; Several priests and Levites explained to the people what they had read. This is the admonition of the people in the law, Neh. VIII, 7, according to some, consisted of a translation from Hebrew into Chaldean, which the Jews learned during the captivity. But it is more likely that it was a kind of interpretation, as can be seen from the following words of Nehemiah according to the expression of the original: they read the book, the law of God, dividing their minds and admonishing them in the reading, 8. Listening to the reading, the people wept, but the Levites restrained them, imagining that this was inappropriate for the holiday. The next day, the people again gathered to Ezra, so that the words of the law could be interpreted to everyone, 13. On this occasion, the Mosaic law on the Feast of Tabernacles was found, and Ezra instructed the people to perform it in all legal accuracy. The 2nd book of Maccabees connects with this feast of tabernacles the finding of the sacred fire, I, 18. But this narrative is difficult to find a place in reliable history, since it attributes to Nehemiah the creation of the church and altar, and, moreover, during the time of the first priest Jonathan 23. They think that Nehemiah's life lasted until the time of Alexander the Great, because in the genealogy of the high priests he mentions Adua, Neh. XII, 11. Others guess that this part of his book was replenished by someone else’s hand. It could be that Nehemiah wrote down Adua when he was still a baby. This Sanballat must not be confused with Nehemiah's contemporary of the same name. A whole century separates them. When everyone was surprised at this, and Parmenion asked Alexander how he, accepting worship himself, bowed to the Jewish priest, the king replied that he bowed to the God of the priest, and added that in Macedonia, in this exact form, a husband appeared to him in a dream, who promised him victory over the Persians. All this story of Joseph, Ancient. book XI, ch. 8 seems doubtful to some, especially because it mentions the Chaldeans in Alexander's army. But is it surprising that some of them, who were in the army of Darius, went into the service of the victor? It should also not seem strange that Alexander disposes of the fate of the Babylonian and Median Jews, without having yet taken either Babylon or Media; on the contrary, this is in accordance with his enterprise and arrogance. However, none of the pagan writers speaks about his campaign in Judea, except Hecataeus, who was in his camp and mentions what he noticed in Jerusalem in a passage preserved by Joseph. Cont. Arr. L,. I. It is difficult to reconcile with this narrative of Joseph the narrative of the author of History LXXII of the interpreters, known under the name Aristeas, who says that Ptolemy Lagov, out of 100,000 captive Jews, distributed weapons to only 30,000, and gave the rest as slaves to his soldiers, and that these received freedom under Ptolemy Philadelphus. In addition to Flavius, he is praised by the son of Sirach, L. They say about him that he was one of 70 interpreters, lived more than 300 years, and is the same one mentioned by the Evangelist Luke, II, 25. Here we should notice the fulfillment of Danilov’s prophecy, XI, 5. Others attribute this to Ptolemy Philopator. Joseph talks a lot about the happy courage of this Joseph, about his marriage with his niece and about his son Aristobulus, but it is difficult to be sure that there are no embellishments incompatible with the truth in his story. This incident is the subject of a book called the third Maccabees, although there is not a word about the Maccabees in it. There are unnecessary embellishments in her narrative, as, for example, in VI, however, this does not subvert the truth of the incident itself. Josephus does not mention this in his antiquities, but in another place, Contr App. L. II, but which exists only in the translation of Ruffinus, apparently attributes this persecution to Ptolemy Physcon; and as he is always afraid of miracles, among the reasons for his termination he considers the requests of the royal concubine. But just as he or his translator errs in what he says in this place about Phiscon, the testimony of the so-called third book of Maccabees should be preferred. This seems to include Eusebius's account of the murder of 60,000 Jews, in which intention is mistaken for action, and Polyvius' account of the rebellion of Ptolemy's subjects upon his return from Syria. View Dan. XI, 10, 11, 12. Others attribute it to Onias the first or second, because Areus or Arius of Plutarchs is older than Onias the third. As for the relationship between the Jews and the Spartans, they try to explain it with various guesses. Grotius thinks that the Lacedaemonians descended from the Dorians, these from the Pelasgians, and the latter from Arabia, and perhaps from Keturah. Diodorus Eclog. ex lib, XI, says that part of the aliens expelled from Egypt went with Danaus and Cadmus to Greece, part with Moses to Judea. Herodotus also derives the Dorians, that is, the Lacedaemonians, from the Egyptians, and presents them, up to the laws of Lycurgus, as not at all similar to other Greeks; απροσμίχτουξ. Lib. I, VII. But could the Spartans, having seen the History of the Jews translated under Ptolemy Philadelphus, graft their genealogy to their root? Morin leads the Spartans from the Jews through the Edonians, a Thracian people, and their mixture with the Pelasgians. Guetius guesses whether the Spartans, who considered the inhabitants of Crete as their colony, were not deceived by the opinion Tacitus speaks of, Hist. L. V. Iudaeos Creta insula profugos novissima Libiae insedissë argumentum e nomine petï inclytum in Creta Idam montem; accolas Iudaeos aucto in barbarum cognomento, Iudaeos vocari. To this they add that seventy interpreters considered the Philistines to be aliens from Crete, Zeph. II, 5; and the Spartans could mix the Philistines with the Jews. The same writer also thinks that the Spartans, as the descendants of Hercules, could have found him among the Jews. All these guesses are incapable of producing certainty. And therefore some think that the very story of the Lacedaemonian embassy is fiction; Moreover, the first book of Maccabees, on which it is based, XII, 19 - 23, is not canonical, and the king of Lacedaemon is called in it by the Persian name Darius. But since this book has all the properties of history, and since, according to it, the Second Maccabees also mentions the flight of Jason to the Lacedaemonians for the sake of affinity, V, 6; then we must conclude that if not the Jews (since Jonathan’s letter to the Spartans does not mention it), then at least the Spartans were really sure of this relationship unknown to us. In Joseph, Ancient. book VII, ch. 3, there is a letter from Antiochus to a certain Ptolemy, in which he gives the Jews the right to live according to their laws, removes some taxes from them and promises assistance for sacred rites and renovation of the church. The other two letters: about the inviolability of the church and about the resettlement of 3,000 Jewish families from Mesopotamia to Lydian and Phrygian fortresses for protection, if they are reliable, also prove Antiochus’s favor towards the Jews. Daniel XI, 20 describes Seleucus as follows: And in his place (Antiochus) he will stand, sending the exactor (of taxes) in royal glory, and in a few days (of the conspiracy) he will be crushed, not with rage, but with warfare. View Dan. XI, 21 – 28. At the beginning of the reign of Antiochus, Irkat, the son of Joseph, who had hitherto defended himself against his brothers and their accomplices, built himself a fortress beyond the Jordan and successfully fought against the Arabs, fearing the growing power of this king, killed himself. Josephus Flavius ​​in his Antiquities, book. Chapter XII 5. writes that Jason received the high priesthood after the death of Onias, but in his book about the Maccabees, in accordance with the Second Maccabees, which is between the sacred books, he claims that this happened during the life of Onias. 2Mac. IV, 7, 9, 33. But Second Maccabees IV, 23 calls him the brother of Simon, who came from the tribe of Benjamin, the same one who slandered Onias. Very many follow Joseph, because the high priest must be from the tribe of Aaron; although, however, one can doubt whether this law was observed at a time when other laws regarding the high priesthood were violated. IV, 29. The word successor, διάδοχος, according to Grotius, means here a governor. For it is not clear that Menelaus was completely deprived of the priesthood at this time. IV, 42. The word e χ e ιρώσαντο, in fact, does not mean to kill, but to seize. Here, of course, murder must also be understood because neither during the paperwork about this rebellion, nor after, is Lysimachus mentioned. This is how it should be understood from the original, 2Mac. V, 14. In this case, the author of the Second Maccabees makes an excellent remark, not for the sake of the language, but for the sake of the language, the Lord chose the place, V, 19. The visit and desecration of the Jewish church by Antiochus is also described by Diodorus in excerpt. apud Phot. cod. CCXLIV, according to the Sacred History, also mentions a stone image of an old man sitting on a donkey, which he says Antiochus found in the interior of the church, and which, in his opinion, represented Moses. These incidents are confirmed in part of the prophecy of Danilov, XI, 30 - 39. According to Ptolemy, Diodorus and the latest chronologists, the continuation of the Persian monarchy is calculated as follows: After the conquest of the Babylonian monarchy, Cyrus reigns for 7 years. Cambyses with Smerdis 8. Darius Istasp 36. Xerxes 20. Artaxerxes Longimanus with Xerxes the second and Sogdian 41. Darius Novus 19. Artaxerxes Mnemon 43. Artaxerxes Ox 23. Arses 2. Darius Codomanus 6. Jerome honors him as an Angel, since he calls himself an Angel מלאך of Jehovah, sent from Jehovah, Hag. I, 13. But it is known that the name Angel is given to a person in the meaning of a messenger. On the contrary, the name of the Prophet, attributed to Haggai at the very beginning of his book, is not used to mean an Angel. Because he is also called the son of Addov, Zakhar. I, 1, then some derive it from Adda the Prophet, a contemporary of Rehoboam; 2 Par. XII, 18, but others are more likely from Addai, a priest who came out of Babylon with Zerubbabel, Neh. XII, 16. This Zechariah, together with Uriah, who prophesied about Jerusalem during the reign of Joachim, Jer. XXVI, 20, are considered by some to be the witnesses who were supposed to confirm the prophecy of Isaiah, VIII, 2 et seq. But since the first subject of this prophecy was the fall of Damascus in Samaria, which happened before both of the mentioned Prophets, it is more likely that the faithful witnesses of Isaiah would have to be from his contemporaries. View Neh. XIII, 10, 15, 23. Small III, 8; II, 8; III, 14; II,14. This act of Mordecai, if not worthy of special praise, then at least cannot be condemned. If Conon, preserving the character of a free man, did not want to appear to the Persian king in order to evade his usual worship lust, 1, VI, then did not Mordecai, out of a sense of justice and piety, have the right to refuse worship not to the king, whose rank always has something sacred in it, but to a power-hungry citizen? The truth of this incident does not allow us to doubt the memory of it, the established holiday of Furim, which was celebrated for many centuries. View 2Mac. XV, 37. In the Feodosiev Code de lud. rit. XlI, L, I. the following law is against him: Judaeos quosdum Jestiuitalis suae solenni Aman ad poenae quondam samtae rationem incendere et sanctae crucis assimilattm speciem in contemplum Christianae fidei sacrilega mente exurere provinciarum rectores prohibeant, neve jocis snis fidei nosirae lignum immisceant, amissuri sine dubio permissa hactenus nisi ab illicitis temperaveriat. The story of Mordecai befits his time, because he was taken captive with Jeconiah, Esther. II, 6. Moreover, the kingdom of Darius extended to India. L, IV p. 44, and the throne was in Susa L, V, p. 49. In addition to Atossa, daughter of Cyrus, he had in marriage Artistone, whom he especially loved L, VII, p. 69, but against this guess they note that Artistona was also the daughter of Cyrus, and that the name of Darius is not confused in Holy Scripture with the name of Assuir. Skaloger thinks that the names of Assuir and Esther are the same as the names of Xerxes and Amestris, and that the royal feast was given on the occasion of preparations for the campaign against Greece. But Amestris can hardly be Esther, for she was the wife of Xerxes before the campaign in Greece, Petau, de doc. tem. L, XV, c. 27. and there was a fierce woman according to the testimony of Herodotus, L, IX, p. III. Joseph thinks so. And there is no better way to explain Artaxerxes’ extreme favor towards the Jews than by marriage to a Jewish woman. The Persian kingdom, although humiliated by the Greeks under Xerxes, could still have 127 regions under Artaxerxes. Finally, nothing prevents the adventure of Mordecai from being attributed to this time, since what is said about his captivity can be attributed to his great-grandfather, Esther. II, 5. Agg. II, 10. This glory of the church cannot be attributed to R. Lipman in the fact that the second church stood ten years longer than the first, or with R. Azariah - in the gifts and respect of the pagan kings, to which the opposite happened more than once; nor to be attributed to the third temple, existing only in the imagination of the Jews. So, it could only consist in the coming of the Messiah. Zach. XI, 13. This place is given in Matthew, XXVII, 9, 10, but under the name of Jeremiah the Prophet. So that this does not seem like a mistake, you should know that here in general the book of the Prophets is signified by the name of Jeremiah; whose prophecy previously had first place in it, Look. Light. Nog. No. ad h. 1. In the decree of Cyrus, Ezra. VI, 3, the height and width of the church was set at 60 cubits, which does not agree with the size of the first church, but this purpose, one must think, was only approximate, and was done in order to determine the amount of support assigned to the building from the king’s house, 4. When it was laid, to those who saw the first one, it seemed as if it did not exist. Agg. II. 4. Herod by Joseph, Ancient. book XV, ch. 14, says that the temple of Zerubbabel was 60 cubits lower than Solomon's. In its place there was a stone, rising three fingers from the floor, which was called the foundation stone, and which was said to be placed at the navel of the earth. True, Nehemiah expected the priest with explanation and truth, Ezra, II, 63; and Joseph Drev. book III, ch. 8, says that the Confidant and Sardonyx ceased to shine 200 years before his time, due to God's wrath for breaking the laws. But just as it does not appear that Nehemiah’s expectation was justified by the event, so Joseph’s opinion does not agree with the testimony of many of his compatriots. View Abarban praef. in Agg. Maimon. de arr, ten. With. 10. This, according to some, signified the vision of the departure of the glory of God from the church to the Mount of Olives, Ezek. X, 18, 19, XI, 22, 23. At the same time, some attribute the impoverishment of the Holy Spirit, or the gift of prophecy, after Malachi. In its place they put ק ׳ ל כח daughter of the voice, that is, a kind of revelation in which God spoke to people without witnesses. Ibid VIII, 1, 7; IX, 3; Small II, 7. Today's Jews on this holiday beat with hammers, instead of Haman, the walls and tables of their synagogues and then indulge in all sorts of outrages. The existence of these fasts is proven from the Prophet Zechariah VIII, 19, and the explanation is borrowed from the rabbis. Between them, and perhaps after them, there were others, but who are unknown. View Neh. V, 14, 15. Ezra IX, 1, Neh. V, 7. Ezra is considered its founder, and up to 120 members are attributed to it, including Zerubbabel, Jesus, Nehemiah, Mordecai, Daniel and the last three Prophets. In אכדח מדק ׳, that is, in the main instructions of the fathers, its definition is as follows: be slow in judgment, gather many disciples, protect the law. She is credited with collecting the oral traditions of Moses, revising, purifying and dividing the Holy books, composing prayers and introducing the final expression in sacred speeches: and in the age of centuries, against the nascent Sadducees. But who does not see that many of the men named here could not have been its members? It is also incredible that a society composed of such men, when dividing the Holy books into the Law, the Prophets and the creation of the Saints, excluded Daniel from the second class. It is made up of 71 members, according to the number of 70 elders - the assistants of Moses, Num. XI, 16. Here is the evidence: a) It is likely that the Jews became accustomed to the Chaldean alphabet in Babylon. b) In Gemara Sanhedrin ch. XI, § 13, Maar - The Sutra says that in the time of Ezra Israel chose the Assyrian script for the sacred language. c) On some coins, which are considered to have been struck before the captivity, are depicted in Samaritan letters the words ׳ דושל ׳ ס קדשח - Holy Jerusalem, שקל ושדאל - Shekel And Israel, d) Jerome in rgol. in lib. I reg. writes: Ezra invented the current letters, and until now the writing of the Samaritans and Jews was the same. In some Greek books we still find the four-letter name of the Lord, depicted in ancient letters, f) From Ezekiel, IX, 4, they conclude that the letter Tav should be cross-shaped, and such is found in the Samaritan alphabet. Daniel in his book writes in Chaldean with modern Hebrew letters. These guesses are opposed. a) Silence of the Holy Books and Josephus; b) the attachment of the Jews to their antiquities; and c) the immutability of Holy Scripture even to the iota, Matt. V, 18. Wanting to weaken the main evidence of the previous opinion, some of the inscriptions of the Jewish-Samarian coins: the freedom of Jerusalem, the deliverance of Israel, the redemption of Zion, prove that they belong to the times of the Maccabees; and they think that Simon, having received permission from Antiochus to strike the coin, but fearing the law of Moses, Isa. XX, 4, entrusted this to the Samaritans. In the discussion of the word חו, it is noted that it can mean either a sign, or הה ׳ ח you will live. Some attribute these books to Isaiah and Jeremiah due to some passages common in this history with their prophecies, but what is the need to ascribe a passage from a writer to the same writer? Someone else can do this too. These names do not quite correspond to the thing itself. This work is not an addition to the Holy History, because in it, for the most part, it repeats what is found in other books; nor a complete timeline, since it lacks chronological unity; nor an abbreviation, because it contains both a lot of details and a lot of omissions. Grotius notes that a book that served as a continuation of another, among the ancients, usually began with how the previous one ended. However, in the books of Chronicles there are also places that show an older writer than Ezra, like 2 Chronicles. VIII, 8, and one that belongs to later times. 1 Par. III, 19 – 24. It must be thought that the first words were borrowed without changing the words from the ancient writings, which he followed; and the last after him was added by one of the reliable men to continue the genealogy of David and the Messiah. Guetius takes away the first six chapters of this book from Ezra, because they were written by a man who was already in Jerusalem before the coming of Ezra, Ezra. V, 4. But this is not surprising if this Ezra was the same who came to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel; if it was another, then all, however, he could, and without being in Jerusalem, say on behalf of the Jerusalemites: then let us rekohom them. Esther. IX, 20. It is noted that in the Hebrew text of this book there is no name of God, but nevertheless, it preaches Him by the very deed, describing the preservation of the people of God. Why does it deserve a place among the Holy Books, although it does not clearly speak about the Messiah, and although it is not cited by the writers of the New Testament under general expressions like Heb. XI, 34. Nazianzen’s silence about her can be contrasted with the testimony of Cyril of Jerusalem, Epiphanius, and Jerome. The main text of this book, translated from the Hebrew language, should not be mixed with additions that exist only in Greek. In the Slavic Bible they are distinguished by the fact that verse numbers are not shown against them. 3Ezra VII, 28 – 35; II, 46, 47. XIV, 21 – 48. It condemns opinions about heaven III, 6. and hell IV 40 – 42; but these places should be explained before judging them. In priori ad Corinth. er. Matt. XXIII, 37, 38, 3; Ezra I, 28 – 33. In his book, XLIX, 12. After Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, he mentions 0 twelve Prophets without names. There is no doubt that he means the twelve Prophets, separated in the Bible under the name of the minor ones. Justin, in cohortat, ad Graec. says that due to the king’s incredulity, each of them was imprisoned in a special cell, and despite this, the translation was found to be consistent not only in thoughts, but also in words; and adds that he himself saw the remains of these cells. This testimony was accepted by many other Church Fathers; and others, like Epiphanius, created 36 cells instead of 72. But the silence of Aristaeus, Philo, Flavius ​​- the closest witnesses to the incident - does not allow these opinions to be established. Justin undoubtedly did not want to deceive, but he could have been deceived. The oldest account of this translation is the work of Aristaeus, who pretends to be an official of Ptolemy, but often speaks like a Jew and also makes the king himself speak. Some recent writers recognize it as fraudulent and have made many objections to it. Based on the testimony of Herminus, which is found in Laertius, they say that Demetrius is mistakenly presented as a protagonist in Aristaeus’s narrative, because Philadelphus, after the death of his father, exiled Demetrius to the village, where he killed himself by means of an asp. But the defenders of Aristaeus answer that what he relates should be attributed to the time when Philadelphus still reigned with his father. It seems strange that Aristeas gathers translators from all twelve tribes of Israel. However, this is not impossible, for even after Shalmaneser’s captivity of the ten tribes, some of their remnant were in Palestine; and the Apostle mentions the hope of the twelve tribes. Acts XXVI, 7. They notice that in the narrative of Aristaeus, the letters of Ptolemy, Demetrius and Eleazar are written in one syllable; that the costs of Ptolemy are too great to obtain such a book, of which he did not know the merits, that Aristobulus, Owl, Josephus, Epiphanius, who all follow Aristaeus, all do not agree with him in some circumstances. We must agree that these notes prove the imperfection and damage of this work. Meanwhile, the entire history of 70 interpreters does not allow us to reject the testimony of the men now mentioned and of all Christian antiquity, except for one Jerome, who speaks unfavorably about the translation of the 70, making his own. According to Abulfaragius - a servant of Elijah; according to Bundarius, one disciple of Jeremiah; and according to the testimony of Abu - Mugamed - Mustafa, the writer of the life of Hystaspes, that is, Darius Istaspes, a student of Ozeir, that is, Ezra. Thomas Guide agrees with the latter opinion. Hist rel vet. per. With. 29. 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