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The first path to preserving the faith and delivering the Jewish people from Antiochus' persecution was paved by Mattathias, a priest from the line of Jarib, the ancestor of the glorious tribe of the Asmoneans or Maccabees 879. Retiring from the desecrated and devastated Jerusalem, he mourned the disasters of his fatherland in Modin, the city of the tribe of Dan. When the royal envoy appeared here too to convert the Jews to paganism, Mattathias, despising the benefits that were promised to him for apostasy from the faith, publicly killed one Jew who was making an idol sacrifice, and the royal envoy himself, destroyed the temple and fled to the mountains, calling other zealots of the law after him. Of those who followed his example, up to 1,000 people, whom the Antiochian army, leaving Jerusalem, attacked in the desert on the Sabbath day, defenselessly allowed themselves to be killed, not wanting to disturb the legal peace. Mattathias, having learned about this, decided with his company to allow the necessary exception to the law of the Sabbath and, forming an army, attacked the enemies, destroyed the churches, circumcised the youths and, thus, little by little, restored the law and freedom of his fellow tribesmen. A quick death stopped his exploits, but he left behind five sons - John, Simon, Judas, Eleazar and Jonathan, of whom he bequeathed special positions in accordance with their abilities to the second, who surpassed the others in wisdom, and the third, who distinguished himself by military qualities. Successes of Judah and the cleansing of the church Judas zealously continued what his father had begun. He defeated and killed Apollonius, who came out against him with the Antiochian and Samarian army. Siron, the Syrian military leader, who, in the intention of pleasing Antiochus, also attacked the Jews, Judas met with a small number of soldiers, and, moreover, exhausted by fasting, however, relying on God and on the justice of his cause, he fought and drove him away. Antiochus, hearing about this, gave his governor Lysias half of his army with the command to destroy the very memory of the Jews, and he sent Ptolemy, Nicanor and Gorgias with 47,000 against them. But Judah, after offering public prayer in Mizpeh 880, overcame these too and received a rich camp as spoils 881. The following summer, his army increased to 10,000, with whom he defeated another 65,000 Antiochians, led by Lysias himself, and entered Jerusalem. After weeping over the desolate church, the immaculate priests were gathered, the necessary utensils were arranged for the sanctuary, a new altar was created, after the eruption of the desecrated idol, and the divine service of the ninth month was triumphantly restored on the 25th day, the same day on which idolatry had been introduced for three years 882. In case of danger from enemies, the church was put in a defensive state. At that time, the surrounding peoples, jealous of the successes of the Jews, rebelled against them from everywhere. Therefore, Judah fought with the Edomites and the Ammonites and took some of their cities. Then, together with Jonathan, Gilead passed through in victory, and, without losing a single person in this campaign, he brought many of his own tribesmen to Judea, whom he delivered from the pagans, while Simon, in a similar way, saved those living in Galilee. And although at the same time Joseph and Azariah, left to guard Judea, attacked Jamnia out of ambition and were repulsed with damage, Judah, having passed through Samaria, defeated the Philistines and destroyed the churches in Azoth. Meanwhile, Antiochus, after the robberies committed in Jerusalem, and after the booty received in Egypt, having a lack of money for military expenses, after handing over half of his army to Lysias, went with the other to collect tribute for the Euphrates. The unsuccessful attempt to rob the glorious church in Elymaida, and the news received about the failures of Lysias, plunged him into sadness and illness. Recognizing his condition as God's punishment for the atrocities committed in Jerusalem, he died in Babylon in the twelfth year of his reign 883. War of Antiochus Eupator against the Jews In order to make it safe for the Jews to go to the church, Judas besieged the Jerusalem fortress, in which the Antiochian garrison had previously been located 884. But some malicious among the Jews brought a complaint about this to the young Antiochus Eupator, son of Epiphanes. Therefore, taking with him Lysia, his relative and tutor, he entered Judea with a large army and elephants. Maccabeus fought him bravely, but was forced to evade many enemies, losing his brother Eleazar, who, having killed an elephant that seemed royal, was crushed by its corpse. The fortress of Befsura surrendered to Eupator due to a shortage of grain, which was caused by the Sabbath year. Finally, those imprisoned with Judas in the church approached the same extreme. The sudden news of the invasion of Antioch by Philip, whom Antiochus Epiphanes appointed guardian of his son before his death, forced Eupator to offer peace to the Jews, but, having concluded it, contrary to his oath, he destroyed the fortification of the church. However, he left the Jews the right to live according to their laws, but on the advice of Lysias he executed Menelaus as the culprit of all evils 885. Alcimus the high priest in Jerusalem, and Onias in Egypt After the death of Menelaus, as Flavius writes, Alcimus was made high priest by Eupator, descended from the tribe of Aaron, but who did not have the immediate right of birth to this title, and was a pagan at heart. And Onias, the son of Onias the third, who, not hoping to achieve paternal dignity in Jerusalem, retired to Egypt, about this time, with the permission of Philometor and Cleopatra, created a new church near Iliopolis similar to Jerusalem, gathered the Levites and opened a divine service, legal in order, but not legal in place 886. Exploits against Alcimus, Bacchides and Nicanor, and the death of Judas When Demetrius, the son of Seleucus Philopator, having learned of the death of Antiochus, secretly withdrew from Rome to Asia and, having killed Eupator and Lysia, ascended to the throne of Antioch, then Alcimus, wanting to establish himself in the dignity of the high priest, slandered Judas and his associates before him, portraying them as enemies of public peace. The slanderer received the desired power and, to reinforce himself, an army led by Bacchides. They appeared in Judea with peace-loving proposals, but Judas did not bow to them, penetrating their true intention, and 60 scribes who relied on the family and promises of Alcimus were killed in one day. Similar cruelties and oppression on the part of Bacchides, and after his departure from Alcimus, continued until Judas prevented this with weapons. Then the false high priest again went to the king, and returned with a new army under the leadership of Nicanor. This, after a vain attempt to seize Judas during a peaceful meeting and after a dubious battle, pointing to the church, threatened to burn it if Maccabeus and his companions did not surrender to him, but Judas, not without the special help of God, killed him in another battle, completely destroyed his army and brought the blasphemous head and hand to Jerusalem 887. During a short period of peace, Judas concluded an alliance with the Romans 888, but did not receive the expected benefit from it. Demetrius, wanting to avenge Nicanor, again sent Bacchides and Alkil with 20,000 foot and 2,000 horse soldiers to Judea. Judas, not taking care of his glory in advance, came out against them with only 800, and was killed in a battle that lasted the whole day. Jonathan and Simon buried him in Modin, and all Israel mourned. Jonathan's war with Bacchides The zealots of piety and freedom, oppressed after the death of Judas, chose his brother Jonathan as their leader. He escaped from the tricks of Bacchides into the desert and repelled his attack, but at the same time was forced to retire beyond the Jordan, also losing his brother John in a sudden raid by the Moabites 889. Bacchides strengthened and occupied with his army some cities in Judea, and took hostages from the best families into the Jerusalem fortress. However, after Alcimus, having begun to destroy the wall of a certain vestibule in the church, was painfully struck by death 890, he left the earth alone. Two years later, the same military leader, through the inspiration and encouragement of some outrageous people, besieged the Maccabees in Bethbasia, but Jonathan, leaving Simon in the city, gathered a strong army, and brought Bacchides to such an extent that he executed the perpetrators of this war and agreed to the peace offered to him. Jonathan established his stay in Mahmash, the city of Benjamin, and brought the traitors of the fatherland to justice. Conduct and successes of Jonathan during the turmoil of the Antiochian reign To the greater elevation of the persecuted people of Judah, Providence revealed to Jonathan an opportunity in civil strife that shook the throne of the persecutors. When Alexander Vala was recognized as the son of Antiochus Epiphanes, and reigned in Ptolemais, Demetrius, fearing that the Jews would not take his side, granted Jonathan the right to gather an army and returned the hostages, so he restored Jerusalem, and foreign wars abandoned most of the fortresses built by Bacchides. But Alexander, wanting to attract Jonathan to himself, gave him the high priesthood, purple and a golden crown. Demetrius, having learned about this, wrote an affectionate letter to the Jews, with which he promised them the abandonment of many tributes, the inviolability of Jerusalem, the release of the enslaved, freedom of worship; gave Judea, Samaria, Galilee and the Trans-Jordanian region to the power of the high priest. He gave the Temple of Jerusalem to Ptolemais and offered his money for its renewal, but the Jews no longer believed him and remained faithful to Alexander. This also showed constant favor to Jonathan even when he had already deposed Demetrius, and strengthened himself with kinship with Ptolemy Philometor. And when Maccabeus defeated the army of Demetrius Nicator, the son of Demetrius, who was seeking the throne, led by Apollonius, and took several Philistine cities from him, the king sent him a golden belt - an adornment of the royal tribe, and presented Ekron with its borders. After this, Ptolemy Philometor, agreeing with Demetrius, and giving him his daughter Cleopatra, who was behind Alexander, in the latter’s absence, insidiously took the throne of Antioch, but since Ptolemy soon died from wounds received in the battle with Alexander, and this one, having lost it, was killed in Arabia, the kingdom went to Demetrius 891. During these confusions, Jonathan, having besieged the Jerusalem fortress, through this made a new insult to Demetrius, but through gifts he not only acquired his friendship, but also petitioned Judea to leave tributes, paying three hundred talents for this. Then he asked the king to withdraw the Antiochian army from the Judean fortresses, and he promised him more than he asked for, asking him for mutual help in the difficult situation in which he himself was due to the hatred of his soldiers. Jonathan sent him three thousand men, and they saved the life of Demetrius during the disturbance, killing 100,000 892 in one day. However, having established himself on the throne, the king forgot both this benefit and his promises. Therefore, when Tryphon or Diodotus, having defeated him, brought Alexander’s son, Antiochus Enpheus, into Antioch, and the young king offered the Maccabees leadership over the four regions, Jonathan went over to his side and zealously defended the places entrusted to him against the military leaders of Demetrius 893. Taking advantage of such favorable circumstances, he also renewed the alliance with the Romans and Spartans, and improved the fortifications of Jerusalem. But Tryphon, wanting to himself reach the throne to which he had elevated Antiochus, and foreseeing a strong obstacle from the Jewish leader, set out to destroy Jonathan. Having been met by him with a strong army, Tryphon hid his anger, and with one thousand soldiers invited him to Ptolemais, promising to surrender this city and its entire region to him, but as soon as Jonathan entered it, he was captured and his soldiers were killed. The treacherous military leader entered Judea with a large army, leading his captive into custody, but having learned that Simon had volunteered to rule the Jews, and with the consent of the people prepared for defense, he sent him to say that his brother was being held for the money he owed to the king, and promised to release Jonathan if they gave him one hundred talents of silver and his two sons as a pledge. Simon penetrated his cunning, however, in order not to have any complaints from the people, he fulfilled what was required, but Tryphon, having killed Jonathan, left. His faithful brother brought his remains to Modin, and created a magnificent monument over the tombs of his father and brothers. Freedom and Prosperity of the Jews under Simon The murder of young Antiochus by Tryphon and the tyranny of this thief of the throne forced Simon to turn to Demetrius Nicator, who at that time was in upper Asia. They concluded an alliance on the main condition that the Jews would not give any tribute to the Syrian kings. Thus, after twenty-five years from the beginning of the persecution for the faith, the pagan yoke was overthrown, and this memorable event marked the beginning of a new chronology, designated by the name of Simon the Bishop and Leader. Having soon conquered Gaza and forced the fortress of Jerusalem to surrender by famine, Simon completed the security of the fatherland 894. Under his rule and with him, it enjoyed internal prosperity and external glory. Friendship with the Spartans and Romans was renewed, and the latter, out of respect for the Jews, wrote about this to their neighboring peoples 895. The Jews, as a testament to their gratitude to Simon's merits, at a general meeting solemnly confirmed the dignity of the bishop and leader for him and his descendants, and the act of this election, carved on copper, was placed in the courtyard of the church 896. Meanwhile, after Demetrius Nicator was captured by the Parthians, his brother Antiochus Sidet, invited by his wife Cleopatra to the throne and bed, took up arms against Tryphon, and, in order to have the Jews on his side, wrote to Simon, confirming his previous advantages, and gave him the right to make a coin. True, this favor turned out to be feigned when Antiochus, with a strong army, besieging Tryphon in Dora, rejected the help sent to him by Simon, and then sent Kendewei to conquer Judea. However, her freedom was preserved by Judas and John, the children of Simon, to whom he entrusted the war due to his old age, and who put Kendewei to flight. Simon's happy reign, which lasted eight years, was not matched by the end of his life. His son-in-law Ptolemy, a military commander in the country of Jericho, set out to take possession of Judea, and during Simon's survey of the cities, giving him a feast, he killed both him and his sons Mattathias and Judas and some companions. He sent his accomplices to do the same with the remaining son of Simon in Gazar; however, the news of the malicious intent preceded the arrival of these murderers, and they themselves suffered the fate that was being prepared for John. Failures at the beginning of the reign of John Hyrcanus John, nicknamed Hyrcanus, despite the treachery of Ptolemy, received hereditary power, but could not, at will, punish this traitor 897. This domestic enemy aroused an external enemy against him, writing to Antiochus Sidetus to send an army, and, promising to betray Judea to him, Antiochus, taking advantage of this opportunity, besieged Jerusalem. And although he was so generous that on the Feast of Tabernacles he gave a truce to the besieged and sent sacrifices to the church, and also rejected the proposal of those who advised him to exterminate the Jews, as a people alienated from all others, he did not retreat from the city before forcing him to give himself weapons, promise tribute from the cities owned by the Jews, give hostages and pay 500 talents so that Jerusalem would not have an Antioch garrison 898. John's successes during the turmoil of the Syrian government Following the death of Sidetes, who was killed in battle against the Parthians, new unrest occurred in the Syrian government. Demetrius Nicator, having been released from captivity, returned to his kingdom, but soon, at the request of his subjects, sent from Ptolemy Fiskon under the guise of the son of Sidetes by Alexander Zebina, he was defeated, not accepted by his former wife in Ptolemais and killed in Tire. Nicator's eldest son, Selek, was killed by his mother, and the name of the king was transferred to the younger, Antiochus Grif. This one defeated and killed Zebina, abandoned by the Egyptians, but saw his rival in the true son of Sidetes, and his maternal brother, Antiochus of Cyzicus, and finally died from malice. John, not respecting any of these kings, did not miss such favorable circumstances to compensate for his loss. He occupied several Syrian cities, destroyed the Garizin church to the ground, forced the Edomites to circumcision and observe the law of Moses, threatening them otherwise with expulsion from their fatherland 899. He renewed the alliance with the Romans and brought a complaint against Sidetus in the Senate; conquered Samaria, despite obstacles from Antiochus of Cyzicus, and completely destroyed its wells; and Scythopolis or Bethsan, the city of Samaria, received through the greed of the military leader Antiochus Epicrates. Death of John and his properties John's thirty-one-year reign ended with a peaceful death. Flavius ​​considers him not only a pious husband, but also a prophet. However, it is difficult to reconcile with these qualities what is narrated by the same writer, that John left and hated the Pharis of the Seev, one of whom advised him to lay down the high priesthood, and joined the Sadducees who slandered them; and that he never wanted to see his son Alexander, whom God in a dream appointed him as a successor, surpassing the two eldest and loved by him. Aristobulus, the eldest of John's five sons, not content with the hereditary dignity of high priest and leader of the people, placed the royal crown on himself. He is known not so much for the good deed that he showed to his fatherland by conquering and bringing the Iturites, descendants of Ishmael, to the Jewish law, but rather for his prone to suspicious disposition and cruelty towards his family. He starved his mother, kept his three younger brothers in chains, and killed his closest brother, whom he made a participant in the board, heeding slander, through his bodyguards. Finally, tormented by remorse, he spewed out blood, which is why he died, having reigned for one year 900 Salome, otherwise Alexandra, the widow of Aristobulus, freed the brothers of her husband, and made the eldest of them Iannaeus or Alexander king. Having established his power with the death of one of the remaining brothers, Alexander besieged Ptolemais, but Ptolemy Latour, who came to her aid, who, having been overthrown from the Egyptian throne by his mother Cleopatra, at that time ruled in Cyprus, not only forced him to end this siege, but, irritated by his feigned love of peace, took the Galilean city of Asoch on the Sabbath day, defeated a large army Jewish; and, to increase fear in the vanquished, he ordered his army, stationed in some places, to boil the corpses of Jewish wives and children in cauldrons. Then, when Cleopatra forced her son to leave Judea, and, on the advice of her military leader Ananias, a Jew, made peace with Alexander, he took Gadara, Amathuntus, Rathia, Antedon and inhumanly devastated Gaza for the alliance with Ptolemy. Upon returning to Jerusalem, being called the son of a captive in popular outrage, he killed 6,000 people. Having also defeated the Moabites and Gileadites, but having been defeated by the Arabian king Obeda, and having ceded to him the fruits of his victory, he waged an internecine war with the Jews for six years; exterminated them up to 50,000, and brought them to the point that when he asked: what should be done to end the discord? - die, they answered, and asked for help from Demetrius Evker, the son of Griffin. Demetrius defeated Alexander and forced him to flee to the mountains, but some Jews, taking pity on their king, joined him. With these, having defeated the party opposed to himself and taking the strongest of them in the city of Bethom, upon arriving in Jerusalem, Alexander hanged up to seven hundred people on crosses, killing their wives and children before their eyes, while he himself and his concubines enjoyed this spectacle, and 8,000 fled forever. After new losses suffered from the Syrian kings Antiochus, Dionysus and Aretas, and after some new conquests, he died in the 27th year of his reign during the siege of Raghava from a three-year illness from drunkenness. Alexandra, Alexander's wife, in order to receive the kingdom according to her husband's will, according to his last advice, resorted to the Pharisees oppressed by him, and gave them great strength, and sent the friends of the previous reign, removing them from vengeance, to guard the fortresses. Thus, she reigned for nine years in peace, except for one danger, which threatened her with the invasion of Syria by Tigran the Armenian king, but which she averted with gifts. Civil strife between Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, and the conquest of the Jews by the Romans Of Alexander’s two sons, Alexandra appointed Hyrcanus as high priest not so much by the nature of his primogeniture as by his inclination towards calmness, but Aristobulus, having occupied more than twenty fortresses in fifteen days during her illness, after her death with her weapon forced his brother to renounce the rule, about which he concluded an agreement with him in the church with an oath and friendly embraces. Despite this, Antipater, a rich Edomite, persuaded Hyrcanus to resort to Aretus, king of Arabia, and this, in his conviction and in the hope of returning the twelve cities conquered by Alexander, went together with Hyrcanus to war against Aristobulus, and, having won, besieged him in the Temple of Jerusalem. Aristobulus, having only priests on his side, asked for help from Emilius Scaurus, who was then Pompey’s legate, who fought against Tigranes. Hyrcanus did the same for his part. The legate bowed to the most advantageous and reliable side, and, taking 406 talents from Arstobulus, in the name of the Roman people he forced Aretes to leave the siege, thereby facilitating the first victory over both enemies. Upon the arrival of Pompey himself in Syria, not only the warring brothers again brought him their own complaint, but also their people against the royal dignity introduced instead of the high priesthood. The Roman military leader, without giving a decisive answer to this, entered Judea and forced Aristobulus, who wavered between the desire for autocracy and the fear of war, to write an order to the commanders of the fortresses to surrender them to the Romans; then, having put him into custody, he proceeded to Jerusalem, after the legate Gabinius was not allowed into it. The adherents of Hyrcanus immediately accepted Pompey into the city, and the temple in which the accomplices of Aristobulus were imprisoned, being used for siege work, especially on Saturdays, was taken three months later, and the pagans entered the sanctuary. At this time, 12,000 of the besieged died, and the perpetrators of the war were executed. The Jews were made tributaries of the Romans, the cities they conquered were taken away and annexed to Syria, which, after the deposition of Tigranes, was turned into a Roman province. The high priesthood was returned to Hyrcanus. Aristobulus with his children in chains was sent to Rome, where he was supposed to decorate the triumph of the winner. The Punished Lust for Power of Aristobulus and Alexander Alexander, the eldest son of Aristobulus, having escaped captivity, caused a new disturbance in Judea, but, having been defeated by the proconsul Gabinius, he was barely saved from complete destruction by the request of his mother, and Hyrcanus was confirmed in his former dignity. Then Aristobulus himself, having fled from Rome, gathered an army, but was captured and sent back there by the same Gabinius. During the campaign undertaken by this military leader in Egypt to restore Ptolemy Auletes, who had been dethroned, Alexander once again outraged the Jews and besieged the remaining Romans on Mount Garizin, but even then his accomplices were partly returned to order by Antipater, partly defeated by the returning Gabinius. Finally, Julius Caesar, gaining strength in Rome, sent Aristobulus to Judea with two legions, so that he could have an ally in the east against Pompey, but the latter’s like-minded people got rid of this dangerous man by poison. Alexander, by order of Pompey, was convicted and killed by Scipio. Sacrilege of Crassus in Jerusalem Meanwhile, Crassus, the successor of Gabinius, passing through Judea, plundered the Temple of Jerusalem. At first he took a golden treasure (δοχον) weighing three hundred Jewish minas as compensation for other treasures, vowing not to touch them, but then he stole them too, which, according to Josephus, amounted to 10,000 talents. The blasphemer soon died in a campaign against the Parthians. Rise of the Antipater family After the death of Pompey, Antipater, who always knew how to stick to the strong Romans, having given Julius Caesar help in Egypt, with courage and loyalty entered into such a trust with him that he gave him the right of a Roman citizen, allowed him to choose the region to rule in Syria, and made him procurator of Judea. He confirmed Hyrcanus in the dignity of high priest, despite the machinations of Antigen, the youngest son of Aristobulus, and allowed the walls of Jerusalem, destroyed by Pompey, to be restored. Leaving Hyrcanus with one name as leader, Antipater shared power with his children Phasael and Herod, of whom he entrusted the first with Jerusalem, and the second with Galileo 901. Soon the enterprising character of young Herod was revealed, who, by exterminating a certain gang of robbers, having earned the love of the people, and from the noblest Jews the accusation of autocracy, not only confused the Jerusalem court, but, having bought from Sextus, a relative of Caesar, the authority over Kele - Syria, he was barely kept by his father and brother from the war against Hyrcanus. After the murder of Caesar, when Cassius burdened Judea with extraordinary taxes, Herod, hastily paying his share, received with his favor reinforcements and the extension of his power. At this time, Malichus, a cunning and restless man, poisoned Antipater with poison, but he himself did not escape the snares set for him by Herod’s vengeance. Herod's dispute with Antigenes about the throne The betrothal to Mariamne, who was descended on her father’s side from Aristobulus, and on her mother’s from Hyrcanus, and the victory over the first’s youngest son Antigen, who, with the help of his relative Ptolemy, the owner of Chalcis, sought the throne of Jerusalem, brought Herod closer to this throne. In vain the Jews complained three times about his love of power to Anthony, who, after the defeat of Brutus and Cassius, ruled in the East; the consequence of these complaints was only that Herod and his elder brother were made tetrarchs (tetrarchs). But Antigenes appeared another time in Judea, reinforced by the Parthians, to whom he promised 1,000 talents and 500 maidens. He made his way to Jerusalem and received the high priesthood and the throne, while Hyrcanus and Phasael were treacherously imprisoned by the Parthians, and the first of these, by order of the new king, had his ears cut off in order to make him incapable of the priesthood; the second, not wanting to die from the enemy, broke his head on a stone. But Herod barely escaped with his life. Leaving his family and followers in the fortress of Massada, Herod went to Rome, where the memory of his father, compassion and self-interest bowed to him Antony and Octavius, and he was made king of Judea by determination of the Senate. Upon returning to Judea, he waged a war with Antigen for three years, in which the Roman army helped him, but the Roman commanders also hindered him, bribing him with Antigen, and in which he lost his brother Joseph. Finally, stubbornly defending Jerusalem was taken and devastated by robbery and murder, first from the Romans, then from Herod himself, although he asked the Romans not to leave him as king of the desert. The death of Antigonus, who, at the request of Herod and by order of Anthony, was executed in Antioch, ended the Maccabean dynasty, which lasted 126 years. The thirty-four-year reign of Herod was an almost continuous chain of unrest and atrocities, which were both the consequence and the punishment of an insatiable lust for power. Having installed as high priest a certain Ananel, summoned from Babylon, he soon rejected him, and, through the influence of Cleopatra and Anthony, appointed Aristobulus, the son of his mother-in-law Alexandra, to this place, but soon, noticing the people's love for him, he ordered him to be accidentally drowned. Having been summoned for this by Anthony to trial in Laodicea, he atoned for his crime with gifts, and upon returning to Jerusalem he killed his sister’s husband Joseph because he revealed to his wife, out of strange jealousy, a command given for her life, which should have been fulfilled in the event of the death of the king. After the Battle of Actium, by which Antony was deposed, Herod traveled to Augustus and gained his favor, meanwhile killing the eighty-year-old Hyrcanus for suspicious relations with Malchus, king of Arabia. Then he killed the innocent, but careless Mariamne, on unfounded suspicions and the slander of his sister Salome, and after that, only with greater justice, he did the same with Alexandra, and completely exterminated the Hyrcanian family. Pagan games and spectacles, introduced to please Augustus, aroused some zealots of Russian traditions and among them one blind person to a conspiracy, and gave the king an opportunity for new cruelties. But in order to protect himself from such dangers, he created Sebastia on the site of Samaria, on the site of Strato’s pillar - Caesarea and other strong cities; During the famine, he exhausted his treasures to help the people, and repeatedly collected part of the tributes from them. Frequent relations with Augustus, sometimes directly, sometimes through various intermediaries, the dedication of churches in his name, the upbringing of his children in Rome, also contributed to the fact that the ruler of the world not only strengthened his power in Judea, but also gladly expanded his possessions. Wanting to leave behind a lasting monument of his power, Herod magnificently restored the temple of Jerusalem, however, how little respect he had for its worship, he proved by the fact that during the course of his reign he changed six high priests according to his whims. During his old age, the discord, deceit and slander that settled in his family, and his own tendency to suspicion brought him to the point that he had no confidence in anyone, and on double charges before Caesar he put to death his two sons from Mariamne - Alexander and Aristobulus. Finally, during his last illness, in which he suffered from incessant hunger, being meanwhile himself devoured by worms, he burned several people for crushing the golden eagle that he placed on the gates of the Jerusalem Temple; in despair he attempted his own life, executed his formerly beloved but ungrateful son Antipater; and, having gathered the noblest Jews to Jericho, he gave his sister and son-in-law the command to kill them at the moment of his death, so that she would not be without tears, however, this was not fulfilled. Calculation of the last period of Old Testament history At the end of Herod's reign, Jesus Christ was born. The continuation of time from the Antiochus persecution to this event is found through the addition of 3 years of desecration of the church, indicated in the first book of Maccabees, 126 years of the Maccabean dynasty and 34 years of the reign of Herod, shown by Josephus, which all together amounts to 163 years. The total duration of times in Old Testament history In total, the times of Old Testament history comprise about 4,000 years according to the Jewish reckoning; according to the testimony of ancient Christian writers, about 5,500, according to the instructions of Flavius, according to Vossius, about 5,700; according to the account adopted for national use by the Greeks since the time of Heraclius and from them by the Russians, 5.508. Among the most famous people of the last century of Old Testament history, after the first Maccabees, the Jewish writers include Judas, Onias, Hillel and Shammai. Flavius ​​ascribes to Judas the gift of prophecy, and in particular, the prediction of the death of Antigen, who was killed by his brother Aristobulus first. Onia, as the same writer narrates, once brought down rain through prayer. But during the internecine war, being brought to the camp of Hyrcanus and forced to curse Aristobulus and his accomplices, who had locked themselves in the church, he prayed that God would not listen to either side of the divided people of God, and for this he was stoned. Hillel, descended on his father from the tribe of Benjamin, and on his mother from the tribe of David, but born in poverty, moved from Babylon to Jerusalem, founded a school and became famous for his wisdom. However, Maimonides 902 notes that before him no one was called a rabbi, and this is attributed to the advantage of his predecessors. Shammai, from a student and collaborator of Hillel who became his rival, laid the foundation for another scholarly school, whose opinions were always opposed to those of the first. The doctrine of the Messiah, before His coming, became so famous and general that the entire Jewish people were actively engaged in it, as can be seen from the popular definition by which Simon was confirmed as leader and bishop until the faithful Prophet rises 903, and from the examples of Simeon 904, Philip, Nathanael 905 and the Samaritan Woman 906. But the same people, by some imprudent zeal, being too attached to the letters of Scripture, and applying the gracious promise to their civil condition, for the most part disastrous, explained it in an overly sensual way. The writer of the second book of Maccabees reveals confidence about the future life in the suffering of the seven brothers under Antiochus Epiphanes 907, and in the act of Judas Maccabee, who, after some wars that stole idol treasures, all fell in battle with Gorgias, commanded a sin sacrifice to be made with their silver in Jerusalem 908. The law of rituals, approaching its end, on the one hand was strengthened by jealousy, often extending to superstition, on the other, from time to time, weakened and humiliated by the domination of pagan peoples. The church, desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes, cleansed and fortified by Judas, again stripped of its fortifications by Antiochus Eupator, and again restored; conquered by Pompey, robbed by Crassus, finally rebuilt by Herod, who gave it greater height and vastness, adorned it with a vine branch made of gold, according to the Jewish writers, worth a thousand talents; huge columns, porticos; strengthened the fortress that was with him, where the high priest's clothes were kept. But in the eyes of the zealots, he darkened all this splendor by placing a Roman eagle at its gates. However, the Temple of Herod cannot be considered completely new, since it is called second by both Flavius ​​himself, who described its structure, and other Jewish writers. Herod celebrated its renewal on the day of his accession to the throne with countless sacrifices from him and the people. Some new blessings of God to the Jews marked new holy days, which are the essence: the feast of the renewal of the church or lamps, established by Judas Maccabee, which began on the 25th day of the month of Haslev (ninth) and lasted eight days 909; the thirteenth day of the twelfth month in memory of the victory won by Judas over Nicanor, and the day of the capture of the Jerusalem fortress by Simon 910. The persecution of Antiochus increased, along with the need, the desire for special instruction in the law and traditions of the fathers, and therefore, probably, increased the number of synagogues. The Jews say that they were in all the towns in which there were at least ten people free from work, and Jerusalem alone had them from 400 to 500. The reading of the Law of Moses, divided into certain parts, was combined with the same reading of the Prophets, the introduction of which was also prompted by the persecution that prohibited the very law. Each synagogue had one or more arch-synagogues, that is, leaders, a teaching pulpit and simple seats of varying dignity. The ancient laws and customs of marriage, having finally been more thoroughly studied by the rabbis, were subject to disagreement among interpreters. Rabbi Ami 911 argued that no husband could take a second wife without releasing the first; most of the others advised only that no one except the king should have more than four. The famous divorce law of 912 was interpreted more strictly by the followers of Shammai than by Hillel. According to their civil status, during the period of dependence on Syria, then in independence, and finally in subordination to the Romans, the Jews were ruled first by the Maccabees, called ephnarchs or leaders, and then by them, and finally by Herod, called king. But the power over the people changed not so much by these names, but by the abilities of the rulers. The greater or lesser strength of the nobles and the people themselves depended on this. To conduct public affairs, according to the Jews, there were three types of judgment: 1) a small Sanhedrin, in each city with more than 120 names, consisting of at least three judges; 2) the average Sanhedrin, in each larger city - of twenty-three members; 3) the great Sanhedrin, in Jerusalem - of seventy members, to which priests and Levites were mainly elected, and of one chairman, who, as they guess, was supposed to be a descendant of David. In this last council, they distinguished themselves about the Prince, ביהך י ך אבְ the master of the judgment seat, and, according to some, ההבם - the sage. The establishment of this council could have been based on some public councils that existed under Ezra, and which became especially necessary in the early times of the Maccabees. The Jews, attributing to it incomparably greater antiquity and power, extend it from the people to the priests and prophets, and subordinate kings to it, even to the point of the right to punish them corporally. But traces of such power are seen in the traditions of the rabbis, and not in the History of the Jews. In the education of the mind, around the time of the Maccabees, the Jews partly began to imitate the Greeks, but most of them, with a reprehension of Greek wisdom, engaged in a careful study of their law. This teaching was threefold: 1) מקדא mikra, reading and literal explanation of the word of God; 2) משבה mishnah, repetition of the law or collection of traditions; 3) מדדש midrash, research, or interpretation of Holy Scripture, allegorical and mysterious, which, as secret knowledge, also received from ancestors or even God Himself, is sometimes called Kabbalah 913. According to this division of subjects, those who, both in teaching and in their way of life, predominantly adhered to traditions, some bore the name of the wise 914; to those who dealt with written law, the name scribes is attached, with which the more private name of lawyers 915 should not be confused; and finally, those who practiced the deepest studies of Holy Scripture and the resolution of the most difficult questions are called co-questioners. Rabbi, a general honorific title for teachers, meant a type of dignity into which production, like admission to the Sanhedrin, was accomplished through ordination. The most important title, rabbi, was given to teachers in the descendants of Hillel, as in the royal tribe 916. To spread enlightenment, each synagogue had a book house, which probably means a library, and a teaching house or school. The last books that are usually added to the sacred books of the Old Testament are the following. 1. Book of the Wisdom of Solomon. On behalf of Solomon, he proclaims to the mighty of the earth the wisdom that comes from God and denounces paganism. This book does not offend Solomon by bearing his name, but it is not in the Hebrew Bible. An ancient tradition, preserved by Jerome, considers it to be the creator or a very free interpreter of Philo, who, however, is neither the biblical translator of the Phoenician History, nor the Alexandrian, who lived shortly after the Nativity of Christ. With the latter, despite many similar thoughts, it is not similar in syllable, and has never been posited among his works; the first was a pagan. 2. First Book of Maccabees. Contains the History of Antiochus' persecution of the Jews and their gradual deliverance by the Maccabees: Mattathias, Judas, Jonathan and Simon. Its character closely resembles the ancient Hebrew books, and Jerome actually saw its original in Hebrew. Some attribute this work to John, the son of Simon, or to one of the priests contemporary to him. 3. The second, or more correctly, another book of Maccabees. After a long introduction, he describes the disasters and exploits of the Jews from Iliodor’s attempt on the treasures of the church, to the glorious victory won by Judas over Nicanor. It is an abbreviation of five books by a certain Jason of Cyrene. 4. Third Book of Maccabees. It is called by this name either from an accidental connection with the Maccabean books, or due to some similarity between them and its subject. It is a pious legend about the persecution of the Jews by Ptolemy Philopator. This book was unknown to Josephus, as was the Second Maccabees. Just before the Nativity of Christ, the Chaldean transcription of the Prophets, made by Jonathan, a disciple of Hillel, was published, and was soon followed by a similar Onkels transcription of the five books of Moses. Accordingly, as the Jews began to explore their faith with greater freedom, and the increasing abuses and disorders among them justified and spread this freedom, schisms intensified between them and societies and sects were born, some of which were directly aimed at restoring piety, and some served only as food for internal discord among the people and the church. This includes the Assideans, Kareites, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes. 1. The Acideans, that is, the good or merciful ones, appeared in the early days of the Maccabees. Their subject was the preservation of faith, and charity directed towards it. 2. The Kareans were such zealots of the Holy Scriptures who adhered to it to the exclusion of any other teaching, and, moreover, accepted one literal explanation of it. According to the testimony of the writers of this sect, it separated around the time of John Hyrcanus, when traditions multiplied and intensified. 3. The name Pharisee means excommunicated. It became famous during the time of the Maccabees, although the beginning of the sect itself, in the opinion of Jewish teachers, was laid even earlier by Antigens Sohei, the head of the Sanhedrin, who received Kabbalah from Simon the Righteous. The main subjects of the teaching characteristic of the Pharisees were: the oral law, which, according to them, was given to Moses along with the written one, and for which even they allowed themselves to make restrictions and exceptions in the latter 917; fate, to which everything was subordinated except the will of man, and the resurrection of the dead, which, although in the presentation of Pharisaic opinions in Josephus resembles the transmigration of souls, cannot be confused with this pagan fortune-telling 918. The way of life of the Pharisees was distinguished by frequent ablutions, fasting, long prayers, strict tithes and Sabbaths, alienation from vicious people, great openings of clothes, and the so-called repositories on the forehead and hands, which they used not only as a reminder of the law, but also, as it were, some talismans 919. Their attractive appearance captivated especially the common people and gave the sect great power. It has grown and produced many industries. 4. The Sadducees are usually descended from Zadok, who, together with Vaithos, studied under Antiochus Sohei. Not understanding his teaching about selfless service to God, these disciples rejected future rewards and punishments, the resurrection of the dead, the existence of spirits and God's Providence in relation to evil. It is also likely that the leaders of Sadducees intended to put limits on Pharisaism, since they rejected all traditions and were content with one written law 920. The severity of the Sadducees towards others prevented them from multiplying, and their teaching, by its nature, pleased only the nobles, but not the people. 5. The Essenes, according to various guesses, got their name either from the art of healing, or from holiness, or from silence and tranquility. Some think that they were born from the Acideans, despite the fact that Flavius ​​reveres them as more ancient than all the Greek sages 921, and that something truly similar to this society can be seen in the ancient societies of the sons of the Prophets. In their knowledge of the truth, the Essenes were guided, in addition to the Holy Scripture, by other ancient books, and admitted a mysterious meaning to it. All good was attributed to one God. They did not make sacrifices, preferring internal worship to external worship. They are divided into speculative and active. Of these, some entered into marriage to continue the family line, but most retained their virginity. Living in societies, they had the same white clothes and a common table, before which they took ablutions, prayed at the rising and setting of the sun, for the most part abstained from swearing, and did not at all engage in such arts that could be harmful to others. The speculative ones, whom Philo calls Therapetae, abandoned everything and lived in the deserts, especially in Egypt, and near Alexandria. In simple, secluded huts they spent time reading, contemplating, pious songs, and once a week they gathered in a common church to listen to the speech of the oldest and wisest. Those entering this society were subject to probation for four years and were assigned four categories according to the time of their entry into it. Some compare the last three sects with the three famous sects of pagan philosophy: the Pharisees with the Stoics, the Sadducees with Epicure, the Essenes with Pythagoras. The Samaritan schism, which mixed with paganism during the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, then returned to its previous path and survived despite the destruction of the temple on Mount Garizin. The altar on the same mountain remained the place of Samaritan worship even when Herod built a new church in the renewed Samaria. The Egyptian church of Onias gave rise to a new schism. At least the Palestinian Jews could not tolerate Egyptian worship. In paganism, the most noble sects of modern times - Platonic, Peripatetic, Stoic and Epicurean, disagreeing in their own opinions, agreed in the humiliation of popular superstition and polytheism. Carneades, the founder of the third Academy, taught a doctrine that was close to skepticism and atheism. In Rome, where the deities of the conquered peoples were apparently gathered for review, and where enlightenment moved after power, Cicero, in an essay on the nature of the gods, examined the opinions of his predecessors on this subject, and did nothing more than destroy what they had created. Thus, the light of philosophy illuminated chaos everywhere, but could not transform it. Many either openly scolded religion or held it only hypocritically. Oracles and various kinds of sacred fortune-telling gradually lost credibility. Meanwhile, with the scattered Jews, the seeds of a better knowledge of God were scattered everywhere; and, as Josephus testifies, the opinion spread throughout the East that, by decree of fate, at this time people should appear from Judea who would conquer the world. Modernity of pagan peoples The history of pagan peoples in these times is almost only the history of the growing rule of the Romans. During the Third Punic War, Scipio destroyed Carthage. As a result of the Achaian War, Corinth was reduced to ruins, and Greece was reduced to a Roman province. The Spanish and Numantine confirmed the dominance of the Romans over Spain. The kingdoms of Pergamon and Bithynia went to them according to the will of weak rulers. Jugurtha, King of Numidia, without defending himself with either weapons or money, was taken to Rome in triumph. The Chimers and Teutons were pacified by Mari, and the Gauls by Caesar. Lucullus took Pontus from Mithridates, and Pompey took Syria from Tigranes, king of Armenia, and extended the power of Rome to the Euphrates. Egypt, exhausted by the vices and strife of its kings, having long recognized the patronage of Rome, was defeated by Caesar and subjugated by Octavius. Meanwhile, Asian luxury, the disagreements of the Senate and the people, the excesses of tribunician power, the indignation of Catiline, the lust for power of the patricians, produced domestic unrest in Rome. At this time, the triumvirate of Marius, Cinna and Silla, and another of Crassus, Pompey and Caesar, paved the way for unity of command. After the murder of Caesar by Brutus and Cassius, the third triumvirate - Lepidus, Antony and Octavia, after the deposition of the first two, ended with the monarchy of Augustus, under whose rule the Founder and Distributor of the Spiritual and Eternal Kingdom was born. Pagan evidence of Jewish history in modern times Writers of Egyptian, Syrian and Roman history give evidence of the touching history of the Jews. Diodorus, in Photius, mentions the siege of Jerusalem by Antiochus Eupator, Nicholas of Damascus, in Josephus, mentions the participation of John Hyrcanus in the campaign against the Parthians. Strabo and Timagenes also praise Aristobulus the first. Justin, speaking about Demetrius and Antiochus Sidetes, adds the history of the Jews, although, however, imperfect. The capture of the Temple of Jerusalem by Pompey is mentioned by Cicero, Tacitus and Florus. This should include the definitions of the Roman Senate concerning the Jews, collected by Josephus, some of which give them freedom of religion. Some derive the name Asmoneev from Mattathias's great-grandfather Asamoneus, others from his grandfather Simeon, whose names can be seen in Flavius, but others from the word: השמגים nobles. The name Maccabee first belonged to Judah, then it became common to the tribe: מבבי, according to some, means destroyer, from the word בבח; but it is more likely that it was made up of the initial letters of the following words: Who is like You in God, O Lord? which were written on the banner along with the image of a lion. On this occasion they destroyed the book of the Law, and in them I would test the Gentiles to write on them the likeness of their idols, 1 Macc. III, 48. One must think that these were the Holy Books on which the pagans depicted their idols, either to shame them, or to quietly accustom the Jews to them. The ritual described in the above words has the same significance as the act of Hezekiah, who revealed Sennacherib’s letter to God. In the narrative of this war, the second book of Maccabees mentions the victory over the Galatians, once won in Babylon, and the burning of Calisthenes, who set fire to the sacred gates, VIII, 20, 33: but there is no other evidence about these incidents. To this incident some attribute the prophecy of Daniel, XII, 7, believing that time means a year, times two years, and half a time, or part of a time, is the time of the preliminary oppression of Apollonius, or ten days that passed between the creation of the idol and the beginning of idolatry, 1 Macc. I, 54, 59. View. also Dan. VII, 25 and XII, 11. But Second Maccabees, X, 3, speaks of the cleansing of the church in two years - dark and unfair. Regarding this incident, the testimony of the first book of Maccabees, Josephus, Polyvius, and even itself is contradicted by the second book of Maccabees, which in one place says that Antiochus was stoned in the church of Nanaea, that is, Diana, I, 13 - 17, and in another - attributes his death to uterine disease, a fall from a chariot and worms, IX. Joseph, agreeing in this event with the first book of Maccabees, makes, however, a strange conclusion. He is surprised that Polyvius considers the death of Aitiochus to be a punishment for his intention to rob the church of Diana: έςι τημωρίας άξιον Then, having said that the most likely cause of his death could have been the sacrilege of Jerusalem, he adds άλλα περί μεν τ Ȣ τ Ȣ ού διαφερομεν , τήν ύπό τ Ȣ Μεγαλοπολίτ Ȣ λεγομένην αίτίαν παρά τήν ύφ ήμών άίηθή νομίς Ȣ σιν Ancient. book XII. Ch. 9. These arguments do not convey a high opinion of either the morality or religion of this writer. In Daniel the end of Antiochus is apparently described in the following place, XI, 44, 43. As for the war described above 40 - 43, some, asserting themselves on Zonar, explain this about the third campaign of Antiochus in Egypt, undertaken in defense of Ptolemy Fiscon against Philometor in the continuation of the persecution of the Jews, and some attribute this part of the prophecy solely to the great Antichrist. Before this incident, it would be necessary to give place to the military narratives of the second book of Maccabees, X, XI, XII, some of which are curious, such as the burning of the Joppa pier for the treacherous drowning of the Jews, and others are miraculous and painful, like the appearance of seven lightning-fast horsemen during the battle with Timothy, and one in white clothing before the battle with Lysias. The fall in the battle with Gorgias of all those who had the idol treasures taken in Jamnia, and after their death the offering of a sacrifice for their sin. But these incidents are cast in doubt by the confusing chronology of the book mentioned, in which it is especially unclear how Antiochus Eupator and the Romans could write to the Jews in the Seleucid year 148 in the month of Xanthika, which is the sixth month among the Macedonians, and corresponds to our March, after Antiochus Epiphanes, according to the Jewish reckoning, died in 149. In the narrative of this war, the second book again does not agree with the first book of Maccabees. To the number of the troops of Antiochus, the latter adds 300 chariots with scythes killed by Judas, she puts 600, and this one - 400 and adds another miracle to this; that one speaks of famine in Bethsur, and this one speaks of the peaceful surrender of this fortress; in that peace is concluded out of necessity on both sides, and in this it is asked by the king from the victorious Judas; in that Antiochus strips the church of its fortifications, in this one he showers it with bounties, and makes Judas commander of all Palestine. It is not difficult to see which of the two narratives is more impartial. The execution of Menelaus, according to the testimony of the Second Maccabees, consisted of being cast from a high tower into ashes. According to Josephus, Ancient. book XIII, ch. 3. Onias convinced the king and queen to give permission for this, using the prophecy of Isaiah, XIX, 18, 19, and they agreed to this desire under the condition: νόμον, V51; ςε μηδεν ημά δοχείν τον θεόν έξημαρτηκέναι. But in this way he represents the Egyptian king as a devout Jew. It is more likely that the motivation operating in Philometor was the hope of attracting the Jewish people to himself, as Joseph himself notes in the book about the war of the Jews. VII, g. 30. The war with Nicanor, in addition to the books of the first Maccabees and Josephus, is described in the second Maccabees and ends this book. But in these descriptions not everything is similar, and, especially, one cannot accept without analysis what is written in the last book. Firstly, the three years indicated at the beginning of the narrative, 2 Macc. XIV, 1, cannot refer either to the previous incident or to the reign of Eupator, which lasted only two years. What was said about the friendship of Judas with Nicanor and about the marriage of the former on the advice of the latter, 24, 25., is incredible. The suicide committed by Razius in order not to fall into the hands of the enemies, 37 - 46, is not worthy of the praise with which it is mentioned, and is almost embellished in its circumstances. Therefore, some also doubt about the dream in which Judas saw Onias praying and Jeremiah giving Ira a sword, XV, 12 - 16. In conclusion, the writer, or rather the seducer, of this story himself admits that in his book he mixed wine with water, 40. In the depiction of the Romans, which is found in the first book of Maccabees, there are dubious places VIII, 7, 8, 14, 13, 16. But is it surprising if Judas received not entirely correct news about them, or if we do not know some details of pagan history that would explain them. They are called 1Mac. IX, 36, the sons of Jameria from Midava, and this city is Moab, which is mentioned in Nav., XIII, 9, and in other places Jonathan took revenge on these robbers by attacking them during a wedding celebration. The death of Alcimus is supposed to occur during the reign of Jonathan in the year 153. 1 Mac, IX, 34. Therefore, it is not clear how Flavius, the ancient prince, could say. XII, ch. 10. It is as if Judas, after the death of Alcimus, was made high priest by the people, and held this position for three years. It is in vain that they want to reconcile both of these narratives by assuming that Judas was made a high priest during the life of the false high priest: this opinion does not agree with either of them. According to Flavius, the culprit of these confusions was Alexander himself, who, having come to his aid, wanted to kill Ptolemy with the help of Ammonius, and did not want to punish the latter at the request of the former. But the Book of Maccabees considers this to be slander on the part of Ptolemy, which he used to cover up his lust for power, XI, 1, 11. He says that Demetrius, before Ptolemy entered Antioch, was expelled from it by his subjects, but this claims that he went to Cilicia to pacify those who revolted, 14. However, this disagreement is not important in relation to Jewish history. Josephus does not put this number, but adds mercenaries to the Jewish wars, but the Book of Maccabees affirms the first, XI, 48 and rejects the last, 43. The battle of Lake Gennesaret is especially memorable. Jonathan's army, excluding Mattathias and Judas, fled, but he, tearing his clothes and putting earth on his head, prayed and drove away the enemies. Josephus claims that not only the Jerusalem fortress was destroyed, but also the mountain on which it was built was razed within three years, so that the church was higher than all parts of Jerusalem. On the contrary, the Book of Maccabees, XIV, 37, testifies that it was inhabited by Jews to protect the city. John, the son of Simon, settled in Gazar in order to keep the Philistines in fear and obedience. The letter of the Romans, sent with the Jewish envoy Numinius, was written during the time of Demetrius Nicator, but was received already during the reign of Antiochus Sidetes. The book of Maccabees, XV, 16 - 21, contains its contents, but not an exact list. Lucius Consul, named here, according to Grotius, is Lucius Furius Philus, mentioned by Citron, erroneously called Publius. The people's assembly was held at Saramel, 1 Mac. XIV, 27, according to the Vulgate: Asaramel. Some think that this is a corrupted name for Jerusalem, but others compose it from the words מלא תעד porch of Melon, see. 3 Kings IX, 24. Josephus writes that John besieged Ptolemy at Dagon, but did not take the city, partly because Ptolemy, having his mother and two brothers in his hands, tortured them before his eyes on the walls and threatened to overthrow them if the siege was not stopped. Partly because the Sabbath year soon arrived. However, this story is not reliable, for the two sons of Simon, according to the book of Maccabees, XIV, 16, were killed along with their father. What Josephus says in this place about the 3,000 talents found by John in the tomb of David probably belongs to the richness of the imagination. Is it possible to think that either David, who collected treasures to build a temple, or Solomon, who barely had enough wealth for luxury, would have left in the tomb such an amount of money and so many more precious vessels that, according to the testimony of the same Flavius, Herod found? Flavius's disagreement with himself is remarkable; for in one place, Ancient book. VIII, g. 12, he says that neither Hyrcanus nor Herod found the coffins of the kings themselves, but in another, Prince. XVI, g. 2, says that the latter, having reached them, lost two companions from a sudden flame and, to cleanse his crime, built a marble monument at the entrance to the tomb. Hyrcanus, after the conclusion of peace, accompanied Sidetes on a campaign against the Parthians, as Flavius ​​testifies to Nicholas of Damascus. Some approve of this act, while others compare it with the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes. But if John offered the Edomites a choice of one of two: either to leave their fatherland, or to accept the Jewish law, then this measure, although it cannot be extolled, it should not be cursed either. The laws of war common in these times quite justify it. Flavius, based on the testimony of Tinagen and Strabo, says that he was by nature fair and modest. But this favorable judgment, refuted by his actions, probably came from his love for the Greeks, which gave him the name φιλέλλην. On the origin of Antipater, the head of the Herodian dynasty, three opinions are presented for consideration: a) Flavius, Ancient. books. XIV, ch. 2, calls him an Edomite, a friend of Hyrcanus, and refutes Nicholas of Damascus, who derived him from the Babylonian Jews. Elsewhere ch. 27, the same Flavius ​​calls him another semi-Jew. b) But in the dispute that took place in Caesarea between the Syrians and the Jews, the latter demanded an advantage for themselves because King Herod, who created Caesarea, was a Jew. book 20, ch. 7. c) In the History of Eusebius, book. I, ch. 7, is quoted from the letter of Julius Africanus as follows: Cognati Servatoris nostri tradiderunt, latrones Idumaeos, cum Ascaloni Palaestinae civitate supervenissent, ex delubro quodam Apollinis, Antipatrum Herodis cujusdam hieroduli filium captivum duxisse Cum vero pro redemptione filii minister templi pretium solvere non valeret. Antipater, Idumaeorum more iustilutoque educatus, post modum Hyrcani summi ludaeorum Pontificis amicus effectus est. This last legend, although accepted by ancient Christian writers, is unreliable because, according to Flavius, Antipater’s father was not Herod, but Antipas, to whom Alexander King of Judea entrusted the leadership of Idumea. It is not difficult to agree with the two previous opinions by the fact that the Family Name of Herod, being Idumean in origin, was at the same time Jewish in faith. Prophecy of Jacob, Gen. XLIX, 10, for the explanation of which opinions were mainly held about Herod the Ascalonian, does not tolerate anything from the contrary, especially since the events of this can be found not only in the reign of Herod, but also in the rule of the Romans. Praefat. ad lud, Chasaral. Gemar. Bab. ad. tit. Iabimoth. c. 6.apud Seld. de uxore Heb. L, 1, c, 9. This word contains a very vague concept. Meaning an accepted teaching, Kabbalah differs from traditions in that the latter relates more to moral activity, and the former to speculation. It is: a) e gmatic, in which the main place is occupied by the teaching of the 0 ten Seferotah. b) interpretive, which in various properties of the words of Holy Scripture reveals some sacraments, such as, for example, the six-fold repetition in the first and last verse of the Hebrew Bible of the letter דא, according to Kabbalists, means the six-thousand-year existence of the world; – the number of the word אמן truth contains the number of the name יהדה, taken three times from the word אחד – one; in the word בדא created there are initial letters the names of the three persons of the Holy Trinity בן Son, דדח Spirit, אב Father; the word מדה death through the arrangement of letters gives הדב perfection, etc. c) Magical, which attributes miraculous power to words, and tries to open communication with the spiritual world. Truly accepted from God, pure and faithful Kabbalah is an explanation of the hidden symbols found in Holy Scripture. View, Rom. X, 6, 8, Eph. V, 30, 32; Heb. II, 5 – 9. They think that Magdalene calls out to the risen Jesus by this name. John XX, 16. In the second book about the war of Judah, ch. 12, Josephus states the opinion of the Pharisees as follows: τήν τών αγαθών μονον τήν δε τών φαύλων άϊδίω τημωρία κολάξεσθαι . But in another place, Drev. book ХVIII, ch. 2, ascribes to the righteous souls ραςώνιν τε άναβιέν. It should be noted that in the doctrine of immortality, the Apostle Paul and Acts also agree with the Pharisees. XXIII; and that in the opinion of the Jews about Jesus Christ, as one of the former Prophets, Matt. XVI, 14, it is more convenient to assume the dogma of resurrection rather than the transmigration of souls. View Luke IX, 19. Matt. XXIII, 8, repositories were small leather boxes in which several verses from Exodus and Deuteronomy were placed, and of which one was placed on the forehead above the eyes, and the other on the left hand opposite the heart. By this they thought to fulfill God's command to always keep the Law in mind. Deut. VI, 6, 8. Some think that the Sadducees accepted only the Pentateuch of Moses; but Flavius ​​says clearly: πάσαν τήν γραφήν. You might be interested in: