CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY GIFT FROM
Alfred C. Barnes
The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text.
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029308503
CONTAINING OCCURRENCES WHICH TOOK PLACE AT JERUSALEM AND ALEXANDRIA, DURING PART OF THE REIGN OF PTOLEMY PHILOPATOR, KING OF EGYPT, BETWEEN THE YEARS 217 AND 209 BEFORE CHRIST.
WITH NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS, BY
HENRY COTTON, D.C.L.
ARCHDEACON OF CASHEL,
AND DECEASED STUDENT AT CHRIST CHURCH, OXFORD
OXFORD, AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. MDCCCXXXII.
TO
THE PROVOST, FELLOWS AND SCHOLARS, VAN TRINITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN, TO WHOSE VALUABLE LIBRARY I HAD THE MOST GENEROUS ACCESS, THE PRESENT PUBLICATION IS ENGRAVED, IN TESTIMONY OF RESPECT AND REGARD.
Note from Webmaster
The books of the MACCABEES tell us about the happenings between Malachi in the OLD TESTAMENT to the birth of Jesus in the New Testament. There is nothing in the Bible about these 450 years. These books tell us about Judah and Benjamin, two of the tribes of Israel that remained and are now known to us as Jews, to the other 10 tribes known as Israel in exile carried off through Syria to this day. We must never forget that after the sin of Solomon for marrying heathen women, God divided as punishment the old Israel which consisted of 12 tribes, 10 Northern tribes known as Israel and the two southern tribes confessed as Judah, now also called Jews. Read the Bible from 1 Kings 11 from verse 1 to Malachi.
The events described in the five books took place under the rule of Greek leaders as the third world rulers as described in the Dream of Nebuchadnezzar. First there was Babylon, then follow the Persians to the Greeks who were taken over by the fourth. The Romans. Why not read the book of Daniel in the Bible? The events of the MACCABEES took place after Alexander the Great died, and his four Generals divided the world among them as rulers.
P.J.C.Schutte
CHAPTER III.
B.C.210 Ptolemy’s persecuting edict against the Jews.
Now as soon as this wicked man was informed of these things, he was so enraged as not only to be very angry with those Jews who only to be very angry with those Jews who dwelt at Alexandria, but also he became a more grievous adversary to those who dwelt in the country a: and commanded to make haste and gather them all together b, and put them to death in the most cruel manner.
While these things were in agitation, a malignant report went forth against our nation, from those men who were consenting to this wicked project ; a handle being given for this their design, upon the complaint of those apostates that we forbade them to communicate with us in our ordinances. But the Jews continued to preserve unchangeable their good will and fidelity to their kings. But, as they worshipped God, and ordered their conversation according to his law, they made a separation in some points, and rejections c of some
others : on which account to some persons they appeared odious. Yet by adorning their conver sation d with the works of the righteous, they had become well approved by all men. But those foreigners e paid no regard to that character for good deeds of the nation everywhere so much spoken of: but made a great noise about the separation which they made from others, in their ways of worship and sorts of food : and said, that these men were not sociable either with the king or fairs : with his armies ; but that they were disaffected f, and greatly opposed to the success of their affairs : so that they covered them with no small blame. Now those Greeks, who were in the city, and were in no wise injured hy them, observing the unexpected disturbance which was raised, and unforeseen concourses of people about these men, were indeed unable to help them, for the consti tuition g of the government was tyrannical : yet
they used exhortations in their favour, and were very sorry for them, and thought these things would have a change; for that so vast a body of men who had done no harm through ignorance h would not be thus overlooked hy their God. And besides, certain of their neighbours and friends and partisans called some of them together privately, and plighted their faith to protect them, and to use every endeavour for their assistance.
Ptolemy then, as exulting in his present prosperity; and having no regard to the power of the Most High God; but supposing that he should continue always in the same design, wrote this epistle against them : ” King Ptolemy Philopator
” to his commanders and soldiers in Egypt and
” elsewhere, joy and health. I myselfam in health,
” and our affairs also are prosperous. Since our
” last expedition into Asia, as you yourselves
” know, has, through the unforeseenI assistance “
“of the gods to us, and by our own fortitude,
” justly been brought to a happy conclusion ; we
” determined to treat the nations which inhabit
” Coelosyria and Phoenice, not with force of arms,
” but to nurse them with kindness and great ten
“derness, and willingly to do them good. And
” having bestowed great revenues on the temples
” of the several cities, we proceeded as far as
” Jerusalem : and went up with an intention to
” honour the temple of these wretches, who will
” never leave off their madness. Now those men
” in word took our coming thither kindly, but in
” their behaviour insincerely k: for, when we in-
” tended to go into their holy place, and to ho-
” nour it l with excellent and most noble gifts:
“they, carried away with their ancient pride, pro-
” hibited our entrance, not having experienced m “
“our power by reason of that kindness which we
” shew to all mankind. And making manifest
” their ill-will towards us, and being the only na-
” tion in the world which is insolent towards
” kings and towards its own benefactors, they are
” not willing to bear anything kindly n.
“Now we, being moved by the madness of these
” men, though we had returned home with vic-
” tory, and had come back into Egypt with the
” testimony of having met all nations with kind-
” ness, have done that which was fit for us to do.
” And in the midst of these things we have de-
” clared to all men our forgiveness of their na-
” tion ; and on account of their assistance in war
” and the innumerable affairs with which from
” the beginning we innocently intrusted them o,
” we earnestly endeavoured to change them, and
” were willing to bestow on them the privileges
” of citizens of Alexandria, and to make them
” companions of our priests p for the time being.
” But they, taking this offer in a contrary light,
” and by that wicked habit which is natural to
” them q rejecting the good and inclining per
” petually to that which is evil ; did not only
” turn away from that inestimable privilege, but
” abhorred both publicly and privately r those few
” amongst themselves who were favourably dis-
” posed towards us : ever expecting that by their
” infamous course of procedure we should speedily
” change our just measures.
” Wherefore, we both being well assured by
” certain signs that these men do in every way
” bear us ill-will ; and providing lest, upon any
” sudden trouble which may come upon us here
” after, we should have these wicked wretches be
” hind our backs as traitors and barbarous ene-
“mies: have given order, that as soon as this
” epistle is brought to you; the same hour you
” seize on these people who are dwelling among
” you, together with their wives and children s,
” with insult and vexation ; and send them to us
” every way secured in iron bonds, that they may
” suffer an inevitable and ignominious death, such
” as is suitable to the disaffected. For when once
” all these have been brought to punishment to-
“gether, we suppose that during the rest of our
” time our affairs will be perfectly established, in
” security and the best condition. And whoso
” ever shall conceal any individual of the Jews,
” from an old man to an infant and the very suck
” lings, he and all his family shall be racked to
“death with the severest tortures. But whoso
” ever is willing to discover any of them, he shall
” thereby obtain the substance t of him who fell
” under punishment, and two thousand drachmae
” of silver u besides out of the royal treasury. He
” shall also be made free, and shall be crowned
” And every place where a concealed Jew shall
” be by any means caught, let it be made impas-
” sable x and be burned with fire : and it shall be
” rendered wholly useless to every mortal being
” for all time to come.”
The form, then, of that epistle was to this effect.
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