dom of Syria, he was feized, and shut up close Prifoner in Ptolemais, 1 Mac. xi, and xii. And afterwards was flain with his two Sons, chap. xiii.

52 Q. Who fucceeded Jonathan in the HighPriesthood and Government? A. Simon his Brother, by the Request of all the People.

53. What were fome of the first Enterprizes of Simon? A. After an honourable burial of his Brother in Modin, the City of his Fathers, and the noble and lofty Monument, and feven Pyramids which he fet for his Parents, his four Brethren and himself, he fortifyed the Cities of Judea, made a League with young Demetrius, the Son of Demetrius, took the City of Gaza, cleanfed the Houfes from Idols, and built himself a House there.

54 Q Did the Garrison in the Tower of Acra, near the Temple, continue to annoy the Jews in their Worship? A, Notwithstanding all the Attempts of Judas and Jonathan, thefe Enemies remained still till the Days of Simon, who shut them up so closely, that after great numbers perished with Famine, the reft yielded up the Tower to Simon: immediately he cleanfed it from its Pollutions, and entered into it with Harps and Songs, and great Triumph.

55 Q. What Precautions did Simon take against the like Annoyance for time to come? A. By Confent and Affiftance of the People, he pulled down the Tower, and reduced the Mountain itself fo low, that there might be no poffibility of any fu ture Annoyance to the Worship of the Temple from that Place.

56 Q. What further Succefs had Simon in his Government? A. He eftablished Jerufalem, and Judea in great Peace and Plenty; he fought out the Law, and made it to be obeyed; he beautifyed

the

the Sanctuary, multiplyed the Veffels of the Temple, and maintained their Religion in the divine Inftitutions of it.

57 Q. What peculiar Honour was done him by the Jews? A. In a general Affembly of the Priefts and Elders, and the People of the Jews, met together at Jerufalem, he was conftituted the Prince, as well as their High-Prieft; and thefe Dignities and Offices were fettled upon his Pofterity for ever. This was engraven on Tables of Brafs, to gether with the good Deeds of himself and his Family, which had merited fuch an Honour; and thefe Tables were hung up in the Sanctuary.

58 Q, What Regard was paid to him among the Heathen Nations? A. Several Princes and People, the Lacedemonians, the Romans, and Antiochus, furnamed Sidetes, the Son of Demetrius, King of Syria, all fought his Friendship, made Leagues and Covenants with him, and conferred on him fpecial Honours, 1 Mac xiv. and xv.

59 Q. Did Antiochus keep his Covenants with Simon? A. By no means; for when he had vanquifhed Tryphon, his Rival, he brake his League with Simon, and invaded some part of Judea: but his General Cendebeus was routed by Simon and his two eldeft Sons, Judas and John, whofe Surname was Hyrcanus.

60. Q. What was the Fate of Simon at last? A. When Simon was vifiting the Cities, and giv-ing Orders for their Welfare, one Ptolemus, who was his Son-in-law, invited him and his Sons to a Banquet at Jericho, and flew Simon, with two of his Sons, in order to get the Government of the Country into his own hands; and sent privately to kill John alfo.

61 Q. Did Ptolemeus fucceed in this his Treachery and murderous Enterprize? A. John having got timely Notice of it, flew the Affaffins, and was invefted with the High-Priesthood, and the Government after his Father.

Note, Here ends that excellent History, the first Book of the Maccabes. The following part of this Account of the Jews is borrowed chiefly from Jofephus, who ufually calls John by the Surname of Hyrcanus.

SECT. VII. Of the Jewish Affairs under the Conduct of the Pofterity and Succeffors of SIMON the MACCABEE; and of the Several Sets among the Jews, viz. Pharifees, Sadducees, Effenes, Herodians, Karaites.

1Q ID John Hyrcanus enjoy his Office in Peace? A. Antiochus Sidetes being informed of the Death of Simon, and being invited by Ptolemeus, invaded Judea again, befieged Jerufalem, and reduced Hyrcanus, and the Jews to the laft Extremity by Famine: But when they fued for Peace, he granted it, upon Condition of paying certain Tributes to the King, and demolishing the Fortifications of Jerufalem.

Note, About this time Jefus the Son of Sirach, a Jew of Jerufalem, coming into Egypt, tranflated the Book of Ecclefiafticus, written by Jefus his Grandfather, out of Hebrew into Greek, for the Ufe of the Hellenistic Ferus there. The Ancients called it Pauareton, or the Treasury of all Virtue.

2 Q. How did the Affairs of the Jews fucceed under Hyrcanus? A. A few Years afterwards he took advantage of the vaft Confufions that enfued among the Nations, upon the Death of Antiochus, to enlarge his Borders, by feizing some neighbouring Towns on several fides of Judea; and to renounce all his Dependance upon the Kings of Syria.

3 Q: Was he supported therein by any Foreign Powers? A. He renewed the League of Friendfhip which his Father Simon had made with the Romans, who were then growing to their Grandeur; and they ordered that he fhould be freed from the late impofed Tribute, and that the Syrians fhould make reparation for the Damages they.

had done him.

4 Q. In what manner did Hyrcanus deal with the Edomites, or Idumeans, who were on the South of Judea? 4. He conftrained them to embrace the Jewish Religion, or leave their Country; whereupon they chofe to forfake their Idolatry, they became Profelytes to Judaism, and were mingled and incorporated with the Jews; and, by this means, in lefs than two hundred years, their very Name was lost.

Note, In Defence of this Practice of Hyrcanus, among the Idumeans, which feems to be fo contrary to the Laws of Nature and Scripture, it may be faid, that at this time thefe Edomites had incroached on the Land of Judea, and inhabited all the South part of it; fo that Hyrcanus, in banishing those who would not be come Jews,. did but difpoffefs them of that Country which was given to the Ferus by God himself. Yet it must be confeffed, by this practice he seems to have fet an unhappy Pattern to his Succeffors, to impofe

the

the Religion of the Jews on conquered Countries by

Force.

5 Q. How did he treat the Samaritans on the North, when his Power was thus increased? A. He marched with his Army and took Shechem, which was then the chief Seat of the Samaritan Sect; and he deftroyed their Temple on Mount Gerizim, which Sanballat had built; though they continued ftill to keep an Altar there, and to offer Sacrifices.

6 Q. How came Shechem to be their chief Seat inftead of Samaria? A. They were expelled from Samaria, by Alexander, for killing one of his Deputy-Governors in a Tumult; and they retiring to Shechem, made that their chief Seat; while Alexander repeopled Samaria with Heathens of the Syrian and Macedonian Race.

7 Q. Did Hyrcanus extend his Power farther on that Side of the Country? A. He befieged Samaria, and took it, and utterly demolished it; he not only ruled in Judea, but in Galilee alfo, and the neighbouring Towns: He became one of the moft confiderable Princes of his Age, and preferved the Jewish Church and State in Safety from their Enemies, throughout a long Government.

8 Q. What other remarkable Actions are afcribed to Hyrcanus? A. He was efteemed a Prophet for one or two notable Predictions, or KnowJedge of things done at a Distance. He built the Caftle Baris, on a fleep Rock, fifty Cubits high, without the outer Square of the Temple, but on the fame Mountain: This was the Palace of all the Afmonean Princes in Jerufalem, and here the fa

cred