The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

SECT. III. A Brief of the state of the Temple in the times of these Kings.

IF we were to write a Story of the City and People, as we are of the Temple, here were a very large field before us, for exceeding much of the Story of Jerusalem and Judea hath to do with the Story of these Kings: but since our confinement is to the Temple only, we shall make a shorter cut, because the peculiar relations that we find about that, are but few in comparison of the general Story of the City and Nation.

a 1.1 Seleucus Nicanor, (or Nicator as some do call him) the first of these Kings of Syria, was a great favourer of the Jewish Nation, for he infranchised them in his Syrian Cities, yea even in Antioch the Metropolis it self: and b 1.2 he bestowed benevolences upon the Temple, to an exceeding liberal and magnificent value.

But Ptolomy Lagus King of Egypt his contemporary, was as bitter to the Nation as he was favourable: He having his Army in the Country, took advantage one Sabbath day of the Jews strict resting on that da, and pretending to come into the City to Sacrifice, he surprized the City, and it is like the Temple sped but indifferently with him, and he car∣ried exceeding many thousands away Captive.

c 1.3 His son and successor Ptolomy Philadelphus was again as favourable to the Nation, as he had been mischievous: He sent for the Seventy Elders to Translate the Bible, and sent exceeding great munificence to the Temple, which we have had some cause to speak of before.

In the time of Ptolomy Euergetes the successor of Philadelphus, the covetize of Onias the High Priest, had provoked the displeasure of that King, and was like to have brought mischief upon the place and people, but that it was wisely appeased by Joseph Onias his sisters son.

From the time that Ptolomy Lagus had so basely surprized Jerusalem, it was under ho∣mage to the Crown of Egypt, till Antiochus the Great released it, or changed it rather into subjection to Syria; whether it were of his goodness and devotion, or whether rather out of his policy to make sure the Jews to him d 1.4 in the great Wars that he had, especially with the Romans, he bestowed many favours upon the People, and liberal Donations and Priviledges upon the Temple: And particularly this Edict in its behalf, That no stranger should come into the virge of the Temple prohibited; which it may be first occasioned those Inscriptions upon the Pillars at the entrance into the Chel that we have spoken of, that no stranger should come there upon pain of death.

After him succeeded Antiochus Epiphanes (save only that Seleucus Philopater reigned twelve years between) a Man or a Monster shall I call him? Of whom and of whose cursed actings are those Prophesies, in Dan. VII. 21, 25. & VIII. 10, 11, 12, 24, 25. & 11. 28, &c. & 12. 1, &c. and Ezek. XXXVIII. & XXXIX. and who performed accor∣ding to those predictions to the utmost of wickedness.

He began his Reign by the account of the Book of the Maccabees in the one hundred thirty and seventh year of the Reign of the Seleucian family, 1 Mac. I. 10. And in the one hundred forty and third year, as both that Book and e 1.5 Josephus reckon, he came up to Jerusalem, being invited thither by a wrethed faction of Onias, who was also called Menelaus the High Priest, and he taketh the City by their means, and slew many of the contrary party, and took away many of the Holy things and much spoil, and so returned to Antioch. This was the beginning of those two thousand and three hundred days mentioned in Dan. VIII. 13, 14. or the days of desolation, when the Host and the Sanctua∣ry were both trodden under Foot. Two years and some months after, namely, in the year one hundred and forty five he cometh up again, and under colour of peaceableness obtaining entrance, he sacketh Jerusalem, plundreth the Temple, fireth the fairest buil∣dings of the City, pulls down the Walls, slayeth even some of those that had invited him, taketh many thousands prisoners, and setteth a Syrian Garrison for a curb to the City and Temple. Here was the beginning of those one thousand two hundred and ninety days mentioned, Dan. XII. 11. The time that the dayly Sacrifice was taken away, and the abomination of desolation was set up; which space is called a time, times and half a time: which was three years and an half, and some twelve or thirteen days.

The mischief that this Tyrant and Persecutor wrought to the Temple, Nation and Religion is not expressible: how he forbad Circumcision, abolished Religion, burnt the Books of the Law, persecuted the Truth, murdred those that professed it, and defiled the Sanctuary with all manner of abomination, insomuch that the Holy Ghost hath set this character upon those sad times, that that was a time of trouble, such as was not since they were a Nation even to that same time, Dan. XII. 1. And here began the Story and Glory

of Mattatbias the Father of the Maccabean family, who withstood this outrage and villany, f 1.6 but died in the next year, namely one hundred and forty sixth of the Seleucian Kingdom.

Judas Maccabeus succeeds him in his zeal and command, and prevaileth so gallantly against the Commanders appointed by the Tyrant, Apollonius Seron Gorgias and Lys••as, that in the year one hundred forty eight he and his people return and purifie the Temple, erect a new Altar, restore the Service, and keep the Feast of Dedication for eight days, and ordain it for an annual solemnity, And from thence even till now (saith Josephus) we keep that Feast and call it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (Candlemas, if I may so English it) naming the Feast as I think from this, because such a restauration shone upon us unexpected. There is mention of this Feast, and it was honoured with Christs presence, Joh. X. 22. and what was the man∣ner of its solemnity, especially by lighting abundance of Candles at it, I have shewed in another place.

Both Josephus and the Book of Maccabeus make it but exactly three years between the time of Antiochus his defiling of the Altar, with abomination, and Maccabeus his restoring and purifying it again: g 1.7 Only the one of them saith, its defiling began on the 15 day of the month Cisleu in the one hundred forty and fifth year of the Seleucian Kingdom; and the other saith, it began on the five and twentieth day of the same month in the same year; but both agree that it was purified on the five and twentieth day of the same month, in the year one hundred forty and eight, which teacheth us how to distinguish upon that passage of Daniel forementioned, in Chap. XII. 11. namely, that the time the daily Sacrifice was taken away, was one thousand two hundred and ninety days, or three years and an half and some few days over; but the time that the abomination that maketh desolate was set up, that is, Idols in the Temple, and an Idol Altar upon the Lords Altar, was but three years.

Antiochus died in Persia, within forty five days after the restoring of the Temple, as Dan. XII. 12. seemeth to intimate, when it pronounceth him blessed that cometh to one thousand three hundred thirty and five days, for then he should see the Tyrants death. h 1.8 His son Antiochus Eupator who succeeded him, was invited into Judea by some Apostate Jews to come to curb Judas Maccabeus, who was besieging the Syrian Garrison that was in Jerusalem: He cometh with a mighty power, forceth Judas into the Temple, and there besiegeth him: But being straitned for provisions, and hearing of stirrings in his own Kingdom, he offereth the besieged honourable conditions, upon which they surrender. But he entring and seeing the strength of the place, and suspecting it might be trouble∣som to him again, he breaketh his Articles and his Oath, and putteth down the Wall that incompassed the holy ground down to the ground. And thus poor Judas and the Temple are in a worse condition than before, for the Antiochian Garrison in Jerusalem that was ready upon all occasions to annoy it, is not only not removed, but now is the Temple laid naked to their will and fury.

i 1.9 This Antiochus put Menelaus the High Priest to death (and he rewarded him but just∣ly for calling the Tyrant this Mans Father in) and he made Alcimus High Priest in his stead, one that was not of the High Priests line at all: which made Onias who was next to the High Priesthood indeed, to flee into Egypt, and thereby the favour Ptolomy Phi∣lometor, he built a Temple parallel to that at Jerusalem: And thus hath Jerusalem Tem∣ple two corrivals, a Temple on Mount Gerizim in Samaria on the North, and a Temple in Egypt on the South. Of this Temple built by Onias in Egypt the Talmudical Writers do make frequent and renowned mention. They speak in the Treatise k 1.10 Succah, of a great Synagogue or Sanhedrin here in the time of Alexander the Great, in which they say there were seventy golden Chairs, and a Congregation belonging to it of double the number of Israelites that came out of Egypt: And that Alexander destroyed them, to bring upon them the curse denounced by Jeremy against their going down into Egypt, Jer. XLIV. and the curse due to them for the violation of the command, Ye shall return thither (to Egypt) no more.

l 1.11 Yet would Onias venture to build a Temple here again, and that the rather, building upon that Prophesie, Esay XIX. 19. There shall be an Altar to the Lord in the Land of Egypt, &c. Upon which passage take the Gloss of R. Solomon: m 1.12 We learn in Sedar Olam, that after the fall of Sennacherib, Ezekiah stood up, and let go all the multitudes, that he had brought with him from Egypt and Cush, and they took upon them the Kingdom of Heaven, and they returned to their own place, as it is said, In that day there shall be five Cities in the Land of Egypt, &c. They went and built an Altar to the Lord in the Land of Egypt, and offered upon it an offering to God to fulfill what was spoken, In that day there shall be an Altar to the Lord in the Land of Egypt, &c. But some of our Doctors in the Treatise Menacoth, do understand it of the Altar of the Temple of Onias the Son of Simeon the Just, who fled to Egypt and built there an Altar.

In the last Chapter of the Treatise Menacoth, the tract which our Rabbin citeth, the Talmudists have speech concerning this Temple of Oni••s, and particularly these passages,

n 1.13 A man saith, Behold I undertake to offer a burnt-offering, he must offer it at the Sanctuary, and if he offer it at the Temple of Onias he is not discharged. If he say, I undertake for an offering in the Temple of Onias, he is to offer it at the Sanctuary, but if he offer it at the Temple of Onias he is discharged. If he say, I undertake to be a Nazarite, he is to poll his Head at the Sanctuary, and if he poll it at the Temple of Onias he is not discharged: But if he say, I will poll at the Temple of Onias, let him poll at the Sanctuary, yet if he do poll at the Temple of Onias he is quit: The Priests that serve at the Temple of Onias, shall not serve at the Sanctuary at Jerusalem: So that it appeareth that there were Sacrifices offered and other Temple-rites used in this Temple in Egypt as were in the Temple at Jerusalem, o 1.14 and it so stood in great glory two hundred years according to the opinion of Rambam: But it seems (they are the words of Juchasin) that it stood all the time of the Sanctuary: for Joshuah the son of Perahiah fled thither, and so in the time of Hillel: and they were obedient to the wise Men of Jerusalem and brought offerings, and so they brought their Wives espousal writings to Hillel (for they said they were bastards) and he allowed them: And there was there a great Congregation double to the number that came out of Egypt, till after the destruction of the se∣cond Temple, when Adrian the Emperor came up against them and slew them all at the time of the destruction of Bitter: Think of this great plantation of Jews in Egypt when ye read Matth. II. 13, 14.

But let us return from this Temple in Egypt to the Temple at Jerusalem where our busi∣ness lies. Alcimus the High Priest (whose illegal induction to that Office, had occasion∣ed this Act of Onias) as he was the Creature of the Antiochian family, so was he ser∣viceable to it to his utmost, even to the mischief of that Religion and People, in and among which he took on him the High Priesthood: He assists Demetrius (though he had slain Antiochus who had so favoured him) in the invasion of Judea, and attempteth to* 1.15 pull down the Wall of the inner Court of the Sanctuary: but is suddainly struck with a Divine stroke from Heaven, and so dieth.

Nicanor a Commander of this Demetrius forced Judas Maccabeus to betake himself to a Garrison in Jerusalem: and he himself going up into the Temple, and there intertained fawningly by the Priests, who clawed him by shewing him the Sacrifices which they said they offered for his Lord the King, he taunted them; and threatned mischief to the place if Judas were not delivered to him: but ere long the proud boaster and threatner was overthrown and slain.

Jonathan the Brother, and Successor of Judas Maccabeus in his command, proved to be so in favour with Alexander the Successor of Demetrius, and Demetrius again the Successor of Alexander, and Antiochus that succeeded him, that though there were now and then some stirrings among them, yet the Temple, which is our scene that we are upon, did suf∣fer little alteration or prejudice all his time; no more did it in the times of Simon his Brother and Successor: nay, he in his first year, obtains the peoples liberties, dismantles the Antiochian Garrison in Jerusalem, purifies the place, and appoints that day for a year∣ly rejoycing, and restores the Land to intire peace and prosperity.

Hyrcanus the Son and Successor of Simon being straitly besieged in Jerusalem by Antio∣chus; at the Feast of Tabernacles, desires a cessation for the time and solemnity of the Feast: which he not only obtaineth, but many and costly Sacrifices also from Antiochus: which nobleness causeth Hyrcanus to seek for an agreement, and so the Siege is raised: He is reported to have heard a voice in the Temple whilest he was offering Incense there, which told of the victory of his Sons who were then in battel with Antiochus Cyzicenus, and when he came out he told so much to the people. Josephus sticks not to style him a King, Priest and Prophet: or at least he speaketh but little short of so much, when he saith, q 1.16 that God vouchsafed him the three greatest honours, the rule of the Nation, the honour of the High Priesthood, and Prophesie. He cast off the Syrian yoke and homage.

Alexander his Son proves an unhappy scourge to his own Nation, so much scorned and despised by them, that at the Feast of Tabernacles they pelted him with their Pomeci∣trons, whereupon he slays six thousand of them, and troubles the Land with a six years civil War. He railed in the Court of the Priests, that none but the Priests might come in there for fear of the peoples disturbance.

Aristobulus and Hyrcanus the Sons of this Alexander quarrel about the rule, and call in forrain aid, as first Aretas King of Arabia, who besiegeth Aristobulus in the Temple: and then Pompey who cometh in, taketh the City, and Temple, bringeth the Nation under the Roman yoke, from under which it never delivered its neck, till City and Temple by that power was raked up in ashes.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Ios. Ant. lib. 12. cap. 3.
• b 1.2

  Id. in lib. Maccab. cap. 3. 2 Mac. III. 3.
• c 1.3

  Arist••as & Ios. ubi ante.
• d 1.4

  Appian. in Sy••inc.
• e 1.5

  Jos. Ant. l. 12 c. 6. 1 Mac. I. 21. &c.
• f 1.6

  1 Mac. II. 70.
• g 1.7

  1 Mac. I. 54. Jos. ubi sup.
• h 1.8

  Id. ibid. cap. 15.
• i 1.9

  ibid.
• k 1.10

  Succah. per. 5.
• l 1.11

  Ios. Ant. lib 13 cap. 6. Iuchas. sol. 14.
• m 1.12

  R. Sol. in ••s••y XIX.
• n 1.13

  Menachoth per. 13.
• o 1.14

  Iuchas. ubi supra.
• * 1.15

  p 1 Mac. IX. Jos. Ant. lib. 12 cap. 17.
• q 1.16

  Id. ib. lib. 13 cap. 18.