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. IV. Short hints of the condition of the second Temple.

THE Jews upon their return from Babylon, at first made use of an Altar, without a Temple, till the Temple was finished under Darius the second. And then they made use of the Temple without the Ark, a Priesthood without the Urim and Thum∣mim, and Sacrifices without fire from Heaven. In some of these things they were ne∣cessitated by present circumstances, in other things they were directed by the Prophets that flourished at that time.

Under the Persian Empire they went on quietly with the Temple, little or nothing molested or incommoded by them, unless in that affair under Bagos mentioned by Jo∣sephus n 1.1.

But under the Greeks happened the calamity of the Temple and Nation; and all those dreadful things which are spoken concerning Gog, by Ezekiel the Prophet, were fulfilled in the Tyranny of this Empire. For Gog in that Prophet, was no other than the Gre∣cian

Empire, warring against the People, and Sanctuary, and true worship of God. It was a long time that the Jewish Nation suffered very hard things from that Kingdom; the relation of which we have, both in Josephus and the Books of the Maccabees. The chief Actor in those Tragedies was Antiochus Epiphanes, the bloodiest enemy that the People and Religion of the Jews ever had. Who, besides other horrid things he acted against their Law and Religion, he prophained the Temple and the Altar, and made the daily Sacri∣fice to cease for a thousand and three hundred days, Dan. VIII. 14. or one thousand two hundred and ninety days, Chap. XII. 11. a round number for a time, and times, and half a time, Chap. VII. 25. & XII. 7. that is, three years and a half.

Of the insolencies of the Greeks against the the Temple, we read in Middoth. o 1.2 In the railed place [that divided the Chel from the Court of the Gentiles] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 there were thirteen breaches, which the Kings of Greece made upon it, &c. And that of the impudent Woman, p 1.3 Mary the Daughter of Bilgah apostatized, and married a certain Greek Souldier. She came, and strook upon the top of the Altar, crying out 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 O Wolf, Wolf! thou that devourest the wealth of Israel, and yet in the time of her extremity canst not help her. The same things are told of Titus. q 1.4

But the heaviest thing of all was, when Antiochus prophaned the Temple and the Altar, nor would allow any Sacrifices to be offered there but Heathenish and Idolatrous. Of which Persecution consult the 1 Mac. I. and Joseph. r 1.5 Indeed, this waste and prophanation of Sacred things lasting for three years and an half, so stuck in the stomachs of the Jews, that they retained that very number as famous and remarkable, insomuch that they often make use of it, when they would express any thing very sad and afflictive.

s 1.6 There came one from Athens to Jerusalem and stayed there three years and an half, to have learnt the language of wisdom but could not learn it. t 1.7 Vespasian beseiged Jerusalem for three years and an half; and with him were the Princes of Arabia, Africa, Alexandria, and Palestine, &c. u 1.8 Three years and an half did Hadrian Beseige Bittar, x 1.9 The judg∣ment of the Generation of the Deluge was twelve months: The judgment of the Aegypti∣ans twelve months: The judgment of Job, was twelve months: The judgment of Gog and Magog was twelve months: The judgment of the wicked in Hell, twelve months. But the judgment of Nebuchadnezzer was three years and an half: and the judgment of Vespasian three years and an half. y 1.10 Nebuchadnezzar stayed in Daphne of Antioch, and sent Nebu∣zaradan to destroy Jerusalem. He continued there, for three years and an half.

There are many other passages of that kind, wherein they do not so much design to point out a determinate space of time, as to allude to that miserable state of affairs they were in, under Antiochus. And perhaps it had been much more for the reputation of the Christian Commentators upon the Book of the Revelations, if they had looked upon that number, and the forty and two months, and the thousand two hundred and sixty days as spoken allusively, and not applied it to any precise or determinate time.

But the way, whiles we are speaking of the Persecution under the Greeks, we cannot but call to mind the story in the second Book of Maccab. VII. of the Mother and her seven Sons that underwent so cruel a Martyrdom: because we meet with one very like it, if not the same, only the name changed.

z 1.11 We are killed all the day long, we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter, Psal. XLIV. Rab. Judah saith, this may be understood of the Woman and her seven Sons. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They brought forth the first before Cesar, and they said unto him, worship Idols. He answered and said to them, it is written in our Law, I am the Lord thy God. Then they carried him out and slew him. They brought the second before Caesar, &c. Which things are more largely related in Echah Rabbathi a 1.12, where the very name of the Wo∣man is expressed. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Mary the Daughter of Nachton, who was taken Captive with her seven Sons. Cesar took them and shut them up within seven grates. He brought forth the first and commanded, saying, worship Idols, &c.

The Story seems wholly the same, only the names of Antiochus and Cesar changed, of which the Reader having consulted both, may give his own judgment. And because we are now fallen into a comparing of the story in the Maccabees, with the Talmudists, let us compare one more in Josephus with one in the same Authors.

Josephus tells us that he foretold it to Vespasian, that he should be Emperour b 1.13. Vespa∣sian commanded that Josephus should be kept with all the diligence imaginable, that he might be conveighed safely to Nero; which when Josephus understood, he requested that he might be permited to impart something of moment to Vespasian himself alone. Vespasian having commanded all out of the Room, except Titus and two other of his friends, Josephus accosts him thus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; Are you sending me to Nero?—Thou thy self, O Vespasian, shalt be Cesar and Emperor, thou and this thy Son, &c.

The Talmudists attribute such a Prediction to Rabban Jochanan ben Zaccai, in the Tracts before quoted, viz. c 1.14 Rabban Johanan ben Zaccai was carried out in a Coffin, as one that is dead, out of Jerusalem. He went to Vespasian's Army, and said, where is your

King? They went and told Vespasian, there is a certain Jew desireth admission to you. Let him come in, saith he. When he came in, he said, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Live O King, Live O King. [So in Gittin, but in Midras 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Live my Lord the Emperour.] Saith Vespasian, you salute me as if I were King, but I am not so; and the King will hear this, and judge such an one to death. To whom he, although you are not King yet, you shall be so, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for this Tem∣ple must not be destroyed but by a King's hand, as it is written, Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one, Isai. X. 34.

To which of these two, or whether indeed to both, the glory of this Prediction ought to be attributed, I leave it to the Reader to judge; returning to the times of the Greeks.

The Army and Forces of the Enemy, being defeated under the conduct of Judah the Maccabite, the people begin to apply themselves to the care, and the restauration of the Temple, and the Holy things. The Story of which we meet with 1 Maccab. IV. 43, &c. and in Josephus d 1.15, whose words are worth our transcribing, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 He found the Temple desolated, the Gates burnt; and the grass through the mere solitude of the place springing up there of its own accord: Therefore he and his followers wept, being astonished at the sight.

They therefore apply themselves to the purging of the Temple, making up the breaches, and as Middoth in the place above speaks, Those thirteen breaches which the Grecians had made 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 they repaired them; and, according to the num∣ber of those breaches, they instituted thirteen adorations.

The Altar, because it had been prophaned by Gentile Sacrifices they pull it wholly down, and lay up the Stones in a certain Chamber near the Court.

e 1.16 Toward the North-East, there was a certain Chamber where the Sons of the Asmoneans laid up the Stones of that Altar which the Grecian Kings had prophaned; and that (as the Book of the Maccabees hath it) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Till there might come a Prophet that should direct them what to do with them.

Nor did it seem without reason; for, whereas those Stones had once been consecrated, they would by no means put them to any common use; and since they had been pro∣phaned, they durst not put them to any holy use.

The rest of the Temple, they restored, purged, repaired, as may be seen in the places above quoted, and on the five and twentieth of the month Cisleu they celebrated the Feast of the Dedication, and established it for an Anniversary Solemnity to be kept eight days together. Of the Rites of that Feast, I shall say more in its proper place: and for the sake of it I have been the larger in these things.

Notes

• n 1.1

  Antiqu. lib. 11. cap. 7.
• o 1.2

  Middoth. cap. 2. hal. 3.
• p 1.3

  Jerus. Succah. fol. 55. 4.
• q 1.4

  In Avoth. R. Nathan. cap. 1.
• r 1.5

  Antiqu. lib. 12. cap. 7, &c.
• s 1.6

  Echah Rabba∣thi, fol. 60. 4.
• t 1.7

  Ibid. fol. 64. 1.
• u 1.8

  Ibid. f. 71. 1.
• x 1.9

  Ibid. f. 66. 2.
• y 1.10

  Ibid. f. 79. 2.
• z 1.11

  Gittim, fol. 57. 2.
• a 1.12

  Fol. 67. 4. & 68. 1.
• b 1.13

  De Bell. Jud. lib. 3. cap. 27.
• c 1.14

  Gittin. fol. 56. 1. & Echah Rabbathi, fol. 64. 2.
• d 1.15

  Antiqu. lib. 12. cap. 11.
• e 1.16

  Middoth, cap: 1. hal. 6.