In order to preserve the true religion, God governed the whole people b3' a striking and peculiar providence, which has rightly been termed a theocrac}'. But, al- though the government of the Jews was a theocracy, it was not destitute of the usual forms which exist in civil governments among men. God, it is true, was the king, and the high-priest, if we may be allowed so to speak, was his minister of state ; bnt still the polit- ical affairs were, in a great measure, imder the disposal of the elders, princes, etc. It was to them that Moses gave the divjne commands; he determined their pow- ers, and submitted their requests to the divine decision (Numb, xiv, 5 ; xvi, 4 ; xxvii, 5). Josephus pro- nounced the government to be aristocratical, but Low- nuin and Michaclis are in favor of considering it a de- mocracy, and in support of their opinion such passages arc exhibited as the following : Exod. xix, 7, 8 ; xxiv, 3-8; Deut. xxix, 9-14. The Hebrew government, however, putting aside its theocratical feature, was of a mixed form, in some respects approaching to a de- mocracy, in others assuming more of an aristocratical character. See Theocracy.
In the time of Samuel, the government, in point of form, was changed into a monarchy. The election of a king, however, was committed to God, who chose one by lot ; SI) that God was still the ruler, and the king the vicegerent. The terms of the government, as re- spected God, were the same as before, and the same duties and principles were inculcated on the Israelites as had been originally' (1 Sam. viii, 7 ; x, 17-23). In consequence of the fact that Saul did not choose at all tiuies to obey the commands of (jrod,the kingdom was taken from him and given to another (1 Sam. xiii, 5- 14 ; XV, 1-31). David, tlirough the medium of Samuel, was selected l)y Jehovah for king, who thus gave a proof that he still retained, and was disposed to exer- cise, the right of appointing the ruler under him (1 Sam. xvi, 1-3). David was first made king over Ju- dah ; Imt as he received his appointment from God, and acted under his authority, the eleven other tribes submitted to him (2 Sam. y, 1-3). The paramount au- thority of God as tlie king of the nation, and his right to appoint one who should act in the capacity of his vicegerent, are expressly recognised in tli ■ books of Kings and Chronicles. See King.
The rebuilding of Jerusalem was accomplished, and
the reformation of their ecclesiastical and civil polity was effected, by the two divinely-inspired and pious governors, Ezra and Nehemiah ; Ijut the theocratic government does not appear to have been restored. The new temple was not, as formerly, God's palace ; and the cloud of his presence did not take possession of it. After the deaths of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Jews were governed by their high-priests, in subjec- tion, however, to the Persian kings, to whom they paid tribute (Ezra iv, 13), but were ruled by their own mag- istrates, and were in the full enjoyment of their liber- ties, civil and religious. Nearly three centuries of un- interrupted prosperity' ensued, although during that time they had jjassed to the rule of the Greeks, until the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes, king of Syria, when they were most cruelly oppressed, and compelled to take up arms in their own defence. Under the able conduct of Judas, surnamed Maccabreus, and his val- iant l>rothers, the Jews maintained a religious war for twenty-six years with five successive kings of Syria ; and after destroying upwards of two hundred thousand of their best troops, the Maccabees finalh' established the independence of their country, and the royal station of their own famil}'. This illustrious house, whose princes united the regal and pontifical dignity in their own persons, administered the affairs of tlie Jews dur- ing a period of one hundred and twenty-six j'ears ; un- til disputes arising between Hyrcanus II and his broth- er Aristobulus, the latter was defeated by the Romans under Ponipey, who captured Jerusalem, and reduced Judaa to the rank of a dependent kingdom, B.C. 59. — Pict. Diet. s. V. See Jews.
2. Executive Despotism. — The organs through which these various forms of administration were exhibited always partook of that absolute and arbitrary charac- ter, both in their appointment and their exercise, which prevails among Eastern nations. The government of the Israelitish state under the monarchy was, so far as we can understand its political organization, very sim- ple, and in its principal features analogous to modern Oriental forms (see Paulsen, Die Regicrung Morgan- liinder, Altona, 1755, vol. i). The king, not simply the central figure, but more properly the embodiment of civil power, liad around him as advisers and supreme executors of his commands several "counsellors,"' or W^"'"^ (2 Sam. xv, 12; 1 Chron. xxvii, 32; 1 Kings xii, 2), at whose head stands almost always the chan- cellor, "i^iT'O, "recorder," whose chief duty, how- ever, was that of historiographer (comp. 2 Kings xix, 18, 37), and who is immediately recognised as the prime minister, such as is to this day the organ of royal communication in Persia (see Chaudin, Voyage, V, 258). Co-ordinate with him probably stood the "scribe," ^sb, or state (cabinet) secretary (2 Sam. viii, 17 ; xx, 25 ; 2 Kings xviii, 18 ; xix, 2 ; xxii, 3, 10 sq. ; Jer. xxxvi, 10). Sometimes we find several of these officers mentioned as existing at the same time (1 Kings iv, 3); their bureau is called "the scribe's chamber," ^S3n rSw'S (Jer. xxxviii, 12). By the side of this officer was also the praifect of the palace, T'^sn hv ^'^X, whose functions, however, were not entirely confined to the royal household (such as commissions and messages, 2 Kings xviii, 19 sq. ; xix, 4, 8; Neh. i, 11), but who was also employed on state business (1 Kings xviii, 3; 2 Kings xviii, 18; Jer. xxxvi, 3), and often assumed a high degree of importance (Isa. xxiii, 15 sq.\ as he then became an officer of marked rank (like the modern major-domo). Sometimes a prophet enjoyed the confidence of the king as extraordinary civil counsellor, and grew influ- ential as "the king's friend," T^27I?1 V"} (a title of most trusty minister or prime vizier in the modern East; see Gesenius, Co??j7;iera^ on Isa. xxii, 15; Paul-- sen, Regier. p. 280), such as Nathan under David and Solomon, and Isaiah under Hezekiah. The superior