THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
Alexander's attitude toward the Jews was friendly.
But when, after the conqueror's death, his empire was divided, Judea, lying between the kingdoms of the contending Ptolemies
11. The Greek Period.
and the Seleucidae, was a continual sufferer by the conflict. At first Judea came into the power of the Ptolemies. Josephus reports that Ptolemy Lagus violated the Sabbath, captured Jerusalem, and carried captive to E^vpt a large number of Jews from Jerusalem and Galilee (Apion, i. 22; Ant. XII., i., XIII., xii. 4). Hecataeus says that later this Ptolemy was so friendly toward the Jews that many of them of their own accord went to Egypt and settled there, particularly in Alexandria. Judea still remained the object of strife between Syria and Egypt, and came finally into the power of Syria under Antiochus III. the Great, by his victory over Scopus near Paneas. Of Seleucus Philopator, son of Antiochus the Great, it is reported that his general, Heliodorus, entered the temple to plunder it and was prevented by a miraculous vision. The succession of Antiochus IV Epiphanes to the throne of .Syria (175 b.c.) was of especial moment to the Jews. During the changes which had befallen the political possession of Palestine, Jewish independence being entirely lost, the chief concern of the Jews was their religious freedom. But contact with Greek civilization and the attempts of the leaders to make capital out of the quarrels of the overlords, as well as the building up in the land of centers of Greek life through settlement there of Greek colonies, introduced the spirit of Hellenism and caused the establishment of a party among the Jews favorable to Greek civilization, receiving therefore the support of the overlords. Opposed to this Hellenistic party was the party of the Hasideans, committed to the observance of the Mosaic ordinances, and to the condemnation of Hellenism. Into the contest between these two parties Antiochus Epiphanes intruded by his brutal attack on the sanctuary, 168 B.C., as well as by his assault upon the religious observances of the Jews and his edict against the Sabbath and circumcision. His anger on account of the failure of his expedition against Egypt he vented in this way upon the Jews, and he thus became the antetype of the New-Testament Antichrist. Severe persecution followed, in the course of which many Jews abandoned their religion.
A turn in affairs was given in the year 167 B.C. in the resistance offered by the priest Mattathias
12. The °f Modem, supported by his sons. Maccatiean Rebellion against Syria broke out, led
and Eo- by Judas, son of Mattathias, who won
man Pe- many victories over Syrian troops, riods. restored the service of the temple, and died a hero's death. The strife was carried on by the brothers of Judas, one of whom, Simon, gained the position of high priest and prince by choice of the people and recognition by the Syrians. Until the time of Simon's son, John Hyrcanus, the Maccabees and the Hasideans were of the same party and, indeed, bore the same name (see Hasmoneans). They were the predecessors of the Pharisees (see Pharisees and Sadducees) . John broke with the orthodox party and connected himself with the
Sadducees. After his death his family became involved in quarrels over the succession and lost its preeminent position, and against his son Alexander Jannaeus (104-78 B.C.) the Pharisees sought Syrian help. In the strife that ensued upon his death, caused by attempts to gain the succession, the Romans obtained entrance, and Pompey captured Jerusalem after a three months' siege. Herod, son of the Idumean Antipater, was made king by the Roman senate in 39 b.c, and established himself by the help of the Roman legions in 37 b.c. He sought to conciliate the Jews, particularly by his magnificent restoration of the temple. After the death of this talented but conscienceless tyrant, his kingdom was divided between his sons Archelaus, Antipas, and Philip. The first, to whom Judea had fallen, was soon deposed by the Romans (6 a.d.), and government by Roman procurators was instituted with capital at Caesarea. The procurators appointed by the Romans had no appreciation of Jewish characteristics, and constant ill-feeling was aroused over religious matters. The best known of these officers is Pontius Pilate (26-36 a.d.), whose conduct caused many conflicts with the people and whose unstable character is revealed in the story of the trial of Jesus (see Pilate, Pontius). The opposition between the suppressed theocratic consciousness of the Jews and the claims of the Caesars grew ever sharper until the final conflict. Open rupture was almost provoked in the year 40 a.d. by the order of Caligula to have his image set up in the temple, a crisis that was passed only by the intercession of Agrippa I. at Rome. To this end Agrippa was given the realm which had been Herod's, and his favor to the Jews appears in his attitude toward the Christians (see Herod and his Family). The situation of the Jews became more difficult under Felix and Festus, still harder under Albinus, and the rebellion came to a head under Gessius Florus. The Zealots seized the temple and fortified themselves there; Agrippa II., who had succeeded to a lesser area of sovereignty than Agrippa I. controlled, did not suppress the insurrection. In a battle near Beth-horon a Roman force was nearly annihilated. This victory inflamed the whole country. But the Romans began to press in, and under Vespasian they conquered Peraea in 68 a.d., while internal strife divided the Jews between the Zealots and the moderates. In the year 70, a few days before the Passover, Titus appeared before the walls of Jerusalem and assailed it from the north. In fourteen days the outer wall was taken, and, a few days after, the second, while the innermost and strongest afforded means of greater resistance. Famine seized the defenders, but in spite both of the mild proposals of Titus for the surrender of the city and his stern exhibitions of punishment that must ensue, the defense was maintained. The people still hoped for such deliverance from God as their history recorded as having occurred in earlier times. The temple was the last stronghold. When it was taken, Titus would have preserved it at the request of Josephus, but his intention was frustrated by the unguarded act of a soldier who applied the torch. After the fall of Jerusalem, resistance was still offered at a few fortresses, such as Herodeum near Tekoa, Machaerus