secretly giving orders for garrisons to be put in all the strong places. Pompey, having intelligence of these proceedings, made him sign orders to the commanders to put them all into his hands.

Aristobulus was so enraged at the violence which had thus been put upon him, that, immediately after his release, he hastened to Jerusalem, with a determination to prepare for war. Pompey followed him closely. When he came near Jerusalem Aristobulus began to repent, and came out to meet Pompey, endeavouring to bring him to an accommodation, with promises of an entire submission, and a great sum of money, to prevent the war. Pompey accepted his offers; but when they came to the city, the people declared they would not stand to the engagement. Pompey immediately put Aristobulus in irons, and marched his whole army against Jerusalem, which, from its situation, was capable of making a long defence, had it not been for the different parties which divided the inhabitants; that of Aristobulus was for defending the place; but the adherents of Hyrcanus were determined to open the gates to Pompey; and as the latter formed the majority, the other party retired to the temple to defend it.

Pompey having entered the city, resolved to besiege the temple, which held out three months. It might have resisted much longer, and probably would not have been taken at all, but for the superstitious rigour with which the Jews observed the sabbath. They were brought to believe that they might de fend themselves when absolutely attacked, but still thought that it was unlawful for them to prevent

the works of the enemy on that day, or to make any for themselves. The Romans took advantage of this: they did not attack the Jews on the sabbathdays, but filled up the ditches, and fixed the engines without opposition. place was carried sword in hand, and a terrible slaughter ensued, in which twelve thousand persons were killed.

The

Year of the World 3941.

This circumstance took place on the very day' which the Jews kept as a solemn fast for the taking of the city and temple by Nebuchadnezzar, the priests continuing to serve at the altar, till they fell by the sword of the enemy. Happy would it have been for them, had they been as faithful to the spirit, as they were to the letter, of the service in which they were engaged.

Pompey, with some of his chief officers, entered the temple, and, not content with surveying the sanctuary, penetrated even into the Holy of Holies; which was a grievous affliction to the Jews, and tended very much to increase their enmity to the Romans. It is worthy of remark, that Pompey had previously been successful in all his enterprises; but after this, he met with nothing but disappointment and defeat, till his ambitious pursuits were terminated by an ignominious exit. Pompey left the treasures of the temple untouched, as they belonged principally to private families, who had placed them there for security. He demolished the walls of Jerusalem, re-established Hyrcanus in the high-priesthood and civil power, and sent Aristobulus, with his two sons, Alexander and Antigonus,

prisoners to Rome. He imposed a tribute on Hyrcanus, and left the administration of affairs to Antipater, who was at the court of Hyrcanus, and one of his principal ministers.

Antipater, shortly after, caused the government of Jerusalem to be given to Phasael, his eldest son;

and that of Galilee to Herod, his second son. Alexander made his escape upon his way to Rome, and, returning to Judea, excited fresh troubles.

Rome began about this time to feel the effects of those fatal contentions, which issued in the subversion of the republic. Julius Cæsar, Pompey, and Crassus, three Roman generals, having by their splendid victories, and the wealth they had obtained from the spoils of the conquered nations, acquired a considerable degree of influence in the state, eagerly sought to gratify their passion for supreme dominion, basely sacrificing the liberties of their country at the shrine of their personal ambition. But their power and authority being nearly equal, so that not any one of them was strong enough to support his individual claim, in opposition to the other two, they agreed to share the government among them, and thus formed, what is usually denominated, the first triumvirate. But this union, founded on self-interest, was of no long duration.

Crassus, on his march against the Parthians, with whom his country was then at war, stopped at Jerusalem, and, being a man of insatiable avarice, scrupled not to seize the sacred treasures of the temple, which Pompey had forborne to touch. The wealth he acquired by this sacrilegious outrage was immense, being computed at no less than two millions

of pounds sterling. But the vengeance of Heaven soon overtook him; for he was shortly after defeated and slain by the Parthians, who cut off his head, and poured melted gold down his throat, by way of insult for his greedy thirst of money.

By the death of Crassus, the balance of power was destroyed, which gave Julius Cæsar, whose ambition was unbounded, an opportunity of executing the plan he had long since formed to get the whole authority into his own hands, and thus become lord of Rome and of the world. The disputes between him and Pompey, his only remaining competitor, soon broke out into open violence, in consequence of which the flames of war spread with the utmost rapidity into all the countries subject to Rome. Julius Cæsar, in order to strengthen his interest, released Aristobulus, the king of Judea, out of prison, and sent him into his own country, supported by a powerful force. But the partisans of Pompey found means to poison him, by which the designs of Cæsar were frustrated. Alexander, the son of Aristobulus, met with no better fate; for being convicted of raising troops in expectation of his father's return, he was beheaded by order of Pompey.

The contest between Pompey and Cæsar was at length brought to a final issue; a decisive battle being fought on the plains of Pharsalia, in which Pompey was totally defeated, and obliged to fly into Egypt, where he was treacherously murdered. But Julius Cæsar did not long enjoy the fruits of his ambition; for, after having been acknowledged emperor of Rome by the senate and people, and

268,

reigning a few years, apparently without a rival, he was assassinated by Brutus and Cassius in the senate house. Mark Anthony, Lepidus, and Octavius entered into a confederacy to revenge his death; and thus formed the second triumvirate. Octavius afterwards ascended the imperial throne, taking the name of Augustus Cæsar. In his reign the Christian æra commences. But we must now return to the affairs of Judea.

The king of Parthia undertook to place Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus, upon the throne, and sent an army for that purpose. Hyrcanus, and Phasael, Herod's brother, having received proposals for an accommodation, had the imprudence to go to the enemy, who seized them and put them in irons. Herod escaped from Jerusalem just as the Parthians were about to enter it to seize him also. They plundered the city and country, and placed Antigonus on the throne. Phasael destroyed himself, to avoid falling into the hands of the executioner. Hyrcanus had his life spared, but was given up to the Parthians, who carried him away into their own country.

Herod at first took refuge in Egypt, whence he went to Rome. Anthony was then in the height of his power, being one of the triumvirate. He took Herod under his protection, and did more in his favour than he expected, or even desired of him. For the utmost aim of Herod was to obtain the crown for Aristobulus (grandson of Hyrcanus) whose sister Mariamne he had lately married, aspiring only to the hope of governing under him: but

པ་ ་