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to Riblah and slain. The common people were scattered over the land for the purpose of tillage; and a number still were carried to Babylon. The kingdom of Judah had thus existed about three hundred and eighty-seven years after the separation. It fell solely from the transgressions of the people and their rulers. God dealt with them in great forbearance, "sending to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling-place. But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy." Therefore they were carried as servants unto Babylon; "until the land should enjoy her sabbaths." The history of these nations of Judah and Israel, would be worth studying (if for no other reason) for the lessons of political wisdom which might here be learned; for God deals with nations now as then. The principles of his administration are always the same.

The causes

of national prosperity or adversity lie in the moral condition of the people. The decay of national strength must go on at equal steps with the progress of national corruption. We mistake greatly, and deprive ourselves of the benefit of this part of history, if we suppose that the Israelites are, or were, the only nation who suffer for their sins. They are not the exception, but the example; whose history has been written in its true light, and stands out as a warning and a lesson to those who are engaged in the work of governing the nations.

SECTION XX.

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE JEWS IN THEIR CAPTIVITY.

JEREMIAH was found among the captives at Riblah, and left free to go into Babylon or remain in the land. He chose to return to Judah, and placed himself with Gedaliah, who had been made ruler over the people in Judah. Gedaliah was successful in recalling around him a number of the men of Judah, who took the oath of allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar. The Jews also, from Moab, and Edom, and Ammon, returned and placed themselves under Gedaliah. His course, however, was soon ended. A part of those who had escaped the Babylonians, regarded him as in some way the cause of their misfortune. Among these was Ishmael, "one of the seed royal," who, with ten others, conspired agaist Gedaliah, and slew him at Mizpah. All the Jews who were with the governor were slain also. These conspirators, in turn, were conquered by Johanan, one of Gedaliah's officers, and driven to take refuge among the Ammonites.

Johanan, fearing the vengeance of the Chaldeans, in spite of Jeremiah's remonstrances, took the remnant of Judah, and the king Zedekiah's daughters, and Jeremiah the prophet, and fled into Egypt.

Five years afterwards, Nebuzar-adan again visited Jerusalem, and made a final deportation of the inhabitants to Babylon. The remnant which was left attract no more attention. They seem to have been without any government, or perhaps to have fallen under the mixed population and religion of Samaria. The land was utterly desolate, and enjoyed its Sabbaths.

The Jews in captivity were gradually gaining in favour with their conquerors, though oftentimes insulted and reproached for their faith-(see 137th Psalm.) Yet, as Daniel came into power, and the throne of Babylon became vacant by the insanity of Nebuchadnezzar, the reign of their bondage was materially alleviated.

We learn also from Ezekiel, as well as from the circumstances attending their return, that they were acquiring wealth and importance.

In the meantime they saw the power which had subdued them gradually going to decay. Rent with intestine quarrels, and threatened with the growing power of the Persians, it could not long endure. At last the Persian army came to Babylon itself. The Chaldee forces were no match for these new foes. After a single battle the Babylonian king fled, and took refuge in his capital. After a siege of one year, Babylon itself, unexpectedly, while the king was revelling in his sensual pleasures, (and had sacrilegiously turned the vessels from the temple into drinking cups for himself and his princes,) fell into the hands of Cyrus. With his accession began the Jews' release.

PART V.

FROM THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY TO THE CONQUEST OF JUDEA BY THE ROMANS.*

SECTION I.

FROM THE EDICT OF CYRUS, PERMITTING THEIR RETURN TO THEIR OWN LAND, TO THE FINISHING OF THE SECOND TEMPLE.

CYRUS, king of Persia, having taken Babylon, and become the sole sovereign by the death of his uncle, who in Scripture is called Darius the Mede, made a decree, that as many of the children of Israel as chose should return to Judea, and rebuild their city and temple. To aid them in this pious and patriotic work, he directed that supplies should be granted them from his own revenues; and, also, that they should be at liberty to receive donations from their brethren who chose to remain in Chaldea. It is said, that Cyrus was induced to resolve on this measure, by having the remarkable prophecies which related to himself shown to him by Daniel the prophet, who was still alive at Babylon, though very old.

The decree of Cyrus for the rebuilding of Jerusalem was issued about five hundred and thirty-six years before the birth of Christ. On this occasion, Cyrus brought out all the vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple at Jerusalem, and gave them into the hands of the leaders of the Jews, who were about to return to their own land. The chief leaders were Zerubbabel, who was of the royal seed, and Joshua, who was by regular descent the high-priest of the nation.

The principal authorities depended on for the facts recorded in the following history, are Josephus, Joseph Gouonides, and the author of the First book of Maccabees. As far, however, as the Jewish history is connected with that of other nations, the facts may be corroborated by the testimony of Grecian and Roman historians. The compiler of this work acknowledges, however, that the statement of facts and dates, in this period, have been, for the most part, extracted from the learned work of Dean Prideaux, entitled "CONNEXION, &c.," of which it may be considered an abridgment.

The number of vessels of gold and silver, delivered by Cyrus into the hands of Zerubbabel and Joshua, was five thousand four hundred. They who returned to Judea, at this time, were not all from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, carried captive by Nebuchadnezzar; but some of the other tribes, carried away by Tiglath-pilezer, Shalmanezer, and Esarhaddon, also returned with their brethren. The whole number of this first company was fifty-two thousand three hundred and sixty; whereas they who are numbered in the book of Ezra and Nehemiah, as belonging to Judah, Benjamin, and Levi, amounted to no more than thirty thousand. Of the twenty-four courses of priests instituted by David, no more than four returned, making up the number of four thousand two hundred and eighty-nine persons. The rest either remained, or had become extinct. But to keep up the ancient number of courses, each of these four divided itself into six, and took the names of those which had become extinct.

The first work to which they addressed themselves, after their return, was the erection of an altar of burnt-offerings; so that the daily service of God, according to the law of Moses, might immediately be resumed.

Next, they proceeded to lay the foundation of the temple. This they erected exactly on the site of the old edifice, and made it of the same length and breadth, and according to the same plan; but as they were poor and few in number, the building fell very far short of the glory and riches of the first temple, built by Solomon. So that when it was finished, many of the old men, who had seen the former edifice, wept aloud, on account of the meanness of this second temple, when compared with the glory of the first.

The Jews are accustomed to say, that five things were wanting in the second temple, which existed in the first. These were, 1. Urim and Thummim. 2. The ark of the covenant with its sacred contents. 3. The holy fire on the altar, enkindled from heaven. 4. The Shechina, or visible symbol of the Divine presence, over the mercy-seat. 5. The spirit of prophecy. To which might be added as a 6th, The holy anointing oil, made by Moses for the consecration of the priests, and of the kings.

It is a tradition among the Jews, that all the copies of the Holy Scriptures were lost; and that Ezra, by inspiration, restored the whole. But this is manifestly incorrect; for Daniel had the books of the Prophets, and "Ezra was a ready scribe in the law of his God;" and as soon as the people returned, we find, that they had copies of the law. The autographs of these books, preserved in the temple, were doubtless lost, and many new copies were probably now made under the

direction of Ezra; and from these circumstances, probably, the tradition just mentioned took its rise.

When the ten tribes were carried away from the land of Israel, the king of Assyria brought inhabitants from other. countries to occupy their place. These were heathen, and worshipped various false gods, but knew nothing of the worship of Jehovah. Being greatly infested with beasts, they attributed this judgment to their not knowing "the manner of the God of the land." Whereupon the king of Assyria ordered, that one of the priests who had been carried away from that land, should return and teach the people how to serve the God of the country. This priest took up his residence in Bethel, and having brought with him a copy of the law of Moses, instructed the people how Jehovah should be worshipped: nevertheless, they did not abandon, at first, their former deities, but united the worship of them with that of the true God. In process of time, these foreigners became incorporated with the poorer people of Israel, who were left in the country; and the mongrel race received the name of Samaritans, which name the few who remain there to this day still retain. The Samaritans were more despised by the Jews than the heathen themselves. They were also called Cutheans, and no greater reproach could be cast on any one by a Jew, than to call him a Samaritan or a Cuthean. After some time, they seem to have abandoned their gross idolatry, and pretended that mount Gerizim was the place originally appointed by God for his worship. They preserved among them the law received from the Israelitish priest, copies of which, in their peculiar character, have come down to our times; but the other books of the Jewish Scriptures they did not receive.

Upon the return of the Jews to rebuild their temple, the Samaritans came to them, and expressed a great desire to unite with them in the work, and in the worship of God; pretending, that ever since the days of Esarhaddon, they had been worshippers of Jehovah. But Zerubbabel and Joshua, and the elders of Israel, utterly refused to have any connection with them, and informed them that the decree of Cyrus related only to the Jews. This refusal to admit the Samaritans to their communion, was because they suspected them of insidious designs, and knew, that whatever they might now profess, their religion was corrupt. The Samaritans were greatly offended at this repulse, and set themselves, by every means, to obstruct the building of the house: and, although, they could not alter the decree of Cyrus, yet by bribes and other underhand dealings, they had influence with his ministers, to cause many hinderances to be thrown in the way of the Jews. By this means the animosity between the two nations was enkindled to a flame; so that, ever

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