210 A MONOPOLISED DEITY. 



tabernacles and to worship God. Those who did not 

 come should have no rain ; and as the Egyptians 

 could do without rain, if they did not come they should 

 have the plague. The Jewish people would become 

 one vast priesthood ; and all nations would pay them 

 tithe. Their seed would inherit the Gentiles. They 

 would suck the milk of the Gentiles. They would 

 eat the riches of the Gentiles. These same un- 

 fortunate Gentiles would be their ploughmen and 

 their vinedressers. Bowing down would come those 

 that afflicted Jerusalem, and would lick the dust off 

 her feet. Strangers would build up her walls, and 

 kings would minister unto her. Many people and 

 strong nations would come to see the Lord of Hosts in 

 Jerusalem. Ten men in that day would lay hold of 

 the skirt of a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we 

 have heard that God is with you. It was an idea 

 worthy of the Jews that they should keep the Creator 

 to themselves in Jerusalem, and make their fortunes 

 out of the monopoly. 



In the meantime these prophecies had not been 

 fulfilled ; and the Jews were in daily expectation of 

 the Messiah, as they are still, and as they are likely 

 to be for some time to come. It was the belief of the 

 vulgar that this Messiah would be a man belonging to 

 the family of David, who would liberate them from the 

 Romans, and become their King ; so they were always 

 on the watch, and whenever a remarkable man ap- 

 peared they concluded that he was the son of David, 

 the Holy One of Israel, and were ready at once to pro- 

 claim him king, and to burst into rebellion. This 

 illusion gave rise to repeated riots or revolts, and at 

 last brought about the destruction of the city. 



But among the higher class of minds the expecta- 



