500 
EGYPT. 
utmoft efforts to break off the match ; her attempts were, 
however, unfuccefsful, and only ferved to kindle the 
flames of war between Ptolemy and her brother Antio- 
chus Theus, king of Syria. Notwithftanding the inquie¬ 
tudes occafioned by this war, Ptolemy did not relinquifh 
his fearch for books wherewith to enrich his library, and 
for paintings and drawings, of which he was a great ad¬ 
mirer. -Arams, the Sicyonian, being employed to col¬ 
lect pictures from Greece, conciliated the king’s favour, 
by this fervice, to fuch a degree, that Ptolemy regarded 
him as one of his deareft friends; and prefented him with 
an hundred and fifty talents for the reftoration of peace 
and liberty to his native city. 
This celebrated prince died in the fixty-thiru-year of 
his age, and the fortieth of his reign. He left behind 
him two fons and a daughter, whom he had by his firft 
wife, the daughter of Lyfimachus. Ptolemy Euergetes, 
his eldeft fon, fucceeded to the throne ; Lyfimachus (fo 
named from his grandfather by the mother’s fide) was 
put to death for engaging in a rebellion ; and Berenice 
was married to the king of Syria. With refpedt to the 
character of Ptolemy Philadelphus, we cannot propofe it 
as a perfedl model of royal imitation ; as his numerous 
good qualities were in fome meafure counterbalanced by 
his faults. The commencement of his reign was difho- 
noured by a defpicable refentment againd a man of un¬ 
common merit, whofe only offence confided in having 
given fuch advice as was drictly confonant with the laws 
ofjudiceand found policy. He caufed two of his bro¬ 
thers to be put to death from mere motives of jealoufv. 
He was greatly addifled to effeminate pleafures ; and paid 
fo little attention to military difeipline, that the army was 
utterly unfit for action at the time of his death. Yet, on the 
other hand, he was a zealous patron of literature, an in- 
dudrious colleftor of books, and the man to whom we owe 
the Greek trandation of the feriptures, commonly called 
the Septuagint. Though this prince was extremely fond 
of fcientific dudies, he did not fuifer them to engrofs his 
whole time or attention, but applied himfelf with unre¬ 
mitting indudry to the welfare of the date, and to fuch 
purfuits as feemed mod likely to enfure the wealth and 
felicity of his fubjefts. By this laudable conduct he en¬ 
ticed fuch multitudes of foreigners to fettle in his domi¬ 
nions, that he is fa id to have poffeffcd thirty-throe thou- 
fand three'hundred and thirty-nine populous cities. Con- 
feious that the real- power of a monarch confids in the 
number and riches of his people, he purfued his meafures 
with firmnefs, and yielded to no difeouragement of diffi¬ 
culty or trouble. Notwjthdanding the great expence he 
mud have been at in maintaining two great deets, an 
army of two hundred thoufand foot, forty thoufand horfe, 
two thoufand chariots of war, and three hundred ele¬ 
phants, the Alexandrian armory containing three hun¬ 
dred thoufand fuits of armour, engines, implements, &c. 
and the Alexandrian library, mufeum, &c. he left in his 
treafury feven hundred and fifty thoufand Egyptian ta¬ 
lents. Athenams therefore judly calls him the mod weal¬ 
thy prince of the age; and Appian obferves, that “as 
he was the mod magnificent of kings in the didribution 
of his money, fo he was the mod fk.il.ful and indudrious 
in railing it.” 
Ptolemy Euergetes, his elded fon, had no fooner ob¬ 
tained the crown, before Chrid 246, than he engaged in 
a war with the king of Syria; from whofe dominions he 
brought two thoufand five hundred pi&ures and datues, 
among which were many of the idols formerly carried 
from Egypt by Cambyfes. Thefe were redored to their 
ancient temples by the king, who was on that occafion 
honoured by his fubjedds with the appellation of Euer¬ 
getes, or the Beneficent. In this expedition he is faid to 
have made himfelf mader of all the countries that lie be¬ 
tween Mount Taurus and the confines of India. On his 
return he palfed through Jerufalem, and made a folemn 
acknowledgment for his conqued over Syria, by ottering 
many facrifices to the God of Ifrael. It is highly pro¬ 
bable that he had feen the prophecies of Daniel, and that 
he concluded from thence who was the real author of his 
fignal vidlories. Sublequent to the conclufion of peace, 
he feems to have devoted the greated part of his time to 
the cultivation of the feiences, and the improvement of 
the Alexandrian library. He difpatched perfons of emi¬ 
nence into foreign countries to purchafe valuable books 
at any price, and invited Eratodhenes the Cyrenian, from 
Athens, to take charge of the library. 
The tribute of the Jew-s having been withheld for a 
confiderable time from Ptolemy, by the covetous difpofi- 
ticn of Onias, the high pried, a meffenger was difpatched 
from Alexandria to demand the arrears, and to inform 
the citizens of Jerufalem, that if they continued to delay 
the remittance, a body of troops would be fent into Judea, 
to drive out the inhabitants, and to divide the country 
among themfelves. This meflage was no fooner made pub¬ 
lic at Jerufalem, than the whole city was in the utmod 
condernation, as not knowing how to divert the effects of 
the king’s anger. At that time Jofeph, the nephew of 
Onias, was in high repute for his prudence, and the fane, 
tity of his manners: he was therefore fummoned to the 
city, and chofen as ambaffador to the court of Ptolemy. 
Jofeph foon furnidied himfelf with a fuitable equipage ; 
commenced his journey to the Egyptian capital, and in 
his way met with fome of the chief nobility of Coelo- 
Syria and Paledine, who defigned to offer terms for farm¬ 
ing the revenues of thofe provinces. On their arrival at 
Alexandria, they were informed that Ptolemy had made 
an excurfion to Memphis; Jofeph accordingly fet out for 
that city, but had the good fortune to meet the king upon 
the road. He was immediately honoured with a feat in 
the royal chariot; when lie made fo handfome an apology 
for the neglect of his aged uncle Onias, that Ptolemy was 
not only appeafed, but allotted Jofeph an apartment in 
the palace, and honoured him with feveral proofs of his 
efteem. * 
On the day when the revenues of the provinces were 
fet up in order to be let to the higheft bidder, befure 
Chritt 234, the Syrians and Phoenicians, who had been 
Jofeph’s fellow-travellers, ottered no more than eight 
thoufand talents for Ccelo-Syria, Phoenice, Judea, and Sa. 
maria ; but, as they haa plainly difeovered by their con- 
verfation on the road, that thefe provinces were worth 
more than double the fum which they meant to otter, 
Jofeph upbraided them with depreciating the king’s re¬ 
venues, and offered fixteen thoufand talents, belides the 
forfeitures, which lie promifed to return into the royal 
treafury, though they had always been regarded as the 
property of the farmers, Ptolemy littened with attonifh- 
ment ; but afked Jofeph what fecurity he could give for 
the fulfilment of his agreement. He anfwered he would 
give the fecurity of fuch perfons as were unexceptionable ; 
and on being commanded to mention them, lie named the 
king and queen, affirming, that they would be bound to 
each other for the faithful performance of his undertak¬ 
ing. This well-timed pleafantry ferved to confirm the 
king in his opinion of Jofeph ; and he therefore entrufied 
him with the charge of all the afore-mentioned revenues, 
without any other fecurity than his own word. Jofeph 
thus appointed receiver-general, borrowed five hundred 
talents at Alexandria to pay his uncle’s arrears, and hav¬ 
ing received a fuitable guard for the execution of his of¬ 
fice, he quitted the court, in order to aCt in his new ca¬ 
pacity. On his arrival at Afkelon he was infulted by 
the populace, who refufed to pay him the accullomed du¬ 
ties. He, however, foon appeafed the tumult, with the 
affittance of his guards ; and caufing twenty of the ring¬ 
leaders to be executed, lie lent their forfeited eftates to 
the king. By a fimilar conduct at Scythopolis, where 
he met with the fame treatment, he fo effectually terri¬ 
fied the other cities, that they all paid the king’s clues 
without hefitation. His prudent conduct, and tiie punc¬ 
tuality of his payments, procured him fuch favour at 
court, that he was continued in his office, by three fuc- 
ceflivs 
