J E 
capital (he having been abfent for feme time In order to 
quell an infurre&ion in Cilicia) ; which at I alt ended in 
the death of Andronicus, who was executed by the king’s 
order. By dint of money, however, Menelaus ftill found 
means to keep up his credit; but was obliged to draw 
fuch large funis from Jerufalem, that the inhabitants at laft 
nialfacred his brother Lyfnnachus, whom he had left go¬ 
vernor of the city in his abience. Antiochus foon after 
took a journey to Tyre; upon which the Jews fent depu¬ 
ties to him, both to juftify the death of Lyfimachus, and 
to accufe Menelaus of being the author of all the troubles 
which had happened. The apoftate, however, was never 
at a lofs while he could procure money. By means of 
this powerful argument he pleaded his caufe fo effeClually, 
that the deputies were not only call, but put to death ; 
and this unjuft fentence gave the traitor fuch a Complete 
viftory over all his enemies, that from thenceforth lie 
commenced a downright tyrant. Jerufalem was deftitute 
of protestors ; and the fanhedrim, if there were any zea¬ 
lous men left among them, were To much terrified, that 
they duril not oppofe him, though they evidently faw 
that his defign was finally to eradicate the religion and li¬ 
berties of his country. 
In the mean time, Antiochus was taken up with the 
conqueft of Egypt ; and a report was fome how or other 
lpread that he had been killed at the iiege of Alexandria. 
At this news the Jews imprudently fliowed l'ome figns of 
joy; and Jaf'on, thinking this a proper opportunity to re- 
o-ain his loft dignity, appeared before Jerufalem at the 
head of about 1000 refolute men. The gates were quick¬ 
ly opened to him by fome of his friends in the city ; upon 
which Menelaus retired into the citadel; and Jafon, mind¬ 
ing nothing but his refentment, committed the nioft hor¬ 
rid butcheries. At lalt he was obliged to leave both the 
city and country, on the news that Antiochus was com¬ 
ing with a powerful army againft him ; for that prince, 
hip-lily provoked at this rebellion, and efpecially at the 
rejoicings the Jews had made on the report of his death, 
had actually refolved to punifh the city in the feverelt 
manner. Accordingly, about 170 B. C. having made liim- 
felf mafter of the city,die behaved with fuch cruelty, that 
within three days they reckoned no fewer than 40,000 
killed, and as many fold for (laves. 111 the midft of this 
dreadful calamity, the apoftate Menelaus found means 
not only to preferve liimfelf from the general (laughter, 
but even to regain the good graces of the king, who, hav- 
inp- by his means plundered the temple of every thing va¬ 
luable, returned to Antioch in a kind of triumph. Be¬ 
fore he departed, however, he put Judea under the go¬ 
vernment of one Philip, a barbarous Phrygian; Samaria 
under that of Andronicus, a perfon of a iimilar difpoii- 
tion ; and left Menelaus, the moil hateful of all the three, 
in the pofteffion of the high-priefthood. 
Though the Jews fuffered exceedingly under thefe ty¬ 
rannical governors, they were referved for ftill greater ca¬ 
lamities. About 168 B. C. Antiochus, having been moft 
feverely mortified by the Romans, took it into his head 
to wreak his vengeance on the unhappy Jews. For this 
purpofe he dif atched Apollonius at the head of 22,000 
men, with. orders t.o plunder all the cities of Judea, to 
murder all the men, and fell the women and children for 
flaves. Apollonius accordingly came with his army, and 
to outward appearance with a peaceable intention ; nei¬ 
ther was he fufpected by the Jews, as he was luperinten- 
dant of the tribute in Paleftine. He kept himfeif inactive 
till the nexp fabbath, when they were all in a profound 
quiet; and then, on a fudden, commanded his men to 
arms. Some of them he fent to the temple and fynagogues, 
with orders to cut in pieces all whom they found there ; 
whilft the reft, going through the itreets of the city, mafla- 
cred all that came in their way; the fuperftitious Jews 
not attempting to make the lead refiftance, for fear of 
breaking the fabbath. He next ordered the city to be 
plundered and fet on fire, pulled down all their ftately 
•buildings, • catifed the walls to be demoliflied, and carried 
w. 705 
away captive about to, 000 of thole wfto had efcapsd the 
daughter. From that time the fervice of the temple was 
totally abandoned for the (pace of 2300 days, that place 
having been quite polluted, both with the blood of mul- . 
titudes who had been killed, and in various other ways. 
The Syrian troops built a large fortrefs on an eminence - 
in the City of David ; fortified it with a ilrong wall .anj .1 
ftately towers, and put a garrifon in it to command the 
temple over-againft which it was built, fo that the loldiers 
could eafily fee and lallv out upon all thofe who attempted 
to come into the temple ; fo many of whom were conti¬ 
nually plundered and murdered by them, that the reft, 
not daring to ftay»any longer in Jerufalem, fled for re¬ 
fuge to the neighbouring nations. 
Antiochus, not yet fatiated with the blood of the Jews, 
refolved either totally to abolifh their religion or deftroy 
their whole race. He therefore ifiued out a decree, that all 
nations within his dominions iliould forfake their old' 
religion and gods, and worfhip thofe of the king, under 
the moft fevere penalties. To make his orders more ef¬ 
fectual, he fent ovei'feers into every province to fee them 
lined y put in execution ; and, as he knew the Jews were 
the only people who would diTobey them, fpecial directions 
were given to have them treated with the utmoft fe.verity, 
Atheneas, an old and cruel miniller, well verfed in all the 
pagan rites, was fent. into Judea. He began by dedicat¬ 
ing the temple to Jupiter Olympius, and fetting up his 
ftatue on the altar of burnt-offerings. Another altar was 
raifed before it, on which they offered Sacrifices to that 
falfe deity. All who refufed to come and worfhip this idol 
were either maffacred or put to fome cruel tortures till they 
either complied or expired under the hands of the execu¬ 
tioners. At the fame time, altars, groves, and ftatues, 
were raifed every where through the country, and the in¬ 
habitants compelled to worfiiip them under the fame fe¬ 
vere'penalties; while it was inftant death to obfsrve the 
fabbath, circumcifion, or any other institution of Moles. 
At laft, when vail numbers had been put to cruel deaths, 
and many more had faved their lives by their apoftafy, an 
eminent prieft, named Mattathias, began to fignalize him¬ 
feif by his bravery and zeal for religion. He had forfome- 
time been obliged to retire to Modin, his native place, in 
order to avoid the perfecution which raged at Jerufalem, 
During his recefs there, Apelles, one of the king’s offi¬ 
cers, came to oblige the inhabitants to comply with the 
above-mentioned orders. By him Mattathias and his 
Tons were addreiTed in the moil earneft manner, and had 
the moft ample promifes'made them of the king’s favour 
and protection if they would renounce their religion. 
But Mattathias anfwered, that, though the whole Jewiih. 
nation, and the whole world, were to conform to the king’s 
edift, yet both he and his fons would continue faithful to 
their God to the laft minute of their lives. At the fame time, 
perceiving one of his countrymen juft going to offer facri- 
fices to an idol, he fell upon him and inftantly killed him, 
agreeably to the law of Mofes in fuch cafes. Upon this, 
his fons, fired with the ftune zeal, killed the officer and his 
men ; overthrew the altar and idol; and, running about 
the city, cried out, that thofe who were zealous for the 
law of God fhould follow them; by which means they 
quickly faw themfelves at the head of a numerous troop, 
with whom they foon after withdrew into feme of the de- 
ferts of Judea. They were-followed by many others, fo 
that in a (hort time they found themfelves in a condition 
to feiift their enemies ; and, having now confidered die 
danger to which they were expofed by their fcrupulous 
obfervance of the fabbath, they refolved to defend them¬ 
felves, in cafe of an attack, upon that day as well as upon 
any other. 
In the year 167 B.C. Mattathias, finding that his fol¬ 
lowers daily increafed in number, began to try his ftren°th 
by attacking the Syrians and apoftate Jews. As many, of 
thefe as he took he put to death, but forced a much 
greater number to fiy for refuge into foreign coun¬ 
tries ; and, having foon ftruck his enemies with ter- 
