word means literally secret, hidden, or obscure,' and was fitly applied to writings uncertain in origin, limited in circulation, and often vague in meaning. The Apocrypha were thus clearly opposed to the Books of the Canon, which, signifies rule or norm. They remained restricted to private perusal, while the canonical writings were publicly read, and commented upon in the Temples and the Synagogues. Only a few of them were originally written in the holy tongue; the rest were composed in Greek. This circumstance is significant in more than one respect. However eagerly the Jews tried to keep themselves distinct from other nations, they could not long shut out foreign influence. The Egyptian Jews especially, who formed a very large colony in Alexandria, the very centre of Eastern commerce and Grecian culture, became acquainted with the Greek language, and with Greek literature and thought; the latter- especially the views and theories of Plato-they endeavoured, by allegorical explanations of the Bible, to harmonise as much as possible with the principles of their own faith, and thus they gradually formed a new philosophical system known as that of the Jewish Alexandrian school, of which the most conspicuous representative is the great Philo. Thus living surrounded by Greek elements, the Egyptian Jews soon

Solomon, and the Wisdom of Jesus Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus); the Book of Baruch and the Letter of Jeremiah; the History of Susanna, the Prayer of Azariah, the Song of the Three Holy Children, and the History of the Destruction of Bel and the Dragon; the (4) Books of the Maccabees; and another Book of Esdras. The order in which the Apocrypha are here enumerated is that in which the Septuagint translation inserts them after the various Books of the Old Testament (see infra). Some less known, though partially very curious works, are omitted in this list; as the Book of Enoch, the Ascension of Moses, &c.

1 Namely, the Books of Esdras (except Ch. III. and IV. of the First Book), Jesus Sirach, the First Book of the Maccabees, the greater part of Baruch, Judith, and perhaps Tobit.

forgot the Hebrew tongue, and when Ptolemy II. (Philadelphus) desired to incorporate in his famous library the sacred writings of the Hebrews (283), he was obliged to send to Jerusalem for competent translators, who began the Greek version of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint. This translation, gradually completed (about 150), was then used not only by the Israelites of Egypt, but later by many others unfamiliar with the sacred tongue; and it was from time to time enlarged by Apocryphal books inserted after portions which seemed to treat of kindred subjects.

These Apocryphal writings, though unequal in value, include some works well worthy of a place in the Biblical Canon; and if so beautiful a collection of moral precepts as the Wisdom of Sirach, and an historical account so admirable as the First Book of the Maccabees, were not embodied in the Scriptures, it was merely because those works were either not written or not sufficiently known when the Old Testament was concluded.

The author of one Apocryphal Book only is known to us -Jesus, the son of Sirach, of Jerusalem, who lived about the year 170 B.C. His grandson, probably of the same name, settled about forty years later in Egypt, where he prepared with much care a Greek translation of Ecclesiasticus. This Book is, at the same time, probably the oldest of the Apocrypha; the others range between that date and the first Christian century. It would be of little advantage here to epitomise the historical writings of all the Apocrypha; they are, with the exceptions already referred to, either embellished or enlarged descriptions of Biblical scenes, or they are apparently so devoid of historical truth and even of probability, that they cannot help us to understand the real course of events.

XIV. THE JEWS UNDER MACEDONIAN,

EGYPTIAN, AND SYRIAN RULE.

(332-164.)

159. THE TIME OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

(332-323.)

[Joseph. ANTIQ. XI. vш. 3—7.]

ABOUT a century after Nehemiah, the Persian empire succumbed to the impetuosity and ambition of a youthful hero, who suddenly appeared in the Eastern world like a brilliant meteor, to vanish as suddenly. Alexander the Great carried out the plans which his father Philip, king of Macedon, had devised, and which a premature death by the hand of assassins had prevented him from accomplishing. Philip had raised the small and obscure kingdom of Macedon into a powerful state, and had humbled Greece; Alexander made Macedon for ever glorious in the annals of history, and subjected all the countries of the East from the Nile to the Indus. His first great victory at the river Granicus (334), by which he gained the whole of Asia Minor, was followed by another no less important success at Issus in Cilicia (333). From thence he continued his victorious march eastward, and turning to the south, resolved to invade Egypt. His way led him through Syria

and Phoenicia, where he met with the most determined resistance. He took Damascus and Zidon, and laid siege to Tyre. While this siege was progressing, he despatched messengers to the Jewish High-priest Jaddua, with the request to send him without delay auxiliaries and provisions, and thenceforth to pay to him the tribute money which had hitherto been sent to the king of Persia. The High-priest declined to comply with this demand, pleading his oath of fidelity to the Persian monarch. Alexander angrily vowed that he would take his revenge. But the Samaritans, more prudent and more pliant, sent him a contingent of 7,000 men, and declared their submission, and in return for this Alexander confirmed their privileges with respect to the Temple on Gerizim. After the capture of Tyre, he proceeded to Gaza, which he took; and from thence he advanced upon Jerusalem. Terror and dismay seized the inhabitants. The High-priest, so continues the legendary account, and the common priests, all in their sacred vestments, together with a large number of citizens in white garments, went out in procession to meet Alexander, and to offer him their allegiance. When the king saw the High-priest, with the holy name of God written on his mitre, his wrath suddenly relaxed, he saluted the High-priest, and adored the God of Israel. Asked by his wondering generals what could be the reason of this strange conduct, Alexander replied, that when still in Macedonia, he had seen in a vision a man attired exactly like the High-priest, who encouraged him to undertake the expedition against Asia, and promised him success. Then Alexander entered Jerusalem, went into the Temple, and offered sacrifices to God. He gave to the priesthood magnificent presents, allowed the Jews throughout his empire to live in accordance with their own laws, and remitted to them all taxes in the Sabbath-year. The Samaritans solicited and obtained the same privileges.

Many Jews enlisted in the Macedonian army. Leaving Palestine, Alexander entered and subdued Egypt, where he built the large city Alexandria, which soon became famous as the principal seat of Greek and Eastern learning.

160. EGYPTIAN AND SYRIAN DOMINION.

(323-164.)

[Joseph. ANT. XII. I.—IV. ; 3 MACC. I.; 2 MACC. III.]

At the death of Alexander his unwieldy empire collapsed, and was divided among his chief generals. Palestine was joined with Syria into one kingdom under the satrapy of Antigonus. Yet the coasts of Phoenicia and the wooded heights of Lebanon were for the rulers of Egypt points too important not to tempt their ambition and avarice. Therefore, soon afterwards, Ptolemy I. Lagi, the satrap of Egypt, invaded Palestine, defeated Demetrius, the son of Antigonus, in a great battle at Gaza (312), took Jerusalem by entering the city on a Sabbathday, when the unsuspecting Jews did not dare to offer resistance, and subjected Palestine. This event proved of the greatest importance to the future history of the Jews. For Ptolemy transplanted large numbers of them into Egypt, it is said above 100,000, who partly settled in Alexandria, where they soon formed nearly half of the population, and partly spread over Cyrene, Libya, and other districts of Africa. The Egyptian Jews, especially those of Alexandria, though eagerly imbibing the Greek learning by which they were surrounded, clung tenaciously to their ancestral laws and customs. On the whole, they had no reason to be dissatisfied with their lot; though occasionally subjected to cruel oppression, they were treated by most of the Egyptian monarchs with consideration and even distinction; their sacred books