was performed and the Law of Mofes read publickly, they came much nearer to the Worship of the true God. prefcribed in Scripture.

21 Q. Did not the Jews love them the better on this Account?

A. No, by no Means; but they hated them grievously: The Enmity which began from the Oppofition which the Samaritans made to the Jews in their rebuilding ferufalem, and the Temple, was fo exceedingly increafed by their fheltring all the rebellious Jews, that the Jews at Jerufalem published the bittereft Curfe against them that ever was denounced against any People.

22 Q. What Miferies were contained in this Curfe? A. The Jews forbid all Communication with the Samaritans, declared all the Fruits of their Land, and their Cattle unclean; excluded them from being ever received as Projelytes, and barred them, as far as poffible, from having any Portion in the Refurrec tion of the Dead to eternal Life.

23 Q. What Appearance of this great Enmity do we find in the New Testament?

A. This feems to be confirmed by the Words of Scripture, John iv. 9. The Jews have no Dealing with the Samaritans? And the Woman of Samaria asked our Saviour, How is it that thou being a Jew, ofketh Drink of me who am a Woman of Samaria? And when the Jews would give the worst Name they could to our Saviour, they faid, Thou art a Samaritan, and haft a Devil, John viii. 48.

SECT. II. Of the JEWISH Affairs under the Perfian and Grecian Monarchies.

1 Q.

How

W were the Jews governed after the Death of Nehemiah?

A, We find not any more particular Governors

of

of Judea, made by the Kings or Emperors of Perfia; but Judea feems to be made fubject to those whom the Perfian Kings made Governors of Syria; and that, under them, the Regulation of Affairs was committed to the High-Prieft; fo that he had all the Sacred Authority, and the Civil Power alfo, in a good Measure, under the Syrian Governor.

2 Q. Did the High-Priests continue their regular Succeffions as the eldest of Aaron's Family?

A. This Succeffion was fometimes interrupted by the Emperors of the World, or their deputed Governors of the Provinces, appointing another Perfon to take that Office.

32. What is the first remarkable Inftance of that Kind?

A. When Johanan, or fonathan the Son of Foiada, Neh. xii. 11. had poffeffed the Royal Priesthood feveral Years, Bagoles, the Governor of Syria appointed his younger Brother Jeshua to depole him, and take the Priesthood; upon which there was a Tumult in the inner Court of the Temple, and Jobanan flew Jafhua there.

4 Q. How did Bagoles, the Governor, refent this?

A. He entered into the inner Court of the Temple, though the Jews forbid him, as being unclean; but he told them he was purer than the dead Carcafe of him whom they had flain there; and impofed on the Priefts a Fine of about thirty-one Shillings, for every Lamb that was offered throughout the Year

5 Q. What was the next more famous Difficulty and Deliverance which the Jews met with?

A They were moft remarkably faved from the Oppreffion and Refentment of Alexander the Great, who was King of Macedonia in Greece, when they had refufed to affift him in the Siege of Tyrus.

1 3

·

6 Q

6 Q. In what Manner were they delivered?

A. When Alexander marched against Jerufalem defigning to purish the Jews on this Account, Jaddua the High-Prieft, the Son of Johanan, being directed by a Night-Vifion, met the Conqueror in his Prieftly Robes, with the other Priefts attending him in proper Habits, and all the People in white Garments: Alexander being struck with this Sight, faJuted the High-Prieft with a religious Veneration, embraced him, entered Jerufalem in a friendly Manner, and offered Sacrifice to God in the Temple, for his late Victories.

7 Q. How come Alexander fo fuddenly to change his Purpose, and behave himself with so much Mildness?

A. Alexander declared, that he himfelf, in Macedonia, had feen this very fame Perfon, thus habited, in a Night Vision, encouraging him to purfue his Expedition against the Perfians, and promifing him Succefs.

8 Q. What further Favours did Alexander fbew the Jews?

A. When Jaddua, the High-Prieft, had fhewn him the Prophecies of Daniel, particularly Chap. viii. ver. 21. where the He-Goat is interpreted to be the King of Grecia, who fhould conquer the Medes and Perfians; and Chap. xi. 3. He bid the Jews afk what they had to defire of him: And, according to their Requeft, he granted them the Liberty of their own Laws and Religion, and a Freedom from Tribute or Taxes every feventh Year, because then they neither fowed nor reaped.

9 Q. Did Alexander fucceed in his following Wars, and his Attempts against the Perfian Empire, according to the Jewish Prophecy?

A. When he departed out of Judea and Palestine, he marched into Egypt, which Ipeedily fubmitted to

him: There he built the City Alexandria, and peopled it with feveral Nations, among whom were many Jews, to whom he gave the fame Privileges as to his own Macedonians. The next Spring he haftened to find out Darius Codemannus King of Perfia, whom he had routed once before, and he now vanquished him in a final decifive Battle near Arbela, and became Mafter of the Perfian Empire.

10 Q. How long did he reign after this Battle?

A. He went on and conquered India; but in five Years Time he fell into fuch a Riot and Drunkennefs, that put an End to his Life; though others fay he was poifoned.

Q. What became of the Jews after Alexander's Death?

A. A little after the Death of Alexander, four of his Generals divided his Empire, who were the four Horns of the He-Goat, mentioned by the Prophet Daniel, which grew up, after breaking the first Horn, Dan. viii. 22. and xi. 4. And the Jews fell under the Dominion of Ptolemy, afterward furnamed Soter, who had Egypt Arabia, Cole-Syria, and Paleftine, or the Land of Ifrael, for his Share.

Here it may be observed, that as Ptolemy had Egypt, Palestine, &c. for his Share, fo Caffander had Macedonia and Greece; Lyfimachus had Thrace and Bithynia, and fome other Provinces thereabout; Seleucus had Syria, and the Northern and Eastern, Provinces in Afia. Thus was the Empire of Alexander the Great divided among his Generals.

SECT. III. Of the Jewith Affairs under PTOLEMY SOTER, PTOLEMY PHILADELPHUS, andPTOLEMY PHILOPATER, Kings of Egypt. Of the great Synagogue, the Jewith Traditions, their Mishnah and Talmud; and of the Septuagint Tranflation of the Bible into Greek.

1 Q. How did Ptolemy King of Egypt deal

with the Jews?

A. Ptolemy defigning to make Alexandria, which was built by Alexander, in Egypt, his capital City, he purfuaded a Multitude of Jews to fettle there, granting them the fame Privileges as Alexander had done before him; whence it came to pass that Alexandria had a greater Number of Jews ftill flocking to it.

2 Q. What remarkable Story is related of one Mos follam, a Jew, who followed Ptolemy about this Time ?

A. When a certain Soothfayer, or Cunning-Man, adviled a Jewish Troop of Horfe, in which Mofollam rode, to ftand ftill, upon the Sight of a Bird in the Way, and told them, they fhould either go backward or forward, as that Bird took its Flight; the Jew being a great Archer, immediately hot the Bird with an Arrow, and faid, "How could that

ઃઃ

poor wretched Bird forefhew us our Fortune, '' which knew nothing of its own?" Hereby he defigned to expofe and condemn the Superftition of the Heathens.

3 Q. How did it fare with the Jews that were dif perjed about Babylon?

A. Seleucus, another of Alexander's Generals, who ruled in the greater and the leffer Afia, built

many