Standard Jet DBnb` Ugr@?~1y0̝cßFNa7?(,`B{6߱anC53"y[/|*|"|f_Љ$g'DeFx -bT4.0dv Y  = 251S  Y   Y cY  Y Y  Y  $Y  Y   Y C Y C Y  Y  Y 2CY  Y   Y  Y ConnectDatabaseDateCreateDateUpdate FlagsForeignNameIdLvLvExtraLvModule LvPropName OwnerParentIdRmtInfoLongRmtInfoShortTypeCCCCCCYYIdParentIdName        OYS Y Y Y  Y 2ACMFInheritableObjectIdSID  AtYObjectId Y`SY  Y Y Y  Y x Y Y  Y AttributeExpressionFlagLvExtra Name1 Name2ObjectId Ordernzf edY"ObjectIdAttribute -Y`SY Y Y  Y  x Y  Y  Y  Y ccolumn grbiticolumnszColumnszObject$szReferencedColumn$szReferencedObjectszRelationshiptit   YYYszObject$szReferencedObjectszRelationshipYv1b N  : k & W  C t/ @@X  @@OJmJLJkQkiQ^JmYdbkWYfkmJL^Qk`kvkJMQk`kvkdL[QMmk`kvkhoQiYQk`kvkiQ^JmYdbkWYfkmdfYMbdmQk`kvkOL  @~  @ @g g g g g ggggggggggggg      d k f  YW5>@YW5>@Topic NotesRʒ@hDDD88888886 @V5>@V5>@MSysRelationshipsSDDDDDDDDDDB V5>@V5>@MSysQueriesS88888888886 V5>@V5>@MSysACEsS22222222220 V5>@V5>@MSysObjectsS88888888886 V5>@V5>@MSysDbR.........., V5>@V5>@RelationshipsS<<<<<<<<<<: V5>@V5>@DatabasesS44444444442 V5>@V5>@TablesS.........., jYNY Y d YID TitleComments9l9lel99l9lfl9YYIDPrimaryKeyHv1b@ LVALꬁ{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Georgia;}{\f1\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Arial;}{\f2\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;\red128\green0\blue0;} {\stylesheet{ Normal;}{\s1 heading 1;}} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\nowidctlpar\lang2058\b\f0\fs22 The 400 Silent Years (From Malachi to Matthew)\par By Harry Ironside March, 1914\par \par \b0\par CONTENTS\par Chapter I. \_ The Jews Under Priestly Rule From Darius to the fall of the Persian Empire -\_ 425\_335 B.C. Under the Macedonian Empire to the end of the hereditary priesthood.\par Chapter II \_ The Days Of The Maccabees\par Chapter III\_ To The End Of The Asmonean Dynasty\par Chapter IV\_ The Edomite Ascendancy\par Chapter V \_ The Literature of the Jews\par \par \par \pard\keepn\nowidctlpar\s1\sb240\sa120\b\f1\fs32 Preface\par \pard\nowidctlpar\b0\f0\fs22\par \par SOME time ago I endeavored, though with no claim to originality of treatment, to draw practical lessons for the separated people of God from the captivity and post\_captivity books of the Old Testament. At the suggestion of the publishers I have now sought to trace the history the same people through the years of waiting that elapsed from the time when the voice of inspiration ceased until the heavens resounded with the glad announcement of "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good\_will toward men," thus heralding Messiah's long\- promised advent.\par \par \par In preparing this work, I have been greatly helped by a series of papers entitled, "From Malachi to Matthew," which appeared a number of years ago in an English periodical now discontinued (Faithful Words, edited by H.F. Witherby). Dr. Grant's "Between the Testaments" has also been consulted, and had that volume been more in accord with a belief in the plenary inspiration of Scripture, the book now in my been pre\-pared. The Old Testament Apocrypha, (especially\par \par I Maccabees), Josephus, and various Jewish historiesLVAL of recent date, have also afforded consider\-able help.\par \par It will be observed that my object has been, not merely to give a chronological outline of events, or a series of biographical sketches, but to trace throughout lessons and warnings for any who to\_day, as those in the days of Nehe\-miah, have sought to return to and obey the word ot God, in separation from the infidelity and apostasy of the times. Such are exposed to sim\-ilar dangers\_though of a spiritual character\-s those which confronted the Jews. From their history we may therefore obtain valuable sug\-gestions, and by carefully considering the causes of their failures, be preserved from falling into the same snares.\par \par History repeats itself in manifold ways, and he who is wise will not despise its instruction. 6 ' Happy is the man that feareth alway;" for he who thinks he stands, is the one who is exhorted to take heed lest he fall.\par \pard\cf1\lang1033\f2\fs23\par \fs22\par \cf2 formatted for e-Sword by David R. Cox\par tech@davidcox.com.mx\cf1\par \fs23\par } v#q05 The Literature of the Jewsy]L@04 The Edomite AscendancyҦRD803 To the End of the Asmonean DynastyPE\P02 The Days of the Maccabeesj(J>01 The Jews Under Ptiestly RuleZ8PD00 contentsFꬁ(LVAL{\rtf1\ansi\deff0{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fprq2\fcharset0 Arial;}{\f1\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Georgia;}{\f2\froman\fprq2\fcharset0 Times New Roman;}{\f3\fnil\fcharset0 Georgia;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\stylesheet{ Normal;}{\s1 heading 1;}} {\*\generator Riched20 5.40.11.2210;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\keepn\nowidctlpar\s1\sb240\sa120\lang2058\b\f0\fs32 The Jews Under Ptiestly Rule\par \pard\nowidctlpar\b0\f1\fs22\par \par Prom the times of "Darius the Persian " (Neh_12:22) to the fall of the Persian Empire\_about 425 to 335, B. C..\par \par The average Bible reader seldom knows much of the stirring events which followed in rapid succession the days of rehabilitation, described in the interesting and instructive records of Ezra and Nehemiah. He gets more than an inkling of the fallen condition of the restored remnant in the sol\-emn expostulation of the last prophet, Malachi; but when he opens the New Testament and begins to read the Gospel of Matthew, he finds an utter change of atmosphere and conditions. The Old Testament closes with the people of the Jews par\-tially restored to their land, but under Persian dominion. The New Testament opens with the same people greatly multiplied and dwelling in the the same country, but under Roman sway, and yet with an Edomite vice\_king exercising jurisdiction over part of the land. In many other respects circumstances have undergone a marked change, and generally for the worse.\par \par What brought about these changes? What move\-ments, civil, religious, and political, were in progress during the four hundred silent years after prophetic testimony had died away with a last solemn warn\-ing of a possible curse to smite the land and people, once so richly blessed? (Mal_4:6).\par \par We cannot turn to the unerring word of God for an authentic and inspired answer to these questions; but we are able, nevertheless, to reply to them with a large measure of assurance, since God has been pleased to preserve, uninspired but fairly reliable, chronicles of tLVALhe history of His chosen people in the four centuries that succeeded the days of the prophets. The Jewish historian, Josephus, and the un\-known (save to God) author of the first book of the Maccabees, have left us records that are generally considered trustworthy, and are largely corroborated by Jewish traditions and historical side\_lights.\par \par With Nehemiah, the history and experiences of the returned Remnant in the Land end, at a time when evil was creeping in and decay was beginning. In his lifetime Nehemiah earnestly endeavored to uphold their covenant\_relation with God, and zeal\-ously sought to maintain that holy separation from the idolatrous nations surrounding them, as a pecu\-liar people to Jehovah, wherein alone their strength lay. Balaam had declared, "The people shall dwell alone; they shall not be reckoned among the nations, "and he had also taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before Israel by breaking down this very sep\-aration. "The doctrine of Balaam" had been their snare ever afterwards, and we see in the closing chapters of Nehemiah how difficult it was to stamp it out.\par \par Nehemiah's efforts were largely successful; and while his godly life and testimony still had influence over the people there was a measure at least of out\-ward separation. But Malachi is witness that peo\-ple may be separated from outside evils and not be separated to the Lord. This is a constant danger. Who has not heard "heady, high\_minded" believers prating of "separation from evil as God's principle of unity" (as indeed it is, other things being equal), who seem quite to forget that it is separation to Christ that alone gives power to the former.\par \par Separation from, may end in mere Pharisaism. Separation to, will result in practical godliness, and be evidenced by devotedness, with brotherly love and unity.\par \par But this truth ever needs consecrated men of God to insist upon its recognition; otherwise, there is always the likelihood of its being forgotten, and a form of godLVALliness without the power usurping its place. Of Israel of old, when first settled in the land, we read: "And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the Lord, that He had done for Israel " (Jos_24:31). We have something analogous to this in the case now under consideration. The Jewish remnant, generally speaking, walked before God in a measure of holy separation and cleaving to His name and His word during the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, and of the elders who outlived them; but even in Malachi's time declension had made very rapid progress.\par \par After the death of Nehemiah the "Tirshatha," or Governor, they enjoyed a large measure of indepen\-dence under the mild rule of the Persian kings, and even for a time after the Medo\_Persian "Bear" had been defeated and superseded by the four\_headed " Leopard " of Greece (Dan. 7)\_or, using the simile of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, after the silver king\-dom had been displaced by the dominion of brass (Dan. 2).\par \par Government was entrusted by these Gentile sover\-eigns to the high\_priest, who previously was but a religious leader. In Neh_12:10; Neh_12:11; Neh_12:22,* we have the high\_priestly line traced down from Jeshua, or Joshua (who came up from Babylon, with Zerubbabel at the first return, and is the one described in Zech\-ariah's vision, chap. 3), through Joiakim, Eliashib, Joiada, and Jonathan to Jaddua, the latest historical character mentioned in the Old Testament.\par \lang3082\f2\fs24\par \lang2058\f1\fs22 * "And Jeshua begat Joiakim; Joiakim also begat Eli\-ashib, and Eliashib begat Joiada; and Joiada begat Jona\-than, and Jonathan begat Jaddua . . . The Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, were recorded chief of the fathers: also the priests, to the reign of Darius the Persian" -\_ which was nearly to the end of the Persian Empire.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 Eliashib succeeded to the high\_pLVALriesthood during the life\_time of Nehemiah, and it was his grandson (Joiada's son), whom the Tirshatha indignantly "chased" from him because of his unhallowed alli\-ance by marriage with the house of Sanballat the Horonite (Neh_13:28).\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 One tradition credits the closing of the canon of Old Testament to the days of Eliashib, before the death of Ezra. "The great synagogue" was supposed to have been presided over by this vener\-able servant of God (Ezra), and he is generally con\-sidered to have largely edited the books and arranged the Psalms in the order in which they are found in the Hebrew Bible. Some have thought to identify him with Malachi, supposing the title "Malachi" to be an untranslated word, simply meaning "My messenger," or Messenger of Jehovah." But this seems unlikely, as Malachi apparently portrays a later stage of declension. He may have prophesied in the days of Joiada or Jonathan. It is more than likely that another tradition, which gives Simon the just the credit of settling authoritatively the limits of the canon, is the correct one.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 Of these high\_priests we know but little, save that Josephus implies that the former (Joiada) was ex\-ceedingly friendly to the mixed nations surrounding Judea, as indeed seems very likely, from the fact referred to above; his son having wedded the daugh\-ter of Sanballat, the arch\_conspirator (Neh_13:28). The Jewish historian, Josephus, declares that this young man, upon being driven out by Nehemiah, went over to the Samaritans, and with the aid of his wealthy and influential father\_in\_law, established the Samaritan system, and projected the building of a rival temple on Mount Gerizim. Such a temple was in existence as early as the days of Alexander the Great, but whether the unworthy son of Joiada had to do with its building is questionable. It is frequently the case, however, that one outwardly connected with the truth, without knowing its power in the souLVALl, becomes the bitterest enemy of that which is of God, when repudiated for his unholy ways.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 Jonathan (who is also called Johanan) left a most unsavory record. He was an insubject, god\-less man; though he remained to the last among the Jews, even committing the horrid crime of murder to make more secure his own place of authority as high\_priest and ruler. He profaned the very temple of God by assassinating his brother Joshua (or Jesus) within its sacred precincts. Thus had corruption and violence so soon found a foothold among the separated remnant, emphasizing the solemn fact that mere correctness of position is of no real value, so far as maintaining what is of God is concerned, unless there be personal piety and devotedness to the Lord. We often hear of being "in the right place," "on the true ground," etc., but they are hol\-low and empty expressions when divorced from right\-eousness and holiness of truth. That believers on the Lord Jesus Christ should be a separated, un\-worldly people, no right\_thinking Christian will deny or even question for a moment; but it is to the Holy and the True we are to be set apart, and only as we "go forth unto Him," will our separation be of any real value, and we ourselves it vessels unto honor, sanctified and meet for the Master's use."\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 Man is prone to rest in what is merely outward, while neglecting or coolly ignoring what is inward; for "man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart." Hence the importance of insisting on reality, and not being content with mere outward conformity and ecclesiastical order. A Diotrephes will demand the latter while neglecting the former; but, on the other hand, another may be equally wrong if he lays stress only on what is subjective, while paying no attention to the ques\-tion of association. The well\_balanced Christian will have a care as to both, and neglect neither.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fsLVAL22 But we must return to our task of tracing out the history of the Jewish people under the high\_priestly regime, during the years of Persian domination.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 Jaddua was exercising the sacerdotal office when, in the course of God's ways, the time had arrived for setting the Persian rule aside and giving it to the Greek. Jaddua was a man of spotless integrity, and his name is held in veneration to the present time.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 It is related of him that he was a faithful servant under the kings of Persia; but when Alexander the Great had destroyed Tyre, and driven the armies of Darius Codomanus to the east in confusion, Jaddua was assured that the time had come for the fulfil\-lment of Daniel's prophecy as to the destruction of the second world\_emipire and its being replaced by the third. He recognized in the youthful Macedonian conqueror the rough he\_goat with the notable horn between its eyes, who was to run upon the two \-horned ram in the fury of his power and destroy it completely. Hearing that the cities of Syria were falling one by one before him, and that Alexander was actually on his way to besiege Jerusalem, Jad\-dua is said to have put on his pontifical garments, and with the Scriptures of the Prophets in his hand, to have gone forth to meet the conqueror, attended, not by armed men, but by a body of white\_robed priests. As they drew near the army of Alexander, the latter is said to have hastened to meet them, prostrating himself on the ground before Jaddua, declaring he had but recently beheld the venerable pontiff in a vision, and recognized him as the repre\-sentative of the God of heaven, who would show him what would be greatly to his advantage. Jad\-dua opened the prophetic roll, and had one of the scribes in his company read the visions of Daniel and their interpretation. Alexander saw the undoubted reference to himself, and declared he would never permit Jerusalem to be touched nor its temple polluted, and LVALsent the high\_priest back laden with gifts.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 It is impossible at this late day to know whether this story is a mere tradition or sober history; but there is nothing unlikely about it; at least it teaches a valuable lesson, reminding us that the word of God has foretold the end from the beginning, and He who inspired it has declared, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure." Jaddua possessed those Scriptures which reveal God's plans as to the nations of the earth; for prophecy is but his\-tory written prior to the events. Therefore it is not at all unreasonable to suppose that he acted as tra\-dition relates.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 This is the specific value of the study of prophecy, that it enables one to act in the present in the light of the things that are yet future. So writes the apostle Peter, when he tells us: "We have also the prophetic word made sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed in your hearts, as unto a lamp that shineth in a dark place till the day dawn and the day\_star arise. Knowing this first, that no proph\-ecy of the Scripture is of its own interpretation; for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit" (2Pe_1:19\_21, 1911 Version). "Daniel the prophet," as our Lord calls him, was one of these; and his book was doubtless in Jaddua's hand -\_ not written by some unknown apocryphal romanist a hundred years later, as modem pseudo\-critics would have us believe \_\_ but a part of the in\-spired word of God outlining events that were com\-ing upon the earth long before some of the nations and many of the persons specified so distinctly were in existence.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 Under the Macedonian or Greek Empire B.C. 230 to the end of the hereditary priesthood.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 The "Scripture of truth," communicated to Daniel by the angel (Dan_10:21), gives in outline the hiLVALs\-tory of the wars following the death of Alexander the Great, but tells us nothing of the various high priests who succeeded one another as temporal and spiritual lords in Judea. They were frequently but the puppets of their imperial masters, whether Syrian or Egyptian; for Palestine throughout nearly a century was an almost continual battle\_ground, between the Kings of the North, (Syrian) and the Kings of the South (Egyptian) in their successive ware.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 Alexander died at Babylon, B. C. 323, being only about 33 years of age, after a reign of 12-1/2 years. His was a life of remarkable achievement and marvelous conquests. With plans for greater things still to be accomplished, he died a sacrifice to his passions, when he ought to have been in the prime of manly vigor.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 Having appointed no successor, nor given direc\-tions as to the disposition of his vast and newly\-formed empire, with no heir but the prospect of a yet unbom child, he left all in confusion. Disorder, intrigue, and ambition threatened to destroy the immense empire erected at so bloody a cost.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 After a time, however, it was agreed among his principal generals that the empire should be held by them for the posthumous child who proved to be a son and was called Alexander II Another reputed son, Hercules, had been slain sometime before. The jealousies of the generals soon resulted in the same fate being meted out to the infant heir and his mother Roxana.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 The dominions were then divided among the prin\-cipal generals, only two of whom need particularly occupy us, as they are the progenitors of the two rival dynasties denominated the Kings of the North and of the South.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 Antigonus, one of Alexander's most powerful gen\-erals, together with his son Demetrius seized Syria and the adjacent region, and sought to control PalLVALes\-tine of which Ptolemy Lagus, another general, was governor. The Jews favored Antigonus, and Ptolemy's son, Soter, determined to wreak upon them a fearful vengeance for their treasonable actions. He besieged and sacked Jerusalem, entering it on the Sabbath, massacred vast numbers of the wretched inhabitants, and transported many more (some say, one hundred thousand) to Egypt, where he gave them such unexpected privileges that, despite all they had suffered from him, they were quite content to dwell in his land, and many of their co\_religionists joined them, as life in Egypt was far more peaceful than in war\_tom Palestine. These Egyptian Jews became largely Gentilized as the years went on, discarding their native tongue and many of their former cus\-toms, speaking the Greek language and copying the ways of the nations. Henceforth they became a power to be reckoned with, and for a time threatened to completely annihilate the ancient Jewish faith.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 Against Ptolemy Soter, Antigonus now turned his arms, and at first was successful in wresting the three provinces from him. But, for five years, triumph alternately turned between first Ptolemy then Antigonus, until the unhappy land of Palestine was about ruined, and its people completely crushed.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 Many in their despair imagined that the only pos\-sible and logical way out of their distresses was to become assimilated with the warring factions of one side or the other, as much as possible; and because of Ptolemy's superior enlightenment and hopeful in\-ducements the majority clung to him.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 But in these dark days, during which Palestine was "the Debatable Land," spoiled by her warring foes, there was always an election of grace, who held tightly to the now completed Scriptures of the Old Testament, embraced under three great heads, or divisions, viz., "The Law, the Prophets and the Psalms," and clung desperately to the appaLVALrently forlorn hope of the coming Deliverer. It was of such that Malachi had written: "They that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord harkened and heard it; and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels (or, peculiar treas\-ure); and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not " (Mal_3:16\_18). It was just such a sep\-arating or winnowing process that was then going on. Ptolemy and Antigonus were but the flails used to separate the wheat from the chaff, or the great rollers that crushed the ore, and freed God's jewels from the mass of the Jews in whom was but a traditional faith.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 Nor were the sorrows of the remnant at an end when, in B.C. 301, the Battle of Ipsus put a quietus on the evil energy of Antigonus. In this great conflict -\_ one of the decisive battles of the world -- \-Antigonus and Demetrius were opposed by the re\-nowned quartette of Alexander's generals, among whom his empire was ultimately divided, namely: Ptolemy Soter, Seleucus, Lysimachus, and Cassander. The allies were triumphant, slaying Antigonus, ut\-terly routing his army, and causing Demetrius to flee for his life. He was apprehended several years later by Seleucus, and died in captivity.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 The confederate generals, who had previously borne the titles of governors or satraps, now par\-titioned the empire, Cassander becoming king of Greece; Lysimachus of Thrace, or Armenia; Seleucus, of Syria and the adjacent regions; and Ptolemy of Egypt, Palestine, Libya and Arabia. It was the four\_fold division of the Grecian em\-pire pictured in the four horns of the rough goat seen in the vision by Daniel, and so plainly pre\-dicted iLVALn the "writing of truth." In fact, the elev\-enth chapter of Daniel gives a summary of the con\-flicts of the Seleucus (as the successors of Seleucus were called) and the Ptolemies (the Egyptian rulers) for a century and a half after the battle of Ipsus.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 But as it is rather the Jews than their Gentile rulers with whom we are concerned, we turn to trace again what little is left on record of their vicissitudes while the potsherds of the earth strove with one another.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 Jaddua, the high\_priest, died sometime between Alexander's death and the agreement, about twenty years later, of which we have spoken. He was suc\-ceeded by Onias I., of whom we know but little, who, in tum, died B. C. 300, one year after the battle of Ipsus. His son, known as Simon the Just, succeeded him \_\_ so\_called, Josephus tells us, "because of his piety toward God and his kind disposition to those of his own nation." The 50th chapter of the apo\-cryphal book of Ecclesiasticus is his best memo\-rial. There he is described as "Simon the high\_priest, the son of Onias, who in his life repaired the house again, and in his days fortified the temple; and by him was built from the foundation the double height, the high fortress of the wall about the temple." And various other works of piety are credited to him. He is eulogized in terms that more befit Messiah Him\-self, even described as the "morning star," "the sun shining upon the temple," and "the rainbow giving light in the bright clouds."\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 That the temple service was had in honor, and a measure of reverence and godliness preserved among the priests and people in his days, must be the con\-clusion of all who read the chapter through.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 Simon was one who sought to stem the Hellenizing or Grecianizing spirit, and to recall the people to that separation to God which would have been their strength had they kLVAL nown what it was to main\-tain it in holy humility. In verses 22 to 26 we may have the language of Jesus, the son of Sirach, but we undoubtedly have the sentiment of Simon the Just. Verses 25 and 26 are noteworthy: "There be two manner of nations which my heart abhorreth, and the third is no nation. They that sit upon the mountain of Samaria, and they that dwell among the Philistines, and that foolish people that dwell in Sichem (Shechem)."\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 The dwellers in Shechem, whom he stigmatizes so bitterly, were the Samaritans, who had built their hated rival temple upon Mount Gerizim, and had with abhorrent effrontery dared to add an eleventh commandment to the law: "Thou shalt build an altar on Mount Gerizim, and there only shalt thou worship!" How apt we all are, unconsciously, to arrogate such pretentious claims to that with which we have decided to associate ourselves.\lang3082\f2\fs24\par \par \lang2058\f1\fs22 The other two classes were the temporizers who sought a league with these Samaritans, and the apos\-tates who had gone over to Israel's ancient foes, the Philistines; both alike were thorns in the side of the pious and patriotic. To the fourth party belonged Simon himself; those who repudiated all that was foreign to the spirit of Judaism and clung tenaciously to the holy writings and the sacred temple services. That these largely drifted into ceremonialism and heady exclusiveism should be a sad warning to those who attempt to maintain divine truth in a fleshly way, without the Spirit's power. From these arose the sect of the Pharisees; rigid separatists, but hard and legal, having " a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." On the other hand, we see in the Hellenizers the forerunners of the contemptuous, cultured, but unsound Sadducees of our Lord's day.\