490 'A SFIORT VIEW OF SCRIPTURE HISTORY. many things to the customs and ceremonies of the heathens; Verses 9-15. 8. Q. What became of this Jason ? A. A few years after, when he employed Menelaus his brother to pay his tribute at the Syrian court, he was supplanted by him ; for Menelaus by bri- bery obtained the priesthood, and put Jason to flight. 9. Q.. Did Menelaus behave himself better in his office ? A. Hewas worse than. Jason ; he stole some of the vessels of gold out of the temple, he went to Antioch, where he was reproved by Onias, who was yet living, for his wickedness, and out of revenge procured Onias to be slain. 10. Q. What was done at Jerusalem in the mean time? A. Lysimachus being left as a deputy by Menelaus, practised many sacrileges on the vessels of the temple, which occasioned a great insurrection in the city, wherein multitudes of the party of Ly- simachus were wounded and slain, and the church-robber him- self was killed. 11. Q. Did Jason ever return again to Jerusalem ? A. When there was a false report of the death of Antiochus, Jason with a thousand men assaulted the city, and slew many citizens, but was at last put to flight, and being driven from country to country, and from city to city, he perished in a strange land, without the honour of a burial; 2 Mae. v. 5 -10. 12. Q. Did Antióchus the king suffer these things to pass unresented ? A. Upon the report of such a tumult in Jerusalem, he imagined that Judea had revolted, and he came upon the city, and ordered his men of war not to spare young or old and there were fourscore thousand destroyed in the space of three days. 13. Q. What profaneness was Antiochus guilty of in the temple? A. Being conducted by Menelaus into the temple, he took away the remaining holy vessels, the altar of incense, the golden table and the candlestick ; he tore off the golden orna- ments of the temple, and robbed it of the hidden treasures, he offered a large sow, that unclean and forbidden beast, on the altar of burnt-offering, and left JerusalemOverwhelmed in blood and mourning. 14. Q. Did he pursue this mischief and madness any lon- ger? A. Two years after he sent Apollonius, his collector of tribute, with a thousand men, who fell suddenly on the city on the sabbath while they were at worship, and slew the citizens and the priests ; the made the sacrifices cease, led the women and childrencaptive, pulled down the housesand the walls, build- ed a castle or fortress on a high hill in the city of David over against the temple, to overlook and annoy them, and placed. a garrison therein, and laid up the spoils of the city there. 15. Q. What further instances of rage did Antiochus shew against the Jewish religion ? A. He issued out anorder that all
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