CHAPTER XIX. 505 2. Q. How did the affairs of the Jews succeed under Hyr- canus ? A: A few years afterwards he took advantage of the vast confusions that ensued among the nations, upon the death of Antiochus, to enlarge his borders, by seizing some neighbouring towns on several sides of Judea ; and to renounce all his depend. ance upon the kings of Syria. 3. Q. Was he supported therein by any foreign powers ? A. He renewed the league of friendship which his father Simon had made with the Romans, who were then growing to their gran- deur ; and they ordered that he should be freed from the late imposed tribute, and that the Syrians should make reparation for the damages they had donehint. 4. Q. In what manner did Hyrcanus deal with the Edo- mites, or Idumeans, who were on the south of Judea ? A. He constrained them to embrace the Jewish religion, or to leave their country ; whereupon they chose to forsake their idolatry, and became proselytes to Judaism, and were mingled and in- corporated with the Jews ; and by this means, in less than two hundred years, their very name was lost. Note, In defence of this practice of Hyrcanus, among the Idumeans, which seems to be so contrary to the laws of nature and scripture, it may be said, that at this time these Edomites had incroached on the land of Judea, and inhabited all the south part of it ; so that Hyrcanus, in banishing those who would not become Jews did but dispossess them of that country which was given to the Jews by God himself. Yet it must be confessed, by this practice he seems to have set an unhappy pattern to his successors, to impose the religion of the Jews on conquered countries by force. 5. Q. How did he treat the Samaritans on the North, when his power was thus increased ? A. He marched with his army and took Shechem, which was then the chief seat of the Sama- ritan sect ; and he destroyed their temple on mount Gerizim, which Sanballat hadbudded ; though they continued still to keep an altarthere, and to offer sacrifices. 6. Q. How came Shechem to be their chief seat instead of Samaria? A.-They were expelled from Samaria, by Alexander, for killing one of his deputy governors in a tumult ; and they retiring to Shechem, made that their chief seat ; while Alex- ander repeopled Samaria with heathens of the Syrian and Mace- donian race. 7. Q. Did Hyrcanus extend his power farther on that side of the country ? A. He besieged Samaria, and took it, and utterly demolished it ; he not only ruled inJudea, but in Galilee also, and the neighbouring towns : He became one of the most considerable princes of his age, and preserved the Jewish church and state in safety from their enemies, throughout a long go- vernment. VoL. v. K k
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=