512 A SHORT VIEW OF SCRIPTURE HISTORY. ditional constitutions ; by which means the pharisees, and their traditions, grew into greater esteem and power than ever : And she permittedthem to put to death many of those who advised the late king Alexander to deal so cruelly with the people ; and some others of their own adversaries also were executed on this pretence, by her leave for she dreaded a new war, and of two evils she thought to chose the least, 35. Q. To whom did she leave the kingdom at her death ? A. To Hyrcanus her eldest son, who had been entirely bred up under the influence and tutorage of the pharisees. 36. Q. Did this Hyrcanus the second continue to reign in peace ? A. Aristobulus, the younger son, finding that the army and the people were weary of the oppressive adminis- tration of the Pharisees, raised an army against his brother Hyrcanus, put him to flight, forted him to resign the kingdom and the high-priesthood, and to live a private life : which lie consented to, after he lead been king three months; for he naturally loved his own ease and quiet more than any thing else, 37. Q. Was Aristobulus disturbed in his government ? A. There was one Antipater, an ldumean, whose father was ad- vanced to the government of Idumea, by the late king Alexander, and he himself bred up with Hyrcanus, in the court of Alex- andra, prevailed upon Hyrcanus to accept of the assistance of Aretas, the Arabian king, to restore him to the kingdom ; for he assured him that his life was in so great danger from his bro. ther Aristobulus, that he could save it no other way but by de, throning him. 38. Q. What success had Hyrcanus in following this coun- sel of Antipater ? A. By the help of Aretas he gained an absolute victory over Aristobulus, drove him into the mountain of thetemple, and there besieged him, where the priests stood by Aristobulus, while the people declared for Hyrcanus. 39. Q. What heinous murder were the people guilty of at this time ? A. There was one Onias at Jerusalem, so holy a man, that he was thought by his prayers to have obtained rain from heaven in a great drought ; and the people concluding that his curses would be as powerful as his prayers, pressed him to curse Aristobulus, and all that were with him. The good man finding no rest from their importunities, lift up his hands toward heaven, and prayed thus ; " O Lord God, Rector of the universe, since those that are with us are thy people, and they that arebesieged in the temple are thy priests, I pray that thou jvouldst hear the prayers of neither of them against the other." Hereupon the multitude were so enraged, that they stoned himto death. 40. Q. Did Hyrcanus's party prosper after this murder ? A. Hyrcanus and his people fell under great disappoint- ments at first; for the Romans spreading their empire far at
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