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What is Jerusalem 4 The Ptolemies?
        JERUSALEM UNDER THE PTOLEMIES
        In b.c. 332, Alexander the Great, after the famous battle of Issus, in which he gained a decisive victory over the Persians, visited Jerusalem, according to Josephus, and the high priest read to him the writings of Daniel, predicting the overthrow of Persia by the Greeks. This secured to the Jews various favors, among them an exemption from tribute during the sabbatical year. In b.c. 320, Ptolemy Soter captured Jerusalem because the Jews would not fight on the Sabbath, and large numbers of the people were transported to Africa. In b.c. 300, Simon the Just, a favorite hero among the Jews, became high priest, and added deep foundations to the temple, probably to gain greater surface on the top of the hill, sheathed the great sea with brass, strengthened and fortified the walls, and sustained the temple-service with great pomp and ceremony. Ptolemy Philadelphus, under whose direction the Septuagint Version of the O.T. is reputed to have been made, at Alexandria, also made rich gifts to the temple and its service.
        Jerusalem soon after became the prey of rival parties; was visited by Ptolemy Philopator, who attempted to offer sacrifice in the temple, but was prevented by Simon, the high priest, and by a supernatural terror, which caused him to fall paralyzed upon the floor of the court. He afterwards showed great hostility to the Jews. Jerusalem was taken by Antiochus the Great, b.c. 203, and retaken by Scopas, the Alexandrian general, b.c. 199, but a year later was opened by the Jews to Antiochus, who rewarded them with large presents of money and materials for repairing the temple, and with considerable remission in taxes, declaring their temple inviolable. The city again had great apparent prosperity. After the death of Antiochus the Great, b.c. 187, and under the reign of the infamous Antiochus Epiphanes (since b.c. 175), it became again the scene of commotion through strifes and disgraceful Greek customs, young men being trained naked in a new gymnasium set up by Jason the high priest, to whom Antiochus had sold the office; bribery, fraud, pillage, and riot were common; the holy place of the temple was polluted; a foreign garrison was placed in the hill of David, overlooking the temple; heathen worship was ordered to be celebrated in the sanctuary of Jehovah, and the Jews not slain were forced to submit to every species of indignity. Many of them resisted the efforts of Antiochus to destroy their religion, and suffered torments and bitter persecutions. See 1 Mace. 1:13; 2 Mace. 4:9, 12; 6:10-31; 7. The Jews finally made a general revolt against the monstrous tyranny of Antiochus Epiphanes. A large army was raised under Judas Maccabaeus, who gained a victory over Lysias, the Antiochian general, and the Jews re-entered Jerusalem, b.c. 165. 2 Mace. 8.
        At the death of Judas Maccabaeus, b.c. 161, the city again had a period of disturbance and trouble, caused by the dissensions of local rulers, until the time of John Hyrcanus, b.c. 135, when it was attacked by the king of Syria, who encircled it with seven camps, erected on the north a hundred towers of attack, each three stories high, and partially undermined the wall. A truce was, however, secured; the Syrians were induced to end the siege, and the walls were carefully repaired. After the death of Hyrcanus the city was the scene of murderous strifes and bloody wars between the petty rulers and the two leading sects, the Pharisees and Sadducees, no fewer than 50,000 persons having fallen in these feuds in six years.


Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'jerusalem 4 the ptolemies' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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