The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-12-06

side the city by the High Priest, clad In the
Vestments and Jewels OF his office, and &C.
com mpanied by numbers OF the priests and
citizens. Struck oy so remarkable a specta.
Gle he did reverence to the High Priest, and
granted TO the Jews many political privileges
successors the Romans Situated, as 1t was,
between the powerful Empires OF Syria and
Egypt the Strategic Importance OF Jnoea
WAS great. and this fact enabled 1t to make
sd van ntageous terms now with one, now with
the other. The Jew now began TO travel 10
10 distant lands, retaining and carrying with
him all the while his peculiar customs ana
nonotheistic ideas of religion. Alexandra
In Egypt became the seat of q large and IN
fuential colony OF Jews II was here that the
Septuagint translation OF the Hebrew scrip
lures was made into Greek nearly 30O years
valuable com mentary-a sort of con temper
Try side light, as II were, upon the Ola Iests-
ment. Antiochus Epiphanes OF Syria hnally
aonQured Judea, entered into intrlgues WIN
some and slew others, assisted IN the a0oii:
tion OF the Temple worship and the establish:
ment OF heathenisn He horrlfied some
pious Jews by compelling them TO eat OF the
hated swine flesh after IL had oeen ouerea 10
dedicated to the Most High, trip.e insult
and sacrllege which aroused them TO revolt.
II was In this rebelion that the Maccabees Pc.
came famous. This name originated IN the
Inscription on their banner. NJ. X. b. L.
the Initials Of their Hebrew war cry meaning
who is like unto thee, o Lord. among the
Judas Maccabeus famed as q warrior and
patriot, who recovered the HOLY City and re-
established the Temple worship. His deeds
are recorded in some Of the Aphocryphai
Books and by Josephus.
Divine retribntion was thought to have
overtaken Antiochus shortly after. In the
form OF q loathsome disease OF which ne
perishsd. The Maccabees ruled the Jews for
years afterwards, making terms With the
Romans. In his day, Julius Cesar gave 10
ne Jews peculiar aud exceptiontI privileges,
which were afterward confined and perpetua-
ed. Some OF these are the right OF appeal to
Caesar through the High Priest. exemption
from military duty, freedom from all tribute
every seventh year, aud The right IN asseinh'e a
and conduct themselves after their own laws
. But for the maintalnence OF order, and the
conduct Of purely civil affairs q Roman
officer (procnrator) with full military stan,
irnis Hs Once was held by Herod the Great B. G.
~. He was an Idumean by birth, the son OF a
Philistine slave, and was cruel sensuous
despot. He did everything In his power to
root the old Jewish customs, In order tc
| ingratiate himself with Rome.
He rebuilt the Temple 10 magnificent
| manner. as monument to himself. He has,
| however unwittingly, left behind him q
| much more enduring monument OF an ignoole
character In the massacre Of the Bethlehem
children. During Herod's reign, our Savior
pass them by. But az curiosity OF literature
| I will introduce the account given by
Josephus In full. It is the only aiinsion te
OF "Jewish Antiquities" Books Of "Jewist
Wars" and his Autobiography:
"Now there was about this Time Jesus.
wise man fit be lawful to call him q man
for he was doee OF wonderful works. and .
teacher OF such men as receive the truth with
pleasure. He drew over to him many Of the
Jews and many Of the Gentiles. He was the
Christ And when Plate at the suggestion o
the principal men among us; had condem ned
him to he,oross, those that loved him at tht
nrst did not iorsake him for he appeared tt
them alive again the third day as the divine
other wonderful things concerning him
And the tribe OF christians, 30 named from
him, is not extinct at this day."
| Ofthe wars aud utter destruction OF Jerusa.
lem, and the dispersion OF the Jews nto al
lands, which followed the death OF Christ
| you are all aware. Suffice II to say that more
than one million Jews perished amid horrible
cruelties. The Jewish Hierarchy was destroy
i ed forever. From being. the most highly
honored OF all Rome's subjects, they now be
came the most thoroughly desp sed. Tht
persecution oi the Jews IN every ,and, almos
into the present time, Is one ofthe stupendout
facts Of history. For ages every learned pro
fession was barred against them. They wer'
denied all civil rights. The business OF money
lending seemed in those days, the Middle Ages
10 offer peculiar attractions; for them; 70
about this time the church OF Rome forbade
its members to charge any Interest on debt
Today In Turkey and Russia they are still un
i der the ban-the government delighting appar
entity 10 their oppression. Only the other day
the civilized world stood aghast at thu
spectacle Of the persecution OF an innocen
man in France whose crime II crime 1T was
II lays In being Jew.
Political rights have by degrees been grant
ed to the Modern Jew, until now In the mos
enlightened countries be stands before th'
Law on terms of perfect equality with hi
Gentle QeiehbOrS.
In Literature, Science. Art, Law, Medicine
In fact In any field where he measures hi
come out second best. The long years o
: persecution have sharpened his wits ant
rendered his success absolutely necessary.
While the history of the Jews IL full o
, brave deeds and martial figures NOV
frequently across the stage, the Modern Jew !
not man OF war. Besides Massena, proba
bly, the ablest of Napoleon's Marshals, l d
J not recall. a great soldier OF modern time
Aguilar and ZangWill have shown us wha
, they can do In literature.
, D'Israeli In England and Judah p. Benjs
I min In the old Confederate days. reache
( high water mark In Statesmanship. Nose
3 Mendelsohn among the musicians. Sara
. Bernhardt on the stage, Sir Moses Montifor
8 fnanciers, represent worthily their race. N
: doubt many other instances VIII occur T.
Y you.
r very Interesting. Iney a1e ulVlueu lnto IWf
q groups. First, the orthodox Jews win
2 worshlp lp the God of their Fathers, adhering I
!. such of the ancient rites and ceremonies a
a are compatible with Nineteenth Centur
9 Developments. Second. the socaled Reform
!. ed Jews, OF whom probably the highest TYP
8 IL represented by DR.. Felix Adler OF th
i society OF Ethical Culture, who believes tbs
8 man can manage his affairs and reach tn
highest perfection through code OF mammal
I ethical laws. From this pinnacle the Reform