legement of his victory; but coming to Jerufalem, made his oblations to God after the manner of the Jews: and the king's example, no doubt, would influence many of his fubjects. The fixth (8) Ptolemy, called Philometor, and his queen Cleopatra committed the whole management of the kingdom to two Jews, Onias and Dofitheus, who were their chief ministers and generals, and had the principal direction of all affairs both civil and military. This Onias obtained a licence from the king and queen to build a temple for the Jews in Egypt like that at Jerufalem, alleging for this purpose this very prophecy of Ifaiah, that there should be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt: and the king and queen in their refcript make honorable mention of the law and of the prophet Ifaiah, and exprefs a dread of finning against God. The place, chofen for the building of this temple, was in the prefecture of Heliopolis or the city of the fun, which place is likewife mentioned in the prophecy. It was built after the model of the temple at Jerufalem, but not fo fumptuous and magnificent. He himself was made high-prieft; other priests and Levites

(8) Jofeph. Contra Apion. Ibid. Antiq. Lib. 13. Cap. 3. P. 562. De Bell. Jud. Lib. 1.

were

Cap. 1. Sect. 1. p. 958. Lib. 7. Cap. ic. Sect. 2. p. 1325Edit. Hudfon.

(9) ovx

were appointed for the miniftration; and divine service was daily performed there in the fame manner as at Jerufalem, and continued as long; for Vefpafian, having destroyed the temple at Jerufalem, ordered this alfo to be demolished.

By these means the Lord must in fome degree have been known to Egypt, and the Egyptians must have known the Lord: and without doubt there must have been many profelytes among them. Among thofe who came up to the feast of Pentecoft (Acts II. 10.) there are particularly mentioned the dwellers in Egypt and in the parts of Lybia about Cyrene, Jews and profelytes. Nay from the inftance of Candace's eunuch (Acts VIII. 27.) we may infer that there were profelytes even beyond Egypt, in Ethophia. Thus were the Jews settled and encouraged in Egypt, infomuch that (9) Philo represents their number as not less than a hundred myriads or ten hundred thousand men. Nor were they lefs favored or rewarded for their fervices, by the kings of Syria. Seleucus Nicator (1) made them free of the cities, which he built in Afia and the lower Syria, and of Antioch itself the capital of his kingdom; and granted the fame rights and privileges

(9)

αποδέασε μυριάδων (1) Jofeph. Antiq. Lib. 12. In Flaccum. p. 971. Cap. 3. p. 519. Edit. Hudfon. Edit. Paris. 1640.

(2) Jofeph.

vileges to them as to the Greeks and Macedonians. Antiochus the great (2) published several decrees in favor of the Jews, both of those who inhabited Jerufalem, and of those who dwelt in Mefopotamia and Babylonia. Jofephus (3) faith that the Jews gained many profelytes at Antioch. And thus by the means of the Jews and profelytes dwelling in Egypt and Syria, Ifrael Egypt and Syria were in fome measure united in the fame worship. But this was more fully accomplished, when these countries became christian, and fo were made members of the fame body in Christ Jesus. And we piously hope and believe, that it will still receive its moft perfect completion in the latter days, when Mohamedifm fhall be rooted out, and Christianity shall again florish in these countries, when the fuinefs of the Gentiles fhall come in, and all Ifrael fhall be javed.

IV. But there is a remarkable prophecy of Ezekiel, which comprehends in little the fate of Egypt from the days of Nebuchadnezzar to the prefent. For therein it is foretold, that after the desolation of the land and the captivity of the people by Nebuchadnezzar, (XXIX. 14, 15.) it should be a bafe kingdom: It shall be the bafeft of the kingdoms, neither shall it exalt itself

(2) Jofeph. ibid.

any

any more above the nations; for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations: and again in the next chapter, (ver. 12, 13.) I will fell the land into the band of the wicked, and I will make the land waste, and all that is therein, by the hand of ftrangers: and there fhall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt. Such general prophecies, like general rules, are not to be understood fo ftrictly and abfolutely, as if they could not poffibly admit of any kind of limitation or exception whatever. It is fufficient if they hold good for the most part, and are confirmed by the experience of many ages, tho' perhaps not without an exception of a few years. The prophets exhibit a general view of things, without entring into the particular exceptions. It was predicted (Gen. IX. 25.) that Canaan fhould be a fervant of fervants unto his brethren; and generally his posterity were subjected to the descendents of his brethren: but yet they were not always fo; upon fome occafions they were fuperior; and Hannibal and the Carthaginians obtained feveral victories over the Romans, tho' they were totally fubdued at laft. In like manner it was not intended by this prophecy, that Egypt fhould ever afterwards, in every point of time, but only that it fhould

(3) De Bell. Jud. Lib. 7. Cap. 3. Sect. 3. p. 1299. Edit. Hudfon. (4) Kas

fhould for much the greater part of time, be a bafe kingdom, be tributary and fubject to ftrangers. This is the purport and meaning of the prophecy; and the truth of it will best appear by a fhort deduction of the history of Egypt from that time to this.

Amafis was left king by Nebuchadnezzar and as he held his crown by the permiffion and allowance of the Babylonians, there is no room to doubt that he paid them tribute for it. Berofus, the Chaldæan historian, (4) in a fragment preserved by Jofephus, fpeaketh of Nebuchadnezzar's reducing Egypt to his obedience, and afterwards of his fettling the affairs of the country, and carrying captives from thence to Babylon. By his conftituting and fettling the affairs of Egypt nothing less could be meant than his appointing the governors, and the tribute that they should pay to him and by carrying fome Egyptians captive to Babylon, he plainly intended not only to weaken the country, but alfo to have them as hoftages to fecure the obedience of the reft, and the payment of their tribute. If Herodotus hath given no account of thefe tranfactions, the reason is evident, according to the obfervation

(4) Και καλατησας τα κατα την Αιγυπίου πραγματα και την λοιπην χώραν, και τις αιχμαλωτες

των καλα την Αιγυπίον εθνων,

. . . Jofeph. Antiq. Lib. 10. Cap. 11. Se&t. 1. p. 459. Edit. Hudfon.

(5) Herod.