At Herod's death, his son Archelaus succeeded him in the government of Judea, nearly ten years, during which time he was guilty of many acts of cruelty and tyranny, for which he was ultimately deposed by the Roman emperor, and banished to an obscure place in France. The Romans being so displeased with the evil practices and bad government of Archelaus, they reduced Judea to a Roman province, to be ruled by a Roman procurator or governor, who was sent thither and removed therefrom at pleasure. It was now that the power of life and death was taken out of the hands of the Jews, and placed in that of the Roman governor; and from that time all taxes were gathered by the publicans, and paid directly to the Roman emperor.
This new regulation very much annoyed the people; for the Pharisees, and all those under their influence, considering it unlawful to acknowledge a heathen for their king or governor, looked upon their tax-gatherers with greater detestation than any of those kings or governors of former days, appointed to rule over them, and who were of their own nation or religion. True, Herod was an Idumean by birth, yet all the Idumeans having embraced the Jewish religion, he was so far counted a lawful governor, that the people did not scruple to pay him their taxes. The Romans followed the plan adopted by Herod in the appointment of the high priests, and the removing of them as often as they pleased, to answer their own purposes.
In this way the affairs of the Jews were carried on for some years, when about this period christianity was ushered into the world; which caused much rage and persecution to take place among the Jews, until at last they were driven to such extremities, and thus exposed to the furious and formidable army of the Romans, who were then great in power; and the Jews were thus so weakened by the continued inroads made upon them, that they fell an easy prey to the enemy. The city of Jerusalem was utterly demolished, the beautiful Temple desecrated and finally destroyed, and about eleven hundred of the people perished in the conflict. The country all round became desolate; the streets overflowing with human blood, terrified the few of the poor Jews who still survived, so that they fled for their lives, and were scattered all over the face of the globe. Thus ended the Jewish polity; from that time up to the present, the Jewish nation has been dispersed throughout the known world; seeking protection under those governments where they may chance to fix their residence. In concluding this portion of the work, we venture the following few remarks:
From the time when the Jews returned from the Babylonish captivity, both the Temple service and the general affairs of the nation at large, appear to have been in an unsettled state. Oppressed and persecuted by the various powers near and about Judea; the continued civil broils among themselves; the tyranny and cruelty of their own kings and priests, all tended to keep them in a state of confusion and disorder: yet worse still, was the neglect of God's holy laws, and the introduction of heathen rites and customs, by which the pure religion of their ancestors became polluted. Add to this the innovations which were permitted to creep in upon the sacred worship of God, and the party feeling which strengthened such on the one hand, and the furious opposition on the other—this had the effect of preventing the nation from possessing that peace of mind and happiness which they would have otherwise enjoyed, owing to those glorious prophetic predictions which made such an impression on them, and which promised nought but real comfort and divine peace on their release from Babylonish captivity.
It is therefore to be concluded that there is a period yet to come, which shall bring together again all the scattered flock of Israel, to the Holy Land of their fathers. Then will they be convinced of their past errors, and the sins committed by their fathers of old, whose wickedness brought down upon them the just vengeance of an offended God. Then will all the blessings reserved for the righteous, be conferred upon them in that day, as foretold by the prophet Zephaniah:
"At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you; for I will make you a name and a praise among all the people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord."
END OF PART I.