3.) The tetrarchies. By Herod's will his dominions were divided into four tetrarchies ("quarter-rulings," a title for a fourth part of a kingdom). Three of these were in Palestine—Archelaus receiving Judea, Idumea, and Samaria; Antipas (the Herod of Luke 4. 19, 20; 23. 7-11) receiving Galilee and Perea; and Philip (Luke 3. 1) having the district of Bashan. About A. D. 6 Archelaus was deposed, and a Roman, Coponius, was appointed the first Procurator of Judea, which was made a part of the prefecture of Syria. The rest of Jewish annals belongs properly to the New Testament history.

II. Through these periods we notice the gradual PREPARATION FOR THE GOSPEL, which was steadily advancing.

1. There was a political preparation. Six centuries before Christ the world around the Mediterranean was divided into states, whose normal condition was war. At no time was peace prevalent over all the world at once. If Christ had come at that time it would have been impossible to establish the Gospel except through war and conquest. But kingdoms were absorbed into empires, empires rose and fell by turns, each with a larger conception of the nation than its predecessor. From the crude combination of undigested states in the Assyrian Empire to the orderly, assimilated, systematic condition of the Roman world was a great advance. Christ appeared at the only point in the world's history when the great nations of the world were under one government, with a system of roads such that a traveler could pass from Mesopotamia to Spain and could sail the Mediterranean Sea in perfect safety.

2. There was a preparation of language. The conquests of Alexander, though accomplished in ten years, left a deeper impress upon the world than any other two centuries of history. They gave to the whole of that world one language, the noblest tongue ever spoken by human lips, "a language fit for the gods," as men said. Through Alexander Greek cities were founded every-where in the East, Greek kingdoms were established, the Greek literature and the Greek civilization covered all the lands. That was the language in which Paul preached the Gospel, and in which the New Testament was written—the only language of the ancient world in which the thoughts of the Gospel could be readily expressed. While each land had its own tongue, the Greek tongue was common in all lands.

3. While these preparations were going on there was another in progress at the same time, the preparation of a race. We might point to the history of the Israelites from the migration of Abraham as a training; but we refer now to their special preparation for their mission after the restoration, B. C. 536. There was a divine purpose in the division of Judaism into two streams; one a little fountain in Palestine, the other a river dispersed over all the lands. Each branch had its part in the divine plan. One was to concentrate its energies upon the divine religion, to study the sacred books, to maintain a chosen people, whose bigotry, narrowness, and intolerance kept them from destruction; the other branch was out in the world, where every Jewish synagogue in a heathen city kept alive the knowledge of God, and disseminated that knowledge, drawing around it the thoughtful, spiritual minds who were looking for something better than heathenism. Palestine gave the Gospel, but the Jews of the dispersion carried it to the Gentiles, and each synagogue in the foreign world became the nucleus of a Christian Church, where for the first time Jew and Gentile met as equals.

4. Finally, there was the preparation of a religion. The Gospel of Christ was not a new religion; it was the new development of an old religion. As we study the Old Testament we see that each epoch stands upon a higher religious plane. There is an enlargement of spiritual vision between Abraham and Moses; between Moses and David; between David and Isaiah; between Isaiah and John the Baptist. Pharisee and Sadducee each held a share of the truth which embraced the best thought of both sects. The work of many scribes prepared the way for the coming of the Lord, and just when revelation was brought up to the highest level, when a race was trained to apprehend and proclaim it, when a language had been created and diffused to express it, when the world was united in one great brotherhood of states, ready to receive it—then, in the fullness of times, the Christ was manifested, who is over all, God blessed forever.

Blackboard Outline.

I. Four Per. 1. Per. per. 1.) Sec. tem. 2.) Q. Es. del. 3.) Ez. ref. 4.) Sep. Sam. 5.) Com. O. T. can.
2. Gk. per. 1.) Rei. Alex. 2.) Eg. sup. 3.) Syr. sup.
3. Macc. per. 1.) Rev. Mat. 2.) Jud. Macc. 3.) Macc. dyn. 4.) Ri. sec.
4. Rom. per. 1.) Her. Cr. 2.) Her. tem. 3.) Tetr.
II. Prep. Gosp. 1. Pol. prep. 2. Prep. lan. 3. Prep. rac. 4. Prep. rel.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW.

With what history is that of the Jews interwoven during this period?
What was the political condition of the Jews at this time?
What are the four periods of this history?
Who were the rulers of the Jews during the first period?
What building was erected after the return from captivity?
What great deliverance was effected by a woman?
What great reforms were effected by a scribe?
What title has been given to him?
What were the events connected with the separation of the Samaritans?
Who were the prophets of the restoration?
By whom was the Old Testament canon arranged?
What brought on the Greek period?
What events of Jewish history were connected with Alexander the Great?
Under what people did the Jews fall afterward?
What were the events of the Egyptian rule?
What is the Septuagint?
How was its translation regarded by the Jews of Palestine?
In what kingdom, after Egypt, did Judea fall?
How was it governed by its new masters?
Who instituted a great persecution?
What was the effect of this persecution?
Who led the Jews in revolt?
What great hero arose at this time?
What line of rulers arose in his family?
What was the growth of the Jewish state at this time?
What sects of the Jews arose?
How did Judea fall under the Roman power?
Whom did the Romans establish as king?
What were his dominions?
What building did he erect?
How was his kingdom divided after his death?
What finally became of Judea?