e wept when we remembered
Zion. Upon the willows in the midst thereof we hanged up our harps."

The Medo-Persian period began with the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus, who
brought the Jews under his rule. The captives were permitted to return
to Palestine, and Zerubbabel soon had the foundations of the temple
laid; but here the work came to a standstill, and so remained for
seventeen years. About 520 B.C., when Darius was king of Persia, the
work was resumed, and carried on to completion. For some years the
service of God seems to have been conducted in an unbecoming manner.
Nehemiah came upon the stage of action, rebuilt the city walls, required
the observance of the Sabbath, and served as governor twelve years
without pay. Ezra brought back a large number of the people, repaired
the temple, and worked a great reformation. Under his influence, those
who had married foreign wives put them away, and "some had wives by whom
they had children." As the Samaritans were not allowed to help build the
temple, they erected one of their own on Mt Gerizim. A few Samaritans
still exist in Nablus, and hold services on Gerizim. "After Nehemiah,
the office of civil ruler seems to have become extinct."

The Greek period begins with the operations of Alexander the Great in
Asia, 333 B.C., and extends to the time of the Maccabees, 168 B.C. After
Alexander's death, his empire fell into the two great divisions of Egypt
and Syria. The Egyptian rulers were called Ptolemies, and those of
Syria were called the Selucidae. For one hundred and twenty-five years
Palestine was held by Egypt, during which time Ptolemy Philadelphus had
the Septuagint version of the Old Testament made at Alexandria.
Syria next secured control of Palestine. The walls of Jerusalem were
destroyed, and the altar of Jehovah was polluted with swine's flesh. We
now hear of an aged priest named Mattathias, who at Modin, a few miles
from Jerusalem, had the courage to kill a Jew who was about to sacrifice
on a heathen altar. He escaped to the mountains, where he was joined by
a number of others of the same mind. His death soon came, but he left
five stalwart sons like himself. Judas, called Maccabeus, became the
leader, and from him the whole family was named the Maccabees. He began
war against the Syrians and apostate Jews. The Syrians, numbering fifty
thousand, took up a position at Emmaus, while the Maccabees encamped at
Mizpah. Although greatly outnumbered, they were victoriou