Lecture 18. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated · Sabato Morais Digital Repository · Legacy Projects from Judaica DH at Penn Libraries

Title

Lecture 18. Morais, Sabato. Philadelphia, PA. Undated

Author

Morais, Sabato

Location(s)

United States -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia

United States -- Pennsylvania

Format

12 pages on 5 sheets

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?

Language(s)

English

Source

Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies

Sabato Morais Collection, Box 12, Folder 3

Has Format

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/items/ark:/81431/p31834m98/manifest.json

Link to Colenda

https://colenda.library.upenn.edu/catalog/81431-p31834m98

Provenance

Transfer of Custody from the Hebrew Education Society, 10 March 1913.

Is Format Of

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/judaicadh/morais/main/TEI/SMBx12FF3_18.xml

content

Post-Biblical Lecture
18th.

Brethren. The country which God promised Abraham to give his descendants, was exposed at different times to the attacks of different peoples. In the Hebrew Bible Scriptures we are shown the rise and fall of Palestine, as the invariable accompaniment of the virtues or vices of its inhabitants. After the breaking up of our nationality by the arms of the Chaldeans, we are made to witness the effects of a return to righteous--ness in the protection granted to our ancestors by dynasties which succeeded each other in the East. Later again, the hand laid heavily upon us pointed to our trespasses, as to the leading cause of our suffering. A most remarkable period in our Jewish history is that in which a single family--a father and five sons--, possessed of golden qualities, purchased for us power independence and deliverance freedom. but Alas! that within a century, the gradual degeneracy of the scions of that noble family, lost for us independence and freedom both those invaluable boons. No Mattathias arose after that, but the cruel stranger whom the greatest of prophets must have foreseen, moved swiftly on to work out our widespread destruction.

For so Moses predicted, when, casting his illumined vision on the distant future, he noted down the results of his people's sins. "The Lord will will bring up a nation against thee from afar, from the end of the earth, as the Eagle rushes on; a nation whose language thou wilt not understand; a nation of bold looks, that will not have respect for the old, nor show favor to the young."
The famous Roman consul and general in chief honored with the name of Magnus, was winning the victories of his commonwealth, while Judah's strength was being wasted away in the unnatural contest of two Asmonean brothers. Pompey had been had reached the zenith of his glory, and was flushed with success. He had planted his Eagle on the walls of Damascus, the most ancient city in the ancient land of Aram. He had made himself complete master of the whole of Syria. He aspired to the glory triumph of going back to Rome and presenting to the august Senate all Asia, as his gift. The ambitious Roman could not therefore wish for better tidings than the report of the unhappy quarrel between Hyrcanus and Aristobulus. Accordingly, he despatched Scaurus

his lieutenant, with an order to march immediately upon the capital of Judea, and inquire into the cause of the contest. But before Jerusalem was entered by the "nation from afar" the "nation of bold looks," two Jewish ambassadors waited upon Scaurus. They represented two opposite parties. Aristobulus II had sent a bagful of gold,--which the avaricious Romans so covetted--as well as a messen--ger, to plead in his behalf. Hyrcanus II adopted the same course. Perhaps the bag of gold was of smallers size, for Scaurus commanded that the older brother and the Arab King, who had come to his assist--ance should disband their armies, and that the young--er brother, relieved from a state of seige in which he had [?] was held, be acknowledged King of Judea. Who dared resist the dictation of a Roman chief? But Aristobulus, placed again in power by the "nation from afar, a nation of bold looks," which rushed on like the eagle" did not rejoice long over the superiority gained. Pompey heard that Aristobulus had hotly pursued the Arabians, who were leaving Judea; that he had fought them, and killed seven thousands.

Aristobulus was not then a man not easily tamed, not one likely to submit unmurmuringly to the demands of Rome. He had then in his veins some of the blood of that Judah, whose re--nown had reached even "the eternal city."
Pompey sat at Damascus, triumphantly. He to received the homage of princes and potentates. Egypt, the country of the Pharaohs, and the domains realms of the Ptolemies, offered him a costly golden diadem. Aristobulus would ontire all in oriental munificence. He had in his posses--sion a work of art of the rarest value. It had been executed under the reign of his father Alexander Janneus. The It object consisted of a golden vine with its branches, leaves, and fruits of the same precious metal. It stood on a ground round which various animals, skilfully designed, sported in a life-like manner. That object creation piece of superb workmanship, Aristibulus sent by means of a scholarly Latin speaker. Pompey graciously accepted the present, and listened to the flattering polished address of the ambassador. who set forth the claims of Aristobulus

But another man was there--Antipater. He had ostensibly come to plead for Hyrcanus, and remonstrate lament at his having been stripped of all powers, but the ulterior motive of the crafty Idumean was to further the interests of his own household. Unfortunately, he was helped, without expecting it, by the messenger of Aristobulus. For that incautious individual let drop from his lips as unguarded remark reflect--ing on the character of Roman generals. To say that money had been extorted from Aristobulus by those officials, was, assuredly, a heinous offence. Pompey who had already formed his opinion of the high-spiritedness of Aristobulus, dismissed the embassy, without pronouncing a decision. He ordered in--stead that the two brothers abstain from rangling strife and that they should appear in person, the following spring, when he would be back sit again in Damascus. The imperious order cut Aristobulus to the quick. Had he followed his own promptings, he would have To refused compliance was his first a natural impulse with him, but he had to yeild to the press-ing requests of friends of and political adherents.

The spring season arrived. Hyrcanus and Aristobulus came before the self-constituted empire of their disputes. Hyrcanus spoke first. He argued his case with much considerable force. He said: He was older than his brother, who had deprived him of his birthright. He loved peace; he was not like Aristobulus given to the practice of making in--cursions with his neighbors' territories by sea or by land. He could bring the testimony of a thousand of the most esteemed among Jews, to prove that his nation would not have taken up arms and fought sect against sect, if the his restless Aristobulus brother had not gone about sowing the seeds of contention. When he ceased Aristobulus in his turn spoke little, and will turned to the Roman with ill-suppressed anger, at his compulsory humiliation. He briefly said: If I am King, as I have been these past years, it is because my brother is unfit to rule. Had I not assumed the government, others to whom it does not belong would have usurped it. My title to royalty, is my father's heritage." The haughty tone did not please Pompey, and he evinced it in a reproachfuling answer.

But Yet he would not act rashly. He must settle his affairs his affairs with the Arabians, then he would visit Jerusalem, and settle Jewish quarrels. So he told the two inimical brothers. But Aristobulus did not wait for not the unwelcome call. Departing from Damascus unceremoniously, he hastened to devise plans for self-defence. Pompey had an intimation of it such a design, and turning his legions towards Judea, stationed them before Alexandrium, an impregnable fortress, where Aristobulus had taken retired with his quarters troops. The Roman general bid the Judean King come forth and explain his conduct. Three and four times Aristobulus made an attempt to obey, but he was always forced irresistibly back by his instinctive repugnance to submission. Finally he agreed to hold an interview, but Pompey bitterly enraged at the delay and vacillation compelled him to surrender the fortress and to write to the commanders of all the fortresses throughout the land, to place those military strong--holds at the disposal of Rome. A refusal would have been imprisonment and bondage. Nothing so degrading, nothing so suicidal in the mind of a Jew, and that an Asmonean--though guilty of misdeeds--as that act of subjection.

Aristobulus indignant at his own self for having stooped so low, prepared to fight back the overbearing stranger.
Historians are at variance about the exact account incidents, of the events which marked preceeded the hostile entrance of the "nation from afar" into the inheritance of Abraham. As to myself I will grant even the worst enemies of our people, the benefit of a charitable construction. It may be true that the irrepressible temper of Aristobulus, incited Pompey to marshall his cohorts into the city of David, and to pollute the temple with their bold heathen looks. But was it not confessedly to arbitrate a disputed case that Rome had come to Judea? Why did she then let her eagle rush on and tear our very entrails? It may also be true that the Judean ruler seeing that the impossibility to cope with a power, which could bring myriads of well disciplined soldiers upon the battle field, had gone forth to meet the invader and promised at large sum to aver the attack onset, and that those attached to his party declined acquiescence in his agreement. All that may might be probable undisputed facts, but what can justify the foul treachery of the Roman general?

For Pompey retained the [?] his retaining of Aristobulus as a war prison--er, and bound them thrown into chains as a culprit? "Woe to the powerless" such was the battle cry of insatiable Rome. It was The artful policy of the republic on the seven-hilled city was to take advantage of the weakness of empires and kingdoms, and crash them out of existence. Had the Jews, like the Arabians, and other nations, allowed them--selves to be denationalized and have become part and parcel of the Roman commonwealth, her generals would not have brought against Zion their battering rams. But they our people dared confront the mighty legions and measure arms with the invincible cohorts. Annihilation must there--fore be their doom.
A cry of horror went up to heaven at the noise of treading battalions, and the prancings of fiery studs. She comes from afar, the fierce one, who does not respect the old, nor show favor to the young. The fol--lowers of Aristobulus, the priests of Pharisees Sadducees, en--trenched themselves again behind the fortified walls of the Temple, and challenged the heathen foe to dislodge them. The feeble minded Hyrcanus, controlled by the hollow-hearted Antipater, opened the gates for the unrighteous

to come in enter. Piso, one of Pompey's lieutenants, took possession of Jerusalem and placed it under military law. The peace party he treated with Roman magnanimity. He ate of their provision, and accepted their gold. The war of party he summoned to sur--render and bend to the will of a superior power. The demand met with a stern refusal. Aristobu--lus must be freed from the ignominious bondage into which he had been ensnared, then will before his adherents will parley with the enslavers. He was their king and leader. The impotent stolid Hyrcanus had sworn to the treaty in the sacred Temple, where the holy ark and he would have kept faith to it, but had it not been for the egotiscal perfidious schemes of an agent of dissention. But Rome was not ac--customed to rebuffs. Pompey who had pitched his text on Mount Olives, came down in person to awe the defiant ones into submission. Deadly engines, brought purposely from Tyre, were set against the Northern side of the Temple. A huge wall was raised to prevent the escape of the besieged, or the possibility of their receiving help from outside sympathizers.

Thus began a tremendous portentous struggle--the most momentous in the annals of mankind. The poly--theism of Olympus, measuring arms entering the arena with the monotheism of Zion. Appalling was the encounter. Judea fought, till disjoined and broken she sank from exhaustion. But she fell, still holding fast on the ensign of God's Unity. When she could rise and be suffered to allowed breathe, she carried that holy standard up high eighteen hundred years, in the sight of Gentilism.

Identifier

p31834m98

identifier

SMBx12FF3_18