Page:Historical Works of Venerable Bede vol. 2.djvu/323

 CHRONICLE.] A.M. 3733 [5081].

Ptolemy Euergetes, brother of the former king,reigned 26 years. He was called Euergetes by the Egyptians, because, when he made himself master of Syria and Cilicia, and nearly all Asia, among the immense quantity of silver and precious vessels which he took, he also recovered their gods which Cambyses had carried away into Persia when he conquered Egypt. The Jewish Pontiff Onias, son of Simon the Just, is distinguished; and no less so is his son Simon, under whom Jesus the son of Syrach wrote the book of Wisdom, which is called Panareton, and in which he makes mention of Simon.

Ptolemy Philopater, son of Euergetes, reigned 17 years. Antiochus, king of Syria, defeated Philopater, and annexed Judaea to his kingdom. Onias, son of Simon, is an illustrious Jewish Pontiff', to whom Arius, king of the Lacedæmonians, sent ambassadors.

A.M. 3774 [5122].

Ptolemy Epiphanes, son of Philopater, reigned 24 years. The second book of the Maccabees narrates the events of this period among the Jews. Onias the high priest, with a number of the Jews, fled into Egypt, where he was honourably received by Ptolemy, and obtained of him a grant of the region called Heliopolis, and permission to erect a temple like that of the Jews,which continued 250 years, unto the reign of Vespasian. During the pontificate therefore of Onias, innumerable swarms of Jews fled into Egypt, which was also at that time filled with multitudes of Cyrenians. The cause of Onias and the others fleeing into Egypt was this: Antiochus the Great and the generals of Ptolemy were contending together, and Judæa, which lay between