Second period under the Ptolemies and Seleucidae, 323-167. After the death of Alexander, Palestine, in consequence of its situation, generally shared the fate of Phoenicia and Coele-Syria, (see above, p. 249.) being annexed to Syria.--Capture of Jerusalem, and transplantation of a vast colony of Jews to Alexandria by Ptolemy I. 312; from thence they spread to Cyrene, and gradually over the whole of North Africa, and even into Aethiopia. From 311-301 the Jews remained, however, subject to Antigonus. After the overthrow of his empire, they remained, 301-203, under the dominion of the Ptolemies; the most conspicuous of their high priests during this interval were Simon the Just, _d._ 291, and afterwards his son, Onias I. _d._ 218, who, by withholding the tribute due to Ptolemy III. exposed Judaea to imminent danger.--In the second war of Antiochus the Great against Egypt, 203, the Jews, of their own free will, acknowledged themselves his subjects, and assisted in driving out the Egyptian troops, who, under their general, Scopas, had again possessed themselves of the country, and the citadel of Jerusalem, 198. Antiochus confirmed the Jews in the possession of all their privileges; and although he promised their country, together with Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, to Ptolemy Epiphanes, as the future dowry of his daughter, Judaea still remained under the Syrian supremacy; except that the revenue was for a time divided between the Syrian and Egyptian kings.--The high priests and self-chosen ethnarchs or alabarchs were at the head of the people; and we now find mention made for the first time of a senate, or the sanhedrim. But the rout of Antiochus the Great by the Romans was also the remote cause of the subsequent misfortunes of the Jews. The consequent dearth of money in which the Syrian kings found themselves, and the riches of the temple treasures, the accumulation of the sacred income and gifts, made the office of high priest an object of purchase under Antiochus Epiphanes: hence arose quarrels between the pontifical families, and out of those sprung factions, which Antiochus Epiphanes was desirous to turn to his own account, by the introduction of Grecian institutions among the Jews, in order thereby to promote the subjection of that people, now raised by its privileges almost to the rank of a state within that of Syria. Deposition of the high priest, Onias III. 175; his brother Jason having obtained the mitre by purchase, and the introduction of Grecian customs: Jason, however, was in his turn supplanted by his brother Menelaus, 172. During the civil war arising out of these events, Antiochus Epiphanes, at that time conqueror in Egypt, (see above, p. 241.) takes possession of Jerusalem, 170, being provoked by the behaviour of the Jews to Menelaus, the high priest of his own appointment: the consequent