While Antiochus was engaged in attacking Egypt, a report was spread that he had been killed. This news was received by the Jews with great joy. Jason, the deposed High Priest, knowing that Menelaus would now be left without a protector entered Jerusalem, defeated the soldiers of Menelaus, and put the latter to flight. Jason did not remain there long, however, for it soon became known that Antiochus was alive and that he was marching towards Jerusalem with a large army. Antiochus, in the meantime, had been led to believe that the entire Jewish nation had revolted; and further angered by the fact that the news of his death had caused such rejoicing, quickly returned from Egypt; and entered Jerusalem, where he killed 40,000 of the inhabitants, and took as many captive. He then robbed the treasury of the Temple, and removed to Antioch all the sacred vessels, the table of shewbread, the golden candlestick, and the altar of incense. THE MASSACRE OF THE JEWS. Upon his return, two years later from Egypt, where he had been expelled, Antiochus determined to avenge himself upon the Jews, whom he now hated bitterly. Appolonius, one of his chief generals, was sent to Judea with an army. Inasmuch as that general had been sent there before with his troops as a collector of taxes, his coming caused no alarm. His soldiers did not trouble the inhabitants, who had not the slightest suspicion of their intentions. When the Sabbath came, the Syrians, knowing that the Jews would not take up arms on that day even in self-defence, fell upon them and slaughtered them mercilessly. The Jews, obeying the laws of the Sabbath, which forbade them to fight on that day, meekly submitted to be butchered. Houses were pulled down and plundered, and the walls of the city destroyed. THE DESECRATION OF THE TEMPLE. The King next issued a decree forbidding the Jews to follow their religion and their customs, and ordering them to adopt the Greek faith. The keeping of the Sabbath and the reading of the Law was prohibited on pain of death. Copies of the Scriptures were written upon with the blood of swine, torn into pieces, or burnt. Altars were set up all over the country, and unclean animals sacrificed on them. The Jews were forced to profane the Sabbath and to eat the flesh of swine. The Temple in Jerusalem was dedicated to Jupiter Olympus, whose statue was erected on the altar of burnt offerings, and sacrifices made to it. In order to escape this terrible persecution, many Jews fled from the holy city to the mountains. The once beautiful Jerusalem, in which the Jewish people had for so many years enjoyed happiness and peace, was now laid waste like a wilderness and became an abode for strangers. ANTIOCHUS THE MADMAN.