eedom," 1, or 2, or 3, or
4; which shekels therefore are original monuments of these times, and
undeniable marks of the truth of the history in these chapters, though
it be in great measure omitted by Josephus. See Essay on the Old Test.
p. 157, 158. The reason why I rather suppose that his copy of the
Maccabees wanted these chapters, than that his own copies are here
imperfect, is this, that all their contents are not here omitted, though
much the greatest part be.

[16] How Trypho killed this Antiochus the epitome of Livy informs us,
ch. 53, viz. that he corrupted his physicians or surgeons, who falsely
pretending to the people that he was perishing with the stone, as they
cut him for it, killed him, which exactly agrees with Josephus.

[17] That this Antiochus, the son of Alexander Balas, was called "The
God," is evident from his coins, which Spanheim assures us bear this
inscription, "King Antiochus the God, Epiphanes the Victorious."

[18] Here Josephus begins to follow and to abridge the next sacred
Hebrew book, styled in the end of the First Book of Maccabees, "The
Chronicle of John [Hyrcanus's] high priesthood;" but in some of the
Greek copies," The Fourth Book of Maccabees." A Greek version of this
chronicle was extant not very long ago in the days of Sautes Pagninus,
and Sixtus Senensis, at Lyons, though it seems to have been there burnt,
and to be utterly lost. See Sixtus Senensis's account of it, of its many
Hebraisms, and its great agreement with Josephus's abridgement, in the
Authent. Rec. Part I. p. 206, 207, 208.

[19] Hence we learn, that in the days of this excellent high priest,
John Hyrcanus, the observation of the Sabbatic year, as Josephus
supposed, required a rest from war, as did that of the weekly sabbath
from work; I mean this, unless in the case of necessity, when the Jews
were attacked by their enemies, in which case indeed, and in which
alone, they then allowed defensive fighting to be lawful, even on the
sabbath day, as we see in several places of Josephus, Antlq. B. XII. ch.
6. sect. 2; B. XIII. ch. 1. sect. 2; Of the War, B. I. ch. 7. sect. 3.
But then it must be noted, that this rest from war no way appears in the
First Book of Maccabees, ch. 16., but the direct contrary; though indeed
the Jews, in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes, did not venture upon
fighting on the Sabbath day, even in the defense of their own lives,
till the Asamoneans or Maccabees decreed so to do, 1 Macc. 2:32-41