Whether she is to succeed in this task is certainly the question.  The religious individualism of the Gospel is, and must remain for all time, the true salt of the earth.  The certainty that neither death nor life can separate us from the love of God drives out that fear which is opposed to love; an entirely supra-mundane faith lends courage for resultless self-sacrifice and resigned obedience on earth.  We must succeed:  sursum corda!

12.  THE HELLENISTIC PERIOD.

Palestine fell into Alexander’s possession in 332; after his death it had an ample share of the troubles arising out of the partition of his inheritance.  In 320 it was seized by Ptolemy I., who on a Sabbath-day took Jerusalem; but in 3I5 he had to give way before Antigonus.  Even before the battle of Ipsus, however, he recovered possession once more, and for a century thereafter Southern Syria continued to belong to the Egyptian crown, although the Seleucidae more than once sought to wrench it away.

In the priestly dynasty during the period of the Ptolemies, Onias I. ben Jaddua was succeeded by his son Simon I., after whom again came first his brothers Eleazar and Manasseh, and next his son Onias II.; the last-named was in his turn followed by his son Simon II., whose praises are sung by the son of Sirach (xlix. 14-16).  At the side of the high priest stood the gerusia of the town of Jerusalem, as a council of state, including the higher ranks of the priesthood.  The new sovereign power was at once stronger and juster than the Persian,—­at least under the earlier Ptolemies; the power of the national government increased; to it was intrusted the business of raising the tribute.

As a consequence of the revolutionary changes which had taken place in the conditions of the whole East, the Jewish dispersion (diaspora) began vigorously to spread.  It dated its beginning indeed from an earlier period,—­from the time when the Jews had lost their land and kingdom, but yet, thanks to their religion, could not part with their nationality.  They did not by any means all return from Babylon; perhaps the majority permanently settled abroad.  The successors of Alexander (diadochi) fully appreciated this international element, and used it as a link between their barbarian and Hellenic populations.  Everywhere they encouraged the settlement of Jews,—­in Asia Minor, in Syria, and especially in Egypt.  Alongside of the Palestinian there arose a Hellenistic Judaism which had its metropolis in Alexandria.  Here, under Ptolemy I. and II., the Torah had already been translated into Greek, and around this sprung up a Jewish-Greek literature which soon became very extensive.  At the court and in the army of the Ptolemies many Jews rose to prominent positions; everywhere they received the preference over, and everywhere they in consequence earned the hatred of, the indigenous population.