Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 31:122 (Apr 1874)
Article: Parthia The Rival Of Rome
Author: Selah Merrill

BSac 31:122 (April 1874) p. 365

Parthia The Rival Of Rome

Rev. Selah Merrill

1. Parthia As Connected With Judea

The words, Parthia and Parthian, convey, even to the general reader of history, no very definite meaning. Parthia is thought of as some inaccessible mountain region of Western or Central Asia, and the Parthians as a wild, fierce tribe which inhabited the same. Can anything definite be known in regard to this country and people? The race — its origin, history, strength, civilization, and decay; the country — its geographical position, its physical features, and its resources; the empire in its rise and fall, — to fix and appreciate the place of this country and people, in the world-history; such topics, if it is possible for light to be shed upon them, ought to command our attention.

The subject before us, aside from its interest for the general student of history, is of special importance for those who propose to investigate thoroughly the history of New Testament times. The generations to which Christ and Herod the Great respectively belonged, had vivid impressions of this, to us, strange, half-mythical race. They had seen their swarms of mounted warriors. They knew something of their terrible power. In the year 40 b.c. the Parthians had literally driven the Romans from Asia. Their hordes, chiefly mounted men, had swept over Syria like a cloud of locusts. Their army pushed southward, a part of it, under Pacorus, proceeding along the coast to Ptolemais and Mount Carmel, and the rest, under Barzaphernes, went down inland through Galilee. Jerusalem was taken and plundered, with the country lying about it.1 They settled Jewish politics in the most summary way. They placed Antigonus upon the throne of Judea. This prince, the last of the Asmonean princes, held the capital for three years, b.c. 40–37, “as a Parthian satrap, the creature and dependent of the great monarchy on the further side of the

BSac 31:122 (April 1874) p. 366

Euphrates.” Still earlier, in b.c. 53, Crassus, who (in b.c. 55) had made his name odious in Judea by robbing the Temple of ten thousand talents in gold and silver, and carrying off one huge ingot of gold besides, prepared to advance against the Parthians. The Parthians sent ambassadors to him to ascertain “if this is Rome’s or Crassus’ war.” Crassus, stung by the question replied: “I will answer you in Seleucia.” The chief of the ambassadors, striking the palm of one hand with the fingers of the other, said: “Hairs will grow here, Crassus, before you see Seleucia!” But the proud Roman pushed on, only to meet with disaster and death. His ...