than also went to meet Ptolemy as far as || For as the people of Antioch hated Alexander, Joppa; and obtained from him hospitable presents, and those glorious in their kinds, with all the marks of honor. And when he had conducted him as far as the river called Eleutherus, he returned again to Jerusalem,† But as Ptolemy was at Ptolemais, he was very near to a most unexpected destruction. For a treacherous design was laid for his life by Alexander, by the means of Ammonius, who was his friend. And as the treachery was very plain, Ptolemy wrote to Alexander; and required of him that he should bring Ammonius to condign punishment: informing him what snares had been laid for him by Ammonius, and desiring that he might be punished accordingly. But when Alexander did not comply with his demands, he perceived that it was he himself who laid the design, and he was very angry at him.† Alexander had also formerly been on very ill terms with the people of Antioch: for they had suffered very much by his means. Yet did Ammonius at length undergo the punishment his insolent crimes had deserved. For he was killed in an opprobrious manner, like a woman, while he endeavored to conceal himself in a feminine habit. on Ammonius's account, as we have shewn al- In the meantime, Alexander assembled a numerous army, and came out of Cilicia into Syria, and burnt the country belonging to Hereupon Ptolemy blamed himself for hav- Antioch, and pillaged it. Whereupon Ptoing given his daughter in marriage to Alex- lemy, and his son-in-law Demetrius, brought ander, and for the league he had made with their army against him: (for he had already him to assist him against Demetrius. So he given him his daughter in marriage :) and dissolved his relationship, by taking his daugh-beat Alexander, and put him to flight. And ter away from him; and immediately sent to Demetrius, and offered to make a league of mutual assistance and friendship with him, and agreed with him to give him his daughter in marriage, and to restore him to the principality of his fathers. Demetrius was well pleased with this ambassage, and accepted of his assistance, and of the marriage of his daughter. But Ptolemy had still one more hard task to do; and that was to persuade the people of Antioch to receive Demetrius: bacause they were greatly displeased at him, on account of the injuries his father Demetrius had done them. Yet did he bring this about: * 1 Macc. xi. 7. + This is related very differently in our copies of the first book of Maccabees. accordingly he fled into Arabia. Now it happened in the time of battle that Ptolemy's horse, upon hearing the noise of an elephant, cast him off his back, and threw him on the ground. Upon the sight of this accident his enemies fell upon him, and gave him many wounds upon his head, and brought him into danger of death: for when his guards caught him up, he was so very ill, that for four days' time he was not able either to understand, or to speak. However, Zabdiel, a prince among the Arabians, cut off Alexander's head, and sent it to Ptolemy. Who, recovering of his wounds, and returning to his understanding An. 145. B. C. on on the fifth day, heard at once a most agree-decessors. And when the Jewish deserters able hearing, and saw a most agreeable sight: accused him, Demetrius was so far from givwhich were the death, and the head of Alex-ing credit to them, that when he petitioned ander. Yet a little after this joy for the death of Alexander, with which he was so greatly satisfied, he also departed this life. Now Alexander, who was called Balas, reigned over Asia five years. But when Demetrius, who was styled * Nicator, had taken the kingdom, he was so wicked as to treat Ptolemy's soldiers very hardly; neither remembering the league of mutual assistance that was between them, nor that he was his son-in-law and kinsman, by Cleopatra's marriage to him. So the soldiers fled from his wicked treatment, to Alexandria. But Demetrius kept his elephants. In the mean time Jonathan, the high-priest, levied an army out of all Judea, and attacked the citadel at Jerusalem, and besieged it. It was held by a garrison of Macedonians, and by some of those wicked men who had deserted the customs of their forefathers. These men at first despised the attempts of Jonathan for taking the place; as depending on its strength. But some of those wicked men went out by night, and came to Demetrius, and informed him, that the citadel was besieged. He was He was accordingly irritated with what he heard, and took his army, and came from Antioch against Jonathan. And when he was at Antioch, he wrote to him, and commanded him to come to him quickly, to Ptolemais. Jonathan did not intermit the siege of the citadel; but took with him the elders of the people, and the priests; and carried with him gold, and silver, and garments, and a great number of presents of friendship, and came to Demetrius, and presented him with them, and thereby pacified the king's anger. So he was honored by him, and received from him the confirmation of his high priesthood, as he had possessed it by the grants of the kings his pre This name Demetrius Nicator, or Demetrius the Conqueror, is so written on his coins still extant: as Hudson and Spanheim informs us. The latter of whom gives us here the entire inscription, "King Demetrius, the god, Philadelphus, Nicator." Dr. Hudson observes, that Josephus gives us this epistle of king Demetrius to Jonathan in purer Greek, than does the translator of the first book of Maccabees; where also it is preserved; 1 Macc, xi. 30-37, whence he ga him that he would demand no more than three hundred talents for the tribute of all Judea, and the three toparchies of Samaria, Perea, and Galilee, he complied with the proposal, and gave him a letter confirming all those grants: whose contents were as follow: tents. "King Demetrius to Lasthenes our father, sendeth greeting. I have determined to return thanks, and to shew favor to the nation of the Jews, which hath observed the rules of justice in our concerns. Accordingly I remit to them the three prefectures, Apherime, Lydda, and Ramatha, which have been added to Judea out of Samaria, with their appurtenances. As also what the kings my predecessors received from those that offered sacrifices in Jerusalem; and what are due from the fruits of the earth, and of the trees, and what else belongs to us; with the salt pits, and the crowns that used to be presented to Nor shall they be compelled to pay any of these taxes from this time to all futurity. Take care therefore that a copy of this epistle be taken, and given to Jonathan ; and be set up in an eminent place of their holy temple.' us. Now when Demetrius saw that there was peace every where, and that there was no danger, nor fear of war, he disbanded the greatest part of his army, and diminished their pay and even retained in pay no others than such foreigners as came up with him from Crete, and from the other islands. However, thers, how careful Josephus was of elegance in the Greek tongue. Nor is this other than Josephus's usual custom, in producing his other ancient records; which he loves to give us, as much as possible, in his own language. However, as I take it, the most material reason of the different purity of these two versions of the present epistle is this, that Josephus wrote the purer Attic, and the translator of the first book of Maccabees the coarser Hellenistic dia lect which would naturally produce this inequality. this procured him ill-will and hatred from the soldiers; on whom he bestowed nothing from this time: while the kings before him used to pay them in times of peace, as they did before; that they might have their good will; and that they might be ready to undergo the difficulties of war, if occasion should require it. CHAP. V. OF THE REVOLT OF TRYPHO, WHO, AFTER HE HAD DEFEAT- NOW there was a certain commander of Alexander's forces, of Apamia by birth: his name was Diodotus, but he was also called Trypho. This man took notice of the illwill the soldiers bare to Demetrius; and went to Malchus, the Arabian, who brought up Antiochus, the son of Alexander; and told him what ill-will the armies bare Demetrius; and persuaded him to give him Antiochus, because he would make him king, and recover to him the kingdom of his father. Malehus at first opposed him in this attempt, because he could not believe him: but Trypho overpersuaded him to comply with his intentions and intreaties. Demetrius, who had greatly abused them. So they watched some opportunity, which they might lay hold on, to fall upon him. And when they were informed of the assistance that was coming to Demetrius from Jonathan, and considered at the same time that he would raise a numerous army, unless they prevented him, and seized upon him; they took their weapons immediately, and encompassed his palace, in the way of a siege; and seizing upon all the ways of getting out, they sought to subdue their king. And when he saw that the people of Antioch were become his bitter enemies, and that they were thus in arms, he took the mercenary soldiers which he had with him, and those Jews who were sent by But Jonathan, the high-priest, being desirous to get clear of those that were in the citadel of Jerusalem, and of the Jewish deserters and wicked men, as well as of those in all the garrisons in the country, sent presents and ambassadors to Demetrius, and entreated him to take away his soldiers out of the strong holds of Judea. Demetrius made answer, that after the war, which he was now deeply engaged in, he would not only grant him that, but greater things also. And he desired he would, send him some assistance: and informed him that his army had deserted him. So Jonathan chose out three thousand of his soldiers, and sent them to De metrius. Now the people of Antioch hated Demetrius; both on account of what mischief he had himself done them; and because they were his enemies also on account of his father Jonathan, and assaulted the Antiochians. But assistance |