when he had taken Pella, marched to Gerasa again, out of the covetous desire he had of Theodorus's possessions. And when he had built a triple wall about the garrison, he took the place by force. He also demolished Golan, and Seleucia, and what was called the Valley of Antiochus, besides which he took the strong fortress of Gamala; and stripped Demetrius, who was governor therein, of what he had, on account of the many crimes laid to his charge; and then returned into Judea; after he had been three whole years in this expedition. And now he was kindly received of the nation; because of the good success he had had.

So when he was at rest from war, he fell into a distemper: for he was afflicted with a quartan ague: and supposed that by exercising himself again in martial affairs, he should get rid of his distemper. But by making such expeditions at unseasonable times; and forcing his body to undergo greater hardships than it was able to bear, he brought himself to his end. He died, therefore, in the midst of his troubles; after he had reigned seven and twenty years. *

CHAP. V.

OF THE REIGN OF ALEXANDRA, DURING WHICH THE PHARISEES WERE THE REAL RULERS OF THE NATION.

ALEXANDER left the kingdom to Alexandra his wife; and depended upon it, that the Jews would very readily submit to her: because she had been very averse to such cruelty as he had treated them with; and had opposed his violation of their laws; and had thereby got the good will of the people. Nor was he mistaken as to his expectations. For this woman kept the dominion, by the opinion that the people had of her piety. For she chiefly studied the ancient customs of her country; and cast those men out of the government that offended against their holy laws. And as she had two sous by Alexander, she made Hyreanus, the elder, high-priest; on account of his age; as also, besides that, on account of his inactive temper, no way dis

posing him to disturb the public. But she retained the younger, Aristobulus, with her, as a private person; by reason of the warmth of his temper.*

And now the Pharisees joined themselves to her, to assist her in the government. These are a certain sect of Jews, that appear more religious than others; and seem to interpret the laws more accurately. Now Alexandra hearkened to them to an extraordinary degree: as being herself a woman of great piety towards God. But these Pharisees artfully insinuated themselves into her favour by little and little; and became themselves the real administrators of the public affairs; they banished and reduced whom they pleased; they bound† and loosed men at their pleasure; and, to say all at once, they had the enjoyment of the royal authority; while the expenses and the difficulties of it belonged to Alexandra. She was a sagacious woman in the management of great affairs; and intent always upon gathering soldiers together: so that she increased the army the one half, and procured a great body of foreign troops till her own nation became not only very powerful at home, but terrible also to foreign potentates. While she governed other people, however, the Pharisees governed her.

Accordingly they slew Diogenes, a person of figure, and one that had been a friend to Alexander; and accused him as having assisted the king with his advice, for crucifying the eight hundred men before mentioned. They also prevailed with Alexandra to put to death the rest of those who had irritated him against them. Now she was so superstitious as to comply with their desires: and accordingly they slew whom they pleased but the principal of those that were in danger fled to Aristobulus; who persuaded his mother to spare the men, on account of their dignity; but to expel them out of the city; unless she took them to be innocent. So they were suffered to go unpunished; and were dispersed all over the country.

*Antiq. XIII. 16.

Here we have the oldest and most authentic Jewish exposition of binding and loosing, for punishing or absolving men, not for declaring actions lawful or unlawful, as some more modern Jews and Christians vainly pretend.

+ Chap. 4

But when Alexandra sent out her army to Damascus, under pretence that Ptolemy was always oppressing that city, she got possession of it. Nor did it make any considerable resistance. She also prevailed with Tigranes, king of Armenia, who lay with his troops about Ptolemais, and besieged *Cleopatra,; by agreements and presents to go away. Accordingly Tigranes soon arose from the siege, by reason of those domestic tumults which happened upon Lucullus's expedition into Armenia.

In the mean time Alexandra fell sick and Aristobulus, her younger son, took hold of this opportunity, with his domestics, of which he had a great many, who were all of them his friends, on account of the warmth of their youth, and got possession of all the fortresses. He also used the sums of money he found in them to get together a number of mercenary soldiers, and made himself king. And besides this, upon Hyrcanus's complaint to his mother, she compassionated his case; and put Aristobulus's wife and sons under restraint in Antonia: which was a fortress that adjoined to the north part of the temple. It was, as I have falready said, formerly called the citadel: but afterward got the name of Antonia, when Antony was lord of the East: just as the other cities Sebaste, and Agrippias, had their names changed; and these given them, from Sebastus and Agrippa. But Alexandra died before she could punish Aristobulus, for disinheriting his brother, after she had reigned nine years.[]

* Strabo, XVI. page 720, relates, that this Selene Cleopatra was besieged by Tigranes; not in Ptolemais, as here: but after she had left Syria in Seleucia; a citadel in Mesopotamia: and adds, that when he had kept her a while in prison, he put her to death. Dean Aldrich supposes here that Strabo contradicts Josephus; which does not appear to me. For although Josephus says both here and in the Antiquities, XIII. 16. that Tigranes besieged her now in Ptolemais; and that he took the city; yet does he no where intimate that he now took the queen herself. So that both the narration of Strabo and Josephus may still be true notwithstanding.

+ Chap. 3. Augustus.

Antiq. XIII. 16.

CHAP. VI.

OF THE QUARREL WHICH AROSE BETWEEN HYRCANUS AND ARISTOBULUS, RESPECTING THE KINGDOM; THEIR SUBSEQUENT CONDUCT, AND THE ARBITRATION OF THEIR DISPUTE BY POMPEY.

NOW Hyrcanus was heir to the kingdom; and to him did his mother commit it before she died. But Aristobulus was superior to him in power and magnanimity. And when there was a battle between them, near Jericho, to decide the dispute about the kingdom, the greatest part deserted Hyrcanus, and went over to Aristobulus. But Hyrcanus, with those of his party who staid with him, fled to Antonia; and got into his power the hostages that might be for his preservation: which were Aristobulus's wife, with her children. But they came to an agreement before things should come to extremities; that Aristobulus should be king, and Hyrcanus should resign that, but retain all the rest of his dignities, as being the king's brother. Hereupon they were reconciled in the temple; and embraced one another, in a very kind manner while the people stood round about them. They also changed their houses: while Aristobulus went to the royal palace; and Hyrcanus retired to the house of Aristobulus.

Now those other people which were at variance with Aristobulus were afraid, upon his unexpected obtaining the government and especially *Antipater, whom Aristobulus hated of old. He was by birth an Idumean; and one of the principal of that nation, on account of his ancestors, and riches, and other authority to him belonging. He also persuaded Hyrcanus to fly to Aretas, the king of Arabia; and to lay claim to the kingdom and persuaded Aretas to receive Hyrcanus, and to reinstate him in his authority. He also cast great reproach

:

*That this Antipater, the father of Herod the Great, was an Idumean, as Josephus affirms here, see the note on Antiq. xiv. 15.

es upon Aristobulus, as to his morals; and gave great commendations to Hyrcanus: and exhorted Aretas to receive him, and told him how becoming a thing it would be for him, who ruled so great a kingdom, to afford his assistance to such as were injured: alleging that Hyrcanus was treated unjustly, by being deprived of that dominion which belonged to him by the prerogative of his birth. And when he had predisposed them both to do what he would have them, he took Hyrcanus by night, and ran away from the city; and continuing his flight with great swiftness, he escaped to the place called Petra; which is the royal seat of the king of Arabia: where he put Hyrcanus into Aretas's hand and by discoursing much with him, aud gaining upon him with many presents, he prevailed with him to give him an army, that might restore him to his kingdom. This army consisted of fifty thousand footmen and horsemen : against which Aristobulus was not able to make any resistance: but was deserted on his first onset, and was driven to Jerusalem. He also had been taken at first by force, if Scaurus, the Roman general, had not come, and seasonably interposed, and raised the siege. This Scaurus was sent into Syria, from Armenia, by Pompey the great, when he fought against Tigranes. So Scaurus came to Damascus which had been lately taken by Metellus and Lollius; and caused them to leave the place.And upon his hearing how the affairs of Judea stood, he hastened thither, as to a certain booty.

As soon, therefore, as he was come into the country, there came ambassadors from both the brothers, each of them desiring his assistance. But Aristobulus's three hundred talents had more weight with him than the justice of the cause. Which sum when Scaurus had received, he sent a herald to Hyrcanus, and the Arabians; and threatened them with the resentment of the Romans, and of Pompey, unless they would raise the siege. So Aretas was terrified, and retired out of Judea to Philadelphia; and Scaurus returned to Damascus. Nor was Aristobulus satisfied with escaping out of his brother's hands, but gathered all his forces together, and pursued his enemies, and fought them, at a place called Papyron; and slew above six