opportunity of being revenged upon him, he immediately made an attack upon the cities of Syria, as thinking, what proved to be the cafe with them, that he fhould find them empty of good troops. So he took Medeba and Samea, with the towns in their neighbourhood, as alfo Sechem and Gerizzim; and befides thefe [he fubdued] the nation of the Cutheans, who dwelt round about that temple which was built in imitation of the temple at Jerufalem; he alfo took a great many other cities of Idumea, with Adoreon and Mariffa. 7. He alfo proceeded as far as Samaria, where is now the city Sebafte, which was built by Herod the king, and encompaffed it all round with a wall, and fet his fons, Ariftobulus and Antigonus, over the fiege; who pushed it on fo hard, that a famine fo far prevailed within the city, that they were forced to eat what never was esteemed food. They allo invited Antiochus, who was called Cyzicenus to come to their affiftance; whereupon he got ready, and complied with their invitation, but was beaten by Ariftobulus and Antigonus; and indeed he was pursued as far as Scythopolis by thele brethren, and fled away from them. So they returned back to Samaria, and fhut the multitude again within the wall; and when they had taken the city, they demolished it, and made flaves of its inhabitants. And as they had ftill great fuccefs in their undertakings, they did not fuffer their zeal to cool, but marched with an army as far as Scythopolis, and made an incurfion upon it, and laid waste all the country that lay within Mount Carmel. 8. But then, thefe fucceffes of John and of his fons made them be envied, and occafioned a ledition in the country, and many there were who got together and would not be at reft till they brake out into open war, in which war they were beaten. So John lived the reft of his life very happily, and adminif tered the government after a most extraordinary manner, and this for thirty three entire years together. He died leaving five fons behind him. He was certainly a very happy man, and afforded no occafion to have any complaint made of fortune on his account. He it was who alone had three of the moft defirable things in the world, the government of his nation, and the high-priefthood, and the gift of prophecy. For the Deity converfed with him, and he was not ignorant of any thing that was to come afterward, infomuch, that he forefaw and foretold that his two eldeft fons would not continue malters of the government; and it will highly deserve our nar ration, to describe their catastrophe, and how far inferior these men were to their father in felicity. CHA P. III. How Ariftobulus was the first that put a diadem about his head, and after he had put his mother and brother to death,died himfelf, when he had reigned no more than a year. § 1. FOR after the death of their father, the elder of them, Ariftobulus, changed the government into a kingdom, and was the first that put a diadem upon his head, four hundred feventy and one years, and three months, after our people came down into this country, when they were fet free from the Babylonian flavery. Now of his brethren he appeared to have an affection for Antigonus, who was next to him, and made him his equal; but for the reft, he bound them, and put them in prifon. He alfo put his mother in bonds, for her contefting the government with him; for John had left her to be the governefs of public affairs. He alfo proceeded to that degree of barbarity as to cause her to be pined to death in prison. 2. But vengeance circumvented him in the affair of his bro ther Antigonus, whom he loved, and whom he made his partner in the kingdom; for he flew him by the means of the calumnies which ill men about the palace contrived against him. At first, indeed Ariftobulus would not believe their re ports, partly out of the affection he had for his brother, and partly because he thought that a great part of these tales were owing to the envy of their relators: However, as Antigonus came once in a fplendid manner from the army to that feftival, wherein our ancient cuftom is to make tabernacles for God, it happened in those days, that Ariftobulus was fick, and that at the conclufion of the feaft, Antigonus came up to it, with his armed men about him; and this when he was adorned in the finest manner poffible, and that, in great measure to pray to God on the behalf of his brother. Now at this very time it was that thefe ill men came to the king, and told him in what a pompous manner the armed men came, and with what infolence Antigonus marched, and that such his infolence was too great for a private perfon, and that accordingly he was come with a great band of men to kill him; for that he could not endure this bare enjoyment of royal honour, when it was in his power to take the kingdom himself. 3. Now Ariftobulus, by degrees, and unwillingly, gave credit to these accufations; and accordingly he took care not to discover his fufpicion openly, though he provided to be fecure against any accidents: So he placed the guards of his body in a certain dark fubterranean paffage; for he lay fick in a place called formerly the Citadel, though afterwards its name was changed to Antonia; and he gave orders, that if Antigonus came unarmed, they fhould let him alone; but if a с 4. As foon as Antigonus heard this, the good temper brother not allowing him to fufpect any harm from him came along with his armour on, to fhew it to his brother; D. when he was going along that dark paffage, which was calle Strato's Tower, he was flain by the body guards, and became an eminent inftance how calumny deftroys all good will and natural affection, and how none of our good affections are ftrong enough to refift envy perpetually. 5. And truly any one would be furprifed at Judas upon this occafion. He was of the fect of the Effens, and had never failed or deceived men in his predictions before. Now this man faw Antigonus as he was paffing along by the temple, and cried out to his acquaintance, (they were not a few who atO ftrange faid he, it is tended upon him as his fchollars), good for me to die now, fince truth is dead before me, and fomewhat that I have foretold hath proved falfe; for this Antigonus is this day alive, who ought to have died this day; and the place where he ought to be flain, according to that fatal decree, was Strato's Tower, which is at the diftance of fix hundred furlongs from this place; and yet four hours of this day are over already, which point of time renders the prediction impoffible to be fulfilled." And when the old man had faid this, he was dejetted in his mind, and fo continued. But in a little time news came, that Antigonus was flain in a fubterraneous place, which was itfelfalfo called Strato's Tower, by the fame name with that Cefarea which lay by the lea fide, and this ambiguity it was which caufed the prophet's diforder. 6. Hereupon Ariftobulus repented of the great crime he had been guilty of, and this gave occafion to the increale of his diftemper. He alfo grew worfe and worfe, and his fou! was conftantly difturbed at the thoughts of what he had done, till his very bowels being torn to pieces by the intolerable. grief he was under, he threw up a great quantity of blood. And as one of thofe fervants that attended him carried out that blood, he, by fome fupernatural providence, flipped and fell down in the very place where Antigonus had been flain; and fo he fpilt fome of the murderer's blood, upon the spots of the blood of him that had been murdered, which still appeared. Hereupon a lamentable cry arofe among the fpectators as if the fervant had spilled the blood on purpose in that place; and as the king heard that cry, he enquired what was the caufe of it? And while no body durft tell him, he preffed them fo much the more to let him know what was the matter; fo at length, when he had threatened them, and forced them to speak out, they told; whereupon he burst into tears, and groaned, and faid, "So I perceive I am not like to escape the all-feeing eye of God, as to the great crimes I have committed; but the vengeance of the blood of my kinfman puríues me haftily. Othou most impudent body, how long wilt thou retain a foul that ought to die on account of that punishment it ought to fuffer for a mother and a brother flain! how long fhall I myself spend my blood drop by drop? let them take it all at once; and let their ghofts no longer be difappointed by a few parcels of my bowels offered to them." As foon as he had faid thefe words, he prefently died, when he had reigned no longer than a year. CHAP. IV. What Actions were done by Alexander Janneus, who Reigned twenty-Seven years. § I. 1. AND now the king's wife loofed the king's brethren, and made Alexander king, who appeared both elder in age, and more moderate in his temper than the reft; who. when he came to the government, flew one of his brethren, as affecting to govern himself; but had the other of them in great efteem, as loving a quiet life without meddling with public affairs. 2. Now it happened, that there was a battle between him and Ptolemy, who was called Lathyrus, who had taken the city Afochis. He indeed flew a great many of his enemies, but the victory rather inclined to Ptolemy. But when this Ptolemy was purfued by his mother Cleopatra, and retired into Egypt, Alexander befieged Gadara and took it; as alfo he did Amathus, which was the strongest of all the fortreffes that were about Jordan, and therein were the moft precious of all the poffeffions of Theodorus the fon of Zeno. Whereupon Theodorus marched against him, and took what belonged to himfelf, as well as the king's baggage, and flew ten thousand of the Jews. However, Alexander recovered this blow, and turned his force towards the maritime parts, and took Raphia, and Gaza, with Anthedon also, which was afterwards called Agrippias by king Herod 3. But when he had made flaves of the citizens of all these cities, the nation of the Jews made an infurrection against VOL. III. C him at a feftival; for at thofe feafts feditions are generally begun, and it looked as if he fhould not be able to escape the plot they had laid for him, had not his foreign auxiliaries, the Pifidians and Cicilians affifted him; for as to the Syrians, he never admitted them among his mercenary troops, on account. of their innate enmity against the Jewish nation. And when he had flain more than fix thoufand of the rebels, he made an incurfion into Arabia, and when he had taken that country, together with the Gileadites and Moabites, he enjoined them to pay him tribute. and returned to Amathus; and as Theodorus was furprifed at his great fuccefs, he took the fortrefs, and demolished it. 4. However, when he fought with Obodus, king of the Arabians, who had laid an ambush for him near Golan, and a plot against him, he loft his entire army, which was crowded together in a deep valley, and broken to pieces by the multitude of camels. And when he had made his efcape to Jezufalem, he provoked the multitude which hated him before, to make an infurrection against him, and this on account of the greatnefs of the calamity that he was under. However he was then too hard for them, and in the feveral battles that were fought on both fides, he flew not fewer than fifty thousand of the Jews, in the interval of fix years. Yet had he no reafon to rejoice in thefe victories fince he did but confume his own kingdom; till at length he fell off fighting, and endeavoured to come to a compofition with them, by talking with his fubje&is. But this mutability and irregularity of his conduct made them hate him ftill more. And when he afked them why they fo hated him? and what he thould do in order to appeale them? they faid, by killing himfelt; for that it would be then all they could do to be reconciled to him, who had done fuch tragical things to them even when he was dead. At the fame time they invited Demetrius, who was called Eucerus, to affift them; and as he readily complied with their requeft, in hopes of great advantages, and came with his army, the Jews joined with thofe their auxiliaries about Shechem. 5. Yet did Alexander meet with thefe forces with one thoufand horsemen, and eight thousand mercenaries, that were on foot. He had alfo with him that part of the Jews which favoured him, to the number of ten thoufand; while the adverfe party had three thoufand horfemen, and fourteen thoufand footmen. Now, before they joined battle, the kings made proclamation and endeavoured to draw off each other's foldiers, and make them revolt; while Demetrius hoped to induce Alexander's mercenaries to leave him, and Alexander hoped to induce the Jews that were with Demetrius to leave him. But fince neither the Jews would leave off their rage, nor the Greeks prove unfaithful, they came to an engagement, and to a clofe fight with their weapons. In which battle Demetrius was the conqueror, although Alexander's mercena |