tance; and, without any bribes, they made the fame equitable pleas that they had ufed to Aretas, and befought him to hate the violent behaviour of Ariftobulus, and to below the kingdom on him to whom it justly belonged, both on account of his good character, and on account of his fuperiority in age. However, neither was Ariftobulus wanting to himfelf in this cafe, as relying on the bribes that Scaurus had received: He was alfo there himself, and adorned himself after a manner the moft agreeable to royalty that he was able. But he foon thought it beneath him to come in fuch a fervile manner, and could not endure to ferve his own ends in a way fo much more abject than he was used to; fo he departed from Diofpolis.

5. At this his behaviour Pompey had great indignation; Hyrcanus alfo and his friends made great interceffion to Pompey; fo he took not only his Roman forces, but many of his Syrian auxiliaries, and marched against Ariftobulus. But when he had paffed by Pella and Scythopolis, and was come to Corea, where you enter into the country of Judea, when you go up to it through the Mediterranean parts, he heard that Ariftobulus was fled to Alexandrum, which is a strong hold fortified with the utmost magnificence, and fituated upon an high mountain, and he fent to him, and commanded him to come down. Now his inclination was to try his fortune in a battle, fince he was called in fuch an imperious manner, rather than to comply with that call. However, he faw the multitude were in great fear, and his friends exhorted him to confider what the power of the Romans was, and how it was irrefiftible; fo he complied with their advice, and came down to Pompey; and when he had made a long apology for himself, and for the juftnefs of his caufe in taking the government, he returned to the fortrefs. And when his brother invited him again [to plead his caufe,] he came down and spake about the juftice of it, and then went away without any hindrance from Pompey So he was between hope and fear. And when he came down, it was to prevail with Pompey to allow him the government entirely; and when he went up to the citadel, it was that he might not appear to debale himself too low. However, Pompey commanded him to give up his fortified places, and forced him to write to every one of their governors to yield them up; they having had this charge given them, to obey no letters but what were of his own hand-writing. Accordingly he did what he was ordered to do; but had till an

It is fomewhat probable, as Havercamp fuppofes, and partly Spanheim alfo, that the Latin copy is here the truest; that Pompey did take the many prefents of fered him by Hyrcanus, as he would have done the others from Ariftobulus, fect. 6.; although his remarkable abftinence from the 2000 talents that were in the Jewifh temple, when he took it a little afterward, ch. vii. fect. 6, and Antiq. B. XIV. ch. iv. fect. 4. Vol. II. will hardly permit us to defert the Greek copies, all which agree that he did not take them.

indignation at what was done, and retired to Jerufalem, and prepared to fight with Pompey.

*

6. But Pompey did not give him time to make any preparations for a fiege], but followed him at his heels: He was alfo obliged to make hafte in his attempt, by the death of Mithridates of which he was informed about Jericho. Now here is the most fruitful country of Judea, which bears a vaft number of palm trees, befides the balfam tree, whose sprouts they cut with fharp ftones, and at the incifions they gather the juice, which drops down like tears. So Pompey pitched his camp in that place one night, and then halted away the next morning to Jerufalem; but Ariftobulus was fo affrighted at his approach, that he came and met him by way of fupplication. He also promifed him money, and that he would deliver up both himself and the city into his difpofal, and thereby mitigated the anger of Pompey. Yet did not he perform any of the conditions he had agreed to; for Ariftobulus's party would not fo much as admit Gabinius in the city, who was fent to receive the money that he had promised.

CHAP. VII.

How Pompey had the City Jerufalem delivered up to him, but took the Temple by force]. How he went into the Holy of Holies; as alfo what were his other Exploits i Judea.

A

T this treatment Pompey was very angry, and took Ariftobulus into cuftody. And when he was come to the city, he looked about where he might make his attack; for he faw the walls were fo firm that it would be hard to overcome them, and that the valley before the walls was terrible; and that the temple, which was within that valley, was itfelt encompaffed with a very ftrong wall, infomuch, that if the city were taken that temple would be a fecond place of refuge for the enemy to retire to.

2. Now as he was long in deliberating about this matter, a fedition arofe among the people within the city; Ariftobulus's party being willing to fight, and to fet their king at liberty, while the party of Hyrcanus were for opening the gates to Pompey; and the dread people were in, occafioned these last to be a very numerous party, when they looked upon the excellent order the Roman foldiers were in. So Ariftobulus's party was worfted, and retired into the temple, and cut off the communication between the temple and the city, by breaking down the bridge that joined them together, and prepared to make an oppofition to the utmoft; but as the others had received theRo

Of the famous palun-trees and balfam about Jericho and Engaddi, fe the notes in Havercamp's edition, both here and B. 11 ch ix. §. They are tomewhat too long to be tranfcribed in this place.

26

WARS OF THE JEWS.

mans into the city, and had delivered up the palace to him Pompey fent Pifo, one of his great officers, into that palace with an army, who diftributed a garrifon about the city, because he could not perfuade any one of thofe that had fled to the temple, to come to terms of accommodation; he then difpofed all things that were round about them so as might favour their attacks, as having Hyrcanus's party very ready to afford them both counfel and affiftance.

3. But Pompey himself filled up the ditch that was on the north fide of the temple, and the entire valley alfo, the army itfelf being obliged to carry the materials for that purpose. And indeed it was an hard thing to fill up that valley by reafon of its immenfe depth, especially as the Jews ufed all the means poffible to repel them from their fuperior station: Nor had the Romans fucceeded in their endeavours, had not Pompey taken notice of the feventh days on which the Jews abftain from all forts of work on a religious account, and raised his bank, but reftrained his foldiers from fighting on those days; for the Jews only acted defenfively on Sabbath days. But as foon as Pompey had filled up the valley, he erected high towers upon the bank, and brought thofe engines which they had fetched from Tyre, near to the wall, and tried to batter it down; and the flingers of ftones beat off those that stood above them, and drove them away: But the towers on this fide of the city made very great refiftance, and were indeed extraordinary both for largenefs and magnificence.

4. Now here it was that upon the many hardships which the Romans underwent, Pompey could not but admire not only at the other inftances of the Jews fortitude, but especially that they did not at all intermit their religious fervices, even when they were encompaffed with darts on all fides; for, as if the city were in full peace, their daily facrifices and purifications, and every branch of their religious worthip was ftill performed to God with the utmoft exactnefs. Nor indeed, when the temple was actually taken, and they were every day flain a bout the altar, did they leave off the inftances of their divine worfhip that were appointed by their law; for it was in the third month of the fiege before the Romans could even with great difficulty overthrow one of the towers, and get into the temple. Now he that first of all ventured to get over the wall, and Fauflus Cornelius the fon of Sylla; and next after him were two centurions, Furius and Fabius; and every one of thefe was followed by a cohort of his own, who encompaffed the Jews on all fides, and flew them, fome of them as they were running for fhelier to the temple, and others as they, for a while, fought in their own defence.

5. And now did many of the priests, even when they faw their enemies affailing them with fwords in their hands, without any diflurbance, go on with their divine worship, and were flain while they were offering their drink offerings, and

burning their incenfe, as preferring the duties about their worship to God, before their own prefervation. The greatest part of them were flain by their own countrymen, of the adverfe faction, and an innumerable multitude threw themselves down precipices; nay, fome there were who were fo diftracted among the infuperable difficulties they were under, that they fet fire to the buildings that were near to the wall, and were burnt together with them. Now of the Jews were flain twelve thousand; but of the Romans very few were flain, but å greater number was wounded.

6. But there was nothing that affected the nation fo much, in the calamities they were then under, as that their holy place, which had been hitherto feen by none, fhould be laid open to frangers; for Pompey, and thofe that were about him, went into the temple itself, whither it was not lawful for any to enter but the high-prieft, and faw what was repofited therein, the candle-tick with its lamps, and the table, and the pouring veffels, and the cenfers, all made entirely of gold, as alfo a great quantity of fpecies heaped together with two thousand talents of facred money. Yet did not he touch that money, nor any thing else that was there repofited: But he commanded the minifters about the temple, the very next day after he had taken it, to cleanse it and to perform their accustomed facrifices. Moreover, he made Hyrcanus high-prieft, as one that not only in other refpects had fhewed great alacrity on his fide, during the fiege,but as he had been the means of hindering the multitude that was in the country from fighting for Ariftobulus, which they were otherwife very ready to have done; by which means he acted the part of a good general, and reconciled the people to him more by benevolence than by terror Now among the captives Ariftobulus's father-in-law was taken, who was alfo his uncle: So those that were the moft guilty he punished with decollation; but rewarded Fauftus, and those with him that had fought fo bravely, with glorious prefents, and laid a tribute upon the country and upon Jerufalem itself.

7. He allo took away from the nation all thofe cities they had formerly taken, and that belonging to Celefyria, and made them fubject to him that was at that time appointed to be the Roman prefident there. and reduced Judea within its proper bounds. He also rebuilt + Gadara, that had been demoliihed by the Jews, in order to gratify one Demetrius, who was of Gadara, and was one of his own freed-men. He alfo made other cities free from their dominion, that lay in the midft of the country, fuch, I mean, as they had not demolished before

* Thus fays Tacitus, Cn. Pompeius first of all subdued the Jews, and w ent in to their temple, by right of conqueft, Hift. B. V. ch. ix. nor did he touch any oits riches, as has been obferved on the parallel place of the Antiquities, B. XIVE ch. iv, fect. 4. Vol. II. out of Cicero himlelf,

The coin of this Gadara ftill extant, with its date from this zera, is a certain evidence of this its rebuilding by Pompey, as Spanheim kere allures us.

that time, Hippos, and Scythopolis, as alfo Pella, and Samaria, and Mariffa; and befides thefe Alhdod, and. Jamnia, and Arethufa ; and in like manner dealt he with the maritime cities, Gaza, and Joppa, and Dora, and that which was anciently called Strato's Tower; but was alterward rebuilt with the most magnificent edifices, and had its name changed to Cefaria by king Herod. All which he restored to their own citizens, and put them under the province of Syria; which province, together with Judea, and the countries as far as Egypt and Euphrates, he committed to Scaurus as their governor, and gave him tow legions to fupport him; while he made all the hafte he could himfelf to go through Celicia, in his way to Rome, having Ariftobulus and his children along with him, as his captives. They were two daughters and two fons; the one of which fons, Alexander, ran away as he was going, but the younger Antigonus. with his fifters were carried to Rome.

CHAP. VIII.

Alexander, the Son of Ariftobulus, who ran away from Pom pey, makes an Expedition against Ilyrcanus; but being overcome by Gabinius, he delivers up the Fortresses to him. After this Ariftobulus Efcaped from Rome, and gathers an Army, together; but being beaten by the Romans, he is brought back to Rome: With other things relating to Gabinius, Craffus, and Cafhus.

1. IN the mean time Scaurus made an expedition into A rabia but was flopped by the difficulty of the places about Petra, However he laid waste the country about the Pella, though even there he was under great hardĺhip; for his army was afflicted with famine. In order to fupply which want, Hyrcanus afforded him fome affiftance, and fent him, provifions by the means of Antipater; whom alfo Scaurus lent to, Aretas, as one well acquainted with him, to induce him to pay him money to buy his peace. The king of Arabia compli ed with the proposal, and gave him three hundred talents; upon which Scaurus drew his army out of Arabia.

2 But as for Alexander, that fon of Ariftobulus who ran away from Pompey, in fome time he got a confiderable band of men together, and lay heavy upon Hyrcanus and over-ran Judea, and was likely to overturn him quickly; and indeed

* Take the like atteflation to the truth of this fubmiffion of Aretas king of Arabia, to Scaurus the Roman general, in the words of Dean Aldrich: "Hence (fays he) is derived that old and famous Denarius belonging to the Emilian iamily [rep relented in Havercamp's edition], wherein Aretas appears in a pofture of fupplication, and taking hold of a camel's bridle with his left hand, and with his right hand prefenting a branch of the frankincenfe-tree, with this infcription M. SČA URUS EX S. C. and beneath, REX ARETAS."