maritime parts of the country, Raphia, and Athedon, (the name of which king Herod afterward changed to Agrippias,) and took even that by force: but when Alexander saw that Ptolemy was retired from Gaza to Cyprus, and his mother Cleopatra was returned to Egypt; he grew angry at the people of Gaza, because they had invited Ptolemy to assist them; and besieged their city, and ravaged their country. But as Apollodorus, the general of the army of Gaza, fell upon the camp of the Jews by night, with two thousand foreign, and ten* thousand of his own forces, while the night lasted, those of Gaza prevailed; because the enemy were made to believe that it was Ptolemy who attacked them. But when day came on, and that mistake was corrected, and the Jews knew the truth of the matter, they came back again, and fell upon those of Gaza, and slew of them about a thousand. But as those of Gaza stoutly resisted, and would not yield for either their want of any thing, nor for the great multitude that were slain; (for they would rather suffer any hardship whatever, than come under the power of their enemies;) Aretas, king of the Arabians, a person then very illustrious, encouraged them to go on with alacrity; and promised them that he would come to their assistance. But it happened that before he came Apollodorus was slain: for his brother Lysimachus envying him for the great reputation he had gained among the citizens, slew him; and got the army together, and delivered upt the city. When Alexander came in, at first he lay quiet; but afterward set his army upon the inhabitants of Gaza, and gave them leave to punish them. So some went one way, and some another, and slew the inhabitants of Gaza. Yet were not they of cowardly hearts; but opposed those that came to slay them, and slew as many of the Jews: and some of them, when they saw themselves deserted, burnt their own houses; that the enemy might get none of their spoils. Nay, some of them with their own hands slew their wives and children; having no other way of avoiding slavery. But the senators, who were in all five hundred, fled to Apollo's temple; (for this attack happened to be made as they were sitting,) whom Alexander slew; and when he had utterly overthrown their city, he returned to Jerusalem; having spent a year in that siege.

About this time Antiochus* Grypus died. His death was caused by Heracleon's treachery; when he had lived forty-five years, and had reigned twenty-nine.† His son Seleucus succeeded him in the kingdom; and made war with Antiochus, his father's brother, who was called Antiochus Cyzicenus, and defeated him, and took him prisoner, and slew him. But after a while Antiochus, the son of Cyzicenus, who was called Pius, came to Aradus; and put the diadem on his own head; and made war with Seleucus, and drove him out of all Syria. But when he fled out of Syria, he came to Mopsuestia again, and levied money upon them. But when Antiochus, the son of Cyzicenus, was king of Syria; Antiochus, the brother of Seleucus, made war upon him, and was overcome, and destroyed, he and his army. After him his brother Philip put on the diadem, and reigned over some part of Syria. But Ptolemy Lathyrus sent for his fourth brother, Demetrius, who was called Eucerus, from Cnidus; and made him king of Damascus. Both these brothers did Antiochus vehemently oppose; but presently died. For when he was come as an auxiliary to §Laodice,¶ queen of the Gileadites, when she was making war against the Parthians, and he was fighting courageously, he fell: while Demetrius and Philip governed Syria.

As to Alexander, his own people were seditious against him. For at a festival which was then celebrated, when he stood up

* This account of the death of Antiochus Crypus, is confirmed by Appian, Sy、 riac. 132. here cited by Spanheim.

+ Porphyry says, that this Antiochus Grypus, reigned but 26 years; as Dr. Hudson observes.

The copies of Josephus, both Greek and Latin, have here so grossly false a reading. Antiochus and Antonius or Antonius Pius, for Antiochus Pius, that the editors are forced to correct the text from the other historians: who all agree that this king's name was nothing more than Antiochus Pius.

|| These two brothers, Antiochus and Philippus are called twins by Porphyry: the fourth brother was king of Damascus. Both which are the observations of Spanheim.

§ Or Laodicea of Gilead

¶ This Laodicea was a city of Gilead, beyond Jordan. However Porphyry says, that this Antiochus Pius did not die in this battle; but, running away, was drowned in the river Orontes. Appian says, that he was deprived of the kingdom of Syria by Tigranes. But Porphyry makes this Laodice queen of the Calamans. All which is noted by Spanheim. In such confusion of the later historians, we have no reason to prefer any of them before Josephus, who had more original ones before him.

on the altar, and was going to sacrifice, the nation rose upon him, and pelted him with citrons, which they then had in their hands; because the law of the Jews required, that at the feast of tabernacles every one should have branches of the palm and citron-tree which things we have elsewhere related. They also reviled him, as derived† from a captive; and so unworthy of his dignity, and of sacrificing. At this he was in a rage, and slew about six thousand of them. He also built a partition wall of wood round the altar, and the temple; as far as that partition; within which it was only lawful for the priests to enter. And by this means he obstructed the multitude from coming at him. He also maintained foreigners of Pisidia and Cilicia. For as to the Syrians, he was at war with them, and so made no use of them. He also overcame the Arabians ; such as the Moabites, and Gileadites, and made them bring tribute. Moreover he demolished Amathus : while Theodorus|| durst not fight with him. But as he had joined battle with Obedas, king of the Arabians, and fell into an ambush, in places that were rugged and difficult to be travelled over, he was thrown down into a deep valley, by the multitude of the camels, at Gadara, a village of Gilead, and hardly escaped with his life. From thence he fled to Jerusalem; where, besides his other ill success, the nation insulted him, and he fought against them six years, and slew no fewer than fifty thousand of them. And when he desired that they would desist from their ill will to him, they hated him so much the more, on account of what had already happened. And when he had asked them what he ought to do? They all cried out, that he ought to kill himself. They also sent to Demetrius Eucerus, and desired him to make a league of mutual defence with them.

* See Book III. chap. 10.

+ This reproach upon Alexander, that he was sprung from a captive, seems only the repetition of the Pharisaical calumny upon his father. Chap. 10.

An. 91.

This Theodorus was the son of Zeno; and was in possession of Amathus,

OF THE AFFAIRS OF DEMETRIUS EUCERUS AND ALEXANDER; ALSO CONCERNING THE DEATH OF DEMETRIUS.

NOW Demetrius came with an army, and took those that invited him with him; and pitched his camp near the city Shechem. Upon which Alexander, with his six thousand two hundred mercenaries, and about twenty thousand Jews, who were of his party, went against Demetrius; who had three thousand horsemen, and forty thousand footmen. Great exertions were made on both sides; Demetrius trying to bring off the mercenaries that were with Alexander, because they were Greeks; and Alexander endeavouring to bring off the Jews that were with Demetrius. However, when neither of them could persuade them so to do, they came to a battle, in which all Alexander's mercenaries were killed, when they had given demonstration of their fidelity and courage. A great number of Demetrius's soldiers were slain also, notwithstanding he gained the victory.

Now as Alexander fled to the mountains, six thousand of the Jews came together to him from Demetrius out of pity at the change of his fortunes. Hereupon Demetrius retired out of the country, after which the Jews fought against Alexander: but being beaten, they were slain in great numbers, in the several battles which they had. And when he had shut up the most powerful of them in the city Bethome, he besieged them therein. And when he had taken the city, and gotten the men into his power, he brought them to Jerusalem; and committed a most barbarous action. For as he was feasting with his concubines, in the sight of all the city, he caused about eight hundred of them to be crucified: and while they were living he ordered the throats of their wives and children to be cut before their eyes. This inhuman punishment was indeed by way of revenge for the injuries they had done him: for he had, by their means, come to the last degree of hazard, both of his life, and of his kingdom: while they were not satisfied by themselves only to fight against him; but introduced foreigners al

so for the same purpose. Nay, at length they reduced him to that degree of necessity, that he was compelled to deliver back to the king of Arabia, the land of Moab and Gilead, which he had subdued, and the places that were in them; that they might not join with them in the war against him, as they had done ten thousand other things that tended to affront and reproach him. However, this barbarity seems to have been without any necessity; and in consequence of it he bore the name of a Thracian* among the Jews. The soldiers that had fought against him, being about eight thousand in number, now ran away by night; while Alexander being now freed from any farther disturbance from them, reigned the rest of his time in the utmost tranquillity.

When Demetrius was departed out of Judea, he went to Berea, and besieged his brother Philip; having with him ten thousand footmen, and a thousand horsemen. However, Strato, the tyrant of Berea, the confederate of Philip, called in Zizon, the ruler of the Arabian tribes, and Mithridates Sinax, the ruler of the Parthians: who coming with a great number of forces, and besieged Demetrius in his encampment, into which they had driven him with their arrows; compelled those that were with him by thirst to deliver up themselves. So they took a great many spoils out of the country, and Demetrius. himself; whom they sent to Mithridates, who was then king of Parthia. But as to those whom they took captives of the people of Antioch, they restored them to the Antiochians, without any reward. Now Mithridates, the king of Parthia, had Demetrius in great honour; till Demetrius ended his life by sickness. So Philip, presently after the battle was over, came to Antioch, and took it, and reigned over Syria.

* This name, Thracida, which the Jews gave Alexander, must, by the coherence, denote "as barbarous as a Thracian," or somewhat like it. But what it properly signifies is not known.