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their mother, as we have said already; and attacked and overcame those adversaries that fled thither, and lay within the walls of the temple So when he had sent a message to his brother about compromising the matters between them, he laid aside his enmity to him, on these conditions; that Aristobulus should be king; and that he should live without in termeddling with public affairs, and quietly enjoy the estate he had acquired. When they agreed upon these terms in the temple, and had confirmed the agreement with oaths, and the giving one another their right hands and embracing one another, in the sight of the whole multitude, they departed: Aristobulus, to the palace; and Hyrcanus, as a private man, to the former house of Aristobulus.

But there was a certain friend of Hyrcanus's, an Idumean, called Antipater; who was very rich, and in his nature an active and seditious man, he was at enmity with Aristobulus, and had differences with him on account of his good will to Hyrcanus. Nicolaus of Damascus indeed says, that Antipater was of the stock of the principal Jews who came out of Babylon into Judea. But that assertion of his was to gratify Herod, who was his son; and who, by certain revolutions of fortune, came afterward to be king of the Jews; whose history we shall give you in its proper place hereafter. However, this Antipater was at first called + Antipas: and that was his father's name also. Of whom they relate, that king Alexander and his wife made him general of all Ïdumea; and that he made a league of friendship with those Arabians, Gazites, and Ascalonites, that were of his own party; and had, by many and large presents, made them his fast friends. But now, this younger Antipater was suspicious of the power of Aristobulus; and was afraid of some mischief he might do him, because of his hatred to him. So he stirred up the most powerful of the Jews, and talked against him to them privately; and said, it was unjust to overlook the conduct of Aristobulus; who had assumed the government unrighte ously, and had ejected his brother, who was the elder, and ought to retain what belonged to him by the prerogative of his birth. And the same speeches he perpetually made to Hyrcanus: and told him that his own life would be in danger, unless he guarded himself and got rid of Aristobulus. For, he said, that the friends of Aristobulus omitted no opportu. nity of advising him to kill him; as being then and not before sure to retain his principality. But Hyr

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canus gave no credit to these words, as being of a gentle disposition, and one that did not easily admit of calumnies against other men. This temper of his, not disposing him to meddle with public affairs, occasioned him to appear to spectators to be degenerate and unmanly: while Aristobulus was of a contrary temper; an active man, and one of a great and generous soul.

Since therefore § Antipater saw that Hyrcanus did not attend to what he said, he never ceased day by day to charge feigned crimes upon Aristobulus; and to calumniate him before him, as if he had a mind to kill him. And so, by urging him perpetually, he persuaded him to flee to Aretas, king of Arabia; and promised that if he would comply with his advice, he would also himself assist him, and go with him. When Hyrcanus heard this, he said, that it was for his advantage to flee away to Aretas. However, he sent Antipater first to the king of Arabia, in order to receive assurances, that when he should come in the manner of a supplicant to him, he would not deliver him up to his enemies. So Antipater having received such assurances, returned to Jerusalem, and took Hyrcanus, and stole out of the city by night; and conducted him to the city called Pena, where the palace of Aretas was. And as he was a very familiar friend of that king's, he persuaded him to bring back Hyrcanus into Judea; and this persuasion he continued every day, without any remission. He also proposed to make him presents on that account. At length he prevailed with Aretas in his suit. Moreover Hyrcanus promised him, that when he had been brought thither, and had received his kingdom, he would restore that country, and those twelve cities which his father Alexander had taken from the Arabians, viz. Medaba, Naballo, Libias, Tharabasa, Agalla, Athone, Zoar, Orone, Marissa, Rudda, Lussa, and. Oruba.

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feated him in battle. And, when, after that victory, many went over to Hyrcanus, as deserters, Aristobulus was left desolate, and fled to Jerusalem. Here. upon the king of Arabia took all his army, and made an assault upon the temple, and besieged Aristobulus therein the people still supporting Hyrcanus, and assisting him in the siege while none but the priests continued with Aristobulus. So Aretas united the forces of the Arabians, and of the Jews together, and pressed on the siege vigorously. As this happened at the season when the feast of unleavened bread was celebrated, which we call the passover, the principal men among the Jews left the country, and fled into Egypt. Now there was one, whose name was Onias; a righteous man, and beloved of God; who, in a certain drought, had prayed to God to put an end to the intense heat; and whose prayers God had heard, and had sent them rain.* This man had concealed himself, because he saw that this sedition would last a great while. However, they brought him to the Jewish camp, and desired, that as by his prayers he had once put an end to the drought, so he would in like manner make imprecations on Aristobulus, and those of his faction. And when, upon his refusal, and the excuses that he made, he was still by the multitude compelled to speak; he stood up in the midst of them, and said, "O God, the king of the whole world! since those that stand now with me are thy people; and those that are besieged are also thy priests; I beseech thee that thou wilt neither hearken to the prayers of those against these; nor bring to effect to what these pray against those." But as soon as he had made this prayer, the wicked Jews who stood about him stoned him to death.

But God punished them immediately for this barbarity, and took vengeance upon them for the murder of Onias, in the following manner. While the priests and Aristobulus were besieged, it happened that the feast called the passover was come. At which it is our custom to offer a great number of sacrifices to God. But those who were with Aristobulus wanted sacrifices, and desired that their countrymen without would furnish them with such sacrifices; and assured them that they should have as much money for them as they should desire; and when they required them to pay a thousand drachmæ for each head of cattle, Aristobulus and the priests willingly undertook to pay for them accordingly. And those within lowered down the money over the

walls, and gave it them. But when the others had

received it, they did not deliver the sacrifices. But arrived at that height of wickedness, as to break the assurances they had given; and to be guilty of im

*This miraculous grant of rain in a time of dearth, related here by Josephus, on the prayers of this holy man, Onias, is confirmed in two places by the Jewish rabbins, after their awkward manner; as Reland informs us in his +

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a strong and vehemene storm of wind that destroyed the fruits of the whole country, till a modius of wheat was sold for eleven drachmæ.

In the mean time Pompey sent Scaurus into Syria; while he was himself in Armenia, and making war with Tigranes. But when Scaurus was come to Damascus, and found that Lollius and Metellus had newly taken the city, he came himself hastily into Judea. And when he was come thither, ambassadors came to him, both from Aristobulus and Hyrcanus; and both desired he would assist them. And when both of them promised to give him money,-Aristobulus + four hundred talents, and Hyrcanus no less; -he accepted of Aristobulus's promise: for he was rich, and had a great soul; and desired to obtain nothing but what was moderate. Whereas the other was poor, and tenacious, and made incredible promises in hopes of greater advantages. For it was not the same thing to take a city, that was exceeding strong and powerful, as it was to eject out of the country some fugitives, with a greater number of Nabateans, who were no very warlike people. He therefore made an agreement with Aristobulus, for the reasons before mentioned; and took his money, and raised the siege; and ordered Aretas to depart, or else he should be declared an enemy to the Romans. So Scaurus returned to Damascus again. And Aristobulus, with a great army, made war with Aretas and Hyrcanus; and fought them at a place called Papyron, and beat them in the battle, and slew about six thousand of the enemy; with whom fell Phalion also, the brother of Antipater.

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had sent him a great present; which * was a golden vine, of the value of five hundred talents. Now Strabo of Cappadocia mentions this present in these words: "There came also an ambassage out of Egypt, and a crown of the value of four thousand pieces of gold. And out of Judea there came another, whether you call it a vine or a garden. They called the thing Tegawan, he delight. However, we ourselves saw that present, deposited at Rome, in the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus; with this inscription: The gift of Alexander, king of the Jews." It was valued at five hundred talents. And the report is, that Aristobulus, the governor of the Jews, sent it."

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In a little time afterward came ambassadors again to him; Antipater from Hyrcanus, and Nicodemus from Aristobulus: which last also accused such as had taken bribes; first Gabinius, and then Scaurus: the one three hundred talents, and the other four hundred. By which procedure he made these two his enemies, besides those he bad before. And when Pompey had ordered those that had controversies one with another to come to him in the beginning of the spring, he brought his army out of their winter quarters, and marched into the country of Damascus. And as he went along he demolished the citadel that was at Apamia; which Antiochus Cyzicenus had built and took cognizance of the country of Ptolemy Menneus; a wicked man, and not less so than Dionysius of Tripoli, who had been beheaded, who was also his relation by marriage. Yet did he buy off the punishment of his crimes for a thousand talents: with which money Pompey paid the soldiers their wages. He also conquered the place called Lysias; of which Silas, a Jew, was tyrant. And when he had passed over the cities of Heliopolis and Chalcis; and got over the mountain which is on the limit of Colesyria, he came from Pella to Damascus. And there he heard the causes of the Jews, and of their governors, Hyrcanus and Aristobulus, who were at difference one with another: as also of the nation against them both; which did not desire to be under regal government. Because the form of government they received from their forefathers was that of subjection to the priests of that God whom they worshipped: and they complained that though

* This golden vine or garden, seen by Strabo at Rome, has its inscription here, as if it were the gift of Alexander, the father of Aristobulus; and not of Aristobulus himself, to whom yet Josephus ascribes it; and in order to prove the truth of that part of his history, introduces this testimony of Strabo's. So that the ordinary enpies seem to be here either erroneous or defective; and the original reading seems to have been either Aristobulus, instead of Alexander, with one Greek copy; or else Aristobulus, the son of Alexander, with the Latin copies; which last seems to me the most probable.. For a 40 avelibishop

MOL. I.-NO. XXVII,

these two were the posterity of priests, yet did they seck to change the government of their nation to another form; in order to enslave them. Hyrcanus complained, that although he was the elder brother, he was deprived of the prerogative of his birth by Aristobulus, and held but a small part of the country under him: Aristobulus having taken away the rest by force. He also accused him, that the incursions which had been made into their neighbours' countries, and the piracies that had been at sea, were owing to him and that the nation would not have revolted, unless Aristobulus had been a man given to violence and disorder. And there were no fewer than a thousand Jews, of the best esteem among them, who confirmed this accusation: which confirmation was procured by Antipater. But Aristobulus alleged against him, that it was Hyrcanus's own temper, which was inactive, and on that account contemp. tible, which caused him to be deprived of the government: and that for himself he was necessitated to take it upon him; lest it should be transferred to others. And that as to his title, of king, it was no other than what his father had taken before him. He also called for witnesses of what he said, some persons who were both young and insolent; whose purple garments, fine heads of hair, and other ornaments were detested by the court, and which they appeared in, not as though they were to plead their cause in a court of justice; but as if they were marching in a pompous procession.

When Pompey had heard the causes of these two, and had condemned Aristobulus for his violent procedure; he spake civilly to them, and dismissed them with an assurance that when he came again into their country he would settle all their affairs; after

he had first taken a view of the affairs of the Nabateans. In the mean time he ordered them to be quiet; and treated Aristobulus civilly; lest he should make the nation revolt, and hinder his return. This, however, Aristobulus did: for without expecting any farther determination, which Pompey had promised them, he went to the city Delius, and thence marched into Judea.

At this behavior Pompey was angry and taking with him that army which he was leading against the Nabateans, and the auxiliaries that came from

Usher's conjectures, that Alexander made it, and dedicated it to God in the temple; and that thence Aristobulus took it, and sent it to Pompey; they are both very improbable, and no way agreeable to Josephus; who would hardly have avoided the recording both those uncommon points of history, had he known any thing of them. Nor would either the Jewish nation, or even Pompey himself, then have approved such a flagrant instance of sacrilege., See Dr. Hudson's note here.

Or of Aristobulus, the son of Alexander,
See the note on Book xilt, chap 10.

5 A

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