the wars of the jews-第4部分

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s；　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　relaters：　however；　as　Antigonus　came　once　in　a　splendid　manner　from　the　army　to　that　festival；　wherein　our　ancient　custom　is　to　make　tabernacles　for　God；　it　happened；　in　those　days；　that　Aristobulus　was　sick；　and　that；　at　the　conclusion　of　the　feast；　Antigonus　came　up　to　it；　with　his　armed　men　about　him；　and　this　when　he　was　adorned　in　the　finest　manner　possible；　and　that；　in　a　great　measure；　to　pray　to　God　on　the　behalf　of　his　brother。　Now　at　this　very　time　it　was　that　these　ill　men　came　to　the　king；　and　told　him　in　what　a　pompous　manner　the　armed　men　came；　and　with　what　insolence　Antigonus　marched；　and　that　such　his　insolence　was　too　great　for　a　private　person；　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　honor；　when　it　was　in　his　power　to　take　the　kingdom　himself。

3。　Now　Aristobulus；　by　degrees；　and　unwillingly；　gave　credit　to　these　accusations；　and　accordingly　he　took　care　not　to　discover　his　suspicion　openly；　though　he　provided　to　be　secure　against　any　accidents；　so　he　placed　the　guards　of　his　body　in　a　certain　dark　subterranean　passage；　for　he　lay　sick　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　should　let　him　alone；　but　if　he　came　to　him　in　his　armor；　they　should　kill　him。　He　also　sent　some　to　let　him　know　beforehand　that　he　should　come　unarmed。　But；　upon　this　occasion；　the　queen　very　cunningly　contrived　the　matter　with　those　that　plotted　his　ruin；　for　she　persuaded　those　that　were　sent　to　conceal　the　king's　message；　but　to　tell　Antigonus　how　his　brother　had　heard　he　had　got　a　very　the　suit　of　armor　made　with　fine　martial　ornaments；　in　Galilee；　and　because　his　present　sickness　hindered　him　from　coming　and　seeing　all　that　finery；　he　very　much　desired　to　see　him　now　in　his　armor；　because；　said　he；　in　a　little　time　thou　art　going　away　from　me。

4。　As　soon　as　Antigonus　heard　this；　the　good　temper　of　his　brother　not　allowing　him　to　suspect　any　harm　from　him；　he　came　along　with　his　armor　on；　to　show　it　to　his　brother；　but　when　he　was　going　along　that　dark　passage　which　w｛s　called　Strato's　Tower；　he　was　slain　by　the　body　guards；　and　became　an　eminent　instance　how　calumny　destroys　all　good…will　and　natural　affection；　and　how　none　of　our　good　affections　are　strong　enough　to　resist　envy　perpetually。

5。　And　truly　any　one　would　be　surprised　at　Judas　upon　this　occasion。　He　was　of　the　sect　of　the　Essens；　and　had　never　failed　or　deceived　men　in　his　predictions　before。　Now　this　man　saw　Antigonus　as　he　was　passing　along　by　the　temple；　and　cried　out　to　his　acquaintance；　（they　were　not　a　few　who　attended　upon　him　as　his　scholars；）　〃O　strange！〃　said　he；　〃it　is　good　for　me　to　die　now；　since　truth　is　dead　before　me；　and　somewhat　that　I　have　foretold　hath　proved　false；　for　this　Antigonus　is　this　day　alive；　who　ought　to　hare　died　this　day；　and　the　place　where　he　ought　to　be　slain；　according　to　that　fatal　decree；　was　Strato's　Tower；　which　is　at　the　distance　of　six　hundred　furlongs　from　this　place；　and　yet　four　hours　of　this　day　are　over　already；　which　point　of　time　renders　the　prediction　impossible　to　be　fill　filled。〃　And　when　the　old　man　had　said　this；　he　was　dejected　in　his　mind；　and　so　continued。　But　in　a　little　time　news　came　that　Antigonus　was　slain　in　a　subterraneous　place；　which　was　itself　also　called　Strato's　Tower；　by　the　same　name　with　that　Cesarea　which　lay　by　the　sea…side；　and　this　ambiguity　it　was　which　caused　the　prophet's　disorder。

6。　Hereupon　Aristobulus　repented　of　the　great　crime　he　had　been　guilty　of；　and　this　gave　occasion　to　the　increase　of　his　distemper。　He　also　grew　worse　and　worse；　and　his　soul　was　constantly　disturbed　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　those　servants　that　attended　him　carried　out　that　blood；　he；　by　some　supernatural　providence；　slipped　and　fell　down　in　the　very　place　where　Antigonus　had　been　slain；　and　so　he　spilt　some　of　the　murderer's　blood　upon　the　spots　of　the　blood　of　him　that　had　been　murdered；　which　still　appeared。　Hereupon　a　lamentable　cry　arose　among　the　spectators；　as　if　the　servant　had　spilled　the　blood　on　purpose　in　that　place；　and　as　the　king　heard　that　cry；　he　inquired　what　was　the　cause　of　it；　and　while　nobody　durst　tell　him；　he　pressed　them　so　much　the　more　to　let　him　know　what　was　the　matter；　so　at　length；　when　he　had　threatened　them；　and　forced　them　to　speak　out；　they　told；　whereupon　he　burst　into　tears；　and　groaned；　and　said；　〃So　I　perceive　I　am　not　like　to　escape　the　all…seeing　eye　of　God；　as　to　the　great　crimes　I　have　committed；　but　the　vengeance　of　the　blood　of　my　kinsman　pursues　me　hastily。　O　thou　most　impudent　body！　how　long　wilt　thou　retain　a　soul　that　ought　to　die　on　account　of　that　punishment　it　ought　to　suffer　for　a　mother　and　a　brother　slain！　How　long　shall　I　myself　spend　my　blood　drop　by　drop？　let　them　take　it　all　at　once；　and　let　their　ghosts　no　longer　be　disappointed　by　a　few　parcels　of　my　bowels　offered　to　them。〃　As　soon　as　he　had　said　these　words；　he　presently　died；　when　he　had　reigned　no　longer　than　a　year。　　CHAPTER　4。

What　Actions　Were　Done　By　Alexander　Janneus；　Who　Reigned　Twenty…Seven　Years。

1。　And　now　the　king's　wife　loosed　the　king's　brethren；　and　made　Alexander　king；　who　appeared　both　elder　in　age；　and　more　moderate　in　his　temper　than　the　rest；　who；　when　he　came　to　the　government；　slew　one　of　his　brethren；　as　affecting　to　govern　himself；　but　had　the　other　of　them　in　great　esteem；　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　Asochis。　He　indeed　slew　a　great　many　of　his　enemies；　but　the　victory　rather　inclined　to　Ptolemy。　But　when　this　Ptolemy　was　pursued　by　his　mother　Cleopatra；　and　retired　into　Egypt；　Alexander　besieged　Gadara；　and　took　it；　as　also　he　did　Amathus；　which　was　the　strongest　of　all　the　fortresses　that　were　about　Jordan；　and　therein　were　the　most　precious　of　all　the　possessions　of　Theodorus；　the　son　of　Zeno。　Whereupon　Theodopus　marched　against　him；　and　took　what　belonged　to　himself　as　well　as　the　king's　baggage；　and　slew　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　slaves　of　the　citizens　of　all　these　cities；　the　nation　of　the　Jews　made　an　insurrection　against　him　at　a　festival；　for　at　those　feasts　seditions　are　generally　begun；　and　it　looked　as　if　he　should　not　be　able　to　escape　the　plot　they　had　laid　for　him；　had　not　his　foreign　auxiliaries；　the　Pisidians　and　Cilicians；　assisted　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　slain　more　than　six　thousand　of　the　rebels；　he　made　an　incursion　into　Arabia；　and　when　he　had　taken　that　country；　together　with　the　Gileadires　and　Moabites；　he　enjoined　them　to　pay　him　tribute；　and　returned　to　Areathus；　and　as　Theodorus　was　surprised　at　his　great　success；　he　took　the　fortress；　and　demolished　it。

4。　However；　when　he　fought　with　Obodas；　king　of　the　Arabians；　who　had　laid　an　ambush　for　him　near　Golan；　and　a　plot　against　him；　he　lost　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　escape　to　Jerusalem；　he　provoked　the　multitude；　which　hated　him　before；　to　make　an　insurrection　against　him；　and　this　on　account　of　the　greatness　of　the　calamity　that　he　was　under。　However；　he　was　then　too　hard　for　them；　and；　in　the　several　battles　that　were　fought　on　both　sides；　he　slew　not　fewer　than　fifty　thousand　of　the　Jews　in　the　interval　of　six　years。　Yet　had　he　no　reason　to　rejoice　in　these　victories；　since　he　did　but　consume　his　own　kingdom；　till　at　length　he　left　off　fighting；　and　endeavored　to　come　to　a　composition　with　them；　by　talking　with　his　subjects。　But　this　mutability　and　irregularity　of　his　conduct　made　them　hate　him　still　more。　And　when　he　asked　them　why　they　so　hated　him；　and　what　he　should　do　in　order　to　appease　them；　they　said；　by　killing　himself；　for　that　it　would　be　then　all　they　could　do　to　be　reconciled　to　him；　who　had　done　such　tragical　things　to　them；　even　when　he　was　dead。　At　the　same　time　they　invited　Demetrius；　who　was　called　Eucerus；　to　assist　them；　and　as　he　readily　complied　with　their　requests；　in　hopes　of　great　advantages；　and　came　with　his　army；　the　Jews　joined　with　those　their　auxiliaries　about　Shechem。

5。　Yet　did　Alexander　meet　both　these　forces　with　one　thousand　horsemen；　and　eight　thousand　mercenaries　that　were　on　foot。　He　had　also　with　him　that　part　of　the　Jews　which　favored　him；　to　the

number　of　ten　thousand；　while　the　adverse　party　had　three　thousand　horsemen；　and　fourteen　thousand　footmen。　Now；　before　they　joined　battle；　the　kings　made　proclamation；　and　endeavored　to　draw　off　each　other's　soldiers；　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　since　neither　the　Jews　would　leave　off　their　rage；　nor　the　Greeks　prove　unfaithful；　they　came　to　an　engagement；　and　to　a　close　fight　with　their　weapons。　In　which　battle　Demetrius　was　the　conqueror；　although　Alexander's　mercenaries　showed　the　greatest　exploits；　both　in　soul　and　body。　Yet　did　the　upshot　of　this　battle　prove　different　from　what　was　expected；　as　to　both　of　them；　for　neither　did　those　that　invited　Demetrius　to　come　to　them　continue　firm　to　him；　though　he　was　conqueror；　and　six　thousand　Jews；　out　of　pity　to　the　change　of　Alexander's　condition；　when　he　was　fled　to　the　mountains；　came　over　to　him。　Yet　could　not　Demetrius　bear　this　turn　of　affairs；　but　supposing　that　Alexander　was　already　become　a　match　for　him　again；　and　that　all　t