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BOOK VI.

An. 107. Aristobulus.]-HYRCANUS, at his death, left five sons behind him,' the first Aristobulus, the second Antigonus, the third Alexander, and the fifth Absolom; what was the name of the fourth is no where said. Aristobulus,' as being the eldest, succeeded his father both in the office of high-priest, and also in that of supreme governor of the country; and as soon as he was settled in them; he put a diadem upon his head, and assumed the title of king; and he was the first that did so in that land since the Babylonish captivity. His mother, by virtue of Hyrcanus's will, claimed a right to the sovereignty after his death, but Aristobulus, having overpowered her, cast her into prison, and there starved her to death. As to his brothers, Antigonus the eldest of them being much in his favour and affection, he at first shared the government with him, but afterward put him to death, in the manner as will by and by be related, the other three he shut up in prison, and there kept them as long as he lived.

Ptolemy Lathyrus, king of Egypt, having incurred his mother's displeasure, for sending an army into Palestine against the Jews, contrary to her mind, as hath been above related,' she carried it on so far against him, for this and some other like attempts which he had made of reigning without her, that, having first taken Selene his wife from him (by whom he had now two sons,) she drove him out of the kingdom. For the accomplishing of this she caused some of her favourite enuchs to be wounded, and then bringing them out into the public assembly of the Alexandrians, there pretended, that they had suffered this from Lathyrus in defence of her person against him, and thereon accused him of having made an attempt upon her life; whereby she so far incensed the people, that they rose in a general uproar against him, and would have torn him in pieces, but that he fled for his life, and, having gotten on board a ship in the harbour, therein made his escape from their fury. Hereon Cleopatra called to her Alexander her younger son, who for some years past had reigned in Cyprus; and, having made him king of Egypt in the room of Lathyrus, forced Lathyrus to be content with Cyprus on Alexander's leaving of it.

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An. 106. Aristobulus.]-Asristobulus, as soon as he had settled himself at home in the full possession of his father's authority, made war upon the Ituræans, and, having subdued the greatest part of them, forced them to become proselytes to the Jewish religion, in like manner as Hyrcanus, some time before, had forced the Idumæans to do the same thing. For he left them no other choice, but either to be circumcised and embrace the Jewish religion, or else leave their country and seek out for themselves new habitations elsewhere; whereon, having chosen the former, they became ingrafted at the same time into the Jewish religion, as well as the Jewish state; and in this manner the Asmonæan princes dealt with all those whom they conquered. Ituræa,' the country where these people dwelt, was part of Cole-Syria, bordering upon the north-eastern part of the land of Israel, as lying between the inheritance of the half tribe of Manasseh beyond Jordan, and the territories of Damascus. It was called Ituræa, from Itur, one of the sons of Ishmael, who, in our English version, is wrongly called Jetur. This country is the same which is sometimes called Auronitis. As Idumæa lay at one end of the land of Israel, so Ituræa lay at the other; and thus much it is necessary to say, because by reason of some similitude of the names, the one hath been mistaken for the other. Philip, one of the sons of Herod," was tetrarch or prince of this country, when John the Baptist first entered on his ministry.

Aristobulus, returning sick to Jerusalem from Ituræa, left Antigonus his bro

1 Joseph. Antiq. lib. 13. c. 19. 2 Ibid. lib. 14. c. 8. 3 Ibid. lib. 13. c. 19. et de Bello Judaico, lib. 1. c. 3. 4 Justin. lib. 39. c. 4. Pausanias in Atticis. Porphyrius in Græcis Euseb. Scaligeri, p. 60.

5 These his two sons died before him, for he had no legitimate male issue at his death.

6 Joseph. Antiq. lib. 13. c. 19.

8 Gen. xxv. 15. 1 Chron. i. 31.

VOL. II.-31

Videas Relandi Palestinam, lib. 1. c. 22. 9 Luke iii. 1.

ther there with an army, to finish the war which he had begun in that country. While he lay ill,' his queen and the courtiers of her party, envying the interest which Antigonus had with him, were continually buzzing into his ears stories for the exciting in him a jealousy of this his favourite brother. Not long after Antigonus, having finished the war in Ituræa with success, returned in triumph to Jerusalem; and the feast of tabernacles being then celebrating, he went immediately up to the temple, there to perform his devotions on that holy time, with his armour on, and his armed guards about him, in the same manner as he entered the city, without stopping any where to alter his dress. Aristobulus, then lying sick in his palace Baris, adjoining to the temple, had immediately an account given him hereof, for the firing of his jealousy against his brother; and it was warmly represented to him, that it was time for him to look to himself: for certainly, they said, Antigonus would not have come in this manner armed, and with his armed guards about him, had he not some ill designs to execute against him. Aristobulus, being moved hereby, sent orders to Antigonus to put off his armour, and immediately come to him, concluding, that if he came unarmed, according to his orders, there was no hurt intended, but, if otherwise, he had certainly some design of mischief against him. And therefore, placing his guards in the passage through which his brother was to pass into the palace to come to him, gave them orders, that if he came, unarmed, they should let him safely pass, but, if otherwise, they should fall upon him and slay him. This passage through which he was to pass was a subterraneous gallery which Hyrcanus had caused to be made when he built that palace, leading from thence into the temple, that thereby he might always have, on all occasions, a ready communication with it. The messenger that was sent to Antigonus, instead of bidding him come unarmed as directed, delivered quite a contrary message: for, being corrupted by the queen and her party, he told Antigonus, that the king hearing that he had a very fine suit of armour on, desired he would come to him as then armed with it, that he might see how it became him. Antigonus, on his receiving this message, immediately passed through the gallery above mentioned to go to the king, and, when he came to the place where the guards were posted, they, finding him armed, fell upon him according to their orders, and slew him. This fact was no sooner done, but Aristobulus most grievously repented of it. And this murder bringing into his mind the murder of his mother, his conscience flew him in the face at the same time for both; and the anxiety of his thoughts hereon increasing his disease, brought him to the vomiting of blood. While a servant was carrying away the vomited blood in a basin, he happened to stumble and spill it upon the place where Antigonus's blood had been shed. At this, all that were present made an outcry, apprehending it to be done on purpose. Aristobulus hearing the noise, inquired what was the matter: and finding all about him shy of telling him, the more they were so, the more earnest he was to know it, till at length they were forced to acquaint him with the whole that had happened: whereon a grievous remorse seized him all over, and his conscience extorted from him bitter accusations against himself for both these facts: and, in the agony which he suffered herefrom, he gave up the ghost and died, having reigned only one whole year. And such miserable exits do mostly such wicked men make, which are terrible enough to deter all such from their iniquities, though there were no such things as the torments of hell to punish them afterward for ever for the guilt of them.

Josephus tells us a very remarkable story of one Judas, an Essene, relating to the murder of Antigonus. This man, seeing Antigonus come into the temple, as above mentioned, fell into a great passion thereat, and made more than ordinary expressions of it, both in word and behaviour; for he had foretold, that

1 Joseph. Antiq. lib. 13. c. 19. et de Bello Judaico, lib. 1. c. 3.

2 This was afterward repaired by Herod) see Joseph. Antiq. lib. 15. c. 14,) but was first built by Hyrcanus, as appears by this use of it. 3 Antiq. lib. 13. c. 19. et de Bello Judaico, lib. 1. c. 3.

Antigonus should be slain that day at Straton's Tower. Now, taking Straton's Tower to be the town on the sea-coast then so named, but afterward called Cæsarea, which was full two days' journey from Jerusalem, he thought his prophecy was defeated, and could not possibly be fulfilled that day, the major part of it being then past, and the place at so great a distance; and therefore he expressed hereon the like impatience as Jonah did on the failing of his prophecy against. Nineveh. But while he was in this agony and perplexity of mind, exclaiming against truth itself in his being thus deceived, and wishing his death because hereof, came news that Antigonus was slain in that part of the subterraneous gallery above mentioned, which was just under that turret or tower of the palace which was called Straton's Tower. Whereon the Essene, finding his prediction fulfilled in the lamentable murder of this prince, both as to the time and place, rejoiced in the comfort and satisfaction of having his prophecy verified, at the same time when all else were grieved at it.

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Aristobulus' was a great favourer of the Greeks, for which reason he was called Philellen, and the Greeks as much favoured him. For Timagenes, an historian of theirs, wrote of him, as Josephus tell us out of Strabo, that he was a prince of equity, and had in many things been very beneficial to the Jews, in that he augmented their territories, and ingrafted into the Jewish state part of the nation of the Ituræans, binding them to it by the bond of circumcision." But his actions above described give him another sort of character.

As soon as Aristobulus was dead, Salome his wife discharged the three brothers out of prison, and Alexander, surnamed Jannæus, who was the eldest of them, took the kingdom. His next brother having made some attempt to supplant him, he caused him to be put to death; but the other, named Absolom, being contented to live quietly a private life under him, had his favour and protection as long as he lived, so that after this we hear no more of him save only that, having married his daughter to Aristobulus, the younger son of Alexander, his brother, he engaged in his cause against the Romans, and was made a prisoner by them on their taking the temple, under the command of Pompey, forty-two years after this time.

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At this time, in Syria, the two brothers, Antiochus Grypus and Antiochus Cyzicenus, one reigning at Antioch, and the other at Damascus, harassed each other with continual wars; of which advantage being taken by some cities which had formerly been parts of the Syrian empire, they asserted themselves into liberty, as Tyre, Sidon, Ptolemais, Gaza, and others; and tyrants took possession of some others of them, as Theodorus of Gadara and Amathus beyond Jordan, Zoilus of Dora and Straton's Tower, and others of other places. At the same time, Cleopatra and Alexander, her younger son, were in possession of Egypt, and Ptolemy Lathyrus, her eldest son, held Cyprus; and in this state were the affairs of the neighbouring countries when Alexander Jannæus first became king of Judea.

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This year was famous for the birth of two noble Romans, Cneius Pompeius Magnus, and Marcus Tullius Cicero, who, the one for war, and the other for letters, were two of the most eminent persons which that city ever brought forth. An. 105. Alexander Jannæus 1.]—After Alexander had settled all matters at home, he led forth his forces to make war with the people of Ptolemais,' and having vanquished them in battle, shut them up within the walls of their city, and there besieged them; whereon they sent to Ptolemy Lathyrus, then reigning in Cyprus, to come to their relief; but afterward, having it suggested to them, that they might suffer as much from Ptolemy coming to them as a friend, as they should from Alexander as an enemy, and that, as soon as they should be joined with Ptolemy, they would draw Cleopatra with all the forces of Egypt upon

1 Joseph. Antiq. lib. 13. c. 19. 3 Ibid. lib. 14. c. 8.

5 Vide Paterculum, lib. 2. c. 29. 7 Joseph. Antiq. lib. 13. c. 20.

2 Joseph. Antiq. lib. 13. c. 20. et de Bello Judaico. lib. 1. c. 3.

4 Ibid. lib. 13. c. 20. Justin. lib. 39. Appian. in Syriacis.

6 Plutarchus in Cicerone. A Gellius, lib. 15. c. 23. Plinius, lib. 37. c. 2.

them, they, on these considerations, altered their mind, resolving to stand upon their own strength alone for their defence, without admitting any auxiliaries at all; and took care that Ptolemy should be informed as much. However, he having made ready an army of thirty thousand men, and equipped a fleet of proportionable power, for the transporting of them, made use of this pretence to land them in Phoenicia, and marched toward Ptolemais. But they taking no notice of him, nor answering any of his messages, he was in great difficulty what course to take. While he was in this perplexity, there came messengers to him from Zoilus, prince of Dora, and from the Gazæans, which delivered him from it. For, while Alexander, with one part of his forces, besieged Ptolmais, he sent the other to waste the territories of Zoilus, and those of Gaza; and therefore these messengers were sent to pray his assistance against them, which he readily consented to. Whereon Alexander was forced to raise the siege of Ptolemais, and lead back his army from thence, to watch the steps of Lathyrus. And, finding that he could not prevail by his arms, he betook himself to his politics, thinking by craft and deceit to carry his point; and therefore courting the friendship of Lathyrus, he entered into a treaty with him, and engaged to pay him four hundred talents of silver, on the condition that he would deliver Zoilus into his hands, with the places which he held. Lathyrus accepted the terms, and accordingly seized Zoilus and all his territories, with intention to have delivered both into Alexander's hands. But, when he was ready so to have done, he found that Alexander was at the same time treating underhand with Cleopatra, to bring her upon him with all her forces, for the driving of him out of Palestine; whereon, detesting his double dealing, he broke off all friendship and alliance with him, and resolved to do him all the mischief that should be in his power.

An. 104. Alexander Jannæus 2.]—And this he accordingly executed the next year after. For, being bent to have his revenge on the inhabitants of Ptolemais,' and also upon Alexander, for the false dealings and ill usage he had received from both, he first laid siege to Ptolemais; and, leaving one part of his army there for the carrying of it on, under the conduct of some of his chief commanders, he marched in person with the other part, to invade the territories of Alexander. At first he took Asochis, a city of Galilee, and in it ten thousand captives, with much plunder. After this, he laid siege to Sepphoris, another City of Galilee; whereon Alexander marched with an army of fifty thousand men against him for the defence of his country. This brought on a fierce battle between them, near the banks of the River Jordan; in which Alexander being vanquished, lost thirty thousand of his men, besides those which were taken prisoners. For Lathyrus, having gotten the victory, pursued it to the utAnd there is a very cruel and barbarous act which is related to have been done by him at this time, that is, that coming with his army, in the evening after the victory, to take up his quarters in the adjoining villages, and finding them full of women and children, he caused them to be all slaughtered, and their bodies to be cut in pieces, and put into caldrons over the fire, to be boiled, as if for supper, that so he might leave an opinion in that country, that his men fed upon human flesh, and thereby create the greater dread and terror of his army through all those parts. After this, Lathyrus ranged at liberty all over the country, ravaging, plundering, and destroying it, in a very lamentable manner. For Alexander, after this battle, and the cutting off of so many of his men as fell in it, was in no condition to resist him, but must have been absolutely undone, had not Cleopatra come the next year into those parts to relieve him.

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An. 103. Alexander Jannæus 3.]-For she, apprehending that in case Lathyrus should make himself master of Judea and Phoenicia, he would thereby grow strong enough to invade Egypt, and there again recover his kingdom from her,

1 Joseph. Antiq. lib. 13. c. 20, 21.

thought it time to put a stop to his progress in those parts; and therefore she forthwith prepared an army,' under the command of Chelkias and Ananias, the two Jews above mentioned, and having equipped a fleet, put them on board of it, and sailed with them to Phoenicia; where, having landed this army, and by the terror of it made Lathyrus quit the siege of Ptolemais (which he had till now continued,) and retire into Cole-Syria, she sent Chelkias with one part of the army after him, and putting the other under the leading of Ananias, marched with it to Ptolemais, expecting they would have opened their gates to her; but finding the contrary, she invested the place to take it by force. In the interim, Chelkias, while he was pursuing Lathyrus in Cole-Syria, lost his life in that expedition; which defeating the farther progress of it, Lathyrus took the advantage hereof to march with all his forces into Egypt, hoping that on his mother's absence with the best of her forces in Phoenicia, he might find that kingdom so unprovided to resist him, that he might make himself master of it: but he failed of his expectations herein.

An. 102. Alexander Jannæus 4.]—For those forces, left there by Cleopatra for the security of the country, made good their ground so long, till being joined by that part of the army, which, on this attempt of Lathyrus, she sent back out of Phoenicia to reinforce them, they drove him out of the country, and forced him to return again into Palestine, and there take up his winter-quarters at Gaza.

But while this was doing, Cleopatra still carried on the siege of Ptolemais,' till at length she took the place. As soon as she was mistress of it, Alexander came thither to her, bringing with him many valuable gifts, to present to her for the gaining of her favour. But that which most ingratiated him with her, was his enmity with Lathyrus her son, and on this account he was very kindly received. But some about her thinking she had now a fair opportunity, by seizing Alexander, to make herself mistress of Judea, and all his other dominions, earnestly pressed her to it. And this had been done, but that Ananias prevailed with her to the contrary; for having represented unto her, how base and dishonourable a thing it would be thus to treat an ally engaged with her in the same cause, it would be contrary to all the rules of faith and common honesty that are observed among mankind, and would, to the prejudice of her interest, set all the Jews in the world against her, and make them her enemies, he hereby wrought with her so effectually, that partly on these considerations, and partly to gratify the intercessor, who pleaded hard in this case for his countryman and kinsman (for Alexander was both,) she dropped the design, and Alexander returned safe to Jerusalem; where, having recruited his broken forces, and made them up again, to the number of a powerful army, he marched with them over Jordan, and besieged Gadara.

An. 101. Alexander Jannæus 5.]-Ptolemy Lathyrus' having spent his winter at Gaza, after his retreat out of Egypt, and finding that it would be in vain for him to attempt any thing more in Palestine, by reason of the opposition there made against him by his mother, he left that country, and returned again to Cyprus; whereon she also sailed back again into Egypt, and the country became freed of both of them.

Cleopatra, on her return to Alexandria, understanding that Lathyrus was carrying on a treaty at Damascus with Antiochus Cyzicenus, for the obtaining of nis assistance, in order to another expedition into Egypt, for his recovering of that kingdom again from her, she gave Selene her daughter, whom she had taken from Lathyrus, to Antiochus Grypus to wife, and with her sent to him a great number of auxiliaries, and large sums of money, to enable him to renew the war upon Cyzicenus his brother; whereon civil broils between them again breaking out, Cyzicenus was diverted thereby from giving any assistance to Lathyrus, and so the whole project became abortive. Ptolemy Alexander, her other

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1 Joseph. Antiq. lib. 13. c. 21.

6 Livii Epitome, lib. 68.

2 Ibid.

3. Ibid.

4 Ibid.

5 Justin. lib. 39. c. 4.

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