the wars of the jews-第6章

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rn　of　affairs；　but　supposing　that　Alexander　was　already　become　a　match　for　him　again；　and　that　all　the　nation　would　＇at　length＇　run　to　him；　he　left　the　country；　and　went　his　way。

6。　However；　the　rest　of　the　＇Jewish＇　multitude　did　not　lay　aside　their　quarrels　with　him；　when　the　＇foreign＇　auxiliaries　were　gone；　but　they　had　a　perpetual　war　with　Alexander；　until　he　had　slain　the　greatest　part　of　them；　and　driven　the　rest　into　the　city　Berneselis；　and　when　he　had　demolished　that　city；　he　carried　the　captives　to　Jerusalem。　Nay；　his　rage　was　grown　so　extravagant；　that　his　barbarity　proceeded　to　the　degree　of　impiety；　for　when　he　had　ordered　eight　hundred　to　be　hung　upon　crosses　in　the　midst　of　the　city；　he　had　the　throats　of　their　wives　and　children　cut　before　their　eyes；　and　these　executions　he　saw　as　he　was　drinking　and　lying　down　with　his　concubines。　Upon　which　so　deep　a　surprise　seized　on　the　people；　that　eight　thousand　of　his　opposers　fled　away　the　very　next　night；　out　of　all　Judea；　whose　flight　was　only　terminated　by　Alexander's　death；　so　at　last；　though　not　till　late；　and　with　great　difficulty；　he；　by　such　actions；　procured　quiet　to　his　kingdom；　and　left　off　fighting　any　more。

7。　Yet　did　that　Antiochus；　who　was　also　called　Dionysius；　become　an　origin　of　troubles　again。　This　man　was　the　brother　of　Demetrius；　and　the　last　of　the　race　of　the　Seleucidse。　（3）　Alexander　was　afraid　of　him；　when　he　was　marching　against　the　Arabians；　so　he　cut　a　deep　trench　between　Antipatris；　which　was　near　the　mountains；　and　the　shores　of　Joppa；　he　also　erected　a　high　wall　before　the　trench；　and　built　wooden　towers；　in　order　to　hinder　any　sudden　approaches。　But　still　he　was　not　able　to　exclude　Antiochus；　for　he　burnt　the　towers；　and　filled　up　the　trenches；　and　marched　on　with　his　army。　And　as　he　looked　upon　taking　his　revenge　on　Alexander；　for　endeavoring　to　stop　him；　as　a　thing　of　less　consequence；　he　marched　directly　against　the　Arabians；　whose　king　retired　into　such　parts　of　the　country　as　were　fittest　for　engaging　the　enemy；　and　then　on　the　sudden　made　his　horse　turn　back；　which　were　in　number　ten　thousand；　and　fell　upon　Antiochus's　army　while　they　were　in　disorder；　and　a　terrible　battle　ensued。　Antiochus's　troops；　so　long　as　he　was　alive；　fought　it　out；　although　a　mighty　slaughter　was　made　among　them　by　the　Arabians；　but　when　he　fell；　for　he　was　in　the　forefront；　in　the　utmost　danger；　in　rallying　his　troops；　they　all　gave　ground；　and　the　greatest　part　of　his　army　were　destroyed；　either　in　the　action　or　the　flight；　and　for　the　rest；　who　fled　to　the　village　of　Cana；　it　happened　that　they　were　all　consumed　by　want　of　necessaries；　a　few　only　excepted。

8。　About　this　time　it　was　that　the　people　of　Damascus；　out　of　their　hatred　to　Ptolemy；　the　son　of　Menhens；　invited　Aretas　＇to　take　the　government＇；　and　made　him　king　of　Celesyria。　This　man　also　made　an　expedition　against　Judea；　and　beat　Alexander　in　battle；　but　afterwards　retired　by　mutual　agreement。　But　Alexander；　when　he　had　taken　Pella；　marched　to　Gerasa　again；　out　of　the　covetous　desire　he　had　of　Theodorus's　possessions；　and　when　he　had　built　a　triple　wall　about　the　garrison；　he　took　the　place　by　force。　He　also　demolished　Golan；　and　Seleucia；　and　what　was　called　the　Valley　of　Antiochus；　besides　which；　he　took　the　strong　fortress　of　Gamala；　and　stripped　Demetrius；　who　was　governor　therein；　of　what　he　had；　on　account　of　the　many　crimes　laid　to　his　charge；　and　then　returned　into　Judea；　after　he　had　been　three　whole　years　in　this　expedition。　And　now　he　was　kindly　received　of　the　nation；　because　of　the　good　success　he　had。　So　when　he　was　at　rest　from　war；　he　fell　into　a　distemper；　for　he　was　afflicted　with　a　quartan　ague；　and　supposed　that；　by　exercising　himself　again　in　martial　affairs；　he　should　get　rid　of　this　distemper；　but　by　making　such　expeditions　at　unseasonable　times；　and　forcing　his　body　to　undergo　greater　hardships　than　it　was　able　to　bear；　he　brought　himself　to　his　end。　He　died；　therefore；　in　the　midst　of　his　troubles；　after　he　had　reigned　seven　and　twenty　years。

CHAPTER　5。

Alexandra　Reigns　Nine　Years；　During　Which　Time　The　Pharisees　Were　The　Real　Rulers　Of　The　Nation。

1。　Now　Alexander　left　the　kingdom　to　Alexandra　his　wife；　and　depended　upon　it　that　the　Jews　would　now　very　readily　submit　to　her；　because　she　had　been　very　averse　to　such　cruelty　as　he　had　treated　them　with；　and　had　opposed　his　violation　of　their　laws；　and　had　thereby　got　the　good…will　of　the　people。　Nor　was　he　mistaken　as　to　his　expectations；　for　this　woman　kept　the　dominion；　by　the　opinion　that　the　people　had　of　her　piety；　for　she　chiefly　studied　the　ancient　customs　of　her　country；　and　cast　those　men　out　of　the　government　that　offended　against　their　holy　laws。　And　as　she　had　two　sons　by　Alexander；　she　made　Hyrcanus　the　elder　high　priest；　on　account　of　his　age；　as　also；　besides　that；　on　account　of　his　inactive　temper；　no　way　disposing　him　to　disturb　the　public。　But　she　retained　the　younger；　Aristobulus；　with　her　as　a　private　person；　by　reason　of　the　warmth　of　his　temper。

2。　And　now　the　Pharisees　joined　themselves　to　her；　to　assist　her　in　the　government。　These　are　a　certain　sect　of　the　Jews　that　appear　more　religious　than　others；　and　seem　to　interpret　the　laws　more　accurately。　low　Alexandra　hearkened　to　them　to　an　extraordinary　degree；　as　being　herself　a　woman　of　great　piety　towards　God。　But　these　Pharisees　artfully　insinuated　themselves　into　her　favor　by　little　and　little；　and　became　themselves　the　real　administrators　of　the　public　affairs：　they　banished　and　reduced　whom　they　pleased；　they　bound　and　loosed　＇men＇　at　their　pleasure；　（4）　and；　to　say　all　at　once；　they　had　the　enjoyment　of　the　royal　authority；　whilst　the　expenses　and　the　difficulties　of　it　belonged　to　Alexandra。　She　was　a　sagacious　woman　in　the　management　of　great　affairs；　and　intent　always　upon　gathering　soldiers　together；　so　that　she　increased　the　army　the　one　half；　and　procured　a　great　body　of　foreign　troops；　till　her　own　nation　became　not　only　very　powerful　at　home；　but　terrible　also　to　foreign　potentates；　while　she　governed　other　people；　and　the　Pharisees　governed　her。

3。　Accordingly；　they　themselves　slew　Diogenes；　a　person　of　figure；　and　one　that　had　been　a　friend　to　Alexander；　and　accused　him　as　having　assisted　the　king　with　his　advice；　for　crucifying　the　eight　hundred　men　＇before　mentioned。＇　They　also　prevailed　with　Alexandra　to　put　to　death　the　rest　of　those　who　had　irritated　him　against　them。　Now　she　was　so　superstitious　as　to　comply　with　their　desires；　and　accordingly　they　slew　whom　they　pleased　themselves。　But　the　principal　of　those　that　were　in　danger　fled　to　Aristobulus；　who　persuaded　his　mother　to　spare　the　men　on　account　of　their　dignity；　but　to　expel　them　out　of　the　city；　unless　she　took　them　to　be　innocent；　so　they　were　suffered　to　go　unpunished；　and　were　dispersed　all　over　the　country。　But　when　Alexandra　sent　out　her　army　to　Damascus；　under　pretense　that　Ptolemy　was　always　oppressing　that　city；　she　got　possession　of　it；　nor　did　it　make　any　considerable　resistance。　She　also　prevailed　with　Tigranes；　king　of　Armenia；　who　lay　with　his　troops　about　Ptolemais；　and　besieged　Cleopatra；　（5）　by　agreements　and　presents；　to　go　away。　Accordingly；　Tigranes　soon　arose　from　the　siege；　by　reason　of　those　domestic　tumults　which　happened　upon　Lucullus's　expedition　into　Armenia。

4。　In　the　mean　time；　Alexandra　fell　sick；　and　Aristobulus；　her　younger　son；　took　hold　of　this　opportunity；　with　his　domestics；　of　which　he　had　a　great　many；　who　were　all　of　them　his　friends；　on　account　of　the　warmth　of　their　youth；　and　got　possession　of　all　the　fortresses。　He　also　used　the　sums　of　money　he　found　in　them　to　get　together　a　number　of　mercenary　soldiers；　and　made　himself　king；　and　besides　this；　upon　Hyrcanus's　complaint　to　his　mother；　she　compassionated　his　case；　and　put　Aristobulus's　wife　and　sons　under　restraint　in　Antonia；　which　was　a　fortress　that　joined　to　the　north　part　of　the　temple。　It　was；　as　I　have　already　said；　of　old　called　the　Citadel；　but　afterwards　got　the　name　of　Antonia；　when　Antony　was　＇lord　of　the　East＇；　just　as　the　other　cities；　Sebaste　and　Agrippias；　had　their　names　changed；　and　these　given　them　from　Sebastus　and　Agrippa。　But　Alexandra　d