the antiquities of the jews-1-第197章

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outside　of　the　city；　because　the　people　of　Joppa　had　shut　their
gates　against　him；　for　they　had　a　garrison　in　the　city　put　there
by　Apollonius。　But　when　Jonathan　was　preparing　to　besiege　them；
they　were　afraid　he　would　take　them　by　force；　and　so　they　opened
the　gates　to　him。　But　Apollonius；　when　he　heard　that　Joppa　was
taken　by　Jonathan；　took　three　thousand　horsemen；　and　eight
thousand　footmen　and　came　to　Ashdod；　and　removing　thence；　he　made
his　journey　silently　and　slowly；　and　going　up　to　Joppa；　he　made
as　if　he　was　retiring　from　the　place；　and　so　drew　Jonathan　into
the　plain；　as　valuing　himself　highly　upon　his　horsemen；　and
having　his　hopes　of　victory　principally　in　them。　However；
Jonathan　sallied　out；　and　pursued　Apollonius　to　Ashdod；　but　as
soon　as　Apollonius　perceived　that　his　enemy　was　in　the　plain；　he
came　back　and　gave　him　battle。　But　Apollonius　had　laid　a　thousand
horsemen　in　ambush　in　a　valley；　that　they　might　be　seen　by　their
enemies　as　behind　them；　which　when　Jonathan　perceived；　he　was
under　no　consternation；　but　ordering　his　army　to　stand　in　a
square　battle…array；　he　gave　them　a　charge　to　fall　on　the　enemy
on　both　sides；　and　set　them　to　face　those　that　attacked　them　both
before　and　behind；　and　while　the　fight　lasted　till　the　evening；
he　gave　part　of　his　forces　to　his　brother　Simon；　and　ordered　him
to　attack　the　enemies；　but　for　himself；　he　charged　those　that
were　with　him　to　cover　themselves　with　their　armor；　and　receive
the　darts　of　the　horsemen；　who　did　as　they　were　commanded；　so
that　the　enemy's　horsemen；　while　they　threw　their　darts　till　they
had　no　more　left；　did　them　no　harm；　for　the　darts　that　were
thrown　did　not　enter　into　their　bodies；　being　thrown　upon　the
shields　that　were　united　and　conjoined　together；　the　closeness　of
which　easily　overcame　the　force　of　the　darts；　and　they　flew　about
without　any　effect。　But　when　the　enemy　grew　remiss　in　throwing
their　darts　from　morning　till　late　at　night；　Simon　perceived
their　weariness；　and　fell　upon　the　body　of　men　before　him；　and
because　his　soldiers　showed　great　alacrity；　he　put　the　enemy　to
flight。　And　when　the　horsemen　saw　that　the　footmen　ran　away；
neither　did　they　stay　themselves；　but　they　being　very　weary；　by
the　duration　of　the　fight　till　the　evening；　and　their　hope　from
the　footmen　being　quite　gone；　they　basely　ran　away；　and　in　great
confusion　also；　till　they　were　separated　one　from　another；　and
scattered　over　all　the　plain。　Upon　which　Jonathan　pursued　them　as
far　as　Ashdod；　and　slew　a　great　many　of　them；　and　compelled　the
rest；　in　despair　of　escaping；　to　fly　to　the　temple　of　Dagon；
which　was　at　Ashdod；　but　Jonathan　took　the　city　on　the　first
onset；　and　burnt　it；　and　the　villages　about　it；　nor　did　he
abstain　from　the　temple　of　Dagon　itself；　but　burnt　it　also；　and
destroyed　those　that　had　fled　to　it。　Now　the　entire　multitude　of
the　enemies　that　fell　in　the　battle；　and　were　consumed　in　the
temple；　were　eight　thousand。　When　Jonathan　therefore　had　overcome
so　great　an　army；　he　removed　from　Ashdod；　and　came　to　Askelon；
and　when　he　had　pitched　his　camp　without　the　city；　the　people　of
Askelon　came　out　and　met　him；　bringing　him　hospitable　presents；
and　honoring　him；　so　he　accepted　of　their　kind　intentions；　and
returned　thence　to　Jerusalem　with　a　great　deal　of　prey；　which　he
brought　thence　when　he　conquered　his　enemies。　But　when　Alexander
heard　that　Apollonius；　the　general　of　his　army；　was　beaten；　he
pretended　to　be　glad　of　it；　because　he　had　fought　with　Jonathan
his　friend　and　ally　against　his　directions。　Accordingly；　he　sent
to　Jonathan；　and　gave　testimony　to　his　worth；　and　gave　him
honorary　rewards；　as　a　golden　button；　（8）　which　it　is　the　custom
to　give　the　king's　kinsmen；　and　allowed　him　Ekron　and　its
toparchy　for　his　own　inheritance。

5。　About　this　time　it　was　that　king　Ptolemy；　who　was　called
Philometor；　led　an　army；　part　by　the　sea；　and　part　by　land；　and
came　to　Syria；　to　the　assistance　of　Alexander；　who　was　his
son…in…law；　and　accordingly　all　the　cities　received　him
willingly；　as　Alexander　had　commanded　them　to　do；　and　conducted
him　as　far　as　Ashdod；　where　they　all　made　loud　complaints　about
the　temple　of　Dagon；　which　was　burnt；　and　accused　Jonathan　of
having　laid　it　waste；　and　destroyed　the　country　adjoining　with
fire；　and　slain　a　great　number　of　them。　Ptolemy　heard　these
accusations；　but　said　nothing。　Jonathan　also　went　to　meet　Ptolemy
as　far　as　Joppa；　and　obtained　from　him　hospitable　presents；　and
those　glorious　in　their　kinds；　with　all　the　marks　of　honor；　and
when　he　had　conducted　him　as　far　as　the　river　called　Eleutherus；
he　returned　again　to　Jerusalem。

6。　But　as　Ptolemy　was　at　Ptolemais；　he　was　very　near　to　a　most
unexpected　destruction；　for　a　treacherous　design　was　laid　for　his
life　by　Alexander；　by　the　means　of　Ammonius；　who　was　his　friend；
and　as　the　treachery　was　very　plain；　Ptolemy　wrote　to　Alexander；
and　required　of　him　that　he　should　bring　Ammonius　to　condign
punishment；　informing　him　what　snares　had　been　laid　for　him　by
Ammonius；　and　desiring　that　he　might　he　accordingly　punished　for
it。　But　when　Alexander　did　not　comply　with　his　demands；　he
perceived　that　it　was　he　himself　who　laid　the　design；　and　was
very　angry　at　him。　Alexander　had　also　formerly　been　on　very　ill
terms　with　the　people　of　Antioch；　for　they　had　suffered　very　much
by　his　means；　yet　did　Ammonius　at　length　undergo　the　punishment
his　insolent　crimes　had　deserved；　for　he　was　killed　in　an
opprobrious　manner；　like　a　woman；　while　he　endeavored　to　conceal
himself　in　a　feminine　habit；　as　we　have　elsewhere　related。

7。　Hereupon　Ptolemy　blamed　himself　for　having　given　his　daughter
in　marriage　to　Alexander；　and　for　the　league　he　had　made　with　him
to　assist　him　against　Demetrius；　so　he　dissolved　his　relation　to
him；　and　took　his　daughter　away　from　him；　and　immediately　sent　to
Demetrius；　and　offered　to　make　a　league　of　mutual　assistance　and
friendship　with　him；　and　agreed　with　him　to　give　him　his　daughter
in　marriage；　and　to　restore　him　to　the　principality　of　his
fathers。　Demetrius　was　well　pleased　with　this　embassage；　and
accepted　of　his　assistance；　and　of　the　marriage　of　his　daughter。
But　Ptolemy　had　still　one　more　hard　task　to　do；　and　that　was　to
persuade　the　people　of　Antioch　to　receive　Demetrius；　because　they
were　greatly　displeased　at　him；　on　account　of　the　injuries　his
father　Demetrius　had　done　them；　yet　did　he　bring　this　about；　for
as　the　people　of　Antioch　hated　Alexander　on　Ammonius's　account；
as　we　have　shown　already；　they　were　easily　prevailed　with　to　cast
him　out　of　Antioch；　who；　thus　expelled　out　of　Antioch；　came　into
Cilicia。　Ptolemy　came　then　to　Antioch；　and　was　made　king　by　its
inhabitants；　and　by　the　army；　so　that　he　was　forced　to　put　on　two
diadems；　the　one　of　Asia；　the　other　of　Egypt：　but　being　naturally
a　good　and　a　righteous　man；　and　not　desirous　of　what　belonged　to
others；　and　besides　these　dispositions；　being　also　a　wise　man　in
reasoning　about　futurities；　he　determined　to　avoid　the　envy　of
the　Romans；　so　he　called　the　people　of　Antioch　together　to　an
assembly；　and　persuaded　them　to　receive　Demetrius；　and　assured
them　that　he　would　not　be　mindful　of　what　they　did　to　his　father
in　case　he　should　he　now　obliged　by　them；　and　he　undertook　that
he　would　himself　be　a　good　monitor　and　governor　to　him；　and
promised　that　he　would　not　permit　him　to　attempt　any　bad　actions；
but　that；　for　his　own　part；　he　was　contented　with　the　kingdom　of
Egypt。　By　which　discourse　he　persuaded　the　people　of　Antioch　to
receive　Demetrius。

8。　But　now　Alexander　made　haste　with　a　numerous　and　great　army；
and　came　out　of　Cilicia　into　Syria；　and　burnt　the　country
belonging　to　Antioch；　and　pillaged　it；　whereupon　Ptolemy；　and　his
son…in…law　Demetrius；　brought　their　army　against　him；　（for　he　had
already　given　him　his　daughter　in　marriage；）　and　beat　Alexander；
and　put　him　to　flight；　and　accordingly　he　fled　into　Arabia。　Now
it　happened　in　the　time　of　the　battle　that　Ptolemy'　horse；　upon
hearing　the　noise　of　an　elephant；　cast　him　off　his　back；　and
threw　him　on　the　ground；　upon　the　sight　of　which　accident；　his
enemies　fell　upon　him；　and　gave　him　many　wounds　upon　his　head；
and　brought　him