the antiquities of the jews-1-第200章

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returned；　they　came　to　Sparta；　and　delivered　the　epistle　which
they　had　received　of　Jonathan　to　them；　a　copy　of　which　here
follows：　〃Jonathan　the　high　priest　of　the　Jewish　nation；　and　the
senate；　and　body　of　the　people　of　the　Jews；　to　the　ephori；　and
senate；　and　people　of　the　Lacedemonians；　send　greeting。　If　you　be
well；　and　both　your　public　and　private　affairs　be　agreeable　to
your　mind；　it　is　according　to　our　wishes。　We　are　well　also。　When
in　former　times　an　epistle　was　brought　to　Onias；　who　was　then　our
high　priest；　from　Areus；　who　at　that　time　was　your　king；　by
Demoteles；　concerning　the　kindred　that　was　between　us　and　you；　a
copy　of　which　is　here　subjoined；　we　both　joyfully　received　the
epistle；　and　were　well　pleased　with　Demoteles　and　Areus；　although
we　did　not　need　such　a　demonstration；　because　we　were　satisfied
about　it　from　the　sacred　writings　（10）　yet　did　not　we　think　fit
first　to　begin　the　claim　of　this　relation　to　you；　lest　we　should
seem　too　early　in　taking　to　ourselves　the　glory　which　is　now
given　us　by　you。　It　is　a　long　time　since　this　relation　of　ours　to
you　hath　been　renewed；　and　when　we；　upon　holy　and　festival　days；
offer　sacrifices　to　God；　we　pray　to　him　for　your　preservation　and
victory。　As　to　ourselves；　although　we　have　had　many　wars　that
have　compassed　us　around；　by　reason　of　the　covetousness　of　our
neighbors；　yet　did　not　we　determine　to　be　troublesome　either　to
you；　or　to　others　that　were　related　to　us；　but　since　we　have　now
overcome　our　enemies；　and　have　occasion　to　send　Numenius　the　son
of　Antiochus；　and　Antipater　the　son　of　Jason；　who　are　both
honorable　men　belonging　to　our　senate；　to　the　Romans；　we　gave
them　this　epistle　to　you　also；　that　they　might　renew　that
friendship　which　is　between　us。　You　will　therefore　do　well
yourselves　to　write　to　us；　and　send　us　an　account　of　what　you
stand　in　need　of　from　us；　since　we　are　in　all　things　disposed　to
act　according　to　your　desires。〃　So　the　Lacedemonians　received　the
ambassadors　kindly；　and　made　a　decree　for　friendship　and　mutual
assistance；　and　sent　it　to　them。

9。　At　this　time　there　were　three　sects　among　the　Jews；　who　had
different　opinions　concerning　human　actions；　the　one　was　called
the　sect　of　the　Pharisees；　another　the　sect　of　the　Sadducees；　and
the　other　the　sect　of　the　Essens。　Now　for　the　Pharisees；　（11）
they　say　that　some　actions；　but　not　all；　are　the　work　of　fate；
and　some　of　them　are　in　our　own　power；　and　that　they　are　liable
to　fate；　but　are　not　caused　by　fate。　But　the　sect　of　the　Essens
affirm；　that　fate　governs　all　things；　and　that　nothing　befalls
men　but　what　is　according　to　its　determination。　And　for　the
Sadducees；　they　take　away　fate；　and　say　there　is　no　such　thing；
and　that　the　events　of　human　affairs　are　not　at　its　disposal；　but
they　suppose　that　all　our　actions　are　in　our　own　power；　so　that
we　are　ourselves　the　causes　of　what　is　good；　and　receive　what　is
evil　from　our　own　folly。　However；　I　have　given　a　more　exact
account　of　these　opinions　in　the　second　book　of　the　Jewish　War。

10。　But　now　the　generals　of　Demetrius　being　willing　to　recover
the　defeat　they　had　had；　gathered　a　greater　army　together　than
they　had　before；　and　came　against　Jonathan；　but　as　soon　as　he　was
informed　of　their　coming；　he　went　suddenly　to　meet　them；　to　the
country　of　Hamoth；　for　he　resolved　to　give　them　no　opportunity　of
coming　into　Judea；　so　he　pitched　his　camp　at　fifty　furlongs'
distance　from　the　enemy；　and　sent　out　spies　to　take　a　view　of
their　camp；　and　after　what　manner　they　were　encamped。　When　his
spies　had　given　him　full　information；　and　had　seized　upon　some　of
them　by　night；　who　told　him　the　enemy　would　soon　attack　him；　he；
thus　apprized　beforehand；　provided　for　his　security；　and　placed
watchmen　beyond　his　camp；　and　kept　all　his　forces　armed　all
night；　and　he　gave　them　a　charge　to　be　of　good　courage；　and　to
have　their　minds　prepared　to　fight　in　the　night　time；　if　they
should　be　obliged　so　to　do；　lest　their　enemy's　designs　should
seem　concealed　from　them。　But　when　Demetrius's　commanders　were
informed　that　Jonathan　knew　what　they　intended；　their　counsels
were　disordered；　and　it　alarmed　them　to　find　that　the　enemy　had
discovered　those　their　intentions；　nor　did　they　expect　to
overcome　them　any　other　way；　now　they　had　failed　in　the　snares
they　had　laid　for　them；　for　should　they　hazard　an　open　battle；
they　did　not　think　they　should　be　a　match　for　Jonathan's　army；　so
they　resolved　to　fly；　and　having　lighted　many　fires；　that　when
the　enemy　saw　them　they　might　suppose　they　were　there　still；　they
retired。　When　Jonathan　came　to　give　them　battle　in　the　morning　in
their　camp；　and　found　it　deserted；　and　understood　they　were　fled；
he　pursued　them；　yet　he　could　not　overtake　them；　for　they　had
already　passed　over　the　river　Eleutherus；　and　were　out　of　danger。
So　when　Jonathan　was　returned　thence；　he　went　into　Arabia；　and
fought　against　the　Nabateans；　and　drove　away　a　great　deal　of
their　prey；　and　took　＇many＇　captives；　and　came　to　Damascus；　and
there　sold　off　what　he　had　taken。　About　the　same　time　it　was　that
Simon　his　brother　went　over　all　Judea　and　Palestine；　as　far　as
Askelon；　and　fortified　the　strong　holds；　and　when　he　had　made
them　very　strong；　both　in　the　edifices　erected；　and　in　the
garrisons　placed　in　them；　he　came　to　Joppa；　and　when　he　had　taken
it；　he　brought　a　great　garrison　into　it；　for　he　heard　that　the
people　of　Joppa　were　disposed　to　deliver　up　the　city　to
Demetrius's　generals。

11。　When　Simon　and　Jonathan　had　finished　these　affairs；　they
returned　to　Jerusalem；　where　Jonathan　gathered　all　the　people
together；　and　took　counsel　to　restore　the　walls　of　Jerusalem；　and
to　rebuild　the　wall　that　encompassed　the　temple；　which　had　been
thrown　down；　and　to　make　the　places　adjoining　stronger　by　very
high　towers；　and　besides　that；　to　build　another　wall　in　the　midst
of　the　city；　in　order　to　exclude　the　market…place　from　the
garrison；　which　was　in　the　citadel；　and　by　that　means　to　hinder
them　from　any　plenty　of　provisions；　and　moreover；　to　make　the
fortresses　that　were　in　the　country　much　stronger　and　more
defensible　than　they　were　before。　And　when　these　things　were
approved　of　by　the　multitude；　as　rightly　proposed；　Jonathan
himself　took　care　of　the　building　that　belonged　to　the　city；　and
sent　Simon　away　to　make　the　fortresses　in　the　country　more　secure
than　formerly。　But　Demetrius　passed　over　＇Euphrates＇；　and　came
into　Mesopotamia；　as　desirous　to　retain　that　country　still；　as
well　as　Babylon；　and　when　he　should　have　obtained　the　dominion　of
the　upper　provinces；　to　lay　a　foundation　for　recovering　his
entire　kingdom；　for　those　Greeks　and　Macedonians　who　dwelt　there
frequently　sent　ambassadors　to　him；　and　promised；　that　if　he
would　come　to　them；　they　would　deliver　themselves　up　to　him；　and
assist　him　in　fighting　against　Arsaces；　（12）　the　king　of　the
Parthians。　So　he　was　elevated　with　these　hopes；　and　came　hastily
to　them；　as　having　resolved；　that　if　he　had　once　overthrown　the
Parthians；　and　gotten　an　army　of　his　own；　he　would　make　war
against　Trypho；　and　eject　him　out　of　Syria；　and　the　people　of
that　country　received　him　with　great　alacrity。　So　he　raised
forces；　with　which　he　fought　against　Arsaces；　and　lost　all　his
army；　and　was　himself　taken　alive；　as　we　have　elsewhere　related。

CHAPTER　6。

How　Jonathan　Was　Slain　By　Treachery；　And　How　Thereupon　The　Jews
Made　Simon　Their　General　And　High　Priest：　What　Courageous　Actions
He　Also　Performed　Especially　Against　Trypho。

1。　Now　when　Trypho　knew　what　had　befallen　Demetrius；　he　was　no
longer　firm　to　Antiochus；　but　contrived　by　subtlety　to　kill　him；
and　then　take　possession　of　his　kingdom；　but　the　fear　that　he　was
in　of　Jonathan　was　an　obstacle　to　this　his　design；　for　Jonathan
was　a　friend　to　Antiochus；　for　which　cause　he　resolved　first　to
take　Jonathan　out　of　the　way；　and　then　to　set　about　his　design
relating　to　Antiochus；　but　he　judging　it　best　to　take　him　off　by
deceit　and　treachery；　came　from　Antioch　to　Bethshan；　which　by　the
Greeks　is　called　Scythopolis；　at　which　place　Jonathan　met　him
with　forty　thousand　chosen　men；　for　he　thought　that　he　came　to
fight　him；　but　when　he　perceived　that　Jonathan　was　ready　to
fi