the wars of the jews-第4章

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h　was　called　Dagon。　Now　when　Hyrcanus　had　received　the　high　priesthood；　which　his　father　had　held　before；　and　had　offered　sacrifice　to　God；　he　made　great　haste　to　attack　Ptolemy；　that　he　might　afford　relief　to　his　mother　and　brethren。

4。　So　he　laid　siege　to　the　fortress；　and　was　superior　to　Ptolemy　in　other　respects；　but　was　overcome　by　him　as　to　the　just　affection　＇he　had　for　his　relations＇；　for　when　Ptolemy　was　distressed；　he　brought　forth　his　mother；　and　his　brethren；　and　set　them　upon　the　wall；　and　beat　them　with　rods　in　every　body's　sight；　and　threatened；　that　unless　he　would　go　away　immediately；　he　would　throw　them　down　headlong；　at　which　sight　Hyrcanus's　commiseration　and　concern　were　too　hard　for　his　anger。　But　his　mother　was　not　dismayed；　neither　at　the　stripes　she　received；　nor　at　the　death　with　which　she　was　threatened；　but　stretched　out　her　hands；　and　prayed　her　son　not　to　be　moved　with　the　injuries　that　she　suffered　to　spare　the　wretch；　since　it　was　to　her　better　to　die　by　the　means　of　Ptolemy；　than　to　live　ever　so　long；　provided　he　might　be　punished　for　the　injuries　he　done　to　their　family。　Now　John's　case　was　this：　When　he　considered　the　courage　of　his　mother；　and　heard　her　entreaty；　he　set　about　his　attacks；　but　when　he　saw　her　beaten；　and　torn　to　pieces　with　the　stripes；　he　grew　feeble；　and　was　entirely　overcome　by　his　affections。　And　as　the　siege　was　delayed　by　this　means；　the　year　of　rest　came　on；　upon　which　the　Jews　rest　every　seventh　year　as　they　do　on　every　seventh　day。　On　this　year；　therefore；　Ptolemy　was　freed　from　being　besieged；　and　slew　the　brethren　of　John；　with　their　mother；　and　fled　to　Zeno；　who　was　also　called　Cotylas；　who　was　tyrant　of　Philadelphia。

5。　And　now　Antiochus　was　so　angry　at　what　he　had　suffered　from　Simon；　that　he　made　an　expedition　into　Judea；　and　sat　down　before　Jerusalem　and　besieged　Hyrcanus；　but　Hyrcanus　opened　the　sepulcher　of　David；　who　was　the　richest　of　all　kings；　and　took　thence　about　three　thousand　talents　in　money；　and　induced　Antiochus；　by　the　promise　of　three　thousand　talents；　to　raise　the　siege。　Moreover；　he　was　the　first　of　the　Jews　that　had　money　enough；　and　began　to　hire　foreign　auxiliaries　also。

6。　However；　at　another　time；　when　Antiochus　was　gone　upon　an　expedition　against　the　Medes；　and　so　gave　Hyrcanus　an　opportunity　of　being　revenged　upon　him；　he　immediately　made　an　attack　upon　the　cities　of　Syria；　as　thinking；　what　proved　to　be　the　case　with　them；　that　he　should　find　them　empty　of　god　troops。　So　he　took　Medaba　and　Samea；　with　the　towns　in　their　neighborhood；　as　also　Shechem；　and　Gerizzim；　and　besides　these；　＇he　subdued＇　the　nation　of　the　Cutheans；　who　dwelt　round　about　that　temple　which　was　built　in　imitation　of　the　temple　at　Jerusalem；　he　also　took　a　great　many　other　cities　of　Idumea；　with　Adoreon　and　Marissa。　　7。　He　also　proceeded　as　far　as　Samaria；　where　is　now　the　city　Sebaste；　which　was　built　by　Herod　the　king；　and　encompassed　it　all　round　with　a　wall；　and　set　his　sons；　Aristobulus　and　Antigonus；　over　the　siege；　who　pushed　it　on　so　hard；　that　a　famine　so　far　prevailed　within　the　city；　that　they　were　forced　to　eat　what　never　was　esteemed　food。　They　also　invited　Antiochus；　who　was　called　Cyzicenus；　to　come　to　their　assistance；　whereupon　he　got　ready；　and　complied　with　their　invitation；　but　was　beaten　by　Aristobulus　and　Antigonus；　and　indeed　he　was　pursued　as　far　as　Scythopolis　by　these　brethren；　and　fled　away　from　them。　So　they　returned　back　to　Samaria；　and　shut　the　multitude　again　within　the　wall；　and　when　they　had　taken　the　city；　they　demolished　it；　and　made　slaves　of　its　inhabitants。　And　as　they　had　still　great　success　in　their　undertakings；　they　did　not　suffer　their　zeal　to　cool；　but　marched　with　an　army　as　far　as　Scythopolis；　and　made　an　incursion　upon　it；　and　laid　waste　all　the　country　that　lay　within　Mount　Carmel。

8。　But　then　these　successes　of　John　and　of　his　sons　made　them　be　envied；　and　occasioned　a　sedition　in　the　country；　and　many　there　were　who　got　together；　and　would　not　be　at　rest　till　they　brake　out　into　open　war；　in　which　war　they　were　beaten。　So　John　lived　the　rest　of　his　life　very　happily；　and　administered　the　government　after　a　most　extraordinary　manner；　and　this　for　thirty…three　entire　years　together。　He　died；　leaving　five　sons　behind　him。　He　was　certainly　a　very　happy　man；　and　afforded　no　occasion　to　have　any　complaint　made　of　fortune　on　his　account。　He　it　was　who　alone　had　three　of　the　most　desirable　things　in　the　world；　…　the　government　of　his　nation；　and　the　high　priesthood；　and　the　gift　of　prophecy。　For　the　Deity　conversed　with　him；　and　he　was　not　ignorant　of　any　thing　that　was　to　come　afterward；　insomuch　that　he　foresaw　and　foretold　that　his　two　eldest　sons　would　not　continue　masters　of　the　government；　and　it　will　highly　deserve　our　narration　to　describe　their　catastrophe；　and　how　far　inferior　these　men　were　to　their　father　in　felicity。

CHAPTER　3。

How　Aristobulus　Was　The　First　That　Put　A　Diadem　About　His　Head；　And　After　He　Had　Put　His　Mother　And　Brother　To　Death；　Died　Himself；　When　He　Had　Reigned　No　More　Than　A　Year。

1。　For　after　the　death　of　their　father；　the　elder　of　them；　Aristobulus；　changed　the　government　into　a　kingdom；　and　was　the　first　that　put　a　diadem　upon　his　head；　four　hundred　seventy　and　one　years　and　three　months　after　our　people　came　down　into　this　country；　when　they　were　set　free　from　the　Babylonian　slavery。　Now；　of　his　brethren；　he　appeared　to　have　an　affection　for　Antigonus；　who　was　next　to　him；　and　made　him　his　equal；　but　for　the　rest；　he　bound　them；　and　put　them　in　prison。　He　also　put　his　mother　in　bonds；　for　her　contesting　the　government　with　him；　for　John　had　left　her　to　be　the　governess　of　public　affairs。　He　also　proceeded　to　that　degree　of　barbarity　as　to　cause　her　to　be　pined　to　death　in　prison。

2。　But　vengeance　circumvented　him　in　the　affair　of　his　brother　Antigonus；　whom　he　loved；　and　whom　he　made　his　partner　in　the　kingdom；　for　he　slew　him　by　the　means　of　the　calumnies　which　ill　men　about　the　palace　contrived　against　him。　At　first；　indeed；　Aristobulus　would　not　believe　their　reports；　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　hea