the antiquities of the jews-1-第190章

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usual　in　triumphs　upon　victory。　They　also　offered
thank…offerings；　both　for　their　good　success；　and　for　the
preservation　of　their　army；　for　not　one　of　the　Jews　was　slain　in
these　battles。（21）

6。　But　as　to　Joseph；　the　son　of　Zacharias；　and　Azarias；　whom
Judas　left　generals　＇of　the　rest　of　his　forces＇　at　the　same　time
when　Simon　was　in　Galilee；　fighting　against　the　people　of
Ptolemais；　and　Judas　himself；　and　his　brother　Jonathan；　were　in
the　land　of　Gilead；　did　these　men　also　affect　the　glory　of　being
courageous　generals　in　war；　in　order　whereto　they　took　the　army
that　was　under　their　command；　and　came　to　Jamnia。　There　Gorgias；
the　general　of　the　forces　of　Jamnia；　met　them；　and　upon　joining
battle　with　him；　they　lost　two　thousand　of　their　army；　（22）　and
fled　away；　and　were　pursued　to　the　very　borders　of　Judea。　And
this　misfortune　befell　them　by　their　disobedience　to　what
injunctions　Judas　had　given　them；　not　to　fight　with　any　one
before　his　return。　For　besides　the　rest　of　Judas's　sagacious
counsels；　one　may　well　wonder　at　this　concerning　the　misfortune
that　befell　the　forces　commanded　by　Joseph　and　Azarias；　which　he
understood　would　happen；　if　they　broke　any　of　the　injunctions　he
had　given　them。　But　Judas　and　his　brethren　did　not　leave　off
fighting　with　the　Idumeans；　but　pressed　upon　them　on　all　sides；
and　took　from　them　the　city　of　Hebron；　and　demolished　all　its
fortifications；　and　set　all　its　towers　on　fire；　and　burnt　the
country　of　the　foreigners；　and　the　city　Marissa。　They　came　also
to　Ashdod；　and　took　it；　and　laid　it　waste；　and　took　away　a　great
deal　of　the　spoils　and　prey　that　were　in　it；　and　returned　to
Judea。

CHAPTER　9。

Concerning　The　Death　Of　Antiochus　Epiphane。　How　Antiochus　Eupator
Fought　Against　Juda　And　Besieged　Him　In　The　Temple　And　Afterwards
Made　Peace　With　Him　And　Departed；　Of　Alcimus　And　Onias。

1。　About　this　time　it　was　that　king　Antiochus；　as　he　was　going
over　the　upper　countries；　heard　that　there　was　a　very　rich　city
in　Persia；　called　Elymais；　and　therein　a　very　rich　temple　of
Diana；　and　that　it　was　full　of　all　sorts　of　donations　dedicated
to　it；　as　also　weapons　and　breastplates；　which；　upon　inquiry；　he
found　had　been　left　there　by　Alexander；　the　son　of　Philip；　king
of　Macedonia。　And　being　incited　by　these　motives；　he　went　in
haste　to　Elymais；　and　assaulted　it；　and　besieged　it。　But　as　those
that　were　in　it　were　not　terrified　at　his　assault；　nor　at　his
siege；　but　opposed　him　very　courageously；　he　was　beaten　off　his
hopes；　for　they　drove　him　away　from　the　city；　and　went　out　and
pursued　after　him；　insomuch　that　he　fled　away　as　far　as　Babylon；
and　lost　a　great　many　of　his　army。　And　when　he　was　grieving　for
this　disappointment；　some　persons　told　him　of　the　defeat　of　his
commanders　whom　he　had　left　behind　him　to　fight　against　Judea；
and　what　strength　the　Jews　had　already　gotten。　When　this　concern
about　these　affairs　was　added　to　the　former；　he　was　confounded；
and　by　the　anxiety　he　was　in　fell　into　a　distemper；　which；　as　it
lasted　a　great　while；　and　as　his　pains　increased　upon　him；　so　he
at　length　perceived　he　should　die　in　a　little　time；　so　he　called
his　friends　to　him；　and　told　them　that　his　distemper　was　severe
upon　him；　and　confessed　withal；　that　this　calamity　was　sent　upon
him　for　the　miseries　he　had　brought　upon　the　Jewish　nation；　while
he　plundered　their　temple；　and　contemned　their　God；　and　when　he
had　said　this；　he　gave　up　the　ghost。　Whence　one　may　wonder　at
Polybius　of　Megalopolis；　who；　though　otherwise　a　good　man；　yet
saith　that　〃Antiochus　died　because　he　had　a　purpose　to　plunder
the　temple　of　Diana　in　Persia；〃　for　the　purposing　to　do　a　thing；
（23）　but　not　actually　doing　it；　is　not　worthy　of　punishment。　But
if　Polybius　could　think　that　Antiochus　thus　lost　his　life　on　that
account；　it　is　much　more　probable　that　this　king　died　on　account
of　his　sacrilegious　plundering　of　the　temple　at　Jerusalem。　But　we
will　not　contend　about　this　matter　with　those　who　may　think　that
the　cause　assigned　by　this　Polybius　of　Megalopolis　is　nearer　the
truth　than　that　assigned　by　us。

2。　However；　Antiochus；　before　he　died；　called　for　Philip；　who　was
one　of　his　companions；　and　made　him　the　guardian　of　his　kingdom；
and　gave　him　his　diadem；　and　his　garment；　and　his　ring；　and
charged　him　to　carry　them；　and　deliver　them　to　his　son　Antiochus；
and　desired　him　to　take　care　of　his　education；　and　to　preserve
the　kingdom　for　him。　（24）　This　Antiochus　died　in　the　hundred
forty　and　ninth　year；　but　it　was　Lysias　that　declared　his　death
to　the　multitude；　and　appointed　his　son　Antiochus　to　be　king；　（of
whom　at　present　he　had　the　care；）　and　called　him　Eupator。

3。　At　this　time　it　was　that　the　garrison　in　the　citadel　of
Jerusalem；　with　the　Jewish　runagates；　did　a　great　deal　of　harm　to
the　Jews；　for　the　soldiers　that　were　in　that　garrison　rushed　out
upon　the　sudden；　and　destroyed　such　as　were　going　up　to　the
temple　in　order　to　offer　their　sacrifices；　for　this　citadel
adjoined　to　and　overlooked　the　temple。　When　these　misfortunes　had
often　happened　to　them；　Judas　resolved　to　destroy　that　garrison；
whereupon　he　got　all　the　people　together；　and　vigorously　besieged
those　that　were　in　the　citadel。　This　was　in　the　hundred　and
fiftieth　year　of　the　dominion　of　the　Seleucidse。　So　he　made
engines　of　war；　and　erected　bulwarks；　and　very　zealously　pressed
on　to　take　the　citadel。　But　there　were　not　a　few　of　the　runagates
who　were　in　the　place　that　went　out　by　night　into　the　country；
and　got　together　some　other　wicked　men　like　themselves；　and　went
to　Antiochus　the　king；　and　desired　of　him　that　he　would　not
suffer　them　to　be　neglected；　under　the　great　hardships　that　lay
upon　them　from　those　of　their　own　nation；　and　this　because　their
sufferings　were　occasioned　on　his　father's　account；　while　they
left　the　religious　worship　of　their　fathers；　and　preferred　that
which　he　had　commanded　them　to　follow：　that　there　was　danger　lest
the　citadel；　and　those　appointed　to　garrison　it　by　the　king；
should　be　taken　by　Judas；　and　those　that　were　with　him；　unless　he
would　send　them　succors。　When　Antiochus；　who　was　but　a　child；
heard　this；　he　was　angry；　and　sent　for　his　captains　and　his
friends；　and　gave　order　that　they　should　get　an　army　of
mercenaries　together；　with　such　men　also　of　his　own　kingdom　as
were　of　an　age　fit　for　war。　Accordingly；　an　army　was　collected　of
about　a　hundred　thousand　footmen；　and　twenty　thousand　horsemen；
and　thirty…two　elephants。

4。　So　the　king　took　this　army；　and　marched　hastily　out　of
Antioch；　with　Lysias；　who　had　the　command　of　the　whole；　and　came
to　Idumea；　and　thence　went　up　to　the　city　Bethsnra；　a　city　that
was　strong；　and　not　to　be　taken　without　great　difficulty。　He　set
about　this　city；　and　besieged　it。　And　while　the　inhabitants　of
Bethsura　courageously　opposed　him；　and　sallied　out　upon　him；　and
burnt　his　engines　of　war；　a　great　deal　of　time　was　spent　in　the
siege。　But　when　Judas　heard　of　the　king's　coming；　he　raised　the
siege　of　the　citadel；　and　met　the　king；　and　pitched　his　camp　in
certain　straits；　at　a　place　called　Bethzachriah；　at　the　distance
of　seventy　furlongs　from　the　enemy；　but　the　king　soon　drew　his
forces　from　Bethsura；　and　brought　them　to　those　straits。　And　as
soon　as　it　was　day；　he　put　his　men　in　battle…array；　and　made　his
elephants　follow　one　another　through　the　narrow　passes；　because
they　could　not　be　set　sideways　by　one　another。　Now　round　about
every　elephant　there　were　a　thousand　footmen；　and　five　hundred
horsemen。　The　elephants　also　had　high　towers　＇upon　their　backs＇；
and　archers　＇in　them＇。　And　he　also　made　the　rest　of　his　army　to
go　up　the　mountains；　and　put　his　friends　before　the　rest；　and
gave　orders　for　the　army　to　shout　aloud；　and　so　he　attacked　the
enemy。　He　also　exposed　to　sight　their　golden　and　brazen　shields；
so　that　a　glorious　splendor　was　sent　from　them；　and　when　they
shouted　the　mountains　echoed　again。　When　Judas　saw　this；　he　was
not　terrified；　but　received　the　enemy　with　great　courage；　and
slew　about　six　hundred　of　the　first　ranks。　But　when　his　brother
Eleazar；　whom　they　called　Auran；　saw　the　tallest　of　all　the
elephants　armed　with　royal　breastplates；　and　supposed　that　the
king　was　upon　hi