the antiquities of the jews-1-第193章

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village　whose　name　was　Bethzetho；　he　led　his　army　against　him：
they　were　twenty　thousand　foot…men；　and　two　thousand　horsemen。
Now　Judas　had　no　more　soldiers　than　one　thousand。　（29）　When　these
saw　the　multitude　of　Bacchides's　men；　they　were　afraid；　and　left
their　camp；　and　fled　all　away；　excepting　eight　hundred。　Now　when
Judas　was　deserted　by　his　own　soldiers；　and　the　enemy　pressed
upon　him；　and　gave　him　no　time　to　gather　his　army　together；　he
was　disposed　to　fight　with　Bacchides's　army；　though　he　had　but
eight　hundred　men　with　him；　so　he　exhorted　these　men　to　undergo
the　danger　courageously；　and　encouraged　them　to　attack　the　enemy。
And　when　they　said　they　were　not　a　body　sufficient　to　fight　so
great　an　army；　and　advised　that　they　should　retire　now；　and　save
themselves　and　that　when　he　had　gathered　his　own　men　together；
then　he　should　fall　upon　the　enemy　afterwards；　his　answer　was
this：　〃Let　not　the　sun　ever　see　such　a　thing；　that　I　should　show
my　back　to　the　enemy　and　although　this　be　the　time　that　will
bring　me　to　my　end；　and　I　must　die　in　this　battle；　I　will　rather
stand　to　it　courageously；　and　bear　whatsoever　comes　upon　me；　than
by　now　running　away　bring　reproach　upon　my　former　great　actions；
or　tarnish　their　glory。〃　This　was　the　speech　he　made　to　those
that　remained　with　him；　whereby　he　encouraged　them　to　attack　the
enemy。

2。　But　Bacchldes　drew　his　army　out　of　their　camp；　and　put　them　in
array　for　the　battle。　He　set　the　horsemen　on　both　the　wings；　and
the　light　soldiers　and　the　archers　he　placed　before　the　whole
army；　but　he　was　himself　on　the　right　wing。　And　when　he　had　thus
put　his　army　in　order　of　battle；　and　was　going　to　join　battle
with　the　enemy；　he　commanded　the　trumpeter　to　give　a　signal　of
battle；　and　the　army　to　make　a　shout；　and　to　fall　on　the　enemy。
And　when　Judas　had　done　the　same；　he　joined　battle　with　them；　and
as　both　sides　fought　valiantly；　and　the　battle　continued　till
sun…set；　Judas　saw　that　Bacehides　and　the　strongest　part　of　the
army　was　in　the　right　wing；　and　thereupon　took　the　most
courageous　men　with　him；　and　ran　upon　that　part　of　the　army；　and
fell　upon　those　that　were　there；　and　broke　their　ranks；　and　drove
them　into　the　middle；　and　forced　them　to　run　away；　and　pursued
them　as　far　as　to　a　mountain　called　Aza：　but　when　those　of　the
left　wing　saw　that　the　right　wing　was　put　to　flight；　they
encompassed　Judas；　and　pursued　him；　and　came　behind　him；　and　took
him　into　the　middle　of　their　army；　so　being　not　able　to　fly；　but
encompassed　round　about　with　enemies；　he　stood　still；　and　he　and
those　that　were　with　him　fought；　and　when　he　had　slain　a　great
many　of　those　that　came　against　him；　he　at　last　was　himself
wounded；　and　fell　and　gave　up　the　ghost；　and　died　in　a　way　like
to　his　former　famous　actions。　When　Judas　was　dead；　those　that
were　with　him　had　no　one　whom　they　could　regard　＇as　their
commander＇；　but　when　they　saw　themselves　deprived　of　such　a
general；　they　fled。　But　Simon　and　Jonathan；　Judas's　brethren；
received　his　dead　body　by　a　treaty　from　the　enemy；　and　carried　it
to　the　village　of　Modin；　where　their　father　had　been　buried；　and
there　buried　him；　while　the　multitude　lamented　him　many　days；　and
performed　the　usual　solemn　rites　of　a　funeral　to　him。　And　this
was　the　end　that　Judas　came　to。　He　had　been　a　man　of　valor　and　a
great　warrior；　and　mindful　of　the　commands　of　their　father
Matrathins；　and　had　undergone　all　difficulties；　both　in　doing　and
suffering；　for　the　liberty　of　his　countrymen。　And　when　his
character　was　so　excellent　＇while　he　was　alive＇；　he　left　behind
him　a　glorious　reputation　and　memorial；　by　gaining　freedom　for
his　nation；　and　delivering　them　from　slavery　under　the
Macedonians。　And　when　he　had　retained　the　high　priesthood　three
years；　he　died。

BOOK　XIII。

Containing　The　Interval　Of　Eighty…Two　Years；

From　The　Death　Of　Judas　Maccabeus　To　The　Death　Of　Queen
Alexandra。

CHAPTER　1。

How　Jonathan　Took　The　Government　After　His　Brother　Judas；　And　How
He；　Together　With　His　Brother　Simon；　Waged　War　Against　Bacchides。

1。　By　what　means　the　nation　of　the　Jews　recovered　their　freedom
when　they　had　been　brought　into　slavery　by　the　Macedonians；　and
what　struggles；　and　how　great　battles；　Judas；　the　general　of
their　army；　ran　through；　till　he　was　slain　as　he　was　fighting　for
them；　hath　been　related　in　the　foregoing　book；　but　after　he　was
dead；　all　the　wicked；　and　those　that　transgressed　the　laws　of
their　forefathers；　sprang　up　again　in　Judea；　and　grew　upon　them；
and　distressed　them　on　every　side。　A　famine　also　assisted　their
wickedness；　and　afflicted　the　country；　till　not　a　few；　who　by
reason　of　their　want　of　necessaries；　and　because　they　were　not
able　to　bear　up　against　the　miseries　that　both　the　famine　and
their　enemies　brought　upon　them；　deserted　their　country；　and　went
to　the　Macedonians。　And　now　Bacchides　gathered　those　Jews
together　who　had　apostatized　from　the　accustomed　way　of　living　of
their　forefathers；　and　chose　to　live　like　their　neighbors；　and
committed　the　care　of　the　country　to　them；　who　also　caught　the
friends　of　Judas；　and　those　of　his　party；　and　delivered　them　up
to　Bacchides；　who　when　he　had；　in　the　first　place；　tortured　and
tormented　them　at　his　pleasure；　he；　by　that　means；　at　length
killed　them。　And　when　this　calamity　of　the　Jews　was　become　so
great；　as　they　had　never　had　experience　of　the　like　since　their
return　out　of　Babylon；　those　that　remained　of　the　companions　of
Judas；　seeing　that　the　nation　was　ready　to　be　destroyed　after　a
miserable　manner；　came　to　his　brother　Jonathan；　and　desired　him
that　he　would　imitate　his　brother；　and　that　care　which　he　took　of
his　countrymen；　for　whose　liberty　in　general　he　died　also；　and
that　he　would　not　permit　the　nation　to　be　without　a　governor；
especially　in　those　destructive　circumstances　wherein　it　now　was。
And　where　Jonathan　said　that　he　was　ready　to　die　for　them；　and
esteemed　no　inferior　to　his　brother；　he　was　appointed　to　be　the
general　of　the　Jewish　army。

2。　When　Bacchides　heard　this；　and　was　afraid　that　Jonathan　might
be　very　troublesome　to　the　king　and　the　Macedonians；　as　Judas　had
been　before　him；　he　sought　how　he　might　slay　him　by　treachery。
But　this　intention　of　his　was　not　unknown　to　Jonathan；　nor　to　his
brother　Simon；　but　when　these　two　were　apprized　of　it；　they　took
all　their　companions；　and　presently　fled　into　that　wilderness
which　was　nearest　to　the　city；　and　when　they　were　come　to　a　lake
called　Asphar；　they　abode　there。　But　when　Bacchides　was　sensible
that　they　were　in　a　low　state；　and　were　in　that　place；　he　hasted
to　fall　upon　them　with　all　his　forces；　and　pitching　his　camp
beyond　Jordan；　he　recruited　his　army。　But　when　Jonathan　knew　that
Bacchides　Was　coming　upon　him；　he　sent　his　brother　John；　who　was
also　called　Gaddis；　to　the　Nabatean　Arabs；　that　he　might　lodge
his　baggage　with　them　until　the　battle　with　Bacchides　should　be
over；　for　they　were　the　Jews'　friends。　And　the　sons　of　Ambri　laid
an　ambush　for　John　from　the　city　Medaba；　and　seized　upon　him；　and
upon　those　that　were　with　him；　and　plundered　all　that　they　had
with　them。　They　also　slew　John；　and　all　his　companions。　However；
they　were　sufficiently　punished　for　what　they　now　did　by　John's
brethren；　as　we　shall　relate　presently。

3。　But　when　Bacchides　knew　that　Jonathan　had　pitched　his　camp
among　the　lakes　of　Jordan；　he　observed　when　their　sabbath　day
came；　and　then　assaulted　him；　＇as　supposing　that　he　would　not
fight　because　of　the　law　for　resting　on　that　day＇：　but　he
exhorted　his　companions　＇to　fight＇；　and　told　them　that　their
lives　were　at　stake；　since　they　were　encompassed　by　the　river；
and　by　their　enemies；　and　had　no　way　to　escape；　for　that　their
enemies　pressed　upon　them　from　before；　and　the　river　was　behind
them。　So　after　he　had　prayed　to　God　to　give　them　the　victory；　he
joined　battle　with　the　enemy；　of　whom　he　overthrew　many；　and　as
he　saw　Bacchides　coming　up　boldly　to　him；　he　stretched　out　his
right　hand　to　smite　him；　but　the　other　foreseeing　and　avoiding
the　stroke；　Jonathan　with　his　companions　leaped　into　the　river；
and　swam　over　it；　and　by　that　means　escaped　beyond　Jordan　while
the　enemies　did　not　pass　over　that　river；　but