the antiquities of the jews-1-第199章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


were　forced　to　throw　down　their　arms；　and　to　deliver　themselves
up　to　Demetrius。　So　he　forgave　them　this　their　insolent　behavior；
and　put　an　end　to　the　sedition；　and　when　he　had　given　rewards　to
the　Jews　out　of　the　rich　spoils　he　had　gotten；　and　had　returned
them　thanks；　as　the　cause　of　his　victory；　he　sent　them　away　to
Jerusalem　to　Jonathan；　with　an　ample　testimony　of　the　assistance
they　had　afforded　him。　Yet　did　he　prove　an　ill　man　to　Jonathan
afterward；　and　broke　the　promises　he　had　made；　and　he　threatened
that　he　would　make　war　upon　him；　unless　he　would　pay　all　that
tribute　which　the　Jewish　nation　owed　to　the　first　kings　＇of
Syria＇。　And　this　he　had　done；　if　Trypho　had　not　hindered　him；　and
diverted　his　preparations　against　Jonathan　to　a　concern　for　his
own　preservation；　for　he　now　returned　out　of　Arabia　into　Syria；
with　the　child　Antiochus；　for　he　was　yet　in　age　but　a　youth；　and
put　the　diadem　on　his　head；　and　as　the　whole　forces　that　had　left
Demetrius；　because　they　had　no　pay；　came　to　his　assistance；　he
made　war　upon　Demetrius；　and　joining　battle　with　him；　overcame
him　in　the　fight；　and　took　from　him　both　his　elephants　and　the
city　Antioch。

4。　Demetrius；　upon　this　defeat；　retired　into　Cilicia；　but　the
child　Antiochus　sent　ambassadors　and　an　epistle　to　Jonathan；　and
made　him　his　friend　and　confederate；　and　confirmed　to　him　the
high　priesthood；　and　yielded　up　to　him　the　four　prefectures　which
had　been　added　to　Judea。　Moreover；　he　sent　him　vessels　and　cups
of　gold；　and　a　purple　garment；　and　gave　him　leave　to　use　them。　He
also　presented　him　with　a　golden　button；　and　styled　him　one　of
his　principal　friends；　and　appointed　his　brother　Simon　to　be　the
general　over　the　forces；　from　the　Ladder　of　Tyre　unto　Egypt。　So
Jonathan　was　so　pleased　with　these　grants　made　him　by　Antiochus；
that　he　sent　ambassadors　to　him　and　to　Trypho；　and　professed
himself　to　be　their　friend　and　confederate；　and　said　he　would
join　with　him　in　a　war　against　Demetrius；　informing　him　that　he
had　made　no　proper　returns　for　the　kindness　he　had　done　him；　for
that　when　he　had　received　many　marks　of　kindness　from　him；　when
he　stood　in　great　need　of　them；　he；　for　such　good　turns；　had
requited　him　with　further　injuries。

5。　So　Antiochus　gave　Jonathan　leave　to　raise　himself　a　numerous
army　out　of　Syria　and　Phoenicia　and　to　make　war　against
Demetrius's　generals；　whereupon　he　went　in　haste　to　the　several
cities　which　received　him　splendidly　indeed；　but　put　no　forces
into　his　hands。　And　when　he　was　come　from　thence　to　Askelon；　the
inhabitants　of　Askelon　came　and　brought　him　presents；　and　met　him
in　a　splendid　manner。　He　exhorted　them；　and　every　one　of　the
cities　of　Celesyria；　to　forsake　Demetrius；　and　to　join　with
Antiochus；　and；　in　assisting　him；　to　endeavor　to　punish　Demetrius
for　what　offenses　he　had　been　guilty　of　against　themselves；　and
told　them　there　were　many　reasons　for　that　their　procedure；　if
they　had　a　mind　so　to　do。　And　when　he　had　persuaded　those　cities
to　promise　their　assistance　to　Antiochus；　he　came　to　Gaza；　in
order　to　induce　them　also　to　be　friends　to　Antiochus；　but　he
found　the　inhabitants　of　Gaza　much　more　alienated　from　him　than
he　expected；　for　they　had　shut　their　gates　against　him；　and
although　they　had　deserted　Demetrius；　they　had　not　resolved　to
join　themselves　to　Antiochus。　This　provoked　Jonathan　to　besiege
them；　and　to　harass　their　country；　for　as　he　set　a　part　of　his
army　round　about　Gaza　itself；　so　with　the　rest　he　overran　their
land；　and　spoiled　it；　and　burnt　what　was　in　it。　When　the　of　Gaza
saw　themselves　in　this　state　of　affliction；　and　that　no
assistance　came　to　them　from　Demetrius；　that　what　distressed　them
was　at　hand；　but　what　should　profit　them　was　still　at　a　great
distance；　and　it　was　uncertain　whether　it　would　come　at　all　or
not；　they　thought　it　would　he　prudent　conduct　to　leave　off　any
longer　continuance　with　them；　and　to　cultivate　friendship　with
the　other；　so　they　sent　to　Jonathan；　and　professed　they　would　be
his　friends；　and　afford　him　assistance：　for　such　is　the　temper　of
men；　that　before　they　have　had　the　trial　of　great　afflictions；
they　do　not　understand　what　is　for　their　advantage；　but　when　they
find　themselves　under　such　afflictions；　they　then　change　their
minds；　and　what　it　had　been　better　for　them　to　have　done　before
they　had　been　at　all　damaged；　they　choose　to　do；　but　not　till
after　they　have　suffered　such　damages。　However；　he　made　a　league
of　friendship　with　them；　and　took　from　them　hostages　for　their
performance　of　it；　and　sent　these　hostages　to　Jerusalem；　while　he
went　himself　over　all　the　country；　as　far　as　Damascus。

6。　But　when　he　heard　that　the　generals　of　Demetrius's　forces　were
come　to　the　city　Cadesh　with　a　numerous　army；　（the　place　lies
between　the　land　of　the　Tyrians　and　Galilee；）for　they　supposed
they　should　hereby　draw　him　out　of　Syria；　in　order　to　preserve
Galilee；　and　that　he　would　not　overlook　the　Galileans；　who　were
his　own　people；　when　war　was　made　upon　them；　he　went　to　meet
them；　having　left　Simon　in　Judea；　who　raised　as　great　an　army　as
he　was　able　out　of　the　country；　and　then　sat　down　before
Bethsura；　and　besieged　it；　that　being　the　strongest　place　in　all
Judea；　and　a　garrison　of　Demetrius's　kept　it；　as　we　have　already
related。　But　as　Simon　was　raising　banks；　and　bringing　his　engines
of　war　against　Bethsura；　and　was　very　earnest　about　the　siege　of
it；　the　garrison　was　afraid　lest　the　place　should　be　taken　of
Simon　by　force；　and　they　put　to　the　sword；　so　they　sent　to　Simon；
and　desired　the　security　of　his　oath；　that　they　should　come　to　no
harm　from　him；　and　that　they　would　leave　the　place；　and　go　away
to　Demetrius。　Accordingly　he　gave　them　his　oath；　and　ejected　them
out　of　the　city；　and　he　put　therein　a　garrison　of　his　own。

7。　But　Jonathan　removed　out　of　Galilee；　and　from　the　waters　which
are　called　Gennesar；　for　there　he　was　before　encamped；　and　came
into　the　plain　that　is　called　Asor；　without　knowing　that　the
enemy　was　there。　When　therefore　Demetrius's　men　knew　a　day
beforehand　that　Jonathan　was　coming　against　them；　they　laid　an
ambush　in　the　mountain；　who　were　to　assault　him　on　the　sudden；
while　they　themselves　met　him　with　an　army　in　the　plain；　which
army；　when　Jonathan　saw　ready　to　engage　him；　he　also　got　ready
his　own　soldiers　for　the　battle　as　well　as　he　was　able；　but　those
that　were　laid　in　ambush　by　Demetrius's　generals　being　behind
them；　the　Jews　were　afraid　lest　they　should　be　caught　in　the
midst　between　two　bodies；　and　perish；　so　they　ran　away　in　haste；
and　indeed　all　the　rest　left　Jonathan；　but　a　few　there　were；　in
number　about　fifty；　who　staid　with　him；　and　with　them　Mattathias；
the　son　of　Absalom；　and　Judas；　the　son　of　Chapseus；　who　were
commanders　of　the　whole　army。　These　marched　boldly；　and　like　men
desperate；　against　the　enemy；　and　so　pushed　them；　that　by　their
courage　they　daunted　them；　and　with　their　weapons　in　their　hands
they　put　them　to　flight。　And　when　those　soldiers　of　Jonathan　that
had　retired　saw　the　enemy　giving　way；　they　got　together　after
their　flight；　and　pursued　them　with　great　violence；　and　this　did
they　as　far　as　Cadesh；　where　the　camp　of　the　enemy　lay。

8。　Jonathan　having　thus　gotten　a　glorious　victory；　and　slain　two
thousand　of　the　enemy；　returned　to　Jerusalem。　So　when　he　saw　that
all　his　affairs　prospered　according　to　his　mind；　by　the
providence　of　God；　he　sent　ambassadors　to　the　Romans；　being
desirous　of　renewing　that　friendship　which　their　nation　had　with
them　formerly。　He　enjoined　the　same　ambassadors；　that；　as　they
came　back；　they　should　go　to　the　Spartans；　and　put　them　in　mind
of　their　friendship　and　kindred。　So　when　the　ambassadors　came　to
Rome；　they　went　into　their　senate；　and　said　what　they　were
commanded　by　Jonathan　the　high　priest　to　say；　how　he　had　sent
them　to　confirm　their　friendship。　The　senate　then　confirmed　what
had　been　formerly　decreed　concerning　their　friendship　with　the
Jews；　and　gave　them　letters　to　carry　to　all　the　kings　of　Asia　and
Europe；　and　to　the　governors　of　the　cities；　that　they　might
safely　conduct　them　to　their　own　country。　Accordingly；　as　they
returned；　they　came　to　Sparta；　and　delivered　the　epistle　which