^ *IVER%. .vlOS ANGELA % i I I THE GENUINE WORKS OF FJLAVIUS JOSEPHUS, THE LEARNED AND AUTHENTIC JEWISH HISTORIAN, AND CELEBRATED WARRIOR. TRANSLATED FROM THE" ORIGINAL GREEK, ACCORDING TO HAVERCAMP'S ACCURATE EDITION. WITH COPIOUS NOTES, & PROPER OBSERVATIONS, IN THREE VOLUMES. VOLUME II. CONTAINING THE LAST NINE BOOKS OF THE ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, WITH THE LIFE OF FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS. WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. TRANSLATED BT WILLIAM WHISTON, A. M. tfATl PROFESSOR OF MATHEMATICS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE. PSJJffED Af SPRINGFIELD, THOMAS AND ANDREWS, BOSTON, AND ISAIAH. THOMAS, JUN. WORCESTER. 1809. Stack Annex THE WORKS OF FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS, CONTAINING THE ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, BOOK XII. Containing the Interval of an hundred and fe verity years. [FROM THE DEATH OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT, TO THE DEATH OF JUDAS MACCABEUS.] CHAPTER I. Mow Ptolemy, the fan of Lagus, took Jcrufalem and Judea by deceit and treachery, and carried many of the 'Jews thence \ and planted them in Egypt. \ i. ^^OW when Alexander, king of Macedon, had put an 1/N end to the dominion ot the Perfians, and had fettled the affairs in Judea after the forementioned manner, he ended his lite. And as his government fell among many, Antigonus obtained Afia, Seleucus Babylon ; and oi the other nations which were there, Lyfimachus governed the Hellefpont, and Caflander poffefled Macedonia ; as did Ptolemy the fon o Lagus feize upon Egypt. And while thefe princes ambi- tioufly ftrove one agamft another, every one for his own prin- cipality, it came to pals that their were continual wars, and thofe lafting wars too ; and the cities were fufferers, and loft a great many ot their inhabitants in thefe times of diftrefs, in fo much that all Syria, by the means ot Ptolemy the fon ot Lagus, underwent the reverfe ot that denomination of Sa- viour, which he then had. He alfo feized upon Jerufalem, and for that end made ufe of deceit and treachery ; for as he came into the city on a Sabbath day, as if he would offer fao 4 ANTIQUITIES 01 THE JEWS." fjBook XII. rifice, he, without any trouble, gained the city, while the Jews did not oppofe him, _|or they did not fufpect him to be their enemy ; and he gained it thus, becaufe they were free from fufpicion of him, and becaufe on that day they were at reft and quietnefs; and when he had gained it, he ruled over it in a cruel manner. Nay, Agatharchides of Criidus, who wrote the acts of Alexander's fuccefjors, reproaches us with fuperftition, as it we, by it, had loft our liberty ; where he fays thus : " There is a nation called the nation of the Jews, who inhabit a city ftrong and great, named Jerufalem. Thefe men took no care, but let it come into the hands of Ptolemy, as not willing to take arms, and thereby they fubmitted to be under an hard mafler, by reafon of their unfeafonable fuper- flition." This is what Agatharchides relates of our nation. But when Ptolemy had taken a great many captives, both from the mountainous parts oi Judea, and from the places about Jerufalem and Samaria, and the places near mount Gerizzim. he led them all into* Egypt, and fettled them there. And as he knew that the people of Jerufalem weret mod faithful in the obfervation of oaths ana covenants ; and this from the anfwer they made to Alexander when he fent an embairage to them, after he had beaten Darius in battle, fo he diltributed many of them into garrifons ; and at Alexan- dria gave them equal privileges of citizens with the Mace- donians themfelves ; and required ot them to take their oaths, that they would keep their fidelity to the pofterity ot thofe who committed thefe pldces to their care Nay there were not a few other Jews, who, of their own accord, went into Egypt, as invited by the goodnefs of the foil, and by the lib- erality ot Ptolemy. However, there were diforders among their pofterity, with relation to the Samaritans, on account ot their refolution to preferve that conduct of life which was delivered to them by their forefathers, and they thereupon contended one with another; while thofe of Jerufalem faid, that their temple was holy, and refolved to fend their facrifi- ces thither ; but the Samaritans were refolved that they Ihould be fent to mount Gerizzim. * The. great number of thefe Jews and Samaritans that were formerly car- lied into Kgypt- by Alexander, and now by Ptolemy the fon of Lagus, appear afterward in ;hz v^lt inultjtuce. who. as we fhall lire prefently, were loon ran- lomcd Liy Phiiadelphus, and by him made free, before he fent for the ieventy- two interpreters : In the many garriioi.s, and other ioldiers of that nation in Egypt : In the famous fet-.letnent of jews, and the number of their fynagogues at Alexandria, long afterward ; and in the vehement contention between the :d Satnaiitans under Philometer, about the place appointed foi public r> in the law of Mofes ; wh-ther at the Jewifh temple of jerulalem, or ?tthe Samaritan temple at Gerizzim ; of all which our author treats hereafter. .And as to the Samaritans carried into ligypt under the fame princes, Scaiiger iuppoies, ihat thofe who have a gteat fyuagogue at Cairo, as alfo thofe whom bic j;e-ignpher i'peaks of, as having feized on an \fland in the Red Sea, aie remains ot t:]mat this very day, as the notes here inform us. + Of the facredneis of oaths among the Jews in the Old Tefhmo Scripture Politic., p. 54, 65. Chap. II.] . ANTIQUITIKS OF THE JEWS. CHAPTER II. How Ptolemy Philadelphus procured the laws of th<> Jews to betranjlated into the Greek Tingue ; .and fet many (.actives free ; and dedicated many gifts to God. i 'TXT'HEN Alexander had reigned twelve years, and after V V him Ptolemy Soter forty years, Philadelphus then tok the kingdom of Egypt, and held it forty years within one. He procured the* law to be interpreted ; and fet free thofe that were come from Jerufalem into Egypt, and were in fla- very there, who were an hundred and twenty thouland. The occafion was this : Demetrius Phalerius, who was library- keeper to the king, was now endeavoring, if it were poffible, to gather together all the books that were in the habitable earth, and buying whatfoever was any where valuable or a- greeable to the king's inclination (who was- very earnestly fet upon collecting of books) to which inclination of his De- metrius was zealously fubfervient. And when once Ptole- my afked him, How many ten thoufands of books he had col- lected ? He replied, That he had already about twenty times ten thoufand, but that, in a little time, he fhould have fifty times ten thoufand. But he laid, he had been informed that there were 'many books ot laws among the Jews, worthy ot inquiring after, and worthy of the king's library, but which being written in characters and in a dialect of their oj^n, will caufe nofmall pains in getting them tranflated into tTO Greek tongue; that the characterjin which they are written leems-to be like to that which is the proper character of the Syrians, and that its found, when pronounced, is like theirs alfo ; and that this found appears to be peculiar to themfelves. Where- fore he faid. that nothing hindered why they might not get thofe books to be tranflated al(b, lor while nothing is wanting that is necefTary tor that purpose, we may have their books alfo in this library. So the king thought that Demetrius was very zealous to procure him abundance of books, and that he fuggefted what was exceeding proper tor him to do ; and therefore he wrote to the Jewiih High Prieft, that he ihould act accordingly. * Of the tranflation of the other parts of the Old TeHament by feventy Egyptian jews, in the reigns of Ptolemy the (on of Lzgus, a-id Philadelphia ; z.s a!!o of the tranflation of the Pentateuch by (eventytwo Jerutalem Jews, in the icventh yearot Philadelpiius at Alexandria ds given ns an account or by Anfte- us, and thence by Philo and Joiephus, with a vindication of Arifteus' hiftorv, fa the Appendix to Lit.'Accomp. of Proph. at lat^-i, p. 117 i,-,t. ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book XII. 2. Now there was one Arifteus, who was among the king'g moft intimate friends, and on account ot his modefty very acceptable to him. This Arifteus refolved frequently, and that before now, to petition the king, that he would let all the captive jews in his kingdom tree ; and he thought this to be a convenient opportunity for the making that petition. So he difcourfed, in the fir ft place, with the captains of the king's guards, Sofibius ot Tarentum, and Andreas ; and per- iuaded them to aflift him in what he was going to intercede with the king for. Accordingly Arifteus embraced the fame opinion with thofe that have been before mentioned ; and went to the king, and made the following fpeech to him : " It is not fit for us, O king, to overlook things haftily> or to deceive ourfelves, Out to lay the truth open : For fince we have determined not only to get the laws of the Jews tranf- cribed, but interpreted alfp, tor thy fatistaction, by what means can we do this, while fo many ot the Jews are now fbves in thy kingdom ? Do thou then what will be agreea- ble to tny magnanimity, and to thy good nature: Free them from the milerable condition they are in, becaufe that God, who fupporteth thy kingdom, was the author ot their laws, as I have learned by particular inquiry ; for both thefe peo- ple, and we alfo, worfhip the fame God, the tramer ol all things We call him, and that truly by the name of Zet/j | or life, or Jupiter i becaufe he breaths life into all men. Where- fore do thou reilore thefe men to their own country ; and this do to the honor of God, becaufe thefe men pay a pecu- liarly excellent worfhip to him. And know this farther, that though ^>e not of kin to them by birth, nor one of the fame country with them, yet do 1 defire thefe favors to be done them, fmce all men are the workmanfhip of God , and 1 am ienfible that he is well pleafed with thofe that do good. I do therefore put up this petition to thee, to do good to them." 3. When Arifteus was faying thus, the king looked upon him with a cheerful and joyful countenance, and faid, " How many ten thoufands doft thou fuppofe there are of fuch as want to be made tree ?" To which Andreas replied, as he flood bye. and faid, " A few more than ten times ten thouf- and. ;> The king made anfwer, " And is this a tmall gift that thou afkeft, Arifteus ?" But Sofibius, and the reft that flood bye, laid, That " he ought to offer fuch a thank offering as was worthy ol his greatnefs of foul, to that God who had giv- en him his kingdom." With this anfwer he was much pleaf- ed ; and gave order, that when they paid the foldiers their wages, they fhould lay down [an* hundred andj twenty * Although ihis number 120 drachmae [of Alexandria, or 60 Jewtfh Shek- els] be here three times repeated, and that in all Joiephus's copies Greek and Latin, yet iiuce all the copies, of Arifteus, whence Joiephus took his relationi Chap. II.3 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. drachmae for every one of the flaves. And lie promifed to publifh a magnificent decree, about what they requeftecl, which ftouH confirm what Arifteus had propofed. and efpe- eially what God willed fhould be done ; whereby he laid he would not only fet thofe free who had been led away captive by his father, and his army, but thole who were in bis king- dom before and thofe alto, if any fuch there were, who rud been brought away fmce. And when they faid, that their redemption money would amount to above tour hundred tal- ents, he granted it. A copy of which decree I have deter- mined to preferve, that the magnanimity < a this king may be made known. Its contents were as follows : " Let all thole who were foldiers under our father, and who, when they over- ran Syria and Phoenicia, and laid wafte Judea, took the Jews captives, and made them flaves, and brought them into our cities, .and into this country, and then lold them; as alfo all thofe that were in my kingdom before them : And it there be any that have been lately brought thither, be made free oy thofe that poffefs them ; and let them accept of [an hundred and I twenty drachmae tor every fljve. And let the foldiers receive this redemption money with their pay, but .the reft out of ;he king's trcafury : For 1 iuppofe that they were made captives without our father's content, and againft equity ; and that their country was harraffed by the infolence ol (he foldiers. and that, by removing them into Egypt, the foldiers have made a great profit by them. Out ot regard therefore to juftice. and out ot pity to thole that have been tyrannized over, contrary to equity, I enjoin thofe that have luch Jews in their fervice to let them at liberty, upon the receipt ot the before mentioned fum ; and that no one ufe any deceit about them, but obey what is here commanded. And 1 will, that they give in their names within three days alter the publica- tion ot this edi6i, to fuch as are appointed to execute the lame, and to produce the flaves before them alfo, for I think it will be for the advantage of my affairs : And let every one that will inform agdinft ihufe that do not obey this decree; and I will, that their eftates be cc nfifcated into the king's treafury." When this decree was read to the king, it at firil Contained the reft that is here inlerted, and onruttted only thofe Jews that had formerly been brought, and 'hofe brought afterwards, which had not been diffintily mentioned, fo he ha e this fum feveial tirpea, and ftill as no more 'ban 20 drachma, or 10 Jfw- iih fhi.-k.Hs; end finer the i\ in ot th? taints, to he if. down pr-tently, which is little above 460, 6-r ioiiv what more than 100.000 fiaves. and is nearly the lanK- in Jole;>hus and Arifkus, does be ter tgree to 20 thjn o ; 20 drachm - finer ihe value of a fkve of eld was, at the uunoft. hut 30 fhekels, >r 60 di :chni i-, toe Exod. xx'. 32, w'ie in the p etent circuaattancts of theie Jc\v- ilh (lives and th dc fo very mini i. us PuiL-cieiphus wotiKi lather redccir; them at a c caper than at a d;a:er iate, there is ^reat icaton to prefer hero A r !','. teus's copifs before jaiephus'3. 8 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book XII, added thefe claufes out of his humanity, and with great gen- crofity. He alfo gave order, that the payment, which was likely to be done in an hurry, fhould be divided among the king's minifters, and among the officers oi his treafury. When this was over, what the king had decreed was quickly brought to a conclufion ; and this in no more than feven days time, the number of the talents paid for the captives be- ing about four hundred and fixty and this, becaufe their maf- ters required the [hundred and | twenty drachmae for the children alio, the king having, in effect, commanded, that thcfe fhould be paid for, when he faid in his decree, that they fhould receive the forementioned fum for every flave. 4. Now when this had been done after fo magnificent a manner, according to the king's inclinations, he gave order to Demetrius to give him in writing his fentiments concerning the tranfcribing of the Jewifh books ; for no part of the ad- miniftration is done rafhly by thefe kings, but all things are managed with great circumfpection. On which account I have fubjoined a copy of thefe epiflles, and fet down the multitude of the veflels fent as gifts fto JerufalemJ and the conduction of every one, that the exactnefs of the artificers \vorkmanfhip, as it appeared to thofe that faw them, and which workman made every vefTel, may be made manifeft, and this on account of the excellency of the veflels them- felves. Now the copy of the epiftle was to this purpofe : *' Demetrius to the great king. When thou, O king, gav- eft me a charge concerning the collection of books that were wanting to fill your library, and concerning the care that ought to be taken about fuch as are imperfect, I have ufed the utmoft diligence about thofe matters. And I let you know, that we want the books of the Jewifh legiflation, with fome others ; for they are written in the Hebrew characters, and being in the language of that nation, are to us unknown. It hath alfo happened to them, that they have been tranfcribed more carelefsly than they ought to have been becaufe they have not had hitherto royal care taken about them. Now it is neceffaiy that thou fhouldft have accurate copies of them. And indeed this legiflation is full of hidden wifdona, and en- tirely blamelefs. as being the legiflation of God : Fur which caufe it is as Hecateus of Abdera fays, that the poets and hiftorians make no mention of it nor of thofe men who lead their lives according to it, fince it is an holy law, and ought not to be publilhed by profane mouths. If then it pleafe thee, O king, thou mayeft write to the high prieff, of the Jews, to lend fix of the elders out of every tribe, and thofe fuch as are mo ft fkiltul of the laws, that by their means we may learn the clear and agreeing fenfe of thefe books ; and may obtain an accurate interpretation of their contents, and fo may have fuch a collection of thefe as may be fuitableto thydefire," Chap. II.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. 9 4. When this epiftle was fent to the king, he commanded that an epiftle fliould be drawn up for Eleazar, the Jewilh high-prieft, con-erning thefe matters ; and that they fhould inform him of the releafe of the Jews that had been in flavery among them. He alfp fent fifty talents of gold for the making of large bafons, and vials and cups, and an immenfe quantity of precious ftones. He alfo gave order to thofe who had trre cuftody of the cherts that contained thofe ftones, to give the artificers leave to choofe out what forts of them they pleafed. He withal appointed, that an hundred talents in money fhould be fent to the temple, for facrifices, and for other ufes. Now I will give a defcription of thefe vefTels, and the manner of their conftruftion, but not till after I have fet down a copy of the epiftle which was written to Eleazer the high-prieft, who had obtained that dignity on the occafion following : When Onias the high-prieft was dead, his fon Simon became his fucceffor. He was called * Simon the jfujl, becaufe of both his piety towards God, and his kind difpofition to thofe of his own nation. When he was dead, and had left a young fon, who was called Onias, Simon's brother Eleazar, of whom we are fpeaking, took the high priefthood ; and he it was to whom Ptolemy wrote, and that in the manner following : ' King Ptolemy to Eleazar the high-prieft, fend.eth greeting : There were many Jews who now dwell in my kingdom, whom the Perfians, when they were in power, earned captives. Thefe were honoured by my father ; fome of them he placed in the army, and gave them greater pay than ordinary ; to others of them, when they came with him into Egypt, he com- mitted his garrifons, and the guarding of them, that they might be a terror to the Egyptians. And when I had taken the gov- ernment, I treated all men with humanity, and efpecially thofe that are thy fellow citizens, of whom I have fet tree above an hundred thoufand that were flaves, and paid the price ot their redemption to their mafters out of my own revenues ; and thofe that are of a fit age, I have admitted into the number of my foldiers. And tor fuch as are capable ot being faithful to me, and proper for my court, I have put them in fuch a poft, as thinking this [kindnefs done to them] to be a very great and an acceptable gitt, which I devote to God for his providence over me. And as I am defirous to do what will be gratetul to thefe, and to all the other Jews in the habitable earth, I have determined to procure an interpretation of your law, and to have it tranllted out ot Hebrew into Greek, and to be repofit- ed in my library. Thou wilt therefore do well to choofe out and fend to me men of a good character, who are now elders in age, and fix in number out of every tribe. Thefe, by their * We have a very great encomium^of this Simon tht jfu/1, the fon of Oaias I. in the fiftieth chapter of the Ecclefiaflicus, through the whole chapter. Nor js it improper to conlult that chapter itlelf upon this occafion. VOL. II. B 10 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [BookXIL age, muft be fkilful in the laws, and of abilities to make an ac- curate interpretation of them : And when this fhall be finifhed 1 /hall think that I have done a work glorious to mylelf. And I have fent to thee Andreas, the captain of my guard, and Arifteus, men whom I have in very great efteem ; by whom I have fentthofe firft fruits which I have dedicated to the tem- ple, and to the faerifices, and to other ufes, to the value of an hundred talents. And it thou wilt fend to us, to let us know what thou wouldft have farther, thou wilt do a thing accept- able to me." 5. When this epi (lie of the king's was brought to Elcazar, he wrote ananfwerto it with all the refpeci poffible ; " Elea- zar the high-prieft to king Ptolemy, fendeth greeting : If thou and thy * queen Arfinoe, and thy children, be well, we are entirely fatisfied. When we received thy epiftle, we greatly rejoiced at thy intentions : And when the multitude were gathered together, we read it to them, and thereby made them fenfible of the piety thou haft towards God. We alfo (hewed them the twenty vials of gold, and thirty of filver, and the five large bafons, and the table for the fhew-bread ; as alfo the hundred talents for the Sacrifices, and for the making what ihall be needful at the temple. Which things Andreas and Ariiteus. thofe mofl honoured friends of thine, have brought us : And truly they are perfons of an excellent character, and of great learning, and worthy of thy virtue. Know then that we will gratify thee in what is for thy advantage, though we do what we ufed not to do before ;. ior we ought to make a return for the numerous afts of kindnefs which thou haft done to our countrymen. We immediately therefore offered fa- erifices for thee and thy lifter, with thy children and friends; and the multitude made prayers, that thy affairs may be to thy mind ; and that thy kingdom may be preferved in peace, and that the tranflation of our law may come to the conclufion thou defireft, and be for thy advantage. We have alfo chofen fix elders out of every tribe, whom we have fent, and the law with them. It will be thy part, out of thy piety and juftice, to fend back the law. when it hath been tranflated ; and to re- turn thofe to us that bring it in fafety. Farewell." 6. This was the reply which the high-prieft made. But it does not feem to me to be neceffary to fet down the names of the feventy [two] elders who were fent by Eleazar, and carri- ed the law, which yet were fubjoined at the end of the epiftle. However, I thought it not improper to give an account of thoie very valuable and artificially contrived vefiels which the * \Vlien we have here and prefently mention made of Philadelphia's Queen,and fifler Arfinoe, we are to remember, with Spanhehn, that Arfmoe was both his iiftrr and his wife, according to the old cuftom of Perfia, and of Egypt at this very time ; nay of the Aflyrians long afterward. See Antiq. B. XX. ch. ii. $ i. vol. II. Whence we have, upon th coins of Philadelphus, this known infcription, the di- *in< brother sndfjler. Chap. II.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. 15 king fentto God, that all may fee how great a regard the king had for God ; ior the king allowed a vafl deal of expences for thefe vefifels ; and came often to the workmen, and viewed their works, and iuffered nothing ot careleffhefs or negligence to be any damage to their operations. And I will relate how rich they were as well as I am able, although perhaps the na- ture of this hiftory may not require fuch a defd iption, but I imagine 1 ihall thereby recommend the elegant taite and mag- nanimity of this king to thofe that read this hiflory. y. And firit I will defcribe what belongs to the table. It was indeed in the king's mind to make this table vaflly large in its dimensions ; but then he gave orders that they mould learn what was the magnitude of the table which was already at Jerufalem, and how large it was, and whether there were a pollibility of making one larger than it. And when he was informed how large that was which was already there, and that nothing hindered but a larger might be made, he faid, That ' he was willing to have one rrade that mould be five times as large as the prefent table, but his fear was, that it might be then ulelefs in their facred miniflrations,by its too great large- nefs ; for he defired that the gifts he prefented them, mould not only be there for mow, but fhould be ufeful alfo in their facred miniftrations." According to which reafoning, thatthe former table was made of fo moderate a fize for ufe, and not for want of gold, he refolved that he would not exceed the for- mer table in largenefs, but would make it exceed it in the variety and elegancy ot its materials. And as he was faga- cious in obferving the nature of all things, and in having a j uft notion ot what was new and furprifing ; and where there was no fculptures, he would invent fuch as were proper, by his own (kill, and would fhew them to the workmen, he com- manded that fuch fculptures mould now be made, and that thofe which were delineated, ihould be molt accurately form- ed, by a conftant regard to their delineation. 8. When theretore the workmen had undertaken to make the table, they framed it in length two cubits [and an half,] in breadth one cubit, and in height one cubit and an half ; andtllfe entire flrufture of the work was ot gold. They withal made a crown of an hand-breadth round it, with wave work wreathed about it, and with an engraving imitated a cord, and was ad- mirably turned on its three parts ; for as they were of a trian- gular figure, every angle had the fame difpofition of its fculp- tures, that when you turned them about, the very fame form of them was turned about without any variation. Now that part ot the crown work that was inclofed under the table had its fculptures very beautitul, but that part which went round on the outfide was more elaborately adorned with molt beau- tiful ornaments, becaufe it was expofed to fight, and to the view of the fpeftators ; for which reafon it was that both thofe fides which were extant above the reft were acute, and 12 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book XIL none of the angles, which we before told you were three, ap- peared lefs than another when the table was turned about. .Now into the cord- work thus turned were precious Hones in- ferted, in rows parallel one to the other, inclofed in golden buttons, which had ouches in them ; but the parts which were on the fide of the crown, and were expoled to the fight, were adorned with a row of oval figures obliquely placed, ot the raoft excellent fort of precious flones, which imitated rods laid dole, and encompalfed the table round about. But un- der thefe oval figures, thus engraven, the workmen had put a crown all round it, where the nature of ail iorts ot fruit was reprefented, infomuch that the bunches of grapes hung up. And when they had made the flones to reprelent all the kinds of fruits before mentioned, and that each in its proper colour, they made them fait with gold round the whole table. The Jike difpofition of the oval figures, and of the engraved rods, was framed under the c* own, that the table might on each fide fhew the fame appearance of variety, and elegancy of its or- naments, fo that neither the pofition of the wave- work nor of the crown might be different, although the table were turned on the other fide, but that the proipett of the fame artificial contrivances might be extended as far as the ieet ; ior there was made a plate of gold tour fingers broad, through the entire breadth ot the table, into which they infertedthe feet, and then, iaitened them to the table by buttons, andbutton-holes, at the place where the crown was fituate, that fo on what fide loevcr ot tlie table one fhould iland, it might exhibit the very fame view of the exquifite workmanfhip, arid ot the vaft expeiuvs beftowed upon it : But upon the table itfelf they engraved a rneander, inferting into it very valuable ftones in the middle like ftars, ot various colours ; ihe carbuncle and the emerald, each of which fent out agreeablerays of light to the fpettators ; vcith fuch flones ot other forts alfo as were moil curious, and beft efteemed, as being mofl precious in their kind. Hard by this meander a texture ot net work ran round it, the middle of which appeared like a rhombus, into which were inierted rock cryftal, and amber, which by the great refemblance ot the ap- pearance they made, gave wonderiul delight to thofe that faw them. The chapiters ot the feet imitated the firft buddings ot lilies, while their leaves were bent and laid under the table, but fo that the chives were feen flanding upright within them. Their bafes were made of a carbuncle ; and the place at the bottom, which refted on that carbuncle, was one palm deep, and eight fingers in breadth. Now they had engraven upon it with a very fine tool, and with a great deal ot pains, a branch ot ivy, and tendrils of the vine, fending forth clufters of grapes, that you would guefsthey were no wife different from real ten- drils; for they were fo very thin, and fo very tar extended at their extremities, that they were moved with the wind, and one believe that they were the product of nature, aad Chap. II.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. I not the reprefentation of art. They alfo made the entire work- niaulhip ot the table appear to be three-fold, while the joints ol the leveral parts were fo united together as to be invifible, and the places where they joined could not be dHtinguilhed. Now the thicknefs of the table was not lefs than halt a cubit. So that this gift by the king's great generofity, by the great value ot the materials, and the vaiiety ot its exquifite ftrutture, and the artificers {kill in imitating nature with graving tools, was at length brought to perfection, while the king was very deiirous that though in largenefs it were not to be different from that which was already dedicated to God, yet that inex- quifite workmanfhip, and the novelty ot the contrivances, and in the fplendour of its conilruction, it Ihould far exceed it, and be more illuftrious than that was. 9. Now ot the cifterns ot gold there were two, whofe fculp- ture was of kale-work, from its bads to its belt like circle, with various lorts oi ftones inchaled in the fpiral circles. Next to vhich there was upon it a meander ot a cubit in height ; it was competed ot denes ot all forts ot colours. And next to th>is was the rod work engraven ; and next to that was a rhom- bus in a texture ot net work, drawn out to the brim of the ba- fon, while imail Ihiclds made of ftones, beautiful in their kind, and of four fingers depth, filled up the middle parts. About the top ot the bafon were wreathed the leaves ot lilies, and of the convolvulus, and the tendrils of vines in a circular manner. And this was the conftruclion ot the two filterns of gold, each containing two firkins. But thole which were ot fiiver were much more bright and fplendid than lookin^-glafTes ; and you might in them lee the images that fell upon them more plainly than in the other. The king alfo ordered thirty vials ; thole ot which the parts that were of gold, and filled up with pre- cious ftones, were ihadowed over with the leaves of ivy, and ot vines, artificially engraven. And thefe were the veflels that were after an extraordinary manner brought to this per- ieclion, partly by the (kill of the workmen, who were admira- ble in fuch fine work, but much more by the diligence and generofity of the king, who not only fupplied the artificers abundantly, and with great generofity, with what they want- ed, but he torbad public audiences for the time, and came and itood by the workmen, and faw* the whole operation. And this was the caufewhy the workmen were fo accurate in their performance, becaufe they had regard to the king, and to his great concern about the velfels, and fo the more indetatigably .kept clofe to the work. 10. And thefe were what gifts were fent by Ptolemy to Je- rufalem, and dedicated to God there. But when Eleazar the high prieft had devoted them to God, and had paid due refpecl to thole that brought them, and had given them prefents to be carried to the king, he difmilTed them. And when they were come to Alexandria, and Ptoleajy heard that they were come, f4 AMTSOUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book XII. and that the feventy elders were come alfo, heprefently fent for Andreas and Arifteus, his ambaffadors, who came to him, and delivered him the epiltle which they brought him from the high prieft, and made anfwer to all the queftions he put to them by word of mouth. He then made halle to meet the el- ders that came from Jerufalem for the interpretation of the laws ; and he gave command, that every body who came on occafions fhould be fent away, which was a thing furprifing, and what he did not ufeto do, for thofethat were drawn thither upon fuch occafions ufed to come to him on the fifth day, but ambafladors at the month's end. But when he had fent thofe away, he waited for thefe that were fent by Eleazar ; but as the old men came in with the prefents, which the highprieit had given them to bring to the king, and with the membranes, upon which they had their laws written in * golden letters, he put queftions to them concerning thofe* books ; and when they had taken off the covers wherein they were wrapt up, they (hewed him the membranes. So the king flood admiring the thinnefs of thofe membranes, and the exaftnefs of the junc- tures ; which could not be perceived, (fo exa6tly were they connecled one with anotherj ; and this he did for a confide- rable time. He then faid, that he returned them thanks tor coming to him, and ftill greater thanks to him that fent them: And, above all, to that God whole laws they appeared to be. Then did the elders, and thofe that were prefent with them, cry out with one voice, and wifhed all happinefs to the king. Upon which he fell into tears by the violence of the pleafure he had, it being natural to men to afford the fame indications in great joy, that they do under forrows. And when he had bid them deliver the books to thofe that were appointed to receive them, he fainted the men ; and faid, that it was but juft to difcourfe, in the firft place, of the errand they were fent about, and then to addrefs himfelt tothemfelves. He promif- ed, however, that he would make this day on which they came to him remarkable and eminent every year through the whole courfe of his life ; for their coming to him and the vic- tory which he gained over Antigonus by fea, proved to be on the very fame day. He alfo gave orders, that they mould fup with him ; and gave it in charge that they fhould have excel- lent lodgings provided for them in the upper part ot the city. II. Now he that was appointed to take care of the reception of ftrangers. Nicanor by name, called for Dorotheus, whofe duty it was to make provih'on for them, and bid him prepare lor every one of them what fhould be requisite for their diet and way of living. Which thing was ordered by the king after this manner : He took care, that thofe that belonged to to every city, which did not ufe the fame way of living, that * The Talmudifts fay, that it is not lawful to write the law in letters of gold contrary to this certain and very ancient example. See Hudion's and JLeland' 8 aotes here. Chap. II.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. *5 all things fhould be prepared for them according to the cuftom of thofe that came to him, that being feafled according to the u- fual method of their own way of living, they might be the better pleafed, and might not be uneafy at any thing done to them, from which they were naturally averfe. And this was now done in the ca(e of thefe men by Dorotheus, who was p,ut into this office becaufe of his great fkill in fuch matters belonging to common life ; for he took care of all fuch matters as concerned the recep- tion of ftrangers, and appointed them double feats for them to fit on, according as the king had commanded him to do ; for he had commanded that half pi their feats fhould be fet at his hand, and the other half behind his table, and took care that no re- fpect fhould be omitted that could be fhewn them. And when they were thus fet down, he bid Dorotheus to minifter to all thofe that were come to him from Judea, after the manner they ufed to be miniftered to : For which caufe he fent away their facred heralds, and thofe that flew the facrifices, and the reft that ufed to fay grace : But called to one of thofe that were come to him, whofe name was Eleazar, who was a prieft, and defired him to * fay grace ; who then ftood in the midft of them,, and prayed, that " all profperity might attend the king, and thofe that were his fubjects." Upon which an acclamation was made by the whole company, with joy and a great noife; and when that was over, they fell to eating their fupper, and to the enjoyment of what was fet before them. And at a little interval afterward, when the king thought a fufficient time had been interpofed, he began to talk philosophically to them, and he afked every one of them a t philofophical queftion,and fuch an one as might give light in thofe enquiries ; and when they had explained all the problems that had been propofed by the king about every point, he was well pleafed with their an- fwers. This took up the twelve days in which they were treated : And he that pleafes may learn the particular queftions in that book of Arifteus's, which he wrote on this very oc- afion. 12. And while not the king only, but the philofopher Mene- demus allo admired them, and faid, that " all things were governed by providence ; and that it was probable that thence it was that fuch force or beauty was difcovered in thefe mens \vords," they then left off afking any more fuch queftions. But the king faid, that he had gained very great advantages * This is the mofl ancient example I have met with, of a grace, or fhort pray- er, or thankfgiving before meat ; which, as it is ufed to be faid by an heathen prieft, vras now laid by Eleazar, a Jewifh prieft who was one of thefe feventy two inter- preters. The next example I have met with is that of the ElTcnes, Of the War, B. II. ch. viii. (j 5. vol. III. both before and after it ; thole of our Saviour before it, Mark viii. 6. John Mi. 11. 23. and St. Paul, Afts xxvii. 35, ar.d a form of fuch a grace or prayer for Chriftians, at the end of the fifth book, of the Apoftolical Conftitutions, -which ieemsto have been intended for both times, both before and after meat t They were rather political queftions and aHfwcrsj Uncling, to the good and religious government of mankind. 16 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book XII. by their coming, for that he had received this profit from them, that he had learned how lie ought to rule his fubjects. And he gave order, that they Ihould have every one three talents given them ; and that thofe that were to conduct them to their lodging mould do it. Accordingly, when three days were o- ver, Demetrius took them, and went over the caiifeway feven furlongs long : It was a bank in the fea to .an ifland. And when they had gone over the bridge, he proceeded to the northern parts, and (hewed them where they fhould meet, which was in anhoufe that was built near the more, and was a quiet place, and fit for their difcourfing together about their work. When he had brought them thither, he entreated them, (now they had all things about them which they wanted for the interpretation of their lawj that they would fuffer no- thing to interrupt them in their work. Accordingly, they madean accuratemterpretation, with great zeal, andgreat pains ; and this they continued to do till the ninth hour of the day ; after which time they relaxed and took care of their body, while their food was provided for them in great plenty ; befides, Dorotheus, at the king's command, brought them a great deal of what was provided for the king himfelt. But in the morning they came to the court, and fainted Ptolemy, and then went away to their former place, where, when they had * warned their hands, and purified themfelves, they betook themfelves to the interpreta- tion of the laws. Now when the law was tranlcribed, and the labour of interpretation was over, which came to its conclu- fion in feventy-two days, Demetrius gathered all the Jews to- gether to the place where the laws were tranflated, and where the interpreters were, and read them over. The multitude did alfo approve of thofe elders that were the interpreters of the law. They withal commended Demetrius tor his pj-opofal, as the inventor of. what was greatly for their happinefs ; and they defired, that he .would give leave to their rulers alfo to read the law. Moreover, they all, both the prieft and the ancient- eft of the elders, and the principal men of their common weal, made it their requeft, that fince the interpretation was happily finifhed, it might continue in the ftate it now was, and might not be altered. And when they all commended that determin- ation of theirs, they enjoined, that if any one obferved either any thing fuperfluous, or any thing omitted, that he would take a view of it again, and have it laid before them, and cor- rected ; which was a wife aflion of theirs, that when the thing was judged to have been well done, it might continue forever. 13. So the king rejoiced, when hefaw that his defign of this * This purification of the interpreters, by warning in the fea before they praye* to God, every morning, snd before they let about tranflating, may he compared with the like praftice of Peter the apoftls, in the recognitions of Clement, B. IV. ch. iii. and B. V. ch. xxxvi. and with the places of the Profeuchoe, or of prcy- er,which were fometimes built near the fea or rivers alfo. Of which matter fceAnticK B. XIV. ch. x. 5, 23. Vol. II. and Aftsxvi. 13. 16. Chap. II.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEV/S. I? nature was brought to perfection, to fo great advantage ; and he was chiefly delighted with hearing the laws read 10 him ; and was aftonifhed at the deep meaning and wifdotn of the legiflator. And IK; began to clifcourfe with Demetrius " How it came to pafs, that when this legillation was fo wonderful, no one, either of the poets, or of the hiitoiians had made men- tion of it." Demelrius made anfwer, that " no one duril be fo bold as to touch upon the defcription of thele laws, becaufe they were divine and venerable 1 , and becaufe fome that had at- tempted it were afflicted by God." He alfo told him, that. " Theopompous was defirous of writing fome what about them, but was thereupon diiturbed in his mind for above thirty days time ; and upon lome iniermiflion of his diftemper, he appeal- ed God [by prayer,] as fufpeling that his madnefs proceeded from that caufe." Nay, indeed he further faw a dream, th:it his diltemper befelhirn while he indulged too great a cunofi- ty about divine matters, and was defirous of publifhing them among common men ; but when he left off that attempt, here- covered his uridei {landing again. Moreover he informed him of Theodecles, the tragic poet, concerning whom it was re- ported, that when in a certain dramatic reprefentation, he was defirous to make mention of things that were contained in the lacred books, he was afflicted with a darknefs in his eyes ; and that upon his being confciousof the occafion of his diftemper, and appealing God [by prayer,] he was treed from that afflic- tion. 14. And when the king had received thefe books from De- metrius, as we have faid already, he adored them ; and gave order, that great care fhould be taken of them, that they might remain unconupted. He. alfo defired that the interpreters would come often to him out of Judea, and that both on ac- count of the refpc6ts that he would pay them, and on account of the prefents he would make them : For he faid, '' It was now but juff. to fend them away, although if, of their own ac- cord, they would come to him hereafter, they fhould obtain all that their own wifdom might juflly require, and what his generofity was able to give them." So he then fent them a- way ; and gave-to every one of them three garments of the bell fort, and two talents of gold, and a cup of the value of one talent, and the furniture of the room wherein they were feaft- ed. And thefe were the things he preieuted to them. But by them he fent to Eleazer the high-prieft, ten beds, with feet of filver, and the furniture to them belonging, arid a cup of the value of thirty talents ; and befides thefe, ten garments, and purple, and a very beautiful crown, and an hundred pieces of the fineft woven linen ; as alfo vials and dimes, and vellels for pouring, and two golden cifterns, to be dedicated to God. He alfo defired hiru, by an epiftle, that he would give thefe interpreters leave if any of them were defirous, of coming to him, becaufe he highly valued a convcrfation with men of luch VOL. II. C 1% ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Bock XIL learning ; and (hould be very \\i\\\ng to lay cut his wealth up- on fuch men. And this was what came to the Jews, and was much to their glory and honour, from Ptolemy Philadelphus. CHAP. III. How th: Kin's of Afia honoured the nation of the Jews, and made them Citizens oj thoj'c Citits which they built. I. nTHE Jews alfo obtained honours from the kings ( [ 1 Alia when they became their auxiliaries ; for Seleu- cus Nicator made t'.ein citizens in thofe cities which he built in Alia, and in the lower Syria, and in the metropolis itfell, Acitioch ; and gave them privileges equal to thofe ot the Ma- cedonians and Gieeks, who were the inhabitants, infomuch that these privileges continue to this very day : An argument lor which you Irivcm this, that whereas the Jews do make ufc ot * oil pic pn<>-d ly foreigners, they rece-ve a certain fum of money from th.; pioper olficeis belonging to their exercifesas the value would have deprived them of, in the laft war, Mu- cianus, who was then prefident of Syria, preferved it to them. And when the people or' Alexandria and of Antioch did alter that, at the time that. Vefpafian and Titus his (on governed the habitable earth, pray that thefe privileges of citizens might be taken away, they did not obtain their icqm-fh In which be- haviour any one may difcern the f equity and generality of the Romans, especially of Vefpafian and Titus, who, although they had been at a gre-u deal ot pains in the war ygainft the Jews, and wereexafperated againft them, becaufe they did not deliv- er up t.itir weapons to them, but continued the war to the very Sail, yet did not they take away any of their fore-mentioned privileges belonging to them as citizens, but reftrained their ^.nger ; md overcame the prayers of the Alexandrians and Anti* ochians, who were a very powerful people, infomuch that they diel not yield to them, neither out of their favour to thefe peo- ple, nor out of their old grudge at thofe whofe wicked oppo- lition they had fubdued in the war: Nor would they alter any * The iifeofr.il was much greater, and the donatives of it itiuch more valuable in ]urtt3, and the neighbouring countries, than it is amongftus. It was alio, in the cays i t Jotephus; thought unlawful lor Jews to make u!e of any oil that was pre- pared by hia:hens, perhaps os account of fonie iuperflitions intermixed with its (.repau-tion i y thole 1 eathfns. T Vhen therefore the heathens were to make them a donative of oil, thiy paid them money inftead of it. See, Of the \Var, K. II. ch. ,\xi. i, 2. vol II. the Life ot Jofcphus, ^ 13. Vel. II. and Hudfon's note on the place bt'orc us. t 'Ihis, and theliVe great and juR charaftersof the juflice and equity, and gcn- erofiiy of the old Romans, both to the Jews and other conquered nations, affords us a very rood reaion why ahnighty God, upon the rcivdica of the Jews for their wickedness, chofe them for his people, and firft eftablifhed chriftianity in that em- pire. Of which matter, fte foleuhus here, , as alfo Autiq. B. XIV. ch, x. $ ss, t. R. XVI.ch. ii. ^,u vol.'ll. Chap. III.] ANTIQUiTIE& OF THE JLV/S, 1$ of the ancient favours granted to the Jews, but faid, that thofe who had borne arms agaiuft tliem, and fought them, had fuf- L-red puniiliment already, and that it was not jult .to deprive th.,:e tl-.it had not offended ot the privileges they enjoyed. 2. We alio know that Marcu-, Agnppa was ot the like, dif- ion towards the Jews : For when the people of Ionia were very angry at them, and befought Agrippa, that they, and they only might have thofe privileges ot citizens which Antiochus, the grandion ot Seleucus (who by the Greeks was called the GodJ had bellowed on them ; and delired, that if the Je vs were to be joint partakers with them they might be obhg,\i to worship the gods they themfelves worfhipped : But when thele matters were uroug.u to the trial, the Jews prevailed, and ob- tainj.l leave to make life o- their own tufloms, and this under the patronage of Nicoiausot Damascus ; lor Agrippa gave ien- tence, that he could not innovate. And it any one ha 1 h a mind to know this matter accurately, let him perufe the hundred and twenty-third, and hundred and twenty-fourth book of thehif- tory ot this Nicolaus. Now, as to this determination of A- grippa, it is not to much to be admired, for at that time our nation had not made .var again it ;he Romans. But one may well be aftonilhed at the generality o* VefpaGan and Titus that alter fo great wars and contefts which they had from us, they Jnould ufe iuch moderation. Bat I wiil now return to that part ot my hifiory, whence I made the piefeut d grefiioa. 3. Now it happened that in the r.-ign ot Antiochus the Grea^ \vho ruled overall Afia, that the Jews as wvll as tht i.ihibi- tants ot Celefyria fu lie red greatly, and their land was iorcly harralled : For while he was at war with Ptolemy Phil/pafor, and with his fon, who was called Epiphanes, it tell out tint thefe nations were equally fu/Iercrs both when he was beaten, and when he beat the others : ^o that they were very hke to a fnip in a Itorm, which is toiled by the waves on both tides ; and jult thus were they in their fituation in the middle between An- tiochus's prosperity, and its change to a-iverfity. But at length, when Antiochus had beaten Ptolemy, he lei zed upon Judea : And when Philopator was dead, Ins fon fent out a great army under Scopas. the general of his forces, againftthe inhabitants ot Celefyria, who took many of their cities, and in particular our nation ; which, when he fell upon them, went over to him. Yet was it not long afterward u hen Antiochus overcame Scopas in a battle fought at the fountains ol Jordan, and deftroyed a great part of his army. But afterward, when Antiochus fubdued thofe cities of Celefyria which Scopas had gotten into his poffeflion, and Samaria with them, the Jews, ot their own accord, went over to him, and received him into the city fjerufalem,] and gave plentiful provifion to all his army, and to his elephants, and readily aflilted him when he befieged the garrifon which was in the citadel of Jerufalem. Wherefore Antiochus thought it but juii to requite the Jews ANTIQUITIES OF THft JEWS. [Book X1L diligence and zeal in his fervice : So he wrote to the generals of bis armies, and to his iriends, and gave teftimony to the good behaviour of the Jevys towards him, and informed them what rewards he had relolved to bellow on them tor that their behaviour. 1 will fct down prefently the epiftles themfelves, which he wrote to the generals concerning them, but will firit produce the teftimony ot Poly bins ot Megalopolis ; lor thus does he (peak, in the fixteenth book ot his hiilory : " Now Scopas, the general ot Ptolemy's army, went in hafte to the Superior parts ot the country, and in the winter time oyerthew the nation ot the Jews. He alfo faith, in the fame book, that when Scopas was conquered by Antiochus, Antiochus receiv- ed Batanea and Samaria, and Abila and Gadara ; and that, a while afterwards, there came in to him thole Jews that inhabit- ed near that temple which was called Jerufatcm : Concerning which, although I have more to fay, and particularly concern- ing the pre fence ot God about that temple, yet do I put off that hiflory till another oppoitunity." This it is which Poly- pins relates. But we will return to the i'mes ot the hi (lory, when we have firft produced the epillles ot king Antiochus. " King Antiochus to Ptolemy, fendcth greeting : " Since the Jews, upon our firft entrance on their country v flemonftrated their friendship towards us ; ami when we came to their city | Jerufalem, | received us in a fplendid manner, and came to meet us with their fenate. and gave abundance of provifions to our foldiers, and to the elephants, and joined with us in ejecting the garrifon ot the Egyptians that Wfie in the citadel, we have thought fit to reward them and to retrieve the condition of their city, which hath been greatly depopula- ted by fuch accidents as have befallen its inhabitants, and to bring thofe that have been fcattered abroad back to the city, And, in the firft place, we have determined, on account ot their piety towards God, to beftow on them as a pen (ion, tor their facnfices oi animals that are fit for facrifice, tor wine and oil, and frankincenfe, the value of twenty thoufand pieces ot filver, and ( fixj facred artabrae of fine flour, with one thou- fand four hundred and fixty medimni of wheat, and three hun- dred and feventy-five medimni of fait. And thefe payments I would have fully paid them, as 1 have fent orders to you. 1 would alfo have the work about the temple fiuifhed, and the cloiftcrs, and if there be any thing elfe that ought to be rebuilt. And tor the materials ot wood, let it be brought them put of Judea itfelf, and out of the other countries, and out ot Libanus tax tree : And the fame I would have obferved as to thofe oth- er materials which will be neceffary, in order to render the temple more glorious. And let all of that nation live accord- ing to the laws of their own country : And let the fenate and ike priefts, and the fcribes of the temple, and the facred fing- Chap. III.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. 21 ers, be difcharged from poll-money and the crown tax, and othtr taxes alio. And that the city may the fooner recover its inhabitants, I grant a difcharge from taxes for three years to its prefent inhabitants ; and to fuch as ihall come to it, until the month Hyperbereteus. We alfo difcharge them lor thef u- uire from a third part of their taxes, that the lofles they have fuftaincd may be repaired. And all thofe citizens that have been carried away, and are become flaves, we grant them and their children their freedom ; and give order that their fub- Itance be reltored to them." 4. And thefe werfe the contents of this epiftle. He alfo pub- h'ihed a decree, through all his kingdom, m honour ot the tem- ple, which contained what follows : " It Ihall be lawful for no foreigner to come within the limits of the temple round about ; which thing is forbidden alfo to the Jews, unlefs to thofe who, according to their own cuftom have purified themfelves. Nor let any flefh of horfes, or of mules, or of affes, be brought into the city, whether they be wild or tame ; nor that of leopards, or foxes, or hares ; and, in general, that of any animal which is forbidden tor the jews to eat. Nor let their (kins be brought into it ; nor let any fuch animal be bred up in the city. Let them only be permitted to ufethe faerifices derived from their fore-fathers, with which they have been obliged to make ac- ceptable atonements to God. And he that tianfgrefTeth any ot thefe orders, let him pay to the prieffs three thoufand drachmae o( filver " Moreover this Antipchus bare teftimo- iiy if) our piety and fidelity, in an epiftleof his, written when "lie was informed oi a fedition inPnrygiaand Lydia, at which nine he was in the fuperior provinces, wherein he command- ed Zeuxis, the general ot his forces, and his mo ft intimate iriend. to iend fome of our nation out of Babylon into Phry- gia. The epiltle was this : " King Antiochus to Zeuxis his father, fendeth greeting. " If you are in health, it is well. I alfo am in health. Hav- ing been informed that a fedition is arifen in Lydia and Phry- gia, I thought that matter required great care: And upon ad- viiingwithmy friends what was fit to be done, it hath been thought proper to remove two thoufand families of Jews, with th'.-ir effects, out of Mefopotamia and Babylon, unto the caf- tles and places that lie moft convenient ; tor I am perfuaded that they will be well difpofcd guardians of our poffeffions, becaufe of their piety towards God, and becaufe I know that uiy predeceffors have born witnefs to them, that they are faith- ful, and, with alacrity, do what they are defired to do. I will, therefore, though it be a laborious work, that thou remove thefe Jews ; under a promife, that they (hall be permitted to life their own laws. And when thou lhalt have brought them to the places fore-mentioned, thou lhalt give every one of their 22 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book XU, families a place for building th?ir houfes, and a portion of land tor their huftjandry, and for the plantation of their vines ; and thou (halt difcharge them from paying taxes of the fruits of the earth tor ten years ; and let them have a proper quan- fity ot wheat tor the maintenance of their fervants, until they receive bread-corn out ot the earth : Alfo let a fufficient (hare be given to fuch as minilter to them in the neccffaries ot life, that by enjoying the effels ot our hum.i:iity, they may (hew themfelves the more willing and ready about o >r affairs. Take care likewifeof that nation, as far as thou art able, that they rnay not have any diftnrbance given them by any one." Now theie teftimonials which I have produced, are fu'ficient to de- clare the trie-adlhip that Antiochus the Great bace to the Jews. CHAP. IV. How Antiochus made a league with Ptolemy ; and how Owat provoked Ptolemy Euergetes to anger ; and kow jfofcph brou Jit all things right again, and entered into friend/hip with him; and what other things were done by Jofeph, and his f on Hyr- canus. I. A FTER this Antiochus rnadc a friendfhip and a league L\. with Ptolemy ; and gave himbis daughter Ck-opatra to wiFe, and yielded up to him Celefyria, and Samuna and Judea,_and Phenicia, by way of dowry. And upon the divif- loa of the taxes between the two kings, all the principal men framed the taxes ot their several countries, and collecting the fum that was fettled for them, paid the lame to the [two] kings. Now at this time the Samaritans were in a fiourithing condi- tion, and mqch diftrefled the Jews, cutting off parts of their- land, and carrying off flavcs. This happened when Onias was high-pried ; tor after Eleazar's death, his uncle Manafleh took the priefthood.and a'terhehad e:idedhis life, Ouias re- ceived that dignity. He was the fon ot Simon, who was cal- led the Jujl ; which Simon was the brother of Eleazer, as I faid betore. This Onias was onrot a little foul, and a great lover ot money ; and tor that reafon, becaufc he did not pay that tax of twenty talents ot filver, which his forefathers paid to thefe kings, out ot their own eftates, he provoked king Ptol- emy Euergetes to anger, who was the father of Philopater. Euergetes lent an ambaffador to Jerufalem, and complained that Onias did not pay his taxes, and threatened, that it he did not receive them, he would feize upon their land, and fend fol- diers to live upon it. When the Jews heard this meffage ot the king's, they were confounded : But fo fordidly covetous was Onias. that nothing of this nature made him afhamed. 2. There was now one Jofeph, young in age, but of great reputation among the people ot Jerufalem, for gravity, pru- dence, and juftice. His father's name was Tobias; and his Chap. IV.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. i^ mother was the fifterof Onias the high-pried, who informed him of the coming of the ambaflador ; for he was then fojourn- ing at a village named * Phicol, where he was born. Hereup- on he came to the city [Jerufa!em,J and reproved Onias for not taking care of the prefervation ot his countrymen, but bringing the nation into dangers, by not paying this money. For which prefervation of them, he told him he had received the authority over them, and had been made high-prieft : But that, in cafe he was io great a lover ot money, as to endure to fee his country in danger on that account, and his countrymen naffer the greateft damages, he advifed him to goto the king, and petition him to remit either the whole, or a part ot the fum demanded. Onias'sanlwer was this, That he did not care for his authority, and that he was ready, if the thing were prac- ticable, to lay down his high prieilhood ; and that he would not go to the king, be-caufe he troubled ru-thimfelf at all about fuch matters. Jofeph then afked him, If he would not give him leave to go ambailador on behalf of the nation ? He re- plied, That he would give him leave. Upon which Jofeph went up into the temple ; and called the multitude together, to a congregation, and exhoited them not to be difturbed nor af- frighted, becaufe of his uncle Onias's careleffhefs, but defired them tovbe at reft, and not terrify themfelves with fear about it ; for he promised them that he would be their ambaffador to the king, and perfuade him that they had done him no wrong. And when the multitude heard this, they returned thanks to Jofeph. So he went down from the temple, and treated Ptol- emy's ambafFador in an hofpitable manner. He alfo prefent- ed him with rich gitts ; and feafied him magnificently for many days, and then fent him to the king before him, and told him that he would foon follow him : For he was now more willing to go to the king, by the encouragement of the ambaf- fador, who earneuMy perfuaded him to come into Egypt ; and promifed him that he would take care that he mould obtain every thing that he defired of Ptolemy, for he was highly pleaied with his frank and liberal temper, and with the gravity ot his deportment. 3. When Ptolemy's am'oalTador was come into Egypt, he told ,he king otthe thoughtlefs temper ot Onias ; and inform- ed him ot the goodneis of the difpofition of Jofeph ; and that he was coming to him, toexcufe the multitude, as not having done him any harm, for that he was their patron. In mort, he was fo very large in his encomiums upon the young pan, that he difpofed both the king and his wife Cleopatra to have a kindnefs tor him before he came. So Jofeph fent to his friends at Samaria, and borrowed money ot them, and got ready what * The name of this place, Phic>'! t is the very fsme->vith irct cf ihe chief captain of Abirr.cltch's hoit. ia the days of Abraham, Gen. xri. Z2, nnd might poiiibly be the p'ace ( f that Phicel's nativity or abgdr , fcr -* :-'erns to bs. luuth pan of Pj.lci\ine, as that was. >J4 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [BookXII was necedary for his journey, garments, and cups and beafLs ior burden, which amounted to about twenty thoufand drachma, and went to Alexandria. Now it happened, that at this time ail the principal men and rulers went up out of the cities ct Syria and Phenicia, to bid for their taxes ; tor every year the king fold them to the men of the greeted power in every city. So thefemen faw Joieph journeying on the way. and laughed at him tor his poverty and meannelsj But when he came to Alexandria and heard that king Ptolemy was at Memphis, he vent i'.p tiiithef to meet with him ; which happened as the king was fitting in his chariot, with his wife and with his friend Atheiiion, who was the very pcrfon who had been ambaHador at Jerufalem, and been entertained Ky Jofeph. As foon there- fore as Athenionfaw him, lie prefentiy made him known to the king, how good and generous a young man he was. So Ptol- emy faluted him firfl, and defired him to come up into l\\^ chariot ; and as Jofeph fat there, he began to complain of the management oi Unias. To which he anfwered, Forgive him on. account of his age, for thou canft not certainly be unac- quainted with this, that old men and intants have their minds exatlly alike; but thou (halt have from us, who are young men, every thing thou deffreft, and fhah have no cauie to plain. With this good humour and pleafantry of theyoun^ man, the king was fo delighted, that he began already, as though he had long experience ot him, to have a ftill greater affefclion ior him, inibmuch, that he bade him take his diet in the kings palace, and be a gueft at his own table every day. But when the king was come to Alexandria the principal men of Syria, faw him fitting with the king, and were much offended at it. 4. And when the day came on which the king was to let the taxes ot the cities to farm, and thofe that were the principal men of dignity in their feveral countries were to bid for them, the fum of the taxes together, of Celefyria and Phenicia, and Judea, with Samaria [as they were bidden tor,J came to eight thoufand talents. Hereupon Jofeph accufed the bidders, as having agreed together to eftimatethe value of the taxes at too Iowa rate ; and hepromifed, that he would himfelf give twice as much for them : But for thofe who did not pay, he would fend the king home their whole fubftance ; for this privilege was fold together with the taxes themfelves. The king was pleafed to hear that offer ; and becatife it augmented his reven- ues, he faid, he would confirm the fale ot the taxes to him. But then he afked him this queftion, Whether he had any furetiesthat would be bound for the payment ot the money ? he anfwered very pleafantly, I will give fuch lecurity. and thofe of perfons good and refponfible, and which you fhali have no reafon to difti uih And when he bid him name them, who they were, he replied, I give thee no other perfons, O king,$formy fureties than thyfelf, and this thy wife; and you fhall be fecurity for both parties. So Ptolemy laughed at the Chap. IV.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. 25 propofal, and granted him the farming of the taxes without a- ny fureties. This procedure was a fore grief to thofe that came from the cities into Egypt, who were utterly difappoin- ted ; and they returned every one to their own country with fhame. 5. But Jofcph took with him two thoufand foot foldiers from the king ; for he deftred he might have fome afhftance, in or- der to force fuch as were refractory in the cities to pay. And borrowing of the king's friends at Alexandria five hundred ta'enti, he made hafte back into Syria. And when he was at Afkelon- and demanded the taxes ot the people of Afkelon, they refufed to pay any thing ; and affronted him alfo : Upon which he ieized upon about twenty of the principal men, and flew them, and gathered what they had together, and fent it all to ihe king; and informed him what he had done. Ptole- my admired at the prudent conducl oi the man, and commen- ded him for what he had done ; and gave him leave to do as he pleafed. When the Syrians heard of this, they were afton- ilhed ; and having hetore them a lad example in the men of Afkelon that were flain, they opened their gates, and willing- ly admitted ,ofepb, and paid their taxes. And when the in- habitants of Scythopolis attempted to affront him, and would not pay him thofe taxes which they formerly ufed to pay, without difputing about them, he flew alfo the principal men ot that city, and fent their effefts to the king. By this means he gathered great wealth together, arid made vail gains by this farming ot the taxes ; and he made ufe ot what effate he had thus gotten, in order to fupport his authority, as thinking it a. piece ot prudence to keep what had been the occafion and foundation of his prefent good fortune ; and this he did by the affiftance of what he was already poffefled of, for he pri- vately fent many prefents to the king, and to Cleopatra, and to their friends, and to all that were powerful about the court, and thereby purchafed their goodwill to himfelt, 6. This good fortune he enjoyed for twenty -two years ; and was become the father oi feven ions, by one wife : He had alfo another fon, whole name was Hyrcanus, by his brother Soiy- mius's daughter, whom he married on the following occafion. He once came to Alexandria with his brother, wlio had along with him a daughter already marriageable, in order to give her in wedlock to fome ot the Jews ot chief dignity there. He then fupped with the king, and tailing in love with an a6trefs, that was of great beauty, and came into the room where they feafted, he told his brother ot it, and entreated him, be-caule a Jew is forbidden by their law to come near to a foreigner, to conceal his offence, and to be kind and fubfervient to him, and to give him an opportunity ot fulfilling hisdefires. Upon which his brother willingly enfertained the propofal of icrving him, and adorned his own daughter, and brought her to him. by night, and put her into his bed. And Jofepk being difor- VOL. II. D 26 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book XII. dered with drink, knew not who fhe was, and fo lay with his brother's daughter ; and this did he many times and loved her exceedingly ; and faid to hip brother, that he loved this aftrefs fo well, that he mould run the hazard of his life [if he muft part with her I, and yet probably the king would not give hirn leave [to take her with him ]. But his brother bid him be in no concern about that matter, and told him, he might enjoy her whom he loved without any danger, and might have her for his wife ; and opened the truth of ihe matter to him, and allured him that he chofe rather to have his own daughter a- bufed, than to overlook him, and fee him come to [public] difgrace. So Jofeph commended him for this his brotherly- love ; and married his daughter ; and I y her begat a Ton, whofe name was Hyrcanus, as we faid before. And when this his youngeil fon mewed, at thirteen years old, a mind that was both courageous and wife, and was greatly envied by his brethren, as being of a genius much above them, and fuch an one as they might well envy, Jofeph had once a mind to know which of his Tons had the belt difpofition to virtue, and when ho fent them feverally tothofe tha, had then the belt reputation for inftrufting youth, the reft of his children, by reafon of their floth. and unwillingnels to take pains, returned to him foolilh and unlearned. After them he Tent out the youngeft, Hyrcanus, and gave him three hundred yoke of oxen, and bid him go two days journey into the wildernefs, and fow the land there, and yet kept back privately the yokes of the ox- en that coupled them together. When Hyrcanus came to the place, and found he had no yokes with him, he contemned the drivers of the oxen, who advifed him to fend fome to his father, to bring them fome yokes ; but he thinking that he ought not to lofe his time, while they mould be fent to bring him the yokes, he invented a kind of ftratagem, and whatfui- ted an age older than his own ; for he flew ten yoke of theox- en, and diftributed their flefh among the labourers, and cut their hides into feveral pieces, and made him yokes, and yok- ed the oxen together with them ; by which means he fowed as much land as his father had appointed him to fow, and re- turned to him. And when he was come back, his lather was mightily pleafed with his fagacity, and commended the fiiarp- nefs of his underflanding, and his boldnefs in what he did. And he ftili loved him the more, as if he were his only genu- ine fon, while his brethren were much troubled at it. 7. But when one told him that Ptolemy had a fon juft born, and that al! the principal men of Syria, and the other coun- tries fubjeft to him, were to keep a feftival, on account of the child's birth-day, and went away in hafte with great Detinues to Alexandria, he was himfeK indeed hindered from going by old age, but he made trial of his fons, whether any of them would be willing to go to the king. And when the elder fons excufed theinfelves Irom going, and laid, they were not cour- Cjhap. IV.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. 2? tiers good enough for fuch conversion, and advifed him to lend their brother Hyrcanus, he gladly hearkened to that ad- vice ; and called Hyrcanus and alked ni ir i, whether he would go to the king ; and whether it was agreeable to him to go or not? And upon his promiie that he would go, and IMS faying that he mould not want much money ior his journey, becaule he would live moderately; and that ten thoufand drachmae would be fufficient, he was p leafed with his fon's prudence. After a little while the fon advi.'ed his lather riot to fend his prefents to the king from thence, but to give him a letter to his fteward at Alexandria, that he might turniihhim with mon- ey, for purchafing what ihould be moft excellent and mod pre- cious. So he thinking that the expence often talents would be enough tor prefents to be made th~ king ; and commend- ing his fon, as giving him good advice, wrote to Arion his fteward that managed all his money matters at Alexandria ; which money was not leis than three thoufand talents on his account, for Jofeph fent the money he received in Syria, to Alexandria. And when the day appointed for the payment of the taxes to the king came, he wrote to Arion to pay them. So when the fon hadafked his father fora letter to this fteward, and had received it, he made halie to Alexandria. And when he was gone, his hrethren wrote to all the king's friends, that they mould deftroy him. 8. But when he was come to Alexandria, he delivered his letter to Arion, who afked him how many talents he would have ? (hoping he would afk for no more than ten, or a little more,) he faid he wanted a thoufand talents. At which the fteward was angry, and rebuked him, as one that intended to live extravagantly ; and he let him know how his father had gathered together his eftate by pains-taking, and refilling his inclinations, and wilhed him to imitate the example ot his lather : He allured him withal, that he would give him but ten talents, and that for a prefent to the king alio. The Ion was irritated at this, and threw Arion into pn'on." But when Arion's wife had informed Cleopatra of this, with her entreaty, that (he would rebuke the child for what he had done, (for Arion was in great efteem with her) Cleopatra informed the king of it. And Ptolemy fent for Hyrcanus, and told him, that " he wondered when he was fent to him by his father, that he had not yet come into his prefence, but had laid the fteward in prifon." And he gave order, therefore that he fhould come to him, and give an account of the reafon of what he had done. And they report, that the anfwer he made to the king's meffenger was this : That '' there was a law of his that forbad a child that was born, to tafte of the facrifice be- fore he had been at the temple and facrificed to God. Accord- ing to which way ot reafoning he did not himfeH come to him, in expectation ot the prefent he was to make to him, as to one who had been his father's benetador; and that he had punim- J>8 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book XII, ed the flave tor difobeying his commands, for that it mattered not whether a mailer was little or great : So that unlefs we punilh inch as thefe, hou thyfelf mayeft alfo expect to be defpifed by thy fubjects." Upon hearing this his anfwer, he fell a laughing, and wondered at the great ioul ol the child. 9. When Anon was appriied that this was the king's difpo- fition, and that he had r.o'way to help himfc-U, he gave the child a thoufand talents, and was let out oi prifon. So after three days were over, Hy rearms came and fainted the king and queen. They faw him with pleafure, and feaited him in an obliging manner, out ot the relpecl they bare to his tather. So he came to the merchants privately, and bought an hun- dred boys, that had learning, and were in the flower o\ their ages, each at a talent a piece; as alfo he bought an hundred maidens, each at the fame price as the other. And when he was invited to teaft with the king among the principal men of the country, he fat down the lo^eft of them all, becauie he was little regarded, as a child in age Itill ; and this by thofe who placed every one according to their dignity. Now when all thofe that fat with him had laid the bones of the feveral parts on an heap before Hyrcanus, (tor they had themfelves taken away the flylh belonging to them,) till the table where he fat was filled tull with them ; Trypho, who was the king's jelter, and was appointed for jokes and laughter at feilivals, was now afked by the guelts that iat at the table [to expofe him to laughter.] So he Uood by the king, and laid, '' Doft thou not fee, my Lord, the bones that he by Hyrcanus ? by this fimihtude thou mayelt conjecture that his tather inyde all Syria as bare as he hath made theie bones." And the king laughing at what Trypho faid, and afkingof Hyrcanus, ' How he came to have io many bones before him ?" he iv Very rightfully, my lord : For they are dogs that eat the fle(h and the bones together, as thefe thy guefts have d-n^, (look- ing in the mean time at thole gueitsj for there is nothing be- fore them ; but they are men that eat the fiefh and caft away the bones, as i, who am alfo a man, have now done." Upon which the king admired at his aniwer, which was fo wilely made ; and bid them all make an acclamation, as a mark ot their approbation of his jeft. which was truly a lacetious one. On the next day Hyrcanus went to every one of the king's friends, and of the men powerful at court, and faiuted them ; but ftill enquired of the fervants what prefent they would make the king on his fon's birth-day ? and when fome faid, that they would give twelve talents, and that others of greater dignity would every one give according to the quantity of their riches, he pretended to every one to be grieved that he was not able to bring fo large a prefent, for that he had no more than five talents. And when the fervants heard what he faid, they told their matters ; and they rejoiced in the proipeft that Jofeph would bedifapproved, and would make the king Chap. IV.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. 2fjf angry, by the fmallnefs of his prefent. When the day came, the others, even thole that brought the moit, offered the king not above twenty talents ; but Hyrcanus gave to every one ot the hundred boys, and hundred maidens that he had bought, a talent a piece, tor them to carry, and introduced them, the beys to ihe king, and the maidens to Cleopatra : Every body wondered at the unexpected richneis ot the prefenrs, even the king and queen themielves. He alfo prelented thofe that at- tended about the king with gitts to the value of a great num- ber ot talents, that he might eicape the danger he was in troni them ; tor to thefe it was that Hyrcanus's brethren had writ- ten to deitroy him. Now Ptolemy admired at the young man's magnanimity ; and commanded him to afk what gift he pleaied. But he defired nothing elfe to be done for him by the king, than to write to his tather and brethren about him. So when the king had paid him very great refpefts, and had given him very large gitts, and had written to his tather and his brethren, and all his commanders, and officers about him, he fent him away. But when his brethren heard that Hyrca- nus had received fucli favours from the king, and was return- ing home with great honour, they went out to meet him, and to dertroy him, and that with the privity of their father : For he was angry at him tor the [largej furn ot money that lie be- llowed tor prelents, and fo had no concern tor his preierva- tion. However Joteph concealed the anger he had at his Ion, out ot fear of the king. And when Hyrcanus's brethren came to fight him, lie flew many others ot thole that were with them : As alio two ot h;s brethren themfelves, but the reft ot them eic.iped to Jerufalem to their lather. But when Hyrcanus came to the city where no body would receive him he was aii. id tor himfelf, and retired beyond the river Jordan, and there abode, but obliging the Barbarians to pay their taxes. 10 At this time Seleucus, who was called Soter, reigned o- ver Afia, being the ion of Antiochus the great. And [now^J Hyr< anus's iather Jofeph died. He was a good man and ot great magnanimity ; and brought the jews out of a ftate ot poverty and meannefs, to one that was more fplendid. He re- tained the farm ot the taxes of Syria, and Phemcia, and Sa- maria, twenty -two years. His uncle allb, Onias, died [about this time J and left the high pnefthood to his ion Simon. And when he was dead, Onias his ion (ucceeded him in that digni- ty. To him it was that Areus, king ot the Lacedemonians, ient an embaflage, with an epiitle ; the copy whereof here follows : ".Areus, king ot the Lacedemonians, to Onias, fendeth greeting : ' We have met with a certain 1 writing, whereby we have *difcovered, that both the Jews and the Lacedemonians are of pne flock, and are derived from the * kindred ot Abraham : I * Whence it comes that thefe Lacedemonians ckclarethemfclves hereto be of kin 30 ANTIQUITIES'OF THE JEWS. [Book XII. It is butjuft therefore, that you, " who are our brethren, ihould fend to us about any of your concerns as you pleafe. We will allo do the fame thing, and efteem your concerns as our own ; and will look upon our concerns as in common with yours. Demoteles, who brings you this letter, will bring your anfwer back to us. This letter is four-fquare ; and the Teal is an eagle, with a dragon in his claws." II. And thefe were the contents of the epiftle which was fent from the king of the Lacedemonians. But upon the death of Jofeph, the people grew {"editions, on account of his fons : For whereas the elders made war againft Hyrcanus, who was the youngeftof Jofeph's ions, the multitude was divided, but the greater part joined with the eiders in this war ; as did Si- mon the high-prieft, by reafon he was of kin to them. How- ever, Hyrcanus determined not to return to Jerusalem any more, but feated hiinfelf beyond Jordan ; and was at perpetual war with the Arabians, and flew many of them, and took many ot them captives. He alfo creeled a ftrong caftle, and built it entirely of white {lone to the very roof ; and had animals of a prodigious magnitude engraven upon it. He alfo drew round it a great and deep canal of water. He alfo made caves of ma- ny furlongs in length by hollowing a rock that was over a- gainft him ; and then he made large rooms in it, fome for feaft- ing, and fome for fleeping, and living in. He introduced alfo a vaft quantity of waters which ran along it, and which were very delightful and ornamental in the court. But ftili he made the entrances at the mouth of the caves fo narrow, that no more than one perfon could enter by them at once : And the reafon why he built them after that manner was a good one ; it was for his own prefervation, left he Ihould be beueged by his brethren, and run the hazard of being caught by them. More- over, he built courts of greater magnitude than ordinary, which he adorned with vaftly large gardens. And when he had brought the place to this ftate, he named it Tyre. This place is between Arabia and Judea, beyond Jordan, not iar from the country of Hefhbon. And he ruled over thofe parts to the Jews, as derived from the fame anceftor Abraham, I cannot tell, unlefs, as Grotius tuppoies, they were derived from the Dores, that came of the Pelaigi. ThcJe are by Herodotus, called Barbarians ; and perhaps were derived from the Syrians and Arabians, the poflerity of Abraham by Keturah See Antiq B XVI ch. x. ^ 22. Vol. II. aud Of the War, B. I. ch. x'xvi. i. Vol. III. and Grot, on 1 Maccab. xu. 7. We may farther obferve from the retognitUiiis of Clement, that Ehezer, of Damafcus, thefervant of Abraham, Gen. xv. 2. and xxiv. was of old by iome taken for n.s/u* So that if the Lacedemonians were fprung from him, they might think themfelves to be of thepoftcrity of Abraham, as well as the lews who were fprung from Ifaac. And perhaps this Eliezer of Damafcus is that very Damafcus, whom Trogus pompeius, as abridged by Juftm, makesthe founder of the lewifc nation itfelf though he afterwards blunders, and makes Azelus, Adores, Abraham, and Ifrael k.ngsof Judea, and fucceffors to this Damafcus. It may >e improper to obferve farther, that Mofes Chorenefis, in his hiftory of the Armemans informs us, that the nation of the Pharthianj Was alfo derived from Abraham, by Keturah, and her children. Chap. V.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. JI for feven years even all the time that Seleucus was king of Syria. But when he was dead, his brother Antiochus,. who was called Epiph^nes, took the kingdom. Ptolemy allo, the king of Egypt, died, who was befides called Epiphanes. He left two fons, and both young in age ; the elder of which was called Philomel or, and the younger Pkyfcon. As for Hyrca- mis, when he faw that Antiochus had a great army, and feared left he (hould be caught by him, and brought to punifhment for what he had done to the Arabians, he ended his life, and flew himfelf with his own hand ; while antiochus feized upon all his fubftance. CHAP. V. How, upon the quarrels oj the. Jeios one again/I another about the high prieflkood, Antiochus made an expesition again ft Je- rufalem, took the city, and pillaged the temple, and dijlrefled the Jews : As a/fo, how many of the Jews jorfook the. laws of their country ; and how the Samaritans followed the cuf- toms oj the Greeks \ and named their temple at Mount Gernz- zim t the temple of Jubiter Hellenius. I. A BOUT this time, upon the death of Onias the high x\ prieft, they gave the high priefthood to Jefus's bro- ther ; for that fon which Onias left [or Onias I V .j was yet but infant : And, in its proper place, we will inform the rea- der of all the circumftances that betel this child. But this Je- fus, who was the brother of Onias was deprived of the high priefthood by the king, who was angry with him, and gave it to his younger brother, whofe name alfo was Onias, for Si- mon had thefe three fons, to each of which the priefthood came, as we have * already informed the reader. This Jefus changed his name to J-afon ; but Onias was called Menelaus. Now as the former high prieft Jefus, raifed a fedition againfl Menelaus, who was ordained after him, the multitude were divided between them both. And the fons of Tobias took the * We have hitherto had but a few of thofe many citations where Jofephus fays, that he had ellewhere formerly treated of many things, of which yet his prefent books have not a lyllable Our eommentators have hitherto been able to give no tolerable account of these citations, which are far too numerous, and that ufually in all his copies both Greek and Latin, to be luppoled later interpolations, which is almoft all that has been hitherto faid upon this occafion. What I have to fay- farther is this, that we have but very few of thele references before, and very many in and after the hiftory of AntiochusEpiphar.es; and that Jofephus's firft book, the Hebrew or Chaldee, as well as the G'reek hif^ry of the Jewish War, long fince loft, began with that very hiftory, io that the references are moft probably made to that edition of tie feven books of the War. See ieveral other examples, be- fides thole in the two fections before us. in Antiq. B JCIII ch. ii. ^ i. 4. vol. II. and ch. iv. \ 6. 8. ch. v. () 6. u. ch. viii, i 4 aud ch. xiii ^ 4. i and Antia. B. XVIII, ch. ii. $ 5. vol. II. $3 ANTIQUITIES OF Tii JEV,';>. ("Book part of Menelaus, but the greater part of the peopleaflifted Ja- fon ; and by that means Menelaus, and the fons of Tobias were diltreffed, and retired to Antiochus, and informed him* that they were defirous to leave the laws of their country, and the Jcwiih way of living according to them, ami to follow the king's laws, and the Grecian way of living: Wherefore they defired his permilTion to build them a* Gymnafium at jeruhi- lem. And when he had given thm leave, they alfo hid the circnmcifion of their genitals, that even when they were nak- ed, thev might appear to be Greeks. Accordingly they left ofFall the cuiloms that belonged to their own country, and im- itated + he practices of the other nations. 2. Now Antiochus, upon the agreeable fituation of the af- fair' of his kingdom, refolved to make an expedition againfl Egypt, both bccaufe lie had a defire to gain it, and hecaufe he contemned the fon of Ptolemy, as now weak, and n: of abilities to manage affairs of fuch confequence ; fj he came with great forces to Pelufium, and circumvented Ptolemy Philometor by treachery, and fei/.ed upon Egypt. He then came to the places about Memphis; and when he had taken them, he made hade to Alexandria, in hopes of taking it by fiege, and of fnnduing Ptolemy, who reigned there. But he was driven not only from Alexandria, but out of all Egypt, by the declaration of the Romans, who charged him to let that country alone ; according as I have elfewhere formerly de- clared. I will now give a particular account of what concerns this king, how he fubdued Judea and the temple; for in my former work I mentioned tiofe things very briefly, and have therfore no >v thought it necefTary to gu over that hiftory again, and that with great accura y. 3. t King Antiochus returning out of Egypt for fear of the Romans, made an expedition againil the city Jerufalem ; and when he was there, in the hundred forty and third year of the kingdom of the Selucidas, he took the city without fight- ing, thofe of his own party opening the gates to him. And when he had gotten pofleffion of Jerufalem, he flew many of the oppofite party ; and when he plundered it of a great deal of money, he returned to Antioch. 4. Now it came to pafs, alter two years, in the hundred for- ty and fifth year, on the twenty-fifth day of that month, which * This word Gymnajtum, properly denotes a place where the exercife? \vere performed naked, which, becatfe it would naturally diftingnish circumciled Jews from uncircumciled GcntiKs, theie Jewish apoftates endeavoured to appear uncir- cumcifed, by means of chirurgical operation, hinted at by St. Paul, -2. Cor. vii, 18. and described Sy Cclfus, B VII. ch, xxv. as Dr Hudlbnheie informs us. ~r Hereabout Jofephtis begins to follow the firft bo*'k of the Maccabe s, a mod excellent and moft authentic hiftory ; and accordingly it is here, with great fidelity and exaftnefs, abridged by him : Between wh->fe prefent copies there ieem to be fewer variations than in any other (acred Hebrew book of the Old Teftament what- foever, (for this book allo was originally written in Hebrew which ; .s very natural, becauie it was wiitten lo much nearer to the times of jofephus than the reii were. Chap. V.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. 33 us cJ.led Chajleu, and by the Macedonians Apelleus in the hiui- Ired and fifty-third olympiad, that the king came up to Jerusalem, ath in the Maccabees, and joiephus, ieems to have been a caiUe built on an hill, lower thau mount /.ion, though upon its fkirts, ard higher than mount Moriah, bv:t between them both ; which hill I he enemies of the Jews now got pofleflion ot, and built on it this citadel, and fortified it, till a good while afterwards the Jews i it, demolimed it, and levelled the hill itielf with the common ground, that their enemies tni^ht no more recover it. and mi^ht thence o\erlook the temple if'eit. and do them luch nnlchief'as they hdd. long undergone from it, Antic;. JJ. Xi II ch. vi. : . 6. VOL. II. E 34 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book XIL ed : But the belt men, and thofe o! the nobleft fouls, did not regard him, but did pay a greater refpect to the cuitorrs ot their country, than concern as to the punishment which he threatened to the difobedic'ir ; on which account they every day underwent great miferies, and bitter toiments, tor they were whipped with rods, and their bodies were torn to pieces, and were crucified, while they were 1H11 aiive, and breathed : They alfo flrangled thofe women and their ions whom they had circumcifed, as the king had appointed, hanging their fons a- bout their necks as they were upon the croflcs. And it there were any facred book or the law found, it was defhoyed, and thofe with whom they were found, miferably periihed alio. 5. When the Samaritans faw the Jews under theie fufFenngs, they no longer conieffed that they were of their kindred, nor thatthe temple on Mount Gerizzim belonged to Almighty God. This was according to their nature, as we have already fhown. And they now faid, that they were a colony o\ Mecles and PerHans : And indeed they were a colony o* theirs. So they fent ambafladors to Antiochus, and an epiftle ; whofe contents are thefe : '* To king Antiochus the god. Epiphanes, a memorial from the Sidonians, who live at Sechem. Our ioretathers, upon certain frequer.t phigues, and as lollowing a certain ancient fuperftition, had a cuftom of oblerving that day which by the Jews is called \\ieSab6~dtb*. And when they had erected a temple at the mountain called Gcnzzim, though with- out a name, they offered upon it the proper facrifices. Now, upon the juft treatment of thefe wicked Jews, thofe that man- ge their affairs, fuppofmg that we were of kin to them, and practifed as they do, make us liable to the fame accufations, although we be originally Sidonians, as is evident from the public records We therefore befeechthee, our benefactor and faviour, to give order to Apollonius, the governor of this part of the country, and to Nicanor, the procurator of thy af- fairs, to give us no difturbance, nor to lay to our charge what the Jews are accufed for, fmce we are aliens from their nation, and from their cuftoms ; but let our temple, which at p re fent hath no name at all, be named, The Temple of jfupi- ter Hdlenius. If this were once done, we fhould be no long- er difturbed, but mould be more intent on our own occupation with quietnefs. and fo bring in a greater revenue to thee." When the Samaritans had petitioned for this, the king lent them back the following anfwer, in an epiftle : " King Antio- chus to Nicanor. The Sidonians, who live at Shechem, have fent me the memorial inclofed. When therefore we were ad- vifing with our friends about it, the meflengers fent by them reprefented to us, that they are no way concerned with accufa- tions which belonged to the Jews, but choole to live after the * This al!cpition of the Samaritans is remarkable, that though they were not Jews, yet did they, from ancient times, obferve tlie Sabbath-day, and, as they elfe where pretend, the Sabbatic year also. Antiq. B, XII, ch. vii. \ 6. Chap. VI.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. 35 cuftom of the Greeks. Accordingly we declare them free from fuch accufations, and order that, agreeable to their peti- tion, their temple be named, I he Temple oj Jupiter Hdlemus" He alfo fent the like epiftle to Apoilonius, the governor of that part of the country, in the forty -fixth year, and the eigh- teenth day of the month Hecatombeon. CHAP. VI. How, upon Antiochus's prohibition to the Jews to make ufe of the Laws of their Countiy, Mattatkias the [on of A/a/no/teus, alone dcfpijed the king and over came the eenerqls of'Anhochus's army : Asolfo cancermng the Death oj Mattathias and t/is/uc- ceffion of Judas. i. TVJOW at this time there was one whofe name was Mat- i. if tathias, who dwelt at Modin, the fon of John, the fon of Simeon, the fon ot Afamoneus, a priefl ot the order of Joarib, and a citizen ot Jerufalem, He had five fons John, who was called Gadlis, and Simon, who was called Matthes, and j Judas, who was called Maccabeus,* and Eleazar, who was called Auran, and Jonathan who was called Apphus. Now this Mattathias lamented to his children the fad ftate of their affairs, and the ravage made in the city, and the plundering of the temple and the camities the multitude were under ; and he told them that it was better for them to die for the laws ot" their country, than to live fo inglorioufly as they then did. 2. But when thofe that were appointed by the king were come to Modin, that they might compel the Jews to do what they were commanded ; and to enjoin thofe that were there to oiler iacrifice, as the king had commanded, they de fired that Mattathias, a perlon ot the greateU character among them, both on other accounts, and particularly on account of fuch a numerous and fo delerving a family of children, would be- gin the facrifice, becaufe his fellow citizens would follow his example, and becaufe (uch a procedure would make him hon- oured by the king. But Mattathias faid, " he would not do it ; and that if all the other nations would obey the commands of Antiochus, either out of fear, or to please him, yet would not he nor his fons leave the religious wormip of their coun- try." But as foon as he had ended his fpeech, there came one of the Jews into the midft of them, and facrificed, as Antio- * That this appellation of Macca^ee was not firft of all given to Judas Macca- l>eiis, nor was derived from any initial letters of the Hebrew words on his banner, Mi Kamoka Le Elim, Jehovah ? Who is like unto thte among the Gods, Jehovah ? xod. xv. i j. as the modern Rabbins vainly pretend, iee Authent. Rec. part I. p. 205,206. Only we may note, by the way, that the original name of thefe Mac- cabees, and theii poRerity, was Ajmonijns : which was derived from Almoncus, the great-gran d-fa^er of Maltathias, as Jofephtu here informs us. 36 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [2cok XII, chus had commanded. At which Mattathias had great indig- nation, and ran upon him violently, with hss Ions, who had fwords with them, and flew both the man himieit that facri- ficed, and Appelles the -ueral, YV no compelled them to fa nfice, with a few of hisfoidiers. Ho alio ovetthn idol altar, and cried out, " It, (aid l.e, any one be zealous tor the laws o\ his country, and tor the worihip o! God, let iii;n follow ine." And when he had {aid this, he made hafle into the defart with his fons.aud iettall his Jubilance in the village, Many others did the fame al'o, and fled with their children and wives into the delan, and dwelt into caves. But when the ting's generals heard this, they took all the forces they then had in the citadel at Jerufaleni, and pnriued the j \vs into the defart ; and when they had overtaken them, they in the firil place endeavoured to perlaude them to repent, and to chufe \\hat was moft tor their advantage, and not put ti.em to the neceffify of nfiugthem according to tl;e law ot w.;r. i-ut when they would not con ply wi : h their pel iu.t con- tinued to be of a different mind, they ought ap.ainii then) on the Sabbath day, and they burnt them as tl.ev Wfic :n ! ie caves without redftance, and without fo much as flop- ping up the entrances ot the caves. And they avoided to de- lend themfelves on that day, becuufe they were not willing to break in upon the honour they owed the SJ) ath even in im h d id re lies ; tor our law requires that we reft upon There were about a thou and, with their Wiv<. -, ar.d clu who were imothcved and died :n tliefe caves ; i nt n,ai that efcaped joined thenjK-lv you then efteem Simon as your lather, Became he is a man ot extraordinary prudence, and to be governed by him in what coLn;el he g:ves you. Take Maccabeus tor the genc;ai o your army, hecaufe ot his cour- age ana ill eiigi h, tor he will avenge- your nation, and will bring vengean /e on your enemies. Admit among you the righteous and rel gious, and augment their power." 4 Wi en Mattatir.ab had thus difcout led to his fons.and had prayed to God to be their aiiiitant, and to recover to the peo- ple then tormer conftitution, he died a littie at I er ward, and was buried at Modm ; all the people making -great lamenta- tion tor him. Whereupon his (on Judas took upon him the administration t>t put)he affairs in the hundred iorty and fixth ; and this by the ready affulance ot his l-rethrcn, and ot otheis, Judas cait their enemies out ot the country, and put thofe ot their ir.vn country to df-ath who had tranigreffed its laws, and punnedthe land otall the pollutions that were in it. CHAP. VII. Hou> Judas overthrew thf Forces of Apollonius andSeron t and killed the Generals of tk-nr Armies themj elves; and how, when, a tittle whue afterward, Lyjias andGnrgias were beat- en, he went up to JerujaUm, and purified the 'lemplc, I. T X 7 HEN Appollonius, the general of the Samaritan V V toices heard this, he took his army, and madehalte to go againft Judas ; who met him and joined battle with him, and beat him ; and flew many ot his men. and among them 3$ ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book XII. Appllonius himfelf, their general whofe fword being that which he happ encd to wear, he (eized upon, and kept tor him- felf; but he Bounded more than he flew, and took a great deal of prey from the enemies camp, and went his way. But when Seron, who was general of the army of Celefyria heard that many had joined themfelves to Judas, and that he had a- bout him an army fufficient for fighting, and tor making war, he determined to make an expedition againft him, as thinking it became him to endeavour to puniih thofe that tranfgrelled the king's injunctions. He then got together an army, as large as he was able, and joined to it the runagate and wicked Jews, and came againft Judas. He came as far as Bethhorpn, a village ot Judea, and tuere pitched his camp : Upon which Judas met him ; and when he intended to give him battle, he law that his foldiers were backward to fight, becaufe their number was fmall, and becauie they wanted food, for they were fading, he encouraged them, and faid to them, that *' vitory and conqueil ot enemies is not derived from the mul- titude in armies, but in the exerciie ot piety towards God ; and that they had the plaineft inftances in their forefathers, who by their righteoufnefs, and exerting themfelves on behalf of their own laws, and their own children, had trequently con- quered many ten thoufands, tor innocence is the ftrongeft ar- my." By this fpeech he induced his men to contemn the multitude ot the enemy, and to fall upon Seron. And upon joining battle with him, he beat the Syrians ; and when their general tell amonpr the reft, they all ran away with fpeed, as thinking that to b 'their heft way of efcaping. So he purfued them unto the plain, and Hew about eight hundred ct the ene- my, but the reft efcapcd to the region that lav near the iea. 2. When king Amiochus heard of thele things, he was very angry at what had happened ; lo he got together all his own army with many mercenaries whom he had hired from the ifl- ands, and took them with him, and prepared to break in'o Ju- dea, about the beginning of the ipnng. But when upon his muftenng his foldiers, he perceived that his treakires were de- ficient, and there was a want of money in them, for all the tax- es were not paid, by reafon ot the {editions there had been a- rnong the nations, he having been , fo magnanimous and fo liberal, that what he had was not lufhcient tor him, he there- fore refolved firft to go into Perfia and collect the taxes ot that country. Hereupon he left one whofe name was Lyfias, who was in great repute with him, governor ot the kingdom, as tar as the bounds of Egypt, and ot the lower Afia, and reach- ing from the river Euphrates, and commuted to him a certain part ot his forces, and of his elephants, and charged him to bring up his fon Antiochus with all poflible care, until he came back ; and that he mould conquer Judea, and take its inhabit- ants for flaves, and utterly deftroy Jerufalem and abolifh the whole nation. And when king Antiochus had given thefe Chap. VII.] ANTIQUITIES O? THE JEWS. * 39 things in charge to Lyfias, he went into Perfia ; and in the hundred and torty-feventh year he parted over Euphrates, and went up to the (uperior provinces. 3. Upon this Lyfias chofe Ptolemy. the fon of Dorymenes, and Nicanor, and Georgias, very potent men among the king's friends, and delivered to them forty thoufand toot foldiers, and feven thouland horfemen, and fent them againil Judea, vho came as far as the city Emmau-s, and pitched their camp in the plain country. There came alfo to them auxiliaries out of Syria, and the country round about ; as alfo many of the runagate Jews. And befides thefe came fome merchants to buy thofe that fhould be carried captives, (having bonds with them to bind thofe that Ihould be made prifonersj with that fi'.ver and gold which they were to pay for their price. And when Judas faw their camp, and how numerous their enemies were, he perfnaded his own foldiers to be of good courage ; and exhorted them to place their hopes of viftory in God, and to make fupplication to him, according to the cuftom of their country clothed in fackcloth ; and to fhew what was their ufu- al habit of fupplication in the greateft dangers, and thereby to prevail with God to grant you the victory overyour enemies. So he fet them in their ancient order of battle ufed by their forefathers, under their captains of thoufand*, and other offi- cers; and difmiired fuch as were newly married, as well as thofe that had newly gained polfeflions, that they might not fight in a cowardly manner, out of an inordinate love of life, in order to enjoy thofe bleffings. When he had thus difpo^ed his foldiers, he encouraged them to fight by the following fpeech, which he made to them : " O my fellow foldiers, no other time remains more opportune than the prefent for courage, and con- tempt of dangers ; for if you now fight manfully you may re- cover your liberty, which, as it is a thing of itfelf agreeable to all men, fo it proves to be to us much more deferable, by its affording us the liberty of worshipping God. Since therefore you are in fuch circumitances at prefent, that you muft either recover that liberty, and fo regain an happy and blefled way of living, which is that according to our laws, and thecufloms of our country, or to fubmit to the moft opprobrious fuffer- ings ; nor will any feed of your nation remain it you be beat in this battle. Fight therefore manfully ; and fuppofe that you muft die though you do not fight. But believe, that befides fuch glorious rewards as thofe ot the liberty of your country, of your laws, of your religion, you (hall then obtain everlafting glory. Prepare yourfelves therefore, and put yourfelves into fuch an agreeable pofture, that you may be ready to fight With the enemy as Toon as it is day to-morrow morning." 4. And this was the fpeech which Judas made to encourage them. But w^en the enemy fent Georgias, with five thoufand foot, and one thoufand horfe, that he might fall upon Judas by night, and had lor that purpofe certain of the runagate Jews a* 4& " ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book XIf guides, the Ton of Mattatluas perrrived it, and refolved to 'all upon thofe enemies that weie in (heir ca.-rp, now their fore es ' were divided. Wiuvi they had therefore 1'upped in good time, and had lett many Has in their camp he m-irchf d ail n : ght to thofe enemies that -.vere :it Emm.uis : So that when Georgias found no enemy in thetc ; that they were retired, and had Uidden themfelveS a-nong the mountains, he relolved to go and 'eeic them whrrefoever they were. ^3ut about break of day. Ju.i.is ippear--d to tiiofe enemies that were at Entnaus, with only three t'louland men, and thofe ill arm- ed, hy reafon ot their poverty, and when he law the enemy v -.'y well and fkii fully Ionised in their camp, he encouraged the Jews, and toid them, '' that they ought to fight, though, it were with their naked bodies, for that God had fometimes of old given fuch men ftrerigth, and that againft fuch as were more in number, and were armed alfo, out ot regard to their great courage." So he commanded the trumpeters to found for the Battle : And by thus 'ailing upon the enemies when they did nut expert it, and thereby aftonifhing and diilurbing their minds, he Hew many of tho e that refilled him, and went on purfuing the reft as tar as Gadarj, and the plains ot Idu- mea, and AHuiod, and Jamnia ; and of thefe there tell about three thoufand. Yet did Judas exhort his foldiers not to be too defirous of the fpoils, tor that ilill they mud have a conteftand a battle with Gorgias, and the forces that were with him ; but that when they had once overcome them, then they might fe- curely plunder the camp becauie they vvere the only enemies remaining, and they expefcled no others. And juft as he was fpeakjng to his foldiers, Gorgias'smen looked down into that army, which they left in their camp, and faw tht it was over- thrown, and the camp burnt, for the fmoke that arofe from it fhewea them even when they were a great way off, what had happened. When therefore thofe that were with Gorgias un- derltood that things were in this pofture and perceived that thofe that were with Judas were ready to fight them, they al- fo were affrighted and put to flight ; but then Judas, as though he had already beaten Gorgias's foldiers without fighting, re- turned and feized on the Ipoils. He took a great quantity of gold and filver and purple aud blue, and then returned home with joy and finging hymns to God for their good fuccefs, for this victory greatly contributed to the recovery of their liberty. 5. Hereupon Lyfias was confounded at the defeat of the ar- my which he had (ent, and the next year he got together fixty thoufand chofen men. He alfo took five thoufand horfcmen, and fell upon Judea ; and he went up to the hill country of Bethfur, a village ot judea, and pitched his camp there, where Judas met him with ten thoufand men ; and when lie faw the great number ot his enemies, he prayed to God, that he would aflifl him, and joined battle with the firft ot the enemy that Chap. V.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. 41 appeared, and beat them, and flew about five thoufand of them, and thereby became terrible to the rell of' them. Nay indeed, Ly fiiis obferving the great fpirit of the Jews, how they were prepared to die rather than lofe their liberty, and being afraid of their defperate way of fighting, as if it were r al ftrength, he took the reft of the ar:ny back with him, and returned to Antioch, where he hitei foreigners into the fervice, and pre- pared to fall up .,>n Mui'.-'a with a greater army. 6. When therefore the generals of Antiochus's armies had been beaten fo ohen, Judas afTernMed the people together, and told them, That " after thefe many victories which God had given them, they ought to go up to Jerufalem, and purify the temple, and offer the appointed facnfices." But as foon as he, with the whole multitude, was come to Jerufalem, and found the temple deferted, and its gates burnt down, and plants growing in the temple, ot their own accord, on account of its defertion, he and thole thai were with him began to lament, and were quite confounded at the fight of the temple ; fo he chofe out iome of his foldiers, and gave them order to fight a- gainft thofe guards that were in the citadel, until he ihould hc.ve purified the temple. When therefore he had carefully purged it, and had brought in new veiTels, the candleftick, the table [of fhev.'-bread.] and the alter [of incenfe,] which were made of gold, he hung up the vials at the gates, and added doors to them. He alfo took down the altar [of burnt-offer- ingj and built a new one of Hones that he gathered together, and not of fuch as were hewn with iron tools. So on the five and twentieth day of the month Cafleu, which the Macedoni- ans call Apelleus, they lighted the lamps that were on the can- dleftick, and offered incenfe upon the altar [of incenfe,] and laid the loaves upon the table [of fhew-bread,] and ottered burnt-offerings upon the new altar [of burnt-offering.] Now it fo fell out, that thefe things were done on the very fame day on which their divine worfhip had fallen off, and was reduced to a profane and common ule, after three years time ; for fo it was, that the temple was made defolate by Antiochus, and fo continued for three years. This defolation happened to the temple in the hundred forly and filth ye-ir, on the tuenty- fiith day ot the month Apel'teus, and on the hundred fifty and third olympiad : But it was dedicated a-new, on the fame day, the twenty-fifth of the month Apelleus, on the hundred and th year, and on the hundred and fifty-fourth olym- piad. An'i this defolation came to pals according to the prophecy of Daniel, which was given iou; hundred and eight before; tor he declared, tiiat the Macedonians would di'F:>ive that worlhip [for fo;:. 7. Now Judas celebrated the feftival of the raftoration of icnfices of the temple for eight days ; and omitted no fort. of pieafures thereon : But he feaited them upon very rich and ; ;iid facrifices ; and he honoured God, and delighted VOL. II. F 42 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book XII. them, by hymns and pfalms. Nay, they were fo very glad at the revival ot their cuftoms, when, after a long time ot inter- miflion, they unexpectedly had regained the freedom ot their worfbip, that they made it a law for their pofterity. that they ihould keep a feftival on account of the reftoratiun ot their temple worfhip, for eight days. And Irom that time to this we celebrate this feflival, and call it Lights. I fuppofe the reafon was this, becaufe this liberty beyond our ii'ip^s appear- ed to us ; and that thence was the name given to that feftival. Judas alfo rebuilt the walls round about the city ; and reared towers of great height againft the incur fions of enemies ; and fet guards therein. He alfo fortified the city Bethfma, that it might ferve as a citadel againit any diftrefles that might come from our enemies, CHAP. VIII. How Judas fubducdthe Nation round about ; find haw Simon beat the People of Tyre and Pl.olc mais : And kou* Judas over- came Timotheus, and forced him to jly away, and did many ether things, after Jofephand Azanashad been beaten. \ i. T X 7HEN thefe things were over, the nations round a- V V bout the Jews were very uneafy at the revival of their power, and rofc up together, and deftroyed many of them, as gaining advantage over them by laying fnares for them, and making fecret confpiracies againft them. Judas made perpetual expeditions againit thefe men, and endeavour- ed to reftrain them from thofe incnrfions, and to prevent the mifchiefs they did to the Jews. So he fell upon the Idu- means, the poflerity of Efau, at Acrabattene, and flew a great many of them, and took their fpoils. He alfo fhut up the fons of Bran, that laid wait for the Jews ; and he fat down about them, and befieged them, and burnt their towers, and deftroy- ed the men [that were in them.] After this he went thence in hafte againft the Ammonites, who had a great and a numer- ous army ; of which Timotheus was the commander. And when he had fubdued them, he feized on the city Jazer, and took their wives and their children captives, and burnt the ci- ty, and then returned into Judea. But when the neighbour- ing nations underftood that" he was returned, they got togeth- er in great numbers, in the land of Gilead, and came againft thofe Jews that were at their borders, who then fled to the weregarrifon ofDametha ; and fent tojudasto inform him that Timotheus was endeavouring to take the place whither they fled. And as thefe epiftles were reading, there came other sneflengers out of Galilee, who informed him that the inhab- itants of Ptolemais, and of Tyre and Sidon, and ftrangers of Galilee, were gotten together, Chap. VIII.] AMTIOUITIES OF THE JEWS. 43 2. Accordingly Judas, upon confidering what was fit to be done, with relation to the neceflity both thefe cafes required, gave onkr that Simon his brother (houid take three thou. land chofen men, arid go to the aififtance of the Jews in Gali- lee, while he and another of his brothers, Jonathan, n;adehafte into the land of Gilead, with eight thoufand foldiers. And he leh Jofeph, the fon oi Zacharias, and Azarias, to be over the reft of the forces ; and charged them to keep judea very care- fully, and to fight no battles with any perfons whomfoever until his return. Accordingly Simon went into Galilee, and fought the eneiny, and put them to flight, and purfued them to the very gates of Ptolemais, and flew about three thoufand of them ; and took the fpoils of thofe that were (lain, and thofe Jews whom they had made captives, with their baggage; and then returned home. 3. Now as for Judas Maccabeus, and his brother Jonathan, they parled over the river Jordan ; arid when they had gone three daysjourney, they light upon the Xabateans, who came to meet them peaceably, and who told them how the affairs oi thofe in the land oi Gilead flood ; and how many of them were in diftrefs, and driven into garriions, and into the cities of Galilee : And exhorted him to make hafte to goagainlt the foreigners, and to endeavour to fave his own countrymen out of their hands. To this exhortation Judas hearkened, and returned into the wildernefs ; and in the nrft place fell upon the inhabitants of Bofor, and took the city, and beat the in- habitants and deflroyed all the males, and all that were able to fight, and burnt the city. Nor did he Hop even when night came on, but he journeyed in it to the garrifon where the Jews happened to be then (hut up, and where Timotheus lay round the place with his army : And Judas came upon the city in the morning ; and when he found that the enemy were mak- ing an affault upon the walls, and that fome ol them br ladders, on which they might get upon thofe walls, and that others brought engines [to batter them,) he bid ihe trumpeter to found his trumpet, and he encouraged his foldiers cheer- fully to undergo dangers for the fake of their brethren and kindred ; he alfo parted his army into three bodies, and tell upon the backs of their enemies. But when Timotheus's men perceived that it was Maccabeus that was upon them, of both whofe courage and good fuccefs in war they had formerly had fufficient experience, they were put to flight ; but Judas fol- lowed them with his army, and flew about eight thoufand of them. He then turned afide to a city of the foreigners called Malle, and took it, and flew all the males, and burnt the city itfelf. He then removed from thence, and overthrew Cafpe- om and Bofor, and many other cities ot the land ot Gilead. 4. But not long after this Timotheus prepared a great army, and took many others as auxiliaries ; and induced fome of the Arabians, by the promife of rewards, to go with him in this 44 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book XII. expedition, and came with his army beyond the brook, over againft the city Raphon : And he encouraged his foldiers, if it came to a battle with the Jews, tc fight courageously, to hinder their palling over the brook ; tor he faid to them be- fore hand, That " it they come over it, we fnall be beaten," And when Judas heard that Timotheus prepared fight, lie took all his own army, and went in hafte againil Ti- motheus his enemy ; and when he had paffcd over the brook, he fell upon his enemies and fome ot them met him, whom he flew, and others of them he fo terrified, '.hat he compelled them to throw down their amis, and fly ; and fome of them efcaped, but fome of them fled to what was called the i at Carnaim, and hoped thereby to pr^Iervc themieives ; hut Judas took the city, and i!ew them, and burnt the temple, and lo ufed fever;:! ways ot deftroying his enemies. 5. When he had done this, he gathered the Jews together, with their children, and wives, and the fubflance that belong- ed to them, and was going to bring them back intojudea: But as foon as he was come to a certain city, whole name was Ephron, that lay upon the road, (ami as it was not]; him to go any other way, fo he was not willing to go back a- gainj, he then fent to the inhabitants, and detired thai would open their gates and permit them to goon their way through the city, tor they had flopped up the gates with i. and cutoff their paffage through it. And when the inhabitants of Ephron would not agree to this propofal, he encouraged thofe that were with him, and encompafled the city r and befieged it, and lying round it by day and by night, the city, and flew every inale in it, and burnt it all dow. io obtained a way through it ; and the multitude of thai, were flain was fo g>~eat that they went over the dead bodies. bi> they came over Jordan, and arrived at the great plain, over, againfl which is lituaie the city Bethlhan, which is called by the Greeks * Scythopohs. And going away halts ly from thence, they came into Judea, (ingmg pfalms and hymns as they went, and indulging fuch tokens ot mirth as are ufual in triumphs upon victory. They alfo offered thank-offerings, both for their good fuccefs, and lor the preservation of their army, for t not one ot the Jews was (lain in thefe battles. 6. But as to Jofeph, the fon of Zarharias, ai;d Azarias, whom Judas leit generals [of the reft of the forces] at the * The reafcn why Bethfhan was called S .veil known from Hero- dotus. B. I. p. 105. anri S] 214. that the S<:\ overran Afia, in the days of Jofiah, ieizcu on this city, and kipi it as lo:;j as tlu y continu- ed in Afia, from which time k retained the name of Scj'thojsoUs, or the at: iris. + This moft providential prefervation of all the religious Jews in this expedi- tion, which was according to the will of God, is obfervalle often ai people the jews ; and lornewh; t vey like it in the changes of the four monarchies, v-hich \vereaifo prcvidentiai. 6ca Prideaux at tlie years 331, 333, and 334. hap. IX.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, 45 fame time when in Galilee, fighting againft the people of Ptolemais, and Judas himfeif, and his brother Jonathan, were in the land of Gilead, didtheferaen alfo 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 geneal of the torces of Jamnia, met them; and upon joining battle with him, they loft* two thoufand of their army, and fled away, and were purfued to the very bor- ders of Judea. And this misfortune be'el them by their difo- bedience to what injunctions Judas had given them, " Not to fight with any one before his return." For befides the reft of Judas's fag:icious counfels, one may well wonder at this con- cerning the misfortune that befel the forces commanded by jofeph and Azarias, which he underliood would happen, if they broke any of the injun6tions he had given them. But Judas, and his brethren, did not leave off fighting with the Idumeans but prefied upon them on all fides, and took from them the city oi Hebron, and demolished all its fortifications, and {et all its towers on fire, and burnt the country of the for- eigners, and the city Manila. They came alfo to Aihdod, and took it, and laid it wafte, and took away a great deal of the fpoib and prey that were in it, and returned to Judea. CHAP. IX. Concerning the Death of Antiochus Epiphanrs. How Antiochus Eupatpr fought again ft jfudus and befiegcd him in the Te, ana afterwards made Peace with him, and departed. OJ Al- d 0. I. A BOUT this time it was that king Antiochus, as he JL was going over the upper countries, heard, that there was a very rich city in Perfia, called Elymais ; and therein a very rich temple of Diana.and that it was full of all forts of donations dedicated to it ; as aifo weapons and breaft- plates, which, upon inquiry, he found had been left there by Alexander, the fon of Philip, king of Macedonia. And be- ing incited by thefe motives, he went in hafte to Elymais, and ailaulted it, and befieged it. But as thofe that were in it were not terrified at iiis afiault, nor at his fiege, but opppfed him very courageoufly, he was beaten off his hopes ; for they drove him away from the city, and went out and purfued af- ter hum, infomuch that he fled away as far as Babylon, and loft a great many of his army. And when he was grieving * Here is another great inflance of providence, tuat \vhea, even at the very time that Simon and Judas, and Jonathan, were to iniriiculoufly preserved, and blefled, in the juft defence of their laws and religion, theie other generals of the Jews who \ve.it to fight for honour, in a vain-glorious way, and without any commission from God, or the family he had railed up to deliver them, v J ;. s miferably dilap- pointed and defeated. See i Maccab. v, 61, 63. 46 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book XII. for this difappointment, fome perfons told him of the defeat of his commanders whom he had lett behind him to fight a- gainft Judea, and what ftrength the Jews had already gotten : When this concern about thefe affairs was added to the for- mer, he was confounded, and by the anxiety he was in tell into a diftemper, which, as it lafted a great while and as his pains increaf$d upon him, fo he at length perceived he (hould die in a little time; fo he called his friends to him, and told them, that his diftemper was fevere upon him ; and confeiled withal, that this calamity was fent upon him for the miferies he had brought upon the Jewifh nation, while he plundered their temple, and contemned their God; and when he had faid this, he gave up the ghoft. Whence one may wonder at Polybius of Megalopolis, who, though otherwife a good man, yet Jaith, That " Antiochus died becaufe he had apurpofe to plunder the temple of Di^na in Perfia ;" for the * purpofing to do a thing, but not aftual'y doing it, is not worthy of pun- ifiiment. But if Polybius could think, that Antiochus thus loft his life on that account of his facrilegious plundering of the temple at Jerufalem. But we will not contend about this matter with thofe who may think, that the caufe ailigned by this Poiybius of Megalopolis is nearer the truth than that a{- figned 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 fon Antiochus ; and defired him to take care of his ed- ucation, and to preferve the kingdom for him t. This Anti- ochus died in the hundred forty and ninth year : But it was Lyfias that declared his death tot'v multitude, and appointed his fon Antiochus to be king, (of whom at prelent he had the care,) and called him Eupator. 3. At this time it was that the garrifon in the citadel at Jer- ufalem with the Jewifh runagates, did a great deal of harm to the Jews : For the foldiers that were in that garrifon rufhed out upon the fudden, and deftroyed fuch as were going up to the temple in order to offer their facrifices. for this citadel adjoin- ed to, and overlooked the temple. When thefe misfortunes had otten happened to them Judas refolved to deftroy that * Since St. Paul, a phari r ee. confeffes, that he had not known concupi fence or de- Jires to i-e finful, had not the tenth commandment i : ..i!t not covet, Rom. vii. 7. the cafe feems to have been much the fame with our joiephus, who was of the fame itft, that he had not a deep Jenfe of the greatnefs of any fins that proceed- ed no iartherthan the intention However, fince Jofephus fptaks here properly of the punifhment of dfath, which is not inflicted by any law either of God or man for the bare intention, his words need not be itrained to mean, that fins intended, but not executed, were no fins at all. + No wonder that Jolephus here defcribes Antiochus Eupator, as young, and wanting tuition, when he came to the crown, iince Appian informs us, Syriac. p. 177. that he was them but nine years old. Chap. IX.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. 4? \ garrifon ; whereupon he got all the people together, and vig- oroufly befieged thofe that were in the citaclef. This was in the hundred and fiftieth year of the dominion of the Seleucidoe, So he made engines of war, and creeled bulwarks, and very zealoufly prefled on to take the citadeld : But there were not a fx>w of the runagates who were in the place, that went out by night into the country, and got together forne other wick- ed men like themfelves, and went to Antiochus the king, and deftied of him, That " he would not fuffer them to be neg- lecled, under tlie great hardfhips that lay upon them from thofe of their own nation, and this becaufe their fufferings were oc- cafioned on his father's account, while they left the religious worfhip of their fathers, and preferred that which he had com- manded them to follow : That there was danger left the citadel and thofe appointed to garrifon it by the king, fhouid be ta- ken by Judas- and thofe that were with him, unlefs he would fend them fuccours." When Antiochus, who was but a child, heard this, he was angry, and lent for his captains, and his friends, and gave order, that they fhould get an army of mer- cenaries together, with fuch men alfoof his own kingdom as were of an age fit for war. Accordingly an army was collect- ed of about an hundred thoufand footmen, and twenty thou- fand horfemen, and thirty-two elephants. 4. So the king took this army, and marched haftily out of Antioch, with Lyfias, who had the command of the whole, and came to Idumea, and thence went up to the city Bethfu- ra, a city that was ftrong, and not to be taken without great difficulty, he fet about this city, and befieged it. And while the inhabitants of Bethfura courageoufly oppofed him, and fallied out upon him, and burnt his engines of war, a great deal of time was fpent in the fiege. But when Judas heard of the king's coming, he raifed the fiege of the citadel, and met the king, and pitched his camp in certain firajts, at a place cal- led Eethzachaiak, at the diftanceot feventy furlongs from the enemy ; but the king foon drew his forces from Bethfura,. and brought them to thofe ffraits. And as loon as it was day he put his men in battle array, and made his elephants follow one another through the narrow paffes, becaufe they could not be fef Tideways by one another. Now round about every elephant there were a thoufand footmen, and five hundred horfemen. The elephants alfo had high towers (upon their backs], and archers | in them]. And lie alfo made the reft of his army to go up the mountains, and put his friends before the reft ; and gave orders for the arrry to Ihout aloud, and fo he attacked the enemy. He alfo expofed to fight their gold- en and brazen fhields, fo that a glorious fplendor was fent from them; and when they fhouted, the mountains echoed again, When Judas law this, he was not terrified, but received the enemy with great courage, and flew about fix hundred of the rft ranks. But when his brother Eleazar, whom they called 48 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book Auran, faw the talleft of all the elephants armed with royal breaft-platrs, and fuppofed that the king was upon him, he attacked him with great quicknefs and bravery. He allo flew many of thofe that were about the elephant, and fcattered the reft, and then went under the belly ot the elephant, and fmote him, and flew him ; fo the elephant fell upon Elea?ar, and by his weight cruHied him to death. And thus did this man come to his end, M'hen he had firft courageouily deftroyed many of his enemies. 5. But Judas, feeing the ftrength of the enemy, retired to Jerufalem, and prepared to endure a fiege. As for Antiochus, he fent part of his army to Bethfura, to befiege it and with the reft of his army he came againft jerufalem ; but the in- habitants of Bethfura was terrified at his ftrength ; and feeing that their prov i fions grew fcarce, they delivered themlelves up on thefecurity of oaths, that they ihould fuffer no hard treatment from the king. And when Antiochus had thus ta- ken the city, he did them no other harm than fending them out naked. He alfo placed a garrifon ot his own in the city. But as for the temple of Jerufalem, he lay at its liege a long time, while they within bravely defended it, for what engines foev- er the king fet againft them, they fet other engines again to op- pofe them. But then their provifions failed them ; what fruits of the ground they had laid up werefpent, and the land being not plowed that year, continued unfowed, becaufe it was the feventh year, on which by our laws we are obliged to let it lie uncultivated. And withal fo many of the befieged ran away for want o I neceflaries , that but a few only were left in the temple. 6. And thefe happened to be the circumftances of fuch as were befieged in the temple. But then, becaufe Lyfias, the general of the army, and Antiochus the King, were informed, that Philip was coming upon them out ot Periia ; and was en- deavouring to get the management of public affairs to himfelt, they came into thefe fentiments, to leave the fiege, and to make hafte to go againft Philip ; yet did they refolve not to let this be known to the foldiers, or to the officers : But the King commanded Lyfias to fpeak openly to the foldiers, and the officers, without faying a word about the bufinefs ot Philip ; and to intimate to them, that the fiege would be very long ; that the place was very ftrong ; that they were already in wan: of provifions ; that many affairs ot the kingdom wanted regu- lation ; and that it was much better to make a league with the befieged, and to become triends to their whole nation, by per- mitting them to obferve the laws ot their fathers, while they broke out into this war only becaufe they were deprived of. them, and fo to depart home. When Ly fias had difcourfed thus to them, both the army and the officers were pleafed with ihis refolution, 7. Accordingly the king fent to Judas, and to thofe that were Chap. X.j AM riOlHTIiiS OV THE JEWS. 49 befieged with them, and promifed to give them peace, and to permit them to make uie of, and live according to the laws ot their tatheis. And they 'gladly received his propofals : And when they had gained fecurity upon oath, for their perlorm- ance, they went out of the temple. But when Antiochus iM'ne into it, and faw how itrong the place was, he broke his oaths, and ordered his army that was there to pluck down the walls to the ground ; and when he had fo done, he returned to A^tioch : He alfo carried with him Onias the high-prieft, who was alfo called Menelaus ; tor Lyfias advifed the king to Hay Menelaus, it he would have the Jews be quiet, and caufe him no tarther difturbance, tor that this man was the origin ot all the mifchief the Jews had done them, by perfuading his father to compel the jews to leave the religion ot their lathers: So the king lent Menelaus to Berea, a city ot Syria, and there had him put to death, when he had been high-prieft ten years. He had been a wicked and an impious man : And, in order to get the government to himfelt, had compelled his nation to tranfgrefs their own laws. Atterthe death ot Menelaus, Alci- mus, who was alfo called jfaamus, was made high-prieft. But when king Antiochus tound that Philip had already poflefled himfelt' of the government, he made war againft him, and lub- dued him, and took him, arid flew him. Now, as to Onias, the fon of the high-prieft, who, as we before informed you, was lelt a child when his father died, when he faw that the king had 11am his uncle Menelaus, and given the high prieft- hood to Alcirnus, who was not of the high-prieft ftock, but as induced by Lyfias to tranflate that dignity from this family to another houfe, he fled to Ptolemy, king ot Egypt, and when he found he was in great efleem with him. and with his wife Cleopatra, he defired and obtained a place in the Nomus ot Heliopolis, wherein he built a temple like to that at Jerufalem: Ot which therefore we (hall hereafter give an account, in a place more proper for it. C H A P. X. How Bacckides, the General of Demetrius' s Army, made an Ex- pedition againjl jfudea, and returned without Juccejs ; and. hozu hicanor wasjenta kitic ajierward againjl Judas, and pen/hed, together unth his Army : As alfo concerning the Death of Alcimus, and the Succejfion oj Judas. ! I. A BOUT the fame time Demetrius, the fon of Seleu- /JL cus, fled away from Rome, and took Tripoli, a ci- ty of Syria, and fet the diadem on his own head. He alfo gathered certain mercenary foldiers together, and entered into his kingdom, and was joyfully received by all who delivered themfelves up to him. And when they had taken Antiochus VOL II. ' G 5<3 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book XII, the king, and Lyfias, they brought them to him alive ; both which were immediately put to death by the command ot De- metrius, when Antiochus had reigned two years, as we have already elfewhere related. But there were r.o'.v many of the wicked Jewifh runagates that came together to him, and with them Alcimus the high-prkft, who accufed the whole nation, and particularly Judas and his brethren ; and laid, I hat" they had iiain all his friends ; and that thofe in his kingdom that were ot" his party, and waited for his return, were by them put to death ; that the fe men had ejcf.ted them out o' their own country, and cavu'ed them to he fojourners in a "foreign land ; and they defired that he would fend fome one ol hi: own friends, and know horn him what mifchici Judas 's party had done." 2. At this Demetrius was very angry, and fcnt Bacchides, a friend of Antiochus Epiphaiies*, a good man, and one that had been entrufted with all Mesopotamia, and gave him an army, and committed AKimus the high-prieft to his care; and gave him charge to flay Judas, and thofe that were with him. So Bacchides made hafle, and went out of Antioch with his army ; and when he was come into Judea, he lent to Judas and his brethren, to difcourfe with him about a league of inendihip and peace, for he had a mind to take him t y treachery : But Judas did not give credit to him, for he faw that he came with fo great an army as men do not bring when they come to make peace, but to make war. However, fome of the people acquieked in \that Bacchides caufed to be pro- claimed ; and fuppofing they fhould undergo no conftderable harm from Alcimus, who was their countryman, they went over to them ; and when they had received oaths from both of them, that neither they themfelvcs, nor thole of the fame fentiments, fhould come to any harm they entrufted them- felves with them : But Bacchides troubled not himfelf about the oaths he had taken, and flew threeA ore of them, although by not keeping his faith with thofe that firft went over, he deterred all the reft, who had intentions to go over to him, from doing it. But as he was gone out of Jcrufalcm, and was at the village called Bethzetlio he fent cut. and caught many of the deferters, and fouie of the people allo, and flew them all ; and enjoined all that lived in the count.y to iubmit to AJ- cimus. So he left him there, with fome partot the army, that he might have wherewith to keep the country in obedience, and returned to Antioch, to king Demetrius. 3. But Alcimus was defhous to have the dominion more * It is no -way probable that Jofephus would call Bacchides, that bitter and bloody enemy of the Jews, as our present copies have it, a man good, or kind and gentle. What the author of the firft book ot Maccabees, whom Jofephus here follows, inftead of that character, fays of him, is, that he was a great man in the ii:. > dv's gamion. and not ot J'idas's : Asal- fo it is contrary to the ex pr*f* word* of jofephus's original author, i Maccab. vii. 32, who lays that Nicanor loft about 5000 men, and fled to the city of David. * This account of themiferable death of Alcimns or Jacimus, the wicked high prieft, (the frlVthat was not of the family of the high prieils. and made by a vile henthen, Lyfias,) btfore the death of Judas, and ot (udas's iuccefiion to him as high priefl, both here, and at the conclusion of this book, direclly contradicts i Mac- cab, ix. 54 57, which places his death after the death ot Judas, and lays not ^ Jyllable ot the high priefthood of Judas. Chap. X.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. 5J tcnfuddenly by God, and fell down. This ftroke made him fall down fpeechlefs upon the ground : And undergoing tor- meats tor many days, he at length died, when he had been high prie(t four years. And when he was dead, the people bellowed the high priefthood on Judas ; who hearing ol the power * of the Romans, and that they had conquered in war Galatia, and Iberia, and Carthage, and Lybia ; and that, be- fides thefe. they had fubdued Greece, and their kings, Perfeus, and Philip, and Antiochus the Great alfo.he reJolvedto enter inro a league of iriendfhip with them. He therefore fent to Rome fome of his friends, Eupolemus the fon of John, and Jafon the (on of Eleazer, and by them defued the Romans that they would aflift them, and he their friends and would vnte to Demetrius that he would not fight againft the Jews. So the fenate received the ambaffadors that came from Rome to Judas, and difcourfed with them about the errand on which they came, and then granted them a league of affiifance. They all') made a decree concerning it, and lent a copy of it into Judea. It was alfo laid up in the capitol, and engraven in brafs. The decree itfelf was this : ' The decree of the fen- att- concerning a league of allillance and friendship with the nation of the Jews. It lhal! not be lawful for any that are fub- je.; t') the Romans to make wai with the nation ot the Jews, nor to aflill ihole that do fo, either by fending them corn, or ihij>s, or money : And if any attack be made upon the Jews, thj Romans (fiall afliit them, as tar as they are able ; and a- gam, it any attacK be made upon the Romans, the Jews fhall aflift them. And if the Jews have a mind 10 add to, or to take away any thing irom this league of aflifhnce, that lhall be done with the common ronfenL of the Romans. And what- loever addition ihall thus be made, it fhall be ot force." This decree was written by Eupolemus the fon of John, and by Ja- fon the fon ot Eleazer when Judaht was high prieft ot the nation, and Simon his brother was general of the army. And this was the fir ft league that the Romans made with the Jews, and was managed after this manner. * How veil the Roman hiftories a^ree to this account of theconquefts and pow- erful condition of the Romans at this time, lee the not-.-s in H?.vercatnp's edition ; only, that the number of the fcnaton. of Rome was then juil 320, is, I think, only known from i Miccab. viii 15. f This fubfcription is wanting, i Maccab. viii. 17, 29. and muft be the words of Joiephus, who, by miftako, thought, as we have juft now ien, that Judas was rt this time high prieft, and accordingly then reckoned his brother Jonathan to be then general ot the army, \v'nich yet he fetms not to have been till after th death of Judas. 54 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book XIL CHAP. XL That Racchides was again ftnt out again/I Judas ; and how Judas jell as he was courageoujty fighting. I. T) UT when Demetrius was informed ot the death of JDNicanor, andot the deftrurtion ot the army that was with him, he fent Baochides again with an army in Judea, who inarched out ot Antioch, and came into udea, arid pitched his camp at Arbela, a city of Galilee ; and having befu-ged and taken thofe tiiat were there in caves, (ior m-my ot tiie peo- ple fled into fuch places,) he removed, arid made all the baits lie could to Jerufaletn. And when he had learned that Judas pitched his camp at a certain village whofe name was Bcthze- tho, he led his army againlt him : They were twenty tboufoad iootmen, and two thoufand horfemen. Now Judas had no more foldiers than* one thoufjnd. When thefe l.iw the mul- titude ot ^accliides's men they were -afraid, and left their camp, and fled all away, excepting eight hundred. Now when Ju ijs was deferted by his own foldiers, and the enemy preiied upon him, and gave him no time to gather his array together, he wasdifpoied to fight with Bacchides's army, though he had but eight hundred men w i th hi m;fo lie exhorted thefe men to undergo the danger courageoufly, and encour iged them to attack the enemy. And when they faid they were not a body (uificientto fight fogreat an army, and ad vifed that they mould ret ire now, a. d fave theinfelves, and that when he had gathered his own men together, then he liiould tall upon the enemy afterwards, his aniwer was this : '' Let not the lun ever lee fuch a thing that I mould Ihew my back to the enemy ; and although this be the time that will bring me to my end, and I mult die in this battle, I will rather Hand to it courageoufly, and bear whatl'o- ever-comes upon me, than by now running away bring re- proach upon my former great actions, or tarnilh their glory." This was the fpeech he made to thofe that remained with him, whereby he encouraged them to attack the enemy. 2. But Bacchides drew his army outot their camp, and put them in array tor the battle. He let the horfemen on both the wings, and the light foldiers and the archers he placed before the whole army, but he vvashimleit on the right wing. And when he had thus put his army in order ot battle, and was go- ing to join battle with the enemy, he commanded the trum- peter to give a fignal ot battle, and the army to make a Jhout, * That this copy of Joieuhus, as he wrote it, had here not lOOObut 3000, '^ith i Mace, ix 5 is very plain, becauie though ihe main pait ran away at firil, e\eu in Jolephus, as well as in i Mace. ix. 6. yet, as there, io here 800 are laid to have remained with Judas, which would be abhud, if the whole number had boeu no ruojre thau 1000. Chap. XI.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. 5$ and to fall on the enemy. And when Judas had done the fame, he joined battle with them ; and as both fides fought valiant- ly, and the battle continued till fun-fet, Judas faw that Bac- chides, and the ftrong<:ft part of the army was in the right wing, and thereupon took the moft courageous men with him, and ran upon that part ot the army, and iell upon thofe that were there,, and broke their ranks and drove them into the middle, and forced them to run away, and purfued them as tar as to a mountain called Aza : But when thofe of the lett wing fa\v that the right wing was put to flight, they encom- paflfd Judas, and purfued him, and came behind him and took him into the middle of their army ; fo being not able to> fly, but encompaffed round about with enemies, he flood ftill, and he and thofe that were withthim fought ; and when he had flam a great many of thofe that came againft him, he at lafl was himfelt wounded, and fell, and gave up the ghoft, and died in a way like to his former famous aftions. When Judas was dead, thofe that were with him had no one whom they could regard [as their commander] but when they faw themfelves deprived ot fuch a general they fled. But Simon and Jona- than, Judas's brethren, received his dead body by a treaty from the enemy, and carried it to the village Modin, where their father had been buried, and there buried him ; while the mul- titude lamented him many days, and performed the ufual fol- emn rites of a funeral to him. And this was the end that Ju- das came to. He had been a man of valour and a great war- rior, and mindtul of the commands of their father Mattathias ; and had undergone all difficulties, both in doing and differing, tor the liberty of his countrymen. And when his character was fo excellent fw'nile he was alive,J he left behind him a glorious reputation arid memorial, by gaining freedom tor his nation, and delivering them from flavery under the Macedo- nians. And when he had retained the high prtefthood three years, he died. $6 AN'TiyurriES OF TH/. JEWS. [Book XIII, BOOK XIII. Containing the interval of eighty- two years, [From the. death oj JUDAS MACCABE-ES to the death ofQuew ALEXANDRA.] C H A P. I. flow Jonathan took the Government after his brother Judas ; and how he, together with his brother Simon, waged Wu,r again jt Bacc hides. r. 13 Y what means the nation of the Jews recovered their -LJ freedom when they had been brought into flavery by the Macedonians, and what Itruggles, and how great battles Judas the general ot their army ran through, till he was (lain as he was fighting tor them, hath been related in the foregoing book : but aher he was dead, all the wicked, and thofe that tranlgreffed the laws of their forefathers, fprang up again in Ju- dea, and grew upon them, and diltreffed them upon every fide. A faminealfoafTiiledtheir wickednefs, and afflicted the country, till not a tew, who by reafon of their want ot necelFarics, and be- caufe they were not able to bear up the miferies that both the famine and their enemies brought upon them deferted their country, and went to the Macedonians. And now Bacchides gathered thole Jews together who had apoftatized from the ac- cuitomed way of living ot their toretathers and chofe to live like their neighbours, and committed the care ot the country to them; whoalfo caught the friends of Judas, and thole of his party, and delivered them up to Bacchides, who, when he had, in the firft place, tortured and tormented them at his pieaf- ure, he, by that means, at length killed them. And when this calamity of the Jews was become fo great, as they had never had experience ot the like fince their return out of Babylon, thofe that remained ot the companions ot ludas, feeing that the na- tion was ready to be deftroyed aher a mifei able manner, came to his brother Jonathan, and defired him that he would imitate his brother, and that care which he took of his countrymen, tor whofe liberty in general he died alfo ; and that he would not permit the nation to be without a governor, efpecially in thofe deitrucHve circumftances wherein it now was. And when Jonathan faid, that he was ready to die for them, and was indeed efteemed no way inferior to his brother, he was appoint- ed to be the general ot the Jewifli army. 2. When Bacchides heard this, he was afraid that Jonathan Chap. I.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. 57 might be very troublefome to the kings and the Macedonians, as Judas had been before him, he fought how he might flay him by treachery : But this invention of his was not un- known to Jonathan, nor to his brother Simon ; but when thefe two were apprized of it, they took all their companions, and prefently fled into that wildernefs which was neareft to the ci- ty ; and whert they came to a lake called Afphaf t they abode there. But when Bacchides was fenfible that they were in a low itate, and were in that place, he halted 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 fent his brother John, who was al- fo called Gaddis, to the Nabatean Arabs, that he might lodge his baggage with them until the battle with Bacchides mould be over, tor they were the Jews friends. And the fons ot Arnbri laid an ambulh for John, from the city Medaba, and feized upon him, and upon thofe that were with him, and plundered all that they had with them : They alfo flew John, and all his companions. However, they were fufficiently punifhed for what they now did by John's brethren, as we lhall relate prefently. 3. But when Bacchides knew that Jonathan had pitched his camp among the lakes of Jordan, he obferved when their Sabbath-day came, and then affaulted him, as fuppofmg that he would not fight becaufe ot the law [for relting on that day :] But he exhorted his companions [to fight ;J and told them, that their lives were at ftake, fince they were encom- palled by the river, and by their enemies and had no way to efcape, for that their enemies prefled upon them before, and the river was behind them. So after he had prayed to God to give them the viclory, he joined battle with the enemy, of whom he overthrew many : And as he.faw Bacchides com- ing up boldly to him, he ftretched out his right-hand to fmite him, but the other torefeeing and avoiding the ftroke, Jona- than with his companions leaped into the river, and fwam o- ver it, and by that means efcaped beyond Jordan, while the enemy did not pafs over that river ; but Bacchides returned prefently to the citadel at Jerufalem, having lofl about two thoufand of his army. He alfo fortified many cities ot Judea, whofe walls had been demolifhed, Jericho, and Emmaus, and Bethoron, and Bethel, and Timna, and Pharatho, and Tecoa, and Gazara, and built towers in every one of thefe cities, and encompaffed them with ftrong walls, that were very large ai- fo, and put garrifons into them, that they might ilfue out ot them, and do mifchief to the Jews. He alfo tortified the cita- del at Jerufalem more than all the reft. Moreover, he took the ions ot the principal Jews as pledges, and fhut them up in the citadel, and in that manner guarded it. 4, About the fame time, one came to Jonathan, and to his brother Simon, and told them, that the ions ot Ambri were VOL. II. H 5 ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [BookXIIL celebrating a marriage, and bringing die bride from the city Gabatha, who was the daughter 01 one of the illuftrious men among the Arabians, and that the damfel was to be conducted with pomp and fplendor, and much riches : So Jonathan and Simon thinking this appeared to be the fitted time for them to avenge the death ot their brother, and that they had forces fut- ficieut for receiving fatistafction trom them for his death, they m-de hafle to Medaba, and lay in wait among the mountains for the coming of their enemies ; and as foon as they law them conducting the virgin, and her bridegroom, and luch a great company of their friends with them, as was to be expetted at this wedding, they Tallied out ot their ambulh, and ilew them all ; and took their ornaments, and all the prey that then fol- lowed them, and fo returned,and received this fati&taBion tor their brother John from the fons of Ambri ; For as well thofe fons themfelves, as their friends, and wives, and children, that followed them, perilhed, being in number about tour hun- dred. 5. However, Simon and Jonathan returned to the lakes of the river, and abode there : But Bacchides, when he had fe- cured all Judea with his garrifons, returned to the king ; and then it was that the affairs of Judea were quiet for two years. But when the deferters and the wicked (aw that Jonathan and thofe that were with him lived in the country very quietly, by reaion ot the peace, they lent to king Demetrius, and ex- cited him to fend Bacchides to ieize upon Jonathan, which they faid was to be done without any trouble, and in one night's time ; and that it they fell upon them before they were aware, they might flay them all. So the king fent Bacchides, who, when he was come into Judea, wrote to all his iriends, both Jews and auxiliaries, that they mould feize upon Jonathan, and bring him to him ; and when, upon all their endeavours, they were not able to feize upon Jonathan, for he was fenfible ot the fnares they laid for him, and very careful- ly guarded again ft them, Bacchides was angry at thefe defert- ers, as having impofed upon him and upon the king, and flew fifty of their leaders : Whereupon Jonathan, with his brother,, and thofe that were with him, retired to Bethagla, a village that lay in the wilderneis, out ot his fear of Bacchides. He alfo built towers in it and encompafled it with walls, and took care that it fhould be fately guarded. Upon the hearing of which, Bacchides led his own army along with him, and be- fides took his JewHh auxiliaries, and came againft Jonathan* and made an aiiault upon his fortifications, and befieged him many days ; but Jonathan did not abate of his courage at the zeal Bacchides uTed in the fiege. but courageoufly oppofed him : And while he left his brother Simon in the city, to fight with Bacchides, he went privately out himlelt into the coun- try, and got a great body of men together of his own party f and ieli upon Bacchides's camp in the night time, ai;d dcitroy- Chap. II.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. 59 ed a great many of them. His brother Simon knew alfo of this his tailing upon them, becaufe he perceived that the ene- mies were {lain by him. fo he Allied out upon them, and burnt the engines which the Macedonians u'ed, and made a great daughter of them. And when Bacchides fawhimfelf encom- palTed with enemies, and (ome ot them before, and fome be- hind him, he tell into defpair and trouble of inind, as con- founded at the unexpected ill fuccefs of this fiege. Howev- er, he vented his difpleafure at thefe misfortunes upon thofe deferters who tent tor him trom the king, as having deluded him. So he had a mind to finifli this fiege after a decent n ner, if it were poflible for him fo to do, and then to return home. 6. When Jonathan underflood thefe his intentions, he fent embaffadors to him, about a league of friendlhip and mutual affiftance, and that they might reftore thofe they had taken captive on both fides. So Bacchides thought this a pretty de- cent way of retiring home, and made a league of triendfhip with Jonathan, when they fware that they would not any more make war one againlt another. Accordingly he reflor- ed the captives, and took, his own men with him, and return- ed to the king of Antioch ; and after this his departure, he never came info Judea again. Then did Jonathan take the opportunity ot this quiet itate of things, and went and lived in the city Michsnafh ; and there governed the multitude, and punifhed the wicked and ungodly, and by that means purged the nation of them. CHAP. II. How Alexander [Bala] in his War with Demetrius, granted Jonathan many Advantages, and appointed htm to be Ihvji- pne/l, and perfuaded him to ajffijl him, although Demetrius pronvfed him greater Advantages en the other Jide. Concern- ing the Death oj Demetrius. I. T^TOW in the hundred and fixtieth year it fell out -L^l that Alexander, the * fon ot Antiochus Epiphanes, came up into Syria, and took Ptolemais, the foldiers within having betrayed it to him, for they were at enmity with De- metrius, on account of his infolence and difficulty ot acceis; * This Aexander Ba!a. who certainly pretended ti be the fon of Antiochus E- piphancs, and was owned forsuch by the Jews aroRomans, and many others, and yet is by feveral hiftorians deemed to be n counterfeit, aifd of no family at all, is, however, by Jofephus believed to have been the real ion of th*t Antiochus, and by him always fpokcn of accordingly. And truly fmce the ori ;inal contemporary and authentic author of the firft book, of Maccabees, x. i calls him by his father's name Epiphanes. and fays he was the Von of Antiochus. I fuppoie the other writers, -.vho are all much later, are not to be followed agamft luch evidence, though perhap; Epiphanes might have him by a woman of no family. The king pport of his own opinion about this temple he durft not lee it ; and indeed he reaious here in the mod weak and moft injudicious manner possible. See him at the year 149. Chap. III.] ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, &$ 3. So Onia? took the place, and built a temple, and an altar to God, like indeed to that in ferufalem, but (mailer and poor- er. I do not think it proper tor nut now to defcribe its dimen- fi'Kis, or its velfeU, which have .been already defcribed in my ffvcnth book, or the wars ot the Jews. However, Onias found 'vit'icr Jews like to himfelfj together ":ix' ancient, and tnuch i u:i,l h( n .1 red than that at Gerigzirn, wiiirh wss nothing to the PIXM t purjj-.-'e. The who!i: evidence, bv t u c vsrv o;>thi of both parties, VOL. II. I ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS. [Book XIIL C H A P. IV. HOK> Alexander 1 honoured Jonathan after an exfraordmary- manner, and how Demetrius, the Son oj Demetrius overcame Alexander, und made a league oj Fnendjhip ztit/i Jonathan. I. Y"* EMETR1US being thus (lain in battle, as we have ]LJ annve related, Alexander took the kir:g