the antiquities of the jews-1-第151章

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and　give　his　country　to　the　Jews。　And　then　indeed　Ptolemy；　with
pleasure；　made　such　a　league　of　friendship　with　Alexander；　and
subdued　Zoilus；　but　when　he　afterwards　heard　that　he　had　privily
sent　to　Cleopatra　his　mother；　he　broke　the　league　with　him；　which
yet　he　had　confirmed　with　an　oath；　and　fell　upon　him；　and
besieged　Ptolemais；　because　it　would　not　receive　him。　However；
leaving　his　generals；　with　some　part　of　his　forces；　to　go　on　with
the　siege；　he　went　himself　immediately　with　the　rest　to　lay　Judea
waste；　and　when　Alexander　understood　this　to　be　Ptolemy's
intention；　he　also　got　together　about　fifty　thousand　soldiers　out
of　his　own　country；　nay；　as　some　writers　have　said；　eighty
thousand　（33）　He　then　took　his　army；　and　went　to　meet　Ptolemy；
but　Ptolemy　fell　upon　Asochis；　a　city　of　Galilee；　and　took　it　by
force　on　the　sabbath　day；　and　there　he　took　about　ten　thousand
slaves；　and　a　great　deal　of　other　prey。

5。　He　then　tried　to　take　Sepphoris；　which　was　a　city　not　far　from
that　which　was　destroyed；　but　lost　many　of　his　men；　yet　did　he
then　go　to　fight　with　Alexander；　which　Alexander　met　him　at　the
river　Jordan；　near　a　certain　place　called　Saphoth；　＇not　far　from
the　river　Jordan；＇　and　pitched　his　camp　near　to　the　enemy。　He　had
however　eight　thousand　in　the　first　rank；　which　he　styled
Hecatontomachi；　having　shields　of　brass。　Those　in　the　first　rank
of　Ptolemy's　soldiers　also　had　shields　covered　with　brass。　But
Ptolemy's　soldiers　in　other　respects　were　inferior　to　those　of
Alexander；　and　therefore　were　more　fearful　of　running　hazards；
but　Philostephanus；　the　camp…master；　put　great　courage　into　them；
and　ordered　them　to　pass　the　river；　which　was　between　their
camps。　Nor　did　Alexander　think　fit　to　hinder　their　passage　over
it；　for　he　thought；　that　if　the　enemy　had　once　gotten　the　river
on　their　back；　that　he　should　the　easier　take　them　prisoners；
when　they　could　not　flee　out　of　the　battle：　in　the　beginning　of
which；　the　acts　on　both　sides；　with　their　hands；　and　with　their
alacrity；　were　alike；　and　a　great　slaughter　was　made　by　both　the
armies；　but　Alexander　was　superior；　till　Philostephanus
opportunely　brought　up　the　auxiliaries；　to　help　those　that　were
giving　way；　but　as　there　were　no　auxiliaries　to　afford　help　to
that　part　of　the　Jews　that　gave　way；　it　fell　out　that　they　fled；
and　those　near　them　did　no　assist　them；　but　fled　along　with　them。
However；　Ptolemy's　soldiers　acted　quite　otherwise；　for　they
followed　the　Jews；　and　killed　them；　till　at　length　those　that
slew　them　pursued　after　them　when　they　had　made　them　all　run
away；　and　slew　them　so　long；　that　their　weapons　of　iron　were
blunted；　and　their　hands　quite　tired　with　the　slaughter；　for　the
report　was；　that　thirty　thousand　men　were　then　slain。　Timagenes
says　they　were　fifty　thousand。　As　for　the　rest；　they　were　part　of
them　taken　captives；　and　the　other　part　ran　away　to　their　own
country。

6。　After　this　victory；　Ptolemy　overran　all　the　country；　and　when
night　came　on；　he　abode　in　certain　villages　of　Judea；　which　when
he　found　full　of　women　and　children；　he　commanded　his　soldiers　to
strangle　them；　and　to　cut　them　in　pieces；　and　then　to　cast　them
into　boiling　caldrons；　and　then　to　devour　their　limbs　as
sacrifices。　This　commandment　was　given；　that　such　as　fled　from
the　battle；　and　came　to　them；　might　suppose　their　enemies　were
cannibals；　and　eat　men's　flesh；　and　might　on　that　account　be
still　more　terrified　at　them　upon　such　a　sight。　And　both　Strabo
and　Nicholaus　＇of　Damascus＇　affirm；　that　they　used　these　people
after　this　manner；　as　I　have　already　related。　Ptolemy　also　took
Ptolemais　by　force；　as　we　have　declared　elsewhere。

CHAPTER　13。

How　Alexander；　upon　the　League　of　Mutual　Defense　Which　Cleopatra
Had　Agreed　with　Him；　Made　an　Expedition　Against　Coelesyria；　and
Utterly　Overthrew　the　City　of　Gaza；　and　How　He　Slew　Many　Ten
Thousands　of　Jews　That　Rebelled　Against　Him。　Also　Concerning
Antiochus　Grypus；　Seleucus　Antiochus　Cyziceius；　and　Antiochus
Pius；　and　Others。

1。　When　Cleopatra　saw　that　her　son　was　grown　great；　and　laid
Judea　waste；　without　disturbance；　and　had　gotten　the　city　of　Gaza
under　his　power；　she　resolved　no　longer　to　overlook　what　he　did；
when　he　was　almost　at　her　gates；　and　she　concluded；　that　now　he
was　so　much　stronger　than　before；　he　would　be　very　desirous　of
the　dominion　over　the　Egyptians；　but　she　immediately　marched
against　him；　with　a　fleet　at　sea　and　an　army　of　foot　on　land；　and
made　Chelcias　and　Ananias　the　Jews　generals　of　her　whole　army；
while　she　sent　the　greatest　part　of　her　riches；　her
grandchildren；　and　her　testament；　to　the　people　of　Cos　（34）
Cleopatra　also　ordered　her　son　Alexander　to　sail　with　a　great
fleet　to　Phoenicia；　and　when　that　country　had　revolted；　she　came
to　Ptolemais；　and　because　the　people　of　Ptolemais　did　not　receive
her；　she　besieged　the　city；　but　Ptolemy　went　out　of　Syria；　and
made　haste　unto　Egypt；　supposing　that　he　should　find　it　destitute
of　an　army；　and　soon　take　it；　though　he　failed　of　his　hopes。　At
this　time　Chelcias；　one　of　Cleopatra's　generals；　happened　to　die
in　Celesyria；　as　he　was　in　pursuit　of　Ptolemy。

2。　When　Cleopatra　heard　of　her　son's　attempt；　and　that　his
Egyptian　expedition　did　not　succeed　according　to　his
expectations；　she　sent　thither　part　of　her　army；　and　drove　him
out　of　that　country；　so　when　he　was　returned　out　of　Egypt　again；
he　abode　during　the　winter　at　Gaza；　in　which　time　Cleopatra　took
the　garrison　that　was　in　Ptolemais　by　siege；　as　well　as　the　city；
and　when　Alexander　came　to　her；　he　gave　her　presents；　and　such
marks　of　respect　as　were　but　proper；　since　under　the　miseries　he
endured　by　Ptolemy　he　had　no　other　refuge　but　her。　Now　there　were
some　of　her　friends　who　persuaded　her　to　seize　Alexander；　and　to
overrun　and　take　possession　of　the　country；　and　not　to　sit　still
and　see　such　a　multitude　of　brave　Jews　subject　to　one　man。　But
Ananias's　counsel　was　contrary　to　theirs；　who　said　that　she　would
do　an　unjust　action　if　she　deprived　a　man　that　was　her　ally　of
that　authority　which　belonged　to　him；　and　this　a　man　who　is
related　to　us；　〃for　（said　he）　I　would　not　have　thee　ignorant　of
this；　that　what　in。　justice　thou　dost　to　him　will　make　all　us
that　are　Jews　to　be　thy　enemies。　This　desire　of　Ananias　Cleopatra
complied　with；　and　did　no　injury　to　Alexander；　but　made　a　league
of　mutual　assistance　with　him　at　Scythopolis；　a　city　of
Celesyria。

3。　So　when　Alexander　was　delivered　from　the　fear　he　was　in　of
Ptolemy；　he　presently　made　an　expedition　against　Coelesyria。　He
also　took　Gadara；　after　a　siege　of　ten　months。　He　took　also
Areathus；　a　very　strong　fortress　belonging　to　the　inhabitants
above　Jordan；　where　Theodorus；　the　son　of　Zeno；　had　his　chief
treasure；　and　what　he　esteemed　most　precious。　This　Zeno　fell
unexpectedly　upon　the　Jews；　and　slew　ten　thousand　of　them；　and
seized　upon　Alexander's　baggage。　Yet　did　not　this　misfortune
terrify　Alexander；　but　he　made　an　expedition　upon　the　maritime
parts　of　the　country；　Raphia　and　Anthedon；　（the　name　of　which
king　Herod　afterwards　changed　to　Agrippias；）　and　took　even　that
by　force。　But　when　Alexander　saw　that　Ptolemy　was　retired　from
Gaza　to　Cyprus；　and　his　mother　Cleopatra　was　returned　to　Egypt；
he　grew　angry　at　the　people　of　Gaza；　because　they　had　invited
Ptolemy　to　assist　them；　and　besieged　their　city；　and　ravaged
their　country。　But　as　Apollodotus；　the　general　of　the　army　of
Gaza；　fell　upon　the　camp　of　the　Jews　by　night；　with　two　thousand
foreign　and　ten　thousand　of　his　own　forces；　while　the　night
lasted；　those　of　Gaza　prevailed；　because　the　enemy　was　made　to
believe　that　it　was　Ptolemy　who　attacked　them；　but　when　day　was
come　on；　and　that　mistake　was　corrected；　and　the　Jews　knew　the
truth　of　the　matter；　they　came　back　again；　and　fell　upon　those　of
Gaza；　and　slew　of　them　about　a　thousand。　But　as　those　of　Gaza
stoutly　resisted　them；　and　would　not　yield　for　either　their　want
of　any　thing；　nor　for　the　great　multitude　that　were　slain；　（for
they　would　rather　suffer　any　hardship　whatever　than　come　under
the　power　of　their　enemies；）　Aretas；　king　of　the　Arabians；　a
person　then　very　illustrious；　encouraged　them　to　go　on　with
alacrity；　and　promised　them　that　he　would　come　to　their
assistance；　but　it　happened　that　before　he　came　Apollodotus　was
slain；　for　his　brother　Lysimachus　envying　him　for　the　great
reputation　he　had　gained　among　the　citizens；　slew　him；　and　got
the　army　together；　and　delivered　up　the　city　to　Alexander；　who；
when　he　came　in　at　first；　lay　quiet；　but　afterward　set　his　army
upon　the　inhabitants　of　Gaza；　and　gave　them　leave　to　punish　them；
so　some　went　one　way；　and　some　went　another；　and　slew　the
inhabitants　of　Gaza；　yet　were　not　they　of　cowardly　hearts；　but
opposed　those　that　came　to　slay　them；　and　slew　as　many　of　the
Jews；　and　some　of　them；　when　they　saw　themselves　deserted；　burnt
their　own　houses；　that　the　enemy　might　get　none　of　their　spoils；
nay；　some　of　them；　with　their　own　hands；　slew　their　children　and
their　wives；　having　no　other　way　but　this　of　avoiding　slavery　for
them；　but　the　senators；　who　were　in　all　five　hundred；　fled　to
Apollo's　temple；　（for　this　attack　happened　to　be　made　as　they
were　sitting；）　whom　Alexander　slew；　and　when　he　had　utterly
overthrown　their　city；　he　returned　to　Jerusalem；　having　spent　a
year　in　that　siege。

4。　About　this　very　time　Antiochus；　who　was　called　Grypus；　died
（35）　His　death　was　caused　by　Heracleon's　treachery；　when　he　had
lived　forty…five　years；　and　had　reigned　twenty…nine。　（36）　His　son
Seleucus　succeeded　him　in　the　kingdom；　and　made　war　with
Antiochus；　his　father's　brother；　who　was　called　Antiochus
Cyzicenus；　and　beat　him；　and　took　him　prisoner；　and　slew　him。　But
after　a　while　Antiochus；　the　son　of　Cyzicenus；　who　was　called
Pius；　came　to　Aradus；　and　put　the　diadem　on　his　own　head；　and
made　war　with　Seleucus；　and　beat　him；　and　drove　him　out　of　all
Syria。　But　when　he　fled　out　of　Syria；　he　came　to　Mopsuestia
again；　and　levied　money　upon　them；　but　the　people　of　Mopsuestin
had　indignation　at　what　he　did；　and　burnt　down　his　palace；　and
slew　him；　together　with　his　friends。　But　when　Antiochus；　the　son
of　Cyzicenus；　was　king　of　Syria；　Antiochus；　（37）　the　brother　of
Seleucus；　made　war　upon　him；　and　was　overcome；　and　destroyed；　he
and　his　army。　After　him；　his　brother　Philip　put　on　the　diadem；
and　reigned　over　some　part　of　Syria；　but　Ptolemy　Lathyrus　sent
for　his　fourth　brother　Demetrius；　who　was　called　Eucerus；　from
Cnidus；　and　made　him　king　of　Damascus。　Both　these　brothers　did
Antiochus　vehemently　oppose；　but　presently　died；　for　when　he　was
come　as　an　auxiliary　to　Laodice；　queen　of　the　Gileadites；　（38）
when　she　was　making　war　against　the　Parthians；　and　he　was
fighting　courageously；　he　fell；　while　Demetrius　and　Philip
governed　Syria；　as　hath　been　elsewhere　related。

5。　As　to　Alexander；　his　own　people　were　seditious　against　him；
for　at　a　festival　which　was　then　celebrated；　when　he　stood　upon
the　altar；　and　was　going　to　sacrifice；　the　nation　rose　upon　him；
and　pelted　him　with　citrons　＇which　they　then　had　in　their　hands；
because＇　the　law　of　the　Jews　required　that　at　the　feast　of
tabernacles　every　one　should　have　branches　of　the　palm　tree　and
citron　tree；　which　thi