the antiquities of the jews-1-第153章

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authority　among　the　Jews；　both　to　do　hurt　to　such　as　they　hated；
and　to　bring　advantages　to　those　to　whom　they　were　friendly
disposed；　for　that　they　are　then　believed　best　of　all　by　the
multitude　when　they　speak　any　severe　thing　against　others；　though
it　be　only　out　of　envy　at　them。　And　he　said　that　it　was　by　their
means　that　he　had　incurred　the　displeasure　of　the　nation；　whom
indeed　he　had　injured。　〃Do　thou；　therefore；〃　said　he；　〃when　thou
art　come　to　Jerusalem；　send　for　the　leading　men　among　them；　and
show　them　my　body；　and　with　great　appearance　of　sincerity；　give
them　leave　to　use　it　as　they　themselves　please；　whether　they　will
dishonor　the　dead　body　by　refusing　it　burial；　as　having　severely
suffered　by　my　means；　or　whether　in　their　anger　they　will　offer
any　other　injury　to　that　body。　Promise　them　also　that　thou　wilt
do　nothing　without　them　in　the　affairs　of　the　kingdom。　If　thou
dost　but　say　this　to　them；　I　shall　have　the　honor　of　a　more
glorious　Funeral　from　them　than　thou　couldst　have　made　for　me；
and　when　it　is　in　their　power　to　abuse　my　dead　body；　they　will　do
it　no　injury　at　all；　and　thou　wilt　rule　in　safety。〃　（44）　So　when
he　had　given　his　wife　this　advice；　he　died；　after　he　had　reigned
twenty…seven　years；　and　lived　fifty　years　within　one。

CHAPTER　16。

How　Alexandra　By　Gaining　The　Good…Will　Of　The　Pharisees；　Retained
The　Kingdom　Nine　Years；　And　Then；　Having　Done　Many　Glorious
Actions　Died。

1。　So　Alexandra；　when　she　had　taken　the　fortress；　acted　as　her
husband　had　suggested　to　her；　and　spake　to　the　Pharisees；　and　put
all　things　into　their　power；　both　as　to　the　dead　body；　and　as　to
the　affairs　of　the　kingdom；　and　thereby　pacified　their　anger
against　Alexander；　and　made　them　bear　goodwill　and　friendship　to
him；　who　then　came　among　the　multitude；　and　made　speeches　to
them；　and　laid　before　them　the　actions　of　Alexander；　and　told
them　that　they　had　lost　a　righteous　king；　and　by　the　commendation
they　gave　him；　they　brought　them　to　grieve；　and　to　be　in
heaviness　for　him；　so　that　he　had　a　funeral　more　splendid　than
had　any　of　the　kings　before　him。　Alexander　left　behind　him　two
sons；　Hyrcanus　and　Aristobulus；　but　committed　the　kingdom　to
Alexandra。　Now；　as　to　these　two　sons；　Hyrcanus　was　indeed　unable
to　manage　public　affairs；　and　delighted　rather　in　a　quiet　life；
but　the　younger；　Aristobulus；　was　an　active　and　a　bold　man；　and
for　this　woman　herself；　Alexandra；　she　was　loved　by　the
multitude；　because　she　seemed　displeased　at　the　offenses　her
husband　had　been　guilty　of。

2。　So　she　made　Hyrcanus　high　priest；　because　he　was　the　elder；
but　much　more　because　he　cared　not　to　meddle　with　politics；　and
permitted　the　Pharisees　to　do　every　thing；　to　whom　also　she
ordered　the　multitude　to　be　obedient。　She　also　restored　again
those　practices　which　the　Pharisees　had　introduced；　according　to
the　traditions　of　their　forefathers；　and　which　her　father…in…law；
Hyrcanus；　had　abrogated。　So　she　had　indeed　the　name　of　the
regent；　but　the　Pharisees　had　the　authority；　for　it　was　they　who
restored　such　as　had　been　banished；　and　set　such　as　were
prisoners　at　liberty；　and；　to　say　all　at　once；　they　differed　in
nothing　from　lords。　However；　the　queen　also　took　care　of　the
affairs　of　the　kingdom；　and　got　together　a　great　body　of
mercenary　soldiers；　and　increased　her　own　army　to　such　a　degree；
that　she　became　terrible　to　the　neighboring　tyrants；　and　took
hostages　of　them：　and　the　country　was　entirely　at　peace；
excepting　the　Pharisees；　for　they　disturbed　the　queen；　and
desired　that　she　would　kill　those　who　persuaded　Alexander　to　slay
the　eight　hundred　men；　after　which　they　cut　the　throat　of　one　of
them；　Diogenes；　and　after　him　they　did　the　same　to　several；　one
after　another；　till　the　men　that　were　the　most　potent　came　into
the　palace；　and　Aristobulus　with　them；　for　he　seemed　to　be
displeased　at　what　was　done；　and　it　appeared　openly；　that　if　he
had　an　opportunity；　he　would　not　permit　his　mother　to　go　on　so。
These　put　the　queen　in　mind　what　great　dangers　they　had　gone
through；　and　great　things　they　had　done；　whereby　they　had
demonstrated　the　firmness　of　their　fidelity　to　their　master；
insomuch　that　they　had　recieved　the　greatest　marks　of　favor　from
him；　and　they　begged　of　her；　that　she　would　not　utterly　blast
their　hopes；　as　it　now　happened；　that　when　they　had　escaped　the
hazards　that　arose　from　their　＇open＇　enemies；　they　were　to　be　cut
off　at　home　by　their　＇private＇　enemies；　like　brute　beasts；
without　any　help　whatsoever。　They　said　also；　that　if　their
adversaries　would　be　satisfied　with　those　that　had　been　slain
already；　they　would　take　what　had　been　done　patiently；　on　account
of　their　natural　love　to　their　governors；　but　if　they　must　expect
the　same　for　the　future　also；　they　implored　of　her　a　dismission
from　her　service；　for　they　could　not　bear　to　think　of　attempting
any　method　for　their　deliverance　without　her；　but　would　rather
die　willingly　before　the　palace　gate；　in　case　she　would　not
forgive　them。　And　that　it　was　a　great　shame；　both　for　themselves
and　for　the　queen；　that　when　they　were　neglected　by　her；　they
should　come　under　the　lash　of　her　husband's　enemies；　for　that
Aretas；　the　Arabian　king；　and　the　monarchs；　would　give　any
reward；　if　they　could　get　such　men　as　foreign　auxiliaries；　to
whom　their　very　names；　before　their　voices　be　heard；　may　perhaps
be　terrible；　but　if　they　could　not　obtain　this　their　second
request；　and　if　she　had　determined　to　prefer　the　Pharisees　before
them；　they　still　insisted　that　she　would　place　them　every　one　in
her　fortresses；　for　if　some　fatal　demon　hath　a　constant　spite
against　Alexander's　house；　they　would　be　willing　to　bear　their
part；　and　to　live　in　a　private　station　there。

3。　As　these　men　said　thus；　and　called　upon　Alexander's　ghost　for
commiseration　of　those　already　slain；　and　those　in　danger　of　it；
all　the　bystanders　brake　out　into　tears。　But　Aristobulus　chiefly
made　manifest　what　were　his　sentiments；　and　used。　many
reproachful　expressions　to　his　mother；　＇saying；＇　〃Nay；　indeed；
the　case　is　this；　that　they　have　been　themselves　the　authors　of
their　own　calamities；　who　have　permitted　a　woman　who；　against
reason；　was　mad　with　ambition；　to　reign　over　them；　when　there
were　sons　in　the　flower　of　their　age　fitter　for　it。〃　So
Alexandra；　not　knowing　what　to　do　with　any　decency；　committed　the
fortresses　to　them；　all　but　Hyrcania；　and　Alexandrium；　and
Macherus；　where　her　principal　treasures　were。　After　a　little
while　also；　she　sent　her　son　Aristobulus　with　an　army　to　Damascus
against　Ptolemy；　who　was　called　Menneus；　who　was　such　a　bad
neighbor　to　the　city；　but　he　did　nothing　considerable　there；　and
so　returned　home。

4。　About　this　time　news　was　brought　that　Tigranes；　the　king　of
Armenia；　had　made　an　irruption　into　Syria　with　five　hundred
thousand　soldiers；　（45）　and　was　coming　against　Judea。　This　news；
as　may　well　be　supposed；　terrified　the　queen　and　the　nation。
Accordingly；　they　sent　him　many　and　very　valuable　presents；　as
also　ambassadors；　and　that　as　he　was　besieging　Ptolemais；　for
Selene　the　queen；　the　same　that　was　also　called　Cleopatra；　ruled
then　over　Syria；　who　had　persuaded　the　inhabitants　to　exclude
Tigranes。　So　the　Jewish　ambassadors　interceded　with　him；　and
entreated　him　that　he　would　determine　nothing　that　was　severe
about　their　queen　or　nation。　He　commended　them　for　the　respects
they　paid　him　at　so　great　a　distance；　and　gave　them　good　hopes　of
his　favor。　But　as　soon　as　Ptolemais　was　taken；　news　came　to
Tigranes；　that　Lucullus；　in　his　pursuit　of　Mithridates；　could　not
light　upon　him；　who　was　fled　into　Iberia；　but　was　laying　waste
Armenia；　and　besieging　its　cities。　Now　when　Tigranes　knew　this；
he　returned　home。

5。　After　this；　when　the　queen　was　fallen　into　a　dangerous
distemper；　Aristobulus　resolved　to　attempt　the　seizing　of　the
government；　so　he　stole　away　secretly　by　night；　with　only　one　of
his　servants；　and　went　to　the　fortresses；　wherein　his　friends；
that　were　such　from　the　days　of　his　father；　were　settled；　for　as
he　had　been　a　great　while　displeased　at　his　mother's　conduct；　so
he　was　now　much　more　afraid；　lest；　upon　her　death；　their　whole
family　should　be　under　the　power　of　the　Pharisees；　for　he　saw　the
inability　of　his　brother；　who　was　to　succeed　in　the　government；
nor　was　any　one　conscious　of　what　he　was　doing　but　only　his　wife；
whom　he　left　at　Jerusalem　with　their　children。　He　first　of　all
came　to　Agaba；　where　was　Galestes；　one　of　the　potent　men　before
mentioned；　and　was　received　by　him。　When　it　was　day；　the　queen
perceived　that　Aristobulus　was　fled；　and　for　some　time　she
supposed　that　his　departure　was　not　in　order　to　make　any
innovation；　but　when　messengers　came　one　after　another　with　the
news　that　he　had　secured　the　first　place；　the　second　place；　and
all　the　places；　for　as　soon　as　one　had　begun　they　all　submitted
to　his　disposal；　then　it　was　that　the　queen　and　the　nation　were
in　the　greatest　disorder；　for　they　were　aware　that　it　would　not
be　long　ere　Aristobulus　would　be　able　to　settle　himself　firmly　in
the　government。　What　they　were　principally　afraid　of　was　this；
that　he　would　inflict　punishment　upon　them　for　the　mad　treatment
his　house　had　had　from　them。　So　they　resolved　to　take　his　wife
and　children　into　custody；　and　keep　them　in　the　fortress　that　was
over　the　temple。　（46）　Now　there　was　a　mighty　conflux　of　people
that　came　to　Aristobulus　from　all　parts；　insomuch　that　he　had　a
kind　of　royal　attendants　about　him；　for　in　a　little　more　than
fifteen　days　he　got　twenty…two　strong　places；　which　gave　him　the
opportunity　of　raising　an　army　from　Libanus　and　Trachonitis；　and
the　monarchs；　for　men　are　easily　led　by　the　greater　number；　and
easily　submit　to　them。　And　besides　this；　that　by　affording　him
their　assistance；　when　he　could　not　expect　it；　they；　as　well　as
he；　should　have　the　advantages　that　would　come　by　his　being　king；
because　they　had　been　the　occasion　of　his　gaining　the　kingdom。
Now　the　eiders　of　the　Jews；　and　Hyrcanus　with　them；　went　in　unto
the　queen；　and　desired　that　she　would　give　them　her　sentiments
about　the　present　posture　of　affairs；　for　that　Aristobulus　was　in
effect　lord　of　almost　all　the　kingdom；　by　possessing　of　so　many
strong　holds；　and　that　it　was　absurd　for　them　to　take　any　counsel
by　themselves；　how　ill　soever　she　were；　whilst　she　was　alive；　and
that　the　danger　would　be　upon　them　in　no　long　time。　But　she　bid
them　do　what　they　thought　proper　to　be　done；　that　they　had　many
circumstances　in　their　favor　still　remaining；　a　nation　in　good
heart；　an　army；　and　money　in　their　several　treasuries；　for　that
she　had　small　concern　about　public　affairs　now；　when　the　strength
of　her　body　already　failed　her。

6。　Now　a　little　while　after　she　had　said　this　to　them；　she　died；
when　she　had　reigned　nine　years；　and　had　in　all　lived
seventy…three。　A　woman　she　was　who　showed　no　signs　of　the
weakness　of　her　sex；　for　she　was　sagacious　to　the　greatest　degree
in　her　ambition　of　governing；　and　demonstrated　by　her　doings　at
once；　that　her　mind　was　fit　for　action；　and　that　sometimes　men
themselves　show　the　little　understanding　they　have　by　the
frequent　mistakes　they　make　in　point　of　government；　for　she
always　preferred　the　present　to　futurity；　and　preferr