the antiquities of the jews-1-第157章

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people；　because　they　were　unarmed；　for　they　could　not　be　useful
to　him　in　what　actions　he　was　going　about；　but　he　took　with　him
eight　thousand　that　were　armed；　and　marched　on；　and　as　the　Romans
fell　upon　them　severely；　the　Jews　fought　valiantly；　but　were
beaten　in　the　battle；　and　when　they　had　fought　with　alacrity；　but
were　overborne　by　the　enemy；　they　were　put　to　flight；　of　whom
were　slain　about　five　thousand；　and　the　rest　being　dispersed；
tried；　as　well　as　they　were　able；　to　save　themselves。　However；
Aristobulus　had　with　him　still　above　a　thousand；　and　with　them　he
fled　to　Macherus；　and　fortified　the　place；　and　though　he　had　had
ill　success；　he　still　had　good　hope　of　his　affairs；　but　when　he
had　struggled　against　the　siege　for　two　days'　time；　and　had
received　many　wounds；　he　was　brought　as　a　captive　to　Gabinius；
with　his　son　Antigonus；　who　also　fled　with　him　from　Rome。　And
this　was　the　fortune　of　Aristobulus；　who　was　sent　back　again　to
Rome；　and　was　there　retained　in　bonds；　having　been　both　king　and
high　priest　for　three　years　and　six　months；　and　was　indeed　an
eminent　person；　and　one　of　a　great　soul。　However；　the　senate　let
his　children　go；　upon　Gabinius's　writing　to　them　that　he　had
promised　their　mother　so　much　when　she　delivered　up　the
fortresses　to　him；　and　accordingly　they　then　returned　into　Judea。

2。　Now　when　Gabinius　was　making　an　expedition　against　the
Parthians；　and　had　already　passed　over　Euphrates；　he　changed　his
mind；　and　resolved　to　return　into　Egypt；　in　order　to　restore
Ptolemy　to　his　kingdom。　（11）　This　hath　also　been　related
elsewhere。　However；　Antipater　supplied　his　army；　which　he　sent
against　Archelaus；　with　corn；　and　weapons；　and　money。　He　also
made　those　Jews　who　were　above　Pelusium　his　friends　and
confederates；　and　had　been　the　guardians　of　the　passes　that　led
into　Egypt。　But　when　he　came　back　out　of　Egypt；　he　found　Syria　in
disorder；　with　seditions　and　troubles；　for　Alexander；　the　son　of
Aristobulus；　having　seized　on　the　government　a　second　time　by
force；　made　many　of　the　Jews　revolt　to　him；　and　so　he　marched
over　the　country　with　a　great　army；　and　slew　all　the　Romans　he
could　light　upon；　and　proceeded　to　besiege　the　mountain　called
Gerizzim；　whither　they　had　retreated。

3。　But　when　Gabinius　found　Syria　in　such　a　state；　he　sent
Antipater；　who　was　a　prudent　man；　to　those　that　were　seditious；
to　try　whether　he　could　cure　them　of　their　madness；　and　persuade
them　to　return　to　a　better　mind；　and　when　he　came　to　them；　he
brought　many　of　them　to　a　sound　mind；　and　induced　them　to　do　what
they　ought　to　do；　but　he　could　not　restrain　Alexander；　for　he　had
an　army　of　thirty　thousand　Jews；　and　met　Gabinius；　and　joining
battle　with　him；　was　beaten；　and　lost　ten　thousand　of　his　men
about　Mount　Tabor。

4。　So　Gabinius　settled　the　affairs　which　belonged　to　the　city
Jerusalem；　as　was　agreeable　to　Antipater's　inclination；　and　went
against　the　Nabateans；　and　overcame　them　in　battle。　He　also　sent
away　in　a　friendly　manner　Mithridates　and　Orsanes；　who　were
Parthian　deserters；　and　came　to　him；　though　the　report　went
abroad　that　they　had　run　away　from　him。　And　when　Gabinius　had
performed　great　and　glorious　actions；　in　his　management　of　the
affairs　of　war；　he　returned　to　Rome；　and　delivered　the　government
to　Crassus。　Now　Nicolaus　of　Damascus；　and　Strabo　of　Cappadocia；
both　describe　the　expeditions　of　Pompey　and　Gabinius　against　the
Jews；　while　neither　of　them　say　anything　new　which　is　not　in　the
other。

CHAPTER　7。

How　Crassus　Came　Into　Judea；　And　Pillaged　The　Temple；　And　Then
Marched　Against　The　Parthians　And　Perished；　With　His　Army。　Also
How　Cassius　Obtained　Syria；　And　Put　A　Stop　To　The　Parthians　And
Then　Went　Up　To　Judea。

1。　Now　Crassus；　as　he　was　going　upon　his　expedition　against　the
Parthians；　came　into　Judea；　and　carried　off　the　money　that　was　in
the　temple；　which　Pompey　had　left；　being　two　thousand　talents；
and　was　disposed　to　spoil　it　of　all　the　gold　belonging　to　it；
which　was　eight　thousand　talents。　He　also　took　a　beam；　which　was
made　of　solid　beaten　gold；　of　the　weight　of　three　hundred　minae；
each　of　which　weighed　two　pounds　and　a　half。　It　was　the　priest
who　was　guardian　of　the　sacred　treasures；　and　whose　name　was
Eleazar；　that　gave　him　this　beam；　not　out　of　a　wicked　design；　for
he　was　a　good　and　a　righteous　man；　but　being　intrusted　with　the
custody　of　the　veils　belonging　to　the　temple；　which　were　of
admirable　beauty；　and　of　very　costly　workmanship；　and　hung　down
from　this　beam；　when　lie　saw　that　Crassus　was　busy　in　gathering
money；　and　was　in　fear　for　the　entire　ornaments　of　the　temple；　he
gave　him　this　beam　of　gold　as　a　ransom　for　the　whole；　but　this
not　till　he　had　given　his　oath　that　he　would　remove　nothing　else
out　of　the　temple；　but　be　satisfied　with　this　only；　which　he
should　give　him；　being　worth　many　ten　thousand　＇shekels＇。　Now
this　beam　was　contained　in　a　wooden　beam　that　was　hollow；　but　was
known　to　no　others；　but　Eleazar　alone　knew　it；　yet　did　Crassus
take　away　this　beam；　upon　the　condition　of　touching　nothing　else
that　belonged　to　the　temple；　and　then　brake　his　oath；　and　carried
away　all　the　gold　that　was　in　the　temple。

2。　And　let　no　one　wonder　that　there　was　so　much　wealth　in　our
temple；　since　all　the　Jews　throughout　the　habitable　earth；　and
those　that　worshipped　God；　nay；　even　those　of　Asia　and　Europe；
sent　their　contributions　to　it；　and　this　from　very　ancient　times。
Nor　is　the　largeness　of　these　sums　without　its　attestation；　nor
is　that　greatness　owing　to　our　vanity；　as　raising　it　without
ground　to　so　great　a　height；　but　there　are　many　witnesses　to　it；
and　particularly　Strabo　of　Cappadocia；　who　says　thus：
〃Mithridates　sent　to　Cos；　and　took　the　money　which　queen
Cleopatra　had　deposited　there；　as　also　eight　hundred　talents
belonging　to　the　Jews。〃　Now　we　have　no　public　money　but　only　what
appertains　to　God；　and　it　is　evident　that　the　Asian　Jews　removed
this　money　out　of　fear　of　Mithridates；　for　it　is　not　probable
that　those　of　Judea；　who　had　a　strong　city　and　temple；　should
send　their　money　to　Cos；　nor　is　it　likely　that　the　Jews　who　are
inhabitants　of　Alexandria　should　do　so　neither；　since　they　were
ill　no　fear　of　Mithridates。　And　Strabo　himself　bears　witness　to
the　same　thing　in　another　place；　that　at　the　same　time　that　Sylla
passed　over　into　Greece；　in　order　to　fight　against　Mithridates；
he　sent　Lucullus　to　put　an　end　to　a　sedition　that　our　nation；　of
whom　the　habitable　earth　is　full；　had　raised　in　Cyrene；　where　he
speaks　thus：　〃There　were　four　classes　of　men　among　those　of
Cyrene；　that　of　citizens；　that　of　husbandmen；　the　third　of
strangers；　and　the　fourth　of　Jews。　Now　these　Jews　are　already
gotten　into　all　cities；　and　it　is　hard　to　find　a　place　in　the
habitable　earth　that　hath　not　admitted　this　tribe　of　men；　and　is
not　possessed　by　them；　and　it　hath　come　to　pass　that　Egypt　and
Cyrene；　as　having　the　same　governors；　and　a　great　number　of　other
nations；　imitate　their　way　of　living；　and　maintain　great　bodies
of　these　Jews　in　a　peculiar　manner；　and　grow　up　to　greater
prosperity　with　them；　and　make　use　of　the　same　laws　with　that
nation　also。　Accordingly；　the　Jews　have　places　assigned　them　in
Egypt；　wherein　they　inhabit；　besides　what　is　peculiarly　allotted
to　this　nation　at　Alexandria；　which　is　a　large　part　of　that　city。
There　is　also　an　ethnarch　allowed　them；　who　governs　the　nation；
and　distributes　justice　to　them；　and　takes　care　of　their
contracts；　and　of　the　laws　to　them　belonging；　as　if　he　were　the
ruler　of　a　free　republic。　In　Egypt；　therefore；　this　nation　is
powerful；　because　the　Jews　were　originally　Egyptians；　and　because
the　land　wherein　they　inhabit；　since　they　went　thence；　is　near　to
Egypt。　They　also　removed　into　Cyrene；　because　that　this　land
adjoined　to　the　government　of　Egypt；　as　well　as　does　Judea；　or
rather　was　formerly　under　the　same　government。〃　And　this　is　what
Strabo　says。

3。　So　when　Crassus　had　settled　all　things　as　he　himself　pleased；
he　marched　into　Parthia；　where　both　he　himself　and　all　his　army
perished；　as　hath　been　related　elsewhere。　But　Cassius；　as　he　fled
from　Rome　to　Syria；　took　possession　of　it；　and　was　an　impediment
to　the　Parthians；　who　by　reason　of　their　victory　over　Crassus
made　incursions　upon　it。　And　as　he　came　back　to　Tyre；　he　went　up
into　Judea　also；　and　fell　upon　Tarichee；　and　presently　took　it；
and　carried　about　thirty　thousand　Jews　captives；　and　slew
Pitholaus；　who　succeeded　Aristobulus　in　his　seditious　practices；
and　that　by　the　persuasion　of　Antipater；　who　proved　to　have　great
interest　in　him；　and　was　at　that　time　in　great　repute　with　the
Idumeans　also：　out　of　which　nation　he　married　a　wife；　who　was　the
daughter　of　one　of　their　eminent　men；　and　her　name　was　Cypros；
（12）　by　whom　he　had　four　sons；　Phasael；　and　Herod；　who　was
afterwards　made　king；　and　Joseph；　and　Pheroras；　and　a　daughter；
named　Salome。　This　Antipater　cultivated　also　a　friendship　and
mutual　kindness　with　other　potentates；　but　especially　with　the
king　of　Arabia；　to　whom　he　committed　his　children；　while　he
fought　against　Aristobulus。　So　Cassius　removed　his　camp；　and
marched　to　Euphrates；　to　meet　those　that　were　coming　to　attack
him；　as　hath　been　related　by　others。

4。　But　some　time　afterward　Cesar；　when　he　had　taken　Rome；　and
after　Pompey　and　the　senate　were　fled　beyond　the　Ionian　Sea；
freed　Aristobulus　from　his　bonds；　and　resolved　to　send　him　into
Syria；　and　delivered　two　legions　to　him；　that　he　might　set
matters　right；　as　being　a　potent　man　in　that　country。　But
Aristobulus　had　no　enjoyment　of　what　he　hoped　for　from　the　power
that　was　given　him　by　Cesar；　for　those　of　Pompey's　party
prevented　it；　and　destroyed　him　by　poison；　and　those　of　Caesar's
party　buried　him。　His　dead　body　also　lay；　for　a　good　while；
embalmed　in　honey；　till　Antony　afterward　sent　it　to　Judea；　and
caused　him　to　be　buried　in　the　royal　sepulcher。　But　Scipio；　upon
Pompey's　sending　to　him　to　slay　Alexander；　the　son　of
Aristobulus；　because　the　young　man　was　accused　of　what　offenses
he　had　been　guilty　of　at　first　against　the　Romans；　cut　off　his
head；　and　thus　did　he　die　at　Antioch。　But　Ptolemy；　the　son　of
Menneus；　who　was　the　ruler　of　Chalcis；　under　Mount　Libanus；　took
his　brethren　to　him；　and　sent　his　son　Philippion　to　Askelon　to
Aristobulus's　wife；　and　desired　her　to　send　back　with　him　her　son
Antigonus；　and　her　daughters；　the　one　of　which；　whose　name　was
Alexandra；　Philippion　fell　in　love　with；　and　married　her；　though
afterward　his　father　Ptolemy　slew　him；　and　married　Alexandra；　and
continued　to　take　care　of　her　brethren。

CHAPTER　8。

The　Jews　Become　Confederates　With　Caesar　When　He　Fought　Against
Egypt。　The　Glorious　Actions　Of　Antipater；　And　His　Friendship　With
Caesar。　The　Honors　Which　The　Jews　Received　From　The　Romans　And
Athenians。

1。　Now　after　Pompey　was　dead；　and　after　that　victory　Caesar　had
gained　over　him；　Antipater；　who　managed　the　Jewish　affairs；
became　very　useful　to　Caesar　when　he　made　war　against　Egypt；　and
that　by　the　order　of　Hyrcanus；　for　when　Mithridates　of　Pergainus
was　bringing　his　auxiliaries；　and　was　not　able　to　continue　his
march　through　Pelusium；　but　obliged　to　stay　at　Askelon；　Antipater
came　to　him；　conducting　three　thousand　of　the　Jews；　arm