the wars of the jews-第4节

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；　that　a　famine　so　far　prevailed　within　the　city；　that　they　were　forced　to　eat　what　never　was　esteemed　food。　They　also　invited　Antiochus；　who　was　called　Cyzicenus；　to　come　to　their　assistance；　whereupon　he　got　ready；　and　complied　with　their　invitation；　but　was　beaten　by　Aristobulus　and　Antigonus；　and　indeed　he　was　pursued　as　far　as　Scythopolis　by　these　brethren；　and　fled　away　from　them。　So　they　returned　back　to　Samaria；　and　shut　the　multitude　again　within　the　wall；　and　when　they　had　taken　the　city；　they　demolished　it；　and　made　slaves　of　its　inhabitants。　And　as　they　had　still　great　success　in　their　undertakings；　they　did　not　suffer　their　zeal　to　cool；　but　marched　with　an　army　as　far　as　Scythopolis；　and　made　an　incursion　upon　it；　and　laid　waste　all　the　country　that　lay　within　Mount　Carmel。

8。　But　then　these　successes　of　John　and　of　his　sons　made　them　be　envied；　and　occasioned　a　sedition　in　the　country；　and　many　there　were　who　got　together；　and　would　not　be　at　rest　till　they　brake　out　into　open　war；　in　which　war　they　were　beaten。　So　John　lived　the　rest　of　his　life　very　happily；　and　administered　the　government　after　a　most　extraordinary　manner；　and　this　for　thirty…three　entire　years　together。　He　died；　leaving　five　sons　behind　him。　He　was　certainly　a　very　happy　man；　and　afforded　no　occasion　to　have　any　complaint　made　of　fortune　on　his　account。　He　it　was　who　alone　had　three　of　the　most　desirable　things　in　the　world；　…　the　government　of　his　nation；　and　the　high　priesthood；　and　the　gift　of　prophecy。　For　the　Deity　conversed　with　him；　and　he　was　not　ignorant　of　any　thing　that　was　to　come　afterward；　insomuch　that　he　foresaw　and　foretold　that　his　two　eldest　sons　would　not　continue　masters　of　the　government；　and　it　will　highly　deserve　our　narration　to　describe　their　catastrophe；　and　how　far　inferior　these　men　were　to　their　father　in　felicity。

CHAPTER　3。

How　Aristobulus　Was　The　First　That　Put　A　Diadem　About　His　Head；　And　After　He　Had　Put　His　Mother　And　Brother　To　Death；　Died　Himself；　When　He　Had　Reigned　No　More　Than　A　Year。

1。　For　after　the　death　of　their　father；　the　elder　of　them；　Aristobulus；　changed　the　government　into　a　kingdom；　and　was　the　first　that　put　a　diadem　upon　his　head；　four　hundred　seventy　and　one　years　and　three　months　after　our　people　came　down　into　this　country；　when　they　were　set　free　from　the　Babylonian　slavery。　Now；　of　his　brethren；　he　appeared　to　have　an　affection　for　Antigonus；　who　was　next　to　him；　and　made　him　his　equal；　but　for　the　rest；　he　bound　them；　and　put　them　in　prison。　He　also　put　his　mother　in　bonds；　for　her　contesting　the　government　with　him；　for　John　had　left　her　to　be　the　governess　of　public　affairs。　He　also　proceeded　to　that　degree　of　barbarity　as　to　cause　her　to　be　pined　to　death　in　prison。

2。　But　vengeance　circumvented　him　in　the　affair　of　his　brother　Antigonus；　whom　he　loved；　and　whom　he　made　his　partner　in　the　kingdom；　for　he　slew　him　by　the　means　of　the　calumnies　which　ill　men　about　the　palace　contrived　against　him。　At　first；　indeed；　Aristobulus　would　not　believe　their　reports；　partly　out　of　the　affection　he　had　for　his　brother；　and　partly　because　he　thought　that　a　great　part　of　these　tales　were　owing　to　the　envy　of　their　relaters：　however；　as　Antigonus　came　once　in　a　splendid　manner　from　the　army　to　that　festival；　wherein　our　ancient　custom　is　to　make　tabernacles　for　God；　it　happened；　in　those　days；　that　Aristobulus　was　sick；　and　that；　at　the　conclusion　of　the　feast；　Antigonus　came　up　to　it；　with　his　armed　men　about　him；　and　this　when　he　was　adorned　in　the　finest　manner　possible；　and　that；　in　a　great　measure；　to　pray　to　God　on　the　behalf　of　his　brother。　Now　at　this　very　time　it　was　that　these　ill　men　came　to　the　king；　and　told　him　in　what　a　pompous　manner　the　armed　men　came；　and　with　what　insolence　Antigonus　marched；　and　that　such　his　insolence　was　too　great　for　a　private　person；　and　that　accordingly　he　was　come　with　a　great　band　of　men　to　kill　him；　for　that　he　could　not　endure　this　bare　enjoyment　of　royal　honor；　when　it　was　in　his　power　to　take　the　kingdom　himself。

3。　Now　Aristobulus；　by　degrees；　and　unwillingly；　gave　credit　to　these　accusations；　and　accordingly　he　took　care　not　to　discover　his　suspicion　openly；　though　he　provided　to　be　secure　against　any　accidents；　so　he　placed　the　guards　of　his　body　in　a　certain　dark　subterranean　passage；　for　he　lay　sick　in　a　place　called　formerly　the　Citadel；　though　afterwards　its　name　was　changed　to　Antonia；　and　he　gave　orders　that　if　Antigonus　came　unarmed；　they　should　let　him　alone；　but　if　he　came　to　him　in　his　armor；　they　should　kill　him。　He　also　sent　some　to　let　him　know　beforehand　that　he　should　come　unarmed。　But；　upon　this　occasion；　the　queen　very　cunningly　contrived　the　matter　with　those　that　plotted　his　ruin；　for　she　persuaded　those　that　were　sent　to　conceal　the　king's　message；　but　to　tell　Antigonus　how　his　brother　had　heard　he　had　got　a　very　the　suit　of　armor　made　with　fine　martial　ornaments；　in　Galilee；　and　because　his　present　sickness　hindered　him　from　coming　and　seeing　all　that　finery；　he　very　much　desired　to　see　him　now　in　his　armor；　because；　said　he；　in　a　little　time　thou　art　going　away　from　me。

4。　As　soon　as　Antigonus　heard　this；　the　good　temper　of　his　brother　not　allowing　him　to　suspect　any　harm　from　him；　he　came　along　with　his　armor　on；　to　show　it　to　his　brother；　but　when　he　was　going　along　that　dark　passage　which　w｛s　called　Strato's　Tower；　he　was　slain　by　the　body　guards；　and　became　an　eminent　instance　how　calumny　destroys　all　good…will　and　natural　affection；　and　how　none　of　our　good　affections　are　strong　enough　to　resist　envy　perpetually。

5。　And　truly　any　one　would　be　surprised　at　Judas　upon　this　occasion。　He　was　of　the　sect　of　the　Essens；　and　had　never　failed　or　deceived　men　in　his　predictions　before。　Now　this　man　saw　Antigonus　as　he　was　passing　along　by　the　temple；　and　cried　out　to　his　acquaintance；　（they　were　not　a　few　who　attended　upon　him　as　his　scholars；）　〃O　strange！〃　said　he；　〃it　is　good　for　me　to　die　now；　since　truth　is　dead　before　me；　and　somewhat　that　I　have　foretold　hath　proved　false；　for　this　Antigonus　is　this　day　alive；　who　ought　to　hare　died　this　day；　and　the　place　where　he　ought　to　be　slain；　according　to　that　fatal　decree；　was　Strato's　Tower；　which　is　at　the　distance　of　six　hundred　furlongs　from　this　place；　and　yet　four　hours　of　this　day　are　over　already；　which　point　of　time　renders　the　prediction　impossible　to　be　fill　filled。〃　And　when　the　old　man　had　said　this；　he　was　dejected　in　his　mind；　and　so　continued。　But　in　a　little　time　news　came　that　Antigonus　was　slain　in　a　subterraneous　place；　which　was　itself　also　called　Strato's　Tower；　by　the　same　name　with　that　Cesarea　which　lay　by　the　sea…side；　and　this　ambiguity　it　was　which　caused　the　prophet's　disorder。

6。　Hereupon　Aristobulus　repented　of　the　great　crime　he　had　been　guilty　of；　and　this　gave　occasion　to　the　increase　of　his　distemper。　He　also　grew　worse　and　worse；　and　his　soul　was　constantly　disturbed　at　the　thoughts　of　what　he　had　done；　till　his　very　bowels　being　torn　to　pieces　by　the　intolerable　grief　he　was　under；　he　threw　up　a　great　quantity　of　blood。　And　as　one　of　those　servants　that　attended　him　carried　out　that　blood；　he；　by　some　supernatural　providence；　slipped　and　fell　down　in　the　very　place　where　Antigonus　had　been　slain；　and　so　he　spilt　some　of　the　murderer's　blood　upon　the　spots　of　the　blood　of　him　that　had　been　murdered；　which　still　appeared。　Hereupon　a　lamentable　cry　arose　among　the　spectators；　as　if　the　servant　had　spilled　the　blood　on　purpose　in　that　place；　and　as　the　king　heard　that　cry；　he　inquired　what　was　the　cause　of　it；　and　while　nobody　durst　tell　him；　he　pressed　them　so　much　the　more　to　let　him　know　what　was　the　matter；　so　at　length；　when　he　had　threatened　them；　and　forced　them　to　speak　out；　they　told；　whereupon　he　burst　into　tears；　and　groaned；　and　said；　〃So　I　perceive　I　am　not　like　to　escape　the　all…seeing　eye　of　God；　as　to　the　great　crimes　I　have　committed；　but　the　vengeance　of　the　blood　of　my　kinsman　pursues　me　hastily。　O　thou　most　impudent　body！　how　long　wilt　thou　retain　a　soul　that　ought　to　die　on　account　of　that　punishment　it　ought　to　suffer　for　a　mother　and　a　brother　slain！　How　long　shall　I　myself　spend　my　blood　drop　by　drop？　let　them　take　it　all　at　once；　and　let　their　ghosts　no　longer　be　disappointed　by　a　few　parcels　of　my　bowels　offered　to　them。〃　As　soon　as　he　had　said　these　words；　he　presently　died；　when　he　had　reigned　no　longer　than　a　year。　　CHAPTER　4。

What　Actions　Were　Done　By　Alexander　Janneus；　Who　Reigned　Twenty…Seven　Years。

1。　And　now　the　king's　wife　loosed　the　king's　brethren；　and　made　Alexander　king；　who　appeared　both　elder　in　age；　and　more　moderate　in　his　temper　than　the　rest；　who；　when　he　came　to　the　government；　slew　one　of　his　brethren；　as　affecting　to　govern　himself；　but　had　the　other　of　them　in　great　esteem；　as　loving　a　quiet　life；　without　meddling　with　public　affairs。

2。　Now　it　happened　that　there　was　a　battle　between　him　and　Ptolemy；　who　was　called　Lathyrus；　who　had　taken　the　city　Asochis。　He　indeed　slew　a　great　many　of　his　enemies；　but　the　victory　rather　inclined　to　Ptolemy。　But　when　this　Ptolemy　was　pursued　by　his　mother　Cleopatra；　and　retired　into　Egypt；　Alexander　besieged　Gadara；　and　took　it；　as　also　h