the wars of the jews-第5节

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d　by　his　mother　Cleopatra；　and　retired　into　Egypt；　Alexander　besieged　Gadara；　and　took　it；　as　also　he　did　Amathus；　which　was　the　strongest　of　all　the　fortresses　that　were　about　Jordan；　and　therein　were　the　most　precious　of　all　the　possessions　of　Theodorus；　the　son　of　Zeno。　Whereupon　Theodopus　marched　against　him；　and　took　what　belonged　to　himself　as　well　as　the　king's　baggage；　and　slew　ten　thousand　of　the　Jews。　However；　Alexander　recovered　this　blow；　and　turned　his　force　towards　the　maritime　parts；　and　took　Raphia　and　Gaza；　with　Anthedon　also；　which　was　afterwards　called　Agrippias　by　king　Herod。

3。　But　when　he　had　made　slaves　of　the　citizens　of　all　these　cities；　the　nation　of　the　Jews　made　an　insurrection　against　him　at　a　festival；　for　at　those　feasts　seditions　are　generally　begun；　and　it　looked　as　if　he　should　not　be　able　to　escape　the　plot　they　had　laid　for　him；　had　not　his　foreign　auxiliaries；　the　Pisidians　and　Cilicians；　assisted　him；　for　as　to　the　Syrians；　he　never　admitted　them　among　his　mercenary　troops；　on　account　of　their　innate　enmity　against　the　Jewish　nation。　And　when　he　had　slain　more　than　six　thousand　of　the　rebels；　he　made　an　incursion　into　Arabia；　and　when　he　had　taken　that　country；　together　with　the　Gileadires　and　Moabites；　he　enjoined　them　to　pay　him　tribute；　and　returned　to　Areathus；　and　as　Theodorus　was　surprised　at　his　great　success；　he　took　the　fortress；　and　demolished　it。

4。　However；　when　he　fought　with　Obodas；　king　of　the　Arabians；　who　had　laid　an　ambush　for　him　near　Golan；　and　a　plot　against　him；　he　lost　his　entire　army；　which　was　crowded　together　in　a　deep　valley；　and　broken　to　pieces　by　the　multitude　of　camels。　And　when　he　had　made　his　escape　to　Jerusalem；　he　provoked　the　multitude；　which　hated　him　before；　to　make　an　insurrection　against　him；　and　this　on　account　of　the　greatness　of　the　calamity　that　he　was　under。　However；　he　was　then　too　hard　for　them；　and；　in　the　several　battles　that　were　fought　on　both　sides；　he　slew　not　fewer　than　fifty　thousand　of　the　Jews　in　the　interval　of　six　years。　Yet　had　he　no　reason　to　rejoice　in　these　victories；　since　he　did　but　consume　his　own　kingdom；　till　at　length　he　left　off　fighting；　and　endeavored　to　come　to　a　composition　with　them；　by　talking　with　his　subjects。　But　this　mutability　and　irregularity　of　his　conduct　made　them　hate　him　still　more。　And　when　he　asked　them　why　they　so　hated　him；　and　what　he　should　do　in　order　to　appease　them；　they　said；　by　killing　himself；　for　that　it　would　be　then　all　they　could　do　to　be　reconciled　to　him；　who　had　done　such　tragical　things　to　them；　even　when　he　was　dead。　At　the　same　time　they　invited　Demetrius；　who　was　called　Eucerus；　to　assist　them；　and　as　he　readily　complied　with　their　requests；　in　hopes　of　great　advantages；　and　came　with　his　army；　the　Jews　joined　with　those　their　auxiliaries　about　Shechem。

5。　Yet　did　Alexander　meet　both　these　forces　with　one　thousand　horsemen；　and　eight　thousand　mercenaries　that　were　on　foot。　He　had　also　with　him　that　part　of　the　Jews　which　favored　him；　to　the

number　of　ten　thousand；　while　the　adverse　party　had　three　thousand　horsemen；　and　fourteen　thousand　footmen。　Now；　before　they　joined　battle；　the　kings　made　proclamation；　and　endeavored　to　draw　off　each　other's　soldiers；　and　make　them　revolt；　while　Demetrius　hoped　to　induce　Alexander's　mercenaries　to　leave　him；　and　Alexander　hoped　to　induce　the　Jews　that　were　with　Demetrius　to　leave　him。　But　since　neither　the　Jews　would　leave　off　their　rage；　nor　the　Greeks　prove　unfaithful；　they　came　to　an　engagement；　and　to　a　close　fight　with　their　weapons。　In　which　battle　Demetrius　was　the　conqueror；　although　Alexander's　mercenaries　showed　the　greatest　exploits；　both　in　soul　and　body。　Yet　did　the　upshot　of　this　battle　prove　different　from　what　was　expected；　as　to　both　of　them；　for　neither　did　those　that　invited　Demetrius　to　come　to　them　continue　firm　to　him；　though　he　was　conqueror；　and　six　thousand　Jews；　out　of　pity　to　the　change　of　Alexander's　condition；　when　he　was　fled　to　the　mountains；　came　over　to　him。　Yet　could　not　Demetrius　bear　this　turn　of　affairs；　but　supposing　that　Alexander　was　already　become　a　match　for　him　again；　and　that　all　the　nation　would　＇at　length＇　run　to　him；　he　left　the　country；　and　went　his　way。

6。　However；　the　rest　of　the　＇Jewish＇　multitude　did　not　lay　aside　their　quarrels　with　him；　when　the　＇foreign＇　auxiliaries　were　gone；　but　they　had　a　perpetual　war　with　Alexander；　until　he　had　slain　the　greatest　part　of　them；　and　driven　the　rest　into　the　city　Berneselis；　and　when　he　had　demolished　that　city；　he　carried　the　captives　to　Jerusalem。　Nay；　his　rage　was　grown　so　extravagant；　that　his　barbarity　proceeded　to　the　degree　of　impiety；　for　when　he　had　ordered　eight　hundred　to　be　hung　upon　crosses　in　the　midst　of　the　city；　he　had　the　throats　of　their　wives　and　children　cut　before　their　eyes；　and　these　executions　he　saw　as　he　was　drinking　and　lying　down　with　his　concubines。　Upon　which　so　deep　a　surprise　seized　on　the　people；　that　eight　thousand　of　his　opposers　fled　away　the　very　next　night；　out　of　all　Judea；　whose　flight　was　only　terminated　by　Alexander's　death；　so　at　last；　though　not　till　late；　and　with　great　difficulty；　he；　by　such　actions；　procured　quiet　to　his　kingdom；　and　left　off　fighting　any　more。

7。　Yet　did　that　Antiochus；　who　was　also　called　Dionysius；　become　an　origin　of　troubles　again。　This　man　was　the　brother　of　Demetrius；　and　the　last　of　the　race　of　the　Seleucidse。　（3）　Alexander　was　afraid　of　him；　when　he　was　marching　against　the　Arabians；　so　he　cut　a　deep　trench　between　Antipatris；　which　was　near　the　mountains；　and　the　shores　of　Joppa；　he　also　erected　a　high　wall　before　the　trench；　and　built　wooden　towers；　in　order　to　hinder　any　sudden　approaches。　But　still　he　was　not　able　to　exclude　Antiochus；　for　he　burnt　the　towers；　and　filled　up　the　trenches；　and　marched　on　with　his　army。　And　as　he　looked　upon　taking　his　revenge　on　Alexander；　for　endeavoring　to　stop　him；　as　a　thing　of　less　consequence；　he　marched　directly　against　the　Arabians；　whose　king　retired　into　such　parts　of　the　country　as　were　fittest　for　engaging　the　enemy；　and　then　on　the　sudden　made　his　horse　turn　back；　which　were　in　number　ten　thousand；　and　fell　upon　Antiochus's　army　while　they　were　in　disorder；　and　a　terrible　battle　ensued。　Antiochus's　troops；　so　long　as　he　was　alive；　fought　it　out；　although　a　mighty　slaughter　was　made　among　them　by　the　Arabians；　but　when　he　fell；　for　he　was　in　the　forefront；　in　the　utmost　danger；　in　rallying　his　troops；　they　all　gave　ground；　and　the　greatest　part　of　his　army　were　destroyed；　either　in　the　action　or　the　flight；　and　for　the　rest；　who　fled　to　the　village　of　Cana；　it　happened　that　they　were　all　consumed　by　want　of　necessaries；　a　few　only　excepted。

8。　About　this　time　it　was　that　the　people　of　Damascus；　out　of　their　hatred　to　Ptolemy；　the　son　of　Menhens；　invited　Aretas　＇to　take　the　government＇；　and　made　him　king　of　Celesyria。　This　man　also　made　an　expedition　against　Judea；　and　beat　Alexander　in　battle；　but　afterwards　retired　by　mutual　agreement。　But　Alexander；　when　he　had　taken　Pella；　marched　to　Gerasa　again；　out　of　the　covetous　desire　he　had　of　Theodorus's　possessions；　and　when　he　had　built　a　triple　wall　about　the　garrison；　he　took　the　place　by　force。　He　also　demolished　Golan；　and　Seleucia；　and　what　was　called　the　Valley　of　Antiochus；　besides　which；　he　took　the　strong　fortress　of　Gamala；　and　stripped　Demetrius；　who　was　governor　therein；　of　what　he　had；　on　account　of　the　many　crimes　laid　to　his　charge；　and　then　returned　into　Judea；　after　he　had　been　three　whole　years　in　this　expedition。　And　now　he　was　kindly　received　of　the　nation；　because　of　the　good　success　he　had。　So　when　he　was　at　rest　from　war；　he　fell　into　a　distemper；　for　he　was　afflicted　with　a　quartan　ague；　and　supposed　that；　by　exercising　himself　again　in　martial　affairs；　he　should　get　rid　of　this　distemper；　but　by　making　such　expeditions　at　unseasonable　times；　and　forcing　his　body　to　undergo　greater　hardships　than　it　was　able　to　bear；　he　brought　himself　to　his　end。　He　died；　therefore；　in　the　midst　of　his　troubles；　after　he　had　reigned　seven　and　twenty　years。

CHAPTER　5。

Alexandra　Reigns　Nine　Years；　During　Which　Time　The　Pharisees　Were　The　Real　Rulers　Of　The　Nation。

1。　Now　Alexander　left　the　kingdom　to　Alexandra　his　wife；　and　depended　upon　it　that　the　Jews　would　now　very　readily　submit　to　her；　because　she　had　been　very　averse　to　such　cruelty　as　he　had　treated　them　with；　and　had　opposed　his　violation　of　their　laws；　and　had　thereby　got　the　good…will　of　the　people。　Nor　was　he　mistaken　as　to　his　expectations；　for　this　woman　kept　the　dominion；　by　the　opinion　that　the　people　had　of　her　piety；　for　she　chiefly　studied　the　ancient　customs　of　her　country；　and　cast　those　men　out　of　the　government　that　offended　against　their　holy　laws。　And　as　she　had　two　sons　by　Alexander；　she　made　Hyrcanus　the　elder　high　priest；　on　account　of　his　age；　as　also；　besides　that；　on　account　of　his　inactive　temper；　no　way　disposing　him　to　disturb　the　public。　But　she　retained　the　younger；　Aristobulus；　with　her　as　a　private　person；　by　reason　of　the　warmth　of　his　temper。

2。　And　now　the　Pharisees　joined　themselves　to　her；　to　assist　her　in　the　government。　These　are　a　certain　sect　of　the　Jews　that　appea