to a Pomgranate cut in the middest to which there is annexed and groweth a round couer as if turned and framed on purpose hauing those eminent clefts as I said like to the midst of a Pomgranate resembling the pointed and sharp thornes and pricking blades Now it contayneth a certaine fruit vnder the couer and in the whole cup is like to the seed of the herbe Sideritis his flower is not much vnlike that which springeth from the poppey Such was this crowne about the necke and the two Temples for these cups came not neere the front or brow For on the same there was as it were a bend of gold on which the name of God was engrauen Such were the ornaments of the high priest I cannot therfore but greatly wonder at the strange and causelesse malice which other nations haue conceiued against vs as if we were iniurious against the diuine maiestie which they say they so much honour For if a man marke the composition of the Tabernacle and examine the habit of the high priest and consider all the necessaries which we vse in celebrating the diuine seruice they shall find that our lawmaker was a man of a diuine spirit and that we without any desert are iniuried by other nations For if without partialitie a man will duely examine it he shall find that all things haue beene done to represent and figure the world For the Tabernacle is of thirtie cubits diuided into three parts whereof two are left for the sacrificers as a place prophaned and common signifying the land and sea wherein all sorts of creatures are conuersant But the third part is sequestred and reserued for God alone in like sort as the heauen is vnaccessible by men The table on which the twelue loaues were placed signifieth the yeare diuided into twelue moneths The candlestick made of seuentie pieces signifieth the twelue signes thorow which euery one of the seuen planets passe the seuen lampes that were therein represented the seuen planets The vailes made of foure seuerall kinds of stuffes resembled the foure Elements For the linnen seemed to represent the earth from whence it was drawen and deriued The purple resembled the sea because the purple colour is made of the bloud of a shell fish called Murex The Hyacinth signifieth the ayre and as touching the Scarlet it signifieth the fire The tunicle likewise of the high priest demonstrateth the earth for it is made of linnen The Hyacinth sheweth the pole the Pomgranates resembled the lightning as the bels the noyse of the thunder The sircot sheweth that the whole world is compassed of foure Elements resembled in his foure colours to which gold is annexed as I interprete it for that light is annexed to all things Essen also is planted in the middle thereof in such sort as the earth obtaineth the middle place of the world Likewise the girdle wherewith he is girt resembleth the sea which enfoldeth and begirteth all things The two Sardonix stones set as buttons or loops in the high Priests garment signifie the Sunne and Moone the number of the gems are alluded to the number of the moneths or the twelue houses or the equall number of the parts of that circle which the Graecians call the Zodiacke he shall not much erre that followeth eyther the one or the other of these opinions The cap likewise hath an allusion to heauen by reason of his azure or Hyacinthine colour for otherwise the name of God might not be placed therein For it was beautified with a crowne of gold to signifie the light wherein God highly delighteth Let this suffice for the present for that which we shall discourse hereafter will furnish vs with sufficient and ample matter to shew and set out the vertue of our lawmaker CHAP. IX Of Aarons priesthood and the lawes which appertaine to the feastes and sacrifices AFter these things abouesaid were finished and left as yet vnconsecrated God appeared vnto Moses commaunding him to establish Aaron his brother in the priesthood who in respect of his vertue deserued that title of honour aboue all the rest For which cause Moses assembling the congregation discoursed vnto them his vertues and discouered his good affection and reckoned vp vnto them how many daungers he had suffered in their behalfe whereof each of them gaue ample testimonie declaring the forward zeale and loue they alwaies bare vnto him whereupon he spake vnto them after this manner The worke is now brought to such an end as it hath pleased God and hath beene possible for vs and for that you know we are to receiue him into this Tabernacle we ought aboue all things to haue an especiall care in the election of such a one who shall make sacrifice and supplication for vs. Touching my selfe if the matter depended on my priuate choise I should esteeme no man more worthy then my selfe to execute this function both for that naturally men loue themselues and for that I am well assured how many trauels I haue supported for your safetie sake But God himselfe hath iudged Aaron worthy of this honour and hath chosen him for his high priest and sacrificer in that he excelleth all other of vs in equitie and iustice commaunding that he should be inuested with the robe consecrated to God and that he should take charge of the altars and sacrifices He shall make prayers for you vnto God who will heare them willingly by reason that he hath care of your race and will receiue them proceeding from a personage whom he himselfe had elected These words of his were gratefull vnto the people and they all of them approued the election which God had made For Aaron was more capable of that honour then any other both by reason of his race as also in regard of the prophecing spirit and vertue of his brother he had at that time foure sonnes Nadab Abihu Eleasar and Ithamar But whatsoeuer remained of those things which were gathered for the building of the Tabernacle was employed to make vailes to couer the Tabernacle Candlesticke Altar and the other instruments to the end that in their trauaile they should not be soiled eyther by raine or dust And hauing once more assembled the people together he commaunded them to offer euerie one of them halfe a sicle now the sicle is a kind of Hebrew coyne that is as much in value as foure Athenian drammes whereunto they obeyed willingly so that the number of them that offered was sixe times one hundreth thousand fiue hundreth and fiftie and they that brought this money were such as were of a free condition and betwixt the yeares of twentie and fiftie and that which was receiued was imployed in the necessaries of the Temple Then did he purifie the Tabernacle and the priests in manner and forme following He tooke the waight of fiue hundreth sicles of chosen Mirrhe and the like quantitie of Ireos of Cinnamon and of Calamus which is a
pressed with great wants should be enforced continually to depend vpon his counsels Whereupon they embattailed themselues against the Chanaanites presuming with themselues that God would succour them not onely in regard of Moses but also for that he had a general care of their natiō euer since the time of their forefathers whom he had alwaies held vnder his protection and by reason of whose vertues he had alreadie granted them libertie They said likewise that if they would take the paines at that time and endeuour themselues that God would alwaies fight with them protesting that they were able to ouerrunne the nations although they were but themselues yea although Moses would endeuour to estraunge God from them In a word that it was behoouefull that all of them should be Lords of themselues and that being recomforted and redeemed from the seruitude of Egypt they ought not to suffer Moses to tyrannize ouer them or to conforme their liues to his will vnder this vaine beliefe that God had onely discouered to Moses that which was behoouefull for them by reason of the affection which he bare him As if all of them were not deriued from the loynes of Abraham and that he onely were the motiue of all in foreknowing the things that should happen vnto them by particular instruction from God That euen then they should seeme to be wise if condemning his pride and fixing their trust vpon God they would take possession of the countrey which he had promised them in spight of Moses contradiction who for this cause hindred them setting the name of God before them that therefore putting before their eies their necessitie and the desart which daily more and more aggrauated their miserie they should endeuour themselues couragiously to sally out against the enemie the Chanaanites alledging that God would be their guide so as they had no reason to expect the assistance of their lawmaker At last when this sentence was approued by a generall allowance they flocke out in multitudes against their enemies who neither affrighted by their fierce assault neither terrified with their infinite multitude valiantly resisted them who desperately charged them so that the better part of the Hebrewes being slaine they pursued the rest enforced shamefully to turne their backes euen vnto their campe This ouerthrow hapning beside all mens opinion wonderously deiected the minds of the multitude that they grew desperate of all future good fortune concluding that God had sent and inflicted that plague vpon them because without his counsell and fauour they had enterprised the battell But when Moses perceiued that both his owne countrimen were dismaid with the ouerthrow which they had and the enemie was waxen proud with their late victorie fearing likewise least not content with their present successe they should attempt further he determined to retire his forces backe againe into the desart And whereas the people promised thereafter to be obedient to him being taught by their owne miserie that nothing would fall out prosperously vnto them without the counsell and conduct of their guide they disincamping themselues retired into the desart vnder this resolution that they would no more attempt the battell against the Chanaanites before they receiued a signe of their good successe from heauen But euen as in a great army it accustomably falleth out especially in time of trouble that the common multitude wax headstrong and disobedient to their gouernours so did the like also happen amongst the Iewes for whereas they were in number sixe hundreth thousand and euen in their better fortunes seemed disobedient to their gouernours so much the more were they exasperated by their wants and misfortunes both amongst themselues as against their gouernour For which cause there arose so great a sedition as neither amongst the Greeks or Barbarians the like was euer heard of which things without doubt had ouerthrowne them being brought into so desperate an estate except Moses forgetting the iniurie he had receiued which was no lesse then a pretence to stone him to death had succoured and relieued their distressed fortunes Neither did God vtterly abandon the care of them but although they were contumelious against their law-maker and transgressed also against the lawes which hee had deliuered them by Moses yet deliuered he them out of that dangerous sedition of which without his especiall prouidence there could be expected no other but a lamentable issue This sedition as also how Moses gouerned the estate when the troubles were ended we will now declare hauing first expressed the cause thereof CHAP. II. The sedition raised by Chore against Moses and his brother for the Priesthood CHores a man noble in birth and famous for his wealth amongst the Hebrewes and endowed with a certaine kind of popular eloquence seeing Moses placed in the highest estate of dignitie was sore troubled and oppressed with enuie For although he were of the same Tribe and kinred yet thought he it to be a great indignitie in himselfe to be held his inferiour beeing both more enabled in riches and nothing inferiour in parentage For which cause he began to mutine and murmure amongst the Leuites which were of the same Tribe with him and his kinsmen telling them in vehement discourse that it was not to bee suffered nor permitted that Moses vnder a pretext of certaine diuinitie should by ambitious policie to other mens preiudice onely studie his owne glorie shewing them how of late without all law and right he had giuen the Priesthood to his brother Aaron and distributed other dignities at his owne pleasure like a king without the allowance and approbation of the people That this iniurie done by him was not to be endured by reason that so couertly he had insinuated himselfe into the gouernement that before he might be espied the people should be brought vnder seruitude For he that knoweth himselfe to be worthy of a gouernement striueth to obtaine the same by kind perswasions and consent of the people and not by force and violence but they that despaire by good meanes to attaine thereunto doe notwithstanding abstaine from force least they should lose the opinion of their goodnesse and honestie yet endeuour they by malicious subtilties to attaine thereunto That it concerned the common-weale to extinguish and roote out the subtill insinuations of such men least of priuate they should at last grow publike enemies For what reason said he can Moses yeeld why he hath bestowed the Priesthood on Aaron and his sonnes For if that God had decreed that this honour should be bestowed on one of the tribe of Leui there were more reason that I should haue it who am of the same kinred with Moses and who surpasse him both in riches age And if this honor appertained to the most ancient of the Tribes that those of Rubens loynes ought by right to enioy it namely Dathan and Abiram and Phalal who are the most ancient of that Tribe and the most powerfull in riches
euerie occurrent Moses also sent his seruants to Abiram and Dathan to summon them to appeare according to the couenants and accord to attend the issue of the sacrifice But their answere was that they would not obey him neither that they would any longer permit that Moses by his subtill and sinister deuices should signiorize ouer the people Which when Moses vnderstood he tooke diuers of the Elders amongst the people with him and being no wayes moued with Dathan and his contumacie he came vnto him being willingly attended by those who were drawne to accompanie him Now when Dathan and his friends vnderstood that Moses with the Nobles came vnto them both they their wiues and children assembled themselues before the Tabernacle expecting that which would ensue They came likewise guarded with their seruants who were armed to oppose themselues against Moses if so be he should offer them any violence But no sooner drew he neere vnto them but that lifting vp his hands vnto heauen he cried out with a loud voice in the hearing of the whole multitude and prayed after this maner O God said he thou Lord ouerall that which either heauen earth or sea containeth thou art a sufficient witnesse with me of all mine actions for that I haue managed all things by thy will and thou art he who hast giuen me power to execute my purposes thou that alwayes in commiseration of the Hebrewes hast beene my perpetuall helpe and assistance heare this my prayer For nothing that is either done or thought is hidden from thee for which cause I hope thou wilt not disdaine to testifie and iustifie my truth and manifest the ingratitude of these men Thou doest exactly know the antiquitie of my race not for that thou hast heard it but for that thou hast seene and assisted it in effect now also testifie the truth for me in those things which these men although they know they contrarie are not ashamed to impute vnto me At such time as I led a peaceable life and that by my vertue and thy counsell and my father in law Raguels fauour I had sufficient to liue vpon I forsooke the possession of my goods and the fruit on of my peace to ingage my selfe in these miseries which I haue suffered for these men and first of all for their libertie and now likewise for their safetie I haue most readily vndertaken grieuous trauels Now therefore since I am growne into suspition amongst those men who by my care and prouidence haue escaped so manie mischiefes and miseries thou that appearedst vnto me in that fire on the mountaine of Sinai and vouchsafedst both to speake vnto me and to confirme me by the sight of miracles that in thy name sentst me a messenger into Aegypt that hast abated the great fortunes of the Aegyptians and hast giuen me meanes to escape from their seruitude and hast made Pharaoes power and armie inferiour to my fortunes that when we were ignorant of our way gauedst vs a passage through the sea in whose bottom and wombe afterward the Aegyptians were drowned that gauedst vs armes when we were vnweaponed that madest the bitter water sauoury and fit to be drunke of and in our scarcitie of water enforcedst drinke for vs out of the bowels of the hard rocke when we found no meat on the land didst send it vs from the sea moreouer as a thing neuer before heard of affoordedst vs meat from heauen and hast established our estate with lawes and customes Be thou ô Lord my Iudge in all things and my vnpartiall witnesse that neither I haue beene corrupted by any bribe of any particular Hebrew to fauour iniustice neither that I haue suffered a poore man in his iust cause to lose his right against a rich aduersarie And now hauing administred the common weale with all synceritie I am called in question for a crime whereof I am altogether guiltlesse as if I had bestowed thy Priesthood on my brother for priuate affection and not for thy command sake make it knowne that all things are dispensed by thy prouidence and that nothing is brought to effect by casualty but by thy especiall ordinance And to expresse that thou hast care of the Hebrewes testifie the same by thy iust punishment inflicted on Dathan and Abiram who accuse thee to be insensible and boast that thou art circumuented by my subtilties But thou shalt make thy reuenge more notorious against the vnbrideled detractors of thy glorie if they perish after no common maner least any man should suspect that they suffer nothing inhumane but let the earth which they vnworthily tread vpon open it selfe and swallow them vp both with their families and faculties By this means both thy power will manifestly appeare vnto all men and thou shalt leaue an example to posteritie that no man hereafter shal dare to thinke otherwise of thy maiesty then becommeth him my ministerie shall be approued to proceed from thy direction But if those crimes be truly vrged which are inforced against me then let the curses returne and light on mine owne head and let those whom I haue cursed liue in safetie And thus exacting a punishment from those that disturbe thy people keep the rest of the multitude in peace concord and obseruation of thy commandements secure and void of that punishment which is due vnto wicked men for that it is contrarie to thy iustice that the innocent multitude of the Israelites should answere their misdeeds and suffer their punishments Whilest he spake these words and intermixed them with teares the earth instantly trembled and shaking began to remoue after such a manner as when by the violence of the wind a great billow of the sea floateth and waltereth Hereat were all the people amased But after that a horrible and shattering noyse was made about their tents the earth opened and swallowed vp both them and all that which they esteemed deere which was after a maner so exterminate as nothing remained of theirs to be beheld Whereupon in a moment the earth closed againe and the vast gaping was fast shut so as there appeared not any signe of that which had hapned Thus perished they all leauing behind them an example of Gods power and iudgements And this accident was the more miserable in that there were no one no not of their kinsfolke or allies that had compassion of them so that all the people whatsoeuer forgetting those things which were past did allow Gods iustice with ioyful acclamations esteeming them vnworthie to be bemoned but to be held as the plague peruerters of the people After that Dathan with his family was extinguished Moses assembled all those that contended for the Priesthood together cōmitting again the election of the priesthood vnto God concluding that the estate should bee ratified to him whose sacrifice was most acceptable in Gods sight For which cause the two hundred and fiftie men assembled themselues who were both honoured for the vertue of
from the siege as we haue declared in an other place And againe a long time after this Herod also opened an other Cabinet from whence he tooke out a great summe And as touching the tombes of Princes no man defaced them because they were most magnificently builded for feare least they should be esteemed destroyers of monuments But for the present it sufficeth that I haue certified thus much THE EIGHTH BOOKE OF THE ANTIQVITIES OF THE IEWES WRITTEN BY FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the 8. booke 1 How Salomon obtaining the kingdome expelled his enemies 2 Of the riches prudence and wisedome of Salomon and how first of all he builded the Temple in Ierusalem 3 How Salomon being dead the people reuolted from Roboam his sonne and made Hieroboam king of the ten tribes 4 How Susac king of the Aegyptians sacking Ierusalem caried away the riches of that Citie into Aegypt 5 The warre of Hieroboam against Abiam Roboams sonne and the slaughter of his armie and how Basanes the rooter out of Hieroboams posteritie occupied the kingdome 6 The irruption of the Aethipians into the land of the Hebrewes vnder Asa and the ouerthrow of their armie 7 Basans stocke being wholy rooted out amongst the Israelites Zamri ruled in Israel with his sonne Achab. 8 Adad king of Damasco and Syria encamping and fighting two seuerall times against Achab is ouerthrowne 9 Of Iosaphat king of Ierusalem 10 Achab being prouoked to warre by the Sryans is ouercome and slaine in the battell CHAP. I. How Salomon obtaining the kingdome expulsed his enemies WE haue declared in the former Booke what Dauid was how great his vertue hath beene what profits and benefits those of his nation receiued by him what warres and battels he worthily exployted and how happily at last through extremitie of age he departed out of this life But after that Salomon his sonne being at that time verie young had obtained the kingdome and was placed in his fathers throne according as Dauid had determined and the diuine power had decreed the whole people according to the common course in the election of newe Princes with happie acclamations wished him perpetuall felicitie in all his affaires and after his well gouerned estate and royaltie long many prosperous yeares But Adonias who during his fathers life time thought to possesse and seaze himselfe of the royall estate came vnto the kings mother and with all humilitie reuerence saluted her To whom Bethsabe said that if there were anything wherin she might sted him he should manifest it vnto her and that she would grant it him willingly Whereupon he began to say that it was a thing verie well knowen that the kingdome appertained vnto him both in regard of his age as also in respect of the fauour and good liking of the people but since that it had beene transferred vnto Salomon hir sonne by the will of God he was content therewith and would be his seruant being verie glad of the fortunate successe of his affaires He therefore besought her that she would solicite Salomon in his behalfe and perswade him to giue him Abisace to wife who had slept with Dauid for that he had not had any carnall company with her by reason of his age and that as yet she was fully possessed of her virginitie Bethsabe promised him to further his suit to the vtmost of hir power and willingly to employ her selfe toward the accomplishing of the marriage both for that the king was willing to gratifie her in whatsoeuer she should desire as also for that she would instantly intreat him so that he departed from her with assured hope of good successe in respect of his marriage Hereupon presently did Bethsabe addresse her selfe to the king intending to certifie him both what Adonias had requested and what she had granted When tidings came to Salomon that his mother came to visit him he went out to meete her and embraced her afterwards conducting her into the place where the royall treasure was he sate him downe and commaunded his seruants to place a seat on his right hand for his mother who setled by him spake vnto him after this manner My sonne vouchsafe me one fauour that I shall request at thy hands and send me not hence discontended and confused thorow thy refusall Salomon answered her that she should commaund him by reason that dutie tied him to the satisfaction and fauour of his mothers suites reprouing her for that insinuation she had vsed by reason that thereby she euidently expressed that she was not thorowly assured to obtaine her demaund but that she feared the refusall and repulse in the same she therefore required him to giue the Damsell Abisace for wife to Adonias his brother The King displeased at this her suit dismissed his mother alledging that Adonias hammered hie thoughts in his head that he wōdred that in requiring Abisace to wife he had not requested Salomō likewise to giue him place in the kingdome for Adonias was elder than he and had more mightie friends then he had namely the generall Ioab and the high Priest Abiathar For which cause he incontinently sent Banaia captaine of his guard to kill Adonias his brother Then calling vnto him the high Priest Abiathar The paines said he that thou hast endured by accompanying my father Dauid and attending and bearing the Arke with him make thee escape from death yet notwithstanding for that thou hast beene an assistant to Adonias and followed his faction I condemne thee to depart from my presence charging thee not to see my face any more but to retire thy selfe to thine owne house and there to liue in thy countrey vntill thou hast ended thy daies for hauing in this sort neglected me it is not conuenient that thou shouldest be in honour with me For this cause was the house of Ithamar depriued of the priestly dignitie according as God had foreprophecied to Eli one of the auncestors of Abiathar and translated to the race of Phinees and established in Sadoc Those of the race of Phinees who led a priuate life all that time that the Priesthood remained in the familie of Ithamar wherof Eli was the first were these Boccias the sonne of Ioseph Ioatham the sonne of Boccias Maraeoth the sonne of Ioatham Aropha the sonne of Maraeoth Achitob the sonne of Aropha Sadoc the sonne Achitob who was the first high Priest vnder king Dauid Ioab hauing tidings of the death of Adonias was seazed with sodaine and extreme feare for he loued him more than king Salomon and by reason of that friendship which he bare vnto him he iustly and vpon good grounds apprehended his owne danger and in this respect he fled vnto the altar hoping in that place to be secured in regard of that reuerēce which the king bare vnto God But when Ioabs resolution was made knowne vnto the king he sent Banaia vnto him with commission to bring him from the
the world keepe and solemnize this day for a festiuall and send presents the one vnto the other Mardocheus also wrote vnto the Iewes who liued vnder the Empire of Artaxerxes commanding them to obserue those daies and to solemnize them willing them to charge their successours to doe the like to the ende that this feast might continue for euer and out-liue all obliuion For since on that day they should haue been made away by Aman they should doe well if after they had escaped that danger and taken reuenge on their enemies the very same day they should obserue the same to giue thanks vnto God For this cause the Iewes keepe a solemne feast on these daies and call it Purim as who should say Lottes But Mardocheus was great and mightie with the king administring the kingdome with him he had also a part of the greatnesse of the Queene and for this cause the affaires of the Iewes had better successe then was hoped for See here how matters passed during the raigne of Artaxerxes CHAP. VII Bagoses Generall of Artaxerxes the youngers armie offereth many outrages to the Iewes AFter the death of Eliasib the high Priest Iudas his sonne succeeded in the office And after his death Iohn his sonne obtained the place in whose time Bagoses generall of Artaxerxes army polluted the temple and made the Iewes tributaries so that before they could offer their ordinarie and daily sacrifices they were compelled to pay for euery lambe fiftie drachmes which hapned vpon this occasion Iohn had a brother called Iesus whom Bagoses fauoured and promised to giue him the high priesthood Iesus woon by these perswasions quarrelled with his brother Iohn who was so much prouoked against him that he slew his brother Iesus in his choler It was a thing verie straunge that Iohn being a priest should commit such an impietie against his brother and yet farre more straunge in that so cruell an act and an offence so impious hath neither hapned amongst Greekes nor Barbariās God also left it not vnpunished but for the same sinne the people were reduced vnder captiuitie and the temple was polluted by the Persians When Bagoses had intelligence that Iohn the high Priest among the Iewes had slaine his brother Iesus in the temple he resorted thither in al haste and began to vtter and breake forth into bitter threats against the Iewes Haue you said he beene so bold as to commit murther in your temple And when he thought to haue entred into the same they hindred him Whereupon he replied Am I therefore more polluted then the bodie that leth dead in the temple and hauing spoken thus he entred thereinto and for the space of seuen yeares Bagoses being thus animated against the Iewes punished them for murthering Iesus After that Iohn was deceased Iaddus his sonne was made high Priest who had a brother called Manasses Sanaballath sent by the later King Darius to gouerne Samaria for he also was of the race of the Chutaeans from whom issued the Samaritanes knowing that Ierusalem was a famous Citie and that the Kings thereof wrought much trouble vnto the inhabitants of Assyria and Coelesyria he willingly married his daughter Nicazo to this Manasses with an intent that this marriage should be as a pledge of his good will to all the nation of the Iewes CHAP. VIII What benefits Alexander King of Macedon bestowed vpon the Iewes ABout that time Philip king of Macedō died in the citie of Aegaeas being traiterousle slain by Pausanias the sonne of Cerastes of the race of Orestes and his sonne Alexander succeeded him in the kingdome who passing ouer Hellespont gaue battell vnto the huge army of Darius neere the riuer Granic and there obtained a famous victorie And hereupon he also inuading the countrey of Lydia after he had conquered Ionia and ouerrunne Caria finally set vpon the quarters of Pamphilia as it is declared in an other place But the elders of Ierusalem were sore displeased for that Iaddus brother who was at that time high Priest and had married a forraine woman should be companion and associate with him in the priesthood so as they mutined against him For they supposed that that marriage would be but a means to animate those who had a mind to prophane marriages proue an inducement to other to cōmunicate in marriage with straungers remembring them that the cause of their euils and first captiuitie was because some of them had fallen and offended by coupling themselues with women of forraine nations They therefore commanded Manasses either to forsake his wife or else neuer more to approch the Altar The high Priest likewise being incensed against his brother as well as the people droue him in like manner from the sacrifice For which cause Manasses addressing himselfe to his father in law Sanaballath told him that although he loued his daughter Nicazo very intirely yet would he notwithstanding condescend for her sake to be depriued of the priesthood which was the greatest dignity that could be among their nation and which had euer continued in his race Whereupon Sanaballath answered and promised him that he would not onely continue him in the priesthood but also would giue him the power and dignitie of the high priesthood and make him gouernour of all places where he commaunded prouided the marriage solemnized betwixt his daughter and him were continued He furthermore assured him that he would build a temple resembling that in Ierusalem vpon the mountaine of Garizim which was the highest among the rest permitting him to do the same with Darius consent Manasses puffed vp by these promises remained with Sanaballath and grew in hope that he should obtain the priesthood by Darius meanes for Sanaballath was verie olde Whereas therefore diuers other both Priests and common people among the Israelites were intangled in such like marriages there arose no small commotion in Ierusalem For all they of this condition retired themselues to Manasses whom Sanaballath furnished with money and lands to till and houses to inhabite in all sorts to fauour the intent of his sonne in law At the same time Darius vnderstanding that Alexander hauing passed the Hellespont had ouercome those gouernours whom he had established neere vnto the floud Granicus and that he passed further spoyling of his countrey he gathered together both his horsemen and footmen resoluing to make head against the Macedonians before they should gaine all Asia he therefore passed Euphrates mount Taurus in Cilicia to encoūter fight with his enemies in the country Sanaballath ioyful of Darius descent incontinently told Manasses that he would fulfil his promises as soone as Darius should returne from the conquest of his enemies For not onely he but also all the Asians perswaded themselues most assuredly that the Macedonians would not abide the battell against the Persians by reason of their great multitude but it fell out altogether contrarie to their expectation For the
without discouering of his deliberation or enterprise against Philip and to tel them that for these reasons he leuied the siege first for the length thereof next for the strength of the place lastly for want of victuals and for many affaires that required some circumspect and carefull foresight in his kingdome Furthermore for that he thought it most expedient to capitulate with the besieged and contract friendship with all the nation of the Iewes promising and permitting them the exercise of their religion because they onely rebelled for that they were depriued of the same and for that he was assured that hauing the grant thereof they would each of them returne into their owne countries When Lysias had expressed and published these reasons all the army and the captaines approoued the same CHAP. XV. Antiochus giueth ouer his siege from before the Citie and entreth a league and alliance with Iudas WHereupon Antiochus sent a herauld to Iudas and those that were besieged with him promising them peace with permission to liue according to their religion Which conditions they willingly entertained and hauing taken an oath and assurance from the king they surrendred vp the temple Wherupon Antiochus entred the same and seeing it to be a place so well fortified he contrarie to his oath commanded his army to leuell the wall that enuironed the same with the ground which done he returned to Antioch leading away with him the high Priest Onias who was called Menelaus For Lysias had counselled the king to murther Menelaus if he intended that the Iewes should line in peace without any commotion and the rather because it was he onely who was the author of all these euils by reason of the counsaile he had giuen to Antiochus his father to inforce the Iewes to forsake their religion The King for that cause sent Menelaus vnto Beroea a Citie of Syria where he commanded him to be put to death after he had enioyed the high priesthood for the terme of ten yeeres He was a wicked and impious man who for his onely ambitious desire of authoritie had inforced our nation to reuolt from their religion As soone therefore as Menelaus was dead Alcimus was made high priest who was called Iacimus Now when Antiochus found that Philip had already conquered a great part of his countrey he fought with him and taking him prisoner slew him But Onias the sonne of the high priest whom as we haue heretofore declared was left an Orphan in his infancie seeing that the king had slaine his vncle Menelaus and giuen the priesthood to Alcimus who was not of the race of the priests and had transferred this honour into another family at the perswasion of Lysias he fled vnto Ptolomey King of Aegypt where being honourably entertained by the King and his Queene Cleopatra he obtained a place in the Heliopolitane signiorie where he builded a temple like vnto that which was at Ierusalem whereof wee shall hereafter haue more fit opportunitie to speake CHAP. XVI Bacchides generall of Demetrius army commeth to make warre against the Iewes and returneth backe againe vnto the king without performance of any thing AT that time Demetrius Seleucus sonne fled to Rome and tooke possession of Tripolis in Syria and after he had set the diademe vpon his head and had leuied and hired certaine souldiers he inuaded the kingdome where he was receiued to the generall content of all men who submitting themselues vnto him laid hold on the king Antiochus and Lysias and brought them aliue vnto him but he incontinently commanded that they should be put to death after that Antiochus had raigned two yeeres as we haue already declared in an other place To this new elected king diuers Iewes banished for their impietie and with them the high priest Alcimus made their resort who in general accused their nation and as principals Iudas and his brethren obiecting against them that they had slaine his friends and all such as were on his side and that among all those that were in the kingdome and expected his comming some of them were slaine and that the rest being driuen from their natiue countrey were banished into other places requiring him that he would send some one of his friends to take knowledge of the outrages committed by Iudas and his brethren Demetrius was much moued by these reports of theirs and for that cause sent Bacchides who was in times past much esteemed by Antiochus Epiphanes for his valour and to whose gouernment at that time all Mesopotamia was committed To whom he gaue an army ioyning with him the high priest Alcimus with commission to kill Iudas and his confederates Bacchides departing from Antioch with his army came into Iudaea and sent a certaine herauld to Iudas and his brethren to intreat with him vpon certaine articles of peace because his intent was to surprise them by some subtiltie and treacherie But Iudas smelling his drift gaue little trust vnto him for in that he came thither with so great an army he easily coniectured that he intended no peace but to make warre notwithstanding some of the people gaue eare vnto the peaceable proclamation of Bacchides and supposing that there was no sinister intent in Alcimus who was their countriman they submitted themselues vnder his gouernment Hauing therefore receiued an oth from them both that neither they nor any of their followers should any waies be endomaged by them they committed themselues to their protection But Bacchides setting light by his oth slue three score of them and by this breach of his faith towards these he caused others who intended to submit themselues to forsake and fly his gouernment As soone as therefore he had remooued his army from Ierusalem he came vnto the village of Bethzeth and there apprehending many of those which had fled and some others among the people he slue them all commaunding all those that liued in the countrey to obey Alcimus to whom he left in that place for the gard of his person a part of his army and that done he returned vnto Antioch to King Demetrius In the meane while Alcimus intending to assure his estate and gouernment and supposing that it should be so much the better confirmed if so be he could obtaine the good wil of the people he vsed all kind of plausible familiar speech vnto thē and deuising with euery man pleasantly graciously he adioyned in short time great forces to those which he had before amongst whom there were many fugitiues and vngodly men by whose helpe and assistance he marched thorow the countrey killing all those whom he found to be of Iudas faction Iudas perceiuing that Alcimus hauing gathered great forces had alreadie slaine diuers of the most vprightest men and such as feared God in all his nation he addressed himselfe also to ouerrunne the countrey and slue as many of Alcimus partakers as he could meet with Who perceiuing in himself that he was
when by no pollicy nor prowes of theirs they were able to apprehēd him for that Ionathā hauing notice of their ambushes stood vpō his gard Bacchides the Macedonian was displeased with the Apostataes or fugitiues obiecting against thē that they had deceiued both the king and him and laying hold on fiftie of the principallest of them he put them to death But Ionathan and his brother with those of their company retired themselues vnto Bethalaga a certaine village in the desart for feare of Bacchides in which place he builded towers and walles to keepe his garrison in more securitie Bacchides vnderstanding hereof tooke the army that he had with him and those Iewes that were his confederates and marched forward against Ionathan where battering those fortifications that were made by him he besieged him for many daies But Ionathan for all his busie siege and violence was not awhit terrified but resisted him valiantly leauing his brother Simon in the citie to make head against Bacchides he secretly stole out and gathered a great number of soldiers that fauoured his proceedings and in the night time with valiant courage brake into Bacchides camp and after he had there slaine a number of them he gaue his brother Simon notice of his comming who assoone as he heard the noise in the enemies campe hastily issued forth with his soldiers and burnt all the Macedonians engines and for his part also made a great slaughter of them Bacchides seeing that he was circumuented by his enemies and that both before and behind he was pressed by them being astonished at this so hard sodaine and vnexpected encounter was almost out of his wits so sore was he confused at the issue of his siege that fell out altogither contrary to his expectation for which cause he discharged all his choler vpon those Apostataes supposing he was abused by them who had sent vnto the king and had caused him to be sent thither and full gladly would he haue returned home could he but make an end of the siege without his dishonour CHAP. II. Ionathan constraineth Bacchides to make peace with the Iewes and to depart out of the countrey BVt Ionathan knowing his deliberation sent an Embassadour vnto him to conclude a peace and amitie betwixt them with this condition that they should each of them deliuer vp those prisoners that were taken on either side Bacchides supposing that his request would be to his great honour and that a fit occasion was now offered him whereupon he might raise his siege without any disgrace promised Ionathan his friendship so that both of them swore from that time forward neuer to make warre the one against the other and each of them both receiued and restored their prisoners Thus returned Bacchides into Antioch vnto his King and after that retreat he neuer made warre againe vpon Iudaea But Ionathan hauing obtained this securitie went and dwelt in the towne of Machmas where administring and gouerning the commonweale he executed such seuere iustice on those that were reuolted from the religion of their countrey that he clensed the nation of all such kind of men CHAP. III. Alexander the sonne of Antiochus Epiphanes maketh warre against Demetrius IN the hundreth and sixtie yeare Alexander the sonne of Antiochus the Famous came into Syria and seazed the Citie of Ptolemais by the treason of those soldiers that were therein who were ill affected towards Demetrius by reason of his arrogancy which was such that he granted no man accesse vnto him for being locked vp in a royall fort defenced with foure towers which himselfe had builded neere vnto Antioch he suffered no man to approch his presence but was carelesse and wholy negligent in his affaires liuing in pleasure and idlenes whereby he grew into great hatred amongst his subiects as we haue alreadie declared in another place Now when Demetrius knew that Alexander had seazed Ptolemais he gathered all his forces and marched forth against him CHAP. IIII. Demetrius couenanteth a peace with Ionathan MOreouer he sent Embassadors vnto Ionathan that might confirme an alliance and ratifie a friendship betwixt them for he determined with himselfe to preuent Alexander for feare least he capitulating with him first of all should obtaine his assistance And this did he especially for the feare he had of Ionathan least remembring those iniuries he had before time receiued at his hands he should oppose himselfe against him He therefore sent vnto him requiring him to assemble his forces to make preparation for the warre cōmanding likewise that those Iewes should be deliuered into his possession whom Bacchides had shut vp for hostages in the fortresse of Ierusalem After that Demetrius had demeaned himselfe in this sort Ionathan resorted to Ierusalem and in the presence of all the people and of the garrison that was in the fortresse he red the kings letters and after the reading thereof the cursed and reuolted Iewes that were in the fortresse were sore afraid seeing that the king permitted Ionathan to leuy an army and to receiue the hostages But he receiuing them into his hands restored each of them to their fathers and mothers and by this meanes remained Ionathan in Ierusalem where he made diuers reparations and buildings according as him pleased For he builded the Citie walles of hewen stone to make them more forcible against the assaults of warre Which when they perceiued who were in the garrisons thorow out al Iudaea they forsooke them all and retired backe into Antioch except they that were in the Citie of Bethsura and those in the fortresse of Ierusalem for they consisted for the most part of those Iewes that had abandoned their religion who for that occasion feared to forsake their garrisons CHAP. V. Alexander draweth Ionathan to his partie BVt Alexander knowing what promises Demetrius had made vnto Ionathan and being well assured how valiant he was and how he behaued himselfe against the Macedonians moreouer how he was vexed by Demetrius and his Lieutenant Bacchides Hee told his friends and familiars that it was impossible for him to meete with a better allie at that time then Ionathan who had approoued himselfe a valiant man against his enemies and for particular causes bare hatred against Demetrius from whom he had receiued many iniuries and on whom he had wrought sundry reuenges for which cause if they thought it good to draw him vnto their side against Demetrius the time was veriefit to entertaine and confirme a mutuall peace betweene them which aduise of his being approoued by his fauorites he sent a letter vnto Ionathan to this effect King Alexander to Ionathan his brother Health We haue long sithence vnderstood of your valour and fidelitie which hath caused vs to send our Embassadours vnto you to intreat with you of alliance and amitie betwixt vs and from this day forward we elect and ordain you high Priest of the Iewes receiue you into the number of our chiefest
And Epicrates giuen ouer to couetousnesse did openly yeeld vp Scythopolis and other Cities into the hands of the Iewes so that it was impossible for either of them to leuy the siege Finally after that Hircanus had continued his siege before the Citie for the space of one whole yeere he became master of the same and not contenting himselfe with the surprisall hereof he vtterly destroied it enforcing the riuers thorow the midst thereof yea he ruined the same in such sort that the mud and soile both of the water and earth tooke away all the appearance of the Citie so that it seemed as if it had neuer been Of this Hircanus there is a certaine incredible matter committed to memorie namely how during his high priesthood God had conference with him For it is reported that the very same day wherein his sons fought against Antiochus the Cyzicenian whilest being himselfe alone he offered incense in the temple that he heard a voice saying that his two sons had at that present ouercome Antiochus all which he incontinently signified vnto the people at the gate of the temple and according as he had said so came it to passe See heere what occurrences hapned in Hircanus time About this very instant likewise the affaires of the Iewes prospered not only in Ierusalem and Iudaea but also amongst the inhabitants of Alexandria and finally in Aegypt and Cyprus For Queene Cleopatra rebelling against her sonne Ptolomey Lathyrus appointed Chelcias and Ananias the sonnes of that Onias who had builded the temple in Heliopolis according to the patterne of that in Ierusalem her chiefetaines And hauing committed her army vnto their hands she acted nothing without their aduise according as Strabo the Cappadocian witnesseth speaking after this manner Diuers of those who came with vs and of those who had beene sent into Cyprus from Cleopatra sodainly reuolted to Ptolomey Only the Iewes that were of Onias faction remained constant in their duety because the Queene made great account and reckoning of Chelcias and Ananias their countrimen Thus farre Strabo This great felicitie and prosperitie of Hyrcanus mooued the Iewes to conceiue a hatred against him and especially the Pharisees opposed themselues against him These Pharisees were one of the sects of the Iewes whereof we haue heretofore intreated which sect was in so great credit with the common people that when they deposed any thing were it against the king or the high priest they were presently beleeued Hircanus had been one of their disciples and was in like sort very much beloued of them Hee therefore inuited them to a feast and entertained them with all humanitie and seeing that they were set vpon a merrie pin he began to tell them that they knew his minde how that he desired nothing more then to be iust and to square all his actions according to Gods will and direction according as they themselues taught He therefore required them that if they perceiued that he mistooke himselfe in any thing or that he wandred from the right way they would by admonition redresse the same Whereupon all of them gaue testimony of his perfect vertue Wherwith he was highly contented But one of the company called Eleazar a man of a malicious nature and such a one as delighted in mutiny said vnto him Since you desire to heare the truth if so be you affect the estimation of a good man giue ouer the place of priesthood and content your selfe with the gouernment of the people Hircanus demaunded of him the cause wherefore he should forsake the priesthood Because saith he that we haue heard say by our auncestors that your mother was a captiue during the raign of Antiochus the Famous which notwithstanding was a false report Hircanus hearing this was sore mooued against him as also all other of the Pharisees who were assistant in that place Amongst the rest there was a certaine man called Ionathan of the order of the Sadduces who maintaine an opposite opinion against the Pharisees who was an inward and deere friend to Hircanus with whom he communicated the iniurious speeches that Eleazar had spoken by him who told him that as he thought Eleazar had spoken these words by the publike consent of the Pharisees and that he might discouer the same most manifestly if he enquired of them what punishment Eleazar had deserued for speaking after this sort Hircanus therfore questioned with the Pharisees as concerning his punishment telling them that he should very well perceiue that this iniurie had not been pronounced by the common consent of them all if they condemned the offender to suffer a punishment proportionable to his offence Whereupon they decreed that he ought to be punished by imprisonment and scourging for said they an iniurie done in word required no capitall punishment and to speake vprightly they in their thinking censured seuerely enough of this fault for that the Pharisees are naturally inclined to mercie when there groweth any question of punishment But Hircanus was sore offended with this their answere and imagined that this Eleazar had spoken after this manner by the common instigation of the rest This displeasure and conceiued dislike of his did Ionathan aggrauate to the vttermost and handled the matter in such sort that he drew Hircanus to forsake the Pharisees subscribe to the opinions of the Sadduces abolishing their ordināces causing thē to be sharply punished that obserued the same These practises of Hircanus incensed the people against him and his sonnes But hereof will we speake in another place At this present I will declare how the Pharisees haue made many ordinances among the people according to the tradition of their fathers whereof there is nothing written in the ◅awes of Moses for which cause the sect of the Sadduces reiecteth them affirming that they ought to keep the written ordinances and not to obserue those that are grounded vpon the tradition of the fathers And great dispute and dissensions haue beene raised among them vpon this occasion because the richer sort onely and not the baser sort of people cleaued vnto the Sadduces but the Pharisees had the communalty on their sides But of these two sorts and that of the Esseans I haue more exactly intreated in my second booke of the warres of the Iewes But Hircanus finally appeased this mutiny and liued afterwards in much peace and happines and after he had most discreetly gouerned his princedome for the space of one and thirtie yeeres he died leauing fiue sonnes behind him This man was honoured by God with three great gifts the gift of gouernment the gift of Priesthood and the gift of prophecy For God spake vnto him diuers times by Oracles Reuelations and gaue him the knowledge of things to come which he in such sort foretold that he declared that his two eldest sonnes should not possesse the principalitie any long time whose ende it shall not be amisse to set downe in what manner it
nation of the Iewes were ready to innouate and rebell and continued their good affection toward Antigonus in regard of the hatred they conceiued against Herod he concluded with himselfe to take his head from him at Antioch For the Iewes could scarcely containe themselues Strabo of Cappadocia testifieth no lesse in these words Anthony hauing brought Antigonus the Iew to Antioch caused his head to be cut off and was the first among the Romans that hath caused a king to be beheaded in this manner supposing that the Iewes might neuer otherwaies be induced to change their opinions and receiue Herodeâ—… yet this opinion of his was not answerable to equitie For notwithstanding whatsoeuer impulsion he might deuise yet could they not be induced to call him king in so high estimate and account held they their former king But Anthony supposed that that infamie would obscure his renown and lessen the generall hate that they bare to Herode See here what Strabo writeth As soone as the high priest Hircanus who was prisoner among the Parthians heard that Herode had taken possession of the kingdome he returned backe vnto him being deliuered after this manner following Barzapharnes and Pacorus princes of the Parthians had taken Hircanus who was first high priest and afterwards king and with him Phasaelus Herodes brother and led them away prisoners with them into their own countrey Phasaelus not able to endure the dishonour of imprisonment and preferring an honorable death before a reprochful and ignominious life murthered himselfe as I haue heretofore declared CHAP. II. How Hircanus dismissed by the Parthians returned vnto Herode PHraates king of Parthia vnderstanding how nobly Hircanus was descended who was brought prisoner vnto him entertained him gratiously and for this cause drew him out of prison permitting him to conuerse in Babylon in which place there were a great number of Iewes who honoured Hircanus verie much and no lesse then their high priest and king The like also did all they of that nation inhabiting as farre as Euphrates which did not a little content Hircanus But after that he was aduertised that Herode was possessed of the kingdome he transferred his hopes another waie being of his owne nature tenderly affected toward his friends expecting that one day Herode would requite him for that he had deliuered him from death whereunto he was condemned and in danger likewise of the penalty and punishment He began therefore to consult with the Iewes as touching his iourney who in way of duetie and loue came to visit him and who besought him and importuned him to abide with them offering him all seruice and honour assuring him that he should in no lesse manner be respected among them then their high priest and king yea in farre higher regard then he might any waies be in his owne countrey by reason of the maime he had in his bodie thorow Antigonus tyranny alleadging that kings doe not ordinarily call to their remembrance those pleasures that they haue receiued in their infant fortunes because that with their estates they change both their manners and inclinations But notwithstanding all these or such like allegations yet could not Hircanus be withdrawne from the desire he had to repaire homeward Herode also wrote vnto him that he should require Phraates and the Iewes that inhabited his kingdome in no sort to enuie his felicitie in that he should partake with him both in dignitie and royaltie alleadging that the time was now come wherein he might acknowledge the benefits he had receiued by being heretofore nourished and preserued by him With these letters he sent Samaralla likewise on an embassage to Phraates furnished with great rich presents endeuouring by that meanes to winne him that he in no sort should hinder his gratulation and good intent towards one that had so highly deserued at his hands yet were not his protestations answerable to his pretence For insomuch as he gouerned not with that vprightnes which became a iust king he feared least some alteration might befall him according to his demerites for which cause he sought to get Hircanus vnder his power or at leastwise to dispatch him out of his life which he afterwards performed When as therefore Herode had perswaded the Parthian to dismisse Hircanus and the Iewes to furnish him with money sufficient to beare his expence in his iourney he receiued him with all honour In common assemblies he gaue him alwaies the highest place and in the time of festiuals he made him alwaies sit downe before him and the more closely to deceiue him he called him brother endeuouring himselfe by all means wholy to extinguish in him all colour and cause of suspicion of treacherie neitherintermitted he any other stratagems whereby in his opinion he might any waies further or promote his cause and yet by these meanes occasioned he no small sedition in his owne familie For carefully prouiding least any one among the nobilitie should be established high Priest he sent to Babylon for a certaine man of bace condition called Ananel and gaue him the Priesthood For which cause Alexandra grew sodainly displeased not being able to endure that outrage This woman was Hircanus daughter and Alexanders wife who was king Aristobulus sonne who had two children by her husband the one wondrous beautifull who also was called Aristobulus the other was Mariamme who was likewise faire and maried to Herode She was sore moued and highly displeased to see her sonne so much indignified for that during his life another was called to the honour of high Priesthood for which cause she wrote vnto Cleopatra by the meanes of a certaine Musition beseeching her to beg the high Priesthood at Antonius hands for hir sonne But for that Antonius made little reckoning of those suites a certaine friend of his called Gellius who was come into Iury about certain of his affaires and who had seene Aristobulus fell in loue with him by reason of his beautie and being abashed likewise at his great and goodly stature and allured by Mariammes admirable beautie he openly protested that he accounted Alexandra a happie mother in her children and deuising to this effect with her he perswaded her to send the pictures of her two children to Antonius for that if hee should but behold them he would refuse him in nothing wherein he should request his friendship Alexandra perswaded by these words sent their pictures vnto Antonius Gellius also made the matter more wonderfull telling him that the children seemed rather to be engendred of no mortall straine but by some diuine power labouring as much as in him lay that Antonius might be allured to affection them Who supposing it to be a matter ill be seeming him to send for Mariamme who was married to Herode and desirous likewise to auoid Clopatras suspicions wrote vnto Herode that vnder some honest pretext he should send Alexandras sonne vnto him with this addition if it might
not seeme troublesome vnto him Which matter when Herode vnderstood he thought it no waies incident to his securitie to send Aristobulus who was a faire young man and little more at that time then sixteene yeeres olde so nobly borne considering that Antonius was at that present in such authoritie that no one in Rome was in greater credit then he and who besides that was verie much addicted to his pleasures which he openly hunted after without feare of punishment in regard of his greatnes and power He therefore wrote him this answere that if the young man should but onely depart out of the countrey all the land would incontinently be filled with warre and troubles for that the Iewes pretended alteration in gouernment and sought to innouate by preferring a new king When as therefore he had in this sort excused himselfe vnto Antonius he resolued to entertaine both the younger Aristobulus and his mother Alexandra with more respect Moreouer his wife Mariamme did continually importune him to giue the priesthood to her brother alledging that by that honour he might preuent the occasion of his trauell For which cause assembling his friends togither in counsell he grieuously accused Alexandra before them protesting that she secretly conspired against the kingdome and that by the mediation of Cleopatra she laboured to dispossesse him of the soueraigntie to the intent that her sonnes by Antonius meanes might gouerne in his steed Which practise of hirs was so much the more vniust because she depriued her owne daughter of that honour wherein she was inseated raised vp troubles likewise in that kingdome which he had conquered with great trauel and extreme daunger Yet notwithstanding that he willingly forgat that which was past and forgaue those wrongs she had vrged against him and vvas readie notwithstanding to shew all kindnes and courtesie both to her and hers Furthermore he gaue the high priesthood to young Aristobulus alledging that heretofore he had established Ananel in that place for no other respect then for that Aristobulus was vnder yeeres After that he had thus seriously and considerately discoursed in the presence of the Ladies and the consistorie of his friends Alexandra almost beside her selfe not only thorow the ioy she had conceiued by this vnexpected good fortune but also for the feare she had to be suspected began to defend her selfe with teares protestations saying that al whatsoeuer she had either practised or done was to prefer her son vnto the Priesthood whō she saw dishonoured but as touching the kingdome that she had neuer pretēded neither would if so be she should be presented therwith receiue the same thinking her selfe for the present sufficiently honoured both for that she saw Aristobulus in that estate as for the assurance that all her progeny should receiue in that he was lifted vp in dignitie aboue the rest Being therefore ouercome by those merits she accepted willingly the honour for her sonne and shewed her selfe obedient in all things requesting him that if she had committed any thing rashy and thorow inconsideration of passion either in respect of her children or in vnbridled cariage of her tongue hee would be pleased to pardon her After these debates and interchangeable discourses on either side they shooke hands the one with the other in token of a more fixed and vnfained friendship then was before burying as they then pretended all euill suspition or cause of vnkindnes CHAP. III. Herode preferreth Aristobulus his wife Mariammes brother to the Priesthood and afterwards pu◅eth him to death HEreupon Herode tooke away the Priesthood instantly from Ananel who was not that countriman borne as we haue heretofore declared but was borne amongst those Iewes that inhabite and were planted beyond Euphrates by the Assirians For diuers thousand Iewes inhabite the countrey of Babylon and from thence tooke he his originall also being otherwise of the race of the Priests and intirely affected toward Herode for a long time before with whom he had familiar acquaintance He had preferred him to this honour at such time as he was made king and degraded him likewise to appease the troubles of his family demeasning himselfe herein contrarie to the law of the countrey For whereas any one hath once beene installed in that degree he is neuer to be displaced The first that transgressed this ordinance was Antiochus Epiphanes who dispossessed Iosuah and preferred his brother Onias to his place The second was Aristobulus who tooke it away from his brother Hircanus and vsurped it himselfe Herode was the third who gaue the Priesthood to Aristobulus establishing him in Ananels place before he was dead and by this meanes supposing that he had found out a remedie to appease the discords of his family he notwithstanding all this liued not without suspition what euent would follow after this reconciliation For he feared Alexandra least demeasning her selfe in such sort as before time she had done she should seeke occasion hereafter to raise new troubles He commaunded her therefore to containe her selfe within the roial pallace and to doe nothing of her owne authoritie Besides that he had appointed certaine intelligencers who should diligently obserue that nothing should be done without his knowledge no not concerning her particular expences and table All which things exasperated her hate and increased the same against Herode for being full of feminine pride she disdained to see her selfe thus wrongfully suspected desiring rather to suffer any thing then to be depriued of the liberty of free speech and vnder colour to be honoured to liue continually in seruitude and feare Whereupon she sent certaine of her trustie friends to Cleopatra to complaine and lament vnto her the importable miseries of her present estate requiring her according to her power to giue readie and speedie reliefe Whereupon Cleopatra sent her word that both she and her sonne should resort vnto her into Aegypt with as great secrecie as might be possible Vpon which aduice and the allowance thereof she practised this policy She caused two coffins to be made such as men were wont to burie the dead in in which she hid both her selfe and her sonne commaunding those seruants of hers that were priuie to her deliberation to carie them out in the night time and to bend their course directly towards the sea where there was a barke in readinesse prepared to shape their course and conuey them into Aegypt But Esop one of her household seruants declared this enterprise of hers to Sabbion one of Alexandras friends supposing that he had beene made priuie thereunto who had no sooner inkling thereof but for that before times he was Herodes enemy by reason he was suspected to haue beene one of those that sought to poison Antipater he determined by discouery of this secret flight to conuert Herodes hate into assured friendship and presently discouered Alexandras secret enterprise to the king Who dissembling the matter vntill it
maidseruants of theirs who were their bondwomen as also certaine other of their free seruants Now when the fact would not be extorted by reason that none of them confessed the same at length shee that was last of all put to her triall ouercome by the paines shee endured said nought else but that shee praied God that Antipaters mother might feele the like torments since shee was the cause of all those mischiefes which they endured These words of hers made Herode the more eager and inquisitiue so that by force of tortures he wrought out all the secrets of these women their banquets their secret assemblies and those verie words that Herode had spoken apart betwixt his sonne and himselfe which had beene reported vnto the women that Pheroras entertained namely that he would giue him one hundreth talents prouided he would vse no conference with Pheroras Moreouer they reckoned vp the hatred that Antipater bare vnto his father the complaints that he made vnto his mother of the too long life and continuance of his father for that in regard of himselfe he was already waxen olde so that although the kingdome should fall into his hands presently yet could he receiue but verie little contentment thereby Moreouer hee alleadged that diuers brothers and brothers children were brought vp togither with him so that he might not securely hope for any thing for that already if he should fortune to die the kingdome was to descend not to his sonne but to his brother besides this he was accustomed to accuse the king of diuers cruelties committed by him and of that murther which he executed vpon the persons of his children That for feare least he should practise his tyrannie against those that remained Antipater had found out the deuise to be summoned to Rome and Pheroras withdrew himselfe into his Tetrarchy These words which as he knew had reference vnto that which his sister had often informed him of were not by him held incredible so that being pressed with the malice of Antipater he sequestred Doris his mother from his presence spoiling her before her departure of all her iewels which were valued at many talents and from that time forward he shewed himselfe more fauourable towards those women of Pheroras household But nothing did more whet Herods displeasure against Antipater then did a certaine Samaritane who was also called Antipater who had the ordering of the affaires of Antipater the kings sonne For he being brought in question and tortured declared amongst other things that Antipater had mixed a mortall poison and deliuered the same to Pheroras his vncle commanding him to practise the kings death in his absence and by that meanes least suspected That this poison was brought out of Aegypt by one called Antiphilus Antipaters friend That it was sent to Pheroras by one called Theudion Antipaters mothers brother That this poison was kept by Pheroras wife and was committed by her husband to her custodie She being examined by the king hereupon confessed no lesse hastning forth as if she intended to fetch the same she cast her selfe downe headlond from the toppe of the house yet did she not murther her selfe because she fell vpon her feet Now after she was recouered out of her swoune and the king had promised all securitie both to her selfe and her family if so be she would discouer the truth and contrariwise threatned her with extreme torments if she obstinately continued in concealing these treasons she sware that she would discouer all things according as they were acted and as many men thought at that time she tolde nothing but the truth That poison said she was brought by Antiphilus out of Aegypt and bought there by the meanes of a brother of his who was a physition After this Theudion brought it to our house and I hauing receiued it from Pheroras hands kept the same but bought by your sonne Antipater to poison you that are his father Now therefore after that my husband fell sicke and you in kindnesse came to visit and comfort him he being mooued with compassion and conquered by your brotherly kindenesse by your good affection and louing care in giuing order for his health called me vnto him and said O Wife Antipater hath circumuented me whilest by his pestilent counsailes and poisoning practises he desireth to cut off his father and depriue me of a kinde brother Now therfore since as I perceiue there is no part of my brothers louing and naturall affection diminished towards me wherewith he was wont to entertaine me and that my latest houre of life approcheth God forbid that being ready to sleepe with my forefathers I should present them with a ghost soiled and sweltred in my brothers bloud Dispatch therefore and burne this poison before mine eies Hereupon said she I presently brought it forth according as my husband commaunded me and burnt the greatest part of the poison and the rest I reserued that if after my husbands death your grace should vse me vnkindly it might serue me to escape those extremities that would betide me After she had spoken thus she brought forth before them all the poison and the box wherein it was kept After her another of Antiphilus brothers and the mother to them both confessed no lesse being constrained thereunto by force and violence of torture and acknowledged the box The kings wife also who was the daughter of the high priest was accused for confederacie and concealement of all these treasons For which cause Herode put her away from him and raced his sonnes name out of his testament wherein he had bequeathed him the kingdome after his decease He displaced also his father in law Simon the sonne of Boëthus from the priesthood and placed Matthias the sonne of Theophilus who was borne in Ierusalem in his steed In the meane space Bathillus Antipaters freeman returned from Rome who being tortured confessed that he brought a poison with him to deliuer it to Antipaters mother and Pheroras to the ende that if the first poison were not effectuall enough to dispatch the king they might make vse of this other to cut him off speedily There came letters also to Herods hands from his friends in Rome written and deuised by Antipaters meanes to accuse Archelaus and Philip for that verie often they had refreshed the memorie of Alexander and Aristobulus death contriued by their father and for that they lamented the miserable fate of them who were innocently betraied and that now also they themselues were called backe into their countrey for no other cause but vpon their arriuall to be made partakers of their brothers miserable destinie These things did Antipaters friends certifie Herod of in that by many and mightie presents he wrought them thereunto He himselfe also wrote vnto his father colourably after a maner excusing the young men and imputing their words to their indiscretion young yeers Meane while he busied himselfe in accusing Syllaeus and coutted the chiefest Romans buying
obtaine immortall praise for the present and a memorable and eternall glorie in time to come neither that they should protract the execution therof for feare of danger since death was a thing that might not be auoided so that since by the generall course of nature they must needly die it should become them brauely to forsake their liues with praise and honour in embracing vertue For to die in the execution of some noble exploit which cannot be atchieued without hazard or danger their children should be richly rewarded with the fruits thereof their other parents that should ou◅liue them of what sex soeuer should reape the fruits of that glorie which was honourably atchieued by them In these or such like words encouraged they the young men About that time there was a rumour spred that the king was dead which gaue verie great furtherance to the doctors resolution For at high noone they went vp into the temple they pulled and hewed downe the Aegle with their axes in the sight and assembly of a great number of people that were in the temple Now when the tidings hereof came vnto the eares of the kings captaine he fearing least some further and more fatall tumult might be raised drew out a strong companie of souldiers with him to repulse those that were assembled to hew downe the Aegle and charging the rude disarmed multitude who were gathered togither he easily flew and dispersed the most as for those 40. young men that valiantly addressed thēselues to resist he apprehended them and with them the authors of this sedition Iudas Matthias who thought scorne to submit thēselues and led them to the king who demanding of them how they durst deface the sacred image they answered that long before that time they had resolued it and that now according as they had resolued they had like valiant men performed the same For we said they maintaine the honour of God and the doctrine of our lawe whereof we are disciples neither ought you to admire that with contempt of your ordinances we haue preferred the lawes of our forefathers which Moses hath left vs in writing according as he was suggested and taught them by God neither doe we refuse any death or punishment which thou shalt inflict vpon vs being assured in our consciences that we suffer not for our impietie but pietie sake Thus spake they all of them continuing the like constant boldnesse in their answeres as they had shewed in their actions being also ready constantly to endure any punishment for that which they had attēpted Hereupon the king commanded them to be bound and sent them to Iericho then calling before him those principall Iewes who had the gouernment vnder him being brought into their assembly vpon his pallat by reason of his weaknesse he recited vnto them the numberlesse trauels he had endured for their sakes in like manner how vpon his great charges he had repaired and reedified the temple whereas the Asmoneans for the space of 125. yeeres wherein they raigned could not performe such a building in the honour of God Moreouer he signified vnto them how he had adorned the same with precious gifts for which he hoped that after his death his memorie and glorie should suruiue After this he expostulated with them for what cause they abstained not from offering him that outrage during his life time And why at noon daies and in the sight of all the people they had laid hands on those presents which he had dedicated vnto God and had taken those things away violently which though in words they appertained to him yet in effect if the act were well examined they had taken from God The gouernors suspecting his crueltie and fearing least his vnbridled passion should vrge him further by which meanes they might be assured of some seuere punishment answered him that those things were not done by their consents and that in their opinion the iniurie ought not to be let slip without punishment At that time Herod shewed himselfe more fauourable towards the rest but he caused Matthias to be depriued of the priesthood as one in part who had been the cause of that which had hapned and in his place substituted Iozar one of his wiues brethren During the priesthood of this Matthias it hapned also that an other high priest was elected that verie day wherein the Iewes did vsually celebrate their fast For Matthias the night before the day of the fast seemed in his dream to haue had the company of his wife and whereas for this cause he was vnfit to offer the deuine sacrifice he had Ioseph the sonne of Ellemus appointed him to be his assister and substitute by reason of his alliance Herode therefore deposed Matthias and as touching the other Matthias who had mooued this trouble both he and his companions were by his commandement consumed with fire This verie night the moone was ecclipsed Herods sicknesse grew more vehement For God punished those sins which he had committed For he was inflamed with a lent or slow fire which to the outward sense seemed not so vehement but Inwardly searched and afflicted all his entrails he had also a rauenous and an vnnaturall appetite to his meat which might no waies be satisfied Besides that he had an vlcer in his bowels with a strange and furious colicke His feet were swolne with moist and shining f◅egme and his stomacke was no lesse affected also His members rotted were full of crawling wormes with a filthie and no lesse troublesome Priapisme accompanied with an intollerable stench besides all this he had a strong con◅ulsion of his nerues and shortnesse of breath For which cause it was a generall opinion amongst holy men and such as had the knowledge of prophecie that the king was thus punished for his infinite impieties and sinnes committed against the maiestie of God And although he was tormented with an vnsupportable sicknes yet had he hope to escape and for that cause he sent for phisitions from all places and refused none of those remedies which they thought behoouefull for him He therefore past ouer Iordan and went into the hot bathes of Calliroes the waters whereof are potable besides other vertues they haue against all other kind of sicknes this water dischargeth it selfe into the lake called Asphaltite Being there it was thought good by his phisitions that he should refresh himselfe in those waters There being set by them into a bathing tub be filled with oyle he waxed so sicke that they held him for dead Whereupon all his household seruants wept and grieuously lamented and all his familiar friends crying out and bewailing him with their great noise caused him to come to himselfe and seeing himselfe wholy out of hope to escape he gaue order that there should a distribution be made to euery soldier the summe of fiftie drachmes and he offered great presents to their captaines his friends Afterwards
contu◅eliously intreated me but if he thinke that he can restraine me from speaking freely he deceiueth himselfe For my conscience knoweth how many hazards I haue deliuered him from and as long as I breath I will ring it in all mens eares how many trauels I haue endured for his conseruation and honour in recompence where of I am at this day in bonds and shut vp in an obscure prison which I wil neuer forget Yea and when my soule shall depart out of this bodie she shall beare with her the remembrance of those benefits I haue imployed on him These words spake he with a loud voice willing them to relate the same vnto king Agrippa who seeing that he was grounded in an incurable folly left him in prison After this the king began to fortifie the walles of Ierusalem on the side of the new towne vpon the common charge increasing them both in length and bredth might he haue thorowly finished them it had beene a fortresse inuincible by all humane force But Marsus the gouernour of Syria certified Caesar what the worke was and Claudius suspecting some commotion wrote expresly to Agrippa commaunding him thence forward to desist from further building of the walles according to that forme wherein he had begunne whereunto he would not disobey This king Agrippa was of a nature so readie to exercise liberalitie and tooke so great pleasure to vse his magnificence toward all sorts of nations that the great expences he was at obtained him great reputation So that his whole pleasure and delight was to shew courtesie vnto al men and to purchase good esteem being euery way differēt in nature disposition from king Herod his predecessor For Herod was naturally malicious extreme in punishing mē irrecōciliable to those with vvhom he vvas displeased manifestly expressing that he loued the Grecians better then the Iewes For he beautified those cities that belonged to straungers gaue them money and erected them bathes and sumptuous Theaters and Temples in some of them galleries but as touching the cities of the Iewes he bestowed not this bountie on any one of them no not the least reparation or gift that vvas worthy the speaking of Contrariwise king Agrippa was verie courteous and lowly and equally imparted his bountie vnto all men He was courteous vnto straungers and testified no lesse by the bountie he bestowed on them To his countrimen he behaued himselfe affably and in especiall he was mercifull to all those that were in misery For which cause his ordinarie court and the place he tooke most pleasure in was Ierusalem He was a diligent obseruer of the lawes of his countrey and liued religiously and with as great pietie as was possible neither passed there one day wherein he offered not sacrifice It hapned at one time that a certaine cunning lawyer who was called Simon and dwelt in Ierusalem had assembled the people by reason of the kings absence who for the present was in Caesarea In which assembly he alleaged many things against him that he was a prophane man and that vpon iust cause he was forbidden to enter the temple in that it was not lawfull nor decent for those that were vncleane to enter thereinto These words of Simons thus wrongfully vrged against him were signified to the king by certaine letters sent him by the gouernour of the citie when as therefore he sate him downe in the Theater he commaunded that verie Simon to sit next him and in peaceable and kind manner he spake thus vnto him Tell mee I pray thee what thing thou seest fault worthy or done contrarie to the law in that which is done heere Simon hauing not any thing to reply besought him to pardon him The king grew friends with him farre sooner then it could be imagined resoluing with himselfe that mercie doth farre better become a king then wrath and that moderation is more requisite then-◅aughtie courage so as he after he had bestowed certaine presents on Simon he dismissed him Now although he had many reparations in diuers places yet honoured he those of Beryth aboue all the rest and builded them a Theater surpassing all other in sumptuousnes and beauty and besides that he made them a sumptuous Amphiatheater and bathes and porches in which he neither spared cost neither scantled the beautie and greatnes of the works in any sort The dedication also of these things were celebrated with great pomp and magnificēce he also made great shewes plaies in the Theater in which there were all sorts of musicke and recreation He made also diuers ◅aments in the Amphiatheater expressing in all things the greatnes of his magnificence and being desirous to delight the people with a combate he gathered all the malefactors that he might get and made two seuerall companies of seuen hundreth apeece and brought them togither to fight to the end that in skirmishing they might receiue their punishment and besides that by this warlike exercise he might present the people with a pastime concluded with the punishment of wicked men for each of these combatants slue one another After that he had finished these aboue named buildings in Beryth he resorted to Tiberias a citie of Galilee and was admired of all the otherkings so that Antiochus king of Comagena came to visit him the like did Samsigeran king of the Emesenians Cotys king of Armenia the lesse and Polemon Lord of Pontus and besides all these Herode prince of Chalcis and his brother all whom he receiued and entertained most magnificently and amiably to shew his greatnes to the end that all men might perceiue that he was deseruedly honoured with the presence of so many kings And during the time that these princes were with him Marsus the gouernour of Syria visited him likewise whom to the end he might expresse the reuerēce he bare to the Romans he met with seuen furlongs off from the citie This interuiew of so many kings was the original of that discontent that grew betwixt him and Marsus for whilest he sate in his litter he sent for these other kings But Marsus suspected this concord and so great amitie supposing that this agreement of so many kings would be no waies profitable or beneficial to the Romans For which cause he presently sent vnto them charging them with all expedition to returne each of them into their owne countries which strict commission of his Agrippa tooke in ill part and for this occasion he conceiued scarce kindly of Marsus He tooke the priesthood from Matthias and gaue it to Aelioneus the son of Cithaeus After he had raigned three vvhole yeeres ouer Iudaea he came to Caesarea which in times past was called the tower of Straton and there made he sports in honour of Caesar ordaining a certaine feast for his conseruation to the celebration whereof there vvere assembled a great number of all those vvho were of estate and dignitie thorow the whole countrey On
committed against the Iewes if Nero had not pardoned him vpon his brother Pallas submission and intreaty who importuned him and was at that time in great reputation with him Furthermore two of the chiefest amongst the Syrians that wrought Berillus who had sometimes beene Neros Master and at that time was secretarie of estate in the Greeke tongue by mightie bribes to begge at Neros hand the reuocation of the right and title which the Iewes enioyed in the gouernment and administration of the common weale For which cause Berillus sollicited the Emperour and obtained a letter at his hands which was the cause of those mischiefes that afterwards hapned in our nation For the Iewes of Caesarea vnderstanding what commission the Syrians had gotten were so much the more kindled and encouraged to make warre As soone therefore as Festus was arriued in Iudaea he found the countrey grieuously afflicted with robberies and the lower countrey was spoyled by sword and fire The theeues likewise at that time encreased wondrously they vsed short swords after the manner of a Persian Cymetre and crooked like the Roman faulchion with which they slew diuers men For thrusting themselues into the presse of people that came in great multitudes on the festiuall daies to celebrate Gods seruice they killed those verie easily whom they listed and oftentimes repairing to their enemies villages they spoiled and burnt the same But Festus sent diuers forces both of horse and foote against certaine Iewes that were seduced by an enchanter who had promised them security and repose from all their troubles and molestations if so be they would followe him into the desart who slew both the deceiuer and the deceiued that followed him At that time king Agrippa erected a stately building within the pallace at Ierusalem neere vnto the porch This pallace in times past appertained to the Asmoneans was scituate in a high place with a goodly prospect from whence they that listed might with pleasure behold the whole citie of Ierusalem wherein the king tooke great delight and beheld from thence that which was done in the temple The chiefest men of Ierusalem seeing this building were sore displeased For neither doth our custome or law permit that any one should looke on that which is done in the temple and especially forbiddeth that no man should behold the sacrifices and oblations They therefore builded a high wall vpon the gallerie which was within the temple on the West side which did not onely damme vp the sight of the royall chamber but also that of the gallery without the temple on the West side where the Romanes kept guard neere vnto the temple on the festiuall daies Herewith was King Agrippa sore displeased and the gouernour Festus farre more then hee who commaunded them to pull downe the wall But they besought him that he vvould giue them licence to send their Embassadours to Nero to this intent alleaging that it was impossible for them to liue if any part of their temple should be beaten downe Which being graunted them they sent tenne of their chiefest nobilitie and with them Ismael the high priest and Chelcias the Treasurer of the temple vnto Nero who no sooner heard their suit but he pardoned them not onely for that they had done but hee commanded that the building should remaine as it was All which hee did in fauour of his wife Poppea who was intreated by the Iewes for that she was a deuout Princesse to sue for them She therefore commaunded the tenne Embassadours to returne and kept Chelcias and Ismael for pledges vvith her The king vnderstanding how all things had past gaue the high priesthood to Ioseph surnamed Cabi vvhich was the sonne of Simon who in times past had beene high Priest CHAP. VIII The gouernment of Albinus CAesar being aduertized of Festus death sent Albinus to gouerne Iudaea But king Agrippa commaunding Ioseph to lead a priuate life and aduanced in his steed a certaine man called Ananus the sonne of Ananus who is reported to haue beene most happie For he had fiue sonnes al which supplied the place of the high priest after himselfe had long time before them enioyed the roome The like whereof hath neuer hapned to any of our high Priests The younger Ananus who as we said was aduanced to this place was a rash and headstrong man that followed the sect of the Sadduces who as we haue alreadie declared were amongst all other the Iewes the most seuere in executing Iustice whereas therefore Ananus was of this disposition he thought that he had a fit occasion offered him to do what him listed after Festus death and during the time that Albinus was as yet vpon his way He therefore ascended and sate down in the tribunal assisted by the Iudges and caused Iames the brother of Iesus who was called Christ to appeare before him with certaine others and accused them for transgressing the law and blasphemy against God and caused them to be stoned to death They that were men of vpright conscience within the citie and diligent obseruers of the law vvere verie much displeased with this act and sent secretly vnto the king beseeching him to prohibite Ananus that hereafter he should commit no such like offence for that his first action was not allowable Some of them also went to meet Albinus being on his vvay from Alexandria to enforme him that it was not lawful for Ananus to assemble the councel without his licence Albinus perswaded by these words wrote a cholericke letter to Ananus wherein he threatned to punish him And for the same cause king Agrippa dispossessed him of the Priesthood after he had held the same for the space of three moneths and in his steed he established Iesus the sonne of Damneus After that Albinus was arriued in Ierusalem he employed all his care and studie to pacifie the countrey by executing diuers of the theeues But the high priest Ananias daily increased in honour and credit and purchased the good will of the citizens by his liberalitie and great gifts But he had certaine mischieuous seruants about him who conuersed with those that were most intemperate and audacious who repairing from graunge to graunge tooke vp many tenths that belonged to the Priests and beat those that reâ—…used to tender them The priests vsed no lesse force then did their seruants hauing no man that might restraine them whereby it came to passe that the piests who were before time maintained by the tenths died at that time for want of victuals And the theeues renewing their entrance into the citie by night during the feast that was celebrated at that time tooke the secretarie of captaine Eleazar aliue who vvas Ananias sonne who was the high And hauing bound him led him out of the citie sending Ananias word that they would deliuer his secretarie if he would labour so much with Albinus as to deliuer them their tenne companions then prisoners who
were taken by him To the performance whereof Ananias perswaded Albinus by manifest reason and by obtaining his demaund encreased and begat a number of miseries For the theeues vsed all the wilie meanes they could deuise in apprehending some one of Ananias house and when they had taken any one of them aliue they would not deliuer him except before they might haue one of their owne deliuered So that increasing both in courage and number they waxed more more insolent to afflict the countrey At the same time king Agrippa enlarged the citie of Caesarea surnamed Philippi and in honour of Nero called it Neronias He builded also to his great charge a Theater in fauour of the Berytians wherein euerie yeere he spent diuers thousands of siluer in sports He distributed oyle and corne to euery one of the people and garnished all the citie with most anticke and goodly counterfaited portraitures vpon the porches Briefely he welny transported into the citie all the ornamnts of the rest of his kingdom for which cause his subiects began to hate him seeing he depriued thē of their rare ornaments to adorn one strange citie Iesus the sonne of Gamaliel succeeded in the priesthood which the king had giuen him and taken away from Iesus the sonne of Damneus who resigned him his place against his will Whereupon there arose a discord betweene them For hauing assembled their resolutest followers they grew from bitter words to fatall blowes and stones But amongst all the rest Ananias was the richest in wealth and by his bountie reconciled the more vnto him Costobarus also and Saul gathered each of them a band of rascall and desperate men These two were of the bloud royall and by reason of their affinitie and alliance with Agrippa they were well beloued ◅or which cause they were outragious and violent in spoiling and rauishing the fortunes of the weaker sort From this time forward the estate of our Citie grewe desperate encrcasing daily more and more in wickednesse When Albinas vnderstood that Gessius Florus came to succeed him desirous that they of Ierusalem should acknowledge some good turne at his hands he called before him all those prisoners that were notoriously guiltie of murther and caused them to be executed As for those that were imprisoned vpon any small or sleight cause vpon paiment of their fines he deliuered them and in so doing the prison was cleansed of malefactors and from that time the countrey remained full of theeues and Robbers The Leuites who were ordained to sing the hymnes vnto God sollicited the king to assemble the councell and thereby to permi◅ them to weare the linnen Robe which the priests were accustomed to vse telling him that such an ordinance would dignifie his estate verie much in that he would be alwaies famous in memory of this new establishment This suit of theirs was easily respected and admitted For the king after he had consulted with those who were his assistants suffered the Leuites that sung the hymnes to lay aside their ordinarie Robe and to apparrell themselues in linnen as best liked them He permitted also that another part of the Leuites who intended the seruice of the temple should learne to sing the hymnes and psalmes according ◅s they had required All which he did contrarie to the ordinances of the countrey which being broken there was nought else to be expected but punishment At that time was the building of the temple finished And the people perceiuing that more then eighteene thousand workmen should be idle and depriued of wages whereupon they were accustomed to liue in trauailing in the building of the temple on the other side being Ioath to reserue their money thorow the feare they had of the Romanes to prouide that these workmen in the intertainment of whom they resolued to employ their treasure for if any one of them trauailed but one howre in the day he was sodainly paide his wages they requested the king that it might please him to repaire the Easterne gate on the outward part of the temple scituate in a descent the wals whereof were in height foure hundreth cubits made of square stones of white marble from the top to the bottome and euery stone twentie foot long and six foot thicke This worke was first builded by king Salomon who was the first that builded our temple But the king to whom Claudius Caesar had giuen the commission of building the temple thinking with himselfe that it was verie easie to breake it downe but very hard to build it vp and that to reedifie the porch it would cost much time and expence he denied their request permitting them neuerthelesse to paue their citie with broad stone Hee tooke the priesthoode from Iesus the sonne of Gamaliel and gaue it to Matthias the sonne of Theophilus In whose time the warre betwixt the Romanes and Iewes grew to the first head But I thinke it not amisse but verie answerable to the course of this present historie to speake of the priests and to shew how they had their beginning and to whom this honour may be lawfully communicated and how many they were in number vntill the end of the warre The first of them was Aaron Moses brother after whose death his children succeeded him and from that time forward the honour hath continued with their successors For it is a law obserued by our auncestors that no man shall be admitted to the priesthood except he be of Aarons posteritie for albeit he were a king if so be that he were of an other line it was impossible for him to obtaine the priesthood All the priests after Aaron who as we haue said was the first vntill Phanasus whom the seditious created priest in the time of the warre haue been in number 83. whereof 13 haue executed the office from the time that Moses erected Gods tabernacle in the desart vntil such time as arriuing in Iudaea king Salomon builded a temple to God For in the beginning the hie priesthood continued with the possessors for terme of life but afterwards although the priests were yet aliue yet were there other successors planted in their roomes These thirteene were of Aarons posteritie and obtained this degree in succession the one after the other Their first gouernment was Aristocratia which is the gouernment of the nobilitie afterwards a monarchy and finally a royall gouernment The number of yeers wherein these thirteene flourished were sixe hundreth and twelue yeeres from the day that our fathers departed out of Aegypt vnder the conduct of Moses vntill the edification of the temple that was builded in Ierusalem by king Salomon After these thirteene high priests there were eighteene others who after Salomons time succeeded one after another vntill the time that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon hauing encamped before the Citie tooke the same and burned the temple and transported our nation into Babylon and led away the high priest Iosedech prisoner The time of the priesthood
and continuance of these eighteene was foure hundreth sixtie six yeeres six moneths and ten daies so long as the Iewes haue had the royall gouernment After the surprisall of Ierusalem by the Babylonians vntill such time as Cyrus king of Persia dismissed the Iewes and gaue them leaue to returne from Babylon into their owne countrey with permission to reedifie their temple there are 70. yeeres and at that time the captiues beeing returned Iesus the sonne of Iosedech tooke vpon him the high priesthood who with those of his posteritie to the number of fifteene haue gouerned in a Democratie or popular estate vntill the time of Antiochus surnamed Eupator for the space of foure hundreth and fourteene yeeres This Antiochus was the first who with his generall Lysia displaced Onias surnamed Menelaus of his priesthood commanding him to be slaine at Beryth and after he had driuen his sonne out of the succession he established Iacim high priest who notwithstanding was of Aarons race but not of his family For this cause Onias the sonne of Onias and nephew to the deceased Onias retired himselfe into Aegypt where growing familiar with Ptolomey Philometor and Cleopatra his wife he perswaded them to build a temple in the confines of Heliopolis not vnlike to that of Ierusalem and to create a high priest in the same of which temple in Aegypt we haue made verie oftentimes mention After that Iacim had held the priesthood for the space of three yeeres he died without successor For the Citie remained seuen yerees without a high priest Againe the Asmoneans recouered the gouernment of their nation and after they had warred against the Macedons they established Ionathan hie priest who exercised the office seuen yeeres but afterwards he was slaine by an ambush and treason conspired against him by Tryphon as we haue declared elsewhere After him Simon his brother vndertooke the priesthood who was not long after slaine treacherously by his sonne in lawe at a banquet After him succeeded his sonne Hyrcanus who enioying this dignitie for the space of thirtie one yeeres died when he was verie olde leauing behinde him Iudas surnamed Aristobulus who dying by sicknesse left his brother Alexander his heire both of the kingdome and high priesthood After that Aristobulus had obtained the royal gouernment he enioyed both dignities one whole yeere For this Iudas surnamed Aristobulus was the first that set the diademe on his head causing himselfe to be called a king The which Alexander did continue for he also ioyned the kingdome with the high priesthood and raigned 27. yeers and feeling himselfe draw neere to his death he left it in Alexandras his wiues hands to dispose of the priesthood as she pleased She therefore bestowed it on Hyrcanus and as touching the kingdome she kept it in her own hands nine yeers afterwards died Her son Hyrcanus was high priest for so long time for after Alexandras death his brother Aristobulus made warre against him and hauing ouercome him he tooke the kingdome from him and not onely seazed the crowne but the priesthood After he had raigned three yeeres and as many moneths Pompey repaired to Ierusalem and tooke it perforce and laying hold of Aristobulus sent him bound vnto Rome with his children After which he restored the priesthood once more to Hyrcanus committing the gouernment of the nation vnto his hands forbidding him in the meane space to weare the diademe Besides the first nine yeeres Hyrcanus gouerned twentie and foure but Barzapharnes and Pacorus princes of the Parthians passed Euphrates and made warre against Hyrcanus and tooke him aliue prisoner and made Antigonus Aristobulus sonne king But after he had gouerned three yeeres and three moneths Sosius and Herode tooke him aliue perforce and Antonius sent him to Antioch where he was put to death After that Herode was created king by the Romans there was neuer any hie priest created of the posterity of the Asmoneans for he gaue the hie priesthood to certaine men of obscure base condition who were of the order of the priests Aristobulus onely excepted This Aristobulus was Hyrcanus nephew who was prisoner among the Parthians and hauing giuen him the priesthood he married himselfe with Mariamme his sister to the intent to continue himselfe in the good liking of the people in remembrance of Hyrcanus but afterwards fearing least all of them should turne to Aristobulus side he caused him to be slaine by finding out a meanes to cause him to be stifled at such time as he bathed himselfe in a fishpond neere to Iericho as we haue declared before this After him he bestowed the priesthood no more on any of the line of the Asmoneans Archelaus his sonne followed his fathers steps in respect of the priesthood and from that time forward the Romans haue enioied the soueraigntie ouer Iewry All they then that haue exercised the priesthood from Herodes time vntill the day that Titus tooke the Citie and the temple haue been in all twentie and eight All the continuance of their gouernment was one hundreth and seuen yeeres Certaine of these gouerned during Herodes life and in the daies of Archelaus his sonne but after these two were dead the gouernment was Aristocraticall or of the nobilitie wherein the priests had the gouernment ouer the whole nation Thus much haue we thought meet to speake at this time as touching the high priests CHAP. IX How Florus Albinus successor offered many iniuries to the Iewes which constrained them to take armes GEssius Florus being sent by Nero to succeed Albinus filled all Iudaea with many mischiefs and miseries He was a Clazomenian borne and was married to a certaine woman called Cleopatra no lesse mischieuous then himselfe who being beloued by Poppea Neros wife obtained this dignitie for him He behaued himselfe so outragiously and violently in all his gouernment that thorow the great iniustice he committed the Iewes praised Albinus as if hee had been their benefactor For he concealed his mischiefe taking care least it should wholy be conceited or discouered but Gessius Florus behaued himselfe in such sort as if he had been sent to make open shew and sale of his villanies publishing his iniustice in the eares of our nation without omitting either rapine or iniustice in execution and inflicting punishment on the innocent For he was pitilesse and couetous and made no difference betwixt noble and ignoble and was not ashamed to be partaker with theeues of whom there were diuers that made it their profession to steale without any feare in that they were assured of their safetie because he was partaker with them And in a word there was no moderation in him in sort as the poore Iewes being vnable to endure the insolent rapines and spoilings of their goods that they receiued by these theeues were constrained to abandon their owne houses and to flie their countrey and remaine in some more commodious place of securitie yea though it were among strangers What neede I
houses The yeare of the world 3929. before Christs natiuitie 35. Herode being alone and naked in his house escaped vnhurt amoÌ„gst many armed enemies Herode sendeth Pappus head to his brother Phaeroras Herode besiegeth IerusaleÌ„ Herode repaireth to Samaria to marrie Alexanders daughter The yeare of the world 3929. before Christs birth 35. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 26. al. 27. Sofiâ—…s and Herode lead a mightie army against Ierusalem Herode preuenteth the dearth The Iewes without feare resist those that besieged them The outward part of the temple and the lower citie taken The Iewes flye to the vpper citie and the temple IerusaleÌ„ taken The yeare of the world 3929. before Christs birth 35. Antigonus submitteth himselfe to Sosius Herode sore troubled in pacifying the straungers The spoile of the citie hindred When Ierusalâ—… was taken Herode bribeth Antonius with money to make away Antigonus The end of the Asmonean family and the extinction of their priest hood The yeare of the world 3930. before Christs Natiuitie 3 4. Herode preferreth his fauorites and killeth his enemies The Pharisees honoured by him Pollio fore-prophecied Herodes tyrannie The slaughter of them that were of Antigonus â—…action The yeare of the world 3930. before Christs birth 34. Antigonus beheaded Strabo of Antigonus Hedio Ruffinus chap. 〈◊〉 Hircanâ—… heating â—…idings that Herode had obtained the kingdome returneth vnto him Hircanus highly honoured in Babylon by the Iewes Hircanus leauing his country expecteth fauour at Herodes hands Saramalla Herodes embasdour to Phraates Herode highly honoureth Hircanus The yeare of the world 3930. before Christs Natiuitie 34. Herode giueth the high priesthood to Ananel Alexandra soliciteth Antonius by Cleopatras mediation for the high priesthood for hir sonne Antonius requireth Aristobulus at Herods hands The causes why Aristobulus was not sent Herode inueieth against Alexandra for pretending to vsurpe the kingdome Alexandra excuseth herselfe and hauing promise of the priesthood for hir sonne is reconciled to Herode The yeare of the world 3930. before Christs birth 34. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 3. Herode taketh the Priesthood from Ananel The Priesthood taken from three Alexandra suspected by Herode is spied and watched and her actions obserued Alexandra pretending to flie into Egypt is betraied by her seruant Herode contriueth Aristobulus death The yeare of the world 3932. before Christs birth 33. Aristobulus is drowned by Herodes direction Ananell restored to the priesthood The lamentation for Aristobulus death Herodes counterfait sorrow The yeare of the world 3931. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 33. Alexandra certifieth Cleopatra of Herodes treasons and her sonnes traiterous murther Herode readie to repaire vnto Antony commaundeth Ioseph to whose charge he coÌ„mitted the kingdome to kill his wife A foolish rumour of Herodes death Herode appeaseth Anthony by presents and certifieth his friends by letters of his health The yeare of the world 3932. before Christs Natiuitie 32. Ioseph and Mariamme accused before Herode Mariamme excuseth purgeth hir selfe before the king and is reconciled Herode commandeth that Ioseph should be slaine and imprisoneth Alexandra Hedio Ruffinus chap. 4. Cleopatra verie couetous Cleopatra murthereth her brother and sister The yeare of the world 3932. before Christs birth 32. Cleopatra contrieth Lysanias death Antonius giueth Cleopatra a portion deducted out of Iury and Arabia Cleopatra coÌ„meth to Herode who enstateth hir in that the part of Arabia these reuenewes of lericho that were giuen her An intemperate woman giuen to lust Herode goeth about to put Cleopatra to death and is disswaded by his â—…riends Antonius conquereth Armenia Herode bringeth Cleopatra onward off her way towards Egypt The yeâ—…e of the world 3933. before Christs birth 31. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 5. Herode leuieth an army to assist Antonius against Octauian Herode is incited by letters to the Arabian warre Herodes battels and conquests The yeare of the world 3934. before Christs birth 30. Cleopatras chieftaine ouerthroweth Herode The Arabians returning to the barrell kill those that flie and cake the campe The yeare of the world 3935. before Christs birth 29. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 6. An earthquake in Iudaea killeth ten thousand men The Arabians kill the Embassadours of the lewes Herode comforteth the Iewes that were out of heart for their former losses Herode comforteth and exhorteth his soldiers The cause of warre against the Arabians The yeere of the world 3935. before Christs Natiuitie 29. Legates inuiolable With whom soeuer Iustice is there is God also The yeare of the world 3935. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 19. The Arabians are ouercome by Herode The Arabians enforced by thirst require truce at Herodes hands Hedio Ruffinus chap. 7. Herode dismaied at Antonius ouerthrow The yeare of the world 3935. before Christs Natiuitie 29. Herode determineth to make away Hircanus Alexandra solliciteth Hircanus her father to require assistance at Malchus haÌ„ds Three hundreth furlongs containe nine Germaine miles Hircanus by Herodes commaund is put to death Hircanus dieth guiltlesse Hircanus life The yeare of the world 3935. before Christs birth 29. Herodes disposition of his affaires before he repaired to Caesar. Herode commeth to Caesar and declareth vnto him what pleasures he had done Antony promising him no lesse dutie and loue if so be he might be receiued into his fauour The yeare of the world 3935. before Christs Natiuitie 29. Hedio Ruffinus chap. 8. Caesar confirmeth Herodes authoritie Herode conducteth Caesar toward Egypt and presenteth him with many sumptuous gifts Herode inter taineth both Caesar and his at my verie heroically Herode giueth Caesar eight hundreth talents Mariamme and Alexandra displeased with Herode The yeare of the world 3935. before Christs birth 29. Sohcmus discoueteth the kings secrets Herode but coldly entertained by his wife MariaÌ„me Herodes sorrowes to see his wiues affections distracted and chaunged Hrodes siâ—…t 〈◊〉 and his mother incense the king by slaunderous reports against Mariamme Antony and Cleopatra slain Caesar Lord of Egypt Sohemus honoured by Horod with dignities Hedio Ruffinus chap. 9. Caesar enlargeth Herodes dominions The yeare of the world 3935. before Christs birth 29. Mariamme a froward womaÌ„ The yeare of the world 3936. before Christs birth 28 Sohemus suspected by Herode in Mariammes behalfe is put to death Mariamme is accused by Herode and condemned and imprisoned Mariamme by Salomes instigations is led to execution The yeare of the world 3936. before the Natiuitie of Christ. 28. Alexandra vndecently striueth to acquit her selfe of Mariammes treason Herods miserable estate moane after the death of his wife A plague inuadeth IerusaleÌ„ Herode falleth grieuously sicke Alexandra in Herodes absence seeketh to get the possession of the castles The yeare of the world 3936. before Christs Natiuitie 28. Herodes councellors certifie him of Alexandras intent Alexandra put to death Costabarus whom Herode had matched with his sister Salome vsurpeth in Idumaea Costabarus preserued by his wiues intercession Costabarus Lysimachus Antipater