purposes But Apion thus vrgeth vs if quoth he the Iewes be citizens how hap they worship not the same God nor haue not the same religion that they rest of the Alexandrians haue To whom I thus answere how hapneth that you Aegyptians do so eōtend and warre against one another onely for diuersitie of religion shall we hereupon conclude that you are all Aegyptians or not all men because you worship and with great diligence nourish beasts against nature yet our nation seemeth one and the same If therefore amongst you Aegyptians such difference of opinions be why dost thou so maruell of this that we in a straunge place to wit at Alexandria do constantly perseuer in our first religion But he saith that we are the cause of all sedition which suppose he speake true of the lewes of Alexandria yet are not all Iewes in all places the cause of sedition for we are knowne to be peaceable amongst our selues But indeed as euerie one may perceiue the people like Apion himselfe are authors of sedition in Alexandria For whilest the Greekes and Macedonians held Alexandria they and we liued peaceably to gether and they permitted vsquietly to vse our owne solemnities but when the number of Aegyptians encreased by confusion of time sedition also by their meanes encreased But our nation remained vnpermixted They therefore were authors of those troubles not ha uing the gouernment of the Macedonians nor the wisedome of the Greeks but vsing their Aegyptian manners and renuing their olde hatred against vs. And that wherewith all they hit vs in the teeth befalleth them for most of them not hauing the priuiledges of the citie themselues call vs straungers that haue them For none of the ancient kings bestowed the libertie of the citie vpon the Aegyptians neither haue any of the Emperours of Rome bestowed the priuiledge But Alexander himselfe brought vs into the citie the kings after him encreased more priuiledges and it hath pleased the Roman Emperors to ratifie and confirme them But Apion detracteth vs for not erecting statues to the Emperours as though the Emperours knew not hereof or that they needed Apion to speake for them whereas he should rather admire the Romans magnanimitie and modestie who compell not their subiects to violate their auncient lawes and religion but content themselues with such honours as the giuer may with pietie and equitie giue them For they account not of forced honours which come of compulsion The Greekes and diuers other thinke it not amisse to erect statues for they delight to haue the pictures of their ancestors wiues and children and some of the beloued seruants also what maruaile then if they accord to yeeld the like honour to Princes and Emperours But our sawmaker not as prophecying the Romans power not to be reuerenced but foreseeing that it was neither profitable to God nor man forbad vs make an Image of any liuing creature much more of a not liuing God as we will proue hereafter But he permitted vsto reuerence all good men with any honour else not due to God and all those we giue vnto the Emperours and people of Rome and make our continual sacrifice for them and not onely vpon worke daies do this at the proper cost of all the Iewes but vpon such daies as we offer no other sacrifice no not for our own children we then sacrifice for the Roman Emperour yeelding that honour to the Roman Emperour which we do to none else And let this suffice to answere that which Apion alleageth against the Iewes of Alexandria yet can I not but admire at them who gaue him this occasion namely Possidonius and Apollonius Molon who a ccuse vs for not worshipping the same Gods that others do although they lie all alike slaundering our temple most absurdly and yet for all this they doe not beleeue that they herein commit any impietie whereas it is a most ignominious thing for any free man to lie vpon any occasion much more of a temple famous ouer all the world for sanctitie For Apion affirmeth that the Iewes in that sacred temple placed the head of an Asse and worshipped it most religiously And this quoth he was manifestly knowne at such time as Antiochus Epiphanes spoyled that Temple who found that Asses head being of massie gold and great value To this first slaunder I first answere that were that true which he reporteth yet an Aegyptian ought not to haue spoken against vs for it seeing that an Asse is of no lesse worth then a Goate and other bruite beasts that they honour for gods Was it possible that hee knew not the contrarie of his owne affirmations by our deedes and Scriptures For we vse the same lawes that at the first wee did and remaine in them without change and for all that our Citie as others also haue hath by the variable euent of warre bene vexed and troubled and that Antiochus surnamed the god and Pompey the great and Licinius Crassus and now lastly Titus Caesar haue all vanquished our Temple yet did they neuer find in it any thing as Apion affirmeth but sincere pietie not lawfull for vs to disclose to strangers And as touching Antiochus many writers of good credite report that hee neuer had any iust cause to spoyle our Temple but that he was drawne vnto this fact for want of money Not for that hee was our enemie but for that as from his friends and fellowes hee sought supplie and found nothing in that place that was worthie of derision and thus doe Polybius Megapolitanus Strabo the Cappadocian Nicholas Damascene Timagenes Castor the Chronicler and Apollodorus avow who all doe witnesse that Antiochus wanting money brake the league hee had with the Iewes and robbed and spoyled their Temple being full of gold and siluer Apion ought to haue considered this had he not had an Asses heart and a dogges impudencie which hee and his Countriemen worship for gods As for vs we doe neither honour nor reuerence Asses though the Egyptians doe their Crocodiles and Aspes esteeming them that are bitten by Aspes and deuoured by Crocodiles to be happie and fit for God But we esteeme those to be Asses which all our wisemen doe to wit them who beare burdens imposed vpon them and if comming into a field they fall to eate and doe not that which they ought to doe we vse to beate them with many stripes and force them to till the ground and doe other drudgerie But Apion was either the greatest Asse that euer was in telling alie or else hauing begun to doe it he could not compasse his enterprises in that hee found not any iust cause of detraction against vs. He addeth an other fable of the Greekes detracting vs to the which I will make only this replie that it is more commendable and agreeing to pietie and lesse vncleannesse to passe thorowe the Temple then for priestes to come and feigne impious words and speeches which they not
encountred with a vision in which he wrastled with an apparition and hee became victor Now this vision spake vnto him exhorting him to reioice at that which had hapned vnto him assuring him that he had not atchieued an easie matter but that he had surmuonted an Angell of God which was a signe of great good which should befortune him and that his posteritie should be inuincible and that neuer man whatsoeuer he were should ouercome him commanding him to call his name Israel that is to say according to the Hebrewes a resister of an Angell These things were foretold vnto Iacob vpon his request who perceiuing also that hee was an Angel of God prayed him to informe him of that which should happen vnto him which the vision did and afterwards vanished Iacob tooke great pleasure thereat and called the place Phanuel that is to say the face of God and for that in w◅astling he had hurt his broad nerue he afterwards abstained from eating of the same and by reason thereof our nation doe neuer feede thereon Now when he had intelligence that his brother neerely approched him he commanded his wiues that they should march forward euery one with their handmaidens to the end that they might from a farre behold the fight of the men if so be that his brother should assaile them But himselfe he hūbled in reuerencing his brother who drew neere vnto him without intent of circumuention and Esau saluted him and enquired of him as touching the companies of women and children and after he vnderstood how all went he was desirous to lead them to his father But Iacob excused himselfe by reason of the wearines of his cattell and Esau retired to Sa◅r where he made his aboade and had imposed that name on that countrey by reason of his thicke haire Iacob also retired himselfe to a place which at this day also is called the Tents and from thence into Sichem a citie of the Chanaanites Now at such time as the Sichemites celebrated their feast Dina which was Iacobs only daughter went into the Citie to see the brauerie of the women of that countrey But Sichem the sonne of king Emmor rauished her and deflowred her and being surprised with her loue he besought his father that he might take her to wife who listning there unto went vnto Iacob praying him to ioine Dina his daughter in lawfull marriage with his sonne Sichem Iacob nor daring to contradict him by reason of his authoritie and qualitie and on the other side not thinking it to be either a thing lawfull or conuenient to match his daughter with a stranger required at his hands a time of deliberation to consult thereupon Hereon the king departed hoping that Iacob would listen to the mariage But Iacob hauing discouered vnto his sonnes the rauishment of their sister and the request of Emmor desired them to deliberate amongst themselues what thing was to be done ◅n the matter whereupon some held their peace not knowing what to say but Simeon and Leui the brothers of the same wombe with their sister complotted togither this practise In as much as it was a festiuall and that the Sichemites intended nought but pleasure and banquetting they issued by night vpon their first guards and killed them that were a bed and from thence entring into the Citie they killed all the males and with them the king and his son but to the women they offered no violence Which being executed without the knowledge of their father they brought their sister backe againe Iacob was verie much astonished at this accident so strangely executed and was wroth with his children but God appeared vnto him and comforted him and commanded him that he should purifie his tents and accomplish those sacrifices which he had vowed to performe at such time when first he went into Mesopotamia and the vision appeared vnto him Whilest then he cleansed those which followed him he found the Gods of Laban which beside his knowledge Rachel had stolne and hid them in Sichem in the earth vnder an Oake Afterwards departing from thence he sacrificed in Bethel where he had seene the vision at such time as he first of all tooke his iourney into Mesopotamia and as he trauailed in the land of Ephrata Rachel died in child-bed and was buried there and she onely hath not enioyed the honour which is done in Hebron to those of her parentage After he had made great lamentation he named the child which she bare at that time Beniamin by reason of the dolours which hapned vnto his mother These are all the children of Iacob twelue males and one daughter of whom eight were begotten on his lawfull wiues sixe of Lea and two of Rachel and on their chamber-maides foure two of each of them whose names I haue heretofore recorded From thence went Iacob to Hebron a Citie of Chanaan where Isaac made his aboade and they liued but a small time together because Rachel was dead and departed from him CHAP. XX. Isaac dieth and is buried in Hebron ISaac died a little time after the arriuall of his sonne and was buried with his wife by his sonne in Hebron among their fathers This Isaac was a man beloued of God and guided by his especiall prouidence After the decease of Abraham he liued a long time and after he had passed his life in all vertue for the space of 185. yeares he deceased THE SECOND BOOKE OF THE ANTIQVITIES OF THE IEWES WRITTEN BY FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the 2. booke 1 How Esau and Iacob Isaacs sonnes deuided their habitations and how Idumaea fell to Esaus lot and Chanaan to Iacobs 2 How Ioseph the yongest of Iacobs sonnes by reason of his dreames which foretold his future felicitie incurred his brothers enuie 3 How Ioseph was sould by his brethren into Egypt and grew in great authoritie in that countrey and how at length he had his brothers vnder his power 4 How Iacob with all his progenie came vnto his sonne 5 Of the affliction of the Hebrewes in Egypt for the space of 400. yeares 6 How vnder the conduct of Moses they forsooke Egypt 7 How the redde sea diuided it selfe and gaue the Hebrewes a passage at such time as they fled out of Egypt CHAP. I. How Esau and Iacob Isaacs sonnes deuided their inheritance and how Idumaea fell to Esaues lot and Chanaan to Iacobs BVT when Isaac was dead the sonnes deuided their habitations among themselues and were neither of them content with that which they inherited by their father but Esau leauing the Citie of Hebron to his brother went and dwelt in Seir and was Lord of the countrey of Idumaea which he named by his name for it was surnamed Edom for the occasion which followeth He being verie yong returned one day sore wearied trauailed and hungrie from hunting and finding his brother dressing for himselfe a messe of lentill pottage which were verie red in colour and
any man perceiued any thing in that translation which was either extiperant or deficient he should consider thereupon and giue notice thereof to the end it might be corrected dealing herein verie discreetly to the end that that which had once beene adiudged good should continue inuiolable for euer The king therfore was highly contented seeing his indeuours and purpose in that behalfe so happily and profitablie finished but aboue all things he tooke pleasure in reading of the law admiring at the deepe conceit and wisedome of the law-maker and began to question with Demetrius by what meanes it came to passe that neither any Poet nor Historiographer had made mention of that law notwithstanding that in it selfe it was so admirable To whom Demetrius gaue this answere that no man was so hardie to touch that worke by reason that it was diuine and euery way venerable assuring him also that certaine men who had attempted to set their hands thereto had beene punished by God giuing him to vnderstand how Theopouspus intending to reduce certaine contents of that law into his history had beene distraught in mind for more then thirtie daies that hauing some intermission of his fit he appeased God by prayer thereby easily coniecturing what was the cause of his maladie Moreouer he was certified by a vision that appeared vnto him in his sleep that this inconuenient befel him in that he had too curiously serched into sacred and diuine matters and had intended to communicate the same with prophane men from which enterprise since he had desisted he recouered his right wits againe He likewise insinuated further that Theodectes the tragicke Poet intending to make mention in some of his peomes of a certaine historie written in the sacred scriptures was strooken blind and acknowledging the cause hereof to proceed from his audacious presumption he was restored to his sight after he had appeased Gods displeasure When the king had considered on these words according as Demetrius had discoursed them vnto him he prostrated himselfe on the earth and commaunded that the bookes should be carefully kept to the end they might continue in their pure integritie Furthermore he exhorted the translators to repaire oftentimes vnto him from Iudaea assuring them that in so doing the matter would redound both to their honour and profit telling them that for that time he thought good to dismisse them but when they should returne vnto him againe of their owne motion they should obtaine all that which their wisedome deserued or his magnificence might impart vnto thē This said he gaue thē leaue to depart after he had giuen each of thē three seueral sutes of apparrell two talents of gold a cup that was in value worth a talent a certaine bed or curious seat to sit and banquet vpon This gaue he them for themselues But to Eleazar the high Priest he sent by them ten couches whose feete were of siluer and the furniture correspondent and a vessell of thirtie talents Ten purple robes likewise and a magnificent crowne and one hundreth pieces of fine linnen and besides that hee sent in way of present vnto the temple ewers basons and two golden vessels beseeching Eleazar by his letters that if any one of his subiects had a will to come vnto him he would permit him asluring him that he would highly esteeme the conuersation of so learned men and that he had riches which he would imploy with great pleasure in such affaires See heere how Ptolomey Philadelph esteemed and honoured the Iewes CHAP. III. How the Kings of Asia honoured the nation of the Iewes and gaue them liberty and freedome to dwell in those Cities that were builded by them THey receiued honour likewise at the hands of the kings of Asia because they had borne armes vnder them For Seleucus surnamed Nicanor highly respected them permitted them to dwel in those cities which he built in Asia lower Syria yea in Antioch likewise which was the Metropolitane and chiefe Citie Moreouer he ordained that they should be held in as great estimation as either the Macedonians or Greekes that inhabited therein so that euen vnto this day that order is continued as it appeareth by this for that the Iewes refusing to annoint themselues with forraine oyle doe receiue a certaine summe of money from the masters of the exercises in lieu of the oyle Which when the people of Antioch intended to abolish during the present warre Mutianus at that time gouernour of Syria opposed himselfe against them Againe when as Vespasian and his sonne Titus had conquered the world although the Alexandrians and Antiochians required them that the priuiledges that the Iewes enioyed might continue no more yet could they not obtaine the same Whereby the humanity and valour of the Romanes may appeare and in especiall of Vespasian and Titus that notwithstanding they had beene so trauailed by the warres of the Iewes and were so bitterly incensed against them for that they had not by laying downe their armes submitted themselues but had continued warre against them to the vttermost yet depriued they them not of their aforesaid priuiledges but surmounted their displeasure which they had long before conceiued against them and in like sort had not regard to the request of two so puissant cities as Alexandria Antioch were In such sort as they granted nothing in fauor of them neither ordained any thing in disfauour of those whom they had ouercome in warre to the intent to abolish one only iot of those priuiledges which they had in times past but said that they that had resisted them by armes and who had beene ouercome were sufficiently punished for their obstinacy and as touching those that had not committed any offence they saw no reason to depriue thē of their rights prerogatiues We know likewise that Marcus Agrippa was of the same opinion as touching the Iewes For whereas the Ionians were seditiously bent against them and besought Agrippa that it might be only lawfull for them to make vse of the priuiledge which Antiochus Seleucus nephew whom the Greeks intituled by the name of God had giuen them requiring that if the Iewes were of their bloud they might be tied to adore the same gods which the Ionians worshipped When as therfore this matter was referred to the determination of the Iudges the Iewes had the day and obtained the liberty to liue according to their owne lawes and customes and he that at this time pleaded their cause was Nicholas Damascene For Agrippa pronounced that it was vnlawfull for them to innouate any waies And if any man desire to haue exact knowledge hereof let him reade the hundreth twenty three and twenty fourth booke of the histories of Nicholas Neither ought this iudgement of Agrippaes to seeme in any sort strange for at that time our nation had not by any wars procured the Romans displeasure But vpon iust occasion may a man admire the magnanimity of Vespasian
a certaine friend of his called Ionathan the sonne of Absalom with an army to Ioppe commanding him to expulse the inhabitants of that citie from thence for that he feared least they should submit themselues to Tryphon As for himselfe he remained in Ierusalem to secure the same Tryphon departing from Ptolemais with a great army came into Iudaea leading his prisoner Ionathan with him Whereupon Simon with his army went out against him as farre as Addida a Citie scituate vpon a mountaine at the foote whereof beginneth the champion countrey of Iudaea Tryphon knowing that Simon was made gouernour of the Iewes sent messengers vnto him intending to circumuent him by treason and pollicie giuing him to vnderstand that if he were des◅ous of his brothers enlargement he should send him one hundreth talents of siluer and two of Ionathans children for hostages to assure him that being set at liberty he should not withdraw Iudaea from the obedience of the king For till that present he was held and kept prisoner by reason of the money which he ought the king Simon was no waies ignorant of this cunning intent of Tryphons but knew well enough that he should both lose his money if he should deliuer the same and that his brother should not be enlarged no though his children were deliuered for hostages on the other side he feared least the people should conceiue sinisterly of him as if he had been the cause of his brothers death both by not deliuering the money neither yet the children Hauing therefore assembled the army he declared vnto them what Tryphon demanded telling them that the whole scope of his actions were nought els but traiterous stratagemes and subtilties yet notwithstanding he told them that he had rather send both the mony and the children to Tryphon then by refusing his conditions and demands to be accused to haue neglected the life of his brother Simon therefore sent both the money and children of Ionathan but Tryphon hauing receiued both kept not his promise but detained Ionathan and leading his army thorow the countrey intended to passe by Idumaea to repaire to Ierusalem He came therfore to Dora a Citie in Idumaea and thitherward marched Simon to encounter with him encamping alwaies right ouer against him They that were in the Castle of Ierusalem hearing newes hereof sent Tryphon word that he should hasten and come vnto them and send them munition whereupon he addressed his horsemen pretending that very night to ride vnto Ierusalem but the snow about that time fell in such abundance that it couered the way in such sort and was so thicke as the horses could not trauell which hindred his repaire to Ierusalem For which cause he departed from thence and came into Coelesyria and speedily inuading the countrey of Galaad he put Ionathan to death in that place and after he had buried him there he returned to Antioch But Simon sent vnto Basca and transported his brothers bones and interred them in his countrey Modin in his fathers sepulcher and all the people mourned and lamented for him many daies Simon also builded a great monument of white and polished marble for his father and his brethren and raised it to a great height and garnished it round about with galleries and pillers all of one piece which was an admirable worke to behold Besides that he erected seuen Pyramides for his father mother and brethren for each of them one so great and so faire as they mooued admiration in those that beheld them and are as yet to be seene at this present day So great was Simons care that Ionathan and the rest of his family should be honoured with so magnificent a sepulcher which Ionathan died after he had exercised the place of high priest and possessed the gouernment for foure yeeres Thus much as touching his death As soone as Simon had taken possession of the high priesthood by the election of the people the very first yeere of his gouernment he acquitted the people of the tribute which they were woont to pay to the Macedonians This libertie and exemption from tribute hapned amongst the Iewes one hundreth and seuentie yeeres since the time that Seleucus surnamed Nicanor obtained the kingdome of Syria And in so great honour was Simon amongst the people that in their priuate contracts and publike letters the date began from the first yeere of Simon the benefactor and gouernour of the Iewish nation For they prospered greatly vnder his gouernment and had the victorie of all their neighbouring enemies round about them For he destroied the Cities of Gaza Ioppe and Iamnia he raced also the cittadel of Ierusalem and leuelled it with the ground to the intent the enemies might be neuer seazed thereof any more nor retreat themselues thither to endomage the city as before time they had done Which when he had brought to passe he thought it not amisse but very profitable to leuell the hill whereon the Castle stood to the intent the temple might be the eminentest place All this perswaded he the people to doe in a common assembly laying before their eies how many euils they had suffered by the meanes of the garrisons and how much they were like to suffer hereafter if a stranger should once more be master of the kingdome and build a cittadel in that place By these exhortations he perswaded the people to finish these workes and all of them began to trauell without intermission both day and night so that in the space of three yeers they plained the mountaine and wrought it downe and from that time forward there was nothing but the temple that commanded the Citie See here what Simon performed hitherto CHAP. XII Simon besiegeth Tryphon within Dora and contracteth alliance with Antiochus surnamed the Deuout NOt long after the captiuity of Demetrius Tryphon slew Alexander the sonne of Antiochus surnamed God notwithstanding he had the care and charge of his education for foure yeeres during which time he raigned and spreading abroad a certaine noise and rumour that the yong king in exercising himselfe fortuned to die he sent his friends and familiars vnto the men of warre promising them that if they would elect and choose him king he would giue them a huge summe of money giuing them to vnderstand that Demetrius was prisoner among the Parthians and that if Antiochus his brother should obtaine the kingdome he would punish them diuers waies and reuenge their reuolt and rebellion which they had committed by forsaking him The army hoping that if they bestowed the kingdome on Tryphon it would redound highly to their profit they proclaimed him king But after he had attained the fulnesse of his desites he shewed how malicious and wicked his nature was For at such time as he was a priuate man he flattered the people and made shew of moderation and by such allurements he drew thē to do what him listed but after he had taken possession of
the Gazeans had the vpper hand because that they made their enemies beleeue that Ptolomey was come to their rescue and to assault the Iewes afresh but as soone as the day appeared and this opinion was found false assoone as the Iewes were assured of the truth they turned backe vpon them and charging the Gazeans they slew about some one thousand fighting men of them All this notwithstanding they bethought them on no surrender but stood out being neither amated with losse of men or lacke of prouision whatsoeuer resoluing themselues rather to endure any miserie then to submit themselues into the hands of their enemies and that which made them more confident was the hope of help which they expected from Aretas king of Arabia who had promised no lesse But it came to passe that Apollodotus was slaine before his arriuall and the Citie taken For Lysimachus his brother conceiued a iealousie against him by reason of the good opinion which the inhabitants had of him and hauing slaine him and gathered those fighting men that he might he yeelded vppe the Citie vnto Alexander who at the first made a peaceable entrie but afterwards dispersed his souldiers and gaue them licence to execute all hostilitie against the Citizens so that they acted their crueltie in euerie place and slew many of the Gazeans Neither died these Citizens ◅euenged but so manfully behaued they themselues that they butchered no lesse number of Iewes then they murthered Citizens among them Some of them likewise perceiuing themselues to be alone set fire vpon their houses taking away first that which was therein to the intent that the enemy might be enriched with none of their spoiles Other some killed their wiues and children with their owne hands meaning this way to deliuer them from the enemies seruitude But the Senators to the number of fiue hundreth were fled into the temple of Apollo for at such time as the enemy entred the towne they were by chance assembled in councell all these did Alexander put to the sword and instantly rased and leuelled that Citie with the ground which done he returned to Ierusalem after he had spent one whole yeere at the siege before Gaza About this time Antiochus surnamed Gryphus died by the treason of Heracleon in the fortie and fifth yeere of his age and in the nine and twentith of his raigne His sonne Seleucus had the kingdome after him who made warre against his vncle Antiochus surnamed Cyzicenus and hauing ouercome and taken him he slue him Not long after Antiochus the sonne of Cyzicenus and Antoninus surnamed the Deuout came to Arade and placed the Diademes vpon their heads and made warre against Seleucus whom they ouercame in one conflict and droue him out of all Syria who flying into Cilicia and arriuing againe in the Citie of the Mopseates he exacted a summe of money at the Citizens hands But the people were so incensed that they set fire on his pallace whereby it came to passe that both he and his friends were burned to dust During the time that Antiochus the sonne of Cyzicenus raigned in Syria another Antiochus Seleucus brother made warre against him but he was not onely ouercome but both hee and his army were put to the sword After him Philip his sonne tooke the Diademe and gouerned in certaine places of Syria Meane while Ptolomey Lathurus sent to Gnidus for his fourth brother Demetrius Eucaerus and made him king of Damasco Against these two brothers Antiochus made a manly and valiāt resist but died verie shortly after For repairing to Laodicea to succour the Queene of the Galadenians who made warre against the Parthians he died fighting valiantly and his two brothers Demetrius and Philip possessed Syria as hereafter it shall be declared As for Alexander a domesticall sedition was raised against him for the people arose and mutined at such time as he assisted at the Altar to solemnize the feasts of Tabernacles and during the time that he intended the sacrifice they cast Citrons at him for as we haue declared else where the Iewes haue this custome that on the feast of the Tabernacles each one bringeth a braunch of palme and of Citrons They vpbraided him also with many iniurious speeches reproching him that he had bin prisoner in warre and that he was also vnworthy of the honour of the Priesthood Whereupon he being moued by these disgraces slaughtered about sixe thousand men and hauing made an enclosure of wood about the temple and the altar as farre as the place whereinto it was lawfull for none to enter but the Priests he kept there to the intent the people might not apprehend him he entertained also certaine strange soldiers Pisidians and Cilicians For in that he was at oddes with the Syrians he made no vse of them After this hauing ouercome the Arabians he constrained the Moabites and Galaadites to pay him tribute and destroyed the Citie of Amath whilest Theodore for feare gaue ouer to resist him But encountering with Obeda the king of Arabia and being surprised and betraied by an ambuscado in certaine miry and vnhaunted places hee was thrust by the presse of the Camels into a deep trench neere to Gadara a village of Galaad from whence he almost despaired to escape notwithstanding auoyding that daunger he came to Ierusalem And besides this his last mishap the people hated him against whom he made warre for the space of sixe yeers slue at the least fiftie thousand of them and the more he intreated them to compremit these hainous debates betweene thē the more grieuous displeasure conceiued they against him because of the inconuenients they had suffered so that when he demaunded of them what they would haue him to do they all of them with one voice cried out that he should kil himselfe And thereupon they presently sent messengers to Demetrius Eucaerus requesting him of his fauour and assistance CHAP. XXII Demetrius Eucaerus ouercommeth Alexander in battell HE comming onward with his army taking with him those who had incited him to the enterprise came and encamped neere vnto the Citie of Sichem But Alexander gathering togither some twentie thousand Iewes whom he knew to be well affected towards him with sixe thousand and two hundreth mercenary soldiers and straungers marched forward against Demetrius who led with him three thousand horsemen and fortie thousand footmen Both on the one and the other side there fell out many subtill stratagems the one of them striuing on the one side to enueigle and withdraw the forraine soldiers who were Grecians and the other inforcing himselfe to reconcile those Iewes that were of Demetrius followers to his faction but neither the one nor the other preuailed ought at all by these deuices so that finally they were driuen to decide their quarrell by the sword in which encountry Demetrius had the vpper hand For all the strangers that were on Alexanders side were euery one hewed in peeces after they had made sufficient
same and saw that which was not lawful to be beheld by any other but the high priests only But although he found a table of gold and a sacred candlesticke with diuers other vessels and odoriferous drugs in great quantitie and whereas beside that there was about two thousand talents of siluer in the sacred treasurie in the temple yet touched he nothing thereof thorow the reuerence he had of God and herein he behaued himselfe answerably to his other vertues The next day hee commaunded those that had the charge of the temple to purge the same and to offer sacrifices vnto God according to the law committing the high Priesthood to Hircanus hands both for that he had stood him in great steed in many things as for that he had hindred the Iewes that were of the countrey from ioyning themselues with Aristobulus After this he beheaded the authors of this warre and honoured Faustus and the rest with condâ—…gne gifts who with great courage had first attempted and ascended the wall As for Ierusalem he made it tributarie to the Romanes taking away from the Iewes those Cities they had conquered in Coelesyria and assigning them a proper and peculiar gouernment After this he inclosed the nation within certaine limits whereas before time their dominions were of a large extent Not long after this he repaired Gadara that not long before was destroyed all which he performed in fauour of Demetrius the Gadarenian his late seruant and bondman And as touching Hippon Scythopolis Dion Samaria Marissa Azot Iamnia and Arethusa he restored them to the auncient inhabitants thereof all which were scituate in the heart of the land besides Gaza Ioppe Dora the tower of Straton cities scituate vpon the sea coast and ruinated before times with diuers warres he set at liberty and annexed them vnto the prouince As for the tower of Straton it was magnificently builded by Herode and decked with gates and faire temples and the name thereof was chaunged and called Caesarea Thus Hircanus and Aristobulus thorow their dissensions and ciuill broiles were the cause of that seruitude and misery that fell vpon the Iewes For we haue lost our liberty and haue beene subdued by the Romanes Besides that we haue beene inforced to surrender vp those cities vnto the Syrians which we before time by force of armes had conquered and gotten from them And that which is to be lamented the Romans in a little time haue drawn from vs more then ten thousand talents and the roialty which before time was an honour reserued for those that were of the race of the high priests hath been bestowed on men of obscuritie and communitie whereof we will speake in place conuenient After that Pompey had giuen Ceelesyria to Scâ—…urus from Euphrates as farre as to the frontires of Aegypt with two legions of the Romans he went into Cilicia and from thence drew towards Rome leading with him Aristobulus in bonds and his children who were two sonnes and two daughters one of which called Alexander escaped by flight and as touching Antigonus who was the younger he was led to Rome with his sisters CHAP. IX Scaurus maketh warre against Aretas SCaurus led forth his army against Petra a Citie in Arabia and for that the Citie might verie hardly be besieged he spoiled all the countrey round about When as therefore his army was pressed with famine Antipater by the commandement of Hircanus furnished him with come and all other necessaries out of Iewry Who being sent Embassadour to Aretas from Scaurus in that he had sometime soiourned with him perswaded him to contribute a certaine summe of siluer to warâ—…antize his countrey from pillage and he himselfe also became pledge for three hundreth talents This done Scaurus finished the warre according to his desire and with no lesse contentment to Aretas and his countrey CHAP. X. Alexander ouercome by Gabinius retireth himselfe into a Castle wherein he is shut vp and besieged NOt long after this Alexander Aristobulus sonne made diuers inroads into Iewry for which cause Gabinius came from Rome into Syria and besides other things worthy of memorie which he atchieued he led forth his army against Alexander for that Hircanus had not as yet sufficient power to resist him being otherwise exercised in building the wals of Ierusalem that were beaten downe by Pompey notwithstanding the Romans that were in Iewry hindred him from performing the same This Alexander trauailing thorow the whole countrey assembled diuers Iewes so that in short time hauing gotten togither ten thousand footmen and fifteene hundreth horse with good munition he fortified the castle of Alexandrion neere vnto the Citie of Coreas He fortified Machaeron also in the mountaines of Arabia Gabinius therfore came forth against him hauing sent before him Marcus Antonius accompanied with other chiefetaines of warre who armed the Romans of their traine and the Iewes that were vnder their obedience whose captaines were Pitholaus and Malichus They tooke also those allies whom Antipater had hired and in this equipage came they to make head against Alexander Gabinius also seconded them with his troupes Hereupon Alexander drew more neere with his army towards Ierusalem where waging battell with the Romans he lost about three thousand of his followers and the like number of his men were led away prisoners After this Gabinius repaired to Alexandrion and inuited those that held the same to depart promising them pardon for the rebellion they had begun And where as many of his enemies had encamped themselues before the fort the Romans charged them in which conflict Marcus Antonius was adiudged to haue behaued himselfe verie valiantlv in that he slew diuers of his enemies Gabinius left a part of his army in that place to the end that during the siege thereof he might go and visit tâ—… countrey of Iudaea he commanded therefore that all those Cities which in his iourney he â—…und either desolate or destroied to be repaired so that Samaria Azot Scythopolis Anthedon Raphia Dora Marissa and Gaza with diuers others were new builded so that thorow the obedience that was giuen to Gabinius commaund it came to passe that the Cities were safely inhabited which had laine long time before desart And after Gabinius had behaued himselfe in this manner in the countrey he returned to Alexandrion Whilest therefore he thus insisted about the siege Alexander sent Embassadours vnto him demaunding pardon at his hand for his offences and restoring into his hands the Castles of Hircania and Machaeron and finally that of Alexandrion which Gabinius leuelled with the ground And whereas Alexanders mother came vnto him who fauoured the Roman faction and whose husband and children were kept prisoners in Rome she obtained all that which she requested at his hands and after he had carefully and friendly disposed of her affaires he led Hircanus to Ierusalem to take charge of the temple and priesthood He ordained also fiue
Caesar hauing ouercome Cassius neere vnto the Citie of Philippi Caesar went from thence into France and Antonius into Asia And being in Bithynia Embassadours resorted vnto him from all parts Thither also repaired certaine principall men among the Iewes to accuse Phasaelus and Herode saying that Hircanus had onely the name but he the authoritie of the kingdome But Antonius greatly honored Herode who came vnto him to answere those accusations that they had imposed on him for which cause they that were his opposites could obtaine no audience for Herode had bought that priuiledge from them with his money As soone as Antonius was arriued in Ephesus Hircanus the high priest and all our nation presently sent an Embassadour vnto him with a crowne of gold requiring him that hee would write vnto the prouinces that the Iewes whom Cassius had taken prisoners contrarie to the lawe of armes might be set at libertie and that their countrey which was taken from them in Cassius time might be restored Antonius supposing that the demaunds which the Iewes had proposed were reasonable wrote backe presently to the high priest Hircanus and the Iewes and sent an edict also to the Tyrians to this effect Marcus Antonius Emperour to Hircanus high Priest and Prince of the Iewes Health If you are well all goeth well I and mine army are in perfect estate Lysimachus the sonne of Pausanias and Ioseph the sonne of Mennaeus and Alexander the sonne of Theodore your Embassadors came vnto me to Ephesus and haue renued the same Embassade which they heretofore brought to Rome and at this present likewise they haue duely and faithfully acquited themselues of the Embassade which they present in the behalfe of you and your nation by giuing vs to vnderstand what affection you beare towards vs so that I esteeme you for our friend sith I am giuen to vnderstand how friendly you haue behaued your selfe towards vs both in words and deeds since we haue had any knowledge of your good and honest conuersation and pietie For at such time as our aduersaries and enemies of the Romane nation spoiled all the countrey of Asia and without regard of their othes spared neither cities nor temples we haue opposed our selues against them not onely for our priuate respect but in the quarrell of the commonweale to the intent to punish the authours of such offences committed agaiust men and of such impieties perpetrated against God for which wee suppose that the sunne hath in a manner obscured himselfe by beholding with vnwilling eies what an hainous offence was committed against Caesar. But wee haue gotten the vpper hand of their impious enterprises which are fallen vpon Macedonia as on the country and ayre from whence proceed such detestable and vngracious desseignes and wee haue likewise cut off the course of their desperate resolution which made them encounter vs neere to Philippi a citie of Macedonia where we seazed their places fortified by nature and enclosed with mountaines as if it were with wals as far as the sea in such manner as the passage was barred vp as it were with a gate had not the gods giuen vs way by resisting their vniust exploits and furthering ours Brutus likewise compelled to fly to Philippi where being inclosed by vs he suffered the like ruine with his consort Cassius and since they haue been punished as they deserued me seemeth that we are seazed of peace and that Asia hath had repose from warre and all the bodie thereof is relieued from a grieuous maladie by the meanes of our victory For which cause remembring vs of you and your nation to the end to increase your good fortunes we will bethinke vs of that which shall be commodious for you and we haue alreadie sent letters from citie to citie to the intent that if any one among you eyther captiue or free man haue beene sold to the vtmost by Caius Cassius or any of that army they may be set at liberty And our will is that you make vse of the bountie which we bestow vpon you both in our selfe as in Dolabellas right forbidding the Tyrians to molest you and commaunding them to restore all that which they haue taken from the Iewes in goods or possessions As for the crowne which you sent me I accept the same Marcus Antonius Emperour to the gouernours Senate and people of Tyre Health I haue been informed in Ephesus by Hircanus embassadours who is high priest and prince of the Iewes that you haue seazed their countrey and spoyled the same at such time as our aduersaries held that prouince But in as much as we haue vndertaken the warre for the Empire and that in defence of right pietie we haue punished these in gratefull disloyall and perfidious persons our will is that you suffer our allies to liue in peace and as touching that which you haue obtained by our aduersaries our pleasure is that you restore the same to those that are dispossessed For no one of them hath obtained either prouince or army by the consent of the Senate but haue rauished them by force and afterwards bestowed them on those who haue beene ministers of their impieties and iniustice But since they haue beene punished according to their deserts we require that our allies may enioy their owne without any impeachment and if you hold any places at this present which belong to Hircanus prince of the Iewes that were seazed since the time that Caius Cassius by vniust warre inuaded our prouinces restore them vnto him without offer of any violence to hinder him from the possession of his owne And if you haue or pretend to haue any right in them at such time as I shall repaire to those places it shall be lawfull for you to debate your right and wee will so iudge as that our allies shall receiue no wrong Marcus Antonius Emperour to the gouernours Senate and people of Tyre Health I haue sent you my edict which my pleasure is that you carefully looke vnto and that you register it amongst your publike records in Romane and Greeke letters and set it vp in writing in an open place to the end that it may be red by all men Marcus Antonius Emperour and Triumuir in the presence of the Tyrians assembled for their publike affaires hath declared that Caius Cassius during the troubles by the assistance of his soldiers hath rauished another mans prouince and hath in like sort spoiled our allies and hath ransackt the nation of the Iewes who are friends to the people of Rome and for that by our valour we haue repressed his insolence by our edicts and iudgements we will correct his offences to the end that all things may be restored to our allies and that all whatsoeuer hath beene sold appertained to the Iews whether they be prisoners or possessions be restored to their masters to the end that each man may be at liberty as he was before and that each mans possessiō may be
restored to his first owner And my pleasure is that whosoeuer disobeieth this ordināce he may be punished And he that shall be conuicted to haue disobeyed the same he shall be punished according to his demerit He wrote to the like effect to the Sidonians Antiochians and Arabians all which we wil insert in a cōuenient place to testifie what accoūt the Romans made of our nation CHAP. XXIII Antonius arriuing in the prouince of Syria maketh Herode and Phasaelus Tetrarches AFter this Antonius retired himselfe into Syria and Cleopatra came forth to meet him neere vnto Cilicia and entangled him in her loues At that time also one hundreth of the chiefest reckoning among the Iewes came once againe in embassade to him to accuse Herode his adherents who to this end had chosen out the most esteemed Orator that might be found Messala likewise vndertooke the defence of the young men that were accused and made them answere Hircanus also was there in person who was alreadie by marriage allied vnto them After that Antonius had heard both the one and the other in the citie of Daphen he demaunded of Hircanus which of both the parties gouerned the common-weale best who returned him answere that they who were on Herods side were most studious of the weale publike Antonius who long since had borne good affection towards them by reason of the auncient hospitalitie that he had receiued with their father during the time that Gabinius was in Iudaea established them both for Tetrarches committing to their hands the affaires in Iudaea And to this effect wrote he his letters and committed fourteene of their enemies to prison whom had not Herode besought for their liues he had condemned them to death This notwithstanding as soone as they returned from their embassade they could not containe themselues in quiet but resorted once more vnto Antonius to the number of one thousand to the citie of Tyre where Antonius soiourned But Antonius alreadie corrupted by store of money by Herode and his brother who commaunded in that place ordained that the Embassadours of the Iewes should be punished for that they had attempted and affected some innouation where contrariwise he confirmed Herodes gouernment At that time Herode who walked by the sea side came vnto them aduising both them and Hircanus who at that present was with them to giue ouer their appeale for feare least some grieuous misfortune should befall them Whereunto since they gaue no regard certaine Iewes and inhabitants of that citie all at once ranne vpon them who slue some of them and hurt other some and the rest taking their flight towards their countrey euer afterwards contained themselues and liued in quiet thorow the feare they had conceiued But when the people ceased not to exclaime and protest against Herode Antonius was in such sort displeased that he commaunded all those whom he held prisoners should be slaine The yeere after Pacorus the kings sonne and Barzapharnes a prince among the Parthians inuaded and seazed Syria And about this time died Ptolomey the sonne of Mennaeus and his sonne Lysanias raigned in his steed who plighted friendship with Antigonus the sonne of Aristobulus who obtained this fauour at his hands by the counsaile and solicitation of a certaine prince of great authoritie and credit with him CHAP. XXIIII The Parthians make warre in Syria to restore Antigonus sonne of Aristobulus to his kingdome AFter this Antigonus promised the Parthians to giue them one thousand talents of siluer and fiue hundreth women if so be they would depriue Hircanus of the kingdome and restore it vnto him and withall put Herode and his friends to death Yet did he not deliuer them that he promised notwithstanding the Parthians led their army into Iury to restore Antigonus to wit Pacorus by the sea coast and Barzapharnes to the landward The Tyrians locked their gates against Pacorus but the Sidonians and Ptolemaidans receiued him into their citie He sent a troupe of horsemen into Iury to discouer the estate of the countrey and to giue succours to Antigonus The chieftaine of these horsemen was the kings butler who in like sort was called Pacorus But for that certaine Iewes inhabiting about the mount Carmel ioyned themselues with Antigonus were prepared with him to inuade his enemies he conceiued some hope that he might by their meanes reduce a certaine part of the region vnder his gouernment which is called Drymae and certaine of his wel-willers meeting him in the way perswaded him to presse forward as farre as Ierusalem where being seconded by others and his followers alreadie much increased in number they addresse themselues to assault the kings pallace And whereas those of the faction of the brethren brought present supplies and the skirmish was maintained in the market place the young men repulsed the enemy and droue him into the temple Which done they sent certaine armed men into the houses neere adioyning to guard them but the people rushing in vpon them and seeing they were destitute of aide burned both them and the houses wherein they were But this iniquitie of theirs was presently reuenged by Herode who in a skirmish that he had with them slew a great number of them And whereas there were daily assaults betweene both parties the enemies expected vntill such time as the people assembled from all parts of the countrey should repaire to Ierusalem to celebrate the feast of Penticost Which being come many thousands of men assembled about the temple both armed and vnarmed who seazed both the temple and the Citie except the kings house onely which Herode made good with a few men of war The wall thereof did Phasaelus his brother keep But Herode with a companie of his followers sallied out vpon the enemy who were planted in the suburbes and fighting valiantly against them he put diuers thousands of them to flight whereof some retired themselues into the Citie other some into the temple the rest into a certaine bulwarke neere at hand In this battell also Phasaelus shewed no little valour But Pacorus conductor of the Parthians came into the Citie with some few horsemen at Antigonus request making shew that he came to appease the sedition but the effect and scope of his comming was to obtaine the soueraigntie for Antigonus Furthermore after that Phasaelus was come out to meete with him and had curteously entertained him in his house Pacorus perswaded him to go Embassadour with him to Barzapharnes laying a baite vnder this pretence to surprise him He suspecting no treacherie was easily perswaded notwithstanding that Herode misliked the course who knowing the perfidious manners of the Barbarians exhorted him rather to assaile Pacorus and to assault and oppresse his forces when they were come vnto him Naithelesse Hircanus and Phasaelus vndertooke this embassade and Pacorus leauing with Herode two hundreth horsemen and ten of those whom they call free men conducted the Embassadours Now
had afterwards endured many paines and miseries Furthermore that his friends were in great daunger and left besieged for which cause hee had sailed by winter and despised all daungers onely to seeke for assistance at his hands on whom depended his hope and last refuge CHAP. XXVI Herode is made king of Iury by the Romane Senate ANtonius hearing all those alterations that had befallen Herode had compassion of his misery bethinking himselfe of the estate and condition of great men who are likewise subiect to no lesse casualties and the rather was he induced to doe him good both in remembrance of the friendship he had with Antipater his father as also by reason of Herodes promises of certaine summes of money if so be he were made king by his meanes as he had beene before time declared Tetrarch But that which most moued him hereunto was the hatred which he bare vnto Antigonus whom he accounted to be a mutinons man and an enemy to the Romans fortune On the other side Caesar was wel inclined to succour him both in regard of those armies which Antipater had brought into Aegyptin his fathers seruice as also because of the good hospitality and kindnes that he had shewed him in all things as in especiall to gratifie Antonius who was well affected towards Herode Whereupon the Senate being assembled Messala and Atratinus brought forth Herode and after they had praised him and recited the benefits which the Romans had receiued by his father and the great affection and good will which he bare to the people of Rome they accused declared Antigonus for the Romanes enemy not onely for his ancient crimes but also for that in contempt of the Romans he had receiued the kingdome from the Parthians Whilest the Senate was sore displeased at the report of these things Antonius arose and declared openly before thē all that in furtherance of the Parthian warre it were not amisse that Herode should be made king which opinion of his was generally allowed and finally ratified The principall demonstration of the loue and affection which Antonius bare vnto Herode was that he not onely obtained him the kingdome beyond all hope for neuer thought he that the Romans would grant that dignity vnto him who were wont to reserue that honour to those of the kings bloud and therefore he intended to haue demaunded it for his wiues brother Alexander and nephew to Aristobulus by the fathers side and to Hircanus by the mother which Alexander Herode afterwards put to death as it shall be declared in place conuenient but also for that within the terme of seuen daies he sent him out of Italy with the vnexpected titles of his felicitie As soone as the Senate weas risen Antonius and Caesar issued forth leading Herode betweene them and being accompanied by the Consuls and other magistrates went vp into the capitol to do sacrifice and to place there this decree the Senate had made as touching this matter The first day of Herodes raigne Antonius feasted him and after this sort was he established king in the hundreth eightie and fourth Olympiade in the yeere wherein C. Domitius Caluinus twice Consul and Caius Asinius Pollio were Consuls Meane while Antigonus besieged those that were in the castle of Massada who were plentifully furnished with all things necessary except it were water for which cause Ioseph Herodes brother that was within and two hundreth of his friends had concluded to flie vnto the Arabians for that they vnderstood that Malchus had repented himselfe of the fault he had committed against Herode But whilest they stoode vpon these termes God powred downe a huge raine on a certaine night that in short time filled their cestemes in such sort as that they had no more necessitie to flie and from that time forward they waxed confident and for that this abundance of water befel them by Gods prouidence they made a sallie vpon their enemies in which they charged Antigonus soldiers after such a maner somtime in open field sometime by couert assault that they slue a great number of them At that time Ventidius a Romane captaine was sent into Syria to driue the Parthians from thence after their departure he arriued in Iury making shew that he would assist Ioseph but in effect all his pretence was to draw money form Antigonus Being therefore encamped neer vnto Ierusalem and hauing drawn sufficient money from Antigonus he retired himselfe with the greater part of his forces and to the intent his deceitfull dealing might not be discouered he left Silo with a company of his soldiers who likewise was honoured by Antigonus for feare least he should be cause of some newe trouble before such time as the Parthians whose comming he expected should yeelde him aide CHAP. XXVII Herode returneth from Rome by sea and fighteth against Antigonus AFter that Herode was come from Italy by sea to Ptolemais and that he had assembled no small number of soldiers both straungers and his owne countrimen he marched forward against Antigonus and passed thorow Galilee Silo and Ventidius also gaue him assistance in this action hauing receiued direction by Gellius from Antonius that they should assist Herode to recouer his countrey But Ventidius was employed in appeasing the troubles that were raised in the cities by the Parthians and as touching Silo he kept in Iudaea hauing beene corrupted by Antigonus But the further that Herode daily marched into the countrey the more and more increased his forces and all Galilee except a very few submitted themselues vnto him Whilest therefore hee marched forward toward Massada being vrged thereunto in that he was to relieue his parents that were besieged therein the citie of Ioppe would not grant him passage for the citizens thereof were his enemies so that it behooued him first of all to ruinate the same to the end he might leaue no retreat or place of rescous for his enemy on his backe if so be he made towards Ierusalem Vpon which occasion Silo laying hold dislodged his army made thitherward whom when the Iewes did pursue Herode sallied out with a small company and put them to flight and saued Silo notwithstanding he fought very coldly and cowardly Afterwards being seazed of Ioppe he hasted onwards to deliuer his friends that were besieged in Massada but part of the inhabitants submitted themselues vnto him for the friendship they had borne vnto his father an other sort of them for the honour that they bare vnto him the rest admitted his goue◅ment in acknowledgement of those benefits they had receiued from them both But the greatest part was thereunto moued by the hope they had conceiued of their new elected king and the confirmation of his gouernment Thus by these meanes was his army mightily increased Whilest thus he marched forward Antigonus seazed those places that were fittest to lay ambushes in or to fight at aduantages by the way
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
nor with death wherewith she was threatned lifted vp hir hands to her sonne beseeching him that in regard of her miseries he would not be moued to spare so impious a person for she esteemed her death threatned by Ptolemaeus dearer then immortalitie it selfe if so be he might receiue iust punishment for the villany which he had impiously committed against their house But when Iohn had perceiued the resolute mind of his mother and heard her intreatie he was moued to assault the Castle and straight way seeing her beaten and torne he relented with compassion and was euen filled with griefe By which meanes the siege continued long and the Iubilee yeere was come which falleth out euerie seuenth yeere wherein the Iewes cease from all affaires as their wont is euerie seuenth day Ptolemaeus â—…liuered from the siege by this accident and occasion put Iohns mother and his brethren to death and afterwards fled to Zeno the tyrant of Philadelphia who was also surnamed Cotylas In the meane while Antiochus being grieuously vexed at that which Simon had done vnto him sent his army into Iudaea and besieged Hyrcanus in Ierusalem who opening Dauids Sepulchre who had been one of the richest among all the kings of Iudaea tooke more then three thousand talents of money from thence and wrought so much with Antiochus that vpon the paiment of three hundreth talents of money he made him raise his siege and depart the country This Hyrcanus was the first of all the Iewes that with his owne goods maintained outlanders and souldiers But so soone as Antiochus had bent his power and forces against the Medes he tooke handfast of that opportunitie he had offered him to reuenge himselfe and presently assaulted the townes of Syria assuring himselfe he should finde them as indeed they were voide of souldiers to defend them Whereupon he tooke Medaba and Samea with the places thereunto adioyning Sichem and Garizim which border vpon the Chuthaeans who inhabite the places adioining to the temple that is made after the imitation of that which is at Ierusalem Moreouer he tooke many Cities of Idumaea and amongst the rest Doreon and Marisa and comming into Samaria where now Sebaste is scituate which was builded by Herode he besieged it on euerie side and left his two sonnes Aristobulus and Antigonus to continue the siege who diligently besieged the place There was such a famine in the Citie that they were constrained to eate vnaccustomed meates For which cause they required aide of Antiochus surnamed Spondius who willingly assisted them but he was ouercome by Aristobulus and Antigonus and was pursued by the foresaid brethren vnto Scythopolis whither he then retired himselfe but they retiring again vnto Samaria besieged the Citie and at last taking it by force destroied the same and led away the inhabitants captiues Whilest thus fortune fauoured them more and more they ceaâ—…ed not to pursue their good successe but led their armie to Scythopolis and taking it they deuided and spoiled all the countrey CHAP. III. Of Aristobulus Antigonus Iudas Essaeus Alexander Theodorus and Demetrius THis felicitie and good hap of Iohn and his sonnes was accompanied with the enuie of many of his countrimen and this discontent of theirs was the cause of a mutinie For diuers of the Iewes rising vp in armes against them were so much ouerruled by their ambitious passion that they could not containe themselues from the prosecution of an open and bloudy warre wherein notwithstanding they were put to the worst From that day forward Iohn passed the remainder of his life in all felicitie and happines and after he had gouerned the common weale for the space of thirtie three yeeres he departed this life leauing behinde him fiue valiant sonnes He was a man truely happy and so fauoured by fortune that he had no occasion to complaine of her niggardice in bountie Finally he alone might iustly boast himselfe of three excellent endowments First of all that he was the Prince of his countrey secondly that he was high priest thirdly a Prophet to whom God so spake that he was ignorant of no future accidents he foresaw and foretolde that his two eldest sonnes should not continue long in the gouernment whose liues are worth rehearsall although they much declined from their fathers felicitie for the eldest sonne Aristobulus after his fathers death translated the principalitie into a kingdome and was the first that put a crowne on his head foure hundreth eightie and one yeeres and three moneths after the deliuerance of the people from the captiuitie of Babylon As for Antigonus who was his second brother and whom in appearance he seemed to loue most intirely he made him partaker of his dignitie and committed the refidue of them to prison He imprisoned his mother also for that she had contended with him as touching the principalitie which Iohn had soâ—…y committed to her dispose and was so farre giuen ouer to all kinde of crueltie that he not onely kept her prisoner in bonds but also put her to death by famine But the reuenge of this his impietie was this that he slaughtered his owne brother Antigonus whom he intirely beloued and made both a competitor and partner with him in the kingdome For by reason of those scandalous slanders which his enuious and malignant courtiers contriued and inuented against him he commanded him to be put to death Naithelesse vpon their first information Aristobulus ouermastered by brotherly affection gaue them no credit the rather for that he was certainly assured that all things for the most part which were obiected against him were rather enforced vpon enuie then alleadged on good ground But when as Antigonus returned from the warre attended with many testimonies of his valour and prowesse vpon that festiuall time wherein according to the custome of our countrey we celebrate the feast of Tabernacles it hapned at that verie time that Aristobulus fell sicke and was diseased Antigonus therefore about the end of those festiuall daies being attended by his armed men ascended vp into the Temple to offer sacrifice and the rather resorted he thither in greater pompe and maiestie because he intended to honour his brother Hereupon certaine cursed and wicked detractors repaired to the king buzzing in his eares that this great guard of souldiers which accompanied Antigonus and that his hautie resolution and kingly presence was rather for a soueraigne then a subiect inferring hereby that he entred the Citie in this Equipage with an intent to murther him not contenting himselfe to haue the onely honour of the kingdome except he might reduce the power and possession thereof into his owne hands Aristobulus though vnwillingly yet at last being woon to beleeue them desirous in seeming not to suspect to shew himselfe prouident commanded his guard to hide themselues in a certaine obscure place vnder the ground as for himselfe he tooke vp his lodging in a certaine Castle which in times
high priest and because of his dull nature she thought that though he were in princely authoritie yet he would molest no man and therefore also made him king As for the yongest son Aristobulus because he was of a hot spirit she was willing that he should liue a priuate life Now there was a certaine sect among the Iewes which were called Pharisees who ioyned themselues with the Queene these people were thought to be of the godliest sort and to be more skilfull then other in interpreting the scriptures and for that cause Alexandra fauoured them the more because she was superstitiously giuen to religion These hauing by little and little insinuated themselues into the fauour of a simple woman now did domineere at their pleasure displacing deposing imprisoning and restoring to libertie whom they pleased for no other purpose but that they might enioy the profites and commodities of the kingdome and Alexandra bare all charges This Queene was alwayes desirous of high attempts and dayly studied to encrease her wealth she leuied two armies and hired a great many strangers whereby shee did not onely strengthen her owne countrey but also made her selfe to be feared of other nations She ruled others but her selfe was ruled by the Pharisees who at last killed Diogenes who was a gallant man and highly in fauour with king Alexander affirming that through his counsell the king commanded those eight hundred before mentioned to bee crucified and further they perswaded the Queene Alexandra that she should put to death all others through whose counsell Alexander her husband had beene incited against those eight hundred The Queene being blinded with superstition thought it vnlawfull to denie any thing which they requested so tha◅ they put to death whom they pleased till such time as the chiefest of those who were in this danger in humble wise came to Aristobulus who perswaded his mother to spare them for their dignitie and banish others whom she thought had deserued punishment who hauing obtained their liberty dispersed themselues through the whole country Now Alexandra sent an armie to Damascus and because Ptolomeus daylie vexed the citie she tooke it without doing anie thing worthy of memory she did solicite Tigranes king of Armenia with gifts and promises who with an armie had besieged Ptolemais wherein Cleopatra was but he for feare of troubles in his owne countrey in that Lucullus had entred into Armenia withdrew himselfe from thence In the meane time Alexandra being sicke her youngest sonne Aristobulus with his seruants which were manie in number all trusty for the heat their yong yeares got all the castels and hiring soldiers with the money he found in those castles he proclaimed himself king But Alexandra pitying the complaints of Hircanus imprisoned the wife and children of Aristobulus in a castle neere vnto the North part of the temple which in olde time was called Baris as wee said before afterwards Antonius being Emperour it was called Antonia as in like manner Sebaste and Agrippias other cities were named of Augustus and Agrippa But Alexandra died before she could reuenge Hircanus of the wrongs which Aristobulus had done him This Queene reigned nine yeeres left Hircanus in possession of al whom during her life time she had aduanced to the kingdome But Aristobulus being both stronger in power and more esteemed in authoritie encountred with his brother about Iericho where many of Hircanus souldiours forsaking their king fled vnto Aristobulus for which cause both he the remnāt of those that followed him were forced to flie into the castle called Antonia where he found hostages to redeem him For as we haue already said Aristobulus wife and children were imprisoned in that place and least any worse mishap should betide him he concluded a peace vpon condition that Aristobulus should bee king and that he as brother to the king would content himselfe with other dignities Vpon these conditions they were made friends in the Temple where in the presence of all the people they in most friendly sort embraced each other which when they had done they changed houses and Aristobulus went into the kings pallace and Hircanus vnto Aristobulus his house CHAP. V. Of the warre betweene Hircanus and the Arabians and of the taking of Ierusalem NOw a sodaine feare inuaded all the enemies of Aristobulus when they saw him contrarie to all expectation made king and especially Antipater aboue all others whom Aristobulus a long time had hated This Antipater was an Idumaean borne and for his nobilitie and riches was the chiefest and best reputed of his nation This man perswaded Hircanus to flie vnto Aretas king of Arabia and craue his helpe to set him in his kingdome Furthermore he perswaded Aretas likewise to receiue Hyrcanus and to helpe him to recouer his kingdome speaking much against the manners of Aristobulus and praising Hyrcanus adding that he being king of so famous a nation ought to assist those who were vniustly oppressed and that Hyrcanus had manifest iniurie offered him being forced to forsake his kingdome which by the right of succession was due vnto him After he had thus made his way he in the night time tooke Hyrcanus and fled with him foorth of the Citie and making all haste possible they arriued at a towne called Petra with safetie which is a towne where the kings of Arabia were accustomed to keepe their court there he deliuered Hyrcanus into the kings hands and through many gifts and intreaties obtained the fauour that he might be conducted into his kingdome And to the effecting of the same Aretas gaue him an army of fifty thousand horse and foote which power since Aristobulus was not able to resist he was ouercome vpon the first onset and was forced to flie vnto Ierusalem and he had been surely taken if Scaurus a captaine of the Romans by taking opportunitie at those troubles had notraised the siege For Pompey the Great who warred againg Tigranes sent him out of Armenia into Syria who comming to Damascus found it newly taken by Metellus and Lolius who dismissing them from thence and finding how matters stood in Iudaea hasted thither in hope of a bootie So soone as he entred into the confines of the countrey both of the brethren sent embassadours vnto him desiring him to take their parts but Aristobulus hauing sent him three hundreth talents he neglected to doe Iustice for hauing receiued that sum Scaurus sent messengers vnto the Arabians and Hyrcanus threatning the displeasure of the Romans and Pompey except they would presently raise their siege for which cause Aretas being much abashed returned out of Iudaea vnto Philadelphia and Scaurus repaired vnto Damascus Yet sufficed it not Aristobulus that he had escaped from being taken but that gathering all his forces togither he pursued his enemies and ioyning battell with them about Papyron he slew six thousand of them in which number was Cephalon Antipaters brother But Hyrcanus and Antipater being destitute of the
Many also were slaine by their owne countrimen that fauoured the aduerse part and many cast themselues downe headlong vpon the rockes othersome in their furie hauing desperately fired all things vpon the walles burned themselues for companie So that there twelue thousand Iewes were slaine but verie few Romans yet many were hurt and amongst all that massacre there was nothing so lamentable as that the holy sanctuarie which neuer any man saw before that time was reuealed to strangers Finally Pompeius accompanied with his followers came into the temple where it was lawfull for none but the high priest to come and saw the candlesticks lamps table censors and all the golden vessels and whatsoeuer was within the temple Moreouer he beheld the great quantitie of odoriferous drugges which were kept in store in that place and two thousand talents of holy money yet did he not take away these things nor any thing els belonging to the temple But the day after it was taken he commanded the Sacristans to purge and make cleane the temple and to offer solemne sacrifice He likewise proclaimed Hyrcanus high priest who had in all things shewed himselfe verie forward and especially at the time of the siege as also for that he hindred a multitude of swaines who were addressed for warre from ioyning themselues with Aristobulus and therefore like a good captaine got he the good will of the people more by loue then by feare Amongst others that were captiues there was Aristobulus father in lawe who was also his vncle as for those that had been the chiefe cause of these wars Pompey caused them to be beheaded He rewarded Faustus likewise and those who fought-valiantly with him with verie rich gifts and imposed a tribute vpon Ierusalem and tooke from that nation the Cities which they had gotten in Coelesyria and appointed them to be gouerned by him who then was president for the Romans making them keepe within the bounds of their owne countrey And in fauour of Demetrius of Gadara a libertine of his he reedified Gadara which the Iewes had destroied he deliuered the Mediterranean Cities from their gouernment for they had not as yet destroied them because they were sodainly preuented namely Hippon and Scythopolis and Pella and Samaria and Marisa and Azotum and Iamnia and Arethusa The townes also vpon the sea coasts Gaza and Ioppe and Dora which before was called Stratons tower and afterward by Herode was altered who builded most sumptuous buildings in that place and called it Caesarea All these Cities he restored vnto the inhabitants and made them vnder the rule of Syria And of this place and Iudaea and of all places from the borders of Aegypt vnto Euphrates hee made Scaurus gouernour leauing him two legions of souldiers Which done he tooke his iourney to Rome by Cilicia leading Aristobulus and his family captiues who had two daughters and two sons the elder whereof called Alexander escaped in the way as for the younger whose name was Antigonus he with his sisters was carried to Rome CHAP. VI. Of the warre of Alexander with Hyrcanus and Aristobulus AT that time Scaurus tooke his iourney into Arabia but by the difficultie of the place he was so hindred that he could not come to Petra yet wasted he all the countrey adioyning to Pella although whilest he staied to doe this he endured much euill For there arose agreat famine in his army notwithstanding that Hyrcanus by Antipaters meanes sent them victuals Scaurus also sent the same Hyrcanus as his familiar friend vnto Aretas to perswade him that by disbursing some sum of money he should worke his peace Vpon whose motion Aretas condescended and gaue him three hundreth talents and so Scaurus with his army departed out of Arabia In the meane time Alexander the sonne of Aristobulus who in the way to Rome escaped from Pompey gathered togither a great army and desperately set vpon Hyrcanus wasting all Iudaea which he hoped quickly to winne yea the wall which was destroied by Pompey at Ierusalem had been builded vp againe as he hoped had not Gabinius who was sent into Syria to succeede Scaurus who had oftentimes before shewed his valour at that time also with an army come against Alexander Who fearing the worst assembled all the forces that he could to make resistance so that he had ten thousand footmen and a thousand and fiue hundreth horsemen he fortified also the commodious places of the country to wit Alexandrium Hyrcanium and Machaerunt which were neere vnto the mountaines of Arabia Gabinius sent Marcus Antonius before him with part of the army and followed after with the rest and certaine chosen men out of Antipaters companie and other companies of the Iewes wherof Malichus and Pitholaus were made chiefe ioyned themselues with Marcus Antonius and presently after them followed Gabinius with all his companie who all went to meet Alexander But Alexander perceiuing himselfe vnable to encounter with all their vnited forces fled but drawing neere vnto Ierusalem he was constrained to hazard the fight where losing to the number of six thousand whereof some three thousand were taken aliue and other three thousand slaine he escaped with the rest But Gabinius as soon as he came to the castle called Alexandriū vnderstanding that many had forsaken their places he by promising them pardon sought to vnite them vnto him before the warre began but when he perceiued that they hammered on no abiect resolution he slew the most of them as for the rest he shut them vp in the Castle In this battel captaine Marcus Antonius did many things worthy of renowme and although he had alwaies and at all times shewed himselfe valiant yet there especially his valour appeared Gabinius leauing some to winne the Castle went vnto the Cities and strengthened those that were not yet assaulted and reedified those that were destroyed and by his commaundement Scythopolis and Samaria and Anthedon and Apollonia and Iamnia and Raphia and Marisa and Dora and Gadara and Azotus and many more began to be inhabited so that their inhabitants ioyfully peopled and dwelt therein Which when he had done he returned to Alexandrium and began a more vrgent siege whereat Alexander being terrified and made desperate he sent Embassadors to him beseeching him to pardon his offences promising to render vnto him the castles of Macherunt and Hyrcanium which were in his power besides them Alexandrium All which Gabinius by counsell of Alexanders mother destroied least they might be occasion of new wars This woman accosted flattered Gabinius for that she feared least her husband the rest of the captiues at Rome should be any waies indemnified After this Gabinius caried Hyrcanus to Ierusalem committing the temple vnto his charge he made others of the nobility rulers of the cōmonwealth deuided the whole natiō of the Iewes into fiue parts gouernments wherof one was established at Ierusalem another at Doris the
Messala presented himselfe to returne them answer being assisted by Hycanus by reason of the affinitie that was between him Herod Antonius hauing heard both parties demanded of Hyrcanus whom he thought to be fittest to gouerne their commonwealth who answered Herod his brethren Whereat Antonius was exceoding glad for he had bin their fathers guest and was most courteously entertained by Antipater when he came with Gabinius into Iudaea thereupon he made them both Tetrarchs leauing vnto them the rule of all Iudaea which when the Iewes Embassadors misliked he tooke fifteen of thē and put them in prison where he almost killed them and reiected derided the rest wherupon there arose greater tumults amongst them in Ierusalem At last the Iewes sent another embassage of a thousand men vnto Tyre where Antonius soiorned with an intent to come to Ierusalem with violence Antonius hearing their exclaimes sent out the Magistrates of Tyre against them commanding them to kill all they could catch of the Iewes charging them also to confirme their authoritie whom he himselfe had constituted Tetrarchs But Herod Hyrcanus went before them toward the sea shore admonishing thē earnestly to be contented least they by this their indiscreet proceedings should become not only the cause of their owne deaths but also of war against their country but for that they would not be reclaimed by these admonitiōs Antonius sent out certaine armed men who killed many of them wounded the rest Hyrcanus after this desaster both caused the dead to be buried the wounded to be cured notwithstāding all this they that escaped would not containe themselues in peace but they so troubled the citie that Antonius in his displeasure slue those that he had in hold CHAP. XI Of the warre of the Parthians against the Iewes of the slight of Herode and his fortune TWo yeeres after this Barzapharnes gouernour of the Parthians accompanied with Pacorus the kings sonne seased vpon Syria and Lysanias who succeeded his father Ptolemaeus sonne of Minaeus promising a thousand talents and fiue hundreth women perswaded him to put Antigonus in possession of the kingdome of Iudaea and depose Hyrcanus Pacorus induced by these promises went himselfe along the sea coast giuing commaundement to Barzapharnes to passe through the midst of the countrey but amongst the rest of the places bordering on the sea the Tyrians would not receiue Pacorus notwithstanding that the citizens of Ptolemais and Sidon had giuen him entertainment wherefore he gaue part of his horsemen vnto one who was the kings butler called Pacorus as himselfe was commaunding him to passe into Iudaea and learne what their enemies ment to doe and to helpe Antigonus where neede required Who as they vvasted the countrey about Carmelus many Iewes came of their owne accord and ioyned with Antigonus shewing themselues verie prompt to fight for vvhich cause he sent them before to take a place called Drymos where hauing fought vvith his enemies and put them to flight he pursued them with all speed as farre as Ierusalem and his number being augmented he came vnto the kings house But Hyrcanus and Phasaelus met them with a strong company and fought vvith them in the market place where the enemies were forced to flie and part of them vvere by Herode shut vp in the temple and he appointed sixtie men to keepe them vvhich he placed in the houses next adioyning but the people bearing a grudge to the two brethren burnt them vvith fire vvhereat Herod being angrie for that his men vvere consumed with fire set vpon the people and killed a great many of them and euery houre one laid wait for another so that euery day some was murthered Now the feast of Pentecost drawing nigh all places about the temple and all the vvhole citie vvas filled with people of the countrey whereof the most part was armed and Phasaelus kept the walles and Herode vvith a small company kept the kings pallace who assaulting their enemies vpon a sodaine as they were in the suburbs killed a great many of them and put al the rest to flight part of them he couped vp in the citie others he shut in the temple and the rest betweene the vttermost Rampire Whereupon Antigonus requested that Pacorus might come and conclude a peace betwixt them Phasaelus moued by these his praiers receiued the Parthian into the citie entertained him into his house accompanied with fiue hundreth horsmen vvho came vnder a pretence to make peace but in effect he resorted thither to helpe Antigonus he craftily conspiring against Phasaelus perswaded him to repaire vnto Barzapharnes as an Embassador to treat a peace notwithstanding that Herode altogither disswaded him vvilling him to kill the traitor and not to trust his subtiltie adding that the Parthians were naturally vnfaithfull Pacorus departing out of the citie tooke Hyrcanus with him that he might be the lesse suspected and leauing some horsemen with Herode named Eleutheri he followed Phasaelus with the rest When they came neere vnto Galilee they found the inhabitants at variance and vp in armes and met with Barzapharnes vvho craftily with pretence of courtesie and friendship hid his trecherie who after he had bestowed gifts vpon them and that they were retired laid an ambush for them vvhereof they had intelligence at such time as they came vnto a place of the sea coast named Ecdippon For in this place they vnderstood of the thousand talents that vvere promised and how that Antigonus had giuen the Parthians more then fiue hundreth vvomen of those that were amongst them and that oftentimes they had beene laid wait for and that they had beene lately taken but that delay was made till such time as Herode vvas surprised in Ierusalem for feare least he hearing vvhat vvas become of them might prouide for himselfe Now they might perceiue that these vvere not only vvords for they might behold their keepers not farre off yet vvould not Phasaelus forsake Hyrcanus notwithstanding that Offilius often exhorted him to flie vnto vvhom Saramalla the richest amongst the Syrians had declared all the platforme of their treason but he chose rather to go vnto Barzapharnes to vpbraid him to his face that he had trecherously laid vvait for him but especially for that in regard of mony he had suffered himselfe to be corrupted vvheras he himself vvould haue giuen more for his life and liberty then Antigonus had done for the kingdome At these words the Parthian with oaths protestations craftily freed himselfe from suspition and no sooner repaired he to Pacorus but presently the Parthians who stayed behind and had charge so to doe laid hands on Phasaelus and Hyrcanus who openly exclaimed against their falsehood and periurie In the meane time a butler was sent out for that purpose who sought to surprise Herod and by some stratageme to toul him out of the Citie who wrought by all the meanes hee could according as
dignitie of the man conducted him to Alexandria whither he no sooner resorted but Cleopatra receiued him verie honorably intending to make him the generall of her army which she was preparing at that present But he neither regarding the offers and request of the Queene nor yet discouraged by the hard winter season nor the dangers of the seas tooke his iourney towards Rome and being in great danger of shipwrack neere vnto Pamphilia both hee the rest of the passengers were inforced to cast away the most part of their loading with much adoe he arriued safe at Rhodes vvhich had been sore molested by Cassius vvarres there was he entertained by certaine of his friends Ptolomaeus and Saphinius and although his money grew scant yet there he builded a great galley vvith three rankes of oares and in it being accompanied with his friends he sailed to Brundusium and from thence went presently to Rome Where first of all in regard of familiaritie betweene his father and him he went to Antonius declaring vnto him both his owne calamitie and the miserable desolation of his vvhole countrey and howe leauing his dearest friends besieged in a Castle himselfe in humble manner through the stormie vvinter seas was come vnto him humbly crauing succor at his hands VVherupon Antonius compassionating his calamitie and remembring his familiaritie with Antipater and contemplating the vertue of Herod vvho stood before him determined vpon the present to make him king of the Iewes vvhom before he himselfe had made Tetrarch for he loued not Herode so vvell but he hated Antigonus as much for he held him both for a seditious person and for an enemie to the Romans Now to the accomplishing of this he found Caesar farre more ready then himselfe who called to minde the seruice that Antipater did in Aegypt vnder his father and his entertainment and friendship in all things and beside all these he vvas wrought and vvoon by Herods courage and valour For vvhich cause he procured the Senate to be assembled at vvhich time Messala and after him Aratinus in the presence of Herod recounted his fathers deserts and fidelitie towards the Romans declaring Antigonus to be an enemy not onely because that not long before he had reuolted but for that now lastly in despite of the Romans he had by the assistance of the Parthians vsurped the kingdome Vpon vvhich considerations the Senate being mooued and Antonius affirming it to be expedient for the Roman vvarres that Herod should be created king the vvhole Senate condescendéd and after the Senate vvas dismissed Antonius and Caesar went forth with Herod betweene them and the Consuls went before accompanied with other Magistrates to offer sacrifice and to register the decree of the Senate in the Capitoll And Antonius feasted Herod the first day of his raigne CHAP. XII Of Herods warre after he returned from Rome to recouer Ierusalem and against the theeues AT this time Antigonus besieged those that vvere left in the Castle of Massada vvho had great store of victuals and wanted nothing but vvater For vvhich cause Iesophus Herods brother purposed to flie vnto the Arabians with two hundreth of his dearest friends for that he had intelligence that Malichus repented him that he had giuen Herod no better entertainment Yea he had forsaken the Castle had not great store of raine fallen that verie night wherein he intended to flie for the vvels and cesternes being now filled vvith water there vvas no cause to flie so that voluntarily issuing out of the Castle he assaulted Antigonus souldiers and killed verie many of them sometime in open war and sometime by pollicie yet fought they not alwaies vvith fortunate successe but returned sometimes vvith losse In the meane time Ventidius vvho was Generall of that Roman army vvhich was sent to expulse the Parthians out of Syria after he had repulsed them resorted into Iudaea vnder pretence to succour Ioseph and the rest that vvere besieged but in effect to get Antigonus money When as therefore he drew neere vnto Ierusalem and had receiued the money he looked for he departed vvith the greatest part of his army leauing Silo behinde him vvith a few to colour his pretence and Antigonus hoping for a second supply from the Parthians feed Silo not to molest him for the present seeing he vvas in great possibilitie By this time Herode hauing sailed from Italy to Ptolemais and gathered a great army of strangers and his owne countrimen togither came into Galilee against Antigonus being assisted vvith the forces of Ventidius and Silo vvhom Delius vvho was sent from Antonius perswaded to establish Herod in his kingdome But Ventidius vvas busie in appeasing the broiles that the Parthians had made in the Cities and Silo vvas corrupted by Antigonus yet did not Herod vvant aide for euerie day the further he marched into the countrey the more his army encreased for all Galilee a verie few excepted yeelded vnto him Wherupon he purposed first of al to go to Massada to deliuer his friends that vvere there besieged but Ioppe hindred his purpose vvhich for that it vvas an enemy towne he thought it best to take it before he vvent further least that vvhilest he was going to Ierusalem his enemies should haue a place behinde him to flie vnto Now Silo ioyned armies vvith Herod reioycing that he had found occasion to resist because he vvas persecuted by the Iewes vvhom Herod with a loose wing of his army and a small companie of men terrified and presently put to flight and saued Silo also vvho had much adoe to make resistance against them This done and Ioppe taken he hasted to Massada and the people of the countrey some of them for his fathers sake othersome for his owne and many for both ioyned themselues vnto him many also came vnto him for hope because he vvas now king so that nowe he had a verie puissant army but Antigonus hindred his iourney by planting certaine ambushes in places conuenient vvhere Herode was to passe and yet for all this he little harmed him Herod hauing easily taken Massada and rescued his friends from thence he vvent to Ierusalem vvhere both Siloes souldiers and many of the Citie came and followed him being nowe terrified vvith the greatnesse of his forces there pitching their tents at the west side of the town they that guarded that part assaulted them with dartes and arrowes and others issuing by troupes foorth of the Citie assaulted the forefront of the army Whereupon Herode caused one to go about the wals of the Citie and to proclaime how that he was come for the good of the vvhole Citie and that he would not take reuenge of any though he were his open enemy and that he would pardon euen them that had been most seditious But when Antigonus his followers with lowd exclamations hindred the criers voices from being heard least any man should alter his minde Herod presently commaunded
attempt any rebellion and making Ptolemaeus chiefe ouer that part returned into Samaria carying with him three thousand footmen and sixe hundreth horsemen against Antigonus After whose departure those that were accustomed to trouble Galilee and molest it hauing now as they thought opportunitie assaulted Ptolemaeus at vnawares and killed him and waste'd the countrey retiring themselues into marish grounds secret places Which when Herod vnderstood he presently came to succor the countrey and killed the most part of the enemies and hauing taken all the castles by force he exacted a hundreth talents for recompence of that reuolt to be paid by the cities Now the Parthians being put to flight and Pacorus slaine Ventidius being willed thereto by letters from Antonius sent vnto Herod a thousand horsemen two legions of footmen to assist him against Antigonus Now Antigonus writ letters to the generall of the foresaid company named Machaera desiring him to helpe him and complaining that Herod iniuried him promised him a summe of mony But he thinking it not best to forsake him that he was sent to succour especially seeing that Herod would giue more would not be suborned by him yet counterfaiting himselfe to be Antigonus his friend meaning vnder that pretence to creepe into the knowledge of his secrets which not regarding Herodes counsel he went to discouer notwithstanding that Herode disswaded him from it But Antigonus perceiuing his intent shut him out of the citie and like an enemie droue him away from the walled till such time as Machaera vvas ashamed of that he had done and so returned to Amathunt vnto Herode and being in a rage that things fell out against his expectation he killed all the Iewes he found not respecting whether they fauoured Herode or Antigonus Herode hereat was moued and thought to be reuenged vpon Machaera as vpon an enemies yet he brideled himselfe and hasted to Antonius to let him vnderstand Machaeras crueltie Machaera remembring how he had offended followed the king and with many entreaties besought him to be friends and obtained it Yet Herode kept on his iourney to Antonius and hearing that he was now with a great army besieging Samosata vvhich vvas a very strong citie neere vnto Euphrates he made the more haste thinking it now a sit time to shew his vertue and that hereby he might vvinne Antonius fauour the more So soone as he came to Antonius he ended the siege killing a great number of enemies and has for his labour a great part of the spoile and Antonius though before that he admired his vertue yet then was his opinion encreased so that he had a greater hope of his honour and attaining to the kingdome So Antiochus was constrained to render the Citie CHAP. XIII Of the death of Ioseph how Herode besieged Ierusalem and how Antigonus was slaine IN the meane season Herodes affaires in Iudaea went backward for he left his brother Ioseph gouernour of all commaunding him to doe nothing against Antigonus till his returne For he little trusted to Machaeras helpe because of the parts he had plated before But Ioseph vnderstanding his brothers to be farre off not regarding what charge was left him went to Iericho accompained with fiue companies which Machaera sent with him thinking now in haruest time to haue taken away their come but being assaulted by the enemie vpon the mountaines and in difficult places himselfe was there slaine shewing himselfe in that fight a worthy and valiant man and there was not one left aliue of all the Romanc souldiers for they were all newly gathered out of Syria and they had no olde souldiers amongst them to assist them who were ignorant in warfare Antigonus not contented with the victory became such a tyrant that hee caused the dead corps of Ioseph to be scourged and hauing the dead bodies in his power he cut off Iosephs head although Pheroras his brother offeted fiftie talents to redeeme the same After Antigonus had obtained this victorie there was such a change in Galilee that those who fauoured him tooke the chiefest of Herods fauourites and drowned them in a ponde Also there arose a great change in Idumaea where Machara repaired the wals of a certaine Castle called Githa All this while Herode heard nothing of this newes for after Samosata was taken Antonius made Sosius gouernour of Syria leauing order with him that he should helpe Herode against Antigonus and so he departed into Aegypt Sosius sent two companies of souldiers with Herode into Iudaea to helpe him and he himselfe with the rest of the army followed When Herode was at Antiochia neere Daphne his brothers death was manifested vnto him in a dreame And whilest he was troubled thus so that he leapt out of his bed euen at the same instant the messengers who brought tidings of his death entred into the house and weeping a little for griefe as it were deferring his sorrow till another time he went towards his enemies so that he hasted aboue his strength When he came vnto Libanus he tooke eight hundreth inhabitants of that mountaine to helpe him and ioyned vnto them one of the Roman legions and not expecting the day time with them he entred into Galilee and meeting with his enemies he forced them to flie vnto the place from whence they came and euerie day he assaulted their Castle But before he could take it being wearied with a cruell winter he was constrained to leade his army into the next village Within a few daies his number being increased by one other legion which Antonius sent he put his enemies in such a feare that they in the night time fled and forsooke the Castle And now he hasted to Iericho to be reuenged vpon those that killed his brother where there befell him a most strange accident from the which being against all hope deliuered he perswaded himselfe that God bare an especiall loue vnto him For when many nobles that night had supped with him supper being ended and euerie one being gone forth incontinently the house wherein he supt fell downe Herode tooke this as a Praesagium both of the dangers and prosperous successe he was to haue in his warres And the next morning early he remooued from thence and about six thousand of the enemies descending from the mountaines assaulted the vaunt guard but they durst not ioine battell with the Romans but molested them standing a farre off with stones and darts and they wounded many so that also Herode himselfe passing along was wounded in the side with a darte Antigonus desirous to shew himselfe most potent as well in multitude of men as also in courage sent Pappus a friend of his with an army into Samaria who there got the victorie of Machaera Herod went about the enemies countrey and tooke there fiue townes and destroied two thousand of the inhabitants and firing the houses he returned to his army neere vnto a village called Cana. Euerie day there
out by flocks of their own accord they offered theÌ„selues to the Iewes so that in this sort there came â—…orth foure thousand 〈◊〉 daies the sixt day the whole multitude despairing of their liues came out to fight with whom Herod conflicting slew about seuen thousand Hauing in this sort weakned the Arabians that he had now extinguished all thâ—… strong men the countreymen admired him and were so much daunted at his puissance that they wished him for their ruler CHAP. XV. How Herode was exalted vnto the kingdome INcontinent after this his prosperous successe there did betide vnto him a sea of cares and griefes in respect of the loue which he bare vnto Antoâ—…s whom Caesar had now lately ouerthrown at the battel which was fought at Actium yet was he more aâ—…aid then hurt by this his suspition for Caesar accounted not Antonius fully conquered so long as Herode and he kept togither For which cause the king timely foreseeing those dangers that might ensue went to Rhodes where at that time Caesar abode in which place in the habit of a priâ—…te man and without a crown but with a kingly courage he presented himselfe before him and with vnfained constancy spake vnto him in such maner as followeth I was O Caesar made king of Iudaea by Antonius his means and I must confesse that I haue beene a king who what in mee lay haue serued his turne and sought his profit yea I must not denie but that had nor the Arabians hindred me I had with all the power I could haue made seconded and assisted Antony against thee yea although personally I could not go yet did I what I could to helpe him and sent him many thousand measures of corne Nay though he had the ouerthrow at Acâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sake him who had deserued wel at my hands although I was not able to assist him with 〈◊〉 of armes yet I confirmed him by my coâ—… the best I could inâ—…cating often times vnto him that there was one onely way to redresse his adueâ—…itie to wit by the death of Clâ—…ra whom if he killed I promised him to assist him with money strong holds and an army yea and with mine owne person against thee but the loue of Cleopatra and God who had already designed the victorie vnto thee stopped his eares For which cause O Caesar I am conquered with Antonius and haue forsaken my crowne and dignitie with his fortunes and am come vnto thee hoping that at thy hands I may obtaine pardon To this Caesar answered Liue in safetie and raigne now with greater securitie then before for thou deseruest to rule others who with such constancie didst defend and maintaine thy friendship At this time endeuour thy selfe to continue faithfull toward them that are more fortunate then Antonius was for for my part I haue conceiued a great hope and expectation of thy valour and prowesse yet did Antonius well in that he rather obeied Cleopatra then thee for by his follies haue we now purchased thy friendship That thou hast begun to doe well it thereby appeareth because Ventidius hath signified vnto me that thou hast sent him succours against his enemies For which cause by this my present decree be thou established in thy kingdome and I will shortly let thee know that I will be beneficiall vnto thee so as thou shalt haue no cause to bewaile the losse of Antonius By this speech he exhorted the king not to misdoubt of his friendship and withall put a crowne vpon his head and made a decree and sealed it testifying how he had remitted all things done by Herod and confirmed him in his kingdome and rehearsed many things therein greatly tending to Herodes praise Herode hauing first pacified Caesar with many gifts requested him to pardon Alexander one of Antonius his friends who earnestly and in humble manner desired the same but Caesar being verie angrie answered that he for whom he entreated had greatly and many times offended and so repeld Herod with this answere Afterward Caesar trauailing into Aegypt through Syria was entertained by Herode with all royall pompe possible and that was the first time that he shewed himselfe to take part with Caesar when neere vnto Ptolemais he tooke a view of the soldiers with Caesar made a banquet for him and all his friends feasted the whole army likewise And inasmuch as they trauailed to PelusiuÌ„ through drie grounds when they returned againe he prouided water for them and furnished the army with all necessaries so that both Caesar and the souldiers thought the kingdome a small recompence for his deserts For which cause after he came into Aegypt and that Antonius Cleopatra were now dead he did not only increase his honor but also restored vnto him that portion of his countrey which was taken away and giuen to Cleopatra and beside that Gadara and Hippon and Samaria and other cities about the sea coast to wit Gaza and Anthedon and loppe and Stratons tower and moreouer gaue him foure hundreth Galathians which before were Cleopatra her guard and there was nothing that so much mooued Caesars liberalitie as the couragious minde of him vnto whom he was so liberall after the first Actian solemnitie he added vnto Herodes dominion Trachon and Batanaea and Auranitis bordering vpon it For this cause Zenodorus who for mony hired Lysanias his house continually sent theeues out of Trachon to rob the people of Damascus who in humble manner went to Varus who was at that time gouernour of Syria entreating him to informe Caesar of their calamitie Caesar vnderstanding therof writ backe againe commanding him to extinguish all the theeues whereupon Varus with an army went to those places which were most suspected and ridde the countrey of the theeues and tooke the territorie from Zenodorus and Caesar least it should againe be a refuge for theeues to spoile Damascus gaue it to Herode and made him ruler ouer all Syria And ten yeeres after returning to his owne countrey he commanded the gouernours to doe nothing without Herodes counsell and after Zenodorus his death he gaue him all the countrey betweene Trachon and Galilee But that which Herod esteemed aboue all the rest was that Caesar loued him best of al next vnto Agrippa and Agrippa loued him most of all men next vnto Caesar. Thus nowe he touched the verie toppe of felicitie and so encreasing in high minde he employed himselfe chiefly to pietie CHAP. XVI Of the Cities and buildings reedified and built by Herod and of his liberalitie towards strangers and of his felicitie IN the fifteenth yeere of his raigne he repaired the temple and enclosed twise so much ground as was before about the temple with a strong wall whereon he bestowed great costs and charges to beautifie it as the great porches will testifie which he built about the temple and a Castle on the north part thereunto adioyning which he builded euen from the foundation
The Castle was so rich and sumptuous that it was equall vnto the kings pallace and in the honour of Antonius he named it Antonia He builded himselfe a pallace also in the vpper part of the Citie and in it two houses huge and richly adorned so that the temple was not to be compared vnto them And calling them by his friends names he tearmed one of them Caesarea and another Agrippa vvhose names and memories he did not onely solemnize and write in his priuate houses but also throughout all the vvhole countrey and in euerie part of the Citie For in the countrey of Samaria he compassed a towne with a wal which was about twentie stounds and called it Sebaste and he sent thither six thousand inhabitants giuing them a most fertile soile and demeasnes There also amongst other buildings he erected a verie huge temple and dedicated it to Caesar and gaue the inhabitants of that place especiall priuiledges About the temple was there a piece of ground containing three stounds and a halfe For this monuments sake Caesar added vnto his dominion another countrey for vvhich cause he erected another temple vnto him neere vnto the head of Iordan of vvhite marble in a place called Panium vvhere there is a mountaine rising an infinite height into the ayre at the side whereof there is an obscure valley vvhere there are high rockes that by droppes of water falling on them are made hollow so that the water standing in their concauitie till they run ouer falleth downe with a streame of such a length as is admirable At the foote of this valley on the out side there spring certaine fountains and many thinke this to be the head of the riuer Iordan which whether it be true or no vve will declare hereafter At Iericho also betweene the castle of Cyprus the other auncient kings houses he erected other buildings fairer and more commodious for them that came thither calling them after the names of his friends Finally there was no conuenient place in the vvhole kingdome vvherein he erected not some thing in the honour of Caesar and hauing in euerie place of his owne kingdome deuised and dedicated temples vnto him he in Syria also where he ruled did the like founding in verie many cities temples vvhich he called by the name of Caesar. And perceiuing that amongst the cities of the sea coast there was one called Stratons tower the which being verie old was ruinated and for the scituation thereof deserued reparation and cost he repaired it all with vvhite stone and built a verie roial pallace therin vvherin chiefly he shewed a mightie mind For this citie standing in the middest betweene Dora and Ioppe there was no port nor hauen in that coast so that whosoeuer sailed from Phoenicia into Aegypt vvere in great danger by reason of the violent windes that blew from Africa vvhich blowing but a verie easie gale enforce the water with such a violence against the rocks on the shore that the waues rebounding backe againe a good way vvithin the sea make the whole sea tempestuous But the king vvith his liberalitie and cost ouercomming nature builded a port or hauen in that place far bigger then that of Piraeum and vvithin it made most safe stations for ships And although the nature of that place was altogether contrarie to his intent yet he so ouercame that difficultie that the sea could doe that building no harme and it was so gallant and beautifull to behold as though there had been no let any way to hinder the adorning thereof For hauing measured out such a place as we haue spoken of for the port he laid a foundation in the bottome twentie elles deepe of stone vvhereof most of them were fiftie foote long nine foote thicke and ten foote broade and some bigger and all the bottome of the hauen vvhere the water came was laid with these stones Which done he raised a wall of two hundreth foote vvhereof a hundreth foote was builded to breake the violence of the waues and had a name according to the vse it serued for The other hundreth foote serued for a foundation of the wall vvhereof the hauen was compassed vvhich was replenished with many goodly towers the greatest and fairest whereof he named Drusius after the name of Caesars kinsman There were verie many vautes also to conduct such things into the towne as were brought into the hauen and about them a paued place for them to walke in that came out of the ships The entrance thereunto was on the north side for by reason of the scituation of the place the northwinde there is the calmest Before the entrance were three great colossus held vp on euerie side with pillers they which are on the left hand are propt vp by a tower which is a solid rocke of stone But at the entrance on the right hand were two huge stones ioined togither which make a greater tower then the other There is also a house adioyning vnto the hauen builded of white stone the streetes of the Cities comming to that place are of one bignesse and proportion Vpon a hill opposite vnto the mouth of the hauen was there builded a temple verie beautifull and exceeding great which he dedicated vnto Caesar wherein was placed Caesars colossus fully as great as Iupiters at Olympus for it was made after that example equall to that at Rome and that of Iunoes at Argos The Citie he builded for the inhabitants of that prouince and the port or for hauen to seafaring men The honour and credit he attributed to Caesar and by his name called it Caesarea He also made other buildings as the Market the Theater and the Amphitheater which are worth the memorie And he euerie fift yeere ordained certaine sports called them after the name of Caesar. And himselfe first proposed very ample rewards in the 192. Olympiade insomuch that he not only gaue royall gifts to the victors but also to the second and third after them Hee repaired Anthedon also which was destroyed by the warres and called it Agrippium and louing Agrippa verie dearely he caused her name to be engrauen ouer the portall that he builded in the temple Neither was he vnmindfull of his parents for in the richest soile of the whole kingdome he built a Citie for a monument of his father and by his name called it Antipatris being a verie rich soile both for trees and riuers At Iericho also he built a verie gorgious and strong Castle and called it Cyprus in honour of his mother He likewise builded a tower in memorie of his brother Phasaelus at Ierusalem and called it Phasaelus his tower of the compasse beautie of this tower we wil speake hereafter He also called another citie Phasaelus which is scituate in a valley beyond Iericho toward the north Hauing thus eternized the memorie of his friends and kinsfolke he did not forget to doe the like to himselfe for he built a Castle on
torments which if they continue in wickednes they shall endure This is the Esseans Philosophie touching the immortalitie of the soule wherein they propose an ineuitable allurement to those who haue once tasted of their Philosophie There are also some amongst them who promise to foretell things to come who from their tender age haue studied and followed holy bookes diuers purifications and sayings of the Prophets and their diuination seldome faileth There is another colledge of these Esseans agreeing with the former both in apparrell meat and kind of life and obserue the same lawes and ordinances onely they differ in the opinion of marriage affirming that they who abstaine from mariage do cut off the greatest part of mans life to wit succession of mankind For say they if all men should follow that opinion presently all mankind would perish yet notwithstanding these people are so continent that for three yeeres space they maketrial of the women they are to marry and when they haue proued them fit to beare children then they marrie them None of them must lie with their wiues when they are with child to shew that they do not marry to satisfie lust but for to haue children When their wiues wash themselues they are couered with a garment as the men are and this is the manner and custome of this sect Of the two former sects the Pharisees are said to be most skilfull in interpreting the law and are of opinion that all things are to be attributed to God and Fate and that euerie man may of his owne power doe good or ill yet say they destinie helpeth in euery action â—…d that the soules of men are all incorruptible but onely the soules of good men goe into other bodies and the soules of wicked men are sent into euerlasting paine But the Sadduces denie Fate and Destinie and affirme that God is the author of no euil auowing likewise that a man hath free will to doe well or ill and euerie man may chuse whether he will be good or bad and they generally denie both paines and rewards for the soules after this life The Pharisees are sociable and louing one to another but the Sadduces are at discord among themselues liuing like sauage beasts and as vncourteous to their owne sect as to straungers This is all which I haue to speake concerning the Philosophers amongst the Iewes Now I will returne to my purpose CHAP. VIII Of the cities which Philip and Herode builded and of Pilates gouernment ARchelaus his Ethnarchie being now made a prouince the rest of his brethren to wit Philip and Herode who was surnamed Antipas gouerned their Tetrarchies And Salome dying left vnto Iulia by her testament the Toparchie which she ruled as also Iamnia a ground set with palme trees in Phasaelis When Tiberius Caesar after the death of Augustus was made Emperour of Rome after that he had raigned seuen and fiftie yeeres sixe moneths and two daies Herode and Philip remaining in their Tetrarchies Philip builded a citie neere vnto the head of Iordan in the countrey of Paneade and called it Caesarea and another he built in the lower part of Gaulanitis and named it Iulias Herode in Galilee built the Citie called Tiberias and another in Peraea on this side Iordan which also he named Iulias Pilate being sent by Tiberius to be gouernour ouer the Iewes caused in the night time the statua of Caesar to be brought into Ierusalem couered which thing within three daies after caused a great tumult among the Iewes for they who beheld it were astonished and moued as though now the law of their countrey were prophaned for they hold it not lawfull for any picture or Image to be brought into the citie At their lamentation who were in the citie there was gathered togither a great multitude out of the fields adioyning and they went presently to Pilate then at Caesarea beseeching him earnestly that the Images might be taken away out of Ierusalem and that the law of their countrey might remaine inuiolated When Pilate denied their suit they prostrated themselues before his house and there remained lying vpon their faces for fiue daies and nights neuer mouing Afterward Pilate sitting in his tribunall seat was verie carefull to call all the Iewes togither before him as though there he would haue giuen them an answere when vpon the sodain a company of armed souldiers for so it was prouided compassed the Iewes about with a triple ranke the Iewes were here at amazed seeing that which they expected not Then Pilate told them that except they would receiue the Images of Caesar he would kill them all and to that end made a signe vnto the souldiers to draw their swords The Iewes as though they had agreed thereto fell all downe at once and offered their naked neckes to the stroke of the sword crying out that they would rather lose their liues then suffer their religion to be prophaned Then Pilate admiring the constancy of the people in their religion presently commaunded the statuaes to be taken out of the citie of Ierusalem After this he caused another tumult amongst them for they haue a sacred treasure called Corban which Pilate vsed to bring water in vnto the Citie foure hundreth furlongs off for this cause the people murmured so that when Pilate came to Ierusalem they flocked about his tribunall crying and exclaiming Pilate fore seeing that tumult caused souldiers secretly armed to mingle themselues amongst the people in priuate apparrell and commanded them not to vse their swords but to beat those with clubs whom they saw make such clamours And when he had thus plotted the matter sitting in his Tribunall he gaue a signe vnto the souldiers and presently the Iewes were beaten and many of them partly with blowes and partly troden vpon by the multitude died miserably The multitude amazed aâ—… the calamitie of those that were slaine held their tongues For this cause Agrippa sonne to Herod the Tetrarch whose father Aristobulus Herode the King put to death went to Rome and accused him to Caesar. Tyberius not admitting his accusation he remained still at Rome and sought the fauour of other potentates there and especially he reuerenced Caius the sonne of Germanicus he being yet a priuate person vpon a certaine day being with him at a banquet he stretcht forth his hands openly began to beseech Almightie God that Tyberius Caesar might quickly die that he might see him Lord of all the world Tyberius hauing notice here of by one of his familiar friends caused Agrippa to be imprisoned where he endured a hard and streight imprisonment vntill the death of Tyberius which was six moneths after After he was dead hauing raigned 22. yeares sixe moneths and three dayes Caius Caesar who succeeded him in the Empire freed him from prison and gaue him the Tetrarchie of Philip who was now deceased and the title of a king When Agrippa came into his
of the Iewes THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE WARRES OF THE IEWES WRITTEN BY FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the 3. booke 1 Of the comming of Vespasian generall of the Romans into Iudaea and of the two massacres of the Iewes and how the Sephorites yeelded themselues to Vespasian 2 The description of Galilee Samaria and Iudaea 3 Of the helpe sent v◅to them of Sepphoris and of the militarie discipline amongst the Romans 4 How Placidus assaulted Iotapata 5 How Vespasian inuaded Galilaea and at his onely presence how the Galileans fled 6 How Gadara was taken 7 How Iotapata was besieged and of the situation and batterie thereof 8 Of the siege of Iotapata by Vespasian and of Iosephs diligence and of the excursions of the Iewes against the Romans 9 How Vespasian did beate the wals of Iotapata with a Ram and other warlike engines 10 How Iotapata was againe assaulted 11 How Traian and Titus tooke Iapha 12 How Cerealis ouercame the Samaritans 13 How Iotapata was taken 14 How Ioseph being taken saued his owne life 15 How Ioppe was taken againe 16 How Tyberias was yeelded 17 How Tarichea was besieged 18 Of the lake called Genesar and the fountaines of Iordan 19 How Tarichea was deliuered CHAP. I. Of Vespasians comming into Iudaea and of the two massacres of the Iewes AFTER that Nero vnderstood of his euill successe against the Iewes he was seazed with feare and astonishment yet he dissembled it as much as necessitie would permit him In the meane while he set a good face on the matter and made as though he were of more courage saying that that which happened was rather by the fault of his generall then by the valour of their aduersaries thinking that it behooued him who was emperour not to shew himselfe mooued with a little bad newes and the greatnesse of his Empire shewed he had a mind which yeelded to no misfortune Yet it appeared by the vexation of his spirit that he was much moued in great care vnto whom he should cōmit the charge of the East which rebelled who both would conquer the Iewes and chastife the inhabitants about them that bare the same minde as they did At last he found Vespasian whom he thought only meet for that purpose a man who from his infancie had been trained vp in warres euen vntill he was gray headed who had appeased the people of the West helped them being troubled by the Germans and recouered it for the Romans as also he did Britannie which was vnknowne before and for that cause made his father Claudius triumph without taking any paines for it Nero considered all these and his prudence grounded in olde age with his experience who also had sonnes in the flower of their age to be pledges for his fidelitie that represented their fathers wisedome God as it should seeme euen then disposing something of the whole common wealth Nero sent him to gouerne the armies in Syria greatly encouraging him with faire speeches and promises as at that time neede required Thus he departed out of Achaia where he was with Nero and he commanded Titus his son to leade the fift and tenth legions from Alexandria and he himselfe crossing ouer to Hellespont went after by land into Syria where he assembled all the Roman forces and all the helpe of the kings adioyning that were confederates But the Iewes after Cestius vnfortunate successe became proud of their victorie and could not containe themselues but like men tossed at fortunes pleasure they still gaue more occasion of warre and gathering all their warlike forces togither they went to Ascalon which is an olde Citie seuen hundreth and twentie furlongs distant from Ierusalem which the Iewes alwaies hated for which cause also they first assaulted it The Gouernors in this expedition were three men excellent aboue the rest for strength and wisedome to wit Niger of Peraea Silas the Babylonian and Iohn the Essean Now the Citie of Ascalon had verie strong wals but few men to defend it for it had onely one company of footmen and one band of horsemen whom Antonius gouerned The Iewes made such haste as though they had dwelt hard by Antonius perswading himselfe that they would assault him caused his horsmen to i◅ue foorth of the Citie and neither fearing the multitude nor the malice of his aduersaries he valiantly aboad the first assault of the enemies and beate them backe that attempted to assault the wall So the Iewes who were vnkilfull hauing to doe with them that were expert and they being on foote fighting against horsemen without order against those that were in good order being light◅y armed against their aduersaries who were well prouided were easily repulsed Finally they were more led by rage and wrath then by good counsell and they against whom they fo◅ght were obedient and would doe nothing without the commandement of their leader For their first rankes being broken they were forced by the horsemen to turne their backs and turning themselues to their owne companie who turned toward the wall became as it were enemies to themselues So that euerie one seeking to auoide the horsemen they were all dispersed about the field which was in euerie place for the aduantage of the horsemen This greatly helped the Romans to kill so many Iewes for they that fled were easily ouertaken by the Romans and killed and others compassing diuers of the Iewes about slew them with dartes so that the Iewes were in as great desperation for all their huge multitude as if they had been alone The Iewes indeuouring to ouercome their misfortunes were ashamed to flie and so fled not hastily hoping that fortune would change But the Romans not wearied in that which they did with great dexteritie continued the fight the most part of the day so that there were slaine of the Iewes ten thousand and two of their leaders Iohn and Silas The rest many being wounded followed their Generall Niger who fled into a little towne of Idumaea named Salis many of the Romans also were wounded in that fight But the Iewes were not daunted with this misfortune but the griefe thereof much encreased their courage neither were they dismaied with the former losse of so many men within so short time but rather calling to minde their great victorie they had before were drawne to vndergo yet another mishap Shortly after before the mens wounds were healed they gathered togither all their forces and went againe to Ascalon in greater number and furie but with the same successe and skill in warlike affaires which they had before For Antonius hauing warning which way they meant to come placed an ambush in the waye and the horsemen setting vpon them at vnawares they killed aboue eight thousand of them before they could prepare themselues to fight and all the rest fled and Niger with them shewing as he fled many arguments of a valiant minde and for that the enemies
vs the want of more men the contrarie in our enemies doth as it were much diminish their number Victorie doth not onely consist in the multitude of men be they neuer so warlike but also in a fewe if they be valiant for as they are fewe so are they easilie guided and may easilie come to help one another not being pestered whereas huge multitudes doe more hinder one another then doe good and doe themselues more harme then their enemies So the Iewes are lead with desperation rage and furie which in deede in prosperous successe are of some force but in a desperate fortune they are quickly daunted but wee are led by vertue and obedience and fortitude which both are of force in prosperitie and also are good in aduersitie Moreouer wee haue greater occasion to fight then the Iewes haue for they fight onely for their countrie and libertie but we fight for renowne and empire that we hauing alreadie gained the empire of the whole world it might not bee thought that our enemies the Iewes were aduersaries able to match vs. Consider moreouer that yee need not fear any great danger for we haue many to help vs and that hard by let vs therfore achieue the victory before any more succour come vnto vs so shall our credite be the greater and our victorie more famous I verilie thinke that now triall is made of me my father and you to discerne if he be my father I his sonne and you my souldiers for he is wont to be victorious and shal I returne vnto him being conquered and are you not ashamed to be dismaied seeing that I your captaine will offer my selfe and vndergoe the greatest perils My selfe will beare the brunt of the enemies and first encounter with them and let none of you depart from me perswade your selues that God will assist my force and boldly presume that we can doe much more being in the midst of our enemies then if wee should onely fight without and not be amongst them Titus hauing thus spoken as it were by Gods prouidence al his soldiers tooke heart and courage so that now they were sorie to see Traianus come with foure hundreth horsemen more before the fight was begun as though their victorie should be lesse renowned because he came to helpe them Vespasian also sent Antonius and Silo with two thousand archers to take the mountaine that was iust opposite vnto the towne and to beate them that defended the Citie off from the wals and they did as they were commanded Then Titus with all force possible first rushed with his horse vpon the enemies and all followed him with a huge crie scattering themselues in such order as they occupied as much ground as the Iewes and so appeared more then they were The Iewes though terrified by their discipline yet they withstoode the first assault but in the end dismaied and put out of order with their launces killed with the horsmen euerie one fled as fast as he could into the citie And Titus killed some as they fled others as he met them and those he ouertooke and many one for haste tumbling vpon another and preuented all that fled vnto the wals and draue them backe againe into the field till at last the multitude preuailed and so they got into the citie Now at their returne into the citie there befell a great dissension for the inhabitants considering their owne estate and the euent of all former wars and especially of this last fight misliked of war desired peace but the strangers that had fled from other places thither and were in great multitude would needs contend therein and so one part begā a mutinie against the other as though they would presently one haue taken armes against an other Titus being not farre from the wall heard these tumults within the citie and cried out vnto the Romans This is the hower fellow soldiers wherin God hath giuen the Iewes into our hands why doe we deferre the time any longer why doe we not take the victorie offered doe you not heare the crics within they who escaped our hands are at variance amongst themselues the citie is ours if we make haste and making hast take courage for nothing worth renowne can be atchieued without danger and let vs not onely preuent our enemies concord which necessitie will soone effect but also our owne forces before any fresh ayde come vnto vs that beside the victorie we haue being so fewe ouer so huge a multitude we may also deuide the spoile of the citie amongst vs. No sooner had he thus spoken but presently he mounted vpon his horse and rode into the lake and so passed into the citie and all the souldiers followed him They th◅ defended the wals were amazed at this his boldnes so that none made resistance against him as he came but Iesus with his followers leauing his quarter which was his to defend fled into the fields others flying towards the lake fell into their enemies hands who came that way against them and so were massacred euen as they were getting into their ships other some were slaine as they did swimme to ouertake the ships that were new launcht from the shoare there was a great slaughter of men all ouer the Citie For the strangers that fled not made resistance and the townesmen did not offer to defend themselues for they abstained from fight hoping for pardon in that they were not against those proceedings till at last Titus hauing slaine the wicked tooke compassion vpon the townsmen and saued their liues and caused the slaughter to cease They who fled into the lake seeing the Citie taken ran away as farre as they could from their enemies Titus sent horsemen to let his father vnderstand what hee had done Whereof hee hauing intelligence being verie glad for his sonnes valour and magnanimitie and for the achieuing of such a victorie whereby a great part of those warres was ended he commaunded presently the Citie to be guarded round about to the intent that none might escape away aliue And the next day hee came downe vnto the lake and commaunded shippes to bee built to pursue those that had escaped by it and hauing many workemen and great store of matter to builde them withall his commaund was presently effected CHAP. XVIII Of the lake of Genezar and the fountaine of Iordan THe lake of Genezar taketh his name from the countrey adioyning vnto it the bredth thereof is fortie furlongs the length a hundreth The water of this lake is sweet and good to drinke and is more subtill then ordinarily pure waters of marish places are and it is verie cleere neere the shore and more temperate to drinke then either that of the riuer or fountaine but it is alwaies more cold then one would iudge such a lake to be of that largnes for the water being set in the sunne doth not lose his coldnes which the inhabitants haue
was able without their assistance to subdue all the rest but Vitellius was not able with their helpe to keepe that he had speaking much to this effect he perswaded them to all that which he would haue done And so he with his whole armie ioyned with Antonius The same night the souldiers repenting themselues of that they had done and also fearing that Vitellius should get the vpper hand who sent them against Antonius drew their swords and would haue slaine Caecinna And had done it had not the Tribunes come and entreated them to the contra◅e wherefore they did not kill him but kept him bound meaning to send him to Vitellius as a traitor Primus Antonius hearing this came with his armie and assaulted them who were reuolted from him and they a while resisted yet at last forced to retire they fled vnto Cremona And Primus accompanied with horsemen preuented their courses and so slew the most of them before the citie and afterward setting vpon the rest gaue his souldiers the spoile of it wherein many merchants of other countries and many townsmen were slaine and all Vitellius his armie thirtie thousand and two hundreth men and Antonius lost in that battell foure thousand fiue hundreth of those whom he brought with him out of Moesia And deliuering Caecinna from prison he sent him to beare newes hereof to Vespasian who comming vnto him was praised for his fact greatly honoured aboue his expectation in reward of his treason Sabinus who was at Rome hearing that Antonius was at hand greatly reioyced and tooke courage and gathering togither the companies of the watchmen in the night time he tooke the Capitoll and in the morning many of the nobles came ioyned with him and Domitianus his brothers son who was a great cause and helpe to obtaine the victorie Vitellius little esteemed Primus but he was angr◅e against Sabinus those that had reuolted with him as it were naturally thirsting after the bloud of the nobilitie he set all the armie he brought out of Germany with him to assault the Capitol where many valiant deeds were shewed on both parts and at last the Germains being most in number got the Capitoll hill And Domitian with many braue noblemen as it were by the prouidence of God escaped safe the rest of the multitude were there slaine And Sabinus was caried to Vitellius and there by his commandement put to death the souldiers taking away al the gifts and treasure in the temple set it on fire The day after came Antonius and Vitellius his souldiers met him and fighting in three seuerall places of the citie they were all slaine Then Vitellius came drunke out of his pallace and being full gorged with delicate meat he was drawn through the midst of the people and after many contumelies slaine hauing raigned eight moneths and fiue daies who if he had liued longer I thinke verily the Empire had not beene sufficient to haue maintained this gluttony There were slaine aboue fiftie thousand of other people And this was done the third day of October The day after Mutianus with his armie came and entred into Rome and repressed the souldiers of Antonius who still sought about in euerie place for Vitellius souldiers and many other of his fauorits and slew whom they thought good not examining any matter by reason of their fury and bringing out Domitian he declared vnto the people that he was to gouerne the citie till his father came The people being deliuered from feare proclaimed Vespasian Emperour and made feasts and triumphs both vnder one for his establishing in the Empire and for ioy that Vitellius was deposed CHAP. XIIII How Titus was sent by his father against the Iewes WHen Vespasian came to Alexandria newes were brought vnto him what was done at Rome And Embassadours came vnto him from all parts of the world to congratulate him And although next after Rome this citie was the greatest in the world yet was it scarcely able to receiue the people that came thither vnto him Vespasian now being established Emperour of all the world the commonwealth of the Romans being contrarie to his expectation freed from troubles he now began to thinke vpon the reliques of Iudaea And so he himselfe winter being ended prepared to go to Rome and in the meane time he hastened to dispose of all things at Alexandria Moreouer he sent his sonne Titus with certain chosen men to destroy Ierusalē Who departed from Alexandria vnto Nicopolis by land which is distant from it twenty furlongs there he did ship his men so sailed along the riuer Nilus by Medensia vnto Thmuin there landing his men he came to the citie called Tanis And the second place he rested in was the citie Heraclea the third Peleusiū there resting refreshing his souldiers two daies space the third day he passed the borders of Peleusium and hauing gone one daies iourney through the wildernes he pitched his tents at the temple of Iupiter Cassian the next day at Ostracine where there is no water but all that the inhabitants do vse they bring from other places After that he rested at Rhinocolura and from thence in foure daies he came to Raphia where beginne the borders of Syria the fift day he lodged at Gaza from thence to Ascalon and so to Iamnia Ioppe from whence he went to Caesarea purposing to gather the rest of the souldiers there THE SIXTH BOOKE OF THE WARRES OF THE IEWES WRITTEN BY FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the 6. booke 1 Of the three seditions in Ierusalem 2 How Titus went vnto Ierusalem to see their strength and how he was in daunger 3 How the Iewes did issue out vpon the Romans pitching their Tents 4 Of the fight within the Citie vpon the feast of unleauened bread 5 Of the deceite the Iewes vsed against the Romane souldiers 6 The description of Ierusalem 7 The Iewes refuse to yeeld and assault the Romans 8 Of the fall of the tower and how two of the wals were wonne 9 How Castor the Iew did floute the Romans 10 How the Romans did twise get the second wall 11 Of the mounts raised against the third wall and a long Oration of Ioseph perswading the Iewes to yeeld and of the famine within the Citie 12 Of the Iewes that were crucified and how the towers were burnt 13 How the Romans in three dayes space built a wall about Ierusalem 14 Of the famine in Ierusalem and how they built another tower or mount 15 Of the massacre of the Iewes both within and without the Citie 16 Of the sacrilege about the Temple and the dead bodies that were cast out of the Citie and of the famine CHAP. I. Of the three sorts of seditions in Ierusalem TItus being thus come out of Aegypt by the desert into Syria hee departed from thence vnto Caesarea for there hee purposed to set his armie
Of Vespasians voyage by Sea and how Simon was taken and of the spectacles and shewes made vpon his birth-day WHilest Titus was busied in the siege of Ierusalem Vespasian in a Marchants ship sayled to Rhodes and from thence departing in a Gally hauing visited all Cities by the which he passed being ioyfully receiued of them all he went from Ionia into Greece from thence vnto Corcyra and then vnto Iapygia and afterwards by land Thus Titus being returned from Caesarea on the Sea coast he came vnto Caesarea Phillippi and there he made a long abode proclaiming all sorts of pastimes wherein many captiues perished some being cast vnto wild beasts others forced in great companies to fight one against another being in this place he vnderstood that Simon the sonne of Giora was taken This Simon at such time as Ierusalem was besieged was in the higher part of the Citie when the Romane armie had entred the wals and began to waste it and with his most trustie fellowes and certaine Masons hauing prouided them all necessarie tooles and victuals that might haue sufficed them all for many dayes hee accompanied with them and went into a secret caue vnto the end thereof and there hee caused them to digge further hoping so to get out at some place where he might safely escape away Yet this his hope had not so good successe as hee expected for they had but digged a little way ere victuals failed them notwithstanding that they had made verie great spare thereof Then Simon thinking to feare the Romans cloathed himselfe in white and a purple cloake buttened about him and so came out of the earth in that place where the Temple had beene builded before time And they that did first see him were astonished a while and sturred not but let him alone yet at last they came vnto him and demaunded what hee was but Simon would not tell them willing them to cal their Captaine vnto him and presently some of the souldiers ranne to cal him and so he came at that time Terentius Rufus was Captaine of the souldiers Terentius hauing learned the truth of all kept him bound and related vnto Caesar the manner of his taking and thus Simon was by the power of God deliuered into his enemies hands who hated him aboue measure and so was iustly hereby punished for hauing so cruelly tyrannized ouer his owne Countrimen not taken by their force but yeelding himselfe vnto them hauing cruelly butchered many vnder pretence of false criminations to wit for hauing reuolted vnto the Romans But impietie cannot escape Gods vengeance neither is the diuine iustice of so weake force but that it can at one time or other punish them that violate it it many times infflicteth a grieuous punishment vpon men when they thinke they haue escaped all for they were not presently punished which also Simon felt after hee fell into the Romans hands his comming out of the earth made a great many more of the seditious at that time to be taken in the Caues When Caesar was returned into Caesarea by the Sea coast Simon was presented bound vnto him who commanded him to be reserued for his triumph vvhich he purposed to make at Rome After making some aboade in that place he celebrated his brothers birth day with great solemnitie and in that solemnitie bringing foorth diuers Iewes whose punishment he had of purpose deferred till that time for the number of all that perished there with fighting against beasts and amongst themselues and by fire amounted to more then two thousand fiue hundreth men Yet the Romans thought all these punishments too light and easie for them After this Caesar came to Berytus which is a Citie in Phoenicia and a colonie of the Romans and here also he made some long aboade and celebrated the birth of his father with far greater solemnitie then the former as well in making diuers shewes vnto the people as in great expences and sumptuousnes and causing many captiues to perish as before CHAP. XXI Of the calamitie of the Iewes at Antiochia AT the same time the rest of the Iewes were in great miserie the Citie of Antiochia was incited against them both for certaine criminall causes laid now vnto their charge as also for certaine offences before committed which necessarily I must recount before I speake any thing of the rest The nation of the Iewes is mixed almost amongst all nations of the world and especially amongst the Syrians by reason of their vicinitie and many of them were at Antiochia because it was a great Citie and the kings that succeeded Antiochus permitted them freely to inhabite there and to enioy all liberties of the Citie For Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes destroied Ierusalem and sacked the temple but the kings successors restored all the brasse that was taken from the temple vnto the Iewes offering in vnto their Synagogue in Antiochia and permitted them to haue the same liberties in the Citie that the Greeks enioyed and the other kings also of latter times vsed them after the like sort so that their number greatly encreased and they enlarged their temple and enriched it with sundry offerings oftentimes winning many Pagans to be of their religion and so as it were made them also a part of their nation Now about the time that the warres began and Vespasian was newly arriued the Iewes began to be generally hated of all men then one of them named Antiochus reuerent for parentage whose father was chiefe of all the Iewes in Antiochia at such time as the people of Antiochia were assembled in the Theater this man came in amongst them and accused his owne father and the rest of the Iewes to haue conspired togither to burne the Citie in the night time and deliuered some Iewes vnto them that were his guests as conspirators with the rest The people hearing this could not represse their rage but presently caused them that were offered vnto them to be burnt in the Theater and made great speed to set vpon all the Iewes hoping that by speedy dispatch they might preserue their countrey which otherwise was like to perish And then Antiochus to enrage them the more did now offer to sacrifice according to the custome of the Pagans therby as it were assuring the Antiochians that he hated the Iewes and their customes wiliing them also to compell all the rest of the Iewes to doe the like for whosoeuer refused so to doe were traitors The Antiochians followed his counsell but few Iewes would obey them yet they that denied to sacrifice were slaine Then Antiochus receiuing a charge of souldiers from the captaine of the Romans became most cruell against his countrimen and would not permit them to keepe holy the seuenth day but vpon it to do all labour and businesse that they were accustomed to do vpon any other day vrged them hereto that within short time the seuenth day was not onely violated
repaireth to Ierusalem 515. c. Heliopolis appointed for Iacob 40. i. Helpe of God when most readie 51. a. Helpe of God to be sought for 54. l. Heraulds 97. c. Hercules his warre 19. c. Herod made Gouernour of Galilee 361. f. executeth Ezechias 362. f. called in question ib. k. 571. g. faueth himselfe by flight 363. b. killeth Malichus 367. e. 577. f. expelleth Antigonus out of Iewrie 368. h. 〈◊〉 574. h. marrieth Mariamme ibid. accused made Tetrarch 370. g h. 574. l. assailed by the Parthians 372. k. flieth to Malchus 373. c. made king 374. k. leadeth his army against Antigonus 375. b. 574. 〈◊〉 his proclamation 375. b c. 578. l. ouercommeth the Galileans 376. k. 378. m. subdueth the theeues 377. a b. 579. d. repaireth to Antonius 378. g. wounded 379. b. besiegeth Ierusalem 379. e. hindreth the spoile of the Citie 381. b. bribeth Antonius ibid. d. preferreth his fauorites 382. k. l. honoureth Hyrcanus 383. f. maketh Ananel high priest 384. g. taketh the priesthood from Ananel 385. b. contriueth Aristobulus death 385. f. his counterfait sorrow 386. l. goeth to Antonie 387. c committeth his wife to Ioseph c. ibid. c d e. instateth Cleopatra c 389. c. leuieth an army 390. h. ouercommeth the Arabians 393. b. 585. c. dismaied at Antonies ouerthrow 393. f. practiseth Hyrcanus death 394. g. banisheth Antipater 589. b. repaireth to Caesar 395. d. his speech to Caesar ibid. entertaineth Caesar and his army 396. l. incensed against Mariamme 397. d. against Phaeroras 594. b. commeth to Iericho 579. b. taketh Sephoris 578. c. his buildings and workes as Theaters 401. Castles 402. l. 404. k. 405. b c. 405. c d. 406. h 407. e. 420. l m. 438. h. 586. m. 588. g h. distributeth come among the people 403. e f. remits the third part of tribute 407. 〈◊〉 sweareth the people 408. g. reedifieth the temple 409. a b c. saileth into Italy 412. m. giueth wiues to his sons 413. b. his liberalitie 413 d 414 g. openeth Dauids Sepulchre 423. a. crediteth all tales 426. h. wearie of his life and why 427. d. fortunate abroad and vnfortunate at home 416. l. beheadeth Pappus 582. g. accuseth his sens before Caesar 417. c. 418. g h. 590. k. giueth â—…are to accusers 431. a b. accuseth his sons 433. e f. 596. l. strangleth them 597. d. accuseth Phaeroras wife 439. e. sendeth Antipater to Caesar 440. h. tortureth the bondwomen 441. b. putteth away his wife 442 i. calleth Antipater from Rome 442. m. 601. f. bringeth him in question 443. d. imprisoneth Antipater 446. l. maketh his will 447. d e. 450. k. certified of his brothers death 581. a. commandeth the nobles to be slain 449. c. his liberalitie 449. b. 583. b. bemoneth his sons 598. g. betrotheth his nephewes ibid. g. 599. b. loued Antipater aboue the rest 603. a b. blotteth him out of his testament 604. l. putteth him to death 606. g. his owne death and buriall 450 k. c. 606. h. Herod fortifeth Cities 464. i. buildeth Tiberias 495. a. Herod dismisseth Aretas daughter 470. i. marrieth Herodias ibid k. repaireth to Rome 479. c. accused and banished ibid. d e. 618. i. Herod created king of Chaleis 506. k. killeth Silas 511. d. his authoritie to create the high priest 513. e. Herodias enuâ—…eth Agrippa 478. m. banished 479. e f. Herodium a Castle 588 h. High priests ornaments 63. f. 64. e c. garment 707. f. High priests since Sadoc 255. 〈◊〉 Hill of witnesse 25. f. Hiram his league 164. i. his Embassadours to Salomon 194. l. promiseth him wood ibid. l. receiueth great quantitie of wheat c. 195. a. proposeth hard questions 201. a. Hircanus high priest 334. i. besiegeth Ptolomey ibid. maketh peace with Antiochus 335. d e. taketh money out of Dauids monument ibid. f. surpriseth Cities of Syria 336. h. conquereth the Idumaeans ibid. i. besiegeth Samaria 337. d e. takes it 338. g. 561. a. discontented with the Pharisees 338. i. followeth the Sadduces 339. a b. his death ibid. Hircanus Iosephs sonne 300. g. treason intended against him ibid. l. accused and why 301. a. his apologie ibid. h. his iests ibid. c. assailed by his brethren 301. f. afflicteth the Arabians 302. i. his buildings ib. i k. killeth himselfe ib. l. Hircanus high priest 566. a. 347. c. content to liue a priuate life 3â—…0 k. his Embassage to Scaurus 352. k. repaireth the wals of Ierusalem 360. l. honoured by the Athenians 361. a. foretold of his death 362. m. his Embassadours brought into the Senate 365. d. taken prisoner 371. f. highly honâ—…red 383. c. his death 394. l m. Hire of an harlot 91. a. Hire not to be detained 96. m. Historie of Dina 26. m. Histories recited 715. a b. Historie of Antiquities 764. i. Historiographers refuted 776. k l. 777. f. 778. i m. 780. g 〈◊〉 781. b. hide Antiochus periurie 787. c. Holy ointment 66. b. Holocaust or burnt sacrifice 68. i. Homer auncientest Greeke writer 765. b. Homicide committed 91. f. 92. g. Honorable drawne befâ—… tyrants 718. g. Honouring of strange gods looke Idolatrie Honours of Ioseph 34. g h. 39. b. Honour of the Magistrate 91. e. 628. g. Honours change manners 149. d. Honour of Mardocheus 281. b c. Honour due to parents 794. g h. Horses taken 106. l. Horsemen of Salomon 193. f. Horseman brought letters to Ioseph 542. 〈◊〉 Horsemen of the Romans 648. l m. Hospitalitie of the Esseans 615. b. Host looke armie Houshold-stuffe 106. Houses full of dead men 721. d. 743. d. Humanitie becommeth a king 152. l. Humanitie of Balaam 83. e f. of the three kings 226. i. of Caesar 609. f. of Titus 730. k. Humanitie of Titus counted cowardice 713. e. Humanitie of the Romans incited the Iewes against them 740. h. Hunger killeth many 713. c. Hurt of the Generall dismaieth the souldiers 222. h. Hymnes sung to God 243. a. I Iabasites besieged 134. g. promised assistance ibid i. burie the bodies of Saul and his sons 158. i k. praised 160. g. Iabin a king of Chanaan 114. m. subdueth the Israelites ib. m. his army put to flight 115. c. Iacob the sonne of Isaac 20. m. his greatnesse foretold ib. m. held his brothers heele 21. a. stealeth the blessing 21. f. flying to Laban seeth a vision 22. k l. voweth a sacrifice to God ibid. k l m. arriueth at Charran 23. a. talketh with Rachel and Laban ibid. b. c. requireth Rachel c. 23. f. deceiued 24. h. departeth priuily from Laban c. ibid. m. accuseth Laban of ill dealing 25. d e. maketh a couenant with him ibid. e f. sendeth messengers to his brother Esau 26. g. is reconciled to him and how ibid. i k l. wrastleth with an Angel ibid. i k. sacrificeth 27. b. bewaileth Ioseph 31. l. sendeth his sonnes into Aegypt c. 34. k. 35. e. would not depart with Beniamin 35. e f. reloiceth at Iosephs prosperitie 39. b. his iourney into Aegypt ibid. e f. meeteth Ioseph
sithence the beginning of the world being compared with those the Iewes suffered are of no moment The Grecian Historiographers ouerpasse the wars of the Iewes with silence Who may rightly be called a Historiographer Antiochus Epiphanes the first author fountaine of the warres of the Iewes The Epiromâ—… of the warreâ—… of the Iewes The signes and changes after Neroes death Titus besiegeth Ierusalem The manners and sacrifices of the Iewes The humanity of thâ—… Romans towards the Iewes The burning of the temple and the ouerthrow of the citie The Romans triumph ouer the Iewes The cause why he wrote this historie The yeare of the world 3802 before Christs birth 162. Ant. li. 12. ca. 6. Antiochus being stirred vp by 〈◊〉 soâ—… inuadeth Iudaea and surpriseth Ierusalem Ant lib. 15. cap. 4. The yeare of thâ—… world 3802. before the birth of Christ. 162. The high priest Onâ—… flieth to Ptolomey Ant. lib. 1â—… cap. 7. Antiochus altereth the customes of the Iewes Bacchides crâ—…eltie towards the Iewes Ant. lib. 1. cap. 7. 8. Matthias confederated with others maketh warre againâ—… Antiochus Antiochus dieth and leaueth the kingdome to his sonne Antiochus who gathereth a huge power and inuadeth Iurie Ant. lib. 12. cap. 14. 15. Eleazar dieth being slaine bâ—… an Elephant Eleazar preferred honour before life The yeare of the world 3802. before Christs birth 162. Antiochus departing from Ierusalem leaueth sufficient garrison there Ant. lib. 12. cap. 18. ludas fighteth with Atiochuâ—… captains and is slaine Ant. li. 13. c2 1. The yeare of the world 3805. befoer Christs Natiuitie 159. Ionath as taken by Tryphons subtilue is slain Ant. lib. 15. cap. 9. The yeare of the world 3823. before Christs birth 141. Simon encouÌ„treth with Cendebeus ouercommeth him Ant. lib. 13. cap. 14. Simon by the treachery of his son in law Ptolemaeus is taken slaine Iohn otherwise called Hircanus the son of Simon The yeare of the world 3831. before the Natiâ—…itie of Christ. 133. Hircanus obtaineth the honour of the hie priesthood which his father had Ptolemaeus cruelty against Hircanus mother brethreÌ„ The yeare of thâ—… world 3831. before Christs birth 133. Ptolemaeus murthereth Hircanus mother and brethren The yeâ—… of the world 3839. before Christs birth 125. Antiochus vpon â—…e paimeÌ„t of three hundreth talents raiseth his siege Ant. lib. 13. cap 15. Aristobulus Antigonus besiege Sebaste Sebaste ouerthrowen and spoiled The seditios ouercome in warre Iohn after he had happily gouerned the countrey for 30. yeeres space dieth The yeare of the world 3861. before Christs birth 103. Ant. lib. 13. cap. 19. Aristobulus saÌ„misheth his mother Aristobulus loued Antigonus very deerly The yeare of the world 3861. afâ—… Christs birth 103. Antigonus in honour of his brother ascended vp into the temple Antigonus falsely accused to his brother Aristobulus commandeth his guard that if Antigonus came armed they should kil him The Queenes cunning Stratageme against Antigonus Antigonus suspecteth not his brother Iudas the prophet foretelleth Antigoâ—… death Aristobulus thorow the griefe he conceiued at his brothers death falleth sicke A seruant spilleth bloud in the same place where Antigoâ—…us was slaine The yeare of thâ—… world 3862. before the birth of Christ. 102. The eie of God discouereth euery sinne Aristobulus dieth milerably Ant lib. 13. cap 9. Alexander aduanced to the kingdome vâ—…eth much cruelty Alexander is ouerthrowne by Theodore The sedition of the Iewes against Alexander vpon a festiuall day Alexander assaileth the castle of Amathunt and raseth iâ—… Demetrius commeth to helpe y e Iewes Ant. lib. 13. cap. 20. The warre betwixt Demetrius and Alexander wherein Demetrius is conquerer The yeâ—…e of the world 3â—…62 before Christs birth 10â—… The Iewes reuolt from Deâ—…trius Aleâ—…aÌ„ders immoderate wrath who crucified eight hundreth captiues Alexander ceaseth from warre Alexander feareth Antiochus Demetriâ—…s brother The king of the Arabianâ—… inuadeâ—… Antiochus souldieâ—… vnawares The king of Arabia putteth Antiochus forces to flight and killeth a great number of them They of Damasco and Aâ—…ctas against Alexander Alexander sick of a quartane feuâ—…r Ant. lib. 13. cap. 2â—… Alexandra Alexanders wife thorow the opinion of vertue obtaineth the kingdome The yeare of thâ—… world 3862. before Christs Natiuitie 102. Hyrcanus first made high priest and afterwards king The Pharisees getting in fauour with the Queene are made her chief gouernours and enjoy all honours Alexandra willingly obeieth the Pharisees The Pharisees by their enuies and acculatioÌ„s are the death of many good men Aristobulus expostulâ—…teth with his mother Aristobulus proclaimeth himselfe king Alexandra imprisoneth Aâ—…stobulus wife and children The yeare of the world 3873 before the Natiâ—…itie of Christ. 95. Alexandra dieth and Hyrcanus succeedeth her in the kingdome Ant. lib. 14. cap. 1. The brethren contending for the kingdome are accorded vpon certaine conditions Ant. lib. 14. ca. 2. 3. 4 Antipater perswadeth Hyrcanus to flie to Aretas king of Arabia and to craue his assistance to recouer his kingdome The yeare of the world 3873 before Christs birth 95. Antipater with Hyrcanus flie from Ierusalem by night to Aretas king of Arabia Aretas furnisheth Hyrcanus with 50000 souldiers Scaurus captaine of the Romans The yeare of the world 3899. before Christs birth 65. Scaurus receibeth 300. talents from Atistobulus and commandeth the Arabians and Hyrcanus to depart out of the countrey Antipater and Hyreanus seek for Pompeies helpe Ant. lib. 14. cap. 6. 7. Pompey furnished both with the Syrians and Romane army setteth forth against Aristobulus Pompey commaundeth Aristobulus to descend Aristobulus resorteth to Pompey Aristobulus intendeth to fight with Pompey Hedio * Idumaea The yeare of the world 3903. before Christs birth 61. Pompey besiegeth Ierusalem Aristobulus humbly presenteth himselfe to Pompey Ant. lib. 14. cap. 7. 8. Pompey vieweth the citie which way it might most easily be battered Sedition within the citie betwixt Hircanus and Aristobulus friends Pompey his enter the citie and search the kings house Aristobulus with his frieÌ„ds flie to the temple Pompey filleth vp the trench and obserueth the seuenth day Pompey buildeth towers vpon his platformes The Iewes intermit not sacrifice in the midst and heat of the siege Twelue thousand Iewes slaine in the temple Pompey his followers enter the sanctuary Pompeies continencie Hyrcanus made hic priest The yeare of the world 3903 before Christs birth 61. Pompey causeth the chiefest conspirators to be beheaded Pompey deliuereth many goodly cities from the subiection of the Iewes Aristobulus his family caried to Rome Ant. lib. 14. cap 9. The Arabian is reconciled to Scaurus Ant. lib. 14. cap. 10. Alexander Aristobulus son gathereth a great power gainst Hyrcacanus The yeare of the world 3904 before the Natiuitie of Christs 60. Alexander gathereth 10000 footmen and 1500. horsmen Antipater with his forces goeth out to meet Alexanâ—…nder Alexander fighteth with his enemies and loseth sixe thousand men Marcus Antonius a captain What cities the Iewes receiued to inhabite The yeare of the world 3804. before Christs Natiuitie 60.
and Anthony and Caesar the younger Wherupon Malichus mightily fearing Antipaters power determined to make him away and hauing corrupted Hircanus butler with money with whom both of them celebrated a feast hee made him away by poyson and afterwards assembling many men of warre about him he made himselfe master of the Citie When Herode and Phasaelus vnderstood of the traiterous conspiracie attempted against their father they were grieuously incensed against Malichus But hee denied all and in especiall abiured the intent or practise of the murther Thus died Antipater a iust and vertuous man and such a one as deerely loued his countrey But Herode who was his younger sonne incontinently resolued to reuenge his fathers death and came forth with an army against Malichus But Phasaelus who was the elder determined to circumuent him by policie for feare least he should raise a ciuill warre He therefore accepted of Malichus iustifications and made a shew that he supposed that he had in no such sort sought Antipaters death and only intended his fathers monument and funerals Meane while Herode resorting to Samaria and finding it in desperate estate restored the same and pacified the dissensions that were amongst the inhabitants Not long after by reason of a feast he came to Ierusalem with his men of warre Wherupon Malichus being affraid of this his accesse perswaded Hircanus that he should not permit him to enter into the Citie whereunto Hircanus condescended alleadging for pretext of his defence that amongst the holy people it was not lawfull to intermixt a troupe of polluted men But Herode made small reckoning of them that brought him this newes and notwithstanding this commaund entred the Citie by night whereat Malichus was much amazed Whereupon according to his wonted dissimulations he openly wept and bewailed the death of Antipater as his especiall friend but vnder hand he prepared a guard for his owne safetie Notwithstanding it was thought meet by Herodes friends to take no notice of this his dissimulation but to make a shew for their parts that they were wel affected towards Malichus CHAP. XX. Herode at the commaund of Cassius killeth Malichus by policie HEreupon Herode certified Cassius of Antipater his fathers death who knowing very well of what conuersation Malichus was wrote backe vnto Herode that he should reuenge the death of his father besides he sent secret letters to the captaines that were in Tyre commanding them to aide and assist Herode in that so iust execution which he intended After therefore that Cassius had taken Laodicea and the inhabitants of the countrey came togither bringing with them crownes and siluer to present him Herode expected that Malichus in that place should receiue his punishment but he entring into suspition of some like practise at such time as they drewe neere vnto Tyre in Phoenicia attempted farre greater things For whereas his sonne was an hostage in Tyre he entred the Citie with an intent to draw him thence and afterwards to returne into Iudaea After this vsurping vpon that oportunitie which he had by reason of Cassius troubles who hastily marched forward to meet with Anthony he determined to draw the people to an insurrection and to make himselfe Lord of the countrey but God disappointed his vniust purposes For Herode being a man of ripe iudgement incontinently discouered his pretence and sent one of his seruants before as if vnder purpose to prepare a banquet because he had told him before time that he would entertaine all his followers but in effect he sent him to the captaines to command them to issue out with their daggers and to meet Malichus who marching forth and meeting him neere vnto the shore of the Citie vpon the sea coast stabbed him in that place with their daggers Which act did so much astonish Hircanus that thorow amaze he waxed speechlesse and finally being much mooued he demaunded of Herodes men what accident had happened and who it was that had slaine Malichus Whereof when they certified him and how nothing was done without Cassius commaund he answered that all things were well done for that Malichus was a wretched man and a traitour to his countrey See here how Malichus was iustly punished for the wickednesse he committed against Antipater When Cassius was departed out of Syria there arose a new tumult in Iudaea for Faelix who was left in Ierusalem with an army marched forth against Phasaelus and all the people were in armes For which cause Herode speedily repaired to Fabius gouernour of Damasco and intending to succour his brother was preuented by a sicknesse so that Phasaelus obtaining the victory by his owne forces against Faelix enclosed him vp in a tower whence afterwards he dismissed him vnder composition Whereupon he presently and grieuously rebuked Hircanus for that being forgetfull of diuers benefits which he had receiued by him he had giuen aide vnto his enemies For Malichus brother being at that time reuolted planted garrisons in diuers fortresses and namely in Masada which was the strongest of them all As soone as Herode therefore had recouered his health he drew forth his forces against him and dispossessed him of diuers places that he held and after suffered him to depart with his life and goods CHAP. XXI Herode discomfiteth Antigonus the sonne of Aristobulus and driueth him out of Iudaea seeking to recouer his fathers kingdome by the aide of the prince of Tyre PTolomey Mennaeus drew vnto him by force of his money Aristobulus sonne the young Antigonus who had gathered a power and hired Fabius and was likewise drawne by Ptolomey vnder titles of consanguinitie and adoption With him ioyned Marion whom Cassius had made Gouernour in Tyre For this man hauing occupied Syria by tyrannie kept garrison therein Marion also inuaded Galilee which confined his countrey and hauing seazed three strong fortresses therein he kept garrisons in the same Herode also marching forth against him dispossessed him of them al and gratiously dismissed those Tyrians that had the keeping thereof bestowing benefits on some of them for the loue he bare vnto their citie And that done he came and encountred with Antigonus and fought with him and ouercame him before he had scarcely entred on the marches of Iudaea and droue him from thence When hee was come to Ierusalem Hircanus and all the people honoured him with crownes for already was he inserted into Hircanus family for that by promise hee was his sonne in lawe by which meanes he had more willingly vndertaken his defence for that he was to marrie Alexanders the sonne of Aristobulus daughter who was Hircanus neece on whom he begat three sonnes and two daughters Before her also had he married a wife of his owne nation who was called Doris on whom he begat Antipater his eldest sonne CHAP. XXII Herod meeting with Antonius in Bithynia giueth him a great summe of money to the ende he should not giue â—…are to those that would accuse him ANtonius and