had not such successe as he hoped for he came to Rome and brought Ionathas and the rest bound with him thinking that no more inquirie would be made of the false accusations inuented by himselfe But Vespasian suspecting the matter made diligent inquirie to know the truth and finding these crimes iniuriously imposed vpon those men at Titus intreatie he acquited them and punished Ionathas according to his desert who being first whipped was afterward burned aliue And Catullus at that time by reason of the mildnesse of the Emperours had nothing said vnto him but not long after he fell into a grieuous disease and was cruelly tormented not onely in bodie but also in mind For he was greatly terrified and still imagined to see the ghostes of them whom hee had so vniustly slaine readie to kill him so that hee cried out and not able to containe himselfe lept out of his bed as though hee had beene tortured with torments and fire And this disease dayly increasing on his guts and bowels rotting and issuing out of him at last he died in this manner leauing behind him an euident argument that the diuine iustice doth punish impious malefactors And this is the end of the Historie which we promised to bee set downe with all fidelitie for them that are desirous to know the euent of the warres betweene the Iewes and the Romanes And as for our stile we leaue it to the iudgement of the Reader but touching the veritie of the Historie it is such as no man neede to doubt of for I doe affirme that to bee the onely scope which I aymed at in this whole worke The end of the seuenth and last Booke of Flauius Iosephus of the Warres of the Iewes THE FIRST BOOKE OF FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS THE SONNE OF MATTHIAS WRITTEN AGAINST APION AS TOVCHING THE ANTIQVITIE OF THE IEWES ISuppose O thou worthiest amongst worthie men Epaphroditus that I haue sufficiently testified vnto them who shall reade those bookes which I haue written as touching the autentique historie of the Iewes that our nation is most auncient and that they haue had their originall from themselues and haue from the first beginning inhabited that Countrie whereof they are now possessed at this present To which effect I haue gathered out of our sacred writings and published in the Greeke tongue a Historie containing the occurrences of fiue thousand yeeres And for that I see their are diuers who being too much addicted and seduced by the scandalous blasphemies and reports which some of those who are Iewdly affected towards vs haue published against vs haue misconceited and misbeleeued that which I haue written of our antiquitie and labour to approue our nation to bee moderne because none of the most auncient and most renowmed Historio graphers among the Grecians haue thought our auncestors worthie to bee enrowled in their writings I haue for these causes held it a part of my dutie to write som short treatise hereupon both to reproue the euill intent and affected lying of those our calumners as also to correct their ignorance by teaching those who are desirous to know the truth what the originall of our motion is For proofe whereof I will reduce no other testimonie then those who from antiquitie haue beene iudged worthie of credite among the Greekes laying open before their eyes that they who haue slaunderously and falsely written against vs are conuicted by their owne mouthes I will also enforce my selfe to expresse the causes wherein verie few Grecians haue made mention of vs in their Histories and moreouer I will make it knowne to those that are ignorant either in effect or in pretence who they haue beene that omitted not our Historie First of all therefore I doe not a little maruaile at those who in respect of antiquitie suppose that the truth ought onely to be gathered from the Greekes and that they iustly may claime the honour and knowledge of faithfull writing whereat they neither vouchsafe either vs or any others the credite or truth in that wee set downe although I am able to proue that all things haue fallen out quite contrarie For which cause it behoueth vs not to looke vnto mens various opinions but to examine that which is right and gather the same by the effects For all that whatsoeuer is set downe by the Greekes is new and of late memorie and hath beene brought to execution in a maner but yesterday I meane the foundations of Cities the inuentions of Arts and the descriptions of Lawes and the latest practise amongst them hath beene and is the diligent trauaile in Historie But among the Aegyptians Chaldeis and Phoenicians for I presume not to compare my countrimen with them as they themselues confesse the memorie of their writings is most ancient and infallible For all these nations dwell in such countries as are not subiect to the corruption of aire and haue carefully prouided that none of those things that haue been done by them should sleepe in obscuritie but should be kept in memorie in the publike writings of the learnedest men Whereas innumerable corruptions haue crept in among the Greeks by which the memorie of things forepassed is defaced But they alwaies who haue established new estates haue each of them supposed in their owne behalfe that whosoeuer was of theirs he was the first of the world Yet notwithstanding they haue had the knowledge of the nature of letters verie late and haue attained the same with verie great difficultie For they that speake of the most auncient vse of the same doe boast and glorifie themselues that they haue receiued the knowledge thereof from the Phoenicians and Cadmus Yet notwithstanding there is not any one of them that can shew any record of that time either in their temple or in their publike registers whereas after there arose a great doubt and question whether those letters were in vse during their time who sithence haue for the space of many yeeres continued the siege before Troy And in sooth their opinion who affirme that they were ignorant of the vse of those letters which are at this present allowed and accustomed amongst vs is not to be refused For it is most manifest that there is not any writing extant among the Greekes that is more auncient then Homers poesie which as it is most manifest hath bin in allowance and continuance since the time of the siege of Troy and yet it is reported that he left no part of that his poesie in writing which was composed of diuers songs and onely sung by roate by which meanes it came to passe that there are so many contradictions in the same And as touching those who haue vndertaken to write histories among them I meane Cadmus the Milesian and Acusilaus the Argiue and after him if there were any others they were not aliue but verie little time before the passage of the Persians into Greece Furthermore they who among the Greekes were the
first that introduced Philosophie and the knowledge of celestiall and diuine things that is to say Pherecydes the Svrian Pythagoras and Thales these all of them confesse with one accord that being instructed by the Aegiptians and Chaldeis they haue published some few writings which are supposed to be the most auncient that are among the Greekes and it is hardly beleeued also that they were written by them What reason therefore haue the Greeks to be so proud as if there were none but themselues only who knew the affaires of antiquitie and could exactly expresse their truth and veritie Or who cannot easily coniecture by their owne writers themselues that their writings were onely vpon hearesay and supposition and that their stile was onely tied to their vaine coniectures Hence commeth it to passe that in their bookes they cauell and reproue one another make no conscience to maintaine and write contradictions in one and the same things But it may be said that I taske my selfe to a fruitlesse labour if I should go about to informe those who are better experienced then my selfe in how many points Hellanicus differeth from Acusilaus as touching the Genealogie in how many places Acusilaus hath corrected Herodotus or how Ephorus hath approoued that Hellanicus was a liar in the greater part of that which he reciteth Ephorus hath been reprooued by Timaeus and in generall all them haue taxed Herodotus Neither hath Timaeus vouchsafed to accord with Antiochus or Philistus or Callias in the histories of Sicâ—…ly Neither haue they who haue written the histories of Athens or those who haue entreated of the Argoliques followed others What neede I recken vp those who in particular haue entreated of Cities or of succinct and short matters whereas in the description of the Persian warre and those exploits that were performed therein those of greatest authoritie are most at oddes Thucidides is accused by some for a liar in diuers places notwithstanding that he seemeth to haue described the historie of his time most exactly But the causes of this discord are diuers and it may be that they who shall narrowly prie into them shall find more For mine owne part those two which I shall here set downe in my opinion are of greatest weight The first and in my iudgement the chiefest is that amongst the Greekes from the beginning we haue not been industrious to keepe publike registers of such matters as hapned in any time or place which hath made them erre and giuen those a priuiledge to lie who afterwards would looke to write any thing of such matters as were acted long since Neither are the other Greekes onely to be touched with this negligence for not making account of such registers but amongst the Athenians also who are reputed to be glorious for the antiquitie of their countrey and who are exercised in sciences there is no mention of them For it is said that the most auncient and publike writings which they haue are those capitall lawes which were set downe by their lawmaker Draco who liued but a little time before Pisistratus tyrannie What neede wee speake of the Arcades who vaunt themselues of their antiquities For they haue learned the vse of letters with verie great difficultie and sometime after this whereas therefore there was not any writing published before that time which might instruct those that would learne or reprehend those that published vntruths from thence is it that so many differences haue happened among Historiographers A second cause is for that they who addicted themselues to compose histories did not busie themselues about the inquisition of the truth notwithstanding that each of them did ordinarily promise no lesse but they laboured to expresse how 〈◊〉 they were and fixed their whole study theron as the onely means wherby they hoped to obtaine reputation aboue the rest Some of them therefore addicted their stiles to â—…ables othersome by flattering praises thought to currie fauour with kings and Cities The rest inforced their studies to accusations by obtaining the worke of the writer thereof under trust to get the more credit thereby In effect they haue followed that coursd in composing their hitorie that was â—…uerie way different from the true nature thereof For the assured signe of a perfect and true historie is whereas all men accord both in word and writing iâ—… soâ—…ing down the same thing and they who haue written diuersly made men beleeue that they were the â—…est amongst aâ—… thâ—… rest We ought therefore to grant the superioritie to the Grecians in all that which concenâ—…h eloquence and the ornament of language but not in that which appertaineth to antiquitie or truth of Historie and especially when the question is that each man writ as touching his owne nation Seeing therfore that both the Aegyptians and Babylonians long time since vsed all diligence in writing in so much as their priests were hereunto enioyned who did most curiously entreat of all such points the same also did the Chaldeis amongst the Babylonians and the Phoenicians also inhabiting amongst the Greekes vsed lawes both concerning priuate and publike affaires which because all men confesse it I will omiâ—…to speake of I let passe also to recount what care our nation had of this point no doubt greater then those nations aboue mentioned had charging our high priests and prophets to execute this office which custome hath been obscrued euen vntill this our age yea and if I may presume so farre will be obserued in all succeeding ages as by the scope of my speech ensuing I will endeuour to make manifest For our nation did not onely depute this office to the most iust men amongst them in the beginning and vnto such as were alwaise ready to appease the heauie displeasure and wrath of God kindled against them but they also prouided to preserue the line and dissent of priests from all impuritie and from being intermingled with others For no man amongst vs can be a priest who is not borne of a woman descended from the priests line neither in this case is any respect made either of riches or honours but the partie who claimeth the dignitie of priesthood must by many witnesses proue his Genealogie and that he is descended from priests This custome is not onely of force in Iewrie our owne countrey but wheresoeuer else any of our nation inhabite as in Aegypt and Babylon and in any other place where continually the priests in their marriages haue this respect not to marrie with any woman that is not of their owne line and they send vnto Ierusalem the name and petigree of the woman whom they haue married and all testimonie hereof which they can deduce from her auncestors Now if warres molest our nation as often they haue in the time of Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes of Pompey the great Quintilius Varo and especially in this our age then those priests who suruiue make new Genealogies and pedigrees out of our holy writ
motiue but diuers and verie different causes of their labours for some of them are addicted to this studie vnder pretence to exemplifie their eloquence and vnder hope to purchase glorie thereby other some to the end to giue them content whose worthy actions they couch and commend in their writings haue intermitted no time nor to their power spared no labour Some there are that hauing beene present in person and eie witnesses in the execution of great affaires haue necessarily beene inforced to reduce and digest the same in writing neither wanted there some who seeing occurrences of high and necessarie consequence which otherwise had beene buried in ignorance haue beene incited in respect of common good to imploy both hand and head in the publishing thereof now of these forenamed causes the two last are they that incited me to the like For the warre which we had with the Romaines and the accidents and issues on both parts all which in person I beheld and to my perill I haue learned do compell me to declare the same and the rather for that there are some who in their writings haue depraued and peruerted the truth I haue therefore taken this worke in hand for that in my opinion the knowledge thereof will be both pleasing and profitable to the Graecians for it shal containe the antiquitie of our whole nation their forme of common-weale both translated and gathered out of the Antiquities and Chronicles of the Hebrewes Truth t is that heretofore and at such time also as I composed the Historie of the foresaid warre I had prâ—…ected and purposed with my selfe to lay open to the world how and whence the Iewes had their first originall what alterations in fortune they had falne into by what law-maker they had beene instructed in pietie and incited to the exercise of vertue how many warres they haue sustained by long and diuers times and finally how against their will they haue beene intangled in this last warre which they waged against the Romaines But for that the content of this matter was too ample and copious I haue separated it apart assigning thereunto this treatise accomplished from the beginning euen vnto the end afterwards in processe of time as it vsually hapneth to those that attempt matters of mightie consequence I was surprized with a certaine delay and slothfulnesse that withdrew me from the translation of so waightie a matter in an vnfamiliar and forraine language Yet some there were who inflamed with a desire of knowledge animated me in this action and especially Epaphroditus a man enamoured of all learning and who in especial tooke it for a pleasure to take knowledge of the diuers occurrences of common-weales as he that had beene agent in diuers affaires of importance and sundrie accidents in all which he hath shewed a maruaâ—…lous magnanimitie of courage with an vnmoueable resolution to follow vertue Being thus perswaded by him who is accustomed to incourage those vnto good actions whome hee perceiueth to be apte and prepared to performe things profitable and honest and that which is more being ashamed in my selfe that I should rather take delight to follow idlenesse than addict my selfe to any laudable exercise I inforced my seâ—…fe more couragiously then before time and besides all that which hath beene spoken I haue effectually considered with my selfe that our auncestors haue thought good to communicate and publish the knowledge of our Histories to the Grecians if so be that any of them were curious to vnderstand the same I haue found therfore that Ptolomey king of Egypt the second of the name highly affectioned to good letters and desirous to store and gather bookes was earnestly desirous that our lawe and the rules thereof and the prescript forme of ouâ—… liuing should be translated into the Greeke tongue And as touching the hie Priest Eleazar who hath not been second in vertue to any other whatsoeuer he refused not to make the said King partaker of the effect of his desire to which he had wholy contradicted had it not beene the ordinarie course of our auncestors not to conceale from other men what thing soeuer was honest For which cause I haue helde it a matter no waies vndecent for me to follow the vertuous courage of that same great sacrificer and the rather for that at this day onely in as much as concerned learning I supposed many also to be no lesse affected to good letters then the king for he vndertooke not to haue all the writings which we had but those translators who were sent vnto him to Alexandria did onely communicate that vnto him which was in our lawe But those things that are found written in the sacred bookes of holy Scripture are infinite being such as containe in them the Historie of fiue thousand yeares in which diuers vnexpected chances sundry fortunes of warre and many changes of politike estates are discouered In some if any one haue a desire to reade this Historie he shall principally learne and apprehend that all things fall out happily and beyond their expectation to those men who obserue the will of God and are affraid to transgresse the lawes of his commandements and that God hath prepared for such the crowne and reward of felicitie Contrariwise if they shall depart from the diligent obseruance thereof that which is easie shall be made impossible and their indeuours in their opinion good shall end in incurable calamities For which cause I exhort all those that shall reade these bookes to fix their mind vpon God and that they approue our law-maker if as it worthely deserued he hath considered the diuine nature and attributed to the same such actions as are alwaies agreeable to his power and hath kept and continued his narration free from the vanitie of fables wherwith others are poisoned although in respect of the length of time and the antiquity of things he might without controule faine and imagine whatsoeuer vanities for hee was borne more then two thousand yeeres ago which is a continuance of ages to which the Poets neither durst referre the original of their Gods neither the deedes or lawes of men whereof they make mention But in pursuit of our Historie the sequell of our discourse shall declare all things exactly and in conuenient order For in compiling this worke I haue promised to adde nothing neither to pretermit any thing and for that all whatsoeuer we shall declare doth almost wholy depend on the wisedome of our law-maker Moses It is necessarie before all other things that I speake somewhat of himselfe least perhaps any man should wonder how this labour hauing been enterprised to discouer the words and workes of certaine persons is also employed for the greatest part in describing and discouering things that are naturall We ought therefore to know that Moses thought it most especially necessarie either for him that will rightly dispose his life or impose lawes to other men that first and in especiall he haue the knowledge of the nature
thereof that the worthy nature of this king might be known vnto all men and how beloued he was of God and how surpassing in all kindes of vertue When Hiram king of Tyre vnderstood that Salomon succeeded his father in the kingdome he was glad thereof for he was Dauids friend for which cause he sent messengers vnto him to salute him and to congratulate with him of that good which had hapned vnto him by whom Salomon returned an answere in these tearmes Salomon to Hiram the king Know thou that my father hauing a wil to build a temple vnto God hath been withdrawen from the performance thereof by the continuall warres and troubles he hath had for he neuer tooke rest before he either had defeated his enemies or made thē tributaries vnto him For mine own part I thanke God for the peace which I possesse and for that by the means therof I haue opportunity according to mine own desire to build a temple vnto God for he it is that foretold my father that this house should be builded during my raign For which cause I pray you send some one of your skilfullest men with my seruants to the wood Libanus to hew downe trees in that place for the Sidonians are more skilfull in hewing and preparing timber then our people are and I will pay the cleauers of wood according to your direction When Hiram had read this letter he was very glad to p◅e the contents of the same and wrote backe againe vnto him to this effect The king Hiram vnto king Salomon Thou hast cause to thanke God in that he hath deliuered thy fathers kingdome into thy hands to thee I say who art a man wise and full of vertue For which cause since no newes can come vnto me more gratious nor office of loue more esteemed then this I will accomplish all that thou requestest for after I haue caused a great quantitie of Cedar and Cyprus wood to be cut downe I will send it thee by sea by my seruants whom I will commaund and furnish with conuenient vessels of burthen to the end they may deliuer the same in what place of thy kingdome it shall best please thee that afterwards thy subiects may transport them to Ierusalem You shall prouide to furnish vs with corne whereof we stand in need because we inhabit an Island The copies are yet at this day kept not onely by those of that nation but also by the Tyrians so that if any man desire exactly to know that they be let him search the publique records of the Tyrians and he shall finde in them matters accordant to that we haue said All which I say to that end that the readers might be assured that I outstrip not the truth in any sort and that I insert not in this historie matters that are meerly apparant deceitful and only fashioned for delight neither feare I that any man shall examine my writings neither desire I likewise that euery man giue credit at the first sight to the same or that I be held blamelesse in suffering my selfe any waies to vary or vnproperly dilate ought in this historie but contrariwise if I cannot approoue the truth by demonstration and sufficient testimonies I desire not to be allowed As soone as Salomon had receiued these letters from the King of the Tyrians he praised his facilitie and beneuolence and presently sent him that which he demanded euerie yeare therefore he sent him two thousand Cores of wheat and the like number of Ba ds of oyle this Bad containeth seuentie and two sextaries He gaue him also the like measure of wine From that time forward the friendship betwixt Hiram and Salomon increased more and more so that both of them protested that it should continue for euer The king imposed on his people the tribute of thirtie thousand workemen whom he gaue in charge to trauell continually and distributed them verie discreetly Hee ordained that ten thousand of them should cut wood in Libanus for the space of one moneth and that then they should rest two moneths returning euery man vnto his owne dwelling place vntill such time as the twentie thousand had in their turne accomplished the taske in the time that was prefixed vnto them and then the first 10000. renewed their work followed the same in the fourth month Ador◅ was constituted superintendēt ouer this tribute Besides these there were 70000. men appointed to cary stones wood who were the inhabitants of that countrey which Dauid had left There were foure score thousand hewers of stone ouer whichwere 3200. commissaries these had the king commaunded to cut the greatest stones to make the foundations of the temple which after they had hewed and prepared in the mountaine he commaunded should be drawne and brought into the Citie and not onely commaunded he his countrimen to performe this but those workemen also that were sent him by Hiram Salomon began this building in the fourth yeare of his raigne in the second month which the Macedons call Artemisium and the Hebrewes Iar fiue hundreth nintie and two yeares after the departure of the Israelites out of Aegypt one thousand and twentie yeares since the arriuall of Abraham in Mesopotamia one thousand foure hundreth and fortie yeares after the Deluge And since Adam the first man vntill Salomon who builded the Temple all the yeares that are passed haue beene three thousand one hundreth and two But the beginning of the building of the Temple hapned in the eleuenth yeare of the raigne of Hiram who gouerned in Tyre and since the first time that Tyre began to be inhabited vntil the said building of the temple there passed two hundreth and fortie yeares The king therefore laid the foundations of the Temple and made a most deepe trench and fortified it with most strong stones which might be able to resist al the iniuries of time These stones were so closely ioined the one vnto the other that for the strength of the foundations they might serue to make the base and ground both to fortifie the worke as also to sustaine that which should be builded thereupon either for embellishment or waight of the charge neither could the foundations be of lesse strength and hugenes which were to sustaine a sumptuous pile of that height greatnes magnificence and ornament The walles were made of white stone and continued of the same matter euen vntill the roofe The height of the Temple was sixtie cubits and the length as much and the bredth twentie Ouer that was another edifice hauing the like dimensions so that the whole height of the Temple was sixescore cubits and the entry therof was to the East-ward The porch that gaue entry thereinto had twentie cubits in length which was the bredth of the Temple and in bredth ten cubits and the height thereof was of sixescore cubits About the Temple were builded thirtie celles which inuironed the circuit of the same on
that the gouernment which she enioyed during her life time was after her death distracted with infinite troubles and calamities wherewith her family was replenished And notwithstanding her regiment after this manner yet during her life time she kept the kingdome in peace And thus died Alexandra THE XIIII BOOKE OF THE ANTIQVITIES OF THE IEWES WRITTEN BY FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the 14. booke 1 How after the death of Alexandra her youngest sonne Aristobulus made warre against his brother Hircanus for the kingdome who obtaining the victorie compelled Hircanus to flie into a castle in Ierusalem And how after it was agreed and concluded between them that Aristobulus should be king and Hircanus liue as a priuate man without dignitie 2 Of the race of Antipater and how he purchaseth renowme great power and authoritie both to himselfe and his children and of the flight of Hircanus to Aretas king of Arabia 3 Aristobulus being vanquished is pursued as farre as Ierusalem 4 Hircanus and Aristobulus send Embassadours to Scaurus to request his aid and succour 5 Aristobulus and Hircanus present themselues before Pompey to debate their titles touching the kingdome 6 Pompey is seazed of the fortresses by a warlike stratageme 7 They of Ierusalem shut their gates against the Romans 8 Pompey taketh the Temple and lower part of the citie by force 9 Scaurus maketh warre against Aretas and by the perswasion sollicitation of Antipater maketh aleague with him 10 Alexander being ouercome by Gabinius retireth himselfe into a castle where he is shut vp and besieged 11 Aristobulus escaping out of prison flieth from Rome who being taken againe in Iudaea by Gabinius is sent backe prisoner to Rome 12 Crassus warring against the Parthians passeth through Iewrie and spoyleth the Treasurie of the Temple 13 Pompey retireth into Epirus and Scipio commeth into Syria 14 Caesars voyage into Egypt wherein the Iewes do him faithfull seruice 15 Antipaters valiant acts and the amitie betwixt him and Caesar. 16 Caesars letters and the Senates decree as touching the friendship betwixt the Iewes and Romans 17 Antipater committeth the gouernment of Galilee to his sonne Herod and that of Ierusalem to Phasaelus his other sonne and how Sextus Caesar aduāced Herode to great honour and dignitie 18 Cassius afflicteth Iurie and exacteth eight hundreth talents 19 Malichus poisoneth Antipater 20 Herode putteth Malichus to death by Cassius commandement 21 Antigonus the sonne of Aristobulus seeking to recouer his fathers kingdome by the aide of the King of Tyre is discomfited and driuen out of Iudaea by Herod 22 Herod meeting Antonius in Bithynia winneth his fauour with a great summe of money to the intent he should giue no ◅are to his accusers 23 Antonius arriuing in the prouince of Syria establisheth Herode and Phasaelus for Tetrarches 24 The Parthians make warre in Syria to restore Antigonus the sonne of Aristobulus to the kingdome 25 The Parthians take Hircanus and Phasaelus prisoners and lead them away 26 Herode at Rome is declared King of Iury by the Senate 27 Herode returneth from Rome and fighteth against Antigonus 28 Antigonus is discomfited by Sosius and Herode CHAP. I. How after the Contention betweene the two brethren touching the kingdome it was agreed that Aristobulus should be king and Hircanus liue as a priuate man WE haue alreadie intreated in our former Booke both of the actes and death of Queene Alexandra it now remaineth at this present to prosecute and continue the sequell of our History to the end that we neither omit any thing thorow ignorance or burie ought in forgetfulnes For they that make profession to write Histories and to recite such things as are obserued by antiquitie ought not onely studiously to conforme their stile but also to beautifie the same with the ornaments of eloquence to the intent the reader may conuerse in their writings with the more delectation But aboue all things they must haue an especiall care so exactly to set downe the truth that they who know not how these things came to passe may be the more duely and fitly informed When as therefore Hircanus had taken vpon him the high Priesthood in the third yeere of the hundreth seuentie and seuenth Olympiade and in the yeere that Q. Hortensius and Q. Metellus called the Cretensian were consuls at Rome Aristobulus sodainly vndertooke the warre against Hircanus and fought with him neere vnto Iericho where a great number of Hircanus followers submitted themselues of their owne accord to Aristobulus Thorow which accident Hircanus was inforced to fly to the fortresse of the higher citie wherein Alexandra Aristobulus mother had imprisoned both his wife and children as before this it is specified The rest of his faction for feare of his brother who had gotten the victory retired themselues within the enclosure of the temple where they were besieged and taken After this a peace was intreated of betwixt both the brethren and their different was accorded in this manner that Hircanus should passe the remnant of his life without entermedling with affaires of estate but should onely intend his security and peace and Aristobulus should commaund the kingdome This league was ratified betweene them in the temple and confirmed with othes coniunction of hands and embraces in the sight of all the people which being finished Aristobulus retired himselfe into the pallace and Hircanus to Aristobulus lodging to lead a priuate and quiet life CHAP. II. Of the race of Antipater and how he is aduanced to high estate and how Hircanus flieth to Aretas King of Arabia BVt acertaine friend of Hircanus by nation an Idumaean and by name Antipater being wel monied and by nature both factious and industrious and thorow ambition but badly affected toward Aristobulus the rather for that he affected Hircanus faction began to stir much trouble True it is that Nicholas Damascene writeth of this man that he was descended from the noblest amongst those Iewes who returned from out of Babylon into Iury but this he did of set purpose to gratifie Herode Antipaters sonne who by a casualtie became afterwards King of the Iewes as we will expresse hereafter in time and place conuenient This Antipater was at the first called Antipas according to his fathers name who as it is reported was made gouernour of all Idumaea by king Alexander and his wife and afterwards made a league with the Arabians Gazeans and Ascalonites corrupting them and insinuating himselfe into their fauours by diuers great presents bestowed vpon them This young Antipater considering with himselfe what Aristobulus power was and fearing least some mischiefe might be fall him thorow the hatred the young king had conceiued against him he communicated with certaine of the greatest reckoning amongst the lewes and secretly and cunningly incensed them against Aristobulus telling them that they had done amisse both to see and suffer Aristobulus to detaine the kingdome vniustly in his hands and to dispossesse
which my history recounteth Thus haue I as I thought it necessarie made a digression to shew how they are able to performe their word who discrediting my historie promise to set downe truth in writing I haue also sufficiently as I thinke demonstrated that the registring of things is more ancient amongst other nations then amongst the Greekes I will now first of all dispute against those who with all might and maine labour to proue our nation of no antiquitie for that as they say no Greeke writer maketh any mention of it This done I will bring forth proofe and testimone of the antiquitie hereof out of other writers and so I will shew that their tongues are no slaunder who seeke to discredit our nation First therefore our nation neither inhabiteth a countrey bordering vpon the sea neither are wee delighted in marchandise nor for this cause wearied with pilgrimages from place to place But our cities are scituate farre from the sea in a most fertile soile which we till with all industrie and our whole indeuours are how to get foode for our children and to keepe our countrey â—…awes and how to leaue vnto our posteritie the knowledge of pietie which worke we thinke all our age ought to be imployed in Beside all this before mentioned we haâ—…e a forme of liuing different from all other nations all which concurring together we had no need to trafficke with the Greekes as the Aegyptians and the Phaenitians do who giue themselues to bargaining and marchandize onely for coueteousnes of money Neither were our auncestors delighted in thefts and robberies nor did our fathers make warre vpon any nation for desire of larger possessions notwithstanding our countrey was furnished with many thousands of strong warlike men Wherefore the Phaenicians sayling vnto the Greekes to trafficke with them they were thus made knowne vnto them and by them the Aegyptians and all other nations who sailing vpon the seas brought marchandize into Greece The Medes also and Persians were knowne vnto them after such time as they openly raigned ouer Asia and the Persians warred euen vnto the other opposite continent Moreouer the Greeks knew the Thracians because they were their neighbours and the Scythians by sayling to Pontus and finally all that were disposed to write knew al the nations bordering either vpon the Easterne Westerne seas but such as dwelt farre from the sea sea coast were long time vnknowne as also appeareth in Europe for neither Thucidides nor Herodotus nor any other of that time maketh any mention of Rome notwithstanding that so long since it was so mightie and made so great wars yet at last with much adoe the Greeks heard of it Yea their most curious writers and namely Ephorus were so ignorant of the Frenchmen Spaniards that they thought the Spaniards to be a people only denominated of one citie wherein they inhabited whereas the whole world now knoweth them to inhabite a vaste countrey and a great part of the westerne world Likewise the said Greeke writers relate the manner of the foresaid people to be such as neither are nor were euer vsed amongst them And the onely cause why they were ignorant of the truth was the distance of the place and these writers would seeme to tel something which others of former times had not spoken of No maruaile therefore though our nation was vnknowen and none of them in their writings made any mention of vs being both so farre from the sea and liuing after a different manner Put case therefore that I denied the Greeks to be of any antiquitie and to proue my assertion should conclude their nation to be moderne for that our histories made no mention of them would they not laugh at this reason and vse the testimonie of their neighbour nations to proue their antiquitie I therefore wil do the like and vse the testimony of the Aegyptians Phaenicians whose records the Greeks cannot denie For all Aegyptians in generall are our enemies and amongst the Phaenicians they especially of Tyre Which I cannot iustly say of the Chaldeis who haue been princes ouer our nation and because of their affinitie and alliance with our countrimen haue in their Chronicles made mention of the Iewes Yet when I haue prooued what I now auerre and refelled the slanderous reports against vs I will then also shew who amongst the Greeks speake of vs that so the Greeks may also be depriued of this shift and refuge to excuse their malicious lies falsely forged against our nation And first of all I will begin with the writings of the Aegyptians who as they well know doe nothing at all fauour vs. Wherefore Manethon an Aegyptian borne skilfull in the Greeke tongue as by his works appeare for he writ in Greeke compiling a historie of the customes and religion of his forefathers collected as himselfe reporteth out of the Aegyptians holy writings often reprehendeth Herodotus who being indeed ignorant did much helpe the Aegyptians This Manethon in his second booke of the Aegyptian customes saith thus I will set downe his owne words because I vse them for a witnesse We had a King quoth hee named Timaus in whose reigne God being angrie with vs contrarie to all expectation an obscure people taking courage came from the East and pitching their Tents in our countrie conquered it by force no man resisting them committing our princes to bonds did finally burne our cities and destroy the temples of our Gods behaued themselues most cruelly against all the Inhabitants killing many of them and making slaues of the rest with their wiues and children finally they chose a King amongst themselues who should bee then of our Countrie his name was Saltis who comming to Memphis made both the higher and lower Prouince tributaries leauing garrisons in strong holds and fortifying those places in the East Likewise foreseeing that the Assyrians were more mightie then he and would inuade his Countrie he found out in this Prouince a Citie called Saite fit for his purpose being situate on the East side of the riuer Bubastis which by an auncient diuine was called Auaris he builded vp this Citie and compassed it with most huge wals and placed in it two hundred thousand armed men to keepe it This Saltis came in Haruest time to the intent that hee might both pay his souldiers and bee a terror vnto other people and after hee had raigned nineteene yeeres hee died After him succeeded another King called Baeon who reigned foure and fortie yeeres next to him Aphinas who reigned thirtie sixe yeere and seuen monethes then Aphocis who reigned threescore and one yeeres and then Iandas who reigned fiftie yeeres and one moneth after them all reigned Assis nine and fortie yeeres and two moneths and these sixe were the first Kings amongst them euer destroying and warring vpon the Aegyptians and labouring to extinguish their race This nation was called Hiscos which signifieth Kings shepheards for Hic in
a tumult begun in Syria He also recordeth the greatnesse of our countrey and the fertilitie thereof they inhabite quoth he a countrey that hath almost thirtie hundreth thousand acres of most fertile ground for Iurie is of this largenesse that in time past we inhabited a large and very great citie which was verie populous he speaketh also of the building of our temple in this manner The Iewes haue many other townes and villages in euerie prouince but they haue one most strong citie the compasse of whose wals is fiftie stounds and in it inhabite a hundred and fiftie thousand men and this citie they called Ierusalem in the midst of it is a building of stone with foure porches a hundreth cubits about it hath also double gates wherein is a foure squared Altar made of vnhewen stones ioyned together and it is twentie cubites square euerie way and ten cubites high and about it is a most huge building where in is an Altar and a Candlesticke both of gold weighing two talents and there is kept a continuall light night and day which neuer goeth forth therein is no Image nor gift notrees nor wood growing there nor any thing of this sort Therein inhabite Priests both night and day celebrating certaine purifications and they drinke no wine in the Temple Moreouer he shewed how our nation warred vnder Alexanders successors and he reporteth that which he heard of a certaine Iew in the armie and I will set downe the Authors owne words As I went quoth he to the red Sea a certaine Iewe one of the horsemen that conducted vs named Mosollamus who was a couragious man and one who excelled all archers else both Greeks and other nations This Iewe euerie one hasting on forward of his iourney and being willed by a southsayer to stand he asked for what cause the multitude staied and went not forward presently the Southsayer shewed him a bird which hee diligently viewed and told the Iewe that if that bird did stand still in the place that then it was expedient for them to stand and if the bird did mount vp and flie that then they ought to march on forward but if it flew towards the place from whence they came that then it was wisedome to retire The Iewe hereat was silent yet drawing his bow hee shot an arrow and killed the bird whereat the Southsayer and certaine other were offended and cursed him But he taking the vnhappie bird in his hand said vnto them Are yee so mad as to thinke that this bird not hauing the foresight to preserue her selfe from this death is able to direct vs in the successe of our iourney Had this bird foreknowne future euents shee would haue eschewed this place for dread that Mosollamus a Iewe should haue strucken her with an arrow But wee will now leaue the testimonie of Hecataeus for euerie one that list may reade his booke and there vnderstand this more at large I will not omit the testimonie of Agatarchides a man of no euill in his owne opinion yet indeed one who hath vsed detraction to our owne nation This man speaking of Stratonice how leauing her husband Demetrius shee came into Syria and how Seleucus would not marrie her as shee hoped who hauing an armie at Babylon warred against Antioch and had taken the Citie and that shee fled into Seleucia where as she might haue made a more speedie escape by water but that shee was forwarned in a sleepe so to do that she was there taken and died c. Agatarchides hauing vsed this Preface and inueighed against Stratonices superstition he vseth an example of our nation in this manner The people that are called Iewes inhabite a most strong Citie which they call Ierusalem these people are wont to rest vpon the seuenth day and doe neither beare armes nor till their grounds nor doe anie other businesse vpon that day but their custome is to remaine in their Temple and there with stretched out armes continue in praier till night And so vpon a time they perseuering in that foolerie whilest they should haue defended their Citie Ptolomaeus Lagus entered it with many people and a great armie who greatly tyrannized ouer them and so they found by experience that the solemnitie appointed by their law was preiudiciall vnto them such like Churches as this did teach them and all nations else to flie vnto dreames which their law teacheth neuer considering that humane pollicie cannot preuaile against that which must necessarily happen Agatarchides thought this which he reporteth of vs to be ridiculous but they who weigh it with indifferencie shall perceiue that it is great commendation to our nation who rather suffer their Countrie and our saftie to be lost and endamaged then to violate the lawes of God I thinke I am thus able to shew that many writers omitted to make mention of our nation not for that they knew vs not but for enuie For Ierome who writ a booke of succession in the same time that Hecataeus liued who was a friend vnto King Antigonus and being president of Syria neuer mentioneth vs in all his Historie notwithstanding he was brought vp almost in our Countrie But Haecataeus writ a booke of vs so different are the minds of men for one of them thought our nation worthie to bee diligently recorded the other through malice was hindred from speaking the truth yet the Histories of the Chaldies Aegyptians and Phaenicians may suffice to proue our antiquitie together with the Greeke writers for besides those before mentioned Theophrastus also Theodotus Manaseas Ariphanes Hermogenes Euemeus Conon Zopyrion and many others no doubt for I haue not perused all mens bookes haue manifestly restified of vs. For many of the foresaid men were blinded with errors as not hauing gread our holy Scriptures yet they all ioyntly testifie our antiquitie for which I now alleadge them Truely Demetrius Phalereus Philon the elder and Eupolemus did not much erre from the truth and therefore reason it is that they should be borne with alâ—… for they were not so skilful as to search our writings with so much curiositie Being come thus farre it resteth that I now present one point more wherof I made mention in the beginning of this booke to wit that I declare the detractions and slaunderous reports of diuers concerning our nation to be false and voide of truth and I will vse the testimonie of those writers who record that the lying Historiographers at such time as they committed to writing the foresaid detractions did also euen against themselues register such like slaunders as they did against vs. And I doubt not but that all those who are conuersant in Histories can testifie that the like hath beene done by most writers for certaine priuate hatred or such like respects For some of the Gentiles haue attempted to deface the honour and reputation of the most renowmed Cities and to defame the manners of their Inhabitants Thus did Theopompus