Antiquities Book 13, Chapter 11
How Aristobulus, When He Had Taken The Government First Of All Put A Diadem On His Head, And Was Most Barbarously Cruel To His Mother And His Brethren; And How, After He Had Slain Antigonus, He Himself Died.
1. Now when their father Hyrcanus was dead, the eldest son Aristobulus,
intending to change the government into a kingdom, for so he resolved to
do, first of all put a diadem on his head, four hundred eighty and one
years and three months after the people had been delivered from the
Babylonish slavery, and were returned to their own country again. This
Aristobulus loved his next brother Antigonus, and treated him as his
equal; but the others he held in bonds. He also cast his mother into
prison, because she disputed the government with him; for Hyrcanus had
left her to be mistress of all. He also proceeded to that degree of
barbarity, as to kill her in prison with hunger; nay, he was alienated
from his brother Antigonus by calumnies, and added him to the rest whom
he slew; yet he seemed to have an affection for him, and made him above
the rest a partner with him in the kingdom. Those calumnies he at first
did not give credit to, partly because he loved him, and so did not give
heed to what was said against him, and partly because he thought the
reproaches were derived from the envy of the relaters. But when
Antigonus was once returned from the army, and that feast was then at
hand when they make tabernacles to [the honor of God,] it happened that
Arlstobulus was fallen sick, and that Antigonus went up most splendidly
adorned, and with his soldiers about him in their armor, to the temple
to celebrate the feast, and to put up many prayers for the recovery of
his brother, when some wicked persons, who had a great mind to raise a
difference between the brethren, made use of this opportunity of the
pompous appearance of Antigonus, and of the great actions which he had
done, and went to the king, and spitefully aggravated the pompous show
of his at the feast, and pretended that all these circumstances were not
like those of a private person; that these actions were indications of
an affectation of royal authority; and that his coming with a strong
body of men must be with an intention to kill him; and that his way of
reasoning was this: That it was a silly thing in him, while it was in
his power to reign himself, to look upon it as a great favor that he was
honored with a lower dignity by his brother.
2. Aristobulus yielded to these imputations, but took care both that his
brother should not suspect him, and that he himself might not run the
hazard of his own safety; so he ordered his guards to lie in a certain
place that was under ground, and dark; [he himself then lying sick in
the tower which was called Antonia;] and he commanded them, that in case
Antigonus came in to him unarmed, they should not touch any body, but if
armed, they should kill him; yet did he send to Antigonus, and desired
that he would come unarmed; but the queen, and those that joined with
her in the plot against Antigonus, persuaded the messenger to tell him
the direct contrary: how his brother had heard that he had made himself
a fine suit of armor for war, and desired him to come to him in that
armor, that he might see how fine it was. So Antigonus suspecting no
treachery, but depending on the good-will of his brother, came to
Aristobulus armed, as he used to be, with his entire armor, in order to
show it to him; but when he was come to a place which was called
Strato's Tower, where the passage happened to be exceeding dark, the
guards slew him; which death of his demonstrates that nothing is
stronger than envy and calumny, and that nothing does more certainly
divide the good-will and natural affections of men than those passions.
But here one may take occasion to wonder at one Judas, who was of the
sect of the Essens, 31 and who never missed the truth in his
predictions; for this man, when he saw Antigonus passing by the temple,
cried out to his companions and friends, who abode with him as his
scholars, in order to learn the art of foretelling things to come? "That
it was good for him to die now, since he had spoken falsely about
Antigonus, who is still alive, and I see him passing by, although he had
foretold he should die at the place called Strato's Tower that very day,
while yet the place is six hundred furlongs off, where he had foretold
he should be slain; and still this day is a great part of it already
past, so that he was in danger of proving a false prophet." As he was
saying this, and that in a melancholy mood, the news came that Antigonus
was slain in a place under ground, which itself was called also Strato's
Tower, or of the same name with that Cæsarea which is seated at the sea.
This event put the prophet into a great disorder.
3. But Aristobulus repented immediately of this slaughter of his
brother; on which account his disease increased upon him, and he was
disturbed in his mind, upon the guilt of such wickedness, insomuch that
his entrails were corrupted by his intolerable pain, and he vomited
blood: at which time one of the servants that attended upon him, and was
carrying his blood away, did, by Divine Providence, as I cannot but
suppose, slip down, and shed part of his blood at the very place where
there were spots of Antigonus's blood, there slain, still remaining; and
when there was a cry made by the spectators, as if the servant had on
purpose shed the blood on that place, Aristobulus heard it, and inquired
what the matter was; and as they did not answer him, he was the more
earnest to know what it was, it being natural to men to suspect that
what is thus concealed is very bad: so upon his threatening, and forcing
them by terrors to speak, they at length told him the truth; whereupon
he shed many tears, in that disorder of mind which arose from his
consciousness of what he had done, and gave a deep groan, and said, "I
am not therefore, I perceive, to be concealed from God, in the impious
and horrid crimes I have been guilty of; but a sudden punishment is
coming upon me for the shedding the blood of my relations. And now, O
thou most impudent body of mine, how long wilt thou retain a soul that
ought to die, in order to appease the ghosts of my brother and my
mother? Why dost thou not give it all up at once? And why do I deliver
up my blood drop by drop to those whom I have so wickedly murdered?" In
saying which last words he died, having reigned a year. He was called a
lover of the Grecians; and had conferred many benefits on his own
country, and made war against Iturea, and added a great part of it to
Judea, and compelled the inhabitants, if they would continue in that
country, to be circumcised, and to live according to the Jewish laws. He
was naturally a man of candor, and of great modesty, as Strabo bears
witness, in the name of Timagenes; who says thus: "This man was a person
of candor, and very serviceable to the Jews; for he added a country to
them, and obtained a part of the nation of the Itureans for them, and
bound them to them by the bond of the circumcision of their genitals."
intending to change the government into a kingdom, for so he resolved to
do, first of all put a diadem on his head, four hundred eighty and one
years and three months after the people had been delivered from the
Babylonish slavery, and were returned to their own country again. This
Aristobulus loved his next brother Antigonus, and treated him as his
equal; but the others he held in bonds. He also cast his mother into
prison, because she disputed the government with him; for Hyrcanus had
left her to be mistress of all. He also proceeded to that degree of
barbarity, as to kill her in prison with hunger; nay, he was alienated
from his brother Antigonus by calumnies, and added him to the rest whom
he slew; yet he seemed to have an affection for him, and made him above
the rest a partner with him in the kingdom. Those calumnies he at first
did not give credit to, partly because he loved him, and so did not give
heed to what was said against him, and partly because he thought the
reproaches were derived from the envy of the relaters. But when
Antigonus was once returned from the army, and that feast was then at
hand when they make tabernacles to [the honor of God,] it happened that
Arlstobulus was fallen sick, and that Antigonus went up most splendidly
adorned, and with his soldiers about him in their armor, to the temple
to celebrate the feast, and to put up many prayers for the recovery of
his brother, when some wicked persons, who had a great mind to raise a
difference between the brethren, made use of this opportunity of the
pompous appearance of Antigonus, and of the great actions which he had
done, and went to the king, and spitefully aggravated the pompous show
of his at the feast, and pretended that all these circumstances were not
like those of a private person; that these actions were indications of
an affectation of royal authority; and that his coming with a strong
body of men must be with an intention to kill him; and that his way of
reasoning was this: That it was a silly thing in him, while it was in
his power to reign himself, to look upon it as a great favor that he was
honored with a lower dignity by his brother.
2. Aristobulus yielded to these imputations, but took care both that his
brother should not suspect him, and that he himself might not run the
hazard of his own safety; so he ordered his guards to lie in a certain
place that was under ground, and dark; [he himself then lying sick in
the tower which was called Antonia;] and he commanded them, that in case
Antigonus came in to him unarmed, they should not touch any body, but if
armed, they should kill him; yet did he send to Antigonus, and desired
that he would come unarmed; but the queen, and those that joined with
her in the plot against Antigonus, persuaded the messenger to tell him
the direct contrary: how his brother had heard that he had made himself
a fine suit of armor for war, and desired him to come to him in that
armor, that he might see how fine it was. So Antigonus suspecting no
treachery, but depending on the good-will of his brother, came to
Aristobulus armed, as he used to be, with his entire armor, in order to
show it to him; but when he was come to a place which was called
Strato's Tower, where the passage happened to be exceeding dark, the
guards slew him; which death of his demonstrates that nothing is
stronger than envy and calumny, and that nothing does more certainly
divide the good-will and natural affections of men than those passions.
But here one may take occasion to wonder at one Judas, who was of the
sect of the Essens, 31 and who never missed the truth in his
predictions; for this man, when he saw Antigonus passing by the temple,
cried out to his companions and friends, who abode with him as his
scholars, in order to learn the art of foretelling things to come? "That
it was good for him to die now, since he had spoken falsely about
Antigonus, who is still alive, and I see him passing by, although he had
foretold he should die at the place called Strato's Tower that very day,
while yet the place is six hundred furlongs off, where he had foretold
he should be slain; and still this day is a great part of it already
past, so that he was in danger of proving a false prophet." As he was
saying this, and that in a melancholy mood, the news came that Antigonus
was slain in a place under ground, which itself was called also Strato's
Tower, or of the same name with that Cæsarea which is seated at the sea.
This event put the prophet into a great disorder.
3. But Aristobulus repented immediately of this slaughter of his
brother; on which account his disease increased upon him, and he was
disturbed in his mind, upon the guilt of such wickedness, insomuch that
his entrails were corrupted by his intolerable pain, and he vomited
blood: at which time one of the servants that attended upon him, and was
carrying his blood away, did, by Divine Providence, as I cannot but
suppose, slip down, and shed part of his blood at the very place where
there were spots of Antigonus's blood, there slain, still remaining; and
when there was a cry made by the spectators, as if the servant had on
purpose shed the blood on that place, Aristobulus heard it, and inquired
what the matter was; and as they did not answer him, he was the more
earnest to know what it was, it being natural to men to suspect that
what is thus concealed is very bad: so upon his threatening, and forcing
them by terrors to speak, they at length told him the truth; whereupon
he shed many tears, in that disorder of mind which arose from his
consciousness of what he had done, and gave a deep groan, and said, "I
am not therefore, I perceive, to be concealed from God, in the impious
and horrid crimes I have been guilty of; but a sudden punishment is
coming upon me for the shedding the blood of my relations. And now, O
thou most impudent body of mine, how long wilt thou retain a soul that
ought to die, in order to appease the ghosts of my brother and my
mother? Why dost thou not give it all up at once? And why do I deliver
up my blood drop by drop to those whom I have so wickedly murdered?" In
saying which last words he died, having reigned a year. He was called a
lover of the Grecians; and had conferred many benefits on his own
country, and made war against Iturea, and added a great part of it to
Judea, and compelled the inhabitants, if they would continue in that
country, to be circumcised, and to live according to the Jewish laws. He
was naturally a man of candor, and of great modesty, as Strabo bears
witness, in the name of Timagenes; who says thus: "This man was a person
of candor, and very serviceable to the Jews; for he added a country to
them, and obtained a part of the nation of the Itureans for them, and
bound them to them by the bond of the circumcision of their genitals."