Antiquities Book 13, Chapter 12
How Alexander When He Had Taken The Government Made An Expedition Against Ptolemais, And Then Raised The Siege Out Of Fear Of Ptolemy Lathyrus; And How Ptolemy Made War Against Him, Because He Had Sent To Cleopatra To Persuade Her To Make War Against Ptolemy, And Yet Pretended To Be In Friendship With Him, When He Beat The Jews In The Battle.
1. When Aristobulus was dead, his wife Salome, who, by the Greeks, was
called Alexandra, let his brethren out of prison, [for Aristobulus had
kept them in bonds, as we have said already,] and made Alexander Janneus
king, who was the superior in age and in moderation. This child happened
to be hated by his father as soon as he was born, and could never be
permitted to come into his father's sight till he died. 32 The occasion
of which hatred is thus reported: when Hyrcanus chiefly loved the two
eldest of his sons, Antigonus and Aristobulus, God appeared to him in
his sleep, of whom he inquired which of his sons should be his
successor. Upon God's representing to him the countenance of Alexander,
he was grieved that he was to be the heir of all his goods, and suffered
him to be brought up in Galilee, However, God did not deceive Hyrcanus;
for after the death of Aristobulus, he certainly took the kingdom; and
one of his brethren, who affected the kingdom, he slew; and the other,
who chose to live a private and quiet life, he had in esteem.
2. When Alexander Janneus had settled the government in the manner that
he judged best, he made an expedition against Ptolemais; and having
overcome the men in battle, he shut them up in the city, and sat round
about it, and besieged it; for of the maritime cities there remained
only Ptolemais and Gaza to be conquered, besides Strato's Tower and
Dora, which were held by the tyrant Zoilus. Now while Antiochus
Philometor, and Antiochus who was called Cyzicenus, were making war one
against another, and destroying one another's armies, the people of
Ptolemais could have no assistance from them; but when they were
distressed with this siege, Zoilus, who possessed Strato's Tower and
Dora, and maintained a legion of soldiers, and, on occasion of the
contest between the kings, affected tyranny himself, came and brought
some small assistance to the people of Ptolemais; nor indeed had the
kings such a friendship for them, as that they should hope for any
advantage from them. Both those kings were in the case of wrestlers, who
finding themselves deficient in strength, and yet being ashamed to
yield, put off the fight by laziness, and by lying still as long as they
can. The only hope they had remaining was from the kings of Egypt, and
from Ptolemy Lathyrus, who now held Cyprus, and who came to Cyprus when
he was driven from the government of Egypt by Cleopatra his mother. So
the people of Ptolemais sent to this Ptolemy Lathyrus, and desired him
to come as a confederate, to deliver them, now they were in such danger,
out of the hands of Alexander. And as the ambassadors gave him hopes,
that if he would pass over into Syria, he would have the people of Gaza
on the side of those of Ptolemais; as also they said, that Zoilus, and
besides these the Sidonians, and many others, would assist them; so he
was elevated at this, and got his fleet ready as soon as possible.
3. But in this interval Demenetus, one that was of abilities to persuade
men to do as he would have them, and a leader of the populace, made
those of Ptolemais change their opinions; and said to them, that it was
better to run the hazard of being subject to the Jews, than to admit of
evident slavery by delivering themselves up to a master; and besides
that, to have not only a war at present, but to expect a much greater
war from Egypt; for that Cleopatra would not overlook an army raised by
Ptolemy for himself out of the neighborhood, but would come against them
with a great army of her own, and this because she was laboring to eject
her son out of Cyprus also; that as for Ptolemy, if he fail of his
hopes, he can still retire to Cyprus, but that they will be left in the
greatest danger possible. Now Ptolemy, although he had heard of the
change that was made in the people of Ptolemais, yet did he still go on
with his voyage, and came to the country called Sycamine, and there set
his army on shore. This army of his, in the whole horse and foot
together, were about thirty thousand, with which he marched near to
Ptolemais, and there pitched his camp. But when the people of Ptolemais
neither received his ambassadors, nor would hear what they had to say,
he was under a very great concern.
4. But when Zoilus and the people of Gaza came to him, and desired his
assistance, because their country was laid waste by the Jews, and by
Alexander, Alexander raised the siege, for fear of Ptolemy: and when he
had drawn off his army into his own country, he used a stratagem
afterwards, by privately inviting Cleopatra to come against Ptolemy, but
publicly pretending to desire a league of friendship and mutual
assistance with him; and promising to give him four hundred talents of
silver, he desired that, by way of requital, he would take off Zoilus
the tyrant, and give his country to the Jews. And then indeed Ptolemy,
with pleasure, made such a league of friendship with Alexander, and
subdued Zoilus; but when he afterwards heard that he had privily sent to
Cleopatra his mother, he broke the league with him, which yet he had
confirmed with an oath, and fell upon him, and besieged Ptolemais,
because it would not receive him. However, leaving his generals, with
some part of his forces, to go on with the siege, he went himself
immediately with the rest to lay Judea waste; and when Alexander
understood this to be Ptolemy's intention, he also got together about
fifty thousand soldiers out of his own country; nay, as some writers
have said, eighty thousand 33 He then took his army, and went to meet
Ptolemy; but Ptolemy fell upon Asochis, a city of Galilee, and took it
by force on the sabbath day, and there he took about ten thousand
slaves, and a great deal of other prey.
5. He then tried to take Sepphoris, which was a city not far from that
which was destroyed, but lost many of his men; yet did he then go to
fight with Alexander; which Alexander met him at the river Jordan, near
a certain place called Saphoth, [not far from the river Jordan,] and
pitched his camp near to the enemy. He had however eight thousand in the
first rank, which he styled Hecatontomachi, having shields of brass.
Those in the first rank of Ptolemy's soldiers also had shields covered
with brass. But Ptolemy's soldiers in other respects were inferior to
those of Alexander, and therefore were more fearful of running hazards;
but Philostephanus, the camp-master, put great courage into them, and
ordered them to pass the river, which was between their camps. Nor did
Alexander think fit to hinder their passage over it; for he thought,
that if the enemy had once gotten the river on their back, that he
should the easier take them prisoners, when they could not flee out of
the battle: in the beginning of which, the acts on both sides, with
their hands, and with their alacrity, were alike, and a great slaughter
was made by both the armies; but Alexander was superior, till
Philostephanus opportunely brought up the auxiliaries, to help those
that were giving way; but as there were no auxiliaries to afford help to
that part of the Jews that gave way, it fell out that they fled, and
those near them did not assist them, but fled along with them. However,
Ptolemy's soldiers acted quite otherwise; for they followed the Jews,
and killed them, till at length those that slew them pursued after them
when they had made them all run away, and slew them so long, that their
weapons of iron were blunted, and their hands quite tired with the
slaughter; for the report was, that thirty thousand men were then slain.
Timagenes says they were fifty thousand. As for the rest, they were part
of them taken captives, and the other part ran away to their own
country.
6. After this victory, Ptolemy overran all the country; and when night
came on, he abode in certain villages of Judea, which when he found full
of women and children, he commanded his soldiers to strangle them, and
to cut them in pieces, and then to cast them into boiling caldrons, and
then to devour their limbs as sacrifices. This commandment was given,
that such as fled from the battle, and came to them, might suppose their
enemies were cannibals, and eat men's flesh, and might on that account
be still more terrified at them upon such a sight. And both Strabo and
Nicholaus [of Damascus] affirm, that they used these people after this
manner, as I have already related. Ptolemy also took Ptolemais by force,
as we have declared elsewhere.
called Alexandra, let his brethren out of prison, [for Aristobulus had
kept them in bonds, as we have said already,] and made Alexander Janneus
king, who was the superior in age and in moderation. This child happened
to be hated by his father as soon as he was born, and could never be
permitted to come into his father's sight till he died. 32 The occasion
of which hatred is thus reported: when Hyrcanus chiefly loved the two
eldest of his sons, Antigonus and Aristobulus, God appeared to him in
his sleep, of whom he inquired which of his sons should be his
successor. Upon God's representing to him the countenance of Alexander,
he was grieved that he was to be the heir of all his goods, and suffered
him to be brought up in Galilee, However, God did not deceive Hyrcanus;
for after the death of Aristobulus, he certainly took the kingdom; and
one of his brethren, who affected the kingdom, he slew; and the other,
who chose to live a private and quiet life, he had in esteem.
2. When Alexander Janneus had settled the government in the manner that
he judged best, he made an expedition against Ptolemais; and having
overcome the men in battle, he shut them up in the city, and sat round
about it, and besieged it; for of the maritime cities there remained
only Ptolemais and Gaza to be conquered, besides Strato's Tower and
Dora, which were held by the tyrant Zoilus. Now while Antiochus
Philometor, and Antiochus who was called Cyzicenus, were making war one
against another, and destroying one another's armies, the people of
Ptolemais could have no assistance from them; but when they were
distressed with this siege, Zoilus, who possessed Strato's Tower and
Dora, and maintained a legion of soldiers, and, on occasion of the
contest between the kings, affected tyranny himself, came and brought
some small assistance to the people of Ptolemais; nor indeed had the
kings such a friendship for them, as that they should hope for any
advantage from them. Both those kings were in the case of wrestlers, who
finding themselves deficient in strength, and yet being ashamed to
yield, put off the fight by laziness, and by lying still as long as they
can. The only hope they had remaining was from the kings of Egypt, and
from Ptolemy Lathyrus, who now held Cyprus, and who came to Cyprus when
he was driven from the government of Egypt by Cleopatra his mother. So
the people of Ptolemais sent to this Ptolemy Lathyrus, and desired him
to come as a confederate, to deliver them, now they were in such danger,
out of the hands of Alexander. And as the ambassadors gave him hopes,
that if he would pass over into Syria, he would have the people of Gaza
on the side of those of Ptolemais; as also they said, that Zoilus, and
besides these the Sidonians, and many others, would assist them; so he
was elevated at this, and got his fleet ready as soon as possible.
3. But in this interval Demenetus, one that was of abilities to persuade
men to do as he would have them, and a leader of the populace, made
those of Ptolemais change their opinions; and said to them, that it was
better to run the hazard of being subject to the Jews, than to admit of
evident slavery by delivering themselves up to a master; and besides
that, to have not only a war at present, but to expect a much greater
war from Egypt; for that Cleopatra would not overlook an army raised by
Ptolemy for himself out of the neighborhood, but would come against them
with a great army of her own, and this because she was laboring to eject
her son out of Cyprus also; that as for Ptolemy, if he fail of his
hopes, he can still retire to Cyprus, but that they will be left in the
greatest danger possible. Now Ptolemy, although he had heard of the
change that was made in the people of Ptolemais, yet did he still go on
with his voyage, and came to the country called Sycamine, and there set
his army on shore. This army of his, in the whole horse and foot
together, were about thirty thousand, with which he marched near to
Ptolemais, and there pitched his camp. But when the people of Ptolemais
neither received his ambassadors, nor would hear what they had to say,
he was under a very great concern.
4. But when Zoilus and the people of Gaza came to him, and desired his
assistance, because their country was laid waste by the Jews, and by
Alexander, Alexander raised the siege, for fear of Ptolemy: and when he
had drawn off his army into his own country, he used a stratagem
afterwards, by privately inviting Cleopatra to come against Ptolemy, but
publicly pretending to desire a league of friendship and mutual
assistance with him; and promising to give him four hundred talents of
silver, he desired that, by way of requital, he would take off Zoilus
the tyrant, and give his country to the Jews. And then indeed Ptolemy,
with pleasure, made such a league of friendship with Alexander, and
subdued Zoilus; but when he afterwards heard that he had privily sent to
Cleopatra his mother, he broke the league with him, which yet he had
confirmed with an oath, and fell upon him, and besieged Ptolemais,
because it would not receive him. However, leaving his generals, with
some part of his forces, to go on with the siege, he went himself
immediately with the rest to lay Judea waste; and when Alexander
understood this to be Ptolemy's intention, he also got together about
fifty thousand soldiers out of his own country; nay, as some writers
have said, eighty thousand 33 He then took his army, and went to meet
Ptolemy; but Ptolemy fell upon Asochis, a city of Galilee, and took it
by force on the sabbath day, and there he took about ten thousand
slaves, and a great deal of other prey.
5. He then tried to take Sepphoris, which was a city not far from that
which was destroyed, but lost many of his men; yet did he then go to
fight with Alexander; which Alexander met him at the river Jordan, near
a certain place called Saphoth, [not far from the river Jordan,] and
pitched his camp near to the enemy. He had however eight thousand in the
first rank, which he styled Hecatontomachi, having shields of brass.
Those in the first rank of Ptolemy's soldiers also had shields covered
with brass. But Ptolemy's soldiers in other respects were inferior to
those of Alexander, and therefore were more fearful of running hazards;
but Philostephanus, the camp-master, put great courage into them, and
ordered them to pass the river, which was between their camps. Nor did
Alexander think fit to hinder their passage over it; for he thought,
that if the enemy had once gotten the river on their back, that he
should the easier take them prisoners, when they could not flee out of
the battle: in the beginning of which, the acts on both sides, with
their hands, and with their alacrity, were alike, and a great slaughter
was made by both the armies; but Alexander was superior, till
Philostephanus opportunely brought up the auxiliaries, to help those
that were giving way; but as there were no auxiliaries to afford help to
that part of the Jews that gave way, it fell out that they fled, and
those near them did not assist them, but fled along with them. However,
Ptolemy's soldiers acted quite otherwise; for they followed the Jews,
and killed them, till at length those that slew them pursued after them
when they had made them all run away, and slew them so long, that their
weapons of iron were blunted, and their hands quite tired with the
slaughter; for the report was, that thirty thousand men were then slain.
Timagenes says they were fifty thousand. As for the rest, they were part
of them taken captives, and the other part ran away to their own
country.
6. After this victory, Ptolemy overran all the country; and when night
came on, he abode in certain villages of Judea, which when he found full
of women and children, he commanded his soldiers to strangle them, and
to cut them in pieces, and then to cast them into boiling caldrons, and
then to devour their limbs as sacrifices. This commandment was given,
that such as fled from the battle, and came to them, might suppose their
enemies were cannibals, and eat men's flesh, and might on that account
be still more terrified at them upon such a sight. And both Strabo and
Nicholaus [of Damascus] affirm, that they used these people after this
manner, as I have already related. Ptolemy also took Ptolemais by force,
as we have declared elsewhere.